Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/01/30/trance-danny-boyle-james-mcavoy/
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Thursday, January 31, 2013
Start Getting Excited For 'Trance' From Danny Boyle And James McAvoy
For his follow-up to "127 Hours," Danny Boyle is returning to his roots with a brand new off-kilter crime drama, except this time his Ewan McGregor is actually James McAvoy. (Which actually makes a lot of sense if you think about it.) "Trance" tells the story of an art auctioneer (McAvoy) who plans on stealing [...]
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Using Self Improvement To Improve Your Mind, Body And Mood ...
Monday, January 28th, 2013. 25 views.
Sometimes when you first step onto the road of personal development, it can all be a little overwhelming. There are also a lot of different improvement avenues to chose from. Personal development can range from improving your diet to enhancing your social skills. Self improvement can be achieved in many different ways. The main goal of personal development is to improve the way that you feel about yourself, but it is quite probable that others around you will notice the changes too.
Set realistic, attainable goals for yourself to ensure that you are envisioning an achievable, healthy lifestyle. By taking some time our for yourself to focus on both strengths and weaknesses, you will notice overall self-improvement.
Take the time to research the lives of successful people. Studying the processes used by others will help you better develop your own self improvement strategies. Knowing that other people have succeeded at the same goal will make it seem more attainable to you.
Be on the lookout for new ways to challenge yourself. Discovering new challenges is a great way to open yourself up to new possibilities. You can learn more and acquire new skills. You may even start a new model by doing something that has never been done before. Do something new and unique, instead of copying others.
TIP! Seeking advice from a counselor, or paster can be a wonderful source to help guide you. They have a great deal of experience in dealing with personal thoughts and are even licensed to do so.
When you are actively trying to improve yourself, failing to do well at something can hurt your self-esteem more than it otherwise would. Actually, failure is really a learning experience. Failure is a way of learning your weaknesses and your strengths. Looking at it this way, failure is a source of pride, because you?ve unlocked another piece of the puzzle when it comes to your development.
Get organized. You will feel accomplished and your mind will feel clearer. This also helps relieve you from stress caused by disorganization. When everything is in a proper place, life is a bit more calm.
Take the time to change the focus of your conversation from your own accomplishments and awards to the achievements of those around you. You?ll be able to find out about the wonderful things the people you know have accomplished, bringing about a new-found respect and admiration for them.
Find texts that help you. This could be a holy text for some people. For others, it could just a book of inspirational sayings. Sometimes having a physical representation of comfort can help you better manage your day-to-day life.
TIP! Make the most of your work time to accomplish more. One trick to doing this, is to take more breaks.
Improving your life is closely tied to willpower, and a lot can be said for the karma you develop along the way. This means that you are wise to only wish good things upon others. If you endeavor to be positive about all things, then that positivity will come back to you.
Learn to deal with stressful situations without reacting in an emotional way. Learning ways to maintain your composure when stressed will help boost your self-esteem, and help you triumph under any circumstance. Breathing deeply can be a powerful way to reduce stress and stay in the moment.
The worst way to deal with a situation is by overreacting. This will cause you unneeded and unnecessary stress. It?s best to train yourself to cope with your daily stress, and it begins with analyzing every situation where you tend to feel strained. If you screw up, you can probably fix it, or at least find a way to minimize the damage. Rather than dwelling on what you?ve lost, look at the things you still have.
Leadership is about exercising authority, but good leaders are humble, too. When delivering criticisms, remember that you should be firm, yet friendly. You will not go far if you forget your own willingness to serve. A successful leader is one who demonstrates integrity and virtue as an example to others.
TIP! Writing out your goals will help you develop your own plan for personal growth. Record the behaviors and character traits you wish to have; for example, you might list patience or gratitude.
It is impossible for you to properly care for the ones you love, unless you take care of yourself first. It doesn?t matter if you are succeeding or failing in your path. You should always find time to rest your body so that you can renew yourself.
Strive to improve daily so that each one is more perfect than the previous. Set a goal of continuous improvement through steady efforts. Try your hardest to achieve something different today than what you achieved yesterday.
Make a list of your priorities, and plan your life around these elements. When it comes to focusing your feelings and emotions, strive to apply them to the important aspects of your life that build happiness, and do not waste them on the negative aspects that weigh you down and prevent inner peace.
Your core principles are important, and your actions should reflect them. Everyone has basic principles by which they define themselves. Having a good foundation based on your core principles will benefit your sense of self esteem. Better yet, this practice encourages consistency, which is an excellent character trait to maintain.
TIP! Live your life with wisdom and humility. There are certain things in your life that you just can?t change.
Anytime and anywhere, be ready for when your ideas strike. Make sure you have a notepad on you at all times. Scribble detailed notes when something comes to you, and then carry them out whenever your creativity is piqued.
It is essential to have a clearly outlined goal, when working toward improving self improvement. Make sure to come up with a target goal for yourself. If you are clear about your goals, it will be easier to measure how well you have achieved them.
Our goal in this article was to help you to accomplish a start on your self improvement plans. However, there are many other ways in which you may further improve your life. No matter your age, you can always work on becoming a better person for both yourself and others.
Maintaining a positive attitude will get you through a lot of tough times while allowing you to grow and mature. If you do not have a good attitude you will never get as far as you could have. Maintain a positive approach to life in order to reach your goals.
TIP! One new trait that is being researched and is very important to develop is known as sexual capitol. It does not refer to using sexuality in a manipulative way.
This is a Guest Post. Read more about the author here: Click Here
Using Self Improvement To Improve Your Mind, Body And Mood
Source: http://rodt-st.com/using-self-improvement-to-improve-your-mind-body-and-mood/
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Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Four killed, many hurt at funerals in Egypt port city
CAIRO (Reuters) - Three people were shot dead and hundreds were injured in Egypt's Port Said on Sunday during the funerals of 33 protesters killed at the weekend, part of a wave of violence piling pressure on Islamist President Mohamed Mursi.
State television said Mursi would address the nation later on Sunday. Forty-five people have been killed in demonstrations around the country since Thursday and his opponents have called for more protests on Monday.
Port Said's head of hospitals, Abdel Rahman Farag, told Reuters an 18-year-old man and two other people died from gunshot wounds on Sunday. More than 416 people suffered from teargas inhalation, while 17 were wounded by gunshots, he said.
As coffins were carried through the streets earlier, some in the crowd chanted for revenge or shouted anti-Mursi slogans. "Our soul and blood, we sacrifice to Port Said," they said.
Gunshots had killed many of the 33 who died on Saturday when residents went on the rampage after a court sentenced 21 people, mostly from the Mediterranean port, to death for their role in deadly soccer violence at a stadium there last year.
A military source said many people in Port Said, which lies next to the increasingly lawless Sinai Peninsula, possess guns. But it was not clear who was behind the deaths and injuries.
In Cairo, police fired teargas at dozens of stone-throwing protesters in a fourth day of clashes over what demonstrators there and in other cities say is a power grab by Islamists two years after Hosni Mubarak was overthrown.
The protesters accuse Mursi, elected in June with the support of his Muslim Brotherhood group, of betraying the democratic goals of the revolution. Most of the deaths since Thursday were in Port Said and Suez, both cities where the army has now been deployed.
The violence adds to the daunting task facing Mursi as he tries to fix a beleaguered economy and cool tempers before a parliamentary election expected in the next few months which is supposed to cement Egypt's transition to democracy.
It has exposed a deep rift in the nation. Liberals and other opponents accuse Mursi of failing to deliver on economic promises and say he has not lived up to pledges to represent all Egyptians. His backers say the opposition is seeking to topple Egypt's first freely elected leader by undemocratic means.
Although Sunday's violence was less severe than the previous two days, Mursi may have little respite. The opposition Popular Current and other groups have called for more protests on Monday to mark what was one of the bloodiest days of the 2011 uprising.
The Popular Current, led by leftist Hamdeen Sabahy, said it "denounces the state of silence of the presidency and the government during the sad events that the country went through the past 48 hours".
"BLOOD BEING SPILT"
On a bridge close to Tahrir Square, youths hurled stones at police in riot gear who fired teargas to push them back towards the square, the cauldron of the uprising that erupted on January 25, 2011 and toppled Mubarak 18 days later.
"None of the revolution's goals have been realized," said Mohamed Sami, a protester in Cairo's Tahrir Square on Sunday.
"Prices are going up. The blood of Egyptians is being spilt in the streets because of neglect and corruption and because the Muslim Brotherhood is ruling Egypt for their own interests."
Clashes also erupted in other streets near the square. The U.S. and British embassies, both close to Tahrir, said they were closed for public business on Sunday, normally a working day.
The army, Egypt's interim ruler until Mursi's election, was sent back onto the streets to restore order in Port Said and Suez, which both lie on the Suez canal. In Suez, at least eight people were killed in clashes with police.
Egypt's defense minister who also heads the army, Abdel Fattah al-Sissi, called for the nation to stand together and said the military would not prevent peaceful protests. But he called on demonstrators to protect public property.
Many ordinary Egyptians are frustrated by the regular escalations that have hurt the economy and their livelihoods.
"They are not revolutionaries protesting," said taxi driver Kamal Hassan, 30, referring to those gathered in Tahrir. "They are thugs destroying the country."
CALL FOR DIALOGUE
The National Defence Council, headed by Mursi, called on Saturday for national dialogue to discuss political differences.
That offer has been cautiously welcomed by the opposition National Salvation Front. But the coalition has demanded a clear agenda and guarantees that any agreements will be implemented.
The Front, formed late last year when Mursi provoked protests and violence by expanding his powers and driving through an Islamist-tinged constitution, has threatened to boycott the parliamentary poll and call for more protests if its demands are not met, including for an early presidential vote.
Egypt's transition has been blighted from the outset by political rows and turbulence on the streets that have driven investors out and kept many tourists away. Its currency, the pound, has steadily weakened against the dollar.
The Port Said clashes erupted after a judge sentenced 21 men to death for involvement in 74 deaths at a soccer match on February 1, 2012 between Cairo's Al Ahly club and the local al-Masri team. Many of the victims were fans of the visiting team.
There were 73 defendants in the case. Those not sentenced on Saturday will face a verdict on March 9, the judge said.
Al Ahly fans cheered the verdict after threatening action if the death penalty was not meted out. But Port Said residents were furious that people from their city were held responsible.
(Additional reporting by Yusri Mohamed in Ismailia and Yasmine Saleh in Cairo; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/riots-over-egyptian-death-sentences-kill-least-32-005245042.html
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Monday, January 28, 2013
Team flag waves as 49ers arrive for Super Bowl
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh talks with reporters during a news conference on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers will face the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
A flag is seen outside the plane carrying the San Francisco 49ers as they arrive at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
San Francisco 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh makes a face on the team bus after arriving at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Pat Semansky)
The San Francisco 49ers arrive at the Louis Armstrong International Airport for the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)
Street performer Ruben Moten, a San Francisco native, wears a San Francisco 49ers visor as he performs as a robot on Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013, in New Orleans. The 49ers and the Baltimore Ravens are scheduled to play in the NFL Super Bowl XLVII football game on Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Jim Harbaugh stepped to the podium, smirked a bit, and greeted his first news conference as a Super Bowl coach.
"We're super happy to be here," he said Sunday night as his NFC champion San Francisco 49ers arrived in the Big Easy for the big game.
"I think this team has the best focus on unity and winning I've ever been a part of."
Considering that Harbaugh was an NFL quarterback for 14 seasons and a successful college coach before joining the 49ers, he knows something about winning.
Under Harbaugh, San Francisco has been to two NFC title games and, now, to its first Super Bowl in 18 years. The Niners (13-4-1) will play Baltimore (13-6), coached by Harbaugh's older brother, John, in next Sunday's Super Bowl.
He is certain his team is ready for the task as the 49ers seek their sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy; they are 5-0 in Super Bowls.
"These are uncharted waters for a rookie Super Bowl coach," Harbaugh said. "But that's exciting. It's a great thrill, and we have a desire to be in uncharted waters. We always strive for that kind of challenge."
Earlier in the evening, with a team flag waving from an open window of their chartered plane, the 49ers arrived in a businesslike manner. The players calmly walked off the airplane ? no video recorders or cameras, no waves to onlookers.
Most of the team's veteran players disembarked first, including center Jonathan Goodwin, who won a Super Bowl three years ago with the Saints.
"You get to go to the Super Bowl with your childhood team, so that's something special to me," he said. "So hopefully I can find a way to win the Super Bowl with my childhood team."
Quarterback Colin Kaepernick, wearing a red wool cap sporting "49ers" on it, mouthed the words to a song on his headphones as he walked on the tarmac.
He seemed just as relaxed 90 minutes later as he met the media.
"Pressure comes from a lack of preparation," said Kaepernick, who took over as the starter when Alex Smith got a concussion in November and has been sensational in keeping the job. "This is not a pressure situation. It's a matter of going out and performing."
Harbaugh said the 49ers came to New Orleans on Sunday to simulate a normal week. He likened their trip to his strategy the last two seasons when the 49ers spent a week in Youngstown, Ohio, between Eastern games rather than return to the Bay Area.
He liked the way the players and coaches bonded during that experience.
"Same approach," Harbaugh said. "Enjoy the moment and the preparation. I think our team enjoys that the most: the meetings, the preparation and then, especially, the competition."
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Friday, January 25, 2013
Soul-searching in focus as GOP gathers in NC
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) ? Republican soul-searching begins in earnest this week as GOP officials from every state in the nation come together for the first time since their party's November shellacking.
There is broad agreement that the Republican Party needs to undergo fundamental changes to remain competitive as surging minority populations re-shape the American electorate. But there is no clear path forward. And even as they gather in a Charlotte, N.C., hotel this week ? just days after President Barack Obama began his second term ? Republicans are in some ways as divided as ever.
Facing his first re-election test later in the week, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus is under intense pressure to improve the Republican brand to attract more women and Hispanics, while not upsetting the hard-line conservatives who represent his party's most passionate voters.
"They're really going to have to do full throttle self-examination. They have alienated so many people who are Republicans," said Olympia Snowe, a three-term Republican senator who retired last year, in part because of her party's shift to the right. "It's going to be a mighty challenge. The party's gone astray."
Indeed, the formal theme of the Republican National Committee's winter meeting ? "Renew, Grow, Win" ? reflects an understanding from party officials that the GOP must grow to survive. In particular, this week's meeting will focus on the need to abandon harsh rhetoric on illegal immigration, women's issues and the social safety net, rhetoric that helped drive moderate voters and minorities toward Democrats last fall.
"We need to renew our values, renew our party, renew what we stand for," RNC spokesman Sean Spicer said.
The push to broaden the party's message is the focus, but not the only business on the agenda for the three-day meeting in North Carolina, a presidential swing state where Democrats hosted their national convention last summer.
Republicans from across the nation will decide Friday whether Priebus deserves a second term after his party lost an opportunity to win the White House and add Senate seats under what appeared to be favorable political conditions. The 40-year-old Wisconsin native is widely expected to win re-election, despite a challenge from Maine National Committeeman Mark Willis, a former Ron Paul supporter who led a brief revolt at the party's national convention last year in Tampa, Fla.
Willis said Wednesday that he did not have the backing of three states needed to ensure a spot on the ballot with Priebus. He acknowledged that he would not likely defeat the sitting chairman even if he qualifies for the ballot. But he and others lashed out at party leaders, saying they were marginalizing grassroots supporters who favored presidential candidates like Paul, former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann or Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul, who is thought to have interest in a 2016 presidential bid.
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, a conservative favorite, is attending the meeting in an unofficial capacity. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, who has been mentioned as a possible 2016 presidential candidate, will deliver a keynote address Thursday night.
Ongoing discussions are expected to swirl about the 2016 presidential voting calendar, which sets the first contests for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina and Nevada. While no shifts are expected this week, some party officials have grown increasingly concerned about Iowa's role after its last presidential caucus.
The results were confusing at best. Mitt Romney, who eventually won the nomination, was initially declared the caucus winner by the Iowa GOP. A subsequent tally, however, suggested that Santorum actually won by a handful of votes.
Some Republicans complain that Iowa's socially conservative voters tend to support candidates that represent ideological extremes. Santorum's candidacy was driven in large part by his opposition to abortion rights and gay marriage. Four years earlier, Iowa Republicans favored Mike Huckabee, a former Arkansas governor and ordained Baptist minister who went on to win just a handful of states.
"I think Iowa is where all eyes are focused," said veteran GOP operative Phil Musser.
But Republicans far from Iowa also hurt their cause in the last election cycle.
Romney helped alienate many Hispanic voters by highlighting his support for a fence along the Mexican border and "self-deportation" of illegal immigrants. Down-ticket Republican candidates alienated female voters by backing new abortion laws in a handful of swing states like Virginia and New Hampshire, while Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri hurt himself and his party by declaring that women's bodies could prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."
Exit polls make clear that Republicans face an uphill battle if they hope to repair their image.
Obama dramatically outperformed Romney among Hispanics last fall, winning 71 percent of the growing demographic compared to Romney's 27 percent. That was the GOP's worst showing among Hispanics since 1996, according to exit polling collected by The Associated Press. It was worse among black voters, who supported Obama over Romney 93 percent to 6 percent.
The disparity is less acute among women ? Obama captured 53 percent of the female vote ? although two decades have passed since a Republican presidential candidate last hit the 50-percent mark with women.
This week marks the beginning of a substantive discussion, but Priebus has outlined plans to release a "Growth and Opportunity Effort" later in the spring that offers specific paths forward.
It's unlikely to satisfy everyone.
"There's too many people that are either in the Republican Party wondering why they are in the Republican Party because they feel like the party isn't representing them any longer," said Nevada Republican national committeewoman Diana Orrock, a former Paul supporter who worries that grassroots supporters are being taken for granted. "Or we have people who have left the Republican Party and aren't getting a clear message as to why they should come back into the fold."
"We're losing elections," she said. "Something has to change."
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Thursday, January 24, 2013
Innocent of Crime, Tainted by Time: Exonorees Struggle - City Limits
On November 12, 2009, Fernando Bermudez walked out of a courtroom and into the free world. After spending 18 years in prison for a 1991 murder in Greenwich Village that he did not commit, the charges against him were dropped. He was declared innocent. But a difficult path awaited him.
Bermudez recalls having to readjust to basic aspects of life that many take for granted?like sleeping in his own bedroom, an environment worlds away from his stark prison cell. "Just simply being able to cross the street was an issue. Shopping at department stores and handling money confused me," he says.
"Upon my exoneration, reentry into society was?culture shock," he says. "I had to adjust from nearly two decades of harsh prison?life to a drastically changed society with no financial or psychological assistance to help me cope against the harm that my family and I suffered. "In recent years, some criminal justice advocates in New York have focused on the need for stronger procedures to avoid wrongful convictions: According to the Innocence Project, more than 10 percent of DNA exonerations nationwide have occurred in New York State.
Meanwhile , other advocates have called attention to the plight of former inmates returning to society.
In exonerees, these two hot topics converge. All former prison inmates face challenges. But, three months of reporting and interviews with 12 exonerees and thirty parolees (who were not wrongly convicted) reveal that exonerees are spared few of the indignities that "guilty" ex-inmates suffer.
Readjustment is just as hard
Some of the problems facing exonerees mirror those confronting all former inmates?the difference is in the degree of injustice. Some are as simple as finding shelter.
Korey Wise, one of the men wrongly convicted of the Central Park beating and rape of 1989, echoes these accounts. Before his entrance into prison, he was 16 years old and lived with his mother. After being incarcerated for more than 11 years, Wise had difficulty finding a place to live. He stayed with friends and family for three years and now resides in a transitional housing program for people seeking assistance in the Bronx. (Wise was arrested on December 19th and charged with menacing and assault. He denies the allegations against him).
Similar to individuals on parole, more than half of the exonerees interviewed also faced some type of obstacle to finding a job or holding down steady work. Incarceration, even for individuals innocent of their convicted crime, can be a disadvantage in the labor-market.
The disadvantage does not appear to be nearly as severe for exonerees as it does for those on parole, who are frequently denied employment due to their criminal record. But exonerees may encounter difficulties maintaining a stable job, while trying to readjust to society. After two years of working in construction after his incarceration, Wise was laid off during the recent recession. For both Bermudez and Wise, public speaking engagements are a source of income, while Wise is also on disability.
John Kogut, exonerated of a Long Island rape and murder in 2005, initially found employment through Centurion Ministries, a national organization that frees innocent people from prison by reinvestigating their cases; it was responsible for Kogut's exoneration. After his release, he worked at a church as a handyman for year and at a small dog rescue service for another three years.
Currently, he is unemployed, with hopes of starting his own dog rescue business. After his return from prison, Centurion Ministries assisted him in finding an apartment and paying the first few months' rent, while he saved money. "At the beginning, I had nothing," Kogut says, "If I didn't have Centurion Ministries, who knows where I would be now."
Kogut found himself having to start life from scratch. He faced problems obtaining critical documents like identification and his social security card after his return from prison?a process that lasted six months. "When you come out, you really don't have none of that. After doing 15 to 20 years, you don't exist no more. You have to build your identity all over again," he says. Kogut emphasizes that without a support network it can be nearly impossible to adjust and reestablish one's life outside the prison walls.
Unique challenges
Exonerees are often left coping for the rest of their lives with the trauma left by both their wrongful conviction and lengthy prison term. It is not uncommon for them to enter society suffering from anxiety as well as more significant mental health issues.
Like other ex-inmates, they may turn to drugs or alcohol in an effort to deal with the effects of their wrongful conviction. Kogut says he initially turned towards illegal substances as a coping mechanism. "It's an issue of coming out angry. These people?even though they're wrong?want to fight you tooth and nail (on your innocence). They won't admit they were wrong," Kogut says.
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Exonerees may file for monetary compensation as a result of their wrongful conviction. Twenty-seven states and Washington D.C. have laws that promise varying amounts of compensation for exonerees. But it can take several years to receive the funds ,and advocates maintain that the amount of money provided by many states is not enough.
New York defers to the Court of Claims to decide how much an individual is entitled.
In states without compensation statutes, obtaining money can be a lengthy and complicated legal process. Research conducted by The New York Times in 2007 found that of 206 exonerees surveyed, 40 percent had received no compensation from their state.
Currently, Bermudez has a civil suit for compensation pending against New York State and city, while Kogut and Wise's suits are in the federal court.
Exonerees acknowledge that a few, small-scale support systems do exist for them coming out of prison, like the social work program established by the Innocence Project in 2006 or in Kogut's case, Centurion Ministries. Exonerees rely on these types of services or mental health counselors in times of need; yet, the overwhelming consensus is that these are far too few in number.
Advocates assert that New York State offers exonerees no reentry services, in contrast with ex-offenders. According to a New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision spokesperson, the department partners with community based organizations and governmental agencies to deliver support to individuals on parole. The spokesperson said he did not know whether exonerees could qualify for these services.
Both exonerees and ex-offenders encounter serious problems reestablishing relationships with their families and friends. In many instances, their incarceration disrupts their bonds with their children. Bermudez explains that his relationship with his daughter was affected by his wrongful conviction. "She was under the assumption that I didn't love her because I was still trying to adjust. We were just trying to situate ourselves as a family. Now she realizes that it wasn't that I didn't love her, it was just that her dad had real issues in terms of trying to understand the world after being away from it so long," he says.
Similarly, Kogut experienced difficulties reestablishing relationships disrupted by his incarceration: "Most people forget about you after that amount of time."
The sense of isolation can be frightening. As Bermudez recalls, "It's hard to forget what you saw, it's hard to forget the idea of you being trapped in a cell and declaring your innocence everyday whether mentally or to someone else, and not being believed, or feeling voiceless."
Source: http://www.citylimits.org/news/articles/4725/innocent-of-crime-tainted-by-time-exonorees-struggle
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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Iraqi officials: Series of car bomb attacks in and around Baghdad kills 15 people
BAGHDAD - Iraqi officials say a string of car bomb attacks in and around Baghdad has killed 15 people and wounded dozens.
Police officials say the attacks started on Tuesday morning when a parked car exploded in Mahmoudiya, killing five people. The town is about 30 kilometres (20 miles) south of the Iraqi capital.
The officials say a suicide car bomb later struck near a security checkpoint in the northern Baghdad suburb of Taji, killing six. Another explosion in the northwestern neighbourhood of Shula killed four people.
Medics in a nearby hospital confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak to the media.
Violence has fallen since the peak of insurgency in Iraq several years ago, but lethal attacks still occur frequently.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraqi-officials-series-car-bomb-attacks-around-baghdad-104328646.html
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Key issues in Israeli election
Key campaign issues in Tuesday's Israeli parliamentary election:
?Israel-U.S. relations: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had a frosty relationship with President Barack Obama. If Netanyahu is re-elected, relations could sour further over issues where the two disagree, primarily the Palestinians and Iran.
?Iran: Netanyahu and his government have pressed hard for stricter sanctions against Iran over its suspect nuclear program, implying until recently that Israel might be forced to attack Iranian nuclear sites to stop weapons development. His opponents charge that a unilateral Israeli attack would bring painful retaliation and would not significantly damage Iran's program, which Tehran denies has military purposes.
?Palestinians: Netanyahu has grudgingly accepted the concept of a Palestinian state but has rejected Palestinian and international demands to halt Israeli settlement construction. He has staked out positions on the West Bank and east Jerusalem that are far less generous than those offered unsuccessfully by predecessors, leading the Palestinians and his dovish opponents to question his commitment to peacemaking.
?Arab world: Netanyahu insists that peace treaties with Egypt and Jordan must be preserved, but his opponents think he has overreacted with his dire warnings about Islamist parties that have won elections after "Arab Spring" revolts. Israel is also warily watching the civil war in neighboring Syria, concerned about al-Qaida-linked groups there and the possibility of chemical weapons falling into the hands of hostile elements.
?Economy: Netanyahu says he has preserved stability despite global economic turmoil. His opponents complain that gaps between rich and poor are wider than ever.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/key-issues-israeli-election-162645437.html
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Monday, January 21, 2013
In party leadership debate, Canada's Trudeau calls for fresh ideas
(Reuters) - Justin Trudeau, son of charismatic former Canadian leader Pierre Trudeau, said on Sunday the race to find a new head of the minority Liberal party was about ushering in someone with "vibrant ideas" who could help the struggling middle class.
The younger Trudeau, lauded for his charisma as much as he is criticized as lacking substance, is part of a crowded field of nine leadership candidates vying to bring the once dominant party out of the political wilderness. He is a member of Parliament from a Montreal district.
"For the first time this is about bringing forth a new generation of leadership with bold ideas, with strength and vision," Trudeau said in Vancouver, British Columbia in the first of a series of leadership debates.
Trudeau is looking to recreate the excitement that surrounded his father when he was first elected in 1968, with the ultimate aim of unseating the Conservative Government of Stephen Harper, which won a majority government in 2011.
With an army of followers on Twitter, Trudeau is the front runner in the race to head a party that has shrunk to third place in Parliament for the first time in its 145-year history.
Trudeau, like his late father, stands for a united Canada and a foe of separatist forces that have long dogged politics in his home province of Quebec. The separatist Parti Quebecois was returned to power in a narrow provincial victory late last year.
Marc Garneau, a former Canadian astronaut and member of Parliament, spoke of protecting environment, saying he had been around the earth hundreds of times and knew something about protecting the planet.
"This leadership race must be about new ideas," said Garneau, sometimes seen as someone to challenge Trudeau's front runner status.
The candidates generally expressed strong support for the middle class and affordable housing, while accusing the Conservative government of disregarding the environment in its bid to exploit Canada's massive oil sands resource in Western Canada.
Joyce Murray, a member of Parliament from Vancouver, landed a direct hit on Trudeau when he was talking of a way to oust the current prime minister from office.
"If you want to replace Stephen Harper, where is your plan?" Murray asked of Trudeau in a direct exchange.
Trudeau, a former school teacher who is married with two children, is often criticized as running on his name, which carries the same dynastic weight in Canada as Kennedy or Bush in the United States.
The Liberals governed Canada for nearly 69 years in the 20th century, but were reduced to only 19 percent of the popular vote in the 2011 election.
(Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/party-leadership-debate-canadas-trudeau-calls-fresh-ideas-000956955.html
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What Games Are: Playing In Interesting Times
Increasingly, the sentiment in the games industry is that 2013 is going to be a very difficult year. With Facebook effectively over as a platform, social gambling being weaker than anticipated and forthcoming console hardware looking troubled, everybody is worried. As the proverb says, game makers seems to be living in interesting times.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/hz0pLKzInUI/
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Friday, January 18, 2013
Academy Award-Nominated Film... With Animals
FROM NEXT MOVIE This is a great time of the year for the movies. The Oscar nominations are out and most new films aren't that great, so you actually have time to go back and watch the "important" ones from the previous year. Last year had some great pieces of cinema, but don't you think [...]
Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2013/01/16/academy-award-nominated-film-with-animals/
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Thursday, January 17, 2013
Number of working poor rises as wealth gap widens
3 hrs.
The number of U.S. families struggling with poverty despite parents being employed continued to grow in 2011 as more people returned to work but mostly at lower-paying service jobs, an analysis released on Tuesday shows.?
More working parents have taken jobs as cashiers, maids, waiters and other low-wage jobs in fast growing sectors that offer fewer hours and benefits, according to The Working Poor Project, a privately funded effort aimed at improving economic security for low-income families.?
The result is 200,000 more such working families - the so-called "working poor" - emerged in 2011 than in 2010, according to the report, based on analysis of the most recent U.S. Census Bureau data.?
About 10.4 million such families - or 47.5 million Americans - now live near poverty, defined as earning less than 200 percent of the official poverty rate, which is $22,811 for a family of four.?
Overall, nearly one-third of working families now struggle, up from 31 percent in 2010 and 28 percent in 2007, when the recession began, according to the analysis.?
"Although many people are returning to work, they are often taking jobs with lower wages and less job security, compared with the middle-class jobs they held before the economic downturn," the report said.?
"This means that nearly a third of all working families ... may not have enough money to meet basic needs."?
The findings come three years after the nation's recession officially ended in the second half of 2009.?
Brandon Roberts, co-author of the report, said the results were somewhat of a surprise after Census officials last year said the U.S. poverty rate had stabilized.?
"As the economy has improved one would expect that the benefits of that improvement would to some extent tie to these low-income families, and we'd see a decrease or at least a stabilization in the numbers," said Roberts, whose project is funded by four groups, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation and the Ford Foundation, and focuses on state policies.?
"But the reality, the data show that the benefits of - even though it's modest economic growth - it's not going to these low-income families," he added.?
The group's analysis adds to the body of data focused on the slipping U.S. middle class even as there are signs of the nation's economy slowly coming back to life with improvements in the housing sector and lower unemployment rate.?
For some Americans, the comeback has yet to begin.?
Data showed that the top 20 percent of Americans received 48 percent of all income while those in the bottom 20 percent got less than 5 percent, the report said.?
The analysis also found regional differences.?
States in the South, such as Georgia and South Carolina, and those in the West, such as Arizona and Nevada, had the greatest increase in the number of working poor. The increase was slower in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.?
"It's important to draw attention to the fact that there are real families behind those statistics," said Alan Essig, who heads the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute, adding that his state is still struggling with housing and unemployment.?
Impact?on?children
The effect of near poverty on the growing number of U.S. children living in such families - an increase of 2.5 million youths over five years - is also a concern.?
In 2011, roughly 23.5 million, or 37 percent, of U.S. children lived in working poor families compared with about 21 million, or 33 percent, in 2007, the report said.?
Part of the problem is that more parents are working in service-sector jobs that require long hours at night and on weekends and so face child-care difficulties, along with low wages and involuntary part-time status, the analysis showed.?
About 25 percent of low-income parents work in one of eight jobs: cashiers, cooks, health aides, janitors, maids, retail clerks, waiters and waitresses, and drivers, it said.?
Such jobs often pay minimum wage, which can vary state-by-state, although the U.S. federal minimum wage standard has stood at $7.25 an hour since 2010.?
"Any little thing - a child getting sick, a car breaking down ... those are quite significant events for these working families," Roberts said.?
Focusing on state policies to boost education and jobs training for their parents could help, the report concluded. Others have also pointed to other options such as greater access to paid sick leave and increased minimum wages.?
"Folks in our state are working hard, but for many families, working hard just isn't enough. Things need to change," said F. Scott McCown of the Texas-based Center for Public Policy Priorities.?
Roberts said some federal policies in the recent agreement averting the so-called fiscal cliff were good news. The law that avoided higher taxes and across-the-board cuts kept two key tax credits and extended unemployment benefits.?
He said the recent agreement to avoid higher U.S. taxes and across-the-board cuts helped by keeping two key tax credits and unemployment benefits. But those policies were in place in 2011, when Census gathered its data.?
"Even despite those policies ... these families were struggling," he said.?
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Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Germany's Air Berlin to cut 1 in 10 jobs
BERLIN -- Loss-making German carrier Air Berlin says it will cut about one in ten jobs over this and next year.
Germany's second-largest airline said Tuesday it will cut 900 of its 9,300 staff positions by the end of 2014 amid a wider cost-cutting initiative to turn the company around.
It says the layoffs, a further reduction of its aircraft fleet from 158 to 142 planes this year and other measures are expected to yield savings of about (EURO)400 million ($520 million).
Air Berlin has struggled in Europe's highly competitive travel market. Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has become its biggest shareholder with a stake of nearly 30 percent. Air Berlin also has joined the Oneworld alliance, which includes British Airways and American Airlines.
Source: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/15/3183602/germanys-air-berlin-to-cut-1-in.html
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Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Policy makers gather in London for international climate summit
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Monday, January 14, 2013
LoC tension: Pakistan agrees to hold flag meet with India A day after the IAF c...
LoC tension: Pakistan agrees to hold flag meet with India
A day after the IAF chief said India may have to "look at some other options" if Pakistan continues to violate the ceasefire on the LoC with impunity, the latter on Sunday agreed to hold first Brigadier-level flag meet on Monday.
Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=4666601295251
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Friday, January 11, 2013
Jaguars fire Mularkey after team's worst season
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey responds to a question during an NFL football media availability in the team locker room, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Jacksonville, Fla. After four years of futility, the Jaguars are heading in a different direction with a minimum of a new general manager. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack) TV OUT; MAGS OUT
Jacksonville Jaguars head coach Mike Mularkey responds to a question during an NFL football media availability in the team locker room, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, in Jacksonville, Fla. After four years of futility, the Jaguars are heading in a different direction with a minimum of a new general manager. (AP Photo/The Florida Times-Union, Bob Mack) TV OUT; MAGS OUT
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) ? The Jacksonville Jaguars fired coach Mike Mularkey on Thursday after just one season, the worst in franchise history.
New general manager David Caldwell made the announcement two days after he was hired, giving him a clean slate heading into 2013. Caldwell said he wants to immediately explore every avenue possible to turn the Jaguars around.
"For that to happen as seamlessly as we want, and as quickly as our fans deserve, I feel it is in everyone's best interests for an immediate and clean restart," Caldwell said.
Mularkey, who went 2-14 this season, became the eighth head coach fired since the end of the regular season. He looked like he would be one and done when owner Shad Khan parted ways with general manager Gene Smith last week and gave Mularkey's assistants permission to seek other jobs. Even though Khan ultimately hired Mularkey, Smith directed the coaching search last January that started and ended with the former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator.
"Mike Mularkey is leaving our organization with my utmost respect," Khan said. "Mike gave the Jaguars everything he had on and off the field, and his efforts as our head coach will always be appreciated."
Mularkey's brief tenure ? he didn't even last a year ? was filled with mistakes. His biggest one may have been his loyalty to Smith, who assembled a roster that lacked talent on both sides of the ball.
Mularkey probably stuck with Smith's franchise quarterback, Blaine Gabbert, longer than he should have. And the coach's insistence that the team was closer than outsiders thought and his strong stance that he had the roster to turn things around became comical as the losses mounted. The Jaguars lost eight games by at least 16 points, a staggering number of lopsided losses in a parity-filled league.
Mularkey would have been better served had he said publicly what he voiced privately: that the Jaguars didn't have enough playmakers or a starting-caliber quarterback.
Instead, he never conceded that Jacksonville was a rebuilding project that needed time.
Mularkey signed a three-year contract on Jan. 11, 2012, getting a second chance to be a head coach six years after resigning with the Buffalo Bills.
His return was shaky from the start.
His best player, running back Maurice Jones-Drew, skipped offseason workouts as well as training camp and the preseason in a contract dispute. His first draft pick, receiver Justin Blackmon, was arrested and charged with aggravated DUI in June. And his team was riddled with injuries, including key ones to linebacker Daryl Smith and Jones-Drew.
Even things he had control over went awry.
He had to backtrack after saying Chad Henne would compete with Gabbert for the starting job in March. He created a stir by threatening to fine players up to $10,000 for discussing injuries. He initially played rookie receiver Kevin Elliott over Cecil Shorts III early on. And he really irked some players with tough, padded practices late in a lost season.
Throw in the way he handled injuries to receiver Laurent Robinson (four concussions before going on IR) and Jones-Drew (admittedly should have had foot surgery sooner), and there were reasons to doubt whether Mularkey was cut out to be a head coach. Dating back to his final season in Buffalo, Mularkey has lost 20 of his last 23 games.
Nonetheless, if Khan really wanted to fire Mularkey, he would have done after the season finale along with Smith.
So this was Caldwell's call.
Caldwell and Mularkey spent four years together in Atlanta, getting to know each other well enough that Caldwell didn't need a sit down with Mularkey after he got the GM job Tuesday.
Caldwell and Khan have a news conference scheduled for Thursday afternoon.
Potential replacements for Mularkey include former Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith, Indianapolis Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer and San Francisco 49ers offensive coordinator Greg Roman.
Schottenheimer was up for the Jacksonville job last season, and Roman has been linked to the Jaguars since Caldwell became the leading candidate to replace Smith.
Roman and Caldwell were teammates and roommates in the 1990's while attending John Carroll University.
___
Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
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Teaching Kids how to Create their Own Happiness ...
I have had some opportunities in the last couple of years to really teach my kids about the importance of depending on yourself and not others to fulfill your own happiness. ?I have been grateful to be able to show the kids from some personal examples why it?s so important to develop your own interests and find ways to enjoy your own company.
About a year and a half ago, we had a person who is close to our family stay at our home for about 5 months. ?They had just divorced, and needed a place to stay while they got back on their feet. ?At the time they weren?t making enough money at their job to live on their own. ? ?We were happy to have them stay with us and excited to see them move forward in life. ?It never happened.
Instead of working on their own needs, they ran from their issues. ?They decided that the only thing they could endure was going out each night to hang out with friends. ?They were only at the house when they needed to sleep.
My husband and I sat down with them after 3 months and laid?it out there. ?We asked them what their plans were and how long they thought they would be staying with us. ?The answer was, ?well I hope I am able to move out within a year.? ?We asked how they planned on getting enough money together to move? ?They had no idea. ?We told them that either they had to put a plan in place to get back on their feet and pursue it, or leave. ?Maybe that sounds harsh, but they were doing nothing to help themself.
This close friend of the family said something that really threw me. ?They said that they couldn?t stand to spend time alone. ?They felt uncomfortable unless surrounded by people. ?This was why they were always out with friends.
In the end, they came up with a plan, and left our home 2 months later. ?The lesson they left behind was one we saw repeated a second time by another close friend.
Friend number 2 was always in a romantic?relationship. ?They would end one relationship only when there was someone else in the wings ready to replace the prior person. ?They had the same issue of not being able to tolerate being without someone around.
Friend number 2 has crashed and burned numerous times. ?The problem has been that they have no idea who they are, and are unwilling to spend time just working on their own needs. ?They look to others to make them feel happy and fulfilled.
The problem with looking to others to fulfill your happiness is that no other person can ever be everything to you. ?When someone like friend number 2 doesn?t feel the complete happiness they hoped another would bring them, they become completely disillusioned and angry. ?Any disappointment is more hurtful to them than your average person. ?The reason is because they placed the responsibility of?all of their happiness on another?s shoulders. ?They didn?t understand that for real happiness to occur, you have to make the effort to make yourself happy.
I was talking with one of my children about friend number 2. ?My daughter mentioned that they felt sorry to see friend number 2 so lost and depressed (they were in the middle of another relationship that was falling apart and there wasn?t anyone waiting in the wings to replace them this time).
I took the opportunity to remind my daughter why it was so important to love yourself. ?People won?t always be there. ?It is up to each person individually to find what makes them feel good about themselves. ?Find out what hobbies you enjoy, learn what types of things interest you and above all else, pursue your dreams. ?Without knowing who you really are, what makes you tick and what makes you feel good, you will end up lost, miserable and incomplete.
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Thursday, January 10, 2013
self improvement personal growth - Self-Acceptance and Self ...
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Source: http://leobaker.posterous.com/self-improvement-personal-growth-self-accepta-90224
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Deal or no deal: Five year olds make smart decisions in games of risk
Jan. 9, 2013 ? You may have to be over a certain age to be a contestant on "Deal or No Deal," but children as young as five start to maximize their profits -- in cookies -- when making decisions similar to those on the show, according to research published Jan. 9 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Valerie Dufour and colleagues from the National Center for Scientific Research in France.
Children aged 3-9 were given a cookie and presented the option to either keep it or exchange it for one of 6 identical cups containing cookies. The cookies in the cups could be larger, smaller or equal in size to what they already had. The chances of winning a larger cookie were altered by presenting different combinations of cookie sizes in the cups (3 large, 2 equal and 1 small, for example). In each case, the children were told how many cups had a 'winning' cookie before they made their decision.
Three to four-year-olds could not distinguish between the profits to be had by choosing to exchange their cookie when the odds of winning were greater. Kids aged five and up were better at understanding the odds of winning, and their decisions were affected by chances of losing. They also framed their decisions in the context of previous wins or losses.
The researchers found that though children over the age of five were risk-seekers, they also exhibited an aversion to loss typically seen in adults. This aversion arises from a 'better safe than sorry' choice but can also lead to judgment errors in adults, causing a loss of potential profits. The results of this study suggest that this is a decision-making pattern that we begin to learn as early as age five.
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Journal Reference:
- Sophie Steelandt, Marie-H?l?ne Broihanne, Am?lie Romain, Bernard Thierry, Val?rie Dufour. Decision-Making under Risk of Loss in Children. PLoS ONE, 2013; 8 (1): e52316 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052316
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/STR04_JFb4Q/130109185843.htm
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Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Banks Win! Banks Win! (New Year, Same Old ... - Yahoo! Finance
It?s a new year but the same old story when it comes to regulators? efforts to rein in the banks: The banks always win.
Over the weekend, global regulators agreed to substantially ease the new Basel III regulations and delay their full implementation by four years. The global liquidity standards were designed to ensure banks had sufficient capital on hand to survive another Lehman-like crisis, as well as require that capital be high-quality and liquid. There was a lot of fanfare from regulators when the regulations were first announced in 2010 -- and a lot of gnashing of teeth from investors about how they would ?cripple? the industry and potentially hurt economic growth.
After coming under pressure from the banking industry, global regulators agreed to loosen the definition of "high-quality liquid assets" to include highly rated residential mortgage-backed securities. ?Ultimately, the negotiators agreed to let banks use less-traditional assets to satisfy up to 15% of their [capital] requirements under the rule,? The WSJ reports.
Given that triple-A rated mortgage-backed securities were at the heart of the 2008 crisis, it?s mind-boggling that banks were able to successfully lobby for this change. Moreover, with the Fed aggressively buying mortgage-backed securities and the U.S. housing market starting to heat up, it's the definition of insanity to expect a different result from the banks if they're given a green-light to both invest in MBS and treat them on par with government bonds and cash for liquidity purposes.
In addition, regulators downgraded the severity of crises banks are supposed to be buttressed against and delayed full implementation of the rule until Jan. 1, 2019 vs. the originally proposed Jan. 1, 2015. In other words, banks have been given four more years (four more years!) to continue business as usual, without much fear of regulatory pushback.
In separate but related news:
- Bank of America reached a $10 billion settlement with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac over claims related to loans written by its Countrywide Financial subsidiary. Bank of America says it will pay the bulk of the settlement from cash reserves. This will reduce its fourth-quarter net income by $2.7 billion but the deal is seen as a victory for Bank of America as it removes uncertainty over the litigation. Plus, the bank having that much cash on hand is a reminder of how profitable the business is, especially when regulators use kid gloves.
- U.S. regulators are reportedly close to a $10 billion settlement with a group of banks to settle charge of improper foreclosure practices. The settlement means a halt to investigations into the so-called robo-signing scandal and will surely require occur without banks admitting to any wrongdoing. Notably, the banks were eager to get the deal done so they could include the settlement in fourth-quarter (and year-end) results -- yet regulators backed down after the banks ?threatened to walk away from the deal if the Fed's demand for an additional $300 million was included,? The WSJ reports. That pretty much tells you all you need to know about who holds the power in these negotiations.
These settlements are in addition to the $25 billion deal the banks reached with the White House and state attorneys general last year, as well as big fines levied in recent years against Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, Citigroup and Wells Fargo among others.
The settlements and fines do add up to ?real? money but let?s put them in some perspective: For 2012, the six biggest investment banks are expected to pay employee bonuses totaling nearly $38 billion while annual profits for the S&P 500 Financials Index are expected to approach $155 billion, according to Bloomberg. And that's just one year!
Given this industry can produce those kind of profits in a sluggish economy, what disincentive do banks have to rein in bad behavior ? or big leveraged bets ? when regulators continually go easy and ?not a single senior banker from a major firm has gone to prison for conduct related to the 2008 financial crisis,? as Jesse Eisinger and Frank Partnoy lament in The Atlantic.
Related: What's What's Inside America's Banks? No One Knows, Says ProPublica's Jess Eisinger
Tim Geithner may be stepping down as Treasury Secretary but the era of policymaking designed to benefit the banks and the bankers above all else rolls on.
Aaron Task is the host of The Daily Ticker and Editor-in-Chief of Yahoo! Finance. You can follow him on Twitter at @aarontask or email him at altask@yahoo.com
Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/banks-win-banks-win-same-old-story-165729454.html
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Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Gene therapy reprograms scar tissue in damaged hearts into healthy heart muscle
Monday, January 7, 2013
A cocktail of three specific genes can reprogram cells in the scars caused by heart attacks into functioning muscle cells, and the addition of a gene that stimulates the growth of blood vessels enhances that effect, said researchers from Weill Cornell Medical College, Baylor College of Medicine and Stony Brook University Medical Center in a report that appears online in the Journal of the American Heart Association.
"The idea of reprogramming scar tissue in the heart into functioning heart muscle was exciting," said Dr. Todd K. Rosengart, chair of the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery at BCM and the report's corresponding author. "The theory is that if you have a big heart attack, your doctor can just inject these three genes into the scar tissue during surgery and change it back into heart muscle. However, in these animal studies, we found that even the effect is enhanced when combined with the VEGF gene."
"This experiment is a proof of principle," said Dr. Ronald G. Crystal, chairman and professor of genetic medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and a pioneer in gene therapy, who played an important role in the research. "Now we need to go further to understand the activity of these genes and determine if they are effective in even larger hearts."
During a heart attack, blood supply is cut off to the heart, resulting in the death of heart muscle. The damage leaves behind a scar and a much weakened heart. Eventually, most people who have had serious heart attacks will develop heart failure.
Changing the scar into heart muscle would strengthen the heart. To accomplish this, during surgery, Rosengart and his colleagues transferred three forms of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene that enhances blood vessel growth or an inactive material (both attached to a gene vector) into the hearts of rats. Three weeks later, the rats received either Gata4, Mef 2c and Tbx5 (the cocktail of transcription factor genes called GMT) or an inactive material. (A transcription factor binds to specific DNA sequences and starts the process that translates the genetic information into a protein.)
The GMT genes alone reduced the amount of scar tissue by half compared to animals that did not receive the genes, and there were more heart muscle cells in the animals that were treated with GMT. The hearts of animals that received GMT alone also worked better as defined by ejection fraction than those who had not received genes. (Ejection fraction refers to the percentage of blood that is pumped out of a filled ventricle or pumping chamber of the heart.)
The hearts of the animals that had received both the GMT and the VEGF gene transfers had an ejection fraction four times greater than that of the animals that had received only the GMT transfer.
Rosengart emphasizes that more work needs to be completed to show that the effect of the VEGF is real, but it has real promise as part of a new treatment for heart attack that would minimize heart damage.
"We have shown both that GMT can effect change that enhances the activity of the heart and that the VEGF gene is effective in improving heart function even more," said Dr. Crystal.
The idea started with the notion of induced pluripotent stem cells ? reprograming mature specialized cells into stem cells that are immature and can differentiate into different specific cells needed in the body. Dr. Shinya Yamanaka and Sir John B. Gurdon received the Nobel Prize in Medicine and Physiology for their work toward this goal this year.
However, use of induced pluripotent stem cells has the potential to cause tumors. To get around that, researchers in Dallas and San Francisco used the GMT cocktail to reprogram the scar cells into cardiomyocytes (cells that become heart muscle) in the living animals.
Now Rosengart and his colleagues have gone a step farther ? encouraging the production of new blood vessels to provide circulation to the new cells.
###
Weill Cornell Medical College: http://www.med.cornell.edu/index.html
Thanks to Weill Cornell Medical College 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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Monday, January 7, 2013
Comp plan details extreme sports site, community/rec center, indoor ...
When the new Comprehensive Plan for the City of Storm Lake debuts at a Jan. 9 public forum, it will include concepts designed to spur growth and recreation.
?We?re getting into the esoteric as well as the practical,? says City Manager Jim Patrick.
The plan will address the coming 20 years, with expectations that it will be updated every five years. The City is looking for public input before it finalizes the plan next spring.
Included in the 11-chapter document are mapped possibilities for a new indoor sports field, possibly even a dome, in an expansion of the Field of Dreams complex.
A Community Center is a prime focus of the plan. ?This is a very strong suggestion, it would be a great thing to have,? Patrick said. ?The plan does not set out an exact location. Renovating old South School remains a possibility, but so would building something new that would be more useable.?
The comp plan foresees a ?community/arts/cultural/recreation? multi-use center.
Several new parks are also suggested, including one to locate in the downtown area. A possible site could be the area of the current Sara Lee/Hillshire Brands feed mill, as the company is considering multiple possible locations to build a new mill, Patrick said. The proposal calls for a ring of townhouse/condo developments to face the park.
An ?East City Square? with parkland is proposed for the east part of town, and a new Seneca Park in the 10th-13th street areas.
The City has been considering possible uses for an old dredging spoil site, and the comp plan proposal suggests an extreme sports park for the site ? where ATVs, motocross motorcycles, BMX bikes, snowmobiles and cross-country skis could use trails.
An off-leash dog park is proposed for the areas behind the Storm Lake cemetery.
The comp plan proposes cross-town recreation trails to add to existing trails and a scheduled construction project adding a trail along North Lake Avenue.
The plan also details continued efforts to develop new housing, which has been identified as a pressing need in recent years, as population growth of about 10 percent a year has outstripped the available housing.
The proposed comp plan anticipates growth and development to the north and west edges of the City, with some potential for expansion to the south, Patrick says. A major focus would be to develop the Highway 7 corridor with natural resource areas, office space and retail stores. The King?s Pointe area is a key focus, where commerical development has yet to live up to expectations from the Project AWAYSIS planning seven years ago. The City is especially interested in bringing in restaurants and new stores to the area, Patrick said.
The plan?s vision includes changes to the traffic patterns and handling systems to slow vehicles down as they pass through Storm Lake, and increase options for pedestrians, runners and bikers. Capital improvement plans and continued replacement of aging infastructure are also addressed.
?This document is a lot of good reading ? basically it serves as a set of suggestions for where the City?s efforts should be focused in the years to come,? he added. ?The idea is that we need to pull the whole community together a little more, os that we can have everyone working side by side in the same direction. It?s going to take not just government, but all of us.?
The January 9 session at King?s Pointe is open to the public, and begins at 5:30 p.m.
Source: http://www.stunttube.com/?p=1226
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