National Daytime show casting women with credit card debt

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Source: casting.backstage.com --- Friday, December 30, 2011
Company: The Revolution Location: New York,CT Short Description: Talk Show Casting Call: National Daytime show casting women with credit card Debt Company: The Revolution Project's Description: CASTING WOMEN WITH TOO MUCH CREDIT CARD Debt Do you have credit card Debt that is keepin ...

Source: http://casting.backstage.com/JobSeekerX/ViewJobRSS.asp?JobID=92196&AccountNo=102880

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mohan37: No Yahoo, I will not approve your Facebook app. I just copy and paste the headlines into Google and read the articles that way.

No Yahoo, I will not approve your Facebook app. I just copy and paste the headlines into Google and read the articles that way. Il y a environ 3 heures via web

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Jordan Lindsay shared Kat's discussion on Facebook

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North Korea calls Kim Jong Un 'supreme leader'

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un is seen during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un is seen during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un, 3rd left, and ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam, 4th left, bow their head to take a moment of silence during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korean military personnel take a moment of silence during a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Koreans gather for a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor, was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

In this image made from KRT video, North Korea's next leader Kim Jong Un, 2nd right, and Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly and the ceremonial head of state, right, attend a memorial service for late North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, in Pyongyang, North Korea, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2011. Kim Jong Un, Kim Jong Il's son and successor was declared "supreme leader" of North Korea's ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the first public endorsement of his leadership by the government. (AP Photo/KRT via APTN) TV OUT, NORTH KOREA OUT

PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) ? North Korea declared Kim Jong Il's son and successor "supreme leader" of the ruling party, military and the people during a memorial Thursday for his father in the government's first public endorsement of his leadership.

Kim Jong Un, head bowed and somber in a dark overcoat, stood on a balcony at the Grand People's Study House overlooking Kim Il Sung Square watching the memorial, which also served as a show of support for North Korea's next leader. He was flanked by top party and military officials, including Kim Jong Il's younger sister, Kim Kyong Hui, and her husband Jang Song Thaek, who are expected to serve as mentors of their young nephew.

Given Kim Jong Un's inexperience and age ? he is in his late 20s ? there are questions outside North Korea about whether he is equipped to lead a nation engaged in long-stalled negotiations over its nuclear program and grappling with decades of economic hardship and chronic food shortages.

But support among North Korea's power brokers was unequivocal at the memorial service, attended by hundreds of thousands of people filling Kim Il Sung Square and other plazas in central Pyongyang.

"The fact that he completely resolved the succession matter is Great Comrade Kim Jong Il's most noble achievement," Kim Yong Nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly, told the massive audience at the square.

"Respected Comrade Kim Jong Un is our party, military and country's supreme leader who inherits great comrade Kim Jong Il's ideology, leadership, character, virtues, grit and courage," said Kim, considered North Korea's ceremonial head of state.

Thursday's memorial "was an event to publicly reconfirm and solidify" Kim Jong Un's status, said Jeung Young-tae, an analyst with the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul, South Korea.

"Kim Jong Un is already the leader of the party, military and country," he said.

Life in the North Korean capital came to a standstill as a mourners blanketed the plaza from the Grand People's Study to the Taedong River for the second day of funeral ceremonies for the late leader.

Kim Jong Il, who led his 24 million people with absolute power for 17 years, died of a heart attack Dec. 17 at age 69, according to state media. He inherited power from his father, North Korea founder Kim Il Sung, who died of a heart attack in 1994, in what was the communist world's first hereditary succession.

Attention turned to Kim Jong Un after he was revealed last year as his father's choice among three known sons to carry the Kim dynasty into a third generation.

The process to groom him was rushed compared to the 20 years Kim Jong Il had to prepare to take over from his father, and relied heavily on the Kim family bloodline and legacy as guerrilla fighters and the nation's founders.

Kim Il Sung is North Korea's first and only president; he retains the title "Eternal President" even after his death.

Kim Jong Il held three main positions: chairman of the National Defense Commission, general secretary of the Workers' Party and supreme commander of the Korean People's Army.

According to the constitution, his position as chairman of the National Defense Commission makes him "supreme leader" of North Korea.

Kim Jong Un was made a four-star general last year and appointed a vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Workers' Party. Since his father's death, state media have bestowed on him a series of new titles signaling that his succession campaign was gaining momentum: Great Successor, Supreme Leader and Sagacious Leader.

"Kim Jong Il laid a red silk carpet, and Kim Jong Un only needs to walk on it," Jeung said.

Last weekend, the Workers' Party newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, called on the younger Kim to step into his father's role as supreme commander of the armed forces.

Kim also must formally assume command of the Workers' Party and become chairman of the party's Central Military Commission, said Yoo Ho-yeol, a professor at Korea University in South Korea.

The military will dedicate itself to protecting Kim Jong Un, the "supreme leader of our revolutionary armed forces," Gen. Kim Jong Gak, first vice director of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People's Army, said at the memorial.

The aftermath of Kim Jong Il's death has been watched closely for clues about who in the military and Workers' Party will form Kim's inner circle of trusted aides during the sensitive transition to leadership.

During the mourning period, the young Kim made at least five visits to his father's begonia-bedecked bier when the late leader was lying in state at the Kumsusan Memorial Palace, accompanied at times by his father's confidantes.

Following right behind Kim during a Wednesday funeral procession through Pyongyang streets with Kim Jong Il's hearse was his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, who is a vice chairman of the powerful National Defense Commission and has family ties to the military.

On the other side of the hearse was Ri Yong Ho, vice marshal of the Korean People's Army, and other top military officials.

Kim Jong Il's two other sons, Kim Jong Nam and Kim Jong Chol, were not spotted at either the funeral or memorial.

For Thursday's memorial, North Koreans packed the main square as well as the plaza in front of a Workers' Party monument of a hammer, sickle and writing brush.

Flags at half-staff fluttered in the wind on the cold winter's day, and people were bundled up in parkas. State TV showed a delegation of foreigners attending the memorial.

They bowed their heads as eight artillery guns fired; military officers removed their hats while the booms resonated across Kim Il Sung Square.

The streets went still again for a three-minute period of silence. Heads bowed, workers paused next to a green train and bystanders stopped where they were, some standing next to their bicycles, as trains and boats sirens blew their horns, according to state media.

___

Associated Press Korea bureau chief Jean H. Lee and writers Hyung-jin Kim, Foster Klug and Sam Kim in Seoul, South Korea, contributed to this report. Follow AP's North Korea coverage at twitter.com/newsjean, twitter.com/APklug and twitter.com/samkim_ap.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2011-12-29-AS-Kim-Jong-Il/id-5b7127498a95474c9d905829887ab494

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Brain's connective cells are much more than glue

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Glia cells, named for the Greek word for "glue," hold the brain's neurons together and protect the cells that determine our thoughts and behaviors, but scientists have long puzzled over their prominence in the activities of the brain dedicated to learning and memory. Now Tel Aviv University researchers say that glia cells are central to the brain's plasticity ? how the brain adapts, learns, and stores information.

According to Ph.D. student Maurizio De Pitt of TAU's Schools of Physics and Astronomy and Electrical Engineering, glia cells do much more than hold the brain together. A mechanism within the glia cells also sorts information for learning purposes, De Pitt says. "Glia cells are like the brain's supervisors. By regulating the synapses, they control the transfer of information between neurons, affecting how the brain processes information and learns."

De Pitt's research, led by his TAU supervisor Prof. Eshel Ben-Jacob, along with Vladislav Volman of The Salk Institute and the University of California at San Diego and Hugues Berry of the Universit? de Lyon in France, has developed the first computer model that incorporates the influence of glia cells on synaptic information transfer. Detailed in the journal PLoS Computational Biology, the model can also be implemented in technologies based on brain networks such as microchips and computer software, Prof. Ben-Jacob says, and aid in research on brain disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and epilepsy.

Regulating the brain's "social network"

The brain is constituted of two main types of cells: neurons and glia. Neurons fire off signals that dictate how we think and behave, using synapses to pass along the message from one neuron to another, explains De Pitt. Scientists theorize that memory and learning are dictated by synaptic activity because they are "plastic," with the ability to adapt to different stimuli.

But Ben-Jacob and colleagues suspected that glia cells were even more central to how the brain works. Glia cells are abundant in the brain's hippocampus and the cortex, the two parts of the brain that have the most control over the brain's ability to process information, learn and memorize. In fact, for every neuron cell, there are two to five glia cells. Taking into account previous experimental data, the researchers were able to build a model that could resolve the puzzle.

The brain is like a social network, says Prof. Ben-Jacob. Messages may originate with the neurons, which use the synapses as their delivery system, but the glia serve as an overall moderator, regulating which messages are sent on and when. These cells can either prompt the transfer of information, or slow activity if the synapses are becoming overactive. This makes the glia cells the guardians of our learning and memory processes, he notes, orchestrating the transmission of information for optimal brain function.

New brain-inspired technologies and therapies

The team's findings could have important implications for a number of brain disorders. Almost all neurodegenerative diseases are glia-related pathologies, Prof. Ben-Jacob notes. In epileptic seizures, for example, the neurons' activity at one brain location propagates and overtakes the normal activity at other locations. This can happen when the glia cells fail to properly regulate synaptic transmission. Alternatively, when brain activity is low, glia cells boost transmissions of information, keeping the connections between neurons "alive."

The model provides a "new view" of how the brain functions. While the study was in press, two experimental works appeared that supported the model's predictions. "A growing number of scientists are starting to recognize the fact that you need the glia to perform tasks that neurons alone can't accomplish in an efficient way," says De Pitt. The model will provide a new tool to begin revising the theories of computational neuroscience and lead to more realistic brain-inspired algorithms and microchips, which are designed to mimic neuronal networks.

###

American Friends of Tel Aviv University: http://www.aftau.org

Thanks to American Friends of Tel Aviv University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/116346/Brain_s_connective_cells_are_much_more_than_glue

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JonahNRO: RT @keithurbahn: That sound you hear is left-wing military historians & analysts scrambling to find excuses for when Iraq goes south nex ...

That sound you hear is left-wing military historians & analysts scrambling to find excuses for when Iraq goes south next year. Il y a 13 minutes via web

Source: http://twitter.com/JonahNRO/statuses/152379707361476608

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Domestic policy chief starts, leaves amid crises (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Melody Barnes is leaving as White House chief domestic policy adviser at a time when President Barack Obama's administration is getting little notice for its work on the home front to fix the struggling economy.

Barnes, who will be gone by Tuesday, is quick to point out that there have been many domestic achievements, even though the public is dissatisfied.

"I completely understand what the American public is feeling," she said in an interview in her tidy West Wing office. "Real people are hurting in a significant way. ... At the same time, I'm proud of the things we've been able to accomplish over the last few years."

Her office is wrestling with multiple thorny issues now just as it was when Barnes started as Obama's domestic policy team director in 2009.

Back then, the economy plunged into free-fall and the country was in its worst economic crisis since the 1930s. Jobs were being lost at a rate of about 750,000 a month ? a number Barnes still finds so staggering she said she has to double-check it every time she says it.

Homes were being foreclosed, unemployment was skyrocketing and reaching double the national average in the black community. The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan dragged on, an outbreak of H1N1flu virus became a pandemic, and a tsunami that hit Japan crippled a nuclear plant near Tokyo, to name some of the highlights.

Even her chance to play golf with the president, the first time a woman joined him, was a response to what was a public image crisis for Obama. The president was getting flak for playing basketball with men and fostering complaints about a boys' club in the White House.

Just before Christmas, the president and Congress wrangled over a two-month extension of a Social Security payroll tax cut and unemployment benefits. Obama won a victory when the proposal won bipartisan support in the Senate and finally was accepted by House Republicans under extreme pressure.

Barnes, a Richmond, Va., native with a career in government and private sector work, is bowing out of the political arena as Obama struggles with low approval ratings on his handling of the economy.

A majority of Americans do not think the president deserves a second term, according to the most recent Associated Press-GfK poll. But at the same time, the unemployment rate has dropped to 8.6 percent, the lowest level since March 2009. The president's overall approval rating stands at 44 percent, the lowest of his term in AP-GfK surveys.

His strong stance against House Republicans in the payroll tax standoff has caused an uptick in approval ratings in subsequent polls.

Barnes expects the list of legislative victories that she and others pulled off amid the hemorrhaging economy will become more clear in the coming year as the dark clouds of the economy disperse.

She tops that list with the early work to stabilize the economy, 21 months of consistent job growth and the president's long-term investments in education overhaul, an area that became her specialty.

"Our work on education reform, it'll be part of this president's legacy," she said.

Barnes said that with a fraction of what the federal government spends annually on education, about $100 billion, from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the administration tapped into an education reform movement taking place at the grass roots among governors and local communities frustrated with the prescriptive, one-size-fits-all mandates of No Child Left Behind, the Bush administration's education cornerstone.

Congress has yet to approve revisions to No Child Left Behind, states are using up the stimulus money, and Obama's Race to the Top grant program faces spending cuts. But Barnes said Obama has given a boost to education law changes that now allow such things as connecting student performance and teacher evaluations.

Barnes, chief counsel to the late Sen. Edward Kennedy on the Senate Judiciary Committee, said Obama also deserves credit for passage of a health care overhaul, legislation that she had worked on for eight years with Kennedy. The Massachusetts senator spent his career trying to restructure health care.

There's also the auto industry bailout, expansion of Pell grants to help fund college education, the end of the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays and work to advance civil rights, she said.

"When you are worried about day to day, it's hard to step back and to take all those other things in," Barnes said. "Although at the same time, I'm literally in the grocery store and people come up to me and say, `Hey, you work for the president. You keep on doing what you are doing.' "

Married a few months into the president's first year, Barnes plans to spend more time with family. She is considering offers in the private sector but hasn't disclosed what those are.

___

Online:

White House Domestic Policy Council: http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/dpc

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/obama/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111230/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_white_house_adviser

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Chinese senior diplomat visits Iran amid tensions

BEIJING | Fri Dec 30, 2011 8:33am IST

BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhai Jun visited Iran for talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said, during growing tensions over Tehran's threat to choke off Middle Eastern oil shipments in retaliation against proposed Western sanctions.

In keeping with Beijing's public sensitivity over Iran -- a major oil supplier to China -- the ministry statement gave only opaque clues about what Zhai and his hosts discussed during his two-day visit that ended on Thursday.

"Both sides exchanged views on Sino-Iranian relations and regional issues," said the brief announcement on the Chinese Foreign Ministry's website (www.mfa.gov.cn) dated Thursday.

Zhai met Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and other officials, the announcement said.

The senior Chinese diplomat's visit came after Tehran threatened to retaliate against proposed Western sanctions by choking off oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for Middle Eastern suppliers.

Tehran's threat followed the European Union's decision to tighten sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, as well as moves by the United States to tighten unilateral sanctions.

"China hopes that peace and stability can be maintained in the strait," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a briefing on Thursday in answer to a question about escalating tensions that have pushed up oil prices.

China has driven global oil demand growth for a decade and has increasingly relied on shipments from the Middle East. China bought 547,000 barrels per day of crude from Iran through to October this year, up from 426,000 barrels per day for all of 2010. Only Saudi Arabia and Angola sell more than Iran to China.

International tensions with Iran have increased since a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency in November concluded Tehran appears to have worked on designing a nuclear weapon and may still be pursuing research to that end.

Iran denies this and says it is developing nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

Iran has expanded its nuclear activities despite four rounds of U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and give access to U.N. nuclear inspectors.

As a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, China has the power to veto resolutions mandating such sanctions. But Beijing has instead voted for them, while working to ensure its oil and trade ties are not threatened.

(Reporting by Chris Buckley; Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/INworldNews/~3/rlagHNgxa5Q/china-iran-idINDEE7BT01T20111230

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NBA: Spurs quiet Clippers buzz with big 115-90 win

Published: 5:49PM Thursday December 29, 2011 Source: Reuters

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San Antonio squashed some of the hype surrounding the revamped Los Angeles Clippers this afternoon (NZT) with a 115-90 victory that lifted the Spurs to 2-0 in the new season.

A blockbuster trade for point guard Chris Paul, and the acquisition of starters Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler, created a buzz about the Clippers that only grew after their season-opening victory over Golden State on Monday.

However, San Antonio brought them crashing back to Earth this afternoon with Manu Ginobili scoring 24 points and DeJuan Blair adding 20. The Spurs shot 56 percent for the game.

San Antonio padded a four-point half-time lead into a 25-point advantage with a run of points in the third quarter.

Blake Griffin led the Clippers (1-1) with 28 points and nine rebounds. Four other Clippers finished in double digits, including Paul with 10.

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Source: http://tvnz.co.nz/basketball-news/spurs-quiet-clippers-buzz-big-nba-win-4670205?ref=rss

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Battle for NFL playoff spots goes down to the wire

The final week of the National Football League (NFL) regular season takes place on New Year's Day with seven teams battling for the last three available spots in the playoffs and another four hoping to earn a week off on the road to the Super Bowl.

Nine of the 12 playoff berths have already been snapped up but the fight for the remaining three spots will go right down to the wire with the New York Giants (8-7) and Dallas Cowboys (8-7) clashing in Sunday's featured night game at the new Meadowlands Stadium.

The stakes could hardly be higher for a regular season game with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the NFC East division winner and fourth seed, while the loser will miss the postseason altogether.

"The guys are ready. We understand what's at stake," Giants quarterback Eli Manning told reporters.

The other five NFC spots have already been claimed with the Green Bay Packers (14-1), the defending Super Bowl champions, assured of home field advantage during the playoffs.

The San Francisco 49ers (12-3) can lock up a first week bye if they beat St Louis but New Orleans Saints (12-3) could snatch it if they beat the Carolina Panthers and the 49ers slip up.

In the AFC, five teams remain in contention for the two available playoff spots.

The Denver Broncos and Oakland Raiders are vying for the AFC West division title. The Broncos (8-7) will book their place as the fourth seeds if they beat the Kansas City Chiefs but would miss out altogether if they lost and the Raiders (8-7) defeated San Diego.

The Raiders are also one of four teams battling for the final AFC Wild Card, along with the Cincinnati Bengals (9-6), Tennessee Titans (8-7) and New York Jets (8-7).

The New England Patriots (12-3) have already locked up a first week bye, leaving the Baltimore Ravens (11-4) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (11-4), last season's AFC Super Bowl runners-up, competing for the other free pass into the second week.

But the main focus for the last week will be on the heavyweight clash between the Giants and Cowboys. The Giants have won five of the past seven meetings between the teams, including a 37-34 win in Texas earlier this month.

That was a traumatic loss for the Cowboys with New York scoring 15 points in the final three and a half minutes and Dallas having a potentially game tying field goal attempt in the final seconds blocked by Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul.

Giants coach Tom Coughlin warned against expecting another high-scoring game on Sunday but agreed it had the makings of another classic.

"You have outstanding talent on both sides of the ball so you can expect that things will happen," he said. "It will come down to who is the most physical and who makes the fewest errors."

The Cowboys suffered a scare over their quarterback Tony Romo, who picked up a hand injury in last week's defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, but he was back in practice this week and expected to play.

There is little love lost between the two sets of players, with Giants defensive end Justin Tuck talking again this week of how he 'hates' the Cowboys.

"That's what this rivalry is about, guys are going to get chirpy, talk and say thing out of their neck," Dallas defensive end Marcus Spears said.

"I hope that my team mates understand that we just need to stay quiet and go about our business and get a win. In the end, talking doesn't win games."

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/274370/20111230/nfl-playoff.htm

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Apple kicks off 12 Days of iTunes, offers a dozen freebies to last into 2012

Find yourself something Apple-flavored underneath the Christmas tree yesterday? Need some gentle coaxing into using iTunes? Well, you're in luck; Cupertino's annual download giveaway starts today and runs through January 6th. The free gifts kick off with some Coldplay tracks and videos from the band's latest Apple-sponsored festival appearance. But don't let that put you off; we expect to see more music, some apps and even books over the next few days. Each one's available for just 24 hours, so it could be worth checking the dedicated app daily. It's up for grabs at the link below.

Apple kicks off 12 Days of iTunes, offers a dozen freebies to last into 2012 originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 26 Dec 2011 08:41:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/26/apple-kicks-off-12-days-of-itunes-offers-a-dozen-freebies-to-la/

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Mexico extradites suspect in US consulate slaying (AP)

MEXICO CITY ? Mexico says it has extradited another suspect in the 2010 killing of a U.S. consulate employee, her husband and another man to the United States.

Suspect Joel Abraham Caudillo faces charges of racketeering, drug trafficking, money laundering, and obstruction of justice.

Caudillo is alleged a member of the Barrio Azteca gang, which allegedly killed consular employee Leslie Ann Enriquez Catton and her husband in the border city of Ciudad Juarez.

The Attorney General's Office said Monday that Caudillo was extradited Dec. 20.

It said he allegedly helped cover up or destroy evidence in the killings.

A U.S. grand jury indicted a total of 35 gang members in the crime, almost all of whom have been arrested.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_mexico_consulate_slaying

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A Christian on Hitchens' Atheism and Lowe's Muslim Problem (Time.com)

David Caton owes me one. I interviewed the head of the Florida Family Association last week during his bigoted but successful crusade to get companies like Lowe's to pull ads from All-American Muslim, the Learning Channel reality show about a community of Muslim Americans. Before Caton hung up on me -- he gets angry when you question his complaint that the show presents Muslims in too positive a light and not as crazed radicals plotting to impose Islamic shari'a law from Maine to Monterey -- I corrected his pronunciation of imam, a Muslim cleric, from Eye-mam to the proper Ee-mawm. Later that day, I heard him say it properly on CNN.

But that's all he got right. I concern myself with Caton -- who also likes to hire small planes to haul banners over Orlando warning people that homosexuals visit Disney World -- only for two reasons. One is that a major corporation like Lowe's actually caved to the Evangelical's ugly Islamophobia. The other is that he got his 15 minutes of fame at about the same time that Christopher Hitchens died, on Dec. 15. Hitchens was best known as one of the "angry atheists" for his 2007 best seller God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything, and narrow-minded fundamentalists like Caton made his work a lot easier. So of course did extremist Muslims, as well as extremist Roman Catholics, Jews, Hindus and all the fanatics who ruin religion the way drunks ruin driving. Which is why Hitchens' attacks on faith, while brilliantly written, could also feel gratuitous. (See "Christopher Hitchens, RIP.")

So it's fitting, at least for the silent majority of Christians who aren't hatemongering zealots but who derive hope and humane inspiration from our beliefs, that Caton and Hitchens should both be in the news during the Christmas season. The holiday's anticommercialization critics are right to argue that Christians spend too much time on outdoor lights at the expense of the inner light kindled by the story of God's incarnation in a manger. I'm as guilty as anyone in that regard. But Caton and Hitchens at least give us Christians a convenient place to start. They prod us on the one hand to assess what isn't Christian -- like demonizing gays and Muslims -- and on the other hand to reaffirm why Christianity and religion itself are a positive and not always poisonous influence in the world.

The crux of the Florida Family Association's campaign is Caton's preposterous claim, as he told me, that "every Eye-mam in this country wants to put the U.S. under shari'a law." Every imam I know here in Miami rejects the idea. "Muslims are only 6 million out of 300 million in this country," one reminds me. "We rely on U.S. law to protect our rights as a minority." They're also a minority who wish Christians well at Christmas: the Koran reverently mentions Jesus and the Virgin Mary almost 60 times. (See "Do Shari'a Courts Have a Role in British Life?")

One way, then, that Christians can practice Jesus' teachings of love, tolerance and charity this yuletide is by resolving to reassure folks like Muslims that we're not like the Florida Family Association. That we're committed to the code of Christmas -- "Peace on earth to people of goodwill" -- trumpeted by the same angels we place atop the trees in our living rooms.

That's also one of the best ways to answer Hitchens as well as other angry atheists like Richard Dawkins and quite a few members of my own hypersecular profession. It's a fairly widely accepted maxim that atheist fundamentalists, as I call them, can be just as intolerant as religious fundamentalists. And the problem they share is that both take religion way too literally. Just as Christian fundamentalists insist on a literal reading of the Bible, angry atheists tend to insist that belief in God qualifies you as a raving creationist. (See "Why Christopher Hitchens Is Wrong About Billy Graham.")

Here's what they refuse to get: Yes, Christians believe that Jesus' nativity was a virgin birth and that he rose from the dead on Easter. But if you were to show most Christians incontrovertible scientific proof that those miracles didn't occur, they would shrug -- because their faith means more to them than that. Because in the end, what they have faith in is the redemptive power of the story. In Evelyn Waugh's novel Brideshead Revisited, an agnostic says to his Catholic friend, "You can't seriously believe it all ... I mean about Christmas and the star and the three kings and the ox and the ass."

"Oh yes, I believe that. It's a lovely idea."

"But you can't believe things simply because they're a lovely idea."

"But I do. That's how I believe."

I'm willing to bet it's how most believers believe. Before Hitchens died at 62 from esophageal cancer, he made a point of declaring he was certain no heaven awaited him. But that swipe at the faithful always misses the point. Most of us don't believe in God because we think it's a ticket to heaven. Rather, our belief in God -- our belief in the living ideal of ourselves, which is something even atheists ponder -- instills in us a faith that in the end, light always defeats darkness (which is how people get through the wars and natural disasters I cover). That does make us open to the possibility of the hereafter -- but more important, it gives us purposeful inspiration to make the here and now better.

With all due respect to the memory of Christopher Hitchens, making the here and now better would be difficult without religion. But it's also hard enough without the un-Christian antics of people like David Caton. As Christmas ought to remind us.

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Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/religion/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/time/20111226/us_time/08599210292700

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Deadly riots challenge Kazakhstan stability (AP)

AKTAU, Kazakhstan ? Switch on Kazakhstan state television's evening news and it almost always opens with an item testifying to the nation's stability and economic prowess. So it was a shock when a recent edition began with the president announcing a state of emergency in a town rocked by deadly clashes between demonstrators and police.

The rare public acknowledgment of trouble indicates the government's belated concern over tensions underneath the ex-Soviet state's placid facade. But it remains unclear how effectively authorities will address them.

Instability in Kazakhstan could have far-reaching consequences. It is an increasingly important source of oil and gas, as well as uranium, zinc and copper. The Northern Distribution Network that supplies U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan goes through the Central Asian country's seemingly endless stretches of bleak steppe.

In the 20 years since independence, Kazakhstan has been one of the former Soviet Union's success stories ? avoiding the civil wars and rebellions that plagued its neighbors, assiduously promoting religious tolerance and ethnic harmony and recording impressive economic growth.

But as the country's fortunes flowered, its political system withered. The party of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who has led the country since independence in 1991, wields a crushing domination, holding all the seats in parliament. Opposition parties are allowed, but are so repressed and bullied that they are nearly invisible. Corruption is rampant; Kazakhstan is ranked 120th out of 183 countries in Transparency International's annual corruption perception index.

Officials swat aside complaints of democratic shortcomings and the monolithic domination of the political scene by the president's Nur Otan party, arguing that these things will take time to change. But this month's violence in the energy-rich western Mangystau region suggests time may be running out.

In Zhanaozen, a scruffy town of some 90,000 people, hundreds of oil workers in May took to the main square and declared a strike over what they said were unfair salaries.

Union representatives said monthly incomes for oil workers ranged upward of $600, which is equivalent to the national average, but that employers failed to account for the expense of living in a remote area where all goods are imported from far away.

Laborers complained that while they endure severe conditions in a part of the country that ranges from searingly hot to punishingly cold, much of the riches they generate go elsewhere.

"The problem is that there isn't enough public oversight over the resources sector. If there were transparent information, people would know how much was being extracted and what money is coming in," said Kenzhegali Suyeyov, chairman of the Aktau independent workers' union in Mangystau.

When workers showed no sign of yielding, their employer, state-controlled Kazmunaigas Exploration Production, fired them en masse. Undeterred, the protesters held their ground. Those representing the oil workers did so at their peril.

After seven months of patient and peaceful demonstrations in Zhanaozen, something snapped. On Dec. 16, clashes broke out between police and demonstrators.

Dozens of buildings were burned down and at least 14 people were killed by police gunfire. Local people maintain the death toll was higher.

The next day, large crowds occupied a railway line in the village of Shetpe, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) away. According to the official account, at the end of a day of tense negotiations with authorities, a large gang began throwing Molotov cocktails at train carriages and police opened fire, killing one person.

The state-nurtured illusion of universal contentedness had been shattered.

"There is a large number of problems that the authorities don't want to deal with and solve, which is why ever more people are drawn to extremist messages," said political analyst Dosym Satpayev. "Zhanaozen is not a one-off, and it is fair to expect that such incidents will increase in number in the near future."

In boom times, the commercial capital, Almaty, has attracted masses of low-paid laborers who have often resorted to seeking accommodation in shanty towns on the suburbs. One such settlement, Shanyrak, was earmarked for demolition in 2006, which prompted robust and violent resistance from residents.

As the rural poor look for their fortunes in cities they can barely afford to live in, many believe such flare-ups will be repeated on a regular basis.

Ominously, the notable harmony among Kazakhstan's multiple ethnic minorities has been strained by fierce rivalry over sparse resources. Although reporting on ethnic clashes is taboo, representatives of the Chechen, Uyghur and Meskhetian Turk communities tell of sporadic clashes in southern villages and towns with the Kazakh majority in recent years.

This year also has seen an unprecedented spike in radical Islamist-inspired attacks that have claimed dozens of lives.

Nazarbayev on Monday said the violence was incited by unspecified foreign agitators aiming to "sow social, interreligious, interethic discord in our society." But he also blamed government officials for failing to resolve the labor dispute.

Since the violence in Zhanaozen and Shetpe, crowds of protesting former oil workers have been coming out into the freezing cold in the Mangystau regional capital, Aktau, in a show of solidarity.

Authorities have shown some initiative in entering into dialogue with the oil workers. But thousands of police have been dispatched to the region, raising anxiety and resentment among the locals.

Government critics worry that Nazarbayev may be reluctant to adopt more root and branch political reform.

"Zhanaozen was a very important moment, a turning point. The situation in Kazakhstan before and after Zhanaozen is fundamentally different," said opposition politician Petr Svoik.

Svoik said, however, that it appear as though Kazakh authorities intend to behave as though nothing had happened.

"What doesn't bend, breaks. And that is very dangerous for Kazakhstan," he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111226/ap_on_re_as/as_kazakhstan_illusory_stability

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Nigerians fear more church attacks after 39 killed (AP)

MADALLA, Nigeria ? Women returned to clean the blood from St. Theresa Catholic Church on Monday and one man wept uncontrollably amid its debris as a Nigerian Christian association demanded protection for its churches.

At least 35 people died at St. Theresa and dozens more were wounded as radical Muslim militants launched coordinated attacks across Africa's most populous nation within hours of one another. Four more people were killed in other violence blamed on the group known as Boko Haram.

Crowds gathered among the burned-out cars in the church's dirt parking lot Monday, angry over the attack and fearful that the group will target more of their places of worship.

It was the second year in a row that the extremists seeking to install Islamic Shariah law across the country of 160 million staged such attacks. Last year, a series of bombings on Christmas Eve killed 32 people in Nigeria.

Rev. Father Christopher Jataudarde told The Associated Press that Sunday's blast happened as church officials gave parishioners white powder as part of a tradition celebrating the birth of Christ. Some already had left the church at the time of the bombing, causing the massive casualties.

In the ensuing chaos, a mortally wounded man had cradled his wounded stomach and begged a priest for religious atonement. "Father, pray for me. I will not survive," he said.

At least 52 people were wounded in the blast, said Slaku Luguard, a coordinator with Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency. Victims filled the cement floors of a nearby government hospital, some crying in pools of their own blood.

Pope Benedict XVI denounced the bombing at his post-Christmas blessing Monday, urging people to pray for the victims and Nigeria's Christian community.

"In this moment, I want to repeat once again with force: Violence is a path that leads only to pain, destruction and death. Respect, reconciliation and love are the only path to peace," he said.

The U.N. Security Council condemned the attacks "in the strongest terms" and called for the perpetrators, organizers, financiers and sponsors "of these reprehensible acts" to be brought to justice.

The African Union also condemned the attacks and pledged to support Nigeria in its fight against terrorism.

"Boko Haram's continued acts of terror and cruelty and absolute disregard for human life cannot be justified by any religion or faith," said a statement attributed to AU commission chairman Jean Ping.

On Sunday, a bomb also exploded amid gunfire in the central Nigeria city of Jos and a suicide car bomber attacked the military in the nation's northeast. Three people died in those assaults.

After the bombings, a Boko Haram spokesman using the nom de guerre Abul-Qaqa claimed responsibility for the attacks in an interview with The Daily Trust, the newspaper of record across Nigeria's Muslim north. The sect has used the newspaper in the past to communicate with the public.

"There will never be peace until our demands are met," the newspaper quoted the spokesman as saying. "We want all our brothers who have been incarcerated to be released; we want full implementation of the Sharia system and we want democracy and the constitution to be suspended."

Boko Haram has carried out increasingly sophisticated and bloody attacks in its campaign to implement strict Shariah law across Nigeria. The group, whose name means "Western education is sacrilege" in the local Hausa language, is responsible for at least 504 killings this year alone, according to an Associated Press count.

Last year, a series of Christmas Eve bombings in Jos claimed by the militants left at least 32 dead and 74 wounded. The group also claimed responsibility for the Aug. 26 bombing of the United Nations headquarters in Nigeria's capital Abuja that killed 24 people and wounded 116 others.

While initially targeting enemies via hit-and-run assassinations from the back of motorbikes after the 2009 riot, violence by Boko Haram now has a new sophistication and apparent planning that includes high-profile attacks with greater casualties.

That has fueled speculation about the group's ties as it has splintered into at least three different factions, diplomats and security sources say. They say the more extreme wing of the sect maintains contact with terror groups in North Africa and Somalia.

Targeting Boko Haram has remained difficult, as sect members are scattered throughout northern Nigeria and the nearby countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Analysts say political considerations also likely have played a part in the country's thus-far muted response: President Goodluck Jonathan, a Christian from the south, may be hesitant to use force in the nation's predominantly Muslim north.

Speaking late Sunday at a prayer service, Jonathan described the bombing as an "ugly incident."

"There is no reason for these kind of dastardly acts," the president said in a ceremony aired by the state-run Nigerian Television Authority. "It's one of the burdens as a nation we have to carry. We believe it will not last forever."

However, others don't remain as sure as the president. The northern state section of the powerful Christian Association of Nigeria issued a statement late Monday night demanding government protection for its churches, warning that "the situation may degenerate to a religious war."

"We shall henceforth in the midst of these provocations and wanton destruction of innocent lives and property be compelled to make our own efforts and arrangements to protect the lives of innocent Christians and peace loving citizens of this country," the statement read.

"We are therefore calling on all Christians to be law abiding but defend themselves whenever the need arises."

___

Jon Gambrell reported from Lagos, Nigeria and can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.

___

Associated Press writers Ibrahim Garba in Kano, Nigeria and Bashir Adigun in Abuja, Nigeria contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/world/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111227/ap_on_re_af/af_nigeria_violence

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Japan, China Focus on North Korea

BY TOKO SEKIGUCHI

BEIJING?Concerns over North Korea following the death of its leader, Kim Jong Il, took center stage during a two-day visit by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to China, while the two sides steered clear of sensitive topics such as territorial disputes.

In the first visit by a national leader to Beijing since the unexpected news of Mr. Kim's death last week, Mr. Noda agreed with Chinese leaders on the need to coax Pyongyang back into regional security talks.

Peace and stability in the region are "a wide expectation held by the international community," Chinese President Hu Jintao told Mr. Noda ...

BY TOKO SEKIGUCHI

BEIJING?Concerns over North Korea following the death of its leader, Kim Jong Il, took center stage during a two-day visit by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda to China, while the two sides steered clear of sensitive topics such as territorial disputes.

In the first visit by a national leader to Beijing since the unexpected news of Mr. Kim's death last week, Mr. Noda agreed with Chinese leaders on the need to coax Pyongyang back into regional security talks.

Peace and stability in the region are "a wide expectation held by the international community," Chinese President Hu Jintao told Mr. Noda ...

Source: http://feeds.wsjonline.com/~r/wsj/xml/rss/3_7013/~3/fKEEzh3IC2g/SB10001424052970203391104577122050975127854.html

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Animoog debuts DIY synth studio for iPhone 4, BYO talent (video)

Hey kids, if you never thought you'd live to see the day that Animoog offered up its wares for your iPhone, then prepare to be dazzled. Previously available only for the iPad, Moog has successfully re-tooled its impressive synthesizer software for the smaller screen and has maintained the same powerful features as before. Based on Moog's Anisotropic Synth Engine, the app leverages multitouch input, which allows users to play a chord and then modulate each note independently from one another. With a wide array of timbre styles, polyphonic modulation and pitch shifting, the software even supports MIDI input for those looking to link Animoog with a more traditional synth keyboard. Available right now in the App Store for 99¢, the software will leap to a full $9.99 after its introductory period. So, if you're rocking an iPhone 4 / 4S, it seems wise to jump on this deal while it's nice and cheap. There's a full video after the break, for those looking to see Animoog's recital performance.

Continue reading Animoog debuts DIY synth studio for iPhone 4, BYO talent (video)

Animoog debuts DIY synth studio for iPhone 4, BYO talent (video) originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:38:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nationals bolster rotation with Gonzalez (Reuters)

(Reuters) ? The Washington Nationals have acquired All-Star left-handed pitcher Gio Gonzalez in a six-player trade with the Oakland A's, the teams said on Friday.

Gonzalez, 26, earned his first All-Star selection this year after finishing among the American League leaders in wins, strikeouts (197), and ERA (3.12) with a 16-12 record in 32 starts.

"We could not be more pleased to add lefthander Gio Gonzalez to our club," Nationals executive vice president of baseball operations and general manager Mike Rizzo said in a statement.

"Gio is a front-line starter with glowing credentials, the vast majority of which were achieved before his 26th birthday.

"Gio's presence bolsters the top portion of our rotation with yet another power arm to compete in the rugged National League East."

Gonzalez has a career record 38-32 in 95 games and a 3.93 ERA.

The Nationals also acquired minor league right handed pitcher Robert Gilliam, while the A's received right-handed pitchers A.J. Cole and Brad Peacock, left-handed pitcher Tom Milone and catcher Derek Norris.

(Reporting by Mike Mouat in Windsor, Ontario. Editing by Patrick Johnston)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111224/sp_nm/us_baseball_nationals_gonzalez

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Gingrich?s ?nice? strategy may crumble under attack ads in Iowa (Washington Post)

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SB Nation Minnesota's Week Sixteen NFL Picks

By Christopher Gates - Managing Editor

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Dec 23, 2011 - This will teach me to get a little too cocky about my proclivity when it comes to picking football games.

Yes, thanks to last week being Bizarro Week in the National Football League, we managed to turn in one of our worst weeks of the season, going 6-9 straight-up and 5-9-1 against the number, with the push coming courtesy of Oakland's one-point loss to Detroit late on Sunday afternoon. That puts us back under break-even against the spread, even though our numbers straight-up are still pretty good.

Sadly. . .or, perhaps, not. . .I managed to miss Thursday night's battle between the Houston Texans and Indianapolis Colts, so I'm already starting this week one game down, so let's get to it with all the games this week being on Saturday. All of the point spreads are brought to you by our good friends from Oddsshark.com.

Game of the Week - New York Giants "at" New York Jets (-3)

This is technically a Jets home game, but it's essentially a home game for both teams. This one has playoff implications for both teams, but while the Jets can still get into the post-season party with a loss, the Giants can't, as a loss here will pretty much knock them out of contention. Hey, since my own team can't bring themselves to be interesting, I need to hope for interest from somewhere.

Straight-Up - Giants, ATS - Giants

Lock of the Week - Denver Broncos (-2.5) at Buffalo Bills

Last week, the Fightin' Tebows got lit up pretty good by New England at Mile High Stadium. The Bills aren't the Patriots, and Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't Tom Brady (even less so since he signed that huge contract extension). The Broncos still hold all the cards in the AFC West, and should be able to keep it that way against the train wreck in Buffalo.

Straight-Up - Broncos, ATS - Broncos

Upset of the Week - Arizona Cardinals at Cincinnati Bengals (-4)

All John Skelton does is win, folks. . .he's 6-1 as the Arizona starter this year, and will get the nod over an apparently healthy Kevin Kolb in this one. The Bengals are still hanging in there in the AFC playoff chase, and a loss here would be devastating. Of course, this is the Bengals. . .

Straight-Up - Cardinals, ATS - Cardinals

The Rest of the Week

Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers (-7.5)

Remember when Raheem Morris was a rising star in the coaching ranks and Josh Freeman was going to turn the world in it's ear? Yeah, neither do the fans in Tampa Bay, who may be ready to run Morris out of town after this one. I don't like that extra half-point on the spread, though.

Straight-Up - Panthers, ATS - Buccaneers

Cleveland Browns at Baltimore Ravens (-12)

With the Steelers losing in San Francisco on Monday night and the Texans falling apart against Indy, the Ravens have the inside track to a first-round bye. . .if they can stop shooting themselves in the foot long enough to take advantage. I'm not taking the Ravens to cover a spread this big, though.

Straight-Up - Ravens, ATS - Browns

Jacksonville Jaguars at Tennessee Titans (-7.5)

The Titans' loss to the Colts last week may have torpedoed their playoff chances, but if they'll keep themselves alive into Week 17 with a victory in this one. Blaine Gabbert continues to look completely overmatched at quarterback for the Jags, and there's no reason to think he's going to do significant damage here.

Straight-Up - Titans, ATS - Titans

St. Louis Rams at Pittsburgh Steelers (-12)

A few days ago, I might have predicted this to be a Pittsburgh blowout. Then I watched a completely ineffective Ben Roethlisberger limp around the field against the Niners, and now I'm not so sure. The Steelers have already punched their ticket to the playoffs, and really don't stand to benefit from throwing Roethlisberger out there. They're still the better team, but they're not blowing anybody out without Big Ben taking the snaps.

Straight-Up - Steelers, ATS - Rams

Miami Dolphins at New England Patriots (-9)

The Dolphins have had a huge turnaround since the early part of the season, but Bill Belichick knows that there's a very good chance to ensure the road to the Super Bowl runs right through Foxboro. He and Tom Brady don't often miss out on opportunities like those.

Straight-Up - Patriots, ATS - Dolphins

Oakland Raiders at Kansas City Chiefs (-1)

I have no idea what in the heck is going on in the AFC West any more. But the Raiders failed me last week, and they shall pay for their insolence now against the team that, mercifully, ended Green Bay's run at perfection.

Straight-Up - Chiefs, ATS - Chiefs

San Diego Chargers at Detroit Lions (-1)

For the second straight week, the Lions are a one-point favorite. This weekend, however, the Chargers are likely going to be without Vincent Jackson, and Detroit knows it can clinch its first playoff spot since the Truman Administration (or thereabouts) with a victory. Congratulations in advance to Detroit.

Straight-Up - Lions, ATS - Lions

San Francisco 49ers (-1) at Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks have, somehow, gotten themselves back to .500. The Niners appeared to be going into the post-season in reverse, until they throttled the Steelers on Monday Night Football. San Francisco knows that a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs is still at stake, and I still don't trust Tarvaris Jackson. Sorry, Seattle fans.

Straight-Up - Niners, ATS - Niners

Philadelphia Eagles at Dallas Cowboys (-1.5)

You want to hear something crazy? If the Eagles, Giants, and Cowboys all finish 8-8, the "Dream Team" Eagles would go from potentially being the NFL's biggest disaster to winning the NFC East and hosting a first-round playoff game. I, for one, would like to see that.

Straight-Up - Eagles, ATS - Eagles

Chicago Bears at Green Bay Packers (-12.5)

The Bears have been falling apart at the seams since Jay Cutler went down. Last week, the Packers' offense looked thoroughly useless without Greg Jennings running routes. A win for Green Bay wraps up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs. Ugh.

Straight-Up - Packers, ATS - Bears

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints (-7.5)

The Falcons are fighting for their playoff lives, while the Saints are still hunting for a first-round bye. It should be a pretty good contest, but in the end, I'm not sure if the Dirty Birds have the power to keep up with the Dirty Team.

Straight-Up - Saints, ATS - Saints

Straight-Up For Season: 132-74 (6-9 last week)
ATS For Season: 98-100-8 (5-9-1 last week)
Lock of the Week: 7-7
Upset of the Week: 5-8-1

Read More: nfl picks, nfl picks week 16, week 16 nfl picks

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Source: http://minnesota.sbnation.com/2011/12/23/2658552/nfl-picks-week-16-predictions

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Iraq oil exports, revenue rebound

November oil sales have ticked up on higher oil prices and volumes, heading into uncertain new year with output expected to rise.

Tankers dock at the Al-Basra Oil Terminal, the principal export point for Iraqi oil. (BEN LANDO/Iraq Oil Report)

Iraq averaged 2.13 million barrels per day (bpd) in oil exports in November, the highest levels since August, ending a two-month decline.

At $106.60 per barrel, Iraq earned $6.83 billion last month, also the most since August, bringing the 11-month total this year to $75.91 billion in oil proceeds.

Iraq relies on oil for 95 percent of state revenues. The cabinet has approved a $100 billion budget for 2012, pending approval by Parliament, which doesn't meet again until January, and must dea...

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Jeff Schweitzer: Secular Guidelines to Moral Living: A Tribute to Christopher Hitchens (Huffington post)

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