White House, senators launching immigration push

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Reviving an issue that has languished for years, President Barack Obama will launch a campaign next week aimed at overhauling the nation's flawed immigration system and creating legal status for millions, as a bipartisan Senate group nears agreement on achieving the same goals.

The proposals from Obama and lawmakers will mark the start of what is expected to be a contentious and emotional process with deep political implications. Latino voters overwhelmingly backed Obama in the 2012 election, leaving Republicans grappling for a way to regain their standing with an increasingly powerful pool of voters.

The president will press his case for immigration changes during a trip to Las Vegas Tuesday. The Senate working group is also aiming to outline its proposals next week, according to a Senate aide.

Administration officials say Obama's second-term immigration push will be a continuation of the principles he outlined during his first four years in office but failed to act on. He is expected to revive his little-noticed 2011 immigration "blueprint," which calls for a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants that includes paying fines and back taxes; increased border security; mandatory penalties for businesses that employ unauthorized immigrants; and improvements to the legal immigration system, including giving green cards to high-skilled workers and lifting caps on legal immigration for the immediate family members of U.S. citizens.

"What has been absent in the time since he put those principles forward has been a willingness by Republicans, generally speaking, to move forward with comprehensive immigration reform," White House press secretary Jay Carney said. "What he hopes is that that dynamic has changed."

The political dynamic does appear to have shifted following the November election. Despite making little progress on immigration in his first term, Obama won more than 70 percent of the Latino vote, in part because of the conservative positions on immigration that Republican nominee Mitt Romney staked out during the GOP primary. Latino voters accounted for 10 percent of the electorate in November.

The president met privately Friday morning with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to discuss his next steps on immigration. Among those in the meeting was Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., who said Obama told lawmakers "immigration reform is his number one legislative priority."

That could bump back the president's efforts to seek legislation enacting stricter gun laws, another issue he has vowed to make a top second term priority.

The Senate immigration group is also pressing for quick action, aiming to draft a bill by March and pass legislation in their chamber by August, said the aide, who requested anonymity in order to discuss private deliberations. The Republican-controlled House would also need to pass the legislation before it went to the White House for the president's signature.

Senate lawmakers working on the immigration effort include Democrats Charles Schumer of New York, Dick Durbin of Illinois and Robert Menendez of New Jersey; and Republicans John McCain of Arizona, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Marco Rubio of Florida, according to Senate aides.

Democrat Michael Bennet of Colorado, and Republicans Jeff Flake of Arizona and Mike Lee of Utah have also been involved. It's not clear whether all those involved will sign on to the principles the group hopes to roll out next week.

Those principles are expected to include a process toward legalizing the status of unauthorized immigrants already in the country; border security; verification measures for employers hiring workers and ways for more temporary workers to be admitted into the country.

It's unclear whether the group will back the pathway to full citizenship that the president is seeking. Schumer and Graham have previously supported requiring illegal immigrants to admit they broke the law, perform community service, pay fines and back taxes, pass background checks and learn English before going to the back of the line of immigrants already in the system in order to legalize their immigration status.

Several of the senators negotiating the immigration principles are veterans of the failed comprehensive immigration reform effort under then-President George W. Bush. That process collapsed in 2007 when it came up well-short of the needed votes in the Senate, a bitter outcome for Bush and the late Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, the Democrats' leader on the legislation.

Some Republicans still lament that result as a missed opportunity for the party that could have set the GOP on a different path to reach more Latino voters.

Rubio is a relative newcomer to Senate negotiations on the issue, but he's seen as a rising star in his party and a potential 2016 presidential candidate. As a charismatic young Hispanic leader his proposals on immigration have attracted wide notice in recent weeks. And as a conservative favorite, unlike McCain or Graham, his stamp of approval could be critical to drawing in other conservative lawmakers.

A Republican aide said that Rubio has made clear in his interactions with the Senate group that he couldn't sign on to proposals that deviated from the principles he himself has been laying out in recent media interviews, including border security first, a guest-worker program, more visas for high-tech workers and enforcement in the workplace.

As for the illegal immigrants already in the country, Rubio would have them pay a fine and back taxes, show they have not committed crimes, prove they've been in the country for some time and speak some English and apply for permanent residency. Ultimately citizenship too could be in reach but only after a process that doesn't nudge aside immigrants already in line, and Rubio hasn't provided details on how long it all might take.

___

Associated Press writer Luis Alonso Lugo contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/white-house-senators-launching-immigration-push-222950612--politics.html

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Young and old seek neighborhoods with 'walkability' - Washington ...

Washington-area baby boomers are competing with younger millennials for properties in neighborhoods within walking distance of Metro stations, restaurants, groceries and health clubs.

"As echo boomers [millennials] age and marry and have children, properties that have walkability coupled with a strong school system will command a premium," said Ryan Price, a research associate at the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University. "There is definitely competition between downsizing baby boomers and older echo boomers, but the young echo boomer families ultimately will have a smaller pool of properties to choose from."

That is because the areas in the center of the action will cost the most, according to Pat Kline of Avery-Hess Realtors in Northern Virginia. Highly walkable properties may also be smaller and therefore a tighter fit for growing families than homes found just outside the "perfect" pedestrian-focused area.

Median home prices in the Washington metro area increased 10.5 percent in 2012 overall; 8.3 percent for townhomes and 10.4 percent for condominiums in response to a lack of inventory and increasing demand, according to December statistics from Real Estate Business Intelligence.

"Young families are interesting," Kline said. "Some are going to the suburbs, but inside or just outside the Beltway if they can afford it. Others are totally interested in urban life, and they compete with the other groups."

Kline said boomers who are tired of spending years in the car want a change of lifestyle. Proximity to Metro is important, as they want to enjoy living in the District. They want to go out to restaurants, window shop and be close to things like the gym, dry cleaners and grocery story.

In Northern Virginia, the most walkable and sought-after areas are Ballston, Virginia Square, Shirlington and Old Town Alexandria.

The shift in lifestyles among both boomers and the millennials exacerbates the inventory problem, according to Bonnie Casper, president of the Greater Capital Area Association of Realtors.

"The change in demand and in desirable lifestyles feeds the lack of inventory," she said. "Everybody wants to purchase the same product."

Because demand is not as great for single-family suburban homes outside the Beltway, older boomers may not realize the profits they thought they would when they sell, she said.

"I had clients looking at D.C. condos along the Blue Line. They wanted a two-bedroom in the $550,000 range, Casper said. "For that price, they may or may not get a washer-dryer. They might not get parking. They might not get a second bath. You still have the condo fee. There's a reality check: 'Is that the lifestyle change I want to make, or should I stay in my house?' "

Other areas that have great walkability include downtown Bethesda, Logan Circle, Dupont Circle and Rockville Town Center.

Casper said a recent series of roundtable discussions centered around "Science City," a development planned along Route 28 that is slated to bring in 60,000 new jobs and housing. A development group representing the Johns Hopkins University biotech community made a presentation, Casper said, that showed a picture of Dupont Circle as what they wanted the area to look like after the expansion.

"Montgomery County will look drastically different in the next 10 years," Casper said. "Society is changing its habits, and mass transit is the No. 1 issue."

Source: http://washingtonexaminer.com/young-and-old-seek-neighborhoods-with-walkability/article/2519639?custom_click=rss

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As colorectal cancer gets more aggressive, treatment with grape ...

Molly Derry, PhD candidate at the University of Colorado Cancer Center

When the going gets tough, grape seed extract gets going: A University of Colorado Cancer Center study recently published in the journal Cancer Letters shows that the more advanced are colorectal cancer cells, the more GSE inhibits their growth and survival. On the other end of the disease spectrum, GSE leaves healthy cells alone entirely.

?We?ve known for quite a while that the bioactive compounds in grape seed extract selectively target many types of cancer cells. This study shows that many of the same mutations that allow colorectal cancer cells to metastasize and survive traditional therapies make them especially sensitive to treatment with GSE,? says Molly Derry, doctoral candidate in the lab of Rajesh Agarwal, PhD, investigator at the CU Cancer Center and professor at the Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

Derry notes this is an especially important finding in light of increasing colorectal cancer rates (due in part to increasingly high-fat diets and sedentary lifestyles) and a low screening rate; that means 60 percent of patients diagnosed have already reached the advanced stage of the disease.

?Finding a way to selectively target advanced colorectal cancer cells could have major clinical importance,? Derry says.

The group performed their experiments on colorectal cancer cell lines representing various stages of the disease. Whereas it generally takes much more chemotherapy to kill a stage IV cancer cell than a stage II cancer cell, Derry saw that the reverse was true with grape seed extract.

?It required less than half the concentration of GSE to suppress cell growth and kill 50 percent of stage IV cells than it did to achieve similar results in the stage II cells,? Derry says.

The group also discovered a likely mechanism of GSE?s preferential targeting of advanced colorectal cancer cells: when cancer cells were treated with antioxidants the GSE induced cell death was reversed and so Derry and colleagues consider it likely that GSE targets colorectal cancer through inducing oxidative stress that leads to the programmed cell death known as apoptosis.

?A colorectal cancer cell can have upwards of 11,000 genetic mutations ? differences from the DNA in healthy cells. Traditional chemotherapies may only target a specific mutation and as cancer progresses more mutations occur. These changes can result in cancer that is resistance to chemotherapy. In contrast, the many bioactive compounds of GSE are able to target multiple mutations. The more mutations a cancer presents, the more effective GSE is in targeting them,? Derry says.

The Agarwal Lab continues its preclinical work studying the effectiveness and action of dietary compounds against cancer and encourages further exploration of their findings in clinical settings.

?

Study supported in part by NIH R01 AT003623 and NCI R01 CA112304

About the author: Garth Sundem

In addition to writing for the University of Colorado Cancer Center, Garth is the author of the books The Geeks? Guide to World Domination, Brain Candy, and Geek Logik. Contact him at garth.sundem [at] ucdenver.edu.

Source: http://engineeringevil.com/2013/01/18/as-colorectal-cancer-gets-more-aggressive-treatment-with-grape-seed-extract-is-even-more-effective/

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Climate events drive a high-arctic vertebrate community into synchrony

Friday, January 18, 2013

Climate change is known to affect the population dynamics of single species, such as reindeer or caribou, but the effect of climate at the community level has been much more difficult to document. Now, a group of Norwegian scientists has found that extreme climate events cause synchronized population fluctuations among all vertebrate species in a relatively simple high arctic community. These findings may be a bellwether of the radical changes in ecosystem stability that could result from anticipated future increases in extreme events. The findings are published in the 18 January issue of Science.

The Norwegian scientists, with lead authors from the Centre for Conservation Biology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), wanted to know how climate and weather events influenced an overwintering vertebrate community on the high arctic island of Spitsbergen, Svalbard, at 78 degrees N latitude.

They chose this simple ecosystem because it is composed of just three herbivores in the winter -- the wild Svalbard reindeer (Rangifer tarandus platyrhynchus), the Svalbard rock ptarmigan (Lagopus muta hyperborea), and the sibling vole (Microtus levis), and one shared consumer, the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus).

The community's population fluctuations were mainly driven by rain-on-snow events, the researchers found. Rain-on-snow is an extreme climatic occurrence that causes icing on the deep-frozen arctic tundra. The ice keeps reindeer from grazing on their winter pastures and also reduces food accessibility for the rock ptarmigan and sibling vole populations, causing extensive simultaneous population crashes in all three species in the winter and spring after the extreme weather.

However, the arctic fox, which mainly relies on reindeer carcasses as its terrestrial winter food source, didn't see a decline in its population size until a year after the herbivore die-offs. Even though the synchronized die-offs decrease the number of live prey available for foxes to eat, the high number of reindeer carcasses generates an abundance of food for foxes during icy winters and the subsequent spring and summer. This leads to high fox reproduction.

But almost no reindeer carcasses will be available during the following winter, mainly because those reindeer that survived the previous winter are more robust and also subject to reduced competition for food resources. At the same time, none of the other herbivores is able to recover in the summer after the icing. The net result is low fox reproduction and a strong reduction in the arctic fox population size one year after the herbivore die-offs.

"We have known for a long time that climate can synchronize populations of the same species, but these findings suggest that climate and particularly extreme weather events may also synchronize entire communities of species," says lead author Brage Bremset Hansen, from NTNU's Centre for Conservation Biology. "Svalbard's relatively simple ecosystem, which lacks specialist predators, combined with large weather fluctuations from year to year and strong climate signals in the population dynamics of herbivores, are the likely explanations for how such clear climate effects can be observed at the ecosystem level."

In other, more complex systems, he says, community-level effects of climate can be present but are likely masked by other factors that tend to obscure the synchronizing effects of climate, which thus complicates the picture.

Extreme rain-on-snow events are rare in most of the Arctic compared with Svalbard, where the climate is oceanic and mild for the latitude. However, because the frequency of such rain-on-snow events leading to icing is closely linked to a rapidly warming arctic climate, the authors warn that changes in winter climate and extreme events may have important implications for ecosystem functioning and stability in the circumpolar Arctic in the future.

"Previous studies have shown that rain-on-snow and icing can also cause vegetation damage and reduce survival of soil microbiota," says Hansen. "But more importantly, we suspect that the strong effects of icing on the overwintering vertebrate community have the potential to indirectly influence other species and cascade throughout the food web. The die-offs among resident herbivores shape predator abundance, which could in turn affect the migratory prey that reside in the area in the summer, such as sea birds and barnacle geese."

###

Norwegian University of Science and Technology: http://www.ntnu.edu

Thanks to Norwegian University of Science and Technology for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126355/Climate_events_drive_a_high_arctic_vertebrate_community_into_synchrony

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93% Zero Dark Thirty

All Critics (186) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (173) | Rotten (13)

Chastain makes Maya as vivid as a bloodshot eye. Her porcelain skin, delicate features and feminine attire belie the steel within.

No doubt Zero Dark Thirty serves a function by airing America's dirty laundry about detainee and torture programs, but in its wake, there's a crying need for a compassionate Coming Home to counter its brutal Deer Hunter.

While "Zero Dark Thirty" may offer political and moral arguing points aplenty, as well as vicarious thrills,as a film it's simply too much of a passable thing.

From the very first scenes of Zero Dark Thirty, director Kathryn Bigelow demonstrates why she is such a formidable filmmaker, as adept with human emotion as with visceral, pulse-quickening action.

A timely and important reminder of the agonizing human price of zealotry.

Not only is Zero Dark Thirty one of the year's best movies, it's an inspiring one to share with your daughters. That is, if they're old enough to deal with explicit torture scenes.

Exciting, entertaining, funny, dramatic and edgy, Django Unchained is also intelligent and sometimes touching, often bloody and yet - in the end - a romantic softie, too

No-one does humour in violence like Tarantino.... Hell's bells, there is a lot to take in and soak up in this hotdog Tarantino Western. It's a killer

I'd call it efficient. I would not call it inspired, groundbreaking, brilliant, innovative -- or even particularly effective as drama.

The fact that commentators, pundits, and politicians on both sides of the political spectrum are condemning Zero Dark Thirty is a sure sign that director Kathryn Bigelow and journalist-turned-screenwriter Mark Boal have done something right.

What makes Zero Dark Thirty such a fascinating film is that it plays both as an engaging procedural thriller and a serious examination of the country's moral compass. It is already doing what great movies do-starting conversation.

It asks its audience: When does the risk of doing something outweigh the risk not doing anything? What are the costs of revenge? Where will the "war on terror" take us next?

Zero Dark Thirty is the perfection The Hurt Locker promised.

Zero Dark Thirty is a model of artistic restraint, a film letting fantastic history trump the need to score partisan points.

An effective and expertly made film, but a more character-driven story would've added some flesh to the bones of a great, true story.

It's particularly comparable to Zodiac, while there are also obvious parallels to Homeland, and a riveting, Call Of Duty-type finale.

This is an instant classic.

Zero Dark Thirty is a gripping, authentic-feeling account of the dark side of the war on terror.

Chastain's Maya is a red-tressed Pre-Raphaelite madonna with the cleft chin and chiseled features of an action hero.

After the lengthy torture scenes, procedural repetition takes over until the murkily-filmed Seal Team 6 raid. But Jessica Chastain is quite convincing as a CIA operative dedicated to her job.

A well-acted, well-intentioned, disjointed mess.

A well-produced and well-acted procedural/thriller film that stays focused on the frustrating nuts and bolts CIA led search for the elusive Al Qaeda leader.

A gripping, almost necessary, piece of filmmaking.

The picture acknowledges the very real presence of torture on the post-9/11 landscape -- had the filmmakers ignored the subject, the movie would be little more than vile, jingoistic nonsense.

(Jessica) Chastain's powerful performance, for which she deserves a best actress Academy Award, drives the film. She has no private life, no friends. Her obsession drives her.

"We always get our man, eventually."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zero_dark_thirty/

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Washington Capitals host fan appreciation night

By Tom Roussey

January 17, 2013 - 11:37 pm

A season many feared would be lost is finally scheduled to start this weekend, and to welcome fans back the Washington Capitals threw open the Verizon Center doors Thursday for a fan appreciation night.

Continue reading

"I am so happy," said Capitals fan Debbie Tennant as she sat in the front row to watch an open practice that was part of the event.

The National Hockey League was supposed to start regular season play in October. But a lockout kept that from happening and threatened to cancel the season.

But within the last week representatives of the players and owners signed the final papers necessary to have a season, albeit a shortened one. The Capitals and other teams will play 48 games instead of the usual 82.

For some people, life goes on if their favorite sport is having labor troubles and no games are being played. But that's not the case with die-hard hockey fans.

"We are a unique breed of fan," said Tim Tennant of Sterling, Virginia. "I was stuck watching the minor leagues, I was watching Canadian hockey, I was doing whatever I could."

"Ask my wife, she'll tell you," said fan Matt Crocker of Waldorf. ""It's like, 'oh, what do you want to do?' 'I don't know what do you want to do?' 'Let's watch hockey.' But we couldn't."

But now the NHL is back, and the Capitals did what they could to rebuild goodwill with fans Thursday night. All food and drinks except beer were given away for free, and the event itself was also free.

The team opens its season Saturday night in Tampa. The home opener will be Tuesday night at 7:00 against the Winnipeg Jets.

Source: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2013/01/washington-capitals-host-fan-appreciation-night-84215.html

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Judge orders sanity review in Afghan massacre case

SEATTLE (AP) ? The military judge overseeing the case of Staff Sgt. Robert Bales said Thursday that he will require Bales to undergo an official review of his sanity before he can present any mental health defense to charges of massacring Afghan civilians.

Bales deferred entering a plea Thursday at Joint Base Lewis-McChord to 16 counts of premeditated murder and other charges related to a nighttime attack on two villages last March.

But the judge took up arguments over whether Bales can present a mental health defense or testimony from mental health experts, given that he has not yet participated in a "sanity board" review.

The judge said Bales needs to participate if he wants to present a mental health defense, but he has made no decisions about the conditions of that review and what information from it is turned over to prosecutors.

Prosecutors say Bales, a father of two from Lake Tapps, Wash., had been drinking early last March 11 before slipping away from his remote outpost in southern Afghanistan to carry out the attack. Nine children were among the dead, and some of the bodies were burned ? slayings which drew such outrage that the U.S. temporarily halted combat operations in the country.

Bales was on his fourth deployment and may have been suffering from a traumatic brain injury, his lawyers argue.

They have criticized the base at Camp Belambay where Bales was stationed, saying that Special Forces members there gave him banned substances including alcohol, Valium and steroids, and insist that by seeking the death penalty against Bales the Army is ignoring its own responsibility for sending him to war.

___

Johnson can be reached at https://twitter.com/GeneAPseattle

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/judge-requiring-bales-undergo-sanity-review-183421910.html

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Immigration activist joins US Rep. Sinema's staff

PHOENIX (AP) ? An immigration activist who's one of the leaders of the Dream Act movement is joining the staff of U.S. Rep. Kyrsten Sinema as a district outreach director.

Erika Andiola is a founder of the Arizona Dream Act Coalition, a group of young immigrants who advocate giving legal status to people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. Sinema's office announced Andiola's hiring Wednesday.

Andiola entered the U.S. illegally from Mexico but has work authorization for two years by way of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the deportation-relief offered by President Barack Obama to immigrants eligible for the Dream Act.

Andiola was in the news last week when federal immigration officers arrested her mother and brother at the family's home in suburban Phoenix. They were later released after a national outcry from immigration reform advocates.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials insist the two weren't targeted because of Andiola's activism.

Andiola said ICE agents told her there was a long-pending deportation order for her mother. Her brother was detained for refusing to answer agents' questions.

Last July, Andiola drew national attention when U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Illinois, a main proponent of the Dream Act, held up a large color poster of her on the Senate floor while describing how she graduated with honors with a bachelor's degree in psychology from Arizona State University.

Sinema, a Democrat, is in her first year in office after winning the new Phoenix-area 9th District in November.

On Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez, D-Illinois, announced he was hiring Jose M. Quintero as an employee in his district office in Chicago.

Gutierrez said Quintero, who was born in Mexico and came to Chicago with his parents at age 6, was the first young immigrant in Illinois to receive work authorization via Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. He received work authorization and his official two-year reprieve from deportation in October.

Gutierrez said he plans to hire an additional recipient of deferred-action status for his office in Cicero in the coming weeks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/immigration-activist-joins-us-rep-sinemas-staff-024730085--politics.html

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Nigerian leader says most bombing suspects arrested

ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigerian police have arrested most of the suspects in bombings that killed hundreds of people in the past two years, President Goodluck Jonathan said.

An Islamist insurgency in Nigeria's impoverished north has intensified since Jonathan, a southern Christian, came to office in 2010. It represents the most serious threat to Africa's most populous nation.

At least 32 people have died in the past week in gun and bomb attacks in the northeast, where Islamist group Boko Haram is strongest, but Jonathan said the violence was temporary.

"Most of these terror suspects have been arrested," he said at a New Year's Day church service in the capital Abuja on Tuesday.

"These people involved in some of these crimes - like bombing of the Catholic Church in Niger state, bombing of the United Nations building, bombing of the police headquarters - have been arrested. These are momentary challenges."

He did not say who was detained and when, or whether they would face trial. The attacks he listed all took place in 2011.

Jonathan has said several times that the authorities are winning the battle against Boko Haram, but officials have given few details on how they are clamping down on its activities.

A ramp-up in security across northern towns and cities ensured Christmas violence was more muted than in the previous two years, when dozens were killed in church bombings.

Boko Haram, which is loosely based on the Afghan Taliban, is trying to impose Islamic law on the country of more than 160 million, which is split roughly equally between Christians and Muslims.

Jonathan has been criticized for using solely a military approach to the unrest, pushing young Muslims disillusioned with his government into joining Boko Haram.

(Reporting by Felix Onuah and Camillus Eboh; Writing by Joe Brock; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-leader-says-most-bombing-suspects-arrested-144244750.html

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Kennesaw Set to Open Registration for Adult Softball - Kennesaw ...

Gather your friends, family or co-workers and sign-up to play in a friendly season of softball at Kennesaw?s Adams Park. Team registration for the City of Kennesaw?s Spring 2013 season will begin on Jan. 7 for teams that participated in the Fall 2012 league, and Jan. 14 for new teams.

Players may choose from two recreational leagues: Sunday afternoons or Friday evenings. At least half of the players on each team must be female. Games will begin in early March.

Detailed information along with the registration form is available on the Kennesaw Parks & Recreation Department?s web site at www.kennesaw-ga.gov/pkrec (click on Sports & Athletics, then Adult Co-ed Softball League). Registration forms are also available at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Dr. Call 770-422-9714 for more information.

Source: http://kennesaw.patch.com/articles/kennesaw-set-to-open-registration-for-adult-softball

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NASA Faces Rough Road In 2013

If you're short on money, stop wasting it dreaming about putting people on the moon again, or going to Mars with a human crew.

1)There is no practical purpose in placing humans on the moon; certainly nothing that justifies the tenfold jump in complexity. There wasn't back in the 60's, either - it was done for patriotism and xenophobia.

2)We have real problems right now, like the lack of replacements for aging weather satellites, in an era of accelerating climate change and instability. In case you all hadn't noticed, the last hurricane hit one of the largest economic centers of our country AND our eastern ports. In case you hadn't noticed, the midwest suffered the worst drought since the dust bowl.

I've been saying it for more than ten years, any time Slashdot starts getting romantic about human space flight: Stop eating your dessert and start eating your vegetables.

What's really pathetic is that we make fun of North Korea for lofting a satellite while people starve. We live in a country where 20% of our students go hungry, even more don't have enough textbooks to go around, and teachers are spending personal money on supplies...but hey, they get to watch some video of an incredibly privileged, elite person floating around on a space station doing science that nowhere near justifies its cost (NIH's budget is about 3x the annual spending of the ISS, but yet the NIH manages to fund more distinct disciplines than the number of ISS research projects.)

? Our public transit system is pathetic, our court systems are vastly underfunded, our retirement system is essentially a pyramid scheme, we have a huge homeless population, the world's largest (both by percentage and total headcount) prison population, and we're one of a shrinking pool of countries which doesn't provide health care services for all.

We need to at least get to the point where we're not damaging the environment and climate further, and maybe even starting to restore it. THEN, and ONLY THEN, you can have your rocketships for human space exploration. Don't give me that "we'll use space technology to escape our doomed planet" bullshit - we have a population of 7 BILLION. Even if you think we have any hope of lifting even just 1% of the world's population, how do you morally justify screwing over everyone else to save those 1%? Further, if we can't co-habitate with this planet's ecosystem, why should we just start fucking up another planet?

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/9gD4kqW7Bmg/story01.htm

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This Awesome Spiral Apple Slicer Is a Good Excuse for a Resolution

In January everyone makes the same New Year's resolution to be healthier. And not everyone follows through—you can tell because the gyms are emptier. You can at least start on the eating better portion with the Giro apple slicer ($45). More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/yUjwHmo9XOk/this-awesome-spiral-apple-slicer-is-a-good-excuse-for-a-resolution

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Fresh Start: 19 Easy Ways to Renew Your Body, Mind and Spirit ...

3.?Plan your workweek lunches ahead of time. Harmony Boeh, R.D. and certified personal trainer with Roseville Health and Wellness Center, suggests three ways to eating healthier five days of the week:

• Bring in last night?s healthy meal leftovers.
• Go half and half. ?Throw together a large salad packed with vegetables and beans and a small container of healthy dressing,? she says. ?At work, buy a small piece of protein, like grilled chicken or salmon, to top your salad and keep you fueled all day long.?
• Each week, make a large batch of your favorite soup, loaded with whole grains, vegetables and lean proteins, she says. ?Portion out and package individually. I like to use recycled salsa jars because they are microwave safe. You can grab it and go early in the morning.?

4. Drink moderate levels of caffeine for health benefits. ?Potential perks of moderate coffee consumption include a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, liver disease, dementia and Parkinson?s disease,? Boeh says. ?But you can get too much of a good thing. Too much caffeine can cause irritability, excitability, increased urination, sleeplessness and heartburn.? If you?re going to drink coffee, she says to watch out for calorie- and fat-laden additives like whipped cream, syrups and creamers. How much is moderate consumption? ?Three or fewer cups a day is considered moderate to normal. If you?re drinking coffee all day to just to maintain adequate energy levels, you?re probably drinking too much and should try to figure out why you?re really tired. Dehydration? Too little sleep? Too much stress? More caffeine will never be the answer.?

5. Eat smart after your workout. ?After a workout, your blood returns to your digestive system from your limbs and muscles, and is ready to do some work on that metabolism,? Ritter explains. ?Try not to overeat right after working out.? If it?s mealtime, a moderate meal of about 500-700 calories, depending on weight and size, is sufficient. ?You want to have some protein, making sure that you pair it with a healthy grain and vegetable, which is helpful for digestion. Protein can be challenging to digest by itself.? If you are not going to be eating your meal within an hour or two of your completed workout, have a snack (about 200-300 calories) that contains a little protein. Ritter suggests a hardboiled egg with some crackers; an apple with peanut butter; Greek yogurt; homemade trail mix with nuts, dried fruit and granola; or 10-12 ounces of a healthy shake.

6. Stretch first thing in the morning to help awaken the body. ?Pick a stretch that will have an effect you can feel in your body,? Bailey says. He suggests three poses, but warns these stretches may not be right for everyone. ?Listen to your body. Connect your mind, body and soul, and then listen. Ask, ?Is this right for me or not???

Forward fold. With your feet on the floor under your hips, slightly bend the knees. Then bend forward at the hips to bring your hands to the floor. The inverse flow allows for blood to rush to your head, which gives you a rejuvenating boost of oxygen. ?But for some people, this might be a lot in the morning,? Bailey advises.

Thread the needle. ?This is a great hip stretch,? Bailey says. To begin, lie on your back with knees bent, thighs parallel and hip-distance apart. Place your right ankle on your left knee, making sure the anklebone clears your thigh. Flex your right foot by pulling the toes back. Then, pull your left knee in toward your chest and thread your right arm through the triangle between your legs. Wrap your hands around the left leg, at the calf or hamstring, whichever is more comfortable. Repeat on the left side.

Repeat forward fold. Repeat stretch one, only this time reach your arms behind you and intertwine your fingers, palms facing in. When you bend forward, bring your arms up toward the ceiling. You?ll feel the stretch in your chest and arms.

7. ?Stretch before going to bed too. Bailey suggests practicing different yoga poses at night to benefit your body and mind in multiple ways. ?These grounding poses are more calming,? he explains. ?They will ease the nervous system to help you slow down before your final rest of sleep.?

Viparita karani. In this pose, you?ll need empty wall space. Start by lying on your side, getting your bottom up next to the wall. Then roll onto your back with your legs moving straight up the wall. Your body should be in an ?L? shape. Hold for 5-15 minutes. This is a restorative pose and it will help ground your hips and pelvis, Bailey says.

Reclining bound angle pose. Once again, lie on your back, knees bent with your feet on the ground. With your hands supporting your knees, let your knees drop open and bring the soles of your feet together. Your legs should be in a diamond shape. Stay in this pose for one minute. As it becomes more comfortable, you can extend your stay for 5-10 minutes. To come out of the pose, use your hands to bring your thighs back together. Then roll over onto one side and push yourself up from the floor.

Savasana. Almost every yoga class ends with about 10-15 minutes devoted to savasana, a restorative pose that focuses on the body being still. To practice, lie on your back with arms and legs spread at about 45 degrees. Eyes are closed and the breath is deep. To release, slowly deepen the breath, add movement to the fingers and toes, reach arms above the head and stretch your body. Exhale and bring your knees to your chest. Roll onto your side in fetal position. Inhale, and push yourself up from the floor.

8. Green tea is golden. ?Green tea is full of antioxidants that can help reduce hypertension, oxidation of bad cholesterol, and improve good cholesterol ? all of which translate to improved heart health,? Boeh says. But instant, decaf, bottled and ready-to-drink forms of green tea contain less antioxidant power. She suggests choosing loose-leaf tea or bags instead. Steep three to five minutes to maximize the amount of antioxidants in your cup. ?Several cups a day ?about three ? have been associated with heart protection,? she says.

9. ?Listen to your sweet tooth: Dark chocolate can be good for you! ?Cocoa beans themselves are rich in antioxidants and other antioxidant-like compounds that can improve blood flow to the heart and brain and reduce blood pressure,? Boeh says. However, the more processed the cocoa bean is, the less antioxidant properties it is able to retain, she says. ?Dark chocolate and natural cocoa powder (not Dutch processed) are your best bets. Avoid the bag of M&M?s and savor a few squares of dark chocolate instead. One ounce, a few times a week, is all you need.?

10. Replace 30 minutes of TV with 30 minutes of physical activity. ?Everyone has to start somewhere,? says Ritter. ?Even if it?s a 15-minute walk three times a week, that?s a start! Aim to build up to 30-minute walks three to five days a week. With as much time as we spend in front of a computer, on the phone or watching TV, 30 minutes for a walk really is nothing at all.?

11. Avoid mindless snacking late at night. ?Most of the time, people eating late at night are mindlessly snacking on high-calorie comfort foods?think ice cream, popcorn, candy?out of boredom, stress or reasons other than actually being hungry,? Boeh says. ?[Eating] excess calories promotes weight gain. Conversely, some people skip meals all day long only to sit down to an oversized meal just before bedtime. Even though it may not seem like you?re getting too many calories, eating one meal a day (typically at night for busy people who say they ?aren?t hungry all day?) can also cause weight gain, as your metabolism slows in response to infrequent fueling. Another downside to late-night meals includes a greater risk for developing gastric reflux.?

12. Use your feet as transportation. ?Figure out a few errands that are close together?the bank, craft store, picking up those few items at the store, the post office. Park at one, and walk to and from the other,? Ritter says. You can also park your car in the spot furthest away from the door whenever you go to the store. ?Every step counts,? she says.

13. ?Balance your goals and sacrifices. ??Usually fitting healthy eating and exercise into your life requires one to let go of other things for the sake of achieving their goal,? Ritter explains. ?Decide what you are going to sacrifice.? Tight on free time? Make time for your workouts by cutting back on your overtime at work. Or make it a goal to not open the fridge after 7 p.m. ?You are worth all of these sacrifices,? she says.

14. A glass of red wine a day has its perks. Boeh says there?s no strong evidence that red wine is better for our hearts than other forms of alcohol, when taken in moderation. ?However, a compound called resveratrol might be key to preventing blood vessel damage and blood clots, reducing inflammation related to heart disease, and reducing LDL, or ?bad? cholesterol.? Resveratrol can also be found in peanuts, blueberries, grapes and cranberries. For women, one serving of wine is five ounces a day while men can have up to two five ounce glasses a day, she says.

15. Take more walks. ?Add a post-dinner stroll with your spouse or roommate,? Ritter says. ?It may help curb that thought for seconds or that dessert you probably don?t need!?

16. Choose the right vitamins and supplements. ?Taking a daily multivitamin can provide ?insurance? for people who find it hard to eat the recommended 10-plus servings of fruits and vegetables daily,? Boeh says. ?But supplements are not to replace healthy foods in a well-rounded diet.? Choose a multivitamin that is specific to your gender and age range. ?Our vitamin and mineral needs change throughout our lifespan,? she says. People who should be taking supplements include pregnant and nursing women, strict vegetarians and vegans, senior citizens, and people with food allergies or certain forms of inflammatory bowel disease because they?re at a higher risk for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, she explains.

17. Keep your fridge stocked with healthier snacking options. Boeh?s grocery list for healthy snacks includes edamame, hummus and carrots or celery, nut butter and an apple or banana, string cheese, grapes, and homemade granola bars. Dried fruits and nuts are also great to have on hand, as long as you are mindful of portion sizes, she says.

18. Get out of your own head. You may have noticed that when you?re stressed mentally, your body can manifest those feelings, causing you to become physically ill. ?It?s a natural human tendency,? Bailey says. And he suggests yoga as a back-door distraction. ?You can step into a yoga class after having a funky day in your head, and we will work on your body so much that you will stop thinking in your head. Your mind will be focused on the practice, taking you away from thinking about what was so wrong in your life.?

19. Remember to breathe. Life is hectic. Life is crazy. And sometimes it moves so fast that you forget the one basic human instinct that is innate to all us: inhaling and exhaling. ?At the end of the day, we have to revert back to the first breath that we took when we were born?it was very sweet and very smooth,? Bailey says. ?If you?re in an argument, take a moment to breathe. Or just stop to take a few breaths every once in a while. Need a time out? Take a couple deep breaths.?

Article by Kourtney Jason?? Family Health & Wellness Magazine published by?Style Media Group.

Article appears in the January/February 2013 Issue of Family Health & Wellness Magazine.

Subscribe to the Family Health & Wellness?Magazine Blog!

Source: http://familyhw.com/2012/12/fresh-start-19-easy-ways-to-renew-your-body-mind-and-spirit/

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Phobia The Usual Attack Women - Health, Medical & Fitness

Phobia in women often underestimated people. Maybe because it was a phobia about insects such as cockroaches and spiders. Nevertheless, we should not underestimate the phobias that exist in a person. However phobia is certainly very scary for people and if you want to cure it is certainly not arbitrary.

1. Arachnaphobia

It is a phobia of spiders. Perhaps we often see scenes spider bite and people become poisoned. Or maybe because of personal experience to see a spider that endanger the lives of other people as a child. Surely can make its own trauma and fear. Many women are afraid of seeing a spider, or it could be because of an unpleasant experience because of it.

2. Acrophobia

Phobia is often experienced by both men and women. Fear of heights is often happens to many people, even if we?re looking at the 2nd floor basement of a mall. It seems despite holding on the outskirts of the balcony, still afraid of the fall.

3. Glossophobia

Often we are afraid to speak in front of crowds. Fear of making mistakes when speaking, afraid to do things that shame and fear on the minds of people towards our appearance. Try to practice more and make the planned topics. Understand the topic and do not memorize it because it will make you look stiff. With better planning and understanding can make you more relaxed when in front of crowds.

4. Achluophobia

Generally we stayed with adequate lighting and happy atmosphere that makes our life more bright. But when he was in a dark place, some people may feel very scared. If you have a fear of the dark, no need to panic. Panicking will only make your anxiety increases. Try to calm down and look for the light source nearby.

5. Claustrophobia

A narrow or jostling is stressfull. Phobia of the condition of this kind may occur in women who have a traumatic childhood shyness or in a crowd of many people. But who knows whether this is true phobia diskonan yes if there are up to 50% at the mall where women generally like spending time diskonan?

6. Atychiphobia

Maybe you rarely know this one phobia. Phobia is a form of fear of failure. Perhaps the issue is often experienced, but in some people, these symptoms occur with moderate to strong intensity that can harm somebody. Handling may require treatment by a specialist.

7. Mysophobia

Fear is such an inconvenience when self unhygienic and prone to germs. As a result, we frequently washing your hands or carry hand sanitizer everywhere.

8. Ophidiophobia

Phobia of this one was justifiably a phobia of women. Many women are afraid of reptiles such as snakes, lizards and even lizards. Instead of seeing, hearing his name also sometimes been afraid.

Phobias can occur due to many things. Unpleasant experiences in the past, the lack of knowledge and anxiety. Some phobias can be overcome by a simple technique, but when it reaches great intensity, the doctor should cure through therapy. Hope you are not afraid anymore

Source: http://cpmapestworld.net/?p=164

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