Want to Improve Your Residential and Business Marketing Efforts ...

My first week on the job at E?Source three years ago, I attended our Let?s Get Social: Utility Marketing Conference in Denver. The lively and thought-provoking agenda centered around the topics of behavior-change social marketing efforts at utilities. I remember sitting in the audience and engaging in conversation with a number of attendees around this new concept of direct/indirect feedback, competitions, challenges, and pledges to reduce residential energy consumption?and whether it would actually work. We agreed that it was effective for public health efforts like anti-tobacco campaigns, but the jury was still out on whether the energy industry could capitalize on this strategy.

Fast-forward to 2013. Today, one of the hottest trends in efficiency programs centers on behavior-change social marketing efforts. I?m left to wonder: Did the momentum for this tactic begin at our Utility Marketing Conference in 2010?

One of E?Source?s raisons d??tre is to facilitate knowledge-sharing and networking among utility program managers and marketers so they can brainstorm ideas on the best ways to engage customers to help them use energy more wisely. Each year at our Utility Marketing Conference, we do just that. But we also make a point to push the proverbial industry envelope forward with new concepts and fresh ideas.

This year is no different. The 5th Annual E?Source Utility Marketing Conference will feature sessions designed to drive your marketing agenda forward. Beyond talking heads, we?ll have workshops and networking opportunities that will alert you to the latest trends in utility marketing. You?ll come away from the event with new contacts across the industry, real-world examples and results of outreach efforts, and innovative ideas to reinvigorate your marketing plans. We hope to see you there. Check out the agenda, and don?t hesitate?register today!

Source: http://www.esource.com/Blog/ESource/1-25-13-UMC

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Four Times to Update Your Estate Plan | McGinn Law, PC

You may be considering your first estate plan, or you may be wondering do I need to update my estate plan. ?It is recommended that you revisit an existing estate plan every three to five years.? Usually enough has changed that you may want to rethink past decisions.? What are some of the reasons to create or update your estate plan?

1. Marriage, Divorce & Remarriage

Any changes in your marital status will mean a change in the people you trust, don?t trust or need to provide for.? If you get married, prior wills may be invalid, unless prepared in contemplation of the marriage.? Sometimes redefining your estate plan, and/or life insurance or trust documents may be a part of your separation agreement.? If you or your partner are getting remarried, that implies you might now have a blended family and/or a new person you want to appoint to make your health care decisions and pay your bills if necessary.

2. Family Subtractions & Additions

If you had a child, or adopted a child, into your family it is probably a good idea to make the appropriate provisions. ?Obviously, if and when people who you have included in your estate plan pass away adjustments may be necessary as well.? Perhaps the guardian for your children that you had chosen five years is no longer the best person (or couple) for any number of reasons ? the couple is no longer together, or have too many other commitments,

3. Significant Financial Gains

You have been lucky enough to generate and accumulate financial resources, you may want to consider how to protect those assets and how pass them along either to your children (minor or grown).? This could include estate tax exposure and/or the need to implement asset protection strategies.

4. Moved to Another State

We get this a lot.? People think that just because they moved to another estate that somehow automatically invalidates their existing will, health care proxy or durable power of attorney.? Not so.? We live in the United States.? United being the operative word.? So as long as your documents where properly prepared and signed (with the proper procedure and formalities) in the state you formerly lived in it will remain valid.? You may want to update your estate plan for other reason or because it is old, but no need to do it just because you moved.

A wise course of action is to develop an ongoing working relationship with?an experienced estate planning attorney?who can understand your situation and family over time and be ready to structure the appropriate adjustments. To get started, simply take a moment to arrange for a consultation.

Source: http://www.mcginnlawpc.com/four-times-to-update-your-estate-plan/

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The Perks of Being in a Long Distance Relationship | The Single Life ...

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Source: http://markbrennanrosenberg.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-perks-of-long-distance-relationship.html

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Dwarf planet Eris may reveal quantum gravity

KILLING Pluto was only the beginning. The dwarf planet Eris, named for the Greek goddess of strife, could also bring down the most popular explanations for dark matter and dark energy.

Many galaxies appear to have stronger gravity - and thus more mass - than can be explained by their visible matter alone. Overly massive galaxies are most often attributed to dark matter, an invisible substance that interacts with matter through gravity. To date, though, no one has directly detected dark matter particles.

But a well-established notion in physics could hold another explanation for their size. This says that empty space is really a frothy, turbulent sea full of virtual particles - matter and antimatter that spring in and out of existence so fast that we can't see them.

Though they are tiny, quantum objects, Dragan Hajdukovic, a physicist at CERN near Geneva, Switzerland, thinks these bubbling particles may have opposing gravitational charges, similar to electrical charges. In the presence of a gravitational field, the particles would generate a secondary field, which, in the case of galaxies, could explain the mass discrepancy.

Hajdukovic's theory could also explain dark energy, the baffling force thought to be driving the universe apart at an accelerated pace. If virtual particles have gravitational charges, then space-time itself is imbued with a small charge that could be causing objects in the universe to speed away from each other.

To test whether quantum-scale gravity is at work, Hajdukovic plans to borrow a trick from Einstein (see diagram). Due to gravitational effects in the solar system, such as the tug of other planets, Mercury's oval-shaped path around the sun slowly turns, or precesses. In the 1800s astronomers noticed that this happens at a different rate than predicted by Newtonian physics. Einstein showed that the sun's mass creates a curvature in space-time that affects Mercury enough to explain the difference, lending credence to his theory of general relativity.

Hajdukovic's quantum gravity might create a similar discrepancy with more distant orbiting bodies, he says - which is where Eris and its moon Dysnomia come in.

Best known for depriving Pluto of planethood by showing that there are many similar bodies in orbit beyond Neptune, Eris's great distance from the sun means the effects of general relativity become negligible. Newtonian physics should dominate, putting Dysnomia's precession rate around Eris at 13 arc seconds per century. But if quantum gravity exists, the rate should be -190 arc seconds per century, Hajdukovic calculates (Astrophysics and Space Science, doi.org/j6r).

He thinks the required measurements could be made from Earth using existing observatories. "Einstein was lucky that there is a planet so close to the sun as Mercury," he says. "My theory might be lucky that there are trans-Neptunian objects allowing astronomical tests."

Gary Page of Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia, is sceptical that Earth-based tests would be sensitive enough to pick up the effect. Still, he praises Hajdukovic for going beyond the party line. "It's always good when people are willing to go a little bit out on a limb."

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Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/27db8223/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cmg217290A140B50A0A0Edwarf0Eplanet0Eeris0Emay0Ereveal0Equantum0Egravity0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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Prediction of Asian summer monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity close at hand

Jan. 22, 2013 ? The amount of rainfall and number of tropical storms during the summer monsoon season greatly impact the agriculture, economy, and people in Asia. Though meteorologists and climate scientists have worked for years to develop helpful prediction systems, seasonal predictions of these two types of weather phenomena are still poor. Scientists working at the International Pacific Research Center, University of Hawaii at Manoa, have now made a promising breakthrough for predicting in spring both the summer monsoon rainfall over East Asia and the number of tropical storms affecting East Asian coastal areas.

The study is published in the January 21, 2013, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

The scientists have shown that both the East Asian summer monsoon and the storm activity in the western North Pacific are controlled by fluctuations in the western Pacific Subtropical High (WPSH), a major atmospheric circulation system in the global subtropics centered over the Philippine Sea. When this system is strong in summer, then monsoon rainfall tends to be greater than normal over East Asia, and in the western North Pacific there tend to be fewer tropical storms that make landfall.

With the help of computer modeling experiments, the scientists found that these summer fluctuations in the WPSH are more than 65% predictable in spring. When the Indo-Pacific warm pool shows a dipolar sea surface temperature anomaly (that is, an unusually warm Indian Ocean together with an unusually cool western North Pacific) or the central Pacific tends to cool in spring, then the WPSH will be strong and stable with ensuing greater summer monsoon rainfall over the East Asian monsoon front and the Ganges River Valley in India, but fewer tropical storms will affect East Asian coastal areas and the western subtropical Pacific. The team traced the rainfall and storm variability in the Asian monsoon region to the feedback occurring between the WPSH and the underlying Indo-Pacific warm-pool ocean.

"Our findings create a promising way for predicting monsoon rainfall and tropical storm days during the East Asian summer," concludes lead author Bin Wang, meteorology professor at the University of Hawaii at Manoa and faculty at the International Pacific Research Center. "As a first step, we use global general circulation models to predict the fluctuations in the WPSH, and then in a second step, we use this forecast to predict rainfall and storm days in regional analyses. We have done hindcasts from 1979 to 2009 using this approach and have found substantially improved skills over the use of dynamical climate models in predicting the East Asian Summer Monsoon rainfall and tropical storm activity."

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Journal Reference:

1. M. Basner, D. F. Dinges, D. Mollicone, A. Ecker, C. W. Jones, E. C. Hyder, A. Di Antonio, I. Savelev, K. Kan, N. Goel, B. V. Morukov, J. P. Sutton. Mars 520-d mission simulation reveals protracted crew hypokinesis and alterations of sleep duration and timing. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2013; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1212646110

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/WxACmTpIrKk/130123101613.htm

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Utah governor unveils outdoor recreation plan

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? Gov. Gary Herbert unveiled his long-awaited vision for outdoor recreation in the state Wednesday, calling for the creation of a government office devoted solely to the topic and laying out a broad-stroke plan to preserve Utah's natural jewels and cultivate outdoor recreation as a pillar of its economy.

Herbert revealed the plan a day after organizers of one of the world's largest outdoor gear trade shows announced they will keep the convention in Salt Lake City through 2016. The long-term future of the show, which is under way this week, remains murky though because of a shortage of convention floor space and lodging for convention-goers.

Herbert said Wednesday he hopes the biannual show ? which draws more than 20,000 people and pours an estimated $40 million into Utah's economy every year ? will make Salt Lake City its permanent home.

Organizers had threatened to move the event if the state didn't demonstrate its commitment to preserving public lands and solve the space issues. They asked Herbert in August to share his vision for the industry by January.

Herbert's plan calls for a new government office that would be devoted solely to outdoor recreation. Its duties would include organizing an annual summit where outdoor businesses, recreationalists and other stakeholders gather.

The plan also says Utah should stand by its desire to take control of federal lands. With or without the show, the principles in the plan will help to guide the state in balancing outdoor recreation and public lands, the governor noted.

"This is a pathway, a framework, for us to work together, despite some differences we may have," he said at a news conference.

The retail show is sponsored by the Boulder, Colo.-based Outdoor Industry Association, which represents companies such as Patagonia and The North Face.

Its president and CEO, Frank Hugelmeyer, lauded the governor for his commitment to making sure outdoor recreation and Utah's public lands are protected. He called Hebert's vision "unprecedented" and said it could serve as a blueprint for other states.

Hugelmeyer said the two-year extension of the show allows both sides to work on what are "pretty big issues" regarding the logistics of keeping Salt Lake City a viable location for the growing show. The governor's vision leaves some unresolved issues, he said, such as the state's desire to control federal lands. But, it includes mechanisms that will enable them to solve those issues in future years, he said.

The association opposed a bill signed by Herbert in March that demands the federal government relinquish control of public lands in Utah by 2014. It also opposes Utah's effort to open thousands of dirt paths across public lands to motor vehicles. But despite those differences, Hugelmeyer said Salt Lake City remains a great fit for the show.

"We're in the business of meaningful experiences, and Utah is one of the great places on the planet to have meaningful experiences," Hugelmeyer said.

Convention-goers crammed into the Salt Palace Convention Center Wednesday to look at hiking shoes, beanies, wool socks and countless other products used for outdoor recreation. People sat on the edges of a wide staircase while they ate lunch and looked at their computers.

Several retailers said they hope the show stays in Utah, but acknowledged that the state must solve the space and lodging issues. Robert Gardner, president and CEO of Joovy, said the show has a great vibe in Salt Lake City but said there's no way it can stay here beyond 2016 without more room for exhibitors. His company displayed its kid strollers and bikes in an exhibition tent at last summer's show.

"The tent was way better than I thought it would be, but it's still a tent," Gardner said.

Jay Rossbach, sales director for Hotmocs, had to stay at hotel in West Jordan, a Salt Lake City suburb about 15 miles south of the convention center. But he said he can't see the show anywhere else, and hopes more hotels are built in downtown Salt Lake City.

"Please don't put it in Vegas," said Rossbach, whose company sells beanies and neck gators.

Salt Lake City has plenty of nearby skiing and outdoor activities and is not too overwhelming for many who come from small mountain towns, said Taylor Mallard, marketing manager for Bozeman, Mont.-based Oboz Footwear.

"To me, Salt Lake makes perfect sense? minus the space issue," Mallard said. "It's like a mountain town, only bigger."

Two weeks ago, the state approved a $2.66 million grant to build a 150,000-square-foot exhibition tent near the city's convention center to add space for the show. Officials also are exploring temporary lodging options, including lodging at the University of Utah campus.

Sales of outdoor products and sporting goods bring $5.8 billion to Utah's economy every year and $60 million in state and local sales taxes. Utah's tourism is driven by visitors enjoying of the state's canyons, mountains and desert areas, and the state has highest the percentage of outdoor and sporting good jobs in the country.

Alan Matheson, the governor's environmental adviser, said the state also recognizes that easy access to outdoor activities attracts businesses in other industries, such as high-tech companies.

The state's new outdoors plan is a great first step, but now the details need to be hammered out, said Ashley Korenblat, president of Western Spirit Cycling in Moab, a mountain biking town that draws people from around the world. Korenblat said upcoming outdoor gear shows offer a chance to check in every six months see if the state is producing results.

"That will prohibit this vision from being another binder on the shelf just gathering dust," she said.

Though she finds the plan encouraging, she said the "elephant in the room" remains the state's federal lands grab. There's still a lot of industry concern with the way those lands would be managed if the state took control, she said.

Matheson said that if the state did control those spaces, it doesn't mean they'd sell them all off or use all the land for energy development.

"The people of Utah love these lands ? love our natural gems. And we're not going to do anything to lose those treasures," he said.

The governor, who is a big proponent of energy development, said the state would do a better job than the federal government of juggling the demands of the energy and outdoor industries.

"It should be a balanced approach," Herbert said. "Not everything should be protected, and not everything should be developed."

Herbert dodged a bullet by keeping the trade show in Utah, said one business leader who quit Herbert's outdoor recreation advisory council in protest over the Republican governor's policies.

"I think it's a meaningful first step," said Peter Metcalf, president and chief executive of Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond Inc., a manufacturer of outdoor gear. "It states how important outdoor recreation is to Utah ? our public lands, waterways and clean air.

"I'm gratified ? but now comes the real work," he said. "Utah has been ground zero for radical policies threatening our public lands."

___

Associated Press writer Paul Foy contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/utah-governor-unveils-outdoor-recreation-plan-170125088--finance.html

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Police: 3 shot at Houston community college

Three people on campus at Lone Star College were injured in what may have been an argument that escalated. Nearby schools went into lockdown as parents waited to pick up their kids. NBC's Janet Shamlian reports.

By Jeff Black, Staff Writer, NBC News

Three people were wounded Tuesday afternoon when gunfire erupted at a Houston-area community college, law enforcement officials said.

Authorities confirmed at a news conference ?that two "persons of interest" were involved and wounded in an altercation at the North Harris campus of Lone Star College. A maintenance worker at the college was also shot in the leg during the crossfire, said Maj. Armando Tello, acting sheriff for the Harris County Sheriff's Office. School officials say the worker, in his mid-50s, was in stable condition.

Police later said Carlton Berry, 22, was charged with aggravated assault. He remained in the hospital early Wednesday, Harris County Sheriff's Office Director of Public Affairs Alan Bernstein told NBC News.

Police did not identify the second "person of interest."

Police said a fourth person, a female with a student ID, was transported from the scene to the hospital, for an unspecified "medical condition."

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The shooting happened outside in a courtyard between an academic building and a library, Richard Carpenter with the Lone Star College System said. Police were dispatched at 12:51 p.m. CT and were on the scene within two minutes, according to Tello.?Police confirmed a handgun was involved, but could not provide more information because the incident?remains?under investigation.

Several federal officials have said the incident was gang-related, but the exact nature of the relationship remained unclear.

Authorities say the shooting at a Texas community college was the result of an altercation between two people.

The school said on Twitter that the shooting occurred at about 12:31 p.m. Carpenter said the campus will reopen Wednesday.

Live aerial video taken from NBC station KPRC-TV?showed emergency crews moving two people on stretchers into ambulances.

Police officers in SWAT gear were shown on the video entering buildings on the campus and bringing out students.

A spokesperson for Ben Taub General Hospital confirmed to NBC News that two patients from the shooting had been treated there. A?Houston Northwest Medical Center spokesperson said it had two patients from the Lone Star College incident. Neither hospital would release more information about the patients.

Witness Amanda Vasquez told KPRC she was in English class with about 25 other students when she heard shots fired, she thought in the hallway. She said she got under her desk, while other students ran out of the classroom.?

"We closed the door and we put the table against the door," Vasquez said. "And we were hiding and I was just trying to call my mom to let her know I was OK."

Police came in after about 30 minutes and said they could come out, she said.

Jed Young, a spokesman for the college system, told The Associated Press that a "shelter-in-place order" was issued at the college due to reports of a shooter on campus.?Students, faculty and staff were advised by the college website to take immediate shelter where they were. The school later said it was on lockdown.?

Lone Star College is a community college system based in the Houston region and has six campuses associated with it.

Lone Star's North Harris campus is 20 miles north of Houston in unincorporated Harris County. The campus has roughly 19,000 students.

According to the Lone Star College website, weapons are not allowed on the campus. The school offers firearm safety courses through its Second Amendment Academy.

NBC's Pete Williams, Jonathan?Dienst, Vignesh Ramachandran and Matthew DeLuca contributed to this report.

Student Amanda Vasquez emotionally describes to KPRC the scene when a shooter on a Lone Star College campus in Texas opened fire. Vasquez says she heard "five or six" gunshots and saw one shooter.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/22/16645383-three-people-shot-at-houston-area-community-college-police-say?lite

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