Actavis settles Medicaid fraud case for $84 million (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? Actavis Group has reached an $84 million settlement with Texas to resolve civil claims that it defrauded the state's Medicaid program by artificially inflating prices for its generic drugs.

The sum is just under half the $170.3 million that a Travis County state jury had ordered Actavis, a privately-held Icelandic company, to pay the state in February. Actavis had appealed that verdict, which followed a three-week trial.

In announcing the accord with U.S. units Actavis Elizabeth LLC and Actavis Mid-Atlantic LLC, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said Actavis' inaccurate price reporting caused the Medicaid program to overpay pharmacies for prescription drugs.

The company did not admit liability in agreeing to settle, and both Actavis and Texas agreed to settle to avoid further litigation, according to the settlement agreement.

Doug Boothe, chief executive of Actavis Inc, the direct parent of Actavis Elizabeth and Actavis Mid-Atlantic, called the settlement a "favorable outcome" that allows Texas' Medicaid patients to continue using its drugs.

"Actavis will continue to report our product pricing in an manner consistent with all applicable laws as well as the terms of this agreement," Boothe said in a statement.

Abbott said the case arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed more than a decade ago. He said his office has recovered nearly $450 million in drug pricing lawsuits.

Actavis has offices in Reykjavik and in Zug, Switzerland. It also has U.S. operations in Morristown, New Jersey.

The company was taken private for $3 billion in 2007 by Novator Partners, an investment vehicle of Actavis' chairman, the Icelandic businessman Bjorgolfur Thor Bjorgolfsson.

The case is Texas ex rel. Ven-A-Care of the Florida Keys Inc v. Alpharma USPD et al, District Court of Travis County, Texas, No. D-1-GV-08-001566.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/health/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111228/hl_nm/us_actavis

death clock death clock cerebral palsy lenny dykstra top chef texas stanley tucci stanley tucci

British Prime Minister to Run England With Personalized iPad App http://bit.ly/...

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

Source: http://www.facebook.com/NBCBayArea/posts/10150435310886990

terry jones andy reid elf on the shelf elf on the shelf barney frank barney frank 2012 grammy nominations

China official says Wukan protest shows rights demands on rise (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? The senior Chinese official who helped defuse a standoff with protesting villagers has told officials to get used to citizens who are increasingly assertive about their rights and likened erring local governments to red apples with rotten cores.

Zhu Mingguo, a deputy Communist Party secretary of southern Guangdong province, last week helped broker a compromise between the government and residents of Wukan village. Ten days of protests over confiscated farmland and the death of a protest organizer drew widespread attention as a rebuff to the stability-before-all government.

Speaking to officials about Wukan and other protests, Zhu said these were not isolated flare-ups, the Guangzhou Daily, the official paper of the provincial capital, reported on Tuesday.

"In terms of society, the public's awareness of democracy, equality and rights is constantly strengthening, and their corresponding demands are growing," Zhu told a meeting on Monday about preserving social stability, the paper said.

"Public consciousness of rights defense is growing, and the means used to defend rights are increasingly intense," said Zhu. "Their channels for voicing grievances are diverse, and there is a tendency for conflicts to become more intense."

Zhu also cited protests by migrant factory workers who complained about ill-treatment. These areas where unrest erupted had won praise as "advanced units" - showcases of growth and harmony, noted Zhu.

Not so, he said.

"In these areas there were many problems that were not swiftly identified, and when they erupted, the consequences were even more serious," said Zhu, referring to the response by local officials.

"Like apples, their hearts were rotten even if their skins were red, and when the skins broke, there was a real mess."

FENDING OFF RISKS OF UNREST

Red is the color of the ruling Communist Party, and Zhu's comments reflected debate within it about warding off risks of unrest from an increasingly unequal and diverse society.

In recent days, Chinese courts have jailed two dissidents for nine and 10 years respectively, underscoring the government's determination to silence critics whom it fears will channel discontent into organized opposition to one-party rule.

That concern is magnified by preparations for a party congress in late 2012, when the central leadership will retire and make way for a new generation.

Zhu put much of the blame for the recent unrest on local administrators. In Wukan, he said, officials had sold off more than two thirds of the village land, without providing for residents' welfare.

"Now, where are the state cadres who remember that farmers don't have land for their food?" Zhu told the meeting. "When do they think of the hardships of ordinary people."

"If these complaints had been dealt with sooner, would they have ever caused such a big ruckus?"

The protests in Wukan ended after officials made concessions over the seized farmland and the death of a village leader, Xue Jinbo, whose family suspects he was beaten in custody.

Villagers denounced local officials as corrupt and heartless throughout their months-long dispute, which erupted in rioting in September. But they ended up welcoming province officials led by Zhu as brokers who finally stepped in to forge compromise.

The officials agreed to release three men held over the land protest in September, when a government office was trashed, and to re-examine the cause of Xue's death, protest organizers said.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111227/wl_nm/us_china_unrest

matt leinart cyber monday 2011 cyber monday 2011 turkey pot pie turkey pot pie southern university regenesis

Morning Ting: Gabrielle Union

By Anthony December 27, 2011 Filed in Hotness

Gabrielle Union displays her sexiness on the beach where she appeared to be auditioning for that mother figure role with Dwayne Wade`s kids.

Juicy Tings loves to showcase the bodies of healthy looking, beautiful females of all walks, if you think that you got the bod, send your best photo to info@juicytings.com and you may just be added as one of our Juicy Ting of the day or our Morning Ting.

Source: http://juicytings.com/hotness/morning-ting-gabrielle-union/

elf on the shelf elf on the shelf barney frank barney frank 2012 grammy nominations stephen sondheim los angeles news

Ex-mayor aims to transform bus shelters into canvasses for local artists

',
container = $('#drop-panel-container'),
contents = $(container).html();

if (isIE8) {

$(container).replaceWith(f+contents+b)

}



}

function dropPanelSetUp(data) {
/* buttons should be a dataobject of strings representing IDs
the hide and show functions are expecting IDs so passing a class will result in a
failure.

click as the action is assumed for now

the data object should look like this:

{ masterlistener:(string[dom id]),
panel:(string[dom id]),
eventgroup1:{ button:(string[dom id]),
content:(string[dom id]),
offset:{x:(int),y:(int)},
on_state_class: ''(string)
},
eventgroup2:{ button:(string[dom id]),
content:(string[dom id]),
offset:{x:(int),y:(int)},
on_state_class: ''(string)
} ... etc
}

The drop panel nodes should be placed so they share the same offset parent as the buttons that activate it.

NOTE: IE8 Got-chya: the ID for the panel is hard coded into the IE8 rouned corners code.
If you have changed the ID for the drop panel and are having trouble with IE8
change the ID in the template string in this function: ie8DropPanel()

*/



var speed = 300,
panel = $('#'+data.panel),
buttons = [];



for (var i=1,eg; eg=data[('eventgroup'+i)]; i++) {

var bp = $('#'+eg.button).position(), //button position
ph = $('#'+eg.button).height(), //button height
panelPos = [bp.top+ph, bp.left, eg.offset];
on_state_class = eg.on_state_class;

buttons.push([$('#'+eg.button),$('#'+eg.content),panelPos,eg.button,on_state_class]);

}



$('#'+data.masterlistener).bind('click',{speed:speed,panel:panel,buttons:buttons},function(event){

var org = event.target,
speed = event.data.speed,
panel = event.data.panel,
buttons = event.data.buttons,
panel_open = isPanelOpen(panel);




for (var i=buttons.length-1, b; b=buttons[i]; i--) {
/*
* b[0] = button DOM object
* b[1] = content DOM object
* b[2] = the display co-ord object:
* [0] = top (int)
* [1] = left (int)
* [2] = offset object
* {x,y}(int,int)
* b[3] = button ID (string)
* b[4] = button 'on' class
*/

var button_id = b[3],
same_content = isSameContent(panel,b[1]);

if ( $(org).attr('id') === button_id || $(org).parents('#'+button_id).attr('id')){

if(!same_content) {

hideAllContent(buttons);
movePanel(panel,b[2]);

if (panel_open) {

showContent(b[1],b[0],b[4]);

} else {

showContent(b[1],b[0],b[4]);
showPanel(panel,speed);

}

} else {

hidePanel(panel,speed,b[4]);

}

}

}

function isPanelOpen(panel) {


return ($(panel).css('display').toLowerCase() === 'block');
}

function isSameContent (panel,content) {

return ($(content, panel).css('display').toLowerCase() === 'block');

}

function movePanel(panel,b) {
// b[0] top, b[1] left, b[2] {x,y}

$(panel).css({
'top': (b[0] + b[2].x)
});
$(panel).css({
'left': (b[1] + b[2].y)
});

}

function showPanel(panel,speed) {

$(panel).slideDown(speed);
}

function hidePanel(panel,speed) {

$(panel).slideUp(speed, function() {hideAllContent(buttons);});


}

function showContent(content, button, btn_class) {
$(content).show();
$(button).addClass(btn_class);
}

function hideContent(content) {

$(content).hide();

}

function hideAllContent(buttons) {

for (var i = buttons.length-1, b; b=buttons[i]; i--) {
$(b[1]).hide();
$(b[0]).removeClass(b[4]);
}

}


})


}


return {

ieRoundedCorners:ieRoundedCorners,
ie8DropPanel:ie8DropPanel,
dropPanelSetUp:dropPanelSetUp
}



})();



var headerNavication = (function($,cw) {

var nav_item_list = $('.cw-header .main-nav ul.main > li'),
channel_id_list = '',
channel,
sub_channel;

var findChannel = function () {

var winloc = isIE ? document.URL.split('/') : document.documentURI.split('/') ,
channel_id = winloc[3],
sub_chanel_id = winloc.length > 5 ? '/'+winloc[4]+'/' : '',
reg_sub_find_id = new RegExp(sub_chanel_id,'ig'),
reg_removed_id = /^nav-/i;


for (var i=nav_item_list.length-1,n; n=nav_item_list[i]; i--) {

if ( channel_id === $(n).children('a').attr('id').replace(reg_removed_id,'') ) {
var list = $(n).children('ul').children('li');

if (sub_chanel_id.length > 0) {

for (var j=list.length-1,l; l=list[j]; j--) {

if (reg_sub_find_id.test($(l).children('a').attr('href'))) {
break;
} else {
l = false;
}

}

}

break;

}

}

findChannel = function () {
return [n,l];
}

return [n,l];

}

var init = (function() {
channel = findChannel()[0] || nav_item_list[0];
sub_channel = findChannel()[1];

if (sub_channel) {
highlightSubChannel();
}

clearNav();

if(isIE) {

cw.ieRoundedCorners();

if(isIE8) {
cw.ie8DropPanel();
}
}

if ($('#handle-header').attr('id')) {
cw.dropPanelSetUp({
masterlistener: 'handle-header',
panel: ('drop-panel-container'),
eventgroup1: {
button: 'btn-newspapers',
content: 'panel-newspapers',
offset: {
x: 5,
y: 0
},
on_state_class: 'newspapers-dropdown-on'
},
eventgroup2: {
button: 'btn-networks',
content: 'panel-networks',
offset: {
x: 5,
y: 0
},
on_state_class: 'networks-dropdown-on'
}
});
}

//need to check state of search radio buttons since firefox doesn't reset to the default checked radio button
if($('.cw-header #radio-btn-yp:checked').attr('id') != null){
$('.cw-header #header-search-form').attr('action','http://canadacom.yellowpages.ca/search/');
$('.cw-header #header-search-string').attr('name','what');
$('.cw-header #radio-btn-yp').siblings('label').removeClass('selected');
$('.cw-header #radio-btn-yp').next().addClass('selected');
}

eventSetUp();

}())


function highlightSubChannel() {

if((document.location+"").indexOf("/sports/football/cfl/") > -1) $(".mainnav-item .cfl").addClass('sub-nav-highlight');
else if((document.location+"").indexOf("/sports/football/grey-cup-2011/") > -1) $(".mainnav-item .cfl").addClass('sub-nav-highlight');
else if((document.location+"").indexOf("/sports/football/nfl/") > -1) $(".mainnav-item .nfl").addClass('sub-nav-highlight');
else $(sub_channel).addClass('sub-nav-highlight');
}

function clearNav() {

clearTabs();
$(channel).children('ul').show();
$(channel).css('background-position', 'bottom right');

}

function eventSetUp() {


$('.cw-header .main-nav ').bind('mouseleave', function(event){

if (isIE) {

if ($(event.relatedTarget).parents('.main-nav').length 0)?"" + value.substring(0,pos) + "" + value.substring(pos, term.length) + "" + value.substring(pos + term.length) + "":value.substring(0, term.length) + "" + value.substring(pos + term.length) + ""; }, scroll: false, selectFirst: false }); });

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F262/~3/uTzCVxaauPM/story.html

how to make it in america how to make it in america schweddy balls schweddy balls hedy lamarr bill conlin kendall jenner

Kuwait becomes China's top LPG supplier, up 64.4 pct

Safety warning Source : Gulf Daily News?? Date : 2011-12-26 A warning has gone out to construction companies to stop flouting safety laws and risking the lives of labourers.... Al Saada complex initial expansion design ready Source : Oman Daily Observer?? Date : 2011-12-26 WS Atkins International and Partners completed the initial designs to double the capacity at the Al Saada Sports Complex. According to a statement issued by Mohammed al Manwari, Director-General of... Efforts to save power assets Source : Oman Daily Observer?? Date : 2011-12-26 Following on from the recently held Royal Oman Police (ROP) workshop on the ?Business of Selling Scrap?, which seeks to eradicate all cases of vandalism and theft at electricity substations... RAK power connections give buyers nasty shock Source : The National?? Date : 2011-12-26 Buyers in the latest phase of Al Hamra Village development in Ras Al Khaimah are facing thousands of dirhams in unexpected fees for electricity connections as the emirate struggles to... Assets show improvement for Citadel Capital Source : The National?? Date : 2011-12-26 Assets under management for Citadel Capital, one of the Middle East's largest buyout firms, rose to US$4.2 billion (Dh15.42bn) in the third quarter as its fortunes improved after months of... Abraaj to sell healthy stake Source : The National?? Date : 2011-12-26 Abraaj Capital, the Middle East's biggest buyout firm, has agreed to sell a 50 per cent stake in a large Turkish healthcare group to a Malaysian health-investment company and an... Qatar shares edge up; Gulf ends mixed Source : Gulf Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 Qatar?s benchmark index rose 0.4% yesterday as investors picked up stocks on expectations of strong dividend yield.... Dewa begins work on Dh127m project Source : Khaleej Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 The Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, or Dewa, has started work on a new 1,200mm water pipeline project worth Dh127 million that extends to a distance of 23km, according to... End of the line for Qtel's paper billing Source : Gulf Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 More than 100,000 customers have already switched to Qtel's electronic billing format, following the service provider's scrapping of paper bills as part of its pro-environment initiative.... GCC ministers approve strategy on oil cooperation Source : Kuwait News Agency?? Date : 2011-12-26 The ministers of oil and energy of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member states agreed here Sunday to boost cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector and the alternative energies.... BD15m shopping complex on way Source : Gulf Daily News?? Date : 2011-12-26 A major new commercial development featuring shops, restaurants, a suq, plaza and multi-purpose hall is on the way in Saar.... Kuwait becomes China's top LPG supplier, up 64.4 pct Source : Kuwait News Agency?? Date : 2011-12-26 Kuwait became China's biggest liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) supplier in November by overtaking Qatar, latest data by the Chinese government shows.... Gold settles above $1,600 per ounce Source : Kuwait Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 The price of gold kept above $1,600 per ounce last week but failed to cross the $1,641 mark, said the latest specialized report by Al-Zummorroda Jewelry Group. The overall trading... Arab custom officials meet at Arab League Source : Kuwait News Agency?? Date : 2011-12-26 The fifth meeting of the technical team of Arab customs cooperation agreement commenced Sunday at the Arab League's General Secretariat.... Saudi opens up domestic routes to foreign airlines Source : Emirates 24/7?? Date : 2011-12-26 Saudi Arabia will soon allow foreign airlines to fly domestic routes, its aviation regulator said on Sunday, opening the market beyond state-owned Saudi Arabian Airlines (Saudia) and private National Air... Aldar board to mull asset sales Source : Emirates 24/7?? Date : 2011-12-26 Aldar Properties said on Monday its board will meet this week to discuss asset sales as the Abu Dhabi developer, bailed out once by the government in 2011, struggles with... UAE Dec. oil output at 2.6mbpd Source : Emirates 24/7?? Date : 2011-12-26 The United Arab Emirates produced about 2.6 million barrels per day of oil in December, the UAE's Energy Minister Mohammed bin Dhaen al-Hamli said on Sunday.... Landlords' indecision irks Dubai tenants Source : Emirates 24/7?? Date : 2011-12-26 Despite making annual rental payments in advance via post-dated cheques, tenants in Dubai continue to be at the mercy of landlords who?ve delayed paying the master developers? service charges.... DP World honoured by Acca Source : Khaleej Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 DP World, UAE Region has been globally recognised by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants, or ACCA, as providing outstanding training and development opportunities for DP World?s finance department employees.... New DFM 7-year low Source : Khaleej Times?? Date : 2011-12-26 Gulf stock markets on Sunday closed mixed, with Dubai hitting a fresh seven-year low in muted trade as foreign investors remained on the sidelines due to the international holiday season....

Total 358 Results in 18 Pages

For more news, views and reports about this topic, please subscribe
to GRC website: www.grc.ae

Source: http://c.moreover.com/click/here.pl?r5664565213

jenelle evans jenelle evans miami hurricanes vlad the impaler steven tyler michael lohan fiddler on the roof

Obama goes golfing on day one of Hawaii vacation (Washington Post)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/178876027?client_source=feed&format=rss

wale wale weather denver weather denver ambition dorothy rodham rick hendrick plane crash

apricotsushi: Made a Mario Kart 7 community for Chic Pixel. Everyone welcome! Search for code 03-5347-5903-7505

Made a Mario Kart 7 community for Chic Pixel. Everyone welcome! Search for code 03-5347-5903-7505 Il y a environ 7 heures via web

Source: http://twitter.com/apricotsushi/statuses/150828524834529280

florida gators erin brockovich the duchess the duchess hope solo hope solo texas high school football

iphone 4s Help: Wrong pass code and now iphone is disabled. How can I fix it?

About a week ago, I set a different passcode on my iphone so my little sister would stop getting on my phone and messing with stuff. Well, she tried to get into it later that night after I had changed my previous passcode (1031) to (1331. ) She tried 4 or 5 times and it said, to try again in like, 5 minutes.. Well, after the time limit was up, I typed in my current 4-digit iphone passcode (1331) and it worded perfectly. Well, the next day I got tired of typing the code in every 5 seconds, so I took it off for about a week, then last night I put it back on because her and my bf kept messing with my phone so I went under Setting and turned "Passcode lock on". then when my phone was in "sleep mode" and I turned it on it said to enter my passcode and I did. (My current passcode is 1331) Well, it kept saying "Wrong Passcode. Try again in ... Minutes" So, I tried the same passcode again and it didn't work, so then I tried my last one before that (1031) and it was also the "Wrong Passcode". I've only had 2 Passcodes for my phone because it is only about 2 weeks old, and the only Passcodes I've ever had is 1031 (my first one) and1331 (my current one) and I know for a fact that the 1331 one is correct because its my latest passcode and it worked last week.

I've already done the "Hold pn/off button and Home button at the same time thing" then plugged it into my Itunes to Back Up and Restore it like, a hundred times, but everytime I try to restore it it says:
"Itunes could not back up iphone because it is locked with a passcode. You must enter the passcode on the iphone before it can be backed up."

So, my question is how can I back up my itunes or even just Restore it from scratch if it keeps saying I'm typing in the wrong passcode on my phone when it really is the right passcode? How can I remove it so I can restore my phone WITHOUT Jailbreaking it?

Much thanks in advance!

Source: http://www.macforum.biz/apple-rumors-reports/284379-iphone-4s-help-wrong-pass-code-now-iphone-disabled-how-can-i-fix.html

nick diaz michael myers power outage snow storm snow storm reggie bush ufc 137

Download the 13WMAZ iPhone App

Keep in touch with 13WMAZ on-the-go with our new iPhone app!?Download it in the App Store by searching for "wmaz".

Use the app to see breaking news VIDEO as well as the printed word. Look for "Video" in the menu on the homescreen.

Watch the demonstration of our new App in this video.

Source: http://macon.13wmaz.com/news/news/63152-download-13wmaz-iphone-app

willis mcgahee 2013 ford escape stop online piracy act protect ip act spear of destiny rock hill sc kate middleton pregnant

The history of Santa Claus: 7 interesting facts (The Week)

New York ? From why he wears a red suit to when he got hitched to Mrs. Claus, a look at the mythmaking behind jolly old St. Nick

As Christmas approaches, children around the world have Santa on the brain. They're anxiously wondering if they've been overly naughty or sufficiently nice, and eagerly daydreaming about their potential gift hauls. But exactly how did the jolly, bearded North Pole resident evolve into the cultural icon we know today? Here, seven interesting facts about his evolution:

1. He was real... sort of
Folklore may have turned Santa Claus into a toy distributor who mans a sleigh led by eight flying reindeer, but he is actually based, loosely, on a real person. Born around the year 270, St. Nicholas was the Bishop of Myra, a town in what is now Turkey. He earned a reputation as an anonymous gift giver,?says MSNBC, by paying the dowries of impoverished girls and handing out treats and coins to children ? often leaving them in their shoes, set out at night for that very purpose. Since his death, Nicholas has been canonized as the patron saint of children.

SEE MORE: Why are there no new Christmas songs?

?

2. He's only been 'Santa Claus' for 200 years
A Dutch tradition kept St. Nicholas' story alive in the form of Sinterklaas, a bishop who traveled from house to house to deliver treats to children on the night of Dec. 5. The first anglicizing of the name to Santa Claus was in a story that appeared in a New York City newspaper in 1773.

3. Satire first sent Santa down a chimney
In his satiric 1809 book A History of New York, Washington Irving did away with the characterization of Santa Claus as a "lanky bishop," says Whipps. Instead, Irving described Santa as a portly, bearded man who smokes a pipe. Irving's story also marked the first time Santa slid down the chimney, says the U.K.'s Independent.

SEE MORE: The Secret Santas who are paying strangers' debts

?

4. "Twas the Night Before Christmas" introduced the reindeer
Clement Moore's 1822 poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas ? which is now more commonly referred to as "Twas the Night Before Christmas" ? was first published anonymously in the Troy, N.Y., Sentinel on Dec. 23, 1823. The 56-line poem introduced and popularized many of Santa's defining characteristics ? chiefly, that he drove a sleigh guided by "eight tiny reindeer."

5. Coca-Cola created the modern Mr. Claus
When Father Christmas first began showing up in illustrations, he wore many different colored robes: Green, purple, blue, and brown, among others. Beginning in the late 1800s, it became popular to outfit Santa in a red suit. Artist Louis Prang depicted him that way in a series of Christmas cards in 1885, and The New York Times reported on the red garments in 1927. But the modern image of Santa Claus as the jolly man in the red suit was seared into American pop culture in 1931, when artist Haddon Sundblom illustrated him that way for a widely-circulated campaign for Coca-Cola.

SEE MORE: America's 'booming' Christmas tree business: By the numbers

?

6. The department store Santa is a 120-year-old tradition
In 1890, Massachusetts businessman James Edgar became the first department store Santa, according to The Smoking Jacket. Edgar is credited with coming up with the idea of dressing up in a Santa Claus costume as a marketing tool. Children from all over the state dragged their parents to Edgar's small dry goods store in Brockton, and a tradition was born.

7. Santa was a bachelor until the late 1800s
The first mention of a spouse for Santa was in the 1849 short story A Christmas Legend by James Rees. Over the next several years, the idea of Mrs. Claus found its way into several literary publications, like the Yale Literary Magazine and Harper's Magazine.?But it wasn't until Katherine Lee Bates' widely-circulated 1889 poem Goody Santa Claus on a Sleigh Ride that Santa's wife was popularized. ("Goody" is short for "Goodwife," or "Mrs.")

SEE MORE: Is the U.N. declaring 'war on Santa'?

?

Sources: Colour Lovers, Independent, MSNBC, The Smoking Jacket

View this article on TheWeek.com
Get Obama's Christmas tree tax: 'Knucklehead move'?

Fact Sheet: Tips from Santa training school: Managing kids' gift expectations

Instant Guide: Toygaroo: Will parents really rent kids' Christmas gifts?

EssayThe last word: He said he was leaving. She ignored him.

Like on Facebook?-?Follow on Twitter?-?Sign-up for Daily Newsletter

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oped/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/theweek/20111223/cm_theweek/222142

waldorf school world series game 4 world series game 4 turkey the walking dead the walking dead turkey map

Two 5.8 earthquakes hit New Zealand city

Stringer/New Zealand / Reuters

Dust rises from rocks falling from a cliff in the Christchurch suburb of Sumner moments after the earthquake struck.

By msnbc.com staff, NBC News and news services

Two 5.8?magnitude?earthquakes?struck?the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, damaging buildings and sewer lines and knocking out power to some neighborhoods. At least 19 people were injured, media reports said.

The city is still recovering from a 6.3 quake in February that killed?181 people.

---

The New Zealand Herald reported on its website that Friday's first quake struck at 1:58 p.m. local time and lasted?20-30 seconds. The USGS said the quake was centered about 15 miles east-northeast of Christchurch at a very shallow depth of 2.9 miles. GeoNet placed the quake slightly deeper at about 5 miles.

Get the latest quake updates at breakingnews.com

Strong aftershocks rapidly followed, including a?5.3 magnitude quake minutes later. Then a little over an hour after the first quake,?another 5.8 struck, the USGS said.

At least 19 people were reported injured and required medical treatment, Radio New Zealand reported.

Power was reported out in some neighborhoods, and the Herald said that liquefaction of the ground had occurred in?some of the city's eastern?suburbs. Sewer lines broke, goods fell from shelves in stores, and large cracks opened in some buildings, the Herald reported.

More coverage of the quake from the New Zealand Herald

New Zealand Police said one person was reported injured at the Eastgate Mall and was taken to a hospital. The police agency said all major shopping malls were evacuated and closed.

Christchurch International Airport was evacuated. A Qantas flight from Sydney was diverted to Wellington, the Herald said. Airport authorities said they?hoped to reopen the?airport after checking?buildings and other facilities for damage. In a tweet at 9:18 p.m.?EST, airport officials said that?"we hope this wil happen in a few hours."

Newstalk ZB reported that debris had fallen from the?Catholic cathedral on Barbados Street.

Radio New Zealand News?reported that Warwick Isaacs of the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority said buildings in the city's center were evacuated as a precaution.

"It ... started slow then really got going. It was a big swaying one but not as jolting or as violent as in February," Christchurch resident Rita Langley said.

"It was incredibly violent," one caller told Radio New Zealand.

"All the water in my birdbath slopped out and I could hear everything falling over inside. When I walked inside, the cat streaked out the door, ornaments were all over the floor, contents of the pantry were lying on the floor, a little bit of smashed glass and picture frames lying over."

The shaking was severe in the nearby port town of Lyttelton, the epicenter of the Feb. 22 quake.

"We stayed inside until the shaking stopped. Then most people went out into the street outside," resident Andrew Turner said. "People are emotionally shocked by what happened this afternoon."

The area has recorded more than 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7 quake rocked the city on Sept. 4, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.? But the?earthquake that hit Christchurch?on Feb. 22 killed 181 and?caused damage intially estimated at up to $12 billion.?It was the second deadliest quake ever recorded?in New Zealand; one in 1931 in Hawke's Bay?killed 256 people.

The USGS told NBC News that the quakes on Friday could be classified as aftershocks of the February killer.

Christchurch is on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island.

This article includes reporting from?msnbc.com staff, NBC News, Reuters?and The Associated Press.

Source: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/22/9643169-two-58-earthquakes-hit-new-zealand-city-still-recovering-from-killer-quake

capital one bowl college football bowl schedule college football bowl schedule bcs double mastectomy 2011 bowl schedule bcs games

Holiday tribute to troops from Obama, first lady (AP)

WASHINGTON ? President Barack Obama is wishing a Merry Christmas and happy holidays to all Americans in his weekly radio and Internet address, with a special message of thanks to the troops.

"Let's take a moment to give thanks for their service; for their families' service; for our veterans' service," the president said Saturday. "And let's say a prayer for all our troops standing post all over the world, especially our brave men and women in Afghanistan who are serving, even as we speak, in harm's way to protect the freedoms and security we hold dear."

The president was joined by his wife, first lady Michelle Obama, in recording the weekly address. Mrs. Obama added her own word of thanks, saying "let's make sure that all of them know just how much we appreciate everything they do."

The president noted that with the Iraq war over, the last troops from that conflict are home for the holidays. And the Obamas urged people to find a way to give back to the military, directing listeners to Joining Forces, the first lady's initiative to help military families.

Republicans also set aside talk of legislative and partisan battles in their weekly address, recorded by Rep. Mike Pence, R-Ind.

Pence urged Americans to remember the troops and also to think of those who are less fortunate, struggling to make ends meet in the tough economy or unable to find work.

"This holiday season, let's all make a special effort to come alongside these families in their time of need and support local charities as they provide for the needs across our communities," Pence said. "Let's also make a point to personally reach out to that neighbor or friend who needs a helping hand, a kind greeting or an invitation ? it might be just the gift someone needed most."

___

Online:

http://www.JoiningForces.gov

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111224/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama1st_ld_writethru

bowl schedule 2011 barefoot bandit bowl schedule howard hughes barry bonds hazing colton harris moore

Virgin olive oil & fish fatty acids help prevent acute pancreatitis

Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mara Beln Lpez Milln
mariabelenlopez@ugr.es
34-958-241-000 x20312
University of Granada

The researchers evaluated the role of Mediterranean diet ingredients in the prevention and mitigation of cell damage.

Oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol present in a particularly high concentration in virgin olive oil and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish affect the cellular mechanisms involved in the development of acute pancreatitis, a disease of oxidative-inflammatory etiology. Therefore, oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol can be considered potential functional ingredients, as they may prevent or mitigate this disease.

Such was the conclusion drawn in a study conducted by a research group at the University of Granada Physiology Department, where the researchers examined the role of the Mediterranean diet ingredients in the prevention and mitigation of cell damage.

An In Vitro Experimental Model

These scientists developed an in vitro experimental model that allows scientist to evaluate how changes in the membrane fatty acid composition in vivo caused by a change in the type of fat ingested affect the ability of cells to respond to induced oxidative-inflammatory damage with cerulein (acute pancreatitis).

This is the first study to examine how fatty acids and antioxidants affect the cellular mechanisms that respond to local inflammation in the pancreas. The University of Granada scientists have evaluated the role of antioxidants from a preventive approach, that is, by using an experimental model in mice in which cell damage is induced after pretreatment with these nutritional components.

The author of this study, Mara Beln Lpez Milln affirms that "there is increasing evidence that there are oxidative-inflammatory processes involved in the origin of chronic diseases and that diet plays an important role in such processes. The antioxidant (phenolic compounds) and antiinflammatory (omega-3 fatty acids) effects of diet components (nutrients and bioactive compounds) prevent/mitigate the pathological incidence of oxidative-inflammatory processes".

The author reminds us that the Mediterranean diet has been recognized by the UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage "and it is important to provide scientific evidence that explains its beneficial effects on health".

###

The results of this study which has been coordinated by professors Mariano Maas Almendros, Mara Dolores Yago Torregrosa and Mara Dolores Mesa Garca have been partially published in the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.

Contact: Mara Beln Lpez Milln. University of Granada Physiology Department. Phone Number: 34-958241000 Ext. 20312. E-mail: mariabelenlopez@ugr.es

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 22-Dec-2011
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Mara Beln Lpez Milln
mariabelenlopez@ugr.es
34-958-241-000 x20312
University of Granada

The researchers evaluated the role of Mediterranean diet ingredients in the prevention and mitigation of cell damage.

Oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol present in a particularly high concentration in virgin olive oil and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish affect the cellular mechanisms involved in the development of acute pancreatitis, a disease of oxidative-inflammatory etiology. Therefore, oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol can be considered potential functional ingredients, as they may prevent or mitigate this disease.

Such was the conclusion drawn in a study conducted by a research group at the University of Granada Physiology Department, where the researchers examined the role of the Mediterranean diet ingredients in the prevention and mitigation of cell damage.

An In Vitro Experimental Model

These scientists developed an in vitro experimental model that allows scientist to evaluate how changes in the membrane fatty acid composition in vivo caused by a change in the type of fat ingested affect the ability of cells to respond to induced oxidative-inflammatory damage with cerulein (acute pancreatitis).

This is the first study to examine how fatty acids and antioxidants affect the cellular mechanisms that respond to local inflammation in the pancreas. The University of Granada scientists have evaluated the role of antioxidants from a preventive approach, that is, by using an experimental model in mice in which cell damage is induced after pretreatment with these nutritional components.

The author of this study, Mara Beln Lpez Milln affirms that "there is increasing evidence that there are oxidative-inflammatory processes involved in the origin of chronic diseases and that diet plays an important role in such processes. The antioxidant (phenolic compounds) and antiinflammatory (omega-3 fatty acids) effects of diet components (nutrients and bioactive compounds) prevent/mitigate the pathological incidence of oxidative-inflammatory processes".

The author reminds us that the Mediterranean diet has been recognized by the UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage "and it is important to provide scientific evidence that explains its beneficial effects on health".

###

The results of this study which has been coordinated by professors Mariano Maas Almendros, Mara Dolores Yago Torregrosa and Mara Dolores Mesa Garca have been partially published in the journal Proceedings of the Nutrition Society.

Contact: Mara Beln Lpez Milln. University of Granada Physiology Department. Phone Number: 34-958241000 Ext. 20312. E-mail: mariabelenlopez@ugr.es

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-12/uog-voo122211.php

best buy black friday frys ad a very gaga thanksgiving black friday walmart 2011 sams club dancing with the stars winner too short

New iPhone App Connects Strangers Around the World Through Instagram Photos (Mashable)

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark. If you would like to have your startup considered for inclusion, please see the details here. Name: Wander

[More from Mashable: Stephen Baldwin to Brother Alec: When Are You Coming Back to Twitter? [VIDEO]]

Quick Pitch: Wander is a free app that connects penpals and Instagram.

Genius Idea: Gives users the opportunity to immerse themselves in new cultural experiences through their iPhones.

[More from Mashable: Lytro: The Biggest Thing to Happen to Photography Since Digital]

---

__________________________________________ Do you dream about traveling or backpacking through the world and meeting people from different walks of life? Well now you can get closer to that experience with Wander, a free iPhone app that connects penpals with Instagram.

Through photo-based conversation threads, Wander allows users to view and participate in the lives of foreign peers in different parts of the world while also sharing their own lives and surroundings. The one-to-one media-sharing makes the world smaller by connecting strangers on opposite sides of the world through cultural exchanges.

"We realized most social apps are only about saying hello" says Darien Brown, CEO of Wander. "What Wander does is create impossible connections with people who you would never meet, allowing users to explore life in other countries in an interactive, meaningful way."

To get started with Wander, users have to download the free app to their iPhone and then create a simple profile that includes their age, gender, interests and a profile image. Users can also sign in with their Facebook accounts.

Each day, Wander shows you a new available "guide" or someone in the world who you can connect with. For example, a woman from Japan named Miho may show up on your screen and you can choose whether to connect with her or not.

Connect with new guides across the world.

Once you accept a guide, the app connects the two of you together for a week with photo-based missions. For example, the app will suggest you take pictures of your daily routines such as what you ate for lunch that day, how you travel to work or what your favorite store is. After taking the pictures, you and your guide drop them into the conversation thread so that you can share and discuss the differences and similarities in your countries.

Share your world through photo-based conversations.

Wander's built-in translation feature lets users translate text to be able to converse with their guides.

After the week is over, users are given a new guide in another part of the world to connect and share their experiences with.

The idea of Wander was inspired by YangoPal, an app that Brown started as a marketplace for foreigners to hire students from American universities to teach them english. The app however, wasn't successful because users were using it as a social tool to meet foreigners rather than to teach them english.

Brown then decided to pair up two university students from two different countries in a chatroom and give them photo-based missions similar to the ones given in Wander. After seeing how much the strangers were conversing and sharing content, he pitched the idea of Wander during 500Startups and received funding to develop the app.

Now with up to 12,000 app downloads and nearly 1,100 photos shared each week, Wander is attracting aspiring travelers around the world.

"Wander feeds the fantasy of travel in a richer, more interactive way by connecting users with human beings," says Brown. "The experience feels more real when there is a human on the other side letting you be part of their life and daily routines."

Many of Wander's users are Chinese foreigners who are meeting foreigners for the first time through the app, Brown told Mashable. Several users have also told Brown that they applied for their first passports after using Wander.

Although a business model for the app is still in development, Wander's team is currently discussing charging a fee for users who want to narrow their search results by finding a guide in a specific location.

The app will soon be available for Android devices.

Image courtesy of Wander, Wander

---

Series Supported by Microsoft BizSpark

---

The Spark of Genius Series highlights a unique feature of startups and is made possible by Microsoft BizSpark, a startup program that gives you three-year access to the latest Microsoft development tools, as well as connecting you to a nationwide network of investors and incubators. There are no upfront costs, so if your business is privately owned, less than three years old, and generates less than U.S.$1 million in annual revenue, you can sign up today.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/tech/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/mashable/20111220/tc_mashable/new_iphone_app_connects_strangers_around_the_world_through_instagram_photos

zeno safe and sound republic wireless air jordan 11 concord concord festivus festivus

Alec Baldwin: I'm Not "Horny" Enough to Run for NYC Mayor

Alec Baldwin has everything it takes to run for mayor -- except, perhaps, a filter. On Wednesday, the 30 Rock actor announced that he won't be pursuing his New York City mayoral run after all. And his reason is, well, colorful.

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/alec-baldwin-says-hes-not-running-nyc-mayor/1-a-413391?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Aalec-baldwin-says-hes-not-running-nyc-mayor-413391

black friday 2011 deals nfl power rankings week 12 nfl power rankings week 12 brine turkey brine turkey uc davis sweet potato casserole

Review: `War Horse' hammers home the emotions (AP)

Just in time for family-friendly holiday feel-goodery is Steven Spielberg's sweeping, historical epic "War Horse."

It's a story that began life as a children's book by Michael Morpurgo, then made its way to the London and New York stages to great acclaim featuring inventive puppetry, and now arrives in theaters with all the grandeur a master filmmaker can conjure. "War Horse" features a strong cast and the sort of impeccable production values you would expect from Spielberg ? that trademark, mystical lighting, the product of his longtime collaboration with Oscar-winning cinematographer Janusz Kaminski.

And yet it's overlong, painfully earnest and sometimes even hokey. Clearly, Spielberg intended "War Horse" as a throwback, an homage to good, old-fashioned, heartrending storytelling, full of recognizable types and uplifting themes. The skies are so impossibly colorful in such a retro way, they look like hand-painted backdrops on a soundstage. And the dialogue is so frequently on-the-nose and repetitive, it might just make you cringe.

Yes, the horse is remarkable ? of course he is ? that's why they made a movie about him. That should have been obvious to us through the action alone, yet the script (from Lee Hall and Richard Curtis) feels the need to tell us again and again that he is a "remarkable" horse.

The majestic Joey comes into the lives of a struggling British farming family just before World War I. The alcoholic father (Peter Mullan) buys him at auction, even though he knows he can't afford him; the long-suffering mother (Emily Watson) insists he return him and get the family's money back. But plucky teenager Albert (good-looking newcomer Jeremy Irvine) begs to keep him and promises to train him. Cue the montage.

Although Joey is clearly a spectacular creature, the father ends up selling him to the British cavalry because the family needs the money. Albert is devastated and swears they'll meet again; the conscientious captain (Tom Hiddleston), who immediately recognizes Joey's greatness and chooses him as his own mount, promises to take good care of him until then.

Joey, meanwhile, thrives once more in this new setting on the front lines. And these moments are some of the film's best ? the ones where the Spielberg of "Saving Private Ryan" comes shining through. An overhead shot of row after row of soldiers saddling up as one while hidden in a wheat field is especially stirring, as is their subsequent ambush on a German encampment. The battle scenes are reliably visceral and well-staged, albeit in a sanitized way. Even a race between Joey and the impressive horse belonging to the cocky major (Benedict Cumberbatch) provides a quick, thunderous thrill.

There's a reason so many movies get made about horses: They're beautiful, powerful creatures, and the pounding of hooves gets your heart pounding, as well.

But speaking of Joey and his new rival, their relationship represents one of the more cloying aspects of "War Horse": the incessant anthropomorphism of these animals. Would they really achieve a hard-won respect for each other and end up protecting one another in the thick of battle? Maybe. Maybe not. But the human assumption that they would just for the sake of furthering the narrative is sort of obnoxious.

Eventually, Joey changes hands again and ends up living on a farm with an adorable but sickly French girl (Cecile Buckens) and her doting grandfather (Niels Arestrup). But then he's captured once more ? this time by the Germans ? and forced to fight again. This sets up the film's best scene by far, in which a British soldier and a German soldier find Joey entangled in some barbed wire in no-man's land and work together to free him.

It's a tense, quiet exchange that ultimately reveals some much-needed humanity, and it could have ended on just the right note ? but then "War Horse" goes and ruins it by adding one line too many, just to remind us of how "remarkable" Joey is.

"War Horse," a Walt Disney Pictures release, is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence. Running time: 146 minutes. Two stars out of four.

___

Motion Picture Association of America rating definitions:

G ? General audiences. All ages admitted.

PG ? Parental guidance suggested. Some material may not be suitable for children.

PG-13 ? Special parental guidance strongly suggested for children under 13. Some material may be inappropriate for young children.

R ? Restricted. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian.

NC-17 ? No one under 17 admitted.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111221/ap_en_ot/us_film_review_war_horse

joran van der sloot osteopathy osteopathy diphtheria diphtheria smokey robinson smokey robinson

Kim Jong Il Dead (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/176358660?client_source=feed&format=rss

top chef texas stanley tucci stanley tucci x factor voting “do a barrel roll” oakland texas judge

Congress' new terrorism rules leave open questions (AP)

WASHINGTON ? After a bruising battle in Congress, the Obama administration retained the right to investigate and try suspected terrorists in civilian courts. But officials say newly enacted legislation raises a host of questions that will complicate and could harm the investigation of terrorism cases.

During a struggle that began last May and ended this past week in a compromise defense bill, the administration waged an uphill fight against a majority of Republicans and some Democrats trying to expand the role of the military while reducing the role of civilian courts in the fight against terrorism.

It was the latest effort by conservatives to keep open the U.S. military prison facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to place terrorism suspects in indefinite detention and to designate military commissions as the preferred alternative to civilian courts for meting out justice.

In the end, the administration came away with one major victory. Gone from the defense bill during House-Senate negotiations was a provision that would have eliminated executive branch authority to use civilian courts for trying terrorism cases against foreign nationals.

The new law would require military custody for any suspect who is a member of al-Qaida or "associated forces" and involved in planning or attempting to carry out an attack on the United States or its coalition partners. The military custody requirement does not apply to U.S. citizens or to lawful U.S. residents.

The president or a designated subordinate may waive the military custody requirement by certifying to Congress that such a move is in the interest of national security.

The new law "will ramp up the political costs" when the administration decides to hold a civilian criminal prosecution for a detainee, said University of Texas law professor Robert M. Chesney, who focused on detainee issues while serving at the Justice Department in 2009.

But, Chesney added, "this law does leave the president with flexibility" to have civilian trials "and therefore the law is neither quite as bad as its opponents say nor as useful as its supporters think."

Weighing in heavily in the debate was the FBI, the front-line investigative agency that now must operate in a reordered environment in which the U.S. military will suddenly play a bigger role that is sometimes side by side with law enforcement.

In a Nov. 28 letter to Congress, FBI Director Robert Mueller said the legislation will inhibit the bureau's ability to persuade suspected terrorists to cooperate immediately and provide critical intelligence.

Mueller tried to make a similar point at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing this past week, but got little sympathy from Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala.

"What I am focused on is what happens at the time of arrest," the FBI director said.

"Well, then you need to work this out with the Department of Defense, don't you?" said Sessions, a former federal prosecutor and ex-Alabama attorney general.

Mueller also said it wasn't clear how agents should operate if they arrest someone covered by the military custody requirement but the nearest military facility is hundreds of miles away.

And last month, Lisa Monaco, assistant attorney general for national security, said that "agents and prosecutors should not have to spend their time worrying about citizenship status and whether and how to get a waiver in order to thwart an al-Qaida plot against the homeland."

Law enforcement officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter, say that it won't be easy working under a new set of rules that must be written in the next 60 days before the law goes into effect.

Pressure from the administration produced one late compromise section that says nothing in the bill may be "construed to affect the existing criminal enforcement and national security authorities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or any other domestic law enforcement agency with regard to a covered person, regardless whether such covered person is held in military custody."

But that left open questions.

"I'm concerned with the lack of clarity about who is in charge of investigation and interrogation for detainees in military custody," Michael J. Nardotti, the judge advocate general of the Army from 1993 to 1997, said of the legislation.

"If the detainees are in military custody and the military is responsible for their disposition and control, what role does the FBI have in that process and is the FBI going to be directed in some respects by the military on the use of the bureau's investigative resources?" asked Nardotti.

"The second concern I have," said Nardotti, "is that the use of the words `associated forces' in the legislation can be read as expanding the definition of who can be held indefinitely in military custody in an open-ended conflict." That could become an important issue because the legislation will undoubtedly at some point ? or at many points ? undergo scrutiny by the courts.

Gary Solis, a retired judge advocate who served 26 years in the Marine Corps, called the latest political venture into how best to battle terrorism "a very bad idea."

"Making the military the warders of every suspected terrorist goes far beyond the military's legislatively assigned mission," he said.

"It appears to me to be an effort to assure that all suspected terrorists will be tried by military commission," said Solis. "Despite the fact that hundreds of terrorists have been tried in the federal courts, convicted and sentenced to long terms, for reasons that escape me Congress is unwilling to allow our courts to proceed with what they have demonstrably been so capable of doing."

Congress and the White House have been at odds over detention policy ever since President Barack Obama was sworn in.

Many lawmakers have resisted the administration's efforts to close the U.S. prison at Guantanamo Bay and have opposed trying terror suspects in federal courts in the United States rather than by military commission. This latest round featured some Democrats, including Senate Armed Services Committee chairman Carl Levin of Michigan and Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, supporting the measure while some Republicans and libertarian-leaning Republicans, including Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah, opposed the legislation that the administration objected to.

___

Associated Press writer Donna Cassata contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/us/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111218/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_obama_terrorism

zombie boy zombie boy harvard yale julia child the descendants the descendants joe paterno lung cancer

Program and Communications Associate - HigherEdJobs

THIS IS A ONE-YEAR, FIXED-TERM POSITION.

The Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University seeks a full time Program and Communications Associate to support its expanding communications and programmatic needs. This is a one-year, fixed-term position with the potential for renewal after a 12-month period. The candidate will report to and work in partnership with CDDRL's general program manager, responsible for coordinating research and training programs, events, and communications. The associate will be primarily responsible for a new initiative that will expand on our Draper Hills Summer Fellows program to connect the program?s alumni to a more integrated learning network. In addition, the associate will have a number of communications-related responsibilities to help expand CDDRL's social media presence and assist with the website redesign process. This position will also expose the associate to diverse tasks in program development, events planning, recruitment for fellowship programs, and public outreach.

Program Administration: (50%)

• Coordinate and plan annual meeting of Draper Hills Summer Fellow alumni to be held in an international location each year. This will include; inviting participants, developing the conference agenda, liaising with faculty, and arranging logistics.
• Build and cultivate an active virtual alumni network, which includes; maintain regular communication with individual alumni, harness the use of technology and social media platforms to gather and disseminate information, facilitate virtual interaction among alumni network (webinars and town hall-style forums), and showcase their work in innovative ways on the website.
• Coordinate the small grants program for the Draper Hills alumni network. Associate will receive applications, coordinate the selection process, and oversee the disbursement of funds to awardees.
• Assist in recruitment, outreach, and coordination of the selection process for the Draper Hills Summer Fellows program and Undergraduate Senior Honors program. This includes; identifying recruitment networks to disseminate fellowship announcement, maintaining a centralized spreadsheet of recruitment and outreach lists, tracking the intake of applications, organizing files for the selection and review process, and meeting with selection teams.
• General event planning and coordination for our seminars and conferences.
• Work with student groups on campus to support their activities and respond to inquiries about potential collaborations.
• Compile and synthesize results of program evaluations.

Communications Administration: (50%)

• General website maintenance and updating, including; posting new content, scholarly articles, event announcements, working papers, and media-related pieces.
• In conjunction with program manager will generate new content for the website.
• Develop and maintain library of images for use on the website.
• Build, organize and maintain a central communications database to help CDDRL reach a larger constituency base.
• Create collateral and printed materials for our various programs.
• Maintain and update regularly social media (Facebook and Twitter) platforms and work with program manager to increase the impact and reach of these communications tools.
• In conjunction with program manager will develop annual newsletter for our network of Draper Hills Summer Fellows alumni and maintain contact with the alumni. This includes; outreach to our constituent base to collect updates, generate short pieces highlighting the work of our alumni for the newsletter, laying out and formatting the newsletter, and disseminating it to our Summer Fellows alumni network.
• Support general program coordination, planning, and development needs.

QUALIFICATIONS:
The candidate should possess strong writing skills, with experience in communications writing (not just academic writing). In addition, they should have advanced knowledge of social media platforms (Facebook and Twitter), having used them for professional outreach and communications. The ideal candidate will possess a basic command and familiarity with Photoshop and Dream Weaver. They should have a high proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint.

To apply, please upload as one document, a cover letter, resume and a writing sample (1-2 pages) of a communications-style piece authored for a website, publication, blog, class, or other forum. It should be the original work of the applicant and not co-authored with another party.

Stanford University is an Affirmative Action, Equal Opportunity Employer.

An Equal Opportunity Employer, we value the diversity of our employees.

Source: http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175584884

country music awards new earth light year light year michelle rounds michelle rounds cabin in the woods