New stats: Plastic surgery trend has women armed for spring and summer

Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shannon McCormick
shannon@mediasourcetv.com
614-477-2719
American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.

Arm Lifts By The Numbers:

Procedures in 2012

• Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
  
• Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
  
• 98% of arm lift patients were women
  
• Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
  
• Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million

Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.

"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."

Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.

According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.

"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."

That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."

That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.

"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."

That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."

A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.

"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."

Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.

"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."

That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."

###

For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.

* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.

About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.

Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2

(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)

Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Public release date: 29-Apr-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Shannon McCormick
shannon@mediasourcetv.com
614-477-2719
American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Inspired by strong-armed celebrities, upper arm lifts jump 4,378% since 2000, new ASPS statistics show

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, Ill., April 29, 2013 New statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) show that arm lifts in women have skyrocketed more than 4,000 percent in just over the last decade. It is a trend fueled, in part, by sleeveless fashions for women and more focus on strong-armed celebrities. In 2000, more than 300 women got upper arm lift procedures. Last year, more than 15,000 did.

Arm Lifts By The Numbers:

Procedures in 2012

• Overall: 15,457 up 3% since 2011 / 4,473% since 2000
  
• Women: 15,136 up 4,378% since 2000
  
• 98% of arm lift patients were women
  
• Most popular with patients over 40. The majority, 43%, of patients were ages 40 and 54, 33% were over age 55.
  
• Average surgeon fee: $3,939 / total spent on arm lifts: $61 million

Upper arm lifts can include liposuction or a surgical procedure known as brachioplasty, in which loose skin is removed from the back of the arms.

"Women are paying more attention to their arms in general and are becoming more aware of options to treat this area," said ASPS President Gregory Evans, MD. "For some women, the arms have always been a troublesome area and, along with proper diet and exercise, liposuction can help refine them. Others may opt for a brachioplasty when there is a fair amount of loose skin present with minimal elasticity."

Doctors say there is no single reason behind the increase, though celebrities from the White House to the red carpet may be having an influence. A recent poll* conducted on behalf of ASPS found that women are paying closer attention to the arms of female celebrities.

According to the poll, women most admire the arms of first lady Michelle Obama, followed closely by Jennifer Aniston. Actresses Jessica Biel and Demi Moore, and daytime TV talk show host Kelly Ripa also got votes for their toned arms.

"I think we are always affected by the people that we see consistently, either on the big screen or on TV," said ASPS Public Education Committee Chair David Reath, MD, based in Knoxville, Tenn. "We see them and think, 'yeah, I'd like to look like that'."

That's just what happened to 24-year-old Natalie Robinson of Knoxville, who says she was inspired by the arms of the first lady. "I looked at Michelle Obama and said 'Oh my gosh, I want her arms. When I first started losing weight and started to tone up, I had her image in my head."

That was three years ago. Today, Robinson has lost more than 170 pounds and continues an amazing transformation through diet and exercise. But for all the weight she'd lost, Robinson says she still wasn't entirely happy.

"I had a lot of excessive skin around my upper arms," she said. "Every time I looked in the mirror there was a reminder of a heavier person and I just couldn't get rid of it."

That's when Robinson contacted Dr. Reath, who performed her brachioplasty. "Natalie had the perfect arms for this procedure," said Dr. Reath, "but it's not for everybody."

A brachioplasty requires an incision from the elbow to the armpit, generally on the back of the arm, leaving a visible and permanent scar. For Robinson, the scar was much easier to deal with than the excessive skin, but Dr. Reath cautions patients to carefully consider the pros and cons before having an upper arm lift, particularly a brachioplasty.

"It's a trade off. We get rid of the skin, but we leave a scar," he said. "So, as long as there's enough improvement to be made in the shape of the arm to justify the scar, then it's a great procedure."

Dr. Reath stresses the importance of proper diet and exercise as part of a healthy lifestyle to all his patients, but says some women simply can't achieve the look they want on their own. Many who simply want to tighten and tone their upper arms, but don't have a lot of excess skin, opt for liposuction instead of a brachioplasty.

"We are genetically programmed to have different accumulations of fat in different areas, and for some women the arms can be a problem area," said Dr. Reath. "The arms are a very noticeable area and if excessive fat and skin are an issue, they tend to look more out of proportion than the rest of the body."

That was certainly the case for Robinson, but not anymore. Robinson says she never expected surgery to make her arms perfect, just more normal. "Well-proportioned is what I was going for, and I'm very happy. It was well worth the investment," she said. "I would do it again."

###

For more new statistics on trends in plastic surgery including gender, age, regional, national average fees and other breakouts, refer to the ASPS 2012 National Clearinghouse of Plastic Surgery Procedural Statistics report at http://www.plasticsurgery.org/news-and-resources/2012-plastic-surgery-statistics.html. (Stats on this site will be updated with the specific demographics and trends when embargo lifts on 4/29/13). Information about procedures and referrals to ASPS Member Surgeons can be found at http://www.PlasticSurgery.org.

* This poll was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons from March 28-April 1, 2013 among 1,219 women ages 18 and older. This online poll is not based on a probability sample and therefore no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete poll methodology, including weighting variables, please contact Shannon McCormick.

About ASPS

The American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) is the world's largest organization of board-certified plastic surgeons. Representing more than 7,000 Member Surgeons, the Society is recognized as a leading authority and information source on aesthetic and reconstructive plastic surgery. ASPS comprises more than 94 percent of all board-certified plastic surgeons in the United States. Founded in 1931, the Society represents physicians certified by The American Board of Plastic Surgery or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada. ASPS advances quality care to plastic surgery patients by encouraging high standards of training, ethics, physician practice and research in plastic surgery. You can learn more and visit the American Society of Plastic Surgeons at PlasticSurgery.org or Facebook.com/PlasticSurgeryASPS and Twitter.com/ASPS_News.

Broadcast quality multimedia elements at: http://bit.ly/14STmA2

(Multimedia Newsroom is password protected until embargo lifts. Please contact media relations representative listed below for password prior to embargo.)

Media Contacts: Shannon McCormick, 614-932-9950 (ext. 14) shannon@mediasourcetv.com or ASPS: 847-228-9900, media@plasticsurgery.org

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

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

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-04/m-nsp_1042313.php

2013 NFL draft NFL.com Rebecca Martinson EJ Manuel Dion Jordan Omar Borkan Al Gala kylie bisutti

2 police officers shot as Italian government sworn in - World News

Gabriel Bouys / AFP - Getty Images

An Italian policeman is carried away by paramedics after two policemen were wounded in a shooting outside the Italian prime minister's offices as the country's new ministers were being sworn in on Sunday.

By Reuters

ROME ? Two police officers were shot and wounded outside the Italian prime minister's office on Sunday as Enrico Letta's new government was being sworn in around a mile away at the president's palace, RAI state television reported.

One of the officers was shot in the neck and was in a serious condition, a police official said.

One man, described as unemployed and in his 40s, was arrested at the scene of the shooting, a witness said, and it was initially unclear whether the attack was linked to the launch of the new government.

Newly installed Interior Minister Angelino Alfano said the attack appeared to be an isolated incident.

"An initial examination of the incident suggests that this can be considered as an isolated act," Alfano told reporters, adding that further checks were being carried out.

He said there was no cause for concern about the overall security situation in Italy but added that protective measures had been stepped up at potential targets.

Letta, 46, the moderate deputy head of the Democratic Party (PD), on Saturday ended two months of political stalemate since February's inconclusive election when he brought together former political rivals in a broad coalition government.

Letta's ministers stepped forward one by one to swear allegiance to the republic before President Giorgio Napolitano, who personally picked Letta as prime minister and had a central role in the choice of his cabinet team.

Related:

Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/28/17955066-2-police-officers-shot-as-italian-government-sworn-in?lite

Natina Reed giants Sandy Hurricane flight tracker Marina Krim Justin Bieber cancer Mockingbird Lane

Writing vs. Speaking | A ton of useful information about screenwriting ...

For screenwriters, John McWhorter?s TEDTalk on texting grammar is a useful reminder of the differences between how people talk and how they write.

Speech is made up of word clusters with no discrete punctuation. Because speech is almost always dialogue ? you?re usually speaking with somebody ? it?s structured in a way that allows interruption.

Compare that to written language, which is by its nature a unbroken monologue with punctuation to demarcate how thoughts should fit together, allowing complex sentences like this one with nested clauses (and even parenthetical asides) that you?d likely never attempt in speech.

As screenwriters, we?re often writing speech. Our goal is to make it feel unwritten.

With dialogue, I generally aim for a slightly optimized version of how people would actually talk. That is, I consider many ways a character could express an idea in that given moment and choose the one that works best. Not only am I looking at the ?meat? of the line ? the reason why they?re saying it ? but also how the line ends. Ideally, each line of dialogue invites the next line, either through an implied question or challenge (?You wouldn?t say he?s arrogant, though.?), or patterns that suggest what?s to follow.

MARY

I just adore Reggie! His wit, his charm...

TOM

His money.

MARY

His money is adorable.

The danger is that being too clever can make something feel written ? the audience becomes aware of the writer, rather than the character. You have to consider the genre and the audience. One of the most sobering jobs in a rewrite is killing dialogue that is terrific but wrong.

Back to the video: McWhorter argues that texting is best thought of as ?fingered speech.? It looks like writing, but it?s an emergent form of language that is quickly developing its own conventions. I buy it.

I also really enjoyed McWhorter?s earlier book, Our Magnificent Bastard Tongue: The Untold History of English. I wrote more about that back in 2009.

Source: http://johnaugust.com/2013/writing-vs-speaking

presidential debate debate marco scutaro Russell Means Taylor Swift Red Walking Dead Season 3 Episode 2 celiac disease

LG will launch the world's first 55-inch curved OLED HDTV

We visited LG's HQ earlier this month and heard that the curved OLED HDTV prototypes it showed at CES are due for release, and now it's official. A Korean press release indicates we can expect the 55EA9800 to launch in the next month, with shipments starting in June. According to the specs, its 4.3mm depth results in a weight of just 17kg, probably thinks to a carbon-fiber reinforced frame. Like an IMAX theater screen, the edges are curved towards the viewer to provide a more immersive feeling.

Filed under: Displays, Home Entertainment, HD, LG

Comments

Source: LG Korea

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/28/lg-curved-oled-hdtv/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget

leslie varez ward solar storms uganda the parent trap invisible children kony 2012 space weather

US-MUSIC Summary

"Trombone Shorty" carries on New Orleans jazz tradition

NEW ORLEANS (Reuters) - Musician Troy Andrews, better known as "Trombone Shorty," witnessed his first New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival at age 12 - not from the viewing area but on stage. "I was playing with my brother's brass band," said Andrews, now 27.

Michael Buble mixes it up on album of standards, original songs

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With a son on the way and a new album with more original songs than ever, Michael Buble is venturing into uncharted territory without letting go of his personal or artistic roots. "To Be Loved," the 37-year-old Canadian singer's follow-up to his 2011 "Christmas" album, mixes standards inspired by jazz, Motown and even the Bee Gees, with tracks written by Buble as well as collaborations with Bryan Adams and Reese Witherspoon.

South Korean rap sensation Psy honored at Tribeca Film Festival

NEW YORK (Reuters) - South Korean rapper and Internet sensation Psy was honored as a transcultural phenomenon by the Tribeca Film Festival on Friday along with a host of other luminaries ranging from choreographer Twyla Tharp to controversial media host Glenn Beck. "Who knew, right?" Psy said as he was presented his Tribeca Disruptive Innovation Award. "Giving me this award in itself is innovation, I think."

Country singer George Jones dead at 81

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - George Jones, a classic country singer with a voice full of raw honky-tonk emotion and a life full of honky-tonk turmoil, died on Friday at age 81, his spokesman said. Jones, whose career spanned more than six decades and included hits such as "He Stopped Loving Her Today" and "Window Up Above," died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, in Nashville.

Mamma Mia! Bookie offers odds on ABBA reunion

LONDON (Reuters) - A British bookmaker is taking bets on an ABBA comeback after singer Agnetha Faltskog hinted at a possible reunion for Sweden's most successful band. Faltskog, who has come out of retirement to release a solo album called "A", was asked by German's Die Zeit Magazine if she would be open to an ABBA reunion and she responded positively.

African diva Angelique Kidjo wins Songlines Best Artist award

LONDON (Reuters) - African diva Angelique Kidjo was named Best Artist in Songlines magazine's annual world music awards on Friday, lauded for her high-energy shows and her championing of social causes. French veterans Lo'jo, who mix French folk with African and Arabic sounds, picked up the Best Group award and the young Zimbabwean band Mokoomba was chosen as top Newcomer.

Psy knocked from top of Korean charts by 63-year-old singer

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean rapper Psy, whose latest video "Gentleman" tracked global megahit "Gangnam Style" by going viral on the Internet, has been knocked from the top of the music charts in his native country by a 63-year-old easy listening pop singer. "Gangnam Style", which holds the YouTube record for most views with more than 1.5 billion, catapulted the sunglassed Korean with the garish jackets to world stardom and made him one of the best-known faces to grace the growing K-pop music scene.

Documentary about deceased British singer Amy Winehouse in the works

(Reuters) - A documentary is in the works about the late British soul singer Amy Winehouse and it features previously unseen material, the film's distributor said on Wednesday. The film, which will include archival footage never seen by the public, will be directed by Briton Asif Kapadia, whose 2010 film "Senna," about Brazilian auto racer Ayrton Senna, won a BAFTA for best documentary.

Kurdish singer sparks identity debate on Arab talent show

ARBIL, Iraq (Reuters) - A singer from Iraq's Kurdistan region has made it through to the semi-final of an Arab talent contest, igniting heated debates over Iraqi identity and politicizing the popular TV show. A panel of judges praised 24-year-old Parwaz Hussein and she was voted through to the next round of "Arab Idol", in which aspiring popstars from Morocco to Bahrain compete for a recording contract.

Justin Bieber shrugs off "rumors" after Swedish drug find

STOCKHOLM (Reuters) - Teen idol Justin Bieber on Thursday seemed to shrug off the latest controversy surrounding his European tour after Swedish police said they had found drugs on his tour bus but could not link them to any single person. Bieber, 19, has made headlines in the past two months for showing up late for his own London concert, walking shirtless through airport security in Poland, posting a cartoon of himself in bed with a young woman, and expressing the hope that Holocaust victim Anne Frank would have been a "belieber" like his millions of fans.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/us-music-summary-133156745.html

westminster

It's More Fun to Travel in the Philippines: Backpackers Adventure in ...

We call ourselves the packers!?

Well, you know what we mean.?

Our group's name ?started from my name in my FB fan page (Smart Backpacker). And we just started calling ourselves "the packers!" We started our first travel in Puerto Galera, Mindoro. But the name started in Sagada. Now, we continued our travel to Tablas, Romblon!

We had 4 choices for our summer escapade, namely: Caramoan, Palaui Island, Baler and Tablas, Romblon. Originally, Tablas was not part of the choices. I suggested it after I went to Romblon.

We started our online voting on where we are suppose to go and it turned out that the last choice would we be the group's choice.

And so, I booked our group in 2GO Travel and everything went well as planned.

We missed 2 of our packers, Jonas and MJ!


April 19, 2013
Terminal 3, Batangas Port
9:00 pm
Day 1



There were only 8 of us that night when we boarded the ferry travel to Odiongan, Romblon. The packers present were Nikko, Jen, Feng, Lester, Ces, Dave, Joyce and I.

The economy ticket costs P815.00. The travel to Odiongan was good for 7 hours and while onboard the vessel, we decided to have a bit of drinking spree to start our trip right!


Day 2



We arrived at the Odiongan Port around 4 am and the beauty of the port captured my excitement already. I told myself, "We are going to have a good time here!"



From the port, we were fetched by the owner of the resort (Mr. Willy) and we paid P1,000 for the van. The trip to the resort is 30 minutes or 17 kilometers.



And finally, we arrived at the Binukot Sunset Cove Resort located in Brgy. Bunsoran, Ferrol, Tablas, Romblon. The owners of the resort are Mr. Willy (an Australian) and Ms. Michaela (a Filipina) (Contact nos. 0929-787-5486 / 0999-423-1040)?



And we rented this house for only P2,500. The house was good only for 5 persons but we told the owner that we were 8 and the Ms. Mica agreed to allow us to have the house and even gave us extra beds for free!



After taking our early breakfast, we decided to trek the beach and explored its wonders!



The place is actually a cove. And at the end of the cove, there is a small island. And we gathered seashells and stones as our souvenir.

The place is what we call a Paradise!

We walked up to the end of the cove and wandered around not minding of the time.

The place was simply beyond our expectations! And our smiles were written all over our faces...

We were having a god time! Probably, one of the best times of our lives!

And here we are in a paradise called Binukot Beach!



??
Time simply flew.. And we were there at the beach.. Laughing and enjoying!


The place was so beautiful that we could not stop taking pictures!

We were there posing from one spot to another.










And as always, I was the one tasked to take our pictures. I mean why should it always be me??

Coz, I simply love them and I wanted to have them to have a good time! =)






Around 11 am, we decided to go to the other side of the cove and we discovered a smaller cove!

What a treat for us! Two coves in one resort.

The smaller cove

from Joyce Recampo

We attempted to have jumpshots at the cove and this was the only one better after so many takes that was near to perfection.

Past 2 pm, we chartered the van of Mr. Willy and headed to Mablaran Falls. We paid only P1,500 for the van. The trip going to the falls from Binukot Beach was almost 1 hour.

Falls No. 1

I will never forget this trek to the falls!

Only Nikko, Lester and I decided to go to the second falls. From the first falls to second falls, it took us 20 minutes to reach the second falls. And the trail was rugged and slippery. ?In fact, I lost my footing and everything (including my cameras and phones) got wet!



After almost 2 hours of staying at the falls, we decided to go back. We did not want to miss the reason why the resort was called Binukot Sunset Cove Resort!

Day 3



We woke up early the following morning after our late night drinking spree. My head was killing me that day (case of serious hangover!). But I did not want to spoil the fun! I pretended to be alright.. We took our early breakfast and proceeded to our next destination. Today is island hopping day!! =)



We rented four habal-habal (single motorcycle) and from Bunsoran, Ferrol to Looc we were cruising around Tablas, Romblon. ?Everyone was happy that day! We paid P300/pax for the roundtrip ride. Our guide and contact person for the tour was Jun - (0906-181-2627)



We rented a boat for P6,000 for our island hopping adventure. The owner of the boat is Mang Nonobi (0935-912-1619). After 1.5 hours of boat ride, we arrived at our destination - Carabao Island!

Carabao Island is one of the best islands I have seen in the Philippines.

We were told that Boracay was just 45 minutes away from Carabao Island and could not simply refuse the temptation. And we also decided to go to Boracay. We paid an additional of P1,500 for the sidetrip.

It was my fourth time to see Boracay. But the beauty of the island still dazzled me. After cruising in Boracay for 20 minutes. We decided to go back to Looc. Along the way, we were playing our favorite game. And as always, Lester was the usual winner! Hooray for Lester!

Around 5 pm, we boarded the Montenegro ship back to Batangas Port. We were again all smiles while we were boarding the ship...

It's Really More Fun in Tablas, Romblon!

Source: http://junvillegas.blogspot.com/2013/04/backpackers-adventure-in-tablas-romblon.html

dominos dominos Perez Hilton Michelle Obama Oscars Wissam Al Mana seth macfarlane oscar winners

Planting time for cold-weather crops

CLEVELAND - You look out your window at the bare ground. Your garden is waiting.

What are you waiting for? Gardening season has begun across northern Ohio, so get out your shovels and start digging.

Northern Ohio sits in what the US Department of Agriculture calls Hardiness Zone 5. It means that winter temperatures don't often get below -15 degrees F. For the vegetable gardener, it means most garden crops can't be planted until April or May.

April is the perfect time to plant those vegetable crops that don't like the heat of summer. Crops like potatoes can be planted as early as St. Patrick's Day and likewise for peas and onions. April is perfect weather to sow radish seeds.

Your local garden center already has flats of broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage. These plants also do best in the cooler weather of spring.

As for the tomatoes and peppers, wait a few more weeks. They need warmer ground to thrive. It?s usually safe to plant these out in the garden around May 20. Cucumbers, beans and corn also need the warmer temperatures of May?and June to thrive.

So, here's your checklist of vegetables and the optimum time to plant them outside here in Zone 5 northern Ohio:

March to early April: Potatoes, peas, onions.

Mid to late April: Cauliflower, collards, kohlrabi, cabbage, broccoli, radishes, lettuce, beets, spinach.

Late April to early May: Bush beans

Mid to late May: Pole beans, corn, cucumber, tomatoes, peppers, squash, watermelon, cantaloupe, lima beans.

Copyright 2013 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Source: http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/weather/weather_news/Planting-time-in-northern-Ohio-time-to-sow-cold-weather-crops-like-potatoes-and-onions

Stores Open On Christmas Day Santa Claus Feliz Navidad Netflix down Ryan Freel Melissa Nelson foot locker

Chevron resumes operations in unit closed by fire

RICHMOND, Calif. (AP) ? Chevron has resumed operations in a unit at its Bay Area refinery that was shut down after a massive fire last year.

Company officials said during a conference call with analysts Friday that crews had begun feeding crude oil through the unit knocked out by the Aug. 6 fire.

Chevron's chief financial officer, Patricia Yarrington, says the unit at Richmond is expected to be fully operational during the second quarter.

Both Chevron and government investigations have determined that corrosion in a pipe caused a leak that sparked the fire, sending a plume of black smoke over nearby areas.

Since the fire, the refinery had been operating at about 60 percent capacity until very recently. The factory wasn't processing crude oil and instead was being used to blend gasoline.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/chevron-resumes-operations-unit-closed-fire-211906438.html

dixville notch Remember Remember The 5th Of November African painted dogs What Time Do Polls Open Krysten Ritter v for vendetta Voting Locations

Over 1,000 women sue Nuvaring maker over blood clots

A NuvaRing contraceptive. (Sandy Huffaker/Getty)Rachel Lietzke Payne started using NuvaRing in 2008, when she was a 20-year-old college student. The contraceptive device appealed to her because it was easy to use. Birth control pills have to be taken every day, but NuvaRing, which came onto the market in 2001, is inserted into the vagina and removed each month?and is just as effective at preventing pregnancy.

One Monday in October of 2010, more than a year after she first began using the vaginal ring, Payne met her father for a standing lunch date at Buffalo Wild Wings in Casselberry, north of where they lived in Orlando. When she and her dad walked out of the restaurant, Payne suddenly fell ill and spat up quarter-size chunks of blood onto the cement.

Payne was rushed to the hospital, where she spent 10 days being pumped with anticoagulants to thin her blood. She was diagnosed as having developed a blood clot in her lung, a condition that could have been fatal. ?It took them a while to figure out that it was blood clots, because I was 22 at the time,? said Payne, who is now a married 25-year-old aspiring air traffic controller with a toddler son. She was also a nonsmoker and fit, and she had no family history of blood clots, all potential risk factors.

But the doctors landed on what they believed might have caused the clotting: the NuvaRing.

Payne is now one of more than 1,000 women suing Merck & Co.?the pharmaceutical company that manufactures the birth control?in a federal district court in Missouri. They allege that the company?s device caused them to suffer blood clots?in a few cases, fatal ones?the risks of which they say they were inadequately warned about.

The suits are the latest in a pricey legal backlash over a variety of hormonal contraceptives that have come to the market in the past 10 years. Thousands of women sued over the Ortho Evra patch, citing studies that showed a higher blood clot risk compared to traditional birth control pills, costing Ortho McNeil, a Johnson & Johnson subsidiary, millions of dollars. And as of 2012, more than 10,000 suits had been filed against Bayer, the makers of Yaz and Yasmin birth control pills, which has set aside more than $1.5 billion to settle claims.

Roger Denton, the lead counsel for the multidistrict litigation against NuvaRing in Missouri, said he thinks the case could be as lucrative for his clients as Bayer?s litigation over Yaz and Yasmin. (Bayer has settled for an average of $216,000 with each plaintiff in that case.)

Hormonal contraceptives inhibit ovulation by releasing a combination of estrogen and progestin. While earlier iterations of progestin have shown only a slight increase in blood clot risk, recent studies have shown that newer forms of progestin?called third- and fourth-generation progestins, which were developed in the 1990s and 2000s?are associated with higher rates of blood clotting among women who take them compared to second-generation iterations of the hormone.

In fact, more than a dozen studies conducted over more than a decade have shown that women taking contraceptives containing a third-generation progestin?such as that used in NuvaRing and some birth control pills?have a 1.4 to 4 times higher risk of developing blood clots than women on contraceptives containing second-generation progestin.

The studies include a recent one funded by the FDA that tracked the health records of more than 835,000 women. It found that those who used the vaginal ring were more likely to experience venous thrombosis than women who took oral contraceptives. But the researchers warned that the finding is ?new and raises concern? and ?needs to be replicated in other studies.?

A handful of other studies, however, have shown no increased risk. Overall, the risk is still very low, with only around 6 to 10 out of 10,000 women developing blood clots over a year.

The plaintiffs in the NuvaRing case allege it's not just the hormone in the device that caused their blood clots, but also the delivery system. Unlike other forms of birth control, NuvaRing dispenses hormones directly into the bloodstream, which the plaintiffs' expert witness argues could cause "spikes" of hormones that make women more susceptible to blood clots. There's currently no large study that backs up that claim.

Some experts, however, warn that the results of the studies are being overblown by the media and trial lawyers, and may be scaring women away from effective birth control. More than 20 international researchers published an open letter in the Journal of Family Health and Reproductive Planning earlier this month saying the media and attorneys are creating a ?scare? that is not based on adequate research and could create more harm than good. They argue that large database studies, such as the one funded by the FDA, can be inaccurate because they don?t take into account all the confounding variables, such as obesity, that could affect blood clotting.

The letter notes that third- and fourth-generation hormonal contraceptives overall contain a very low risk of blood clots, and that more studies are needed before that risk can be determined. Overall, it notes, about 4 to 6 additional women out of every 10,000 on the newer forms of birth control would suffer a blood clot compared to women taking the older form of birth control. The risk of blood clotting goes up dramatically for pregnant women: 29 per 10,000 pregnant women develop a blood clot, meaning that the risks of unintended pregnancy are far greater than that of any hormonal birth control on the market.

The plaintiffs in the NuvaRing case say Merck did not adequately test or label the NuvaRing product to warn of these risks. Merck has disputed this, saying the company is confident its product is safe, and that it followed U.S. Food and Drug Administration guidelines for its packaging.

The company was awarded a judicial victory last week, when a judge in New Jersey threw out seven separate suits against NuvaRing, saying the plaintiffs did not prove that NuvaRing was the cause of their blood clots. New Jersey courts have tougher standards for suing an FDA-approved product than the federal court system, however, where some of the more than 1,000 suits face trial beginning in October.

?We are confident the company has provided appropriate and timely information about NuvaRing to consumers and the medical, scientific and regulatory communities,? Lainie Keller, a spokeswoman for Merck, said in a statement. ?We remain confident in the efficacy and safety profile of NuvaRing, and will continue to always act in the best interest of patients.?

But Denton, the lead attorney for the plaintiffs, said he?s sure his cases in the district court won?t be dismissed.

?That?s what all these drug companies say,? Denton said. ?'It?s good enough for the FDA, that?s the end of the story.? But under our law, that doesn?t matter. The jury decides.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/more-1-000-suits-against-nuvaring-trial-fall-103903135.html

Sikh temple Nastia Liukin Gabby Douglas hair Kayla Harrison Mars landing Gabby Douglas John Orozco

Israeli military shoots down drone

JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israel shot down a drone Thursday as it approached the country's northern coast, the military said. Suspicion immediately fell on the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon which denied it sent the craft.

Hezbollah's Al Manar TV made the announcement Thursday through a one line statement flashed as an urgent news bar on its screen.

Despite the denial, the incident was likely to raise already heightened tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, a bitter enemy that battled Israel to a stalemate during a monthlong war in 2006.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who said he was in a helicopter in northern Israel at the time of the incident, said he viewed the infiltration attempt with "utmost gravity."

Officials said Netanyahu was informed of the unfolding incident as he was flying north for a cultural event with members of the country's Druse minority. They said his helicopter briefly landed while the drone was intercepted before Netanyahu continued on his way.

"On my way here in the helicopter, I was told that there is an infiltration attempt of a drone inside the skies of Israel," he said in the northern Arab-Israeli town of Daliyat al-Karmel. "We will continue to do everything necessary to safeguard the security of Israel's citizens."

Lebanon's state-run National News Agency reported that Israeli warplanes flew over the Christian town of Jezzine and the highlands of the Iqlim al-Tuffah province, a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Lebanon, Thursday morning.

The Lebanese army also reported Israeli jets violated Lebanese air space on Tuesday and Wednesday. Israel has stepped up its flights over Lebanon amid fears that Hezbollah is taking advantage of the chaos caused by the Syrian civil war.

Lt. Col. Peter Lerner, a military spokesman, said the unmanned aircraft was detected as it was flying over Lebanon and tracked as it approached Israeli airspace.

Lerner said the military waited for the aircraft to enter Israeli airspace, confirmed it was "enemy," and then an F-16 warplane shot it down.

The drone was flying at an altitude of about 6,000 feet (1,800 meters) and was downed roughly five miles (eight kilometers) off the Israeli coast near the northern city of Haifa. Lerner said Israeli naval forces were searching for the remains of the aircraft.

He said it still was not clear who sent the drone, noting it flew over Lebanese airspace, but that it could have originated from somewhere else.

Other military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not permitted to talk to the media, said they believed it was an Iranian-manufactured aircraft sent by Hezbollah. The Lebanese group sent a drone into Israeli airspace last October that Israel also shot down.

Netanyahu repeatedly has warned that Hezbollah might try to take advantage of the instability in neighboring Syria, a key Hezbollah ally, to obtain what he calls game-changing weapons.

Israel has all but confirmed that it carried out an airstrike in Syria early this year that destroyed a shipment of sophisticated anti-aircraft missiles bound for Hezbollah.

A senior Lebanese security official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations, said Lebanon had no information on Thursday's incident.

Hezbollah spokesman Ibrahim Moussawi also said he had no information, adding the group would put out a statement if it had something to say on the issue.

When Israeli military shot down a Hezbollah drone on Oct. 6, it took days for Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah to confirm it in a speech. He warned at the time that it would not be the last such operation by the group. He said the sophisticated aircraft was made in Iran and assembled by Hezbollah.

___

Associated Press writers Zeina Karam in Beirut and Diaa Hadid in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-military-shoots-down-drone-142037543.html

Hemlock Grove Boston Bomber Death Photo Fox Boston Bomber cnn news foxnews fox news

Amazon Led LivingSocial's Last Round With A $56M Investment; Daily Deals Site Had A Net Loss Of $50M This Past Quarter

Daily deals company LivingSocial continues to face challenges in the market. In the last quarter it posted sales of $135 million, up 23% on a year ago, but it also swung to a net loss of $50 million, from net income of $156 million in Q1 2012. The numbers were revealed in a 10-Q filing from one of its key investors, Amazon, in line with its?Q1 earnings reported on Thursday.

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

romney michigan railgun jk rowling new book between two ferns statins chardon sean young

Rhode Island set to become 10th state to allow gay marriage

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) ? Rhode Island is on a path to becoming the 10th state to allow gay and lesbian couples to marry after a landmark vote in the state's Senate on Wednesday.

The Senate passed gay marriage legislation by a comfortable 26-12 margin, following a House vote of approval in January. The bill must now return to the House for a largely procedural vote, likely next week, but the celebration began Wednesday.

Hundreds of people filled the Statehouse with cheers following the vote.

"I grew up in Rhode Island and I'd like to retire in Rhode Island," said Annie Silvia, 61, who now lives with her partner of 30 years just across the border in North Attleboro, Mass. "No. 10 is a nice round number, but I'd like it to be bigger. Fifty sounds good to me."

Heavily Catholic Rhode Island is the last remaining New England state without gay marriage. Marriage legislation has been introduced in the state for nearly two decades, only to languish on the legislative agenda.

Supporters mounted a renewed push this year, and the Senate vote was seen as the critical test after the House easily passed the bill. Gov. Lincoln Chafee, an independent, called Wednesday's vote historic.

"I'm very much looking forward to signing this," he told The Associated Press as he congratulated supporters.

The first gay marriages in Rhode Island could take place Aug. 1, when the legislation would take effect. Civil unions would no longer be available to same-sex couples as of that date, though the state would continue to recognize existing civil unions. Lawmakers approved civil unions two years ago, though few couples have sought them.

Hundreds of opponents also gathered at the Statehouse for the vote, singing hymns and holding signs as the Senate deliberated. Rev. David Rodriguez, a Providence minister, said he was disappointed by the vote. He said he planned to continue to stand up for traditional marriage.

"Marriage between a man and a woman is what God wanted," he said. "We will continue to do what we know how to do: Keep praying and preaching."

The Roman Catholic Church was the bill's most significant opponent. During the Senate's emotional debate several senators said they struggled mightily, weighing their personal religious beliefs against stories they heard from gay constituents or their families.

Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, D-Providence, said she lost sleep over her vote but decided, despite opposition from the Catholic Church, to vote "on the side of love."

"I'm a practicing Catholic. I'm proud to be a Catholic," she said, adding that it was the personal stories of gays, lesbians and their families in her district who convinced her. "I struggled with this for days, for weeks. It's certainly not an easy vote."

Opponents to the bill tried unsuccessfully to send the question to the voters as a ballot referendum. After that failed, Sen. Harold Metts, D-Providence, told his colleagues that he couldn't go against his religious convictions and that residents in his community are more concerned about other matters.

"My constituents are more concerned with bread-and-butter issues," he said. "They want food on the table. They want their kids to get a good education."

The Rhode Island legislation states that religious institutions may set their own rules regarding who is eligible to marry within the faith and specifies that no religious leader is obligated to officiate at any marriage ceremony and no religious group is required to provide facilities or services related to a gay marriage.

While ministers already cannot be forced to marry anyone, the exemption helped assuage some senators' concerns and ease the bill's passage this year.

Delaware could be the next state to approve gay marriage. Legislation legalizing same-sex marriage narrowly passed the Delaware House on Tuesday and now heads to that state's Senate for consideration.

Two years after gay marriage legislation foundered in Rhode Island, supporters regrouped and this year mounted an aggressive and coordinated campaign that included organized labor, religious leaders, business owners and leaders including Chafee and Providence Mayor Angel Taveras.

The bill's chances improved further when Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed said she would allow the bill to move forward, despite her opposition to gay marriage. The Newport Democrat voted no on Wednesday.

Earlier this week, the Senate's five Republicans announced they would support the measure. Senate Minority Leader Dennis Algiere, R-Westerly, said the decision came down to core Republican principles.

"This is an issue of fairness, equality and civil rights," Algiere said. "Those are our values, and we stand by them."

House Speaker Gordon Fox, D-Providence, who is gay, had vowed to hold a vote on gay marriage early in the session. He said his chamber will hold a Tuesday hearing on the small changes made to the bill in the Senate. A final vote is tentatively scheduled for Thursday.

Rep. Frank Ferri, D-Warwick, who also is gay and lobbied for gay marriage before becoming a lawmaker himself, said it will be a vote to savor.

"After all these years, all these setbacks, all the hearings, we kept at it and we got closer and closer each year," he said. "I'm pumped. I'm excited. I'm thrilled. It's almost surreal."

Gay marriage is legal in nine states and Washington, D.C.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ri-way-10th-state-allow-gay-marriage-215029420.html

peter frampton Sandy Hook Elementary School Colors Cassadee Pope Victoria Soto nbc sports morgan freeman Survivor Philippines

Microscopic dust particles found in underground railways may pose health risk

Apr. 24, 2013 ? New research from the University of Southampton has found that working or travelling on an underground railway for a sustained period of time could have health implications.

Previously published work suggests that working in environments such as steel mills or welding plants, which are rich in airborne metals, like iron, copper and nickel, can have damaging effects on health. However, little research has been done on the effects of working in an underground railway environment -- a similarly metal-rich environment -- and results of studies that have been conducted are often inconclusive.

New research published in Environmental Science and Technology shows that the small dust particles in the air in an underground railway is quite different to the dust that you breathe in every day and that could have health implications.

Matt Loxham, PhD student at the University of Southampton, explains: "We studied the ultrafine dust (or particulate matter) found in an underground station in Europe. Typically, ultrafine dust is composed of inert matter that does not pose much of a risk in terms of its chemical composition. However, in the underground station we studied, the ultrafine dust was at least as rich in metals as the larger dust particles and therefore, taken together with their increased surface area to volume ratio, it is of potential significance in understanding the risks of working and travelling in the underground. These tiny dust particles have the potential to penetrate the lungs and the body more easily, posing a risk to someone's health."

While coarse dust is generally deposited in the conducting airways of the body, for example nasal passages and bronchi; and the fine dust generally can reach the bronchioles (smaller airways), it is almost exclusively the ultrafine dust which is able to reach the deepest areas of the lungs, into the alveoli, where oxygen enters the blood and waste gases leave, to be exhaled. There is evidence that this ultrafine dust may be able to evade the protective barrier lining the airways (the epithelium), and enter underlying tissue and the circulation, meaning that the toxicity of ultrafine particles may not be limited to the airways but may involve the cardiovascular system, liver, brain, and kidneys.

Mr Loxham adds: "Underground rail travel is used by great numbers of people in large cities all over the world, for example, almost 1.2 billion journeys are made per year on the London Underground. The high level of mechanical activity in underground railways, along with very high temperatures is key in the generation of this metal-rich dust, and the number of people likely to be exposed means that more studies into the effects of particulate matter in the underground railway environment are needed, as well as examining how the levels of dust and duration of exposure might translate to effects on health."

The Southampton team, which included the Geochemistry Group at the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton and the Inhalation Toxicology Group at the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in Bilthoven, initially collected airborne dust from a mainline underground station underneath an airport in Europe. The metal content of the dust was analysed and a detailed elemental profile was established for each dust sample. These profiles were then compared to profiles from other dusts analysed at the same time, for example dust from wood-burning stoves and a heavily-trafficked road tunnel, showing that underground particles were very rich in metals, especially iron and copper. The shapes of individual particles were examined and gave clues as to how the particles were generated. The team then showed that the dust was capable of generating reactive molecules which are fundamental to their toxic effects, and that this was dependent on the metal content of the particles and, importantly, occurred to a greater extent as the size of the individual particles decreased. Further work is now being performed to examine the effects of underground dust on airway cells in more detail and the potential mechanisms by which cells may be able to protect themselves.

The study was funded through the Integrative Toxicology Training Partnership studentship provided by the Medical Research Council UK.

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 Southampton, via AlphaGalileo.

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

---

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/miuz_MLtnK0/130424081330.htm

Superbowl Kickoff Time 2013 30 rock What Time Is The Super Bowl 2013 Super Bowl 2013 Time BlackBerry 10 superbowl Ron Jeremy

LG starts to find its niche, ships a record 10.3 million smartphones in Q1

MADRID, April 25 (Reuters) - Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina said the 10-match ban given to his team mate Luis Suarez for biting an opponent was 'absurd' and 'excessive'. Uruguay international Suarez was punished on Wednesday by the English Football Association (FA) after he bit the arm of Chelsea defender Branislav Ivanovic at the weekend. "He knows he is in the wrong, and that it was a mistake, but the 10-game punishment seems absurd to me, excessive and unfair," Spanish international Reina was quoted as telling radio station Cadena Cope by sports daily AS on Thursday. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lg-starts-niche-ships-record-10-3-million-000030774.html

Jodi Arias Heat Harlem Shake mediterranean diet chase kim kardashian pregnant papa johns dominos

Fonda to add prints by dad's at Chinese Theatre

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Jane Fonda is planning to shed a few tears on Saturday.

That's when the 75-year-old Oscar winner will place her hand and footprints next to her father's in the concrete shrine to celebrity outside Hollywood's Chinese Theatre. Then she'll present a special screening of the film she made with her dad, 1981's "On Golden Pond." The cement and cinematic tribute is part of the 2013 TCM Classic Film Festival, which is honoring Jane Fonda.

"I am very, very excited," Fonda said in an interview this week. "I thought probably I would die and this would never happen. I'm just really thrilled that it actually is happening and not only that, but I get to put my hand and footprints right next to my father. ... I'm just so happy I'll probably cry."

The honor inspired Fonda to reflect on her career, which hasn't slowed since she returned to acting in 2005 after a 15-year hiatus.

"I've made some really good films. There's also a lot of films I wish I could do over again," she said. "But I've been lucky: I've worked with some great directors, and I feel like I'm still a work in progress as an actor. I feel like I'm still learning."

After her guest-starring stint on "The Newsroom," she's more interested than ever in television.

"I'd love to have a television series of my own," Fonda said. "I'm hoping that might happen."

A fitness pioneer, Fonda continues to focus on health and wellness with a series of videos aimed at older exercisers. She also inspired countless Oscar watchers earlier this year with her fitted, bright yellow gown, and she serves as L'Oreal's oldest spokeswoman.

"When you're younger, you don't have to put so much time into it, but also I didn't care that much. I was an activist and I didn't think so much about how I appeared," she said. "As I've gotten older, I've paid more attention to how I dress, how I look, what makeup I use, what skincare products I use... I guess one reason that I put more effort into looking good now is because I think it gives hope to other women. It takes the edge off the fear that young people have of getting older."

The wisdom and openness that come with aging are easy to wear well, and Fonda said she's happier now than ever.

"This event that's coming up where I get to put my hand and shoeprints next to my dad in front of the Chinese Theatre, it's coming at a very happy time in my life," Fonda said, "and making it even happier."

___

Follow AP Entertainment Writer Sandy Cohen on Twitter: www.twitter.com/APSandy.

___

Online:

http://filmfestival.tcm.com

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fonda-add-prints-dads-chinese-theatre-140051305.html

joe namath stefon diggs nazi ss andrej pejic steve jobs fbi safehouse brown recluse

Web startup Aereo sets its sights on Boston TV market

(Reuters) - Aereo, the red hot Web startup that has raised the ire of U.S. broadcasters, is planning to expand to Boston starting May 15, the company said on Tuesday.

Backed by Barry Diller's IAC/InterActiveCorp, Aereo plans to launch first with consumers who pre-registered and then more broadly to the Boston area on May 30.

Aereo is currently available in New York.

The company has caught the attention of the likes of News Corp's Fox, Walt Disney's ABC, CBS Corp and Comcast's NBC because it offers people cut-rate subscriptions to their channels.

The broadcasters collect millions of dollars in fees from cable operators to carry their stations. Aereo does not pay anything to the broadcasters.

This prompted the media companies including News Corp and Disney to file a lawsuit against Aereo. Earlier in April, a U.S. appeals court declined to temporarily shut down the online television venture.

Meanwhile the broadcasters have upped the ante: Fox is threatening to remove itself from the free airwaves and become a cable channel if the courts do not shut down Aereo.

(Reporting By Jennifer Saba in New York; Editing by Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/startup-aereo-sets-sights-boston-tv-market-134256683--finance.html

Plaquemines Parish michigan football michigan football askew blue moon ann romney Paul Ryan Speech

Kerry: NATO needs plan for Syrian chemical weapons

Greek Foreign Minister Dimitrios Avramopoulos, left, talks with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

Greek Foreign Minister Dimitrios Avramopoulos, left, talks with Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu, during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, talks with Italy's Foreign Minister Mario Monti, during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, left, talks with Italy's Foreign Minister Mario Monti, during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. NATO foreign ministers meet in Brussels to discuss the situation in Syria and Afghanistan. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

Greek Foreign Minister Dimitrios Avramopoulos, center, talks to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, right, and NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, as they pose for a group photo, during the NATO-Russia Council during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

Italy's Foreign Minister Mario Monti, left, talks with German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle prior to the NATO-Russia Council during a NATO foreign ministers meeting at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Tuesday, April 23, 2013. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

BRUSSELS (AP) ? U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged NATO on Tuesday to prepare for the possible use of chemical weapons by Syria on the same day that a senior Israeli military intelligence official said Syrian President Bashar Assad had used such weapons last month in his battle against insurgents.

It was the first time Israel had accused the embattled Syrian leader of using his stockpile of nonconventional weapons.

The assessment, based on visual evidence, could raise pressure on the U.S. and other Western countries to intervene in Syria. Britain and France recently announced that they had evidence that Assad's government had used chemical weapons.

President Barack Obama has warned that the use of chemical weapons by Assad would be a "game changer" and has hinted that it could draw intervention.

But White House spokesman Jay Carney said while the administration is continuing to monitor and investigate whether the Syrian regime has used chemical weapons, it has "not come to the conclusion that there has been that use."

"But it is something that is of great concern to us, to our partners, and obviously unacceptable as the president made clear," Carney said.

Despite the deteriorating situation, NATO officials say there is virtually no chance the alliance will intervene in the civil war. More than 70,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the United Nations. The violence also has forced more than 1 million Syrians to seek safety abroad, and more are leaving by the day, burdening neighboring countries such as Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey and Iraq.

On Tuesday, Brig. Gen. Itai Brun, the head of research and analysis in Israeli military intelligence, told a security conference in Tel Aviv that Assad had used chemical weapons multiple times. Among the incidents were attacks documented by the French and British near Damascus last month.

He cited images of people hurt, but gave no indication he had other evidence, such as soil samples, typically used to verify chemical weapons use.

"To the best of our professional understanding, the regime used lethal chemical weapons against the militants in a series of incidents over the past months, including the relatively famous incident of March 19," Brun said. "Shrunken pupils, foaming at the mouth and other signs indicate, in our view, that lethal chemical weapons were used."

He said sarin, a lethal nerve agent, was probably used. He also said the Syrian regime was using less lethal chemical weapons. And he appeared to lament the lack of response by the international community.

"The fact that chemical weapons were used without an appropriate response is a very disturbing development because it could signal that such a thing is legitimate," he said.

Israel, which borders Syria, has been warily watching the Syrian civil war since fighting erupted there in March 2011. Although Assad is a bitter enemy, Israel has been careful not to take sides, partly because the Assad family has kept the border with Israel quiet for 40 years and partly because of fears of what might happen if he were toppled.

Israeli officials are concerned that Assad's stockpile of chemical weapons and other advanced arms could reach the hands of his ally, the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon, or Islamic extremist groups trying to oust him from Syria.

Kerry, attending his first meeting of NATO's governing body, the North Atlantic Council, as America's top diplomat, said contingency plans should be put in place to guard against the threat of a chemical strike. Turkey, a member of the military alliance, borders Syria and would be most at risk from such an attack. NATO has already deployed Patriot missile batteries in Turkey.

"Planning regarding Syria, such as what (NATO) has already done, is an appropriate undertaking for the alliance," Kerry told NATO foreign ministers. "We should also carefully and collectively consider how NATO is prepared to respond to protect its members from a Syrian threat, including any potential chemical weapons threat."

Speaking at a news conference after the meeting, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said the alliance is "extremely concerned about the use of ballistic missiles in Syria and the possible use of chemical weapons." However, he also noted that NATO has not been asked to intervene.

"There is no call for NATO to play a role, but if these challenges remain unaddressed they could directly affect our own security," he told reporters. "So we will continue to remain extremely vigilant."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Brussels to talk with his counterparts from NATO countries, said Russia would want any investigation of whether chemical weapons have been used to be conducted by experts and concern only the specific report being investigated.

Speaking through a translator in a press conference at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Lavrov said that, in March, after each side in Syria's civil war accused the other of using chemical weapons in northern Aleppo province, the U.N. investigation became politicized and overly broad. Instead of sending experts to study the specific area and the specific allegation, Lavrov said investigators demanded access to all facilities in the country and the right to interview all Syrian citizens.

In Washington, Pentagon spokesman George Little said the U.S. "continues to assess reports of chemical weapons use in Syria."

"The use of such weapons would be entirely unacceptable," he added.

Later in the day, Kerry appeared to try to soften his earlier remarks, saying he had no way of knowing what the facts were.

"I didn't ask for additional planning," he said. "I think it might have been the secretary general or somebody who commented that we may need to do some additional planning. But there is no specific request. What there was from me was a very clear statement about the threat of chemical weapons and the potential for chemical weapons generically to fall into bad hands."

He also said the Obama administration is "looking at every option that could possibly end the violence and usher in a political transition" and that plans need to be made now to ensure that there is no power vacuum when that takes place. He said increasing aid to the Syrian National Coalition and its military command, the Supreme Military Council, would be critical to that effort.

Many of NATO's 28 members also belong to the European Union, which on Monday lifted its oil embargo on Syria to provide more economic support to the rebels and is now considering easing an arms embargo on the country to allow weapons transfers to those fighting the Assad regime.

Kerry did not mention the possible easing of the EU embargo but he did say that NATO should begin to think about taking on a larger role in planning for a post-Assad Syria, particularly in dealing with the country's chemical weapons stockpiles.

The NATO ministers were also working Tuesday on defining how the alliance would support Afghan forces after 2014, when NATO will no longer have a combat role.

With next year's transition date looming, Kerry will host three-way talks in Brussels on Wednesday with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and top Pakistani officials aimed at speeding possible reconciliation talks with the Taliban and improving trust and cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

On the sidelines of the NATO meeting, Kerry met Lavrov to discuss a range of issues, including Syria. He also thanked Lavrov for Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement of condolence to the U.S. for last week's bombings at the Boston Marathon blamed on two ethnic Chechen brothers.

___

Associated Press writers Ariel David in Tel Aviv, Peter James Spielmann at the United Nations, and Kimberly Dozier and Julie Pace in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Don Melvin can be reached at https://twitter.com/Don_Melvin

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-04-23-EU-NATO-Foreign-Ministers/id-dd2e82fbc10840768174e2a2cac78612

shepard fairey is snooki pregnant snooki pregnant gbc hedy lamarr kowloon walled city ronda rousey vs miesha tate

Condo VS Coop: What's The Difference? - Realty Times

by Benny L. Kass

Watergate is probably the most famous - or infamous - cooperative housing association here in the District of Columbia. But do you know that there are over 50 such associations here, ranging in size from only four units to over 100 apartments.

The general public often confuses condominiums with cooperatives. In reality, as far as living standards go, there are few differences. However, from a legal - and financing - point of view, there are major differences.

There are many definitions of cooperatives, but the one I like best is that a cooperative is a multi-unit apartment building, in which each resident has an interest in the entire building, and a lease (or contract or share of stock) enabling the owner to occupy a particular apartment unit within the building.

If you own a condominium, you actually own your entire apartment, as well as a percentage of the common areas (called the "common elements"). A cooperative owner -often called a shareholder -- does not own the unit. In fact, you could call such owner a "tenant".

The cooperative association, which is usually a corporation consisting of all the unit owners, owns the entire building, including all of the individual units. Each co-op unit owner either owns shares in the cooperative association -- just like owning shares in any other corporation - or for non-stock corporations has what is known as a "proprietary lease". This lease spells out the rights and responsibilities of the owner, as well as the obligations and duties of the Association.

Decisions on the management, lifestyle and financial details are made by the cooperative unit members themselves, either through their vote at regularly scheduled meetings, or by delegation to an elected board of directors, which runs the day-to-day operations of the cooperative.

While this may sound complex, in reality, cooperative living can be very desirable. Cooperative residents generally get the same tax treatment as other homeowners. If they have a loan and if that loan is secured by their ownership documents (ie. the stock certificate or the proprietary lease), they can deduct the yearly interest paid on that loan. Additionally, if the cooperative association has a mortgage on the entire building -- called a blanket or underlying mortgage -shareholders can deduct their proportionate share of the interest on that mortgage. And under most circumstances, they can also deduct their proportionate share of the real estate taxes which the cooperative pays.

How do you go about buying into a cooperative apartment? Let us assume that you have picked a building and have agreed with the seller on a price. It is important to enter into a written contract to purchase this unit, spelling out the various terms and conditions agreed upon, including when the transfer will take place, the price and any financing arrangements between the seller and the buyer.

Perhaps the most important distinction between a condominium and a cooperative is that most cooperative associations require that a prospective purchaser be approved by a membership committee comprised of current cooperative owners. The approval process allows the committee to approve or reject a potential purchaser. However, there are only two grounds on which rejection can legally be based: financial or unwillingness to abide by the terms of the association's rules and regulations. If the membership committee believes that the potential purchaser does not have the financial capacity to live in the complex -- or if the committee determines that the potential purchaser has demonstrated an unwillingness or an inability to comply with the operating rules -- that potential purchaser may be rejected for ownership. However, under no circumstances can the applicant be rejected for other reasons, such as age, sex, race, sexual preference or religion.

The two classic cases in history involve Richard Nixon and Barbra Streisand -- both of whom were rejected for membership in New York cooperatives. The membership committees of those cooperatives were concerned that the presence of these celebrities would create havoc within the cooperative, and would make their building a tourist attraction.

Until the mid-1980's, it was often difficult to obtain financing for the purchase of a cooperative apartment. Thus, sellers often had to "take back" some of the purchase price, by way of a promissory note. As security for this promissory note, the new owners would pledge the shares of stock (or proprietary lease) which they received at settlement.

In recent years, however, cooperative financing is freely available, and is referred to as "share loan financing.

A condominium is governed by the applicable law in the jurisdiction where the property is located. The relevant documents include the Declaration, Bylaws, Rules and Regulations and Plats and Plans. In coops, however, there are few substantive statutes that govern or regulate the associations. The operating documents are the Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, House Rules and Proprietary or Ownership materials.

One interesting aspect of cooperative living is that typically, unlike condominiums, there is a larger percentage of owner occupancy. In fact, many coops specifically prohibit renting of apartments. As a result, from my experience, there is usually more active participation in the management of the cooperative by the co-op members. It is this participation -- indeed a spirit of involvement -- that has kept cooperatives alive and well, and a competing force to condominium living.

There are those who claim that cooperatives are not as good investments as are condominiums, and indeed some cooperative associations have changed to condominium. I do not agree. Especially after the mortgage meltdown that plagued this country for several years, there are many condominiums which are financially unsound and are just not good investments. Much depends on the individual project: how is it managed? Is the Board actively involved and does the Board have the expertise to run such a project? What is the financial state of the association? Are there adequate reserves? Does the Board allow delinquencies to mount or have they adopted a "zero tolerance" approach to collections?

These, and many other factors, must be considered - both for condominium as well as cooperatives. Potential purchasers must do their homework, review carefully the legal documents and the financial statements, before they sign any contract to purchase. It is also a good idea to meet with the association President to get a flavor of life in the association.

Published: April 23, 2013

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.

Author of the weekly Housing Counsel column with The Washington Post for nearly 30 years, Benny Kass is the senior partner with the Washington, DC law firm of Kass, Mitek & Kass, PLLC and a specialist in such real estate legal areas as commercial and residential financing, closings, foreclosures and workouts. Mr. Kass is a Charter Member of the College of Community Association Attorneys, and has written extensively about community association issues. In addition, he is a life member of the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. In this capacity, he has been involved in the development of almost all of the Commission?s real estate laws, including the Uniform Common Interest Ownership Act which has been adopted in many states.

Source: http://realtytimes.com/rtpages/20130423_condoVScoop.htm

chocolate covered strawberries shrimp scampi kate upton si cover lobster recipes hearts flower delivery e cards