Monthly Archives: August 2012

Hurricane Isaac as Seen From the International Space Station

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Hurricane Isaac as Seen From the International Space Station

Mars rover beams back spectacular photos, NASA greeting

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Mars rover: NASA's Curiosity Mars rover has beamed home some extraordinary images of Mount Sharp, the three-mile-high mountain near the rover's landing site. Curiosity has also sent back a greeting from NASA administrator Charles Bolden, the first human voice ever to be broadcast from another planet.

NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has beamed home the first human voice ever sent from another planet, as well as some spectacular new images of its Martian environs.

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The 1-tonCuriosity roverbroadcast a greeting from NASA administrator Charlie Bolden, who congratulated the mission team for getting the huge robot to Mars safely. While the significance of the audio accomplishment is largely symbolic, NASA officials hope it presages a more substantial human presence on the Red Planet down the road.

"With this, we have another small step that's being taken in extending the human presence beyond Earth, and actually bringing that experience of exploring the planets back a little closer to all of us," said Curiosity program executive Dave Lavery, invoking the famous linelate astronaut Neil Armstronguttered from the surface of the moon on July 20, 1969.

"As Curiosity continues her mission, we hope the words of the administrator will be an inspiration to someone who's alive today, who will become the first to stand upon the surface of the planetMars," Lavery told reporters today (Aug. 27). "Like the great Neil Armstrong, they'll be able to speak aloud in first person at that point of the next giant leap in human exploration."

The mission team also unveiled today a stunning 360-degree panorama of Curiosity's Gale Crater landing site, showing in crisp detail some of the landforms scientists want the six-wheeled robot to explore. [Video: Curiosity's Martian Panorama]

Curiosity touched downinside Mars' huge Gale Crater on the night of Aug. 5, tasked with determining whether the Red Planet could ever have supported microbial life.

For the next two years, Curiosity is slated to explore Gale and the crater's 3.4-mile-high (5.5 kilometers) central peak, the mysteriousMount Sharp. The $2.5 billion rover is outfitted with 10 different science instruments to aid its quest, including a rock-zapping laser and gear that can identify organic compounds the carbon-containing building blocks of life as we know it.

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Mars rover beams back spectacular photos, NASA greeting

NASA's Mars rover beams will.i.am song back to Earth

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Broadcast from NASA's Curiosity rover, 'Reach for the Stars,' by rapper will.i.am, is the first human song ever played from Mars.

The first song ever played from Mars was broadcast today (Aug. 28) from NASA's Curiosity rover on the Red Planet.

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The concert represented the world premiere of the appropriately named song "Reach for the Stars," by rapper and songwriter will.i.am. It was beamed via radio signal about 150 million miles (241 million km) back to Earth from Curiosity's landing spot on Mars' Gale Crater at 1 p.m. PDT (4 p.m. EDT).

"The point of the song is to remind people that anything is possible if you discipline yourself and dedicate yourself and stand for something," the musician said today from Curiosity's mission control center at NASA'sJet Propulsion Laboratory(JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.

The music arrived there during an educational event held for students from the Los Angeles neighborhood where will.i.am grew up.

"There's no words to explain how amazing this is," will.i.am. said. "These kids here are from Boyle Heights, the same neighborhood I'm from. We don't have to just end up in the 'hood. But it's a hard thing. The hardest thing is discipline."

Students and rocket scientists alike bobbed their heads and clapped as the song's strains came back to Earth.

"Why do they say the sky is the limit When I've seen footprints on the moon And I know the sky may be high But baby it ain't really that high And I know that Mars might be far But baby it ain't really that far Let's reach for the stars"

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NASA's Mars rover beams will.i.am song back to Earth

NASA and will.i.am Bring Music Back From Mars: Curiosity Rover Successfully Delivers First Music and Song "Reach For …

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PASADENA, Calif., Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --Earlier today during an education program hosted by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), 53 high school students from the i.am College Track Center in Boyle Heights/East Los Angeles, VIP guests and NASA and JPL officials, and Curiosity mission members paid tribute to the legacy of Astronaut Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the Moon. During the event, the group also celebrated the successful delivery of the world's first song from The Red Planet, Mars, back to Earth.

Concurrently, will.i.am's i.am.angel Foundation and Discovery Education, the leading provider of digital resources to K-12 classrooms proven to impact student achievement, announced a groundbreaking youth engagement initiative to bring STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) education to life for millions of students nationwide. The program, i.am.STEAM, which features NASA assets such as the Mars Curiosity Rover, is designed to inspire and cultivate the next generation of problem-solvers and innovators. The program will be made possible by the financial contributions of the i.am.angel Foundation and its partners, and will be executed by Discovery Education.

"Reach For The Stars (Mars Edition)," an original composition by musician and philanthropist will.i.am, traveled hundreds of millionsof miles roundtrip to Mars and back to Earth. NASA scientists and engineers explained the technical process by which the song was placed on the Mars Science Lab Curiosity rover, now on Mars, and then brought back to Earth.

Designed to inspire young people everywhere to reach for their dreams and to embrace STEAM education and careers in the field, will.i.am composed and produced "Reach For The Stars (Mars Edition)", which included two youth choirs who joined him in the studio, and includes additional vocals by recording artist Lil Jon. The school choirs included the Oasis Academy Hadley School Gospel Choir in Northeast London (Enfield, UK) and the Southfields Academy Choir in Southwest London (near Wimbledon, UK). Both the Oasis Academy Hadley School and the Southfields Academy schools offer STEM-focused curriculum. Young people from the Agape International Center Children's Choir also participated in studio rehearsals with will.i.am in Los Angeles. Recording took place at the Record Plant in Los Angeles and Metropolis Studios in London.

"Today is about inspiring young people to lead a life without limits placed on their potential and to pursue collaboration between humanity and technology through STEAM education. I know my purpose is to inspire young people, because they will keep inspiring me back," said will.i.am.

"In 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first man to set foot on the moon, he inspired a generation.It is still all about inspiration. I want to thank everyone who believes that and is working with NASA education to spread the message that a brighter tomorrow begins by inspiring dreamers, creators and explorers today," said Leland Melvin, Astronaut and Associate Administrator for Education at NASA.

"Discovery has a 25-year commitment to education and igniting peoples' curiosity, rooted in our very DNA. The foundation's goals around STEAM education are in perfect synch with Discovery Education's experience, solutions, tools and resources to drive interest and excellence in STEAM subjects and eventually, careers," said Bill Goodwyn, CEO, Discovery Education. "We are thrilled to partner with the i.am.angel foundation and will.i.am on this groundbreaking initiative and together, prepare the next generation of STEAM leaders."

Program speakers included: Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator (via video message); Adam Steltzner, JPL lead engineer for entry, descent and landing of the Curiosity rover; Mike Meyer, Lead Scientist, Mars Exploration Program; Leland Melvin, Astronaut and Associate Administrator for Education at NASA; will.i.am, musician, philanthropist and STEM education advocate; Bill Goodwyn, CEO of Discovery Education.

Prior to the official program remarks that were televised on NASA TV (www.nasa.gov/ntv), the 53 students from the inaugural i.am College Track Boyle Heights Center and teachers from Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, CA participated in a guided tour of the JPL campus, viewing model rover spacecraft and learned about STEM careers from NASA and JPL scientists and engineers. Students and teachers also discussed the educational coursework requirements and high school and college internships available at NASA and JPL.

"Reach For The Stars (Mars Edition)" is now available at iTunes http://smarturl.it/RFTSMars

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NASA and will.i.am Bring Music Back From Mars: Curiosity Rover Successfully Delivers First Music and Song "Reach For ...

Basque region backs nanotechnology research

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Nanotechnology for food and other industries is receiving strong support in the Basque region of Spain, with cash being channelled to researchers through the EU Framework 7 research funding programme.

Thats according to Dr Yolanda de Miguel, research and development project manager working on nanostructured and eco-efficient materialsat Tecnalia Research & Innovations construction unit, sustainable development divisin.

The group is exploring a wide variety of pan industry studies, including nanotechnology, which de Miguel told FoodNavigator has broad applications for the food industry.

Some scientists are looking at ways of using nanotechnology to block cholesterol from entering the bloodstream. Others are looking at applying it to the area of food safety, using antimicrobial coatings for work surfaces.

'Bettering packaging'

Others are exploring its potential for use in packaging materials to extendproductshelf life, for example.Its being explored in bettering packagingby increasing its oxygen-barrier properties,"saidDr. de Miguel.

Major food brands such as Nestl, Unilever, Kraft and Heinz were known to be investigating nanotechnology and the Basque research would help support such endeavours, she said.

One of her major areas of focusat present is developingnano-coatingsfor different types ofsurfaces,which would in a sense make them self-cleaning. The coatings use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide, which at that size become translucent and react with oxygenand water moleculesin air to release high energy radicals, which destroy the cell wall of harmful microbes.These hydroxyl radicalswill alsodegradeorganic material on the surface, which meansthat the surfacestays clean for longer,said de Miguel.

Hydrophilic

Coating nanoparticlesof titanium dioxideonto a given surface can also make it hydrophilic, whichmeans water canbe used more easily to washit,plusthe surface does not show water droplets remaining on it as the droplets run easily off them.

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Basque region backs nanotechnology research

Fifth edition of Bangalore Nano on December 6, 7

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It is important to focus on nanotechnology field

The fifth edition of Bangalore Nano, the annual nanotechnology conference-cum-trade show organised by the Karnataka government, will be held on December 6 and 7.

C.N.R. Rao, scientific adviser to the Prime Minister, said that it was a matter of pride that his city, Bangalore, was at the forefront of leading and nurturing innovation in the field of nanotechnology. He spoke about his visit to Israel where he met a young researcher who wanted to use exhaled air and analyse molecules to detect cancer. Years later, Prof. Rao got to know that the researcher came up with a product called the nano nose that helps detect cancer. Such are the possibilities of nanotechnology, and this is why it is important to focus on this emerging field, he said.

Criticising the resistance among academia to collaborate on research work, Prof. Rao said that working together is imperative to move forward.

Nano, a game changer

Chief Secretary S.V. Ranganath said that Karnataka has taken an early lead in science and technology, and compared the nanotechnology scene now to what IT was two decades ago. Nano is going to be a game changer, and it presents a unique challenge as it applies across disciplines. He said that Karnataka has 396 research and development organisations and over 2,100 IT companies, and that over 40 per cent of software exports come from here.

The two-day event includes several plenary sessions on healthcare and medicine, aerospace and defence, electronics, food and agriculture, energy and environment, water management solutions and advanced materials.

The event organisers claim that over 100 leading international and domestic companies are slated to participate. A poster presentation session will display at least 120 posters, and 450 graduate level students will attend the event. As part of the conference, the Research Industry Collaboration Hub will be organised.

The pre-event schedule includes a pre-conference tutorial session on December 5 for delegates.

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Fifth edition of Bangalore Nano on December 6, 7

Penn Medicine Physician Offers Model for Teaching Residents Value-Based Care

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VALUE Framework Urged for Medical and Surgical Residents

Newswise PHILADELPHIA Despite the national consensus on the need to improve the value of health care while reducing unnecessary spending, teaching hospitals often struggle to design curricula to train future physicians to deliver such care to their patients.

Working to fill this gap, Mitesh Patel, MD, MBA, a physician and Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, worked with colleagues to develop the VALUE framework for teaching-hospitals, academic medical centers, and residency programs. It can be used by physician trainees to assess whether a medical intervention will help patients while keeping costs down. The model is detailed in the September 2012 issue of the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

VALUE is an acronym for 1) validation and variability 2) affordability and access 3) long-term benefits and less side effects 4) utility and usability and 5) effectiveness and errors. In addition to discussing these components, Patel and his colleagues present more than 20 suggestions for ways that residency programs can incorporate them into their training programs.

Our model can be used to train young physicians to assess the benefits of medical interventions, with the goal of selecting those that generate high value and reduce unnecessary costs, says Patel. These include deciding what medical tests to order, selecting the most cost-effective medications to prescribe, and discussing with patients whether or not to have surgery.

As outlined in the VALUE framework, validation refers to the need for residents to evaluate whether a medical intervention has been borne out through evidence-based medicine from rigorous research trials or if it has been used despite weaker evidence. Variability addresses the need to determine if certain medications or treatments, which may be effective in a large group of patients, may be applicable to individual patients based on such characteristics as age, ethnicity, or medical conditions. One technique for teaching this component offered by Patel and his co-authors is to pick one patient a week under consideration for a medical intervention and discuss at least two published studies regarding the validation of potentially relevant medications or treatments and their applicability to the selected patient.

The other components in the VALUE framework, along with examples of how they could be taught to residents as part of their formal training, are included in a table accompanying the article.

At Penn Medicine, residents have access to the Center for Evidence-Based Practice (CEP), one of the only comparative effectiveness centers in the U.S. based in an academic health system, and other value-based clinical tools, including protocols and patient care pathways. The Office of Graduate Medical Education is also working with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) to explore additional resources addressing many of the components outlined in the VALUE framework.

Training residents to practice medicine using concepts of value-based care is like learning a new language for both residents and their teachers, says Patel. The VALUE framework can bridge this gap and become a useful tool for improving the care of our patients.

Patels co-authors are Matthew M. Davis, MD, MAPP, and Monica L. Lypson, MD, MHPE, both from the University of Michigan Medical School.

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Penn Medicine Physician Offers Model for Teaching Residents Value-Based Care

Companion Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Market Report 2012: Twease.org

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ALBANY, N.Y., Aug. 23, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Twease.org - New Report Added in Pharmaceuticals Reports Database Companion Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Market Report 2012

This is the latest and most up-to-date Market Report from Select Biosciences addressing the companion diagnostics (CDx) and personalized medicine marketplace. Personalized medicine is a broad field with several stakeholders all of which must be aligned in order to capture the immense potential value in targeting therapeutics to the correct patient populationthe field of stratified medicine.

To Browse Full Toc Visit: http://www.twease.org/report/companion-diagnostics-and-personalized-medicine-market-report-2012.htm

Companion Diagnostics has been rapidly expanding over the past 3 years and in this market report we describe the current state of the marketplace from the following perspectives:

Related Reports:

Personalized Medicine Market MicroRNAs and Exosomes Market MicroRNA Market MicroRNA Research and Disease Associations Circulating Tumor Cells

This data-driven characterization of the Companion Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine field is a hands-on document that can be used for competitive benchmarking, business planning, and strategy developmentall the data that have been collected in this industry analysis are presented and they form the basis for the conclusions drawn throughout the market report presented in a format enabling "drag-and-drop" into business presentations/business plansthis Market Report is written and delivered to customers in PowerPoint format.

Extensive Market Analyses Presented in this Report

Personalized Medicine and Companion Diagnostics: Market Segmentation and Quantitative Analysis

Personalized Medicine Industry Landscape: Selected Indications, Biomarkers and Therapeutics

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Companion Diagnostics and Personalized Medicine Market Report 2012: Twease.org

Brown med school relocation allows expansion

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PROVIDENCE, R.I.Brown University says its medical school's relocation last year to a new facility near downtown Providence has allowed it to enroll its largest medical education class ever.

The university says the Warren Alpert Medical School's class of 2016 has a record 120 students, including 64 women and 56 men.

The medical school opened a new building in the so-called "Knowledge District" a year ago after a $45 million renovation project. University officials said then that the relocation would allow the program to expand from 100 students per class to 120 -- and eventually 150.

Students in the incoming class range in age from 20 to 32; a dozen have graduate degrees in other fields. The university says one is a Marine combat veteran and another has hosted TV cooking shows.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Brown med school relocation allows expansion

Liberty Bell restaurant to keep 28-foot-tall rooster

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LIBERTY, Ind. A 28-foot-tall rooster sign is being allowed to stay up outside a restaurant in a small eastern Indiana town despite complaints that it violated zoning rules.

The Union County Board of Zoning Appeals voted Monday to approve an exception from building rules so that the Liberty Bell restaurant can keep its colorful wood-and-metal sign, WLWT-TV in Cincinnati reported (http://bit.ly/PKKe7Z ).

The county planning director said several people complained that the 16-foot-wide sign was closer to the street than allowed. But residents of the 2,000-person community near the state border with Ohio who showed up to the board meeting supported allowing it to remain.

The restaurants owner, Andy Pitcher, said customers often pose for photos under the sign, which he put up this spring to help draw attention during a street construction project. The debate over whether it should be allowed to remain has helped business, he said.

Weve sold thousands of pieces of chicken over the weekend up and above what we normally do, Pitcher said.

Mark Mayer, a carpenter who helped build the sign, said the rooster is securely moored and able to withstand thunderstorms.

Hes gone through one with 60 to 80 mile an hour winds so far, so hes not going anywhere, Mayer said.

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Liberty Bell restaurant to keep 28-foot-tall rooster

BG Capital Group Taps into Liberty Silver Corp. Amidst forecast of "silver rush"

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PLANTATION, Fla., Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-iReach/ -- BG Capital Group, a venture capital and private equity firm with offices in South Florida, has announced an interest and investment in Liberty Silver Corp. (TSX: LSL, OTCBB:LBSV), an advanced stage junior silver mining company with potential resources of 120m silver equivalent ounces.

"We are confident that this newly discovered deposit located in the United States will yield a substantial supply of silver," said Bobby Genovese, CEO of BG Capital Group. "We anticipate a growing increase in the value of silver and prospect of this project given the limited supply in areas that can be safely mined."

The revival of this US supply source is good news for investors - and the national economy - as this project has the potential to not only provide a safe location to produce but it is also expected to create more jobs. Today, silver production comes primarily from other countries that face challenges including violence and localized uprisings that have put mining to halts.

Liberty currently oversees approximately 24 million inferred ounces of silver equivalent resources located 23 miles from the renowned Coeur Rochester silver mine, known as the "Trinity" project, with an opportunity to become a low-cost, large-scale operation given the existing open pit mine on the property that produced 5m silver ounces in the late 1980s.

Historical drilling and production data, recent surveys and drilling results, as well as BG Capital's independent research reveals the property has potential resources of approximately 120m silver equivalent ounces between the Trinity property and the adjacent Hi Ho silver property of which Liberty recently entered into a mineral rights agreement with.

Liberty Silver Corp is an advanced stage junior mining company focused on developing its flagship property - the Trinity Silver Project - comprised of 10,600 acres including 5,700 acres of fee land and 240 unpatented mining claims. The Trinity property, previously mined and operated by US Borax, produced 5 million ounces of silver from 1.1 million tons of ore from its open pit oxide resource from 1987 to 1989; mining ceased when sulfide mineralization was encountered in the bottom of the pit and metal prices were too low to support mining the sulfide resource.

The Trinity Silver Project is located 25 miles northwest of Lovelock, Nevada (Pershing County) and shares its geographical location with major gold and silver producers including one of the largest silver mines in the United States, the Coeur Rochester silver mine, which produced 125 million ounces of silver from 1986 to 2010 and has an estimated 120 million silver ounces in reserves. The Company holds the right to earn a 70% interest in the Trinity Project from Renaissance Gold (REN.TO).

BG Capital Group is a venture capital and private equity firm that offers more than 20 years of investor relations experience, in-depth marketing and financial management. For more information, visit http://www.bgcapitalgroup.com.

Media Contact: Stephanie Moore Profile Marketing & Public Relations, 5613061944, smoore@profilemarkpr.com

News distributed by PR Newswire iReach: https://ireach.prnewswire.com

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BG Capital Group Taps into Liberty Silver Corp. Amidst forecast of "silver rush"

Parrott questions McVay’s Republicanism given strong Libertarian ties

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Ellis Parrott has refused to debate Will McVay before their Republican Primary Sept. 11 because of McVays remaining, strong ties to the Libertarian Party.

Parrott sent an Aug. 15 letter to Kent County Republican Party Chairman Hans Reigle to explain why he declined an invitation to participate in a candidate debate to be held by the Kent County Young Republicans. In that letter, Parrott expressed concern that McVay had changed his party registration seven times between January 2010 and May 2012, including a switch from Libertarian to Republican on Jan. 11, 2010 and again on May 25.

He paid the fee as a candidate, Parrott told the Dover Post. That doesnt make him a legitimate candidate. I have no problem debating any legitimate candidate.

Parrott said he would debate McVay if he had run as a Libertarian candidate and his Democratic opponent had agreed to these terms.

The winner between Parrott and McVay will face the winner of the Democratic primary William McGlumphy and Andria Bennett.

The problem is, where do you draw the line if you allow a Libertarian to debate? Parrott said. You have two major parties in this state. Do you allow the other minor parties to debate as well? Nationally, there is the same question.

Ive never had an fear of debating anybody, he added. I was a judge for 25 years. So, I think Im quite capable of debating anyone.

McVay had announced his immediate resignation as vice chairman of the Libertarian Party of Delaware in a mass email sent back on Aug. 8. He called Parrotts reasoning for refusing to debate him a pretty convenient excuse.

If Im such a Libertarian, then I should be a pretty easy debate and he should basically shame me out of the race, McVay said.

Meanwhile, Reigle still questioned McVays allegiances in an Aug. 23 email. Namely, Reigle and Parrott had learned from the Delaware Department of Elections for Kent Couny that on Aug. 14 two Libertarians running against other Kent County Republicans had submitted election paperwork signed by McVay in his capacity as chairman of the Kent County Libertarian Party.

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Parrott questions McVay’s Republicanism given strong Libertarian ties

2 islands off Conn. coast put up for sale

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NEW HAVEN, Conn.A woman who amassed a collection of small islands off the Connecticut coast is selling two of them.

Christine Svenningsen, a widow of a party-goods magnate, is selling Belden Island for $3.95 million and Jepson Island for nearly $2 million, her real estate agents said. They are part of the Thimble Islands off Branford, which have attracted celebrities and the wealthy for generations.

"For anybody looking for privacy it's got great appeal yet it's very close to the mainland," said Clint Rodenberg, an agent at William Pitt Sotheby's in Madison, where listing agents Margaret Muir and Tony Nuzzo are handling the sale.

Svenningsen, an artist who has restored many of the properties, spent around $33 million to buy about 10 islands in Long Island Sound.

"They're like little pieces of art. I get to put my brush to them," Svenningsen said in 2006.

She does not plan to sell the other islands she owns, Rodenberg said.

"She's looking for someone who will respect them and enjoy them as much as she does," Rodenberg said. "She's simplifying her life somewhat."

The houses are seasonal and rely on gas lights and solar power, Rodenberg said.

Jepson Island is a little over one-quarter of an acre and has a 1,100-square-foot house with a wraparound deck. Belden is slightly over an acre and has a 1912 colonial with about 2,100 square feet and clam beds.

Of the hundreds of Thimble Islands, about 25 are considered habitable. Tour boats have taken sightseers among the islands for generations, while treasure hunters have combed them for Captain Kidd's buried riches.

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2 islands off Conn. coast put up for sale

"Obamacare"? President Obama Suggests "Romney-Doesn't-Care" As a New Name

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Aug 28, 2012 3:41pm

President Obama coined a new nickname for a potential action by a hypothetical President Romney today, playing off the Obamacare nickname for health care legislation that his administration initially used, then rejected as pejorative, then re-claimed.

To a a crowd of roughly six thousand at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, the president today said, Its up to you whether we go back to a health care system that let insurance companies decide who to cover and when. Governor Romney promised that sometime between taking the oath of office and going to the inaugural ball, hed sit right down, grab a pen and kick seven million young people off their parents plan by repealing health reform, the president said, referring to Romneys pledge in June to act to repeal Obamacare on his first day if elected President of the United States.

Thats what he says hes going to do, the president said. You know, maybe we should call his plan Romney-Doesnt-Care because I do care. I do care.

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The president said this law is here to stay. Nows not the time to refight the battles of the last four years. Nows the time for us to go ahead and move forward. And Ill work with anybody who wants to make our health care system better, but Im not going to stand by and let folks talk about how we should go back to the days when ordinary folks who were working really hard suddenly find themselves losing their homes, losing their savings just because they get sick.

Pivoting to abortion rights, the president said Republicans can choose to refight the battles that were settled 10 years ago or 20 years ago or some time in the last century. You know, I think women should be trusted to make their own health care decisions.

-Jake Tapper and Mary Bruce

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"Obamacare"? President Obama Suggests "Romney-Doesn't-Care" As a New Name

Orange city freedom clears hurdle

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28 August 2012 Last updated at 17:28 ET

A Lisburn council motion to grant the Orange Order the freedom of the city has cleared its first hurdle.

The council agreed on Tuesday to pass the DUP proposal to the committee stage, despite opposition from Sinn Fein and the Alliance Party.

It will go through equality screening, for assessment on whether it has the potential to impact differently and unfairly on various groups.

The motion was proposed by Paul Givan, a DUP councillor and assembly member.

Mr Givan said it had "nothing to do with getting the right to march in Lisburn".

"This is all about recognising an organisation which has over 600 halls in Northern Ireland, used extensively by the community," he said.

"In Lisburn in particular, the community get excellent value out of the Orange Order - they are part of our society and we want to recognise them."

Sinn Fein councillor Arthur Carson said the Orange Order had "a lot of reforming to do" before his party would back such a proposal.

"The anti-Catholic stance in terms of membership, the refusal to engage with residents groups over parades, expelling members who attend Catholic services - these are all big issues that the Orange Order need to take into consideration," he said.

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Orange city freedom clears hurdle

Island beaches remain open

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Cameron County leaders will close the county beaches at 8 p.m. today because of conditions brought by Hurricane Isaac.

County Judge Carlos H. Cascos ordered the temporary closing of the beaches until further noticed.

This includes Beach Access No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 on the northern of the Island and Isla Blanca Park on the southern end of the Island, and Boca Chica Beach.

He orderedthe closures due to the high tides and dangerous conditions brought on by Isaac.

I have asked our law enforcement authorities to ensure that no individuals or vehicles be allowed access to the beaches on the North end and Sound end of South Padre Island as well as Boca Chica Beach, Cascos said in a press release.

It is very important that the public pay attention to our warnings and stay our of harms way. We continue to monitor tidal conditions as Hurricane Isaac makes it way to the Louisiana coast, the county judge said.

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Island beaches remain open