The new commercial Liberty rocket and space capsule being developed by aerospace firm ATK have passed a key NASA test and are on track to launch astronauts into orbit by 2015, company officials announced today (July 17).
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Monthly Archives: July 2012
Liberty Tax Service is Registering Students for Fall Tax Preparation Courses
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Enrollment is underway for Liberty Taxs fall income tax preparation classes at locations across the country. Liberty Tax has enhanced its income tax preparation courses to include a focus on IRS registration and accreditation requirements. The companys tax schools and other trainings have incorporated steps to assist its tax school students who are interested in becoming professional tax preparers, obtaining a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) and meeting new certification requirements from the IRS.
The companys ten-week tax school helps students learn personal tax-savings advantages and strategies as well as a new skill that may lead to employment. No prior tax experience is necessary to register and take the basic class.
With a tax preparer certification process in place since 2007, Liberty Tax Service took a proactive approach toward internal professional standardization by creating its own innovative three-tier skill certification examination for its preparers. Now that tax preparers will be required to take competency tests, they can receive readiness through Libertys classes, and its class offerings from basic through advanced.
Now is a great time to start the process of learning tax preparation, and following the steps of the certification process as the IRS phases in the new requirements. The tax school training method has been a natural fit for those of any age eager to acquire news skills, earn extra income and explore a new career path or even franchise ownership," remarked John Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service.
People who have either obtained or will obtain a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) prior to the start of IRS Competency Exam will have until December 31, 2013 to pass the competency test. Liberty Tax will offer its annual ten week classes starting the week after Labor Day. The classes are open to the public, with no experience is required to register for the basic class. To learn more about job opportunities and Libertys selection of tax courses, visit http://www.libertytax.com/tax-education.html or call 1-800-658-1042.
About Liberty Tax Service
Liberty Tax Service is the fastest-growing retail tax preparation company in the industrys history. The Company has over 4100 offices in the United States and Canada, with the majority owned by franchisees.
The Class A Common stock of JTH Holding, Inc. (TAX), the parent company of Liberty Tax Service, is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market. The Give Me Liberty! magazine contains more Liberty company news and information.
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Liberty Tax Service is Registering Students for Fall Tax Preparation Courses
Third party Libertarian fights for Presidential seat
Gary Johnson doesn’t agree with Barack Obama or Mitt Romney on most things, and he certainly doesn’t agree that either of them should be president. The best one for the job, he believes, is himself. He’s running as a Libertarian, and tha...
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Libertarian leader Preston Bates faces drunken-driving charge; called himself 'anarchist'
The Kentucky-based head of a libertarian super PAC that spent more than $500,000 in a Northern Kentucky congressional primary this year is due in court Wednesday on a felony charge related to a drunken-driving arrest last year.
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Libertarian leader Preston Bates faces drunken-driving charge; called himself 'anarchist'
Libertarian leader faces charge
The Kentucky-based head of a libertarian super PAC that spent more than $500,000 in a Northern Kentucky congressional primary this year is due in court Wednesday on a felony charge related to a drunken-driving arrest last year.
Preston Bates, 23, the executive director of Liberty for All, refused to give a corrections officer any personal information other than his name and then said that he was an anarchist when he was arrested last July near the University of Louisville.
According to the arrest report, Bates pulled up to a residence on Bellamy Place at 3 a.m. July 3, 2011, but when he couldnt get into the residence, Bates backed his car into an iron fence.
The report says Bates then got out of the car and staggered toward corrections officers who were at the scene. He refused to give them any personal information beyond his name and, according to the report, declared himself an anarchist.
Bates blood-alcohol level was 0.121 percent, according to the police report. Those with blood-alcohol readings of 0.08 percent and above are presumed to be drunk, under Kentucky law.
Bates is charged with driving under the influence, second-degree disorderly conduct and first-degree criminal mischief. The criminal mischief charge is a class D felony, punishable by one to five years in prison.
He has pleaded not guilty.
Neither Bates nor his lawyer, Dennis Burke, returned phone calls.
Bates and the super PAC he runs burst onto the scene this year, spending more than $561,000 to help Thomas Massie win the Republican nomination for Congress in Kentuckys 4th District. Virtually all of the groups money comes from John Ramsey, a 21-year-old Texas millionaire who decided to become a political player after supporting U.S. Rep. Ron Pauls presidential campaign.
Bates has said hes considering using Ramseys fortune to go after Kentucky state House Speaker Pro Tem Larry Clark, D-Louisville, who fired Bates as an intern in 2008. Bates said that if he tries to unseat Clark, it will have nothing to do with the fact that Clark fired him.
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Libertarian Williams says frustration with government drives him to seek office
TIM ISBELL/SUN HERALD Ron Williams, Libertarian candidate for U.S. House District 4, says 'We've been convinced government is a complex thing, that it's above our heads. Honesty and integrity are still alive and they still count.'
TIM ISBELL SUN HERALDBuy Photo
GULFPORT -- Libertarian congressional candidate Ron Williams said he believes incumbent first-term U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo hasn't followed through on campaign promises.
"I think he's been overwhelmed by Beltway politicians and the power of his party," Williams said. "He said he wouldn't raise the debt, wouldn't vote for the Patriot Act or anything that would support abortion. He said he would not, would not, would not, but then he did, he did, he did."
Williams said he had supported Palazzo, even contributed to his campaign. But now he's running against him, in large part because of his frustration as a businessman dealing with government and politics.
"You can't really run a business in the U.S. anymore -- the federal government runs your business," Williams said. "... It's hunting season on businesses in America."
He said that as a contractor, he has also been frustrated with politically connected people receiving contracts they didn't deserve.
Williams, 53, of Moss Point, who ran for governor last year as a Republican, said he's now running as a Libertarian for U.S. House District 4 because he's also fed up with gamesmanship from the two largest political parties.
"Like everyone else, I'm frustrated as can be at the inaction and incompetence in Washington," Williams said in a meeting Tuesday with the Sun Herald that he requested. "One thing I learned as a Republican candidate (for governor) is that their interests are not necessarily my interests and not necessarily the best interests of the country ... We continue to elect these people based on what they're saying, not what they're doing."
Williams said politicians with both main parties appear to be pandering.
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Libertarian Williams says frustration with government drives him to seek office
Pictures of the Day: Canary Islands and Elsewhere
Photos from Canary Islands, Turkey, China and Canada.
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Secret seaside: Cíes Islands of Galicia, Spain
The path curved uphill, flanked by sycamore, holly and scented acacia. I breathed in the delicate smell of honeysuckle and resisted the urge to twist a peach off its branch. As this is a national park, you are not allowed to pick anything or even take shells from the beach.
After another swim it was time to get the boat back to Vigo, about nine miles (15km) away. We sailed into the Ra de Vigo, one of the deep inlets that characterise this part of the Galician coast, passing a string of equally tempting beaches and hundreds of mussel rafts the mix of salt and fresh water creates a rich ecosystem that is particularly good for cultivating mussels and oysters.
Ra de Vigo, one of the deep inlets of the Galician coast (Alamy)
Back in Vigo, I wandered from the port into the lanes of the old town, which are lined with little bars offering some of the best seafood youll ever taste. As darkness fell, I ordered a glass of albario, the locally made white wine, and devoured a plate of the freshest octopus. Later on, the sweet sound of a violin led me to a regueifa, a bar hidden away in a tiny square, where I discovered to my amazement that the violinist Begoa Riob was playing in the corner with her group, one of the top Galician folk bands.
While the beach might have fooled me into believing that I was in the Caribbean, listening to that music, another glass of albario in my hand, there was no doubt in mind that I was in Galicia, and I wouldnt have wanted to be anywhere else.
Galicia essentials
GETTING THERE
Vueling (0906 754 7541; vueling.com) flies from Heathrow to Vigo three times a week from April to October, from 97 return. From June to September, there are regular boats to the Ces Islands from Vigo (a less frequent service operates at Easter and in May and October). The voyage takes about 50 minutes and costs 16/13 return (0034 986 225272; mardeons.com). It is best to book online, but tickets are also available at the Mar de Ons office in the Estacin Martima de Ra in the harbour and through most hotels. Boats also leave from Baiona and Cangas. Further information at iatlanticas.es and turismodevigo.org.
THE INSIDE TRACK
THE BEST HOTELS
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Canary Islands fire forces evacuations
VILAFLOR, Canary Islands, July 18 (UPI) -- At least 1,800 people have been evacuated from their homes as forest fires burned across Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, officials said Wednesday.
The fires on Tenerife have been raging since Sunday, but fires on the islands of La Palma and La Gomera, were mostly under control Wednesday, thinkSpain reported.
Emergency services personnel evacuated hundreds of residents from Vilaflor and were building a firewall around the town to protect it.
The eastern face of the fires was the most difficult to bring under control because of low humidity, emergency officials said. Some parts of the blaze were unreachable by land, limiting firefighting efforts to hydroplanes.
The Canary Islands is a Spanish archipelago just off the northwest coast of Africa.
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Letter: Challenge
Michael Wheeler, Naples
Challenge
I don't understand comments sent to your newspaper regarding the Affordable Health Care Act.
While I am a conservative Republican, we need to address the health-care needs of the country, not just criticize Obamacare or the Supreme Court decision.
Those who have written those letters just don't understand the problems of the current health-care system. If any of those people had friends or relatives who had the misfortune of having health-care problems and not working for a business that supplies health-care insurance or the government, they might understand that reform is necessary.
Insurance companies are in the business to make money so they don't have to insure anyone with health issues. If the insurance companies do offer insurance to individuals with health issues, they add a rider to the policy so they don't have to cover those issues.
As far as the new Health Care Act being a tax, yes, it is a penalty tax for those who do not have insurance. There is no new tax for people who maintain health insurance. Why is that any different than requiring auto insurance?
I really don't want to pay health-care costs for people who do not have insurance so I am glad the government is requiring people to have it.
I challenge any of those writers of negative letters to go to an insurance company and try to get health insurance.
If they can find affordable health care, for a reasonable cost, I will gladly go on board for Mitt Romney and all other Republican candidates who can't seem to think beyond the party line.
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Refusal of health care law can be risky
WASHINGTON -- For Gov. Rick Perry, saying "no" to the federal health care law could also mean turning away up to 1.3 million Texans, nearly half the uninsured people who could be newly eligible for coverage in his state.
Gov. Chris Christie not only would be saying "no" to President Barack Obama, but to as many as 245,000 uninsured New Jersey residents as well.
The Supreme Court's recent ruling gave governors new flexibility to reject what some Republicans deride as "Obamacare." But there's a downside, too.
States that reject the law's Medicaid expansion risk leaving behind many of their low-income uninsured residents in a coverage gap already being called the new "doughnut hole" -- a reference to a Medicare gap faced by seniors.
Medicaid is a giant federal-state health insurance program for the poor, now mostly covering children, mothers and disabled people. The expansion in Obama's health care overhaul was originally expected to add roughly 15 million uninsured low-income people, mainly adults without children, who currently are not eligible in most states. Washington would pick up the entire cost for the first three years, with the federal share then dropping to 90 percent. The Medicaid expansion accounts for about half the total number of uninsured people projected to get coverage under the law.
If every state were to reject that Medicaid expansion -- as the Supreme Court ruling now allows -- some low-income people would still be picked up by
But nearly 11.5 million uninsured people below the federal poverty line would be left behind in a new coverage gap, according to recent estimates from the Urban Institute. That brings to mind the infamous "doughnut hole" in the Medicare prescription drug benefit, in which seniors with high drug costs find themselves paying out of pocket much of the year.
Those who fall into the new gap would neither qualify for Medicaid in their states under current rules nor be eligible for subsidized private insurance in new state marketplaces that Obama's law calls exchanges.
Low-income children and mothers would continue to have insurance through Medicaid. Then, starting in 2014, millions of people over the poverty line would have subsidized private coverage through the new exchanges. "And then this group in the middle has nothing," said Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. His organization takes no position on what states should do.
Things only get trickier from there.
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Health Care Organizations Unprepared for Big Data Challenges: Oracle Report
IT managers aren't prepared to handle the deluge of data in health care, Oracle revealed in its new report, "From Overload to Impact: An Industry Scorecard on Big Data Business Challenges," released July 17.
More than three-fourths (77 percent) of health care executives gave their organization a "C" or below for managing the "data deluge," according to the report, which is based on a poll of 333 U.S. and Canadian C-level executives from health care and 10 other industries. For all industries, 60 percent of the executives assigned organizations a "C" or lower for managing the flood of data.
Following the Supreme Court's June 28 decision to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), known as "Obamacare," data volume will grow as providers form accountable care organizations (ACOs), according to Marc Perlman, global vice president of Oracle Healthcare.
"With the rise of [ACOs], a greater focus on personalized medicine and the rollout of health care reform, data volumes will continue to grow," Perlman said in a statement.
Companies such as Dell, IBM and Oracle provide the IT infrastructure to store genomic data in the cloud used for drug discovery. This data will allow doctors to develop personalized medicine for patients.
"This report demonstrates the challenges that health care organizations face in managing their rapidly growing information stores and their approach to addressing this issue, including deploying industry-specific and analytical applications that help them glean insight and put timely information in the hands of line-of-business personnel when and where they need it," Perlman's statement said.
Of health care executives interviewed, 0 percent gave their organizations an "A" for data "preparedness," and only 8 percent of executives in all industries gave their companies an "A" for this category.
Health care organizations are accumulating 85 percent more data than two years ago, according to the C-level health care executives Oracle interviewed.
Of the data managed in all industries, 48 percent came from customer information, 34 percent from operations, and 33 percent from sales and marketing, according to the report.
Despite EHRs being a top priority for health care organizations, they're struggling to make use of the data from the health records, according to the survey.
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Health Care Organizations Unprepared for Big Data Challenges: Oracle Report
Verizon Identifies 10 Most Promising Ways to Use Health IT to Enhance Patient Care, Reduce Costs
BASKING RIDGE, N.J., July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --A major problem in the provision of health care is how to improve the quality of care without increasing costs. With advances in health information technology, there is an opportunity to leverage it to improve the provision of care and enhance the patient experience and outcome.
"This is an unprecedented time for transition in the health care ecosystem through the use of technology," said Dr. Peter Tippett, chief medical officer and vice president of Verizon Connected Healthcare. "Advances in telemedicine, wireless networks, virtual care solutions, information exchanges and cloud computing are empowering health care providers to improve their business operations while giving them more time to provide quality care."
Verizon believes the following ten areas offer the most promise to enhance patient care and reduce cost through the strategic use of technology:
Verizon Enterprise Solutions creates global connections that generate growth, drive business innovation and move society forward. With industry-specific solutions and a full range of global wholesale products and services offered over the company's secure mobility, cloud, strategic networking and advanced communications platforms, Verizon Enterprise Solutions helps open new opportunities around the world for innovation, investment and business transformation. Visit verizon.com/enterprise to learn more.
About Verizon
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in New York, is a global leader in delivering broadband and other wireless and wireline communications services to consumer, business, government and wholesale customers. Verizon Wireless operates America's most reliable wireless network, with 93 million retail customers nationwide. Verizon also provides converged communications, information and entertainment services over America's most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business solutions to customers in more than 150 countries, including all of the Fortune 500. A Dow 30 company with $111 billion in 2011 revenues, Verizon employs a diverse workforce of nearly 192,000. For more information, visit http://www.verizon.com.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive speeches and biographies, media contacts, high-quality video and images, and other information are available at Verizon's News Center on the World Wide Web at http://www.verizon.com/news. To receive news releases by email, visit the News Center and register for customized automatic delivery of Verizon news releases.
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Verizon Identifies 10 Most Promising Ways to Use Health IT to Enhance Patient Care, Reduce Costs
Fletcher Allen Health Care, Central Vermont Medical Center and Cigna Bring Accountable Care to Vermont
BLOOMFIELD, Conn. & BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Cigna (CI), Fletcher Allen Health Care and Central Vermont Medical Center (CVMC) have launched a collaborative accountable care program to expand patient access to health care, improve care coordination, and achieve the triple aim of improved health outcomes (quality), lower total medical costs and increased patient satisfaction. Collaborative accountable care is Cigna's approach to achieving the same population health goals as accountable care organizations, or ACOs.
Accountable care is a variation on the patient-centered medical home model of health care already in place at both Fletcher Allen and CVMC. This model rewards primary care doctors for improved outcomes and reduced medical costs. Cigna's collaboration with Fletcher Allen and CVMC is one of the first patient-centered accountable care programs in Vermont involving an integrated delivery system and a health plan.
The program will benefit approximately 10,500 individuals covered by a Cigna health plan in Vermont who receive care from among 144 primary care health professionals at 21 practice locations.
This agreement with Cigna is part of Fletcher Allens comprehensive strategy to be a leader in the transformation of health care, said John Brumsted, M.D., Fletcher Allens president and chief executive officer. Cignas program is consistent with our ongoing efforts to work with all stakeholders to make Vermonts future health care delivery system fulfill the promise of higher quality care, improved access and reduced rates of increasing costs.
The joint collaboration of CVMC and Fletcher Allen with Cigna and their accountable care program is another great example of the value of the integrated delivery system that we created with Fletcher Allen Partners last October, said Judy Tartaglia, president and chief executive officer, CVMC. We are just beginning to see the potential that can be achieved by this system in the years ahead.
Fletcher Allen and CVMC health care professionals will monitor and coordinate an individuals medical care in a more comprehensive way with support from Cigna tools and information resources. Patients will continue to go to their current physician and will automatically receive the benefits of the program. There also are no changes in any plan requirements regarding referrals to specialists. Patients most likely to see the immediate benefits of the program are those who need help managing chronic conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.
Critical to the programs benefits are registered nurse clinical care coordinators who help patients with chronic conditions or other health challenges navigate the health care system. The care coordinators enhance care by using patient-specific data from both organizations and from Cigna to identify patients being discharged from the hospital who might be at risk for readmission, as well as patients who may be overdue for important health screenings or who may have skipped a prescription refill. The care coordinators will work collaboratively with the Primary Care Medical Home and Community Health Teams regionally to help patients get the follow-up care or screenings they need, identify any issues related to medications and help prevent chronic conditions from worsening.
The care coordinators will also help patients schedule appointments, provide health education and refer patients to Cigna's clinical programs, such as disease management programs for diabetes, heart disease and other conditions; and lifestyle management programs, such as programs for tobacco cessation, weight management and stress management.
Through our collaborative accountable care programs, Cigna hopes to create a patient-centered health care system that emphasizes prevention and primary care while rewarding physicians for quality of care and improved health outcomes, said Dr. Robert Hockmuth, Cignas senior medical director in Vermont. A system thats focused on delivering value rather than volume of services will ultimately result in a healthier population and lower medical costs, which is good for individuals, families, employers and doctors.
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Efficacy of herbal remedies for managing insomnia
Public release date: 18-Jul-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Vicki Cohn vcohn@liebertpub.com 914-740-2100 Mary Ann Liebert, Inc./Genetic Engineering News
New Rochelle, NY, July 18, 2012 Approximately 1 in 3 Americans suffers from chronic sleep deprivation and another 10-15% of the population has chronic insomnia. Sleep disorders can profoundly affect a person's whole life and have been linked to a range of diseases, including obesity, depression, anxiety, and inflammatory disorders. Over-the-counter herbal remedies are often used to treat insomnia, but surprisingly, very little research has been done to study their efficacy, according to an article in Alternative and Complementary Therapies, published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers. The article is available free on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.
People need many hours of sound, restorative sleep every night to maintain an optimal state of physiological and psychological health, but many factors can disrupt sleep schedules and compromise the quality of sleep. In the article, "SleepNaturally: A Review of the Efficacy of Herbal Remedies for Managing Insomnia," the authors conducted a search of the Internet and electronic databases to identify literature on herbal remedies that are commonly used to manage insomnia, including valerian, hops, kava-kava, chamomile, and St. John's wort. They found that few scientific studies had been published that reported on the therapeutic potential and safety of these herbal remedies and the results were either inconclusive or contradictory.
The authors concluded that, considering the benefits that a natural management strategy could offer patients with insomnia, additional research is required to assess the effectiveness and safety of herbal remedies as therapeutic agents.
###
About the Journal
Alternative and Complementary Therapies is a bimonthly journal that publishes original articles, reviews, and commentaries evaluating alternative therapies and how they can be integrated into clinical practice. Topics include botanical medicine, vitamins and supplements, nutrition and diet, mind-body medicine, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine, ayurveda, indigenous medicine systems, homeopathy, naturopathy, yoga and meditation, manual therapies, energy medicine, and spirituality and health. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the Alternative and Complementary Therapies website at http://www.liebertpub.com/act.
About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers is a privately held, fully integrated media company known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research, including The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, Medical Acupuncture, and Journal of Medicinal Food. Its biotechnology trade magazine, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News (GEN), was the first in its field and is today the industry's most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm's 70 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc. website at http://www.liebertpub.com.
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Research and Markets: China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012
DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/563f2h/china_genetic_engi) has announced the addition of the "China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012" report to their offering.
At present, China has at least one hundred enterprises involved in genetic engineering drugs. In recent years, the compound growth rate of genetic engineering drug market in China is as high as 49%, with an average gross margin of more than 80%.
However, the technology strength and efficacy of locally produced genetic engineering drugs are relatively weak. In particular, the pegylated recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (PEG-rhG-CSF) for injection of CSPC Pharmaceutical Group Limited that approved for marketing in March 2012 is the only homemade long-acting protein product. Still, due to the impetus of huge market capacity as well as a package of preferential policies, many domestic enterprises, including GeneScience Pharmaceuticals, Amoytop and Anhui Anke Biotechnology, are accelerating the industrialized research of long-acting protein drugs.
Although China lags behind in terms of the overall level of genetic engineering drugs, the industry is now rich R&D and industrialization experience as well as capital reserves. Thus, with a host of genetic engineering drug patents to become due, Chinese enterprises, such as Walvax, are committed to the industrialization research of monoclonal antibody, long-acting recombinant protein drugs and other generic drugs with high technical barriers.
Key Topics Covered:
1 Profile of Biopharmaceutical Industry
1.1 Definition and Classification
1.2 Genetic Engineering Drugs
2 Overview of China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry
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Research and Markets: China Genetic Engineering Drug Industry Report, 2011-2012
McDonalds staff accused of assaulting 'human cyborg'
Steve Mann - the 'human cyborg' with a permanent wearable computer similar to Google Glasses - claims he was assaulted by McDonalds staff in one of its Paris 'restaurants'.
The University of Toronto professor was, as always, wearing his Eye Tap Digital Eye Glass when he entered the Champs-Elysees outletwith his family and ordered a meal.
He says that when he sat down, he was assaulted by a man who attempted to rip the glasses from his head - dangerous, as they're permanently attached to his skull.
Mann showed this man a document from his doctor explaining the device - he'd expected to need this when passing through customs, though not, presumably, when ordering a Ranch Wrap (the 'intersection of crispy chicken and creamy, tangy ranch sauce', apparently)
But the man crumpled up the document while another McDonalds employee tore up the rest of his documentation. He was then pushed out onto the street.
But Mann has evidence of the assault, thanks to a quirk of the glasses' design.
"The computerized eyeglass processes imagery using Augmediated Reality, in order to help the wearer see better, and when the computer is damaged, e.g. by falling and hitting the ground (or by a physical assault), buffered pictures for processing remain in its memory, and are not overwritten with new ones by the then non-functioning computer vision system," he writes on his blog.
"As a result of Perpetrator 1's actions, therefore, images that would not have otherwise been captured were captured. Therefore by damaging the Eye Glass, Perpetrator 1 photographed himself and others within McDonalds."
Perhaps most shockingly, though, Mann's attempts to complain to McDonalds - and get his vision system repaired at the company's expense - proved totally futile. Emails disappeared into the void, and phone calls elicited only a distorted voice recording.
It was only when Mann resorted to an online plea for help that the company responded, with a terse Twitter message, reading: "Hi @STEVEPMP We take the claims very seriously, are in process of gathering info & ask for patience until all facts are known. Thank you."
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Fukushima beaches reopen for first time since nuclear disaster
All 17 beaches in the prefecture had been closed last summer amid concern over radioactive contamination following an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, which wrecked Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant and left almost 20,000 people dead.
Local authorities gave the all clear to Nakoso beach, 40 miles south of the nuclear power station, declaring the waters free of contamination. Officials said radiation detected in the water at the beach was negligible.
But on the same day as the beach was opened, tens of thousands of people rallied in Tokyo demanding that the government abandon nuclear power.
Crowds estimated at 200,000 gathered for a rally at Yoyogi Park in the capital.
Protesters expressed outrage over a report that blamed the Fukushima disaster on Japan's culture of "reflexive obedience" and held no individuals responsible.
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Fukushima beaches reopen for first time since nuclear disaster
Health advisory issued for five Pinellas beaches
A health advisory was issued for five Pinellas County beaches Wednesday after elevated levels of enteric bacteria were found in water sampling.
Honeymoon Island, Sand Key Park, Indian Rocks Beach, Madeira Beach's Archibald Park and Redington Shores near 182nd Avenue West were listed in the advisory by the Pinellas County Health Department.
"These areas should be considered a potential health risk to swimmers," Maggie Hall, a spokeswoman for the department, said in a news release.
The presence of enteric bacteria is an indication of fecal pollution, which may come from stormwater runoff, pets, wildlife and sewage, the health department said. The bacteria may cause disease, infections or rashes.
The county conducts saltwater beach testing through the state's Healthy Beaches Monitoring Program.
The advisory was based on the bacterial indicator recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA standard for the bacteria is no more than 104 colony forming units per 100 milliliters of water.
The five beaches were given grades of "poor," meaning 105 units or greater were found, according to the monitoring program's website.
The sampling is for the period beginning Monday. Another sampling is slated for July 30.
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CosmoQuest Offering Online Astronomy Course
Want to stay on top of all the space news? Follow @universetoday on Twitter
Want to brush up on your astro-knowledge? Wishing you had taken that Astronomy 101 course in college? CosmoQuest the citizen science and web-based astronomy community is offering online astronomy courses, and their first offering is now open for signups! CQX 001: Solar System Science is an 8-session, 4-week course, exploring the solar system, planetary geology, and extrasolar planets.
Not everyone has access to astronomy and space science classes, said Dr. Pamela Gay, the founder of CosmoQuest. With CosmoQuest, were looking to make the universe accessible to everyone at a cost comparable to what you might pay for dance or music lessons. The classes will be offered online through a Google+ Hangout, and this first course offering will be taught by someone familiar to Universe Today readers: Ray Sanders, who contributes to UT and also answers astronomy questions at his blog, Dear Astronomer. Ray is a research assistant at Arizona State University.
By combining Hangout technology with educational content, well be able to deliver an outstanding classroom experience, Ray said. In this first course, CosmoQuest students will be able to participate in typical Astro 101 solar system course material our Sun and its planets. Well also briefly explore Plutos status, astrobiology, geology, and planetary systems outside our solar system.
Solar System Science is just the first of many classes that CosmoQuest has planned.
In the coming months, well be opening courses on data reduction, observing, stars, galaxies, and more, said Pamela. Our goal is to prepare people to take part in more and more advanced citizen science programs over time.
If youve ever participated in a Google+ Hangout, you know how fun they can be. Heres a chance to use a Hangout to really put your brain to work over the summer!
By keeping the classes small and meeting face-to-face using Google Hangouts, CosmoQuests online classes let students engage in content-rich real-time dialogue with their instructor and fellow classmates, said Georgia Bracey, who is with the Education & Public Outreach team at Cosmoquest. This brings a high level of flexibility, depth, and student-centeredness to the class in a way thats not usually possible in a traditional lecture course.
The cost for the class is $240, and the class is limited to 8 participants. This first CosmoQuest Academy class begins on July 24, 2012. You can find out more information and sign up at this link.
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