Sunday, March 31, 2013

US hand control of troubled area to Afghans

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Afghan special forces took control of part of a troubled province bordering Kabul from U.S. troops on Saturday, ending a weeks-long dispute over abuse allegations that prompted Afghan President Hamid Karzai to order all American forces out of the area.

The handover highlighted the Karzai government's struggle to assert its authority over security matters on an accelerated timetable ahead of the scheduled withdrawal of most of coalition forces by December 2014.

The transfer of control in Nirkh district of Wardak province ? a gateway and staging area for militant attacks on the capital ? ends a rocky episode in the strained relationship between the U.S. and Karzai. The Afghan president had angrily insisted that U.S. forces leave Nirkh over the alleged torture, kidnapping and summary execution of militant suspects there ? charges U.S. officials firmly denied.

"As we pledged, our forces have transitioned Nirkh district to Afghan national security forces and they have now assumed full responsibility for security," U.S. Gen. Joseph Dunford, the top commander of American and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said in a statement. He said the rest of Wardak would transition "over time."

Karzai has had longstanding unease with U.S. special operations forces, which he blames for causing civilian casualties, and the 21,000 members of the Afghan local police who work with them. He has complained bitterly and publicly that the local police are "militias" and believes they are "outside his control," according to his spokesman Aimal Faizi.

U.S. special operations forces will continue to visit the Afghan team in Nirkh, and work throughout the rest of the province, said Maj. Gen. Tony Thomas, the top U.S. special operations commander in Afghanistan, told The Associated Press in an interview on Saturday.

"American special operations forces are integral in the defense of Wardak from now until the foreseeable future," Thomas said in the interview at Camp Integrity, the special operations compound on the outskirts of Kabul.

The Afghan president had originally demanded the U.S. special operations forces pull out of the entire province, but he scaled down his sweeping demand to just Nirkh district after negotiations with Dunford and other U.S. officials.

U.S. officials feared Karzai was close to banning U.S. special operations teams altogether when he declared earlier this year, while standing next to President Barack Obama in Washington, that all American forces would be out of Afghan villages by spring.

Karzai was eventually convinced to accept a more gradual transition for the country overall, just as he was with Wardak, with U.S. special operations forces leaving the villages sometime this summer.

"The last teams will go in this summer and from that point out, when we culminate (handover) an area, we'll bring the teams out," Thomas said.

"More importantly, we're setting up ... training centers that are run by Afghans," Thomas said. "We're working ourselves out of a job."

Currently, U.S. special operations teams go into an area, get to know the powerbrokers and tribesmen and then help train Afghan men selected by the locals.

To join the Afghan local police, also called the "ALP," recruits drawn from the local villages must be vouched for by village elders and then vetted by the Interior Ministry, including a background check by Afghan intelligence to rule out prior participation with the Taliban. If approved, they get rudimentary training on weapons safety and basic police skills and military tactics from the U.S. special operations forces partnered with them.

The combined U.S. and Afghan forces are stationed at posts throughout Afghanistan intended to extend security and Afghan government influence to more remote, Taliban strongholds that are beyond the geographic range of the conventional Afghan army and regular uniformed police.

Afghan and coalition officials say the back-country policemen have so eroded militant influence that they've become a top target for the Taliban. The bounty for killing a local policeman is $6,000 compared to $4,000 for a regular, uniformed policeman and $2,000 for an Afghan army soldier, one Afghan official said. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to disclose the information.

The units are so popular with local security officials that Thomas has more requests to start new units than he can fill. The Afghan interior ministry also has asked the U.S. to consider expanding the local police force by another 45,000 troops. Thomas said he now has to do his own analysis for Dunford, to determine if the coalition can afford to fund them and if Afghanistan needs that many.

Karzai has yet to be convinced. Among other things, Karzai has echoed human rights groups that have complained that some of the Afghan forces have preyed on locals, from shaking them down for cash to more serious charges.

U.S. and Afghan officials say the Afghan interior ministry has stepped up its oversight of the local police units and is responding to such complaints. Five local policemen accused of rape were charged last year and sentenced to lengthy jail terms, and Thomas said nine local police chiefs responsible for some of the units have been removed for being "negative influences."

Thomas points out that more than half of the 21,000-strong local police force ? some 12,000 policemen ? are now overseen by the Afghan interior ministry with no American special operation forces present.

"We provide the money, they own ALP," Thomas said.

___

Associated Press writer Rahim Faiez contributed to this report.

Follow Kimberly Dozier on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KimberlyDozier

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-hand-control-troubled-area-afghans-181813434.html

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(Home Improvement) Reducing the noise from opening, closing, and ...

Old Today, 01:46 PM ? #6

Master Member

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Join Date: Feb 2012

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Also, what can be done to reduce the noise from the impact of the door closing, and the door mechanism slotting in into its position ?I don't understand.....Cannot picture it....how is that achievable..?

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Source: http://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/eat-drink-man-woman-16/home-improvement-reducing-noise-opening-closing-locking-door-4156925.html

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momstheword: When I Am Rude To My Family & MYHSM Linky Party

Welcome to the Making Your Home Sing Monday linky party! Every day you are doing something to make your house into a home for yourself and your family (if you have one).?


My point with each Monday post is, what are YOU doing or going to do today to make your home sing? It can be an attitude or an action. So have fun, do some blog hopping and if you want, link up!

Topics can include marriage, parenting, encouraging women, organization, cleaning, saving money, our behavior and attitudes, homemaking, homeschooling, recipes....the opportunities are endless.

Happy Resurrection Sunday, everyone!!!? Ever caught yourself outside someone's house or outside the church, saying to your tired, fighting, grumpy children "Stop it, we're about to go inside.? Smile and act like we're a happy family and like we actually all LOVE each other!!!!!!"

Ever had a fight with your husband on the way to church?? Ever been annoyed by your children on the way to church?

Ever said some harsh last words in the parking lot with a huge frown on your face, slammed the car door and then walked into the church or into your friend's house with a big happy forced grin as if you hadn't just yelled at your husband or children?

Ever been angry or grumpy and then the minute the phone rings you answer with a sweet, syrupy voice?

Yeah, me neither.

Isn't it amazing how quickly and easily we can throw on a grin and muster up a patient attitude and a sweet voice when we have to?

Isn't it equally amazing how quickly and easily we can shed that sweet attitude and pleasant smile for a negative attitude and an unhappy frown?

Generally we might never be purposely rude to our friends.? But we might be rude to our family.

We would never hang up on someone if we were annoyed with them.? But we might hang up on our family.

We would never raise our voice and yell at someone.? But we might yell at our family.

We would never slam the door because we were mad at our friend.? But we might do that to our family.

We would never ignore our friend and refuse to talk to her.? But we might ignore our family.

If I am being nicer to you than I am to my own family, it's not because I love you so much.

It's because I love ME so much.

It's because I am being selfish and thinking about myself, not about you.? But you are benefiting from my selfishness.? It's because I don't want you to think negatively of me.? It's because I really care what you think and I don't want to lose your friendship.? It's because I love my family to pieces but figure they are stuck with me so unfortunately, I am not always as gracious with them as I'd like to be.

It's also because I know that my family really loves me.? And because of that, I don't pretend around them.? I don't do "fake" around them.? They see the real me whether that me is happy and thrilled and in a good mood, or angry and grumpy and in a bad mood.

But then it hits me.? Since when is showing love and kindness "fake?"? Since when is being patient and kind and loving to someone not real just because you're tired or grumpy or really not feeling it?

I am confusing an action with an emotion.? I am confusing showing the actions of kindness and? love with feeling the emotions of kindness and love.

We don't have to feel the emotion to commit to the action.? We are called to love one another, it is love in action.? Jesus never said "I want you to feel like you love each other."? No, we are just called to do it.


When you do the action, you will find that the emotions will come.You don't have to sit around and wait until you feel like being kind or loving or forgiving.? You don't have to wait until you feel like being patient to exercise your patience muscles.? You don't have to wait until you feel love for someone before you respond in love.

That is why I can have control over my emotions.? That is why I can choose to respond in a loving manner when all I really want to do is rip your head off.? This is why I can show grace.

Because none of it depends on my feelings.

You can act in love because we have a God who has unlimited love. ? You can extend grace because we have a God who has unlimited grace.? You can forgive because we have a God who has unlimited forgiveness.

Show love in action today.? Don't wait around for your feelings to catch up.? Just show love in action whether you feel it or not and make your home sing!

What are you doing or going to do today to make your home sing? Please go here for instructions and/or ideas and come back here to link up to join us today! Please do not put your own "Making Your Home Sing Monday" Linky on your blog. As always, please don't forget to link to this post so that others can join the fun!

If you don't want to miss any blog posts, you can follow me or subscribe in your reader or by email.? You?? can also find me here on? facebook as well!? I'd love to connect with you!

Source: http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/2013/03/when-i-am-rude-to-my-family-myhsm-linky.html

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Saturday, March 30, 2013

iPhone 5S announcement rumored for June 20th, launch in July

By David Beasley ATLANTA (Reuters) - A grand jury indicted 35 former Atlanta public school educators, including an award-winning former superintendent, on Friday for allegedly conspiring to cheat on standardized test scores to obtain cash bonuses. Former Superintendent Beverly Hall was named National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators in 2009, the same year prosecutors contend widespread cheating took place. Hall received a $78,000 bonus that year for improving the school system's test scores, prosecutors said. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iphone-5s-announcement-rumored-june-20th-launch-july-145826634.html

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To clip or not to clip: Some are souring on coupons

By Allison Linn, TODAY

For some shoppers, the coupon craze appears to have given way to coupon complaints.

A Life Inc. post this week about the sharp decline in coupon use got hundreds of readers talking about why they?ve grown disillusioned with the good, old-fashioned coupon. Coupon redemptions fell about 14.3 percent in 2012?compared to the previous year, according to industry consulting firm Inmar.

It?s clear that many people are still drawn to coupons: About 42 percent of the nearly 29,000 readers who took our survey said they use coupons often.

?On top of only buying things on sale and in store promotions, I save 30% or more. I LOVE coupons,? one reader wrote.

But many readers complained they are using coupons less because the discounts just aren?t as useful.

One common gripe: Coupons?seem to be offering a lower discount but they often require?the user to buy several containers of same item. For many, that?s a deal breaker.

?I've been using coupons for 35 years. Lately I have used almost zero. Mainly because I am required to buy 3, or 5, or more of an item,? one reader wrote.

Others complained that coupons have become too restrictive with their expiration dates, making them hard to use. And many readers said they can get better deals by shopping around or choosing in-store brands.

?I wanted to rejoin the coupon cutting crowd and have. But very rarely do I use them. When I compare the store brand to the popular name brand I have a coupon for it STILL does not make economical sense to buy the name brand. And I do NOT want three boxes of cereal,? another reader wrote.

Another common gripe: There aren?t enough coupons for fresh and healthy food items.

?I used to use them, when they covered more items. Now they primarily offer discounts on processed food and name brands I don't buy,? one reader wrote.

Source: http://feeds.nbcnews.com/c/35002/f/653351/s/2a2313c0/l/0Llifeinc0Btoday0N0C0Inews0C20A130C0A30C290C1750A40A750Eto0Eclip0Eor0Enot0Eto0Eclip0Esome0Eare0Esouring0Eon0Ecoupons0Dlite/story01.htm

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Jason Sudeikis & Olivia Wilde Visit Disneyland!

Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis show their silly sides! Check out more pics of Hollywood's tightest twosomes

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-couples-photos-2013/1-b-469173?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-couples-photos-2013-469173

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Friday, March 29, 2013

Cyprus fallout: rise of digital currency

Worried that their bank deposits aren't safe from a banking crisis, some investors are moving their money into a form of digital currency called 'bitcoins.' The trading value of bitcoins has soared since the Cyprus crisis erupted.

By Jeff Cox,?CNBC.com Senior Writer / March 28, 2013

Women sit and wait as other people stand in line outside a branch of Laiki Bank in the southern port city of Limassol, Cyprus, Thursday, March 28, 2013. Banks in Cyprus reopened to customers for the first time in nearly two weeks Thursday, albeit with strict restrictions on transactions. Some investors are moving bank money into an alternative form of digital currency, known as bitcoins.

Pavlos Vrionides/AP

Enlarge

They won't make a sound no matter how many of them you try to toss in a bucket, and you can't pitch them in a fountain and wish for good luck. But make no mistake, bitcoins are getting big.

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The online alternative currency, previously little more than a curiosity in financial markets since its 2009 inception, has zoomed in trading value since the Cyprus banking crisis erupted two weeks ago.

With fears spreading that even insured deposits might not be safe in similar nations hit by banking crises, those looking for a haven to store their wealth have fled to the complicated world of digital cash.

"Incremental demand for bitcoin is coming from the geographic areas most affected by the Cypriot financial crisis?individuals in countries like Greece or Spain, worried that they will be next to feel the threat of deposit taxes," Nicholas Colas, chief market strategist at ConvergEx, said in a report on the startling trend.?(Read More:?It's Back! Dark Cloud From Europe Stalls US Stock Market Bull Run)

Bitcoins operate on a network that, at least on the surface, resembles a typical exchange on the capital markets. Buyers can exchange their paper currencies for bitcoins and use them wherever they are accepted. Sellers can exchange their bitcoins back for their original currency.

But the value of the currency has been anything but typical.

Bitcoincharts.com?lists the value of bitcoins compared to other currencies, including U.S. and Canadian dollars, euros and pounds.

On one of the U.S. currency exchanges, labeled "Mt. Gox," the bitcoin value has zoomed to more than $87 in Wednesday trade. That represents close to a 20 percent gain over just the past week, a one-month gain of 41 percent and nearly a quintupling of value in the past year.

The "Mt. Gox" euro trading has seen numbers nearly identical to the dollar pairing.?(Read More:?Cyprus Controls to Hit Foreign Transactions)

A more sober perspective might suggest that bitcoins are at best a momentary bubble and at worst a risky chance to take considering their novelty.

But the trend also exemplifies just how nervous cash-holders are over the European situation.

"This is a clear sign that people are looking for alternative ways to get their money out of the country," said Christopher Vecchio, currency analyst at DailyFX. "If we're going to talk about the stability of the euro and whether or not there are going to be capital controls in place not just in Cyprus but around the euro zone, I think there is some efficacy behind bitcoins as an alternative liquidity vehicle."

The role of alternative currency had been falling largely to gold over the past several years. But the precious metal has been on a pretty aggressive downward path since its most recent peak in October.?(Read More:?CNBC Explains the Wild World of Currency Trading)

Gold advocates, though, continue to stress its importance as a safe haven and store of wealth.

"Why would anyone trust an electronic form of money that could get hacked and then diluted into oblivion?" said Michael Pento, president of Pento Portfolio Strategies. "We already have a form of money that is indestructible and whose supply cannot be increased by any government or individual decree. It's called gold."

Yet currency pros are at least willing to give bitcoins the benefit of the doubt as a legitimate trading vehicle as situations like Cyprus continue to crop up.

The $964 million bitcoin network pales to the $4 trillion a day in total currency trading, but it's clearly growing.

"Right now it seems safe. Personally it wouldn't be my preferred vehicle to trade money because it's unregulated," Vecchio said. "But people are deeming it legitimate even though it's not backed by a sovereign. That could be the attraction behind it. There's no sovereign credit risks to bitcoins."

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/CljyiojjHTM/Cyprus-fallout-rise-of-digital-currency

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Austrian police chase herd of cattle through town

VIENNA (AP) ? Austrian police and firefighters have taken on the role of urban cowboys in a two-day round-up of a herd of cattle that broke out of a fenced-off pasture and decided to go into town.

A police statement says the 43 steers defied attempts by police and volunteer firefighters to recapture them after wandering off Thursday and heading toward the Upper Austrian town of Freistadt. After being chased away from the railway station, they endangered motorists by stampeding onto a two-lane highway before running into a town suburb.

Two firefighters who tried to stop them were injured and needed hospital treatment.

The statement says 18 of the animals remain on the loose Friday. The rest have been corralled or tranquilized.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/austrian-police-chase-herd-cattle-town-120729765.html

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Fisker puts U.S. workforce on furlough this week

By Deepa Seetharaman

DETROIT (Reuters) - Fisker Automotive, which has not made a vehicle since July, placed its U.S. workforce on furlough this week as part of its effort to keep costs low while it continues to search for a strategic partner, the U.S. automaker said on Wednesday.

"This is a common practice, particularly in the automotive industry, to manage costs and operations based on current activity levels and commercial requirements," Fisker, which has just over 200 U.S. employees, said in a statement.

The move comes about a month before the cash-strapped company, which launched the Karma plug-in hybrid in late 2011, faces a loan payment to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher declined to reveal the amount of the loan payment due in late April. The DOE could not be immediately reached for comment.

The automaker said it continues to seek an investor to help build its second model, the Atlantic plug-in hybrid. But the company has faced many challenges this month, including the abrupt resignation of its founder, Henrik Fisker, over "several major disagreements" with top management.

Fisker's efforts to find a strategic partner in China have also stalled in recent weeks. Fisker had held talks with two Chinese automakers, Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the owner of Sweden's Volvo, and Dongfeng Motor Group Co .

The company was founded in 2007 and drummed up about $1.2 billion in private financing. In 2009, Fisker also won a $529 million federal loan as part of an Obama administration program to spur advanced vehicle development.

But Fisker's delay in bringing the Karma to market prompted the DOE to freeze the loan, which Fisker was relying on to pay for Atlantic. The resulting cash crunch was exacerbated by the bankruptcy of its chief battery supplier, A123 Systems, now owned by Wanxiang Group, China's largest auto parts maker.

Fisker's obligations to the U.S. government as part of its federal loan presented a roadblock in its discussions with Geely, people familiar with the matter have said.

(Reporting by Deepa Seetharaman; Editing by Bernard Orr)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fisker-puts-u-workforce-furlough-week-012204212--finance.html

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Cuomo, Bolduan hosts of CNN morning show

NEW YORK (AP) ? Chris Cuomo and Kate Bolduan (BALD'-win) will be CNN's anchor team for a new morning show that will begin later this spring.

Cuomo joined CNN from ABC earlier this year specifically to do the morning show. Bolduan has covered Congress for CNN and been co-host with Wolf Blitzer of "The Situation Room" in the late afternoon.

Michaela Pereira (mick-KAY'-ah pur-RARE'-ah) will be the show's news anchor, joining CNN from a local television station in Los Angeles.

The morning show has an experienced executive team behind it.

CNN's new boss, Jeff Zucker, made his name as executive producer of NBC's "Today" show in the 1990s. The senior producer behind CNN's new unnamed show is Jim Murphy, who was executive producer of ABC's "Good Morning America" from 2006 to 2011.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-03-28-US-TV-CNN-Morning-Show/id-25744ac1c504498a9e8fca11d1d16f45

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Why Your Company Needs A Small Business Management ... - Oro

When starting a new business it will be important to use a small business management software program. This will help you keep all your bookkeeping and accounting in order. They are a valuable asset when you have sales receipts, invoices and payroll to keep up with. Trying to do this the old-fashioned way is confusing and will take you an incredible amount of time. Time that could be spent working on your business. There are a few things you will need to consider when? looking for the small business management software that will work for you.

Growing Business

You will want to consider how big your business will grow when you first start looking. Many programs will only handle a small amount of information and will only allow you to do a limited number of actions. You want to make sure that the small business management software you choose can grow with you and will allow you to handle things that may come up.

Benefits

The benefits of a small business management software program are greatly appreciated by anyone who uses them.

The first reason many small businesses get this software program is to help them keep all their bookkeeping in order. All you have to do is enter the numbers and the program will put it where it belongs and give you daily totals. Most programs can keep several years worth of bookkeeping in their memory so you can easily access anything you need at any time.

You can also create invoices with these programs. The software can be set to automatically create an invoice at a set time of the month. This helps to keep everything on a regular routine and since it is automatic, you do not have to worry about manually doing it.

Many small business management software programs will allow you to have a separate account for each department you have. This will let you set a certain budget or each one and alert you when they are getting close to their budget.

The best part of these programs is the bill pay feature. This means you will never be late on another payment again. The system will automatically send out any payments you have it set for when you want it to. You can control when they are sent and how much you send them.

Source: http://www.oroinc.com/why-your-company-needs-a-small-business-management-software-easy-to-use%E2%80%A8/

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Thursday, March 28, 2013

Senators back gay marriage as Supreme Court hears cases

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Carolina's Kay Hagan on Wednesday became the sixth Democratic senator to endorse gay marriage this week as the Supreme Court hears two cases on the issue.

"After much thought and prayer, I have come to my own personal conclusion that we shouldn't tell people who they can love or who they can marry," Hagan said in a statement on her Facebook page on Wednesday.

Although public opinion polls show a majority of Americans believe that homosexuals should have the right to wed, support varies between states.

Hagan is up for re-election next year in a state that backed Republican Mitt Romney - an opponent of gay marriage - in the November 2012 presidential election, and where voters also strongly backed a measure in May 2012 prohibiting both civil unions and domestic partnerships.

Five other Senate Democrats - Mark Begich of Alaska, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, Jon Tester of Montana and Mark Warner of Virginia - have also announced their support for gay marriage in the last few days.

Their backing left only about 10 of the 55 members of the Senate Democratic caucus who have not endorsed same-sex marriage, reflecting a shift in public sentiment.

Hagan's announcement came as the Supreme Court heard arguments on Tuesday and Wednesday on two gay marriage cases. The justices on Wednesday indicated interest in striking down a 1996 law that denies federal benefits to legally married same-sex couples.

President Barack Obama announced that he approved of gay marriage in May 2012.

Republicans, who are generally more socially conservative than Democrats, remain largely opposed.

Ohio Senator Rob Portman became one of the most prominent Republican politicians to back gay rights in mid-March when he announced his support for same-sex marriage, two years after his son told him he was gay.

Hagan compared her decision to Portman's in her statement on Wednesday.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senators-back-gay-marriage-supreme-court-hears-cases-181136034.html

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Lunar cycle determines hunting behavior of nocturnal gulls

Mar. 27, 2013 ? Zooplankton, small fish and squid spend hardly any time at the surface when there's a full moon. To protect themselves from their natural enemies, they hide deeper down in the water on bright nights, coming up to the surface under cover of darkness when there's a new moon instead. Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Radolfzell discovered that this also influences the behaviour of swallow-tailed gulls (Creagrus furcatus), a unique nocturnal species of gull from the Galapagos Islands.

They fitted the birds with loggers and wet/dry sensors which enabled them to see how much time the animals spent at sea at night. Their findings show that the birds' activity was greatest at new moon, in other words the time when the most prey was gathered at the surface of the water. The cycle of the moon therefore also influences the behaviour of seabirds.

The lunar cycle controls the behaviour of various animal species: owls, swallows and bats, for example, align their activity with the phase of the moon to maximise their hunting success. However, marine life is also affected by the moon. Many species of fish hide from their enemies in the depths of the sea during the daytime and only come up to the water's surface in the dark. Known as vertical migration, this phenomenon is additionally influenced by the lunar cycle. The fish thereby avoid swimming on the water's surface at full moon where they would be easy prey. Vertical migration is thus restricted on brighter nights and the animals remain at greater depths. At new moon, on the other hand, the organisms become active and migrate to the surface.

Yet also in the dark of night hunters lie in wait for them -- for instance the swallow-tailed gull Creagrus furcatus from the Galapagos Islands. With eyes that are well adapted to the dark, the gull can see fish below the water's surface even in low light conditions and so does not need the moon as a source of light. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology therefore wanted to find out what effect the lunar cycle had on the hunting behaviour of the gulls.

To this effect, they attached loggers with sensors to 37 birds, which enabled the scientists to measure where, when and how long the animals were in the water. "The gulls fly off to hunt on the open sea and plunge down to the water's surface to snatch squid or small fish," explains Martin Wikelski from the Max Planck Institute in Radolfzell. "From the contact time of the sensors with the water, we were able to conclude in which nights of the month the gulls were particularly active." The behaviour of each bird was recorded for 120 days on average in order to take in several moon phases.

The birds followed the lunar cycles strictly: at new moon the gulls were in the water particularly often. When the nights were very bright, the birds tended to stay on dry land instead. "For the swallow-tailed gulls it makes sense to be guided by the lunar cycle in their hunting, because, with a diving depth of no more than one metre, the prey is quickly beyond their reach on nights with a full moon," says Wikelski.

To facilitate their night-time hunting, swallow-tailed gulls have evolved light-sensitive eyes that are particularly well adapted to the dark nights at sea. They have also lost their melatonin rhythm -- an important clock that regulates sleep -- enabling the swallow-tailed gulls to occupy a new and unique ecological niche.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Sebastian M. Cruz, Mevin Hooten, Kathryn P. Huyvaert, Carolina B. Proa?o, David J. Anderson, Vsevolod Afanasyev, Martin Wikelski. At?Sea Behavior Varies with Lunar Phase in a Nocturnal Pelagic Seabird, the Swallow-Tailed Gull. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (2): e56889 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0056889

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/most_popular/~3/KtplcqEW5C8/130327103048.htm

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Sometimes all you need is a little perspective

The life of a university student can be hard and fast. But those who spend time with someone who has special needs have learned that life really happens when you slow down to truly appreciate it.

Adam Feibel | Fulcrum Staff

Photo provided by Nik L?st

PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY that life is short.

Let?s really think about that, though. The average life expectancy in Canada is 80 years. People live to see not only their grandchildren, but their great-grandchildren, and those grandchildren and great-grandchildren will go on to live another 80 years or more. And each successive set of parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents will at some point look at their kin with their faces creased with smile lines and utter the words, ?They grow up so fast.?

The thing is that life isn?t short?life is fast.

It?s especially true for students. For us, life doesn?t walk; it runs. Life rushes through classes, assignments, exams, and the evening shift at work. It skips from September to December and then again from January to April. Sometimes life moves so fast we can?t even remember what happened the night before?

That?s why it can mean the world to slow things down. Sometimes people just need a reminder to take a few moments to appreciate life around them. They?re moments to learn more about patience, compassion, and responsibility. Those moments can last a lifetime. And people?young people, especially?can learn a lot from individuals with developmental disabilities.

Summer camp
The first time Nik L?st stepped off the bus at Camp Misquah, he wasn?t sure what to expect. How much responsibility would it be to look after a handful of campers? Could they depend on him to meet all of their needs?

Camp Misquah is a summer camp for the developmentally disabled, located on Lac Bitobi, Que., about an hour?s drive north of Ottawa. L?st?s first step on the camp grounds was six years ago, and he has since learned a lot about how to appreciate life and be a great companion. At first, the responsibility was scary, but it?s since become incomparably rewarding.

?You really have to become altruistic, because some of these people rely on you to bathe them, clothe them, change their diaper, walk them, feed them?literally everything,? said L?st. ?When you get back into the city and it?s just you, it does put things into perspective.?

L?st is a third-year political science student. His friend and fellow camp counsellor Matthew Burt is a master?s student in molecular biology. Both attend the University of Ottawa, and both have learned firsthand the realities of people who live with developmental disabilities. While these individuals depend on people like L?st and Burt to help take care of them, they have just as powerful an impact on their helpers.

?When I was 17 or 18 ? I was very immature and a little sheltered,? said L?st. ?When I went to the camp, while it is an amazing experience, it?s hard work and you?re exposed to reality. Respect is a big thing that you get. They give it to you, and of course you give it to them. It?s a very touchy situation, so you really learn to respect people.?

It?s one of many things that has kept both students going back for years.

?For me, it?s seeing the campers again,? said Burt, who has worked at Camp Misquah for the last three years.

?They?re all so unique, and they make you laugh,? he added. ?You build those relationships.?

One of the longtime Misquah campers is named Peter. He spends most of his time in the city cooped up in an attic watching Disney movies all day. But when he?s at camp, he?s a star of song and dance. Every year he?s given the choice to go to Disney World or to Camp Misquah. Every year he chooses camp.

?When you find that stuff out, it?s almost like an obligation to go back and see these people when you can,? said L?st. ?The relationships that you forge are with very special people.?

Some campers have been going to Camp Misquah for 40 years or more. One camper named Rocco has spent his summers there since the early ?70s. The oldest camper, Richard, is now a septuagenarian . The majority of campers have made it their annual summer retreat for more than a decade.

Although this will likely be L?st and Burt?s last year at Camp Misquah, it is an experience they regret having to give up.

Making friends
For some, working with people with special needs has shaped what they want to do in the future.? Jess McQuaig is a fourth-year student in international development and globalization at the U of O and has volunteered since 2009 with Best Buddies, an organization that pairs student volunteers with partners with a developmental disabilities, as a member, co-chair of the fundraising committee, and co-chair of the U of O chapter. She?s also spent time doing volunteer work with developmentally disabled individuals in Uganda. Whenever McQuaig has an open research assignment to do for school, she likes to explore topics related to disability?such as cultural attitudes, acceptance, and disability policy?and she hopes to use her post-secondary studies and volunteer experience to pursue a career in that same field.
McQuaig?s buddy is Marcel, a man with a genetic disability who is now in his mid-40s but remains at the intellectual level of an eight-year-old. She spends time with Marcel once a week doing things they both enjoy and supporting him as she introduces him to new experiences.

McQuaig says people put themselves through a lot of stress in daily life, including the fear of just being themselves. But when she?s with Marcel, that stress vanishes. She calls it rejuvenating?a vacation from the outside world.

Marcel doesn?t judge. He doesn?t criticize. He doesn?t cause unnecessary stress. Marcel just appreciates.

?I?ve learned to slow down and appreciate the simple things in life,? said McQuaig. ?I tend to get caught up in school and work and volunteering, and just kind of rush through my days. I?m always looking at my planner at what?s the next thing I have to do. But when I?m with Marcel, I take a deep breath and I leave my stress at the door. He reminds me to laugh at myself, because he makes fun of me sometimes when I?m being a ball of stress and I shouldn?t be. He likes to just sit and enjoy his coffee, and he?ll do that in complete silence. And sometimes, I think I forget the value of silence, too.?

But according to McQuaig, Marcel is at a further disadvantage beyond that of his own disability. Many people have a preconceived misunderstanding of people like him.

?Individuals living with physical disabilities have seen a lot of change and more acceptance into society ? but people living with intellectual disabilities, I think, are at a really great disadvantage,? she said.

Based on 2006 data published by Human Resources and Skills Development Canada and Statistics Canada, approximately 200,000 Canadians live with developmental disabilities. That?s about one in every 200 people?one person out of a population sample that could fill a moderate-sized lecture hall like Desmarais 1160.

Maaike Brouwers is a volunteer with Best Buddies and an instructor at Ballerina Dreams, a dance program for children with physical and mental disabilities. Although one in 200 people has a developmental disability, she said that doesn?t and shouldn?t make them any different.

?To me, these people are equal, which is something that not a lot of people see,? said Brouwers, who graduated from health sciences at the U of O last spring.

Brouwers takes her Best Buddies partner to sporting events?he?s a lot more excited about them than she is, but that?s OK?and has even taken him on a trip to Toronto. Brouwers says her involvement with the program serves as a helpful reminder of how to be a good friend.
However, she noted that a common mistake many people make when engaging with individuals with special needs is to treat them as children. In most cases, the intention isn?t bad, but it comes off as condescending rather than helpful?and the individual being treated that way will often pick up on it. Those who regularly spend time with people with developmental disabilities will agree that respect and equality are key components of a healthy interaction with someone who has a developmental disability.

?I don?t think that I necessarily treat my best buddy in any particular way,? said Brouwers. ?I treat him with the same respect and in the same way that I treat my other friends, and I think that?s something that people have a hard time with.

?They don?t want to be babied,? she added. ?They want to be treated at an age-appropriate level.?

Putting a stop to stigma
There?s a stigma attached to mental disabilities that goes beyond just misunderstandings. It seems to be embedded in our culture, even in our language. There?s a word many refer to as ?the R word.? It?s a word that?s been significantly normalized to be a part of plenty of people?s regular vernacular to describe something incredibly stupid or silly. According to McQuaig, people tend to not realize that in this misappropriated context, the word is deeply hurtful.

?We do have to be more cognizant of the language that we?re using,? she said, having dropped the word from her vocabulary back in high school. ?The pejorative meaning of the term ?retarded? is very negative now and it does hurt people that have been labelled ?slow,? or having retarded physical development or retarded mental development.

?It?s supposed to mean delayed. And that?s not what the word means anymore.?

Though the word began as a medical term with a specific clinical connotation, it morphed into the derogatory uses of ?retard? and ?retarded? that degrade people with mental disabilities and reinforce the stereotype that those people are less valuable in society.
An online campaign hosted at R-word.org asks people to pledge to stop using those words in order to start creating ?more accepting attitudes and communities for all people.? Created by the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation for the Benefit of Persons with Intellectual Disabilities, the campaign is supported by the Special Olympics, Best Buddies, and more than 200 other organizations and has received close to 400,000 pledges so far.

?I just think that you have to be conscious of that yourself,? said Brouwers. ?Whenever my friends say the R word, I correct them?not even in a bad way, just like, ?I don?t think that?s what you mean; I think you can come up with better adjectives; that can?t be the best word you can find to describe that.? And I think that kind of thing helps.?

The hope for these students is to eliminate misconceptions and improve the language people use, and the message is that people are people?whether they have Down syndrome, autism, or any sort of identified or unidentified mental disability.

?They?re not defined by what their disability is,? said Laura Knox, a third-year sociology student at the U of O. ?That?s just something that they have. But they?re still their own person; they just maybe communicate a little bit differently.?

Knox is the head instructor at Making Waves Ottawa, a volunteer-run organization based out of the U of O that gives one-on-one swimming lessons to children aged three to 18 who are developmentally delayed, medically challenged, or who otherwise require complex or palliative care. The club has grown from 12 to 60 student instructors in less than three years and was recently presented with a Healthy Kids Award by the Children?s Hospital of Eastern Ontario.

It?s about receiving, too
Students in this line of volunteering tend to take a two-way street through life. It?s asking for nothing, but receiving something anyway. It?s about unselfishness, personal learning, and greater social change.

?I definitely learned a lot about patience, about responsibility?just putting other people before yourself,? said Burt.

?You see the child grow so much and develop their learning skills and communication skills ? but you develop your teaching skills and your communication skills throughout the program, so you?re both learning, but in different ways,? explained Knox.

Life can move more slowly for the people who take the time to be there for someone else and to better understand the world around them. We?re growing up fast and it seems that time isn?t on our side. Education allows you to learn, but it doesn?t necessarily always allow you to grow.

When these students spend time with their friends with special needs, it puts everything into perspective. Those moments of compassion, understanding, and friendship?or just moments of simple silence?can make all the difference in a person?s life.
They?re moments that serve as a reminder that life doesn?t have to be so short after all.

Source: http://thefulcrum.ca/2013/03/sometimes-all-you-need-is-a-little-perspective/

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Source: http://stupidcelebrities.net/2013/03/celebrity-news/

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Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Saudi's illegal immigrants draw fear of "infiltrators"

By Angus McDowall and Asma Alsharif

JEDDAH (Reuters) - Down a narrow alleyway deep in the Jeddah slum of Karantina, three women from Sudan have set up stalls under colourful parasols, selling peanuts, hibiscus petals, dried pulses, baskets, frankincense, calabashes and sandalwood.

They laugh and gossip in the sunshine, swathed in bright printed cloth, while a scrawny black cat picks its way between piles of rubbish. But when approached by a stranger, they are cautious.

Jeddah has attracted outsiders for centuries, being the main port of arrival for Muslims making the haj pilgrimage to Mecca. It is this history that gives Karantina its name: older residents can remember when it was "quarantine" for pilgrims.

But the people who now live in this slum in the south of Saudi Arabia's second biggest city were drawn not only by religious devotion but also the top oil exporter's wealth. They live in a legal limbo, sometimes for generations.

"This is the forgotten area," said a bearded Sudanese man in his 40s. "Here are many illegal immigrants who don't have official papers. Government supervision is scarce."

Saudi Arabia's hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants are not counted among the millions of expatriates who reside legally in the Arab kingdom, working as everything from maids to finance executives.

Instead they live on the margins, ineligible for government services and outside of the law, but often unofficially tolerated because of the expense and administrative obstacles in the way of expelling them.

In recent months, however, their status has caught the attention of Saudi media, who have been calling them "infiltrators" and warning readers of their supposed links to crime, disease and militancy.

"The infiltrators will carry with them all their social ills including security threats, criminal behavior and ethical issues," wrote commentator Hamoud Abu Talib in an opinion piece in Okaz daily this month.

A spokesman for the Interior Ministry, Mansour al-Turki, said the media has exaggerated the number of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and added that Saudi citizens themselves contributed to the problem by using them for cheap labor.

Many illegal immigrants have now lived in Saudi Arabia for decades, having children and grandchildren who now live without nationality or residence papers, and prompting government officials to speak of a "humanitarian crisis".

Some risked a perilous journey through volatile Somalia and Yemen, others overstayed work visas or came to perform the annual haj and never went home.

In 2008 Saudi officials told American diplomats that around 10 percent of pilgrims overstayed their visas each year, a U.S. embassy cable released by WikiLeaks revealed. Last year more than 2 million people came on haj from overseas.

Last week local media reported police in Asir Province bordering Yemen as saying 1,470 illegal immigrants had been arrested in just two days.

"Dealing with these problems is not easy once they're in the country ... Sometimes you can't prove their nationality," Turki told Reuters. "You cannot send them back to Yemen. They will not take them."

Turki was not able to estimate the number of illegal immigrants in the country.

FORGOTTEN AREA

In Karantina, people sit out on doorsteps or high metal benches covered with strips of loose carpet, chatting with neighbors. Old sofas and armchairs sit propped against houses.

Rubbish carpets both sides of the road, and abandoned, broken-down cars and trucks gather dust, sinking onto flat tires.

In a large open space near a highway where trucks park, old cars lie in deep puddles of water and mud, some submerged up to their axles, while wading birds strut between them on long legs.

One 15-year-old girl, speaking to Reuters as she watched a television soap opera in a room choked with wood smoke, said her family came from Chad before she was born.

The girl's family - mother, brother, father, his three other wives and their children - are among the luckier residents of Karantina, giving out food as charity to those in need.

"I'm happy. There is nothing more that I can ask for. My father provides me with everything. I have a television," she said.

Like the other residents approached by Reuters, the family members declined to give their names for fear of attracting the attention of the authorities and having to leave the country.

Immigrants who do not have a residency permit, known as an iqama, face restricted access to medical care and other services. Residents of Karantina said they have to pay more for treatment, which by law should only be provided to people who can show valid identification papers.

A small private school in Karantina teaches the Koran to local children, but it is unregulated. Prince Khaled al-Faisal, governor of Mecca Province, which includes Jeddah, said last year there were around 1 million illegal residents in the province's slums.

For the government, the presence of so many undocumented people has a big impact on its efforts to strengthen labor laws. The country is trying to encourage firms to hire more Saudi citizens, who now make up only about a tenth of private-sector employees.

This month the Labour Ministry said it would fine companies found employing illegal immigrants. It also offered incentives to firms that employed Palestinian and Burmese refugees with legitimate residency papers.

On Sunday, Prince Khaled said the government would give legal residency to 250,000 Burmese Muslims already living as refugees in Saudi Arabia.

As holders of the iqama they will be able to access government services more easily and work, drive and rent accommodation legally, in common with millions of other foreigners living in Saudi Arabia.

Even for those with residency, however, life as an immigrant in the kingdom can be tough.

"I never thought of returning to Burkina Faso. All my children were born here. Thank God, we live with the help of charitable people," said Sadiq Basheer al-Sadiq, who came to Saudi Arabia on haj by sea in 1970 and is now the patriarch of a family 60 strong.

He said he and all his family members, including 15 children by four wives, had legal residency.

They live in a small plot of land in the Ruweis district of central Jeddah, their open-air rooms covered by aluminum roofs and divided by wooden beams and cement bricks.

Sadiq, now 85, has retired after working as a construction worker in Mecca, and is now dependent on his children.

His son, Ibrahim, was born in Saudi Arabia but has no hopes of ever qualifying for citizenship of a country where local passport holders qualify for substantial state benefits.

"We did not even try," he said.

(Editing by Sonya Hepinstall)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saudis-illegal-immigrants-draw-fear-infiltrators-141943993--finance.html

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Tuesday, March 26, 2013

No NASCAR penalties issued after California race

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart prepares for the heat races at the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series auto race at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 23, 2013 in Chico, Calif. (AP Photo/The Chico Enterprise-Record, Jason Halley)

NASCAR driver Tony Stewart prepares for the heat races at the World of Outlaws Sprint Car Series auto race at the Silver Dollar Fairgrounds on Saturday, March 23, 2013 in Chico, Calif. (AP Photo/The Chico Enterprise-Record, Jason Halley)

Rescue workers tend to the wreckage of the No. 11 FedEx Express Toyota driven by Denny Hamlin after he collided with Joey Logano on the final lap of the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race in Fontana, Calif., Sunday March 24, 2013. The pair had been battling for the lead the last three laps. The No. 18 car of Kyle Busch passes behind on its vicory lap. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

Pole position holder Denny Hamlin, right, and second-fastest Greg Biffle take a driver introduction lap before the the NASCAR Sprint Cup series auto race in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, March 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Reed Saxon)

(AP) ? NASCAR won't penalize Tony Stewart for scuffling with Joey Logano on pit road at California and saw nothing to indicate Logano or Denny Hamlin were trying to intentionally wreck each other as they raced for the win.

In addition, NASCAR officials have given no thought to policing blocking, which is what Logano did to Stewart on the final restart to trigger the post-race confrontation.

"There are no conversations internally inside of NASCAR to look at blocking as a violation or a penalty as some other forms of motorsports do," Sprint Cup Series director John Darby said Tuesday. "As good as the racing has been, as exciting as it's been, I don't know that we need to jump in the middle and screw it up."

Stewart parked his car near Logano's and angrily approached him after Sunday's race at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana. There was some shoving, but crew members intervened before any punches landed. Logano threw a water bottle at Stewart.

Darby said the incident didn't escalate to a level where NASCAR had to take action.

"A few years ago we backed away from micromanaging drivers' emotions, you would hope in today's world that if somebody didn't win a race, they would be upset about it," Darby said. "I don't know that we've actually got a rule book that describes every push in the chest or kick in the shin. If two guys get into a helluva fight, we're going to have to react. But a couple of guys blowing off some steam and slapping at the air is not going to get anybody in a whole lot of trouble."

As for the last-lap crash between Logano and Hamlin, Darby said NASCAR viewed it as a racing incident.

The two former teammates have feuded since the closing laps of the season-opening Daytona 500 and it escalated after contact from Hamlin sent Logano spinning into the wall two races ago at Bristol. Logano angrily confronted Hamlin after the race before being pulled away by crew members.

The two moved their feud to Twitter for at least the second time this season and then came Sunday's race.

They were racing side-by-side on the last lap for the win when they banged into each other. Both cars spun and Hamlin's hit head-on into an inside wall not protected with energy-absorbing SAFER barriers.

He spent Sunday night in a Southern California hospital, where he was diagnosed with an L1 compression fracture in his lower back. He was back in North Carolina on Tuesday, scheduled to be evaluated later this week by Dr. Jerry Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates.

"It was the last lap of the race, and the last time they were both going to see turns three and four. They were side-by-side. If somebody was of the mindset to retaliate, they probably would have been lined up nose-to-tail and somebody would have drove into the other car and spun him around," Darby said. "In this case, that is so far from the opposite, that it never even crossed anybody's mind that I'm aware of that paid attention to the race."

Meanwhile, NASCAR is still going over data from Hamlin's accident and will need to meet with officials from the University of Nebraska, home to the engineering school's Midwest Roadside Safety experts, and IndyCar before making any recommendations on whether a SAFER barrier should be installed where Hamlin hit.

When NASCAR first began installing SAFER barriers following the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt, the priority were locations where cars frequently hit the wall. Officials at Nebraska also make recommendations not to install the barriers at certain points at a facility because of various issues, including the potential for a car to sling-shot back into traffic after impact.

Track officials usually follow the recommendations.

Tom Gideon, senior director of safety research and development at NASCAR, said where Hamlin hit was not an area that cars frequently make impact.

"Each point on the track we look at the application and you don't want to put (barriers) in places where the angle of impact may not be appropriate for a SAFER barrier," Gideon said. "We also look at the possibility of impact and the frequency of impact, and when you look at the frequency of impact, especially at oval tracks, it's reasonable to think they are going to be with outside walls."

NASCAR does not race at Auto Club Speedway again this season, but IndyCar's October finale is scheduled at the track.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-26-NASCAR-Fontana%20Fallout/id-15c9719d2b724c568ea714315e52f951

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If You Can?t Change The Amount of Stress You?re Under, Change Your Mindset Instead

If You Can’t Change The Amount of Stress You’re Under, Change Your Mindset Instead Too much stress can have serious effects on your body and health, but alleviating it isn't as simple as just not doing the things that stress you out. All the things that stress you out?your job, your boss, your kids?they're still there. What you can change, however, is your mindset and approach to handling that stress, and new research indicates that may be just as effective.

Over at The Harvard Business Review, Heidi Grant Halvorson, Ph.D. (who's work you've seen here before) explains that sometimes it's your approach to stressful events and chronic stressors that matters more than the way you handle them after the fact. We focus frequently on coping mechanisms that help you minimize the effects of stress, but she points out that with a healthy mindset and approach to stressful situations?one that looks at the stress you experience as something that can strengthen you instead of harm you?you'll weather the stressful storm a bit better.

The full study, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, turned up some surprising results:

in their studies, Crum and colleagues began by identifying stress mindsets among a group of nearly 400 employees of an international financial institution. They found that those employees who had stress-is-enhancing mindsets (compared to stress-is-debilitating) reported having better health, greater life satisfaction, and superior work performance.

That's already rather amazing, but here's the best part - your mindset can also change! If you have been living with a stress-is-debilitating mindset (like most of us), you don't have to be stuck with it. A subset of the 400 employees in the aforementioned study were shown a series of three-minute videos over the course of the following week, illustrating either the enhancing or debilitating effects of stress on health, performance, and personal growth. Those in the stress-is-enhancing group (i.e., the lucky ones) reported significant increases in both well-being and work performance.

Now to be clear, the study isn't saying that stress doesn't stress you out, or that too much stress is somehow healthy. What the researchers point out is that your attitude and approach matter a lot, almost as much as knowing how to cope with the stress afterward. In fact, take the study results with a healthy dose of skepticism. The results are preliminary, and just one study in the face of a mountain of research about stress. However, there's no harm (and everything good) about changing your mindset towards the things that stress you out, and if there are tangible health and lifestyle benefits to doing so (and they're backed up by some research), then by all means, do it.

How You Can Benefit from All Your Stress | Harvard Business Review

Photo by rick.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/WbDeTwNNiXo/if-you-cant-change-the-amount-of-stress-youre-under-change-your-mindset-instead

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Sports Opportunities in Goose Creek | Drew Sineath

With spring in the air and warmer weather here, Goose Creek is gearing up for a fresh round of sports opportunities. With playing fields spread throughout the city and two community centers, you?ll be able to find a sport for you and for the kids in a nearby location. Let?s have some fun, Goose Creek, and get moving this spring!

Goose Creek Recreation Commission locations:

GC Community Center, 519A N. Goose Creek Blvd.

The new GC Community Center houses the administrative offices of the Recreation Sports Opportunities in Goose CreekCommission, 2 full-size gymnasiums, a fitness center, cardio-deck, walking track, climbing wall, preschool classroom and multi-purpose classroom. Sports fields.

Casey Community Center,101 Old Moncks Corner Rd.

Houses classrooms for ballet, karate, and gymnastics, plus two tennis courts.

Goose Creek?s playing fields are located:

Felkel Field Sports Complex
Located on Lucy Drive in the Beverly Hills sub-division, has 7 lighted ball fields, a concession stand and press boxes.

Dennis Park Baseball Field
Located at 351 Anita Drive in the Boulder Bluff sub-division, has one regulation size baseball field and a concession stand.

Dogwood Park Sports Complex
Located off of Liberty Hall Road, has one regulation size soccer field, one football field, concession stand and picnic area.

Eubanks Park, Old Moncks Corner Road beside the Recreation Center.
Playground, covered picnic area available for rentals, grills, basketball courts, sand volleyball courts and tennis courts nearby.

Foster Creek Park, Foster Creek Road next to Goose Creek Primary School.
Playground, picnic tables, soccer fields, concession stand

Sports offered through the Goose Creek Recreation Department

Kids:

Gymnastics ? ages 2 and up, from beginners to advancedSports Opportunities in Goose Creek

Karate ? ages 5 and up

League Baseball, Boys and Girls (ages as of 4/30/13)

  • T-Ball ages 4-5
  • Machine-Pitch, Singe A, ages 6-7
  • Modified Machine/Kid Pitch -Double AA (7 year olds must have played at one year of Single A), ages 7-8
  • Minors, ages 9-10
  • Majors, ages 11-12
  • Junior, ages 13 ? 15

League Softball, Girls (ages as of 1/1/13)

  • Machine-Pitch, ages 6-8
  • Minors, ages 9-10
  • Majors, ages 11-12
  • Jr./Sr., ages 13-16

GOOSE CREEK DIAMONDBACKS

COMPETITIVE BASEBALL & SOFTBALL

  • Competitive Travel Baseball teams for ages 10-18.
  • Competitive Travel Softball teams for ages 10-14.
  • For additional information, please contact President Ginger Collins 843-259-1099.

Football

  • Ages 6-8: Midget Flag
  • Ages 9-10: Pee Wee: Weight Limit 135 pounds
  • Ages 11-12: Small Fry: Weight Limit 150 pounds
  • Participants over the weight limit may still play in a limited capacity.
  • Middle School League: Ages 13-14: This league will travel and play other area Middle Schools.
  • All ages are as of September 1, 2012

Tennis

  • Ages 8 and up
  • Learn the basic strokes or improve your game.

Parkour -? involves running, jumping, vaulting and flipping over obstacles. That could be roofs, rails, stairs, ledges and anything else you might literally run into or climb over.

Volleyball ? middle school, grades 5 & 6

Soccer

  • Ages 4 -10; Practices will start in March, games will be played on week nights beginning in April
  • Boys & Girls, ages 4 & 5 : Tiny Tot
  • Boys & Girls, ages 6-7: Pee Wee
  • Boys & Girls, ages 8-10 Small Fry
  • These will be small sided leagues, teaching basic skills
  • All ages are as of August 1, 2013

Cheerleading ? girls, ages 6 ? 14. This program will cheer for our youth football teams.

Adults:

Basketball ? ages 18+ co-ed league

Karate ? classes are held year round

Dancing ? salsa, ballroom, Latin, shag, Irish step, belly dancing

Tennis ? improve your game or come learn the basics

Volleyball ? ages 16 and up; 8-week recreational league; at Goose Creek Community Center

Adults & Kids:

Creekers on the Run, running and walking club for ages 10 and up.

So grab your athletic shoes, Goose Creek, and I hope to see you out there playing! And if you need assistance with your real estate needs, please call Drew Sineath and Associates, we?re locals and we?d be glad to help you.

Source: http://drewsineath.com/blog/2013/03/sports-opportunities-in-goose-creek/

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Monday, March 25, 2013

A better way to prevent overfishing

Instead of risky shorter seasons, a shared catch-limit allows fishermen to work whenever they want.?Today, more than half of all seafood caught in US waters is in 'catch-shares' management. That?s good for both fisheries and fishermen and their communities.

By Matt Rand / March 25, 2013

Greenpeace activists hold a banner in front of an American Seafoods factory trawler calling for it to stop overfishing for pollock in the Bering Sea off Alaska on Sept. 9, 1996. Since then, a fishery management method known as 'catch share' has led to the comeback of the Alaskan pollock, which happens to be the fish of choice for McDonald?s Filet-o-Fish sandwich, writes op-ed contributor Matt Rand.

Robert Visser/Greenpeace/Reuters/file

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Some reports make startling predictions about overfishing and the collapse of ocean life. Fishermen, local fishing communities, and conservation groups like ours are working to identify and implement fishery management tools to head off these tragic forecasts.

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Some tools are proving to be better than others.

Over the past few decades, the primary strategy has been to reduce the amount of fish that can be caught and to cut the duration of fishing seasons. The idea behind this approach is simple and admirable ? but at times the method has been inadequate to the task.

True, shortening seasons can reduce overall pressure on stock. But history has shown that limited seasons are not always a long-term conservation solution ? and cause problems for fishermen and fishing communities.

While the fishing season is closed, fishermen can?t earn a living. And shorter seasons can lead to a ?race to fish.? Fishermen try to catch as many fish as they can as quickly as possible. That risks unintentional overfishing, venturing out in dangerous weather, and tossing back fish ? often dead ? due to various rules.

A ?fishing derby? also produces a market glut, with every boat bringing in its catch at the same time, depressing prices.

But the past decade or so has brought real progress using new and innovative management tools.

One of those approaches, called ?catch shares,? uses a total allowable catch for a species based on numbers that scientists believe allow the fishery to recover. Fishermen are allotted a share of that catch, and they can harvest their share whenever they want.

There?s no rush to fish in an attempt to outcompete and no need to go fishing in dangerous weather. Constantly changing fishing seasons are replaced by a predictability that encourages fishermen to commit to sustainability. Compliance with fishing limits increases significantly, and there?s a dramatic drop in the amount of unwanted fish that is tossed overboard.

This approach has helped spark a turnaround for many kinds of fish: red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, Virginia striped bass, mid-Atlantic golden tilefish, Pacific pollock, whiting and petrale sole, Alaska king crab, and Alaskan pollock ? the fish of choice for McDonald?s Filet-o-Fish sandwich.

More and more fisheries in US and international waters are managed with this approach. Today, more than half of all seafood caught in US waters is in catch-share management. That?s good for fisheries and good for fishermen.

Matt Rand is senior director of campaigns for the Environmental Defense Fund?s Oceans Program.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/i-GRFYJsMJk/A-better-way-to-prevent-overfishing

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Matt Lauer and Ann Curry Feud: It Was Personal!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/03/matt-lauer-and-ann-curry-feud-it-was-personal/

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PFT: Asomugha looking at Niners, Saints

Tampa Bay Buccaneers v New Orleans SaintsGetty Images

The Buccaneers struggled last year on defense, especially in the secondary.? And, as Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times explains it, coach Greg Schiano takes that personally.

Schiano got his NFL start as the defensive backs coach in Chicago, but in his first year as a head coach Schiano?s team nearly set the league record for passing yards allowed in a season.? Included in that total were 69 completions of at least 20 yards and 11 of more than 50.

?The big pass plays, those are killers,? Schiano said, via Stroud.? ?They not only affect the game, but they affect the momentum of the game.? When you?re at home, it sucks the life out of your crowd, and when you?re on the road, it ignites the crowd.

?Some of the changes we made are the result of people not doing things exactly how we wanted them done. We did make a staff change,? Schiano said, regarding the departure of defensive backs coach Ron Cooper.? ?I?m not going to duck that. . . .? It?s even more frustrating for me because that?s supposed to be your area of expertise.?

The Buccaneers have added safety Dashon Goldson via free agency, and they continue to be in the hunt for Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis.? Goldson and Mark Barron have similar styles, and that?s fine with Schiano.

?It doesn?t matter to me,? Schiano said. ?We?re actually an interchangeable safety defense.? So there?s not really a cover guy and a box guy.?

The ultimate cover guy ? Revis ? would pump up the secondary considerably.? And it could make the Buccaneers major players in the NFC South.? Even if, in the end, the Bucs don?t have a spot in the lineup for future Hall of Famer Ronde Barber.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/23/nnamdi-is-still-looking-at-niners-saints/related/

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