Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50296299/
the ten commandments charlton heston moses tulsa shooting doug fister rick warren the perfect storm
বৃহস্পতিবার, ২৭ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Ticket rush: Film fans hand Hollywood record cash
FILE - In this publicity film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America, in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal, File)
FILE - In this publicity film image released by Disney, Chris Hemsworth portrays Thor, left, and and Chris Evans portrays Captain America, in a scene from "The Avengers," expected to be released on May 4, 2012. (AP Photo/Disney, Zade Rosenthal, File)
In this publicity photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as John Blake, is shown in a scene in Warner Bros. Pictures? and Legendary Pictures? action thriller ?The Dark Knight Rises," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & ? DC Comics. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Ron Phillips)
FILE - In this file photo of a publicity film image released by Disney, Iron Man, portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., left, and Captain America, portrayed by Chris Evans, are shown in a scene from "The Avengers." (AP Photo/Disney, File)
In this publicity photo provided by Warner Bros. Pictures, Tom Hardy, center, as Bane, is shown in a scene in Warner Bros. Pictures? and Legendary Pictures? action thriller ?The Dark Knight Rises," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. TM & ? DC Comics. (AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Ron Phillips)
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The big deal for Hollywood is not the record $10.8 billion that studios took in domestically in 2012. It's the fact that the number of tickets sold went up for the first time in three years.
Thanks to inflation, revenue generally rises in Hollywood as admission prices climb each year. The real story is told in tickets, whose sales have been on a general decline for a decade, bottoming out in 2011 at 1.29 billion, their lowest level since 1995.
The industry rebounded this year, with ticket sales projected to rise 5.6 percent to 1.36 billion by Dec. 31, according to box-office tracker Hollywood.com. That's still well below the modern peak of 1.6 billion tickets sold in 2002, but in an age of cozy home theater setups and endless entertainment gadgets, studio executives consider it a triumph that they were able to put more butts in cinema seats this year than last.
"It is a victory, ultimately," said Don Harris, head of distribution at Paramount Pictures. "If we deliver the product as an industry that people want, they will want to get out there. Even though you can sit at home and watch something on your large screen in high-def, people want to get out."
Domestic revenue should finish up nearly 6 percent from 2011's $10.2 billion and top Hollywood's previous high of $10.6 billion set in 2009.
The year was led by a pair of superhero sagas, Disney's "The Avengers" with $623 million domestically and $1.5 billion worldwide and the Warner Bros. Batman finale "The Dark Knight Rises" with $448 million domestically and $1.1 billion worldwide. Sony's James Bond adventure "Skyfall" is closing in on the $1 billion mark globally, and the list of action and family-film blockbusters includes "The Hunger Games," ''The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part Two," ''Ice Age: Continental Drift," ''Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted," ''The Amazing Spider-Man" and "Brave."
Before television, movies were the biggest thing going, with ticket sales estimated as high as 4 billion a year domestically in the 1930s and '40s.
Movie-going eroded steadily through the 1970s as people stayed home with their small screens. The rise of videotape in the 1980s further cut into business, followed by DVDs in the '90s and big, cheap flat-screen TVs in recent years. Today's video games, mobile phones and other portable devices also offer easy options to tramping out to a movie theater.
It's all been a continual drain on cinema business, and cynics repeatedly predict the eventual demise of movie theaters. Yet Hollywood fights back with new technology of its own, from digital 3-D to booming surround-sound to the clarity of images projected at high-frame rates, which is being tested now with "The Lord of the Rings" prelude "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," shown in select theaters at 48 frames a second, double the standard speed.
For all of the annoyances of theaters ? parking, pricy concessions, sitting next to strangers texting on their iPhones ? cinemas still offer the biggest and best way to see a movie.
"Every home has a kitchen, but you can't get into a good restaurant on Saturday night," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. "People want to escape. That's the nature of society. The adult population just is not going to sit home seven days a week, even though they have technology in their home that's certainly an improvement over what it was 10 years ago. People want to get out of the house, and no matter what they throw in the face of theatrical exhibition, it continues to perform at a strong level."
Even real-life violence at the movie theater didn't turn audiences away. Some moviegoers thought twice about heading to the cinema after a gunman killed 12 people and injured 58 at a screening of "The Dark Knight Rises" in Colorado last summer, but if there was any lull in attendance, it was slight and temporary. Ticket sales went on a tear for most of the fall.
While domestic revenues inch upward most years largely because of inflation, the real growth areas have been overseas, where more and more fans are eager for the next Hollywood blockbuster.
International business generally used to account for less than half of a studio film's overall receipts. Films now often do two or even three times as much business overseas as they do domestically. Some movies that were duds with U.S. audiences, such as "Battleship" and "John Carter," can wind up being $200 million hits with overseas crowds.
Whether finishing a good year or a bad one, Hollywood executives always look ahead to better days, insisting that the next crop of blockbusters will be bigger than ever. The same goes this time as studio bosses hype their 2013 lineup, which includes the latest "Iron Man," ''Star Trek," ''Hunger Games" and "Thor" installments, the Superman tale "Man of Steel" and the second chapter in "The Hobbit" trilogy.
Twelve months from now, they hope to be talking about another revenue record topping this year's $10.8 billion.
"I've been saying we're going to hit that $11 billion level for about three years now," said Paul Dergarabedian, a box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "Next year I think is the year we actually do it."
___
Online:
http://www.hollywood.com
Associated Pressnbc Medal Count Sam Mikulak London 2012 diving Tim Berners-Lee Olympics 2012 Schedule Kenneth Branagh
Los Alamos National Laboratory Studies Tree Deaths
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Trees are disappearing across the world, in a way not fully understood, so a scientist in New Mexico has set up a kind of sylvan intensive care unit to get answers.
south by southwest i want to know what love is courtney mercury retrograde bath salts heart shaped box lucid
Egypt election panel: Morsi constitution wins by 2-1
Ahmed Abd El Latef / AP
Egyptian women cut their hair to protest against the Islamist-oriented constitution during a demonstration in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Tuesday, Dec. 25, 2012.
By Maria Golovnina, REUTERS
CAIRO - Egypt announced on Tuesday voters had approved overwhelmingly a constitution drafted by President Mohamed Morsi's Islamist allies, and the government imposed currency restrictions to cope with an economic crisis worsened by weeks of unrest.?
Final figures from the elections commission showed the constitution was adopted with 63.8 percent of the vote, giving Islamists their third straight victory at the polls since strongman Hosni Mubarak was toppled in a 2011 revolution.?
Morsi's Leftist, liberal, secularist and Christian opponents had taken to the streets to block what they argued was a move to ram through a charter that would dangerously mix politics and religion.?
The president argues that the new constitution offers sufficient protection for minorities, and adopting it quickly is necessary to end two years of turmoil and political uncertainty that has wrecked the economy.?
Hours before the vote result was announced, the authorities imposed a new ban on travelling in or out of the country with more than $10,000 in foreign currency, a move apparently intended to halt capital flight.?
Some Egyptians have begun withdrawing their savings from banks in fear of tougher restrictions.?
The "yes" vote paves the way for a parliamentary election in about two months, setting the stage for yet another electoral battle between surging Islamists and their fractious liberal and leftist opponents.?
The final result, announced by the election commission, matched --?to the last decimal place -- an earlier unofficial tally announced by Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood.?
The constitution was drawn up by a body largely made up of Morsi's Islamist allies. The results announcement was a disappointment for the opposition which had put pressure on the authorities to recount the result to reflect what they have described as major vote violations.?
"We have seriously investigated all the complaints," judge Samir Abu el-Matti of the Supreme Election Committee told a news conference. The final official turnout was 32.9 percent.?
Cairo, gripped by often violent protests in the run-up to the vote, appeared calm after the announcement and opposition groups have announced no plans for demonstrations to mark the result.?
"The results was so odd and no change in the percentage points shows that nothing was done to take our complaints into account," Khaled Dawood, an opposition spokesman, said.?
The referendum, held on December 15 and on December 22, has sown deep divisions in the Arab world's most populous nation but Morsi says enacting the new constitution quickly will bring stability and a chance to focus on fixing the economy.?
A growing sense of crisis has gripped Egypt's polarized society for weeks. Standard and Poor's cut Egypt's long-term credit rating on Monday.?
Hours ahead of the results announcement, Prime Minister Hisham Kandil told the nation of 83 million the government was committed to taking steps to heal the economy.?
"The main goals that the government is working towards now is plugging the budget deficit, and working on increasing growth to boost employment rates, curb inflation, and increase the competitiveness of Egyptian exports," he said.?
Nasser Nasser / AP file
An Egyptian election worker shows his colleagues an invalid ballot while counting ballots at the end of the second round of a referendum on a disputed constitution in this Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012 file photo.
CRISIS MODE?
The central bank said on Monday it would take steps to "safeguard" bank deposits, without giving any details. Rumors are rife of what sort of measures are planned.?
"I have been hearing that the central bank is going to take over all our bank deposits to pay wages for government employees given the current deteriorating economic situation," said Ayman Osama, father of two young children.?
He said he had taken out the equivalent of about $16,000 from his account this week and planned to withdraw more, adding that he had also told his wife to buy more gold jewellery.?
"I am not going to put any more money in the bank and neither will many of the people I know," he said.?
The referendum is the Islamists' third electoral victory since the fall of Mubarak, following parliamentary and presidential elections, representing a decisive shift in a country at the heart of the Arab world, where Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood was suppressed for generations by military rulers.?
However, secularist and liberal opposition members hope they can organize better in time for the next parliamentary vote.?
The opposition says the constitution fails to guarantee personal freedoms and rights for women and minorities. The government says the criticism is misplaced.?
Hossam El-Din Ali, a 35-year-old newspaper vendor in central Cairo, said he agreed the new constitution would help bring some political stability but like many others he feared the possible economic austerity measures lying ahead.?
"People don't want higher prices. People are upset about this," he said. "There is recession, things are not moving. But I am wishing for the best, God willing."?
More world stories from NBC News:
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
?
alex o loughlin the godfather cape breton bowling green marysville tornados dr. seuss
বুধবার, ২৬ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Starbucks cups to come with a political message
NEW YORK (AP) ? Starbucks is using its coffee cups to jump into the political fray in Washington.
The world's biggest coffee chain is asking employees at cafes in the Washington, D.C., area to scribble the words "Come Together" on cups for drink orders on Thursday and Friday. CEO Howard Schultz says the words are intended as a message to lawmakers about the damage being caused by the divisive negotiations over the "fiscal cliff."
It's the first time employees at Starbucks cafes are being asked to write anything other than customers' names on cups.
While companies generally steer clear of politics to avoid alienating customers, the plea to "Come Together" is a sentiment unlikely to cause controversy. If anything, Starbucks could score points with customers and burnish its image as a socially conscious company.
This isn't the first time the coffee chain is using its platform to send a political message. In the summer of 2011, Schultz also asked other CEOs and the public to stop making campaign contributions until politicians found a way to deal with a crisis over the debt ceiling that led to a downgrade in the country's credit rating.
For the latest push, Starbucks is taking out an ad in the Washington Post on Thursday showing a cup with the words "Come Together" on it.
The "fiscal cliff" refers to the steep tax hikes and spending cuts set to take effect Jan. 1, unless the White House and Congress reach an agreement to avoid them.
As for whether customers will be confused by the "Come Together" message or understand that it's related to the fiscal cliff, Schultz said in an interview that there's wide public awareness about the negotiations and that Starbucks will use social media to explain the effort. The Seattle-based company says test runs at select stores showed operations wouldn't be slowed.
Schultz says the message is a way to underscore the damage being done to the "consumer psyche and behavior" by the talks. Although he says Starbucks sales haven't been affected, he points out that Wal-Mart Stores Inc. CEO Mike Duke warned that fears over the fiscal cliff could cause Americans to pull back on holiday spending. Early figures have shown a relatively weak shopping season.
As for the negotiations, Schultz isn't taking any sides on the issues of tax increases or spending cuts.
Associated Pressstephen strasburg shabazz legion baby found alive in morgue rockies ashley judd second degree murders
No Ben Affleck? That's OK, Massachusetts Senate race still poised to be big.
If John Kerry's seat needs to be filled next year, it will be the fourth time Massachusetts voters have chosen Senate candidates in a six-year period. Actor-director Ben Affleck said Monday he won't run.
Sen. John Kerry D-Mass., speaks with actor Ben Affleck during a meeting with foreign relations members to discus the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
EnlargeMassachusetts seems to have a thing about Senate races. The state is holding elections more often than usual for US Senate seats, and in ways that garner the national spotlight.
Skip to next paragraph' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
First, remember what's typical under the US Constitution: Each state has two Senate seats, with each coming up for election every six years, on a staggered schedule.
Then, think about this string of events: Massachusetts residents appear poised to cast ballots for the US Senate four times in a six-year period, or twice the typical pace. John Kerry (D) won a reelection vote in 2008. Then, after the passing of Sen. Edward Kennedy (D), the state held a special election in early 2010 that drew national attention with Scott Brown's surprise Republican victory.
Then came the epic battle, just concluded last month, in which Elizabeth Warren took that seat back for Democrats. Now, a few weeks later, with President Obama nominating Senator Kerry to be his next secretary of State, the stage is set for another high-profile special election in the new year.
Mr. Brown, a winner in 2010 and a loser in 2012, may be back as a Republican candidate in 2013.
He won't be running against Ben Affleck. The actor-director on Monday took his name off the list of possible Democratic contenders.
But whoever ends up running, assuming that Kerry is confirmed as secretary of State, the race is sure to be a magnet for media attention and money. It would be one of the few opportunities in 2013 for voters to have a say about who sits in Congress at a time of hot fiscal debates and narrow division of power between parties.
Back in 2010, Brown's upset win foreshadowed the conservative gains later that year that would tip the House of Representatives back into Republican control. This time around, the race could become, in part, an early verdict on the performance of both parties on things like tax rates, budget deficits, and how to keep programs like Medicare and Social Security financially healthy.
Whoever wins would have to turn around and start campaigning all over again pretty quickly, since the seat is up for a scheduled vote in 2014.
How did Massachusetts get into this flurry of Senate activity?
Yes, the answer involves the death of one senator and the appointment of another to a presidential cabinet post. But it's also about decisions made in the State House in Boston about how to handle such vacancies.
Some 36 states let the governor wield the power of appointment to fill a Senate vacancy ? even if the unexpired term has years to run.
tom coughlin wes welker eli manning eli manning kelly clarkson national anthem halftime show super bowl halftime show 2012
মঙ্গলবার, ২৫ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Apple granted design patent for fourth-gen iPod touch, reminds us of the shorter, plumper past
Merry Christmas! The USPTO is celebrating in a big way, with the copyright stamp making some pretty big rounds today. First up is a design patent for an iPod touch, which Cupertino filed back in August of 2011. It looks to be the fourth-gen model from 2010, especially given that the patent focuses on the very rounded edges. This iPod touch was the first version to include both front- and rear-facing cameras, and in any case, the design is miles thicker and shorter than this year's touch. As Patently Apple points out, this document also happens to be one of the last to list Steve Jobs as an inventor.
Filed under: Cellphones, Apple
Via: Patently Apple
Source: USPTO
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/25/apple-design-patent-fourth-gen-ipod-touch/
james harrison falcons giants game norman borlaug santorum new hampshire debate rupaul
Syria Rebel Gains Expand In North
BEIRUT -- Syrian rebels fully captured a northern town near the Turkish border on Tuesday after weeks of heavy fighting and attacked a regime air base in a neighboring province, activists said.
The air base is in Aleppo province, where opposition fighters have already captured three other large military bases in recent months. Rebels have also laid siege to the international airport in the city of Aleppo, Syria's commercial capital, and launched an offensive on the police academy near the city.
With steady rebel gains across the north, President Bashar Assad's regime is having increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province, especially after rebels cut a major thoroughfare from Damascus. It is just another sign that the opposition is consolidating its grip across large swathes of territory in northern Syria near the Turkish border.
In his traditional Christmas address, Pope Benedict XVI decried the slaughter of the "defenseless" in Syria, where anti-regime activists estimate more than 40,000 have died in fighting since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's rule began in March 2011.
In another blow to the regime, activists said that Mohammed Adnan Arabo, a member of Syria's parliament has left the country and joined the opposition. Ahmad Ramadan, an executive council member of the opposition Syrian National Council group, and other activists said Arabo arrived in Turkey on Tuesday.
He said the regime's hold on power is deteriorating and rebels are besieging military bases for weeks until they either take over or negotiate with local army commanders to surrender. He added that some regime forces are being diverted to the capital to fight there.
"The regime cannot protect its bases and also cannot send forces to support troops under siege," he said.
Over the weeks, rebels fighting to overthrow Assad have also been able to take the battles into the capital Damascus, Assad's seat of power, where the southern neighborhoods are witnessing almost daily clashes between troops and rebels.
The big successes began in mid-November, when rebels captured Aleppo's Regiment 46, a large military base, carting off tanks, armored vehicles and truck-loads of munitions. Three weeks later, they captured the Sheik Suleiman base near the provincial capital of Aleppo and days later they took an infantry base in the city.
Last week, they captured an army technical regiment near Damascus' international airport but were pushed back in a counter attack. The army command said in a statement that the regiment's commander was killed in the battle.
The rebels have also brought the battle to areas around Damascus international airport where some flights were cancelled earlier this month because of the intensity of the fighting.
One of the biggest blows came in Damascus on Dec. 12 when a suicide attacker blew his vehicle outside the Interior Ministry, killing five and wounding many, including Interior Minister Mohammed al-Shaar. The government denied at first that al-Shaar had been wounded until it got out when he was brought last week to a Beirut hospital for treatment.
It was the second injury the minister suffered after being wounded in a July 17, bomb inside a high-level crisis meeting in Damascus that killed four top regime officials, including Assad's brother-in-law and the defense minister.
The rebel takeover of Harem, a town of 20,000 in northern Idlib province, was the latest in a string of recent rebel successes.
The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the rebels captured Harem in the early hours of Tuesday. Mohammed Kanaan, an Idlib-based activist, said the last post to be taken was the historic citadel, which overlooked the town. The army had turned the citadel into a military post.
"Harem is fully liberated now," Kanaan said via Skype. He added that as the rebels pounded army posts and checkpoints in Harem, the troops withdrew to the citadel that later fell in the hands of rebels.
Rami-Abdul-Rahman, who heads to Observatory, said nearly 30 soldiers and pro-government gunmen surrendered late Monday. He added that rebels set free all gunmen at the age of 16 or less and referred others to local tribunals.
"Harem was very important because it is one of the towns that was loyal to the regime," Abdul-Rahman said by telephone about the town that is nearly a mile from the Turkish border.
In Aleppo province, which neighbors Idlib, local activist Mohammed Saeed said rebels attacked the air base in the town of Mannagh near the Turkish border. He said it is one of four air bases in the province, adding that rebels also attacked the police academy near the city of Aleppo.
Regime forces have been using helicopters to carry supplies to besieged areas and to attack rebel positions.
The regime has had increasing difficulty sending supplies by land to Aleppo province after rebels captured in October the strategic town Maaret al-Numan. The town is on the highway that links Damascus with Aleppo, Syria's largest city and a major battleground in the civil war since July.
"Airplanes and helicopters are the only way to send supplies since the Free Syrian Army controls the land," Saeed said. He added that rebels are also laying a siege to Aleppo's international airport known as Nairab and threatening to shoot down military or civilians planes using it.
In the Damascus suburb of Jaramana, opposition gunmen ambushed the head of military intelligence in the area and seriously wounded him. He later died of his wounds, the Observatory said.
Elsewhere in Syria, the Observatory reported violence in areas including the eastern province of Deir el-Zour, the southern area of Quneitra on the edge of the Israeli-occupied Golan Height and the southern region of Daraa.
In Israel, top officials said they cannot corroborate Syrian activists' claims that the regime has used chemical weapons against its citizens.
Vice Premier Moshe Yaalon told Army Radio that Israel has "no confirmation or proof" the regime has employed such weapons in the civil war. He says Israel is "monitoring the situation with concern."
Defense Ministry official Amos Gilad told Israel Radio that Syria was closely guarding its chemical weapons stockpiles.
On Monday, the Observatory quoted activists in the central city of Homs as saying that six rebels died in two neighborhoods the day before after inhaling white smoke that came out of shells fired by government troops in the area. Amateur videos released by activists showed men in hospital beds suffering breathing problems as doctors placed oxygen masks over their faces.
Also on HuffPost:
"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/syria-rebel-gains_n_2363117.html
michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky Nadia Comaneci Rebecca Soni Snoop Lion London 2012 Table Tennis
Nearly one in three children with food allergies experience bullying, survey shows
Dec. 24, 2012 ? Nearly a third of children diagnosed with food allergies who participated in a recent study are bullied, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Almost eight percent of children in the U.S. are allergic to foods such as peanuts, tree-nuts, milk, eggs, and shellfish.
Nearly half of parents surveyed (47.9 percent) were not aware of the bullying -- although both the bullied children and their parents reported experiencing higher stress levels and lower quality of life.
The study, titled, "Child and Parental Reports of Bullying in a Consecutive Sample of Children with Food Allergy," appears Dec. 24 in the online issue of Pediatrics. The study was led by Eyal Shemesh, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Shemesh and his team surveyed 251 pairs of parents and children. The patient and parent pairs were consecutively recruited during allergy clinic visits to independently answer questionnaires. Bullying due to food allergy or for any cause, quality of life, and distress in both the child and parent were evaluated using validated questionnaires.
"Parents and pediatricians should routinely ask children with food allergy about bullying," said Dr. Shemesh. "Finding out about the child's experience might allow targeted interventions, and would be expected to reduce additional stress and improve quality of life for these children trying to manage their food allergies." Dr. Shemesh is Director of EMPOWER (Enhancing, Managing, and Promoting Well-being and Resiliency), a program within Mount Sinai's Jaffe Food Allergy Institute. Dr. Shemesh is also Chief of the Division of Behavioral and Developmental Health in the Department of Pediatrics at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
"When parents are aware of the bullying, the child's quality of life is better," said the senior author, Scott H. Sicherer, MD, Professor of Pediatrics, Chief, Division of Pediatric Allergy, Co-Director, EMPOWER program. "Our results should raise awareness for parents, school personnel, and physicians to proactively identify and address bullying in this population."
The work for the study was supported by the EMPOWER program, a program funded by a generous donation from the Jaffe Family Foundation, that is devoted to understanding and enhancing the quality of life of persons with food allergy.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
- Eyal Shemesh, Rachel A. Annunziato, Michael A. Ambrose, Noga L. Ravid, Chloe Mullarkey, Melissa Rubes, Kelley Chuang, Mati Sicherer, Scott H. Sicherer. Child and Parental Reports of Bullying in a Consecutive Sample of Children With Food Allergy. Pediatrics, 2012; [link]
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/vqc52p-qWxc/121224113346.htm
Katherine Jackson Olympics Opening Ceremony Time paris jackson paris jackson US weekly amelia earhart Sally Ride
সোমবার, ২৪ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Video: Fiscal cliff comes down to the wire
A Second Take on Meeting the Press: From an up-close look at Rachel Maddow's sneakers to an in-depth look at Jon Krakauer's latest book ? it's all fair game in our "Meet the Press: Take Two" web extra. Log on Sundays to see David Gregory's post-show conversations with leading newsmakers, authors and roundtable guests. Videos are available on-demand by 12 p.m. ET on Sundays.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3032608/vp/50283715#50283715
mike adams janoris jenkins john edwards trial brandon weeden felicia day nfl 2012 draft st louis rams
Thousands sign U.S. petition to deport Piers Morgan over gun comments
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - More than 48,000 people have signed a petition that they posted on the White House website demanding that British CNN talk show host Piers Morgan be deported over comments he made on air about gun control.
Morgan last week lambasted pro-gun guests on his show, after the December 14 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where a gunman shot dead 26 people, including 20 children.
"We demand that Mr. Morgan be deported immediately for his effort to undermine the Bill of Rights and for exploiting his position as a national network television host to stage attacks against the rights of American citizens," the petition said.
The petition, started on December 21 by a man identified as Kurt N. from Austin, Texas, accuses Morgan of subverting the second amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms.
U.S. citizens can file a petition on the White House website, whitehouse.gov, if they collect at least 25,000 signatures within 30 days. The White House is then obliged to issue a response.
Morgan, 47, a former newspaper editor in London, shot back at his critics on Twitter. He repeated his past calls for the United States to ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines and conduct background checks on all gun purchases.
Five days after the Connecticut massacre, Morgan called a guest, Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners for America, an "idiot," "dangerous" and an "unbelievably stupid man" when Pratt argued that more guns were needed to combat crime in the United States.
"I don't care about a petition to deport me. I do care about poor NY firefighters murdered/injured with an assault weapon today. #GunControlNow," Morgan tweeted on Monday, referring to a shooting in New York that killed three people, including the gunman.
Christa Robinson, a CNN spokeswoman, said the network had no immediate comment on the petition.
Publicist Howard Bragman, vice chairman of Reputation.com, said the controversy will get Morgan attention that may translate into higher ratings and wouldn't harm his reputation.
"A lot of it comes from his being British, he's seen the differences between the U.S. and UK, he's passionate and authentic in taking this issue on, and it's probably only going to help him attract more people to his show," Bragman, told Reuters.
(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy and Eric Kelsey; editing by Christopher Wilson)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thousands-sign-u-petition-deport-piers-morgan-over-225324549.html
denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking vernon davis starship troopers starship troopers cruise ship italy patriots broncos game
?????? Thinkpads(?????????) T61,T61p,T400,R61, X200, X61 ? ...
?????? Thinkpads(?????????) T61,T61p,T400,R61, X200, X61 ? ?????-??????????
? ???????? ?????????(?????????? ?? ??????) ????? ?? ?/? ??? ?? ?/? ??????????? ?? ??????
????8000-12000.
?????? ?? ????niksovit@gmail.com ??? ???????+79046040817(?? ???????? ?? ???????) ???????
???????? ???????? ? ???????
? ???????? ?????????(?????????? ?? ??????) ????? ?? ?/? ??? ?? ?/? ??????????? ?? ??????
????8000-12000.
?????? ?? ????niksovit@gmail.com ??? ???????+79046040817(?? ???????? ?? ???????) ???????
???????? ???????? ? ???????
Source: http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?showtopic=53665
eagle cam trayvon martin case affordable care act the line us soccer bobby brown arrested the happening
রবিবার, ২৩ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Social Media Marketing for Dummies is a Smart Book
Every day I get notices and descriptions of new social media tools and strategies.? If I didn?t love this stuff, I think I would easily get completely overwhelmed and depressed by the myriad of choices out there.
I mean every month, it seems that someone has come up with a new way to manage social media marketing, or a new social media marketing platform.? In the last couple years alone, we?ve seen the advent of Pinterest, Google+ and Facebook making major changes in their platform ? who can keep up with it all?
Social Media Marketing for Dummies Brings it all Together
Not to worry.? Jan Zimmerman and Debora Ng have come to our rescue with what looks like a virtual social media bible for 2013.? Social Media Marketing All-in-One For Dummies is a GIANT book!? It?s at nearly three inches deep and over 700 pages of updated social media strategies and how-to?s that newbies and experts alike will find useful.
On the front cover of the book is the boast ?9 books in 1.? ?I think the best way to describe the book, might be to just dig right in and show you what those are:
- Social Media Mix ? It makes sense to start with a strategic overview.? With the number of social media tools increasing on what seems like a daily basis, this section will help you set the stage for your strategy so that you can choose what works best for you.
- Cybersocial Tools ? I?ve not heard the word ?cybersocial? yet, but this section will familiarize you with helpful tools that will have you managing your social media marketing like a pro.
- Blogs, Podcases and Video ? The baseline for any social media marketing strategy is having a destination to drive your community to.? This section discusses the most common kinds of foundation content in detail and how to get started quickly and easily.
- Twitter ? Learn how to use Twitter as a marketing tool; what it?s good for and what it?s not good for.? You?ll also learn about Twitter Chats ? which are a great way to build engagement.
- Facebook ? With most of the world participating on Facebook and spending so much of their day there, it makes sense to use this platform for your marketing.? This section will teach you the best way to leverage Facebook for your marketing.
- Google+?? Google+ is a relatively new platform that has had somewhat of a slow start.? If you?re still not sure how to use Google+ as part of your social media marketing strategy, this will walk you through the weeds.
- Pinterest ? This is another new platform that has just taken off like gangbusters.? It?s simplicity is what makes it such a flexible ? and sometimes confusing tool for marketing.? Don?t discount Pinterest until you?ve read this section.
- Other Social Media Marketing Sites ? Yes, there are more social media marketing channels out there than the basics.? Learn how to use Daily Deals, Social Gaming and mobile platforms to drive your marketing.
- Measuring Results; Building on Success ? You should get this book just for this section alone!? If you?ve been using social media marketing in your business, but haven?t been sure about what?s working and what isn?t ? read this section.
About the Authors
You might wonder what kind of marketing expert has mastered all of these tools?? It?s Jan Zimmerman!
Jan has been a business owner for over 30 years.? Her previous companies provided a range of services including video production, grant writing and linguistic engineering R&D.? In 1994, she founded Sandia Consulting Group and has spun off Watermelon Mountain Web Marketing.? It?s this kind of broad-based experience in traditional marketing and her experience with B2B clients that have given her the experience and expertise to share this information in a way that will resonate with pragmatic business owners.
Her co-author is Deborah Ng, who grew a successful blog into the number one community for freelance writers.? Deborah also has significant social media experience from being the community manager for several major online brands.
Why add yet ANOTHER social media marketing book to your library?
Granted, I received a review copy of Social Media Marketing for Dummies.? But what can I tell you ? it?s one of the benefits of reviewing books!? This is a book I would have bought for myself and I?m hanging on to it.? If I?ve given or loaned you a book that I?ve reviewed before, don?t even think about asking me for this copy.? It?s MINE.
I?m hanging on to my copy because I use all these social media marketing tools for my business and with my clients as well.? Even if you see yourself as a social media expert, you?re going to want this book because you?ll find these little insider tips and tricks that will save you tons of time in your day.
Social Media Marketing for Dummies is a fantastic resource for any small business that is looking to leverage the power of social media to get and keep customers.
About Ivana Taylor
Ivana Taylor is the publisher of DIYMarketers , where she shares daily do-it-yourself marketing tips, and is the President of Third Force, Inc., a marketing firm that specializes in getting your ideal customer to choose you. Ivana is the book editor for Small Business Trends and co-author of the book "Excel for Marketing Managers." ?
Source: http://smallbiztrends.com/2012/12/social-media-marketing-dummies-book-review.html
morosini death jacoby ellsbury jacoby ellsbury lionel richie kenny rogers avatar the last airbender david wright
Egypt's charter headed for approval, but troubles loom
The close of Saturday's voting makes it likely that the Islamist-back new constitution will be approved.
Egyptian poll workers empty a ballot box as counting takes place in the second round of voting on Egypt's controversial charter.
Nasser Nasser/AP
EnlargeEgypt's Islamist-backed constitution headed toward likely approval in a final round of voting on Saturday, but the deep divisions it has opened up threaten to fuel continued turmoil.
Skip to next paragraph' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
Passage is a victory for Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, but a costly one. The bruising battle over the past month stripped away hope that the long-awaited constitution would bring a national consensus on the path Egypt will take after shedding its autocratic ruler Hosni Mubarak nearly two years ago.
Instead, Morsi disillusioned many non-Islamists who had once backed him and has become more reliant on his core support in the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists. Hard-liners in his camp are determined to implement provisions for stricter rule by Islamic law in the charter, which is likely to futher fuel divisions.
His liberal and secular opposition, in turn, faces the task of trying to organize the significant portion of the population angered by what they see as attempts by Morsi and the Brotherhood to gain a lock on political power. The main opposition group, the National Salvation Front, said it would now start rallying for elections for the next lawmaking, lower house of parliament, expected early next year.
"We feel more empowered because of the referendum. We proved that at least we are half of society (that) doesn't approve of all this. We will build on it," the Front's spokesman, Khaled Daoud, said. Still, he said, there was "no appetite" at the moment for further street protests.
Saturday's voting in 17 of Egypt's 27 provinces was the second and final round of the referendum. Though the constitution is widely expected to pass, the key questions will be over turnout and the margin of victory. Preliminary results from the first round a week ago showed only 32 percent turnout and a relatively low edge of 56 percent for the "yes" vote. Preliminary results from the second round are expected to emerge by early Sunday.
The new constitution would come into effect once official results are announced, expected in several days.
In a sign of disarray in Morsi's administration, his vice president and ? possibly ? the central bank governor resigned during Saturday's voting. Vice President Mahmoud Mekki's resignation had been expected since his post is eliminated under the new constitution. But its hasty submission even before the charter has been sealed and his own resignation statement suggested it was linked to Morsi's policies.
"I have realized a while ago that the nature of politics don't suit my professional background as a judge," his resignation letter, read on state TV, said. Mekki said he had first submitted his resignation last month but events forced him to stay on.
The status of Central Bank Governor Farouq el-Oqdah was murkier. State TV first reported his resignation, then soon after reported the Cabinet denied he has stepped down in a possible sing of confusion. El-Oqdah, in his post since 2003, has reportedly been seeking to step down but in recent weeks the administration was trying to convince him to stay on. The government is eager to show some stability in the economy as the Egyptian pound has been sliding and a much-needed $4.8 billion loan from the IMF has been postponed.
Over the past month, seven of Morsi's 17 top advisers and the one Christian among his top four aides resigned. Like Mekki, they said they had never been consulted in advance on any of the president's moves, including his Nov. 22 decrees, since rescinded, that granted himself near absolute powers.
Those decrees sparked large street protests by hundreds of thousands around the country, bringing counter-rallies by Islamists. The turmoil was further fueled with a Constituent Assembly almost entirely made up of Islamists finalized the constitution draft in the dead of night amid a boycott by liberals and Christians. Rallies turned violent. Brotherhood offices were attacked, and Islamists attacked an opposition sit-in outside the presidential palace in Cairo leading to clashes that left 10 dead.
The turmoil opened up a vein of bitterness that the polarizing constitution will do little to close. Morsi opponents accused him of seeking to create a new Mubarak-style autocracy. The Brotherhood accused his rivals of being former Mubarak officials trying to topple an elected president and return to power. Islamists branded opponents "infidels" and vowed they will never accept anything but "God's law" in Egypt.
strikeforce davy jones love actually miesha tate vs ronda rousey idiocracy deep impact usssa baseball
US road deaths climbing again, new data show
Iowa State Police
Some of the vehicles involved in a pileup on Interstate 35 in Iowa are seen Thursday. Two people were reported killed in the crash.
By Paul A. Eisenstein, The Detroit Bureau
After nearly a decade of decline, U.S. highway fatalities appear to be on the upswing again, according to new government data, with the death total climbing faster than at any time since 1975.
The 7.1 percent jump during the first nine months of the year has safety experts scrambling for an explanation, though at least some of the blame may go to the economy, with more Americans driving longer distances as their personal financial situation has improved, post-recession.
?There is a relationship between the economy, gas prices, driving and fatalities,? noted Jonathan Adkins, deputy executive director of the Governors Highway Safety Association. ?However, the increase can?t be explained solely because of an improving economy and more discretionary driving.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, an estimated 25,580 Americans were killed in motor vehicle crashes during the first nine months of 2012.? That was approximately 1,700 more than died during the same period the year before.
Traffic fatalities fell to their lowest level in more than six decades during 2011, according to a study released by federal regulators earlier this month.? The death toll was a still-significant 32,367, but that was down from 43,510 as recently as 2005, when a variety of factors began a dive in highway fatalities.
Jeep: Imported from Italy? ?
Last year?s tally was not only the lowest overall total since the late 1940s but saw fatalities fall to a record low based on deaths per 100 million miles driven.
According to the NHTSA, motorists did log more miles during the first three quarters of 2012, but the increase of 14.2 billion miles, or 0.6 percent, doesn?t come close to accommodating the overall rise in the death toll. On a miles-driven basis, fatalities rose to 1.16 per 100 million miles compared to 1.09 for the same 9-month period last year, and 1.10 per 100 million miles for all of 2011.
According to GHSA?s Adkins, ?Other factors may be at play. For example, 2012 had one of the warmest winters on record. That may have resulted in a longer motorcycle riding season and more pedestrian activity and hence, more fatalities.?
Toyota Furia concept could be next Corolla
Safety officials have been lamenting the steady increase in the number of states, such as Michigan, that have recently abandoned helmet laws. While fatalities among those in passenger vehicles has been dropping sharply in recent years, motorcycle deaths have risen markedly. Also up are pedestrian deaths, with the government reporting a 4 percent rise for 2010, the most recent year for which statistics are available.
The increase in traffic during the winter may also have had a disproportionate impact on the overall fatality rate. Significantly, roadway deaths rose 13 percent during the first quarter of 2012, while the increase was a more modest 4.9 percent during the warm third quarter.
Police spotters to catch texting drivers in test
NHTSA officials have been warning that what Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has called an ?epidemic? of distracted driving? could reverse recent downward trends. But the agency has not weighed in on whether it is linking such problems as texting while driving with this year?s rise in highway fatalities.
Yet to be seen is whether increased freeway speed limits are implicated.? But despite some concerns as states continue to relax those limits ? Texas opening the nation?s fastest roadway, at 85 mph, this autumn.? However, previous years showed little direct linkage, the death toll dropping even as most states had approved steadily higher speeds.?
More content from NBCNews.com:
Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
?
tyler perry good deeds pretty in pink nba all star game shark tank john wall gordon hayward gas prices
FBI questions Benghazi consulate attack suspect
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) ? After months of asking, agents from the FBI questioned the only known suspect in the Sept. 11 attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi that killed four diplomats, the suspect's Tunisian lawyer told The Associated Press Saturday.
Ali Harzi, a Tunisian, was detained in Turkey and extradited to Tunisia in October where authorities have said he is "strongly suspected" of being involved in the attack.
His lawyer, Anwar Oued-Ali, added that Harzi was also questioned about an attack on the U.S. embassy in Tunisia, a few days later, suggesting the American authorities are looking into if there is a connection between the two attacks.
The Sept. 11 assault by armed men in the Libyan city of Benghazi killed U.S. Ambassador Chris Stephens and three other American diplomats. Members of an Islamist militia, Ansar al-Sharia are suspected in the strike, but there has been little progress in the Libya-based investigation into the attack.
A few days later, a mob attacked the U.S. embassy in Tunis, destroying property and an American school in the area, resulting in four deaths. The attack was believed to be instigated by a local group also called Ansar al-Sharia, but it is unclear if it is connected to the Libyan organization.
In early November, Republican senators Lindsey Graham and Saxby Chambliss announced that Tunisia had agreed to allow the FBI to interview Harzi, but it took another month and a half to organize the interview due to legal questions over any infringements on Tunisian sovereignty.
In the end, three FBI investigators using a Moroccan translator posed questions to Harzi for three hours through the Tunisian judge presiding over the case.
Harzi's defense team was not allowed to attend the questioning on the grounds that he was being interviewed as a "witness" rather than a defendant.
Harzi is being charged by the Tunisians for "membership in a terrorist organization." Harzi denies the charges.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-benghazi-consulate-attack-suspect-154510084.html
wwe royal rumble trisomy leon panetta luck sag awards 2012 nominees sag awards pro bowl 2012 roster
শনিবার, ২২ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Sponsored By:
We were unable to forward you to the advertisement you clicked on.
The likely cause for this is that your browser, feed reader, or email application is configured to not accept cookies, or your reader may launch an external browser to view links without sharing cookies.
- If you're using Internet Explorer, make sure your privacy setting is at medium or below.
- Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
- Click the Privacy tab
- Adjust your privacy setting if necessary
?
- If you're using a reader that embeds Internet Explorer (examples: Microsoft Outlook, Outlook Express, Feed Demon), you'll also need to select Internet Explorer as your default web browser.
- Open Internet Explorer
- Select 'Internet Options' from the 'Tools' menu in your browser window
- Click the 'Programs' tab and check the box for Internet Explorer to check if it is the default browser and save your change
- Close your browser, re-open it, and when prompted, select Internet Explorer as your default
- You can then click on an ad in your newsletter and visit the site you wish to view
Source: http://ads.pheedo.com/click.phdo?s=1d10fa2ee35a2ec9dd2446ba325fe45f&p=4
ipad mini Kevin Krim Autumn Pasquale ann coulter Iron Man 3 Trailer minecraft Pretty Little Liars
NASA puts Orion backup parachutes to the test
Dec. 20, 2012 ? NASA completed the latest in a series of parachute tests for its Orion spacecraft Thursday at the U.S. Army Yuma Proving Ground in southwestern Arizona, marking another step toward a first flight test in 2014. The test verified Orion can land safely even if one of its two drogue parachutes does not open during descent.
Orion will take humans farther into space than ever before, but one of the most challenging things the multipurpose vehicle will do is bring its crew home safely. Because it will return from greater distances, Orion will reenter Earth's atmosphere at speeds of more than 20,000 mph. After re-entry, the parachutes are all that will lower the capsule carrying astronauts back to Earth.
"The mockup vehicle landed safely in the desert and everything went as planned," said Chris Johnson, a NASA project manager for Orion's parachute assembly system. "We designed the parachute system so nothing will go wrong, but plan and test as though something will so we can make sure Orion is the safest vehicle ever to take humans to space."
Orion uses five parachutes. Three are main parachutes measuring 116 feet wide and two are drogue parachutes measuring 23 feet wide. The 21,000-pound capsule needs only two main parachutes and one drogue. The extra two provide a backup in case one of the primary parachutes fails.
To verify Orion could land safely with only one drogue parachute, engineers dropped a spacecraft mockup from a plane 25,000 feet above the Arizona desert and simulated a failure of one of the drogues. About 30 seconds into the mockup's fall, the second drogue parachute opened and slowed the mockup down enough for the three main parachutes to take over the descent.
The next Orion parachute test is scheduled for February and will simulate a failure of one of the three main parachutes.
In 2014, an uncrewed Orion spacecraft will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on Exploration Flight Test-1. The spacecraft will travel 3,600 miles above Earth's surface. This is 15 times farther than the International Space Station's orbit and farther than any spacecraft designed to carry humans has gone in more than 40 years. The main flight objective is to test Orion's heat shield performance at speeds generated during a return from deep space.
For information about Orion, visit: http://www.nasa.gov/orion
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by NASA.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/space_time/astronomy/~3/3b7CcwnuRIs/121220213113.htm
hgtv dream home patriots vs broncos contraband denver vs new england denver broncos vs new england patriots cruise ship sinking vernon davis
শুক্রবার, ২১ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Nutrition Course Instructor for Self Healing Expressions Offers 5 Tips to Avoid Holiday Weight Gain
It?s that time of the year again. It?s time to feast. Julianne Koritz, a Registered Dietitian and a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist in private practice and author of the Self Healing Expressions.com nutrition course, The Healing Power of Food: Conscious Eating, offers up these tips to avoid holiday weight gain. So losing weight does not have to be your first New Year's resolution.
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) December 20, 2012
It?s that time of the year again. The lights are on, the trimmings are up, the cards and invitations are out and cooking is underway. It?s time to feast. Julianne Koritz, a Registered Dietitian and a Licensed Dietitian/Nutritionist in private practice and author of Self Healing Expressions' nutrition course, "The Healing Power of Food: Conscious Eating", offers up these tips to avoid holiday weight gain.Here are five tips from Julianne to sidestep holiday weight gain:
At every holiday gathering, we feel obligated to try all the foods that only come out this time of the year or maybe try some new yummy delights. It?s a vicious cycle where everyone overeats and then the #1 New Year?s resolution is made to lose the weight but people often do not.
So how do we take control of this dilemma this year? Here are five easy tips to stop the gorging and avoid holiday weight gain in the first place.
1. Do not skip meals. This is an excuse to eat more at the party - don?t do it.
2. Eat before you go to the party so you won?t be starving at the party and any alcohol will not go straight to your head.
3. Drink two glasses of water before you go to the party. And for every cocktail that you have, drink one cup of water. This also eliminates a hangover the next day and allows you to continue enjoying the holiday.
4. Get out of the house. Take walk for 10-20 minutes every day to help increase your energy output since you will be increasing your intake with all the delicious foods.
5. Most people believe that restricting calorie intake is the best way to lose weight. But what you eat is more important than how much you eat. If possible, stick to fresh vegetables, whole grains foods and limit your desserts to no more than 2-3 smaller portions per party.
Here?s to enjoying time with your family and friends and some scrumptious holiday foods.
Julianne Koritz is a registered licensed dietitian and author of the nutrition course "The Healing Power of Food: Conscious Eating" exclusively available at SelfHealingExpressions.com. The self-help site guides and empowers individuals towards healing, health and wellbeing holistically.
June Cook
Self Healing Expressions
908-328-2455
Email Information
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nutrition-course-instructor-self-healing-expressions-offers-5-080100385.html
horsetail falls ice t downton abbey new york knicks president day lin j.r. smith
You Can't Replicate These Ultra-Rare Blade Runner Storyboards
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8FKrLV5bTuo/
joran van der sloot honey badger critics choice awards 2012 colbert president huntingtons disease rob the firm
All About Eves
Revelers gather in Times Square to celebrate the ball drop at the annual New Year's Eve celebration on Dec. 31, 2011 Photograph by Jemal Countess/Getty Images.
This Monday, many Americans will head to church for Christmas Eve services, and next Monday, even more Americans will carouse, clink glasses, and count down to midnight on New Year?s Eve. Yet there are no similar rituals associated with the day before Valentine?s Day, St. Patrick?s Day, or Easter, for instance. Why do we celebrate Christmas Eve and New Year?s Eve but not other holidays? eves?
We celebrate Christmas Eve because Jesus is traditionally thought to have been born at midnight, and we celebrate New Year?s Eve because midnight is when the year changes. It?s also likely that different historical conceptions of time contributed to the development of eve traditions: In ancient Greece, each old day ended?and each new day began?at sunset. This tradition persists in the Hebrew calendar, and it likely affected the early Christian calendar, too.
Though it?s never explicitly stated in the Bible that Jesus was born at midnight, at least one passage in Wisdom 18 hints at it, saying that the birth occurred when ?the night in its swift course was half spent.? Based on this hint, ?Christ?s mass??the phrase from which we get the word ?Christmas??was first celebrated the midnight preceding Christmas Day in the year 380. That year, Christmas was celebrated on Jan. 6, but as the date of Christmas got ironed out, the tradition of a midnight mass preceding the day?s celebration continued and was later adopted by other Christian denominations. Christmas has become increasingly secularized since the 19th century, but Christmas Eve has remained an important part of Christmas celebrations because of the popularization of Santa Claus, who demands preparations like hanging stockings and setting out cookies on Christmas Eve.
People have long celebrated New Year?s Day, though its location on the calendar has moved around quite a bit throughout Western history. The Julian calendar considered Jan. 1 the first day of the new year, but in Medieval Europe, dates with more religious significance (like Dec. 25, Mar. 25?the traditional date of the Annunciation?and Easter) were marked as New Year?s Day, until Europe gradually made the switch to the Gregorian calendar in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. Historically, people have always celebrated the arrival of the new year, though depending on their community?s conception of when days begin, they might begin the celebration at sundown or at sunrise instead of at midnight. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Western Europeans and Americans began marking the midnight between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 by drinking, ringing bells, or shooting off canons or fireworks?but each community kept its own time, so one town?s midnight might not align with the neighboring town?s midnight. When standard time was adopted at the International Meridian Conference in 1884, midnight became the official dividing line between days worldwide. Now, people could figure out the official time via telegraph, and counting down to midnight on New Year?s Eve became well established as a New Year?s Eve tradition not only in America and Europe but worldwide.
Other Christian and pagan holidays historically included celebrations that began the day before, and some European countries still celebrate other eves. (These holidays and their eves never took root in America because early American settlers were conservative Protestant separatists who wanted to distance themselves from the pomp and jollity of Catholic and Anglican holidays.) Typically, eves are celebrated on holidays that include some supernatural component that occurs only at night (like Santa?s visit) or that mark some important temporal boundary (like midnight on New Year?s). English villagers used to believe that on April 24, St. Mark?s Eve (the day before St. Mark?s feast day), if they stayed on their porches from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., they?d see images of the people they knew who would die in the coming year. For example, on the day before May Day, known in German as Walpurgisnacht, Central European tradition holds that witches hold a special conference, so people sometimes mark it with a symbolic burning of witch effigies. St. John?s Eve, or Midsummer?s Eve?the shortest night of the year?is still celebrated with bonfires in late June in Western Europe, especially Scandinavia.
Halloween, whose name is a corruption of All Hallow?s Eve, is a unique case. All Hallow?s Eve was adopted by the Catholic Church as a way of incorporating the Gaelic harvest festival of Samhain into All Saint?s Day. (The Celts, like the ancient Greeks, thought of sundown as the beginning of each new day, so they began celebrations of Samhain at night on Oct. 31 and continued the holiday on Nov. 1.) All Saint?s Day used to be celebrated by Catholics as an eight-day commemoration of the dead, but the Catholic Church began downplaying the importance of the holiday in the 1950s, scaling it back to a single day, Nov. 1, which is still commemorated in many Catholic countries. However, Halloween independently became a secularized holiday in America in the 19th century, and recently American-style Halloween has caught on in Western Europe. That means that some Europeans celebrate Halloween and All Saint?s Day as two distinct but consecutive holidays?one secular, one religious?rather than as two closely related holidays, the way we consider Christmas Eve and Christmas.
Got a question about today?s news??Ask the Explainer.
Explainer thanks Christopher Bellitto of Kean University;?Roger Ekirch of Virginia Tech, the author of At Day's Close: Night in Times Past; Bruce Forbes of Morningside College, the author of Christmas: A Candid History; Alexis McCrossen of Southern Methodist University, the author of Marking Modern Times: A History of Clocks, Watches, and Other Timekeepers in American Life; Lisa Morton, the author of Trick or Treat: A History of Halloween; Eviatar Zerubavel of Rutgers University, the author of Hidden Rhythms: Schedules and Calendars in Social Life.
Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=81b6fe1950e5d2a5e72d5627dfd9b65b
4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods erin andrews erin andrews Pepco
বৃহস্পতিবার, ২০ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২
Massage Therapy and Other Things to do When you Need to ...
Folks with busy lifestyle often face stress. In some cases they have the tendency to focus only on their careers and fail to remember some of the finest things in life. If you are among them, probably it is time to find out some ways to treat yourself after a stressful day at the office or during weekend breaks. Here are a few of the things you may try to rest your mind and body.
Have a long bath.
A long bath will help soothe your body. Thirty to sixty minutes of resting in your bath is a wonderful means to lighten stress. Take a long soak in the tub along with bath oil and bubbles. The scent of lavender bath oil, as an example, may help you forget the pressure of job and worries for the next day.
If you need a shower, it is wise to take it slow. Make use of warm water and have it pour on you for many minutes. Just standing there momentarily will decrease your stress level. This may also help calm exhausted muscle groups and a worried mind.
Cook and eat with the whole family.
Yet another way to spend a relaxed evening is to bond together with your family or with someone dear to you. Go and create your best-loved dish together. This is actually a lot better compared to having a box of pizza bought. It is likewise a great time to talk about what took place during the day or regarding some plans for the coming holiday break.
Watch your favorite TV program or movie.
Maybe you are often too tired to view your favorite flick or TV program. Try going home very early and treat yourself by watching it. No matter if it is silly or gory, watching your favorite show is always a bliss. Get some snack from the refrigerator and munch on them while you watch.
It is also a good idea to see a chick flick from your DVD collection in your home. You may pick your favorite movie or perhaps try out one you haven?t viewed before or for a very long time. Laugh aloud when it is funny; cry if it?s a tearjerker; and scream if it?s frightening. Releasing emotions is a certain way to take some load away.
Get a massage
Another fantastic way to treat yourself is by having therapeutic massage. You can select from assorted types including Zen and Swedish massage. Besides its soothing effect, it also has a number of health advantages. For one, it helps recover tired muscular tissues as well as realigns your spine as well as joints. Body aches due to work-related tasks can also be relieved through the help of a skilled masseuse.
Most importantly, massage helps reduce levels of depression as well as anxiety. You will start to see how calming and relaxing it is when you start feeling sleepy on the massage bed. It is also easy to look for reliable massage professionals if you go online.
indianapolis colts joseph kony joseph kony ipad 3 release date apple store down apple live blog ohio primary
এতে সদস্যতা:
পোস্টগুলি (Atom)