2011年4月30日星期六
2011年4月29日星期五
Cold War
Term that refers to the hostility between the United States and the Soviet Union from 1945 to 1991, a contest that pitted the capitalist West against the Communist East following the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. Though the tensions between the two dissipated during the era of glasnost (openness) ushered in after Mikhail Gorbachev became the general secretary of the Communist Party of the USSR in 1985, the formal end of the Cold War coincided with the demise of the Soviet Union in December 1991. The defeat of Nazi Germany, the common enemy of the United States and the USSR,rift gold led to the rapid emergence of fundamental differences concerning the administration of occupied Germany and the future of central, eastern and southeastern Europe, regions that had been occupied by the Soviet Army as it drove out the Germans. The United States and the USSR avoided direct military action against each other during the Cold War, but there were three major conflicts between the main protagonists and surrogate forces: the Korean War (1950–53), in which the United States and United Nations forces supported South Korea against an invasion by Communist North Korea (later supported by Communist China); the Vietnam War (1955–74), in which the United States stepped in after France gave up its effort to restore French control over Vietnam in 1955 and provided support to South Vietnam in its struggle against the Communist Viet Cong in the south and, eventually, against the forces of Communist North Vietnam; and the Afghanistan War (1979–89), in which the Soviet Union attempted to preserve the Communist regime in Afghanistan against an anti-Communist guerrilla movement. In addition to these three conflicts, in which one or the other of the superpowers was directly involved, the United States and the USSR supported surrogates in a number of less intense conflicts around the world. Perhaps the most dangerous confrontation of the Cold War was the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962, when the United States reacted to the placement by the Soviet Union of mediumrange nuclear missiles in Cuba by imposing a naval quarantine around the island. Had Nikita Khrushchev of the USSR not agreed to withdraw the missiles, nuclear war might well have occurred between the United States and the USSR. Khrushchev’s successor as general secretary, Leonid Brezhnev, determined that the USSR would not back down again, began a program to establish military parity with the United States. He simultaneously pursued a policy of détente, through which the USSR and the United States would respect each other’s essential interests.
Some historians date the beginning of the Cold War from the dispute between the United States and the USSR over the composition of the Polish government following the Yalta Conference of February 1945. Winston Churcill, the former British prime minister, used the term “Iron Curtain” to signal the divide between the West and the Sovietdominated East in a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in March 1946. Bernard Baruch, the U.S. presidential advisor, used the term “Cold War,” which had been suggested to him by the journalist Herbert Bayard Swope, in a speech in April, 1946,rift gold and the journalist Walter Lippmann published a book entided The Cold War in 1947. The Cold War was definitely operative in 1947 as the Soviet Union pressed for a monopoly of Communist power in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, and the United States replaced Great Britain as the supporter of the conservative government in Greece against Communist guerrillas, U.S. President Harry Truman’s called for military assistance and aid to Greece and Turkey in 1947 (the so-called Truman Doctrine) in an effort to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union. Following the enunciation of the Truman Doctrine, the Communists in Hungary moved against their coalition government partners and established a monolithic Communist government. With the threat of an extension of U.S. influence through Marshall Plan aid (1948), the Communists in Czechoslovakia consolidated their power and formed a clearly Communist dominated government (1948). Historians have debated the cause of the Cold War. One group, often labeled “orthodox,” place the blame on Stalin and Soviet aggression. They believe that he had a predetermined plan to impose monolithic Communist regimes on the states occupied by the Soviet Army, and that this led inevitably to a conflict with the West led by the United States “Revisionist” historians believe that the Cold War stemmed from mutual suspicions and mistakes made by both sides. “Radical revisionists” have argued that the actions of the United States, specifically the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which were regarded by the Soviets as a challenge to the sphere of influence they had gained in Eastern and Central Europe, were the primary causes of the Cold War.
Some historians date the beginning of the Cold War from the dispute between the United States and the USSR over the composition of the Polish government following the Yalta Conference of February 1945. Winston Churcill, the former British prime minister, used the term “Iron Curtain” to signal the divide between the West and the Sovietdominated East in a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri in March 1946. Bernard Baruch, the U.S. presidential advisor, used the term “Cold War,” which had been suggested to him by the journalist Herbert Bayard Swope, in a speech in April, 1946,rift gold and the journalist Walter Lippmann published a book entided The Cold War in 1947. The Cold War was definitely operative in 1947 as the Soviet Union pressed for a monopoly of Communist power in Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria, and the United States replaced Great Britain as the supporter of the conservative government in Greece against Communist guerrillas, U.S. President Harry Truman’s called for military assistance and aid to Greece and Turkey in 1947 (the so-called Truman Doctrine) in an effort to contain the expansion of the Soviet Union. Following the enunciation of the Truman Doctrine, the Communists in Hungary moved against their coalition government partners and established a monolithic Communist government. With the threat of an extension of U.S. influence through Marshall Plan aid (1948), the Communists in Czechoslovakia consolidated their power and formed a clearly Communist dominated government (1948). Historians have debated the cause of the Cold War. One group, often labeled “orthodox,” place the blame on Stalin and Soviet aggression. They believe that he had a predetermined plan to impose monolithic Communist regimes on the states occupied by the Soviet Army, and that this led inevitably to a conflict with the West led by the United States “Revisionist” historians believe that the Cold War stemmed from mutual suspicions and mistakes made by both sides. “Radical revisionists” have argued that the actions of the United States, specifically the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan, which were regarded by the Soviets as a challenge to the sphere of influence they had gained in Eastern and Central Europe, were the primary causes of the Cold War.
Falklands War
War between Britain and Argentina over the Falkland (Malvinas) Islands, April to June 1982. The Falkland Islands are located east of the southern tip of South America, 272 miles (438 km) off the coast of Argentina. They could be an important springboard for any country seeking to expand its influence in die Antarctic. Britain’s first crisis over the Falklands occurred in 1769 during an ownership dispute with Spain. At that time Samuel Johnson, writing to support London’s efforts to avoid war, described the Falklands as “thrown aside from human use, stormy in winter,rift gold barren in summer, an island which not even the southern savages have dignified with habitation.” Two hundred years later the islands were still of little value to Britain in either strategic or economic terms. The problem was that in the interim they had acquired an English-speaking population of some 1,800 people, and the islanders did not wish to be taken over by Argentina.
The Argentine military junta forced the war. Already guilty of massive civil rights abuses and detested by most Argentineans, the unpopular government sought to stay in power by pkying the “nationalist card.” The issue of the Malvinas presumably would appeal to all Argentineans, especially as the British government had been delaying negotiations regarding the future of the islands. But rousing nationalist emotions also meant that the junta would have a hard time reversing itself when prudence demanded it. Hardly anyone in Buenos Aires or London actually believed there would be a war over the Falklands. President Leopoldo Galtieri and other members of the Argentine junta were confident that the British would not regard occupation of the islands as a casus belli and would merely give way. British intelligence was woefully inadequate; London had no idea of the reality of the Argentine threat until too late. British intelligence dismissed the junta’s statements as mere posturing and a device to shore up its sagging popularity. As a result Margaret Thatcher’s government failed to dissuade the junta by making it clear that it would fight to resist an Argentinean takeover of the islands.
The Argentine military operation was actually launched prematurely when a trivial incident on South Georgia, a dependency of the Falklands 800 miles (1290 kilometers) to the east, caused it to be speeded up. Had the invasion occurred later, as had been planned, some of the British warships involved in the fighting would have been transferred to other nations and, therefore, would have been unavailable for battle.
On April 2, 1982, Argentina landed troops on the Falklands. The British cabinet responded by ordering a task force to the South Atlantic to retake them. Also on April 2, in what came as a considerable surprise to the junta, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 502 demanding Argentine withdrawal. Three days later a British carrier task force sailed from Portsmouth.
The war was short. When it was over Britain had salvaged its honor, the junta was discredited, and much of the world was left wondering what the war was about and why it had been fought. One of the unique aspects of the war was extensive coverage by the Cable News Network (CNN). The war was also somewhat unusual in that it was fought with remarkable decency on both sides.
Winter weather conditions in the South Atlantic were extremely difficult and a major hurdle for the British. The distance of the war from Britain—eight thousand miles—was another problem. In a deliberate campaign of misinformation London bluffed Buenos Aires into believing that the Royal Navy already had a nuclear-powered submarine in place off Argentina when the war began. After the British submarine Conqueror sank the old heavy cruiser General Belgrano on May 2 with a loss of 368 lives,rift gold the Argentine navy stayed in port. In 1984 there was something of a political scandal in Britain, when it was revealed in Parliament that the General Belgrano was actually outside the twohundred- mile exclusion zone proclaimed by the British around the Falklands and was moving away from the islands when it was torpedoed.
In a remarkably short time, the British converted four merchant ships to aircraft ferries with operational flight decks and maintenance facilities. This achievement was especially notable because before the outbreak of war there had been no plans for this conversion. The war also saw the first use of a vertical short-takeoff-and-landing fighter (VSTOL), the Harrier, to engage high-performance aircraft. The Argentinean air force was superb; its pilots flew their French-built Super Entendards almost at wave top and switched on their radars at the last possible moment to attack Royal Navy ships in Stanley (also called Port Stanley) harbor. Had more French manufactured Exocet missiles been available or the Argentinean bombs been properly fused, the war might have ended differently. Even so, the British lost two destroyers (Coventry and Sheffield), two frigates (Ardent and Antelope), a requisitioned Merchant ship acting as a carrier (Atlantic Conveyor), and a landing vessel (Sir Galahad). Ten other vessels were damaged. The British also lost fourteen aircraft to combat and ten in accidents. The British claimed Argentine losses amounted to more than a hundred aircraft. Once the Royal Navy had cut off the Falklands from resupply, British infantry, paratroops, and commandos went ashore to deal with the occupying land forces. The difference was superior British training, leadership, and initiative, even among conscripted troops, rather than superior technology. The Argentine army had not fought an international war in more than a hundred years; morale was low, the men were poorly trained and woefully supplied, and their officers tended to run away under fire. The result was a foregone conclusion. The last of Argentine forces surrendered on June 13. Most of world opinion sided with Britain in the war. U.S. support was extremely important. The war was a great fillip to the British, although the public response was more subdued than that of British leaders. The big winner was Margaret Thatcher. Lost in the euphoria of victory was her failure to avoid the war. What the British public chose to remember was her Churchillian stance when the conflict began: “Defeat—I do not know the meaning of the word!” In June 1983 the British electorate went to the polls and returned the Conservatives to power by an overwhelming margin in the House of Commons. This was attributable in part, however, to the British election system: more Britons, 58 percent, voted against Thatcher than for her, 42 percent. The war also led London to shelve plans, for the time being, to reduce further the size of the Royal Navy. The government ordered four new frigates and announced plans to keep the Royal Navy at fifty-five frigates and destroyers. The aircraft carrier that was to have been sold was also retained.
The war was in fact both absurd and expensive. It cost Britain 255 dead and 777 wounded. Argentina’s exact losses are unknown but Buenos Aires announced a provisional total of 652 men dead and missing in the war. The war cost British taxpayers $1.1 billion. Another $1.5 billion would have to be spent by 1985 to replace the lost Royal Navy ships and aircraft. That was only the beginning. In order to hold the Falklands the British government had to lengthen Port Stanley runway and station a squadron of twelve F-4 Phantoms for air defense. In the long run defense of the Falklands would require a new runway at a cost of several hundred million dollars, one thousand infantry troops, six destroyers, and a submarine. Maintaining the garrison would cost $650 million a year. All this meant that the British “defense of sovereign rights” cost at least $1.5 million per Falklander.
The Argentine military junta forced the war. Already guilty of massive civil rights abuses and detested by most Argentineans, the unpopular government sought to stay in power by pkying the “nationalist card.” The issue of the Malvinas presumably would appeal to all Argentineans, especially as the British government had been delaying negotiations regarding the future of the islands. But rousing nationalist emotions also meant that the junta would have a hard time reversing itself when prudence demanded it. Hardly anyone in Buenos Aires or London actually believed there would be a war over the Falklands. President Leopoldo Galtieri and other members of the Argentine junta were confident that the British would not regard occupation of the islands as a casus belli and would merely give way. British intelligence was woefully inadequate; London had no idea of the reality of the Argentine threat until too late. British intelligence dismissed the junta’s statements as mere posturing and a device to shore up its sagging popularity. As a result Margaret Thatcher’s government failed to dissuade the junta by making it clear that it would fight to resist an Argentinean takeover of the islands.
The Argentine military operation was actually launched prematurely when a trivial incident on South Georgia, a dependency of the Falklands 800 miles (1290 kilometers) to the east, caused it to be speeded up. Had the invasion occurred later, as had been planned, some of the British warships involved in the fighting would have been transferred to other nations and, therefore, would have been unavailable for battle.
On April 2, 1982, Argentina landed troops on the Falklands. The British cabinet responded by ordering a task force to the South Atlantic to retake them. Also on April 2, in what came as a considerable surprise to the junta, the U.N. Security Council passed Resolution 502 demanding Argentine withdrawal. Three days later a British carrier task force sailed from Portsmouth.
The war was short. When it was over Britain had salvaged its honor, the junta was discredited, and much of the world was left wondering what the war was about and why it had been fought. One of the unique aspects of the war was extensive coverage by the Cable News Network (CNN). The war was also somewhat unusual in that it was fought with remarkable decency on both sides.
Winter weather conditions in the South Atlantic were extremely difficult and a major hurdle for the British. The distance of the war from Britain—eight thousand miles—was another problem. In a deliberate campaign of misinformation London bluffed Buenos Aires into believing that the Royal Navy already had a nuclear-powered submarine in place off Argentina when the war began. After the British submarine Conqueror sank the old heavy cruiser General Belgrano on May 2 with a loss of 368 lives,rift gold the Argentine navy stayed in port. In 1984 there was something of a political scandal in Britain, when it was revealed in Parliament that the General Belgrano was actually outside the twohundred- mile exclusion zone proclaimed by the British around the Falklands and was moving away from the islands when it was torpedoed.
In a remarkably short time, the British converted four merchant ships to aircraft ferries with operational flight decks and maintenance facilities. This achievement was especially notable because before the outbreak of war there had been no plans for this conversion. The war also saw the first use of a vertical short-takeoff-and-landing fighter (VSTOL), the Harrier, to engage high-performance aircraft. The Argentinean air force was superb; its pilots flew their French-built Super Entendards almost at wave top and switched on their radars at the last possible moment to attack Royal Navy ships in Stanley (also called Port Stanley) harbor. Had more French manufactured Exocet missiles been available or the Argentinean bombs been properly fused, the war might have ended differently. Even so, the British lost two destroyers (Coventry and Sheffield), two frigates (Ardent and Antelope), a requisitioned Merchant ship acting as a carrier (Atlantic Conveyor), and a landing vessel (Sir Galahad). Ten other vessels were damaged. The British also lost fourteen aircraft to combat and ten in accidents. The British claimed Argentine losses amounted to more than a hundred aircraft. Once the Royal Navy had cut off the Falklands from resupply, British infantry, paratroops, and commandos went ashore to deal with the occupying land forces. The difference was superior British training, leadership, and initiative, even among conscripted troops, rather than superior technology. The Argentine army had not fought an international war in more than a hundred years; morale was low, the men were poorly trained and woefully supplied, and their officers tended to run away under fire. The result was a foregone conclusion. The last of Argentine forces surrendered on June 13. Most of world opinion sided with Britain in the war. U.S. support was extremely important. The war was a great fillip to the British, although the public response was more subdued than that of British leaders. The big winner was Margaret Thatcher. Lost in the euphoria of victory was her failure to avoid the war. What the British public chose to remember was her Churchillian stance when the conflict began: “Defeat—I do not know the meaning of the word!” In June 1983 the British electorate went to the polls and returned the Conservatives to power by an overwhelming margin in the House of Commons. This was attributable in part, however, to the British election system: more Britons, 58 percent, voted against Thatcher than for her, 42 percent. The war also led London to shelve plans, for the time being, to reduce further the size of the Royal Navy. The government ordered four new frigates and announced plans to keep the Royal Navy at fifty-five frigates and destroyers. The aircraft carrier that was to have been sold was also retained.
The war was in fact both absurd and expensive. It cost Britain 255 dead and 777 wounded. Argentina’s exact losses are unknown but Buenos Aires announced a provisional total of 652 men dead and missing in the war. The war cost British taxpayers $1.1 billion. Another $1.5 billion would have to be spent by 1985 to replace the lost Royal Navy ships and aircraft. That was only the beginning. In order to hold the Falklands the British government had to lengthen Port Stanley runway and station a squadron of twelve F-4 Phantoms for air defense. In the long run defense of the Falklands would require a new runway at a cost of several hundred million dollars, one thousand infantry troops, six destroyers, and a submarine. Maintaining the garrison would cost $650 million a year. All this meant that the British “defense of sovereign rights” cost at least $1.5 million per Falklander.
Its part of the game
The bear and the rabbit
There once was a bear and a rabbit that hated each other. One day, they found a genie in a lamp who said he would grant them each three wishes. The bear went first and he said, I wish to be the only male bear in this forest. And he got his wish.
The rabbit said,rift gold I want a motorcycle helmet. And he got his wish.
The bear went up and said, I wish to be the only male bear in the United States, and all the rest to be female. And he got his wish.
The rabbit said, I wish I had a motorcycle to go with that helmet. And he got his wish.
The bear said, I wish I was the only male bear in the world,rift gold and all the rest were females. And he got his wish.
It was the rabbit's turn, and he said, I wish that bear was gay.
The rabbit said,rift gold I want a motorcycle helmet. And he got his wish.
The bear went up and said, I wish to be the only male bear in the United States, and all the rest to be female. And he got his wish.
The rabbit said, I wish I had a motorcycle to go with that helmet. And he got his wish.
The bear said, I wish I was the only male bear in the world,rift gold and all the rest were females. And he got his wish.
It was the rabbit's turn, and he said, I wish that bear was gay.
Such a Long Dog
rift gold
Once there was a blind. One day when he was walking, he stepped the head of the dog who was sleeping. The dog barked for a while. The blind man went on for miles, this time he stepped the other dog's tail, so this dog barked. The blind man had thought that it was the first dog, so he said in surprise, It's a wonder that the dog is so long.
rift gold
Once there was a blind. One day when he was walking, he stepped the head of the dog who was sleeping. The dog barked for a while. The blind man went on for miles, this time he stepped the other dog's tail, so this dog barked. The blind man had thought that it was the first dog, so he said in surprise, It's a wonder that the dog is so long.
rift gold
Diana, Princess of Wales
The death of Diana, the princess of Wales, in a car crash in Paris in 1997, was met by perhaps the deepest mourning of this century. An unprecedented amount of press covered every aspect of the funeral procession and service, which was viewed on television by more than two and one-half billion people worldwide. Why so many who had never met the princess would lament her death is part of the phenomenon that had grown up around her person in the years after her marriage in 1981 to Charles, the prince of Wales and heir to British throne.
Lady Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, the third daughter of Viscount Althorp (who became the eighth Earl Spencer after his father died in 1975) and Viscountess Althorp. Her family was one of England’s oldest, and her ancestry included five lines of descent from Charles II (1660–85). She went to a finishing school in Switzerland,rift gold the Institute Alpin Videmanette, but was unhappy there and convinced her father to allow her to come home.
After returning home she worked as a waitress, a charlady, and a babysitter. Diana soon found a job at the Young England kindergarten where she taught children drawing, dancing, and painting. She continued to supplement her income by working as a cleaner at her sister Sarah’s house.
Diana first met Prince Charles in November 1977 on the Althorp estate. At the time he was dating her sister Sarah. It was not until July 1980 that Diana would see Charles again. Their engagement was announced on February 24, 1981. The wedding took place on July 29, 1981. The couple and the wedding became a national obsession as people marketed and sold Charles and Di mugs, plates, bookmarks, and coins. The wedding was televised and there was a mood of universal celebration as the beautiful, shy bride married what seemed to be her “prince charming.” In the early 1990s, Diana revealed that she had begun to suffer from bulimia shortly before her marriage, an eating disorder that would haunt her for much of her life. She became depressed and believed Charles was still seeing Camilla Parker Bowles, his former mistress. Her life was plagued by depression and apparent suicide attempts, but the marriage produced two sons.
Diana gave birth to Prince William, on June 21,1982. Another son, Prince Henry, followed in September 1984. As Charles and Diana made official tours around the world, her popularity grew. Eventually, Diana overcame her shyness and grew more comfortable with photographers. Diana’s public persona emerged as a warm and caring person who loved her children deeply. She also transformed her style of clothing and became one of the most glamorous women in the world.
Diana’s marriage, however, disintegrated. Both she and Charles reportedly had affairs during their marriage. In 1991, the publication of excerpts from the book by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story, shocked and horrified the royal family. Although Diana denied contributing to the book, it was widely believed by Charles—and was later confirmed—that she had cooperated with the author. The book portrayed Charles as a cruel and neglectful husband who flaunted his mistress. It also depicted the royal family as cold and indifferent. On December 9, 1992, the government announced that the two would separate, but not divorce. Diana did not surfer the humiliations that Charles did over the separation. She was elevated to a kind of secular sainthood as she toured orphanages, homeless shelters, and hospices, hugged lepers in Nepal, and touched the untouchables in India. People continued to be mesmerized by her warmth and beauty. Her involvement with charitable organizations raised hundreds of million of pounds annually.
Relations between Charles and Diana did not get any better, and in August 1996 they divorced, reportedly at the insistence of the queen. After the divorce, Diana continued her charity work, developing a special interest in ridding the world of land mines. Diana had taken her sons with her on holiday in July 1997 to the south of France, where they stayed as guests of Dodi al-Fayed, the son of a wealthy Egyptian businessman who resided in London. On August 31, 1997, shortly after leaving the Ritz Hotel in Paris, Diana and Dodi’s car crashed into a concrete dividing pillar inside the Alma Tunnel. The driver and Dodi Fayed were killed instantly. A bodyguard was seriously injured and Diana lay near death. Despite efforts to save her, she died two hours later. Later, investigators determined that the driver’s blood contained four times the legal amount of alcohol permitted.
As news of her death spread, London became engulfed in flowers. People left them along the gates of Buckingham Palace, lamp posts,rift gold park benches, and monuments. Almost every flag in the kingdom flew at half mast. Diana’s funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. In order to accommodate the 1,500,000 who were expected to line the route of the funeral procession, Charles ordered that the procession be doubled to two miles. The cortege began at Diana’s home, Kensington Palace. Behind Diana’s coffin walked Prince Philip; Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother; Charles; William; and Harry. Behind them walked five representatives from each of the one-hundred ten charities Diana had supported. Diana’s body was laid to rest on an island inside the grounds of Althorp.
Since her death, Diana has become an icon. Some believe that because Diana revealed herself as a normal, flawed person that people felt close to her. In comparison to the rest of the royal family, Diana seemed genuine and warm. Her compassion toward the sick and her insistence that her sons be raised as normal boys brought her even closer to people’s hearts.
Lady Diana Spencer was born on July 1, 1961, the third daughter of Viscount Althorp (who became the eighth Earl Spencer after his father died in 1975) and Viscountess Althorp. Her family was one of England’s oldest, and her ancestry included five lines of descent from Charles II (1660–85). She went to a finishing school in Switzerland,rift gold the Institute Alpin Videmanette, but was unhappy there and convinced her father to allow her to come home.
After returning home she worked as a waitress, a charlady, and a babysitter. Diana soon found a job at the Young England kindergarten where she taught children drawing, dancing, and painting. She continued to supplement her income by working as a cleaner at her sister Sarah’s house.
Diana first met Prince Charles in November 1977 on the Althorp estate. At the time he was dating her sister Sarah. It was not until July 1980 that Diana would see Charles again. Their engagement was announced on February 24, 1981. The wedding took place on July 29, 1981. The couple and the wedding became a national obsession as people marketed and sold Charles and Di mugs, plates, bookmarks, and coins. The wedding was televised and there was a mood of universal celebration as the beautiful, shy bride married what seemed to be her “prince charming.” In the early 1990s, Diana revealed that she had begun to suffer from bulimia shortly before her marriage, an eating disorder that would haunt her for much of her life. She became depressed and believed Charles was still seeing Camilla Parker Bowles, his former mistress. Her life was plagued by depression and apparent suicide attempts, but the marriage produced two sons.
Diana gave birth to Prince William, on June 21,1982. Another son, Prince Henry, followed in September 1984. As Charles and Diana made official tours around the world, her popularity grew. Eventually, Diana overcame her shyness and grew more comfortable with photographers. Diana’s public persona emerged as a warm and caring person who loved her children deeply. She also transformed her style of clothing and became one of the most glamorous women in the world.
Diana’s marriage, however, disintegrated. Both she and Charles reportedly had affairs during their marriage. In 1991, the publication of excerpts from the book by Andrew Morton, Diana: Her True Story, shocked and horrified the royal family. Although Diana denied contributing to the book, it was widely believed by Charles—and was later confirmed—that she had cooperated with the author. The book portrayed Charles as a cruel and neglectful husband who flaunted his mistress. It also depicted the royal family as cold and indifferent. On December 9, 1992, the government announced that the two would separate, but not divorce. Diana did not surfer the humiliations that Charles did over the separation. She was elevated to a kind of secular sainthood as she toured orphanages, homeless shelters, and hospices, hugged lepers in Nepal, and touched the untouchables in India. People continued to be mesmerized by her warmth and beauty. Her involvement with charitable organizations raised hundreds of million of pounds annually.
Relations between Charles and Diana did not get any better, and in August 1996 they divorced, reportedly at the insistence of the queen. After the divorce, Diana continued her charity work, developing a special interest in ridding the world of land mines. Diana had taken her sons with her on holiday in July 1997 to the south of France, where they stayed as guests of Dodi al-Fayed, the son of a wealthy Egyptian businessman who resided in London. On August 31, 1997, shortly after leaving the Ritz Hotel in Paris, Diana and Dodi’s car crashed into a concrete dividing pillar inside the Alma Tunnel. The driver and Dodi Fayed were killed instantly. A bodyguard was seriously injured and Diana lay near death. Despite efforts to save her, she died two hours later. Later, investigators determined that the driver’s blood contained four times the legal amount of alcohol permitted.
As news of her death spread, London became engulfed in flowers. People left them along the gates of Buckingham Palace, lamp posts,rift gold park benches, and monuments. Almost every flag in the kingdom flew at half mast. Diana’s funeral was held at Westminster Abbey. In order to accommodate the 1,500,000 who were expected to line the route of the funeral procession, Charles ordered that the procession be doubled to two miles. The cortege began at Diana’s home, Kensington Palace. Behind Diana’s coffin walked Prince Philip; Earl Spencer, Diana’s brother; Charles; William; and Harry. Behind them walked five representatives from each of the one-hundred ten charities Diana had supported. Diana’s body was laid to rest on an island inside the grounds of Althorp.
Since her death, Diana has become an icon. Some believe that because Diana revealed herself as a normal, flawed person that people felt close to her. In comparison to the rest of the royal family, Diana seemed genuine and warm. Her compassion toward the sick and her insistence that her sons be raised as normal boys brought her even closer to people’s hearts.
2011年4月28日星期四
Recommended Percentage of Carbohydrates in Your Diet
Overview
Carbohydrates are compounds composed of water, hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates provide a tremendous source of energy to your body. TERA Gold Your body can use the carbohydrates you consume as an immediate source of energy, or it can store them in the muscles and liver for later use in the form of glycogen. Carbohydrates exist in several forms, and each affects your body differently. Carbohydrates should generally make up a higher percentage of your diet than other macronutrients.
Percentage of Calories
A fairly common recommendation is that carbohydrates should account for anywhere between 45 and 65 percent of your total calories. If you get a high level of activity each day, you will want to favor the higher end of the scale to help replenish depleted glycogen stores. Protein and fat, the other two macronutrients, RIFT Platinum should account for between 10 to 15 and 20 to 35 percent of your calories, respectively. Finding the optimal balance of these three macronutrients is as much art as it is science, but according to British track and field coach Brian Mackenzie, the ideal blend is 57 percent carbs, 30 percent fats and 13 percent protein.
5 Foods you must not eat: Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods. Naviibk.com
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Sugars
Sugars are the simplest forms of carbohydrates and generally produce an immediate rise in your blood sugar levels. You can find natural sugars in products like fruit, vegetables and milk. Desserts, sodas and packaged foods generally contain added sugars. rift gold Excessive amounts of any type of sugar can be harmful to your health, potentially resulting in weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Try to consume mostly natural sugars and limit your total sugar intake to 150 calories a day if you are a man, and 100 if you are a woman.
Starches
Starches are composed of multiple sugar molecules and are referred to as complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates enter your bloodstream slowly and provide a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. RIFT Platinum There is no hard-and-fast rule for what percentage of your carbohydrates should be complex, but there are several advantages to complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can prevent weight gain, improve cholesterol levels and help you feel full longer. Whole grain products, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans are complex carbohydrates. One method of maintaining a diet full of complex carbohydrates is to eat foods with a low glycemic index, or a low glycemic load.
Fiber
Like starches, fiber is composed of multiple attached sugar molecules. The body cannot digest fiber, however, and as fiber passes through the intestines and colon it helps cleanse your digestive system. Rift Gold Fiber can help improve digestive regularity, prevent colon cancer, reduce cholesterol and help you feel full. You can find fiber in vegetables and fruits, beans and whole-grain products. Men and women should generally try to consume at least 120 and 80 of their carbohydrate calories from fiber, respectively.
Carbohydrates are compounds composed of water, hydrogen and carbon. Carbohydrates provide a tremendous source of energy to your body. TERA Gold Your body can use the carbohydrates you consume as an immediate source of energy, or it can store them in the muscles and liver for later use in the form of glycogen. Carbohydrates exist in several forms, and each affects your body differently. Carbohydrates should generally make up a higher percentage of your diet than other macronutrients.
Percentage of Calories
A fairly common recommendation is that carbohydrates should account for anywhere between 45 and 65 percent of your total calories. If you get a high level of activity each day, you will want to favor the higher end of the scale to help replenish depleted glycogen stores. Protein and fat, the other two macronutrients, RIFT Platinum should account for between 10 to 15 and 20 to 35 percent of your calories, respectively. Finding the optimal balance of these three macronutrients is as much art as it is science, but according to British track and field coach Brian Mackenzie, the ideal blend is 57 percent carbs, 30 percent fats and 13 percent protein.
5 Foods you must not eat: Cut down a bit of stomach fat every day by never eating these 5 foods. Naviibk.com
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Sugars
Sugars are the simplest forms of carbohydrates and generally produce an immediate rise in your blood sugar levels. You can find natural sugars in products like fruit, vegetables and milk. Desserts, sodas and packaged foods generally contain added sugars. rift gold Excessive amounts of any type of sugar can be harmful to your health, potentially resulting in weight gain, diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Try to consume mostly natural sugars and limit your total sugar intake to 150 calories a day if you are a man, and 100 if you are a woman.
Starches
Starches are composed of multiple sugar molecules and are referred to as complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates enter your bloodstream slowly and provide a more gradual rise in blood sugar levels. RIFT Platinum There is no hard-and-fast rule for what percentage of your carbohydrates should be complex, but there are several advantages to complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates can prevent weight gain, improve cholesterol levels and help you feel full longer. Whole grain products, rice, pasta, vegetables and beans are complex carbohydrates. One method of maintaining a diet full of complex carbohydrates is to eat foods with a low glycemic index, or a low glycemic load.
Fiber
Like starches, fiber is composed of multiple attached sugar molecules. The body cannot digest fiber, however, and as fiber passes through the intestines and colon it helps cleanse your digestive system. Rift Gold Fiber can help improve digestive regularity, prevent colon cancer, reduce cholesterol and help you feel full. You can find fiber in vegetables and fruits, beans and whole-grain products. Men and women should generally try to consume at least 120 and 80 of their carbohydrate calories from fiber, respectively.
Strategic Defaulters: Still No Reason Why Some Stop Paying Their Mortgages
A new study sheds additional light on the issue of "strategic defaults" in America, offering further insights into homeowners who are statistically more likely to make a calculated decision to stop paying their mortgages.
Currently, about 25% of homeowners nationwide are underwater – meaning they owe more on their homes than the properties are worth. A strategic default occurs when a homeowner decides to stop paying his or her mortgage, even while that individual generally keeps up with other payments, such as credit card bills or an auto loan.
This latest study on strategic defaults comes from Fair Isaac Corp., creator of the FICO credit score. It adds to a growing body of research that aims to help banks and other lenders predict which consumers are most likely to walk away from homes that are underwater.
According to Fair Isaac's study, called Predicting Strategic Default, some key characteristics of strategic defaulters include:
• Better FICO Scores
FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850 points. Fair Isaac's research shows that nearly all strategic defaulters previously had a "good" credit rating and a score of 620 or higher. Many strategic defaulters even have scores in the high 700s or 800s.
• Less credit card debt and lower retail balances
Surprisingly, those who strategically default on a mortgage tend to manage their credit card debt well, spending money carefully and generally keeping their credit card and retail balances lower than that of the general population.
• Shorter length of residence in the property
Because strategic defaulters typically haven't lived in their homes for very long periods of time, Fair Isaac officials suggest this translates into less emotional "attachment" to a home.
• More recently opened credit in the past six months
Strategic defaulters are more likely to have opened credit card accounts in recent months, perhaps, according to Fair Isaac, as a way to prepare for life after a strategic default – when credit will become much harder to obtain.
Fair Isaac's research into strategic defaulters follows other recent studies on the topic, including data from VantageScore Solutions LLC, developer of the VantageScore. The VantageScore is a credit score that was developed by the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. VantageScores range from 501 to 990 points.
During a recent webinar on the topic of improving risk prediction, VantageScore Solutions Senior Vice President Analytics, Product Management & Research, Sarah Davies, highlighted what lenders and credit risk managers should be focused on when trying to spot people who are more likely to be strategic defaulters.
"We're all aware of a great deterioration in credit quality. Default levels are increasing across the board in all industries, but what we're also seeing are shifts in the way consumers are thinking about their debts," said Davies. "Historically, we've known that mortgage payments were the most important payment for the average consumer, but with the recent phenomenon of strategic defaults, we're seeing people prioritize their debts in different ways."
For instance, consumers with at least one late payment on their credit reports are increasingly choosing to pay their credit card debts and auto loans before their mortgage, she said.
But defaulting on a mortgage, whether by choice or by economic circumstance, obviously has several negative ramifications. The two biggest penalties for consumers: taking a hit to your credit rating and being locked out of a big segment of the mortgage market for several years.
"Making the decision to willfully default on a mortgage is not only ethically questionable but it will take its toll on a credit score," says VantageScore Solutions CEO Barrett Burns. "If a consumer with a starting VantageScore of 862, which is considered 'prime plus,' can lose up to 140 points from a foreclosure, someone with a slightly higher score should be prepared for a major reduction."
In studying strategic defaults, VantageScore has found that:
• Individuals with ultra-high credit scores – those consumers boasting so-called "super prime" VantageScores of 901 to 990 points – became strategic defaulters at a rate 50% higher than the overall delinquent population.
• Borrowers with multiple first mortgages (i.e., real estate investors) had higher levels of strategic default.
• Consumers with bigger mortgage balances were also more likely to be strategic defaulters. This was true even when researchers controlled for variables like geography, number of first mortgages and the borrower's VantageScore
Despite Penalties, Strategic Defaults Gain In Popularity
Beyond the toll on a person's credit, there's also the prospect that a strategic default will make it much tougher to jump back into home ownership. In 2010, Fannie Mae announced that strategic defaulters would be banned from getting Fannie Mae home loans for seven years from the date of the foreclosure.
Despite the threat of a damaged credit rating and diminished access to home loans in the future, it's clear that defaulting on a mortgage is nonetheless gaining ground with consumers as a viable option for dealing with their financial predicaments.
In a December 2010 survey published by RealtyTrac, nearly half of all homeowners polled (48%) said they would consider walking away if their mortgage was underwater. That 48% figure shot up from 41% in May 2010, suggesting that a growing number of Americans think it would be acceptable, at least under certain circumstances, to abandon their mortgages.
Also noteworthy, RealtyTrac's data found that men were far more likely to consider strategic default than women, by a margin of 57% to 40%.
So the real challenge for banks and credit reporting agencies shouldn't be about simply trying to predict who's likely to default, but figuring out how to deal with the core problems facing these borrowers. But no one seems to be studying what's driving these desperate borrowers into making such a drastic decision.
And herein lies the problem with the research thus far into strategic defaults.
First, the research begins with the enormous assumption that strategic defaulters do – in fact – have the financial means to pay their mortgages but simply opt not to.
I think this is a huge – and faulty – assumption.
The Fair Isaac study states: "Where the key driver for the behavior of traditional defaulters is affordability, the key driver for strategic defaulters is incentive. Strategic defaulters can afford to continue making mortgage payments, but they believe that it is not in their financial best interest, generally because they are 'underwater,' owing more on their mortgage than their house is currently worth."
While it may be true that strategic defaulters are a more financially savvy bunch - and more likely to view their homes as an investment - it's a major leap for researchers to assume that strategic defaulters definitely have the ability to repay their home loans.
Says who?
Neither FICO scores nor VantageScores track or calculate a person's income. So while these agencies can make guesstimates about a consumer's income, they really don't know how much money a borrower earns and whether or not there's been a decline in a family's economic standing.
Besides, even if researchers had the exact income of a borrower in question, Rift Gold those researchers have no way to know – and don't appear to be interested in – whether the person has other liabilities impacting the borrower's willingness or ability to repay a mortgage.
For instance, is the homeowner also paying for private school for their children or a kid who just entered college? Is the borrower financially supporting aging parents or a family member with big medical bills? Or has a two-income couple just gone through a separation or divorce, or has one party in the relationship lost a job?
None of this is reflected in the research. So if the only criterion being used is a belief that "well, these people are somehow paying all their other bills, so they must be able to afford their mortgage, too," that's a poor way to gauge affordability.
On paper, it might appear that strategic defaulters can "afford" their existing mortgages, but what if they truly can't? RIFT Platinum What about the scores of people who've sought out help with their mortgages - to no avail – before making the decision to walk away from a home?
Struggling homeowners nationwide have lamented for more than three years about limited options when they reach out for help in restructuring unaffordable mortgages. They tell stories of banks that repeatedly lose paperwork; about being rejected for forbearances and loan modifications after making reduced, rift gold trial repayments as agreed; and of course, about getting the door slammed in their faces when they try to refinance homes that are underwater.
In short, U.S. homeowners have dealt with a lot of headaches, RIFT Platinum hassles and heartbreak when it comes to fixing their mortgage woes. So why should we think that strategic defaulters are any different? Simply because they have higher incomes and better credit?
What's more likely is that strategic defaulters are simply better able to mask their financial difficulties. They have more options (like family members they can borrower money from, lines of credit they can tap, TERA Gold or 401(k) plans they can dip into) to help them ride out a financial storm. Consequently, the cracks in the financial façade simply aren't as visible.
But just because their financial pain isn't showing up in the research on strategic default doesn't make it any less real.
So until researchers from FICO, VantageScore and elsewhere delve into the human side of strategic defaults, they're really just guessing about who's a strategic defaulter – not to mention who's likely to default and why.
Currently, about 25% of homeowners nationwide are underwater – meaning they owe more on their homes than the properties are worth. A strategic default occurs when a homeowner decides to stop paying his or her mortgage, even while that individual generally keeps up with other payments, such as credit card bills or an auto loan.
This latest study on strategic defaults comes from Fair Isaac Corp., creator of the FICO credit score. It adds to a growing body of research that aims to help banks and other lenders predict which consumers are most likely to walk away from homes that are underwater.
According to Fair Isaac's study, called Predicting Strategic Default, some key characteristics of strategic defaulters include:
• Better FICO Scores
FICO credit scores range from 300 to 850 points. Fair Isaac's research shows that nearly all strategic defaulters previously had a "good" credit rating and a score of 620 or higher. Many strategic defaulters even have scores in the high 700s or 800s.
• Less credit card debt and lower retail balances
Surprisingly, those who strategically default on a mortgage tend to manage their credit card debt well, spending money carefully and generally keeping their credit card and retail balances lower than that of the general population.
• Shorter length of residence in the property
Because strategic defaulters typically haven't lived in their homes for very long periods of time, Fair Isaac officials suggest this translates into less emotional "attachment" to a home.
• More recently opened credit in the past six months
Strategic defaulters are more likely to have opened credit card accounts in recent months, perhaps, according to Fair Isaac, as a way to prepare for life after a strategic default – when credit will become much harder to obtain.
Fair Isaac's research into strategic defaulters follows other recent studies on the topic, including data from VantageScore Solutions LLC, developer of the VantageScore. The VantageScore is a credit score that was developed by the three credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. VantageScores range from 501 to 990 points.
During a recent webinar on the topic of improving risk prediction, VantageScore Solutions Senior Vice President Analytics, Product Management & Research, Sarah Davies, highlighted what lenders and credit risk managers should be focused on when trying to spot people who are more likely to be strategic defaulters.
"We're all aware of a great deterioration in credit quality. Default levels are increasing across the board in all industries, but what we're also seeing are shifts in the way consumers are thinking about their debts," said Davies. "Historically, we've known that mortgage payments were the most important payment for the average consumer, but with the recent phenomenon of strategic defaults, we're seeing people prioritize their debts in different ways."
For instance, consumers with at least one late payment on their credit reports are increasingly choosing to pay their credit card debts and auto loans before their mortgage, she said.
But defaulting on a mortgage, whether by choice or by economic circumstance, obviously has several negative ramifications. The two biggest penalties for consumers: taking a hit to your credit rating and being locked out of a big segment of the mortgage market for several years.
"Making the decision to willfully default on a mortgage is not only ethically questionable but it will take its toll on a credit score," says VantageScore Solutions CEO Barrett Burns. "If a consumer with a starting VantageScore of 862, which is considered 'prime plus,' can lose up to 140 points from a foreclosure, someone with a slightly higher score should be prepared for a major reduction."
In studying strategic defaults, VantageScore has found that:
• Individuals with ultra-high credit scores – those consumers boasting so-called "super prime" VantageScores of 901 to 990 points – became strategic defaulters at a rate 50% higher than the overall delinquent population.
• Borrowers with multiple first mortgages (i.e., real estate investors) had higher levels of strategic default.
• Consumers with bigger mortgage balances were also more likely to be strategic defaulters. This was true even when researchers controlled for variables like geography, number of first mortgages and the borrower's VantageScore
Despite Penalties, Strategic Defaults Gain In Popularity
Beyond the toll on a person's credit, there's also the prospect that a strategic default will make it much tougher to jump back into home ownership. In 2010, Fannie Mae announced that strategic defaulters would be banned from getting Fannie Mae home loans for seven years from the date of the foreclosure.
Despite the threat of a damaged credit rating and diminished access to home loans in the future, it's clear that defaulting on a mortgage is nonetheless gaining ground with consumers as a viable option for dealing with their financial predicaments.
In a December 2010 survey published by RealtyTrac, nearly half of all homeowners polled (48%) said they would consider walking away if their mortgage was underwater. That 48% figure shot up from 41% in May 2010, suggesting that a growing number of Americans think it would be acceptable, at least under certain circumstances, to abandon their mortgages.
Also noteworthy, RealtyTrac's data found that men were far more likely to consider strategic default than women, by a margin of 57% to 40%.
So the real challenge for banks and credit reporting agencies shouldn't be about simply trying to predict who's likely to default, but figuring out how to deal with the core problems facing these borrowers. But no one seems to be studying what's driving these desperate borrowers into making such a drastic decision.
And herein lies the problem with the research thus far into strategic defaults.
First, the research begins with the enormous assumption that strategic defaulters do – in fact – have the financial means to pay their mortgages but simply opt not to.
I think this is a huge – and faulty – assumption.
The Fair Isaac study states: "Where the key driver for the behavior of traditional defaulters is affordability, the key driver for strategic defaulters is incentive. Strategic defaulters can afford to continue making mortgage payments, but they believe that it is not in their financial best interest, generally because they are 'underwater,' owing more on their mortgage than their house is currently worth."
While it may be true that strategic defaulters are a more financially savvy bunch - and more likely to view their homes as an investment - it's a major leap for researchers to assume that strategic defaulters definitely have the ability to repay their home loans.
Says who?
Neither FICO scores nor VantageScores track or calculate a person's income. So while these agencies can make guesstimates about a consumer's income, they really don't know how much money a borrower earns and whether or not there's been a decline in a family's economic standing.
Besides, even if researchers had the exact income of a borrower in question, Rift Gold those researchers have no way to know – and don't appear to be interested in – whether the person has other liabilities impacting the borrower's willingness or ability to repay a mortgage.
For instance, is the homeowner also paying for private school for their children or a kid who just entered college? Is the borrower financially supporting aging parents or a family member with big medical bills? Or has a two-income couple just gone through a separation or divorce, or has one party in the relationship lost a job?
None of this is reflected in the research. So if the only criterion being used is a belief that "well, these people are somehow paying all their other bills, so they must be able to afford their mortgage, too," that's a poor way to gauge affordability.
On paper, it might appear that strategic defaulters can "afford" their existing mortgages, but what if they truly can't? RIFT Platinum What about the scores of people who've sought out help with their mortgages - to no avail – before making the decision to walk away from a home?
Struggling homeowners nationwide have lamented for more than three years about limited options when they reach out for help in restructuring unaffordable mortgages. They tell stories of banks that repeatedly lose paperwork; about being rejected for forbearances and loan modifications after making reduced, rift gold trial repayments as agreed; and of course, about getting the door slammed in their faces when they try to refinance homes that are underwater.
In short, U.S. homeowners have dealt with a lot of headaches, RIFT Platinum hassles and heartbreak when it comes to fixing their mortgage woes. So why should we think that strategic defaulters are any different? Simply because they have higher incomes and better credit?
What's more likely is that strategic defaulters are simply better able to mask their financial difficulties. They have more options (like family members they can borrower money from, lines of credit they can tap, TERA Gold or 401(k) plans they can dip into) to help them ride out a financial storm. Consequently, the cracks in the financial façade simply aren't as visible.
But just because their financial pain isn't showing up in the research on strategic default doesn't make it any less real.
So until researchers from FICO, VantageScore and elsewhere delve into the human side of strategic defaults, they're really just guessing about who's a strategic defaulter – not to mention who's likely to default and why.
Britney Spears: My Boyfriend Is Ripped!
Who would guess that Britney Spears prefers kicking back and watching movies with her boyfriend over hitting the club? According to the pop princess herself, she and boyfriend, Jason Trawick, Rift Gold are just a super normal couple.
"We're really normal," Spears told Ryan Seacrest Friday on his KIIS-FM morning show. RIFT Platinum "We just like to watch movies. We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks."
Spears also told the radio show host that her man's abs are "definitely ripped. He just got on this health kick." Seacrest, who's been friends with Trawick for awhile, remembers when his physique wasn't so muscular.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I knew [Jason] when he was hairy and pudgy," rift gold Seacrest told Spears. "But now he's fit and he's got zero percent body fat."
"No," she protested while giggling. "He wasn't pudgy."
Spears, who just striped down to pose for the cover of V magazine, then talked about her own workout routine. "I have a trainer," she said. RIFT Platinum "I'm on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and we do a lot of cardio and running. He kicks my butt. You pay to hate your trainer. It's so odd."
Spears' new album, Femme Fatale, drops on March 29--the same day as her much-hyped 'Good Morning America' performance. "It's, I think, my best work yet," she said about the album. TERA Gold"I love the album, I actually listened to it on the way over here. It's definitely something that you want to work out to. It's definitely upbeat. Will.i.am's on the record and I'm a dancer so it's definitely something I can work with. It's just really fun, it's a really really fun record."
"We're really normal," Spears told Ryan Seacrest Friday on his KIIS-FM morning show. RIFT Platinum "We just like to watch movies. We work out a lot. We love to work out. We do stuff together like that. We take walks."
Spears also told the radio show host that her man's abs are "definitely ripped. He just got on this health kick." Seacrest, who's been friends with Trawick for awhile, remembers when his physique wasn't so muscular.
"I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but I knew [Jason] when he was hairy and pudgy," rift gold Seacrest told Spears. "But now he's fit and he's got zero percent body fat."
"No," she protested while giggling. "He wasn't pudgy."
Spears, who just striped down to pose for the cover of V magazine, then talked about her own workout routine. "I have a trainer," she said. RIFT Platinum "I'm on the treadmill for 30 minutes, and we do a lot of cardio and running. He kicks my butt. You pay to hate your trainer. It's so odd."
Spears' new album, Femme Fatale, drops on March 29--the same day as her much-hyped 'Good Morning America' performance. "It's, I think, my best work yet," she said about the album. TERA Gold"I love the album, I actually listened to it on the way over here. It's definitely something that you want to work out to. It's definitely upbeat. Will.i.am's on the record and I'm a dancer so it's definitely something I can work with. It's just really fun, it's a really really fun record."
Phil Davis Not Guaranteed a Title Shot With Win Over Rashad Evans
TORONTO -- Rashad Evans wanted to fight for the championship. TERA Gold Phil Davis wanted time off. Neither man got their wish. Earlier this week, the UFC announced the two would face each other at UFC 133 in August.
It was a situation born of necessity, after UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones was informed that his hand injury would require surgery, pushing back his return to the octagon. RIFT Platinum UFC president Dana White said Jones might need as much as six months before he's ready to come back, and time waits for no man, even the champ. So the UFC went to plan B. Last time this happened, Evans passed, electing to wait and fight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. But then Rua got healthy, Evans got hurt and was forced to withdraw. Now it's coming up on a year in between fights for Evans, and he can't afford to wait any longer.
A loss will nearly certainly knock Evans out of the No. 1 contender spot, but that doesn't mean Davis will be fighting for a chance to compete for the belt.
Asked where exactly a win would place Davis, White didn't give a definitive answer, offering a phrase he's known to utter every now and again: "he's in the mix."
"It's huge upside for Phil," he said. "He's an up-and-coming guy anyway. We'll see what happens."
White admitted that he hadn't yet spoken to Evans since the development but said he was "a good guy" who "made some bad decisions in the last year-and-a-half."
"Rashad's ready to fight," he said. "Rashad wants to fight."
When Evans gets back in the cage against Davis, it will be nearly 15 months between fights.
The same can't be said for Davis, who has been one of the UFC's most active fighters since making his debut in Feb. 2010. His March decision win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira marked his fifth fight in 13 months. All wins, by the way. In fact, Davis is still unbeaten at 9-0.
Still, there are some who believe that Davis is being pushed ahead too quickly. Not White.
"No, I don't think I'm pushing him too hard," he said. "Back when he had a smaller roster, guys used to fight all the time. rift gold It's normal in the fight business. There's guys in boxing that used to fight every weekend. It's not abnormal to fight five times a year."
Despite neither man getting exactly what he wanted, there is still a lot to gain for both -- as well as a lot to lose. Evans tried waiting for his opportunity to no avail. His career was slowed down as a result. RIFT Platinum Davis was sped up by his willingness to jump back into the fire. Two completely different scenarios got them to the same place at the same time. According to White, it's situations like this that make or break careers in the fight world.
"When you get an opportunity in this business, you jump on it," he said. Rift Gold "You take it. Especially for a guy like Davis. Wait a minute, I automatically catapult and get a chance to fight Rashad Evans? I'm in. Everybody's banged up. It's like NFL players who play every Sunday. It's part of the game. It's part of professional sports."
It was a situation born of necessity, after UFC light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones was informed that his hand injury would require surgery, pushing back his return to the octagon. RIFT Platinum UFC president Dana White said Jones might need as much as six months before he's ready to come back, and time waits for no man, even the champ. So the UFC went to plan B. Last time this happened, Evans passed, electing to wait and fight Mauricio "Shogun" Rua. But then Rua got healthy, Evans got hurt and was forced to withdraw. Now it's coming up on a year in between fights for Evans, and he can't afford to wait any longer.
A loss will nearly certainly knock Evans out of the No. 1 contender spot, but that doesn't mean Davis will be fighting for a chance to compete for the belt.
Asked where exactly a win would place Davis, White didn't give a definitive answer, offering a phrase he's known to utter every now and again: "he's in the mix."
"It's huge upside for Phil," he said. "He's an up-and-coming guy anyway. We'll see what happens."
White admitted that he hadn't yet spoken to Evans since the development but said he was "a good guy" who "made some bad decisions in the last year-and-a-half."
"Rashad's ready to fight," he said. "Rashad wants to fight."
When Evans gets back in the cage against Davis, it will be nearly 15 months between fights.
The same can't be said for Davis, who has been one of the UFC's most active fighters since making his debut in Feb. 2010. His March decision win over Antonio Rogerio Nogueira marked his fifth fight in 13 months. All wins, by the way. In fact, Davis is still unbeaten at 9-0.
Still, there are some who believe that Davis is being pushed ahead too quickly. Not White.
"No, I don't think I'm pushing him too hard," he said. "Back when he had a smaller roster, guys used to fight all the time. rift gold It's normal in the fight business. There's guys in boxing that used to fight every weekend. It's not abnormal to fight five times a year."
Despite neither man getting exactly what he wanted, there is still a lot to gain for both -- as well as a lot to lose. Evans tried waiting for his opportunity to no avail. His career was slowed down as a result. RIFT Platinum Davis was sped up by his willingness to jump back into the fire. Two completely different scenarios got them to the same place at the same time. According to White, it's situations like this that make or break careers in the fight world.
"When you get an opportunity in this business, you jump on it," he said. Rift Gold "You take it. Especially for a guy like Davis. Wait a minute, I automatically catapult and get a chance to fight Rashad Evans? I'm in. Everybody's banged up. It's like NFL players who play every Sunday. It's part of the game. It's part of professional sports."
2011年4月27日星期三
A record stands forever
rift gold
Back at my high school for the tenth reunion, I met my old coach. Walking through the gym, we came upon a plaque on which I was still listed as the record holder for the longest softball throw. Noticing my surprise, the coach said, "That record will stand forever." I was about to make some modest disclaimer that records exist to be broken, when he added, "We stopped holding that event years ago."
rift gold
Back at my high school for the tenth reunion, I met my old coach. Walking through the gym, we came upon a plaque on which I was still listed as the record holder for the longest softball throw. Noticing my surprise, the coach said, "That record will stand forever." I was about to make some modest disclaimer that records exist to be broken, when he added, "We stopped holding that event years ago."
rift gold
2011年4月26日星期二
Today in Brewer History: Happy Birthday, Jim Lonborg
On this day in 1942, Jim Lonborg was born in Santa Maria, California. After attending Stanford, he debuted with the Red Sox in 1963. RIFT Platinum In 1967 he won the AL Cy Young Award, going 22-9 with a 3.16 ERA and striking out a league-leading 246.
In October of 1971, Lonborg came to the Brewers as one of six players sent from Boston in exchange for third baseman Tommy Harper and pitchers Lew Krausse and Marty Pattin. While with the Brewers, rift gold he had arguably the best season of his major league career: In 1972 he posted a 2.83 ERA in 223 innings, RIFT Platinum the only sub-3 ERA of his career. Following the season he was traded to the Phillies in a seven player deal that netted Don Money, among others.
A season with 220+ innings and a sub-3.00 ERA has only been done seven times in Brewer history:
Pitcher Season IP ERA
Mike Caldwell 1978 293.1 2.36
Teddy Higuera 1988 227.1 2.45
Ben Sheets 2004 237 2.70
Teddy Higuera 1986 248.1 2.79
Bill Travers 1976 240 2.81
Jim Lonborg 1972 223 2.83
Chris Bosio 1989 234.2 2.95
I noted Lonborg's birthday with help from the B-Ref Play Index. We'd also like to wish a happy birthday today to:
1995-99 Brewer Fernando Vina, who turns 42.
Seattle Pilot Garry Roggenburk,
Rift Gold who turns 71.
Seattle Pilot and 1970 Brewer Rich Rollins, who turns 73.
In October of 1971, Lonborg came to the Brewers as one of six players sent from Boston in exchange for third baseman Tommy Harper and pitchers Lew Krausse and Marty Pattin. While with the Brewers, rift gold he had arguably the best season of his major league career: In 1972 he posted a 2.83 ERA in 223 innings, RIFT Platinum the only sub-3 ERA of his career. Following the season he was traded to the Phillies in a seven player deal that netted Don Money, among others.
A season with 220+ innings and a sub-3.00 ERA has only been done seven times in Brewer history:
Pitcher Season IP ERA
Mike Caldwell 1978 293.1 2.36
Teddy Higuera 1988 227.1 2.45
Ben Sheets 2004 237 2.70
Teddy Higuera 1986 248.1 2.79
Bill Travers 1976 240 2.81
Jim Lonborg 1972 223 2.83
Chris Bosio 1989 234.2 2.95
I noted Lonborg's birthday with help from the B-Ref Play Index. We'd also like to wish a happy birthday today to:
1995-99 Brewer Fernando Vina, who turns 42.
Seattle Pilot Garry Roggenburk,
Rift Gold who turns 71.
Seattle Pilot and 1970 Brewer Rich Rollins, who turns 73.
How to File a Responsive Declaration For Child Custody
Overview
If you find yourself involved in a divorce or similar type of proceeding during which your spouse or partner seeks custody of your children, you must understand the process for responding to him.
Rift Gold At the heart of countering the other parent's motion for custody is a responsive declaration or pleading, according to the book "Child Custody A to Z," by Guy J. White. In your response you must demonstrate that granting custody to the other parent is not in the best interests of the child; this standard is the one used by courts across the United States to make custody determinations, according to Cornell University Law School.
Step 1
Go to the clerk of the court where the motion for custody was filed by the other parent. Request a copy of a response to motion, together with instructions. Typically, court clerks maintain the standard forms needed to pursue and defend against a child custody motion.
Step 2
Complete the response, RIFT Platinum following the instructions provided to you by the clerk.
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Step 3
Include a statement that granting the other parent custody as requested is not in the best interests of the children.
Step 4
Cite facts to support your contention that custody with the other parent is not suitable. These can include the following factors: the other parent historically was not the primary caretaker of the children; rift gold the other parent lacks a proper residence to maintain the children; or the other parent's health precludes her from appropriately tending to the needs of the children.
Step 5
Include a statement that the best interests of the children can be served by awarding custody to you. RIFT Platinum Set forth facts supporting this contention.
Step 6
Sign the response to the motion and send a copy to the other parent.
Step 7
Return to the clerk of the court and formally file the response to the motion by handing the document to a member of the clerk's staff.
If you find yourself involved in a divorce or similar type of proceeding during which your spouse or partner seeks custody of your children, you must understand the process for responding to him.
Rift Gold At the heart of countering the other parent's motion for custody is a responsive declaration or pleading, according to the book "Child Custody A to Z," by Guy J. White. In your response you must demonstrate that granting custody to the other parent is not in the best interests of the child; this standard is the one used by courts across the United States to make custody determinations, according to Cornell University Law School.
Step 1
Go to the clerk of the court where the motion for custody was filed by the other parent. Request a copy of a response to motion, together with instructions. Typically, court clerks maintain the standard forms needed to pursue and defend against a child custody motion.
Step 2
Complete the response, RIFT Platinum following the instructions provided to you by the clerk.
Ask a Lawyer Online Now 12 Lawyers Are Online! Current Wait Time: 14 Minutes. Law.JustAnswer.com
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Step 3
Include a statement that granting the other parent custody as requested is not in the best interests of the children.
Step 4
Cite facts to support your contention that custody with the other parent is not suitable. These can include the following factors: the other parent historically was not the primary caretaker of the children; rift gold the other parent lacks a proper residence to maintain the children; or the other parent's health precludes her from appropriately tending to the needs of the children.
Step 5
Include a statement that the best interests of the children can be served by awarding custody to you. RIFT Platinum Set forth facts supporting this contention.
Step 6
Sign the response to the motion and send a copy to the other parent.
Step 7
Return to the clerk of the court and formally file the response to the motion by handing the document to a member of the clerk's staff.
2011年4月25日星期一
Uncontested Divorce Questions
As you contemplate seeking an uncontested divorce, you undoubtedly need answers to some basic questions. Despite minor variations in divorce statutes across the country, generally speaking the basic elements of uncontested divorces remain the same in all states, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. Keep in mind that if you have specific questions, or desire legal advice regarding a divorce, you must consult a qualified attorney.
What Is Joint Petition for Divorce?
A joint petition for divorce is the legal document, signed by you and your spouse, and filed with the clerk of the court. The joint petition commences your divorce case. By jointly filing, you advise the court that your case is uncontested, according to "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" by Emily Doskow.
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How Long Does Uncontested Divorced Take?
Divorce laws in all states include some type of waiting period from the date a divorce petition is filed until a divorce decree issues from the court. The time period varies significantly from one state to another. Your uncontested divorce can be granted any time after that waiting period expires.
What Is Settlement Agreement?
A settlement agreement is a contract between you and your spouse, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. RIFT Platinum Through the settlement agreement, you and your spouse resolve all divorce related issues, including those associated with assets and debts as well as any children born during the marriage.
What Is Divorce Decree?
A divorce decree is the final order of the court in marriage dissolution proceedings. rift gold The divorce decree adopts any provisions included in your settlement agreement. The order terminates your marriage.
Do I Attend Court Hearing?
You or your spouse will be required to attend a hearing before the judge, even in an uncontested divorce. The hearing will not take long. RIFT Platinum The judge will ask you basic questions about your marriage and the reason you desire a divorce.
Do I Need a Lawyer in an Uncontested Divorce Case?
Although uncontested divorces move more swiftly than disputed proceedings, Rift Gold the same general laws and court procedures apply. Because divorce laws and procedure represent complicated legal matters, retaining the services of a qualified and experienced lawyer likely serves you best interests. Local and state bar associations maintain directories of attorneys in different practice areas. Contact information for these organization is available to you through the American Bar Association。
What Is Joint Petition for Divorce?
A joint petition for divorce is the legal document, signed by you and your spouse, and filed with the clerk of the court. The joint petition commences your divorce case. By jointly filing, you advise the court that your case is uncontested, according to "Nolo's Essential Guide to Divorce" by Emily Doskow.
Ask a Lawyer Online Now 12 Lawyers Are Online! Current Wait Time: 14 Minutes. Law.JustAnswer.com
Sponsored Links
How Long Does Uncontested Divorced Take?
Divorce laws in all states include some type of waiting period from the date a divorce petition is filed until a divorce decree issues from the court. The time period varies significantly from one state to another. Your uncontested divorce can be granted any time after that waiting period expires.
What Is Settlement Agreement?
A settlement agreement is a contract between you and your spouse, according to the American Bar Association Section of Family Law. RIFT Platinum Through the settlement agreement, you and your spouse resolve all divorce related issues, including those associated with assets and debts as well as any children born during the marriage.
What Is Divorce Decree?
A divorce decree is the final order of the court in marriage dissolution proceedings. rift gold The divorce decree adopts any provisions included in your settlement agreement. The order terminates your marriage.
Do I Attend Court Hearing?
You or your spouse will be required to attend a hearing before the judge, even in an uncontested divorce. The hearing will not take long. RIFT Platinum The judge will ask you basic questions about your marriage and the reason you desire a divorce.
Do I Need a Lawyer in an Uncontested Divorce Case?
Although uncontested divorces move more swiftly than disputed proceedings, Rift Gold the same general laws and court procedures apply. Because divorce laws and procedure represent complicated legal matters, retaining the services of a qualified and experienced lawyer likely serves you best interests. Local and state bar associations maintain directories of attorneys in different practice areas. Contact information for these organization is available to you through the American Bar Association。
Alistair Overeem Wants Dynamite!! Fight to Be for Dream Belt
TOKYO, Japan -- MMA Fighting was on location to witness Strikeforce heavyweight champion and K-1 World Grand Prix 2010 champion Alistair Overeem put on a show at his Dynamite!! rift gold 2010 media workout under the watchful eye of two-time K-1 MAX Champion Masato at Kazushi Sakuraba's Laughter7 Dojo in Ota-ku, Tokyo on Tuesday. RIFT Platinum
Although his opponent for New Year's Eve has not yet been made official due to visa issues, RIFT Platinum Todd Duffee has arrived in Japan and is expected to take on the recently crowned K-1 king for the DREAM heavyweight belt on Dec. Rift Gold 31st.
Although his opponent for New Year's Eve has not yet been made official due to visa issues, RIFT Platinum Todd Duffee has arrived in Japan and is expected to take on the recently crowned K-1 king for the DREAM heavyweight belt on Dec. Rift Gold 31st.
A Mouse nd A Bull
A mouse once took a bite out of a bull's tail as he lay dozing. The bull jumped up in a rage and, with his head low to the ground,rift gold chased the mouse right across the yard. The mouse was too quick for him, however, and slipped easily into a hole in the wall.
The bull charged the wall furiously again and again, but although he bruised his head and chipped his horns, the mouse stayed safely inside his hole. After a time the bull gave up and sank down to rest again.
As soon as the bull was asleep, the little mouse crept to the mouth of the hole, pattered across the yard, bit the bull again -- this time on the nose --rift gold and rushed back to safety. As the bull roared helplessly the mouse squeaked:
"It's not always the big people who come off best. Sometimes the small ones win, you know."
The bull charged the wall furiously again and again, but although he bruised his head and chipped his horns, the mouse stayed safely inside his hole. After a time the bull gave up and sank down to rest again.
As soon as the bull was asleep, the little mouse crept to the mouth of the hole, pattered across the yard, bit the bull again -- this time on the nose --rift gold and rushed back to safety. As the bull roared helplessly the mouse squeaked:
"It's not always the big people who come off best. Sometimes the small ones win, you know."
dragon
ong long ago ,there is a enormous monster in south sea ,everybody afraid it except a little boy .just the boy understand the pain of the dragon .In fact ,rift gold the dragon just want to make friends with human .but nobody except it and the hearsay spread .until the boy appearance .The dragon always alone ! The boy make friends with dragon and play with it . one day ,the boy did not come .The dragon worry about the boy and search him .when dragon arrived the village .A lot people appearance and said if the dragon don't leave .they will kill the boy .the dragon wept .after said farewell.the dragon disappear from the village and never appearance !actually the boy already died in an accident .but people worry the dragon know that will kill them so they lied to the dragon !
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Granny, I'm going home
rift gold
A Sunday school teacher was telling her pupils the importance of making others glad. "Now, children," said she , "has anyone of you ever make someone else glad?"
"Please, teacher ,"said a small boy, "I've make someone glad yesterday."
"Well done. Who was that?"
"My grandma"
"Good boy. Now tell us how you made your grandmother glad."
"Please, teacher, I went to see her yesterday, and stayed with her three hours. Then I said to her, 'Granny, I'm going home,' and she said, 'Well, I'm glad'!"
rift gold
A Sunday school teacher was telling her pupils the importance of making others glad. "Now, children," said she , "has anyone of you ever make someone else glad?"
"Please, teacher ,"said a small boy, "I've make someone glad yesterday."
"Well done. Who was that?"
"My grandma"
"Good boy. Now tell us how you made your grandmother glad."
"Please, teacher, I went to see her yesterday, and stayed with her three hours. Then I said to her, 'Granny, I'm going home,' and she said, 'Well, I'm glad'!"
rift gold
Abraham Lincoln
His formal schooling amounted less than a year so he educated himself by reading books. It was a rough beginning for the sixteen president of USA. Abraham Lincoln was born in a log cabin Abe Lincoln was born in a log cabin in the Kentucky backwoodson February 12 1809 He taught himself law opened an office in Springfield Ilineo and married a society belt named Mary Tan. In 1858 the popular lawyer ran for senator from ılino As opponent Steven Douglas challenged him a series of debates on the issue of slavery Lincoln opposed the spread of slavery to new states being formed out west He lost the election but the debate made him famous. Two years later he ran for president this time Lincoln won.
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Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you…. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.”
Lincoln thought secession illegal, and was willing to use force to defend Federal law and the Union. When Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter and forced its surrender, he called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The Civil War had begun.
The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party’s nomination for President, he sketched his life:
“I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families–second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks…. My father … removed from Kentucky to … Indiana, in my eighth year…. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up…. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher … but that was all.”
Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, “His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.”
He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.
As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.
Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain–that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom–and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.
The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds…. ”
rift gold
On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln’s death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.
rift gold
Lincoln warned the South in his Inaugural Address: “In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, is the momentous issue of civil war. The government will not assail you…. You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government, while I shall have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.”
Lincoln thought secession illegal, and was willing to use force to defend Federal law and the Union. When Confederate batteries fired on Fort Sumter and forced its surrender, he called on the states for 75,000 volunteers. Four more slave states joined the Confederacy but four remained within the Union. The Civil War had begun.
The son of a Kentucky frontiersman, Lincoln had to struggle for a living and for learning. Five months before receiving his party’s nomination for President, he sketched his life:
“I was born Feb. 12, 1809, in Hardin County, Kentucky. My parents were both born in Virginia, of undistinguished families–second families, perhaps I should say. My mother, who died in my tenth year, was of a family of the name of Hanks…. My father … removed from Kentucky to … Indiana, in my eighth year…. It was a wild region, with many bears and other wild animals still in the woods. There I grew up…. Of course when I came of age I did not know much. Still somehow, I could read, write, and cipher … but that was all.”
Lincoln made extraordinary efforts to attain knowledge while working on a farm, splitting rails for fences, and keeping store at New Salem, Illinois. He was a captain in the Black Hawk War, spent eight years in the Illinois legislature, and rode the circuit of courts for many years. His law partner said of him, “His ambition was a little engine that knew no rest.”
He married Mary Todd, and they had four boys, only one of whom lived to maturity. In 1858 Lincoln ran against Stephen A. Douglas for Senator. He lost the election, but in debating with Douglas he gained a national reputation that won him the Republican nomination for President in 1860.
As President, he built the Republican Party into a strong national organization. Further, he rallied most of the northern Democrats to the Union cause. On January 1, 1863, he issued the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.
Lincoln never let the world forget that the Civil War involved an even larger issue. This he stated most movingly in dedicating the military cemetery at Gettysburg: “that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain–that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom–and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Lincoln won re-election in 1864, as Union military triumphs heralded an end to the war. In his planning for peace, the President was flexible and generous, encouraging Southerners to lay down their arms and join speedily in reunion.
The spirit that guided him was clearly that of his Second Inaugural Address, now inscribed on one wall of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D. C.: “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds…. ”
rift gold
On Good Friday, April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated at Ford’s Theatre in Washington by John Wilkes Booth, an actor, who somehow thought he was helping the South. The opposite was the result, for with Lincoln’s death, the possibility of peace with magnanimity died.
16 Killed After UN Plane Crashes in DR Congo
A United Nations plane has crashed in the Democratic Republic of Congo, killing at least 16 people.
rift gold
U.N. officials say the plane was carrying 29 passengers and up to four crew members when it crashed at the airport in the capital, Kinshasa, Monday afternoon.
Authorities say the plane was trying to land in torrential rain when it hit the runway and broke into pieces.
A U.N. spokesman in New York says rescue teams are working at the crash site. Initial reports from the scene say at least a few people survived the crash.
rift gold
The flight had originated in the northeastern Congolese city of Kisangani.
rift gold
U.N. officials say the plane was carrying 29 passengers and up to four crew members when it crashed at the airport in the capital, Kinshasa, Monday afternoon.
Authorities say the plane was trying to land in torrential rain when it hit the runway and broke into pieces.
A U.N. spokesman in New York says rescue teams are working at the crash site. Initial reports from the scene say at least a few people survived the crash.
rift gold
The flight had originated in the northeastern Congolese city of Kisangani.
Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt, (1963- ), American motion-picture actor, who became a celebrity and male sex symbol in the 1990s. Though popular for his blue eyes and strong physical features, Pitt has avoided being typecast for his looks and is known for the variety of his roles.
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Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, William Bradley Pitt grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri. In 1986, two credits shy of graduating with an advertising degree, Pitt dropped out of college and moved to California to pursue an acting career. It took him almost five years to get his big break, a role as a thieving hitchhiker in the film Thelma and Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott. The following year Pitt starred in A River Runs Through It, a movie directed by Robert Redford in which Pitt played a rebellious brother in a family of fly-fishermen. Critics praised his performance and compared his rough-but-handsome physical appearance and charismatic style to legendary actor James Dean.
Pitt’s success in the early 1990s made him a star, but he sought to extend himself as an actor with untraditional roles. In 1994 he played a 200-year-old vampire in Interview with the Vampire. The following year Pitt portrayed an obsessive mental patient in the time-travel drama Twelve Monkeys, an inspired performance that earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor. In 1998 he starred in Meet Joe Black as the title character, who is the physical embodiment of Death.
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Pitt has also played a variety of mainstream roles, including a homicide detective in Se7en (1995) and a mobster in The Mexican (2001). Nevertheless, Pitt often portrays strange or unstable characters. In 1999 he starred in Fight Club as the mysterious leader of a secret society of men rediscovering their masculinity through violence. Though the film failed commercially, Pitt’s portrayal of a complex character drew accolades. In 2000 he appeared in Snatch as a barely intelligible vagabond who becomes a prizefighter.
rift gold
Born in Shawnee, Oklahoma, William Bradley Pitt grew up in Springfield, Missouri, and attended the University of Missouri. In 1986, two credits shy of graduating with an advertising degree, Pitt dropped out of college and moved to California to pursue an acting career. It took him almost five years to get his big break, a role as a thieving hitchhiker in the film Thelma and Louise (1991), directed by Ridley Scott. The following year Pitt starred in A River Runs Through It, a movie directed by Robert Redford in which Pitt played a rebellious brother in a family of fly-fishermen. Critics praised his performance and compared his rough-but-handsome physical appearance and charismatic style to legendary actor James Dean.
Pitt’s success in the early 1990s made him a star, but he sought to extend himself as an actor with untraditional roles. In 1994 he played a 200-year-old vampire in Interview with the Vampire. The following year Pitt portrayed an obsessive mental patient in the time-travel drama Twelve Monkeys, an inspired performance that earned him a Golden Globe Award and an Academy Award nomination as best supporting actor. In 1998 he starred in Meet Joe Black as the title character, who is the physical embodiment of Death.
rift gold
Pitt has also played a variety of mainstream roles, including a homicide detective in Se7en (1995) and a mobster in The Mexican (2001). Nevertheless, Pitt often portrays strange or unstable characters. In 1999 he starred in Fight Club as the mysterious leader of a secret society of men rediscovering their masculinity through violence. Though the film failed commercially, Pitt’s portrayal of a complex character drew accolades. In 2000 he appeared in Snatch as a barely intelligible vagabond who becomes a prizefighter.
Mel Gibson
American-born, Australian motion-picture actor, who achieved renown in a variety of action roles. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his family to Australia at the age of 12. He made his motion-picture debut in 1977 in Summer City, an Australian film that featured rock-and-roll music, before achieving fame as the invincible hero in Mad Max (1979),rift gold a science-fiction action movie that garnered a devoted following and spawned two sequels, Mad Max 2, released in the United States as The Road Warrior (1981), and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985).
Leading roles in two highly acclaimed films by Australian director Peter Weir, Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1983), established Gibson’s reputation beyond action pictures. However, neither of Gibson’s first two performances in American motion pictures, in Mrs. Soffel (1984) and The River (1984), were well regarded. By contrast, the successful Lethal Weapon (1987), in which Gibson plays a tough police officer alongside American actor Danny Glover, led to three sequels, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
Gibson’s other motion-picture roles include a repentant narcotics dealer in Tequila Sunrise (1988); the title role as the Prince of Denmark in Hamlet (1990); a poker-playing gambler in the comedy-western Maverick (1994); an American Revolutionary War soldier in The Patriot (2000); and a widower fighting off alien invaders in Signs (2002).
In addition to acting, Gibson also became an award-winning director. After his debut effort, The Man Without a Face (1993), Gibson directed rift gold and starred in Braveheart (1995), the story of the legendary 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallace. Braveheart won several Academy Awards, including best director and best picture. In 2004 Gibson directed, but did not appear in, the controversial motion picture The Passion of the Christ, which depicts the last hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Despite some protests that the film was historically inaccurate, excessively violent, and anti-Semitic, The Passion was a huge box-office success.
Leading roles in two highly acclaimed films by Australian director Peter Weir, Gallipoli (1981) and The Year of Living Dangerously (1983), established Gibson’s reputation beyond action pictures. However, neither of Gibson’s first two performances in American motion pictures, in Mrs. Soffel (1984) and The River (1984), were well regarded. By contrast, the successful Lethal Weapon (1987), in which Gibson plays a tough police officer alongside American actor Danny Glover, led to three sequels, Lethal Weapon 2 (1989), Lethal Weapon 3 (1992), and Lethal Weapon 4 (1998).
Gibson’s other motion-picture roles include a repentant narcotics dealer in Tequila Sunrise (1988); the title role as the Prince of Denmark in Hamlet (1990); a poker-playing gambler in the comedy-western Maverick (1994); an American Revolutionary War soldier in The Patriot (2000); and a widower fighting off alien invaders in Signs (2002).
In addition to acting, Gibson also became an award-winning director. After his debut effort, The Man Without a Face (1993), Gibson directed rift gold and starred in Braveheart (1995), the story of the legendary 13th-century Scottish hero William Wallace. Braveheart won several Academy Awards, including best director and best picture. In 2004 Gibson directed, but did not appear in, the controversial motion picture The Passion of the Christ, which depicts the last hours of the life of Jesus Christ. Despite some protests that the film was historically inaccurate, excessively violent, and anti-Semitic, The Passion was a huge box-office success.
Anniversary of Rwandan Genocide Brings Declarations, Warnings
Rwanda is approaching the anniversary of one of the worst genocides in modern history that killed almost one million people. Officials stress that what happened 17 years ago must never happen again in Rwanda, the rest of Africa,rift gold and the world.
April 7, 1994 was the first day of a 100-day initiative led by one of Rwanda's three ethnic groups to exterminate another ethnic group. Almost one million people were killed by friends, neighbors and strangers influenced by a massive propaganda campaign.
Ever since then, a United Nations tribunal has been bringing those responsible to trial and has jailed 49 of the top politicians, businesspeople, media personalities and others involved with the genocide.
A further 1.5 million people who were charged with killing or looking the other way when murders were occurring have had their cases heard by community courts around the country.
Rwandan Ambassador to Kenya George William Kayonga says he thinks these and other justice initiatives have brought about much forgiveness, reconciliation and healing in Rwanda, while sending a strong signal.
"The country will not condone impunity. For genocide to have taken place in Rwanda it was because the population came to believe that they could get away with anything, even killing somebody and you are aware that nothing will happen to you and you will not be punished for it," said Kayonga.
Kayonga says he has seen signs that the extermination campaign that happened in Rwanda is also brewing elsewhere.
One notable example occurred in nearby Kenya. During the country's post-election violence, at least 1,000 people were killed largely based on their ethnicity.
Roland Amoussouga is spokesperson for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
"In 2007 [and] early 2008,rift gold everybody got scared to see a repetition of Rwanda," said Amoussouga. "Having been involved in dealing with genocide since July 1994, I got scared. The machetes that I saw on TV reminded me so much about Rwanda."
Six suspects, including three Kenyan government ministers, alleged to have organized the violence, are now in The Hague awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court.
Amoussouga says the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, or ICTR, has taught the world that no one is above the law, particularly with the trial of Rwanda’s then-Prime Minister Jean Kambanda.
"The message was that, if a prime minister can be arrested and prosecuted, therefore all of us we can be the same. That led to the subsequent arrest of [former Yugoslav president Slobodan] Milosovic and led to the arrest of [former Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet in England," added Amoussouga.
The ICTR is set to wrap up trials by the end of this year.
April 7, 1994 was the first day of a 100-day initiative led by one of Rwanda's three ethnic groups to exterminate another ethnic group. Almost one million people were killed by friends, neighbors and strangers influenced by a massive propaganda campaign.
Ever since then, a United Nations tribunal has been bringing those responsible to trial and has jailed 49 of the top politicians, businesspeople, media personalities and others involved with the genocide.
A further 1.5 million people who were charged with killing or looking the other way when murders were occurring have had their cases heard by community courts around the country.
Rwandan Ambassador to Kenya George William Kayonga says he thinks these and other justice initiatives have brought about much forgiveness, reconciliation and healing in Rwanda, while sending a strong signal.
"The country will not condone impunity. For genocide to have taken place in Rwanda it was because the population came to believe that they could get away with anything, even killing somebody and you are aware that nothing will happen to you and you will not be punished for it," said Kayonga.
Kayonga says he has seen signs that the extermination campaign that happened in Rwanda is also brewing elsewhere.
One notable example occurred in nearby Kenya. During the country's post-election violence, at least 1,000 people were killed largely based on their ethnicity.
Roland Amoussouga is spokesperson for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
"In 2007 [and] early 2008,rift gold everybody got scared to see a repetition of Rwanda," said Amoussouga. "Having been involved in dealing with genocide since July 1994, I got scared. The machetes that I saw on TV reminded me so much about Rwanda."
Six suspects, including three Kenyan government ministers, alleged to have organized the violence, are now in The Hague awaiting trial at the International Criminal Court.
Amoussouga says the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, or ICTR, has taught the world that no one is above the law, particularly with the trial of Rwanda’s then-Prime Minister Jean Kambanda.
"The message was that, if a prime minister can be arrested and prosecuted, therefore all of us we can be the same. That led to the subsequent arrest of [former Yugoslav president Slobodan] Milosovic and led to the arrest of [former Chilean dictator Augusto] Pinochet in England," added Amoussouga.
The ICTR is set to wrap up trials by the end of this year.
2011年4月24日星期日
Signs That Men Are Cheating
There are many reasons for wanting to know if a man is cheating on you. Some people much prefer to find out on their own, as opposed to having a friend let them in on the news. It could also be embarrassing if it seems like everyone but you knows that your man is seeing someone else. Instead of being played like the unsuspecting female in a man's life, be prepared and forearmed by knowing ahead of time the signs that a man is cheating on you. Then you can collect evidence and confront him with it. It's always important to back up the signs with concrete evidence.
Financial Signs
Unexpected expenditures that show up on bank or credit card statements may be signs that a man is spending money on another woman, especially if the expenditures are for florists or jewelry. RIFT Platinum There may also be bills for motel stays that were not planned for. If you do not normally check the expense statements, you may catch a man by surprise one month by scanning through them. If the man is not present and you find questionable expenditures, you can photocopy the statement for future investigation.
Signs Wife is Cheating Find out the exact pattern women follow when they're cheating WomensInfidelity.com
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Car Mileage Signs
If the man drives to work every day and has a normal weekly routine, the mileage accumulated on his car will likely be consistent from week to week. rift gold You can check from week to week and see if the mileage is consistent. If he claims to be driving someplace nearby, the YMCA for example, to get a workout, you can check the mileage on the car. If the mileage isn't consistent with the distance to the YMCA, he may be seeing another woman and driving to meet her.
Employment Signs
If the man is suddenly working extra hours, it could be a sign that he is cheating. The man may be using work as a reason for spending time away from you and with another woman. Additional work-related signs include wanting to attend work social functions, such as the company picnic, alone. RIFT Platinum He may make up excuses for wanting to attend alone, but the reason may be that the woman he is seeing is a co-worker. Another sign is when he doesn't answer his work telephone. You can drive by his place of employment to see if his car is in the parking lot as a way to catch him cheating.
Computer Signs
If a man suddenly needs more privacy when he is working on the home computer, it's a sign he may be cheating. Rift Gold If he deletes his browsing history, it may be another sign he doesn't want you to know the websites he has been visiting, and it's a possible sign that he's cheating.
Financial Signs
Unexpected expenditures that show up on bank or credit card statements may be signs that a man is spending money on another woman, especially if the expenditures are for florists or jewelry. RIFT Platinum There may also be bills for motel stays that were not planned for. If you do not normally check the expense statements, you may catch a man by surprise one month by scanning through them. If the man is not present and you find questionable expenditures, you can photocopy the statement for future investigation.
Signs Wife is Cheating Find out the exact pattern women follow when they're cheating WomensInfidelity.com
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Car Mileage Signs
If the man drives to work every day and has a normal weekly routine, the mileage accumulated on his car will likely be consistent from week to week. rift gold You can check from week to week and see if the mileage is consistent. If he claims to be driving someplace nearby, the YMCA for example, to get a workout, you can check the mileage on the car. If the mileage isn't consistent with the distance to the YMCA, he may be seeing another woman and driving to meet her.
Employment Signs
If the man is suddenly working extra hours, it could be a sign that he is cheating. The man may be using work as a reason for spending time away from you and with another woman. Additional work-related signs include wanting to attend work social functions, such as the company picnic, alone. RIFT Platinum He may make up excuses for wanting to attend alone, but the reason may be that the woman he is seeing is a co-worker. Another sign is when he doesn't answer his work telephone. You can drive by his place of employment to see if his car is in the parking lot as a way to catch him cheating.
Computer Signs
If a man suddenly needs more privacy when he is working on the home computer, it's a sign he may be cheating. Rift Gold If he deletes his browsing history, it may be another sign he doesn't want you to know the websites he has been visiting, and it's a possible sign that he's cheating.
Sadaharu Tanigawa: The Current Course Is That FEG Will Die
As we wait for K-1 and DREAM promoter Fighting Entertainment Group to emerge from its winter hibernation with news of its future, FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa spoke to Japanese outlet Sports Graphic Number about the current state of affairs.
"The current course is that FEG will die. There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change," Tanigawa explained. "If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. RIFT Platinum If many investments from companies overseas do not come in we can't survive."
FEG USA's Mike Kogan spoke to MMA Fighting and added, "Well it's basically what I have been saying. That unless the money comes now, rift goldmeaning the investors that have been talking commit and we start to move forward, the company will die. There is no way for it to survive, we have exhausted all good will."
It is easy to focus on the drama of these statements but in reality, RIFT Platinum the fact that Tanigawa and Kogan are admitting this says good things about the future of the leading fight sports promoter in Japan.
Firstly, it is worth noting that K-1 parent company FEG is actually much newer than K-1 itself.
K-1 evolved from a karate promotion into its current form in 1992-93. FEG though was founded in 2003 by former pro-wrestling journalist Sadaharu Tanigawa after the creator of K-1, Kazuyoshi Ishii, was found guilty of tax evasion for concealing over 900 million yen and not paying taxes on 300 million yen. Ishii went to prison to start a 22-month sentence (of which he served 14 months) after finally exhausting the appeal process in July 2007.
That unless the money comes now, meaning the investors that have been talking commit and we start to move forward, the company will die.
-- FEG USA's Mike Kogan
Ishii handed over the reins to Tanigawa, but during Ishii's time away from the helm the Japanese martial arts industry crashed largely due to fallout from yakuza (Japanese mafia) involvement around New Year's Eve 2003 and the fact that the business models being used were not sustainable. That brings us to where we are now.
Some other noteworthy facts: Ishii has well documented bad blood with the former Pride FC parent company Dream Stage Entertainment staff who have now partnered with FEG employees to run DREAM; Ishii was actually in talks with Sengoku parent company World Victory Road while in prison; and although Ishii has said since his release in August 2008 that he no longer wishes to be involved in the production of K-1 and would instead hope to focus on helping the sport grow globally, his influence cannot be understated.
The point here is that if Ishii's voice is being heard, FEG's restructuring should mean good things for K-1 but it may not bode well for the survival of DREAM as he has long been rumored to be not very fond of the product. Tanigawa saying that some staff will leave seems to confirm this.
At this point though, it is all speculation.
Ishii is deliberately hiding his involvement in the business side of things due to his history.
We are still unsure if a deal has been made with TBS to continue broadcasting K-1 MAX and DREAM.
Chinese investor PUJI has appeared to have sunk $30 million of its own capital into FEG, which was not part of the initial agreement.
New investors were apparently found following the K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Finals in December but now, according to Kogan, they have yet to commit.
Due to how fragile FEG's financial situation is, they are rightfully being extremely private.
FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa has been quite positive over the last few days on Twitter but he is also being very non-specific and as yet no announcements have come. Rift Gold We were promised news towards the end of January but as we have seen time and time again, a promise isn't a promise with FEG.
The most important thing to take away from all of this is that FEG knows that a drastic change is needed and it looks like one is coming.
"The current course is that FEG will die. There are probably staff members that will leave as well. The event name will be left but the promotion will change," Tanigawa explained. "If the current structure remains as it is it will be impossible to continue. RIFT Platinum If many investments from companies overseas do not come in we can't survive."
FEG USA's Mike Kogan spoke to MMA Fighting and added, "Well it's basically what I have been saying. That unless the money comes now, rift goldmeaning the investors that have been talking commit and we start to move forward, the company will die. There is no way for it to survive, we have exhausted all good will."
It is easy to focus on the drama of these statements but in reality, RIFT Platinum the fact that Tanigawa and Kogan are admitting this says good things about the future of the leading fight sports promoter in Japan.
Firstly, it is worth noting that K-1 parent company FEG is actually much newer than K-1 itself.
K-1 evolved from a karate promotion into its current form in 1992-93. FEG though was founded in 2003 by former pro-wrestling journalist Sadaharu Tanigawa after the creator of K-1, Kazuyoshi Ishii, was found guilty of tax evasion for concealing over 900 million yen and not paying taxes on 300 million yen. Ishii went to prison to start a 22-month sentence (of which he served 14 months) after finally exhausting the appeal process in July 2007.
That unless the money comes now, meaning the investors that have been talking commit and we start to move forward, the company will die.
-- FEG USA's Mike Kogan
Ishii handed over the reins to Tanigawa, but during Ishii's time away from the helm the Japanese martial arts industry crashed largely due to fallout from yakuza (Japanese mafia) involvement around New Year's Eve 2003 and the fact that the business models being used were not sustainable. That brings us to where we are now.
Some other noteworthy facts: Ishii has well documented bad blood with the former Pride FC parent company Dream Stage Entertainment staff who have now partnered with FEG employees to run DREAM; Ishii was actually in talks with Sengoku parent company World Victory Road while in prison; and although Ishii has said since his release in August 2008 that he no longer wishes to be involved in the production of K-1 and would instead hope to focus on helping the sport grow globally, his influence cannot be understated.
The point here is that if Ishii's voice is being heard, FEG's restructuring should mean good things for K-1 but it may not bode well for the survival of DREAM as he has long been rumored to be not very fond of the product. Tanigawa saying that some staff will leave seems to confirm this.
At this point though, it is all speculation.
Ishii is deliberately hiding his involvement in the business side of things due to his history.
We are still unsure if a deal has been made with TBS to continue broadcasting K-1 MAX and DREAM.
Chinese investor PUJI has appeared to have sunk $30 million of its own capital into FEG, which was not part of the initial agreement.
New investors were apparently found following the K-1 2010 World Grand Prix Finals in December but now, according to Kogan, they have yet to commit.
Due to how fragile FEG's financial situation is, they are rightfully being extremely private.
FEG President Sadaharu Tanigawa has been quite positive over the last few days on Twitter but he is also being very non-specific and as yet no announcements have come. Rift Gold We were promised news towards the end of January but as we have seen time and time again, a promise isn't a promise with FEG.
The most important thing to take away from all of this is that FEG knows that a drastic change is needed and it looks like one is coming.
2011年4月22日星期五
Police accused over arrests riot
Police have been accused of a heavy-handed response after a riot broke out in a city centre overnight and petrol bombs were seized.
rift gold
The unrest in the streets was sparked when about 160 officers in full riot gear swooped on a house in the Stokes Croft neighbourhood of Bristol to arrest four people they said were "a real threat to the local community".
Eight officers were injured in the disturbance during which they were involved in what eyewitnesses described as running battles with hundreds of protesters. The crowd dug up cobbles from the road surface to throw at the police and a nearby branch of Tesco Metro, which opened last week, was petrol-bombed.
Jessie Webb, a barman at The Croft pub, said the police were "heavy-handed" towards a crowd which initially just turned up to watch the operation to arrest the people in the house. He said: "The police caused it (the riot). They turned up in large numbers and it attracted a crowd. Then they charged into them."
A 22-year-old, who did not want to be named, said he was hit with a baton despite not being involved in the protest. "I saw them (police) hitting people who were definitely not involved in the violence," he said. "They were doing random charges and cracking people indiscriminately."
But Avon and Somerset Constabulary said the actions they took during the "robust operation" were fully justified. The trouble erupted after the officers descended on the property in Cheltenham Road at about 9.15pm on Thursday.
Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen, defending the operation, said on Friday: "Residents have called us to several incidents in the property over the past few days. Yesterday there was a very real threat to the local community from the petrol bombs that were being made and we needed to take positive action.
"The safety of the public is paramount in any situation of this kind and we took the decision to carry out a swift arrest operation, following intelligence received about the criminal intentions of those who were occupying the building. The fact that we seized petrol bombs illustrates the seriousness of this situation and the reason why we took this positive action."
Some 300 people had congregated however, a minority of whom started small fires and began throwing bottles, stones and other items at officers, he said. "We used well-rehearsed plans, which involved the use of officers from neighbouring forces, to control what had become a volatile situation," he added.
rift gold
The riot was brought under control at around 4am. Three people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and another person on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage with intent to endanger life.
rift gold
The unrest in the streets was sparked when about 160 officers in full riot gear swooped on a house in the Stokes Croft neighbourhood of Bristol to arrest four people they said were "a real threat to the local community".
Eight officers were injured in the disturbance during which they were involved in what eyewitnesses described as running battles with hundreds of protesters. The crowd dug up cobbles from the road surface to throw at the police and a nearby branch of Tesco Metro, which opened last week, was petrol-bombed.
Jessie Webb, a barman at The Croft pub, said the police were "heavy-handed" towards a crowd which initially just turned up to watch the operation to arrest the people in the house. He said: "The police caused it (the riot). They turned up in large numbers and it attracted a crowd. Then they charged into them."
A 22-year-old, who did not want to be named, said he was hit with a baton despite not being involved in the protest. "I saw them (police) hitting people who were definitely not involved in the violence," he said. "They were doing random charges and cracking people indiscriminately."
But Avon and Somerset Constabulary said the actions they took during the "robust operation" were fully justified. The trouble erupted after the officers descended on the property in Cheltenham Road at about 9.15pm on Thursday.
Assistant Chief Constable Rod Hansen, defending the operation, said on Friday: "Residents have called us to several incidents in the property over the past few days. Yesterday there was a very real threat to the local community from the petrol bombs that were being made and we needed to take positive action.
"The safety of the public is paramount in any situation of this kind and we took the decision to carry out a swift arrest operation, following intelligence received about the criminal intentions of those who were occupying the building. The fact that we seized petrol bombs illustrates the seriousness of this situation and the reason why we took this positive action."
Some 300 people had congregated however, a minority of whom started small fires and began throwing bottles, stones and other items at officers, he said. "We used well-rehearsed plans, which involved the use of officers from neighbouring forces, to control what had become a volatile situation," he added.
rift gold
The riot was brought under control at around 4am. Three people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences and another person on suspicion of threats to cause criminal damage with intent to endanger life.
Speciesism
Speciesism is a term found primarily in the literature dealing with animal rights. It is used in a derogatory fashion to designate a bias or prejudice analogous to racism or sexism. In speciesism, the bias is in favor of the fundamental interests of humans as opposed to those of nonhumans. A “speciesist” would be someone who favors and demonstrates partiality toward humans over animals and who believes that humans have special traits that animals lack (reason, language, technological skills, etc.), thereby making them superior and more important beings. In this way, speciesism can be seen to be a product of a strong anthropocentrism that holds humans to be the focus of and purpose for the universe.
The first expression and use of the term speciesism in a formal way came in 1970 when clinical psychologist Richard Ryder of Oxford University used the term in a leaflet that he had privately printed about the abuses of animal experimentation and animal abuse. Ryder reported that the term came to him while he was taking a bath and contemplating the way humans treat animals. Since Darwin had shown that humans too are animals, Ryder thought that speciesism was just like racism and sexism—a form of prejudice based on morally irrelevant physical differences. We can find more extended arguments about speciesism in the writings of animal rights advocates such as Australian ethicist Peter Singer. Singer is known as a “preference utilitarian,” which means that morally correct action produces the most satisfaction of preferences. But, with respect to animals, Singer holds that they, just like humans,rift gold have such preferences or interests and that it would be a moral mistake to overlook their interests even though most people do. The mistake of not granting equal moral consideration to the interests of animals is a form of speciesism according to Singer. An even more egregious form of it would be to give the interests of human beings preference over those of other beings merely because the former interests are those of a human being. Hence, for Singer, it is more appropriate to treat all beings as individuals and not as members of a species.
The issue of animal experimentation in medicine is one that is often pointed to as being biased by speciesism. Animal rights advocates hold that animal experimentation in medicine is morally objectionable and should be discontinued. They argue that just because animal experimentation may lead to advances in medicine and this might be beneficial to humans,rift gold such benefit is no good reason to put animals in situations that cause them great pain and suffering as is the case with medical experimentation done on them. The claim that beneficial outcomes for humans is the result of such experimentation and therefore justification enough to continue the practice is nothing more than prejudice in favor of humans because they are humans, that is, a form of speciesism, in the eyes of animal liberationists.
The first expression and use of the term speciesism in a formal way came in 1970 when clinical psychologist Richard Ryder of Oxford University used the term in a leaflet that he had privately printed about the abuses of animal experimentation and animal abuse. Ryder reported that the term came to him while he was taking a bath and contemplating the way humans treat animals. Since Darwin had shown that humans too are animals, Ryder thought that speciesism was just like racism and sexism—a form of prejudice based on morally irrelevant physical differences. We can find more extended arguments about speciesism in the writings of animal rights advocates such as Australian ethicist Peter Singer. Singer is known as a “preference utilitarian,” which means that morally correct action produces the most satisfaction of preferences. But, with respect to animals, Singer holds that they, just like humans,rift gold have such preferences or interests and that it would be a moral mistake to overlook their interests even though most people do. The mistake of not granting equal moral consideration to the interests of animals is a form of speciesism according to Singer. An even more egregious form of it would be to give the interests of human beings preference over those of other beings merely because the former interests are those of a human being. Hence, for Singer, it is more appropriate to treat all beings as individuals and not as members of a species.
The issue of animal experimentation in medicine is one that is often pointed to as being biased by speciesism. Animal rights advocates hold that animal experimentation in medicine is morally objectionable and should be discontinued. They argue that just because animal experimentation may lead to advances in medicine and this might be beneficial to humans,rift gold such benefit is no good reason to put animals in situations that cause them great pain and suffering as is the case with medical experimentation done on them. The claim that beneficial outcomes for humans is the result of such experimentation and therefore justification enough to continue the practice is nothing more than prejudice in favor of humans because they are humans, that is, a form of speciesism, in the eyes of animal liberationists.
Argali
Argali, wild sheep that inhabit the high mountains and plateaus of Central Asia. The six known varieties range in color from buff to brown in summer, turning pale to white in winter. The immense, deeply ridged horns of the rams curl downward and then distinctively spiral outward, often making more than one complete turn.
The largest of the argali,rift gold the Siberian, stands 1.27 m (4.17 ft) high at the shoulder and may weigh up to 180 kg (400 lb). Its massive horns measure as much as 41 cm (16 in) in circumference at the base and reach 1 m (3 ft) in length. The horns of the smaller but equally magnificent Pamirs argali reach the spectacular length of 2.8 m (about 75 in). This long-haired subspecies, found in the Pamirs in Turkistan,rift gold was first described by Marco Polo and is also known as the Marco Polo sheep.
Scientific classification: The argali belongs to the family Bovidae. It is classified as Ovis ammon. The Pamirs argali is classified as Ovis ammon poli.
The largest of the argali,rift gold the Siberian, stands 1.27 m (4.17 ft) high at the shoulder and may weigh up to 180 kg (400 lb). Its massive horns measure as much as 41 cm (16 in) in circumference at the base and reach 1 m (3 ft) in length. The horns of the smaller but equally magnificent Pamirs argali reach the spectacular length of 2.8 m (about 75 in). This long-haired subspecies, found in the Pamirs in Turkistan,rift gold was first described by Marco Polo and is also known as the Marco Polo sheep.
Scientific classification: The argali belongs to the family Bovidae. It is classified as Ovis ammon. The Pamirs argali is classified as Ovis ammon poli.
Ice Age Animals in North America
When the first people came to North America they found a land populated with many animals we wouldn’t recognize today. These weren’t dinosaurs (remember, they died out 65 million years ago) but were animals like mastodons, wooly mammoths, saber-tooth cats,rift gold giant ground sloths, short-faced bear, big-horned bison, the American lion, horses,rift gold, oxen, and camels. Nearly all the large mammals of Ice Age North America became extinct in the space of 1,000 years, perhaps due to massive climate change and the arrival of people. Horses were reintroduced to the New World by the Spanish.
Animal Rights and Billfishing
If animals have inalienable rights,rift gold as some animal rights activists argue, how can hunters and fishermen justify killing them?”
A case in point involves the tag-and-release program adopted by the Billfish Foundation in response to diminished fish numbers and the negative public perception of trophy fishing. Supporters contend that this program allows the thrills associated with the sport without damaging existing fish populations, all the while providing scientific research intended to perpetuate the species. In this program, sport anglers cooperate with researchers who tag the billfish, then release them to collect data.
Animal rights activists contend that billfishing is cruel and unacceptable. The tag-and-release program fails to account for the rights of the individual fish.Activists also assert that tag-and-release fails as a conservation tool because the struggle involved in landing some big game fish results in death or exhaustion to the fish; big-game fishing is the cause of, not the solution to, diminished game fish numbers. They likewise insist that very little “science” has actually emerged from the program. But more important, animal rights activists criticize the morality of subjecting fishes to repeated pain and exhaustion,hooking them,playing them,damaging them to the point of death, then releasing them, all for the pleasure of humans. The activists scoff at the idea of killing animals to save them. They ask, “How can people justify killing, torture, and maiming, all in the name of pleasure?” Indeed,rift gold they attack all forms of fishing as repugnant. Nonetheless, they argue that subjecting an innocent animal to repeated torture through catch-and-release is worse than killing the animal outright. Hence they oppose the Billfish Foundation, and all such organizations, who in their ethical calculus fail to account for the rights of the fish they catch.
A case in point involves the tag-and-release program adopted by the Billfish Foundation in response to diminished fish numbers and the negative public perception of trophy fishing. Supporters contend that this program allows the thrills associated with the sport without damaging existing fish populations, all the while providing scientific research intended to perpetuate the species. In this program, sport anglers cooperate with researchers who tag the billfish, then release them to collect data.
Animal rights activists contend that billfishing is cruel and unacceptable. The tag-and-release program fails to account for the rights of the individual fish.Activists also assert that tag-and-release fails as a conservation tool because the struggle involved in landing some big game fish results in death or exhaustion to the fish; big-game fishing is the cause of, not the solution to, diminished game fish numbers. They likewise insist that very little “science” has actually emerged from the program. But more important, animal rights activists criticize the morality of subjecting fishes to repeated pain and exhaustion,hooking them,playing them,damaging them to the point of death, then releasing them, all for the pleasure of humans. The activists scoff at the idea of killing animals to save them. They ask, “How can people justify killing, torture, and maiming, all in the name of pleasure?” Indeed,rift gold they attack all forms of fishing as repugnant. Nonetheless, they argue that subjecting an innocent animal to repeated torture through catch-and-release is worse than killing the animal outright. Hence they oppose the Billfish Foundation, and all such organizations, who in their ethical calculus fail to account for the rights of the fish they catch.
2011年4月21日星期四
UFC Primetime' Heads to ESPN2
Episode 2 of UFC Primetime: St-Pierre vs. RIFT Platinum Shields aired on ESPN2 on Wednesday night at 11 p.m. ET, prior to its midnight airing on SpikeTV.
UFC president Dana White confirmed with MMA Fighting on Thursday that the final episode will also air on "The Deuce" next Wednesday night at both 11:00 p.m. ET and 11:30 pm ET.
"More eyeballs. We put it everywhere," White responded via text message when asked why Primetime aired on ESPN2.
"I put [Primetime] on ESPN, Ion, Versus, Spike and Fuel for more distribution," rift gold White said when asked if the ESPN airing was the result of a time buy or some other kind of deal.
The UFC currently doesn't have a broadcast deal with "The Worldwide Leader in Sports." RIFT Platinum But with UFC 129 shaping up to be the biggest MMA event in North American history, the organization is clearly doing all that it can to get the word out to as many people as possible.
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields airs live on pay-per-view from Toronto's Rogers Centre on April 30.
Update: According to an ESPN representative, Rift Gold the airings of Primetime episode 2 at 11:00 and 11:30 p.m. on ESPN2 generated a combined .3 cable rating.
UFC president Dana White confirmed with MMA Fighting on Thursday that the final episode will also air on "The Deuce" next Wednesday night at both 11:00 p.m. ET and 11:30 pm ET.
"More eyeballs. We put it everywhere," White responded via text message when asked why Primetime aired on ESPN2.
"I put [Primetime] on ESPN, Ion, Versus, Spike and Fuel for more distribution," rift gold White said when asked if the ESPN airing was the result of a time buy or some other kind of deal.
The UFC currently doesn't have a broadcast deal with "The Worldwide Leader in Sports." RIFT Platinum But with UFC 129 shaping up to be the biggest MMA event in North American history, the organization is clearly doing all that it can to get the word out to as many people as possible.
UFC 129: St-Pierre vs. Shields airs live on pay-per-view from Toronto's Rogers Centre on April 30.
Update: According to an ESPN representative, Rift Gold the airings of Primetime episode 2 at 11:00 and 11:30 p.m. on ESPN2 generated a combined .3 cable rating.
Apr 21, 2011 - At the beginning of the 2011 season, when the White Sox led in their first thirteen games, it would seem unthinkable that they would be facing an eight straight game losing streak just a week later. RIFT Platinum Yet that's where the club finds itself as they go into the last game of a four game set with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Sox will send Gavin Floyd to the mound this evening to play stopper, hoping to turn their skid around and get back to where they were when the season started. Floyd is currently 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA. He faced the Rays in Chicago on April 10th, rift gold where he threw eight scorless innings and struck out eight. Since the White Sox have scored just thirteen runs in their last seven games, he'll have to be nearly as dominant on Thursday evening to succeed.
Taking the mound for the Rays will be Jeff Niemann. Niemann is 0-2 on the year, still looking for his first win, with a 6.28 ERA. He's been on an upward trajectory, however. In his most recent start, RIFT Platinum on April 16th against Minnesota, he recorded his first quality start of the season, giving up only three runs over seven innings.
First pitch for this evening's game will be at 5:40 P.M., CDT, Rift Gold and the game will be televised on CSN
The Sox will send Gavin Floyd to the mound this evening to play stopper, hoping to turn their skid around and get back to where they were when the season started. Floyd is currently 1-1 with a 4.29 ERA. He faced the Rays in Chicago on April 10th, rift gold where he threw eight scorless innings and struck out eight. Since the White Sox have scored just thirteen runs in their last seven games, he'll have to be nearly as dominant on Thursday evening to succeed.
Taking the mound for the Rays will be Jeff Niemann. Niemann is 0-2 on the year, still looking for his first win, with a 6.28 ERA. He's been on an upward trajectory, however. In his most recent start, RIFT Platinum on April 16th against Minnesota, he recorded his first quality start of the season, giving up only three runs over seven innings.
First pitch for this evening's game will be at 5:40 P.M., CDT, Rift Gold and the game will be televised on CSN
2011年4月20日星期三
When Jessie Sholl's parents separated and divorced, she could see both of their houses from her elementary school: her father's freshly painted with a yard full of flowers and her mother's junk filled and crumbling with a rusty car or two parked out front. At 10, she chose to move in with her father and stepmother full-time, but her mother's messiness -- which would balloon into a hoarding problem -- continued to affect her.
Her new book, "Dirty Secret: a Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother's Compulsive Hoarding," starts with her mother being diagnosed with colon cancer and requesting that Sholl, as an adult, put the house in her name. Rift Gold Sholl leaves New York for Minneapolis to help get her mother's affairs in order and embark upon a major cleaning effort, one of five or six she's done over the years.
Her book is a sleeves-rolled-up look at how she came to better understand her mother, her mother's hoarding and how she's dealt with it. While her mother has since beaten her cancer and takes antidepressants, she continues to struggle with hoarding.
AOL Health: How did your mother's house look at its worst?
Jessie Sholl: At its worst, the kitchen was unusable. The stove was broken, and there were dirty pots, dirty plates, pasta strainers and things like that stacked up on each of the four burners, and it was just coated with grime. There were actually little black bugs flying inside the refrigerator, RIFT Platinum Tupperware containers of every shape and size that were bloated from being in there so long, milk that was literally a year past the expiration date. The freezer was one solid chunk of ice with the frozen things kind of buried within it. The kitchen was the worst. We had to get her a new stove and a new refrigerator because they just weren't working.
She has one of those glass porches, so you can see from the street how high up the clutter on the porch is. You could see bicycles, empty picture frames and giant hulking dressers just shoved in there together. Then you'd open the front door to the house and on each side of the hallway there were just stacks of bags of clothes from her favorite store, Savers. Many of the bags weren't even open yet -- she would just buy them and forget about them. There were a lot of winter clothes, boots. rift gold A lot of my mom's stuff is designed for comfort. She would have electric heating pads, back massagers and lots of identical pairs of shoes. She has a thing about these sneakers that are like a cross between a clog and a sneaker, and she had 20 pairs of the exact same kind.
AOL Health: How does your mom feel about being a hoarder? Is it something she acknowledges?
JS: In terms of being a hoarder, she's a lot more self-aware than most. Many hoarders will not admit they have a problem. My mom's true hoarding didn't start until about 14 years ago, and that was when her long-term boyfriend died. That's what happens a lot with hoarding -- it's set off by some kind of trauma. There will be signs beforehand -- a lot of disorganization and very lackadaisical cleaning and things like that -- but then it's actually set off by a trauma.
Even before her hoarding, her house was always really messy, and she would buy just tons of things that she didn't need. So we would go out to lunch instead of, say, RIFT Platinum her having me over for lunch. After the real hoarding began, I would fly in and clean out her house for a week, things like that. The first time I actually said to her, "You know you're a hoarder, right?" she said, "I do, but I'm only a low-level hoarder." I just kind of laughed because it was like, okay, she even knows the lingo.
AOL Health: How do medical professionals classify hoarding?
JS: Compulsive hoarding right now is classified under obsessive-compulsive disorder, but there's a movement to have hoarding become its own discrete syndrome. Because it's not really OCD. Many people who hoard do have OCD, but most don't.
Her new book, "Dirty Secret: a Daughter Comes Clean About Her Mother's Compulsive Hoarding," starts with her mother being diagnosed with colon cancer and requesting that Sholl, as an adult, put the house in her name. Rift Gold Sholl leaves New York for Minneapolis to help get her mother's affairs in order and embark upon a major cleaning effort, one of five or six she's done over the years.
Her book is a sleeves-rolled-up look at how she came to better understand her mother, her mother's hoarding and how she's dealt with it. While her mother has since beaten her cancer and takes antidepressants, she continues to struggle with hoarding.
AOL Health: How did your mother's house look at its worst?
Jessie Sholl: At its worst, the kitchen was unusable. The stove was broken, and there were dirty pots, dirty plates, pasta strainers and things like that stacked up on each of the four burners, and it was just coated with grime. There were actually little black bugs flying inside the refrigerator, RIFT Platinum Tupperware containers of every shape and size that were bloated from being in there so long, milk that was literally a year past the expiration date. The freezer was one solid chunk of ice with the frozen things kind of buried within it. The kitchen was the worst. We had to get her a new stove and a new refrigerator because they just weren't working.
She has one of those glass porches, so you can see from the street how high up the clutter on the porch is. You could see bicycles, empty picture frames and giant hulking dressers just shoved in there together. Then you'd open the front door to the house and on each side of the hallway there were just stacks of bags of clothes from her favorite store, Savers. Many of the bags weren't even open yet -- she would just buy them and forget about them. There were a lot of winter clothes, boots. rift gold A lot of my mom's stuff is designed for comfort. She would have electric heating pads, back massagers and lots of identical pairs of shoes. She has a thing about these sneakers that are like a cross between a clog and a sneaker, and she had 20 pairs of the exact same kind.
AOL Health: How does your mom feel about being a hoarder? Is it something she acknowledges?
JS: In terms of being a hoarder, she's a lot more self-aware than most. Many hoarders will not admit they have a problem. My mom's true hoarding didn't start until about 14 years ago, and that was when her long-term boyfriend died. That's what happens a lot with hoarding -- it's set off by some kind of trauma. There will be signs beforehand -- a lot of disorganization and very lackadaisical cleaning and things like that -- but then it's actually set off by a trauma.
Even before her hoarding, her house was always really messy, and she would buy just tons of things that she didn't need. So we would go out to lunch instead of, say, RIFT Platinum her having me over for lunch. After the real hoarding began, I would fly in and clean out her house for a week, things like that. The first time I actually said to her, "You know you're a hoarder, right?" she said, "I do, but I'm only a low-level hoarder." I just kind of laughed because it was like, okay, she even knows the lingo.
AOL Health: How do medical professionals classify hoarding?
JS: Compulsive hoarding right now is classified under obsessive-compulsive disorder, but there's a movement to have hoarding become its own discrete syndrome. Because it's not really OCD. Many people who hoard do have OCD, but most don't.
A positive outlook may help guard against heart disease and increase the chances of a long life, a new study suggests, bolstering previous findings.
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center followed 2,800 patients who'd been hospitalized with heart disease. Those with the most optimistic attitudes about making a full recovery were more likely to live longer than their pessimistic counterparts, according to lead author John Barefoot.
Specifically, the upbeat heart patients had a 30 percent greater chance of survival after 15 years than the negative ones.
"Our research shows better physical recovery and a higher likelihood of survival is linked to attitude -- personal beliefs about their illness," Barefoot, a professor emeritus at Duke, told USA Today.
The team of scientists asked the cardiac patients being treated for coronary artery disease to fill out a questionnaire while they were in the hospital being diagnosed. The survey asked them how they felt about their recovery and their outlook on resuming their normal way of life.
They were told to "agree" or "disagree" with statements including "I expect my lifestyle will suffer;" "I can still live a long, healthy life;" and "I doubt that I'll ever fully recover," according to Barefoot.
The researchers tracked the patients for about 15 years after their treatment and accounted for a wide range of factors, including age, gender, RIFT Platinum seriousness of condition, depression and income level, the paper said. They still found that optimism was linked with longevity and better health.
Though it isn't known exactly why a positive attitude seems to be correlated with good health, Barefoot theorizes it may be because optimistic people handle illness better, rift gold are less likely to give up hope, are more adept at problem solving, have less of a physiological reaction to stress and exercise more regularly.
"I think those kinds of things need to be investigated in much more detail," he said.
There could be other explanations for the results, however.
Dr. Steven E. Nissen, department chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, RIFT Platinum told ABC News that patients "with a 'positive' attitude may simply be healthier than patients with a negative attitude. In fact, their 'attitude' may reflect their health status."
The optimistic participants may also have been getting higher-quality medical treatment than the pessimistic ones. Rift Gold
"Cardiovascular providers [might] give better care to patients with a positive outlook -- perhaps spending more time with them or being more conscientious," Dr. James Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC.
Researchers from Duke University Medical Center followed 2,800 patients who'd been hospitalized with heart disease. Those with the most optimistic attitudes about making a full recovery were more likely to live longer than their pessimistic counterparts, according to lead author John Barefoot.
Specifically, the upbeat heart patients had a 30 percent greater chance of survival after 15 years than the negative ones.
"Our research shows better physical recovery and a higher likelihood of survival is linked to attitude -- personal beliefs about their illness," Barefoot, a professor emeritus at Duke, told USA Today.
The team of scientists asked the cardiac patients being treated for coronary artery disease to fill out a questionnaire while they were in the hospital being diagnosed. The survey asked them how they felt about their recovery and their outlook on resuming their normal way of life.
They were told to "agree" or "disagree" with statements including "I expect my lifestyle will suffer;" "I can still live a long, healthy life;" and "I doubt that I'll ever fully recover," according to Barefoot.
The researchers tracked the patients for about 15 years after their treatment and accounted for a wide range of factors, including age, gender, RIFT Platinum seriousness of condition, depression and income level, the paper said. They still found that optimism was linked with longevity and better health.
Though it isn't known exactly why a positive attitude seems to be correlated with good health, Barefoot theorizes it may be because optimistic people handle illness better, rift gold are less likely to give up hope, are more adept at problem solving, have less of a physiological reaction to stress and exercise more regularly.
"I think those kinds of things need to be investigated in much more detail," he said.
There could be other explanations for the results, however.
Dr. Steven E. Nissen, department chair of cardiovascular medicine at the Cleveland Clinic, RIFT Platinum told ABC News that patients "with a 'positive' attitude may simply be healthier than patients with a negative attitude. In fact, their 'attitude' may reflect their health status."
The optimistic participants may also have been getting higher-quality medical treatment than the pessimistic ones. Rift Gold
"Cardiovascular providers [might] give better care to patients with a positive outlook -- perhaps spending more time with them or being more conscientious," Dr. James Kirkpatrick, assistant professor of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told ABC.
Human Genome Project
The Human Genome Project (HGP) is a U.S. government project with the goal of mapping the entire genetic structure of humans. The project has raised a host of ethical issues and has complicated existing ethical topics involving genetics. Among these issues are those surrounding both prenatal and adult genetic testing, the proper use of genetic information rift gold and genetic profiling, gene therapy, gene patents, genetic enhancement of individuals, and issues involving the just distribution of genetic resources.
A gene is the fundamental unit of heredity. It is a nucleotide (a sequence of DNA) that contains instructions for making proteins, the basis of cellular structure and metabolism. The genome refers to the DNA contained in each cell, including so-called junk DNA (more than 98% of DNA), which does not code for proteins. The genotype is the entire genetic structure of the organism, which includes all the genes in the organism. The phenotype refers to the physical traits of an organism; these are not only determined by the genotype but also by environmental factors. Genomics is the study of genes, focusing on their role in disease processes. Pharmacogenomics studies the way in which drugs interact within a person’s body based on that individual’s genotype.
History of the Human Genome Project
In 1984, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored what was later labeled the “Alta Summit” in Alta, Utah. Ostensibly, the conference’s goal was to find better means of detecting mutations in atomic bomb survivors, but discussions expanded to encompass genetic research in general. The summit catalyzed further discussion, including the possibility of mapping the human genome. As a result, Charles DeLisi, director of the DOE Health and Environmental Research Programs, formally proposed the Human Genome Project in 1986. After considerable debate and two failed bills in Congress, the HGP was funded as a joint project of the DOE and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and it began in 1990. The goal was to complete the mapping of the human genome by 2005. In 1998, Craig Venter’s company, Celera Genomics, began its own version of the HGP. His goal was to patent genes and gene sequences for eventual profit via selling rights for their use to pharmaceutical firms and other interested companies. His work was more cost-efficient than the federal project, costing only 10% of the official HGP. It is possible that the competition between the two projects speeded the process of sequencing the genome, and on June 26, 2000, U.S. President Clinton and U.K. Prime Minister Blair jointly announced the completion of a rough draft of the human genome. The full project was “completed” in 2003, 2 years ahead of schedule, with Celera and the NIH/DOE group making the announcement on April 14. Work on details and potential applications of the HGP will go on indefinitely.
Potential Benefits of the Human Genome Project
The HGP is thought to have great potential for improving human health. First, the genes associated with debilitating and fatal diseases could be identified. Genes for cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease, a genetic-linked disease in which victims, usually around the age of 40, begin to suffer degeneration of brain tissue and eventual death, have already been discovered. The HGP opens the possibility of discovering genetic links to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers; the BRCA gene, for example, has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in women. Once the genes linked to a disease are identified, research can then focus on methods of gene therapy to cure or mitigate such gene-linked conditions.
A second, more controversial, potential benefit of the HGP is the possibility of improving the human species. If certain genes could be found that are linked to athleticism or high intelligence, then gene therapy could be used to make “designer babies,” with genetic traits correlated to the skill of their parents’ choice. Many geneticists dispute the possibility of such improvements,rift gold arguing that (1) most genetic-linked traits do not involve only a single gene but rather the interaction of multiple genes and (2) the environment plays an indispensable role in the expression of the phenotype.
A gene is the fundamental unit of heredity. It is a nucleotide (a sequence of DNA) that contains instructions for making proteins, the basis of cellular structure and metabolism. The genome refers to the DNA contained in each cell, including so-called junk DNA (more than 98% of DNA), which does not code for proteins. The genotype is the entire genetic structure of the organism, which includes all the genes in the organism. The phenotype refers to the physical traits of an organism; these are not only determined by the genotype but also by environmental factors. Genomics is the study of genes, focusing on their role in disease processes. Pharmacogenomics studies the way in which drugs interact within a person’s body based on that individual’s genotype.
History of the Human Genome Project
In 1984, the Department of Energy (DOE) sponsored what was later labeled the “Alta Summit” in Alta, Utah. Ostensibly, the conference’s goal was to find better means of detecting mutations in atomic bomb survivors, but discussions expanded to encompass genetic research in general. The summit catalyzed further discussion, including the possibility of mapping the human genome. As a result, Charles DeLisi, director of the DOE Health and Environmental Research Programs, formally proposed the Human Genome Project in 1986. After considerable debate and two failed bills in Congress, the HGP was funded as a joint project of the DOE and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and it began in 1990. The goal was to complete the mapping of the human genome by 2005. In 1998, Craig Venter’s company, Celera Genomics, began its own version of the HGP. His goal was to patent genes and gene sequences for eventual profit via selling rights for their use to pharmaceutical firms and other interested companies. His work was more cost-efficient than the federal project, costing only 10% of the official HGP. It is possible that the competition between the two projects speeded the process of sequencing the genome, and on June 26, 2000, U.S. President Clinton and U.K. Prime Minister Blair jointly announced the completion of a rough draft of the human genome. The full project was “completed” in 2003, 2 years ahead of schedule, with Celera and the NIH/DOE group making the announcement on April 14. Work on details and potential applications of the HGP will go on indefinitely.
Potential Benefits of the Human Genome Project
The HGP is thought to have great potential for improving human health. First, the genes associated with debilitating and fatal diseases could be identified. Genes for cystic fibrosis and Huntington’s disease, a genetic-linked disease in which victims, usually around the age of 40, begin to suffer degeneration of brain tissue and eventual death, have already been discovered. The HGP opens the possibility of discovering genetic links to such conditions as Alzheimer’s disease and some cancers; the BRCA gene, for example, has been linked to a higher risk of breast cancer in women. Once the genes linked to a disease are identified, research can then focus on methods of gene therapy to cure or mitigate such gene-linked conditions.
A second, more controversial, potential benefit of the HGP is the possibility of improving the human species. If certain genes could be found that are linked to athleticism or high intelligence, then gene therapy could be used to make “designer babies,” with genetic traits correlated to the skill of their parents’ choice. Many geneticists dispute the possibility of such improvements,rift gold arguing that (1) most genetic-linked traits do not involve only a single gene but rather the interaction of multiple genes and (2) the environment plays an indispensable role in the expression of the phenotype.
Preventive Medicine
I INTRODUCTION
Preventive Medicine, medical specialty that promotes health and prevents illness. In the late 20th century this specialty gained importance as United States public health officials became concerned about the increasing cost of health care. Preventive medicine strategies can focus on the population or on individuals.
II POPULATION-BASED PROGRAMS
Historically, the first preventive strategies were based on the awareness that disease transmission can be stopped by public hygiene measures such as quarantining people who are ill, removing the dead, and providing sewage systems. A major advance was the discovery that immunization can protect people against many infectious diseases.
Preventive medicine is also concerned with chronic disease and has developed such measures as screening programs to identify individuals with high blood pressure rift gold and those who have breast or cervical cancer. Unfortunately, screening for lung cancer has not been as successful.
Governments have attempted to prevent disease by requiring greater purity of air and water and by prohibiting the use of food additives that cause cancer in animals. Federal regulations in the United States also promote safety in the workplace, for example, by requiring the removal of accident hazards and by limiting employees’ exposure to chemicals and radiation (see Occupational and Environmental Diseases).
III INDIVIDUAL ACTION
Researchers in human health problems also uncover actions that people can take individually to improve their health. Primary among these are maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet with a low fat content, getting sufficient sleep and regular exercise, and having periodic medical and dental examinations. Many physicians recommend reducing the intake of cholesterol in the diet to cut down heart disease. Dentists have introduced the application of fluoride to children’s teeth to prevent tooth decay. Public health officials also stress the use of automobile seat belts, especially for children. Physicians and health officials encourage people to stop smoking as the most effective way to combat the increasing occurrence of lung cancer. People are also encouraged to wear sunscreens and avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight in an effort to prevent skin cancers,rift gold although these measures have been found to be ineffective against melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Some scientists advocate the massive use of vitamin C to prevent colds and the use of vitamins A and E to prevent some cancers, but these measures remain controversial (see Vitamin).
Preventive Medicine, medical specialty that promotes health and prevents illness. In the late 20th century this specialty gained importance as United States public health officials became concerned about the increasing cost of health care. Preventive medicine strategies can focus on the population or on individuals.
II POPULATION-BASED PROGRAMS
Historically, the first preventive strategies were based on the awareness that disease transmission can be stopped by public hygiene measures such as quarantining people who are ill, removing the dead, and providing sewage systems. A major advance was the discovery that immunization can protect people against many infectious diseases.
Preventive medicine is also concerned with chronic disease and has developed such measures as screening programs to identify individuals with high blood pressure rift gold and those who have breast or cervical cancer. Unfortunately, screening for lung cancer has not been as successful.
Governments have attempted to prevent disease by requiring greater purity of air and water and by prohibiting the use of food additives that cause cancer in animals. Federal regulations in the United States also promote safety in the workplace, for example, by requiring the removal of accident hazards and by limiting employees’ exposure to chemicals and radiation (see Occupational and Environmental Diseases).
III INDIVIDUAL ACTION
Researchers in human health problems also uncover actions that people can take individually to improve their health. Primary among these are maintaining a nutritious and balanced diet with a low fat content, getting sufficient sleep and regular exercise, and having periodic medical and dental examinations. Many physicians recommend reducing the intake of cholesterol in the diet to cut down heart disease. Dentists have introduced the application of fluoride to children’s teeth to prevent tooth decay. Public health officials also stress the use of automobile seat belts, especially for children. Physicians and health officials encourage people to stop smoking as the most effective way to combat the increasing occurrence of lung cancer. People are also encouraged to wear sunscreens and avoid prolonged exposure to sunlight in an effort to prevent skin cancers,rift gold although these measures have been found to be ineffective against melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer. Some scientists advocate the massive use of vitamin C to prevent colds and the use of vitamins A and E to prevent some cancers, but these measures remain controversial (see Vitamin).
Trypanosome
Trypanosome, any member of a group of protozoa (single-celled animals) that are blood parasites. They are the cause of diseases,rift gold such as African sleeping sickness (see Trypanosomiasis) and Chagas’ disease, in human beings and other animals.
The sleeping sickness trypanosome is transmitted from one human being to another via the tsetse fly, a blood-sucking fly found only in Africa. The trypanosome starts as a parasite in the blood, but in the later stages of the infection can invade the central nervous system, causing an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord that is responsible for the characteristic neurological symptom of sleeping. The trypanosome is never transmitted directly from one person to another. Because of this, the spread of the disease is prevented by destroying the tsetse fly. The introduction of powerful pesticides such as DDT has resulted in the elimination of sleeping sickness from many parts rift gold of Africa.
Scientific classification: The trypanosome that causes African sleeping sickness is classified as Trypanosoma gambiense.
The sleeping sickness trypanosome is transmitted from one human being to another via the tsetse fly, a blood-sucking fly found only in Africa. The trypanosome starts as a parasite in the blood, but in the later stages of the infection can invade the central nervous system, causing an inflammation of the brain and spinal cord that is responsible for the characteristic neurological symptom of sleeping. The trypanosome is never transmitted directly from one person to another. Because of this, the spread of the disease is prevented by destroying the tsetse fly. The introduction of powerful pesticides such as DDT has resulted in the elimination of sleeping sickness from many parts rift gold of Africa.
Scientific classification: The trypanosome that causes African sleeping sickness is classified as Trypanosoma gambiense.
Salt (diet)
Salt (diet) chemical compound,rift gold sodium chloride (NaCl), a vital constituent of the human body. Salt is used to enhance the flavor of foods and to preserve foods. It typically enters the diet from processed foods, or from adding salt to food during preparation, cooking, and at the table. Salt contains no calories, proteins, or carbohydrates, although unrefined salt does contain traces of other minerals. See Salt (compound).
Salt is necessary to human life. The sodium and chloride of salt, along with potassium, are electrolytes, which help the kidneys regulate the body’s fluid levels and the balance of acids and bases.
Nutritionists recommend about 3 to 8 grams of salt a day in an adult diet. The typical American, however, consumes 10 to 20 grams of salt a day. In recent years,rift gold medical researchers have linked the excessive consumption of sodium (which makes up approximately 40 percent of salt) to hypertension (high blood pressure) in humans. Hypertension can lead to death through heart and kidney diseases and stroke.
Salt is necessary to human life. The sodium and chloride of salt, along with potassium, are electrolytes, which help the kidneys regulate the body’s fluid levels and the balance of acids and bases.
Nutritionists recommend about 3 to 8 grams of salt a day in an adult diet. The typical American, however, consumes 10 to 20 grams of salt a day. In recent years,rift gold medical researchers have linked the excessive consumption of sodium (which makes up approximately 40 percent of salt) to hypertension (high blood pressure) in humans. Hypertension can lead to death through heart and kidney diseases and stroke.
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