Comic Con 2012, meet actor Jonathan Frakes, Star Trek's - NOLA.com

(Gallery by NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)

One of the attractions of Wizard World New Orleans Comic Con 2012, a gathering of superhero, science fiction, fantasy and horror fans that takes place Nov. 30 to Dec. 2 at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, will be a chance to meet seven members of the ?Star Trek: The Next Generation? cast.

LeVar Burton who played Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge, Michael Dorn (Lieutenant Worf), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Deanna Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher), John de Lancie (Q) and Jonathan Frakes (Commander William T. Riker) will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of the popular television show that ran from 1987 to 1994. Unfortunately, Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard) is unable to appear as originally scheduled.

Where in the galaxy should they dine?

In a telephone interview on Tuesday, Nov. 27, Frakes, who played the Starship Enterprise?s swashbuckling second in command, said he was searching for the perfect New Orleans restaurant to host a reunion dinner for the cast.?

Frakes said that during the time he spent directing the movie ?The Librarian? in New Orleans two years ago, he came to love Cochon and Restaurant August, but foodie friends have also recommended Herbsaint, Stella! and other spots. He said he was worried that it might be too late to get a reservation for a large party. Possibly so.

Though I imagine someone will find room for an almost complete assembly of the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" stars.

Frakes said that despite the years, he and his starshipmates have remained close. Everyone is a godfather to another cast member?s kid, or attended a wedding, or stood by during a divorce, he said. Coincidentally, he said, his real life wife Genie Francis, who played Laura Spencer on General Hospital, is buddies with his fictional Star Trek wife Marina Sirtis. ?We value one another?s friendships,? he said.?

That ongoing camaraderie may have been born of the ?incredibly loose environment? of the Star Trek: The Next Generation? set.

Cosmic Cut Ups

His role in the group dynamic was that of second-string comedian, Frakes said. The No. 1 class clown was Spiner (Lt. Commander Data). Quite unlike the un-emotive character he played, Frakes recalled that Spiner ?treated the bridge as a show room in Vegas,? bursting spontaneously into song from time to time. He wasn?t alone in his out-of-character crooning. Captain Picard and Worf sometimes joined in a little extemporaneous Gershwin or Sammy Cahn, Frakes said. When not singing, the interstellar officers passed the time performing ?bad impressions,? Frakes recalled.

New Orleans Comic Con 2012

• What: A lavish, three-day convention of comic book, science fiction and fantasy fans with celebrity appearances, collectibles booths, art and makeup demonstrations, fantasy card tournaments and other attractions.
• Where: New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd.
• When: Friday, Nov. 30, from 4 to 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 1, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, Dec. 2, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Admission: One-day tickets for Friday and Sunday are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. One-day tickets for Saturday are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.

  Three-day passes are $70 in advance or $80 at the door.

• Special events: Some individual events require additional admission. The price to attend celebrity appearances varies. The "Star Trek" 25-year reunion event is $45 to $125. The CM Punk event is $175. The Eliza Dushku visit is $199. The ?Boondock Saints? event is $289.99. Stan Lee events are $200 to $499.99.

• More information: Visit the New Orleans Comic Con 2012 website.
• Comic Con 2011 revisited: Were you at Comic Con 2011? Read about my nostalgic trip to that Comic Con: "Peter Tork, Walter Koenig, Adam West, and more at Comic Con"?

Frakes said that a quarter century ago no one was sure "The Next Generation" would get off the launching pad, so to speak. It was two decades after the original "Star Trek" series was on the air, but some fans were resistant to seeing Kirk and Bones and Spock supplanted.

?We were received quite skeptically,? he recalls. But soon enough, the new show achieved its own iconic television orbit. In all, Frakes said, 182 hours of "Next Generation" were filmed, not counting the four spin-off movies.?

?It?s been a gift on so many levels,? he said.

Life after the Enterprise

Frakes has remained busy since his last voyage on the Enterprise. He?s boldly gone into directing, with high-profile behind-the-camera television series credits, including ?NCIS: Los Angeles,? ?Leverage? and ?Burn Notice.? These days, he regularly directs periodic episodes of several series. If there were one "Star Trek" gadget he could get his hand on, he said, it would be a transporter to cut down on the travel time between jobs. And, presumably, to make it easier to get in more summertime fishing in Maine, where he lives.

Considering the universal recognition his role on "Star Trek" provides and Frakes? flourishing directorial career, one might expect a somewhat swollen head. But Frakes has teenage children to continually refresh his humility. They hear about dad?s "Star Trek" star turn from friends sometimes -- or friends? parents ? but, he said, ?They have a healthy lack of interest.? When they watch an episode of the show, he said, they offer comments, such as: ?Look at you; your beard was black instead of gray.?

?They won?t admit that there?s anything cool about it,? he said laughing.

Is the future past?

From Frakes' kids? point of view, actual space flight is mostly confined to historic television too.

Things change in a quarter century. Back when "Star Trek" (1966-69) and "Star Trek: The Next Generation" were on the air, there was a robust manned space program that has now ? for various reasons ? largely slipped away. In their time, the "Star Trek" series were pop culture premonitions. That perspective may have now changed. They now seem more like nostalgic visions -- to me anyway.

Asked if he felt the change in the trajectory of history may have changed our perception of the classic television shows, Frakes said he doesn?t think the diminished manned space program will alter culture's take on science fiction. But he said he does wish it was possible to re-spark manned space flight. Reaching the moon, he said, ?was the coolest thing ever.??

How to meet 'Star Trek' stars

Comic Con attendees will find the "Star Trek: TNG" actors at a set of booths on the convention floor during most hours of the event. Note: LeVar Burton will attend Saturday, Dec. 1, and Sunday, Dec. 2, only.

The Star Trek: TNG Seven panel discussion

• What: The seven members of the ?Star Trek: The Next Generation? cast will appear in a 90-minute panel discussion and question and answer period.
• When: Beginning at ?approximately? 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1.?
• Tickets: General admission is $45; seating in the first five rows is $125. This is in addition to Comic Con admission. Admission is required for kids younger than 12, who must be accompanied by an adult. Photos for personal use are permitted. No autograph opportunities.
• VIP passes: A limited number of ?Star Trek: The Next Generation? VIP passes are available for $899.99. VIPs receive three-day admission to Comic Con, 30-minute early admission to the convention floor, guaranteed front five rows seating at the Star Trek: TNG panel discussion, autographs (including a lithograph pre-signed by Patrick Stewart), a photo opportunity with all seven cast members, plus souvenir badge and other perks.?

The individual actors will also participate in various limited seating panel discussions available at no extra charge during the event. See the list below.

SATURDAY, DEC. 1

• 11 ? 11:45 a.m. -- Question and answer with Gates McFadden, Jonathan Frakes and Michael Dorn (Room 265)
• Noon?? 12:45 p.m. -- Designing the next 'Star Trek' television show:?Interact with other fans who discuss what they would like to see in a new series (Room 272).
• 3 ? 3:45 p.m. --?'Star Trek': TNG Enterprise Bridge Restoration:?Come hear about the progress of New Starship, a nonprofit, fan organization is working to restore a Paramount built "Star Trek The Next Generation" Enterprise D Bridge set, and turn it into an interactive museum. ?(Room 279)

SUNDAY, DEC. 2

• 11 ? 11:45 a.m. --?Question and Answer with John De Lancie:?De Lancie, who portrayed Q, has co-founded an audio production company, Alien Voices, with Leonard Nimoy. (Room 265)
• 2 ? 2:45 p.m. --?Question and answer Levar Burton, Marina Sirtis and Brent Spiner (Room?265)

If William Shatner fought Darth Vader, who would win, Comic Con 2012 Actor William Shatner had top billing at Wizard World Comic Con 2012 in New Orleans. In this video, we boldly wandered the extraterrestrial crowd, seeking the source of Shatner?s popularity. Along the way, we asked Batman, Darth Vader, Darth Maul, Wonder Woman, Thor, Aquaman, Super Saint and others, 'if you fought William Shatner, who would win?' Watch video

Source: http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2012/11/comic_con_meet_actor_jonathan.html

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What's Past is Prologue: a look inside the future of Lockheed Martin

I receive a terse invite from Lockheed Martin that asks me to take a "glimpse into the future," but it doesn't mention whose future it is. I could write about what I know of the American defense contractor on the back of a postage stamp, but a cursory Google search fills in some of the blanks. The company reportedly receives around 7 percent of the US military budget on its own - and with that, my imagination runs rampant about what I'm likely to see. Dreaming of playing with laser pistols, intelligent cyborgs and giant robots, I tell them I'm coming.

A few days later, I turn up at the Honourable Artillery Company in London's glitzy financial district, a miniature castle that's dwarfed by the gleaming skyscrapers that surround it. In a way, the landscape is telling, since the occupants of those buildings can shoulder some of the blame for the current financial crisis - while across the street, Lockheed Martin is preparing its cost-cutting response.

Two hulking vehicles guard the entrance off a small courtyard, and through a window I see a plush room full of red velvet and leather, stuffed with computers and pensive, well-dressed operators. I wonder if I'm being vetted as I amble inside, my now-sodden socks and matted hair marking me out as unthreatening -- just as long as I promise not to get out my camera. As I'm ushered inside and the tour begins, I'm expecting to see jetpacks and robots, but the reality is much different. Not even this industry is immune to the world's financial problems, and my tour would reveal that its future lies decidedly in our past.

Continue reading What's Past is Prologue: a look inside the future of Lockheed Martin

Filed under: Robots, Science, Alt

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/29/lockheed-martin/

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Bin Laden movie "Zero Dark Thirty" based on first-hand accounts

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The makers of a Hollywood movie about the U.S. operation to kill Osama bin Laden denied asking for classified material for their film, but say they did conduct interviews with a CIA officer and others at the heart of the decade-long hunt for the al Qaeda leader.

"It was all based on first-hand accounts so it really felt very vivid and very vital and very, very immediate and visceral of course which is very exciting as a filmmaker," Kathryn Bigelow, director of "Zero Dark Thirty," told ABC News in an interview airing on Monday.

Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal said in a "Nightline" interview that they were originally working on a film about the failed bid to find bin Laden in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan during the U.S-led invasion there in 2001.

But their plans changed swiftly after U.S. President Barack Obama announced in May 2011 that a Navy commando unit had killed bin Laden in a compound in Pakistan.

"I picked up the phone and started calling sources and asking them what they knew and taking referrals and knocking on doors and really approached it as comprehensively as I could," Boal told "Nightline" according to an advance excerpt.

"I certainly did a lot of homework, but I never asked for classified material," he said. "To my knowledge I never received any."

The release of "Zero Dark Thirty" - seen as a strong contender for Oscar nominations - was pushed back to December after the film got caught up earlier this year in a U.S. election year controversy.

The U.S. admiral who oversaw the secret operation in May denied a claim that the Obama administration arranged for Bigelow and Boal to be given special access to top officials while researching their movie.

The film reconstructs the hunt for bin Laden largely through the eyes of a young female CIA officer, played by Jessica Chastain, who helps find him through a long-forgotten courier. Obama only makes a fleeting appearance in the film.

"It was a couple of months into the research when I heard about a woman, part of the team, and she has played a big role and she had gone to Jalalabad and been deployed with the SEALs on the night of the raid," Boal told ABC News reporter Martha Raddatz in the "Nightline" interview.

While some of the dialogue is word for word and based on interviews with the young CIA officer and others, some of the dialogue is dramatized, said the Oscar-winning makers of 2008's "The Hurt Locker," about a U.S. Army bomb disposal team during the Iraq War.

The assault on bin Laden's Pakistan compound was recreated as accurately as possible, using a full-scale version built in Jordan. The floor, the tile, the carpet, the furniture and the marks on the walls were copied from images seen in ABC News footage that Bigelow said they reviewed frame by frame.

The full interview can be seen on "Nightline" on Monday evening.

"Zero Dark Thirty" opens in U.S. movie theaters on December 19. Nominations for the 2013 Academy Awards are announced on January 10 ahead of the February 24 Oscar ceremony.

(Reporting By Jill Serjeant)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bin-laden-movie-zero-dark-thirty-based-first-010928299.html

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gulftoday.ae | EU agrees on significant debt relief deal for Greece

BRUSSELS: Greece won breathing space on Tuesday with long-frozen eurozone loans to restart from December and a first clear admission that a chunk of the country's debt burden will need to be written off down the line.

After 13 hours of talks in Brussels, the eurozone and the International Monetary Fund agreed to unlock 43.7 billion euros ($56 billion) in loans and on the need to grant significant debt relief for decades to come.

Greece must still meet a series of agreed conditions but "the decision will certainly reduce the uncertainty and strengthen confidence in Europe and in Greece," said European Central Bank President Mario Draghi who left the talks before a final press conference.

Starved of bailout financing since the summer, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras hailed the deal in Athens, while German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the package would be presented to German lawmakers by the end of the week.

Other member states will also have to obtain their parliament's approval for the deal.

"Everything has gone well," Samaras told reporters in Athens.

"All Greeks have fought (for this decision) and tomorrow is a new day for every Greek person," he added.

Finance ministers, the IMF and the ECB said the money would be paid in four installments from Dec.13 through until the end of March, conditional on Greece funnelling income back to creditors at source and on the implementation by Athens of tax reforms settled with creditors.

The initial market response was upbeat.

On currency markets the euro was stronger in Asian trade as investors breathed a sigh of relief over the deal for Greece.

The 17-nation currency bought $1.2980 and 106.46 yen in Tokyo morning trade after briefly topping $1.30 for the first time in about a month.
That was up from $1.2971 and 106.38 yen in New York trade late on Monday.

Asian stock markets also enjoyed the news in early trading, with Tokyo shares rising 0.38 per cent by the break, Hong Kong up 0.25 per cent and Sydney gaining 0.68 per cent.

The results of the "labourious" negotiations according to IMF head Christine Lagarde are intended to see Greece's debt-to-GDP ratio fall from an estimated 144 percent to 124 per cent come 2020, and "substantially below 110 per cent" of gross domestic product by 2022.

"The IMF wanted to make sure the euro partners would take the necessary actions to bring Greece's debt on a sustainable path," said Lagarde.

"I can say today that it has been achieved."

There will be a mixture of techniques used to bring down Greece's debt burden.

These will begin with a buyback by Greece of old debt that has fallen in value on commercial money markets as well as national central banks across the eurozone foregoing profits on holdings of Greek debt whose worth has slumped.

Agence France-Presse

Source: http://gulftoday.ae/portal/382167f6-b332-4e3f-8cde-af8a17ab3a8a.aspx

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Price and buyer trends lead to upswing in Johor Bahru condo market

Cheyenne Hollis | Nov 26, 2012 | Comments 0

The condo market in Johor Bahru has grown in recent times as demand from buyers has increased.

The rapid development of condominiums and apartments in Johor Bahru is based upon the increase in land prices and changing trends of buyers in the region, the Malaysia Chronicle reported.

Chairman of Real Estate and Housing Developers? Association (Rehda) Johor Branch, Koh Moo Hing said the young generation is now more interested to live in condominiums and apartments due to trend and security factors.

?Property buyers, particularly amongst the young generation now choose the gated and guarded concept such as condominiums and apartments as they place more importance on the security factor,? Koh said.

He added property development companies in Johor Bahru were not really interested to build condominiums and apartments in the past and use to focus on terraced houses and bungalows.

The scenario has changed over the last few years with developers racing to build condominiums and apartments in this city following high demand from buyers, Koh said.

SP Setia Bhd launched a 55-storey high-end condominium, the tallest in Iskandar Malaysia, known as Sky 88, which is expected for completion within four years, the newspaper reported.

Other developers following suit include Kumpulan JoLand?s ne development the Paragon Residences@Straits View comprising 32-storey and Dijaya?s Tropez Residences at Danga Bay.

Both Paragon Residences and Tropez Residences are fronting the Johor Straits, which is very popular amongst the foreign buyers. Locations considered as hot spots include Danga Bay, Nusajaya and Medini.

According to the Johor Bahru City Council and Johor Bahru Tengah Municipal Council, there are more than 25,000 condominium and apartment units in the city that are under construction or in the process of getting building approvals.

Filed Under: Country News ? Malaysia ? News

Tags: buyer trends ? condo market ? johor bahru ? Malaysia ? new developments johor bahru

Source: http://www.property-report.com/price-and-buyer-trends-lead-to-upswing-in-johor-bahru-condo-market-26089

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iMore Editors' Choice: Endless Road, Episodes, Tripit, BabyBump, and more!

Every week, the editors at iMore carefully select some of our favorite, most useful, most extraordinary apps, accessories, gadgets, and websites. This week's selections include a few games, apps for tracking TV shows and pregnancy, and an app for travel planning,

Endless Road

Just when you thought the endless runner genre had been beaten to death, Endless Road sneaks up and makes a big splash. This sharply stylized game puts players in a car and pushes them along a road with a simple catch - the world is falling away behind you. In order to avoid untimely doom off an incredibly abstract cliff, you have to avoid crashing into other motorists, dodge incoming walls, and drive over speed boosts whenever you can in order to stay over 80 MPH. Although every run is broken up into separate stages, they're all randomized, making each play-through unique and interesting. Steering is dead simple, as there are only three lanes to switch between with left or right side taps, but the obstacles (and power-ups) come fast and furious. During their drive, players gather coins with which they can use to enable power-ups or unlock new rides. The icing on the cake is an absolutely cool soundtrack. Definitely pick this one up, either for iPhone or iPad.

• $0.99 - Download Now

Final Freeway R2

If you grew up in a time when Rad Racer was a game you played, you'll most certainly want to check out Final Freeway R2. It won't push your devices graphics processing to the limit but it sure is fun. Complete with an 80's soundtrack to keep you bopping along, you can enjoy 14 stages of old school racing with the option of 3 difficulty levels. Recent updates to the game have brought joystick support as well as full iPhone 5 support. You can pick up Final Freeway R2 in the App Store for only $0.99.

• $0.99 - Download now

Episodes - Chris

This week's pick is for an app that I use to keep track of my TV shows and it has just received a fantastic new update too.

Say hello to 'Episodes', the most elegant way to keep track of the TV shows you love. Once setup with your favorite TV shows, Episodes will tell you when the next air date is via a notification so you never miss a show again. Even better, you can mark shows as watched so you always know what you have seen and what you've missed.

Digging a little deeper, you can see episode lists for all seasons of any particular show along with the synopsis too. Episodes covers TV shows from the US and the UK and is the perfect app for TV junkies like me.

• Free - Download Now

TripIt - Ally Kazmucha

TripIt for iPhone allows you to keep all your travel plans and arrangements in one place. You can save your flight, hotel, meeting, and dining information all within TripIt. It's a great way to keep track of confirmation numbers, reservation confirmations, and pretty much anything else having to do with your travel plans. With CES upon us, I was looking for a better way to organize all the events we've got going on and I remembered another one of our editors raving about TripIt. I can now understand why.

If you travel a lot and have a lot of data to organize, TripIt is the absolute best way to plan your trip, keep your friends and family up to date, and more. Pro TripIt subscribers can download a free version of the app but if you don't want to go Pro, there is a paid version you can use without the Pro subscriptions. It's what I've been using to plan and so far, it's worked wonderfully. I'd highly recommend any who travels quite often to check it out.

• $3.99 - Download Now

Conquist 2 - Joseph Keller

Conquist 2 is a turn-based strategy game for all iOS devices. If you?ve ever played RISK, you know how to play Conquist. There are four game modes, each with their own set of objectives, as well as eight different maps on which to play. There is support for single-player games against AI opponents with three difficulty settings, local multiplayer, in which multiple players use the same device, and online multiplayer. Gameplay is solid and well-paced, especially in single-player games. The AI players offer a decent challenge on medium and hard difficulties. Conquist 2 has a lite version, but it lacks online play. Both are available as universal apps. If you like turn-based, RISK-like strategy games, than Conquist 2 is the game you?re looking for.

• $2.99 - Download Now

Global Video, CityTV Video, and CTV Video - Rene Ritchie

I cut the cable cord over a year ago, so now I watch almost all my TV on iPhone and iPad. Most major Canadian TV networks have apps now. The problem is, they're a mixed bag. The CTV app has just been updated, and now supports AirPlay Mirroring, but it doesn't yet support the 16:9 iPhone 5 or iPod touch 5 display. The Citytv apps has been updated for 16:9 but doesn't support AirPlay (it presents a screen saying they lack the legal right to provide AirPlay -- um, okay?). Likewise the Global Video app. Copy protection also hinders the apps, preventing them from using the much better, built in AirPlay media controls (that don't require mirroring), and encouraging them to make apps that are barely wrapped web pages than real native apps. It also causes a bunch of weird errors as they try to secure the video stream connection and insert ads into the stream.

But even though frustrating, even though less than they could be, they do work. I can watch almost every current TV show I want, almost always within days of them airing, and I can watch them at a time and place of my choosing. It's the closest thing I've found to video on demand.

Note: These apps are for Canadian TV networks. If you're outside Canada, check your local App Store for your local networks. You might just be surprised what you find.

• Free - Global Video - Download now
• Free - CTV Video Download now
• Free - Citytv Video - Download now

BabyBump

I'm currently 32 weeks pregnant and one of my favorite companions this pregnancy (and my last pregnancy) is BabyBump for iPhone. It recently received a very significant upgrade that includes iPhone 5 support and a fully revamped UI.

BabyBump makes it easy to track your pregnancy, store photos, and learn about the current developmental stage your baby is at. Every week, there will be new information about your baby, body, and a list of activities that are good to prioritize for the week (like choosing a pediatrician, registering for the hospital, etc). In addition to the weekly updates, BabyBump also gives daily tips the address a wide variety of topics.

Some of the other highlights of BabyBump including a shopping section, groups, messages, baby names, kick and contraction counters, and a birth planning tool.

Seriously, if you are expecting, I highly recommend BabyBump. It's my favorite pregnancy app.

• $3.99 - Download Now

Your choice?

Now that we've chosen our favorites for the week, we want to hear yours! Did you pick up a killer app, accessory, or game this week? Let us know in the comments below!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/c3UwiS4F7kU/story01.htm

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Boston Real Estate News: New building restrictions after Sandy ...

Be the trivia champ this week and blow your friends away with real estate facts, breaking news and data! No cheaters allowed, but you know that, so take a quick peak at this Boston real estate roundup, which covers the past two weeks? most ?in-the-know? stories. ?Also, take a dip into our Boston Real Estate Resource Library,?real estate glossary, and tune up on the home selling, home buying, and apartment rental processes. You will be sure to impress your friends at this week?s trivia night. Well, at least in the real estate section ? fingers crossed you?ve got your mad skills in tact when it comes to movies, actors, and history class. Good luck out there!

Boston man convicted in fraud that lured JP Morgan, Wells Fargo, WaMu & Countrywide

?A Boston man in a line of real estate schemers accused of faking out banks during the height of the housing bubble has been convicted of fraud.?

Read More Here

Boston?s commercial real estate market leading national recovery

?Boston?s commercial real estate prices are fast approaching peak levels last seen in December 2007, while the local market as a whole is head-and-shoulders above the rest when comes to rebounding from the depths of the most-recent recession.?

Read More Here

Boston official named to head Baltimore Development Corporation

?Brenda McKenzie, who heads the economic development division of the Boston Redevelopment Authority, has been chosen to lead the Baltimore Development Corp.?

Read More Here

Boston tenants fight rent hikes, evictions

?In April, soon after acquiring the rental complex for $26 million, Alpha raised rents overnight by 25 percent to 40 percent. Alpha gave tenants 30 days to accept the rent hikes or face eviction.?

Read More Here

Warren Group corrects its September foreclosure data

?Boston real estate tracker The Warren Group acknowledged that its September foreclosure report contained errors.?

Read More Here

RLJ Lodging Debuts in Boston ? Analyst Blog

?Bethesda, Maryland-based RLJ Lodging Trust (RLJ), a real estate investment trust (REIT), recently entered the Greater Boston market with the acquisition of Embassy Suites in Waltham, Massachusetts. The purchase price of $64.5 million signifies a forward capitalization rate of around 7.9% on the hotel?s estimated net operating income in 2013.?

Read More Here

Biomedical institute in Watertown fields bids for HQ ahead of vote to wind-down

?The?Boston Biomedical Research InstituteInc. has listed its Watertown, Mass., headquarters for sale and is fielding bids from prospective buyers ahead of a voluntary Nov. 15 vote to wind down its operations.?

Read More Here

Locke-Ober sale price

?The new owners of the Locke-Ober building in downtown Boston paid $3.3 million for the property, at right, according to state real estate records.?

Read More Here

Davis Cos. raises $414 million for second real estate fund

?The Davis Cos. of Boston said it raised $414 million for its second real estate development fund.?

Read More Here

$50M expansion complete at Cubist Pharmaceuticals

?The $50 million expansion and renovation on Hayden Avenue includes the vertical expansion of its north building to create two additional floors for R&D, operations and support functions.?

Read More Here

Greater Boston hotel occupancy down, rates up in September

?Greater Boston area hotels reported mixed results in September as the occupancy rate fell and the average daily rate increased, according to the latest PKF Consulting USA Hotel Industry report.?

Read More Here

Massachusetts high-end housing market holds steady

?The number of homes selling for $1 million and over in Massachusetts was 1,915 during the past year, almost unchanged from the 1,913 homes that sold for $1 million and over the year before.?

Read More Here

Jamaica Plain fight has Home in bind

?The Home for Little Wanderers, a 200 year-old social services agency, realized several years ago that it was cash-challenged but land-rich.?

Read More Here

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Brockton group aims to block increase in property taxes

?A Brockton-based taxpayer group comprised of residents, business owners and an aspiring mayoral candidate have organized to oppose the city council?s pending vote to raise property taxes.?

Read More Here

Boston dodged a bullet with Sandy, but we may not be as lucky next time

?The?Boston Redevelopment Authority?is now asking developers of major projects to explain how they plan to accommodate the impacts of climate change.?

Read More Here

Showing properties 1 - 8 of 8. See more Boston Real Estate Listed in the Last 3 Days.
(all data current as of 11/25/2012)

1. 2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 950 sq ft

   Lot size: 760 sqft

   Year built: 1890

   Days on market: 0

   Listing provided by Frank Celeste, Gibson Sotheby's International Realty

2. 2 beds, 2 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,504 sq ft

   Year built: 2001

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 1

   Listing provided by Phyllis Reservitz, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Lexington

3. 5 beds, 3 full baths

   Home size: 2,097 sq ft

   Lot size: 1,178 sqft

   Year built: 1900

   Parking spots: 6

   Days on market: 1

   Listing provided by Marcos & Dayse Doliver, Prime Choice Real Estate

4. 1 bed, 1 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 860 sq ft

   Year built: 2006

   Parking spots: 2

   Days on market: 2

   Listing provided by David Green, Otis & Ahearn - 84 Atlantic

5. 1 bed, 1 full bath

   Home size: 452 sq ft

   Year built: 1907

   Days on market: 2

   Listing provided by Carmela Laurella, CL Waterfront Properties

6. 3 beds, 1 full, 1 part baths

   Home size: 1,870 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,362 sqft

   Year built: 1925

   Parking spots: 5

   Days on market: 2

   Listing provided by Paula Key, Key Real Estate And Insurance

7. 2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 698 sq ft

   Year built: 1900

   Days on market: 2

   Listing provided by Karen M. Powers, RE/MAX Realty Plus

8. 2 beds, 1 full bath

   Home size: 1,100 sq ft

   Lot size: 5,560 sqft

   Year built: 1957

   Parking spots: 3

   Days on market: 2

   Listing provided by James Gilmore, James F. Gilmore Realty

The property listing data and information set forth herein were provided to MLS Property Information Network, Inc. from third party sources, including sellers, lessors and public records, and were compiled by MLS Property Information Network, Inc. The property listing data and information are for the personal, non commercial use of consumers having a good faith interest in purchasing or leasing listed properties of the type displayed to them and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties which such consumers may have a good faith interest in purchasing or leasing. MLS Property Information Network, Inc. and its subscribers disclaim any and all representations and warranties as to the accuracy of the property listing data and information set forth herein.

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'Father of digital imaging' Bryce Bayer dies aged 83

Bryce Bayer, former Eastman Kodak scientist, and inventor of the Bayer Filter -- found with most modern digital image sensors -- has sadly recently passed. Bayer's work with Kodak left an indelible mark on almost every digital image you see today, both figuratively, and literally. His eponymous color filter, developed in 1976, used a mosaic layout of red green and blue filters that enables light sensors to create full color images. The design imitates the way the human eye perceives color, with twice as much green as red or blue, and the resulting output is then interpreted with "demosaicing" algorithms to produce an accurate, RGB image. Bayer's work also included significant contributions to other areas of digital photography, including storage, enhancement and printing. Bayer died on November 13th in Bath, Maine aged 83. So, next time you're enjoying your digital memories, spare a thought for the man who helped make them all possible

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The Weekly Winston: ?The Happy Warrior of Squandermania? (Powerlineblog)

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Iowa straw poll on the outs with GOP establishment

FILE - Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in this May 11, 2011 file photo taken in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa straw poll has devolved into a full-blown sideshow, Branstad and other critics contend. They say it's an unfair and false test that has felled good candidates and kept others from competing in the state. The poll, which morphed over the decades into a closely watched early test of caucus campaign strength, had "outlived its usefulness," Branstad told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday Nov. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

FILE - Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, in this May 11, 2011 file photo taken in Des Moines, Iowa. The Iowa straw poll has devolved into a full-blown sideshow, Branstad and other critics contend. They say it's an unfair and false test that has felled good candidates and kept others from competing in the state. The poll, which morphed over the decades into a closely watched early test of caucus campaign strength, had "outlived its usefulness," Branstad told The Wall Street Journal Tuesday Nov. 20, 2012. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? In the days since Republicans lost an election many in the party thought was theirs, chatter has been bubbling about what the GOP should do to recover.

For Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, it starts with the smallest of actions: abandoning the state's now-infamous straw poll.

Once a festive checkpoint on the road to the leadoff Iowa caucuses, the poll has devolved into a full-blown sideshow, Branstad and other critics contend. They say it's an unfair and false test that has felled good candidates and kept others from competing in the state.

"It's just something that's gotten totally out of control," said veteran GOP presidential campaign consultant Charlie Black. "It's been bad for years, but no one has had the guts to say it until now."

The poll, which morphed over the decades into a closely watched early test of caucus campaign strength, had "outlived its usefulness," Branstad told The Wall Street Journal this week. Some activists contend it amplifies the voices of candidates lacking broad appeal.

Branstad says he has widespread support for a different event to replace the poll, held in Ames the summer before every contested presidential caucus since 1979. It has become a lavish affair where campaigns spend heavily to wine, dine, entertain and chauffeur their supporters by bus to the Iowa State University campus.

Critics have increasingly called it a shakedown. Not only do campaigns buy up thousands of tickets for their supporters to attend the event, they bid thousands of dollars for prime spots to pitch tents near the voting area on the college campus.

It's all to show early support in Iowa, where the precinct caucuses traditionally lead off the early-state nominating march, even though only a fraction of caucusgoers turn out for the straw poll.

"It's a tedious effort. It costs a lot of money. It's totally irrelevant at the end of the day. It used to be a test of organization," said Ed Rollins, who managed Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's presidential campaign at the time she won the 2012 straw poll. "Today it's a lot of effort and a lot of energy that really is not worth the effort."

Bachmann spent $2 million on the August straw poll and edged Texas Rep. Ron Paul with heavy support from religious conservatives.

"The straw poll doesn't provide a complete cross-section of the caucus-going electorate," said Phil Musser, an adviser to former Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Pawlenty pinned his hopes on a strong finish in Ames last year but dropped out of the race for the GOP nomination after finishing third, never reaching the caucuses in his neighboring state.

Only about 17,000 turned out for the straw poll, one-seventh the size of the roughly 120,000 who voted on caucus night in January.

John McCain, the GOP's nominee in 2008, and onetime favorite Rudy Giuliani opted not to compete for the straw poll, turned off by the event's heavy influence by Christian conservatives. They ran scaled down caucus campaigns as a result.

Romney did not compete in the 2011 straw poll, choosing to project himself as a national candidate who didn't need to define himself among the Iowa GOP's rank and file.

But in 2007, Romney spent millions and won, only to struggle to a second-place caucus finish. A month later, he quit the race.

During that campaign, the former Massachusetts governor was so struck by the ferocity of opposition by Iowa Republican activists to illegal immigration that he tacked to the right to distinguish himself from Giuliani and McCain, who supported relaxed sanctions for illegal immigrants.

Doug Gross, a leading Iowa Republican who chaired Romney's 2008 Iowa campaign, said Romney's strong opposition to any pathway to citizenship or tuition benefits for illegal immigrants hurt him in the general election four years later against Obama, partly due to his effort to appeal to Iowa conservatives at the straw poll.

The straw poll "forces them to deal with extremists and you can't help but have some of that rub off on you," Gross said. "That hurts our ability to nominate candidates who can win."

Advocates of the straw poll argue the money helps finance the caucuses, which are party-run, not state-run, elections.

Instead, Branstad's allies are urging the party to substitute the straw poll with a summer fundraiser, without a vote.

Without the straw poll, the caucuses may lure back all top-tier Republican contenders, Branstad's supporters say. That would raise the stakes for the caucuses by making them truly the first event to winnow the field.

"(The straw poll) was great in its time," said Iowa GOP strategist John Stineman. "It's time to move on."

------------------

Brian Bakst contributed from St. Paul, Minn.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-11-22-Republican-Iowa%20Straw%20Poll/id-f7137a78e0de40d194378cb70931b6de

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Out There: Births of Stars Declining Sharply, Astronomers Say

It?s evening in the universe.

The stars we have are dying, and we?re not making new ones the way we used to. A group of British and American astronomers recently reported that the birthrate of stars in the universe has declined precipitously and continuously over the last 11 billion years.

The universe today is only producing stars one-thirtieth as fast as it was at its peak in the lusty primordial days when protogalaxies, all gas and spume, were bouncing around like pups in a closet, colliding and merging, popping with blazing bright new stars.

In a news release issued by the Royal Astronomical Society, the astronomer David Sobral of Leiden University in the Netherlands said, ?You might say that the universe has been suffering from a long, serious crisis: cosmic G.D.P. output is now only 3 percent of what it used to be at the peak in star production.? Dr. Sobral and his colleagues published their paper in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

They calculated that the current consolidation rate of ?starstuff? into stars amounts to about a million tons per year per cubic light-year. The Sun is about 2,000 trillion trillion tons.

In a fundamental sense, this cosmic fatigue is not really new. Other surveys, including one led by the aptly named Alan Heavens of the University of Edinburgh a few years ago, have come to similar conclusions. But one detail of this new study hit me.

Dr. Sobral and his colleagues said that if this decline in breeding goes on, it means the universe has already made 95 percent of the star mass that it will ever make. As eternity goes on ? and on and on ? the cosmos, like Palm Springs, will be dominated by older and older stars.

There is no cause for immediate alarm. Stars live for millions or billions of years, depending on their masses; the biggest burn out quickly, while the smaller ones can limp on as red dwarfs for a trillion years or more. The Sun, a middle-size and middle-aged star, has another 5 billion years or so to go.

Our own Milky Way galaxy, moreover, is still busily hatching stars out of dense gas clouds in places like the Eagle Nebula, home of the famous Pillars of Creation. If you ever agonized about missing out on Paris in the 1920s or Italy in the Renaissance, at least you can take comfort that we live in the Golden Age of the Milky Way.

To paraphrase Bob Dylan, it?s not dark yet, but it?s getting there.

The news brought me back to the darkening days of November in the Catskills, where I used to live. When the woods suddenly become lighter and more transparent because branches are bare, the sun slants off silvery tree trunks. The ground is luminous, carpeted with red and gold leaves that are about to be buried in snow.

The notion that 95 percent of the stars that will ever shine have already shone reminded me that I had once read that 6 percent of all the humans that have ever lived are alive today. The latter statistic is a consequence of the exponential growth of the human race (and, if it keeps growing, could eventually create problems for the idea of reincarnation).

You might not think it has anything to do with the stars. But philosophers and cosmologists have wondered if there is an answer to the question of why we live where and when we do.

The cartoon history that they would like to tell goes like this: Coming out of the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, the universe consisted of hydrogen and helium and a little lithium. Our bodies are made of oxygen, carbon, nitrogen and iron that had to be synthesized in thermonuclear reactions in successive generations of stars that went bang and seeded space and future stars with heavier elements.

That took time. The Milky Way was born near the height of the star baby boom, about 10 billion years ago. The Sun and solar system, with its heady mix of life-ready elements, came into being 4.5 billion years ago. It took evolution another 3.8 billion years to make us, the putative princelings of the cosmos. Could it all have happened faster to someone else some place else? Nobody knows.

Nobody knows for sure, either, why cosmic star production has slowed down, the astronomers say.

In recent years, they have found evidence that some of the more violent denizens of the modern cosmos, like giant black holes and supernova explosions, can create powerful winds that blow the gas out of galaxies, preventing it from condensing into stars. One black hole in the galaxy NGC 1275 was found to be ?singing,? or belching pressure waves, to the tune of a B flat 57 octaves below middle C, thus squelching star formation over much of the entire Perseus cluster ? hundreds of galaxies.

Some theorists, notably Freeman Dyson of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, have suggested ways that life could go on past the twilight of the stars, by extracting energy from black holes, for example. But that was before astronomers discovered that dark energy ? what appears to be a sort of cosmic antigravity ? is speeding up the expansion of the universe.

If this continues, the future is really dark. Eventually the universe will be expanding so fast that most other galaxies will disappear from view forever. Eventually even atoms could be ripped apart.

Time for bed.

Sometimes the universe seems to me like one of those black-humored toys: a box with a button. When you push the button, a hand comes out 14 billion years later and turns the button off.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

Correction: November 21, 2012

An article on Tuesday about the birthrate of stars in the universe misstated the sound made by pressure waves coming out of a black hole in the galaxy NGC 1275. The sound is that of a B flat 57 octaves below middle C, not 27 octaves.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/20/science/space/births-of-stars-declining-sharply-astronomers-say.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Thanksgiving Decorating : Ideas for Women Home and Family Blog

The house is clean,the menu is planned and you just realized that your house is screaming summer! Well you can easily make it Thanksgiving ready.Thanksgiving is all about nature and?the?rich colors of fall. If you have a pumpkin or two (not the ones you carved) then they can be placed on the hearth or the porch. Smaller ones can be used on the mantle or the table with a few candles.

Wreaths made of leaves leaves are always great as is a table cloth in a rich deep hue. If you want to update the living room and have the time then change out your curtains for a richer color that will still match the rest of the room. Add in some throw pillows in the same shades on the sofa and you have updated?your?summer look for fall. Going around?the?living room, bedroom kitchen, or any other room look at things that are in spring and summer colors that can easily?swapped?for something in a fall color.

Many times we have vases, pitchers, and other little items that be changed out and completely update our look for a small amount of money and time.

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Intel CEO Paul Otellini to step down in May, leaves a legacy of x86 dominance

Intel has just announced that CEO Paul Otellini will be stepping down in May of 2013. The long time executive will be retiring from the company and industry that he has dedicated the last 40 years of his life to, leaving behind a legacy that has seen Intel's dominance in the x86 field grow to almost unapproachable levels. As the fifth chief executive in the company's history he's overseen not only the processor reboot that followed the inefficient Pentium 4, but also played a role in Apple's famous transition from PowerPC to Intel. Otellini and the board of directors will work together over the next six months to ensure a seamless transition of power; however, a successor has yet to be chosen.

The change at the top comes at a time when Intel is facing renewed competition, but from an unexpected source. The rise of smartphones and tablets has seen the ARM architecture and its numerous licensees surge in both mindshare and marketshare. Intel is only now getting into that realm with its ultra low-power Medfield line of x86 chips. Whoever takes over as CEO in May will be facing a landscape that poses serious challenges to the company's CPU dominance.

For Otellini's complete statement, check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Intel CEO Paul Otellini to step down in May, leaves a legacy of x86 dominance

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Intel CEO Paul Otellini to step down in May, leaves a legacy of x86 dominance originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 19 Nov 2012 09:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Obama: Historic Myanmar visit underscores democratic progress

BANGKOK (AP) ? On the eve of his landmark trip to Myanmar, President Barack Obama tried to assure critics that his visit was not a premature reward for a long-isolated nation still easing its way toward democracy.

"This is not an endorsement of the government," Obama said Sunday in Thailand as he opened a three-country dash through Asia. "This is an acknowledgement that there is a process under way inside that country that even a year and a half, two years ago, nobody foresaw."

Obama was set to become the first U.S. president to visit Myanmar with Air Force One scheduled to touch down in Yangon on Monday morning. Though Obama planned to spend just six hours in the country, the much-anticipated stop came as the result of a remarkable turnaround in the countries' relationship.

The president's Asia tour also marks his formal return to the world stage after months mired in a bruising re-election campaign. For his first postelection trip, he tellingly settled on Asia, a region he has deemed the region as crucial to U.S. prosperity and security.

Aides say Asia will factor heavily in Obama's second term as the U.S. seeks to expand its influence in an attempt to counter China.

China's rise is also at play in Myanmar, which long has aligned itself with Beijing. But some in Myanmar fear that China is taking advantage of its wealth of natural resources, so the country is looking for other partners to help build its nascent economy.

Obama has rewarded Myanmar's rapid adoption of democratic reforms by lifting some economic penalties. The president has appointed a permanent ambassador to the country, also known as Burma, and pledged greater investment if Myanmar continues to progress following a half-century of military rule.

But some human rights groups say Myanmar's government, which continues to hold hundreds of political prisoners and is struggling to contain ethnic violence, hasn't done enough to earn a personal visit from Obama.

Speaking from neighboring Thailand, Obama said Sunday he was under no illusions that Myanmar had done all it needed to do. But he said the U.S. could play a critical role in helping ensure the country doesn't slip backward.

"I'm not somebody who thinks that the United States should stand on the sidelines and not want to get its hands dirty when there's an opportunity for us to encourage the better impulses inside a country," Obama said during a joint press conference Sunday with Thailand's prime minister.

Even as Obama turned his sights on Asia, widening violence in the Middle East competed for his attention.

Obama told reporters Sunday that Israel had the right to defend itself against missile attacks from Gaza. But he urged Israel not to launch a ground assault in Gaza, saying it would put Israeli soldiers, as well as Palestinian citizens, at greater risk and hamper an already vexing peace process.

"If we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza, the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future," Obama said.

The ongoing violence is likely to trail Obama as he makes his way from Thailand to Myanmar to Cambodia, his final stop before returning to Washington early Wednesday.

Obama will meet separately in Myanmar with Prime Minister Thein Sein, who has orchestrated much of his country's recent reforms. The president will also meet with longtime Myanmar democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi in the home where she spent years under house arrest.

The president, as he seeks to assuage critics, has trumpeted Suu Kyi's support of his outreach efforts, saying Sunday that she was "very encouraging" of his trip.

The White House says Obama will express his concern for the ongoing ethnic tensions in Myanmar's western Rakhine state, where more than 110,000 people ? the vast majority of them Muslims known as Rohingya ? have been displaced.

The U.N. has called the Rohingya ? who are widely reviled by the Buddhist majority in Myanmar ? among the world's most persecuted people.

The White House says Obama will press the matter Monday with Thein Sein, along with demands to free remaining political prisoners as the nation transitions to democracy.

The president will cap his trip to Myanmar with a speech at Rangoon University, the center of the country's struggle for independence against Britain and the launching point for many pro-democracy protests. The former military junta shut the dormitories in the 1990s fearing further unrest and forced most students to attend classes on satellite campuses on the outskirts of town.

Obama began his Asian tour on a steamy day in Bangkok with a visit to the Wat Pho Royal Monastery. In stocking feet, the president and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton walked around a golden statue of a sitting Buddha. The complex is a sprawling display of buildings with colorful spires, gardens and waterfalls.

Obama then paid a courtesy call to the ailing, 84-year-old U.S.-born King Bhumibol Adulyadej in his hospital quarters. The king, the longest serving living monarch, was born in Cambridge, Mass., and studied in Europe.

_

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-historic-myanmar-visit-underscores-progress-214229489.html

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Shopping and Product Reviews by Yemegimle: How to Commute ...

Nobody likes waking up in the dark to head to the office, but in this economy, a worker?s gotta do what a worker?s gotta do to bring home the bacon. Longer office hours plus pricey real estate means that people spend more time working (and getting there) than ever before. According to the latest census in 2009, Americans spend on average 25.1 minutes commuting every day. Eighty-six percent of all worker bees fasten their seatbelts, while five percent buddy up on public transportation, and three and a half percent of people walk or bike to the office. In some sprawling cities like Atlanta (where 12.7 percent of commuters spend more than an hour on the road) and Miami, workers face a long voyage to and from the office each day.

Besides getting bored with the Top 40 Hits radio station, why is a long commute such a big deal? Studies show?a time-consuming commute can have detrimental effects on mental and physical health. Read on to learn how to avoid transit-driven problems and make the most out of those daily expeditions.

Weekday Woes ? The Need-to-Know

Everyone describes their commute as a figurative pain in the neck, but can it actually have adverse affects on physical health? Turns out, dealing with a long haul to and from the office can cause both physical and mental health woes.

Whether in a car or on public transportation, commuting adds stress^[]. Women are especially prone to the psychological effects of traveling to work (perhaps because they sometimes have more responsibilities at home).

Spending a substantial chunk of time on the highway each week? Be prepared for a serious case of FOMO. Commuting can reduce time spent on social interactions, which can make people feel more isolated and depressed^[]. Some studies even claim that every ten minutes of commuting time costs a person 10 percent of his or her friends.

So what about those physical consequences? Studies show that commuting can lead to weight gain by taking up free time that could be spent on healthy activities like exercising or cooking wholesome meals^[]. Sitting in a car or train instead of walking or biking to work can even lead to higher cholesterol, blood pressure, and higher BMI^[].

Happy Travels ? Your Action Plan

Whether you take a plane, train, or automobile to work, there are many ways to improve any commute. Here are some tips and tricks to make the daily trek less stressful, more pleasant, and even ? dare we say it ? fun.

General Tips:

Roll On: Grab that rusty banana-seat 3-speed out of the garage and start pedaling: Studies show people who bike to work take fewer sick days than their driving or train-riding peers^[]. If biking to the office isn?t an option, consider cycling to a train or bus station, or meeting a carpool group a few miles from home.

Buddy Up: Spending tons of time alone in the car is not only boring, it can be mentally damaging. Commuting alone can cause feelings of isolation and general unhappiness. To reduce the mental health drawbacks, find a buddy to share the drive or ride. People who use public transportation have more frequent and varied social interactions than car commuters. Drivers can reap similar social benefits by setting up a rideshare or carpool. These groups provide commuting pluses like making new friends, conserving resources, and reducing expenses and wear and tear on each individual?s vehicle.

Snack Smart: Unexpected evening traffic jams or delayed trains can quickly turn a great day sour. To prevent a pre-dinner meltdown, get in the habit of keeping a healthy snack (like an apple or a homemade granola bar) on hand.

Take a Seat: Sitting down for long periods of time can have detrimental effects on health, says Greatist Expert Katherine Simmons. Simmons recommends using travel time to develop good posture. Sit at the edge of the seat, keep feet flat on the floor (unless driving!), draw the navel up and in, and lift up through the crown of the head. Hold this anatomically-friendly position for 20 seconds, then relax and repeat. Stuck standing on the subway? Apply the same guidelines to a standing position ? stay square through the shoulders, lift from the head, keep the spine straight, and avoid leaning on one hip.

Groove Gently: It may be tempting to use high-energy rock or rap music to wake up in the AM, but up-tempo tunes can actually make a morning commute more stressful: A recent survey showed that listening to heavy metal or loud rock can actually make drivers more prone to road rage and collisions. Plugging in some classical or other relaxing music makes for a safer and more relaxing trip.

Walk it Out: Most commutes involve at least some sitting, so try to walk wherever possible. Hoof it to the train station instead of getting a lift or park the car in the farthest-away spot. Even taking the stairs to the office instead of the elevator makes a difference.

Sniff Serenely: Sometimes commuting can be downright stinky. A neighbor on the train wearing too much cologne, a skunk on the highway, or that stale old-car smell can all make the morning trip unpleasant. Grab some essential oils and try some on-the-go aromatherapy. A drop of lavender or lemon oil can keep anxiety as well as funky smells at bay. Lemon, lavender, and other plants like basil, oranges, and jasmine, and laurel contain linalool, a chemical compound that has a calming effect^[]

Public Transportation:

Good news ? train commuters take 30 percent more steps per day than those who drive to work. Staying active is great for health, but line transfers, unpredictable schedules, and an overall lack of control can make taking the train a bummer. Try some of these strategies to make a rail journey more pleasant.

BYO Entertainment: Use a train commute to prepare the brain to get into ?work mode.? Instead of zoning out on the train, bring a book or puzzle as to warm up or cool down from a long day at work.

Find Your Zen: Plant those feet on the floor, close the eyes, and breathe deeply. The morning trip to the office can be a great time to get centered before a crazy workday. Start with just a few minutes and increase the length of the session as meditating gets easier. Focus on breathing and staying mindful of the body to start the day on a calm note.

Turn It Off: Why start working early? Unless expecting an important call, try turning train time into a respite from technology. Turn off (or silence) any pocket technologies for a calmer commute. Some public transportation networks have ?quiet cars? where riders are asked to avoid talking, listening to loud music, or chatting on cell phones. Not everybody agrees that silence on the train is golden, but some riders find it provides a nice environment to read or think in peace before the hectic workday begins.

Snooze Between Stops: With somebody else?s eyes on the road or tracks, there?s no reason not to take a short nap ? as long as it?s not on a neighbor?s shoulder! Nodding off for a few minutes won?t help catch up a severe sleep deficit, but a few short Zzs can help the body refresh. Before nabbing some shut-eye, secure belongings and check the environment for any possible dangers (i.e. opening train doors).

Driving:

Life in the fast lane? Hardly ? driving to work is often the perfect storm of boredom (traffic) and stress (crazy intersections! parking!). Stay alert and relaxed with these tips for tackling the open road.

Really Relax: ?Don?t try to meditate with closed eyes while cruising on a busy highway! Instead, try mindful breathing exercises to get Zen. Try progressive relaxation to chill out at traffic lights and in jams. Tense and relax each muscle group in the body for five seconds each, starting at the feet and continuing up to the face. Combine the flexing and releasing with long, slow breathing to totally melt tension.

Listen ?N Learn: Turn that dreaded hour of gridlock into an opportunity to learn something new! Download interesting podcasts, lectures, or courses to make the car a mobile classroom (try mastering a new language!). Plugging into an engaging audiobook can also help the miles fly by.

Pull a Mr. Rogers: Something as simple as changing from work shoes to well-worn sneaks can make a commute so much better. Folks with a long schlep at the end of the day (or a formal work dress code) can also consider bringing sweatpants or a comfy shirt to make the ride that much comfier.

Loosen Up: Sitting pretty in the driver?s seat after a long day in an office chair can have some negative physiological effects. Try getting limber with some stretches before hopping behind the wheel. Greatist Expert Kelvin Gary recommends loosening up the pectoral muscles and hip flexors, since these two are commonly used during a commute. Resist the urge to slump after a long day! As with a desk chair, adjust the seat so posture is upright and there?s no strain on the back.

Special thanks to Greatist Experts Kelvin Gary?and?Katherine Simmons?for their contributions to this article.

What?s your favorite commuting strategy? Tell us in the comments below or tweet the author at @SophBreene.

Source: http://greatist.com/health/how-to-commute-better/

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