Fluctuating environment may have driven human evolution

Dec. 24, 2012 ? A series of rapid environmental changes in East Africa roughly 2 million years ago may be responsible for driving human evolution, according to researchers at Penn State and Rutgers University.

"The landscape early humans were inhabiting transitioned rapidly back and forth between a closed woodland and an open grassland about five to six times during a period of 200,000 years," said Clayton Magill, graduate student in geosciences at Penn State. "These changes happened very abruptly, with each transition occurring over hundreds to just a few thousand years."

According to Katherine Freeman, professor of geosciences, Penn State, the current leading hypothesis suggests that evolutionary changes among humans during the period the team investigated were related to a long, steady environmental change or even one big change in climate.

"There is a view this time in Africa was the 'Great Drying,' when the environment slowly dried out over 3 million years," she said. "But our data show that it was not a grand progression towards dry; the environment was highly variable."

According to Magill, many anthropologists believe that variability of experience can trigger cognitive development.

"Early humans went from having trees available to having only grasses available in just 10 to 100 generations, and their diets would have had to change in response," he said. "Changes in food availability, food type, or the way you get food can trigger evolutionary mechanisms to deal with those changes. The result can be increased brain size and cognition, changes in locomotion and even social changes -- how you interact with others in a group. Our data are consistent with these hypotheses. We show that the environment changed dramatically over a short time, and this variability coincides with an important period in our human evolution when the genus Homo was first established and when there was first evidence of tool use."

The researchers -- including Gail Ashley, professor of earth and planetary sciences, Rutgers University -- examined lake sediments from Olduvai Gorge in northern Tanzania. They removed the organic matter that had either washed or was blown into the lake from the surrounding vegetation, microbes and other organisms 2 million years ago from the sediments. In particular, they looked at biomarkers -- fossil molecules from ancient organisms -- from the waxy coating on plant leaves.

"We looked at leaf waxes because they're tough, they survive well in the sediment," said Freeman.

The team used gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to determine the relative abundances of different leaf waxes and the abundance of carbon isotopes for different leaf waxes. The data enabled them to reconstruct the types of vegetation present in the Olduvai Gorge area at very specific time intervals.

The results showed that the environment transitioned rapidly back and forth between a closed woodland and an open grassland.

To find out what caused this rapid transitioning, the researchers used statistical and mathematical models to correlate the changes they saw in the environment with other things that may have been happening at the time, including changes in the Earth's movement and changes in sea-surface temperatures.

"The orbit of the Earth around the sun slowly changes with time," said Freeman. "These changes were tied to the local climate at Olduvai Gorge through changes in the monsoon system in Africa. Slight changes in the amount of sunshine changed the intensity of atmospheric circulation and the supply of water. The rain patterns that drive the plant patterns follow this monsoon circulation. We found a correlation between changes in the environment and planetary movement."

The team also found a correlation between changes in the environment and sea-surface temperature in the tropics.

"We find complementary forcing mechanisms: one is the way Earth orbits, and the other is variation in ocean temperatures surrounding Africa," Freeman said. The researchers recently published their results in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences along with another paper in the same issue that builds on these findings. The second paper shows that rainfall was greater when there were trees around and less when there was a grassland.

"The research points to the importance of water in an arid landscape like Africa," said Magill. "The plants are so intimately tied to the water that if you have water shortages, they usually lead to food insecurity.

"Together, these two papers shine light on human evolution because we now have an adaptive perspective. We understand, at least to a first approximation, what kinds of conditions were prevalent in that area and we show that changes in food and water were linked to major evolutionary changes."

The National Science Foundation funded this research.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Penn State, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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. C. R. Magill, G. M. Ashley, K. H. Freeman. Feature Article: Water, plants, and early human habitats in eastern Africa. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1209405109

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/QZT6tyeO2w4/121226080906.htm

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Five End-of-Year Payroll Tips for Small Business Entrepreneurs

The holiday season is here and to small business owners, it is time to make some extra sales; some that might have remained elusive all through the year. It is also the time to put final touches on one?s end-year tax planning to reduce the tax risks that usually set in at this time of the year, some involving payroll issues. To guide you, here are a few tips that might help.

1. It is Time to Hire a Vet: To be entitled to the Expanded Tax Credit, you have up to Dec 31st to hire a veteran. You can claim up to $9,600 per worker for employers running for-profit businesses or $6,240 for tax-exempt organizations. The amount you can claim for the credit is determined by the period the vet has been employed, number of hours worked and the wage amount paid. You will qualify for maximum credit if the vet is disabled.

2. Year-end Bonuses: You must bear in mind that the bonuses you give your employees are subject to payroll tax withholding, payment of FUTA taxes, employer matching of FICA, and Medicare taxes. You can choose to give a flat year-end bonus like $1000 as opposed to $923 after withholding, but remember to ask the payroll provider to gross up from the net amount. If you pay bonuses but fail to process payroll, the IRS and the state tax agency will simply classify the bonus as wages, and you will be punished for a mistake you could have avoided.

3. Analyze Fringe Benefit Packages: Find out from the IRS publication 15 if there are any pre-tax fringe benefits available. If there are, consider offering employees fringe benefits in place of standard raises to help lower your tax liability. You can save money in payroll taxes by offering benefits like health vision and child-care help. Your employees will also like these tax free benefits.

4. Employee Preparation for 2013: Ask your employees to assess the number of exemptions they claim and complete new W4 Forms. Those who claim exempt must submit a new Form W4 by February 18th. The IRS Publication 505 should be used to set the withholding amount to be taken and exemptions to claim.

5. Payroll Preparation: As you post payroll to the accounting program, patch up to have the gross wages matched with the year to date wages on the payroll report. Keep the employer-paid payroll taxes as a separate line item on the profit and loss statement and assign the withholding from paychecks to a current liability account on the balance sheet. Remember that payroll expense on Schedule C or other business income tax return must match the totals reflected on Form W3.

The secret to timely tax filing is proper preparation, the earlier you work on your tax returns, the better it is for you.

Source: http://www.limonwhitaker.com/2012/12/five-end-of-year-payroll-tips-for-small-business-entrepreneurs/

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Childhood Obesity, Celebrities, and Eating Disorders (Part 1)

Consider the strange case of Beyonc?, who seems to be working both sides of the street in the childhood obesity neighborhood. Early in 2011, the world learned that the singing star, following in the footsteps of other celebrities like Jamie Oliver and Ellen DeGeneres, would lend her talents to the cause of quelling childhood obesity and averting a public health crisis. First Lady Michelle Obama appreciated the help for her ?Let?s Move!? campaign, and of course Beyonc??s song ?Move Your Body? fit right in.

Designed to be played in middle schools, the singer?s exercise demonstration video featured an already existing song, rewritten for this project. Neon Limelight called it ?an energetic track urging folks to get up and shake what their mama gave them to keep the pounds off.?

As journalist Melanie Warner noted, ?the singer Beyonc? chomps on an apple (while dancing!)? and although she didn?t say it, what this reader inferred is that it might be a good way to choke to death. But maybe that isn?t what Warner meant, although she doesn?t think celebrities who aspire to be role models should ever represent junk food or sugar-sweetened beverages. Warner writes:

Kids old enough to remember will also recall something else Beyonc? told them to do ? drink Pepsi. That was in 2002 and 2003 when the pop star was a Pepsi (PEP) spokesperson, appearing in multiple TV ads, like this one where she sings about the ?joy of Pepsi.?

Although the ?Move Your Body? video wasn?t scheduled to premier until May, there was plenty of advance press, not all of it favorable. Mikaela Conley of ABC News pointed out that Beyonc? danced in her ?signature stilettos,? and although she didn?t say it, what this reader inferred is that it might be a good way to break an ankle. In fact, wearing high heels for plain old everyday walking, and not even for dancing, has long been discouraged by orthopedic surgeons and podiatrists. The distortion forced upon the rest of the body by high heels does not offer the body a single benefit.

And this was not the only objection. The prominent physician David L. Katz went on record as doubting the usefulness of celebrity participation because it can have unintended consequences.

Conley spoke with Dr. Jennifer Helmcamp of Scott & White Hospital in Austin, TX, who is both a pediatrician and an obesity expert. Dr. Helmcamp places much more credence in the importance of parental influence, believing that children will pretty much do what they see their parents do, including indulging in very detrimental eating habits. She was quoted as saying:

Celebrity campaigns primarily increase awareness? Michelle Obama has modeled behaviors such as planting gardens, exercising and talks about what she does at home to keep her kids healthy. Adding someone like Beyonc? to the campaign is great because she is a very visible influence on older children and teens.

Yes, and by shilling for a soft drink, what behavior is the influential Beyonc? modeling? Like Dr. Katz, Dr. Wendy Oliver-Pyatt also expressed ambivalence about the celebrity connection, and mentioned the sometimes unexpected results that can stem from good intentions. She is uncomfortable with the whole notion of labeling kids as overweight or obese, and for a very definite reason:

We only want to do intervention on modifiable behavior and weight is not a modifiable behavior.

Right, because weight is not a behavior at all. A behavior is something that a person does, like comfort eating, and that is modifiable.

(to be continued? )

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: ?Video: Beyonc? Releases ?Move Your Body? For Michelle Obama?s Childhood Obesity Campaign,? Neon Limelight, 04/09/11
Source: ?Mixed Messages: How Beyonc? Was For Soda Before She Was Against It,? CBS News, 04/13/11
Source: ?Beyonc? Joins Michelle Obama?s Initiative To Fight Childhood Obesity,? ABC News, 04/29/11
Image by healthiermi (A Healthier Michigan).

Source: http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2012/12/26/childhood-obesity-celebrities-and-eating-disorders-part-1/

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Movie Ripping Becomes Legal In UK For Individuals

Not that it would really be much of a worry since many people just do it regardless of the law, but UK residents set to receive any CDs or DVDs this Christmas will be able to do so safe in the knowledge that they can use a computer to back up their content without being?hunted?down by legislation, provided that the disc ripping that occurs is for personal use only.

After?a law amendment passed on Friday (21 December), the UK coalition?government has legally permitted consumers the right to burn content to their hard drives as ?digital copies?, with the law covering copied video content, music, and e-books, so long as it has been taken directly from the source?(as disc-to-file) and not used commercially.

While the rule also allows users to store their copied content onto a cloud storage service (seen in this case as similar to a hard drive, and rejecting rights holders? claims that this could create a form of illegal piracy),?it remains a crime to remove a??technical protection method? (TPM) from all copyrighted content, mainly designed to protect from copying in large quantities.

Government business secretary Vince Cable said of the changes: ?[The new legislation is] not only common sense but good business sense. Bringing the law into line with ordinary people?s reasonable expectations will boost respect for copyright, on which our creative industries rely. We feel we have struck the right balance between improving the way consumers benefit from copyright works they have legitimately paid for, boosting business opportunities and protecting the rights of creators.?

With a report on the matter summarising that the alterations create??a fair balance? between fair use for consumers?and?protecting the revenue streams of rights holders, will this trivial improvement be appreciated as a greater amount of freedom to use a paid-for disc as the user pleases?

Welcome to WorldTVPC Blog dedicated to bringing the latest news from the world of online tv, streaming services and TV hardware. We have news, links and a comprehensive review section. Hope you enjoy and we welcome all constructive comments

Steve Sanger

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Source: http://www.worldtvpc.com/blog/movie-ripping-becomes-legal-in-uk-for-individuals/

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U.S. News Travel: World's Tallest Christmas Trees

By Emily H. Bratcher

Why do we love Christmas trees? Is it because the leaves are so unchanging, and the candles shine so brightly? Do we, like Charlie Brown, recall the true reason for the season when we contemplate a dressed-up evergreen?

And why do we especially enjoy the incredibly tall ones? The lanky conifers with long, graceful branches seem particularly enchanting to us. But when it comes to our cherished spruces, only a few iconic, twinkling firs can captivate us with their annual display of yuletide splendor. To help spread the holiday cheer, we've rounded up some of the world's largest, oh-so-bright evergreens for your viewing pleasure. Prepare to be amazed at these tree titans and the Christmas spirit found in their home towns.

Just in case you're wondering, the trees listed here are au naturel -- comprised of real wood and pine needles. In other words, Brussels' wood-and-steel abstract tree and Rio de Janeiro's 542-ton floating tree, though magnificent, won't appear on this list.

Washington, D.C.
Height: 30 Feet

This year, on December 6th, the first family ushered in the holiday season by igniting the 30-foot National Tree in the White House's President's Park. Through the end of December, spectators can marvel at the Colorado Blue Spruce's 450 strings of LED lights and 120 star ornaments (all of which were engineered by General Electric). After catching sight of the magnificent tree, peruse the "Pathway of Peace" -- a series of 56 miniature trees decorated with ornaments from America's states, territories, and the District of Columbia. By the way, if you missed the lighting ceremony, you can watch it online here.

Z?rich, Switzerland
Height: 50 Feet

From the "Lucy" lights (12,000 white, red, and blue LED lights that glimmer along the Bahnhofstrasse shopping avenue) to the cheery Christmas markets, Z?rich sparkles at Christmastime. But nothing gleams brighter than its 50-foot Christmas tree. With typical Swiss elegance, the spruce tree -- which was chopped down from the nearby Uetliberg Mountain -- glitters with more than 7,000 Swarovski crystal ornaments. You'll find the glorious tree perched inside the Z?rich Hauptbahnoff Railway Station, which also plays host to Europe's largest indoor Christmas market. Here, you'll find 150 stalls selling tantalizing Swiss snacks and hand-crafted holiday gifts.

London
Height: 65.6 Feet

Every year since 1947, the people of Oslo have gifted London with an awe-inspiring Christmas tree. This annual present symbolizes Norway's thankfulness to Great Britain for its support during World War II, and for many Londoners, the annual tree lighting kicks off the holiday season. Hundreds of lights are strung in typical Norwegian fashion (vertically draping from top to bottom) in a simple, but visually pleasing display. You'll find the statuesque Norwegian spruce rising majestically from London's Trafalgar Square, surrounded by the National Gallery and Nelson's Column, among other London landmarks.

Sydney
Height: 69 Feet

In a holiday tradition that stems back to 1937, Sydneysiders showcase their Christmas spirit with bright, twinkling lights at Martin Place. The source of the city's illumination is an enormous Christmas tree that rises 69 feet into the air and is speckled with a whopping 59,000 lights. To cap off the fluorescently-lit fir, a five-foot star is placed on top. The annual tree lighting is met with much fanfare -- concerts, dancing, fireworks and more. This Aussie city opts for brilliant multi-colored ornaments rather than the classic crystal other cities like Z?rich or Paris display.

Paris
Height: 70 Feet

Christmastime is one of the busiest times of the year, so if you want to knock two things off your to-do list at once -- marveling at a spectacularly decorated tree and holiday gift shopping -- head to the Galeries Lafayette department store along Boulevard Haussmann in central Paris. One of the city's most elegant trees hangs inside the gorgeous Belle ?poque building: The 70-foot stunner sits suspended in the air like a chandelier and is ornamented with a colorful array of small and large Swarovski crystals. The sumptuous tree shines brightly against the backdrop of 10 stories of high-end luxury stores.

Prague, Czech Republic
Height: 72 Feet

Stroll through Prague's Old Town Square in December, and you'll be transported to a winter wonderland. Not only will you find a bustling open-air Christmas market, but there's also a nearby ice-skating rink and a Christmas Eve midnight mass. But what steals the spotlight here is the square's centerpiece, a staggering 72-foot-tall Christmas tree. This festive spruce is adorned with 36,000 lights and100 huge ornaments shaped like gingerbread men. We recommend finding a seat at one of the surrounding caf?s or bars to revel in the evergreen's beauty while sipping a hot coffee or a hearty brew.

New York City
Height: 80 Feet

In her now-famous ode to New York, musician Alicia Keys croons that "these streets will make you feel brand new; big lights will inspire you." And that lyric seems to ring true, especially at Rockefeller Center during the holiday season. For 80 years, the Big Apple has ushered in the Christmas spirit by decorating a ceremoniously large tree. This year, you'll find an enormous 80-foot-tall Norway Spruce decked with a glittering Swarovski crystal star. And in case you're wondering, the 45,000 lights twinkling from the tree's branches are energy-efficient LEDs. But even though New York is the city that never sleeps, you'll need to visit the tree before 11:30 p.m. to see it in all its glory. (The lights turn on at 5:30 a.m. and are switched off at 11:30 p.m., until Christmas Day when they'll shine for 24 hours.)

Vilnius, Lithuania
Height: 82 Feet

Come Christmastime, the lights from Vilnius' five-story Christmas tree set the city aglow. And yet, Lithuania's capital city is proud to note that the electricity output for all that Christmas cheer is just 2.8 kilowatts, equal to that expended by an ordinary vacuum cleaner. You'll find the tree -- decorated with brightly lit snowflake ornaments -- in Cathedral Square through the end of December. You'll also notice that the tree is perfectly shaped. Why? Because underneath all of those branches stands an 82-foot-tall cone frame.

Phoenix, Ariz.
Height: 110 Feet

This might surprise you, but a Christmas tree at an outlet mall in Phoenix, Ariz. holds the title as tallest fresh-cut tree in America. To give you a reference point, this mammoth evergreen surpasses Rockefeller Center's iconic Christmas tree by 30 feet. This 110-foot-tall white fir tree towers over Dress Barn and Yogurberry and the many other stores in the Outlets at Anthem mall. It's garnished with 120 strings of LED lights, oversize ornaments and a three-foot-tall copper star. And in case you're feeling sad that the Earth has lost one more gorgeous pine tree, take heart that 12 were planted in this one's stead.

Dortmund, Germany
Height: 147.6 Feet

If you find yourself in Dortmund this December, you'll likely see the flickering lights of its enormous Christmas trees before you notice anything else about the eighth largest city in Germany. Yes, that's right: trees. The 148-foot-tall spectacle is actually the sum total of 1,700 individual red spruce trees, stuffed and stacked into a frame. Tens of thousands of lights, as well as 20 candles, create a glowing wintry scene, which you can enjoy in the Hansaplatz (market square). While admiring Dortmund's Christmas spirit, you can also partake in some holiday shopping. Hansaplatz also serves as the location of a bustling Christmas market encompassing more than 300 stalls, selling yuletide treats, and handcrafted gifts.

In Pictures: World's Tallest Christmas Trees

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/us-news-travel/worlds-tallest-christmas-trees_b_2340798.html

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Three gods: The hardest logic puzzle ever

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In bite-sized roles, Gandolfini ubiquitous again

NEW YORK (AP) ? In the five years since "The Sopranos" ended, James Gandolfini has eschewed the spotlight, instead disappearing into a heap of character actor performances that, while they may lack the heft of Tony Soprano, have only further proved the actor's wide-ranging talent.

This season offers a gluttony of Gandolfini, albeit in bite-sized parts. In Kathryn Bigelow's Osama bin Laden hunt docudrama "Zero Dark Thirty," he plays Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. In David Chase's '60s period drama "Not Fade Away," he plays the old-school father of a wannabe rocker. And in Andrew Dominick's crime flick "Killing Them Softly," he plays an aged, washed-up hit man.

None of the roles are showy lead men, and that's just fine with Gandolfini.

"I'm much more comfortable doing smaller things," Gandolfini said in a recent interview. "I like them. I like the way they're shot; they're shot quickly. It's all about the scripts ? that's what it is ? and I'm getting some interesting little scripts."

The 51-year-old actor takes scant pleasure in interviews and rarely does them. This is partly because Gandolfini ? sitting attentively with his hands on his knees, his head back and his let's-hear-what-you-have-to-say eyes tilted downward ? distrusts the ego-inflating effect of attention. Explaining his interest in a character, he breaks off: "I always wonder how interesting any of this is to people. It's just my own (stuff)."

Though Gandolfini's achievement playing Tony Soprano for eight years is unquestioned (he won three Emmy awards), the sensation of the show ? and the long time spent playing a violent, sometimes loathsome gangster ? grated on Gandolfini. He says that after "The Sopranos," he didn't quite regain himself as an actor until he starred in the Tony-winning play "God of Carnage" on Broadway in 2009. He played half of a Brooklyn couple trying to resolve a squabble with another couple over a fight between their children ? a part also revealing of our underlying animalism.

"It really grounded me more as an actor again," says Gandolfini. "Then I could go off and try different things."

Gandolfini's recent work has vacillated from comedy, his genre of choice (as a Washington general in the political satire "In the Loop") to heartwarming drama (as a businessman moved to rehabilitate an abandoned teenage girl, Kristen Stewart, in "Welcome to the Rileys"). He voiced the Wild Thing Carol in "Where the Wild Things Are," a performance that, by stripping him of his sizable frame, highlighted his tenderness.

One of his favorite films, he says, was John Turturro's long-delayed "Romance & Cigarettes," a funny, anti-extravagant musical about a working class family. He's produced several HBO documentaries about veterans: "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq" and "Wartorn: 1861-2010," which chronicled posttraumatic stress.

"He took up a lot of his time with 'God of Carnage,' and I was sort of missing him from the screen," says Chase, the "Sopranos" creator. "He's doing a lot of work now but I think he was taking a cooling off period."

For Gandolfini, reuniting with Chase on "Not Fade Away" was like "getting back to work" on a simple, small movie set after the "big huge thing" of the "The Sopranos." Chase calls the actor his "first responder" to his scripts.

"The main thing we have is a small sharing of a certain amount of self-loathing and a sense of humor," says Gandolfini, laughing. "I get David's sense of humor immediately."

In "Not Fade Away," Gandolfini reprises certain characteristics of Tony Soprano ? an Italian patriarch displeased with his son ? but the film also turns on a tender moment that bridges the generational divide. "Every guy who was in a band, that was the father," says Steven Van Zandt, Gandolfini's "Sopranos" co-star and a producer on "Not Fade Away."

"It's the time when you find out, all of a sudden you realize as you get older, that maybe your father wasn't just there to raise you, that he actually had dreams of his own and things that he wanted to do and things that he's sacrificed," says Gandolfini, a father of a 13-year-old son and, with his second wife Deborah Lin, a 2-month-old girl.

Gandolfini grew up in New Jersey the son of a bricklayer and a high school lunch lady. His blue collar roots clearly inform his attitude about acting; he sometimes seems almost embarrassed by his profession.

"People don't know and they shouldn't know that you work incredibly hard as an actor," he says. "So in terms of a blue collar background, that matches up. But it is an odd way to make a living. Putting somebody else's pants on and pretending to be somebody else is occasionally, as you grow older, horrifying."

But Gandolfini gravitated to acting as a release, a way to get rid of anger. "I don't know what exactly I was angry about," he says.

That inner rage helped Gandolfini land his breakthrough role as a brutal mob enforcer in Tony Scott's "True Romance," a part that led to Tony Soprano. His distaste for that character and some of Tony's uglier nature is still present for Gandolfini.

"I try to avoid certain things and certain kinds of violence at this point," he says. "I'm getting older, too. I don't want to be beating people up as much. I don't want to be beating women up and those kinds of things that much anymore."

In "Zero Dark Thirty" violence is meted out by others, while Gandolfini's foul-mouthed Panetta is an intimidating boardroom presence.

"He brings to the set so much authority and gravitas just naturally in who he is," says Bigelow. "It felt like a perfect symmetry."

"Killing Them Softy," though, is a rare return to the territory Gandolfini has avoided. This older, end-of-the-line gangster, Gandolfini says, completes an arc for him of mafia men, a kind of epilogue of the "last, most pathetic one in the end."

"I was hesitant to play another quote-unquote mob guy," he says. "You know, I've played a lot of these guys and so I'm getting to a place where I want to play different people. This is kind of a guy who's a culmination of everybody I've played at the end. This is like the last nail in the coffin."

___

Follow Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jake_coyle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bite-sized-roles-gandolfini-ubiquitous-again-162540853.html

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Hero Dog Missing Snout Seems To Have Beaten Cancer

DAVIS, Calif. ? A veterinarian at the University of California, Davis, has some good news about a dog from the Philippines who became an international hero after sacrificing her snout to save two young girls.

After completing six weekly intravenous chemotherapy infusions, Kabang appears to have beaten the cancer she was suffering from, Gina Davis, the primary care veterinarian at the William R. Pritchard Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital in Davis, told the San Francisco Chronicle (). http://bit.ly/Ti87pl

The dog, however, is still facing treatment for heartworms in her arteries before she can have the gaping wound on her face closed. Full treatment of that condition was put on hold during cancer therapy.

Kabang ? a female mongrel ? had the first of three arsenic-based heartworm shots on Dec. 4 and is expected to receive the other two in the second week of January, Davis said.

"It will be one to two months for her to recover from that before she goes in and has the surgery," Davis said.

Kabang had her snout and upper jaw sheared off when she jumped in front of a speeding motorcycle, saving her owner's daughter and niece from serious injury or death, according to newspaper reports in the Philippines.

The dog ended up in Davis earlier this year after a nurse from Buffalo, N.Y., spearheaded a fundraising campaign to bring her to the U.S. Veterinarians in the Philippines were apparently unable to treat her injuries.

Surgeons are planning to perform two or three procedures. The first will involve dental work, extractions and covering exposed roots.

They will then try to close the dog's wound and restore nasal functions. The dog's bony structures are currently exposed to air, increasing the chance of infection, Davis said.

Kabang may return to the Philippines in May or June. The bill for her treatment is expected to top $10,000.

Davis said despite Kabang's many conditions, the dog appears to be in good spirits.

"She has come through everything very well," Davis said. "Her appetite is still good. She's still bright and happy."

___

Information from: San Francisco Chronicle, http://www.sfgate.com

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/hero-dog-missing-snout-se_0_n_2362658.html

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Syrian rebels fully capture town near Turkey

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians helping a wounded man after a government airstrike hit the Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Syrians helping a wounded man after a government airstrike hit the Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 image taken from video obtained from the Shaam News Network, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows Free Syrian Army fighters running towards the scene after a government airstrike hit Hama Suburb of Halfaya, Syria. A government airstrike Sunday on a bakery in a rebel-held town in central Syria killed tens of people, which left scattered bodies and debris up and down a street, and more than a dozen wounded were trapped in tangled heap of dirt and rubble, activists said. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video)

Free Syrian Army fighters walk amid the ruins of a village situated a short distance from an area where fighting between rebels and government forces continues, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Virginie Nguyen Hoang)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of siege and heavy fighting, activists said.

The takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes that include the capture of wide areas along the border with Turkey. Most of those areas have been in northern Aleppo province, where anti-government forces have captured at least three large military bases.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels captured Harem in the early hours of Tuesday. Mohammed Kanaan, an Idlib-based activist, said the last post to be taken was the historic citadel, which overlooked the town. The army had turned the citadel into a military post.

"Harem is fully liberated now," Kanaan he said via Skype. He added that as the rebels pounded army posts and checkpoints in Harem, the troops withdrew to the citadel that later fell in the hands of rebels.

Rami-Abdul-Rahman, who heads to Observatory, said nearly 30 soldiers and pro-government gunmen surrendered late Monday. He added that rebels set free all gunmen at the age of 16 or less and referred others to local tribunals.

"Harem was very important because it is one of the towns that was loyal to the regime," Abdul-Rahman said by telephone about the town that is nearly a mile from the Turkish border.

In his traditional Christmas address, Pope Benedict XVI decried the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria, where anti-regime activists estimate more than 40,000 have died in fighting since the uprising began in March 2011.

The pope encouraged Arab spring nations, where long-serving dictators were forced to step down.

In Aleppo province, which neighbors Idlib, local activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels attacked a military base in the town of Mannagh near the border with Turkey. He said it is one of four air bases in the province.

Regime forces have been using helicopters to carry supplies to besieged areas and to attack rebel positions.

The regime has had increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province after rebels captured in October the strategic town Maaret al-Numan. The town is on the highway that links Damascus with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and commercial center and a major battleground in the civil war since July.

"Airplanes and helicopters are the only way to send supplies since the Free Syrian Army controls the land," Saeed said. He added that rebels are also laying a siege to Aleppo's international airport known as Nairab and threatening to shoot down military or civilians planes using it.

In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, opposition gunmen ambushed the head of military intelligence in the area and seriously wounded him. He later died of his wounds, the Observatory said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-25-Syria/id-d721dde307514b3394b6c7c7dcf8bc2d

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Randy Travis Charged With Assault

Randy Travis Charged With Assault

Country star Randy Travis has been charged with assault after an incident that occurred in a church parking lot in Dallas, Texas in August. The singer has pleaded not guilty in the incident where Travis’ lawyer claimed the star was actually trying to be a Good Samaritan. Travis’ lawyer, Peter Shulte, stated that Randy is ...

Randy Travis Charged With Assault Stupid Celebrities Gossip Stupid Celebrities Gossip News

Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2012/12/randy-travis-charged-with-assault/

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What Is Digital Web Hosting | The Floor Geek

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Tricks To Selecting The Right Web Hosting Providers can present you with greatest info for Reasons To Use Low Cost Internet Hosting In Your WebSites.Please be sure to check-out the published article for additional details!

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Source: http://www.thefloorgeek.com/2012/12/what-is-digital-web-hosting/

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Unwavering NRA opposes any new gun restrictions

WASHINGTON (AP) ? An unwavering National Rifle Association said Sunday that new gun regulations would not make children safer and that a White House task force on gun violence may try to undermine the Second Amendment.

The organization blasted "a media machine" that it said relishes blaming the gun industry for each new attack like the one that occurred just over a week ago at a Connecticut elementary school.

"Look, a gun is a tool. The problem is the criminal," said Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the nation's largest gun-rights lobby, in a television interview.

LaPierre hardly backed down from his comments Friday, when the NRA broke its weeklong silence on the shooting rampage at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.

LaPierre's assertion that guns and police officers in all schools are what will stop the next killer drew widespread scorn, and even some NRA supporters in Congress are publicly disagreeing with the proposal. Rep. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., called it "the most revolting, tone deaf statement I've ever seen." A headline from The New York Post summarized LaPierre's initial presentation before reporters with the headline: "Gun Nut! NRA loon in bizarre rant over Newtown."

LaPierre told NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that only those armed guards and police would make kids safe.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."

He asked Congress for money to put a police officer in every school. He also said the NRA would coordinate a national effort to put former military and police officers in schools as volunteer guards.

The NRA leader dismissed efforts to revive the assault weapons ban as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies. He made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.

"You want one more law on top of 20,000 laws, when most of the federal gun laws we don't even enforce?" he said.

LaPierre said another focus in preventing shootings is to lock up violent criminals and get the mentally ill the treatment they need.

"The average guy in the country values his freedom, doesn't believe the fact he can own a gun is part of the problem, and doesn't like the media and all these high-profile politicians blaming him," he said.

Some lawmakers were incredulous, yet acknowledged that the political and fundraising might of the NRA would make President Barack Obama's push for gun restrictions a struggle.

"I have found the statements by the NRA over the last couple of days to be really disheartening, because the statements seem to not reflect any understanding about the slaughter of children" in Newtown, said Sen. Joe Lieberman, a Connecticut independent.

He said the NRA is right in some of the points it makes about the causes of gun violence in America.

"But it's obviously also true that the easy availability of guns, including military-style assault weapons, is a contributing factor, and you can't keep that off the table. I had hoped they'd come to the table and say, everything is on the table," Lieberman said.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said LaPierre was "so extreme and so tone-deaf" that he was making it easier to pass gun legislation.

"Look, he blames everything but guns: movies, the media, President Obama, gun-free school zones, you name it. And the video games, he blames them," Schumer said.

But Lieberman didn't seem to be buying it. He said the NRA's stand on new gun rules means passing legislation next year won't happen easily.

"It's going to be a battle. But the president, I think, and vice president, are really ready to lead the fight," he said.

Obama has said he wants proposals on reducing gun violence that he can take to Congress in January, and after the Dec. 14 shootings, he called on the NRA to join the effort. The president has asked Congress to reinstate an assault weapons ban that expired in 2004 and pass legislation that would end a provision that allows people to purchase firearms from private parties without a background check. Obama also has indicated that he wants Congress to pursue the possibility of limiting high-capacity magazines.

If Obama's review is "just going to be made up of a bunch of people that, for the last 20 years, have been trying to destroy the Second Amendment, I'm not interested in sitting on that panel," LaPierre said.

The NRA has tasked former Rep. Asa Hutchinson, R-Ark., to lead a program designed to use volunteers from the group's 4.3 million members to help guard children.

Hutchinson said the NRA's position was a "very reasonable approach" that he compared to the federal air marshal program that places armed guards on flights.

"Are our children less important to protect than our air transportation? I don't think so," said Hutchinson, who served as an undersecretary at the Homeland Security Department when it was formed.

Hutchinson said schools should not be required to use armed security. LaPierre also argued that local law enforcement should have final say on how the security is put into place, such as where officers would be stationed.

Democratic lawmakers in Congress have become more adamant about the need for stricter gun laws since the shooting. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California is promising to push for a renewal of expired legislation that banned certain weapons and limited the number of bullets a gun magazine could hold to 10. NRA officials made clear the legislation is a non-starter for them.

"It hasn't worked," LaPierre said. "Dianne Feinstein had her ban and Columbine occurred."

There also has been little indication from Republican leaders that they'll go along with any efforts to curb what kind of guns can be purchased or how much ammunition gun magazines can hold.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., noted that he had an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle in his home. He said America would not be made safer by preventing him from buying another one. As to gun magazine limits, he said he can quickly reload by putting in a new magazine.

"The best way to interrupt a shooter is to keep them out of the school, and if they get into the school, have somebody who can interrupt them through armed force," Graham said.

LaPierre also addressed other factors that he said contribute to gun violence in America, but he would not concede that the types of weapons being used are part of the problem.

He was particularly critical of states, which he said are not placing the names of people into a national database designed to keep guns out of the hands of criminals and the dangerously mentally ill. He said some states are not entering names into the system and 23 others are only putting in a small number of records.

The American Psychiatric Association responded to LaPierre's comments by saying he seemed to conflate mental illness with evil at several points.

"People who are clearly not mentally ill commit violent crimes and perform terrible acts every day," said Dr. James Scully, chief executive of the trade group. "Unfortunately, Mr. LaPierre's statements serve only to increase the stigma around mental illness and further the misconception that those with mental disorders are likely to be dangerous."

___

Associated Press writer Adam Goldman contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/unwavering-nra-opposes-gun-restrictions-202011797--politics.html

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Audits of businesses for illegal immigrants rising

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, workers, from left, Aaron Roaf, Levi Wilson, and Jason Ray stack pieces of milled wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. The workers were hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, workers, from left, Aaron Roaf, Levi Wilson, and Jason Ray stack pieces of milled wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. The workers were hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Pepe Rodriguez measures a load of primed wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. Rodriguez was hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Tom Behrens, left, controller of the Belco Forest Products mill in Shelton, Wash., talks with millwright Steve Rash, second from left, as Justin Harris, third from left, monitors a painting machine at the mill in Shelton, Wash. Behrens had to replace more than 20 workers after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department found that they had suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Tom Behrens, controller of the Belco Forest Products mill in Shelton, Wash., poses for a photo as a forklift moves a load of wood trim, at the mill in Shelton, Wash. Behrens had to replace more than 20 workers after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department found that they had suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

In this Friday, Dec. 21, 2012 photo, Erin Hall marks a load of wood trim at Belco Forest Products in Shelton, Wash. Hall was hired after an audit by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department resulted in the layoff of more than 20 workers for having suspect documents authorizing them to work in the United States. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

SEATTLE (AP) ? U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached its highest number yet of companies audited for illegal immigrants on their payrolls this past fiscal year.

Audits of employer I-9 forms increased from 250 in fiscal year 2007 to more than 3,000 in 2012. From fiscal years 2009 to 2012, the total amount of fines grew to nearly $13 million from $1 million. The number of company managers arrested has increased to 238, according to data provided by ICE.

The investigations of companies have been one of the pillars of President Barack Obama's immigration policy.

When Obama recently spoke about addressing immigration reform in his second term, he said any measure should contain penalties for companies that purposely hire illegal immigrants. It's not a new stand, but one he will likely highlight as his administration launches efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system.

"Our goal is compliance and deterrence," said Brad Bench, special agent in charge at ICE's Seattle office. "The majority of the companies we do audits on end up with no fines at all, but again it's part of the deterrence method. If companies know we're out there, looking across the board, they're more likely to bring themselves into compliance."

While the administration has used those numbers to bolster their record on immigration enforcement, advocates say the audits have pushed workers further underground by causing mass layoffs and disrupted business practices.

When the ICE audit letter arrived at Belco Forest Products, management wasn't entirely surprised. Two nearby businesses in Shelton, a small timber town on a bay off Washington state's Puget Sound, had already been investigated.

But the 2010 inquiry became a months-long process that cost the timber company experienced workers and money. It was fined $17,700 for technicalities on their record keeping.

"What I don't like is the roll of the dice," said Belco's chief financial officer Tom Behrens. "Why do some companies get audited and some don't? Either everyone gets audited or nobody does. Level the playing field."

Belco was one of 339 companies fined in fiscal year 2011 and one of thousands audited that year.

Employers are required to have their workers fill out an I-9 form that declares them authorized to work in the country. Currently, an employer needs only to verify that identifying documents look real.

The audits, part of a $138 million worksite enforcement effort, rely on ICE officers scouring over payroll records to find names that don't match Social Security numbers and other identification databases.

The audits "don't make any sense before a legalization program," said Daniel Costa, an immigration policy analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "You're leaving the whole thing up to an employer's eyesight and subjective judgment, that's the failure of the law. There's no verification at all. Then you have is the government making a subjective judgment about subjective judgment."

An AP review of audits that resulted in fines in fiscal year 2011 shows that the federal government is fining industries across the country reliant on manual labor and that historically have hired immigrants. The data provides a glimpse into the results of a process affecting thousands of companies and thousands of workers nationwide.

Over the years, ICE has switched back-and-forth between making names of the companies fined public or not. Lately, ICE has emphasized its criminal investigations of managers, such as a Dunkin' Donuts manager in Maine sentenced to home arrest for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or a manager of an Illinois hiring firm who got 18 months in prison.

Many employers also wonder how ICE picks the companies it probes.

"Geography is not a factor. The size of the company is not a factor. And the industry it's in is not a factor. We can audit any company anywhere of any size," Bench said. He added ICE auditors follow leads from the public, other employers, employees and do perform some random audits.

But ICE auditors hit ethnic stores, restaurants, bakeries, manufacturing companies, construction, food packaging, janitorial services, catering, dairies and farms. The aviation branch of corporate giant GE, franchises of sandwich shop Subway and a subsidiary of food product company Heinz were among some of the companies with national name recognition. GE was fined $2,000.

In fiscal year 2011, the most recent year reviewed by AP, the median fine was $11,000. The state with the most workplaces fined was Texas with 63, followed by New Jersey with 37.

The lowest fine was $90 to a Massachusetts fishing company. The highest fine was $394,944 to an employment agency in Minneapolis, according to the data released to AP through a public records request.

A Subway spokesman said the company advises franchise owners to follow the law. A Heinz spokesman declined comment.

Bench didn't have specifics on what percentage of fines come from companies having illegal immigrants on their payroll, as opposed to technical paperwork fines in recent years.

Julie Wood, a former deputy director at ICE who now runs a consulting firm, said she'd like to see the burden of proving the legality of a company's workforce go from the employer to the government. She'd like to see a type of program, such as E-Verify, be implemented with the I-9 employment form. E-Verify is a voluntary and free program for private employers that checks a workers eligibility.

"At the end of the day, the fine is the least of it," she said. "Usually the company will spend more on legal fees. But it is a huge headache for the company to lose workers."

Wood said she'd like to see the agency go after more criminal charges and focus on companies that treat workers inhumanely.

___

Manuel Valdes can be reached at http://twitter.com/ByManuelValdes

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-23-Immigration-Audits/id-4f57d1f95bf84576af7dd46203cedddc

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LaPierre refuses to back new gun curbs

For the first time since the Connecticut shootings, NRA Chief Wayne LaPierre answers questions from NBC's David Gregory about his organization's stance on gun violence in America.

By Tom Curry, NBC News national affairs writer

Updated 10:50 a.m. ET:?On NBC?s Meet the Press, National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre on Sunday refused to support new gun control legislation and maintained his support for putting armed guards and police in schools in response to the Dec. 14 school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

See the Meet The Press page

?If it?s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy,? LaPierre told NBC?s David Gregory. ?I think the American people think it?s crazy not to do it. It?s the one thing that would keep people safe and the NRA is going try to do that.?

He added that the United States is now spending $2 billion to train police officers in Iraq and asked why federal funds could not be spent to train school guards to protect schools in the United States.

Asked about restricting the size of ammunition magazine or clips, LaPierre said, ?I don?t believe that?s going to make one difference. There are so many different ways to evade that, even if you had that. You had that for 10 years when (Sen.) Dianne Feinstein passed that ban in ?94. It was on the books. Columbine occurred right in the middle of it ? it didn?t make any difference.?

Feinstein, D-Calif., was the author of the 1994 ban on certain types of semiautomatic firearms which expired in 2004. She has announced that she will introduce new legislation early next year. Semiautomatic firearms, including semiautomatic weapons sometimes called ?assault weapons,? fire one round per pull of the trigger.

The Atlantic's Jordan Weissmann has an inside look at the organization that made big news this week.

?I know there?s a media machine in this country that wants to blame guns every time something happens,? LaPierre said, but he insisted that an armed guard might have been able to stop Adam Lanza, the killer in Connecticut.

?If I?m a mom or a dad and I?m dropping my child off at school I?d feel a whole lot safer? if there were trained armed security guards or police protecting the school from people such as Lanza, LaPierre said, although he conceded that ?nothing is perfect? as a deterrent against crime.

LaPierre also said, ?We have a mental health system in this country that has completely and totally collapsed. We have no national database of these lunatics? and complained that de-institutionalization of the mentally ill had put too many dangerous people on the streets of America. ?We have a completely cracked mentally ill system that?s got these monsters walking the streets,? LaPierre said.

And he said many states do not put their records of those adjudicated to be mentally ill into the national instant check system that is designed to screen out convicted criminals and the mentally ill from buying guns.

The NRA CEO also argued that the federal government had invested far too little effort into enforcing the longstanding federal law that makes it illegal for convicted felons to possess guns. The federal effort to enforce existing restrictions on gun possession, he said, is ?pitiful.?

He said, ?If you want to control violent criminals, take them off the street.?

But he firmly opposed curbs on private gun sales and contended that the advocates of stringent restrictions on such sales want to put ?every gun sale under the thumb of the federal government.?

LaPierre called Feinstein?s bill ?a phony piece of legislation? which he predicted would not become law.

After a week of silence following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School the NRA responded, saying armed guns in schools is the answer. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," said Wayne LaPierre, NRA's executive vice president. NBC's John Harwood reports.

President Barack Obama has tasked Vice President Joe Biden with the job of consulting with members of the Cabinet and outside organizations to come up with legislative proposals by next month.

When asked about this initiative, LaPierre said, ?if it?s a panel that?s just going to be made up of a bunch of people that for the past 20 years has been trying to destroy the Second Amendment, I?m not interested in sitting on that panel?. The NRA is not going to let people lose the Second Amendment in this country.?

Following LaPierre on Meet the Press, Sen. Charles Schumer, D- N.Y., said that the NRA leader is ?so extreme and so tone deaf that he actually helps the cause of us passing sensible gun legislation in the Congress?. He is so doctrinaire and so adamant that I believe gun owners turn against him as well.?

Schumer said that LaPierre believes ?the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is good gun with a gun. What about trying to stop the bad guy from getting the gun in the first place? That?s common sense. Most Americans agree with it.?

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R- S.C., said killers such as Lanza were ?non-traditional criminals? people who are not wired right for some reason. And I don?t know if there?s anything Lindsey Graham can do in the Senate to stop mass murder from somebody that?s hell bent on doing crazy things? -- apart from better security in schools. The South Carolina Republican also called for getting ?mass murders off the streets before they act, by better mental health detection.?

After a week of calls for tighter gun restrictions, the National Rifle Association called for putting more armed security officers in the nation's schools and expressed concerns about violence portrayed in video games, movies and music. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

Graham said that while he was out Christmas shopping in South Carolina this weekend, people ?have come up to me (and said) ?Please don?t let the government take my guns away.? And I?m going to stand against the assault (weapons) ban because it didn?t work before and it won?t work in the future.?

LaPierre?s appearance on Meet the Press followed the strong reaction over his defiant stand during a Friday press briefing about the NRA?s response to the Connecticut school shootings.

Amid a national debate over what security measures school administrators should take to ensure the safety of students, gun-control advocates reacted with disbelief Friday to LaPierre?s call for armed guards in every school and his blaming of Hollywood films, video games, and popular music for school shootings such as the one in Connecticut.

How firmly the NRA?s allies in Congress will oppose any new legislative initiatives from Obama, Feinstein or others remains an open question.

In a test of the NRA?s legislative influence, the House of Representatives late last year passed the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which has not yet been acted on by the Senate.

In the House vote, 229 Republicans and 43 Democrats voted for the NRA-backed bill.

The House bill allows a person with a photo identification card and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state to carry a concealed handgun in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that second state.

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Source: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/23/16101856-after-reaction-to-its-defiant-stance-nra-prepares-for-2013-battles?lite

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Gene variants affect pain susceptibility in children

Dec. 24, 2012 ? At least two common gene variants are linked to "clinically meaningful" differences in pain scores in children after major surgery, reports a study in the January issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS).

"[O]ur study is highly suggestive of a genetic component in pain response among children," concludes the study by Dr Chantal Mamie and colleagues of Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland. But an accompanying editorial question the relevance of this and previous studies of pain-related genes for management of pain in individual patients.

Gene Variants Influence Pain Scores after Surgery ?

The study was designed to explore whether several "candidate" gene variants affected pain scores in a group of 168 children undergoing major surgery -- either abdominal or bone and joint operations. The children and their parents were tested for variant forms ("polymorphisms") of six different genes previously reported as having a possible impact on pain.

The genetic results were compared with the children's pain scores, as routinely monitored during the 24-hour recovery period after surgery. During that time, the children had access to patient- (or parent- or nurse-controlled) analgesia with strong opioid (morphine-related) pain relievers.

Variants of two genes were related to "clinically meaningful" increases in pain scores -- at least four "peak" scores higher than six (on a ten-point scale) during the 24 hours after surgery. After adjustment for other factors, the risk of elevated pain scores was 4.5 times higher for children with a specific variant of the gene ABCB1, which affects the transport of opioid drugs to the central nervous system.

Risk of elevated pain scores was 3.5 times higher for children with a certain variant of the gene OPRM, a key target receptor for opioid binding. The associations with ABCB1 and OPRM variants remained significant after adjustment for patterns of gene inheritance from parents. Variants of two additional genes affecting pain perception -- NTRK and COMT -- were linked to more subtle, "subclinical" effects on pain scores.

? But Have No Effect on Use of Pain Medications

Surprisingly -- even though the gene variants affected pain scores -- they were unrelated to the total dosage of opioid medications used. The dosage of patient-controlled analgesia provides an important objective measure of pain and pain control after surgery.

"The present results are plausible given the known functionality of the candidate genes, and are consistent with the findings in adults," Dr Mamie and colleagues write. Although there has been a wealth of research on the genetic basis of pain in adults, the researchers add, "This first but small cohort study provides clues to further explore the genetic foundations of pediatric pain."

In an accompanying editorial, Drs Debra Schwinn and Ruth Landau of University of Washington, Seattle, put the findings in perspective. A decade ago, researchers thought that the discovery of genes affecting pain perception and opioid responses would soon play an important role in "individualizing" pain control after surgery. Subsequent studies have shown that the situation is more complex, and that the inheritance of pain susceptibility and opioid responsiveness is "probably less straightforward and predictable than previously foreseen."

Especially with the lack of effect on pain medication dosage, Drs Schwinn and Landau suggest that the presence of gene variants (genotype) may be less important than the way those genes are expressed in the individual (phenotype). Because of the complexity of the associations, they conclude, "[T]ailoring opioid analgesia based on selective genotyping is unlikely to occur anytime soon."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by International Anesthesia Research Society (IARS), via Newswise.

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

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Journal References:

1. Chantal Mamie, Michela C. Rebsamen, Michael A. Morris, Alfredo Morabia. First Evidence of a Polygenic Susceptibility to Pain in a Pediatric Cohort. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2013; 116 (1): 170 DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e31826f0637
2. Ruth Landau, Debra Schwinn. Genotyping Without Phenotyping. Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2013; 116 (1): 8 DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0b013e318275355a

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/~3/Ice5yYobJfs/121224113344.htm

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FEATURE-In Vietnam, anti-Chinese protesters find a new outlet - soccer

HANOI, Dec 23 (Reuters) - Under the watch of plainclothes police, midfielder Nguyen Van Phuong unleashed a powerful left-foot drive into the top corner. Dissidents cheered from the sidelines. "Down with China," some shouted. Phuong pumped his fist.

As tensions between Beijing and Hanoi escalate over the South China Sea, Vietnamese anti-China protesters who face repeated police crackdowns are finding a new form of political expression: soccer.

"People don't feel scared playing soccer," said Phuong, the team captain, after a practice match in the capital, Hanoi.

They call themselves "No U FC" -- a reference to the U-shaped line China has drawn around almost the entire South China Sea, passing close to Vietnam, then around Malaysia and north to the Philippines, an area where potential oil deposits, strategic shipping routes and fishing rights converge in one of Asia's most combustible territorial disputes.

"FC" stands for Football Club. Or, as some players say, "Fuck China".

The team illustrates mounting resentment of China whose sovereignty claims over the stretch of water off its south coast and to the east of mainland Southeast Asia set it directly against U.S. allies Vietnam and the Philippines, while Brunei, Taiwan and Malaysia also lay claim to parts.

The club was formed after police arrested dozens of anti-China protesters who had gathered peacefully almost every weekend from June to August last year. They were at first tolerated in the tightly controlled Communist country where public dissent is rare. But the authorities feared they could evolve into a wider, harder-to-control anti-government movement, said several diplomats with high-level government contacts.

Some of those arrested were accused of turning against the state. Among the protesters were intellectuals and bloggers whose anger extended well beyond Beijing to sensitive domestic issues - from a widening rich-poor divide to land evictions, police brutality and restrictions on freedom of expression.

After the crackdown, Phuong and other protest leaders met at Thuy Ta, a popular cafe near Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake, to plot their next move. Police ordered the cafe's owners not to serve them. They went to another cafe, and soon that was shut down.

"That's when we decided to start the soccer team," said Phuong. "We needed a way to meet regularly."

About 30 players turned up for their first practice on Oct. 30 last year. By March, they had their first high-profile game against a team sponsored by PetroVietnam, a state company that has riled China by exploring for oil in the South China Sea. No U FC's supporters waved anti-China banners and shouted "down with Chinese aggression".

Police ordered PetroVietnam not to play, said Phuong. The field's owner ordered them off the grounds, for good. Police officials were unavailable to comment on this story.

CAT AND MOUSE

No U FC engaged in a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities for several months, gathering at various fields in Hanoi often only to be shooed away. They wore black-and-white soccer jerseys with a crossed-out U-shaped crest on the front. Emblazoned on the back: "Ho?ng Sa", the Vietnamese name for disputed islands also known as the Paracels.

Since September, they have gathered twice a week at an artificial-turf field owned by the military, an institution the protesters say appears sympathetic to their cause. But undercover police usually keep watch.

On a recent Sunday, nearly 100 No U FC members showed up. They take pride in their diversity: one is a poet, another a banker. Their ages range from 10 to 60. Some play barefoot.

Beyond their common beliefs, they are united by something else: nearly all have been detained at some point, along with supporters such as Ta Tri Hai, a violinist in a straw cowboy hat who played folk music on the sidelines.

"We're getting stronger because of social media," said Nguyen Van Dung, a goalkeeper and protest organiser. The club has swelled to about 120 members who communicate closely on Facebook.

He criticised the government for what he sees as a weak response to assertions of Chinese sovereignty, including last month when Chinese fishing boats were accused of cutting a seismic cable attached to a PetroVietnam vessel exploring near the Gulf of Tonkin.

"The Vietnam government needs to put more pressure on China," he said.

That looks unlikely to happen.

RELUCTANCE TO COMPLAIN TOO LOUDLY

Vietnam depends heavily on China. Imported Chinese machinery, refined oil and steel are at the heart of Vietnam's factory-fuelled economy, stretching Vietnam's trade deficit with China to $13 billion in 2011 from $185 million in 2001.

Chinese resentment runs deep, rooted in feelings of national pride and the struggle for independence after decades of war and colonialism. Faded grey pagodas etched with Chinese characters are studded around Hanoi, a reminder of the more than 1,000 years of Chinese rule that ended in the 10th century.

Some recall the invasion of Chinese forces in northern Vietnam in 1979 and the border skirmishes that continued into the 1980s. Chinese money began trickling in from 1991, when ties were normalised, reaching $120 million in investments by 1999.

Since then, Chinese investment has surged to $21 billion when combined with the value of Hong Kong projects in Vietnam.

This helps explain Vietnam's reluctance to complain loudly over each Beijing provocation, said diplomats.

At a Nov. 19 summit of Southeast Asian leaders in Cambodia, China stalled debate on a resolution of maritime disputes in the South China Sea, rebutted attempts to start formal talks on the issue and avoided any rebuke from Obama Administration over its territorial ambitions. While the Philippines lodged a formal protest, there were no public statements from Vietnam.

Days later, when China's southern Hainan province authorised police to board and seize foreign ships operating "illegally" in its waters in the South China Sea from next year, the Philippines, Singapore and the secretary general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations expressed concern. Vietnam kept silent.

Only when Chinese boats were accused of sabotaging the Vietnamese oil exploration operation by cutting a seismic cable did authorities issue a condemnation on Dec. 4.

Phuong, 25, wants his government to show more consistency in its public statements over China's territorial ambitions. And he doesn't understand why authorities won't support him.

"We're patriots," he said.

He has been arrested three times and lost his job at an electronics shop after police pressured the owner, he said. Teammate Le Dung is equally resolute. His wife, he said, divorced him because he wouldn't stop protesting. Another player, La Viet Dung, tattooed the club's logo on his arm.

Among the club's fans are well-known dissidents such as Le Gia Khanh, 80, who was imprisoned for six years for helping former colonial ruler France during the First Indochina War that ended in 1954. He was jailed a second time during the Vietnam War with the United States.

"This team exists to prove that the fire in our hearts is still alive," he said after cheering the team from the sidelines.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feature-vietnam-anti-chinese-protesters-outlet-soccer-030113922--sow.html

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