Squishy Buns ? My Favorite Writing Tool ? Speaking from the Heart

Question
What do Barnes & Noble, the public library, and coffee shops like Starbuck?s, Caribou, and Conscious Cup all have in common?

Answer
The?Goldilocks Syndrome?Papa Bear?s?hard?wooden chairs!

When writing, I sit for extended periods of time. This can result in painful bunuelos?not the tasty Mexican fritters; we?re talking sore butt cheeks!

I love my?squishy buns. This ergonomically designed chair-topper feels like thick, gel-filled neoprene. The crease where it folds for easy storage in my backpack has a center-relieved groove that eliminates pressure on the tailbone?ahhh?making it comfortable to?sit for hours on end?(pun intended).

When our mind isn?t focused on sore buns, it?s free to court creative thoughts and original ideas and spin them into gold.

What?s your favorite writing tool?

If you enjoyed this post, you might also like A Chair for your?Derri?re? Take a Stand!

Listen with your heart,

Laurie Buchanan

?Whatever you are not changing, you are choosing.?
? Laurie Buchanan

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? 2012 Laurie Buchanan? All Rights Reserved

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Obama birth certificate OK by Arizona official

President Barack Obama delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama delivers the commencement address at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Wednesday, May 23, 2012, in Colorado Springs, Colo.(AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

PHOENIX (AP) ? Arizona's secretary of state says Hawaii's verification of President Barack Obama's birth records meets necessary requirements and that the president's name will appear on Arizona's ballot in the fall.

The inquiry gave official weight to a long-simmering political controversy generated by those who say that Obama was not born in the U.S.

The Obama administration attempted to dismiss the conflict a year ago by releasing his long-form birth certificate showing that he was born in Hawaii.

But skeptics maintained their stance and eventually Arizona Secretary of State Ken Bennett announced he would seek further verification, even saying he was prepared to leave Obama's name off the state's ballot in November.

Bennett said Wednesday that Hawaii has officially confirmed the information on a copy of Obama's birth certificate as accurate.

Associated Press

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PFT: NFL moves trade deadline back 2 weeks

AP

Browns linebacker Scott Fujita, one of four players facing suspensions for their alleged roles in the alleged Saints bounty system, addressed the media after Tuesday?s OTA practice in Cleveland.

And Fujita left no doubt regarding his position on the situation.

?That is not true,? Fujita said of the league?s contention that he helped fund a pool of money that went to players who knocked opponents out of games, via Scott Petrak of the Chronicle-Telegram.

Still, Fujita is not yet ready to delve into details.

?Unfortunately for a lot of us, we?re on public trial,? Fujita said.? ?But I?m just going to stick with my previous statements and, listen, there will come a time when I?ll be ready to share everything, but now is not the time.?

His concern is more than the money he?ll lose during a three-game suspension.? ?Listen, my reputation is a lot more valuable to me than three game checks, and my track record speaks for itself,? Fujita said.? ?It?s our word against theirs and that?s frustrating, but the reality is that I know what actually happened and that?s why I can stand by those statements.?

Given the public nature of the accusations, with the NFL releasing only summaries of information and snippets of raw evidence in support of serious allegations against Fujita and the other three players, it would be nice if the NFL would be more specific about the things the league believes happened.

It also would be nice if one or more of the players would tell their side or the story, sooner rather than later.

We understand that, for strategic reasons, the players need to keep their cards close to the vest, in order to enhance their chances to win the appeal, wherever and whenever it may occur.? But if Fujita truly doesn?t care about the three game checks, he should just spill his guts now and tell his story.

After giving the league the benefit of the doubt when the story first emerged on March 2, since it was clearly against the league?s obvious interests to peel back the curtain and admit that one of the NFL?s flagship franchises was cheating, we?ve become far more skeptical about the league?s claims.? The persistent refusal of the league to produce evidence coupled with troubling inconsistencies between the league?s description of the two items that have become available (the Anthony Hargrove declaration and the Mike Ornstein email) have given rise to a legitimate concern that the league has clear evidence of a pay-for-performance system, clear evidence of cartoonish locker room talk regarding bounties, but zero evidence that anyone ever acted upon the urgings to try to inflict injury ? or that anyone ever actually received a dime for doing so.

At this point, we?ll take whatever evidence we can get.? And if the league won?t tell the story in chapter-and-verse detail, here?s hoping Scott Fujita or Anthony Hargrove or Will Smith or Jonathan Vilma or Sean Payton of Gregg Williams or Joe Vitt or Mickey Loomis will.

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Apple, Samsung CEOs in U.S. court talks on patents

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - The chief executives of Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics Co Ltd were summoned for court-directed mediation on Monday over the iPhone maker's claims the Korean firm has "slavishly" copied some of its products.

Apple's Tim Cook and Samsung's Choi Gee-sung were instructed by a federal judge to appear for a two-day mediation to help resolve the bitter patent litigation between the two companies.

There was no sign of either CEO at the San Francisco federal courthouse on Monday. The mediation session had been on a magistrate judge's calendar for Monday morning, but the meeting - which is not open to the public - could have been arranged at an undisclosed location, such as a law firm office.

Representatives from Apple and Samsung declined to provide any details on Monday about the meeting.

The U.S. case, the most closely watched in a global patent war between the two companies involving some 20 cases in 10 countries, is set for trial at the end of July in San Jose, California. Each company denies the other's allegations of patent infringement.

Apple, the maker of the iPod, iPad and iPhone, has a complex relationship with Samsung, a conglomerate that makes computer chips, Galaxy smartphones, and televisions.

While Samsung's smartphones and tablet computers run on Google's Android operating system and compete with Apple's products, Samsung is also a key components supplier to Apple.

The U.S. company, which investors value at close to $600 billion, has accused Samsung of "slavishly" copying the iPhone and iPad through products that run on Android. Samsung, which has a stock market value of about $161 billion, has counter-sued with claims accusing Apple of infringing its patents.

Both companies have a lot at stake. Their share prices hit record highs this year as they reported soaring profits, partly fueled by their dominant position in the smartphone sector.

Samsung sold 44.5 million smartphones in the first quarter of 2012, giving it a 30.6 percent share of the global high-end market. Apple's sales of 35.1 million iPhones gave it a 24.1 percent share.

"BIG GAP"

On Sunday in Seoul, the head of Samsung's mobile division said the South Korean company wanted to resolve differences with Apple.

"There is still a big gap in the patent war with Apple," JK Shin said, before departing for the U.S. mediation talks. "But we still have several negotiation options."

Apple spokeswoman Kristin Huguet reiterated a prior statement, saying Apple needs to protect its IP against "blatant copying."

An eventual Apple and Samsung settlement could have wider implications because the U.S. company is locked in disputes with major Android phone makers HTC Corp of Taiwan and Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc of the United States.

Court documents show Apple and Samsung have had at least one mediation session, although it is not clear if Cook and Choi were involved. The latest mediation session will be overseen by U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Spero. He declined to comment.

Cook became Apple's CEO last year, taking over from the company's co-founder and inspiration, Steve Jobs, who had told his biographer he intended to go "thermonuclear" on Android. Jobs died in October after a long illness.

Cook has echoed Jobs' mantra that Apple's top priority is to make "great products" but he has also made his mark by revealing the U.S. company's production partners and initiating investigations into allegations of labor abuses in its supply chain.

Choi, 61, became Samsung's leader in 2010, after more than three decades with the company. He is seen as a mentor to Jay Lee, the only son and heir apparent of Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee. Choi, asked by reporters on Sunday about the court mediation, declined to comment.

U.S. courts are increasingly demanding parties in civil disputes try mediation, although success if far from certain.

Last year, Oracle's Larry Ellison and Google's Larry Page undertook mediation in an intellectual property fight over Android, but no settlement was reached and a trial in the case has entered its sixth week.

"I can't imagine that the heads of a major enterprise of that kind would take any more seriously a decision of that magnitude, simply because they are in the room together," said Vaughn Walker, a former northern California federal judge who now works as a mediator.

(Additional reporting by Kim Miyoung in Seoul; Editing by Tim Dobbyn)

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The 50 greatest stars in WCW history

WCW is the greatest rival WWE has ever faced. The Monday Night Wars are one of the most pivotal battles in the history of sports-entertainment. WCW?s success rested on the shoulders of experienced competitors and high-flying young ring warriors. More than a decade since the demise of the Atlanta-based organization, WWE Classics lists the Top 50 WCW Superstars of all-time.

But before you cover the?WWE Classics' Facebook wall with missives like "What about Tully Blanchard???," take a moment to read the guidelines the WWE Classics team followed when compiling this list.

1. Eligibility begins with Ted Turner?s purchase of WCW in 1988. Anything from Jim Crockett Promotions and NWA predating this is ineligible. We think Magnum T.A. is a boss, but he was never part of WCW from 1988-2001.

2. Competitors were rated only on their accomplishments while in WCW, so the achievements of Bret ?Hit Man? Hart in WWE, for example, had no bearing on his placement.

3. Rankings were based on everything from longevity to cultural impact. Personal biases may have also crept in, as witnessed by a heated discussion over the significance of Glacier.

Okay, now that that's out of the way, here are the 50 greatest Superstars in WCW history as decided by a team of editors, a WWE Hall of Famer and the simple, widely-known fact that Sid is the ruler of the world.

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2008 Attenborough Court, Springfield, Illinois 62704 at Real Estate ...

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California Considers DNA Privacy Law

Image: Lawrence OP/Flickr

Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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California lawmakers are weighing a bill aimed at protecting their state's citizens from surreptitious genetic testing but scientists are voicing their growing concerns that, if passed, such a law would have a costly and damaging effect on research.

The bill, dubbed the Genetic Information Privacy Act, would require an individual's written consent for the collection, analysis, retention, and sharing of his or her genetic information?including DNA, genetic test results, and even family disease history.

"It's becoming easier and quicker and cheaper for people to obtain their genetic profile or genetic information," says the bill's author, California state Senator Alex Padilla. "It's such sensitive and personal information that it ought to be protected," he says. Padilla also authored an earlier bill, enacted in January, which extended federal protections against genetic discrimination.

Under the newly proposed bill, a person's genetic information may only be accessed by individuals specifically named on a consent form, and only for purposes written on the form. Genetic information along with the original samples must be destroyed once their specified purposes are fulfilled.

Such requirements could seriously hinder genomic research, says geneticist David Segal, associate director of genomics at the University of California, Davis. He points out that scientists typically sequence DNA from thousands of people to discover genes associated with particular diseases. Under the proposed legislation, a large genomic dataset could not be re-used to study a different disease. Researchers would either need to destroy the data after each study, or track down thousands of former subjects for new authorizations?an infeasible task, he says.

"It's just an incredible proposition that the money and effort that would be spent to obtain those large datasets would be just thrown away," Segal adds. "California would be shut out of doing that kind of genetic research."

The University of California has submitted a formal letter objecting to the bill, estimating that the measure could increase administrative costs by up to $594,000 annually?money which would come out of the cash-strapped state's General Fund. The university has also expressed concern that its researchers would suffer competitive losses in obtaining research grants.

Advocates for genetic privacy are not entirely sympathetic.

"If researchers are worried about not being able to do research with inadequate consent, then maybe they should be worried," says Jeremy Gruber, president of the Council for Responsible Genetics based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, which supports the bill.? "Nothing in this bill prevents anybody from doing research, it simply adds a level of consent," Gruber says.

Segal says that University of California policies governing human research already require informed consent for research using genomic data and typically require genetic information to be identified with numbers instead of subjects' names. But the new bill would require authorization for re-use of even anonymous data.

"My intent is not to impede research; my intent is to protect consumers," says Padilla. He notes that some research subjects may not want their data stored and re-used in other experiments. "That's one of the gaps we're trying to close," he says.

Constructive feedback

Many states do not have laws governing surreptitious genetic testing, and those that do vary widely in their restrictions, according to a 2009 report by the Genetics and Public Policy Center. In 2006, Minnesota passed a law that requires written consent for collection, storage, use, and sharing of genetic information. In the November 2011 decision of?Bearder?v. State of Minnesota, the Minnesota Supreme Court found the state's own department of health in violation of the law for keeping blood samples routinely used to screen newborns for serious illnesses and, in some cases, using the samples to validate new genetic tests.

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