Mexico: 50,000 Dead, but Democracy Survives

Mexicans head to the polls to elect a new president on Sunday. The election is widely seen as a referendum on current president?Felipe Calder?n?s drug policy. 50,000 people have died in drug violence since he took office. His party?s candidate is expected to lose.

The polls say Enrique Pe?a Nieto?will be the next president. Despite his slogan??T? me conoces? (?You know me?)?most Mexicans have no idea who he is. His time in the national spotlight has been short. But if the man is a mystery, his party is not. The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) ruled Mexico for 71 years?until?Calder?n?s predecessor, Vincente Fox, came to office in 2000. ?Throwing out the corrupt, authoritarian PRI,?in 2000, was a great moment for democracy in Latin America. Now it seems that Mexican voters are poised to bring the Party back,? writes?William Finnegan in the New Yorker.

Mexico has a huge problem with the drug cartels that has not?eased?under Calder?n. Calder?n?brought in the Army to fight the cartels when he took office, a policy that has done nothing to reduce the power and brutality of the cartels or?corruption in the government and police. Instead Mexico?s organized crime empire has split into ultraviolent, warring factions that prey on innocents as well as rivals, dumping the bodies of migrants in mass graves, beheading civilians, torturing enemies.

Despite this, Mexican democracy has been looking perky in the lead-up to this weekend?s election. Unhappy with the current leadership, Mexicans are poised to bring in a new administration.

Not that the vote will be by acclamation. Nieto has a two-digit lead in the polls, but he is not universally loved. In March, tens of thousands of students marched through Mexico City to protest the seemingly inevitable return of the PRI to power. But the youth protests, known as?#YoSoy132, and other movements have failed to have significant effect. As the Economist puts it,??If the PRI has managed to win its way back into Mexican hearts, that is partly a verdict on its opponents.??Calder?n?s vaunted plan to use the Army against the cartels didn?t change much and possibly created more violence, and largely because of this, his party is being chucked out of office. Meanwhile, the Mexican economy is trucking? along at an uninspiring but steady pace of about 3 percent each year, and the middle class is growing.

The international media?s coverage of Mexico tends to focus on drug violence. Much less attention is given to what doesn?t happen, but could: a military coup; the ultraviolent, ex-military Zetas cartel taking over the government by force; a complete devolution of the country into a narco-state. Violence has not engulfed the entire country. And some people point out rather dismally that the cartels have enough power to own politicians and influence policy and media coverage, or that Mexico already is a narco-state ? the 21st century equivalent of Nucky Thompson?s Boardwalk Empire.

There?s no doubt that our neighbors to the south have serious problems, some of which can be partially blamed on America?s terrible drug habits. But the support for democracy in Mexico even under difficult and frustrating circumstances is a good sign for the future, That, and the rise of a Mexican middle class, suggest that Mexico is one of the places where life just might get substantially better in the decades to come.

?

Source: http://blogs.the-american-interest.com/wrm/2012/06/29/mexico-50000-dead-but-democracy-survives/

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Video: SportsTalk: Is Tony Romo clutch?

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MobileTechWorld: Official #wp7 #Twitter app has been updated with notifications support http://t.co/nNXcoHVo

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Source: http://twitter.com/MobileTechWorld/statuses/218518738587226112

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RIM?s Q1 2013 Results: $518 Million Loss On $2.8 Billion In Revenue, BlackBerry 10 Launch Pushed To 2013

RIM has just released their Q1 2013 financials, and they?re about as bleak as the company expected. The Canadian company reported a net GAAP loss of $518 million (which breaks down to $0.99/share diluted) on revenues of $2.8 billion. To put that in a bit of perspective, RIM reported a net loss of $0.24/share diluted (or $125 million) on $4.2 billion in revenues in Q4 2012. Meanwhile, analysts expected RIM to report a net loss of $0.03/share on revenues of $3.1 billion in the days leading up to the release. The company also reported that despite their longstanding claims to the contrary, the first BlackBerry 10 smartphone isn't expected to see the light of day until the first quarter of 2013.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/dB6L42-RycA/

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mckennaconor: Wedding proposal on a smartphone? Really?

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Wall Street likes, doesn't love, Facebook

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc drew tepid assessments from Wall Street's top analysts a month after its rocky stock market debut, as warnings about an uncertain business model and a difficult transition to mobile helped send its shares down 1 percent.

In more than a dozen highly anticipated reports, Morgan Stanley and other major brokerages that handled the blockbuster IPO said it remains unclear how Facebook plans to make money from a growing number of users logging onto the No. 1 social network via smartphones and tablets.

"It says there are real questions out there about the strength of this business model, the fundamental strength of this company, together with its valuation," said Tim Ghriskey, a portfolio manager at Solaris Asset Management who follows stock analysts' research. "We're not buying right now, that's for sure."

Most analysts expected Facebook's large user base to help it corner a substantial share of the Internet advertising market. But half of the ratings released on Wednesday were "hold" or the equivalent -- despite the shares trading sharply down from their $38 IPO price.

The reports, all from banks involved in the highly anticipated but poorly executed IPO, represent Wall Street's most broad-based assessment of Facebook, the first U.S. company to debut with a market value of more than $100 billion.

The 33 banks that participated in the stock listing were required by securities regulations to wait until 40 days after the first day of trading on May 18 before publishing their views, limiting the research on Facebook until now to a handful of analysts.

"One of the things investors will have to get comfortable with is Facebook's recent revenue growth deceleration," said Scott Devitt at lead underwriter Morgan Stanley, who issued an "overweight" rating.

Devitt, who told the firm's major clients that he had cut his revenue estimates on Facebook just days before the IPO, said he expects mobile monetization to be a challenge for the next several quarters to several years.

He expects revenue to climb 31 percent in 2012, down sharply from the 88 percent growth in 2011.

Of 15 analysts' ratings initiated overnight or early on Wednesday, seven slapped top ratings -- "buy," "outperform" or "overweight" -- on the social networking company, including lead advisors JP Morgan, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley.

Seven others, including Citi and Credit Suisse, gave Facebook a "neutral" or "hold" rating. And just one -- BMO Capital Markets -- began their coverage with an "underperform" recommendation and a $25 target, translating into a nearly 25 percent slide from current levels.

The eight-year-old company started by Mark Zuckerberg in his Harvard dorm-room began trading at $38 -- a whopping 100 times 2011 net income per share, compared with Apple Inc's current multiple of 20.6 and Google Inc's 18.9.

TOPSY TURVY IPO

The average target price of the 11 who gave one on Wednesday was $37.64.

Analysts at JP Morgan set a price target of $45 for the stock, suggesting a rise of 36 percent compared with its close of $33.10 on Tuesday. Facebook shares were down 1 percent at $32.77 in morning trading on Wednesday.

The company's stock offering, one of the most highly anticipated in history, was marred by a series of technical glitches at the Nasdaq exchange.

Facebook's decision to increase the size of the offering by 25 percent just days ahead of the IPO, as well as concerns about decelerating revenue, also weighed on the stock, which traded as low as $25.52 before regaining some ground to trade in a $31-$33 range in recent days.

Goldman Sachs set a share price target of $42, while RBC said it expected a run to $40. BofA Merrill Lynch and Morgan Stanley pegged the shares at $38, while Citi and Barclays opted for $35.

The rush of research comes ahead of Facebook's second-quarter results, expected sometime in mid to late July.

With about 900 million users, Facebook has become one of the Web's top destinations, challenging established players such as Google Inc and Yahoo Inc.

Even so, revenue growth from ads and other services is slowing. The company, which last year was more than doubling the amount of money collected every quarter compared with a year earlier, reported growth of 45 percent in the first three months of 2012, and revenue declined from the preceding quarter.

General Motors' announcement a few days before the IPO that it would stop advertising on Facebook has added to the concerns about Facebook's ability to generate business from advertising.

Despite $4.8 billion in expected revenue in 2012, Facebook's user monetization rate is still relatively low, said BofA Merrill Lynch, which expects new advertising formats to accelerate revenue growth in the second half of the year.

In recent weeks, Facebook has unveiled a string of enhancements to its advertising service, allowing marketers to target ads to users on the mobile version of Facebook and to show Facebook users ads based on previous websites that they have visited.

"The company is in the midst of a mobile usage transition and we are cautious on Facebook's revenue trends until new mobile ad revenue models start driving the top line," the analysts at BofA Merrill Lynch wrote.

Several analysts working for the underwriters, including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs, cut financial forecasts for Facebook days before the IPO after the company cautioned about revenue growth due to a rapid shift of users to mobile devices, where Facebook is less effective at generating revenue.

The analysts briefed some institutional clients about their revised forecasts, Reuters has reported, but retail investors were left in the dark. That revelation has resulted in lawsuits alleging the banks and Facebook failed to fully disclose the company's weakened financial outlook ahead of its IPO.

(Additional reporting By Alexei Oreskovic in San Francisco and Tenzin Pema in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das, Ted Kerr and John Wallace)

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Using BMI to Determine Obesity: Why It's Not a Good Idea

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New? No thanks! 14 things you should always buy used

Would you like to be $5,000 to $50,000 richer by this time next year? It might be as simple as thinking "pre-owned" rather than new. Here's a list of things you should never buy new -- see if you can add to it.

By Brandon Ballenger,?Contributor / June 27, 2012

There?s no good reason to buy a new book. Pick up a copy online or at a local store for pennies on the dollar. Students at University of California, San Diego are protesting the price of text books that now average over $100 per book. The high price of college textbooks makes buying used especially attractive.

Robert Harbison/The Christian Science Monitor

Enlarge

We recently shared a list of 20 things you should never buy used. Because it?s often true: You get what you pay for. When it comes to safety, hygiene, and warranties, there?s no substitute for buying some things new.

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But for the most part, you can save a lot of money without sacrificing quality by purchasing many things used. In fact, it can change your life.

1. Cars

The biggest way to?save on car ownership?is to?avoid paying the sticker price. A properly maintained year-old vehicle looks and functions like a new car ? but costs 20 percent less. If you can save just $4,000 by buying used, then earn 10 percent on it for 20 years, you?ll be $26,000 ahead. And if you can avoid interest by paying cash rather than financing your ride, you?ll be richer still.

You can find a reliable used car for $5,000. The older the car the greater the risk, but having a car inspected by a mechanic can reduce it. The important thing when it comes to cars: Ignore the commercials. Cars are transportation, not status symbols.

2. Houses

With new homes, you don?t have to worry about repairs. But even factoring in fix-up costs ? which you?ll know prior to purchase because you?ve had a professional inspection done ? a pre-owned house will normally save thousands over new.

According to the latest data from the National Association of Home Builders, the average price for a new home in April ($282,600) was about 25 percent higher than the average price for an existing home ($226,400). Save $50,000 by buying used and you?ll have a lower mortgage payment, freeing up cash to do other more important things ? like saving for retirement.

Pre-owned also means more flexible negotiations and mature landscaping.

3. Books

There?s no good reason to buy a new book. Pick up a copy online or at a local store for pennies on the dollar. Or rediscover the library, which these days may even offer free e-book downloads.

The high price of college textbooks makes buying used especially attractive. But you can save even more by checking the library (before your classmates), finding a textbook exchange, or buying an older edition for less. Do some searching and you?ll find lots of ways to get textbooks cheaper, or even free.

Depending on demand and when a new edition is released, you may also be able to recoup much of your cost by reselling them in the right places. Money Talks News writer Ricky Michalski recently bought one of his chemistry texts online for $75 ? and resold it for $72 four months later. That means he?s $72 richer than the student who paid full price, then threw that book in a box, never to be read again.

4. Timeshares

A new timeshare is a terrible buy. Reuters recently reported owners are so desperate to ditch the annual maintenance fees that many timeshares are selling for $1. If you can buy a timeshare for basically nothing, avoiding a developer?s high-pressure sales pitch will make you tens of thousands of dollars richer. Check out articles like How to Buy and Sell Timeshares.

5. Recreational toys

From boats to RVs to bikes, buying used makes sense: They?re terrifically expensive new, they depreciate rapidly, and if someone is selling, they may not have had the free time to use it very much.

6. Sports and exercise gear

Everybody wants to lose weight, but few make the time to do it. That means many people have exercise gear they want to unload cheap or even free on sites like eBay and Freecycle. There are also stores that specialize in used gear, like Play It Again Sports.

Weights can?t go bad, although you?ll want to test things like treadmills and other more complex equipment. As we mentioned in our Best Bought New post, bicycle helmets are one thing you should buy new for safety reasons.?But otherwise, why not buy used?

7.?Furniture

Used furniture from garage sales and consignment stores is often a great bargain ? just ask Money Talks News writer Angela Colley, who refurnished her home for under $720. Look around your house and mentally add up the amount you?ve spent on new furniture. Had you bought used, you could easily have saved 50 percent, which means that money would be in your pocket instead of a furniture retailer?s.

Moving sales are great places to save on furniture, since moving furniture is expensive, and sellers have a deadline to dump it. Snap up bargains when college dorms and apartments start emptying in the Spring.

Added bonus of buying used: you might find stuff that?s better built than today?s.

8. Jewelry

Jewelry depreciates faster than cars. And unlike cars, used jewelry isn?t going to break down, and nobody can tell a ring made this year from one made in 1950. In fact, vintage styles can be highly sought after. Best sources include pawn shops, online at places like eBay, and government and other auctions. Obviously, if you?re buying something expensive, be knowledgeable or enlist the help of someone who is.

9. Baby gear

Baby stuff doesn?t get much use ? they outgrow everything in months. So baby clothes, toys, and nursery furniture can be smart used buys.

But there are definitely used baby items to avoid. Car seats and cribs have safety risks, and everything should be checked for product recalls. If you?re not sure, say no. But if you are, you can easily save 50 percent or more.

10. Clothes

Clean out your closet and get a tax deduction by donating the clothes you don?t want to a thrift store. Better yet, take them to a resale shop and make some money. And while you?re there, shop around.

The problem with buying clothes this way ? as with many things you buy used ? is that it might be hard to find exactly what you?re looking for. But if you?re not in a hurry, buying used can cut your clothing budget by 90 percent. For nicer clothes, head to the thrift and resale stores closest to upscale neighborhoods.

11. Dishware

Dishes don?t go bad with time, and buying used can save 80 percent or more. Got a friend getting married? Odds are good they?re going to be getting rid of old stuff to make room for wedding gifts. Thrift shops, yard sales and online sites like Freecycle are also good bets.

12. Electronics

Used electronics are a mixed bag: Things a few years old might be obsolete or incompatible with the latest technology, and it?s often hard to tell whether there are hardware issues.

However, buying used a few months after a product?s release (or even getting last year?s model) can be a great way to save. Purchasing from someone you know personally is a good way to avoid lemons, and factory-refurbished items have been professionally examined and repaired, and may even come with a warranty.

Electronics are a great place to save because so many people foolishly feel the need to buy the latest edition of everything. Not being one of those people will make you richer.

13. Video games and movies

These media are a lot like books. Many buy them new, enjoy them once, then toss them on a shelf. If that?s you, recycle your entertainment money and trade them in.

Online-only stores such as Amazon and Newegg sometimes feature sales with new copies cheaper than the used ones at brick-and-mortar stores, so be sure and check. But used prices are typically 10 to 70 percent less than new, with the best deals on the older stuff.

As with electronics, patience pays.

14. Tools

Most people don?t use tools regularly, so it may make sense to borrow or rent them. But well-maintained tools last a long time, and are easy to find at yard sales. It can be hard to tell how much life power tools have left ? so only buy them used from people you trust.

Bottom line? You can be thousands of dollars richer simply by letting other people take the depreciation hit that accompanies virtually all consumer purchases. While it?s convenient to go into a local store and walk out with something new, there?s a high price to pay for that convenience. If you can save $10,000 every year by buying used, then compound that money at 10 percent, in 30 years you?ll be $1,809,434 richer than someone who buys the same things new. And what have you sacrificed? Nothing. After all, those new items become used the minute you bring them home.

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Skrillex Is Writing Music For Harmony Korine's 'Spring Breakers ...

If you're asking "What's a Skrillex?" chances are you're not in high school. If you haven't heard his music -- yes, he's an electronic musician -- you might recognize his face or perhaps his mad sweep of hair that flops over the shaved side of his head. Either way, the guy won three Grammys last year and is on every kid's iPhone or Android or whatever they carry around these days. And now he's making the leap to scoring movies, and it's on a project that's already pretty far out there.

Speaking with Pitchfork, frequent Wes Anderson collaborator, music supervisor Randall Poster (who has also worked on "The Hangover," "Boardwalk Empire," "The Vow," "Whip It" and many more) revealed that he's currently working on Harmony Korine's "Spring Breakers" and Skrillex is along for the ride.

"I'm accustomed to being the oldest person at a gig, but when I went to see Skrillex at Roseland this year, it was dramatic. There were a lot of kids that looked like they were 15 years old. But I loved it. I truly loved it. I think Skrillex is just brilliant. When I walked into that club, I felt like I swallowed the music-- it was like 'Alien,' like it went into me," he said about first hearing the EDM artist. "I'm working on Harmony Korine's movie 'Spring Breakers' now, and Skrillex is doing original music for us. I had heard of Skrillex, but I wasn't watching it that closely. And Harmony, who I've worked with forever, sent me a link to some Skrillex YouTubes, and I saw one had 54 million hits-- I thought he had somehow figured out a way to manipulate the numbers. And then it dawns on you: There are kids that are never going to buy a record. They're just going to play songs on YouTube."

That's actually a pretty inspired choice all told, and while we're not exactly fans of his music, Skrillex's roof raising tunes and style kind of perfectly fits with the vibe we're expecting from the movie. Starring James Franco, Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine, the film follows four college-aged girls who decide to rob a fast food restaurant in order to pay for the annual getaway, and who get thrown in the slammer once they get there. A rapping drug and arms dealer bails out the girls, and coaxes them to kill his nemesis Arch.??

We'll be curoius to see what tunes Poster brings into the equation as well, but we're pretty excited to see Korine go full tilt in a completely new direction; it's certainly a huge 180 from getting Sun City Girls to work on "Mister Lonely."

No release date yet for "Spring Breakers" but with each new bit of info, the movie gets more enticing. Just when we think Korine was out of twists, he's come with another one, so we wonder what's coming next.

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Windows Phone 7.8 update gets shown off on video

Featured

4 days

Sean Fallon , Nerd Approved

Are you your own worst enemy? If so, the following gadgets might be able to help you overcome some?relatively minor shortcomings. That is to... Read more

43 min.

Devin Coldewey

Users of Windows Phone might have felt a bit put out at the news that Windows Phone 8, with all its fancy new features, would not be coming to their hardware ? even the flagship Nokia Lumia 900. But all is not lost: one of the cooler pieces, the customizable start screen, will in fact be coming to older handsets. And Microsoft has just put up a little demo of it on video.

(Msnbc.com is a joint venture of Microsoft and NBC Universal, but that doesn't mean we get privileged information about Microsoft's products and services, nor does it influence our opinion of them.)

No doubt it's a cool feature for homescreen customization, more straightforward than Android's widgets and more robust than iOS's... nothing. Most users will be happy to have the extra functionality.

But there's still consternation among purchasers of the much-hyped Lumia 900: many feel it was little more than a bait and switch to sell the device as a top-of-the-line one only to make it obsolete almost instantly with a new OS it can't use. There's truth to that, and Android and iOS customers know the sting of seeing a new version of their favored OS debut with no plans to bring it to older devices.

The update should come to any phone currently running Windows?7.5 "Mango." There's a little more info here at the page for the update, but at the moment there are only a couple features listed, and no date for release.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for msnbc.com. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

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Bahrain: 3 police face murder charges in shootings

MANAMA, Bahrain (AP) ? Bahrain said Tuesday that three police officers on trial over killing demonstrators during street protests last year will now face murder charges and could face the death penalty.

The defendants, who were not named, include a police lieutenant, according to a statement by the Gulf nation's Information Affairs Authority. They were originally being tried on the lesser charge of manslaughter.

They are on trial for three separate shooting deaths that occurred in February and March 2011.

Conviction on manslaughter charges carries a maximum sentence of seven years in prison, but a murder conviction can result in life imprisonment or the death penalty, according to the IAA statement.

"If convicted of murder, employees of the Ministry of Interior are likely to receive the toughest penalties allowed by law," it added.

A report issued in November by a commission authorized by Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers cited medical reports that found all three victims were shot from close range. The report determined that their deaths were the result of excessive force by police.

The officers' trial resumes July 10.

In a related development, authorities said they have begun the process of giving compensation to families of people killed during the uprising.

At least 50 people have been killed since the violence began in the strategic island nation, home to the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet. Many were protesters, but security forces were also among the dead.

A total of $2.6 million is being paid out to the families of 17 victims initially, according to an IAA statement. It quoted Judge Khalid Hassan Ajaji, a Justice Ministry official, who said the office handling the claims began its work in March.

The statement did not name the recipients.

However, three defense lawyers representing several victims among opposition protesters said they were unaware of any payments being made so far.

"Nothing has been paid to any victim, according to my information," defense lawyer Mohsen al-Alawi told The Associated Press. "The government said it will pay the victims, but nothing has been paid."

Two other lawyers, Abdullah al-Shamlawi and Jalila al-Sayed, also said they did not know of any payments being made.

Last September, Bahrain's king ordered the creation of a fund to compensate victims of the Arab Spring-inspired unrest that broke out in February 2011.

The country has experienced near daily protests for 16 months in an uprising by the kingdom's Shiite majority seeking greater political rights from the Western-backed Sunni monarchy.

Associated Press

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The challenge of change initiatives | Ric Willmot Blog

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Click the icon below to go to the Resources page of the Executive Wisdom Website and download the Change Management Learning Module written by Ric Willmot for CEO Online. Click this image to go to the Resources ...

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Assisted Living Facilities in Ohio - Finding Reliable Assisted Living ...

There will come a time when everyone of us will get old. This is a fact of life that cannot be changed, and we should accept this with open arms. Everyone will have dreams when they are young -- to be rich, to be successful, to raise a family, or just to live a normal live -- but no one really thinks about the time when they start to grow old, which is just as important to plan for as our younger years. Many people will stay with their children when they retire and grow old, but this situation isn't always an option. Fortunately, there are reliable assisted living facilities in Ohio that can serve as a great setting for the golden years.

With old age comes a host of illness, this is something that can affect everyone. Even people who have been living their whole lives in a healthy way might fall victim to illness as they age. In some cases, the traditional roles are reversed, and the children must care for the parent.

This can put a strain on someone that has not been trained to handle this kind of situation. Taking care of elderly family members can be stressful and difficult, no matter how hard you try. Making a decision to move an aging parent or loved one to an assisted living facility in Ohio should be a serious consideration because it can benefit both the elderly resident and their family members as well. The care that your parents will be able to receive -- particularly the peace of mind that will come with it -- is something that money cannot buy.

The important thing to remember is that sending parents or other loved ones to an assisted living facility doesn't mean you don't love your parents. On the other hand, it proves that you want the best care they can receive in an environment they can enjoy and live life pleasantly with their peers. After spending years taking care of you and grooming you to be an adult, it is only right that you give them the same amount of love they gave to you by allowing them to flourish in a positive environment. Another advantage is that with all the medical equipment available at an assisted living facility, you know your parents will be safe and that the facility will be able to respond to any emergency that might take place faster and better than you could have at home.

If taking care of them is becoming too much to bear, talk to you parents or other aging family members about moving to an assisted living facility. A high-quality facility will provide a great experience for both you and your parents.

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Pro-govt forces push militants out of Somali town

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Ultrasound pill helps the medicine go down

A swallowable ultrasound device called uPill could end the need for painful daily injections

DAILY injections are a painful fact of life for many people with diabetes or cancer. Pills are an easier and more pleasant treatment method but substances like insulin do not penetrate tissue quickly enough to be effective when taken orally. Now a pill that uses ultrasound to speed up drug delivery could remove the need for needles.

Ultrasound has been used for years to accelerate the transfer of drugs through skin and can increase drug absorption by a factor of 10. The method works by heating up molecules inside skin tissue, making cell membranes more permeable. It is particularly good for delivering protein-based drugs such as some cancer medicines, insulin and various vaccinations.

This technique has now been applied to a pill. Designed by biomedical engineering company Zetroz, the uPill will use ultrasound to increase the absorption rate of drugs through tissue in the gastrointestinal tract, says Daniel Anderson at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who is part of the team developing the device.

The required drug would be applied as a coating to the uPill and, once swallowed, the device would send ultrasound waves through the patient's gut to aid absorption. It would then pass through the digestive system, as a camera pill does. The device was presented at the IdeaStream conference at MIT in May. Animal tests are now being carried out to see if the device can pass through the digestive system safely.

"The key thing here is the miniaturisation technology we are using to make an already small device a lot smaller," says George Lewis, co-founder of Zetroz and lead engineer for the uPill. The firm previously developed an ultrasound patch to deliver drugs through the skin. "We are developing the smallest ultrasound system in the world."

Anderson hopes the uPill could hit the market in the next couple of years. "It is far too early to claim victory but we are excited about the potential applications," he says. "It could create an entirely new class of drugs."

Such a device would be "an enormous help for patients", says Nader Saffari at the ultrasonics group at University College London. "If they can manage to develop something like this it is going to be a major jump in the field."

The pills won't come cheap - each one will cost $20 to $30. But while the device is, in theory, reusable, Anderson admits this probably won't be a hugely popular option.

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breaking news:Freelance writing & jobs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) June 24, 2012 -- Freelance writing & jobs

Freelance writing & jobs
Freelance writing & jobs

Being a journalist, I love to write, In world there are thousands of journalists & writers who earn money through freelance writing, No dough freelance writing is an awesome industry as here we can serve humanity by reporting latest news and events, we can make an inspirational impact on society and we can earn money well just sitting at home, without doing job with some specific organization!

In this lovely industry just words sell!

"A sentence as description of your business is the key of success because a Good description sentence works as hard as you do for your business successful, you'll wonder how you ever managed without it."

In this Advertising Age No one can sell anything without having the best of the best words on sale copy!

It is must today to have high-powered words, phrases, and slogans, Words That Sell in ads,
In few months I am going to launch a source book Freelance writing & jobs which will be the ultimate reference for anyone who needs instant access to the key words that make the difference in selling.

Becoming a Freelance Short story writer

Becoming a Freelance Short story writer is easy and worthwhile ,learn how to Be a Freelance Short story writer ,SHORT STORY WRITING PROCESS made easy

My book Freelance writing & jobs will also tell you how you can use your writing skills to get sold your words and how you can make money as freelance writer , My book will tell you how to find the best writing jobs and how to accomplish them with success to make money as freelance writer ,

I have taken the inspiration for my book Freelance writing & jobs from freelancer.com which is the ultimate resource of freelancer industry to grow and earn,

freelancer.com is the best ever market place for outsourcing & freelancing, it is ebay of freelancers, You can find Millions of Freelancing Jobs, hundreds of thousands of project and billions of US DOLLARS are waiting for you to make your luck!

Freelancer.com has two integral parts: freelancers & employers

My book Freelance writing & jobs has also two integral parts: education about writing skills & wisdom to make money with writing skills,

types of payments for freelace writers
types of payments for freelace writers ,payment types of freelancer writer

My book will be arranged by category for handy reference, it covers everything from "snappy transitions" to "knocking the competition," from "grabbers" to "clinchers."

As freelancer.com is arranged in categories like Websites, IT & Software to Mobile Phones & Computing ,

It covers everything from Writing & Content to Design, Media & Architecture,

Data Entry & Admin to Engineering & Science , Product Sourcing & Manufacturing to Sales & Marketing ,

Business, Accounting, Human Resources & Legal to a whole bunch of Other great services!

In my book; There will 62 ways to say "exciting" alone; 57 variations on "reliable"! Whether you are selling ideas or widgets, my book Freelance writing & jobs will provide you the education about the ?Words you can Sell ? , Freelance writing & jobs is going to be the guaranty for the well-qualified sales proficient an expanded & revitalized repository, and the newbie a feeling of reliance & resolution.

freelancer.com
FREELANCER.COM is the fastest growing outsourcing and crowd sourcing marketplace for small business,

As I told you that I am inspired from freelancer.com which has near to 200 subcategories under Websites, IT & Software alone , I have tried a lot to copy the style of freelancer.com but I have no shame to tell you that I am unable to copy them 100 percent as they are so unique and they have done very hard work , but yes I have taken great inspiration from freelancer.com to write my book as there are more than 2057 cities where from freelancers are working via freelancer.com which is huge variation of labor force That is the prove that the platform of freelancer.com is ever been "reliable"!

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logo design contests on freelancer.com

I am also planning to launch a website for my business of freelance writing and another web site which will be especially for my upcoming sourcebook; Freelance writing & jobs.

I have written a project details which I am going to post on freelancer.com so that freelancers can Start Bidding on my project , as in fact I have decided to outsource the web development and web designing work for my book and business web sites ,

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outsource your tasks,make money through outsourcing on freelancer.com

I am not a web developer nor I am able to design my logos or web sites , Without the help of freelancers I am unable to do anything, as I have taken rates for web development in my market and also for logo / web designing, but my query made me shocked as rates in my city are very high, and the work quality which I have seen in work samples which were shown by web development companies in my city was not impressive at all,

I have decided To outsource my project to freelancers who can make it in a budget which suits me and my needs , although people can post 1st project for free but I have decided to post it on freelancer.com as premium project , because my work is not only urgent to me , but I also have huge stakes in it ,

So I am going to use premium project posting service which is provided by freelancer.com in pretty low fee, but its gives premium postings a royal view,

Writing about my project Freelance writing & jobs was an easy job for me: I have written few lines which are very specific and proving complete view of my need, let me share my project Lines to you as well

==============================================

?NEED OF website development & designing for upcoming sourcebook?

I desire features for my sourcebook website like

Cross-referencing of word categories to stimulate creative thinking
Display of Advice on targeting words to your specific market
Display Tips on word usage
Display A thorough index
Display A concise copywriting primer
Display A special section on selling yourself

Some more best things which you can offer

Freelance-writing-jobs
Freelance writing jobs

My book and my upcoming website Freelance writing & jobs will be true advancement to the thesaurus since Roget;

?Freelance writing & jobs ?will be essential guide to helping you find great words fast,

And our recommended Job provider will be the one and only: freelancer.com , which is no dough the best ever resource online to find Freelance writing & jobs

Let me share some points of my book: Freelance writing & jobs with you!

Freelance GENERAL WRITING & jobs

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How to write a love story

1. Freelance Copywriting for television commercials & jobs

2. Freelance Copywriting for radio commercials & jobs

3. Freelance Copywriting for newspaper and magazine ads & jobs

4. Freelance professional letter writing & jobs

5. Freelance Creating plots for other writers & jobs

6. Freelance Writing correspondence courses & jobs

7. Freelance Travelling writing & jobs

8. Freelance Newspaper feature writing & jobs

9. Freelance Writing for weekly tabloids & jobs

10. Freelance Writing humour & jobs

11. Freelance Writing greeting cards & jobs

12. Freelance Writing witty sayings for bumper stickers & jobs

13. Freelance Writing fillers for newspapers and magazines & jobs

14. Freelance Ghost writing & jobs

15. Freelance Script writing for movies & jobs

16. Freelance Scrip writing for television & jobs

17. Freelance Writing plays & jobs

18. Freelance Resume writing services & jobs

19. Freelance Writing non-fiction & jobs

20. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Daily newspapers & blogs

Freelance writing & jobs
Freelance writing & jobs

21. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Professional journals & blogs

22. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Consumer magazines & blogs

23. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Confessional magazines & websites

24. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Poetry magazines & websites

25. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Fiction magazines & websites

26. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Farming-dairy-poultry- livestock journals

27. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Technical journals

28. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Manufacturers? trade journals

29. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Retail trade journals

30. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Sports magazines

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Elements of narrative prose

31. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Teenagers' magazines

32. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Children's magazines

33. FREELANCE WRITING & jobs for Gag magazines
34. WRITING Articles jobs on Crafts

35. WRITING Articles jobs on Art

36. WRITING Articles jobs on Celebrities

37. WRITING Articles jobs on Street interviews

38. WRITING Articles jobs on Travelling

39. WRITING Articles jobs on 25, 50, 100 years ago today

40. WRITING Articles jobs on Local Street names

41. WRITING Articles jobs on Gossip

42. WRITING Articles jobs on Personal problems

43. WRITING Articles jobs on Gardening

44. WRITING Articles jobs on Cooking

45. WRITING Articles jobs on New products

46. WRITING Articles jobs on Child care

47. WRITING Articles jobs on For teenagers

48. WRITING Articles jobs on Children's question-and -answer

49. WRITING Articles jobs on With humour and jokes

50. WRITING Articles jobs on Sport

For complete article please visit

http://webdevelopmenti.com/

Author:

MOHAMMAD IMRAN KHAN ,

CEO, GLOBAL PRESS CLUB

www.globalpressclub.com

This article was published on www.webdevelopmenti.com for first time.

Anyone can distribute it with proper reference & link back will be appreciated.

Disclaimer:

All the details and statistics about freelancer.com, their management team and their investors are taken by official web pages of www.freelancer.com

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Boots to return to London stock market

A FTSE100 constituent until it was taken private in a ?11.1bn leveraged buy-out led by Alliance Boots? founder Stefano Pessina and private equity house KKR, the retailer is poised to return to the London Stock Exchange as part of an attempt to increase Walgreens? European shareholder base.

Asked if he foresaw a London listing for Walgreens? shares, chief executive Greg Wasson told The Sunday Telegraph: ?Certainly. We?ve had a pretty good investment base in the UK and Europe and we hope that that will grow as a result of the deal.?

While such a move is not expected immediately, it reflects the global ambition of the company, which has an option to buy the remaining 55pc of Alliance Boots within three years. The move would most likely be enacted via a secondary listing in London.

Mr Wasson and Mr Pessina want the business to be a global healthcare giant, and greater access to capital markets would help.

European investors in Walgreens include Bailie Gifford, with a 0.8pc holding, and Norges, which manages Norway?s government pension fund, with a 0.99pc stake.

Mr Pessina, who created Alliance Boots through more than 1,500 acquisitions, said he would be happy for Mr Wasson to run the combined business.

?I am 71, I will work to add some more pieces to these companies,? he said. ?But I believe that Greg has understood completely my philosophy.?

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Team Canada looks to young players to carry torch

For longtime fans of the Canadian Open ? and its predecessor, the Canada Cup ? the names of national players blasted over the Softball City P.A. system were familiar ones.

In left-field and batting leadoff for Team Canada, Melanie Matthews; at second base, Kristy Odamura; at catcher, Erin Cumpstone; playing first base, Sheena Lawrick?

All were longtime fixtures in the Canadian lineup ? and some still are.

But now, a new wave of young stars is set to take centre stage when the team hits the field this weekend in South Surrey. And helping lead the youth movement are former White Rock Renegades pitchers Jocelyn Cater and Marina Demore.

Demore, who just completed her junior season at Oregon State University, and Cater, who doesn't even turn 18 until later this summer, will both be in the lineup after making the cut at a tryout camp in Oklahoma City earlier this week; the camp was followed by the World Cup of Softball.

"It's a really great experience," said Demore, who won the Canada Cup's Showcase Division as a 15-year-old with the Vancouver Wildcats.

"I used to watch this team play when I was little, and now to be playing with them, and to be a part of it, is pretty cool."

Demore didn't play for Canada at last year's event, choosing instead to return to Oregon State for the summer, but she first donned the Maple Leaf jersey at Softball City in 2010, pitching a handful of innings for Canada.

"My first game, I think it was against USA Elite, and I got thrown in for an inning or two. I was really nervous, but it was exciting," she recalled.

"That gave me a lot of confidence, and make me realize I could compete with anybody. I was out there against the best, so now, this year, I have a little bit different mindset.

"I'm definitely a lot more calm now. I've been put in big situations before, at college."

Cater, too, made a good first impression. Last year, at just 16 years old, she became the youngest player to ever suit up for Canada's national squad, when she pitched two innings against high-powered Australia. She did not allow a hit, struck out a pair, and was credited with the win.

And this year, the Maple Ridge native ? who will pitch next year at the University of Washington ? is looking to improve on that performance.

"This year, I have a more mental attitude. Last year, I just threw the ball,? said Cater, a student at North Delta?s Seaquam Secondary. ?I?m more positional with my throws, I watch the batters and see where they like to stand in the box, and study what pitches the left-handed hitters struggle with."

Batters struggled with her fastball a year ago, but she is relying on more than just her speed this season.

?I?ve developed a drop-ball/change-up,? she said earlier this month, before accompanying Team Canada to Oklahoma.

?It?s about 10 miles an hour slower than my fastball, which is good because you have to slow your pitches down every now and then.?

And while the summer is a whirlwind of travel ? from Oklahoma to South Surrey, and later this summer to Whitehorse for the women's world fastpitch championships July 12-22 ? Cater, like Demore, is excited to play in front of family and friends at the Canadian Open.

"Playing at home is so much better, you see people you know in the stands and they support our team,? she said. ?I watched the Canada Cup? when I was a kid, so I always wanted to play in a tournament like this.?

And while Cater and Demore are likely to be relied upon more heavily than in their rookie seasons with the national program, both still rely on the steadying influence of the team's veterans when it comes time to play big games. If she ever finds the nerves getting the best of her in the pitcher's circle, Demore, for example, thinks back to one of the nuggets of advice Cumpstone ? Canada's longtime catcher ? once gave her.

"She just told me to go out there and relax, and have fun. It's not any different ? it's still just a game."

- with files from Rick Kupchuk

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SebastienPage: iPhone Photography: Advanced Exposure & Focus Techniques http://t.co/v4zBSrgX

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

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After Surviving ABC?s ?Shark Tank?, Unikey Technologies Raises $1.1M For Smartphone Door Keys

Unikey Technologies, a company made known by ABC's Shark Tank, has raised $1.1 million according to an SEC filing. This would add additional non-debt funds to the company's funding, which also includes a $500,000 equity stake raised from Mark Cuban and Kevin O'Leary earlier this year on the season finale of the program. Unikey found success on ABC's Shark Tank for a great concept: it essentially turns smartphones into a house key. Once the Unikey locking system is installed in a door, any paired Android, iOS, or BlackBerry device can unlock it. The system is not dependent on an app, but rather the system unlocks the door by simply detecting when the phone is in the immediate vicinity. "As long as I'm in range of the lock, I can control it," said Unikey founder and CEO Phil Dumas on the ABC show.

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Coillte's Off-Road Cycling Strategy | Donegal Mountain Biking Club

The Donegal Mountain Biking Club would like to warmly welcome the efforts of Coillte in designating forests outside Letterkenny for mountain biking trail developments. Mountain biking is a sport that has seen exponential growth locally and internationally in recent years and has continued to demonstrate the ability to generate tourism revenue in areas with a well developed trail infrastructure.

The Strategy announced by Coillte today will be a huge boost to Mountain Biking in Ireland

Although the bye-laws regarding general cycling access in forests remain unchanged in the national cycling strategy, the Club would like to whole heartedly applaud the efforts of local Coillte representatives and Coillte representatives on a national basis in a highly positive step forward for mountain biking nationally. The proximity of the proposed site to Donegal?s capital town will further enhance the ability of the centre to attract short break tourism by providing accomdation and other recreational services close by.

Donegal Mountain Biking Club would also like to commend the work of Joe McHugh in driving this project forward and Donegal County Council for their work in funding applications. Although there are still considerable obstacles to overcome before the project is realised, the Club are confident that a solid foundation has been established that will benefit the county considerably as well as the sport of mountain biking itself.

If You wish to read the Strategy in full then please visit:

http://www.coillteoutdoors.ie/fileadmin/user_upload/pdf/Coillte_Off_Road_Cycling_Strategy.pdf

This entry was posted in Biking General by admin. Bookmark the permalink.

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Last rescued climber leaves Mount Rainier

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows climbing ranger Nick Hall on Mount Rainier in Washington state. Hall, 33, was killed Thursday, June 21, 2012 as he was helping evacuate climbers from a crevasse near the summit of the 14,441-foot mountain. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

This undated photo provided by the National Park Service shows climbing ranger Nick Hall on Mount Rainier in Washington state. Hall, 33, was killed Thursday, June 21, 2012 as he was helping evacuate climbers from a crevasse near the summit of the 14,441-foot mountain. (AP Photo/National Park Service)

A ground support team of climbing rangers heads up the Glacier Basin Trail toward Camp Schurman on the east side of Mount Rainier, Friday, June 22, 2012. They are participating in the operation begun the previous day which rescued a fallen party of climbers near the top of the mountain and resulted in the death by falling of climbing ranger Nick Hall. (AP Photo/The News Tribune, Peter Haley)

FILE - The west entrance to Mount Rainier National Park is shown in this Jan. 1, 2012 file photo taken in Washington State. A Mount Rainier ranger slid more than 3,000 feet to his death Thursday June 21, 2012 as he helped in efforts to rescue four injured climbers who fell on a glacier, a National Park Service spokesman said. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)

SEATTLE (AP) ? The last of four Texas climbers rescued on Mount Rainier in an effort that cost a ranger his life walked down off the Washington peak Friday while blizzard conditions high on the mountain delayed efforts to retrieve the body.

The final climber, Stacy Wren, descended the mountain with Mount Rainier National Park rangers and was whisked away by car Friday evening. Three other climbers were plucked off the mountain by helicopter Thursday after the group fell and two of them ended up in a crevasse.

Eight other rangers trying to retrieve the body of climbing ranger Nick Hall, 33, from the 11,200-foot level of the 14,411-foot mountain were pinned down in a ground blizzard. They planned to spend the night at Camp Schurman at the 9,500-foot level and hope for a weather window on Saturday, park spokeswoman Fawn Bauer said.

Hall slid more than 2,600 feet to his death as he was helping evacuate the Texas climbers.

His family both grieved and celebrated his life Friday.

Hall, a four-year veteran of the park's climbing program, came from a family of EMTs who aided soldiers in Iraq and car crash victims in his small hometown of Patten, Maine. He was not married and had no children.

His father, Carter Hall, recalled his son as a loner when he was a child, but flourished in high school through a shared love of the wilderness.

"For good and bad, it was my influence of the outdoors," Hall told The Associated Press in a call from his Maine home, his voice breaking.

A Chinook helicopter from Joint Base Lewis-McChord removed three of the four climbers and rangers stayed on the mountain Thursday night with Wren.

The climbers from Waco, Texas, had reached the summit and were on their way down, roped together, when two women fell into a crevasse on Emmons Glacier. Two men were able to stop the group, and one called for help by cellphone.

Rangers and the helicopter responded to the site at the 13,700-foot level. A helicopter airlifted the three to Madigan Army Medical Center at the military base near Tacoma, where they were hospitalized in fair condition Friday, said spokesman Jay Ebbeson.

The climbers were bruised with possible broken bones, park spokesman Kevin Bacher said earlier.

Park spokeswoman Patti Wold identified the climbers as Stuart Smith, Noelle Smith, Ross Vandyke and Wren.

Hall had helped put three climbers into the helicopter when he fell. The park is investigating exactly how he fell, Bacher said.

"We don't want what happened to Nick to happen again," he said. "There's no urgency today; nobody's life is at risk today. Let's take it slow and make sure nobody else is hurt."

"We're a very small team and particularly the climbing team ? basically 15 people under the climbing foreman," said Bacher, who also is a ranger. "And they work very close together and train close together and depend on each other for their lives and become very close."

The last time a climbing ranger was killed was 1995, when two rangers died after falling 1,200 feet during a glacier rescue.

Hall's family said they were proud of his involvement in mountain rescues, and hoped that his death will draw attention to the profession's dangers.

Hall's father is a volunteer firefighter and EMT in Patten, and his older brother, Aaron, served in the National Guard as an EMT in Iraq. Aaron Hall celebrated his birthday on the day his brother died on the mountain.

Nick Hall had worked as an avalanche forecaster at Yellowstone National Park and as an emergency medical responder for the ski patrol at Washington's Stevens Pass Ski Area, his father said.

When he spoke to him about risks, Carter Hall said, his son responded that dying by heart attack "was also a risk in life."

Hall was the second Mount Rainier National Park ranger to die this year. Margaret Anderson was fatally shot on New Year's Day as she tried to stop a suspect in a Seattle shooting who drove through a tire-chain checkpoint. Benjamin Colton Barnes, 24, was found dead the next day in the snow.

Rescuers are still looking for four other people ? two climbers and two campers ? who disappeared on the mountain in January. "We're keeping our eyes out for them as the snow melts out," Bacher said.

About 10,000 climbers attempt to reach the summit of the volcano about 85 miles southeast of Seattle each year and about half make it, he said.

___

Dininny contributed to this story from Yakima, Wash.

Associated Press

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McMurray and Montoya like direction of team

Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, prepares for practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race, Friday, June 22, 2012, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Juan Pablo Montoya, of Colombia, prepares for practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race, Friday, June 22, 2012, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Jamie McMurray, left, talks with his team after practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race, Friday, June 22, 2012, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

Driver Jamie McMurray (1) leads Josh Wise during practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series auto race Friday, June 22, 2012, in Sonoma, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot)

SONOMA, Calif. (AP) ? It's been a continuous search for consistency at Chip Ganassi Racing, where the NASCAR program has never matched the performance levels of its dominant IndyCar entries.

But there's no bitterness from Juan Pablo Montoya or Jamie McMurray, who have watched from afar as IndyCar counterparts Dario Franchitti and Scott Dixon race for wins and championships every year.

"I don't think we are jealous," McMurray said. "We are happy for those guys."

Franchitti, the four-time IndyCar champion, won his third Indianapolis 500 last month, and Dixon reached Victory Lane a week later at Belle Isle and is currently in the thick of the title race. But they both had to overcome early season struggles, which hasn't been lost on Montoya.

"I laugh because this year has been the hardest year for them for quite a few years, and I am like 'Welcome,' " he said, smiling.

Indeed, welcome to the up-and-down battles that Montoya and McMurray have faced the last several years in Ganassi's NASCAR program. The two head into Sunday's race at Sonoma at just about the halfway mark of another rebuilding year for the organization.

McMurray is 18th in the Sprint Cup Series, Montoya is 19th and combined they have only five top-10 finishes all season. But they say their cars are better, they've had increased speed of late and they are pleased with the direction of the race team.

"I think we've done a lot of progress," Montoya said. "If you really go through the team right now and see how different everything is working, it's pretty amazing. We haven't had the results we want to have, but I think there has been a lot of really good changes and we've been putting people in the right places.

"You want to run better overnight, but things have got to change. Everybody has got to adapt, and it's a process. But I really feel we made a lot of gains with the car and a lot of gains in how the engineering program is working and we definitely have been making progress."

Ganassi and co-owner Felix Sabates had arguably the most aggressive offseason in NASCAR as sweeping changes were made to the organization. Competition director Steve Hmiel and longtime team manager Tony Glover were replaced, and Brian Pattie left the organization at the end of the season after being removed as Montoya's crew chief in late July.

Ganassi brought in Max Jones as general manager, John Probst as technical director and lured Chris Heroy away from Hendrick Motorsports to crew chief Montoya. There has been added personnel, improved engineering and a cohesiveness that was absent last season, when both drivers went winless and failed to contend for spots in the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup championship field.

It was a dramatic drop-off from 2010, when McMurray won three races ? including the Daytona 500 and the Brickyard 400 ? and the drivers were far more competitive.

"It seemed like everything was going in the right direction, and the next year (in 2011) ... we just dropped the ball completely," Montoya said. "Last year was frustrating, it was more about arguing. Once we changed everybody on the team ? it's nice to be here, it's really fun to be here. We have really good people and you know they are working their butts off together to give us better race cars every weekend."

McMurray said there have been times this season when either he or Montoya has one of the fastest cars on the track, but the team is still working on getting both cars clicking at the same time and putting together complete races.

"It gets better every week. We made all those changes in the offseason, and I don't think any of us expected to change all those people around and immediately be where we were in 2010," he said. "The teams are working really well together. The way the team is structured with personnel in the engineering department and the crew chiefs, it's so much better than it was last year.

"It's a completely different environment than what it was a year ago, and it's all for the better. And Chip is still out hiring people and looking for more engineers and more people to make it better than what it is right now. My guess is somewhere around the last 10 races we're going to see a lot of the progress. It takes time."

Still, both think they'll be competitive Sunday at the road course in scenic Sonoma. Montoya will start 12th; McMurray goes off 25th.

Montoya earned his first career victory at Sonoma and has four-top 10 finishes in five starts; McMurray's career-best second-place finish at Sonoma came when he was driving a Ganassi car.

The duo also announced Friday they'll team together to run the inaugural Grand-Am race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July. They've been teammates the last two years with Dixon and Franchitti for the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona race, but will be a two-driver tandem at the Brickyard.

"I think it's good for our racing relationship to get to go do things like this," McMurray said. "It seems like every year after the Rolex race, we're closer. I think that's really important for the NASCAR side, for us to be closer and want to help each other more. When we go do that race, it seems like it does that automatically.

So, I'm looking forward to getting to go up and do the test and then the race."

Associated Press

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