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NASA Advisory Council Commercial Space Committee Meeting 18 Sep 2012

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 167 (Tuesday, August 28, 2012)] [Notices] [Page 52067] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2012-21181]

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

[12-069]

NASA Advisory Council; Commercial Space Committee; Meeting

AGENCY: National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: This Committee reports to the NAC. The meeting will be held for the purpose of soliciting, from the scientific community and other persons, scientific and technical information relevant to program planning.

DATES: Tuesday, September 18, 2012, 11:45 a.m.-5:30 p.m.; Local Time.

ADDRESSES: NASA Ames Research Center (ARC), The Showroom, Building M-3, NASA Ames Conference Center, 500 Severyns Road, NASA Research Park, Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Thomas W. Rathjen, Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546, (202) 358-0552, fax (202) 358-2885, or thomas.rathjen-1@nasa.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The meeting will be open to the public up to the capacity of the room. This meeting is also available telephonically and by WebEx. Any interested person may call the USA toll free conference call number (888) 790-5969 or toll number (517) 224-3265, pass code 7234039, to participate in this meeting by telephone. The WebEx link is https://nasa.webex.com/, the meeting number is 996 244 419, and the password is CSC@Sep18. The agenda for the meeting includes the following topics:

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NASA Advisory Council Commercial Space Committee Meeting 18 Sep 2012

NASA to beam new will.i.am song from Mars

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

A song called "Reach for the Stars" will make its debut, appropriately, from space.

NASA plans to broadcast the tune, written by rapper and songwriter will.i.am, from its Curiosity rover, newly landed on the surface of Mars.

Though Curiosity has no speakers, it will transmit the song via radio waves back to Earth to be received at 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET) Tuesday during an educational event at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif.

Space news from NBCNews.com

Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: President Barack Obama orders that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff in honor of first moonwalker Neil Armstrong, who passed away over the weekend.

"Members of the team that successfully landed the rover on Mars earlier this month will explain to students the mission and the technology behind the song's interplanetary transmission," NASA officials wrote in a statement. "Will.i.am will then premiere 'Reach for the Stars,' a new composition about the singer's passion for science, technology and space exploration."

During the event, NASA scientists and mission managers will talk about the Curiosity mission and explain the technology behind the broadcast to students. It won't be the first broadcast from space NASA used the Mars rover on Monday to broadcast a spoken message from the space agency's chief, Charles Bolden.

The musician will.i.am, a member of the Black Eyed Peas, was at JPL on Aug. 5 to watch Curiosity land on Mars. The car-sized, $2.5 billion rover is beginning a two-year mission to investigate whether Mars ever had the conditions necessary to support microbial life.

Follow Space.com on Twitter @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and Google+.

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NASA to beam new will.i.am song from Mars

will.i.am, NASA team up for first song from Mars

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

will.i.am and NASA will debut 'Reach for the Stars' Tuesday. The new will.i.am single will be beamed from the NASA Curiosity rover.

Bruno Mars move over. will.i.am has got a new single coming direct from Mars, the first-ever song to debut on another planet.

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The Mars Curiosity mission has something for everyone: Cool pix, lasers blasting rocks, and now the music of the spheres.

"Reaching for the Stars" will be broadcast from the red planet at 4 p.m. EDT Tuesday.

The broadcast will be part of a NASA educational event for students at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif.

According to NASA, members of the team that successfully landed the rover on Mars earlier this month will explain to students the mission and the technology behind the song's interplanetary transmission. will.i.am will then premiere "Reach for the Stars," a new composition about the singer's passion for science, technology, and space exploration. will.i.am's i.am.angel Foundation, in partnership with Discovery Education of Silver Spring, Md., a provider of digital resources to kindergarten through grade 12 classrooms, will announce a new science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics initiative featuring NASA assets such as the Mars Curiosity Rover. The event will be streamed on the agency's website and broadcast on NASA TV.

will.i.am is a big NASA fan and has appeared in a NASA promotional video explaining how NASA technologies have helped increase production of clean water, provide remote medical care and solar electricity for refrigeration, and keep food fresh during its trip from field to market.

While will.i.am has the first song, the honor of the first human voice to be broadcast from another planet was reserved for NASA administrator Charlie Bolden.

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will.i.am, NASA team up for first song from Mars

Yehia Massoud Named Head of WPI's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

The Former Head of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Massoud's Research Spans Embedded Systems, Signal Processing, Nanotechnology, and BiotechnologyWorcester, MA (PRWEB) August 27, 2012 Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) announced today that Yehia Massoud, PhD, will join the university on Sept. 1 as the new head of the university's ...

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Yehia Massoud Named Head of WPI's Electrical and Computer Engineering Department

ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel Meeting Announced for October in Washington, DC

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

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ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel Meeting Announced for October in Washington, DC New York August 27, 2012

The American National Standards Institute's Nanotechnology Standards Panel (ANSI-NSP) will hold a meeting on October 30, 2012, in Washington, DC. Formed in 2004, ANSI's NSP serves as the cross-sector coordinating body for the facilitation of standards development in the area of nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology, linked to nanoscale science and engineering, involves the understanding and control of matter at the nanoscale, (approximately 1-to-100 nanometers), where unique phenomena allow for innovation and novel technological applications. The ANSI-NSP works to provide a forum for standards developing organizations (SDOs), government entities, academia, and industry to identify needs and establish recommendations for the creation or updating of standards related to nanotechnology and nanomaterials. In addition, the ANSI-NSP solicits participation from nanotechnology-related groups that have not traditionally been involved in the voluntary consensus standards system, while also promoting cross-sector collaborative efforts.

ANSI president and CEO S. Joe Bhatia said, Nanotechnology is a growing and vital field that has the potential to change current industries and pave the way to new ones. The ANSI-NSP looks forward to building on its record as a coordinator and facilitator of responsive nanotechnology standardization activities that keep pace with the fields advancement.

The ANSI-NSP encourages SDOs involved in nanotechnology standardization, representatives from companies working with nanomaterials or developing nanotechnology-based products and solutions, government agencies, consumer groups, and academics, to take part in the October meeting, which is free to attend. The meeting will include updates from SDOs developing nanotechnology standards and from industry representatives regarding their current needs in this area.

The meeting will take place on October 30, 2012, from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., at the offices of the law firm Sidley Austin LLP (1501 K Street NW, Washington, DC). Individuals planning to attend the October NSP meeting may register online here. For more information, visit the event Web page or contact Heather Benko (hbenko@ansi.org), ANSI senior manager, nanotechnology standardization activities.

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ANSI Nanotechnology Standards Panel Meeting Announced for October in Washington, DC

Quture/TCLN QualOptima Product Business Case Expands Focus to Patient-Centered Personalized Medicine

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

DAYTONA BEACH, FL--(Marketwire -08/27/12)- Quture International, Inc. (TCLN) (TCLN) and its operations subsidiary Quture, Inc. ("Quture") announce that its QualOptima product is now under contract with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital for a clinical trial for performance and outcomes measurement. After completing the demonstration project with InterSystems at the University, the return on investment (ROI) evaluations announced on August 8, 2012, now further include analytics focused on patient-centered, personalized medicine use of the product for hospitals to brand themselves with the same data for their patients.

As announced in June's Shareholder Letter, this additional use of clinical data from QualOptima creates sales incentives to hospitals from data generated by the product in the $700 billion hospital marketing for "branding." QualOptima will be even more on target with the urgent needs of senior management for healthcare analytics.

Quture is in the final stages of ROI evaluations from three hospital reference sites. Use of QualOptima product data for personalized medicine creates yet another financial incentive and investment opportunity for hospitals to license the product. The internal ROI evaluation parallels the Company moving to revenue-based operations as the search for its Chief Business Development Officer is nearing completion. Even at its median price point, the market opportunity for QualOptima is in excess of 1.75 billion dollars annually from hospital sales alone in the United States, and exponentially higher with either revenue model other than traditional licensing or sales to other health care market sectors. Patient-centered, personalized medicine applications create major new market sector opportunities.

In publications by Heather Woodward-Hagg at Purdue University, College of Technology, she has stated their experience with their widely accepted return on investment (ROI) methodology to calculate the business case to promote efficient, patient-centric care within a healthcare organization. In answering the question -- what is preventing the development of the business case for quality in healthcare -- she states: "In our experience, the lack of appropriate performance indicators often makes it difficult to determine performance gaps, effectively drive performance improvements and accurately measure the impact of improvement initiatives."

"Quture is intensely focused on proving and projecting the business case for QualOptima through rigorous ROI methodologies and financial projection models," said Landon Feazell, CEO of Quture International. "We are committed to the use of QualOptima to provide performance measures and analytics tools as already demonstrated in three hospitals. Health care ROI studies and formulas, and now our own ROI calculations prove the clinical logic and business case for QualOptima. Since the product captures and integrates patient-centric risk factors and outcomes measures in addition to performance measures, there is yet another huge intrinsic value for personalized medicine applications of QualOptima data. We are encouraged by the ROI evaluations to date and looking forward to this new financial revenue insight."

Quture's product demonstrations at three key hospitals have been designed to triangulate the QualOptima analytics value proposition. As the operations company moves from development to marketing and sales, the analysis of the ROI potential of the product is at completion from all three sites. Each project provides unique elements for ROI, so that the insight from each converges to attract additional reference hospitals to license QualOptima.

The clinical trial at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Jackson Memorial Hospital (UoM) focused on measuring clinical performance and outcomes. Dr. Keith Candiotti designed the project to demonstrate the value of the product design to ultimately calculate unreimbursed cost relationships with compliance to evidence-based perioperative protocols. The project measures the impact of performance of evidence-based protocols on outcomes and costs. There are significant costs associated with extended stays and complications in recovery and beyond for well-established practice guidelines from professional organizations, that for the first time connect clinical quality with outcomes and costs. Electronic data capture, aggregation into a second generation database, and imposition of quality and value analytics is essential for hospitals that urgently need to move to value-based purchasing and to comply with accreditation standards. Quture is now further exploring the QualOptima database for patient-centered, personalized medicine applications with Dr. Candiotti.

At Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center (NFMCC), Quture implemented an evidence-based optimal clinical process for prevention of catheter-acquired urinary tract infections (CAUTI) in the intensive care unit. The ROI analysis announced for completion before September is focused on payment initiatives. The clinical demonstration was selected because it is one of the hospital-acquired conditions (HAC) for which providers are no longer reimbursed and is the major patient safety initiative for 2012. Performance measurement based on a nursing-sensitive protocol augments physician performance at the University of Miami for true interdisciplinary performance measurement.

Springhill Medical Center, Springhill, LA (SMC) is focused on replacing Quture's former peer review product with QualOptima. The ROI evaluation there is based on replacing labor-intensive manual processes with electronic data capture and analytics, while integrating their peer review and performance measurement processes. Successful implementation of a license to the InterSystems product platform for QualOptima is scheduled for completion in early September. The demonstration requires completion of the product as a cloud application. This will demonstrate the market for QualOptima to small and rural medical centers such as SMC. As an established customer of the former peer review product, it was urgent to supplement peer review process with performance measurement, both for compliance with accreditation standards and to prepare for the new fee-for-value payment system.

"The recent Black Book Rankings hospital survey cited in our last press release was extraordinarily significant, stating that 84% of provider organizations without clinical analytics systems in place currently plan to acquire at least one new or additional clinical analytic tools within 12 months," said Feazell. "We have committed over six years and millions of dollars and other resources to create QualOptima. The InterSystems platform powers our product as a breakthrough application of their unparalleled technology. Senior management teams find themselves in charge, but not in control in hospitals throughout America. The survey report indicts that only 16 percent of U.S. hospitals acknowledge they currently have the clinical decision support tools to effectively manage the data needs of the accountable care evolution. Hospital boards and senior management need to prepare their organization for clinical analytics not only in the new payment system, but also for the future of improving care as patients become more involved in their care. Adding personalized medicine and wellness to the business case for QualOptima is a rapidly evolving product strategy and marketing and sales advantage. As delivery systems and payment systems are changing and patient involvement in their care increases, QualOptima empowers data-driven decisions for results-driven success."

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Quture/TCLN QualOptima Product Business Case Expands Focus to Patient-Centered Personalized Medicine

Traditional Chinese Medicine Billionaire Ma Xingtian's Kangmei Says 1st-Half Net Rose 62%

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Net profit during the first six months of the year at traditional Chinese medicine producer Kangmei Pharmaceutical of Guangdong Province climbed 62.5% to 708 million yuan, or $110 million, on revenue that increased by 83% to 5.1 billion yuan, the company said in a statement this morning. The company is led by Ma [...]

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Traditional Chinese Medicine Billionaire Ma Xingtian's Kangmei Says 1st-Half Net Rose 62%

Research and Markets: Sports Medicine Devices Market By Products & Application (2012 – 2017) Global Trends …

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/2nv7mr/sports_medicine_de) has announced the addition of the "Sports Medicine Devices Market By Products & Application (2012 - 2017) Global Trends & Competitive Analysis" report to their offering.

Sports Medicine Devices Market By Products & Application (2012 - 2017) [Bone, Cartilage, Ligament, Tendon Reconstruction & Repair, Braces, Hot & Cold Therapy, Topical Pain Relief, Compression Clothing, Bandages, Wraps & Tapes, Shoulder, Elbow-Wrist, Back-Spine, Hip-Groin, Knee, Ankle-Foot] Global Trends & Competitive Analysis.

The research report categorizes the global sports medicine market by value and volume. Both of these markets are broken down into segments and sub-segments, providing exhaustive analysis for 2011 and 2012, as well as forecast up to 2017. Each market is comprehensively analyzed at granular level by geography (North America, Europe, Asia, and Rest of the World) to provide in-depth information on the global scenario.

Sports medicine is a very dynamic field that has made a mark in the healthcare sector in the last decade. The field has witnessed a spurt in technology and has grown with the rise in medical diagnostic and therapeutic devices. With regional sports gaining popularity, sports medicine is all set to play an extremely vital role in a sportsperson's vital statistics, monitoring, and diagnostics by maintaining the highest level of balance between body exhaustion and recovery. This will be accomplished by pushing the athlete's body to the limit with the help of the latest technology. Sports medicine devices will help monitor, diagnose and treat athlete burnout and injuries such as plantar fasciitis, heel spur, flat feet, Morton's neuroma, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament injuries (PCL), hammer toe, arthritis, chronic back pain, calf stiffness, tennis elbow, rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendon injury, etc.

Devices including Primus Rehabilitation by BTE Technologies with patient monitors such as spirometers, electrocardiographs, stress monitors, electromyography (EMG) are crucial in maintaining top form for an athlete and are also useful in studying the performance of competitors. High-end technologies such as balance and gait monitors, and motion analysis are used in experiments to determine the optimum positioning of the body with respect to the type of sport played. Each type of sport puts a certain amount of pressure on particular areas of the body. Baseball pitchers and cricket bowlers tend to injure their shoulders more often. Similarly, batsmen tend to injure their arms and wrists at a higher rate. Marathon runners, basketball players, and tennis players have a high rate of muscle injuries in the limbs.

The overall sports medicine market is quite fragmented with a large number of global players. The main strategies and strength of retail-based product companies lie in their marketing and distribution networks. Key players follow aggressive marketing strategies by retaining the front rows in retails shops. This will help in bringing their brand of products to the forefront to have a better impact on consumers.

Key Topics Covered:

1 Introduction

2 Executive Summary

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Research and Markets: Sports Medicine Devices Market By Products & Application (2012 - 2017) Global Trends ...

Best Medical Schools in the United States Seek Students Amid National Shortage

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Best medical schools in the United States are on the hunt for students as a national shortage of healthcare workers cuts deeper, according to MedicalSchoolsinUSA.com.Scottsdale, AZ (PRWEB) August 28, 2012 Medical school requirements and costs are being reanalyzed by many institutions as the healthcare industry struggles to deal with a shortage and meet demand for skilled workers across all areas ...

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Best Medical Schools in the United States Seek Students Amid National Shortage

Medical People

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Published: Monday, August 27, 2012 at 8:23 p.m. Last Modified: Monday, August 27, 2012 at 8:23 p.m.

Dr. Bermily Maldonado-Colon, nephrologist, joins Central Florida Kidney Care in Lakeland on Sept. 4. Maldonado-Colon, originally from Puerto Rico, graduated in 2005 from the University of Guadalajara Medical School, Gualalajara, Mexico. She completed both her internal medicine residency and fellowship training in nephrology at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio in 2012. She will be practicing with Drs. Hugo Tapia, Ricardo Vilches and Jose J. Aguayo.

Dr. Bruce P. Himelstein, pediatrician and palliative-hospice care specialist, is the new pediatric palliative care medical director for Chapters Health System, which includes Good Shepherd Hospice. He earned his undergraduate degree from Harvard University and his medical degree from New York University School of Medicine. He completed his training in pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York and a pediatric hematology/oncology fellowship at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Himelstein is board certified in pediatrics and in hospice and palliative medicine by the American Board of Pediatrics. He has published in the field of pediatric palliative care and has presented at regional, national and international conferences.

Candace Alicea, lead scheduler in registration, was Lake Wales Medical Center's employee of the month for July. She has been with the hospital since April 2011.

[ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robin.adams@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. Follow on Twitter at ledgerROBIN. ]

Candace Alicea, lead scheduler in registration, was Lake Wales Medical Center's employee of the month for July. She has been with the hospital since April 2011.

[ Robin Williams Adams can be reached at robin.adams@theledger.com or 863-802-7558. Read her blog at robinsrx.blogs.theledger.com. Follow on Twitter at ledgerROBIN. ]

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Medical People

Liberty Ross gets career boost after husband’s affair: report

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Being the woman scorned is not all bad for Liberty Ross.

Ever since her husband Rupert Sanders was caught cheating with Kristen Stewart, the British model has been front page news.

Now, Ross is benefiting from all the free press -- top filmmakers have been inundating her with acting offers, reports RadarOnline.

Although the cheating scandal caused a lot of unwanted attention in her private life, it certainly improved her profile as an actress, a source told the gossip site.

Ross previously took small roles in Madonnas W.E. and Sanders Snow White and the Huntsman. The budding actress is reportedly delighted to take advantage of the career boost.

Getty Images

Liberty Ross arrives at the premiere "Lawless"

Liberty is delighted that shes being finally recognized, she wants to pursue a career in the movies and is desperate to make more, she source added. She would [have] preferred if it had happened in a different way, but press is press.

Page Six reported that Ross stepped sans wedding ring at the LA premiere of "Lawless" on Wednesday evening. Observers said she looked "gorgeous" and "relaxed" at the event.

It was seemingly more tense back at the estranged couple's Hollywood Hills home. Reports say that Sanders continues to wear his wedding ring, and was caught showing off his ring to the world as recently as Sunday.

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Liberty Ross gets career boost after husband’s affair: report

Healthy Seattle Storm Takes Down New York Liberty: Fan Reaction

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

For the first time this season, the entire Seattle Storm team was available to play against the New York Liberty on Sunday, August 26. As a result, the Storm put an end to their three-game losing streak and defeated the Liberty 84-66.

Lauren Jackson, playing in only her second WNBA game of the season, is still becoming acquainted with her teammates. However, her presence forced the Liberty to focus on shutting her down offensively. With the Liberty's attention on Jackson, other Storm players were left open to score. As a result, four Storm players scored in the double digits. Sue Bird had an outstanding performance, contributing 18 points and 10 assists for the Storm. Jackson had 16 points and six rebounds. Camille Little had 15 points and eight rebounds. Shekinna Stricklen added 12 points for the Storm.

Ann Wauters and Tina Thompson joined the lineup after sitting out several games to recover from injuries. Thompson scored five points in under 11 minutes on the floor. Wauters added nine points in just under nine minutes for the Storm.

The worn-out Liberty never held the lead. Sunday night's game against the Storm was their sixth game in nine days. The Storm held the Liberty to just 38.2 percent shooting. Cappie Pondexter scored a game-high 23 points. She was the only Liberty player to score in the double digits.

Storm Will Face Mercury Thursday

The Storm will face the Phoenix Mercury at Seattle's Key Arena on Thursday. The Mercury are currently tied with the Tulsa Shock for last place in the Western Conference. They will be fighting for survival against the Storm. With Diana Taurasi rejoining her team, the Mercury will be ready to fight the Storm for the last time in the regular season. Taurasi did not play during the first half of the season as she recovered from an injury to her hip flexor.

The Mercury have been short-handed as Penny Taylor has missed the season due to a torn ACL. Candice Dupree, Charde Houston and Alexis Gray-Lawson, also recovering from injuries, missed the Mercury's last game against the Indiana Fever. The Fever defeated the Mercury 85-72, resulting in 10 straight losses for the Mercury.

Anne Bucher has been a devoted follower of the WNBA since its inception in 1997. A Texas native, she cheered the Houston Comets on to their four consecutive championship titles. Now she lives in the Northwest and roots for the Seattle Storm.

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Healthy Seattle Storm Takes Down New York Liberty: Fan Reaction

Liberty: Patriots hunt for turnovers to stay competitive

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

During Liberty's practices so far this offseason, coach Steve Valach has kept a vigilant eye on one stat that could go a long way in determining his team's season: turnover margin.

That's right, Valach records every turnover created and every turnover lost during practice. Right now, he points out rather quickly, his group holds a plus four turnover margin, although it should be noted that Valach counts anytime his offense lets the ball hit the ground as a turnover.

For Valach, it's become the calling card of this offseason and the thing that he reiterates daily to his players.

"Are we a powerhouse? Not by anybody means," he said. "But if we take care of the football and play good defense, we're going to be in a lot of games."

Valach cites turnovers as one of the biggest reasons why his team went 4-6 last year; the Patriots had a minus-15 ratio a year ago. So where does that turnover margin number need to be in order for the Patriots to have a chance this season?

"By the end of the season, if we're in double digits with that ratio, we'll be a playoff team," Valach said.

Valach said his team's meat and potatoes are with the skill position players, who are led by wide receivers Tynan Gilmore (5-10, 165) and Scott Dean (5-10, 170). Those guys will team up with first-year quarterback Robbie Thomas (6-3, 185) to form the core of Liberty's offense.

"Decent team speed and skill position players are a strength," Valach said.

On the flip side, Liberty isn't an exceptionally big team, although the Patriots do return Nick Short (6-1, 210) on the offensive and defensive lines.

"Not a lot of depth," Valach said, "and we're not real big. But we're pretty disciplined and pretty tough so I think that gives us a shot. I think we make up for it with that."

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Liberty: Patriots hunt for turnovers to stay competitive

Liberty Tax Service’s Tax Classes Start Soon

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Proactive consumers can learn the practical skill of tax preparation at Liberty Tax Service this fall that can lead to discovering additional deductions and tax savings, or even lead to a new career in the tax industry. The annual price taxpayers pay for overlooking legitimate tax deductions and missing other tax breaks is a staggering $1 billion dollars, according to the General Accounting Office. Filing an amended return can allow taxpayers to claim overpayments for overlooking deductions and credits for up to three years.

Students have the opportunity to review their own tax situations and how recent life changes may impact their next tax return, said John Hewitt, CEO and Founder of Liberty Tax Service. They may realize that they have overlooked a legitimate deduction on their return year after year. Its also a great first step to becoming a registered tax preparer, and acquiring the latest industry credentials imposed by the IRS.

Liberty Tax is instructing their tax school students on how to acquire the new credentials and meet the requirements that the IRS is phasing in, and the steps to take to obtain a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) from the IRS. Since no prior tax experience is necessary to enroll, students can enter tax school from any background, and take advantage of flexible scheduling. Students gain tax knowledge by applying the tax code to various situations to prepare returns with the appropriate schedules, credits and deductions applicable to individual taxation. The course covers tax topics that range from filing small business taxes on a Schedule C to the tax implications of buying and selling a home.

Liberty Tax offers over 11,000 class locations as well as an online class option. September class schedules are flexible with day or evening classes available twice a week for ten weeks. Theres a minimal charge for books and supplies. Liberty Tax Service is actively recruiting bilingual tax school students. To learn more about job opportunities and Libertys series 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, founded in 1997 by CEO John T. Hewitt, a pioneer in the tax industry. A tax school opportunity was the entry point for Hewitts start in the tax industry in 1969. The Company has over 4,100 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’s Tax Classes Start Soon

Romney Campaign Targets Libertarian Ballot Effort

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson's effort to be listed on the Iowa ballot in November has been challenged.

Documents challenging Johnson's candidacy were filed Friday by three individuals including Jay Kramer, who says he's the Iowa election day operations director for Republican Mitt Romney's campaign.

Republican Secretary of State Matt Schultz scheduled a hearing for Monday afternoon. Shultz, a representative from the state auditor's office, and Democratic Attorney General Tom Miller will decide whether to uphold or deny the challenge.

Libertarians say they held a state convention at the Iowa State Fair to get Johnson, the former Republican governor from New Mexico, onto Iowa's ballot.

The challenge says Libertarians didn't hold a real convention or sign up actual delegates.

Candidates must be certified for Iowa's ballot by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

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Romney Campaign Targets Libertarian Ballot Effort

Challenge raised to Libertarian candidate in Iowa

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) -

Libertarian presidential candidate Gary Johnson's effort to be listed on the Iowa ballot in November has been challenged.

Documents challenging Johnson's candidacy were filed Friday by three individuals including Jay Kramer, who says he's the Iowa election day operations director for Republican Mitt Romney's campaign.

Libertarians say they held a state convention at the Iowa State Fair to get Johnson, the former Republican governor from New Mexico, onto Iowa's ballot.

The challenge says Libertarians didn't hold a real convention or sign up actual delegates.

Candidates must be certified for Iowa's ballot by 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Challenge raised to Libertarian candidate in Iowa

Ideas outnumber attendees at Libertarian’s fundraiser

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

GREENSBORO The Libertarian Partys vice presidential candidate swung through the Triad on Monday with his pitch: Give the nations third party a chance. You might like it.

Retired Judge Jim Gray did not play to large crowds. Just six people including the candidate himself had arrived for his 6:30 p.m. Greensboro fundraiser as of 7 p.m. But Gray insisted that he and the partys presidential nominee, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, are in the presidential race to win and that they back ideas most Americans agree with.

That includes a 43 percent reduction in the federal budget to end deficit spending, replacing the federal income tax with a sales tax, ending the war in Afghanistan, closing military bases around the world and legalizing marijuana.

You can agree with us or disagree with us you know where we stand, said Gray, a former federal prosecutor and California Superior Court judge. But agree with us on the big things. ... Be Libertarian with us this election, and if youre not happy with prosperity, equal opportunity and freedom, youre always welcome four years from now to vote back for politics as usual.

Gray called for a complete overhaul of the education system, replacing school funding with tuition vouchers for parents. Parental choice would lead to vastly better schools, he said.

He called for an end to the government war on drugs, which he has dubbed the biggest policy mistake in this country since slavery. He discussed tiered Social Security reforms that would raise the retirement age to 70 and turn the safety net into a private savings plan for people under 30.

He called President Obama and Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney Robamaney, saying there was little difference between them. He also said he doesnt believe the president has proved he was born in this country.

This common theory, disproved for many when the president made his Hawaiian birth certificate public, would disqualify Obama from office. So would, for example, being under 32 years old, Gray said twice.

Questioned on this, he acknowledged the Constitution requires presidential candidates to be 35.

I sit corrected, Gray said. Its the only mistake Ive made on this campaign. I think its 32 to be a member of Congress.

Ideas outnumber attendees at Libertarian’s fundraiser

Libertarian candidate hits anti-drug policies

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

Libertarian vice presidential candidate Jim Gray called the country's anti-drug policies a failure during a speech at Salem College on Monday.

"We couldn't do it worse if we tried," Gray said. "Drug prohibition is the biggest failed policy in America."

Gray, a retired superior court judge from California, said the country's drug enforcement laws and efforts to stem the flow of drugs put big profits into the pockets of major drug dealers without making a real dent in the drug supplies in the U.S., and the efforts fail to mitigate drugs' effects on society and the people who use them.

Gray is on the Libertarian ticket with Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico, who served from 1995 to 2003. During his tenure, Johnson vetoed bills 750 times, earning the nickname "Governor Veto."

Gray spoke to a small audience of about 20 at the college. Before speaking, he acknowledged that his party faces a challenge in breaking through the dominance of Democrats and Republicans.

But Gray said that if he and Johnson could just get into the presidential and vice presidential debates, their party's blend of "minimum government, maximum freedom" would win over voters.

Gray said programs in countries such as Switzerland and Holland have worked much better in combating the drug problem.

In Switzerland, for instance, drug users were provided with prescription drugs and offered help with their addiction problems.

The byproduct of that program was a lower crime rate, because drug users no longer had to commit crimes to get money for drugs.

"I would feel pretty comfortable in saying that 10 percent of the problem is the drugs themselves and 90 percent is the drug money," Gray told his audience. "We are churning low-level offenders through the court system for no purpose."

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Libertarian candidate hits anti-drug policies

Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson Happy With His Campaign

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

TAMPAGary Johnson is serene. Sitting down to a lunch of grilled shrimp and tomato salad at a Latin restaurant in historic Ybor City, the Libertarian Party presidential nominee says his less-government philosophy is gradually spreading across the country and that many pundits and political strategists will be surprised at his showing on election day.

He didn't make any predictions on exactly how well he will do. But he expressed confidence that his campaign will "exceed expectations," which could mean that anything upward of 1 or 2 per cent could be considered a successful outcome. The current Rasmussen Reports poll gives President Obama 48 per cent, Republican challenger Mitt Romney 48 per cent, and Johnson 1 per cent. But Johnson says simply being listed by name in the poll is progress.

In any case, he says, a leader needs to be optimistic. "The majority of Americans in this country are fiscally responsible and socially accepting," which is his own political philosophy, Johnson explains.

[See a collection of political cartoons on the 2012 campaign.]

One annoyance for the soft-spoken Johnson is the failure of organizers to include him in any of the three presidential debates scheduled for October. The organizers say he will be included only if he reaches 15 per cent in the national polls, and he lags far behind. He has raised about $2 million, which is considered a low number.

Johnson is a rarity in politicsa leader who ran as a Republican but governed as a libertarian for two terms as governor of New Mexico. Johnson became known for vetoing many bills for programs that he felt cost too much and represented too much government intrusion into society.

As the Libertarian Party nominee, Johnson is taking positions similar in some cases to those adopted by Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, who ran unsuccessfully this year as a libertarian for the GOP presidential nomination. "The Paul campaign is coming to an end," Johnson told me Sunday. "That's really key, getting that support."

[See a collection of political cartoons on the Republican Party.]

But Paul, who has been the Libertarian Party's nominee in the past, hasn't announced his support for either Romney, his fellow Republican who will be formally nominated in Tampa this week, or Johnson, his fellow libertarian.

At the end of our meal, the waitress politely interrupted our interview and said she recognized Johnson and was a fan. They shook hands and Johnson beamed. He was exceeding expectations in Ybor City, and he took it as a good sign.

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Libertarian Candidate Gary Johnson Happy With His Campaign

Japan blocks landing on disputed islands to diffuse China tensions

Posted on August 28, 2012 by Danzig

TOKYO (Reuters) - The Japanese government on Monday refused to let Tokyo metropolitan authorities land on islands at the centre of a territorial dispute with China, a move aimed at defusing tensions that led to biggest anti-Japan protests in years. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has proposed buying the islands from their private Japanese owners and has sought central government permission to ...

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Japan blocks landing on disputed islands to diffuse China tensions

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