rostov joela

Saturday, May 18, 2013

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- In a quest to speed up the boarding process, American Airlines is letting passengers board sooner if they travel lightly.

The airline said Thursday that people carrying just a personal item that fits under the seat ? no rolling suitcases ? will be allowed to board before most other passengers.

American said that the change will allow flights to take off sooner, helping the airline improve its on-time performance.

Airline officials say boarding times have increased in the last few years. The airlines have created this problem by cutting back flights, which makes planes more crowded, and also charging fees for checking baggage, which encourages passengers to haul their luggage on board.

The result can be sharp-elbowed competition for scarce bin space that leads to short tempers among passengers and flight attendants.

American tested the new boarding procedure at seven airports earlier this year and began applying it to all flights Thursday. Passengers carrying just a personal item such as a purse, backpack or computer bag that fits under the seat will board right after Group 1 premium passengers and before groups 2, 3 and 4.

The airline said that it will let passengers check a carry-on bag at the gate at no charge. That means savvy travelers will be able to move up in the boarding order and avoid checked-bag fees ? $25 for the first bag, $35 for a second on flights within the U.S. ? although they'll have to retrieve their bag at baggage claim after they land.

If it works as designed, light travelers will be seated quickly. Fewer people will be stuck behind the inevitable guy who takes too long to hoist his rolling bag into an overhead bin and position it to his liking.

Kevin Doeksen, director of customer planning for American, said the change will cut boarding time by about two minutes per flight, "which doesn't sound like much, but it adds up throughout the day."

If the change results in fewer big bags being rolled on the plane, it could reduce the number of flights on which the overhead bins fill up. When the bins are stuffed, gate agents or flight attendants must ask passengers in the last boarding group to surrender their bag for gate-checking ? an awkward situation all around.

Competition for bin space has also made travel more stressful. Passengers in the last boarding groups often creep forward and jockey for position to be the first in their group on the plane.

"They're anxious because they've got a big roll-aboard (bag with wheels) and they're worried about having no space in the bin," Doeksen said.

Travel experts think American's idea can speed up boarding if enough passengers leave their rolling bags behind.

Chris Lopinto, president of ExpertFlyer.com, said the key could be American's offer to check bags at the gate for free. It won't appeal to business travelers on a schedule, who don't dare check a bag ? ever.

"But that loophole would be great for people who don't care about checking a bag or have a lot of people in their party," Lopinto said. "If you're a family of four and American is going to gate-check your bags, that can save you $100 (versus checking the bags) and you can board earlier."

Jami Counter of travel website TripAdvisor said American's free gate-checking offer was so attractive that it could reduce the amount American makes from checked-baggage fees.

"Why would you ever pay a baggage fee if you can gate-check your bag for free?" he said. "That's a loophole you could drive a truck through. I see that being tightened."

Counter said passengers might swamp gate agents with requests to check their bag for free. "Now their two-minute savings just turned into a 15-minute delay," he said.

American's Doeksen said the airline considered both, but believes any increase in gate-checking and loss of checked-bag fees will be minimal. He noted that passengers can already roll their bags to the gate and check them there for free.

Other carriers are certain to watch American's boarding process closely. Airlines are famous for copying each other's ideas when they work. The frequent-flier program became a staple after American introduced AAdvantage, and other big carriers also imitated American when it introduced fees for checked baggage in 2008 ? money from fees helped the airlines return to profitability after the recession.

Southwest and US Airways said Thursday that they have no plans to change their boarding process. United and Delta did not immediately respond when asked if they would make similar changes.

___

Follow David Koenig at www.twitter.com/airlinewriter

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/american-favor-passengers-without-roller-151634542.html

Ravens vs Patriots 49ers Vs Falcons Mama Movie flyers epo suits PlayStation Network

Report: Bahrain police search home of top cleric

May 15 (Reuters) - Post positions for the 138th running of the Preakness Stakes, to be run at Pimlico on Saturday (Post Position, Horse, Jockey, Trainer, Odds) 1. Orb, Joel Rosario, Shug McGaughey, even 2. Goldencents, Kevin Krigger, Doug O'Neill, 8-1 3. Titletown Five, Julien Leparoux, D. Wayne Lukas, 30-1 4. Departing, Brian Hernandez, Al Stall, 6-1 5. Mylute, Rosie Napravnik, Tom Amoss, 5-1 6. Oxbow, Gary Stevens, D. Wayne Lukas, 15-1 7. Will Take Charge, Mike Smith, D. Wayne Lukas, 12-1 8. Govenor Charlie, Martin Garcia, Bob Baffert, 12-1 9. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-bahrain-police-search-home-top-cleric-095045737.html

did the groundhog see his shadow Ray Lewis Murder UFC 156 my bloody valentine Super Bowl Winners what time does the superbowl start Kaepernick Tattoos

Put a little Zing in your water, vodka and salad dressings

I was finally able to kick my daily 20 oz Diet Coke habit several months ago by using a 24 oz. Bubba Brands Hero insulated steel bottle. I fill with 5 ice cubes from home and when I get to work, I fill it with cold water and 2 Twinings Cold Brew iced tea bags. [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2013/05/17/put-a-little-zing-in-your-water-vodka-and-salad-dressings/

marquette city creek center hilary duff michigan state michigan state andrew luck pro day josh johnson

If you like the same TV as tweens, shows on The CW will be coming to Apple TV.

If you like the same TV as tweens, shows on The CW will be coming to Apple TV. MacRumors says that full episodes of CW shows will be available next day and users don't need cable authentication. Apps for Apple TV... they have to be coming, right? [MacRumors]

Friday, May 17, 2013

Wash. state releases draft rules for legal pot

SEATTLE (AP) ? Officials in Washington state took their first stab at setting rules for the state's new marijuana industry Thursday, nearly eight months after voters here legalized pot for adults.

Among the preliminary regulations: They want to track marijuana from "seed to store." They'd put a cap on the number of retail outlets in each county, but not on the number of licensed pot growers or processors.

No sales of what the board described as marijuana extracts, such as hash, would be allowed ? unless the extract is infused into another product ? and all pot-related businesses would have to have security systems, 24-hour video surveillance and insurance.

Any marijuana product sold at state-licensed stores would carry a label noting that it "may be habit forming" and that "this product is unlawful outside of Washington state" ? accompanied by an official pot logo, featuring Washington state with a marijuana-leaf silhouette smack in the middle.

Staff at the state Liquor Control Board spent long hours visiting marijuana grow houses, studying the science of getting high and earning nicknames like "the queen of weed" before issuing the rules.

"They are based upon hundreds of hours of internal research and deliberation, consultation with multiple industry experts and input from the over 3,000 individuals who attended our forums statewide," said Sharon Foster, chairwoman of the state Liquor Control Board.

Foster -- who began a speech at a recent conference by saying, "My friends now call me the queen of weed" ? said the board is trying to create a tightly regulated system that ensures both large and small operations a place in the emerging market.

Last fall voters made Washington and Colorado the first states to legalize the sale of taxed marijuana to adults over 21 at state-licensed stores.

In Colorado, devising rules for the pot industry fell to the Legislature, which has passed a series of bills laying out how marijuana should be grown, packaged and taxed. Gov. John Hickenlooper is expected to sign the bills May 28.

In Washington, people are allowed to have up to an ounce of dried marijuana; 16 ounces of a pot-infused solid, such as brownies; or 72 ounces of a pot-infused liquid, such as tea. The rules issued Thursday are essentially a draft of a draft: After gathering feedback, the Liquor Control Board will issue draft rules next month, then accept more public comment.

Marijuana sales in Washington should begin in early 2014 ? unless the Justice Department has something to say about it. Pot remains illegal federally, and the DOJ could sue to try to block the licensing schemes in Washington and Colorado from taking effect.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee said Thursday the board "is on the right track."

"I'm impressed with the depth and thoughtfulness of their approach and look forward to moving forward," he said.

When asked if he thought this would satisfy concerns held by U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, Inslee said "I certainly hope so."

"I don't think you can design a system with much more integrity, as far as tracking the product from the producer to the consumer," he said. "This plan has a robust system of controls and checks in a variety of ways."

Some crucial questions remain ? most notably, how much legal weed will Washington produce? Rand Corp., a subcontractor working for Washington's official pot consultant, is researching pot consumption in the state, and production levels will be based on that data.

Under the 46 pages of rules circulated Thursday, there would be advertising restrictions, including a ban on ads intended to appeal to those under 21.

Washington would use a criminal history point system in determining whether someone is eligible for obtaining a license to grow, sell or process pot. A felony in the past decade or two misdemeanors in the past three years would disqualify an applicant ? but applicants could get a free pass on up to two pot-possession misdemeanors, and any single state or federal conviction for selling, growing or possessing marijuana could be waived on a case-by-case basis.

The board also said it will conduct criminal and financial background checks on "financiers" of pot businesses ? anyone who invests more than $10,000.

The "seed-to-store" system for tracking marijuana, similar to Colorado's system for tracking medical marijuana, is designed to help prevent any pot from being diverted to the black market. It would require growers, processors and retailers to notify the board of any marijuana shipments, and to keep records such as when plants are harvested and destroyed.

Alison Holcomb, the drug policy director at the American Civil Liberties Union of Washington, led the campaign to legalize marijuana under state law. She said she was pleased to see the board balancing public safety and public health with the creation of a workable legal market for marijuana.

But Holcomb also said she was concerned about the board's interpretation of "marijuana-infused product" ? an interpretation that would preclude hash or hash oil ? highly potent forms of pot ? from being sold at stores. The board determined that Washington's voter-approved initiative only allows the sale of marijuana or marijuana-infused products, and that hash is more properly considered an "extract."

If that's true, people in Washington could still be arrested for possessing hash ? which, Holcomb suggested, was not the intent of the measure.

"If you've got hash oil that is 98 percent THC and 2 percent some emulsifying liquid that keeps it in liquid form, I would argue that's marijuana-infused product," Holcomb said.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle . AP writers Rachel La Corte in Olympia and Kristen Wyatt in Denver contributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wash-state-releases-draft-rules-legal-pot-205517071.html

cyprus cyprus beyonce Bracketology Erin Go Bragh St Patrick lisa vanderpump

Returning genetic incidental findings without patient consent violates basic rights, experts say

May 16, 2013 ? Informed consent is the backbone of patient care. Genetic testing has long required patient consent and patients have had a "right not to know" the results. However, as 21st century medicine now begins to use the tools of genome sequencing, an enormous debate has erupted over whether patients' rights will continue in an era of medical genomics.

Recent recommendations from the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) suggest no. On March 22, the ACMG released recommendations stating that when clinical sequencing is undertaken for any medical reason, laboratories must examine 57 other specific genes to look for incidental findings. These findings must then be reported to the clinician and the patient. In an April 25 "clarification," ACMG said that failure to report these findings would be considered "unethical." The patient has no opportunity to opt-out of the testing of the 57 genes, except to decline all sequencing. The recommendations also apply to children.

In a paper to be published in 'Science 'May 16 online ahead of print, authors Susan M. Wolf, J.D. (University of Minnesota), George J. Annas, J.D., M.P.H. (Boston University), and Sherman Elias, M.D. (Northwestern University) push back against these recommendations, and offer compelling reasons why patient autonomy must remain firmly in place as science advances. Their article on Patient Autonomy and Incidental Findings in Clinical Genomics urges ACMG to reconsider their recommendations. This article is published with a reply by Amy McGuire, J.D., Ph.D. (Baylor College of Medicine) and colleagues.

Wolf, Annas, and Elias argue that, "The ACMG's 'minimum list [of 57 genes]' includes mutations in genes that patients have long been able to refuse testing for, including cancer risk mutations (such as BRCA1) and cardiovascular risk mutations." They point out that "There are many circumstances in which a patient may decline such testing and information, even if the results could open avenues for intervention. The patient may already be battling another disease, such as advanced cancer, or be late in life and see more burden than benefit in added genetic information. The patient may also fear that 'extra' results in their medical record will invite risk of discrimination."

ACMG says that applying these recommendations to children may help adult family members understand their own health risks. However, Wolf et al. point out that "this is exactly what past recommendations have rightly rejected, in limiting genetic testing and disclosure of genetic information to what is medically necessary during childhood." The authors cite long-standing policy discouraging childhood testing for adult-onset conditions. "Delaying testing and return of genetic information not medically useful in childhood allows the child to reach adulthood and then make a choice based on his or her own values."

The ACMG indicates that their list of genes to test without consent will grow. Their report says that laboratories may look for variants in other genes, "as deemed appropriate," and that ACMG will review the roster of 57 genes annually. Wolf et al. voice concern that "As the list expands, so will the scope of testing without consent?." The authors urge the importance of patients' rights, especially in an era of genome sequencing when extensive genetic information can be generated on any patient.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/H43SuU2_zq4/130516142545.htm

Chavez vs Martinez Yunel Escobar Irish Daily Star Black Mesa matt ryan matt ryan att wireless