Senate Passes Sandy Disaster Aid, Flood Insurance Increase

The Senate on Friday approved a $60.4 billion supplemental package to provide additional aid for northeast states hit by Superstorm Sandy that includes an increase in the borrowing authority of the federal flood insurance program.

The measure increases the borrowing authority of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to help cover claims from Superstorm Sandy from $20.7 billion to $30.4 billion, effective retroactively to Dec 12, 2012.

The $60.4 billion measure passed the Senate in a 62-32 bipartisan vote.

The Senate voted down an amendment by Sen. Dan Coats, R- Ind., to lower the aid amount to $24 billion. Coats said the measure should focus on immediate needs.

?An emergency funding bill should focus on the emergency needs of the victims, not the needs of politicians,? said Coats. ?Loading up a massive $60.4 billion package with unrelated projects and earmarks for other states is not the way we should use taxpayer dollars to fund Hurricane Sandy relief efforts.?

The House of Representatives has not acted on the measure. Some House Republicans also want to lower the amount.

The current Congress has until Jan. 3, when the new Congress will be sworn in.

Democratic Nevada Sen. Harry Reid, Senate majority leader, urged the House to act quickly to approve the Senate bill.

?State and federal authorities have worked together effectively to help the victims, but more help is needed for the recovery to continue. This bill provides those additional resources,? said Reid.

?There is no time to waste, and the House should act immediately. Congress must continue its long-standing tradition of helping our fellow Americans in the aftermath of a natural disaster. Time is of the essence for the millions of Americans who rely on this aid to rebuild their lives.?

Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, D-N.Y., whose state was among the hardest hit, also urged lawmakers to act quickly.

?Sandy was a devastating storm that hit the most heavily populated part of our country. Approval of this assistance must not be postponed any further by the partisan gridlock in Washington; federal flood assistance, for example, would only be able to approve ?one-tenth of the anticipated claims unless this bill is passed,? Maloney said.

?

Article source: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2012/12/31/275546.htm

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Source: http://jallencoblog.com/senate-passes-sandy-disaster-aid-flood-insurance-increase/

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Video: Group puts banks, struggling homeowners face-to-face

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50318239/

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atm technology: My Pair of Boots: Old Fort- Wing Family Home ...

The Wing Fort House is located at 69 Spring Hill Road, East Sandwich, Massachusetts. Open Tuesday through Saturday from June 15 to September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a small admission fee. For off-season visits please call the Caretakers at (508) 833-1540. Cousins, if you ever have the opportunity, this is a "must do" visit. It is something you will never forget and something you will never tire of talking about.

The oldest house in New England owned and occupied continuously by the same family for over three centuries. Built in 1641.? In 1646 it became the home of Stephen Wing, one of the early settlers of Sandwich, son of the Reverend John Wing and Deborah Bachelor. Stephen?and his descendants occupied the house from then on, adding on as families grew and changing tastes dictated. Now restored, it is furnished almost entirely with Wing family antiques showing the different periods of its long history. The house is maintained by the Wing Family of America and open to the public.

?This house is a must see on my list of Historic Landmarks!

Source: http://mypairofboots.blogspot.com/2012/12/old-fort-wing-family-home.html

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Source: http://aimless-forwardness.blogspot.com/2012/12/atm-technology-my-pair-of-boots-old.html

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South Korea parliament expected to approve budget on Monday

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's parliament was expected to pass next year's government budget on Monday after slightly expanding welfare spending programs in line with President-elect Park Geun-hye's campaign pledges.

Media cited officials at the ruling and main opposition parties as saying they now aimed to put their agreed version up for vote later in the day after winding up debate on minor issues at sub-committee meetings.

The value of the 2013 budget bill is expected to rise to about 342.7 trillion won ($320.11 billion) from 342.5 trillion won, but there would be no big change in funding plans, media reports said.

The government's plan is to narrow the official fiscal deficit to 0.3 percent of gross domestic product in 2013 from a projected 1.1 percent deficit in 2012.

The fiscal year begins on January 1 but parliament has often delayed budget approval until after midnight on December 31 due to wrangling between the ruling and opposition parties.

The government had proposed to allocate 28 percent of total spending to health, welfare and labor but Park promised this month to increase welfare spending.

Park, from the ruling conservative Saenuri Party, does not take office until late February.

Technically, the ruling party holds 51.3 percent of the single-chamber National Assembly and can pass the bill alone but wants to reach agreement with the opposition first. The main opposition Democratic United Party holds 42.3 percent.

($1 = 1070.575 won)

(Reporting By Se Young Lee; Editing by Choonsik Yoo and Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-korea-parliament-expected-approve-budget-monday-035833986--business.html

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China expands pollution monitoring to biggest cities

BEIJING | Sun Dec 30, 2012 12:43am EST

BEIJING (Reuters) - China plans to release hourly air pollution monitoring data in 74 of its biggest cities starting on New Year's Day, state media said on Sunday, in a sign of increasing responsiveness to quality-of-life concerns among prosperous urban people.

Choking pollution and murky grey skies in Chinese cities is a top gripe among both Chinese and expatriates.

Microscopic pollutant particles in the air have killed about 8,600 people prematurely this year and cost $1 billion in economic losses in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Xi'an, according to a study by Beijing University and Greenpeace that measured the pollutant levels of PM2.5, or particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers in diameter.

The new monitoring will include not only PM2.5, but also sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and carbon monoxide, the Xinhua news agency said, citing a Friday announcement by the Ministry of Environmental Protection.

Data will be collected from 496 monitoring stations, it said.

First Beijing, then other cities have become more public about their air quality data since the U.S. embassy in Beijing began publishing hourly data from a pollution monitor installed on embassy grounds in Beijing.

The embassy's monitor often diverged with official air quality readings, adding to public pressure for the city to come clean about the state of its air.

The United States has extended its monitoring program to its consulates in China.

Sunday was a clear and sunny winter day in Beijing, with the levels of ozone and PM2.5 declared "moderate" or "good", according to embassy data. The Beijing Municipal Environmental Monitoring Center (www.bjmemc.com.cn) rated PM10 concentrations as "excellent".

Many Chinese cities have removed belching smokestacks and coal-burning factories from their centers in the past few years, but a rise in the number of cars during the same period has created new air quality problems.

(Reporting By Lucy Hornby; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/environment/~3/MNc_CFYgQ-Q/us-china-pollution-idUSBRE8BT01020121230

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Medicare Cuts Loom Large as 'Cliff' Nears

WASHINGTON -- It's looking less and less likely that Congress and the White House will strike a deal to keep the country from falling over the "fiscal cliff" next week, so physicians are preparing for a 28.5 percent cut in Medicare payments that will take effect on Jan. 1.

That figure includes a 26.5 percent cut under Medicare's sustainable growth rate (SGR) reimbursement formula and a 2 percent cut mandated by the Budget Control Act, the piece of legislation that outlined the tax increases and spending cuts that define the fiscal cliff.

"Given the current progress with the legislation, CMS [the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] must take steps to implement the negative update," the agency said in a Dec. 19 notice on its website.

CMS will continue to pay claims for services rendered on or before Dec. 31 at current rates, and made it a point the remind doctors of the agency's payment schedule: clean electronically transmitted claims are paid no sooner than 14 days after submission and payment on clean paper claims takes at least 29 days.

"CMS will notify you on or before January 11, 2013, with more information about the status of Congressional action to avert the negative update and next steps," the notice stated. The message, some believe, is that physicians should take their time submitting claims.

Sen. Harry Reid Says 'US Headed Over Fiscal Cliff' Watch Video Fiscal Cliff: Congressional Leaders Squabble at the Last Minute Watch Video

As has been the case in previous years, the minimum two-week delay in claim processing allows CMS to pay for services at the normal rate if Congress retroactively repeals the SGR cuts while a broader budget deal is negotiated.

Any action on the SGR, however, may not have an effect on the 2 percent cut mandated in the Budget Control Act, which calls for a 9.4 percent cut in most parts of defense spending and an 8.2 percent cut for most nondefense agencies.

Medicaid, veterans health programs, and the Vaccines for Children program are all exempt from automatic spending cuts. Some -- but not all -- community health centers are limited to a 2 percent cut, like Medicare.

The National Institutes of Health is slated to lose a whopping $2.5 billion from its fiscal 2013 budget under the mandatory spending cuts, translating to 700 fewer grants per year.

The CDC stands to lose $464 million. The FDA would see its budget slashed by $318 million and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration $275 million.

Although no one expects all the cuts to last in the long-term, neither the White House nor any federal agencies have spelled out what impact the cuts will have in the short term.

Federal health agencies contacted by MedPage Today declined to comment on how they were planning to handle the spending cuts and referred us to the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB). OMB didn't return a request for comment.

Although the OMB has outlined how much money each agency should cut, there are no publicly available details on what programs will be affected by the cuts.

"There is no fixed list of activities that the FDA will drop without this money, but significant programmatic and manpower reductions would be impossible to avoid," Steve Grossman, deputy executive director for the Alliance for a Stronger FDA, wrote on the advocacy group's blog. "Mission failure may not be an option for FDA, but it will be very hard to avoid."

There is also an option for President Obama to order the Treasury Department and OMB to delay implementing the sequestration if a deal is imminent.

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/medicare-cuts-loom-large-cliff-nears/story?id=18085532

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Home Grown: Family Christmas Parties

Another year of?Christmas parties?has come and gone, and while it's always a bit sad for me to?pack away the holiday decor and finish?up the seasonal?activities, it's always?good to look back?on all the festive?fun we had with our families.?

?

This year our first family party was with Joe's mom's side of the family.?

?

Grandpa and Grandma with their four grand kids.

And?what's a party without?the great grand kids?

Joe with his mom, step dad and sister, Melissa.

And, of course, the first gifts of the season!?

Claire's been?awaiting this moment for weeks.

Grandma Rosen lends Henry a hand with his gift from Aunt Melissa.

Grandma shows Henry?the Sesame Street blanket she

made for him.? Henry loves Elmo lately.

Claire gives Grandma a thank you hug for her new doll,

who she has since named "Franny".

?

Our next family gathering was with my side of the family.? Actually, it was?more of a fiesta than a party.? My sister, Kelsey, was home after studying in Spain for a semester.? She'll be leaving this weekend to study in Israel for a month, so it was good to visit with her briefly and hear a bit about her travels.

?

?She even prepared some traditional Spanish dishes for us.? Ole!

And perhaps one of the cutest sights of the season:

Claire in her Spanish flamenco dress,

and Henry in his?matador outfit, ready to fight?some bulls.?

??

Mom had prepared a game for the kids, which they enjoyed.?

And we got a stash of "new" books and movies, which the kids love.

Claire with Sylvia and Kelsey (and kind of Henry), with the birthday

cake for Jesus, an annual Sternberg family tradition.

Claire and her cake.

?

Our family Christmas celebration is usually pretty?simple.??On Christmas Eve, the kids?opened a few gifts from?us.? And this year my parents had taken the kids shopping to pick out gifts for us, so it was fun to open those.? Henry had?picked out a snow brush for Joe and some potpourri for me.? Claire had picked out animal crackers for Joe and a colander for me.?

?

Our annual family photo before opening gifts.

Henry opening a gift from a neighbor.?

We have the best neighbors in the world!

?

After a nice service at our church on Christmas morning, the kids took naps, and then we headed over to?celebrate Christmas day with?Joe's?dad's side of the family.?

?

Here we are, deeply entrenched in our puzzle?ball tournament.?

I thought I was unstoppable...

But nope, Melissa came from behind to claim the final victory!

That's ok -?I have ample opportunity to practice for next year's tournament!

It was also good to visit with extended?family at the party.

Here Henry plays cars with cousin Zach, while Great Grandma watches.

?

Homemade Oh Henry! bars,?one of the?many?delicious goodies

made for us as a Christmas gift.? These won't last long!?

?

Source: http://thepuplisfamily.blogspot.com/2012/12/family-christmas-parties.html

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Benefits of higher oxygen, breathing device persist after infancy

Dec. 26, 2012 ? By the time they reached toddlerhood, very preterm infants originally treated with higher oxygen levels continued to show benefits when compared to a group treated with lower oxygen levels, according to a follow-up study by a research network of the National Institutes of Health that confirms earlier network findings, Moreover, infants treated with a respiratory therapy commonly prescribed for adults with obstructive sleep apnea fared as well as those who received the traditional therapy for infant respiratory difficulties, the new study found.

In the original 2010 study, of infants born between 24 to 27 weeks of gestation, investigators in the Neonatal Research Network found:

• Infants were more likely to survive if they had received higher oxygen levels, although they were at higher risk of an eye condition that can impair vision or lead to blindness.
• Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a treatment typically reserved for adults with obstructive sleep apnea, was as effective as standard therapy with a ventilator and surfactant (a sticky substance that coats the inside of the lungs).

For the current study, the researchers checked on the children's progress, comparing the groups' survival rates and cognitive and motor development 18 to 22 months after they were originally due to be born. The re-evaluation of the original study treatment groups examined:

• Children treated with oxygen saturation levels that were either low (85 percent to 89 percent) or high (91 percent to 95 percent).
• Children treated with CPAP therapy and those treated with a ventilator and surfactant.

The researchers compiled the results of their analysis in terms of a combined primary outcome. This primary outcome took into account two possibilities: whether an infant either died in the first or second year of life or had a neurodevelopmental impairment -- any of a number of conditions affecting the nervous system. These included cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss or low scores on tests of infant mental and motor development. The researchers selected this outcome because infants who died before 18 months of age could not be classified as having a neurodevelopmental impairment.

In terms of the primary outcome, the researchers found no differences between the groups.

When the researchers looked at outcome measures separately, however, they did observe differences. The researchers documented higher survival rates among children who received oxygen with higher saturation rates. The study's original findings showed that survivors in this group also had a greater risk of developing retinopathy of prematurity, an eye condition that can impair vision or cause blindness. Although those receiving higher oxygen levels were more likely to have had corrective eye surgery, by the time the children reached 18 to 22 months corrected age-- their age had they been born at the approximate time they were due. The researchers found that there was no difference in the rate of vision problems between the two groups.

"CPAP for infants has been available since the 1970s. This is the first study to compare surfactant treatment to CPAP in a large group of infants, and these results reassure us that CPAP is as good a choice in the first hour of life as traditional methods for very preterm babies who need help breathing," said senior author Rosemary D. Higgins, M.D., of the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), one of two NIH institutes supporting the study. "We've also confirmed that higher oxygen targets improve survival and don't appear to threaten survivors' vision in the longer term."

The study also received funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Their findings appear in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NIH/National Institute of Child Health and Human Development.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Yvonne E. Vaucher, Myriam Peralta-Carcelen, Neil N. Finer, Waldemar A. Carlo, Marie G. Gantz, Michele C. Walsh, Abbot R. Laptook, Bradley A. Yoder, Roger G. Faix, Abhik Das, Kurt Schibler, Wade Rich, Nancy S. Newman, Betty R. Vohr, Kimberly Yolton, Roy J. Heyne, Deanne E. Wilson-Costello, Patricia W. Evans, Ricki F. Goldstein, Michael J. Acarregui, Ira Adams-Chapman, Athina Pappas, Susan R. Hintz, Brenda Poindexter, Anna M. Dusick, Elisabeth C. McGowan, Richard A. Ehrenkranz, Anna Bodnar, Charles R. Bauer, Janell Fuller, T. Michael O'Shea, Gary J. Myers, Rosemary D. Higgins. Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in the Early CPAP and Pulse Oximetry Trial. New England Journal of Medicine, 2012; 367 (26): 2495 DOI: 10.1056/NEJMoa1208506

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/tbSrFj34dG8/121227110759.htm

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Helping Mom And Dad Sell Antiques, Collectibles, Art When There ...

Helping Older Adults Downsize When There Are Early Signs of Dementia?

A fews years ago, my dad was beginning to liquidate the contents of his home. He began by trying to sell his paintings which he had acquired in his more prosperous years. With a turn in the economy he was hoping to sell off some of his paintings to help pay the bills.

Saying Good Bye To Art And Collections

It was indeed a very sad state of affairs when dad had to part with the paintings he had collected for many years. At that time dad still had his memory and cognitive abilities. He knew how to evaluate who he was getting advice from and he was still actively engaged in the world at large.

Helping Parents Sell Antiques And Collections: Estate Liquidation

But what happens when a parent begins to develop early dementia and slowly begins to slip away from the world at large. ?Should they be selling anything on their own? This post is to open up the conversation about helping older adults particapate in downsizing before they are having symptoms of early dementia. And by all means, keep mom and dad always in the loop, gently helping them with the process.

Keeping An Eye On What Parfents Are Sellng And When

If you are the adult child of a parent who is an Octogenarian or even older you will probaly find yourself involved sooner or later in the care of that parent and the liquidation of ?heirlooms, collectibles and valuables. It is best to keep on eye on the situration as early as possible. If you suspect that a parent is starting ?to have trouble with memory, activities of ?daily living ?or managing their household and finances etc. they will certainly need help in dealing with Auction houses, galleries, Antique stores etc.

Intervening Early When A Parent Starts Showing Signs of Dementia

The time to step into the situtation is before the symptoms of dementia as described below are observed.?However if you find yourself already in the middle of Mom or dad's dementia, you may want to take a more active role in deciding what goes where and when.

You will also need to get legal authority, so be sure to consult an attorney to establish a Power of Attorney so you can advocate for a parent who needs your help.

How I Antique Online.com Can Help With Resources And ?Information

If you do not have a background in antiques, collectibles, art you may want to join my free site I Antique Online.com. This is the largest social network on antiques and ?collectibles. With over two hundred group forums on every imaginable topic related ?to ?antiques, you will find lots of helpful information and resources. We welcome new members and you wil find a very congenial atmosphere . This is a great community to help you learn more about the collectibles you are evaluating and the options available to you for liquidation.

I especially urge you to visit a group on the site I Antique Online.com called "Estate Mavens: Help With Estate Liquidation" .?I co-moderate this group along with Julie Hasll aka The Estate Lady.

Signs Of Early Dementia

Some of the signs that a parent might show when there are early signs of ?dementia are :

1. Confusion about what bills to pay.
2. Paying the same bill several times.
3. Unopened mail.
4. Disorganized workspace.
5. Comfusion on how to use computer and send and receive emails.
6. Pulloing away form uusal activities i.e. reading the newspaper, going food shopping.
7. Not eating and drinking properly, getting dehyddrated.
8. Poor grooming, not shaving, not bathing.
9. Mixing up the names of children, forgetting important events and milestones.
10. Change in personality

Photos were taken at Antiques On The Farmington, Collinsville, CT

?C. Dianne Zweig is the author of Hot Kitchen & Home Collectibles of the 30s, 40s, 50s and Hot Cottage Collectibles for Vintage Style Homes. She is also the Editor of I Antique Online an actively growing internet based resource community for people who buy, sell or collect antiques, collectibles and art. You can find Dianne?s fabulous retro and vintage kitchen, home and cottage collectibles at The Collinsville Antiques Company of New Hartford, CT, a 22,000 feet antique emporium with an in-house retro caf?. To read more articles by C. Dianne Zweig click on this link: C. Dianne Zweig?s Blog Kitsch ?n Stuff Email me at dianne@cdiannezweig.com Visit my website, CDianneZweig.com Dianne is a member of: The American Society of Journalists and Authors The Society of Professional Journalists

Source: http://cdiannezweig.blogspot.com/2012/12/helping-mom-and-dad-sell-antiques.html

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Video: Record-breaking storm creates travel nightmare

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50307691/

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THPRD plans delayed for field for disabled athletes at Somerset ...

Plans to build an outdoor field for athletes with disabilities at Somerset West Park ? the first of its kind in Oregon ? are moving slower than hoped, and full funding is not yet in place.

The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District said in August that a master plan for the 6-acre park north of U.S. 26 would be presented to the public by the end of the year. It will probably be early 2013 before public meetings are held, said Bob Wayt, spokesman for the district.

The district authorized a $496,500 contract in October with architecture firm 2.ink Studio to design the park. Once the master plan is finalized, it could be brought to the district for approval in the spring.

Around $1.5 million has been allocated from the district?s 2008 bond measure to pay for the park upgrades, and the Tualatin Hills Park Foundation is expected to raise between $1.7 million and $2.1 million for the project, according to a September staff report. The full cost is estimated around $4.4 million, according to the report.

To cover the difference, the project could be built in phases, or bond money from other areas could be reallocated toward the park, the report said.

Once completed, the park will include a baseball field with dugouts, restrooms bleachers and seating areas that can accommodate people using wheelchairs, walkers and crutches. The site could also include other sports fields.

?Nicole Friedman

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/beaverton/index.ssf/2012/12/thprd_plans_delayed_for_field.html

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Do You Walk The Walk? | The Best Life Blog: Fitness, Weight-Loss ...

Posted By Bob Greene on December 27, 2012

Walking a little more each day is one of the easiest ways to build more activity into your life, burn a few extra calories and reach the recommended weekly goal of 150 minutes of exercise. Yet few Americans are taking advantage of the opportunity. In fact, less than 25 percent of us walk or bike for transportation (say, to get to the store or work) more than 10 minutes continuously in a whole week, according to a recent study from Yale University.

The few Americans who are pounding the pavement?or getting ?active transportation,? as the study authors called it?are reaping some serious benefits. Those who got the most active transportation had a body mass index (a ratio of height to weight) more than one point lower than those who got the least. They also had a three-point lower waist circumference, a 34 percent reduced chance of high blood pressure and a 31 percent lower risk for diabetes.

You?re probably formulating the reason why you can?t walk in your head right now, right? Maybe it?s, ?I?m too busy.? Perhaps you?ll go with, ?It?s too cold.? Or it could be the standard ?I don?t have the time.? That?s the beauty of walking: You don?t need the time?you have to do it anyway. You just have to plan ahead and find ways to sneak in a few more steps.

Here are a few suggestions to help you hoof it more often:

? Have some holiday packages to return at stores on opposite ends of the mall? Instead of parking, making your return, then driving to the other side of the mall, walk indoors from one store to the next.

??Don?t have time to walk the whole way to work? Walk part of the way. Park a few blocks from the office or get off at the stop before if you?re taking the train or bus and walk the rest of the way.

? Walk the kids to school. Get a few neighbors together and form a walking school bus. You can catch up with all the neighbors, get the kids to school and score some exercise.

? Stop searching for the closest spot. Here?s an oldie but goodie: Park far away from the store and walk.? I know, you?ve probably heard this hundreds of times before, but it?s easy and it works!

? Choose a nearby store and walk to it once a week. You?ll save gas and the environment, too.

Another helpful tip: Use a pedometer, a gadget that counts your steps. It?s fun to challenge yourself to increase your daily steps, and it?s also very rewarding to have a tangible measure of progress. I recommend Omron?s pedometers.

Ready to take the walk-more challenge? Where are you going to walk today?

Pin It

About Bob Greene, Best Life Founder

Bob is an exercise physiologist and certified personal trainer specializing in fitness, metabolism and weight loss and the driving force behind The Best Life. He holds a master?s degree from the University of Arizona and is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Council on Exercise. For 30 years, he has worked with clients and consulted on the design and management of fitness, spa, and sports medicine programs.

Bob has been working as a personal trainer to Oprah Winfrey for more than 15 years. He has since become a contributing editor for O, The Oprah magazine, and writes articles on health and fitness for Oprah.com. He is also the bestselling author of The Best Life Diet Cookbook, The Best Life Diet, The Best Life Diet Daily Journal, Bob Greene's Total Body Makeover, Get with the Program!, The Get with the Program! Daily Journal, The Get with the Program! Guide to Good Eating, Make the Connection and Keep the Connection.

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Tags: best life diet, bestlife, bob greene, bob's corner, diet, do you walk the walk, weight loss

Source: http://members.thebestlife.com/blog/do-you-walk-the-walk/

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No One Uses Smart TV Internet Because It Sucks

People aren’t using their internet-connected smart TVs for anything beyond, well, watching TV. It turns out, nobody wants to tweet from their TV. Or read books. Or do whatever it is people do on LinkedIn. Worse, more than 40 percent ...

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/GearFactor/~3/KJ4r8loiPbA/

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Nouel Alba Arrested By FBI: Bronx Woman Accused Of Newtown Shooting Scam, Posing As Victim's Relative (VIDEO)

HARTFORD, Conn. ? A New York City woman tried to scam donors by posing as the aunt of a child killed in the Connecticut school massacre, federal authorities said Thursday.

Nouel Alba, 37, was arrested Thursday and accused of using her Facebook account, telephone calls and text messages to seek donations for what she called a "funeral fund." She told one donor that she had to enter the scene of the mass shooting in Newtown to identify her nephew, according to the criminal complaint.

Alba is charged with lying to FBI agents who were investigating charity scams related to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, where a gunman killed 20 children and six adults on Dec. 14.

Alba, of the Bronx, appeared Thursday in federal court in Hartford and was released on $50,000 bond. A number listed for her was not in service.

In text messages with a donor, Alba allegedly said she hugged President Barack Obama during his visit to Newtown and said she was afraid to see her nephew in a casket: "11 gun shot in his little body," she wrote, according to the complaint.

If convicted, she faces a maximum prison term of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.

The FBI is asking anybody with knowledge of scams related to the Newtown shootings to contact them. The state is also checking the identities of people soliciting money in the name of the Newtown victims, according to William Rubenstein, state commissioner of consumer protection.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/nouel-alba-arrested-bronx-woman-newtown-shooting_n_2371685.html

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Share Your Auburn Real Estate Experience with Others | Auburn AL ...

December 27th, 2012

As a local?Auburn real estate company we?continuously?work hard to provide our home buyers and sellers with stellar service. We understand buying or selling real estate in Auburn (or any where) can be a stressful as well as an exciting time.

Weichert Realtors Porter?Proprieties?s?real estate agents have vast local Auburn real estate knowledge coupled with a passion to exceed your?exceptions. Invite us in and we will show you why Weicherts works.

We Want to Hear From You. Let Your Voice Be Heard.

Have you worked with Weichert Realtors Porter Properties in the past? If yes, we would like to personally thank you for your business. We value the trust you placed in us and strive to achieve excellence for all of our Auburn Area real estate clients.

We want to hear about your personal Auburn real estate experience with us; by leaving an honest review on any of the following respected review sources. This allows us to continue to grow and learn from you. Your voice truly matters.

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Tags: auburn, Auburn Area, auburn real estate, buyers, buyers and sellers, Buying, experience, home, porter properties, real estate, real estate in auburn, sellers, selling, weichert, weichert realtors

Source: http://www.porterproperties.com/blog/share-your-auburn-real-estate-experience/

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jessicaalva66: johir.khan: Self-Improvement Affirmations with Self ...

Self-Improvement Affirmations with Self-Hypnosis Audios Deal! | Self ...

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Source: http://selfhelphypnosis.co.uk/self-improvement-affirmations-with-self-hypnosis-audios-deal

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Source: http://johirkhan72.blogspot.com/2012/12/self-improvement-affirmations-with-self.html

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Teachers with guns is a crazy idea (CNN)

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

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Six Little McGhee's - The Journey on Parenting Multiples | Black and ...

Black Celebrity Marriages

by Ayanna Black ?|? on December 24th, 2012 ?|?

I was glued to the TV with great anticipation waiting for the first episode of the Six Little McGhees.? As a mom of triplets I wanted to see how another African American couple of multiples kept from pulling their hair out and crying along with the kids.

I remember the first time I heard of the McGhee?s. I?d come across a Facebook photo of the family and thought? ?Oh my God!? Is that six babies? What?s in the water that we are drinking!? as I begin to count all of the cute little faces in the picture.? I was fascinated with anyone else that could possibly relate to my joy, fear, disbelief, anxiety and sleep deprivation.? So I waited patiently, knowing that I?d see more of this amazing family.

The first episode began with Rozonno and Mia McGhee introducing us to their family of eight and the four most important people in their existence, The Helpers.? The McGhee?s invite viewers into a look at their impoverished beginnings which established a great bond between the two and journey to now making history as Columbus Ohio?s first family of sextuplets. Their bond was a divine way of preparing Rozonno and Mia for their greatest challenge yet, sextuplets.

As the McGhee?s discover they are having sextuplets, their reaction was the same as any family seeing more than one dot on an ultrasound screen? ?what!?!??? ?are you sure??? ?you must be mistaken!? ?Oh my God, how many??, then silence! After that the mental and emotional roller coaster begins. The first thing that comes to mind is what am I going to do with all of these babies? You think, pray then begin preparing for your babies. On June 9, 2010 Rozonno and Mia welcomed Olivia, Madison,?Rozonno Jr., Josiah, Elijah and Issac to the world.

We get a look into everyday life with Rozonno, Mia and the sextuplets. We experience church on Sunday morning, bedtime and getting the family ready for the day in the morning.? I was particularly amused at the scene when you see a baby hop out the bed and take off running?it?s always one!? Then another scene where the babies team up and knock down the gate and everyone scatters. We see the McGhee?s shop on a $1,450.00 budget purchasing items for the month. These items include 50 fish sticks, 90 biscuits, 84 bananas, 72 eggs, 10 loaves of bread, 7 gallons of milks, and boxes upon boxes of diapers.

We get to see the McGhee?s on a doctor?s visit and the mayheim that goes on during a visit. I started to feel their anxiety about the doctor?s visit myself.? This is always a gruling all day adventure. It?s totally different dealing with multiples in public than at home.? At home you can somewhat control your surroundings, in public it?s a totally different ball game.? You have to always be on alert. Always taking a head count and making sure you haven?t lost anybody. Trying to control the noise levels, I don?t know about anyone else?s multiples but mine are extremely loud ALL the time.? Keeping kids off of furniture? And then waiting to hear what the doctor has to say about the development of your children. ?It?s just something you have to mentally prepare for.? But God knows exactly who to bless with multiples. It absolutely requires lots of patience, diligence, dedication, strength and PRAYER!

The episode ends with the McGhee?s giving their family and friends a barbeque to show their appreciation for all of their support.? We get to see Mia and Rozonno work their way through the terrible two?s. The biting, throwing, tantrums, hitting, fighting and challenges faced with running a family business to support the family.? We get a closer look in the second episode, at some of the struggles parents of multiples face?frustration from the kids, finances as well as limited time to yourself. We?ll see how the help is not always so helpful. These are some of the fortunate yet unfortunate realities of families with multiples but in the end the headaches, heartache and sleepless nights will be all worth it.

That love, support, bond and faith in God, Rozonno and Mia established in their early years is ultimately what?s going to carry them through their marriage and the rearing of the sextuplets.? Early in the show after the babies were put to bed, you see Rozonno and Mia hug and high five each other and say ?team work?.? That continued team work is going to be one of the things that?s going to make ?this ride a little easier. One is going to have to rely on the strength of the other and they? both will have to totally depend on God. Things will get quite interesting at times, emotionally, physically and even spiritually, but all in all there will absolutely be more good days than bad which gives you hope and loads to look forward too.

I?ll definitely be tuning in next week to see the McGhee?s journey through this crazy thing called multiple parenting.

Watch Saturday nights on OWN at 9pm/8pm CST.

What would be your reaction to finding out you were having multiples? Do you watch Six Little McGhees? What do you think of the show?

About the author

Ayanna Black is the founder of A. Black Web Design, a web customization firm based in Chicago. Ayanna enjoys blogging about parenting her triplets, marriage and technology. Ayanna and her husband Damion are a featured couple in Ebony Magazine?s ?Partner Project?.

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2012/12/six-little-mcghees-parenting-multiples/

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Official: Navy SEAL commander died of apparent suicide

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan.

Navy SEAL Cdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pa., died Saturday of a non-combat-related injury while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan.

A U.S. military official said the death "appears to be the result of suicide." The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the death is still being investigated.

"The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate," said Capt. Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, which manages all Virginia-based Navy SEAL teams. "We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving."

"As we mourn the loss and honor the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission," Smith added Sunday.

A U.S. military official confirmed Price was from Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL Team 4, which is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to stave off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan. Price is survived by a wife and a daughter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/official-navy-seal-died-apparent-suicide-213239200.html

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Want To Improve Your Home? Take A Look At These Ideas! |

When your home is looking drab, all you need to do is follow some of the tips from this site to begin making your home look great today. The following is designed to provide you with hundreds of home improvement tips so that you can get your home in working order.

Increase your productivity when installing new kitchen cabinets by planning the order in which you will hang them. Install the top cabinets first so you do not have to lean over the base cabinets to attach them to the wall. Beginning in a corner is the easiest way to avoid fitting problems.

Making sure that your basement is weatherproof is the first step to creating a living space in there. If your basement is dry and never leaks or floods, it is a great way to save money on your renovation. However, if your basement is perennially flooded or damp, it not only makes way for mold, but also makes the space uninhabitable. Make sure to weatherproof your basement before beginning your remodeling project.

A full remodel of your kitchen and counter tops can be very expensive. For a more affordable update, consider having your counter tops refinished by a local contractor. This is also an option for anyone who wants to change the look and feel of their kitchen but cannot afford to completely replace cabinetry.

Before beginning home improvements apply for the appropriate building permits. Any home improvement that involves plumbing, electricity, or structural changes can require a permit. Check your local laws. If you proceed without a permit then you can be fined or it could make the house harder to sell in the future.

For a unique look in the kitchen, plus extra counter space, consider converting an old dresser into an island. The drawers make excellent storage for utensils and tools, and the top can be covered with granite, marble, butcher block or laminate, to match or coordinate with your existing counter tops. Add casters to the legs for a mobile work space that can tuck against a wall if needed.

Do you have home improvement projects that are beyond your skill level or that require more time than you have available? Your best solution might be to try a reputable handyman service. Ask them for references to see if they provide the standard of work that you need. They are usually a more cost-effective solution than hiring a contractor for the job.

When making renovations on your home, you should make sure you hire a contractor you trust. In order for the employee and contractor to both feel satisfied, they should have a certain level of understanding and trust with one another. If that level of trust and understanding is not there, then it is very likely that one or both of you will be unhappy about the results.

If you browse through the tips from this site, you are sure to find a tip that can bring your home to a whole new level of beauty. If you apply some of these tips today, your home will be on its way to truly being improved.

Source: http://hydendesigngroup.com/2012/12/want-to-improve-your-home-take-a-look-at-these-ideas/

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Obama urges Americans to keep up pressure for tighter gun control

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Americans on Friday to keep up the pressure on lawmakers to tighten gun regulations as a result of the mass shooting of 26 people in Newtown, Connecticut, a week ago.

Obama issued a videotaped response to the several hundred thousand people who have signed a petition posted on the White House website calling for toughened gun laws in response to the shooting, in which 20 school children and six adults were killed at a Newtown school.

"I need your help," Obama said in the video. "If we're going to succeed, it's going to take a sustained effort from mothers and fathers, daughters and sons, law enforcement and responsible gun owners, organizing, speaking up, calling their members of Congress as many times as it takes, standing up and saying 'Enough' on behalf of all our kids."

Obama has called for Congress to approve a ban on the sale in the United States of military-style assault weapons, a ban on the sale of high-capacity ammunition clips, and to ensure everyone gets a background check before they buy a gun, even if the purchase takes place at an open-air gun show currently exempt from such requirements.

For years Americans have been reluctant to impose greater restrictions on gun purchases, but the Newtown shooting has changed many minds and Obama is seeking to take advantage of the shift in attitude.

He has directed Vice President Joe Biden and a team of Cabinet officials to offer concrete proposals by next month on how to tighten gun laws and improve Americans' access to mental healthcare, strengthen school safety and address a culture that glorifies guns and violence.

Obama said he would push for these proposals early next year.

"You've started something and now I ask you to keep at it," he said.

(Editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-urges-americans-keep-pressure-tighter-gun-control-110755782.html

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3 Keys to a Great SEO Campaign

One of the most rewarding things for your business is seeing the results when your search engine optimization campaign was successful. In order for it to be successful though you have to pick a Phoenix web design company that knows what they are doing because if they do not know what they are doing then they can end up hurting your website more than they help it. There are certain things that a great search engine optimization company will do that will show you that they are good.

• Relevant Keywords ? Many bad companies will tell you that they can get you ranked on page 1 of the search engines in a short period of time. This is likely true but they select keywords that have no competition and brings in no searches per month. You will see your website on page 1 but you won?t notice any increase in traffic. A Phoenix web design company that knows what they are doing will provide you with a list of keywords and show you how many monthly local searches each month they receive. Don?t fall for the oldest trick in the book.
• Integrity ? There are many search engine optimization companies that will use dirty tricks to get ranked on the search engines top page but when the search engines catch on your website will be banned and likely will never be able to be ranked again.
• Time ? An elite Phoenix web design company knows that getting ranked takes time and it doesn?t happen over night. No matter what some search engine optimization it is not possible to rank a relevant keyword in a month. The good news is once you are ranked you will begin seeing the traffic and not have to pay for it per click.

Remember there is no guarantees when it comes to search engine optimization. Even though you maybe running a great campaign another company maybe putting more money and resources behind their campaign and therefore out ranking you. If you would like a free SEO analysis contact HireAWiz today. We are an elite Phoenix web design company.

December 20, 2012

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Source: http://www.hireawiz.com/blog/seo/3-keys-great-seo-campaign?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=3-keys-great-seo-campaign

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AP PHOTOS: A photo journey through North Korea

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? My window on North Korea is sometimes, quite literally, a window ? of a hotel room, the backseat of a car, a train. Fleeting moments of daily life present themselves suddenly, and they are opportunities to show a side of the country that is entirely at odds with the official portrait of marching troops and tightly coordinated pomp that the Pyongyang leadership presents to the world.?

In April, I was part of a group of international journalists that traveled by train to the launch site for this year's first, failed rocket test. We traveled in a spotless train used by the Communist leadership, and I spent the five-hour journey?inside my sleeper car looking out the large, clean window at a rural landscape seen by few foreign eyes.?The tracks cut across?fields?where large groups of farmers were at work in clusters. Occasionally, there was a plow drawn by oxen or a brick-red tractor rolling along the gravel roads. On a rocky hilltop above the train tracks, a small boy sprinted and waved at the passing train. Every few hundred yards along the entire route, local officials in drab coats?stood guard, their backs to the tracks, until?its cargo of foreign reporters had safely passed.?

I have made?17 trips?into North Korea since 2000, including?six?since The Associated Press bureau in Pyongyang opened in January 2012. It is an endlessly fascinating and visually surreal place, but it is also one of the hardest countries I have ever photographed. As one of the few international photographers with regular access to the country, I consider it a huge responsibility to show life there as accurately as I can. ?

That can be a big challenge. Foreigners are almost always accompanied by a government guide ? a "minder" in journalistic parlance ? who helps facilitate our coverage requests?but?also monitors nearly everything we do.?Despite the official oversight, we try to see and do as much as we can, push the limits, dig as deeply as possible, give an honest view of what we are able to see. Over time, there have been more and more opportunities to leave the showplace capital, Pyongyang, and mingle with the people. But they are usually?wary of foreigners and aware that they too are being watched.?

This has been a historic year for North Korea, with large-scale dramatic displays to mark important milestones,?struggles with food shortages, crippling floods, drought and typhoons,?as well as growing evidence that people's lives are changing in small but significant ways. But in a country that carefully choreographs what it shows to the outside world, separating what is real from what is part of the show is often very difficult.

Last spring, as North Korea was preparing for the 100th birthday of its late founder, Kim Il Sung,?citizens practiced for weeks, even months, for the large-scale military parade and public folk dancing that was part of the celebration.

One morning, on our way through town, we saw small groups of?performers walking home from an early rehearsal. They wore their brightly colored traditional clothing, but covered over with warm winter coats. In their hands were the red bunches of artificial flowers that they shake and wave in honor of?country's leaders during mass rallies.

From the van window, I saw a woman standing alone, holding her bouquet as she waited for the bus. It was, to me, a more telling moment than the actual events we would cover a week later, a simple but provocative glimpse into one person's life.

For this project, I used a Hasselblad XPAN, a panoramic-view film camera that is?no longer manufactured.?Throughout the year, I wore it around my neck and shot several dozen rolls of color negative film in between my normal coverage of news and daily life with my AP-issued digital cameras.

The XPAN is quiet, discrete, manual and simple. Because it has a wide panoramic format, it literally gives me a different view of North Korea. The film also reflects how I feel when I'm in North Korea, wandering among the muted or gritty colors, and the fashions and styles that often seem?to come from a past?generation.?

In my photography, I try to maintain a personal point of view, a critical eye, and shoot with a style that I think of as sometimes-whimsical and sometimes-melancholy.?My aim is to open a window for the world on a place that is widely misunderstood and that would otherwise rarely be seen by outsiders.

I hope these images help people to develop their own understanding of the country, one that goes beyond the point-counterpoint presented by Pyongyang and Washington.?And maybe they?can help create some sort of bridge between the people of North Korea and the rest of the world.

_________

?

Award-winning photographer David Guttenfelder is AP's chief photographer for Asia. He is based in Tokyo but makes frequent trips to North Korea to run AP's photo operations there.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-photo-journey-north-korea-084739480.html

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Maya 'end of days' fever reaches climax in Mexico

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico (Reuters) - Thousands of mystics, hippies and spiritual wanderers will descend on the ruins of Maya cities on Friday to celebrate a new cycle in the Maya calendar, ignoring fears in some quarters that it might instead herald the end of the world.

Brightly dressed indigenous Mexican dancers whooped and invoked a serpent god near the ruins of Chichen Itza late on Thursday, while meditating westerners hoped for the start of a "golden age" of humanity.

"I see it as a changing of an energy, the changing of a guard, the changing of universal consciousness," said Serg Miejylo, a 29-year-old gardener originally from Connecticut.

Wearing sandals, smoking a rolled-up cigarette and sporting blonde dreadlocks, Miejylo is among those joining the festivities at Maya sites in southern Mexico and parts of Central America.

But while people here were celebrating, the close of the 13th bak'tun - a period of some 400 years - in the 5,125-year-old Long Calendar of the Maya has raised fears among groups around the world that the end is nigh.

A U.S. scholar once said it could be seen as a kind of "Armageddon" by the illustrious Mesoamerican culture, and over time the idea snowballed into a belief that the Maya calendar had predicted the earth's destruction.

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

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

In Texas, video game mogul Richard Garriott de Cayeux decided to throw his most elaborate party ever at midnight - just in case the Earth did come to an end.

Maya experts, scientists and even U.S. space agency NASA insist the Maya did not predict the world's end and that there is nothing to worry about.

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

A NEW DAWN?

New Age optimism, stream-of-consciousness evocations of wonder and awe, and starry-eyed dreams of extra-terrestrial contact have descended on the ancient sites this week - leaving the modern Maya bemused.

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

In Chichen Itza, below a labyrinth of gray and white Maya pillars, a circle of some 40 tourists sat meditating silently on Thursday.

At one point, a woman in a pink shirt said "the golden age is truly golden" and asked the group to find a form of light to take them to another dimension. The meditation then resumed.

Moments earlier, indigenous dancers wearing white linen, bright feathers and beads shook maracas and the seed pod of the flame tree to the beat of drums at the foot of the Temple of serpent god Kukulkan, a focal point of Friday's celebrations.

"We ask all the brothers of the Earth that Kukulkan dominates the hearts of the entire world," said one of the dancers, raising his arms towards the sky.

The Maya civilization reached its peak between A.D. 250 and 900 when it ruled over large swathes of what is now southern Mexico, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras. The Maya developed hieroglyphic writing, an advanced astronomical system and a sophisticated calendar.

DOOMSDAY PREDICTIONS

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

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

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

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

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

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

"What I hope is that I let go of all the old belief system and all the past and I just enter into a new reality that is even better," said Flow Lesur, 48, a Frenchwoman now living in California who teaches underwater yoga in her spare time.

Faun Rouse, a 78-year-old visitor from Colorado, was thinking of a different kind of inner contentment when asked how she would mark the coming of a new epoch. "With a big steak and lobster dinner, then fly back on Saturday," she said.

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

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

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Great discussions are par for the course here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

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Serendipity points to new potential target and therapy for melanoma

Dec. 20, 2012 ? A University of Colorado Cancer Center study in this month's edition of the Journal of Investigative Dermatology describes a new target and potential treatment for melanoma, the most dangerous form of skin cancer. MicroRNA can decide which genes in a cell's DNA are expressed and which stay silent. Melanoma tends to lack microRNA-26a, which makes the gene SODD go silent.

"It's a double negative," says Yiqun Shellman, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center, associate professor at the CU School of Medicine, and the study's co-senior author. "miR-26a works to stop the growth of cancer. You turn off this thing that should stop growth, and you have growth."

When Shellman, David Norris and colleagues reintroduced microRNA-26a to melanoma cell lines that lacked it, they saw a marked decrease in cancer cell survival. MicroRNA-26a killed melanoma cells while leaving healthy cells unharmed.

In fact, the discovery started back a couple steps. First the group compared microRNA expression in healthy cells to that of microRNA expression in melanoma cells. "We hoped the difference between microRNA expression in healthy and melanoma cells would show which ones were contributing to tumorgenesis," Shellman says.

The microRNA most consistently different between healthy and cancerous cells was 26a. The discovery of how it works and what exactly it does was serendipitous. "We started by testing the effect of microRNA-26a on known gene targets to see if it was effecting the expression of logical, cancer-causing pathways, but none of them seemed affected in melanoma," Shellman says. "We were working with the SODD gene in an unrelated project, and SODD has a putative but not high-scored binding site for miR-26a, and thought, why not test it? Sure enough, it turned out to be the target -- microRNA-26a downregulates this gene."

Shellman hopes this robust finding in cell cultures will help pave the way for future work with microRNA-26a as a therapeutic target in animal models and eventually a human trial.

"The first step is to further pinpoint the genetic signatures of the patients likely to benefit from microRNA-26a replacement therapy," Shellman says, noting that only some and not all melanoma cells were killed by miRNA replacement. "Maybe it's simply the downregulation of microRNA-26a itself, or maybe we can use SODD expression as the biomarker," Shellman says.

Once Shellman and colleagues discover the characteristics of a melanoma susceptible to microRNA-26a treatment, they hope funding will allow the lab to follow the promising therapy up the evolution from cells to humans.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado Denver. The original article was written by Garth Sundem.

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Journal Reference:

1. Steven N Reuland, Shilo M Smith, Lynne T Bemis, Nathaniel B Goldstein, Adam R Almeida, Katie A Partyka, Victor E Marquez, Qinghong Zhang, David A Norris, Yiqun G Shellman. MicroRNA-26a Is Strongly Downregulated in Melanoma and Induces Cell Death through Repression of Silencer of Death Domains (SODD). Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/jid.2012.400

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/9eU3-Tlhe10/121220143941.htm

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