Thursday, January 31, 2013

Home Improvement Bathrooms: The Remodel | ServiceLive Blog

A bathroom remodel is a smaller, more affordable home remodeling project that can have a great impact on your home. You can update worn fixtures, add new cabinetry and storage, and create a relaxing haven with a jetted tub or skylight. Your bathroom may be the smallest room in your home, but tends to get the most visitors. Fortunately, due to the small space of most bathrooms?it can be one of the most cost effective rooms in your home to improve.

Other options to improve your bathroom space, with the goal of a relaxing environment include:

  • A one-day acrylic bath system remodel
  • Install shower head and addition of a separate shower structure
  • Improved lighting
  • New tile, hardwood, laminate, granite or ceramic flooring
  • Updated countertop and replace sink
  • Customized design touches such as accent mirrors, hardware, and wall color change (remove bathroom wallpaper!)

Some popular bathroom design trends include using a combination of materials for your hardware, sink, backsplashes and tiles?such as chrome, marble, glass, and wood.? As far as wall colors for bathrooms?white is always popular, but a lot of homeowners are using natural colors and even edgier colors such as rust and terra cotta.

You have many options when remodeling your bathroom! Once you?re done you will have a more functional and relaxing room that will provide daily comfort to you and your family as well as potentially increasing the value of your home. If you?re hesitant try a home remodel, start with the smallest room and see what a huge difference it can make your entire home!

Source: http://blog.servicelive.com/home-improvement-bathrooms-the-remodel/

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Wash. vows to try to keep weed in state -- but how?

SEATTLE (AP) ? So far, no one is suggesting checkpoints or fences to keep Washington state's legal pot within its borders.

But Gov. Jay Inslee insists there are ways to prevent the bulk smuggling of the state's newest cash crop into the black market, including digitally tracking weed to ensure that it goes from where it is grown to the stores where it is sold.

With sales set to begin later this year, he hopes to be a good neighbor and keep vanloads of premium, legal bud from cruising into Idaho, Oregon and other states that don't want people getting stoned for fun.

It's not just about generating goodwill with fellow governors. Inslee is trying to persuade U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder not to sue to block Washington from licensing pot growers, processors and sellers. Marijuana remains illegal under federal law.

"I am going to be personally committed to have a well regulated, well disciplined, well tracked, well inventory-controlled, well law-enforcement-coordinated approach," said Inslee, who is due to give Holder more details this week.

Keeping a lid on the weed is just one of the numerous challenges Washington state authorities and their counterparts in Colorado ? where voters also legalized pot use ? will face in the coming months.

The potential of regulatory schemes to keep pot from being diverted isn't clear. Colorado already has intensive rules aimed at keeping its medical marijuana market in line, including the digital tracking of cannabis, bar codes on every plant, surveillance video and manifests of all legal pot shipments.

But law enforcement officials say marijuana from Colorado's dispensaries often makes its way to the black market, and even the head of the Colorado agency charged with tracking the medical pot industry suggests no one should copy its measures.

The agency has been beset by money woes and had to cut many of its investigators. Even if the agency had all the money it wanted, the state's medical pot rules are "a model of regulatory overreach," too cumbersome and expensive to enforce, Laura Harris said in a statement.

Last fall, voters made Washington and Colorado the first states to pass laws legalizing the recreational use of marijuana and setting up systems of state-licensed growers, processors and retail stores where adults over 21 can walk in and buy up to an ounce of heavily taxed cannabis.

Both states are working to develop rules for the emerging pot industry.

The Obama administration could sue to block the legal markets from operating, on the grounds that actively regulating an illegal substance conflicts with federal drug law. The DOJ is reviewing the laws but has given no signals about its plans.

It has never sued states like Colorado that have regulated medical marijuana, even though it could under the same legal principles.

Part of the DOJ's political calculus in deciding whether to sue is likely to be how well the department believes the two states can keep the legal weed within their borders. During a meeting with Inslee last week, Holder asked a lot of questions about diversion, Inslee said.

Alison Holcomb, who led Washington's legal pot campaign, said it's important to respect states that haven't legalized weed by not flooding their black markets. The first step, she said, is for the state to figure out how much pot should be produced, and then grant licenses accordingly.

"Excess supply creates incentive to divert outside the state," she said.

Washington's Liquor Control Board is planning a comprehensive survey to estimate how much marijuana is consumed in the state.

Inslee has boasted about the effectiveness of the State Patrol's highway interdiction program in stopping drug trafficking. Traditional police work, combined with inventory controls, will be key to clamping down on diversion, he said.

Digital tracking of the weights of marijuana shipments between processors and retailers would help make sure there isn't "10- to 20-percent shrinkage that's going to the black market," he said.

But even if the state can prevent bulk pot from being diverted, there's nothing to keep customers from walking into multiple stores, or returning to the same store, to collect more than their 1-ounce limit. Some traffickers could recruit many people to buy weed for them.

Tom Gorman, head of the Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug-Trafficking Area, said efforts to keep a lid on legal marijuana simply don't work.

Pot from Colorado's medical marijuana system ? often described as the most closely regulated in the world ? routinely makes its way into Kansas, Nebraska, Wyoming and points east, often from dispensaries that have sold out the back door, he said.

A brief law enforcement survey the organization conducted last summer turned up numerous cases in which suspects had made purchases at Colorado dispensaries before being busted in other states.

In the past two years, Colorado's medical pot regulators have levied 54 fines against licensed businesses, but have never revoked or suspended a license.

Matt Cook, the former director of Colorado's Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, defended the "seed-to-store" regulations in the state.

Cook, who is applying for a job as a consultant to Washington's marijuana regulators, noted that at any time officials could check the digital records, pull the surveillance video or drop in for an inspection ? and the fear of getting busted keeps people in line.

Bob Hoban, whose law firm represents nearly 100 medical marijuana businesses in Colorado, agreed, and noted another incentive for dispensaries to behave.

"It's a cutthroat business," he said. "If somebody sees something unusual, they're going to provide a tip. ... There's just about as good of a safeguard as you can have for diversion in the state of Colorado, and a lot of that is Big Brother watching you."

___

Associated Press writer Kristen Wyatt in Denver contributed to this report.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wash-vows-try-keep-weed-state-094725851--finance.html

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Airways Municipal Golf Course, Fresno, CA

Airways Municipal Golf Course, Fresno, CA

Phone: (559) 291-6254

Website: http://www.clubcorp.com/club/scripts/section/section.asp?NS=PCH&MFCODE=AWMGC&SUBGRP=15

Course History:

This course was founded in 1952 and was designed for golfers that prefer a shorter game that is fun and not incredibly challenging. Most of the players here are women or seniors, but it is still well suited for a professional that just wants to brush up their game. The course has very narrow fairways so accuracy is definitely key.

What You Need to Know:

You can book your tee time by calling the number above, but at this time they do not have online tee times. However, they do offer specials on their website so we do recommend checking there first before you call. Although the prices are already quite low, you can save even more money.

This is a municipal course, so the dress code isn't as severe. However, we still recommend traditional golf attire and no denim. The course does not state whether they are a soft spike facility but we recommend these spikes just in case.

The pro shop is fantastic and is a licensed Titelist and Ping club fitter. The onsite grill has terrific food and can even provide a boxed lunch for your game. The clubhouse is a great place to relax after a game.

Playing Hints:

Although this is an easier course than some, you'll still need to be on your toes. The greens are very short, so working on your putting game is a good idea before you arrive. By the end of a round, you'll probably be a whole lot better at it since these do offer a bit of a challenge.

The first hole looks very easy, but you'll be shooting over the trees to make it to the green. We recommend a very strong tee shot to get the best results on this hole. The eighth hole is a double dog leg, and can be quite a fun challenge. Try to stay as close to the center of the fairway as possible. The tenth hole is considered to be the most challenging one on the entire course and has the reputation as being the narrowest fairway in the area. You'll really want to get a good tee shot to avoid getting stuck in the rough here.

Fees:

Weekday 16.00

Weekend 18.00

Sr. and Jr. 10.00

Twilight (3 p.m.) 12.50

SPECIALS (all specials include cart)

Weekday before 1 p.m. 23.00

Weekday 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. 20.00

Weekday after 3 p.m. 18.00

Seniors 19.00 (unless after 3 p.m. then 18.00)

Weekend before 1 p.m. 30.00

Weekend 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. 25.00

Weekend aft. 3 p.m. 20.00

MONTHLY CARDS

Senior and Junior 38.25 Sur Charge 3.25 (only valid aft. 12 p.m. weekends)

Regular 64.00 Sur Charge 5.00 Mon - Fri or 6.75 Weekend (Valid all day on weekends)

Pull carts 4.00 Rental sets 6.00 Normal per person cart rate 12.00

How to Get There:

View Larger Map

Take McKinley East to Clovis, make a left to Shields. Across from the Gap.

Airways Municipal Golf Course is located just North of Fresno Airport.

Originally posted 2008-09-09 05:57:24. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

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Categories:

CA, Fresno, golf courses, restaurant

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accuracy, double dog leg, narrowest fairway, short game, strong tee shot, women and seniors


Source: http://www.golfballdriver.com/airways-municipal-golf-course-fresno-ca/

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Video: Temperature drops may bring tornadoes in South



>>> and now to our weather, making news again, specifically another huge temperature swing. in the midwest, after a dangerous ice storm yesterday, it felt like spring today. but that's before the coming temperature change of around 50 degrees. weather channel meteorologist chris warren is with us. chris, these numbers are incredible.

>> they really are, brian. an all-time january high in topeka, kansas today. 77 degrees. many southern locations feeling these unusually warm temperature readings, looking at temperatures into the upper 70s in some cases, even 80 degrees in corpus christi . tomorrow potentially even warmer in those spots. and this is why. we have a big area of high pressure , keeping things very warm. but dramatically different by the end of the week. cooler air moving down from canada. this is how it plays out in it chicago. 58 degrees tomorrow, almost 40 degrees cooler by thursday and friday. and brian, this will come at a price. we're looking at the threat for severe weather in the lower midwest and the south, possibly tornadoes tomorrow and wednesday.

>> all right. chris warren , weather channel headquarters tonight. chris, thanks.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50621012/

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Several Australian towns flooded, 4 people killed

In this photo supplied by NSW State Emergency Service, a mother and her children walk through floodwaters caused by torrential rains in Lismore, northern New South Wales, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast. With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety. (AP Photo/NSW State Emergency Service, Samantha Cantwell ) NO SALES

In this photo supplied by NSW State Emergency Service, a mother and her children walk through floodwaters caused by torrential rains in Lismore, northern New South Wales, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast. With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety. (AP Photo/NSW State Emergency Service, Samantha Cantwell ) NO SALES

In this photo supplied by NSW State Emergency Service, a police officer gestures on Bruxner Highway, covered with floodwaters caused by torrential rains, in Lismore, northern New South Wales, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast. With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety. (AP Photo/NSW State Emergency Service, Samantha Cantwell ) NO SALES

In this photo supplied by NSW State Emergency Service, people use a kayak to make their way through floodwaters caused by torrential rains in Lismore, northern New South Wales, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast. With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety. (AP Photo/NSW State Emergency Service, Samantha Cantwell ) NO SALES

In this photo supplied by NSW State Emergency Service, two children ride on a boat in floodwaters caused by torrential rains in Lismore, northern New South Wales, Australia Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast. With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety. (AP Photo/NSW State Emergency Service, Samantha Cantwell ) NO SALES

In this image made with a slow shutter speed, a man uses an umbrella to fend off the rain as he walks on a street in Sydney, Australia, Monday, Jan. 28, 2013. Torrential rain over the weekend flooded several towns in eastern Australia, and three deaths were reported. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) ? Thousands of Australians huddled in shelters Tuesday as torrential rains flooded cities and towns in the northeast, killing four people and prompting around 1,000 helicopter evacuations.

With floodwaters expected to peak in most of the worst-hit areas later Tuesday, officials were rushing to move those in the highest-risk areas to safety.

In the hard-hit city of Bundaberg, 385 kilometers (240 miles) north of Brisbane, rescue crews plucked 1,000 people to safety after the river that runs through town broke its banks, sending fast-moving, muddy water pouring into streets and homes. Around 1,500 residents fled to evacuation centers, while patients at the local hospital were being airlifted to Brisbane as a precaution.

"Listen to the roar of the water ? that's not helicopters," Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said. "You see a lot of locations where there are literally sort of rapids. There's white water out there, so it is very dangerous."

Between 2,500 and 3,000 homes and 200 to 300 businesses were inundated with water, Bundaberg Mayor Mal Forman said.

Queensland residents and officials were being particularly cautious, after floodwaters from heavy rain in late 2010 and early 2011 left much of the state under water in the worst flooding Australia had seen in decades. The 2010-2011 floods killed 35 people, damaged or destroyed 30,000 homes and businesses and left Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, under water for days.

The current flood crisis was not as severe, though some areas in northern New South Wales were hit by more than half a meter (about 20 inches) of rain, State Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Steve Pearce said. Four people have died, including a 3-year-old boy who was hit by a falling tree in Brisbane.

"We're expecting flash flooding, we're expecting trees to be brought down, wires to be brought down by these winds," Pearce said. "We're expecting a very challenging 24 hours in front of us."

In the New South Wales city of Grafton, 600 kilometers (370 miles) north of Sydney, the river peaked just below the top of the levee wall, prompting relief among officials who had ordered an evacuation affecting 2,500 residents.

"It does appear as though the worst of it is over," New South Wales Premier Barry O'Farrell said.

The flooding was caused by the remnants of a tropical cyclone that sparked tornadoes and created sea foam that came ashore on the Queensland coast. The foam covered roads in places, causing traffic to be diverted. Elsewhere, beach-goers waded into the bubbles to pose for photographs.

Australia has been suffering through a summer of weather extremes, with blistering temperatures and dry conditions igniting hundreds of wildfires across the southern half of the country.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-29-Australia-Flood/id-dd43dc42237844adac45f1f3f4a7ce9f

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Classic Cars: How to Buy Classic Car Insurance

Collector Car Insurance and Classic Car Insurance

If you are fortunate enough to own a classic car - or any collectible automobile - then you want to ensure that your luck does not run out because of having inadequate insurance coverage. Call it covering your butt - or covering your "asset" - but by all means, call one of the major providers such as American Collectors, Haggerty, or Parish Heacock insurance companies and let them put you in the driver's seat in terms of professional protection of your cherished automotive investment.

How to Kick the Tires on Classic Car Insurance

The whole idea of insurance is that it needs to do what you expect of it in an emergency, when the rubber really hits the road. And classic car insurance is as different from conventional auto insurance as, well, a classic car is from your run of the mill generic vehicle.

When you buy a classic car insurance policy, you are essentially purchasing protection for those times when - God forbid and knock on wood it doesn't happen - disaster strikes in the form of a fire, a collision, or an act of theft or vandalism. Just as we now have modern airbags to save us in the event of a crash, we also have collector's car insurance, to protect us with adequate moneybags when calamity throws a wrench in the works.

The time you invest in choosing the right classic car insurance coverage is well worth the value and peace of mind that a quality collector's insurance policy delivers for owners of classic motor cars.

The Nuts and Bolts of Classic Car Insurance Coverage

Collector car insurance is not the same as the insurance you buy for normal coverage of your daily transportation. Collector car insurance, or classic car insurance, is made especially for the needs of the car collector. And while ordinary insurance does offer some protection, no matter what you drive, it can leave you high and dry in the event of a loss that it not effectively covered by the terms of the insurance contract.

For example, you may have a garage-kept Cadillac Sedan DeVille with swooping fins your grandparents bought for $7,000 brand new back in the 1960s. But dealers have offered you three times that much, and you saw another one sell at an auto show for $35,000. If you don't have special collector car insurance or classic car insurance, and the car is totaled, you will be lucky to get $7,000 for it. With depreciation calculated in, the insurance statisticians may decide that it is worth only half that much, or less, and you could wind up with two or three grand in exchange for your dream machine.

Stipulations or requirements normally encountered while shopping for collector car insurance or classic car insurance:

  • A decent driving record.
  • At least 10 years driving experience
  • No teen drivers on the policy or drivers with poor driving records
  • Secure and out of the weather garage
  • Proof that you have another car for daily transportation
  • Collector vehicle insurance is sometimes limited by the age of your car, and if your car is too young it may not qualify for a particular policy.
  • Limited mileage. You probably don't want to drive your creampuff car all the time, and your insurance company doesn't want you to either. Mileage limits have increased recently, though, so if you can live with 250 miles a month you're probably okay.


Coverage with collector car insurance or classic car insurance: Three kinds of value are important to understand when buying your policy. 1) Actual cash value: This is what you usually get with ordinary insurance, and is based on replacement cost minus depreciation.

2) Stated value:

The insurance company pays up to the stated value of the car, but may not guarantee the full stated value. And deductibles of up to $1,000 usually apply.

3) Agreed value:

In most jurisdictions, those who provide collector car insurance or classic car insurance are allowed to insure for a value that you and your insurer agree upon. And for most autos, there is no deductible. If your $100,000 vintage Rolls get trashed, you get a check for 100 grand, plain and simple - which is exactly why collectors use special classic car insurance coverage.

Do a periodic review of your coverage limits, because classic car prices are rising. What you insured your cherry classic for ten years ago may be a fraction of what it's worth today. And if you are restoring a vehicle, ask your agent to give you appropriate insurance. There is no need to pay extra based on mileage statistics, if your car is up on blocks with no engine inside it. And as the car's value increases thanks to your hard work of restoring it, you should raise the coverage to keep up with the added value of the restoration.

Keep all your receipts and paperwork - for everything from parts and labor to expenses incurred to take it to a classic car show - so that you can document the total investment your collector's car represents. And take photos and keep them updated, for the same reason. And Last But Not Least: Special Savings Opportunities

As long as you meet the criteria in terms of how you use and take care of the car, you can usually buy a policy.

Traditional insurers will either refuse coverage, offer only a replacement value based on the nuts and bolts (minus heavy depreciation) of the car, or will charge you a prohibitive amount for the premium. But many collectors find that special collector's coverage saves them money - as much as half - while insuring them for higher limits, sometime three or four times what a traditional company gave them.

Yes, it's possible to get collector's insurance coverage for full market value for your car, and save up to 50 percent off of the premium you'd pay with ordinary insurance. That makes classic car insurance a must-have for any serious car buff.

Source: http://cincyreds.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-buy-classic-car-insurance.html

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Heat Shock Proteins May Shed New Light on a Variety of Debilitating Diseases

Jan. 28, 2013 ? UCLA researchers, in a finding that runs counter to conventional wisdom, have discovered for the first time that a gene thought to express a protein in all cells that come under stress is instead expressed only in specific cell types.

The group, from the Jules Stein Eye Institute and UCLA Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, focused on ?B-Crystallin, a small heat shock protein. Heat shock proteins are a class of functionally-related proteins involved in the folding and unfolding of other proteins. Their expression is increased when cells are exposed to taxing environmental conditions, such as infection, inflammation, exercise, exposure to toxins and other stressors.

?B-Crystallin may be associated with certain cancers and could be developed into a biomarker to monitor for diseases such as multiple sclerosis, age-related macular degeneration, heart muscle degeneration and clouding of the eye lens. Any discoveries about how this protein is regulated and its molecular biology may reveal potential targets for novel therapies, said study first author Zhe Jing, a research associate in UCLA Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine.

"If you use a certain cell type, this protein can be induced when the cells are stressed, but that doesn't happen in a different cell type," said Jing. "This novel finding does conflict with what has been thought, that this protein could be induced in any cell type."

The findings of this two-year study are published in the most recent issue of the journal Cell Stress and Chaperones, a peer-reviewed journal in the fields of cell stress response.

The UCLA team did the study using four cell lines -- two epithelial cells lines and two fibroblast cells lines. They found that the protein cannot be induced by stress in epithelial cells, in which 80 percent of cancers arise. It can, however, be induced in the fibroblasts that make up muscle tissue.

The significant finding in this investigation is that, in certain cell types, only one specific heat shock factor controls the expression of ?B-Crystallin. For example, in the epithelial cell lines, it is heat shock factor 4 (HSF4), while a different heat shock factor, (HSF1), plays this role in the fibroblast cells lines.

In the past, the data has indicated that a heat shock factor could control the expression of ?B-Crystallin randomly and equally. However, Jing's discovery overrides this rule. His findings strongly suggest the "preference" of the ?B-Crystallin to heat shock factors in certain cells may be correlated with its versatility to various diseases.

"Considering the multiple roles of ?B-Crystallin in so many diseases, the access of the HSF1 and HSF4 to the ?B-Crystallin gene dictated by the certain cell type may be what is helping to cause certain diseases," Jing said. "If we can uncover the cascade of events that result in disease, we may be able to come up with strategies to block or interrupt that cascade."

Going forward, Jing and the research team will validate what they found in this study by examining single cells, which provides a greater challenge but may lead to further discoveries.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Health Sciences, via Newswise.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Zhe Jing, Rajendra K. Gangalum, Josh Z. Lee, Dennis Mock, Suraj P. Bhat. Cell-type-dependent access of HSF1 and HSF4 to ?B-crystallin promoter during heat shock. Cell Stress and Chaperones, 2012; DOI: 10.1007/s12192-012-0386-7

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_health/~3/hjNlftasC14/130128163338.htm

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Bugs in the atmosphere: Significant microorganism populations found in middle and upper troposphere

Jan. 28, 2013 ? In what is believed to be the first study of its kind, researchers used genomic techniques to document the presence of significant numbers of living microorganisms -- principally bacteria -- in the middle and upper troposphere, that section of the atmosphere approximately four to six miles above Earth's surface.

Whether the microorganisms routinely inhabit this portion of the atmosphere -- perhaps living on carbon compounds also found there -- or whether they were simply lofted there from Earth's surface isn't yet known. The finding is of interest to atmospheric scientists, because the microorganisms could play a role in forming ice that may impact weather and climate. Long-distance transport of the bacteria could also be of interest for disease transmission models.

The microorganisms were documented in air samples taken as part of NASA's Genesis and Rapid Intensification Processes (GRIP) program to study low- and high-altitude air masses associated with tropical storms. The sampling was done from a DC-8 aircraft over both land and ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and portions of the Atlantic Ocean. The sampling took place before, during and after two major tropical hurricanes -- Earl and Karl -- in 2010.

The research, which has been supported by NASA and the National Science Foundation, was scheduled to be published online January 28th by the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

"We did not expect to find so many microorganisms in the troposphere, which is considered a difficult environment for life," said Kostas Konstantinidis, an assistant professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "There seems to be quite a diversity of species, but not all bacteria make it into the upper troposphere."

Aboard the aircraft, a filter system designed by the research team collected particles -- including the microorganisms -- from outside air entering the aircraft's sampling probes. The filters were analyzed using genomic techniques including polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gene sequencing, which allowed the researchers to detect the microorganisms and estimate their quantities without using conventional cell-culture techniques.

When the air masses studied originated over the ocean, the sampling found mostly marine bacteria. Air masses that originated over land had mostly terrestrial bacteria. The researchers also saw strong evidence that the hurricanes had a significant impact on the distribution and dynamics of microorganism populations.

The study showed that viable bacterial cells represented, on average, around 20 percent of the total particles detected in the size range of 0.25 to 1 microns in diameter. By at least one order of magnitude, bacteria outnumbered fungi in the samples, and the researchers detected 17 different bacteria taxa -- including some that are capable of metabolizing the carbon compounds that are ubiquitous in the atmosphere -- such as oxalic acid.

The microorganisms could have a previously-unidentified impact on cloud formation by supplementing (or replacing) the abiotic particles that normally serve as nuclei for forming ice crystals, said Athanasios Nenes, a professor in the Georgia Tech School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences and School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering.

"In the absence of dust or other materials that could provide a good nucleus for ice formation, just having a small number of these microorganisms around could facilitate the formation of ice at these altitudes and attract surrounding moisture," Nenes said. "If they are the right size for forming ice, they could affect the clouds around them."

The microorganisms likely reach the troposphere through the same processes that launch dust and sea salt skyward. "When sea spray is generated, it can carry bacteria because there are a lot of bacteria and organic materials on the surface of the ocean," Nenes said.

The research brought together microbiologists, atmospheric modelers and environmental researchers using the latest technologies for studying DNA. For the future, the researchers would like to know if certain types of bacteria are more suited than others for surviving at these altitudes. The researchers also want to understand the role played by the microorganisms -- and determine whether or not they are carrying on metabolic functions in the troposphere.

"For these organisms, perhaps, the conditions may not be that harsh," said Konstantinidis. "I wouldn't be surprised if there is active life and growth in clouds, but this is something we cannot say for sure now."

Other researchers have gathered biological samples from atop mountains or from snow samples, but gathering biological material from a jet aircraft required a novel experimental setup. The researchers also had to optimize protocols for extracting DNA from levels of biomass far lower than what they typically study in soils or lakes.

"We have demonstrated that our technique works, and that we can get some interesting information," Nenes said. "A big fraction of the atmospheric particles that traditionally would have been expected to be dust or sea salt may actually be bacteria. At this point we are just seeing what's up there, so this is just the beginning of what we hope to do."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology. The original article was written by John Toon.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Natasha DeLeon-Rodriguez et al. Microbiome of the upper troposphere: Species composition and prevalence, effects of tropical storms, and atmospheric implications. PNAS, 2013 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1212089110

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/cYVLxy1Cfts/130128151912.htm

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Lisa Hochstein Sues Random Internet User for Escort Remark

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/lisa-hochstein-sues-random-internet-user-for-escort-remark/

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Chris Brown reportedly in fight over parking

John Shearer / AP, file

Police said they had not yet been in contact with Chris Brown.

By Marian Smith, Staff Writer, NBC News

Updated at 7:30 p.m. ET: Grammy-winning singer Chris Brown is being investigated following an alleged fight over a parking space in West Hollywood, police said early Monday.

Authorities responded to a call of a fight involving six males in Santa Monica Boulevard, the LA County Sheriff's Department said in a statement.

"Deputies talked to witnesses who stated that Chris Brown and the victim were involved in an altercation over a parking space," the statement added. "The altercation allegedly led to Chris Brown punching the victim."

Brown had already left when officers arrived, police said.

The police say that according to witnesses, Brown punched R&B artist Frank Ocean in the fight. Steve Whitmore, the LA County Sheriff's spokesman, said that no charges have been filed against Brown yet, but that Ocean "is desirous of prosecution in this incident."

Police said they had not yet been in contact with Brown, and the singer's rep has not released a comment. No arrests have been made.

Reuters contributed to this report.

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2013/01/28/16735475-cops-investigate-chris-brown-after-alleged-fight-over-parking-space?lite

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Afghan orphans hope music to win 'American hearts'

In a country where the arts and music suffered heavily under the Taliban, young musicians ? including dozens of girls ? are representing the potential in Afghanistan's future.

By Thanh Truong, Correspondent, NBC News

KABUL, Afghanistan - From the cold basement of an orphanage in Kabul, the beat of a bass drum bounces through the halls.

Hitting the high hat and cymbals was Laila, a 13-year old orphan and the only known female drummer in Afghanistan.?

"I like playing the drums and there are no other girls in Afghanistan playing the drums,? Laila said with a big smile. ?I'm the only girl and I want to become well known as an Afghan girl playing drums.?

For now, she plays in a basement, but soon it'll be D.C.'s Kennedy Center and New York's Carnegie Hall.?

Laila and 10 other girls from her orphanage will be joining ensembles from the Afghan National Institute of Music as they make their U.S. debut.?

For many of the performers, it will be their first time out of the country and their first time in America.?

"I hear it is very clean and has big buildings and you have such freedom there,? 10-year old Sapna said. "I forget the name of the president of America, but I have heard of him."

Sapna plays the piano and likes the "fast songs" that allow her to move her little fingers quickly over the keys.?

As the security in Afghanistan crumbles, 'Nightly' returns to an orphanage that Brian Williams first visited in 2009 to find girls with big dreams who are focused on getting into college.

Music is part of the curriculum at this orphanage run by Andeisha Farid, the executive director of the Afghan Child Education and Caring Organization.?

'Hope for a better future'
In a country where female freedoms are few, Farid said these young girls represent the potential in Afghanistan's future.

"Afghan women, they suffer so badly. They even struggle for their very basic human rights,? Farid said. ?We hope for a better future for Afghanistan. If we can properly invest in these children, a long-term investment, they realize that there is hope in Afghanistan.?

The sheer fact that dozens of girls are practicing and learning music is a sign of progress in a country where only an estimated 15 percent of women can even read and write, never mind read music or play an instrument.

The arts and music suffered heavily under the Taliban, and not just for women.?

Oct. 30: Brian swaps eyewear with one of the girls at the Kabul orphanage.

Since 2001 a small group of Afghans have worked to bring music back to the country. Ahmad Sarmast, who holds a doctorate in music, spearheaded the movement and the effort culminated in the 2010 establishment of the Afghan National Institute of Music.?

Musicians and their mentors from the ANIM will embark on a two-week tour of the U.S. starting February 2. They'll be playing a combination of classical and Afghan pieces.

Music has given these children an opportunity that so few have in Afghanistan and they are eager to share what they've learned.

"People can understand each other's hearts through music. American people can understand Afghan hearts and Afghans can understand American hearts. It's universal," said Sapna.

Yet, hurdles remain.?

Oct. 30 2009: Andeisha Farid is making a difference in a dangerous place, providing a safe haven in Afghanistan. NBC's Brian Williams reports.

Twelve-year-old Fareshta said pressure from her home village prevented her from playing the trumpet.

NBC first met Fareshta when Brian Williams visited her orphanage.

Fareshta said people in her village threatened to make her family outcasts if she kept on attending music school.?

She now only plays when she is in the orphanage. And, while the other girls prepare for their performances in the U.S., she won't be going.?

"I want to go music school and play more music," Fareshta said.

She shrugged when asked if it all seemed unfair. After all, so much that has and is happening in Afghanistan seems unfair.

But after listening to a girl like Laila practicing on the drums, it is easy to understand that the music these young people create is a message of hope in a country awash with disappointments.?

Related:?

Tears of joy: The moment an Afghan teen learned of Oscar nomination

Steeple, cross at U.S. Army base on Afghan frontier raise hackles

Afghanistan: Where actresses risk their lives for their art

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/27/16662922-afghan-orphans-hope-their-music-will-win-over-american-hearts-at-carnegie-hall?lite

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Computers and Technology|Hardware: Tips on Finding the Right ...

There are a wide range of engineering facilities that rely on the use of test and measurement equipment, and this sort of equipment is a fundamental part of many industrial and commercial processes. Of course, if you are going to be using this kind of equipment, it is very important that it be extremely accurate, because you need all tests and measurements to correspond exactly to the numbers. Since this is so important, you can be sure that it would be a good idea to spend as much time as you need to try and find a good company that can provide you with the sort of automated or custom measurement software that you know you can rely on.

So what do you do when you need to find this sort of equipment or software but are currently running into a bit of trouble along the way. Well, you could choose to bring your search to the Internet, where it is likely that you would be able to find all kinds of great offers within a very short amount of time looking around. There are a lot of excellent reasons to consider shopping online for your test and measurement equipment, but one of the main ones is that it is usually so much easier to find the higher quality products that you really need. In addition to there being a wider availability of higher quality products, you will also typically be able to find really good prices for these products, which is just another additional bonus worth considering.

When you go online to find the equipment that you need, one thing that you need to do before you make the decision to purchase any products is decide on your current budget. It is possible that you will have a limited amount of money that you can afford to pay for this equipment, so make sure that you know exactly what you can afford before you make the decision to buy any measuring software. This will certainly help you by eliminating the chance that you could spend too much on something that could have otherwise been purchased at a much more decent price had you taken the time to look around a little bit longer.

Finally, when it comes to being absolutely sure about the quality of the equipment you are buying, it can be so helpful to read a few reviews that other people or businesses that have purchased the same test and measurement software might have written. By getting more knowledge about these systems and how they work you will be in a better position to identify any flaws or figure out whether or not a specific system is worth the money. While at first it might seem like a very complicated learning process, there is plenty of helpful information available online about these subjects and if you take the time to learn you will eventually become something of an expert. It is really that simple at the end of the day.

Source: http://hardwarehelps.blogspot.com/2013/01/tips-on-finding-right-test-and.html

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Trove of ancient skulls found in Mexico

Archaeologists have unearthed a trove of skulls in Mexico that may have once belonged to human sacrifice victims. The skulls, which date between A.D. 600 and 850, may also shatter existing notions about the ancient culture of the area.

The find, described in the January issue of the journal Latin American Antiquity, was located in an otherwise empty field that once held a vast lake, but was miles from the nearest major city of the day, said study co-author Christopher Morehart, an archaeologist at Georgia State University.

"It's absolutely remarkable to think about this little nothing on the landscape having potentially evidence of the largest mass human sacrifice in ancient Meso-America," Morehart said.

Middle of nowhere

Morehart and his colleagues were using satellite imagery to map ancient canals, irrigation channels and lakes that used to surround the kingdom of Teotihuacan (home to the Pyramid of the Sun), about 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Mexico City. The vast ancient kingdom flourished from around A.D 200 to 650, though who built it remains a mystery. [In Photos: Amazing Ruins of the Ancient World]

In a now drained lake called Lake Xaltocan, around which was essentially rural farmland at the time, Morehart stumbled upon a site with evidence of looting.

When the team investigated, they discovered lines of human skulls with just one or two vertebra attached. To date, more than 150 skulls have been discovered there. The site also contained a shrine with incense burners, water-deity figurines and agricultural pottery, such as corncob depictions, suggesting a ritual purpose tied to local farming. [See images from the grisly excavation ]

Carbon dating suggested that the skulls were at least 1,100 years old, and the few dozen analyzed so far are mostly from men, Morehart told LiveScience. The researchers did not release photos of the skulls because the sacrifice victims may have historic ties to modern-day indigenous cultures.

The findings shake up existing notions of the culture of the day, because the site is not associated with Teotihuacan or other regional powers, said Destiny Crider, an archaeologist at Luther College in Iowa, who was not involved in the study.

Human sacrifice was practiced throughout the region, both at Teotihuacan and in the later Aztec Empire, but most of those rituals happened at great pyramids within cities and were tied to state powers.

By contrast, "this one is a big event in a little place," Crider said.

The shrines and the fact that sacrifice victims were mostly male suggest they were carefully chosen, not simply the result of indiscriminate slaughter of a whole village, Crider told LiveScience.

Many researchers believe that massive drought caused the fall of Teotihuacan and ushered in a period of warfare and political infighting as smaller regional powers sprang up, Morehart said.

Those tumultuous times could have spurred innovative ? and bloody ? practices, Crider said.

"Maybe they needed to intensify their activities because everything was changing," she said. "When things are uncertain you try new strategies."

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.?

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-human-sacrifice-pile-ancient-skulls-found-152724186.html

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Obama praises nominees for SEC, consumer panel

President Barack Obama announces in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, that he will nominate Mary Joe White, right, to lead the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and re-nominate Richard Cordray, left, to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a role that he has held for the last year under a recess appointment. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama announces in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 24, 2013, that he will nominate Mary Joe White, right, to lead the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), and re-nominate Richard Cordray, left, to lead the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a role that he has held for the last year under a recess appointment. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama says his picks for two top posts will crack down on those whose irresponsible behavior threatens the U.S. economy and the middle class.

In his weekly radio and Internet address, Obama praises his nominee to lead the Securities and Exchange Commission, Mary Jo White, and his pick for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Richard Cordray.

Obama says White, a former federal prosecutor, will help reform Wall Street. He says Cordray will be a champion for American consumers and is imploring the Senate to confirm him.

Obama installed Cordray last year through a recess appointment after Senate Republicans opposed his nomination.

In the Republican address, South Dakota Sen. John Thune says the Senate must pass a budget that addresses out-of-control spending to stave off another credit-rating downgrade.

____

Online:

Obama address: www.whitehouse.gov

GOP address: www.youtube.com/gopweeklyaddress

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-26-Obama/id-a6571dbeb3034313aed5363eb7db5412

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Man gets last Whopper Jr. during his funeral

By Gil Aegerter, Staff Writer, NBC News

A Pennsylvania man who died at age 88 was buried Saturday -- but not before a stop at Burger King on the way to the cemetery for a Whopper Jr.

The York Daily Record reported that David S. Kime Jr. of West York loved those burgers -- along with other fast food -- so his family and friends followed the hearse through the drive-through window at the Manchester Burger King. The manager said 40 Whopper Jr. burgers were prepared, including one for Kime, who died Jan. 20.

"He always lived by his own rules," Linda Phiel, one of Kime's three daughters, told the Daily Record. "His version of eating healthy was the lettuce on the Whopper Jr."


Phiel said her 5-foot-tall father was a borderline diabetic for years and had pacemaker, but he began eating what he wanted after his wife died 25 years ago, according to the Daily Record.

"He was not prejudiced," Phiel told the Daily Record. "He would go to any fast food place anyone invited him to."

After a while, she said, she gave up lecturing him: "When you're 88 years old, I guess you've earned the right to do what you want to do."

A photo in the Daily Record?shows Phiel placing her dad's last burger atop his casket amid a spray of flowers.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/26/16716832-man-gets-his-last-whopper-jr-during-his-funeral-procession?lite

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Wool is hot at huge Utah outdoor gear trade show - TwinCities.com

SALT LAKE CITY?Wool instead of synthetic fleece, carbon skis and a spoon-shaped sleeping bag are among the hottest products at the world's largest expo for outdoor equipment and apparel, where vendors are vying for a share of the $289 billion Americans spend every year on outdoor gear, travel and services.

The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market show that runs through Saturday is a merchandise bazaar for a lifestyle of outdoor adventure. Bringing together 1,000 of the world's manufacturers and distributors, it is a showcase for the latest gear and fashions before they hit the mainstream.

One hardware company, Salt Lake City-based Black Diamond, put models on stage late Thursday for its inaugural 24-piece line of jackets and stretch-woven pants. It plans to jump into wool a year from now.

Wool was rubbed out by fleece decades ago, but many exhibitors said it's back without the itch, still warm and quick to dry and it doesn't hold body odors, a big drawback of fleece.

"Natural fibers is where it's at," said Matt Skousen, of Everest Designs. "It's the real deal. Wool has had millions of years to figure itself out."

Skousen founded Everest Designs with his Nepalese wife, Choti Sherpa. They hire workers in Nepal to stitch beanies from New Zealand wool, run the company out of Missoula, Mont., and were hoping for a sales boost at a trade show also crowded with Merino wool sweaters, undergarments and socks.

Shoppers aren't allowed inside the

expo and no cash sales are conducted. Instead, the four-day show brings together retailers making orders for next year's inventory. Suppliers range from industry giants like Patagonia and Mountain Hardwear to perhaps the smallest player, a former Army Ranger hawking "Combat FlipFlops" from his duffel bag.

Matthew Griffin, who calls himself a micro-manufacturer, didn't have a booth of his own.

New products range from sunglasses with magnetic pop-out lenses to a thermo-electric camp stove that does double duty boiling water and charging electronic devices.

Another company showed off a line of sleeping bags with a roomy hourglass shape for camper comfort.

"Nobody sleeps like a mummy," said Kate Ketschek of New Hampshire-based NEMO Equipment Inc., which is receiving industry attention for its extra-wide Spoon Series of sleeping bags, an alternative to mummy and rectangular bags. She called it a "completely new category" of sleeping bags, made for side sleepers.

The jam-packed expo underscores a thriving corner of the economy. Outdoor-gear sales grew 5 percent annually throughout recent years of recession, analysts said.

The show favors Utah, a place of rugged mountains and canyons and a cottage industry for innovators like DPS, a maker of expensive carbon-fiber skis that recently shifted production from China to safeguard and refine its technology.

Stephen Drake was an English major from New York in 2005 when he launched DPS with $100,000, a trip to China and a design for a featherweight carbon ski.

"Man, we were in over our head," said Drake, 36, who teamed up with an engineer. "It's almost ridiculous what we tried to do with so little money, building carbon skis with new technology." DPS now handcrafts several thousand pairs a year for retail prices up to $1,300 from a factory in Ogden.

That's too much for a ski, said Mark Wariakois, founder of Voile, which sells a hybrid-carbon model for $600 adopted by backcountry professionals in the Rocky Mountains. Voile laminates 3,000 skis and snowboards a year at a factory in a Salt Lake City suburb.

"Everybody is trying to figure out how we make these big skis" for that price, said Wariakois. "We make all of our own tools. That's probably the biggest secret to our success."

Attendance is up 40 percent since 2006, with more than 20,000 flocking to Winter Market, said Nielsen Expo Outdoor Group, the organizer. A twin show in August brings out a larger crowd and is dominated by equipment for water sports.

Nielsen announced Tuesday it was keeping the shows in Salt Lake City through August 2016. The decision suspended a political standoff that had the Outdoor Industry Association threatening to leave over Gov. Gary Herbert's policies. Herbert, a Republican, unveiled a 59-page "vision" for outdoor recreation in the state, which calls for the creation of a state office devoted to the $5.8 billion economic sector.

The Outdoor Retailer show has taken place in Utah since 1996 and pours $40 million annually into the local economy.

Source: http://www.twincities.com/outdoors/ci_22449033/1-000-gear-makers-at-salt-lake-city

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Davos summit ends with warnings on global economy

DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? The crisis mood is gone, but that doesn't mean you can slip back into your old ways ? that's the message from top international finance officials wrapping up the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

They warned governments Saturday against letting their relief over an improved economic climate turn into complacency over reforms many want to see in order to sustain a still-uncertain recovery.

"Do not relax," International Monetary Fund head Christine Lagarde urged at a closing panel on the economic outlook.

She said the IMF outlook for a "fragile and timid" recovery depended on officials in the powerhouse economies of Europe, the U.S. and Japan making "the right decisions."

Her comments came at the end of the gathering of 2,500 business, financial and political leaders that took place in a more upbeat atmosphere than last year.

Fears over the breakup the euro currency union have abated, while the U.S. has avoided the so-called "fiscal cliff" of automatic tax increases and spending cuts that threatened to push the world's largest economy back into recession.

With those bullets dodged, there are fears that governments may ease up on the measures to improve growth and reduce debt that many institutions such as the IMF are calling for.

The IMF estimates that the world economy will grow about 3.5 percent this year, modestly better than last year's 3.2 percent. Yet the improvement is uneven. The eurozone and Japan are in recession, but the U.S. is growing, and emerging economies such as China are expanding much more quickly.

The developed world is still recovering from the shock of the financial crisis, which began in 2007 when U.S. banks revealed heavy losses related to mortgages handed out to people with shaky credit. With banks around the world teetering, the world economy slid into deepest recession since World War II and the recovery since has been unspectacular.

Like last year, Europe and specifically the debt problems of the 17 European Union countries that use the euro, was a key focus in Davos.

Lagarde said officials in Europe have to see through reforms to prevent failed banks from adding to government debt through bailouts. Progress towards a "banking union" that would impose tougher, centralized supervision of banks to ward off failures and bailouts has been slow.

Lagarde said the eurozone was still in "a very fragile situation" that was made more risky through a slow decision-making process and occasional backtracking on initiatives.

In addition, she said U.S. has to sort out its budget dispute between Congress and President Barack Obama. Up against a New Year's deadline, the two sides put off much of their dispute for a few months.

"Good decisions have been made," she said. "Sometimes at the last minute, as in the United States, sometimes laborious and confusingly as in the eurozone," she said. "In 2013 they have to keep up the momentum.

Angel Gurria, the secretary general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, echoed Lagarde, saying "let's fight complacency with everything we've got, let's continue with the reform process so we can consolidate this hesitant recovery."

Akira Amari, Japan's minister of economic and fiscal policy, underlined the determination of the newly elected government of Prime Minister Shenzo Abe to jolt the country's economy out of its stagnation.

And the head of Canada's central bank, Mark Carney, said the world's major economies, so far supported by central bank stimulus such as low interest rates, needed to "achieve escape velocity" in which growth becomes self-sustaining. Carney, who is due to become governor of the Bank of England in June, said the eurozone had been stabilized by an offer by the European Central Bank to buy government bonds of indebted countries and lower their borrowing costs.

Yet Carney said the ECB move was "crucial but not decisive" without progress on banking union and reforms to increase growth.

He said policy makers "have to finish the job they have started."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/davos-summit-ends-warnings-global-economy-152248504--finance.html

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Justin Bieber Previews Believe Acoustic: Watch Now!

Bieber promises he will 'answer all the questions' on the album, out January 29.
By Jocelyn Vena


Justin Bieber
Photo: Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700813/justin-bieber-believe-acoustic-preview.jhtml

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ShelterBox Expands Reach in Syrian Refugee Crisis, Response Teams En Route to Jordan

International disaster relief organization, ShelterBox, is en route to Jordan after the government released an urgent appeal for aid as an ?unprecedented? amount of Syrian refugees continue to enter the country.

Sarasota, FL (PRWEB) January 25, 2013

International disaster relief organization, ShelterBox, is en route to Jordan after the government released an urgent appeal for aid as an ?unprecedented? amount of Syrian refugees continue to enter the country.

ShelterBox responds following disasters such as earthquake, flood, tsunami, hurricane, cyclone or conflict by delivering boxes of aid. Each box contains a disaster relief tent, stove, water filtration system, blankets and other items necessary to help families live independently and with dignity in the months following disaster.

Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh released a statement Thursday, requesting international aid after 20,000 Syrians crossed into the country in a single week. Judeh described the influx as ?unprecedented, larger than any other time in the last two years.?

In response to the country?s appeal, members of the highly trained ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) are en route to Jordan to assess the need for emergency shelter and other aid.

Although ShelterBox had prepositioned its aid with the Jordanian Red Crescent in December 2012, the need for additional emergency shelter and supplies is imminent.

ShelterBox first responded to the Syrian refugee crisis in October 2012, by delivering 500 boxes of winterized aid to the Domiz refugee camp in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. By December 2012, ShelterBox aid was also distributed in Syria, to a total of 710 families living families living in the Al-Salameh camp near the Turkey border.

An additional SRT is currently in Lebanon, awaiting the arrival of ShelterBoxes and assessing the need for more, in response to the Lebanese government?s request for aid earlier this month.

ShelterBox is also responding to the typhoon in the Philippines, bushfires in Australia and flooding in Nigeria.

ABOUT SHELTERBOX USA

Since 2000, ShelterBox has provided shelter, warmth and dignity following more than 200 disasters in over 85 countries. ShelterBox instantly responds to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict by delivering boxes of aid. Each iconic green ShelterBox contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, stove, blankets and water filtration system, among other tools for survival. ShelterBox?s American affiliate, ShelterBox USA is headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. Individual tax-deductible donations to ShelterBox USA can be made at http://www.shelterboxusa.org, 941-907-6036 or via text message by sending SHELTER to 20222 for a one-time $10 donation.

Erin Holdgate
ShelterBox USA
(941) 907-6036 100
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shelterbox-expands-reach-syrian-refugee-crisis-response-teams-011645295.html

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Did Jim Harbaugh know Colin Kaepernick was this good?

San Francisco 49er Colin Kaepernick put on a show last week. In the NFC championship Sunday, he was just as impressive with his arm and his cool, vindicating coach Jim Harbaugh.

By Mark Sappenfield,?Staff writer / January 20, 2013

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick signals to the line during the second half of the NFL football NFC Championship game Sunday in Atlanta.

David Goldman/AP

Enlarge

Perhaps this is what Jim Harbaugh imagined. Perhaps, when the San Francisco 49ers traded up to take Colin Kaepernick in the second round of the 2011 draft, Harbaugh knew that the rangy quarterback with a bodybuilder's arms and a sprinter's legs could stand in a cauldron of sound, down 17 points, in his ninth professional game, and lead his team to the Super Bowl.

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If so, then his reward is fitting. Forty-niners coach Harbaugh is taking an offense no one knows how to stop ? led by a star quarterback that seemingly no one but he saw coming ? to the National Football League title game Feb. 3 in New Orleans.

Last week, Kaepernick continued this season's reinvention of the modern quarterback with a record 181 yards rushing against the Green Bay Packers. This Sunday, he did nothing too far beyond the ordinary ? which, in its way, was spectacular.

The Atlanta Falcons had seen what Kaepernick did to the Packers, and their defense Sunday was designed to prevent him from doing it to them. That part worked. But in the end, it didn't help them much.

Kaepernick merely showed that he could do it the Peyton Manning way, too ? beating a team with his arm from inside the pocket.

For opposing teams, it presents a particularly unappealing choice: Which way do you want him to beat you?

The problem, of course, is that even when Kaepernick isn't doing anything more elaborate than handing off the ball to Frank Gore, the threat of him doing more ties defenses into knots. So Atlanta essentially told its defensive ends, "Don't let Colin go anywhere." And they didn't. But Gore did ? largely because those defensive ends were watching him blow by on crucial red-zone touchdowns.?

On Sunday, Kaepernick's best decision ? again and again ? was not to run the ball.

And when he dropped back to pass, he looked as comfortable as Sunday afternoon on a front-porch swing. A running quarterback? Only because he can run ? and exquisitely. But there is also his arm.

Yes, that arm. The one that was drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2009 for its pitching prowess. That tattooed slingshot that gives the impression that, just maybe, football's version of Pedro Martinez has lined up behind center.

Yet down 17-0 at the start of the second quarter, neither his arm nor his legs would have mattered much without his calm. Kaepernick showed it last week, coming back to give his astonishing performance after throwing an interception that the Packers returned for a touchdown on the 49ers first possession.?

Another young quarterback, Russell Wilson, showed it, too, last week, rallying his Seattle Seahawks from 20-0 down to take a 28-27 lead on the same Falcons with 31 seconds remaining ? though on that day the Falcons managed a last-second field goal to win.?

And Indianapolis Colts quarterback rookie Andrew Luck somehow managed to take a team that pundits ranked last in preseason polls to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.

Kaepernick's win Sunday in the NFC championship game ? in only his eighth game as a starter, in only his second year as a pro ? is simply the latest, indelible evidence that young quarterbacks are not what they used to be.

First-year starters playing in their ninth game are supposed to crumble when they fall behind in the biggest game of their short career, on the road in a stadium where the crowd is making your helmet an echoing house of horrors. After all, no NFC team ? no matter how experienced its quarterback ? had ever come back to win a conference championship game when trailing by 17 points. ? ? ?

But there was Kaepernick, amid the din of the Georgia Dome, directing the offense as coolly as if these were preseason drills.

The sports world knows Wally Pip as the man who sat out one game with a headache and never again got his job back ? his replacement was New York Yankee-legend-to-be Lou Gehrig. Alex Smith, the former 49er starting quarterback who went down in Week 10 with a concussion, deserves more recognition than that. He was, at the time, the top-rated passer in the league.

Perhaps Harbaugh knew what was in store when Kaepernick came off the bench in that game against the St. Louis Rams. It's just the rest of us who are only now beginning to fully appreciate it.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/-0gFuaZhd7o/Did-Jim-Harbaugh-know-Colin-Kaepernick-was-this-good

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Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Video: Witness: ?I just heard somebody screaming?

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/50552007/

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Charismatic ex-commando shakes up Israeli politics

Millionaire Naftali Bennett, who is bitterly opposed to a Palestinian state, is set to propel his party into a key position during upcoming elections. NBC's John Ray reports.

By John Ray, Correspondent, NBC News

TEL AVIV, Israel -- Something very curious is happening at the top of Israeli politics.

Benyamin Netanyahu?-- who has flown high as a hawk -- is in danger of looking a little dovish.

It?s not that the prime minister, who seeks and will almost certainly win re-election on Tuesday, has transformed himself into a peacenik. On the contrary; his campaign ads feature an intimidating cast of Israel?s nasty neighbors Hamas, Hezbollah and doesn't forget Iran. The message -- that only strong-man Netanyahu can be trusted to defend the nation.

The problem is that Netanyahu is being outflanked on the even harder right, which means that after the elections, he will feel pressure to become more hardline on issues such as Palestinian statehood.?

It is probably even more galling for him that the rising star and rival is a former aide.?

'100 years of bloodshed'
Like most political pretenders here,?Naftali Bennett boasts a military background, in his case as an army commando. He?s also a successful businessman who sold his company for a multi-million dollar fortune. What distinguishes him is a rare energy and a charisma often lacking in his counterparts. That, and a willingness to speak bluntly.

?Injecting an artificial Arab state within the land of Israel would bring 100 years of bloodshed and war that would never end. It?s not good for the Arabs. It?s not good for the Israelis,? he said.

Dan Balilty / Pool via Getty Images

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visits the Ariel University Center in the West Bank on Jan. 8. The institution's status was recently formally upgraded, making it the first university in the West Bank Jewish settlements.

It is a message that has thrilled Israel?s settler community -- the hundreds of thousands of? Jews who live on land occupied by Israel since 1967, illegally according to international law.? Peace talks with the Palestinians -- around 2.5 million of whom live in the West Bank and East Jerusalem -- ground to a halt in 2010 after Netanyahu decided not to extend a moratorium on the building of settlements.

Netanyahu maintains that he is still committed to the creation of a Palestinian state as part of peace deal, but only as long as it is not a threat to Israel's security.

For their part, Bennett and his Jewish Home party have no plans to turn the land over. Rather, the party proposes to annex nearly two-thirds of it, inviting any Palestinians who live there to take Israeli citizenship -- or to leave. His popularity was clear during a recent rally in the southern city of?Be'er Sheva as?supporters, many too young to actually vote, mobbed him.

More Israel coverage from NBC News

Bennett is especially popular among the Jewish population in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, where Israeli soldiers patrol streets closed to Palestinians to protect a few hundred settlers.

?He?s a good guy, a very good guy,? two young Jewish men said as they flashed a thumbs-up.?

Bennett is strong and will look after Jewish communities, many fellow settlers believe.

President Obama's second term will be just hours old when he'll need to turn his attention to elections in Israel, where Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has campaigned largely on one issue: security. NBC's Jim Maceda reports.

He won?t win the election, of course. But his party might finish third or even second and under the proportional system of government here, that pretty much guarantees him a seat in the next ruling coalition.

His uncompromising voice will leave Netanyahu?-- the ace tactician -- with less wiggle room as he deals with the tricky issues of settlements, Palestinians, war and peace.

And all that against a backdrop of a new American administration showing signs that it is tired of always having to stick up for its ally, no matter what.

To Israelis, who live in a tough neighborhood, strong men have always appealed.

But to survive, many know that this country also needs friends and they fret that Bennett and his like on the hard right will only isolate Israel further.

Follow NBC / ITV correspondent John Ray?on Twitter.

Related:?

Jewish settlers voluntarily evacuate West Bank enclave

Israeli-Palestinian conflict plays out in a rocky field

Hamas leader returns to Palestinian territories for first time since 1967

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/21/16584518-charismatic-ex-commando-pressures-netanyahu-from-the-right-as-israel-prepares-to-vote?lite

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