40 Bird Soap - baby shower favors, wedding favors, party favors by BubbleCitySoap

Feathers Feathers Everywhere
Even some upon my hair
In my face and up my nose
Give them grace
Your smile shows

This listing is for 40 birds.

Soap will come in a gift bag with a bow ? all ready to give.

Please choose SCENT and COLOR upon checkout.

*Need different quantity? Convo me and I will make a custom listing for you

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*Fragrance list

- Absinthe
- All berry delight
- Amber Romance Type (w)
- Angel's trumpet
- Apple Martini
- Apricot freezia
- Aphrodesia
- Almond
- Apple Butt Naked Type

- Banana
- Banana raspberry
- Basil
- Baby Powder
- Black currant nectarine
- Black love
- Black raspberry
- Blue bonnet
- Blue Jeans Type
- Bubble Gum

- Chocolate Covered Candy Cane
- Chipotle Cracked Pegans
- Cherry Lemonaid
- Chocolate Cherries
- Citrus and Teakwood
- Cosmopolitan Martini
- Coconut
- Cappuchino
- Chance Type
- Coolwater Type(m)
- Cucumber

- Easter lily
- English ivy
- English rose
- Fall harvest
- French Vanilla Ginger
- Frozen Green Tea Souffles
- Frosted Sugar Cookies
- Fig and Sweet Almond
- Forbidden island

- Gardenia
- Georgia peach
- Ginseng
- Grandma's kitchen
- Grapefruit

- Hawaiian breeze
- Heavenly
- heliotrope
- Honey Almond
- Herbal Essences
- hydrangea

- In The Mood
- Iced Pineapple

- Japanese Cherry Blosson

- Key Lime Pie

- Lilac
- Lavender

- Magnolia
- Maple Pecan
- Mandarin Cocoa
- Musk
- Merlot
- Mint

- Oatmeal Milk & Honey
- Ocean

- Pumpkin Raisin Royale
- Pilgrim's Pie
- Peach Fuzz
- Pink Grapefruit

- 7UP Pound Cake
- Sauna
- Serenity
- Satsuma
- Strawberry
- Sweet Pea

- Tahitian Vanilla
- Ultimate Vanilla

- Vanilla bean noel
- Vanilla Insanity
- Vanilla Musk
- Vanilla Hazelnut
- Vanilla Peach
- Vanilla of Pearl

- Waikiki isle
- Winter Fireplace
- Wedding Day
- Wild Berry
- White Musk Type(w)
- White Tea Ginger
- Winter Candy Apple Type

- Yuzu

ingredients: Glycerine, Palm Oil, Coconut Oil, Lauric Acid(acid in coconut oil) ,Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide(saponifying agent), Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(creates lather), Sorbitol(moisturizer),Triethanolamine(emulsifier and surfactant), Sodium Chloride(saponification), EDTA(cleanser), Titanium Dioxide(natural whitener)

Great for
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Have any questions? Contact the shop owner.

Source: http://www.etsy.com/listing/81487019/40-bird-soap-baby-shower-favors-wedding

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Fundamental similarities between rogue and warrior classes?

1) What are the fundamental similarities among rogues/warriors/rangers?

2) Are there actually any real similarities among rogues/warriors/rangers? Is non-magic and physical adeptness/traits/attributes the closest things? I wouldn't say physical damage since rogues could be pure thieves that don't go into combat at all.

3) Are there any rogue/warrior/ranger subclasses that don't necessarily have to be physically trained? If we extend this to other genres, would hackers count as a rogue subclass?

4) Would physics also be a common factor? I mean rogues/warriors/rangers generally obey the laws of physics while magic doesn't right? What would be the mage equivalent in a scifi genre?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/_dcNJ5T9gsU/viewtopic.php

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Afghan violence falls in 2012, insider attacks up

Internally displaced Afghans wait in line to receive firewood donated by Welt Hunger Hilfe 'German Agro Action' in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 240 internally displaced families received firewood. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Internally displaced Afghans wait in line to receive firewood donated by Welt Hunger Hilfe 'German Agro Action' in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 240 internally displaced families received firewood. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Afghan women wait for transportation after receiving flour donated by the women's affairs department, in the Gozara district, Herat province, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. The women's affairs department of Herat province donated a sack of flour to around 250 families in the Gozara district. (AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Graphic shows monthly U.S. troop deaths in Afghanistan since October

Internally displaced Afghans from Helmand province, carry sacks of blankets to be donated by the United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 600 internally displaced families received winter relief assistance distributed by the United Nation's refugee agency. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

Internally displaced Afghan children from Helmand province, wait for winter relief assistance from the United Nation's refugee agency (UNHCR) at a refugee camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Around 600 internally displaced families received winter relief assistance distributed by the United Nation's refugee agency. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? Violence in Afghanistan fell in 2012, but more Afghan troops and police who now shoulder most of the combat were killed, according to statistics compiled by The Associated Press.

At the same time, insider killings by uniformed Afghans against their foreign allies rose dramatically, eroding confidence between the sides at a crucial turning point in the war and when NATO troops and Afghan counterparts are in more intimate contact.

"The overall situation is improving," said a NATO spokesman, U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Lester T. Carroll. He singled out Afghan special forces as "surgically removing insurgent leaders from the battle space."

Gen. Mohammad Zahir Azimi, spokesman for the Afghan Ministry of Defense, said Afghan forces were now charged with 80 percent of security missions and were less equipped to face the most lethal weapon of the militants ? roadside bombs.

"Our forces are out there in the battlefields and combat areas more than at any other time in the past," he said, citing reasons for the spike in casualties.

U.S. troop deaths, overall NATO fatalities and Afghan civilian deaths all dropped as insurgent attacks fell off in their traditional strongholds in the south and east. However, insurgent activity rose in the north and west, where the Taliban and other groups have been less active in the past, and overall levels of violence were higher than before a U.S. troop surge more than two years ago.

U.S. troop deaths declined overall from 404 last year to 295 as of Saturday. The Defense Department says 1,701 U.S. troops have been killed in action in Afghanistan since the U.S. invasion in 2001 until Dec. 26. Of those, 338 died from non-hostile causes. Some 18,154 were wounded.

A total of 394 foreign troops, including the Americans, were killed in 2012, down from 543 in 2011. The British, with the second-largest military presence, had 43 killed ? the second-highest toll among countries with forces in Afghanistan, by AP's count. The figure includes a Georgian soldier who went missing on Dec. 18 and whose body was turned over to NATO on Saturday.

The AP keeps daily tallies of casualties and violent incidents across Afghanistan based on reports from NATO and Afghan officials. Most cannot be independently verified, and other incidents may never come to light. The statistics sometimes vary from official counts because of time lags, different criteria and other reasons.

Deaths from so-called insider attacks ? Afghan police and troops killing foreign allies ? surged to 61 in 45 attacks last year compared with 2011, when 35 coalition troops were killed in 21 attacks.

The number, provided by the NATO command, does not include the Dec. 24 killing of an American civilian adviser by a female member of the Afghan police because the investigation is ongoing.

The focus of NATO's mission has largely veered from the battlefield to training the Afghans ahead of a pullout of most troops by 2014. The U.S plans to maintain a residual force, the size of which is now being determined.

A NATO report that tracks violence in the country showed a rise this year compared with the period before the surge of U.S. troops into the country. But the levels were down from last year and a peak in the summer of 2010. Kabul and the country's second-largest city, Kandahar, saw a considerable drop in lethal attacks, but districts in Kandahar province remain among the most restive in Afghanistan.

Militant attacks, the report said, decreased countrywide by 7 percent through November compared with the same 11-month period last year. But they were up in the northern and western parts of the country, which previously had been among the most peaceful regions.

Although NATO officials frequently credit Afghan troops with successful unilateral operations, a recent U.S. congressional report noted that higher-level Afghan units still need vital air, logistics and other support from foreign forces.

More Afghan police and soldiers are dying in the conflict, according to numbers provided by the interior and defense ministries.

More than 1,050 Afghan troops died this year, substantially higher than last year, although the ministry could not provide the exact 2011 death toll.

Nearly 1,400 police died in the 10 months from March 21 to the end of the year, compared with about the same number for the 12 months beginning March 21, 2011. The Afghan government follows a calendar year starting March 21.

NATO says Afghan security forces have grown from 132,000 in March 2011 to 333,000 this month.

The AP tally showed that at least 822 Afghan civilians had been killed by the Taliban and other militants this year while another 119 died in NATO airstrikes and other operations. That was a decrease from last year, when 1,151 were killed by insurgents and 283 by NATO. Substantially smaller numbers perish when caught in crossfires.

The United Nations reported different casualty figures but also noted that civilian deaths had decreased, reversing a five-year trend of mounting civilian deaths. Its latest report says that during the first six months of the year, 1,145 civilians died in conflict-related violence, compared with 1,510 in the same period of 2011. The U.N. considers insurgent land mines and roadside bombs to be particularly deadly for civilians.

Close to 3,000 militants were reported to have been killed by coalition and Afghan forces this year, compared with more than 3,500 last year. The NATO command does not issue reports on the number of insurgents its troops have killed, and Afghan military figures, from which the AP compiles its data, cannot be independently verified.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-30-AS-Afghanistan-Year-of-Violence/id-14d6caab9e394635b54587e0ed40aca8

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Soccer-Tunisia win first Nations Cup warm-up game

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The FBI is still searching for one of two convicted bank robbers who escaped last week from a high-rise jail in downtown Chicago by lowering themselves on a makeshift rope nearly 20 stories to the street. Kenneth Conley, 38, and his cellmate, Joseph Jose Banks, 37, escaped from the Metropolitan Correctional Center early on the morning of December 18. The pair apparently broke a window in the cell they shared, squeezed through the opening and lowered themselves to the street. They then hailed a cab to make their getaway. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/soccer-tunisia-win-first-nations-cup-warm-game-165938268--sow.html

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New Toshiba camera sensor lets you refocus after the shot, plans 2013 launch in smartphones and tablets

Hoping for some after-the-fact focusing in your next smartphone camera? Well, you'll have to wait around a year, but Toshiba's planning exactly that with a new module that houses an array of 500,000 tiny lenses. Within a 1cm-thick unit, these lenses are layered in front of the camera sensor, which can capture slightly different images from each lens arrangement. Those picture can then be combined in a "complete" picture using Toshiba's own software. Apparently, the camera will also be able to measure the distance between objects in the shot -- similar to how 3D images are captured -- with the user then able to shift focus between close and distant detail, or even create images that are in-focus throughout. Toshiba says the module will also be able to capture video with a similar degree of focus management -- something that Lytro hasn't got around to just yet. The sensor is still a work in progress, but the manufacturer plans to commercialize the module before the end of 2013. Toshiba is looking to ally itself with multiple smartphone (and tablet) makers -- and here's hoping that it finds its way into a device outside of Japan.

[Thanks Franck]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

Comments

Source: Asahi Shinbun (Japanese), (English)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/27/toshiba-camera-sensor-refocus-photos-2013-launch/

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Cliff looms: Kicking the Can, Washington-style

WASHINGTON (AP) ? When it comes to the nation's budget challenges, congressional leaders are fond of saying dismissively they don't want to kick the can down the road.

But now, a deadline hard ahead, even derided half-measures are uncertain as President Barack Obama and lawmakers struggle to avert across-the-board tax increases and spending cuts that comprise an economy-threatening fiscal cliff.

Congressional officials said Wednesday they knew of no significant strides toward a compromise over a long Christmas weekend, and no negotiations have been set.

The Senate is due in session Thursday, although the immediate agenda includes legislation setting the rules for government surveillance of suspected spies and terrorists abroad, including Americans, as well as a measure providing $60 billion for victims of Superstorm Sandy.

Obama decided to cut short his Hawaii vacation for an overnight flight expected to get him back to the White House in the pre-dawn hours of Thursday.

After weeks of negotiations, the president urged lawmakers late last week to scale back their ambitions and send him legislation preventing tax cuts on all but the highest-earning Americans and extending unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. Longer, term, he said he still supports deficit cuts that were key to the earlier talks.

"Everybody's got to give a little bit in a sensible way," he said at the White House.

The House has no plans to convene, following last week's rebellion in which conservatives torpedoed Speaker John Boehner's legislation to prevent scheduled tax increases on most, while letting them take effect on million-dollar wage earners.

"How we get there, God only knows," the Ohio Republican said of efforts to protect the economy ? and taxpayers ? from the tax increases and spending cuts.

"Now is the time to show leadership, not kick the can down the road," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said a little over a week ago after Boehner announced he would shift his own focus from bipartisan talks to the approach that eventually was torpedoed by his own rank and file.

It's a phrase that political leaders use when they want to suggest others want to avoid tackling major problems, and one that Boehner, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor of Virginia and even Obama as well as Reid have used.

"We have a spending problem. We have to address it, And we're not going to address it by kicking the can down the road," the speaker said at a news conference late last week when he was asked about setting a vote on a plan that Democrats find acceptable.

Cantor recently used the same approach in challenging Obama to agree to savings from Medicare and other benefit programs. "This has to be a part of this agreement or else we just continue to dig the hole deeper, asking folks to allow us to kick the can down the road further and that we don't want to do," he said on Nov. 28.

In fact, it's a phrase that has been in use for over a year as Obama and Republicans jockey for position on pocketbook issues.

In July, 2011, when he was struggling with Republicans over the threat of a first-ever government default, Obama said he had "heard reports that there may be some in Congress who want to do just enough to make sure that America avoids defaulting on our debt in the short term. But then wants to kick the can down the road when it comes to solving the larger problem, our deficit."

A few months later, an extension of a payroll tax cut was the issue, and Boehner was insisting on a year-long renewal rather than the temporary plan that passed the Senate with votes from lawmakers in both parties.

"How can you do tax policy for two months?" he asked on Dec. 18, 2011. "I believe that two months is just kicking the can down the road.

"The American people are tired of that."

At issue now is series of tax increases and spending cuts scheduled to kick in with the new year that economists caution could send the economy into a recession.

Obama wants to let higher rates apply to upper incomes, but when Boehner relented and tried to pass legislation setting the threshold at $1 million ? higher than Democrats want ? Republicans refused.

Less than two months ago, all sides expressed optimism about far more than dealing with the expiring tax cuts.

The plan then was also to forge a compromise that would also replace about $500 billion in spending cuts aimed at the Pentagon and a variety of domestic accounts with a series of targeted reductions.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cliff-looms-kicking-washington-style-190538562--politics.html

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David Menasche, Teacher Dying Of Brain Cancer, Embarks On ...

Kindergarten Kekec by Arhitektura Jure Kotnik -- Ljubljana, Slovenia

An extension of a typical Slovenian prefab kindergarten from the '80s, the colorful, interactive design is a response to the school's lack of play equipment. The addition's three exterior walls are made of "toy slats": natural wooden planks that the kids can play with to "get to know different colors, experience wood as a natural material and constantly change the appearance of their kindergarten, all at the same time." via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Miran Kambi? via <a href="http://housevariety.blogspot.com/2011/03/kindergarten-kekec-by-arhitektura-jure.html#.UDHC1dDl3nQ">House Variety</a>

Kindergarten Kekec by Arhitektura Jure Kotnik -- Ljubljana, Slovenia

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Miran Kambi? via <a href="http://housevariety.blogspot.com/2011/03/kindergarten-kekec-by-arhitektura-jure.html#.UDHC1dDl3nQ">House Variety</a>

Bailly School Complex by Mikou Design Studio -- Saint-Denis, France

A catalyst for the development of an up-and-coming community, the bold learning complex houses a pre-school, an elementary school, and a rec center. Circulation is through a series of interior courtyards, allowing children to get fresh air between classes and to have a pleasant -- albeit brief -- experience of the outdoors during an otherwise enclosed school day. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Florian Kleinfenn via<a href="http://www.german-architects.com/en/projects/35702_bailly_school_complex/all/featured"> german-architects </a>

Bailly School Complex by Mikou Design Studio -- Saint-Denis, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Florian Kleinfenn via<a href="http://www.german-architects.com/en/projects/35702_bailly_school_complex/all/featured"> german-architects </a>

Cr?che Rue Pierre Budin by ECDM -- Paris, France

Built around an expansive courtyard, this whimsical day-nursery sits in an eclectic Parisian neighborhood next to an intrusive 12-story building. Keeping the size of its Lilliputian inhabitants in mind, the scale of the project is intentionally small, and the design focuses on protection, both from the encroaching building next door and the city in general. The French architects described this elegant, cheerful school by stating that "the goal is to propose for this tiny program a frame of living that generates as much an emotion with the future occupants (children, parents, staff) than the local residents." A win-win situation for the kids and the community. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Luc Boegly via<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2012/06/28/creche-rue-pierre-budin-by-ecdm/"> dezeen </a>

Cr?che Rue Pierre Budin by ECDM -- Paris, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Luc Boegly via<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2012/06/28/creche-rue-pierre-budin-by-ecdm/"> dezeen </a>

Galjoen School by Rocha Tombal -- The Hague, The Netherlands

This red brick primary school is intended to wind around the site like a giant, motherly crocodile. Tapping into ideas about security and adventure, the designers explain that "with its friendly face and an attractive identity, this 'colorful animal' will improve the atmosphere of the square." Playing off of a pre-existing industrial power station, the two buildings form a protected outdoor play space complete with a garden. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Christian Richters via<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2012/06/28/creche-rue-pierre-budin-by-ecdm/"> dezeen </a>

Galjoen School by Rocha Tombal -- The Hague, The Netherlands

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Christian Richters via<a href="http://www.dezeen.com/2012/06/28/creche-rue-pierre-budin-by-ecdm/"> dezeen </a>

Timayui Kindergarten by Giancarlo Mazzanti -- Santa Marta, Colombia

The Timayui preschool is made up of flexible modules surrounding a courtyard like the petals of a flower, creating playgrounds, outdoor classrooms, gardens, and orchards. Not only does the school provide a healthy, inspiring environment for the children, but it also strives to ameliorate the surrounding impoverished community. Hoping to lead by example, the innovative, open-source project was designed to be easily replicated. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.hicarquitectura.com/2011/06/giancarlo-mazzanti-escuela-rural-en.html"> HIC* </a>

Timayui Kindergarten by Giancarlo Mazzanti -- Santa Marta, Colombia

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.hicarquitectura.com/2011/06/giancarlo-mazzanti-escuela-rural-en.html"> HIC* </a>

Leimondo Nursery School by Archivision Hirotani Studio -- Nagahama, Japan

The focal point of this Japanese nursery school is what the architects are calling a House of Light, conical light-wells "of different shapes, different colors and facing different directions, changing with the time and the seasons." The kids are invited to notice the change in light during the year and to play and chase the lights as they move across the walls of the room. Poetic and brilliant. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/the-leimondo-nursery-school/28040/"> Architizer </a>

Leimondo Nursery School by Archivision Hirotani Studio -- Nagahama, Japan

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.architizer.com/en_us/projects/view/the-leimondo-nursery-school/28040/"> Architizer </a>

The Josephine Baker Schools by Dominique Coulon & Associ?s -- La Courneuve, France

<a href="http://www.coulon-architecte.fr/">Dominique Coulon & Associ?s</a> have given a lot of thought to the needs of a child, and the difference between children and adults. According to Coulon, "it isn't just another school which has been designed as an area for adults in a micro scale serving children." The designers really wanted to emphasize the relationship between a child's small frame and the space. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Eugeni Pons via <a href="http://yatzer.com/The-Josephine-Baker-School-in-La-Courneuve"> Yatzer </a>; Olivier Nicollas via <a href="http://yatzer.com/The-Josephine-Baker-School-in-La-Courneuve"> Yatzer </a>

The Josephine Baker Schools by Dominique Coulon & Associ?s -- La Courneuve, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Eugeni Pons via <a href="http://yatzer.com/The-Josephine-Baker-School-in-La-Courneuve"> Yatzer </a>; Olivier Nicollas via <a href="http://yatzer.com/The-Josephine-Baker-School-in-La-Courneuve"> Yatzer </a>

Antas Education Centre by AVA Architects -- Porto, Portugal

The striking simplicity of this project stands out and reminds us of a quote by the great American columnist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_E._Vaughan">Billy Vaughn</a>, famous for his folksy aphorisms: "A three-year-old child is a being who gets almost as much fun out of a 56-dollar set of swings as it does out of finding a small green worm." Surely a child would find great pleasure and inspiration in this blank green canvas of a space. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Jos? Campos via <a href="http://www.arthitectural.com/ava-architects-antas-educative-center/antas-education-center-1/"> Architectural </a>

Antas Education Centre by AVA Architects -- Porto, Portugal

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Jos? Campos via <a href="http://www.arthitectural.com/ava-architects-antas-educative-center/antas-education-center-1/"> Architectural </a>

Sarreguemines Nursery by Michel Grasso and Paul Le Quernec -- Sarreguemines, France

We have to give this project points for commendable creativity. Designed as a body cell, the nursery sits at the center as the "nucleus." Cytoplasm is represented by the surrounding gardens, and the exterior wall is akin to the membrane. The pre-K kids might be too young to fully appreciate the reference, but if a little cellular biology seeps in by osmosis, then we give the architects a giant gold star. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Michel Grasso + Paul Le Quernec via <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/178954/sarreguemines-nursery-michel-grasso/"> archdaily </a>

Sarreguemines Nursery by Michel Grasso and Paul Le Quernec -- Sarreguemines, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Michel Grasso + Paul Le Quernec via <a href="http://www.archdaily.com/178954/sarreguemines-nursery-michel-grasso/"> archdaily </a>

Rafael Arozarena High School by AMP Arquitectos -- La Orotava, Spain

Way to teach the young ones about the importance of context! Integrating the pre-existing walls of the farming terraces, this bold and beautiful high school blends seamlessly with the agrarian landscape, but still maintains a decidedly modern design. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: AMP Arquitectos via <a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=11025"> World Architecture News </a>

Rafael Arozarena High School by AMP Arquitectos -- La Orotava, Spain

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: AMP Arquitectos via <a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.projectview&upload_id=11025"> World Architecture News </a>

?restad Gymnasium by 3XN Architects -- Copenhagen, Denmark

This Danish equivalent of a high school is definitely where we most wish we'd spent our formative teen years. The progressive, media-oriented design was inspired by a philosophy that favors "open study environments" instead of traditional classrooms. Sprawling on a giant beanbag in a floating circular loft space while debating the future of Square in the world of retail? Yes, please. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://archisdesign.com/superstructure-orestad-gymnasium-designed-by-3xn/superstructure-orestad-gymnasium-designed-by-3xn_1"> archisdesign </a>; Adam M?rk via <a href="http://www.dac.dk/en/service-sider/press/press-archive/2010/close-up-3xn-mind-your-behaviour/">Danish Architecture Centre</a>

?restad Gymnasium by 3XN Architects -- Copenhagen, Denmark

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://archisdesign.com/superstructure-orestad-gymnasium-designed-by-3xn/superstructure-orestad-gymnasium-designed-by-3xn_1"> archisdesign </a>; Adam M?rk via <a href="http://www.dac.dk/en/service-sider/press/press-archive/2010/close-up-3xn-mind-your-behaviour/">Danish Architecture Centre</a>

Marcel Sembat High School by archi5 with B. Huidobro -- Sotteville l?s Rouen, France

If there's a way to help the chronically disinterested and unaware youth of the world think twice about issues of sustainability, surely this is the way. Waking up every day to attend school in one of the most beautiful green-roofed structures in the world should be every child's right. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Thomas Jorion via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/154206/marcel-sembat-high-school-archi5-with-b-huidobro/"> ardaily </a>

Marcel Sembat High School by archi5 with B. Huidobro -- Sotteville l?s Rouen, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Thomas Jorion via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/154206/marcel-sembat-high-school-archi5-with-b-huidobro/"> ardaily </a>

Diamond Ranch High School by Morphosis -- Pomona, California

We can't help but wonder how many industrial designers or metalsmiths this school has inspired. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:DiamondRanchHS_-_CarolHighsmith_-_4.jpg"> Carol High Smith </a>

Central Los Angeles Area High School #9 for the Visual and Performing Arts by Coop Himmelblau -- Los Angeles, California

Located just off the Hollywood freeway, this public arts school in the heart of downtown Los Angeles is known for -- according to the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-art-school31-2009may31,0,4081776.story" target="_hplink"><em>Los Angeles Times</em></a> -- its stunning cone-shaped library, a soaring lobby opening onto Grand Avenue, a 140-foot tower rising above a 950-seat theater, and giant, circular windows. Granted, all this grandeur comes with a hefty price tag that's spawned an ongoing debate over a campus that "flaunts a district's-worth of design at one site." via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.e-architect.co.uk/los_angeles/central_los_angeles_area_high_school_9.htm"> e-architect </a>; <a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.showprojectbigimages&img=3&pro_id=10892">World Architecture News</a>

Central Los Angeles Area High School #9 for the Visual and Performing Arts by Coop Himmelblau -- Los Angeles, California

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.e-architect.co.uk/los_angeles/central_los_angeles_area_high_school_9.htm"> e-architect </a>; <a href="http://www.worldarchitecturenews.com/index.php?fuseaction=wanappln.showprojectbigimages&img=3&pro_id=10892">World Architecture News</a>

Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen -- Sra Pou, Cambodia

Perhaps not as grand as some of the other designs we've featured, this rural Cambodian school's brilliance lies in the thought and careful consideration of the non-Western culture. Designed by Finnish architecture firm <a href="http://www.rudanko-kankkunen.com/" target="_hplink">Rudanko + Kankkunen</a> and built by members of the local community from hand-dried blocks of soil, the training center teaches local, underprivileged families to earn their own living in a colorful, inspiring space unlike any in the impoverished region. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen via<a href="http://n3un.com/2011/09/19/sra-pou-vocational-school-by-architects-rudanko-and-kankkunen/"> nuun design review </a>

Sra Pou Vocational School by Rudanko + Kankkunen -- Sra Pou, Cambodia

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Architects Rudanko + Kankkunen via<a href="http://n3un.com/2011/09/19/sra-pou-vocational-school-by-architects-rudanko-and-kankkunen/"> nuun design review </a>

Chromatic Play by Juana Canet Arquitectos -- Mallorca, Spain

This green, yellow, and blue multi-purpose play space was added to an existing school. As much art as it is architecture, the outdoor room is magically "dyed by the chromatic play of the coloured glassed fa?ade." via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Jose Hevia via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/239432/chromatic-play-juana-canet-arquitectos/_mainimage_1337369572-juego-cromatico-07-1000x623/"> archdaily </a>

Chromatic Play by Juana Canet Arquitectos -- Mallorca, Spain

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Jose Hevia via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/239432/chromatic-play-juana-canet-arquitectos/_mainimage_1337369572-juego-cromatico-07-1000x623/"> archdaily </a>

School Barvaux-Condroz by LR Architects -- Barvaux-Condroz, Belgium

The antithesis of greige, this cheerful school with built-in play spaces and hiding dens is sure to motivate even the most sullen of children. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: M. van Coile via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/234893/school-barvaux-condroz-lr-architects/lrarchitectebarvaux27/"> archdaily </a>

School Barvaux-Condroz by LR Architects -- Barvaux-Condroz, Belgium

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: M. van Coile via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/234893/school-barvaux-condroz-lr-architects/lrarchitectebarvaux27/"> archdaily </a>

Maria Grazia Cutuli Primary School by 2A+P/A + IaN+ + MaO -- Herat, Afghanistan

This project was realized by the <a href="http://www.fondazionecutuli.it/home.php" target="_hplink">Maria Grazia Cutuli Foundation</a>, established to honor the life of Maria Grazia Cutuli, a prominent Italian journalist killed on assignment in Afghanistan. The vibrant school "is an alternative to those models related to the after-war reconstruction emergencies." It includes a progressive "green classroom" and made use of local technologies and construction materials. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.ianplus.it/"> IaN+ </a>

Maria Grazia Cutuli Primary School by 2A+P/A + IaN+ + MaO -- Herat, Afghanistan

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.ianplus.it/"> IaN+ </a>

Les Vinyes Primary and Secondary School by MMDM Arquitectes S.C.P. -- Barcelona, Spain

Inspiring aspiring Stanley Kubricks in Barcelona. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.eugeni-pons.com/">Eugeni Pons </a>

Les Vinyes Primary and Secondary School by MMDM Arquitectes S.C.P. -- Barcelona, Spain

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: <a href="http://www.eugeni-pons.com/">Eugeni Pons </a>

Kindergarten by Eva Samuel Architect Urbanist & Associates -- Paris, France

One big, pink-frosted building full of magical, child-sized playhouses. via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Gaston Bergeret via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/244133/kindergarten-in-paris-eva-samuel-architect-urbanist-associates/gaston-bergeret-_mg_1002_/"> archdaily </a>

Kindergarten by Eva Samuel Architect Urbanist & Associates -- Paris, France

via <a href="http://www.flavorwire.com/320057/the-most-beautiful-and-imaginative-public-schools-in-the-world?all=1">Flavorwire</a> Image credit: Gaston Bergeret via<a href="http://www.archdaily.com/244133/kindergarten-in-paris-eva-samuel-architect-urbanist-associates/gaston-bergeret-_mg_1002_/"> archdaily </a>

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/david-menasche_n_2363563.html

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All the promises we make ? activists suggest changes to military ...

Ceremony of taking the oath (RIA Novosti / Valery Titievsky)

Russia?s Public Chamber ? a board of human rights activists and advisers that works closely with the authorities ? has suggested changing the military oath of enlistment, replacing the word ?swear? with the word ?promise?.

The proposal was made so that the ritual does not contradict the religious views and ethnic particularities of a significant number of military servicemen, reports the Izvestia daily quoting the Public Chamber?s official recommendations to the Parliament, Presidential Administration and the Defense Ministry.

The recommendations apparently refer to the Gospel which forbids Christians to both break their oaths and to swear by anything.

The authors of the proposal claim that something similar existed in Tsarist Russia where Russian Orthodox Christians could use the phrases ?I promise? or ?I swear by God? in the official oaths if they wanted to.

The Defense Ministry said it is ready to change the regulations if Parliament passes the corresponding amendments to the Law on Military Service.

The current Russian oath of enlistment was adopted in 1998 as part of the Federal Law on Military Service. Its text is universal for all citizens.

Russian military bosses are currently attempting to re-introduce the institute of military priests or chaplains in the Forces. The initiative was first supported by then-President Dmitry Medvedev in July 2009 at a meeting with the leaders of Russia?s main religions. In August 2010 a special department for work with the religions was set up in the Defense Ministry and its newly appointed head estimated the share of religious servicemen in the military forces as about 63 percent, most of them Christians.

The department?s work resulted in the forces got the first military priests, appointed personally by the Defense Minister and the Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church in 2011.

Source: http://rt.com/politics/promises-make-activists-suggest-726/

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Hurting Spaniards celebrate Christmas lottery wins

MADRID (AP) ? Winners of Spain's cherished Christmas lottery ? the world's richest ? celebrated Saturday in more than a dozen locations where lucky tickets were sold, a moment of uplift for a country enduring another brutal year of economic hardship.

Initial reports said there were winners of the maximum prize of ?400,000 ($530,000) in 15 towns or cities. In Madrid, two lottery outlet workers who sold a top-prize tickets celebrated with sparkling wine as curious neighbors gathered. The fortunate winner had yet to make an appearance.

The lottery sprinkled a treasure chest of ?2.5 billion ($3.3 billion) in prize money around the country.

Unlike lotteries that generate a few big winners, Spain's version ? now celebrating its 200th anniversary ? has always shared the wealth more evenly instead of concentrating on vast jackpots, so thousands of tickets yield some kind of return.

Almost all of Spain's 46 million inhabitants traditionally watch at least some part of the live TV coverage showing school children singing out winning numbers for the lottery known as "El Gordo" ("The Fat One.)"

It is so popular that frequently three ?20 ($26) tickets are sold for every Spaniard and many consider lottery day as the unofficial kickoff of the holiday season.

Before Spain's property-led economic boom collapsed in 2008 ticket buyers often yearned to win so they could buy a small apartment by the beach or a new car. Now people said they needed money just to get by, or to avoid being evicted from their homes.

Though ticket sales were down 8.3 percent on last year, according to the National Lottery, in the days preceding the draw hundreds of people line up to buy tickets outside outlets that have sold winning tickets before.

Madrid's Dona Manolita lottery store in Madrid is renowned for being particularly lucky and queues there sometimes go round the block. Unemployed construction company office manager Miguel Angel Ruiz drove 165 kilometers (102 miles) to the shop to buy for a pool of players including his wife and relatives.

"We're buying more hoping we'll hit it so we can emerge from poverty," said Ruiz, 39. "Before the crisis, lottery winnings were to buy an apartment or a car, and now it's to pay debts."

Since so many people chip in to buy tickets in groups, top prizes frequently end up being handed out in the same small town or in one city neighborhood. Last year's top winning number hit for 1,800 tickets in the northern town of Granen, population 2,000. Townspeople shared about ?700 million ($925 million), and the rest of the ?1.8 billion ($2.4 billion) was doled out in smaller prizes around Spain.

The Dec. 22 lottery began in 1812 and last year sold an estimated ?2.7 billion ($3.6 billion) in tickets with per-capita spending of about ?70 ($92) just for the Christmas lottery.

Spain holds another big lottery Jan. 6 to mark the Feast of the Epiphany. It is known as "El Nino" (The Child), in reference to the baby Jesus.

But the crisis will hit El Nino and all lotteries going forward. Until now, lottery winnings have been free from taxation, but now prizes above ?2,000 ($2,640) will be liable to a 20 percent tax in 2013.

The government has imposed stinging austerity measures this year in a bid to prevent Spain from asking for a full-blown bailout like those granted to Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus. Spain's unemployment stands at 25 percent and its economy is sinking into a double-dip recession.

___

Associated Press correspondent Alan Clendenning in Madrid contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hurting-spaniards-celebrate-christmas-lottery-wins-101432622--finance.html

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asNatasha: Security Cameras And Audio Devices Are Recording ...

Category: Tools & Home Improvement Vendor: Our Security Signs are constructed of rust-free, heavy gauge, durable aluminum We make our Security Signs with 3M Prismatic Ref Product Description : Security Cameras And Audio Devices Are Recording - 18x18 - Reflective Rust-Free Heavy Gauge Aluminum Video Security Signs

Source: http://asnatasha.blogspot.com/2012/12/security-cameras-and-audio-devices-are.html

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Ke$ha Releases Statement, Seeks to Clarify "Die Young" Lyric Confusion

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/ke$ha-releases-statement-seeks-to-clarify-die-young-lyric-confus/

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U.S. agency makes initial ruling against Apple "pinch-to-zoom" patent

US-APPLE-SAMSUNG-PATENTS:U.S. agency makes initial ruling against Apple "pinch-to-zoom" patent

(Reuters) - The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has rejected Apple Inc's 'pinch-to-zoom' patent in a preliminary ruling that Samsung Electronics Co Ltd argues supports its request for a new trial in the patent war against its rival.

Apple scored a sweeping legal victory over its South Korean competitor in August when a U.S. jury found Samsung had copied critical features of the hugely popular iPhone and iPad and awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages.

The 'pinch-to-zoom' patent, U.S. patent no. 7,844,915, was one of the patents contested at that trial. The jury ruled that Samsung had infringed six of seven Apple patents.

When the U.S. patent office rules against a patent, the full process involves multiple steps and can take years. It can also often be appealed in court, further tying up the process.

The ruling by the U.S. patent office after Samsung requested an examination of the patent was included in documents filed by Samsung in a federal court in San Jose, California.

Apple's claims were rejected on the grounds that prior patents covered the inventions.

Representatives for Apple and Samsung were not immediately available for comment.

Samsung and Apple, the world's top two smartphone makers, are locked in patent disputes in at least 10 countries as they vie to dominate the lucrative mobile market and win over customers with their latest gadgets.

In October, a Dutch court ruled that Samsung did not infringe on Apple's patent by using certain multi-touch techniques on some of the Samsung Galaxy smartphones and tablet computers.

(Reporting by Balaji Sridharan in Bangalore; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

Related Keywords:US , APPLE , SAMSUNG , PATENTS
Related Sites: CEN - Consumer Electronics Net , ? CEN - Audio , ? CEN - PDAs , ? CEN - Notebooks , ? CEN - Phones , ? CEN - iPod , ? VideoBasedTutorials

Related Newsletters: CEN - Gadgets Newsletter , ? Tutorial Finder , ? Review Seeker

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Cen-ConsumerElectronicsNet-technologyNews/~3/0BkBtAMgjmw/viewarticle.jsp

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Meteorite triggered scientific 'Gold Rush'

Dec. 20, 2012 ? A meteorite that exploded as a fireball over California's Sierra foothills this past spring was among the fastest, rarest meteorites known to have hit Earth, and it traveled a highly eccentric orbital route to get here.

An international team of scientists presents these and other findings in a study published Dec. 21, in the journal Science. The 70-member team included nine researchers from UC Davis, along with scientists from the SETI Institute, NASA and other institutions.

The researchers found that the meteorite that fell over Northern California on April 22 was the rarest type known to have hit Earth -- a carbonaceous chondrite. It is composed of cosmic dust and presolar materials that helped form the planets of the solar system.

The scientists learned that the meteorite formed about 4.5 billion years ago. It was knocked off its parent body, which may have been an asteroid or a Jupiter-family comet, roughly 50,000 years ago. That began its journey to Sutter's Mill, the gold discovery site that sparked the California Gold Rush.

As it flew toward Earth, it traveled an eccentric course through the solar system, flying from an orbit close to Jupiter toward the sun, passing by Mercury and Venus, and then flying out to hit Earth.

The high-speed, minivan-sized meteorite entered the atmosphere at about 64,000 miles per hour. The study said it was the fastest, "most energetic" reported meteorite that's fallen since 2008, when an asteroid fell over Sudan.

"If this were a much bigger object, it could have been a disaster," said co-author and UC Davis geology professor Qing-zhu Yin. "This is a happy story in this case. "

Before entering Earth's atmosphere, the meteorite is estimated to have weighed roughly 100,000 pounds. Most of that mass burned away when the meteorite exploded. Scientists and private collectors have recovered about 2 pounds remaining.

UC Davis is 60 miles west of the El Dorado county towns of Coloma and Lotus, where pieces of the meteorite were found on residents' driveways and in local forests and parks.

When the meteorite fell, Yin, whose lab contains some of the country's most specialized equipment to measure the age and composition of meteorites, searched for and collected pieces of the fallen meteorite with students and volunteers. He also led a 35-member subgroup of international researchers to study and share information about the meteorite's mineralogy, internal textures, chemical and isotopic compositions and magnetic properties.

Meteorites like Sutter's Mill are thought to have delivered oceans of water to Earth early in its history. Using neutron-computed tomography, UC Davis researchers helped identify where hydrogen, and therefore water-rich fragments, resides in the meteorite without breaking it open.

For the first time, the Doppler weather radar network helped track the falling carbonaceous chondrite meteorite pieces, aiding scientists in the quick recovery of them, the study reports. Yin expects that the weather radar data in the public domain could greatly enhance and benefit future meteorite recoveries on land.

"For me, the fun of this scientific gold rush is really just beginning," said Yin. "This first report based on the initial findings provides a platform to propel us into more detailed research. Scientists are still finding new and exciting things in Murchison, a similar type of meteorite to Sutter's Mill, which fell in Victoria, Australia, in 1969, the same year Apollo astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin returned the first lunar samples to the Earth. We will learn a lot more with Sutter's Mill."

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

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

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Journal Reference:

1. P. Jenniskens, M. D. Fries, Q.-Z. Yin, M. Zolensky, A. N. Krot, S. A. Sandford, D. Sears, R. Beauford, D. S. Ebel, J. M. Friedrich, K. Nagashima, J. Wimpenny, A. Yamakawa, K. Nishiizumi, Y. Hamajima, M. W. Caffee, K. C. Welten, M. Laubenstein, A. M. Davis, S. B. Simon, P. R. Heck, E. D. Young, I. E. Kohl, M. H. Thiemens, M. H. Nunn, T. Mikouchi, K. Hagiya, K. Ohsumi, T. A. Cahill, J. A. Lawton, D. Barnes, A. Steele, P. Rochette, K. L. Verosub, J. Gattacceca, G. Cooper, D. P. Glavin, A. S. Burton, J. P. Dworkin, J. E. Elsila, S. Pizzarello, R. Ogliore, P. Schmitt-Kopplin, M. Harir, N. Hertkorn, A. Verchovsky, M. Grady, K. Nagao, R. Okazaki, H. Takechi, T. Hiroi, K. Smith, E. A. Silber, P. G. Brown, J. Albers, D. Klotz, M. Hankey, R. Matson, J. A. Fries, R. J. Walker, I. Puchtel, C.-T. A. Lee, M. E. Erdman, G. R. Eppich, S. Roeske, Z. Gabelica, M. Lerche, M. Nuevo, B. Girten, S. P. Worden. Radar-Enabled Recovery of the Sutter's Mill Meteorite, a Carbonaceous Chondrite Regolith Breccia. Science, 2012; 338 (6114): 1583 DOI: 10.1126/science.1227163

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/jccParUqaA0/121220144157.htm

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Towards treatment for aortic aneurysms in the abdomen

Dec. 20, 2012 ? A researcher with the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry and the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute is looking closely at a molecule linked to aortic aneurysms in the abdomen, and her findings could lead to a treatment to reduce swelling of the aortic artery, which would be a life-saving treatment.

Zamaneh Kassiri, a professor in the Department of Physiology, and Ratnadeep Basu, a PhD trainee in Kassiri's lab, have been looking at the role of a protein called TIMP3 in the vessels. Their most recent findings, published in The Journal of Biological Chemistry, shows that animal models that lacked TIMP3 developed abdominal aneurysms. TIMP3 inhibits a family of proteins that normally chew up the structural proteins in the aortic wall and this role of TIMP3 has turned out to be critical in preventing swelling of the aortic aneurysm.

"This means if we can find a way to boost TIMP3 in the area, aneurysms could be avoided," said Kassiri.

The researchers dug even further in the lab, looking at another molecule called MMP2, which is well known as a contributor to heart and vascular disease. In models that lacked TIMP3, their level of MMP2 was quite high. The thought was that if the researchers lower the level of MMP2, the swollen aorta would be rescued.

However, that wasn't the case.

"The swelling became even larger," said Kassiri. "It is one of the bad guys, so everyone thought it was contributing to the disease, but likely is not, at least in this setting. MMP2 knockouts [lab models stripped of MMP2] alone didn't develop aneurysm; it's a combination of TIMP3 and MMP2 deficiency that made it worse."

Since last year the researchers have been looking at why this current model, which lacks both TIMP3 and MMP2, called a "double knockout," was so much worse. The group's research shows that the double knockout triggers the inflammation response in the aortic artery, which eventually produces another MMP molecule, this one being MMP9. It is responsible for reducing the elasticity of the artery, which means it can expand to let blood through, but it doesn't snap back to its original form.

From this discovery, the group decided to treat these double knockouts with MMP inhibitors and they were able to save the models from deadly aneurysm.

"If you detect aneurysms at a very early stage, when it's still small bulging in the abdomen, you can put the patient on MMP inhibitors and control the expansion," said Kassiri. "Whereas if you don't, [the aneurysm is] going to expand and may even rupture."

MMP inhibitors could be a good treatment, for now, as many are already approved drugs, such as doxycyclin). But the research group's goal is to develop a targeted therapy to enrich the swollen aorta with TIMP3.

"What we would want to do in the long term is to deliver TIMP3 locally," said Kassiri. "That's a challenging task considering the location of the aorta behind the abdominal area."

Kassiri's research is funded by the Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada. Basu is supported by Alberta Innovates Health Solutions Graduate Studentship.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Alberta Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. R. Basu, D. Fan, V. Kandalam, J. Lee, S. Das, X. Wang, T. A. Baldwin, G. Y. Oudit, Z. Kassiri. Loss of Timp3 leads to abdominal aortic aneurysm formation in response to angiotensin II. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2012; DOI: 10.1074/jbc.M112.425652

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/health_medicine/heart_disease/~3/ci7Z3WKDoJY/121220143947.htm

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CSN: Reid's reception in likely home finale?

December 18, 2012, 11:00 am

While growing up in Cincinnati, Brent Celek admired two NFL coaches who managed to sustain the kind of long-term dominance and stability in one city that his hometown Bengals never could.

One of them was Bill Cowher, the fiery iron-chinned stalwart who took the Steelers to 10 playoff appearances before finally winning the Super Bowl in his 14th season.

The other was steady and staid Andy Reid, who built the Eagles into a league powerhouse from 1999 through the mid-2000s, the guy who ultimately selected Celek in the fifth round of the 2005 draft and groomed into one of the league?s better tight ends.

?I mean, coming from Cincinnati, the Eagles were a powerhouse year in and year out,? Celek said. ?You guys didn?t win a Super Bowl back then but you were going to NFC Championship after NFC Championship and then the Super Bowl. I looked at the Eagles like they were one of the top two, top three teams in the league year in and year out.?

With just two games to go in this train wreck of a season that almost certainly will end with the firing of the NFL?s longest-tenured head coach, the intrigue of Sunday?s game against the Redskins at the Linc centers less on the final score and more on the home crowd?s reaction to what will very likely be Reid?s final home game.

Reid, the franchise?s all-time leader in both regular-season and playoff wins, will coach his 112th career home game Sunday. No other active NFL coach has a longer tenure with one team.

The countdown to his ouster began in August, when team owner Jeffrey Lurie strongly indicated that an 8-8 record or anything less than substantial improvement from last year?s .500 mark would guarantee that Reid wouldn?t be around for season No. 15, which still remains on the coach?s contract.

By mid-November, as the Eagles were in the midst of their eight-game losing streak -- the longest ever under Reid -- it became clear that the Eagles weren?t going to be any better from 2012. Actually, they would be much worse.

It?s no secret that Reid has never felt the coziest embrace from a city that felt the sting of a 3-13 team before he took over, won 11 games and went two rounds deep into the playoffs in just his second season. But Celek hopes that fans remember the total picture -- which includes five NFC Championship games, a Super Bowl appearance and nine playoff trips -- if and when they decide to leave the head coach with their own send-off Sunday.

?There?s times where you?re going to have ups and downs in your career or with seasons,? he said. ?I just hope he gets the respect that he deserves, for what he did for the organization, what he did for this city. I think it?s huge. And for an outsider looking in from another city, it?s gargantuan. People would love to have a coach like that.?

To be fair, Celek was asked to comment on purely speculative scenarios. It?s entirely possible that the apathy present in the past few home games spills into the season home finale. There is also the miniscule chance that the owner changes his mind and brings Reid back. Lurie hasn?t made any declarative statements this season about Reid?s job status.

Wide receiver Jeremy Maclin felt uncomfortable discussing the topic until ?a decision is actually made, regardless.?

?He?s had a lot of great teams. Unfortunately, we?ve struggled this year,? Maclin said. ?I? understand why the season was hard to watch from a fan viewpoint. It?s been frustrating for us, been frustrating for them. It?s been frustrating for everybody. I?m not going to sit up here and say I?m going to feel some type of way about it because I don?t know. I?ve never been in that situation before so I don?t know.

?I guess we?ll kinda just see how things go. As far as my personal response or reaction to it, I won?t do anything until the decision is actually made upstairs.?

It?s naive to think the city?s loud, passionate and very vocal fan base will suddenly exercise the same calculated restraint and patience that Maclin and some of his teammates have shown about discussing their coach?s future.

From a public standpoint, the axe crashed down on Reid so long ago that sports-talk stations and media outlets have spent weeks speculating on who will be the next hot-shot NFL assistant (Ray Horton?) or collegiate program builder (Chip Kelly?) to replace Reid in 2013.

There was even a report earlier last month that general manager Howie Roseman had recently met with Kelly. (Imagine that, an NFL executive in charge of evaluating college prospects was actually spotted having conversations with the coach of a national college powerhouse!)

The question is less about whether Reid will receive a farewell from the home crowd after Sunday?s game and more about the tenor of the reception.

Outsiders might point to some unflattering moments in Philadelphia fan history -- think Santa Claus and car batteries -- to suggest that Reid skip the postgame handshake and quickly head for the exit. This sentiment would dismiss some of the more recent showcases of compassion from a fan base that usually doesn?t fulfill its national stereotype.

Last year, fans warmly welcomed back quarterback Donovan McNabb upon his return to the Linc after being dealt to the rival Redskins the previous offseason. McNabb, inarguably the greatest and most successful quarterback in team history, also felt the fans? cold shoulder near the end of his 11-year career as his seasons repeatedly fell short of Super Bowl expectations.

In August, Reid was showered with chants of ?Andy! ... Andy! ...? during the preseason opener against the Steelers, just a few days after Reid had buried his eldest son, Garrett, who had died of a heroin overdose in his dorm room at training camp.

Third-year defensive end Brandon Graham expects nothing less than a hometown salute worthy of someone who stayed committed to the end, especially after a personal tragedy and even as the walls caved around him.

?It should be. Whoever ain?t doing it, I feel bad,? Graham added. ?It?s like, dang, you can?t give the man that much respect? Some type of sympathy? He?s not a bad guy. He?s a great guy. He just had a bad time here these last couple of years.?

E-mail Geoff Mosher at gmosher@comcastsportsnet.com.

Tags: eagles, Brent Celek, bengals, Andy Reid, Philadelphia, Jeremy Maclin, Brandon Graham, Bill Cowher, final home game, 14 years, longest-tenured NFL coach, fan base

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/eagles-talk/How-will-Reid-be-received-in-possible-la?blockID=814807&feedID=692

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Britain to cut Afghanistan troop numbers in 2013

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain will withdraw nearly half of its 9,000 soldiers from Afghanistan by the end of next year as Afghan national forces take on a bigger role, Prime Minister David Cameron said on Wednesday.

Nearly all of Britain's soldiers are due to pull out by the end of 2014, drawing to an end a long, costly and unpopular war that has cost the lives of more than 430 British troops.

"Because of the success of our forces and the Afghan national security forces ... we'll be able to see troops come home in two relatively even steps - 2013 and 2014 - leaving probably around 5,200 troops after the end of 2013, compared to the 9,000 we have now," Cameron told parliament.

Britain, which has the second biggest foreign contingent in Afghanistan after the United States, says its involvement has helped to stabilize the country and has prevented terrorists from finding a safe haven.

But the war's critics say the country is less stable after more than a decade of violence and they question why Britain has spent so much money on the campaign at a time of strained public finances at home.

Britain's defense budget, like that of other NATO members, is under pressure, forcing the Defence Ministry to spend less on troop numbers and equipment.

Ties between Western troops and Afghan forces have been tested by a series of "insider" attacks against NATO coalition troops by Afghan soldiers or by militants wearing Afghan military uniform.

After 2014, Britain will keep a small amount of soldiers in Afghanistan to help train Afghan forces, Cameron added.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths and Matt Falloon; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uks-cameron-says-cut-troop-numbers-afghanistan-2013-123535263.html

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Love Bytes: Dating As A Former Prostitute | YourTango

Wow, are you sure you haven't done this before?

Plus, the scientifically perfect amount to spend on a Christmas gift.

Aw jeez. Given its illicit nature in 49 of 50 states, sex work (re: prostitution) is still a wee bit taboo to Americans. How does a practitioner of the world's oldest profession re-enter 'polite company'? When and how much does she (or he) have to tell his next partner? (The Daily Beast)

More from YourTango: Men & Women Responded To The Newtown Tragedy Differently

I'm still sorting out my feelings about this but it looks like reality TV's greatest rednecks have inspired a thing called "hillbilly porn." (Huffington Post)

Could you date someone who started a Facebook group about menstruation humor? (TruTV)

If the song "Somebody That I Used To Know" is not relatable, you have either the happiest or saddest love life of all time. (TheBerry)

For our money, getting engaged on Twitter is slightly less romantic than using a jumbotron. (HowAboutWe)

3 major turn-offs for men. (eHarmony)

7 helpful tips for remembering to take your birth control. (Gurl)

The scientifically perfect amount to spend on a Christmas gift. (LearnVest)

Ladies, if you want to meet men, do NOT roll deep to the club. If you want to rumble with the Baseball Furies on the other hand... (Madame Noire)

More from YourTango: 5 Love Lessons TV Taught Us In 2012

Are gay men causing women to have body issues? (Good Men Project)

More juicy content from YourTango:

Source: http://www.yourtango.com/2012168266/love-bytes-dating-former-prostitute

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Scottish town shares agony of U.S. school tragedy

DUNBLANE (Reuters) - Of all the messages of sympathy for the stricken U.S. community of Newtown, few carry the emotional weight of those from Dunblane, the small Scottish town that still bears the scars of Britain's worst school massacre.

On March 13, 1996, a gunman walked into the gymnasium of a primary school in the close-knit cathedral town and shot dead 16 children and their teacher before turning the gun on himself.

Few residents want to talk about the terrible events that for years made Dunblane synonymous with tragedy, but reminders abound, made all the more poignant by the onset of Christmas.

At the far end of the cemetery on the edge of town, toys, fairies and portraits of smiling children decorate the graves of many of the victims, while small windmills spin in the winter breeze under grey skies.

A miniature Christmas tree stands next to one grave and a bunch of pink roses covered in dew drops rests on the spot where their teacher, Gwen Mayor, 45, is buried.

"The memories are flooding back. It must be hell for the parents. We said prayers for them in my church," said Harry McEwan, 71, who has lived in the town for 30 years. "Dunblane has so much in common with what has happened in Newtown."

The Dunblane massacre shocked the world and started a public campaign that led to Britain adopting some of the strictest gun controls in the world.

The Newtown shooting has already prompted calls for new U.S. gun restrictions, including a ban on assault weapons. President Barack Obama said things must change to prevent more killings.

In Britain, the scale of revulsion over Dunblane's three-minute rampage led within two years to new laws that effectively banned civilians from owning handguns. Ministers also promised to improve school security.

The Dunblane shootings were particularly shocking for a country where the police are not routinely armed and gun crime is relatively unusual. Of the 636 murders in England and Wales in 2010/11, 60 were shootings. Last year, firearms were used in 0.3 percent of all recorded crimes.

The Dunblane gunman, Thomas Hamilton, was a 43-year-old known locally as a misfit and a loner. He had been sacked as a Scout leader after complaints about his behaviour around young boys.

A government inquiry after the rampage recommended tougher vetting of voluntary workers as well as closer scrutiny of those applying to own a gun. Hamilton's four weapons were all legal.

'DARK CLOUD'

Dunblane has tried to move on. The sports hall where the shooting took place has been demolished and the school has been refurbished. However, the U.S. shooting has brought back painful memories.

"A dark cloud came over us," said lifelong Dunblane resident Nancy, who declined to give her surname. "The heaviness, the sorrow. Just disbelief and shock. Our hearts go out to the people of Newtown. It's still very painful and when something happens elsewhere it sort of bubbles up to the surface."

Dunblane has grown in the last decade and is a popular choice for families who want to live in a quiet community within reach of jobs in the nearby city of Stirling or Scotland's biggest cities, Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Arriving at school on a damp winter's morning, a group of girls laughed and played hopscotch in the playground before a bell summoned them and their fellow pupils to class.

They waved goodbye to their parents through the school windows as they walked upstairs.

"It's a fantastic place to bring up a family. It's just a pity that (the shooting) is the first thing people think of," said Ann Johnston, 39, a mother of three.

At the memorial garden which replaced the demolished gymnasium, a note attached to yellow roses remembers "All the lost angels of Dunblane".

In the years ahead, Newtown may find it hard to tread a path between remembering the dead and trying to move on from the tragedy, according to one church leader in Dunblane.

"How do you strike the balance? The answer, I suspect, will be different for every community but there will be problems for a long time to come," the Reverend Colin McIntosh, minister of Dunblane Cathedral, told the BBC.

For some Dunblane families, strength came from within their community, their church or from their other children. Others said campaigning to change gun control laws was a useful way to channel their energies.

"It didn't bring Victoria and the other children back, but it gave us a meaningful reason to just get through today, tomorrow and the next day," Charles Clydesdale, whose 5-year-old was among the victims, wrote in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

In the main shopping street, the Christmas lights point to happier times. A golden post box commemorates the success at this summer's London Olympics of the town's most famous son, tennis player Andy Murray.

He was at the school when the shooting happened and had to take shelter. Dunblane's link with one of Britain's top sportsmen has helped change its image.

"I don't want to say they'll get over it but they'll emerge from it. They'll find strength in each other, as a community," said local councillor Graham Houston. "Dunblane has moved on but it won't forget."

(Writing by Peter Griffiths; additional reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Philippa Fletcher)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/scottish-town-shares-agony-u-school-tragedy-181733700.html

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