entertainment for events: January 2012

Thursday, January 26, 2012

GABA deficits disturb endocannabinoid system

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Changes in the endocannabinoid system may have important implications for psychiatric and addiction disorders. This brain system is responsible for making substances that have effects on brain function which resemble those of cannabis products, e.g., marijuana.

The endocannabinoid system is of particular interest in the field of schizophrenia research because exposure to cannabis products during adolescence and young adulthood appears to increase the risk for developing schizophrenia. Also, in studies examining brain tissue collected from people who had schizophrenia, changes in the endocannabinoid system were highly correlated with changes in the principal inhibitory chemical messenger system in the brain, the gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) system.

The current study was conducted in order to research the relationship between changes in the GABA system and changes in the endocannabinoid system. Led by Dr. David Lewis at the University of Pittsburgh, researchers made genetic manipulations in mice that selectively reduced the GABA system function by decreasing the expression of the enzyme that makes GABA, GAD67, or by decreasing the expression of the principal receptor target for endocannabinoids in the brain, the cannabinoid 1 receptor (CB1R), in order to determine whether a change in one is sufficient to cause a change in the other.

Using these techniques, the researchers demonstrated that reduced expression of GAD67 can lead to reduced expression of CB1R, but not vice versa.

"Because activation of the CB1R suppresses GABA release, lower levels of CB1R may help augment GABA release from nerve terminals that have below normal amounts due to reduced GABA synthesis," said Dr. Lewis of the results. "This evidence suggests that reduced GABA signaling is an 'upstream' event in the disease process of schizophrenia and that lower CB1R is a compensation to help normalize GABA signaling."

These findings indicate that GABA abnormalities in schizophrenia are what trigger the disturbances in the endocannabinoid system. Importantly, cannabis use also alters GABA activity in the brain.

"While the whole story is still developing, from these data, it looks like developmental deficits in GABA systems are sufficient to disturb the function of the endocannabinoid system. This could be an important clue to the link between cannabis use and psychosis," commented Dr. John Krystal, editor of Biological Psychiatry.

Additional research will be necessary to further explore such links, including investigations into whether and/or how cannabis exposure affects the relationship between GAD67 and CB1R.

###

The article is "Cortical Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase 67 Deficiency Results in Lower Cannabinoid 1 Receptor Messenger RNA Expression: Implications for Schizophrenia" by Stephen M. Eggan, Matthew S. Lazarus, Samuel R. Stoyak, David W. Volk, Jill R. Glausier, Z. Josh Huang, and David A. Lewis (doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2011.09.014). The article appears in Biological Psychiatry, Volume 71, Issue 2 (January 15, 2012), published by Elsevier.

Elsevier: http://www.elsevier.com

Thanks to Elsevier for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116998/GABA_deficits_disturb_endocannabinoid_system

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Turkey's Erdogan attacks France on genocide law (Reuters)

PARIS/ANKARA (Reuters) ? Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan attacked the French parliament on Tuesday for passing a "discriminatory and racist" bill which makes it illegal to deny that the mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks nearly a century ago was genocide.

However, Erdogan said there was still hope that NATO ally France "would correct its mistake" and that any retaliatory measures would be held back, depending on French actions.

The French Senate approved the draft law on Monday, which the lower house also backed in December, prompting a furious response from Ankara.

"We will not allow anyone to gain political benefit at the expense of Turkey; the bill which was passed in France is clearly discriminatory, racist," Erdogan said.

"We will adopt a rational and dignified stance, we will implement our measures step by step. Right now we are still in a period of patience," he told his AK Party's deputies in the Turkish parliament.

The bill now goes to President Nicolas Sarkozy to be ratified. Turkey accuses Sarkozy of trying to win the votes of 500,000 ethnic Armenians in France in the two-round presidential vote on April 22 and May 6.

As Erdogan spoke, a couple of hundred protesters gathered outside the French embassy in Ankara and consulate in Istanbul.

Many Turks see the bill as an insult to their nation, a travesty of history and an infringement on free speech.

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe, who was personally against the move, said the new law was "ill-timed", but called on Ankara to remain calm.

"We need good relations with it and we need to get through this excessive phase," Juppe said on Canal+ television. "We have very important economic and trade ties. I hope the reality of the situation will not be usurped by emotions."

Some Turkish newspapers listed possible measures that Ankara might take against France.

These included the recall of its ambassador from Paris and telling the French ambassador to go home, reducing diplomatic ties to charge d'affaires level, and closing Turkish airspace and waters to French military aircraft and vessels.

Speaking shortly before Monday's Senate vote, Erdogan said the issue of future official visits to France would be thrown into uncertainty if it passed the bill.

French firms stand to lose out in bids for defense contracts and other mega-projects such as nuclear power stations.

Turkey could also seek to trumpet allegations that French actions in Algeria in the 1950s and 1960s were also tantamount to a genocide.

"SATAN SARKOZY"

Morning headlines in Turkish newspapers were anything but calm. "A guillotine to free thought" said Star, while Aksam described the French move as "A guillotine to history".

"Shame on France" cried the Vatan daily. While Sozcu, a small newspaper that usually directs its scorn at Erdogan, found a new target with "Satan Sarkozy".

The mayor of Ankara has spoken of renaming the street where the French embassy is located to Algeria Street and erecting a memorial to Algerian victims of French colonial oppression in front of the embassy.

When the lower house backed the bill in December, Ankara cancelled all economic, political and military meetings with Paris and briefly recalled its ambassador for consultations.

Sarkozy is expected to ratify the bill before parliament is suspended in February before the presidential election.

However, it could still be rejected if about 60 lawmakers agree to appeal the decision at France's highest court and this body considers the text unconstitutional. The Constitutional Council would have one month to make its decision.

Analysts believe Turkey might delay announcing measures to see how Sarkozy handles the process.

Turkey's ambassador in Paris, Tahsin Burcuoglu, said the vote would lead to a "total rupture" of relations between the two countries and Ankara could seek to downgrade its diplomatic presence in the French capital.

Turkey cannot impose economic sanctions on France, given its membership of the World Trade Organisation and its customs union accord with Europe, but French firms could lose out on state-to-state-contracts, notably in the defense sector.

France is Turkey's fifth biggest export market and sixth biggest supplier of imports of goods and services, and bilateral trade was $13.5 billion in the first 10 months of last year.

Armenia, backed by many historians and parliaments, says about 1.5 million Christian Armenians were killed in what is now eastern Turkey during World War One in a deliberate policy of genocide ordered by the Ottoman government.

The Ottoman empire was dissolved after the end of the war, but Turkish governments and most Turks feel the charge of genocide is an insult to their nation. Ankara argues there was heavy loss of life on both sides during fighting in the area.

The influential Armenian diaspora in France and the United States has relentlessly lobbied for international support to bring Turkey to account over the mass killings.

Their success in France will encourage those in the United States to try harder in their annual efforts to get Washington to call what happened a genocide.

U.S. presidents have so far ensured that those efforts have been blocked to avoid alienating Turkey, an important regional ally. However, President Barack Obama faces re-election this year and could come under more pressure from the Armenian lobby, analysts say.

Some ethnic Armenians in Turkey saw the French move as unhelpful, while saying wounds needed to be healed.

"This only will provide more grounds to nationalism and reactions in Turkey," said Robert Koptas, editor of Agos, a Turkish-Armenian newspaper.

"I do not think the Turkish state will change its attitude," said Koptas, a son-in-law of Hrant Dink, a prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist who was murdered in 2007 who had angered nationalists with his articles on Armenian identity.

(Reporting By John Irish in Paris and Tulay Karadeniz and Jonathon Burch in Ankara; Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120124/wl_nm/us_france_turkey

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Monday, January 23, 2012

US beats Venezuela 1-0 on Clark's late goal

By BOB BAUM

updated 12:49 a.m. ET Jan. 22, 2012

GLENDALE, Ariz. - Ricardo Clark had barely played in the last six months. His last appearance for his German second-division team came in July, and this was his first game for the U.S. national squad since August.

Finally given a chance, he provided the goal that had eluded his team all night.

Clark headed Jermaine Jones' corner kick into the net in the 7th minute of stoppage time and the United States beat Venezuela 1-0 in a friendly on Saturday night.

U.S. coach Jurgen Klinsmann inserted Clark into the game in the 86th minute.

"Ricardo came in and you could see that he was struggling because he hasn't played for many months," Klinsmann said. "He was trying hard to catch up with the group and still not there because of that long stretch. But once on the field he is a player that is technically very gifted."

The U.S. had dominated play with nothing to show for it before Clark beat goalkeeper Jose Morales from 7 yards away for his third international goal and first since September 2009.

Venezuela was livid at the finish, upset with a series of calls and non-calls by officials that led to a series of events concluding with the winning goal.

Moments after Clark scored, Venezuela's Jose Velasquez was ejected with a red card. Venezuela drew four yellow cards to one for the United States.

"For us, it was sad to give up a goal in the 98th minute," Venezuela coach Cesar Farias said. "For us, this result leaves a sour taste and the way we lost, but the experience is important."

The first match between the countries in five years featured the "B" teams of both nations because the top players are with their professional squads.

An exception was Jones, who is playing with the national team while serving an eight-game suspension by the German soccer federation.

"It was a great cross," Clark said of the corner kick that led to the goal. "I found a good spot and made the most of it."

It was Clark's first game since the United States played Mexico on Aug. 10. He last scored in international competition against Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 9, 2009.

The 28-year-old midfielder from Jonesboro, Ga., is ignominiously remembered for a play in the 2010 World Cup, when Ghana's Kevin-Prince Boateng stripped the ball from him and put the Black Stars ahead in the fifth minute. Ghana went on to eliminate the Americans 2-1 in overtime.

Jones, who served as U.S. captain for the game, was suspended when the German federation concluded he had intentionally stepped on the foot of star player Marco Reus during a break in the action of a German Cup game between Jones' team Schalke and Borussia Moenchengladbach.

The U.S. outshot Venezuela 15-6, many of the opportunities from short range, but the shots were errant, or Morales made one of his five saves.

Even though it was a struggle, Klinsmann liked what he saw from his young players.

"We had 10, 12 chances and they had no chances, we controlled completely and that gives them confidence," he said. "We wanted to give them a feeling of this type of game that they can play with these nations."

Morales was shaken up after he took a knee to the left thigh from American C.J. Sapong. The goalkeeper sat on the ground for several minutes until the decision was made to leave him in the game, an incident that led to the extended stopping time that featured the winning goal.

The United States beat a team from South America for the first time since a 3-1 win over Ecuador on March 25, 2007. The U.S. had 10 losses and three ties against teams from that continent since then.

The U.S .improved to 3-4-1 since former German World Cup star Klinsmann took over from Bob Bradley as coach last year.

Jones had one of the best chances for a goal but missed from point-blank range. The U.S. had also failed miserably on set plays until the game winner.

Venezuela had a scoring shot in the 62nd minute but Carlos Salazar's header went right into the hands of goalkeeper Bill Hamid. Moments later, the U.S. squad missed another chance when Teal Bunbury's shot off a breakaway was just right of the post.

Venezuela and the United States played for the fourth time. The U.S. leads the series 2-0-1.

Clark's goal was only the sixth for the U.S. teams in Klinsmann's eight games as coach.

Clark, a former player with Major League Soccer's Houston Dynamo, is with Eintracht Frankfurt but has fallen out of favor and hasn't been in a match for the team since July 25, the second game of the season.

The United States plays Panama in Panama City on Wednesday.

Hamid made his U.S. national team debut along with defender A.J. DeLaGarza, midfielder Graham Zusi and substitute Sapong.

More news

Balotelli lifts Man City

??Mario Balotelli scored a stoppage-time penalty kick Sunday to give first-place Manchester City a 3-2 victory over Premier League title rival Tottenham.

Mike Hewitt / Getty Images

Hat trick

Clint Dempsey became the first American to score a hat trick in England's Premier League, helping Fulham rally from a halftime deficit to rout Newcastle 5-2 Saturday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46088226/ns/sports-soccer/

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Friday, January 20, 2012

Mo. jobless rate drops, state sheds 11,800 jobs (AP)

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. ? Missouri's unemployment rate fell to 8 percent, but the state's overall payroll still declined by several thousand jobs.

The state Department of Economic Development reported Tuesday that Missouri's net nonfarm payroll declined by 11,800 jobs in December. Officials say that includes seasonal job losses in private educational services because of holiday and semester breaks at colleges and universities.

Missouri's unemployment rate in December declined two-tenths of a point to 8 percent, the lowest rate since January 2009.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/economy/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120118/ap_on_bi_ge/us_missouri_unemployment_missouri

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Wednesday, January 18, 2012

S&P downgrades euro zone's EFSF bailout fund (Reuters)

BRUSSELS (Reuters) ? Rating agency Standard & Poor's cut its credit rating of the European Financial Stability Facility, the euro zone's rescue fund, by one notch to AA+ on Monday, three days after it cut the ratings of France and Austria by the same margin.

In a statement, S&P said the decision was all but inevitable following the cuts to the creditworthiness of France and Austria, which were two of the EFSF's guarantors.

"We consider that credit enhancements that would offset what we view as the now-reduced creditworthiness of the EFSF's guarantors and securities backing the EFSF's issues are currently not in place," the agency said in a statement.

"We have therefore lowered to AA+ the issuer credit rating of the EFSF, as well as the issue ratings on its long-term debt securities.

The EFSF was set up by the 17 governments that share the European single currency in May 2010 and has so far been used to provide emergency loans to Ireland and Portugal. It is also expected to contribute to a second bailout of Greece.

The fund has an effective lending capacity of 440 billion euros, which depends on guarantees, mainly from the euro zone's AAA countries, only four of which now remain: Germany, Luxembourg, Finland and the Netherlands.

In a statement, the EFSF said the downgrade would not affect its lending capacity, and emphasized that its short-term rating remained at S&P's top level.

"The downgrade to 'AA+' by only one credit agency will not reduce EFSF's lending capacity of 440 billion euros," the fund's chief executive, Klaus Regling, said.

"EFSF has sufficient means to fulfill its commitments under current and potential future adjustment programs until the ESM becomes operational in July 2012," he added.

The ESM - the European Stability Mechanism - is a permanent rescue fund that is expected to have an effective capacity of 500 billion euros, based on paid-in capital of 80 billion euros and callable capital of 620 billion euros.

However, details about the structure of the ESM have still not been agreed among all euro zone member states. The original plan was to introduce it in July 2013, but that was brought forward by a year. Now euro zone policymakers are working hard to ensure the ESM can come into effect in just six months time.

S&P COULD REASSESS ITS MOVE

EU leaders will meet for a summit in Brussels on January 30 when they are expected to discuss jobs and growth as well as issues such as the permanent rescue fund and how to go about tackling the threat of a debt default by Greece.

In the long-term, and particularly if Moody's and Fitch, the two other major ratings agencies, decide to cut the EFSF's rating as well, it may be impossible for the fund to sustain its effective capacity unless it just accepts that it will issue bonds at a lower credit rating, and pay more to do so.

The alternative would be to ask Germany, Finland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg to increase their total guarantees to the fund to get its credit rating back up to AAA. It's very unlikely the countries would agree to such a move.

However, S&P said that if the EFSF could find ways of providing credit enhancements, it could reassess its move.

"We understand that EFSF member states may currently be exploring credit-enhancement options," it said.

"If the EFSF adopts credit enhancements that in our view are sufficient to offset its now-reduced creditworthiness, in particular if we see that once again the EFSF's long-term obligations are fully supported by guarantees from EFSF member-guarantors rated 'AAA' or by securities rated 'AAA', we would likely raise the EFSF's long-term ratings to 'AAA'."

Jean-Claude Juncker, the chairman of the Eurogroup, which represents the 17 euro zone countries, said the implications of S&P's decision would be discussed, probably when finance ministers next meet on January 23.

"We take note and will examine the consequences of the decision announced by Standard & Poor's to downgrade the credit rating," he said in a statement.

"EFSF continues to be assigned the best possible credit rating by Moody's (Aaa) and Fitch (AAA), underlining its solidity. Neither rating agency has indicated any rating action for EFSF in the immediate future."

(Reporting by Luke Baker and Julien Toyer)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/business/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120116/bs_nm/us_eurozone_efsf_sp

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Martin Luther King III Resigns as President of The King Center

Martin Luther King III has announced his resignation from his post as President of The King Center, with immediate effect, in a statement published on the?Atlanta Business Chronicle?Web site, on Tuesday.

The King Center, founded in 1968,?is a hub devoted to the legacy of his father, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and is the largest repository of primary source material on both him and American Civil Rights Movement, in the world.

The resignation comes a day after the country celebrated the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a federal holiday established to honor his memory and service to nation. The King Center had earlier announced changes in their top management, via a release on Jan. 9. According to that statement, Bernice King was to have replaced her brother as CEO, allowing King III to retain the President's post. King III had been working in both capacities since the spring of 2010.

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"I will be devoting my primary future efforts towards launching a new organization that will focus on supporting a new generation of young 'drum majors for justice' worldwide to expand my commitment to the Kingian principles of nonviolence, social justice, and human rights," King III said, in the statement announcing his resignation.

There are no details as to why King III resigned from his post. His statement, however, adds he will continue to be associated with the Center, as an active member of the Board.

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Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/283487/20120118/martin-luther-king-iii-resigns-president-center.htm

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Monday, January 16, 2012

Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system ears-on (video)

In many respects, it could be considered a boombox. But if the Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system can't easily be hoisted above our heads in an attempt to win the heart of the girl we love, we simply can't bring ourselves to actually call it that. That's not to say it's a terrible shelf system: on the contrary, we could definitely use one of these in our office to liven things up on a long Friday, or even to throw into our own room. Perhaps it's just the pretty lights that change colors as you crank out the tunes, or maybe we're just enchanted by the 420 watts of power coursing through its electronic veins. Regardless, the built-in 30-pin connector for iOS devices is nice, but a USB port for flash drives and the built-in AM / FM radio are all included as a way for Sony to try attracting anyone that doesn't use an Apple-branded device. So if you're looking for a new system, have a look at the gallery and video below.

Gallery: Sony Muteki shelf system ears-on

Continue reading Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system ears-on (video)

Sony Muteki RDH-GTK33iP shelf system ears-on (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Thursday, January 12, 2012

Michelle Williams Refuses to Congratulate Beyonce on Twitter

Rihanna did it. Gwyneth Paltrow did it. Russell Simmons did it. THG did it. Millions of fans nearly shut down Twitter doing it. Congratulate Beyonce on giving birth, that is.

Michelle Williams, a member of Destiny's Child, did not and will not, however.

The well wishes have poured in for Beyonce and Jay-Z since they welcomed daughter Blue Ivy Carter Saturday, and Williams has taken heat for not joining in.

Her rationale is simple: Because she'd rather do it in person.

Destiny's Child

Kelly Rowland has not Tweeted anything either, FYI.

Says Michelle Williams to her Twitter critics:

"Let's get ONE thing straight... I do NOT have to say congrats to someone when they're NOT EVEN ON on twitter...ESPECIALLY when I talk or email them all the time."

"Or when I'll be physically present as well. My friendship with people aren't always for twitter. Respect that and get a LIFE!!! Enjoy this FINE day!!! God bless!!!!"

In a follow-up Tweet, Williams said, "This is a beautiful, precious, private time between two people and excitement is to be expected but NOT disrespect!"

And to end the mini-rant, Williams used this hash tag: "#churchdismissed."

Woman's got a point, you gotta admit. Amen to that. Preach on, MW.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/michelle-williams-refuses-to-congratulate-beyonce-on-twitter/

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Monday, January 9, 2012

Community College of Aurora names interim president

Geri Anderson was named Monday as interim president of Community College of Aurora? ? Community College of Aurora Latest from The Business Journals Alternative energy opens new classroom opportunitiesHill wants patients to have a more positive experienceRegis University changes programs with the times Follow this company while a search is under way for a permanent replacement.

Linda Bowman, the current president, announced her retirement last year. Her last day is Feb. 29.

Bowman has received the Fulbright Specialists Award from the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board and the U.S. State Department and will be traveling to Hong Kong for March and part of April to work on higher education public policy.

After Bowman returns, she?ll resume her role as vice president for executive leadership training and development for the Colorado Community College System? ? Colorado Community College System Latest from The Business Journals Colorado community colleges to benefit from Gates Foundation grantAmerican Public University System to study online educationBill would place video lottery machines at horse tracks Follow this company .

Anderson is vice president of academic and student affairs and provost for the Colorado Community College System.

Bowman has been president of Community College of Aurora since 2000. Anderson will take the role on an interim basis beginning March 1.

denvernews@bizjournals.com.

Linda Bowman, the current president, announced her retirement last year. Her last day is Feb. 29.

Anderson is vice president of academic and student affairs and provost for the Colorado Community College System.

Bowman has been president of Community College of Aurora since 2000. Anderson will take the role on an interim basis beginning March 1.

denvernews@bizjournals.com.

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Sunday, January 8, 2012

China?s Culture Wars

I spent time yesterday with a professor at China?s Central Party School, the training ground for senior Communist cadres, once headed by the incoming Chinese president Xi Jinping. When I asked the professor if his peers had paused much to take note of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the Soviet Union, his eyes widened. ?Oh yes,? he said. ?Everyone is talking about it.?

When Mikhail Gorbachev resigned as president of the Soviet Union, and declared his office extinct, on December 25, 1991, it was the final confluence of forces that had been gathering for years, but it was also a reflection of his particular political and cultural chemistry. Even as a young man with a promising Communist future, Gorbachev had been prone to questioning. ?Respected professor,? he once said, in 1952, challenging a lecturer who was leading the class through a mindless recitation. ?What is your interpretation of the reading, and why don?t we discuss it?? He ended up in the dean?s office?and, decades later, echoes of that skepticism, rippling across the country, would signal the unravelling of the empire.

This week also happens to mark the thirty-fifth anniversary of the Czech human-rights declaration known as Charter 77. China takes its anniversaries seriously, so perhaps it?s no coincidence that Chinese leaders have opened 2012 with a warning: ?We must clearly see that international hostile forces are intensifying the strategic plot of Westernizing and dividing China,? president Hu Jintao wrote in an essay and speech. ?And ideological and cultural fields are the focal areas of their long-term infiltration.? He went on, ?We should deeply understand the seriousness and complexity of the ideological struggle, always sound the alarms and remain vigilant, and take forceful measures to be on guard and respond.?

It?s tempting to take the vitriol on its face, as directed at the West. But there is another reading: Party hard-liners know that the more potent threat lies within its own borders, in the race to maintain support around a hollowing ideology. As Damian Ma of the Eurasia Group puts it in a smart post at The Atlantic: ?The ?culture war? is not truly meant to be waged against nefarious U.S. cultural encroachments. It is instead part of a battle to sustain the confidence of its own people?via nationalism, Confucian tenets, wealth, cultural renaissance, or whatever substitute that can be dreamed up?or risk the consequences. The war is, and has always been, about defining the soul of the modern Chinese nation.?

China?s culture wars have been joined from all sides. One wing to watch is a strain of tolerant thinking coming out of the South, where Guangdong party chief Wang Yang recently succeeded in resolving a village standoff without bloodshed and now proposes that as a template for other crises. ?People?s democratic awareness is increasing significantly in this changing society,? Wang said in a speech delivered to the provincial party congress on Tuesday. ?When their appeals for rights aren?t getting enough attention, that?s when mass incidents happen.?

Source: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/evanosnos/2012/01/chinas-culture-wars.html

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Stonehill College grad takes over at Yahoo

Former Raynham resident and Stonehill College graduate Scott Thompson wasn?t an obvious pick to lead Yahoo, but he brings to the struggling Internet company expertise in technology and operations.

Whether that?s enough will be determined in the coming weeks and months.

Thompson, who until now was head of eBay Inc.?s PayPal online payments business, was named Yahoo?s CEO, effective next Monday. He replaces Carol Bartz, who was fired in September after less than three years on the job.

Focused on technology and operations rather than marketing or media, Thompson is ?the guy who helps build the clock as opposed to tell the time,? said Gil B. Luria, an analyst at Wedbush.

Luria credits Thompson, who grew up in Raynham, with turning PayPal into a ?large, fast-growing and predictable payments company.?

Yahoo will need that kind of growth to emerge from a lengthy financial funk. It has been losing ground to Google Inc. and Facebook in Internet advertising even as that market has expanded in the past few years.

Thompson, 54, will try to turn around the anemic Internet pioneer where others have failed. He believes his Boston area roots ? growing up in Raynham and accounting major at Stonehill College in Easton ? will help gird him for the challenges ahead.

?The Boston mindset is interesting,? Thompson said in a Wednesday interview that was punctuated by a hometown accent that he has retained 18 years after moving to California.

?That?s a tough city. Not tough in the sense that it?s threatening or dangerous. But you have to be hardy to be on that East Coast in the winter. I think that rubbed off on me when I was young. I have never lost sight that?s where it all started for me.?

If Thompson succeeds at Yahoo, ?he will be a hero in Silicon Valley,? said Colin Sebastian, an analyst with Baird Equity Research. If he fails? Well, ?he?ll just be another executive who didn?t succeed in turning it around.?

Source: http://www.wickedlocal.com/hanson/news/x915101332/Stonehill-College-grad-takes-over-at-Yahoo

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Saturday, January 7, 2012

Mayor Jennings defends police actions

Posted at: 01/06/2012 5:21 PM | Updated at: 01/06/2012 5:41 PM
By: WNYT Staff

ALBANY - Mayor Jennings defended the actions of his police department during the recent Occupy Albany protests on Friday.

His comments follow Thursday night's Common Council meeting, attended by Police Chief Steven Krokoff.

Krokoff admitted he gave officers the order to use pepper spray on some protesters that they felt were becoming disorderly.

Critics have accused the officers of using excessive force. Friday, Mayor Jennings backed the police and also called for more cooperation from protesters.

?I don't have any problems with the way we've handled it and I would hope in the future they would cooperate with us much more than in the past couple of weeks, but you know we don't want confrontation," said Jennings. "We want people to come here and they have a right to protest, we?ll work with them but we?re not going to tolerate my DGS workers being abused, disrespect or some of the things that took place there."

District Attorney David Soares has said his office will investigate, but Occupy Albany members say such an investigation would not be independent.

Source: http://wnyt.com/article/stories/s2442266.shtml?cat=300

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Friday, January 6, 2012

Mexico residents make new year's resolutions

Mexico, Mo. ?

New Year's Eve has always been a time to reflect on the changes we want (or need) to make and then resolve to follow through on them. While some folks in Ledgerland put thought into their personal goals for 2012, there were a few who simply chose not to make a resolution.
Patricia Chambers, of Mexico, said she's going to "try really, really hard to save money this year, if possible."
Edna Woodroof, like many other Americans, has fallen off the bandwagon more than once, and has basically given up on making resolutions. "That way, I can't flunk any," she said.
YMCA Executive Director Sherry Medley said she's "old enough to know that resolutions don't actually take place." However, the health and fitness enthusiast is recommending the YMCA's "Get Fit" program that starts Jan. 15, and is open to members and non-members who want to get fit for the new year. Medley hopes the 8-week program will help individuals develop a habit of exercising regularly. "We're always promoting wellness," she said. Finalizing the YMCA's capital campaign is Medley's other New Year's goal. Money collected in the campaign totals $3.1 million. Medley anticipates construction will start late Spring. The expansion project will include 36,000 square feet of new facility, and 8,000 square feet of renovated space to meet the health and wellness needs of the citizens.
The Rev. David Nash, pastor at the First Christian Church in Mexico, has vowed to walk a few minutes every day in an effort to work toward better health in general. "The plan is to walk 10-15 minutes a day," he said. Noting the possibilities of succumbing to temptation, Nash said walking seemed the easiest to accomplish. "I knew I couldn't keep anything else. So I tried to keep it (his resolution) awfully basic."
Financial Advisor Bruce Oliver admits the only thing fat he wants is a bankroll. His resolution is to lose 12 pounds. "I need to get to 175 pounds, and I'm a little above that," Oliver said. He also resolved to reduce his smoking of cigars and to visit his two new grandchildren (in Rolla and Lake Saint Louis) more often.
Maintaining good body weight is also a concern of Mexico Mayor Ron Loesch, who has resolved to stay healthy and to keep his weight at a good level in 2012. "If you have your health, you have just about everything," he said.
Loesch also had a few hopes and aspirations for the new year. "Obviously, one of the things we are always looking at, is ways to improve the economy in Mexico," he said. He hopes 2012 will bring some relief and more economic activity in the community. His solution is to "continue working on it." ?
A resolution is a goal? ? something a person wants to achieve. Like other goals, you may have a better chance of achieving it if you have a well-constructed plan, along with several huge helpings of willpower. Psychologist Marta Fliss with Options Unlimited offers some insight into why it's so difficult to keep New Year's resolutions.
"Behavioral change is difficult for all of us. We engage in behaviors that typically are habitual and/or have short-term gratification, such as eating, smoking, or watching television. While these behaviors may be rewarding to us in the short-term ("chocolate is so yummy!"), these behaviors may have long-term negative consequences and begin to interfere with how happy we are with our own lives," Fliss explained. "New Year's resolutions usually consist of making changes that may be difficult to implement in the short-term; however are rewarding in the long-term."
Following are some helpful hints that Fliss offers for making New Year's resolutions and keeping them:
? Ask yourself what would make you happier and how you can change your behavior to achieve this goal
? Set a small goal in relation to this change. Baby steps.
? Find a way to hold yourself accountable.
? Reward yourself for the changes you engage in.
Fliss' personal goal is to lose 10 pounds and fit into all of the clothes in her closet. She plans to make healthier eating choices, snack less, and exercise more. The doctor plans to hold herself accountable by telling a friend about her goal, keeping a food diary, weekly weigh-in's, and following the Eating Guidelines by Geneen Roth, author of Women, Food, and God.
"These are all things I have done before successfully and know I can do again," Fliss said. She plans to reward herself with a new watch. "Wish me luck!"

Source: http://www.mexicoledger.com/homepage/x1085775522/Mexico-residents-make-new-years-resolutions

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Thursday, January 5, 2012

Addressing Iowa Democrats, Obama frames 2012 race as one ???for our children??? (Daily Caller)

President Barack Obama offered a truncated version of his campaign-dinner speech to Iowa campaign workers Tuesday night, complete with personal anecdotes, claims of political success, appeals for more donations and a glimpse of how he hopes to portray the stakes of the 2012 election.

?Part of what 2012 is about is both reminding the American people of how far we?ve traveled and the concrete effects that some of our work ? but part of it is also framing this larger debate about what kind of country are we going to leave for our children and our grandchildren,? he said.

As part of that reframing effort, Obama caricatured the GOP?s free-market policies as ?a different theory that says, we?re going to cut taxes for the wealthiest among us, and roll back regulations on things like clean air and health care reform and Wall Street reform, and that somehow, automatically, that assures that everybody is able to succeed.?

?I don?t believe that? theory, said Obama, who has described himself as a progressive.

Progressives, generally speaking, believe that university-trained managers should manage people?s economic and social lives. Conservatives, including social conservatives and libertarians, object to government-imposed management of the economy and society.

Obama also framed his progressive goals in the populist language chosen for his Dec. 6 speech in Osawatomie, Kansas, saying he was fighting for ?an America where [government ensured] everybody had a fair shot, everybody did their fair share; that responsibility was rewarded and that the game wasn?t fixed.?

Obama is also likely to use the same populist terms in his planned Jan. 4 speech at Shaker Heights High School near in Cleveland, Ohio.

The progressive ambition of this populist pitch was underlined when he urged more government management of competition in the financial sector, despite the central role that federal regulators played in the gradual creation and 2007 implosion of the disastrous real-estate bubble.

?If you want to compete in a free market,? he told the campaign workers, ?then you should compete on the basis of price and service and quality, not on the basis of somebody not being able to understand what they?re buying,? he declared.

But efforts by government regulators to manage tens of millions of diverse consumers? understanding of products and services would choke competition, curb economic growth, constrict the supply of new products, and also subordinate business owners to government managers, say free-market advocates.

This pitch is a harder-edged reprise of his 2008 victory speech at the Iowa caucus, where he beat then-Sen. Hillary Clinton.

?Sometimes, just sometimes, there are nights like this; a night that, years from now, when we?ve made the changes we believe in, when more families can afford to see a doctor, when our children ? when Malia and Sasha and your children inherit a planet that?s a little cleaner and safer, when the world sees America differently, and America sees itself as a nation less divided and more united, you?ll be able to look back with pride and say that this was the moment when it all began,? he declared in January 2008.

At several points in Obama?s speech this year, which was carried on a closed network to hundreds of Democratic caucus sites, he also portrayed himself as the underdog facing a predicted a difficult election and then urged his campaign workers to do more.

?There are a lot of forces that want to push back against us ? we?re battling millions of dollars of negative advertising and lobbyists and special interests who don?t want to see the change that you worked so hard to fully take root ? Change is never easy,? he said.

?So the only way we?re going to be able to do that is if all of you maintain the same determination, the same energy, the same drive, the same hopefulness, the same optimism,? he said. ?When people at grassroots level are getting involved and they?re getting engaged, and they?re feeling empowered and they?re joining hands with each other ? that?s a powerful force.?

When touting his accomplishments, he cited his unpopular Obamacare health-sector takeover, this increased spending on government loans and grants to offset even faster increases in college costs, the law requiring military acceptance of gay and lesbian soldiers, and his increased regulation of Wall Street.

The question-and-answer period included only two canned questions from picked volunteers at caucuses in Coraville and Cedar Rapids, which prompted 687-word and 407-word responses from Obama.

Addressing Iowa Democrats, Obama frames 2012 race as one 'for our children'

Gingrich places fourth, slams Romney and praises Santorum

Huntsman to Iowa winner: 'Welcome to New Hampshire -- nobody cares'

GOP Iowa caucuses morph into tight two-way horse race

Rick Perry, YouTube star for the month of December

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/democrats/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/dailycaller/20120103/pl_dailycaller/addressingiowademocratsobamaframes2012raceasoneforourchildren

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Torre quits MLB to pursue Dodgers ownership (AP)

NEW YORK ? Joe Torre resigned Wednesday as Major League Baseball's executive vice president for baseball operations to join a group trying to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Torre managed the Dodgers from 2008-10, then retired and joined MLB last February as a top aide to Commissioner Bud Selig. He is part of a group headed by real estate developer Rick Caruso.

"In Rick I found a partner who understands consumers and fully appreciates that the Dodgers are a treasured LA institution," Torre said in a statement. "Since moving to Los Angeles, I have seen firsthand Rick's dedication to business and the people of Los Angeles.'

The Dodgers were put up for sale by owner Frank McCourt in November, five months after the team filed for bankruptcy. Following months of bickering and accusations of mismanagement, an agreement between McCourt and MLB said the team is to be sold by April 30, which coincides with the deadline for McCourt to pay former wife Jamie a $131 million divorce settlement.

Initial bids for the team are due by Jan. 23 with the Blackstone Group, Frank McCourt's investment banker. The price likely will break the record for a baseball franchise, topping the $845 million paid by the Ricketts family for the Chicago Cubs in 2009.

"Joe has a proven track record of fielding winning teams and I am looking forward to our group benefiting from his unique experience," Caruso said in a statement. "I am a lifelong Angeleno; I love this city and have dedicated my career to creating world-class destinations that support this community and foster great customer experiences. Joe and I believe in the Dodgers and Dodger fans and know that together we will foster a winning culture."

He is president of Caruso Affiliated, which developed The Grove, a 20-acre retail, dining and entertainment site adjacent to the Farmers Market in Los Angeles.

Torre, the 1971 National League MVP, was a nine-time All-Star during a playing career from 1960-77, then managed the New York Mets, Atlanta Braves and St. Louis Cardinals. After working as a broadcaster for the Angels, he managed the New York Yankees from 1996-07 and led them to four World Series titles.

With MLB, the 71-year-old Torre delegated much of the day-to-day work to three senior vice presidents he appointed in March: former Arizona GM Joe Garagiola Jr., former Dodgers assistant GM Kim Ng and former Arizona assistant GM Peter Woodfork.

"Joe has been an invaluable resource for me and all of us at Major League Baseball this year," Selig said in a statement. "I understand his desire to pursue an opportunity in Los Angeles. Joe has been a lifelong friend and I know that will continue in the future."

Other potential bidders for the team include:

_Steven Cohen of the hedge fund SAC Capital Advisors.

_a group that includes former Los Angeles Lakers star Magic Johnson, former Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals president Stan Kasten and Guggenheim Partners chief executive officer Mark Walter.

_a group that includes former agent and current Chicago White Sox special assistant Dennis Gilbert, talk show host Larry King and Jason Reese of Imperial Capital.

_a group that includes former Dodgers general manager Fred Claire, former Oakland Athletics president Andy Dolich and former Dodgers batboy Ben Hwang, who brought in the financial backers

_former Dodgers owner Peter O'Malley.

_a group that includes former Dodgers stars Orel Hershiser and Steve Garvey, and Joey Herrick of Natural Balance Pet Foods.

_Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

Winners of six World Series titles but none since 1988, the Dodgers have been in turmoil since October 2009, when the McCourts separated and Frank fired Jamie as the team's chief executive officer.

Selig installed former Texas Rangers president Tom Schieffer as the Dodgers' financial monitor in April, ruling he must approve any expense of $5,000 or more.

The Dodgers finished third in the NL West at 82-79, had just three sellouts and fell short of 3 million in home attendance in a full season for the first time since 1992.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120104/ap_on_sp_ba_ne/bbn_dodgers_torre

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Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Say good morning to Jimmy Fallon?s Wake Up Call (Appolicious)

If waking up with Jimmy Fallon sounds appealing to you, you?ll be thrilled to hear that you can. No, the host of ?Late Night? isn?t making house calls ? he?s created Jimmy Fallon?s Wake Up Call to make sure you get out of bed in the morning.

The app for iPhone and iPod Touch offers a smooth GUI for its three clock faces. Its primary function is as an alarm, but there?s a built-in timer, too. I like that you can set multiple alarms at once and that the time of your first alarm is shown in mini on the clock?s face ? that makes it easy to double-check your wake-up call.

When your alarm sounds, your device will ring like you?re getting a phone call ? only this one will be from Fallon. There are 10 ringer styles to choose from, so you should be able to find something that doesn?t drive you crazy first thing in the A.M. To stop the call you?ll need to answer the call or hit snooze. Snooze defaults to five minutes, but you can opt to lengthen it to up to 30 minutes. As a frequent snooze hitter, I like the flexibility of this feature. When you answer the call, you?ll be treated to one of the 17 messages from Fallon. You can set an alarm to have a specific message attached or use random call for luck of the draw.

If you opt to rely on Jimmy Fallon?s Wake Up Call, you?ll want to be sure to use the lock button on the app?s home screen instead of putting your device to sleep. The lock will keep your device turned on and allow you to hear the alarm when it goes off (even if your sound is disabled). If your phone is locked normally or you?re outside of the app, you?ll only be notified via push, which will almost certainly mean you?ll oversleep.

Jimmy Fallon?s Wake Up Call is one of the better clock apps I?ve seen, and fans of the comic should be pleased with the dollar investment.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tv/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_en_t/http___www_appolicious_com_articles10638_say_good_morning_to_jimmy_fallons_wake_up_call/44049948/SIG=12v5c9t6n/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/10638-say-good-morning-to-jimmy-fallons-wake-up-call

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Looking ahead: The Episcopal Church in 2012

Here is a look at just some of what may lie ahead for the Episcopal Church in 2012. Feel free to add your thoughts.

The Episcopal Church will continue to be involved in property litigation with breakaway factions. It will win most, possibly all, of these cases. At some point, when it becomes clear that in most areas, the increasingly less relevant Anglican Church in North America is not actually a threat to the future of the Episcopal Church, perhaps these matters will be handled through negotiation.

Episcopalians will watch with a mixture of bemusement and frustration as Rowan Williams and John Sentamu play the same kind of hardball they resorted to when it appeared Jeffrey John might become the Bishop of Southwark to make sure that the Anglican Covenant is approved by the General Synod of the Church of England. Friends in the C of E, what is the likelihood of a ?we will let women be bishops if you let us be pretend we rule a unified global church? kind of deal?

In our own political affairs, the General Convention, which meets in Indianapolis in early July, will probably authorize, at least on a trial basis, a rite for the blessing of same-gender relationships. Some bishops will not allow the rite to be used in their diocese, raising an interesting question that won?t be immediately addressed by the church, about whether bishops should be allowed this kind of discretion. The campaign for marriage equality will continue.

The convention will probably decline, at least at present, to sign on to the Anglican Covenant. Executive Council has recommended against signing the covenant, saying it would probably require constitutional and canonical changes. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has suggested that it is not the document that the Communion needs. (The Chicago Consultation has released a good study guide for parishes and deputations wanting to consider the matter in detail.)

If the convention votes against adopting the covenant, the church?s adversaries in other provinces will seize the opportunity to demand that ACNA be allowed to sign the covenant. ACNA?s current leadership will no doubt welcome this, but a look at the churches that ACNA is currently planting?some of which are shortlived, others of which take hold?the alliances it is currently cultivating, and the younger leaders who are emerging, suggest to me, that its interest in the Anglican Communion will not outlive its founding leaders, although the church itself well might.

The convention will also consider whether to embrace Bishop Stacy Sauls? proposal to hold a special convention to restructure the church. Restructuring is necessary. It is also perilous. My fears are a) unintended consequences resulting from a restructuring conducted by people with a limited understanding of how legislative bodies actually work, and b) a centralization of authority in the Office of the Presiding Bishop?an office that I think already wields too much power. My hope is that a cadre of leaders will emerge who can help us transcend internecine politics, and move forward.

We will continue to try to rebuild the church in Haiti. We may or may not continue to be challenged by the Occupy movement. The Diocese of South Carolina will continue to take provocative but largely symbolic actions aimed at eliciting a response from the wider church. We may or may not become more sophisticated in our understanding of how institutions that control large amounts of money?such as Trinity Wall Street and the Church Pension Fund?make decisions that affect the entire church.

We will understand with deeper urgency that if we don?t attract more people to the Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Church will wither and die. Those of us who are concerned about the church?s survival and flourishing will patiently endure lectures from seminary-educated people who will inform us that our theology is wanting, that survival is not the word we should be using, that you can?t judge fidelity to the gospel by the number of bodies in the pews, that Jesus was not concerned with earthly success, that if we just preach the gospel the rest will take care of itself and other things that may be true, but are not necessarily to the point.

Then maybe we will focus on the myriad of faithful ways in which we can make our churches more visible and appealing to our friends, neighbors and the strangers in our midst. Maybe we will understand that we need to make special appeals to young adults, and to immigrants, especially Latinos and Latinas. Or maybe we will just occupy ourselves in arguments. Because we are, at the moment, a church of more hat than cattle, and we didn?t get that way by accident.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/episcopalcafe/lead/~3/WzF7TSMvfYw/looking_ahead_the_episcopal_ch.html

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