British Ecological Society partners with Wiley open access journal Ecology and Evolution

Public release date: 26-Oct-2012
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Contact: Ben Norman
Sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
44-012-437-70375
Wiley

Open access title supported by 11 of top 20 ecology journals

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., has announced a new partnership between the British Ecological Society (BES) and the Wiley Open Access journal Ecology and Evolution. This latest partnership brings the number of high profile journals supporting the open access title to 16. Eleven of these partner titles are ranked in the top 20 ecology journals by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

BES journals will join other high impact titles in offering authors a rapid manuscript transferal system which maintains the integrity of peer review and allows authors to meet the requirements of their funders.

Since the inaugural issue of Ecology and Evolution in September 2011, more than 250 papers have been published in the journal. The support of the five BES journal titles, all of which rank in the top 20% of ecology journals (ISI), will ensure Ecology and Evolution continues to attract the latest prestigious research from across the discipline.

Ecology and Evolution publishes papers under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original work is properly cited. An article publication charge (APC) is payable by authors on acceptance of their articles and under this new partnership BES members can take advantage of a 10% discount on this charge.

"Having published ecological journals for 100 years, we are delighted to announce this partnership as we embark on the BES's centenary year," said Georgina Mace, President of the BES. "Our established journals receive increasing numbers of high quality submissions each year and this involvement with Ecology and Evolution will enable us to further serve our ecological community by publishing more of this important ecological research."

Ecology and Evolution is also expanding its editorial expertise with the appointment of new editor Dr Andrew Beckerman, from the University of Sheffield, UK, who joins Allen Moore, from the University of Georgia, USA, in leading the journal.

Dr Beckerman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. His research links genetics, behaviour and life history to the distribution and abundance of organisms and the structure and dynamics of communities. Andrew has previously served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology and Ecology Letters.

"I am excited to join Allen and the team on this journal with its broad subject coverage cutting across ecology and evolution, and to become part of an interesting venture in open access publishing," said Dr Beckerman.

"We are thrilled that the BES has chosen to extend our 60-year relationship by collaborating with us on the open access journal, Ecology and Evolution," said Liz Ferguson, Editorial Director, Life Science, Wiley. "This new partnership is a great fit for the editorial ambitions of Ecology and Evolution and we are also delighted to welcome Andrew at this critical stage of the Journal's development."

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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.

Public release date: 26-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Ben Norman
Sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
44-012-437-70375
Wiley

Open access title supported by 11 of top 20 ecology journals

John Wiley & Sons, Inc., has announced a new partnership between the British Ecological Society (BES) and the Wiley Open Access journal Ecology and Evolution. This latest partnership brings the number of high profile journals supporting the open access title to 16. Eleven of these partner titles are ranked in the top 20 ecology journals by the Institute for Scientific Information (ISI).

BES journals will join other high impact titles in offering authors a rapid manuscript transferal system which maintains the integrity of peer review and allows authors to meet the requirements of their funders.

Since the inaugural issue of Ecology and Evolution in September 2011, more than 250 papers have been published in the journal. The support of the five BES journal titles, all of which rank in the top 20% of ecology journals (ISI), will ensure Ecology and Evolution continues to attract the latest prestigious research from across the discipline.

Ecology and Evolution publishes papers under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY) License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction, provided the original work is properly cited. An article publication charge (APC) is payable by authors on acceptance of their articles and under this new partnership BES members can take advantage of a 10% discount on this charge.

"Having published ecological journals for 100 years, we are delighted to announce this partnership as we embark on the BES's centenary year," said Georgina Mace, President of the BES. "Our established journals receive increasing numbers of high quality submissions each year and this involvement with Ecology and Evolution will enable us to further serve our ecological community by publishing more of this important ecological research."

Ecology and Evolution is also expanding its editorial expertise with the appointment of new editor Dr Andrew Beckerman, from the University of Sheffield, UK, who joins Allen Moore, from the University of Georgia, USA, in leading the journal.

Dr Beckerman is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Animal and Plant Sciences. His research links genetics, behaviour and life history to the distribution and abundance of organisms and the structure and dynamics of communities. Andrew has previously served as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Animal Ecology and Ecology Letters.

"I am excited to join Allen and the team on this journal with its broad subject coverage cutting across ecology and evolution, and to become part of an interesting venture in open access publishing," said Dr Beckerman.

"We are thrilled that the BES has chosen to extend our 60-year relationship by collaborating with us on the open access journal, Ecology and Evolution," said Liz Ferguson, Editorial Director, Life Science, Wiley. "This new partnership is a great fit for the editorial ambitions of Ecology and Evolution and we are also delighted to welcome Andrew at this critical stage of the Journal's development."

###

---

[ | 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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/w-bes102612.php

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Some Apple stores offering exchanges on iPads purchased in the last 30 days

We get it, some of you are feeling a little burned by the iPad update today. It was only about eight months ago that Apple's slate was last refreshed with the stunning Retina display, now its gotten a subtle, but hardly negligible spec bump. If you're having a little bit of buyer's remorse and only made the plunge in the last 30 days, you might be in luck. According to CNET, at least one Apple store (the Stockton Street branch in San Francisco) is offering a free upgrade to a fourth-gen iPad for those that picked up the 9.7-inch tablet in the last month. However, a manager at the 5th Ave shop in NYC told us this isn't a company-wide policy. Instead its up to individual stores to decide whether or not to offer the extended exchange period, or simply stick with the standard 14-day return policy. We called a few locations and most don't appear to be willing to make the trade, though the branch in the Mall at Millenia in Orlando, FL is playing ball. We can't guarantee success, but it can't hurt to give your local shop a call.

Filed under: Tablets

Some Apple stores offering exchanges on iPads purchased in the last 30 days originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 18:19:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink 9to5Mac  |  CNET  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/6UNQnv9yDns/

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Nuclear-free energy security unlikely | Eco-Business.com

Nobuo Tanaka, former head of the International Energy Agency, explains why nuclear might not be going anywhere. Image: Asia Future Energy Forum 2012, Eco-Business.

The former head of the International Energy Agency, Nobuo Tanaka, is not ready to count nuclear energy out of a future Asian energy mix, particularly in light of waning American interest in the Middle East.

In his opening keynote address at the Asia Future Energy Forum in Singapore on Tuesday, Mr Tanaka said it was doubtful that the world ? and Japan in particular ? would be able to meet energy security goals without nuclear power.

With its growing demand for oil, Asia would be especially vulnerable to potential petroleum supply disruptions in the Middle East, where Iran is currently threatening to block access for oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz (see sidebar).

North America will achieve energy independence in the near future, which may prompt the US to decrease its defensive presence in the Middle East, said Mr Tanaka.

He added that a major disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could lead to oil prices of up to US$160 per barrel, triggering a severe crisis in Japan. Without nuclear power to diversify the energy mix, Japan?s federal deficit may reach 12 trillion yen, he said.

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Japan was one of several countries that committed to phasing out nuclear power following the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, and currently only two of its 50 nuclear plants are operating. Nuclear plants generated 30 per cent of Japan?s electricity prior to the disaster.

To make up for the loss, Japan has increased imports of fossil fuels such as natural gas, and introduced policies to boost renewable energy development.

?I am sceptical about the feasibility of this plan. It is good to develop renewable energy for energy security, but it?s costly,? said Mr Tanaka, who is currently an associate for energy security and sustainability at Japan?s Institute of Energy Economics.

The new feed-in tariff (FiT) that the government introduced in July, which mandates that utilities purchase solar energy at a cost premium for the next 20 years, is the world?s highest at 42 yen per kilowatt-hour.

While expensive, the FiT is having an impact: Solar could expand by 2,000 megawatts by the end of March, according to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Natural gas also comes at a cost premium, noted Mr Tanaka, explaining that Japan?s gas prices are about 5 times higher than in the United States and twice as much as in Europe. He further noted that, while global natural gas supplies are expanding because of recent technologies such as shale gas extraction, global demand is ramping up as well.

For Japan ? and the rest of Asia ? to reduce gas prices and improve energy security, Asia will need better physical connections between its various energy and electricity supplies, he said, pointing out that connectivity allows Germany to phase out nuclear energy ?because it can always import electricity from neighbours in shortfall?.

Mr Tanaka said that Europe as a region has achieved relative energy security because of the diverse energy sources it can access using connected electricity grids as well as oil and natural gas pipelines.

To further diversify, Europe has been working on extending its grid connection to North Africa and the Middle East in a project known as Desertec.

Asia could also create such a ?super-grid? incorporating new and existing pipelines within Asia as well as pipelines from Russia, he told the 200 policymakers, industry players and thought leaders attending the forum.

In the absence of a growing nuclear industry, Mr Tanaka said, new technologies such as hydrogen fuel and storage systems, and super-conductivity transmission lines ? which do not lose power over long distances ? were key. However, he added that the region would also need natural gas to fill the gap and would need to invest in carbon capture and storage (CCS) to sustainably use its ample supplies of coal.

Even with such innovations, Mr Tanaka thinks that nuclear ? in newer and safer models ? will persist, in part because of its role in reducing Europe?s dependence on Russian gas.

?I believe nuclear will continue to play a major role in the world?It will be necessary to convince the public that there are (safer) alternatives in nuclear power,? he said.

Source: http://www.eco-business.com/features/nuclear-free-energy-security-unlikely/

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OCD and Homeschooling | Psych Central

After reading many of John Holt?s books in college and subsequently working with him in Boston, I became committed to the homeschooling movement. This was in the mid-?70s, way before homeschooling became an acceptable alternative to traditional schooling.

When my three children were young, we homeschooled off and on throughout the elementary school years. My son Dan, in particular, loved the freedom of being able to explore his interests as he pleased. He continued homeschooling throughout high school, and received his diploma from a nontraditional school that works with homeschoolers. Always bright and self-motivated, he was truly born to homeschool. He has since graduated college.

His diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder didn?t come until after he graduated high school, and while he had known something was wrong for ?a while,? his father and I didn?t have a clue. So the decision to homeschool, on our part, had nothing to do with the fact that Dan has OCD. From Dan?s point of view, it was how he learned best. He did give high school a try for a few months in ninth grade, but decided to leave so he could ?continue his education.? Whether his OCD played a part in that decision or not, I don?t really know. But I do know that Dan genuinely loves learning, and he and homeschooling were a great fit.

Over the years, I?ve noticed, mostly from talking with people and reading blogs, that a considerable number of children with OCD are homeschooling. This is a totally unscientific observation; I don?t have any statistics. But I do have a question: Why? No doubt everyone has their own reasons, but some possible explanations might include:

• OCD often is associated with above-average intelligence, as well as creativity, and these two attributes do not always mesh well with traditional schooling.
• The school is unable or unwilling to meet the child?s special needs (even though they are legally bound to do so).
• The child refuses to attend school. This might be directly related to the OCD (for example, he or she may believe the school is contaminated), or indirectly related (the child is being bullied because of his or her odd behaviors).
• The child is willing to attend school but parents feel it is advantageous (in reference to OCD) to keep the child home.
• The parents or child believe homeschooling is the best way for this particular child to learn (independent of any issues with OCD).

I believe in homeschooling. While I know it?s not for everyone, it can be a rewarding experience for parents and children who undertake it for the right reasons.

But if your child has left school or has never attended solely because he or she has obsessive-compulsive disorder, it may be a good idea to reevaluate the situation. It?s true that school might be a fervent breeding ground for OCD triggers, but is avoiding it the right thing to do?

To complicate matters more, for those also dealing with social anxiety and perfectionism, school can be torturous. I know it?s easy to say ?avoidance is never the answer,? but when you have a child who is terrified of going to school, what do you do? Sometimes, could it be that avoiding certain situations is the right thing to do?

As with everything related to OCD, there are no easy answers. Parents, therapists, teachers, and students all need to become as educated as possible about the disorder. If it?s decided the child will attend school, the appropriate support network should be put in place. Of course, a support system is also necessary if the child is homeschooling.

Either way, the child must receive proper treatment. Exposure Response Prevention (ERP) Therapy, the frontline treatment for OCD, is actually based on facing one?s fears, and is therefore the opposite of avoidance. So the actual location of the battleground (school or home) isn?t so important. What matters is that the war against OCD is faced head-on.

Janet Singer?s son Dan suffered from OCD so severe that he could not even eat. After navigating through a disorienting maze of treatments and programs, Dan made a triumphant recovery. Janet has become an advocate for OCD awareness and wants everyone to know that OCD, no matter how severe, is treatable. There is so much hope for those with this disorder.

Janet has been published on various mental health sites, and also has her own blog (www.ocdtalk.wordpress.com) where she shares Dan?s story and talks about anything related to OCD. She is married with three children and lives in southwest Florida.

APA Reference
Singer, J. (2012). OCD and Homeschooling. Psych Central. Retrieved on October 24, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/lib/2012/ocd-and-homeschooling/

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 18 Oct 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

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Source: http://psychcentral.com/lib/2012/ocd-and-homeschooling/

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Home sales fall 1.7 percent in September

The National Association of Realtors' most recent Existing Home Sales Report shows a decline of 1.7 percent in sales since August. Home sales still rose above 11 percent the level a year ago.

By SoldAtTheTop,?Guest blogger / October 19, 2012

This chart shows national existing single family home sales since 2005.

SoldAtTheTop

Enlarge

Today, the?National Association of Realtors?(NAR) released their?Existing Home Sales Report for?September showing a decline in sales with total home sales falling 1.7% since August but still rising 11% above the level seen in September 2011.?

Skip to next paragraph SoldAtTheTop

Writer, The PaperEconomy Blog

'SoldAtTheTop' is not a pessimist by nature but a true skeptic and realist who prefers solid and sustained evidence of fundamental economic recovery to 'Goldilocks,' 'Green Shoots,' 'Mustard Seeds,' and wholesale speculation.

Recent posts

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Single family home sales also declined dropping 1.9% from August but still rising 10.8% above the level seen in September 2011 while the median selling price declined slightly on the month but increased 11.4% above the level seen a year earlier.?

Inventory of single family homes declined 4.2% from August dropping 18.1% below the level seen in?September 2011 which, along with the sales pace, resulted in a fairly balanced monthly supply of 5.8 months.?

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on paper-money.blogspot.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/hfpsLp5Ezhg/Home-sales-fall-1.7-percent-in-September

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Google mulls FTC settlement over patents : WSJ

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Tigers rout Yankees 8-1 for 4-game ALCS sweep

Detroit Tigers' Phil Coke and teammates celebrate after winning Game 4 of the American League championship series against the New York Yankees Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Detroit. The move on to the World Series. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Detroit Tigers' Phil Coke and teammates celebrate after winning Game 4 of the American League championship series against the New York Yankees Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Detroit. The move on to the World Series. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Detroit Tigers' Phil Coke celebrates after winning Game 4 of the American League championship series against the New York Yankees Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Detroit. The Tigers move on to the World Series. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

New York Yankees' CC Sabathia watches after Detroit Tigers' Miguel Cabrera hits a two run home run in the fourth during Game 4 of the American League championship series Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

DETROIT (AP) ? Phil Coke stormed into Jim Leyland's office and sprayed the veteran manager with some of Detroit's celebratory bubbly.

When Leyland tried to take cover in a bathroom, Coke chased him ? a fitting scene involving an unsung reliever whose role changed with little warning and a skipper who never stopped believing in his team.

"I just reminded everybody when we took our punches all year, 'You know what? Let's just wait till the end, and then if we have underachieved, I will be the first one to admit it,'" Leyland said. "So hopefully we've quieted some doubters now. The guys just stepped it up when we had to."

Leyland and the Tigers are heading to the World Series now. Max Scherzer capped a stupendous stretch for Detroit's rotation, and the Tigers won their second pennant in seven years by beating the New York Yankees 8-1 Thursday for a four-game sweep of the AL championship series.

Miguel Cabrera and Jhonny Peralta hit two-run homers in a four-run fourth inning against CC Sabathia, who was unable to prevent the Yankees from getting swept in a postseason series for the first time in 32 years.

Without a World Series title since 1984, Detroit lost to Texas in last year's ALCS, lost slugger Victor Martinez to a season-ending knee injury in January and quickly replaced his offense by signing Prince Fielder. The excitement of that bold acquisition subsided a bit when the Tigers struggled to a 26-32 start in the AL Central, but they overtook the Chicago White Sox in the final 10 days of the regular season and won the division with an 88-74 record, matching the Cardinals for the fewest wins among the 10 playoff teams.

Through it all, Leyland kept an even keel. There was urgency in the Detroit clubhouse, but never panic. The closest the manager came to a major change of course was when closer Jose Valverde gave up four runs in the ninth inning of Game 1 against the Yankees.

Detroit won that game anyway, and Coke got the save in Games 2 and 3 in Valverde's place. Coke also was on the mound at the end of the finale.

"It's been really fun," Coke said. "It's been a blast. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity than have us going to the World Series, have a chance to participate and do the best job I can for the team."

Contrast that to the Yankees, who changed lineups drastically throughout the playoffs in a futile attempt to jump-start an anemic offense.

After scoring in just three of 39 innings during the series, New York headed home to face unpleasant questions about its future following a postseason of awful hitting, benched stars and veterans showing the wear and tear of age. Alex Rodriguez, the $275 million third baseman, was out of the starting lineup Thursday for the third time in the playoffs. Derek Jeter and Mariano Rivera could only watch following season-ending injuries.

Rodriguez at least played Thursday, flying out with two on in the sixth as a pinch hitter and grounding out in the ninth.

"Baseball's not an easy game," Rodriguez said. "You wish you could go out and, again, hit .400 and hit the ball all over the park and hit home runs but the one thing that I'm proud of is just kept coming out, working hard, battling, never gave up. And we win as a team, we lose as a team."

The game ended with Fielder, Detroit's $214 million acquisition, catching Jayson Nix's popup. The Tigers spilled onto the field for a celebration that began near second base and eventually moved closer to the third-base line.

General manager Dave Dombrowski hugged Leyland ? who is in the final year of his contract ? while owner Mike Ilitch rubbed the 67-year-old manager's right shoulder.

"I've got a great bunch. We don't have one hot dog in the bunch," Ilitch said. "They're all great guys. ... The Tigers are something special."

Detroit won its 11th American League pennant and first since 2006. The Tigers have five days off before the World Series starts Wednesday at defending champion St. Louis or 2010 winner San Francisco.

The Yankees, with a big league-high $222 million payroll, hit .188 in the postseason ? a record low for a team that played at least seven games ? and .157 in the LCS. New York went quietly in the ninth inning, with the Comerica Park crowd chanting "Sweep!" while the last three batters were retired in order.

In the postseason, Detroit's rotation has been impeccable. Scherzer, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez and Doug Fister allowed only two earned runs against the Yankees. New York was shut out once and totaled six runs in the series.

"We all know what's at stake, we all know every single game's different, we need to go out there and pitch our best," Scherzer said. "When we do that, that's when we give the team a chance to win."

Scherzer allowed a run and two hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out 10 and walked two.

The Yankees, without a World Series title since 2009, lost Jeter to a broken ankle in the opening game, and the slumping Rodriguez was benched for Game 3. He was out of the starting lineup for Game 4 too, but A-Rod did have one last chance to turn his postseason around when Scherzer was lifted for left-hander Drew Smyly with two outs in the sixth and the Tigers up 6-1.

As Smyly finished warming up, Rodriguez popped out of the dugout to hit for Raul Ibanez, but with runners at the corners, he hit a routine fly to center field. His groundout in the ninth capped a 3-for-25 (.125) playoffs with no RBIs.

New York owes the 37-year-old Rodriguez $114 million over the next five years. His contract includes a provision that requires he approve trades, and he wants to stay.

"I love New York City and I love everything about being a Yankee," he said. "The highs are very high and the lows are extremely low."

The Yankees failed to win a game in a postseason series for only the fifth time. They hadn't been swept since a best-of-five ALCS against Kansas City in 1980. The last team to sweep four straight against them had been Cincinnati in the 1976 World Series.

After a rainout Wednesday, Game 4 started under a sunny sky, and Detroit immediately took the lead on series MVP Delmon Young's RBI single in the first. Young became the first player with four game-winning RBIs in one postseason series, according to STATS, LLC.

About the only thing the Yankees had done well in this postseason was pitch, and Sabathia failed to keep that going. He didn't have much help from his defense. Mark Teixeira, a four-time Gold Glove winner at first base, misplayed two grounders in the third ? one for an infield hit and one for an error.

New York's hitting was abysmal throughout the playoffs. Robinson Cano was at .075 (3 for 40) with no home runs, including a 29 at-bat hitless streak. Curtis Granderson was 3 for 30 with 16 strikeouts, Nick Swisher hit .167 (5 for 30) with two RBIs, Russell Martin hit .161 (5 for 31) with one RBI and Eric Chavez finished 0 for 16 with eight strikeouts.

"It wasn't one guy. It wasn't two guys," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. "It was a bunch of guys."

NOTES: Cabrera has a hit in a record 17 straight LCS games. He's reached base in all 20 of his postseason games with the Tigers, a team record. ... Sabathia was 4-0 in his previous eight postseason starts. ... Thursday was the 35th anniversary of Reggie Jackson's three-homer game for the Yankees in the World Series against the Dodgers. ... New York scored seven runs at Baltimore in the division series opener, then was held to four or fewer in the next eight games. The Yankees' longest previous stretch like that in postseason play came in 2001, when they were held to four or fewer runs in all seven games of the World Series by Arizona.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-19-ALCS-Yankees-Tigers%20Folo/id-a9163c42ea8b4eedb78f1ab1f199600d

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Testimony Night! 10/19 by thisisit4321 | Blog Talk Radio

On his show, Comedian Rodney Perry covers arts and entertainment, everything from comedy and politics to music and acting, with his signature comedic slant.

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Award-winning World Footprints is a leading voice in socially responsible travel and lifestyle. Hosts Ian & Tonya celebrate culture and heritage and bring a unique voice to the world of travel.

Football Reporters Online is a group of veteran football experts in the fields of coaching, scouting, talent evaluation, and writing/broadcasting/media placement. Combined, the group brings well over 100 years of expertise in sports.

Host John Martin interviews the nation's leading entrepreneurs and small biz experts to educate small business owners on how to be successful. Past guests have included Emeril Lagasse and Guy Kawasaki.

The Movie Geeks share their passion for the art through interviews with the stars of and creative minds behind your favorite flicks and pay tribute to big-screen legends. From James Cameron and Francis Ford Coppola to Ellen Burstyn and Robert Duvall, The Geeks have got'em all.

Sylvia Global presents global conversations pertaining to women, wealth, business, faith and philanthropy. Sylvia has interviewed an eclectic mix from CEOs and musicians to fashion designers and philanthropists including Randolph Duke and Ne-Yo.

Seasoned entertainment reporter Robin Milling gets up close and personal with the world's most compelling celebs. From Michael Douglas to Katie Holmes to Kevin Kline to Ashley Judd to America Ferrera, she sits down in person each week with each and every A-lister.

Mr. Media host Bob Andelman goes one-on-one with the hottest, most influential minds from the worlds of film, TV, music, comedy, journalism and literature. That means A-listers like Kirk Douglas, Christian Slater, Kathy Ireland, Rick Fox, Chris Hansen and Jackie Collins.

Paula Begoun, best-selling author of Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, separates fact from fiction on achieving a radiant, youthful complexion at any age. She?s regularly joined by health and beauty experts who offer the latest on keeping your skin in tip-top shape.

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/thisisit4321/2012/10/20/testimony-night

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Cars pile up as dust storm engulfs northern Oklahoma interstate

TULSA, Okla. (AP) ? A massive dust storm swirling reddish-brown clouds over northern Oklahoma triggered a multi-vehicle accident along a major interstate Thursday, forcing police to shut down part of the heavily traveled roadway amid near blackout conditions.

In a scene reminiscent of the Dust Bowl days, choking dust suspended on strong wind gusts shrouded Interstate 35, which links Dallas and Oklahoma City to Kansas City, Mo. Video from television station helicopters showed the four-lane highway virtually disappearing into billowing dust on the harsh landscape near Blackwell, plus dozens of vehicles scattered in the median and on the shoulders.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Jodi Palmer, a dispatcher with the Kay County Sheriff's Office. "In this area alone, the dirt is blowing because we've been in a drought. I think from the drought everything's so dry and the wind is high."

The highway patrol said the dust storm caused a multi-car accident, and local police said nearly three dozen cars and tractor-trailers were involved. Blackwell Police Chief Fred LeValley said nine people were injured, but there were no fatalities.

State transportation workers were called into to close the highway between U.S. 60 and Oklahoma 11, an 8-mile stretch of the cross-country roadway.

"We have very high winds and blowing dust causing a near blackout condition," Capt. James West of the Oklahoma Highway Patrol said Thursday afternoon. He said visibility was less than 10 feet.

The stretch of closed roadway reopened Thursday evening after crews cleaned up debris and waited for winds to die down, Oklahoma Department of Transportation spokesman Cole Hackett said.

The area is just south of the Kansas state line in far northern Oklahoma. Interstate 35 runs from the Mexican border in south Texas to Duluth, Minn.

A red flag fire warning was in place for parts of northern Oklahoma on Thursday, as was a blowing dust advisory.

The National Weather Service forecast for the area said winds would subside to 20 mph or lower overnight but that gusts as high as 28 mph could continue. Calm winds were expected by Friday night.

The area has suffered through an extended drought and many farmers had recently loosened the soil while preparing for the winter wheat season.

"You have the perfect combination of extended drought in that area ... and we have the extremely strong winds," said Gary McManus, the Oklahoma associate state climatologist.

"Also, the timing is bad because a lot of those farm fields are bare. The soil is so dry, it's like powder. Basically what you have is a whole bunch of topsoil waiting for the wind to blow it away. It's no different from the 1930s than it is now."

Steve Austin, a Kay County commissioner, said visibility was terrible.

"It looked like a huge fog was over the city of Ponca City," he said. "We've had dust storms before, but I don't remember anything of this magnitude in years."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dust-storm-shuts-down-interstate-northern-okla-214800712.html

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Designer Lagerfeld calls French president "idiot" over taxes

PARIS (Reuters) - Fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld has accused President Francois Hollande of destroying France's economy by imposing painful taxes on the rich, calling the Socialist leader an "idiot".

The creative director of French fashion house Chanel, whose clients are largely the wealthy who stand to be most affected by Hollande's tax hikes, likened the president to Spanish Socialist former prime minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

"This idiot will be as disastrous as Zapatero was," Lagerfeld said in an interview with the Spanish edition of glossy fashion magazine Marie Claire published on Friday.

He added a famously blunt celebrity voice to criticism from business leaders at tax rises Hollande is slapping on companies and the wealthy in trying to reduce France's big public deficit.

Officials at the Elysee presidential palace were not immediately available for comment.

Hollande has aimed to avoid increasing the already weighty tax burden on low- to middle-income households in his 2013 budget but is struggling regardless with approval ratings that have slid to as low as 41 percent from above 60 percent when he was elected in May, replacing conservative Nicolas Sarkozy.

Lagerfeld, known for eccentric comments and unconventional looks, and a darling of rich fashionistas who snatch up Chanel's pricey creations, said the rich were being singled out by Hollande, who has set a 75 percent income tax on with an annual income of at least one million euros ($1.31 million).

"It's a disaster. He wants to punish (the rich) and of course they leave and no one invests," he said. "Foreigners don't want to invest in France and that's just not going to work."

Business lobbies say that, rather than raising taxes, the government should be easing the heavy labor charges limiting the competitiveness of French companies and contributing to a surge in unemployment above 10 percent.

The government says it intends to look at ways of boosting competitiveness but has ruled out the sweeping cuts to labor charges that business leaders are seeking.

Lagerfel, a white-haired German designer rarely seen without dark glasses, high collar and gloves, sniffed that most French products were ignored by the buying public.

"Outside of fashion, jewellery, perfume and wine, France isn't competitive," Lagerfeld said. "The rest of our products don't sell. Who buys French cars? I don't."

In February, Lagerfeld weighed in on the election race between Hollande and Sarkozy, saying he was bored by it and no longer believed in politics. "I think countries should be run like big companies," he said.

Hollande is under pressure to show France has the fiscal rigour required to help the euro zone escape from a three-year sovereign debt crisis, while trying to keep election promises to tackle unemployment, which is likely to rise further with a spate of industrial sector lay-offs.

($1 = 0.7638 euros)

(Reporting by Alexandria Sage in Paris and Paul Day in Madrid; Editing by Catherine Bremer and Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/designer-lagerfeld-calls-french-president-idiot-over-taxes-141435533.html

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The X Factor Finalists: Partially Revealed!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/10/the-x-factor-finalists-partially-revealed/

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Cardinals beat Giants 8-3 to take 3-1 lead in NLCS

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright reacts after getting San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval to ground out and end the sixth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Adam Wainwright reacts after getting San Francisco Giants' Pablo Sandoval to ground out and end the sixth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

San Francisco Giants catcher Hector Sanchez can't handle the throw as St. Louis Cardinals' Matt Carpenter scores from second on a single by Matt Holliday during the fifth inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

San Francisco Giants' Angel Pagan goes up to catch a long fly ball hit by St. Louis Cardinals' Yadier Molina during the third inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

San Francisco Giants starting pitcher Tim Lincecum walks off the field after the first inning of Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series against the St. Louis Cardinals Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

The St. Louis Cardinals celebrate after Game 4 of baseball's National League championship series against the San Francisco Giants Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in St. Louis. The Cardinals won 8-3 to take a 3-1 lead in the series. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

ST. LOUIS (AP) ? The St. Louis Cardinals are oh so close. They know better than to start celebrating yet.

To a man, the defending World Series champions kept their latest victory in perspective Thursday night. Before cashing in another wild-card run to a second straight pennant, they've still got to beat the San Francisco Giants one more time.

"We're not taking the last game to get into the World Series for granted," Matt Holliday said after an 8-3 win put St. Louis up 3-1 in the best-of-seven NL championship series with a chance to wrap it up at home. "The Giants have proven they're a great team and they had their backs to the wall against the Reds."

Seated next to Holliday on the podium, Adam Wainwright chimed in: "Well said."

The Giants won three straight to eliminate Cincinnati in the division series. Now they have to do it again against a team that appears to have everything working.

"They do have something, there's no getting around that," San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy said. "It's not over. We've been in this position. We know it's an uphill battle, but we've been here before."

The Giants are in a hole after Wainwright threw seven innings of four-hit ball and St. Louis' offense roughed up Tim Lincecum and the San Francisco bullpen.

"This is where we are and what we've got to deal with," Hunter Pence said. "The last series we were down in a similar situation, but this is a new series."

The Cardinals can close it out at home Friday night in Game 5. Lance Lynn faces Giants lefty Barry Zito, and a St. Louis win would set up a 2006 World Series rematch with Detroit.

Plus, the Cardinals could have Carlos Beltran back in the lineup. Beltran missed virtually all of Games 3 and 4 with a left knee strain but is optimistic about playing in Game 5 after doing some jogging and hitting indoors Thursday.

"Right now, the plan is to come in tomorrow and do what I have to do in order to be in the lineup," said Beltran, who is batting .375 in the postseason with three homers and six RBIs. "Today was a better day for me, better than yesterday.

"Tomorrow is the day I need to go for it."

Holliday, Jon Jay and Yadier Molina had two RBIs apiece to lead a 12-hit outburst by a team that batted just .198 through the first three games of the series.

Lincecum was a bust in his first postseason start since the 2010 World Series clincher over Texas, giving up four runs in 4 2-3 innings.

"That second inning was a little bit laborious, but the third and fourth were a little bit better and I thought I was going to carry it further in the game," Lincecum said. "I ran into some bumps in that fifth."

The two-time Cy Young Award winner with the quirky delivery earned a shot based on nearly spotless relief work earlier in the postseason but reverted to regular-season form, when he was 10-15 with a 5.18 ERA, worst among qualifying starters in the National League.

Wainwright was a glorified cheerleader while rehabbing from reconstructive elbow surgery during the Cardinals' improbable title drive last fall. They earned the wild card on the final day of the season and then upset the favored Phillies, Brewers and Rangers to give manager Tony La Russa a chance to retire on top.

Under rookie manager Mike Matheny, the 88-win Cardinals were the final team to qualify this year, too. Once again, they've stepped up their game.

Wainwright bounced back from a poor outing in Game 5 of the NL division series against Washington, striking out five and walking none for his first postseason victory as a starter.

"It was a big motivator," he said. "I know that I'm good enough to pitch in the postseason, to carry this team deep into the game, give them a quality game, a quality outing. Last time I didn't do it, but I knew tonight if I just believed in myself and went out there and executed pitches I would be in good shape."

The lone damage against Wainwright came on Pence's first homer and RBI of the postseason, a second-inning clout estimated at 451 feet that soared over the visitor's bullpen into the left-center bleachers to cut the Cardinals' lead to 2-1.

Now, the 14-game winner can just about taste his first World Series as an active player since striking out Brandon Inge as the stand-in closer for injured Jason Isringhausen in the 2006 clincher over the Tigers.

"This whole experience is so special as it is," Wainwright said. "But to get back to that World Series is always the way to go."

Holliday wasn't surprised by Wainwright's strong performance.

"You expect Adam to pitch well and pitch like an ace, and he did," Holliday said. "His curveball was really good. He located his fastball. No surprise. We all expect Adam to pitch the way he pitched tonight, but sometimes things like the Washington game happen. But he's tough as nails. We knew he'd pitch well."

Just 12 pitches in, the Cardinals had two hits and the lead, and Lincecum got a visit from pitching coach Dave Righetti. Jay opened the first with a single, Matt Carpenter walked on four pitches and Holliday singled up the middle for the lead. Allen Craig tacked on a sacrifice fly.

Lincecum escaped trouble in the second after issuing two more walks, one of them on five pitches to Wainwright. The Cardinals missed a chance to add on after Pete Kozma reached on third baseman Pablo Sandoval's fielding error to open the inning when he was thrown out trying to steal.

Lincecum had retired eight in a row before running into trouble in the fifth.

Carpenter doubled off the top of the wall in right-center with one out. He held up until Holliday's single fell in front of fast-charging center fielder Angel Pagan, but third base coach Jose Oquendo aggressively waved Carpenter home.

The relay from shortstop Brandon Crawford was in time, but it short-hopped catcher Hector Sanchez and Carpenter scored on a headfirst slide to make it 3-1. Molina's two-out RBI single made it 4-1 and was the knockout blow for Lincecum.

"He gave us all he had out there," Bochy said. "That was his last inning and he was close to getting out of that inning. He made a great effort on that ball and good throw. We had him at home plate and it's still 2-1. That's a big play in the game."

Pence, who called himself "the goat" of Game 3 after stranding seven runners, hit the second-longest home run by an opposing player at 7-year-old Busch Stadium with a drive that sailed over the visitor's bullpen into the bleachers in left-center.

Holliday's RBI single was the first RBI by a Cardinals starter since Beltran's two-run homer in the fourth inning of Game 1. Holliday entered 2 for 12 in the NLCS with no RBIs.

Sandoval hit a two-run homer in the ninth, but the NL West champs are on the brink of elimination.

"We have all the confidence in Barry," Bochy said. "We do need to get the bats going. They've been shutting us down."

NOTES: Cardinals Hall of Famers Stan Musial and Ozzie Smith made pregame appearances. The 91-year-old Musial toured the warning track in a golf cart while waving to fans and Smith threw out the first pitch. Smith's son, Nikko, a former American Idol finalist, sang the national anthem. ... With Beltran out, Matheny changed the lineup for the first time in the postseason. ... According to STATS LLC, the Giants have faced a 2-1 series deficit eight times in franchise history. They have lost Game 4 each time. ... Wainwright has a 2.48 ERA in 13 postseason appearances, four of them starts.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-10-19-NLCS-Giants-Cardinals/id-cff0e7fdde474d3a90f45b278b8dfca2

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Sport Facilities De Warande in Wetteren / BURO II & ARCHI+I ...

? Filip Dujardin

Architects: Venhoeven CS in collaboration with BURO II & ARCHI+I
Location: Wetteren, Belgium
Designing Architect: VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism
Team: Ton Venhoeven, Bas R?mgens, Katharina Hagg, Maarten Bax, Servy Bruls, Ornella Lazzari, Sylvain Wintz
Project Director: Arch. Geert Blervacq
Project Architect: Arch. Vincent Baudry, Arch. Thomas Dierickx
Project Year: 2012
Project Area: 4,411 sqm
Photographs: Filip Dujardin

The De Warande master plan provides a dynamic and cohesive framework for a multiplicity of activities with suffi cient fl exibility to respond to future changes and developments.

? Filip Dujardin

The plan focuses above all on experiencing the area as a park. A distinction has been made between two areas: a park with recreational functions along routes, and a strip with a high density of sports and relaxation functions. A large part of De Warande was behind fencing of all shapes and sizes. For much of the year a large part of De Warande is not accessible to the public. The superfl uous fences have been removed to turn De Warande back into a park.

? Filip Dujardin

By fencing only the lawn around the outdoor swimming pool, the park will remain open in summer to other visitors. Outside the outdoor swimming pool season, large gates in the hedge will be open to make the entire area accessible to sports enthusiasts and recreationists. The landmarks will be the impressive villa, the new sports hall, robust groups of trees and exceptional solitary spots set against a wooded background. The relationship
between the different activities and the park is extremely important. Lines of sight and recreational routes through the existing landscape and architectural elements will reinforce the cohesion in the park. The trees have been positioned in a way that allows them to support the lines of sight and follow the curves in paths. This will ensure that besides its spatiality the park will also be socially safe.

? Filip Dujardin

The sports hall has been designed as a covered part of the park, with lines of sight to and views of the different spaces, activities and visitors inside and outside the building. The centrally located catering area is visible from all sides and offers a panorama across the whole park. The building is a complete an attractive sports environment with numerous possibilities and modern facilities. The transparent entrance hall makes the gymnasium visible from the front square. The building acts like a sign for sports and games.

? Filip Dujardin

Sustainability and energy are integral parts of the master plan. Construction of the new sports hall and phase 1 of the park will lay the foundations for a smart grid. A combined heat and power plant has been installed to meet the heating requirements of the indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The plant will further provide some of the electricity needed for the swimming pool and other functions on the domain. The sports hall has been equipped
with an air/water heat pump for fl oor heating and a solar boiler to produce hot water for the sanitary facilities. Toilets are being fl ushed with rainwater to make the most economical use possible of water. The superfl uous rainwater of the buildings and the metalled surfaces around the sports hall will be used to keep the pond water at the right level. The car park has been constructed with drainage bricks enabling rain to infi ltrate the site.

Section

Source: http://www.archdaily.com/283140/sport-facilities-de-warande-in-wetteren-buro-ii-archii/

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NATO chief calls for free elections in Afghanistan

MAZAR-E SHARIF, Afghanistan (Reuters) - NATO's chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen urged the Afghan government on Friday to strive for free, fair and transparent elections in the 2014 presidential poll, saying they marked a critical juncture in the country's quest for peace.

His words came a day after President Hamid Karzai suggested foreign members be removed from the election watchdog, in a step that could be seen as bolstering his grip on power.

"I think it is essential for building trust and confidence between the Afghan people and the Afghan government that the presidential elections take place in a manner that is free, fair and transparent," Rasmussen said in an interview with Reuters on the airstrip at Camp Marmal, a sprawling military base near Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan.

He spoke at the end of a two-day visit to Afghanistan with senior diplomats from 35 countries that supply troops to the NATO-led force in Afghanistan.

Rasmussen told reporters earlier that a smooth political transition of power according to the Afghan constitution would be a "litmus test, an indication of the strength and sustainability of the Afghan democracy".

"The way the presidential election is conducted will have strong importance when it comes to the whole credibility of the transition process," he added.

Rasmussen and the NATO ambassadors have been assessing the progress of their plans gradually to hand over security responsibilities to Afghan forces, permitting foreign combat troops to leave by the end of 2014.

A security analysis released by the International Crisis Group think-tank this month said Karzai's increasingly unpopular government could collapse after the NATO withdrawal, especially if people lost confidence in the outcome of presidential elections the same year.

"In the current environment, prospects for clean elections and a smooth transition are slim," the ICG report said.

Opponents of Karzai, who is barred from seeking a third term by the Afghan constitution, say they are worried the president is trying to install an ally or relative as his successor to maintain an influence on power.

After meeting Afghan leaders and commanders of the NATO-led force, Rasmussen said the campaign was making significant progress and he reaffirmed the timetable leading towards Afghans taking full security control by the end of 2014.

"Based on this visit, I don't see any need to change the strategy," he said.

Despite Rasmussen's confidence, violence continues across the country as the deadline of end-2014 looms.

A roadside bomb killed at least 19 people, mostly women and children, who were on their way to a wedding in Afghanistan's north on Friday, local police officials said.

Rasmussen said Karzai and other Afghan officials had assured him of their "very, very strong determination to do what it takes" to prevent the alarming increase in "insider" attacks, when Afghan policemen and soldiers turn their weapons on foreign mentors.

At least 52 members of the NATO-led force have been killed so far this year in insider attacks.

(Editing by Amie Ferris-Rotman and Jeremy Laurence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nato-chief-calls-free-elections-afghanistan-131659645.html

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Is Twitter a Win or a Loss? - Penn State Personal Web Server

?Twitter has become such a large part of today's social media realm.? This social networking site allows people to keep up with what is going on, basically wherever they are.? People can access it on their computers, netbooks and cell phones.? Tweeters can post on this microblogging service via website interface, mobile phone apps, or SMS.? They can virtually follow everyone from their friends to celebrities to professional athletes to their neighbor that lives down the block.? Twitter has many different uses for many different people.? For example, some companies may use it for advertising and marketing, while a presidential candidate may use it as another way to voice political views and campaign updates.? For people who are well known in today's society, they may have verified accounts.? These people tend to attract a great deal of followers.? This is the case for many athletes, sports teams, and the sports industry in general.

?This popular social networking service has provided fans the chance to follow their favorite athletes and sports teams.? They are able to keep up with what is going on in the sporting world without sitting in front of their television and reading the newspaper.? Twitter has allowed for sports fans to get updates on their favorite teams no matter where they are or what they are doing.? An example of this that I witnessed firsthand was when the PSU Nittany Lion Football Team was playing UVA.? Our team was on the bus on the way back from our game in Philadelphia.? Over half the team was on Twitter on their phones checking for updates on the game.? Because I have been a student-athlete at both schools, I follow both football teams, both school newspapers, numerous sports bloggers, and plenty of other student athletes that were watching the game. Not to brag, but I am sure I was getting more tweet updates than some of my teammates.? Every time one of us read a new update about the game via Twitter we would announce it to the whole bus.? It was like we were getting play by play straight from the broadcasters; that's how fast we were receiving updates.

?Twitter is also useful for simply following your favorite sports team or athlete.? If someone is not sure of the team's schedule they may just check Twitter to find out.? It is also fun to follow your favorite athlete or athletes.? Professional sports teams can use Twitter to advertise or promote upcoming events.? After working in the Sports Marketing and Promotions Office at UVA, I realized how useful Twitter may be for attracting fans to events.? You may advertise for contests or promotions that can attract followers that may not have planned on attending the event originally.? For example, the other day PSUFH's Twitter account advertised free wings for students who attended our game.? This may have made the game more appealing for a number of followers and even those who were not followers.? This is where "re-tweeting" comes in handy.? Not only does a follower see the tweet, but if they re-tweet about the wings then all of their followers will also view the tweet.? Such a great promoting tool!

?While there are many positives to social networking by way of Twitter, there can also be negatives.? Athletes who use Twitter must be conscience of what they tweet because the great number of fans and critics that are viewing said tweets.? An example of one controversial tweeter is professional soccer player, Hope Solo (her Twitter account is shown below).? Solo has been known for speaking her mind, but more recently, during the Olympics, she began bashing former U.S. Soccer Player Brandi Chastain.? Chastain was providing commentary for numerous games during the Olympics and was very critical of Team U.S.A.'s play during one match.? Solo did not appreciate Chastain's comments and began voicing her opinion on Twitter that Chastain needs to become more educated.? Her tweets became big news and people were looking for Chastain to retaliate and the U.S. team to have problems.? This is an example of how Twitter can have negative effects, but luckily the U.S. pulled through and won the gold medal.

?Comments are not the only thing athletes need to be conscience about post.? Pictures and links can also portray them negatively.? Just the same, professional athletes are not the only ones who may be scrutinized over Twitter.? Collegiate athletes build up a fan base, also.? Many of these fans are young children who come to their games and support their team.? Therefor, these student-athletes cannot be tweeting inappropriate images and words that will reflect them negatively.

?It is not alway athletes doing the tweeting, however.? Many fans and critics will tweet about the athletes or coaches themselves and the tweeting is not always supportive.? For example, yesterday when the PSU Football kicker missed a number of field goal opportunities, fan of Penn State and others who were simply watching the game began tweeting about him.? By typing his name in the search window people could find tweets insulting him and his kicking abilities.? This is a case where athletes cannot read too much into Twitter and the things people say because it could negatively affect their play in the future.

?Twitter has become a great tool for following events when fans are not able to watch the live broadcast.? For some people, however Twitter can ruin events.? Tivo has become very useful tool for fans who do not want to miss a single second of a competition.? They can simply record the match and watch it when they have time.? However, they need to be careful not to check Twitter because there could be a chance that the outcome may be publicly announced by one of the accounts they follow.? Another case where events have been ruined on Twitter was the Olympics.? Because of the time change, many people waited to watch the events in the evening.? Unfortunately, news stations, like NBC Sports, were tweeting the outcomes and winners of medals throughout the day, which ruined it for those viewers who were planning on tuning into the taped version that night.? I remember listening to numerous complaints about not being able to watch and experience the thrill when Michael Phelps and the U.S. Gymnastics Team won their gold medals because the result had been ruined on Twitter earlier that day.

?Although there are negative aspects of Twitter in the sporting world, I very much agree that the positives outweigh the negatives.? Sports are such a huge part of the American society.? Who wouldn't want to follow their favorite athlete or sports team?? Twitter allows its users to connect with the people that they admire and entertain them.? It makes the user feel as though they are part of the team and more involved, as well as allowing the athletes to connect with their fans without actually interacting with them.? Twitter is really a win-win situation for both, the fans and the athletes.

Source: http://www.personal.psu.edu/mch208/blogs/graduate_colloquium_college_of_communications/2012/10/is-twitter-a-win-or-a-loss.html

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