Obama, Romney back on attack as campaign hits final stretch

GREEN BAY, Wisconsin (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney were back on the attack on Thursday, breaking a storm-induced campaign truce to hit the road and pound home their closing messages in the final stretch of a tight battle for the White House.

With five days left until Tuesday's election, Obama resurrected his 2008 "change" slogan and said he was the only candidate who had actually fought for it. Romney criticized Obama as a lover of big government who would expand the federal bureaucracy.

National polls show the race is essentially deadlocked, and Obama and Romney will spend the final days in eight swing states that will decide who wins the 270 electoral votes needed to capture the White House.

Obama made Wisconsin the first stop on a four-state swing on Thursday that will also take him to rallies in Nevada and Colorado before spending the night in Ohio. Romney planned a full day of campaigning across Virginia.

"You may be frustrated at the pace of change, but you know what I believe, you know where I stand," Obama told a crowd of 2,600 people on an airport tarmac in Wisconsin, a vital piece of his electoral strategy. "I know what change looks like because I've fought for it."

Romney criticized Obama's comment in an interview aired by MSNBC on Monday that he would like to consolidate government agencies that deal with business issues in a new department under a Secretary of Business.

"I don't think adding a new chair to his cabinet will help add millions of jobs on Main Street," Romney said.

Obama and Romney had put campaigning on hold for several days as the historic storm Sandy pounded the eastern seaboard, leaving a trail of destruction and forcing Obama to turn his attention to storm relief.

That pause produced some unexpected benefits for Obama, who won warm praise from Republican Governor Chris Christie of New Jersey, a Romney supporter, and spent days directing federal relief efforts in a show of presidential leadership that largely sidelined Romney.

But both candidates returned to political attacks on their first day back on the trail, although they struck a slightly more positive tone than usual in trying to woo undecided voters and push their own supporters to vote.

SWING-STATE ADVANTAGE FOR OBAMA

Obama has a slight advantage in polls in several key swing states, fueled primarily by a small but steady lead in the vital battleground of Ohio - a crucial cog in any winning scenario for either candidate - and slight leads in Wisconsin, Iowa and Nevada.

Barring any surprises elsewhere, Obama can win a second term by capturing the Midwestern bastions of Ohio, Wisconsin and Iowa, and his schedule was aimed at shoring up his safety net there.

Obama plans to visit Ohio on each of the last four days of the campaign, and plans two more trips to Wisconsin and Iowa.

So far, Obama has planned just one visit each to Florida and Virginia, where most polls give Romney a slight lead. Romney will hit Wisconsin and Ohio on Friday, and New Hampshire, Iowa and Colorado on Saturday.

Romney plans to finish up his campaign on Monday night in New Hampshire, the state where he launched his bid last year.

Romney's campaign has aired ads in recent days in the Democratic-leaning states of Michigan, Pennsylvania and Minnesota, hoping to put them in play after polls showed the races tightening but Obama still ahead.

But so far Romney has not scheduled campaign visits to any of those states. Romney's running mate Paul Ryan visited Minnesota earlier this week, and could hit Pennsylvania over the weekend.

Romney aides say the campaign's moves into those three new states were a sign of their growing momentum, although Obama aides described them as a desperate ploy to find new paths to 270 electoral votes.

A Reuters/Ipsos national online poll on Thursday showed the race remained effectively deadlocked, with Obama at 47 percent to Romney's 46 percent. Most national polls showed roughly similar results.

A series of swing state polls found Obama was clinging to slender leads in five of the eight most heavily contested states - Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire. Romney in most polls has a slight lead in Florida, while Virginia and Colorado were effectively tied.

(Additional reporting by Steve Holland in Virginia; Writing by John Whitesides; Editing by Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-front-center-storm-crisis-romney-subdued-001141530.html

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Down Home: Highlights from Homeschool Counseling

{photo by Jenny Curzan}

A few weeks ago, we hosted a ?Homeschool Counseling Seminar? on each track, as a forum to share ideas, problem-solve, and support each other in home education. For those who attended, we hope you found some inspiration and a handful of ideas to try. For those who were not able to attend, here are some of the tips, resources, and thoughts from those two days, that we wanted to pass along to everyone.?

First, some insights and ideas that were shared about homeschooling and tackling various issues:

? One parent is finding that starting her homeschool day with a few positive words to her kids about what a great job they are doing, or why she is thankful to have this time with them, is doing a lot to help her own attitude and mindset, as well as fostering a better relationship with her kids. It?s good to frequently remind yourself (and your kids) of the reasons why you have chosen this type of education.

? It?s important to protect your homeschooling time as much as you are able to, and to give your kids the same attention you expect them to give you. Checking email, taking phone calls, running errands during homeschool hours... sometimes it works out fine, but most people generally felt their home days were better when they guarded that time.

? When working with students who want to be more independent with a subject, such as math or writing, one parent found it helpful to have frequent checkpoints to make sure the student was on the right track, rather than allowing them to complete the entire assignment without checking in, only to discover it was all done incorrectly.?

? Tips for wiggly ones who can?t sit still for a math lesson (or any subject): Look at the problem, run and touch the wall, then come back and write the answer. Or do math problems outside with chalk (then mom can copy them later into the book). Try jumping rope or another physical activity right before sitting down to learn, or even during a lesson. It really helps some kids to focus and retain more.

? Once in awhile to mix things up at home, or when you feel you?re in a rut, maybe try putting a couple of the home subjects on the back burner for just a week, and replacing that time with a fun creative project the kids can get involved in, like something from the blog post about using butcher paper, or crafts that go along with our history, literature, or science (a google search can reveal lots of possibilities). Or ask your kids what they are interested in - they may have ideas in mind for a project they?d love to work on.

? Keep reading aloud to your kids, even the high schoolers!

? One parent of high schoolers who has been homeschooling for a long time says to believe in what you are doing, in the school, in the teachers, and in your kids. Let your kids see that, and they will be successful.

And now, the practical stuff and resources (these are all parent recommendations shared during the seminar):

? The Blackgold Library system?s Overdrive program is a great way to download audiobooks and books for kindle or iPad, for free.

? When you just need to put on a video for the kids, Liberty?s Kids is a series about the American Revolution. You can purchase it, get the discs through Netflix, or find them on youtube.

? Crayola makes Bath Markers that are nice for practicing math facts, recitations, or spelling in the bath or shower!

Thanks to all who attended and shared their triumphs, trials, and suggestions. We appreciated hearing one another?s ideas and hope you can gain from these collected tips as well.?

Let?s talk:?Do you have something to add to this list that would be helpful to another homeschooling parent out there? Please comment below!

To leave a comment on the blog, click below the post where it says ?No comments? (or ?1 comment?, or whatever number of comments already exist.) You do not need a google account. Under "Choose an identity" you can choose Name/URL to leave your name, or choose Anonymous.

SLO Classical Academy is not affiliated with any of the above mentioned businesses.

Source: http://sloca.blogspot.com/2012/10/highlights-from-homeschool-counseling.html

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Western aspen trees commonly carry extra set of chromosomes

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jyoti Madhusoodanan
jmadhusoodanan@plos.org
415-568-4545 x187
Public Library of Science

Over 60 percent of aspen in parts of Utah, Colorado are triploid, new study shows

A large proportion of aspen in the western U.S. sport an extra set of chromosomes in their cells, a phenomenon termed triploidy, according to new research published Oct. 31 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Karen Mock from Utah State University and colleagues at several other institutions. In some areas of southern Utah and Colorado, over 60% of aspen trees are triploid.

Though triploid trees are not uncommon, this genetic anomaly can cause altered physical traits including sterility or reduced fertility. Although a triploid aspen clone may reproduce with root suckers, the scientists say, it is unlikely to produce viable seed.

Mapping the rates of triploidy in aspen to latitude, glacial history and regional variation in climate, the researchers found that these rates were highest in unglaciated, drought-prone regions. Wolf, professor in USU's Department of Biology, notes triploid plants often have larger cells, which might affect how plants cope with different conditions. "It is possible triploid aspen can better absorb water than diploids and are therefore better suited to withstand dry conditions, but they may be especially vulnerable to severe drought," he says.

Iconic fall foliage of the north-western forests, aspen populations have been declining in recent years; their high mortality rates have been attributed to drought, insect pests and a mysterious syndrome termed "Sudden Aspen Decline" (SAD). The new research is based on data collected over more than eight years by the Forest Service, a NASA Biodiversity program, and several researchers and volunteers.

Lead author on the study Mock says, "Though our findings come from many years of study, they provide an important starting point as we go forward. What we're learning will help us understand both the past and the future of aspen in the West."

###

Citation: Mock KE, Callahan CM, Islam-Faridi MN, Shaw JD, Rai HS, et al. (2012) Widespread Triploidy in Western North American Aspen (Populus tremuloides). PLoS ONE 7(10): e48406.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048406

Financial Disclosure: The authors thank the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, NASA Biodiversity Program, USDA National Research Initiative, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University (USU) Cedar Mountain Initiative, and USU ADVANCE program, and for financial support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends): http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048406

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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.

Public release date: 31-Oct-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jyoti Madhusoodanan
jmadhusoodanan@plos.org
415-568-4545 x187
Public Library of Science

Over 60 percent of aspen in parts of Utah, Colorado are triploid, new study shows

A large proportion of aspen in the western U.S. sport an extra set of chromosomes in their cells, a phenomenon termed triploidy, according to new research published Oct. 31 in the open access journal PLoS ONE by Karen Mock from Utah State University and colleagues at several other institutions. In some areas of southern Utah and Colorado, over 60% of aspen trees are triploid.

Though triploid trees are not uncommon, this genetic anomaly can cause altered physical traits including sterility or reduced fertility. Although a triploid aspen clone may reproduce with root suckers, the scientists say, it is unlikely to produce viable seed.

Mapping the rates of triploidy in aspen to latitude, glacial history and regional variation in climate, the researchers found that these rates were highest in unglaciated, drought-prone regions. Wolf, professor in USU's Department of Biology, notes triploid plants often have larger cells, which might affect how plants cope with different conditions. "It is possible triploid aspen can better absorb water than diploids and are therefore better suited to withstand dry conditions, but they may be especially vulnerable to severe drought," he says.

Iconic fall foliage of the north-western forests, aspen populations have been declining in recent years; their high mortality rates have been attributed to drought, insect pests and a mysterious syndrome termed "Sudden Aspen Decline" (SAD). The new research is based on data collected over more than eight years by the Forest Service, a NASA Biodiversity program, and several researchers and volunteers.

Lead author on the study Mock says, "Though our findings come from many years of study, they provide an important starting point as we go forward. What we're learning will help us understand both the past and the future of aspen in the West."

###

Citation: Mock KE, Callahan CM, Islam-Faridi MN, Shaw JD, Rai HS, et al. (2012) Widespread Triploidy in Western North American Aspen (Populus tremuloides). PLoS ONE 7(10): e48406.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0048406

Financial Disclosure: The authors thank the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, NASA Biodiversity Program, USDA National Research Initiative, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, Utah Agricultural Experiment Station, Utah State University (USU) Cedar Mountain Initiative, and USU ADVANCE program, and for financial support. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Competing Interest Statement: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

PLEASE LINK TO THE SCIENTIFIC ARTICLE IN ONLINE VERSIONS OF YOUR REPORT (URL goes live after the embargo ends): http://dx.plos.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0048406

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-10/plos-wat102912.php

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