Wednesday, June 19, 2013

A Healthy Dialogue: A 5K and a Commitment to Better Health ? a ...

I spent part of Father?s Day running at the 25th annual GBMC Father?s Day 5K. It was a great day and I was fortunate to have my wife Tracey, and my daughter, Caroline, running, too. Caroline was being polite and running with me but I encouraged her to go on ahead at her own pace. Tracey finished third in her age bracket. I was happy to finish without an injury.

This important event has been helping to raise much needed funds for GBMC?s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Over the years, funds raised through this event have helped purchase lifesaving technology and services for our NICU babies and their families. I thank everyone who ran or walked and participated in this great day, including one 25-year supporter of the event, Robert Hlavac, who has been participating in the Father?s Day 5K since its inception.

I also had the opportunity to meet with the kids from the West Towson Elementary?School PlayFit program. As I talked about in the May 21st blog, GBMC partnered with the school to develop an after school fitness program called PlayFit, designed to help kids at risk for childhood obesity. The ?Westy?s,? along with our GBMC volunteers, have done a fabulous job staying active while having fun. The culmination of this six-week fitness program was having the kids run in our Father?s Day 5K event or do the one mile walk. ?These kids were so proud of what they had accomplished, as were we, and GBMC looks forward to continuing this beneficial fitness program with the Westy?s going forward. Great work, kids!

As we realized with our work with the kids from West Towson Elementary School, prevention of disease is vital to the future health of our community. ?As a system of care, GBMC continues to take important steps toward enacting healthy change. We recently took another step toward this mission of preventative care by introducing a new Employee Wellness program.

The U.S. health care system is struggling to care for the ever-increasing number of people with chronic disease like obesity and diabetes. While we at GBMC are building a better coordinated system to care for chronic disease, we also need to work to prevent these diseases in the first place and what better place to start than with our own GBMC family members. This is why GBMC is adopting a healthcare insurance model that promotes wellness and emphasizes maintaining good health. Through this new wellness program, we are helping our staff focus on staying healthy by providing opportunities for employees to engage in various wellness activities while earning incentives for their efforts. This moves us another step closer to changing the mindset of, ?go to the doctor when you?re sick,? to ?keep yourself healthy so you don?t get sick.?

GBMC employees and staff who participate in the Platinum health plan will be able to take advantage of this important wellness program as well as savings on healthcare premiums by participating in a biometric screening process and registering with our wellness partner, Allegeant. Employees interested in the screening process should visit the InfoWeb?for all of the details and upcoming deadlines for participating or call Allegeant at 410-605-0007.

Those employees who participate are making the effort to maintain their good health and minimize days of illness. This program is all part of GBMC?s commitment to better health.

Schools are out for the summer now and the longer, hotter days are a perfect time for all of us to get outdoors and stay active and healthy.

Source: http://ahealthydialogue.blogspot.com/2013/06/a-5k-and-commitment-to-better-health.html

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'Man Of Steel' Stars Open Up About Getting Superman Strong

Henry Cavill and Antje Traue reveal how surpassing physical goals is like discovering superman could fly.
By Todd Gilchrist


Henry Cavill in "Man of Steel"
Photo: Warner Bros.

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1709186/man-of-steel-training-henry-cavill.jhtml

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Sunday, June 16, 2013

UFC 161 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

UFC 161 is almost here, and it's time to make a choice on who will take the bouts. See how Yahoo! Sports expert Kevin Iole, Cagewriter editor Maggie Hendricks, and Cagereaders like you picked the fights. Thank you to everyone who made their pick on Cagewriter's Facebook page.

Kevin Iole: Rashad Evans W3 Dan Henderson -- This could easily go the other way. Both guys need wins in a bad way. I just have a hunch that Rashad's going to come up with a big performance.

Maggie Hendricks: Rashad Evans W3 Dan Henderson -- Evans has been working with Kenny Monday, an Olympic gold medalist wrestler, to improve his already-strong wrestling game. He will use it to control Henderson to get the win.

Cagereader: I hate to say it but I think Rashad will edge this out. They both do the same thing, push, grind, wrestle and pound until the tank is empty. I think Rashad 29-28, both fighters exhausted. However, I love seeing Hendo knock people out. -- Joe Schipani

***

Kevin Iole: Roy Nelson TKO2 Stipe Miocic -- Roy is on a roll and is far too complete of a fighter for Miocic. I think he ends it with a big right hand.

Maggie Hendricks: Roy Nelson KO1 Stipe Miocic -- Nelson is coming off a huge win, and he has a great chance to keep his streak going.

Cagereader: I'd like to see Stipe jab/circle and use some body kicks before taking Roy down, Stipe has pretty good GnP. I know about Roy's black belt in Jits but he hasn't won by sub since 2006. But, if Roy lands the right hand it's sleepy time. -- Chapin Johnston

***

Kevin Iole: Ryan Jimmo W3 Igor Pokrajac -- The home crowd will propel Jimmo to hard-fought victory.

Maggie Hendricks: Ryan Jimmo W3 Igor Pokrajac -- Most of Jimmo's career has been in Canada, and he will feel more comfortable in front of the crowd in Winnipeg.

Cagereader: Both fighters like to stand and bang. No disrespect to Pokrajac, but he doesn't have the standup credentials that Jimmo possesses. Jimmo by KO.

***

Kevin Iole: Alexis Davis Sub3 Rosi Sexton -- Both are impressive fighters, but Davis is bigger and I think that makes a difference as the fight wears on.

Maggie Hendricks: Alexis Davis W3 Rosi Sexton -- Davis will use her size to wear the smaller Sexton down.

Cagereader: Sexton will be too small at BW to handle a fighter like Davis. Davis by decision. -- Michael Clutch Cordello

***

Kevin Iole: Pat Barry TKO3 Shawn Jordan -- Barry is always entertaining and this will be a slobberknocker. Look for Barry to be the one to come out on top.

Maggie Hendricks: Pat Barry KO2 Shawn Jordan -- The prediction I'm most comfortable making about this fight is that it won't go to the judges. There will be a knockout.

Cagereader: Jordan will be happy to engage, a poor decision against a striker like "HD". Barry by KO. -- Michael Clutch Cordello

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-161-picks-kevin-iole-maggie-hendricks-cagereaders-024739491.html

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Oppo Find 5 smartphone surfaces in all-too-limited red edition

Oppo Find 5 surfaces in red, you probably can't buy it

Oh my. We thought the Oppo Find 5 was already good-looking in its original white, but it just took on some extra appeal now that there's a stylish red edition on the way. The 1080p smartphone hasn't changed on the inside, although that wasn't likely when the phone is just six months old. We're more concerned that we might not get our hands on one -- CNMO understands that the red Find 5 is a limited edition without a specific release date. Whether or not we get to see one in person, we'll at least have the photos at the source link.

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Via: Engadget Chinese (translated)

Source: CNMO (translated)

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/oppo-find-5-red/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Distro Issue 95: The past, present and future of gaming converge at E3

Distro Issue 95 The past, present and future of gaming converges at E3

Over the course of this past week, gaming-minded geeks descended upon Los Angeles for the industry's annual summer shindig. In the latest issue of our slate magazine, we hit the show floor at E3 2013 to offer up impressions of the latest gaming gadgetry. We also chat Wii U with Zelda producer Eiji Aonuma, examine the uphill climb for said console and look back at the history of the entire event. There's loads more of game-centric goodness packed into this edition, so we'll let you get to it via the usual download sources.

Distro Issue 95 PDF
Distro in the iTunes App Store
Distro in the Google Play Store

Distro in the Windows Store
Distro APK (for sideloading)
Like Distro on Facebook
Follow Distro on Twitter

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Source: iTunes, Google Play, Windows Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/06/14/distro-issue-95-gaming-issue-e3/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

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Saturday, June 15, 2013

The 'Tomb Raider' Reboot Just Did Something Oh-So Right!

Back in March, MGM announced that they had acquired the rights for the "Tomb Raider" video game franchise from Paramount, who let their hold on them expire after "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" failed to find audiences. (That title certainly didn't help.) Now we have word from Variety that Marti Noxon, best [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/06/13/tomb-raider-reboot-marti-noxon/

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Thursday, June 13, 2013

Turkish PM to meet Istanbul park protesters

ANKARA, Turkey (AP) ? Police and protesters retrenched Wednesday after punishing overnight clashes in Istanbul's Taksim Square ? an uncertain hiatus before officials were to hold talks aimed to end Turkey's biggest anti-government protests in decades.

Nearly two weeks of protests across the nation has shaped as perhaps the biggest test in the 10-year rule of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan ? who protesters say is increasingly authoritarian, a charge that he and his allies strongly deny.

President Abdullah Gul, seen by many as a more moderate voice, said the government could not stand more unrest that had disrupted daily life for nearly two weeks, but authorities would listen to protesters' grievances.

"I am hopeful that we will surmount this through democratic maturity," Gul told reporters. "If they have objections, we need to hear them, enter into a dialogue. It is our duty to lend them an ear."

It was unclear exactly who would be taking part in the meeting scheduled for 4 p.m. (1300 GMT) at Erdogan's office in Ankara, and whether they will have any impact in brokering an end to the protests.

Activists had doubts about the talks' legitimacy: Only an actor and a singer ? with unclear connections to the protesters ? had agreed to take part, and some leaders of civil society groups, including Greenpeace, had previously said they would not participate because of an "environment of violence."

Gul lashed out at foreign media, as international investors have been concerned about how the disturbances could affect Turkey's fast-growing economy ? prompting a double-digit percentage drop in the main stock index.

After a night of violence, traffic returned to Istanbul's Taksim Square early Wednesday, with taxis, trucks and pedestrians returning to the streets. A heavy police presence stood off to the side, near a new barricade erected before dawn to prevent riot police from firing tear gas into the square's still occupied Gezi Park.

Hundreds of protesters remained in the park, clearing up after a night of trying to fend off tear gas, followed by an early morning storm that blew down tents and soaked bedding and blankets. At the park's entrance on Taksim Square, a massive barricade of wrecked cars and construction material stood as rudimentary protection from the police.

Throughout Tuesday, riot police firing water cannon and tear gas clashed repeatedly with pockets of protesters throwing stones and setting off fireworks in pitched battles. The unrest didn't simmer down until just before dawn.

Erdogan has insisted the protests and occupations, which he says are hurting Turkey's image and economy, must end immediately.

The protests erupted on May 31 after a violent police crackdown on a peaceful sit-in by activists objecting to a project replacing Gezi Park with a replica Ottoman-era barracks. They spread to 78 cities across the country and have attracted tens of thousands of people each night.

____

Elena Becatoros in Istanbul contributed

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkish-pm-meet-istanbul-park-protesters-081045197.html

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Instant Payday Loans - ArticleSnatch.com Article Directory

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Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Instant-Payday-Loans/4998736

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Hands-on with the Ouya destined for store shelves

Hands-on with the Ouya destined for store shelves

The Ouya journey, according to founder Julie Uhrman, will never have a firm conclusion. But, we'd say having retail units enter production and shipping to mega stores like Game Stop and Best Buy represents at least the culmination of this particular story arc. With only a few weeks to go before the retail launch, the company brought the final console, controller and packaging to E3 for a press tour. The console itself is unchanged from the version that shipped to Kickstarter backers, except that it wont have contributor names etched on the side. The final tweaks heading into production have focused on the controller and the software. Visually the gamepad is exactly the same, but a number of small changes have be made to the various components to address feedback from early adopters and reviewers. The holes around the four face buttons have been widened to prevent them from sticking and, no matter how hard we tried, we could not get the O, U, Y or A to get wedged under the face plate. The right thumb stick also had a tendency to get caught on early versions of the controller, thanks to a small amount of glue that leaked into the area. That issue has supposedly been resolved, and in our time with the production model we had no problems with the analog stick.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/wPMu8AlAa54/

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Papaya-clay combo could cut cost of water purification in developing countries

Papaya-clay combo could cut cost of water purification in developing countries [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstrein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

An inexpensive new material made of clay and papaya seeds removes harmful metals from water and could lower the cost of providing clean water to millions of people in the developing world, scientists are reporting. Their study on this "hybrid clay" appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Emmanuel Unuabonah and colleagues explain that almost 1 billion people in developing countries lack access to reliable supplies of clean water for drinking, cooking and other key uses. One health problem resulting from that shortage involves exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury, released from industrial sources into the water. Technology exists for removing those metals from drinking water, but often is too costly in developing countries. So these scientists looked for a more affordable and sustainable water treatment adsorbent.

They turned to two materials readily available in some developing countries. One was kaolinite clay, used to make ceramics, paint, paper and other products. The other: seeds of the Carica papaya fruit. Both had been used separately in water purification in the past, but until now, they had not been combined in what the scientists term "hybrid clay." Their documentation of the clay's effectiveness established that the material "has a strong potential for replacing commercial activated carbon in treatment of wastewater in the developing world."

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, the University of Potsdam and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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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.


Papaya-clay combo could cut cost of water purification in developing countries [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 12-Jun-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Michael Bernstein
m_bernstrein@acs.org
202-872-6042
American Chemical Society

An inexpensive new material made of clay and papaya seeds removes harmful metals from water and could lower the cost of providing clean water to millions of people in the developing world, scientists are reporting. Their study on this "hybrid clay" appears in the journal ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering.

Emmanuel Unuabonah and colleagues explain that almost 1 billion people in developing countries lack access to reliable supplies of clean water for drinking, cooking and other key uses. One health problem resulting from that shortage involves exposure to heavy metals such as lead, cadmium and mercury, released from industrial sources into the water. Technology exists for removing those metals from drinking water, but often is too costly in developing countries. So these scientists looked for a more affordable and sustainable water treatment adsorbent.

They turned to two materials readily available in some developing countries. One was kaolinite clay, used to make ceramics, paint, paper and other products. The other: seeds of the Carica papaya fruit. Both had been used separately in water purification in the past, but until now, they had not been combined in what the scientists term "hybrid clay." Their documentation of the clay's effectiveness established that the material "has a strong potential for replacing commercial activated carbon in treatment of wastewater in the developing world."

###

The authors acknowledge funding from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, the University of Potsdam and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With more than 163,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

Follow us: Twitter Facebook


[ 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/2013-06/acs-pcc061213.php

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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Bombs and battles hit northern Iraq, more than 70 dead

By Patrick Markey

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Insurgents attacked cities across Iraq on Monday with car bombs, suicide blasts and gun battles that killed more than 70 people in unrest that has deepened fears of a return to civil war.

No group claimed responsibility for the day-long attacks, most of them in northern Iraq, but officials blame much of the violence that has killed nearly 2,000 people since April on Sunni Islamist insurgents linked to al Qaeda's local wing.

Weeks of bloodshed have accompanied rising political tensions between Iraq's majority Shi'ite leaders and members of the Sunni community, who believe they have been marginalized since the fall of Saddam Hussein after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion.

But war in neighboring Syria, where Shi'ite Iran and the region's Sunni Gulf states are backing opposing sides, has also put pressure on Iraq's own balance among Shi'ite, Sunni and ethnic Kurds who share power in a fragile government.

Markets in two northern Iraqi towns were hit early on Monday, police said. Later attacks targeted security forces. In the northern city of Mosul, suicide bombers and rocket fire struck police headquarters, killing 24, many of them police and soldiers.

"I was selling watermelon and suddenly I heard a powerful blast at the entrance to the market. I fled from the dust and smoke when a second blast turned the place into hell," said Hassan Hadi, a farmer wounded in one of the market attacks.

"I was hit in my leg and lay down in shock."

Most of the apparently coordinated violence hit the north of the country and included at least eight suicide blasts and gun battles at military bases or checkpoints.

Two roadside bombs also exploded near a cafe, killing four people in the Shi'ite district of Sadr City, northeastern Baghdad, police said.

Suicide attacks are the signature of al Qaeda's Iraqi affiliate, Islamic State of Iraq, and their growing frequency, in particular so many in one day, appears to indicate the extent to which Islamist insurgents are regrouping.

Invigorated by Syria's mostly Sunni revolt and tapping into bitter Iraqi Sunni discontent with the Shi'ite-led government, al Qaeda's local wing is regaining some ground lost during its war with U.S. troops, who left Iraq in December 2011.

Since December, thousands of Sunnis have protested against the government. But an Iraqi army raid on a Sunni protest camp in the town of Hawija in April reignited violence.

Monthly death tolls since then have been the worst since the inter-communal bloodletting five years ago that killed tens of thousands, partitioned Baghdad into districts based on religious sect and drove Iraq to the edge of civil war.

At the height of Iraq's sectarian violence, the monthly death count sometimes topped 3,000.

Iraqi military forces are better equipped and trained than at the peak of the conflict, but they lack the comprehensive intelligence resources and air cover capability to track insurgents that they enjoyed under U.S. military guidance.

(Reporting by Reuters correspondents in Baquba and Mosul, Gazwan Hassan and Mustafa Mahmoud, Suadad al-Salhy and Ahmed Rasheed in Baghdad; Editing by Mike Collett-White and Xavier Briand)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/bombs-strike-iraqi-market-killing-least-13-071003458.html

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Tuesday, June 11, 2013

South Africa: family visits Nelson Mandela

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? Nelson Mandela received visits from family members on Sunday at a hospital where the former president and anti-apartheid leader was being treated for a recurring lung infection, while South Africans expressed their appreciation for a man widely regarded as the father of the nation.

There was no official update on 94-year-old Mandela after his second night in the hospital. His condition was described as "serious but stable" on Saturday.

The office of President Jacob Zuma had said that Mandela was taken to a Pretoria hospital after his condition deteriorated at around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The anti-apartheid leader has now been taken to a hospital four times since December, with the last discharge coming on April 6 after doctors diagnosed him with pneumonia and drained fluid from his lung area.

Members of Mandela's family on Sunday were seen visiting the Pretoria hospital where he is believed to be staying. They included Makaziwe Mandela, the eldest of the ex-leader's three surviving children, and Ndileka Mandela, one of his 17 grandchildren.

Worshippers at a Sunday church service in the Johannesburg township of Soweto prayed for the recovery of Mandela, who was freed in 1990 after 27 years as a prisoner of white racist rule and won election to the presidency in all-race elections in 1994. He retired from public life years ago and had received medical care at his Johannesburg home until his latest transfer to a hospital.

At the Regina Mundi church in Soweto, Father Sebastian Rousso said Mandela, seen by many as a symbol of reconciliation for his peacemaking efforts, played a key role "not only for ourselves as South Africans, but for the world."

There is a stained glass image of Mandela with arms raised in the Catholic church, a center of protests and funeral services for activists during the apartheid years.

"We still need him in our lives because he did so much for us," said Mantsho Moralo, a receptionist who was in the congregation. Siyabonga Nyembe, a student, described Mandela as a "pillar of strength" for South Africans.

A stream of tourists visited Mandela's former home, now a museum, on Vilakazi Street in Soweto. Visitors and vendors wished a quick recovery for the man whose sacrifices in the fight against apartheid made their lives better, even if South Africa today is struggling today with high unemployment and other severe challenges.

"He's like one in a million. I don't think we're ever going to get a leader like him. We're living the life that we have because of him and for that we wish him well," said Seponono Kekana, who toured the brick, one-storey house.

On April 29, state television broadcast footage of a visit by Zuma and other leaders of the ruling African National Congress to Mandela's home. Zuma said at the time that Mandela was in good shape, but the footage - the first public images of Mandela in nearly a year - showed him silent and unresponsive, even when Zuma tried to hold his hand.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been particularly vulnerable to respiratory problems since contracting tuberculosis during his long imprisonment. The bulk of that period was spent on Robben Island, an outpost off the coast of Cape Town where Mandela and other prisoners spent part of the time toiling in a stone quarry.

The Sunday Times, a South African newspaper, quoted Andrew Mlangeni, an old friend of Mandela, as saying he wished the former president would get better but noted his infirmity had become a drawn-out process. He said Mandela had been taken to the hospital "too many times" and that there was a possibility he would not be well again.

"The family must release him so that God may have his own way. They must release him spiritually and put their faith in the hands of God," said Mlangeni, a co-defendant of Mandela in the 1960s trial on sabotage charges that led to a sentence of life imprisonment for them and other anti-apartheid leaders.

"Once the family releases him, the people of South Africa will follow. We will say thank you, God, you have given us this man, and we will release him too," Mlangeni told the newspaper.

Nhlanhla Ngcobobo, a street vendor who works a few steps from the Mandela Family Restaurant next to the former leader's old home, said the ailing Mandela was a kind of psychological anchor for his compatriots. South Africa has held peaceful elections since 1994 and remains an economic powerhouse on the continent, but many worry that the sense of promise that Mandela represented in the early years of democracy is in peril.

"There's a lot of corruption and when Mandela dies, people will start feeling they can do what they like and corruption will be worse than it is," Ngcobobo said. "By him being alive, there's a lot more order."

---

Associated Press writer Wandoo Makurdi in Johannesburg contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-family-visits-nelson-mandela-142009627.html

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Feds: All girls to have morning-after pill access

FILE - This undated file photo provided by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., shows a package of Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive. The federal government on Monday, June 10, 2013 told a judge it will reverse course and take steps to comply with his order to allow girls of any age to buy emergency contraception without prescriptions. (AP Photo/Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., File)

FILE - This undated file photo provided by Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., shows a package of Plan B One-Step, an emergency contraceptive. The federal government on Monday, June 10, 2013 told a judge it will reverse course and take steps to comply with his order to allow girls of any age to buy emergency contraception without prescriptions. (AP Photo/Barr Pharmaceuticals Inc., File)

(AP) ? The federal government on Monday told a judge it will reverse course and take steps to comply with his order to allow girls of any age to buy emergency contraception without prescriptions.

The decision ends a years-long fight between President Barack Obama's administration, which had argued that age limits for the morning-after pill are common sense, and women's rights groups, which insisted the drug should be made as freely available as aspirin.

The Department of Justice, in the latest development in the complex back-and-forth over access to the drug, notified U.S. District Judge Edward Korman it will submit a plan for compliance. If he approves it, the department will drop its appeal of his April ruling.

According to the department's letter to the judge, the Food and Drug Administration has told the maker of the pills to submit a new drug application with proposed labeling that would permit it to be sold "without a prescription and without age or point-of-sale prescriptions." The FDA said that once it receives the application it "intends to approve it promptly."

Last week, an appeals court dealt the government a setback by saying it would immediately permit unrestricted sales of the two-pill version of the emergency contraception until the appeal was decided. That order was met with praise from advocates for girls' and women's rights and with scorn from social conservatives and other opponents, who argue the drug's availability takes away the rights of parents of girls who could get it without their permission.

Advocates for girls' and women's rights said Monday the federal government's decision to comply with the judge's ruling could be a move forward for "reproductive justice" if the FDA acts quickly and puts emergency contraception over the counter without restriction.

Annie Tummino, lead plaintiff in a lawsuit over unrestricted access to the morning-after pill and coordinator of the National Women's Liberation, said women and girls should have "the absolute right to control our bodies without having to ask a doctor or a pharmacist for permission."

"It's about time that the administration stopped opposing women having access to safe and effective birth control," she said in an emailed statement.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America president Cecile Richards, in a statement, called the government's decision to drop the appeal "a huge breakthrough for access to birth control and a historic moment for women's health and equity."

But opponents of easy access to the morning-after pill, such as the anti-abortion Family Research Council, criticized the government for not sticking with its decision to appeal.

"We're very concerned and disappointed at the same time because what we see here is the government caving to political pressure instead of putting first the health and safety of girls (and) parental rights," said Anna Higgins, director of the council's Center for Human Dignity.

The government had appealed the judge's underlying April 5 ruling, which ordered emergency contraceptives based on the hormone levonorgestrel be made available without a prescription, over the counter and without point-of-sale or age restrictions.

It had asked the judge to suspend the effect of that ruling until the appeals court could decide the case. But the judge declined, saying the government's decision to restrict sales of the morning-after pill was "politically motivated, scientifically unjustified and contrary to agency precedent." He also said there was no basis to deny the request to make the drugs widely available.

The government had argued that "substantial market confusion" could result if the judge's ruling were enforced while appeals were pending, only to be later overturned.

The morning-after pill contains a higher dose of the female hormone progestin than is in regular birth control pills. Taking it within 72 hours of rape, condom failure or just forgetting regular contraception can cut the chances of pregnancy by up to 89 percent, but it works best within the first 24 hours. If a girl or woman already is pregnant, the pill, which prevents ovulation or fertilization of an egg, has no effect.

The FDA was preparing in 2011 to allow over-the-counter sales of the morning-after pill with no limits when Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius overruled her own scientists in an unprecedented move.

The FDA announced in late April that Plan B One-Step, the newer version of emergency contraception, the same drug but combined into one pill instead of two, could be sold without a prescription to those age 15 or older. Its maker, Teva Women's Health, plans to begin those sales soon. Sales had previously been limited to those who were at least 17.

The judge later ridiculed the FDA changes, saying they established "nonsensical rules" that favored sales of the Plan B One-Step morning-after pill and were made "to sugarcoat" the government's appeal.

He also said they placed a disproportionate burden on blacks and the poor by requiring a prescription for less expensive generic versions of the drug bought by those under age 17 and by requiring those age 17 or over to show proof-of-age identification at pharmacies. He cited studies showing that blacks with low incomes are less likely than other people to have government-issued IDs.

The decision marks a sharp reversal for Obama and his administration. His previous decision to appeal set off a storm of criticism from girls' and women's rights groups, who denounced it as politically motivated and a step backward for their health. Abortion rights advocates who had counted Obama as among their supporters angrily questioned why a Democratic president had sided with social conservatives in favor of limiting women's health care choices.

Reluctant to get drawn into a messy second-term spat over social issues, White House officials have argued that the FDA and the Department of Justice were acting independently of the White House in deciding how to proceed. That approach continued Monday, with the White House referring all questions about the decision to Health and Human Services.

Still, Obama has made clear in the past that he feels strongly about the limits, and he said in 2011 he supported Sebelius' decision to impose them despite the advice of her scientists.

"As the father of two daughters, I think it is important for us to make sure that we apply some common sense to various rules when it comes to over-the-counter medicine," Obama said then.

___

Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report from Washington.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-06-10-Morning-After%20Pill/id-1cd61510e2314321943f549c1ab8997b

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Monday, June 10, 2013

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Report: Iran sets up space monitoring center

TEHRAN, Iran (AP) ? Iran's media says that it has set up its first center to monitor objects passing in orbit overhead.

A Sunday report by the semi-official Irna news agency quotes Defense Minister Gen. Ahmad Vahidi as saying the center will continuously track objects moving in space, and that it is ready to share data with other countries.

The report said President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was present at the inauguration of the center located near the town of Delijan some 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Tehran.

Iran frequently announces technological breakthroughs that cannot be independently verified. It has long pursued space ambitions aimed at putting its own satellite into orbit and a manned space flight.

The U.S. and its allies worry that the same technology could also be used to develop long-range missiles.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-iran-sets-space-monitoring-center-060048080.html

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Island in the Lost


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Grieving mum says drivers need to change thinking - Stuff

Emma

INCENTIVE TO IMPROVE: Emma Woods says even after what her family has been through she still makes mistakes when driving, but is working hard to limit them.

Nayan Woods

KIRK HARGREAVES/Fairfax NZ

A PAINFUL MEMORY: This photo of Nayan Woods was placed on a tree near the scene of the crash where he was killed in Christchurch in 2010.

Has a crash affected your family?

Share your stories, photos and videos.

I have noticed a lot of road safety messages in the media recently, many of them relating to pedestrian safety.

Maybe it's because of the time of year, and I'm just more aware of messages that are always there in the background, like when you're pregnant and you notice all the other pregnant people.

Today is the anniversary of when our sons and I were hit by a car. The driver lost control, crashing into the three of us as we walked home along the footpath - injuring myself and our oldest son and killing Nayan, our youngest.

Two weeks ago New Zealand organisation, Brake, promoted the UN's Global Road Safety Week, focusing on the message of pedestrian and cyclist safety. The campaign encouraged people to think about everyone who uses the road and promoted the World Health Organisation's recommendation of a 30kmh speed limit within residential areas and around schools.

The argument is that a car travelling at 50kmh will take 24 metres to stop but only 11 metres when travelling at 30kmh. The slower speed not only allows for a better chance of avoidance, it also improves the survival rate if you are hit. A pedestrian hit by a car travelling at 30kmh will be much more likely to survive the impact than if the car was travelling at 50kmh.

In February NZ Transport Agency released a campaign called Drive Social. The aim of the campaign is to get people to start thinking about the other people using the roads instead of just the other cars. A lot of crashes occur when we, as drivers, prioritise our own needs ahead of those around us. Rushing to work, running late for an appointment, feeling stressed as we do the school run or answering a text that we feel is imperative to do immediately, are all times we leave ourselves open to making mistakes.

Whether consciously or not, we are essentially justifying our actions in a self-centred way - we believe that what we are doing is more important than what others around us need to do. The Drive Social campaign encourages us to think more about the people we share the road with.

Human nature means mistakes are made. If we are lucky, the consequences of a driving mistake are insignificant but sometimes all the factors line up, turning one careless action into a result that is life-changing.

Often, the only difference between one mistake and another is the severity of the consequence.

After Nayan was killed there was a line from a song I would think of whenever I saw poor driving: "Every tool is a weapon if you hold it right."

It's so easy to turn our mode of transport into a weapon in a moment of carelessness.

Even after what we've been through I still make mistakes when driving, but viewing each mistake as having the potential to kill gives me incentive to work at limiting the amount I make.

I am more aware of how I drive now. I explain a lot more to our eldest son about what I'm doing and why. I tell him why I have to change my speed because of rain or road works and how I can't look at what he's trying to show me, because I have to keep my attention on the road.

During their early years our children are not only our passengers, they are also witnesses to our driving, absorbing our behaviours and attitudes. If we model impatience, carelessness and lack of respect when our children are buckled in as our captive audiences, how can we expect them to make safer choices when it's their turn to get in the driver's seat?

Last year my husband and I were privileged to be a part of the team that brought the Right Track driving programme to Christchurch. Although this programme has been running in the North Island for several years, this was the first time it was offered in Christchurch.

The Right Track is a highly successful driver re-education programme that works with young recidivist driving offenders, greatly improving their safety on the road.

It doesn't achieve this by teaching hands-on driving skills. It does it by changing how the participants view their rights and responsibilities on the road.

It increases their empathy for other people and shows them the consequences their actions could cause.

It shows them how one mistake can ripple out and cause damage in ways they'd never previously cared about.

It introduces them to the people and agencies involved with caring for road crash victims, they hear the realities in a stark way that is hard to ignore.

It teaches them to be better at identifying and managing risks and shows them their role in keeping their family and friends safe.

From the two Christchurch intakes last year, 78 per cent of the graduates haven't re-offended - a fantastic result.

In the next few months we'll hear whether funding has been approved for future Christchurch programmes.

It's with dread I see May approach each year. The changing leaves and lengthening shadows bring sadness and regret of another year passing without Nayan beside us.

This May marks the third year since Nayan was killed and each day is still a struggle for many in our whanau.

Like the butterflies Nayan loved, many of us who loved him have undergone a type of transformation.

Grief's transformation is strange though, it leaves you unchanged in appearance but markedly different inside.

Three years on and there is no closure, no moving on and no letting go.

The death of a child is a lifelong adjustment, a new "normal" that never feels right.

I spoke to a friend from Canada a few weeks ago who told me that after hearing about Nayan her boss had spent some time reflecting on his driving and drives differently now. It was heartening to hear that someone 15,000km away, who had never met Nayan, felt impacted enough by his death to change how he drives.

It's impossible to know the far-reaching implications that driving with more care and awareness has. How can you put a number on how many lives have been saved by a shift in thinking?

Just because you can't quantify them, it doesn't mean they don't exist and you have no way of knowing whether one of the lives saved will be yours or someone you love.

- Comments on this article have been disabled at the request of the author

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/8695897/Grieving-mum-says-drivers-need-to-change-thinking

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How bilinguals switch between languages

May 20, 2013 ? Individuals who learn two languages at an early age seem to switch back and forth between separate "sound systems" for each language, according to new research conducted at the University of Arizona.

The research, to be published in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, addresses enduring questions in bilingual studies about how bilingual speakers hear and process sound in two different languages.

"A lot of research has shown that bilinguals are pretty good at accommodating speech variation across languages, but there's been a debate as to how," said lead author Kalim Gonzales, a psychology doctoral student at the University of Arizona. "There are two views: One is that bilinguals have different processing modes for their two languages -- they have a mode for processing speech in one language and then a mode for processing speech in the other language. Another view is that bilinguals just adjust to speech variation by recalibrating to the unique acoustic properties of each language."

Gonzales's research supports the first view -- that bilinguals who learn two languages early in life learn two separate processing modes, or "sound systems."

The study looked at 32 Spanish-English early bilinguals, who had learned their second language before age 8. Participants were presented with a series of pseudo-words beginning with a 'pa' or a 'ba' sound and asked to identify which of the two sounds they heard.

While 'pa' and 'ba' sounds exist in both English and Spanish, how those sounds are produced and perceived in the two languages varies subtly. In the case of 'ba,' for example, English speakers typically begin to vibrate their vocal chords the moment they open their lips, while Spanish speakers begin vocal chord vibration slightly before they open their lips and produce 'pa' in a manner similar to English 'ba.' As a result of those subtle differences, English-only speakers might, in some cases, confuse the 'ba' and 'pa' sounds they hear in Spanish, explains co-author Andrew Lotto, associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences at the University of Arizona.

"When most people think about differences between languages, they think they use different words and they have different grammars, but at their base languages use different sounds," Lotto said.

"One of the reasons it sounds different when you hear someone speaking a different language is because the actual sounds they use are different; they have a sound code that's specific to that language," he said. "One of the reasons someone might sound like they have an accent if they learn Spanish first is because their 'pa' is like an English 'ba,' so when they say a word with 'pa,' it will sound like a 'ba' to an English monolingual."

For the study, the bilingual participants were divided into two groups. One group was told they would be hearing rare words in Spanish, while the other was told they would be hearing rare words in English. Both groups heard audio recordings of variations of the same two words -- bafri and pafri -- which are not real words in either language.

Participants were then asked to identify whether the words they heard began with a 'ba' or a 'pa' sound.

Each group heard the same series of words, but for the group told they were hearing Spanish, the ends of the words were pronounced slightly differently, with the 'r' getting a Spanish pronunciation.

The findings: Participants perceived 'ba' and 'pa' sounds differently depending on whether they were told they were hearing Spanish words, with the Spanish pronunciation of 'r,' or whether they were told they were hearing English words, with the English pronunciation of 'r.'

"What this showed is that when you put people in English mode, they actually would act like English speakers, and then if you put them in Spanish mode, they would switch to acting like Spanish speakers," Lotto said. "These bilinguals, hearing the exact same 'ba's and 'pa's would label them differently depending on the context."

When the study was repeated with 32 English monolinguals, participants did not show the same shift in perception; they labeled 'ba' and 'pa' sounds the same way regardless of which language they were told they were hearing. It was that lack of an effect for monolinguals that provided the strongest evidence for two sound systems in bilinguals.

"Up until this point we haven't had a good answer to whether bilinguals actually learn two different codes -- so a 'ba-pa' English code and a 'ba-pa' Spanish code -- or whether they learn something that's sort of in the middle," Lotto said. "This is one of the first clear demonstrations that bilinguals really do have two different sounds systems and that they can switch between one language and the other and then use that sound system."

This is true primarily for those who learn two languages very young, Lotto said.

"If you learn a second language later in life, you usually have a dominant language and then you try to use that sounds system for the other language, which is why you end up having an accent," he said.

Research on bilingualism has increased in recent years as the global climate has become more intermixed, Lotto noted. These new findings challenge the idea that bilinguals always have one dominant language.

"This raises the possibility that bilinguals can perceive speech like a native speaker in both languages," said Gonzales, whose own son is growing up learning English and Chinese simultaneously.

"The predominant view of late has been that bilinguals will never be able to perceive a second language beyond what a late learner is capable of, or someone who learns a second language late in life. So even if you learn two languages simultaneously from birth, you're always going to perceive one of them like a late learner," Gonzales said. "Our findings cast doubt on that prominent view in the bilingual literature."

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/child_development/~3/qJC6_Bau0vE/130520163859.htm

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Oregon Dressage Society News and Announcements ? The ...

Four young riders have been selected for the 2013 International Dream Program that annually sends young riders to Europe for an intensive 10-day dressage experience. The program is administered and funded annually by The Dressage Foundation (TDF).? An independent selection committee, after reviewing dozens of applications, chose the following young riders to make the twelfth annual TDF trip to Europe: Katie Foster (MI), Molly Eastridge (WA), Hannah Pierucci (VA) and Molly Maloney (NY). The following two young riders were chosen as first and second alternates: Katrina Hiller (WI) and Genay Vaughn (CA). The selection committee based their decision on candidates? essays, competition scores, recommendations, videos of their riding and signs of commitment to the sport of dressage.

Jenny Johnson, Administrative Director of TDF said, ?The Board of Directors and staff of The Dressage Foundation congratulates the four candidates chosen for this year?s International Dream Program!? We received many high quality applications, so the selection committee had quite a task.?

The program, conceived by Olympic medalist and TDF board member, Michael Poulin (FL), will be led this year by chaperones Jennifer Baumert (NC) and Jontelle Forbus (VA). Beth Baumert (CT) is serving as administrator as she has since the program?s inception. Poulin believes TDF?s International Dream program helps American young riders reach their potential. He aims to fuel ?the power of the dream? for young people, and help them ?develop a sense of proportion, a sense of themselves and of being proud of who they are and what they?re doing.?

On August 5, the tentative plan is for the group to travel to England where they will visit Laura Bechtolsheimer, Carl Hester, Charlotte DuJardin and possibly Kyra Kyrklund. The group will attend the Verden CDI and the World Young Horse Championships from August 9-11. Subject to the schedules of German trainers, the young riders may also visit former U.S. team coach, Klaus Balkenhol and Spanish team coach, Jan Bemelmans.? They may visit German Olympians, Ingrid Klimke, Helen Langehanenberg or Hubertus Schmidt. Finally the group has tentative plans to visit Klaus Martin Rath and his son, Matthias Rath, rider of the great Totilas, at the Ann Kathrin Linsenhoff stable, Schafhof. The group will return to their home towns on August 15th.

While traveling, the young riders will record their observations in daily journals and chronicle the events with photos and video to share with their home dressage organizations.

Primary chaperone, Jennifer Baumert, is a USDF Certified Instructor through Fourth Level. She has trained extensively in Germany, most recently with Olympian Klaus Balkenhol when she was riding the stallion, Don Principe.? Jontelle Forbus is USDF Certified through Second Level and lived in Holland while training with Olympian, Coby van Baalen.

?This annual trip is made possible by very generous donors,? said Jenny Johnson. ?We?re very grateful to those who provided funding support for this program.? Further information on the Young Rider International Dream Program will be kept current on the TDF website:http://www.dressagefoundation.org/International_Dream_Program.htm

###

Source: http://www.oregondressage.com/news/2013/the-dressage-foundation-chooses-four-young-riders-for-international-dream-european-tour-including-molly-eastridge-of-longview-wa/

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Monday, May 20, 2013

$590M-plus Powerball: 1 winning ticket sold in Fla.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) ? It's all about the odds, and one lone ticket in Florida has beaten them all by matching each of the numbers drawn for the highest Powerball jackpot in history at an estimated $590.5 million, lottery officials said Sunday.

The single winner was sold at a supermarket in Zephyrhills, Fla., according to Florida Lottery executive Cindy O'Connell. She told The Associated Press by telephone that more details would be released later.

"This would be the sixth Florida Powerball winner and right now, it's the sole winner of the largest ever Powerball jackpot," O'Connell told AP. "We're delighted right now that we have the sole winner."

She said Florida has had more Powerball winners than any other state.

The winner was not immediately identified publicly and O'Connell did not give any indication just hours after Saturday's drawing whether anyone had already stepped forward with that winning ticket.

With four out of every five possible combinations of Powerball numbers in play, lottery executives said earlier that someone was almost certain to win the game's highest jackpot, a windfall of hundreds of millions of dollars ? and that's after taxes.

Saturday night's winning numbers were 10, 13, 14, 22 and 52, with a Powerball of 11.

Estimates had earlier put the jackpot at around $600 million. But Powerball's online site said Sunday that the jackpot had reached an estimated $590.5 million.

Terry Rich, CEO of the Iowa Lottery, initially confirmed that one Florida winning ticket had been sold. He told AP that following the Florida winner, the Powerball grand prize was being reset at an estimated jackpot of $40 million, or about $25.1 million cash value.

The chances of winning the prize were astronomically low: 1 in 175.2 million. That's how many different ways you can combine the numbers when you play. But lottery officials estimated that about 80 percent of those possible combinations had been purchased recently.

While the odds are low for any one individual or individuals, O'Connell said, the chance that one hits paydirt is what makes Powerball an "exciting game to play."

"There is just the chance that you will have the opportunity and Florida is a huge Powerball state. We have had more winners than any other state that participates in Powerball."

Such longshot odds didn't deter people across Powerball-playing states ? 43 plus Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands ? from lining up at gas stations and convenience stores Saturday for their chance at striking it filthy rich.

Calls by AP to the Publix supermarket outlet in Florida where the winning ticket was sold were not answered Sunday.

Elsewhere, Rich said, lottery officials reported 33 winning tickets for a $1,000,000 prize each were sold around 17 states, led by six tickets in New York. He said lotteries reported 2 winning tickets each for the $2,000,000 PowerPlay, one in New York and the other in South Carolina.

Before the drawing, there was a rush for tickets around the country.

At a mini market in the heart of Los Angeles' Chinatown, employees broke the steady stream of customers into two lines: One for Powerball ticket buyers and one for everybody else. Some people appeared to be looking for a little karma.

"We've had two winners over $10 million here over the years, so people in the neighborhood think this is the lucky store," employee Gordon Chan said as he replenished a stack of lottery tickets on a counter.

The world's largest jackpot was a $656 million Mega Millions jackpot in March 2012. If $600 million, the jackpot would currently include a $376.9 million cash option.

Clyde Barrow, a public policy professor at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, specializes in the gaming industry. He said one of the key factors behind the ticket-buying frenzy is the size of the jackpot ? people are interested in the easy investment.

"Even though the odds are very low, the investment is very small," he said. "Two dollars gets you a chance."

That may be why Ed McCuen has a Powerball habit that's as regular as clockwork. The 57-year-old electrical contractor from Savannah, Ga., buys one ticket a week, regardless of the possible loot. It's a habit he didn't alter Saturday.

"You've got one shot in a gazillion or whatever," McCuen said, tucking his ticket in his pocket as he left a local convenience store. "You can't win unless you buy a ticket. But whether you buy one or 10 or 20, it's insignificant."

Seema Sharma doesn't seem to think so. The newsstand employee in Manhattan's Penn Station purchased $80 worth of tickets for herself. She also was selling tickets all morning at a steady pace, instructing buyers where to stand if they wanted machine-picked tickets or to choose their own numbers.

"I work very hard ? too hard ? and I want to get the money so I can finally relax," she said. "You never know."

___

Associated Press Radio Correspondent Julie Walker and AP writers Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, S.C., Betsy Blaney in Lubbock, Texas, Russ Bynum in Savannah, Ga., John Rogers in Los Angeles and Verena Dobnick in New York contributed to this report.

___

Follow Barbara Rodriguez at http://twitter.com/bcrodriguez .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/590m-plus-powerball-1-winning-ticket-sold-fla-061647844.html

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