UN envoy worried after talks with Syria's Assad

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, meets with UN Arab League deputy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. The international envoy tasked with pushing to end Syria's civil war said the situation is still "worrying" after discussing the crisis with President Bashar Assad on Monday. The remarks gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution to the conflict. (AP Photo/SANA)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, right, meets with UN Arab League deputy to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus, Syria, Monday, Dec. 24, 2012. The international envoy tasked with pushing to end Syria's civil war said the situation is still "worrying" after discussing the crisis with President Bashar Assad on Monday. The remarks gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution to the conflict. (AP Photo/SANA)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians removing the bodies of those killed after a government airstrike hit the Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians removing the bodies of those killed after a government airstrike hit the Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Free Syrian Army fighters running towards the scene after a government airstrike hit Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians helping a wounded man after a government airstrike hit the Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

BEIRUT (AP) ? The international envoy to Syria said after talks with the country's leader Monday that the situation was "worrying" and gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution for the civil war.

Lakhdar Brahimi's mission came as activists reported intense fighting in the central province of Hama, where anti-government gunmen entered the predominantly Alawite town of Maan. Assad's regime is dominated by members of his minority Alawite sect, an off-shoot of Shiite Islam, while most of the rebels are Sunni Muslims.

Brahimi said he and President Bashar Assad exchanged views on the crisis and discussed possible steps forward, which he did not disclose. He spoke briefly to reporters after meeting the Syrian leader at the presidential palace in Damascus.

"The situation in Syria is still worrying and we hope that all the parties will go toward the solution that the Syrian people are hoping for and look forward to," Brahimi said.

Syria's state news agency quoted Assad as saying his government supports "any effort in the interest of the Syrian people which preserves the homeland's sovereignty and independence."

Brahimi has apparently made little progress toward brokering an end to the conflict since starting his job in September, primarily because both sides adamantly refuse to talk to each other.

The government describes the rebels as foreign-backed terrorists set on destroying the country. The opposition says that forces under Assad's command have killed too many people for him to be part of any solution.

Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

Brahimi's two-day visit was to end later Monday. It is his third to Damascus as an envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League.

The security situation in Damascus and elsewhere in the country has declined since Brahimi's previous visits. Instead of flying in to the Damascus International Airport as he did on earlier visits, Brahimi drove to Damascus over land from the Lebanese capital Beirut because of fighting near the Damascus airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted activists in the central city of Homs as saying that six rebels died in two neighborhoods Sunday night after inhaling white smoke that came out of shells fired on the area.

"We demand that an international team be sent to the area to investigate the type" of the shells used, said Observatory chief Rami Abdul-Rahman.

Amateur videos released by activists showed men in hospital beds suffering breathing problems as doctors placed oxygen masks on their faces. Some of them coughed strongly as they tried to breath.

"At first, the smell was strong. Then little by little, it got weaker," a man who was identified as a rebel in the area said in the video. "The smell was like hydrochloric acid, and people started choking and I wasn't able to breath." He added.

"My eyes hurt and burned, my head started hurting, I wasn't able to breathe. I just want to breathe clean air," said the man who closed his eyes and said he was having difficulty seeing because of the attack.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

In nearby Hama province, where rebels launched an offensive against army checkpoints and posts last week, opposition gunmen entered Maan and raised the opposition flag over the main police station, Hama activist Mousab Alhamadee said via Skype.

The Observatory said the rebels included members of Jabhat al-Nusra, which has been branded a terrorist organization by the U.S. and is affiliated with al-Qaida.

The Observatory and Alhamadee said the rebels shot down a Syrian government MiG warplane that was attacking rebel positions in and around Maan. The Observatory said at least 20 soldiers and 11 rebels were killed in Monday's fighting.

The Observatory also said Syrian army helicopters bombed the town of Talbiseh in central Homs province, killing at least 14 people, five of them under age 18. The Local Coordination Committees said the attacks targeted a makeshift hospital and a bakery.

Reports by anti-regime activists about a government airstrike Sunday in the rebel-held central town of Halfaya that killed scores of people also cast pall over Brahimi's visit.

Some activists said the strike had targeted a bakery. Amateur videos posted online showed the bodies of many dead and wounded scattered in a street. The videos appeared to be genuine and corresponded with other AP reporting.

The Observatory said it had collected the names of 40 men and three women killed in Halfaya. The group also reported seeing photos of the dead bodies of 15 more unknown men.

On Sunday, it reported 60 dead.

Abdul-Rahman, the group's head, said he could not confirm that the attack was an airstrike or that it had targeted a bakery.

Syria's state news service blamed the attack on "an armed terrorist group" ? its shorthand for the rebels ? accusing them of filming the aftermath to "frame the Syrian army."

In the videos, armed rebels are clearly among those tending to the dead and wounded.

____

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-24-ML-Syria/id-13ed4c43a3ca4863ac32a17058f907b3

fox sports obama speech amber rose drew peterson Art Modell Frank Ocean Gay bill clinton

Internet Hosting Evaluations A Wonderful Option To Analyze A

Should you be pondering of making a web site for your personal blog page, company, or pastime, then you?ve most probably expended hrs online attempting to find an inexpensive and solid web site internet hosting supplier. Within your quest for your exceptional word wide web host, I?m definitely sure you?ve appear across world-wide-web hosting vendors boasting to supply freely available web hosting. If you?re like me, you almost certainly wondered if it was too effective for being factual. Honestly, how can a web hosting supplier give absent their solutions without having charging a penny?

For starters, relaxation assured that zero cost net web hosting is really legitimate, and you will host a web site while not spending any wealth. Nonetheless, that does not imply that you should acquire similar qualities and solutions featured to having to pay net web hosting merchants. Sadly, by keeping moolah with freely available hosting, you sacrifice regulate, consistency, and top notch.

Virtually all internet hosting vendors who provide end users with free internet hosting stipulate that potential clients should make it easy for them to position text or banner adverts for their specialist or even a third-party on their web sites. This implies consumers get 100 % free internet hosting, nonetheless they also burn handle in excess of the looks of their blog. Some customers you should not mind permitting advertising and marketing on their websites in trade at no cost hosting, particularly clients with hobby webpages or weblogs. At the same time, in case you are functioning a company website, you need to steer clear of freely available internet hosting that requires you to put banner or text ads in your information site. These advertisements will cheapen your website and the corporation it represents, leading to your possible potential consumers to see your company in a very harmful light.

An extra negative element of costless world wide web hosting will be the incredibly modest quantity of diskspace and bandwidth they sometimes afford non-paying potential customers. Typically, once you exceed your every month allotment of bandwidth and diskspace, the web hosting firm will suspend your internet site to the relaxation of the thirty day period. When you?re managing a personal site, then you definately may well not treatment in case your web-site goes down for any few of days or weeks. Nevertheless, if you are managing a website for your business enterprise, then this can be a major problem. Consider with regards to the times you?ve got tried using to visit a website to have a look at a restaurant?s menu or look into the price of a haircut in a new salon, only to get that the webpage is down as well as the resources just isn?t presented. Relatively aggravating, correct? In case you are going to have a websites for the online business, be sure you?ll find it trusted or don?t hassle using an individual in the slightest degree.

When you consider that absolutely free internet hosting almost never comes along with an up time warranty, your website may perhaps be inaccessible extremely repeatedly, and there is little you are able to do about it. Primarily, complimentary website web hosting blueprints really do not come with specialized assist, so the provider will not likely aid you for anyone who is experiencing issues with website. Even though a web host promises to supply aid to non-paying clients, a lot of us have documented that if they submitted a ticket with regards to their concern, they ended up informed their make a difference is addressed once the team was finished handling tickets from paying people. Quite often, the personnel practically never obtained to their dilemmas (website hosts have lots of spending customers with lots of problems), however the buyers experienced no recourse because they were not paying for the provider.

So, is no charge internet hosting price shedding handle of the internet site and sacrificing functionality, dependability, and service? When you are managing a web site on your venture, then the solution is absolutely not. Most website internet hosting online businesses have first-rate web hosting deals with up time guarantees and 24/7 specialised help for only a couple kilos a month. At the same time, if you need an information site for the webpage or activity, you?ll have to protect a couple of quid, and also you you should not care about third-party advertisements, tech support, or unforeseen downtime, then 100 percent free web web hosting would just be a good choice for you.

Know About Shared Web Hosting Services can present you with greatest information for Domain Identify Registration Vs Web Hosting Whats The Distinction And Why Am I Paying For Each.Please drop by and see the blog for additional facts!

Filed: Internet
tags: best information regarding good web hosting firms for 2013, best web hosting for joomla websites 2013, best web hosting for wordpress blogs 2013, best web hosting guides for mid size websites 2013, best web hosting information for reliable web host 2013, best web hosting that cost little but performs good 2013, web hosting for high traffic websites at low cost 2013

Source: http://www.mustreads.info/internet-hosting-evaluations-a-wonderful-option-to-analyze-a-hosting-company/

seattle times walker recall censor pipa and sopa sopa pipa wikipedia blackout kyla pratt

Source: http://bethpontiff.livejournal.com/204026.html

troy miracle andy whitfield kennedy demi moore roy oswalt kevin martin

The world mourns with Connecticut; gifts pour in

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? People around the world are grieving with residents of Newton, and many are expressing their support by sending toys, money and other gifts to the town.

They were moved by the shocking murders of 20 little children and six women at Sandy Hook Elementary School just over a week ago.

The outpouring of tens of thousands of teddy bears, Barbie dolls, soccer balls, board games and more has come from toy stores, organizations and individuals worldwide.

"It's their way of grieving. They say, 'I feel so bad, I just want to do something to reach out,'" said Bobbi Veach, who was helping out Saturday at Edmond Town Hall, where all of Newtown's children were invited to choose a toy.

Even as the town was trying to spread Christmas joy on Saturday, tiny victims of the massacre were still being buried. A service was held in Ogden, Utah, for 6-year-old Emilie Parker. Others were held in Connecticut for 7-year-old Josephine Gay and 6-year-old Ana Marquez-Greene.

In Ogden, people tied pink ribbons around trees and utility poles in memory of Emilie, who was buried at Evergreen Memorial Park next to her maternal grandfather, who died 2? months earlier.

Dozens of emergency responders paid their respects at the start of the service for Josephine at St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown, walking through the church and up to the altar.

A horse-drawn carriage brought the miniature coffin of Ana to The First Cathedral church in Bloomfield, where 1,000 mourners gathered to bid goodbye. The service included a performance by Harry Connick, Jr., who has played with the girl's jazz saxophonist father, Jimmy Greene.

Police say 20-year-old Adam Lanza was the killer. They say he had killed his mother earlier across town and took his own life after the school massacre. Police still don't know why he did it.

Millions of dollars have poured into Newton in the aftermath of the tragedy. The United Way of Western Connecticut said the official fund for donations had $2.8 million in it on Saturday. Others sent envelopes stuffed with cash to pay for coffee at the general store, and a shipment of cupcakes arrived from a gourmet bakery in Beverly Hills, California.

The Postal Service reported a six-fold increase in mail in the town and set up a unique post office box to handle it. Some letters were addressed to the "First Responders" or just "The People of Newtown." One card arrived from Georgia addressed to "The families of 6 amazing women and 20 beloved angels." Many contained checks.

"This is just the proof of the love that's in this country," Postmaster Cathy Zieff said.

Peter Leone said he was busy at his Newtown General Store when he got a phone call from a woman in Alaska who wanted to give him her credit card number.

"She said, 'I'm paying for the next $500 of food that goes out your door,'" Leone said. "About a half hour later another gentleman called, I think from the West Coast, and he did the same thing for $2,000."

The basement of the town hall building resembled a toy store, with piles of stuffed animals, dolls, games, and other gifts. They all were inspected and examined by bomb-sniffing dogs. The children could choose whatever they wanted.

Newtown resident Amy Mangold, director of the local Parks and Recreation department, attended with her 12-year-old daughter, Cory. She acknowledged that most attendees could afford to buy their own gifts but said "this means people really care about what's happening here. They know we need comfort and want to heal."

Many people have placed flowers, candles and stuffed animals at makeshift memorials that have popped up all over town. Others are stopping by the Edmond Town Hall to drop off food, toys or cash. About 60,000 teddy bears were donated, said Ann Benoure, a social services caseworker who was working at the town hall.

Tom Mahoney, the building administrator who's in charge of handling gifts, said the town plans to donate whatever is left to shelters or other charities.

In addition to the town's official fund, other private funds have been set up. Former Sandy Hook student Ryan Kraft, who once was Lanza's babysitter, set up a fund with other alumni that has collected almost $150,000. It is earmarked for the Sandy Hook PTA.

Rabbi Shaul Praver of Congregation Adath Israel is raising money for a memorial to the victims. He said one man wrote a check for $52,000 for the project.

Several colleges, including the University of Connecticut, have set up scholarship funds for Sandy Hook students and relatives of victims.

A board of Newtown community leaders is being established to determine where they money is most needed, said Isabel Almeida with the local United Way.

While the town is grateful for all the support, Almeida said, it has no more room for gifts. She encouraged people to donate to others in memory of Sandy Hook victims.

"Send those teddy bears to a school in your community or an organization that serves low-income children, who are in need this holiday season, and do it in memory of our children," she said.

___

Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Christopher Sullivan, Eileen AJ Connelly, Susan Haigh and John Christoffersen contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/world-mourns-connecticut-gifts-pour-081949972.html

double eagle bubba masters winner instagram facebook mike wallace mike wallace chicago cubs

Self Improvement And Empowerment Blog: Turn Fear Into Love ...

If you look around you, there are fear messages all around you. The news is saturated with fear messages and most conversations tend to revolve around some form of fear. With fear being in the main stream, it can be challenging and you can even get weary if you're trying to hold the light when no one else seems to be doing that around you.

I get it. I've seen angels since I was a child. I read people's energies and know things about them that they may never understand. I've brought bugs back to life when they were squooshed and it seemed there was no hope for them with my healing gift. I've fought for my right to just feel what I feel without being told I'm crazy or too sensitive and in the process of it all I have lost myself many times, fallen and scraped my knees more times than I can count, lived on the streets, I have been beaten and still I wondered why no one else felt the things that I did deep in my soul.

One word. FEAR.

Everyone is emotionally sensitive. Everyone has spiritual gifts. Everyone can tap into their inner wisdom, the light, God, Infinite Spirit and be in the flow of manifesting what they desire. Many have lost their way.

They've been told to be a certain way. Boys have been told not to cry, to tough it out and macho up. Girls have been told "Shhhh... that's not very lady like" and this still happens because I see it every day. Over the years people have been placed into categories, held up to expectations by others, told they were bad, given tools for war rather than tools for peace and love and now we live in a world where people are struggling to feel love, struggling to feel happy and struggling to get through tough times.

So let's bring in some light. You may identify with some part of this. I wanted to be transparent because there is a gift in my rich past experience and I know that. I would be selfish not to share it with you so I share it with the intention that it spark some light within you.

How to turn fear into love.

First of all you must be willing to buck the crowd at times. Not everyone is going to get the light right away. Some may go away and others may take a while to come around. It's not about them. It's about YOU claiming your right to light and to living your life from that place. That means getting up and sending light to the people in your home, at work, at the store and doing everything you do in the light.

Create a practice that will help you tune into more love and light in your heart. Meditate, journal, read spiritual books, join a spiritual group, hire a mentor who can hold the space for you and practice saturating yourself in lighter thought forms, lighter feelings, lighter perceptions. The heavier stuff will start to fall away.

Face the fears about being in the light and thinking you'll be rejected. When you release rejection and the fears around BEING YOU for all that you are then a cellular change begins to take place. Energetically you begin to shift into a different way of being. You'll naturally be in harmony with the world around you and resistance, challenges and obstacles will start to disappear.

You have a right to be the light. In fact it is your spiritual responsibility to everyone on this planet. Fear has only created pain, separation and war. Only love and light will remove fear from your life.

You owe it to yourself, your family and the rest of the world to finally drop your story, drop the fear, drop the pain, drop the drama and claim today that you will begin to write a new story that will fulfill you, heal you, nurture you, support you and in turn spread to those around you.

Marilyn Rodriguez, Transformation Specialist, is a spiritual adviser, certified master energy therapist, coach and ordained minister. She is an author and speaker and has shared the virtual stage with thought leaders including Bob Proctor, Marianne Williamson, Marci Shimoff and Bruce Lipton. She is the founder of Miracle Solutions helping people to clear personal blocks and transform their lives guaranteed.

Go to marilynrodriguezmiraclesolutions.com to get a free 15 minute Energy Clearing Breakthrough session. Providing useful self development, self empowerment and self esteem tips and reviews online.

Source: http://selfimprovementandempowerment.blogspot.com/2012/12/turn-fear-into-love.html

bloom energy franklin graham jambalaya taylor swift and zac efron basketball wives manny ramirez easter 2012

Source: http://sedydtom.posterous.com/self-improvement-and-empowerment-blog-turn-fe

falcons giants game norman borlaug santorum new hampshire debate rupaul meet the press

Better quarterly results for PSC.(Business)(Restructuring: Firm ...

Posted by on December 23, 2012

Better quarterly results for PSC.(Business)(Restructuring: Firm working with investors, banks to manage debt.): An article from: The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR)

This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by The Register Guard on May 9, 2002. The length of the article is 5158 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is deliver List Price: $ 5.95 Price: $ 5.95 New TurboScore Credit Repair & Debt Management Software Home Edition PC and Mac SUBLIMINAL BETTER MONEY MANAGEMENT LESS FINANCIAL DEBT MANAGE YOUR CASH FINANCES personal finance productsarticle, banks, Better, DEBT, Eugene, Firm, from, investors, Manage, PSC.BusinessRestructuring, quarterly, RegisterGuard, results, Reviews, working

Source: http://www.clearyourcreditcarddebt.com/better-quarterly-results-for-psc-businessrestructuring-firm-working-with-investors-banks-to-manage-debt-an-article-from-the-register-guard-eugene-or-reviews/

gary johnson gary johnson walking dead where do i vote dixville notch Remember Remember The 5th Of November African painted dogs

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!! | ...Marketing With Muz...

To all our friends and local subscribers,

A big Thank You for all your support throughout the year from the ?Awesome Online Biz TEAM?!!

To show our appreciation please accept the below FREE Gifts from us.

** Six Subliminal NLP Self-Improvement Audios To Help Overcome Problem Areas.

1) Amazing Speed Reading ? ?Improve Your Reading Rate?.
2) Be More Decisive ? ?Make That All Important Decision?.
3) Better Creative Thinking ? ?Get Your Imagination Working Again?.
4) Improved Memory ? ?How To Easily And Effortlessly Improve Your Memory?.
5) Improved Public Speaking ? ?Cast Aside Your Inherent Fear Of Speaking in Public?.
6) Love Your Physical Self ? ?Start Changing Your Life For The Better?.

Simply click on this Link to Listen or Download.
http://instanttrafficgeneration.com/links/5064

** Audio eBook: Personality and Personal Growth
- Mastering The Everyday Habits That Create A Lifetime Of Success!!

Simply click on this Link to Listen or Download.
http://instanttrafficgeneration.com/links/5065

** Underground Marketing Tactics.?? ?
?Finally Revealed: Underground Marketing Tactics Of The Worlds Best Marketers!?
Unlock These Stupidly Simple Secrets Today?

Simply click on this Link to Download your FREE Report.
http://instanttrafficgeneration.com/links/4991

Heres to an AWESOME Christmas and a Prosperous 2013 to all!!

Take Care and God Bless.

Murray and Margie Whitcombe
http://www.murraywhitcombe.com.au

?

Related Blogs

Source: http://murraywhitcombe.com.au/uncategorized/merry-christmas-and-a-happy-new-year

kola boof burmese python national signing day ferris bueller god bless america earned income credit super bowl commercials

Maya 'end of days' fever reaches climax in Mexico

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico (Reuters) - Dawn broke over ancient holy sites in southern Mexico to celebrations on Friday, ushering in the start of a new era for the Maya people that had been billed as a possible end of the world.

Mystics, hippies and tourists descended on the ruins of Maya cities to mark the close of the 13th bak'tun - a period of around 400 years - and many hoped it would lead to a better era for humanity.

The end of the bak'tun in the 5,125-year-old Long Calendar of the Maya had raised scattered fears around the world that the end is nigh or that lesser catastrophe lay in store.

To many visitors to Mexico, however, it was quite the opposite.

"I'm just grateful to be here at all," said Graham Hohlfelde, 21, a student from St. Louis, Missouri. "I hope something happens to make me a better person. If I can get a little cosmic help I won't turn it down."

"It's not the end of the world, it's an awakening of consciousness and good and love and spirituality - and it's been happening for a while," Mary Lou Anderson, 53, an information technology consultant from Las Vegas.

Fears of mass suicides, huge power cuts, natural disasters, epidemics or an asteroid hurtling toward Earth have circulated on the Internet ahead of December 21.

A U.S. scholar said in the 1960s that the end of the 13th bak'tun could be seen as a kind of Armageddon for the Maya. Over time, the idea snowballed into a belief by some that the Maya calendar had predicted the earth's destruction.

Chinese police arrested about 1,000 people this week for spreading rumors about December 21. Authorities in Argentina restricted access to a mountain popular with UFO-spotters after rumors began spreading that a mass suicide was planned there.

A few minutes before the north pole reached its position furthest from the sun on Friday, a spotlight illuminated the western flank of the Temple of Kukulkan in the old city of Chichen Itza, a focal point for the celebrations in Mexico.

Then a group of five English-speaking tourists dressed in white made their way across the plain, dropped their bags and faced the pyramid with their arms raised.

Maya experts, scientists and even U.S. space agency NASA had insisted the Maya had not predicted the world's end.

"Think of it like Y2K," said James Fitzsimmons, a Maya expert at Middlebury College in Vermont, referring to the year 2000. "It's the end of one cycle and the beginning of another cycle."

'PURE HOLLYWOOD'

The New Age optimism, stream-of-consciousness evocations of wonder and awe, and starry-eyed dreams of extra-terrestrial contact circulating on the ancient sites in Mexico this week has left many of the modern Maya bemused.

"It's pure Hollywood," said Luis Mis Rodriguez, 45, a Maya selling obsidian figurines and souvenirs shaped into knives like ones the Maya once used for human sacrifice.

The Maya civilization reached its peak between A.D. 250 and 900 when it ruled over large swathes of what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras.

The Maya developed hieroglyphic writing, an advanced astronomical system and a sophisticated calendar that helped provide the foundation for the doomsday predictions.

There is a long tradition of calling time on the world.

Basing his calculations on prophetic readings of the Bible, the great scientist Isaac Newton once cited 2060 as a year when the planet would be destroyed.

U.S. preacher William Miller predicted that Jesus Christ would descend to Earth in October 1844 to purge mankind of its sins. When it did not happen, his followers, known as the Millerites, refereed to the event as The Great Disappointment.

In 1997, 39 members of the Heaven's Gate cult, believing the world was about to be "recycled," committed suicide in San Diego to board an alien craft they said was trailing behind a comet.

More recently, American radio host Harold Camping predicted the world would end on May 21, 2011, later moving the date forward five months when the apocalypse failed to materialize.

Such thoughts were far from the minds on Friday of gaudily attired pilgrims to Chichen Itza seeking spiritual release.

(Additional reporting by Karen Brooks, Jilian Mincer and Gabriel Stargardter; Editing by Dave Graham and Kieran Murray)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/maya-end-days-fever-reaches-climax-mexico-060919391.html

state of the union address 2012 obama state of the union 2012 2012 state of the union address jorge posada maurice sendak state of the union sotu

Douglas wins AP female athlete of the year honors

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to claim gymnastics? biggest prize _ the all-around Olympic title _ is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas, of the United States, performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to claim gymnastics? biggest prize _ the all-around Olympic title _ is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

FILE - In this May 14, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas poses for a portrait at the Team USA Media Summit in Dallas. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to claim gymnastics? biggest prize _ the all-around Olympic title _ is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Victoria Will, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas of the United States displays her gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to win the all-around Olympic title, is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas, of the United States, embraces coach Liang Chow after her final and deciding performance on the floor during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to claim the prize all-around Olympic title, is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File)

FILE - In this Aug. 2, 2012, file photo, Gabrielle Douglas, of the United States, acknowledges the crowd after receiving her gold medal in the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Douglas, who became the first African-American gymnast to claim gymnastics? biggest prize _ the all-around Olympic title _ is The Associated Press? 2012 female athlete of the year. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull, File)

When Gabby Douglas allowed herself to dream of being the Olympic champion, she imagined having a nice little dinner with family and friends to celebrate. Maybe she'd make an appearance here and there.

"I didn't think it was going to be crazy," Douglas said, laughing. "I love it. But I realized my perspective was going to have to change."

Just a bit.

The teenager has become a worldwide star since winning the Olympic all-around title in London, the first African-American gymnast to claim gymnastics' biggest prize. And now she has earned another honor. Douglas was selected The Associated Press' female athlete of the year, edging out swimmer Missy Franklin in a vote by U.S. editors and news directors that was announced Friday.

"I didn't realize how much of an impact I made," said Douglas, who turns 17 on Dec. 31. "My mom and everyone said, 'You really won't know the full impact until you're 30 or 40 years old.' But it's starting to sink in."

In a year filled with standout performances by female athletes, those of the pint-sized gymnast shined brightest. Douglas received 48 of 157 votes, seven more than Franklin, who won four gold medals and a bronze in London. Serena Williams, who won Wimbledon and the U.S. Open two years after her career was nearly derailed by a series of health problems, was third (24).

Britney Griner, who led Baylor to a 40-0 record and the NCAA title, and skier Lindsey Vonn each got 18 votes. Sprinter Allyson Felix, who won three gold medals in London, and Carli Lloyd, who scored both U.S. goals in the Americans' 2-1 victory over Japan in the gold-medal game, also received votes.

"One of the few years the women's (Athlete of the Year) choices are more compelling than the men's," said Julie Jag, sports editor of the Santa Cruz Sentinel.

Douglas is the fourth gymnast to win one of the AP's annual awards, which began in 1931, and first since Mary Lou Retton in 1984. She also finished 15th in voting for the AP sports story of the year.

Douglas wasn't even in the conversation for the Olympic title at the beginning of the year. That all changed in March when she upstaged reigning world champion and teammate Jordyn Wieber at the American Cup in New York, showing off a new vault, an ungraded uneven bars routine and a dazzling personality that would be a hit on Broadway and Madison Avenue.

She finished a close second to Wieber at the U.S. championships, then beat her two weeks later at the Olympic trials. With each competition, her confidence grew. So did that smile.

By the time the Americans got to London, Douglas had emerged as the most consistent gymnast on what was arguably the best team the U.S. has ever had.

She posted the team's highest score on all but one event in qualifying. She was the only gymnast to compete in all four events during team finals, when the Americans beat the Russians in a rout for their second Olympic title, and first since 1996. Two nights later, Douglas claimed the grandest prize of all, joining Retton, Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin as what Bela Karolyi likes to call the "Queen of Gymnastics."

But while plenty of other athletes won gold medals in London, none captivated the public quite like Gabby.

Fans ask for hugs in addition to photographs and autographs, and people have left restaurants and cars upon spotting her. She made Barbara Walters' list of "10 Most Fascinating People," and Forbes recently named her one of its "30 Under 30." She has deals with Nike, Kellogg Co. and AT&T, and agent Sheryl Shade said Douglas has drawn interest from companies that don't traditionally partner with Olympians or athletes.

"She touched so many people of all generations, all diversities," Shade said. "It's her smile, it's her youth, it's her excitement for life. ... She transcends sport."

Douglas' story is both heartwarming and inspiring, its message applicable those young or old, male or female, active or couch potato. She was just 14 when she convinced her mother to let her leave their Virginia Beach, Va., home and move to West Des Moines, Iowa, to train with Liang Chow, Shawn Johnson's coach. Though her host parents, Travis and Missy Parton, treated Douglas as if she was their fifth daughter, Douglas was so homesick she considered quitting gymnastics.

She's also been open about her family's financial struggles, hoping she can be a role model for lower income children.

"I want people to think, 'Gabby can do it, I can do it,'" Douglas said. "Set that bar. If you're going through struggles or injuries, don't let it stop you from what you want to accomplish."

The grace she showed under pressure ? both on and off the floor ? added to her appeal. When some fans criticized the way she wore her hair during the Olympics, Douglas simply laughed it off.

"They can say whatever they want. We all have a voice," she said. "I'm not going to focus on it. I'm not really going to focus on the negative."

Besides, she's having far too much fun.

Her autobiography, "Grace, Gold and Glory," is No. 4 on the New York Times' young adult list. She, Wieber and Fierce Five teammates Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney recently wrapped up a 40-city gymnastics tour. She met President Barack Obama last month with the rest of the Fierce Five, and left the White House with a souvenir.

"We got a sugar cookie that they were making for the holidays," Douglas said. "I took a picture of it."

Though her busy schedule hasn't left time to train, Douglas insists she still intends to compete through the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

No female Olympic champion has gone on to compete at the next Summer Games since Nadia Comaneci. But Douglas is still a relative newcomer to the elite scene ? she'd done all of four international events before the Olympics ? and Chow has said she hasn't come close to reaching her full potential. She keeps up with Chow through email and text messages, and plans to return to Iowa after her schedule clears up in the spring.

Of course, plenty of other athletes have said similar things and never made it back to the gym. But Douglas is determined, and she gets giddy just talking about getting a new floor routine.

"I think there's even higher bars to set," she said.

Because while being an Olympic champion may have changed her life, it hasn't changed her.

"I may be meeting cool celebrities and I'm getting amazing opportunities," she said. "But I'm still the same Gabby."

___

AP Projects Editor Brooke Lansdale contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-21-YE-Female-Athlete-of-the-Year/id-0a99f18039844af181f1c94e8efff588

old school nick swisher jaco san jose sharks humber perfect game ufc 145 fight card ufc145

Over the fiscal cliff: Soft landing or dizzy dive?

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Efforts to save the nation from going over a year-end "fiscal cliff" were in disarray as lawmakers fled the Capitol for their Christmas break. "God only knows" how a deal can be reached now, House Speaker John Boehner declared.

President Barack Obama, on his way out of town himself, insisted a bargain could still be struck before Dec. 31. "Call me a hopeless optimist," he said.

A look at why it's so hard for Republicans and Democrats to compromise on urgent matters of taxes and spending, and what happens if they fail to meet their deadline:

___

NEW YEAR'S HEADACHE

Partly by fate, partly by design, some scary fiscal forces come together at the start of 2013 unless Congress and Obama act to stop them. They include:

? Some $536 billion in tax increases, touching nearly all Americans, because various federal tax cuts and breaks expire at year's end.

? About $110 billion in spending cuts divided equally between the military and most other federal departments. That's about 8 percent of their annual budgets, 9 percent for the Pentagon.

Hitting the national economy with that double whammy of tax increases and spending cuts is what's called going over the "fiscal cliff." If allowed to unfold over 2013, it would lead to recession, a big jump in unemployment and financial market turmoil, economists predict.

___

WHAT IF THEY MISS THE DEADLINE?

If New Year's Day arrives without a deal, the nation shouldn't plunge onto the shoals of recession immediately. There still might be time to engineer a soft landing.

So long as lawmakers and the president appear to be working toward agreement, the tax hikes and spending cuts could mostly be held at bay for a few weeks. Then they could be retroactively repealed once a deal was reached.

The big wild card is the stock market and the nation's financial confidence: Would traders start to panic if Washington appeared unable to reach accord? Would worried consumers and businesses sharply reduce their spending? In what could be a preview, stock prices around the world dropped Friday after House Republican leaders' plan for addressing the fiscal cliff collapsed.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke has warned lawmakers that the economy is already suffering from the uncertainty and they shouldn't risk making it worse by blowing past their deadline.

___

WHAT IF THEY NEVER AGREE?

If negotiations between Obama and Congress collapse completely, 2013 looks like a rocky year.

Taxes would jump $2,400 on average for families with incomes of $50,000 to $75,000, according to a study by the non-partisan Tax Policy Center. Because consumers would get less of their paychecks to spend, businesses and jobs would suffer.

At the same time, Americans would feel cuts in government services; some federal workers would be furloughed or laid off, and companies would lose government business. The nation would lose up to 3.4 million jobs, the Congressional Budget Office predicts.

"The consequences of that would be felt by everybody," Bernanke says.

___

THE TAXES

Much of the disagreement surrounds the George W. Bush-era income tax cuts, and whether those rates should be allowed to rise for the nation's wealthiest taxpayers. Both political parties say they want to protect the middle-class from tax increases.

Several tax breaks begun in 2009 to stimulate the economy by aiding low- and middle-income families are also set to expire Jan. 1. The alternative minimum tax would expand to catch 28 million more taxpayers, with an average increase of $3,700 a year. Taxes on investments would rise, too. More deaths would be covered by the federal estate tax, and the rate climbs from 35 percent to 55 percent. Some corporate tax breaks would end.

The temporary Social Security payroll tax cut also is due to expire. That tax break for most Americans seems likely to end even if a fiscal cliff deal is reached, now that Obama has backed down from his call to prolong it as an economic stimulus.

___

THE SPENDING

If the nation goes over the fiscal cliff, budget cuts of 8 or 9 percent would hit most of the federal government, touching all sorts of things from agriculture to law enforcement and the military to weather forecasting. A few areas, such as Social Security benefits, Veterans Affairs and some programs for the poor, are exempt.

___

THERE'S MORE AT STAKE

All sorts of stuff could get wrapped up in the fiscal cliff deal-making. A sampling:

? Some 2 million jobless Americans may lose their federal unemployment aid. Obama wants to continue the benefits extension as part of the deal; Republicans say it's too costly.

? Social Security recipients might see their checks grow more slowly. As part of a possible deal, Obama and Republican leaders want to change the way cost-of-living adjustments are calculated, which would mean smaller checks over the years for retirees who get Social Security, veterans' benefits or government pensions.

? The price of milk could double. If Congress doesn't provide a fix for expiring dairy price supports before Jan. 1, milk-drinking families could feel the pinch. One scenario is to attach a farm bill extension to the fiscal cliff legislation ? if a compromise is reached in time.

? Millions of taxpayers who want to file their 2012 returns before mid-March will be held up while they wait to see if Congress comes through with a deal to stop the alternative minimum tax from hitting more people.

___

CALL THE WHOLE THING OFF?

In theory, Congress and Obama could just say no to the fiscal cliff, by extending all the tax cuts and overturning the automatic spending reductions in current law. But both Republicans and Democrats agree it's time to take steps to put the nation on a path away from a future of crippling debt.

Indeed, the automatic spending cuts set for January were created as a last-ditch effort to force Congress to deal with the debt problem.

If Washington bypassed the fiscal cliff, the next crisis would be just around the corner, in late February or early March, when the government reaches a $16.4 trillion ceiling on the amount of money it can borrow.

Boehner says Republicans won't go along with raising the limit on government borrowing unless the increase is matched by spending cuts to help attack the long-term debt problem. Failing to raise the debt ceiling could lead to a first-ever U.S. default that would roil the financial markets and shake worldwide confidence in the United States.

To avoid that scenario, Obama and Boehner are trying to wrap a debt limit agreement into the fiscal cliff negotiations.

___

SO WHAT'S THE HOLDUP?

They're at loggerheads over some big questions.

Obama says any deal must include higher taxes for the wealthiest Americans. Many House Republicans oppose raising anyone's tax rates. Boehner tried to get the House to vote for higher taxes only on incomes above $1 million but dropped the effort when it became clear he didn't have the votes.

Republicans also insist on deeper spending cuts than Democrats want to make. And they want to bring the nation's long-term debt under control by significantly curtailing the growth of Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security ? changes that many Democrats oppose.

Obama, meanwhile, wants more temporary economic "stimulus" spending to help speed up a sluggish recovery. Republicans say the nation can't afford it.

___

IT'S NOT JUST WASHINGTON

Seems like they could just make nice, shake hands and split their differences, right?

But there's a reason neither side wants to give ground. The two parties represent a divided and inconsistent America. True, Obama just won re-election. But voters also chose a Republican majority in the House.

Republican and Democrats alike say they are doing what the voters back home want.

Neither side has a clear advantage in public opinion. In an Associated Press-GfK poll, 43 percent said they trust the Democrats more to manage the federal budget deficit and 40 percent preferred the Republicans. There's a similar split on who's more trusted with taxes.

About half of Americans support higher taxes for the wealthy, the poll says, and about 10 percent want tax increases all around. Still, almost half say cutting government services, not raising taxes, should be the main focus of lawmakers as they try to balance the budget.

When asked about specific budget cuts being discussed in Washington, few Americans express support for them.

___

THE COUNTDOWN

Time for deal-making is short, thanks to the holiday and congressional calendars. Some key dates for averting the fiscal cliff:

? Lawmakers aren't expected to return to the Capitol until after Christmas, leaving less than a week to vote on a compromise before year's end.

? Obama and his family also were leaving town for a Christmas vacation in Hawaii. The president said because the fiscal cliff was still unresolved, he would return to Washington next week.

? If lawmakers reach Dec. 31 without a deal, some economists worry that the financial markets might swoon.

? The current Congress is in session only through noon Eastern time on Jan. 3. After that, a newly elected Congress with 13 new senators and 82 new House members would inherit the problem.

___

Associated Press writers Jim Kuhnhenn, Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor and Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.

___

Follow Connie Cass on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/ConnieCass

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/over-fiscal-cliff-soft-landing-dizzy-dive-215654640.html

earth day 2012 jon jones rashad evans ufc jones vs evans watergate mlb pregnant man outside lands 2012 lineup

New calculations solve an old problem with DNA

Dec. 21, 2012 ? The normal DNA will switch to left-handed DNA when it is physically twisted, or when a lot of salt is added to the solution. Researchers at the University of Luxembourg were able to accurately calculate for the first time the amount of salt which is required to do this. Z-DNA in the cell leads to loss of function and cancer.

In a recent publication, researchers achieved new accuracy in the ability to measure energy differences between states of molecules, thus predicting which states will be observed.

It has been known since the seventies that excessive salt causes DNA to reverse its twist, from a right-handed spiral to a left-handed one. DNA in the Z form is treated by our natural repair enzymes as damaged, and is therefore usually deleted from the cell. Deletion of genetic material can lead to cancer or to other problems, so the B-Z transition is no mere curiosity. However such is the complexity of the DNA molecule that a theoretical explanation which correctly predicts the amount of salt to do this has never before been found.

Dr. Josh Berryman and Professor Tanja Schilling of the University of Luxembourg have now been able to find a method of calculation which predicts this transition with unprecedented accuracy. With this success in describing the most enigmatic of molecules, the team is optimistic that they will be able to perform similar mathematical analyses for a variety of other substances. "It will enable us to predict material properties such as melting temperatures or elasticity. And this will be done with high accuracy using our new technique. Hence, we can now design new materials and biomaterials on the computer more effectively than before," said Prof. Schilling.

Prof Schilling and Dr Berryman are physicists at the University's Physics and Material Sciences Research Unit, which comprises a team of 50 researchers.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Universit? du Luxembourg, via AlphaGalileo.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Joshua T. Berryman, Tanja Schilling. Free Energies by Thermodynamic Integration Relative to an Exact Solution, Used to Find the Handedness-Switching Salt Concentration for DNA. Journal of Chemical Theory and Computation, 2012; : 121130085236003 DOI: 10.1021/ct3005968

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/kQwuQyVU8T8/121221091347.htm

i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton roland martin whitney houston dead at 48

Smart TVs and the Semantic Web - semanticweb.com

CORDIS recently reported, ?If you have bought a new television lately, the chances are it is a lot smarter than your old one. Smart TVs, also known as connected or hybrid televisions, featuring integrated internet connectivity, currently account for around a third of TV sales in Europe. They are the end point in a huge and rapidly expanding value chain driven by the intensifying convergence of television and the internet. Just as accessing the internet solely from a desktop PC is rapidly becoming a thing of the past, so too is broadcast TV in the traditional sense ? along with the complaint that ?there?s nothing on television!? With connected TVs, channels become interactive, content can be shared, rated and commented among friends, videos can be streamed and watched at will, and a favourite programme will never be missed.?

The article notes, ?In NoTube, a team from nine countries has focused on using semantic technologies to annotate content so computers can understand the meaning of what someone is watching, which, combined with data on viewing habits and social networking activities, enables highly personalised, intelligent services? Meanwhile, in?LinkedTV, a team from eight European countries are going one step further, putting cloud computing firmly at the centre of the TV-internet convergence mix. By weaving content together to deliver a single, integrated and interactive experience, the researchers are building an online cloud of networked audio-visual content that will be accessible regardless of place, device or source. Their goal is to provide an interactive, user-controlled TV-like experience ? whether the content is being watched on a TV set, smartphone, tablet or personal computing device.?

Read more here.

Image: Courtesy NoTube

Source: http://semanticweb.com/smart-tvs-and-the-semantic-web_b34220

denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking vernon davis starship troopers starship troopers cruise ship italy patriots broncos game

Gamer confessions anonymous - Mayan Apocalypse edition ...

I have never played a Mass Effect game, and do not really plan on doing so. This is actually for a reason that I'm willing to divulge. It's because I'm afraid of their intensive power of immersion. I fear the addiction they could harbor in me, more so than other games with little in the way of story or narrative like racing games.

I was kind of turned off entirely to the idea of a Mass Effect game ever since I heard a couple of my teammates talking about it. Specifically, about how best to have virtual sex with each female party member in the game. I did not ever want to involve myself with obsessing over or talking about such trite things.

Also, I once got really, really, REALLY GODDAMN ANGRY at my best friend over a game of Left 4 Dead. He left me behind whilst we were making yet another attempt at beating Blood Harvest on Expert difficulty so I could finally claim my glorious, stupid achievement. While I was swarmed by zombies, he leapt to the safety of the back of the rescue vehicle, and the ending cinematic played. My friend even resorted to punching me, actually physically hitting me (we were playing splitscreen) in an attempt to suppress my anger, as he is much bigger and stronger than I am. It didn't work. I was going goddamn Hulk Mode on him. He just left the room. He was such a good friend. He apologized.

Source: http://www.gamesradar.com/gamer-confessions-anonymous-mayan-apocalypse-edition/

black friday green bean casserole How long to cook a turkey Turkey Cooking Time red dawn sweet potato pie sweet potato pie

UN and African Union to seek increased funding for strategy against the Lord's Resistance Army

WEBWIRE ? Wednesday, December 19, 2012

The United Nations and African Union (AU) will seek increased funding early next year for a strategy against the armed group known as the Lord?s Resistance Army (LRA) and its impact on communities in Central Africa, a senior United Nations official told the Security Council today.

?The most urgent step revolves around the need to promptly finalize the LRA programmatic document and mobilize sufficient resources for its full implementation,? the Secretary-General?s Special Representative and head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA), Abou Moussa, told the a Council meeting on the region, which covered UNOCA?s activities and LRA-affected areas.

?Once the programmatic document is finalized, my office, in partnership with the office of the African Union Special Envoy on the LRA, plans to organize a resource mobilization forum early next year with the aim of raising funds for the most critical areas of the strategy,? Mr. Moussa added.

UNOCA is the world body?s regional office charged ? along with the African Union (AU) envoy on the issue, Francisco Madeira ? with helping coordinate a regional strategy to deal with the armed group, amongst its other tasks.

The LRA was formed in the 1980s in Uganda and for over 15 years its attacks were mainly directed against Ugandan civilians and security forces, which in 2002 dislodged the rebels. They then exported their activities to Uganda?s neighbours, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Central African Republic (CAR) and South Sudan.

The group is notorious for carrying out massacres in villages, mutilating its victims and abducting boys for use as child soldiers, while girls are often forced into sexual slavery.

Although current estimates suggest that the LRA comprises less than 500 combatants operating under the leadership of Joseph Kony, its capacity to attack and terrorise and harm local communities remains, according to the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO). This past year has seen the armed group active in areas such as the eastern DRC.

The strategy was endorsed by the UN Security Council in June. It focuses on five key strategic objectives to address the LRA threat: support for the full operationalization and implementation of the AU regional cooperation initiative against the LRA; enhancing efforts to promote the protection of civilians; and expanding current disarmament, demobilization, repatriation, resettlement and reintegration activities to cover all LRA-affected areas.

The other objectives are to promote a coordinated humanitarian and child protection response in these areas, and to support LRA-affected governments in the fields of peacebuilding, human rights, rule of law and development, to enable them to establish State authority across their territories.

In relation to the first objective, in September the United Nations welcomed the handover of 2,500 soldiers ? 2,000 from the Uganda People?s Defence Force and 500 from the Sudan People?s Liberation Army ? to the AU regional task force established to hunt down LRA members.

In his remarks to the Council meeting today, Mr. Moussa stated that a critical element for the advent of sustainable peace and security in Central Africa is sub-regional integration. He noted that UNOCA has continued to work closely with the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (known by the French acronym CEMAC) and other sub-regional bodies, as well as the high-level political authorities of the sub-region in the pursuit of that goal.

The Special Representative said that while the overall peace and security situation in the region remains stable and significant progress has been registered in curbing the activities of ?armed groups and negative forces,? Central Africa continues to experience some challenges in this area.

?Violence perpetrated by armed groups, including in eastern [DR] Congo and countries affected by the Lord?s Resistance Army, and a number of other developments with regional and cross-border consequences greatly challenge our efforts to promote sustainable peace and stability in the sub-region,? he said, noting, however, that, as mentioned in the Secretary-General?s latest report on the topic, there is also good news, particularly on the economic front with countries continuing to register significant growth rates.

The UN envoy noted that there is increasing confidence being placed in the world body?s conflict prevention work ? particularly that of UNOCA ? by regional actors in Central Africa, including Governments, regional organizations, political leaders and representatives of civil society.

?Our growing interactions with those actors and, above all, their multiple requests for support show that there is a growing appreciation that establishing a regional political office in Central Africa was both useful and timely,? Mr. Moussa said. ?They increasingly acknowledge that the creation of UNOCA has filled a preventive-diplomacy gap.?

The requests received by UNOCA have covered areas such as mediation and facilitation of dialogue between opposition political parties and those in government, support for capacity building for regional organizations, mobilization of support and resources from the international community for actors in the sub-region and facilitation of workshops, seminars and training.

?Another example of political commitment at the highest level demonstrated by regional leaders is reflected in the ongoing efforts to organize a regional summit on piracy and armed robbery at sea in the Gulf of Guinea,? Mr. Moussa said, noting the efforts of UNOCA and the UN Office for West Africa (UNOWA) to help prepare a regional summit of heads of state and government of the Gulf of Guinea, as requested in a Council resolution in late February.

In addition to citing other examples of the level of political engagement and commitment among Central Africa?s political leadership on regional issues of peace and security, the Special Representative noted the ?critical challenges? impacting upon the effectiveness of combined regional efforts in Central Africa.

?With increasing and competing priorities in the pursuit of its mandate, there is a clear disparity between resources available to UNOCA and tasks that it is required to perform,? Mr. Moussa added. ?This is all the more so as expectations from regional actors continue to grow regarding the potential role of UNOCA in addressing some of the peace and security challenges facing the subregion.?

Related Links

Source

WebWireID167511

This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.

Source: http://www.webwire.com/ViewPressRel.asp?aId=167511

michigan state city creek center andrew luck pro day josh johnson kim kardashian flour matt forte jeremy shockey

Study: Curbing car travel could be as effective as cutting calories

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Those considering how to maintain a healthy weight during holiday festivities, or looking ahead to New Year's resolutions, may want to think twice before reaching for traditional staples like cookies or candy ? or the car keys.

A new study by University of Illinois researchers, led by computer science and mathematics professor Sheldon H. Jacobson, suggests that both daily automobile travel and calories consumed are related to body weight, and reducing either one, even by a small amount, correlates with a reduction in body mass index (BMI).

"We're saying that making small changes in travel or diet choices may lead to comparable obesity reduction, which implies that travel-based interventions may be as effective as dietary interventions," said graduate student Banafsheh Behzad, a co-author of the study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine.

Obesity is a multidimensional problem with many social and medical factors, but maintaining body weight essentially is a result of energy consumed and energy expended. Other studies look at the two issues individually, or at a local or individual level, but Jacobson's group wanted to look at both sides of the equation through a national lens. As an outgrowth of previous work examining the relationship between driving and obesity, they decided to use driving as a proxy for physical activity.

"An easy way to be more physically active is to spend less time in an automobile. Any time a person sits behind the wheel of a car, it's one of the most docile activities they can do in a day," Jacobson said. "The automobile is the quickest mode of transportation we have. But a consequence of this need for speed in getting things done may be the obesity epidemic."

The researchers used publicly available data on national average BMI, caloric intake and driving habits. To capture the complexity in the relationship among the three variables, they developed a multivariable model showing how calories consumed and miles driven correlate with BMI.

They found that if all adults in the United States drove 1 mile less per day, the model predicted an associated decrease in the national average BMI by 0.21 kg/m2 after six years. (The national average BMI in 2010, the most recent data available, was 27.55.) In comparison, reducing diet by 100 calories per day would be associated with reducing national average BMI by 0.16 kg/m2 after three years.

"One mile is really not much," Behzad said. "If they would just consider even taking the bus, walking the distance to the bus stop could have an impact like eating 100 calories less per day. The main thing is paying attention to caloric intake and moving more, together, can help reduce BMI."

Even a modest decrease in BMI, like that predicted by the model, could represent significant cost savings. If drivers nationwide traveled 1 mile less by car each day, not only would fuel consumption fall, but annual health care costs could drop by billions of dollars as fewer people would be classified as obese or overweight, Jacobson estimates.

"The most important thing for people to learn from this study is that they have a choice," Jacobson said. "One has to be just as careful about when you choose to drive as when you choose to eat. These small changes in our driving and dietary habits can lead to long-term significant changes in obesity issues. Those are the kind of changes we advocate."

###

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign: http://www.uiuc.edu

Thanks to University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 28 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125997/Study__Curbing_car_travel_could_be_as_effective_as_cutting_calories

mc hammer houston texans houston texans pecan pie recipe dick clark Hector Camacho Jill Kelly

ZBB Energy Corp ships $1M system to Navy

ZBB Energy Corp. has shipped an energy storage system to the U.S. Navy, an order valued at more than $1 million.

The company said Tuesday the energy storage system, or EnerSystem, will be used in an island microgrid that will combine battery power with renewable energy and diesel generators.

The system, including a power and energy control system as well as 20 of ZBB's zinc bromide flow batteries, will be installed at the San Nicolas Island Naval Facility in the Catalina Islands off the coast of Los Angeles.

During the next two years, ZBB said, the EnerSystem will be tested to see how the system performs in delivering power from a combination of sources, including wind turbines and diesel generators.

The Navy is considering deployment in other island settings such as Guantanamo Bay and Diego Garcia, Roger Natsuhara of the Navy said in a statement this fall.

"Several facilities around the globe have the capacity to generate large amounts of renewable energy, but don't necessarily use it efficiently," he said. "Without options for storing generated energy, much of it goes to waste."

The contract, first announced last year, represents one-fifth of the ZBB's sales in the fiscal year that ended June 30.

? 2012, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.jsonline.com/business/menomonee-falls-energy-storage-company-ships-1m-system-to-navy-2l83816-184043801.html

rachel maddow gia la riots new jersey devils torn acl derrick rose injury st louis news

GOP Congressman: Obama 'Wants Us To Go Off The Cliff' to Benefit Pelosi

When asked if thinks Obama is more interested in raising taxes on Americans or in forcing Republicans to break from their principles, Broun told said he thinks Obama is interested in both.

?Much of this has to do with the 2014 congressional election,? Broun said in an interview on Capitol Hill. ?I think he?d like to see Nancy Pelosi back in the speakership. I think he will do anything possible that he can do to try to make that happen.?

?The reality is that the president wants us to go off the cliff,? Broun said. ?There?s no question in my mind about that. He is going to raise taxes on all Americans even the lowest paid workers. His policies are hurting those that he claims he supports the most and those are poor people and the middle class. But, it?s going to hurt the middle class. And it?s going to hurt poor people and hurt senior citizens. I want to protect everybody. That gets the economy the economy going ? and [I want to] start dealing with the debt. That?s the important thing. That?s the fiscal cliff we?re facing, not the one on January 1. We?re headed toward an economic collapse of America if we don?t stop the outrageous spending in Washington.?

House Speaker John Boehner caved on GOP principles several times over the past few weeks. First, he reportedly offered to Obama in secret meetings that he?d abandon his principles on tax hikes. Next, Boehner reportedly offered to fork over all Republican leverage over the debt ceiling for the next whole year until early 2014.

Most recently, Boehner has offered up what he calls his ?plan B.? Boehner?s ?plan B? is a rehashed version of Pelosi?s May 2012 tax hike plan for all persons making more than $1 million per year.

Democrats and the White House have rejected each of Boehner?s caves thus far, as they believe Boehner didn?t go far enough.

Broun told Breitbart News that he thinks Republican leaders like Boehner currently negotiating with Obama on the fiscal cliff deal ?are doing everything that they can within their philosophy of trying to make a deal.?

But, Broun added, those efforts are futile because ?the president is not coming to the table.?

Broun disagrees with Boehner?s latest strategy on the ?plan B? tax hike move. ?I don?t want to see taxes go up on anybody,? Broun said. ?I think it would be a mistake to have tax rates go up on anyone. The Speaker says it?s all going to go up anyway January 1 if we don?t do something so the question is ?should we pass something that protects as many Americans as possible?? We?ve already passed that. We already passed a bill in the House with bipartisan support that puts in place the current tax policies permanently for everybody. It would also deal with the sequester. I?d like to see that bill come back to the floor ? with the combination of the two bills ? to come back to the floor for us to vote on.?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BreitbartFeed/~3/-e_AjJf2tIM/GOP-congressman-Obama-s-fiscal-cliff-moves-part-of-scheme-to-put-Pelosi-back-in-Speakership-in-2014

What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan michael jackson courtney stodden Ncaa Football Scores

Marketing for Property Management - Google vs. Facebook Pay-Per ...

Besides being a gargantuan social juggernaut, Facebook offers an advertising platform that is different than the Google pay-per-click model, yet is still an important method of marketing for property management companies. The difference is simple: while Google offers specific keyword targeting, like ?Tampa Property Management?, Facebook offers specific audience targeting, like ?people within 25 miles of Tampa who are interested in Real Estate Investing?.

Google advertising is based on specific keyword searches. A property management company can go on Google and advertise to anyone searching for ?property management Tampa? and pay nearly $4 for each person who clicks to that company?s website. Advertising on Facebook works in a similar fashion: property managers would pay for each person that clicks through their website ? however, the price is significantly lower ? $1-$2 per click.

With Facebook, people can narrow down to the audience that they hope to attract. This creates a targeted advertising campaign that can be quite successful. For example, when a company like Fourandhalf advertises on Facebook, it advertises only to property managers because that is its target audience.

Creating an ad is not difficult; anyone with a business page on Facebook can do this.

1. Open up the business page
2. Click on Create an Ad
3. Choose the page the ad is for
4. Choose the New Ad option
5. Create a headline
6. Write text
7. Link the ad to a website
8. Include video, pictures and anything creative

Keep following the steps until an ad is created and complete. The real value can be found when Facebook helps to narrow down the audience:

1. Choose a country. For example, U.S.
2. Choose a city. Use Tampa as an example.
3. Define the radius. Try 25 miles.
4. Select the age of your target audience. For example, 24+
5. Click on the targeted gender, or select all.
6. Define the precise interests such as real estate investing.

As an example, a property management company in Tampa, might want to target real estate investors. Once all of the audience selection fields have been defined, Facebook will present the number of people who will be targeted. Instead of reaching a million people a company might never hear from ? and doesn?t care about ? that ad will reach 1,200 real estate investors within 25 miles of Tampa. This ad will be precise enough to only attract people who are potential customers. That is the power of Facebook advertising.

Facebook advertising is cheaper than Google. Property managers can elect to spend $5 per day, $10 per day or work within a $30 overall budget. The bottom line, however is cost per click. While Google advertisement costs $4-$8 per click in most markets, Facebook ad will bring you targeted website visitors and ?likes? for $1-$3 per visitor.

To give an actual example, Fourandhalf ran a special promotion in August where the company charged $59 for a basic Facebook tune up for property managers. An ad was created on Facebook to promote this offer with the following results:

• 23,500 property managers saw the ad.
• 92 Engagements. This means 92 people played the video in the ad, ?liked? the page, and did something after seeing the ad.
• 11 Facebook tune-ups were sold by Fourandhalf, within few days.
• $46 was spent on the ad.

As you can see, after a $46 investment, $590 in revenue was earned. Facebook advertising was worth the expense.

If you have any questions about how different advertising models might work best for particular audiences, please click here to setup a consultation with Fourandhalf team.

About Alex Osenenko

While working for few Property Management Software companies, Alex has spent the last 4 years in property management offices, interviewing business owners, bookkeepers, property managers, leasing agents, maintenance coordinators, and jacks of all trade on very specific property management business practices. Drawing on that experience, Alex authors a blog which educates property managers on cloud technologies, social media strategy, and internet marketing

Source: http://fourandhalf.com/marketing-for-property-management-google-vs-facebook/

dfw 1930 census nike new nfl uniforms nfl uniforms andrew bailey the village dallas fort worth tornado