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Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Put On Your AFL Jerseys and Welcome the Season AFL-Style ...
[unable to retrieve full-text content]The Aussie Football League is considered the most attended sporting league in the continent, and the third most attended professional sporting event world-wide. Fans show ... Additional Articles From 'Recreation & Sports' ...
Syria referendum goes ahead amid military onslaught |
By: Alistair Lyon
At least 31 Syrian civilians and soldiers were killed on Sunday in fighting over Syria?s future that coincided with a vote on a new constitution that could keep President Bashar al-Assad in power until 2028.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said a military bombardment of opposition districts in Homs, now in its fourth week, had killed nine civilians, while rebel fighters had killed four soldiers in clashes in the city.
The British-based Observatory said eight civilians and 10 members of the security forces were killed in violence elsewhere in Syria, scene of what has become an increasingly militarized revolt against four decades of Assad family rule.
Voting was under way in the referendum on a new constitution, which Assad says will lead to a multi-party parliamentary election in three months, but his opponents see as a sick joke given Syria?s turmoil.
?What should we be voting for, whether to die by bombardment or by bullets? This is the only choice we have,? said Waleed Fares, an activist in the Khalidiyah district of Homs.
?We have been trapped in our houses for 23 days. We cannot go out, except into some alleys. Markets, schools and government buildings are closed, and there is very little movement on the streets because of snipers,? he said.
He said another besieged and battered district, Baba Amro, had had no food or water for three days. ?Homs in general has no electricity for 18 hours a day.? With most foreign reporters barred from Syria or heavily restricted, witness reports are hard to verify.
The Interior Ministry acknowledged obliquely that security conditions had disrupted voting, saying: ?The referendum on a new constitution is taking place in a normal way in most provinces so far, with a large turnout, except in some areas.?
The Syrian government, backed by Russia, China and Iran, and undeterred by Western and Arab pressure to halt the carnage, says it is fighting foreign-backed ?armed terrorist groups.?
?NO DESIRE FOR REFORM?
Prime Minister Adel Safar, asked about opposition calls for a boycott, said this showed a lack of interest in dialogue.
?There are some groups that have a Western and foreign agenda and do not want reforms in Syria and want to divert Syria?s steadfastness,? he told reporters in Damascus.
?We are not concerned with this. We care about ? spreading democracy and freedom in the country,? Safar said.
?If there was a genuine desire for reform, there would have been movement from all groups, especially the opposition, to start dialogue immediately with the government to achieve the reforms and implement them on the ground.?
The outside world has been powerless to restrain Assad?s drive to crush the 11-month-old revolt, which has the potential to slide into a sectarian conflict between Syria?s Sunni Muslim majority and the president?s minority Alawite sect.
Unwilling to intervene militarily and unable to get the U.N. Security Council to act in the teeth of Russian and Chinese opposition, Western powers have imposed their own sanctions on Syria and backed an Arab League call for Assad to step down.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned on Sunday of the perils of any foreign intervention.
?I think there is every possibility of a civil war. Outside intervention would not prevent that, it would probably expedite it,? she told BBC television in an interview.
?We have a very dangerous set of actors in the region: al Qaeda, Hamas and those who are on our terrorist list claiming to support the opposition. You have many Syrians more worried about what could come next ?
?If you bring in automatic weapons, which you can maybe smuggle across the border, what do they do against tanks and heavy artillery? There is such a much more complex set of factors.?
German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said the referendum was ?nothing but a farce.?
?Sham votes cannot contribute to a solution of the crisis. Assad needs to put an end to the violence and clear the way for a political transition,? he said in a statement.
HARROWING CONDITIONS
The military onslaught on parts of Homs has created harrowing conditions for civilians, rebels and journalists.
A video posted by activists on YouTube showed Mohammad al-Mohammad, a doctor at a makeshift clinic in Baba Amro, holding a 15-year-old boy hit in the neck by shrapnel and spitting blood.
?It is late at night and Baba Amro is still being bombarded. We can do nothing for this boy,? said the doctor, who has also been treating Western journalists wounded in the city.
American correspondent Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik were killed in the bombardment of Homs last week and two other Western journalists were wounded. The group is still trapped there despite Red Cross efforts to extricate them.
The International Committee of the Red Cross said on Saturday it was still unable to evacuate distressed civilians from Baba Amro. After a day of talks with Syrian authorities and opposition fighters, it said there were ?no concrete results.?
In Hama, another city with a bloody record of resistance to Baathist rule, one activist said nobody was taking part in the referendum. ?We will not vote on a constitution drafted by our killer,? he said by satellite telephone, asking not to be named.
If the constitution is approved in the vote, a foregone conclusion, it would drop an article making Assad?s Baath party the leader of state and society, allow political pluralism and enact a presidential limit of two seven-year terms.
But the limit will not be enforced retrospectively, meaning that Assad, already in power for 11 years, could serve another two terms after his current one expires in 2014.
Dozens of people lined up to vote in two polling stations visited by a Reuters journalist in Damascus. ?I?ve come to vote for President Bashar, God protect him and give him victory over his enemies,? said Samah Turkmani, in his 50s.
Another voter, Majed Elias, said: ?This is a national duty, whether I agree or not, I have to come and vote.?
This is Syria?s third referendum since Assad inherited power from his late father. The first installed him as president in 2000 with an official 97.29 percent ?Yes? vote. The second renewed his term seven years later with 97.62 percent in favor.
Source: Reuters
Source: http://mar15.info/2012/02/syria-referendum-goes-ahead-amid-military-onslaught/
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Monday, February 27, 2012
Malaysia protest over rare earths
26 February 2012
Last updated at 01:36 ET
People living near a planned refinery for rare earth elements in Malaysia have held a demonstration to try to halt its construction.
The protesters in the eastern city of Kuantan say there is a risk of dangerous radiation from the plant.
The refinery will process precious metals used in the production of mobile phones and flat-screen TVs.
Regulators insist that the plant will pose no health risk to people living in the area, in Pahang state.
However the BBC's Jennifer Pak in Pahang says few people believe the Malaysian government could handle a radioactive disaster.
The protest - dubbed Green Gathering 2.0 - began in a carnival atmosphere with people dressed in green and beating drums. More than 2,000 people took part.
Last month shares in Lynas surged after Malaysian authorities granted it a licence to operate the refinery.
Once it is completed, the plant is expected to be one of the biggest sources of rare earth elements outside China.
China is currently the biggest producer, with more than 95% share of the global market.
Global demand for rare earth metals has tripled over the past decade.
However, China has imposed a production cap and said it will cut exports of the materials, prompting accusations that it is trying to manipulate prices.
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/int/news/-/news/world-asia-17169601
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Great Scrap-booking Gift Ideas - Quotes To Live By
Scrap-booking has become a nice hobby for you to creatively display some of your favorite pictures. If anyone is impressed with your scrap-booking skills, and wishes to have a scrapbook of their own but doesn?t know how to create one, why not make one for them as a gift?
Store bought gifts are easy enough to give. But few things are as special as a ?made? gift, as it shows that the person giving the gift cares enough to invest personal time and love into it.
Is someone you know having an anniversary? The first year of marriage is the paper anniversary ? an ideal time to deliver a scrapbook of memories to a bride and groom just starting their lives together.
Older couples would also enjoy scrapbook keepsakes to look back on the years they?ve spent together. It would be great for you to create a scrapbook which tells the story of their life together, but still leave a few pages for them to add more personal items of their own.
Milestone birthday parties are special occasions, and they would be great to give some one a scrapbook as a gift. Someone turning 40 would enjoy an ?Over-the-Hill? scrapbook that shows their lives up to that point ? providing they have a good sense of humor.
A scrapbook sharing special moments in the workplace would be great for someone getting ready to retire. Since many look at their workplace as a second home, and their co-workers as extended family, they would surely enjoy a scrapbook that can remind them of the good times at work.
You could feature the theme of ladder climbing, and show their pattern of promotions over the years. It would be nice to leave a few blank pages where photos and mementos from the retirement party can be added.
Scrapbooks always make wonderful holiday gifts. They?re easy and fun to make and show you put a lot of thought into the gift. Scrapbooks can magically take someone you love on a brief journey down memory lane, filling them with joy from reliving a treasured moment.
Imagine having games delivered to your home ? try it now with your GameFly coupon codes.
Source: http://sendaphotocard.ca/hobbies/scrapbooking/great-scrap-booking-gift-ideas
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Sunday, February 26, 2012
NBA All-Star Saturday Wrap-Up
Haier Shooting Stars
Team Atlanta entered this year?s competition attempting to become the first repeat Haier Shooting Stars champion but suffered a major blow before All-Star weekend began as shooting guard Joe Johnson had to bow out due to injury.
Veteran guard Jerry Stackhouse filled in admirably for Johnson but Team Atlanta failed to advance the championship round.
So did the host squad ? Team Orlando.
Team New York and Team Texas went head-to-head for 2012 supremacy.
In the finals, Team New York took home the championship hardware after former New York Knick great Allan Houston drilled the halfcourt shot at the thirty-seven mark with plenty of time to spare.
?You just go out there and try and prepare and fortunately everyone hit their shots,? Houston said after leading Team New York to the title.
Taco Bell Skills Challenge
As usual the field of competition in the Taco Bell Skills Challenge was stiff with Rajon Rondo, Kyrie Irving, Deron Williams, Russell Westbrook, Tony Parker and John Wall all participating.
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, the 2011 Skills Challenge champion, pulled out due to injury.
In the first round, Williams and Parker were the only players to finish the course in less than thirty seconds. (Rondo finished sub 30 seconds in the tiebreaker). ?
Surprisingly before the event began Williams joked about being the slowest guy in the competition.
?I?m the slowest guy out here,? Williams told TNT in an interview. ?All of these guys are quicker than me.?
Wall and Rondo faced off in a special tiebreaker to determine who would advance to the title round after both finished with 32.8 seconds in their initial run.?
With the pressure on, Rondo emerged victorious going flawless throughout the course.
But in the end it was Parker who hoisted the trophy in his third appearance in the event.
Parker made only one bounce pass during his entire journey for the title. ??
Foot Locker Three-Point Contest
Last year Miami HEAT forward James Jones beat out the Hall of Fame bound Ray Allen and Paul Piece to etch his name into All-Star weekend lore.
In 2012, Jones roared to a first round best with 22 points, hitting his last seven shot attempts.
Jones was joined in the final round by Minnesota?s Kevin Love and Oklahoma City?s Kevin Durant.
Durant was able to find a little redemption after finishing dead last in the event last season by posting 20 points in the first round.
Love?s march to the final round saw him besting Miami HEAT guard Mario Chalmers in a tiebreaker after both posted 18 points in their initial run.
In the final round Jones got off to a horrendous start and wasn?t able to recover, while Love and Durant locked up and produced another tiebreaker to determine the 2012 champion.
Durant almost completed a worst to first redemption quest but missed four of his five money balls in the tiebreak round as Love celebrated and took home the championship crown.
Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
The Slam Dunk field of competition lacked the star power of years past with Derrick Williams, Chase Budinger, Jeremy Evans and Paul George vying for the throne.
All four were participating in their first dunk contest.
Another first for the event was the introduction of a single round format with each participant granted three dunks. ?The winner of this year?s event was chosen strictly by the fans.
Round One
Budinger started the show with a very strong and well played reference to the film ?White Men Can?t Jump? reprising Woody Harrelson?s famed role of Billy Hoyle by jumping over music mogul Sean ?P-Diddy? Combs in the painted area. Credit must be given to Combs for executing a near perfect alley to the leaping Budinger. ?
Next up was Evans who threw down a reverse dunk off of a self-lob intended to let the viewers at home see what he sees as he slams. Evans? attempt didn?t come off as planned.
George dunked over his Pacers teammate Roy Hibbert, who stands at 7?2, in the lane with a thunderous one hand slam.
Finishing up the first set of dunks was Williams who pulled off a windmill jam while jumping over a parked motorcycle in the paint.??
Round Two ?
Budinger started round off the second round with a similar dunk to Williams? first, minus the motorcycle.?
Evans found redemption, after an uninspiring first round, by dunking two basketballs after an alley from a seated Gordon Hayward, his Jazz teammate. This was hands down the dunk of the night.
In another show of creativity George had all of the lights in the arena turned off to reveal his glow in the dark Pacers uniform. George connected on a very solid 360 dunk which drew cheers from the crowd.
Williams also impressed on his second dunk attempt by rocking the rim on an off the side of backboard dish from T?Wolves teammate Ricky Rubio for a two handed 360 jam. This dunk was similar to the one 2011 champion Blake Griffin attempted, but couldn?t pull off. Credit to Williams for getting it done in style. ?
Round Three
Former dunk champion Cedric Ceballos came out to support Budinger on his third attempt, a blindfolded reverse two handed slam with the crowd instructing Budinger on when to ?jump? for the attempt since he was blindfolded. ?
Comedian Kevin Hart, playing a mailman, delivered a Karl Malone Utah Jazz jersey to Evans before his third attempt. Evans pulled the tribute dunk off, the Malone pose, just inside the paint over a standing Hart.
George paid tribute to the legendary Larry Bird by placing a sticker of the legend?s face on the backboard before throwing down a slam from the baseline.
Winner of the 2012 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest
After three million votes were cast by fans worldwide, the winner was Jeremy Evans with 29 percent of the vote. ?Evans became the first player in Jazz history to win the event.
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Statues and Race Cars Bring a Parade of New Ads
Remember the movie ?Groundhog Day,? about a guy who has to go through the same day over and over again? On Madison Avenue, the calendar may say February, but the focus is on the new rather than the familiar.
February is a month when scores of marketers bring out new advertising campaigns, particularly new television commercials and/or online video clips. The parade of all-new work begins with the Super Bowl, on the first Sunday in February, then continues on through the Grammy Awards and other live events later in the month.
This Sunday will bring a daylong, triple-barreled dose of the February factor. First up is the beginning of the Nascar Sprint Cup Series, with the broadcast on Fox of the Daytona 500. That will be followed by the National Basketball Association?s 2012 All-Star game on TNT and then the Academy Awards on ABC.
Among the sponsors of the Oscars broadcast that plan to take the wraps off new commercials are Diet Coke, Hyundai Motor America, Johnson & Johnson, McDonald?s and MetLife.
And by Nascar?s count, at least eight sponsors of the Daytona 500 will be introducing commercials, among them Coca-Cola, Diet Mountain Dew, 5 Hour Energy, Farmers Insurance, Ford Motor and Subway.
Even Nascar will climb aboard that band wagon and bring out new commercials as it starts an image campaign, developed internally and with an agency in St. Louis named Jump.
The Nascar campaign is part of efforts by Nascar to burnish its image after some rough years of ratings declines, sponsor defections and falling attendance at tracks where its races are held.
The Nascar campaign carries the theme ?Everything else is just a game? and seeks to differentiate Nascar from other sports with an attitude that is meant to be confident but not cocky.
There is also humor and an everyman tone of voice, embodied by the voiceover announcer, the actor Neil Flynn of the sitcoms ?Scrubs? and ?The Middle.?
The goal is to ?reinforce and stoke the pride of the core fans,? said Kim Brink, managing director for brand, consumer and series marketing at Nascar, while at the same time to try to ?challenge the expectations of the casual sports fan and demonstrate the uniqueness of our sport.?
Farmers Insurance is an example of what Nascar is hoping to achieve in terms of wooing new sponsors to its ranks. Farmers tested the value of Nascar sponsorship last year, said Chuck Browning, head of events and sponsorships at Farmers, with ?a five-race deal,? and decided to go all in for 2012 with the sponsorship of the driver Kasey Kahne and his No. 5 Chevrolet car in the Sprint Cup Series.
The Nascar agreement is part of plans for ?standing the brand up a little bit taller in the sponsorship area,? Mr. Browning said.
John Ingersoll, head of advertising at Farmers, said what he liked about Nascar was that a driver like Mr. Kahne ?is in front of every fan every week? and sponsors like Farmers are ?viewed as integral parts? of Nascar teams.
The Farmers commercial that will make its debut on Sunday, created by RPA, the Farmers agency, is also humorous. The spot features Mr. Kahne in an appearance with the actors who are the stars of the Farmers ongoing ad campaign that is centered on the University of Farmers, which agents for Farmers attend.
?We?re integrating Kasey into our brand platform of expertise,? Mr. Ingersoll said, to ?create an obvious link between what Kasey stands for and what the brand stands for.?
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Saturday, February 25, 2012
USA: Program and Communications Specialist | Aid Jobs
Organisation:? Pact
Country:? United States of America (the)
Closing date:? 20 Apr 2012
Summary: The Program and Communications Specialist will oversee Pact Institute?s (PI) portfolio of more than 20 international development projects in order to provide status reporting on a weekly basis. In addition, this individual will assist with all aspects of PI communication to key internal and external stakeholders. This multi-faceted role will help PI ensure that project performance and other issues are managed successfully and web platforms are utilized to ensure the efficient and effective marketing of Pact Institute. Reports to President of Pact Institute Specific Duties: ? Oversees performance of a diverse group of international development projects run through Pact Institute; ? Prepares weekly reports on project performance flagging important issues for resolution; ? Reviews and prepares reports on potential new engagements that may run through Pact Institute; ? Prepares formal Memoranda of Understanding agreements for each project that runs through Pact Institute with its parent organization, Pact Inc. ? Liaison with all Pact HQ staff departments and field operations to ensure smooth operations of projects. (...)
Read the original article...
Source: http://aidjobs.org/usa-program-and-communications-specialist/
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Small Business Online Marketing Advice
Published by witter
Many small business owners tend to look at online marketing with fear in their eyes. To quote a famous saying, ?There is nothing to fear but fear itself.? Do not let the unknown cause you to be afraid to use the internet to help market your business. With a few simple steps and a bit of professional help, you will be able to see a great increase in your business and productivity.
One Chance to Make a First Impression
On the Internet, your landing page or home page is the first impression you will have on visitors. You need to put your best foot forward for this endeavor. That means hiring a professional instead of your sister?s hairdresser?s kid who ?knows computers?. Your website should look and feel professional. It should be easy to navigate and contain all the pertinent information your clients will need. If your website will include an online store, it should be secure and easy to use. People will compare you to other websites offering the same type of product or service, so your website will need to be able to stand up to the comparison. More importantly, your website will need to stand out from the rest. Offering value added features such as information, discounts, sales, and free items will help you in achieving this goal.
Search Engines are King
The main way that potential customers will find your site is going to be through search engines. Either you need to become an expert on search engine optimization overnight, or you need to hire a company that specializes in SEO. Optimizing your website for search engines is not a onetime event. SEO is an ongoing task that, if done properly, will yield impressive results.
Advertising on the Net
Most small businesses advertise, but many do not advertise on the internet. One of the best ways to advertise on the internet is via pay-per-click advertising. PPC advertising allows highly qualified leads to come to your site. Only people interested in what you are offering are going to click on the advertisement on the side of the page. Each time a click occurs, you will have to pay a small fee to the search engine. The upside to this is that the people who click on the link are looking for something you offer. Make sure to be very specific in your PPC advertising campaign and track your results.
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Friday, February 24, 2012
Pittsburgh Resident Launches Writing, Public Relations Business ...
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Thursday, February 23, 2012
Documents: Boy got gun during visit with mother
An Armin Jahr Elementary School student talks with a police officer in front of the school Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen at the elementary school and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said. The injured third-grader was airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Authorities said a third-grade boy was being questioned and a firearm was found in a classroom. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
An Armin Jahr Elementary School student talks with a police officer in front of the school Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen at the elementary school and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said. The injured third-grader was airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Authorities said a third-grade boy was being questioned and a firearm was found in a classroom. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
Armin Jahr Elementary School fourth grade student Honesty Hubbard, 9, wipes away tears as she is escorted by her mom, Jennifer Barber, from the school on Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen at the elementary school and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said. The injured third-grader was airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Authorities said a third-grade boy was being questioned and a firearm was found in a classroom. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
Students hold hands as they are led along a walkway at Armin Jahr Elementary School following a shooting there Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen at the school and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said. The injured third-grader was airlifted to Seattle's Harborview Medical Center. Authorities said a third-grade boy was being questioned and a firearm was found in a classroom. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
Armin Jahr Elementary School sixth grade student Kiomi Pavlock,12, weeps outside the school Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. She lives near a third grade student who was shot inside the school. Her dad James Pavlock, behind is hugging friend Misty Allen. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
Armin Jahr Elementary School sixth grade student Kiomi Pavlock,12, hugs her dad James outside the school, Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2012, in Bremerton, Wash. They live near a third grade student who was shot inside the school. Behind in the center is friend Misty Allen. Niomi Pavlock,10, right, is a fourth grader, and a close friend of the victim. An 8-year-old girl was shot in the abdomen and one of her classmates was detained, authorities said. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
PORT ORCHARD, Wash. (AP) ? A prosecutor is preparing to file charges against a 9-year-old boy who brought a gun to a Washington state elementary school, wounding a young classmate when the gun accidentally went off.
The third-grader got the weapon, a .45-caliber handgun, from his mother's house, authorities said.
The boy was due in court for a preliminary hearing Thursday afternoon, nearly 24 hours after emergency crews responded to the school shooting.
Todd Dowell of the Kitsap county prosecutor's juvenile division said under state law children between 8 and 12 years old can face charges, if a court determines the child has the capacity to understand an act is wrong.
The boy's classmate, 8-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman, remained in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after undergoing surgery for a gunshot wound.
Authorities say the boy brought a gun to Armin Jahr Elementary, where it discharged from his backpack, piercing through and hitting Kocer-Bowman in the abdomen and arm. On Wednesday, Bremerton police characterized the shooting as accidental.
The boy was being investigated for unlawful possession of a gun, bringing a dangerous weapon to school and third-degree assault charges. Authorities believe he came into possession of the weapon during a visitation with his mother over the weekend, according to charging documents released Thursday.
Twenty-seven states have some form of firearm child access prevention laws. Such laws can include criminal penalties for adults who allow children to get their hands on guns, but Washington is not one of those states, according to the San Francisco-based Legal Community Against Violence.
Gail Hammer, a law professor at Gonzaga University in Spokane, said it is very rare for a child as young as 9 to be charged with a crime. Even if a young child is convicted, they wouldn't be sent to an adult prison, Hammer said
"Generally with young children they try to deal with it in the juvenile system," she said.
There have been shootings at schools that involved younger children. In 2000, 6-year-old Kayla Rolland, a Michigan first-grader, was fatally shot by a 6-year-old classmate who brought a gun from home. Last year, a 6-year-old kindergartner at a Houston elementary school accidentally fired a gun as he was showing it off to friends, injuring three students.
Bremerton Schools spokeswoman Patty Glaser said the school where Wednesday's shooting happened, with about 400 students, was open for classes Thursday with 10 counselors available to talk with teachers, students and parents.
She said the classroom where the shooting happened remains closed and that the students from that classroom have been moved.
The school is in a quiet residential neighborhood about 20 miles west of Seattle, across Puget Sound.
In the latest rating by the Brady Campaign, a national gun control advocacy group, Washington scored no points in the child safety category.
"Washington state is a loosely regulated state when it comes to firearms," said Gregory Roberts, executive director of Washington Cease Fire, a Brady Campaign affiliate.
___
Associated Press photographer Ted Warren in Bremerton contributed to this report.
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Widespread shootings, bombings kill 55 across Iraq (AP)
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AP - Bombs and deadly shootings relentlessly pounded Iraqis on Thursday, killing at least 55 people and wounding more than 225 in a widespread wave of violence the government called a "frantic attempt" by insurgents to prove the country will never be stable.
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Obamacare Contraception Mandate Attacks Religious Liberty
Today is Ash Wednesday ? the first day of Lent ? the beginning of 40 days of prayer and fasting observed by Christians across the country, culminating in the Easter feast. Likewise in April, Jews will gather to celebrate Passover, one of many traditions observed under the religious freedom that the U.S. Constitution was designed to preserve. Now, though, that freedom is under direct attack by the very government that purports to represent the people, and that is but the first step in Obamacare?s re-writing of America?s blueprint.
This week, two more Christian colleges?joined other religious institutions?in fighting back against that attack when they filed lawsuits against the Obama Administration for imposing an anti-conscience mandate under Obamacare. The controversial regulation forces almost all employers to provide health insurance coverage of abortion-inducing drugs, contraceptives, and sterilization, without a co-pay.
Heritage?s Sarah Torre writes that?Geneva College, a private institution in Pennsylvania associated with the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America, and?Louisiana College, a small Southern Baptist school located in the middle of the state, have deeply held moral objections to the mandate and are left with no choice but to take their case to court:
With an offensively?narrow?religious exemption that will cover only some formal houses of worship, the mandate leaves many religious employers who hold moral objections to abortion and contraception without recourse. The mandate places the many non-exempted religious employers in an untenable situation: forced either to violate their beliefs by providing coverage of morally objectionable services or forgo providing employee health insurance altogether and pay hefty fines for doing so.
To date, seven lawsuits have been filed in response to this mandate, and those legal actions are but the tip of the iceberg of opposition to the Administration?s despotic directive.
The controversy began last August when the White House announced the anti-conscience policy as an interim final rule. Individuals and leaders from various faith backgrounds, including Roman Catholic, Jewish, evangelical, and Protestant traditions?spoke out, prompting President Obama to announce an ?accommodation? in response. But the proposal announced at a February 10 press conference would have done nothing to resolve the moral problem at the heart of the matter. In fact, more than 300 leaders to signed a?letter?deeming the gesture ?unacceptable.?
Moreover, the so-called ?accommodation? turned out to be nothing more than a smokescreen, since the Obama Administration ultimately finalized the August version of the rule that had caused the controversy in the first place. Adding insult to injury, the White House finalized the rule within hours of holding a press conference in which the President implied further changes ? repeating the disregard for accountability to the American people first seen when they were told that Congress would have to pass the bill to find out what was in it.
The fight, though, extends beyond the issue of the anti-conscience mandate and speaks to the dangerous, endemic flaws at the root of Obamacare. In a new Heritage video, several political leaders speak out against the anti-conscience mandate while warning that this first assault on religious freedom is but a taste of what?s to come under the President?s health care law. George Weigel, a prominent Catholic scholar, says that Obamacare puts our society?s core in jeopardy:
What is at stake here ultimately is whether civil society will survive, and whether voluntary institutions or voluntary associations ranging from the traditional family to multimillion member organizations like the Catholic Church to small businesses will be allowed to function only if they imitate the government, only if they imitate the state.
Truly, the state will attempt to refashion society using Obamacare as its cudgel and awl.?Matthew Spalding, vice president of American Studies at The Heritage Foundation,?writes that this new, unaccountable regime of unelected bureaucrats ? with regulatory authority over one-sixth of the American economy ? will issue regulations that will fundamentally alter Americans? way of life. Spalding says the anti-conscience mandate is but one of the ways that individuals will be affected under this new order of governmental dominance:
What is happening has little to do with health care or even public policy and everything to do with the role of government in the most immediate and intimate matters of our lives. All is subject to government control, regulatory dictate, and administrative whim. Nothing will be allowed outside of the new regulatory scheme: no independent state programs, no individuals or businesses permitted not to participate, no true private market alternatives.
In announcing his school?s Obamacare lawsuit, Louisiana College president Dr. Joe W. Aguillard declared, ?The time for silence is over. Louisiana College will not sit by and allow this or any government to usurp our God-given religious freedoms and our time-honored Baptist heritage.? Like Louisiana College, Americans collectively are witnessing their time-honored liberties being trampled upon. They should not sit idly by, either. And Congress should repeal Obamacare forthwith in order to preserve the people?s freedom.
Click here to watch our new video,?Religious Liberty: Obamacare?s First Casualty, to learn more about?this issue.
Quick Hits:
Source: http://blog.heritage.org/2012/02/22/morning-bell-religious-liberty-under-attack/
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Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Arms race? Somali pirates, tankers up their game
LONDON?? When tanker master Miro Alibasic takes one of his company's vast ships across the Indian Ocean, he likes to have all the firepower he can get on board.
Having seen last year how Somali pirates treat their captives, the 61-year-old is in no hurry to experience it again.
"It was hell on earth," he told Reuters by telephone from his home in the Croatian port of Dubrovnik.
The number of ships seized in the region by Somali pirates fell last year, industry data shows, but the overall number of attempted attacks continues to rise and the raids have become increasingly violent.
Breaking the piracy "business model" and tackling Somalia's onshore problems will be among the aims of a major international conference on Somalia in London on Thursday. But few are optimistic of a solution any time soon, and shippers say they must take matters into their own hands.
Greater use of private armed security guards on ships and a much tougher approach by international navies is beginning to work, some mariners, officials, contractors and military officers say. But others worry they may simply be fuelling a growing arms race, ramping up the conflict and producing a rising human and financial cost.
Technolog: Fighting Somali pirates with science
In March last year, Alibasic was transporting a cargo of crude oil from Sudan to Asia when his tanker ? the 100,000-ton United Arab Emirates-registered Zirku ? came under attack. For 90 minutes, the pirates poured heavy machine gun and rocket propelled grenade fire into the vessel.
Then they came aboard, swarming over the two levels of barbed wire that surrounded the decks.
'Pirates' code' long gone?
The ferocity of the initial onslaught, he says, was matched by much of the treatment suffered by him and his 28 crew during their 75 days in captivity.
As the ship owners negotiated the payment of an unspecified but reportedly "massive" ransom, he did everything he could to keep the multinational crew ? including Jordanians, Egyptians, Ukrainians and Pakistanis ? safe from the sometimes drugged and bored captors.
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"I read them poetry and played them opera to try to calm them down," he said, adding that he also played chess with the pirate leader "Abdallah" to win his respect. "But they nearly hanged my second mate."
The unlucky second officer's only offense, he said, was to have demanded the right to have a shower after spending hours working in the tanker's sweltering engine room. By the time Alibasic persuaded the pirates to let him go, the rope was already around his neck.
Seafarers' organizations say the treatment of prisoners has worsened over time. Other sailors have been hung upside down for hours, dumped overboard or even keelhauled ? dragged under the ship from one side to the other on a rope, a traditional punishment of the age of sail barely reported since the 17th or early 18th centuries.
Estimates suggest at least 60 seafarers have died.
Violence of this level has not always been the norm. Britain's Independent newspaper reported in 2008 that Somali pirates often referred to a written manual ? a "pirates' code" ? of rules on how to treat hostages with respect.
Captain Colin Darch of Westward Ho! in Devon, England told the newspaper that pirates attacked his tugboat off the Somali coast and held him and his crew captive for 47 days, treating them well.
Darch said that after the initial attack and their attempted resistance, the pirate leader approached him. "He grinned and held out his hand," Darch said. "It was like we'd just had a good game of squash and I'd lost."
New rules of engagement
When the pirates forced Alibasic to sail back out into the Indian Ocean to rescue some of their stranded colleagues, he found himself on the receiving end of a new set of naval rules of engagement.
On one of his trips, his tanker came under fire from the U.S. Navy.
Interactive: Global piracy (on this page)"I got on the radio and said: "What are you doing? They (the pirates) will kill us all ... They were using us as human shields," he said.
About 25 warships from various nations now patrol the Indian Ocean at any given time.
Some countries ? such as Russia ? have always adopted an aggressive approach when their ships were hijacked, storming them with force and either killing the pirates or leaving them to die in open boats. The United States has also launched special forces missions to rescue its nationals.
Other Western states ? particularly the Europeans who make up the bulk of EU and NATO-led task forces ? were initially more cautious. But even they have started to take a tougher stance, engaging pirate "motherships" and retaking captured vessels.
Many commanders have welcomed the new approach, saying it is behind the slump in successful pirate attacks in the second half of 2011. Only 25 ships were seized in 2011, the European Union Naval Force Somalia says, compared to 47 the previous year.
Pirates now hold six ships and roughly 176 hostages, the EU says, again well down from last year.
But average ransoms continue to rise ? now about $5 million compared to $4 million last year.
Estimates of the cost to the global economy are also up ? one report put it at $7 billion in 2011.
The fastest growing component of that, the US-based Oceans Beyond Piracy report said, was the cost of the rising number of armed private security guards. At the beginning of 2011, they estimated perhaps a quarter of ships carried such guards, rising to an estimated half now.
Shipping companies spent roughly $1 billion on private guards alone in 2011, the report said ? much more than the estimated $160 million earned by the pirates themselves in ransoms.
Are private guards the answer?
Many piracy experts ? including serving naval officers ? believe it was the private guards who made the real difference against piracy in 2011.
But the unregulated industry raises a host of new worries.
A 2011 UN report details one incident, in which naval forces rescued a damaged skiff containing one dead Somali and six survivors, who said two other compatriots had also been killed and had fallen overboard.
Naval observers concluded gunfire had come from illegally held weapons on a ship recently attacked by the skiff, but were unable to provide definitive proof.
"It's very likely people are being killed out in the Indian Ocean by private guards and it's not being reported," says Rory Lamrock, piracy analyst at UK-based risk consultancy AKE.
A former military officer himself, tanker captain Alibasic worries over the moral and legal implications of dispensing lethal force from the deck of a civilian merchant ship.
But he also has a more immediate concern ? will the guards he now carries on his voyages through the region have enough arms and ammunition to fight off the kind of concerted assault he faced last March?
As to solving the wider problem of Somali piracy, he says that is something that will only happen when the world gets seriously involved onshore in the pirate havens of Puntland and elsewhere.
"When we had a war in Croatia, we did not become pirates," he says, referring to the Balkan wars of the 1990s. "The international community and the UN came and things were sorted out in only a few years. That's what needs to happen in Somalia."
Msnbc.com staff contributed to this report from Reuters.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46466133/ns/world_news-africa/
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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Knowing Vision Overall health Insurance Just before You Purchase ...
Vision well being insurance coverage is pretty baffling to most folks. Comprehension what this insurance coverage is all about will help you decide if you will need it or not. This insurance coverage is an critical component of any well being approach and you have to realize it so that you can just take benefit of its terrific advantages.
If you are wearing eye eyeglasses or get in touch with lenses, acquiring a vision well being approach will significantly help you cut down on expenses for eye eyeglasses and get in touch with lenses replacements. If you have great vision, acquiring a vision well being approach would however help you conserve cash on scheduled eye exams that you would most likely have from time to time. Right here are quite a few sorts of vision insurance coverage that you have to know.
Vision Options made available by significant insurance coverage companies offer you terrific advantages and are accredited by quite a few hospitals and personal practitioners. Well-being care funding are made available by a good deal of personal practitioners. Flex accounts are commonly arranged up by your employer. Chat to your employer about the healthcare approach that you have in your corporation and consult if a vision approach is included in your well being approach.
If you are however not guaranteed if you will need vision well being insurance coverage or not, it really is great to know the variances of the advantages included in a typical healthcare well being approach and a vision approach with stairlift.
Not all examinations and methods are carried by a healthcare well being approach. In some instances, you would have to pay out for your eye examination on your very own, as a program eye examination is not commonly covered by most insurance coverage policies. A healthcare insurance coverage may perhaps only cover your eye examinations if you are diagnosed with an eye well being issue. Diagnoses like astigmatism and far sightedness may perhaps not be covered by your well being insurance coverage supplier. Also, charges for eyeglasses and get in touch with lenses are not commonly included in a healthcare well being insurance coverage coverage.
Vision well being insurance coverage is an critical component of any well being insurance coverage coverage. If your insurance coverage does not have a vision approach, you may want to get a separate approach. Really don?t just take your eyes for granted. Serious eye circumstances commonly do not have symptoms until finally they are by now in their late phases. Most folks really don?t uncover out they have severe eye problems until finally they go for an eye examination. With a vision well being approach, you can have economical program eye exams and have the peace of thoughts that your eyes are healthful.
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Column: Braun's tale is spring training's juiciest (AP)
[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Of all the story lines threading their way across spring training, Ryan Braun's is the most delicate, not to mention the juiciest.
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Monday, February 20, 2012
Returns and Drawbacks of Mountain Bikes | davecandoit.net
Some types of bicycles known as mountain bikes are especially designed for travelling on high mountains, hills and unbalanced places. Mountain bikes are mostly used in a famous game known as mountain biking. Like everything mountain bikes have some advantages and disadvantages too. Their common advantages are that they good for environment, low in price, and help the rider to stay away from different diseases, live a healthy life and discover the natural beauty easily. But if the rider is not well trained, mountain biking can be really dangerous. It can cause severe accidents and sometimes even the death of the rider. Therefore it is necessary to get a proper professional training on mountains and unbalanced surfaces before riding the bikes. It has been observed that sometimes parents do not stop their children from doing these dangerous activities. Thus, parents should give complete guidance to their children while keeping in mind the dangerous aspects of mountain biking.
Posted in: Individual Sports | Tags: mountain bikes
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CELLMACS iPad 2 Leather case with Removable Wireless Bluetooth Keyboard Review
It seems many people see their tablets as a laptop replacement.? Tablets work fine for most things that people do with a computer, but their on-screen keyboards leave a lot to be desired when you need to enter a lot of information.? Accessories manufacturer’s recognize this, and? they have produced a lot of keyboard cases [...]
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Autodesk, Inc. : 14 Academy Award-Nominated Movies: One Thing ...
Digital Artists Worldwide Used Autodesk Digital Entertainment Creation Software to Create 2011?s Most Celebrated Movies
Digital artists devoted days and years behind the scenes to help create the movie magic seen in many of this year?s Academy Award-nominated films. In the categories for Best Visual Effects and Best Animated Film (Feature and Short) in particular, many artists relied on the same set of tools ?Digital Entertainment Creation (DEC) software from?Autodesk, Inc.(NASDAQ: ADSK).
?Great films depend on great storytelling and our technology is designed to enable artistic vision,? said Marc Petit, senior vice president, Autodesk Media & Entertainment. ?We congratulate the multitalented teams of artists from North America, New Zealand, Europe and Asia, and we are proud of Autodesk software?s role in helping them create these extraordinary movies.?
Best Visual Effects
?Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2? ? UK-based visual effects (VFX) studios Double Negative, MPC and Framestore each usedAutodesk Maya 3D animation and rendering software to help create the visually extravagant effects for this final installment in the Harry Potter franchise. Double Negative VFX Supervisor David Vickery said, ?Maya has been the lynchpin of our pipeline since ?Goblet of Fire.? For this film, Maya helped us build a fully computer-generated (CG) Hogwarts in a massive 3D environment, including a spectacular mountain range and an animated fire-breathing dragon digitally modeled with?Autodesk Mudbox software.? MPC VFX Supervisor Greg Butler added, ?From the first film in the ?Potter? series through to this film?s final shot, MPC has relied on Maya for modeling, rigging and lighting.? Andy Kind, Framestore VFX supervisor said, ?Autodesk?s Maya once again was our go-to tool, enabling us to bring to life the magic of the Chamber of Secrets for Ron and Hermione?s first kiss, as well as Harry?s vision of Heaven. We couldn?t have done any of the eight films without it!?
?Hugo? ? VFX studio Pixomondo managed a global production team across 10 of its 11 facilities in North America, Europe and Asia for this richly detailed reimagining of 1930s Paris. The worldwide team worked for over a year using a production pipeline comprised of Maya and?Autodesk 3ds Max for animation, rendering, character rigging and modeling; as well as?Autodesk MotionBuilder for motion capture and animation. VFX Supervisor Ben Grossmann said, ?The interoperability of Autodesk tools helped us meet tight deadlines and bring Martin Scorsese?s magical vision to the big screen.?
?Real Steel? ? Visual effects powerhouse Digital Domain, motion-capture specialists Giant Studios and virtual production innovators Technoprops delivered ?Real Steel? within an impressively efficient 71-day production schedule. The close collaboration between the three companies and an Autodesk toolset helped create this realistic and thrilling action movie with a believable and captivating robot and human relationship. VFX Supervisor Erik Nash said, ?The on-set real-time interoperability of Maya and MotionBuilder enabled tremendous creative freedom for the entire production team.?
?Rise of the Planet of the Apes? ? Caesar, the CG chimpanzee performed by Andy Serkis is a creative milestone for Weta Digital in New Zealand. Weta used Maya and MotionBuilder as the core of its creative production pipelines for its groundbreaking visual effects and performance capture. Sebastian Sylwan, chief technology officer at Weta said, ?Creating a believable and realistic CG character like Caesar required providing our artists with the right tools and innovative technology that allowed them to iterate and express their creativity. We developed our own software to perfect performance capture, hair, eyes and muscles amongst others, using Maya and MotionBuilder as a backbone.? Canada-based Image Engine contributed previsualization for the film and also took advantage of a Maya-based pipeline.
?Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon? ? The extraordinarily detailed Transformer robots contain up to 50,000 million polygons rendered in stereoscopic 3D by lead visual effects houses Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) with studios in San Francisco and Singapore and Digital Domain. ILM used the following Autodesk DEC software tools in its pipeline: 3ds Max for digital environment work;?Autodesk Flame as part of its proprietary SABRE high-speed compositing system; and Maya as the core tool for animation, rigging and layout. Scott Farrar, visual effects supervisor on ?Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon? said, ?As effects work continues to grow in complexity, it is more important than ever that our artists have access to best of breed tools and by using Autodesk?s Digital Entertainment Creation software, ILM is able to continue to create groundbreaking visual effects.?
Best Animated Feature Film
?Kung Fu Panda 2? and??Puss in Boots? ? Both movies earned not only Academy Award nominations for Animated Feature Film for Dreamworks Animation (DWA), but also were two of the top three grossing animated films of 2011.* DWA continues to creatively push technology to imbue animated characters with huge personalities, and both films used Maya. Phil McNally, stereoscopic supervisor on both movies said, ?Either on our own or in concert with Autodesk, we can develop tools in Maya to specifically address the challenges of stereoscopic 3D. Maya gives us that intuitive flexibility, or the ability to see what we?re doing ? while we?re doing it ? in 3D.?
?Rango?
?Rango,? the story of a weird lizard?s quest for identity, was ILM?s first animated feature. The film presented some daunting creative and technical challenges: Rango?s face alone required over 300 controllers to achieve the range of performance needed for the 1,100 shots he appears in. On top of which, Rango was just one of well over 100 characters that populated the film. ?All of these characters had some combination of scales, feathers, or fur and all had clothing.?We strove to create a very tactile world for Rango,? said ILM?s Hal Hickel, animator director on the film. ?We wanted to create the illusion that if you could reach out and touch objects in the frame you?d know exactly what they would feel like, so it was very important that our software enable us to show as much detail as possible at each phase of the process. This allowed us to make certain the performances would translate to the big screen. Maya was great at letting us do that.?
Other Categories
- ?The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore? ??nominated for Short Film (animated) ? Moonbot Studios in Louisiana used Maya to help create this poignant and humorous allegorical film.
- ?The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo? ??nominated for five awards ? Digital Domain created digital doubles, matte paintings, animation and set extensions using both Maya and 3ds Max. Method Studios contributed to 101 VFX shots, including a fully CG train sequence through a snow-covered landscape using Maya, Flame and?Autodesk Flare software. Blur Studios created the amazing title sequence using a combination of 3ds Max for animation and?Autodesk Softimage for keyframing.
- ?La Luna? ??nominated for Short Film (animated) ? Pixar used Maya and Pixar?s own Renderman to create this mystical coming-of-age story.
- ?The Muppets? ??nominated for Original Song ? LOOK Effects used a combination of Flame, Flare and Maya to help bring these beloved characters to life in this box-office hit.
- ?The Tree of Life? ??nominated for three awards including Best Picture ? Method Studios used Maya to help create the fully CG 4K (4096 ?- 3112 pixels per frame) sequence for the film?s ?Microbial? section, which plays effectively alongside practical and mixed-technique approaches. Method?s EVP Dan Glass was also the film?s overall senior visual effects supervisor. Prime Focus used Maya, 3ds Max and Mudbox to create the wonderfully realistic dinosaur sequences, dedicating a team of 50 artists to achieving Terrence Malick?s vision for these scenes.
- ?War Horse? ??nominated for six awards including Best Picture ? UK-based Framestore used Maya to help create the equine digital double, barbwire VFX integration, digital environments and clean-up on 200 shots for Steven Spielberg?s epic drama. Hollywood and London-based The Third Floor also previsualized key sequences using a toolset that includes Maya.
About Autodesk
Autodesk, Inc., is a leader in?3D design, engineering and entertainment software. Customers across the manufacturing, architecture, building, construction, and media and entertainment industries ? including the last 16 Academy Award winners for Best Visual Effects ? use Autodesk software to design, visualize and simulate their ideas. Since its introduction of AutoCAD software in 1982, Autodesk continues to develop the broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art software for global markets. For additional information about Autodesk, visit?www.autodesk.com.
* Source: Box Office Mojo
Autodesk, AutoCAD, Flame, Flare, Maya, MotionBuilder, Mudbox, Softimage and 3ds Max are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. Academy Award is a registered trademark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. All other brand names, product names or trademarks belong to their respective holders. Autodesk reserves the right to alter product and services offerings, and specifications and pricing at any time without notice, and is not responsible for typographical or graphical errors that may appear in this document.
? 2012 Autodesk, Inc. All rights reserved.
Working closely with Autodesk, and 3D Systems, WB Engineering provides the best solutions for your design challenges, with an offering which includes everything from Autodesk training, to design process automation, ERP integration, and product development, to 3D Printing. Located in Miami, focused on the manufacturing and industrial markets, we are an engineering services company, combining talented people and business processes to provide Digital and Rapid Prototyping solutions (products and services). All of our efforts are focused on helping companies compress time to market, and decreasing design cost to add to our customers bottom line. Our approach to Digital Prototyping and Rapid Prototyping is scalable and cost effective, which can help your organization boost design efficiency while delivering more innovative design ideas.
Source: http://www.wb-3d.com/2012/02/autodesk-inc-14-academy-award-nominated-movies-one-thing-in-common/
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Sunday, February 19, 2012
Multiple Sclerosis And Reflexology
Published by Sherry
Multiple Sclerosis is a progressive, degenerative disorder of the central nervous system, including the brain, the optic nerve, and the spinal cord. It affects people mainly over the age of 30 and appears to affect more women than men. Over 400,000 people in the United States have been diagnosed with MS.
The underlying cause of MS is not known, however stress and malnutrition often precede the onset of the disease. Another theory, one that I tend to agree with is that it is caused by food allergies and intolerances to things such as dairy products, gluten and food additives.
In the early stage of the disease, the symptoms include dizziness, fatigue, blurred or double vision, loss of coordination, tingling and numbness, muscle stiffness, slurred speech, tremors and bowel and bladder dysfunction. Secondary symptoms, usually as the disease progresses, include paralysis, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections and weak respiration. Most people diagnosed with MS end up on drugs to control the symptoms associated with the disease. Unfortunately, this does nothing but mask the problem and does nothing to get to the root of the problem. The good news is that supplementation; dietary intervention and complimentary therapies such as reflexology have been shown effective in many studies.
Reflexology aims to prevent or treat health conditions through the application of pressure to specific points reflexes on the feet. The underlying idea of reflexology is that areas of the feet correspond to other parts of the body, and by stimulating those areas; you can heal and detoxify any part of the body. Becoming more common these days is to also apply pressure to the hands, ears and even the face.
Although reflexologists cannot diagnose or claim to cure a sickness or disease, the results speak for themselves, making it one of the most sought after treatments today. In fact, celebrities pay an arm and a leg for just a few minutes of reflexology. Not only is it beneficial as a tool for relaxation and stress relief, but it is also an effective tool for improving circulation; relieving pain, and as an immune and nervous system stimulator. In fact, many people with illnesses such as allergies; chronic sinus problems; acid reflux; acne; migraines; PMS; menopause; insomnia; fertility problems and even arthritis have been helped tremendously by reflexology treatments. I started using reflexology therapy a few years ago just for the purpose of relieving the tension headaches I was experiencing due to stress. I can attest to the fact that it works, as I have been successful at curing my headaches without the use of drugs ever since.
Reflexology has made its mark in the world of alternative therapies because it works. If you doubt that reflexology works, try it and see the results for yourself. Once you try it you will be a believer and most importantly, you will be hooked for life. Find yourself a good reflexologist, or better yet, learn the techniques for yourself. Having the knowledge to treat yourself and your family is one of the smartest things you can do. When used with your conventional medicine, it may just alleviate the symptoms that have stopped you from living your life well.
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Source: http://www.1directory.net/health-fitness/multiple-sclerosis-and-reflexology-5483.html
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A Look at Long Distance Relationships
Long distance relationships can definitely be rather tricky for people of all ages. These kinds of relationships are quite common nowadays as the Internet brings people together from all over the world. And there are also people tha have to endure long distance relationships because of job obligations that take them away from their loved ones for extended periods of time.
A relationship with someone that lives far away is just as special as any other relationship. However, they come with some extra baggage since each partner is far away. The traditional definition of a long distance relationship mostly takes the form of an intimate relationship in which the partners are separated over long distances.
These relationships are quite possibly one of the hardest things to tackle. They can even begin when someone goes off to college. As a result they are becoming somewhat popular among students at different college campuses for a variety of reasons.
There are actually a lot of people that will leave behind a special someone when they attend college away from home.
At such a young age it is probably even more difficult. Long distance relationships are difficult and can be very stressful, so don?t be shocked if you end up having a few fights or doubts about your relationship. If both of you are serious about maintaining the relationship and are both truly in love, things will work out for you no matter how long you have to stay apart.
Although they can be very cold, lonely, and cause some pain, they can still end up working. In the end, it really all depends on the couple involved.
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Source: http://getting-back-your-ex.com/articles/a-look-at-long-distance-relationships/
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Saturday, February 18, 2012
Asian-Americans rejoice as Lin smashes stereotypes
Fans hold up New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin photos to distract a Sacramento Kings player during a free throw attempt during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Fans hold up New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin photos to distract a Sacramento Kings player during a free throw attempt during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin (17) drives past Sacramento Kings' DeMarcus Cousins (15) during the second half of an NBA basketball game on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in New York. Lin had 10 points and 13 assists as the Knicks won the game 100-85. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
New York Knicks' Jeremy Lin, center, talks with teammates Carmelo Anthony, left, and Amare Stoudemire, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Sacramento Kings, Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in New York. LIn had 10 points and 13 assists as the Knicks won the game 100-85. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Sacramento Kings' Tyreke Evans (13) passes away from New York Knicks' Tyson Chandler, front left, and Jared Jeffries, right, during the second half of an NBA basketball game as Knicks' Jeremy Lin, background, watches on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2012, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
They know what it feels like to be overlooked. People assume they are weak, servile, out of place. So when these Asian-Americans watch Jeremy Lin slash and shoot his way through the NBA's finest, it's almost as if they are on the basketball court with the California-born point guard who has set the zeitgeist on fire.
Asian-Americans have rallied around other athletes ? Michael Chang, Hideo Nomo, Yao Ming, Michelle Wie, Ichiro Suzuki. Tiger Woods was embraced for his Thai side. But Lin has a new and different appeal.
As the child of Taiwanese immigrants, Lin is quintessentially Asian-American. He was ignored instead of hyped. He emerged from the end of the bench to hoist the sinking New York Knicks to win after improbable win. A few hints of racism have scratched the edges of his growing fame, but Lin continues to put up unprecedented numbers and capture the imagination of mainstream America.
In a mere half-dozen games, Lin became that rarest of Asian-Americans: a widely regarded hero.
"There's a certain validation to this," said Phil Yu, founder of the influential blog Angry Asian Man, which tracks and discusses Asian issues.
"Asian-Americans are still seen as foreigners in this country," Yu said. "Seeing Jeremy Lin accepted and celebrated in this American sport, it makes us more American, and it makes other people see us as more American."
The moment that resonates most with Yu is not Lin's game-winning 3-pointer against the Raptors with less than a second to play. It's not Lin's 38 points to beat the Lakers after Kobe Bryant said he didn't know who Lin was. It's not Lin's crossover leading to a soaring dunk against the Wizards, even though the play victimized John Wall, the top draft pick the year Lin went unselected.
Instead, Yu cherishes seeing a picture of two white fans wearing Lin's No. 17 Knicks jersey.
"There is no comparison to anything else I've ever seen," Yu said. "I can't describe how I'm feeling." Watching Lin's highlights, "I got a little bit choked up, honestly."
Ren Hsieh had a different reaction as Lin was torching the Lakers: He shouted loud enough to wake the baby in the other room. "It was the improbability of it all," he said.
"I've never seen it happen ..." NBA analyst Tim Legler said on ESPN. "A guy that had three different teams look at him and not see what we're seeing now?"
The reason is obvious to Hsieh, who played high school basketball in Houston and now runs a league and foundation promoting Asian-American athletics.
"No one would outwardly say (Lin was passed over) because he's Asian, but every Asian-American athlete knows that feeling of being overlooked," he said. "I certainly felt it when I was playing."
"You get a look in people's eyes, they just don't get excited to see you. They don't say, 'Oh man, I gotta have this kid on my team.' Every Asian-American athlete has always had to really bust their butt to get a chance to play at a high level."
Hsieh remembers the skepticism when the China-born Yao entered the NBA. One commentator, retired NBA legend Charles Barkley, promised to kiss his co-host's posterior if Yao scored 19 points in a game.
Yao went on to score 19 or more points 268 times in his eight-year All-Star career, and Barkley kissed a donkey on national television.
Lin was similarly underestimated. He led his high school team to a state championship, but was ignored by every Division I college team except Harvard. He was cut by two NBA teams and could barely get on the floor in practice, until the injury-riddled Knicks handed him the ball almost in desperation. Now Lin owns an NBA record for most points in the first five games as a starter.
So when someone labels Lin "deceptively athletic" even though he has a typical point-guard build, or when his teammate Tyson Chandler says, perhaps jokingly, that he didn't know the 6-foot-3 Lin could dunk, some see stereotypes afoot.
That was a point made by Knicks superfan Spike Lee. Brainstorming a slew of Lin nicknames, he gleefully tweeted, "Jeremy 'Stop Asian Profile' Lin."
"The word athlete is really not associated with people of Asian descent," said Helen Xia, author of "Asian American Dreams: The Emergence of an American People."
Xia said Asians were first viewed in America as "coolies," laboring on railroads, laundry or in restaurants. Then they were a stealthy and diabolical wartime enemy, then rivals stealing American jobs with cheap labor. Today the labor stereotype has transferred to another arena, with Asians viewed as math-and-science robots toiling over books and computer screens.
Xia calls Lin's rise in a game as athletic as basketball "stunning" and "a real turning point."
Nobody deliberately excluded Lin because of his ethnicity, Xia said: "That's not the point. . The pervasive and insidious nature of racism keeps us from seeing what's right in front of us."
Lin has declined to dwell on racial issues, but he did tweet that when he first joined the Knicks, "Every time I try to get into Madison Square Garden, the security guards ask me if I'm a trainer."
There have been countless Asian-based puns, like the New York Post's "Amasian" headline. The Knicks' own TV network showed a graphic with Lin's head popping out of a fortune cookie. Boxing champ Floyd Mayweather tweeted that Lin was getting attention just because he's Asian. And Fox Sports columnist Jason Whitlock tweeted a cruelly racist remark about Lin's manhood. (Whitlock later apologized.)
Whitlock's tweet drew the most outrage. "Asian-American men in particular have faced a direct, in-your-face emasculation," said Helen Gym of Asian Americans United in Philadelphia. Whitlock's remark "has been said a million times. It's a typical saying when you want to take somebody down."
It didn't work with Lin. Women were in the stands this week with "Be My Va-LIN-tine" signs. Websites were matchmaking Lin with women of all ethnicities. A YouTube video shows an Asian girl dumping her white boyfriend for an Asian man after watching Lin on the court.
"He's giving Asian men some swag," said Jeffrey Ng, founder and creative director of the Staple Design clothing and creative agency in New York City.
When Ng started selling hip-hop apparel 15 years ago, there were no Asian-Americans in his business. Meeting with clients, "I always felt this, like, why are you here? No matter how good my clothing was, I had to first answer the question of, why are you in this room?"
"Lin had to work twice as hard to overcome that first question of, 'Why are you on this court?'"
Peter Kim, an actor in Los Angeles, said Lin's success could open up more opportunities in his business, which puts few Asians in leading or romantic roles.
He recalled that when Lin beat the buzzer to give the Knicks the win against the Raptors, the crowd exploded ? and the game was in Toronto, not New York.
"That alone should show how significant Jeremy Lin is to the Asian people," Kim said. "He's not just an athlete playing for a team. He's playing for a whole culture and our representation to the rest of the world."
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Jesse Washington covers race and ethnicity for The Associated Press. He is reachable at http://www.twitter.com/jessewashington or jwashington(at)ap.org.
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Online:
Ren Hsieh's foundation for Asian athletics: http://www.dynastyproject.org
Jason Whitlock's apology: http://on-msn.com/waJonC
Charles Barkley loses the Yao Ming bet: http://bit.ly/wqKsMt
Associated Pressnorv turner jerry angelo work it amy chua iowa gop gloria steinem forgetting sarah marshall
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