Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Chocolate Muffins | Weelicious ? - Fast, Easy & Fresh Homemade ...

Chocolate.

If there?s such thing as an ?easy sell? in our house, nothing pleases everyone more than absolutely anything I make whose name starts with chocolate. In fact, my kids? cheers of joy usually drown me out before I can even get the whole word out of my mouth.

Take these Chocolate Muffins for instance. Recently, my two little angels were in the midst of a quarrel at the kitchen table and I was starting to lose my patience from all the bickering. Using my best diversionary skills I announced to them, ?I made chocol??. They were sold before they even knew what it was that I made ? amazing, the power chocolate in any form has over my kids. After each of their first bites, there was peace in the world (at least momentarily)?.and something delicious in their tummies.

These chocolate muffins are light as a feather, but also pack a rich punch of chocolate. The next time you?re trying to grab everyone?s attention, just whip up a batch of these and watch what happens!

*The ever sweet and talented Recipe Girl posted these muffins on her site last week, but just in case you didn?t see them and wanted to make sure you got to see them here!

Chocolate Muffins (Makes 12 regular-sized or 4 mini muffins)

1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1/2 Cup Granulated White Sugar
1 1/2 Tsps Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
3/4 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Vegetable or Canola Oil
1 Large Egg, beaten

1. Preheat the oven to 400? F. Grease 12 regular or 24 mini muffin tins.
2. In a medium bowl, sift flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and the egg. Add the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.
4. Fill the muffin cups 2/3 full.
5. Bake 18 ? 22 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Print This Recipe?Print This Recipe ?? Email This Recipe?Email This Recipe


Source: http://weelicious.com/2012/03/06/chocolate-muffins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=chocolate-muffins

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Officials: 106 dead in Yemen fighting (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Military officials say the death toll from fighting in southern Yemen between army troops and al-Qaida militants has risen to 106, with another 55 soldiers taken prisoner.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120305/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_yemen

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Monday, March 5, 2012

How Internet Promotion Is Really A Basic Foundation For Your ...

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Source: http://www.my-article-city.com/how-internet-promotion-is-really-a-basic-foundation-for-your-business-web-site/internet-and-businesses-online/

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Friday, February 17, 2012

MGH Cancer Center team identifies potential treatment target for KRAS-mutated colon cancer

MGH Cancer Center team identifies potential treatment target for KRAS-mutated colon cancer [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 16-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Katie Marquedant
kmarquedant@partners.org
617-726-0337
Massachusetts General Hospital

Better understanding of cancer-promoting pathway may lead to new strategy for treatment-resistant tumors

Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center have identified a new potential strategy for treating colon tumors driven by mutations in the KRAS gene, which usually resist both conventional and targeted treatments. In a paper appearing in the Feb. 17 issue of Cell, the team reports that targeting a later step in the pathway leading from KRAS activation to tumor growth may be able to halt the process.

"Not all KRAS-mutant colon cancers are the same," says Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Cancer Center and co-corresponding author of the Cell report. "About half seem to be very dependent on the KRAS mutation for their survival, whereas the other half can continue growing even when KRAS is suppressed. In the KRAS-dependent tumors, we identified how the mutation augments a pathway well known to be involved in colon cancer and identified a key step toward that pathway which, if suppressed, can induce KRAS-dependent tumor cells to undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death."

Mutations that activate KRAS expression are common in several types of cancer most frequently colorectal and lung cancers and are known to indicate treatment resistance. Drugs that directly target KRAS activity have not been successful, and attempts to identify other potential targets have been challenging, since KRAS mutations may function differently in different cancers. The MGH team first set out to determine the percentage of KRAS-mutant tumors that depend on the presence of the mutation for their growth.

Analysis of a large panel of KRAS-mutant tumor cell lines revealed that about half of them die when KRAS-expression is blocked. More detailed analysis of the KRAS-dependent tumors identified several overexpressed genes, and found that blocking expression of a growth-factor-associated enzyme called TAK1 was the most effective way of inducing tumor cell death. The researchers then showed that treatment with a TAK1 inhibitor led to the death of cultured KRAS-dependent colon cancer cells and reduced the size of KRAS-dependent tumors implanted under the skin of mice. Further exploration revealed that KRAS activation contributes to tumor development through a pathway involving both TAK1 and the signaling molecule BMP, which serves to augment the Wnt pathway that is known to be involved in both embryonic development and cancer.

"Not all genes that are mutated in cancer can be directly targeted by drugs, but this study shows that if you understand the interrelationships between all the signaling pathways in a particular type of tumor, you may uncover a vulnerability that allows you to bypass the 'undruggable target'," says Haber, who is the Kurt J. Isselbacher/Peter D. Schwartz Professor of Oncology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

"The TAK1 inhibitor we used in this study is not suitable for human administration, but pharmaceutical companies have small-molecule TAK1 inhibitors which have not yet been developed because their potential application was not clear," Haber adds. "Now we need to establish dosage levels where these or related drugs can work against KRAS-dependent colon cancers without being toxic. Those studies, combined with better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this pathway and the consequences of its suppression, will bring us closer to planning for clinical trials."

###

The lead author of the Cell paper is Anurag Singh, PhD, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at the MGH Cancer Center and now at Boston University's Cancer Research Center. Additional co-authors are Michael Sweeney, Min Yu, MD, PhD, Alexa Burger, PhD, Patricia Greninger and Cyril Benes, PhD, all of the MGH Cancer Center; and co-corresponding author Jeffrey Settleman, PhD, formerly of the MGH and now with Genentech, Inc. The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Lustgarten Foundation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (www.massgeneral.org), founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $750 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


MGH Cancer Center team identifies potential treatment target for KRAS-mutated colon cancer [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 16-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Katie Marquedant
kmarquedant@partners.org
617-726-0337
Massachusetts General Hospital

Better understanding of cancer-promoting pathway may lead to new strategy for treatment-resistant tumors

Researchers from the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center have identified a new potential strategy for treating colon tumors driven by mutations in the KRAS gene, which usually resist both conventional and targeted treatments. In a paper appearing in the Feb. 17 issue of Cell, the team reports that targeting a later step in the pathway leading from KRAS activation to tumor growth may be able to halt the process.

"Not all KRAS-mutant colon cancers are the same," says Daniel Haber, MD, PhD, director of the MGH Cancer Center and co-corresponding author of the Cell report. "About half seem to be very dependent on the KRAS mutation for their survival, whereas the other half can continue growing even when KRAS is suppressed. In the KRAS-dependent tumors, we identified how the mutation augments a pathway well known to be involved in colon cancer and identified a key step toward that pathway which, if suppressed, can induce KRAS-dependent tumor cells to undergo apoptosis or programmed cell death."

Mutations that activate KRAS expression are common in several types of cancer most frequently colorectal and lung cancers and are known to indicate treatment resistance. Drugs that directly target KRAS activity have not been successful, and attempts to identify other potential targets have been challenging, since KRAS mutations may function differently in different cancers. The MGH team first set out to determine the percentage of KRAS-mutant tumors that depend on the presence of the mutation for their growth.

Analysis of a large panel of KRAS-mutant tumor cell lines revealed that about half of them die when KRAS-expression is blocked. More detailed analysis of the KRAS-dependent tumors identified several overexpressed genes, and found that blocking expression of a growth-factor-associated enzyme called TAK1 was the most effective way of inducing tumor cell death. The researchers then showed that treatment with a TAK1 inhibitor led to the death of cultured KRAS-dependent colon cancer cells and reduced the size of KRAS-dependent tumors implanted under the skin of mice. Further exploration revealed that KRAS activation contributes to tumor development through a pathway involving both TAK1 and the signaling molecule BMP, which serves to augment the Wnt pathway that is known to be involved in both embryonic development and cancer.

"Not all genes that are mutated in cancer can be directly targeted by drugs, but this study shows that if you understand the interrelationships between all the signaling pathways in a particular type of tumor, you may uncover a vulnerability that allows you to bypass the 'undruggable target'," says Haber, who is the Kurt J. Isselbacher/Peter D. Schwartz Professor of Oncology at Harvard Medical School and a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator.

"The TAK1 inhibitor we used in this study is not suitable for human administration, but pharmaceutical companies have small-molecule TAK1 inhibitors which have not yet been developed because their potential application was not clear," Haber adds. "Now we need to establish dosage levels where these or related drugs can work against KRAS-dependent colon cancers without being toxic. Those studies, combined with better understanding of the mechanisms underlying this pathway and the consequences of its suppression, will bring us closer to planning for clinical trials."

###

The lead author of the Cell paper is Anurag Singh, PhD, formerly a postdoctoral fellow at the MGH Cancer Center and now at Boston University's Cancer Research Center. Additional co-authors are Michael Sweeney, Min Yu, MD, PhD, Alexa Burger, PhD, Patricia Greninger and Cyril Benes, PhD, all of the MGH Cancer Center; and co-corresponding author Jeffrey Settleman, PhD, formerly of the MGH and now with Genentech, Inc. The study was supported by grants from the National Institutes of Health and the Lustgarten Foundation.

Massachusetts General Hospital (www.massgeneral.org), founded in 1811, is the original and largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School. The MGH conducts the largest hospital-based research program in the United States, with an annual research budget of more than $750 million and major research centers in AIDS, cardiovascular research, cancer, computational and integrative biology, cutaneous biology, human genetics, medical imaging, neurodegenerative disorders, regenerative medicine, reproductive biology, systems biology, transplantation biology and photomedicine.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-02/mgh-mcc021512.php

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PFT: 'Moss is utterly obliterating his chances'

Alshon JefferyAP

South Carolina wide receiver Alshon Jeffery was considered a potential top-five pick entering the 2011 college season after an 88-catch, 1,517-yard, nine-touchdown sophomore year. Jeffery?s stats fell to 49 receptions, 762 yards, and eight scores as a junior, and he declared for the draft on January 5.

Jeffery?s supporters cited quarterback musical chairs and defense?s double teams for his 2011 production drop. Appearing on a Wednesday conference call for the media, NFL Network draft guru Mike Mayock said he saw something different.

?Alshon Jeffery does not separate,? said Mayock after watching Gamecocks tape. ?What those guys run [at the Combine] is important. He needs to run somewhere in those mid-4.5s.?

Mayock said he?s heard whispers of Jeffery?s suspect conditioning, rumors that may have begun?with this picture,?believed to have been taken just before the 2011 college season. (Jeffery, No. 1, is on the far left.) For this year?s receiver class, Mayock has first-round grades on Oklahoma State?s Justin Blackmon, Baylor?s Kendall Wright, Notre Dame?s Michael Floyd, and LSU?s Rueben Randle.

He doesn?t have one on Jeffery.

?Big and fast is good,? Mayock explained. ?Big and slow is bad. Bottom line is ? he has got to run well.?

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/15/could-moss-tv-cancel-randys-comeback/related/

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Thursday, February 16, 2012

Jury to hear of love, betrayal in detective trial (AP)

LOS ANGELES ? After days of DNA testimony, prosecutors planned to tell jurors the story of love and betrayal that they claim provided a motive for murder by a veteran police detective.

Witnesses were expected to talk about the personal lives of Stephanie Lazarus and the woman she is charged with killing, retrieving memories of events that happened 26 years ago. Sherri Rasmussen was slain in her home in 1986 three months after she married the man who had spurned Lazarus. Testimony about the love triangle was scheduled for Wednesday.

It comes on the heels of scientific testimony that showed the baffling murder case might have gone unsolved if a forensic analyst had not decided to take a closer look at a single piece of evidence ? a bite mark on the victim's arm.

Until then it appeared this was a cold case with no suspects. Blood at the scene matched the victim but no one else, criminalist Jennifer Francis testified Tuesday. There were literally no leads.

Then, after some five years of working on the case intermittently, Francis said she focused anew on the long ignored bite mark on the victim's arm. She has testified that a saliva swatch from the bite, found in a dusty evidence box, led her to a new theory and a new suspect ? Detective Stephanie Lazarus of the Los Angeles Police Department.

Lazarus showed no reaction in court to the testimony that suggested she might never have been charged with the 1986 murder if the original scientific analysis of blood evidence had gone undisturbed.

Lazarus claims she is innocent of the murder of her onetime romantic rival and her lawyer was trying to show in cross-examination that the prosecution's single important piece of evidence ? the saliva from the bite mark ? may have been tampered with or deteriorated over time.

At one point he asked if the evidence swabs inside a test tube were moldy by the time they got to Francis in the LAPD crime lab.

"It's hard to say," said the witness. "I did not see green growing on it."

He asked if the test tube was sealed, and Francis said it was not.

"So all you had to do was unscrew it?" asked Overland.

"Yes," said the witness.

The bright red bite mark on Rasmussen's arm was shown to jurors on a courtroom screen.

A forensic dentist testified that it appeared to be a human bite mark but Dr. Cathy Law said she did not try to match it to Lazarus' teeth because such comparisons are unreliable.

Witnesses are expected to say that Lazarus was broken hearted when her longtime lover John Ruetten, married Rasmussen. Prosecutors contend the former police detective killed Rasmussen after telling someone if she couldn't have Ruetten then nobody would.

Francis said bloody evidence from the crime scene did not suggest any suspect when she was first given the case in 2004. There was no DNA match for any person other than victim on such items as blood from the walls, a towel, speaker cord and car key, she said.

It wasn't until 2009 that Francis focused on analyzing the bite mark and discovered there was DNA on the sample that was different from the genetic profile of Rasmussen, she said.

Francis testified earlier that the bite mark DNA was subsequently compared to a saliva sample taken from Lazarus' mouth and it was a match.

The discovery shocked Los Angeles Police Department detectives who had worked with Lazarus for a quarter of a century as she rose to become a highly decorated detective specializing in art thefts.

Prosecutors, who are relying on DNA analysis of saliva from the mark, also called a series of forensic witnesses who told how the suddenly important bite mark evidence, previously buried in a dusty evidence box, now was preserved in a freezer, sent to an independent serology lab for further analysis and then returned to the custody of the LAPD crime lab.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120215/ap_on_re_us/us_detective_killing

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NJ mayor recognized for 'Jersey Shore' rejection

In this photo from Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi poses for a portrait in New York. Lorena Beniquez, commissioner of the Central Pennsylvania Film Office heard that officials in Hoboken, N.J. have refused to issue a permit for the new reality show that will feature Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWoww" Farley. So, Beniquez thought, why not invite the ?Jersey Shore? stars to the borough of the same name, about 140 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and only slightly farther than that from Hoboken. Failing that, Beniquez is hoping the producers might consider shooting in Williamsport, the Lycoming County seat.(AP Photo/Charles Sykes)

In this photo from Wednesday, Feb. 1, 2012, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi poses for a portrait in New York. Lorena Beniquez, commissioner of the Central Pennsylvania Film Office heard that officials in Hoboken, N.J. have refused to issue a permit for the new reality show that will feature Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWoww" Farley. So, Beniquez thought, why not invite the ?Jersey Shore? stars to the borough of the same name, about 140 miles northwest of Philadelphia, and only slightly farther than that from Hoboken. Failing that, Beniquez is hoping the producers might consider shooting in Williamsport, the Lycoming County seat.(AP Photo/Charles Sykes)

(AP) ? An Italian-American group is responding to Hoboken's rejection of MTV's "Jersey Shore" reality show ? by giving the city's mayor an award.

The Italian American One Voice Coalition is presenting Hoboken Mayor Dawn Zimmer with its "Una Voce" award Wednesday for denying film permits to a show the group feels promotes negative stereotypes of Italian Americans.

Zimmer says the decision to deny permits was made based on safety and quality-of-life concerns for residents of Hoboken.

The show has been issued permits to film in Jersey City. The spinoff of the reality series will feature Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi and Jenni "JWoww" Farley renting an apartment in New Jersey's second largest city. Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah Healy says he believes the show is an opportunity to promote the city.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-02-15-Jersey%20Shore%20Spinoff/id-50a7b65b61364169b657689ba39b7bea

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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Newt does without D.C. (Politico)

Newt Gingrich spent more than 30 years building relationships in Washington, but relatively few of his old colleagues in town have ponied up for him.

His campaign reported pulling in just $278,000 from the Washington metro area last year ? a drop in the bucket compared with the $2.5 million raised in Washington by his chief rival, Mitt Romney, who has spent little time there. Those numbers, compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics, are for checks of more than $200.

Continue Reading

Gingrich?s weak showing in Washington is not surprising to many of the former Hill staff, lobbyists and members of Congress who say his behavior has rankled colleagues along the way in his 20 years in the House and 12 years in Washington consulting.

And those personal clashes aren?t helping him overcome Romney, a candidate whose fundraising draws heavily on old friends in the banking world, supporters from his days as Massachusetts governor, and elsewhere.

?I?m not sure [Gingrich] ever had a lot of friends here, and I?m not sure he cared, because he came here to accomplish a purpose, not to make buddies,? said Ken Kies, an influential tax lobbyist and a Gingrich donor. ?Newt led a revolution, so that tends to leave bodies on the floor.?

Only a smattering of Gingrich?s former colleagues have endorsed him or given him money from their political action committees or leadership committees. And unlike Romney, Newt hasn?t reported any lobbyist bundlers bringing in checks of $50,000 or more ? which candidates are required to disclose. In the last three months of 2011, Romney reported 14 lobbyist bundlers raising $1.2 million for the campaign.

Gingrich ?has always been somewhat of a polarizing figure within the party,? said Jeff MacKinnon, a lobbyist and former aide to Texas Rep. Joe Barton, adding that the former speaker hasn?t done much to retain his ties to the Washington establishment.

?I think that when he left in ?98, that he really didn?t cultivate a team, he really didn?t cultivate any of his old contacts,? said MacKinnon, an early supporter of Texas Gov. Rick Perry?s presidential candidacy.

Even some of Gingrich?s former allies have turned against him.

Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey (R-Texas), a Gingrich leadership partner-turned-rival, said last week that Gingrich won?t have another comeback, and he feels bad for his former colleague. ?I think he?s digressed taking a second-rate campaign into a first-rate vendetta,? Armey said of Gingrich?s attacks on GOP front-runner Mitt Romney.

Another hurdle for Gingrich?s in-town fundraising: Washington likes to put its money on a winner ? which is widely perceived to be Romney.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/politics/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/politico_rss/rss_politico_mostpop/http___www_politico_com_news_stories0212_72886_html/44534325/SIG=11m8dear4/*http%3A//www.politico.com/news/stories/0212/72886.html

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

GOP using Obama's address to blame him for economy (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Republicans took the offensive Tuesday and cast President Barack Obama as the culprit for the economy's persistent frailty, hoping to shift the focus away from his State of the Union address' theme of economic fairness.

As they awaited the president's election season speech to the nation Tuesday night, Republicans in the Capitol and on the campaign trail accused Obama of three years of higher spending, bigger government and tax increases that have left the economy stuck in a ditch.

"If the president wants someone to blame for this economy, he should start with himself," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky. "The fact is, any CEO in America with a record like this after three years on the job would be graciously shown the door."

White House officials argue that the economy has resumed growing and generating new jobs on Obama's watch, though growth has been generally listless and the jobless rate remains at a high 8.5 percent.

One of Obama's themes will be economic fairness, including protecting the middle class and making sure the wealthy pay an equitable share of taxes. Republicans seemed determined to blunt that message and prevent the president from making it the top issue of this year's presidential and congressional elections.

"This election is going to be a referendum on the president's economic policies," which have worsened the economy, said House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. "The politics of envy, the politics of dividing our country is not what America is all about."

Boehner said nearly 30 House-passed bills aimed at helping the economy have stalled in the Democratic-run Senate, most of them rolling back or blocking environmental, workplace and other regulations. He said he hoped Obama "will extend somewhat of an olive branch" to work with Republicans on boosting the economy.

Despite that plea, Boehner planned a symbolic move to underscore Obama's decision to put off, for now, work on the proposed Keystone XL oil pipeline from western Canada to Texas' Gulf Coast. Republicans say the project would create thousands of jobs, a claim opponents say is overstated.

Boehner invited three officials from companies he said would be hurt by the pipeline's rejection to watch the speech in the House chamber as his guests, along with a Nebraska legislator who helped plan a new pipeline route through his state, where environmental concerns have been raised.

Poised to give the GOP's formal, televised response to Obama was Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, who flirted with running for his party's presidential nomination before deciding against it last May.

The first White House budget chief under President George W. Bush, Daniels has portrayed himself as a foe of budget deficits. He has described Obama's fiscal policies as "catastrophic."

Obama was delivering his State of the Union address during a rowdy battle for the GOP presidential nomination that has ended up playing directly into Obama's theme of economic fairness.

That fight has called attention to the wealth of one of the top contenders, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, and the low ? but legal ? effective federal income tax rate of around 15 percent that the multi-millionaire has paid in the past two years. Romney, who is in Florida campaigned for that state's Jan. 31 primary, released his tax documents for that period on Tuesday.

"The president's agenda sounds less like "built to last" and more like doomed to fail," Romney said in remarks prepared for delivery Tuesday in Tampa, Fla. "What he's proposing is more of the same: more taxes, more spending, and more regulation."

Romney's chief rival so far, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, said in a written statement that the top question about Obama's speech was whether he "will show a willingness to put aside the extremist ideology of the far left and call for a new set of policies that could lead to dramatic private sector job creation and economic growth."

The Republican National Committee was airing a television commercial in North Carolina, Virginia, Michigan and Washington, D.C., blaming Obama for 13 million people out of work and citing the bankruptcy of California energy company Solyndra, which received more than $500 million in federally backed loans.

The ad shows an Obama interview from 2009, in which he said about the faltering economy, "If I don't have this done in three years, then this is going to be a one-term proposition," a reference to his presidency.

The chairman of the House GOP's campaign arm, Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, also used Obama's speech to reach out to supporters in an email.

"Unlike Democrats, House Republicans are fighting to strengthen our economy and allow small businesses to create jobs for hard working Americans," he wrote.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_state_of_union_gop_reaction

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Scots ponder independence vote with 16-year-olds (AP)

LONDON ? Scotland's leader has presented his proposal for a ballot on independence ? and his ideas include letting 16- and 17-year-olds cast ballots in a vote that could see the breakup of Britain within four years.

First Minister Alex Salmond announced the Scottish government's preferred options for the vote on whether to sever ties from Britain, which it plans to hold in the fall of 2014. A "yes" vote would lead to independence taking effect with a May 2016 election for the Scottish Parliament.

Scotland and England united in 1707 to form Great Britain. Scotland gained significant autonomy after voting in 1997 to set up the Edinburgh-based Scottish Parliament, but some Scots want to go further and make the nation of 5 million people an independent country within the European Union.

Salmond told Scottish lawmakers in the Edinburgh assembly Wednesday that the ballot would ask "Do you agree that Scotland should be an independent country?"

But he said it could also include a third option, backing increased autonomy short of full independence.

And he said the voting age should be lowered from the current 18.

"If a 16-year-old in Scotland can register to join the army, get married and pay taxes, surely he or she should be able to have a say in this country's constitutional future?" Salmond said.

Scottish 16-year-olds can join the army ? though they cannot be sent into combat until they are 18 ? work full-time and marry without parental consent. The official Scottish drinking age outside the home is 18, but even that has some exceptions for 16- and 17-year-olds.

Salmond, who leads the separatist Scottish National Party, said independence would bring "a new, more modern relationship between the nations of these islands ? a partnership of equals."

The exact wording is subject to input from Scottish voters and negotiations with the British government in London, which insists it has the final authority to authorize a binding referendum.

British Prime Minister David Cameron's Conservative-led government has offered the Scottish administration the power to hold a vote on independence, but wants a say in the timing and could insist that the Electoral Commission, which will run the referendum, be allowed to set the question.

Salmond's proposed wording is likely to be seen by opponents as slanted in favor of independence.

Opponents of independence want to hold the vote as soon as possible, because polls suggest only about a third of Scots favor splitting from England.

Cameron has said the ballot should pose a straight yes-no question, and not include a third option, which has been dubbed maximum devolution. Salmond disagrees.

"If there is an alternative of maximum devolution which would command wide support in Scotland, then it is only fair and democratic that option should be among the choices open to the people of Scotland," Salmond said.

Cameron stressed Wednesday that everyone in Britain, not just Scots, should have a say in any changes to Scotland's status.

"The point that everyone needs to understand is that options for further devolution, options for changes across the United Kingdom, are matters all of the United Kingdom should rightly discuss," he said.

Michael Moore, Cameron's minister responsible for Scotland, was due to hold talks with Salmond on Friday but the meeting was postponed because Moore has chicken pox.

Salmond said an independent Scotland would keep Queen Elizabeth II as head of state but would not send troops to "illegal wars like Iraq, and we won't have nuclear weapons based on Scottish soil." Scotland is currently home to Britain's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines.

Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont, whose party opposes independence, accused Salmon of belittling Scots who wished to remain in Britain.

"Why does he assert as fact that we all wish to be independent of each other when we all know, as families and communities, we want to come together in partnership and cooperation?" she said.

___

Online:

Scottish Government referendum consultation paper: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Current

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/britain/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120125/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_scotland

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Laura Prudom: Once Upon A Time Recap: Time Is Not On Snow White's Side In '7:15 A.M.'

Note: Do not read on if you have not seen Season 1, Episode 10 of ABC's "Once Upon a Time," entitled "7:15 a.m."

We've all heard the Shakespearean adage that "the course of true love never did run smooth," but who could've predicted such a twisted road for Snow White and Prince Charming?

It seems as though amnesia is a running theme in Snow and James' relationship, and tonight's heartbreaking installment of "Once Upon a Time" threw yet another unexpected obstacle in their path. Just when it seemed as though the lovelorn couple might have a chance to be together despite James' arranged marriage to Abigail, Snow was forced to sacrifice her feelings for James' safety, capitulating to King George's threats and telling the replacement prince that she had never cared for him at all to keep the king from killing him. Woe!

She was a good actress, but apparently not convincing enough to change James' feelings, since it didn't take him long to call off his wedding to Midas' daughter and set off in pursuit of his happily ever after. Alas, he wasn't quite quick enough to reach Snow before she gave into her pain and tried to ease her broken heart with Rumplestiltskin's potion, erasing all memory of James so that she could live in blissful ignorance without him. Double woe!

But we know from the pilot episode that true love's kiss helped bring Snow back to life with her memories of James intact. So I'm guessing that either the effects of Rumple's potion can be undone by a smacker from her soulmate, or that she and James manage to find each other again before The Evil Queen poisons her with the apple she had Hansel and Gretel steal last week.

Either way, every moment we spend with Snow and James -- or Mary Margaret and David -- raises the show to a whole new level; the longing between them is so palpable, and played so perfectly by Ginnifer Goodwin and Josh Dallas, that my heart aches for them every time they're on screen. What this pair can convey with a single, lingering look could put other actors to shame.

I applaud the writers' continuing efforts to present an opposing image of Fairytale Land in Storybrooke. Just as Snow, who was in a "coma," needed to be awoken with James' kiss in their past lives, David was the one who was saved by Mary's kiss in our world. And now, as Snow and James move further apart in the fairytale world that was, Mary Margaret and David grow closer. It's a smart narrative choice -- given how invested we are as an audience in both versions of the couple -- it allows viewers to find some satisfaction with one iteration of the duo, preventing us from getting frustrated by the distance between the other version.

While I do wish the writers had come up with a less contrived plot device than having Mary Margaret feel compelled to risk death to help a dove return to its flock, just to get her alone with David during the storm, the MacGuffin was forgivable since the outcome was so satisfying. Even if Mary Margaret and David are now technically having an affair, I'm hoping the next couple of episodes will resolve things between David and Kathryn so that he finally stops trying to have his cake and eat it too.

As for another mirror theme between Fairytale Land and Storybrooke, I find it fascinating -- and bold -- that the writers have chosen to make David so indecisive and, as a result, also somewhat selfish. We're still rooting for him and Mary Margaret, but as she has been pointing out for weeks, he has continually built her hopes up only to dash them and return to Kathryn out of some misplaced sense of "duty." He's been insisting that he's doing the honorable thing in trying to make his marriage work, but living a lie hasn't been fair to either of the women he professes to care about. Plus, if he and Mary Margaret continue to carry on their relationship in secret, there's nothing noble about that course of action. Conversely, in Fairytale Land, James was wholeheartedly prepared to leave Abigail and forsake his duties to his kingdom as soon as he knows that his feelings for Snow are reciprocated. It just emphasizes the differences between the idealized, black-and-white morality of fairytales when compared to the shades of grey we encounter in the real world. While we'd expect Prince Charming to sacrifice everything for true love in a heartbeat, in our world (as the characters in Storybrooke keep reminding us) there's no such thing as happily ever after: Every action has very real consequences that even a magic kiss can't resolve.

It's no surprise, then, that the show's creators, Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, conceived the story for this week's episode, though the teleplay was written by Daniel T. Thomsen. I'd be interested to learn whether the showrunners suggested those parallels or if the writer added them in, though I suspect it's the former. Thanks to my proclivity towards Snow and James' story, I think that "7:15 a.m." was my favorite episode of "Once" to date. The tragic romance of it all was more than enough to crack my cynical critic's heart.

The episode also introduced us to the infamous seven dwarfs (none of whom are actually that short) -- and poor, ill-fated Stealthy, who apparently missed out on a chance at literary immortality by failing to be all that stealthy. As Ginnifer Goodwin told me in our recent interview, "Once" had a typically unique twist on the start of that iconic friendship, with a fearless Snow finding herself cellmates with Grumpy -- and it turned out to be far more satisfying than the twee Disney iteration and its passive princess.

Meanwhile, in Storybrooke, Emma and Regina came to an uneasy truce in order to investigate the frustratingly enigmatic stranger who arrived in town last episode. While I was waiting for Emma to pull a Brad Pitt in "Se7en" when she was trying to find out what was in the guy's box, I'll admit, I'm no closer to figuring out who he really is. Goodwin told me, "I had a million theories about who the stranger was, and they were all wrong! What the creators' intention is with that character is so much better than anything I could have come up with." So I'm guessing that any Big Bad Wolf predictions we've been floating are way off base. The CW's "Supernatural" also introduced a mysterious writer, and he turned out to be the psychic author of the main characters' life stories -- and also possibly God (if you don't know, it's better not to ask). But "Once" doesn't seem like the type of show to go so overtly meta so soon, so I don't think the stranger will turn out to somehow be some omniscient narrator who created Fairytale Land and all the stories in Henry's book ... or perhaps that kind of unexpected twist is exactly what Kitsis and Horowitz are aiming for.

Overall, "7:15 a.m." expertly combined all the elements that make "Once Upon a Time" one of the most addictive and heartfelt new shows of the season, blending emotion, mystery and narrative thrust while giving us a deeper understanding of our favorite characters. I hope the next batch of episodes can keep up the momentum established this week.

"Once Upon a Time" airs Sundays at 8 p.m. EST on ABC.

?

Follow Laura Prudom on Twitter: www.twitter.com/lauinLA

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/laura-prudom/once-upon-a-time-recap-7-15-am_b_1222723.html

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Panetta: US won't cut carrier fleet to fix budget

The United States will not cut America's fleet of 11 aircraft carriers to help trim the budget deficit, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Saturday, citing tensions with Iran as an example of why the massive ships are so critical to national security.

Panetta was addressing about 1,700 sailors headed to the Gulf this spring aboard the USS Enterprise, which after a half-century of service is about to embark on its final tour before being taken offline in November.

The Enterprise's last deployment comes at a moment of heightened tensions with Iran, which has threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, the world's most important oil shipping lane. That's something the United States says it will not allow.

"You're part of what keeps our force agile and flexible and quickly deployable and capable of taking on any enemy, anywhere in the world," Panetta said, speaking about 100 nautical miles off the coast of the U.S. state of Georgia.

  1. Other political news of note

    1. Gingrich wins South Carolina GOP primary

      NBC News projects that Newt Gingrich has won the South Carolina Republican primary, capping off a remarkable comeback for his presidential bid that reshapes the trajectory of the battle for the GOP nomination.

    2. Updated 75 minutes ago 1/22/2012 9:48:28 AM +00:00 NYT: Santorum, optimistic, plans effort nationwide
    3. Conservatives, evangelical Christians rebuff Romney
    4. Early voting opens statewide in Florida
    5. Obama to talk economy in State of the Union

"For that reason that the President of the United States and all of us . have decided that it is important for us to maintain our carrier presence at full strength. And that means we'll be keeping 11 carriers in our force," he said to applause.

Next week, the Pentagon is due to announce a five-year budget plan that will cut about $260 billion from projected defense spending, scaling back the military after a decade of costly land wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Some analysts have speculated that the Pentagon could slightly shrink the carrier fleet, perhaps by slowing construction of new ships to replace older ones like the Enterprise, the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. Its missions date back to the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Vietnam war.

THREE-YEAR GAP

There will already be a nearly three-year gap between the time that the Enterprise goes offline in November and its replacement, the USS Gerald R. Ford, comes online in 2015.

But Panetta insisted that the U.S. commitment to a fleet of 11 carriers was long-term and was quick to cite Iran as one of the important reasons that aircraft carriers were important in projecting American military power anywhere in the world.

Asked about Iran by one of the crew, Panetta said the United States would forge ahead with efforts to tighten sanctions isolating Iran over its nuclear program - sending a clear message that the international community will not let it obtain a nuclear weapon. Iran says its uranium enrichment is peaceful.

"But the most important way we make those messages clear is to show that we are prepared, and that we are strong. And that we will have a presence in that part of the world. And that's what this carrier is all about," he said.

"And better for them to deal with us through diplomacy and through international rules and regulations - and not other ways. Because they ain't going to win."

Panetta's trip to the Enterprise came as its strike group ran drills confronting a hostile, hypothetical nation named "Garnet." Panetta sat in the captain's chair as a fictitious enemy ship trailed the Enterprise, and spoke to a pilot as he attempted to land on the deck. After more training, the Enterprise will deploy in March and eventually head to the Gulf.

"They are going to a critical area of the world," Panetta told reporters later. "They're going to be traveling through the Straits of Hormuz and they will represent the naval presence and power projection that we've made clear that we're going to maintain in the Middle East."

Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45673582/ns/politics/

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In video, Giffords' firm and touching farewell

(AP) ? In part, the short video has the feel of a campaign ad: the strains of soft music, the iconic snapshots of rugged Arizona desert, the candidate earnestly engaged with her constituents.

Interspersed with the slick montage of photos and sound, though, is a video close-up of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords gazing directly at the camera, offering not a campaign promise but a goodbye, a thank-you message to her supporters in a voice that is both firm and halting.

"I have more work to do on my recovery," the congresswoman says at the end of the two-minute-long "A Message from Gabby," appearing to strain with all of her will to communicate. "So to do what's best for Arizona, I will step down this week."

Arizonans had to know in their hearts that this day was coming.

A bullet to the brain, from point-blank range, is a nearly impossible obstacle to overcome, even for a congresswoman known for pluckiness and fight. Giffords seemed to accept that reality in the video announcing her resignation from Congress, which also included a promise to return one day to her mission to help Arizonans.

The clip, posted to YouTube and on her Facebook page, pastes together 13 sentences into a fluid announcement. Giffords wears a bright red jacket eerily similar to the one she was wearing a year ago when she was nearly assassinated. She looks straight into the camera, almost begging the viewer to listen.

The hopeful message is interspersed with images of the 41-year-old struggling at rehab and walking along a leafy street with husband Mark Kelly with an obvious limp. As Giffords acknowledges in her goodbye, for now at least she isn't up to taking on a re-election challenge.

Giffords' recovery in the months following the Jan. 8, 2011 shooting has been both arduous and remarkable, as she struggled to relearn how to walk and talk during grueling therapy sessions at a rehab facility in Houston. The initial days and weeks after showed Giffords struggling to understand what had happened and to communicate in the most basic forms. She struggled just to learn how to nod, to raise two fingers.

Months later, she's clearly not yet ready for another run for Congress. But she said in Sunday's video that she's not done yet.

"I'm getting better. Every day my spirit is high. I will return and we will work together for Arizona and this great country," she said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-01-22-Giffords-The%20Announcement/id-3833a4fc6a0d4700a534f3e980a840dd

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Monday, January 23, 2012

Investing Wisely For Your Future ? Centired.com - For All Things ...

No one would actually want to spend his or her whole life working. In fact, a lot of people, if not all, desire to have a comfy life and retire early. Certainly, you dream of the same thing. Bear in mind though that these things are only attainable if you?re financially stable.

Making good investments is a great way of achieving financial stability. While there is no age requirement as to when you have to begin investing, it?s best if you do so at an early age. When you start investing at an early age, the easier it would be for you to achieve financial independence.

Proofs that investing early is beneficial and doable are the teenagers who were presented in the article ?Super Young Retirement Savers? by CNN. These teens began saving at an early age and have now put away a substantial amount of money. One 18-year-old girl who started putting away money she earned and given to her when she was just 11 years old now has $300,000 in the bank.

Hence, if these teens were able to do it, then you can do it also. Whether you are 11 or 42, you can do something to ensure a comfy life when you stop working. Don?t know what to do? Let the tips below guide you in this very important venture of yours.

Know your purpose for investing. Certainly, you are investing to make your money grow. However, what are your specific goals in mind? Are you investing for your kid?s college education or for your retirement? These specific targets would help you determine when specifically you?d need your money back.

Find out about the investment opportunities you have. Do not be surprised to come across a lengthy list as choices are really many ? treasury bills, time deposits, real estate properties, etc. Certainly, your choice greatly depends on your specific goal as well as the amount you are willing to invest.

Finally, do a thorough research about your choices before you begin investing. If this is your first investment venture, get the services of a reputable financial advisor. Aside from being knowledgeable about the kinds of investments, the advisor can assist you in various ways like in insurance planning or keeping track of the market. Most importantly, your advisor can give expert advice which can help you grow and safeguard your money.

Certainly, it is not impossible to achieve financial independence and live a comfortable life after retirement or have enough funds for the education of your children. Just make smart financial decisions and get the help of the experts.

Click for further information on how to be a financial advisor or how to invest.. This article, Investing Wisely For Your Future is available for free reprint.

This entry was posted on Sunday, January 22nd, 2012 at 4:00 pm by Vanessa Smith and is filed under Finance. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://centired.com/2012/01/investing-wisely-for-your-future/

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Sunday, January 22, 2012

Environmentalism and the Leisure Class (Powerlineblog)

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[OOC] Village Hidden Within the Fog

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.


Sounds interesting! I could possibly be interested in the Mimi Sheslic character, or possiby creating one of my own. :)

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Saturday, January 21, 2012

Burt Rutan on Designing the World’s Largest Aircraft

In 1991, to address a requirement to launch a booster heavier than 500,000 pounds, I did the Model 205 and 206 preliminary designs. These configurations used engines, landing gear, and other systems from the Boeing 747. Later, to address other requirements, I did preliminary designs for other large aircraft, some that had rocket systems so that the space booster could be released in a steep, rocket-propelled climb.

However, the configuration revealed in December to meet the Paul Allen Stratolaunch requirement is not my design. About 10 years ago, to encourage innovation and design responsibility among the young engineers at Scaled, I took on the status of design advisor, while the title of Principal Configuration Designer went to a very talented team of designers, including Jim Tighe, Cory Bird, Bob Morgan and others. Except for the Bipod roadable aircraft, all the airplanes designed at Scaled after SpaceShipOne were not Burt Rutan designs.

About five to six years ago, Scaled hired many new engineers, most of them right out of college. This group of engineers includes several very talented configuration designers who will be the Principal Designers of the future Scaled aerospace platforms.

Source: http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/space/news/burt-rutan-on-designing-the-worlds-largest-airplane?src=rss

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Marianne Gingrich Says Newt Wanted Open Marriage, Lacks Moral Character to Be President


Just 48 hours before the critical South Carolina primary, Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich's ex-wife Marianne is criticizing the former House Speaker's character.

Marianne Gingrich says, in an interview airing tonight on Nightline, that Newt's professed positions on marriage and family values do not line up with his actions.

Their 18-year marriage ended in 1999, and during that span, Marianne says Newt Gingrich admitted to her about a six-year affair with a Congressional aide.

That woman is now Newt's third wife, Callista Gingrich. This is well documented, but it's a comment Newt allegedly made about it that's raising eyebrows:

He asked his wife if she would share him with Callista, according to Marianne.

Marianne Gingrich Picture

"I just stared at him and he said, 'Callista doesn't care what I do.' He wanted an open marriage and I refused," Marianne Gingrich tells ABC News.

Marianne also details how Newt was conducting this affair while publicly condemning the unfaithful President Clinton for his lack of moral leadership.

“How could he ask me for a divorce on Monday and within 48 hours give a speech on family values and talk about how people treat people?” she said.

“Truthfully, my whole purpose is to get out there about who I am, so Newt couldn’t create me as an evil, awful person, which was starting to happen.”

It gets worse. Newt divorced Marianne months after she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, she says, and began dating her almost as scandalously.

Her relationship with Newt started before his divorce from his first wife, Jackie, was finalized. And he left Jackie while she was undergoing cancer treatment.

Political pundits call this "baggage." Can he overcome it? Newt, who is trying to sustain recent momentum, responded to this interview on Today, saying:

"I'm not going to say anything negative about Marianne."

"My two daughters, Kathy and Jackie, have sent a letter to the president of ABC News saying from a family perspective, they think this is totally wrong."

"They think that ABC should not air anything like this. And that intruding into family things that are more than a decade old are simply wrong."

"I think that my two daughters are very credible on my character, I think the people who have known me a long time are credible on my character."

"We have lots of folks willing to speak on this, I'm not going to."

The letter of which he speaks that his daughters wrote says, "The failure of a marriage is a terrible and emotional experience for everyone involved."

Newt "regrets any pain he may have caused in the past to people he loves," they say, echoing sentiments Newt has made on the campaign trail.

Gingrich often speaks of his mistakes, admitting he is imperfect. The question is now much baggage is too much for voters to potentially take.

He should get a modest boost from Rick Perry dropping out of the race today, and has another debate tonight to make his case in South Carolina.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/marianne-gingrich-newt-gingrich-ex-wife-says-he-wanted-open-marr/

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