Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
december 21 2012 norad 12/21/12 winter solstice Jabari Parker 2012 australia
Sunday, March 31, 2013
South African official: Mandela better from pneumonia
JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? A South African official says Nelson Mandela is breathing "without difficulty" after having a procedure to clear fluid in his lung area that was caused by pneumonia.
South African presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said Saturday that 94-year-old Mandela that the fluid had been "tapped," allowing the former president to breathe more easily.
Maharaj described the fluid problem as a "pleural effusion."
He said Mandela is suffering from pneumonia, using a different term for his ailment. Officials have previously said Mandela, who was taken to a hospital on Wednesday night, has a recurring lung infection.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/safrican-official-mandela-better-pneumonia-122925761.html
ash wednesday kate middleton marco rubio marco rubio Zero Hour Funny Valentines Chris Kyle
China's Xi wraps up Africa tour in Republic of Congo
BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - China's newly appointed President Xi Jinping wrapped up a six-day tour of Africa on Friday in Republic of Congo, where he signed off on infrastructure projects and pledged deeper cooperation between his country and the continent.
Thousands of people, many wearing T-shirts bearing the president's likeness, turned out under a blazing equatorial sun to welcome the new Chinese leader to the former French colony's sprawling riverside capital, Brazzaville.
Xi, who in previous stops along the week-long trip has attempted to outline his African policy as a partnership among equals, used a speech before Congo's parliament to point to China and Africa's mutual reliance for their future success.
"The future, the development of China will be an unprecedented opportunity for Africa, and Africa's development will be the same for my country," Xi told lawmakers.
"We expect to work together with our African friends to seize upon historic opportunities and deepen cooperation ... in order to bring greater benefit to the Chinese and African peoples," he said.
China is offering $20 billion of loans to Africa between 2013 and 2015, and many governments welcome Beijing's growing business-focused presence on the continent as a welcome alternative to Western influence.
China imports oil from Congo, and on Friday, in line with promises to deepen the relationship with African partners, Xi oversaw finalization of nearly a dozen new deals.
He agreed to finance a $63 million project to construct a river port in Oyo, the hometown of Congo's President Denis Sassou N'Guesso, where the government plans to develop a new special economic zone.
Other projects to receive Chinese backing include a 19-megawatt hydroelectric power station in the northwest, and the construction of a new port capable of handling mineral ore shipments in Congo's economic capital, Pointe-Noire.
China also agreed to around 15 billion CFA francs ($29.36 million) in grants and zero-interest loans, and will build 200 homes and a school in the capital's Mpila, which was largely destroy when a weapons depot exploded there last year.
(Reporting by Christian Tsoumou; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Michael Roddy)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinas-xi-wraps-africa-tour-republic-congo-211422497.html
google augmented reality glasses wonderlic test texas tornado fantasy baseball jared sullinger jaleel white levi johnston
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Hubble observes the hidden depths of Messier 77
Friday, March 29, 2013
Messier 77 is a galaxy in the constellation of Cetus, some 45 million light-years away from us. Also known as NGC 1068, it is one of the most famous and well-studied galaxies. It is a real star among galaxies, with more papers written about it than many other galaxies put together!
Despite its current fame and striking swirling appearance, the galaxy has been a victim of mistaken identity a couple of times; when it was initially discovered in 1780, the distinction between gas clouds and galaxies was not known, causing finder Pierre Mechain to miss its true nature and label it as a nebula. It was misclassified again when it was subsequently listed in the Messier Catalogue as a star cluster.
Now, however, it is firmly categorised as a barred spiral galaxy, with loosely wound arms and a relatively small central bulge. It is the closest and brightest example of a particular class of galaxies known as Seyfert galaxies -- galaxies that are full of hot, highly ionised gas that glows brightly, emitting intense radiation.
Strong radiation like this is known to come from the heart of Messier 77 -- caused by a very active black hole that is around 15 million times the mass of our Sun. Material is dragged towards this black hole and circles around it, heating up and glowing strongly. This region of a galaxy alone, although comparatively small, can be tens of thousands of times brighter than a typical galaxy.
Although no competition for the intense centre, Messier 77's spiral arms are also very bright regions. Dotted along each arm are knotty red clumps -- a signal that new stars are forming. These baby stars shine strongly, ionising nearby gas which then glows a deep red colour as seen in the image above. The dust lanes stretching across this image appear as a rusty, brown-red colour due to a phenomenon known as reddening; the dust absorbs more blue light than red light, enhancing its apparent redness.
###
ESA/Hubble Information Centre: http://www.spacetelescope.org
Thanks to ESA/Hubble Information Centre for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
This press release has been viewed 49 time(s).
Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127517/Hubble_observes_the_hidden_depths_of_Messier___
jeremy lin espn sassafras mardi gras 2012 the secret world of arrietty cee lo allen iverson jr smith
NYC to sift construction debris for remains of 9/11 victims
By NBCNewYork.com
The city has collected about 60 dump truck loads of debris from construction areas around the World Trade Center site over the past two and a half years that will be sifted for fragments of 9/11 victims' remains, officials announced Friday.?
The debris has been collected from the World Financial Center, West Street and a lot near Liberty Street since the last sifting operation in mid-2010.
The material amounts to 590 cubic yards -- 38 from the WTC, 13 from the western edge of the southbound lanes of West Street and 539 from the Liberty Street area, where four pieces of possible human remains have already been found.
The material will be combed for about 10 weeks starting Monday at a mobile sifting unit set up on Staten Island, city officials said.
Any human remains will be analyzed by the medical examiner's office for possible matches to 9/11 victims. Of the 2,750 people killed at the trade center, 1,634 have had remains identified.
More on NBCNewYork.com
"We will continue DNA testing until all recovered remains that can be matched with a victim are identified," Deputy Mayor Cas Holloway wrote Friday in a memo to Mayor Bloomberg.
The city expanded its search for remains of trade center victims in 2006, when several bones were found in a manhole.?
Since the discovery of the manhole bones, the city has sifted debris from various construction sites and subterranean areas surrounding the 16-acre trade center site. More than 1,800 pieces of potential human remains have been found.?
The office has made 34 new identifications since 2006, and hundreds of fragments of remains have been matched to people who were already identified.
2012 ncaa tournament schedule laurent robinson dantoni gillian anderson leah remini black and tan dwight howard trade
Friday, March 29, 2013
BlackBerry subscriber bleed turns into an arterial gush
BlackBerryBlackBerry?s (BBRY) fourth-quarter earnings were?a bundle of such extreme opposites that they literally stunned Wall Street.?Many expected huge price swings, but as of 10:27 a.m. on Thursday, the share price is up 1.8%. Investors are having trouble figuring out whether to giggle with glee over the big Z10 shipment number or shriek with horror over the massive subscriber loss.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry lives to fight another day]
This quarter crystallized the theme we wrote about last week: the low-end product range of BlackBerry is collapsing. Despite shipping 1 million Z10 devices ?many analysts expected shipments in the 300,000 to 500,000 range ? the overall device volume was just 6 million, or 900,000 units below consensus. At the same time, the subscriber base situation is worse than practically anyone expected: 2 million subscribers were added in the August quarter, 1 million subscribers were lost in the November quarter and 3 million subscribers were lost in the February quarter.
[More from BGR: BlackBerry turns surprise profit in Q4 despite missing revenue estimates]
The trend is clear. And dreadful. It implies that the emerging market softness is deepening rapidly. The $200 Android QWERTY models from Samsung (005930), Huawei, ZTE and other Asian vendors are tearing into the connective tissue of BlackBerry?s global empire. BlackBerry is now losing about 3.8% of its sub base over a three-month period. The entire ecosystem in countries like South Africa and Philippines is built on high market penetration; that is the lifeblood of BBM. Allowing Android and iOS platforms to gain share means risking a runaway WhatsApp contagion and the loss of relevance in the messaging wars.
BlackBerry turned a surprise profit during the quarter because the ratio of high-end Z10 to low-end Curve phones was much higher than expected. But this happened both because the Z10 shipment was bigger than anticipated, while the low-end device volume was smaller than expected. This does not need to be a problem if BlackBerry starts shipping sub-$300 devices in a month or two.
But if the company is six months from shipping the new Curve line the blood could really flow over this summer. The same happens if the price of the new Curve devices is too high: Markets from Brazil to Nigeria to Malaysia are clearly transitioning to smartphones that are priced at $250 or under. If BlackBerry miscalculates the premium it can command in emerging markets, it?s lights out in Waterloo.
What about the May quarter? The combination of 1 million unit Z10 shipment and 3 million unit subscriber loss was a chilling demonstration of how hard it is for BlackBerry to succeed with luxury devices alone. BlackBerry may not need the U.S. market anymore,?but getting cheap new devices to emerging markets is absolutely vital. Global smartphone sales grew at roughly 35% annualized pace during the February quarter, yet BlackBerry?s sales volume is still shrinking faster than even the bearish Wall Street consensus expected.
This is coming down to a race between how fast the BlackBerry subscriber base is eroding and when the new low-end models finally launch.
This article was originally published on BGR.com
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blackberry-subscriber-bleed-turns-arterial-gush-151131237.html
minnesota twins bobby abreu 2012 draft colt mccoy arbor day mike adams janoris jenkins
More than White House tours: Sequester hurts nationwide
Forget the cancellation of White House tours.
We asked Yahoo News readers to tell us how the deep automatic federal spending cuts known as the sequester are affecting their lives right now. And readers responded.
"We are cutting our spending and living more frugally because it looks like an $800 per month pay cut will be heading our way," wrote James Ferguson of Aberdeen, Md., whose wife works for the Department of Defense and faces furlough.
The sequester went into effect March 1 after Congress and President Barack Obama failed to reach a major deficit reduction deal. Some $85 billion in cuts were triggered, to be spread evenly across domestic and defense spending.
Obama has warned that the sequester could imperil the nation's slow economic recovery. Some conservative lawmakers have welcomed the cuts, saying it's a needed downpayment on the type of cuts necessary to reducing the federal deficit.
A few respondents who emailed us or submit entries via the Yahoo Contributor Network said the impact of the cuts are far overblown. But the majority of those who reached out to Yahoo News were worried about furloughs for themselves or their spouses.
Readers also shared other concerns. Cassandra Friederichs told us that she and her husband, both veterans, are preparing for tuition assistance cuts; several readers looking for work explained how they are bracing for cuts in unemployment assistance; federal sales executive Carol Smouse said her office phones have stopped ringing as clients avoid their business; and one active duty National Guardsmen expressed outrage over facing a furlough because he also works as a civilian. Several respondents voiced concern about families with a disabled relative who may find their assistance cut.
Here are excerpts from some of the many submissions we received. Please note that some respondents requested their names be redacted due to concerns about their employment or military status:
Husband prepares to find part-time work for furlough day
Since 2006, my husband, Mac, has worked for the Department of Defense ...
I am very thankful I work full-time, as it means that while we still need to tweak our budget a bit, we will still have additional income. Mac is also exploring options for a part-time job, but until he is told exactly what day will be his furlough day, he cannot do too much. While I admire his work ethic and his willingness to take on a second job, I know that it will mean I'll get to spend less time with him. ...
I generally think we need less government spending, yet the sequester makes no real sense to me. I think the cuts are rather politically motivated, and are overly dramatic to attract attention, like ending the White House tours.
?Wendy Lunko, Pennsylvania
Diabetic woman faces April reduction in unemployment benefits
Last week, I received a notification from the unemployment office that due to the sequestration cuts, "the federal government has directed us to reduce your EUC payments by 10.7% beginning that first week in April. We (state) have no control over these cuts in benefits and no ability to waive or reduce the level of cuts."
The 10.7% reduction may not seem like a lot to you, but [it] is to me. After my employer of 12 years closed their doors, I have been actively looking every day for the last 8 months for a job to no avail. After rent & utilities, I can barely manage to put food on my table. Not a good diet when you are a diabetic. I have cut down on my expenses. I've already sold my car, cut off my home phone, switched to basic cable TV/Internet, switched to a prepaid cellphone plan. I can no longer afford to pay for (COBRA) health insurance. Without health insurance, I can no longer afford to buy the diabetic testing supplies or medications recommended for controling this pre-existing condition ...
?Connie Miller, New York
Sequester is not a big deal
Way overblown. Their budget is less but they still have same or more money to spend versus last year just the budget was reduced for this year. Any qualified business manager could handle this. ... They need to reduce spending. Politics.
?Bob
Camp Lejeune, N.C., local worries about community
I believe the sequester will affect my personal income. I work at Johnston Community College in Smithfield, N.C. We had a budget meeting soon after the sequestration took effect, and I asked our comptroller if the college would be affected by those budget cuts.
Since we are in close proximity to Camp Lejeune (in Jacksonville) and even closer to Seymour Johnson [Air Force base] (in Goldsboro), we will be seeing effects of spending cutbacks through areas other than a paycheck.
Am I really worried for myself? No. Am I worried about the overall effect that this can have on our local economy? Certainly. My belief is that these troubles will touch all employees of local, state, and federal governments. The net result will extend the recession, cause higher crime, and possibly launch us back into an economic depression like this generation has never seen ...
?Stephen Link, North Carolina
Border patrol agent faces furlough and end of overtime
I am a Border Patrol Agent and very soon my fellow Agents and I will be facing massive cuts. Beginning April 7th, we will no longer be able to work overtime as well as facing one furlough day each pay period (every two weeks). The overtime is a necessity in order for Agents to maintain border security during shift changes as well as other things that may happen during a shift which may include tracking groups and filling out paperwork. We also work in very extreme conditions. During the summer, temperatures can reach up to 125 degrees while we work shifts up to ten hours. We also track groups through the mountains and desert never knowing what can be waiting for us. When April 7th comes, we will be losing approximately 40% of our annual income. Agents who came from all over the country to work in the southwest will now be unable to pay for their homes, student loans, etc. It seems like this is a joke to our government while they try to play the blame game. There are a lot of hard working agents out there who have sacrificed a lot in order to help secure our borders...
?Border patrol agent, El Centro, Calif.
No White House tour and a cut to unemployment benefits
Congress' decision to let $85 billion in across-the-board, indiscriminate spending cuts directly impact my family's well-being in Chicago.
My daughter, an eighth-grader, was supposed to take the class trip to Washington, D.C., this summer. Because of the sequester, she and her classmates won't see the White House. The financial cuts prompted the White House to cancel tours.
My husband, who has been unemployed or non-scheduled from his job at the Illinois Department of Employment Security for the past six months, will be hit with a 10-percent cut to his benefits. That's almost $200 less from his already very slim unemployment check. If he does not get his IDES job back soon, our family would be cut off from the medical and dental insurance benefits and we'll be forced to sign up for a more expensive plan under COBRA.
President Barack Obama's decisions-- instead of improving the lives of middle-class families-- hurt their well-being at their core. I am not sure that a Republican president would have done a better job getting our nation to balance its finances; unfortunately, at present, we do not have an alternative.
?Irene Lankin-Duffy, Chicago, Ill.
Department of Defense employee faces furlough after 30 years of service
I will be furloughed one day a week for 22 weeks. I have been a federal employee for over 30 years. It saddens me that Washington could not resolve and compromise to avoid sequester cuts. I don?t wear a suit to work or work in D.C. Many of my civilian counterparts provide many hours of work away from home to support National Defense.
Several of my co-workers responded when asked to go to Japan and help after the tsunami and Fukushima nuclear disaster. How are our dedication and many years of loyal service repaid? ...
[Update: This reader shared a DOD email update with Yahoo News informing employees that furlough notices have been delayed for ?approximately 2 weeks? to allow the department to analyze the impact of ?continuing resolution legislation on the Department?s resources.?]
?Federal Employee, Hampton Roads, Va.
Active duty National Guardsman faces furlough in civilian-military gray area
This is my twelfth scheduled workday in a row, so this weekend is a little more eagerly awaited than most. What had not been eagerly awaited was my furlough letter, advising me that in 30 days, I will be subject to 22 mandatory days off for the remainder of this fiscal year?effectively a 20% cut in pay. ... I haven?t told you who my employer is yet, have I? It?s the U.S. Air Force . ...
Long story short, I have military skill training qualifications and uniform, but a DoD civilian paycheck. Then, one weekend a month and two weeks a year, I show up at the same base, in my same uniform, in my same work area and get paid by the Air Force according to my military rank for my reserve duties. ...
I?m not exceptionally concerned whose fault the sequester is. I?m concerned that because I live in the gray area of military and civilian status, that I can still be sent to war, but I can?t get a full week?s paycheck because of the sequester.
?Technical Sergeant, U.S. Air Force, Nevada National Guard motor vehicle operator, Reno, Nev.
Sequester doesn't go far enough
It's become a comically regular occurrence for members of both the legislative and executive branches of the U.S. government to make dire predictions of catastrophic shutdowns every time significant cuts to the federal budget are mentioned.
The most recent of these cuts (and one of the few to actually get through the legislative process) is the by now well-known sequestration measure. ...
For those who say these cuts are unsustainable, I respond by pointing out that neither is having a debt-to-GDP ratio of more than 100 percent. For those who say it's a step in the right direction, I say it's not even that. The deficit in 2023 will still be greater than it is now, even if the sequester cuts manage to stay in place. Sure, these cuts are better than none, but they're really just a fraction of a drop in the bucket.
?Ryan Hurley, Cincinnati, OH
Louisiana woman worries about the disabled and her paycheck
I live in Lake Charles, La., where I work for a nonprofit that helps families that have a member with a disability. Although I have not been directly affected by the sequestration yet, we are all holding our breath. Many of the programs that help our families are supported by funds we are being told will be cut.
If we lose funding, it will be funding for wages?more specifically my wages. ...
In the past year, I have worked with several families with a member with a disability to get Social Security. The cuts to the Social Security Administration may not cut their check, but will curtail the hours an office will be open, and close some offices. This will make it harder on families. It will take longer for me to be able to assist them. I will be able to reach fewer families.
?Mylinda Elliott, Lake Charles, La.
Maryland man?s wife faces furloughs totaling $800/month
We are cutting our spending and living more frugally because it looks like an $800 per month pay cut will be heading our way. The government is forcing my wife to take one day off per week, totaling four days per month, which comes to approximately $800 a month of lost income for our family. I am a full-time real estate agent; that is 100 percent commissioned salary. My wife's income was our steady, reliable income until the sequester. I am currently searching for part-time employment on top of my full-time position to supplement the income cut. ...
I also have often thought of the local businesses and restaurants that thrive off of the 30,000-plus APG employees who eat lunch every day in these establishments, and who shop and buy groceries and gas all around the proving ground. All of these businesses will be affected as well. Across the board, within the DoD, everybody will be taking off at least one day a week. This will ripple across the local economy.
What can be done to help or fix this situation? How about we start these budget cuts from the top down?
?James Ferguson, Aberdeen, Md.
Federal sales executive says phones have stopped ringing
Working in sales, your job is on the line every time you fail to meet quota, 3 months in a row of failing to achieve it means you will be put "on notice" and will be required to bring in enough sales to meet quotas, or be terminated. Now that the sequester is going into effect, our Federal customers do not want to meet with us. The dozens of emails we would get every day have stopped coming, our phones are not ringing, and we are not selling. ...
Because of my job uncertainty, I kept my current car and had the transmission replaced, rather than buy a new car. I would have rather bought a new car, mine is now 10 years old, but I was too afraid to take on a car payment when I could end up out of work at any time. My coworkers are all making similar decisions. We are nervous and unwilling to take on financial obligations when our future is so uncertain.
I know we all wonder what we will do.
?Carol Smouse
Military couple prepares for tuition assistance cuts
I am relying on the Tuition Assistance that used to be offered to the military to finish school a little earlier than planned so that I can find a job and help my daughter grow up in a middle-class home. My fiance and I are both denied the right to have that Tuition Assistance that we were both PROMISED upon signing our contracts to serve our countries. ...
I am not angry that they are making cuts because that is what needs to be done, but I am angry at where they are deciding to make those cuts. Why does Obama get paid what he does? Why do the Congressmen, that keep delaying things and making these budgets go past [their deadlines], get paid [as much as] they do? If my fiance were to do the things that congress does, he would be FIRED!
?Cassandra Friederichs
black and tan dwight howard trade ncaa bracket 2012 kyle orton kyle orton 2012 ncaa bracket john carlson
Slovenia will not be the next Cyprus: finance minister
By Marja Novak and Zoran Radosavljevic
LJUBLJANA (Reuters) - Slovenia will not be the next euro member to need a financial rescue as it can afford to wait for lower borrowing costs before issuing new debt, its top economic official said on Friday.
The new center-left government was widely expected to raise money on financial markets shortly after taking office on March 20 but has not done so because Slovenia's borrowing costs have soared due to the turmoil in Cyprus.
Investors are betting that Slovenia, another tiny member of Europe's currency zone with a population of just 2 million, will also need a rescue to keep its banks and economy afloat.
Last week, Cyprus became the fifth euro member to receive financial help from Brussels to survive a regional debt crisis.
While Slovenia's banks are also in trouble the sector is smaller than in Cyprus and it does not share the exposure to toxic Greek debt and Finance Minister Uros Cufer said his country did not need help.
"We will need no bailout this year," he said. "I am calm."
Like many other euro zone members, Slovenia is in recession, with slowing exports to its neighbors and high unemployment.
It last issued a bond in October last year before the conservative government collapsed over a corruption scandal in January and was this month replaced by the new center-left cabinet of Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek.
Analysts were expecting a swift debt issue from the government but yields have jumped. The 2021 bond yield rose to 6.06 percent on Friday, from 5.45 a week ago.
The International Monetary Fund says Slovenia will need to raise at least 3 billion euros this year for the budget, debt repayment and the bank overhaul, and former Prime Minister Janez Jansa has said Slovenia must issue debt by June.
But Cufer said Slovenia, a mountainous country on the Adriatic neighbored by Austria, Italy, Croatia and Hungary, was not in a hurry.
"We do not have to go to the markets in these overheated times due to Cyprus," he said. "We can wait for the markets to calm down, for the investors to feel comfortable about our action and then we will tap the market."
BAD BANK
He said the government would launch a "bad bank" by September that would take over a part of 7 billion euros in bad loans from the three main banks, all of which are in majority or large state ownership.
The banks would then require up to 1 billion euro ($1.28 billion) in a capital injection, which Cufer said Slovenia could raise later this year via a bond, part of the total 3 billion in planned debt issuance for this year.
With successive governments citing national interests, Slovenia was the only ex-communist state that refused to sell its largest lenders ahead of EU entry last decade, creating a toxic combination of political control and poor management in banks that backfired when the economy went downhill in 2009.
The global financial crisis ended years of fast growth and indiscriminate lending that included loans worth a reported 187 million euros from one bank to the largest builder, SCT, which went bankrupt after a collapse in real estate and construction.
Many other highly leveraged local companies went bust, sticking banks with more bad loans that combined amount to about a fifth of the economy.
Cufer, 42, took part in shaping the bad bank under a plan launched by the previous conservative government on the side of the biggest lender, Nova Ljubljanska Banka (NLB), where he worked as head of financial management.
He said the bad bank had already been established and would be fully operational "surely in a few months, definitely by the start of September".
Along with the 1 billion euros to shore up their balance sheets this year, the lenders will swap bad loans in exchange for state-guaranteed bonds issued by the bad bank, he said.
NO BANK SALES SOON
Cufer said the banks were now worth 10-20 percent of their book value, which would be 25 to 50 million euros, and the government would wait until they were recapitalized and markets stabilized before sells them into private hands.
"Now is not the appropriate time to sell. Selling at these prices makes no sense... Even next year is very optimistic," he said.
Cufer tried to stress that unlike Cyprus - where banking assets were seven times larger than the economy, as opposed to about 1.3 times for Slovenia - Ljubjana could handle its problems on its own.
"Slovenia cannot be compared to Cyprus, it is certainly not a tax haven... the basic problem of the banks in Slovenia is too much debt in companies and a lack of capital," he said.
To offset the costs of bank cleanup, the government will step up the sale of state companies rather than pursue the type of austerity measures that have deepened economic downturns in Greece, Portugal and other struggling states.
He declined to name what companies could be privatized but said they would continue with the program of the previous government. He added there would be at least "one major privatization" by the end of the year.
The last government was mulling selling stakes in telecoms operator Telekom Slovenia, insurer Zavarovalnica Triglav and fuel retailer Petrol. ($1 = 0.7788 euros)
(Writing by Zoran Radosavljevic; editing by Michael Winfrey and Anna Willard)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slovenia-not-next-cyprus-finance-minister-153324055.html
Torrey Smith Brother fiona apple awkward awkward CJ Spiller tracy morgan Chase.com
Thursday, March 28, 2013
6 Amazing Adventure Tours for Women like Us
A sense of adventure does not diminish with age. As older women, we have a greater sense of self, are more confident and appreciate those things that are most important in life. We are inspired by natural and authentic beauty, have a dedication to lifelong learning and a curiosity to explore new experiences. Above all, we appreciate and stand in awe of the wonders our world holds. The following 6 must-see tours are suggestions for women just like us. If you have an adventure travel experience you?d like to share, please comment below.
Failte, Ireland ? the Most Beautiful Place on Earth!
National Geographic Photographers dubbed Southern Ireland?s Dingle Peninsula The Most Beautiful Place on Earth thanks to breathtaking views and pristine archeological sites. This unique area of Ireland has supported life for over 6,000 years, and the landscape is dotted with over 2,000 castles, strongholds and archaeological monuments.
Begin your morning with a horseback ride along pristine beaches, four wheeling through the hills or hiking ancient walking trails that lead you through greenest hills you?ve ever seen. Take a mid-morning tour of haunted sites with a special interest tour leader who will fill you in on local legends and lore while giving you a truly unique tour. Try your hand at archery or skeet shooting on castle grounds before ending your tour mid-afternoon.
Take a surfing or try kayaking lesson in the afternoon, charter a vessel for deep sea fishing fun or try dropping a line into one of the many rivers along the coast. Complete your day with Ireland?s finest cuisine accompanied by Irish brewed stouts or ales at a local pub, where you?re sure to have an unbelievable evening full of laughter, storytelling and music.
Anchorage (Alaska),?U.S.A.?- Flightseeing Tours
Alaska is the final frontier, and there is no better place to experience such a ruggedly beautiful terrain while still being within reach of the conveniences of the city. Anchorage is snuggled into the Chugach Mountain Range and receives 600 inches of snow every winter. One of the best ways to view majestic Chugach State Park without undertaking a mountain climbing adventure is to hop aboard a flightseeing tour.
During your tour of the Alaskan skies, you will travel over the Knik Glacier rim where you will view amazing hanging glaciers. Zip over the Colony Glacier at Lake George to view where it spills into the winding Knik Glacier Gorge. See moose, Dall sheep, and more while you fly over pristine lakes and surrounded by breath-taking snowcapped mountains before heading back to your hotel or private cabin.
South Africa ? Elephant Back Safaris
Follow the footsteps of the Ancients to a land of magnificent beauty and exotic wildlife.
Jeep safaris rarely stray from the road, but an elephant back safari takes you off the beaten track. Your tour begins in the saddle of Africa?s most beloved transportation: the elephant. Because their scent masks yours, other creatures feel safe. You?ll remain safe and protected while viewing Africa through the elephant?s eyes ? complete with lions, tigers, hippos, rhinos and more.
Be inspired when you meet preserve guardsmen with passion, sacrifice and dedication to animal welfare. Guards are community heroes: military tough, attuned to the environment, and uniquely qualified by skills learned only by native tribesmen as a rite of passage.
Return to civilization, where you are welcome to tour local markets brimming with handmade textiles, jewelry, art, instruments and traditional dress while you watch the natives sporadically break out in song and dance. This trip is hard to top!
Seattle (WA), U.S.A.?- Blake Island Boat Tour
The appreciation of stunning outdoor beauty combined with a peek into the world of ancient civilizations equates to an adventure tour you don?t want to miss. Seattle?s Puget Sound is home to Blake Island, a private island accessible only by private charter or boat. Hop on your cruise boat from downtown Seattle?s Pier 55, where you will cruise to Tillicum Village.
Tourists learn about the ways of ancient inhabitants while being greeted with a traditional meal of steamed clams in nectar and salmon prepared in Native style. Take in a show of the Coast Salish tribe?s storytelling and symbolism before wrapping up with a quick tour of the islands. Explore the island?s walking and hiking trails and 5 miles of pristine beaches before wrapping up your tour at the gift shop.
Cambodia ? Jungle Safari and Boat Tour
Many of Cambodia?s most precious sites were abandoned for unknown reasons. In time, they were forgotten, eventually lost to the jungle, where they lay untouched, slowly disintegrating. Political unrest discouraged archaeological work. Today, the political climate is comfortable, rediscovery efforts are supported, and there is much to see. While you?re sure to visit Cambodia?s temples and sites, there are adventures to be had in the jungle and sea!
Your adventure begins with breakfast aboard a converted Khmer tour boat. While traveling to Koh Ta Kiev, you?ll enjoy views of lush jungles and white sand beaches complemented by brilliantly blue water. Snorkel stunningly colorful coral reef and try your hand at fishing for squid and reef fish. You will dock on a secluded island before lunching on traditionally cooked fresh seafood at a Khmer floating fishing village. Be sure to explore the local markets for one-of-a-kind souvenirs.
Cruise north to a private cove, drop anchor and take a 30 minute guided jungle trek, where you will likely see jungle cats, exotic birds, monkeys, snakes and other native wildlife. Take a quick dip before leaving campers around 4pm, or speak with your tour guide about renting tent space for an overnight stay in the jungle. Your tour comes to a close with your boat ride back to the mainland whistle you enjoy a sunset drink.
Austin (TX), U.S.A. ? Lake Travis Zip Line Adventures
Austin is a great place to vacation when cold weather keeps beating you back indoors. Temperatures are warm year round, and the city offers constant musical entertainment, numerous fishing lakes, natural hot springs and more to enjoy at your leisure.
While leisure is great, if you?re looking for something a little more heart-poundingly adventurous, you?ve got to try the safe but thrilling 2 ? hour zip line tour of the famous canyons and inlets gracing Lake Travis. Fly down 5 different zip lines ranging in length from 250 feet to over 2800 feet. You?ll never experience views like these any other way! Professional tour guides teach you about the local area while assisting you through challenging hikes and nature walks.
Have you ever participated in an adventurous tour? Did it change your life? What was your experience and what tips would you give to your fellow travelers? Please add your comments below?
Source: http://sixtyandme.com/6-amazing-adventure-tours-for-women-like-us/
ricky martin chauncey billups caucus results exton ricky williams kurt warner kurt warner
Gut-Microbe Swap Helps with Weight Loss
A bacterial transplant in mice has been shown to provide some of the benefits of gastric bypass surgery without putting the animals under the knife
Obese people considering gastric bypass surgery to help trim their fat might one day have another option: swallowing a new supply of gut bacteria. A study in mice suggests that weight loss after bypass surgery is caused not by the operation itself, but at least in part by a change in the amounts of various species of microbes in the gut.
A bypass operation separates off a small part of the stomach and connects that directly to the intestines. Recipients tend to feel less hungry, fill up more quickly and burn more calories at rest, and they often lose up to 75% of their excess fat. Counter-intuitively, this is thought to be caused by a change in metabolism, rather than by the reduced size of the stomach.
Gut microbes are thought to be part of this picture. People who have had bypasses are known to experience changes in the selection of microbes in their guts. Fat people have been shown to host a different selection of gut bacteria from people who are obese, and transferring the gut bacteria of fat mice into thin ones can cause the thin mice to pack on extra weight. But no one knew whether the microbes in bypass patients changed because they got thin, or if the patients got thin because the microbes changed.
Chop and change
To investigate, Lee Kaplan, director of the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, and his colleagues gave about a dozen obese mice bypass surgery. As expected, the mice lost about 29% of their body weight, and kept it off despite a high-fat diet. New conditions in their bodies ? such as a change in bile acids ? allowed a different set of gut bacteria to thrive.
The researchers then took faecal samples from the mice that had been operated on, and put bacteria from them into the guts of mice specially bred without any gut flora. These mice, which were not obese, lost 5% of their weight without any changes to their diet. The results are reported in Science Translational Medicine.
The effect is impressively large, says Randy Seeley, an obesity researcher at the University of Cincinnati in Ohio, particularly given that sterile mice almost always gain weight when given any kind of gut flora. The fact that the mice getting the second-hand bacteria did not lose as much weight as those that had surgery suggests that other factors are also at work; these could include hormonal changes.
The results are promising for obesity treatments, but there are still hurdles to overcome. ?You can?t just take a pill of the right bacteria and have them stick around,? says Seeley. If the gut?s environmental conditions don?t change, then the original microbes come back, he says. Kaplan says that the next steps are to isolate the four bacteria types that the study found to be at play and introduce them into obese mice or people. Antibiotic treatments might help the new bacteria to stick. ?I believe it?s possible,? says Kaplan.
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on March 27, 2013.
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=ed05a01d15fcac8d32c819070c054427
casey anthony dennis rodman history channel mila kunis hugo chavez rand paul Iron Man 3
New way to lose weight? Changing microbes in guts of mice resulted in rapid weight loss
Mar. 27, 2013 ? Scientists at Harvard may have new hope for anyone who's tried to fight the battle of the bulge.
New research, conducted in collaboration with researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital, has found that the gut microbes of mice undergo drastic changes following gastric bypass surgery. Transfer of these microbes into sterile mice resulted in rapid weight loss. The study is described in a March 27 paper in Science Translational Medicine.
"Simply by colonizing mice with the altered microbial community, the mice were able to maintain a lower body fat, and lose weight -- about 20% as much as they would if they underwent surgery," said Peter Turnbaugh, a Bauer Fellow at Harvard's Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Center for Systems Biology, and one of two senior authors of the paper.
But as striking as those results were, they weren't as dramatic as they might have been.
"In some ways we were biasing the results against weight loss," Turnbaugh said, explaining that the mice used in the study hadn't been given a high-fat, high-sugar diet to increase their weight beforehand. "The question is whether we might have seen a stronger effect if they were on a different diet."
"Our study suggests that the specific effects of gastric bypass on the microbiota contribute to its ability to cause weight loss and that finding ways to manipulate microbial populations to mimic those effects could become a valuable new tool to address obesity," said Lee Kaplan, director of the Obesity, Metabolism and Nutrition Institute at MGH and the other senior author of the paper.
"We need to learn a good deal more about the mechanisms by which a microbial population changed by gastric bypass exert its effects, and then we need to learn if we can produce these effects -- either the microbial changes or the associated metabolic changes -- without surgery," Kaplan, an associate professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, added. "The ability to achieve even some of these effects without surgery would give us an entirely new way to treat the critical problem of obesity, one that could help patients unable or unwilling to have surgery."
While the results were exciting, Turnbaugh warned that it may be years before they could be replicated in humans, and that such microbial changes shouldn't be viewed as a way to lose those stubborn last 10 pounds without going to the gym. Rather, the technique may one day offer hope to dangerously obese people who want to lose weight without going through the trauma of surgery.
"It may not be that we will have a magic pill that will work for everyone who's slightly overweight," he said. "But if we can, at a minimum, provide some alternative to gastric bypass surgery that produces similar effects, it would be a major advance."
While there had been hints that the microbes in the gut might change after bypass surgery, the speed and extent of the change came as a surprise to the research team.
In earlier experiments, researchers had shown that the guts of both lean and obese mice are populated by varying amounts of two types of bacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidetes. When mice undergo gastric bypass surgery, however, it "resets the whole picture," Turnbaugh said.
"The post-bypass community was dominated by Proteobacteria and Proteobacteria, and had relatively low levels of Firmicutes," he said. What's more, Turnbaugh said, those changes occurred within a week of the surgery, and weren't short-lived -- the altered gut microbial community remained stable for months afterward.
While the results may hold out the hope for weight loss without surgery, both Turnbaugh and Kaplan warned that future studies are needed to understand exactly what is behind the weight loss seen in mice.
"A major gap in our knowledge is the underlying mechanism linking microbes to weight loss," Turnbaugh said. "There were certain microbes that we found at higher abundance after surgery, so we think those are good targets for beginning to understand what's taking place."
In fact, Turnbaugh said, the answer may not be the specific types of microbes, but a by-product they excrete.
In addition to changes in the microbes found in the gut, researchers found changes in the concentration of certain short-chain fatty acids. Other studies, Turnbaugh said, have suggested that those molecules may be critical in signaling to the host to speed up metabolism, or not to store excess calories as fat.
Going forward, Turnbaugh and Kaplan hope to continue to explore those questions.
"We think such studies will allow us to understand how host/microbial interactions in general can influence the outcome of a given diet," Kaplan said. "To some degree, what we're learning is a comfort for people who have an issue with their weight, because more and more we're learning that the story is more complicated than just how much you exercise and how much you eat."
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Harvard University. The original article was written by Peter Reuell.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- A. P. Liou, M. Paziuk, J.-M. Luevano, S. Machineni, P. J. Turnbaugh, L. M. Kaplan. Conserved Shifts in the Gut Microbiota Due to Gastric Bypass Reduce Host Weight and Adiposity. Science Translational Medicine, 2013; 5 (178): 178ra41 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3005687
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/55s2_HYwLsA/130327144124.htm
alex smith alex smith The Bible History Channel Melissa King Jodi Arias Heat Harlem Shake mediterranean diet
Energy policies 'reduce bill rises'
27 March 2013
Last updated at 04:22 ET
Energy policies will cushion consumers from price rises, but only after contributing to a rise in average household bills, a report has said.
By 2020, bills will be 11% - or ?166 - lower than they would otherwise have been, according to the Department of Energy and Climate Change's report.
It looked at policies such as a drive to boost home insulation and promote energy efficient boiler installation.
Labour accused the government of masking the effect of its policies.
Downward trendSavings generated from policies on energy efficiency and climate change are already having an impact and will increase over the next decade, the report said.
Household dual fuel bills are estimated to be on average 5% - or ?64 - lower now than they would be without these policies, it said.
Nearly half of the average household dual fuel energy bill, or about 47%, is made up of fossil fuel prices, or ?598, with the second largest cost attributed to network costs or transport and distribution of energy, at 20%, or ?257.
Government policies on energy and climate change account for 9%, or ?112 of this bill - with ?30 of this spent on renewable energy policies, including ?9 on on-shore and ?9 on off-shore wind.
Continue reading the main story?Start Quote
End Quote Ed Davey Energy and Climate Change SecretaryWe are doing all we can to offset these global energy price rises?
More than half of the energy and climate change policy costs in household bills are spent on measures to target the fuel poor and energy efficiency.
The report showed that 85% of the rise in household bills between 2010 and 2012 was from wholesale energy costs and network costs and 15% as a result of government policies.
Household energy consumption has been on a downward trend since 2005, partly as a result of energy efficiency measures already in place, according to the report.
By 2020 around 12 million boilers will have been replaced with more energy efficient models, it said.
Energy and Climate Change Secretary Ed Davey said: "Global gas price hikes are squeezing households. They are beyond any government's control and, by all serious predictions, are likely to continue rising.
"We are doing all we can to offset these global energy price rises, and while we have more to do, this new study shows our policies are putting a cushion between global prices and the bills we all pay."
Caroline Flint, shadow energy and climate change secretary, said: "The government's underhand attempt to mask the real impact of its policies on families' energy bills is shameful... Instead of cooking the books to trick people into thinking their energy bills will be lower, ministers should get behind Labour's plans to overhaul the energy market and deliver fair prices for the public."
'Less positive'The report also found that businesses that are medium-sized users of energy currently face energy costs that are on average 21% higher as a result of energy and climate change policies, with this figure rising to 22% by 2020.
Large energy-intensive users currently face energy costs that are on average between one and 14% higher as a result of policies, with this rising to between six and 36% by 2020.
The estimates did not include measures the government was currently considering to reduce the impact of low carbon policies on the costs of electricity for energy intensive industries, including a ?250m package of compensation for industry to 2014/2015.
Mr Davey said: "The picture for business is less positive, which is why our new proposals to exempt and compensate the most energy intensive industries from certain policy impacts is crucial. Nothing would be gained from forcing industry, jobs and emissions abroad."
Steve Radley, policy director at EEF, the manufacturers' organisation, said: "Measures to shield the most energy-intensive industries from a portion of the costs will make a difference but, unless we get a grip on spiralling policy costs, steeply rising electricity prices for the rest of the sector risk making the UK an increasingly unattractive location for industrial investment and undermining efforts to rebalance the economy.
"The first step is scrapping costly policies with questionable environmental impact, such as the carbon price floor and the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme, as soon as public finances allow."
Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-21949758#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa
Ron Palillo Chad Johnson Twitter Helen Gurley Brown Kathi Goertzen Johnny Pesky spice girls justin theroux
Wednesday, March 27, 2013
Google Doesn't Want People Using ?Google? As A Verb
Google isn?t quite pleased that their company name is becoming something of a generic term:
You hear it in movies, TV shows, among your friends and you probably say it yourself: ?I Googled her before I called her.? ?I know because I Googled it.? ?What?s the temperature in Fargo? Google it!?
But Google wants you ? and the world ? to stop using Google as a verb for looking up?anything?on the Internet ? unless you actually used?Google?s?search engine to do so.
Google?s laser focus on how its name is used even extends to Sweden, where the country?s Language Council recently wanted to add the word ?ungoogleable? to a list of new words as meaning something that can?t be found on the Web using a search engine. Note:?a?search engine ? not necessarily Google?s.
Google objected, according to the?Associated Press, ?asking for changes showing the expression specifically refers to Google searches and a disclaimer saying Google is a registered trademark, the council said Tuesday.? The group also expressed its ?displeasure with Google?s attempts to control the language.?
Google told NBC News Tuesday it did not ask the council to remove the word, but only wanted some editing of the definition.
With Google as?the?leading search engine, there?s little doubt these we mean Google when we say we Googled something. As comedian?Ellen DeGeneres?said on her show, talking about technology?s impact on our lives, ?If you need to know something immediately, you can Google it now ?. Ten years ago, if you said you were going to ?Google? someone, you got written up by Human Resources.?
So, what?s so bad about using ?Google? as a verb for saying you looked up information on the Internet?
Ironically, because of Google?s ?significant brand recognition,? the company ?has started down the path of becoming synonymous with search engine services and, accordingly, towards the genericization of a trademark,? wrote attorney Matthew Swyers, founder of a law firm specializing in trademark rights, in an article for?Inc. last year.
And becoming generic is bad because it threatens a company?s legal right to a trademark.
?Aspirin was originally a trademark of Bayer AG,? Swyers wrote. ?Escalator was originally a trademark of the Otis Elevator Company. Even the word Zipper, at one time, was a trademark owned by B.F. Goodrich. Now, because of their respective fame and genericization, they merely refer to classes of products we see every day and do not identify the source of those goods.?
So, there?s a perfectly good business reason for what Google is trying to do here. They?ve got a valuable trademark and they don?t want to see it?s value diminished by being turned into a generic term that refers to looking things up on a search engine, any search engine. The problem Google faces is that languages develop and adapt naturally. Google became a verb, I?d suggest, largely because of the uniqueness of the word and because of the?ubiquitousness?of Google. By far, it is the search engine that most people turn to when they need to look something up. That may not always been the case, though, while I?m certain that Google wouldn?t want someone to say they ?Googled? something only to realize they looked it up on Bing, they may not be able to control how the language develops. Just ask Bayer and Otis. Or, you know, they could Google it.
Source: http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/google-doesnt-want-people-using-google-as-a-verb/
mariano rivera jobs report tiger woods masters 2012 nikki haley stan van gundy navy jet crash virginia beach crash
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
SD Sen. Johnson retires citing health, age
S.D. Senator Tim Johnson announces Tuesday, March 26, 2013 his retirement from the U.S. Senate after his term ends in early 2015 at the Al Neuharth Media Center in Vermillion, S.D. (AP Photo/Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn)
S.D. Senator Tim Johnson announces Tuesday, March 26, 2013 his retirement from the U.S. Senate after his term ends in early 2015 at the Al Neuharth Media Center in Vermillion, S.D. (AP Photo/Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn)
S.D. Senator Tim Johnson is greeted by well wishers after announcing Tuesday, March 26, 2013 his retirement from the U.S. Senate after his term ends in early 2015 at the Al Neuharth Media Center in Vermillion, S.D. (AP Photo/Argus Leader, Jay Pickthorn)
FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2009 file photo, Sen. Tim Johnson, D-S.D., is seen on Capitol Hill in Washington. Democratic officials say Johnson intends to announce his retirement on Tuesday, March 26, 2013, a decision that gives Republicans a prime opportunity to pick up a seat in 2014. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari, File)
VERMILLION, S.D. (AP) ? Entering the auditorium on a motorized scooter and delivering remarks in halting speech, South Dakota Sen. Tim Johnson announced Tuesday that he would retire next year at the end of his term and acknowledged he remains limited by a 2006 health crisis that nearly killed him.
Smiling and joking at times as he made the announcement at a press conference in his hometown of Vermillion, the 66-year-old said the effects of his life-threatening brain hemorrhage had made speech and mobility increasingly difficult.
"I feel great, but I must be honest ... I appreciate my right arm and right leg aren't what they used to be, and my speech is not entirely there," Johnson said, his delivery slurred at-times.
Johnson, who until recently relied on a cane to get around, has become dependent on the motorized scooter he used to enter the auditorium at the University of South Dakota where he made his remarks. He also said he hoped to spend more time with his five grandchildren and that "I think mostly it's time to go."
Johnson's departure helps solidify GOP prospects of claiming the state's first open Senate seat since 1978. Republican former Gov. Mike Rounds had announced plans last year to challenge Johnson, the chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, and has rallied much of the state and national party establishment behind him.
On the Democratic side, long-rumored possible successors including Johnson's son, South Dakota's U.S. Attorney Brendan Johnson, and former U.S. Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin.
"I've talked to Brendan now and then, but I'm not leaning on him to run or not run," Johnson told The Associated Press after the event. "I gather he is undecided."
Brendan Johnson declined to comment on his political plans Tuesday. He has avoided public statements about the race, but has had conversations with party activists in the state, and advisers and potential donors outside South Dakota.
Herseth Sandlin, 42, is general counsel for Raven Industries, Corp., a position she began last year after returning to South Dakota from Washington, D.C. She had worked as a lawyer in Washington after losing re-election to a fourth U.S. House term in 2010.
"While I appreciate the encouragement I've received I haven't focused on the future political opportunities," she told The AP.
Although both prospects have political networks to tap, both also face potential liabilities.
The younger Johnson, 37, has never held political office and would face questions about his father's involvement in the confirmation process to his federal post. Herseth Sandlin has taken some positions at odds with some South Dakota Democratic activists, including opposing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which could hurt in a potential Democratic primary.
Republicans too could face ideological tension.
A Washington, D.C.,-based political action committee released a statement Tuesday criticizing Rounds' spending during two terms as governor, and calling for a more conservative candidate to run for Johnson's seat.
U.S. Rep. Kristi Noem, elected in 2010, has been courted to challenge Rounds by South Dakota conservatives. While Noem has shown little movement toward investigating a 2014 Senate campaign, aides said Tuesday: "She hasn't ruled anything in or out."
Nationally, Republicans said by stepping aside, the politically resilient Johnson, who also retains a $1.2 million campaign war chest, gives the GOP its best chance to gain a seat in its quest for the majority.
"I believe South Dakota moves into the top slot as the most likely Republican pickup," said Greg Strimple, a Republican pollster and past consultant to the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
Johnson, chairman of the Senate Banking Committee, joins Democratic Sens. Carl Levin of Michigan, Tom Harkin of Iowa, Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia, and Frank Lautenberg of New Jersey as seasoned and influential Democrats departing the chamber, where Republicans need to gain six seats to take control. Two Republican senators have announced their retirements, both in Republican-performing states Georgia and Nebraska.
South Dakota was carried by Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney last year, adding urgency for Democrats hoping to keep their majority. Republicans must gain six seats to retake the chamber in 2014.
With his wife Barbara at his side, Sen. Johnson remained standing, leaning on his stronger left hand at the podium, taking questions from reporters then posing for pictures and shaking hands with supporters -- reaching out with his left -- for an hour.
"I look forward to serving the remaining two years as the country is facing difficult times on many fronts and I will work every day to find a bipartisan solution to these challenges," he said.
Associated Pressweather new orleans orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary
Bill Bryson: 'Science is fundamentally amazing' ? video
For youtube videos, paste embed code directly in the text box
-Members do not need to provide an address
-
 |
 |
Rate Article
Total votes: 0 Select Comment Validation MethodMember
Name/URL (Guest)
FaceBook (Guest) Member Commenting:
Authenticate with Facebook before submitting
OR
Make your LabSpaces comments count. Start earning LabSpaces points by becoming a member! Learn more. Please verify that you are human: Register for LabSpaces Make your LabSpaces comments count. Start earning LabSpaces points by becoming a member! Learn more. 
Please authenticate before trying to post a comment.
If you would like to remain anonymous, please enter a new name and link below
 |
 |
Friends
Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127437/Bill_Bryson___Science_is_fundamentally_amazing______video
Green Coffee Bean Extract september 11 9/11 Memorial 911 masterchef Dictionary.com Chicago teachers strike
Gov't spent nearly $3.7M on ex-presidents in 2012
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Being the leader of the free world is an expensive proposition. But the costs don't stop once you leave the White House.
The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service says the federal government spent nearly $3.7 million on former presidents last year. That covers a $200,000 pension, compensation and benefits for office staff, and other costs like travel, office space and postage.
The costliest former president? George W. Bush, who clocked in at just over $1.3 million. That includes almost $400,000 for 8,000 square feet of office space and $85,000 in telephone costs.
President Bill Clinton came in second at just under $1 million, followed by George H.W. Bush at nearly $850,000. Costs for Jimmy Carter, the only other living former president, came in at about $500,000.
Associated PressSamantha Steele Dec 21 2012 doomsday Is The World Going To End Mayans camilla belle Robert Bork
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)