Smith leads Louisville to 77-69 victory over Ducks

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts after his team's 77-69 win over Oregon in a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is Oregon's E.J. Singler (25). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts after his team's 77-69 win over Oregon in a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is Oregon's E.J. Singler (25). (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville players react on the bench as they watch the end of a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Louisville guard Russ Smith (2) reacts during the second half of a regional semifinal against Oregon in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oregon forward Carlos Emory holds his head down as he is benched during the second half of a regional semifinal against Louisville in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. At left is center Waverly Austin (20). Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Oregon forward E.J. Singler passes the ball around Louisville center Gorgui Dieng (10) during the second half of a regional semifinal in the NCAA college basketball tournament, Friday, March 29, 2013, in Indianapolis. Louisville won 77-69. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) ? Louisville coach Rick Pitino is baffled by Russ Smith.

Not by the star guard himself, who is managing to outdo himself each time he steps on the court. No, Pitino doesn't understand why the rest of the country isn't as impressed with Smith as he ? and every opponent who's faced him ? is.

"I look at (player of the year) lists, and I don't see Russ Smith. I don't see him on the All-America teams," Pitino said. "I'm baffled, just baffled, because it wasn't like he was a Johnny-come-lately. He carried us on his back to a Final Four last year."

And he's one game from doing it again.

With Louisville having a rare off night, Smith lifted the Cardinals to a 77-69 victory over Oregon on Friday that put them in the Midwest Region finals. He matched his career high of 31 points, including seven during what would wind up being the game's decisive run.

Smith is averaging 27 points through the first three games of the tournament.

"Russ Smith is a talented young man," Oregon coach Dana Altman said. "When he got going, we didn't have an answer."

Louisville (32-5) plays Duke on Sunday, the first time Pitino and Mike Krzyzewski have met in a regional final since Christian Laettner's shot in 1992.

The 12th-seeded Ducks managed to make a game of it, though, which is more than most of Louisville's recent opponents can say.

After Louisville went up 66-48 with 9:01 left, Oregon made six straight field goals to close to 70-64. But Kevin Ware scored on a layup and Chane Behanan threw down a monstrous dunk to put the game out of reach.

Ware finished with 11, topping his previous career best by one, and Gorgui Dieng had 10 points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots.

E.J. Singler's 15 points led five Ducks in double figures. But Damyean Dotson had an off night, held without a field goal until five minutes were gone in the second half, and Oregon could never recover from its poor start.

Early foul trouble didn't help, with Johnathan Loyd picking up his third before halftime and Dominic Artis and Carlos Emory playing the last six minutes of the half with two.

"If it wasn't for the beginning, it would have been a completely different game," Loyd said. "We just came out, we weren't ready and we got smacked. If we were playing the way were playing in the second half the whole game, it's a completely different story."

The Cardinals were barely tested in either of their first two games in the NCAA tournament, beating North Carolina A&T by 31 and Colorado State by 26. They set an NCAA tournament record with 20 steals against A&T, outrebounded one of the country's best rebounding teams in Colorado State and left both teams with ugly shooting lines.

But a hacking cough that Smith has had the last few days is making its way around the Louisville team, and it was clear from the start this wasn't going to be another juggernaut performance by the Cardinals.

Peyton Siva spent the last 15:19 of the first half on the bench after picking up his second foul, and Louisville wasn't nearly as stingy on defense as it's been. The Cardinals (13) actually had more turnovers than the Ducks (12), and Oregon is only the third team to shoot 44 percent or better during Louisville's winning streak.

Thanks to Smith, however, the Cardinals finished like they always do lately: with a win.

After Siva went out, Smith hit a 3 to spark a 14-3 run that put Louisville up 24-8. When he capped the spurt with a layup, it was Russ Smith 9, Oregon 8.

"We really dug ourselves a big hole," Singler said. "We tried to figure back as much as possible, but Louisville's a really, really good team. They just played better than us today."

But the Ducks aren't a team that gives in.

After losing six of their last 11 regular-season games, the Ducks have been on a tear. They won the Pac-12 tournament, then upset Oklahoma State and Saint Louis last weekend.

They went on a 16-4 run that cut Louisville's lead to six points, the smallest it had been since the opening minutes of the game.

"We watched film and seen how they run, and we kind of figured out that would happen," Chane Behanan said.

Instead of panicking, the Cardinals regrouped and regained control. After Ware and Behanan's baskets, Smith shot 3-of-4 from the line to seal the win.

"Coach has been telling me to fight through (his cold), fight through it, dig in. My teammates as well," Smith said. "We're fighting through it and just doing whatever we can to get a win."

Associated Press

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Bonus Quote of the Day (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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US consumer spending, income jump in February

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, a clerk poses for a photo showing cash in the register at Vidler's 5 & 10 store in East Aurora, N.Y. U.S. consumers earned more and spent more in February, helped by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes, according to the Commerce Department, Friday, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, a clerk poses for a photo showing cash in the register at Vidler's 5 & 10 store in East Aurora, N.Y. U.S. consumers earned more and spent more in February, helped by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes, according to the Commerce Department, Friday, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

In this Monday, Feb. 25, 2013 photo, a customer counts her change after a purchase at Lodge's store in Albany N.Y. U.S. consumers earned more and spent more in February, helped by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes, according to the Commerce Department, Friday, March 29, 2013. (AP Photo/David Duprey)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. consumers stepped up spending in February after their income jumped, aided by a stronger job market that offset some of the drag from higher taxes. The gains led economists to predict stronger economic growth at the start of the year.

Consumer spending rose 0.7 percent in February from January, the Commerce Department said Friday. It was the biggest gain in five months and followed a revised 0.4 percent rise in January, which was double the initial estimate.

Americans were able to spend more because their income rose 1.1 percent last month. That followed huge swings in the previous two months, which reflected a rush to pay bonuses and dividends in December before taxes increased.

After-tax income also increased 1.1 percent last month, allowing consumers to put a little more away. The saving rate increased to 2.6 percent of after-tax income, up from 2.2 percent in January.

The gains in spending and income follow other signs of an economy gathering momentum. Hiring is up, businesses are spending more, the stock market is hitting record levels and the housing recovery is strengthening.

More spending by consumers should boost economic growth in the January-March quarter after a lull at the end of last year. Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of economic activity.

After seeing Friday's report on consumer spending, Paul Ashworth, chief U.S. economist at Capital Economics, raised his growth forecast for the first quarter by a full percentage point. Ashworth now expects growth in the January-march quarter increase to an annual rate of 3 percent.

Growth at that pace would be a vast improvement from the 0.4 percent rate in the October-December quarter, which was held back by slower company stockpiling and the sharpest defense cuts in 40 years.

Ashworth called the boost in spending "impressive," noting that consumers spent more while having to adjust to the higher Social Security taxes and a spike in gasoline prices.

"We're now likely to see the fastest quarterly gain in real consumption in two years," he said.

Jennifer Lee, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets, said the increases suggest consumer spending could be growing in the first quarter at an annual rate of more than 3 percent. That would be the fastest gain in more than three years and more than double the 1.3 percent rate in the fourth quarter.

Inflation, as measured by a gauge tied to consumer spending, increased 1.3 percent in February compared with a year ago. That's well below the Federal Reserve's 2 percent target, giving the central bank room to keep stimulating the economy without having to worry about price pressures.

Consumers spent more at the start of the year even after paying higher taxes. An increase in Social Security taxes has reduced take-home pay for nearly all Americans receiving a paycheck. And income taxes have risen on the highest earners. The tax increases both took effect on Jan. 1.

One reason the tax increases haven't slowed the economy is companies have accelerated hiring and are slowly but steadily increasing wages.

Employers have added an average of 200,000 jobs a month since November. That helped lowered the unemployment rate in February to a four-year low of 7.7 percent. Economists expect similar strong job gains in March.

Businesses are also investing more in equipment and machinery, which has given factories a lift after a disappointing 2012.

And the housing recovery that began last year appears to be sustainable. In February, sales of previously occupied homes rose to the highest level in more than three years. The gains have helped lift home prices, which have made Americans feel wealthier.

Stock prices have also surged. On Thursday, the Standard & Poor's 500 index closed at a record high of 1,569. That surpassed the previous record of 1,565 set in October 2007, a year before the peak of the financial crisis.

Three weeks ago, the Dow Jones industrial average beat its 2007 record.

Markets are closed Friday for the Good Friday holiday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-03-29-Consumer%20Spending/id-4a99a70b115246678812fb4e47dea6f5

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Action Launcher Pro version 1.5 puts Android widgets just a swipe away (video)

Android launchers cross our desks every so often but only a handful catch our eye. Action Launcher Pro is the latest to strike our fancy thanks to its quick and compact widget solution dubbed Shutters. With the freshly added feature, users can open up widgets by simply giving app icons a vertical swipe. Version 1.5 also packs a number of improvements, including support for 10-inch tablets and increased stability. Devices running Android 4.0.3 or newer will be able to take the launcher for a spin, but Shutters is a Jelly Bean-only affair thanks to API limitations. Head past the break to catch the software in action, or click the second source link to pick it up for $3.99.

Filed under: Mobile, Google

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Source: Action Launcher Pro (1, Google+), (2, Google Play), Action Launcher Release Notes, Chris Lacy (YouTube)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/dsvNspjDVeM/

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Proximity to coal-tar-sealed pavement raises risk of cancer, study finds

Mar. 28, 2013 ? People living near asphalt pavement sealed with coal tar have an elevated risk of cancer, according to a study in the journal Environmental Science and Technology. Much of this calculated excess risk results from exposures in children, age six or younger, to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the sealant.

"The increased cancer risk associated with coal-tar-sealed asphalt (CSA) likely affects a large number of people in the U.S. Our results indicate that the presence of coal-tar-based pavement sealants is associated with significant increases in estimated excess lifetime cancer risk for nearby residents," said E. Spencer Williams, Ph.D., principal author of the study and Baylor University assistant research scientist at the Center for Reservoir and Aquatic Systems Research in Baylor's College of Arts & Sciences.

Researchers from Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and the in Austin, Texas, are the first to report on the potential human health effects of PAHs in settled house dust and soil in living spaces and soil adjacent to parking lots sealed with coal-tar-based products.

"Exposure to these compounds in settled house dust is a particularly important source of risk for children younger than six years of age, as they are expected to ingest this material at higher rates," Williams said. "This indicates that the use of coal-tar-based pavement sealants magnifies aggregate exposures to PAHs in children and adults in residences adjacent to where these products are used and is associated with human health risks in excess of widely accepted standards."

Data on PAHs in settled house dust used for this analysis were published previously by the same authors. In that study, settled house dust and parking lot dust were sampled for 23 ground-floor apartments in Austin, Texas. The parking lot surfaces adjacent to the apartments were coal-tar-sealed asphalt, asphalt-based sealant over asphalt pavement, or unsealed concrete. Concentrations of PAHs were 25 times higher in house dust in residences adjacent to coal-tar-sealed pavement compared to those with other pavement types. "This study was the first to find a strong association between a product or a behavior and PAHs in house dust," said Barbara Mahler, the USGS research hydrologist who oversaw the study.

For this study, doses and risk associated with residences adjacent to unsealed asphalt lots were considered relative to those adjacent to (CSA) parking lots. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations in CSA-affected settled house dust were high relative to those reported in most parts of the U.S. where coal-tar-based sealcoat is not used (California and Arizona). Data for PAHs in coal-tar-sealed asphalt-affected soils and unsealed asphalt-affected soils are available from samples from New Hampshire and suburban Chicago.

The analysis did not consider exposure to the dust on the pavement itself, which has PAH concentrations 10s to 100s of times higher than those in house dust or soil, or inhalation of air over sealed pavement. "Over time, about half of the PAHs in the sealcoat are released into the air, and concentrations in air are extremely high, particularly in the hours to days after application," said Peter Van Metre, USGS research hydrologist and author of two papers on volatilization of PAHs from sealcoat.

Sealcoat is a black, shiny substance sprayed or painted on the asphalt pavement of parking lots, driveways, and playgrounds to improve appearance and protect the underlying asphalt. An estimated 85 million gallons of coal-tar-based sealant are applied to pavement each year, primarily east of the Continental Divide in the U.S. and parts of Canada. Coal-tar-based pavement sealants are 15 to 35 percent coal-tar pitch, which has been classified as a human carcinogen by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Over time, the dried sealant is worn away from pavement surfaces, and the resulting mobile dust particles can be transported into nearby homes.

"Although the analysis presented here is based on a limited dataset, the results indicate that biomonitoring might be warranted to characterize the exposure of children and adults to PAHs associated with coal-tar-based pavement sealant," Williams said. "Further investigation is also needed into the impacts of coal-tar-based pavement sealants on PAH concentrations in indoor and outdoor environments."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Baylor University.

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Journal Reference:

1. E. Spencer Williams, Barbara J. Mahler, Peter C. Van Metre. Cancer Risk from Incidental Ingestion Exposures to PAHs Associated with Coal-Tar-Sealed Pavement. Environmental Science & Technology, 2013; 47 (2): 1101 DOI: 10.1021/es303371t

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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/fZe2BuEECVo/130328125236.htm

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Social Media Marketing: The Benefits | Internet Billboards

When I?m speaking to a less than socially savvy audience, I can count on some variation on this question: So, what?s the point?

While those of us who dig deep into the trenches of social business and social media marketing can readily wax poetic on the bounty and splendor of social, the same can?t be said for many a small business owner.

Being told they MUST be online and MUST be engaging in social media marketing isn?t enough. Smart consumers want to know the hows and whys before they slap down those hard earned dollars. ?I can?t say that I blame them.

Sara Nickleberry?s article not only spells out the benefits, it also succinctly details the change in ?research? that social has brought to those of us looking into buying a product or service.

Often when I am interested in a company or researching a product, I immediately look for their online presence for information. I also like to see how they are interacting online. The truth is, you want to be where your customers or clients are. And guess what? They?re on social media.

The benefits are many if social media marketing is implemented in such a way that you are present and well represented where your potential clients are looking.

Read More & Realize the Benefits:?Social Media Marketing Benefits

Content Curator Mallie Hart

A social media and graphic design enthusiast, she refuses to call herself an expert, Mallie Hart has worked with companies large and small, helping them create social media campaigns from the ground up. Not much makes Mallie happier than sitting down at the computer, cup of coffee ? light and sweet ? in hand, with multiple windows displaying Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, WordPress dashboards, analytics and tracking pages and more.

Source: http://www.internetbillboards.net/2013/03/social-media-so-whats-the-point/

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HIV test urged for 7,000 Oklahoma dental patients (Providence Journal)

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North Korea says it has cut last military hotline

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) ? Raising tensions with South Korea yet again, North Korea cut its last military hotline with Seoul on Wednesday, a link that has been essential in operating the last major symbol of inter-Korean cooperation: an industrial complex in the North that employs hundreds of workers from the South.

There was no immediate word about what cutting one of the few remaining official North-South links would mean for South Korean workers who were at the Kaesong industrial complex. When the link was last cut, in 2009, many South Koreans were stranded in the North.

The hotline shutdown is the latest of many threats and provocative actions from North Korea, which is angry over U.S.-South Korean military drills and recent U.N. sanctions punishing it for its Feb. 12 nuclear test. In a statement announcing the shutdown, the North repeated its claim that war may break out any moment.

Outside North Korea, Pyongyang's actions are seen in part as an effort to spur dormant diplomatic talks to wrest outside aid, and to strengthen internal loyalty to young leader Kim Jong Un and build up his military credentials.

South Korean officials said that about 750 South Koreans were in Kaesong on Wednesday, and that the two Koreas had normal communications earlier in the day over the hotline when South Korean workers traveled back and forth to the factory park as scheduled. The hotline is used by the two countries' militaries to arrange border crossings by the workers.

Workers at Kaesong could also be contacted directly by phone from South Korea on Wednesday.

A South Korean worker for Pyxis, a company that produces jewelry cases at Kaesong, said in a phone interview that he was worried about a possible delay in production if cross-border travel is banned again.

"That would make it hard for us to bring in materials and ship out new products," said the worker, who wouldn't provide his name because of company rules.

The worker, who has been in Kaesong since Monday, said he wasn't scared.

"It's all right. I've worked and lived with tension here for eight years now. I'm used to it," he said.

Pyongyang's action was announced in a message that North Korea's chief delegate to inter-Korean military talks sent to his South Korean counterpart.

Seoul's Unification Ministry called the move an "unhelpful measure for the safe operation of the Kaesong complex."

North Korea recently cut a Red Cross hotline with South Korea and another with the U.S.-led U.N. command at the border between the Koreas. The Unification Ministry said only three telephone hotlines remain between the North and South, and those are used only for exchanging information about air traffic.

Kaesong is operated in North Korea with South Korean money and know-how and a mostly North Korean work force. It provides badly needed hard currency in North Korea, where many face food shortages.

Other examples of joint inter-Korean cooperation have come and gone. The recently ended five-year tenure of hard-line South Korean President Lee Myung-bak saw North-South relations plunge. Lee ended an essentially no-strings-attached aid policy to the North.

North Korea last cut the Kaesong line in 2009, as a protest of that year's South Korean-U.S. military drills. North Korea refused several times to let South Korean workers commute to and from their jobs, leaving hundreds stranded in North Korea. The country restored the hotline and reopened the border crossing more than a week later, after the drills were over.

Shinwon Group, a South Korean apparel maker with a factory at Kaesong, said it would call its workers on Thursday morning to check on them. Shinwon's South Korean employees stay in Kaesong for two weeks before returning to Seoul. Workers at Kaesong talked by phone with the Seoul office Wednesday morning, but there was nothing unusual about the call, said spokesman Lee Eun-suk.

Lee said that the last time the phone line was cut off between Kaesong and Seoul, it was "inconvenient" but did not affect business.

North Korea's actions have been accompanied by threatening rhetoric, including a vow to launch a nuclear strike against the United States and a repeat of its nearly two-decade-old threat to reduce Seoul to a "sea of fire." Outside weapons analysts, however, have seen no proof that the country has mastered the technology needed to build a nuclear warhead small enough to mount on a missile.

In a sign of heightened anxiety, Seoul briefly bolstered its anti-infiltration defense posture after a South Korean border guard hurled a hand grenade and opened fire at a moving object several hours before sunrise Wednesday. South Korean troops later searched the area but found no signs of infiltration, and officials believe the guard may have seen a wild animal, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.

___

AP writers Sam Kim and Youkyung Lee contributed to this report from Seoul.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/north-korea-says-cut-last-military-hotline-135040561.html

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Is quantum computing the next big thing? -- Washington Technology

Is quantum computing the next big thing?

The New York Times reported last week that Lockheed Martin was investing in quantum computing, and would be the first company to use quantum computers commercially.

The company acquired a quantum computer from D-Wave Systems, a Canadian company, in 2011. The New York Times quoted Ray Johnson, Lockheed's?chief technology officer,?as saying that Lockheed would use quantum computing to create and test complex radar, space and aircraft systems.

?This is a revolution not unlike the early days of computing,? he told the Times. ?It is a transformation in the way computers are thought about.?

There is still a lot of skepticism around quantum computing, but its potential power is alluring. Because quantum computers use quantum properties to represent data, instead of the?ones and zeros of digital computers, they are capable of extraordinary speed and power.

I don?t doubt Lockheed?s serious about quantum computing. When I asked Linda Gooden, who is retiring this spring as executive vice president of Lockheed?s Information Systems and Global Solutions group, what are the great technology opportunities going forward, she named quantum.

?We are looking at that because cyber and big data analytics are going to be driven to a level that quantum computing will be necessary,? she said. ?We want to be ready to start adapting to those technologies.?

She also mentioned something that the New York Times article didn?t have in its story: Lockheed and the University of Southern California created a quantum computer center at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering in 2011. That center is using the D-Wave computer.

The center is focused on something called adiabatic quantum computing, ?in which problems are encoded into the lowest energy (?coldest?) state of a physical quantum system,? according to the center?s website.

Frankly, I have no idea what that means, but some of the research is looking at problems such as machine learning, image classification, software verification, anomaly detection and neural networks. Some areas that could see breakthroughs because of quantum computing include aerospace, medical imagining, robotics, finance, web search and bioinformatics.

In an undated Q&A, Daniel Lidar, the director of the center, offers some interesting insights about the power of the D-Wave computer, including the advantage of having a commerical entity pushing its development.

Lockheed isn?t the only company?trying to commercialize quantum computing. IBM, Hewlett-Packard and Microsoft all are very active. Microsoft, in fact, has been investing since at least 2005 in university research.

The CIA also is interested in quantum computing, and its In-Q-Tel private equity firm is part of a group that made a $30 million investment in D-Wave last year.

In-Q-Tel?s investment in D-Wave is just a first step, the company quoted Robert Ames, In-Q-Tel?s vice president in charge of information and communication technologies as saying.

?Our intelligence community customers have many complex problems that tax classical computing architecture,? Ames said. ?We believe our customers can benefit from the promise of quantum computing.?

So, it?s the next big thing, but still maybe years away. Either way, it looks like I might need to brush up on what is a qubit or a quantum superposition. At the very least, I think I?ll follow the money.

Posted by Nick Wakeman on Mar 26, 2013 at 9:09 AM

Source: http://washingtontechnology.com/blogs/editors-notebook/2013/03/quantum-computing-next-big-thing.aspx

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Early Learning for Babies and Toddlers

Posted: Tue 4:34 AM, Mar 26, 2013

Updated: Tue 10:30 AM, Mar 26, 2013

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Early education and intervention specialists say just talking to your child will help stimulate their brain's ability to think and problem solve. With that, studies show they'll be less likely to develop a childhood learning disability.

"They may not pay attention or understand, but they are learning," said mom, SheRae Hunter.

That's why she and her husband, Kyle, have been reading books and stories to their now 16-month-old son, Zecharaiah, every day since he was born.

"It does help their mind develop, it does help their speech and vocabulary develop," said SheRae Hunter.

"I think that we weren't even thinking too much about the learning disabilities, we were just trying to help him develop and thought it was a good thing to do," said Kyle Hunter.

And reading to your child is one of the best things to do.

"Read to your child," said Infant and Toddler Connection local system manager, Sharlene Stowers. "Read to your baby, even when they're teeny, tiny, read to them. Point out pictures in the books."

That's exactly what the Hunter family does. They say Zecharaiah surprises them with new things he learns every day.

"Learning to go up a step or learning to open something he's never opened before," said SheRae Hunter.

The Hunters spend nearly five hours a day playing, reading and spending one-on-one time with their son. Studies show that interacting with them on their level also helps them learn.

"One of the things that we do is to try to teach parents that they can use their regular daily activities and turn them into a fun, educational, playful experience for their child without having to do anything special," said Stowers.

That can be anything from folding laundry to cooking dinner.

"Certainly you're never going to be able to do it 100%, but just to be aware," said Stowers.

Another thing the Infant and Toddler Connection of Shenandoah Valley suggests parents be aware of is when their TV is on. They say kids under two-years shouldn't watch any TV because the screen isn't healthy for brain development. They also advice parents to be cautious of learning programs that are marketed for babies.

"Things like Baby Einstein and 'Your Baby Can Read' and those products, actually they do not help language development. They actually can also decrease language development in your child because a child's brain is wired to listen to a normal, natural voice. So they perceive things differently when it's an automated, electronic voice," said Stowers.

The Federal Trade Commission filed false advertising charges against the marketers of "Your Baby Can Read." Last July, the company announced they were going out of business.

? Copyright 2013 TV3 Winchester / Gray Television Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://www.tv3winchester.com/home/headlines/Early-Learning-for-Babies-and-Toddlers-199988721.html

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Coyote Shivers, Pauley Perrette Ex-Husband, Says NCIS Star of Framed Him, Boned Pizza Guy

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/coyote-shivers-pauley-perrette-ex-husband-accuses-ncis-star-of-f/

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Tus ojos son dos luceros que alumbran en ultramar, quisiera ser marinero, para romperte el orto.

Pro-life? That's a lie. You don't care if women die.

Name's Janisse. 21 years old. Puerto Rican. Single. Bisexual. Forensic Pshycology student. Atheist. Gamer. Pro-choice. Liberal. Skeptic. Sex positive.

I reblog funny/random things and fandoms. I also post about social injustices, politics, news about women, abortion rights, racism in America and atheism stuff. I *try* to educate people and raise awareness.

Source: http://atea-y-feminista.tumblr.com/post/46187574411

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Suggestions To Stay Away From Paid Out Study Companies Scams ...

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Be truthful and give thorough data about oneself and your everyday living model so that you can be paid out for your completed study. Details you get can be converted into present cards or funds. If surveys are new, it pays more consequently you have the excellent opportunity to make far more than other individuals will have within a week from this web site. In this enjoyable marketplace, study takers are vital in get to do marketplace groundwork on supplements. If you need to have a legit function at house web page you can pick into them to join .

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Source: http://dost2web.com/blog/306/suggestions-to-stay-away-from-paid-out-study-companies-scams/

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2013 NFL Draft: Ryan Nassib the best quarterback in this class?

NFL Films senior producer Greg Cosell believes Nassib is the best quarterback in this draft class.

We know that the Arizona Cardinals are in dire need of an upgrade at the quarterback position. They brought in Drew Stanton to possibly take over the reins for the starting job and Brian Hoyer could become a more than serviceable backup. With that, it seems highly unlikely that the Cards take a QB in the first round of the draft at 7th overall.

If they were to take someone, it would probably be Geno Smith from West Virginia. Most draft pundits agree that he is the top QB in an otherwise paltry quarterback class. But Greg Cosell of NFL Films would disagree. He believes Ryan Nassib from Syracuse projects to be the best signal caller.

Per NFL.com:

"My No. 1 quarterback based on the film study I've done is (Syracuse's) Ryan Nassib. I like him overall more than Geno Smith," Cosell said Thursday on NFL Network's "Path to the Draft." "I think he's a much more precise intermediate thrower. I think the ball comes out with a little bit better velocity at the intermediate level. And I think he's a little more accurate. And I like his footwork a little bit better.

"No one here is at the (Andrew) Luck, RG3 level. Maybe not even the (Ryan) Tannehill level. At the end of the day, Nassib, at this point, would be the guy I like the most."

This is an interesting stance from Cosell, an opinion that I take seriously. Despite his thoughts, however, it seems unlikely that Nassib gets taken in the first round, let alone at 7th overall by the Cards.

If Nassib is available when the Cardinals are selecting at 38th overall in the second round, then it will be intriguing to see what happens. I don't necessarily see him as a fit in Bruce Arians' offense, but I could be wrong.

What do you think? Is Nassib the top signal caller in this class? Or is it Geno Smith? Would you like the Cards to take a chance on Nassib? Tell us in the comments section below.

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Source: http://www.revengeofthebirds.com/2013/3/24/4141640/2013-nfl-draft-ryan-nassib-the-best-quarterback-in-this-class

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Strange as it sounds, Heat want to get better

MIAMI (AP) ? The Miami Heat have won 25 straight games, turned what was a super-close Eastern Conference race into a runaway and seem to be finding different ways to prevail on a nightly basis.

And no, they are not particularly thrilled with themselves right now.

From the Heat perspective, it's almost like they are simultaneously slumping and streaking after facing double-digit deficits in three consecutive games, yet finding ways to win them all, much like each of the 22 games that preceded this week.

"I'm taking the world view, that we have room to improve," forward Shane Battier said. "By no stretch of the imagination are we playing our best basketball right now. We're winning ball games, but we have a lot of room for improvement. We have not started well the last couple games and our defensive focus has not been there. It's been there in the second half and when we need it, but we need to do it more consistently."

Even as they move closer to the NBA-record winning streak of 33 straight established by the Los Angeles Lakers in 1971-72, the bigger concern in the Heat locker room is that they are nowhere near a playoff gear with just 14 games remaining before the postseason arrives. They've trailed after five of their past six opening quarters, been losing at halftime in three straight outings and have been outshot in three of their last six contests.

The next opportunity to fix some of those issues comes Sunday at home against Charlotte (16-52) ? a team that has won two straight, yet is a mere 38 games behind the Heat (54-14) in the East standings.

"It's on the radar, no question about it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. "We need to put together complete games. That's three games in a row where we haven't gotten off to that energetic start that we're looking for. We'll have an opportunity to get back to it on Sunday. No excuses. We're not making excuses for ourselves, the schedule or anything. Just more consistency."

The latest close call wasn't exactly all that close. Miami trailed Detroit by 11 points on Friday night, before clamping down in the second half and pulling away for a 103-89 win, with LeBron James finishing with 29 points, eight assists and eight rebounds.

"We never expect anything to be easy," James said.

But the 17-point deficit at Boston (and a separate 13-point hole in the fourth quarter) that was followed by the 27-point lead Cleveland held over the Heat in a most bizarre game on Wednesday may be perceived as some warning signs, and the Heat freely acknowledge they have to be addressed.

At the same time, though, to say the reigning NBA champions are nervous about where they are right now would be a gross exaggeration.

"Everybody wants us to win by 30 every night," guard Dwyane Wade said. "Sorry, guys. It's not possible."

Wade said he has seen mentions on his Twitter timeline lately from fans who aren't exactly pleased with the close calls, with one mention saying that the Heat are causing heart attacks.

He doesn't see the in-game lulls as causes of angst. He sees them as fun.

"I think it's great for the game," Wade said. "Keep people entertaining, keep people watching, keep people in the stadium for most of the game. ... For us, it doesn't matter if we're up or down. We play games within games. We go on runs at different times. We have a lot of confidence. We don't do it on purpose, but we have a lot of confidence in our team and we can go on runs very fast."

That's been proven.

Erasing the 13-point Boston lead in the final 8 minutes on Monday, a 45-12 run over a 12-minute stretch in Cleveland on Wednesday, a 19-8 start in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter to pull away from the Pistons for good on Friday, those are just the latest examples of what Wade says is the Heat calling card.

In Spoelstra's eyes, it's helping the playoff-readiness process.

"Teams are coming at us. That's a good thing," Spoelstra said. "We can't sleepwalk into a game. We have to bring it, we have to play well at both ends, we have to dig, we have to earn wins and we're playing against our opponents' best games. That only helps. That sharpens you. The more you get tested in this league, the better you get, as long as you handle it the right way."

If the Heat beat Charlotte, the win streak goes to 26. And then yet another road test ? the latest big challenge in a month where the Heat play a schedule loaded with 18 games and almost no practices ? awaits, with games every other night starting Monday at Orlando, Chicago, New Orleans and San Antonio.

"I enjoy going on the road and hearing fans say, 'You guys suck,'" Wade said. "Really? We're not too bad. When the playoffs start, we're going to have to buckle down and it becomes a new season. But right now, in this season, man, we're enjoying it."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/strange-sounds-heat-want-better-160401321--spt.html

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PFT: Giants offer Cruz $7 million-plus per year

AP

From the day they met on a recruiting visit to LSU, Tyrann Mathieu looked up to? Patrick Peterson.

That?s why he was too ashamed to call Peterson when a drug arrest ended his college career (he texted), and that?s why he sought out the Cardinals cornerback to get ready for his own pro career.

Josh Weinfuss of the Cardinals? official website took a long look at the bond between the two players, and specifically the work Peterson?s done with Mathieu to prepare him for the Draft.

Shortly after the end of the Cardinals? season Mathieu moved into Peterson?s home in Arizona to work out with a group of professional players. But Peterson had one message for the player who let so many people at LSU down.

?There?s nothing more I can teach him about being a football player,? Peterson said. ?It?s about teaching him to be a young professional.

?Just making sure he understands he has one more strike. Just being more intelligent, being a smarter man, understand the situations, understand your surroundings around you, just being on top of your game that much more than you were prior to your situation, meaning getting kicked off the football team.?

For Mathieu, who hadn?t been around a team in months, the offseason preparation was valuable to get ready for the Combine, with Peterson hounding him on issues of technique, but also the scrutiny he?d get from teams and the media when he got to Indianapolis.

?I was sort of out of that mold, being around a team, practicing, going hard every day, sticking to a structured schedule,? Mathieu said. ?I had to get back in shape mentally.?

But through it all, Peterson stayed on him, trying to cultivate the promise Mathieu once showed on the field at LSU.

?It wasn?t no vacation for him,? Peterson said. ?We were really getting after it.?

Mathieu once dreamed of following in Peterson?s footsteps during his college career. Now if he has an NFL career, it will be because Peterson helped put him back on the right path.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/23/report-giants-offer-cruz-more-than-7-million-per-year/related/

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Daughter No. 3 for 'Lost' star Harold Perrineau

Getty Images file

Brittany and Harold Perrineau.

By Us Weekly

Behind every good man is a great woman -- or, in Harold Perrineau's case, a great woman and three great girls. The "Lost" star and his wife, Brittany, welcomed their third child, a daughter, on Thursday, March 21, the actor's rep confirmed to Us Weekly.

PHOTOS: Famous dads and daughters

Holiday Grace Perrineau was born at 2:54 a.m. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 5 ounces, and measured 21 inches long at the time of her birth, the rep tells Us.

PHOTOS: Hollywood's cutest kids

This is the third child -- and the third girl -- for Perrineau, 49, and Brittany, 37. The couple are already parents to daughters Aurora, 18, and Wynter Aria, 4.

PHOTOS: 2012's babies of the year

Perrineau rose to fame playing Augustus Hill on the HBO drama "Oz" and, later, as Michael Dawson on "Lost." More recently, he appeared in the Oscar-nominated film "Zero Dark Thirty" and on season five of the FX series "Sons of Anarchy." His wife is a former model who had a small role as a love interest for Sawyer (Josh Holloway) on "Lost."

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/03/22/17413888-lost-star-harold-perrineau-and-wife-brittany-welcome-third-daughter?lite

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Cyprus passes bills for EU bailout; Greece to take over bank branches

Louisa Gouliamaki / AFP - Getty Images

Greek leftists demonstrate on Mar. 22, 2013 in Athens in support of Cypriots with a banner, reading: "common struggle of the people of Greece and Cyprus against the governments, memorandum, euro and EU

By Kari Huus, Staff writer, NBC News

Lawmakers in Cyprus approved three bills late Friday aimed at securing a bailout for its troubled banks from the European Union and averting a financial meltdown.

The legislation includes one bill that allows the government to divide the wobbling lenders into good and bad banks -- a law that would likely to be applied first to Cyprus Popular Bank. The goal is to restructure without hurting small depositors.

A second law puts in place restrictions on financial transactions in times of crisis and a third sets up a "solidarity fund."

---

The country?is expected to adopt more legislation in an effort to raise the 5.8 billion euros Cyprus needs to get an EU bailout.

Thanassis Stavrakis / AP

A man uses an ATM of Piraeus Bank in central Athens, Friday, March 22, 2013. Greece's Piraeus Bank said it has been chosen to buy two Cypriot banks' operations in Greece.

Among the other bills being brought forward is one that imposes a tax of less than 1 percent on all bank deposits, Averof Neophytou, deputy head of the governing DISY party told The Associated Press.

Earlier Friday a Greek Bank was chosen to take over the local branches of Cyprus's troubled banks in a bid to shelter Greek customers of those institutions and help Cyprus shrink its bloated banking sector.

Piraeus Bank of Greece was to take over the operations in a deal that a source close to the matter said involved the transfer of 17 billion euros of loans and 14 billion euros of deposits, Reuters reported.

The?terms of the deal were not expected to emerge until Sunday, and would need to be approved by European competition authorities, according to?Greece's bank bailout fund.

Worried the crisis could trigger panic among Greek depositors, Greek officials had been working to agree on a deal since early this week. They were forced to put the plans on hold after Cyprus voted down a proposed bank levy included in its bailout agreement.

"We have responded to the necessity of utterly safeguarding the depositors of the Cypriot banks in Greece," Piraeus Chairman Michalis Sallas said.

There was no immediate announcement about the fate of the Greek operations of Cyprus's third-biggest bank, Hellenic Bank, which are much smaller than those of the top two.

"It's unclear if the deal will include Hellenic Bank. Either way, it won't move the needle much," a Greek bank bailout fund official told Reuters.

Cypriot banks hold 8 percent of Greek banking deposits and 10 percent of loans. They have about 300 branches in Greece.

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/29e3c122/l/0Lworldnews0Bnbcnews0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C220C174189140Ecyprus0Epasses0Ebills0Efor0Eeu0Ebailout0Egreece0Eto0Etake0Eover0Ebank0Ebranches0Dlite/story01.htm

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Sony Xperia SP and Xperia L priced in the UK

Earlier this week Sony announced the Xperia SP and Xperia L -- new mid-range and entry-level phones for the European market. Today we're starting to see the first UK pricing information for these two devices from some prominent online retailers.

First up, the Xperia SP, Sony's latest mid-ranger is up for pre-order for a little over £300 -- the cheapest price at present is from Handtec, which offers the SP for £314.40 inc. VAT. That gets you a dual-core, 720p-screened device with an aluminum trim and customizable light bar, backed up by Android 4.1.2 Jelly Bean and Sony's UI. There's also an 8MP Exmor RS rear camera, as well as LTE connectivity.

If it's the Xperia L you're after, the lowest price can be had from Clove, at £234 inc. VAT. The Xperia L bears a close resemblance to Sony's Xperia Arc series, and is powered by a 1GHz dual-core CPU with 1GB of RAM and a FWVGA screen. It's also packing the same Exmor RS camera tech as its big brother.

So far none of the major UK networks have announced plans to range either new Xperia handsets, but we'll keep you posted with any future developments. Both devices are due to appear in Q2, with a late April timeframe being specified by Clove.

Source: Handtec, Clove; via: XperiaBlog

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/YGM2eTUyDRo/story01.htm

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10 things you need to know today: March 21, 2013

Obama meets with Palestinians, Congress tries to avert a shutdown, and more in our roundup of the stories that are making news and driving opinion

1. OBAMA PUSHES FOR REVIVING MIDEAST PEACE TALKS
President Obama met with Palestinian Authority leaders in the West Bank on Thursday to underscore the importance of renewing peace negotiations with Israel. Before his arrival, however, a fresh volley of rockets from the Gaza Strip served as a reminder that the Islamist Hamas faction, which controls Gaza, remains committed to Israel's destruction. On Wednesday, Obama began his first trip to Israel as president by reaffirming the "unbreakable bonds" between the U.S. and the host country. Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu projected a unified front on security issues that have caused friction between them in the past, including the need for renewed peace negotiations leading to the establishment of a Palestinian state next to Israel. [Washington Post, New York Times]
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2. BILL TO PREVENT A GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN GOES TO HOUSE
The Senate has passed a short-term spending bill to keep the government running through September. The bipartisan 73-26 vote sends the legislation to the House, which is expected to approve it on Thursday. Without a new spending package by March 27, federal programs and agencies would have run out of money and shut down. The measure keeps in place, for now, $85 billion in automatic "sequester" spending cuts. The next deadline in the ongoing battle over taxes and the budget comes up in late July or August, when Congress will have to raise the debt ceiling again. [Reuters]
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SEE MORE: Or maybe I'm wrong on gay Republicans

3. COLORADO ENACTS STRICT GUN LAWS
Colorado's Democratic governor, John Hickenlooper, signed strict new gun laws on Wednesday, requiring firearms buyers in his state to submit to background checks and banning the sale of magazines with more than 15 rounds. The move angered gun-rights advocates but won praise from groups calling for Congress to pass similar restrictions nationwide. "If legislation like this can pass in Colorado, it can happen anywhere," said Mark Glaze, the director of Mayors Against Illegal Guns in Washington, D.C. "It shows that it's entirely possible to respect the Second Amendment, and still do much more to keep guns out of the wrong hands." [Wall Street Journal]
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4. AUSTRALIA'S PRIME MINISTER SURVIVES LEADERSHIP CHALLENGE
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard on Thursday survived a challenge to her leadership position, assuring that she will lead her ruling Labor Party into Sept. 14 elections. Gillard called the leadership vote after a senior member of her party was doomed to defeat unless it replaced Gillard with her predecessor Kevin Rudd, whom Gillard pushed aside in a 2010 party coup. Gillard won, though, when Rudd conceded that he didn't have enough support and declined to run against her. Gillard's troubles aren't over, though. Her unpopular minority government is expected to lose to the conservative opposition in September. [New York Times]
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SEE MORE: Why CVS wants workers to reveal their weight

5. EUROPE PRESSURES CYPRUS ON BAILOUT
European Central Bank officials on Thursday warned Cyprus they would pull the plug on the country's banks unless it proposes an acceptable bailout plan by Monday. The eastern Mediterranean island's leaders are trying to come up with a Plan B to raise $7.5 billion toward a $13 billion bailout plan the country needs to avert a financial collapse. The Cypriot parliament, in a 0-36 vote with 19 abstentions, this week rejected a proposal to come up with the money by imposing a tax on deposits in the country's banks, with some angry lawmakers calling the idea "bank robbery." [Reuters]
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6. COLORADO POLICE SEEK PRISON OFFICIAL'S KILLER
Colorado authorities searched Wednesday for a possible witness to the Tuesday night murder of the head of the state's prison system, Tom Clements, who was gunned down as he answered the doorbell at his home. A woman was seen speedwalking in the neighborhood around the time of the shooting. Police are also looking for a "boxy" two-door sedan that was seen idling near Clement's home about 15 minutes before someone in his house called 911. Police said Clement might have been targeted due to his high-profile position. The killing came hours before the state's Democratic governor signed controversial new gun-control laws. [ABC News]
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SEE MORE: Oops: The U.S. Secret Service almost accidentally shot Iran's president

7. SOUTH KOREA TRACES CYBERATTACK TO CHINA
South Korean authorities said Thursday that a cyberattack that disrupted computer networks at banks and broadcasters originated from an IP address in China. The unidentified hackers sent malware to six organizations, causing outages on their networks Wednesday. South Korean officials said they still can't say who was responsible for the attack, only that it was routed through the address in China. An official in South Korea's presidential office, quoted by Yonhap news agency, said Seoul is leaving "all possibilities open, while bearing a strong suspicion that North Korea conducted the attack." [BBC News]
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8. FEDERAL RESERVE STANDS BY STIMULUS
Federal Reserve officials wound up a meeting on Wednesday saying they intended to continue the central bank's policy of pumping money into the economy to boost the recovery. Despite a series of encouraging economic reporters recently, the Fed's policy makers say economic growth won't pick up without some help, so they'll keep buying up bonds and keeping short-term interest rates near zero until the unemployment rate, currently 7.7 percent, falls to 6.5 percent. "We are seeing improvement," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke said. "One thing we would need is to see this is not temporary improvement." [Associated Press]
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SEE MORE: Why the NFL's new helmet rule could do more harm than good

9. MICHELLE SHOCKED SAYS SHE'S 'DAMN SORRY' FOR HOMOPHOBIC REMARKS
Folk singer Michelle Shocked has apologized for anti-gay comments that led to the cancellation of 10 of her 11 upcoming concerts across the U.S. Shocked, 51, said she was "damn sorry" for the remarks, made at a San Francisco concert on Sunday, but that they had been misunderstood. Shocked said she was trying to defend some Christians who believe that homosexuality is against God's law when she suggested that allowing gay marriage would lead to the End Times, but that she doesn't share their beliefs. "I judge not," she said. [New York Times]
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10. DEEP THROAT STAR HARRY REEMS DIES
Former porn actor Harry Reems, who starred with Linda Lovelace in the notorious 1972 film Deep Throat, has died of pancreatic cancer at age 65, one of his close friends, Don Schenk, said Wednesday. Reems was arrested in 1974 on obscenity charges, becoming a cause celebre in a case that had broader implications for artistic freedom. Despite the support of Jack Nicholson and other actors, Reems' co-star Lovelace testified against him. Reems was convicted in 1976, but the verdict was overturned the next year. In the late 1980s, he moved to Utah, won a battle with alcoholism, and launched a new career, in real estate. [Hollywood Reporter]

SEE MORE: Today in history: March 21

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-things-know-today-march-21-2013-083000301.html

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