Employment Confidence Survey Picks Up But Still... | Stuff.co.nz

Employment confidence is picking up as people feel more secure in their jobs, but the latest Westpac McDermott Miller survey shows confidence remains weak.

The employment confidence index rose to 98.9 in the September 2012 quarter, up from 96.2 in the June 2012 quarter.

Westpac Chief Economist Dominick Stephens said: "On the plus side, people feel a lot more secure in their jobs than three months ago.

"There may be a sense that the storm clouds around the economy have lifted a little."

But perceptions of overall job opportunities continue to be very downbeat, he said.

Recent news around jobs has been poor, including another disappointing June quarter employment report, said Stephens.

In the June quarter, the unemployment rate rose slightly to 6.8 per cent.

"People also speak from experience, and their continued pessimism about job opportunities suggests that unemployment remained high through the September quarter."

"Employment confidence in Canterbury has bounced back and once again clearly leads the rest of the country, with Cantabrians notably more upbeat about future job opportunities," said Stephens.

"This is another sign that the economy is becoming increasingly 'two-speed'. "

However, despite growing demand for reconstruction-related work, today's survey suggests that wage pressures remain fairly subdued.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7751931/Employment-confidence-remains-weak

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Sometimes It's Just a Way to Die | GeriPal - Geriatrics and Palliative ...

During my senior year of residency, I brought an elderly gentleman to the operating room with peritonitis and a benign-appearing CT scan only to find a belly full of black, necrotic bowel. We closed him up, told his family, and he died peacefully several hours later.

When I presented the case at Mortality and Morbidity conference, one of the attending surgeons asked me why this patient had dead bowel. I ran off a long list of pathophysiologic possibilities, and he replied, "You know, Gretchen, sometimes it?s just a way to die."

At the time I thought this was strange, but since then I have come to understand what he meant.

Patients often come to the hospital when they are dying. Fear of the unknown and pain typically bring them in, and it?s not uncommon for their primary complaint to manifest as a surgical problem ? a gangrenous toe, a dead gallbladder. As surgeons, we often step in and operate right before they die. After a string of poor outcomes, a close friend from residency called to commiserate about the next paper he was writing: "The Premorbid Gastrectomy: How I Do It." Although I have angst about gallows humor as a robust coping mechanism, the content here is telling; for many elderly or otherwise frail patients, surgery is not the answer.

Clearly this is not the case for all surgical problems in elderly patients, and for those patients who appear to be on death?s door because of their surgical problem, some cold hard steel is probably just what they need. But we must be mindful of the patient whose surgical problem is the final paver on his pathway out; the pneumonia that is the "old man?s friend" may instead present as cecal volvulus with perforation.

Recently, I cared for an 88-year-old man with severe multi-infarct dementia, third-degree heart block, and an ejection fraction of 10% who was on hemodialysis. He was nonambulatory, nursing home?bound, and admitted to our medicine service with wet gangrene of his left first toe. (The history has been adjusted slightly to protect patient privacy.)

I told his family that the only treatment to resolve his ischemic necrosis and impending sepsis was an above-the-knee amputation, which I would not recommend because it was unlikely to prolong his life or improve its quality. They were taken aback, and I spent more than an hour explaining to his wife and daughter why cutting off the leg of this once-distinguished World War II veteran right before he died was not a good idea.

Families ask, "You mean you aren?t going to fix it?" because they fail to recognize that the surgical problem is a sign of a much larger and inexorable journey toward death. Although the "fix it" metaphor may be a simple way to explain to a young healthy person the need for a complicated operation, it fails to convey the context here where surgery could win the battle but lose the war.

I have colleagues who see this as a failure of primary care. They wonder why patients and families are unprepared for the inevitable terminal event and have not considered how frail health predicts a poor long-term prognosis. I suspect there are many reasons for this, not the least of which is unwillingness on the part of the patient or family to tackle these issues before crisis sets in.

Nonetheless, at 2 a.m. when an 85-year-old woman with Alzheimer?s dementia, COPD, and acute kidney injury is brought in from her nursing home with toxic megacolon, it is the surgeon who must help the patient?s family understand that she is dying, which is the context for making a surgical decision.

How can we do this? First, it is important to be clear with the patient and/or family that you would not recommend surgery. While it would be overly paternalistic to say that surgery is not an option, we can explain that there is a real choice to be made and that palliative care is an excellent plan. Too often, including surgery as an option is interpreted as a recommendation, so it is important to clarify where you stand.

Second, for families who insist that the patient would want "everything" done, it helps to clarify what they mean by "everything." Everything can mean anything from "everything that might provide maximal relief of suffering even if it might shorten life" to "everything that has any possible chance to prolong life even a small amount, regardless of its effect on patient suffering" (Ann. Intern. Med. 2009;151:345-9).

Third, we can borrow some helpful phrases from our colleagues in palliative care. For example, "Sometimes by prolonging dying, we prolong suffering."

And finally, if all else fails, you might try, "You know, sometimes this is just a way to die."

by: Gretchen Schwarze, Assistant Professor of Surgery, University of Wisconsin

This commentary is used with permission from Surgery News Digital Network (www.acssurgerynews.com).

Source: http://www.geripal.org/2012/09/sometimes-its-just-way-to-die.html

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Video: Tourist plane crashes on way to Mount Everest

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/49213089/

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Realogy Announces Launch Of $1 Billion Initial ... - Franchising.com

September 28, 2012 // Franchising.com // Parsippany, N.J. -?Realogy Holdings Corp. (formerly known as Domus Holdings Corp.) (the "Company") today announced that it plans to conduct an initial public offering of 40,000,000 shares of its common stock. The underwriters of the offering will have a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional 6,000,000 shares of common stock from the Company at the initial public offering price. The Company's shares of common stock have been approved for listing on The New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "RLGY."

The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering, along with cash on hand, primarily to repay outstanding indebtedness.

Goldman, Sachs & Co., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, Barclays Capital Inc. and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC are acting as the joint book runners for the proposed offering. Citigroup Global Markets Inc., Wells Fargo Securities and BofA Merrill Lynch are acting as lead co-managers and Credit Agricole Securities (USA) Inc., Comerica Securities, Inc., CRT Capital Group LLC, Houlihan Lokey Capital, Inc., Lebenthal & Co., LLC, Loop Capital Markets LLC and Apollo Global Securities, LLC are acting as co-managers.

The offering will be made only by means of a prospectus which, when available, may be obtained by contacting: Goldman, Sachs & Co., Prospectus Department, 200 West Street, New York, NY, 10282, by calling (866) 471-2526, or by e-mailing prospectus-ny@ny.email.gs.com or J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, or by calling (866) 803-9204.

A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC, but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. This release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Realogy Holdings Corp.

Realogy Holdings Corp., a global provider of real estate and relocation services, has a diversified business model that includes real estate franchising, brokerage, relocation and title services. Realogy's brands and business units include Better Homes and Gardens? Real Estate, CENTURY 21?, Coldwell Banker?, Coldwell Banker Commercial?, The Corcoran Group?, ERA?, Sotheby's International Realty?, NRT LLC, Cartus and Title Resource Group. Collectively, Realogy's franchise system members operate approximately 13,500 offices with 238,500 sales associates doing business in 103 countries and territories around the world. Headquartered in Parsippany, N.J., Realogy is owned by affiliates of Apollo Management, L.P., a subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, LLC, a leading global alternative asset manager.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

The information in this release contains forward-looking information that involves substantial risks and uncertainties regarding the proposed initial public offering by Realogy Holdings Corp. Such risks and uncertainties include, among other things, the possibility that the initial public offering will not be completed within a particular time frame or at a particular offering amount, or at all, including as a result of regulatory, market or other factors, or that the anticipated conversion of the Convertible Notes and/or any reduction of indebtedness will occur. Realogy Holdings Corp. assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments.

Contacts:

Investors
Alicia Swift
(973) 407-4669
alicia.swift@realogy.com

Media?
Mark Panus
(973) 407-7215
mark.panus@realogy.com

###

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Source: http://www.franchising.com/news/20120928_realogy_announces_launch_of_1_billion_initial_publ.html

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Mars Water Mystery: NASA Rover's Ancient Streambed Discovery Is the Latest Clue

A NASA rover's discovery of an ancient streambed on Mars is exciting, but it?s far from the first solid evidence that the Red Planet was once a warmer and wetter place.

On Thursday (Sept. 27), scientists announced that the Curiosity rover had found rocky outcrops containing large and rounded stones cemented in a conglomerate matrix. The discovery suggests that water had flowed fast and relatively deep ? perhaps hip-deep, in fact ? through the area billions of years ago.

"This is the first time we're actually seeing water-transported gravel on Mars," Curiosity co-investigator William Dietrich, of the University of California, Berkeley, said in a statement.

But Curiosity's find didn't exactly surprise mission scientists. They chose to set the $2.5 billion robot down in the Red Planet's huge Gale Crater, after all, because Mars-orbiting spacecraft have spotted signs there of long-ago water activity ? from channels and alluvial fans to minerals that form in the presence of liquid water.

And these more recent observations build on evidence for a wet ancient Mars that goes back four decades and has been accumulating ever since. [The Search for Water on Mars (Photos)]

Eyes in the sky

Perhaps the first compelling signs that the Red Planet's surface ? a frigid and dry place today ? once harbored liquid water came from NASA's Mariner 9 spacecraft.

Mariner 9 launched toward Mars in May 1971 and later that year became the first probe ever to orbit another planet. Mariner 9's images showed canyons ? including the enormous Valles Marineris, which is named after the spacecraft ? and what appeared to be riverbeds.

A succession of other NASA orbiters ? from the twin Vikings in the mid-1970s to Mars Odyssey and the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO), which remain active today ? have spotted many more landforms that speak of long-ago erosion by liquid water.

MRO has observed streaks in the Red Planet's Newton Crater that shift over the course of a few months, suggesting that water might even be flowing seasonally on Mars today.

The evidence is also mineralogic as well as topographic. Instruments aboard MRO and other craft have detected water-associated minerals such as clays and sulfates in numerous locations across the Red Planet.

Ground-truthing

Over the past decade, rovers have ground-truthed some of the observations made from orbit, strengthening the case for a wet ancient Mars.

For example, NASA's Opportunity rover found multiple deposits of odd, iron-rich spherules after landing on the Red Planet in January 2004. These so-called "blueberries" are concretions created by the action of mineral-rich water inside rocks, scientists say.

Opportunity's twin, Spirit, discovered strong evidence of an ancient hydrothermal system near its landing site back in 2007. And last December, researchers announced that Opportunity had found a thin vein of gypsum while poking along the rim of Mars' Endeavour Crater.

"There was a fracture in the rock, water flowed through it, gypsum was precipitated from the water. End of story," Steve Squyres of Cornell University, Opportunity's principal investigator, told reporters at the time. "There's no ambiguity about this, and this is what makes it so cool."

Searching for habitable environments

Here on Earth, life thrives pretty much anywhere liquid water is found, which explains the intense interest in searching for signs of the stuff on Mars.

Indeed, the past decade or so of NASA's activities at the Red Planet have been geared toward "following the water." Curiosity's mission marks a transition to the next phase in the hunt for past or present Mars life: searching for habitable environments.

Curiosity is about 50 days into a two-year mission to determine if the Gale area can, or ever could, support microbial life. This is a long and involved process that requires more than the confirmation of an ancient streambed, researchers said.

"The question about habitability goes just beyond the simple observation of water on Mars to recreating the environments in greater detail, with an understanding of the chemistry that was going on at that time, to ask if this is the kind of place that micro-organisms could've lived," Curiosity chief scientist John Grotzinger, of Caltech in Pasadena, told reporters Thursday.

"That's still to be determined, and that's the research the team is working on," he added.

Curiosity's mission may also shed light on when and why Mars dried out long ago. Scientists plan to drive the 1-ton robot partway up Mount Sharp, which rises 3.4 miles (5.5 kilometers) into the Red Planet sky from Gale's center.

They're keen to explore Mount Sharp's base, which harbors clays and sulfates, orbital observations have shown. About 2,300 feet (700 meters) up, however, these deposits peter out. If Curiosity climbs high enough to cross this threshold, it could help scientists piece together a history of wet Mars, dry Mars and the transition between the two, researchers have said.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall or SPACE.com @Spacedotcom. We're also on Facebook and?Google+.

Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mars-water-mystery-nasa-rovers-ancient-streambed-discovery-140438772.html

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Evolutionary psychologists study the purpose of punishment and reputation

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? For two decades, evolutionary scientists have been locked in a debate over the evolved functions of three distinctive human behaviors: the great readiness we show for cooperating with new people, the strong interest we have in tracking others' reputations regarding how well they treat others, and the occasional interest we have in punishing people for selfishly mistreating others.

In an article published September 27 in the journal PLoS ONE, researchers at UC Santa Barbara's Center for Evolutionary Psychology report new findings that may help settle the debate and provide answers to the behavioral puzzle.

As they go about their daily lives, people usually don't know the names of the people they encounter and -- in cities, at least -- typically expect never to see them again, noted Max M. Krasnow, a postdoctoral researcher in psychology at UCSB and the paper's lead author. Despite the fact that these encounters are brief, anonymous, and unlikely to be repeated, however, people often behave as if they are interested in the ongoing well-being and behavior of the strangers they meet.

"Imagine that, while grocery shopping, you see someone help a wheelchair-bound person he or she doesn't know get her bags across the parking lot to her car. For many people, witnessing the action would elicit feelings of kindness toward the helper," Krasnow explained. "Equally, if people see someone driven off the road by a reckless driver, they might become angry enough to pursue and even confront the driver. Evolutionary scientists are interested in why humans have impulses to help the kind stranger or to punish the callous one. At first glance, these sometimes costly impulses seem like they would subtract from the welfare of the individual who exhibited them, and so should be evolutionarily disfavored."

Other contributors to the paper include Leda Cosmides and John Tooby, professors of psychology and anthropology, respectively, and co-directors of UCSB's Center for Evolutionary Psychology; and Eric J. Pedersen, a graduate student in psychology at the University of Miami.

Scientists have struggled for decades to explain these behaviors in evolutionary terms, with two alternative theories gaining prominence. The first proposes that these social inclinations emerged because our ancestors lived in small populations, where every encounter -- even one with a stranger -- had a chance to develop into an ongoing relationship that yielded mutual gains from cooperation. In such a world, paying attention to how those around you treat others could help zero in on the partners most likely to cooperate with you. In addition, letting it be known that you wouldn't allow yourself to be treated poorly would increase the likelihood that you'd be treated well.

The second theory suggests that these behaviors emerged because our ancestors lived in groups that often fought with other groups -- interactions where groups with high levels of internal cooperation would have the advantage over groups in which the members were divisive and exploitative of each other. This theory proposes that these other-oriented social inclinations were designed to cultivate a group-wide culture of cooperation.

"The reason why the debate has dragged on so long is that previous studies unfortunately focused on situations where the two theories made very similar predictions," said Tooby. "We wanted to design studies involving situations where the theories made sharply contrasting predictions, so the results would falsify one theory or the other."

In the studies reported in this paper, over 200 participants were tested in a series of structured social interactions designed to capture the essence of real-world situations like the supermarket mentioned above. "We wanted to know exactly what kinds of information people actually use in deciding who to trust -- that is, who to cooperate with, and who to avoid," said Krasnow. "If our minds are designed to seek out the benefits of cooperative relationships with others, then participants should have preferred to trust those likely to cooperate with them in particular. On the other hand, if our reputational psychology is designed to support group-wide cohesion and cooperation, the participants should have resisted cooperating with those who defected on other group members."

The findings supported the individual cooperation account, not the group cooperation account. "Participants ceased responding to information about whether their partners cheated others when they had good information that their partners would not cheat them," Tooby emphasized.

The researchers were also interested in testing the diverging predictions about what situations should trigger the inclination to punish cheating. "We all recognize that punishing others is costly and unpleasant," said Cosmides. "So what benefits led it to evolve?"

The authors reasoned that tracking the triggers of punishment should illuminate which benefits favored its evolution. "If the impulse to punish evolved as a bargaining tool to defend the individual by deterring against future instances of being cheated, then participants should be inclined to punish others' defections when they themselves would be vulnerable to being cheated by that person in the future," said Kasnow. "On the other hand, if our punitive psychology is designed to defend the group against cheating, then participants should have punished those who mistreated others, regardless of their own personal exposure to continuing mistreatment by that person."

The researchers found that participants strongly conditioned their punishment of their partners' cheating on their own vulnerability to continued bad treatment from their partner. As Krasnow pointed out, people in these experiments systematically avoided expending effort to reform those who only posed a risk to others. Cosmides noted, "It's very hard to reconcile these findings with the group cooperation theory."

These results have significant implications for the science of cooperation. "The current research findings suggest that the human readiness to cooperate, our selectivity in who we cooperate with, and our tendency to respond negatively when we are cheated form an efficient package to forge and maintain strongly cooperative relationships," said Krasnow. "The human tendencies to care about how a person treats others and to protest bad treatment are not simply a thin veneer of cultural norms atop a cold and calculating core. Rather, they represent fundamental features of a universal human social nature."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Santa Barbara.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Krasnow MM, Cosmides L, Pedersen EJ, Tooby J. What Are Punishment and Reputation for? PLoS ONE, 2012; 7(9): e45662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0045662

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/Es--gt6RInQ/120927092126.htm

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Did the butler do it? A Q&A on the Vatican trial

FILE - In this file photo taken Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI arrives in St. Peter's square at the Vatican for a general audience as his then-butler Paolo Gabriele, bottom, and his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein sit in the car with him. Pope Benedict XVI's ex-butler Paolo Gabriele and another Vatican lay employee, Claudio Sciarpelletti, are scheduled to go on trial Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in the embarrassing theft of papal documents that exposed alleged corruption at the Holy See's highest levels. Gabriele was arrested May 24 after Vatican police found what prosecutors called an "enormous'' stash of documents from the pope's desk in his Vatican City apartment. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

FILE - In this file photo taken Wednesday, May 2, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI arrives in St. Peter's square at the Vatican for a general audience as his then-butler Paolo Gabriele, bottom, and his personal secretary Georg Gaenswein sit in the car with him. Pope Benedict XVI's ex-butler Paolo Gabriele and another Vatican lay employee, Claudio Sciarpelletti, are scheduled to go on trial Saturday, Sept. 29, 2012, in the embarrassing theft of papal documents that exposed alleged corruption at the Holy See's highest levels. Gabriele was arrested May 24 after Vatican police found what prosecutors called an "enormous'' stash of documents from the pope's desk in his Vatican City apartment. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? The Vatican has never seen anything like it.

Pope Benedict XVI's trusted butler, who dressed the pontiff each morning, attended his daily Mass and helped serve him his meals, stands accused of stealing the pope's private correspondence and giving it to a journalist who wrote a blockbuster book about the secrets of one of the most secretive institutions in the world.

Paolo Gabriele, a 46-year-old father of three, goes on trial Saturday in the most sensational crime committed on Vatican territory since the 1998 double murder of the Swiss Guard commander and his wife. That case never came to trial because the suspect killed himself.

Gabriele, who was replaced after the scandal broke in May, is scheduled to face the three-judge Vatican tribunal, charged with aggravated theft and facing up to four years in prison if convicted. He has already confessed and asked to be pardoned by the pope ? something most Vatican watchers say is a given if he is convicted.

WHAT PAPERS WERE STOLEN?

According to prosecutors, Gabriele had an "enormous" stash of papal documents at his Vatican City apartment. After his May 24 arrest, he admitted he photocopied documents and gave them to Italian journalist Gianluigi Nuzzi, whose "His Holiness: The secret papers of Pope Benedict XVI" was published in May. The most damaging letter reproduced in the book was written by the former No. 2 Vatican administrator to the pope, in which he begged not to be transferred as punishment for exposing alleged corruption. The prelate, Monsignor Carlo Maria Vigano, is now the Vatican's U.S. ambassador.

WHY WAS IT LEAKED?

Nuzzi has said his source, code-named "Maria" in the book, wanted to shed light on the secrets of the church that were damaging it. Taken as a whole, the documents seemed aimed at discrediting Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican secretary of state and Benedict's longtime trusted deputy. Bertone, 77, a canon lawyer and soccer enthusiast, has frequently been criticized for perceived shortcomings in running the Vatican.

DID THE BUTLER DO IT?

Prosecutors quoted Gabriele as saying he knew taking the documents was wrong, but that he felt the Holy Spirit was inspiring him to shed light on the problems he saw around him. "Seeing evil and corruption everywhere in the church ... I was sure that a shock, even a media one, would have been healthy to bring the Church back on the right track," Gabriele was quoted by prosecutors as saying during a June 5 interrogation. They quoted him as saying he never intended to hurt the church or Benedict.

IF HE CONFESSED, WHY BOTHER WITH A TRIAL?

In the U.S. legal system, a case such as this might result in a plea bargain. But the Vatican legal system doesn't provide for plea bargains, according to Giovanni Giacobbe, the prosecutor in the Vatican appeals court. He noted that confessions can be coerced or given up to protect someone else. Gabriele's confession must be corroborated by other evidence uncovered during the investigation in order for him to be convicted, he said. A co-defendant, Vatican computer expert Claudio Sciarpelletti, is charged with aiding and abetting Gabriele.

HOW DOES A VATICAN TRIAL WORK?

The hearing opens Saturday at 9:30 a.m. No oaths are taken ? as the Vatican legal system, like the Italian one on which it is based, assumes a suspect may lie for self-protection. The hearing is declared open and one of the judges reads the charges aloud against Gabriele. He doesn't enter a plea. The defense can make objections to the indictment. Both sides may enter their witness lists. Eventually, the presiding judge ? Giuseppe Dalla Torre, president of the Vatican City State tribunal ? questions Gabriele. Unlike the U.S. system, prosecutors don't question suspects directly and there is no cross-examination; the judge conducts the interrogations on behalf of both sides. Eventually, after all witnesses are heard, objections dealt with and evidence examined, the judges convene in their chambers and issue a ruling.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE?

There has never been a trial like this before in the Vatican tribunal, so there's no way to know how long it will take. Much depends on what, if any, objections are raised and how many witnesses are called. Hearings are usually only held on Saturdays, since the judges on the Vatican tribunal hold full-time jobs elsewhere.

WHAT'S THE TRIBUNAL LIKE?

The trial takes place in the small, austere courtroom inside a four-story, peach-colored palazzo inside Vatican City. A plaque near the entrance reads "Judicial Offices" and a carved stone papal seal frames the doorway. A metal detector greets visitors. The courtroom features rich wood paneling and gilded molding on the ceiling, and a small crucifix is centered behind the chairs of the three lay judges. Gabriele, assuming he attends, can sit at one of the tables facing the judges with his lawyer. The prosecutor has his own place at the other table. There is a small section for the public.

WHO CAN ATTEND A VATICAN TRIAL?

On paper, Vatican court proceedings are open to the public. But Giacobbe said those wishing to attend must petition the court, which then decides whether to grant permission. Gabriele, who was granted house arrest in July after spending nearly two months in a Vatican police unit, doesn't have to attend. For the media, eight journalists attend each session and report back to the Vatican press corps. No television, still cameras or audio recording is allowed and court transcripts aren't public.

HOW HAS THE POPE AND THE VATICAN REACTED?

The Vatican took the betrayal very seriously: Benedict appointed a commission of three cardinals to investigate alongside Vatican magistrates; they delivered their confidential report to the pope over the summer. Benedict addressed the scandal for the first time a week after Gabriele was arrested, saying "The events of recent days about the Curia and my collaborators have brought sadness in my heart." But in a nod to his confidence in Bertone, he added: "I want to renew my trust in and encouragement of my closest collaborators and all those who every day, with loyalty and a spirit of sacrifice and in silence, help me fulfill my ministry."

___

Follow Nicole Winfield at www.twitter.com/nwinfield

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-28-Vatican-Scandal/id-628e037d8462413c8f4cfaa2f79d4c1a

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Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion on Obama family last year | The Daily ...

Taxpayers spent $1.4 billion dollars on everything from staffing, housing, flying and entertaining President Obama and his family last year, according to the author of a new book on taxpayer-funded presidential perks.

In comparison, British taxpayers spent just $57.8 million on the royal family.

Author Robert Keith Gray writes in ?Presidential Perks Gone Royal? that Obama isn?t the only president to have taken advantage of the expensive trappings of his office. But the amount of money spent on the first family, he argues, has risen tremendously under the Obama administration and needs to be reined in.

Gray told The Daily Caller that the $1.4 billion spent on the Obama family last year is the ?total cost of the presidency,? factoring the cost of the ?biggest staff in history at the highest wages ever,? a 50 percent increase in the numbers of appointed czars and an Air Force One ?running with the frequency of a scheduled air line.?

?The most concerning thing, I think, is the use of taxpayer funds to actually abet his re-election,? Gray, who worked in the Eisenhower administration and for other Republican presidents, said in an interview with TheDC on Wednesday.

?The press has been so slow in picking up on this extraordinary increase in the president?s expenses,? Gray told TheDC.

Specifically, Gray said taxpayer dollars are subsidizing Obama?s re-election effort when he uses Air Force One to jet across the country campaigning.

When the trip is deemed political, it?s customary for the president to pay the equivalent of a first class commercial ticket for certain passengers. But Gray says that hardly covers the taxpayer cost of flying the president and his staffers around on Air Force One.

?When the United States? billion-dollar air armada is being used politically, is it fair to taxpayers that we only be reimbursed by the president?s campaign committee for the value of one first-class commercial ticket for each passenger who is deemed aboard ?for political purposes??? Gray asks in the book.

?And is that bargain-price advantage fair to those opposing an incumbent president??

In the book, Gray admits Americans want their president to be safe and comfortable but argues the system should be reformed to stop the amount of unquestioned perks given to the president.

?There is no mechanism for anyone?s objection if a president were to pay his chief of staff $5,000,000 a year,? he told TheDC. ?And nothing but a president?s conscience can dissuade him from buying his own reelection with use of some public money.?

Aside from a salary, the president gets a $50,000 a year expense account, a $100,000 travel account, $19,000 entertainment budget and an additional million for ?unanticipated needs,? he notes.

NEXT: Examples of the pricey perks reserved for the president

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/26/taxpayers-spent-1-4-billion-on-obama-family-last-year-perks-questioned-in-new-book/

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Could someone help me please? - Paranormal Psychic Community ...

09/27/12 at 06:21:27

??Who's in chat

harmz2361	I'm a muddled at the moment, I'm looking at a split path. I can go in left or I can go right but I'm not sure which way I should go. This is in reference of my Education/Career choices. I honestly have know idea what's best for me. Could you help me please?
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You are in between paths just like you said. I see the paths being basically EVEN but one has a higher cost. The one with higher cost gets you there faster, but not always a wise choice because the other doesn't take you much longer and there NO NEED to rush anything. Eventually everything comes at the end of the path there's say a "package" waiting. Both paths give the same package. its how your choosing the decision of what route to take. My advise is go with the PATH or ROUTE that is a little longer. Who cares right.. your eventually get there. Its all about learning to enjoy the trip on that path. You could be taking the long way, and not like it maybe even wish you took the faster route. Truth is its not the path you choice ITS THE WAY YOU CHOOSE To experience it. I will say with certainty that at the end of both paths is a comfortable life. Take the longer path if you can enjoy the ride and want to make a commitment to that. Take the shorter ride if you want to just get it over with.

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Source: http://anybodythere.net/cgi-bin/paranormal-forums/YaBB.pl?num=1348675801

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FOR KIDS: Pathways to research: Connecting with scientists

Budding researchers get ahead by spending their free time working side by side with real scientists

Web edition : 4:48 pm

Not many scientists begin their careers with a busted knee. But that?s exactly how Evan Olin, now 18, got his start. While a freshman at Ossining High School in New York, this competitive runner ran so fast and so hard that he sustained serious injuries to both legs. It kept him off the track for months. Rather than becoming discouraged by his limping gait, however, Olin turned to science. He started exploring how intense activities ? like his long jogs ? could harm the human body.

The summer before his sophomore year, Olin landed a spot working in the lab of Gregory Gutierrez at New York University. Gutierrez studies how human joints develop and function. Eventually Olin started plopping experienced joggers onto treadmills to see how they ran when forced to jog barefoot ? a type of running that?s become popular among exercise fiends.

He and other students profiled here show how even high school students can begin to participate in interesting and important research.

Visit the new?Science News for Kids?website?and read the full story:?Pathways to research: Connecting with scientists

Found in: Science News For Kids

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/345375/title/FOR_KIDS_Pathways_to_research_Connecting_with_scientists

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Health Insurance for Expensive MRI or CT Scans

September 25th, 2012

Often, health insurances do not cover important body scans for medical treatments like CT scan and MRI scan. While getting insurance from an insurance company, it is important to read the plan and what it covers in detail. Even though, renowned insurance companies like HSL assured provide its clients with complete medical package that includes almost all types of medical coverage but it is still important to compare the health insurance plans of two or more companies and check for MRI scan and CT scan in advance.

Often, for proper diagnosis of a medical condition, a complete body scan is required but often medical insurance from small companies only cover X-rays that are cheaper than CT scan and MRI scan but are not advanced enough and safe to save the insurance cost. This is why it is highly recommended to always buy your medical insurance from the renowned and established insurance companies like HSL assured. Even though, most of the medical experts prefer CT scan or MRI scan over the x-rays as x-rays are not that advanced and there are number of risks associated with the use of x-rays on human body but many people who do not have coverage for CT scan and MRI scan have to choose X-rays to save money. Even though, with the increased dependability of doctors and health experts on these modern scans, most of the insurance companies now cover both type of scans in their health insurance but it is still important to ask if these scans are included or not before buying health insurance.

Entry Filed under: health news

Source: http://www.mwpuab.com/health-news/health-insurance-for-expensive-mri-or-ct-scans/

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J.K. Rowling Wishes She Could Rewrite 'Harry Potter'

While J.K. Rowling might be forever thankful of the impact that Harry Potter has had on her life, there are a couple of elements of the series she wishes she could go back and change.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/jk-rowling-wishes-she-could-rewrite-harry-potter/1-a-489854?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ajk-rowling-wishes-she-could-rewrite-harry-potter-489854

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Kids keep 2-headed snake as pet

It sounds like something out of science fiction, but for a family in Greenwood County, South Carolina, this two-headed snake is real, and really fascinating.

The most bizarre thing about this creature: The heads aren't side by side. The snake has one head on each end of its slender, slithery body, and both heads seem able to control it. Two heads. Two tongues. Four eyes. That'll keep you up at night.

Workers found the smallish snake with the freakish look near the home of Savanna Logan and her brother Preston, and handed it over to them. The two have been showing it to their classmates, according to Fox 8 News.

Two-headed snakes are not unheard of. According to National Geographic, the heads are formed similarly to the way Siamese twins develop. Typically, two-headed snakes have side-by-side heads, not like the snake cared for by these kids.

The high school biology department at Ware Shoals High School identified the creature as a rough earth snake. Luckily, even with two heads, this kind of snake, which grows to about 10 inches at most, is considered relatively harmless, feasting on slugs and snails.

The kids told Fox 8 they each had a name they wanted for the snake. Preston thought Billy Bob. Savanna wants to call it Oreo.

With two heads, two names may be in order.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/kids-keep-2-headed-snake-pet-145105173.html

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Ross Taylor rues poor fielding after loss to Pakistan ? Cricket News ...

Ross Taylor rues poor fielding after loss to Pakistan ? Cricket News Roundup ? Part 1 ? September 24, 2012

New Zealand skipper, Ross Taylor, defended the team?s tactics after they suffered a narrow 13-run loss to Pakistan in ongoing ICC World T20.

In a surprising move, the Kiwis opted to open with Kane Williamson despite chasing a stiff total of 177, while further tinkered with the batting order by promoting Daniel Vettori at 4, with Taylor moving himself at 4. In addition to that, the Black Caps were lacklustre in the field, where they dropped a couple of crucial catches. ?

However, their skipper defended their policy of using Williamson as an opener after Martin Guptill had to sit out the game due to a hamstring injury.

"We talked about Kane opening the batting before this game. It was no surprise to us. I don't think we lost it there."We dropped a few catches, leaked too many runs in the first 10 overs. The way we pegged it back was good. We could've been staring at something closer to 200."

Indian skipper, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, praised the bowling contribution of Harbhajan Singh after his side recorded a convincing win over England in the ongoing ICC World T20.

The Turbanator was the star of the show, picking up 4 wickets, along with bowling two maidens, in his first game for the national team in over 12 months.? The Indians posted a competitive 170 on the board before restricting their opponents on a lowly 80.

Harbhajan, who was also named the Player of the Match, was also satisfied with his performance. "For me it was an important game," Harbhajan said. "I hadn't played international cricket for a full year. Getting a wicket first or second ball gives you a lot of confidence.?

Pakistani top-order batsman, Nasir Jamshed, expressed delight over his performance which helped his team claim victory in their opening World T20 game against New Zealand.

The stylish left-hander scored a cultured half-century, where he creamed the Kiwi bowlers to all parts of the ground. His efforts helped the Men in Green post a competitive 177 on the board, which was defended astutely by the bowlers, headed by Saeed Ajmal.

?I wanted to take as much of the strike as possible and score as much as I can,? he said.?

Source: http://blogs.bettor.com/Ross-Taylor-rues-poor-fielding-after-loss-to-Pakistan-Cricket-News-Roundup-Part-1-September-24,-2012-a189786

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Streak Gaming Online Gambling Portal & Forum: 15% Cash Back ...

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Source: http://streakgaming.blogspot.com/2012/09/15-cash-back-for-life-at-spinandwin.html

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Rising from the Ashes: Sony Re-opens Warehouse Destroyed During London Riots

Re-built in record time, the new advanced distribution centre for home entertainment media:

? supports local economy

? capitalises on skills and expertise of existing employees

? future-proofs business towards industry advancements

London, 14 September 2012 ? Sony today officially opened its newly built UK distribution centre in Enfield, North London - a provider of around a quarter of the UK?s home entertainment media? - after the original building was destroyed by fire during the London riots in Summer 2011. The opening was attended by Prime Minister, David Cameron, who praised Sony for its efforts in retaining local employees through utilising the original site. The new, more advanced distribution centre was built against all odds in record time in order to be fully operational with stock for the peak Christmas sales period which accounts for 50% of annual revenue. It is operated by Sony?s global subsidiary Sony DADC, a leading production and distribution supplier of CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc and digital media products for the international content industry.

Speaking at the opening of the new site David Cameron said, ?The riots last summer were devastating for many local communities and the businesses within them. I've heard today how upsetting it was for the employees here at Sony DADC to see the building they had worked in - some of them for many years - reduced to rubble. But I want to commend Sony for seeing this as an opportunity to rebuild an even better facility and for protecting the jobs of those employed here while they did it. The fantastic new distribution centre I've seen can handle more orders and has created the potential for more jobs in the area. I'm delighted to be here to wish Sony well as they move back to their home in Enfield today.?

Around 25% of Britain's total stock of home entertainment discs (like CD, DVD and Blu-ray Disc) was destroyed by the fire, which could have had a devastating effect on retailers as well as major and independent rights holders. "Thanks to the dedication of our employees, contractors, suppliers and customers we have managed to pull off the impossible and re-establish our business in time for our busiest trading period and kept alive the businesses that depend on our services." said Natasha Tyrrell, General Manager Distribution at Sony DADC UK who has spearheaded the recovery and development strategy.

?We are incredibly proud of the team in Enfield and of the ambitious re-build project, which together, we have made a huge success. Our main aim in this past year has been to continue to service our customers to our full potential and retain our skilled local workforce", added Tyrrell, "This is a significant investment for us and demonstrates our commitment to developing our business despite an increasingly challenging environment in the packaged media (CD, DVD, Blu-ray Disc) industry. Capitalising on the skills of our employees, our cross-section of customers in the entertainment industries of home video, music, games and software and our ability to adapt our services, means we are in an excellent position to drive new business."

"It was the fastest ever build of its type in the UK with an overall construction and fit out period of 23 weeks. This enabled the site to become fully operational after just 11 months following the devastation caused by the arson attack?, stated the principle contractor ISG Retail. The new complex is 6.6 feet (two meters) higher than its predecessor, contains three office floors (one more floor than previously) stretching over 326,000 square feet (30,286 sqm) and incorporates high technology investment such as 4^th generation conveyor and warehouse management systems. Especially recognising the need for top-level security, the Enfield site has adopted a new security concept that will increase the protection of staff, customer goods and the premises.

The new distribution centre provides a peak throughput capability of approximately 1.2M units and can currently cater for around 55,000 titles per day, shipped to 20,000 retail addresses all over the UK and Ireland. As with the previous distribution centre, the service portfolio consists of physical handling and packing, testing and verification, distribution planning as well as financial services. Now, with an increasing focus on offering B2C distribution and retail services in addition to B2B services, Sony DADC is well equipped to accommodate an expanding product and services portfolio, future-proofing itself against an evolving industry. The UK distribution centre is part of Sony DADC?s global network that comprises approximately 30 sites in 19 countries worldwide.

Just two days prior to the opening in Enfield, on September 12, Sony DADC opened its new, larger Central London office location at 20 Rathbone Place due to the increasing demand for Sony DADC?s digital media distribution services. Serving as the main European hub for Sony DADC New Media Solutions, the 20,000 square foot digital media facility offers clients a central location and integrated global network infrastructure. It combines physical and digital creative services and supply chain solutions under one roof to provide greater efficiencies and better client support across all lines of business.

Source: http://presscentre.sony.eu/content/Detail.aspx?ReleaseID=8075&NewsAreaID=2

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WHY IT MATTERS: Debt

The issue:

A sea of red ink is confronting the nation and presidents to come.

The budget deficit ? the shortfall created when the government spends more in a given year than it collects in taxes and fees? is on track to top $1 trillion for the fourth straight year. When there's not enough to pay current bills, the government borrows, mostly by selling interest-bearing Treasury bonds, bills and notes to investors and governments worldwide. It now borrows about 40 cents for every dollar it spends.

The national debt refers to the total amount the federal government owes; the deficit is just a one-year slice.

The U.S. has been borrowing since the 1700s, when it needed money to finance the American Revolution. The outstanding debt has since risen to a shade over $16 trillion. While there's plenty of finger-pointing by politicians over who's to blame, deficits historically surge during wars and deep recessions, and the U.S. has had both over the past decade.

___

Where they stand:

President Barack Obama has proposed bringing deficits down by slowing spending gradually, to avoid suddenly tipping the economy back into recession. To help, he would raise taxes on households earning over $250,000 annually and impose a surcharge of 30 percent on those making over $1 million.

He acknowledges his spending on recession-fighting stimulus, tax relief and bailout programs ? much of it started under former President George W. Bush ? has contributed to the deficit. But so have bipartisan agreements to extend Bush-era tax cuts, and paying for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Also raising deficits: a falloff in tax revenues as more people found themselves out of work and personal and corporate incomes sagged in the deepest downturn since the Great Depression.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney would lower deficits mostly through deep spending cuts, including some of the reductions proposed by his conservative running mate Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, chairman of the House Budget Committee. But many of the cuts they're pushing would be partially negated by their proposals to lower top tax rates on both corporations and individuals.

___

Why it matters:

Deficits and debt are important because it's never good to spend more than you make for too long. The party out of power always makes deficits a big issue against the one holding the White House ? as Democrats did in 2008 and Republicans are doing now.

Leaders of both parties agree the burden will become unsustainable if borrowing is not reined in while interest obligations keep rising. But huge policy differences exist over how to balance the budget or at least trim deficits to manageable levels ? whether through spending cuts, tax increases or a mix.

Obama and Democrats tend to favor a combination, while Republicans mostly want just spending cuts, although Romney and Ryan say they'd also end some tax deductions and close loopholes ? without specifying which ones.

Congress sets a ceiling on how much the government can borrow. If this debt limit is breached, the government will default on its obligations. This has never happened, but it almost did last summer in a Capitol Hill standoff. As a consequence, the nation's credit rating was downgraded for the first time ever.

The current $16.4 trillion debt limit will be reached late this year or early next. A slew of tax breaks will expire at the same time.

No matter who wins, he'll immediately have his hands full.

___

Follow Tom Raum on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/tomraum.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/why-matters-debt-075548430--election.html

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NCAA Men's/Women's D1 Results from 9/22 - Part 1: Yale University Drop Heartbrea...

Bulldogs Drop Heartbreaker In Ivy Opener

www.yalebulldogs.com

The Yale women?s soccer team flirted with danger for much of Saturday?s game with Princeton. It was just old fashioned bad luck, however, that ended up costing the Bulldogs in a 2-1 overtime loss.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/SoccerNewEngland/posts/244046042384739

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Entire School Surprises Cancer Student ? CBS Dallas / Fort Worth

QUINLAN (CBS 11 NEWS) - A senior at Boles High School, near Quinlan, is battling a rare form of cancer. But tonight is homecoming. It?s also his birthday. So, the entire school surprised him with a day he and his classmates will never forget.

Corbin Fleming could pop wheelies in his wheelchair down the Boles High School halls all day if he wanted to Friday. He was king for a day.

?Today?s my birthday and I?m turning 18,? he said.

Boles is an East Texas school near Quinlan. It?s so small there are only 34 kids in the senior class. Britan Collett has been Class President all four years.

?It?s just like family. If one person?s hurt, the whole group is hurt,? she said.

Corbin is hurting. He was diagnosed six months ago with Rhabdomyosarcoma. It?s a rare form of cancer. Corbin?s was Stage IV.

Amy Melton, his Food Science teacher said, ?It was sad, disbelief. Now, a lot of admiration from his inspiration.?

Britan said, ?He?s fighting cancer and comes every single day that he can. So, it?s like he?s our hero.?

Boles wanted to make Corbin?s birthday a day he?d never forget. There were surprises waiting for him from the moment he set foot in the school.

And even though this was Boles big homecoming day, everyone at Boles made it a Happy Homecoming Birthday.

?He had no idea the entire time,? Britan said.

Life was too short for anything less. Boles had just lost Cody Perkins. He was a sophomore who lost his battle with cancer in May, a month after Corbin was diagnosed.

So, Corbin is special to Boles. It?s why they nominated him to the Homecoming court. Not only did Corbin Fleming become king for a day. He became a king who?ll remain in hearts and minds at Boles forever.

Corbin?s been undergoing chemotherapy. Radiation treatments start Monday.

Also Check Out:

Source: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/09/21/entire-school-surprises-cancer-student/

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The Choice Blog: Princeton University President Is Stepping Down

Shirley M. Tilghman, the president of Princeton University since 2001, will be stepping down from her post in June. She announced her decision on Saturday in an e-mail to the Princeton community, our colleague Ariel Kaminer reports:

During Dr. Tilghman?s administration, the university, which already had the highest per-student endowment of any college in the country, raised vast amounts of money. The latest capital campaign, begun and completed in difficult economic times, brought in $1.88 billion. But in the letter she noted, ?There is a natural rhythm to university presidencies.?

In an interview later, she explained that in June, at the conclusion of that fund-raising campaign, ?I began to think about what I had set out to do as president and what remained to be done. I concluded somewhat immodestly that every important initiative I set in motion was either concluded ? done ? or was now on an irreversible path to success where it really wouldn?t require a lot of my time or attention to ensure that it would be fully realized.?

Ms. Tilghman is the third Ivy League president this year to announce that she is leaving. Richard C. Levin announced in August that he plans to leave Yale University after 20 years at the helm. In July, Jim Yong Kim, the former president of Dartmouth College, became the new leader of the World Bank.

Brown University has a new president this year: Christina Hull Paxson. She succeeds Ruth Simmons, the first black leader of an Ivy League school, who announced in September 2011 that she would be stepping down.

---

Related: Ask Princeton?s Dean About College Admissions

Janet Rapelye, the dean of admission at Princeton University, is answering reader-submitted questions about college applications and finding a college fit. Her answers will begin appearing on Monday. | Ask a Question ?

Source: http://thechoice.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/23/princeton-university-president-is-stepping-down/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Hong Kong sees surge of democratic fervor after 'patriotic education' showdown

Hong Kong had the highest turnout in memory for elections yesterday, underscoring its commitment to the 'two systems government' that Beijing agreed to in the 1997 handover.

By Robert Marquand,?Staff writer / September 10, 2012

Residents walk in front of campaign banners from various candidates for the Legislative Council election campaign in Hong Kong Sept. 9. Hong Kong residents voted for a new legislature on Sunday, a day after the territory's Beijing-backed leader backed down on a plan to introduce a compulsory Chinese school curriculum after tens of thousands of people took to the streets.

Bobby Yip/Reuters

Enlarge

Hong Kong?s highest election turnout in years yesterday showed a thriving democratic sentiment in a nation that otherwise doesn?t go to the polls.

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The heavy turnout hinged on tumult surrounding a ?patriotic? education plan for Hong Kong schools ? seen as a proxy for Beijing propaganda ? and voter desire to weigh in on the future of the pilot program, which was rejected by all but two of hundreds of schools on the island.

Yesterday?s vote showed political sophistication, analysts say, aided largely by youth, in a vote where bread-and-butter issues like housing and pay figured prominently as well.

Young Hong Kongers spurred a political protest ?movement bigger than anything I?ve seen in a long time,? says Michael DeGolyer, who has long studied city politics at Hong Kong Baptist University. ?You had 16-year-olds bringing their parents into politics, not the other way around.?

The patriotic education course was aimed at elementary-level students and got heavy criticism for teaching little or nothing about cataclysmic events like the Great Leap Forward, the Cultural Revolution, or the Tiananmen Square massacre.

Critics branded it ?brainwashing.??

Hong Kong has long harbored a distrust of mainland Beijing?s heavy-handed efforts to ?make? Hong Kong a ?Chinese? city, even as Hong Kong?s history, civil service, education, and business acumen make it a financial services hub with international characteristics.

After the crippling SARS outbreak in 2003 and efforts by Beijing to institute a ?subversion? law that would throttle free expression, Hong Kong?s civic base has steadily mobilized, despite handicaps in the city governing structure, which favors Beijing.

For weeks ahead of the vote Sunday, ordinary people thronged the eastern business district.

In a rare move, pro-Chinese forces in Hong Kong backed down from plans to make the national education mandatory by 2015. At the 11th?hour on Saturday word came the plan would be voluntary, though many Hong Kongers were suspicious it could reappear later, an old tactic.

In the scale of problems faced by China this fall, though, Hong Kong may not be at the top of the list.

Beijing?s Politburo undergoes a once-in-a-decade leadership change this fall amid recriminations and turmoil over incidents like the disappearance of Bo Xilai. Its stellar growth rate is in some decline. China is also in the middle of tension-building territory disputes in the South China Sea.

Then there is the sense of disquiet and spiritual hunger among the rank and file, according to Gerard Lemos, who has studied ordinary Chinese people in the heartland since 2007. Any kind of unrest, including that in Hong Kong, tends to trouble China?s leaders, who have long said ?stability? is the chief virtue of statecraft.

The patriotic education issue appeared to push voter turnout high enough to give fractious pro-democracy forces enough seats in the legislature (27) to block pro-China forces in coming sessions.

Much credit goes to Hong Kong youth: ?I could not believe the organization, the discipline shown by these kids,? Mr. DeGolyer said by phone. ?They picked up after themselves, articulated what they wanted, and when they didn?t get everything, they didn?t escalate, which has been the problem in the past, but organized a different way forward. It was astonishing.?

He adds: ?If Hong Kong can handle its youth unrest well, then the unrest of youth in China, which we know is growing, may bring the PRC [People's Republic of China] to come here and ask, ?how are you doing this?? ?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/Zia3v1Tp4dE/Hong-Kong-sees-surge-of-democratic-fervor-after-patriotic-education-showdown

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US Military Tested the Effects of a Nuclear Holocaust On Beer

I'd always wondered how something so simple as water, barley and hops could be subverted into such a horrendous fluid. Hell, now I know; just place some decent ale an appropriate distance from a few megatons of atomic fury, filter out everything but the alcohol, add some dye, diacetyl and propylene glycol, slap a label on it, print and distribute images of healthy men consuming it without immediately dying, airbrush in a few half naked women appearing to appreciate the situation, and behold the most myster

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/_TRG_kiXC9Y/us-military-tested-the-effects-of-a-nuclear-holocaust-on-beer

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Caught on Tape! Paris Hilton Blasts Gay Men

You'd think that Paris Hilton would know by now that she needs to watch what she says -- especially if she is out in public. The Hilton heiress was recently recorded making a number of blatantly derogatory comments against gay men while she was taking a cab ride in Manhattan for New York Fashion Week.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/paris-hilton-makes-anti-gay-comments-tape/1-a-488548?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aparis-hilton-makes-anti-gay-comments-tape-488548

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Video: Romney: I'm the grandfather of "Obamacare" (cbsnews)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/249557006?client_source=feed&format=rss

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FACET Pyramid iPad Stand

This is a Kickstarter project from iLoveHandles. ?Their FACET Pyramid iPad stand is made of ABS plastic with neodymium magnets in the bottom edges that attach to the same magnets in the iPad that hold a Smart Cover in place. ?(Which means the iPad is only held in the horizontal position, with the home button [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/09/19/facet-pyramid-ipad-stand/

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Legal History Blog: CFP: Religion and Law in America

The Florida State University Department of Religion will convene a Conference on Religion and Law in America, March 15-16, 2013, in Tallahassee, Florida. Here's the announcement, via H-Law:

Dr. Winnifred Sullivan, Chair of the Department of Religious Studies at Indiana University and distinguished scholar of religion and law, will deliver the keynote address.

The emerging field of religion and law in America and American history remains an underexplored yet promising area of study for scholars.? This conference will address the evolving relationship between religion and law in American history from various academic disciplines.

Professors, attorneys, independent scholars, and graduate students who are interested in the academic study of religion and law are encouraged to submit proposals for individual papers and panels.

Participants may explore a diverse array of topics spanning American history from the colonial era to the present, including but not limited to:

?? ? ? ? First Amendment issues

?? ? ? ? Constitutional originalism

?? ? ? ? Judicial definitions of ?religion?

?? ? ? ? Faith-based initiatives (vouchers, healthcare, etc.)

?? ? ? ? Religion, race, and law

?? ? ? ? Religion and prison reform

?? ? ? ? Theory and method in the study of religion and law

Presentations should be approximately 15 to 20 minutes in length and will receive peer responses.

Proposals including an abstract of approximately 300 words and a brief CV should be submitted by *November 15, 2012* for review.? Final papers must be submitted by January 31, 2012.? Please send proposals [here].

For additional information, please contact Brad Stoddard.

Source: http://legalhistoryblog.blogspot.com/2012/09/cfp-religion-and-law-in-america.html

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Error paves way as White Sox beat Tigers

CHICAGO (AP) ? Omar Infante's throwing error on a potential double play helped Chicago scored two runs in the fifth inning Monday and the White Sox beat the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in a pivotal makeup game.

Chicago increased its lead in the AL Central to three games.

Nate Jones (8-0) pitched 2 2-3 innings of one-hit relief and the White Sox won their fourth straight.

The game had been postponed by rain last Thursday and Monday's makeup was the final meeting of the season between the two front runners in the division.

Addison Reed, the last of three relievers in the ninth, got the final out for his 27th save in 31 chances.

Trailing 4-3, the White Sox loaded the bases for a third straight inning in the fifth, driving out Detroit starter Doug Fister (9-9).

When Dayan Viciedo hit a one-out grounder to short, the Tigers tried to turn the inning-ending double play, but Alex Rios slid hard into second baseman Infante and forced an errant throw that got by Prince Fielder as two runs scored, giving Chicago the lead.

Detroit won the season series 12-6 and captured 9 of the final 11 games between the teams, including two of three last week before the four-game series finale was postponed.

Each team has 16 games remaining. Chicago heads to Kansas City and Anaheim to finish out this week while Detroit goes home to face the Athletics and Twins.

Delmon Young drove in three runs for the Tigers with a pair of singles, but Detroit couldn't hold on to an early 3-0 lead. Tigers pitchers walked six and hit two batters.

Chicago loaded the bases again in the eighth and was on the verge of adding an insurance run when Adam Dunn hit a fly ball to left with one out. But before Gordon Beckham could cross the plate, Dewayne Wise was thrown out trying to go from second to third ? a double play that ended the inning.

Neither starter got out of the fifth. Jose Quintana, who beat the Tigers a week ago in his previous start, gave up seven hits and four runs in four. And Fister, who defeated the White Sox last Tuesday, gave up eight hits and five runs ? four ? earned, also in four innings.

Avisail Garcia, Gerald Laird and Austin Jackson hit consecutive singles to open the third for a 1-0 Detroit lead. After a sacrifice, Quintana intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera to load the bases. He then struck out Prince Fielder, but Young hit a two-run single to put the Tigers up three.

The White Sox had three singles off Fister to load the bases in the bottom half but the 6-foot-8 right-hander struck out Kevin Youkilis and Dunn to end the threat. Chicago tied it in the fourth when Beckham was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Wise had a two-run single.

Cabrera led off the fifth with a double and Fielder was ruled safe at first when Dunn fielded his grounder and flipped to Quintana covering. Chicago manager Robin Ventura came out for an explanation from first base umpire Mike Muchlinski and replays appeared to show that Quintana beat Fielder to the bag by a step.

Young followed with another RBI single to put the Tigers ahead 4-3.

Notes: Young, who had seven RBIs when the Tigers swept a series from the White Sox earlier this month in Detroit, has 28 RBIs in 40 games at U.S. Cellular Field. .. Tigers C Alex Avila was out of the starting lineup after colliding with Fielder on Sunday chasing a pop in Cleveland. ... Wise was the White Sox's leadoff hitter a second straight game with Alejandro De Aza sitting out. Ventura said De Aza had been a bit out of sync.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/error-paves-way-white-sox-beat-tigers-213509084--mlb.html

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