If it weren?t for Miguel Cabrera, Chris Davis would have been all we?d have talked about this season. The Orioles first baseman?s ridiculous season continued tonight as he mashed two home runs: a three-run shot in the bottom of the first off of Yankees starter David Phelps, and a two-run shot in the bottom of the seventh against Ivan Nova. He now sits on 30 home runs with a .333 average and 79 RBI.
Entering July most years, that?s set up well for a run at the Triple Crown, but Miguel Cabrera has other ideas as he leads baseball with a .377 average and 81 RBI. Cabrera, you may remember, became the first player to win the Triple Crown in 45 years in 2012.
The Prime Minister visited troops on the front line in Afghanistan as a senior British commander claimed talks with the Taliban should have been attempted a decade ago. On a trip timed to coincide with Armed Forces Day, David Cameron acknowledged that things could have been done differently after military operations removed the Taliban regime. But he insisted it was right for the West to consider talks with the Taliban now, with hopes of an Afghanistan where everyone can play a role in the country's future. General Nick Carter, deputy commander of the Nato-led coalition, told The Guardian that it would have been more successful to approach the Taliban in 2002 after they were knocked from pow read more
ROME (Reuters) - Astrophysicist Margherita Hack, a popular science writer, public intellectual and the first woman to lead an astronomical observatory in Italy, died on Saturday at the age of 91.
Known as the "lady of the stars", Hack's research contributed to the spectral classification of many groups of stars, and the asteroid 8558 Hack is named after her.
She introduced astrophysics to a broad Italian audience, from university textbooks to colorful tomes of astronomy for children, and was astronomy chair at the University of Trieste and director of the Trieste Astronomical Observatory from 1964 to 1987, the first woman to hold the position.
Hack was one of Italy's most visible scientists over her career and remained a grey-haired media presence into her 90s, often consulted for her assessment of the issues of the day from a wooden rocking chair in her book-lined Trieste home.
An outspoken atheist in a predominantly Catholic country, Hack was known for her opposition to the influence of religious beliefs over scientific research, and lobbied for legalized abortion, euthanasia, animal protection and gay rights.
One of her many books, "Why I am Vegetarian", published at the age of 89, outlined Hack's belief that there was no difference between human and animal pain and that eating meat damaged the environment, sparking debate in a country with a proud tradition of meatballs, beef pasta dishes and cured hams.
In December 2012 she told a reporter she had decided not to have a heart operation that could prolong her life, wryly commenting that she might as well save the Italian public health service the money, and saying she preferred to stay at home with her books and her husband of seven decades, Aldo De Rosa.
"I do not believe in the afterlife," she said, chuckling and animated, in her final television appearance in March. "When I die my particles will flutter about the terrestrial atmosphere."
(Reporting by Naomi O'Leary; Editing by Alison Williams)
In Los Angeles, heat-related power failures snarled traffic, and in Death Valley, where temperatures hit triple digits, the forecast is could bring a record 129 degrees. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.
By M. Alex Johnson, staff writer, NBC News
More than thirty people were taken to hospitals for heat-related injuries and illnesses Friday at a music festival in Las Vegas, authorities said, as a wave of life-threatening blistering temperatures blazed across the West.
Clark County fire personnel treated close to 200 people for heat-related nausea, vomiting and fatigue Friday afternoon and evening at the Vans Warped Tour, an eclectic outdoor music festival at the Silverton Casino off the famous Strip.
Most were given water and taken to shaded areas, but 34 had to be taken to hospitals for further treatment, the fire department said.
"It's pretty intense," said Clark County spokesman Eric Pappa. "We're used to summer temperatures of 100, 105. But we're beyond 100. It's a scorcher."
The high temperature officially hit 117 degrees at Las Vegas-McCarran International Airport ? equaling the airport's record ? Friday as thousands of people streamed to the casino site for the festival. The thermostat fell slightly Saturday, leveling at a still-steamy 105 degrees, according to The Weather Channel.
Records are similarly expected to be broken across the West and the Southwest through the weekend and into next week, the National Weather Service said, thanks to a high pressure "dome" parked over the sprawling region.
Death Valley, Calif., could even top 130 degrees Saturday through Monday, just below the world record high of 134 recorded there on July 10, 1913, The Weather Channel said.
Temperatures in Phoenix are expected to soar between 115 and 120 degrees. In western parts of Arizona, temperatures could reach 125.
Officials in Arizona warned residents to take precautions.
"If you get dizzy or lightheaded, those are some signs of dehydration. If you become confused, that's a real warning sign," Dr. Kevin Reilly of the University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine told NBC station KVOA of Tucson.
In Las Vegas, meanwhile, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for a "life-threatening heat event." Temperatures were expected to match those of a July 2005 heat wave when 17 people died in the Las Vegas Valley.
The extreme weather is expected to reach Reno, Nev., reach across Utah and stretch into Wyoming and Idaho, where forecasters are predicting potentially lethal hot spells. Triple-digit temperatures were forecast during Idaho's Special Olympics in Boise.
Matt York / AP
Runners take advantage of lower temperatures at sunrise Thursday in Mesa, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada and Arizona.
Organizers urged coaches to prepare their athletes.
"The basic stuff, wearing breathable, appropriate clothes, staying in the shade as much as possible, staying hydrated is obviously a big thing," Matt Caropino, director of sports and training for Special Olympics Idaho, told NBC station KTVB. "We've put in place some misters that we're going to have at our outdoor venues."
The National Weather Service advised people to keep tabs on signs of potentially lethal heat stroke.
"Heat stroke symptoms include an increase in body temperature, which leads to deliriousness, unconsciousness and red, dry skin," it said in a report. "Death can occur when body temperatures reach or exceed 106-107 degrees."
Los Angeles was forecast to peak between the upper 80s and the lower 90s Saturday as inland communities like Burbank edge toward the low 100s. Palm Springs, Calif., no stranger to steamy summers, may peak at 120 degrees, NBC station KMIR reported. Sweltering heat also is expected for the state's Central Valley, according to The Weather Channel.
While the west remains hot and dry, the east is getting lots of rain that has resulted in flash flooding. Some of the worst flooding was in upstate New York where whole neighborhoods remain under water. ?The Weather Channel's Mike Seidel reports.
Commercial airlines were also monitoring conditions because excessive heat can throw flights off course. The atmosphere becomes less dense in extremely high heat humidity, meaning there's less lift for airplanes ? calculations that have to be made individually for every type of aircraft.
Triple-digit heat forced several airlines to bring operations to a halt after Phoenix climbed to 122 degrees in June 1990.
Daniel Arkin of NBC News contributed to this report.
Related:
'It's brutal out there': Weekend heat wave to bake western US
Alaska sweating through brutal blast of heat
Oppressive heat hits West as storms soak East
This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:50 AM EDT
Record hot temperatures beat down on parts of the country. NBC News' Chris Clackum reports.
By Daniel Arkin and M. Alex Johnson, NBC News
A wave of record-setting, life-threatening heat is expected to blaze across the West this weekend, with temperatures in some areas projected to top 120 degrees.
Death Valley, Calif., could even top 130 degrees Saturday through Monday, just below the world record high of 134 recorded there on July 10, 1913, The Weather Channel said.
The cause is a high pressure system that will scorch a long arm of the Southwest. Temperatures in Phoenix and Las Vegas are expected to soar into the triple digits, with temperatures hovering between 115 and 120 degrees. In western parts of Arizona, temperatures could reach 125.
Officials in Arizona warned residents to take precautions.
"If you get dizzy or lightheaded, those are some signs of dehydration. If you become confused, that's a real warning sign," Dr. Kevin Reilly of the University of Arizona Department of Emergency Medicine told NBC station KVOA of Tucson.
In Las Vegas, meanwhile, the National Weather Service warned of the potential for a "life-threatening heat event." Temperatures were expected to match those of a July 2005 heat wave when 17 people died in the Las Vegas Valley.
The extreme weather is expected to reach Reno, Nev., reach across Utah and stretch into Wyoming and Idaho, where forecasters are predicting potentially lethal hot spells. Triple-digit temperatures were forecast during Idaho's Special Olympics in Boise.
Matt York / AP
Runners take advantage of lower temperatures at sunrise Thursday in Mesa, Ariz. Excessive heat warnings will continue for much of the Desert Southwest as building high pressure triggers major warming in eastern California, Nevada and Arizona.
Organizers urged coaches to prepare their athletes.
"The basic stuff, wearing breathable, appropriate clothes, staying in the shade as much as possible, staying hydrated is obviously a big thing," Matt Caropino, director of sports and training for Special Olympics Idaho, told NBC station KTVB. "We've put in place some misters that we're going to have at our outdoor venues."
The National Weather Service advised people to keep tabs on signs of potentially lethal heat stroke.
"Heat stroke symptoms include an increase in body temperature, which leads to deliriousness, unconsciousness and red, dry skin," it said in a report. "Death can occur when body temperatures reach or exceed 106-107 degrees."
Los Angeles was forecast to peak between the upper 80s and the lower 90s Saturday as inland communities like Burbank edge toward the low 100s. Palm Springs, Calif., no stranger to steamy summers, may peak at 120 degrees, NBC station KMIR reported. Sweltering heat also is expected for the state's Central Valley, according to The Weather Channel.
Commercial airlines were also monitoring conditions because excessive heat can throw flights off course. The atmosphere becomes less dense in extremely high heat humidity, meaning there's less lift for airplanes ? calculations that have to be made individually for every type of aircraft.
Triple-digit heat forced several airlines to bring operations to a halt after Phoenix climbed to 122 degrees in June 1990.
Related:
'It's brutal out there': Weekend heat wave to bake western US
Alaska sweating through brutal blast of heat
Oppressive heat hits West as storms soak East
This story was originally published on Fri Jun 28, 2013 8:50 AM EDT
Impertinent. Mumbling. Offended. Teary-eyed. Rachel Jeantel, star witness for the prosecution in George Zimmerman's murder trial, was all of those, and more, as her testimony Wednesday provided new details into Trayvon Martin?s last moments and infused racially loaded commentary into an already-sensitive trial.
ISLAMABAD (AP) ? The United Nations says Pakistan has extended refugee status for over a million Afghans living in the country. It was set to expire June 30.
The U.N.'s refugee agency said Friday Pakistan agreed to extend their status while it comes up with a new policy.
Pakistan has been hosting Afghan refugees dating back to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan three decades ago. There are 1.6 million in Pakistan. Many Pakistanis have become frustrated with the length of time the Afghans have stayed and want them to leave.
Pakistan has said it will not forcibly evict Afghans. However, revoking their refugee status would encourage people to return to Afghanistan.
Refugee status allows Afghans to get a government ID card that they use for everyday activities like banking or registering for school.
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This image could lead to better antibioticsPublic release date: 27-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dan Krotz dakrotz@lbl.gov DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome attached to a molecule that controls its motion
This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse compounds that sustain you and all living things.
The image is also a milestone. It's the first time the atom-by-atom structure of the ribosome has been seen as it's attached to a molecule that controls its motion. That's big news if you're a structural biologist.
But there's another way to look at this image, one that anyone who's suffered a bacterial infection can appreciate. The image is also a roadmap to better antibiotics. That's because this particular ribosome is from a bacterium. And somewhere in its twists and turns could be a weakness that a new antibiotic can target.
"We're in an arms race with the resistance mechanisms of bacteria," says Jamie Cate, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division and a professor of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at UC Berkeley.
"The better we understand how bacterial ribosomes work, the better we can come up with new ways to interfere with them," he adds.
Cate developed the structure with UC Berkeley's Arto Pulk. Their work is described in the June 28 issue of the journal Science.
Their image is the latest advance in the push for more effective antibiotics. The goal is new drugs that kill the bacteria that make us sick, stay one step ahead of their resistance mechanisms, and leave our beneficial bacteria alone.
One way to do this is to get to know the bacterial ribosome inside and out. Many of today's antibiotics target ribosomes. A better understanding of how ribosomes function will shed light on how these antibiotics work. This could also lead to even "smarter" molecules that quickly target and disable a pathogen's ribosomes without affecting friendly bacteria.
ate and Pulk used protein crystallography beamlines at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source to create diffraction patterns that show how the ribosome's molecules fit together. They then used computational modeling to combine these patterns into incredibly high-resolution images that describe the locations of the individual atoms.
The result is the colorful structure at the top of this article. Those blue and purple halves are ribosomes. They're from E. coli bacteria, but they work in similar ways throughout nature. Ribosomes move along messenger RNA and interpret its genetic code into directions on how to stitch amino acids into proteins.
But sometimes ribosomes want to move backward, which isn't good when you're in the protein-making business. That's where that yellow-red-green squiggle wedged between the two ribosome halves comes in. It's elongation factor G. It acts like a ratchet and prevents the ribosome from slipping backward. It also pushes the ribosome forward when it's sluggish.
Scientists knew that elongation factor G performs these jobs, but they didn't know how. Now, with an atomic-scale structure in hand, they can study the chemical and molecular forces involved in this ratcheting process. Cate and Pulk found that the ratchet controls the ribosome's motion by stiffening and relaxing over and over. This is the kind of insight that could lead to new ways to monkey-wrench the ribosome.
"To create better antibiotics, we need to learn how bacterial ribosomes work at the smallest scales, and this is a big step in that direction," says Cate.
###
The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute supported the research. The U.S. Department of Energy provides support for the Advanced Light Source, where this research was conducted.
The Advanced Light Source is a third-generation synchrotron light source producing light in the x-ray region of the spectrum that is a billion times brighter than the sun. A DOE national user facility, the ALS attracts scientists from around the world and supports its users in doing outstanding science in a safe environment. For more information visit www-als.lbl.gov.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov.
Additional Information:
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
This image could lead to better antibioticsPublic release date: 27-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Dan Krotz dakrotz@lbl.gov DOE/Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Berkeley Lab scientists create atomic-scale structure of ribosome attached to a molecule that controls its motion
This may look like a tangle of squiggly lines, but you're actually looking at a molecular machine called a ribosome. Its job is to translate DNA sequences into proteins, the workhorse compounds that sustain you and all living things.
The image is also a milestone. It's the first time the atom-by-atom structure of the ribosome has been seen as it's attached to a molecule that controls its motion. That's big news if you're a structural biologist.
But there's another way to look at this image, one that anyone who's suffered a bacterial infection can appreciate. The image is also a roadmap to better antibiotics. That's because this particular ribosome is from a bacterium. And somewhere in its twists and turns could be a weakness that a new antibiotic can target.
"We're in an arms race with the resistance mechanisms of bacteria," says Jamie Cate, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Physical Biosciences Division and a professor of biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology at UC Berkeley.
"The better we understand how bacterial ribosomes work, the better we can come up with new ways to interfere with them," he adds.
Cate developed the structure with UC Berkeley's Arto Pulk. Their work is described in the June 28 issue of the journal Science.
Their image is the latest advance in the push for more effective antibiotics. The goal is new drugs that kill the bacteria that make us sick, stay one step ahead of their resistance mechanisms, and leave our beneficial bacteria alone.
One way to do this is to get to know the bacterial ribosome inside and out. Many of today's antibiotics target ribosomes. A better understanding of how ribosomes function will shed light on how these antibiotics work. This could also lead to even "smarter" molecules that quickly target and disable a pathogen's ribosomes without affecting friendly bacteria.
ate and Pulk used protein crystallography beamlines at Berkeley Lab's Advanced Light Source to create diffraction patterns that show how the ribosome's molecules fit together. They then used computational modeling to combine these patterns into incredibly high-resolution images that describe the locations of the individual atoms.
The result is the colorful structure at the top of this article. Those blue and purple halves are ribosomes. They're from E. coli bacteria, but they work in similar ways throughout nature. Ribosomes move along messenger RNA and interpret its genetic code into directions on how to stitch amino acids into proteins.
But sometimes ribosomes want to move backward, which isn't good when you're in the protein-making business. That's where that yellow-red-green squiggle wedged between the two ribosome halves comes in. It's elongation factor G. It acts like a ratchet and prevents the ribosome from slipping backward. It also pushes the ribosome forward when it's sluggish.
Scientists knew that elongation factor G performs these jobs, but they didn't know how. Now, with an atomic-scale structure in hand, they can study the chemical and molecular forces involved in this ratcheting process. Cate and Pulk found that the ratchet controls the ribosome's motion by stiffening and relaxing over and over. This is the kind of insight that could lead to new ways to monkey-wrench the ribosome.
"To create better antibiotics, we need to learn how bacterial ribosomes work at the smallest scales, and this is a big step in that direction," says Cate.
###
The National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute supported the research. The U.S. Department of Energy provides support for the Advanced Light Source, where this research was conducted.
The Advanced Light Source is a third-generation synchrotron light source producing light in the x-ray region of the spectrum that is a billion times brighter than the sun. A DOE national user facility, the ALS attracts scientists from around the world and supports its users in doing outstanding science in a safe environment. For more information visit www-als.lbl.gov.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory addresses the world's most urgent scientific challenges by advancing sustainable energy, protecting human health, creating new materials, and revealing the origin and fate of the universe. Founded in 1931, Berkeley Lab's scientific expertise has been recognized with 13 Nobel prizes. The University of California manages Berkeley Lab for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. For more, visit http://www.lbl.gov.
Additional Information:
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. consumers spent more in May as their income increased at the fastest pace in three months, gains that could help economic growth rebound.
The Commerce Department said Thursday that consumer spending rose 0.3 percent last month. That made up for a 0.3 percent decline in April, which was the biggest drop since the fall of 2009. The rise in spending was due in part to a 0.9 percent increase in purchases of durable goods such as autos.
Income rose 0.5 percent in May, the biggest gain since February and much better than the 0.1 percent April increase. Even with the gain, after-tax income is up just 1.1 percent over the past year after taking inflation into account.
Americans chose to put a little more away last month, too. The savings rate rose to 3.2 percent in May, up from 3 percent in April. That was the highest since December.
And consumers are also benefiting from low inflation. A measure of prices ticked up just 1 percent in May compared with a year ago, well below the Federal Reserve 2 percent target. Some Fed critics believe the central bank should be considering further support for the economy to guard against deflation, a destabilizing period of falling prices.
Consumer spending is watched closely because it accounts for 70 percent of economic activity. The increase in May could calm new fears that higher taxes are having a bigger impact on Americans' spending power.
The government on Wednesday cut its estimate for growth in the January-March quarter to a 1.8 percent annual rate, sharply below its previous estimate of a 2.4 percent rate. The main reason for the revision was consumer spent less than initially estimated. Some economists said the revision suggested an increase in Social Security taxes this year was squeezing consumers more than expected.
The tax increase has lowered take-home pay for most Americans. A person earning $50,000 a year has about $1,000 less to spend this year. A high-earning couple has up to $4,500 less to spend.
Tepid growth could keep the Federal Reserve from scaling back its bond purchases later this year. Chairman Ben Bernanke spooked investors last week when he said the Fed will likely slow its bond-buying this year if the economy continues to strengthen. But Bernanke added that if the economy weakens, the Fed won't hesitate to delay its pullback or even step up its bond purchases again.
The bond purchases have helped keep interest rates low.
Economists say overall economic growth will likely stayed slow for the next few months as consumers and businesses adjust to the higher taxes and deep federal spending cuts. But many think growth will pick up in the final three months of this year, helped by further job gains and a stronger housing recovery.
The latest data have been positive.
Consumers spent more at retail businesses in May, buying more on cars, home improvements and sporting goods. U.S. factories are fielding more orders. Higher home sales and prices are signaling a steady housing recovery. And employers added 175,000 jobs last month, in line with the average job growth over the past 12 months.
Steady job growth has lowered the unemployment rate to 7.6 percent, down from 10 percent in 2009. And this week the Conference Board said a better job market helped lift Americans' confidence in the economy rose to the highest level in 5 ? years..
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- Federal environmental regulators are investigating a January chemical emergency at an Ohio oil well and asking why an inventory of the facility's chemicals wasn't available to local authorities, according to a letter released Wednesday by a coalition of activists.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency confirmed its investigation of the Jan. 16 incident near St. Marys in Auglaize County in an April 26 letter to the coalition. The alliance comprising the Center for Health, Environment & Justice, the Sierra Club, ProgressOhio and others said it received the letter May 31.
The groups had asked the federal EPA to review the St. Marys oil leak as well as alleged Clean Water Act violations in a separate Youngstown case to see if the Ohio Department of Natural Resources' oil and gas regulatory program is working effectively. The coalition proposes that the federal government take back its oversight responsibilities in the state.
Its complaint alleged that Ohio has been out of compliance with the federal Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act, or EPCRA, under which chemical inventories are to be publicly available, since 2001. In that year, state lawmakers passed a law "that essentially exempts the oil and gas industry operating in this state from requirements (of the federal law)," the activists said.
They pointed to the emergency near St. Marys to make their case. They said that when concentrated chemical odors were detected at the facility, local emergency responders were unable to access required chemical data that was supposed to be on file. The local newspaper was told the information was filed with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the groups said.
In his letter, U.S. EPA Superfund Division Director Richard Karl said that while an "alternate compliance method appears to be considered compliance" with state law, the Ohio law "does not designate (or attempt to designate) alternate compliance methods for the federal EPCRA law."
"Simply stated, the (state law) does not supersede (the federal one)," Karl wrote.
An official speaking for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio EPA said the impact of the federal government's finding is still being measured.
"The state is reviewing U.S. EPA's determination and we will soon be discussing this with the companies affected to ensure they are in compliance with their reporting obligations under state and federal law," spokesman Chris Abbruzzesse said in an email.
Teresa Mills, the nonprofit executive who authored the federal complaint, said she was surprised it took so long for the discrepancy to come to light ? and activists will keep a close eye on what happens.
"There are two options: The state of Ohio can correct the situation, or we can sue them," she said.
The coalition had earlier raised issues over oil and gas oversight in Ohio in light of recent federal indictments of Youngstown-area businessman Ben Lupo and an employee of his Hardrock Excavating LLC alleging that Lupo instructed the worker to illegally dump oil and gas wastes into a storm drain. The two have pleaded not guilty.
D&L Energy, where Lupo was a former president and shareholder, has been stripped of its operating permits as a result of that incident and recently failed in its attempt to challenge that action. The company is likely to appeal. The state also shut down the St. Marys well while the cause and extent of the January leak is investigated.
Activists question whether a state agency funded by the industry can impartially conduct the investigation ordered by Gov. John Kasich into whether potentially lax regulations led to the dumping incident alleged by federal prosecutors.
Tropikal Brands (Afrika) Limited is fast growing company that specializes in Household (Tropikal Air Fresheners and Bolt Insecticides) and personal care products (Yolanda Deodorants).?We also market and distribute Pringles, Trisa Toothbrushes among others.?
We are looking for an aggressive and passionate Key Account Sales Manager to enable expansion of our products range and markets.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Manage and grow sales, including management of receivables.
Manage and Establish existing and new customer relationship
Manage merchandising and promotion programs specific to Key accounts.
Conduct quarterly business reviews with all Key Accounts
Ensure listing of portfolio of existing and new products in all outlets.
Manage, motivate and provide leadership to a team of Sales Executives.
A good university degree in a business related field.?
The candidate should have proven experience of at least 3 years in Key Accounts management, with at least one year at manager level.?
She/he should be able to demonstrate business closing skills, high motivation for sales, prospecting skills, market knowledge, presentation skills and a high degree of professionalism.
Interested applicants should apply by email indicating current and expected salary on?hr@tropikal.co.ke?attaching latest CV addressed to the Human Resources Manager before close of business JUNE 28, 2013.
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Roleplay based on the manga and anime series. Features an original story, separate from the ongoing manga.
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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
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NEW YORK (AP) ? A publishing executive who has helped release books by such acclaimed authors as Jhumpa Lahiri, Jane Smiley and James Salter has won the Maxwell E. Perkins Award for lifetime achievement in fiction.
Robin Desser of Alfred A. Knopf is the latest recipient of a prize named for the editor of Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. Desser, a vice president and editorial director at Knopf, has worked on a wide range of fiction, from such acclaimed debuts as Sandra Cisneros' "The House On Mango Street" to books by established stars such as Salter and Smiley.
The Perkins award is sponsored by the nonprofit Center for Fiction. Previous winners include Nan A. Talese of Doubleday and Jonathan Galassi of Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
We're fans of numbers and quantifiable data here at Mobile Nations, and so following after the second week of Talk Mobile 2013, we're turning to our good friend the survey to help compile some data. Week two was focused on apps, apps, apps and developers, developers, developers. If you missed any of the content, be sure to click over to our Talk Mobile hub and check it out.
The mobile apps survey will only take a minute or two to complete, and as an extra incentive (not that you guys and gals need it, but we like to give things away), by completing the survey you'll be entered for a chance to win a $100 Best Buy Gift Card. Hit the link below to take the survey!
Every once and a while we need a reminder to be more awesome by doing more awesome. Jump off a cliff. Sky dive. Race a plane. Ride a bike. Surf. Anything. When you attach a GoPro to your head and put a thumping electronic beat as your soundtrack, life will always seem so awesome.
The video, made by YouTube user Gerry B, puts together various GoPro videos together to prove how awesome people can be. The sole purpose of a GoPro is to capture humans being ridiculous and plus, it's always good to live a life that dreams about being in a YouTube video. [Gerry B via The Awesomer]
Sony enters the big leagues with a 6.44-inch screen and the latest Snapdragon 800 CPU
Sony hasn't always found itself ahead of the technological curve when it comes to smartphone internals. Often it's lagged a generation of so behind the competition, giving the likes of HTC and Samsung the first shot at releasing phones running the latest mobile chips. Yet here we sit with one of the very first Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 devices, and above its ginormous screen sits a Sony logo.
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On this week's Ask A VC, we have NEA's Jon Sakoda. As you may remember, you can submit questions for our guests either in the comments or here and we?ll ask them during the show.
FILE - This June 20, 2013 file photo, George Zimmerman listens as his defense counsel Mark O'Mara questions potential jurors during Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Judge Debra Nelson said Saturday, June 22, 2013, that prosecution audio experts who point to Trayvon Martin as screaming on a 911 call moments before he was killed won't be allowed to testify at trial. Nelson reached her decision after hearing arguments that stretched over several days this month on whether to allow testimony from two prosecution experts. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool, file)
FILE - This June 20, 2013 file photo, George Zimmerman listens as his defense counsel Mark O'Mara questions potential jurors during Zimmerman's trial in Seminole circuit court in Sanford, Fla. Judge Debra Nelson said Saturday, June 22, 2013, that prosecution audio experts who point to Trayvon Martin as screaming on a 911 call moments before he was killed won't be allowed to testify at trial. Nelson reached her decision after hearing arguments that stretched over several days this month on whether to allow testimony from two prosecution experts. (AP Photo/Orlando Sentinel, Gary Green, Pool, file)
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) ? A prosecutor told jurors in opening statements Monday that George Zimmerman fatally shot Trayvon Martin "because he wanted to," not because he had to, while the neighborhood watch volunteer's attorney said the shooting of the teen was carried out in self-defense.
The opposing attorneys squared off on the first day of testimony in a trial that has attracted international attention and prompted nationwide debates about racial profiling, vigilantism and the laws governing the use of deadly force.
Defense attorney Don West used a joke in his opening statements to illustrate the difficulty of picking a jury amid such widespread publicity.
"Knock. Knock," West said.
"Who is there?"
"George Zimmerman."
"George Zimmerman who?"
"Ah, good. You're on the jury."
Included among the millions likely to be following the case are civil rights leaders the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, who joined national protests in the weeks before prosecutors filed second-degree murder charges against Zimmerman. The charges came 44 days after the shooting.
Zimmerman, 29, who identifies himself as Hispanic, has denied that his confrontation with Martin before the shooting had anything to do with race. His mother was born in Peru. His father is a white American. Martin was black.
But just before opening statements began, Martin's parents sent out an urgent plea to their supporters to pray with them for justice, while their family attorney, Benjamin Crump, described the case as clear cut.
"There are two important facts in this case: No. 1: George Zimmerman was a grown man with a gun, and No. 2: Trayvon Martin was a minor who had no blood on his hands. Literally no blood on his hands. ... We believe that the evidence is overwhelming to hold George Zimmerman accountable for killing Trayvon Martin."
Prosecutor John Guy's first words to jurors recounted what Zimmerman told a police dispatcher in a call shortly before the fatal confrontation with Martin: "F------ punks. These a-------. They always get away."
Zimmerman was profiling Martin as he followed him through the gated community where Zimmerman lived and Martin was visiting, Guy said. He said Zimmerman viewed the teen "as someone about to a commit a crime in his neighborhood."
"And he acted on it. That's why we're here," the prosecutor said.
Zimmerman didn't have to shoot Martin, Guy said.
"He shot him for the worst of all reasons: because he wanted to," he said.
West told jurors a different story: Zimmerman was being viciously attacked when he shot Martin, he said. He was sucker-punched by Martin, who then pounded Zimmerman's head into the concrete sidewalk.
"He had just taken tremendous blows to his face, tremendous blows to his head," said West, after showing jurors photos taken by Zimmerman's neighbors of a bloodied and bruised neighborhood watch volunteer.
West also played for jurors the call to a police dispatcher in which Zimmerman used the obscenities.
Martin had opportunities to go home after Zimmerman followed him and then lost track of him, but instead the teen confronted the neighborhood watch volunteer, West said.
Guy argued, however, that there is no evidence to back up other claims by Zimmerman, including that Martin had his hands over Zimmerman's mouth. Guy said none of Zimmerman's DNA was found on Martin's body. The prosecutor also said Zimmerman's claim that he had to fire because Martin was reaching for his firearm is false since none of Martin's DNA was on the gun or holster.
Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to second-degree murder, claiming self-defense. If he is convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
On Feb. 26, 2012, Zimmerman spotted Martin, whom he did not recognize, walking in the gated townhome community where Zimmerman and the fiancee of Martin's father lived. There had been a rash of recent break-ins and Zimmerman was wary of strangers walking through the complex.
The two eventually got into a struggle and Zimmerman shot Martin in the chest with his 9mm handgun. He was charged 44 days after the shooting, only after a special prosecutor was appointed to review the case and after protests. The delay in the arrest prompted protests nationwide.
Two police dispatch phone calls will be important evidence for both sides' cases.
The first is a call Zimmerman made to a nonemergency police dispatcher, who told him he didn't need to be following Martin.
The second 911 call captures screams from the confrontation between Zimmerman and Martin. Martin's parents said the screams are from their son while Zimmerman's father contends they belong to his son.
Nelson ruled last weekend that audio experts for the prosecution won't be able to testify that the screams belong to Martin, saying the methods the experts used were unreliable.
Both calls were played for jurors by the defense in opening statements. Martin's mother, Sybrina Fulton, left the courtroom before the second call was played.
Opening statements were made two weeks after jury selection began. Attorneys picked six jurors and four alternates after quizzing the jury pool questions about how much they knew about the case and their views on guns and self-defense.
___
Follow Kyle Hightower on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KHightower
Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
Some spaces are awkward. Dark corners or cavernous closets that could really use some light. And tap lights don't always cut it in terms of brightness or aesthetic quality. But Australian designer Flynn Talbot is working on the situation. His aluminum and steel lights, called Latitude, can go anywhere and point in any direction.
The key is that you can attach the suspension cable anywhere on the spherical frame around the light, so it can be directed toward anything and light your space however you want. Talbot lists "indirect uplighting, downlighting, spotlighting" as some options to get you going. There's also kind of a light of the world vibe from the globe shape. Latitude currently comes in one size, a ~24 inch diameter, but a mini version with a ~16 inch diameter is coming soon. Gotta shed light where you can. [Contemporist]
James G. Hill: Why I Carry: Having A Firearm Is Like Having Insurance | Detroit Free Press
Detroit Free Press:
Two years ago, I was followed into a convenience store in northwest Detroit by two young men who were acting a bit too peculiar -- and paying me a bit too much attention.
They didn't do anything specific to raise my suspicion, but I've lived in big cities long enough to know when I ought to keep my eyes peeled. Something just didn't feel right.
Two years ago, I was followed into a convenience store in northwest Detroit by two young men who were acting a bit too peculiar -- and paying me a bit too much attention.
They didn't do anything sp...
Two years ago, I was followed into a convenience store in northwest Detroit by two young men who were acting a bit too peculiar -- and paying me a bit too much attention.
They didn't do anything sp...
Filed by Kate Abbey-Lambertz ?|?
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Public release date: 27-Jun-2013
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On this week's Ask A VC, we have NEA's Jon Sakoda. As you may remember, you can submit questions for our guests either in the comments or 
