Space tourist Dennis Tito celebrates after his landing near the Kazakh town of Arkalyk on May 6, 2001.
Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images
The world's first space tourist is financing a project that aims to launch an American man and woman on a mission to fly by Mars in 2018.
Back in 2001, businessman Dennis Tito shelled out about $20 million to ride a Russian spaceship up to the International Space Station. Now he's unveiled a new nonprofit group called the Inspiration Mars Foundation.
It's working to take advantage of a launch opportunity coming up in January of 2018. That's when the planets will be aligned in a way that would let people fly to Mars, loop around the planet, and return home in just 501 days ? a pretty short trip.
At their closest approach, the two space travelers would be within 100 miles of the red planet. "I mean, that's essentially being there," says Tito, who held a press conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., to announce his plans.
Tito, who made a fortune as an investment manager, is also an aerospace engineer who worked with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the 1960s, helping to plot trajectories for the Mariner robotic missions.
He hired a team of experts that concluded that sending people to loop around Mars in 2018 is doable with technology that either already exists or is nearly ready, and he's promised two years of funding for the project from his own pocket.
"This not a commercial mission. This is not a mission that, if it's successful, I'm going to come out to be a lot wealthier. Let me guarantee you, I will come out a lot poorer as a result of this mission," says Tito. "But my grandchildren will come out a lot wealthier through the inspiration that this will give them."
Dennis Tito (center) flies into the International Space Station as Russian Talgat Musabayev (right) looks on and the station's Russian commander, Yuri Usache, welcomes them, on April 30, 2001.
Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images
Dennis Tito (center) flies into the International Space Station as Russian Talgat Musabayev (right) looks on and the station's Russian commander, Yuri Usache, welcomes them, on April 30, 2001.
Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images
The 72-year-old businessman has no plans to do the trip himself. He wants to send a man and a woman, to represent all of humanity. Jane Poynter of Paragon Space Development Corporation, who is on Tito's planning team, said the two will have to be a "trusted, tested couple" who can provide each other with emotional support.
Poynter lived for two years inside Biosphere 2, a self-contained environment, in the early 1990s, and she says it was enormously helpful that one of the other inhabitants was the man who is now her husband.
"And so I believe that these two crew members that go on this, having that same backbone of their relationship will be of tremendous support to them during hard times," says Poynter. "After all, they are going to be millions of miles away from home."
The mission would be risky. The tight schedule means no time to test everything out. There'd be no abort. The crew would be exposed to radiation ? plus the psychological risks of being crammed together, eating dehydrated food and watching Earth grow smaller and smaller, until it looked like a pale blue dot.
John Logsdon, with the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, says he's a little skeptical. After all, 2018 isn't that far away, and he notes that this team is still exploring options for spacecraft and launch vehicles.
"It's a big jump between an idea and reality," says Logsdon. "And I think Mr. Tito and his associates are at the idea stage and have a lot of challenges of turning it into a reality."
But he also says the team Tito has assembled shouldn't be underestimated. They're experienced people who are excited about adventures ? and this would be a great one.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Positions hardened on Wednesday between U.S. President Barack Obama and Republican congressional leaders over the budget crisis even as they arranged to hold last-ditch talks to prevent harsh automatic spending cuts beginning this week.
Looking resigned to the $85 billion in "sequestration" cuts starting on Friday, government agencies began reducing costs and spelling out to employees how furloughs will work.
Expectations were low that a White House meeting on Friday between Obama and congressional leaders, including Republican foes, would produce any deal to avoid the cuts.
Speaking to a business group, Obama said the cuts could shave 0.6 percentage points or more from already anemic growth and urged executives to pressure Congress into compromising on a broad deficit reduction package.
"Whether that can be done in the next two days - I haven't seen things done in two days in Washington in quite some time," Obama told the Business Council, which is composed of chief executives of major U.S. corporations. "The good news is that the public is beginning to pay attention to this."
Public services across the country - from air traffic control to food safety inspections and education - might be disrupted if the cuts go ahead.
Put into law in 2011 as part of an earlier fiscal crisis, sequestration is unloved by both parties because of the economic pain it will cause, but the politicians cannot agree how to stop it.
A deal in Congress on less drastic spending cuts, perhaps with tax increases too, is needed by Friday to halt the sequestration reductions, which are split between social programs cherished by Democrats and defense spending championed by Republicans.
Obama stuck by his demand that Republicans accept tax increases in the form of eliminating tax loopholes enjoyed mostly by the wealthy as part of a balanced approach to avoiding sequestration.
"There is no alternative in the president's mind to balance," White House spokesman Jay Carney told reporters.
Obama wants to end tax breaks for oil and gas companies and the lower "carried interest" tax rate enjoyed by hedge funds.
But Republicans who reluctantly agreed to raise income tax rates on the rich to avert the "fiscal cliff" crisis in December are in no mood for that.
"One thing Americans simply will not accept is another tax increase to replace spending reductions we already agreed to," said Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell.
In one of the first concrete effects of the cuts, the administration took the unusual step of freeing several hundred detained illegal immigrants because of the cost of holding them.
Republicans described that move by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a political stunt aimed at scaring them into agreeing to end the sequestration on Obama's terms.
The issue looked like it might become more controversial on Wednesday when the Associated Press reported that the Homeland Security Department official in charge of immigration enforcement and removal had announced his resignation on Tuesday just after news of the immigrants' releases came out.
But ICE said the report was "misleading." The official, Gary Mead, told ICE weeks ago of his retirement in April after 40 years of federal service, a spokeswoman said. Earlier, Carney denied the White House had ordered the immigrants' release.
Friday's White House meeting will include McConnell and the other key congressional leaders: Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid, House of Representatives Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, and House Speaker John Boehner, the top U.S. Republican.
'BELATED FARCE'?
The chances of success were not high.
One congressional Republican aide criticized the White House for calling the meeting for the day the cuts were coming into effect. "Either someone needs to buy the White House a calendar, or this is just a - belated - farce. They ought to at least pretend to try."
Unlike during other fiscal fights in Congress, the stock market is taking the sequestration impasse calmly.
U.S. stocks rose, with major indexes posting their best daily gains since early January, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke remained steadfast in supporting the Fed's stimulus policy and data pointed to economic improvement.
On Thursday, the Senate is expected to vote on competing Democratic and Republican ideas for replacing the sequestration. Both measures are expected to be defeated.
The Republican plan unveiled late on Wednesday would let the sequestration go into effect on Friday, but require Obama to submit an alternative $85 billion spending reduction plan to Congress by March 15, thus allowing more flexibility on how the cuts would be carried out.
Congress would have until March 22 to reject the proposal, in which case the original sequestration would remain in place. Democrats were still studying it. But on Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said new revenues needed to be part of any substitute plan.
The Democratic proposal would replace the across-the-board cuts mainly with tax increases on the rich coupled with spending cuts. Some of those would be achieved by eliminating crop subsidies for large agricultural companies. More savings would be through minor defense cuts in later years.
Republicans have vowed to block any tax increases for deficit reduction.
Bernanke said sequestration was too drastic an approach for reducing the budget deficit.
"What I am advising is a more gradual approach. I'm not saying we should ignore the deficit. I am not saying we shouldn't deal with long-term fiscal issues, but I think that from the perspective of our recovery, a more gradual approach would be constructive," he told a House Financial Services Committee hearing.
Among many warnings from the Obama administration of possible damage to public services, the Air Force said its Thunderbirds exhibition flying team is expected to be grounded if sequestration happens.
The Pentagon will put most of its 800,000 civilian employees on unpaid leave for 22 days, slash ship and aircraft maintenance and curtail training.
But the full weight of sequestration will take place over seven months, allowing Obama and the Republicans time to work out a deal after the cuts begin this week.
White House spokesman Carney said sequestration would officially start just before midnight on Friday night if no deal were reached.
Government agencies began to tell employees how sequestration will force them to take furloughs. The Environmental Protection Agency acting head, Bob Perciasepe, told employees in an email that the agency did not know how much of its budget will be cut but it was working on an estimate of 5 percent.
"What might that mean for our employees? If the sequester order requires a 5.0% cut, the impact could be up to 13 furlough days," he said. That would likely mean four furlough days by June 1, he said.
(Additional reporting by Mark Felsenthal, Rick Cowan and Valerie Volcovici; Writing by Alistair Bell; Editing by Tim Dobbyn, Lisa Shumaker and Jackie Frank)
Health Callings is introducing a new feature on our website: sample cover letters. Check back often to find an example that suits your specific profession.
This letter would be appropriate for an experienced nurse supervisor who would like to transition those skills to a new employer.
About this letter
If you don?t know a specific person to address in the letter, use ?Dear Human Resources at XX Company.? Or, call the provider and ask for the name of the person accepting applications so you can personally address your letter ? particularly if you are seeking a supervisory or management position.
The words in boldface throughout the letter below are keywords that were used in the job description. Using the same keywords in the cover letter will get it through the organization?s applicant tracking software.
It?s contained on a single page.
This letter is specifically written toward the job description found at the bottom of this page.
A template for your own cover letter
[Date]
Human Resource Department Company name Company address
Dear Human Resources at XX Company,
This letter is in response to your job posting at HealthCallings.com for the position of an ambulatory-care department supervisor RN.
I?ve spent 10 of my 15 years in ambulatory care as a supervisor in facilities that included walk-in clinics in community hospitals, day surgery centers and telephone triage. As challenging as the work can be, I?ve enjoyed the diversity of experiences and patients.
Along the way, I?ve worked to collaborate with physicians and several departments to improve patient services. At [name of facility], I developed a continuum of care plan after spearheading an effort to better coordinate interdepartmental handoffs and processes, including how patients are tracked after treatment. As you well know, that?s ?care coordination? in the current vernacular ? something we?ve all been practicing for years, and that involves patient advocacy, too.
As a supervisor at [name of facility], I established best-practices models for tracking the use ofmedications and supplies, andimplemented efficient staffing levels that cut costs but improved quality of care.
The attached resume includes many more details of my background. My [name of state] license is current, and I hold BLS and ACLS certificates. I hold a BSN with a clinical specialty in geriatrics. I also just completed my thesis for my MSN.
I hope to discuss with you how my background can help promote [name of facility]?s goals for ambulatory care.
Sincerely,
Your name, with credentials
?
Related articles: Step-by-Step Guide to Writing a Cover Letter 4 Skills You Must Mention in Cover Letters
? Health Callings, Dice Holdings Inc., 2013
Job description
In assigned area/function, supervises the operations and delivery of patient care services; ensures staff provide highest quality of care which complies with the Nurse Practice Act, JCAHO, federal/state/local requirements; establishes and maintains effective, collaborative relationships with physicians and other departments; collaborates with nursing and other departments to resolve patient care issues, meet access demands, provide convenient hours of operation, improve the cost structure, and develop consistent policies and procedures; supervises and maintains patient care and quality service standards to meet members? and internal clients? expectations; acts as patient advocate resolving patient care issues; recommends and evaluates processes to improve systems and patient care results across the continuum of care; assists in developing and monitoring budgets and resource allocations and financial performance and identifies and recommends strategies to reduce costs and improve quality of care/service; supervises use and maintenance of equipment, supplies and medications.
Previous clinical nursing experience in outpatient care required or other relevant clinical experience required (usually two to three years); previous supervisory experience required (usually two years); bachelor?s degree or equivalent years of experience (usually four years) in nursing or healthcare related field such as management; graduate of an accredited school of nursing; state license required; BLS certification required; clinical specialization in area of practice preferred; demonstrated knowledge of Nurse Practice Act, JCAHO, and other local, state, federal regulations.
?
?
About Terry Sheridan
Terry Sheridan is a New England-based freelance writer who has covered business issues for 20 years.
Bora Zivkovic is the Blog Editor at Scientific American, chronobiologist, biology teacher, organizer of ScienceOnline conferences and editor of Open Laboratory anthologies of best science writing on the Web. Follow on Twitter @boraz.
More??
Bora Zivkovic is the Blog Editor at Scientific American, chronobiologist, biology teacher, organizer of ScienceOnline conferences and editor of Open Laboratory anthologies of best science writing on the Web. Follow on Twitter @boraz.
More??
#SciAmBlogs Tuesday ? PTSD, ideal of objectivity, energy sequester, synaesthesia, Mars sample, Your Brain on Cookies, and more.
About the Author: Bora Zivkovic is the Blog Editor at Scientific American, chronobiologist, biology teacher, organizer of ScienceOnline conferences and editor of Open Laboratory anthologies of best science writing on the Web. Follow on Twitter @boraz.
More??
The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily those of Scientific American.
You wouldn't think that a Pinterest where you can buy stuff?would be one of the hottest Series A deals of the quarter, but it was. Wanelo, a site that allows you to bookmark items that you like, and, this is crucial, allows you to buy those items via direct links from the site, has been the prettiest girl at the party for the past month or two, while it completes its raise.
Contact: Aimee Frank media@gastro.org 301-941-2620 American Gastroenterological Association
Societies advocate same change for patients with Medicare
The federal government has issued an important clarification on preventive screening benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Patients with private insurance will no longer be liable for cost sharing when a pre-cancerous colon polyp is removed during screening colonoscopy. This ensures colorectal cancer screening is available to privately insured patients at no additional cost, as intended by the new healthcare law. Patients with Medicare coverage must still pay a coinsurance when a polyp is removed as a result of the screening colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is a unique screening test because physicians are able to remove precancerous polyps and small cancers during the screening procedure. In many instances, removal of a polyp could result in the screening tests being categorized as a therapeutic procedure for which patients must pay coinsurance. This meant a patient could see their doctor for a screening colonoscopy assuming that it would be at no additional cost, only to receive a bill for the coinsurance after the doctor finds and removes a suspicious polyp. Cost sharing can create financial barriers that discourage the use of recommended preventive services.
Unfortunately, the cost-sharing issue remains a problem for patients with Medicare coverage. During National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month we will continue to advocate for adoption of legislation that would waive the coinsurance for Medicare beneficiaries when a screening colonoscopy becomes therapeutic.
In May 2012, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Fight Colorectal Cancer (FCC) and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable met with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services to discuss the cost-sharing problem. The groups advocated for the elimination of cost sharing for screening colonoscopy, and now we applaud the clarification the administration released earlier this week.
Following is the guidance language provided by the administration.
Q5: If a colonoscopy is scheduled and performed as a screening procedure pursuant to the USPSTF recommendation, is it permissible for a plan or issuer to impose cost-sharing for the cost of a polyp removal during the colonoscopy?
No. Based on clinical practice and comments received from the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the Society for Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, polyp removal is an integral part of a colonoscopy. Accordingly, the plan or issuer may not impose cost-sharing with respect to a polyp removal during a colonoscopy performed as a screening procedure. On the other hand, a plan or issuer may impose cost-sharing for a treatment that is not a recommended preventive service, even if the treatment results from a recommended preventive service.
###
Contact information for all societies:
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients. www.gi.org
American Gastroenterological Association
Contact: Aimee Frank (301) 941-2620, media@gastro.org
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org.
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Contact: Anne Brownsey (630) 570-5635, abrownsey@asge.org
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.
Fight Colorectal Cancer
Contact: Carlea Bauman (202) 907-5536
Fight Colorectal Cancer is the leading colorectal cancer advocacy organization in Washington, DC and demands a cure for the second leading cancer killer in the United States. In addition to our advocacy work, we offer support for patients, family members and caregivers, and serve as a resource for colorectal cancer advocates, policymakers, medical professionals and healthcare providers. We also do everything we can to increase and improve researchat all stages of development and for all stages of cancer. Find out how you can get involved at FightColorectalCancer.org or 877-427-2111.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Contact: Aimee Frank media@gastro.org 301-941-2620 American Gastroenterological Association
Societies advocate same change for patients with Medicare
The federal government has issued an important clarification on preventive screening benefits under the Affordable Care Act. Patients with private insurance will no longer be liable for cost sharing when a pre-cancerous colon polyp is removed during screening colonoscopy. This ensures colorectal cancer screening is available to privately insured patients at no additional cost, as intended by the new healthcare law. Patients with Medicare coverage must still pay a coinsurance when a polyp is removed as a result of the screening colonoscopy.
Colonoscopy is a unique screening test because physicians are able to remove precancerous polyps and small cancers during the screening procedure. In many instances, removal of a polyp could result in the screening tests being categorized as a therapeutic procedure for which patients must pay coinsurance. This meant a patient could see their doctor for a screening colonoscopy assuming that it would be at no additional cost, only to receive a bill for the coinsurance after the doctor finds and removes a suspicious polyp. Cost sharing can create financial barriers that discourage the use of recommended preventive services.
Unfortunately, the cost-sharing issue remains a problem for patients with Medicare coverage. During National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month we will continue to advocate for adoption of legislation that would waive the coinsurance for Medicare beneficiaries when a screening colonoscopy becomes therapeutic.
In May 2012, the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, Fight Colorectal Cancer (FCC) and the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable met with officials from the Department of Health and Human Services to discuss the cost-sharing problem. The groups advocated for the elimination of cost sharing for screening colonoscopy, and now we applaud the clarification the administration released earlier this week.
Following is the guidance language provided by the administration.
Q5: If a colonoscopy is scheduled and performed as a screening procedure pursuant to the USPSTF recommendation, is it permissible for a plan or issuer to impose cost-sharing for the cost of a polyp removal during the colonoscopy?
No. Based on clinical practice and comments received from the American College of Gastroenterology, American Gastroenterological Association, American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, and the Society for Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates, polyp removal is an integral part of a colonoscopy. Accordingly, the plan or issuer may not impose cost-sharing with respect to a polyp removal during a colonoscopy performed as a screening procedure. On the other hand, a plan or issuer may impose cost-sharing for a treatment that is not a recommended preventive service, even if the treatment results from a recommended preventive service.
###
Contact information for all societies:
American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN)
ACS CAN, the nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society, supports evidence-based policy and legislative solutions designed to eliminate cancer as a major health problem. ACS CAN works to encourage elected officials and candidates to make cancer a top national priority. ACS CAN gives ordinary people extraordinary power to fight cancer with the training and tools they need to make their voices heard. For more information, visit www.acscan.org.
Founded in 1932, the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) is an organization with an international membership of more than 12,000 individuals from 80 countries. The College is committed to serving the clinically oriented digestive disease specialist through its emphasis on scholarly practice, teaching and research. The mission of the College is to serve the evolving needs of physicians in the delivery of high quality, scientifically sound, humanistic, ethical, and cost-effective health care to gastroenterology patients. www.gi.org
American Gastroenterological Association
Contact: Aimee Frank (301) 941-2620, media@gastro.org
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, the AGA has grown to include more than 16,000 members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org.
American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy
Contact: Anne Brownsey (630) 570-5635, abrownsey@asge.org
Since its founding in 1941, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE) has been dedicated to advancing patient care and digestive health by promoting excellence and innovation in gastrointestinal endoscopy. ASGE, with more than 12,000 members worldwide, promotes the highest standards for endoscopic training and practice, fosters endoscopic research, recognizes distinguished contributions to endoscopy, and is the foremost resource for endoscopic education. Visit www.asge.org and www.screen4coloncancer.org for more information and to find a qualified doctor in your area.
Fight Colorectal Cancer
Contact: Carlea Bauman (202) 907-5536
Fight Colorectal Cancer is the leading colorectal cancer advocacy organization in Washington, DC and demands a cure for the second leading cancer killer in the United States. In addition to our advocacy work, we offer support for patients, family members and caregivers, and serve as a resource for colorectal cancer advocates, policymakers, medical professionals and healthcare providers. We also do everything we can to increase and improve researchat all stages of development and for all stages of cancer. Find out how you can get involved at FightColorectalCancer.org or 877-427-2111.
[ | 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.
MicroVentures is an action adventure game with roguelike elements. Play as the Knight, Wizard or Rogue in bite-sized riveting adventures while you stand in line for something less exciting.
- Procedural roguelike levels - Procedural story that will drive the gameplay - Quick but powerful gameplay, suitable for all types of players - Many different playable characters, including a Knight, Wizard, and Rogue! - Full of wondrous settings outside of your ordinary dungeon - Intuitive touchscreen controls - Fantastic 8-bit retro style art and music
Visit Developer's Website?Email Developer?
App Screenshots
User Reviews
Write a Review
Please sign in to write a review.
5 star
??18
4 star
??2
3 star
??0
2 star
??0
1 star
??0
Kelly Dority - February 20, 2013 - Samsung Galaxy S with version 1.1
Wow this is surprisingly well done, i dont give 5 stars often. Good job!
Isaiah Wind - February 23, 2013 - Version 1.1
Good, but need a little polishing
I enjoy this game, however the wonky scrolling of the item list is making it difficult to play. Hoping that gets fixed soon.
Brent Reed - February 11, 2013 - Motorola Droid RAZR with version 1.0
Awesome Fast-Paced Rogue-like RPG!
Super responsive controls, quick and easy to learn gameplay and enough content to keep you coming back for more, as well as plenty of nods to great games of the past. The art and writing are quirky and solid to boot, definitely worth installing.
Read All User Reviews?
User Reviews
Write a Review
Please sign in to write a review.
5 star
??18
4 star
??2
3 star
??0
2 star
??0
1 star
??0
Show all
There are no reviews matching these criteria.
Failed to fetch page. Please retry in a few minutes.
Kelly Dority - February 20, 2013 - Samsung Galaxy S with version 1.1
Wow this is surprisingly well done, i dont give 5 stars often. Good job!
Isaiah Wind - February 23, 2013 - Version 1.1
Good, but need a little polishing
I enjoy this game, however the wonky scrolling of the item list is making it difficult to play. Hoping that gets fixed soon.
Brent Reed - February 11, 2013 - Motorola Droid RAZR with version 1.0
Awesome Fast-Paced Rogue-like RPG!
Super responsive controls, quick and easy to learn gameplay and enough content to keep you coming back for more, as well as plenty of nods to great games of the past. The art and writing are quirky and solid to boot, definitely worth installing.
Bryan Blackford - February 12, 2013 - Samsung Galaxy Nexus with version 1.0
Polished, clever story, solid gameplay.
What's New
What's in this version:
Patch 1.1 [02/17/2013] - Fixed display issues for Galaxy S3 phones and various Droid phones.
Permissions
This application has access to the following:
Hardware controls
change your audio settings
Allows the app to modify global audio settings such as volume and which speaker is used for output.
Network communication
full network access
Allows the app to create network sockets and use custom network protocols. The browser and other applications provide means to send data to the internet, so this permission is not required to send data to the internet.
Storage
modify or delete the contents of your USB storage modify or delete the contents of your SD card
Allows the app to write to the USB storage. Allows the app to write to the SD card.
System tools
prevent tablet from sleeping prevent phone from sleeping
Allows the app to prevent the tablet from going to sleep. Allows the app to prevent the phone from going to sleep.
Show allHide
Hardware controls
control vibration
Allows the app to control the vibrator.
Network communication
view network connections
Allows the app to view information about network connections such as which networks exist and are connected.
Default
read battery statistics
Allows an application to read the current low-level battery use data. May allow the application to find out detailed information about which apps you use.
change screen orientation
Allows the app to change the rotation of the screen at any time. Should never be needed for normal apps.
power tablet on or off power phone on or off
Allows the app to turn the tablet on or off. Allows the app to turn the phone on or off.
test access to protected storage test access to protected storage
Allows the app to test a permission for USB storage that will be available on future devices. Allows the app to test a permission for the SD card that will be available on future devices.
Baylor guard Alexis Prince drives down the court against Oklahoma during the first half of a NCAA Women's basketball game in Norman, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Baylor guard Alexis Prince drives down the court against Oklahoma during the first half of a NCAA Women's basketball game in Norman, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Oklahoma's Joanna McFarland (53) and Nicole Griffin (4) defend as Baylor forward Brittney Griner (42) looks to pass during the first half of a NCAA Women's basketball game in Norman, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Baylor guard Alexis Prince (12) drives to the basket around Oklahoma guard Morgan Hook (10) during the first half of a NCAA Women's basketball game in Norman, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
Baylor forward Brittney Griner, back, shoots over Oklahoma forward Joana McFarland and Aaryn Ellenberg during the first half of a NCAA Women's basketball game in Norman, Monday, Feb. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)
NORMAN, Okla. (AP) ? Brittney Griner scored 15 points, tied her season-high with 15 rebounds and blocked seven shots to lead top-ranked Baylor to its 25th straight victory, 86-64 Monday night against Oklahoma.
After sitting out the last 11? minutes of the first half with two fouls, Griner returned and hit the first two baskets in a 10-0 run that pushed the Lady Bears' lead out to 47-30. Baylor (27-1, 16-0 Big 12) led by at least 12 the rest of the way,
Griner moved past Connecticut's Maya Moore into fourth in career scoring in women's basketball. Only Jackie Stiles of Missouri State, Patricia Hoskins of Mississippi Valley State and Lorri Bauman of Drake have more than Griner's 3,045 points.
Aaryn Ellenberg had 19 points to lead Oklahoma (19-9, 9-7). Morgan Hook had 15 points and nine turnovers. The Sooners' two post players, Nicole Griffin and Joanna McFarland, combined to go 4 for 23 from the field.
After watching her team's lead shrink from 16 to four while she was out, Griner quickly put the Lady Bears back in control as the national player of the year is accustomed to doing.
Campbell had a pair of baskets during a string of eight straight Oklahoma points that got the deficit down to 57-45 midway through the second half, but Griner stopped the surge with a turnaround jumper in the lane. She also had a layup to start an 8-0 response by the Bears that restored the lead to 69-48.
Destiny Williams chipped in 16 points and Odyssey Sims had 13 points and six assists.
The Lady Bears stumbled with six turnovers in the first 5 minutes, then cleaned up their act to put together a 13-0 run that included a 3-pointer, a fast-break layup and a jumper from the left block by Jordan Madden for a 19-4 edge with 13:25 to go in the first half. But Griner picked up her second foul about 2 minutes later, and coach Kim Mulkey put her on the bench for the rest of the half.
Griner fouled out for just the second time in her college career in the first meeting between the teams this season, even though the Bears were already firmly in control by then, and Mulkey took no chances putting her back in.
About 30 seconds after Griner's second foul, frontcourt partner Brooklyn Pope was called for charging for the second time and also came out.
Baylor didn't make a basket for the first 5 minutes after Griner exited, and Oklahoma took advantage of seldom-used substitutes Kristina Higgins and Sune Agbuke to go on a 14-2 run to get the deficit down to 24-20. Even then, Mulkey didn't make a move to bring Griner back in, and instead it was freshman Alexis Prince that scored eight points over the final 4 minutes of the half to keep the Bears in front 37-30 at halftime.
Bruce Mueller was looking for a way to charge his phone for a couple of weeks while off the grid. So he combined the Mintyboost from Adafruit (designed for two AA batteries and usually tucked into an Altoid tin ) and combined it with his D-battery Maglite, for higher capacity charging.
With a little tinkering of your own, you could create your own flashlight-Mintyboost. Bruce writes:
Removing the bulb and reflector, I created a space to hold the mintyboost board. By disassembling (breaking) a bulb, power can be drawn from the bulb socket.
I sliced it in Makerware, medium quality (.27 layers, 2 shells, 0% infill). It sticks to the plate like glue ? take your time and a nice spudger to get it off...
He also offers the 3D plans for the Mintyboost-holding bracket.
Mintyboost Holder | MakerBot Thingiverse via Adafruit
According to sources of the Financial Times, and corroborated by The Verge's own sources, Google has been talking to music labels about licensing deals for a subscription music service to launch in the third quarter. Play Music (then Google Music) has only been around since May of 2011, and only received notoriety when several major music labels finally signed on to sell music in the Play Store. If these new deals pan out, Google could be looking to offer a montlhy paid subscription music service for users that would prefer not to purchase individual tracks, with a free tier that offered unlimited play but with advertising.
If Google was able to extend its existing licenses to a subscription streaming model, it could take the likes of Spotify and Rdio head-on, furthering the amount of compelling content available in the Play Store. Details on the deals are sparse at this point, with the launch window still up in the air. The best indication right now is the third quarter of this year, but things could certainly change.
Senate Republicans have vowed to block President Obama?s nomination of Richard Cordray to become director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau unless Congress takes steps that would weaken the agency.
In a recent letter to the White House, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and 42 GOP colleagues said they will continue to oppose the consideration ?of any nominee, regardless of party affiliation? until changes are made to ?ensure accountability and transparency? at the CFPB.
Sen. McConnell said Republicans have ?serious concerns about the lack of congressional oversight of the agency and the lack of normal, democratic checks on its sole director, who would wield nearly unprecedented powers.?
Consumer groups and Democrats on Capitol Hill are outraged at what they believe is a blatant attempt to muzzle the consumer watchdog agency.
?They?re playing politics with the pocketbooks of the American people and the safety of our economy,? said consumer advocate Ed Mierzwinski of U.S. PIRG.
?Republicans are trying to dismantle the consumer protection bureau and put the power back in the hands of big corporations,? said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., in a statement. ?American consumers deserve a cop on the beat to advocate for their interests against reckless corporations and their armies of lawyers seeking to take advantage.?
The outcome of this power struggle will affect all Americans because the CFPB regulates the businesses that control so much of our financial lives, including banks, credit card issuers, mortgage lenders, debt collectors and credit reporting agencies.
In just 19 months, the agency has issued numerous rules designed to bring fairness and transparency to the financial marketplace. It has also levied record fines against some of the biggest financial companies in the country, resulting in $425 million being refunded to consumers.
What exactly do GOP lawmakers want?
Republicans say they want Congress to change the CFPB?s governance, funding and oversight before they will vote on a director for the agency.
Governance: They want the CFPB to be run by a five-member bipartisan commission, rather than a director.
Funding: They want the bureau to be subject to the annual appropriations process in Congress.
Oversight: They want to make it easier for other federal banking regulators to veto any CFPB rule.
George Washington University law professor Arthur Wilmarth, Jr. wrote an analysis of the proposed changes in a paper titled: ?The Financial Services Industry?s Misguided Quest to Undermine the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.? Here?s how he addressed the GOP?s proposed changes:
1. Governance
There are reasonable arguments on both sides as to whether the agency should be run by a director or a commission. While a single director increases accountability, a bipartisan commission might include a broader range of views. But the commission structure increases the possibility of deadlock if a single position is vacant.
Weighing all the factors ? efficiency, stability, decisiveness and accountability ? Prof. Wilmarth concluded that keeping a single-director makes the most sense.
2. Funding
Currently, the CFPB?s budget comes from the Federal Reserve and is capped at 12 percent of the Board?s budget each year.
If the CFPB does not have guaranteed funding and must seek Congressional budget approval each year, it is subject to Congressional whim and therefore pressure from business groups.
?The two agencies that don?t have assured funding ? the Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission ? the industry strangles them through the appropriations process and makes them unable to accomplish their mission,? Wilmarth explained. ?Obviously, the industry wants this because they don?t want the CFPB to be effective.?
3. Oversight
The federal law that created the CFPB already defines and limits its regulatory powers. It establishes various layers of oversight. The agency reports to Congress (so far Corday has testified 30 times) and is watched by the General Accounting Office.
The CFPB ? unlike any other financial regulatory agency ? is also subject to review by the Financial Stability Oversight Council (FSOC) which can veto any bureau rule that?s shown to put ?the safety and soundness? of the U.S. banking system or the ?stability? of the U.S. financial system at risk.
Republicans want to give the FSOC the power to veto any CFPB rule that negatively impacts even a single bank or financial institution.
Wilmarth believes this would make it too easy to override CFPB actions and would give responsibility for consumer protection back to ?the same agencies that failed to protect both consumers and our financial markets during the past decade.?
Democrats go on the offensive
Three Democratic members of the Senate Banking Committee, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, Sherrod Brown of Ohio and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, have called on their Republican colleagues to put Cordray?s nomination to an up-or-down vote.
Confirming a CFPB director would ?help consumers and strengthen our financial marketplace,? they said in a joint news release.
Sen. Warren knows more about this issue than most members of Congress. She?s the former Harvard professor who helped launch the CFPB in 2010 after it was created as part of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.
She warned that this latest example of Congressional gridlock hurts everyone.
?Political stalemates don?t end in more government or less government, but in bad government ? government that lacks the clarity and predictability that our businesses need to plan for the future, to serve their customers, and to create jobs,? Warren said.
Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitteror visit The ConsumerMan website.
An Irish billionaire?s telecommunications company, which has revolutionized cell phone usage in some of the world?s poorest countries, is bringing it?s latest marketing pitch to South Florida.
Digicel is tapping into South Florida?s close ties to Haiti and Jamaica in a campaign that asks families stateside to send minutes home.
Irish billionaire Denis O?Brien has staked a claim in the telecommunication industry by building his cell phone company in developing countries in the Caribbean and South America The South Florida Digicel campaign includes bus bench ads, billboards and television spots. The message is simple: ?Send minutes home.?
Customers stateside can pay to send airtime minutes to family and friends? pre-paid cell phones in the Caribbean. The concept is not new, but Digicel is seeking to broaden it?s reach.
It is a nod to South Florida?s ties to the Caribbean and the financial influence of the region?s diaspora. Families in Haiti and Jamaica rely heavily on remittances from abroad.
Haiti received $2.1 billion in remittances in 2011, which represents more than one quarter of the national income, according to the Inter-American Development Bank . In 2011, Jamaica received nearly $2 billion in remittances.
?We understand the value of the diaspora,? said Valerie Estim?, CEO of Digicel?s diaspora division. ?They are our lifeline.?
Typically the company relies on ethnic media outlets like radio programs and niche publications for advertising, but there was a gap in reaching second- and third- generation Caribbean Americans, who are more plugged in to mainstream media, said Andreina Gonzalez, head of marketing in Digicel?s diaspora division.
?There was an opportunity to step up and go a little further,? Gonzalez said.
The campaign comes at a time when the company is facing some public relations backlash in Haiti and Jamaica. Customers from both islands have taken to social media to decry shoddy connections and poor customer service.
In Haiti, the problems were so acute that Digicel released an apology letter to its customers in December. When the company tried to integrate Voil?, a competitor Digicel acquired, into its network, the integration caused system failures.
?Quite simply, we did not deliver what we promised and we did not communicate effectively with customers through the problem times,? Damian Blackburn, Digicel?s Haiti CEO wrote in the apology.. ?We apologize for letting our customers down and want to thank them for their patience and understanding.?
In South Florida, the marketing pitch is family-centered and draws on the diaspora?s need to stay connected. Digicel representatives say airtime minutes are as valuable as the cash remittances families send to the Caribbean.
The advertising features members of a culturally ambiguous animated family smiling and talking on cell phones.
The ads that appear in Little Haiti, North Miami and North Miami Beach are largely targeting the Haitian community. In South Broward, the focus shifts to the Jamaican population.
A similar campaign has also been launched in New York.
Prices range for $7 to $60 to add minutes to a relative?s Digicel account. Transactions can be made online or at participating stores in South Florida.
?You?re able to make a very big difference with a very small amount of your disposable income,? said Estim?. ?We know how important it is to be able to get in touch with a mother, a sister or a brother.?
The company recognizes that some of its older customer base prefer the retail model, while younger and more savvy consumers would rather send pay for minutes directly from their computers or cell phones.
?It was really impressive to see Digicel online,? said Geralda Pierre, a Miami Gardens resident who sends minute to Haiti. ?It?s so convenient to add minutes for my dad in Haiti who is sick. It makes it easier for me to get in touch with him.?
For now, Digicel says it will continue to mix the old and new. The Creole-language advertisements on Haitian radio and Island TV, a Creole language cable network, are here to stay.
?We are bringing first world convenience in some cases to third world countries,? Estim? said. ?Digicel has in a way improved the lives of our loved ones back home.?
Health Callings is introducing a new feature on our website: sample cover letters. Check back often to find an example that suits your specific profession.
Share ?
Email ?
Print
You wouldn't think that a ![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tgOeAd5HxIUx534sMMutF0HB-G4j5z0rc5T4CAdCAq95e8dbvTyvhQCHIX-tZCcMZQ74KAQCUkKELuvnEq-HIaitcs80U50GhBhjIrSvg=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Feb-2013
Share ] 
Bruce Mueller was looking for a way to charge his phone for a couple of weeks while off the grid. So he combined the Mintyboost from Adafruit (designed for two AA batteries and usually tucked into an Altoid tin ) and combined it with his D-battery Maglite, for higher capacity charging. 
