Danica Patrick in spotlight at Daytona

Auto racing driver Danica Patrick walks to an interview during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

Auto racing driver Danica Patrick walks to an interview during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

The image of auto racing driver Danica Patrick appears on a monitor as she takes part in an interview during NASCAR media day at Daytona International Speedway Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) ? The buildup for Danica Patrick's first Daytona 500 began in earnest at Thursday's annual media day, where auto racing's sweetheart was saddled with a full schedule of commitments.

Patrick was shuffled from interview to interview, answering questions and shooting promotions for her first full season in NASCAR. She couldn't even find solitude in the bathroom: an autograph seeker followed Patrick inside and patiently waited for the driver's signature.

Patrick will make her Sprint Cup Series debut in the Feb. 26 season-opening Daytona 500. It's the first of 10 races this year at NASCAR's top level driving for three-time champion Tony Stewart.

She's also racing for the championship in the second-tier Nationwide Series for JR Motorsports.

Her defection from the IndyCar Series is complete, and Patrick will be the center of the spotlight for Speedweeks at Daytona. She's fine with it, though, as seven years of running the Indianapolis 500 taught her how to handle intense attention.

"I think that if I had not experienced all the media crazy around this whole part of things it would have been somewhat overwhelming," she said. "My whole (public relations) team knows how it works and how to organize everything so it's done effectively and efficiently.

"But I feel good ? let's not forget I've been exposed to the Indy 500, which is one of the biggest races in the world, if not the biggest race in the world, and there's lots of media around that, too, and lots of hype."

NASCAR has been anxiously awaiting Patrick's move to stock cars because, as one of the most recognized athletes in the world, she'll bring attention to the series. Research shows she's already increased interest:

? According to The Nielsen Company, ratings for the 2010 Nationwide Series opener at Daytona were up 33 percent with her in the race from the 2009 ratings.

? Overall, 11 of the 13 Nationwide races Patrick ran in 2010 had better ratings than the 2009 events. Average viewership for her 13 events was up 9 percent.

? Patrick's merchandise sales last season ranked in the top 15 best-selling drivers at the NASCAR.com Superstore.

? Through last week, Patrick already ranked in the top 10 in merchandise sales in 2012.

? A survey last August of the NASCAR Fan Council showed that 80 percent of those polled agreed with the statement, "Danica Patrick is good for NASCAR."

? Nielsen N-Score data through January showed that Patrick ranks in the top 5 of most recognized NASCAR drivers among the U.S. population.

"There's so much interest with Danica coming over to NASCAR, I think it's going to really broaden our fan base," Lesa France Kennedy, the CEO of NASCAR sister company International Speedway Corp., said last month.

"When she shows up, it just has a different feel to it. She's a real dynamic individual to start with and I think it'll be interesting to see her compete on the track. There's certainly a spotlight, without a doubt, but she seems to do well with that. She seems to do well under pressure."

Patrick said she's prepared for the workload leading into the Daytona 500, and with the increased schedule in NASCAR. The IndyCar season was just 18 races; the Nationwide schedule is 33 races and next year, when she moves full time to the Sprint Cup Series, she'll have races on 38 weekends.

Dabbling in the Nationwide Series the past two years has prepared her for what to expect.

"Back a few years ago, I definitely was concerned with the work load that NASCAR schedules bring," she said. "But the last two years, I went from doing a 16-18 race season to about 30, and now it's going to be about 34 or 35 weekends, so it's really only an extra month worth of weekends so it's much more tolerable than jumping from Indy Car to NASCAR in one jump.

"I'm very good when I know what's coming. When I get surprised and things getting added on the schedule is when I get frustrated because expectation levels are everything for me.

"But not only from my perspective am I more comfortable now, but from my assistant's perspective and the help she gets from Junior Motorsports and Stewart-Hass, I think we all have a much better picture of how to do everything and how to keep it in line and how to help (the media) do your job."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-02-16-CAR-NASCAR-Danica-Daytona/id-a6cb77bd076d489e964515bebbe91e82

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When Your Interview is on Skype ? Master Admissions

I?m wrong. A few weeks ago, I wrote an article on interviewing for a coveted spot in an MBA program and announced right up front ?whether it?s for work or for school, the goal of the interviewer is to figure out what kind of a person you are in the flesh.?? I assumed the meeting would be in person. But that?s not always going to be the case, especially with Skype and other emerging technologies.

Skype is a Verb

This look is for practice only

Admissions departments at business schools have been Skyping for awhile; at a conference two years ago, Sara Neher of Virginia?s Darden School made strong plea for us to ensure that students know how to use Skype competently. Ms. Neher has been videoblogging since 2008, so you can see that she?s pretty comfortable in front of a camera.? Darden may have been in the vanguard of Skype interviewing, but it?s getting more and more popular, especially as the technology improves.

Hiring managers are turning to Skype. Fellow Harvard Business School graduate Ming Chen, now Executive VP of EF Education First, wrote this week in the Huffington Post that the Aberdeen Group research firm, found that 42 percent of companies in 2011 used video interviewing in the hiring process. And her company, a world leader in international education, uses Skype for about 90 percent of first-round interviews for jobs.

Because Ming is such an expert, I thought it might make sense to summarize some of the key points of her insightful HuffPost article, entitled, 7 Deadly Skype Interview Sins.

1. ??Can you hear me now???? This is true for admissions and job interviews alike: make sure your technology works. This means your interview connection, your microphone, and your speakers.? Ming also suggests having a link to your resume ready, just in case.

2.? Clean User Name? It?s a business interview. Full stop.

3. Dress to Impress? Ditto: it?s a business interview.? Having said all that, I did see a hilarious post on GMAT Club about wearing boxer shorts with a suit jacket and tie.? Well, if you are a guy that is.

4. Do Your Homework? Make sure you are prepared, especially about why you want to go to that school or work at that company.? Don?t just recite off the school?s website or Wikipedia entry. Make sure you really understand the school or company?s culture, values, and positioning.

5) Look Alive? Ming Chen is a very busy woman, in a senior position at a rapidly growing company. She has a lot going on. She knows from experience that ?In a Skype interview, where your interviewer is still on their work computer and email notifications are appearing inches above your video feed? It is your responsibility to engage them.?

6) It?s All About ME? Even though the interview is about you and your strengths, whether in person or on screen, you should connect your abilities with what the school or the company is looking for. This includes the questions you ask the interviewer?don?t dwell on what?s in it for you.

7) The Right Way to Follow Up? Two don?ts and a do

-????????? DON?T follow up using Skype? chat

-????????? DON?T add the interviewer to your Facebook friends

-????????? DO follow up with an email, following the traditional rules of engagement. Be polite, concise, and spell the interviewer?s name correctly.

8) Rehearse? I?m going to add one more to Ming?s list, and that is PRACTICE. Especially with technical glitches, you really want to make sure the entire operation is fluid. You don?t have to record your rehearsal ? but it?s worth it, at least, to practice with a friend, mentor, or professional

Take your Skype interview seriously. Your performance could make the difference between a warm welcome or a ding.

? Betsy Massar

Don?t forget to check out our new book Admitted: An Interactive Workbook for Getting Into a Top MBA Program

Source: http://masteradmissions.com/wp/2012/02/15/when-your-interview-is-on-skype/

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Another former Penn State official asks charges be dropped (Reuters)

HARRISBURG, Pa (Reuters) ? Another former Penn State University official accused of lying to a grand jury about the sex abuse scandal has asked the court to dismiss the charges against him, the second former university official to do so this week.

Gary Schultz, a former university financial official who also headed campus security, was forced into retirement soon after former football assistant coach Jerry Sandusky was charged last year with 52 counts of molesting 10 boys over a period of 15 years. Some alleged incidents happened on the State College, Pennsylvania school's main campus, prosecutors said.

Schultz was charged with perjury over his testimony to a grand jury about why he failed to act against Sandusky after he heard an accusation of abuse.

Schultz was also charged with failing to report the alleged crime to police, as was Athletic Director Tim Curley. Curley, on Monday, petitioned Dauphin County Court to drop the two charges. Schultz also petitioned the court to join Curley's motions.

Schultz' attorney Tom Farrell said in his motion to dismiss the perjury charge that there is no corroboration for a former graduate assistant's testimony that Schultz was lying to the grand jury. The graduate assistant, Mike McQueary, testified that he saw Sandusky in the shower with his arms around a young boy and that he thought the incident was "extremely sexual and over the lines."

Sandusky's indictment in November shocked the U.S. collegiate sports world and led to the dismissal of Penn State's long-time head football coach, Joe Paterno, who died of lung cancer on January 22. University President Graham Spanier also lost his job.

(Editing by Greg McCune)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120215/us_nm/us_crime_pennstate_schultz

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Living a Life of Health and Fitness | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

With cancer cropping up left and right, people are suddenly becoming more conscious with what they eat and do with their bodies. Fad diets have become a craze and so are gym workouts and alternative exercise for the body. But despite being the in thing to do right now, some people still find it hard to start walking the road to a life of health and fitness. After all, when you have already lived a life of debauchery, it will be harder to convert and walk the other road even if it is not as less traveled by.

To help you, here are some of the ways that you may begin with your healthy lifestyle.

1. Do not smoke. If you don?t have the habit of smoking, good for you. Don?t try to start since you will only get addicted with the cigarettes and it will be harder to stop when that happens. It isn?t true that you could smoke and stop when you want to. It is not. Once you become hooked into it, there?s no going back. If you?re already part of those individuals who burn their lungs out daily, the best bet is to make a commitment to stop. By doing this, you are already halfway to recovery. Make certain though that you are serious with your plans and you?re not just doing it for any other reason than your wellbeing.

2. Lessen the junk. One of the ways you can help keep your body healthy is to eat foods that are more natural and with less chemical content. Avoid eating junk foods like those huge packs of potato chips or binge on candies. You should also make it a point to lessen your intake of meats and consume more vegetables, fruits and seafood. This does not mean that you will forgo with meat altogether. You should still eat meat. The protein that it contains is important for some of the basic processes of the body.

3. Skip the Soda and even the iced tea. As much as you can, drink water. This is the safest and healthiest drink there is. Sodas even the diet ones, are carbonated and contain high amounts of sugar and carbohydrates which can later be translated into fats. You can also try drinking green tea which can help in the digestive system. Iced tea may be tamer than sodas but these drinks also contain a lot of sugar which can pile up in the body. Stick to water and drink lots of it.

4. Stay active. Another way to start living a life of health and wellness without the need to shell out money and make a great deal of energy is to plan a workout program regularly. You may schedule it every morning when you get up each morning or do it during the night after work. Whichever plan you want to, be sure that you make it to Thirty minutes long to an hour. This way, you may workout those muscles and avoid muscle pains. Exercise may also improve your bones and your body, promote better breathing and cellular activity, clear the brain and, of course keep those extra calories out of the body. Thus, even if you eat a lot, you are not keeping those fats and carbohydrates. You?re expending them through your workout program.

To learn want more about healthy options visit our website about Health and Wellness where you will find additional information and content.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/13/living-a-life-of-health-and-fitness/

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Most Effective Registry Cleaners Of 2012 Presented And Reviewed ...

Tuesday, February 14th, 2012 | technology

Even though all of the registry cleaners released in 2012 (and before) perform the same basic job, don?t make the mistake of thinking they are identical. The truth is that all of the programmers and companies that release these cleaners do their jobs a little bit differently. That can make a lot of difference to the individual person?s preference. Few things are more annoying than buying software and then not liking the way that it performs the task you want it to do. Other factors like how the software gets laid out and how the interface is programmed that come into play. This is the reason why it is so important to go slowly and cautiously when you are trying to evaluate your 2012 registry cleaner choices.

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Every software developer fine tunes the delivery design aspects of their programs and in this respect, Registry Reviver is not that different. Thanks to the employment of the most common marketing approach out there, the free trial, you can have yours up and running immediately. One of the more interesting features of this particular program is that you can look at any returned file path or error that you encounter. Believe it or not, but some cleaners actually do too well of a job, and the result is you can delete code that is still needed. These kinds of programs have been designed to be too aggressive about what they identify as ?unnecessary? registry files. I often had computer troubles before and it was actually a big obstacle in my work as an ultrasound sonographer, so I crafted evaluations on some registry cleaners to help me resolve technical issues.

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There are some people who love to figure out how a program works and runs without ever feeling the need to read even one instruction. There are others who prefer to have step by step instructions that walk them all the way through the way a program works. No matter which camp you belong to, the PC Registry Cleaner is a good choice because it is set up to accommodate both.

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There isn?t a whole lot to say to people who want to figure things out for themselves, but if you prefer instructions, the extensive tutorials offered by this program are definitely worth looking at. This program offers total step by step sets of instructions that can help even the most technologically challenged person get up and running. The program is able to reach a far wider market segment than its competitors because of the extensive customer service it offers.

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Look at CyberDefender, you will find a program that is somewhat bare-bones in design and intent. Do not think this is necessarily a negative because it is done on purpose. It is a basic registry cleaning program designed to make your registry function appropriately. Designed for simplicity, automatic scans, and the scheduling feature, are not included with the software program. So you have to know what appeals to you in a program of this kind. If you want to save a little money and still get the primary function, then this is the kind of product you should be looking for. I don?t even need to invest a great deal from my ultrasound technician salary because of the incredible discounts on registry cleaners.

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It is important to form the routine of cleaning your registry regularly and backing up your hard drive to protect your information. The improvements and innovations that have been added to higher end registry cleaners in 2012 have been very phenomenal. Improvements to registry cleaners are typically made to keep up with changes in personal computers and also to stay above the competition. But that is only good news for you, the end user, because it assures you of nothing but the best with your registry cleaner.

Tags: deals, Pc cleaner, ultrasound technician, ultrasound technician salary ?

Source: http://ayu-cyber.info/2012/02/most-effective-registry-cleaners-of-2012-presented-and-reviewed/

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Natural Skin Care Works Best When You ... - New Health and Fitness

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Natural Skin Care Works Best When You Include Diet As Well As Products. New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use. Many people, especially women, spend up to thousands on products every year.

Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/13/natural-skin-care-works-best-when-you-include-diet-as-well-as-products/

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Capriles in tough race against Chavez in Venezuela (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Now that Henrique Capriles has easily won Venezuela's first-ever opposition presidential primary, he's not just up against any other incumbent. The young governor will have to defeat a veritable political phenomenon.

Even after 13 years in office, President Hugo Chavez remains a hero to many of his supporters and maintains a visceral connection to a significant segment of the poor in Venezuela. He also will likely use the full powers of his government and a bonanza of public spending to seek victory in the Oct. 7 election.

In order to compete, Capriles will need to win over voters who leaned pro-Chavez in the past, who have grown disillusioned with the government and don't strongly identify with either side.

"We came here to unite our nation," Capriles told thousands of supporters in a victory speech. "It isn't the time of lefts or rights. It's the time of all Venezuelans."

Venezuela has grown heavily polarized, with most either admiring or despising Chavez. About one-fourth of voters are in neither political camp, though, and in that group about 10 to 15 percent are likely to cast ballots, said pollster Luis Vicente Leon. Many of the swing voters are young people who have grown up during Chavez's presidency, Leon said.

Capriles will need voters such as 21-year-old Mariangela Aguero, who was 9 when Chavez was first elected in 1998 and remembers her father celebrating in their poor neighborhood when the former army officer won.

Since then, Aguero's mother has benefited from a government program that provided construction supplies to build a new home, and in her neighborhood many are in Chavez's camp.

"He has a lot of followers," said Aguero, who works at a store selling yarn and buttons. "I think it would be tough for him to end up leaving the government."

But when it comes to her own vote, she said neither side has given her something to believe in yet.

"There's a lot of corruption on both sides," Aguero said. Despite the aid her family has received, she said, governments always seem to promise a lot but usually deliver little and descend into corruption.

Venezuela's opposition is rallying around Capriles following his victory in Sunday's vote, with a likely boost in the polls. The once-divided opposition has gained popularity in recent years, and the race could end up being the toughest re-election bid of Chavez's career.

Opposition election chief Teresa Albanes announced the preliminary results with 95 percent of ballots counted, saying that Capriles won 62.2 percent of the vote while Zulia state Gov. Pablo Perez had 29.9 percent.

Voter turnout in the primary surpassed most expectations, with about 2.9 million ballots cast out of Venezuela's 18 million registered voters.

Some of Capriles' supporters say they think he has a good chance of winning over Venezuelans who otherwise might lean pro-Chavez because he has taken a largely non-confrontational approach toward the president while promising solutions to problems including 26-percent inflation and one of the highest murder rates in Latin America.

His approach reflects a belief among some in the opposition that a successful challenge means treading lightly and avoiding alienating working- and middle-class voters who might not share the loathing for the president felt by many in the opposition but are ready for change.

Diego Prada, a 23-year-old marketing manager, said he thinks Capriles' inclusive approach offers a much better shot against Chavez than that of other competitors who have taken a hard line against the president.

"People are tired of so much confrontation," Prada said. And Capriles, he said, offers "a message of unity."

The leftist president easily won re-election with 63 percent of the vote in 2006, but since then his popularity has declined.

Chavez's approval ratings have topped 50 percent in recent polls, and his struggle with cancer doesn't appear to have hurt his popularity. The 57-year-old president says he's cancer-free after undergoing surgery and chemotherapy last year, and has been energetic in his hours-long television appearances, apparently trying to show he can still keep up with a younger challenger.

Chavez has already kicked his campaign machinery into gear. He's increased government spending by launching new social programs that offer cash benefits for the poor and invested heavily in new railways, public housing and cable car systems in Venezuela's sprawling hillside slums. As the election nears, he will inaugurate other big-ticket projects that grab attention, including the planned launch of Venezuela's second Chinese-made satellite shortly before the October vote.

But Chavez has warned voters that if they don't re-elect him, his social programs called "missions" would vanish. That threat, though disputed by Capriles, could have an influence on some in the run-up to the vote.

Many working-class Venezuelans say they still believe in Chavez and his socialist-inspired program, even as some "Chavistas" openly complain of inefficiency and corruption within his government.

"There are good things and bad things because nobody's perfect, but ... he's helped poor people a lot," said Heidi Lopez, a 33-year-old who raves about the discounted food at government-run markets and thinks Chavez's popularity remains strong.

As for Capriles, she said, "I don't like him."

Capriles, the 39-year-old governor of Miranda state, has won a large following due to his charisma as well as his record as an adept administrator.

Mercedes Aponte, a 60-year-old high school teacher, said she's convinced Capriles would bring improvements in education, health care and anti-crime efforts.

"Through him, there's hope. It's a new day dawning for Venezuela," Aponte said, waiting to vote in a line that snaked around the block in downtown Caracas.

Capriles is a moderate who describes his views as center-left. Recent polls before the primary vote showed Capriles with about 40 percent support among opposition voters.

Capriles might not be able to compete with Chavez's government money nor the president's ability to take over the airwaves of all TV and radio stations when he deems appropriate. But Capriles can count on ample campaign funding from anti-Chavez donors, as well as high visibility in opposition-aligned media including the television channel Globovision, private radio stations and newspapers.

The country's opposition coalition, which united to hold a presidential primary vote for the first time, has become better organized and will be an important ally in mobilizing voters for Capriles against Chavez's campaign machine.

The results were announced with 95 percent of ballots counted, and Capriles dominated the field with more than 1.8 million votes. Several of the opposition contenders called the higher-than-expected turnout a victory.

Thousands of Capriles' supporters celebrated the victory as fireworks exploded overhead. His four defeated rivals promptly united behind Capriles, appearing on stage with him, and pledged to back his campaign.

"In union there's strength!" Capriles shouted to the crowd.

____

Associated Press writers Fabiola Sanchez, Christopher Toothaker and Jorge Rueda contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120213/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_chavez_s_challenger

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