Washington state looking for marijuana adviser

SEATTLE Wanted: A green thumb with extensive knowledge of the black, or at least gray, market.

As Washington state tries to figure out how to regulate its newly legal marijuana, officials are hiring an adviser on all things weed: how it's best grown, dried, tested, labeled, packaged and cooked into brownies.

Those angling for the job were expected to learn more Wednesday in Tacoma. The state Liquor Control Board, the agency charged with developing rules for the marijuana industry, reserved a convention center hall with a capacity of 275 people ? plus an overflow room ? for its bidding experts to take questions about the position and the hiring process.

"The Liquor Control Board has a long and a very good history with licensing and regulation. We know it and know how to do it well," said spokesman Mikhail Carpenter. "But there are some technical aspects with marijuana we could use a consultant to help us with."

Last fall, Washington and Colorado became the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis. Sales are due to begin in Washington state in December.

Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry. Up in the air is everything from how many growers and stores there should be, to how the marijuana should be tested to ensure people don't get sick.

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Marijuana in Wash.: Still illegal to sell, grow

Washington's Liquor Control Board has advertised for consulting services in four categories. The first is "product and industry knowledge" and requires "at least three years of consulting experience relating to the knowledge of the cannabis industry, including but not limited to product growth, harvesting, packaging, product infusion and product safety."

Other categories cover quality testing, including how to test for levels of THC, the compound that gets marijuana users high; statistical analysis of how much marijuana the state's licensed growers should produce; and the development of regulations, a category that requires "a strong understanding of state, local or federal government processes," with a law degree preferred.

In case no regulatory lawyers who grow pot in their spare time apply, multiple contracts could be awarded. Or bidders who are strong in one category could team up with those who are strong in another. Bids are due Feb. 15, with the contract awarded in March.

Many of the bidders are expected to come from the medical marijuana world.

Christy Stanley, a Kitsap County resident who has researched marijuana and considered opening a medical dispensary in the past, said she's attending the conference because she'd like the job, but wants to know whether it would disqualify her from also becoming a licensed grower or retailer. She knows growers, but has never grown marijuana herself, she said.

"This is big: The nation and the world are looking to us to set up a good model," she said. "If it works here, they're just going to cookie-cut this for other states."

Source: http://feeds.cbsnews.com/~r/CBSNewsGamecore/~3/tG6IrVpD-f0/

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Ramsey County officials may add to child porn charges against man ...

A man who previously ran for a seat as a commissioner in Ramsey County appeared in court last week in a child pornography case in Ramsey County. The man had previously held an administrator's job in state government, but no longer holds that position.

Prosecutors filed charges alleging 12 counts of possession of child pornography last March against the 39-year-old defendant. Now, Ramsey County officials are apparently considering filing up to 56 additional counts against the man, based upon computer forensics and a search of the man's computers.

A number of court rulings across the country have found that simply viewing an image on the Internet does not amount to possessing the image. However, when an image has been viewed, a remnant of the data may remain somewhere in the computer--even though a person may not be able to retrieve that image without a forensic type search.

The defendant in the Ramsey County case made that argument before the court recently. However, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that the judge presiding in the case ruled that prosecutors in St. Paul are alleging that the man did more than view files online. Apparently, the state argues it has evidence of emails and images stored in different areas that the cache.

The judge reportedly scheduled a trial on the current 12 counts of unlawful possession of child pornography for late February. The state says that prosecutors may add additional charges based upon the search of the computers.

This blog has previously discussed issues that can arise with Internet crimes and allegations involving data stored on computers and other electronic media. Child pornography charges often involve highly complex allegations involving electronic media with today's technology. Many legal questions involving computer forensic may remain unresolved. It is important to vigorously defend on the law, as well as on the facts when facing criminal charges to advance the understanding of the law.

Source: Minneapolis Star Tribune, "Ex-GOP House aide faces prospect of more child porn charges," Joy Powell, Jan. 25, 2013

Source: http://www.minneapolissexoffenseslawblog.com/2013/01/ramsey-county-officials-may-add-to-child-porn-charges-against-accused.shtml

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Quiksilver Europe Appoints Coffin on Cake PR | TransWorld Business

By Alex Befekadu
Tue, Jan 29 2013 7:48 pm | Comments

PRESS RELEASE

London (January 11, 2013)- Coffin on Cake PR are proud to announce they have been appointed to handle all press and brand enquiries for Quiksilver and Quiksilver Woman in the UK with immediate effect.
The London based fashion, sport, and lifestyle communications agency will also be taking a lead role in supporting the global surf/lifestyle label with brand strategy and creative direction. With a focus on communicating Quiksilver?s illustrious brand story, and core foundations alongside the brands globally leading products, events, and athletes.
Coffin on Cake Company Director Dean Bennett said, ?We feel honoured to be working alongside one of the most influential and important surf brands within the boardsports industry. Quiksilver?s roots run deeper than all others and their brand designs have influenced numerous mainstream surf fashion trends, from Quiksilver?s Echo Beach era in the 70s to the 80s War Paint era , and on a personal level Quiksilver was the brand that shaped my childhood, developed my surfing rapidly and inspired my interests in fashion.? Bennett continued, ?A lot has changed within the boardsports industry since 1969, but what remains consistent throughout the years is Quiksilver?s dedication and commitment to producing market leading products and events. What most excites us about our brief is the access we have to the real heritage the company has behind it, and the brand stories that are so relevant for today?s market. We are looking forward to communicating this to a wider non-endemic and influential audience.?
Quiksilver?s European Communications Manager Marie-aurelie Duche said, ?Coffin on Cake demonstrated a clear understanding of our brands and our challenges and opportunities within the European and global marketplace, and presented a creative communications and brand development strategy which will support our business objectives. We?re really stoked to have Coffin on Cake on board and excited by this relationship and its future prospects.?

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Coffin on Cake PR are now booking press appointments to view the Spring/Summer ?13 collections for both Quiksilver and Quiksilver Womens at their showrooms located on Redchurch Street in Shoreditch, and will be presenting Quiksilver?s AW13/14 collections at their AW13 Press Day taking place in May 2013. For more information, sample requests and image call-ins contact Lauren Taverner Brown, Adam Gaworski and Gabriella Persson at Coffin on Cake PR, Tel. +44 (0)203 609 5313, and visit http://www.coffinoncake.com

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http://business.transworld.net/120270/news/quicksilver-europe-appoint-coffin-on-cake-pr/

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Digital Music News - Metallica: When Streaming Hits 20 Million ...

Tuesday, January 29, 2013
by ?paul

Is there an imaginary sweet spot where it all makes sense? ?Yes, according to longtime Metallica manager Cliff Burnstein, who recently orchestrated an exclusive deal with Spotify. ?Burnstein postulates that once streaming subscription services hit 20 million subscribers, payouts to artists will suddenly make sense -- even if iTunes downloads get completely wiped out. ?"There is a point at which there could be 100 percent cannibalization, and we would make more money through subscription services," Burnstein told the New York Times. ? ??

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Early stats show a rather immediate cannibalization effect following Metallica's Spotify ingestion late last year. ?But insiders say Metallica, now independent and in control of their masters, definitely isn't getting screwed by its recent Spotify deal. ?In fact, Spotify likely added substantial sweeteners to the deal to secure Metallica's exclusive participation. ?

But what about those that are less fortunate? ?This is the point where Spotify (and Pandora, and other streaming) executives might want to consider things carefully. ?An angry comment section on Digital Music News is one thing, but now, massive outlets like the New York Times are taking notice (yeah, they have internet access, too). ?"But as the companies behind these digital services swell into multibillion-dollar enterprises, the relative trickle of money that has made its way to artists is causing anxiety at every level of the business," Times journalist Ben Sisario wrote.

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Indeed, Sisario was interviewing industry-influential musicians like Zoe Keating, whose paltry payouts have ignited a discussion about what's fair. ?"In certain types of music, like classical or jazz, we are condemning [musicians] to poverty if this is going to be the only way people consume music," Keating starkly warned.

The question is whether this leads to more mainstream awareness of the payout problem, including the inconvenient truth that many artists never get paid - at all. ?Coverage by mega-papers like the New York Times could snowball, and shift the discussion entirely for millions of existing and potential subscribers.

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There's also another inconvenient truth: the industry is closer to 20 million than you might think. ?According to a tally compiled by Digital Music News earlier this month, worldwide streaming subscription numbers are already comfortably over 10 million, and quickly careening towards the 15 million mark. ?Which raises the question of whether 20 million is a happy tipping point, or another dissillusionment waiting to happen. ?

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Source: http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/permalink/2013/20130129metallica

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Gore hits corporate media, defends Current TV sale

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

Former U.S. Vice President Al Gore talks during an interview, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013 in New York. Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his own television channel to Al-Jazeera. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) ? Al Gore, who takes aim in his new book at the corporate media for "suffocating the free flow of ideas," on Tuesday defended the sale of his television channel to Al-Jazeera.

The Qatar government-owned news network earlier this month struck a deal to buy Current TV, the cable news network co-founded by the former vice president. The price tag was $500 million.

Gore told The Associated Press that he had no reservations about selling the channel to Al-Jazeera, which has won U.S. journalism prizes but has been criticized by some for an anti-American bias. The new owner plans to gradually transform Current into a network called Al-Jazeera America.

"They're commercial-free, they're hard-hitting," he said in a phone interview. "They're very respected and capable, and their climate coverage has been outstanding, in-depth, extensive, far more so than any network currently on the air in the U.S."

The 64-year-old Gore said he considers Current TV, which was largely outflanked by MSNBC in its effort to be a liberal alternative to Fox News Channel, to have been a success.

"We won every major award in television journalism, and we were profitable each year," said Gore, who has a home in Nashville. "But it's difficult for an independent network to compete in an age of conglomerate."

In a new 592-page book titled, "The Future: Six Drivers of Global Change," Gore makes only a fleeting reference to Al-Jazeera, calling it "the feisty and relatively independent satellite television channel" that played a key role in bringing about the Arab Spring.

Gore in the book likens the influence of money in the political process to a "slow-motion corporate coup d'etat that threatens to destroy the integrity and functioning of American democracy."

"Corporations are not people," Gore said in the interview. "Might doesn't make right. Money is not speech. And those who advocate the dominance of American politics by large corporations, special interests and anonymous donors are working against the original design by our founders."

"Our democracy has been hacked," he said.

Corporations have enlisted politicians and lobbyists to further their goals and have also "recruited a fifth column in the Fourth Estate," he said in the book.

"The one-way, advertising-dominated conglomerate-controlled television medium has been suffocating the free flow of ideas necessary for genuine self-determination," he writes.

The Internet provides a path for breaking the corporate stranglehold on the media, Gore said in the interview, as it "is less vulnerable to the dominance of special interests, because individual voices play a larger and more influential role."

Gore, who won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to raise awareness about climate change, also calls for a carbon tax, though he acknowledged that passage does not appear to be imminent.

"Well, I wouldn't go to Vegas and bet on it right now," he said. "But neither would I say that it's impossible ... The day has passed when we can use the earth's atmosphere as an open sewer."

"Yes it's tough, because we've been relying on these fossil fuels for 150 years. But the cost of solar and wind is coming down rapidly and energy efficiency saves money while it reduces pollution," he said. "And we need to move in that direction quickly."

Gore, who represented Tennessee in the U.S. Senate and House before he was tapped by President Bill Clinton as his running mate, blames procedural rules in the Senate for blocking popular measures.

"I fully appreciate the virtues of the filibuster, but it's gotten so out of control that I do think that it needs to be dialed back significantly," he said. "It has been abused to the point where American democracy is paralyzed.

"Nothing can pass the Senate that is opposed by special interests," he said. "And that's not right."

Gore points out in the introduction of his book that as a "recovering politician," the chances of his returning to public office become slimmer the more time passes. Gore won more popular votes than George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential contest, but was defeated in the electoral college after the Supreme Court stopped a hotly debated recount in Florida.

So the book shouldn't be seen as a "manifesto" for a future political campaign, he writes in the book.

But he's not shy about making a series of policy recommendations.

"We should have more progressive taxation, we should have higher inheritance taxes. I've always believed that," Gore said. "I advocated that during my political career and I continue to advocate it."

"We need to restore our democracy, we need to reform markets so they operate the way they're supposed to," he said. "And the U.S. leadership of the world needs to be restored."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-29-Gore-Book/id-f0c22d4246b340d6bd8370b0205f402a

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Elder Care: What Can Seniors Do to Protect Themselves Against ...

Elder abuse is something that may occur in a variety of ways, including physical, emotional, sexual, and financial. Additionally, healthcare professionals can take advantage of medical needs by committing fraud regarding their Medicaid and other billings associated with a senior's care. As such, there are many ways in which people can mistreat elderly individuals; however, it is possible for seniors to protect themselves against such abuse. Here are a few tips for seniors to assist them in preventing abuse from taking place, provided by the home care professionals of Durham, North Carolina:

1. Seniors who have experienced mistreatment of any shape or form should report the incident. Whether they were neglected in a nursing home or a family caregiver took financial advantage of them, it is crucial that seniors speak up. In such circumstances, elderly individuals should turn to a trusted family member or friend, an elder abuse helpline, or the police.
2. By maintaining control over their financial and legal affairs, seniors can better safeguard their bank accounts, wills, and other assets against financial abuse. If a senior is unable to handle these concerns on their own, trusting them to a money management or legal professional is a great idea. If this is not possible, a trusted family member can also protect their loved ones' financial wellbeing.
3. Isolated elderly individuals are often targeted because abusers believe that their misconduct will be less likely to be noticed. As such, it is important for seniors to stay in touch with loved ones, including friends and family members. By having people around, seniors can create a boundary between themselves and individuals who would take advantage of them.

In addition to these tips, elderly individuals can also work to create positive relationships with care providers. Negative relationships perpetuated by both seniors and caregivers may foster resentment and frustration that can lead to abuse.

Of course, it is not possible to prevent elder abuse from taking place in all cases. Should your senior fall victim to mistreatment, it is crucial that they do not think it is their own fault for not preventing it. If you suspect that your elderly loved one is being abused, it is imperative that you take action right away.

Source: http://alwaysbestcarechapelhill-durham.blogspot.com/2013/01/what-can-seniors-do-to-protect.html

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Global Business Travel Association moves into Russia | News ...

The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) ? the voice of the global business travel industry ? has announced the formation of a GBTA Russia chapter.

The development of GBTA Russia means that the association now has activity and membership in all BRIC regions for the first time.

The launch of GBTA in this region will be supported by an Allied Leadership Advisory Board, which will be comprised of representatives from Star Alliance, Continent Express and Marriott International.

GBTA and the Allied Leadership will announce details of the business travel buyers chosen to lead the GBTA region as its Advisory Board and Regional President at a launch event, planned for 8th April at the Marriott Grand in Moscow.

GBTA?s senior vice president of global operations, Paul Tilstone, said about the development: ?GBTA is thrilled to be expanding our global footprint to Russia.?

?Russia is becoming an important and exciting travel management arena.?

?Establishing this region will allow us to work closely with Russian travel professionals, adding value through our education and advocacy while connecting them with their peers throughout the world.?

GBTA Russia will announce its schedule of activity at the formal launch event in Moscow on April 8th.

Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/global-business-travel-association-moves-into-russia/

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Boston Scientific reports weaker results, sets job cuts

(Reuters) - Boston Scientific Corp reported weaker quarterly earnings on Tuesday as sales slipped and expenses rose, and the medical device maker announced more job cuts.

The company said it expected to eliminate 900 to 1,000 jobs worldwide through 2013, bringing the total headcount reduction to 2,100 to 2,400 positions from 2011 to 2013.

Boston Scientific employs 24,000 workers worldwide, according to its website.

Fourth-quarter net earnings fell to $60 million, or 4 cents per share, from $107 million, or 7 cents per share, a year earlier, the company said.

Excluding special items, earnings were 11 cents per share, matching the average estimate on Wall Street, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

Revenue dipped to $1.82 billion from $1.85 billion as sales slipped in the interventional cardiology business, which sells heart stents, and in the cardiac rhythm management business, which sells pacemakers and implantable heart defibrillators. Those two businesses make up more than half of Boston Scientific's total revenue.

Sales rose in the company's other smaller businesses, including urology and women's heath, endoscopy and neuromodulation.

The company forecast first-quarter earnings of 4 cents to 7 per share. It expects adjusted earnings, excluding charges for restructuring, acquisitions and amortization, to be 14 cents to 17 cents per share, with sales of $1.74 billion to $1.82 billion.

For the full year, Boston Scientific estimated earnings at 29 cents to 37 cents per share. It said it expected adjusted earnings of between 64 cents and 70 cents per share on sales of $7.05 billion to $7.35 billion.

(Reporting by Debra Sherman; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Lisa Von Ahn)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boston-scientific-reports-weaker-results-sets-job-cuts-134814380--finance.html

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Best friends influence when teenagers have first drink

Jan. 28, 2013 ? Chances are the only thing you remember about your first swig of alcohol is how bad the stuff tasted. What you didn't know is the person who gave you that first drink and when you had it says a lot about your predisposition to imbibe later in life.

A national study by a University of Iowa-led team has found that adolescents who get their first drink from a friend are more likely to drink sooner in life, which past studies show makes them more prone to abusing alcohol when they get older. The finding is intended to help specialists predict when adolescents are likely to first consume alcohol, with the aim of heading off problem drinking at the pass.

"When you start drinking, even with kids who come from alcoholic families, they don't get their first drinks from their family," says Samuel Kuperman, a child and adolescent psychiatrist at the UI. "They get their first drinks from their friends. They have to be able to get it. If they have friends who have alcohol, then it's easier for them to have that first drink."

The basis for the study, published this month in the journal Pediatrics, is compelling: One-third of eighth graders in the United States report they've tried alcohol, according to a 2011 study of 20,000 teenagers conducted by the University of Michigan and funded by the National Institutes of Health. By 10th grade, more than half say they've had a first drink, and that percentage shoots to 70 percent by their senior year.

"There's something driving kids to drink," explains Kuperman, corresponding author on the paper. "Maybe it's the coolness factor or some mystique about it. So, we're trying to educate kids about the risks associated with drinking and give them alternatives."

Kuperman and his team built their formula from two longstanding measures of adolescent drinking behavior -- the Semi-Structured Assessment for the Genetics and Alcoholism and the Achenbach Youth Self Report. From those measures of nearly two-dozen variables and a review of the literature, the UI-led team found five to be the most important predictors: two separate measures of disruptive behavior, a family history of alcohol dependence, a measure of poor social skills, and whether most best friends drink alcohol.

The researchers then looked at how the five variables worked in concert. Surprisingly, a best friend who drank and had access to alcohol was the most important predictor. In fact, adolescents whose best friend used alcohol were twice as likely to have a first drink, the researchers found. Moreover, if considered independently of the other variables, teenagers whose best friends drank are three times as likely to begin drinking themselves, the study found, underscoring the sway that friends have in adolescents' drinking behavior.

"Family history doesn't necessarily drive the age of first drink," notes Kuperman, who has studied teen drinking for more than a decade. "It's access. At that age (14 or 15), access trumps all. As they get older, then family history plays a larger role."

The current study drew from a pool of 820 adolescents at six sites across the country. The participants were 14 to 17 years old, with a median age of 15.5, nearly identical to the typical age of an adolescent's first drink found in previous studies. More than eight in 10 respondents came from what the researchers deemed high-risk families, but more than half of the teenagers had no alcohol-dependent parents. Tellingly, among those adolescents who reported having had drunk alcohol, nearly four in ten said their best friends also drank.

The result underscores previous findings that teenagers who have their first drink before 15 years of age are more likely to abuse alcohol or become dependent. It also supports the screening questions selected in the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the American Academy of Pediatrics initiative to identify and help youth at risk for alcohol use, the researchers write.

Kuperman, whose faculty appointment is in the Carver College of Medicine, says he hopes to use the study to delve into the genetics underpinning alcoholism, chiefly tracking adolescents who use alcohol and see whether they have genes that match up with their parents if they also are problem drinkers.

"We're trying to separate out those who experiment with alcohol to those who go on to problematic drinking," he says.

Contributing authors include John Kramer from the UI; Grace Chan and Victor Hesselbrock, University of Connecticut Health Center; Leah Wetherill, Indiana University School of Medicine; Kathleen Bucholz, Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis; Danielle Dick, Virginia Commonwealth University; Bernice Porjesz and Madhavi Rangaswamy, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn; and Marc Schuckit (principal investigator on the grant), University of California San Diego School of Medicine.

The National Institutes of Health (grant number: 5 U10 AA008401), the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and the National Institute on Drug Abuse funded the study.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Iowa. The original article was written by Richard C. Lewis.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. S. Kuperman, G. Chan, J. R. Kramer, L. Wetherill, K. K. Bucholz, D. Dick, V. Hesselbrock, B. Porjesz, M. Rangaswamy, M. Schuckit. A Model to Determine the Likely Age of an Adolescent's First Drink of Alcohol. PEDIATRICS, 2013; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2012-0880

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

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/living_well/~3/BlqvBqU0MNw/130128133136.htm

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