August is here which means back-to-school season has officially begun.
Most families spend upwards of $500 per child on school necessities according to Huntington Bank?s Annual Backpack Index. ??
Starting today, families can save and extra 6-7% off of selected school items. These include school supplies like paper and pencils, clothing, software, and computers under $1000.
Certain department stores are even offering additional coupons to New Mexico residents for shopping at their businesses this weekend. Starting Friday, 3 p.m. to close and Saturday 9 am ? 1 pm, JC Penney offers $10 off purchases of $25 or more on select apparel, shoes and accessories, and $10 haircuts for kids inside JC Penney salons. Kohl?s is offering coupons for an additional $10 off of every $50 spent.
Most stores will hold longer hours in order to accommodate the large crowds of shoppers that are expected to be out, and they recommend shoppers get to the stores early. Sale items tend to sell out quickly due to the holiday.
However, for those who want savings but would rather avoid crowds, the tax free incentive is also extended to online shopping.
JC Penney has two locations in Albuquerque, one Coronado Center and one at the Cottonwood Mall.
Kohl?s has three locations in Albuquerque, one at the Coronado Center, one located at 6800 Holly Ave NE, and one location on the Westside at 3715 Ellison Rd NW.
Has former "Cosby Show" and "That's So Raven" star Raven-Symone outed herself with a single Tweet? Here's the comment in question, which was posted on Friday:
Last year, the National Enquirer wrote a story indicating she was living with former "America's Top Model" contestant AzMarie Livingston. At the time, she tweeted, "My sexual orientation is mine, and the person I'm dating to know. I'm not one for a public display of my life."
In a statement to E! News after her most recent Tweet, however, she said, "I am very happy that gay marriage is opening up around the country and is being accepted. I was excited to hear today that more states legalized gay marriage. I, however am not currently getting married, but it is great to know I can now, should I wish to."
The actress, who got her start in 1989 at age 3 on "The Cosby Show" as Olivia Kendall, has worked steadily since. She debuted on Broadway in 2012 as the lead in "Sister Act."
Her over 482,000 followers on Twitter have largely been supportive; one asked, "Can I have your spot in the Cheetah Girls? Disney might not like you anymore."
Karen Dawal passes out information to job seekers during the East Bay's HIREvent on July 17, 2013 in Emeryville, California.
The U.S. economy created fewer jobs than expected in July, with the bulk of the them in areas, such as retail and restaurants, that typically are low-paying.
The Labor Department, in its widely watched jobs report, on Friday said non-farm employment rose by 162,000 and the unemployment rate slipped to 7.4 percent, the lowest in over four years. Gains in employment fueled some of that decline, but the labor force also shrank during the month, robbing some of the luster from the decline in the unemployment rate.
Employment increased in retail trade, food services and drinking establishments, financial activities and wholesale trade.?
The jobs growth, which missed expectations of an increase of 183,000 jobs, was enough to show the labor market continues to expand, but at a sluggish pace.
A broader gauge of unemployment that includes the underemployed and those who have quit looking for work also fell, from 14.3 percent in June to 14 percent in July.
"It's a much weaker number than was generally expected, and it's not troubling but it's a reminder that the labor market remains weak," said Milton Ezrati, senior economic strategist at Lord Abbett & Co.
Previous months' job creation numbers were revised lower, bucking a trend in which the counts mainly have been revised upwards.
The BLS now puts May job growth at 176,000, down from the previously reported 195,000, while June's figure fell to 188,000 from 195,000.
At the same time, long-term unemployment rose, with the average duration of joblessness now at 36.6 weeks.
And wage growth fell: After rising 10 cents an hour last month, average wages fell 2 cents to $23.98 an hour, while the average work week decreased by 0.1 hours to 34.4 hours.?
CNBC's Jeff Cox and Reuters contributed to this report.
Door to Door Storage Inc., a national provider of portable self-storage and moving services, recently sent 26 care packages to armed-forces members serving overseas as part of its ?Door to Door Cares: Supporting Our Troops? program. The company has donated 89 care packages since launching the program in 2009. The packages include items such as Starbucks instant coffee, hand wipes, jerky and personal hygiene products.
?These shipments are just a small token of our appreciation. As long as our armed forces are serving abroad, Door to Door will remain dedicated to this cause,? said Tracey Kelly, senior vice president of sales and marketing.
The latest series of packages were sent to U.S. Air Force Col. Brad Bredenkamp and distributed to the personnel stationed at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan. ?On behalf of the men and women of the 455th Air Expeditionary Wing, I would like to thank the people at Door to Door Storage for their moral support and generous donations to our deployed service members,? said Col. Brendenkamp. ?The snacks, energy and vitamin drinks, socks, and other items are especially helpful for our security-forces personnel who patrol outside the wire for long hours at a time to prevent insurgent attacks on our airfield. Personally, I want to thank you all for lifting the spirits of hundreds of dedicated young American men and women who are away from their loved ones serving our great nation.?
Founded in 1996 and headquartered in Kent, Wash., Door to Door Storage operates storage centers in more than 60 U.S. metropolitan markets and offers moving services in 34 states.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Jason Furman, who helped create the $800 billion economic stimulus package that dominated much of President Barack Obama's first year in office, won Senate confirmation on Thursday as chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
Furman will replace Alan Krueger, who took leave as a professor from Princeton University to hold the Cabinet-level post. The council advises the president on domestic and international economic policy.
In addition to crafting the stimulus package, Furman advised on the formulation of the president's signature healthcare overhaul that congressional Republicans are trying to repeal.
Furman served as special assistant to President Bill Clinton at the National Economic Council in 1999-2000 and also did a stint at the World Bank. He has advised Obama since his 2008 presidential campaign.
(Reporting by Thomas Ferraro and Jeff Mason; Editing by Eric Walsh)
Uh oh, looks like somebody's got a serious case of space madness. Either that or Nancy Sinatra's siren song has already taken hold of his senses. Either way, this stranded astronaut is royally screwed. The creatives over at Wildlife.la crafted this Gulliverian tale of interplanetary exploration and eventual psychosis.
The temps are taking over. Full-time jobs are harder and harder to come by this year for young Americans, according to a new poll.
The Gallup Poll found that only 43.6 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 had a full-time job in June 2013.? In 2012, 47 percent of millennials were employed full-time. ?In fact, more young Americans reported to be employed full-time three years ago than last month,? reports HuffPo.
Another report by Generation Opportunity, discovered the youth jobless rate was at 16.1 percent in June, more than twice the 7.6 percent unemployment rate experienced by all Americans. There are 1.7 million young adults without a job who are not counted as unemployed because they stopped job hunting, says Generation Opportunity.
Even with these circumstances, the Gallup poll found that it is more beneficial to have a college education in today?s job market. ?Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 who have at least a college degree are nearly twice as likely to have a full-time job than their peers without a degree, according to the survey,? reports HuffPo.
While this may be good news for recent grads, they are still burdened by heavy student loan debts. A new survey from One Wisconsin Institute, found that it will take the average student loan borrower more than 21 years to completely pay off their debt. And, according to a June report from Congress? Joint Economic Committee, roughly two-thirds of college students graduated in 2011 with debt levels reaching about 60 percent of their average annual income.
So even if you have been lucky enough to find a job, most of your money will be used to paying back your student loans debts well into your career.
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Taiwan market: NCC to demand cell broadcast capability from 4G operators
Chloe Yu, Taipei; Adam Hwang, DIGITIMES?[Thursday 1 August 2013]
Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) on July 31 indicated that all 4G mobile communication operators will be required to provide cell broadcast-based text message services specifically for sending warnings against large disasters to a large number of receivers.
Each 4G operator should set up a cell broadcast control center, NCC said. In addition, 4G handsets to be launched by 4G operators should be cell broadcast-enabled models, NCC noted.
Currently, 3G operators can only send up to 2,000 text messages based on LBS (location based service) broadcasts a minute, NCC indicated.
Microsoft is going to have to rename its SkyDrive cloud storage service after agreeing to submit to a British court's ruling over ownership of the brand name.
British Sky Broadcasting Group, the European satellite broadcasting arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, took on Redmond over the rights to the SkyDrive name, pointing out that BSkyB had got there in advance of Microsoft's marketing cohorts. In June, UK High Court Judge Sarah?Asplin found against Microsoft, and Redmond has submitted to the verdict.
"We are pleased to have reached a settlement after Microsoft agreed not to appeal the trade mark infringement judgment in relation to its SkyDrive service," said Sky in a statement to El Reg.
"We will remain vigilant in protecting the Sky brand and will continue to take appropriate action against those companies who seek to use our trade mark without consent."
It's another embarrassing trademark failure for Microsoft. The much-touted Metro interface that was the marketing push behind Windows 8 is rumored to have been?renamed as "Modern UI" after intellectual property?lawyers got involved. With the billions?Microsoft spends on marketing, you'd think the company would have this kind of slip sorted by now. It seems not, however.
"We're glad to have resolution of this naming dispute, and will continue to deliver the great service our hundreds of millions of customers expect, providing the best way to always have your files with you," Microsoft said in a statement.
This still leaves the name for the new service to decide. El Reg is sure the readers will have some suitable suggestions on our forum boards. ?
FILE - In this July 17, 2013 file photo, House Education Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., left, followed by House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of Calif., walks to the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. A deal that gives college students and their parents lower interest rates for loans is heading toward its final vote. The House was expected Wednesday to take up a bipartisan compromise that links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. Immediately, borrowers would see lower rates for classes this year than last, although the costs are expected to climb in coming years if the economy improves as expected. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
FILE - In this July 17, 2013 file photo, House Education Committee Chairman Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., left, followed by House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy of Calif., walks to the House chamber on Capitol Hill in Washington. A deal that gives college students and their parents lower interest rates for loans is heading toward its final vote. The House was expected Wednesday to take up a bipartisan compromise that links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. Immediately, borrowers would see lower rates for classes this year than last, although the costs are expected to climb in coming years if the economy improves as expected. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? A deal that gives college students and their parents lower interest rates for loans is heading toward its final vote.
The House was expected Wednesday to take up a bipartisan compromise that links student loan interest rates to the financial markets. Immediately, most borrowers would see lower rates for classes this year than last, although the costs are expected to climb in coming years if the economy improves as expected.
"This is a victory for students and taxpayers, and I look forward to the bill's swift passage in the House," said Rep. John Kline, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce.
Undergraduates this fall would borrow at a 3.9 percent interest rate for subsidized and unsubsidized loans. Graduate students would have access to loans at 5.4 percent, and parents would borrow at 6.4 percent. The rates would be locked in for that year's loan, but each year's loan could be more expensive than the last. Rates would rise as the economy picks up and it becomes more expensive for the government to borrow money.
But for now, interest payments for tuition, housing and books would be less expensive if the House passes the bill, as expected.
The chamber earlier this year passed legislation that is similar to what the Senate later passed. Both link interest rates to 10-year Treasury notes and remove Congress' annual role in determining rates.
Negotiators of the Senate compromise were mindful of the House-passed version, as well as the White House preference to shift responsibility for interest rates to the financial markets. The resulting bipartisan bill passed the Senate 81-18.
Republican House Speaker John Boehner has signaled his caucus should support Senate changes to the earlier bill. So, too, has Rep. George Miller of California, the top Democrat on the House education panel.
The House-written student loan bill passed the GOP-led chamber 221-198, largely along party lines. Eight Republicans crossed party lines to vote against it; four Democrats voted in favor of it.
With changes made in the Senate ? most notably a cap on how interest rates could climb and locking in interest rates for the life of each year's loan ? Democrats were expected to join Republicans and back the bill.
Interest rates would not top 8.25 percent for undergraduates. Graduate students would not pay rates higher than 9.5 percent, and parents' rates would top out at 10.5 percent. Using Congressional Budget Office estimates, rates would not reach those limits in the next 10 years.
Even with those protections not all Democrats will back it, cautioned House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi. She said this "isn't the bill we would have written, but it is a bill that can pass and will have Democrats voting for and against."
The White House has endorsed the deal and President Barack Obama is expected to sign the bill into law, despite objections from consumer advocates that the outline could cost future students.
"The bottom line is that students will pay more under this bill than if Congress did nothing, and low rates will soon give way to rates that are even higher than the 6.8 percent rate that Congress is trying to avoid," said Chris Lindstrom, higher education program director for the consumer group US PIRG.
Rates on new subsidized Stafford loans doubled to 6.8 percent July 1 because Congress could not agree on a way to keep them at 3.4 percent. Without congressional action, rates would stay at 6.8 percent ? a reality most lawmakers called unacceptable.
The compromise that came together during the last month would be a good deal for all students through the 2015 academic year. After that, interest rates are expected to climb above where they were when students left campus in the spring, if congressional estimates prove correct.
The White House and its allies said the new loan structure would offer lower rates to 11 million borrowers right away and save the average undergraduate $1,500 in interest charges.
Democratic senators were already talking about changing the deal when they take up a rewrite of the Higher Education Act this fall. As a condition of his support, Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Tom Harkin won a Government Accountability Office report on the costs of colleges. That document was expected to guide an overhaul of the deal just negotiated.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated the bill as written would reduce the deficit by $715 million over the next decade. During that same time, federal loans would be a $1.4 trillion program.
___
Follow Philip Elliott on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/philip_elliott
Council Speaker Christine Quinn and former Comptroller Bill Thompson at Latino-oriented campaign events.
At the height of a blistering heat wave that pummeled the city two weeks ago, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn stepped from a black SUV that lingered near the sidewalk just long enough to let its precious cargo leave. The former governor of Puerto Rico, Sila Mar?a Calder?n, draped in a regal gold jacket, had flown from San Juan to join Ms. Quinn and formally endorse her for mayor of New York City.
Once inside a larger recreational room of the Bronx?s Andrew Jackson Senior Center, filled to the brim with primarily Hispanic seniors, the pair of female politicians were announced like the Rolling Stones gracing the stage of Madison Square Garden.
?We have the first woman who was the governor of Puerto Rico and we have the first woman who is going to be the mayor of the City of New York,? Assemblywoman Carmen Arroyo declared, drawing uproarious applause.
?I think having support in the Latino and Hispanic community is critical, central to winning the Democratic nomination and winning the mayor?s office,? Ms. Quinn told Politicker in an interview a week later, after a string of seemingly nonstop visits to Hispanic senior living centers, policy proposals addressing immigration issues and appearances on Latino media outlets.
Hours after the conversation, her campaign unveiled ?Latinos Unidos con Quinn,? a list of more than 500 Latino endorsers. Before that, she had released ?Nueva York 2014,? a ?comprehensive Spanish-language guide to Chris?s record of delivering results for the city?s Latino communities.? A Twitter account, ?@LatinosConQuinn,? touts her accomplishments in Spanish on social media. And as July approached its final weeks, the crippling heat wave subsiding in favor of cloudy temperate skies, Ms. Quinn did not let up on her intense focus on the city?s Hispanic electorate.
John Liu accepts an endorsement from the National Latino Officers Association.
She wasn?t the only one racking up an increasingly long list of Latino-oriented events, either.
During the week of Ms. Calderon?s visit, former Comptroller Bill Thompson rolled out an endorsement from Fernando Ferrer, the 2005 Democratic nominee for mayor, at an event announcing ?new efforts to help grow Latino small businesses.? Public Advocate Bill de Blasio defended an anti-racial profiling bill with Councilwoman Melissa Mark-Viverito and Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda at his side. And everyone from former Congressman Anthony Weiner to longer shots like former Councilman Sal Albanese vowed to stop by a salsa festival in El Barrio featuring stickball. The list goes on and on.
Latino voters have never been seen as more important. On the heels of a presidential election where their vote was considered a decisive factor, the group is expected to play a larger role than ever before. In the 2009 mayoral race, exit polls showed 21 percent of voters identified as Hispanic. The National Institute for Latino Policy reported that this number is expected to climb to nearly 30 percent for this year?s Democratic primary?placing them roughly on par with African-American participation
At this point, though, there is no outright winner among the throng of Democratic candidates. The Latino polling numbers mirror whoever is leading overall?Ms. Quinn is ahead, for now?a correlative relationship that is fluctuating week by week, especially in the aftermath of Mr. Weiner?s cringe-inducing re-scandalization.
(Photo: NiLP)
?They?re divided; they?re all over the place supporting different candidates,? Angelo Falc?n of the National Institute for Latino Policy told Politicker. ?We have something that is different from years back, the last couple of elections. It?s very more reminiscent of how things used to be a long time ago in New York City.?
There are actually two Latino mayoral contenders. One, former Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carri?n Jr., dropped out of the Democratic Party altogether and is campaigning for Gracie Mansion on the Independence Party?s line?an uphill battle, but one that will be decided after the September 10 Democratic contest. (He?s also been enjoying some rare attention from the mainstream media, including very favorable mention of his transit proposals in the Times.) The other is the conservative Reverend Erick Salgado, whom Mr. Falc?n referred to as ?the comic relief in the debates,? cracking Carlos Danger jokes with the best of them.
Mr. Thompson seems to have made some of the biggest headway in at least securing key endorsements, encompassing both Dominican and Puerto Rican backgrounds that the vast majority of Latino voters will also share.
Northern Manhattan State Senator Adriano Espaillat?s backing was rolled out at the start of the month. ?I think that people know him,? Mr. Espaillat, the most prominent Dominican-American pol in the city, told Politicker. ?They refer to him as the guy who almost beat Michael Bloomberg. They remember him.? ?When I?m with Billy Thompson, especially in the Bronx, whether it?s the black community, the Latino community, there?s a certain level of enthusiasm that is not reflected in the polls that we?re seeing now,? Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz, a top Puerto Rican official, concurred.
Although it?s still far from clear whether Mr. Thompson will indeed rise to the top, if Ms. Quinn?s lead holds, Mr. Weiner regains his footing, or if Mr. de Blasio will start clicking, interest in the Latino vote has unquestionably shifted the policy dialogue in the campaign.
Although it?s still far from clear whether Ms. Quinn?s lead will hold, interest in the Latino vote has unquestionably shifted the policy dialogue in the campaign.
Two weeks ago, Ms. Quinn unveiled a plan to spend $18 million over the next two years to help ensure that undocumented immigrants can acquire legal jobs and get driver?s licenses. Mr. de Blasio has proposed a citywide identification card program, something John Liu staunchly opposes as ?a separate and unequal system? that doesn?t go far enough. Mr. Thompson has unveiled a ?Big Apple-Big Dreams? initiative to provide financial aid for undocumented students. And the candidates, who often pepper their debate performances with Spanish phrases, have vowed to continue the current mayor?s practice of making official announcements in both English and Spanish.
Bill de Blasio supporters ?getting ready to cha cha in the Bronx Dominican Day Parade.? (Photo: Twitter/deBlasioNYC)
So the courting continues. Last Sunday, many of the candidates marched in the Bronx?s Dominican Day Parade.
The street was filled with a sea of tricolored Dominican flags, waved feverishly to the rhythms of reggaeton and Spanish music blaring from car and parade float speakers. Everyone from Ms. Quinn?wearing a sash across her bright pink blouse?to Republican candidate John Catsimatidis, waving from the top of his own parade float, showed up on the rainy afternoon.
But as they marched up Grand Concourse Boulevard, supporters and signs in tow, the crowd seemed generally unmoved by the candidates; excited to be outside enjoying the day and the music but ambivalent to the individuals fighting for their votes.
As Mr. Liu walked along the parade route, passing out literature and giving handshakes, observers greeted him and his team of megaphones with socially required niceties, but not much more.
Joshua Batista, 31, one of many on the sidelines, remained unswayed by the overzealous efforts of the candidates. He said he hadn?t yet decided who had his vote.
?It?s crunch time. Seven weeks,? he noted. ?They?re going to try to put their best out there. They?re going to try to see what they can do. What can they entice us with??
Follow Gideon Resnick on Twitter or via RSS. gresnick@observer.com
I expected that. there's always a bunch of immature baboons who have no sense of being rational infiltrating P.A Posts relating to apple or Android.. possibly windows phone. tell me, what's the point of saying "FROFLROOFLFLFLFILFFLOLOLOOOL Apple suksssss! Android ownzzz" or "WOW REVOLUTIONARY! (Old joke, bob.)"? I don't see How you twats would gain from flaming companies. I used androids and iDevices and I must say both are really good. if only someone heroic and brave enough to obliterate bIased rage nerds and geeks off of this website...
3.wendygarettposted on3 hours ago5
Sorry dude, ios make it wrong, and android just correct that
5.roscuthiiiposted on3 hours ago2
Kinda seems like you're inviting it to happen now though...
I mean, yours is the first comment and it's not even about the article. It's about comments that haven't/hadn't even occurred yet. Ever heard the term: self-fulfilling prophecy?
12.itsdeepak4u2000posted on1 hour ago0
Yes +1 to you, I also wanted to comment the same.
6.AmitMajumderposted on3 hours ago2
Ya, Dude. These people can be divided in 3 categories :- 1) Apple fan - "Android is great but I love iOS" 2) Android fan - "iOS is great but I love Android" 3) Idiots - "Apple sucks, BLA BLA Android is great / Android is copy, Apple is the real one And BLA BLA BLA...."
2.thephonedudeposted on3 hours ago2
BTW good that apple is back into the game......the new ios look shows that cupertino changed their direction. I'm looking forward to what innovations they will make (no sarcasm intended). BTW here's something for the people who thinks tremendously high specs on a phone is everything- specs are like clothes. Branded clothes. for you to show off. Software and OS is like a person's character- what you are really made off. ;)
4.roscuthiiiposted on3 hours ago0
Normally I would not pay for a wallpaper, but... does look pretty cool for only $0.99. I'll give it some time out on the Play Store first though to see if customer comments confirm or deny it's effect on battery life.
7.E34V8posted on3 hours ago6
Such wallpapers were present in Google Play, long ago.
Maybe Apple took a little insPIRATion from them :) . Just joking.
8.Mercenaryposted on3 hours ago0
I'm using it right now..it's nice but doesn't worth to pay for..it must be free.
10.scriptwriterposted on1 hour ago0
I brought an android smartphone because i dont like apple or apple products. Why would i want to make my phone look like an iphone? Pointless!! Completely!!!
11.bogdancirsteaposted on1 hour ago0
free http : // w w w47.zippyshare.com/v/97324538/file.html
13.itsdeepak4u2000posted on1 hour ago0
Nice Live wallpaper of iOS7-like background effects on Android.
The 26-year-old star, who has not been seen in public since Cory passed away on July 13, shared a message as well as a personal photo of them together on her Twitter and Instagram pages.
"Thank you all for helping me through this time with your enormous love & support. Cory will forever be in my heart," she wrote alongside the intimate snap which shows Lea cuddling up to Cory in a beach as they grin for the camera.
It has obviously been a very difficult time for the brunette, who has been spending a lot of time with Cory's mother after helping to organise his funeral.
Lea has also been seeking solace in her grief from her fellow Glee cast and joined them for a memorial service last week "to share memories and music in an emotional celebration of the life of Cory," according to a statement.
Cory, who played Finn Hudson in Glee, was found dead in his hotel room in Vancouver earlier this month.
Results later showed that he had died from a heroin and alcohol overdose - despite having been in rehab earlier on in the year.
PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? After months of threatening to wage a nuclear war, North Korea did an about-face Sunday and issued a surprise proposal to the United States, its No. 1 enemy: Let's talk.
But the invitation from North Korea's National Defense Commission, the powerful governing body led by leader Kim Jong Un, comes with caveats: No preconditions and no demands that Pyongyang give up its prized nuclear assets unless Washington is willing to do the same ? ground rules that make it hard for the Americans to accept.
Washington responded by saying that it is open to talks ? but only if North Korea shows it will comply with U.N. Security Council resolutions and live up to its international obligations.
"As we have made clear, our desire is to have credible negotiations with the North Koreans, but those talks must involve North Korea living up to its obligations to the world, including compliance with U.N. Security Council resolutions, and ultimately result in denuclearization," U.S. National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said in a statement. "We will judge North Korea by its actions, and not its words and look forward to seeing steps that show North Korea is ready to abide by its commitments and obligations."
North Korea's call for "senior-level" talks between the Korean War foes signals a shift in policy in Pyongyang after months of acrimony.
Pyongyang ramped up the anti-American rhetoric early this year after its launch of a long-range rocket in December and a nuclear test in February drew tightened U.N. and U.S. sanctions. Posters went up across the North Korean capital calling on citizens to "wipe away the American imperialist aggressors," slogans that hadn't been seen on city streets in years.
The U.S. and ally South Korea countered the provocations and threats by stepping up annual springtime military exercises, which prompted North Korea to warn of a "nuclear war" on the Korean Peninsula.
But as tensions began subsiding in May and June, Pyongyang began making tentative, if unsuccessful, overtures to re-establish dialogue with Seoul and Washington.
Earlier this month, it proposed high-level talks with South Korea ? the first in six years. But plans for two days of meetings last week in Seoul dramatically fell apart even before they began amid bickering over who would lead the two delegations.
Meanwhile, the virulent anti-American billboards plastered across the city were taken down. And on Sunday, as scores of people fanned out across Pyongyang to help carry out the latest urban renewal projects in the capital ? landscaping and construction ? the National Defense Commission issued a statement through state media proposing talks with the U.S. to ease tensions and discuss a peace treaty formally ending the Korean War.
North Korea fought against U.S.-led United Nations and South Korean troops during the three-year Korean War in the early 1950s, and Pyongyang does not have diplomatic relations with either government. The Korean Peninsula remains divided by a heavily fortified border.
Reunifying the peninsula was a major goal of North Korea's two late leaders, Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il, and is a legacy inherited by current leader Kim Jong Un. North Korea is expected to draw attention to Korea's division in the weeks leading up to the 60th anniversary in July marking the close of the Korean conflict, which ended in an armistice. A peace treaty has never been signed formally ending the war.
Across Pyongyang, signboards at construction sites are marked with a countdown to July 27, giving laborers a deadline for retiling the roof of the People's Palace of Culture, renovating the Korean War museum, and planting trees and grass meant to beautify the city for the milestone anniversary.
For the nation's leaders, July 27 may well be their deadline for drawing the United States to the negotiating table to discuss a peace treaty.
But for Washington, there will be no talks just for talks' sake, officials say.
Speaking on CBS television's "Face the Nation" show Sunday, President Barack Obama's chief of staff, Denis McDonough, said Washington has been "quite clear" that officials support dialogue and have engaged Pyongyang in talks in the past.
But "those talks have to be real. They have to be based on them living up to their obligations, to include on proliferation, on nuclear weapons, on smuggling and other things," he said. "And so we'll judge them by their actions, not by the nice words that we heard yesterday."
He said smooth talk will not help Pyongyang evade U.N. sanctions supported by Moscow and Beijing, North Korea's two traditional allies. U.N. Security Council resolutions ban North Korea from developing its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
Earlier this year, Kim Jong Un enshrined the drive to build a nuclear arsenal, as well as expand the economy, in North Korea's constitution. Pyongyang, estimated to have a handful of crude nuclear devices, says it needs to build atomic weapons to defend itself against what it sees as a U.S. nuclear threat in Korea and the region.
The National Defense Commission reiterated its refusal to give up its nuclear ambitions until the entire Korean Peninsula is free of nuclear weapons, a spokesman said in a statement carried by the Korean Central News Agency.
"The denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula does not only mean 'dismantling the nuclear weapons of the North'" but also should involve "denuclearizing the whole peninsula, including South Korea, and aims at totally ending the U.S. nuclear threats" to North Korea, the spokesman said.
The U.S. denies having nuclear bombs in South Korea, saying they were removed in 1991. However, the U.S. military keeps nuclear submarines in the region and has deployed them for military exercises with South Korea.
After blaming Washington for raising tensions by imposing "gangster-like sanctions" on North Korea, the spokesman called on the U.S. to propose a venue and date for talks ? but warned against setting preconditions.
Washington has been burned in the past by efforts to reach out to Pyongyang.
Months of behind-the-scenes negotiations yielded a significant food-for-disarmament deal in February 2012, but that was scuttled by a failed North Korean long-range rocket launch just weeks later.
___
Associated Press writers Youkyung Lee in Seoul, South Korea, and Tom Strong in Washington, contributed to this report. Follow AP's Korea bureau chief on Twitter at twitter.com/newsjean.
NYSCF and Columbia researchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetesPublic release date: 17-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David McKeon dmckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation
Using patient-specific stem cells to correct deficient insulin-producing cells
NEW YORK, NY (June 17, 2013) A team from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center of Columbia University has generated patient-specific beta cells, or insulin-producing cells, that accurately reflect the features of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).
The researchers used skin cells of MODY patients to produce induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, from which they then made beta cells. Transplanted into a mouse, the stem cell-derived beta cells secreted insulin in a manner similar to that of the beta cells of MODY patients. Repair of the gene mutation restored insulin secretion to levels seen in cells obtained from healthy subjects. The findings were reported today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of human embryonic stem cells and iPS cells to become beta cells that secrete insulin in response to glucose or other molecules. But the question remained as to whether stem cell-derived beta cells could accurately model genetic forms of diabetes and be used to develop and test potential therapies.
"We focused on MODY, a form of diabetes that affects approximately one in 10,000 people. While patients and other models have yielded important clinical insights into this disease, we were particularly interested in its molecular aspectshow specific genes can affect responses to glucose by the beta cell," said co-senior author Dieter Egli, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at NYSCF, who was named a NYSCFRobertson Stem Cell Investigator in 2012.
MODY is a genetically inherited form of diabetes. The most common form of MODY, type 2, results in a loss-of-function mutation in one copy of the gene that codes for the sugar-processing enzyme glucokinase (GCK). With type 2 MODY, higher glucose levels are required for GCK to metabolize glucose, leading to chronic, mildly elevated blood sugar levels and increased risk of vascular complications.
MODY patients are frequently misdiagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Proper diagnosis can not only change the patient's course of treatment but affect family members, who were previously unaware that they, too, might have this genetic disorder.
NYSCF scientists took skin cells from two Berrie Center type 2 MODY patients and "reprogrammed"or revertedthem to an embryonic-like state to become iPS cells. To examine the effect of the GCK genetic mutation, they also created two genetically manipulated iPS cell lines for comparison: one fully functional (two correct copies of the GCK gene) and one with complete loss of function (two faulty copies of the GCK gene). They then generated beta cell precursors from the fully functional and loss-of-function iPS cell lines and transplanted the cells for further maturation into immune-compromised mice.
"Our ability to create insulin-producing cells from skin cells, and then to manipulate the GCK gene in these cells using recently developed molecular methods, made it possible to definitively test several critical aspects of the utility of stem cells for the study of human disease," said Haiqing Hua, PhD, lead author on the paper, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute.
When given a glucose tolerance test three months later, mice with MODY beta cells had decreased sensitivity to glucose but a normal response to other molecules that stimulate insulin secretion. This is the hallmark of MODY. Mice with two faulty copies of the GCK gene secreted no additional insulin in response to glucose. When the researchers repaired the GCK mutation using molecular techniques, cells with two restored copies of GCK responded normally to the glucose stress test. Unlike other reported techniques, the researchers' approach efficiently repaired the GCK mutation without introducing any potentially harmful additional DNA.
"Generation of patient-derived beta cells with gene correction could ultimately prove to be a useful cell-replacement therapy by restoring patients' ability to regulate their own glucose. This result is truly exciting," said Susan L. Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of The New York Stem Cell Foundation.
The researchers also used an electron microscope to assess beta cells for insulin content by counting granulespackages that store insulin for release. Even though all beta cell types had a similar number of granules, complete loss of function of the GCK gene was associated with decreased beta-cell production.
"These studies provide a critical proof-of-principle that genetic characteristics of patient-specific insulin-producing cells can be recapitulated through use of stem cell techniques and advanced molecular biological manipulations. This opens up strategies for the development of new approaches to the understanding, treatment, and, ultimately, prevention of more common types of diabetes," said co-senior author Rudolph Leibel, MD, Christopher Murphy Memorial Professor of Diabetes Research, Columbia University Medical Center, and Director, Division of Molecular Genetics, and Co-Director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center.
The other authors are: Linshan Shang and Hector Martinez of the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute; and Matthew Freeby, Mary Pat Gallagher, Thomas Ludwig, Liyong Deng, Ellen Greenberg, Charles LeDuc, Wendy K. Chung, and Robin Goland of the Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, and Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University.
###
Funding for this study was provided by: The New York Stem Cell Foundation; the Russell Berrie Foundation; the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust; the Hunter Eastman Scholar Award in Translational Diabetes Research; the James and Irene Hunter Charitable Fund; an ADA-Mentored Fellowship to H. Hua; and NIH Grants RO1 DK52431 and P30DK063608.
The authors report no financial or other conflict of interest.
About The New York Stem Cell Foundation
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) is an independent organization founded in 2005 to accelerate cures and better treatments for patients through stem cell research. NYSCF employs over 40 researchers at the NYSCF Research Institute, located in New York, and is an acknowledged world leader in stem cell research and in developing pioneering stem cell technologies, including the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array. Additionally, NYSCF supports another 60 researchers at other leading institutions worldwide through its Innovator Programs, including the NYSCF Druckenmiller Fellowships and the NYSCF-Robertson Investigator Awards. NYSCF focuses on translational research in a model designed to overcome the barriers that slow discovery and replaces silos with collaboration.
NYSCF researchers have achieved four major discoveries in the field, including: the discovery of a clinical cure to prevent transmission of maternal mitochondrial diseases in December 2012; the derivation of the first-ever patient specific embryonic stem cell line (#1 Medical Breakthrough of 2011 by Time magazine); the discovery of a new way to reprogram stem cells; and the creation of the first disease model from induced pluripotent stem cells (also named the #1 Medical Breakthrough by Time magazine in 2008). More information is available at http://www.nyscf.org.
About the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center
Upon its official opening in October 1998, the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center established a new standard of care for the 1.6 million people with diabetes in the New York areacombining world-class diabetes research and education programs with unprecedented family-oriented patient care. Founded with support from the Russell Berrie Foundation and other friends, and named in honor of the mother of the late Russell Berrie, founder of RUSS Toys, the center is today recognized as the most comprehensive diabetes research and treatment center in the tri-state region and has been designated a national "Diabetes Center of Excellence" one of only three in the state of New York. Approximately one hundred and fifty clinicians and scientists, affiliated with the Center, conduct basic and clinical research related to the pathogenesis and treatment of all forms of diabetes and its complications. For more information, visit nbdiabetes.org.
Drs. Chung and Leibel are also members of the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (http://www.ColumbiaStemCell.org), which brings together the many scientists and clinicians at Columbia focused on tapping the potential of stem cells for human health.
About Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
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NYSCF and Columbia researchers demonstrate use of stem cells to analyze causes, treatment of diabetesPublic release date: 17-Jun-2013 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: David McKeon dmckeon@nyscf.org 212-365-7440 New York Stem Cell Foundation
Using patient-specific stem cells to correct deficient insulin-producing cells
NEW YORK, NY (June 17, 2013) A team from the New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) Research Institute and the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center of Columbia University has generated patient-specific beta cells, or insulin-producing cells, that accurately reflect the features of maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY).
The researchers used skin cells of MODY patients to produce induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells, from which they then made beta cells. Transplanted into a mouse, the stem cell-derived beta cells secreted insulin in a manner similar to that of the beta cells of MODY patients. Repair of the gene mutation restored insulin secretion to levels seen in cells obtained from healthy subjects. The findings were reported today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of human embryonic stem cells and iPS cells to become beta cells that secrete insulin in response to glucose or other molecules. But the question remained as to whether stem cell-derived beta cells could accurately model genetic forms of diabetes and be used to develop and test potential therapies.
"We focused on MODY, a form of diabetes that affects approximately one in 10,000 people. While patients and other models have yielded important clinical insights into this disease, we were particularly interested in its molecular aspectshow specific genes can affect responses to glucose by the beta cell," said co-senior author Dieter Egli, PhD, Senior Research Fellow at NYSCF, who was named a NYSCFRobertson Stem Cell Investigator in 2012.
MODY is a genetically inherited form of diabetes. The most common form of MODY, type 2, results in a loss-of-function mutation in one copy of the gene that codes for the sugar-processing enzyme glucokinase (GCK). With type 2 MODY, higher glucose levels are required for GCK to metabolize glucose, leading to chronic, mildly elevated blood sugar levels and increased risk of vascular complications.
MODY patients are frequently misdiagnosed with type 1 or 2 diabetes. Proper diagnosis can not only change the patient's course of treatment but affect family members, who were previously unaware that they, too, might have this genetic disorder.
NYSCF scientists took skin cells from two Berrie Center type 2 MODY patients and "reprogrammed"or revertedthem to an embryonic-like state to become iPS cells. To examine the effect of the GCK genetic mutation, they also created two genetically manipulated iPS cell lines for comparison: one fully functional (two correct copies of the GCK gene) and one with complete loss of function (two faulty copies of the GCK gene). They then generated beta cell precursors from the fully functional and loss-of-function iPS cell lines and transplanted the cells for further maturation into immune-compromised mice.
"Our ability to create insulin-producing cells from skin cells, and then to manipulate the GCK gene in these cells using recently developed molecular methods, made it possible to definitively test several critical aspects of the utility of stem cells for the study of human disease," said Haiqing Hua, PhD, lead author on the paper, a postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics and Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University and the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute.
When given a glucose tolerance test three months later, mice with MODY beta cells had decreased sensitivity to glucose but a normal response to other molecules that stimulate insulin secretion. This is the hallmark of MODY. Mice with two faulty copies of the GCK gene secreted no additional insulin in response to glucose. When the researchers repaired the GCK mutation using molecular techniques, cells with two restored copies of GCK responded normally to the glucose stress test. Unlike other reported techniques, the researchers' approach efficiently repaired the GCK mutation without introducing any potentially harmful additional DNA.
"Generation of patient-derived beta cells with gene correction could ultimately prove to be a useful cell-replacement therapy by restoring patients' ability to regulate their own glucose. This result is truly exciting," said Susan L. Solomon, Chief Executive Officer of The New York Stem Cell Foundation.
The researchers also used an electron microscope to assess beta cells for insulin content by counting granulespackages that store insulin for release. Even though all beta cell types had a similar number of granules, complete loss of function of the GCK gene was associated with decreased beta-cell production.
"These studies provide a critical proof-of-principle that genetic characteristics of patient-specific insulin-producing cells can be recapitulated through use of stem cell techniques and advanced molecular biological manipulations. This opens up strategies for the development of new approaches to the understanding, treatment, and, ultimately, prevention of more common types of diabetes," said co-senior author Rudolph Leibel, MD, Christopher Murphy Memorial Professor of Diabetes Research, Columbia University Medical Center, and Director, Division of Molecular Genetics, and Co-Director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center.
The other authors are: Linshan Shang and Hector Martinez of the New York Stem Cell Foundation Research Institute; and Matthew Freeby, Mary Pat Gallagher, Thomas Ludwig, Liyong Deng, Ellen Greenberg, Charles LeDuc, Wendy K. Chung, and Robin Goland of the Division of Molecular Genetics, Department of Pediatrics, and Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University.
###
Funding for this study was provided by: The New York Stem Cell Foundation; the Russell Berrie Foundation; the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust; the Hunter Eastman Scholar Award in Translational Diabetes Research; the James and Irene Hunter Charitable Fund; an ADA-Mentored Fellowship to H. Hua; and NIH Grants RO1 DK52431 and P30DK063608.
The authors report no financial or other conflict of interest.
About The New York Stem Cell Foundation
The New York Stem Cell Foundation (NYSCF) is an independent organization founded in 2005 to accelerate cures and better treatments for patients through stem cell research. NYSCF employs over 40 researchers at the NYSCF Research Institute, located in New York, and is an acknowledged world leader in stem cell research and in developing pioneering stem cell technologies, including the NYSCF Global Stem Cell Array. Additionally, NYSCF supports another 60 researchers at other leading institutions worldwide through its Innovator Programs, including the NYSCF Druckenmiller Fellowships and the NYSCF-Robertson Investigator Awards. NYSCF focuses on translational research in a model designed to overcome the barriers that slow discovery and replaces silos with collaboration.
NYSCF researchers have achieved four major discoveries in the field, including: the discovery of a clinical cure to prevent transmission of maternal mitochondrial diseases in December 2012; the derivation of the first-ever patient specific embryonic stem cell line (#1 Medical Breakthrough of 2011 by Time magazine); the discovery of a new way to reprogram stem cells; and the creation of the first disease model from induced pluripotent stem cells (also named the #1 Medical Breakthrough by Time magazine in 2008). More information is available at http://www.nyscf.org.
About the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center
Upon its official opening in October 1998, the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center at Columbia University Medical Center established a new standard of care for the 1.6 million people with diabetes in the New York areacombining world-class diabetes research and education programs with unprecedented family-oriented patient care. Founded with support from the Russell Berrie Foundation and other friends, and named in honor of the mother of the late Russell Berrie, founder of RUSS Toys, the center is today recognized as the most comprehensive diabetes research and treatment center in the tri-state region and has been designated a national "Diabetes Center of Excellence" one of only three in the state of New York. Approximately one hundred and fifty clinicians and scientists, affiliated with the Center, conduct basic and clinical research related to the pathogenesis and treatment of all forms of diabetes and its complications. For more information, visit nbdiabetes.org.
Drs. Chung and Leibel are also members of the Columbia Stem Cell Initiative (http://www.ColumbiaStemCell.org), which brings together the many scientists and clinicians at Columbia focused on tapping the potential of stem cells for human health.
About Columbia University Medical Center
Columbia University Medical Center provides international leadership in basic, preclinical, and clinical research; medical and health sciences education; and patient care. The medical center trains future leaders and includes the dedicated work of many physicians, scientists, public health professionals, dentists, and nurses at the College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Mailman School of Public Health, the College of Dental Medicine, the School of Nursing, the biomedical departments of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and allied research centers and institutions. Columbia University Medical Center is home to the largest medical research enterprise in New York City and State and one of the largest faculty medical practices in the Northeast. For more information, visit cumc.columbia.edu or columbiadoctors.org.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
I also struggle with this from time to time. Right now I am doing great again. Some things that help me:
- Being conscious that no one is perfect and that everyone needs a lot of practice to become good at something. Practice requires failure. Failure requires courage. Courage simply means being conscious of what could go wrong but believing you could conquer something... sooner or later! - It's better to learn something late then never (a recent example for me: I just started to learn to keep my room organized. I have never been able to, and while I am not perfect I'm already a lot better at this then I was) - A lot of quality time with friends and family, open heartedly discussing what goes on within you, has helped me a lot. Knowing that there are people who love me, who know me. Connecting to them in this way gives me a huge boost of self confidence. Hearing that they believe in me. Saying to them that it's sometimes hard, but that I will keep on going for it! Hearing that they love whatever happens. No substitute for that! (It's quite special to have such good relations with people, but I hope that if you have these people, treasure them, or invest in them! Or find them.) - Have patience with yourself and focus on one issue at the time. All other issues should be irrelevant, something for later that you accept at the time. And have plenty of fun and relaxing time. You need that to be fit to conquer the issue you're focussing on.
For me, I've always see that I need a 3:1 ratio, or better, for positive:negative thoughts/experiences. If I have a 5:1 ratio, I am in a positive cycle and changing something is really easy. If I have a 1:5 ratio, then I can really get stuck and totally lose my self esteem.
It's not totally up to us to determine how this ratio is for use. There can be negative and stressful circumstances and events in our lives. But there are things that we can control and these are the number of goals we set for ourselves (which should never exceed 2, preferably 1 - I am talking about new goals, about changing stuff, which causes stress and perhaps shame and guilt) and the time and activities we allow ourselves to have fun and relax.
So, to summarize: for me, the keys are: reflection, courage, patience, meaningful relations with people (quality time), balancing and fun and relaxing.
ARDMORE, Pa. (AP) ? Tiger Woods made birdie at the first hole, only to watch his day go racing downhill from there.
By the time it was over, Woods skidded to seven bogeys and a 6-over-par 76 Saturday, tumbling down the leaderboard and matching his worst round as a pro at the U.S. Open. That left him 10 strokes behind third-round leader Phil Mickelson, the only player under par at the short but devilishly tough Merion Golf Club.
Despite leading the PGA Tour in putting in recent weeks, Woods needed 36 putts on the severely undulating greens. He blamed his inability to gauge the speed of those baffling putting surfaces for his three days of uneven play ? and he was right.
Woods is tied for third in fairways hit and 22nd in reaching the greens in regulation. But he's averaged 32 putts per round, which left him tied for 53rd in the field of 73 players.
"It's certainly frustrating because I was feeling like I was playing well this week and I just didn't make the putts I needed to make," he said afterward.
"The first two days, I had, like, three 3-putts and I was four shots off the lead, and I missed a boatload of putts within 10 feet. So I really wasn't that far off. If I clean up the round and don't 3-putt, I'm one shot back starting out today. ..." Woods added.
"Basically, I just didn't have the speed right this week and it certainly showed."
Woods' toughest stretch came at Nos. 3-6, where he made three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. He blamed the last of those for setting the negative tone that hung over his round like the storm clouds that rolled over Merion throughout Thursday's opening round. His troubles at No. 6 included a tee shot that finished up in another player's divot in the fairway, as well as a delicate greenside chip that rolled back and left him facing his next shot from farther back.
"I think the (bogey) 5 really turned my round around," Woods said. "I drove it right in the middle of the fairway and I end up in a ball mark from somebody else's ball mark, so it was kind of the way it went."
This U.S. Open marks exactly five years since Woods won his last major, at Torrey Pines, which he captured in a playoff against Rocco Mediate, despite hobbling around with ligament damage. His pursuit of Jack Nicklaus' career record of 18 majors remains stalled at 14.
Woods also shot a 76 in the final round at Shinnecock Hills in 2004, as well as two rounds of 76 at Winged Foot in 2006 when he missed the cut.
Woods' worst round ever at an Open was a 77 at Oakland Hills in 1996, when he was a 19-year-old amateur.
What made his performance here perhaps even more surprising is that Woods has already won four times this season, including The Players Championship ? sometimes called golf's fifth major ? and three of his last five starts. Most recently, however, Woods stumbled to an 8-over-par finish and a tie for 65th at the Memorial, a tournament he'd won five times.
Woods said several tough pin placements chosen by the U.S. Golf Association's course set up compounded his problems trying to figure out the speed of the greens.
"Look at what they did at (Nos.) 7 and 8 today. Couple short holes, but 7 is one step and a half over the top of the ridge. Eight is on the down slope a little bit, and it's a pretty steep slope. So they got some really tough ones out there," he said.
But Woods' also conceded he rarely put his approach shots into those greens where he should have.
"If you put the ball in the right spots you've got uphill putts and you can be really aggressive," Woods said.
Woods now faces the prospect of beginning the final day of yet another major with only the longest of shots to contend. What little consolation he could muster came when someone asked, "Tough day?"
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Public release date: 17-Jun-2013
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