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Monthly Archives: May 2012
Northern Ontario medical school paying off for Dryden
Reaching out to medical students from the North is key to attracting — and keeping — new doctors
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10 Medical Schools That Lead to the Most Debt
The U.S. News Short List, separate from our overall rankings, is a regular series that magnifies individual data points in hopes of providing students and parents a way to find which undergraduate or graduate programs excel or have room to grow in specific areas. Be sure to explore The Short List: College and The Short List: Grad School to find data that matters to you in your college or grad school search.
As the congressional debate over student loan interest rates heats up, prospective medical students should pay close attention to a less publicized aspect of the legislation: Starting July 1, graduate students will lose access to federally subsidized Stafford loans.
The change means new medical students will be responsible for paying for interest that accrues on Stafford loans as they work toward their degrees. The interest could add up to a significant chunk of change considering the already hefty debt burden of most medical school graduates.
[Learn how to go to medical school for free.]
Among the 112 medical schools reporting average indebtedness data to U.S. News in an annual survey, 2010 graduates averaged $145,020 in debt. The average debt burden jumps to nearly $204,000 at the schools where students shoulder the heaviest debt burden.
Medical students graduating from the West Virginia School of Osteopathic Medicine average $229,132 in debt at graduation--more than any other medical school in the country, among those providing data to U.S. News. The average debt load exceeds $200,000 for M.D.'s graduating from Temple University in Philadelphia or George Washington University in Washington, D.C., among other schools.
[Grad students: Read about options to manage student loan debt.]
Future physicians and surgeons aiming to limit their medical school debt should research scholarship, grant, and fellowship opportunities at their prospective schools. They should also consider the price tag of public versus private schools.
Of the 10 schools where students average the most debt, 9 are private schools. Overall, graduates of private medical schools average nearly $155,000 in debt, compared to just more than $138,000 that average graduates accrue at public medical schools.
Below is a list of the 10 medical schools that averaged the most debt for the 2010 graduating class. U.S. News defines debt in its survey as loans taken out by students from the colleges themselves, from financial institutions, and from federal, state, and local governments.
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University of Miami medical school shakes up leadership
University of Miami Health System layoffs
University of Miami President Donna E. Shalala talks about layoffs at the University of Miami Health System, including the medical school. Shalala spoke to the Miami Herald Tuesday, May 8, 2012.
Chuck Fadely / Miami Herald Staff
The top ranks of the University of Miamis medical school continue to be shaken up as part of the massive restructuring that includes laying off of up to 800 full-time employees.
The latest change: Steven Lipshultz, the longtime chair of pediatrics, one of the largest departments in the school, will be stepping down from his leadership roles, Dean Pascal Goldschmidt announced in a memo to staff.
Four other top leaders have also lost their posts as the school seeks to make major changes in its finances, which show losses of $18 million for the first 10 months of its fiscal year.
Lipshultz is being replaced temporarily by Judy Schaechter, the associate chair of pediatrics. Ira Karmin, interim chair of obstetrics and gynecology, will oversee pediatrics from the new position of associate dean for womens and childrens health.
Goldschmidt thanked Lipshultz for his service and said the pediatric cardiologist will continue to work at UM, but the dean added in his staff memo: At this moment in our schools history, we need particularly strong leaders leaders who can drive innovation, deal with challenges and recognize that our world needs to change.
It is about leaders who bring solutions, who engage the faculty in dialogue, and who think differently about how we do the things we do. Judy and Ira are such leaders. We are grateful for their willingness to step up and take on critical new responsibilities.
Steve Green, former head of the faculty senate, said Lipshultz was extremely well regarded nationally both as a clinician and as a researcher and he recently received excellent reviews from his faculty.
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Mobile Technology May Influence Medical School Training
The proliferation of mobile and electronic technologies, both in the United States and overseas, has changed the way medicine is practiced, affecting both physicians and medical students. How would this affect your medical school experience?
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Liberty University lampooned on HBO show
Posted on: 7:57 am, May 22, 2012, by Tasia Stone, updated on: 07:59am, May 22, 2012
(WTVR) Students and faculty at Virginias Liberty University are defending their school after being criticized on a national television show.
Comedian Bill Maher is known for pushing the envelope on his HBO show, Real Time. But Liberty supporters say he recently went too far when he said Liberty University isnt really a university.
I think a diploma from Liberty cheapens my degree from a real school, joked Maher. If you want to go to some place that teaches the Bible is literally true, and the earth was created last Tuesday when God got into gardening, thats fine, but you cant call it a university. Target serves pizza, [that] doesnt make it a restaurant.
The comments seen last Friday on Mahers HBO show are based on Republican candidate Mitt Romneys appearance at Liberty for the universitys graduation ceremony earlier this month.
The comedian sharply criticizes Liberty because the school offers classes that teach the universe is created by God.
CBS 6s sister station in Roanoke, WDBJ, spoke with students who arent laughing at the comedic act.
I was surprised at how much he attacked liberty as a whole, said Liberty University student Jon Keith.
I think its really ridiculous, says student Charlotte Purdy, I feel like hes a jerk and I feel like he kind of used it as a means to promote his personal agenda and he really didnt have any credible points that he was making.
Liberty University President Jerry Falwell responded to Mahers comments. He released a written statement, which reads in part, Maher is a comedian whose words arent meant to be taken seriously. Liberty teaches the theory of evolutioncreation as well as the biblical account of creation(including that the universe could have been created with the appearance of age just as the first man and woman were created as adults) and students make up their own minds on the issue.
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Liberty Global to Present at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Liberty Global, Inc. (Liberty Global) (NASDAQ: LBTYA, LBTYB and LBTYK) will be presenting at the Barclays Capital Global Technology, Media and Telecommunications Conference on Wednesday May 23, 2012 at 11:45 a.m. Eastern Time at Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers in New York, New York. Liberty Global may make observations concerning its historical operating performance and outlook. The presentation will be webcast live at http://www.lgi.com. We intend to archive the webcast under the investor relations section of our website for approximately 30 days.
About Liberty Global, Inc.
Liberty Global is the leading international cable operator offering advanced video, voice and broadband internet services to connect its customers to the world of entertainment, communications and information. As of March 31, 2012, Liberty Globals continuing businesses operated state-of-the-art networks serving 20 million customers across 13 countries principally located in Europe and Chile. Liberty Globals operations also include significant programming businesses such as Chellomedia in Europe.
For more information, please visit http://www.lgi.com.
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Lynx-Liberty Preview
The New York Liberty managed to split two games with the Minnesota Lynx last season despite awful performances from top scorer Cappie Pondexter.
They may need a better effort from her this time with the defending WNBA champions seemingly already clicking on all cylinders.
Off to their worst start since 2009, the Liberty look to avoid falling to 0-3 on Tuesday night when they host the Lynx at the Prudential Center.
These teams split two September meetings a year ago, as Pondexter averaged 11.0 points on 4-of-26 shooting. She scored 17.4 per game overall to lead the Liberty in 2011 while shooting 40.2 percent.
Pondexter averaged 18.5 points on 41.4 percent shooting in losses to Connecticut on Saturday and Sunday to begin 2012. Her backcourt mate, Leilani Mitchell, is off to a poor start with eight points on 3-of-12 shooting and seven assists.
Mitchell had a career-high 24 points in last year's 78-62 win at Minnesota, which was New York's most lopsided victory in this series.
The Liberty had trouble down the stretch over the weekend, getting outscored by a combined 19 points in the fourth quarter.
The Lynx raised their championship banner before beating Phoenix 105-83 in their opener Sunday.
"Once the banner went up and the lights went on and we started to warm up for the game, it was about 2012 and what we're trying to do," said Seimone Augustus, who scored 19 points before leaving with bruised ribs, although she appears to be OK for this matchup.
Minnesota did not miss Augustus much as Monica Wright had 15 points, part of a bench that outscored Phoenix's reserves 40-8.
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Lynx cruise to 80-62 victory over winless Liberty
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) Minnesota got off to a slow start over the first 15 minutes against the New York Liberty. Then the Lynx showed why they're the defending champions.
Seimone Augustus scored 22 points and the Lynx cruised to a 80-62 victory over the Liberty on Tuesday night. Maya Moore had 15 points, Rebekkah Brunson scored 14 and Taj McWilliams-Franklin added 10 points and 10 rebounds.
With the score tied at 29 midway through the second quarter, Minnesota (2-0) took control with a 17-4 run that lasted into the start of the third. The Liberty pulled within eight in the final minute of the period, but the Lynx took a double-digit lead into to fourth and New York got no closer than 10 again.
''We just had to pick it up,'' Augustus said. ''We felt really sloppy. We weren't executing as good as we should have, we weren't really dictating on the defensive end. ... They got a lot of easy baskets, got the ball where they wanted it to go. Most importantly, we want to get the easy shots.''
Even with the sluggish start, Minnesta shot 60 percent (18 for 30) from the field in the first half and finished at 52 percent (32 for 62).
''It felt good, I didn't know it was that good,'' Augustus said of the Lynx's first-half shooting. ''Being paitent on offense, making the extra pass. ... Their defense is so intense, they try to keep you on one side of the court.''
Cappie Pondexter scored 15 points on 6-for-23 shooting, including 1 for 7 on 3-pointers, to lead the Liberty (0-3) Essence Carson added 13 points and Kia Vaughn grabbed 11 rebounds. New York shot 34 percent (25 for 74), including 5 for 21 from beyond the arc.
''We are figuring it all out,'' Pondexter said. ''I do not want to go into a game and shoot 23 times. That is not my game. ... I think going into Atlanta (on Friday) we have to pound the ball inside. We have a lot of key big players. We need to make an impact inside. That way we can get an open shot and not make it hard for the perimeter.''
After trailing 46-33 early in the third quarter, Nicole Powell's 3 - attempting a pass for an alley-oop that swished in the basket instead - pulled the Liberty within eight with about 7 minutes remaining. However, the Lynx scored the next six points and took a 52-38 lead on Augustus' free throw for a technical on Powell with 4:48 to go in the period.
The Liberty made a run and cut it to 58-50 on Pondexter's 3 with 20 seconds left in the third. But the Lynx came back with four points in the final 2 seconds of the quarter. After McWilliams-Franklin made two free throws to give Minnesota a 10-point lead, Plenette Pierson overthrew Leilani Mitchell on a long inbounds pass that went out at the other end of the court without time running down.
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Liberty Silver Announces Completion of Successful Geophysical Program at Trinity Property
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire -05/22/12)- Liberty Silver Corp. (LSL.TO)(LBSV.OB) ("Liberty Silver" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the successful completion of its 2012 geophysical program at the Trinity Project, located in Pershing County, Nevada. The Gravity and Induced Polarization (IP) surveys were successful in locating significant new drilling targets concealed by alluvial cover and in delineating the structural fabric of the district. The geophysics program was designed and interpreted by Jim Wright of J.L. Wright Geophysics. All the new data and the substantial amount of historic data relating to past operations at the Trinity Project have been input into a GIS database which will be used to further define future drilling and development of the current resource and multiple exploration targets.
Under the direction of Mr. Wright, Magee Geophysical Services of Reno, Nevada conducted the gravity survey consisting of 532 stations covering approximately 26 square kilometers. The survey delineated the shallow eastern edge of the Sage Valley basin. High-angle structures of two primary orientations offset the Tertiary volcanic-pre-Tertiary sediment package into a complex series of steps resulting in structurally defined basins. Most notable is a graben filled with volcanic rocks which hosts the Trinity silver deposit that is underlain by a chargeability anomaly. A second major chargeability anomaly south of the Trinity pit is located in the same graben.
A possible northern extension of the Trinity silver deposit is hypothesized based upon the gravity survey. Historic IP data, acquired in 1983 (the "Historic IP"), indicates a possible northern continuation over this area as well. Historic airborne magnetic results coupled with the gravity and new IP also suggest a continuation of the known mineralization to the southwest along the Trinity fault. The gravity and Historic IP data, coupled with several other data sets, indicate that several target areas exist, including two possible target areas along the strike extensions to the known silver mineralization, and several other untested chargeability anomalies similar to that of the Trinity silver deposit.
Based upon the gravity and historic geophysical results, eleven (11) IP lines (35 line kilometers) were completed by Zonge Geoscience to enhance the level of detail of the chargeability anomalies detected in the Historic IP survey. All eleven lines detected chargeability responses consistent with that survey. Most notable is a strong chargeability zone located approximately 500 meters ("m") south of the known Trinity silver deposit and is defined by four IP lines from the new IP survey. The strike length of this anomaly is greater than 600m and is still open to the north and south and ranges from 500m to 700m in width in an east west direction. Furthermore, the graben interpreted from the gravity survey is further supported by the new IP results, thus increasing the thickness of the favorable host rock package. U.S. Borax ("USB"), the former operator at Trinity, drilled three holes into this zone in the mid-1980s and all three holes intersected considerable silver mineralization but due to low silver prices, further delineation of the silver mineralization was not carried out. The USB drill holes also stopped short of testing the chargeability anomaly found by the new survey. The three holes (S-21, S-70, and S-132) encountered silver mineralization ranging from 2.0 grams/tonne in an interval of 1.5m to 43 grams/tonne in an interval of 1.5m but were not drilled to conform to National Instrument (NI) 43-101 standards and, while significant, are considered as non-compliant historic data only.
Bill Tafuri, President and COO, said, "The results of these surveys are very encouraging and they demonstrate the potential for extending the known resource under the covered areas. They also have defined specific targets to drill under the covered areas making our exploration program much more focused and cost effective".
Liberty Silver is currently completing its initial drilling program on the Trinity Property. Assayed results from the program are expected to be released in the near term.
Tim Percival, MA, CPG, of Reno, Nevada, a consultant for Liberty Silver, has reviewed the technical data in this press release and he is a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.
About Liberty Silver Corp.
Liberty Silver Corp. is focused on exploring and developing mineral properties located in North America. A skilled, experienced, management team and board of directors with significant experience managing exploration, development and mining projects lead the Company. The Company is committed to creating value for its shareholders by advancing its current projects utilizing its mitigated risk approach to production, developing new resources on its current properties, and by acquiring new properties that have the potential to increase their resource base. The Trinity Silver project, located in Pershing County, Nevada is the Company's flagship project. Liberty Silver has the right to earn a joint venture interest in the 10,476 acre Trinity property from Renaissance Gold Inc. ("Renaissance") pursuant to the terms of an Earn-In Agreement. Renaissance acquired its rights to the Trinity property from Newmont Mining USA Limited and the Company is indirectly subject to the rights and obligations of Renaissance under its agreement with Newmont Mining USA Limited.
This News Release includes certain "forward-looking statements". These statements are based on information currently available to the Company and the Company provides no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements include estimates and statements that describe the Company's future plans, objectives or goals, including words to the effect that the Company or management expects a stated condition or result to occur. Forward-looking statements may be identified by such terms as "believes", "anticipates", "expects", "estimates", "may", "could", "would", "will", or "plan". Since forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and address future events and conditions, by their very nature they involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results relating to, among other things, results of exploration, project development, reclamation and capital costs of the Company's mineral properties, and the Company's financial condition and prospects, could differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements for many reasons such as: changes in general economic conditions and conditions in the financial markets; changes in demand and prices for minerals; litigation, legislative, environmental and other judicial, regulatory, political and competitive developments; technological and operational difficulties encountered in connection with the activities of the Company; and other matters discussed in this news release. This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements. These and other factors should be considered carefully and readers should not place undue reliance on the Company's forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by the Company or on its behalf, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
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Liberty Silver Announces Completion of Successful Geophysical Program at Trinity Property
Call for Entries: 4th Annual 'Media for Liberty' Award
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Liberty Media Corporation (Nasdaq: LMCA, LMCB) is now accepting submissions for the annual "Media for Liberty Award". This award recognizes media contributions that explore the link between economic and political liberty. Eligible works must be originally published or broadcast via print or electronic media during the 2012 calendar year, and received by Liberty Media no later than January 7, 2013. There is a $50,000 prize for the winning entry.
The 2013 Media for Liberty Award is open to journalists worldwide whose original works bring new insights on societal issues, news events, economies, political structures and cultures that illustrate prosperity or struggle in pursuit of a free market environment and civil liberties uninfluenced by government agenda.
Submitted works will be reviewed by a jury panel and evaluated based on the degree to which the theme is addressed, inspirational and educational value, relevance to the public discourse, and mastery of media format.
Past recipients of the Award include:
A Darkness Visible: Afghanistan (MediaStorm) a film examining thirty years of Afghan history through the story of ordinary citizens whose lives play out in the shadow of superpowers.
How a New Jobless Era will Transform America (The Atlantic) an essay exploring the likely and lasting effects of the recent Great Depression on American society, culture and politics.
"Congo Gold (CBS 60 Minutes) a segment chronicling the war-torn region of eastern Congo to investigate the connection between the mining of gold and other precious minerals.
Eligibility Requirements
Eligible media outlets, including newspapers, magazines, journals, radio, television and websites, must be generally recognized in their markets and accessible to a broad audience in the United States.
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Liberty Interactive Announces Extraordinary Cash Distribution on 3.5% Senior Exchangeable Debentures due 2031 …
ENGLEWOOD, Colo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Liberty Interactive LLC ("Liberty"), a subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation (Nasdaq: LINTA, LINTB), announced payment of an extraordinary cash distribution to the holders of its 3.5% Senior Exchangeable Debentures due in 2013 (the Debentures). This distribution is the result of Google Inc.s acquisition of Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc. on May 22, 2012 for $40 per share in cash. Pursuant to the indenture covering the Debentures (the Indenture), the cash paid to shareholders in the Motorola Mobility Holdings acquisition is to be paid to the holders of the Debentures as an extraordinary distribution. The record date of the distribution by Liberty is June 6, 2012 and the cash payment of $184.096 per Debenture is expected to be made on June 20, 2012, for a total payment of $110.5 million.
In accordance with the Indenture, the principal amount of the Debentures is to be reduced by the amount of each extraordinary cash distribution that we pay on the Debentures. In addition, the adjusted principal amount is to be further reduced on each successive semi-annual interest payment date to the extent necessary to cause the semi-annual interest payment on that date to represent the payment by Liberty, in arrears, of an annualized yield of 3.5% of the adjusted principal amount of the debentures. In no event will the reductions to the principal amount of the Debentures affect the amount of the semi-annual interest payments received by holders of the Debentures, which will continue to be a rate of interest equal to 3.5% per annum of the original principal amount of the debentures.
Immediately following the payment by Liberty of the extraordinary cash distribution attributable to the Motorola Mobility Holdings acquisition, the adjusted principal amount of the Debentures will be $622.4813 per $1,000 original principal amount, and the aggregate outstanding adjusted principal amount of the Debentures will be$373.5 million.
About Liberty Interactive LLC
Liberty Interactive LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation and owns interests in a broad range of electronic retailing, media, communications, and entertainment businesses.
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Brian Dunham Appointed Chief Actuary for Liberty Mutual Insurance’s Group Benefits Unit
BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Liberty Mutual Insurance has appointed Brian Dunham as senior vice president and chief actuary of its Group Benefits operation.
In this role, Mr. Dunham manages the actuarial function for the business unit that provides group disability and life insurance, and leave administration services, to middle market and national accounts through brokers and consultants.
Brian brings a wealth of experience in large-case life and disability insurance, notes Jean Scarrow, chief operating office, Liberty Mutual Group Benefits. Brian has both the actuarial and management skills to help continue our strong growth in the group life, disability, and leave management markets.
Prior to joining Liberty Mutual, Mr. Dunham was responsible for the pricing and financial management of Unums large case group life and disability business. He is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries and a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries.
About Liberty Mutual Insurance
"Helping people live safer, more secure lives" since 1912, Boston-based Liberty Mutual Insurance is a diversified global insurer and the third largest property and casualty insurer in the U.S. based on A.M. Best Company's report of 2010 net written premium.
Liberty Mutual Insurance also ranks 84th on the Fortune 100 list of largest corporations in the U.S. based on 2011 revenue. As of December 31, 2011, Liberty Mutual Insurance had $117.1 billion in consolidated assets, $99.3 billion in consolidated liabilities, and $34.7 billion in annual consolidated revenue.
Liberty Mutual Insurance offers a wide range of insurance products and services, including personal automobile, homeowners, workers compensation, property, commercial automobile, general liability, global specialty, group disability, reinsurance and surety. Liberty Mutual Insurance (www.libertymutualinsurance.com) employs over 45,000 people in more than 900 offices throughout the world.
Photos/MultimediaGallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50284806&lang=en
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Brian Dunham Appointed Chief Actuary for Liberty Mutual Insurance’s Group Benefits Unit
Liberty Power Enters Residential Electric Market in New Jersey
FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Liberty Power, one of the nation's fastest-growing and largest independent energy retailers, today announced it has launched a residential program in New Jersey. The company now has active residential offers in the utility territories of Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G), Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), and Atlantic City Electric (ACE). As a result of the launch, Liberty Power is expanding the availability of its offers to an additional 3 million residents.
The retail electricity supplier first began serving non-residential customers in New Jersey in the spring of 2007. Liberty Power's residential expansion into New Jersey comes on the heels of launching residential programs in Maryland and Connecticut. Liberty Power now has residential retail electric programs in seven states: New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Connecticut, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Texas.
"We have been providing New Jersey business owners low-cost electricity and exceptional customer service for more than five years. We are thrilled to now be able to offer similar products and services to residents of the Garden State," stated David Hernandez, co-founder and CEO.
At the time of launch, the company will offer its Home Independence Plan, a fixed-rate product with terms of 12 and 24-months. Residents who choose Liberty Power as their retail electricity supplier will continue to receive one bill and the same level of service from their local utility, which will still deliver the electricity, maintain the pole and wires, and respond to power outages. There is no sign-up fee, and there will be no interruption in electricity service. Liberty Power also offers competitive rates for commercial accounts. For additional information, New Jersey residents and businesses may call 855-776-9377 to sign up by phone.
About Liberty Power Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Liberty Power is one of only five national retail electric providers licensed in 16 or more states and is the first certified, minority-owned, independent retail electric provider with a national presence. Currently serving over 100,000 commercial accounts, Liberty Power provides large and small businesses, government agencies, as well as residential customers, with low-cost electricity and exceptional customer service.
For more information on Liberty Power, please visit http://www.libertypowercorp.com
Liberty Power is a registered trademark of Liberty Power Corp. LLC encompassing Liberty Power Holdings LLC, Liberty Power Delaware LLC, Liberty Power Maryland LLC, Liberty Power District of Columbia LLC, and LPT LLC, dba LPT SP LLC. Liberty Power is certified and licensed by the Public Utilities/Service Commissions of: CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, ME, MD (IR793), MA (CS-057) MI, NJ (ESL-0001), NY, OH, PA, RI, TX (10118) and VA; as well as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission.
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Liberty Power Enters Residential Electric Market in New Jersey
America's First Individualist Anarchist
The logic of liberty and a deeper meditation on scripture had both led Anne Hutchinson to the ultimate bounds of libertarian thought.
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Greens, Libertarians launch drives to get on state's November ballot
"It's unfortunate that the political powers that be want to use taxpayers' money to shutdown the Libertarians, Greens and other parties," Libertarian Party spokesman says The Green and Libertarian parties on Tuesday said they are launching new petition drives to get their candidates for president and other offices on Maryland's November ballot after losing a battle before the state's highest ...
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Greens, Libertarians launch drives to get on state's November ballot
Canary Islands host long-distance quantum teleportation
The Canary Islands of La Palma and Tenerife have been briefly connected by a quantum teleportation system that sets a new distance record for the spooky communications technique.
In an angle that will get Trekkie bloggers reaching for the beam me up metaphors, the researchers, from Austria, Germany, Canada and Norway, hope that quantum teleportation could one day be used for ground-to-satellite communications.
In quantum teleportation, the phenomenon known as entanglement to transmit information instantaneously. As long as entanglement isnt destroyed, the state of one particles in this case, photons will reflect changes to the state of the other, regardless of distance (one of the characteristics of quantum physics that troubled Albert Einsten).
The long-distance teleportation setup.
Source: arXiv:1205.3909v1
The 143-km teleportation involves three photons. Alice (in La Palma) generates an entangled pair of photons, and sends one over a non-quantum channel (a fibre) to Bob (in Tenerife). The teleportation photon (generated by a third party, Charlie, in La Palma) is provided to Alice, and when its state is projected onto Alices photon, Bob is able to measure its state at the far end of the link.
In the Canary Islands experiment, submitted to Arxiv, entanglement was also used to synchronise time between the two ends of the channel.
An extra wrinkle in the experiment was that one of the photons was sent through the atmosphere an important technical step, since the experimenters hope to establish that quantum teleportation can be used to communicate with satellites. It is, however, very difficult to preserve quantum states while sending a photon through 143 km of air, water vapour, clouds and the like.
As the paper notes, the severe environmental conditions imposed demanding requirements onto the whole long-distance teleportation setup: link attenuation fluctuations due to atmospheric turbulence, induced by the harsh meteorological situations including rapid temperature change, sand storms, rain, fog, strong wind and even snow. The weather, they note, delayed the experiment for a year.
The new distance record for quantum teleportation eclipses an earlier experiment in which researchers from the University of Science and Technology in China at Shanghai teleported entangled photons across 97 km.
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GOP senators question judicial conference on Maui
Hawaii officials defended the islands Tuesday as a place of business amid criticism from two key U.S. senators who questioned the decision to hold an upcoming conference for federal judges on Maui.
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Chagos Islands: Imperialism with an environmental face
The Chagos Archipelago is a group of over 60 islands located in the Indian Ocean some 500km (310 miles) south of the Maldives. The isolated location of the islands resulted in a unique ecology and culture. It was also deemed strategic by the US and UK militaries.
West Island, Chagos, pic: Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Flickr CC)
In 1965 the UK bought the Chagos and within 8 years forcibly removed all its human inhabitants, who resettled on Mauritius, the Seychelles and in the UK. The island of Diego Garcia was converted into a military base. It is the only inhabited island of the Chagos, the entire population consisting of US and UK military personnel and their civilian employees. Before being deported, the population of Diego Garcia was around 2,000 Chagos Islanders. Their legacy remains in the form of ghost towns and overgrown graveyards. Ironically, Western travelers are able to visit the island while the native population remains in forced exile.
From an opinion piece in the Guardian:
The sunlight streaked through the stained glass windows of the church and the small copra factory remained largely intact. I was horrified to find dozens of international travellers living among the ruins while the islanders themselves remained pariahs, exiled by their own government. Why were these itinerant travellers allowed to stay?
More recently, the argument to keep the Chagos Islanders away from the land of their birth is environmental, or more specifically, based on the conservation of the islands unique ecology. I guess we are meant to believe that an American military base has no environmental impact.
2,000 islanders who lead a basic, low-impact existence compared with 1,700 US military personnel and 1,500 civilian contractors who built shops, restaurants, an airport, a harbor and a cinema. You do the math.
Conservation? pic: Official U.S. Navy Imagery (Flickr CC)
In 2010 a WikiLeaks cable from US diplomats to the British Foreign Office revealed that the setting up of a marine reserve in the Chagos would effectively end native claims for resettlement. The conservation argument appears to be a smoke screen. If it isnt, surely some agreement could be reached allowing the islands natives to return.
Read more about the Chagos Islanders plight in Scientific American.
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Islands’ wind farm to generate £20m
The UKs largest community wind farm project is set to generate more than 20 million over the next two decades for local people, the schemes backers have said.
Residents in Scotlands remote Western Isles have secured more than 10 million for the project to erect three 2.3 megawatt turbines on the island of South Uist.
The money raised from the renewable energy scheme will be reinvested in the community, with funds earmarked to improve tourism, leisure and port facilities and boost local businesses.
The Storas Uibhist Trust, which manages a 93,000-acre estate covering the islands of Benbecula, Eriskay and South Uist following a community buy-out by residents, has secured 8 million financing from the Co-operative Bank for the project.
The scheme, which will see the turbines installed by August, has also received 1 million of grant and loan funding from Social Investment Scotland and 2.4 million from the European Regional Development Fund.
Angus MacMillan, chairman of Storas Uibhist, said: This project has always been about generating income to reinvest to the local community for the benefit of the people who live on the islands of Eriskay, Benbecula and South Uist.
We are now looking to the future when Storas Uibhist, in partnership with other local organisations, can make the best use of this revenue and the people of this estate can take their future into their own hands and transform these islands into a vibrant and growing place to live and work.
This could only have happened with community ownership and demonstrates that when communities can manage their own assets, they are able to transform their futures.
Chris Matthews, renewable energy manager at the Co-operative Bank, said: This scheme pushes the boundaries of community renewable energy. The quality of life for many residents on the islands will be improved as a result, helping to create local jobs and diversify its economy at a time when, like many communities, it is facing significant economic and social pressures.
Residents of the islands took control of the estate, which is famous for sea trout and brown trout fishing and home to wildlife including golden eagles and white-tailed eagles, five years ago.
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