AstraZeneca hungry to refill medicine cabinet

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/astrazeneca-hungry-refill-medicine-cabinet-153319035--finance.html

kyle williams florida debate rand paul mark kirk drew peterson florida gop debate freddie mac

Korean shamanism finds new life in modern era

INCHEON, SOUTH KOREA (Reuters) - Colorful flags snapped in the sea breeze as more than a dozen Korean shamans, dressed in bright colors, danced and chanted prayers in front of a huge cow's head stuck to a trident.

The ceremony on a ship was designed to exorcise demons that threaten fishermen and bring good luck to everybody on board. The presence of several hundred spectators underlined how the ages-old trance rituals were going strong again, having been shunned as recently as 30 years ago.

"People are trying to understand more, learn more, and see more. They are very interested in this," said Kim Keum-hwa, one of South Korea's most famous shamans, who led the ceremony.

Though an ancient practice, Korean shamanism - in which singing and dancing are used in trance rituals addressed to specific gods, often to get an answer to specific questions - had long been suppressed in Asia's second most Christian nation.

In leaping from poverty to rapid modernization, the county's dictatorship in the 1970s tried to eliminate shamanism, claiming that shamans deluded the world, while some Christian missionaries demonized them and their followers.

But today, visiting a mudang - shaman priest or priestess - is so common that politicians consult them seeking answers to questions such as whether they should relocate their ancestors' remains to ensure good luck in the next election. Shaman characters have also featured in popular television shows.

"Public perception towards shamanism has improved a lot, with popular TV dramas contributing to shifting these views," said Park Heung-ju, an authority on mudang at the Kut Research Institute in Seoul."You can find repose by meeting with mudang."

Much of this is due to the pressures of modern life in South Korea's high-stress society, said Shin Kwang-yeong, a sociology professor at Chung-Ang University in Seoul.

"Nowadays, many Koreans feel strong uncertainties and life seems unstable in many ways, so they want to find something that can give them a sense of security," he said. "The same things have also created a dramatic increase in the number of people who follow religions here in Korea."

EXORCISING SPIRITS

To start the on-board ceremony, the shamans light a bundle of straw and float it on the water with offerings of food to exorcise evil spirits.

Later they go into a trance, speaking directly to spectators to wish them good luck and good health to the accompaniment of lively music from pipes, flutes and drums.

At the end, shamans and spectators mingle as one group, dancing in a circle to the fast-paced music.

"Shunning shamanism is not right. Today's event is meant to be for praying for the sake of families," said Lee Sung-soo, who said he was a Buddhist but danced with the group nonetheless.

In one sign of how mainstream shamanism has become, one mudang shaking bells in front of the laden altar was Hendrikje Lange from Switzerland, who credits shamanism with lifting her out of a debilitating depression.

Lange, 45, encountered shamanism as part of her studies of Korean percussion instruments, but resisted actually taking part in a possession ritual until several accidents and visions convinced her she needed to change her life.

Now, she is one of dozens of shamans initiated by Kim, including a handful of foreigners.

"All I can say is that something is happening with energy. I feel that the longer it keeps going, the stronger the energy is," she said.

Shin, the sociologist, said an additional part of the mudang's appeal was the sense that it was personal.

"People may have faith in other religions, but those religions seem vague and not tailored to them personally," he said. "People go to see shamans because they all believe their stories and situations are unique."

Jung Mi-soon, a participant in the ceremony, said that shamanism spoke to her directly.

"I felt something from my heart. This ritual has everything in there - happiness, sadness, anger and fun," said the 46-year-old housewife who has had more than 10 surgeries which she attributes to spiritual sickness.

"Sometimes tears pour out from my heart. Sometimes it's just fun when everyone is dancing and bowing. And, it's healing."

(Reporting by Ju-min Park; Editing by Elaine Lies and and Bob Tourtellotte)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/korean-shamanism-finds-life-modern-era-042010338.html

marine helicopter crash chicago weather star jones wheres my refund photo of whitney houston in casket carrot top george huguely

Before and After Plastic Surgery - Audio Library Blog for Fitness

Posted June 29th, 2012.

If you?re considering augmenting the size of your breasts with surgery, understand that there are many different ways you can go with this type of surgery. One of the best ways to determine the look that you want, initially, is to look at Before and After Plastic Surgery photos of women who have had Breast Augmentation surgery in the past. While you may be limited to the type of finished product that you have because of the individual shape and size of your breasts, this will give you and the cosmetic surgeon a good idea of what you want.

The next step in the breast enhancement surgery process is to determine what type of surgery and what type of implants you?ll want. While it may be surprising to some people, there are more than one type of surgery to augment the size of the breasts and there?s also more than one type of implant that can be used as well. The difference in the types of surgery and the type of implants may be the feel or the look of the augmented breasts and the different surgeries and implants can also have an impact on the overall cost of the procedure well.

When you visit a cosmetic surgeon for this type of procedure, it?s important that you try to think of every relevant question which you can and ask these questions during the consultation. However, regardless of how prepared you are, you may find that you overlooked an important question.

You can try and reach the physician and ask him or her the question or you can make use of a Breast Implant Forum for a potential answer to that question as well. These forums will usually have past and present cosmetic surgery patients. These forums are also often visited by cosmetic surgeons and cosmetic surgery experts. In these cases, you can usually either find an answer to the question you have or you can simply ask the question and wait for the various responses that you?ll likely get on these forums.

Whether you?re trying to find answers for upcoming breast enlargement surgery or you?re simply looking for more information to decide if it?s right for you, looking at pictures, speaking to plastic surgeons or simply visiting an online forum is an excellent place to start.

Source: http://www.audiolib.org/medical-health-news/before-and-after-plastic-surgery-the-starting-point-of-enlarging-your-breasts/

its a wonderful life rex ryan yule log ham recipes adrian peterson darlene love free kindle books

Heroin forum planned at North Central College

Sun Staff June 28, 2012 6:48PM

Updated: June 28, 2012 11:27PM

Heroin use in Naperville will be in the spotlight during a community forum set for 7 p.m. July 16 at North Central College.

The anti-heroin forum, to be hosted by U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert (R-Hinsdale), will be held in Wentz Concert Hall at the Fine Arts Center, 171 E. Chicago Ave., on the NCC campus.

Local police departments, educators and health experts will provide information for parents and discuss the rise of heroin use among suburban youth.

Heroin use has become a major issue in the city, following the deaths of seven young people in the Naperville area in the past year.

For more information, visit www.northcentralcollege.edu.

Source: http://napervillesun.suntimes.com/13470785-418/heroin-forum-planned-at-north-central-college.html

bulls red dawn california earthquake california earthquake tyson chandler tyson chandler stephen hill

Bargain Hunting for Women's Plus Size Apparel - LiveJournal

From Penguins Lair

(Difference between revisions)

---

If locating womens plus size apparel is tough, then discovering clothing in huge sizes at bargain costs is an even higher challenge. To get the greatest offers on plus size clothes, think about shopping on the internet, at neighborhood stores, and through mail-order catalogs. The following are eight methods for saving income:

- Look for a sale, clearance, or outlet section on the internet site of your preferred retailer. Sometimes, you can save up to 80% off original rates this way. If your retailer is owned by a parent firm, also verify the parent companys site for a clearance or outlet section.

- Comparison shop for related items at various sites. If you program listen to this podcast to wear an item only a few instances or occasionally, perhaps you can buy a equivalent but less expensive item.

- Always use a search engine to look for a coupon code your retailer could have. Several web sites really track these coupon codes along with expiration dates to support shoppers save. When filling out your order form on-line or in a catalog, look for an entry for coupon code or promo code and then enter a coupon code that applies. If ordering on the internet, be positive to verify that you have received the discount for entering the coupon code.

- Go to the internet site of your preferred plus size retailer and sign up to receive e-mail specials. In addition, if the sign-up form delivers a print catalog, request the catalog also. By signing up, you will obtain notifications via e-mails and catalogs of any specials the retailer could be possessing. Note that you should sign up only with retailers that actually interest you or your mailbox might turn out to senuke coupon be crammed with excessive e-mails.

- Acquire clothing out-of-season or pre-season. Several retailers will provide steep discounts on out-of-season items.

- Acquire machine-washable clothes. The expense of obtaining to dry clean an item will make that item costly in the lengthy run. If you are not confident no matter whether an item is machine-washable, be positive to ask the retailer ahead of you acquire.

- Visit nearby stores that carry plus size clothing and browse via their clearance racks. Some local retailers try to quickly rid their racks of excessive inventory to make room for the most current style.

- Obtain items that coordinate nicely with what you already have in your wardrobe in terms of styling and color.

Utilizing the above techniques will help you gsniper save on plus size clothing. Dressing nicely really should not have to be an expensive endeavor for the full-figured woman.

john king obama sings al green heidi klum and seal ohare airport etta james songs east west shrine game haywire

Source: http://yfosu.livejournal.com/114833.html

alabama lsu bcs national championship bcs championship bcs national championship 2012 university of alabama national championship game bcs game

The 'World's Center of Economic Gravity' is Somewhere in the Russian Tundra

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/worlds-center-economic-gravity-somewhere-russian-tundra-213201670--finance.html

google maps 8 bit mirror mirror robyn texas relays meniscus the colony kids choice awards

Veiled Prophet Parade

Every year, St. Louis celebrates Independence Day with Fair Saint Louis and the Veiled Prophet Parade. The VP Parade has been a tradition in the city for more than 130 years. Here's everything you need to know to enjoy this year's parade.

When and Where:

The 2012, VP Parade is Wednesday, July 4, from 10 a.m. to noon, in Downtown St. Louis. The parade begins at Washington and 4th Street, makes its way south on 4th to Market Street, then heads west on Market to Union Station.

You'll want to arrive early to get a good spot along the parade route. The prime spots along Market Street fill up quickly. If you can't make it down for the parade, you can always watch the festivities live on KMOV-TV, Channel 4.

What You'll See:

The VP Parade has all of the things you'd expect to see. There are more than 130 units in the parade, including marching bands, floats, giant balloons, clowns, military honor guards and more. It takes about two hours for all of the participants to make their way down the parade route. The theme for the 2012 parade is Around the World, so many of the floats and other entries will have variations of that theme. Bill Macon is the Grand Marshal of this year's parade, and Brigadier General David F. Irwin of the Missouri National Guard is the Honorary Grand Marshal.

After the Parade:

Of course, the VP Parade is just the beginning of St. Louis' biggest July 4th celebration. After the parade, crowds will make their way to the Gateway Arch for Fair Saint Louis. The three-day event features air shows, free concerts, giant fireworks displays and more. For more information, including the fair schedule and entertainment lineup, see my Guide to Fair Saint Louis 2012.

For even more ways to celebrate Independence Day, check out the 15 Top July 4th Celebrations in the St. Louis Area.

Parking and Transportation:

If you plan to drive, keep in mind that parking for the parade and fair can be quite pricey. Many of the parking lots and covered garages near the parade route charge $20 to $25. Some options for parking are the Stadium East and West garages near Busch Stadium, the S&H surface lots at 4th Street and Cerre, and the parking lots near Laclede's Landing and the Edward Jones Dome.

Metrolink will also be offering increased train service during the parade and fair. Stations near the parade route are 8th and Pine, Busch Stadium, Civic Center and Union Station. A one-way ticket is $2.25 for adults or $1.10 for seniors and children.

madmen james cameron liam hemsworth hunger games miss canada justin bieber boyfriend marianas trench

How stress can boost immune system

ScienceDaily (June 21, 2012) ? A study spearheaded by a Stanford University School of Medicine scientist has tracked the trajectories of key immune cells in response to short-term stress and traced, in great detail, how hormones triggered by such stress enhance immune readiness. The study, conducted in rats, adds weight to evidence that immune responsiveness is heightened, rather than suppressed as many believe, by the so-called "fight-or-flight" response.

The study's findings provide a thorough overview of how a triad of stress hormones affects the main cell subpopulations of the immune system. They also offer the prospect of, someday, being able to manipulate stress-hormone levels to improve patients' recovery from surgery or wounds or their responses to vaccines.

You've heard it a thousand times: Stress is bad for you. And it's certainly true that chronic stress, lasting weeks and months, has deleterious effects including, notably, suppression of the immune response. But short-term stress -- the fight-or-flight response, a mobilization of bodily resources lasting minutes or hours in response to immediate threats -- stimulates immune activity, said lead author Firdaus Dhabhar, PhD, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences and member of the Stanford Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection.

And that's a good thing. The immune system is crucial for wound healing and preventing or fighting infection, and both wounds and infections are common risks during chases, escapes and combat.

Working with colleagues at Stanford and two other universities in a study published online June 22 in Psychoneuroendocrinology, Dhabhar showed that subjecting laboratory rats to mild stress caused a massive mobilization of several key types of immune cells into the bloodstream and then onto destinations including the skin and other tissues. This large-scale migration of immune cells, which took place over a time course of two hours, was comparable to the mustering of troops in a crisis, Dhabhar said. He and colleagues had previously shown that a similar immune-cell redistribution in patients experiencing the short-term stress of surgery predicts enhanced postoperative recovery.

In the new study, the investigators were able to show that the massive redistribution of immune cells throughout the body was orchestrated by three hormones released by the adrenal glands, in different amounts and at different times, in response to the stress-inducing event. These hormones are the brain's call-to-arms to the rest of the body, Dhabhar said.

"Mother Nature gave us the fight-or-flight stress response to help us, not to kill us," said Dhabhar, who has been conducting experiments for well over a decade on the effects of the major stress hormones on the immune system. Last summer, Dhabhar received the International Society for Psychoneuroendocrinology's Curt. P. Richter Award for his work in this area, culminating in the new study.

The findings paint a clearer picture of exactly how the mind influences immune activity. "An impala's immune system has no way of knowing that a lion is lurking in the grass and is about to pounce, but its brain does," Dhabhar said. In such situations, it benefits lion and impala alike when pathogen-fighting immune cells are in positions of readiness in such places as the skin and mucous membranes, which are at high risk for damage and consequent infection.

So it makes perfect evolutionary sense that predator/prey activity and other situations in nature, such as dominance challenges and sexual approaches, trigger stress hormones. "You don't want to keep your immune system on high alert at all times," Dhabhar said. "So nature uses the brain, the organ most capable of detecting an approaching challenge, to signal that detection to the rest of the body by directing the release of stress hormones. Without them, a lion couldn't kill, and an impala couldn't escape." The stress hormones not only energize the animals' bodies -- they can run faster, jump higher, bite harder -- but, it turns out, also mobilize the immune troops to prepare for looming trouble.

The response occurs across the animal kingdom, he added. You see pretty much the same pattern of hormone release in a fish that has been picked up out of the water.

The experiments in this study were performed on rats, which Dhabhar subjected to mild stress by confining them (gently, and with full ventilation) in transparent Plexiglas enclosures to induce stress. He drew blood several times over a two-hour period and, for each time point, measured levels of three major hormones -- norepinephrine, epinephrine and corticosterone (the rat analog of cortisol in humans) -- as well as of several distinct immune-cell types in the blood.

What he saw was a pattern of carefully choreographed changes in blood levels of the three hormones along with the movement of many different subsets of immune cells from reservoirs such as the spleen and bone marrow into the blood and, finally, to various "front line" organs.

To show that specific hormones were responsible for movements of specific cell types, Dhabhar administered the three hormones, separately or in various combinations, to rats whose adrenal glands had been removed so they couldn't generate their own stress hormones. When the researchers mimicked the pattern of stress-hormone release previously observed in the confined rats, the same immune-cell migration patterns emerged in the rats without adrenal glands. Placebo treatment produced no such effect.

The general pattern, Dhabhar said, was that norepinephrine is released early and is primarily involved in mobilizing all major immune-cell types -- monocytes, neutrophils and lymphocytes -- into the blood. Epinephrine, also released early, mobilized monocytes and neutrophils into the blood, while nudging lymphocytes out into "battlefield" destinations such as skin. And corticosterone, released somewhat later, caused virtually all immune cell types to head out of circulation to the "battlefields."

The overall effect of these movements is to bolster immune readiness. A study published by Dhabhar and his colleagues in 2009 in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery assessed patients' recovery from surgery as a function of their immune-cell redistribution patterns during the stress of the operation. Those patients in whom the stress of surgery mobilized immune-cell redistributions similar to those seen in the confined rats in the new study did significantly better afterward than patients whose stress hormones less adequately guided immune cells to appropriate destinations.

The mechanisms Dhabhar has delineated could lead to medical applications, such as administering low doses of stress hormones or drugs that mimic or antagonize them in order to optimize patients' immune readiness for procedures such as surgery or vaccination. "More study will be required including in human subjects, which we hope to conduct, before these applications can be attempted," Dhabhar said. Closer at hand is the monitoring of patients' stress-hormone levels and immune-cell distribution patterns during surgery to assess their surgical prognosis, or during immunization to predict vaccine effectiveness.

The study was funded by the John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Dana Foundation, the DeWitt Wallace Foundation, the Carl & Elizabeth Naumann Fund and the National Institutes of Health. The medical school's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences also supported this work. Dhabhar's co-authors were statistician Eric Neri at Stanford, and neuroendocrinologists at Ohio State University and Rockefeller University.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Stanford University Medical Center. The original article was written by Bruce Goldman.

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

---

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

del rio das racist das racist ginger white conrad murray sentencing conrad murray sentencing urban meyer

Reconciling religious identity and reproductive practices: the Church and contraception in Poland.

Source

University of Central Florida, Department of Anthropology, Orlando, Florida 32816, USA. jmishtal@mail.ucf.edu

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

After the fall of state socialism in Poland in 1989, a Catholic-nationalist government assumed power. The new political power of the Catholic Church resulted in severe restrictions on family planning (FP) services. Yet, Poland's fertility rate declined sharply, suggesting that women are controlling their fertility despite restrictions. This study examined the Church's influence on women's contraceptive decisions, and how women reconcile religious teachings with their contraceptive use.

METHODS:

We conducted a mixed-methods study, including a cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews, in Gda?sk, Poland with sexually active women aged 18-40. The quantitative sample included 418 respondents; the qualitative sample included 49 respondents.

RESULTS:

Despite restrictions on FP services, modern contraceptive use among our sample was 56%, up from 19% in 1991. Catholicism played a relatively small role in respondents' contraceptive decisions; though 94.2% of respondents were Catholic, 79% reported that the Church had little or no influence on reproductive decisions. Women's explanations for how they reconcile their reproductive practices with Catholicism included using elements of religion to support contraceptive use, prioritising responsibility for family and financial considerations over the Church's prohibitions, and challenging the Church's credibility in FP matters.

CONCLUSIONS:

Our findings underscore women's struggles under post-socialist reproductive policies that limit FP access. Despite religious, political, and economic obstacles, contraceptive use has increased dramatically, indicating that FP is a high priority for women in Poland. Policies should respond to women's needs. Comprehensive, state-sponsored FP and sex education are urgently needed and the state should legitimise such services.

obama slow jams the news metta world peace ron artest gladys knight private practice deion sanders dancing with the stars

SECURITY SPEC 2 - Lompoc, CA Jobs - Careers.org

?

Basic Job Info

?

Experience Required

2 to greater than 15 years

?

Degree Required

Graduate Degree

?

Employment Type

Full-Time

?

Relocation Covered

False

Job Description

Job Description:

?

The incumbent will be responsible for a broad array of security & emergency services in support of VAFB ULA Launch Operations. Responsibilities include compliance with government and company policies through performance of compliance assessment reviews, self assessments, administrative inquiries, physical security, sub-contractor interface, and communication security (COMSEC) including launch vehicle COMSEC material inventory, distribution, storage, and destruction.

Protects government and ULA information from unauthorized disclosures through development, implementation and administration of an Operational Security Program. Must have experience with personnel security, JPAS, databases & DoD clearance processing. Demonstrated proficiency in electronic security systems to include Vindicator, C-Cure, and Velocity. Must have working knowledge of NISPOM and VAFB launch base policies/procedures. Will interface with multiple customers and mission partner son a frequent basis.

Job Requirements

External Basic Qualifications:

?

• BS/BA in Industrial Security Management, Project Management, or Organizational Leadership OR 8 years of direct security experience may be used in lieu of degree
• 2 years experience in Industrial Security field
• Experience with NISPOM and associated supplements such as COM SEC
• Basic experience of Vandenberg Air Force Base launch operations
• Requires a Single Scope Background Investigation (SSBI)

?

External Preferred Qualifications:

?

• Thorough experience of the NISPOM and associated supplements such as COM SEC
• Strong experience of Vandenberg Air Force Base launch operations
• Must have excellent written and oral skills.
• Possess working knowledge of computing office applications (e.g. MS word, excel, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Ability to handle multi-tasks and support team oriented environment.
• Strong Organizational skills

?

?

Apply online at:

http://www.ulalaunch.com/site/pages/Careers.shtml

Please search job using Req #36853

?

Company Description:

United Launch Alliance offers challenging work in all facets of the launch vehicle business for interns, recent college graduates and experienced professionals, including engineering, business support and skilled trades and crafts. Use the link to the right to explore the possibilities. Formed in December 2006, ULA brings together two of the launch industry?s most experienced and successful teams ? Atlas and Delta ? to provide reliable, cost-efficient space launch services for the U.S. government. Our Atlas and Delta rockets launch a variety of payloads into space including weather, telecommunications, exploratory and national security satellites that protect and improve life on Earth and further our knowledge of the universe.

?

ULA is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer M/F/D/V.

ULA is a participant in the federal E-Verify Program.

Careers.org gives you access to over a million jobs and career opportunities across the US including in Lompoc. Find your perfect job and apply directly through a simply online application process

music awards 2011 music awards 2011 jill biden jill biden al mvp ama awards 2011 ama awards 2011

One Idea from Rio+20: Investing in Green Infrastructure ? Donald ...

Twenty years ago, world leaders gathered in Rio de Janeiro to grapple with climate change, biological diversity, and other environmental challenges. Today they are back again, but with much less fanfare. If my Twitter feed is any indication, Rio+20 is getting much less attention that the original Earth Summit.

One item that deserves attention is greater emphasis on getting business involved in protecting the environment. For example, two dozen leading businesses?from Alcoa to Xerox?teamed up with The Nature Conservancy on a vision for The New Business Imperative: Valuing Natural Capital (interactive, pdf).

The report lays out the business case that natural resources have real economic value, even if they aren?t traded in markets, and that protecting them can sometimes reduce costs, maintain supplies, soften the blow of future regulation, and build goodwill with customers, communities, and workers. All kind of obvious, at one level, but nonetheless useful to see in print with examples and commitments.

One item that caught my eye is the potential for ?green? infrastructure to replace ?gray?:

Strong, reliable manmade (?gray?) infrastructure undergirds a healthy marketplace, and most companies depend heavily on it to operate effectively and efficiently. Yet increasingly, companies are seeing the enormous potential for ?natural infrastructure? in the form of wetlands and forests, watersheds and coastal habitats to perform many of the same tasks as gray infrastructure ? sometimes better and more cheaply.

For instance, investing in protection of coral reefs and mangroves can provide a stronger barrier to protect coastal operations against flooding and storm surge during extreme weather, while inland flooding can be reduced by strategic investments in catchment forests, vegetation and marshes. Forests are also crucial for maintaining usable freshwater sources, as well as for naturally regulating water flow.

Putting funds into maintaining a wetland near a processing or manufacturing plant can be a more cost- effective way of meeting regulatory requirements than building a wastewater treatment facility, as evidenced by the Dow Chemical Seadrift, Texas facility, where a 110-acre constructed wetland provides tertiary wastewater treatment of five million gallons a day. While the cost of a traditional ?gray?treatment installation averages >$40 million, Dow?s up-front costs were just $1.4 million.

For companies reliant on agricultural systems, improved land management of forests and ecosystems along field edges and streams, along with the introduction of more diversified and resilient sustainable agriculture systems, can minimize dependency on external inputs like artificial fertilizers, pesticides and blue irrigation water.

To encourage such investments, where they make sense, lawmakers and regulators need to focus on performance?is the wastewater getting clean??rather than the use of specific technologies or construction.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

weather st louis faceoff kings island red hot chili peppers tour orange juice photos doomsday clock

Become a Knight of the Round Dinner Table With this Chain Mail Apron [Past Perfect]

Destructive dragons and damsels requiring rescue are a rare sight in modern society, but it's always good to be prepared. This vintage chain mail butcher's apron may not have been forged in the fires of Mordor but it'll do in a pinch. More »

badgers nbc sports network mendenhall demarcus cousins savannah brinson mount rainier ohio state football

Cameron and Argentinian leader clash over Falklands

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

joe paterno lung cancer joe paterno lung cancer john tucker must die uk basketball iowa state faroe islands faroe islands

Recall news

[ [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 2]], 'http://yhoo.it/KeQd0p', '[Slideshow: See photos taken on the way down]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['Connery is an experienced stuntman', 7]], ' http://yhoo.it/KpUoHO', '[Slideshow: Death-defying daredevils]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['know that we have confidence in', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/LqYjAX ', '[Related: The Secret Service guide to Cartagena]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['We picked up this other dog and', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JUSxvi', '[Related: 8 common dog fears, how to calm them]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 5]], 'http://bit.ly/JnoJYN', '[Related: Did WH share raid details with filmmakers?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['accused of running a fake hepatitis B', 3]], 'http://bit.ly/KoKiqJ', '[Factbox: AQAP, al-Qaeda in Yemen]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have my contacts on or glasses', 3]], 'http://abcn.ws/KTE5AZ', '[Related: Should the murder charge be dropped?]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 5]], 'http://yhoo.it/JD7nlD', '[Related: Bristol Palin reality show debuts June 19]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['have made this nation great as Sarah Palin', 1]], 'http://bit.ly/JRPFRO', '[Related: McCain adviser who vetted Palin weighs in on VP race]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['A JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas', 3]], 'http://yhoo.it/GV9zpj', '[Related: View photos of the JetBlue plane in Amarillo]', ' ', '630', ' ', ' ', ], [ [['the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 15]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/white-house-stays-out-of-teen-s-killing-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120411/martinzimmermen.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['He was in shock and still strapped to his seat', 6]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/navy-jet-crashes-in-virginia-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/cv/ip/ap/default/120406/jet_ap.jpg', '630', ' ', 'AP', ], [ [['xxxxxxxxxxxx', 11]], 'http://news.yahoo.com/photos/russian-grannies-win-bid-to-sing-at-eurovision-1331223625-slideshow/', 'Click image to see more photos', 'http://l.yimg.com/a/p/us/news/editorial/1/56/156d92f2760dcd3e75bcd649a8b85fcf.jpeg', '500', ' ', 'AP', ] ]

[ [ [['did not go as far his colleague', 8]], '29438204', '0' ], [ [[' the 28-year-old neighborhood watchman who shot and killed', 4]], '28924649', '0' ], [ [['because I know God protects me', 14], ['Brian Snow was at a nearby credit union', 5]], '28811216', '0' ], [ [['The state news agency RIA-Novosti quoted Rosaviatsiya', 6]], '28805461', '0' ], [ [['measure all but certain to fail in the face of bipartisan', 4]], '28771014', '0' ], [ [['matter what you do in this case', 5]], '28759848', '0' ], [ [['presume laws are constitutional', 7]], '28747556', '0' ], [ [['has destroyed 15 to 25 houses', 7]], '28744868', '0' ], [ [['short answer is yes', 7]], '28746030', '0' ], [ [['opportunity to tell the real story', 7]], '28731764', '0' ], [ [['entirely respectable way to put off the searing constitutional controversy', 7]], '28723797', '0' ], [ [['point of my campaign is that big ideas matter', 9]], '28712293', '0' ], [ [['As the standoff dragged into a second day', 7]], '28687424', '0' ], [ [['French police stepped up the search', 17]], '28667224', '0' ], [ [['Seeking to elevate his candidacy back to a general', 8]], '28660934', '0' ], [ [['The tragic story of Trayvon Martin', 4]], '28647343', '0' ], [ [['Karzai will get a chance soon to express', 8]], '28630306', '0' ], [ [['powerful storms stretching', 8]], '28493546', '0' ], [ [['basic norm that death is private', 6]], '28413590', '0' ], [ [['songwriter also saw a surge in sales for her debut album', 6]], '28413590', '1', 'Watch music videos from Whitney Houston ', 'on Yahoo! Music', 'http://music.yahoo.com' ], [ [['keyword', 99999999999999999999999]], 'videoID', '1', 'overwrite-pre-description', 'overwrite-link-string', 'overwrite-link-url' ] ]

marion barber marion barber syracuse ohio state girl with the dragon tattoo ohio state basketball collateral

White House invokes executive privilege to stop Issa witch hunt (Americablog)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

super bowl matthew broderick tax refund calculator huntington disease west memphis three shaun white taxes

Britney Spears Has Tearful Reunion With Former Duet Partner On 'X Factor'

Britney sang 'I Will Still Love You' with Don Philip on her debut album.
By Gil Kaufman

<P>Months before the revamped <a href="/news/articles/1687014/britney-spears-demi-lovato-x-factor-auditions.jhtml">"X Factor"</a>&#8232; hits the air, we've already come to expect some serious drama from new judge <a href="http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/spears_britney/artist.jhtml">Britney Spears</a>. But in one of those only-in-reality-TV moments, Spears shed some genuine tears on Sunday during audition rounds in San Francisco when she was confronted with a voice and face from her distant past.</P><P><a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20604974,00.html" target="_blank"><I>People</I></a> magazine reported that Spears got emotional when a male contestant hit the stage at Oracle Arena, telling fellow panelists Simon Cowell, L.A. Reid and fellow newbie Demi Lovato, "I know him ... We did a duet together 10 years ago." A source told the magazine that when the man stepped on the stage, "You could see that Britney recognized him straight away ... She got this huge smile on her face and her eyes lit up. It was so sweet."</P><P></p><div class="player-placeholder right" title="Britney Spears Explains Why She Wanted To Be A Part Of 'X Factor'" id="vid:769620" width="415" height="255"></div><p></P><P>While <I>People</I> did not reveal the man's identity, Spears superfan Jordan Miller of fan site <a href="http://www.breatheheavy.com/2012/06/don-philip-drama-at-the-x-factor/" target="_blank">Breathe Heavy</a> confirmed that the auditioner was none other than Don Philip. The one-time aspiring new pop revolution singer performed a duet with Britney on the treacly ballad "I Will Still Love You," from her 1999 debut album, <I>...Baby One More Time</I>.</P><P>A spokesperson for the show declined to comment on the singer's identity when asked for comment.</P><P>The blast from her past got more emotional when Phillip revealed to the judges and audience, "I'm gay." He continued, "At the time I didn't think I was worth ... I didn't think you thought it was okay that I am gay." Spears was reportedly quick to voice her support for Phillip, saying, "I think it is fine you are gay."</P><P>The unnamed source told <I>People</I> that when Phillip started crying and said, "he thought he'd never see her again and that he'd had a lot to deal with, Britney was comforting him to calm him." Though she was compassionate and warm with Phillip, the source said that the singer was clearly a bit shaken by the unexpected run-in.</P><P>"She's been through a lot in those 10 years, too, so it must have been a shock for her to see him," the source said. "You could tell she was emotional and she really felt for him especially when he was crying, but she also stayed calm." Even with the drama, Spears reportedly gave a very straightforward critique, though it is unknown if Phillip made the cut.</P><P>Philip, a Miami, Florida, native who tried to ride the same late 90's teen pop wave that made superstars out of Spears, Christina Aguilera, 'NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys, has spent the time since the duet grinding away at a music career that never reached the heights of his former singing partner. The one-time Jive Records star-in-the-making has sung back-up for Gloria Estefan and toured with Spears early in her career, and like "The Voice" singer <a href="/news/articles/1684782/the-voice-christina-aguilera-tony-lucca.jhtml">Tony Lucca</a>&#8232; and Aguilera, maybe he was hoping that a reunion with his former pop pal would provide the boost he's been looking for.</P><P>Apparently, though, the "Factor" audition didn't go as Philip planned. According to a series of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/donphilip" target="_blank">Facebook</a> posts, Don was disappointed with how things went and wrote, "Tonight i might have sealed my music career fate according to a certain music mogul. I tryed to just be real and instead it totally got turned around on me," he said. "Perhaps this was not the place for me to reveal my very soul and obstacles of my past. Certainly not the place for a reunion ... I promise I only had good intentions in mind."</P><P>He said his voice "froze" when he began to sing and was never able to recover from what he felt was a "really hardcore interrogation" from what he anonymously described as "two pompous arrogant men."</P><P>He continued, "I guess I am not as tough skinned as I thought ... Wait it gets worse ... when I looked into the very eyes of my old label mate and saw she too was sad. I knew the whole situation was spinning out of control.. my heart broke."</P><P>On Monday, Philip posted another note, wondering if Cowell might give him another shot, explaining that he was "so exhausted and could not sleep [the] night before," because he was so scared to face Spears. He also referred to the "heavy burden" he was carrying, seemingly referring to his coming out, and following four hours of interviews he said his voice was just spent.</P><P><a href="http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1617615"><img src="http://www.mtv.com/news/photos/s/spotted/banner/spotted.jpg"></a></p>

Related Artists

• Britney Spears

i have a dream speech fox news debate martin luther king jr mlk mlk school closures being human

bcinterruption: Boston College Daily Links: Ranking The Non-Conference Football Schedule http://t.co/KSxku6dz

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

santorum wins iowa archer ibooks 2 ifl indoor football league newt gingrich wife callista

Should Roger Clemens Go Into Baseball's Hall Of Fame?

Enlarge Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Roger Clemens in 1991, when he pitched for the Boston Red Sox.

Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images

Roger Clemens in 1991, when he pitched for the Boston Red Sox.

Now that Roger Clemens has been found not guilty of lying to Congress and obstructing its investigation into the use of performance-enhancing drugs by Major League Baseball players, the debate resumes about whether one of baseball's greatest pitchers should or shouldn't get into the sport's hall of fame.

USA Today talked with some of the baseball writers who vote on hall of fame nominees. The Boston Globe's Nick Cafardo says he was going to vote "for" Clemens before Monday's news about the verdict, and nothing's happened to change his mind. But Yahoo baseball columnist Tim Brown says "the facts of the case certainly led me to the opinion that Roger Clemens did in fact use performance-enhancing drugs. I won't vote for anyone that I believe enhanced his career by cheating. I won't vote for Clemens."

Clemens career stats are obviously impressive:

? 354 wins, the ninth-most.

? A record seven Cy Young awards, which honor baseball's best pitchers.

? 11 All-Star appearances.

It was also alleged, however, in the 2007 Mitchell Report, that as a New York Yankee, Clemens used steroids and human growth hormone. He has consistently denied ever using such performance-enhancing drugs. Washington Post columnist Mike Wise writes that "in many of our minds ... Roger Clemens is guilty ? guilty enough to never be enshrined in Cooperstown."

Next winter, as New York's Daily News says, Clemens' name will be on hall of fame ballots for the first time (he retired after the 2007 season) and the baseball writers who vote face a "very difficult decision." A player has to receive votes "on at least 75 percent of ballots cast" to get in the hall. If he isn't elected the first year he's eligible (you have to have been retired at least five years), there's always the chance to be elected in a subsequent year.

Which raises this question ? one that can also be asked about several other baseball superstars from recent years who have been linked to performance-enhancing drugs:

(Note: That's just a question, not a scientific survey of public opinion.)

karina smirnoff pumpkin cheesecake deviled eggs pie crust pie crust stuffing recipe happy thanksgiving

3 US soldiers, 18 Afghans killed in suicide attack

Seven suspected Taliban insurgents are shown to the media in Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Afghan intelligence security forces arrested seven suspected Taliban insurgents on Tuesday with their explosive materials during an operation.(AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

Seven suspected Taliban insurgents are shown to the media in Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Afghan intelligence security forces arrested seven suspected Taliban insurgents on Tuesday with their explosive materials during an operation.(AP Photo/Hoshang Hashimi)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A suicide bomber attacked U.S. and Afghan forces at a checkpoint Wednesday in eastern Afghanistan, killing 21 people, including three U.S. soldiers, U.S. and Afghan officials said.

It was the third day in a row the Americans were targeted by insurgents as persistent violence complicates efforts to train Afghans to take over their own security in preparation for the withdrawal of most combat troops at the end of 2014.

Afghan officials initially said a car bomber struck a military convoy, but NATO spokesman Maj. Martyn Crighton, said the attacker hit Afghan and coalition forces at a checkpoint in the city of Khost.

"There was a convoy in the vicinity that responded to the attack," Crighton said.

Baryalai Wakman, a spokesman for the Khost provincial government, said it appeared likely the suicide bomber was on foot.

U.S. Defense Department officials confirmed those killed were Americans and said a suicide vest is suspected to have been used. They spoke on condition of anonymity because details of the incident were sketchy and the officials weren't authorized to talk about it publicly.

The Afghan presidential palace said 17 Afghans also were killed when they were caught up in the massive blast. Two of the Afghan dead were police officers and the rest civilians, Wakman said. Another 32 people were wounded ? all civilians, he said.

In nearby Logar province, meanwhile, seven civilians ? three women and four children ? were killed by a roadside bomb, officials said.

A tractor pulling a wagon crammed with people struck the explosives on a road outside the provincial capital earlier Wednesday, said provincial spokesman Din Mohammad Darwesh. Four men also were wounded in the blast, he said.

The bombings came the day after two attacks in the south in which militants stormed a NATO military base and attacked a police checkpoint. U.S. troops were wounded in the attack on the NATO base, officials said. On Monday, three gunmen dressed in Afghan police uniforms killed one American service member and wounded nine others in Kandahar's Zhari district.

Fighting usually picks up in Afghanistan during the warm summer months, when it becomes easier for insurgents to travel into and around the mountainous country. This summer is particularly important for the international effort in Afghanistan as it is the last fighting season before a significant U.S. military drawdown.

The commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, Marine Gen. John Allen, has to withdraw 23,000 American troops by the end of September, leaving about 68,000 U.S. military personnel in the country. Once the 23,000 U.S. troops depart, Allen is expected to review how the fighting season is going and then will begin to put together an analysis for Obama on how troop withdrawals will proceed next year.

In Khost, 11 bodies were brought to the main hospital, said hospital director Majid Mangal. He said those included one police officer and one 15-year-old child. Another six bodies were brought to the private Badari Clinic in Khost, said Mohammad Ayub Jan, a doctor at the clinic.

Last year was the deadliest on record for civilians in the Afghan war, with 3,021 killed as insurgents stepped up suicide attacks and roadside bombs, according to the United Nations. The number of Afghan civilians killed dropped 36 percent in the first four months of this year compared with last year, though U.N. officials have said that a likely cause of the drop in violence was the particularly harsh winter.

____

Associated Press writer Pauline Jelinek contributed to this report from Washington.

Associated Press

masters live johan santana viktor bout ncaa hockey role models ferdinand porsche gregg williams

iRobot Roomba 790 Sports a New Look and Wireless Remote

The Roomba is getting an upgrade from the 780 to the 790, and with those extra ten points comes at least one pretty nice new feature ? a wireless command center you can use to boss around your new robot servant from anywhere in the home.

The faceplate is also getting a new look ? a deep blue paint job ? but the big upgrade is that wireless command center. You can use it to issue commands from anywhere in the home, including steering. You can send the Roomba back to its dock or initiate a cleaning with one button press, or set the clock on the Roomba and schedule a cleaning for later. Using the steering function, you can guide the Roomba to an especially dirty spot, then activate a spot cleaning.

The Roomba 790 is also heavy on accessories. Included with the 790 are two virtual wall lighthouses to set up virtual boundaries for your Roomba. You?ll also get side brushes, beater brushes, and a bristle brush, along with brush cleaning tools. Two sets of two HEPA filters should keep things running cleanly around the house. All that is on top of the docking station and the new wireless command center also included.

The new iRobot Roomba 790 can start cruising around your house very soon ? ?it goes on sale today from iRobot.com for about $700.

drew brees tim tebow jets katy perry part of me video photoshop cs6 beta nfl news tebow tebow jets