IPIP Blog

The Boston Globe sports section runs a weekly feature called,What They Were Thinkingin which athletes recall their many emotions at specific moments of particular sporting events. Golf fans and anyone with a sense of integrity might want to what they were thinking when executives of a Rhode Island TV station recreated highlights of the recent Ocean State Womens Golf Association championship match and ran them on a July 14 newscast as if they were real.

WPRI Channel 12 and its affiliate Fox Televisions WNAC TV 64 ran footage of Samantha Morrell and Ali Prazak putting on the 18th green at West Kingstons Laurel Lane Golf Club in the final showdown of the event, according toSouthern Rhode Island Newspapers(thanks toJay Busbeefor the tip). Except that the station engineered the putting contest, which sports director Eric Murphy narrated as if the telecast were on the up-and-up, and did not even bother to stage the faked event on the correct hole.

You dont have to be a journalism junkie to know that the WPRI stunt was a serious no-no.

You have to be truthful to the viewers, University of Rhode Island journalism professor and former WLNE Channel 6 reporter Barbara Meagher told SRIN. Meagher suggested the culprits could have used the video with a caveat that after the tournament was over, [the golfers] showed us some of their key [shots]. You cant make viewers believe that it was during the tournament.

In his rather hollow defense, WPRI news director Joe Abouzeid told SRIN that the footage was for an upcoming story about the players that reporter Sara Hogan had not yet aired.

It is not our policy to recreate or reenact lsquo;highlights, Abouzeid said of the stations decision to recreate and reenact highlights. It is, however, our policy to specifically and accurately describe and identify the video that we present. It appears in this case that although the video was not described as highlights, it should not have aired in this context.

What was Abouzeids first clue? Perhaps someone belatedly showed him a copy of theRadio, Television and Digital News Associations code of ethics, which clearly states that journalists should not present images or sounds that are reenacted without informing the public.

The real golf competition, by the way, never made it to the 18th hole. Morrell made a par putt to close out the match and win her second consecutive OSWGA title on the 16th.

Hogan, who got to the course late because she was covering the RI Mens Amateur Golf Championship, filmed the award ceremony and then asked the two to take their putters to the 18th to create some television magic, said SRIN.Morrell, for her part, believed the recreation was kind of weird, she told SRIN.

We tried to make it like the real thing, but I think we did a good job with our acting, Morell said. I think we deserve some credit for it; that was really realistic.

The actual number of animals euthanized in shelters annually is a best estimate, as reporting is not consistent. But most experts say the figure is at least 4 million to 5 million.

Based on the most reliable numbers they could obtain from experts and organizations (and all agree that a larger percentage of the dogs that land in shelters wind up getting adopted or reclaimed than cats, rabbits and other small pets), Mark Barone and Marina Dervan settled on somewhat more than 2 million dogs dying in shelters each year. With that, they came up with the daily rate that will be in their An Act of Dog exhibit.

By Sharon L. Peters

(Source: El Paso Times)By El Paso Times, Texas

July 31–Weekends are always nice when they happen to come along. Theyre a couple of days of relaxation, of rest, after a frenetic week of work or school.creation.

So you probably should spend the next few weekends building up that rest and relaxation, because Aug. 19-21 is just around the corner.

Its Texas early Christmas gift to you, the consumer — the annual sales tax holiday/tax-free weekend. You wont have to pay local or state taxes on a generous number of items that cost less than $100.

The timing is crucial because school has either just begun or will be starting soon — and there are a lot of school supplies and clothing on the tax-free list.

Youll be saving about $8 on every $100 you spend on eligible merchandise. Its not exactly a windfall, but its $8 you can spend on something else.

And these days, a lot of people are looking to save a few bucks here and there.

And if youre a savvy shopper, youll want to be checking ads in the Times and online to see where the sales are going to be. If you can find some good deals on sales, and then add on the sales-tax savings, youre even more money ahead.

If theres a downside to the program, its that you cant just go out on a spending spree and buy anything you want, expecting to pay no taxes.

That

diamond tennis bracelet youve been eyeing isnt on the list. Neither is that $75,000 SUV that parks itself and serves you a margarita at the same time.

Consumers wont be the only ones benefiting from the sales tax holiday. Retailers also should see an increase in customers drawn by the (no) tax incentives.

State Comptroller Susan Combs estimates that shoppers will save $62.1 million in sales taxes. Its money the state wont have as revenue, but on balance, the consumers need a break.

Start your planning now.

Make a list of what you need, decide which stores youll go to and get ready for your tax-free weekend.

Tax-free items
Taken from the state comptrollers website, The following is an all-inclusive list of qualifying school supplies (if priced less than $100):

– Binders

– Book bags

– Calculators

– Cellophane tape

– Blackboard chalk

– Compasses

– Composition books

– Crayons

– Erasers

– Folders: expandable, pocket, plastic, and manila

– Glue, paste and paste sticks

– Highlighters

– Index cards

– Index card boxes

– Legal pads

– Lunch boxes

– Markers

– Notebooks

– Paper: loose-leaf ruled notebook paper, copy paper, graph paper, tracing paper, manila paper, colored paper, poster board, and construction paper

– Pencil boxes and other school supply boxes

– Pencil sharpeners

– Pencils

– Pens

– Protractors

– Rulers

– Scissors

– Writing tablets

—–

To see more of the El Paso Times, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.elpasotimes.com.

Copyright (c) 2011, El Paso Times, Texas

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.

For more information about the content services offered by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services (MCT), visit www.mctinfoservices.com.

A service of YellowBrix, Inc.

Stray Dogs running wild in Fayetteville (Added: July 29, 2011)
As many as 150 potentially rabid dogs are running wild in Fayetteville killing small pets and threatnening residents. Health officials believe there are ten packs and they are likely spreading rabies (more)

July is fading fast, and so are the summer months. But the season of picnics, outdoor concerts, sporting events and general good times is still in full swing. August is bursting with activities and events happening in the Bay Area. Here’s just a few.

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Take a trip into the city to learn about the fascinating history of shipwrecks that have occurred along the rocky coastline of the Golden Gate. On Saturday, Aug. 6 the Golden Gate National Recreation Area will offer a one-hour, docent-led hike at Land’s End in San Francisco. Reservations are required, so call (415) 561-4323 to sign up and get directions.

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On Sunday, Aug. 7 the Tour De Peninsula hits the road in San Mateo. This popular cycling event offers rides of various levels for families, beginners, and serious cyclists at Coyote Point Park in San Mateo. It all ends with a party in the park, featuring live music and entertainment, food concessions, plus free admission to Curiodyssey for event participants and their families. And it’s all for a good cause: raising funds for San Mateo County Parks.

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On Sunday, Aug. 14, adults interested in how the San Andreas Fault shaped the Peninsula landscape can learn more at the Monte Bello Open Space Preserve during a three-mile expert guided hike. Along with the geographical history, you can also spend some time getting to know this beautiful park. Reservations are required, and can be made on their website. There, you can also find a list of many other fun events they have planned, including the after-hours Nature at Night.

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Those looking for more tips on the best hiking spots can find them at the San Francisco REI. On the evening of Wednesday, Aug. 17 you can see Jim Roger’s digital presentation on 10 great backpacking spots, all within a few hours’ drive of the Bay Area. You’ll hear tips on finding the views, the birds and the waterfalls, plus resources for the best gear.  This presentation is free, and you can reserve a seat by calling the store at (415) 934-1938. All REI locations have a great roster of outdoor clinics and in-store presentations on a variety of outdoor activities. 

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On Sunday, Aug. 21 you can join the Outdoor Adventure Club for a tough 6-mile hike to the top of Barnabe Peak in Marin County. Located in gorgeous Samuel P. Taylor Park, this is a guided group hike that includes a picnic lunch at the mountaintop vista and stunning views of Marin and the coastline. The price is $39.00 for non-members; $20 for members.

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If you want to donate your time to a good cause while you’re enjoying the outdoors, consider joining San Mateo County Parks volunteer groups as they care for our open spaces.  You can help maintain trails and protect native plants at San Bruno Mountain and other Peninsula parks this August.

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Check out the event calendars at your local parks for even more fun activities.  And take advantage of the summer.

Victory Casino Cruises

Address: Terminal No. 2, near Jetty Park
180 Christopher Columbus Dr., Cape Canaveral
Phone/Web: 321-799-2011; victorycasinocruises.com
Sailing schedule:

Want to get your customers to spend more? Relax them first. Thats the finding of new research that states of relaxation consistently increase customers sense of what a product is worth often by as much as 10 percent.

The researchers conducted six experiments involving two different methods of inducing relaxation videos and music and then asked participants to value products of different types. The researchers found that study participants who were put into a relaxed state reported higher monetary valuations than participants who were put into an equally pleasant but less relaxed state.

The effect was observed across a large variety of products in other studies. Not only did relaxed participants believe that relaxing, luxury products and services such as a spa treatment or a cruise were worth more, they also thought that exciting products and services (such as bungee jumping sessions) and indulgent products and services (for example, an ice cream sundae) were worth more as well. The influence of relaxation on monetary valuation thus appears to apply to a wide range of products.

The study reveals a psychological reaction to the biology of being relaxed: Your system thinks there is no threat in the environment. As a result, you tend to perceive various things as more desirable. Shoppers should be aware of how this impacts their decision-making, said one of the researchers, Michel Tuan Pham, a professor of business and marketing at Columbia Business School.

According to the researchers, relaxed consumers think products are worth more than less-relaxed consumers because relaxed individuals tend to think about the value of products at a more abstract level. For example, when bidding for a camera, relaxed participants focused more on what the camera would enable them to do (for example, collect memories) and how desirable and advantageous it was to own it, whereas the less-relaxed participants focused more on the concrete features of the camera itself (such as the number of megapixels it had and the shutter speed).

The study helps explain why luxury products and services, such as high-end boutiques and luxury hotels, are often sold or provided in relaxing environments. Everything else being equal, consumers will be willing to pay higher prices if marketers are able to relax them first, which has important implications for marketers, researchers said.

The paper will appear in the American Marketing Associations Journal of Marketing Research.

This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience.

Sam Morris

Showgirls from Jubilee! at Ballys march up the Strip during a publicity stunt Thursday, July 21, 2011, to praise Caesars Entertainments policy of not charging resort fees.

Nobody likes the heat, but what if you had to wear a fur coat and get rid of your sweat glands for the entire summer? That doesn’t sound like fun? Well, your pets do it every year.

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While we run around on our two legs worrying about SPF, drinking enough water and our scaling electric bills, let’s not forget about our furry four-legged friends. The summer brings about fresh air and green grass, but it also presents a few dangers for our pets.

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Dogs amp; Heat Don’t Mix

Dogs can’t sweat like we can; they simply don’t have enough sweat glands. The few that they have isn’t enough to cool them down in the “dog days” of summer. Panting doesn’t even help that much, but it is another way they try to cool themselves. If your dog has decided to lie down and pant all day during the summer, chances are he’s literally too hot to move.

Dogs are extremely susceptible to heat stroke, so here are a few absolute DON’Ts for your dog this summer:

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• Don’t leave your dog in your car. It is absolutely deadly for a dog to be trapped in a hotbox like that for even the smallest amount of time.  In fact, in New Jersey, it is against the law to leave your dog in the car for any amount of time, so if you get a ticket for it, you have no one to blame but yourself.

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Heat stroke in dogs is potentially and often fatal, said Anne Brodsky, DVM, of Fort Lee Oradell Veterinary Hospital. We see this very commonly in dogs that are left in the car for a mere few minutes.  Many owners dont understand just how quickly it can happen.  When a dogs temperature reaches around 105 to 106 degrees and above, they are at risk for secondary systemic coagulation problems that can lead to widespread bleeding and death, among other complications.  I always tell owners if the car is not moving and with the AC on, then your pet doesnt belong there.

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“Dogs should not be left out for any extended period of time in the summer heat, Brodsky added. There should always be plenty of shade available as well as a constant supply of fresh cool water, as dehydration and heat stroke can ensue very quickly.

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• Don’t over-exercise your dog. We don’t like jogging in the heat, and neither do our dogs. When the weather is absolutely brutal, it’s okay to shorten Fido’s walk and keep exercise indoors, or at least to a minimum. This is especially important for overweight dogs and “flat-faced” (brachycephalic) pooches. 

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Summer heat can be rough to begin with for any dog or cat, however dogs with breathing problems such as laryngeal paralysis or brachycephalic airway syndrome and obesity are at even greater risk of dangerously overheating more rapidly,” Brodsky said.

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Other Pets amp; Heat

Small animals like rodents, rabbits, and ferrets don’t do well in the heat either, and it’s an absolute must that they have air conditioning made available to them while you’re away all day. It might be inconvenient to foot that sort of electric bill for the sake of your critter friends, but it’s necessary. Though small, many “pocket pets” are susceptible to heat stroke and just a few hours in warm weather can do lasting damage.

Other ideas to keep your small pets cool are to freeze giant water bottles and leave them in the pets cage. It’s almost like a home air conditioning unit.

Please keep in mind that electric fans should never be aimed toward rodents or rabbits as a means of keeping cool. Their delicate respiratory systems don’t appreciate it.

Ways to Beat the Heat

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• Always have fresh water available for your pets. You can even leave a few ice cubes in the bowl, so it stays cool for a while. However, don’t give your dog ice cold water right after a walk – instant tummy upset!

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• Your pets like the A/C as much as you do.

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• Spray your dogs’ paws gently with cool water after a long walk. Some of the few sweat glands they have are actually in their paw pads; it’ll help cool them down.

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• Allow your dog plenty of rest and lukewarm (not ice cold) water before and after exercise, and if he doesn’t want to walk in the brutal heat, don’t force him to.

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Many arctic breeds or thick long-coated dogs may benefit from a summer cut to help keep them cool and more comfortable in the hottest summer months,” suggested Brodsky.

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Just make sure you get your dog done professionally; sometimes dogs can actually get sunburn when they get too close a shave.

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• Take your dog swimming! If your dog likes water, swimming is a great way to cool down. Just remember to bring plenty of fresh drinking water, too, because pool water isn’t good for anyone’s tummy.

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Other Summer Dangers

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• Fireworks! A dog that is terrified of fireworks will not only try to run away from the sound, but he might run away from your house too. Keep dogs indoors if they don’t like fireworks, but don’t baby them – just make sure they’re safe. Dogs have been known to run away from home in fright over the colorful displays and get lost, hurt or worse.

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• BBQ food is not for pets. Never give a half-eaten rib/chicken/anything bone to your dog. BBQ sauce and all those seasonings aren’t great for their tummy, and many dogs can actually get quite sick on the everyday junkfood we celebrate summer with.

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• Indoor/outdoor cats hang out under cars to keep cool in the summer, so if you have an “outdoor cat” be careful.

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Hit by car scenarios are also seen more commonly in the summer because it is nice out and pets are spending more time outside with their owners, whether on a walk or in the yard off leash, Brodsky said. If your pet is hit by a car, the best thing to do is to bring him/her to an emergency facility right away and keep your hands away from your pets mouth, as they may bite you because they are in extreme pain.

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Keep an eye on your pets this summer and make sure everyone is staying cool and happy. If your pet is acting especially lethargic, vomiting or just seems “off,” call your vet. Its always better to be safe than sorry.

For those interested in more information on heat stroke and the potential dangers of warmer weather on our pets, Oradell Animal Hospital will be hosting a Warm Weather Emergencies related seminar on Thursday, Aug. 4, at 7 pm The seminar will cover heat stroke, car accident related trauma, snake bites, hi-rise syndrome (falling from heights) and more.

Authorities released a list Thursday of places where illegal gambling devices called ?coin pushers? were recently found. Visalia police this week arrested two people in connection with distributing the illegal gambling devices. / Juan Villa