Stocks declined for a third day on Wall Street as investors waited for signs of progress on the "fiscal cliff."
The Dow Jones industrial average fell 105 points to 12,772 just after 10 a.m. in New York. The Standard and Poor's 500 was down 13 points to 1,386. The Nasdaq Composite was off 29 points at 2,938.
Stocks declined Tuesday after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said he was frustrated by the lack of progress in budget talks. About $671 billion of tax increases and spending cuts will come into effect Jan. 1 if no deal is reached. Economists say the measures could eventually push the U.S. back into recession.
Concern that the U.S. will go over the "cliff" has weighed on stocks since the Nov. 6 elections returned a divided government to power with President Barack Obama returning to the White House and Republicans retaining control of the House.
In economic news Wednesday, U.S. sales of new homes dipped 0.3 percent in October though remain up 20.4 percent for the year, according to a government report. Stable home prices suggest the housing market is steadily recovering.
Investors will also look will also look to the Federal Reserve for indications about the strength of the economy. A Fed snapshot of business conditions around the nation, covering October through mid-November, will be published at 2 p.m.
The yield on the 10-year Treasury note fell 3 basis points to 1.61 percent.
Stocks making big moves:
? Chipmaker Analog Devices fell $1.03 to $39.09 after it said sales fell 3 percent in the third quarter due to weak economic conditions and global uncertainty.
? Costco, the wholesale club operator, gained $4.45 to $100.90 after the company said that it would pay a special dividend of $7 a share next month, in addition to the regular quarterly dividend it pays shareholders.
? Green Mountain Coffee Roasters surged $7.04 to $36.04 after the beleaguered coffee company reported fourth-quarter results and guidance that far exceeded the market's expectations.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - A young model was either insane, or a calculating, quick-thinking murderer who feigned mental illness when he killed and castrated his lover, a prominent Portuguese journalist, in their New York hotel room last year, a jury heard on Wednesday. No one disputes that Renato Seabra, 22, killed Carlos Castro, 65, in January 2011. Seabra pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to a charge of second degree murder, and his trial reached closing arguments at Manhattan criminal court. ...
Occupy the drive-thru: Fast-food workers in New York City staged a walkout on Thursday to demand better pay and the right to unionize?in another recent example of labor stretching muscles made moribund by disuse.
Organizers?of the Fast Food Forward movement said they expected hundreds of workers would walk out or not show up for work at dozens of McDonald?s, Burger King and other fast-food chains.?
Late Thursday, Fast Food Forward, one of the organizations behind the effort, released a statement saying about 200 people had participated in the strike.
At one early?morning demonstration, roughly 75 percent of shift workers were outside protesting, leaving managers to staff the registers and preparation equipment, said Jonathan Westin, organizing director with New York Communities for Change, one of the groups coordinating the walkouts.
?Workers are sick and tired of making poverty wages,? despite working for multibillion-dollar corporations, he said. ?I don?t think this is a short-term fight.?
Joshua Williams, 28, works at?a Wendy's restaurant in Brooklyn and?told Reuters he planned to participate in the walkout. He said?he still earned minimum wage, despite working 30 to 40 hours a week for more than a year.
In seeking a $15 hourly wage and the right to unionize, the movement joined a growing conversation about the financial challenges faced by the working poor.
?During the recession there was the assumption that people should just get a job, any job... I think you see the movement towards unionization as a demand-side response, in a sense,? said Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute. ?Employees are saying, ?No, we want better jobs.??
The Fast Food Forward action, which is supported by the Service Employees International Union along with civil rights and community groups, comes less than a week after a union-backed effort to draw attention to wages and working conditions at Wal-Mart led to protests at stores across the country on Black Friday.?
Organization United for Respect at Walmart called on the nation?s largest retailer to pay a minimum $13 hourly wage. Sales associates there currently make an average of $8.81 an hour, according to third-party research cited by workers? rights groups.
Earlier this week, the National Domestic Workers Alliance released a report that found nearly a quarter of nannies, housekeepers and caregivers earn less than the state minimum wage, and 70 percent make less than $13 an hour.
?We must create a more equitable economic environment for all low-wage workers,? the?report said. ?It is difficult to advocate for the rights of domestic workers in an economic and political environment in which the rights of low-wage workers more broadly are so badly frayed.?
Advocates for higher wages say the focus on minimum and low-wage workers is important because there are more people earning less today. The National Employment Law Project found that about 20 percent of?jobs lost during the recession were?low-paying positions, but nearly 60 percent of the jobs?added since then.
?In my mind, if we?re going to reduce inequality in the United States, it?s going to have to address the low wages and lack of benefits in the restaurants and retail sectors,? said Annette Bernhardt, policy co-director at NELP. ?There?s a profound larger question being posed, which is how the American labor market is going to look in the 21st century.?
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, around 60 percent of workers who earned minimum wage or less last year worked in ?service occupations,? primarily food preparation and serving.
At more than double the current national?minimum wage of $7.25, the $15 sought by Fast Food Forward might seem like a pie-in-the-sky goal, but others are pushing to increase New York state's?minimum wage to $8.50 next year. According to the National Women?s Law Center, if the minimum wage rose at the pace of inflation, it currently would be $10.60.
The National Restaurant Association opposes this and other legislation to raise minimum wages. The position statement on its website says, ?Wage mandates are an ineffective way to reduce poverty and cause restaurant operators to make very difficult decisions to eliminate jobs, cut staff hours or increase prices.?
Richard Adams, a McDonald's franchise adviser, told Reuters $15 an hour would be an "insane increase" that would add as much as $2 to the price of menu items.
"The majority of McDonald's restaurants are owned and operated by independent business men and women who offer pay and benefits competitive within the quick service restaurant industry," the company said in a statement.
David Neumark, a professor of economics at University of California, Irvine, said campaigns to increase wages for minimum and low-wage workers miss the mark.
?A lot of the fast-food workers aren?t in poor families ? they?re just kids,? he said. ?Targeting low-income families through what they?re trying to accomplish is a really scattershot way to do it. Why should an owner... have to pay more to the kids of middle-class families??
Galinsky said higher wages are important, but companies also need to explore other ways to improve the experience of low-wage workers, since the jobs they are filling make up an increasing percentage of labor market demand.
?Traditionally, people who work in jobs like fast food or retail? have been seen as expendable, particularly in a time of economic insecurity,? she said. The institute?s research found that access to training and advancement opportunities, flexible schedules and supportive managers help to improve productivity and reduce turnover at companies that employ low-wage workers.
?There are things that employers can do, most of which don?t cost money, that could benefit employees and that could benefit their own organization,? she said. ?It?s a mindset change.?
Information from Reuters was included in this report.
(Reuters) - Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc said its drug to treat irritable bowel syndrome with constipation has received marketing approval in Europe.
The drug linaclotide, meant for adults, will be launched in Europe in the first half of 2013 under the brand name Constella, the company said in a statement.
Constella received U.S. regulatory approval in August and Ironwood will sell the drug in the United States with its marketing partner Forest Laboratories under the brand name Linzess.
"We don't see Constella's performance in Europe as a significant value driver for Ironwood," Ladenburg Thalmann analyst Juan Sanchez wrote in a note to clients.
Sanchez estimates that Constella could bring in revenue of $189 million in 2018.
Shares of Ironwood were up 2 percent at $10.98 on the Nasdaq on Wednesday afternoon.
(Reporting by Shailesh Kuber in Bangalore; Editing by Supriya Kurane)
It's always the same. The two companies continue to play tit-for-tat with their patents around the world. Apple's so-called rubber-banding patent has been particularly contentious. It played a central role in a German injunction against Motorola and was invalidated by the USPTO. Now the bounce-back scrolling effect has given Cupertino an other feather in its cap in the Netherlands. However, the Dutch court has chosen to be much more measured in its doling out of punishment. There will be no injunction, instead the manufacturer will be given eight weeks to update the offending handsets -- anything running Gingerbread or Froyo. Newer versions of Android, namely Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean, use a subtle blue glow to indicate the end of the line. For every day longer than eight weeks it takes to either issue updates or remove the aging devices from the market Samsung will be fined $100,000, but Lee Kun-hee has probably lost more cash than that in his couch cushions. Next week we're sure this same patent will be thrown out the window by French officials or Apple will be found to violate some Motorola patent... and around we go.
If you're looking at getting a 2013 Chevrolet Spark or Sonic LTZ / RS, you'll be able to drag Siri along for the ride, provided that you have an iPhone 4S or later running iOS 6, according to GM. It'll pair with Chevy's MyLink entertainment system using Bluetooth, ensuring you avoid distractions via Apple's new Eyes Free mode that lets you disable the smartphone's screen via a steering wheel button. Using voice-activated commands, you'll be able to prompt the system to make hands-free calls, play songs from your iTunes library, listen to and compose text messages and access calendar appointments. If you ask a question that requires a web page to be displayed, however, Siri will decline to answer -- ensuring your eyes stay where they should.
The automaker also announced an upcoming version of MyLink for the Chevrolet Impala that will let buyers "skin" the instrument panel with four different themes: Edge and Velocity for the younger set, and Contemporary or Main Street aimed at "busy moms" or business types. It'll also have an optional 8-inch touchscreen and let you link up to ten devices via Blutetooth or USB. Check the sources for info on all the new vehicles or the video after the break.
Becoming an electrician starts with getting the right schooling. One can start quite early, even in High School. Many vocational programs in secondary schools have an electrical program. Following High School graduation, one can enter a program at a college to further their learning. Community colleges often have excellent trades program, including electrical. In addition to their typical general education courses like math and English, students will take practical courses where they learn both the science behind the trade and also get to apply and learn new skills in hands-on work. If one desires to learn more about the scientific end of things, they can attend a four year college that offers advanced programs like electrical engineering or similar majors. Community colleges are great because they offer students practical experience.
One can also do some extra work on their own to increase their skills and education. It is a great idea to find an experienced individual who works in the field and get close to them. An experienced worker can offer electrician training in the form of an apprenticeship or might be able to hire a student to work for them. They can also share the pros and cons of the industry, as well as stories from on the job. This will give the young student a better idea of what daily life is like as an electrical worker, and help them decide if this is really the field that they want to devote their life to. Working with a professional can help one meet others in the field and perhaps potential future customers. The pro may also have some suggestions for training programs or courses that the aspiring electrician can take advantage of. They can serve as a reference for the student's resume.
Before one can be successful in industry, they must have to proper education and training. Fortunately, budding electrical workers have many options to help them reach their goals and better themselves.
Too much or too little activity bad for kneesPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Both very high and very low levels of physical activity can accelerate the degeneration of knee cartilage in middle-aged adults, according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Nearly one in every two people in the U.S. may develop knee osteoarthritis by age 85, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans over the age of 18 are projected to have physician-diagnosed arthritis.
Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) previously had found an association between physical activity and cartilage degeneration. But that study focused on one point in time.
For the new study, the UCSF researchers looked at changes in knee cartilage among a group of middle-aged adults over a four-year period. They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based T2 relaxation times to track the evolution of early degenerative cartilage changes in the knee.
"T2 relaxation times generated from MR images allow for analysis of the biochemical and molecular composition of cartilage," said Wilson Lin, B.S., research fellow and medical student at UCSF. "There is increased water mobility in damaged cartilage, and increased water mobility results in increased T2 relaxation time."
The researchers analyzed 205 patients, age 45 to 60, from the UCSF-based Osteoarthritis Initiative, a nationwide study funded by the National Institutes of Health on the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Participants used a questionnaire to record their physical activity. The researchers measured T2 values of cartilage at the patella, femur and tibia of the right knee joint at baseline and at two- and four-year visits.
According to the results of the study, participating frequently in high-impact activities, such as running, appears associated with more degenerated cartilage and potentially a higher risk for development of osteoarthritis.
"When we compared the scores among groups, we found an accelerated progression of T2 relaxation times in those who were the most physically active," said Thomas M. Link, M.D., professor of radiology and chief of musculoskeletal imaging at UCSF. "Those who had very low levels of activity also had accelerated progression of T2 values. This suggests that there may be an optimal level of physical activity to preserve the cartilage."
The results open up numerous areas for future inquiry, including analysis of the impact of specific types of physical activity on knee cartilage health. For instance, some of the participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative wore an accelerometer, a device with a motion sensor to record physical activity.
"In this study, we used the subjective measure of a questionnaire," Lin said. "The accelerometers provide a more objective way to measure physical activity."
Along with the findings on changes in knee cartilage, the study also highlighted the potential of T2 relaxation times as an early indicator of cartilage degeneration.
"Standard MRI shows cartilage defects that are irreversible," Dr. Link said. "The exciting thing about the new cartilage T2 measurements is that they give us information on a biochemical level, thus potentially detecting changes at an earlier stage when they may still be reversible."
Dr. Link noted that people who have a higher risk for osteoarthritis (such as family history of total joint replacement, obesity, history of knee injury or surgery) can reduce their risk for cartilage degeneration by maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding risky activities and strenuous, high-impact exercise.
"Lower impact sports, such as walking or swimming, are likely more beneficial than higher impact sports, such as running or tennis, in individuals at risk for osteoarthritis," he said.
###
Coauthors are Waraporn Srikhum, M.D., Charles E. McCulloch, Ph.D., Michael Neitt, Ph.D., John Lynch, Ph.D., Gabby B. Joseph, Ph.D., and Hamza Alizai, M.D.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI of the knee, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Too much or too little activity bad for kneesPublic release date: 26-Nov-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Linda Brooks lbrooks@rsna.org 630-590-7762 Radiological Society of North America
CHICAGO Both very high and very low levels of physical activity can accelerate the degeneration of knee cartilage in middle-aged adults, according to a new study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).
Nearly one in every two people in the U.S. may develop knee osteoarthritis by age 85, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. By 2030, an estimated 67 million Americans over the age of 18 are projected to have physician-diagnosed arthritis.
Researchers at the University of California in San Francisco (UCSF) previously had found an association between physical activity and cartilage degeneration. But that study focused on one point in time.
For the new study, the UCSF researchers looked at changes in knee cartilage among a group of middle-aged adults over a four-year period. They used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based T2 relaxation times to track the evolution of early degenerative cartilage changes in the knee.
"T2 relaxation times generated from MR images allow for analysis of the biochemical and molecular composition of cartilage," said Wilson Lin, B.S., research fellow and medical student at UCSF. "There is increased water mobility in damaged cartilage, and increased water mobility results in increased T2 relaxation time."
The researchers analyzed 205 patients, age 45 to 60, from the UCSF-based Osteoarthritis Initiative, a nationwide study funded by the National Institutes of Health on the prevention and treatment of knee osteoarthritis. Participants used a questionnaire to record their physical activity. The researchers measured T2 values of cartilage at the patella, femur and tibia of the right knee joint at baseline and at two- and four-year visits.
According to the results of the study, participating frequently in high-impact activities, such as running, appears associated with more degenerated cartilage and potentially a higher risk for development of osteoarthritis.
"When we compared the scores among groups, we found an accelerated progression of T2 relaxation times in those who were the most physically active," said Thomas M. Link, M.D., professor of radiology and chief of musculoskeletal imaging at UCSF. "Those who had very low levels of activity also had accelerated progression of T2 values. This suggests that there may be an optimal level of physical activity to preserve the cartilage."
The results open up numerous areas for future inquiry, including analysis of the impact of specific types of physical activity on knee cartilage health. For instance, some of the participants in the Osteoarthritis Initiative wore an accelerometer, a device with a motion sensor to record physical activity.
"In this study, we used the subjective measure of a questionnaire," Lin said. "The accelerometers provide a more objective way to measure physical activity."
Along with the findings on changes in knee cartilage, the study also highlighted the potential of T2 relaxation times as an early indicator of cartilage degeneration.
"Standard MRI shows cartilage defects that are irreversible," Dr. Link said. "The exciting thing about the new cartilage T2 measurements is that they give us information on a biochemical level, thus potentially detecting changes at an earlier stage when they may still be reversible."
Dr. Link noted that people who have a higher risk for osteoarthritis (such as family history of total joint replacement, obesity, history of knee injury or surgery) can reduce their risk for cartilage degeneration by maintaining a healthy weight and avoiding risky activities and strenuous, high-impact exercise.
"Lower impact sports, such as walking or swimming, are likely more beneficial than higher impact sports, such as running or tennis, in individuals at risk for osteoarthritis," he said.
###
Coauthors are Waraporn Srikhum, M.D., Charles E. McCulloch, Ph.D., Michael Neitt, Ph.D., John Lynch, Ph.D., Gabby B. Joseph, Ph.D., and Hamza Alizai, M.D.
Note: Copies of RSNA 2012 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press12 beginning Monday, Nov. 26.
RSNA is an association of more than 50,000 radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists, promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Ill.
Editor's note: The data in these releases may differ from those in the published abstract and those actually presented at the meeting, as researchers continue to update their data right up until the meeting. To ensure you are using the most up-to-date information, please call the RSNA Newsroom at 1-312-949-3233.
For patient-friendly information on MRI of the knee, visit RadiologyInfo.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Published: Sunday, November 25, 2012, 6:10?p.m. Updated 20 hours ago
NEW YORK ? Laws meant to prevent the overuse of expensive health care services don?t stop doctors from using pricey prostate cancer treatments, two new studies show.
Researchers found doctors used robots and special radiation to treat prostate cancer regardless of whether their area had laws requiring government approval before money is spent on health care facilities and new equipment.
?Certificate of need laws were designed to align public need with use of different services,? said Dr. Bruce Jacobs, a lead author of one of the studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
The federal government required states to implement the laws in the 1970s and early 1980s but stopped a few decades ago. Still, some states continue to use the laws in an effort to control costs.
In each study, the researchers looked at treatments for prostate cancer, which is the most common cancer in American men.
In Jacobs? study, the researchers looked at whether states with strict laws e_SEmD those that require approval for even low-cost equipment e_SEmD used robotic surgery to remove fewer prostates than states with less strict or no laws.
Overall, in the new study, the use of robotic surgery to remove prostates in Medicare patients increased regardless of whether there were strict, less strict or no laws in place. Also, the chance a surgeon used robots had nothing to do with the laws.
A second study by other researchers looked at whether the laws limited the use of intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) or slowed the growth of health care costs related to prostate cancer.
Researchers found that IMRT use increased from about 2 percent of all prostate cancer treatments in 2002 to almost half in 2009 in areas with the laws.
In areas without the laws, IMRT use increased from about 11 percent of all prostate cancer treatments to about 42 percent during the same time span.
The laws didn?t seem to help control prostate cancer treatment costs when the researchers compared the price to treat one person in states with laws compared with the price in states without laws.
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It is possible to argue that Zsa Zsa Gabor was to the 1950s and 60s what Paris Hilton and her ilk are today. Not concidental, Zsa Zsa was once married for a few years in the 1940?s to Paris? great-grandfather Conrad Hilton, the founder of the fabulously successful Hilton Hotel chain. Conrad, the second of Zsa Zsa?s nine husbands, was thirty years older than her.
Zsa Zsa Gabor , still alive at the age of 95 as of November 2012, made a career of basically playing herself in several movies and countless television shows. Even though she played the blonde buxom bombshell on screen, in the real world she was outspoken for several causes and confident of her actions.
Zsa Zsa Gabor loved animals and when her Bel Air home burnt to the ground while she was performing on the road, all she was concerned about was that her several dogs were able to escape to safety. She mentioned in her 1991 autobiography two memorable events involving birds.
The first occurred when she bought a new mansion in Bel Air and hired a team of workmen to renovate a section of the house. Early one Monday morning she arrived at the house to inspect the work and unlocked the front door. When she opened it, she found a bird lying dead on the drawing room floor. The bird had apparently flown into the house on Friday before the workmen left and was trapped inside all weekend. With no source of food, the bird starved to death. She picked it up and gave it a decent burial in the back yard. She could not live in that house believing that the death of the bird caused bad luck that would come back to haunt her. She never moved in and sold the Bel Air home at a significant loss.
The second occasion involved a macaw she bought at Neiman-Marcus on a trip to Dallas. She named him Ceasar and was warned by the store to feed him an orange every morning. She followed that instruction very carefully for a few months. Then, one day she forgot to do so. A few hours went by and didn?t even bother to check on Ceasar. Finally, she remembered her obligation, put down the book and went toward the kitchen. She gave a look toward his cage and saw that Ceasar immediately gave her a long stare. As macaws are parrots that can be taught to speak, Ceasar let out with , ?forget you!? (Dear reader, you can imagine what he really said.)
Zsa Zsa cut up a piece of orange and gave it to the parrot and he ate it peacefully, but from that point and on, any time she or her husband would pass by the bird, it would shriek, ?forget you!? Zsa Zsa?s husband got tired of this treatment and proclaimed that the bird had to go back to Nieman-Marcus. The store agreed to take back Ceasar. As he was carried out of the mansion and leaving the life of luxury, his last words were, of course, ?forget you!? and seemed to have one claw lifted off its perch.
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak waves to media after a conference in Tel Aviv, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Barak shook up the Israeli political system Monday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. The defense minister made the surprise announcement even after polls showed his breakaway Independence Party gaining momentum after Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak waves to media after a conference in Tel Aviv, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Barak shook up the Israeli political system Monday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. The defense minister made the surprise announcement even after polls showed his breakaway Independence Party gaining momentum after Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Barak shook up the Israeli political system Monday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. The defense minister made the surprise announcement even after polls showed his breakaway Independence Party gaining momentum after Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Barak shook up the Israeli political system Monday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. The defense minister made the surprise announcement even after polls showed his breakaway Independence Party gaining momentum after Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak speaks to the media in Tel Aviv, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Barak shook up the Israeli political system Monday with the abrupt announcement that he is quitting politics and will not run in general elections in January. The defense minister made the surprise announcement even after polls showed his breakaway Independence Party gaining momentum after Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip. (AP Photo/Oded Balilty)
JERUSALEM (AP) ? Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak abruptly quit politics Monday, potentially robbing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of a key ally who enabled his hardline government to present a moderate face to the world.
Barring another comeback by the mercurial former general, Barak's departure marked an end to a distinguished and tumultuous career that spanned half a century. It began on a communal farm, led to military greatness and business success and a mixed record in politics that was highlighted by failed peacemaking efforts during a brief term as prime minister.
Despite polls showing his small centrist Independence Party gaining momentum following the eight-day Israeli offensive in Gaza that he steered, Barak said he would not run again for office in the Jan. 22 elections.
"I feel I have exhausted my political activity, which had never been a special object of desire for me," Barak, 70, said in a surprise announcement in Tel Aviv. "There are many ways for me to serve the country and society, not just through politics."
Barak will remain as defense minister until a new government is sworn in after the elections.
Still, analysts predicted that Israel's most prominent warrior-statesman of his generation had yet to say the last word and was perhaps still angling to keep his job after the election as a special appointment of Netanyahu, who is expected to be re-elected. In recent polls, Barak's party had been struggling to nudge above the electoral threshold needed to get into parliament.
"In his position, he did the smartest thing one could do," said Shlomo Avineri, a political science professor at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. "He's not as popular as an electoral candidate as he is a minister of defense. He's not going to say no if he's asked to be the next minister of defense. And he probably will."
Over the past four years, Barak gave Netanyahu's governing coalition a well-known face to deal with the international community and Netanyahu himself a loyal and seasoned partner.
The two men have been close since the 1970s, when Barak was Netanyahu's commander in the elite Sayeret Matkal commando unit. As prime minister, Netanyahu awarded Barak great influence in decision-making and made him his informal point man to the United States.
The Obama administration embraced him as a moderating influence on Netanyahu's hardline policies toward the Arab world and Iran's nuclear program. Barak was scheduled to depart Tuesday for meetings with U.S. officials in Washington.
His departure from politics comes at an uncertain time for Israel, with Islamist political parties rising around the Jewish state and a decision looming on whether to strike Iran's nuclear program.
The Netanyahu-Barak alliance had its strains over this issue ? with the prime minister reportedly objecting to Barak's newly moderate position that Israel should defer to the U.S. in deciding whether to attack Iran should sanctions fail to deter Tehran from attaining a nuclear bomb.
With opinion polls forecasting an even more hawkish government taking power after the January election, Netanyahu may face increasing heat from President Barack Obama in his second term without the moderating effect of Barak.
Netanyahu's hawkish vice premier, Moshe Yaalon, is expected to become defense minister if Barak remains on the sidelines.
In a statement, Netanyahu did not reveal his hand, saying only he "respects" Barak's decision to retire and thanking him for "his contribution ? over many years ? to the security of the state."
A protege of the assassinated Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, another former chief of staff, Barak was groomed for greatness. Born Ehud Brog, the eldest of four sons to Eastern European immigrants, he changed his name in the military to Barak (Hebrew for lightning).
He became Israel's most-decorated soldier ever, collecting medals and citations at a historic pace for his heroics on the battlefield and for leading daring commando raids.
As commander of Sayeret Matkal, Barak led the 1972 raid on a hijacked Sabena airliner on the ground in Israel with the commandos disguised as airline technicians. A photograph of Barak standing on the wing in white overalls as the freed hostages were disembarking has become part of Israeli lore. The following year, he led a commando operation in Beirut, sneaking into the city disguised as a woman.
Renowned as a brilliant military strategist, he rocketed through the ranks to become military chief of staff. In 1995, after 36 years in uniform, he made the quick transition to politics.
In less than four years, Barak was elected to parliament, held two top Cabinet posts, took charge of Israel's iconic Labor Party and was elected prime minister ? beating Netanyahu in 1999 ? on a pledge to reach a long-awaited peace with Israel's enemies.
But his stormy term in office lasted less than two years ? the shortest of any elected Israeli premier ? and he left under a swell of discontent for his unilateral withdrawal from south Lebanon in 2000, his failed negotiations with the Palestinians and Syria, and a violent Palestinian uprising that erupted under his watch.
Despite the dramatic collapse, Barak credited his wide-reaching offer at Camp David to withdraw from nearly all of the West Bank and Gaza with exposing Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat's essential rejection of peace ? a view endorsed by U.S. President Bill Clinton. By offering far-reaching concessions that had never been considered before, such as dividing Jerusalem and evacuating large settlements blocs, Barak also prepared Israeli public opinion for the types of steps it would likely have to take for future peace.
In 2001, Barak was crushed by Ariel Sharon in a special election. On the night of his defeat, Barak retired in dramatic fashion. Over the next few years, he amassed a fortune on the lecture circuit and in the corporate world. He purchased a high-rise Tel Aviv apartment reportedly worth more than $10 million, part of a lavish lifestyle that angered his socialist supporters.
In 2007, he returned to politics, easily recapturing the leadership of the Labor Party and becoming defense minister in a bid to rehabilitate a military that performed below expectations in a war against Hezbollah guerrillas the previous year.
But he remained personally unpopular and his party, which had led Israel to independence and governed it for its first three decades, had lost its public appeal.
After leading Labor to an all-time low of 13 of 120 parliamentary seats in the 2009 election, Barak enraged his dovish base by joining Netanyahu's coalition government.
Israeli hardliners didn't like him any better, accusing him of undercutting the West Bank settlement movement by withholding construction approvals, clearing squatters from West Bank homes and encouraging Netanyahu to support a slowdown in settlement construction. That slowdown, initiated by the United States, has since expired.
Barak eventually broke away from Labor to form his new party, Independence, with a few junior allies. Without its founding father, the future of the party is now in question.
Avraham Diskin, a political analyst at Tel Aviv University, said given Barak's resume "it just isn't worth the effort and humiliation" of fighting for his political survival.
"If he wants to be the defense minister in the next government, it depends more on the relationship he and Bibi have than on whether he has a very tiny section in the Knesset (parliament) or not," he said, referring to Netanyahu by his nickname.
Former general Danny Yatom, a longtime Barak confidant, said he will be remembered most for his attempts at peace.
"Barak's legacy is steadfastly defending the security of the state of Israel alongside a deep understanding that the conflict between us and the Arabs cannot be solved by military means alone," he said. "He tried when he was prime minister, but he did not succeed."
Amazon is not the only game in town when it comes to ebook publishing.
Yes, they may be the dominant partner in the US and the UK, but in global markets, ebook retailer Kobo is doing some brilliant things. In today?s interview, we get into what Kobo can offer you as an author.
In the intro, I talk about my trip to Hungary where I did some shooting and also some research on an ARKANE novella for next year. I?ve also been doing NaNoWriMo and working on a new crime series, as well as doing a lot of speaking and also launching a new online course ? so it?s been a busy month!I reflect on the fact I have created one novel and 5 multimedia products this year ? in 2013, I will be focusing much more on the fiction side!
Mark Lefebvre isDirector of Self-Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo.com, as well as being an author and editor. You can listen above or watch the interview on YouTube here.
Mark started writing when he was 13 and still writes horror/ twilight zone fiction under the name Mark Leslie. He moved into bookselling as he?s passionate about books and publishing. He is traditionally published but also self-publishes his short story collections.
What is Kobo and how does it fit into the publishing ecosystem?
Kobo is an ebook seller, original spun off Canada?s largest print retailer, so it has a large use base in Canada. Three years ago the focus was short reads. Read freely is the philosophy. There?s a free app for all platforms and no DRM (digital rights management which locks down ebooks to a retailer). It uses ePub standard so you can read the books on any device that allows ePub.
Kobo was bought by Japanese based company Rakuten in early 2012 which gives Kobo an opportunity to expand even more globally. Kobo partners with retailers locally ? WHSmith (a high street store), Chapters Indigo in Canada, Borders in the US and now the independent bookstores with the American Publishing Association. We talk about the global reach and ?kobo speed? as Kobo is available in over 200 countries. On the wall at Kobo, ?if it seems like things are in control, you aren?t going fast enough? (Mario Andretti)
Everyone does want to make sure there?s more than one game in town. One overwhelmingly powerful company dominating the market is a bad idea. No one company should have that kind of power. There?s got to be a choice as a reader and an author.
For self-publishers ? Kobo Writing Life
Kobo Writing Life is now available for self-publishers.? The best thing for me personally is getting paid in my own currency, GBP, electronically to my bank account. Whereas my Amazon USD income still comes by monthly checks which sometimes get lost.
The books that sell the best on Kobo are fiction ? romance/erotica, thrillers, mysteries, sci-fi. But there?s also been an upsurge in short reads ? or long-form articles e.g. a long journalism piece.
You used to have to go through Smashwords as an author to get to Kobo so it was an indirect process of publishing, but now it is direct so you can make price changes quickly with no significant wait, as per the Amazon KDP platform.
Selling more books on Kobo. Firstly, make sure there?s a link from your website. Many authors just list Amazon. Kobo wants to be a business partner with you as a publisher, a business-person. The Kobo dashboard contains information on where you sell in each market including a map of the world. Kobo is constantly working on their own search algorithm and refining it, as well as merchandising opportunities and lists. Ongoing, Kobo will be adding more possibilities to authors ? they are constantly developing so watch this space!
Printing with the Espresso Book Machine
Ebooks are exciting, but print on demand technologies continue to advance. The Espresso Book Machine is a large printer attached to a binder that prints a book in the time it takes to make an espresso. They do have self-publishing options now ? very cool! It?s the meeting point between print and digital, and they are partnering with companies like Xerox, LightningSource, Google and ABA in order to expand.
You can find Mark at MarkLeslie.ca
You can publish direct to Kobo at KoboWritingLife
If you have suggestions for Kobo, you can email: writinglife@kobo.com
Do you publish on Kobo? What are your tips for selling more on Kobo? or do you have any questions about this platform? Please do leave a comment below.
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Tagged as: ebook, espresso book machine, kobo, self-publishing
With over 800 photographs, informative text and enticing recipes, this is the definitive guide to the art of making, cooking and enjoying pasta. It features 150 traditional and innovative pasta recipes in beautiful photographs. It provides a detailed techniques section that guides you through the secrets of making your own pasta successfully by hand and machine, from cutting shapes and noodles to making flavoured and coloured variations. It is a comprehensive visual identification guide that contains fabulous photographs of a vast array of dried and fresh pasta types and shapes, including regional varieties and unusual designer shapes. It includes classic dishes such as Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, regional specialities such as Ravioli alla Romagnola, and contemporary ideas such as Pipe with Ricotta, Saffron and Spinach, and Tagliatelle Tricolore. This title also includes a guide to pasta-making equipment and how to use it. It is a pictorial guide to the key pasta sauce ingredients, such as fresh herbs, seasonings, spices, oils and vinegars, meats, fish and shellfish, vegetables and cheeses. This superb book is a comprehensive guide to choosing, making, cooking and enjoying Italian pasta. The colour identification guide contains fabulous photographs of the huge range of dried and fresh pasta types. The techniques section guides you through the secrets of making, cooking and serving pasta. The pantry is a visual guide to all the key pasta sauce ingredients and the recipe collection features a combination of 150 classic favourites, regional specialties and fresh ideas. The recipes cater for every type of pasta dish: simple broths, soups, fish, meat and poultry, vegetarian dishes and healthy salads. It is illustrated with 800 glorious photographs, this is the definitive guide to pasta cooking.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words -- and boy did Instragram's servers have a colossal amount of words to deal with yesterday. Via its blog, the Facebook-owned picture sharing service announced that, on Thanksgiving Day, more than 10 million holiday-related images were shared on the social network, which saw peak hour come in at around 12:00pm Pacific time with over 200 filter-packed (no filter, in some cases) images per second being Instagrammed. Moreover, Thanksgiving marked one of the app's most active days in its short history, with Instagram saying that yesterday "broke all records as we saw the number of shared photos more than double from the day before, making it our busiest day so far." Now bring on the #leftovers.
The Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said natural gas exports to European consumers were on the decline.
Russian energy company Gazprom's figures from January stated that natural gas exports were 8.2 percent higher than for 2011 at around 53 billion cubic feet. Novak told an energy forum, however, that year-on-year exports to European consumers were expected to decline as much as 5 percent, the Platts news service reports.
Russian Gas Society President Valery Yazev told the same forum that Turkey was the only country in the broader European region to see an increase in gas deliveries from Russia.
Platts offered no suggestion for the decline in natural gas deliveries. Weather, a stagnate European economy and efforts to find alternative natural gas supplies may be contributing to the drop off.
Ukraine, through which the bulk of Russian natural gas deliveries to Europe travel, said recently it was cutting back on gas purchases from Russia despite a take-or-pay mechanism with Gazprom. ?MORE
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The NBC series "Community" will finish the season without Chevy Chase.
Sony Pictures Television said Wednesday that the actor is leaving the sitcom by mutual agreement with producers.
His immediate departure means he won't be included in the last episode or two of the show's 13-episode season, which is still in production.
Chase had a rocky tenure playing a bored and wealthy man who enrolls in community college. The actor publicly expressed unhappiness at working on a sitcom and feuded last year with the show's creator and former executive producer, Dan Harmon.
The fourth-season premiere of "Community" is Feb. 7, when it makes a delayed return to the 8 p.m. EST Thursday time slot. The show's ensemble cast includes Joel McHale and Donald Glover.
The stress and strains of our always-connected lives can sometimes take us off course. GPS For The Soul can help you find your way back to balance.
GPS Guides are our way of showing you what works for others in the hopes that you can find out what works for yourself. Whether it's photos that relax you or make you smile, songs that bring you back to your heart, quotes or poems that bring you balance or meditative exercises that help you de-stress, we all have tricks that we use when we get bent out of shape. We encourage you to look at the GPS Guide below, visit our other GPS Guides here, and share with us your own personal tips for finding peace, balance and harmony.
Christine Hassler, life coach and HuffPost blogger, shares 17 principles we can be grateful for. Enjoy her calming, Thanksgiving guide below and let us know in the comments section what you are grateful for this Thanksgiving.
I?m grateful for everything in my life that has led me to this moment as it has all been part of my unique destiny.
I am grateful for all the people who I have met for a moment or known deeply for they have all been my mirror and my teachers.
I am grateful for all the times I have thought I have failed for I know now they taught me resilience.
I am grateful for all the heartache I?ve experienced because it means I am willing to open my heart.
I?m grateful for when I?ve had more because it taught me how to give and I?m grateful for when I?ve had less because it taught me how to receive.
I?m grateful for the miracles I experience in my life as they have reminded me of the magicalness of the Uni-verse
I am grateful for my body exactly the way it is because it is the absolutely perfect package for my soul.
I am grateful for the abundance in my life.
I am grateful for every tear I?ve shed because I?ve learned compassion.
I am grateful for every hurt I?ve experienced because I?ve learned forgiveness.
I am grateful for every time I?ve suffered because I?ve learned acceptance.
I am grateful for the times I have felt alone because in those moments I found my way back to my connection to the Uni-verse.
I am grateful for my gifts and my courage and willingness to express them.
I?m grateful to live with an open heart.
I?m grateful to be able to choose my response to anything.
Dr. Jade Wimberley, a Consulting Naturopathic Physician at Open Sky Wilderness Therapy Program, was interviewed by Lon Woodbury on L.A. Talk Radio about how Open Sky?s approach to wellness counts on many principles of Naturopathic medicine. As a matter of fact, Open Sky is presently the only wilderness therapy in the nation that uses alternative medicine.
She pointed out that Naturopathy focuses on optimizing health and wellness by including nature?s help in healing mind and body. Unlike conventional medicine, where the doctor invests an average of about 7 minutes with each client, a Naturopathic specialist will devote an hour or even more to deeply comprehend the patient?s personal history in an effort to isolate the cause of the disease.
About Dr. Jade Wimberley
Jade is a qualified Naturopathic specialist with a BA from Denison University and with a doctorate from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Her enthusiasm for the wild, her Naturopathic background, and her interest in helping struggling teenagers has made her a perfect fit for the Open Sky Wilderness programs. She has a large and diverse work history and much personal experience with recovery issues. Besides working as a Program Liaison at Open Sky, she also has her own private practice.
What Is Naturopathic Medicine?
In the course of the interview, Jade described Naturopathy as a successful healthcare model that was the least harmful and intrusive. This was due to the fact that it depended on the treatment power of nature and acknowledged, recognized and believed in the self-healing power in each person.
A Naturopath worked to identify and treat the cause. As an illustration, she described how she had helped a 19-year-old-girl at Open Sky lose 45 pounds in 13 weeks and completely regain her health by identifying and removing the causes of her illness, rather than struggling to eliminate or suppress symptoms. She was successful in educating and inspiring rational hope in the young lady and encouraging self-responsibility for health. As a Naturopath, she treated the whole person because health and disease results from a complex of physical, mental, emotional, genetic, environmental, social and other factors.
In essence, then, Naturopathy focused on prevention, emphasizing the condition of health to promote well-being and to prevent diseases for the individual.
Want to find out more about help for Struggling Teens, then listen to the full interview by Lon Woodbury on L.A. Talk Radio.
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Public release date: 26-Nov-2012
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Yes, they may be the dominant partner in the US and the UK, but in global markets, ebook retailer Kobo is doing some brilliant things. In today?s interview, we get into what Kobo can offer you as an author.
Mark Lefebvre is Director of Self-Publishing & Author Relations at Kobo.com, as well as being an author and editor. You can listen above or watch the interview on YouTube here.
Printing with the Espresso Book Machine
With over 800 photographs, informative text and enticing recipes, this is the definitive guide to the art of making, cooking and enjoying pasta. It features 150 traditional and innovative pasta recipes in beautiful photographs. It provides a detailed techniques section that guides you through the secrets of making your own pasta successfully by hand and machine, from cutting shapes and noodles to making flavoured and coloured variations. It is a comprehensive visual identification guide that contains fabulous photographs of a vast array of dried and fresh pasta types and shapes, including regional varieties and unusual designer shapes. It includes classic dishes such as Tagliatelle alla Bolognese, regional specialities such as Ravioli alla Romagnola, and contemporary ideas such as Pipe with Ricotta, Saffron and Spinach, and Tagliatelle Tricolore. This title also includes a guide to pasta-making equipment and how to use it. It is a pictorial guide to the key pasta sauce ingredients, such as fresh herbs, seasonings, spices, oils and vinegars, meats, fish and shellfish, vegetables and cheeses. This superb book is a comprehensive guide to choosing, making, cooking and enjoying Italian pasta. The colour identification guide contains fabulous photographs of the huge range of dried and fresh pasta types. The techniques section guides you through the secrets of making, cooking and serving pasta. The pantry is a visual guide to all the key pasta sauce ingredients and the recipe collection features a combination of 150 classic favourites, regional specialties and fresh ideas. The recipes cater for every type of pasta dish: simple broths, soups, fish, meat and poultry, vegetarian dishes and healthy salads. It is illustrated with 800 glorious photographs, this is the definitive guide to pasta cooking.
