olivia hygiene: August 2012

Friday, August 31, 2012

Support for Former Basketball Coach Grows

Williamsville, NY (WKBW) - Close to a thousand people have joined a Facebook page to support former Williamsville Basketball Coach Al Monaco. Many who've joined the page describe Monaco as a mentor and don't understand why this accomplished coach was let go from his position.

Al Monaco has coached the Williamsville South High School Basketball Team for the past 24 season and lead his team to sectional championships back in 2010 and 2011. Last week though, his coaching career in the district was over after student harassment complaints were filed against him.

"This is a personnel matter. We take it very seriously. It's very unfortunate that it's come to this, but unfortunately we are going to go in a different direction with our basketball coach at South High School," said Williamsville School District Superintendent Scott Martzloff.

Amherst police investigated the complaints from some parents of players who said Monaco verbally harassed their children, however no chargers were filed.

To view the 'We Support Coach Al Monaco' Facebook Page visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/404672459593646/

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48865190/ns/local_news-buffalo_ny/

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The GOP Platform and the Environment Mix Like Oil and Water

?Over the past four years, the Republican Party has undergone a fairly dramatic shift in its approach to energy and environmental issues,? reports The Washington Post. ?Global warming has disappeared entirely from the party?s list of concerns. Clean energy has become an afterthought. Fossil fuels loom larger than ever. And one way to see this shift clearly is to compare the party?s 2008 and 2012 platforms.?

The Post goes on to quote a section from the 2008 platform called ?Addressing Climate Change Responsibly,? noting that it began like this: ?The same human economic activity that has?brought freedom and opportunity to billions has also?increased the amount of carbon in the atmosphere.?While the scope and longterm consequences of this?are the subject of ongoing?scientific research, common?sense dictates that the?United States should take?measured and reasonable?steps today to reduce any impact on the environment. Those steps, if consistent with our global competitiveness will also be good for our national security, our energy independence, and our economy.?

That positive tone is in stark contrast to the 2012 platform: ?That section devoted to climate change? Gone. Instead, the platform flatly opposes??any and all cap and trade legislation? to curtail greenhouse gases. It demands that Congress ?take quick action to prohibit the EPA from moving forward with new greenhouse gas regulations.? It criticizes the Obama administration?s National Security Strategy for?elevat[ing] ?climate change? to the level of a ?severe threat? equivalent to foreign aggression.??

MORE: Hurricanes and Climate Change: A Marriage Made in Hell

And during his speech last night accepting the Republican nomination, Mitt Romney even seemed to mock the idea that we should be concerned with environmental issues.?Yahoo reported that he said, "'President Obama promised to slow the rise of the oceans and to heal the planet,? Romney said, a line that prompted laughter on the RNC floor. ?My promise is to help you and your family.?"

Environment & Energy Publishing points out the irony in the party?s platform position noting, ?Many Republicans poised to stream into Florida for their nominating convention next week have doubts about climate change, if polls are right. Yet scientists say the GOP's swashbuckling event is happening within sight of climate impacts.Tampa is Florida's second-largest metropolis, with dense clusters of homes, hotels and an arena hugging the curved shoreline of massive Tampa Bay, a two-headed body of water that merges with the Gulf of Mexico. That makes the region vulnerable to rising ocean water, farther-reaching storm surges and, perhaps, stronger hurricanes, experts say.?

Salon made a related observation saying, ?The fact that Hurricane Isaac is threatening the Republican National Convention is not, as some Democrats have argued, evidence of karma.?But it is evidence of climate change?undermining the best efforts of Republicans to deny that it even exists.?

And one thing The Post article doesn?t point out is that despite what past Republican platforms may have said or promised with regard to climate change (2004: ?We support President Bush's Clear Skies proposal to reduce power plant emissions.?) once in the White House, it was a different story.

TheDailyGreen named George W. Bush the ?Worst Environmental President in History? saying, ?Bush rolled back laws (and stymied enforcement) on air pollution and standards for arsenic in drinking water. He pushed to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other federal lands to destructive drilling, promoted mountaintop removal coal mining, stepped up logging on public lands, slashed support for family planning around the world, fought against fuel economy and other efficiency standards and deliberately dragged his heels on the issue of climate change.?

Republican hero Ronald Reagan wasn?t far behind, coming in at number two on the list. Their reasoning: ?Setting the tone for much of his policy, Reagan famously (and bizarrely) said ?trees cause more pollution than automobiles do,? and that if ?you've seen one tree you've seen them all? . . . [his] industry-friendly appointees worked tirelessly to roll back environmental regulations, from the Clean Air Act to the Clean Water Act. In the administration's first year, there was a 79 percent decline in the number of enforcement cases filed from regional offices to EPA headquarters, and a 69 percent decline in the number of cases filed from the EPA to the Department of Justice.?

So perhaps what Romney said last night, and the wording in this year?s platform, is really just a matter of telling it like it is. A straightforward, ?what you read is what you get.?

How do you feel about the 2012 platform statement on environmental issues?

Related Stories on TakePart:

??Climate Change Deniers in the House of Representatives Targeted for Defeat

??Ex-Sierra Club Chief Carl Pope: It's Time to Tax Carbon Pollution

? Ocean Horror Show: Dead Sea Birds Found With Bellies Full of Plastic Garbage

Lawrence Karol is a writer and editor who lives with his dog, Mike. He is a former Gourmet staffer and enjoys writing about design, food, travel and lots of other stuff. @WriteEditDream | Email Lawrence | TakePart.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republican-partys-platform-environment-mix-oil-water-044540332.html

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Gov. Brown opens campaign to hike taxes with visit to Hawthorne ...

From Daily Breeze:

HAWTHORNE ? Gov. Jerry Brown is scheduled to begin the campaign on behalf of Proposition 30 in the Los Angeles area today, visiting Ramona Elementary School in Hawthorne to seek to persuade voters to support increases to the sales tax and income tax to help finance education from kindergarten through community college.

The initiative would increase the sales tax by a quarter-cent on the dollar for four years and raise the income tax on annual earnings over $250,000 for seven years.

Eighty-nine percent of the revenues from Proposition 30 would be devoted to schools from kindergarten through 12th grade and the other 11 percent to community colleges. The measure would also guarantee funding for public safety services realigned from state to local governments.

?(Read Full Article)

Source: http://www.capoliticalreview.com/trending/gov-brown-opens-campaign-to-hike-taxes-with-visit-to-hawthorne-school/

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Thursday, August 30, 2012

Ten Tips to Prepare For a Backpacking Trek | Community Forestry ...

The first spring day that I can hike without my coat motivates me to grab my large backpack and prepare for a long trek.

Personal commitments prevent me from getting out in the back country until next month, but it?s never too soon to get ready for the great outdoors.

I blog repeatedly about my favorite suppliers and have a page on my blog dedicated to the resources I use entitled ?Reliable Products for Sustainable Living,? (November 8, 2008, but continuously updated). This is a good opportunity to order items that need to be replaced. Most important, taking the following steps has ensured that my extended stay in nature is the fun side of adventure.

1. Make a checklist. My pocket survival kit is a good start, but you need to think about what gear you plan to take including, sleeping bag, inflatable sleeping pad, tent, camp stove, fuel, food, water, clothing and other essentials.

2. Examine your gear. Unfold your tent and check the seams. Make sure there are no tears in your sleeping bag, check your backpack frame and straps, test your camp stove, sharpen your knife and replenish first aid kit items. Make sure your clothing and shoes fit correctly.

3. Study maps and routes. Make sure you have the most updated maps. Trails may be rerouted due to changes in land ownership, severe weather or other reasons. It?s not unusual for unmarked trails to be overgrown or for new unmarked trails to be created. In many areas, trails that are navigable in one season may not be navigable in another season.

4. Determine how much weight you?re willing to carry. One gallon of water weights 8 pounds, almost 4 kilograms. If you do not have access to potable water, you either have to carry it or carry water purification materials. Add the weight of your gear, tools, food and items like a camera, journal, and cell phone ? and it?s an easy 35-50 pounds or 16-23 kilograms.

5. Leave information on your planned route with family or friends. Aron Ralston, the climber who cut off his arm to survive a fall, told interviewers that his biggest mistake was not letting anyone know where he was going. No one knew where to look for him. Cell phone signals are not always reliable, especially in mountains and canyons. Even the most experienced and careful outdoors person can get into trouble.

6. Have a contingency plan. Nature is unpredictable. Once you get out on the trail, the planning continues. Make a mental or written note of where you find patches of edible plants, accessible water, and good shelter locations as you hike. The best way to stay out of a survival situation is to practice what you?d do if you were in a survival situation. If you have access to a wooded area, practice building a debris shelter, making a hand drill fire or twisting dogbane fibers into rope. You don?t have to master these skills, but knowing what is possible is often the difference between survival and disaster.

7. Check local weather conditions. This may still not be enough, as I discovered on October 4, 1987, when the weather forecast for rain turned out to be 12-15 inches of snow. I had the right gear, but it was still a 3-hour hike down a mountain to safety. The danger in that situation was the snow-ladened trees had not dropped their leaves and when branches broke, the weight could cause injury.

8. Check and recheck every item you plan to take. Lighters and flashlight batteries are light-weight; it?s a good idea to pack extras. Larabars have no refined sugar, last up to 9 months, and are an excellent alternative when you cannot prepare food.

9. Become familiar with local flora and fauna. Study field guides and well-organized websites, so you have an idea of what lives where you will be backpacking. Wild edibles in season make a delicious supplement to purchased foods. In a survival situation insects and small animals that are easy to catch could be the survival difference. Again, you don?t have to eat them, but knowing what is and is not edible and having a general idea of how to prepare wild foods is valuable. I have fun discovering new foods.

10. Carry an appropriate garbage container. In the back country you need to carry out what you carry in, so make sure you have a container that you can seal to avoid contaminating the other items in your pack. Biodegradable toilet paper is an alternative, but you will still have food wrappers and other products that cannot ethically be left behind.

Happy Trails.

Source: http://www.communityforestryteam.org/2012/08/ten-tips-to-prepare-for-a-backpacking-trek/

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Random Reads Book Club | Manassas Art & Entertainment and ...

http://manassas.patch.com/events/random-reads-book-club-0f0ee601/media_attachments/edit?upload_started=1346305168

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Source: http://manassas.patch.com/events/random-reads-book-club-0f0ee601

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"Homeland" gets an alternate reality game

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - "Homeland" fans who can't wait for the show's second season to get their fix of creepy espionage are in luck: Showtime is debuting a new alternate reality game to tide them over.

The game, playable now on ItHitsHome.com, offers fans a storyline that connects the show's first and second seasons. It finds Carrie Mathison (Claire Danes) about to undergo her first round of electroconvulsive therapy.

She gives fans a mission that involves digging through video and audio, documents, and unique interactive events. They will also get to survey a travel agency, interrogate a prisoner, and gather evidence.

They will also get to explore documents on Saul Berenson's computer and read the blog of Brody's daughter, Dana. That's kind of creepy, right? Not as creepy as Carrie monitoring Brody's liaisons with his wife last season, but still.

"Homeland" returns September 30.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/homeland-gets-alternate-reality-game-203049106.html

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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Home Improvement Tips For Updating Your Abode | lmaureen.com

If you are looking to upgrade or renovate a room in your home, think about if you have the time and patience to complete the project yourself, or if you would be better suited to hiring a contractor or handyman to take control of the project. This way, you will be able to plan accordingly and get your project completed.

If one loves water and swimming then getting their own pool may be just the home improvement thing for them. There are many options for different kinds of pools one can get for their home allowing a custom fit pool for one?s needs. A pool can be just the thing for home improvement.

To add a funky (and temporary) new look to a room without the hassle of painting a wall, decoupage your switchplates with pretty scrapbooking paper, adhering with decoupage medium. Choose patterned or solid paper that picks up an accent color from the room the switch is in. Since switchplates are inexpensive, you can easily change them back to plain versions when you are ready to move.

If your backyard is on a slope, consider building a deck to extend your living area. A sloped backyard in itself is not an ideal space for any type of activity. However, if you add a deck, you can furnish it with deck furniture and make an outdoor retreat where you can relax or entertain friends.

Paint your floor in sections corresponding with the direction of the planking. When you paint the floor of a large room it is easy to paint yourself into a corner or to unintentionally block access to the rest of the house until the paint dries. If you paint in sections you can leave paths that run along specific boards. When you paint the adjoining section everything will match perfectly.

Update your kitchen cabinets. If you are on a tight budget, a simple way to update your kitchen cabinets and drawers is by replacing the hardware. Knobs and pulls are available in a style to suit every one?s taste, from contemporary to vintage to traditional. When you replace the hardware, don?t forget to clean your cabinets thoroughly. You will be surprised how many people think that you have actually replaced your cabinets!

When partaking in a large home renovation project, you should aim to have a clear vision of what you want. If the contractor feels like he or she can depend on the plans, things are likely to go much smoother. However, if the contractor does not feel confident in the plans, he or she may be afraid to do anything.

Consider your quality of life before visual aesthetics when starting home improvements. A pond in your front yard might be nice, but having your child fall in and drown would be horrifying. You might want to install a desk, but the money could be be better spent on installing air conditioning in a Florida home.

When buying supplies for a home-improvement project, don?t forget safety equipment. Include gloves, safety glasses, hard hats, and steel-toed boots as necessary. The cost of being hurt on the job will far outweigh the cost of the products you buy to keep your body safe. Make sure you wear them at all times, too!

To avoid stressful emergency situations, make sure everyone in the house knows where important controls like the circuit board or water shut-off valve are. This way, no matter who is home when the unexpected happens, you can limit the damage done and also limit panic in younger members of the household.

If you frequently read in bed, consider installing a wall-mounted swing-arm or flexible-neck lighting fixture in the bedroom. Unlike overhead lights or bedside lamps, these lights can be easily adjusted to provide just enough light for reading without keeping your bed mate awake with a harsh glow. This will also help you to prevent eye strain from reading in dim light.

When it comes to home improvement, consider remodeling either your kitchen or bathroom first. These are two of the best ways that you can add the most value to your house. If possible, add an additional bathroom to your house as this is always a way to boost the value of your home.

If you notice that you are starting to get large cracks in your drywall, it is time to do some handy work. Fixing the cracks won?t cost you a lot of money, and it will make your walls look fresh and new. Once you fix the cracks, the value of your home and the pride you have in it will go up.

Improve the outside of your home by landscaping with plants native to your geographical region. Native plants are proven to do well in your climate, so the long-term results are predictable. You can plan your landscape with confidence that the look you want to achieve will be the look you get. If you choose non-native plants instead, there is a risk that the plants may not thrive in your climate.

As was stated in this article, home improvement projects can be stressful for some people. However, if you have the right advice and information, it becomes much easier to do a home improvement project very well. Use this article?s advice, and be on your way to a successful home improvement project.

Dacia Carvallo is an accomplished scholar with regards to Roofing Companies Jacksonville

Source: http://lmaureen.com/home-improvement-tips-for-updating-your-abode/

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Hijacked Greek-run tanker traced to Nigerian waters

LOME (Reuters) - A Greek-operated oil tanker seized off Togo was tracked down on Wednesday off the coast of Nigeria under the control of pirates, the ship's operator and Togolese authorities said.

The seizure early on Tuesday of the ship, which is operated by Golden Energy Management, underscored the growing risks to shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, where piracy is rising but still not as common as off the coast of Somalia.

"The vessel is presently sailing off the coast of Nigeria under the control of pirates who have the intention to steal the cargo," Golden Energy Management said in a statement.

The firm said it was in touch with a French naval ship that was nearby and that the crew are believed to be in good health and unharmed.

Russia's Foreign Ministry said 23 Russian crew were aboard the tanker and added there was no immediate threat to their lives. It said the tanker was carrying some 50,000 metric tons of diesel and petrol fuel.

The Greek coast guard said earlier on Wednesday that 24 people were on board the tanker.

Colonel Inoussa Djibril, spokesman for the Togolese army chief of staff, confirmed the ship had been located in Nigerian waters with pirates on board.

According to the International Maritime Bureau's website, there have been eight attacks and attempted attacks off the coast of Togo since January.

(Reporting by John Zodzi in Lome, Renee Maltezou in Athens, and Gleb Bryanski in Moscow; Writing by David Lewis and Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Michael Roddy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hijacked-greek-run-tanker-traced-nigerian-waters-162502652.html

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A Lego Movie Is Happening: Movie Stars Sign Up to Play Lego Figures [Lego]

The first-ever full length theatrical Lego movie is still happening! Slated for a release in February 2014, the movie has just landed a star studded cast: Morgan Freeman, who will presumably play a God in Lego world (joke), Elizabeth Banks, Chris Pratt and Will Arnett, who will voice a Lego Batman (not a joke). More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/VVJOFqGJP1M/a-lego-movie-is-happening-movie-stars-sign-up-to-play-lego-people

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Source: http://www.bharatbhasha.net/communication.php/391455

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This Is My Yacht-(877) 2GO-LUXURY Luxury Cruising and Travel ...

We awoke to bright skies and, at least for me, great excitement.? I have wanted to visit the Cambodia temples for many years.? My anticipation was heightened by a comment made by Anthony Bourdain in his television show, ?No Reservations?, when he said that after visiting Angkor Wat he stopped taking photographs of his travels.? Why, I am not so sure.? One may not be able to capture the magnitude of something, but the small details can be compelling.? We shall see.
Our first day in Siem Reap was not, however, visiting Angkor Wat, but Angkor Thom.? It is very large temple complex devoted, for the most part, the Hindu religion. I say the most part because there is a very peaceful co-existence and melding of the Hindu and Buddhist religions. Carvings and faces everywhere cut into massive stones.? It really is not something that I can describe; so rather than not taking photographs I will let them provide the description.? To me there is a beauty and an essence that is compelling.

?But what is making this more compelling is our guide.? He speaks from his soul and has an amazing way of balancing his pain from the time of the Khmer Rouge, the complex political and economic issues, the cultural issues of dealing with so many nationalities and, of course, his present day personal life.? As I mentioned in another article, I will most definitely be writing a reflective piece after my journey here ends.? But one thing is for certain, those that have come here to tick off something on their Bucket List are cheating themselves.

Anyway, after Angkor Thom, we then briefly visited a number other temples and sights nearby, such as the Terrace of the Elephants and the Terrace of the Leper King

before visiting Baphoun Temple, which has a number of ficus trees both destroying and preserving the temple in what is clearly a tension between the jungle and the preservation/restoration of some incredible history.

Afterwards we returned to the Sofitel Angkor for an independent lunch.? However, since we started late (after our late arrival the night before) there was no time to venture into Siem Reap for a midday meal; a bit of a disappointment.? I say this because at this point I am feeling a little bit sanitized.? The hotel is beautiful and quite modern, but until you step outside the property the reality of how poor Cambodia is, on the one hand, and how rich its cultures are, on the other, really doesn?t have a chance to hit you.? That said, my feeling of needing more of Cambodia was quickly satiated.

In the afternoon we had our first somewhat rainy experience visiting an incredibly beautiful temple known as Bantrey Srei (the Citadel of Women), which has some of the most beautiful and detailed stone carvings I have ever seen?with some really phenomenal architectural elements.? Our guide said many times that the temple is more beautiful in the bright sun, but I found it breathtaking in the soft rain.

It was then time to leave the past and travel to the present?and, somewhat sullenly, the issues surrounding the poor education system in Cambodia; especially in the rural areas.?

AmaWaterways supports an English language school for young rural Cambodian children.? It is very understated in its efforts because, as it has been explained to me, there is a delicate balance between doing what is right (by giving back) and appearing to be charitable solely because it is a good marketing ploy.? To be sure, AmaWaterways clearly is doing this for the right reasons.? It only suggests?if you read all the materials sent to you?that you bring some school supplies to donate.? AmaWaterways does not ask for donations of money and, honestly, it is so discrete, I would not have a clue how to make one. So when you visit it is totally about the children.? (Compare Silversea automatically adding a monetary donation to your onboard account for a charity that you never visit or have any other involvement with?and then you have to ask to have it removed if you do not want to donate; something I have been overtly critical of.)

I enjoyed talking with the children, spending a few moments with as many of them as I could helping the practice their English.? From the beaming smiles, to the sheepish looks, to the class clowns, our brief 20 minute visit went by so quickly; ending with them singing a song in English with so much pride and so many smiles that you had to feel great.?

There was an included dinner at the hotel with a Cambodian dance troupe.? I observed that most in our group really enjoyed it.? But for me it was just not as an authentic experience as I would have liked.? Again, it is a balance sort of thing.? (If I was to do this trip again, I would skip the dinner and headed into Siem Reap for a local dinner.)

I awoke the next morning with threatening skies just begging to ruin my visit to Angkor Wat.? With raincoats and umbrellas in my backpack we headed off?and the skies brightened and the temperature rose.? And the temple is everything it is cracked up to be.? It is architecturally impressive and far grander than any camera lens can capture.? The relatively short time we spent at Angkor Wat just didn?t seem enough, but the heat and the attention span of our children said, it was.? (AmaWaterways makes it very clear that you can spend less time or stay later?even return at your leisure?via a $5 tuk-tuk ride; a rickshaw attached to a motorbike.)

Then, to the relief of my friends and family, it was an afternoon of decompression and relaxation by the pool.? It really struck me that, as I sipped my mojito in the whirlpool, that I could be anywhere in the world.? While somewhat frustrating for me, when planning a tour for a group, the art of compromise is oh so important.? But not to worry!

After everyone was refreshed it was time to head into Siem Reap and its famous Pub Street and Night Market.? We decided to try an upscale Cambodian restaurant named AHA and the surreal contrasts I have been experiencing deepened.? While I dined on a three plate tapas sort of affair that, while truly some culinary art and ?included snake for $9.00, I could have walked out the door and literally less than 50 feet down the road purchased and entire dinner for $2.00.? In the end, our dinner was quite expensive?too expensive?but very good.? But then the polish wore off a bit when the phone lines went down and we were scrounging for cash because they could not process my credit card.

And then the shopping began.? Beautiful shawls for $1.50.? A very nice ceramic Buddha for $12.00.? Varying quality jade, t-shirts, etc.? Fish massages (where they eat the allegedly dead skin off your feet) for $2.00. Street food.? And tuk-tuk drivers hawking rides.? It was a lot of fun and a great way to end our time in Siem Reap?finally getting out of our bubble and also being refreshed after a fairly hectic itinerary so far.

Tomorrow we board the AmaLotus after a 5? hour drive.? I wonder what we will see along the way.

Source: http://goldringtravel.blogspot.com/2012/08/goldring-travels-amawaterways-amalotus_29.html

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Monday, August 13, 2012

Bikram yoga health benefits - HEALTH, BEAUTY & FITNESS

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Sunday, August 12, 2012

Two Syrian journalists killed in Damascus: reports

This citizen journalism image provided by Shaam News Network SNN, taken on Saturday, Aug. 11, 2012, purports to show Syrians standing in the rubble of a destroyed building from Syrian forces shelling in Khaldiyeh neighborhood, Homs province, central Syria. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network, SNN)THE ASSOCIATED PRESS IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE AUTHENTICITY, CONTENT, LOCATION OR DATE OF THIS CITIZEN JOURNALIST IMAGE

AMMAN, Jordan (AP) ? Two Syrian journalists have been killed in the capital, according to reports on Sunday from Syrian state news agency SANA and an Arab satellite station.

SANA said its reporter, Ali Abbas, was killed at his residence in the Jdaidet Artouz area. The report blamed an "armed terrorist group" ? the regime's catch-all term for its opponents ? and gave no further details.

Al-Arabiya television said on its website that Bara'a Yusuf al-Bushi, a Syrian national and army defector who provided information to the station and several international news organizations, was killed in a bomb attack while covering a story in al-Tal, a suburb on the northern edge of Damascus.

Both reporters were killed Saturday, according to the news reports.??

There have been several attacks on pro-regime media over the course of Syria's 17-month-old uprising against President Bashar Assad.

Activists say more than 20,000 people have been killed since the revolt began in March 2011. The conflict has descended into a civil war.

On Saturday, Damascus saw two bombings that brought chaos to some of the capital's most exclusive areas in a symbolic blow to Assad.

One blast ? from a device planted under a tree ? was set off by remote control as a vehicle carrying soldiers passed by in the Marjeh district. The explosion, which caused no casualties, was about 100 yards (meters) from the Four Seasons, one of the top luxury hotels in Damascus.

After the blast, gunmen opened fire on civilians "to provoke panic," SANA reported.

At the same time, the second explosion went off near Tishrin Stadium, less than a half mile (kilometer) away, it added.

Just hours later, SANA said that a bus was attacked in a Damascus suburb, killing six passengers traveling from the central province of Hama.

The news agency said security agents were pursuing the attackers in all incidents, referring to them as "terrorists" ? the term authorities routinely use for rebels trying to topple Assad's regime.

Explosions in the capital have become increasingly common as Syria's civil war escalates. On Aug. 18, rebels carried out the deadliest bombing on a regime security building that killed four members of Assad's inner circle.

Meanwhile, Syrian activists reported that clashes continued in some of the capital's suburbs, the central Homs province, the northern town of Aleppo and the southern restive town of Daraa. There were no immediate reports of casualties, according to the UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

___

Associated Press Writer Michael Casey in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-08-12-Syria/id-7126f0eab7a847398b808c003c761e23

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Multiple Sclerosis MS Treatment eBook Cure By Dr. Gary M. Levin ...

Visit SiteYou are unable to enjoy your favorite things knowing the next attack is just a matter of time. Sometimes the attack?s "remission" leaves you with residual, usually permanent, and scary symptoms. You suffer month after month and find you are losing hope of ever getting better.

That?s a very sad place for anyone to be. I know. I?ve been treating patients with multiple sclerosis for 30 years.

It?s like your body is fighting an all-out war with a dangerous intruder that doesn?t exist. Your doctor may be putting on a brave face, but the truth is many physicians are just as frustrated as you are. They try every known cure, treatment and medically accepted idea ? yet NOTHING works!

In 1998, 13 years ago, I had a heart ailment which required surgical intervention. While recovering in cardiac rehabilitation, I had the unexpected opportunity to work with a colleague who practiced allopathic and alternative medicine. I was very impressed with what I saw.

Having been trained in the sciences, I decided to dive deep into this approach, serve a two-year preceptorship and test natural remedies and alternative treatments for diseases.

It was here that I discovered powerful breakthroughs that would have profound impacts for Multiple Sclerosis patients. Here was the highly effective KEY to slowing deterioration, preventing attacks, and promoting regeneration.

The healing process is carried out through a simple step-by-step method that rehabilitates your immune system and boosts your supporting body systems to rid it of all symptoms (and types) of Multiple Sclerosis PLUS re-energizes and purifies your body for maximum health.

To be honest, I

would have been elated if my step-by-step Treatment System simply produced modest improvements in my patients. But the results were far better than anyone could ever expect?

Well, this may sound unusual, but if you think about it again you will come to the same conclusion as I did: "Multiple Sclerosis is just another symptom of the REAL disease you have"

So what is the real disease you suffer from? Well, the simple answer is that you have an overactive immune system disease. Your immune system "freaks out" when it meets your myelin sheaths and attacks them. The fact that you are diagnosed with MS is just because of the fact that your immune system "freaks out" in a way that creates the MS symptoms. But you?re NOT having a "MS" disease. You are having an overactive or blinded immune system disease!

The sad truth is that the strong toxic effect of all these drugs gradually poisons the whole body, which at the end of the day, only makes Multiple Sclerosis attacks and permanent damage worse!

The healing process is done by using a simple step-by-step method that rehabilitates your immune system and boosts supporting body systems to get rid of all symptoms (and types) of Multiple Sclerosis PLUS re-energizes and purifies your body for maximum health.

It shouldn?t be any surprise to people that directed nutrition and simple plants and vitamins can be the basis for? Read more?

Tags: All Out War, Alternative Medicine, Alternative Treatments, Brave Face, Cardiac Rehabilitation, Dr Gary, Healing Process, Heart Ailment, Losing Hope, Maximum Health, Ms Treatment, Natural Remedies, Nothing Works, Preceptorship, Profound Impacts, Sad Place, Sclerosis Ms, Sclerosis Patients, Surgical Intervention, Unexpected Opportunity

Source: http://www.egym.us/multiple-sclerosis-ms-treatment-ebook-cure-by-dr-gary-m-levin/

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Saturday, August 11, 2012

"Leaked" iPhone 5 Battery Seems Really Small [Rumor]

Click here to read "Leaked" iPhone 5 Battery Seems Really Small

9to5mac has reported images of the next iPhone's battery, and if they're to be believed, the battery's relatively small size could spell problems for battery life if the new iPhone has LTE. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/1TIPTChObfM/leaked-iphone-5-battery-seems-really-small

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Weather delays, cancels flights in the Northeast

No injuries or damage were reported after two airplanes came in contact with each other at Washington, D.C.'s Dulles International Airport Friday. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

By NBC News staff and wire

Flight delays and cancellations are growing across the East Coast's busiest airports Friday, after showers and thunderstorms continue to pound the Northeast part of the country.

In the Washington, D.C. area, two planes clipped each other while taxing at Dulles International Airport, but the incident luckily did not affect airport operations.

Already airports in New York City and Philadelphia are experiencing the worst of the slowdown: 154 flights canceled at LaGuardia, 72 in Philadelphia and 54 at JFK.

Inbound flights to Newark are delayed an average of about three hours, according to FlightAware.com, and 35 flights have been canceled.

Flights headed to JFK are delayed at their origin by about two-and-a-half hours, flights to nearby LaGuardia have two-hour delays, and arriving flights at Philadelphia International are delayed about 50 minutes, according to FlightAware.?

Travel from the nation's capital is no better: Dulles International reported departure delays up to an hour-and-a-half. At 3:15 p.m. a Lufthansa Airbus A330 with 183 passengers en route to Frankfurt, Germany, clipped the tail of a Colgan Air turboprop flight operated by United Express and carrying 68 passengers.

Fire crews responded to the incident and no passengers were injured, but the Lufthansa plane sustained wing damage as did the Colgan aircraft's tail. Colgan Air said in a statement that the airline is investigating the incident and is working with FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board.

At Reagan National departures are delayed an average of 50 minutes and 31 flights have been canceled so far.

Detroit, Atlanta and Chicago are also seeing cancellations.

Isolated thunderstorms are expected to continue in New York City most of Friday, before forecasters say a potentially severe storm is expected to hit the area, NBC 4 New York reported. The severe weather could bring damaging winds, blinding downpours and intense cloud-to-ground lightning.

Forecasters say the wet weather is expect to continue into Saturday.

NBC News' Rebecca Ruiz and Vignesh Ramachandran contributed to this report.

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Source: http://overheadbin.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/10/13221240-severe-weather-causes-delays-cancellations-at-northeast-airports?lite

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Friday, August 10, 2012

La Pine Parks Rec Ready to Kick off Youth Football Camp.8 10 2012

The La Pine Parks & Recreation District (LPRD) has opened registration for the "Young Guns Football Camp", the city's first youth football which runs from August 14-16 at La Pine High School.

Third through eighth-grade students are welcome to register for the three-day football camp. The mission of the camp is to encourage cohesiveness and to build a healthy foundation for young football players.

"This is the first year for camps," said Bo Deforest, LPRD Sports Coordinator. "The camp will teach all the fundamentals of offense, defense, and special teams. This includes the language of football, team concept, and the importance of communication while being a team player."

Deforest, who also coaches football and wrestling at La Pine High School, will be directing the camp. Each day the camp will bring important chalk talk, skill-building drills through competitive and fun mini-games and challenges.

To register for the camp contact Bo Deforest at (541) 536-2223, or visit the La Pine Parks & Recreation offices.

Camp details:

Date: August 14-16, 2012
Time: 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Place: La Pine High School
Cost: $40 for 3 days / $15 per day

The LPRD is looking for volunteers interested in assisting and/or coaching youth volleyball. For more info email Bo at bo.deforest@lapineparks.org

Source: http://myeaglelive.com/pt/La-Pine-Parks--Rec-Ready-to-Kick-off-Youth-Football-Camp.8-10-2012/blog.htm

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'Selfish' DNA in animal mitochondria offers possible tool to study aging

ScienceDaily (Aug. 9, 2012) ? Researchers at Oregon State University have discovered, for the first time in any animal species, a type of "selfish" mitochondrial DNA that is actually hurting the organism and lessening its chance to survive -- and bears a strong similarity to some damage done to human cells as they age.

The findings, just published in the journal PLoS One, are a biological oddity previously unknown in animals. But they may also provide an important new tool to study human aging, scientists said.

Such selfish mitochondrial DNA has been found before in plants, but not animals. In this case, the discovery was made almost by accident during some genetic research being done on a nematode, Caenorhabditis briggsae -- a type of small roundworm.

"We weren't even looking for this when we found it, at first we thought it must be a laboratory error," said Dee Denver, an OSU associate professor of zoology. "Selfish DNA is not supposed to be found in animals. But it could turn out to be fairly important as a new genetic model to study the type of mitochondrial decay that is associated with human aging."

DNA is the material that holds the basic genetic code for living organisms, and through complex biological processes guides beneficial cellular functions. Some of it is also found in the mitochondria, or energy-producing "powerhouse" of cells, which at one point in evolution was separate from the other DNA.

The mitochondria generally act for the benefit of the cell, even though it is somewhat separate. But the "selfish" DNA found in some plant mitochondria -- and now in animals -- has major differences. It tends to copy itself faster than other DNA, has no function useful to the cell, and in some cases actually harms the cell. In plants, for instance, it can affect flowering and sometimes cause sterility.

"We had seen this DNA before in this nematode and knew it was harmful, but didn't realize it was selfish," said Katie Clark, an OSU postdoctoral fellow. "Worms with it had less offspring than those without, they had less muscle activity. It might suggest that natural selection doesn't work very well in this species."

That's part of the general quandary of selfish DNA in general, the scientists said. If it doesn't help the organism survive and reproduce, why hasn't it disappeared as a result of evolutionary pressure? Its persistence, they say, is an example of how natural selection doesn't always work, either at the organism or cellular level. Biological progress is not perfect.

In this case, the population sizes of the nematode may be too small to eliminate the selfish DNA, researchers said.

What's also interesting, they say, is that the defects this selfish DNA cause in this roundworm are surprisingly similar to the decayed mitochondrial DNA that accumulates as one aspect of human aging. More of the selfish DNA is also found in the worms as they age.

Further study of these biological differences may help shed light on what can cause the mitochondrial dysfunction, Denver said, and give researchers a new tool with which to study the aging process.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Oregon State University.

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

Journal Reference:

Katie A. Clark, Dana K. Howe, Kristin Gafner, Danika Kusuma, Sita Ping, Suzanne Estes, Dee R. Denver. Selfish Little Circles: Transmission Bias and Evolution of Large Deletion-Bearing Mitochondrial DNA in Caenorhabditis briggsae Nematodes. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (7): e41433 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0041433

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/top_news/top_environment/~3/oU1Ev2DYMEk/120810112917.htm

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Thursday, August 9, 2012

Obama Pounces on Romney?s Opposition to Wind Tax Credit

President Obama?s campaign team isn?t wasting any time taking advantage of Mitt Romney?s controversial stance on extending a production tax credit for wind energy, which has increasingly put him at odds with Republicans and voters in key states such as Iowa and Colorado.

A story that began last week in Iowa, when Romney campaign spokesman Shawn McCoy told the Des Moines Register that Romney ?will allow the wind credit to expire,? has now created an opening for the Obama camp in other swing states.

Romney avoided the controversial issue when he spoke at a campaign event in Des Moines on Wednesday. But it could follow him around the country to election battlegrounds where wind energy is produced and consumed, such as Iowa, Colorado, Minnesota, Ohio, and Florida, and where industry parts are manufactured, including Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and North Carolina.

Obama weighed in pointedly in Colorado on Thursday. "At a moment when homegrown energy, renewable energy, is creating new jobs in states like Colorado and Iowa, my opponent wants to end tax credits for wind energy producers. Think about what that would mean for a community like Pueblo,? Obama said to a crowd in Pueblo.??Without those tax credits, 37,000 American jobs, including potentially hundreds of jobs right here in Pueblo, would be at risk.?

Pueblo is home to Vestas, the world?s largest wind turbine manufacturer. Earlier this year, the CEO of the Danish company Ditlev Engel said that if the tax credit is not extended, the company would have to lay off most of its workers in Colorado. The company employs about 1,700 hundred workers in the state of Colorado. Engel said in February that as many as 1,600 of those jobs could be in jeopardy.

But it?s not just Vestas.?

The wind energy industry supports about 5,000 to 6,000 jobs in Colorado, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Moreover, the state is in the top 10 nationwide for power provided by wind and total installed wind power capacity.

?Colorado, it's time to stop spending billions in taxpayer subsidies on an oil industry that's already making a lot of profit, and let?s keep investing in new energy sources that have never been more promising," Obama said in Colorado on Thursday. "That's the choice in this election."

As in Iowa, where Romney faced a backlash over the issue earlier this week, upset over his position on the wind production tax credit goes beyond industry advocates and Democrats in Colorado. It?s also at odds with Colorado?s Republican delegation in Congress.

In February, eight out of nine members of the Colorado congressional delegation signed a letter to congressional leadership urging the extension of the tax credit.

?The PTC has been very effective in facilitating new market penetration of wind energy and moving us toward a more diversified and cleaner energy portfolio,??the letter said.??A delay in this extension would do enormous damage to that progress. Unless the wind PTC is renewed in the first quarter of this year, new wind energy development projects and the thousands of jobs associated with those projects are predicted to drop off precipitously after 2012.?

The letter was signed by Colorado Republican Reps. Cory Gardner, Mike Coffman, Scott Tipton and Democratic Reps. Diana DeGette, Jared Polis and Ed Perlmutter and Sens. Mark Udall and Michael Bennet.

The only member of the delegation not signing the letter was Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., who argued -- in an echo of Romney?s spokesman last week -- that the government shouldn?t be picking winners and losers.

?Renewable energy is a big deal in Colorado,? Udall warned last week. ?Last time I checked, Colorado is a swing state. Last time I checked, Governor Romney wants to be president. He needs to win Colorado. This doesn?t go over well with Coloradans.?

It won?t stop there.?The wind industry supports some 6,000 to 7,000 jobs in Iowa, 5,000 jobs in Ohio, 2,000-3,000 jobs in Minnesota and 2,000-3,000 jobs in Florida, among others, according to the American Wind Energy Association. Minnesota was also ranked third in the United States in 2010 for percentage of electricity derived from wind and fifth national for most installed wind capacity.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-pounces-romney-opposition-wind-tax-credit-144521307.html

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Patterns in adolescent brains could predict heavy alcohol use

ScienceDaily (Aug. 8, 2012) ? Heavy drinking is known to affect an adolescents' developing brain, but certain patterns of brain activity may also help predict which teens are at risk of becoming problem drinkers, according to a study by researchers in the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System. Their results will be published in the September issue of the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, online August 8.

This study focused on 12 to 16-year-olds whose brains were scanned using special functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) prior to the onset of drinking, and then again three years later. About half of this group transitioned into heavy drinking over the 3-year period. However, when imaged before they began drinking, this cohort already showed less fMRI response in regions of the brain previously linked to heavy drinking.

"Interestingly, this study showed that teens who initially showed less activation in certain brain areas were at greater risk for becoming heavy drinkers over the next three years," said principal investigator Susan Tapert, PhD, professor of psychiatry at UC San Diego School of Medicine and VA San Diego Healthcare System.

Over time, adolescents who initiated heavy drinking exhibited less efficient processing of information.

"That's the opposite of what you'd expect, because their brains should be getting more efficient as they get older," said lead researcher Lindsay M. Squeglia, PhD of UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry.

Once this group began drinking heavily -- defined by episodes of consuming four or more drinks on an occasion for females, and five or more drinks for males -- their brains already started showing the patterns previously seen in heavy drinkers: more activity in certain areas of the brain as they tried to perform a memory test. These brain areas included the parietal lobe (which helps process spatial information), and frontal lobe (the portion of the brain involved in, among other things, short-term memory tasks, planning, and organization).

"At the point these teens began drinking heavily, the fMRI data revealed greater parietal and frontal activity during a spatial working memory task in heavy drinkers versus light drinkers, despite equivalent performance on the tasks and after considering their brain activation patterns before drinking started," said Squeglia.

The study's findings add to evidence that heavy episodic drinking during adolescence may be followed by subtle alterations in brain functioning. But the research also points to neural response patterns that could indicate a risk factor for future substance use.

"Our results suggest there could be a pre-existing vulnerability, and could provide clues to the biological origins of problem drinking," said Squeglia.

Additional contributors to the study include Reagan R. Wetherill, PhD, UC San Diego; and Carmen Pulido, PhD, Joanna Jacobus, PhD, and Gregory G. Brown, PhD, UC San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare.

The study was funded by grants from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, part of the National Institutes of Health (#F31 AA18940, R21 AA019748 and R01 AA13419).