Sunday, September 30, 2012

National Coffee Day | Demystifying Coffee Jargon | Make It At Home ...

EOC OriginalCoffee language can be so confusing. When my daughter sends me to the drive thru to pick up her favorite beverage I am always overwhelmed with the verbiage? it can confuse you and almost make you cry! Vocabulary lessons in school didn?t include words like macchiato, latte, or frappe?so most of us are at a disadvantage when attempting to order a coffee treat just because we don?t know what all those terms mean.

In honor of National Coffee Day on September 29th, Eight O?Clock Coffee, America?s Original Gourmet Coffee, is demystifying coffee jargon?and explaining how to make a great-tasting specialty coffee drink at home, no fancy machines needed. Behold, your guide to creating a caf? coffee experience right in your own kitchen, courtesy of Eight O?Clock Coffee!

latteLatte- Traditionally, this is made using espresso and foamed milk. The milk to coffee ratio is 3:1.
Make It At Home! Use a strong coffee, like Eight O?Clock Coffee?s Dark Italian Roast, and brew regularly. Pour some milk into a saucepan and place over medium heat. Whisk milk as it heats to make it frothy. Pour some of the coffee into a mug, add some hot liquid milk and spoon the foamed milk on top.

Caf? Mocha- This is simply a latte with some type of chocolate flavor added in.
Make It At Home! Prepare using the latte instructions. Before adding the coffee and milk, pour 2/3 cup of hot chocolate mix into the bottom of the mug, add coffee and milk and stir until the mix has dissolved.

Caf? au Lait- Similar to a latte, but usually uses strong brewed coffee instead of espresso and has a 1:1 ratio of coffee to milk.
Make It At Home! Brew Eight O?Clock Coffee?s Dark Italian Roast, steam the milk and add equal parts milk (add this first) and coffee to your mug.

CappuccinoCappuccino- Usually made with equal parts espresso, steamed milk and frothed milk.
Make It At Home! Follow the same instructions as the latte, but pour equal parts coffee and steamed milk into the mug and top with frothed milk. It?s great with cinnamon or chocolate sprinkled on.

Macchiato- A traditional macchiato is a shot of espresso with a bit of milk foam. We usually think of the caramel macchiato, which is very popular at coffee shops in the US.
Make It At Home! Make a tasty caramel macchiato using Eight O?Clock Coffee Dark Italian Roast. Heat milk in a saucepan and whisk until frothy, add a few pumps of vanilla syrup to your cup of coffee, top with milk froth and drizzle with caramel syrup.

frappeFrappe- A frappe is a cold blended coffee drink with chilled coffee, sugar, milk or cream and ice blended together.
Make It At Home! All you need is 6-8 ounces of cold coffee (we like Eight O?Clock Coffee Original Blend), 2 Tbsp milk, 3/4 cup crushed or cubed ice and sugar to taste. Combine ingredients in a blender. You can also add 2 Tbsp of your favorite syrup?caramel, chocolate, vanilla?some people even add ice cream to make it thicker. The possibilities are endless, so get creative!

Pumpkin Coffee- Virtually every coffee shop has some kind of limited-time-only pumpkin coffee, a delicious fall flavor.
Make It At Home! Brew your own pumpkin coffee this fall or any other time of year you feel a craving coming on. Use 2 tsp of pumpkin spice for every 3 Tbsp of Eight O?Clock Coffee Original Blend. Combine the pumpkin spice with the coffee grounds and brew. Sweeten to your desire.

EspressoEspresso- A concentrated coffee brewed by forcing a small amount of nearly boiling water under pressure through finely ground coffee beans.
Make It At Home!? Espresso machines are typically very expensive, but you can come close to the real deal with your regular coffee pot. Choose a dark roast, like Eight O?Clock Coffee?s Dark Italian Roast, and grind the beans as finely as possible. Double the coffee filter, and pack down the coffee grounds into the filter (use 1 tbsp for every 1/4 cup of espresso). It?s a great option that replicates the strong, bold flavor espresso and cappuccino aficionados love.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission?s 16 CFR, Part 255: ?Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.? The opinions expressed in this post are entirely my own. Your experience with the product may differ from mine. The sponsor is responsible for prize fulfillment and will be shipping the winner(s) their prize(s). For more information read my disclosure policy.

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Source: http://www.ourkidsmom.com/2012/09/national-coffee-day-demystifying-coffee-jargon-make-it-at-home-ideas/

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Buying a short sale with an hoa lien - Zillow Real Estate Advice

If you are purchasing title insurance, your title company will perform a title commitment prior to closing. This should tell you what liens are outstanding on the property. Your title insurer won't sell you a property with known outstanding liens as they could become liable for them.

Often HOA's will charge a fee for this information and I am guessing the sellers don't want to incur the fee until they're absolutely sure the sale is closing.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Buying-a-short-sale-with-an-hoa-lien/461910/

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Mooning over the night sky's marvels

NASA / JPL-Caltech / SSI

NASA's Cassini orbiter captured this view of Saturn on June 15, from a distance of about 1.8 million miles (2.9 million kilometers). The rings' shadow runs across the planet's sunlit side. The speck in the lower left corner is Enceladus, a 313-mile-wide (504-kilometer-wide) moon of Saturn.

By Alan Boyle

NASA's Cassini sent back this big, beautiful, black-and-white picture of Saturn ? but what's that little white speck in the corner?

The image, unveiled by Cassini's imaging team on Monday, shows tiny Enceladus at lower left. It's just 313 miles wide (504 kilometers wide), and yet it shines brightly from a distance of 2 million miles or so. Enceladus is arguably as intriguing as Saturn, and here's why: The icy moon has geysers of water spouting up from cracks in its surface, suggesting that there's a deep ocean and perhaps even some sort of life down below.


To get a more imaginative view of Enceladus, check out this posting on the io9 blog, featuring an illustration from?"Planetfall: New Solar System Visions," a big, beautiful, full-color coffee-table book by Michael Benson. NPR's Robert Krulwich showed off the same image earlier this month on his?Krulwich Wonders blog.

Enceladus is just one of the moons of the solar system that's been soaking up the spotlight lately: Also this month, NASA's Curiosity rover watched Mars' two moons, Phobos and Deimos, pass over the sun's disk during a series of mini-eclipses. The rover won't see such a sight again for 11 months or so. Here's a smooth animation of Deimos' transit?from Nahum Chazarra on UnmannedSpaceflight.com. And if you haven't seen it already, you'll want to catch up with the sight of a crescent Phobos in Mars' dusky sky.?

Shine on, Harvest Moon
Our own moon is definitely worth watching over the next few days: Saturday brings a "Harvest Moon" ? that is, the full moon that's closest to the September equinox.?That's traditionally a good moon to bring in the harvest by, since it lights up the whole night for late-working farmers.

The Harvest Moon also can serve as a guidepost for finding the planet Uranus in the night sky, although the moon's glare interferes with the view this weekend. If you'd like some extra help, the Slooh Space Camera?is planning a couple of online viewing parties over the weekend ? with Uranus as the guest of honor. Video feeds will be coming in to the Slooh website from a variety of observatories, and a panel of experts will provide commentary. The first show begins at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, with an encore performance at 10.

Next week, the moon continues to act as a guide, as Sky & Telescope's Alan M. MacRobert explains. On Oct. 3, the moon lingers near the Pleiades star cluster. The next night, it sits near the bright red star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus. And on Oct. 5, the waning moon hangs out with Jupiter, starting around 10 p.m.

This weekend is also a good time to look for the International Space Station as well as the European Space Agency's Automated Transfer Vehicle, which undocked from the station today. To find out when and where to look, check out NASA's satellite sighting database.

Where in the Cosmos
Cassini's picture of Saturn and Enceladus served as today's "Where in the Cosmos" picture puzzle on the Cosmic Log Facebook page. It took just a few minutes for Ian Slota to solve the riddle and report that the speck in the picture was Enceladus. As a reward, I'm sending Ian a pair of big, beautiful, cardboard 3-D glasses, courtesy of Microsoft Research's WorldWide Telescope project. Those glasses will come in handy for seeing 3-D pictures of Saturn's moons. Click the "like" button for the Cosmic Log Facebook page, and you too may be a winner in next week's "Where in the Cosmos" game.


Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page to your Google+ circles. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/09/28/14143393-mooning-over-the-night-skys-marvels?lite

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Saturday, September 29, 2012

Probiotic for babies may not fight allergies later

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Kindergartners who were given "good bacteria" supplements as infants were no less likely to suffer from allergies than other kids in a new study from Australia.

The findings, reported in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, add to a mixed bag of results from research into whether probiotics can help ward off kids' allergies.

Based on what's known so far, it may be that only certain probiotics are helpful for certain kids - but even then, the benefit seems "very modest," according to Dr. Sonia Michail, a pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Hospital Los Angeles who was not involved in the work.

The 123 kids in this study, which was led by Marie P. Jensen of the University of Western Australia in Perth, were part of a clinical trial as infants, when researchers randomly assigned half to take a probiotic supplement every day for the first six months of life. The rest of the babies were given a placebo.

All of the babies were considered to be at increased risk of allergies because their mothers suffered from them.

In earlier studies, the researchers found no benefits of the probiotic when the babies were 1 to 2.5 years old.

This latest report finds still no effects at the age of 5. Of 66 kids who had received the probiotic in infancy, 44 percent had some type of allergy - such as nasal allergies, food allergies or asthma. That compared with 38 percent of 57 kids who got the placebo.

Probiotics are live microorganisms, usually bacteria, which are naturally present in the gut, and are often added to certain foods, like yogurt and fermented milk, or sold as supplements.

In theory, probiotics given early in life could help curb kids' allergy risk by ensuring a healthy balance of microbes in the intestines, which promotes normal immune function.

Allergies arise when the immune system overreacts to a normally benign substance.

One of the best known and widely used probiotics is Lactobacillus acidophilus - which is what kids in this study were given.

The findings are somewhat surprising, Michail said in an email, because some studies have found that probiotics may help curb certain kids' long-term risk of the allergic skin condition eczema.

But in those studies, the probiotics were different strains of friendly bacteria (L. rhamnosus GG in one study, and a probiotic mix in the other).

And they were given not only to infants, but to their moms starting about a month before delivery, noted Michail, who has researched the role of gut bacteria in kids' health.

What's more, one study found probiotic benefits only among kids who'd been born by C-section.

"Interestingly, the intestine of a baby just born does not have any bacteria, but this quickly changes and the intestine becomes populated by large numbers of bacteria called ?flora,'" Michail said.

Babies born via C-section are not exposed to their moms' beneficial bacteria in the birth canal, and studies have linked C-section birth to a higher allergy and asthma risk.

The "different bacterial profile" in babies born by C-section "may be permissive to the development of allergies," Michail explained.

But the bottom line is that even in the positive studies, the benefits of probiotics seem small.

In the U.S., the Food and Drug Administration classifies probiotics as a food or dietary supplement. That means the products don't have to be proven effective before hitting the market, but they cannot be promoted for treating or preventing any specific disease.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/QZYVSG Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, online September 10, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/probiotic-babies-may-not-fight-allergies-later-165547608.html

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Man City comes from behind to beat Fulham 2-1

Associated Press Sports

updated 3:21 p.m. ET Sept. 29, 2012

LONDON (AP) -Substitute Edin Dzeko grabbed a late winner as Manchester City came from behind to beat Fulham 2-1 and revive its challenge for the Premier League title.

The Bosnia striker slammed a powerful finish into the roof of the net in the 87th minute - moments after coming on - to end a run of two straight draws that had dropped the defending champions off the fierce pace set by early leader Chelsea.

Mladen Petric had put Fulham ahead in the 10th with a disputed penalty after John Arne Riise fell under the challenge of Pablo Zabaleta, but Sergio Aguero's first goal of the season had brought City level just before halftime.

The victory keeps Roberto Mancini's unbeaten team four points behind Chelsea, which won 2-1 at Arsenal earlier Saturday, but will help quieten the critics who say City isn't the same force as last season.

"I think that we played a good game," City manager Roberto Mancini said. "I was worried because we continued to play well and continued to create chances, but didn't score (the winner) for 87 minutes."

City remains without a clean sheet, however, after falling behind following a decision to award a penalty for a trip by Zabaleta.

Petric made no mistake with his spot-kick, sending goalkeeper Joe Hart the wrong way, and then wasted a decent chance to double Fulham's advantage five minutes later as he scooped over after fine link-up play with Hugo Rodallega.

Sergio Aguero headed a close-range effort into the side netting but the Argentina striker - playing alongside international teammate Carlos Tevez up front - made amends when he tapped in after David Silva's flick was saved by Mark Schwarzer.

First Mario Balotelli and then Dzeko was thrown on as City sought a winner and the latter provided it, pouncing on Riise's failure to clear Gael Clichy's cross and rifling home an unstoppable shot.

"They are a very good team but there is always a possibility against them to play your football like, for example, Arsenal did last week (in the 1-1 draw with City)," Fulham manager Martin Jol said.

"We couldn't play our style, especially in the second half. We couldn't keep the ball, they were stronger than us and more eager to score."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49223442/ns/sports-soccer/

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Candidates Exchange Barbs on Patriotism (WSJ)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251622169?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Friday, September 28, 2012

'Semi-dwarf' trees may enable a green revolution for some forest crops

'Semi-dwarf' trees may enable a green revolution for some forest crops [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Steve Strauss
steve.strauss@oregonstate.edu
541-737-6578
Oregon State University

CORVALLIS, Ore. The same "green revolution" concepts that have revolutionized crop agriculture and helped to feed billions of people around the world may now offer similar potential in forestry, scientists say, with benefits for wood, biomass production, drought stress and even greenhouse gas mitigation.

Researchers at Oregon State University recently outlined the latest findings on reduced height growth in trees through genetic modification, and concluded that several advantageous growth traits could be achieved for short-rotation forestry, bioenergy, or more efficient water use in a drier, future climate.

This approach runs contrary to conventional wisdom and centuries of tree breeding, which tried to produce forest trees that grow larger and taller, the researchers note. But just as the green revolution in agriculture helped crops such as wheat and rice produce more food on smaller, sturdier plants, the opportunities in forestry could be significant.

"Research now makes it clear that genetic modification of height growth is achievable," said Steven Strauss, an OSU professor of forest genetics. "We understand the genes and hormones that control growth not only in crop plants, but also in trees. They are largely the same."

In a study published in Plant Physiology, researchers inserted a number of genes into poplar trees, a species often used for genetic experiments, and valuable for wood, environmental and energy purposes. They described 29 genetic traits that were affected, including growth rate, biomass production, branching, water-use efficiency, and root structure. All of the changes were from modified gibberellins, plant hormones that influence several aspects of growth and development.

The range and variation in genetic modification can be accurately observed and selected for, based on hormone and gene expression levels, to allow production of trees of almost any height.

For example, for ornamental purposes it would be possible to grow a miniature poplar, or even a Douglas-fir, as a potted plant.

And because height growth, in competition for sunlight, is a primary mechanism that trees use to compete for survival, there would be reduced concern about use of such genetically modified trees in a natural environment. On a long-term basis they would be unable to compete, shaded by larger trees and ultimately they would die out.

Scientists could also produce trees that might have a larger root mass, which should make them more drought-resistant, increase water use efficiency, increase elimination of soil toxins and better sequester carbon. This could be useful for greenhouse gas mitigation, bioremediation or erosion control.

Smaller trees could also be selected that have sturdier trunks for some uses in short-rotation plantation forestry, significantly reducing the number of trees blown down by wind. And shorter, thicker and straighter trunks might create higher-value wood products in many tree species, Strauss said.

Some semi-dwarf trees produced by conventional tree breeding techniques are already an important part of the horticulture industry, allowing easier harvesting of fruit and higher yields. Genetic modification could add new characteristics and more scientific precision to the process, researchers said.

"The main limitation is the onerous regulatory structure for genetically-modified plants in the United States," Strauss said. "Even short, safe and beneficial trees are unlikely to be able to bear the high costs and red tape inherent to obtaining regulatory approval."

###

This research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, and industry members of the Tree Biosafety and Genomics Research Cooperative at OSU.

Editor's Note: A digital images of transgenic trees is available to illustrate this story: http://bit.ly/Ph3IyK

The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/RVsIAH



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


'Semi-dwarf' trees may enable a green revolution for some forest crops [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 27-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Steve Strauss
steve.strauss@oregonstate.edu
541-737-6578
Oregon State University

CORVALLIS, Ore. The same "green revolution" concepts that have revolutionized crop agriculture and helped to feed billions of people around the world may now offer similar potential in forestry, scientists say, with benefits for wood, biomass production, drought stress and even greenhouse gas mitigation.

Researchers at Oregon State University recently outlined the latest findings on reduced height growth in trees through genetic modification, and concluded that several advantageous growth traits could be achieved for short-rotation forestry, bioenergy, or more efficient water use in a drier, future climate.

This approach runs contrary to conventional wisdom and centuries of tree breeding, which tried to produce forest trees that grow larger and taller, the researchers note. But just as the green revolution in agriculture helped crops such as wheat and rice produce more food on smaller, sturdier plants, the opportunities in forestry could be significant.

"Research now makes it clear that genetic modification of height growth is achievable," said Steven Strauss, an OSU professor of forest genetics. "We understand the genes and hormones that control growth not only in crop plants, but also in trees. They are largely the same."

In a study published in Plant Physiology, researchers inserted a number of genes into poplar trees, a species often used for genetic experiments, and valuable for wood, environmental and energy purposes. They described 29 genetic traits that were affected, including growth rate, biomass production, branching, water-use efficiency, and root structure. All of the changes were from modified gibberellins, plant hormones that influence several aspects of growth and development.

The range and variation in genetic modification can be accurately observed and selected for, based on hormone and gene expression levels, to allow production of trees of almost any height.

For example, for ornamental purposes it would be possible to grow a miniature poplar, or even a Douglas-fir, as a potted plant.

And because height growth, in competition for sunlight, is a primary mechanism that trees use to compete for survival, there would be reduced concern about use of such genetically modified trees in a natural environment. On a long-term basis they would be unable to compete, shaded by larger trees and ultimately they would die out.

Scientists could also produce trees that might have a larger root mass, which should make them more drought-resistant, increase water use efficiency, increase elimination of soil toxins and better sequester carbon. This could be useful for greenhouse gas mitigation, bioremediation or erosion control.

Smaller trees could also be selected that have sturdier trunks for some uses in short-rotation plantation forestry, significantly reducing the number of trees blown down by wind. And shorter, thicker and straighter trunks might create higher-value wood products in many tree species, Strauss said.

Some semi-dwarf trees produced by conventional tree breeding techniques are already an important part of the horticulture industry, allowing easier harvesting of fruit and higher yields. Genetic modification could add new characteristics and more scientific precision to the process, researchers said.

"The main limitation is the onerous regulatory structure for genetically-modified plants in the United States," Strauss said. "Even short, safe and beneficial trees are unlikely to be able to bear the high costs and red tape inherent to obtaining regulatory approval."

###

This research has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Science Foundation, and industry members of the Tree Biosafety and Genomics Research Cooperative at OSU.

Editor's Note: A digital images of transgenic trees is available to illustrate this story: http://bit.ly/Ph3IyK

The study this story is based on is available online: http://bit.ly/RVsIAH



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/osu-tm092712.php

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How to Fight Your Online Addiction and Regain Control of Your Attention [Habits]

How to Fight Your Online Addiction and Regain Control of Your AttentionHow much time do you spend each day responding to email, checking Facebook, sending and reading Tweets, aimlessly surfing your favorite websites and buying things you don't need? How much time, in other words, do you spend doing stuff online that doesn't add much value in your life, or in anyone else's? Too much, I'm going to guess.

I let it happen to me when I woke up Sunday morning, got on my laptop and started reading the New York Times. Ninety minutes later, I was still surfing from one bookmarked website to the next, vaguely aware that there were other things I wanted to do and that none of what I was taking in was very nourishing. And yet I remained narcotically glued to that screen?a baby bird with its mouth open, forever eager to be fed.

"There are few things ever dreamed of, smoked or injected that have as addictive an effect on our brains as technology," writes Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal in her terrific book The Willpower Instinct.

"The definitive Internet act of our times," she adds, "is a perfect metaphor for the promise of reward. We search. And we search. And we search some more...clicking that mouse...looking for the elusive reward that will finally feel like enough."

Or, as Nobel Prize winner Herbert Simon put it way back in 1978: "A wealth of information creates a poverty of attention." And retention. Taking in endless bits and bytes of information is akin to pouring water into a glass already full?in this case our severely limited working memory.

A growing body of research suggests that up to 95 percent of our behaviors occur on automatic pilot, out of habit or in reaction to an external demand or stimulus. We spend a crazily disproportionate amount of time seeking the next source of instant gratification, rather than pursuing the more challenging goals that ultimately deliver more long-term value and greater satisfaction.

It's not about summoning the strength to say "no." Each time we intentionally forgo something desirable, we deplete our already limited reservoir of will and discipline. When was the last time you resisted the seductive ping of an incoming email?

So how, then, to withstand this Pavlovian pull? And how, in turn, to take back control of your attention, so you can put it to better and richer use?

A few suggestions:

1. Lead yourself not into temptation. Instead, consciously choose times to turn off your technology entirely. The best time of all is at the start of your day, when you've typically got the most energy. Specifically, that's the best time to take on your most important and challenging tasks, without interruption, for anywhere from 30 to 90 minutes.

2. Carry a notebook with you throughout your workday. Download any ideas that come to you as quickly as possible?not just to ensure you'll remember them, but also to clear space in your working memory for whatever comes at you next. Alternatively, type the ideas into a memo pad on your smart phone.

3. Between meetings and obligations, take some time to breathe deeply?in through your nose to a count of three, out through your mouth to a count of six. In as little as one minute, you can completely clear your bloodstream of the stress hormone cortisol. You'll feel calmer, and you'll be better able to focus.

4. Take a 15- to 20-minute nap between 1 and 4 p.m.?especially on days when you've not gotten sufficient sleep and you find yourself dragging. Even a very short nap can dramatically increase your alertness and your productivity over the subsequent several hours. (This assumes, of course, than you can get your boss on board. Make the case that it'll improve your productivity.)

5. Designate and put in your calendar specific times each week to think reflectively, creatively, and/or strategically. Get up from your desk and take a walk outside, or find a comfortable, relaxing place to hang out. Leave your smart phone at your desk. The idea is to give the verbal left hemisphere of your brain a rest from its usual overload?and to rely instead during these periods on the more visual, imaginative right hemisphere of your brain. You'll know you're doing the right thing if you lose track of time.

Battling Your Online Addiction | Harvard Business Review


Tony Schwartz is the president and CEO of The Energy Project and the author of Be Excellent at Anything. Become a fan of The Energy Project on Facebook and connect with Tony on @tonyschwartz and @energy_project.

Image remixed from Mike Elliot.

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/MvkvXEO_aSM/how-to-fight-your-online-addiction-and-regain-control-of-your-attention

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Leaked document outlines Israel's ?Shock and Awe? plan to attack Iran

http://www.globalresearch.ca/netanyahu-s-secret-war-plan-leaked-document-outlines-israel-s-shock-and-awe-plan-to-attack-iran/

This is?Shock and Awe, Israel-style. It is Bibi?s effort to persuade high-level Israeli officials that Israel can prosecute a pure technology war that involves relatively few human beings (Israeli, that is) who may be put in harm?s way, and will certainly cost few lives of IDF personnel.

Bibi?s sleight of hand here involves no mention whatsoever of an Iranian counter-attack against Israel. The presumption must be that the bells and whistles of all those marvelous new weapons systems will decapitate Iran?s war-making ability and render it paralyzed. The likelihood of this actually happening is nearly nil.

There will be those who will dispute the authenticity of this document. I?m convinced it is what my source claims, based on his prior track record and the level of specificity offered in the document. It references cities by name and the facilities they contain. It names new weapons systems including one Israel supposedly hasn?t even shared with the U.S.

No, it?s real. Or I should say that while it?s real, it is the product of the Israeli dream factory which manufactures threats and then creates fabulist military strategies to address them. The dream factory always breaks the hearts of the families of those whose members fall victim to it. It never produces the result it promises, nor will it do so here.

Remember Bush-era Shock and Awe? Remember those promises of precision-guided cruise missiles raining death upon Saddam Hussein?s Iraq? Remember Bush?s ?Mission Accomplished? ceremony on the deck of the USS Lincoln, only six or seven years premature? Remember the promises of decisive victory? Remember 4,000 U.S. dead, not to mention hundreds of thousands of Iraqis?

Now, think of what an Israeli war against Iran could turn into. Think about how this sanitized version of 21st century war could turn into a protracted, bloody conflict closer to the nine-year Iran-Iraq War:

The Israeli attack will open with a coordinated strike, including an unprecedented cyber-attack which will totally paralyze the Iranian regime and its ability to know what is happening within its borders.? The internet, telephones, radio and television, communications satellites, and fiber optic cables leading to and from critical installations?including underground missile bases at Khorramabad and Isfahan?will be taken out of action.? The electrical grid throughout Iran will be paralyzed and transformer stations will absorb severe damage from carbon fiber munitions which are finer than a human hair, causing electrical short circuits whose repair requires their complete removal.? This would be a Sisyphean task in light of cluster munitions which would be dropped, some time-delayed and some remote-activated through the use of a satellite signal.

A barrage of tens of ballistic missiles would be launched from Israel toward Iran.? 300km ballistic missiles would be launched from Israeli submarines in the vicinity of the Persian Gulf.? The missiles would not be armed with unconventional warheads [WMD], but rather with high-explosive ordnance equipped with reinforced tips designed specially to penetrate hardened targets.

The missiles will strike their targets?some exploding above ground like those striking the nuclear reactor at Arak?which is intended to produce plutonium and tritium?and the nearby heavy water production facility; the nuclear fuel production facilities at Isfahan and facilities for enriching uranium-hexaflouride.? Others would explode under-ground, as at the Fordo facility.

A barrage of hundreds of cruise missiles will pound command and control systems, research and development facilities, and the residences of senior personnel in the nuclear and missile development apparatus.? Intelligence gathered over years will be utilized to completely decapitate Iran?s professional and command ranks in these fields.

After the first wave of attacks, which will be timed to the second, the ?Blue and White? radar satellite, whose systems enable us to perform an evaluation of the level of damage done to the various targets, will pass over Iran.? Only after rapidly decrypting the satellite?s data, will the information be transferred directly to war planes making their way covertly toward Iran.? These IAF planes will be armed with electronic warfare gear previously unknown to the wider public, not even revealed to our U.S. ally.? This equipment will render Israeli aircraft invisible.? Those Israeli war planes which participate in the attack will damage a short-list of targets which require further assault.

Among the targets approved for attack?Shihab 3?and Sejil ballistic missile silos, storage tanks for chemical components of rocket fuel, industrial facilities for producing missile control systems, centrifuge production plants and more.

While the level of specificity in this document is, in some senses, impressive, in one critical aspect it is deficient.? Muhammad Sahimi points out that the current chief of the Revolutionary Guards, when he assumed his position in 2007, deliberately addressed the issue of over-centralization of command and control by dividing the nation into 31 districts.? Each of these has its own independent command and control facilities and mechanisms.? So Israel wouldn?t be able to knock out a single facility and paralyze the IRG.? They?d need to knock out 31 separate sets of facilities?a much harder task.

There seems also to be an assumption that Iran?s leaders and nuclear specialists live nice domestic lives and that Israeli intelligence knows where they all live and can easily target them.? In truth, the most senior Iranian military and scientific figures live clandestine lives and it?s hard for me to believe even the Mossad knows where they are and how to target them.

So it appears that Netanyahu believes he?s fighting Saddam circa 2003.? During that war, the Iraqi Revolutionary Guards?were?centralized and knocking out one C&C center?could?decapitate the entire military apparatus.? But Iran has learned from Saddam?s mistakes.? It isn?t fighting the last war as Bibi appears to be.? It is preparing for the next one.? While Israel may have new tricks up its sleeve that no one in the world has yet seen, if it doesn?t understand the nature of the enemy, its defenses, its structure, etc. then it can?t win.

????

looks like a plan..but is it legit or just another in the long line of sabre rattling articles and posts between the?combatants?

401

~ by seeker401 on September 27, 2012.

Source: http://seeker401.wordpress.com/2012/09/27/leaked-document-outlines-israels-shock-and-awe-plan-to-attack-iran/

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Thursday, September 27, 2012

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New Delhi -- The Fulbright Association presented its 2012 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding to Doctors Without Borders/M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF), the international medical humanitarian organization. The formal award ceremony took place on September 8, 2012, at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

The award, a $50,000 prize, was received with a speech by Dr. Unni Karunakara, international president of MSF. A further highlight of the ceremony was the testimonial to the work of MSF by Francis Gatlauk, one of the first patients ever treated by MSF in South Sudan for the deadly neglected disease kala azar (visceral leishmaniasis). He subsequently joined MSF as a nurse to treat the disease that nearly took his own life and has now spent over two decades working with kala azar and tuberculosis (TB) patients in his home country.

In announcing the honor, Patricia Krebs, president of the Fulbright Association, said, "This is the first time the Prize has been given to an organization rather than to individuals," Krebs said. "Doctors without Borders was a unanimous first choice of the International Selection Committee because of the shared goals of the two organizations in promoting global understanding and humanitarian principles." MSF provides medical assistance to people affected by wars, epidemics, and man-made and natural disasters in nearly 70 countries.

The Prize was first awarded in 1993 to Nelson Mandela, who subsequently received the Nobel Peace Prize. Three other Prize laureates were also later named Nobel Prize recipients. MSF was the Nobel Prize recipient in ???????????????????????1999.

"The Fulbright Prize is recognition of the collective efforts of my 27,000 colleagues-some of whom were Fulbright scholars-working on the frontlines of wars and health catastrophes, not only to treat our patients, but to also promote understanding of the medical needs of the forgotten and often neglected," said Dr. Karunakara. "It is fitting that this award is being given to our organization rather than an individual - because it reflects the spirit and passion of Doctors Without Borders."

MSF will utilize the funds from the Fulbright Prize to support its efforts in pioneering a more patient-friendly treatment regimen for people with drug-resistant TB.

About Doctors without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

Doctors Without Borders/M?decins Sans Fronti?res (MSF) is an independent international medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural and man-made disasters, and exclusion from health care in more than 70 countries.

MSF in India has been assisting population affected by conflicts, epidemics or natural disasters and offering treatment for diseases including tuberculosis (TB), kala-azar and HIV to marginalised groups since 1999. MSF provides these services free of charge, making them accessible to those most in need.

MSF received the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its members' continued efforts to provide medical care in acute crises, as well as raising international awareness of potential humanitarian disasters. Prior to this, MSF also received the 1996 Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace, Disarmament and Development.

About Fulbright Association

The Fulbright Association is the official American alumni organization of those who have had Fulbright grants to study, teach and work abroad. Now in its sixty-sixth year, the Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the United States Government. The goal of the Fulbright Program is to increase mutual understanding and promote leadership development through learning and international cooperation. Since 1946, the Fulbright Program has provided over 300,000 participants with the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research in the United States and more than 155 countries. Approximately 8,000 grants are awarded annually to students, teachers, scholars, artists, scientists, professionals and host institutions.

Source: http://www.indiahealthandwellness.com/2012/09/doctors-without-borders-receives-2012-j.html

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NYC auction offers 125 meteorites for sale

NEW YORK (AP) ? A New York City auction will offer 125 meteorites for sale, including a large chunk of the moon and a 179-pound iron cosmic rock that evokes Edvard Munch's iconic painting "The Scream."

The sale, one of the largest of its kind, is being held by the Dallas-based Heritage Auctions on Oct. 14.

The sale also includes a large piece of the Peekskill meteorite, famous for puncturing a Chevy Malibu in 1992 about 50 miles north of Manhattan, and the largest complete slice of the most famous meteorite in the world, the Willamette, a huge specimen that is housed at the American Museum of Natural History in New York.

The moon rock has the highest pre-sale estimate of $340,000 to $380,000; less than 0.1 percent of all meteorites recovered are lunar in origin. The 18-inch-tall meteorite, dubbed "The Scream," is estimated at $175,000 to $225,000.

"When I first saw this meteorite, I saw the resemblance in a heartbeat," said Darryl Pitt, who has consigned the piece to the auction. "It is sculpted in part by atmospheric entry and most significantly by its exposure to the elements on earth over millennia."

Three of the concave hallows are evocative of Munch's image of a man holding his head and screaming under a streaked sky. It is classified a Gibeon and was discovered in the Kalahari Desert in southern Africa.

More than half of the meteorites in the sale come from the Macovich collection, the world's largest grouping of aesthetic iron meteorites ? specimens that are considered desirable for display.

Specimens from the collection are found at the natural history museums in London, New York and Paris and The Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., among others. Its principal owner is Pitt, who said that 20 years ago all meteorites were selling for the same price irrespective of their aesthetic attributes.

"That has radically changed with the introduction of the first natural history auction in the mid-1990s," he said in an interview. "I was on a mission to popularize meteorites. I knew that the only way I would be able to attract interest on the part of the public was to offer objects that were more visually captivating."

"The overwhelming majority of meteorites are not aesthetic," he said.

The cover lot in the sale is of an iron meteorite with naturally formed holes that resemble a mask. The catalog says it is "arguably the most exotically aesthetic" and was discovered by indigenous tribesmen in Namibia with a metal detector. It is estimated to bring $140,000 to $180,000.

The Peekskill piece has a pre-sale estimate of $47,500 to $55,000.

There are others that have lower estimates but come with interesting stories, like a small portion of a meteorite estimated at about $4,000 that fell from the sky in 1492. It was later chained up in a church so it couldn't fly back into orbit.

Meteorite prices today depend on many variables. But there are two main markets: one of aesthetic iron meteorites and the other is of samples whose value is predicated on attributes other than aesthetics, like a piece of the planet Mars.

About two dozen of the meteorites in the sale have museum provenance and have no reserve.

"The point is I wanted to create a sale that had something for everyone," Pitt said.

___

Online:

Heritage Auctions: http://www.ha.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nyc-auction-offers-125-meteorites-sale-162811320.html

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Dead or Alive 5 (PS3, Xbox 360)


The fighting game renaissance that began with Capcom's Street Fighter IV sees its latest high-profile entry: Tecmo Koei's Dead or Alive 5. The $59.99 polygonal fighter, available on both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, brings the series trademark rock-paper-scissors style combat to a home console for the first time since 2005's Dead or Alive 4 (it's also the first DOA to appear on the PS3). Featuring intricate mechanics, several beautiful interactive environments, and characters from Sega's Virtua Fighter series, Dead or Alive is a fun fighter, but it lacks the extra depths found in the likes of Namco Bandai's Tekken Tag Tournament 2 . Note: I reviewed the Xbox 360 version.

Street Fighting
Dead or Alive 5 features 20-plus fighters representing a wide cross-section of martial arts styles ranging from MMA to ninjitsu. That's not quite as robust as Tekken Tag Tournament's 40-plus person roster, but there are fewer duplicates and goofy characters (such as Alex, a boxing glove-wearing dinosaur). In a surprising move, Tecmo includes Akira and Sarah Bryant, fighters licensed from Sega's Virtua Fighter series.

Dead or Alive 5's action is fast and accessible, but the game's rock-paper-scissor's gameplay in which strikes beat throws, throws beat holds (counterattacks), and holds beat strikes, favors more cerebral players. Sure, you can attempt to button mash your way through a match, but you'll be quickly squashed?especially online where completion is high (if the lag doesn't ruin the experience). Noob warning: If you play the CPU on one of the higher difficulty settings, be prepared to see nearly all of your blows countered?it's quite frustrating. Thankfully, there's a practice mode where you can work on technique mastery.

There are numerous fighting game modes, but one that needs mention is story mode. The story is a confusing cheesefest that has awful voice acting. That said, it's useful for unlocking the Virtua Fighter characters. And on the topic of voice acting, the characters' pre-fight dialogue is filled with repetitive throwaway lines that you'll want to skip as soon as you've heard them once.

Like Tekken Tag Tournament 2, Dead or Alive 5 lets you take a pair of fighters into combat. Tag action is fast, and it's remarkably easy to do team attacks, which plays more to casual players. As such, DOA is a bit of a hybrid fighter that has one foot in the hardcore and more casual realms (although nowhere near as watered-down as Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom 3). Unlike Tekken Tag Tournament 2, this game allows you to continue fighting after one character falls. Still, you should utilize wise character management by swapping out heavily-damaged characters to heal (or master the improved sidestep move).

Masterful Environments
Battles take place in varied locations ranging from a circus arena to a war-torn landscape. The environments are interactive, too. Not only do random items in the environments break?everything from barrels to fences?but you can slam people into Danger Zones that electrify or explode, causing the victim big damage.

You can also knock foes over ledges, which trigger cinematic quick time events. The winner of the QTE gets a temporary damage boost for unleashing extra fury. Wise fighters will use Power Blows (a super attack that you can use to blow opponents into a selected direction) to really lay on the hurt by sending foes into Danger Zones. This gives Dead or Alive 5 an action movie vibe more so than games like Virtua Fighter 5: Final Showdown (which approaches sim designation), and it works well.

Not Quite the Champ
Tekken Tag Tournament 2 remains the Editor's Choice among 3D fighters for its incredibly deep gameplay and excellent all-around package, but Dead or Alive 5 is no slouch. It's more green-friendly than Namco Bandai's offering, but that's not necessarily a knock (unless you're the type to spend every waking moment in the digital dojo). That said, if you bother to learn the rock-paper-scissors mechanics, you can have some rather strategic matches as you knock opponents around the crazy environments.

More Console and Computer Games Reviews:
??? Dead or Alive 5 (PS3, Xbox 360)
??? Tekken Tag Tournament 2 (PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U)
??? Transformers: Fall of Cybertron (PC, PS3, Xbox 360)
??? Journey Collector's Edition (PS3)
??? Darksiders II
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/38sSqhTZm3U/0,2817,2410163,00.asp

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Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Egypt's new President Morsi debuts at UN

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Morsi, the country's first democratically elected leader, says freedom of expression must be joined with responsibility in a speech that addressed the violent clashes that erupted across the Muslim world in reaction to an anti-Islam video produced in the United States. (AP Photo/David Karp)

Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi speaks at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012. Morsi, the country's first democratically elected leader, says freedom of expression must be joined with responsibility in a speech that addressed the violent clashes that erupted across the Muslim world in reaction to an anti-Islam video produced in the United States. (AP Photo/David Karp)

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, right, greets Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi at the closing session at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York Tuesday, Sept. 25, 2012 (AP Photo/David Karp)

El presidente iran? Mahmoud Ahmadinejad habla en una junta de alto nivel en la sede de Naciones Unidas en Nueva York el lunes 24 de septiembre de 2012. (Foto AP/Seth Wenig)

(AP) ? Egypt's new President Mohammed Morsi debuts at the United Nations on Wednesday with a speech that will be closely watched by world leaders for clues about his democratic intentions and plans for lifting his country out of crippling poverty.

Morsi, an Islamist and key figure in the once-banned Muslim Brotherhood, is the first democratically elected leader of the ancient land at the heart of the Arab world, and was sworn in June 30.

He is one of a pair of Arab leaders who will be making their first appearances at the U.N. General Assembly's annual ministerial meeting after being swept into power in the Arab Spring revolutions. Also taking the podium will be Yemen's President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, who took office in February after more than a year of political turmoil and is now trying to steer the country's transition to democracy.

The Egyptian leader previewed his General Assembly remarks in a speech delivered Tuesday at former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative. Addressing the violence that raged across the Muslim world in response to a video produced in the U.S. that denigrated Islam's Prophet Muhammad, Morsi said freedom of expression must come with "responsibility."

He appeared to have been responding to President Barack Obama's General Assembly speech earlier Tuesday in which the U.S. leader again condemned the video but sternly defended the U.S. Constitution's guarantees of free speech.

At least 51 people were killed in violence that erupted last week in Muslim countries, including the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans targeted in an attack on the American consulate in Benghazi.

Morsi did not explain what limitations he felt should be placed on free speech but said the video and the violent reaction to it demanded "reflection." He said freedom of expression must be linked with responsibility, "especially when it comes with serious implications for international peace and stability."

Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, known for past fiery denunciations of the United States and Israel, will be making his last speech at the world body as he finishes a second and last term as president.

Ahmadinejad took aim at both the United States and Israel while addressing a high-level U.N. meeting promoting the rule of law Monday, accusing Washington of shielding what he called a nuclear-armed "fake regime." His remarks prompted a walkout by Israel's U.N. Ambassador Ron Prosor.

And in an Associated Press interview Tuesday, the Iranian leader pressed his argument against the United States.

"God willing, a new order will come together and we'll do away with everything that distances us," Ahmadinejad said. "Now even elementary school kids throughout the world have understood that the United States government is following an international policy of bullying." He said, "Bullying must come to an end. Occupation must come to an end."

Also Wednesday members of the U.N. Security Council will be called to order at an open ministerial meeting by Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, whose country holds the council's rotating presidency, to discuss "change in the Arab world."

With no sign of an end to the Security Council's paralysis over intervening to end the raging Syrian civil war, Germany's U.N. Ambassador Peter Wittig said his country chose to focus the council's ministerial session on something new and positive in the Mideast ? "the emergence of the Arab League as a regional actor that has proved to be essential for conflict resolution."

The 21-member Arab League has shaken off decades of near total submission to the will of the region's leaders and is seeking to transform itself after the seismic changes brought about by the Arab Spring. The league has supported the rebels who ousted Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and suspended Syria in response to President BasharAssad's brutal crackdown against his opponents.

"This organization is promoting the values that the United Nations is standing for ? human rights, rule of law, democracy, pluralism," the fight against corruption and promoting economic opportunity, Wittig said.

Also Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the African Union and France have called a ministerial meeting on unrest in Africa's Sahel region. It will spotlight the worsening security and humanitarian situation in northern Mali, which fell to al-Qaeda-linked Islamists after a March coup.

Mali and a West African bloc are seeking U.N. support for an intervention force that would consist of aerial support and five battalions, or about 3,000 troops, to help recover the northern territory. But the Security Council wants the Economic Community of West African States, known as ECOWAS, to consult more widely, present more detailed proposals, and exhaust all prospects for negotiations. Wittig has said the Mali request will be discussed at a later date.

.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-09-26-UN%20General%20Assembly/id-af0bd11a6f4f49529e424bd262e6d23f

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Amazing kids helping keep Venice Beach Clean | "Helping Inspire ...


?Be the Solution to Ocean Pollution? was the popular, fun and highly visible series of community events held at Venice Beach. The inaugural beach clean-up was held on Earth Day and since, close to 300 volunteers have helped inspire change and make the community beach clean-up events a local success. Families, businesses and school groups from all over the city dedicated more than 2,700 hours collectively over the past 6 months while collecting more than 300 pounds of trash and harmful debris from the coastline. Spearheaded by the?Children Sports International, the final ?Be the Solution to Ocean Pollution? cleanup event for 2012 was held this past Saturday, September 22nd. The calm morning breeze helped the volunteers stay cool as they worked together to clean-up the section of the beach adjacent to the Venice Pier. These events are vital in maintaining the beach clean and safe for everyone to enjoy.?In just ?a few hours, they were able to round up over a hundred pounds of trash. Aside from the usual suspects such as Styrofoam, plastic glass bottles, and tons of cigarette butts, many unusual items were found such as broken bike parts, an area rug and an inflatable mattress were just a few large items rounded up.?The purpose of the cleanup is to engage people around the city to remove trash and debris from beaches and pathway, to identify the sources of the litter, and to change the behaviors that cause pollution.? Hundreds of individuals across Los Angeles have come together throughout the year to participate in various community events hosted by Children Sports International. They have raised public awareness about inappropriate waste management practices and worked alongside many organizations and communities to become better stewards of our environment and promote health and fitness in under-served communities. There was a great turnout for this past event and we would like to thank all our amazing volunteers who came out to make a difference in Venice Beach in 2012. We would also like to give a special thanks to our dedicated change makers from Jamba Juice, The Gap and students from Barnhart School and Santee Education Complex, we can?t do the work we do without your support! For more information about upcoming Children Sports International events in 2013 or learn how you can volunteer as a youth sports coach,?please contact the Volunteer Coordinator at (562) 888-3261 or email:?Info@ChildrenSportsInternational.org

About Children Sports International


Founded in 2010,?Children Sports International?is an innovative 501?3 non-profit organization that provides Youth Sports Programs for children in under-served communities all over Los Angeles, keeping local youth healthy, active and safe. Children Sports International seeks to be a source of inspiration for children and young adults to grow and inspire others to unite and promote a message of peace. Sponsorship Opportunities Your participation as a local sponsor of a Children Sports International event -either through a monetary or in-kind donation- recognizes your commitment to community wellness and environmental stewardship. There are many levels of giving available, please contact us for more info: Partners@ChildrenSportsInternational.org

Source: http://childrensportsnews.blogspot.com/2012/09/amazing-kids-helping-keep-venice-beach.html

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Venezuela poll: Chavez leading rival by 10 points

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) ? President Hugo Chavez held a 10-point lead over rival Henrique Capriles in one of the final polls ahead of Venezuela's Oct. 7 election, but the survey released Tuesday showed the challenger narrowing the gap.

The poll by Datanalisis, one of Venezuela's most respected polling firms, found that about 49 percent said they intend to vote for Chavez and about 39 percent said they plan to vote for Capriles.

About 11 percent didn't reveal a preference, said Luis Vicente Leon, who heads the polling firm.

The results showed Capriles narrowing the 46-31 percent lead that Chavez held in June's poll by the same company.

Leon said it was the final poll Datanalisis plans to release publicly before the vote. It's possible the candidates' percentages may already have shifted somewhat since the survey was carried out weeks ago.

The poll questioned 1,600 people between Aug. 25 and Sept. 5, and had a margin of error of about 2 percentage points. It was paid for a group of about 100 clients, including businesses as well as government entities.

Leon said Capriles' active campaigning in about 260 towns across the country has had an impact.

Chavez, in contrast, has concentrated on a smaller number of campaign rallies, and has been less active after more than a year of cancer treatments including surgeries, radiation and chemotherapy.

Even though Chavez has said he's now cancer-free, Leon said the president's campaign clearly has been affected by his health problems.

He said that after nearly 14 years in office, Chavez for the first time will face a strong rival and that no other opposition candidate has achieved such support in pre-election polls when facing Chavez. The pollster also cautioned that changes in public opinion can still occur in the less than two weeks before the Oct. 7 vote.

Venezuelans have been bombarded with widely varying poll results ahead of the vote, and some pollsters haven't been open about discussing their sources of funding or political leanings.

Some political surveys, including those conducted by the pollster GIS XXI, run by Chavez's former justice minister Jesse Chacon, have repeatedly shown the president with a lead of more than 20 percent, and have been touted on state television.

Other polls, such as those of Consultores 21 and Varianzas, have shown Capriles either roughly even with Chavez or slightly ahead.

A survey released by Varianzas on Tuesday indicated a close race, with about 50 percent saying they plan to vote for Chavez and 48 percent siding with Capriles. The Varianzas poll consulted 2,000 people between Sept. 7 and 20, and had an error margin of about 2 percent, said Rafael Delgado, the company's director. He said the survey was financed by a private group, which he declined to reveal.

Meanwhile, state television broadcast the results of a survey by another company, International Consulting Services, saying Chavez had a lead of nearly 20 percentage points. The source of funding for that poll was unclear.

The wide differences in results have led many Venezuelans to doubt the accuracy of polls.

"The variation between the polls is so big that there are some that say Chavez is winning by 30 points and others that say he's losing by almost 10 points," said Angel Alvarez, a political science professor at Central University of Venezuela. "Most people don't believe in any of the polls anymore because they see so much variability that they say somebody is lying or everybody is lying, and on top of that ... there's been a lot of skepticism about the quality of the polls to predict results."

Many polls in the country are conducted using face-to-face interviews with people at their homes, and firms typically release details of their methodologies, including how interview questions are framed. In some cases, though, pollsters haven't released full details.

Datanalisis is widely considered one of the country's leading polling firms. It has had a record of accuracy in past elections and has earned respect from both political camps with its monthly surveys. The pollster accurately gauged that Chavez was leading ahead of his last re-election victory in 2006, when he won with 63 percent of the vote.

Chavez's approval ratings have slipped since then, and he has been spending heavily on social programs and public housing construction this year seeking to shore up support while facing a vigorous challenge by Capriles.

Adding to the uncertainty ahead of the vote is the large segment of voters, in some polls more than 10 percent, who describe themselves as undecided or who don't reveal which candidate they plan to support.

In Venezuela nowadays, people seem to view it as normal for there to be a "war of the polls" and don't appear to be swayed one way or the other by the surveys, said Ignacio Avalos, director of the Venezuelan Electoral Observatory, a vote monitoring group.

"Part of the election campaign is about making people think you're the one who's going to win and generating a positive effect," Avalos said. Despite the conflicting surveys, he said, "I have the impression that the results are going to be close, that it's going to be an election decided by a narrow margin."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-poll-chavez-leading-rival-10-points-160437300.html

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Chemist's inflated resume gives lawyers new doubts

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

David Meier, right, special consul to the Governor appointed to lead the review of drug convictions which might have been compromised by a State Police drug testing lab, leads a meeting at the Department of Public Safety in Boston, Monday, Sept. 24, 2012. Prosecutors, defense attorney's along with representatives from the District Attorney's office, the U.S. Attorney's office, the State Police and the Department of Public Safety were in attendance. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

(AP) ? Revelations that a chemist at the center of a scandal at a Massachusetts drug lab might have lied about her educational background have given defense attorneys new grounds to challenge her credibility.

Annie Dookhan, whose alleged mishandling of drug samples at the lab has thrown thousands of criminal cases into question, testified under oath that she holds a master's degree in chemistry from the University of Massachusetts and also listed that degree on her resume. But school officials say they have no record of her receiving an advanced degree or taking graduate courses there.

Defense attorneys say that raises even more doubts about her work at the lab.

"If, in fact, she falsified her education or qualifications, we are even more deeply concerned about what she might have done in terms of testing the drugs," said Anne Goldbach, forensics services director for the Committee for Public Counsel Services, the state's public defender agency.

State police say Dookhan tested more than 60,000 drug samples submitted in the cases of about 34,000 defendants during her nine years at the lab. She resigned in March amid an internal investigation by the Department of Public Health.

After state police took over the lab in July as part of a state budget directive, they said they discovered her alleged violations were much more extensive than previously believed and went beyond sloppiness into "malfeasance" and "deliberate mishandling" of drug samples.

Dookhan has not responded to repeated requests for comments from The Associated Press. No one answered the door at her home in Franklin on Tuesday. Her husband and father did not respond to requests for comment on her claim that she received a master's degree.

Asked about her educational background when she testified under oath during the 2010 trial of Larry Blue, a Boston man charged with cocaine trafficking and weapons offenses, Dookhan said she had a bachelor's degree in biochemistry and a master's degree in chemistry, both from the University of Massachusetts.

DeWayne Lehman, a spokesman for UMass-Boston, confirmed that Dookhan received a bachelor of science in biochemistry from the school in 2001, but said there is no record of her receiving a master's degree in chemistry, as she listed on her resume and said in sworn testimony, according to a transcript.

"We have no record of her doing subsequent graduate work at our campus," Lehman said.

The registrar's office at UMass-Boston also said it had no record of her receiving a master's degree, as did officials at UMass campuses in Lowell, North Dartmouth and Amherst. The Worcester campus does not offer a master's degree program in chemistry.

A spokesman for the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which had overseen the lab, said Dookhan deliberately misled officials about her qualifications. He said she was hired Nov. 3, 2003, for a Chemist I position after meeting the minimum entrance requirements and was reclassified a Chemist II two years later.

"While neither of the positions she held required a Master's Degree, it is now clear that she intentionally misled the Department about her education during the course of her employment," HHS communications director Alec Loftus said in a written statement.

Blue was convicted of trafficking between 14 and 28 grams of cocaine, a drug violation in a school zone, possession of marijuana and weapons charges. He was sentenced to 10 years and one day in prison.

Blue's trial lawyer, Arnold Abelow, said that if Dookhan lied about her education, it calls her testimony about the drugs into question.

"If she's fudging her qualifications as being an expert, then how can you trust her analysis of the drugs?" Abelow said.

State police have not said exactly what Dookhan allegedly did wrong at the lab.

But Max Stern, president of the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said he was told in a meeting with Gov. Deval Patrick and other administration officials that Dookhan is accused of deliberately tampering with some drug samples, including the weight of the samples, which can affect the length of prison sentences given to people convicted of drug offenses.

Attorney General Martha Coakley is conducting a criminal investigation. Dookhan has not been charged.

Investigators have not described Dookhan's possible motive for mishandling drug samples.

It is also unclear why she would fabricate having a master's degree.

___

Associated Press writer Rodrique Ngowi contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-26-State%20Police%20Lab%20Shutdown/id-f3d7fa56d9c3438d96984fef04a5d5bb

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