Phelps looks to close career with 18th gold medal

United States' Michael Phelps displays his gold medal for the men's 100-meter butterfly swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

United States' Michael Phelps displays his gold medal for the men's 100-meter butterfly swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

United States' Michael Phelps acknowledges the audience after he won the gold in the men's 100-meter butterfly swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

United States' Michael Phelps concentrates before competing in the men's 100-meter butterfly swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

United States' Missy Franklin competes in the women's 200-meter backstroke final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. Franklin won the gold.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

France's Florent Manaudou holds his gold medal in the men's 50-meter freestyle swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

LONDON (AP) ? One more race. Two more laps. And, in all likelihood, an 18th gold medal for Michael Phelps.

His final Olympics is turning into quite a victory lap.

Phelps will wrap up his swimming career Saturday with the butterfly leg of 4x100 medley relay, an event the U.S. men have never lost. That streak should carry right on with the Americans sending out an imposing quartet that includes three gold medalists (Phelps, freestyler Nathan Adrian and backstroker Matt Grevers), plus a guy who won bronze (breaststroker Brendan Hansen).

"I don't think Michael is going to let anything go wrong in that race," said Eric Shanteau, who swam on the U.S. relay in Friday's prelims.

Indeed, it's unfathomable to think the Phelps era could end with anything less than a performance that puts him atop the podium one last time, with yet another gold medal around his neck.

He picked up his 17th gold on Friday in his final individual race, the 100-meter butterfly, making the turn in seventh but rallying for a victory that was actually much more comfortable than his margin in the last two Olympics ? a combined five-hundredths of a second.

Phelps slammed the wall in 51.21 seconds for payback against the guy who edged him in the 200 fly, Chad le Clos of South Africa. No gliding into this finish, the move that cost Phelps the gold in their first meeting.

"I'm just happy that the last one was a win," said Phelps, who will likely fade into retirement with twice as many golds as anyone else. "That's all I really wanted coming into the night."

He's still in race mode, at least for one more day. Phelps covered the final 50 in 26.86. Le Clos was the only other swimmer able to go under 27, and three guys failed to break 28.

"I thought it would hit me a lot harder than what it is right now," Phelps said. "I guess a lot of those emotions haven't really come through my brain over the last week."

"Once I'm done," he added, "I think there's going to be a lot more emotion that really comes out."

Don't fret about American swimming after he's gone. Led by a pair of high schoolers, the post-Phelps era will be in very good hands.

In what amounted to a symbolic changing of the guard, Phelps' victory in the 100 fly was sandwiched between 17-year-old Missy Franklin breaking a world record in the backstroke and 15-year-old Katie Ledecky taking down a hallowed American mark that was set nearly eight years before she was born.

"This has sort of turned into the youth Olympics," Franklin said. "There's so many members of the team that are coming up this year that are going to carry on this incredible generation."

No one is more incredible than Phelps.

It always takes him a while to get up to speed, but he brought it home like a champion. That, in a sense, sums up his Olympics farewell. He got off to a sluggish start but has three victories in the past four days, giving him 21 medals overall.

"He has made a world of difference for swimming," said Franklin, who captured her third gold of the London Games. "It's helped people rethink the impossible."

"Missy The Missile" has certainly lived up to her nickname, completing a sweep of the backstroke events in a time of 2 minutes, 4.06 seconds, easily eclipsing the record of 2:04.81 set by defending Olympic champion Kirsty Coventry at the 2009 worlds in a now-banned bodysuit.

Russia's Anastasia Zueva took silver, a body length behind Franklin in 2:05.92. Beisel put a second American on the medal podium in 2:06.55, while Coventry finished sixth.

"I can't believe what just happened," said Franklin, who had dedicated her Olympics to victims of the theater shooting not far from her Colorado home. "In that last 25, I knew I was giving it everything I had because I couldn't feel my arms and legs."

Franklin, who is competing in seven events at her first Olympics, also has a bronze and one more race to add to her haul in the 4x100 medley relay Saturday.

Unlike the men, the American women haven't won the medley relay since 2000. Australia took gold at the last two Olympics and led the way into the final as top qualifier, looking to bring a bit of joy to the battered team from Down Under, normally a powerhouse of the pool but limited to just one swimming gold so far in London.

Also on the schedule for the final night of swimming: the long (men's 1,500 freestyle) and short (women's 50 free) of it.

Sun Yang of China goes into the 1,500 with the top qualifying time, followed by defending Olympic champion Ous Mellouli of Tunisia, who also will compete in the 10-kilometer open water event at Hyde Park next week. Connor Jaeger was the lone American to make the final.

Ranomi Kromowidjojo of the Netherlands led the semifinals of the 50 free, gunning for another gold to add to her victory in the 100 free. Jessica Hardy of the U.S. also qualified.

In Phelps' victory, le Clos tied with Russia's Evgeny Korotyshkin for the silver in 51.44. Milorad Cavic, who lost to Phelps by one-hundreth of a second in Beijing, tied for fourth in 51.81, not even close in their final meeting.

"I cannot be compared to Michael Phelps," said Cavic, who also plans to retire after the London Games. "I'm a one-trick pony."

Ledecky seemingly came out of nowhere to make the U.S. team, and nearly took out a world record in her first Olympics. She was ahead of Rebecca Adlington's record pace (8:14.10) from the Beijing Olympics until right at the end, finally tiring just a bit for a time of 8:14.63.

She settled for crushing Janet Evans' American mark of 8:16.22, set in Tokyo on Aug. 20, 1989.

"I figured I was going pretty fast," the teenager said.

Ledecky has plenty of time to go faster, becoming the second-youngest American swimmer to claim an individual gold medal ? 75 days older than Beth Botsford was when she won the 100 backstroke at the 1996 Atlanta Games.

Mireia Belmonte Garcia of Spain was far behind for silver in 8:18.76, while Britain's defending Olympic champion held on to take bronze at 8:20.32. Adlington burst into tears on the medal stand as the crowd of 17,000 chanted "Becky! Becky! Becky!"

She had no chance of catching Ledecky.

"That is nothing to be ashamed of," Adlington said. "I was disappointed with the time. I was fast all year. I know it. I don't know why I wasn't. Maybe it was the expectation, the environment, maybe it got to me a little bit."

France won its fourth gold at the pool, building on its best showing ever and denying an American sweep Friday. Florent Manaudou ? younger brother of 2004 gold medalist Laure Manaudou ? shocked defending Olympic champion and world record-holder Cesar Cielo of Brazil in the 50 freestyle.

Manaudou touched in 21.34 and pounded the water out in Lane 7, then got a big hug from his sister as soon as he climbed from the pool. Cullen Jones of the United States took silver in 21.54, while Cielo was left with bronze in 21.59. Anthony Ervin, the 2000 Olympic champion who came back from an eight-year retirement, finished fifth after getting off to a poor start.

"Being here is my own form of redemption," Ervin said. "What's next? I'm going to have a nice dinner with my friends and family."

What's next for Phelps?

One more race.

___

Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-08-04-OLY-SWM-Swimming/id-709e84196d5146ecb04e20c4630043f0

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Conversations with African Poets and Writers: Donato Ndong ...

Donato Ndongo appears in a program co-sponsored by the Library of Congress, the Africa Society for the National Summit on Africa and Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain.

Donato Ndongo is a prominent writer and journalist from the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.

View the webcast and transcript here

This entry was posted in Africana, InternationalStudiesBlog. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://library2.binghamton.edu/news/international/2012/08/03/conversations-with-african-poets-and-writers-donato-ndong/

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Techniques For Generating Your Home-based Business Rather ...

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Source: http://answers.apostoliccm.com/2012/08/techniques-for-generating-your-home-based-business-rather-successful-2/

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US men beat Nigeria 156-73 in Olympic basketball

LONDON (AP) ? The last group in England with this many records was The Beatles.

The U.S. men's Olympic basketball team beat Nigeria 156-73 Thursday night, an epic blowout that answered the Americans' detractors and sent a clear message to let them be.

After two opening routs that provoked criticism of their slow starts and outside shooting, the Americans rewrote the record books.

They led by 26 in the first quarter, had an Olympic-record 78 points in the first half and Carmelo Anthony scored 37 points, including 10 of 12 3-pointers, to break the U.S. single-game scoring record in less than three quarters.

"Our guys just couldn't miss," said coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Incredibly, they eclipsed the 100-point mark with 5 minutes still left in the third.

"When we get hot, it's a big problem," Kobe Bryant said. "So you have all these guys on one team and then all get hot on the same night, it's tough."

They broke the Olympic record for most points in a game with 4:37 still to play, and set U.S. records for 3-pointers (26), field goals (59) and field-goal percentage (71).

When Andre Iguodala hit a 3-pointer with 4:37 left, the Americans had surpassed the previous Olympic record of 138 points set by Brazil against Egypt in 1988. When the record was announced to the mesmerized crowd, all the players seated on the U.S. bench got up and walked single file past Krzyzewski, slapping hands with him and his staff.

Gentlemen, take a bow.

"It was just one of them nights where as a unit we had it going," Anthony said. "It could have been anybody out on the court playing against us."

The Americans seemed intent on breaking Nigeria's spirit, and when that was accomplished with ease, they made a profound statement with their marksmanship.

Nigeria was the first to get the message.

"When they shoot like this, I don't know if there is any team that can beat them," said Ike Diogu, one of the Nigerians who promised not to be intimidated by the Americans.

Bryant scored 16 points ? 14 in the first quarter ? for the Americans, who scored 49 points in the first, left the floor leading 78-45 at half and then doubled their total in the second half.

Russell Westbrook finished with 21 points, Kevin Love 15 and Kevin Durant 14 for the U.S., which will play Lithuania on Saturday. The Americans have won their first three games with ease, but now things are expected to get a lot tougher as they approach next week's medal round.

Diogu scored 27 to lead Nigeria (1-2), which was as good as done after Durant hit a 3-pointer 11 seconds in, snapping an 0-for-14 slump by the U.S. in the first quarter in the tourney.

Bryant was mostly a non-factor in wins over France and Tunisia, playing just 21 minutes and getting into early foul trouble. But from the outset against Nigeria, the two-time Olympian nicknamed the Black Mamba was as deadly as ever. He set the tone by scoring seven quick points as the U.S. (3-0) raced to a 13-0 lead, a haymaker that stunned the Nigerians.

Durant buried three 3-pointers, Bryant and Anthony added two from long-range and when Love, the NBA's 3-point champion, came off the bench and knocked down his first 3, the U.S. team's shooting gallery of stars had opened a 41-15 lead and made the p.a. announcer's pregame comment that "anything is possible" seem prophetic.

He was talking about a possible upset. The only surprise in the first quarter was when the U.S. missed.

"We were looking forward to this game, playing against the U.S.," Diogu said. "You know we wanted to use this to show the world what type of team we are. We just came out flat, turned the ball over too many times and they made us pay every time."

After starting so sluggishly in blowout wins over France and Tunisia, the U.S. came flying out of the gates, led by Bryant.

The Americans seemed intent on breaking Nigeria's spirit, and when that was accomplished with ease, they made a profound statement with their marksmanship.

Nigeria was the first to get the message.

"When they shoot like this, I don't know if there is any team that can beat them," Diogu said.

Anthony, who made five 3-pointers in the first half, put on a shooting clinic in the third quarter. With the U.S. bench standing in anticipation every time he touched the ball on the perimeter, Anthony made all five of his attempts, punctuating one that made it 97-54 by throwing back his head, laughing and shrugging his shoulders.

He was in a zone unlike any seen before.

"It's a great accomplishment to get that record," said Anthony, who broke Stephon Marbury's scoring mark of 31 against Spain in 2004. "We did it in a very highly classy way. We went out there and we played basketball. We made shots. We make shots like that and play the way we played tonight, that record could have came on any team."

Anthony wasn't the lone sniper as the Americans made 29 of 46 3-pointers (63 percent), numbers that could stand for several more Olympiads.

Although an Olympic rookie, Nigeria, with 10 players who played college ball in the U.S., also has its share of pro experience.

Diogu, who was born in Buffalo, N.Y., after his parents emigrated from Africa, has played for eight NBA teams and Al-Farouq, the No. 8 overall pick in the 2010 draft, was traded last year by the Los Angeles Clippers to New Orleans in the deal for U.S. guard Chris Paul.

But there isn't a team in the Olympics that can match the American's celebrated roster with a combined 43 All-Star appearances, seven NBA titles and four league MVPs.

Krzyzewski gave his players the day off on Wednesday, a chance to relax and enjoy the games. Anthony and James Harden went to see boxing. Durant watched beach volleyball.

They came back rested.

And on target.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-men-beat-nigeria-156-73-olympic-basketball-231217975--oly.html

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Programmable Pedagogy | Creativity, Technology, Innovation

Programmable pedagogies and peripatetic learners

One of the best things about the Creative Technologies degree has been the flexibility it has offered my to pursue exactly what it is I am interested in. For my semester two elective paper, I was able to negotiate the learning outcomes and assessment requirements under the umbrella of ?special topics? so that my internship position at the Center for Learning and Teaching contributes directly to my research and degree.

The outcome of these negotiations between supervisors, CfLAT and the BCT is that the enquiry will focus on the iPad as a creative technology and explore its implications for teaching theory and practice.

As I?ve struggled through the year to find a way to bring in my programming practice, I have made peace with the fact that this year will be more theoretical than practical. Over the process of devising this paper, I began to realize that it is actually really conceptually interesting ? and beneficial ? to look at the relationship between programming practice and pedagogy on a theoretical level.

There were two key readings which informed the elective paper, the first is the concept of a ?programmable pedagogy? as described by Ben Williamson, which captures the ?relationship between technologies and pedagogy. Programmable pedagogy denotes the forms of conduct, knowledge and practice which are written down as code within technological devices and systems. Programmable pedagogies are more contingent and malleable than built forms.?

This got me thinking about who defines the ?rules? of pedagogy. The idea I keep coming back to is that of the ?institution? as dictating how learning and teaching occurs therefore it can be assumed that traditional pedagogy defined by the institution.

Emerging methods of technology enabled learning result in a pedagogy that is defined and influenced by the people who design the technology and program the software.

With this in mind, what is my role as a programmer? How would the decision I make impact the users who would utilise my creation in an academic contact?

A key aspect of my research problem is addressing the inherent challenges or ?disruption? that occurs when devices such as the iPad and 3rd party apps not originally developed specifically for use in education are appropriated for use in this new context; because the ?rules? define a way of using it that might not be in line with the rules of a traditional pedagogy.

This reminded me of an idea raised in the book I?ve started reading, ?Second Self: Computers and the Human Spirit? by Sherry Turkle, that when you program a piece of software, ?there is a little piece of your mind and now it?s a little piece of the computer?s mind.? This notion I feel will come to play an important part in my programming practice, that humans design the software and humans use the software; the technology just mediates the two. Though the coding focus has been shifted to next year, it is still important to develop that critical understanding of what is possible on the development end and the implications of that practice.

Agile Space

The second key reading discusses technology spaces and the iPad signalling ?a new technology space in between handheld and portable. Devices which fit this space are particularly useful for teaching and learning purposes, as they offer the flexibility needed for modern learning practices?. [the iPad] combines many functions which were only previously available in a number separate devices and takes this to another level with its form factor and touch/gesture input methods.?

Thought it refers to ?space? as the gap in form factor between handheld devices and portable computers, Agile implies new technologies which results what are inherently more dynamic, flexible, fluid learning teaching processes so it sits in line with my original ideas about how mobile technologies remove the restrictions of time and space.

Mark Pesce gave the keynote at the Creative Tech conference at AUT two years ago?and he highlighted that this form factor of the device shapes the experience. This was not long after the first iPad came out and even then, he already spoke of the same issue that I?m addressing in my research problem, where ?the iPad is like a formula one that we haven?t even figured out how to get out of first gear.?

My research question is still more open and posed as a scoping question but it is becoming clear that the ?end point? (if there is such a thing) of this honours research is to establish a platform upon which I will develop an app for a masters research project. It is about scoping out these opportunities and potential; the key to establishing this platform comes from understanding the social, pedagogical and technological implications, both in terms of affordances and disruptions. This understanding comes from: literature, case studies, critique of existing ?apps? and supported hardware that bring the ?agile? space and physical space together.

Ultimately, the underlying question is looking at how to harness the affordances of the technology while managing the disruptions and challenges that it also brings about. So the structure is starting to look something like this:

?

?
The feedback from the critique session this week was generally that we all need to get a move on. With nearly the first half of term gone in a flash, I know I haven?t been using my time as effectively as I could have been. To keep myself focused the aim is to set fortnightly goals, in line with the postgraduate critique sessions, and to update the working draft of my thesis that I?ve started cobbling together.

The aim for the next two weeks is to start focusing in on the practical section ? to set the criteria by which I will be evaluating and critiquing the affordances and effectiveness of existing apps in relation to my research questions, problem and theoretical field.

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Source: http://emergingcreatives.wordpress.com/2012/08/02/programmable-pedagogy/

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Southern Arkansas to induct eight to Sports Hall of Fame ...

Contact: Houston Taylor

MAGNOLIA, Ark. ? Southern Arkansas University announces its 10th Sports Hall of Fame class which includes eight members that will be inducted Friday, October 19, at 6:30 p.m. at the annual banquet in the Grand Hall of the Donald W. Reynolds Campus and Community Center.

The 2012 Sports Hall of Fame class consists of two student-athletes to be inducted from the modern era and three from the golden era, one individual for meritorious service, and two for outstanding service to the athletic department.

Allard Baird is the first of two modern era athletes being inducted, who transferred and played his sophomore season in 1985 for the Mulerider baseball team, hitting .311 and being named honorable mention All-Arkansas Intercollegiate Conference (AIC). He gave up his eligibility the following season to serve as a student assistant to Coach Steve Goodheart to start laying the foundation for his future baseball career. Baird eventually was named general manager of Major League Baseball?s Kansas City Royals, and currently serves as special assistant for the Boston Red Sox.

Fred Perry played linebacker and was a punt returner for the Mulerider football team in 1996 and 1997, earning NCAA first team All-America honors his senior season in leading SAU to a Gulf South Conference co-championship and a berth in the national playoffs. He went on to have a long and successful career in the Canadian Football League.

Jerry Camp is one of three golden era athletes, and was a two-way player at center and linebacker for the Mulerider football team from 1957-1960, achieving All-AIC honors his final two seasons, including at both positions his senior year, as well as receiving honorable mention All-America. He went on to coach briefly in Magnolia before having an extended career in Springhill, La., and then served as principal and superintendent at Taylor Public Schools for a number of years.

Bruce Hamlin participated in track from 1968-1971, earning NAIA All-America accolades and was a four-year All-AIC honoree. He was inducted into the Arkansas Track & Field Hall of Fame this past June as a member of the 2012 class. Hamlin is currently Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Mills University Studies High School in Little Rock.

Janet Cooper Wood was a part of three Arkansas Women?s Intercollegiate Sports Association championships in her four-year (1974-78) career on the women?s basketball team under the guidance of Coach Dr. Margaret Downing. She was a three-time All-AWISA selection and ranks sixth on the SAU career scoring list with 1,369 points. She went on to a stellar high school coaching career and was inducted to the Arkansas High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2009. Wood currently serves as director of athletics at Mountain Home High School.

Dan Gregory is an inductee for meritorious service who has served for 30 years as the ?voice of the Muleriders?, providing radio play-by-play and commentary for Mulerider football, baseball and both men?s and women?s basketball games. An employee of Noalmark Broadcasting Corporation, he has served SAU in a variety of other capacities and has been president of the Mulerider Club for a number of years.

Ken Cole is in his 24th year as head athletic trainer at SAU where he has built one of the top athletic training programs in the country. He was named the 2011 NCAA Division II national athletic trainer of the year and in 2005 was inducted to the Arkansas Athletic Trainer?s Association Hall of Fame. This past year, Cole was appointed by Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe to the Arkansas State Board of Athletic Training.

Jay Adcox, who is being inducted posthumously, served 13 years as director of athletics and had a 25-year career at Southern Arkansas. Arriving at SAU in 1986, he was defensive coordinator for the Mulerider football team for eight years before turning to teaching full-time in 1993. He became chair of the Department of Health, Kinesiology and Recreation in 1997 before assuming the dual role as Director of Athletics from 1998-2001. Adcox was a guiding force in the athletic department until he passed away in late July of last year.

Source: http://muleriderathletics.com/2012/womens/softball/08/7597/southern-arkansas-to-induct-eight-to-sports-hall-of-fame/

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TJ Jackson emerges as Katherine's co-guardian

This Nov. 13, 2003, photo shows TJ Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, one of the original Jackson Five. Suddenly, TJ is the chosen Jackson, the one designated to work beside Michael's mother to look after the welfare of his three cousins Prince, 15, Paris, 14, and Blanket, 10, who will inherit the King of Pop's fortune. (Eric Fougere/VIP Images/Corbis via AP)

This Nov. 13, 2003, photo shows TJ Jackson, son of Tito Jackson, one of the original Jackson Five. Suddenly, TJ is the chosen Jackson, the one designated to work beside Michael's mother to look after the welfare of his three cousins Prince, 15, Paris, 14, and Blanket, 10, who will inherit the King of Pop's fortune. (Eric Fougere/VIP Images/Corbis via AP)

FILE - In this Oct. 8, 2011 file photo, from left, Prince Jackson, Prince Michael II "Blanket" Jackson and Paris Jackson arrive on stage at the Michael Forever the Tribute Concert, at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Despite criticisms from some of Jackson's siblings that the singer's will is a fake and the executors of his estate should step down, experts note that the window to contest the five-page document has long since closed. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File) *Editorial Use Only*

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? TJ Jackson was one of Michael Jackson's favorite nephews. An heir to the family's musical talent and striking good looks, he is the son of Tito, one of the original Jackson Five. Largely unknown to the American public until now, he has been anointed as co-guardian of Michael's most prized treasures ? his three children.

Suddenly, TJ is the chosen Jackson, the one designated to work beside Michael's mother to look after the welfare of his three cousins Prince, 15, Paris, 14 and Blanket,10, who will inherit the King of Pop's fortune.

He's stepping into a sensitive situation just days after a family feud went viral. But he appears to have only one interest at heart ? the children.

"He has been very dedicated to these kids since Michael Jackson's death and he was involved with them before that," TJ's lawyer, Charles A. Schultz, said at a Thursday court hearing.

Superior Court Judge Mitchell Beckloff, who appointed TJ to work with Katherine Jackson, said there is a strong bond between the 34-year-old T.J. and the children.

"They have a very significant relationship with TJ Jackson and they love him very much," said the judge. "There are things about his past that the kids can relate to."

Schultz agreed, saying outside court: "He had a loss early in his life of a close personal relative and they can identify with that."

In 1994, six years after his parents divorced, TJ's mother, Dolores, died in a drowning at her home swimming pool. Her boyfriend was later convicted of causing her drowning and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

When Michael Jackson died in 2009, Dr. Conrad Murray was accused of causing his death and was convicted of manslaughter. He is currently serving a four-year prison term.

Now, three years after his death, Michael's children are at the center of a familial battle and TJ's role has become even more important. Recently, Katherine Jackson was reported missing and Beckloff replaced her with TJ as the children's guardian. Now she's back, telling a story of having been held virtually incommunicado at a resort in Tucson, Ariz., unaware that she was the subject of a missing person's report.

In the court hearing Thursday, with neither of the parties present, the judge ruled that TJ and Katherine will share guardianship on a temporary basis. The arrangement could be made permanent later.

Beckloff had appointed an investigator to look into the domestic situation at the suburban Calabasas mansion where the young Jacksons have been living with their 82-year-old grandmother.

The result was a glowing report: "It appears from the report that Katherine Jackson has done a wonderful job and cares about the children very much," the judge said. "I think the kids are in terrific hands."

No mention was made of the Jackson siblings who were at the center of a family dispute last week that broke into a public shouting match on the driveway of Katherine's home. What one lawyer called "the chaos" ended with Jermaine Jackson calling for a truce.

TJ, who is movie star-handsome and has a band with his brothers called 3T, is named Tito Joseph for his father and grandfather. Always known as TJ, he appears to have emerged as a welcome stable force in the family.

When Paris began tweeting messages of distress over the temporary disappearance of her grandmother and the battles among Michael's siblings, TJ tweeted to her: "I know it's completely unfair for them to do this to you and your brothers. We will keep trying. I love you." Added a second tweet: "Make your life an act of love."

Thomas Mesereau Jr., the former attorney for Michael who knows the family, had high praise for TJ.

"I met him some time ago and he was a very nice young man, very mature and very sincere," said Mesereau. "It appeared to me that Katherine thought very highly of him."

But Mesereau said the current situation was unthinkable before Michael's death.

"Three years ago, these children had a father who loved them and gave them a wonderful upbringing," the attorney said. "He wanted them to be highly educated, to learn about the world and the wonders of nature. It's very tragic."

TJ's devotion to his uncle, Michael, has been evident. At his funeral, members of the family provided loving tributes in a glossy program. TJ's entry read: "You taught me how to smile. You taught me how to dream. You taught me how to live. Uncle Michael, I will always cherish all of our special moments and blissful time together. I love you so much."

Michael's ties to TJ and his two brothers was confirmed by his will, which named them among "contingent remainder" beneficiaries, who usually gain if the main beneficiaries pass away.

Like most of the Jacksons, TJ has lived among celebrities. The Internet was ablaze this week with reports that he was the first lover of Kim Kardashian when both were in high school. There was no comment from TJ but he has acknowledged that they were close and she consoled him when his mother died.

"We became extra close when my mom passed away,' TJ told People magazine in 1995 of Kardashian. "She dropped everything to be with me."

TJ married his wife, Frances, in 2007 and has three children.

When he and his brothers, Taj and Taryll, formed 3T, they were encouraged by their uncle, Michael, who sang with them on their first records, The 3T group had significant success in Europe with three songs that reached No. 2 on British charts. Two of them, "Why" and "I Need You," released in 1996, featured Michael Jackson's voice.

In 2010, the 3T group reprised Jackson's "We Are the World' with various famous voices to benefit Haiti relief efforts. The brothers also have appeared on reality TV shows with other members of the Jackson clan and have toured overseas.

Last October, the family staged a tribute concert to Michael in Cardiff, Wales. But typically, the Jacksons were divided over whether it was appropriate to hold such a tribute during the Murray trial in Los Angeles. Janet, Jermaine and Randy stayed away. Jackie, Marlon, La Toya and Tito performed. So did TJ and his brothers.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-08-03-Jackson%20Family-Who%20is%20TJ?/id-57e38486f1524a66b406e2f67ce25f86

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Kristen Stewart Signs on for Lie Down In Darkness

Kristen Stewart has found a role that won't involve any awkward off-set drama. At least we hope.

The actress has reportedly beaten out Jennifer Lawrence for the lead in Lie Down In Darkness, a big screen version of William Styron’s 1951 novel.

Set in that same decade, the story will find Stewart portraying Peyton Loftis, a member of a dysfunctional family who becomes the target of her mother's jealous hatred and her father's alcoholic, incestuous lust. Ewwww.

Other movie news is a lot more awkward for Stewart these days:

She's schedule to promote Breaking Dawn Part 2 in the fall... alongside a young man who is currently a mess as a result of her cheating actions.

She's also attached to a Snow White and the Huntsman sequel... possibly opposite a director with whom she engaged in an affair and who has since been barred from contact with Stewart.

It should be interesting to note the career arc of Kristen going forward. How much will this sordid deed affect her on-screen future? It's early, but if this role nabbing is any indication, the answer is a resounding: in no way at all.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/08/kristen-stewart-signs-on-for-lie-down-in-darkness/

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On the web Bachelors Degree ? A fantastic Technique to Find out ...

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Normally accredited bachelors degrees are supplied to get a time period of 4 years. When you are pursuing a bachelor?s degree online you will need 120 credit hours. Bachelor?s degrees are divided in to three regions which include significant courses, elective courses and general education. You could opt for two types of bachelor?s degrees: Bachelor of Arts or possibly a BA and Bachelor of Science or possibly a BSc/BS.

The BA degree is usually a four year degree which demands 120 ? 128 credit hours. The curriculum for a BA Degree covers areas like liberal arts, social sciences, humanities, music or fine arts. The BSc degree also spans exactly the same time period. Right here the course perform focuses on physical and life sciences.

As soon as you might have decided to do your bachelor?s degree on line, you get started seeking for fantastic applications on the web. Try and uncover out the opinion with the previous students concerning the university or system. Check concerning the credibility with the program and also the university which runs the system. This is a essential step if you are preparing to pursue your bachelors on the net. A very good university with a great record will unquestionably be valuable in getting the proper employers and a excellent location to study further.

To create positive that your bachelors on the net is really a memorable and an enjoyable experience; ensure that which you locate schools and courses with correct accreditation. This really is vital for your future profession and your education with exceptional professors. Any time you choose to do bachelors on the internet you save a lot of time. With many programs the classes are held inside the spare time. A web based bachelor is certainly an excellent way to understand!

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Source: http://www.pdp-ana.org/reference-and-education/236/

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Gore Vidal, celebrated author, playwright, dies

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2009 file photo, actress Joanne Woodward, left, stands by as Gore Vidal speaks at the National Book Awards in New York. Woodward presented Vidal with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 19, 2009 file photo, actress Joanne Woodward, left, stands by as Gore Vidal speaks at the National Book Awards in New York. Woodward presented Vidal with the Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP Photo/Tina Fineberg, File)

FILE - In this Jan. 10, 2009 file photo released by the Florida Keys News Bureau, author and essayist Gore Vidal delivers the keynote presentation during the first session of the 27th annual Key West Literary Seminar in Key West, Fla. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Carol Tedesco)

FILE - In this May 5, 2003 file photo, author Gore Vidal arrives for the Film Society of Lincoln Center's gala event in New York. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP Photo/Stuart Ramson, File)

FILE - This 1977 file photo shows author Gore Vidal. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP File Photo)

FILE - In this Dec. 9, 1974 file photo, author Gore Vidal tosses barbs in all directions as he discusses Hollywood unions, politics, lecturing and publicizing books during an interview in Los Angeles. Vidal died Tuesday, July 31, 2012, at his home in Los Angeles. He was 86. (AP File Photo)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? In a world more to his liking, Gore Vidal might have been president, or even king. He had an aristocrat's bearing ? tall, handsome and composed ? and an authoritative baritone ideal for summoning an aide or courtier.

But Vidal made his living ? a very good living ? from challenging power, not holding it. He was wealthy and famous and committed to exposing a system often led by men he knew firsthand. During the days of Franklin Roosevelt, one of the few leaders whom Vidal admired, he might have been called a "traitor to his class." The real traitors, Vidal would respond, were the upholders of his class.

The author, playwright, politician and commentator whose vast and sharpened range of published works and public remarks were stamped by his immodest wit and unconventional wisdom, died Tuesday at age 86 in Los Angeles.

Vidal died at his home in the Hollywood Hills at about 6:45 p.m. of complications from pneumonia, his nephew Burr Steers said. Vidal had been living alone in the home and had been sick for "quite a while," Steers said.

Vidal "meant everything to me when I was learning how to write and learning how to read," Dave Eggers said at the 2009 National Book Awards ceremony, where he and Vidal received honorary citations. "His words, his intellect, his activism, his ability and willingness to always speak up and hold his government accountable, especially, has been so inspiring to me I can't articulate it."

Along with such contemporaries as Norman Mailer and Truman Capote, he was among the last generation of literary writers who were also genuine celebrities ? regulars on talk shows and in gossip columns, personalities of such size and appeal that even those who hadn't read their books knew their names.

His works included hundreds of essays, the best-selling novels "Lincoln" and "Myra Breckenridge" and the Tony-nominated play "The Best Man," a melodrama about a presidential convention revived on Broadway in 2012. Vidal appeared cold and cynical on the surface, dispassionately predicting the fall of democracy, the American empire's decline or the destruction of the environment. But he bore a melancholy regard for lost worlds, for reason and the primacy of the written word, for "the ancient American sense that whatever is wrong with human society can be put right by human action."

Vidal was uncomfortable with the literary and political establishment, and the feeling was mutual. Beyond his honorary National Book Award, he won few major writing prizes, lost both times he ran for office and initially declined membership into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, joking that he already belonged to the Diners Club. (He was eventually admitted, in 1999).

But he was widely admired as an independent thinker ? in the tradition of Mark Twain and H.L. Mencken ? about literature, culture, politics and, as he liked to call it, "the birds and the bees." He picked apart politicians, living and dead; mocked religion and prudery; opposed wars from Vietnam to Iraq and insulted his peers like no other, once observing that the three saddest words in the English language were "Joyce Carol Oates." (The happiest words: "I told you so").

Ralph Ellison labeled him a "campy patrician." Vidal had an old-fashioned belief in honor, but a modern will to live as he pleased. He wrote in the memoir "Palimpsest" that he had more than 1,000 "sexual encounters," nothing special, he added, compared to the pursuits of such peers as John F. Kennedy and Tennessee Williams. Vidal was fond of drink and alleged that he had sampled every major drug, once. He never married and for decades shared a scenic villa in Ravello, Italy, with companion Howard Austen.

In print and in person, he was a shameless name dropper, but what names! John and Jacqueline Kennedy. Hillary Clinton. Tennessee Williams. Mick Jagger. Orson Welles. Frank Sinatra. Marlon Brando. Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon.

Vidal dined with Welles in Los Angeles, lunched with the Kennedys in Florida, clowned with the Newmans in Connecticut, drove wildly around Rome with a nearsighted Williams and escorted Jagger on a sightseeing tour along the Italian coast. He campaigned with Eleanor Roosevelt and Harry Truman. He butted heads, literally, with Mailer. He helped director William Wyler with the script for "Ben-Hur." He made guest appearances on everything from "The Simpsons" to "Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In."

Vidal formed his most unusual bond with Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh. The two exchanged letters after Vidal's 1998 article in Vanity Fair on "the shredding" of the Bill of Rights and their friendship inspired Edmund White's play "Terre Haute."

"He's very intelligent. He's not insane," Vidal said of McVeigh in a 2001 interview.

Vidal also bewildered his fans by saying the Bush administration likely had advance knowledge of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks; that McVeigh was no more a killer than Dwight Eisenhower and that the U.S. would eventually be subservient to China, "The Yellow Man's Burden."

Christopher Hitchens, who once regarded Vidal as a modern Oscar Wilde, lamented in a 2010 Vanity Fair essay that Vidal's recent comments suffered from an "utter want of any grace or generosity, as well as the entire absence of any wit or profundity." Years earlier, Saul Bellow stated that "a dune of salt has grown up to season the preposterous things Gore says."

A longtime critic of American militarism, Vidal was, ironically, born at the United States Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., his father's alma mater. Vidal grew up in a political family. His grandfather, Thomas Pryor Gore, was a U.S. senator from Oklahoma. His father, Gene Vidal, served briefly in President Franklin Roosevelt's administration and was an early expert on aviation. Amelia Earhart was a family friend and reported lover of Gene Vidal.

Vidal was a learned, but primarily self-educated man. Classrooms bored him. He graduated from the elite Phillips Exeter Academy, but then enlisted in the Army and never went to college. His first book, the war novel "Williwaw," was written while he was in the service and published when he was just 20.

The New York Times' Orville Prescott praised Vidal as a "canny observer" and "Williwaw" as a "good start toward more substantial accomplishments." But "The City and the Pillar," his third book, apparently changed Prescott's mind. Published in 1948, the novel's straightforward story about two male lovers was virtually unheard of at the time and Vidal claimed that Prescott swore he would never review his books again. (The critic relented in 1964, calling Vidal's "Julian" a novel "disgusting enough to sicken many of his readers"). "City and the Pillar" was dedicated to "J.T.," Jimmie Trimble, a boarding school classmate killed during the war whom Vidal would cite as the great love of his life.

Unable to make a living from fiction, at least when identified as "Gore Vidal," he wrote a trio of mystery novels in the 1950s under the pen name "Edgar Box" and also wrote fiction as "Katherine Everard" and "Cameron Kay." He became a playwright, too, writing for the theater and television. "The Best Man," which premiered in 1960, was made into a movie starring Henry Fonda. Paul Newman starred in "The Left-Handed Gun," a film adaptation of Vidal's "The Death of Billy the Kid."

Vidal also worked in Hollywood, writing the script for "Suddenly Last Summer" and adding a subtle homoerotic context to "Ben-Hur." The author himself later appeared in a documentary about gays in Hollywood, "The Celluloid Closet." His acting credits included "Gattaca," ''With Honors" and Tim Robbins' political satire, "Bob Roberts."

But Vidal saw himself foremost as a man of letters. He wrote a series of acclaimed and provocative historical novels, including "Julian," ''Burr" and "Lincoln." His 1974 essay on Italo Calvino in The New York Review of Books helped introduce the Italian writer to American audiences. A 1987 essay on Dawn Powell helped restore the then-forgotten author's reputation and bring her books back in print. Fans welcomed his polished, conversational essays or his annual "State of the Union" reports for the liberal weekly "The Nation."

He adored the wisdom of Montaigne, the imagination of Calvino, the erudition and insight of Henry James and Edith Wharton. He detested Thomas Pynchon, John Barth and other authors of "teachers' novels." He once likened Mailer's views on women to those of Charles Manson's. (From this the head-butting incident ensued, backstage at "The Dick Cavett Show.") He derided Buckley, on television, as a "crypto Nazi." He was accused of anti-Semitism after labeling conservative Norman Podhoretz a member of "the Israeli fifth column." He labeled Ronald Reagan "The Acting President" and identified Reagan's wife, Nancy, as a social climber "born with a silver ladder in her hand."

In the 1960s, Vidal increased his involvement in politics. In 1960, he was the Democratic candidate for Congress in an upstate New York district, but was defeated despite Ms. Roosevelt's active support and a campaign appearance by Truman. (In 1982, Vidal came in second in the California Democratic senatorial primary). In consolation, he noted that he did receive more votes in his district in 1960 than did the man at the top of the Democratic ticket, John F. Kennedy.

Thanks to his friendship with Jacqueline Kennedy, with whom he shared a stepfather, Hugh Auchincloss, he became a supporter and associate of President Kennedy, and wrote a newspaper profile on him soon after his election. With tragic foresight, Vidal called the job of the presidency "literally killing" and worried that "Kennedy may very well not survive."

Before long, however, he and the Kennedys were estranged, touched off by a personal feud between Vidal and Robert Kennedy apparently sparked by a few too many drinks at a White House party. By 1967, the author was an open critic, portraying the Kennedys as cold and manipulative in the essay "The Holy Family." Vidal's politics moved ever to the left and he eventually disdained both major parties as "property" parties ? even as he couldn't help noting that Hillary Clinton had visited him in Ravello.

Meanwhile, he was again writing fiction. In 1968, he published his most inventive novel, "Myra Breckenridge," a comic best seller about a transsexual movie star. The year before, with "Washington, D.C.," Vidal began the cycle of historical works that peaked in 1984 with "Lincoln."

The novel was not universally praised, with some scholars objecting to Vidal's unawed portrayal of the president. The author defended his research, including suggestions that the president had syphilis, and called his critics "scholar-squirrels," more interested in academic status than in serious history.

But "Lincoln" stands as his most notable work of historical fiction, vetted and admired by a leading Lincoln biographer, David Herbert Donald, and even cited by the conservative Newt Gingrich as a favorite book. Gingrich's praise was contrasted by fellow conservative Rep. Michele Bachmann, who alleged she was so put off by Vidal's "Burr" that she switched party affiliation from Democrat to Republican.

In recent years, Vidal wrote the novel "The Smithsonian Institution" and the nonfiction best sellers "Perpetual War For Perpetual Peace" and "Dreaming War: Blood for Oil and the Cheney-Bush Junta." A second memoir, "Point to Point Navigation," came out in 2006. In 2009, "Gore Vidal: Snapshots in History's Glare" featured pictures of Vidal with Newman, Jagger, Johnny Carson, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Springsteen.

Vidal and Austen chose cemetery plots in Washington, D.C., between Jimmie Trimble and one of Vidal's literary heroes, Henry Adams. But age and illness did not bring Vidal closer to God. Wheelchair-bound in his 80s and saddened by the death of Austen and many peers and close friends, the author still looked to no existence beyond this one.

"Because there is no cosmic point to the life that each of us perceives on this distant bit of dust at galaxy's edge," he once wrote, "all the more reason for us to maintain in proper balance what we have here. "Because there is nothing else. No thing. This is it. And quite enough, all in all."

Vidal is survived by his half-sister Nina Straight and half brother Tommy Auchincloss.

___

Italie reported from New York.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-01-Obit-Gore%20Vidal/id-83d0acbebdfa43f592c36266c4af5417

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Regal Beloit Corporation Announces Second Quarter 2012 Financial

My news for Investors

? Record Diluted EPS of $1.49

? Strong Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities of $136 Million

BELOIT, Wis., July 31, 2012 /PRNewswire/ ??Regal Beloit Corporation (NYSE: RBC) today reported financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012.? Net sales of $863.9 million increased 26.7% compared to $681.8 million for the second quarter of 2011.? Diluted earnings per share were $1.49 for the second quarter of 2012 compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.88 for the second quarter of 2011.?

?Regal delivered another strong quarter driven by continued growth in our North American commercial and industrial, mechanical and global Unico businesses? commented Mr. Mark Gliebe, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. ?Our diverse operations delivered sales and earnings growth in spite of continued headwinds in our HVAC, European, and Asian based businesses as well as the negative impact of foreign currency on revenues.? With our continued focus on working capital management, we delivered strong free cash flow as a percentage of net income of 177% in the second quarter of 2012,? continued Mr. Gliebe.?

Adjusted diluted earnings per share[*] were $1.50 for the second quarter of 2012, after adding $0.01 of restructuring charges for announced plant closures to generate the EPC synergies. This compares to adjusted diluted earnings per share of $1.38 in the second quarter of 2011 after adding the impact of $0.06 from the EPC acquisition costs and $0.44 from the previously disclosed warranty expense item. The following table summarizes the items listed above and the impact on the Company?s adjusted diluted earnings per share for the periods presented.

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Electrical segment net sales in the second quarter 2012 included $212.6 million from the businesses acquired within the last twelve months (?acquired businesses?).? Excluding the acquired businesses, electrical segment net sales declined 6.6% as a result of declining net sales in our HVAC, European, and Asian businesses.? North American residential HVAC motor net sales declined 11.9%, primarily from the adverse impact of the R22 dry ship conversion.? North American commercial and industrial motor net sales increased 1.3% for the second quarter 2012 compared to the second quarter of 2011, adjusting for the divested business.

Mechanical segment net sales for the second quarter 2012 included $12.5 million from the acquired business.? Excluding the impact of the acquired and divested businesses, Mechanical segment sales in North America increased 9.1%, which helped offset weakness in Mechanical segment sales in Europe and Asia.

Second quarter 2012 net sales to regions outside the United States increased 9.5% compared to second quarter 2011 and represented 31.7% of total net sales.? Sales of high efficiency products were 20.2% of net sales in the second quarter 2012.? The impact of foreign currency exchange rates decreased total net sales by 2.1% for the second quarter 2012 compared to the second quarter 2011.

The second quarter 2011 gross profit included the previously disclosed warranty expense item of $28.0 million.? That expense item was reflected in the Electrical segment cost of sales.

Electrical segment operating expenses for the second quarter included an incremental $22.2 million from the acquired businesses.? Acquisition related expenses in the second quarter 2012 were minimal in the Electrical segment, while second quarter 2011 included $3.5 million of acquisition related expenses. Mechanical segment operating expenses for the second quarter included an incremental $1.2 million from the acquired businesses.

The effective tax rate for the second quarter 2012 was 30.5% compared to 28.6% for the second quarter 2011 driven primarily by the mix of global taxable earnings.? Interest expense increased $6.4 million as compared to second quarter 2011 primarily as a result of additional borrowings to fund the EPC and Milwaukee Gear acquisitions.?? ?

Net cash provided by operating activities was $135.9 million, an increase of $82.5 million from the prior year.? Cash flow from operations was used to fund capital expenditures, pay dividends, and reduce debt.

?As we enter the third quarter, we are seeing uncertainty in the macro-economic environment, which could result in softer demand in our mid and late cycle businesses.??Additionally, we expect to see a negative impact on sales and profits from the impact of foreign currency translation.? However, in the third quarter we expect year over year growth in our HVAC business, benefiting from the warmer summer and the declining impact of the R22 conversion, as well as continued growth in our Unico business,? commented Mr. Gliebe. ???

?We recently announced steps to simplify our manufacturing operations and reduce our global footprint.? By the middle of 2013 we will close four plants in the Juarez, Mexico region and exit three warehouses in the United States. These actions will deliver a key part of the synergy savings we committed to in connection with the EPC acquisition.??

?Including $0.10 of anticipated expense from these restructuring activities, our earnings guidance for the third quarter of 2012 is $1.22 to $1.30 per share.? Excluding the $0.10 of restructuring expense, our adjusted EPS guidance is $1.32 to $1.40,? continued Mr. Gliebe.?

Regal will hold a conference call at 9:00 AM CDT (10:00 AM EDT) on Wednesday, August 1, 2012, to discuss the earnings release.? To listen to the call and view the presentation slides via the internet, please go to http://www.regalbeloit.com/ or at: http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=88159.? Individuals who would like to participate by phone should dial 866-524-3160, referencing Regal.? International callers should dial 412-317-6760, referencing Regal.?

A telephone replay of the call will be available through October 29, 2012, at 877-344-7529, conference ID 10016127.? International callers should call 412-317-0088 using the same conference ID.? A webcast replay will be available until October 29, 2012, and can be accessed at http://www.regalbeloit.com/rbceventspresentations.htm or at http://www.videonewswire.com/event.asp?id=88159

Regal Beloit Corporation is a leading manufacturer of electric motors, mechanical and electrical motion controls and power generation products serving markets throughout the world.? Regal Beloit is headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin, and has manufacturing, sales and service facilities throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe and Asia.? Regal Beloit?s common stock is a component of the SP Mid Cap 400 Index and the Russell 2000 Index.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT

The following is a cautionary statement made under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: With the exception of historical facts, the statements contained in this press release may be forward looking statements.? Forward-looking statements represent our management?s judgment regarding future events.? In many cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as ?may,? ?will,?? ?plan,? ?expect,? ?anticipate,? ?estimate,? ?believe,? or ?continue? or the negative of these terms or other similar words.? Actual results and events could differ materially and adversely from those contained in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including: actions taken by our competitors and our ability to effectively compete in the increasingly competitive global electric motor, power generation and mechanical motion control industries; our ability to develop new products based on technological innovation and the marketplace acceptance of new and existing products; fluctuations in commodity prices and raw material costs; our dependence on significant customers; issues and costs arising from the integration of acquired companies and businesses, including the timing and impact of purchase accounting adjustments; unanticipated costs or expenses we may incur related to product warranty issues; our dependence on key suppliers and the potential effects of supply disruptions; infringement of our intellectual property by third parties, challenges to our intellectual property, and claims of infringement by us of third party technologies; increases in our overall debt levels as a result of acquisitions or otherwise and our ability to repay principal and interest on our outstanding debt; product liability and other litigation, or the failure of our products to perform as anticipated, particularly in high volume applications; economic changes in global markets where we do business, such as reduced demand for the products we sell, currency exchange rates, inflation rates, interest rates, recession, foreign government policies and other external factors that we cannot control; unanticipated liabilities of acquired businesses; cyclical downturns affecting the global market for capital goods; difficulties associated with managing foreign operations; and other risks and uncertainties including but not limited to those described in Item 1A-Risk Factors of the Company?s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed on February 29, 2012 ?and from time to time in our reports filed with U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or to persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the applicable cautionary statements.? The forward-looking statements included in this presentation are made only as of their respective dates, and we undertake no obligation to update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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[*] This earnings release includes non-GAAP financial measures. Schedules that reconcile these non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP figures are included with this earnings release.

SOURCE Regal Beloit Corporation

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Source: http://serious-speculator.com/2012/07/31/regal-beloit-corporation-announces-second-quarter-2012-financial-results/

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6 Tips For Creating A Truly Beautiful And Affordable Garden ...

You need not settle for an ugly, unkempt yard just because you think it will cost too much money (that you do not have) to create a garden paradise. Beautiful gardens are a work of art, and just as it is with any piece of art, all you need is some little creativity. You do not need to hire a professional landscape artist. Here are some tips on how you can create a magical garden within your budget.

Freebies

You can get lots of free stuff to add to your garden if you just use a little wisdom. Ask your friend who already has a beautiful garden for some free seedlings. Look through the garbage disposal of a local nursery (if you are daring enough to), you might be able to salvage some good seedlings or at the very least manure.

Create your own compost heap - it makes for good, free fertilizer. You might be able to find free mulch and wood clippings from your area authorities. Whatever you do though, do not steal! Hefty fines are charged in most botanical gardens for the wise guys who try to pinch some items for their gardens.

Buy during off-peak seasons

Most people begin buying their gardening products just as spring begins. If you were to buy them slightly before, you would get really great bargains! Just make sure you do not buy your seedlings too far from planting season, you do not want your plants to die before you have a chance to plant them.

Gardening tools also tend to be much cheaper during the off-peaks as there is minimal demand for them. Take advantage of these seasons to do your garden shopping.

Buy in bulk

Buy all your gardening materials in bulk for great savings. Since you are still going to need all the plants, fertilizers and equipment that you can get, why not save some money by buying them all at once instead of one at a time? You are sure to get discounts that way.

Check through each individual plant when buying bundles to make sure it is healthy. However, do not be too particular. If the plant has a few spots but is otherwise healthy, just buy it, you should be able to nurse it back to health. Make sure you point out any defect to the seller; such plants should obviously be sold to you at a much lower cost. Do not buy plants with yellowing stalks, which appear to be withering, since that would be a waste of your money.

Do-it-yourself

Whatever is within your power to do in your garden, do it. Most manual gardening work is simple enough and can be done by any amateur who is willing to do it. Preparing the ground for planting for example, may be sweaty, dirty work, but if you adopt a positive attitude towards it then it should not be so bad.

Involve your family if possible and let it be a fun activity you do together. The younger children will love a chance to play with dirt (just make sure they do not eat it!) and you all will love the feeling of accomplishment that will come when you see your garden blooming before your eyes.

Buy native plants

Not only will native plants be much cheaper than imported ones, they also will thrive better, after all, they are in their natural habitat. Some imports may actually harm the ecological balance of the area, but native plants never would. Do your research to discover which plants are indigenous to your area and where you can find them.

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Create your own unique pieces

If you cannot afford an over-the-top fountain in your garden, do not despair, some pieces you can make by yourself will add sparkle to your garden.? Get some tin cans and punch holes into them in unique patterns. Hang them up at night with candles within them to create the ultimate garden lighting experience.

Here's another idea: get some tiles in different styles and colors and create a unique mosaic walkway. Create a birdbath with some simple tools and watch as the birds come and create your garden into a true paradise.

The author, Cameron Stew, is a home improvement blogger and shares home improvement tips through his guest posts. He promotoes green technologies, like solar power, to encourage lower carbon footprints.

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Source: http://www.tabletopfountainblog.com/6-tips-creating-beautiful-affordable-garden/

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Laight Loft by Inc Architecture and Design | HomeDSGN, a daily ...

New York-based architectural firm Inc Architecture and Design have created the Laight Loft.

Completed in 2006, this 4,000 square foot contemporary apartment is located in New York City, USA.

Laight Loft by Inc Architecture and Design:

?Designed in 2006, with a construction cost of $2,200,000, as a pied-a-Terre for European gentleman who makes New York his home only in the fall. A place for both work and the entertaining of friends and family, the residence was developed with a private suite, an entertainment area and two bedrooms for frequent guests. The project is a study in architecturally defined spaces verses architecturally distinct objects. An ambiguity or tension is invoked as one travels through the plan between rooms that are discernable as objects from one perspective only to collapse into complex and surprising spaces from another point of view. With a restrained but rich palette of limestone, Saepele mahogany, gold leaf, white marble, bronze and stainless steel, the 4000 square foot, home was developed as a clean, light filled canvas or back drop for furniture and antiques collected from throughout the world.?

Photos courtesy of Inc Architecture and Design

Source: http://www.homedsgn.com/2012/08/01/laight-loft-by-inc-architecture-and-design/

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