RolePlayGateway?

This Roleplay is fun for everyone!!! Below is the Introduction! It will be full of adventure and romance!!

roleplay/rise-of-the-ruinosus-the-return/

From the beginning, there have been creatures, both dangerous and friendly. And there have been those who have been chosen to defend those who matter and annihilate those who pose a threat. To keep the world in balance, there must be those who protect secrets. They are called The Keeper?s; they are the ones who must conserve the second world. The Ruinosus have been around since the dawn of time, trying their hardest to take what they think is rightfully theirs, the world, and turn it into a surface hell. Though they are strong, the Keepers are stronger. From Mongolian Deathworms to Shadow People, from The Four Dragon Kings to the Drac of Romania, there are many different types of monsters, both weak and strong. Different monsters have different holds on the world, to keep it balanced and well. But if they are influenced in the wrong way, their grips will loosen and all with fall, inevitably bringing an end to the world. Not all creatures are under the influence of the greater good, and are under the black wings of the Ruinosus. Under the surface of the earth, there is a battle waging back and forth between the dark and the light, between Keeper's and Ruinosus', between order and ruin. The Ruinosus have a way of persuading, and now they are getting more and more over to their side, to come forth and fight. The Keepers are up for a challenge they might not be able to face on their own.
At a modern high school, Henry Jefferson High, there is a club. But this isn?t your average club. It?s a high-class, exclusive magical arts club, where only those with real magical skills are allowed. This is where they train the protectors of the world; the kids who stop the supernatural, and not let it be known to the outside world.

But now, all their training is put to an early test, as the students are sent out into the world, to protect it from the beasts that lie beneath the surface and above it.

Lately, disappearances and strange events, or phenomena, have been occurring throughout the world. The world?s great leaders have concluded that they must call on the help of the young students of Henry Jefferson High?s Magical Arts Club to control, destroy, or capture the beast?s roaming on the earth. With innocent lives at stake, they cannot refuse. Now these teenagers have to use their abilities to keep their friends, family and their secret safe.

The Roles

The Keeper's:

As a child, a keeper is taught to hone in their powers. They don't really gain their full powers until they reach teenage years. Powers have been learned, but not fully controlled, not until they reach adulthood, about the age of 27. No teen has perfectly mastered their powers; they still go bizarre on occasions. Some teens can't even fully use their powers yet. There are 8 basic power areas: wind, earth, water, ice, air, fire, shadow and light. Keepers have skills in one specific area, such as water or fire. But mentors teach them minor spells and skills in the other areas. Most Keepers have one skill that wipe's them out of energy, and a few minor things they can do.

Example: Clara Johanna, Power's: Fire: Can summon fire at will, start fires with mind up to 300 ft. away. Special Attack: Fire Whirlwind.

A special attack is something that you are taught to use only when you really need to. Using it takes a ton of energy from your body, so much that you are knocked out on the spot, no matter what. A person, depending on their rank, is knocked out for a few days to recharge their powers. Every one of the students attending starts at U-Q rank, but the speed of ranks which you move up is all decided by your instructor.

Ranks:
V-Z: Up to 6-5 days to recharge.
U-Q: Up to 5-4 days to recharge.
P-L: Up to 4-3 days to recharge.
K-G: Up to 3-2 days to recharge.
F-B: Up to 2-1 days to recharge.

Your Demons:

Every kid in the Magic Arts Club has a demon. They have had their demon ever since they were little. Only those with magical abilities can see demons. The demons aren't bigger than their owners until they graduate high school. You demon must be smallish in size. Your demon can have skills in a specific area, such as shadow, fire, ice, wind or water. There are many other areas, but they are usually the same area of skill as their masters. Your demon can be humanoid in looks or more animal like. It can be totally unique or totally generic, it's up to you. Nothing is impossible, as long as they are smallish in size, they should be fine. If you can't find a picture, a good description is fine. Your demon will be taking a different class than you, do make it to where, "My demon will die if it is not near me for more than 2 minutes."

School Rules
1. Girls and boys aren?t allowed in each other?s dorms. (I.e. girls in girl?s dorm, boys in boy?s dorm)
2. Must attend breakfast, lunch and dinner.
3. Cannot be outside of school grounds after 8:00 p.m.
4. Must be in bed by 9:00 p.m.
5. Fighting. Bullying, drugs, alcohol or anything related to these is prohibited.
6. Don?t wander down forbidden halls or rooms, they are forbidden for a reason.
(You don't have to follow them, but if a teacher catches you, you?re screwed.)

Magical Club Rules

1. No magic outside of classroom, unless supervised.
2. You must never speak of what the real club does. (Cover up is the Medieval Club.)
3. Must stay with your group or partner at all times if on a mission or just on field trip.
4. Who you really are and what you do is not to be made known to outsiders.
5. You must obey direct orders from higher ranks than you.
6. Mr. Bekenfield is your instructor, but that doesn?t mean he is a sore loser. Be free to talk to him about any troubles or questions you may have.
(List of monsters to be used and where I get the info. Creatures List

Make sure you spread out your abilities. Not everyone has to be fire or air or shadow. If you have read this entire intro, please put your favorite food somewhere in your history.

There will be school trips around the world occasionally, unless otherwise notified. A villain will be later added, so if you want to reserve that, you are welcome to. I will explain things then.

Character Sheet

Name:
Age: (14-18)
Picture: (good description will suffice)
Personality: (paragraph please)
Main Power Area: (i.e. shadow or ice)
Likes:
Dislikes:
History: (paragraph please)

Demon Picture: (good description will suffice)
Demon's Name:
Demon's Personality: (paragraph please)
Demons Likes:
Demon's Dislikes:

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Brain imaging insight into cannabis as a pain killer

Friday, December 21, 2012

The pain relief offered by cannabis varies greatly between individuals, a brain imaging study carried out at the University of Oxford suggests.

The researchers found that an oral tablet of THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, tended to make the experience of pain more bearable, rather than actually reduce the intensity of the pain.

MRI brain imaging showed reduced activity in key areas of the brain that substantiated the pain relief the study participants experienced.

'We have revealed new information about the neural basis of cannabis-induced pain relief,' says Dr Michael Lee of Oxford University's Centre for Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Brain (FMRIB).

He adds: 'Our small-scale study, in a controlled setting, involved 12 healthy men and only one of many compounds that can be derived from cannabis. That's quite different from doing a study with patients. My view is the findings are of interest scientifically but it remains to see how they impact the debate about use of cannabis-based medicines. Understanding cannabis' effects on clinical outcomes, or the quality of life of those suffering chronic pain, would need research in patients over long time periods.'

The researchers report their findings in the journal Pain. The study was funded by the UK Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre.

Long-term pain, often without clear cause, is a complex healthcare problem. Different approaches are often needed to help patient manage pain, and can include medications, physiotherapy and other forms of physical therapy, and psychological support. For a few patients, cannabis or cannabis-based medications remain effective when other drugs have failed to control pain, while others report very little effect of the drug on their pain but experience side-effects.

'We know little about cannabis and what aspects of pain it affects, or which people might see benefits over the side-effects or potential harms in the long term. We carried out this study to try and get at what is happening when someone experiences pain relief using cannabis,' says Dr Lee.

The Oxford research team carried out a series of MRI scans with each of the 12 volunteers at the FMRIB centre in Oxford.

Before a scan, participants were given either a 15mg tablet of THC or a placebo. THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol, is the active psychotropic compound in cannabis ? the ingredient that's responsible for the high that drives recreational use of the drug.

To induce a certain level of pain, the volunteers also had a cream rubbed into the skin of one leg. This was either a dummy cream or a cream that contained 1% capsaicin, the ingredient of chillis that causes a hot, burning and painful sensation.

Each participant had four MRI tests to cover each combination of THC or placebo, and chilli pain-inducing cream or dummy cream.

'The participants were asked to report the intensity and unpleasantness of the pain: how much it burned and how much it bothered them,' says Dr Lee. 'We found that with THC, on average people didn't report any change in the burn, but the pain bothered them less.'

While this average effect was statistically significant, there was great variability among the participants in THC's effect on the pain they experienced. Only six out of the 12 reported a clear change in how much the pain bothered them, for example.

The brain imaging results substantiate the reports of the participants. The change in unpleasantness of pain was matched with a suppression of activity in the part of the brain called the anterior mid-cingulate cortex. This structure sits in a deep part of the brain and is involved in many functions, and has previously been implicated in the emotional aspects of pain.

There were also changes in activity of the right amygdala that correlated with the lessening in the unpleasantness of the pain with THC. It is already known that the right side of the amygdala can be 'primed' by pain.

Of most interest to the researchers, however, was the strength of the connection in individuals between their right amydala and a part of the cortex called the primary sensorimotor area. The strength of this connection in individual participants correlated well with THC's different effects on the pain that that volunteer experienced.

This is suggestive that there might be a way of predicting who would see benefits from taking cannabis for pain relief.

'We may in future be able to predict who will respond to cannabis, but we would need to do studies in patients with chronic pain over longer time periods,' says Dr Lee.

He adds: 'Cannabis does not seem to act like a conventional pain medicine. Some people respond really well, others not at all, or even poorly. Brain imaging shows little reduction in the brain regions that code for the sensation of pain, which is what we tend to see with drugs like opiates. Instead cannabis appears to mainly affect the emotional reaction to pain in a highly variable way.'

###

University of Oxford: http://www.ox.ac.uk/

Thanks to University of Oxford for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126066/Brain_imaging_insight_into_cannabis_as_a_pain_killer

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Everyday Vitamin Nutrition LLC Carries Now Foods? New Sports Nutrition Products for Body-builders and Sports Enthusiasts

EverydayVitamin.com, an online retailer of branded vitamins and dietary supplements, announced that they carry Now Foods? Sports Nutrition Line of products; these products consist of an array of amino acid and protein powders and supplements, e.g. Beta-Alanine, D-Ribose, Amino Complete, Pea Protein, and Whey Protein Isolate. Body-builders and sports enthusiasts can now purchase products for all of their nutritional needs from Everyday Vitamin.com.

Brooklyn, NY (PRWEB) December 21, 2012

?Our goal as a nutrition company is to carry a wide array of vitamin and supplement options that best fit the needs and lifestyles of our customers. The sports nutrition market is a growing and increasingly popular segment of nutrition, and we want to ensure that we carry those products that our customers demand,? said Wayne Xu, Everyday Vitamin Nutrition LLC?s Vice President. ?We want to communicate to our customers who are sports enthusiasts, weight trainers and body builders that EverydayVitamin.com has products specifically for them.?

Now Foods Sports Nutrition products focus heavily on amino acid and protein powder supplementation using ingredients at very high dosages. This is because, proteins and their building blocks, amino acids, play a significant role in supplying needed energy, losing body fat and building muscle. There are over 20 types of amino acids that aid bodybuilding - nine of which are classified as essential amino acids, while the others are categorized as non-essential.

L-Glutamine is a non-essential amino acid, naturally occurring in the body, and can be consumed in the diet. However, it is necessary for muscle building and endurance. L-Arginine and L-Ornithine are both popular supplement choices for body-builders, separate or in combination. They also naturally occurring and can be consumed in the diet. Together they are involved in the removal of ammonia, a by-product of protein when broken down by intestinal bacteria from the body, and the formation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine, an organic acid that supplies energy to the cells, including muscle. The product also contains a balanced amount of other essential and non-essential amino acids. Now Foods Amino Complete is a proprietary blend of proteins these amino acids. Users receive a dosage of 3000mg of amino acids with a four capsule per day regimen.

Beta-Alanine is a naturally occurring amino acid that can be consumed in the diet. It is also known by its trademarked name CarnoSyn? and component of the histidine dipeptides carnosine and anserine, as well as vitamin B3, or pantothenic acid. When consumed as a dietary supplement for bodybuilding nutrition, Beta-Alanine is directly involved in forming muscle carnosine, which is an antioxidant needed for muscle endurance and prevent buildup of hydrogen ions during high-intensity exercise, and thus, fast muscle fatigue. Now Foods supplementation with Beta-Alanine provides 2250mg of this amino acid by taking three capsules per day.

D-Ribose is a 5-carbon sugar, a key element of RNA, and combined with adenine, it produces adenosine for ATP. As part of a work-out supplementation, it helps restore energy, and reduce muscle stiffness, soreness and fatigue. It aids athletic performance by supplying cells with ATP needed for cellular energy, and the body with endurance. This product is popular among athletes. Supplementation with Now Foods D-Ribose Powder provides 5000mg of energy to the user with 1.5 teaspoons per day in a liquid or smoothie of choice.

Whey Protein, Pea Protein, and soy protein come from different sources but have some similarities. Whey protein comes from cheese and thus has cholesterol. Both pea and soy protein are cholesterol free as they come from legumes (yellow peas, and soybeans). Both whey and pea protein are high in branched chain amino acid content, which is necessary for bodybuilders and weight trainers for high energy workouts. Both whey and pea protein is bioavailable and easily digested. Although it has less calories than whey or pea protein, soy protein is a great substitute for animal protein. Soy protein also contains low fat and carbohydrates which may not be most optimal for building muscle, but soy protein contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for muscle growth.

EverydayVitamin.com carries other Now Foods Sports Nutrition supplements including, but not limited to:

About Everyday Vitamin

Everyday Vitamin Nutrition LLC, is a natural health company based in Brooklyn, NY and online retailer that aims to promote nutrition and health through the sale of vitamins and supplement products, herbs and homeopathic remedies. These products include vitamins, minerals, dietary supplements, diet and weight loss teas that provide numerous health benefits that assist in weight loss management, exercise nutrition and improving overall health.

Everyday Vitamin carries hundreds of well-known, trusted brands such as Genesis Today, Life Extension, Nature?s Way, and Now, which have been proven safe and effective by solid scientific research.

Visit Everyday Vitamin at: http://www.everydayvitamin.com for more information.

Latesha Richards
Everyday Vitamin Nutrition LLC
(718) 701-8336
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/everyday-vitamin-nutrition-llc-carries-now-foods-sports-080640972.html

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Why You Need a Property Management Company

A property management and maintenance company can be a helpful resource for people who own real estate of all varieties. Just like managers in any other field, a decent property management company can monitor the care and financial requirements of any property. They work to locate long-term tenants who respect and care for the property and always pay on time. We will act as a buffer between you and the tenant easing the responsibility of owners who already have busy lives. Selecting a responsible property manager can make the real estate process simple. Our company have the experience and knowledge to make your ownership experience easy and pain-free. You can take comfort in the knowledge that we will treat your property as if we own it ourselves. Denton Property Manager

Source: http://ninecents.net/why-you-need-a-property-management-company-2/

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Boehner to hold press conference, likely on "fiscal cliff"

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boehner-hold-press-conference-likely-fiscal-cliff-122757057--business.html

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OpenTV owner sues Netflix over patent infringement

OpenTV isn't a name on the tips of most consumers tongues. Neither is Kudelski SA, the company behind the video middleware platform, most commonly found on cable set top boxes. But brand recognition may increase now that the firm is taking streaming video giant Netflix to court. At issue are a collection of patents related to content delivery and DRM which Kudelski says Netflix has refused to license from it. The company now feels its only course of action is to take Reed Hastings and his crew to the mat in the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware. Unlike some other markets we can think of, the streaming video field hasn't yet devolved into constant patent battles. But as more companies enter the fray, like Walmart and Amazon, there's a chance we'll see the number of courtroom brawls explode.

Filed under: HD

Comments

Source: Reuters

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/gMd0OYU0AlQ/

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Ugandan shilling steady, seen weaker after Christmas holiday

KAMPALA (Reuters) - The Ugandan shilling was unchanged against the dollar on Friday but traders said they expected it to weaken once more active trading resumed next year.

At 1238 GMT commercial banks in Kampala quoted the currency of east Africa's third-largest economy at 2,645/2,655, unchanged from Thursday's close.

"The market is pretty flat because (dollar) demand is not there but going into 2013 we anticipate some small depreciation for the shilling," said Shahzad Kamaluddin, trader at Crane Bank.

"Considering the negative factors like a growing current account deficit, aid cuts and the central bank's loose policy stance I reckon the shilling will weaken when business resumes."

The shilling has lost 6.4 percent against the dollar this year but it has been strengthening since late November, lifted by decreased demand for the hard currency ahead of the year-end festivities.

Traders say the central bank's cuts to its key lending rate will keep yields on Ugandan government securities low and possibly erode the interest of offshore investors - whose dollar flows partly support the shilling's exchange rate.

At the last auction on November 29, the yield on the benchmark 91-day Treasury bill was unchanged from the previous auction at 9.8 percent.

Bank of Uganda is due to sell 110 billion shillings' worth of Treasury bills of all maturities on December 27.

The bank cut its key lending rate by 50 basis points to 12 percent this month, extending its policy easing cycle aimed at resuscitating economic growth.

"Because of low demand, market sentiment favours limited shilling appreciation for the remaining trading sessions of this year beyond which it (shilling) will come under pressure," said a trader at a leading commercial bank.

The central bank says Uganda's projected growth rate of about 4.3 percent for the 2012/13 (July-June) fiscal year is below the country's potential growth rate of around 7 percent.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ugandan-shilling-steady-seen-weaker-christmas-holiday-141652651--finance.html

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S.Africa wants platinum, iron ore export curbs: official

BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - South Africa is drawing up laws to force platinum and iron ore mining companies to sell "small amounts" of production to local processors at a discount to diversify its economy, a top trade ministry official said on Wednesday.

The idea is to encourage more domestic metal processing and grow industries such as platinum fuel cell production and auto manufacturing in order to create new jobs, Lionel October, director-general of the Ministry of Trade and Industry, said.

"Our competitive advantage is access to the raw materials. That is why we must give access to the raw materials at developmental prices," October told Reuters.

"We are proposing amendments to the minerals act that will give the minister the power, as a condition of the license, that a certain percentage of production goes to the downstream industry at a developmental price," he said.

The government plans to submit the draft legislation to parliament next year but has not set exact percentages for the amounts to be sold locally or the market discount.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/africa-wants-platinum-iron-ore-export-curbs-official-123842565--business.html

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Foxconn has started initial testing on 46 to 55-inch Apple TVs! More here - h...

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Tumblr updates its app with iPad support and Explore tab, ends day of Android envy

More than a month after launching its native iOS app and a day after releasing a tablet-friendly layout on Android, blog network Tumblr has updated its app to support Apple's tablets. It's also added markdown support and a new Explore tab, but the big bonus for iPad owners is sharing Community GIFs and other memes without having to slog through that silly 2x zoom of an iPhone menu. The free app is in iTunes now, check for the latest update or just hit the link below to try it out yourself.

Filed under: Tablets, Apple

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Source: Tumblr, iTunes

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/I_dRlG6wdkw/

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Samsung Galaxy Grand unveiled with 5-inch screen and dual SIM support

A brand new phone called the Samsung Galaxy Grand has been disclosed by the South Korean electronics giant, adding to the list of the S3 look-alikes that are out there currently. It carries on it a 5-inch display, and is set to be made available in the form of two different models ? one with dual SIM attributes (GT-I9082), and the other one without them (GT-I9080). While no particular release date has been revealed as yet, it has been announced that the former will be released before the latter.

The dimensions of this phone read 143.5mm x 76.9mm x 9.6mm, while its weight is set at 162gms, making it slightly larger and heavier than the S3, but still smaller and lighter than the Note 2 which is the company?s flagship device right now. It hence seems to have been aimed at those looking for an option in between the two smartphones in question. Even despite its large screen, this phone is slim, ergonomic and comfortable to hold, claims a post on the Samsung Tomorrow blog, which unveiled it yesterday.

Those wondering what the Galaxy Grand runs may take note that it comes pre-loaded with the Android 4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS. But the most important aspect to look at is its ability to grant the Multi Window feature, which was hitherto only a trait that the Note 2 shipped with. A 1.2GHz dual core processor makes its way into the device, along with 1GB worth of RAM. It will come loaded with 8GB of memory, that will be expandable till up to 64GB with the use of its microSD slot.

As far as its imaging options are concerned, this phone houses an 8MP rear camera which is claimed to come with zero shutter-lag and ultra-quick start-up. It is accompanied at the front by a 2MP snapper. Technologies such as Direct Call, Smart Alert, Popup Video, S Voice and AllShare Play have been infused into the handset as well.

The Samsung Galaxy Grand is still to be given its price and release date information by its maker. We?ll have more on it when additional details are out.

Source: http://www.mobiletor.com/2012/12/19/samsung-galaxy-grand-unveiled-with-5-inch-screen-and-dual-sim-support/

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Flickr: the best alternative to Instagram

Following the news of Instagram's new terms of service, many users are deleting their accounts, even after hearing Instagram's side of the story, so the natural question to follow all this drama is "what is the best alternative to Instagram?" My answer: Flickr.

Now, before I jump into all the great features and services that Flickr has to offer, I want to clarify what I consider necessities to truly work as a replacement for Instagram. First of all, the alternative must have an iPhone app that allows you to quickly add filters to your photos, as this was one of the main features of Instagram. But notice how I sad "one of" of the main features; that's because Instagram's role as a social network is arguably an even bigger feature. Without the ability to like and comment on photos, Instagram would've never become what it is today, and that's why an Instagram replacement must also have a solid social network built into it.

Flickr meets both these requirements.

Flickr recently released a huge update to their iPhone app that included the ability to add filters to your photos. I was actually planning to write an article that compared the quality of these filters with Instagram's, but I'll instead just give you the punchline now: Flickr wins.

When it comes to photo manipulation, Flickr has so much more to offer than Instagram. Instead of just restricting you adding a filter, which you can only do if you want, Flickr for iPhone also includes a slew of editing tools ranging from basic adjustments to brightness and contrast, to removing redeye and whitening teeth. Flickr also doesn't force you to crop your photos as a square. However, Flickr does not have a tilt-shift option. Not yet, anyway.

Now that it's settled that Flickr is a fantastic choice in the photo editing and filtering department, what about social? Guess what, Flickr wins this one, too.

Instagram only allows users to "like" photos and comment on them. That's it. No other social integration is, and probably ever will be, included in Instagram. And that's actually ok as that's all the majority of users will have interest in doing, anyway. But what about users who might be interested in joining groups and discussions about specific areas of photography or likeminded people? Flickr's got them covered.

With Flickr, you can create and join groups and each group gets their own discussion space. These discussion boards are just like forums and work as an excellent way to communicate with other Flickr users about photography. These groups also make a great way to look through specific types of photos. For example, as an iPhone photography, you can join an iPhoneography group that only displays photos taken by other iPhone photographers and communicate with its members about different techniques, apps, and accessories related to iPhone photography. And if you choose, you can also create private, invite only groups if you want to restrict who joins.

In addition to great photo manipulation and social integration, Flickr also allows you to create sets and galleries to help you keep your photos organized. With Instagram, keeping your cat photos separate from your food photos is not an option, you have only one "folder".

Now that I have you convinced that Flickr is a much superior service in terms of features over Instagram, you're probably wondering about Flickr's terms of service. What rights do they have to your photos? Do they sell your photos to advertisers?

To find the answer, we must actually take a look at Yahoo!'s terms of service. The following was taken from section 9, titled "Content submitted or made available for inclusion on the Yahoo! services":

Yahoo! does not claim ownership of Content you submit or make available for inclusion on the Yahoo! Services. However, with respect to Content you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Yahoo! Services, you grant Yahoo! the following worldwide, royalty-free and non-exclusive license(s), as applicable:

• With respect to photos, graphics, audio or video you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Yahoo! Services other than Yahoo! Groups, the license to use, distribute, reproduce, modify, adapt, publicly perform and publicly display such Content on the Yahoo! Services solely for the purpose for which such Content was submitted or made available. This license exists only for as long as you elect to continue to include such Content on the Yahoo! Services and will terminate at the time you remove or Yahoo! removes such Content from the Yahoo! Services.

"Publicly accessible" areas of the Yahoo! Services are those areas of the Yahoo! network of properties that are intended by Yahoo! to be available to the general public. By way of example, publicly accessible areas of the Yahoo! Services would include Yahoo! Message Boards and portions of Yahoo! Groups and Flickr that are open to both members and visitors. However, publicly accessible areas of the Yahoo! Services would not include portions of Yahoo! Groups that are limited to members, Yahoo! services intended for private communication such as Yahoo! Mail or Yahoo! Messenger, or areas off of the Yahoo! network of properties such as portions of World Wide Web sites that are accessible via hypertext or other links but are not hosted or served by Yahoo!.

To summarize, Flickr does not own your photos, but by agreeing to their terms, you do grant them the privilege of using them, even manipulating them, for use on Flickr's website. What Flickr does not do, however, is use your photos for monetary gain.

Then how does Flickr make money? By having both free and "Pro" accounts.

Flickr's free account allows you to upload 2 videos and 300MB worth of photos per month. Flickr will also limit the number of photos displayed on your account and photostream to the most recent 200. Older photos will not be deleted and their links will still work, they just will not appear on your Flickr page. A free account also limits you to posting your photos to 10 group pools and only smaller-sized photos are accessible (though the originals are saved in cased you choose to upgrade later).

A Pro account allows unlimited uploads, storage, and bandwidth, and the ability to posts your photos in up to 60 group pools. You can also view count and referrer statistics, and have access to your full-resolution images while still limiting the image size available to others if you desire. This means a Pro account can work as an excellent method of backing-up your photos.

A Flickr Pro subscription is $6.95 every 3 months, $24.95 every year, or $44.95 every 2 years.

Every company needs revenue to survive, and this business model has served Flickr well for a very long time and seek monetary gain from its users personal photos, but directly from their wallet instead. I support this model.

I've only touched on a few of the features and benefits of Flickr, so I encourage you to take a look and start poking around. You may just find that Flickr meets your needs perfectly and makes stepping away from Instagram an even easier decision. Although I'm not one who is outraged at Instagram, I will start using Flickr more often as I do support their business model more than Instagram's.

If you decided to join Flickr, feel free to follow me and let us know your username in the comments below!

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Zimbabwe population growth slows, 3 million abroad

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) ? Zimbabwe's official statistics agency says the nation's population rose to 12.9 million in the past decade but the annual growth rate declined to a low of 1.1 percent. Average growth stood at about 3 percent before political turmoil and an economic meltdown beginning in 1998 drove more than 3 million Zimbabweans abroad as economic fugitives and asylum seekers, according to United Nations and World Bank reports.

The state Zimstats office, releasing first results of a new census, did not acknowledge the absentees Wednesday, saying its tally was based on Zimbabweans living in the country on the night of Aug. 18. It said households have declined to an average of 4.2 members.

The last census in 2002 gave the population as 11.6 million, mainly in households of more than six.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-population-growth-slows-3-million-abroad-093332071.html

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EPA Targets Deadliest Pollution: Soot

The Environmental Protection Agency is tightening the standard for how much soot in the air is safe to breathe. Fine particles come from the combustion of fossil fuels by cars and industrial facilities. They're linked to all kinds of health problems, including heart attacks and lung ailments like asthma. States will be required to clean up their air to the level specified by the new standard.

Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio. For personal, noncommercial use only. See Terms of Use. For other uses, prior permission required.

DAVID GREENE, HOST:

The Environmental Protection Agency is targeting the deadliest common air pollutant out there. It's soot, the tiny particles that come from power plants and diesel exhaust. NPR's Elizabeth Shogren reports that last week, the EPA reduced the amount of soot it considers safe to breathe.

ELIZABETH SHOGREN, BYLINE: For years, environmental and public health groups have been suing the EPA to force it to tighten the soot standard. That's because the current limit didn't match what scientists were saying about how much soot is safe. The groups calculate the new standard announced Friday will prevent about 15,000 premature deaths a year and countless asthma attacks. Earthjustice lawyer Paul Cort says it's not just about the numbers.

PAUL CORT: These are real people, real stories of kids being rushed to emergency rooms and people's parents dying before their time. So, I mean, these rules really will affect people's lives and give them longer with their families and stop a lot of the suffering that's going on out there.

SHOGREN: Even relatively small amounts of these fine particles in the air can trigger heart attacks and contribute to lung cancer, diabetes and other deadly ailments. Soot comes from power plants, drilling rigs, diesel trucks and just about anything else that uses fossil fuels.

Under the EPA's new rule, communities will have to meet a stricter annual average for how much soot can be in the air. The new target will be about 20 percent tighter than the old one. About 66 counties - mostly in the East and California - would fail the test today.

But EPA administrator Lisa Jackson says the soot standard won't add additional burdens to most communities, because there's already a suite of existing air pollution rules in place that will clean up the air in time for the deadlines of the new standard.

LISA JACKSON: What's the really good news is that there are rules that EPA has done going back as far as 1999 and continuing all the way up until last year when we did the mercury and air toxic standards that have been kicking in.

SHOGREN: The EPA estimates that by 2020, these rules will improve air quality enough so the only places in the country that will violate the soot standard will be seven counties in Southern California. The EPA believes the soot limit will save much more than it will cost.

However, it could cost tens or hundreds of millions of dollars. Industry officials warn that the new standard will get in the way of economic recovery in some areas. Ross Eisenberg is a vice president of the National Association of Manufacturers.

ROSS EISENBERG: So if you're a manufacturer and you are in one of the areas that is now in sort of the penalty box for particulate matter, then if you want to take on new operations, you have to do a whole lot of things that really make it unattractive to actually taking on that expansion.

SHOGREN: For instance, companies may have to find ways to reduce pollution in their communities before they can build new factories. Eisenberg says that the EPA is going too far.

EISENBERG: There needs to be some sort of balance between the environment and the economy, and rules like this just show that that balance just does not exist.

SHOGREN: The United States already has made lots of progress in cleaning up fine particles over the decades. Recent epidemiological studies show that's paying off. Reducing soot in recent years has stretched the average lifespan by four months, and the new standard will keep up that trend.

Elizabeth Shogren, NPR News, Washington.

Copyright ? 2012 National Public Radio. All rights reserved. No quotes from the materials contained herein may be used in any media without attribution to National Public Radio. This transcript is provided for personal, noncommercial use only, pursuant to our Terms of Use. Any other use requires NPR's prior permission. Visit our permissions page for further information.

NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by a contractor for NPR, and accuracy and availability may vary. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Please be aware that the authoritative record of NPR's programming is the audio.

Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/12/17/167427988/epa-targets-deadly-soot-pollution?ft=1&f=1007

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Instagram dials back new privacy rules after user revolt

(Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

NEW YORK?Instagram sought to calm a growing furor among its more than 7 million users by saying it would clarify a new, controversial privacy policy. The policy would have given the popular Facebook-owned service the ability to profit from and control images posted through the popular photo-sharing app.

On Tuesday, the company announced it would reword language from the policy and terms of service that said:??A business or other entity may pay us to display your username, likeness, photos ? and/or any other actions you take ? without any compensation to you.? Announced Monday, the rule had been set to go into effect on Jan. 16?and was interpreted by many users to mean that Instagram would take user photos and sell them.

But Kevin Systrom, an Instagram co-founder, wrote in a post on the company's blog that it was never the company's intention to sell photos but rather to use a customer's information to allow businesses and other users to advertise to them as a way of gaining followers. He called the initial wording of the agreement "confusing" and "our mistake."

He added, "To be clear: It is not our intention to sell your photos. We are working on updated language in the terms to make sure this is clear. The language we proposed also raised question about whether your photos can be part of an advertisement. We do not have plans for anything like this, and because of that we?re going to remove the language that raised the question."

It was not immediately clear, however, if Instagram's peace offering would be enough to appease thousands of users who were in open revolt over the app's proposed rule changes. Monday's announcement had sent many of the photo-sharing app?s most prolific users into a frenzy, prompting dozens of celebrities and well-known photographers who have adopted Instagram as a journalistic tool to threaten to delete their accounts. (Full disclosure: I am an enthusiastic user of Instagram, having posted on it more than 1,000 photos of the 2012 presidential campaign.)

On Tuesday, Ben Lowy, a photojournalist who has used Instagram to document everything from Superstorm Sandy to the war in Libya for outlets including Time magazine, uploaded a photo of his son holding a handmade sign that said ?Goodbye? and cross-posted it to his Tumblr account with a message.

?This is my son Mateo. Photography is how I provide for him, clothe him, put him in school,? Lowy, a photographer for Reportage by Getty Images, wrote.??Photography is my passion, my calling, and my means of livelihood. Now Instagram and Facebook want to take my hard earned imagery and use it to generate income for themselves. What they have done is signal the end and failure of what could have been a revolutionary social media platform for visual communication.?

Meanwhile, thousands of other Instagram users?including celebrities?took to Twitter to complain about the company?s rule change, using hashtags like #boycottinstagram. Actress Tiffani Thiessen, famous for her role as Kelly Kapowski on the '90s sitcom ?Saved by the Bell,? wrote that she was ?really sad? to delete her Instagram account because of the company?s ?ridiculous new terms.? Her message was followed by one from actress Mia Farrow, who sought to project zen to her nearly 80,000 Twitter followers. ?Trust me, deleting your Instagram account is satisfying,? she wrote.

Even the hacker group Anonymous weighed in on Instagram?s decision?suggesting through Twitter that users should delete their accounts.

On the Instagram app, hundreds of users protested the company?s power grab by posting screenshots of the new user agreement and tagging them ?good-bye? or ?boycottinstagram.? But Instagram had apparently disabled the ?boycottinstagram? tag.

The controversy came after what had been a banner year for Instagram, which saw its popularity explode as people began using their camera phones to document every aspect of their lives. Instagram?s app had been praised for its simplicity; its software simply allows users to take a photo, apply a filter (or not) and share it on Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr with just a few taps of a button.

Instagram?s soaring popularity quickly attracted a major suitor. In April, Facebook purchased the startup in a deal estimated to be worth as much as $1 billion. The deal was finalized in September?and Instagram?s new terms of service echo those implemented by Facebook, which has also angered users by taking ownership of photos posted to the site.

Officials at Instagram did not respond to a request for comment about its user complaints. But Systrom's message was clearly aimed at trying to curb bad publicity. He thanked Instagram users for airing their concerns.

"We need to be clear about changes we make?this is our responsibility to you," he wrote. "One of the main reasons these documents don?t take effect immediately, but instead 30 days from now, is that we wanted to make sure you had an opportunity to raise any concerns. You?ve done that and are doing that, and that will help us provide the clarity you deserve."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/instagram-dials-back-privacy-rules-user-revolt-223838120--finance.html

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HTC Windows Phone 8S review: Icebreaker

GSMArena team, 18 December 2012.

Introduction

No one's had any reason to question HTC's commitment to Windows Phone. The Taiwanese have been on board since the heyday of PocketPCs, helping Redmond quickly man a nascent WP7 army. Now they're back in the thick of it for the next generation of the platform; this time with a smaller, more focused squad.

In the couple of the so-called signature WP8 devices, the HTC Windows Phone 8S is playing second fiddle to the 8X. The current flagship however, didn't quite convince us it had what it takes to put real pressure on competing platforms or stand up to the other big fish in the small pond that the Windows Phone market still is.

HTC Windows Phone 8S official photos

Fortunately, the HTC Windows Phone 8S has little of that to worry about. Not only is it the most affordable of WP8 smartphones, but it keeps a safe distance too from the Android heavyweights. We don't think that much pressure will be felt either from the iOS end. So anyone keen to try Microsoft's latest on a tight budget is seemingly already in the loop and the 8S has a chance of winning over some converts too.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Dual-band 3G with 42 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4" 16M-color S-LCD capacitive touchscreen of 480 x 800 pixel resolution
• Scratch resistant Gorilla Glass 2 display
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash, 720p@30fps video recording
• Windows Phone 8 OS
• 1GHz dual-core Krait CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, Qualcomm S4 chipset, 512MB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
• GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
• Digital compass
• 4GB of inbuilt storage, microSD card slot
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and EDR, file transfers
• Impressively deep and coherent SNS integration throughout the interface
• Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
• Data Sense
• HTC exclusive apps
• Beats audio enhancements

Main disadvantages

• Non user-replaceable battery
• App catalog falls short of Android and iOS
• No front-facing camera
• No FM radio
• No system-wide file manager
• No voice-guided navigation
• No music player equalizers
• No lockscreen shortcuts

Granted, the Windows Phone 8S by HTC (as the smartphone's official name goes) has the least capable hardware of all WP8 smartphones, but a dual-core Krait CPU device with the new-generation Adreno 305 GPU is not what we'd call underpowered. In fact, while the top dogs of its platform have to face Android rivals with double the computing power, this one is actually playing against equals.

HTC Windows Phone 8S studio shots

It's a package that makes sense, never mind the hardware limitations. The lower screen resolution should be less strain on the GPU, while the microSD card slot makes up for the limited inbuilt storage. In theory, the HTC 8S should give the same solid smartphone experience as the high-end WP8 devices at a fraction of the price. Intriguing indeed. Let's see how the HTC Windows Phone 8S goes about it.

Source: http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_windows_phone_8s-review-863.php

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Syrian vice president: both sides losing in war

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria's longtime vice president said Sunday that his regime and the rebels are both going down a losing path after 21 months of civil war, a rare admission by a top government official that President Bashar Assad's victory is unlikely.

The comments by Farouk al-Sharaa came as an Islamist faction of Syrian rebels captured an infantry base in the northern city of Aleppo, and Syrian warplanes blasted a Palestinian refugee camp in Damascus, killing eight people and wounding dozens, activists said.

Al-Sharaa told the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar that neither the rebels nor the Assad regime can "decide the battle militarily." It appeared to be an attempt to show that the rebels are not the solution to the Syria conflict, and their victory might bring chaos to the country.

Balancing that, he said the Assad regime "cannot achieve change."

The solution to the conflict must come from within Syria, al-Sharaa said, adding that any political settlement "must include stopping all types of violence, and the creation of a national unity government with wide powers."

The Assad regime has long rejected Western involvement in the civil war and has called for talks with the opposition. Most rebel groups refuse to meet with Assad, demanding his removal from power before laying down their arms.

Excerpts of the interview were posted on Al-Akhbar's English-language website late Sunday. The full interview will be published on Monday, the newspaper said.

Last week more than 100 nations, including the U.S., recognized the new Syrian opposition council as the legitimate representative of the country, a boost for the opposition forces that have been bombing regime targets in and around Damascus, once an impregnable stronghold of the Assad regime.

In the latest blow to Assad, rebels overran a military base in Aleppo, Syria's largest city, the second military installation to fall there in a week.

A statement by the al-Tawheed Brigade said the rebels "fully liberated" the military facility in Aleppo on Saturday. It was posted on al-Tawheed's official website on Sunday and said the Islamist rebel brigade's commander was killed in the battle.

The complex, known as Hanano Barracks, includes an army base, a recruiting center and a military school.

The Al-Tawheed Brigade is one of the largest rebel groups operating in Aleppo, which has been a major front in the civil war since July.

One of the videos posted on the group's website shows the body of a man the narrator says is "the hero and martyr who was killed on the day of liberating the infantry school," apparently the Al-Tawheed commander, Col. Youssef al-Jader. A boy said to be the commander's son is seen crying as he leans over the dead man.

In a related development, Egypt said Sunday that it has evacuated more than 4,000 of its nationals from Syria over the past few months. The Cairo Foreign Ministry statement did not give further details. Egypt's national airline halted flights to and from Syria last month because of the deteriorating security situation.

Also Sunday, Iran put forward a six-point plan to end the Syria civil war, including negotiations, presidential elections and a halt to arms shipments. This came during a two-day meeting of 200 representatives of Syrian communities, but no prominent rebels. The rebels are unlikely to relate to the plan, as they refuse to talk to Assad and consider Iran unqualified to mediate because of its support of the regime.

The uprising started in March 2011 as peaceful protests but quickly turned into a civil war after the government's brutal crackdown on dissent. Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed.

On Sunday, fighter jets screamed over Damascus to bomb two areas in the southern part of the capital.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said fighter jets carried out six airstrikes the Hajar Aswad area and the neighboring Yarmouk Palestinian camp, where the rebels have been advancing.

Eight people were killed in the airstrike on Yarmouk, the Observatory said, and dozens were wounded. At least three people were killed in the clashes between rebels and gunmen loyal to Assad that followed the air strike, said Rami Abdul-Rahman, the Observatory's president.

The Observatory relies on reports from activists on the ground.

The Palestinians are divided over the crisis in Syria. When the unrest began in March 2011, the half-million-strong community tried to stay on the sidelines.

A few groups with longstanding ties to the regime are fighting on the government side, including the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command.

An activist video posted online after the attack on Yarmouk shows scattered glass, debris and twisted metal on a narrow street. Gravely injured people are seen lying on the street in pools of blood.

The videos appear consistent with AP's reporting from the area.

In Ramallah, Palestinian officials blasted the Syrian government for the attack.

"We condemn in the strongest terms the crime of Assad's regime in Yarmouk refugee camp, and call on all international parties, including the states that still back this regime, to act immediately and stop these massacres against Syrians and Palestinians in Syria," PLO official Yasser Abed Rabbo told the AP.

Anwar Rajja, a Damascus-based spokesman for the PFLP-GC told the AP that his group is fighting "terrorists," who have come to the camp from the front lines in the suburbs of Damascus. The Syrian regime and state media refer to the rebels as terrorists.

___

Associated Press writer Maamoun Youssef in Cairo, Mohammed Daraghmeh in Ramallah, West Bank, and Albert Aji in Damascus, Syria, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/syrian-vice-president-both-sides-losing-war-220031659.html

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Boehner caving on taxes: Will Republicans go along?

The end of the year is two weeks away and the so-called "fiscal cliff" still looms. At the turn of the New Year, $600 billion in automatic spending cuts and tax hikes are set to take effect if Democrats and Republicans in Congress cannot come together over a fiscal deficit reduction deal.

But there are signs that a stalemate may have been broken.

Republican House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday he is now willing to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans, those individuals making more than a $1 million a year. Conservatives have been staunchly opposed to raising taxes on anyone next year, regardless of income bracket.

Boehner's overture is encouraging but it does not align exactly with the president's proposal to raise taxes above the $250,000 threshold.

"While there is still a lot of ground to cover here, this is a sign of progress," says The Daily Ticker's Aaron Task.

Related: Let's Take the Fiscal Cliff Plunge: Bruce Bartlett

Boehner's counteroffer also includes a debt ceiling component tied to spending cuts. If President Obama agrees to $1 trillion in federal savings from programs like Medicare and Medicaid, Boehner will agree to extend the U.S. government's line of credit to at least 2014.

"My faith in my government is coming back a little bit," says Henry Blodget. "Finally at the 11th hour some reasonability on the part of the Republicans...what could be more sensible than raising taxes on people who make $1 million a year or more, perfectly reasonable."

Related: Our Dysfunctional Government Is Driving The Country Closer to the "Fiscal Cliff"

Tell us what you think! Will the country go off the fiscal cliff? Should the wealthiest Americans be taxed at a higher rate?

Follow The Daily Ticker on Facebook!

More from The Daily Ticker:

Who Wants An Apple TV? "Everyone" Says David Kirkpatrick

The Fed Has No Exit Strategy: John Mauldin

Can "Lucky" Numbers Help Sell Your Home?

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/daily-ticker/boehner-caves-taxing-rich-republicans-along-154455367.html

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Global malaria battle stalls as financing gets tight

million and killed around 660,000

LONDON (Reuters) - Global funding for the fight against malaria has stalled in the past two years, threatening to reverse what the World Health Organisation (WHO) says are "remarkable recent gains" in the battle to control one of the world's leading infectious killers.

After rapid expansion between 2004 and 2009, funding for malaria prevention and control levelled off between 2010 and 2012 - meaning there were fewer life-saving steps taken in hard- hit malarial regions such as sub-Saharan Africa.

The WHO's World Malaria Report, published on Monday, found the number of long-lasting insecticide-treated mosquito nets delivered to endemic countries in sub-Saharan Africa dropped from 145 million in 2010 to an estimated 66 million in 2012.

"This means that many households will be unable to replace existing bed nets when required, exposing more people to the potentially deadly disease," it said.

Malaria is caused by a parasite carried in the saliva of mosquitoes and kills hundreds of thousands of people a year, mainly babies and children under the age of five in Africa.

According to WHO data, the disease infected around 219 million people in 2010, killing around 660,000 of them. Robust figures are, however, hard to establish and other health experts say the annual malaria death toll could be double that.

An estimated $5.1 billion a year is needed between 2011 and 2020 to get malaria medicines, prevention measures and tests to all those who need then in the 99 countries which have on-going transmission of the disease.

The WHO says that while many countries have increased financing for malaria, the total available global funding remained at $2.3 billion in 2011 - less than half of what is needed.

"Global targets for reducing the malaria burden will not be reached unless progress is accelerated in the highest burden countries," Robert Newman, director of the WHO Global Malaria Programme, said in statement with the report.

"These countries are in a precarious situation and most of them need urgent financial assistance to procure and distribute life-saving commodities."

The WHO report found that by far the greatest impact of malaria is concentrated in 14 endemic countries which account for an estimated 80 percent of malaria deaths.

Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo are the most affected countries in sub-Saharan Africa, while India is the hardest hit in South East Asia.

WHO director general Margaret Chan wrote in a forward to the report that there is now an urgent need to identify new sources of funding to boost and sustain malaria control.

"We also need to examine new ways to make existing funds stretch further by increasing the value for money of malaria commodities and the efficiency of service delivery," she said.

The Roll Back Malaria Partnership, which includes the WHO, UNICEF and the World Bank, said it was already exploring several options, including financial transaction taxes, airline ticket taxes and a potential "malaria bond" to encourage more involvement from private sector investors.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/global-malaria-battle-stalls-financing-gets-tight-131128750.html

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Very good Solutions For Working With Arthritis Pain - Lady Jane Blog

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Source: http://blog.ladyjane.com.au/very-good-solutions-for-working-with-arthritis-pain/

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Geminid meteor shower peaks tonight: When to watch for falling stars

A new and as-yet unnamed meteor shower may also make an appearance tonight, ramping up the celestial display even further.

By Mike Wall,?SPACE.com / December 13, 2012

In this picture provided by Wally Pacholka of AstroPics.com, a Geminid fireball explodes over the Mojave Desert in the Jojave Desert, Calif. in 2009.

Wally Pacholka/AstroPics.com/AP

Enlarge

Skywatchers around the world are in for a treat tonight, as the annual Geminid meteor shower is poised to put on a spectacular show.

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The Geminids?will peak overnight tonight (Dec. 13) with the moon at its new phase. The skies will thus be free of the moon's glare, allowing viewers in rural areas to see perhaps 100 or more meteors per hour, experts say.

A new and as-yet unnamed?meteor shower?may also make an appearance tonight, ramping up the celestial display even further.

"Meteors?from the new shower (if any) will be visible in the early evening, with the Geminids making their appearance later on and lasting until dawn," Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said in a statement.?[Photos: Geminid Meteor Shower of December 2011]

The Geminids ? so named because they appear to emanate from the constellation Gemini (The Twins) ? result when Earth plows through debris shed by the huge, enigmatic asteroid 3200 Phaethon. This is unusual for annual meteor showers, which are typically caused by comet particles.

The potential new shower's source is a comet called Wirtanen, Cooke said. Earth hasn't run into Wirtanen's debris stream before, but computer models suggest this year could be different.

If the new shower does indeed materialize, it could produce up to 30 meteors per hour tonight by itself, Cooke said. These shooting stars will seem to be coming from the constellation Picses (The Fish), so the shower may end up being called the Piscids.

A few scattered Geminids can be spotted shortly after sunset tonight. The show will really start picking up around 10 p.m. local time, experts say, and it should peak at 2 a.m. or so. You won't need binoculars or a telescope to see the shooting stars; just crane your neck up, preferably in a spot away from bright city lights.

You can also watch the meteor action online tonight if you so choose. Cooke and several NASA colleagues will host a live web chat overnight from 11 p.m. to 3 a.m. EST (0400 to 0800 GMT), complete with live video of streaking meteors captured by a special camera at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. It will all happen here:?http://www.nasa.gov/connect/chat/geminids2012.html

Skywatchers who miss tonight's peak will have a few other chances to catch the Geminids this year. The shower should linger until Dec. 16 or so before petering out completely.

Editor's Note:?If you take a photo of this year's Geminids that you'd like to share with SPACE.com for a possible story or gallery, please send it, along with your comments, to spacephotos@space.com.

Follow SPACE.com senior writer Mike Wall on Twitter?@michaeldwall?or SPACE.com?@Spacedotcom. We're also on?Facebook?and?Google+.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/P5njnmoqJFk/Geminid-meteor-shower-peaks-tonight-When-to-watch-for-falling-stars

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Real Estate News ? Builder expands in Park Circle area, Realtor ...

? High school drumline marks Oak Terrace Preserve phase ?

A few ?neighbors? from quaint downtown North Charleston joined a builder to unveil its model home and sales center.

• 
  Meghan Weinreich (left) and Lora Able won top awards from the National Association of Realtors recently. They both work for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors (Provided).
• 
  Fox Hollow is a startup neighborhood from New Leaf Builders on James Island. The development has a variety of floor plans (Provided).
• 
  Connie White (Provided).
• 
  Herb Uthlaut (Provided).

The partners who make up Charleston Landmark Builders sponsored a grand opening weekend Nov. 17-18 to provide home perusers a glimpse of the company?s new phase at Oak Terrace Preserve.

Guests included North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey, who lives a few blocks away, and the North Charleston High School Drumline in a special performance. The high school is less than a mile from Oak Terrace Preserve, which is just west of Park Circle.

Charleston Landmark supplied down-home cooking from North Charleston?s Barbecue Joint and apple pies baked by EVO Craft Bakery ? both in the heart of the city.

The new sales center and model home highlight American Craftsman-style construction, with many features sought by today?s buyers, according to Charleston Landmark.

The company is one of several builders in Oak Terrace Preserve. According to Charleston Landmark, the village ?is a prime example of the reinvigorated Park Circle community.? Craftsman homes ?reflect the style and quality of homes originally built in the neighborhood decades ago.?

Charleston Landmark?s sales center is open every day 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

For more information, contact John Sweeney, sales associate at Re/Max Advanced Realty at 843-469-5646 or Marty Sorrentino, broker associate of Re/Max Innovations and director of sales and marketing for Charleston Landmark Builders at 516-221-7362, 516-551-0082 or www.martysorrentino.com.

? Weinreich, Able take home awards ?

Education and marketing units of the local Realtor?s association recently landed countrywide honors ? specifically a gabby winner and a rising star.

Awards for the Charleston Trident Association of Realtors were handed out during the 2012 National Association of Realtors convention in Orlando.

Lora Able, the Charleston Trident association?s director of education, won the 2012 Resort and Second Home Property Specialist ?Rising Star Award.?

Each year, the award is presented to someone who stands out among the more than 1,600 real estate professionals who have earned the national association?s RSPS certification.

Also, Meghan Weinreich took home a ?Gabby Award? for best email newsletter by a local Realtor association. The Gabby Awards are handed out yearly to recognize the best use of Convio email marketing to talk with, educate and quickly reach Realtor members when needed.

? Foreclosures drop statewide, nationally in October ?

The number of homes in October going through foreclosure in South Carolina sank to 3.3 percent, mirroring the national downward movement.

The state total was down .5 percent from a year ago, but still placed tied for 10th highest across the country.

About 1.3 million homes nationwide, or 3.2 percent of all houses with a mortgage, were in the national foreclosure inventory as of October compared with 1.5 million, or 3.6 percent, a year before.

?A lower foreclosure inventory is a good indicator of improving housing markets,? says Anand Nallathambi, president and chief executive of CoreLogic.

?The downward trend in foreclosure inventories over the past year is yet another signal that a recovery in housing is gaining traction,? he says.

At the same time, there is a lower share nationally of completed foreclosures ? cases where deals collapse and owners actually lose their homes.

According to CoreLogic, completed foreclosures declined 17 percent to 58,000 in October from 70,000 a year previous.

?As a result of completed foreclosures and alternative disposition methods (such as short sales), the foreclosure inventory has declined by 9 percent year-to-date. This is good news for housing markets as we look forward to 2013,? says Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.

States with the highest foreclosure inventory as a percentage of all mortgaged homes were Florida, at 11.1 percent and New Jersey with 7.7 percent. The lowest foreclosure inventories were in Wyoming, 0.5 percent and Alaska and North Dakota, at 0.7 percent each.

Five states account for nearly half of the completed foreclosures: California, Florida, Michigan, Texas and Georgia.

? Fox Hollow community slips onto James Island ?

This new neighborhood may sound like the name of a backwoods stomping ground, but it?s really in a stretch of James Island that?s downright suburban.

All the same, Fox Hollow takes a shine to natural surroundings. New Leaf Builders LLC is designing the neighborhood as a ?low impact development ? disturbing as little of the natural vegetation and wildlife habitat as possible.?

Fox Hollow, which is off Woodland Shores Road, showcases nine bungalow-style craftsman homes nestled beneath century-old trees, according to the builder.

Homes are in the 1,750-2,550 square foot range, and prices run from the low $300,000s to the low $400,000s.

Residences sport eco-friendly innovations such as Insulating Concrete Forms. Instead of using lumber for exterior walls, the ICF walls are five inches of steel re-enforced concrete with two inches of polystyrene foam on each side of the concrete, says New Leaf and its marketing group Charleston Pier Partners. Air-tight walls can cut down on power bills while providing muscular construction that?s resistant to storm damage.

New Leaf Builders searched far and wide to find certain materials to craft the eco-friendly homes. Bungalows in Asheville that were reclaimed provide the James Island houses with a one-of-a-kind vintage door.

The three and four bedroom homes, according to Charleston Pier Partners, are ?warm and inviting.? Power-saving perks are energy-efficient windows, tankless water heaters, low-flow plumbing fixtures, home energy monitors, rain barrels and composters, protective radiant-roof barriers and natural bio swales geared to handle storm water runoff.

Typical features are cozy front porches; crown molding throughout the homes; hardwood floors in main living areas; screened porches with ceiling fan and light package; and kitchen stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and 42-inch cabinets.

This is the second project involving New Leaf Builders, a design and build firm of business partners Adam Baslow and Grant Zinkon, and Carolina One Real Estate?s Charleston Pier Partners. They first got together to market, build and sell Eaglewood Retreat on James Island in 2011. The Fox Hollow development was a natural progression.

Randall Sandin and Matt Poole of Charleston Pier Partners-Carolina One are the exclusive listing agents. For more information, contact Sandin at 843-209-9667 or rsandin@carolinaone.com or visit www.FoxHollowSC.com.

? Former franchise owner signs on with Prudential Southern Coast ?

Connie White knows the real estate business from the agent side but more than that, as an owner, too.

She recently joined Prudential Southern Coast Real Estate, bringing a background as a Realtor and as a franchise holder with Exit Realty.

White specializes in ?short sales,? investor properties and assisting first time home buyers.

?I am excited with the opportunity of joining such a distinguished and highly professional organization as Prudential Southern Coast Real Estate,? she says. The agency?s marketing program ?is an aggressive approach that meets the needs of today?s buyers and sellers,? White says. The program, she says, ?blends perfectly with my philosophy.?

White and her husband Brian White, a finance officer, live in Crowfield in Goose Creek. They are proud of their two children, Ronnie, a recent graduate of the University of South Carolina, and Michael, a freshman at Stratford High School.

?We are honored Connie chose to join our team,? says Linda Collins, owner of Prudential Southern Coast. ?Her love of helping her clients is her mission.?

For more information, contact White at 843-532-3356 or via email at cwhite.pscre@gmail.com.

? Retail real estate activity picks up in Charleston area ?

A reinvigorated King Street is helping to boost the retail market in metro Charleston, surpassing most other cities, a broker?s report has found.

?With higher levels of retail activity compared to other retail centers in the state and nation, the Charleston Metropolitan Statistical Area retail market appears to be moving in a positive direction,? says Ruth Marie Embler, retail specialist with NAI Avant.

The overall Charleston market in the July through September third quarter recorded a low 5.3 percent vacancy rate, compared with 5.5 percent as of the end of the second quarter. The volume of newly leased properties over recent vacancies was 135,212 square feet, compared with a 90,606-square-foot net absorption from April through June.

?The vitality of King Street, in particular, is playing a large part in the low vacancy rate for the overall retail market,? Embler says. ?Downtown Charleston alone is experiencing a vacancy rate of 1.6 percent, the lowest it has seen in a long time. Both existing and planned retail space in this area command higher rental rates, in some cases as high as $40 per square foot.This has created a buzz of extreme demand and excitement that continues to capture the attention of national retailers,? she says.

At the end of September, more than 166,000 square feet of retail space was under construction in metro Charleston.

Founded in 1966, NAI Avant is headquartered in Columbia and has an office in Charleston. For more information, visit www.naiavant.com or contact David Grubbs, managing principal of the Charleston Office at 843-814-6111 or dgrubbs@naiavant.com.

? Coldwell Banker agent awarded buyer?s certification ?

Herb Uthlaut has landed one of the more prestigious real estate titles, joining more than 30,000 fellow professionals after passing an extensive course.

The agent, with Coldwell Banker United, Realtors earned the Accredited Buyer?s Representation designation. The Real Estate Buyer?s Agent Council of the National Association of Realtors grants the designation.

In securing the ABR certification, Uthlaut had to successfully finish a comprehensive course in buyer representation and an elective course focusing on a buyer representation specialty. At the same time, he was required to submit documentation verifying his professional experience.

Formed in 1988, the council is the world?s largest association of real estate professionals focusing specifically on representing the real estate buyer, according to the NAR. There are more than 40,000 active members of the association worldwide.

The NAR is the largest professional association for Realtors, representing more than 1 million members worldwide.

For more information, contact the council by phone at 800-648-6224, email at rebac@realtors.org or visit the website at www.REBAC.net.

Source: http://originatortimes.com/national-association-of-realtors/real-estate-news-builder-expands-in-park-circle-area-realtor-association/

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