?In The Studio,? How Patrick Collison Guides Stripe In The Competitive Payments World

StripeEditor's Note: Semil Shah is an EIR with Javelin Venture Partners and is a contributor to TechCrunch. You can follow him on Twitter at @semil. "In the Studio" closes out its inaugural year by welcoming the young CEO of one of the web's hottest startups who, before his current breakthrough, immigrated from Ireland, dropped out of MIT, founded and sold his first company, and is now taking on an industry with formidable land mines, competitors, and incumbents.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/7DJ5ut0pMm8/

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Oxfam: 'Depressing' portrayals hurt aid for Africa

Oxfam UK

Oxfam UK launched a new advertising campaign this week seeking to shift the focus to progress in Africa and away from 'depressing' images fostered by Live Aid and other well-intentioned efforts.

By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

Twenty-seven years after Live Aid viscerally brought Africa's famine and poverty home to billions worldwide, the head of a major international charity?warned Wednesday that the "depressing" stereotypes left in its wake were counterproductive and risked driving help away.

The British arm of Oxfam International called images of starving babies and other familiar depictions of Africa over the last quarter-century "manipulative and hopeless," desensitizing potential donors and leading them to the conclusion that conditions in the developing world can never improve.?

Oxfam launched a new advertising campaign this week celebrating Africa's natural beauty and progress toward alleviating hunger. Called "Food for All," the campaign features images of lush green scenery, wildlife and thriving African food markets.

The campaign's tagline: "Let's Make Africa Famous for Its Epic Landscapes, Not Hunger."


Dame Barbara Stocking, the British charity's chief executive, said in a posting on Oxfam's website that "we've come a long way since the 1980s and Band Aid's 'Do They Know It's Christmas?'"

But "we need to shrug off the old stereotypes and celebrate the continent's diversity and complexity," she contended.

Band Aid, the musical charity supergroup formed in 1984 by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, recorded "Do They Know It's Christmas?" in response to the crippling famine in Ethiopia. In 2004, on the song's 20th-anniversary re-release, the World Development Movement condemned it as "patronizing, false and out of date."

Geldof and Ure organized the landmark fundraising concert Live Aid in 1985, bringing dire conditions in Africa front and center to people around the world.

"'Patronizing' isn't the word" to describe the message fostered by Band Aid and other well-intentioned campaigns, Stocking said Wednesday in an interview on Sky News. "It's just this negativity. ...

"In order for people to understand what's happening in Africa, we've also got to tell the good stories, and there has been good news in Africa," said Stocking, who is retiring in the new year after serving with the charity since 2001.?

"Otherwise, people just feel put off and (believe) there's nothing that can be done about Africa," she said. "And that's the big worry for us ? that people feel it's all hopeless, when it clearly isn't."

World Bank statistics indicate that the world's heaviest concentration of malnutrition remains in Africa, afflicting as many as 15 percent of all children under 5 in some countries in the southern and eastern regions. And in June, the U.N. Children's Fund reported that 1.5 million children were at imminent risk of starvation in the western half of the continent.

Watch World News videos on NBCNews.com

But while acknowledging that international aid has made few if any inroads on hunger, Oxfam said in a report this month that countries south of the Sahara Desert had made "one of the most remarkable turnarounds in development ... in the last decade." It called the 22 years from 1990 to 2011 an "African renaissance."

Oxfam: Africa is wide awake but still hungry (.pdf)

"Economies have been growing even in the face of economic and financial instability elsewhere in the world, poverty has fallen and child mortality has dropped considerably, among the most visible indicators of progress," the report said.

The real story, Stocking said Wednesday, is that "aid money is really working."

But in the end, she said, "we don't want to have to give aid money to Africa. We want economic development, enterprise ? that's what we're really aiming to do."

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16168054-depressing-manipulative-portrayals-damage-hunger-work-in-africa-oxfam-complains?lite

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difference between relationship anxiety/falling out of love?

hi, i've experienced a lot of what you're going through and for different reasons. and once you start to look at it a lot (it took me some therapy as well), you begin to realize that it's maybe not your relationship.

my boyfriend is amazing. i mean, we have been together for 2 years also, and i am also 19. he is definitely not my first relationship, although he is my first serious one. about eight months ago, i began feeling really anxious, because one day, out of no where, the thought popped in my head of us breaking up and i would make myself imagine these really terrible things just to see how i would feel about them. eventually, it snowballed.

one of the reasons i began feeling that was is because i have commitment issues. i love this man more than anything in the world, but i come from a broken family. the only relationships i have ever seen have been on tv or in high school and not only did those relationships not last, they were riddled with drama. he comes from a family full of love and commitment is something that he understands. it took some explaining. i still have to remind myself that it is okay to be in love, that it is okay to commit, that it is okay to be with somebody.

second, i'm an anxious person. i grew up in my mothers house, where every small thing was the end of the world. that childhood, mixed with my fathers biology (a history of anxiety), put me at a very high risk for leading a high stress/anxiety life. i still battle it everyday.

third, i wasn't fulfilling myself in any way. i had a crappy job at the time and he was working seven days a week so we could save up to move out. not only did i not feel like i was contributing, but doing nothing will literally drive you crazy. i'm hyper attentive also (my therapist's words) and i can typically pay attention to multiple thoughts at one time which is why i need things to distract me. usually, if you think an anxious thought, if you distract yourself, then revisit it, you'll be calmer and able to think clearer.

fourth, we had lost some communication and relationship skills and had grown apart somewhat. this is a normal cycle in ALL relationships, i can tell you that. sometimes you feel like partners in crime and sometimes you get bored. we have rebuilt that and are since doing great.

fifth, we began to realize that anytime i felt like my life was going nowhere or when i became hopeless with things, i would doubt everything i was doing and question my relationship, even though there was nothing wrong with it in the first place. i just had a big thing happen to me at work today, actually, and yesterday with college, and i have been feeling so distant from him and like we have all these problems that in reality don't exist. i freak out when i feel like my life is falling apart.

sixth, every relationship goes through cycles. when you first started dating, there is the infatuation stage (and not every couple goes through this). it is literally you being high on the chemicals released in your brain. when that stage ends, you get down to the nitty gritty and get to know your partner on a deeper level. you can even look up the relationship stages, if it helps. one of the things that is completely natural is to doubt when you are evaluating whether or not you want to be with this person. sometimes, you'll regress back to different stages, sometimes you won't. every relationship is different.

last, remember that love is not actually an emotion. love is a choice, delegated by action. i do things for my boyfriend that i would never do for anybody else (at least not happily). i am encouraged to be patient and kind and to be an overall better person. if you find somebody who does that for you, that's who you want to be with. maybe one of the reasons i listed applies to you and i certainly hope it helps. it might be that you need to find help and it might be not.

good luck.

Source: http://www.uncommonforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=722951

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A Savory Retreat: Food & Wine in Australia's Beautiful Barossa Valley

Kingsford Homestead A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

By Jessica Festa

?How do we enter the wine cellar?? I ask Sally, one of the owners of Kingsford Homestead, a historical food and wine hotel located at the edge of South Australia?s Barossa Valley.

We walk through the slate flagged entrance, over sandstone tiles, imported from Edinburgh, until we reach a cedar buffet dresser in the hallway. There are some magazines stacked on top, as well as a bowl of fresh cherries. Sally smiles and points to the table.

I frown. ?I don?t understand. Where is the cellar door??

Her husband Pat comes to join her and together they open the chest to reveal a set of stairs leading down into an dimly lit stone cellar filled with over 400 local and international wines.

Commissioned in 1856, the two-story Georgian building is a 5-star boutique homestead featuring seven well-appointed rooms with views overlooking the vineyards and countryside. Pat and Sally are the hosts, and love encouraging visitors to really experience the flavor of the Barossa through their all-inclusive program. Guests can help themselves to fully stocked fridges of beer, wine, bubbly and spirits and indulge with a drink in their Outdoor Bush Bath, a luxury bathtub set in the property?s secluded forest.

Kingsford Outdoor Soaking Tub A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

Image via Kingsford Homestead

After canapes and drinks on the patio overlooking the gardens and rolling hillsides, I join the group I am traveling with as they make their way downstairs for the first epicurious adventure in the Barossa: A candlelit degustation dinner in Kingsford Homestead?s wine cellar.

While each dish has a tantalizing flavor, made more intense by using locally sourced ingredients, the most innovative selections are from their ?Kingsford on a Plate? series. Inspired by Chef Stuart Oldfield, the dishes showcase ingredients used in recipes during the 1856 history of Kingsford with a gorgeous modern twist. The shining star is the six-hour slow-cooked beef daube, which would once have been a simple beef and vegetable stew, but has since been reinvented with the addition of a Barossa Shiraz reduction. The meal is paired with the homestead?s signature Barons of the Barossa labels, which come from local winemakers like David Franz, Peter Lehmann and Wendy and Tony Brookes.

The other menu options are also delicious, including a Poached South Australian king prawn served with celeriac, avruga and chives, local beetroot with goats cheese cr?me, an international selection of creamy cheeses with soft mould crackers and fig paste, and a delicious dessert of fruity roasted rhubarb, buttery hazelnut shortbread and citrus twist of orange mascarpone. As a pairing to the meal, we enjoy on the homestead?s signature Barons of the Barossa labels, which come from local winemakers like David Franz, Peter Lehmann and Wendy and Tony Brookes.

Kingford Spread A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

Image via Kingsford Homestead

A 1959 Daimler

The next morning, Pat drives us up to the end of Kingsford Homestead?s long dirt driveway to meet our tour guide for the day, John Baldwin of Daimler Tours.

?John is very particular about his car,? explains Pat. ?He doesn?t like to get it dusty.?

I?m immediately confused about how someone who leads driven tours around the Barossa Valley can be so nervous about his car getting dirty; that is, until I see the 1959 Daimler parked at the top.

Now I understand why John?s company is called Daimler Tours. The company?s philosophy is not to offer pre-planned itineraries, but to get to know its guests and base the tour off what people want. We let John know that while some of the group is interested in history, others would like to learn more about the area?s culinary offerings.

The Future Of?The Barossa?s Wine

Driving past endless vineyards and rows of red City of Belfast roses, we make our way to Yelland and Papps?in the heart of the Barossa Valley.

?These guys are our future,? explains John. ?They?re setting a standard for the future of the Barossa Valley.? In fact, their first wine came out in 2007.

We enter a space that is clean and rustic adorned with antique and handcrafted furnishings. A charming wooden hutch, built by Susan?s (the winery owner) grandfather, showcases homemade jams and chutneys. Their bar is crafted from recycled wood from a 27 Chevy, and the menus are made of brown recycled paper.

?We started doing this in a spare room in our house,? says Susan. ?Once the business began to grow, we bought this space so we could really experiment and make our own grapes.?

Yelland Paps A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

Image via Yelland & Papps

?We want people to immediately realize we?re different when they walk in,? explains Susan. ?We?re focused on sustainability. We grow fig trees, mulberry bushes, walnuts, have a veggie garden and a sheep shed and we like to make use of what we have for our products.?

Outside, the group enjoys a French picnic among the vines with a meal of bread, cheese, jams pork rillett, prosciutto and a gorgeous selection of chutneys homemade from family recipes.

We first sample their Delight Vermentino. The winery is unique in that they are the only ones blending Vermentino with 100% Barossa Valley fruit. With a light body and citrus aroma, it?s made for ?drinking not thinking,? which is reflective of the entire Delight Series. Next, we sample their 2011 Delight Vin De Soif, with 69% Grenache, 15% Mataro, 14% Shiraz and 2% Carignan.

?We hate that people stop drinking red when the weather warms up,? says Susan. ?We want to encourage people to continue drinking red even when it?s summer.?

The red is chilled and light, with easygoing flavors of red cherry, raspberry, red plum and cranberry. While the winery offers the more complex Devote and Divine series, the relaxed picnic atmosphere perfectly matches the breezy wines.

Old-World Barossa

It?s good we?ve rested up, as it?s now time for the group to leave and burn off the French bread and charcuterie by biking four miles from Nuriootpa to Angaston via the Barossa Valley Bike Trail. The section of the bike trail we?re traversing takes us on a paved path through endless vineyards, golden wheat and canola fields and vibrant patches of roses with scents so strong it permeates the cool air.

When we arrive at the English/Scottish town of Angaston, John arranges for our bikes to be picked up and we make our way to Yalumba, the oldest and largest family-owned winery in Australia. Open since 1849, the business has been passed down from generation to generation and remains a family enterprise to this day.

?We?re also the only winery in Australia and one of the only in the world that has its own barrel making facility,? explains Benny, who has been working in various roles at Yalumba for 16 years. Continuing the tour, Benny points out The Signature cellar.
?Our signature wine is a Cabernet Shiraz appropriately named The Signature because once a year we put the signature of one of our dedicated workers on the barrel.?

While the tour is lovely, the winery is best explored through the palate, as we soon learn during a tasting of their Pewsey Vale Edan Valley Riesling 2012 and The Signature.

The Riesling is pale straw in color, with intense fruit flavors of lemon and lime and a hint of crushed stone however, The Signature steals the show. A full-bodied red wine, the varietal is a mix of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz that is iconic of the Barossa. It?s a deep red, with intense fruit flavors as well as hints of American oak, which come from their cooperage where vintners flavor, season, temperate and construct their own wine barrels by hand. The experience is reminiscent of old world Barossa, especially as we tour the valley in a classic car from 1959.

To add to the epicurious experience, we stop at the Barossa Valley Cheese Company. Taking up half the room is an enticing case of ripened cheeses. John has brought us here at just the right time; as it turns out we have walked in at the beginning of a free tasting session.

?We specializes in handcrafted soft cheeses,? says Jan of the Barossa Valley Cheese Company. ?Soft cheeses are ripened from the outside to the center, so flavors move inward.?

While the Barossa Geo is elegant with a smooth and creamy texture, the white mold Barossa Camembert is rich with slight hints of mushroom. The slightly sweeter cheeses include the Barossa Washington ? silky with a flavor that seems to build in intensity as it moves about the palate.

Then tasting ends with a bit of royal treatment ? two goal milk cheeses ? the robust Le Petit Prince and my personal favorite, the tangy and nostalgic Le Petit Princess. While all the cheeses are enjoyable, I can?t help but think how nicely they would pair with a fine wine. Luckily, there are endless wine experiences in the Barossa Valley.

Kingsford Wine A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

Image via Kingsford Homestead

In The Wine Lab

While we?ve visited old world and modern wineries, the group has yet to actually create their own blend. This is why John brings us to Penfolds,?another lovely winery located in the heart of the Barossa.? After putting on our lab coats, we go up to the lab to create our blends based on the Penfolds Bin Series. We mixed Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre in beakers using different percentages until we concoct an enjoyable blend.

?If you?re making wine for yourself there?s no right or wrong,? explains Noelene, our wine lab instructor. ?That being said, one hint is that Grenache is often the predominant variety, but not always.?

First we taste each individual variety. While the Grenache is very aromatic, the Shiraz is a bit fuller and spicier, adding richness and weight. The Mourv?dre on the other hand is more complex and earthy in character, with hints of licorice.

At first I feel trepidation, but once I make my first blend, relying mainly on the spiciness of the Shiraz, I feel like maybe I have a future in?the wine industry.

A Delicious End

As our tour comes to a close at TV personality Maggie Beer?s Farm Shop, it becomes overwhelmingly clear that it?s simply impossible to ignore the epicurious culture of the Barossa. Along with highly quality coffee and interesting tea blends like Rainwater Mint, Sunday Roast, Orange Earl and Wine and Roses, the shop is a mecca of free samples. Walking around, we taste marmalades, jams, sauces, vinegars, oils, marinades, pastes, vino cottos, sugos and, of course, her signature p?t?s, all made by Maggie and her staff.

Maggies Beer Farm Shop A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa Valley

Image via Maggie Beer?s Farm Shop

As I sit outside sipping a chocolate marmalade tea and indulging in an enormous homemade lemon merengue tart, I?m enveloped in the incredible scenery and delectable culture of this region.

A peacock wanders by the table while turtles swim in the cloudy blue onsite pond. People don?t do things in the Barossa unless they can do them well. This philosophy is the lesson of the day, and I?ve learned it well through intimate wine tastings, locally-sourced cheese samplings, world-class sustainable restaurants and celebrities that actually care about the community. It?s refreshing and satisfying in the way only a well-aged wine and pheasant farm p?t? can be. It?s true Barossa Valley culture at its finest.

?

headshot231 150x150 A Savory Food and Wine Retreat in Australias Picturesque Barossa ValleyAbout?Jessica Festa
Jessica Festa is a full-time travel writer who is always up for an adventure. She enjoys getting lost in new cities and finding places you don?t see in guidebooks. You can follow her adventures on her travel website,?Epicure & Culture.

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Featured image via Kingsford Homestead

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Source: http://www.thecultureist.com/2012/12/27/wine-in-australia-barossa-valley-kingsford-homestead/

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What is Pilates? | Health and Fitness Society

Updated: December 26, 2012

pilates-feature

Pilates is? a favorite among Hollywood starlets and well-versed fitness fanatics.

Pilates is a kind of exercise that improves flexibility, coordination and also strengthens muscles through controlled movements done as mat exercises or with equipment to tone and strengthen the body. It has been the favorite type of exercise for r dancers, athletes and actors.

Pilates Overview

Pilates daily workouts? will help your body to address unique issues or problem areas, and gets you in tune with your body as it is good for the mind and good for the body.? By doing routine Pilates exercises you can build a strong core, develop flat abdominals and create a strong back by strengthening the muscles that support your spine.

Pilates also improves mental and physical health by increasing flexibility and blood circulation. It particularly works on the body?s core or your torso. Pilates would also help you to have better posture, and in case of injury, Pilates exercises will help you to experience better overall health.

pilates founderThe founder of Pilates, Joseph H. Pilates, had some serious health problem such as asthma as a kid, he built his body and grew stronger and became an athlete. As a nurse in Great Britain during World War I, he designed exercise methods and equipment for immobilized patients and soldiers. He also developed a series of mat exercises that focus on the torso and by combining various exercise methods such as the mind-body formats of yoga and Chinese martial arts he created a new routine exercise.
The main point of the Pilates philosophy is that our physical and mental health is intertwined. He designed his exercise program around principles that support this philosophy, including concentration, precision, control, breathing, and flowing movements.

Benefits of Pilates

There are lots of benefits of doing Pilates such as general fitness, better sleep, increasing strength, to lose weight, to increase coordination, to get toned body with lean muscles, to help to heal injuries such as back pain, joint pain, to develop mind-body and for better sexual health. Pilates teaches proper breathing and spinal and pelvic alignment, helping you become more connected with your body. Breathing properly can also help to reduce stress.

Pilates gets different results in each individual. But one thing is the same. You feel great and it?s effective. It will help you to have a lean look without bulky muscles. Your body will be strong without looking Bulky and maybe that is why Pilates is a popular exercise for gymnasts and professional dancers.

Most conventional workouts tend to create bulky muscle, but Pilates does not rely on frequent repetition, and thus no overgrown muscles. It just focuses on the whole body, not just on sections of muscles. Your focus would be on the core and around the area of the abdominal muscles and the back and you will be benefiting a lot by a proper use of the Pilates program such as the ability to increase the strength of stabilizer muscles that may not commonly be worked out in a standard exercise program.

Pilates also stresses the use of fluid movements and circulation that can be a great way to get a better sense of the kinesthetic of your body. A lot of people feel that they are better able to balance themselves regardless of the position that they are in.

Like yoga and Chinese martial arts, by engaging the mind and enhancing body awareness Pilates not only helps you to tone your body, but your mind and spirit as well and you will be more mindful of your body. Breath movement is also emphasized to put you in touch with how breath moves through your body.

The mind-body connection

pilates for womenPilates has been demonstrated to reduce stress, anxiety, and helps lift depression. The mind-body connection is fundamental to the study and practice of Pilates. As you see Pilates has numerous benefits that one can attain through regular use of the exercise program. It also strengthens your body and helps prevent future injuries. Since no set of muscles is ever over or under trained, there is less risk for injury.
It teaches you how to become efficient with your body. Very few exercises can help your body become more efficient in its movement. By practicing Pilates on a regular basis, you can train your body more to move in a much safer and more efficient manner.

Benefits of Pilates for Older Adults

Unfortunately when we get older our bodies get stiff and we feel pain in our joints. Even if you start Pilates at the older age you can still get some of the benefits to prevent the elderly pain from arthritis and other bone problems.

Even adults undergoing serious rehabilitation therapy can use Pilates to increase their range of motion and overall muscle strength. ?As a senior you need to consult with your doctor or a medical professional to make sure that Pilates will benefit you, but in most cases it has been very helpful for adult with back and joint pain.? Make sure that you never feel pain while practicing Pilates and stop as you start to feel any pain. Pilates was designed to progress naturally from one movement to another. If you feel stopped at one movement, don?t give up. Start at the beginning and work your way back to the areas you found most challenging.

Remember that practice makes perfect and that you cannot do it all in one day.

Take your time practicing Pilates and you will reap the rewards this great exercise regimen.

Comments are Welcome!

Comments

Source: http://healthandfitnesssociety.com/what-is-pilates

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Diem Technologies - Blog: Now Is a Great Time to Check Out ...

This blog entry was originally published on the OpenText Fax Solutions Blog on December 19, 2012.

With the end of the year quickly approaching, now is a great time to check out RightFax 10.5!

The latest edition allows for easy fax transmission through the industry?s first ever Internet Connector, allowing you to send and receive faxes at Internet speeds with unmatched fidelity and scalability, and with more intuitive administrative controls. The new features allow organizations to reduce costs, shorten business cycles, enhance business process workflows, and improve overall customer satisfaction by delivering faxes with better clarity and higher resolution at faster speeds than ever before.

Here are just a few reasons to consider RightFax 10.5:
??New Industry Standard for Speed and Security
??Powerful Integration Capabilities
??Clear, Easy-to-Use Communications
??Improved Performance and Scalability

Now?s the perfect time to see how your company can reduce cost and improve customer satisfaction with RightFax. To learn more, contact Diem Technologies at (972) 421-4300 or sales@diem.com.

Source: http://blog.diem.com/2012/12/now-is-great-time-to-check-out-rightfax.html

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Syria Rebel Gains Expand In North

BEIRUT -- Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said.

The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months. Rebels have also laid siege to the international airport in the city of Aleppo, Syria's commercial capital, and launched an offensive on the police academy near the city.

With steady rebel gains across the north, President Bashar Assad's regime is having increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province, especially after rebels cut a major thoroughfare from Damascus. It is just another sign that the opposition is consolidating its grip across large swathes of territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border.

In his traditional Christmas address, Pope Benedict XVI decried the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria, where anti-regime activists estimate more than 40,000 have died in fighting since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule began in March 2011.

In another blow to the regime, activists said that Mohammed Adnan Arabo, a member of Syria's parliament has left the country and joined the opposition. Ahmad Ramadan, an executive council member of the opposition Syrian National Council group, and other activists said Arabo arrived in Turkey on Tuesday.

He said the regime's hold on power is deteriorating and rebels are besieging military bases for weeks until they either take over or negotiate with local army commanders to surrender. He added that some regime forces are being diverted to the capital to fight there.

"The regime cannot protect its bases and also cannot send forces to support troops under siege," he said.

Over the weeks, rebels fighting to overthrow Assad have also been able to take the battles into the capital Damascus, Assad's seat of power, where the southern neighborhoods are witnessing almost daily clashes between troops and rebels.

The big successes began in mid-November, when rebels captured Aleppo's Regiment 46, a large military base, carting off tanks, armored vehicles and truck-loads of munitions. Three weeks later, they captured the Sheik Suleiman base near the provincial capital of Aleppo and days later they took an infantry base in the city.

Last week, they captured an army technical regiment near Damascus' international airport but were pushed back in a counter attack. The army command said in a statement that the regiment's commander was killed in the battle.

The rebels have also brought the battle to areas around Damascus international airport where some flights were cancelled earlier this month because of the intensity of the fighting.

One of the biggest blows came in Damascus on Dec. 12 when a suicide attacker blew his vehicle outside the Interior Ministry, killing five and wounding many, including Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar. The government denied at first that al-Shaar had been wounded until it got out when he was brought last week to a Beirut hospital for treatment.

It was the second injury the minister suffered after being wounded in a July 17, bomb inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus that killed four top regime officials, including Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister.

The rebel takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels captured Harem in the early hours of Tuesday. Mohammed Kanaan, an Idlib-based activist, said the last post to be taken was the historic citadel, which overlooked the town. The army had turned the citadel into a military post.

"Harem is fully liberated now," Kanaan said via Skype. He added that as the rebels pounded army posts and checkpoints in Harem, the troops withdrew to the citadel that later fell in the hands of rebels.

Rami-Abdul-Rahman, who heads to Observatory, said nearly 30 soldiers and pro-government gunmen surrendered late Monday. He added that rebels set free all gunmen at the age of 16 or less and referred others to local tribunals.

"Harem was very important because it is one of the towns that was loyal to the regime," Abdul-Rahman said by telephone about the town that is nearly a mile from the Turkish border.

In Aleppo province, which neighbors Idlib, local activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels attacked the air base in the town of Mannagh near the Turkish border. He said it is one of four air bases in the province, adding that rebels also attacked the police academy near the city of Aleppo.

Regime forces have been using helicopters to carry supplies to besieged areas and to attack rebel positions.

The regime has had increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province after rebels captured in October the strategic town Maaret al-Numan. The town is on the highway that links Damascus with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a major battleground in the civil war since July.

"Airplanes and helicopters are the only way to send supplies since the Free Syrian Army controls the land," Saeed said. He added that rebels are also laying a siege to Aleppo's international airport known as Nairab and threatening to shoot down military or civilians planes using it.

In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, opposition gunmen ambushed the head of military intelligence in the area and seriously wounded him. He later died of his wounds, the Observatory said.

Elsewhere in Syria, the Observatory reported violence in areas including the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, the southern area of Quneitra on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Height and the southern region of Daraa.

In Israel, top officials said they cannot corroborate Syrian activists' claims that the regime has used chemical weapons against its citizens.

Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio that Israel has "no confirmation or proof" the regime has employed such weapons in the civil war. He says Israel is "monitoring the situation with concern."

Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad told Israel Radio that Syria was closely guarding its chemical weapons stockpiles.

On Monday, the Observatory quoted activists in the central city of Homs as saying that six rebels died in two neighborhoods the day before after inhaling white smoke that came out of shells fired by government troops in the area. Amateur videos released by activists showed men in hospital beds suffering breathing problems as doctors placed oxygen masks over their faces.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/syria-rebel-gains_n_2363117.html

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More on Senator Inouye's dying wish ? click to read FNC's Chad ...

Urgent: Abercrombie ignores Inouye deathbed wish, picks Lt. Gov. Schatz over Rep. Hanabusa

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Per Pergram-Capitol Hill

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Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) overrode the death-bed wishes of late Sen. Daniel Inouye (D) today and appointed Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz (D) as the immediate successor to the open Senate seat.

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Only hours before he died of respiratory failure last week, the 88-year-old Inouye penned a missive to Abercrombie, urging him to appoint Rep. Colleen Hanabusa (D-HI) to his seat.

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A native of Ann Arbor, MI, the 40-year-old Schatz is slated to become just the sixth senator in Hawaii history. He formerly served in the Hawaii House of Representatives and chaired the Hawaii Democratic Party. He became the state?s Lieutenant Governor in 2010, running on the same ticket as Abercrombie. He ran unsuccessfully for Congress against now-Rep. and Sen.-elect Mazie Hirono (D-HI) in 2006 after Rep. Ed Case (R-HI) ran for Senate. Voters elected Hirono to the Senate in November to succeed the retiring Sen. Daniel Akaka (D-HI).

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Late last week, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) wrote to Abercrombie, asking him to appoint a successor ?with due haste? to make sure Hawaii ?is fully represented in the pivotal decisions? the Senate will make at the end of the year.

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A total of 14 candidates emerged to succeed Inouye. They made their cases to the Hawaii Democratic party. Interestingly, Rep.-elect Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) also appealed for the seat. Gabbard was just elected to succeed Hirono in the House after her move to the Senate. Gabbard won?t be formally seated in the House until January 3rd.

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Of the 14, the Democratic party tapped three finalists: Schatz, Hanabusa and Hawaii?s Deputy Director of Land and Natural Resources Esther Kiaaina.

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It is not clear when the Senate will formally swear-in Schatz. But it could come as early as Thursday. The Senate meets for legislative business at 10 am et Thursday with votes scheduled for 5:30 pm. There has also been speculation that Schatz could catch a ride to Washington aboard Air Force One with President Obama as he returns to Washington after spending Christmas with his family in his home state.

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Hawaii?s four-person Congressional delegation dropped dramatically in seniority over the past few days. Inouye?s death, coupled with the retirement of Akaka and the move by Hirono to succeed him in the Senate, stripped the Aloha state of 95 years of Congressional service. The appointment of Schatz, combined with Hirono?s move to the Senate, the election of Gabbard and the re-election of Hanabusa to the House means Hawaii now has eight years of Congressional service among its four members.

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Interestingly, Schatz will have Senate seniority to Hirono since he will presumably be swornin before she assumes her Senate seat next week.

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Chad Pergram

FOX News

Senior Producer for Capitol Hill


Source: http://gretawire.foxnewsinsider.com/2012/12/26/more-on-senator-inouyes-dying-wish-click-to-read-fncs-chad-pergram-report/

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Obama to cut vacation short to deal with fiscal crisis

HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is cutting short his Hawaiian holiday to leave for Washington on Wednesday to address the unfinished "fiscal cliff" negotiations with Congress, the White House said on Tuesday.

As the clock ticks toward a January 1 deadline, efforts to avert a sharp rise in taxes and deep spending cuts have stalled, worrying world financial markets.

Obama and congressional lawmakers left Washington on Friday for the Christmas holidays with talks to avert the fiscal disaster in limbo.

When Obama arrives back in Washington early on Thursday, the focus will shift to the U.S. Senate after Republicans in the House of Representatives failed to pass their own budget measures last week.

Obama is expected to turn to a trusted Democratic ally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to help craft a quick deal.

White House aides began discussing details of the year-end budget measure with Senate Democratic counterparts early this week, a senior administration official said on Monday

The president will also need at least tacit approval from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell to insure Republicans will permit passage of what is likely to be a stripped down bill that prevents taxes from rising on all Americans.

The measure may not, however, contain difficult spending cuts both parties had sought to speed deficit reduction. It is unclear how the president will seek to address the draconian across-the-board government spending reductions set to go into effect early in the year without a deal.

McConnell, who is up for re-election in 2014, has been a cautious participant in the process. His spokesman has said it was now up to Democrats in the Senate to make the next move.

Once clear of the Senate, the fiscal cliff legislation must also win enough bipartisan support to pass the House of Representatives, which failed last week to approve Speaker John Boehner's proposal to extend tax breaks for all Americans earning less than $1 million a year.

Conservative Republicans balked at any tax increases at all and withdrew support for the measure, which never came to a vote. Some Republican votes will be needed to pass any Senate bill.

BIG DAY THURSDAY

The next session of the Senate is set for Thursday, but the issues presented by the fiscal cliff - across-the-board tax increases and indiscriminate reductions in government spending - were not on the calendar.

The House has nothing on its schedule for the week, but members have been told they could be called back with 48 hours notice, making a Thursday return a theoretical possibility.

Obama and his family arrived in Hawaii early on Saturday and have devoted their time to spending the Christmas holiday together. First Lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters are to remain in Hawaii, suggesting the president hopes to rejoin them if a deal is struck

Before the talks ran into trouble, Obama had originally been expected to stay in Hawaii - where he was born - until well into the first week of January.

But many observers are pessimistic that lawmakers, who have repeatedly come close to agreement only to see negotiations collapse, can wrap up a deal in the few days left before the end-of-year cut-off point.

The impact of a blown deadline would likely be first seen in financial markets, which wobbled last week after House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner's "Plan B" tax and spending effort fell flat.

Obama had offered a deal early last week that would have let tax rates rise for those making more than $400,000 a year, a higher threshold than the $250,000 income level he originally wanted to subject to higher tax rates. However, Boehner was unimpressed with the offer and pursued his alternative instead.

The president appears to have set consideration of fiscal cliff issues aside during his four days in Hawaii. His only public events have been to attend the funeral of long-time Hawaiian Senator Daniel Inouye on Sunday and a Christmas Day visit to soldiers at a Marine Corps base near the vacation home his family is using in Kailua, Hawaii.

He has spent his time with family and friends, with excursions to play golf, exercise, go hiking or to the beach.

(With additional reporting by Jade Eckhardt in Kailua, Hawaii; editing by Alistair Bell and Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-obama-may-return-washington-soon-wednesday-aide-014403713.html

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Scientists sequence genome of pathogen responsible for pneumocystis pneumonia

Dec. 26, 2012 ? Scientists have sequenced the genome of the fungus Pneumocystis jirovecii, an advancement that could help identify new targets for drugs to treat and prevent Pneumocystis pneumonia, a common and often deadly infection in immunocompromised patients. The study will be published on December 26, 2012 in mBio?, the online open-access journal of the American Society for Microbiology. The organism cannot yet be isolated and grown for study in the laboratory, so details about Pneumocystis pneumonia, the biology of P. jirovecii, and its pathogenicity are hard to come by. The genome sequence represents a wealth of new information for doctors and researchers tackling this disease.

Pneumocystis pneumonia is an opportunistic infection that strikes most often in individuals with diminished immune systems. The corresponding author of the study in mBio?, Philippe Hauser of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Vaudois and University of Lausanne, in Switzerland, says the disease gained importance in the 1980s.

"Recognized first among malnourished infants, P. jirovecii pneumonia became a public issue with the advent of the HIV epidemic," says Hauser. Today, the disease most commonly affects HIV-infected persons who are unaware of their status as well as solid organ transplant recipients and patients with hemato-oncologic or autoimmune diseases. Since the organism cannot be grown in the lab for study, researchers have long made do with studying P. jirovecii's lab-friendly relatives, species that infect animals and plants, in order to explore the secrets of the human disease.

"It is obviously better to study [P. jirovecii's] genes rather that those of Pneumocystis species from animal models. The genome has both medical and evolutionary interests for the scientific community," says Hauser.

Under normal circumstances, scientists sequencing the genome of a microorganism simply extract DNA from thick cultures of cells they grow in the lab. Since they were unable to grow P. jirovecii cells for their genomic DNA, Hauser and his colleagues took a different approach. They took a sample of bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from an individual infected with Pneumocystis pneumonia, then concentrated the P. jirovecii cells using immuno-precipitation and created copies of the DNA in the sample using a technique called random DNA amplification. This mixture of DNA strands, from P. jirovecii, human, and other microbes from the lungs of the infected patient, was then sequenced using high throughput technologies.

According to Hauser and his colleagues, the fact that the sequence data represented DNA from many different species created the biggest challenge they faced. "The major challenge of the study was the in silico sorting of the reads out of a mixture representing the human host and different organisms present in the lung microbiome," he says. This challenge was met through a collaboration with Marco Pagni of the Vital-IT group of the SIB Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, who provided indispensable expertise and infrastructure.

Once the sorting task was accomplished, the researchers assembled the sequences into a genome and attempted to identify the functions of P. jirovecii's genes. This is the first time scientists have assembled the genome of a fungus from a mixed pool of DNA from a single source, often called a metagenome. Their analyses reveal a surprising fact: P. jirovecii is a parasite that must live within the human body to survive.

P. jirovecii lacks the genes necessary for creating some of the essential ingredients of life, a hallmark of obligate parasites, organisms that must rely on another creature for sustenance. "It implies that they need their host to provide these molecules. Thus, this has been quite an important finding which implied that human beings represent the reservoir of this pathogen," says Hauser. This is useful information, since it means that people are the only significant source of the organism and that both infected people and healthy carriers represent the only control points for limiting the spread of the disease.

The genome also shows that P. jirovecii apparently lacks the ability to make toxins and virulence factors, molecules that enable a microbe to invade and take advantage of its host. This makes sense, since P. jirovecii does not cause disease in healthy people, but only runs out of control when it is not confronted with an immune response.

In the study of infectious disease, access to the genome of a pathogen provides new information that can be pivotal in combating the diseases is causes. The hope is that the genome of P. jirovecii will lead to new advances in therapies for those suffering from Pneumocystis pneumonia. The current drugs of choice for treating Pneumocystis pneumonia are antifolates, but certain isolates of P. jirovecii have already developed resistance to antifolates, an ability that is very likely to spread. Now that the genome of P. jirovecii is assembled and available to researchers all over the world, scientists can tease out clues about the organism that will help identify targets for some badly needed new drugs.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Society for Microbiology, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/_LiDeWUJJr4/121226080900.htm

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