Budget uncertainty hangs over quiet stocks, FX

LONDON (Reuters) - World stock, commodity and currency markets were steady on Monday, with tensions over the U.S. budget dispute subdued by a holiday lull in Europe.

With a number of stock markets including in Germany, Italy and Switzerland closed for the Christmas holiday, the FTSEurofirst300 <.fteu3> was flat at 1,138.92 points by 1045 GMT and the MSCI index of global stocks <.miwd00000pus> was virtually unchanged at 339.97. The British, French, Dutch and Spanish markets were open for shortened sessions only.

Activity in other assets was also subdued, with spot gold edging up from a four-month low and Brent oil easing back under $109 a barrel.

Markets were left in limbo on Friday when President Barack Obama and U.S. lawmakers suspended talks until after Christmas on avoiding $600 billion of spending cuts and tax increases that threaten to send the economy back into recession.

Although there is no official date for talks to resume, the two sides still have few days after Christmas to find a compromise before the January 1 deadline when the measures start to take effect.

Most political experts and economists expect a deal of some form. If one isn't, the "fiscal cliff" could wipe as much as 4 percent off U.S. GDP next year, choking the global recovery before it gets going.

"The fiscal cliff is the only thing that is important for markets at the moment," said ABN Amro economist Aline Schuiling. "We were hoping the festive spirit would get everyone together and a deal would be done, but Obama has now gone to Hawaii for Christmas, so it looks like we'll have to wait."

YEN WEAKNESS

Most European bond markets were already shut for Christmas but one of the few to be open was in Britain where benchmark 10-year yields ticked higher.

Currency markets were also largely quiet. Against the backdrop of the fiscal cliff uncertainty, the dollar eased 0.2 percent versus a basket of major currencies while the euro climbed back above $1.32.

The major mover was the yen, which neared a 20-month low versus the dollar, after incoming premier Shinzo Abe renewed pressure over the weekend on the Bank of Japan to adopt a 2 percent inflation target.

The dollar was up 0.2 percent on the day at 84.42 yen. Chartists said the dollar needed to overcome 85.05 yen, its 200-week moving average, for it to make further gains.

"There has been some pretty significant yen selling all through the night and into this morning," said Peter Kinsella, currency strategist at Commerzbank.

"It is very noticeable we have not seen any retracement or dip in dollar/yen at all. The market is really saying they are convinced on yen weakness, and that is what we are going to see for the remainder of this year and in the course of next year."

STRONG FINISH

Trading on Wall Street was also expected to be subdued when it opens later, also for half a day. Futures pointed to the S&P 500 opening down 0.6 percent and the Dow Jones and Nasdaq 100 starting down 0.4 percent. <.n/>

The uncertainty over the U.S. budget is threatening to sour what has been a strong second half of the year for equity markets. The FTSEurofirst 300 is up 20 percent since June while the Euro STOXX 50 <.stoxx50e> has gained almost 30 percent. Both indexes are set to post their best annual performances since the post-Lehman crisis bounce of 2009.

Investors are now showing increasing appetite for European stocks. EPFR Global data reported that flows into equity funds have increased for the last 19 weeks.

"This year has been a year of transition, and now it's time to turn the page and move on, to start picking stocks again for the long term, companies exposed to the emerging consumer in places like Asia and Africa," said David Thebault, head of quantitative sales trading, at Global Equities.

Others warn that the euro zone crisis may still have some bite left, however. Elections are due next year in Italy and Germany, while Spain's government, companies and banks need to refinance huge amounts of debt.

"Policymakers in Spain will not be looking forward to the start of the year and January will probably be quite volatile in Europe," said ABN Amro's Schuiling. "The funding in the first quarter for Spain will be the test... Its deficit is now roughly the same as Greece's."

(Additional reporting by Blaise Robinson in Paris and Anooja Debnath in London; editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-steady-u-budget-concerns-weigh-002359300--finance.html

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Christmas With My Homeless Aunt

When my father smiles, the wide gaps between his teeth are on cartoony display. His family could afford braces for only one child, and, as the girl, his sister?s looks won priority. In adulthood, Debbie was the homeless woman with perfect teeth.

The last time I saw my aunt was Christmas 2007. I was home in North Carolina for winter break during my senior year of college. I?d just completed my second term of French, and, on Christmas day, I was arrogant in my use of rudimentary language skills to make snide remarks to my French-fluent mother. A gruff smoker?s laugh interrupted my stilted chatter, and Debbie piped up in proficient French. I was shocked into silence?chagrined because I?d been talking about my aunt and beyond surprised because, being homeless and an alcoholic, Debbie was the last middle-aged person you?d expect to recall lessons learned in high school.

That Christmas, my aunt brought in her suitcase two white mice that quickly took up residence in the guest room closet, presumably pleased to be no longer homeless.

At one point, Debbie made me tea, and, to test the heat, she?d sipped from my cup. I took the cup but never had a sip myself. Taking me aside, my dad demanded that I stop treating her like a homeless person. ?Dad, she is a homeless person,? I said.

That Christmas, Debbie told us that, while she was living in ?the forest? ? a phrase so Disney-movie-inspired we all found it darkly hilarious ? her morning wake-up call involved overly friendly raccoons scratching her gently on the nose.

During her visit, Debbie never smelled homeless. She smelled quite fragrant, minty fresh, in fact. She?d been reduced to satisfying her alcohol addiction with Dollar Store mouthwash and remnants oozed from her pores with her sweat.

Until he passed, my grandfather offered Debbie some monetary support for her flophouse lifestyle with an ever-changing group of fellow addicts and enablers packed into overcapacity roach motel rooms or near-condemned dank one-room apartments in Wildwood, N.J. But when he died, Debbie refused to be taken in by my father and retreated to ?the forest.? When winter chill set in, the cops in Cape May arrested forest dwellers on loitering charges, or whatever outstanding warrants were on the books, to protect them from the elements.

In the weeks prior to that holiday, my father had been to New Jersey three times to try to have Debbie transferred from county jail to a state facility that would dry her out. Each time she was released on her own recognizance and returned to the forest, disinclined to take up the ?square? lifestyle my dad?s help required. Travel costs put a strain on my parents, so my dad forced the issue and transported Debbie and her few belongings southward just in time for Christmas.

By New Year?s, my dad had secured Debbie a job as a grocery store butcher, but it wasn?t long before she was fired for getting drunk at work. Eventually, my parents worried that Debbie might pass out with a cigarette in her mouth and burn the house down or that she?d offer shelter to other, more unsavory former forest dwellers. Going with their contingency plan meant setting Debbie up in a cheap motel across the border in South Carolina near the Mitsubishi plant site where my dad worked as an environmental engineer.

My father encouraged Debbie to search for employment within walking distance of her motel. One afternoon, Debbie was refused an application at Sonic. So, she panhandled enough for a dram of cheap vodka and, in short order, earned a citation for drunk and disorderly conduct after peeing on the lawn in front of Sonic in full view of diners and passing traffic.

Soon enough, Debbie made friends and moved from the motel into a small tent city in a warmer forest away from her brother?s questions and surveillance. It was an outcome that was expected, even inevitable. Debbie was going on 40 years held hostage by addictive impulses. Her drug and alcohol habits were full-grown by her late teens.

Over the past four decades, my dad unsuccessfully attempted to rehabilitate his sister countless times. Once, when I was a baby, he?d bought her a ticket home for a sobriety try. Debbie made it into the car he?d arranged to take her to the airport but did not make it on the plane. Outside departures, she found a cabbie who offered her a fare-free ride. She should have been skeptical of this beneficence. The cabbie was counterfeit and piloting a stolen taxi. My aunt was arrested as an accomplice to grand theft auto.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=2fdf0613091a3b5483e06ad3797c454c

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Egypt to announce result of constitution vote on Tuesday

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt will announce on Tuesday the official results of a vote on its new constitution, the head of the elections committee told state media on Monday, a step which paves the way for the formation of a new parliament in about two months.

The creation of a new constitution is a vital step in Egypt's transition to democracy almost two years after the fall of military-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak.

But the opposition says the text, crafted mostly by President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies, fails to guarantee personal freedom and the rights of women and minorities. It says it will lead to more trouble in the most populous Arab nation.

Unofficial tallies from the Muslim Brotherhood - which catapulted Mursi into the presidency this year - indicated that 64 percent had approved the charter. An opposition tally had a similar result.

"The Supreme Elections Committee will announce on Tuesday at 7 P.M. (17:00 GMT) the results of the referendum on the new constitution," judge Samir Abu el-Matti told state radio and TV late on Monday.

Matti also said that the committee, which is led by judges, had spent the last two days investigating opposition and rights' groups accusations of voting fraud.

Mursi's critics said the vote, conducted in two stages in a process that ended on Saturday, had been marred by a litany of irregularities, and have demanded a full inquiry.

The opposition, a loose alliance of socialists, liberal-minded Muslims and Christians, have also noted that less than a third of those eligible turned out to vote, undermining the legitimacy of the new constitution.

ELECTION LOOMS

If the "yes" vote is confirmed, a parliamentary election will follow in about two months, setting the stage for Islamists to renew their battle with more secular-minded opponents.

Opposition politician Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner, urged Mursi to form an all-inclusive government together with the liberal camp in order to patch up divisions and steer Egypt out of trouble in a democratic way.

"I am ready to join hands with President Mursi on condition that he forms a national (unity) government and speaks as president for all Egyptians," he told the daily Al-Shorouk.

ElBaradei, the former head of the U.N. nuclear agency, said a new assembly should rewrite the draft - a call unlikely to be heeded by Mursi, who is keen to push it through quickly.

By forcing the pace on the constitution, Mursi risks squandering the opportunity to build consensus for the austerity measures desperately needed to kick-start a the ailing economy, economists say.

Highlighting investor concerns, Standard and Poor's cut Egypt's long-term credit rating and said another cut was possible if political turbulence worsened.

Responding to what it said were market rumours, the central bank said it was taking steps to safeguard bank deposits.

Some Egyptians say they have withdrawn their funds from banks out of concern that they will be frozen by authorities.

LEGISLATIVE POWERS

Under the new constitution, legislative powers that have been temporarily held by Mursi move to the Islamist-dominated upper house of parliament until a new lower house is elected.

The make-up of the Supreme Constitutional Court, which Islamists say is filled with Mubarak-era appointees bent on throwing up legal challenges to Mursi's rule, will also change as its membership is cut to 11 from 18.

Those expected to leave include Tahani al-Gebali, who has described Mursi as an "illegitimate president".

The low turnout in voting on the constitution has prompted some newspapers to question how much support the charter really had, with opponents saying Mursi lost the vote in much of the capital.

"The referendum battle has ended, and the war over the constitution's legitimacy has begun," said newspaper Al-Shorouk, while a headline in Al-Masry Al-Youm read: "Constitution of the minority".

The head of the Muslim Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, Saad al-Katatni, wrote on Facebook that the group's members were "extending our hands to all political parties and all national forces", adding: "We will all start a new page."

But the opposition National Salvation Front say the new constitution only deepens a rift between the liberals and Islamists who combined to overthrow Mubarak, and that they will keep challenging it through protests and other democratic means.

"We do not consider this constitution legitimate," liberal politician Amr Hamzawy said on Sunday, arguing that it violated personal freedoms.

The run-up to the referendum was marred by protests triggered by Mursi's decision to award himself broad powers on November 22. At least ten people were killed in clashes in Cairo and violence also flared in Egypt's second city, Alexandria.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-announce-result-constitution-vote-tuesday-082828522.html

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Embroidered Napkins That Will Add A Last Minute Homemade Touch To Your Table

Adding a small homemade touch to your Christmas table is an easy way to make your holiday dinner extra special. So if you're still looking for a simple way to incorporate your handiwork into your tablescape, take some time on your day off today to try this last-minute holiday craft idea.

If you don't have time to make these napkins from scratch, simply embroider some festive words onto any that you already have. It's the easiest way to make your old table linens look different from last year without having to spend any more money.

Photo by Sew Together

Head over to Sew Together for the full tutorial.

Looking for more holiday crafts? Check out some other great ideas in the slideshow below.

• Ornament Gift Tag

  This adorable <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/felt-snowman-gift-tag-ornament_n_2339926.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">present topper</a> doubles as an ornament.

• Placemat Stockings

  Last-minute stockings that will look great <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/20/quilted-placemat-christmas-stockings_n_2331373.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">hanging by the chimney</a> -- and that aren't straight from the drugstore holiday aisle.

• Kraft Paper Tree Skirt

  One of the most <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/19/kraft-paper-tree-skirt-christmas_n_2324905.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">unique tree skirts</a> we've ever seen!

• Mistletoe Silhouette Wall Art

  Decorate your walls with a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/18/christmas-craft-ideas-kissing-silhouettes_n_2316827.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">tribute to everyone's favorite</a> (or for some, dreaded) Christmas tradition.

• Fabric Pinecone Fase Fillers

  Throw these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/17/christmas-craft-ideas-pine-cone-fillers_n_2303631.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">faux-pinecones</a> in an empty bowl or vase to add some extra detail to a room.

• Candy Cane Wreath

  Not only is this <a href="Thanks again for sharing your craft with our readers. We would be thrilled if you could share it with your readership as well and if you do, please tag/follow us on our social channels: Twitter:?http://twitter.com/HuffPostHome?Facebook:?https://www.facebook.com/HuffPostHome?ref=hl?Pinterest:?http://pinterest.com/huffposthome/?Tumblr:?http://huffposthome.tumblr.com/?Instagram:?http://web.stagram.com/n/huffposthome">colorful wreath</a> so pretty, but you'll also be able to use it year after year.

• Paper Napkin Snowballs

  Who knew <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/13/christmas-crafts-paper-napkin-snowballs_n_2286362.html">napkins</a> could look so elegant?

• Mosaic Ornaments

  Turn your old Smashmouth CD into <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/holiday-craft-ideas-mosaic-ornaments_n_2278759.html">something so much cooler</a>.

• Paper Dreidels

  Add some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/11/hanukkah-craft-ideas-paper-dreidels_n_2271877.html">extra decorations</a> without spending a cent.

• Ruffle Tree Skirt

  Turn an old tree skirt into a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/07/holiday-craft-ideas-ruffle-tree-skirt_n_2259624.html">pretty ruffled one</a> -- without sewing a stitch!

• Dreidel Coasters

  A fun and festive way to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/06/hanukkah-craft-ideas-dreidel-coasters_n_2250190.html">protect your tabletops</a> this Hanukkah.

• Pumpkin Snowman

  The perfect way to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/05/holiday-craft-ideas-pumpkin-snowman_n_2244416.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">bring fall decor</a> into the winter.

• Paint-Dipped Ornaments

  A quick and easy way to <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/04/holiday-craft-ideas-paint-dipped-ornaments_n_2237743.html">add some festive color</a> to your tree.

• Gelt Pouch

  Get ready for some <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/03/hanukkah-craft-ideas-gelt-pouch_n_2231593.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">intense games</a> of driedel!

• Square Holly Wreath

  Put a <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/holiday-craft-ideas-square-holly-wreath_n_2198681.html">unique spin</a> on a classic holiday wreath.

• Hanukkah Party Favors

  Recycle toilet paper rolls into sparkly and colorful <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/29/hanukkah-craft-ideas-party-favors_n_2212193.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">party favors</a>.

• Charlie Brown Ornaments

  Pay homage to "A Charlie Brown Christmas" with these felt <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/holiday-craft-ideas-charlie-brown-ornaments_n_2194132.html">Peanuts ornaments</a>.

• Modern Furniture Wreath

  Create one of the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/holiday-craft-ideas-furniture-embedded-wreath_n_2198917.html">most unique wreaths</a> you'll ever see!

• Embellished Hanukkah Napkins

  Honor the eight nights of Hanukkah with these <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/hanukkah-craft-ideas-numbered-hanukkah-napkins_n_2193056.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">festive numbered napkins</a>.

• Yarn-Wrapped Pinecones

  Such a simple yet festive <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/21/holiday-craft-ideas-yarn-wrapped-pinecones_n_2172495.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">way to decorate</a> for the holiday season!

• Painted Acorns

  These <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/21/holiday-crafts-metallic-golden-acorns_n_2171010.html?utm_hp_ref=huffpost-home&ir=HuffPost%20Home">acorns are the perfect decor</a> to transition from Thanksgiving to the December holidays.

• Paper Christmas Tree

  These <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/16/craft-of-the-day-paper-trees_n_1154426.html?ref=stylelist-home" target="_hplink">paper christmas trees</a> are an easy way to upcycle old newspapers.

• Mason Jar Snow Globe

  Bring the beautiful snow (without the cold!) into your home with a <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/15/craft-of-the-day-mason-jars_n_1152222.html?ref=stylelist-home" target="_hplink">mason jar snow globe</a>.

• Paper Snowflakes

  Welcome winter with pretty <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/12/craft-of-the-day-paper-snowflakes_n_1144520.html?ref=stylelist-home" target="_hplink">paper snowflakes</a>

• Felt Trees

  Make these <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/07/craft-of-the-day-felt-trees_n_1134066.html?ref=stylelist-home" target="_hplink">felt trees</a> to add some festivity to any room in your home.

• Ornament Wreath

  This <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/01/craft-of-the-day-ornament-wreath_n_1124167.html" target="_hplink">ornament wreath</a> is a bright and festive way to dress up your front door!

• Pinecone Ornaments

  Dress up your tree with these funky <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/12/01/craft-of-the-day-pinecone_n_1122895.html?ref=mostpopular" target="_hplink">pinecone ornaments</a>

• Advent Calendar

  Count down the days until Christmas with this <a href="http://www.stylelist.com/2011/11/25/craft-of-the-day-advent-calendar_n_1113147.html" target="_hplink">advent calendar</a>

• How to Make a Duct Tape Holiday Wallet

  Kristy Kalnitzky demonstrates how make a duct tape holiday wallet.

Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/christmas-craft-idea-embroidered-napkins_n_2347088.html

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Is air marshal program a model for schools?

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The former congressman who's heading the National Rifle Association's school emergency response program that would include volunteers to help guard children says it makes sense because it's similar to placing air marshals on planes.

Asa Hutchinson tells ABC's "This Week" that the air marshal program has provided a deterrent and made flying safer.

He says putting trained guards such as retired police officers or military persons at schools will help protect students. Hutchinson says hiring guards to defend schools is a "very reasonable approach" but it should be a local choice.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a prominent Republican, says the approach will turn schools into an armed camp for kids.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-23-Connecticut%20Shooting-Hutchinson/id-dd02a457f34446ad9a2429eaf09ca83e

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North Mississippi lake ready for restocking | Outdoors | The Sun Herald

AMANDA McCOY/SUN HERALDSierra Lamey of Ocean Springs holds one of the many bluegill that she caught while weighing in her catch during a kids fishing rodeo in July, 2011. Lake Lamar Bruce in northern part of the state is going to be restocked with bluegill for recreational fishing.

AMANDA McCOY ? SUN HERALDBuy Photo

SALTILLO -- It may not look ready, but according to state wildlife officials, Lake Lamar Bruce is ready to be stocked with fish -- very small bluegill and redear sunfish as well as catfish fingerlings.

"Tupelo Fish Hatchery and Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks have partnered to raise the fish to put back into Lamar Bruce," said MDWFP's Larry Pugh. "So we'll be stocking probably 150,000 bluegill and redear ... and probably 15,000 channel catfish."

He said it'll take two years for those fish to spawn twice before they are ready to fully stock the lake with bass and other larger species.

The lake has been closed for two years to repair an old dam at its south end. Now, it's good as new.

"We've got a new dam, a new water level control structure. We were able to complete it, so we're finished with it. We've got a few other on the ground projects, but we're looking forward to getting those done too," Pugh said.

Lake Lamar Bruce will not officially reopen for another two years, but we were told that there is a possibility that one part of the lake could be opened next year.

A four-acre fishing pond at the lake is expected to be filled with water soon.

Larger fish can be placed there, Pugh said, and can be used for kids fishing.

The lake has been a mainstay in Saltillo since it opened in the early 1960s, and residents are glad to see the old lake like new again.

"We need a good place to fish around here again," said Dan Grisham, a local resident.

Pugh said there are perhaps 50-to-80 acres of water already in Lake Lamar Bruce.

He said there is plenty of submerged vegetation for young fish to feed on as well.

Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/22/4373342/north-mississippi-lake-ready-for.html

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Health & Fitness 2016: Nursing EMT Deluxe

Buy on the merchant's on-line searching and scan reviews. If you're making an attempt to find Nursing EMT Deluxe with special price. This is the simplest deals for you. Where you'll notice these item is by online looking stores? Read the review on Nursing EMT Deluxe Now, it's discount deals. So do not lose it.

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Source: http://pophealthfitness384.blogspot.com/2012/12/nursing-emt-deluxe.html

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Poison for cancer cells

Friday, December 21, 2012

In their quest for new agents, pharmaceutical researchers test millions of substances all over the world. They like using color-forming reactions to identify new molecules. However, in intensively colored solutions or in the case of mixtures with multiple substances these tests fail. As part of his doctoral thesis, Martin Stein, member of staff at the Chair of Biochemistry at the Technische Universitaet Muenchen, developed a testing reaction based on magnetic resonance data. It helps find a specific pharmaceutical molecule among hundreds of different substances even in the most turbid of bacterial brews.

As a test reaction, the research team used the decomposition of a short amino acid chain caused by the proteasome. Similar to a recycling facility this vitally important cell protein breaks down superfluous proteins into small pieces. To follow the reaction, they integrated a special carbon atom into the chain: it has one neuron more than normal carbon and its magnetic resonance signal is sensitive to a scission of the chain. Under normal circumstances, the proteasome will decompose the amino acid chain, effecting a change in the signal from the carbon-13 atom. If it does not react, the solution must contain a substance that inhibits the work of the proteasome.

Cancer cells suffocating in garbage

The pharmaceutical industry is always on the lookout for precisely such substances to deploy them against threads like cancer. In the case of cancer, for example, when the proteasome is blocked, rapidly growing cancer cells choke on their own waste. The first medication of this kind is already generating annual revenues of over one billion US dollars. The scientists are now looking for further substances with lesser side effects.

Following preliminary studies, one such candidate was a toxic substance produced by the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens. This is the poison that kills the larvae of the garden chafer. Using his new methodology, the scientists discovered that the bacterium lives inactively in the intestines of the threadworm. When it lays its eggs, the worm infects the larvae. The sudden change in environment causes the bacterium to emit toxins. After the larva dies, the bacterium ceases to produce toxins. Once the threadworms hatch from the protective egg membrane, they ingest the inactive bacterium into their intestines, and the cycle can start again.

Since the newly developed method also works in intensively colored solutions and in the presence of hundreds of other substances, the workgroup at the Chair of Biochemistry succeeded in isolating the unknown poison directly from the bacterial brew: It turned out to be two structurally very similar compounds, cepafungin I and glidobactin A. The latter was previously considered the strongest proteasome blocker. In spite of the resemblance, cepafungin I had never been tested as a proteasome blocking agent. The tests of the research group showed that Cepafungin I is indeed a strong Proteasomhemmer. In effect, it even surpasses the previous record holder.

Production by bacteria

The production of elaborate pharmaceutical substances via bacteria is the silver bullet in pharmaceutical production. However, there is one catch: Just like with the bacterium Photorhabdus luminescens, the sought-after natural substances are produced in significant amounts during only one phase of the bacterial life cycle. But here, too, the new method has a decisive advantage: "A measurement cycle takes approximately 15 minutes, which means almost 100 samples can be analyzed per day," says Martin Stein. "This allows us to determine very quickly the circumstances under which the bacterium will yield an optimal amount of the active agent".

The bacterium Pseudomonas syringae also counts on the deadly effect of its proteasome inhibitor. When the bacterium attacks a bean plant, its leaves turn brown and die. This is caused by the substance syringolin A, which has a basic structure very similar to that of cepafungin I and glidobactin A. It inhibits the proteasome of the plant cell and thus blocks the plant's defense against the brown spot disease.

"We gained an important insight from these tests," says Prof. Michael Groll, head of the research team. "Nature has already optimized the basic structure of these substances to inhibit the proteasome. It works in plants as well as in insects and even in people. If we center our research into new agents on these natural substances, we could save valuable time in medication development."

###

One-shot NMR analysis of microbial secretions identifies highly potent proteasome inhibitor; Martin L. Stein, Philipp Beck, Markus Kaiser, Robert Dudler, Christian F. W. Becker and Michael Groll, PNAS, Vol. 109, 45, 18367-71

DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1211423109 ? http://www.pnas.org/content/109/45/18367

Technische Universitaet Muenchen: http://www.tum.de

Thanks to Technische Universitaet Muenchen for this article.

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95% Argo

All Critics (243) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (232) | Rotten (11)

'Argo' is one of the best movies of the year.

Argo has that solid, kick-the-tires feel of those studio films from the 70s that were about something but also entertained. Only it's as laugh outright amusing as it is sobering.

The movieland satire is laid on thick, but it's also deadly accurate. Schlock has never seemed so patriotic, and Arkin and Goodman have rarely been so good.

Argo is a rollicking yarn, easily the most cohesive and technically accomplished of Affleck's three films so far, but a part of me wishes the director hadn't cast himself in the lead role.

If nothing else, it proves that every so often, the CIA can pull something off - and that yes, Canadians are just about the nicest people on the planet.

The film is a whopper of a tale, one designed for Oscar nominations, Best Picture and Best Director among them.

This may be the most geek-friendly movie that never did the rounds at Comic-Con.

When Tony (Ben Affleck) lands in Tehran and trains the frightened Americans to play their parts as a Canadian film crew, Argo compares the ruses run by governments and movie studios.

The whole thing is paced like a whip, and the third act may literally be the most suspenseful piece of film I've ever seen - and yes, I have seen Rear Window. Recommended without any reservation for every and any cinemagoer.

A terrific supporting cast, especially the non A-list actors, make the dramatic license taken justified and redeem Affleck for miscasting himself in the hero's role.

A brilliant thriller that's based on a historical incident, 'Argo' is one of the best films of 2012.

A wonderfully lively and engrossing movie ...

An enthralling and deliciously entertaining movie -- and a deserved triumph for its star and director.

The details make for a rip-roaring story, which Affleck invests with old-school directorial ?lan.

Ben Affleck leaps on to the A-list of directors with this relentlessly entertaining thriller, combining comedy and nerve-jangling suspense to maximum effect.

If you're a nailbiter, bring gloves, because the suspense will see you reach your knuckles.

Surprisingly enjoyable, given that you may have little prior commitment to this story and only mildly fancy Affleck.

Affleck skilfully turns the screw of suspense, gaining added traction from an extremely convincing recreation of the setting and period.

Ben Affleck's movie tells an amazing but true story set against the context of the Iranian hostage crisis.

Talent borrows and genius steals, but Affleck does something in between: he mimics.

It's impossible to be bored by a story this good, especially with that cast.

Part of what makes this headspinning story believable is the fact that it pans out in an oddly uncomplicated way.

The shaggy and bearded Ben Affleck, barely recognisable from his former self, gives a great lead performance. Understated, intense and steely-eyed, Affleck has the screen presence of legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood.

Affleck the director is utterly sure-footed with an instinctive feel for characterization, tension and pacing as he builds the action towards a nail-biting climax.

A dum-tight thriller demonstrating that Affleck is one of the most accomplished directors working in Hollywood today.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/argo_2012/

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Margaret Thatcher in UK hospital after operation

FILE- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gestures to members of the media following her return home from hospital suffering from a broken arm, in central London, in this file photos dated Monday June 29, 2009. 87-year old Thatcher is recuperating at an unnamed hospital, Friday Dec. 21, 2012, after an operation to remove a bladder growth, which was "completely satisfactory", according to adviser Tim Bell, who did not give further details. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

FILE- Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, gestures to members of the media following her return home from hospital suffering from a broken arm, in central London, in this file photos dated Monday June 29, 2009. 87-year old Thatcher is recuperating at an unnamed hospital, Friday Dec. 21, 2012, after an operation to remove a bladder growth, which was "completely satisfactory", according to adviser Tim Bell, who did not give further details. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

LONDON (AP) ? Former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher is recuperating at a hospital after an operation to remove a bladder growth, a friend said Friday.

The 87-year-old Thatcher went to see her doctor after experiencing some discomfort and subsequently had the growth removed, according to longtime adviser Tim Bell.

The operation was "completely satisfactory," Bell said. He said he couldn't go into detail as to the nature of the growth and declined to name the hospital, saying he did not want it to be inundated with calls.

Thatcher, Britain's first female prime minister, has been in fragile health since she suffered a series of small strokes more than a decade ago. Although she has occasionally appeared at private functions, she has not made public statements for some time.

Thatcher was not well enough to join Britain's queen for a lunch with former and serving prime ministers earlier this year, and two years ago she missed an 85th birthday party thrown for her by Prime Minister David Cameron at his official residence at No. 10 Downing Street. But in October she was well enough to mark her birthday with a lunch out in London with her son Mark and his wife.

Thatcher's declining health was a focus of Oscar-winning biopic "The Iron Lady," which premiered last year.

Thatcher served as prime minister from May 1979 until her resignation in November 1990. She was the first leader to win three consecutive elections, dominating British politics throughout the 1980s.

She was a firm supporter of her American ideological peer, President Ronald Reagan, but is a divisive figure in Britain, where the fruits of her legacy are still debated.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-21-Britain-Thatcher/id-22f4f4639ab14009966e9c0b68dc72b2

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Mexican President Pena Nieto picks central bank deputy governor

Though Robert Pattinson stuck by her, Ben Affleck has left Kristen Stewart?in the dust. Citing a schedule crunch, the actor has backed out of?Focus, a con-artist movie set to costar Stewart and begin filming this spring. Stewart had just said in a recent interview that she was excited to start shooting, but now who knows what will happen. "Hi Kristen. We know that you were excited about working with Ben, but he dropped out, so we got you a replacement," a producer says to her the day she arrives on set. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mexican-president-pena-nieto-picks-central-bank-deputy-034211364--sector.html

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Barcelona coach Vilanova has 2nd throat operation

By JOSEPH WILSON

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 11:00 a.m. ET Dec. 20, 2012

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova underwent throat surgery on Thursday to treat the reappearance of a tumor on a saliva gland.

The Spanish club said his progress will mark his hospital stay, and his doctors were maintaining their plans of treating Vilanova with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for up to six weeks.

Barcelona captain Carles Puyol said "the operation went well."

Barcelona made the announcement that Vilanova had fallen ill again on Wednesday.

The club said Vilanova might be able to return to the sidelines while continuing his treatment. It did not provide a timetable for his return.

In the meantime, Vilanova's assistant coach, Jordi Roura, has taken over training and will coach the team for Saturday's Spanish league game at Valladolid. Roura has been on Barcelona's coaching staff since 2009.

"Yesterday was a hard day, but (Vilanova) came to the dressing room and explained everything to us and boosted our spirits," Puyol said. "He hadn't even left yet and he was saying he couldn't wait to be back. Today we feel better because the news is good.

"We have to keep playing the same way, train as hard as we can, (and) look forward to (Vilanova's) return."

Puyol said the club's decision to let Roura take over for now was the correct one.

"He has been working with us for years. He knows the team perfectly," Puyol said. "Our way of doing things won't change. We are in good hands."

The 44-year-old Vilanova had surgery to remove a tumor from a saliva gland in November 2011 when he was Pep Guardiola's assistant at the club.

Vilanova had chemotherapy and radiotherapy at that time and returned to the squad in 15 days, ahead of schedule.

He took over for Guardiola at the end of last season after five seasons as his assistant, four with the first team and one with the B team.

Under Vilanova's guidance, Barcelona has made its best ever start to a season, winning a Spanish record 15 of its first 16 league games. The club leads the standings with 46 points, nine ahead of Atletico Madrid and 13 in front of defending champion Real Madrid.

Barcelona is also the favorite for this season's Champions League. On Thursday, Barcelona drew AC Milan in the first knockout round. The opening leg of their two-game tie will be played in Italy on Feb. 20.

The announcement of Vilanova's ailment on Wednesday coincided with the return of defender Eric Abidal to his first team practice since undergoing a liver transplant eight months before.

Previously, Abidal had to have a liver tumor removed in March 2011, but he made a speedy recovery before it was discovered that he needed the transplant.

Puyol said Abidal's second return was a boost, especially with the health of their coach again in doubt.

"These are always tough blows. You are never prepared," Puyol said. "The example of Abi, who can already play again, gives strength to the entire group."

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Doesn't matter who's coach

??Opinion: Even if Lionel Messi and his Barcelona teammates had no coach to guide them, you'd think hard about betting against perhaps the greatest team ever.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45398872/ns/sports-soccer/

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Hostess expects to split up snack cakes in sale

NEW YORK (AP) ? Twinkies, Wonder Bread and Devil Dogs are likely to return to shelves in coming months, but probably not under the same owners.

Hostess Brands Inc. said in bankruptcy court Friday that it's narrowing down the bids it received for its brands and expects to sell off its snack cakes and bread to separate buyers. The testimony came from an investment banker for Hostess, which is in the process of liquidating.

A likely suitor has emerged for the namesake Hostess brand, which includes Twinkies, Ding Dongs and Ho Hos, along with Dolly Madison cakes, which includes Coffee Cakes and Zingers, said Joshua Scherer of Perella Weinberg Partners. He said another viable bid was made for Drake's cakes, which includes Devil Dogs, Funny Bones and Yodels. That bidder also wants to buy the Drake's plant in Wayne, N.J., which Scherer said is the country's only kosher bakery plant.

Additional bids have been submitted for its bread brands, which include Wonder and Home Pride. Hostess expects to file binding "stalking horse" bids for many of its brands in January. Those filings would be followed by a four-week auction process to allow competing bids. Scherer said the auctions could be very active for some of the brands, given the number of parties that have expressed interest. Sales could be completed by as early as mid-March.

About 30 plants could also be sold with the brands, Scherer said, with six plants, several warehouses and a fleet of trucks likely to be closed or scrapped.

Hostess has hired a firm Hilco to act as a sales agent for those additional assets; the firm will also give Hostess a $30 million loan to maintain operations during its liquidation, which is expected to take about a year.

Hostess, based in Irving, Texas, has said potential buyers include major packaged food companies and national retailers, such as big-box retailers and supermarkets. The company has stressed it needs to move quickly in the sale process to capitalize on the outpouring of nostalgia sparked by its bankruptcy.

To begin winding down its operations late last month, Hostess had said it would retain about 3,000 workers to shutter plants and perform other tasks. On Friday, an attorney for Hostess said in court that figure was down to about 1,100 employees. The liquidation of Hostess ultimately means the loss of about 18,000 jobs, not including those shed in the years leading to the company's failure. CEO Greg Rayburn, who was hired as a restructuring expert earlier this year, is earning $125,000 a month.

The company's demise came after years of management turmoil and turnover, with workers saying the company failed to invest in updating its snack cakes and breads. Hostess filed for its second Chapter 11 bankruptcy in less than a decade this January, citing steep costs associated with its unionized workforce.

The company was able to reach a new contract agreement with its largest union, the Teamsters, the bakers union rejected the terms and went on strike Nov. 9. A week later, Hostess announced its plans to liquidate, saying the strike crippled its ability to maintain normal production. Although Hostess sales have been declining over the years, they still clock in at between $2.3 billion and $2.4 billion a year.

When asked how much the brands are expected to fetch from buyers, Scherer said he would rather not say.

___

Follow Candice Choi at www.twitter.com/candicechoi

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-21-Hostess-Bankruptcy/id-9d7de18dc7164b0ab063a4b46110a533

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Bankrupt Kodak sells patents for $525 million

12 hrs.

Reuters

Bankrupt camera maker Eastman Kodak Co agreed to sell its digital imaging patents for about $525 million to a consortium led by Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corp, a key step to ending its bankruptcy.

The photography pioneer said a portion of the payment will come from 12 intellectual property licensees organized by Intellectual Ventures and RPX Corporation.

A sale of the roughly 1,100 patents, which Kodak has said could be worth as much as $2.6 billion, has been a key element of the Rochester, New York-based company's plans to shift its focus to commercial packaging and printing from photography.

The agreements are subject to approval by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan.

The Kodak bankruptcy case is in Re: Eastman Kodak Co. et al, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Southern District of New York, No. 12-10202.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/bankrupt-kodak-sells-patents-525-million-1C7660233

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Holiday ? Sex Tips For Everyone, Married or Singles

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Rocket with 3 onboard heads for space station

BAIKONUR, Kazakhstan (AP) ? A Soyuz spacecraft carrying an American, a Russian and a Canadian headed Wednesday for the International Space Station, where they will spend four months carrying out dozens of experiments.

The spacecraft launched from a Russian-leased manned-space facility in the frigid steppes of Kazakhstan at 6:12 p.m. (1212 GMT). It took off atop a towering Russian rocket and went into orbit about 15 minutes later.

American Tom Marshburn, Russian Roman Romanenko and Canadian Chris Hadfield will travel for two days in the capsule, before docking with the mammoth space station where three other people are already on board.

Russian Federal Space Agency chief Vladimir Popovkin said the liftoff took place "without a hitch."

"We have finished off this year of launches on a good and handsome note. There is now only one operation left, and that is the docking, which we are positive we successfully take place Friday," he said.

The docking's timing ? so close to Christmas ? added to the high emotional valence of spaceflight for Hadfield. "There are certain times of the year and certain times in life that are special by everybody's traditions. In my family's tradition, this is maybe the most special time of the year," he said.

The clear azure skies afforded a vivid view of the rocket as it took off, left a deep plume of white smoke and finally vanished into the distance as a vivid orange dot.

Among those watching was Hadfield's daughter, Kristian. "I'm feeling so happy. I mean, my dad just went to space. It's amazing. I'm feeling amazing," she said.

The International Space Station is the biggest orbiting outpost ever built and can sometimes be seen from the Earth with the naked eye. It consists of more than a dozen modules built by the U.S., Russia, Canada, Japan and the European Space Agency.

Marshburn, Romanenko and Hadfield will spend four months aboard the space station to conduct some 50 scientific experiments including a test for a system aimed at predicting natural calamities.

Ahead of the launch, the space travelers posed for photos, ran final suit checks and chatted with relatives through glass designed to protect them from infection.

Romanenko was seen off by his father Yuri, who set a record for time spent in space during a mission in the 1970s.

"My dad carried out a spaceflight in a two-person crew ... on a similarly cold day 35 years ago and that was one of the first long-term flights," Romanenko said at a news conference on the eve of the launch.

Typically, the crew performs a final outdoor salute to top space officials before mounting the bus taking them to the Soyuz, but the practice was forgone this time because of the cold; the temperature at launch time was -17 C (2 F). But before the astronauts were packed into the cramped capsule, they exchanged greetings with Popovkin.

Although space travel has long fascinated the general public, interest has flagged in recent decades as tightened budgets have constrained ambitions. But Hadfield expressed optimism about the future of the industry and said that the voyages to the moon, which last happened 40 years ago, set an important precedent.

"What we are doing today as a group is continuing through that door and learning the things we need to do and taking one small step at a time so that we can better understand where we are in the universe," he said.

Wednesday marked a return to use of the launch pad known as Gagarin's Start, where Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin blasted off in 1961 for the first human orbital space flight. Another launch site was used for the previous mission, which set off in October.

The need for a back-up launch site became particularly acute with the decommissioning of the U.S. shuttle fleet. The Soyuz now is the only vehicle able to carry people to the space station.

Although the Soyuz has proven dependable, recurrent problems with the unmanned version of the craft have sown anxiety over NASA's excessive reliance on the Russian space program.

NASA announced last week that it was making progress toward the first test of its new generation Orion spacecraft in 2014.

Orion is a part of NASA's growing ambitions to extend its reach into space. NASA says it is being designed travel more than 3,600 miles (5,800 kilometers) above Earth's surface and return at a speeds almost 5,000 miles (8,050 kilometers) per hour faster than any current human spacecraft.

___

Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rocket-3-onboard-heads-space-station-172538532.html

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Fierce debate after Newtown school shootings: Where was God?

AP file

Fox News commentator Mike Huckabee, a Baptist minister, was accused of saying God had abandoned the children of Sandy Hook Elementary School. But his comments were more nuanced than that.

By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News

What is to blame for the Connecticut school attack?

In the wake of catastrophe, people want explanations, and as news spread of the mass shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, some religious conservatives were ready with an answer: the exclusion of God from public schools and the embrace of liberal social policies.

Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who is ordained as a minister in the Southern Baptist Church, said Friday on Fox News that "we've systematically removed God from our schools."

"Should we be so surprised that schools would become a place of carnage?" he asked.

---

Huckabee's comments drew criticism from progressive religious leaders, who accused him of suggesting that God wasn't there with the 26 victims at Sandy Hook.

Martin E. Marty, the prominent religious scholar, wrote Monday for the Center for the Advanced Study of Religion at the University of Chicago (which is named for him) that Huckabee "wins, hands down, the prize for his absurdist judgment that 'Newtown' should have been no surprise."

Full coverage: Tragedy at Sandy Hook

Steve McSwain, a former Baptist minister who is now a nationally known interfaith activist, addressed Huckabee directly, writing:?

"With such remarks, you not only show little regard for those broken by this tragedy, but you make God into some kind a cosmic psychopath ? vengeful, sickeningly repulsive, one who takes out his madness on innocent little children.

"Your reasoning is repulsive: Because we have removed your god from our schools, this is how your god gets even?" he wrote.

The intensity of the rhetoric underscores how quickly discussions of the religious underpinnings of tragedy can turn heated. Little noticed among Huckabee's critics is that he didn't say God turned his back on Newtown; he expressly said God was there in the good works people were doing.

"God wasn't armed. He didn't go to the school," Huckabee continued. "But God will be there in the form of a lot of people with hugs and therapy and a whole lot of ways in which he will be involved in the aftermath."

Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com

Other social conservatives echoed Huckabee's thoughts on the root cause of Friday's attack.

James Dobson, the evangelical founder of the powerful organization Focus on the Family, said on his?radio show, "Family Talk," that because "we have turned our back on the Scripture and on God Almighty, I think he has allowed judgment to fall upon us. I think that's what's going on."

Dobson blamed two issues in particular: abortion and gay marriage.

"I mean, millions of people have decided that God doesn't exist or he's irrelevant to me, and we have killed 54 million babies, and the institution of marriage is right on the verge of a complete redefinition. Believe me, that is going to have consequences, too."

Joseph Farah, editor of the conservative news site WND (formerly World Net Daily), wrote Sunday that the U.S. should expect "more Sandy Hooks, not fewer," because of America's "secularism" and restrictions on guns.

Grounding his opposition to gun control in religious terms, Farah likened arguments for gun control to philosophies underpinning "Hitler's Germany, Stalin's Soviet Union (and) Mao's China," declaring:

"We are reaping the seeds of the whirlwind we ourselves planted. ... It's not that there are too many guns in our hands. It's that there is not enough repentance in our hearts."

The temptation to leap to such judgments is understandable, the Rev. Jenny Warner of First Presbyterian Church of Bend, Ore., said in her sermon Sunday. But she argued that that's the coward's way out.

David Friedman / NBC News

A nation mourns after the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at Sandy Hook Elementary, which left 20 children and six staff members dead.

"How many people are saying, 'Oh, we need more gun control'? How many people are saying, 'If only God was more in our schools'? How many people are blaming it on this politician or that politician?" Warner asked her congregation.

"Another article I read was about how Mike Huckabee was blaming this on our politics, and so from both sides you've got the questions and the blame game happening."

Those are "all ways that make it easier ... to stay a little bit more removed from it, to not have to enter it in such a profound and intimate way," she said.?But that's what makes it all the more important for religious people to confront tragedy, not seek to explain it.

Sure, "we need doctors," she said. "We need symposiums on world poverty. We need people to go in and address issues and to help provide a response. ...

"But we need healing, and healing comes with relationships. Healing comes by reaching out to someone and listening. Healing comes by calling and following up.

Healing comes when those four friends grab their friend and say, 'We're in this with you,'" she said, an allusion to Mark 2:1-12, in which four men lower their paralyzed friend through the roof of a crowded building where Jesus is preaching so he can be healed.

Real healing, Warner said, "steps into the pain and is with someone in it."

Related content from NBCNews.com:

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/18/15996725-fierce-debate-after-newtown-school-shootings-where-was-god?lite

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Michelle Obama: What's she doing to get ready for Christmas?

Calling herself the 'hostess-in-chief,' First Lady Michelle Obama puts a positive spin on preparations for the annual Christmas deluge of visitors to a decked out White House.

By Peter Grier,?Staff Writer / December 19, 2012

President Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, Sasha, second from left, and Malia, sing during the 90th annual National Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony on the Ellipse south of the White House, Thursday, Dec. 6, in Washington.

Alex Brandon/AP

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What?s First Lady Michelle Obama doing to get ready for Christmas?

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Washington Editor

Peter Grier is The Christian Science Monitor's Washington editor. In this capacity, he helps direct coverage for the paper on most news events in the nation's capital.

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Liz Marlantes explains what a presidential vacation really means ahead of President Obama's planned trip to Hawaii

After all, during holiday receptions more than 90,000 people tromp through the White House to look at the decorations, munch cookies, and listen to the Marine Band. That puts the impending visit of your Schenectady cousins in perspective, doesn?t it? Suddenly three pre-teens, two accountants, and one aging beagle doesn?t sound like too heavy a load.

Anyway, Mrs. Obama dished about her holiday workload to former First Daughter Jenna Bush Hager on Wednesday?s Today Show. She described herself as ?hostess-in-chief.?

?I love that it is the one time of the year when we really open up the White House. We have thousands and thousands of visitors just streaming through every day,? said FLOTUS. ?It?s beautiful, it looks great, the smells are magnificent.?

She and Mrs. Hager went on to have a nice chat about how magical it is to live in a (taxpayer-subsidized) mansion during the holidays. It was all in preparation for a ?A White House Christmas: First Families Remember? special running Thursday at 8 on NBC. Several comments jumped out to us:

FIRST DOGS RULE

?Bo is the most popular member of our family,? said Mrs. Obama. What she didn?t add was that the Obama?s Portuguese Water Dog is also a star of this year?s White House decorations. In the East Room, a life-size Bo replica is the centerpiece, and handmade ?Boflakes? hang from the trees, according to a tour book prepared for visitors.

Bo?s also the leading canine of ?Bo Ho Ho?, a one-minute video of 2012 White House holiday preparations. We must say that in our judgment he?s a bit stiff as an actor. He?s no Barney ? George W. Bush?s Scottish Terrier, whose ?Barney Cam VII: A Red White and Blue Christmas? would have won an Oscar for Best Dog-Based Political Infomerical, if that was an Academy Award category.

NO PRESENT FOR POTUS

That?s what his wife said, anyway. ?The president and I, we don?t exchange gifts. We say, we?re in Hawaii, Merry Christmas,? the First Lady told the ex-First Daughter.

She?s referring there to their annual holiday trip to Hawaii, which occurs after all the tours are done and their official host and hostess responsibilities are over.

Will the Obamas get to go on this trip if negotiations over the ?fiscal cliff? remain unresolved? We can?t answer that ? the White House won?t say. But according to Politico, federal authorities are already setting up security air and sea no-go spaces in preparation for a POTUS Hawaiian visit.

?The key air restriction surrounds Koko Head on the southeastern side of Oahu, near where Obama has vacationed in the past,? writes Politico?s Josh Gerstein.

MICHELLE OBAMA?S SECRET TALENT

When they?re in Hawaii they like to do ?crazy stuff,? said Mrs. Obama. For one thing they have a family talent show.

?Everyone has to participate, the moms and dads, whether it?s singing or reading a poem. The kids will construct a play of some sort,? said FLOTUS.

She added that she did not know what she would do in the show, but even if she did, she would not disclose it to the public. That information is classified ?embarrassing,? apparently.

We know ? she could pretend to address an empty chair! Or she could do Joe Biden impressions. Just putting ideas out there.

As a final note, this year?s White House holiday theme is ?Joy to all.? Fifty-four trees in the executive mansion are decorated to reflect this theme in some manner. The tradition of naming a theme began with Jacqueline Kennedy, who as First Lady designated a Nutcracker theme one year for her daughter Caroline.

And the first First Lady to have a White House Christmas tree at all? That would have been Caroline Harrison, wife of Benjamin Harrison, who was also the first First Lady to use electricity.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/nT22LFwGI0w/Michelle-Obama-What-s-she-doing-to-get-ready-for-Christmas

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Withey leads No. 9 Kansas past Richmond, 87-59

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) ? Jeff Withey had at least six inches on just about everyone from Richmond.

Little surprise that every time the Spiders slashed into the lane, Withey sent their shots right back out. And every time ninth-ranked Kansas dumped the ball inside to the 7-footer, he had to simply turn around and stuff it through the basket.

Withey finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds Tuesday night in the Jayhawks' 87-59 rout, and the smile on the senior's face showed that he enjoyed every minute of it.

Now, it's time for Withey to start picking on someone his own size.

The Jayhawks (9-1) have romped to eight straight victories since losing to Michigan State on a neutral floor early in the season, but finally get their first true road test Saturday, when they visit seventh-ranked Ohio State for a marquee non-conference showdown.

"Now we'll find out how good we are," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Let's be serious. The season starts Saturday. Now we can go up there and hopefully take a real enthusiastic team up there, hunker down, see how tough we are and find out a lot about ourselves."

Travis Releford and Naadir Tharpe had 11 points each against Richmond, and Elijah Johnson added seven assists as the Jayhawks used an 18-0 first-half run to put the game away.

Kansas coasted in the second half to its 28th consecutive home victory.

"We played pretty well," Withey said. "Our scout team did a great job preparing us for it, so we knew what would happen. We knew they could shoot so we tried to take that away."

Richmond (9-3) shot just 32 percent from the field, and was 9 of 32 from beyond the arc, settling for the outside jumper rather than test Withey's presence in the lane.

The Spiders even struggled from the foul line ? the one place where Withey wasn't a danger to block their shot. They finished just 12 of 22 on free throws.

"We didn't come out energetic at all in the first half. We kind of picked it up toward the end of the first half, and more toward the second half," said Derrick Williams, who led the Spiders with 14 points. "I felt like guys were a little hesitant to go."

Cedrick Lindsay added 12 points, and Alonz Nelson-Ododa and Darien Brothers had 11 each for Richmond, which fared much better in its last visit to Allen Fieldhouse.

The Spiders waltzed into one of the most intimidating environments in college basketball in January 2004 and beat Kansas with a jumper in the final second. It remains one of only seven home losses in Self's 10 seasons with the Jayhawks.

Their game Tuesday night never had the same kind of drama.

Richmond appeared stunned by the boisterous crowd of 16,300 early on, allowing Kansas to get out to a quick lead. The Spiders' 3-point shooting allowed them to crawl within 15-11, but that's when Johnson started the Jayhawks' big scoring binge.

McLemore followed with a 3 and fellow freshman Perry Ellis scored inside. On the next possession, McLemore scored and went to the foul line, missed the free throw and watched as Ellis put it back for a four-point trip and a 26-11 lead with 8:20 remaining on the clock.

Withey got into the act with a bucket and then a three-point play, and Johnson finished off the 18-0 run with a couple of free throws that made it 33-11 with 4:26 to go.

"We just had some defensive slip-ups," Brothers said. "We let some guys get lobs. We weren't talking or communicating. I think that was definitely the key."

Williams, a burly junior forward, provided the basket that ended the Spiders' 8-minute-plus drought, and two more baskets by Richmond trimmed the lead to 15 points.

It was the closest the Spiders would get the rest of the way.

Kansas answered with another four-point trip ? Withey scored and missed his foul shot, and Kevin Young was there for the follow. And then with 1.5 seconds left, Releford went to the foul line and made good on both of his free throws, getting a second chance after missing the second when Williams was called for a lane violation.

The Jayhawks were merely in it for style points in the second half, at one point putting together another 18-2 run that made it 73-35 with 5:21 left. Kansas went through the motions down the stretch as it started to turn its attention toward the Buckeyes.

Kansas beat Ohio State at Allen Fieldhouse early last season before beating the Buckeyes again in the Final Four. The Jayhawks lost to Kentucky in the national title game.

"The next couple of days will be real important. The young guys will get to see what it takes to fully focus," Johnson said. "I definitely don't think we're prepared as we can be. The focus tonight was Richmond. But waking up tomorrow, the focus is on Ohio State."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/withey-leads-no-9-kansas-past-richmond-87-020300568--spt.html

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