NEW YORK (AP) ? Shares of Western Union tumbled to their lowest point in more than three years on Wednesday as the company lowered its full-year earnings forecast.
THE SPARK: On Tuesday Western Union cut its earnings guidance to a range of $1.60 to $1.63 per share from a previous projection of $1.68 to $1.72 per share. Analysts polled by FactSet expect earnings of $1.75 per share.
For the third quarter, the company reported earnings of 45 cents per share on revenue of $1.42 billion. Wall Street predicted earnings of 45 cents per share on revenue of $1.47 billion.
Western Union also announced that the Stewart Stockdale, president of global consumer financial services, has left the company.
THE ANALYSIS: Citi Investment Research's Ashwin Shirvaikar said that Western Union's third-quarter performance was disappointing, as it deals with increased competition and difficult economic conditions. The analyst said that the revised full-year forecast implies slower earnings per share growth this year and likely declines in earnings per share next year.
Weakening fundamentals and announced strategic changes ? like price cuts ? may add uncertainty to future prospects and feed into fears about the long-term competitive positioning of the business, Shirvaikar added.
The analyst maintained a $24 price target and "Buy" rating.
Thomas McCrohan of Janney Capital Markets lowered the company's price target to $20 from $24 and kept a "Buy" rating. In a client note the analyst said that while Western Union reported decent third-quarter results, its outlook is a bit lackluster.
Moody's Investors Service, meanwhile, said Western Union's investment-grade A3 rating will likely be under pressure in the near term. It cited the company's lower 2012 guidance, its plans for generating organic revenue growth, and its plans for ongoing shareholder-friendly actions.
SHARE ACTION: Western Union Co.'s shares fell $5.13, or almost 29 percent, to $12.80 in late trading. The shares hit $12.48 earlier in the session, their lowest point since March 2009.
This photo provided by the Fulton County Police Department and released Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 shows shooting suspect Floyd Palmer. Police in Georgia said Palmer, 51, walked into a chapel at World Changers Church International just before a 10 a.m. service and opened fire, killing church volunteer Greg McDowell, 39, while he was leading a prayer. (AP Photo/Fulton County Police Department)
This photo provided by the Fulton County Police Department and released Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 shows shooting suspect Floyd Palmer. Police in Georgia said Palmer, 51, walked into a chapel at World Changers Church International just before a 10 a.m. service and opened fire, killing church volunteer Greg McDowell, 39, while he was leading a prayer. (AP Photo/Fulton County Police Department)
Fulton County Police public information officer Kay Lester holds up the picture of Floyd Palmer, the suspect being sought in a fatal shooting at World Changers Church International in College Park, Ga. Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012. A church volunteer leading prayer was shot and killed inside the chapel of the megachurch. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, John Spink) MARIETTA DAILY OUT; GWINNETT DAILY POST OUT; LOCAL TV OUT; WXIA-TV OUT; WGCL-TV OUT
This photo provided by the Fulton County Police Department and released Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 shows shooting suspect Floyd Palmer. Police say a volunteer leading a prayer service at the World Changers International Church in College Park, Ga., was shot and killed by a former church employee. (AP Photo/Fulton County Police Department)
BALTIMORE (AP) ? A man accused of killing a Georgia megachurch volunteer leading a prayer service in a chapel was charged more than a decade ago with a shooting at a mosque in Maryland, police documents show.
Floyd Palmer was part of a security detail at a Baltimore mosque in June 2001 when he shot another man working with him, wounding him in the back, according to a police report obtained by The Associated Press on Thursday. Palmer tried to fire again, but the gun jammed. When other people ran over to him, he turned the gun on them, but it wouldn't fire, according to the documents.
During a pretrial psychological evaluation, Palmer said the shooting occurred in part because he believed that NFL player Ray Lewis and members of his own family were out to get him.
Palmer was committed to a psychiatric hospital in 2004 after pleading not criminally responsible to the mosque shooting. Despite objections from prosecutors, a judge released him in 2006 on the condition that he abide by a number of restrictions for five years.
It's not clear when Palmer made his way south. He had been working at the Rev. Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church International just south of Atlanta, but quit in August for "personal reasons," Fulton County Police Cpl. Kay Lester said.
On Wednesday, authorities said the 51-year-old Palmer walked into a chapel and opened fire, killing Greg McDowell, 39, who was leading a morning prayer service for a group of about 25 people. McDowell is identified as a warehouse manager for the church on a LinkedIn web page.
A witness told police he heard about five gunshots, but that only McDowell was hit, according to a police report. The witness said he ducked down, then looked up and made eye contact with Palmer before the suspect began "walking calmly towards the exit of the chapel." The witness said he ran outside to get help and saw Palmer leaving the parking lot in a black vehicle, the report says. Officers recovered about a dozen shell casings for a .380-caliber handgun, but they have not located the weapon.
Police arrested Palmer several hours later when they spotted his Subaru station wagon at a mall in the upscale Buckhead community, north of downtown Atlanta.
Authorities were trying to figure out if Palmer and McDowell knew each other.
Visibly distraught members of McDowell's family showed up at the Fulton County jail for Palmer's first court hearing Thursday, but he waived his appearance. Later in the day, however, he changed his mind. Another hearing was scheduled for Friday.
Palmer faces murder and firearms charges. It was not immediately clear if Palmer has an attorney. The Fulton County public defender's office didn't return a phone message Thursday.
In Baltimore, officials were taking a closer look at the 2001 shooting. According to the pretrial psychological evaluation, Palmer said the shooting occurred because one of his cousins, Richard Lollar, was killed in Atlanta shortly after the 2000 Super Bowl.
Lewis, a Baltimore Ravens linebacker, was charged in the stabbing death of Lollar and another man, but he was exonerated. He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor obstruction of justice. Two other defendants were acquitted in the case.
Palmer said he shot Reuben Jerry Ash outside the mosque because he believed Ash was being paid by Lewis to "get rid of him," according to the psychological evaluation. The shooting left Ash paralyzed.
A judge released Palmer from the psychiatric hospital on the condition he live with his mother, not own or possess a weapon and continue treatment for the next five years. The judge noted Palmer's lack of a history of mental illness, his two-decade employment with the Social Security Administration and his full remission from mental illness.
The state attorney general's office objected, saying Palmer did not understand that he remained mentally ill. That "indicates a high likelihood that he will not be compliant," their response stated, adding there "was no real evidence Mr. Palmer would not be a danger to himself or others if released with or without conditions."
In Atlanta, the violence upset members and neighbors of the church, which is one of the largest in the United States, claiming 30,000 members at the main campus and a ministry of satellite churches across the country. It is led by Dollar, who was not there at the time of the shooting.
Along with Bishop Eddie Long, Dollar is one of the most prominent African-American preachers based around Atlanta who have built successful ministries on the prosperity gospel, which teaches that God wants to bless the faithful with earthly riches.
Dollar didn't respond to requests for comment from The AP, but he preached Wednesday evening at a Bible study in the campus's larger World Dome sanctuary.
"We pray for both families and then we pray for every family that's in here tonight," he said.
___
Associated Press writers Norman Gomlak and Jeff Martin in Atlanta and Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., contributed to this report.
The Co-operative University College of Kenya, formerly Co-operative College of Kenya, was established through the Co-operative University College of Kenya Order, Legal Notice No. 161 of 4th November 2011 as a Constituent College of Jomo Kenyatta University ofAgriculture and Technology.The University College aims at becoming a leading center of excellence for a globally competitive cooperative sector. The University College is conveniently located approximately 20 km from Nairobi City Centre in the serenity of Karen suburbs, a very conducive environment for serious academic engagement and learning. The University College Council seeks to appoint a suitable candidate to the position of the Principal. Ref. CUCK/01/2012: Principal of College The appointed pioneer Principal will be a dynamic, visionary and result-oriented person of high ethical standards, integrity and professionalism.?The Principal will have the overall mandate of establishing a strong academic, research and administrative foundation for the University College. Duties and Responsibilities As the Chief Executive of the University College, the Principal will be the academic, research and administrative Head of the College working under the direction of the Council with the following duties and responsibilities:
Have overall responsibility on the direction, organization and the administration of academic programs of the University College;
Promote development of the cooperative movement and maintain national, regional and international linkages with related agencies;
Promote industrialization through the cooperative culture;
Coordinate the development and implementation of the academic and administrative policies of the University College in accordance with the University Master Plan and Strategic Plan;
Maintain efficiency and good order of the University College and ensure proper enforcement of the Statutes and other College Regulations;
Provide innovative and creative leadership in the areas of finance, human resource, planning and infrastructural development, students? affairs management and community linkages;
Play a key role in the facilitation and maintenance of linkages with the cooperative movement, government, regulatory agencies and other local/international institutions of higher learning;
Perform other duties as may be assigned by the University College Council from time to time.
Be holders of a PhD and be a Professor orAssociate Professor ?n areas of cooperative management and organization development, agricultural economics, business and entrepreneurship;
In view of the unique nature of this University, a PhD holder with more than 15 years? experience in co-operative development and management will be considered;
Be well published and academic leaders ?n their areas of specialization OR demonstrate ability to produce results;
Have at least ten (1 0) years of academic and research experience at senior level and possess demonstrated capacity for leadership in an academic and/or research institution or corporate;
Be familiar with national, regional and global current trends of policies governing higher education;
Demonstrate ability to plan,develop and implement academic programs and institutional linkages;
Be registered with, and active members of professional associations in their areas of specialization where applicable;
Have excellent organizational, interpersonal and communication skills;
Demonstrate ability in fundraising, resource mobilization and fund management.
Terms & Conditions of Service The successful candidate for the position will be offered a competitive remuneration package, including house allowance, medical benefits, gratuity and other benefits in accordance with the University College terms of service.The appointment will be for a contractual period of five (5) years renewable once subject to satisfactory performance. Applicants should submit detailed curriculum vitae, copies of certificates, e-mail addresses, and telephone contacts with their applications. In addition, provide contact details of three referees to the address below quoting the Reference number, on or before 7th November 2012. Three (3) hard copies of application and I soft copy in a CD should be submitted in sealed envelope dearly marked with the position reference number to: The Chairperson, The Co-operative University College of Kenya, P.O. Box 24814-00502, Karen, Nairobi. Electronic applications should be submitted as PDF attachment to: chairman@cooperative.ac.ke All shortlisted candidates shall be required to have clearance certificates from Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission(EAEC), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Credit Reference Bureau and Higher Education Loans Board (HELB). Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. The Co-operative University College of Kenya Is an equal opportunity employer
My grandmother lived the last years of her life alone, in a house on stilts, in the woods of a sleepy island. She played Chopin on her baby grand to relax. She fed the peacocks that came to her deck. The deer wandered without fear up to her door, and at night I'd wake to find iridescent insects in my bed.
A few years before she died, she took me to the epicenter of her heart. I was visiting her alone. I was hiding out, passively avoiding her, because, as everyone in the family knew, she wasn't always easy to be around. She was argumentative and anxious. She burned with the resentment and grief of a woman scorned. An uncle joked he'd be unable to have a bowel movement several days before a visit. An aunt noticed that my grandmother might be heard whistling and chatting to herself in the kitchen, but it would be the morning everyone was leaving.
I was sitting on the balcony floor watching PBS on her portable television when she came up the wood and iron spiral staircase, went to a low shelf, pulled out a cardboard box and said, "These are my journals. You can go through them if you like."
She left me alone. In under a minute, I found her core: A list of men she wished she could have fallen for. She described each one, praising their qualities of kindness and reliability. She gave details about their positions in life and how well each had treated her. She asked, Why can't I ever go for the good guys?
I don't think solitude in the woods is what my grandmother really wanted. I think it's the best she thought she could do. She wasn't the type to back down. In her lifetime, Dr. Leah Camp, my father's mother, established and became chief of the department of anesthesia at Franklin Square Hospital in Maryland. (Her obituary, my prime source, does not include anecdotes about her experience as a female medical student in the '40s. She once, for example, found a disembodied penis wrapped in cloth in her handbag.) She then got a Masters in public health from Johns Hopkins, became the medical director of a senior citizens' center in Baltimore, and later became public health director for southwest Georgia, where she established public health programs for a 16-county area. After she retired and moved to Big Pine Key in the '80s, she helped establish the Big Pine Key Public Library. She also raised dogs and Tennessee walking horses and enjoyed sailing and traveling. Her marriage ended in divorce.
My grandfather told me a story about one of the dogs. As they approached their separation, he came home from work to find the mastiff growling at him. The dog knew my grandmother was suffering and that my grandfather was at least partly to blame.
But she also suffered in ways my grandfather had no access to. For example, she allowed her breast cancer to progress to the stage where the skin was puckering -- I imagine she slept turned away from him -- so that her only option was a radical mastectomy.
Still, I believe they loved each other. They were both strikingly attractive doctors, both pioneers in the medical world. She was a red-headed sweater girl -- in one black and white picture from the '50s, she's a voluptuous movie star in a sequined gown, her eyes gleaming -- and my grandfather, dangerously handsome and Italian, was irresistible. In his 80's he could still attract younger women for flirtations and possibly affairs. He had a magnetism that confused a lot of women, including me. I yearned for his love and approval till the day he died.
"He's a rogue," my step-grandmother, his second (and last) wife, told me. "He's always been a rogue, and he'll always be one."
"He didn't have a pot to piss in when I married him," my grandmother said to me, several times.
***
I've lived for many years on the jungle island Manhattan. My most serious relationship has been with the city, my sexy companion with her rock star, hardcore heart and endless, revolving distractions. I've hacked my way through her mythic cross-streets, gone deep into the high rise canyons searching for the gold -- a life partner. But honestly, I've been after something else: a lesson; a challenge; a way to satisfy or clarify an irrational impulse; a moment of reciprocal love to show me what a life full of it could feel like.
I've made lists of men, the coulda shoulda woulda guys -- the ones so earnest, they increased my sense of self and beauty just by turning their gaze on me. Some knot embedded in me resists that feeling of beauty. My list appears to come down to these two questions: Why doesn't this one love me? Why don't I love that one? But it's actually these: Why don't I get along with myself? What am I so repulsed by?
But something just changed. I thought I'd never leave Manhattan. But the chatter -- the drone of psychic chatter made of a billion agendas and urges and cross-purposes -- finally got to me. I moved to Brooklyn where, I imagine, I can hear myself think better. And less. My heartbeat, no longer swallowed up by the stunning pulse of Manhattan, has its own voice and rhythm, and it may turn out to be almost tolerable to me. It may even want to synchronize with a good guy. I don't want to live the rest of my life alone on an island.
My grandmother's heart disease, which likely grew out of her anxiety, chain smoking and maybe the Twinkies and Pringles on her kitchen counter, ended in her death at 80. I remember her pointing out the ospreys along the beaches as we drove from the airport to her house. I remember a party full of musicians, artists, sea shell decorations, colorful clothing and conversation. I remember how strange it was to hug her, because whatever had replaced her breasts was hard and dull. I remember her voice when she'd see me for the first time in months. The ringing joy in her voice was full of breath and blooming love. The joy was unaccountable, considering the suffering she'd endured -- including abuses I was told she'd sustained in childhood -- and the sourness that could fill the air in her presence. My grandmother was beautiful, brilliant and tortured. But her first impulse of communion was always tenderness and joy. She had a hungry, stunning smile. It had the power to break through the sadness and anger that contracted inside of her. She'd call out my name as I stood in the doorway. She'd pull me into a strong warm hug. Always, her first impulse of joy, from the real center of her heart, remained pure.
299 S Moorpark Rd, Thousand Oaks, CA | Get?Directions?? $150.00
Calabasas High School Football, will be holding its 2nd Annual Coyote Football Charity Golf Classic and Silent Auction this Sunday, October 28th, 2012 at the Los Robles Greens Golf Course in Thousand Oaks. As a public school, the funds needed to support our Calabasas High School Football Teams are very limited. Please consider supporting this community event with a sponsorship, donation of a Silent Auction or Raffle item, and/or by simply joining us for a fun day of golf.
Your contribution will help Coyote Football with much needed equipment, training and supplies. Many families in our community will be attending this event and your donation will be properly acknowledged for everyone to see. All proceeds from this event will go towards providing the CHS Football players and coaching staff with the equipment, training and resources they need to create a winning team. Please support the efforts of our athletes, who are working hard year-round to be the best they can be.
Your generous donation will be greatly appreciated and our volunteers will be happy to pick up any items at your convenience. If you are able to donate, please contact us as soon as possible ? as the event is this Sunday. Thank you in advance for your contribution to CHS Football and for helping to support our student athletes.
Your donation is fully tax deductible as allowed by the IRS (LVUSD Tax ID# is 95-2222290). LVUSD Tax ID #95-2222290
LONDON (Reuters) - British prosecutors wrapped up their case against former UBS trader Kweku Adoboli on Thursday, opening the way for him to open his defense against charges of fraud and false accounting for trades that cost the Swiss bank $2.3 billion.
After listening quietly from the back of a London courtroom for six weeks as one after another of his former UBS colleagues took the witness stand, Adoboli was expected to begin giving evidence later on Thursday.
Prosecutors closed their case by reading out an email exchange from 2008 between Adoboli and one of his friends in which they discussed a 4.9 billion euro ($7.1 billion) loss incurred by France's Societe Generale that was blamed on trader Jerome Kerviel.
Sarah Moore told Adoboli she was struck by the similarities between his and Kerviel's activities.
"Please don't let me read about you in the papers in the same fashion," she wrote. "It would destroy my faith in human nature forever."
The 11 jurors had yet to hear the voice of the 32-year-old British-educated Ghanaian, who used to work as a senior trader on the Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) desk.
Adoboli was arrested at UBS's London offices in the middle of the night on September 15, 2011, hours after he sent an email to a back-office accountant explaining that he had booked fictitious trades to conceal losses made on "off-book" trades.
He has pleaded not guilty to two charges of fraud by abuse of position and two of false accounting. The charges cover two periods, from October 2008 to the end of May 2011, and from May 31 to September 15, 2011.
Under British law, the prosecution must prove not only that Adoboli's actions amounted to fraud and false accounting but also that his intentions were dishonest.
Adoboli's evidence was set to begin with questions from his own counsel, followed by cross-examination by the prosecution.
Lawyers estimated that his testimony could last three days, although previous time estimates given in the trial have turned out to be short of the mark.
UBS STANDARDS SCRUTINISED
Prosecutors have portrayed Adoboli as a greedy, out-of-control rogue trader who recklessly gambled away UBS's money because he wanted to be a star of the trading floor and earn bigger bonuses.
They have described a "pyramid of fraud" in which he routinely exceeded his risk limits, concealed his positions by booking fictitious hedges and lied to the back office when asked about his trades.
In their cross-examination of the prosecution witnesses, the defense team have sought to show that others within UBS knew of and condoned some of Adoboli's methods, particularly his so-called "umbrella".
This was an accounting mechanism he used to keep some of the profits from his unauthorized trades out of the desk's profit and loss accounts, and then to drip-feed them back into the accounts to smooth out fluctuations.
They have also tried to demonstrate that supervision of the ETF desk was inadequate, risk management systems were sloppy, back-office staff complacent and chains of command unclear.
The defense have suggested that Adoboli was acting for the good of the bank, in line with management calls for greater risk-taking in pursuit of greater profits.
They have said that, if Adoboli's trades had resulted in profits rather than losses, he would not have got in trouble.
The long-running trial has been a public relations headache for UBS, which has had to remain silent while Adoboli's defense team have spent weeks highlighting evidence that they say reflects poorly on the bank's standards and practices.
The bank is not a party to the case, which means that under Britain's strict laws against prejudicing trials it is not allowed to comment publicly on evidence heard in court.
After Adoboli's evidence will come closing speeches from the prosecution and from the defense, then the judge's summing-up. Then the jury will retire to consider their verdict.
Exercise your brain cells with some sexual activity.
Sex on the brain just might make you a genius.
Here's one major reason I studied communications as an undergraduate and not the sciences: Research seems to always contradict itself.
More from YourTango: Do Guys Mean What They Say? Yes and No
Of course, the fact that I find science impossibly difficulty is at the top of the list, but still. It seems just yesterday I was reading that just the sight of a sexy woman can make even the brightest man lose 50 IQ points. Today, however, I'm reporting that sex can actually make you smarter.
Yes, researchers at the University of Amsterdam are all about the benefits of a little bit of bump and grind. Sure, a pair of big boobs may make a man forget his name, but maybe the art of doing it is actually a cure?
Here are five ways sex can boost your spirits ? and your brain cells.
1. Mental Capacity. In the most recent University of Amsterdam study, participants who thought about sex performed better on critical thinking problems. Perhaps this is why men are constantly thinking with their heads rather than their brains (ha! Pun).
2. Happiness. Let's start calling semen happy juice, because a SUNY Albany study found it has mood-altering chemicals such as oxytocin.
3. Stress Relief. Careers, kids, bills, replacement refs in the NFL ? everything causes stress. But you know what boosts it? Oxytocin. There's that magical word again! The chemical kicks in 20 seconds after a kiss, so just imagine the benefits of a full romp in the sheets.
4. Self Esteem. Sex! It feels good! And when good feelings are abound, self-esteem shoots through the roof. Though I'm no scientist (see above), I'd imagine high self-esteem has some pretty positive effects on our day-to-day functioning.
More from YourTango: Lust-Provoking Foods To Rev You Up
5. Sleep. Hey, here's that dang oxytocin word again. Aside from lifting spirits and relieving stress, it apparently promotes sleep. A well-rested lady or gent is a smarter one, yes?
PHILADELPHIA, Oct. 24, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ? Hard Rock International, owner of one of the world?s most iconic brands, with interests in cafes, hotels, casinos, and live venues throughout the world, announces an agreement with Bart Blatstein and Tower Entertainment, LLC to manage the first destination casino/hotel in downtown Philadelphia. The proposed casino/hotel project, to be named ?The Provence,? will be located on North Broad Street. ?We are thrilled to be working with Towe Related Articles: ?Hard Rock International Announces Developmental Plans for Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Holyoke ?Seminole Tribal Council Reaffirms Commitment to Management Teams of Seminole Gaming and Hard Rock International ?Hard Rock International Commemorates Four Decades of Rockin? the Globe
Read the rest >>
Thu, October 25th, 2012
Related Gambling News:
Gambling history facts:
The Great Wall of China was financed, in part, by a lottery. The Bible is replete with references to drawing lots. Lot casting was a favored means of communication between man and god.
The first legal lottery in the twentieth century was the New Hampshire Sweepstakes which began on March 12, 1964. Currently 37 states and the District of Columbia operate lotteries.
The first games that we would recognize as modern roulette were introduced in Paris casinos around the end of the 18th century. In the mid 19th century the single zero game was invented in France, this reduced the casino's edge thereby increasing the odds of the player.
In 1980, the American Psychological Association included pathological gambling in their Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Third Edition (DSM-III).
Sonoma State University?s Wine Business Institute offers a series of educational seminars to the public, each offered individually or as part of the Tasting Room Management Certificate, starting 8 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-5 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26.
These short, 4-hour seminars are led by industry professionals with years of experience with the business aspects of running and managing a working vineyard. Wine industry professionals seeking to update their knowledge of management and marketing, or anyone who wants to explore opportunities working in the wine industry, are encouraged to attend.
The Tasting Room Management Certificate requires the completion of eight half-day seminars, including three core seminars and five electives, which can be completed during the semester or at your own pace. Subjects include: direct shipping, staffing, marketing, wine club management, data base management, sales, budgeting, and customer relations.
The three topics and seminar dates covered by the core curriculum are:
Building a Profitable Wine Club (Oct. 26)
Current and Upcoming Winery Compliance Issues (Nov. 9)
Introduction to Tasting Room Management (Nov. 30)
Electives reach beyond the tasting room to include additional topics in wine marketing, e-Commerce, selling wine grapes, social media and vineyard management. There are no prerequisites and industry experience is not required.
Fee is $150 per seminar.
Sonoma State University?s Wine Business Institute, located at 1801 East Cotati Ave. in Rohnert Park, was created through a public-private partnership between the university and the wine industry. Founded in 1995, it is the first program in the United States to offer undergraduate and graduate degrees focused exclusively on the business aspects of the wine industry.
For more information, check the schedule or contact Jessica Heing at 664-3347 or? winebiz@sonoma.edu. To register, call Marcia Harrigan at 664-3011.
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SSU offering public Tasting Room Management Certificate Program
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AUSTIN, Texas - A man who repeatedly stabbed a neighbor with an ice pick and strangled her with stereo wire was executed Wednesday, Texas officials said.
Bobby Lee Hines, who was aged 19 at the time of the 1991 killing, was sharing a next-door apartment with a maintenance worker who had master keys to all the units in the Dallas-area building, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
Hours after neighbors heard screaming and other loud noises coming from the apartment of Michelle Wendy Haupt, 26, her body was found just inside the door of her unit, covered with about 18 puncture wounds, according to a summary of the case from the Texas attorney general's office.
Hines' fingerprint and bloody palm print were found in the apartment. Haupt's gold sand-dollar charm was found in Hines' pocket.
Hines was put to death by lethal injection at a state prison in Huntsville, Texas. He was pronounced dead at 6:28 p.m. local time, said Jason Clark, a spokesman for the criminal justice department.
Hines, 40, was the 11th person executed this year in Texas and the 33rd in the United States.
'It was wrong' In his final statement, Hines asked Haupt's family for forgiveness, according to a copy of the statement provided by Clark.
"To the victim's family, I am sure I know that I took somebody special from y'all," Hines said. "I know it wasn't right, it was wrong."
He also said that God has forgiven him and that being locked up for the rest of his life would have been more of a punishment.
"I wish there was some other way to show I'm sorry," he said.
Hines' execution was scheduled for earlier this year, but it was postponed so that DNA testing could be conducted on fingernail clippings collected from Haupt's body. The testing did not exclude Hines as a source of the DNA, according to the attorney general's office.
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Highlights of the 25th Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2012 Public release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonja Mak s.mak@update.europe.at 43-140-55734 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Europe's leading voice for research on disorders of the brain: Celebrating a quarter-century at the cutting edge and looking ahead to new advances
In the course of the 25th ECNP Congress leading experts and five and a half thousand psychiatrists, neurologists, neuroscience researchers and public health professionals from over 90 different countries met from 13 to 17 October 2012 in Vienna, Austria, to celebrate ECNPs 25-year anniversary and engage in groundbreaking debate.
Against the background of the increasing burden of disorders of the brain and restrained drug development in this area, the ECNP Congress once again highlighted the key importance of neuroscience for better treatment and prevention. "Crucially, ECNP has initiated new measures and cross-talk between the relevant stakeholders in the field to guarantee that the next 25 years of European neuroscience are just as productive as the last", said Joseph Zohar, President of ECNP, on the occasion of the 25th ECNP Congress in Vienna.
According to an ECNP landmark study, every year around one third of the EUs population suffers from one or more mental or neurological disorders. Addressing these issues through improved prevention, treatment and rehabilitation is Europes major health care challenge in the 21st century.
Latest advances in understanding and treating disorders of the brain
The ECNP Congress, which is the largest scientific meeting on mental and neurological health in Europe, enjoys an international reputation for its world-class programme consisting of evidence-based treatment as well as clinical and preclinical research issues, covering virtually all disorders of the brain.
On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the ECNP Congress 2012 offered an enriched programme with new features such as "scientific cafs", designed as topic-focused gatherings for networking and collaboration, more plenary sessions than ever before, an expanded educational track with interactive sessions, as well as a number of special guests such as keynote lecturer Colin Blakemore from the University of Oxford, UK, one of Europes foremost figures in brain science.
The plastic brain: a promising route to novel treatments
In the ECNP keynote lecture on his groundbreaking work on the plasticity of the brain, Professor Blakemore highlighted the revolutionary change in our concept of the brain, which is now seen as the most dynamic, adaptable and plastic organ in the human body. "Aberrant plasticity of the brain is suspected to be at the heart of many symptoms and disorders", said Blakemore at the 25th ECNP Congress. "Thus utilising and enhancing neuronal plasticity might lead us to new forms of treatment and prevention."
Neural mechanisms of risk for mental disorders
Another highlight of the 25th ECNP Congress was the presentation of the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award, which recognises innovative and distinguished research achievements in neuropsychopharmacology and closely related disciplines. The joint-winners were Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Germany, and Paul Harrison, UK, in recognition of their pioneering works in the neural mechanisms of risk for psychiatric disorders and in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia, respectively.
In his plenary lecture, Professor Meyer-Lindenberg focussed on both genetic and environmental risk factors for mental disorders. "Early detection of abnormalities could provide a chance of primary intervention, with the potential to devise strategies that target these mechanisms even before the illness manifests itself", said Meyer-Lindenberg.
A webcast summarising the scientific highlights of the 25th ECNP Congress in Vienna including personal commentaries on the state of the field and the Congress's contribution to cutting-edge research by leading scientists can be viewed on the ECNP homepage: www.ecnp.eu/publications/webcasts/25th-ECNP-congress/Highlights.aspx
ECNP: a source of reliable, evidence-based information for the public
The scientific programme of the 25th ECNP Congress was topped off with two press conferences and a panel discussion, which addressed highly topical developments and advances in the field of mental health:
Dr. Paramala Santosh, London, UK, presented the recently initiated, EU-funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP)-project, which was developed to provide suicidality measures and is currently being piloted in children and adolescents to alert clinicians about increased suicide risk and prompt early intervention, especially when new medication is started. Since the majority of youth who have completed suicide had significant psychiatric problems, including depression and substance abuse, evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out regularly as part of suicide prevention programmes. The importance of such programmes is underlined by the fact that mortality from suicide today is the third leading cause of death in the mid-adolescent years.
The panel discussion with Dr. Anna Goudriaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Professor Jon Grant, Chicago, USA, revealed that patients with pathological gambling have addictive features also in the anticipation of reward, since they show heightened activity in the reward system of the brain during the expectation of winning. An imbalance between control and motivation is crucial for continued gambling. These new findings provide interesting perspectives for future treatments that are targeted at the neural mechanisms of pathological gambling, whose prevalence rates reach up to 5% of adults in high-risk groups.
Professor Philip Gorwood, Paris, France, highlighted the public health disaster of alcohol dependence, which is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the European Union. Professor Gorwood stressed that understanding alcohol dependence as a brain disorder helps significantly, as it could reflect not only the chronicity of the disorder and diminish the associated culpability, but also provide new insight and therefore treatment approaches. Promising new treatment strategies include not only pharmacological, but also non-pharmacological interventions such as motor rehabilitation, environmental enrichment (positive environmental conditions), and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in severe cases of alcoholism.
###
Webcasts of the press conferences and the panel discussion are available online at:
www.ecnp.eu/publications/webcasts/25th-ECNP-congress/press-conferences.aspx
The next ECNP Congress will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 5-9 October 2013.
ECNP is an independent scientific association whose mission is to advance the science of the brain, promote better treatment and enhance brain health. The annual ECNP Congress is well established as Europes premier meeting in the science and treatment of disorders of the brain, which attracts researchers, clinicians, policy makers and representatives of the healthcare industry from across the world.
For further information about ECNP and its activities please visit the ECNP website: www.ecnp.eu
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.
Highlights of the 25th Congress of the European College of Neuropsychopharmacology 2012 Public release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Sonja Mak s.mak@update.europe.at 43-140-55734 European College of Neuropsychopharmacology
Europe's leading voice for research on disorders of the brain: Celebrating a quarter-century at the cutting edge and looking ahead to new advances
In the course of the 25th ECNP Congress leading experts and five and a half thousand psychiatrists, neurologists, neuroscience researchers and public health professionals from over 90 different countries met from 13 to 17 October 2012 in Vienna, Austria, to celebrate ECNPs 25-year anniversary and engage in groundbreaking debate.
Against the background of the increasing burden of disorders of the brain and restrained drug development in this area, the ECNP Congress once again highlighted the key importance of neuroscience for better treatment and prevention. "Crucially, ECNP has initiated new measures and cross-talk between the relevant stakeholders in the field to guarantee that the next 25 years of European neuroscience are just as productive as the last", said Joseph Zohar, President of ECNP, on the occasion of the 25th ECNP Congress in Vienna.
According to an ECNP landmark study, every year around one third of the EUs population suffers from one or more mental or neurological disorders. Addressing these issues through improved prevention, treatment and rehabilitation is Europes major health care challenge in the 21st century.
Latest advances in understanding and treating disorders of the brain
The ECNP Congress, which is the largest scientific meeting on mental and neurological health in Europe, enjoys an international reputation for its world-class programme consisting of evidence-based treatment as well as clinical and preclinical research issues, covering virtually all disorders of the brain.
On the occasion of its 25th anniversary, the ECNP Congress 2012 offered an enriched programme with new features such as "scientific cafs", designed as topic-focused gatherings for networking and collaboration, more plenary sessions than ever before, an expanded educational track with interactive sessions, as well as a number of special guests such as keynote lecturer Colin Blakemore from the University of Oxford, UK, one of Europes foremost figures in brain science.
The plastic brain: a promising route to novel treatments
In the ECNP keynote lecture on his groundbreaking work on the plasticity of the brain, Professor Blakemore highlighted the revolutionary change in our concept of the brain, which is now seen as the most dynamic, adaptable and plastic organ in the human body. "Aberrant plasticity of the brain is suspected to be at the heart of many symptoms and disorders", said Blakemore at the 25th ECNP Congress. "Thus utilising and enhancing neuronal plasticity might lead us to new forms of treatment and prevention."
Neural mechanisms of risk for mental disorders
Another highlight of the 25th ECNP Congress was the presentation of the ECNP Neuropsychopharmacology Award, which recognises innovative and distinguished research achievements in neuropsychopharmacology and closely related disciplines. The joint-winners were Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Germany, and Paul Harrison, UK, in recognition of their pioneering works in the neural mechanisms of risk for psychiatric disorders and in the pathophysiology and treatment of schizophrenia, respectively.
In his plenary lecture, Professor Meyer-Lindenberg focussed on both genetic and environmental risk factors for mental disorders. "Early detection of abnormalities could provide a chance of primary intervention, with the potential to devise strategies that target these mechanisms even before the illness manifests itself", said Meyer-Lindenberg.
A webcast summarising the scientific highlights of the 25th ECNP Congress in Vienna including personal commentaries on the state of the field and the Congress's contribution to cutting-edge research by leading scientists can be viewed on the ECNP homepage: www.ecnp.eu/publications/webcasts/25th-ECNP-congress/Highlights.aspx
ECNP: a source of reliable, evidence-based information for the public
The scientific programme of the 25th ECNP Congress was topped off with two press conferences and a panel discussion, which addressed highly topical developments and advances in the field of mental health:
Dr. Paramala Santosh, London, UK, presented the recently initiated, EU-funded Suicidality: Treatment Occurring in Paediatrics (STOP)-project, which was developed to provide suicidality measures and is currently being piloted in children and adolescents to alert clinicians about increased suicide risk and prompt early intervention, especially when new medication is started. Since the majority of youth who have completed suicide had significant psychiatric problems, including depression and substance abuse, evaluation of suicide risk should be carried out regularly as part of suicide prevention programmes. The importance of such programmes is underlined by the fact that mortality from suicide today is the third leading cause of death in the mid-adolescent years.
The panel discussion with Dr. Anna Goudriaan, Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Professor Jon Grant, Chicago, USA, revealed that patients with pathological gambling have addictive features also in the anticipation of reward, since they show heightened activity in the reward system of the brain during the expectation of winning. An imbalance between control and motivation is crucial for continued gambling. These new findings provide interesting perspectives for future treatments that are targeted at the neural mechanisms of pathological gambling, whose prevalence rates reach up to 5% of adults in high-risk groups.
Professor Philip Gorwood, Paris, France, highlighted the public health disaster of alcohol dependence, which is one of the leading causes of preventable deaths in the European Union. Professor Gorwood stressed that understanding alcohol dependence as a brain disorder helps significantly, as it could reflect not only the chronicity of the disorder and diminish the associated culpability, but also provide new insight and therefore treatment approaches. Promising new treatment strategies include not only pharmacological, but also non-pharmacological interventions such as motor rehabilitation, environmental enrichment (positive environmental conditions), and deep brain stimulation (DBS) in severe cases of alcoholism.
###
Webcasts of the press conferences and the panel discussion are available online at:
www.ecnp.eu/publications/webcasts/25th-ECNP-congress/press-conferences.aspx
The next ECNP Congress will be held in Barcelona, Spain, from 5-9 October 2013.
ECNP is an independent scientific association whose mission is to advance the science of the brain, promote better treatment and enhance brain health. The annual ECNP Congress is well established as Europes premier meeting in the science and treatment of disorders of the brain, which attracts researchers, clinicians, policy makers and representatives of the healthcare industry from across the world.
For further information about ECNP and its activities please visit the ECNP website: www.ecnp.eu
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.
Scoot over kids, this one is for the Mommies and Daddies! Yeah, you heard me, Halloween is for grownups, too. Otherwise we would have to survive without the Hoochie-Mama costumes and Village People thongs! Seriously, when did Halloween become about stripping down??Not judging. I?m guilty of it, too. Blame it on college and tequila.
Anywho?
If you are planning to host a Halloween Party this weekend, and you want your guests to rave about you the next day, serve this drink. It?s like a Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, but not. It?s like better. Believe me and make this. You will have a bunch of drunk, happy, satisfied people. They will call you the next day saying, ?What was in that drink?!? I had a blast!?.
You can also serve it to kids, but if you don?t want CPS to come knockin? down your door, leave out the Rum.
To make it more Halloweenish, you might want to add some chocolate ?eyeballs?, or even little whipped cream ghosts! I would have totally done that, but I didn?t. Why? Because I just thought of that.
Instead my creativity led me to marshmallows and red food color? Man, the whipped cream ghosts sounds so much better!
Couple notes to add:
The rim of the glass is decorated with Chocolate Syrup and crushed Halloween Oreos; just dip the rim of the glass in chocolate syrup, then dip it in crushed Oreos.
The orange color of the hot chocolate was achieved with a bunch of yellow food color drops and a couple of red food color drops. Just keep adding food color until you get the color you want.
ENJOY!
***Link Up Your Halloween Treats Here***
Spiked Pumpkin Pie White Hot Chocolate
Ingredients
2 cups Milk
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
1 to 2 tablespoons pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 shot of Rum
Marshmallows
Instructions
Place all ingredients, except for the Rum, in a medium-sized saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes, or until chocolate is melted and the liquid has thickened.
Pour into two coffee glasses, stir in the Rum, and top with marshmallows.
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Public release date: 25-Oct-2012
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