Newtown Officials Ask Gift-Givers To Stop Sending Packages

Charlotte Bacon, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> They were supposed to be for the holidays, but finally on Friday, after hearing much begging, Charlotte Bacon's mother relented and let her wear the new pink dress and boots to school. It was the last outfit the outgoing redhead would ever pick out. Charlotte's older brother, Guy, was also in the school but was not shot. Her parents, JoAnn and Joel, had lived in Newtown for four or five years, JoAnn's brother John Hagen, of Nisswa, Minn., told Newsday. "She was going to go some places in this world," Hagen told the newspaper. "This little girl could light up the room for anyone."

Daniel Barden, 7

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Daniel's family says he was "fearless in the pursuit of happiness in life." He was the youngest of three children and in a statement to the media, his family said Daniel earned his missing two front teeth and ripped jeans. "Words really cannot express what a special boy Daniel was. Such a light. Always smiling, unfailingly polite, incredibly affectionate, fair and so thoughtful towards others, imaginative in play, both intelligent and articulate in conversation: in all, a constant source of laughter and joy," the family said.

Rachel D'avino, 29

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>Days before the Connecticut shooting rampage, the boyfriend of Rachel D'Avino had asked her parents for permission to marry her. D'Avino was a behavioral therapist who had only recently started working at the school where she was killed, according to Lissa Lovetere Stone, a friend who is handling her funeral planned for Friday. D'Avino's boyfriend, Anthony Cerritelli, planned to ask her to marry him on Christmas Eve, Lovetere Stone said.

Olivia Engel, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Images of Olivia Rose Engel show a happy child, one with a great sense of humor, as her family said in a statement. There she is, visiting with Santa Claus, or feasting on a slice of birthday cake. Or swinging a pink baseball bat, posing on a boat, or making a silly face. Olivia loved school, did very well in math and reading, and was "insightful for her age," said the statement released by her uncle, John Engel. She was a child who "lit up a room and the people around her." Creative with drawing and designing, she was also a tennis and soccer player and took art classes, swimming, and dance lessons in ballet and hip hop. A Daisy Girl Scout, she enjoyed musical theater.

Josephine Gay, 7

Josephine Gay was nicknamed "Boo" because she looked so much like the character of the same name in the movie "Monsters, Inc.," the <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22201501/sandy-hook-shooting-victim-josephine-gay-profile">Denver Post reported.</a> She would set up lemonade stands in the summer, enjoyed riding her bike in the street, and celebrated her 7th birthday only three days before the shooting.

Dawn Hochsprung, 47

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a> Dawn Hochsprung's pride in Sandy Hook Elementary was clear. She regularly tweeted photos from her time as principal there, giving indelible glimpses of life at a place now known for tragedy. Just this week, it was an image of fourth-graders rehearsing for their winter concert; days before that, the tiny hands of kindergartners exchanging play money at their makeshift grocery store. She viewed her school as a model, telling The Newtown Bee in 2010 that "I don't think you could find a more positive place to bring students to every day." She had worked to make Sandy Hook a place of safety, too, and in October, the 47-year-old Hochsprung shared a picture of the school's evacuation drill with the message "safety first." When the unthinkable came, she was ready to defend. Officials said she died while lunging at the gunman in an attempt to overtake him.

Madeline Hsu

<a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324481204578181244231543014.html">Madeline Hsu was "very upbeat and kind," </a>a neighbor told the Wall Street Journal, remembering the young girl's love of bright, flowery dresses.<a href="http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/12/18/massacre-victim-madeleine-hsu-lit-up-around-dogs/"> Hsu's face would "light up" </a>when she got off the bus and saw the neighbor's golden retriever each day, the woman told CBS.

Catherine V. Hubbard, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Catherine V. Hubbard, aged six, one of the victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, United States, who was shot by Adam Lanza, 20, and died in hospital. Catherine's parents released a statement expressing gratitude to emergency responders and for the support of the community. "We are greatly saddened by the loss of our beautiful daughter, Catherine Violet and our thoughts and prayers are with the other families who have been affected by this tragedy," Jennifer and Matthew Hubbard said. "We ask that you continue to pray for us and the other families who have experienced loss in this tragedy."

Chase Kowalski, 7

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Chase Kowalski was always outside, playing in the backyard, riding his bicycle. Just last week, he was visiting neighbor Kevin Grimes, telling him about completing ? and winning ? his first mini-triathlon. "You couldn't think of a better child," Grimes said.

Nancy Lanza, 52

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a>She once was known simply for the game nights she hosted and the holiday decorations she put up at her house. Now Nancy Lanza is known as her son's first victim. Authorities say her 20-year-old son Adam gunned her down before killing 26 others at Sandy Hook. The two shared a home in a well-to-do Newtown neighborhood, but details were slow to emerge of who she was and what might have led her son to carry out such horror. Kingston, N.H., Police Chief Donald Briggs Jr. said Nancy Lanza once lived in the community and was a kind, considerate and loving person. The former stockbroker at John Hancock in Boston was well-respected, Briggs said.

Jesse Lewis, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Six-year-old Jesse Lewis had hot chocolate with his favorite breakfast sandwich ? sausage, egg and cheese ? at the neighborhood deli before going to school Friday morning. Jesse and his parents were regulars at the Misty Vale Deli in Sandy Hook, Conn., owner Angel Salazar told The Wall Street Journal. "He was always friendly; he always liked to talk," Salazar said. Jesse's family has a collection of animals he enjoyed playing with, and he was learning to ride horseback. Family friend Barbara McSperrin told the Journal that Jesse was "a typical 6-year-old little boy, full of life."

Ana Marquez-Greene, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> A year ago, 6-year-old Ana Marquez-Greene was reveling in holiday celebrations with her extended family on her first trip to Puerto Rico. This year will be heartbreakingly different. The girl's grandmother, Elba Marquez, said the family moved to Connecticut just two months ago, drawn from Canada, in part, by Sandy Hook's sterling reputation. The grandmother's brother, Jorge Marquez, is mayor of a Puerto Rican town and said the child's 9-year-old brother also was at the school but escaped safely.

James Mattioli, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> James Mattioli especially loved recess and math, and his family described him as a "numbers guy" who came up with insights beyond his years to explain the relationship between numbers. He particularly loved the concept of googolplex, which a friend taught him. He was born four weeks before his due date, and his family often joked that he came into the world early because he was hungry. They wrote in his obituary that 6-year-old James, fondly called `J,' loved hamburgers with ketchup, his Dad's egg omelets with bacon, and his Mom's french toast. He often asked to stop at Subway and wanted to know how old he needed to be to order a footlong sandwich. He loved sports and wore shorts and T-shirts no matter the weather. He was a loud and enthusiastic singer and once asked, "How old do I have to be to sing on a stage?"

Grace Audrey McDonnell, 7

Grace McDonnell, 7, was a "girly girl" who loved playing dress-up and wearing pink, her grandmother Mary Ann McDonnell told <a href="http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Little-angel-Grace-McDonnell-remembered-by-family-after-Newtown-massacre-183767921.html"> Irish Central.</a> "Grace was like a little doll. She was utterly adorable," said neighbor Dorothy Werden.

Anne Marie Murphy, 52

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>A happy soul. A good mother, wife and daughter. Artistic, fun-loving, witty and hardworking. Remembering their daughter, Anne Marie Murphy, her parents had no shortage of adjectives to offer Newsday. When news of the shooting broke, Hugh and Alice McGowan waited for word of their daughter as hours ticked by. And then it came. Authorities told the couple their daughter was a hero who helped shield some of her students from the rain of bullets. As the grim news arrived, the victim's mother reached for her rosary. "You don't expect your daughter to be murdered," her father told the newspaper. "It happens on TV. It happens elsewhere."

Emilie Parker, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP: </a>Quick to cheer up those in need of a smile, Emilie Parker never missed a chance to draw a picture or make a card. Her father, Robbie Parker, fought back tears as he described the beautiful, blond, always-smiling girl who loved to try new things, except foods. Parker, one of the first parents to publicly talk about his loss, expressed no animosity for the gunman, even as he struggled to explain the death to his other two children, ages 3 and 4. He's sustained by the fact that the world is better for having had Emilie in it. "I'm so blessed to be her dad," he said.

Jack Pinto, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Jack Pinto was a huge New York Giants fan. New York Giants wide receiver Victor Cruz said he talked to Pinto's family, which is considering burying the 6-year-old boy in Cruz's No. 80 jersey. Cruz honored Jack Sunday on his cleats, writing on them the words "Jack Pinto, My Hero" and "R.I.P. Jack Pinto." "I also spoke to an older brother and he was distraught as well. I told him to stay strong and I was going to do whatever I can to honor him," Cruz said after the Giant's game with the Atlanta Falcons. "He was fighting tears and could barely speak to me." Cruz said he plans to give the gloves he wore during the game to the boy's family, and spend some time with them. "There's no words that can describe the type of feeling that you get when a kid idolizes you so much that unfortunately they want to put him in the casket with your jersey on," he said. "I can't even explain it." Jack's funeral is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Monday at the Honan Funeral Home in Newtown, followed by burial at the Newtown Village Cemetery.

Noah Pozner, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP:</a> Noah was "smart as a whip," gentle but with a rambunctious streak, said his uncle, Alexis Haller of Woodinville, Wash. Noah's twin sister Arielle, assigned to a different classroom, survived the shooting. He called her his best friend, and with their 8-year-old sister, Sophia, they were inseparable. "They were always playing together, they loved to do things together," Haller said. When his mother, a nurse, would tell him she loved him, he would answer, "Not as much as I love you, Mom." Haller said Noah loved to read and liked to figure out how things worked mechanically. For his birthday two weeks ago, he got a new Wii. "He was just a really lively, smart kid," Haller said. "He would have become a great man, I think. He would have grown up to be a great dad."

Caroline Previdi, 6

Caroline Previdi is remembered as a "sweet" and "precious" girl, <a href="http://www.denverpost.com/ci_22204448/sandy-hook-shooting-victim-caroline-previdi-profile">the Denver Post reported.</a> She loved to draw and dance, and her smile brought happiness to everyone around her, according to her <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newstimes/obituary.aspx?n=caroline-previdi&pid=161771763#fbLoggedOut">obituary.</a>

Jessica Rekos, 6

"Jessica loved everything about horses," her family said in a statement, <a href="http://tv.msnbc.com/2012/12/16/meet-jessica-rekos/">MSNBC reported,</a> adding that they planned on getting their daughter her own horse when she turned 10. "She was a creative, beautiful little girl who loved playing with her little brothers, Travis and Shane," the statement reads. She spent time writing in her journals, making up stories, and doing ?research? on orca whales ? one of her passions after seeing the movie Free Willy last year. She said her dream was to see a real orca. Thankfully her dream was realized in October when she went to SeaWorld.

Lauren Rousseau, 30

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html?utm_hp_ref=crime">From the AP: </a>Lauren Rousseau had spent years working as a substitute teacher and doing other jobs. So she was thrilled when she finally realized her goal this fall to become a full-time teacher at Sandy Hook. Her mother, Teresa Rousseau, a copy editor at the Danbury News-Times, released a statement Saturday that said state police told them just after midnight that she was among the victims. "Lauren wanted to be a teacher from before she even went to kindergarten," she said. "We will miss her terribly and will take comfort knowing that she had achieved that dream." Her mother said she was thrilled to get the job. "It was the best year of her life," she told the newspaper.

Mary Sherlach, 56

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> When the shots rang out, Mary Sherlach threw herself into the danger. Janet Robinson, the superintendent of Newtown Public Schools, said Sherlach and the school's principal ran toward the shooter. They lost their own lives, rushing toward him. Even as Sherlach neared retirement, her job at Sandy Hook was one she loved. Those who knew her called her a wonderful neighbor, a beautiful person, a dedicated educator. Her son-in-law, Eric Schwartz, told the South Jersey Times that Sherlach rooted on the Miami Dolphins, enjoyed visiting the Finger Lakes, relished helping children overcome their problems. She had planned to leave work early on Friday, he said, but never had the chance. In a news conference Saturday, he told reporters the loss was devastating, but that Sherlach was doing what she loved. "Mary felt like she was doing God's work," he said, "working with the children."

Victoria Soto, 27

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> She beams in snapshots. Her enthusiasm and cheer was evident. She was doing, those who knew her say, what she loved. And now, Victoria Soto is being called a hero. Though details of the 27-year-old teacher's death remained fuzzy, her name has been invoked again and again as a portrait of selflessness and humanity among unfathomable evil. Those who knew her said they weren't surprised by reports she shielded her first-graders from danger. "She put those children first. That's all she ever talked about," said a friend, Andrea Crowell. "She wanted to do her best for them, to teach them something new every day." Photos of Soto show her always with a wide smile, in pictures of her at her college graduation and in mundane daily life. She looks so young, barely an adult herself. Her goal was simply to be a teacher. "You have a teacher who cared more about her students than herself," said Mayor John Harkins of Stratford, the town Soto hailed from and where more than 300 people gathered for a memorial service Saturday night. "That speaks volumes to her character, and her commitment and dedication."

Benjamin Wheeler, 6

<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/connecticut-shooting-victims_n_2308463.html">From the AP:</a> Music surrounded Benjamin Wheeler as he grew up in a household where both his mother and father were performers. They left behind stage careers in New York City when they moved to Newtown with Benjamin and his older brother Nate. "We knew we wanted a piece of lawn, somewhere quiet, somewhere with good schools," Francine Wheeler told the Newtown Bee in a profile. She is a music educator and singer-songwriter. Sometimes the musical mother would try out tunes on her own children, with some tunes that she made up for Ben as a baby eventually finding their way onto a CD, she told the newspaper. In writing songs for children, melodies needn't be simplified, she said. "I try to make it my mission to always present good music to kids." Benjamin's father, David, a former film and television actor, writes and performs still, according to a profile on the website of the Flagpole Radio Cafe theater, with which he's performed in Newtown. The family are members of Trinity Episcopal Church, whose website noted that Nate, also a student at Sandy Hook Elementary School, was not harmed in Friday's shooting.

Allison Wyatt, 6

<a href="http://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Allison-Wyatt-Made-the-World-a-Better-Place--184002071.html">Allison Wyatt "loved to laugh</a> and was developing her own wonderful sense of humor that ranged from just being a silly six-year old to coming up with observations that more than once had us crying with laughter,? her family wrote in a statement obtained by NBC. She was talented and wanted to be an artist, and would often "surprise [her family] with random acts of kindness -- once even offering snacks to a complete stranger on a plane."

Victoria Soto's Sister, Jillian

Jillian Soto uses a phone to get information about her sister, Victoria Soto, a teacher at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Newtown, Conn. Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 after a gunman killed over two dozen people, including 20 children. Victoria Soto, 27, was among those killed. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Emilie Parker, 6

This photo posted to the Emilie Parker Fund Facebook page shows Emilie Parker and her father Robbie Parker. Fighting back tears and struggling to catch his breath, Robbie Parker the father of 6-year-old Emile Parker who was gunned down in Friday's school shooting in Connecticut told the world about a little girl who loved to draw and was always smiling, and he also reserved surprising words of sympathy for the gunman. (AP Photo/Emilie Parker Fund)

Robbie Parker

Robbie Parker, the father of six-year-old Emilie who was killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, fights back tears as he speaks during a news conference, Saturday, Dec. 15, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

Victoria Soto's Mother, Donna

STRATFORD, CT - DECEMBER 15: Donna Soto (R), mother of Victoria Soto, the first-grade teacher at Sandy Hook Elementary School who was shot and killed while protecting her students, leans on her son Matthew while mourning their loss at a candlelight vigil in honor of Victoria at Stratford High School on December 15, 2012 in Stratford, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire in the school. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza was found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)

Emilie Parker, 6

This photo posted to the Emilie Parker Fund Facebook page shows Emilie Parker and her father Robbie Parker. Fighting back tears and struggling to catch his breath, Robbie Parker the father of 6-year-old Emile Parker who was gunned down in Friday's school shooting in Connecticut told the world about a little girl who loved to draw and was always smiling, and he also reserved surprising words of sympathy for the gunman. (AP Photo/Emilie Parker Fund)

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/newtown-gifts_n_2366658.html

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AUD/USD: Aussie trading lower on US cliff fears | GCI Forex News

GCI Forex News - AUD/USD: Aussie trading lower on US cliff fears

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AUDUSD Movement

For the 24 hours to 23:00 GMT, AUD weakened marginally against the USD to close at 1.0365, as traders backed away from riskier assets amid persistent concerns over the US fiscal cliff.

LME Copper prices declined 0.7% or $57.0/MT to $7768.3/MT. Aluminium prices rose 0.2% or $3.5/MT to $2035.3/MT.

In the Asian session, at GMT0400, the pair is trading at 1.0357, with the AUD trading marginally lower from yesterday?s close.

The pair is expected to find support at 1.0339, and a fall through could take it to the next support level of 1.0322. The pair is expected to find its first resistance at 1.0381, and a rise through could take it to the next resistance level of 1.0404.

The currency pair is trading just below its 20 Hr and 50 Hr moving averages.

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Source: http://forexnews.gcitrading.com/currencies/audusd/audusd-aussie-trading-lower-on-us-cliff-fears.htm

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Pakistan mob burns man accused of desecrating Koran alive

HYDERABAD, Pakistan (Reuters) - A mob broke into a Pakistani police station and burnt a man accused of desecrating the Koran alive, police said Saturday, in the latest violence focusing attention on the country's blasphemy laws.

The man was a traveler and had spent Thursday night at the mosque, said Maulvi Memon, the imam in the southern village of Seeta in Sindh province. The charred remains of the Koran were found the next morning.

"He was alone in the mosque during the night," Memon said. "There was no one else there to do this terrible thing."

Villagers beat the man then handed him over to police. A few hours later, a crowd of around 200 stormed the police station, dragged the man out and set him on fire, said Usman Ghani, the senior superintendent of police in Dadu district.

Ghani said around 30 people had been arrested for the murder and seven police detained for negligence.

At least 53 people have been killed in Pakistan since 1990 after being accused of blasphemy, according to the Center for Research and Security Studies, and accusations are becoming more frequent.

Blasphemy in Pakistan is punishable by death but it is not specifically defined by law. During court cases, lawyers often do not wish to repeat evidence against the accused for fear of being blasphemous themselves.

People have been arrested for just discussing or writing about Islam, making mistakes in homework or not joining protests against a film insulting Islam. In some cases, the accusers have had financial disputes with those who are accused.

Most recently, international attention focused on the case of Rimsha Masih, a Christian teenager accused of having some burnt pages of a child's exercise book quoting the Koran in a bag of rubbish she was carrying.

The case was dismissed last month after a neighbor came forward to say she was framed, possibly to chase Christians out of her neighborhood.

In the past two years, two senior Pakistani officials who suggested reforming the laws have been shot dead, one by his own bodyguard. Lawyers threw rose petals at the killer and the judge who convicted him was forced to flee the country.

(Additional reporting by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Writing by Katharine Houreld; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-mob-burns-man-accused-desecrating-koran-alive-065605412.html

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BMW's Car Hotspot LTE means Bavarian Motor WiFi

The dedicated car phone may be a thing of the past, but the in-car hotspot is becoming increasingly common. BMW isn't shy when it comes to in-vehicle tech, so the fact that it's launching its own solution should come as no surprise. We initially heard about the ConnectedDrive LTE integration back in summer, but now it looks like it's almost here. The BMW Car Hotspot LTE is essentially a purpose-built WiFi router that houses an LTE SIM (it also supports 3G and EDGE). It's compatible with any BMW with a telephone docking station and allows connections from up to eight client devices. Authentication can be done via code entry or NFC (or there's WPS too). Rather than just rebranding an LTE dongle, the system is designed to integrate with the vehicle's aerial for better signal, while the dock keeps it charged. As you might surmise, this does indeed mean there is an internal battery, making it useful beyond the confines of the automobile too (for about an hour according to the car maker). No official word on price or release, but it's suggested it'll be landing in Europe as soon as this week.

Filed under: Cellphones, Peripherals, Transportation, Mobile

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Via: Telematics news

Source: BMW

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/23/bmws-car-hotspot-lte/

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Ex-Tunisian dictator's property goes under hammer

TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? Tunisian authorities are putting property confiscated from ousted Tunisian dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali up for auction. That includes a pair of miniature gold sphinxes, a diamond-encrusted pen and a staggering 39 luxury cars.

Officials hope the sale, which was inaugurated by Tunisia's Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali in Tunis Saturday, will fetch some 20 million dinar ($12.9 million) for the state.

One of the rarities up for grabs is a super-pricy Mercedes that belonged to Ben Ali's nephew. Mohammed Lassaad Hamayed of Tunisia's confiscation committee calls the car "a handmade gem made of carbon fibers that costs more than ?2 million ($2.6 million)."

He says "only Mohamed VI (the King of Morocco) has a similar one."

Ben Ali was ousted by a popular uprising in January 2011.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ex-tunisian-dictators-property-goes-under-hammer-161241133.html

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garylimond: nitusharma: Four Crafts to Get Crafting! - Fairchild ...

Crafting is having quite a resurgence, and many are forgoing TV time to work on homespun projects. If you?re looking for a new hobby, check out this list of crafts that offer productive and fun ways to spend your leisure time.

-??????? Knitting is one of the most popular craft hobbies today. The supplies are inexpensive and very portable ? you can easily carry your yarn and needles in your purse and take them out whenever you have time. You can also work on projects in short periods of time, like during a commute or while in a waiting room.

-??????? Origami is an ancient and lovely crafting choice. The Japanese art of folded paper can make some awesome shapes if you keep at it. An inexpensive hobby, all you really need are square sheets and instructions.?

-??????? Quilting has become increasingly recent years, as people are recognizing the artistic expression possible in these traditional blankets. Though it's not portable, the end product can be spectacular and very useful.

-??????? Screen printing is now easier than ever to do at home. You can purchase a one-piece kit at a craft store that lets you expose an image, burn a screen, and print on paper, fabric, or other materials quickly and easily. This simple?method is loads of fun and makes great gifts for family and friends.

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Source: http://blog.fairchildfamilyhousing.com/2012/12/13/four-crafts-to-get-crafting/

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Source: http://elucbkyka.posterous.com/four-crafts-to-get-crafting-fairchild-family

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Source: http://nitusharma596.blogspot.com/2012/12/four-crafts-to-get-crafting-fairchild.html

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Source: http://garylimond.blogspot.com/2012/12/nitusharma-four-crafts-to-get-crafting.html

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LaPierre refuses to back new gun curbs

By Tom Curry, NBC News national affairs writer

On NBC?s Meet the Press, National Rifle Association chief Wayne LaPierre on Sunday refused to support new gun control legislation and maintained his support for putting armed guards and police in schools in response to the Dec. 14 school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

See the Meet The Press page

?If it?s crazy to call for putting police in and securing our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy,? LaPierre told NBC?s David Gregory.

The Atlantic's Jordan Weissmann has an inside look at the organization that made big news this week.

He added that the United States is now spending $2 billion?to train police officers in Iraq and asked why federal funds could not be spent to train school guards to protect school in the United States.

?I know there?s a media machine in this country that wants to blame guns every time something happens,? he said, but he insisted that an armed guard might have been able to stop Adam Lanza, the killer in Connecticut.

LaPierre said, ?We have no national database of these lunatics? and complained that de-institutionalization of the mentally ill had put too many dangerous people on the American streets. ?These monsters walk the streets,? LaPierre said.

He opposed further curbs on private gun sales and contended that the advocates of stringent restrictions on private gun sales want to put ?every gun sale under the thumb of the federal government.?

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., the author of the 1994 ban on certain types of semiautomatic firearms which expired in 2004, has announced that she will introduce new legislation early next year. Semiautomatic firearms, including semiautomatic weapons sometimes called ?assault weapons,? fire one round per pull of the trigger.

But LaPierre called Feinstein?s bill ?a phony piece of legislation? which he predicted would not become law.

After a week of silence following the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School the NRA responded, saying armed guns in schools is the answer. "The only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun," said Wayne LaPierre, NRA's executive vice president. NBC's John Harwood reports.

LaPierre?s appearance on Meet the Press followed the strong reaction over his defiant stand during a Friday press briefing about the NRA?s response to the Dec. 14 school shootings in Newtown, Conn.

Amid a national debate over what security measures school administrators should take to ensure the safety of students, gun-control advocates reacted with disbelief Friday to LaPierre?s call for armed guards in every school and his blaming of Hollywood films, video games, and music for school shootings such as the one in Connecticut.

In an impassioned statement in Washington Friday, LaPierre, the organization's CEO and executive vice president, ridiculed the idea that ?one more gun ban or one more law imposed on peaceful, lawful people will protect us where 20,000 other laws have failed.?

LaPierre said America has left its schoolchildren ?utterly defenseless -- and the monsters and the predators of the world know it and exploit it.?

The NRA is confronting its greatest legislative test in 20 years in the aftermath of the Connecticut shootings, as President Barack Obama and some members of Congress are moving to enact further measures to restrict gun sales and possession, most likely as part of a larger bill that would include increased funding for mental illness detection and treatment.

Obama has tasked Vice President Joe Biden with the job of consulting with members of the Cabinet and outside organizations to come up with legislative proposals by next month.

Her bill would outlaw more than 100 specifically-named firearms as well as certain semiautomatic rifles, handguns and shotguns that can accept a detachable magazine and semiautomatic rifles and handguns with a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds.

After a week of calls for tighter gun restrictions, the National Rifle Association called for putting more armed security officers in the nation's schools and expressed concerns about violence portrayed in video games, movies and music. NBC's Pete Williams reports.

How firmly the NRA?s allies in Congress will oppose any new legislative initiatives from Obama, Feinstein or others remains an open question.

In a test of the NRA?s legislative influence, the House of Representatives late last year passed the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act, which has not yet been acted on by the Senate.

In the House vote, 229 Republicans and 43 Democrats voted for the NRA-backed bill.

The House bill allows a person with a photo identification card and a valid permit to carry a concealed firearm in one state to carry a concealed handgun in another state in accordance with the restrictions of that second state.

Senate Democrats who have worked with the NRA in the past and who are up for re-election in 2014, such as Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska, will be pivotal in the outcome of any legislative battle in the Senate.

?I get that some want to talk about (regulating guns), but we have a broader issue and we live in a violent society and we need to look at mental health and how to make our schools safer,? Begich said Friday in an interview with the Fairbank Daily News-Miner.

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Source: http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/23/16101856-after-reaction-to-its-defiant-stance-nra-prepares-for-2013-battles?lite

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Source: http://fernandokern.blogspot.com/2012/12/medibank-travel-insurance.html

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Medical Equipment Should Be Leased - Direct Capital

The doctor is in need of medical equipment leasing.

Direct Capital has long believed that the best way to obtain medical equipment, which often borders on cost-prohibitive, is to lease it. While the world likes to think of doctors as fabulously wealthy, you and I know that small practices are operating with the same thin profit margin every mom and pop store grapples with. That makes leasing a more attractive option.

In essence, there are four reasons why leases beat buying outright and even loans.

• You don?t have to pay for the whole thing outright. Buying equipment has its own advantages, but it?s going to leave you out a significant amount of cash right out of the game. Unless the equipment pays itself back quickly?i.e. better diagnostics or faster patient processing?that?s a punch to your bottom line.
• Loans require significant collateral, and if something goes wrong along the way with your loan, that collateral is at risk. Leases require little-to-no collateral, which means you can feel a little more secure if you hit bumps in the road.
• Payback options can be tailored to fit your office?s needs, which is a huge plus. Perhaps the biggest advantage with a lease is that you can, when working with the right lender, pay back more during your busiest months (flu season?) and less during the slower times.
• Leases are available right now in a way that bank loans simply are not. Banks have been incredibly slow to resume lending, while independent finance firms who do leases are growing. If you need equipment, there?s never been a better time to lease it. Honestly.

We hope you?ll keep these advantages in mind as you think about how to get your equipment in Q4, 2013 and beyond.

We?re almost to 2013. Will you be leasing equipment for your medical practice in the year ahead?

Direct Capital Facebook | Direct Capital Twitter | Direct Capital Newsletter

Photo credit to iStock

Source: http://blog.directcapital.com/business-insights/medical-equipment-leasing/

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Children Keep Active In Science - Reference and Education - Scottie ...

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Source: http://hershel33.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/children-keep-active-in-science-reference-and-education-scottie.html

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Today's Tech: Samsung takes moral high ground against Apple and Instagram wants to sell your photos

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Samsung and Apple?s ongoing legal feud saw a Californian court throw out the Cupertino firm?s motion for an injunction against the retail of Samsung goods. The San Jose ruling is indicative of a possible turning of the tides in favour of the Korean manufacturer, as a series of court reversals and appeals call into question Apple's initial claims of patent infringement.

There was more legal drama to report on between the two technology monoliths, however, as Samsung decided to actually drop its European injunction requests against Apple. Citing a desire to ?protect consumer choice,? the purveyor of all things Galaxy withdrew its sales ban requests against Apple in the UK, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. This should not be taken as a sign of pacifism from Samsung, as the Korean firm also asserted that it would persist in other litigation efforts against its US competitor.

In other news, Instagram has caused outrage among users after announcing that an amendment to its terms of use means that it now has the right to sell all photos to advertisers without notification. The move will essentially make the photo-sharing app the world?s largest stock photo agency. It has angered avid users of the app, with one New York photographer condemning it as ?Instagram?s suicide note?. The news seems to echo the sentiments made earlier this month by Facebook exec Carolyn Everson. "Eventually we'll figure out a way to monetise Instagram," she said. It seems the world?s largest social network, which bought Instagram earlier this year in a landmark $715 million (?441 million) deal, has found a way to make money from it. But at what cost to its loyal fanbase??

Hybrid is the name of the game when it comes to Windows 8-optimised hardware, and Lenovo is leading the charge with its tablet- and Ultrabook-convertibles. Joel Santo Domingo took one of those devices, the Lenovo ThinkPad Twist, for a spin to find out just how it measures up. The Ultrabook, which he describes as a thinner version of the Lenovo ThinkPad X230t, excels at some things (its keyboard, familiar layout, screen quality), yet is middling at others (battery life, weight, five-point touch). It's ultimately a machine "produced with those people who want to make extensive use of the touch functions in Windows 8 in mind," he found. Follow the link for more details about the ThinkPad Twist's design, features and performance.

Lastly, computing has made huge strides in the last few years, but one innovation that is still a work in progress is the ability to get our computers to think cognitively. In its annual?Next 5 in 5?list, tech giant IBM contended that we're now on the verge of entering an "era of cognitive computing" that will include "machines that can help us think" and?be able to handle right-brained activities, like sensing.?Accordingly, this annum's "5 in 5" focuses on how computers will come to mimic and in many instances alter the human senses in the near future, with IBM predicting a number of radical developments in the coming years. What are they? Click on to glimpse the future.

Source: http://feeds.itproportal.com/~r/itproportal/rss/~3/bkk34P3XXq4/

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DLA employees adopt record 150 Angels from partnership schools ...

Logistics,News Analysis,Supply Chain | 14 hours ago |

Employees, military members and contractors at Defense Supply Center Richmond for the second consecutive year adopted a record number of Angels as part of DLA Aviation?s Annual Angel Tree program.

The 150 Angels adopted this year shattered last year?s record of 118. The Angels came from DLA Aviation?s four partnership schools: Meadowbrook High School, and Bensley, Bellwood and G.H. Reid Elementary Schools. School officials, including guidance counselors and family services providers, chose students for the program based on a variety of factors, primarily financial need.

?I volunteered this year for the Angel Tree Program to witness the outpouring of love, giving spirit and support from the many dedicated heroes we have here at DLA Aviation,? said Sandra Cousin work force specialist with DLA Training Center. ?To see the same generous people come back this year to do it all over again excites me and make me want to do something for them ? share the excitement.?

What stood out about this year?s Angel Tree Program to Cousin was the record number of Angels adopted by the people working at DSCR. ?Having more DLA Aviation personnel desire to be a blessing really stood out to me Cousin said. ?Public Affairs had to keep going back to the schools and get more angels to fill request from the DLA family. Way to go!?

?This is really amazing,? said Michael Riley family service provider and special education teacher at Bensley Elementary School. ?I did it for the first time last year and these guys pulled up in the truck and it?s like Boom! Boom! Boom! I mean this is great. We do a lot with the faculty but you guys are the best.

?This absolutely has an impact on our families. We have people who start to ask about this in the beginning of the year,? Riley explained. ?The best thing last year was one of the kids you guys adopted came in and said ?Mr. Riley I?m new? because she had new cloths. It?s truly amazing!?

?This is a huge thing! We?ve seen an increase by about 50 percent, because of the economy, in the number of parents requesting help,? emphasized Amy Bartilotti Bellwood Elementary School?s communities and school site coordinator. ?In years before parents who would bring things and donate things are people in need now. This just takes a big stress off our families to be able to have this and to know DSCR calls and says they want 20 Angels and by the end of the Christmas season you guys are bringing gifts for 47 Angels. I just love you guys. You take very good care of us?from school supplies all the way down to this, to anything we need like volunteers and mentors. We are very blessed.?

Martha Everett DLA Aviation Program Analyst, said it?s the support of the employees here on center that wanted to give a child or children a special Christmas that stood out to her this year.

?I have always given back to the families of Bensley that were going thru hard times,? Everett said. ?When I was a Girl Scout, and in the Ladies Auxiliary of the Bensley Volunteer Fire Department, we always gave to a family from the Bensley area at Christmas time. It feels good to give back, especially in the community and at the school that I attended growing up.?

Once again DLA employees at DSCR gave children at DLA Aviation?s four partnership schools new clothing, bicycles, books, toys, video games and a few of the Meadowbrook High School children got cell phones and CD players, DVD?s, gift certificates and movie passes. More than 200 employees participated in the program this year.

Source: http://logisticsweek.com/logistics-2/2012/12/dla-employees-adopt-record-150-angels-from-partnership-schools/

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Kidnap gangs use leaked bank details to prey on Afghan tycoons

KABUL (Reuters) - Afghan construction magnate Haji Asadullah Ghaznawi was dragged from his office with a gun to his head and locked up in a slaughterhouse for almost three weeks.

Ghaznawi was later shocked to discover someone had leaked details of his bank account to the kidnap gang who pulled up in a car in broad daylight in Kabul a year ago and abducted him.

Violent criminals who gain access to confidential information about Afghan millionaires like Ghaznawi have raised alarming questions about the dangers of doing business in one of the world's poorest and most corrupt countries.

"Eight days before I was kidnapped a business partner added one million dollars to my bank account," Ghaznawi told Reuters from his luxurious office in the Afghan capital.

"The kidnappers told me that I had one million dollars in my bank. How could they know this?"

The leaks, some businessmen allege, are coming from the very people who are supposed to be protecting Afghans and helping them prosper -- intelligence officials, police and bankers.

Safeguarding Afghanistan's economy is just as important for the troubled South Asian nation's stability as containing the Taliban-led insurgency as NATO combat troops withdraw by the end of 2014.

The International Monetary Fund expects economic growth of 11 percent this year. While that might sound impressive, it will inevitably be offset by a sharp cut after 2014 in foreign aid that has long been Afghanistan's lifeline.

Wealthy Afghans fearful of a new civil war or a Taliban push to seize power have already been sending vast sums of money to banks in the Gulf emirate of Dubai and elsewhere, prompting authorities to impose measures to try and stem the flow.

Government officials fear bank account scams and kidnappings could accelerate that process, and potentially bring the fledgling economy to its knees.

Ghaznawi spent 17 days in the basement slaughterhouse, worried about his safety and also troubled that criminals now know exactly how much he is worth. A business partner bought his freedom for $820,000.

It's a problem that has Afghan entrepreneurs so worried many are hiring large teams of armed guards to provide around-the-clock protection.

CONNECTED CRIMINALS, WEAK BANKS

Afghanistan's banking sector has seen an influx of cash from foreign aid and steady growth in industry and construction, but it remains weak and open to exploitation by criminals.

Critics say regulation and oversight is poor despite concerted efforts to rebuild the sector. The most alarming example was the looting of $935 million from politically well-connected Kabulbank, once Afghanistan's largest private lender, in a loans scam uncovered in 2010.

Businessmen and top officials from the Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) say bank employees are leaking account balances to sophisticated gangs who arrange kidnappings.

"These kidnap gangs have some good connections, they work as teams, they know who the rich people are," said Shir Baz Kaminzada, president of the Afghan Industrial Union, who runs a lucrative printing and packaging firm and travels in a bullet-proof car.

"Our banks aren't so secure and some bank people, we suspect they're providing information to criminals."

Some businessmen go further and allege rogue officials from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security (NDS), are obtaining the financial records of high-rollers. The NDS did not respond to interview requests.

Kidnapping is a lucrative business, with ransoms often in excess of $1 million. Many cases go unreported and most are unsolved.

Corruption and lawlessness are endemic, and some businessmen suspect some police officials could be working with the gangs and sharing ransom payments, or at least turning a blind eye.

"Among our members, we have many kidnap victims and the problem is mostly solved by paying the ransom without involving police," said Ahmad Tawfiq Dawari, a deputy head at the ACCI.

"They hire 10-15 private guards themselves and it's expensive. When security forces do nothing to stop the kidnappers, how can we trust them to protect us?"

Reuters spoke to several kidnap victims, but most were too scared to provide details about their ordeals.

The gangs are ruthless. When they can't get their hands on the businessmen themselves, they grab their loved ones instead.

In some cases it has been done with frightening ease. One gang simply showed up at a wedding held by a rich family and snatched a three-year-old child named Milad, who was held for 29 days. His father is a well-to-do construction engineer.

"We told them that we had no money, but they warned us if we don't pay they will cut off his hands, legs and also blind him," said Abdul Kadir, the boy's grandfather. The ransom was paid, and the gang later arrested and paraded before the media.

"We hope the government punishes them seriously, so they should remember the pain they've given me," Kadir said.

"LACK OF HOPE"

The financial schemes and kidnappings will make it even more difficult for President Hamid Karzai's government to convince foreigners to invest in Afghanistan, which has been plagued by conflict for decades.

That task is gaining urgency as 2014 approaches. Many Afghans fear Western countries will withdraw their financial support along with troops.

ACCI officials estimate that until recently, as much as $10 million was being transferred outside Afghanistan each day. The central bank expects a record flight of cash this year of some $8 billion -- almost twice the size of the 2011 state budget.

"Without a doubt, these kidnappings will impact investment in Afghanistan," said Khan Jan Alokozai, a deputy chairman with the ACCI. "There's a lack of hope for the future and a belief Afghanistan will collapse in 2014."

More than 100 of Afghanistan's top businessmen raised concerns about alleged leaks of their bank balances with Karzai a month ago. Alokozai said Karzai was "very angry" and demanded it be stopped, telling the businessmen the NDS was not permitted to seek private information about individuals' bank accounts.

State agencies seeking access to customers' bank information can only obtain it through the central bank and "in no other circumstances", its governor, Noorullah Delawari, told Reuters.

Businessmen place the blame squarely on law enforcement agencies. The chief of the Kabul Criminal Investigation, Mohammad Zahir, insists police are cracking down on the gangs and says the leaks most likely came from employees or relatives.

"These kidnappers had private prisons where they tortured victims if they refused to pay, so we started a fight against them and we've brought this problem to its lowest point," Zahir told Reuters, reeling off the names of prominent people rescued and kidnapping kingpins who have been arrested.

"The government supports us and we're not afraid of anyone."

Sitting with an associate in his Kabul office, Ghaznawi gets little comfort from such talk and believes businessmen have a bleak future in Afghanistan. In the back of his mind is a constant fear that the kidnappers will be back.

"I wanted to shut down my business but my partners convinced me to continue," he said. "Other businessmen know what I went through, why would they put their money and lives at risk?"

(Additional reporting by Daniel Magnowski; Editing by Michael Georgy and Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/kidnap-gangs-leaked-bank-details-prey-afghan-tycoons-220156509.html

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Fewer health care options for illegal immigrants - | News for Yuma ...

By By CHRISTOPHER SHERMAN and RAMIT PLUSHNICK-MASTI
Associated Press

ALAMO, Texas (AP) - For years, Sonia Limas would drag her daughters to the emergency room whenever they fell sick. As an illegal immigrant, she had no health insurance, and the only place she knew to seek treatment was the hospital - the most expensive setting for those covering the cost.

The family's options improved somewhat a decade ago with the expansion of community health clinics, which offered free or low-cost care with help from the federal government. But President Barack Obama's health care overhaul threatens to roll back some of those services if clinics and hospitals are overwhelmed with newly insured patients and can't afford to care for as many poor families.

To be clear, Obama's law was never intended to help Limas and an estimated 11 million illegal immigrants like her. Instead, it envisions that 32 million uninsured Americans will get access to coverage by 2019. Because that should mean fewer uninsured patients showing up at hospitals, the Obama program slashed the federal reimbursement for uncompensated care.

But in states with large illegal immigrant populations, the math may not work, especially if lawmakers don't expand Medicaid, the joint state-federal health program for the poor and disabled.

When the reform has been fully implemented, illegal immigrants will make up the nation's second-largest population of uninsured, or about 25 percent. The only larger group will be people who qualify for insurance but fail to enroll, according to a 2012 study by the Washington-based Urban Institute.

And since about two-thirds of illegal immigrants live in just eight states, those areas will have a disproportionate share of the uninsured to care for.

In communities "where the number of undocumented immigrants is greatest, the strain has reached the breaking point," Rich Umbdenstock, president of the American Hospital Association, wrote last year in a letter to Obama, asking him to keep in mind the uncompensated care hospitals gave to that group. "In response, many hospitals have had to curtail services, delay implementing services, or close beds."

The federal government has offered to expand Medicaid, but states must decide whether to take the deal. And in some of those eight states - including Texas, Florida and New Jersey - hospitals are scrambling to determine whether they will still have enough money to treat the remaining uninsured.

Without a Medicaid expansion, the influx of new patients and the looming cuts in federal funding could inflict "a double whammy" in Texas, said David Lopez, CEO of the Harris Health System in Houston, which spends 10 to 15 percent of its $1.2 billion annual budget to care for illegal immigrants.

Realistically, taxpayers are already paying for some of the treatment provided to illegal immigrants because hospitals are required by law to stabilize and treat any patients that arrive in an emergency room, regardless of their ability to pay. The money to cover the costs typically comes from federal, state and local taxes.

A solid accounting of money spent treating illegal immigrants is elusive because most hospitals do not ask for immigration status. But some states have tried.

California, which is home to the nation's largest population of illegal immigrants, spent an estimated $1.2 billion last year through Medicaid to care for 822,500 illegal immigrants.

The New Jersey Hospital Association in 2010 estimated that it cost between $600 million and $650 million annually to treat 550,000 illegal immigrants.

And in Texas, a 2010 analysis by the Health and Human Services Commission found that the agency had provided $96 million in benefits to illegal immigrants, up from $81 million two years earlier. The state's public hospital districts spent an additional $717 million in uncompensated care to treat that population.

If large states such as Florida and Texas make good on their intention to forgo federal money to expand Medicaid, the decision "basically eviscerates" the effects of the health care overhaul in those areas because of "who lives there and what they're eligible for," said Lisa Clemans-Cope, a senior researcher at the Urban Institute.

Seeking to curb expenses, hospitals might change what qualifies as an emergency or cap the number of uninsured patients they treat. And although it's believed states with the most illegal immigrants will face a smaller cut, they will still lose money.

The potential impacts of reform are a hot topic at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. In addition to offering its own charity care, some MD Anderson oncologists volunteer at a county-funded clinic at Lyndon B. Johnson General Hospital that largely treats the uninsured.

"In a sense we've been in the worst-case scenario in Texas for a long time," said Lewis Foxhall, MD Anderson's vice president of health policy in Houston. "The large number of uninsured and the large low-income population creates a very difficult problem for us."

Community clinics are a key part of the reform plan and were supposed to take up some of the slack for hospitals. Clinics received $11 billion in new funding over five years so they could expand to help care for a swell of newly insured who might otherwise overwhelm doctors' offices. But in the first year, $600 million was cut from the centers' usual allocation, leaving many to use the money to fill gaps rather than expand.

There is concern that clinics could themselves be inundated with newly insured patients, forcing many illegal immigrants back to emergency rooms.

Limas, 44, moved to the border town of Alamo 13 years ago with her husband and three daughters. Now single, she supports the family by teaching a citizenship class in Spanish at the local community center and selling cookies and cakes she whips up in her trailer. Soon, she hopes to seek a work permit of her own.

For now, the clinic helps with basic health care needs. If necessary, Limas will return to the emergency room, where the attendants help her fill out paperwork to ensure the government covers the bills she cannot afford.

"They always attended to me," she said, "even though it's slow."

___

Sherman can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/chrisshermanAP .

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP .

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kswt.com/story/20343312/fewer-health-care-options-for-illegal-immigrants

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Efficient Storage Solutions Using Your Garage | Home Improvement ...

have cheap storage in garage

Are you opting for a cheap storage space for storing your frequently used articles? Quite often you may think of buying a new cupboard or box. An effective storage solution which does not require a whole lot of investment in terms of time and money is actually possible if you have a garage with ample space. Of course, you need to put in some effort to clean and arrange the garage for storing purposes.

When you are making use of your garage as a place for cheap storage, there are mainly two advantages.? The first one is that you get good storage space out of less investment, and the second is that you simply get an excuse to keep your garage neat and tidy. More often than not, you would have always longed for a garage which is well arranged, but never got around to getting it done for the lack of time and motivation. Once you have decided to make use of the space in the garage, you would automatically prepare a simple plan to arrange the things in it. You may have several items to be stored in the garage such as tools, seasonal sports equipments and miscellaneous gears etc.

Inexpensively storing your stuff

obtain good storage out of your garage

Always make a list of the inventory. Sometimes there are many things thrown carelessly on the garage floor. You need to sift through the pile and get rid of the items that you no longer need. Now you may end up with what actually you have to store in the garage. Usually there is a belief that storing all these stuff will be very costly as you have to buy a complete garage storage system which is capable of keeping motor cycle parts to boat parts. But this is not true because most people do not need such large storage units.

One good method is storing your stuff in cabinets. It does not mean that you need to buy new and fancy garage cabinets. You can use old kitchen cabinets for this purpose. If you don?t have such an old cabinet then you will find them at garage sales, thrift stores or in auctions. May be one of your friends has a few to spare. Usually used kitchen cabinets will have some wear and tear and you can obtain them at pretty reasonable price.

Now arrange your garage and get yourself an affordable storing option!

Source: http://homeimprovementgenuis.com/efficient-storage-solutions-using-your-garage/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=efficient-storage-solutions-using-your-garage

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Source: http://murphyrob58.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/efficient-storage-solutions-using-your-garage-home-improvement.html

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CODi UltraLite Laptop Backpack

The CODi UltraLite line of laptop bags couldn't be more lightweight. They remind me of LeSportsac in that the bag itself weighs practically nothing, which means you can carry them and whatever heavy senselessly heavy items you put in them longer and with less strain. The CODi UltraLite Laptop Backpack ($79.99, direct) is fine if you're looking for just that sense of lightness in a computer bag, It's also relatively inexpensive, given the price tag on high-end bags these days, like those from Crumpler (for example, Crumpler's Nhill Heist bag sells for $175, although it's a design work of genius). The CODi backpack, however, looks rather unremarkable and doesn't expand enough to hold much more than a laptop and its charger. I could fit slightly more into the CODi backpack than its briefcase-shaped cousin, the CODi UltraLite Top Load Laptop?($79.99, list), but still not a lot.

Red accents makes this black and gray backpack a little less humdrum than it might otherwise be, and a vertical front zippered section (also highlighted in red) leaves its mark, too. The exterior doesn't have any usable hooks or pockets?two mesh pouches on either side are a tight squeeze for the travel mug or reusable water bottle they're meant to hold.

One thing I value in bags is versatility. Sure, I might invest in a secure and well-padded laptop bag, but I'd like it to be able to double as a day bag when I'm traveling, or a gym tote in a pinch. The main problem I had with the CODi line of bags is they're not suited for multiple kinds of use because they don't expand.

I carried the CODi UltraLite Laptop Backpack around for a few days, both on foot and by bicycle, and quickly learned that it's good for carrying a small laptop, netbook, or tablet, but not my spare pair of shoes, lunch, or a few small items in boxes.

Expansion just isn't in this bag's feature list. Sure, it weighs a scant 1.9 pounds and measures 12 by 17.5 by 4.25 inches (HWD), but those last four and a quarter inches are a stretch. The CODi backpack holds one or two flat objects just fine, with secure zippers, a padded interior, and a durable nylon and polyester lining, but it doesn't open up to hold anything more.

The backpack has a good number of compartments (I counted 13 in all, including the two previously mentioned mesh exterior pouches), with two main areas that have dedicated pockets for a laptop, tablet, and compatible cords. The laptop and tablet sections are separate, and I like that they manage to fit the right size device. Often, bags just give you one oversized padded section, which leaves a tablet sliding around.

Despite all the pockets and pouches, you'll only be able to fit a limited number of items into this bag unless they're all supremely slim due to the bag's lack of expansion.

Breathable and padded shoulder straps are comfortable enough, although the laptop and tablet pouches live all the way in the back of the bag, where they're warm bleeds through the fabric onto your back?not ideal in a warm climate.

The CODi UltraLite Laptop Backpack is a fine and reasonably priced option if you don't carry much more than a laptop, netbook, or tablet and specifically don't want anything too stylized. Even those red accents are modest. But having worn it for a while, I've come to the conclusion that I'd rather spend twice as much for a bag that's more versatile, stylish, and well designed. My favorite bag of late is the Editors' Choice Arnold Heist bag by Crumpler ($105, direct, 4.5 stars), which is just as lightweight and despite its tiny size is much more expansive?though it's too tiny for full-sized laptops (it fits tablets and netbooks with 11-inch screens and smaller). On that front, I'd prefer to be seen wearing the edgy Chrome Citadel backpack ($190, direct, 4 stars) or the slightly more sophisticated Crumpler Nhill Heist bag I mentioned previously. The Chrome and Crumpler line of bags last for life in both quality and style. The CODi UltraLites are fine if their limitations are in line with your needs, and you'll don't mind replacing it after a few years.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/fu_2bslBBTQ/0,2817,2413250,00.asp

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Team solves mystery associated with DNA repair

Dec. 13, 2012 ? Every time a human or bacterial cell divides it first must copy its DNA. Specialized proteins unzip the intertwined DNA strands while others follow and build new strands, using the originals as templates. Whenever these proteins encounter a break -- and there are many -- they stop and retreat, allowing a new cast of molecular players to enter the scene.

Scientists have long sought to understand how one of these players, a repair protein known as RecA in bacterial cells, helps broken DNA find a way to bridge the gap. They knew that RecA guided a broken DNA strand to a matching sequence on an adjoining bit of double-stranded DNA, but they didn't know how. In a new study, researchers report they have identified how the RecA protein does its job.

"The puzzle for scientists has been: How does the damaged DNA look for and find its partner, the matching DNA, so that it can repair itself?" said University of Illinois physics professor Taekjip Ha, who led the study. "Because the genomic DNA is millions of bases long, this task is much like finding a needle in a haystack. We found the answer to how the cell does this so quickly."

The research is described in a paper in eLife, a new open-access journal supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI), the Max Planck Society and the Wellcome Trust. Ha is an HHMI investigator. The National Science Foundation provided primary funding for this work.

DNA repair is vital to health, vitality and longevity. Disruptions of the process can lead to the early onset of diseases associated with aging or cancer in animals. The breast cancer mutation known as BRCA2, for example, disrupts a gene involved in loading Rad51 (the human equivalent of RecA) onto a broken DNA strand to begin the process of repair.

Previous studies have shown that in bacteria, RecA forms a filament that winds itself around a broken, single strand of DNA. Like a matchmaker trying to find a partner for an unpaired dancer, it scours the corresponding DNA strands for a sequence that will pair up perfectly with the broken strand. Once it finds the sequence, the broken strand steps in and chemically bonds to its new partner, displacing one of the unbroken strands (which eventually pairs with the other broken strand). This elaborate molecular square dance allows the cell to go back to the work of duplicating its genome. Each broken strand now is paired with an unbroken one, and uses the intact strand as a template for replication. (Watch an animation about this process.)

"If a break in DNA occurs, you have to repair it," Ha said. "We wanted to know how RecA helps the DNA find a sequence complementary to it in the sea of genomic DNA, and how it does it so quickly."

To answer this question, the researchers made use of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) to observe in real time the interaction of the RecA protein and the DNA. FRET uses fluorescent molecules whose signals vary in intensity depending on their proximity to one another. By labeling a single DNA strand bound by RecA and putting a different fluorescent label on a stretch of double-stranded DNA, the researchers could see how the molecules interacted with one another.

The team determined that RecA that is bound to a broken, single-stranded DNA molecule actually slides back and forth along the double-stranded DNA molecule searching for a match.

"We discovered that this RecA filament can slide on double-stranded DNA for a span of sequences covering about 200 base pairs of DNA," Ha said. "This is how one strand of DNA can be exchanged with another from a different DNA duplex. That's the process called 'recombination.' "

The discovery explains how DNA repair can occur so quickly, Ha said.

"We did a calculation that found that without this kind of process that we discovered, then DNA repair would be 200 times slower," he said. "So your DNA would not be repaired quickly and damage would accumulate, possibly leading to serious diseases."

The research team included graduate students Kaushik Ragunathan and Cheng Liu. Ha is an affiliate of the Institute for Genomic Biology and a co-director of the NSF Center for the Physics of Living Cells at Illinois.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The original article was written by Diana Yates.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Kaushik Ragunathan, Cheng Liu, Taekjip Ha. RecA filament sliding on DNA facilitates homology search. eLife, 2012; DOI: 10.7554/eLife.00067.001

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/top_news/~3/mb7ur83_4ns/121213172346.htm

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