Thursday, January 31, 2013

Heavyweight Chefs Painter And Serpico Put On A Show For Your ...

Heavyweight Chefs Painter And Serpico Put On A Show For Your Mouth: One Night Only! at Phoodie.info: The New Food And Drink Blog For Philadelphia

All content copyright respective content provider. Philebrity, and Phoodie.info 2012 Philebrity Brands, LLC.

Brought to you by WebLinc. RSS Entries and RSS Comments

Source: http://www.phoodie.info/2013/01/30/heavyweight-chefs-painter-and-serpico-put-on-a-show-for-your-mouth-one-night-only/

the line us soccer bobby brown arrested the happening black panthers mauritania obama open mic

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

UK business travel defies fears of triple-dip recession - www ...

Latest figures show the corporate travel sector defying fears of a fresh downturn in the UK economy.

Guild of Travel Management Company (GTMC) transaction figures for the final quarter of 2012 show a 4% rise in total transactions year on year despite a provisional 0.3% decline in UK GDP during the quarter.

The fourth-quarter?figures left transactions for the year also up 4% despite an economy that appears to have stagnated for more than two and a half years.

GTMC members account for about 80% of UK corporate travel business, completing almost 17.5 million air, hotel, rail and other bookings last year.

Corporate air travel bookings in the final quarter were up 3% following a 4% decline year on year during the previous three months which included the London Olympics.

GTMC chief executive Paul Wait hailed the results as confirming "business travel is still buoyant and deals are being done".

He said: "The GTMC survey proves air travel transactions have remained at a constant level despite the economic performance.

"Business travel should be regarded as an investment and not a cost that is vital to successful company perfomance."

Speaking yesterday ahead of the GTMC annual lunch in London, Wait rebuked companies which have cut back on corporate travel.

He said: "People who have aggressively cut travel have contributed to the UK's poor [economic] performance."

Source: http://www.travelweekly.co.uk/Articles/2013/01/29/42967/uk+business+travel+defies+fears+of+triple-dip+recession.html

Frank Ocean Gay bill clinton andy roddick Costa Rica Earthquake sandra fluke kellie pickler costa rica

AccuWeather Strikes China Deal

AccuWeather International has reached a deal to distribute its weather services in China across digital media and any device with an IP address. As a result of the company?s cross-licensing agreement with Huafeng Innovative Network Technology Co., AccuWeather content will now be available to its device-manufacturing partners in China.

At the same time, Huafeng, a subsidiary of the China Meteorological Administration, will supply weather service products from China to AccuWeather across all digital media.

AccuWeather CEO Barry Lee Myers said the pact would eliminate uncertainty for digital device makers and distributors about who to deal with in relation to weather information from or to China.

Under the deal, weather for China locations requested from anywhere that a user is located globally will first return China-sourced weather information and fill in with AccuWeather data. When a user in China wants to get the weather for locations outside the country, AccuWeather will supply that information.

?We are pleased to conclude this agreement, many years in the making,? stated Myers.

Widespread adoption of smartphones in China, with 240 million sold just last year, has helped drive growing use of weather and other types of apps. According to mobile marketing firm Velti, impressions from weather apps in China were up 613% in 2012.

Source: http://feeds.mediapost.com/~r/online-media-daily/~3/wXmGQI7nsE8/accuweather-strikes-china-deal.html

torrey smith oakland raiders Jessica Lange NFL scores week 3 kat dennings Steve Sabol Yom Kippur 2012

FBI Raids Doctor's Office Suspected Of Providing Prostitutes To Sen. Bob Menendez

Miami Herald:

FBI agents late Tuesday night raided the West Palm Beach business of an eye doctor suspected of providing free trips and even underage Dominican Republic prostitutes to U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. -- who has denied what he calls the "fallacious allegations."

Read the whole story at Miami Herald

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/30/bob-menendez-prostitute-allegation_n_2580557.html

doppler radar colorado rockies moonshine news channel 4 radar weather morosini death jacoby ellsbury

Monday, January 28, 2013

93% Zero Dark Thirty

All Critics (214) | Top Critics (42) | Fresh (200) | Rotten (14)

Chastain makes Maya as vivid as a bloodshot eye. Her porcelain skin, delicate features and feminine attire belie the steel within.

No doubt Zero Dark Thirty serves a function by airing America's dirty laundry about detainee and torture programs, but in its wake, there's a crying need for a compassionate Coming Home to counter its brutal Deer Hunter.

While "Zero Dark Thirty" may offer political and moral arguing points aplenty, as well as vicarious thrills,as a film it's simply too much of a passable thing.

From the very first scenes of Zero Dark Thirty, director Kathryn Bigelow demonstrates why she is such a formidable filmmaker, as adept with human emotion as with visceral, pulse-quickening action.

A timely and important reminder of the agonizing human price of zealotry.

Not only is Zero Dark Thirty one of the year's best movies, it's an inspiring one to share with your daughters. That is, if they're old enough to deal with explicit torture scenes.

Exhilarating cinema that makes you want to forget all the questionable issues of representation that have come before it.

This is a fascinating film, and Chastain's wonderful performance has something in it of the tragic sense of life.

So overwhelming is the momentum that it proves possible to live with the intelligence that the protagonist is complicit in ground-level fascism.

Blistering writing, directing and acting hold us firmly in our seats as this procedural drama snakes its way to a riveting action finale

Terrifically good, propulsive film-making ...

Remarkable and engaging piece of filmmaking considering the outcome of the story is well known. A sign of the times we live in and the processes put in place to wrangle the people that choose to live outside the realm of civility

Not what you'd call crowd-pleasing, this is fascinating - if occasionally harrowing - in its realistic depiction of the intricacies of CIA operations.

Against all the odds, Kathryn Bigelow's powerful story of the hunt is a taut and searing action thriller that keeps you gripped.

A silly, at times despicable film that never remotely deserved an Oscar nomination. Compared with this, Team America: World Police was a think piece.

We get all imaginable views of the witchy pentacle that is covert US military politics.

It haunts and lingers long after the lights go up.

Bigelow has crafted a riveting, entirely convincing procedural that shows us the long, frustrating pursuit of bin Laden through the eyes of Jessica Chastain's dogged CIA agent.

For much of its three hour running time, Zero Dark Thirty moves like a police procedural: it is rigorous, pared-back and analytical.

We all know this story ends but Zero Dark Thirty's finale is still gripping and action-packed.

It's an effective thriller - uninterested in anyone other than the home team.

A step by step depiction of what went into the hunt for and discovery of Osama bin Laden. The characters are surface view only.

In Kathryn Bigelow's masterful thriller, the manhunt for Osama bin Laden is the ultimate no-win scenario: a battle neither side can afford to lose with a prize that may not be worth the fight.

A riveting, gut-churningly tense and eye-opening window into the brutal and bloody world of post-9/11 intelligence gathering ...

It's stylishly filmed and carried by a strong cast.

Kathryn Bigelow's Oscar-nominated follow-up to The Hurt Locker is a gripping, sharply written and subtly provocative thriller, anchored by a terrific central performance from Jessica Chastain.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/zero_dark_thirty/

cars Bacon Number Kate Middleton photos Chi Magazine Kate Middleton Nude Photos glee glee

Chinese anti-corruption drive nets Politburo member - paper

BEIJING (Reuters) - A senior Chinese official is under investigation, a Hong Kong newspaper reported at the weekend, in a case that could represent the first time a national political figure has been netted in China's anti-corruption drive.

Li Jianguo, a member of the country's elite Politburo and the vice chairman of the national rubber-stamp legislature, has not been charged with any offence.

The Hong Kong-based Ming Pao newspaper however reported that Li had checked into a Beijing military hospital due to "psychological stress" from the investigation.

A call to the National People's Congress news department was not answered on Sunday.

If charges do result, Li would be the highest-ranking official snagged in an anti-corruption drive launched by the new party leadership.

Earlier this month, the new head of China's ruling communist party, Xi Jinping, said anti-corruption efforts should target low-ranking "flies" as well as powerful "tigers".

Not all corruption investigations result in charges, and officials rumored to be under investigation often reappear in public in a sign that their case has been cleared.

Li, who is not a widely known political figure, was formerly secretary to Li Ruihuan, a powerful official throughout the 1990s. He is considered close to the Communist Youth League, the power base for outgoing Chinese president Hu Jintao, and was only named to the Politburo in November.

He spent many years as party secretary of Shaanxi Province before a brief stint as party secretary of Shandong Province.

If charged, Li would be only the fourth member of the Politburo, a powerful grouping of only 25 senior Party members, to be toppled in a corruption scandal since 1995.

The anti-corruption drive has so far implicated mostly regional officials, including the deputy party boss of Sichuan Province, Li Chuncheng, who had for many years overseen development of the province's prosperous capital, Chengdu.

A construction magnate has also been detained in that case.

Li is a common family name in China, and the three Lis are unrelated.

(Reporting By Benjamin Kang Lim and Lucy Hornby; Editing by Paul Tait)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chinese-anti-corruption-drive-nets-politburo-member-paper-060445455.html

Santa Claus Feliz Navidad Netflix down Ryan Freel Melissa Nelson sound of music foot locker

'Fruitvale,' 'Blood Brothers' win at Sundance

By Reuters

PARK CITY, Utah -- Drama film "Fruitvale" and documentary "Blood Brothers" won the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival on Saturday, giving them a big boost to reach independent movie audiences this year.

George Frey / EPA

Director Ryan Coogler wins the audience award for dramatic film for "Fruitvale" at the awards ceremony at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 26.

"Fruitvale," starring Octavia Spencer and Michael B. Jordan and directed by 26-year-old, first-time filmmaker Ryan Coogler," picked up the U.S. drama jury and audience awards for its "moral and social urgency."

The film is based on the true story of 22-year-old Oscar Grant, who was killed by police in Oakland, Calif., on New Year's Eve in 2008 and whose death sparked riots against police brutality. Movie studio The Weinstein Company purchased distribution rights for the film.

"This film had a profound impact on the audience that saw it ... this award goes out to my home in the Bay Area where Oscar Grant breathed, slept, loved, had fun and survived for 22 years," Coogler said in his acceptance speech.

Oscar-winning documentarian Davis Guggenheim awarded the U.S. documentary jury prize to "Blood Brothers," saying it shook the voting panel to their core.

The documentary follows an American man who moves to Africa and works with children suffering from HIV at an orphanage, and through his work, the children gain a voice.

George Frey / EPA

Director Steve Hoover accepts the award for best documentary for the film "Blood Brothers" at the Sundance Film Festival.

"It is so encouraging for the kids ... their lives are so encouraging, and they die and no one remembers their name ... To take their story so that everyone sees it, it's so awesome," director Steve Hoover said."

Young actress Shailene Woodley, praised for her performance in "The Descendants" last year, and her co-star Miles Teller won the Special Jury acting prize in "The Spectacular Now."

Actress Lake Bell, who made her directorial debut in the U.S. drama category with quirky comedy "In A World," picked up the drama screenwriting award.

Hosted by actor Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who premiered his raunchy directorial debut "Don Jon's Addiction" this year, the Sundance Film Festival Awards pick winners at the top gathering for independent movies made outside of Hollywood's major studios.

"Sundance is a community of people of filmmakers and film lovers who all believe together that there's more to movies than glitz and glamour and money and the box office. In Hollywood, you can feel like a freak if you talk about movies as art, and here, you don't have that," Gordon-Levitt said.

World cinema winners
The Sundance Film Festival, now in its 35th year, is backed by Robert Redford's Sundance Institute. The 10-day gathering of the independent film industry is held in snowy Park City, Utah.

In previous years, films that win the top prizes at the Sundance Film Festival often go on to achieve Hollywood awards success as well.

Last year, mythological drama "Beasts of the Southern Wild" won the top prize at Sundance and is now nominated for four Oscars in major categories.

The award winners are voted for by special juries of industry professionals and by the audience for the audience favorite awards.

Victoria Will / AP

In the world cinema categories, South Korean drama "Jiseul" picked up the grand jury drama prize. The film, directed by Muel O, follows the residents of a small town who were forced to hide in a cave for 60 days after the military attacked their village.

Cambodian documentary "A River Changes Course," about three young Cambodians struggling with adversity in a country ravaged by war and debt, picked up the world cinema grand jury award.

"Events like these really bring our communities together to share in the beauty of the world and the beauty of our future," director Kalyanee Mam said.

"Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer," which follows the story of three members of a Russian feminist punk band jailed for performing a "punk prayer" in a Russian Orthodox church, picked up special jury prize in the world documentary category.

Co-director Mike Lerner said the three members of the band had "started a feminist revolution that we hope will continue around the world."

List of winners at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival:

U.S. DRAMA FILMS

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Fruitvale"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Fruitvale"
Directing - Jill Soloway, "Afternoon Delight"
Screenwriting - Lake Bell, "In A World"
Cinematography - Bradford Young, "Ain't Them Bodies Saints" and "Mother of George"
Special Jury Prize, ensemble acting - Miles Teller, Shailene Woodley, "The Spectacular Now"
Special Jury Prize, sound design - Shane Carruth, Johnny Marshall, "Upstream Color"

U.S. DOCUMENTARY FILMS

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "Blood Brother"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "Blood Brother"
Directing - Zachary Heinzerling, "Cutie and the Boxer"
Editing - Matthew Hamachek, "Gideon's Army"
Cinematography - Richard Rowley, "Dirty Wars"
Special Jury Prize - "Inequality for All" (tied), "American Promise" (tied)

WORLD CINEMA, DRAMA

Best Film, Jury Prize - "Jiseul"
Best Film, Audience Award - "Metro Manila"
Directing - "Crystal Fairy," Sebastian Silva
Screenwriting - "Wajma," Barmak Akram
Cinematography - "Lasting (Nieulotne)," Michal Englert
Special Jury Prize, artistic vision - "Circles"

WORLD CINEMA, DOCUMENTARY

Best Documentary, Jury Prize - "A River Changes Course"
Best Documentary, Audience Award - "The Square"
Directing - Tinatin Gurchiani, "The Machine Which Makes Everything Disappear"
Editing - Ben Stark, "The Summit"
Cinematography - Marc Silver, "Who is Dayani Cristal?"
Special Jury Prize, film - "Pussy Riot: A Punk Prayer"

OTHER AWARDS

Shorts, Jury Prize - "The Whistle," Grzegorz Zariczny
Shorts, Audience Award - "Catnip: Egress To Oblivion," Jason Willis

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/27/16725018-fruitvale-blood-brothers-win-top-awards-at-sundance?lite

BCS Standings 2012 carrie underwood American Music Awards 2012 oregon ducks oregon ducks rob gronkowski Coughing

Sunday, January 27, 2013

Sepia Saturday: shops and genealogy mazes | Family history across ...

sepia saturday 26 JanDaniel (38) and Winifred O?Brien arrived in Queensland on board the Florentia on 29 April 1853. Accompanying them on the voyage were their children Mary 18, Ellen 16, Denis 13, Sarah 12, Hanora 9 and Daniel 2. The family came from Tipperary and on the immigration lists Daniel stated his parents were Denis and Mary O?Brien (mother still alive) and his wife?s parents were Thomas and Ellen Carter (both dead). Daniel apparently went on to become a blacksmith near the current Amberley airforce runway. This photo of his shop, with staff, and possibly family standing outside, is reminiscent of this week?s Sepia Saturday theme. The photo has been digitised by Picture Ipswich.

Ipswich Library &​ Information Service, Ipswich City Council, 1860-1869oai:picture.ipswich.qld.gov.au:8704

Ipswich Library &? Information Service, Ipswich City Council, 1860-1869 ??oai:picture.ipswich.qld.gov.au:8704

An Ancestry family tree indicates that Daniel was born c1801 at Bishopswood near Dundrum, Tipperary. This is a slightly longer distance from Limerick than my O?Brien?s home in Ballykelly near Broadford, Co Clare. From time to time, I?ve wondered if my Mary O?Brien Kunkel somehow emigrated with the Daniel O?Brien family, but this remains conjecture or fantasy rather than fact. Daniel and Winifred?s daughter, Ellen O?Brien, married a John Collins and son Daniel married Anne Brennan from Maitland. There is nothing whatsoever to suggest that this family is any way connected to my O?Brien family from County Clare?BUT?

So why do I say ?BUT?? Well there are a number of connections between my O?Brien-Kunkel family and this family.

Daniel O'Brien /Picture Ipswich/People/Families/ARCHIVE/qips-2010-10-24-0003p.jpg

Daniel O?Brien /Picture Ipswich/People/Families/ARCHIVE/qips-2010-10-24-0003p.jpg

I believe it?s likely that the Sarah O?Brien who witnesses George Kunkel?s and Mary O?Brien?s marriage in Ipswich Queensland in 1857 is the daughter listed above, although I have no strong evidence that she?s the right one, rather perhaps than any other.

The link to one sister is stronger however. Sarah?s sister, Mary O?Brien, married a James McGrath and this couple witnessed the baptism of the Kunkel?s second child, Joseph.

So is there a relationship connection between my Mary O?Brien from Co Clare to the Daniel O?Brien family? Unfortunately I just can?t say.

Winifred O'Brien nee Carter. Picture Ipswich/People/Families/ARCHIVE/qips-2010-10-24-0002p.jpg

Winifred O?Brien nee Carter. Picture Ipswich/People/Families/ARCHIVE/qips-2010-10-24-0002p.jpg

There?s yet more confusion to add to this O?Brien maze because a Kate O?Brien witnesses the baptisms of the Kunkel daughters Mary Ellen and Elizabeth (later known as Louisa). ?Is Kate a ?ring-in? or is she really my Mary?s sister, who oral history says came with her older sisters Bridget and Mary? If she was a sister, and they arrived together, surely she would have witnessed Mary?s marriage as well? I?d previously discounted this because of no clear links, because Kate marries in Sydney in 1871. Would she have waited that long if she?d arrived in Moreton Bay circa 1855? She?d have been quite young, about 14, on arrival but that?s far from impossible too.

Just to add to the confusion, there?s yet another O?Brien strand to add to the mix. Bridget O?Brien, daughter of Patrick O?Brien and Mary Latchford of Limerick appears regularly in my Kunkel-O?Brien history. Bridget married a Robert Mullen and one of the witnesses to the wedding was my George Kunkel. Bridget?s husband Robert then witnesses Mary Ellen and Louisa Kunkel?s baptisms (together with Kate above). Bridget is later the sponsor at the baptism of Bridget Catherine Kunkel. My Mary O?Brien Kunkel is in turn the sponsor at the baptism of baby Mary Alice Mullen who dies in 1865. My working hypothesis is that Robert Mullen may also worked on the development of the railway line to Toowoomba. The families appear to have remained in contact over the decades as evidenced by the loan of a wedding gown by their daughter to Mary O?Brien Kunkel?s granddaughter. Robert Mullen died within a year of his old friend George Kunkel on 7 July 1915.

This interwoven story comprises several O?Brien strands:

Strand 1: My Mary O?Brien from Ballykelly near Broadford, County Clare

Strand 2: Sarah O?Brien who witnesses the Kunkel-O?Brien marriage ?is she a relation of my Mary?s? Daughter of Daniel and Winifred? Or someone else altogether?

Strand 3: Kate O?Brien who witnesses baptisms (a relation or a friend?)

Strand 4: Bridget O?Brien married to Robert Mullen who we know is not obviously related to any of these families. However the Mullen family continues their links with the Kunkels over many years.

Strand 5: Mary O?Brien, daughter of Daniel and Winifred, who married James McGrath and who witnesses the Kunkels? second child?s baptism.

This is something of a muddled link to the theme of shop and staff for this week?s Sepia Saturday, but it does show the importance and complexity of FANs (friends/family, Associates, Neighbours) in relation to our family history. Maybe something will come of this post to make the connections less ambiguous.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://cassmob.wordpress.com/2013/01/27/sepia-saturday-shops-and-genealogy-mazes/

army wives 60 minutes go daddy Tom Kenny Long Island Medium Alfonso Ribeiro cbs sports

After 2012 defeat, GOP trying to change electoral rules in some states (CNN)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/279561562?client_source=feed&format=rss

starship troopers starship troopers cruise ship italy patriots broncos game saints willis mcgahee willis mcgahee

Saturday, January 26, 2013

The MPAA Is Lobbying For an Army of Hollywood Drones. Wait. What?

You might not imagine the MPAA as a particularly drone-happy group, but new documents reveal that the actively lobbying the federal government for UAV drone use in domestic space. No, they aren't building an army to track down pirates; they just want filmmakers to be able to shoot with them. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/eFZ_LvOYuBY/the-mpaa-is-lobbying-for-an-army-of-hollywood-drones-wait-what

jessica sanchez robert kennedy cardinals san diego weather frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto

Phoenix elementary schoolers rally around be a STAR

PHOENIX ??WWE Superstars and Divas spread the be a STAR anti-bullying message to more than 150 students at Herrera Elementary School Thursday. (PHOTOS)

Ted DiBiase, Brodus Clay, Cameron, Naomi and Josh Mathews led the rally, which took place just days before WWE?s Royal Rumble hits Phoenix?s US Airways Center. After a welcome by Herrera Elementary School counselor Julia Hubbard and a Public Official, the seventh- and eighth-graders listened to the Superstars? and Divas? personal messages about how they?ve been affected by bullying.

They explained the different forms of bullying, such as cyber, physical and verbal, and encouraged the students to be a STAR by not being bystanders and standing up to bullies and telling a parent, teacher or guardian when they?re having issues with bullies. They also spoke about using the Internet and social media as a way to send positive, respectful messages.

Finally, the Superstars and Divas led the Herrera Elementary School students in a rousing rendition of the ?be a STAR chant.?

One out of every four children is bullied, and a child is bullied every seven minutes, whether it?s cyber, physical or verbal. Through WWE and The Creative Coalition?s campaign, children around the globe are encouraged to ?be a STAR: Show Tolerance And Respect.?

For more than a year and a half, WWE Superstars and Divas have visited more than 40 schools to spread the be a STAR message, affecting 20,000-plus children! This is in addition to the 25,000 people who have taken the be a STAR pledge online at beastaralliance.org.

Be a STAR is made up of more than 50 alliance partners including Scholastic Inc., YMCA of America, Girl Scouts of America, GLAAD, RAINN and STOMP Out Bullying. For more information, visit?beastaralliance.org, the?be a STAR Facebook page and on Twitter @beastaralliance. Also, log on to?beastaralliance.org to take the official be a STAR pledge and to download a free be a STAR teacher?s aide and be a STAR toolkit to start your own local chapter.

View Comments

Source: http://www.wwe.com/inside/overtheropes/wweinyourcorner/be-a-star-phoenix-rally

chardon sean young juan pablo montoya free pancakes at ihop martina navratilova high school shooting daytona 500

Friday, January 25, 2013

Elusive giant squid is still a deep mystery

The recent unprecedented video footage of a giant squid filmed in its deep ocean habitat has renewed interest in the enormous ? and yet still mysterious ? species.

It's believed that giant squid (genus Architeuthis) can grow up to 55 feet long. The individual captured on video via a small submarine located in the North Pacific Ocean was about 30 feet long and silver and gold in color, marine biologist Edie Widder, who helped to shoot the footage, said. Her colleague Tsunemi Kubodera added that the squid was missing its two longest tentacles.

Cephalopod experts are intrigued by the world record footage.

PHOTOS: Sea Monsters Real and Imagined

"It was really thrilling to see the press releases concerning the filming of a living giant squid with a manned submersible," William Gilly, a professor of biology at Stanford University and the Hopkins Marine Station, told Discovery News.

  1. Science news from NBCNews.com

    1. Winter's big chill means fewer summer bugs

      As the bitter cold in the northeastern United States keeps even hardy New Hampshire skiers off the slopes, there?s at least one potential upside to the cold snap: fewer mosquitoes come summer, according to an entomologist riding out the cold in upstate New York.

    2. Brains vs. immunity: Genes hint at tug of war
    3. Study: Fracking wastewater could be too much
    4. Shrinking proton: Particle is smaller than thought

Gilly previously examined a 7-foot-long giant squid that weighed 300 pounds. It was found floating dead in Monterey Bay, Calif.

"It was missing the tentacles and its stomach had been removed through a hole in its body," he said. "Something strange must like to eat those parts, I guess!"

He also noted that the color-changing system, which functions using organelles called chromatophores that contain pigment and reflect light, was present very deep inside the giant squid's body cavity. In smaller species, this system is arranged only on the body?s outer surface.

In recent months, researchers have also learned more about giant squid eyes. The diameter of these eyes measures two to three times that of any other animal.

Dan-Eric Nilsson of Lund University determined that giant squid eyes measure 10 inches, making them about the same size as a large dinner plate. Big is optimal for sight in deep-water environments.

"For seeing in dim light, a large eye is better than a small eye, simply because it picks up more light," Nilsson said, explaining that the light isn?t from the sun, but rather from bioluminescence emitted by other deep sea species, such as huge and hungry sperm whales.

This bioluminescence, he explained, is ?light produced by small gelatinous animals when they are disturbed by the whale moving through the water. It is well known that bioluminescence can reveal submarines at night, and diving sperm whales will become visible for the same reason."

Bioluminescence even played a key role during the recent filming in about 3,000 feet of water near Japan. Widder, Kubodera and their crew used a lure that mimicked the bioluminescent display of jellyfish in order to attract the giant squid?s attention.

News: Giant squid filmed in Pacific depths

Despite the footage and other recent research, there are still more questions than answers about giant squid.

Gilly, for example, mentioned that the following questions remain: What are their daily behavior patterns? Do they rise toward the surface at night like many other large oceanic squid, or do they remain deep all the time? How can they tolerate the very low oxygen levels at great depths? How rapidly can they swim? What do they eat, and how do they catch prey with their very long tentacles? How many of them are there in any one place? Do they travel in groups like other squid? If so, do they show group behaviors associated with hunting, mating or defense? How big and old can they get?

"These questions can, at least in theory, be answered by existing technologies, including manned and remotely-operated submersibles for filming," he said.

He added that another important tool could be video and archival electronic tags for filming interactions with other animals, monitoring swimming activity, recording migration patterns, and documenting environmental parameters ? such as temperature, depth, light and oxygen ? as the squid moves up and down in the water column.

Such tags are programmed to release at a certain time, permitting researchers to non-invasively study the collected data. Gilly and his colleagues are using these techniques to monitor large Humboldt squid in the Gulf of California and off the Pacific coast from Baja California to Canada. No one, though, has yet been able to successfully capture and tag a giant squid for release back into its habitat.

Gilly said Kubodera might be the one, in the future, to solve this problem. In the meantime, Gilly plans "to wait until Jan. 27 like everyone else" to see the rare giant squid footage.

Discovery Channel's Monster Squid: The Giant Is Real, premieres on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 10/9c as the season finale of Curiosity.

? 2012 Discovery Channel

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50588848/ns/technology_and_science-science/

chip kelly Lena Dunham NRA Golden Globes 2013 Anna Kendrick Sandy Hook conspiracy Stuart Scott

Lightning linked to onset of headache, migraines

Jan. 24, 2013 ? University of Cincinnati (UC) researchers have found that lightning may affect the onset of headache and migraines.

These results, published in the Jan. 24, 2013 online edition of the journal Cephalalgia, are the first tying lightning to headache and could help chronic sufferers more efficiently anticipate headache and migraine arrival and begin preventive treatment immediately.

Geoffrey Martin, fourth-year medical student at UC, and his father Vincent Martin, MD, professor in the division of general internal medicine, UC Health physician and headache expert, led the study which showed that there was a 31 percent increased risk of headache and 28 percent increased risk of migraine for chronic headache sufferers on days lighting struck within 25 miles of study participant's homes.

In addition, new-onset headache and migraine increased by 24 percent and 23 percent in participants.

"Many studies show conflicting findings on how weather, including elements like barometric pressure and humidity, affect the onset of headaches," Geoffrey Martin says. "However, this study very clearly shows a correlation between lightning, associated meteorological factors and headaches."

Participants who fulfilled the criteria for International Headache Society-defined migraines were recruited from sites located in Ohio and Missouri and recorded their headache activity in a daily journal for three to six months.

During this time, the location where lightning struck within 25 miles of participant's homes as well as the magnitude and polarity of lightning current was recorded.

"We used mathematical models to determine if the lightning itself was the cause of the increased frequency of headaches or whether it could be attributed to other weather factors encountered with thunderstorms," says Vincent Martin. "Our results found a 19 percent increased risk for headaches on lightning days, even after accounting for these weather factors. This suggests that lightning has its own unique effect on headache."

He says that negatively charged lightning currents were also particularly associated with a higher chance of headache.

"There are a number of ways in which lightning might trigger headaches," he says. "Electromagnetic waves emitted from lightning could trigger headaches. In addition, lightning produces increases in air pollutants like ozone and can cause release of fungal spores that might lead to migraine."

"This study gives some insight into the tie between headaches or migraines, lightning and other meteorologic factors," says Geoffrey Martin. "However, the exact mechanisms through which lightning and/or its associated meteorologic factors trigger headache are unknown, although we do have speculations. Ultimately, the effect of weather on headache is complex, and future studies will be needed to define more precisely the role of lightning and thunderstorms on headache."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:


Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Cincinnati Academic Health Center.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Geoffrey V Martin, Timothy Houle, Robert Nicholson, Albert Peterlin, and Vincent T Martin. Lightning and its association with the frequency of headache in migraineurs: An observational cohort study. Cephalalgia, January 24, 2013 DOI: 10.1177/0333102412474502

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/strange_science/~3/g0sFarBEE2w/130124123315.htm

andrew luck trent richardson robert griffin iii dontari poe space shuttle nyc monkeypox nick perry

Neo Geo X production allegedly discontinued, additional carts to be released as planned

Neo Geo X production allegedly discontinued, additional carts to be released as planned

The Neo Geo X was the subject of so much talk and so many renders, we thought it was destined to be vaporware. We were proved wrong and it was released in December, but if Japanese site Gamer is correct, production of the retro handheld-come-console has been discontinued. Apparently, this isn't due to affect the release of cartridges intended to bring additional titles to the platform -- although not all owners are in need of more games. We reached out for confirmation, and although Neo Geo's PR folks were unable to comment on the rumor, they did invite us to get hold of them tomorrow when they'll have more info to share.

Filed under: ,

Comments

Via: Joystiq

Source: Gamer

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/Wxi4x_veEBA/

the pitch brandon inge freedom tower freedom tower eric church world trade center quick silver

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Big crowd, high spirits for 2nd Obama swearing-in

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Declaring "our work begins today", President Barack Obama vowed to "finish what we started" four years ago as hundreds of thousands of inauguration-goers gathered on the historic National Mall in anticipation of his oath-taking for a second term.

"Let's go," Obama tweeted Monday morning as he began the day of inaugural celebrations.

The president was cheered in the streets as his motorcade slowly made its way down Pennsylvania Avenue from the White House and arrived at the Capitol. At midday, he was to speak to a huge crowd on the Mall and millions more watching on television, hoping to set an optimistic tone for a divided nation seeking solutions to economic woes at home and conflict overseas.

The fanfare is extending across the nation's capital, including the traditional inaugural parade and a pair of glitzy formal balls.

Obama, along with his family and Vice President Joe Biden, began his day with a church service at St. John's Episcopal Church. Known as "The Church of the Presidents", St. John's is located just across from the White House on the other side of Lafayette Park. Pew 54 is known as "the president's pew" and is reserved for the commander in chief whenever he attends.

The centerpiece of Monday's festivities is Obama's inaugural address. The president will be urging lawmakers to find common ground and will preview his second-term goals, including immigration reform, stricter gun-control laws and an end to the war in Afghanistan.

Obama is also facing fresh concerns about terrorism in North Africa. In the midst of the inaugural celebrations, a U.S. official said two more Americans died in Algeria, bringing the U.S. death toll from a four-day siege at a natural gas plant to three. Seven Americans survived, the official said.

Washington largely shelved its partisan fighting for the three days of inaugural celebrations. Obama, perhaps seeking to start fresh with lawmakers in his second term, invited several members of Congress to the White House before his swearing-in, including the Republican leaders he has been at odds with for the past four years: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner and House Majority Leader Eric Cantor.

Pressing matters await the president and Congress once the celebrations subside, including three looming fiscal deadlines. Obama will also need help from a reluctant Congress if he hopes to fulfill his promise to sign comprehensive immigration reform and tighten gun laws in the wake of last month's school shooting in Newtown, Conn.

The mood surrounding Obama's second inaugural is more subdued than it was four years ago, when the swearing in of the nation's first black president drew 1.8 million people to the Mall. Still, organizers were expecting up to 700,000 to attend Monday's events, which would make it the largest second-term inaugural in history.

At least one public viewing area on the National Mall was full two hours before the president's swearing-in, and the crowd spread from the Capitol to the Washington Monument.

The weather forecast was encouraging, to a point. High temperatures were predicted for the lower 40s during the day, with a slight chance of rain and snow showers in the afternoon and flurries later.

Security was tight across Washington, with several streets near the White House and Capitol Hill closed off. Humvees and city buses were being used to block intersections. Volunteers fanned out near the Mall to help direct the crowds.

Lawmakers and other officials slowly trickled onto the platform on the West Front of the Capitol where Obama was to be sworn in. Former Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle and former GOP House Speaker Newt Gingrich sat next to each other on the folding chairs as they awaited the festivities.

David Richardson of Atlanta and his two young children were among the early crowds heading to the National Mall Monday even before sunrise.

"We wanted to see history, I think, and also for the children to witness that anything is possible through hard work," Richardson said.

Wendy Davis of Rome, Ga., was one of thousands of inaugural attendees who packed Metro trains before sunrise headed for the Capitol and parade route. Davis came four years ago as well but was among the many ticketholders who couldn't get in because of the massive crowds. She was determined to get in this time.

"I thought I was early last time but I obviously wasn't early enough," she said.

By 8 a.m. thousands of people were also waiting in security lines that stretched a block to gain access to the spots along the parade route that were accessible to the general public without a special ticket.

The cold weather was easily tolerated by Marie-France Lemaine of Montreal, who received the trip to the inaugural as a birthday present from her husband. She headed up an Obama advocacy group in Quebec that cheered on the president from north of the border.

"The American president affects the rest of the world," she said.

The president was officially sworn-in shortly before noon on Sunday, in keeping with the Constitution's mandate that presidents begin their new term on Jan. 20. But because inaugural ceremonies are historically not held on Sundays, the public celebration was pushed to Monday, coinciding with the birthday of late civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.

Condoleezza Rice, who served as secretary of state under former President George W. Bush, called on Obama to put electoral politics aside in his second term if he hopes to accomplish those objectives.

"It requires now a kind of humility and a reaching across the aisle," Rice said on CBS "This Morning. "And reaching across the aisle, by the way, means reaching out to Americans who may not have voted for him."

Following his swearing-in, Obama will attend the traditional luncheon with lawmakers before joining marching bands and floats in the inaugural parade, which winds its way from Capitol Hill to the White House.

The president and first lady will then slip into formalwear for two swanky inaugural balls. That's far fewer than the 10 they attended after the 2009 inauguration, though this year's events are still expected to draw up to about 40,000 people.

The centerpiece of Monday's activities was Obama's inaugural address. Aides said he would make the case that the nation's founding values can still guide the country through changing times. He is not expected to outline specifically policy proposals, saving them instead for his Feb. 12 State of the Union address.

Some Americans, weary after four years of shaky economic news, implored Obama to focus on patriotism, not politics, in his remarks.

"I'm just hoping for a nice eloquent speech that makes people feel good about being an American," said Sean Payton, a 32-year-old Democrat from Highland Ranch, Colo.

Monday's celebrations bring to a close three days of inaugural fanfare across Washington, including a day of service, a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery, and a concert honoring military families.

The quirk in the calendar meant Obama would end up being sworn in for his second term twice. Sunday's ceremony was an intimate gathering at the White House, with only a dozen family members on hand to witness Chief Justice John Roberts administer the oath of office.

Obama placed his hand on a Bible used for years by Michelle Obama's family. On Monday, he'll take the oath using two ? one owned by King and one by Abraham Lincoln.

Vice President Joe Biden was also to be sworn in for the second term a second time Monday. Biden took the oath of office Sunday at the Naval Observatory in northwest Washington. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, appointed by Obama as the first Hispanic to serve on the Supreme Court, administered the oath to Biden, who placed his hand on a Bible his family has used since 1893.

Ahead of his swearing-in Sunday, Obama, along with Vice President Joe Biden, solemnly honored the nation's fallen soldiers during a wreath-laying ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery. On a crisp, sun-splashed morning, Obama and Biden placed a large wreath adorned with red, white and blue ribbon, in front of Arlington's Tomb of the Unknowns. Holding their hands over their hearts, the two leaders stood motionless as a bugler played taps.

___

Associated Press writers Darlene Superville, Matt Barakat, Alan Fram, Donna Cassata, Jim Kuhnhenn and Mary Clare Jalonick contributed to this report.

___

Follow Julie Pace at http://twitter.com/jpaceDC

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/big-crowd-high-spirits-2nd-obama-swearing-153950715--politics.html

world peace lakers colorectal cancer metta kashi neil diamond orange crush harden

PPC Basics for Startup Web Workers - Website Magazine


PPC has seen its ups and downs in its long history, but it is surprising (at least to me) how few Web businesses engage in the advertising practice - despite hearing success story after success story.

Perhaps the problem is not in the associated costs (although average bid prices are increasing) or in the complexity (platforms exist that help advertisers more efficiently manage their campaigns) but rather that advertisers are unlikely very familiar with the practice at all. That's an easy fix.

What is PPC?

Pay per click (PPC - also called cost per click) is an Internet advertising model that is used by advertisers to direct traffic to their websites. Essentially, advertisers pay the publisher (typically a network serves as the intermediary in this relationship) when the ad is clicked.

Where to PPC Advertise?

PPC advertising opportunities are numerous, but for the purpose of this discussion consider the vendor landscape as one made of up tiers - the first tier consisting of Google (Adwords) and Bing (Bing Ads). It's where a majority of your budget will likely fall, at least initially.?There are numerous second-tier networks as well, those which are pure-play PPC ad networks including 7Search and others. Then, there are third-tier networks, which provide some PPC element to their advertising mix - Kayak.com and others serve as good examples.

PPC Advertising Benefits

Regardless of the network tier you choose or the individual PPC vendor, there are numerous benefits of advertising in a PPC model - namely that it is the most measurable of all online marketing channels - but that's not all. Advertisers have more control over campaigns (reach, cost, etc.) and the results - once campaigns are live - are nearly instantaneous. The downside of PPC, however, is that without an aggressive, informed and active presence in the networks chosen, it's easy to waste money.

PPC Advertising Basics

There are, of course, several basics that Web advertisers must address in relation to their campaign. If you're not abiding by these basics, you'll likely find that your enterprise is wasting more ad dollars than is resulting in a positive return on ad spend:

- Conversion Tracking: Be it a purchase, a sign-up or even viewing a contact form page, conversion tracking is essential to PPC success as it indicates which combination of keyword/campaign and landing page are driving response and which are driving response that results in conversion. Start by identifying what you consider a conversion, and then ensure that the proper tracking mechanism is in place.

- Establish Performance Indicators: Before the user traffic starts arriving, make sure that high-level performance indicators are in place. By tracking interaction from ads on their own website (available only when conversion tracking is in place), ad campaigns will reveal several interesting indicators of performance. For example, set a monthly budget (and if you go over, then you're likely wasting resources), set a conversion target (fall beneath the target and you'll need to optimize the PPC landing page users are being directed to) or a cost per user acquisition.

- Grow & Prune Keyword Lists: Internet retailers are not obligated to use any search term in their campaigns. The reason to track everything related to keywords in your campaign is to find out what's working and what's not. Just like you wouldn't keep an employee around that wasn't working hard enough (or worse, not working at all), any terms or phrases that don't result in some conversion (over time) should be removed without haste.

- Quality Ad Listings: The tier-one networks (namely Google) are well known for the features and attributes they provide to advertisers to help them stand out on the search results pages. From the creative use of copy to the inclusion of additional data layers (e.g. including seller ratings through Adwords), there are numerous opportunities to stand out to prospective buyers.

- Landing Page Paradox: Where users are sent from your ad (the landing page) is of immense important to PPC ad campaigns. Make sure that landing pages are exactly what prospective buyers are looking for, that they tell the story well, and represent the brand being promoted perfectly.

Source: http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2013/01/21/ppc-basics-for-web-workers.aspx

burger king delivery etta james at last john king obama sings al green heidi klum and seal ohare airport etta james songs

Brian Gay wins Humana Challenge

LA QUINTA, Calif. (AP) ? Brian Gay won the Humana Challenge on Sunday for his fourth PGA Tour title, beating Charles Howell III with a 5 1/2-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a playoff.

Gay closed with a 9-under 63 on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course to match Howell and Swedish rookie David Lingmerth at 25-under 263.

Howell shot a 64, and Lingmerth had a 62. Scott Stallings, five strokes ahead entering the round, bogeyed the final hole for a 70 to miss the playoff by a stroke.

Gay and Howell opened the playoff with birdies on the par-5 18th, and Lingmerth dropped out with a bogey after hitting his approach into the left-side water. Gay won on the par-4 10th, hitting a perfect drive and putting his 145-yard second shot in good position below the hole. Howell drove into the right rough, hit his second into the back bunker, blasted out to 15 feet and two-putted for bogey.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brian-gay-wins-humana-challenge-010030886--spt.html

luke bryan NBA jfk airport faith hill metro north Breezy Point Seaside Heights

Pats lead Ravens 3-0 midway through first quarter

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) ? Stephen Gostkowski kicked a 31-yard field goal on New England's second series to give the Patriots a 3-0 lead over the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC championship game Sunday.

The kick with 6:21 left in the first quarter capped a 13-play, 67-yard drive on which Tom Brady completed five of seven passes for 55 yards.

Both teams punted on their first possession before the Patriots began their scoring drive at their 21-yard line after a 50-yard punt by Sam Koch.

The Patriots began the series with Brady's 8-yard completion to Brandon Lloyd. The pair teamed up for three completions, gaining 37 yards, on the drive.

A win Sunday would send the Ravens (12-6) to the Super Bowl for the second time and extend the 17-year career of linebacker Ray Lewis, who has said he will retire after the season.

A victory would put the Patriots (13-4) in their eighth Super Bowl, tying the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers for the most all time, and Brady in his sixth.

It would be the Patriots' second straight appearance in the NFL title game and third in six years.

The Patriots played without tight end Rob Gronkowski, who broke his left arm a week earlier in their 41-28 divisional win over the Houston Texans.

The winner of the game plays the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pats-lead-ravens-3-0-midway-first-quarter-001113056--spt.html

nicollette sheridan apple dividend snow white and the huntsman snow white and the huntsman rupaul drag race walking dead comic kratom

Monday, January 21, 2013

Fifty Shades of Grey: Sex Industry Juggernaut!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/fifty-shades-of-grey-sex-industry-catalyst/

London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky Nadia Comaneci Rebecca Soni

Boeing Battery Investigation Complications - Business Insider

While?Boeing?hurries to find what caused lithium ion batteries in its Dreamliner jets to catch fire, and get back in the air after being grounded last week,?a new report from?The National Transportation Safety Board may complicate things.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the organization took the unusual step of releasing a report early Sunday morning that finds two separate battery fires were caused by different issues.

Investigators looking into a battery malfunction on a Nippon Airlines flight on January 15th found that the battery may have been overcharged, causing the fire that forced an emergency landing. This report reveals that the battery causing a fire that took place a week earlier on a grounded Japan Airlines plane "did not exceed its designed voltage."

Boeing likely hoped that they could zero in on one issue and get the planes back into the air quickly.

This could mean two different investigations looking into two different problems with the batteries.

Early on, executives like Qatar Airways chief Akbar Al-Baker, the largest customer for the plain, downplayed the issues, calling them "teething problems" common to new planes. Now he's grounded his fleet, and the longer the planes are grounded, the worse things could get for Boeing.

If airlines start demanding compensation or cutting back on orders, this could get extremely expensive.?

NOW READ: Here's What A Charred Boeing Dreamliner Battery Looks Like

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-battery-investigation-complications-2013-1

gabby giffords gabby giffords geithner gabrielle giffords juliette lewis chelsea handler mitch daniels

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Welcome To Alaska, Where Winter Is Cold And Bikes Are Fat

Bike shop owner Kevin Breitenbach rides a fat bike in the White Mountains National Recreation Area in Alaska in March.

Bike shop owner Kevin Breitenbach rides a fat bike in the White Mountains National Recreation Area in Alaska in March.

The plummeting mercury in Alaska this time of year doesn't keep bikers inside. More and more of them are heading to recreational trails and to the office on "fat bikes." They look like mountain bikes on steroids, with tires wider than most people's arms.

Kevin Breitenbach runs the bike shop at Beaver Sports in Alaska's second-largest city. Aboard a fat bike, he makes his way down a trail that winds through a forest as wet, quarter-sized snowflakes drop from the sky. Visibility is low, and the snow hides the roughest spots on the trail.

Breitenbach's bike is his primary form of transportation. When he's not commuting to work, he's racing in ultra-distance events.

"Now, if we were out here on regular mountain bikes, you'd just be all over the place. The bikes are set up to be stable, and so you can go much slower and still maintain your balance," he says.

In the late 1980s, cyclists in Alaska were looking for a good way to tackle snowy trails, so they welded three mountain bike rims together. That allowed for fatter tires that almost float on top of the snow.

Today, fat biking isn't quite so do-it-yourself. The market for a bike like this is still small, but it's the fastest-growing segment of the cycling industry. At Goldstream Sports, just north of the University of Alaska Fairbanks, owner Joel Buth specializes in cross-country skis and road bikes. But four years ago, he added fat bikes to his winter inventory.

"The bikes are typically a $3,000 sale, versus a ski package, which is much less. So there's more customers in the ski, but the bike market is growing rapidly," he says.

That $3,000 isn't just for the bike. It includes all the other gear as well, like extra tire tubes, shoes and lots of winter clothing. It's the fat bike clientele that surprises Buth most.

"Mostly what I see is the backcountry enthusiast and older couples, too, that just want to get out and get exercise in the winter and don't want to mess around with skis, and they just like to bike," he says.

Back on the trail, Breitenbach says fat biking is more fun than skiing, even when temperatures hit 50 degrees below zero.

Copyright 2013 KUAC-FM. To see more, visit http://www.kuac.org/.

Source: http://www.gpb.org/news/2013/01/20/welcome-to-alaska-where-winter-is-cold-and-bikes-are-fat

wwe extreme rules 2012 vontaze burfict jimmy kimmel amzn white house correspondents dinner phoenix coyotes bruce irvin

How To Make Friends. My Journey and Yours.

isolation

?

?

?

??And the biggest lie of all, is that we tell ourselves we don?t need friends.? ( A personal quote from a talk I gave recently.) I was not totally surprised, but still taken aback at the amount of feedback related directly to that comment.

We lead these unnatural lives going from home, to car, to work, to errands and carpool, speaking to people for the most part in terms of transactions. ?How much does this cost?? ?Thank you for watching my child? ? Can you volunteer for this event??

And the cost is enormous. We?re lonely, and isolated and that stunts our social interactions even when we?re in a sea of people.

I?ve been through many evolutions with the topic of friends, growing with it as I get older. I share it with you here, because maybe we?re not that different from one another.

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

friendshipI?ve always been? surrounded by people and involved in community.? But? being with people and developing intimate relationships is not the same thing.

How do we go from interacting with dozens of people each day to creating meaningful relationships?

[Note to dear old friends - This is a generalization. Thank G-d, I've been blessed to have you in my life and as I've grown, my ability to be a friend has grown too.]

??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? ?????

It took me? a long time to learn. Many of my old relationships?were? lopsided.

I would either be friends with lovely people but not share myself fully, thinking they would never understand me. (Yup, trust issues there.)

Or, exclusively? befriend people who I could give to. trust

(Again, trust issues ? I could give to someone without having to share myself.)

Around ten years ago, my newly widowed sister in law, Chev, moved to Baltimore so that she could be near family. Being in her presence,? basking in that? unconditional,? respectful, deeply intimate relationship opened things up for me. I began to be willing to relate at a deeper level, to bring more of myself to the friendship then a plate of cookies.

However, after being gifted that lesson,? two years later she got married to her amazing husband, Paul and moved away to South Africa.

So there I was. And I needed to make friends.

And I was ready.

coggee dateI began making coffee dates. I realized that one of the reasons (aside for deep familial love) that my friendship with Chev grew was because we spent every Shabbos together. I needed to physically spend time with people if I was going to become friends with them.

So onwards I forged. If I had a great conversation with someone I would invite them out for a coffee sometime the next week. At the time it took a lot of courage.

How?d it go?

Okay.

The coffee dates were nice enough but I forgot something key ? you have to get together a second time!

Somehow I just thought a friendship would morph straight? from the muffins at the bagel shop. That?s not how it works. I still have a special connection with the people I spent time with, but we didn?t ever explore the relationship further.

Then I met Aviva. Her kids were homeschooling at the time and it was the first I?d ever heard of it. My heart was exploding with the idea.

I called her the next day and asked her for information. And the next and the next. I began to home-school my kids. I would have done with her the same as I did with my other new friends; lost touch, not taken it further.

Except, that one fine day she knocked on the door, came over with her (then) 6 kids and spent the afternoon.

And a day or two later she invited my kids over.friends talking

I mean it when I say this, if she would not have made the effort our new friendship would have withered away into nothingness instead of lasting for all these years. I learned so much from that.

????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

Which brings me up to date. These days G-d has brought amazing people into my life. The experience of being in a true friendship has opened me up to all types of people and has made me willing to trust? more.

What I still need to work on is a new trap that I?ve fallen into; Being busy. Which is kind of where I think a lot of us are. We?re doing so much that investing in friendships take a back seat. But we need it. A? friend is an invaluable commodity, sharing our lives is natural and important.

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

You cannot underestimate the importance of good friends, but it takes a looong time to realize we?re not in high school anymore and you have to go out of your way to make friends.

Don?t be shy to say to yourself, ?I want to make more friends.? This is really important stuff!

Also, making friends can happen in all kinds of magical ways. This little step by step guide is specific towards navigating busy community life.

Below is the? technical guide. The real? first step is that you have to be the best you can be; a loving, non judgmental, caring, positive person with room in your heart for another. That?s a whole other discussion.

?

How to Make Friends

1.? Train yourself to have a good eye.Look for the positive traits in other people, comment on them. Look for the positive traits in yourself, enjoy them.

2. Take note of which traits you value.

3. Look for people with those traits.

4. When you find them, strike up a conversation. Be sincerely interested. Ask questions and listen to the answers. Share a little bit of yourself (that?s the trust part) and see how it goes.

* Here?s where friendship and? a date differ. You don?t have to have an immediate click in order to pursue a friendship. You?re not looking for romance, you?re looking for someone you can trust, a good person.

5.Pursue?the friendship; Give them a Good Shabbos call, posting on their FB wall doesn?t count. Invite them over or visit them. Bring over random flowers or a lovely scented candle.If there?s something you both like ? offer to do it together. How about learning Torah or taking a power walk together?gift

It make seem awkward, but that?s how it?s done. To get to know a person takes actual time investment.

Above all, in these fast paced times, don?t wait for a better time to pursue a friendship. There is no better time. The time is now:)

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

And this is it. My simple recipe for friendship. Find good people, have courage, and spend time with them.

I always think as I stand on the elevator, ?We think we?re strangers, but if we were stuck here together, after just a few hours we?d be good friends.?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

Source: http://rivkamalka.com/how-to-make-friends-my-journey-and-yours/

george will obama birth certificate nick cannon lindsay lohan saturday night live snl lindsay lohan valley fever project x