Denon Cocoon Portable

Lately, we've seen a slew of wireless speakers hit the market, be they Bluetooth options or systems that use Apple's AirPlay. Several, like the Denon Cocoon Portable, attempt to sweeten the deal of wireless music even more by adding rechargeable portability as a feature, as well as Android and Windows streaming compatibility. At $499.99 (direct), however, you'd expect the Cocoon Portable to offer powerful, distortion-free audio, and unfortunately, that isn't always the case. Deep bass tracks cause substantial distortion at top volumes, making the system's otherwise solid feature set a bit less compelling.

Design
As far as AirPlay docks go, the 7.1-by-13.8-by-5.4-inch (HWD), 7.3-pound Denon Cocoon Portable doesn't break any new territory, at least visually. The main color scheme is the seemingly Apple-ordained black with metallic accents that nearly every other AirPlay option uses. But the portable speaker is easy to carry around with its built-in handle, and its contour is water and sand resistant, to boot.

Unlike the majority of AirPlay speakers, the Cocoon Portable also has an actual built-in charging dock. The docking tray pops out when you press it and houses an LED status display, which scrolls artist and song title info when streaming from an iOS device or when one is docked.

Across the top panel, a series of touch sensitive buttons controls Playback, Volume, and whatever your sound source is?it switches between radio presets and whatever device you're streaming from or have docked.

The metallic mesh speaker grille covers the rounded front panel and hides two 25-watt, 4-inch drivers. Along the back panel, there's a power adapter connection for the included power supply, a 3.5mm Aux input, an Ethernet port, buttons labeled Netlink and WPS (both used during set-up), a Loudness button (more on that later), and the Power switch.?

The manual is included on a CD, which is useless for several devices this speaker is designed to work with, including some recent computers, so I don't really understand the logic there. Also included is a small, membrane-buttoned remote control with Power, Volume, Play/Pause, Track Navigation, and Sound Source, but it lacks full menu navigation. This would be more of an annoyance if you couldn't just use your device's on-screen controls to navigate menus?since you'll likely be streaming, your device is basically its own remote control. There's a nook on the back panel for storing the remote.

Setting up the Cocoon Portable to stream wireless audio from an iOS device is simple?dock it, download the Denon app when you're prompted to, and follow the simple instructions. You'll need a Wi-Fi network and its password, but that's about all you need to have handy. The Netlink button on the back exists for routers that don't support WPS?press it and follow the instructions on the app. The app also doubles as an alarm clock, which is useful if you keep the Cocoon near your bed and want to wake up listening to music.

The system supports streaming via Apple's AirPlay, but it also supports Android devices, and streaming from most Windows computers. Denon estimates the rechargeable battery has a roughly 5 hour life on a full charge.?

Performance
In terms of controlling it, the Cocoon can be a bit of a troublemaker. My docked iPhone 4S, with no AirPlay or Wi-Fi involved, would often respond to on-display volume adjustments to the phone with a multiple-second delay. So you think you're turning it up, but after a few seconds and no result, you boost things a little more, and then a few seconds later, your actions catch up with you and you end up blasting the speakers or cutting their volume more drastically than intended.?Using AirPlay causes similar delays.

The loudness button is a relic of older times?it adds a bass boost boost and some digital signal processing when you listen at lower volumes, and does something similar at higher volumes, too. It's a fairly harmless, but unnecessary, feature, as the Cocoon Portable sounds crisper and clearer with the Loudness button not engaged.

As for audio performance, the Cocoon Portable sounds just fine at moderate-to-loud volumes. But when you really pump the volume, expect distortion to rear its ugly head on tracks with deep bass, regardless of whether the Loudness button is engaged. At maximum volume, the Knife's "Silent Shout" becomes a crackling, fuzzy, distorting mess, and even at about 85 percent, things are dicey. This isn't shocking when you look at the Cocoon Portable itself?it's not tiny, but it is lightweight and designed to be portable. It doesn't have the look or feel of an extremely powerful speaker system.

You'll never mistake the Cocoon Portable for a system with a built-in subwoofer, but its bass performance is not anemic, either.?The real strength of its audio performance is the delivery of low-mid and high-mid frequencies; bass guitars, vocals, and middle-register instruments have the majority of the spotlight here.?Rock and pop is delivered with crisp highs and enough low-end presence to round things out nicely.

On classical tracks, like John Adams' "The Chairman Dances," the highs and mids are delivered with a nice treble edge to them. The higher register strings and percussion are never overly bright, but are definitely the stars of the mix. Lower register strings are delivered with a tiny bit of bass boost, but nothing that makes them sound muddy or over-the-top. if anything, it's the highs that sound a tad over-boosted, but it helps keep things articulate. The Loudness button adds a bit of spacial sense and depth to the sound, as well as some brightness, but nothing extra is really needed to begin with, so we recommend keeping it off. Especially on this track, it seemed to add so much brightness that the shakers in the background were almost hissing.?

Jay-Z and Kanye West's "No Church in the Wild," when played at moderate volumes, is reproduced with a sharp treble edge on the attack of the kick drum loop, while the sub-bass synth part that plays beneath the beat is delivered with subtlety. Again, this system is not really for bass lovers. Hip hop tracks like this one don't sound bad, but the vocals and mid-range aspects of the mix are the elements that stand out most; the low frequencies are there, but take a secondary role. At top volumes, this track also distorts.

The built-in Internet radio options are nice, but the touch sensitive buttons on the top control panel are also slow to respond, so actually switching between stations and creating presets is a bit of an annoyance. Regardless, the inclusion of Internet radio, along with three presets, is a plus, and you can also access the stations via the free Denon controller app.

So, the portability, water resistance, Internet radio, and rechargeable battery add convenience to the Apple, Android, and PC-friendly streaming Cocoon. It reminds us of another recent multi-faceted streaming system, the Pioneer A3 (XW-SMA3-K). Both speaker units offer excellent extra features, but the sound performance is not necessarily a huge strength.

It's more Denon's pricing that seems off. The Cocoon Portable is priced like a system that is more powerful and won't distort at top volumes, thanks in part to the wireless functionality and portability. If you're looking for a booming bass system that's also portable, the Cocoon Portable is not it. If you don't listen to much music with deep bass content and you plan to listen at more moderate levels, the audio performance is far more forgiving, and even sounds like a high quality system.

If you're looking for a wireless portable speaker with booming bass, consider the?Beats by Dr. Dre Beatbox Portable. For a more refined, less booming audio experience, the wireless Libratone Zipp is a solid, stylish choice. And if you're looking for a smaller, more easily portable wireless option without sacrificing too much audio performance, the Bose SoundLink Wireless Mobile Speaker is a strong Bluetooth choice that's easy to pack. For the money, the Denon Cocoon Portable offers several laudable features, but it's hard to get past the distortion issues at high volumes.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/TGSvlxQwOi4/0,2817,2413531,00.asp

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2013: A Case for Optimism

It's easy to be pessimistic about the future of jobs in the United States. After all, there's a perfect storm for high unemployment: returning vets from Iraq and Afghanistan, Boomers that can't afford to retire, slowed government hiring, a sluggish economy, increased competition from low-cost countries, job-killing automation of everything from parking lot attendants to customer service reps, plus 11 million illegal immigrants soon to become legal and thus eligible for all jobs.

Yet, odds are, we're in for better times.

For example, many jobs that are being replaced by technology are unpleasant ones, for example, back-breaking farming, repetitive toll-taking, stressful customer service gigs ("How come I lost my internet connection?!"). Those jobs are increasingly being replaced by jobs that are more comfortable, creative, and unlike physically demanding jobs, can be done throughout your life, unlike physical work, where after age 40, you're often washed up.

True, not everyone will be trainable for knowledge work, but innovations in training will be more successful than have past efforts. For example, online dream-team-taught personalized courses taught by world-class instructors using interactive simulations and visualizations will enable everyone to receive training of a quality even privileged trainees don't get today.

And once employed, people will find it ever easier to produce amazing work. For example, it seems like only yesterday when writing a report required a trip to the library, poring over the multi-volume Readers' Guide to Periodical Literature to find the name of articles that might be helpful. Then you had to hope the library had that periodical--and often it didn't. Then, you'd have to Xerox whatever articles and pages from relevant books the library happened to have, trudge back to your office, type it on a typewriter, fix changes using white-out, write arrows when you want to move sections around, and then retype your piece, usually more than once.

Compare that with today. Word-processing and the Internet make writing so much simpler, and you can access far more sources, so the quality is improved. You needn't even be confined to your office. Thanks to your wireless device, you can crank out that report in your comfies at home, at a Starbucks, even on the beach. With upcoming smartphone innovations such as foldable screens and keyboards, it won't be long until you'll truly have your office in your pocket. Long-shot predictions: Within a decade, your phone might include such innovations as a lie detector: monitoring your conversation partner's facial micro-changes to alert you to possible dissembling. It will also include a wireless medical monitor that alerts you and your physician to life-threatening changes in your vitals and blood chemistry. That could save countless lives currently lost to strokes and sudden heart attacks. Those may seem far-fetched, but so would be today's smartphones just a decade or two ago.

And ever more people will have access to the full array of products and services, creating more jobs here in the U.S. X PRIZE Foundation Co-Founder and Chairman Peter Diamandis writes for Forbes that "Even the poorest Americans today (those below the poverty line) have access to phones, toilets, running water, air conditioning and even a car. Go back 150 years and the richest robber barons couldn't have ever hoped for such wealth. Right now, a Maasai Warrior on mobile phone has better mobile communications than President Reagan did 25 years ago; And, if he were on Google, he would have access to more information than President Clinton did just 15 years ago."

"This same Maasai Warrior can access [on a smartphone]: a GPS locator, video teleconferencing hardware and software, an HD video camera, a camera, stereo system, vast library of books, films, games, and music," Diamandis adds. "Exponential progress in artificial intelligence, robotics, infinite computing, ubiquitous broadband networks, digital manufacturing, nano-materials, synthetic biology, to name a few, put us on track to make greater gains in the next two decades than we have had in the previous 200 years."

While there have been retracings, the arc of human history is unquestionably skyward. As in horse racing, it's usually wise to bet on the horse with the best track record. Only a fool would bet against humankind.

The San Francisco Bay Guardian called Dr. Nemko "The Bay Area's Best Career Coach" and he was Contributing Editor for Careers at U.S. News. His sixth and seventh books were published in 2012: How to Do Life: What They Didn't Teach You in School and What's the Big Idea? 39 Disruptive Proposals for a Better America. More than 1,000 of his published writings are free on www.martynemko.com. He posts here every Monday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/2013-case-optimism-150546547.html

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Former President Bush moved out of ICU

by Associated Press

kgw.com

Posted on December 29, 2012 at 1:38 PM

Updated yesterday at 4:43 PM

HOUSTON (AP) -- A spokesman says former President George H.W. Bush's condition continues to improve and that he was moved Saturday out of intensive care and into a regular hospital room.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement Saturday that the Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes.

Bush was hospitalized Nov. 23 for treatment of a bronchitis-related cough. He was moved to intensive care at Houston's Methodist Hospital on Dec. 23 after he developed a fever.

Bush, the 41st president, is the country's oldest living former president by a few months.

Source: http://www.kgw.com/home/Former-President-Bush-moved-out-of-ICU-185168381.html

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Source: http://web.stagram.com/p/357838265132663140_49369495

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Home Crafts with Basic Office Supplies-spun2 | new cool guys ...

There is nothing more fun that getting together with the family and having a session of craft making. It teaches children to be creative and you can end up with some great things for your home. All you really need is basic office fitflop online supplies that you can buy at most supermarkets and you have the tools to create whatever your mind can conceive.

A good example of this is getting the children together to make Christmas decorations. All that is really needed in terms of office supplies is paper, a pair of scissors and a stapler. Get the children to cut the paper into little strips then draw their impressions of Christmas on them. From here you can take the strips and staple the ends together to make them into loops cheap nike nfl jerseys.

The trick is that you look the second one through the first before you staple it together. You can continue going until Fitflop Via best price you have a long enough chain of paper then just start a new one. You can even use this idea all year round to brighten up your children rooms. The paper you use can be simple white paper or even fancy coloured paper. Your local office supply store should stock all varieties of paper for you to choose from.

If decorations are not quite your thing why not try scrap booking? This is a great idea for getting your children to interact and create memories. Not only will you end up with a great photo album but your child can add to the book fitflops australia as they go along. They will be able to look back in years to come and see how many happy times they had with you.

The ideas for home crafts are literally endless and all you really need is the office supplies you can buy at most general stores. You could even take the whole thing a step higher and start creating home crafts to sell.

One good home craft that generally sells well is homemade picture frames. You will have to start out with a basic frame bought from the store but from here you can customize it in any way you like. From printing pictures and using decoupage to stick them onto the frames to making papier-mh?animals or people to give them a 3D effect, the ideas are as limited as your imagination.

If you feel that home crafts are something you would enjoy doing then take some time to browse the internet for some ideas. There are lots of sites that offer not only great ideas but also the blueprints to help you create your masterpiece.

You can easily get some office supplies from your local office store or even a supermarket. Whether you choose to go into it Cheap FitFlop Xosa sale online free shipping for self satisfaction or to create an extra income fitflop sale is irrelevant, the basic principles will always be the same. Take a little time, a dose of effort and some basic office supplies and you will be crafting in no time at all.

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Source: http://newcoolguys.wordpress.com/2012/12/24/home-crafts-with-basic-office-supplies-spun2/

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Got illness? Here are tips for giving medicine to kids and teens ...

If there's been a lot of sneezing and coughing in your home lately, you might have wondered about medicine safety. Here's a post from February with information on free video resources.

Getting the right dose of the right medicine into your child at the right time can be a challenge. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers a series of videos on YouTube, including ones on dosing your young child and helping your older child learn to manage medicines solo.

In "Giving Medicine to Children," Benjamin Ortiz, a pediatrician with the FDA, lists ways you can make taking medicine a little more pleasant for you and your child. Some are common-sense, such as mixing meds with applesauce or pudding when possible, but you may hear some tricks you hadn't thought of.

In "Teaching Kids About Using Medicine Safely," Ortiz outlines how to teach kids about medicine safety, such as walking them through how to read labels and explaining why taking more than one medicine at a time can be dangerous.

The video series has many more titles. Click on the tab above the window where the video plays to subscribe to the video series. It's worth exploring the FDA website, where they offer information tailored to parents, seniors, women, minorities, etc. as well as alerts on recalls and other consumer safety information.

-- Kathy Hinson

Source: http://blog.oregonlive.com/themombeat/2012/12/got_illness_here_are_tips_for.html

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Obama cuts vacation short to deal with fiscal crisis

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is cutting short his Hawaiian holiday to leave for Washington on Wednesday to address the unfinished "fiscal cliff" negotiations with Congress, the White House said on Tuesday.

As the clock ticks toward a January 1 deadline, efforts to avert a sharp rise in taxes and deep spending cuts have stalled, worrying world financial markets.

Obama and congressional lawmakers left Washington on Friday for the Christmas holidays with talks to avert the fiscal disaster in limbo.

When Obama arrives back in Washington early on Thursday, the focus will shift to the U.S. Senate after Republicans in the House of Representatives failed to pass their own budget measures last week.

Obama is expected to turn to a trusted Democratic ally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to help craft a quick deal.

White House aides began discussing details of the year-end budget measure with Senate Democratic counterparts early this week, a senior administration official said on Monday

The president will also need at least tacit approval from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to insure Republicans will permit passage of what is likely to be a stripped down bill that prevents taxes from rising on all Americans.

The measure may not, however, contain difficult spending cuts both parties had sought to speed deficit reduction. It is unclear how the president will seek to address the draconian across-the-board government spending reductions set to go into effect early in the year without a deal.

McConnell, who is up for re-election in 2014, has been a cautious participant in the process. His spokesman has said it was now up to Democrats in the Senate to make the next move.

Once clear of the Senate, the fiscal cliff legislation must also win enough bipartisan support to pass the House of Representatives, which failed last week to approve Speaker John Boehner's proposal to extend tax breaks for all Americans earning less than $1 million a year.

Conservative Republicans balked at any tax increases at all and withdrew support for the measure, which never came to a vote. Some Republican votes will be needed to pass any Senate bill.

BIG DAY THURSDAY

The next session of the Senate is set for Thursday, but the issues presented by the fiscal cliff - across-the-board tax increases and indiscriminate reductions in government spending - were not on the calendar.

The House has nothing on its schedule for the week, but members have been told they could be called back with 48 hours notice, making a Thursday return a theoretical possibility.

Obama and his family arrived in Hawaii early on Saturday and have devoted their time to spending the Christmas holiday together. First Lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters are to remain in Hawaii, suggesting the president hopes to rejoin them if a deal is struck

Before the talks ran into trouble, Obama had originally been expected to stay in Hawaii - where he was born - until well into the first week of January.

But many observers are pessimistic that lawmakers, who have repeatedly come close to agreement only to see negotiations collapse, can wrap up a deal in the few days left before the end-of-year cut-off point.

The impact of a blown deadline would likely be first seen in financial markets, which wobbled last week after House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" tax and spending effort fell flat.

Obama had offered a deal early last week that would have let tax rates rise for those making more than $400,000 a year, a higher threshold than the $250,000 income level he originally wanted to subject to higher tax rates. However, Boehner was unimpressed with the offer and pursued his alternative instead.

The president appears to have set consideration of fiscal cliff issues aside during his four days in Hawaii. His only public events have been to attend the funeral of long-time Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouye on Sunday and a Christmas Day visit to soldiers at a Marine Corps base near the vacation home his family is using in Kailua, Hawaii.

He has spent his time with family and friends, with excursions to play golf, exercise, go hiking or to the beach.

(With additional reporting by Jade Eckhardt in Kailua, Hawaii; editing by Alistair Bell and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-may-return-washington-soon-wednesday-aide-014403713.html

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Teacher Brings Loaded Gun To Minnesota School For Fear Of Newtown Shooting

Fear over the Newtown school shooting prompted a Minnesota teacher to bring a loaded gun to school last week, forcing a school lockdown. The unnamed teacher, a female in her 50s, has been placed on administrative leave from Seward Montessori School in Minneapolis.

"This is the first case like this I've ever heard of," Minneapolis police Sgt. Bill Palmer told KMSP. "In this day in age in this week, handguns in schools are of great concern to everyone."

Acting on a tip from a staff member, the school principal alerted the school resource officer, who confiscated the gun from the teacher, in her 21st year of employment at the school. The loaded .357 Magnum handgun was in the educator's locker in the teacher's lounge, according to the Star Tribune. School officials confirm that no students or staff were harmed or injured.

While the teacher was not arrested, she could face misdemeanor charges for violating conditions of her Minnesota conceal carry permit, which prohibits firearms in schools without written permission from a principal or school official.

Parents were notified of the incident by phone.

"I had a little meltdown, I was in shock," Jeanette Wiedemeier Bower, the parent of a 10-year-old at Seward Montessori told KMSP. "You trust that the people who take care of your kids have everything under control."

In a statement to KARE, Minneapolis Schools officials said the district followed safety procedures in dealing with the incident, and school leaders "have been vigilant in preparing for emergency situations by reviewing safety plans."

The Sandy Hook Elementary shooting that killed 26, including 20 children, has spurred renewed national interest in gun control. As lawmakers on the left express staunch support for stricter gun laws, those on the right are starting to show willingness for change.

Still, Republicans in a number of states have announced plans to introduce legislation that would allow or even require school staff to carry guns. Republican state Rep. Tony Cornish, for one, plans to sponsor a bill that allows teachers to carry loaded weapons in classrooms.

One school in Texas does permit concealed carry by teachers, and former Education Secretary Bill Bennett took to "Meet the Press" earlier this month to express his support for arming school staff.?

Still, experts say that bringing weapons onto school grounds would do more harm than good, and teachers have called the proposal "absurd."

"Singular horrible events like this past week make us all upset, but if we look at the data, it doesn't make sense that that's where we need to beef up security in a very expensive way -- not only financially but also at the cost of our children's feeling of security," Kenneth Dodge, director of the Center for Child and Family Policy at Duke University told The Huffington Post last week. "Isn't it morestraightforward to just get rid of the guns?"

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/teacher-brings-loaded-gun_n_2362989.html

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The Most Popular Scientific American Stories of 2012

Here are the stories you clicked on the most on our site

By The Editors

4 Comments

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1. 1. hanbroekman 07:38 AM 12/24/12

   The link for #1 is wrong

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. Chryses 07:56 AM 12/24/12

   Yes. #4. How Hollywood Is Encouraging Online Piracy, was n eye-opener for me.

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3. 3. Stagnaro 10:20 AM 12/24/12

   Admittedly, all most popular American Sceintific Stories are really interesting and fascinating. However, I find both enlightening and preoccupaying that readers showed to be no interested in papers suggesting new road, clinical in nature, in the war against today's growing epidemics, as CAD, type 2 DM, and Cancer.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. jtdwyer 03:28 PM 12/24/12

   At least 'Zip past' was only mistyped "Zippast" in this link to article #7...

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=a70e7f4729ce3db820e38ae082707e39

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Sports year: Sad sagas the story of 2012

Jerry Sandusky will spend the rest of his life in prison, Penn State football played under NCAA sanctions and Joe Paterno passed away.

Lance Armstrong abandoned his fight against doping allegations. Roger Clemens won his court battle, despite lingering skepticism over whether he used steroids. The impact of early-stage dementia forced Pat Summitt to step down from her coaching perch.

Again and again, it seemed, the sports world in 2012 saw the end of long tales with tragic or, at best, bittersweet endings.

And in so many cases, off-the-field news overshadowed what happened on it:

? In State College, Pa., where the Sandusky mess at Penn State destroyed lives and radically changed the face of a proud football program.

? In Washington, where Clemens emerged from court a winner, after a mistrial the first time around on charges he lied to Congress about performance-enhancing drug use.

? In Kansas City, Mo., where Chiefs linebacker Jovan Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, then drove to the team's facility in the Arrowhead Stadium complex, thanked his coach and general manager, and turned the gun on himself.

? In Austin, Texas, where the news broke that Armstrong decided to give up his long fight against doping charges, saying "enough is enough" but acknowledging no wrongdoing. The move began the cyclist's swift fall from his spot as cancer-fighting sports hero in the public eye. And though he maintains he was victimized by a "witch hunt," Armstrong still was stripped of all seven of his Tour de France victories.

"We must create a culture in which people are not afraid to speak up, management is not compartmentalized, all are expected to demonstrate the highest ethical standards, and the operating policy is open, collegial and collaborative," Penn State President Rodney Erickson said the day the NCAA levied massive sanctions against the Nittany Lions including a four year postseason ban.

Erickson was speaking of his own school.

But in 2012, at least some of those lessons could have applied to any number of topics.

Sure, there were amazing moments to remember and savor. Michael Phelps became the most decorated Olympian in history, adding to his enormous swimming haul with six more medals at the London Games, where the United States topped the winning charts once again. Usain Bolt became the first man to win the 100- and 200-meter dashes at consecutive Olympics, Eli Manning and the New York Giants reigned supreme in the NFL, San Francisco stormed its way to the World Series title, the Los Angeles Kings hoisted the Stanley Cup (no telling if any other team will anytime soon) and LeBron James and the Miami Heat silenced doubters by winning the NBA title.

Yet in a year like this, such times of achievement and triumph seemed few and far between.

Take March 21, for example. That was the day when Tim Tebow was traded by Denver to the New York Jets, a huge story simply for the Tebowmania factor ? and one that wasn't even the biggest in the NFL that day, not with the announcement that New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton would serve a yearlong suspension for his role in the bounty scandal.

Try August 15, when baseball got to experience a rarity ? Felix Hernandez pitching the first perfect game in Seattle Mariners' history ? and an all-too-common occurrence, that being someone testing positive for something, in this case San Francisco's Melky Cabrera basically forfeiting any shot at the MVP or the NL batting title by being suspended 50 games following a positive test for testosterone.

Or Oct. 10, when Raul Ibanez showed off a flair for the dramatic ? twice ? by hitting tying and winning home runs as the New York Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Division Series, an enormous moment by any measure. Of course, those blasts came on the same day that the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency released a report in which Armstrong was portrayed as the lead of the "most professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen."

As stunning as Armstrong's fall was, what went on at Penn State continued to dominate the sports lexicon.

Sandusky was arrested in November 2011, but resolution didn't really begin until 2012 ? part of why the case was voted the top sports story of the year by The Associated Press, based on balloting by U.S. editors and news directors.

The longtime Penn State defensive coordinator was convicted of 45 counts of abuse involving 10 boys, and later sentenced to 30 to 60 years in prison, which means Sandusky is likely to die behind bars.

Paterno succumbed to lung cancer in January, and a statue of his likeness outside Beaver Stadium was removed six months later, one day before the NCAA announced a $60 million fine and four years of scholarship reductions. Still to come: civil suits brought by Sandusky's victims and the trials of former school administrators accused of neglecting their duty to report allegations.

"We can expect more fallout," Erickson said.

Paterno is still considered by many as a sympathetic figure, and still revered as a role model by some.

Clemens' legacy doesn't seem to resonate the same way with sports fans. It's almost like his courtroom win was one that many did not expect to see happen, and it may be his last big victory for a while. Clemens ? the only seven-time Cy Young Award winner ? is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the first time this year, and a recent survey of voters by the AP shows that he is likely to fall well short of the number of votes necessary for induction in 2013.

Clemens was accused by former personal trainer Brian McNamee in the Mitchell Report on drugs in baseball of using steroids and HGH, allegations Clemens denied before Congress. Eventually, after a Justice Department investigation looked into whether Clemens lied under oath, a grand jury indicted him on two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress.

He was acquitted of all the charges on June 19 after a 10-week trial.

"I'm very thankful," Clemens said. "It's been a hard five years."

Armstrong's fight lasted even longer than that.

The testicular-cancer survivor won the Tour de France seven times, all while dogged by the stigma of he-must-be-cheating. Armstrong was never caught by a drug test, but rather was ultimately done in largely by the words of his former teammates. Armstrong continues to deny doping, but simply said his fight had gone on long enough.

Giving up has come with a price. Armstrong cut ties to his well-known charity, Livestrong, and longtime sponsor Nike ? among other corporations ? cut ties with him.

And as for Summitt, one of the greatest names in coaching, her last loss was against an invisible opponent.

Summitt stepped down as Tennessee's coach in April, a few months after revealing she has been diagnosed with early onset dementia. Summitt led Tennessee to eight national titles in her 38-year tenure, winning 1,098 Division I games along the way.

"It's never a good time," Summitt said. "But you have to find the time that you think is the right time and that is now."

Still, the year wasn't gloom and doom for everyone, not by a long shot.

Alabama got a chance to avenge a loss to LSU and win college football's national championship, the second for the Tide in three years. The Tide will be back in the BCS title game again in January, against rising and surprising Notre Dame.

Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers became baseball's first Triple Crown winner in 45 years. The Kings put together a stunning run through the Stanley Cup playoffs, the last celebratory moment the NHL got to enjoy before more labor strife led to a lockout. Baylor went 40-0 for the NCAA women's basketball title, while Kentucky returned to the top of the men's game. And the Giants (New York) and Giants (San Francisco) more than lived up to their names, in championship fashion.

But if there was one happy ending among all those the drawn-out sagas of this sports year, it was the year James had with the Heat.

Miami won the NBA title, beating Oklahoma City in five games for the franchise's second title and the first for James, who left Cleveland for the Heat two years earlier for moments such as that. He won the league's MVP award. He won the NBA Finals MVP award. He even helped the Americans win another basketball gold medal at the London Olympics.

After all he went through ? from hero to villain, revered to pariah for his infamous "Decision" ? James found a way to shake it all off and complete his quest.

"It's a year I know I'm never going to forget," James said.

Not many people will.

Thing is, in so many cases in 2012, it isn't for the right reasons.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sports-sad-sagas-story-2012-185314351--spt.html

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Simple SEO Plans * The Basics | BriefingRoom on Electronic Musician

Simple SEO Plans * The Basics

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Website positioning forms knowing of the firm?s model. It may help organizations stay inside consciousness of the company?s clients. It may help hold old clients while caring for brand new ones. Any company sees that much more to draw in customers you has to market. Additionally, they are aware that it?s significantly expensive to develop their particular Search engine optimisation workforce on your own. Without proper schooling, business people might end up over spending for not enough benefits. Outsourcing tools SEO services permits companies to focus on their own central capabilities.

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Source: http://blog.emusician.com/briefingroom/2012/12/17/simple-seo-plans-the-basics/

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15: Plaster Bagworms ? Florida Pests That Like to Hang Around ...

This is the fifteenth installment of?15 Household Bugs in SW Florida That May Freak You Out?which can be downloaded from our?free eBook library.

If you?re at home, thinking ?what is this freaky small gray bag hanging from my wall?? then you might have a plaster bagworm.

The case of the plaster bagworm is somewhat similar to a watermelon or pumpkin seed in its shape, size and flatness. It can look like an empty case or shell. Slit-like openings are located at each end. The entire thing is about half an inch long. It?s made of silk fiber, sand, lint and other miscellaneous debris. The openings at the end allow the larvae to move and to eat.

Plaster bagworms are a close relative of the clothes moth. They eat spiderwebs, wool, and the discarded larval cases of members of its own species.

The reason plaster bagworms are common Florida pests is because they like the high humidity found here. A good way to keep them away is to keep your air conditioner on and your house cool.

It?s also important to keep a clean house. Obviously getting rid of spiderwebs is a #1 priority, since that is a favorite meal of the plaster bagworm. Don?t forget to knock down and sweep up any other bagworm cases you find too. They are usually easy to spot on walls, unless your paint color matches the bug?s case!

In its larval stage, the plaster bagworm has three set of legs as well as false legs. It?s believed that the real legs help it walk on floors, while the false legs with hooks on the ends allow it to walk inside its protective case.

A mature bagworm caterpillar is about a quarter of an inch long. Its body is mostly white, but its head is brown.

In its lifecycle, the bagworm eventually becomes a moth; it?s not surprising that controlling plaster bagworms is similar to how you would conquer their cousins ? the clothes moths. For severe infestations, you will need to call a Fort Myers pest control professional.

Consider Larue Pest Management?for your pest control needs.?We?ve served the needs of Southwest Florida since 1978, offering a complete line of services for both residential and commercial properties, including:??pest control,?mosquito control, and?termite protection. For more information on plaster bagworms and other Florida pests?contact us?online or simply call (800) 314-8813.

- Keith

Source: http://www.pestcontrolservicesforlife.com/plaster-bagworms-florida-pests-that-like-to-hang-around-the-house/

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Progress in hiring black college football coaches? Yes and no

Published 58 minutes and 56 seconds ago Last updated 46 minutes and 56 seconds ago

When Charlie Strong turned down Tennessee to stay at Louisville, he told reporters on Thursday that it was his way of thanking the school and athletic director Tom Jurich for their faith in him.

?He gave me my first chance to be a head football coach after being an assistant for 27 years. I was always on everyone?s short list, but Tom let me know from the very beginning I was the only one on his list,? Strong said. ?His unwavering loyalty in me and my vision has always been there.?

Here?s what Strong didn?t say: ?I didn?t want to go somewhere else and get Embree?d.?

Strong is living proof that the prospects for African Americans who want to be college head coaches are getting better ? and proof that they?re just as lousy as they?ve always been. No, honestly, it?s both.

It?s easy to applaud the facts that Louisville did stick with Strong after a 2-4 start in 2011, his second season, giving him room to produce the 2012 team that started 9-0 and is on its way to the Sugar Bowl.

It?s just as easy to remember that less than two weeks ago, the aforementioned Embree was kneecapped before ever getting a chance for a third season at Colorado.

It?s also easy to remember Strong?s own words: he was an assistant for 27 years, the last eight of those as defensive coordinator for both of Urban Meyer?s BCS championship teams at Florida. Yet he didn?t get a job offer from any program, certainly none of Tennessee?s caliber, until Louisville was looking to replace Steve Kragthorpe and his three straight non-winning seasons.

Finally, there are Embree?s own words, delivered bluntly and emotionally after he was fired with four wins in two years after taking over a program stuck far deeper in the mud than Louisville?s.

?We don?t get second chances,? Embree said, speaking of black coaches. ?We get bad jobs and no time to fix it.?

Strong got time to fix it. After that 2-4 start last season, he got a contract extension. After Tennessee came calling, he?s due for another. He is now in place to lead the program from the disintegrating Big East to the more viable and lucrative ACC.

And, it must be emphasized, the 2012 season saw 15 African-American head coaches at the FBS level. In 2003, there were four.

Progress!

Right?

Embree got bounced after two years. Turner Gill got two years at woeful Kansas. Joker Phillips got three years at basketball-first-and-last Kentucky.

Note the quality and stature of jobs. Note these, too, because they, like Strong?s, are examples of coaches who dug frantically out of the pit, enough to avoid the others? short-term fate: James Franklin at Vanderbilt, and a pair from the mid-major, test-drive, we?ll-trust-you-this-far pool, Kent State?s Darrell Hazell and Western Kentucky?s Willie Taggart, who was just hired by USF.

Franklin got feelers for other jobs after making the impossible possible at Vandy. Hazell and Taggart got rewarded with promotions to the big time ? at, uh, Purdue and South Florida, respectively. Based on the Embree-Gill-Phillips template, the clock is ticking on them already.

Not progress.

This is not exactly Gene Chizik and Lane Kiffin falling into prime SEC jobs. Put their resumes up against Strong?s, for example, and when you stop laughing (or crying), explain why, for all the positives of what Louisville did in committing to Strong, he should have ever been available for Louisville in the first place.

Strong himself chuckled about it, how five years earlier he couldn?t have dreamed of being in position to turn down Tennessee. Coincidentally, in those five years, Tennessee has had four head coaches, including newcomer Butch Jones.

This one-step-forward, two-steps-back journey is enough to make a grown man cry, like Embree at his farewell press conference. Just as the frustration builds from black coaches getting herded onto the bottom rung of jobs, if at all, a story like Strong, Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M and David Shaw at Stanford emerges. Just as their success teases people toward relief and celebration, a short-sighted, short-leash firing spoils it.

No one knows yet if it?s safe to enjoy Hazell and Taggart getting hired. History says it is not.

Louisville?s belief in Strong might give the newcomers room to breathe. But until further notice, Strong is still the exception.

Embree, who got a bad job, no time to fix it and is waiting for his second chance, is still the norm.

Source: http://aol.sportingnews.com/ncaa-football/story/2012-12-08/college-football-black-coaches-prospects-charlie-strong-louisville-jon-embree

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