streetcar calcareous: June 2012

Friday, June 29, 2012

Faster search, better photo sharing in new Android

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/faster-search-better-photo-sharing-android-222359771--finance.html

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Adele Had Her Heart Broken By A Bisexual Boyfriend / Queerty

? CHASING PAVEMENT

Chart-topping chanteuse Adele had her heart broken by a boyfriend who left her for her gay best friend, according to a new unauthorized biography.

According to Adele: The Biography by Marc Shapiro, it was on the ?Rolling in the Deep? singer?s 18th birthday that the whole messy affair blew up. ?Adele had professed her love and he did the same; she had known he was bisexual but, in the rush of romance, felt they could make it work,? writes Shapiro. ?Four hours after laying their emotional cards on the table, the boy ran off with one of Adele?s gay friends.?

Four hours? That?s hardly enough time for your nails to dry, let alone get your heart broken. And it?s not like Adele got the short end of the deal: The non-affair supposedly inspired two songs on 19,? ?Hometown Glory? and ?Daydreamer,? and fueled her songwriting for Grammy smash 21.

That?s a lot more than Kelly Osbourne, another big girl burned by a bisexual beau, got.

Source: http://www.queerty.com/adele-had-her-heart-broken-by-a-bisexual-boyfriend-20120627/

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TweakTown: Apple post $2.6 million bond for GALAXY Tab 10.1 injunction by @anthony256 http://t.co/j7FeuCzv #business_financial_and_legal

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Louis C.K. rakes in $4.5 million in ticket experiment

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Thursday, June 28, 2012

Egoscue ? Exercises for low back pain | Diet-Fitness-Health-Healthy ...

From the owners of the Egoscue Clinic in Austin, Texas, here are three exercises you can use if you are suffering from low back pain. Try them out and then give us feedback, we?d love to hear from you at Austin@Egoscue.com!
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The $4 iPhone Paper Speaker Booster We Want To Hate But Kind Of Love [Speakers]

Click here to read The $4 iPhone Paper Speaker Booster We Want To Hate But Kind Of Love

It can't compare to the sound quality you'll get from a hefty speaker dock, or even the compact Jambox, but neither of those options are as eco-friendly, or cheap, as this foldable paper cone that slips over the end of your iPhone 4. More »

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The Next Generation of Video Game Consoles

June 28th, 2012 at 5:00 am -

This Christmas we will reach 7 years since the launch of the Xbox 360 and 6 since the launch of the PS3 and the Nintendo Wii. Now since it?s clear that Nintendo are going in a completely different direction, we will concentrate on Microsoft and Sony who are likely to do something a little more radical in their development of their next generation consoles. Here are the key points that both Microsoft and Sony will have to cover:

Going Digital

Retail stores are still a major part of sales for the video game industry but the recent problems with UK retailer Game have exposed their vulnerabilities. Ultimately the major companies in the video game industry would benefit from no longer relying upon retailers, as a digital copy of a game cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. For example, a game which is purchased and downloaded direct from a console?s marketplace benefits from a lack of manufacturing costs, no disc, case or manual needs to be produced. This also cuts out the retailer, who would normally take a share of the sales, increasing the profit margin for both the developer and publisher. Perhaps the biggest reason why digital downloads are the future of the industry however, is the fact that a digital copy cannot be traded in and resold as a second hand game. When a second hand game is sold by a retailer, the publisher and developer does not get any money from the sale, this cuts into their profit margin and is especially harmful to small-medium sized companies.

Keeping up with PC Gaming

The big advantage that a PC still has over a console is the ability to keep up with modern advances in graphics and PC power by swapping graphics cards in and out. Games such as Battlefield 3 and Crysis just look better and run smoother on high end PC?s.? If Sony or Microsoft can find a way to keep their hardware up to date, then that could be a major selling point for their next console. It?s unlikely that there will be as big an improvement in visuals as there was between the PS2 and the PS3 for example, but there is going to have to be some sort of improvement if consumers are going to be tempted to upgrade to new hardware. Game developer Epic games has become one of the first companies to show what they might be able to do in terms of visuals in the future, showing off their next version of the Unreal Engine at E3 2012.

The price point

Sony made a big mistake when they released the PS3 with a ?500 RRP just a year after Microsoft had launched the Xbox 360 for ?280. Sony?s initial struggles were largely a result of their failure to convince consumers that their console was significantly better than Microsoft?s. As a result they lost out on a number of exclusives due to the 360?s much larger install base. While sales of the PS3 have since picked up pace, especially in Europe, Sony would have been in a much healthier position if their launch had been stronger. It is then, vitally important for both companies to get the price point right first time round or risk failing to entice consumers to invest in new hardware.

Release date

For Microsoft, releasing a whole year earlier than the PlayStation 3 proved to be a big advantage. When they released the Xbox 360 they had no competition, with the PlayStation 2 nearing the end of its life cycle, this meant that consumers only had one choice to make, whether to buy an Xbox 360 or buy nothing at all. For Sony this caused many issues when they released the PS3, many gamers had already invested in an Xbox 360 and were not willing to spend a significant amount of money on yet another console. On top of this, Microsoft had already built up a solid library of games and had many more ready for release, making their product far more attractive. Something that they will both have to also keep in mind when deciding upon a release date is when making sure that there are no major current generation games being released around the same time, as this would devalue the need for buying a new console altogether. If Rockstar release the next Grand Theft Auto on current systems, it could be argued that they still have plenty to offer.

Games

Having an attractive selection of games is a big selling point for a console, if you give gamers titles which have unique features which can only be run on a new console then you give them a reason to go out and buy it. Making existing games for current gen consoles compatible with next gen machines is also important. If consumers know that they can still play the games they already own on the new system, there will be less hesitation in moving on. Shortly after Microsoft launched the Xbox 360, they had big games like Halo 3 and new franchises like Gears of War available to consumers. On the other hand Sony had several great games, such as Resistance: Fall of Man and Motorstorm, but didn?t have any major titles to drive sales.

So it is clear that both Sony and Microsoft are going to have to make sure they consider a number of different factors when releasing new hardware. They will need to ensure that they have a unique selling point to make their products attractive to the consumer. Sony especially simply cannot afford to get it wrong a second time round as the company is already struggling to cope with slumping sales in its other product lines. While Microsoft will be desperate to continue the momentum gained by the Xbox 360.

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Murdoch's News Corp considering splitting in two

NEW YORK/LONDON (Reuters) - Rupert Murdoch's News Corp said it is considering splitting into two publicly traded companies, sending its shares up 6 percent as investors bet the troubled publishing business will be spun out of the more lucrative entertainment arm.

Shareholders have been pushing for some time for News Corp to get rid of its newspapers business, after a phone hacking scandal hit Murdoch's British newspapers and forced the company to drop its proposed acquisition of pay-TV group BSkyB.

A split would be the clearest sign that the global media conglomerate is making a break from its newspaper roots, and will raise new questions about the succession plan at the family-controlled business with an 81-year old patriarch.

Many investors have said they favor Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey to take the chief executive job running the entertainment business, perhaps with Murdoch as chairman.

Murdoch's children Elizabeth and James, both senior News Corp executives, are expected to stay with the entertainment unit. It is less clear who would run the publishing business, with options including Murdoch himself, the return of his eldest son Lachlan to an executive role, or Joel Klein, the head of News Corp's fledgling education business.

In a one-sentence statement, News Corp confirmed news reports that it is "considering a restructuring to separate its business into two distinct publicly traded companies." The conglomerate gave no other details.

According to one person familiar with the situation, a move to separate entertainment and publishing is being championed by Carey as a way to boost shareholder value.

The matter has been under discussion for a "considerable period of time" and no final decision has been made, a second source said, adding that no plan has yet been formally proposed to the board.

A third source with knowledge of the matter said a plan to break up the company Murdoch has controlled for more than 50 years ago is under "serious consideration."

"There became a moment when he started to realize this would be the best way to allow both businesses to grow in their own way," the person said. All three sources spoke on condition of anonymity.

ANOTHER TILT AT BSKYB

Carey said in May that management and the board had discussed spinning off the publishing business following investor pressure but did not have any plans to push ahead at that time.

The Australian-born Murdoch made his name by buying newspapers in Australia and then the News of the World, the Sun and the Times newspapers in Britain, and he talks often about his love for newspapers and the publishing industry.

Murdoch had earlier opposed a split, and as recently as May said the group was not considering spinning off its British newspapers to protect the rest of the empire.

Analysts believe investors and some management felt emboldened by the hacking scandal to push for a change. The Wall Street Journal, which is owned by News Corp, reported that the Murdoch family is not expected to lose its effective control of any of the businesses involved if a split goes through.

London-based analyst Ian Whittaker at Liberum Capital said a spinoff of the publishing division could enable News Corp to make another bid for BSkyB once the hacking scandal died down.

"It makes sense, given that the newspaper part has been the scandal-hit element of the business," he said. "It also suggests that they may even have another tilt at Sky in the medium term. I imagine it would be seen as positive by the shareholders outside of the family."

News Corp pulled its $12 billion bid for the 61 percent of BSkyB it did not already own last July, under a weight of public outrage sparked by the admission that staff at the News of the World tabloid had repeatedly hacked into phones to source salacious stories.

Shares of News Corp plummeted last year, at the height of the hacking scandal, before recovering this year to hit four-year highs, helped by a $10 billion share buyback program. The stock was up 6.1 percent at $21.31 in early afternoon trading.

PUBLISHING UNIT

News Corp's film and television businesses include the 20th Century Fox film studio, Fox broadcasting network and Fox News channel. The entertainment business, which generated revenues of $23.5 billion in the year to June 2011, would dwarf the publishing unit, which posted $8.8 billion in revenue.

The publishing division includes the HarperCollins book publisher, the education arm headed by Klein, and newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, the Times of London, the Sun, the New York Post and The Australian.

Publishing, including integrated marketing services, accounts for around 7 percent of News Corp's enterprise value, according to analysts at Barclays Capital. It estimates that publishing represents 24 percent of revenues and around 11 percent of operating income.

News Corp's 39 percent stake in BSkyB came under scrutiny in the spring after a British parliamentary committee questioned whether Murdoch was "fit and proper" to run the business.

British regulator Ofcom is currently deliberating that point among others and is due to make a decision in coming weeks.

"It's about Ofcom deciding whether the company is fit and proper to hold a broadcast license," said Canaccord Genuity analyst Thomas Eagan. "This split would help ameliorate those concerns."

The hacking scandal reverberated throughout the wider New York-based media conglomerate and disrupted what was thought to have been a smooth plan for Murdoch to be succeeded as CEO by his youngest son, James.

It has also revealed the close relationships in Britain between the government and News Corp executives. Police have arrested over 50 News Corp staff and public officials while the former head of the British newspaper division Rebekah Brooks, a close confidante to Murdoch, is awaiting a trial for interfering with the police investigation.

(Reporting by Kate Holton in London, Yinka Adegoke and Peter Lauria in New York, Mark Hosenball in Washington DC, Ron Grover in Los Angeles, Balaji Sridharan and Siddharth Cavale in Bangalore; Editing by Matt Driskill, Hans-Juergen Peters, John Wallace and M.D. Golan)

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ABC-CLIO Blog: Another Reason You Should Want Gay/Lesbian ...

By:?Martin Kantor, MD

Gay Pride Week is among the best of times to contemplate the political realities of gay marriage. It is crucial that marriage be an option for those gay men, as well as?lesbians,?who strongly believe that being officially married feels right, and should be available to them without their having to beg for it, or having to spend too many hours away from home trying to alter the political scene just to get something they should by rights already have. But the issue of ?is it desirable for you?? is as important as the issue of ?should it be legal for everyone?? For gay men?and lesbians need to see marriage not only in terms of its practical benefits, but also in terms of ?what are its joys as well as its challenges?? Will you be contented if you enter into a permanent gay?or lesbian?partnership? Is gay/lesbian?marriage the royal road to your happiness?

Gay?and lesbian?marriage,?like anything else,?has its downsides. It?s squarer, more establishment, more routine, and more predictable than any of the alternatives. You lose some freedom, you have to make some compromises, and you have to think of someone besides yourself. You take on some financial risk and you take on emotional risk too just by getting involved with and trusting another person. But in my opinion being single is even harder, and far less fun. Being married is a sanctuary; it keeps you healthy and stabilizes you emotionally; it keeps you from needing to depend on the kindnesses of strangers; it helps you build a life by giving you something to do and someone to do it with.?Professionally you will be better able to concentrate on your job instead of expending all your energy searching. And it helps you be happy forever, not just when you are young. Should you get sick you will have a caring hand to help make you well, and when you die you will have something to leave behind, and someone to leave it to.

So my message at this time is this: work not only to make?such?marriage a political reality, also work at making a permanent partnership your personal goal. Make that happen for you as it happened to me. Discover the happiness, joy, peace, and harmony of a wonderful marital relationship. Help others partake of this particular blessing. Be also blessed on your own by what you have helped create.?

Martin Kantor, MD

This book is an invaluable resource manual and survival guide for gay men who often turn to peers, parents, educators, or the media for direction, only to encounter misleading myths about gay life, such as the notion that "coming out solves everything."

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Michael Jackson's tiger dies of lung cancer

This image provided by Bill Dow shows a tiger formerly owned by Michael Jackson,named Thriller, shown in California. Thriller, the tiger that belonged to Michael Jackson when the entertainer lived at Neverland, died of lung cancer at Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve near Los Angeles on June 11, 2012. (AP Photo/Bill Dow) MANDATORY CREDIT

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Thriller, a tiger that belonged to Michael Jackson when the entertainer lived at his Neverland ranch, has died of lung cancer at actress-activist Tippi Hedren's wildlife preserve in California.

The 13-year-old, 375-pound tiger died June 11, Hedren said Wednesday. An autopsy was performed and the tiger was cremated. Staff workers will hold a private service when the ashes are buried in a section of the preserve set aside for animals that die there.

Thriller and her brother Sabu were born on Nov. 20, 1998, and lived with Jackson until May 4, 2006, Hedren said.

When Jackson left Neverland for good, his veterinarian asked Hedren to take the cats at her Shambala Preserve in Acton, about 50 miles north of Los Angeles.

Other Neverland animals, including giraffes, flamingos, orangutans, elephants and dozens of reptiles, were sent to other sanctuaries in other parts of the country.

Shambala didn't have a lot of room, but Hedren built a $79,000 habitat next to the preserve's lake and there were trees and a hill and Thriller had a great life with Sabu, she said.

"Thriller was a real piece of work, one gutsy girl. She ruled Sabu's life. It was humorous to watch the whole relationship. She did things to him that male tigers would normally never allow. She would steal food from him. That's unheard of. She ruled the roost, was very independent and tough," Hedren said.

Unlike many of the animals at the preserve, Thriller and Sabu arrived at the compound in excellent health physically and emotionally, Hedren said.

There are 15 tigers at the compound, but Sabu is now alone in the habitat he shared with Thriller and he'll probably stay that way, Hedren said.

Tigers are loners in the wild, she explained.

Because Thriller was a famous tiger, she was very popular with visitors and media, Hedren said. "She didn't care. She was not a diva and didn't mug for the camera. We all loved her for it."

Staff was trying to cope with Thriller's death, Hedren said. "It's very hard for all of us when these animals go away. Fortunately for Sabu and Thriller, they came in healthy and content. They had no problem with being in quarantine for 30 days. They adjusted so well."

Most of the animals at Shambala, which requires $75,000 in donations every month to stay open, have trouble adjusting because they have such abusive pasts, Hedren said.

Jackson, who died in 2009, often talked about his love of animals, but he never called to check on the tigers and he never sent any money to help pay for their care, Hedren said.

A year after the tigers arrived, Hedren said staff sent a package of photos of Sabu and Thriller and T-shirts and other memorabilia to Jackson's children, "but we never heard a word back. I just think it's odd."

A call to a spokesman for Jackson's estate was not immediately returned. The estate did not exist when the animals were transferred.

___

Online:

http://www.shambala.org

Associated Press

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Black BeautyShop Health Foundation Launches 'Beauty N Black ...

American Diabetes Association and AIDS Healthcare Foundation are National Supporters

Saturday, June 30th Kick-off in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES ? In an effort to improve the health of African American families, the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will turn beauty salons into centers for health information and screening, starting with a June 30th launch in Los Angeles. Women visiting the salons will have the opportunity to talk with experts about common health concerns and to get screened by a health professional for diabetes, high blood pressure and HIV. The Black BeautyShop Health Foundation? will produce the nine-city tour in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association and the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

Women are the health CEO of the family,? said Margo LaDrew, executive director of the Black BeautyShop Health Foundation. ?Given that black women visit the salon an average of 2.5 times a month, the beauty shop is an ideal place to educate women and equip them with practical tools for improving their family?s health.?

Ms. LaDrew is an expert at the intersection of beauty and health for African American women. She is a former divisional sales manager with Carson-Johnson products, which is a leader in hair care brands for black women. Additionally, Ms. LaDrew spent more than four years with the Black Barbershop Health Outreach Program. Under that organization?s banner, she assisted the founder in developing, launching and implementing all programs, coordinated the national tours and also produced the African American Men?s Health & Empowerment Summits. All told, Ms. LaDrew helped to deliver health screenings to more than 25,000 men in 26 cities before stepping down in June 2011.

Spurred by her success in the arena of black men?s health, Ms. LaDrew founded the Black BeautyShop Health Foundation, whose mission is to turn Black women?s interest in beauty and personal care into opportunities for raising their awareness of how to prevent and manage disease. In addition to bringing health information into beauty shops, in 2012 the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will sponsor free day-long health and beauty expos in Atlanta; Chicago; Dallas; New York City; Oakland, CA; Richmond, VA; Washington, DC, and Philadelphia.

Susan Evans, MD, a nationally acclaimed dermatologist and media personality who serves as Ambassador for the initiative, said, ?As a dermatologist, I know that skin is the window to overall health. I believe the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will help Black women make the connection between external beauty and internal health.? Toward that end, Dr. Evans will make personal appearances at events in Los Angeles and several cities during the tour.

American Diabetes Association National Collaboration

Recognizing that diabetes impacts nearly 15 percent of African Americans over age 20, the Black BeautyShop Health Foundation is collaborating with the American Diabetes Association (the Association), which will leverage its relationships with local health care agencies and health professionals and provide diabetes educational materials.

According to Earnestine Walker, director of African-American and older initiatives for the American Diabetes Association, the tour will enhance the work of the Association, which has a long record of commitment to black communities. ?I am delighted to collaborate with the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour,? said Ms. Walker. ?Sometimes women neglect themselves to take care of others. But by encouraging women to take better care of themselves inside and out, this program helps women get healthier and take action to improve the health of their families and communities.?

AIDS Healthcare Foundation National Partnership

Given that nearly half of those living with HIV in the United States are African American, the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour is partnering with the AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) to provide women with life-saving information about preventing and managing HIV/AIDS. In several tour cities, AHF and its local partners will provide free rapid HIV testing on one of its mobile testing vans.

?The AIDS epidemic is hitting African Americans harder than any other ethnic group in the US,? said Whitney Engeran-Cordova, senior director of public health for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, a global organization that is the largest provider of HIV/AIDS medical care in the United States. ?It is essential that we find effective methods for communicating with Black women,? he continued. ?We believe the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will make a difference because it places HIV education and testing in a context that is relevant to black women?s lives.?

Los Angeles Event

On June 30, the Beauty N Black Wellness Tour will launch in salons throughout Los Angeles. Participating salons include: Brenda?s Talk Of The Town; Chic Hair; Detour Hair Studio; End Results Hair Salon; Edmondson?s The Ivory Coast Hair Salon; Gaynale & Company Beauty Salon; Hair Architects Barber & Beauty Salon; Indulgent Concept Hair Studio; K Salon; Pacific Beauty College of Los Angeles; Shear Creations; Spa 313 Salon; Tame Salon; and The Last Tangle. Activities will also take place at Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza?s Community Room.

Medical partners for the event are: Mu Chi Chapter Nursing Sorority; Practicing the Art of Dentistry (Raymont Johnson, Jr., DDS); Santa Monica College School of Nursing; and Westwood College Medical Assisting Program.

The sponsors of the Los Angeles event are: Clear Essence; Los Angeles Region Champions for Change; Los Angeles View Park National Council of Negro Women, Inc.; PhRMA; and Susan G. Komen for the Cure ? Los Angeles County.

Source: BUSINESS WIRE

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Zynga reveals 'FarmVille 2,' new social gaming network

9 hrs.

Winda Benedetti

The company behind "FarmVille," revealed Tuesday that a?sequel?to its enormously popular Facebook game is in the works and that it is creating a social network of its very own to bring gamers together.

In San Francisco during an event at Zynga's headquarters, the company unveiled a host of new ?games and?also took the wraps off its Zynga With Friends network, which it?describes as "a?unified experience that will connect all players on any platform."

The event comes at a time when the company's?stock has?slid?well below its December 2011 $10 IPO price and as its Facebook user numbers have been declining.

But during Tuesday's "Zynga Unleashed" event, Mark Pincus, founder and CEO of Zynga, said?the company would show off "the products and technology that represent the next generation of Zynga."

"Our pipeline of new games represents more genres of play that expand our audience, more mobile ways to play and more dimensions of play that will deliver the next generation of fun and social," he said.?

The most important news from Tuesday's event was Zynga's revelation that it is trying to spread its wings and fly the Facebook coop ? to a degree. Zynga said it is working on its own Zynga With Friends network ? an attempt to bring all its players together under one umbrella, as well as?reduce its dependence on the social network behemoth.

The company said the?Zynga With Friends network?will connect gamers playing on Facebook, iOS, Android, Zynga.com and?elsewhere.?It's not clear when the network will officially launch, but officials said?Zynga with Friends will include a virtual?lobby where you can see what your friends are playing, the ability to?live?chat with other players, the ability to go?head-to-head in multiplayer matches, and a live "Social Stream" where you can get access items you need to advance your games.

New social network or not, the San Francisco company?is still well tied?to Facebook ? the place where hits like "FarmVille," "Texas HoldEm Poker" and "Mafia Wars" have taken?off ... and where most people and players reside. Meanwhile, Zynga announced that it is bringing a?variety?of new games to Facebook.

Zynga didn't reveal much about "FarmVille 2" other than to say it was "coming soon." But it is big news, considering that the first "FarmVille" launched back in 2009 and skyrocketed to popularity on Facebook. With age, however, it has bled users. According to AppData, it currently boasts?21.7 million monthly active users, down from some 60 million monthly active users at its peak.

On the heels of "FarmVille's" success, Zynga has kept a fresh flow of "Ville"-themed games coming ? i.e.?"CityVille" and "CastleVille." And on Tuesday the company outlined?two more games coming to the franchise. One is called simply "The Ville," and the other is called "ChefVille."

Zynga calls "The Ville" its "most social game to-date." According to a?press release, "The Ville" will have players build the (virtual)?home of their dreams. The release explains: "The more people you interact with the more happiness you obtain in the game. As you level up in the game you unlock new objects for your home, and by building relationships with other avatars you unlock new interactions."

That probably sounds familiar to anyone who has played one of the games from Electronic Arts'?long-running "Sims" franchise. But we'll see for sure Wednesday, when "The Ville" launches on Facebook (it's also coming "soon" to Zynga.com).

Meanwhile, in "ChefVille" players will create personalized?kitchens?and cook up a variety of?dishes (pizza,?steak Florentine, orange chicken, etc.). When you master a virtual?dish, you'll be sent an email containing?the recipe so you can?cook it?in your real-world?kitchen. Zynga says "ChefVille" is coming soon to both?Facebook and Zynga.com.

But the Ville franchise wasn't the only one to get new games.?Zynga also announced that its fifth game in the?"With Friends" series?(think "Words with Friends")?has launched on iOS devices today. The latest game is called "Matching With Friends," and is a social puzzle game in which players match color blocks on a game board (see trailer above).

Unfortunately for Zynga, the Unleashed event did not unleash a stock rally for the company.?Zynga shares closed 5 percent lower on Tuesday.

Winda Benedetti writes about video?games for msnbc.com. You can follow her tweets about games and other things?on Twitter?here?@WindaBenedetti?and you?follow her?on Google+. Meanwhile, be sure to check?out the?IN-GAME?FACEBOOK PAGE?to discuss the day's?gaming news and reviews.?

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Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Video: First Read Minute

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Weary investors sell stocks as Spain seeks help

NEW YORK (AP) ? Europe's latest efforts to quell its financial crisis left investors exasperated Monday, causing steep losses in stock markets on both sides of the Atlantic.

The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 138 points to close at 12,502.66, a loss of 1.1 percent. The broader Standard & Poor's 500 index fell even more, 1.6 percent.

In Europe, Spain formally asked for help to rescue the country's ailing banks, but its request left many questions unanswered, including how much it needs of the $125 billion loan package offered by other European governments. The uncertainty unsettled markets, pushing borrowing costs higher for Spain's government. Spain's stock market plunged 3.7 percent.

"Right now it's all about Europe, and confidence is pretty low," said Doug Cote, chief market strategist for ING Investment Management. "The policies that they proposing are too little too late."

Big bank stocks slumped. If Spain fails to rescue its banks, many analysts worry that Europe's financial system could freeze up, and banks across Europe and the U.S. would suffer. Spain's banks have been hobbled by loans made during a real-estate bubble, and the government has been inconsistent about how much help it will need to save them.

Bank of America dropped 4 percent, the biggest fall among the 30 stocks in the Dow Jones industrial average. BofA's stock lost 34 cents to $7.60. JPMorgan Chase fell 67 cents to $35.32 and Citigroup dropped $1.24 to $26.75.

Analysts worry that Europe's piecemeal approach to its spreading government debt crises may fall short, and the banking system of a large country like Spain could collapse. That could shock tightly connected global financial markets.

"It's the same headline risk that we've been dealing with for God knows how long," said Chip Cobb, senior vice president of Bryn Mawr Trust Asset Management in Pennsylvania. "Everybody wants something to happen sooner or later, and nothing's happening."

The leaders of the 27 countries in the European Union meet Thursday and Friday in Brussels for another summit aimed at reining in the crisis, but market players remain skeptical that Germany will sign off. As the region's largest and strongest economy, Germany has to participate for any plan to work.

"What the market wants is action," Cote said. He said investors wanted to see steps toward binding the weak and stronger economies closer together.

The dollar and Treasury prices rose as investors shifted money into low-risk investments. The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell to 1.61 percent from 1.67 percent late Friday.

In other trading, the S&P 500 index fell 21.30 points to 1,313.72. All 10 of the index's industry groups fell. The Nasdaq composite lost 56.26 points, or 1.9 percent, to 2,836.16.

Energy stocks were also big losers after the price of crude oil fell again. Benchmark U.S. crude lost 55 cents a barrel to $79.21, continuing a slump that has brought the price down from $110 in late February. Exxon Mobil fell 87 cents to $81.24.

Energy prices have been falling as traders anticipate that slower growth in China and the crisis in Europe will drag down global economic growth and decrease demand for energy.

European markets closed sharply lower. Stocks dropped 4 percent in Italy and 2 percent in both France and Germany. Shares of European banks, including Spain's Banco Santander SA and Deutsche Bank AG, sank.

Borrowing costs rose for Spain and Italy, a sign of skepticism that those countries will be able to pay their debts. The yield on Spain's 10-year government bond rose 0.16 percentage point to 6.58 percent. Last week the yield hit 7.18 percent, the highest since the country started using the euro.

Among other stocks making big moves Monday:

? Teva Pharmaceutical Industries gained 4 percent after the drugmaker said a federal court reaffirmed patents protecting its multiple sclerosis treatment Copaxone. The stock jumped $1.71 to $39.72.

? Chesapeake Energy dropped 8 percent. Reuters reported that the company colluded with a Canadian rival to suppress land prices in areas that were considered rich in oil and natural gas. The stock lost $1.58 to $17.03.

? Pfizer and Bristol-Myers Squibb both sank after federal regulators delayed approving their highly touted blood-thinning drug, Eliquis. Bristol-Myers's stock dropped 3 percent, or $1.23, to $34.13. Pfizer's fell 1 percent, or 26 cents, to $22.47.

___

AP Business Writers Bernard Condon and Christina Rexrode contributed to this story.

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Scientists set to reveal Hawking's 'brain hack'

Ted S. Warren / AP

To produce the words for text or speech, British physicist Stephen Hawking currently uses an infrared sensor mounted on his eyeglasses, visible here during an appearance this month in Seattle. The sensor picks up twitches from his cheek, which are translated into the desired letters or words. Hawking and neuroscientist Philip Low are experimenting with a system that can translate brain waves directly into text and speech.

By Alan Boyle

After months of tweaking, researchers are finally ready to show off a high-tech headband that can translate Stephen Hawking's brain waves into speech?? providing what could eventually become an easier avenue for the paralyzed British physicist and many others to share their deep thoughts.

The system, developed by San Diego-based NeuroVigil and known as iBrain, uses a head-mounted receiver the size of a matchbox to pick up different types of brain waves. iBrain employs a computer algorithm called SPEARS to analyze the brain emanations and encode them for a text-based speech reader. Philip Low, NeuroVigil's founder, chairman and CEO, is to present the latest results from his work with Hawking on July 7 at a Cambridge conference on consciousness.

"I haven't discussed doing a demonstration with Stephen, but we could do that, of course," Low told me today. During the conference, Low will be showing video clips of Hawking using the iBrain to communicate.

For decades, Hawking has been coping with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a degenerative nerve disease that has left the theoretical physicist confined to a wheelchair and unable to move even his fingers. To write or speak, he currently uses an infrared sensor system mounted on his eyeglasses: His cheek twitches are read by the sensor to control a wheelchair-mounted computer system that slowly encodes the patterns of those twitches. It can take a half-hour for Hawking to twitch out a couple of sentences in response to a question.

In an abstract prepared for next month's presentation, Low and Hawking describe how they worked out their technique for the iBrain system. Hawking (who is described as a "high-functioning 70-year-old ALS patient" in the abstract) was told to try moving one of his hands or feet ? for example, flexing his foot or scrunching his hand into a ball. The limbs didn't move, of course, but just thinking about trying to move them generated readable brain-wave patterns.

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"The subject's brain activity demonstrated distinct broad-spectrum pulses extending to the gamma and ultra-high gamma ranges," the researchers wrote. "Such pulses were present in the absence of actual movement, and absent when the subject was not attempting motion."

The abstract said Hawking's brain also buzzed with alpha brain waves when he closed his eyes, as expected.?Alpha waves are associated with wakeful relaxation, and are probably familiar to anyone who's undergone biofeedback training. Gamma waves, in contrast, are associated with increased attention?? and in the past have been linked to?activities ranging from running to learning.

Lots of possibilities
The fact that Hawking's brain signals could be read reliably is a good sign, not only for one of the world's best-known scientists but for hundreds of thousands of others around the world.?Low and Hawking say their work "opens the possibility to link intended movements to a library of words and convert them into speech, thus providing ALS sufferers with communication tools more dependent on the brain than on the body."

Low told me that the brainwave-reading device could be used to control prosthetic devices "to give ALS sufferers mobility"?? sort of like a real-life version of the Stephen Hawking robotic exoskeleton proposed in an Onion parody 15 years ago.

The iBrain device could have other applications, such as diagnosing sleep apnea, studying autism and monitoring other brain conditions. It's already been used in a clinical trial to monitor the effects of experimental drugs on brain activity. The U.S. military is also looking into how the device can help treat traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder, which are big issues for combat veterans. Direct brain-to-speech communication, however, represents the highest-profile application, particularly when Stephen Hawking is involved.

"We'd like to find a way to bypass his body, pretty much hack his brain," The Telegraph quoted Low as saying.

The key question for Hawking is whether iBrain represents an improvement over the system he currently has. Back in April, the professor told The New York Times?that the project hadn't quite reached that point. "At the moment I think my cheek switch is faster ... but should the position change I will try Philip Low's system," he wrote in an email sent by an assistant.

In that quote, Low said Hawking was talking about brain-computer interfaces in general, rather than specifically about iBrain. "What we are seeing is in fact an immediate response, so the question is going to be to productize this, so that he can communicate reliably should he lose control of his cheek muscles," he said.

TEDMED via YouTube

Neuroscientist Philip Low (at right) demonstrates how the iBrain device can send brain-wave readings to a cellphone with an subject who's wearing the headband (at left) during a TEDMED 2009 presentation. Click on the image to watch the YouTube clip.

Personal quest
Low said the iBrain project was already moving on to Version 2.0, and the iBrain 3 device is due to be built next year. "That will be about the size of a U.S. quarter," he told me. "People will be able to check their brain activity much like you or I can check our blood pressure."

The 32-year-old, Vienna-born researcher's company has come a long way since its founding, which Low says he initially financed by putting $240,000 on his credit card. Someday, he hopes brain-monitoring systems will be used to pick up the signs of neurological problems early enough to do something about them. For Low, this is not just business. It's personal.

"I would have loved to see this 20 years ago, when my father suffered from a side effect of a commonly used sleep drug," he told me. "He threatened someone with a weapon ... a gun, actually. And it destroyed our family."

His father was eventually pardoned, but it took a long time to put everything back together. That experience led Low to look into the neurological basis of sleep, including experiments with bird brains. That was what led him to come up with the SPEARS algorithm in the first place.

"It's very ironic that an algorithm I initially developed to analyze the brain patterns of birds has found its way to dealing with Stephen Hawking's brain patterns, the U.S. military and autistic children," he told me.?

More about Stephen Hawking:

Alan Boyle is msnbc.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Facebook pulls new 'Find Friends Nearby' feature

11 hrs.

Suzanne Choney

Over the weekend, Facebook added a?stalkerish feature called "Find Friends Nearby" to its mobile website; on Monday, it was gone.

"Find Friends Nearby" let users of iOS and Android devices locate BFFs ??and perhaps nBFFs (never BFFs) ? ?who were within geographic?range. A great feature for someone you like; for someone you don't, not so much.

The add-on was part of Facebook's efforts to bolster its mobile offerings, including bringing?in more revenue, something the social network is?trying to figure out how to?achieve.

But on Monday, the feature could not be accessed.

Msnbc.com contacted Facebook about the "Find Friends Nearby" pullback.

?A spokesperson for the social network said the program was not a "formal release."

"This was something that a few engineers were testing. With all tests, some get released as full products, others don't. Nothing more to say on this for now ? we'll communicate to everyone when there is something to say."

Facebook engineer Ryan Patterson told Tech Crunch over the weekend that he built "Find Friends Nearby" ? originally called "Friendshake" ??with another engineer as part of a?hackathon.

Patterson said he saw the "ideal use case" for the product as "one where when you?re out with a group of people whom you?ve recently met and want to stay in contact with," a kind of "really easy way to exchange contact information with multiple people with minimal friction."

Check out Technolog, Gadgetbox, Digital Life and In-Game on?Facebook,?and on Twitter, follow Suzanne Choney.

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Qaeda members in Yemen 'jail break'

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CDC trying out free rapid AIDS test at drugstores

ATLANTA (AP) ? Would you go to a drugstore for an AIDS test?

Health officials want to know, and they've set up a pilot program to find out.

The $1.2 million project will offer free rapid HIV tests at pharmacies and in-store clinics in 24 cities and rural communities, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Tuesday.

Officials are hoping testing for the AIDS virus will become a routine service at drugstores like blood pressure checks and flu shots.

"By bringing HIV testing into pharmacies, we believe we can reach more people by making testing more accessible and reduce the stigma associated with HIV," CDC's Dr. Kevin Fenton said in a statement. He oversees the agency's HIV prevention programs.

The tests are already available at seven places, and the CDC will soon pick 17 more locations.

The HIV test is a swab inside the mouth and takes about 20 minutes for a preliminary result. The test maker says it's correct 99 percent of the time. If the test is positive, customers will be referred to a local health department or other health-care providers for a lab blood test to confirm the results, counseling and treatment.

When the project ends next summer, CDC officials will analyze what worked well and what didn't, said Paul Weidle, the epidemiologist who is heading up the project.

An estimated 1.1 million Americans are infected with HIV, but as many as 20 percent of them don't know they carry the virus, according to the CDC. It can take a decade or more for an infection to cause symptoms and illness.

Since 2006, the CDC has recommended that all Americans ages 13 to 64 get tested at least once, not just those considered at highest risk: gay men and intravenous drug users. But fewer than half of adults younger than 65 have been tested, according to the agency's most recent statistics.

It's important to know about infection not only for treating the condition but also to take steps to prevent spreading it to others. An HIV diagnosis used to be a death sentence, but medications now allow those infected to live longer and healthier lives.

On special occasions, health organizations have sent workers to some drugstores to offer HIV testing. This week, Walgreens ? the nation's largest chain of pharmacies ? is teaming with health departments and AIDS groups to offer free tests in 20 cities.

But the CDC program is different: It's an effort to train staff at the pharmacies to do the testing themselves, and perhaps make it a permanent service.

"I'm excited. It's such a new and novel thing for us," said Sarah Freedman, who manages a Walgreens in Washington, D.C., that is participating in the pilot program.

At her pharmacy, prominent signs advertise the test but the testing is done in a private room. They've also taken steps to make sure that a customer can very quietly request the test. For example, they've put out stacks of special test request cards ? they look like business cards ? at George Washington University and nearby businesses. Anyone seeking a test can simply hand the card to the clerk, she said.

Only three or four customers have gone through with a test in the first few weeks.

"We get a lot of questions," she said. "Usually they get the information and they go and sit on it and think about it."

There's a second Walgreens in Washington offering the test, as well as branches in Chicago and Lithonia, Ga. Other test sites: East Pines Pharmacy in Riverdale, Md., Mike's Pharmacy in Oakland, Calif. and a federal Indian Health Service location in Billings, Mont.

Each location will get enough tests to check 200 to 300 people. Made by OraSure Technologies Inc., the $17.50 test is the only government-approved rapid HIV test that uses saliva. Other rapid tests on the market analyze a finger-prick blood sample.

Rapid tests are used routinely in doctor's offices, hospitals and clinics.

The OraSure test can also use a blood sample but the CDC drugstore program will use a mouth swab, said company spokesman Ron Ticho. The stick-like testing device is used to wipe the inside of the mouth, then it is put in a solution. If two lines appear, that indicates a positive test.

The company is seeking government approval to sell it over-the-counter for home testing. A decision is expected later this year.

The test is sold in about 40 countries. Ticho said he is not aware of another country where pharmacies routinely offer the testing.

___

Online:

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/

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Local family featured on Today show - The Virginia Gazette

"We knew from the beginning that parents of multiples have a much higher divorce rate," she said, looking at her husband of 16 years. "We were determined not to let that happen to us."

But the Williamsburg couple admits that they often don't agree on how to discipline their brood.

It's a topic that led them to an appearance on the "Today Show."

Niki stumbled onto the opportunity when she responded to a Facebook post by parenting expert Amy McCready. McCready, the author of the online education program, Positive Parenting Solutions, was asking her followers if they experienced the "good cop, bad cop" dynamic in their home.

That sounded awfully familiar to Niki, and her response led to a phone conversation with McCready and the "Today Show" invitation.

But when Niki first approached Stephen about appearing on the show, he was hesitant.

"I knew who the bad cop was going to be," he said.

The suggestion began a conversation between the Williamsburg couple, and, eventually, Stephen agreed that appearing on the show and accepting coaching could be positive for their family.

"It was almost like a coming out for me," Niki said. "I'm the owner of a nanny agency, and I've given plenty of parenting advice to other people. And this was really letting everyone in on the private happenings in my home."

There's plenty in the family dynamic to be positive about ? the set of five talks about their many outings together, and they have special traditions like breakfast out every Sunday ? but the arguing and yelling must stop.

"The stress level only really increases when we're inside the home," Niki said. "When we're out and about ? and we're out a lot ? everything is fine."

"The kids know their boundaries when they're out of the house," Stephen added. "And they know the line when they're home, too, but they just push beyond it without even a thought."

Scattered meal times, never-ending messiness, over-the-top snacking and struggles with homework are all on the Worrell's list of things they would like to improve.

Niki knows she's the lenient one, picking up the boys' messes for them when she can't get a positive response. Stephen believes he needs to enforce the discipline and make sure his sons know what is expected.

"Sometimes you take the easy way of doing things, especially when everything is so literally multiplied, and you don't even realize you're doing it," Stephen said. "I always wanted to be the relaxed Dad who came in and was ready to play. I don't even know how it turned out this way."

Niki points to the first time she heard Stephen's "Sergeant Major" voice when the boys were toddlers as her realization that her husband's view of parenting was vastly different from hers.

"But I email him all of these articles about parenting saying 'read this,' and that's a terrible way of communicating, isn't it?" she said.

As part of their agreement to appear on the "Today Show," Niki and Stephen will participate in coaching sessions with McCready for the next several months. They will talk with McCready through conference calls and video chats and complete her online course.

When they complete the coaching, they may be asked to return to the "Today Show" to report on their progress.

But simply acknowledging and highlighting the issue has sparked positive change for the Worrells.

"I'm excited to share everything we learn," Niki said. "Everyone I know has said they want me to tell them everything.

"I think everyone deals with these issues, and we just want to be the best parents we can be," she added. "I don't want to say that I want to be a super-parent, but I think we owe it to our children to do the best job that we can."

Are you a good cop or a bad cop?

Amy McCready, expert behind the parent education course, Positive Parenting Solutions, offered these five tips for getting on the same page with your spouse.

? Start with areas on which you agree. Make a list of areas you agree on, and move from there.

? Start small with the non-negotiables. Pick two behavior topics that are non-negotiable, such as keeping tidy, and find a solution that incorporates both parenting styles. McCready suggested that the Worrells set time limits for cleaning up and any toys that are not cleaned up before the time limit will go into a box and put away for one week.

? Have a nonverbal signal. The signal will tell the other parent that there is a disagreement on a discipline issue, and they should set aside time to talk about it away from the children.

? Commit to communicate. Set aside a time once a week to discuss any issues that arose during the week.

? Seek outside help if you can't get on the same page. There are lots of parenting classes, books and other resources that can offer ideas.

The Daily Press will follow up with the Worrells in several months to see the progress they are making and to share tips on successful parenting.

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Motherhood and the Myth of Having it All | Toddler Times

6059789551 3e23fd2c98 Motherhood and the Myth of Having it All Since I read Anne-Marie Slaughter?s piece Why Women Still Can?t Have it All last week I?ve been pondering the idea of what it means to truly ?have it all.?

I?m not new at this mommy gig. With a nine-year-old, an almost-five-year old, and a three-year-old, I?m in the trenches, so to speak, but I have a few years of parenting under my belt.

This adds up, roughly, to: 700 time outs, 4,000 spilled sippy cups, 20 car seat installations, and 1,456,792 poopy diapers.

Nevertheless, I know better than to say that I know what I?m doing.

We?ve been through a lot as a family. At least once a week I marvel at the fact that I?ve been able so far to keep the wheels on this bus moving forward and cling to my sanity at the same time. As a mom, I?ve worked full time and part time outside the home. For two years I was a stay-at-home mom with no job, and if you?d asked me back then I?d have told you it was going to stay that way. Then suddenly I found myself working again, very part-time teaching one night a week. And now I?m home full time but also working. Full time? Part time? I haven?t done the math.

All I know is this: in each of these arrangements I?ve failed to achieve it ?all.? If it exists, it has eluded me these past nine years. Here?s the thing, though. I?ve never gone out seeking ?it all.? It?s a myth, like the American Dream or the perfect bra or a brand of nonfat ranch dressing that still tastes good.

There is no such thing as ?it all.?

In Slaughter?s article she describes leaving her position at the State Department in search of that elusive work-family balance, her ?desire to be with my family and my conclusion that juggling high-level government work with the needs of two teenage boys was not possible.?

I?ve never been a high-level government official. I?ve never even been a low-level government official. Come to think of it, I?ve never been any kind of official (unless you count that time I got to hold the flag at the Girl Scouts regional meeting in 5th grade) but do have an understanding about what it means to work hard and do the best by your family at the same time. I don?t think this is an issue that we can isolate to the ranks of the power elite. I know women who work in insurance offices and hospitals and in elementary school libraries who struggle with these same issues.

Across the country there are clerks at Dollar Generals and cashiers at Krogers who fight the rough waters of work and home harmony and who go under every day.

We?re not doing women any favors by promoting this myth that it?s possible to ?have it all.? Can someone please tell me what that even means? My suspicion is that the headline of the article (which was a fascinating and well-written and thought-provoking read) was intended to bait women into another tussle in the Mommy Wars. The cover photo on the issue of The Atlantic in which the article appears depicts a toddler in a briefcase like a cast-off file folder, a minor inconvenience, or the working woman?s latest must-have accessory.

I?ve yet to meet a working mom who regards her child in that way.

I?d be happy if we could stop promoting myths like ?having it all? as a mom because it ends up making us all feel like failures if we don?t measure up. For me, though, for now, a forward-moving bus driven by a mother who?s clinging to her sanity is the best I can do.

I?m not in pursuit of ?having it all,? and maybe that?s why I?m happy with what I have.

Photo Credit: Kate Hiscock/Flickr

Mary Lauren Weimer?is a social worker turned mother turned writer. Her blog,?My 3 Little Birds, encourages moms to put down the baby books for a moment and tell their own stories. Connect with her on?Facebook?and?Twitter.

More by Mary Lauren:

Why Putting Yourself First is Impossible

The Measure of a Mom

Giving My Daughter the Gift of Time

Motherhood and the Myth of Having it All

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