Saturday, December 31, 2011

MENAFN: Gene linked to increased pancreatic cancer http://t.co/7WaHiRek

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Gene linked to increased pancreatic cancer bit.ly/uiANYQ MENAFN

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Friday, December 30, 2011

Jobs on the mind as U.S. approaches 2012 presidential election

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

"We are not in desperate economic times. But we believe that we are, and that is as paralyzing today as it was when Franklin Roosevelt famously intoned on his inauguration that fear itself is the biggest obstacle. In 2012, the American economy will do better than muddle and less than soar. Let's hope for the new year that Americans can adjust to that reality without succumbing to despair." - Zachary Karabell, author and economist.

Source: The Daily Beast

?

BY THE NUMBERS

20.1 percent - Average U.S. unemployment in 1935, the year prior to Franklin Delano Roosevelt seeking election to a second term.

16.1 percent - Average U.S. unemployment in 1936, the year FDR captured over 60 percent of the popular vote and 523 electoral votes in the general election.

8.6 percent - U.S. unemployment rate as Barack Obama approaches his 2012 bid for re-election.

Sources: Schmoop.com, U.S. Election Atlas, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

FINAL WORD

"...I think any Republican who assumes that because we have high unemployment they are going to win the election hands down is mistaken. It's true there has been a rule since 1936, no president has been re-elected with unemployment above I think it's 7.8 percent. I don't think that rule applies anymore. We sort of have gotten used to perhaps not nine percent, but it isn't as shocking as it would have been had we been at four percent last year. It's becoming a chronic condition." - Washington Post? columnist Charles Krauthammer

Source: The Weekly Standard

Source: http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/jobs-on-the-mind-as-u-s-approaches-presidential-election/article_7d5f2b42-3183-11e1-befb-0019bb30f31a.html

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Thursday, December 29, 2011

Midseason TV 2012: Previews Of 'Smash,' 'Work It,' 'Alcatraz' And More New Shows (PHOTOS)

Starring: Oprah Winfrey What It's About: "Oprah's Next Chapter" will take Oprah outside the TV studio for a series of in-depth conversations with celebrities ranging from Steven Tyler to Deepak Chopra. Series premieres Sun., Jan. 1, 9 p.m. EST on OWN

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/27/midseason-tv-2012-preview_n_1171616.html

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Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taliban

Afghanistan will accept a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to start peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government's peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the decade-long war.

Afghanistan's High Peace Council, in a note to foreign missions, has set out ground rules for engaging the Taliban after Kabul grew concerned that the United States and Qatar, helped by Germany, had secretly agreed with the Taliban to open an office in the Qatari capital, Doha.

U.S. officials have held about half a dozen meetings with their insurgent contacts, mostly in Germany and Doha with representatives of Mullah Omar, leader of the Taliban's Quetta Shura, this year to prepare the way for face-to-face talks between the group and the Afghan government.

A representative office for the group is considered the starting point for such talks and Doha has in the past served as a meeting ground for initial contacts.

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But the Afghan peace commission which has suffered a series of setbacks including the assassination of its head in September said that negotiations with the Taliban could only begin after they stopped violence against civilians, cut ties to al Qaeda, and accepted the Afghan constitution which guarantees civil rights and liberties, including rights for women.

The council, according to a copy of the 11-point note made available to Reuters, also said any peace process with the Taliban would have to have the support of Pakistan since members of the insurgent group were based there.

"The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan is in agreement regarding the opening of an office for the armed opposition, but only to move forward the peace process and conduct negotiations," the council said.

Story: Suicide bomb kills at least 20 in Afghanistan

The government would prefer such an office in either Saudi Arabia or Turkey, both of which it is close to, but was not averse to Doha as long as the authority of the Afghan state was not eroded and the office was only established for talks, officials said.

"We are saying Saudi or Turkey are preferable, we are not saying it has to be there only. The only condition is it should be in an Islamic country," said a government official.

President Hamid Karzai's administration recalled its ambassador from Doha last week, apparently angry that it had been kept in the dark about the latest round of contacts with the insurgent group.

Officials said Kabul was also deeply concerned about reports that the United States was considering the transfer of a small number of Afghan prisoners from Guantanamo Bay military prison to Doha as a prelude to the talks.

"We are a sovereign country, we have laws. How can you transfer our prisoners from one country to another. Already it's a violation to have them in Guantanamo Bay," the official said.

The Afghan government wanted the prisoners to be returned to its custody, the official said.

Reuters reported this month that the United States was considering the transfer of an unspecified number of Taliban prisoners from Guantanamo Bay into Afghan government custody as part of accelerating, high-stakes diplomacy.

"We have no problem with this. In fact we have been demanding this for a while. These are Afghan prisoners," said the official, who declined to be identified.

The tension between the Karzai administration and the United States over engaging the Taliban underscores the challenges of seeking a political settlement as the West prepares to withdraw most combat troops from the country by 2014.

Efforts to engage the insurgent group have faced a string of setbacks, the most recent being the assassination of the head of the peace council and former president, Burhanuddin Rabbani, in September at the hands of a suicide bomber who pretended to be a Taliban emissary.

Hardening of positions
It led to a hardening of positions with Karzai saying the government could not talk to suicide bombers and that there should be an address for the Taliban so that negotiators know they are talking to the right representatives.

"We are committed to the reconciliation process, the experience of the last 10 years shows no military solution is possible. Talking to the armed opposition is the key in this regard," said presidential spokesman Aimal Faizi.

White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said the United States backed steps toward reconciliation that bring Afghans together and allow insurgents eschewing violence and abiding by the Afghan constitution to come off the battlefield.

"We will join initiatives that support Afghan-led reconciliation. Pakistan also has an important role to play in supporting the Afghan-led process," she said.

A State Department official added Washington will continue to work very closely with Kabul authorities to draw in Taliban fighters who break from al Qaeda terrorists and agree to respect the rights of Afghans, including women and ethnic minorities.

"We believe it is in the interests of both of our countries, as well as the region as whole, to work together to support a stable, secure, and prosperous Afghanistan inside a stable, secure, and prosperous region," the State Department official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The Afghan peace council, laying down the markers for engagement with the Taliban, said well known figures from both the Taliban and the government had to be involved in talks.

It said that "before any negotiations can take place, violence against Afghan people must stop and that the armed opposition must cut ties to al Qaeda and other terrorist groups".

It also said that the Taliban must accept the constitution and honor the gains made in the last 10 years since they were ousted from power, conditions that the Taliban have shown no sign of accepting.

The Taliban do not accept the constitution and have vowed to carry on fighting until all foreign troops have left the country.

The peace council said Pakistani support was necessary for talks to take place, another condition that makes the task harder because of fraught ties between the United States and Pakistan which fears it is being shut out of the process.

Opening a Taliban office in a third country is seen as a way to create distance from Pakistan which has longstanding ties to the insurgent group.

But the government official said he did not think the peace council had laid down such tough conditions that the talks would fail even before they started.

"We don't think it's a deal breaker. We are quite optimistic," he said.

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45791868/ns/world_news-south_and_central_asia/

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Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4G 10.1? 16GB Android Tablet , Grey (Verizon Wireless)

Samsung Galaxy Tab 4G 10.1? 16GB Android Tablet , Grey (Verizon Wireless)

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  • Ultra-thin ?n? light 4G-enabled tablet ?n gray powered b? Android 3.1 Honeycomb OS ?n? 1 GHz dual-core Tegra 2 processor
  • 16 GB internal memory; brilliant 10.1-inch multi-touch ??????? w?th native 720p resolution; 1080p video playback via optional HDMI connector
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  • Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking; Bluetooth 2.1 stereo music; GPS f?r navigation ?n? location services; support f?r Adobe Flash
  • Up t? 10 hours ?f usage time; released ?n July, 2011; includes wall/USB charger

En??? a fully immersive tablet experience w?th th? Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 f?r Verizon Wireless, wh??h combines th? power ?f th? Android Honeycomb operating system w?th th? ultra-f??t Verizon Wireless 4G LTE mobile broadband network. W?th ?t? brilliant 10.1-inch ???????, th? Galaxy Tab 10.1 ?? th? thinnest ?n? lightest large-screen mobile tablet. It? 1 GHz Tegra 2 dual-core processor m?k?? running multiple applications a breeze, ?n? ?t offers support f?r Adobe Flash Player 10.3 f?r ?n optimized

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Source: http://phones.sanmigueldirectory.com/amazonwireless/samsung-galaxy-tab-4g-10-1-16gb-android-tablet-grey-verizon-wireless/

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Alltop_Mac: Rumor: Intel to bring Thunderbolt port to ?first-tier? Windows PCs in April, 2012 http://t.co/yM1HTHiY

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Rumor: Intel to bring Thunderbolt port to ?first-tier? Windows PCs in April, 2012 bit.ly/vTPY17 Alltop_Mac

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Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Shirley W. Falls, 78, Washington, New Jersey

Shirley W. Falls, (nee Wooten) on December 24, 2011, of Washington Township. Age 78. Beloved wife of the late Victor V. Devoted Mother of Hope L. Marsella, Sean P., Shannon C., Shane V. and Shamus M. Falls. Loving Grandmother of seven. Dear Sister of David Wooten and the late Lawrence Wooten. Relatives and friends are invited to attend her viewing Wednesday 7:00 - 9:00 pm and Thursday 8:15 -9:15 am at the Egizi Funeral Home, 119 Ganttown Road, Washington Township. Mass of Christian Burial 10:00 am at the Church of the Holy Family, Washington Twp. Interment private. In lieu of flowers donations in Shirley's memory may be made to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure 785 Springfield Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901. "A Life Well Lived Is Worth Remembering"

Source: http://wfmzonline.tributes.com/show/Shirley-W.-Falls-93013623

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So, what'd you get?

Yeah, it's pretty unfortunate that you've got to work tomorrow (well, unless you're down with Boxing Day), but let's take it one 24-hour window at a time, shall we? It's not as if you've had any shortage of gizmos to choose from this year, and while you aren't likely to get a Transformer Prime, there's plenty of other stocking stuffers to look forward to. Speaking of which, what'd you find under your tree this morning? A Kindle Fire? That new laptop you've been longing for? A few new cables to do... cable-y things with? Let us know in comments below, and be sure to press play on your way there. Hopefully that's not your kid.

When you're done, check out what people got jazzed about in 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Continue reading So, what'd you get?

So, what'd you get? originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 25 Dec 2011 11:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monday, December 26, 2011

Top 10 Holy Sh*t Gaming Moments of 2011 | N4G

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Top 10 Holy Sh*t Gaming Moments of 2011. GR - "Your videogaming experience of 2011 may be entirely limited to Team Fortress 2, so here are some videos to show you what you might've missed out on throughout the year." (PC, PS3, Wii ...

Source: http://n4g.com/news/911327/top-10-holy-sh-t-gaming-moments-of-2011

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NFL Communications - 2011 NFL Playoff Scenarios for Week 17 ?

NFL Communications - 2011 NFL Playoff Scenarios for Week 17 ? \ '); $('#wpl-mustlogin').hide().slideDown('fast'); } ); $('#wpl-mustlogin input.input').live( 'focus', function() { $(this).prev().hide(); }).live( 'blur', function() { if ( $(this).val() == '' ) $(this).prev().show(); }); $('#wpl-mustlogin input#wp-submit').live( 'click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); $.post( 'http://nflcommunications.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', { 'action': 'wpl_record_stat', 'stat_name': 'loggedout_login_submit' }, function() { $('#wpl-mustlogin form').submit(); } ); }); $('#wpl-mustlogin a#wpl-signup-link').live( 'click', function(e) { e.preventDefault(); var link = $(this).attr('href'); $.post( 'http://nflcommunications.com/wp-admin/admin-ajax.php', { 'action': 'wpl_record_stat', 'stat_name': 'loggedout_signup_click' }, function() { location.href = link; } ); }); }); /* ]]> */

Source: http://nflcommunications.com/2011/12/25/2011-nfl-playoff-scenarios-for-week-17/

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Sunday, December 25, 2011

Video: Declining VIX and the Markets

Ben Willis, Sunrise Securities, and Paul Hickey, Bespoke Investment Group, discuss the decline of the Vix and its impact on the markets, as well as the so-called "January effect."

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Business & financial news headlines from msnbc.com

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/45777037/

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Robert Champion: Drum Major for Change in University Hazing

Robert and Pam Champion are to be commended for turning their pain into a force for change

Julianne Malveaux NNPA Columnist

Most parents of college students look forward to December, when their students come home for the holidays.? Some are so excited to see their offspring home that they actually come to their colleges to pick them up.? Others prepare special treats and goodies as an antidote to the oft complained about cafeteria food.

Robert and Pam Champion won?t have that opportunity.?? Their son, Robert, died on November 19.? His death has been ruled a homicide and he is allegedly the victim of hazing.? Florida A&M University, one of our nation?s most respected HBCUs, is in the headlines now, not because of its excellent academic programs, but because its celebrated marching band has apparently had a culture of hazing.

Robert and Pam Champion are to be commended for turning their pain into a force for change.? In a recent media interview, they indicated that they have set up a Facebook page in honor of their son, who they describe as a ?drum major for change? because they will use his story to help other victims of hazing.? Mrs. Champion also indicated that she would set up an anti-hazing hot line so that young people can, anonymously, deal with issues of hazing.? The younger Robert Champion has apparently not been the only victim of hazing in the FAMU Marching Band.? In the past, one student has had her hip broken, and two have been hospitalized with kidney damage.? And these are only the cases we know about.

The FAMU Marching Band isn?t the only organization that hazes.? Sororities and fraternities, whether part of the African American Divine Nine, or part of the larger Greek-letter organization atmosphere, seem to think hazing is part of the culture.? Whether it is yelling and screaming at pledges, to the use of actual physical violence, hazing is prevalent.? The National Study of Student Hazing, which got results from more than 11,000 students at 53 colleges indicated that "8 percent of women in Greek life have experienced hazing?.? This study didn?t focus on HBCUs, but it would not be surprising to learn that our numbers mirror these.? Two questions ? why is membership in a group so important that you?d risk your life; and why must people verbally and physically abuse those who want to join their group.

Our young people are no better than what we show them they can be.? I have heard sorority women make the distinction between ?pledging hard? and ?pledging soft?, with the implication that the brutal former is better.? Young men and some not so young men, sport brands, some of which have been infected, as symbols of their fraternity and their ?manhood?.? Many of those branded were either willing or subject to coercion.? When elders show their sons these brands, they may well co-sign the continuation of a brutal trend.

What is hazing about??? It?s bullying, it?s coercion, and it?s descent into groupthink in the worst way.? I?ve got something you want, and I?m going to make you suffer to get it.? In order to join a band you ought to be able to play music, not survive a beating.? How does the beating make you a better band member?? Actually, it allows some folks to play a game of false superiority to the detriment of others.

The bottom line, though, is that it has to stop.? The college experience should not be a brutal experience, or an experience where coercion and intimidation are ingrained into the process of joining a group.? To be sure, there are bonding opportunities in ritual ? in learning songs, history, steps, or chants.? And there may be penalties when band members or pledges don?t toe the mark in learning things on time.? But the penalties should not be physical abuse, and that abuse has become too acceptable.

What do we do about it?? Some parents whose children have been hazed have brought criminal charges or civil lawsuits.? Others have pushed for systemic change.? Leaders in higher education must assert zero tolerance for hazing and enforce zero tolerance policies with appropriate actions.? Four members of the FAMU band have been dismissed from school, but only after young Robert Champion?s death.? Had they been expelled sooner, might Champion still be among us?

Robert and Pam Champion are to be commended for turning their pain into change.? But if hazing cannot be stopped, those organizations that allow it simply need to be disbanded.

?

Julianne Malveaux is President of Bennett College for Women in Greensboro, North Carolina .

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Source: http://www.theskanner.com/article/view/id/18650

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Saturday, December 24, 2011

11 killed in attacks on Mexican buses, town (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Mexican officials say a group of armed men attacked people traveling by bus through the Gulf coast state of Veracruz, killing seven.

The state prosecutor's office says in a statement that the same gunmen killed four other people in the Veracruz town of El Higo. Both attacks took place early Thursday.

The statement says that law-enforcement agents confronted the gunmen, killing five in a gunbattle.

On Wednesday, federal officials announced they were disbanding the police in the state's port city of Veracruz and sending in units of marines to patrol the streets.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111222/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_bus_attack

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Verizon says service 'returning to normal'

Verizon outage

Just got word back from Verizon spokeswoman Brenda Raney about the overnight/early morning 4G LTE outage. Here 'tis:

"Verizon Wireless 4G LTE service is returning to normal this morning after company engineers worked to resolve an issue with the 4G network during the early morning hours today.   Throughout this time, 4G LTE customers were able to make voice calls and send and receive text messages. The 3G data network operated normally."

Hopefully things should be back to normal and we can all go back to worrying about signal strength and battery life.



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/a-aPzsBqLME/story01.htm

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Friday, December 23, 2011

Greg_Wood_: @DavidHaddrell will be busy in town for sure but parade/fireworks well worth a look, main bonfire is about 8pm on beach beyond Palace Pier

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@DavidHaddrell will be busy in town for sure but parade/fireworks well worth a look, main bonfire is about 8pm on beach beyond Palace Pier Greg_Wood_

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Source: http://twitter.com/Greg_Wood_/statuses/149555108521324544

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Video: Over-the-top Christmas lights sparkle in Va.

Our nationwide roundup of over-the-top Christmas lights turns its sunglasses toward Virginia. NBC?s Brian Williams reports.

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/45770763/

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Thursday, December 22, 2011

US stocks drop; BofA and other big banks fall hard (AP)

NEW YORK ? The stock market took a late afternoon fall Monday after European Union finance ministers failed to come up with the full amount of money pledged for a bailout fund.

Banks led the way down. Morgan Stanley dropped 5.5 percent and Bank of America Corp. sank 4 percent, the biggest fall in the Dow Jones Industrial average. The worry looming over banks stocks is that if Europe's debt crisis spins out of control, European banks would fail and damage U.S. banks. Big banks in Europe and the U.S. are linked through the web of global financial markets.

"If Europe is going to be bring us down it's going to come through the financial firms," said J.J. Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist at TD Ameritrade.

The Dow lost 100.13 points, or 0.8 percent to close at 11,766.26. The average lost 55 points in the last hour of trading as reports emerged that the E.U. finance ministers couldn't drum up the full 200 billion euros ($261 billion) they planned to give to the International Monetary Fund. European leaders had pledged the money for a special IMF fund to help struggling European countries at a summit meeting less than two weeks ago.

Cautious comments from the head of the European Central Bank also helped push stocks lower. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 14.31 points, or 1.2 percent, to 1,205.35. The Nasdaq composite index fell 32.19 points, or 1.3 percent, to 2,523.14.

Mario Draghi, the ECB president, said Monday that the central bank was looking for ways to keep the Eurozone's bailout fund working even if credit rating agencies strip France of its AAA grade. The bailout fund depends on the top ratings of France, Germany and the countries that contribute to it. Draghi also restated his view that large-scale government bond purchases were outside the central bank's responsibility.

In the U.S., a gauge of sentiment among builders inched up to its highest level since May 2010. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index added two points to 21 in December. Any reading below 50 still reflects a negative outlook.

Among companies making large moves Monday:

? Winn-Dixie soared 70 percent. The supermarket chain is being sold to Bi-Lo LLC, another supermarket operator with stores in the Southern U.S., in a deal valued at $560 million.

? Cablevision Systems Corp. rose 2 percent after an analyst from Citibank said a recent drop in the company's stock seemed "way overdone." The stock has lost 27 percent from the end of October through last Friday following the unexpected resignation of its chief operating officer.

? Bank of America ended the day at $4.99. The drop puts it at risk of further selling pressure because many mutual funds have rules against holding stocks that trade below the $5 mark.

? Commercial Metals Co. dropped 1.4 percent. The company's board rejected a $1.7 billion takeover bid from investor Carl Icahn, saying the proposed deal undervalued the company.

The three major stock market indexes lost more than 2 percent last week amid worries that some European governments would try to drop the euro. Fitch Ratings warned Friday that it may cut the credit grades for Italy, Spain and four other countries that use the currency.

With two weeks of trading left in 2011, the S&P 500 is 4.2 percent below where it started the year. The Dow has managed to gain 1.6 percent in 2011, led by McDonald's Corp. and its 26 percent gain.

Nearly four stocks fell for every one that rose on the New York Stock Exchange. Trading volume was very light at 3.6 billion.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/stocks/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111219/ap_on_bi_st_ma_re/wall_street

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Sunday, December 18, 2011

Carol Smaldino: Out In the Cold, On the Inside

We can find books and programs telling us how to avoid the cycles of materialism, but they seem to ignore our immense dependency on the opinions of others. So if we read the current book Shiny Objects: Why We Spend Money We Don't Have in Search of Happiness We Can't Buy, by James A. Roberts, (Harper Collins, 2011) we can find the support of a new guru saying things most of us have heard before. Embracing the book that has come out for the pre-Christmas season can offer us specific advice and suggestions for belonging and buddy systems as we change our spending habits. For many beleaguered souls who need a movement to justify a shift in behavior, this kind of book may be something to hold onto that dignifies a shift away from the bottomless pit of materialism.

At the same time, the book is an example of fashions that become bibles which give permission for those of us already feeling stranded, to hold on to a lifeboat of alternatives. My interest lies more within the arena of how to attend to the omnipresent comparison shopping on personal and social levels as well. This search is important because Shiny Objects isn't for everyone, and as we speak, too many of us are consumed in subtle ways by the need to conform. As one example, we can use the Facebook phenomenon which many people blame for the cycles of bullying among teens and the hyperactive quest to know other people's whereabouts, physical and emotional dress, in order to arrange our internal feelings about ourselves. Facebook comes to exploit the need to know and compare which we see in adult television programming and advertisements, not to mention plain old gossip and rejection of adults as well as kids for the slightest faux pas.

As long as there is no dignity for the outsider and we don't model diversity for our kids, they will be all the more prone to be targets of bullies or bullies themselves. Being fat is but one small example and by this I mean some of us our fat and some of our kids are fat. And though we could philosophize on the harmfulness of obesity, bullying and being bullied will hardly help the problem on a deeper level. Solving problems of bullying means also asserting the right to be diverse, sometimes too fat or skinny or poor or shy or learning disabled, and it means that we have both the need and the right to talk about these things out loud.

This need to be the same extends to the Christmas season for which most people that I know, at least in my therapy practice (don't say they're sick because they aren't) participate in the mad dash to provide things they may not be able to afford. Exactly how easy would it be to tell a family in the suburbs where there is little local farming consciousness or community sharing experience, that this year Christmas will not be about materialism. I think that unless we look deeper into how mired we are in being like other people we cannot begin to help our kids shift. To do so would mean we would have to tell them we fell into something that is creating a negative cycle and we have to stop it. We would disappoint them big time: we would have to face their accusations, and we would have to be reasonable secure about our own motivations.

I know people with a less materialistic vantage point and I feel they are lucky, at least those who have confidence and can help share the magic of any holiday, be it Christmas or Hanukkah or having an ice cream which may just become a holiday. This also isn't meant to become a diatribe on materialism because I for one am known among my friends for having too many coats, and I am still working on how to stop. It is about, more importantly the notion of being different in ways we can dignify, and say out loud.

Last evening I hosted a party for a friend of mine, and had a fairly long talk with a young female political science graduate school student from Indiana. I was using the microphone to MC and she put herself in the background, not being interested in dancing which didn't come easy for her, she said. She was shy, and the experience the morning provoked me to look at her shyness very differently than I had hours before. I remembered my first days of working in a residential treatment center years ago when a bunch of kids came over to me the first day, and they were talkative about their backgrounds: they were attractive and even exotic. Someone told me moments after that one of the reasons they were so charming and that made them so sick is that they had no shyness. Shyness, my colleague said, was our healthy way of being cautious, of protecting our boundaries.

We are teaching our kids tolerance, fairness and kindness but I'm afraid, too little about the dignity about being different or just being. It's assertive to say out loud, "I'm shy" or "I'm fat", or "Yeah I suck at soccer". But it's also the beginning of creating the boundaries we need, to become honest about who we are without deciding we have to change it all up so we buy into either the materialistic fashions or those of the current psychologically popular trend.

Materialism is not just having material goods but a pseudo esteem that comes from the outside, the kind of recognition from a crowd. It's my finding that many kids wish to lead, to be part of a a radical shift by which they share with us their observations of us, and their suggestions. They have lots to teach us about dignity, and working together to discover rather than repeat tired sayings, could add to the dignity of changing it all up. Exciting?

Just one small affirmation: Just because some people are richer or louder or smoother it doesn't make them right. Now we need to get into the intestinal tracts where most of our emotional resistances are lying in wait and in need of attention.

?

Follow Carol Smaldino on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Carol Smaldino

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carol-smaldino/out-in-the-cold-on-the-in_b_1156641.html

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Canadiens fire coach Jacques Martin

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2011 photo, Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin reacts during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, in Montreal. Martin has been fired as coach of the last-place Montreal Canadiens. The team said Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 that assistant Randy Cunneyworth will be the interim head coach for the rest of the season. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

FILE - In this Dec. 8, 2011 photo, Montreal Canadiens head coach Jacques Martin reacts during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vancouver Canucks, in Montreal. Martin has been fired as coach of the last-place Montreal Canadiens. The team said Saturday, Dec. 17, 2011 that assistant Randy Cunneyworth will be the interim head coach for the rest of the season. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Graham Hughes)

MONTREAL (AP) ? Sloppy play, blown leads, a poor record at home.

It proved all too much for the last-place Montreal Canadiens, who fired coach Jacques Martin on Saturday and put assistant Randy Cunneyworth in charge for the rest of the season.

"The primary reason is the team wasn't performing as well as it should be in our minds," general manager Pierre Gauthier said at a Bell Centre news conference.

Assistant GM Larry Carriere was appointed assistant coach, his first coaching job after a long career in scouting and administration.

Martin, who preaches defense, was in his third season with the Canadiens. He is also one of the winningest coaches in NHL history.

He now gives way to Cunneyworth, a Toronto native whose lack of French was quickly noted. He is team's first unilingual English-speaking coach since Al MacNeil in 1971. On a team that symbolizes French-Canadian pride, he faces a daunting task in his bid to remove the interim tag.

"I have the utmost respect for the language here and I am very aware of how important it is to try and learn the language," Cunneyworth said after running his first practice. "Obviously I know a few words, and not all the good ones."

Montreal remained at the bottom of the Northeast Division with a 13-13-7 record after losing 5-3 to New Jersey in Cunneyworth's debut on Saturday night.

The 59-year-old Martin has also coached the Florida Panthers and Ottawa Senators. Gauthier hired Martin in Ottawa. In 1996 in Ottawa, Martin inherited Cunneyworth as his hardworking captain.

"I would hope that my coaching style was similar to the way I played," Cunneyworth said. "I felt for the most part that I competed very hard."

Cunneyworth joined his former coach's staff as an assistant this summer after spending the previous season as head coach of Montreal's AHL affiliate in Hamilton.

"I have mixed emotions this time around," said Cunneyworth, who began and ended his career with Buffalo and also played for Pittsburgh, Winnipeg, Hartford and Chicago. "There is still the excitement but my thoughts are with Jacques. ... I have the utmost respect for Jacques and everything he does, the wealth of experience that I have learned over my times with him."

Martin was in his 17th season in the NHL. He reached his 600th NHL career victory last April, making him the ninth winningest coach in league history.

The Canadiens have been hurt by mistakes this season. They are 5-6-6 at home, often squandering third-period leads.

"Especially in the last few weeks, we didn't really know what was coming out of the box every night," Gauthier said. "And the way we were losing the leads and the way we were coaching the games wasn't very consistent, and that's what we hope to change."

There were hints of tension between Martin and Gauthier. After a poor start, Martin's closest ally, assistant Perry Pearn, was fired just before a game Oct. 26.

"We were on the same wavelength right to the end, but that doesn't mean that the team's performances were acceptable," Gauthier said.

The players were told of the coaching changes when they arrived for their morning skate.

"When we are where we are and expect to be a better team than we've been, you definitely are aware there might be changes," forward Michael Cammalleri said. "For it to be Jacques was somewhat surprising."

"We're in 11th place, that's what went wrong," he added. "I think Jacques was still trying to work on thing and improve the team. I don't think there was anyone not listening to him."

In the 50-year-old Cunneyworth, the Canadiens get a more tech-savvy coach, although one who is not expected to make major changes.

"I think the message will be to get back doing the things that the players are potentially capable of," Cunneyworth said. "We obviously have to figure out ways to get more out of our individual players. It's a responsibility of the coaching staff, but it's also a responsibility of the players themselves."

Cunneyworth was promoted to the NHL club along with assistant Randy Ladouceur after coaching in Hamilton last season.

"What system is in place doesn't matter if everyone buys in and plays the right way," defenseman Josh Gorges said. "If you only have half the guys doing what's asked of them, everything is in disarray and I think that's where we got to."

"We weren't playing together and doing the things we need to do to win," he added. "And consequently we lost games we shouldn't have lost and changes needed to be made."

Martin joined the Canadiens in 2009-10 and took them on an improbable run to the Eastern Conference finals where they lost to Philadelphia. Montreal made the playoffs the following year but was eliminated in the first round.

Martin also won the NHL coach of the year in 1998-99 and was part of Canada's gold-medal triumph at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.

"The bottom line is winning games," Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill said. "We weren't winning and changes happen. I don't think it was about losing the room or anything like that."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2011-12-17-HKN-Canadiens-Martin-Fired/id-e0e1be74e41a4fc58514cc7915b92ef1

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Smoking Linked to Skin Cancer in Women (HealthDay)

THURSDAY, Dec. 15 (HealthDay News) -- If you're a woman who smokes and you are looking for another reason to quit, consider this: A new study has found a link between tobacco use and skin cancer.

The study found that women who had squamous cell skin cancer were more likely to have smoked than those who were free from the disease. And those who smoked at least 20 years were twice as likely to develop squamous cell skin cancer, a less aggressive form of skin cancer than melanoma.

Men who smoked had a modest risk for the two types of non-melanoma skin cancer -- basal cell and squamous cell cancer -- but the results weren't statistically significant, the study authors noted.

"We don't know why," said study lead author Dana Rollison, referring to the difference between women's and men's risk. Both men and women get a lot of exposure to the sun, the main risk factor for skin cancer, she noted.

But lung cancer research may offer a clue, said Rollison, an associate member in the Moffitt Cancer Center department of cancer epidemiology, in Tampa, Fla. Hormonal differences affecting the metabolization of nicotine and the body's ability to repair damage to lung DNA caused by smoking have been noted before, suggesting that the female hormone estrogen may play a role, she said.

The study, published online in the journal Cancer Causes Control, was done at the Moffitt Cancer Center and the University of South Florida, also in Tampa.

For the study, 383 patients with skin cancer were compared to 315 people without the disease. The participants were asked how much they smoked, when they picked up the habit and the total number of years they'd smoked. A total of 355 men and 343 women were included in the study. All were white, the group most at risk for skin cancer. Risks for both types of non-melanoma skin cancer were analyzed separately, compensating for the presence of other risk factors.

The researchers found that the more people smoked, the more likely they were to have skin cancer, Rollison said. Men who had basal cell skin cancer were significantly more likely to have smoked for at least 20 years than men with no cancer, the study authors noted.

While the study found an association between smoking and skin cancer risk, it did not prove a cause and effect.

Despite the elevated smoking-related risk among women, men overall are more likely to get skin cancer, Rollison noted. She said that "it is possible men's skin is more sensitive to sun exposure than women's."

But another skin cancer expert suggested that men may be less inclined to use sunscreen or other protection when outdoors.

"Although it could just be a genetic difference (between men and women), men tend to have more unprotected sun exposure in their lives," said Dr. Jeffrey Dover, associate clinical professor of dermatology at Yale University Medical School.

Dover said the study findings weren't surprising because "we know cigarette smoke contains carcinogens" and smokers are "blowing the smoke and ash around their faces all day."

The study is important, he added, because "although we have done well, we can do even better" at eliminating smoking as a cause of disease. "This adds more fuel to the idea that smoking has no place in our society."

Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, where about 2 million cases are treated annually, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Squamous cell cancer occurs in the epidermis, the top layer of skin, and can spread to other organs. Basal cell skin cancer occurs in the dermis, the skin layer beneath the epidermis. While it does not spread to other organs, it is far more common than squamous cell cancer, according to the government agency.

More information

To learn more about skin cancer, visit the U.S. National Cancer Institute.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/diseases/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/hsn/20111215/hl_hsn/smokinglinkedtoskincancerinwomen

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Friday, December 16, 2011

PFT: Ravens expect to have Lewis back

Chicago Bears v Denver BroncosGetty Images

It?s one thing for guys like Dolphins linebacker Karlos Dansby or a pastor to opine that God is working through Tim Tebow.? It?s quite another for Tebow to say it.

And it?s quite another for Tebow to say that God is actually speaking to him.

And while Tebow has yet to say it publicly, he?s saying it to his teammates.

?Tebow came to me and said, ?Don?t worry about a thing,? because God has spoken to him,? linebacker Wesley Woodyard said after Sunday?s win over the Bears, according to Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post.? Woodyard then forced the Marion Barber fumble in overtime, when the Bears were in field goal position.

Even though the story itself is a couple days old (which makes it nearly as old as the New Testament in Internet time), the concept is timeless.? Regardless of whether Tebow actually has a burning bush in his backyard, Tebow?s faith has fueled a level of confidence that could be unprecedented in professional sports.? He truly believes his team is going to win, so his teammates believe it.

And, perhaps most importantly, his opponents believe it, too.

For the teams who play the Broncos, it?s like continuing to try to beat an older brother in ping pong.? No matter what happens, that feeling of doubt inevitably emerges, and it all falls apart.

Many believe that this entire dynamic ? Tebow?s confidence, his teammates? confidence, and the ensuing lack of confidence on the part of the opponents ? faces its biggest test yet on Sunday, when the Patriots come to town.? Win or lose, however, the Tebow/Broncos confidence won?t be going away any time soon.

?It?s not necessarily prophesying,? Tebow has said.? ?But sometimes you can feel God has a big plan.?

If/when the Broncos lose or fail to make the playoffs or lose in the playoffs, Tebow will regard the outcome as part of God?s plan.? And then Tebow will prepare himself for the 2012 season, with the same week-in, week-out confidence that has made his team far better than the sum of the individual pieces.

It?s become fashionable to point out that Tebow has received too much credit for the accomplishments of his teammates.? But those same teammates who are 7-1 under Tebow?s leadership were 1-4 under Kyle Orton.

So regardless of how Tebow is getting his confidence, it?s that confidence that has made him one of the best players in the NFL.? And the Broncos would be crazy not to embrace this guy for the next decade or longer.? Plenty of guys can throw a football, but very few can inspire grown men wearing the same uniform to believe that together they can achieve great things.? Even fewer can cause the grown men wearing a different uniform to sense that, no matter what they do, it?s simply not their day.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/14/ravens-expect-to-have-ray-lewis-back-on-sunday/related/

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The Trick to Accomplishing More by Doing Less: Take Breaks [Productivity]

The Trick to Accomplishing More by Doing Less: Take BreaksWe've often recommended taking breaks to avoid burnout, reduce eyestrain, and stay motivated throughout the day. Working in focused intervals also can help you get more high-quality work done?in less time, the Harvard Business Review reminds us.

Multitasking, eating at your desk, and running between meetings all day long might be the way most of us are used to working, but it's dead tiring. Thanks to the law of diminishing returns, HBR writes, it's also not as productive as working in 90 minute stretches with 15-20 minute breaks (or even a nap) and a real lunch break. Knowing you have a break coming up can give you the energy to work at full capacity for your 90 minute shift.

The article notes a study, which we've mentioned before, about violinists: The best players practiced in sessions no longer than 90 minutes, took breaks in between, and also took a 20-30 minute nap in the afternoon.

Business site Inc. also lists working in 60 to 90 minute intervals as one of the 7 traits of highly productive people, explaining that:

Your brain uses up more glucose than any other bodily activity. Typically you will have spent most of it after 60-90 minutes. (That's why you feel so burned out after super long meetings.)

So take a break.

Photo by Blend Images.

How to Accomplish More by Doing Less | Harvard Business Review

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/uQFraVWCol8/the-secret-to-accomplishing-more-by-doing-less-take-breaks

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Wednesday, December 7, 2011

SPIN METER: GOP debates nonexistent dust rule (AP)

WASHINGTON ? The issue may be dust in the wind, but Republicans are still moving to block it.

Environmental Protection Agency officials have said ? over and over again ? that they won't propose new regulations to limit dust kicked up by farm equipment. But anti-regulation sentiment is strong this year on the campaign trail, and real or not, House Republicans are planning to vote this week to prevent such regulations.

Republicans and even some Democrats have told farm-state audiences that the EPA is considering a crackdown on farms, despite the agency's public statement in October calling that a "myth."

Supporters say they are pushing the bill this week because they want more certainty for the agriculture industry. The House GOP has pushed a host of measures aimed at weakening, delaying or scrapping environmental regulations in recent months, saying they view them as job killers.

South Dakota Rep. Kristi Noem, the bill's sponsor, says the EPA's assertions don't "hold a lot of water" for wary farmers.

"The EPA has been so aggressive on a lot of its policies, so we just want to make sure they can't take any action that can hurt the farm industry right now," she said.

Democrats have scoffed at the bill and are calling it a waste of time.

Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the No. 2 Democrat in the House, joked sarcastically on Tuesday that the bill is "critically important" since the EPA has said they have no intention of regulating farm dust.

"We are once again doing a bill that is not necessary and has no effect," Hoyer said at a news conference at the Capitol.

In letters to two senators in October, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson said the agency won't expand its current air quality standards to include dust created by agriculture. "We hope this action finally puts to rest the misinformation regarding dust regulation and eases the minds of farmers and ranchers across the country," Johnson said then.

That didn't stop the opponents' message machine. Just a few weeks later, Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain, who has since suspended his campaign, ran a television ad in Iowa that quoted a farmer saying "The EPA wants to regulate dust."

Though Republicans often blame the Democratic Obama administration for an overly aggressive EPA, the Republican Bush administration also had a hand in the matter. The Bush EPA proposed regulating rural and urban areas when it comes to "coarse particulate matter" ? or soot ? in the air, meaning farms could fall under tighter restrictions. Farm groups challenged that in court, and a federal appeals court ruled in February 2009 that the EPA had already provided the evidence necessary to determine farm dust "likely is not safe."

Obama's EPA initially defended that decision. An EPA spokeswoman said after the ruling that regardless of whether someone lives in a rural or urban area, the threshold for unsafe levels of dust in the air should remain consistent nationally. But later, Jackson said the agency was unlikely to single out farm dust.

Under current rules, states are tasked with making sure that their levels of particulate matter in the air are below certain levels. Farm groups worried, however, that their pollution ? dust kicked up behind a combine, for example ? would be targeted separately or would be vulnerable to additional lawsuits.

Environmentalists say the House bill, which is not likely to make it through the Senate, would prevent the EPA from even considering tighter regulations if that became necessary for public health.

"When it comes to stuff in the air that could harm your health, it would be nice if the government could at least do an honest assessment," says Frank O'Donnell, president of Clean Air Watch. He says the bill is "totally detached from reality ? the kind of issue that makes people cynical about Congress."

___

Associated Press writer Jim Abrams contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111206/ap_on_go_co/us_farm_dust

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