Though many attribute forgetfulness to declining memory, according to Kansas State University professor of psychology Richard Harris, lack of interest may ultimately be responsible for a person?s inability to remember specific details. For example, Harris believes the ability to remember names is more developed in people who are more socially aware, interested in relationships, and in professions where remembering names is beneficial, such as teaching or politics. According to Harris, almost everybody has a good memory for something and the more interest an individual has in a certain topic, the more likely they are to remember details and specifics associated with that topic. More here.
Category: Health & Wellness
Tagged: attribute, bad memory, Caused, Elder Law, Eric Barnes, forgetfulness, individual, Interest, Kansas, kansas state university, Kaysville, lack of interest, memory, person, professions, remembering names, richard harris, specifics, state, state university professor, teaching, The ElderCare Law Firm, topic, University, Utah
[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]
[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]
Head coach Byron Scott commented in April that he did not expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to make the playoffs in 2013. This odd remark was not a degradation of the team, but a look into the collective conscience of the entire organization.
Patience is the key for fans during this era of rebuilding, and that patience was tested on draft night when the Cavs shocked the NBA for the second year in a row by reaching on the No.4 pick in the draft and selecting Syracuse guard Dion Waiters.?
An hour later, the Cavs traded away the rights to the No.24, No.33 and No.34 picks to the Dallas Mavericks for North Carolina center Tyler Zeller and NBA veteran small forward Kelenna Azubuike.
The evening was an emotional roller coaster for fans who initially booed the Waiters pick?at the Cavs' draft party in Quicken Loans Arena. Jeers turned to cheers when the trade for Zeller was announced, but the overall tone of the evening was confusion.
Just a week removed from watching the Miami Heat win their first NBA Championship, Cavs fans are struggling with the desire to win immediately or build for the future.
Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller are not as glamorous as the thought of Bradley Beal or Michael Kidd-Gilchrist running the floors at The Q, but the truth is that both Waiters and Zeller are already the best players at their respective Cavalier positions.
An influx of young talent, however, will not be able to hide the gaping hole at small forward and lack of depth. Omri Casspi was a disappointment in 2011-12, and fan favorite Alonzo Gee would be an able sixth man at best on most NBA teams.
The key moment will come next year during the 2013 draft. This will be the third draft in a row with at least two first-round picks; and if Sacramento can avoid being a lottery-bound team next season, the Cavs could acquire a third.
Having already drafted four of the five positions in Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson, Dion Waiters and Tyler Zeller during the rebuild, the Cavs have the luxury of going all-in on the best small forward in the draft.
It is still doubtful that the Cavs will be aggressive in free agency until the young core team has had an opportunity to play a full season together. As long as GM Chris Grant can keep their spending at a minimum, the team will be in a position to grab some players in the 2014 free-agent class (that topic is for another article).
Aaron Simpson went to Arizona State with NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman. Simpson became friends with Pat's brother Kevin, and Pat and Kevin would come to wrestling meets to support Simpson and the other Sun Devil wrestlers.
"I can remember exactly where I was when I found out Pat was killed, and how I handled it, which wasn't good," Simpson told Cagewriter. To honor Tillman and his legacy, Simpson will wear the number 42 on his fight shorts for his bout with Kenny Robertson at UFC on Fuel 4.
"I want people who don't know him to at least give notice to who he was. Look him up. Honor his family, his wife, and bring more viewership to his foundation, the Pat Tillman Foundation."
Tillman surprised the sporting world when left a promising and lucrative NFL career with the Arizona Cardinals to become an Army Ranger after the September 11th attacks. He was killed in a friendly fire incident in Afghanistan on April 22, 2004.
He went to high school in the San Jose area, where Simpson's fight will take place. It seemed like the perfect time for Simpson to honor Tillman. Kevin agreed.
"I texted Kevin, and he said, 'Pat would really appreciate it. Pat would have loved this,'" Simpson said.
"He didn't want to be known for what he did in serving the military. He was the kind of guy that wasn't about himself or bringing recognition to himself or what he did. He was a team player. I don't want to make too big. In a way, it's a kind of personal thing. I just want to remember him."
The Pat Tillman Foundation gives scholarships to military families. Support them here.
Posted on: 9:49 am, June 26, 2012, by Staff Writer
Oliver Queen creates the persona of Arrow ? a vigilante ? to right the wrongs of his family, fight the ills of society, and restore Starling City to its former glory. Arrow premieres Wednesdays this fall on KPLR-11.
Q. I used to highlight emails from certain people in a particular folder. I can?t find this option in Outlook 2010.
A. In Outlook 2003 and 2007, this op??tion is found under the Tools drop??down menu selection, Organize. A panel appears at the top where you can choose to organize by color. In Outlook 2010, it is referred to as Conditional Formatting. To locate the option, click on the View tab and then View Settings. Click the Conditional Formatting button and then the Add button to specify a new rule. If you used this option before, this dialog box is the same.
Like what you've read? ...Republish it and share great business tips!
Attention: Readers, Publishers, Editors, Bloggers, Media, Webmasters and more...
We believe great content should be read and passed around. After all, knowledge IS power. And good business can become great with the right information at their fingertips. If you'd like to share any of the insightful articles on BusinessManagementDaily.com, you may republish or syndicate it without charge.
The only thing we ask is that you keep the article exactly as it was written and formatted. You also need to include an attribution statement and link to the article.
" This information is proudly provided by Business Management Daily.com: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/31437/outlook-conditional-formatting "
Contact: Faith Singer-Villalobos faith@tacc.utexas.edu 512-232-5771 University of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center
University of Texas astronomers use supercomputer to explore role of dark matter in galaxy formation
From Earth, observers use telescopes to look and learn about the distant luminous spheres. But the telescope often isn't the only instrument used. Karl Gebhardt, professor of astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin and one of the principal investigators for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) project, makes revolutionary discoveries about dark matter by combining deep-space observations with the powerful Lonestar supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).
Dark matter exerts a gravitational pull on matter in a galaxy, including stars, which orbit the center of the galaxy. Since dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light or other electromagnetic radiation, it cannot be seen directly with telescopes. However, through indirect evidence, scientists estimate that dark matter constitutes 83% of the matter in the universe and 23% of the mass-energy.
This represents a significant portion of the universe. For that reason, astronomers like Gebhardt feel compelled to learn more about dark matter, its influences on the formation of galaxies, and its effects on the structure of the cosmos.
"We believe dark matter is a new type of particle that has yet to be discovered," Gebhardt said. "In a lot of our experiments, we hone in on it, even though we don't know its nature yet."
To detect dark matter, researchers collect data on the motions of stars. This data drives simulations and provides a means of distinguishing the effects of dark matter on a galaxy.
Gebhardt works with two teams, one at the McDonald Observatory, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, and the other at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The data collection involves the Mitchell Spectrograph, a 2.7-meter telescope at the McDonald Observatory, and the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. Based on the data he receives, Gebhardt builds computer models and maps to represent the distribution of dark matter throughout different galaxies.
Telescopes are time-travelling devices, enabling scientists to see earlier eras of the cosmos. But astronomers can't look back enough light-years to actually view the development of the early universe directly, so theoretical models and computer simulations continue to be a significant element in current research.
For a long time a discrepancy persisted between what observers and theorists found from observations of dark matter and the computational models of dark matter.
"We are trying to put that to rest by making a definitive study of how the dark matter is distributed," Gebhardt said.
Dark matter tends to lie at the edge of the galaxy, beyond the visible components of the galaxy. This means simulations to explore dark matter cannot be too localized and need to account for an almost unfathomable number of elements. About a hundred billion galaxies can be seen from the observatory. Each galaxy has of an order of ten billion stars. So there are a lot of elements to study, Gebhardt said.
"The large number of data sets require a huge computer program that can basically mimic a galaxy," Gebhardt said. "That's why we need a supercomputer."
In 2004, Gebhardt received his first allocation on the original Lonestar supercomputer at TACC. As TACC's computational resources have grown, Gebhardt's simulations have also continued to advance. Now, his research teams include about a dozen researchers around the world.
"Before using TACC resources, I would run the data on my computer, crunching continuously, but it would take me a month just to process the data sets of one galaxy," Gebhardt said. "Now it takes about two hours."
Using Lonestar, Gebhardt creates nearly 100,000 different models of one galaxy, representing the range of possible ways stars can move throughout a galaxy.
The stars orbit the center of a galaxy, and the orbital speed remains equal among all stars, regardless of the distance from the center. Those findings led to the idea that dark matter acts as an attracting force, pulling matter toward it.
"We are learning a lot and are finding a different answer than what most theorists had predicted," Gebhardt said.
Through the simulations, Gebhardt has determined that the dark matter is more spread out at the edge of the galaxy than considered in the past.
"The total amount of dark matter is the same as previously assumed, but it is fluffier [more distributed] than we thought," Gebhardt said.
Gebhardt's research process works by trying to mimic the galaxy on the computer. He then compares the simulation to reality by using observationsfrom the Mitchell Spectrographof how the stars are moving. Next, he repeats the process 100,000 times with different simulations. From the whole set of simulations, he finally selects the one model that is the best representation of the data.
"The model that best mimics the data then determines the structure of the dark matter and how the stars orbit in the galaxy," Gebhardt explained.
Initial results of Gebhardt's research were published in the Astrophysical Journal in January 2012.
Gebhardt's studies of dark matter provide information about its fundamental properties, which may help scientists substantiate previous theories or generate new findings about the functioning of the universe.
Next year, the National Science Foundation and academic partners will deploy Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), the first major experiment to search for the evolution of dark energy, the mysterious force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up over time.
Over three years, HETDEX will collect data on at least one million galaxies that are nine billion to 11 billion light-years away, yielding the largest map of the universe ever produced. The map will allow astronomers to measure how fast the universe was expanding at different times in history. The project will use the giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory and a set of spectrographs to map the three-dimensional positions of one million galaxies. HETDEX will generate about one petabyte (one million gigabytes) of data and require a lot of computer processing cycles.
"It will be a huge amount of data," Gebhardt said. "So we will continue to be large users of TACC allocations."
Gebhardt will carry on investigating galaxies, searching for the next discovery about the matter that exists beyond the stars.
"I want to understand how the entire universe works," Gebhardt said. "And no other field but astronomy can say that its answers are out of this world."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Faith Singer-Villalobos faith@tacc.utexas.edu 512-232-5771 University of Texas at Austin, Texas Advanced Computing Center
University of Texas astronomers use supercomputer to explore role of dark matter in galaxy formation
From Earth, observers use telescopes to look and learn about the distant luminous spheres. But the telescope often isn't the only instrument used. Karl Gebhardt, professor of astrophysics at The University of Texas at Austin and one of the principal investigators for the Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX) project, makes revolutionary discoveries about dark matter by combining deep-space observations with the powerful Lonestar supercomputer at the Texas Advanced Computing Center (TACC).
Dark matter exerts a gravitational pull on matter in a galaxy, including stars, which orbit the center of the galaxy. Since dark matter neither emits nor absorbs light or other electromagnetic radiation, it cannot be seen directly with telescopes. However, through indirect evidence, scientists estimate that dark matter constitutes 83% of the matter in the universe and 23% of the mass-energy.
This represents a significant portion of the universe. For that reason, astronomers like Gebhardt feel compelled to learn more about dark matter, its influences on the formation of galaxies, and its effects on the structure of the cosmos.
"We believe dark matter is a new type of particle that has yet to be discovered," Gebhardt said. "In a lot of our experiments, we hone in on it, even though we don't know its nature yet."
To detect dark matter, researchers collect data on the motions of stars. This data drives simulations and provides a means of distinguishing the effects of dark matter on a galaxy.
Gebhardt works with two teams, one at the McDonald Observatory, a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, and the other at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The data collection involves the Mitchell Spectrograph, a 2.7-meter telescope at the McDonald Observatory, and the NASA Hubble Space Telescope. Based on the data he receives, Gebhardt builds computer models and maps to represent the distribution of dark matter throughout different galaxies.
Telescopes are time-travelling devices, enabling scientists to see earlier eras of the cosmos. But astronomers can't look back enough light-years to actually view the development of the early universe directly, so theoretical models and computer simulations continue to be a significant element in current research.
For a long time a discrepancy persisted between what observers and theorists found from observations of dark matter and the computational models of dark matter.
"We are trying to put that to rest by making a definitive study of how the dark matter is distributed," Gebhardt said.
Dark matter tends to lie at the edge of the galaxy, beyond the visible components of the galaxy. This means simulations to explore dark matter cannot be too localized and need to account for an almost unfathomable number of elements. About a hundred billion galaxies can be seen from the observatory. Each galaxy has of an order of ten billion stars. So there are a lot of elements to study, Gebhardt said.
"The large number of data sets require a huge computer program that can basically mimic a galaxy," Gebhardt said. "That's why we need a supercomputer."
In 2004, Gebhardt received his first allocation on the original Lonestar supercomputer at TACC. As TACC's computational resources have grown, Gebhardt's simulations have also continued to advance. Now, his research teams include about a dozen researchers around the world.
"Before using TACC resources, I would run the data on my computer, crunching continuously, but it would take me a month just to process the data sets of one galaxy," Gebhardt said. "Now it takes about two hours."
Using Lonestar, Gebhardt creates nearly 100,000 different models of one galaxy, representing the range of possible ways stars can move throughout a galaxy.
The stars orbit the center of a galaxy, and the orbital speed remains equal among all stars, regardless of the distance from the center. Those findings led to the idea that dark matter acts as an attracting force, pulling matter toward it.
"We are learning a lot and are finding a different answer than what most theorists had predicted," Gebhardt said.
Through the simulations, Gebhardt has determined that the dark matter is more spread out at the edge of the galaxy than considered in the past.
"The total amount of dark matter is the same as previously assumed, but it is fluffier [more distributed] than we thought," Gebhardt said.
Gebhardt's research process works by trying to mimic the galaxy on the computer. He then compares the simulation to reality by using observationsfrom the Mitchell Spectrographof how the stars are moving. Next, he repeats the process 100,000 times with different simulations. From the whole set of simulations, he finally selects the one model that is the best representation of the data.
"The model that best mimics the data then determines the structure of the dark matter and how the stars orbit in the galaxy," Gebhardt explained.
Initial results of Gebhardt's research were published in the Astrophysical Journal in January 2012.
Gebhardt's studies of dark matter provide information about its fundamental properties, which may help scientists substantiate previous theories or generate new findings about the functioning of the universe.
Next year, the National Science Foundation and academic partners will deploy Hobby-Eberly Telescope Dark Energy Experiment (HETDEX), the first major experiment to search for the evolution of dark energy, the mysterious force causing the expansion of the universe to speed up over time.
Over three years, HETDEX will collect data on at least one million galaxies that are nine billion to 11 billion light-years away, yielding the largest map of the universe ever produced. The map will allow astronomers to measure how fast the universe was expanding at different times in history. The project will use the giant Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory and a set of spectrographs to map the three-dimensional positions of one million galaxies. HETDEX will generate about one petabyte (one million gigabytes) of data and require a lot of computer processing cycles.
"It will be a huge amount of data," Gebhardt said. "So we will continue to be large users of TACC allocations."
Gebhardt will carry on investigating galaxies, searching for the next discovery about the matter that exists beyond the stars.
"I want to understand how the entire universe works," Gebhardt said. "And no other field but astronomy can say that its answers are out of this world."
###
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
These days people turn to the Internet for everything. If they are interested in finding a product locally, they are going to turn to their favorite search engine to find it. Where people would have turned to their phone books even five years ago so that they could find a store selling what they want, they are going to open up their laptops or check their smartphone or idevice to get what they want to have. The fact is that they are going to look online for their information, and you need to do some local business marketing to make sure that they are coming to your site.
There are a lot of very good reasons why you should make sure to do your local marketing. One is that the majority of people who are looking for a local product or service is going to find it online. Most of the searches made looking for something local turn into purchases in a brick and mortar store. If you aren?t taking advantage of that, then you are losing out.
You have many options in front of you when you choose to use local business marketing. One is that you can use social networking. Google also has a section that lets people pinpoint companies that are in their area. Those results are usually high in the results page. If you aren?t sure how to use that kind of local marketing, then you can find websites and programs that will help you with that. It will give you the instructions and the tips that you need in order to make sure that you are marketing your business in your area the right way. A program like this will also help you figure out what may or may not be working in your current marketing plan, and how to fix it.
If you have a Palm Beach County business, you want to make sure that the people in Palm Beach County can see it. There is no point in spending the time and money in only making a beautiful website and then forgetting to do the local marketing, especially since not everyone is going to see that site.
NEW YORK (AP) ? Kayt Sukel, an author who writes about neuroscience and sexuality, has given lectures around the country on the issue. And there's one word, she finds, that never fails to get her audiences squeamish.
"There's just something about the word 'vagina' that startles people ? I don't know what it is," says Sukel. "I find it especially at universities. People sit back a little bit. Sometimes they start giggling. I end up using euphemisms just to make them more comfortable, and more receptive to what I am saying. And we don't seem to have the same problems with the word 'penis.'"
In a much different setting, Judy Gold has similar experiences. The popular standup comic and actress, who last year starred in her own successful off-Broadway show, focuses her routines on being gay, Jewish, a New Yorker and a mother. Her audiences presumably know what they're getting into. Yet she, too, hears gasps in the audience when she says the V-word.
And so neither woman was particularly surprised when they heard about the recent incident in Michigan, where a lawmaker was temporarily barred from speaking in the House after using the word "vagina" during debate over anti-abortion legislation.
It all began when Lisa Brown, a Democrat, was speaking about proposed legislation requiring doctors to ensure that abortion-seekers haven't been coerced into ending their pregnancies. "I'm flattered you're all concerned about my vagina," Brown said. "But no means no." Brown believes she was censured because of the word she used, though her Republican opponents later said it was the "no means no" part, which they claimed likened the law to rape. The lawmaker denies she was doing anything of the kind.
But politics aside, there's no question in the minds of many that in 2012, for whatever reason, the V-word retains shock value ? much more than its male counterpart ? even though it is finally beginning to surface regularly in mainstream entertainment, popping up in several network TV shows as well as in much bolder references in advertising.
"I mean, you can say 'penis,'" says Gold. "You can say 'erection,' 'erectile dysfunction,' even 'vaginal probe.' But 'vagina'? Suddenly it's a dirty word. And it's the correct anatomical term!"
Can an anatomical term really be a bad word? Even the Parents Television Council, a watchdog group that tracks what it sees as objectionable content on TV, acknowledges that difficulty.
"I've got a toddler, and when you read potty-training books, they discourage the use of euphemisms for body parts," says Melissa Henson, the group's director of communications. But what troubles the PTC, she says, is "the use of this language in the context of cheap sex jokes. It's dumbed-down humor that's in no way respectful of the audience."
The PTC studied the appearance of "penis" and "vagina" in scripted shows on five networks, comparing the 2010-2011 season to 2001-2002. Not surprisingly, it found a large increase, largely in the last year or two.
The word "vagina" was used 35 times in shows on NBC, CBS, ABC, Fox and CW in the 2010-2011 season, and only four times a decade earlier. In addition, the PTC found, it was used 12 times in the first two months of the 2011-2012 season on just one show, "2 Broke Girls" on CBS, which follows a couple of 20-something waitresses in Brooklyn.
As for the word "penis"? The term was used much more than its female counterpart, 30 times a decade ago, and 116 times in 2010-2011. (But that's hardly a shock: it was way back in 1982 that the young boy in "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," one of the most beloved family films of all time, called his brother "penis breath" ? and only got an order to "Sit down!" from his Mom.)
In advertising, there's been a huge shift as well the last few years, with one of the bolder examples being the "Hail to the V" ad campaign for the Summer's Eve line of feminine cleansing products. But Fleet Laboratories, which makes Summer's Eve, has had some problems determining what's fun and edgy and what goes too far. A year ago it had to withdraw one set of TV ads that showed female hands of different races forming talking vaginas ? the characterizations were seen as racially insensitive.
The recent emergence of the V-word in pop culture has not gone unnoticed ? the New York Times late last year called the current TV season "the season of the vagina." Whitney Cummings, one of the co-creators of "2 Broke Girls," quipped to the paper: "Vagina jokes paid for my house."
And yet the networks hardly seem eager to discuss the word. One executive at a major network who declined to speak for this article indicated it just wasn't worth the trouble of attracting negative attention.
Where does the squeamishness come from? Author Sutel feels sex education in schools is lacking. She says there aren't enough teachers like the one she had in 8th grade who "went around the room and made us say 'penis, vagina,' just to get used to the words."
Comedian Gold sees a darker reason ? misogyny, and the over-sexualization of women by men. "The woman has become so sexualized, and saying 'vagina' takes the sex out of it," Gold says. "Men prefer other words for that body part."
Mia Blitstein, a 34-year-old Philadelphia mother, thinks the issue may stem from our parents, whose own attitudes about sex we absorb at an early age.
"The attitudes that our parents model for us, and the words they use, are very important," says Blitstein, who says she tries to impress upon her own son that names of body parts are not dirty.
In fact, Blitstein herself is very comfortable with the V-word, a fact she attributes to her "hippie-ish" parents who even let her watch her brother's birth. When her son was born, she was so overcome that, wheeling down the hospital corridor with her newborn, she yelled out: "A person just came out of my vagina!" Some laughed. Others looked at her like she was crazy.
So what does lawmaker Brown think was the real reason for her censure? She says leadership first said the ban, which in effect only lasted a day, was about the V-word, then changed their story. She has her suspicions, though, that it's all politics. "If you watch the video, it's all Republicans sitting behind me. There's no gasp, there's no jaws hitting the ground," she told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "The fact that it came out the next day, to me it's very suspicious."
In any case, support has poured in for Brown from organizations across the country ? from the American Civil Liberties Union to the National Organization for Women and NARAL Pro-Choice America. A petition has collected more than 48,000 online signatures calling on the Republican House speaker and the majority floor leader to apologize to Brown.
And most visibly, some 3,000 people gathered by the Michigan House steps to watch a performance of "The Vagina Monologues," Eve Ensler's groundbreaking 1996 play on the vagina as a symbol of female empowerment. Ensler flew in from California to oversee the performance.
"Half of these people who are trying to regulate vaginas, they can't even say the word," she told The AP. "They can legislate it, but they can't say it?"
But perhaps the best "vagina zinger," which is what late-night host Jon Stewart called Brown's original remark, came from Stewart himself.
"What are they worried about?" he said on "The Daily Show." ''Vaginas aren't like Voldemort or Beetlejuice. Invoking the name 'vagina' doesn't make them suddenly appear. Believe me, if it did, high school would have been very different for me."
___
Associated Press writer Kathy Barks Hoffman in Lansing, Mich. contributed to this report.
Greg Lamm Staff Writer- Puget Sound Business Journal
Email ?|?Twitter
Venture capital firms invested $172.28 million in 22 Washington-based companies in the most recent quarter, according to a new report out by Dow Jones VentureSource.
Nationally, investors pumped in $8.4 billion into 765 deals for U.S.-based companies during the third quarter of 2011. That was a 29 percent increase in investment and 8 percent increase in deals from a year ago.
Tech companies attracted $2.1 billion for 227 deals in the third quarter, a 9 percent increase in financing but a 7 percent decline in number of deals, according to the report:
The Software sector continued to be a bright spot for IT and collected the lion?s share of investment as 165 deals collected $1.3 billion. While investments in the Semiconductors and Hardware sectors declined, deal flow for Communications and Networking companies showed some strength as 25 deals raised $354 million, up from 22 deals that raised $246 million in the same period last year.
The top local deals for the quarter were for Zulily and Inrix.
August Capital? ?
August Capital Latest from The Business Journals Zulily?s new Sodo location offers room to crawlLiveMocha raises MInrix connects with M venture round to drive global growth Follow this company
had the most deals locally during the quarter with three. OVP Venture Partners? ?
OVP Venture Partners Latest from The Business Journals NW Energy Angels creates advisory councilQuick Clicks: Amazon, OVP Venture and MotricityQuick Clicks: OVP Venture Partners, new Nintendo VP Follow this company
and Maveron LLC? ?
Maveron LLC Latest from The Business Journals Groupon files for IPO, Howard Schultz VC firm stands to gainMeetup at Madrona Venture; T-Mobile spreads the 4G loveSeattle baby boutique site Zulily raises M in venture funding Follow this company
, both had two.
The tally varies results from a third-quarter venture capital report out this week from PriceWaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association, which added up 28 venture capital deals in Washington in the third quarter, totalling $194.6 million.
Greg Lamm covers banking finance and law for the Puget Sound Business Journal.
See all your followed company news on your personalized dashboard.
To access the full benefits of bizWatch and receive a weekly email with aggregated news on all the companies you are following, please provide your email address below.
You must have a bizjournals account to follow a company. Please Log In or Register.
ScienceDaily (June 19, 2012) ? Moderate background noise enhances creativity and makes consumers more likely to buy new and innovative products, according to a new study in the Journal of Consumer Research.
"A moderate level of noise enhances creativity compared to both low and high levels of noise," write authors Ravi Mehta (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Ryu (Juliet) Zhu (University of British Columbia), and Amar Cheema (University of Virginia). "Moderate background noise induces distraction which encourages individuals to think at a higher, abstract level, and consequently exhibit higher creativity."
The authors created a noise environment similar to that of a roadside diner or a noisy mall and tested people's creativity at different levels of background noise. When asked to come up with ideas for a new type of mattress or list uncommon uses for a common object, consumers were most creative when the background noise was moderate compared to lower or higher noise conditions.
"For individuals looking for creative solutions to daily problems, instead of burying oneself in a quiet room trying to figure out a solution, walking out of one's comfort zone and getting into a relatively noisy environment (such as a caf?) may trigger the brain to think abstractly, and thus generate creative ideas," write the authors.
The authors also found that consumers were more likely to choose an innovative product over a traditional one when there was a moderate level of background noise. For example, consumers were much more likely to choose a pair of running shoes with new and innovative features over a standard pair at this optimal level of background noise.
"A moderate level of noise not only enhances creativity but also leads to greater adoption of innovative products. In order to encourage adoption of new and innovative products, companies might consider equipping their showrooms with a moderate level of ambient noise," the authors conclude.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Chicago Press Journals, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Ravi Mehta, Rui (Juliet) Zhu, and Amar Cheema. Is Noise Always Bad? Exploring the Effects of Ambient Noise on Creative Cognition. Journal of Consumer Research, 2012
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Well it looks like Google Wallet and Apple's Passbook have some new competition. Today at the Windows Phone Developer Summit, Microsoft shared its plans to bring NFC payments and loyalty cards to Windows Phone 8 with its very own mobile wallet feature. It's promising that it will be the "most complete wallet experience" on any phone. That of course includes support for tap-to-pay, the ability to link credit and debit cards, integration with third-party apps and, more uniquely, secure elements on the SIM card rather than the phone itself. You'll also have a PIN code option to protect all purchases on the phone.
As for partners, Orange France is the only one that Microsoft has announced today, but it says that it expects to have a "good solution" with the US carrier-backed Isis initiative sometime next year (though not in time for launch). What's more, the wallet will come loaded on every Windows Phone 8 device, regardless of whether the carrier supports the SIM-based security, which will let folks use at least some of the features.
Check out the latest updates from Microsoft's Windows Phone event in our liveblog!
The case started with check forging, escalated to kidnapping and finally found a link to product counterfeiting. This is just one of the many samples of ties between product counterfeiting, organized crime and also the violent crimes such groups perpetrate. ". Clearly it's certainly not only a stretch to summarize that criminal syndicates that successfully slip countless tons in illegal merchandise through our ports and borders every year would have little trouble adding a few dozen Stinger shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles to an order.
The 2009 holiday season has come and went, and when you're enthusiast and you were lucky hopefully you received a few NFL gifts from family and friends. Of course, the joy is really inside the giving, therefore maybe you purchased a lot of cheap NFL gear as well handy out as gifts. Regardless, the vacations is over, also it's onto the New Year, resolutions, awaiting spring and all of the rest. Despite all of that though, it doesn't suggest that you have to give upon the NFL.
He made noise the second he was released from college by refusing to play to the San Diego Chargers who picked him and being traded to the Giants. For many years he was only generally known as Peyton's little brother and the early seasons were full of ups and downs. Just if it seemed like he would not fulfill the huge expectations placed upon his shoulders, Manning led they through an incredible postseason run that culminated with the Giants upsetting the East Coast Patriots within the Super Bowl. That game was one of the most memorable ever played, and Manning cemented his status youngster Giants fan favorite.
Winning teams, which includes the talent on the sphere and within the office, deliver one of the best experience to fans and consumers. While a losing team may have a superstar, that single player is not likely to be capable to create the sort of experience that can sell out a stadium game after game. Sure, one player may sell an adequate amount of jerseys to justify their salary however it's doubtful they will finance the full franchise. For the past seven years Coach Tony Dungy has led a team that provided an exceptionally positive experience followers both young and old.
That means everybody is anxious to unload what they have got, and they are in order to take any price that they can get. It's easier to sell lots of items and move loads of merchandise at a cheap price, then hold on the idea and not make all of your a refund. Which means you get some good huge savings on discount NFL merchandise here in the off-season. You'll of which authentic NFL jerseys and all types of NFL team merchandise are discounted, sometimes by as almost as much ast 50% or even more.
'It's pretty diverse,' Black Eyed Peas frontman says of #willpower. By Jocelyn Vena
<P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/will_i_am/artist.jhtml">will.i.am</a>'s solo album, <i>#willpower</i>, will have more star power in the form of several A-list collaborations. So, just who is making the cut for the fall release and who isn't?</P><P>Notably, <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/bieber_justin/artist.jhtml">Justin Bieber</a>, LMFAO, Ne-Yo, up-and-comer <a href="/news/articles/1685435/eva-simons-william-this-is-love.jhtml">Eva Simons</a> and Nicole Scherzinger will all get their time on the album. However, Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez — who appeared on the track "T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)" — and Cheryl Cole and Nicki Minaj — who lent their voices to "Check It Out" — won't make the final cut.</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Eva Simons Teases 'This Is Love' Video" id="vid:770578" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>"There's classical sh--, like just me and a guitar and an orchestra or me with just an orchestra and a kid's choir," will told <a href="http://www.billboard.com/news/will-i-am-s-new-solo-album-is-just-as-special-1007352552.story" target="_blank">Billboard.com</a>. "There's some ghetto, ugly, dirty stuff. And then there's dance stuff, global world stuff and, like, avant-garde, left-of-center, for-art's-sake music that has nothing to do with getting played on the radio. I'm just art-ing out. It's pretty diverse."</P><P><a href="/news/articles/1677263/justin-bieber-will-i-am-believe.jhtml">will hit the studio with Bieber</a> (who has a new album, <a href="/news/articles/1687691/justin-bieber-believe-album-details.jhtml"><i>Believe</i></a>, out this week himself) back in January. Other rumored collaborators on <a href="/news/articles/1678147/britney-spears-will-i-am-collaboration.jhtml"><i>#willpower</i> include Britney Spears</a>, who he previously said makes a "crazy" appearance. Alicia Keys, Swedish House Mafia, Shakira, Busta Rhymes and Swizz Beatz all reportedly appear on will.i.am's album as well.</P><P>will makes it clear that with the Black Eyed Peas on a break, he has to be creative about how he approaches his solo music without his comrades. "What I have going against me is everybody saying, 'Where the other three people at?' " he said. "I can't just go out with a bunch of background dancers to make up for the fact Fergie, Ap and Taboo aren't there. So I have to come up with a different idea and invent something to make people say, 'Dang, that was better than what you were doing with the Peas!' That won't be easy, but if I can't do that, I'm staying home."</P><P><B>Don't miss <a href="/news/articles/1687565/justin-bieber-live-mtv.jhtml">"Bieber Live"</a> tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT on MTV.</B></P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="'Bieber Live'" id="id:1687833" width="415" height="255"></div><p></p>
LONDON (MarketWatch) ? Most U.K. stocks traded in positive territory on Tuesday, with resource firms leading the index higher and Weir Group PLC jumping after affirming full year guidance.
The FTSE 100 index /quotes/zigman/3173262UK:UKX+0.83%
?added 0.4% to 5,513.56, possible extending gains into a third straight day. The index closed at its highest level since May 11 on Monday after pro-bailout party New Democracy won parliamentary elections in Greece.
Obama optimistic on Greek results
At the G-20 Summit in Mexico, President Barack Obama said Greece's elections results bode well for the global markets. Sudeep Reddy reports on the News Hub. Photo: AFP/GettyImages.
Engineering solutions business Weir Group /quotes/zigman/130249UK:WEIR+4.80%
?jumped 4.2% after it said it sees revenue opportunities of up to 3 billions pounds ($4.7 billion) over the next 10 to 15 years.
Weir sees ?3B minerals-unit revenue opportunities
Miner Evraz PLC /quotes/zigman/7218774UK:EVR+2.65%
?also rose on guidance news, up 2.3%, after saying it targets a $5 billion earning before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization in 2016.
Evraz targets $5 billion Ebitda In 2016
Other miners were higher, as metals prices were mixed. Antofagasta PLC /quotes/zigman/139152UK:ANTO+2.98%
?took on 2.3%, Rio Tinto PLC /quotes/zigman/155899UK:RIO+2.13%
?added 1.7% and Vedanta Resources PLC /quotes/zigman/336962UK:VED+2.50%
?rose 1.7%.
Oil firms further supported the U.K. index. BP PLC /quotes/zigman/210014UK:BP+0.78%
? /quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bpBP-1.72%
?inched 1.1% higher, BG Group PLC /quotes/zigman/249967UK:BG+2.04%
?gained 1.7% and Royal Dutch Shell PLC /quotes/zigman/359915UK:RDSA+0.71%
? /quotes/zigman/359955UK:RDSB+0.80%
? /quotes/zigman/379078/quotes/nls/rds.aRDS.A-0.47%
? /quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.bRDS.B-0.45%
?was up 0.6%.
Whitbread PLC /quotes/zigman/445964UK:WTB+6.00%
?shares moved jumped 7%. The UK hotel and restaurant company and operator of coffee bars reported that first-quarter same-store sales rose 4.5% while total sales rose 14%.
For the second quarter, Chief Executive Andy Harrison said in a statement, the company faces tougher comparative figures from a strong year- earlier period and ?the uncertain impact of the summer?s major sporting events.?
Outside the main index, Shares of Home Retail Group PLC /quotes/zigman/427633UK:HOME+22.33%
jumped 16.4% in early trading. The UK general-merchandise retailer affirmed its outlook for full year profit. First quarter same-store sales were off 0.2% at Argos, while they were off 8.3% at Homebase, hurt by bad weather.
/quotes/zigman/3173262
UK
: FTSE Indices
Volume: 0.00
June 19, 2012 12:02p
/quotes/zigman/130249
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 872,690
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Rev. per Employee
?196,418
/quotes/zigman/7218774
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 468,074
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Rev. per Employee
?91,343
/quotes/zigman/139152
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 553,041
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Market Cap
?10.59 billion
Rev. per Employee
?764,775
/quotes/zigman/155899
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 1.78M
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Market Cap
?41.41 billion
Rev. per Employee
?534,026
/quotes/zigman/336962
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 292,487
June 19, 2012 12:02p
Rev. per Employee
?281,656
/quotes/zigman/210014
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 6.20M
June 19, 2012 12:02p
Market Cap
?80.56 billion
/quotes/zigman/247026/quotes/nls/bp
US
: U.S.: NYSE
Volume: 4.55M
June 18, 2012 4:00p
Market Cap
$126.02 billion
/quotes/zigman/249967
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 1.89M
June 19, 2012 12:02p
Market Cap
?42.12 billion
/quotes/zigman/359915
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 670,811
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Market Cap
?136.00 billion
/quotes/zigman/359955
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 867,190
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Market Cap
?136.00 billion
/quotes/zigman/379078/quotes/nls/rds.a
US
: U.S.: NYSE
Volume: 2.59M
June 18, 2012 4:06p
Market Cap
$212.74 billion
/quotes/zigman/379012/quotes/nls/rds.b
US
: U.S.: NYSE
Volume: 834,645
June 18, 2012 4:07p
Market Cap
$212.74 billion
/quotes/zigman/445964
UK
: U.K.: London
1,960.00p
+111.00+6.00%
Volume: 806,054
June 19, 2012 12:01p
Rev. per Employee
?58,326
/quotes/zigman/427633
UK
: U.K.: London
Volume: 9.95M
June 19, 2012 12:02p
Market Cap
?568.19 million
Rev. per Employee
?111,092
Sara Sjolin is a MarketWatch reporter, based in London.
Aaron Simpson went to Arizona State with NFL player and Army Ranger Pat Tillman. Simpson became friends with Pat's brother Kevin, and Pat and Kevin would come to wrestling meets to support Simpson and the other Sun Devil wrestlers.![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 26-Jun-2012
Share ] 
