American tomato growers, upset at Mexico's growing share of the US market, are taking steps that could lead to new tariffs on Mexican tomatoes. Mexico's ambassador threatened retaliation.?
By Ron Scherer,?Staff writer / September 28, 2012
Tomatoes grow in a hothouse in San Luis de la Paz, Mexico, in February 2012.
Melanie Stetson Freeman/The Christian Science Monitor
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The tomato, one of America?s favorite vegetables, is the focus of a burgeoning cross-border food fight that Mexican officials say could escalate into a broader trade war.
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Mexican exporters currently supply about half the tomatoes consumed in the US. American growers, upset over what they see as a steady incursion of low priced Mexican produce, are trying to quash a deal that has kept the price of Mexican tomatoes low. The move could lead either to new tariffs on Mexican tomatoes or an agreement by the Mexicans to sell their produce at higher prices.
The Mexican government is threatening retaliation if the US tacks on any new tariffs.
?If Mexico?s interests end up being affected, Mexico will respond,? said Arturo Sarukhan, the Mexican ambassador to the US in a statement. ?When Mexico aims, Mexico hits the target.?
What does this mean for US consumers? Whether the US action results in higher tomato prices is hard to say. In public filings over the issue, large buyers of tomatoes, such as Wal-Mart, worry that any disruption of a stable and predictable supply of tomatoes from Mexico will hinder their ability to provide consistent pricing to the US consumer.
But the US growers say those fears are unfounded, maintaining that the US has the ability to grow enough tomatoes to keep every salad bar stocked at a reasonable price.
?I don?t anticipate consumer prices will be impacted significantly at all,? says Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, which represents growers there.
The Mexican government, meanwhile, is deeply suspicious over the timing of the tomato flap since it involves growers from politically sensitive Florida. Mexico?s minister of the economy, Bruno Ferrari, told Reuters this week it was ?obvious? the request was timed to put political pressure on the White House ahead of the election.
Over the last several months, the Obama administration has become more aggressive in charging importers with dumping. This summer the US charged Chinese companies with unfair trade actions regarding cars and auto parts. The president touted that trade action while campaigning in Ohio, but Mitt Romney called it too little too late. Romney says he would get tough on China regarding trade issues if elected president.
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Saturday Highlights: US appeals court sends Galaxy Tab 10.1 sales ban decision back to lower court endangering Apple's victory?more in our Apple/Macintosh section; interesting analysis over at Fortune ponders the man in charge of Siri and the new Maps: Scott Forstall; Louie Herr of Digital Trends says we haven't learned the lesson from Antennagate with regards to Maps, saying we've overreacted to the ordeal; Andy Ihnatko says Tim Cook's letter to consumers was the "perfect response", but that Apple's mistake was pushing Maps right into the deep end when they should have approached it like they did Siri; meanwhile, Jim Dalrymple believes this is a simple "black eye, nothing more"; curious question arises out of the Maps issue: "should Apple let users select alternate default apps?"; Consumer Reports not too hard on Maps; some ex Apple and NASA engineers make a pricey coffee maker; Jack Purcher analyzes Intel's computing direction toward "transparent computing"; over at TidBITS, Glenn Fleishman probes mysterious cellular data usage occurring on iOS 6 devices; Apple removes "the most beautiful, powerful mapping service ever" from Maps description on Apple.com; InformationWeek's Eric Zeman reviews his iPhone 5 experience, while Mark Crump provides a view of the iPhone 5 from a photographer's perspective, and over at iDownload Blog, Sebastien Page presents a course on B&W iPhone photography.
Friday Highlights: Tim Cook apologizes to customers for Map errors, says Apple doing everything they can to make it better, in the mean time he recommends Bing, Waze, others as alternatives?numerous reports in our Apple/Macintosh, and Op/Ed sections, Jonny Evans believes the message hints that Apple is working to make their mapping service best in the world, not just better; Chris Ciaccia at The Street calls the apology a grand slam saying "no company on Earth...knows how to spin a negative story into good positive vibes better than Apple"; Tim Bajarin says the real reason Apple jettisoned Google Maps had to do with giving valuable customer data to Google, which would help Android; iPhone 5 available for sale in 22 countries starting today; Macworld reviews Parallels Desktop 8, VMware Fusion 5; US Air Force uses iPads saving more than $5 million/year; court in China says Apple must pay $82,000 to encyclopedia company due to App Store piracy; report says iPhone 5 prices are least in United States, most in Italy; ABC News report on TSA official theft of iPad; Sharp says they are not the cause iPhone 5 shortages, pumping out "adequate volumes of display[s]"; TechInsights analysis of A6 chip; Macotakara blog posts mock-up of apparent iPad mini; San Jose Mercury News's Larry Magid reviews iPhone 5, says is "a worthy upgrade, but nothing to get excited about"; however, Dwight Silverman at the Houston Chronicle is "even more sold on it" now that he's tested his iPhone 5 with LTE finding a big difference from pre-LTE iPhones; Mactuts+ shows you how to upgrade RAM in your MacBook Pro; Mac OS X Hints has a tip that could solve WiFi woes on your iPhone, as well as a tip to arrange icons on your Apple TV menu; New York Times's J.D. Biersdorfer answers reader question on asking Siri questions the right way.
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"Apple CEO 'Extremely Sorry' for IPhone Maps Frustration" [Video Report]?Bloomberg?9/28
"Tim Cook Apologizes for Apple's Maps"?New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required]?9/28
"Apple CEO Apologizes for Maps App"?WSJ.com [Paid Membership Required]?9/28
"Apple CEO: 'We are extremely sorry' for Maps frustration"?CNNMoney?9/28
"Tim Cook apologizes for Apple's new Maps app"?Fortune?9/28
"Music publisher blocked iPhone 5 music service, report says: Sony/ATV and Apple couldn't agree on licensing fees and that's why we didn't see a Pandora-like music service from Apple, according to a story in the New York Post."?CNET News?9/28
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"How To Get Free Music, TV Shows, Movies, And Apps Delivered To Your Mac"?Mac 360?9/28
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Op/Ed
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Press Releases
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"FCP Editors Go Retro with New Slide Pop Special Effects Package"?prMac?9/28
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"Original 2007 Google-powered iPhone maps app reportedly built by 2 engineers in 3 weeks"?iMore?8:01 AM
"Weekly Wrap: iPhone 5 review, iOS 6 annoyances, and a Tim Cook Maps apology"?Macworld?2:34 PM
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"U.S. regional carriers undercut major carries with iPhone 5 discounts"?BGR?10:29 AM
"Former Apple, NASA Engineers Make $11,111 Coffee Maker"?ABCNews?8:12 AM
"Steve Jobs (Action Figure) Returns From the Dead"?PC Magazine?7:31 PM
"Artist Creates Sculpture Made Using Steve Jobs' Recycled Trash"?technabob?9:05 AM
"Urban Outfitters drops cash registers for Apple's iPad in 400 stores"?AppleInsider?9/28
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"Global iPhone 5 Rollout Continues, Tight Supplies Be Damned"?AllThingsD?9/28
"iPhone 5 dials up discount for regional carrier debut: Some smaller carriers will trim $50 off the normal retail price for Apple's next-generation smartphone when they begin selling it tomorrow."?CNET News?9/28
"Videos: Queuing up for Apple's iPhone 5 in 22 languages"?Fortune?9/28
"The iPhone 5 goes on sale in 22 more countries today"?iDownload Blog?9/28
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"As Apple says sorry, Google Maps gets a little better"?CNET News?9/28
"Apple Clears First Hurdle, Possible iPhone 5 Launch In China Before The Year-End"?Forbes?9/28
"iPhone 5 lights up China's gray market"?CNET Asia?9/28
"US Air Force Electronic Flight Bag Team fought Windows bureaucracy and deployed iPads?[Video]?9 to 5 Mac?9/28
"Thanks to the iPad, The Air Force is Saving More Than $5 Million Per Year"?PadGadget?9/28
"Google's Answer to Siri Thinks Ahead: The company's data stockpile and investment in AI means a smartphone helper that answers queries before you even ask them."?Technology Review?9/28
"Company Alleges that Apple's 'Numbers' Infringe on Borland Patent"?Patently Apple?9/28
"Apple sued over spreadsheet technology"?CNET News?9/28
"Chinese court rules Apple must pay over $82K to encyclopedia publisher over App Store piracy"?AppleInsider?9/28
"Apple music logo trademark rejected"?TG Daily?9/28
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Non-Apple News
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Publications/Podcasts
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Reviews
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"CruxSkunk iPad Keyboard Exposes the Mirage of Kickstarter [Review]?Mashable?12:19 PM
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iPad/iPhone/iPod touch Apps
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"iOS 6 Maps vs. iOS 5 Maps vs. maps.google.com: Location data shootout!"?iMore?9/28
"Create Your Own Passbook Cards, Coupons, & Tickets"?Apple Gazette?9/28
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"Bad Piggies for iPhone and iPad review"?iMore?9/28
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"Score! Classic Goals for iPad and iPhone review"?Macworld UK?9/28
"Carbonite Mobile Review"?148Apps?9/28
"Note Anytime Review: A free note taking and sketching app for the iPad that's packed with many features to give users creative flexibility."?148Apps?9/28
"Find the Way Review: Find the Way is a short maze game that pits players against a clock as they race to find a way out."?148Apps?9/28
"'Super Monsters Ate My Condo' Review and TA Plays - Not Just a Sequel, a SUPER Sequel"?Touch Arcade?9/28
How-To/Tutorial
"Use Siri The Right Way On Your iPhone And iOS 6 [Feature]?Cult of Mac?12:49 PM
"A course on black and white iPhone photography"?iDownload Blog?7:56 AM
"How to Use the Panorama Camera to Take Amazing Panoramic Pictures with iPhone"?OS X Daily?9/28
"How to Upgrade the RAM in Your MacBook Pro"?Mactuts+?9/28
Tips
"How to Assign a Passcode with More than Four Digits to Secure Your iOS Device"?The Mac Observer?10:08 AM
"How to choose an Apple Maps alternative"?USA Today?9:53 AM
"Ask Maggie is back! Which iPhone 5 is right for you?"?CNET News?9:00 AM
"Here's a neat tip to help make sure you get your iPhone back should you ever lose it"?The Next Web?8:00 AM
"One possible solution to iPhone Wi-Fi problems"?Mac OS X Hints?9/28
"Apple explains how to create home screen shortcuts to Google and Nokia maps on the web"?iDownload Blog?9/28
"Q&A: Asking Siri ? the Right Way"?New York Times [Free/Paid Registration Required]?9/28
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Tim Cook's Maps Apology
"Old Maps vs. New Maps"?Vore?6:50 PM
"Tim Cook's apology shows that Apple cares, but still needs to fix problem"?TUAW?12:18 PM
"The Macalope Weekly: From bad to worse"?Macworld?10:08 AM
"NYT: iOS Maps another internet services blunder for Apple"?AppleInsider?8:00 AM
"MacOS KenDensed: iPhone 5's First Week & that Maps Thing"?The Mac Observer?7:59 AM
"Hate to Say 'I Told You So', Where by 'Hate' I Mean 'Draw Great Satisfaction From'"?Daring Fireball?9/28
"Apple's genius Maps jiu-jitsu: the enemy of my enemy is my friend"?VentureBeat?9/28
"Examining Maps in the Wake of Tim Cook's Apology"?TidBITS?9/28
"Tim Cook's 'Mapology': No explanation of premature Maps launch"?CNET News?9/28
"Did Apple's Apology Scare Off iPhone 5 Buyers?"?CNBC?9/28
"Well Played On Maps, Apple. Your Move,?Google."?TechCrunch?9/28
"Apple Losing Its Sense of Direction"?WSJ Blogs?9/28
"Leaders Apologize"?Forbes?9/28
"Tim Cook open letter: We fell short with new Maps app; we are extremely sorry"?MacDailyNews?9/28
"Apple CEO Cook Posts Letter Apologizing For Buggy Maps"?Forbes?9/28
"CEO Tim Cook apologizes for 'falling short' on Apple Maps"?GigaOM?9/28
"Apple apologizes for iOS 6 maps"?BetaNews?9/28
"Tim Cook on Apple Maps: 'We Are Extremely Sorry'"?AllThingsD?9/28
Sony is continuing to push the PlayStation 3 line with a slimmer model, and their UK office thinks it?ll be a holiday hit. According to one exec, it?s perfect for people passing on the Wii U.
That claim comes from PlayStation UK managing director Fergal Gara, who told CVG that the casual gaming crowd is ripe for the pickings this year:
?If you look at the upcoming Christmas market, the Wii will be selling in very low volumes ? it?s on its way out ? and the Wii U will arrive, but it will bring in a relatively small number of early adopter consumers,? he said.
?We see ourselves well positioned for the casual market who won?t buy Wii U on day one. We?ve got a wow moment, we feel. I remember when people picked up the Wii controller for the first time, that was a big moment, it was a casual market breakthrough, but we thing we?ve got a casual market breakthrough as well with Wonderbook and the lowest priced PS3 yet.?
At this point, the PlayStation 3 has just about caught up with the Xbox 360 on a global scale (after languishing in third place its entire lifecycle), but still trails well behind the original Nintendo Wii.
Month-by-month sales will determine who wins the holidays, though. Unless Nintendo has mass production and supply issues, it?s unlikely that the PS3 can outsell the Wii U at the end of the year, especially if it does as well as the original Wii, which netted 600,000 units sold during its first week in North America alone.
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday approved a new drug for advanced colon cancer developed by Bayer AG, a month ahead of the agency's expected action date for a decision. The drug, to be sold under the brand name Stivarga, was approved to treat colon cancer that has progressed after prior treatment or that has spread to other parts of the body, the agency said. "Someone has clearly lit a fire under the FDA," Sanford Bernstein analyst Geoffrey Porges said of the speedy approval. ...
ScienceDaily (Sep. 28, 2012) ? A piece of nettle cloth retrieved from Denmark's richest known Bronze Age burial mound Luseh?j may actually derive from Austria, new findings suggest. The cloth thus tells a surprising story about long-distance Bronze Age trade connections around 800 BC.
2,800 years ago, one of Denmark's richest and most powerful men died. His body was burned. And the bereaved wrapped his bones in a cloth made from stinging nettle and put them in a stately bronze container, which also functioned as urn.
Now new findings suggest that the man's voyage to his final resting place may have been longer than such voyages usually were during the Bronze Age: the nettle cloth, which was wrapped around the deceased's bones, was not made in Denmark, and the evidence points to present-day Austria as the place of origin.
"I expected the nettles to have grown in Danish soil on the island of Funen, but when I analysed the plant fibres' strontium isotope levels, I could see that this was not the case," explains postdoc Karin Margarita Frei from the Danish National Research Foundation's Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen.
"The levels indicate that the nettles grew in an area with geologically old bedrock. We can only find rock with similar levels of strontium isotope in Sweden and Norway as well as in Central Europe."
Karin Margarita Frei had to conclude that Bronze Age Danes did not use local stinging nettle for their nettle textiles.
Strontium tells us where we come from
It is Karin Margarita Frei who has developed the method to determine plant textiles' strontium isotope levels that has led to the surprising discovery.
Strontium is an element which exists in Earth's crust, but its prevalence is subject to geological and topographical variation. Humans, animals, and plants absorb strontium through water and food. By measuring the strontium level in archaeological remains, researchers can determine where humans and animals lived, and where plants grew.
The new discovery is the result of a collaboration between an international team of researchers from the Danish National Research Foundation's Centre for Textile Research at the University of Copenhagen, the University of Bergen in Norway, and the National Museum of Denmark. The findings are described in an article that has just been published in Nature's online journal Scientific Reports.
Made in Austria
Karin Margarita Frei's work and the grave's archaeological remains suggest that the cloth may have been produced as far away as the Alps.
A bronze container, which had been used as urn, is of Central European origin and probably from the K?rnten-Steiermark region in Austria. The strontium isotope analysis of the cloth indicates that it may very well be from the same region. This assumption is supported by yet incomplete analyses of pitch found in the Luseh?j grave.
Textile archaeologist Ulla Mannering from the National Museum of Denmark offers an explanation as to how an Austrian cloth ended up in Funen, Denmark.
"Bronze Age Danes got their bronze from Central Europe, and imports were controlled by rich and powerful men. We can imagine how a bronze importer from Funen in Denmark died on a business trip to Austria. His bones were wrapped in an Austrian nettle cloth and placed in a stately urn that his travel companions transported back to Denmark," Ulla Mannering suggests.
Nettles made good textile
The strontium isotope analyses have surprised Ulla Mannering.
She concludes on the basis of the analyses that Central Europeans still used wild plants for textile production during the Bronze Age while at the same time cultivating textile plants such as flax on a large scale. Nettle textiles could apparently compete with textiles made from flax and other materials because top quality nettle fabrics are as good as raw silk.
The strontium isotope analyses also mean that Danish textile history needs revision.
"Until recently the Luseh?j nettle cloth was the oldest nettle cloth we knew, and the only Bronze Age nettle cloth, but with our new findings we actually have no evidence that nettle textiles were produced in Denmark at all during the Bronze Age," Ulla Mannering points out.
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Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Copenhagen.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
C. Bergfjord, U. Mannering, K. M. Frei, M. Gleba, A. B. Scharff, I. Skals, J. Heinemeier, M. -L Nosch, B. Holst. Nettle as a distinct Bronze Age textile plant. Scientific Reports, 2012; 2 DOI: 10.1038/srep00664
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
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Wire. Plaster. Beam. Air. Drilling into a wall doesn't have to be a guessing game. There are easy and effective ways to know what's hiding in your home. The DIY experts at Stack Exchange provide tips.
Illustration by Sean Gallagher.
Question:
I'm getting ready to mount a flatscreen TV on our living room wall and would like to route various cables through it (e.g. surround sound speakers, HDMI, etc). I appreciate the AWESOME tips here, but I think I'm missing something important: How can I find out what's in the wall without causing damage or creating too much of a mess?
My concern is that there may be electrical wiring, plumbing, insulation, or dead rodents (kidding) in there.
Our house is about 50 years old and the wall is shared with the kitchen on the other side but there's no sink attached to that wall. Wall material is drywall.
? Originally asked by Mike B
Answer: Inspection Camera
There are some electronic inspection cameras on the market (pictured to the right). Might be an excuse to buy one.
You would have to make one or more small holes to insert the camera.
? Answered by BrianK
Answer: Stud Finder
A stud finder is completely non-intrusive and will give you a good idea of how the wall is built. Run it horizontally back and forth at several different heights to map where the studs are, then run it vertically within your newly-found stud cavities to see if there's any lumber going between the studs.
You can guess at where the wiring might be by looking at electrical fixtures on either side of the wall. If you can, look at the base of the wall from your basement or crawlspace, and at the top from the attic, which might give you some more information. If the builder installed protective plates where the wires feed through the studs, a magnet will let you know. Some stud finders also include a detector for AC that will help you trace any electric wiring in the wall, or you can get a standalone detector.
In my experience, plumbing is usually run directly to where it's needed, so if there are no pipes in the basement/crawlspace, or vents going up to the attic and out your roof, there are probably no pipes in the wall either.
Once you've found a safe spot to open the wall, a boroscope or inspection mirror will let you look inside the cavity. A boroscope will be less intrusive, but an inspection mirror is a lot cheaper.
? Answered by Niall C.
Answer: Adjust your Perspective
If you have an attic or a basement get over/under the wall and look. The sill plate and the cap may hide some things, but there will inevitably be something poking through nearby.
? Answered by Freiheit
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As another dog owner mourns the death of his pet after a?flight, there?s growing concern about the safety of beloved furry companions in?the cargo holds of commercial airlines.
?We all think it?s kind of like us, you get on your plane?and everything is nice and they?re our pets, so they must be taking care of them?too,? said Michael Jarboe, whose dog Bam Bam died after a United Airlines flight?last month.
?But what I found out is, when you check your pet, you run?the exact same risk of them not showing up as you do with your luggage. That?s?kind of sobering.?
Jarboe is sharing his story just days after model Maggie?Rizer said the negligence of United resulted in the death of her two-year-old?golden retriever Bea.
United?expressed condolences in both cases.
?We have?been in contact with Mr. Jarboe and are saddened by the loss of his dog, Bam?Bam. The safety of the animals we transport is always considered first and?foremost when making decisions regarding their routing and carriage,? United?said in a statement to NBC News.
Jarboe and his partner flew from Miami to San Francisco with?Bam?Bam on Aug. 28. The two-and-a-half-year-old Neopolitan Mastiff had flown?four times before ? twice on United ? without any problems, Jarboe said.
There were direct connections available on other airlines,?but Jarboe booked a United flight with a layover in Houston specifically?because he was impressed with the carrier?s PetSafe program.
The service promises plane compartments that are pressurized?in the same way as passenger cabins, climate-controlled facilities and??personal handling in climate-controlled vehicles? for connections in United's?hubs, if the animal is exposed to temperatures greater than 85?F for more than?45 minutes.
?I had such trust in United and everything that they?promised me,? Jarboe, who lives in Miami Beach, Fla., told NBC News.?Bam Bam?s?transport cost $650 each way.
It was 95 degrees when the plane landed in Houston, Jarboe?said. After a layover of about three hours, he and his partner boarded and looked?for the air-conditioned van that they thought would bring their dog, but Bam?Bam arrived instead in a regular metal boxed luggage cart, Jarboe said.
?We had a direct shot, I could see right inside his kennel?and I have never seen him that hot ? ever,? Jarboe recalled. ?His tongue was?hanging out so far, it couldn't have hung out any farther, he just looked?awful. I kept thinking, why is he not on a van??
When they arrived in San Francisco, they were told the dog?didn?t make it, Jarboe recalled. The cause of death was acute cardiovascular?collapse, according to a letter sent to Jarboe by United, which paid for the?dog?s?necropsy.
?The untimely death of Bam Bam was not a result of transit-related handling,? the airline said in the letter signed by Cheryl Ortiz,?United?s cargo claims manager. Writing back to United, Jarboe called the?finding ?naive and absurd? and said Bam Bam?s vet described what Jarboe?witnessed in Houston as a ?recipe for a heat stroke.?
When asked why a climate-controlled vehicle wasn?t used to?transport the dog, United would only say that it brought Bam Bam to a holding?area for greater comfort?during his connection. The holding facilities are USDA Animal?Welfare-approved and provide ample room and air ventilation, as well as regular?monitoring and watering provided by trained PetSafe personnel, United said.
The airline has refunded the dog?s transport fare and is?working with Jarboe on additional compensation.
If you?re a pet owner, you should know that The?Humane Society of the United States recommends that you do not transport yourpet by air unless absolutely necessary.?
Excessively hot or cold temperatures, poor ventilation,scarcity of oxygen, and rough handling all contribute to animal deaths, the?group says on its website.
Between?January 2012 and July 2012, 17 pets died and another 17 were injured on?commercial airlines, according to reports issued by the U.S. Department of?Transportation.
In?2011, 35 pets died while flying, but only two of those losses were suffered on?United, which had the lowest number of animal deaths that year.
The DOT is now considering a new rule that would expand how airlines report the number of animals that were lost, injured, or died during air transport.
In the meantime, Jarboe is mourning the loss of Bam Bam.
?It never occurred to me that when he was down in the hold he was dying,? he said.
REVIEW: "Looper" is a clever, entertaining science fiction thriller that neatly blurs the line between suicide and murder. An existential conundrum wrapped in a narrowly conceived yarn about victims sent back in time to be bumped off by assassins called loopers, Rian Johnson's third and most ambitious feature keeps the action popping while sustaining interest in the long arc of a story about a man assigned to kill the 30 years-older version of himself.
A lively, high-profile choice to open this year's Toronto International Film Festival, this Sony release co-starring Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in the same role should chalk up sizable returns in the wake of its Sept. 28 theatrical bow.
VIDEO: "Looper" star Joseph Gordon-Levitt on getting kicked in the head by Bruce Willis
Probably the shakiest aspect of Johnson's original screenplay is what it asks the viewer to buy about the future: A mere 62 years from now, in 2074, time travel has become possible, but such a momentous breakthrough is limited to serving as a body-disposal system. Under the prevailing authority, time jumping is strictly outlawed because of its potential for messing with history. A large criminal mob, run by an overlord called The Rainmaker, defiantly uses it but only as a vehicle for assassination, with ?loopers? -- disreputable gunmen living in 2044 -- laying in wait for people to execute so no bodies or other evidence can be found in the future.
Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt chat about playing a younger and older version of the same character in "Looper."
But the premise is established in nifty fashion; the doomed, hooded with hands bound behind them, suddenly materialize in an empty field, and the looper immediately blows him away with his blunderbuss. One such executioner is Joe (Gordon-Levitt), a retro-looking hipster who drives a very old red Miata and wears ties, ?a 20th century affectation? that offends his crankily genial boss, Abe (Jeff Daniels). If he can get out of this racket, he says he'd like to go to France, which earns him further scorn from the older man; ?I'm from the future, you should go to China,? he scolds.
PHOTOS: Movies with different actors in the same role
Backed by a cynically confessional voice-over track from Joe that is not as self-consciously hardboiled as the commentary Gordon-Levitt read for Johnson in "Brick" seven years ago, Looper?mostly is set in a seedy metropolis that doesn't look all that different from sketchy neighborhoods in some big cities today; there are derelicts, bombed-out buildings, ruined cars and enough other signs of urban ills to suggest that, in Johnson's view, things will just gradually decline over the next three decades.
Joe hangs out in clubs, sees a sexy woman (Piper Perabo) who works in one of them and tries to help a friend and fellow looper, Seth (Paul Dano), who's imminently endangered by a new development that's come down from on high: They're ?closing all the loops,? meaning they're sending the ?future selves? of all the loopers back to be killed.
Almost immediately, Joe is in the same jam. When, a half-hour into the film, he goes to the field to do his next job, the guy who pops up to be shot is not hooded. Joe's hesitation allows the older man to escape, and it's clear who he is: It's Joe as his older self. And, for his failure to kill him, young Joe is in a pile of trouble with Abe and his ?gats,? first-class hired guns.
STORY: "Looper" interactive trailer reveals new interviews, behind-the-scenes footage?
When the two Joes finally sit down -- across from each other in a diner in the middle of nowhere -- there's no doubt they're working at cross purposes: Young Joe is determined to kill his older self, while old Joe is dead set on tracking down and taking out The Rainmaker, who would be a little kid in 2044, so his late wife won't die at his hands after all.
The biggest problem facing the makers of "Looper" is how to make the audience believe that the trim, long-faced Gordon-Levitt could somehow change so much in 30 years that he would look like the thicker-built and shorter-nosed Willis. The solution lay in altering the younger actor's appearance, imperceptibly at first, but gradually to morph his dark eyes into Willis' gray-green and to reshape his nose and eyebrows, either with makeup or digitally or perhaps both. At first, the effect is a bit odd, and you can't quite put your finger on what's off; then it feels downright weird to be looking at a version of Gordon-Levitt who is no longer the actor you've known for a few years now.
This is especially noticeable during the film's second half, much of which takes place at young Joe's place of refuge, the isolated home of feisty young farmer and single mom Sara (Emily Blunt), who has an unusually gifted son, Cid (Pierce Gagnon). Even as the temperature is kept at a low simmer, the film's pace deliberately is slowed here to develop some intimacy between these two isolated people and give some screen time to the kid, who pretty obviously will provide the reason for old Joe to eventually head for the farm. The eventual ending is great, the resolution to the tricky time maneuvering very impressively worked out.
VIDEO: "Looper" trailer puts Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a tough spot: Killing Bruce Willis
Shot mostly in Louisiana, with a bit done in Shanghai, the film looks tightly made on a budget but sacrifices nothing for that; the world depicted looks dirty, dangerous and ramshackle, with a few high-tech touches here and there.
Their physical disparity notwithstanding, Gordon-Levitt and Willis both come across strongly, while Blunt effectively reveals Sara's tough and vulnerable sides. Daniels is particularly amusing as the garrulous old enforcer holding down the future's outpost in the past.
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Wire. Plaster. Beam. Air. Drilling into a wall doesn't have to be a guessing game. There are easy and effective ways to know what's hiding in your home. The DIY experts at Stack Exchange provide tips. 
