Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/315967461?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Sunday, June 30, 2013
Police: man with guns near Blackhawks parade said he had weapons because he was robbed before
BY TINA SFONDELES Staff Reporter/tsfondeles@suntimes.com June 29, 2013 1:02PM
Roger L. Harrison / photo provided by Chicago Police
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Updated: June 29, 2013 1:17PM
A south suburban man who allegedly had two loaded guns with him along the Blackhawks victory parade route was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 bail Saturday.
When Chicago Police asked to check Roger Harrison?s bag Friday morning, the former Marine told them, ?Ah...I?ll just go the other way,? Cook County prosecutors said.
Harrison then walked toward City Hall as an officer tailed him, authorities said.
The 37-year-old Matteson man kept telling the officer, ?I just want to go to work? and ?I need to get out of here,? according to a police report.
?His voice was nervous and changing pace and tone. His eyes were searching all directions to identify an avenue of escape...and he slowly attempted to walk backwards,? the police report said.
The officer eventually grabbed Harrison?s arm.
That?s when he allegedly came clean and blurted out, ?I might have a handgun on me.?
When asked why he had the weapons, Harrison said, ?I got robbed before.?
In his pocket was a stolen revolver from Ohio with three live rounds, prosecutors said.
Harrison?s backpack held an unregistered 9 mm semiautomatic pistol with seven live rounds, police said.
There was no indication that Harrison was planning to commit a crime at the heavily attended rally and parade, police said.
Harrison was charged with two felony counts of unlawful use of a weapon and one misdemeanor count of cannabis possession.
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Saturday, June 29, 2013
Device size affects your assertiveness, study says
iPad 
June 24, 2013 at 6:24 PM ET
? Regis Duvignau / Reuters
Are people with laptops and big phones more assertive than iPod and feature-phone users? Or do assertive people just tend to get bigger screens? Surprisingly, a recent Harvard study found that using a bigger device actually does seem to affect people's behavior.
Maarten Bos and Amy Cuddy, researchers at Harvard's Business School, wanted to determine whether the type of device people use changes how they act around other people. Their previous research (PDF) showed that adopting certain "expansive" postures, body chemistry and behavior can be affected.
For instance, if you're leaning over a desk at someone with arms wide, you're more likely to act assertively than if you're sitting with legs and arms crossed in a chair. Of course, an assertive person would be more likely to take the "power position" than a less-assertive person. But the researchers' study showed that while postures like that would be taken by assertive people, others would become more assertive when adopting them as well.
So it makes sense to suppose that devices or other factors that make someone adopt a more closed, reserved posture would also influence them to act less assertively, while larger devices that allow an expansive posture would increase assertion.
Bos and Cuddy's research, "iPosture: The Size of Electronic Consumer Devices Affects Our Behavior," bore this out: 75 people were randomly assigned either an Apple iPod, tablet, laptop, or desktop computer on which to complete a task. Afterward, they were told to wait five minutes for the experimenter to return with their compensation for participating.
The twist (as there always is in psychology studies) was that the experimenter would not return for 10 minutes, and the researchers were measuring how long it took for the participant to come find the experimenter, if they did at all ? a behavior classified as assertive.
Harvard Business School
Size of device had a major effect on behavior in the study.
The researchers found that participants who had used larger devices were nearly twice as likely to seek out the experimenter, and did it on average two and a half minutes earlier. There is a steady increase in the assertive behavior that correlates nicely with device size.
There was no effect, however, on participants' risk-taking behavior, measured by how they gambled in a short card-based game earlier in the experiment. The researchers thought that this could indicate that behavioral changes don't happen instantly, but take a few minutes to take effect.
The team is now working on a study that looks at how the position you take when you sleep could be affecting your personality. In the meantime, the researchers advise that people concerned about their assertiveness or passivity to pay more attention to their habits and posture, as they appear to have quite a strong effect on how you act.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC News Digital. His personal website is coldewey.cc.
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Link shown between Crohn's disease and virus
June 27, 2013 ? A new study reveals that all children with Crohn's disease that were examined had a commonly occurring virus -- an enterovirus -- in their intestines. This link has previously not been shown for this chronic inflammatory intestinal disorder.
The findings are being published in the latest issue of the international journal Clinical and Translational Gastroenterology.
These findings need to be confirmed in larger studies, but they are important, as this connection has never been pointed out before. This paves the way for a better understanding of what might be involved in causing the disease, says Alkwin Wanders, one of the scientists behind the study at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital.
In Sweden several thousand adults live with Crohn's disease, and each year about 100 children and adolescents develop the disorder. The disease affects various parts of the gastrointestinal system and causes symptoms such as stomach aches, diarrhea, and weight loss -- in severe cases fistulas, or strictures in the intestines.
The cause of Crohn's disease is not known. Mutations in more than 140 genes have been shown to be associated with the disorder, but this genetic connection is not a sufficient explanation. Many of these genes play key roles in the immune defence, which has prompted theories that the disease might be caused by impaired immune defence against various microorganisms. In that case, the disease would be a consequence of interplay between heredity and environment.
Recent research has shown that some of the genes that are strongly linked to the disorder are important for the immune defence against a certain type of viruses that have their genetic material in the form of RNA, so-called RNA viruses. Using this as a point of departure, an interdisciplinary research team was established in Sweden to investigate what role this type of virus plays in the disease.
The research team includes the paediatrician Niklas Nystr?m, the pathologist Alkwin Wanders, virus researchers Gun Frisk and Oskar Skog, the molecular biologist Mats Nilsson, and the geneticist Ulf Gyllensten at Uppsala University and Uppsala University Hospital, along with cell biologists Jonas Fuxe and Tove Berg the paediatrician Yigael Finkel at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm.
This unique composition, with complementary clinical and scientific expertise, has been extremely fruitful for our studies, says Alkwin Wanders.
In the present study the researchers investigated whether the RNA virus were present in children with Crohn?s disease. They focused in particular on the prevalence of enteroviruses, a group of RNA viruses that are known to infect the intestinal mucous lining.
The results showed significant amounts of enteroviruses in the intestines of all of the children with Crohn?s disease, whereas the control group had no or only minimal amounts of enteroviruses in their intestines. Similar results were obtained using two different methods. Enteroviruses were found not only in intestinal mucous linings but also in so-called nerve cell ganglia in deeper segments of the intestinal wall. Receptors for a group of enteroviruses were also found in both the intestinal mucous linings and nerve cell ganglia, which may explain how the virus can make its way into the nerve system in the intestine.
Another interesting finding is that the enterovirus could be thought to be stored in nerve cells in the intestine and to spread to different parts of the intestine via nerve fibres. This would explain both the fact that the disease is periodic (comes and goes) and the fact that it often affects multiple segments of the intestines, says Alkwin Wanders.
The present study comprises nine children with advanced Crohn's disease and fifteen children with incipient Crohn's disease symptoms. The research now wants to go on to examine larger groups of patients and more control individuals. They also want to pursue experimental research to investigate the link further.
The study was funded by, among others, Uppsala County Council, the Swedish Society for Medical Research, Cancerfonden, Karolinska Institutet, and the Swedish Research Council.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/fho5SvDRFiE/130627102827.htm
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Friday, June 28, 2013
Feds' list of most expensive colleges
What are the most expensive colleges? That depends what you mean by "most expensive." Are they the schools with the highest listed tuition ? the highest sticker price? Or those with the highest average net price ? what the typical student pays to attend after accounting for all expenses, but also all financial aid? What about different types of schools? Is it fair to compare public and private colleges?
Because there's no simple answer, under a 2008 law the Department of Education publishes different lists, and on Thursday released its latest annual update. Here are the top five in some of the main categories. The data are for 2011-2012.
Public four-year colleges with highest tuition, in-state
1. University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus $16,132
2. Pennsylvania State University ? Main Campus $15,984
3. University of New Hampshire ? Main Campus $15,250
4. University of Vermont $14,784
5. Colorado School of Mines $14,453
Private (not-for-profit) four-year colleges with highest tuition
1. Columbia University (N.Y.) $45,290
2. Sarah Lawrence College (N.Y.) $45,212
3. Vassar College (N.Y.) $44,705
4. George Washington University (District of Columbia) $44,148
5. Trinity College (Conn.) $44,070
Public four-year colleges with highest net price, in-state
1. Miami University-Oxford (Ohio) $22,210
2. Pennsylvania State University ? Main Campus $21,342
3. University of Guam $21,296
4. St. Mary's College of Maryland $20,521
5. Pennsylvania State University ? Altoona $20,457
Private (not-for-profit) four-year colleges with highest net prices
1. School of the Art Institute of Chicago $42,882
2. Ringling College of Art and Design (Fla.) $40,222
3. The Boston Conservatory $39,602
4. Berklee College of Music (Mass.) $38,814
5. California Institute of the Arts $38,802
___
Online: To see full lists, including lists of least expensive schools, along with other data visit http://collegecost.ed.gov/catc/Default.aspx . Additional data on individual schools available at http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/
Follow Justin Pope on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/JustinPopeAP
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feds-list-most-expensive-colleges-180307659.html
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Breakthrough in Internet bandwidth: New fiber optic technology could ease Internet congestion, video streaming
June 27, 2013 ? As rapidly increasing demand for bandwidth strains the Internet's capacity, a team of engineers has devised a new fiber optic technology that promises to increase bandwidth dramatically. The new technology could enable Internet providers to offer much greater connectivity -- from decreased network congestion to on-demand video streaming.
Described in the June 28 issue of the journal Science, the technology centers on donut-shaped laser light beams called optical vortices, in which the light twists like a tornado as it moves along the beam path, rather than in a straight line.
Widely studied in molecular biology, atomic physics and quantum optics, optical vortices (also known as orbital angular momentum, or OAM, beams) were thought to be unstable in fiber, until BU Engineering Professor Siddharth Ramachandran recently designed an optical fiber that can propagate them. In the paper, he and Alan Willner of USC demonstrate not only the stability of the beams in optical fiber but also their potential to boost Internet bandwidth.
"For several decades since optical fibers were deployed, the conventional assumption has been that OAM-carrying beams are inherently unstable in fibers," said Ramachandran. "Our discovery, of design classes in which they are stable, has profound implications for a variety of scientific and technological fields that have exploited the unique properties of OAM-carrying light, including the use of such beams for enhancing data capacity in fibers."
The reported research represents a close collaboration between optical fiber experts at BU and optical communication systems experts at USC. "Siddharth's fiber represents a very unique and valuable innovation. It was great to work together to demonstrate a terabit-per-second capacity transmission link," said Willner, electrical engineering professor at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
Ramachandran and Willner collaborated with OFS-Fitel, a fiber optics company in Denmark, and Tel Aviv University.
Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the technology could not come at a better time, as one of the main strategies to boost Internet bandwidth is running into roadblocks just as mobile devices fuel rapidly growing demands on the Internet. Traditionally, bandwidth has been enhanced by increasing the number of colors, or wavelengths of data-carrying laser signals -- essentially streams of 1s and 0s -- sent down an optical fiber, where the signals are processed according to color. Increasing the number of colors has worked well since the 1990s when the method was introduced, but now that number is reaching physical limits.
An emerging strategy to boost bandwidth is to send the light through a fiber along distinctive paths, or modes, each carrying a cache of data from one end of the fiber to the other. Unlike the colors, however, data streams of 1s and 0s from different modes mix together; determining which data stream came from which source requires computationally intensive and energy-hungry digital signal processing algorithms.
Ramachandran's and Willner's approach combines both strategies, packing several colors into each mode, and using multiple modes. Unlike in conventional fibers, OAM modes in these specially designed fibers can carry data streams across an optical fiber while remaining separate at the receiving end. In experiments appearing in the Science paper, Ramachandran created an OAM fiber with four modes (an optical fiber typically has two), and he and Willner showed that for each OAM mode, they could send data through a one-kilometer fiber in 10 different colors, resulting in a transmission capacity of 1.6 terabits per second, the equivalent of transmitting eight Blu-RayTM DVDs every second.
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Climate tug of war disrupting Australian atmospheric circulation patterns
June 26, 2013 ? Further evidence of climate change shifting atmospheric circulation in the southern Australian-New Zealand region has been identified in a new study.
The study, in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, demonstrates that mid-latitude high pressure zones (30oS-45oS) are being pushed further into the Southern Ocean by rising global temperatures associated with greenhouse warming. This is despite more frequent occurrences of strong El Ni?os in recent decades, which should have drawn the high pressure zones in the opposite direction toward the equator.
"What we are seeing," says study lead author, Mr Guojian Wang "is a 'tug of war' between stronger El Ni?os driving the winds north and the greenhouse gas-warming effect driving the winds south."
Mr Wang, said the result confirms the robustness of the Southern Hemisphere circulation changes over the past three to four decades as the global temperature rose, "so much so that it overode the influence from strong El Ni?os during this period."
Study co-author, Dr Wenju Cai said the most conspicuous change is a rising sea level pressure in the mid-latitude bands and a decreasing sea level pressure over the Southern high latitudes (55o-70oS), a pattern referred to as the Southern Annular Mode. The changing pressures indicate a poleward or southward expansion of the tropical and subtropical atmospheric zones.
In turn, this indicates that over the long-term, there is a relationship between a rising global mean temperature and an upward trend of the Southern Annular Mode.
"The research reinforces our past work that climate change is altering Southern Hemisphere circulation and increases our confidence in this conclusion," Dr Cai said.
Dr Cai has previously reported on changes in atmospheric circulation that have been shifting and strengthening the Pacific Ocean winds poleward and in turn strengthening the ocean circulation, pushing the East Australian Current further south down the Australian coast.
He said during El Ni?o, the warmer ocean releases heat to the atmosphere and global average temperatures increase. At the same time, warm ocean surface temperatures along the equator cause the tropical and subtropical atmospheric belts to move toward the equator, generating a 'negative' phase of the Southern Annular Mode.
"On year-to-year time scales, higher global temperatures are associated with a negative phase of the Mode but over the past 35 years, when El Ni?o has been strong and conducive to a negative trend, we are seeing an opposite trend with the circulation systems moving southward impacting on regional climate," he said.
The project was funded through the Australian Climate Change Science Program.
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Gas-giant exoplanets cling close to their parent stars
June 27, 2013 ? Gemini Observatory's Planet-Finding Campaign finds that, around many types of stars, distant gas-giant planets are rare and prefer to cling close to their parent stars. The impact on theories of planetary formation could be significant.
Finding extrasolar planets has become so commonplace that it seems astronomers merely have to look up and another world is discovered. However, results from Gemini Observatory's recently completed Planet-Finding Campaign -- the deepest, most extensive direct imaging survey to date -- show the vast outlying orbital space around many types of stars is largely devoid of gas-giant planets, which apparently tend to dwell close to their parent stars.
"It seems that gas-giant exoplanets are like clinging offspring," says Michael Liu of the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy and leader of the Gemini Planet-Finding Campaign. "Most tend to shun orbital zones far from their parents. In our search, we could have found gas giants beyond orbital distances corresponding to Uranus and Neptune in our own Solar System, but we didn't find any." The Campaign was conducted at the Gemini South telescope in Chile, with funding support for the team from the National Science Foundation and NASA. The Campaign's results, Liu says, will help scientists better understand how gas-giant planets form, as the orbital distances of planets are a key signature that astronomers use to test exoplanet formation theories.
Eric Nielsen of the University of Hawaii, who leads a new paper about the Campaign's search for planets around stars more massive than the Sun, adds that the findings have implications beyond the specific stars imaged by the team. "The two largest planets in our Solar System, Jupiter and Saturn, are huddled close to our Sun, within 10 times the distance between the Earth and Sun," he points out. "We found that this lack of gas-giant planets in more distant orbits is typical for nearby stars over a wide range of masses."
Two additional papers from the Campaign will be published soon and reveal similar tendencies around other classes of stars. However, not all gas-giant exoplanets snuggle so close to home. In 2008, astronomers using the Gemini North telescope and W.M. Keck Observatory on Hawaii's Mauna Kea took the first-ever direct images of a family of planets around the star HR 8799, finding gas-giant planets at large orbital separations (about 25-70 times the Earth-Sun distance). This discovery came after examining only a few stars, suggesting such large-separation gas giants could be common. The latest Gemini results, from a much more extensive imaging search, show that gas-giant planets at such distances are in fact uncommon.
Liu sums up the situation this way: "We've known for nearly 20 years that gas-giant planets exist around other stars, at least orbiting close-in. Thanks to leaps in direct imaging methods, we can now learn how far away planets can typically reside. The answer is that they usually avoid significant areas of real estate around their host stars. The early findings, like HR 8799, probably skewed our perceptions."
The team's second new paper explores systems where dust disks around young stars show holes, which astronomers have long suspected are cleared by the gravitational force of orbiting planets. "It makes sense that where you see debris cleared away that a planet would be responsible, but we did not know what types of planets might be causing this. It appears that instead of massive planets, smaller planets that we can't detect directly could be responsible," said Zahed Wahhaj of the European Southern Observatory and lead author on the survey's paper on dusty disk stars. Finally, the third new paper from the team looks at the very youngest stars close to Earth. "A younger system should have brighter, easier to detect planets," according to the lead author Beth Biller of the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy.
"Around other stars, NASA's Kepler telescope has shown that planets larger than the Earth and within the orbit of Mercury are plentiful," explains Biller. "The NICI Campaign demonstrates that gas-giant planets beyond the distance of the orbit of Neptune are rare." The soon-to-be-delivered Gemini Planet Imager will begin to bridge this gap likely revealing, for the first time, how common giant planets are in orbits similar to the gas-giant planets of our own Solar System.
The observations for the Campaign were obtained with the Gemini instrument known as NICI, the Near-Infrared Coronagraphic Imager, which was the first instrument for an 8-10 meter-class telescope designed specifically for finding faint companions around bright stars. NICI was built by Doug Toomey (Mauna Kea Infrared), Christ Ftaclas, and Mark Chun (University of Hawai'i), with funding from NASA.
The first two papers from the Campaign have been accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (Nielsen et al. and Wahhaj et al.), and the third paper (Biller et al.) will be published later this summer.
The NICI Campaign team is composed of PI Michael Liu, co-PI Mark Chun (University of Hawaii), co-PI Laird Close (University of Arizona), Doug Toomey (Mauna Kea Infrared), Christ Ftaclas (University of Hawaii), Zahed Wahhaj (European Southern Observatory), Beth Biller (Max Planck Institute for Astronomy), Eric Nielsen (University of Hawaii), Evgenya Shkolnik (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), Adam Burrows (Princeton University), Neill Reid (Space Telescope Science Institute), Niranjan Thatte, Matthias Tecza, Fraser Clarke (University of Oxford), Jane Gregorio Hetem, Elisabete De Gouveia Dal Pino (University of Sao Paolo), Silvia Alencar (University of Minas Gerais), Pawel Artymowicz (University of Toronto), Doug Lin (University of California Santa Cruz), Shigeru Ida (Tokyo Institute of Technology), Alan Boss (DTM, Carnegie Institution of Washington), and Mark Kuchner (NASA Goddard), Tom Hayward and Markus Hartung (Gemini Observatory), Jared Males, and Andy Skemer (University of Arizona).
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/KTKfCN1rQK4/130627161436.htm
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Thursday, June 27, 2013
Glass Menagerie: Broken
Virginia Heffernan | @YahooTech
I broke my Google Glass. The injury is my fault, though I also choose to blame the Google-issued case, a cowboy accessory of gray flannel that is closer to a hard-toed sock than to the Bulgari satin-lined jewelry box that would seem to suit fancy Google Glass.
The soft part of the Glass sack was insufficient armor against the bruising bustle of my handbag, which contains a dusty old iPad and iPhone (hahaha remember that stuff?), sunglasses and my daughter?s Barbie Fairy, name of Silvermist. Some of these obdurate objects?they?re like the tougher organs of the bag, the livers and wombs?seem to have encountered Glass, the feeblest and fragile, the eyeball of the bag. At some point a collision occurred, and this collision bent, then broke, the hinge that connects the battery to the brace, rendering it operable but unmistakably broken.
My broken Glass occasioned another visit to Glass Basecamp, the site of my original Initiation. That Initiation, you might remember, was conducted at the hands of one Norm, who though he is an exceptional Glass Guide, prefers to remain ?in the shadows? (as he told me in a private communication), and thus will here remain surname-free. Norm greeted me again.
?Norm!? I said. Once again Norm was supremely helpful, and set me up, no questions asked, with a brand new Glass, as though Google had suddenly reversed the planned obsolescence on which our whole economy and ?upgrade? psychology is now founded, and had revived the old L.L. Bean return policy from 1916. (?I do not consider a sale complete until digital headgear in beta is worn out and the customer is still satisfied.?)
I put my new Glass on, and resolved as much as possible to wear it around my neck when I?m not using it, since that?s the new style at Basecamp. Then I promptly started looking for new people to lend it to.
Norm says he treats his Glass like a small child, and that?s why his never breaks. I treat mine like a small child too, but since I typically pass my real-life children around to anyone who is curious about them, I analogously pass around Glass.
Technology is assumed to be isolating, in spite of one million years of evidence that it?s not. Some people prefer solitude to company, and technology?whatever that is?extends the passions of the biological creatures who make and use it. If you are isolated against your will, like my friend Bob in Iowa, digital technology does much to offset that isolation: It throws up abundant connective tissue in the form of the Scrabble app, and Facebook, and Yahoo News.
So Google Glass, which initially threw in my path wise, earnest neighbors who averted their eyes from my sinister headgear, eventually led me to sidewalk gawkers and finally to conversation with people who enjoy novelty - which is to say lots and lots of people.
But in the broken Glass days I finally experienced the grief I knew I?d find eventually with Glass. Not because I (or my iPad or Silvermist) had bent or broken it; on the contrary, it was moving to see this pristine thing out of alignment. Glass is so imperfect now, and so glitchy, that this was only an external reminder of its mortal nature.
No?I felt the grief when Glass was in the shop. In fact, for the short time that my Glass was out of commission?really, just while Norm was getting the new one up and running?I felt like crying. That?s right. The most grief I?ve felt at the hands of Glass was when, briefly, I had to let it go.
Norm says that people come to Glass with all kind of apprehensions and misgivings. They hold it in their hands in a gingerly way, slightly embarrassed by the clumsiness it engenders in them, and look for flaws. They try to get on top of the device; to draw a bigger circle around it, to not let it catch them off guard.
I know I did that. ?See, this is going to be inconvenient; this is ugly and uncomfortable and creepy and stupid.?
But then they emerge with one phrase: ?I want.? That?s what Norm says. He?s a salesman. But from what I?ve seen, watching people play with Glass, he?s right. I want. I want, still, even with PRISM in the air and surveillance and the wily Edward Snowden still at large, to be part of something new. ?Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive? is what I posted to Twitter this morning?a line from Wordsworth, in the spirit of the jubilant tweets celebrating the strikedown of Prop 8 in California.
But I meant those words for the digital dawn, too.
Still?the digital dawn? You might be rolling your eyes, or, if you know your Wordsworth, shaking your head: that line expresses Wordsworth?s excitement about the French Revolution, and in his estimation that bliss came to grief. No dawn ends well. Or rather, dawns all end in darkness. But that geopolitical certainty should not stop us from beholding the sunrise, #throughglass, if possible. Should it?
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/google-glass-broken-menagerie-212654052.html
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J. John Sebastian Attorney Offers Legal Services in Buffalo and ...
J. John Sebastian Attorney?s Law Office
Buffalo, NY (Law Firm Newswire) June 25, 2013 ? J. John Sebastian, the former Assistant District Attorney, offers a host of criminal law defense services from his law office based in Buffalo. The attorney?s law office provides services to clients from Greater Buffalo Area as well as Niagara and Erie counties. Special payment plans are available, which will assist the clients in making payments in accordance with their financial status. In addition, the prices are also reasonable.
The attorney insists on being in contact with the clients at all times and proceedings. The website of the attorney states, ?J. John Sebastian Attorney prides himself on giving every client the time and attention that is necessary to get the compensation for their injuries. Unlike some law firms where you may have a case worker or paralegal in charge of your file, we pride ourselves on regular and continuous contact between the attorney and the client throughout their case.?
Rather than taking quick easy settlements, Sebastian claims that he believes in seeing the case through to the end, so as to obtain maximum results. He employs experts in different fields of law to effectively serve his clients. The consultations are arranged according to the convenience of the clients and are free of cost. The clients have to make the payment only after a recovery has been made.
An attorney at law, who availed the services of J. John Sebastian Attorney?s Law Office said, ?Not only did he resolve my case successfully, but he maintained ongoing communication with me and gave me the benefit of knowing that I was in good hands. His professional handling of my case, coupled with his outstanding ability to resolve the matter most favorably is greatly appreciated.?
He offers a range of criminal law services relating to drug crimes defense, white collar crimes, college students defense, speeding tickets, theft, property crimes, suspended or revoked license, parole violations, bench warrants, probation violation, bad checks, assault, motorcycle accidents, wrongful death, burn injuries etc.
For more information, log on to www.jjohnsebastianattorney.com and for more insights into the legal world, visit his blog.
About J. John Sebastian
J. John Sebastian is a former Assistant District Attorney who offers full criminal defense services from his law office based in Buffalo. The office of the attorney serves Greater Buffalo Area as well as Niagara and Erie counties. J. John Sebastian hails from New York City and has considerable experience in criminal law as Assistant District Attorney. He has litigated cases in many courts in New York. From his law office at Buffalo, he offers a range of criminal law services relating to drug crimes defense, white collar crimes, college students defense, speeding tickets, theft, property crimes etc.
Media Contact
J. John Sebastian
Sebastian Law Firm
70 Niagara Street
Buffalo, New York 14202
Tel: 716-254-1751
Website: jjohnsebastianattorney.com
See other news sources publishing this article. BETA | Tags: J John Sebastian Attorney
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Kids' reading success boosted by long-term individualized instruction
June 25, 2013 ? Students who consistently receive individualized reading instruction from first through third grade become better readers than those who don't, according to new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science.
These findings come after a three-year study that followed several hundred Floridian students, who received varying amounts of individualized instruction, from first to third grade.
"Our results show that children need sustained, effective instruction from first through third grade if they are going to become proficient readers," said psychological scientist Carol McDonald Connor of Arizona State University, who led the research team.
Teachers involved in the longitudinal, randomized study used Assessment-to-instruction (A2i) software to make informed decisions about how to tailor reading instruction to meet their students' needs. Using algorithms, the A2i software recommended specific amounts and types of reading instruction based on the skills of each student.
Data from study showed that students who received individualized student instruction (ISI) in all three grades showed the strongest reading skills by the end of third grade, compared to those who received fewer years of individualized instruction.
"Another way to think about this is that 94 percent of the students in ISI classrooms from first through third grade were reading proficiently, compared to only 78 percent of the children who didn't participate all three years," said Connor.
In fact, students who were in ISI classrooms for all three years often achieved reading skills that were well above grade level expectations by the end of third grade, when measured by nationally-normed reading achievement tests.
The data are particularly promising given that they demonstrate improvement in reading scores for children from an economically and ethnically diverse school district that included urban, suburban, and rural communities.
The findings suggest that, with a little help from software programs such as A2i, teachers may be able to track student reading success and intervene more effectively.
"The individualized instruction was provided by regular classroom teachers," added Connor. "So, I think the findings demonstrate that we can help teachers become more effective through professional development, supported by technology."
Co-authors on this research include Frederick Morrison and Barry Fishman of the University of Michigan, Elizabeth Crowe and Christopher Schatschneider of Florida State University, and Stephanie Al Otaiba of the Southern Methodist University
This research was supported by the U.S. Department of Education Institute of Educational Sciences and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/E0EUAF21E20/130625121333.htm
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Heavyweights Matt Mitrione, Brendan Schaub exchange nasty insults on Twitter
UFC heavyweights Matt Mitrione and Brendan Schaub were once teammates on "The Ultimate Fighter." Since they both have backgrounds in football, that common ground would make for a good friendship, right? Well, not so much. They are fighting at UFC on Fox 8, and they exchanged some nasty insults on Twitter on Monday night.
Here's a sampling of what they had to say each other:
Planned parenthood should stop giving out birth control & start giving out copies of @BrendanSchaub 's 15 min. dry humping of Lavar Johnson
? Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione) June 25, 2013
@mattmitrione my man remember when you pissed your pants on TUF and you said fighting wasn't for you. I do and Well it still isn't.
? Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) June 25, 2013
@mattmitrione I didn't ask to fight you. Your being disciplined remember? Well.. joe silva thought of a terrible match up for you.
? Brendan Schaub (@BrendanSchaub) June 25, 2013
Someone asked me if @BrendanSchaub is married. Seriously? I saw his Jiu Jitsu match. How you gonna get married when you refuse to engage?
? Matt Mitrione (@mattmitrione) June 25, 2013
It got uglier, as they used language we're not fond of around here, as well as insults involving Mitrione's wife and comparing Schaub's looks to an actor with Down's Syndrome. The discipline Schaub is speaking of is Mitrione's short suspension for his comments about trans fighter Fallon Fox.
It's still a month out until they face off in the cage. Does this sort of trash talk make the fight more interesting to you? Speak up on Facebook or Twitter.
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Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Five Reasons Why You Love Sustainable Architecture
Chris Baribeau is principal architect and co-founder of Fayetteville, Ark.-based architecture firm Modus Studio. He contributed this article to LiveScience's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.
The images in this article depict ECO Modern Flats, a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for Homes Multifamily Platinum project located in Fayetteville, Ark. ? the first in the state to achieve that designation from the U.S. Green Building Council. The project was designed by Modus Studio.
The experience of architecture can be inspiring to all people in a daily, practical and sustainable way. Everyone deserves good space derived from good ideas ? and this is the mode in which our firm, Modus Studio, operates.
I draw daily inspiration and experience from the Ozarks, inhabiting the threshold between the natural and man-made world of the region where I live and work.
My colleagues and I founded the studio with the belief that awareness and observation of the world is a constant source for design and an unwritten instruction manual for living. We try to bridge the design profession with architecture, graphic, prototyping and fabrication work.
Over the last several years, we've worked on a wide range of well-received sustainable architectural projects in the region and nation, driven by sustainable design.
Now, let me share why I believe you should love modern and sustainable architecture.
Humans love nature
Mankind spends much of its existence overcoming the natural elements. We seek to strike a balance between modern comforts and our connection to nature. Sustainable and modern architecture, when done well, provides a kind of balance between the natural and the artificial environment by blurring the lines between indoor and outdoor in sensual material palettes while offering the expansion of smaller and more efficient spaces. People can harvest and control the natural elements as resources to enhance their lives.
It's cool (or warm, or perfectly comfortable)
Healthy living is underlined by superior indoor air quality, control over thermal comfort, and a high level of energy and resource conservation and efficiency. When you can have all three of these things in a beautiful and functional space to live, why wouldn't you?
People
At the heart of sustainability in our modern built environments is the connectivity of community. Making real changes in our world through smart design and construction requires people to recognize the power of community. We must reinforce the connections between people through good design to make safer, better maintained and long-lasting spaces. Sustainability is inherently found in providing a built environment that is embraced by those who use it.
You might get lucky
Clean lines, open spaces, warm materials, natural environments and modern forms are all independently sexy ... now put them all together.
It's now
In this age of high technology and mass communication, so much information is available to our society. Our continuing evolution demands that we progressively seek new ideas, thoughts, patterns, relationships and forms. Each of us only live once, and being part of something modern, sustainable and obtainable is ideal. Somewhere between our high-end gadgets and the possibilities of low-tech simple design solutions is a happy space waiting for each of us.
The views expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. This article was originally published on LiveScience.com .
Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Source: http://news.yahoo.com/five-reasons-why-love-sustainable-architecture-213552328.html
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Apple?s iOS 7 beta 2 to be released today
DEAR ABBY: I was taken away from my parents at 13 and placed into foster care, where I stayed until I aged out at 21. My biological mother is a drug addict who abandoned me to my father when I was 11. She never tried to contact me while I was in care.I am now 24 and she won't leave me alone. She sends Facebook messages that alternate between begging me to let her get to know me, and condemning me for being vindictive and not having forgiveness in my heart. Abby, this woman exposed me to drugs and all manner of seedy people and situations. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/apple-ios-7-beta-2-released-today-144521692.html
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Tuesday, June 25, 2013
RolePlayGateway?
Hello, RPG! I'm (obviously) new and would like to introduce myself to the community for the scarce few who actually take time out of their lives to welcome the newbies.
First off, my name is Daniel, but any variation of the name would suffice. I'm male, nineteen years of age, and have been roleplaying since I was about twelve or thirteen. My sister, actually, was the one who introduced me to the game (she's majoring in creative writing, no surprise there). I'm going to school as well, focusing on a BA in Computer Science and graphical arts. Only three more years of debt to go, woo!
I absolutely love dystopian-type scenarios, whether it be movies or video games or a plot. Speaking of video games, I am an avid gamer and have been since I was a wee lad. Chrono Trigger, Shadow of the Colossus and Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask are a few of my favorites. I love socializing and anything to do with people in general. Parties, get togethers, whatever. I'm a goddamn social butterfly.
Roleplaying-wise, I don't do 'VAMPIRE/HUMAN' pairings or 'DEMON/ANGEL' shit. That's stupid and unoriginal, don't even bother me with such petty ideas. My primary focus is fandoms, ranging anywhere from books to movies with their own individual unique plots. Again, I love dystopian-type plots, so if you have no idea what to suggest, let's come up with our own something. Creativity is key, eh?
My posts are fucking huge, at least from what I understand. They include top-notch grammar that form fluid and meaty paragraphs. I usually match my partners post, but please, multiple paragraphs at least, with something to work with. I won't just hand you a post that involves description of your previous post in my character's eyes, for example. Dat shet ain't koo w/ me, dawg.
That's pretty much it. I'm looking for friends, as well, so don't be afraid to shoot me a PM or whatever they're called. I'm great with conversation. :'D
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway
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Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Keeping up with the Times: Supporting Family Caregivers ... - AARP
Millions of Americans face financial difficulties or risk losing their jobs if they must take time off to care for family members .? As our population ages, the need for more supportive workplace leave policies becomes even more important.? This report highlights three public policy solutions to increase protections for working caregivers: unpaid family and medical leave, paid family and medical leave insurance, and earned sick time.? It presents an overview of each policy area, explains why workplace leave policies matter, and highlights states and localities that have adopted these protections.? The report also offers policy recommendations to strengthen family and medical leave policies in the workplace
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Channing Tatum Shares Photo Of Baby Girl Everly
Channing Tatum Shares Photo Of Baby Girl Everly
New parents Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan-Tatum shared an adorable family picture today on Father’s day, showing off their adorable newborn daughter to to the world. Channing is shown cradling tiny Everly as proud mother Jenna looks on. How precious! In a Facebook photo Channing wrote, “First Father’s Day with my girls.” The 33-year-old “Magic ...
Channing Tatum Shares Photo Of Baby Girl Everly Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News
Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/06/channing-tatum-shares-photo-of-baby-girl-everly/
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Naughtmuch Directory ? The tradition of Japanese tattoo designs
Tattoos are quite common nowadays, with nearly 1 in 4 individuals having one or more. Tattoo Designs represent a form of art, and allow people to broadcast who they really are. Even though they are popular, the majority of the people will end up regretting them. Generally, people that regret tattoos didn?t think about their design or take the time to choose the best tattoo for them. Even though it is possible to get a tattoo removed, the process is expensive and quite hurtful. To minimize the risk of this from happening, you need to take some time and find the perfect dream tattoo designs. You can find so much great Tattoo ideas in our Tattoo boxes!
The Lotus is usually a symbol which is often used within the Japanese Tattoo Designs. Easy said: the meaning is mystery, truth and (re-) birth, each of body and mind. The flower is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, Egyptians, Chinese and Japanese. Other meanings for the Lotus can be read to color or to numbers. The blooming Lotus also is a symbol for what ? enlightenment ? is mentioned. This meant it to full bloom range from flour, to full understanding of human existence with all its suffering and happiness, not only for yourself but for all life around you.
The standard Japanese tattoo designs are often completely created to the forms of the body and carefully planned and often cover a big area of the body. It usually takes years to complete because the work is often so large and sophisticated and it is of course very detailed and colored.In most cases the Western versions of these modern Oriental Japanese tattoo designs is much smaller.
Source: http://naughtmuch.com/the-tradition-of-japanese-tattoo-designs/
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Monday, June 17, 2013
J2 Global Communications: Future M&A May Drive A Substantial ...
Robust profitability, stable cash flow, healthy growth prospect, and attractive valuation are the key criteria for stock investing. J2 Global Communications (JCOM) is such a quality investment that offers all those merits. In this note, I will walk you through my investment analysis that supports my bullish view on the stock.
Business Overview
Founded in 1995, J2 is a technology company that provides cloud and digital media services to business and individual customers. The firm has two business segments - Cloud and Media (see slide below).
(click to enlarge)
The Cloud segment offers a variety of office cloud services to business clients. Under the Direct Inward Dial (DID) category, J2's products include eFax, MyFax, Fax.com, and SmartFax that enable business users to send and receive faxes through their email accounts. The firm's voice products including eVoice and OneBox help customer establish a virtual phone system with various enhancements. In the Non-DID category, J2's FuseMail and Campaigner products provide customers email, archival, perimeter protection, as well as enhanced email market solutions. The firm also offers data back-up CRM customer relationship solutions through KeepItSafe and CampaignerCRM. The Cloud segment derives its revenue mainly through subscription fee and patent licensing.
J2's Media segment operates two portfolios of web properties under Ziff Davis and IGN, respectively. Ziff Davis' web properties primarily provide trusted reviews of technology products, technology-oriented commentary, professional networking services, and online deals for business and individual customers. IGN operates IGN.com and AskMen.com, which offer leading gaming and men's lifestyle information services, respectively. The Media segment generates revenue primarily through selling display advertising, logo and copyright licensing, as well as customer and business leads.
Stock Overview
J2 has a market capitalization of $1.9B. The stock has steadily climbed by almost 66% over the past 60 months and is currently trading at its 5-year high of $42.30 with a 2.3% dividend yield (see chart below).
(click to enlarge)
Growth Strategy & Financials
As the Media business was recently acquired in November 2012, J2 generated a majority of its total revenue (97%) from the Cloud business in 2012. Despite the fact that the fax and voice cloud service market is fairly matured, J2 has managed to achieve a CAGR of 11.4% over the past 5 fiscal years through organic growth and numerous acquisitions (see chart below).
(click to enlarge)
J2's growth strategy has long been focusing on maintaining superior business margin and steady cash flow conversion. The robust cash flow then would be spent on M&A activities that help the company expand into adjacent markets where J2 can leverage its existing competencies to generate accretive return. The cash return from the acquired business and existing operation would again be invested in new acquisitions, forming a lucrative M&A cycle.
J2 has managed to sustain a very steady and robust margin trend over the past 5 years (see chart below). The company has also been able to convert at least 80% of EBITDA to operating cash flow every year (see chart below). Given the fairly matured fax and voice cloud businesses, the limited capital expenditure allows J2 to produce significant free cash flow. In the 5-year period, J2's levered free cash flow margin averaged at 40.3%, which is almost on par with its average EBIT margin of 41.9% (see chart below).
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
With the efficient cash-generating cycle, J2 has completed a total of 27 tuck-in transactions over the past 5 years, and the firm was able to produce at least a 20% annual return on equity in each year (see charts below).
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
Acquisition of Ziff Davis and IGN
In November 2012, J2 made a modestly transformational move by acquiring Ziff Davis, a digital media company that operates various websites providing technology-oriented review, commentary, and networking services. The company further expanded its presence in the digital media space by acquiring IGN in February 2013. The two transactions were aimed to improve J2's growth profile and ultimately strengthen the company's cash flow position to better service the M&A cycle.
By the end of 2013, J2 expects the Media segment to represent approximately 25% of the revenue mix and the company's overall margin to be slightly lower in the near term due to the higher fixed cost for the Media business. But given that the segment remains in an early growth phase and digital media is a secular growth space as opposed to the existing fax and voice cloud businesses, the margin profile is forecasted to improve over time as the Media revenue grows.
In a company presentation in May 2013, J2 provided a few updates on Ziff Davis' recent performance (see slide below) and IGN's integration status. Both Ziff Davis' web visits and page views have increased markedly by 19% and 30%, respectively, in Q1 2013 on a year-over-year basis. Its revenue has ramped up by 22% in the quarter and EBITDA has risen substantially by 152% year-over-year. On the IGN side, all of the originally planned IGN integration has been executed successfully, which includes divesting some non-core assets as well as reducing headcounts and other non-staff costs.
(click to enlarge)
Upside Driver 1 - Ample Liquidity for Continued Acquisitions
The stellar stock performance over the past 5 years is believed to be largely driven by a series of J2's M&A activities as J2's management has demonstrated its ability to pursue accretive transactions and implement business integration as planned. Going forward, I expect J2 to continue having ample liquidity to sustain the current acquisition pace, which allows the company to gradually shift away from the matured fax and voice businesses.
I have performed the following quantitative analysis with some conservative assumptions to demonstrate J2's acquisition firepower:
1) Currently, the consensus estimates predict J2 to generate EBITDA of $230.3M and $245.3M in 2013 and 2014, respectively. To establish my own EBITDA assumptions, I discounted the consensus estimates by 3% and only considered $223.4M and $237.9M as my estimated EBITDA for 2013 and 2014.
2) Given the fact that J2 has managed to improve its EBITDA to levered free cash flow conversion rate somewhat steadily from 79% in 2008 to 89% in 2012 (see chart below), it would be reasonable and conservative to assume an 82% conversion rate for 2013 and 2014, which is near the low end of the 5-year historical range.
(click to enlarge)
3) Under those assumptions, J2 would generate $183.2M and $195.1M in levered free cash flow in 2013 and 2014, respectively, which would be available for acquisition, dividend payout, and share repurchase.
4) J2 paid out a total dividend of $40.3M and bought back approximately $60.3M value of shares in 2012. The dividend per share has been growing at an annualized rate of 12% since 2011. By fixing the dividend growth rate and assuming a 3% growth in share repurchase, the total capital return would consume about $108.5M and $117.0M of the total free cash flow in 2013 and 2014, leaving $74.7M and $78.0M cash available for M&A activities in the two years.
Essentially, the above analysis suggests that J2's existing operations would be able to generate sufficient funding to support medium-size tuck-in acquisitions without impacting the capital return plan. In addition, J2's other funding sources include an ample cash pile of $294M as of March 31, 2013 and a $40M revolving facility which has not been drawn. Moreover, the company currently has a net cash position of $49.2M. Given J2's robust cash generating capability, the company would be able to assume additional debt at a reasonable cost, giving J2 a strong financial capacity to go after some larger transformational deals.
Upside Driver 2 - Significant Valuation Upside Potential
Despite the strong price run-up in the past 5 years, I believe the stock remains cheap as the company's future growth potential has not been fully priced in. Even with a 5-year price appreciation of 55%, J2's trailing P/E multiple is now just slightly above the 5-year historical average (see chart below).
(click to enlarge)
The stock's forward P/E multiple has expanded by 20% over the past 6 months from 11.9x to 14.3x, which may seem to be significant. However, considering the facts that the company's consensus revenue, EBITDA, and EPS estimates for the current and next fiscal years have all experienced very substantial upward revisions over the period and that the firm's consensus 5-year earnings growth estimate has also been raised from 7.6% to 10.8%, the 20% multiple expansion is completely warranted (see charts below, sourced from S&P Capital IQ).
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
(click to enlarge)
Further, although the forward multiple gap between J2 and S&P 500 Index has narrowed from 12% to 6% over the 6-month period (see chart below), the below-market valuation still looks very compelling as I believe J2's current fundamentals and growth potential should reasonably command an above-market valuation provided that 1) J2's 5-year consensus earnings growth estimate at 10.8% is notably above the average estimate of 8.2% for the S&P 500 Index; 2) J2's various operating metrics including profitability margins, ROE, ROIC, and free cash flow margin are markedly above the market averages; and 3) J2's current dividend yield is in line with the S&P 500's average and the stock price is also supported by the buyback program.
(click to enlarge)
I also performed a 10-year DCF valuation to gauge the various assumptions that are implied by the current share price (see DCF template below).
(click to enlarge)
To yield a share value close to the current price of $42.30, the following key assumptions were incorporated in my model:
1) Revenue growth rate was assumed to decline from 4.6% in 2014 to 1.5% in the terminal year, representing a 10-year CAGR of just 3.0%. It is noted that J2's management has indicated the company's organic growth would likely to be around 8% year-over-year over the medium term, while the current model assumption is substantially below that expectation.
2) EBITDA margin was assumed to be constant at 43% from 2015 to the terminal year. This margin assumption was also much more conservative than management's expectation that the margin will potentially expand over time (currently at 46.5% as of March 31, 2013 on a trailing 12-month basis) as a large portion of the Media segment's cost is fixed while the segment revenue would continue to grow.
3) Depreciation and tax rates were forecasted based on their historical percentage to the total revenue.
4) Capital expenditure as percentage of the revenue was assumed to rise from 2.5% in 2013 to 7.0% in 2019 to account for the case that J2 may increase spending to boost the Media segment performance. The ratio was then modeled to decline to 4.0% in the terminal year. It is noted that the ratio estimates are considerably above the historical range.
5) Net working capital investment was projected based on its historical relationship with the total revenue.
6) A WACC of 10.7% was used. The assumptions used in the calculation were conservative. For example, a 3.5% company specific risk premium was added to account for the financial projection risk (though a number of them were already very conservative).
Apparently, the current share price has not priced in any upside resulted from future acquisitions. Even for the organic growth case, the current share price has only baked in a very conservative scenario.
Upside Driver 3 - Dividend Hike and Increased Share Repurchase
Due to the strong cash flow generation, J2 initiated its first dividend of $0.20 per share in August 2011. Since then, the dividend payment has been raised 7 times and by 20% to the current $0.24 level. As the Cloud business continues to generate steady cash flow with additional contribution from the high-growth Media segment, it is expected that management would continue raising the dividend and size of share buyback. Based on my liquidity analysis discussed previously, the probability that J2 would sacrifice the dividend growth for continued M&A expansion is likely to be low as the firm is currently sitting on a large cash balance and also has an ample borrowing capacity.
Conclusion
J2's strong profitability and cash flow generation allow management to continue executing the organic and M&A expansion strategy. As the current share valuation has not yet matched the company's fundamentals and growth prospects, I would strongly recommend buying the shares at the current level. My target share price of $52 is 23% above the current price and is derived from a revised DCF model with more reasonable revenue, EBITDA, and capital expenditure assumptions (see DCF model below). Based on the consensus next 12 months EPS estimate of $2.99, my $52 price target implies a forward P/E multiple of 17.4x. Factoring in J2's consensus 5-year earnings growth estimate of 10.8%, the stock's 5-year PEG ratio of 1.7x remains below the S&P 500's average of 1.8x (calculated with 15.1x forward P/E and 8.2% long-term earnings growth estimate). It should be noted that my $52 target is still not reflective of any future M&A upside, and as such, potential return could be even higher.
(click to enlarge)
All facts and data used in the article are sourced from S&P Capital IQ, company financial filings, and company presentation unless otherwise specified.
Disclosure: I am long JCOM. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.
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NASA picks 8 new astronauts, 4 of them women
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) ? NASA has eight new astronauts ? its first new batch in four years.
The space agency announced its newest astronaut class Monday. Among the lucky candidates: the first female fighter pilot to become an astronaut in nearly two decades. A female helicopter pilot also is in the group. In fact, four of the eight are women, the highest percentage of female astronaut candidates ever selected by NASA.
The eight were chosen from more than 6,000 applications, the second largest number ever received. They will report for duty in August at Johnson Space Center in Houston.
NASA Administrator Charles Bolden says these new candidates will help lead the first human mission to an asteroid, and then Mars.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nasa-picks-8-astronauts-4-them-women-151019151.html
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Tahiti debuts at major soccer tournament
By ROB HARRIS
AP Sports Writer
Associated Press Sports
updated 3:31 a.m. ET June 17, 2013
BELO HORIZONTE, Brazil (AP) - Coming from a tiny island in the South Pacific to the huge country of Brazil, a group of men from Tahiti is preparing to play some of the best soccer teams in the world.
Tahiti's national team will make its debut at a major FIFA tournament on Monday when it plays African champion Nigeria at the Confederations Cup.
Tahiti, one of the world's most remote islands with a population of only 178,000, will be playing against a nation of 170 million in front of a global television audience of millions.
"We will write a page of international history," Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta said through a translator. "This will be our first very high level match."
Ranked 138th by FIFA, sandwiched between Syria and Afghanistan, Tahiti qualified for the World Cup warm-up tournament ahead of 2010 World Cup qualifier New Zealand by winning the Oceania Nations Cup.
There is only one professional player on the team - Marama Vahirua. The striker, who plays for Greek club Panthrakikos, is the only Tahitian to play professionally outside the island.
But even for Vahirua, the trip to Brazil is a new experience as the team gets surrounded by security, quizzed by the world media, and prepares to play in some of the most famous venues in the sport.
"Everything is rather new, I have never lived this before," Vahirua said through a translator at a news conference attended by only two reporters from Tahiti.
"I have never been at such a tournament. It will be a very first time for me as well. I will try not to be shy."
Of the 23 players, Tahiti coach Eddie Etaeta said nine are unemployed, while others have day jobs as delivery boys, truck drivers, physical education teachers and accountants.
"They don't want to be ridiculed, they want to show ... we are up to the task," Vahirua said.
Tahiti will be playing teams in Brazil not only full of professional players, but also earning big money.
Facing Nigeria first seems like good fortune from the draw, given that world and European champion Spain is next in Group B, followed by South American champion Uruguay.
"The players are all aware there is a chasm between the professional and amateur world," Vahirua said. "I think tomorrow we will not be on a par with Nigeria ... they have been professional for years.
"But mentally we are ready. We will fight like lions and we will do anything to represent our country."
The Nigeria match will be played at the Mineirao, a renovated stadium that is one of Brazil's most revered soccer venues with a capacity exceeding 62,000.
The biggest stadium in Tahiti can only seat 10,000, and the players have heard tapes of crowd noises to prepare them for the atmosphere expected in Brazil.
"I don't feel at ease because it's not what we are used to at home," Etaeta said. "When I got here and saw this huge stadium I felt a bit cold. It's a stadium loaded with history ... In the dressing room I was really astonished to see these huge lockers."
The trip for Tahiti is about putting in credible performances - and avoiding embarrassments such as their record 10-0 loss to New Zealand in 2004 - rather than being star-struck by opponents.
With the experience gained in Brazil, Etaeta hopes the team's chances of becoming more competitive on the field will be enhanced. Because after leaving Brazil, it will be back to playing in front of tiny crowds with little interest from the rest of the world.
"Today the star is Tahiti," Etaeta said. "I'm proud the whole of media looks to Tahiti ... and we will try to draw lessons so we can improve our football."
---
Rob Harris can be reached at http://twitter.com/RobHarris
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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More newsNo reprieve for El Tri
PST: Mario Balotelli scored late to boost Italy past Mexico in their Confederations Cup opener, adding further to the troubles of El Tri coach Jose Manuel de la Torre.
Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/52226812/ns/sports-soccer/
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