Syrian troops shell Houla, site of massacre

In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Tuesday, May 29, 2012, purports to show 13 blindfolded and handcuffed bodies on the ground in Deir el-Zour, Syria. U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Tuesday, May 29, 2012, purports to show 13 blindfolded and handcuffed bodies on the ground in Deir el-Zour, Syria. U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Tuesday, May 29, 2012, purports to show 13 blindfolded and handcuffed bodies on the ground in Deir el-Zour, Syria. U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

In this image made from amateur video released by the Shaam News Network and accessed Tuesday, May 29, 2012, purports to show 13 blindfolded and handcuffed bodies on the ground in Deir el-Zour, Syria. U.N. observers have discovered 13 bound corpses in eastern Syria, many of them apparently shot execution-style, the monitoring mission said Wednesday. (AP Photo/Shaam News Network via AP video) TV OUT, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS CANNOT INDEPENDENTLY VERIFY THE CONTENT, DATE, LOCATION OR AUTHENTICITY OF THIS MATERIAL

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops on Thursday shelled the country's central region of Houla where more than 100 people were massacred last week, activists said. At least one person was killed in the latest violence and scores fled in fear of more government attacks.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Local Coordination Committees activist groups said government troops unleashed heavy machine guns but also used mortars Thursday in Houla, a collection of poor farming villages in the central Homs province. Both groups said a young man was killed by sniper fire.

Survivors of the Houla massacre have blamed pro-regime gunmen for at least some of carnage that began Friday and left 108 people dead, many of them children and women. The Syrian government denied its troops were behind the killings and blamed "armed terrorists."

Activists from Houla said government forces on Friday first shelled the area after large demonstrations against the regime earlier in the day. That evening, they said, pro-regime fighters known as shabiha stormed the villages, gunning down men in the streets and stabbing women and children in their homes.

The Houla massacre was one of the deadliest incidents since the uprising against President Bashar Assad's regime started in March last year. The U.N. said several weeks ago that more than 9,000 people have been killed in the past 15 months while activists put the number at about 13,000.

The Observatory reported that Houla residents were fleeing Thursday to nearby towns and villages "fearing a new massacre."

In the wake of last week's massacre, the United States, Western and Asian nations expelled Syrian diplomats in protest.

In Istanbul, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday called on Syria to stop its attacks, saying U.N. observers monitoring the cease-fire were not there to watch the killings of innocent people.

Ban was speaking about the nearly 300 U.N. observers who were deployed around Syria to monitor a cease fire that went into effect on April 12, as part of an international peace plan negotiated by international envoy Kofi Annan. Despite the cease fire violence continued almost daily.

Meanwhile, a group of army defectors known as the Free Syrian Army warned the Syrian government on Thursday that if it does not abide by Annan's plan by ceasing fire and pulling out troops from residential areas by Friday noon, the group will defend the people.

"After that, the Free Syrian Army will not abide by the Annan plan ... and will defend the civilians," said Col. Qassim Salaheddine in a statement posted on YouTube. Salaheddine identified himself as the FSA commander in Homs province.

Although the FSA claims that it has so far been abiding by Annan's plan, Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad said gunmen have violated the cease-fire more than 3,500 times. There have been clashes over the past weeks between troops and army defectors in different areas around Syria.

Also Thursday, Syria's state-run TV said that 500 people who had got involved in recent events in Syria have been released from detention. The report gave no further details.

In Damascus, the Syria International Islamic Bank, or SIIB, criticized the latest sanctions imposed Wednesday by the Obama administration as "irrational and unjustified."

The Treasury Department said Wednesday that SIIB has been acting as a front for other Syrian financial institutions seeking to circumvent sanctions. The new penalties will prohibit the bank from engaging in financial transactions in the U.S. and will freeze any assets under U.S. jurisdiction.

SIIB said it would undertake all necessary measures toward the U.S. decision, saying it has no assets or accounts in the United States. It added that the bank, like other Syrian banks, halted all banking operations with the dollar since U.S. sanctions were first imposed on Syria.

With the Obama administration unwilling at this point to pursue military options in Syria, the U.S. has relied heavily on economic sanctions as a means for pressing Assad to leave power. The United States will host other nations in Washington next week to look at ways to tighten international sanctions further.

World powers share a belief that Syria could descend into civil war and plan to map out possible ways to avoid such a disaster for the region, a deputy for Annan said Wednesday. Jean-Marie Guehenno told reporters after privately briefing the U.N. Security Council, the world body's most powerful unit, that diplomats are deeply troubled by Syria's cycle of violence.

Earlier Wednesday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani warned the West about military intervention in Syria along the lines of NATO's campaign that helped ouster Moammar Gadhafi after the alliance backed the rebel movement in the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi.

"Creating another Benghazi in Syria will impact Palestine and the ashes of this fire will cover the Zionist regime, definitely," he said using the phrase commonly used by Iranian officials to refer to Israel.

____

Associated Press writer Albert Aji contributed to this report from Damascus, Syria.

Associated Press

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Essential reading: Lawmakers work with Simpson-Bowles for tax ...

?

Fiscal Commission co-chairs Alan Simpson (L) and Erskine Bowles speak to reporters in Washington April 14, 2011. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque

Welcome to the top tax and accounting headlines from Reuters and other sources.

?

* Lawmakers work with Simpson-Bowles for tax deal. Kim Dixon ? Reuters. Former Democratic White House chief of staff Erskine Bowles said he and former Republican senator Alan Simpson, are working with a bipartisan group of 47 senators and as many House members to frame a compromise on $7 trillion in looming fiscal decisions, Bowles said on CNN?s news program, ?Fareed Zakaria GPS.? Without a deal, the end of the year brings higher taxes for most Americans with the expiration of historically low income tax rates enjoyed by nearly every American and expiry of a payroll tax break, along with broad automatic spending cuts that most lawmakers in both parties want to avoid. Link

* With personal data in hand, thieves file early and often. Liaette Alvarez ? The New York Times. Besieged by identity theft, Florida now faces a fast-spreading form of fraud so simple and lucrative that some violent criminals have traded their guns for laptops. And the target is the United States Treasury. The criminals, some of them former drug dealers, outwit the Internal Revenue Service by filing a return before the legitimate taxpayer files. Then the criminals receive the refund, sometimes by check but more often though a convenient but hard-to-trace prepaid debit card. Link??

* Barclays says was ?singled out? in tax row. Reuters. British bank Barclays said tax authorities singled it out for unfair treatment in a tax row earlier this year that damaged the bank?s reputation. Britain said in February it would close two ?aggressive tax avoidance schemes? used by Barclays and retrospectively applied a new tax to a bond buyback the bank did in December. Link

* Britain announces ?pasty tax? U-turn. Reuters. Britain?s Conservative-led government is to modify a levy on hot takeaway food after months of criticism that its planned ?pasty tax? showed it was out of touch with ordinary people. A Treasury spokeswoman said that Value Added Tax (VAT) would not be applied to hot takeaway food that is cooling down after being cooked ? for example the popular Cornish pasties which shops rarely sell straight from the oven. Link??

* Taiwan finance minister quits over scaled-back tax plan. Faith Hung ? Reuters. Taiwan?s finance minister resigned on Tuesday in protest against a ruling party proposal to sweeten a capital gains tax plan she had authored that has drawn the ire of stock investors. Under the Nationalist party?s plan, investors have the choice of paying the tax when the market trades above 8,500 points or they can add their stock trading profits to their annual income. The tax rates are also much lower. Link??

* Financial group looking at changes to simplify accounting standards. Danielle Douglas ? The Washington Post. The Financial Accounting Foundation, which oversees the boards that set guidelines at the state and federal level for tracking the financial performance of U.S. companies, has established the Private Company Council. The council is charged with identifying, considering and voting on any proposed changes to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. For now, the Financial Foundation is in the process of pulling together a 9- to 12-member team to serve on the council. The foundation will put out a call for nominations in early June. Link??

* Improvised explosive device tax. The Wall Street Journal opinion. Several of the Affordable Care Act?s worst tax increases are scheduled to begin in 2014, such as the new excise tax on medical devices. The 2.3 percent levy applies to the sale of everything from cardiac defibrillators to artificial joints to MRI scanners. The device tax is supposed to raise $28.5 billion from 2013 to 2022, and it is especially harmful because it applies to gross sales, not profits. Companies at make-or-break margins could be taxed out of existence, especially in an intensely competitive industry where four of five businesses are start-ups or midsized. Link

* Republican Keynesians. Bruce Bartlett ? The New York Times opinion. Mitt Romney, in an interview with Time magazine, said he expressed concern about the impending fiscal contraction on Jan. 1, 2013, when the Bush-era tax cuts expire and various large cuts in spending are scheduled to take place ? a result of last summer?s budget deal. One would think that Romney would embrace this huge deficit reduction and say, ?Bring it on!? After all, his party has long asserted that deficits drain capital from the economy that would better be put to use by the private sector. Romney is in fact embracing Keynesian economics. Link

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Genome promises tastier tomatoes

30 May 2012 Last updated at 13:04 ET By Matt McGrath Science reporter, BBC World Service

The successful sequencing of the tomato genome will lead to tastier varieties within five years say scientists.

They believe that the elusive flavour of home grown tomatoes will by then be widely available in supermarkets.

Writing in the journal Nature, the researchers say the genetic information could reduce the need for pesticides.

The authors believe the genome will also boost conventional breeding techniques over genetic modification.

While the sheer numbers and varieties of tomatoes available in UK shops have increased substantially in the past 20 years, many consumers would complain that this growth has been at the expense of flavour.

Scientists like Professor Graham Seymour at the University of Nottingham would tend to agree.

"In the early 1990s what changed the tomato industry was the use of non-ripening mutant genes, genes that came from natural mutations that have been used to extend shelf life in the fruit.

But this has been quite a blunt instrument, because when you slow ripening down you also slow down those other processes like flavour development and colour development."

Long lasting fruit

As part of an international team of more than 300 scientists from 14 countries, Professor Seymour and his colleagues believe that the successful deciphering of the tomato genome will have a major impact on a global industry worth between $30bn and $40bn annually.

"Now that we have the genome it will be possible to actually target the genes that control flavour separately from those that control shelf life. So it should be possible in the very near future to have tomatoes that last a long time but develop a very dark red colour, are full of phyto chemicals and are much more tasty."

Another member of the team Dr Gerard Bishop from Imperial College London says the publication of the genome marks a "step change" in the way we breed tomatoes.

"Yield has been the big driver behind most of the breeding strategies and now the push is to go over to flavour. We now have the ability to breed varieties more quickly, it's going to provide us with more intricate ways of precisely breeding the varieties we really want."

And these new varieties will be on the shelves very soon according to Prof Seymour.

"I only work with a couple of companies but I know that they are putting through some of these new traits and they are going to their elite lines - but all tomato breeding companies will be taking this up now so you would expect to see a number of new products over the next 3-5 years."

However the publication of the tomato genome will raise fears in some people that scientists will now be able to tinker more easily with the genetic makeup of the fruit.

Return of GM?

Back in the early 1990s a genetically modified tomato called the Flavr Savr was the first GM crop licensed for human consumption. It was not a commercial success as public concerns over the technology eventually lead to its demise.

So will the availability of the full genetic sequence and the demand for tastier varieties revitalise the GM effort? Prof Seymour doesn't think so.

"It's very likely at the moment that it will just be better breeding through conventional techniques. The genome sequence allows us to target those gene variants in the wild species and bring them into the cultivated lines and do that relatively effectively."

Dr Gerard Bishop agrees that the knowledge gleaned from the genome will boost conventional breeding.

"It will allow us to breed more pesticide resistant varieties - And because some of the wild species come from desert locations, there are going to be genes we can breed in that will help mitigate climate change."

But will the publication of the genome shed any light on the perennial debate about whether a tomato is a fruit or a vegetable? The question gets short shrift from Professor Seymour

"It's botanically a fruit, it's a berry, that's it."

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Facebook launches Mideast office in Dubai

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Nine New 'Les Miserables' Photos Arrive Online

It's been more than two months since Hugh Jackman tweeted the first image from "Les Miserables," and our excitement for the movie has only grown in the time since. USA Today has nine new pictures of Tom Hooper's musical adaptation, and they give us a good idea of what the various eras of the story [...]

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PrawfsBlawg: Another Party Heard From on Legal Education

? Legal versus Medical Education and some blatant 'crowdsourcing' | Main | Law as Plinko ?

Monday, May 28, 2012

Another Party Heard From on Legal Education

Via links in some comments, here's an addendum to my discussion last week of practical- or client-centered legal education (which, as you recall from that post, didn't seem to get much love from the constituents on the Campos blog last week). It's a post?by Dru Stevenson at the Circuit Splits blog, which I'm afraid I wasn't aware of, titled "Should Law Schools Focus on Lawyering Skills?" Stevenson argues the answer is no. A snippet or two:

I . . . disagree with the nationwide push toward making law schools into trade schools, the attempt to make the institutions less intellectual. ?And I recently blogged?here?about the direction I would like to see schools go--echoing the vision recently outlined by the Dean of the law school at Boalt Hall (California-Berkeley). ?Comparing law to another profession, would you prefer that your surgeon had spent more time taking courses on "counseling patients," and "medical clinic management," or more time studying cellular biology and organic chemistry? For my surgery, I would prefer the one who had a more intellectually rigorous program, not one that focused on role-playing exercises and rudimentary paperwork-completing skills. ?I wonder if any other profession criticizes its theoretical wing like ours does.?

The most troubling aspect of turning the focus of law schools completely toward "skills" is that this is the seed of our institutions' destruction. When a consensus finally emerges that the whole point of law school is training kids in the mechanical tasks of lawyering - how to write a brief, how to give an opening argument, how to look up the law on something - people will then realize that law schools are not really necessary at all for teaching "skills" - these are better learned by "doing" and by repetition. A law school with a skills curriculum is a law school that is not worth the time or tuition, as the same skills would be better learned on the job in apprenticeships. ?After we all switch to teaching mechanical skills, there will be a movement to abolish law schools completely. ?The academic study of law will get absorbed back into the political science departments from whence it came, and lawyer training will be done the same way we train & license paralegals. . . . ??

In terms of marketable skills, there is an inconsistency between what the firms?say?they want and what the firms?do?when they hire new graduates. The firms say they want "practice ready" associates and complain that the law schools are too theoretical; but when given the opportunity to hire graduates from the HALF of the law schools that are mostly practice-oriented and non-theoretical, they pass over them and hire associates from the top 100 law schools instead - year after year, decade after decade. ?I know that some in the legal academy do not believe in rational markets or market discipline, so they would dismiss this as "all the firms are being stupid," or would say that the hiring partners at big firms are fooled by the prestige or brand names of elite schools. ?It's really strange, though - that after decades in practice, the graduates from the "skills" schools do not seem to rise to the top of the profession enough to influence or change the hiring patterns. ?One might expect at least?some?of the firms to realize that the "skills" schools are producing superior lawyers ("practice ready") and that some would switch to interviewing on their campuses instead of the elite schools. ?It just doesn't happen - year after year, graduates find it easier to get jobs if their diploma is from a more elite (read: more theoretical) law school. The graduates from lower-ranked law schools are much more likely to find themselves unemployed and having to start their own solo practices. The hiring market has never backed up the claims that students are better off being taught lawyering skills instead of higher thinking about the law. Law firms overall prefer to hire students from schools that tilt toward legal theory. The shift toward skills is not a response to market pressure; it runs?counter?to the market.?

Prof. Stevenson makes clear that he comes from a practically oriented school, so I appreciate hearing his perspective. I must respectfully disagree with him, however--and I say that as one who does write on the "intellectual" side and doesn't think there's anything wrong with that for individual professors. (Although being a theory type doesn't absolve one of one's fiduciary duty to ask what is best for legal education on the whole, and particularly what is best for one's own school and students.) There is no doubt that other professional wings of education do?face the same tensions and criticisms. Boalt's model is interesting, but we should no more treasure the idea of making every school more like Boalt than we should the idea of making every school more like Yale, or indeed more like any specific school.

The second paragraph excerpted above--the one that worries that "turning the focus of law schools completely toward 'skills' is . . . the seed of our institutions' destruction"-- is interesting. But I don't see why we should think of this as a bad thing in and of itself. I might (or might not) feel differently about it if every?school took this path, but if it happened in a number of places I'm not sure that Stevenson has shown why that would be so terrible.?

Finally, I agree with Stevenson that there appears to be "an inconsistency between what the firms?say?they want and what the firms?do?when they hire new graduates." But: 1) his paragraph seems heavily weighted in terms of the behavior of Biglaw firms; 2) I do believe there is a "firms are being stupid" element to this--or, put differently, I think the big firms' credentialism is (or was) partly client-driven but is also a function of foolish reproductive tendencies at those firms and hurts their business in the long run; and 3) in any event, as I argued earlier, and especially given the reality that most students don't end up at these firms regardless, it still makes sense to me to ask, not what firms want, but what clients need.?

In any event, I was happy to hear a different point of view. Read it for yourself. A couple of good comments there as well. And no, I do not think discussing this issue obscures the "it's the jobs/money" arguments, which remain important.

?

Posted by Paul Horwitz on May 28, 2012 at 09:06 AM in Paul Horwitz | Permalink

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He's also glossing over something really important in that third paragraph: that regardless of the curriculum taught at the elite law schools, they will, on average, have smarter crops of students who are more likely to become good lawyers (see, e.g., Scalia on law clerk hiring: "The best minds are going to the best law schools. They might not learn anything while they?re there, but they don?t get any dumber."). So, all that really tells us is that firms feel the long-term potential and higher average intelligence of grads from the top schools outweighs whatever level of practice-readiness they'd have from grads of lower-ranked schools. If some of those top schools did focus on practice-readiness over theory (say, if Harvard, Columbia, UVA, and Georgetown switched to a practice-focused curriculum), we could then look at the data and have a valid basis of comparison. Without that, though, just comparing the practice-focused, low-ranked schools to the theory-focused, high-ranked schools is ignoring a staggeringly important variable.

(By the way, I don't mean to say there aren't smart students at, for instance, Alabama. Just speaking in averages and perceptions here).

Posted by: Doctor Chim Richalds | May 28, 2012 1:31:03 PM

Law schools need to focus on both. While a greater focus on skills-based learning is necessary. intellectualism should not be abandoned. They are both equally important to the creation of well-qualified practitioners.

I disagree with Dr Richards about the impact of these allegedly smarter students at higher tier law schools. These students might be exceptional test-takers but that doesnt meqn that on average they will be better practitionere. They will simply get better and more opportunity due to this faulty perception. I have encounterer far too many graduates from elite schools with great brains and poor common sense, which equates to inadequate lawyering skills. But alas, thus perception will likely not change...unfortunately.

Posted by: Kendall Isaac | May 28, 2012 2:15:51 PM

I'm with Stevenson, and we do have data: Northwestern has for years been marketing itself as a "practical" elite school. Far as I know they've done fine, but no better than comparably ranked schools, like Duke, Cornell, Michigan, and UVA, in the market. Certainly there's been no market rush to Northwestern by firms to gobble up their "practice-ready" grads. Maybe this is because school can only prepare someone so much for practice.

Posted by: Anon | May 28, 2012 3:31:44 PM

Please permit me to offer two thoughts on this important debate.

1. Focusing on the hiring practices of the largest, most elite firms ("Biglaw") is likely not the best way to ascertain the future course of the market for law school graduates. This is the sector of the market that provided the most inefficient services to clients, and therefore experienced the most profound transformation as a consequence of the current recession. Preparing lawyers to work in Biglaw is rather like to preparing journalism students to work at print newspapers. There will always be some volume of work where the financial stakes are so high that clients will be willing to pay the kind of fees that Biglaw requires for that model to work, but the market is going to continue to push law firms for a higher ration of value received to cost charged, and firms with high fees that fund high compensation and costs will be at a serious disadvantage. Firms that hire lawyers that can more quickly provide cost-effective service to clients, in contrast, will be at an advantage. Hence, the demand for skills training emanating from both clients and legal employers.

2. Yet, even Biglaw tells us where the market is moving. Biglaw, regarding itself as the most elite market participants, naturally wants it both ways. It wants more practice-ready students since clients are no longer willing to pay for the training of young lawyers (and partners at Biglaw seem disinclined to have training costs come out of their own compensation), but Biglaw also wants smarts, since most Biglaw firms believe that the sophistication of their work demands that they hire "the best minds." Most Biglaw firms still consider a degree from an elite law school as the best proxy available for smarts. This is admittedly changing, though slowly, but it remains a prevalent view. Yet, the fact that even Biglaw wants law schools to provide more skills training, albeit at the most elite law schools from which they prefer to hire, tells us much about where the market will push legal education.

Larry Rosenthal
Chapman University School of Law

Posted by: Larry Rosenthal | May 28, 2012 3:55:22 PM

I have posted an extensive reply to Professor Stevenson at the Legal Skills Prof Blog at http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/legal_skills/2012/05/dru-stevenson-on-legal-education-a-reply.html. The essence of my criticism is that he has mischaracterized the legal reform movement. I agree with Paul that we need debate on this issue, but the debate must concern what is actually being argued, not a strawman view of the other side.

Posted by: Scott Fruehwald | May 28, 2012 4:20:54 PM

*The academic study of law will get absorbed back into the political science departments from whence it came*

Is this really the heart of the professorial angst? After all political science departments pay significantly less money than law schools, have tougher tenure standards, tend to require more demanding teaching schedules, do not not have revenue sources independent of the university as a whole (which in turn means less autonomy within the university), must publish in peer reviewed journals and so on.

The notion of the bar as a cartel is well explored, but what about the notion of the legal professoriat as a self interested cartel?

Why should it be that law professors are the most well compensated (along a variety of axes) of the entire liberal arts faculty? Is it because the research produced by the law faculty is far more valuable than that produced by the sociology department?

Posted by: Brad | May 29, 2012 11:51:49 AM

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Visa Card Prospects When It Comes To Regular People With ...

It could actually appear to be very unlikely, yet you can discover a number of excellent mastercard options when it comes to women and men who currently have low credit scores. One or two want an initial down payment, the rest purely time as well as good friends. Considering the economic situation and credit crunch which is actually going on as we speak, you?ll find it really quite onerous to obtain lines of credit inspite of having a decent credit ranking and track record. Nonetheless, credit firms have to make a profit, and they will come up with particular financial loans possibly even to folks that have less-than-perfect credit. A few unguaranteed credit cards can be obtained, yet with high service fees and interest charges.

The initial element to assess is actually why an individual has got less-than-perfect credit. Could it be due to budget mismanagement, or perhaps health issues, divorce or separation, the passing away of a close relative, redundancy, or some other good reason? There are actually out of the blue mishaps that could very well hurt an indivdual?s credit history. If the actual problem lies within budget management, or absence of, that could be sorted out simply by instructing one?s self on the issue of cash and borrowing, and just how crucial it actually is to put together installments promptly as prescribed. Should there be a disaster, that can often be a little simpler to sort out.

Adverse credit credit card opportunities intended for people who have got weak credit really are on the market, without being plentiful. There are a pair of things to have a shot at: a guaranteed card, and a co-signer account.

A secured credit card account is a mastercard or advance where by you will lodge with the firm a sum the same as your borrowing limit. They hold on to the lodgement, without or with interest, and you actually use the visa card exactly like a mainstream visa card. You make charges, and also you carry out installments punctually. You need to make certain that the supplier is going to be confirming your personal visa or master card or finance activities to the credit rating companies, in order that it is going to display in your current credit standing report.

A co-signer account is usually a charge card or lending product whereby you are placed onto the credit card account with an additional person who?s the key cardholder and who has got a good credit score. You are able to start using this card account exactly like a standard credit card account, and then make appropriate installments. It is vital that you never forget a settlement or even be late, when you consider that doing this can certainly negatively affect the personal credit record of your respective co-signer at the same time. Some people make money to the co-signer, and so they then send the cash on to the loan service in order that they do know beyond doubt the repayment is conducted on time.

Instructing yourself with reference to credit and cash is definitely the very best option to greatly enhance your own competence to enrich your own personal consumer credit score. It might just take quite some time, nevertheless it can be done.

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Fathers Incorporated on Mission to Mongolian to address Fatherhood

Fathers Incorporated and ICF International was invited to the country of Mongolia to speak at the International Conference on Building Family Strengths: South and East Asian Family Issues in the 21st Century in Mongolia, May 30th and 31st, 2012. Executive Director of Fathers Incorporated, Kenneth Braswell and Patrick J. Patterson, MSW, MPH; Senior Manager at ICF will provide an overview of the Federal Responsible Fatherhood and Healthy Marriage Initiatives, with a focus on promising strategies and lessons learned from rural, urban, and programs that serve immigrants and refugees.? Particular attention will be paid to strategies that public and private agencies might integrate responsible fatherhood and healthy marriage/relationship education services.? The presentation has application for new and veteran fatherhood and healthy marriage practitioners, and professionals seeking to launch or strengthen current services they provide to fathers and couples.

The effort is part of a partnership to establish an International Fatherhood mission within Fathers Incorporated?s mission. ?For years we have understood that Fatherlessness is not just a problem of those in the United States; but one that affects the world,? says Braswell. ?This is an excellent opportunity to share our ideas, practices and outcomes with others across the globe engaging in family work.?

The conference is sponsored by the Psychological Research Center at the National University of Mongolia in Ulan Bator, and by the International Family Strengths Network.

Following the conference in Ulan Bator there will be a 12-day-long Mongolian Families and Cultures Field Study Trip to visit families, communities, and important cultural sites in Mongolia.

Follow our journey at https://www.facebook.com/FathersIncorporated

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Obama says Vietnam veterans too often 'denigrated'

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, May 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama at the Vietnam Memorial on the National Mall in Washington, Monday, May 28, 2012. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

President Barack Obama speaks at the Memorial Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 28, 2012, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama points to the audience as he and first lady Michelle Obama leave the stage after a Memorial Day ceremony at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, Monday, May 28, 2012, in Washington. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Barack Obama speaks at the Memorial Day Observance at the Memorial Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery, Monday, May 28, 2012, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama, center, with Maj. Gen. Michael S. Linnington, left, Commander of the U.S. Army Military District of Washington, during a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day, Monday, May 28, 2012, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama paid tribute Monday to the men and women who have died defending America, pointing to Vietnam veterans as an under-appreciated and sometimes maligned group of war heroes who remained true to their nation despite an unwelcome homecoming.

"You were sometimes blamed for the misdeeds of a few," Obama said at the Vietnam War Memorial. "You came home and were sometimes denigrated when you should have been celebrated. It was a national shame, a disgrace that should have never happened."

"Even though some Americans turned their backs on you, you never turned your back on America," Obama said.

Marking Memorial Day at both the black granite wall honoring more than 58,000 soldiers who died in the Vietnam War and earlier at Arlington National Cemetery across the Potomac River from the capital, Obama noted that for the first time in nine years, "Americans are not fighting and dying in Iraq," and the nation was winding down its role in the conflict in Afghanistan.

"After a decade under the dark cloud of war, we can see the light of the new day on the horizon," Obama said to an audience gathered at the Arlington amphitheater lined with American flags under a warm, brilliant sun.

In this election year, Obama said the nation must remain committed to providing for the families of fallen soldiers and help returning service members seeking a job, higher education or health care benefits.

"As long as I'm president, we will make sure you and your loved ones will receive the benefits you've earned and the respect you deserve," Obama said. "America will be there for you."

Obama said sending troops into harm's way was "the most wrenching decision that I have to make. And I can promise you I will never do so unless it's absolutely necessary."

As he seeks re-election, Obama has reminded audiences about the end of the war in Iraq and the move to bring all troops home from Afghanistan by 2014. And in a campaign ad released last week, he credits U.S. servicemen who helped in the raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, meantime, promised to maintain an American military "with no comparable power anywhere in the world."

The presumptive Republican presidential nominee appeared with Sen. John McCain of Arizona, the GOP's 2008 presidential candidate, before a crowd in San Diego estimated at 5,000 in what was billed as a Memorial Day service, not a campaign event.

But Romney nevertheless drew clear contrasts with Obama. The former Massachusetts governor warned against shrinking America's military in Europe's image and said the nation must have the world's strongest military to win wars and prevent them.

Veterans could play a significant role in the 2012 election. Exit polls in 2008 showed that Obama was supported by about 44 percent of voters who said they served in the military, while 54 percent voted for McCain, a former Navy pilot who was a prisoner of war for more than five years during the Vietnam War.

A poll released Monday by Gallup found that 58 percent of veterans support Romney and 34 percent back Obama. The results were based on a sample of 3,327 veterans who are registered voters and had a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

Several closely watched states in the election have large blocs of military voters. Florida, home to several military installations, has more than 1.6 million veterans, according to the Veterans Administration. Pennsylvania has nearly 1 million veterans, while Virginia and North Carolina each have about 800,000 veterans living in their states.

The president and first lady Michelle Obama started the day with a breakfast at the White House for families who have lost loved ones in combat.

___

Follow Ken Thomas on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/AP_Ken_Thomas

Associated Press

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Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London [Flickr]

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London"></a>[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/][img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_9f5658b346.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/]Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/ravages/]Ravages[/url], on Flickr<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/" title="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London by Ravages, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_9f5658b346_z.jpg" width="428" height="640" alt="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London"></a>[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/][img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_9f5658b346_z.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/]Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/ravages/]Ravages[/url], on Flickr<a 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London"></a>[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/][img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_9f5658b346_b.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/]Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/ravages/]Ravages[/url], on Flickr<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/" title="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London by Ravages, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_f63153afee_h.jpg" width="1071" height="1600" alt="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London"></a>[url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/][img]http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_ba5d3ab9a2_o.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/]Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London[/url] by [url=http://www.flickr.com/people/ravages/]Ravages[/url], on Flickr<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ravages/7245097744/" title="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London by Ravages, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5039/7245097744_ba5d3ab9a2_o.jpg" width="2592" height="3872" alt="Numbers on Locks, Church of St. Bartholomew the Great, London"></a>

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Mazda CX-5 Review - Technology and Lifestyles

Can a mainstream SUV really be fun to drive? Mazda thinks so, and so it tore up the rule of thumb book and commenced from scratch with the hot CX-5. The crossover-SUV debuts Mazda?s SKYACTIV technology, a mix of weight loss, efficiency improvement and design rethinking that, the corporate promises us, makes it a reputable alternative to today?s hybrid and all-electric cars, despite using petrol or diesel powerplants. Too good to be true, and could the CX-5?s aggressive styling grow on us? We wear our finest leatherette driving gloves to determine.

Design

Distinctive is a method to explain the CX-5. Mazda?s traditional beak-lip grill have been enlarged until it is a gaping maw on the snub-front of the SUV, making for a car that?s certainly noticeable on your rear-view mirror. Sharp hood creases dip down over hawkish headlamps, joined by muscular front arches that cut under driver and front-passenger windows which have a virtually teardrop cut to them, bowing right down to the wing mirrors.

In profile, that arch line is joined by a more relaxed crease down from the rear of the automobile, leaving the CX-5 with a high waistline. Combined with the dip of the roof on the back, it gives the Mazda a pinched tail that helps disguise a few of its heft. Plastic cladding, across the lower front chin, underneath the doors and on the rear of the CX-5, is kept to a cheerful minimum, though there?s still enough to probably prevent an excessive amount of damage from a kerb ding or road hump. Darker colors, like navy blue or grey, disguise it much more, but lighter options together with the metallic blue and red, showcase the Mazda ?Soul of Motion Design?

17-inch alloy wheels with 225/65 R16 tires are standard at the SE-L spec CX-5, stepping as much as 19-inch alloys with 225/55 R19 tires at the ?Sport? model we tested. Both get tinted glass rear of the B-pillar, front fog lights and daytime running lights, while the game throws in Bi-Xenon adaptive headlights.

Interior

Even Mazda admits that its interior quality hasn?t been as much as scratch in previous models, and so there?s been a different and deliberate try to improve the CX-5?s accommodation. Thankfully Mazda hasn?t taken the simpler route out and easily thrown a bag of gadgets on the usual plastics: instead, you get a respectable haul of apparatus as standard along side dash materials that delay to greater than an informal prod.

The driver?s seat is adjustable in your entire usual ways, including for height and lumbar support, and the game models make all of these adjustments motorized. Dual-zone air con is standard, automatically turning on in the event you twiddle the chunky passenger-side dial to another setting from the driver?s, and with an easy ?Dual? button to link them back up again.

Front and rear windows are electric, as you?d expect, and the game models have three-stage heated front seats too, which warm up quickly. Unfortunately there is no heating option for the leather-clad wheel, that?s manually height/reach adjustable. The rear-view mirror is auto-dimming, with an easily-stabbed manual override button, and there is cruise control ? though not the clever speed-adapting system in Mercedes and other cars ? as standard too.

There are several advantages inside with the game model, not least the leather seats ? available in black or stone, with contrasting stitching ? replacing the SE-L?s sturdy black cloth trim, the reversing camera complete with useful on-screen guidance lines, and keyless entry. You furthermore mght get an speakers upgrade, with the usual CD/radio six-speaker setup replaced with a Bose speakers with nine speakers. Both have a 5.8-inch LCD display which, in case you pick the ?Nav? variants of either spec model, throws in a touchscreen and TomTom guidance. Usually that could be a ?400 upgrade, though for a limited period after launch Mazda might be including TomTom as standard.

Bluetooth connectivity for pairing your phone is included, and we found it far simpler to hook up a phone and sync across our phonebook than with some rival systems. After that, lets dial various either by tapping it out at the touchscreen (or choosing a contact), scrolling to it with the Multimedia Commander dial down by the parking brake, or hitting the voice-command button at the steering wheel and trying to navigate by speech. The latter proved a mixed bag, and we had more consistent results using the touchscreen. Audio quality proved surprisingly good, filling the cabin even if driving at speed, and without undue distortion.

Our test cars also came fitted with the optional safety pack, a ?700 upgrade including rear vehicle monitoring and a lane departure warning system, the latter of which sounds an intrusive and unmissable noise when its lasers spot you?ve wandered over the line lines on both sides of the automobile. It demands decent quality markings, however: on one of the most more poorly maintained roads, where the lines were faded, the LDWS system didn?t spot our cavalier lane discipline.

The majority of Mazda?s new specialise in quality is successful. The leather trim to the wheel and gearknob mean the controls you touch most of the time feel premium, while buttons and stalks all press and toggle with a firmness more equivalent to a premium car than a mid-tier SUV. It isn?t a clean sweep ? there is a swathe of plastic wood around the center of the dash which might look better as metal, and the display for the air-con looks more like something we?d expect to look on a 90s HiFi than in a 21st century car ? but there have been no creaks or squeaks to be found.

Moving back in the course of the car, the rear seats lose visibility attributable to waistline, though headroom is nice. That may be a topic when you have younger children who would like to see where the CX-5 goes, as they may well struggle to work out out of the rear windows. The seats themselves support a 40/20/40 split, folding down flat to increase what?s already a capacious rear load space right into a frankly vast one.

Storage space isn?t quite on a par with a few of the more imaginative cubby holes of rival SUVs, but there?s still quite a few space to deal with drinks bottles and so forth. The heart arm-rest opens to bare a shallow, removable coin tray, with the bigger space underneath joined by a second power socket and a USB port. The door pockets will hold a small water bottle, while the glovebox gets its own light and is fairly deep.

Engine

Mazda has a call of 3 engines for the CX-5, kicking off with a 2-liter petrol mustering 165ps after which two turbocharged 2.2-liter diesels, with either 150ps or 175ps. Both diesels would be paired with either a 6-speed manual gearbox or a brand new SKACTIV-Drive automatic that attracts in elements of step-auto, CVT and dual-clutch systems for smoother, more responsive shifting and higher fuel economy; additionally they have a call of two-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. Petrol cars only get the manual gearbox and a pair of-wheel drive.

There?s a big bag of safety and function technology that?s thrown in too, including ABS, emergency brake assist, traction control, hill-hold assist and a tire pressure monitoring system, however the three stand-outs are Mazda?s freshly-branded SKYACTIV, Smart City Brake Support, and that i-Stop.

Smart City Brake Support uses front-mounted lasers to trace vehicles and obstacles in front and, provided that you?re traveling at under 18mph, automatically stop the CX-5 in case you are about to crash into the back of it. We tested it out and, though there?s quite a jolt because the ABS-based system kicks in, it worked just as Mazda promised.

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i-Stop, meanwhile, automatically shuts down the engine if you happen to draw to a holt, corresponding to when watching for lights or in stop/start traffic. It is not a brand new concept, but Mazda implements it particularly well: it is so smooth as to be almost unnoticeable in action, and all three of the engines are sufficiently quiet at low speeds that it is only really the inability of vibration that provides away the transition. Restart is additionally incredibly slick, with less engine rattle and shake than we?ve present in a Mercedes E-Class. That?s no small achievement.

SKYACTIV and Performance

SKYACTIV is the large news, however, Mazda?s ambitious redesign of its engine technologies at the side of gearbox, chassis, and suspension. Actually, nothing have been carried over from the former-gen cars: everything is new. The goal is to create an SUV that shifts, corners and usually performs more similar to Mazda?s MX-5/Miata than a family car. So, the manual gearbox has a truncated throw for more snappy changes, and Mazda has managed to reach the hitherto impossible: a 14:1 engine compression ratio, the best of any petrol engine and the bottom of any diesel.

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The figures are certainly promising: a ten-percent decrease in engine weight around the range, with the petrol powerplant dropping CO2 emissions and fuel consumption by 15-percent, and the diesel notching that as much as 20-percent. Torque is up, too, and the automated gearbox has seen a 4- to 7-percent boost in fuel efficiency.

Does it work? It?s certainly probably the most enthusiastic and car-like of the mainstream SUVs we?ve driven, belying its near-1.5 tonne kerb weight. We drove the manual, Sport versions of every engine, and though we had high hopes for the petrol model, in fact it was the diesels that proved to face-out.

Mazdo quotes 9.0 seconds 0-62mph and a top speed of 124mph from the two.0 liter petrol Sport CX-5, but it is advisable to work the gearbox hard to squeeze out the sporting potential. With 210Nm of torque, mid-range pull is somewhat absent, and we would have liked to plot further ahead than we?d expected for overtaking maneuvers to provide time for downchanges instead of simply planting our right foot.

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In contrast, the two.2 diesel has 380Nm and 420Nm of torque for the 150ps and 175ps models respectively, and with peak power coming in at around 2,200 rpm. Meaning less shifting ? though Mazda?s foreshortened gearbox is indeed a treat ? and, coupled with a chassis that does an awesome job of clinging to twisting roads without wallowing or bouncing, it makes for a much more usable car.

Let?s face it, this is not an MX-5 and, whatever Mazda claims, you are not going to get pocket sports car performance out of an SUV. However, once you could throw power on the situation to partly address that, we?d actually choose the two-wheel drive 150ps diesel, as opposed to its more powerful AWD sibling. Sure, the AWS system is grippy, however the 2-wheel drive does a fantastic job there too, and we aren?t sure most CX-5 owners will ever get sufficiently near off-road terrain to take advantage of it.

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Meanwhile, although the more powerful diesel may reward a more urgent driving style if you end up stretching the head end, the mid-range model is impressively potent because of all that torque. The adaptation between both was only noticeable once we really pushed the CX-5; at that time, you?d best hope you don?t have any children within the back, else you are going to be cleaning vomit out of the upholstery for days.

There?s no small advantage in efficiency for those who choose the 150 diesel, too. Mazda quotes a combined mpg of 61.4 for the 150 (53.3mpg when you decide upon an automated), when compared with 54.3mpg for the 175 (51.4mpg for the automobile version). The lower CO2 output can make more of a difference, though, at 119g/km for the 150 manual (139g/km for the automobile) versus 136g/km for the 175 manual (144g/km for the automobile). That?s enough to make the 150 manual UK tax exempt in its first year, something no other SUV can boast. The petrol version is available in at 47.1mpg and 139g/km CO2.

Wrap-Up

Kicking off at ?21,395 for the SE-L petrol (from ?23,595 for the game), from ?22,995 for the two-wheel drive SE-L 150 diesel (from ?25,195 for the game), from ?24,695 for the AWD SE-L 150 and from ?27,195 for the AWD Sport 175, the CX-5 is easily priced against its SUV rivals. With five seats versus the six or seven of a few alternatives, it?s perhaps not the decision for larger families, but its advantage is a more car-like driving experience that?s arguably the nearest the mainstream SUV has come to pairing an elevated driving position and decent road skills.

4

We?ve a few lingering questions on some dashboard decisions, though they?re minor, and you may probably ought to give yourself your time to go looking beyond the snub-nose and discover ways to appreciate the Mazda?s styling. Just so long as you you?ll want to tick the diesel box ? and we might push you to the two-wheel drive 2.2 150ps one at that ? you need to be satisfied, and the saving from not picking the foremost powerful engine means you are able to step as much as the fancier Sport spec too.

So far so good, however the CX-5 promises to be the primary of many new models with the SKYACTIV ethos. We?re already salivating on the considered a lighter, more agile and fuel-efficient MX-5, and naturally there?s also the hot news that Mazda is planning to work with Fiat on a brand new small convertible. SKYACTIV would possibly not have shown all its strengths yet, but it?s off to a good start within the CX-5.

Check out the original source here.

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Tsonga, Del Potro take hard road at French Open

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga survived the weight of home expectations while dangerman Juan Martin Del Potro shrugged off an injury scare before triumphing on Sunday's sweltering first day at Roland Garros.

French fifth seed Tsonga, the highest-ranked player in action, overcame a worrying first set wobble to beat Russian qualifier Andrey Kuznetsov 1-6, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4.

Tsonga, who sparked controversy on the eve of the tournament by claiming that French players had no chance of winning their home Grand Slam, next faces Germany's Cedrik-Marcel Stebbe.

The last Frenchman to win the title in Paris was Yannick Noah in 1983.

"Against such a player, you feel, okay, let's wait for the storm to be over and in half an hour I'll see what's going on," said Tsonga of his opponent, who was the 2009 Wimbledon junior champion, but was making his debut in Paris.

Ninth seed Del Potro, the Argentine who won the 2009 US Open having made the semi-finals here in the same year, saw off Spanish veteran Albert Montanes 6-2, 6-7 (5/7), 6-2, 6-1 in a shade over three hours.

He will tackle France's Edouard Roger-Vasselin for a place in the last 32.

Del Potro, a potential quarter-final opponent of Roger Federer, had beaten Montanes in straight sets on his way to the Estoril title in April.

But he endured a bumpy ride on the Philippe Chatrier Court when his troublesome left knee, which had already been taped, required further strapping at the end of the marathon second set.

The 23-year-old, the only man outside of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Federer to win a Grand Slam title in the last seven years, also needed a doctor three games into the second set as the soaring temperatures threatened to take their toll.

"I was struggling a little, but I had some good treatment which allowed me to finish the match," said Del Potro.

"Roland Garros is a physically-demanding tournament. I have to keep that in mind as I am playing well at the moment."

Andy Roddick slumped to a fifth French Open first round defeat in 10 visits when the injury-plagued American lost 6-3, 6-3, 4-6, 6-2 to France's Nicolas Mahut.

Former US Open champion Roddick, who has never got beyond the third round, came into Roland Garros having made his season's European claycourt bow only in Dusseldorf last week where he lost all three matches.

Now ranked at 29 in the world, Roddick has been battling hamstring and hip problems for most of the year.

"Down two sets, it's not where you want to be," said Roddick. "I move horrendously on this stuff, I feel like I am shuffling around. I made a choice to play and I lost."

Also making the last 64 was 2003 champion Juan Carlos Ferrero, who defeated French wildcard Jonathan Dasnieres de Veigy 6-1, 6-4, 6-3.

In the women's event, US Open champion Samantha Stosur had the honour of being the first player into the second round, brushing aside Britain's Elena Baltacha.

The Australian sixth seed, the 2010 runner-up to Francesca Schiavone, took just over an hour to see off the 68th-ranked Baltacha 6-4, 6-0 on Philippe Chatrier court.

Joining Stosur in the next round were former champions, Russia's Svetlana Kuznetsova and Ana Ivanovic of Serbia.

Kuznetsova, the 2009 winner, marked her 40th Grand Slam appearance with a comfortable 6-1, 6-3 win over Croatian world number 117 Mirjana Lucic.

Serbian 13th seed Ivanovic, the 2008 champion, was also a first day winner, cruising past Spain's Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino 6-1, 6-1 in under an hour.

Venus Williams battled back from a set down to defeat Argentine teenager Paula Ormaechea 4-6, 6-1, 6-3.

Williams, seven-times a Grand Slam title winner and runner-up here to sister Serena in 2002, faces either Polish third seed Agnieszka Radwanska or Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia for a place in the third round.

The American is now ranked 53 in the world after battling energy-sapping Sjogren's Syndrome.

World number one Djokovic kicks off his bid for an historic Grand Slam on Monday when he tackles Italian claycourter Potito Starace.

The top seed is just seven wins away from becoming only the third man to hold all four majors at the same time.

Federer, the holder of a record 16 Grand Slam titles, was the champion at Roland Garros in 2009, and he also starts his campaign on Monday against Germany's Tobias Kamke.

Defending champion Rafael Nadal, chasing a seventh French Open, begins on Tuesday against Italy's Simone Bolelli.

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Gillmor Gang Live 05.25.12 (TCTV)

Gillmor Gang - John Taschek, Robert Scoble, Keith Teare, Kevin Marks, and Steve Gillmor. Recording has concluded.

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Understanding Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms - Health and Fitness

Peripheral neuropathy is a widely occurring disorder condition, but people usually do not care around peripheral neuropathy symptoms till the condition worsens and the situation is diagnosed to be advanced peripheral neuropathy. The situation shows up in varying degrees of penalty and suffering and is commonly found in diabetic patients. The symptoms peripheral in neuropathy are caused due to injury of the nerves and thus disrupt the strength signals that connect the spinal string to the body parts. As the name implies, all the peripheral nerves, the sensory, motor and autonomic nerves are assumed due to this.

The nerves in the body act like the electrical wiring a whole and this is damaged which exhibit up as peripheral neuropathy symptoms. This power of determination often lead to weakness, tingling and penalty in the extremities of the feet and hand. The intenseness of the neuropathy differs from one individual to another with the peripheral neuropathy symptoms existence different. The person inflicted through peripheral neuropathy will discover it difficult to manage coordination betwixt the body parts and moving the legs or hands smooth might become painful. The enduring will also be mentally let from the top to the bottom of due to this condition which makes the individual weak and painful. Neuropathy and it?s symptoms frequently lead to depression.

People who undergo from symptoms of peripheral in neuropathy are declared to experience the feel of wearing socks or gloves at the time they are not using any of these. This affecting is cause due to a loss of sensation in the feet and the hands. It has been base that this disease situation has been around for years, but Neuropathy symptoms were misdiagnosed through other related disease stipulations. The major complication with this disorder condition is that the damage that has been even now caused cannot be reversed through any medication and the medicines and home remedies that are to be availed of can only be used to prevent farther damages.

The first signs of peripheral in neuropathy symptoms hold to be recognized by people and diabetic patients should hold their feet frequently checked for peripheral neuropathy. In the first stages, if this condition is diagnosed, it can relieve to stop a whole lot of possible injury to the body. The patient should likewise follow proper hygiene and defend the feet from any kind of contagion. In case of an unnoticed wound or contagion, the feet will not have any feeling to recognise this wound as a proceed of peripheral neuropathy symptoms. This at the time coupled with the prevalent lofty blood sugar level power of determination worsen the situation.

Suffering from diabetes can be actually difficult but with the right direction you too can get Peripheral Neuropathy Symptoms. If you are seeking greater degree of information then you should definitely restraint out this Normal blood sweeten levels.

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A Shameless Recovery: Transforming Regret into a Learning ...

In just about any self-help support group meeting around the world, you will find people who have been through unimaginable pain standing tall and fearlessly sharing their stories. Despite devastating personal losses, lifelong health problems and broken relationships, they are not consumed with shame. In fact, many seem strangely at peace with their past.

This is the freedom of recovery without regret.

Because addicts tell lies and make repeated mistakes, regret commonly becomes an obstacle to recovery. Left to fester, regrets not only make it difficult to learn from the past and move forward but they can also take valuable time and attention away from recovery, increasing the risk of relapse.

Though painful, regret can be an important part of the healing process. In treatment, we see regret as a sign of readiness to change. As addicts become increasingly aware of the negative consequences of their drug use, regret is a natural response. In its healthiest form, regret drives the addict to ask, ?What can I do differently right now to right the wrongs of the past and make better decisions in the future??

Here are a few ways to deal with regrets so they don?t get in the way of recovery:

Focus on the Present. The only day anyone can do anything about is today. Focusing on missed opportunities and making comparisons to other people rarely bring about positive change. Rather than dwelling on what could?ve, should?ve or would?ve been, focus on what you can do right now to create the life you want.

Although it is present-focused, recovery is not about shutting the door on the past. The 4th Step of AA/NA directs addicts to conduct a searching inventory of the past. We remember the past, not to wallow in shame, guilt or denial, but to understand how the future can be different.

Make an Honest Evaluation. It?s tempting to look back and assume life would?ve been different but for one or two bad decisions. An honest evaluation can help put regrets in perspective and reveal the lessons to be gleaned from the experience. Ask yourself if the memory has been distorted over time. Could you truly have done something differently, or have you taken responsibility for something out of your control? Did you do your best given the circumstances?

Embrace the Learning Experience. Some people turn their regrets into a story that defines who they are. One or two bad decisions become exaggerated to mean ??I?m a bad person? or ?I never make good decisions.? To find peace in recovery you must find peace with yourself, which means learning from your experiences and letting the rest go.

Doing away with regret can be intimidating because it means facing an unknowable future and taking new risks that may or may not play out as desired. The greatest thinkers throughout history have known that ?failures? are not to be regretted but celebrated as steppingstones to later success. Often the biggest ?mistakes? turn into the greatest fortune. Those who are afraid of regret run the much greater risk that they will be forever limited to only partial satisfaction.

Make Amends. To promote accountability, the 8th and 9th Steps of AA/NA ask addicts to make amends where possible. This means making apologies when merited, and using the lessons you?ve learned to help others. It also means fully committing to your recovery. Your continuing sobriety and efforts toward self-improvement are the greatest gift you can give yourself or any of the people you have wronged in the past.

For some, holding onto regret can be a way of avoiding responsibility. They believe that regret shows they?re truly sorry and will keep them from repeating their mistakes, but it actually keeps them stuck in a self-focused mode that blocks healing for both the addict and their loved ones. Dwelling on regrets doesn?t fix the past and only draws the suffering out into the future.

Accept the Consequences. Sometimes, in spite of our best efforts, it isn?t possible to mend past hurts. The serenity prayer offers a useful reminder that some things are within your power to change (working a recovery program and making amends) and others are not (the past and in some cases, the feelings of those who have been hurt). Mistakes are part of being human. While it is important to accept responsibility for the wrongs committed, be generous with your forgiveness of self and others so that you can be free to move on.

Focus on the Positive. The human brain is adept at organizing information into habits. This is why it takes a long time to complete a task (say, learning a new computer program) on the first or second try, but becomes virtually automatic after multiple attempts. While this organizational structure can save time and energy in our tasks of daily living, it can also turn negative self-talk into an automatic process. The recovering addict who dwells on regret may find that negative thoughts creep up involuntarily and far more frequently than positive ones because the brain has become habituated to this sequence.

No one chooses to become an addict, but there are lessons that can be learned as a result. For example, recovering addicts often have more empathy for others, are able to embrace their own imperfections and have a new appreciation for life. Troubling events from the past can be instructional, but they cannot be undone. Once you?ve learned the lesson, focus on who you are and what you can do better today.

David Sack, M.D., is board certified in Addiction Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. ?As CEO of Elements Behavioral Health he oversees addiction treatment centers that include Promises Treatment Centers, The Ranch, The Recovery Place, and The Sexual Recovery Institute. ?You can follow Dr. Sack on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/drdavidsack.

????Last reviewed: 25 May 2012

APA Reference
Anonymous. (2012). A Shameless Recovery: Transforming Regret into a Learning Opportunity. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 26, 2012, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/addiction-recovery/2012/05/shame-in-addiction-recovery/

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