Thursday 31 January 2013

Olympus Officially Made the Worst Lens In the World

Here it is, ladies and gentleman, the worst camera lens in the world. The benchmarking authority, DXO Labs, has spoken, and the new Olympus 15mm body cap lens is the worst lens it has ever tested. It scored just a 4/40, earning the ranking of "Poor." Its official rank amongst all the lenses ever made: 2872. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/UdHNSIDwt_s/olympus-officially-made-the-worst-lens-in-the-world

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Israel hits Syria arms convoy to Lebanon - sources

BEIRUT/AMMAN | Thu Jan 31, 2013 7:40am GMT

BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Israeli warplanes bombed a convoy near Syria's border with Lebanon, sources told Reuters, apparently targeting weapons destined for Hezbollah in what some called a warning to Damascus not to arm Israel's Lebanese enemy.

Syrian state television accused Israel of bombing a military research centre at Jamraya, between Damascus and the nearby border, but Syrian rebels disputed that, saying their forces had attacked the site. No source spoke of a second Israeli strike.

"The target was a truck loaded with weapons, heading from Syria to Lebanon," said one Western diplomat, echoing others who said the convoy's load may have included anti-aircraft missiles or long-range rockets. Several sources ruled out the presence in the convoy of chemical weapons, about which Israel has also raised concerns.

Diplomatic sources from three countries told Reuters that chemical weapons were believed to be stored at Jamraya, and that it was possible that the convoy was near the large site when it came under attack early on Wednesday.

However, there was no suggestion that the vehicles themselves had been carrying chemical weapons.

The raid followed warnings from Israel that it was ready to act to prevent the revolt against President Bashar al-Assad leading to Syria's chemical weapons and modern rockets reaching either his Hezbollah allies or his Islamist enemies.

A source among Syrian rebels said an air strike around dawn (4:30 a.m. British time) blasted a convoy near the border. "It attacked trucks carrying sophisticated weapons from the regime to Hezbollah," the source said, adding that it took place inside Syria.

Syrian state television said two people were killed in a dawn raid on the military site at Jamraya, which lies in the 25-km (15-mile) strip between Damascus and the Lebanese border. It described it as a scientific research centres "aimed at raising the level of resistance and self-defence".

It did not mention specific retaliation but said "these criminal acts" would not weaken Syria's support for Palestinians and other groups engaged in "resistance" to Israel.

Several rebel sources, however, including a commander in the Damascus area, accused the authorities of lying and said the only attacks at Jamraya had been mortar attacks by insurgents.

A regional security source said Israel's target was weaponry given by Assad's military to fellow Iranian ally Hezbollah.

"This episode boils down to a warning by Israel to Syria and Hezbollah not to engage in the transfer of sensitive weapons," the source said. "Assad knows his survival depends on his military capabilities and he would not want those capabilities neutralised by Israel - so the message is this kind of transfer is simply not worth it, neither for him nor Hezbollah."

With official secrecy shrouding the event, few details were corroborated by multiple sources. All those with knowledge of the events - from several countries - spoke anonymously.

"MOCK RAIDS"

There was no comment from Hezbollah or the Israeli government. Hezbollah's Al-Manar TV said only that Israeli warplanes had carried out "mock raids" over southern Lebanon on Wednesday night, close to the Syrian border.

Israel's ally the United States declined all comment. A Lebanese security source said its territory was not hit, though the army also reported a heavy presence of Israeli jets through the night after days of unusually frequent incursions.

Such a strike or strikes would fit Israel's policy of pre-emptive covert and overt action to curb Hezbollah and does not necessarily indicate a major escalation of the war in Syria. It does, however, indicate how the erosion of the Assad family's rule after 42 years is seen by Israel as posing a threat.

Israel this week echoed concerns in the United States about Syrian chemical weapons, but its officials say a more immediate worry is that the civil war could see weapons that are capable of denting its massive superiority in airpower and tanks reaching Hezbollah; the group fought Israel in 2006 and remains a more pressing threat than its Syrian and Iranian sponsors.

Israeli officials have said they feared Assad may be losing his grip on some chemical weapons, including around Damascus, to rebel groups which are also potentially hostile to Israel. U.S. and European security sources told Reuters they were confident that chemical weapons were not in the convoy which was bombed.

Wednesday's action could have been a rapid response to an opportunity. But a stream of Israeli comment on Syria in recent days may have been intended to limit surprise in world capitals.

The head of the Israeli air force said only hours before the attack that his corps, which has an array of the latest jet bombers, attack helicopters and unmanned drones at its disposal, was involved in a covert "campaign between wars".

"This campaign is 24/7, 365 days a year," Major-General Amir Eshel told a conference on Tuesday. "We are taking action to reduce the immediate threats, to create better conditions in which we will be able to win the wars, when they happen."

On Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, set for a new term after an election, told his cabinet that Iran and turmoil in Arab states meant Israel must be strong: "In the east, north and south, everything is in ferment, and we must be prepared, strong and determined in the face of all possible developments."

Israel's refusal to comment on Wednesday is usual in such cases; it has, for example, never admitted a 2007 air strike on a suspected Syrian nuclear site despite U.S. confirmation of it.

By not acknowledging that raid, Israel may have ensured that Assad did not feel obliged to retaliate. For 40 years, Syria has offered little but bellicose words against Israel.

(Additional reporting by Mariam Karouny and Oliver Holmes in Beirut, Myra MacDonald in London, Mark Hosenball in Washington and Reuters bureaux; Writing by Alastair Macdonald; Editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/Reuters/UKTopNews/~3/LWoFkoQ4Zrs/uk-syria-israel-attack-idUKBRE90T0K320130131

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Giffords' plea to Congress on guns: 'you must act'

WASHINGTON (AP) ? In a dramatic appeal, wounded former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords urged Congress on Wednesday to enact tougher curbs on guns, saying, "too many children are dying" without them.

"The time is now. You must act. Be bold, be courageous, Americans are counting on you," she told the Senate Judiciary Committee at Congress' first gun control hearing since 20 elementary school children were shot to death in Newtown, Conn., late last year.

Giffords spoke haltingly, a result of the wounds suffered when she was shot in the head in an attempted assassination two years ago that left six others dead.

But in conflicting testimony a little more than an hour later, a top official of the National Rifle Association rejected bans on certain assault weapons and high capacity magazines advocated by President Barack Obama and gun control advocates in Congress.

Under persistent questioning from Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the panel's chairman, the NRA's Wayne LaPierre also conceded that in a reversal, his organization no longer supports universal background checks for gun purchasers. He said criminals wouldn't subject themselves to a background check and the current system is a failure because the administration doesn't prosecute potential violators aggressively.

"Back in '99 you said, 'no loopholes, nowhere,' " said Leahy, referring to testimony delivered more than a decade ago. "Now you do not support background checks for all."

Other Democrats on the panel disagreed with LaPierre.

"That's the point. The criminals will not go to purchase the guns because there'll be a background check. It will stop them from original purchase. You missed that point completely. It is basic," said Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois.

Retired Navy Capt. Mark Kelly, Giffords husband as well as a former astronaut and also a witness, said a limit on the size of ammunition magazines could have made a dramatic difference when a man opened fire in Arizona two years ago.

He "showed up with two 33-round magazines, one of which was in his 9 millimeter. He unloaded the contents of that magazine in 15 seconds. Very quickly. It all happened very, very fast. The first bullet went into Gabby's head. Bullet number 13 went into a nine-year old girl named Christina Taylor Green....

"If he had a 10-round magazine -- well, let me back up. When he tried to reload one 33-round magazine with another 33-round magazine, he dropped it. And a woman named Patricia Maisch grabbed it, and it gave bystanders a time to tackle him.

"I contend if that same thing happened when he was trying to reload one 10-round magazine with another 10-round magazine, meaning he did not have access to a high-capacity magazine, and the same thing happened, Christina Taylor Green would be alive today."

Giffords was not on the list of witnesses released in advance of the hearings, and in an unusual show of respect, members of the committee greeted her warmly outside the hearing room as she and her husband made their way inside. The former Democratic congresswoman was grievously wounded in an assassination attempt in Tucson, Ariz., a little more than two years ago, and has become a public advocate for gun control.

Kelly described the effect on his wife of the events of two years ago.

"Gabby's gift for speech is a distant memory. She struggles to walk, and she is partially blind. Her right arm is completely paralyzed," he told a rapt committee room.

In the aftermath of the Newtown, Conn., massacre, Obama has issued a call for gun control legislation.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a Democrat and member of the committee, has introduced a bill to ban numerous assault-style weapons as well as high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The prospects for Senate passage are not strong, in part because of opposition from the NRA and in part from a reluctance among rural-state Democrats ? Leahy among them ? to support limitations sought by some advocates of restrictions on firearms.

Republicans pledged to listen carefully, and no more.

Sen. Charles Grassley of Iowa, the panel's senior Republican, said that while the shootings in Arizona and Connecticut were terrible tragedies, they "should not be used to put forward every gun control measure that has been floating around for years." He also said any serious discussion of the issue 'must include a complete re-examination of mental health as it related to mass shootings."

In an opening statement of his own, Leahy said it is "a simple matter of common sense" that there should be a strengthening of background checks and that doing so would not threaten gun owners' rights. The checks are currently required for gun purchases from licensed dealers but not at gun shows or other private transaction.

At the same time, he said the Constitution's second amendment "is secure and will remain secure and protection....No one can or will take those rights or our guns away," he said.

He added, "let us forego sloganeering, demagoguery and partisan recriminations. This is too important for that."

Giffords' appearance ? not only her words, but her obvious difficulty in speaking ? served to underscore the emotion surrounding the issue of gun curbs.

The gunman in Tucson, Jared Loughner, used a 9 mm Glock pistol with an extended ammunition magazine in the attack that wounded the former congresswoman and killed six. The handgun would not have been illegal under a federal assault weapons ban that lapsed more than seven years ago, but the magazine that held more than 30 bullets would have been prohibited.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., indicated that whatever the committee produced wouldn't necessarily be the final product, saying the package would be debated by the full Senate and senators would be allowed to propose "whatever amendments they want that deal with this issue."

Despite the horrific Newtown slayings, it remains unclear whether those advocating limits on gun availability will be able to overcome resistance by the NRA and lawmakers from states where gun ownership abounds. Question marks include not just many Republicans but also Democratic senators facing re-election in red-leaning states in 2014. They include Max Baucus of Montana, Mark Begich of Alaska and Mark Pryor of Arkansas.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/giffords-plea-congress-guns-must-act-182733566--politics.html

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Wednesday 30 January 2013

Video: Four arrested over Brazilian nightclub fire



>>> new details this morning are showing how a nightclub in santa maria , brazil, became a death trap . keir simmons is there. good morning.

>> reporter: good morning. you can see where rescuers smashed the walls of the nightclub to save lives. but they're now asking, why was this the only exit. vigils held overnight for the more than 230 dead.

>> i don't wish for anybody the same.

>> reporter: survivors say the band set off pyrotechnics, igniting a fire in the ceiling. audrey lost two friends, one she was with in the club that night.

>> he goes to the bathroom and 30 seconds later, the smoke, the fire starts. and i don't see him again.

>> reporter: she fell to the floor, trampled, but escaped.

>> i am very happy i'm here.

>> reporter: outside the nightclub, panic. desperate rescues and now questions.

>> reporter: are you angry?

>> a little bit. i don't know how i feel about thi this, about everything.

>> reporter: today, she will talk to the police. four people have been arrested, reportedly including the club's owners. the country's president declaring it must never happen again. and overnight the number of flowers here has doubled. there are pictures of the victims. natalie, the grief that has overwhelmed this community is now turning to anger.

>> keir simmons in santa maria , brazil. thanks, keir.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50624836/

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New Kids On The Block Insist: You Can't Miss The Package Tour

Boy-band bonanza kicks off in May with Boyz II Men and 98 Degrees joining the Boston fivesome.
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Kelly Marino


Jordan Knight and Joey McIntyre of New Kids on the Block
Photo: Bobby Bank/ WireImage

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1701106/new-kids-on-the-block-package-tour.jhtml

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Working to identify early warning signs in juvenile offenders

Jan. 29, 2013 ? Red flags are easy to recognize in the days following a tragic event like a mass shooting. That's why a group of Iowa State researchers is working to identify those early warning signs in juvenile offenders before they turn into a pattern of criminal behavior.

It is often difficult for people to understand what leads to criminal behavior in children or teens. But by the time a juvenile is arrested, or referred to the juvenile court system, the child generally has displayed a pattern of antisocial behavior, said Matt DeLisi, professor of sociology at Iowa State University.

In some extreme cases, DeLisi said children as young as 5 years old are committing crimes. So when that child becomes an adult, he or she may already have a lengthy criminal record. That is why DeLisi, and the team of researchers, wants to understand what contributes to this behavior in order to correct it.

"With onset in criminal careers, the first sign of that problem behavior is an indicator of how severe it will be," DeLisi said. "If you can help them, you save a ton of money and you save a lot of problems. But it's just the issue of correctly identifying them and that raises a bunch of ethical and other issues."

The connection between the onset and the severity is similar to other ways children start to develop, whether it is positive or negative, at an early age.

"If you have someone who is 3, or even 2, and is already reading it would suggest that the person is highly intelligent," DeLisi said. "The reason is because the emergence or the onset of the behavior is usually inversely related to what they will become. The earlier something appears the more special they are or extreme."

With criminal behavior, the onset begins with rule violations, but researchers found a juvenile's first arrest or contact with the police is the strongest indicator of future problems. The study published in the Journal of Criminal Justice included 252 children living in Pennsylvania juvenile detention centers. The offenders ranged in age from 14-18 and on average had committed 15 delinquent acts in the prior year.

Researchers also discovered that children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder got into trouble at a younger age than other juvenile offenders without ADHD. In fact, their first contact with police happened more than a year prior to other offenders. Youth with conduct disorder were also more likely to be arrested at a younger age. However, researchers urge caution on how the results are interpreted.

"This by no way means that every child with ADHD or conduct disorder will become delinquent or ultimately be arrested. What it does mean is that future work needs to address why some youth with ADHD or conduct disorder become delinquent and others do not," said Brenda Lohman, an associate professor in human development and family studies at Iowa State.

"From a preventive standpoint, this information could then help identify support systems and intervening mechanisms for families and parents, and ultimately decrease rates of antisocial behaviors of children with ADHD or conduct disorder," Lohman said.

In addition to preventive measures, researchers hope to build on this study to better understand the family dynamics that can lead to mental and behavioral issues in children.

"Extensive research indicates that economic hardship has an adverse effect on the well-being of families," said Tricia Neppl, an assistant professor in human development and family studies at Iowa State.

Economic pressures increase the risk for emotional distress, which Neppl said can lead to harsh disciplinary practices. She is working on a study to determine if such hardships, when a child is between the ages of 3 and 5 years old, impact the child's mental health when they are 6 to 13 years old.

"The results suggest that economic adversity influences parental emotional health, marital distress, and hostile parenting which predicts child mental health disorders, such as conduct disorder and ADHD, during later childhood and early adolescence," Neppl said.

As researchers understand more about the connection with antisocial behavior, DeLisi expects there will be an even greater push for intervention and treatment for ADHD and conduct disorder.

"Early interventions are very successful, but they require a lot of investment on the part of people who may be the least willing or able to invest," DeLisi said. Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Saint Louis University also contributed to the study.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Iowa State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Matt DeLisi, Tricia K. Neppl, Brenda J. Lohman, Michael G. Vaughn, Jeffrey J. Shook. Early starters: Which type of criminal onset matters most for delinquent careers? Journal of Criminal Justice, 2013; 41 (1): 12 DOI: 10.1016/j.jcrimjus.2012.10.002

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/r_OVL__YQyk/130129144753.htm

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Tuesday 29 January 2013

Debt Related PTSD and Financial PTSD Quietly Hurts Many


We commonly think that post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is something that only combat troops face. It?s thought of as an effect only of war. But that?s not the whole story.

Through news reports and media coverage we are also aware of the ripples and problems PTSD can create in the lives of many brave military members after they return home. But what if I was to tell you that people who have lived through difficult financial problems can also suffer from PTSD?

Debt Related PTSD and FInancial PTSD Quietly Hurts Many ? Click to Tweet

Your first reaction to such a statement would probably be ?that?s not possible? or ?that?s not true.? But in fact it is possible and it is true that many people have struggled with debt related PTSD.

It?s quite possible that Dave Ramsey?s entire efforts to talk people out of bankruptcy are based not on logic or reality but on the unresolved PTSD he faced after living through his financial problems.

Dave Ramsey?s unawareness of what was actually happening to him is not a unique occurrence. In fact I might also be just one such person that was struck with debt related PTSD.

Years ago Pam and I recorded a video about our experience with our financial problems and if you watch this section of that video you can hear us described symptoms that we experienced.

While I had previously associated post-debt depression with the financial struggles we had. After doing the research for this article I think that what we actually lived through was most similar to some PTSD experiences.

Society minimizes the impact that a problem debt has on lives. Those suffering with problem debt are often disparagingly labeled. But the fact remains, that no matter how someone landed in financial trouble, they still must deal with the trauma and find a way out.

Money problems have two primary components. The first is the actual events that led to the financial trauma but the second is that of the aftermath and impact that financial trauma has on the individual lives.

It would be wrong to label people with debt in negative ways without realize many are suffering with what could be easily classified as post-traumatic stress disorder and need to seek help for that illness.

[Financial] Trauma: ?An emotional state of discomfort and stress resulting from memories of an extraordinary, catastrophic experience which shattered the survivor?s sense of invulnerability to harm.? (Trauma and its Wake, Charles Figley, Ph.D.)

This article introduces a common condition we have heard much about, PTSD, and the reality that many traumatized by money troubles actually suffer from the psychological impact of PTSD related difficulties and without treatment and/or awareness it can dramatically alter the otherwise healthier path in life that could be possible after money troubles.

And that detour in life from debt related PTSD does not began after the event is over, but once the trauma has been felt. The presence of PTSD also hurts the ability for the individual to deal with their debt in a healthy way. Dr. Goulston, a psychiatrist, describes what he calls the ?Four Ds of Financial PTSD,? debt, dependency, distrust and denial. Those conditions hold people back from making good and level-headed decisions about how to best deal with their debt.

I can?t tell you how many times I?ve had people tell me that they are stuck not knowing what to do to get out of debt or following their financial problems they want to avoid credit because they don?t want to face that pain again. They mistakenly continue to link credit with the retraumatizing feeling that occurs when they think about having good credit again. Good credit in their minds equals pain because the good credit led to problem debt and the problem debt led to pain.

The reality is most likely their financial PTSD is keeping them linked in behavior that actually holds them back from escaping the bonds of their lingering emotional debt. By not taking action or only taking avoidance action to deal with their debt they circle in a nearly perpetual cycle of self-fulfilling financial unhappiness.

Some say their money troubles have left them distrusting and depressed. And I?ve talked about the impact of denial in the process of dealing with debt in my article on the seven stages of debt.

The Seven Emotional Stages of Debt

A financial collapse can lead to the same emotional reactions as those experienced by those facing other traumatic events. It?s not the exact nature of the event that leads to PTSD, but how the trauma impacts the individual.

This example from psychiatrist Dr. Mark Goulston shows the way many people have felt living through their money troubles. I remember similar feelings myself.

Dr G: How big a trauma has losing all this money been?

Client: Big.

Dr. G: How big?

Client (now beginning to cry with upset and relief): I can?t even think about it.

Dr. G: What does it make you want to do?

Client: I don?t know. I guess, just hide. (He then continues to speak about this for several minutes).

Dr. G: How well do you think you could handle another trauma with your wife, children, parents, health?

Client (looking at me incredulously): Are you nuts? I couldn?t.

Dr. G: What do you think you?d do?

Client: I couldn?t even imagine. (He continues to speak about this for several minutes).

Dr. G: So, you?re as scared as you?ve ever been.

Client: More than I?ve ever been. ? Source

Lind Friend, a practicing psychotherapist for many decades has also witnessed the same PTSD symptoms in people experiencing financial loss and worries. She describes the PTSD symptoms as, ?anxiety, sleeplessness, heart palpations, overreacting, irritability, excessive worry, a sense of doom, loss of interest in normal events, emotional numbing, and flashbacks to traumatic events.? ? Source

Dr. Maggie Baker, another experienced in anxiety, depression and financial issues, says she sees ?patients suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These patients are grappling with the psychological burden that results from catastrophic losses.?

Dr. Baker states the symptoms of financial PTSD are easy to recognize. Ask yourself the following questions:

  1. Do you think about your money more in the last few weeks?
  2. Are you worried about the current and future performance of your 401(K)?
  3. Do you wake up at night with persistent memories of the 2008 financial collapse?
  4. Have any small events (such as friend asking if you are going on vacation) caused you anxiety or worried money thoughts?
  5. Do you feel a jolt of anxiety when financial statements arrive?
  6. Do you avoid opening or reading your financial statements?
  7. Do you have a growing sense of fear, helplessness and hopelessness?

If 4 or more of your answers are YES, then you are being held captive to the symptoms of PTSD. ? Source

Sarah who lived through debt said, ?When I was debt, it didn?t just feel like ?stress?- it felt like my life was falling apart. It also left me wondering if I will ever shake the feeling that I could lose everything again at the drop of a hat.?

There have been a limited number of studies about the effects of financial problems and the result of PTSD. One such study was published in 2012. In that study by Audrey Freshman (Freshman, A. (2012). Financial disaster as a risk factor for posttraumatic stress disorder: Internet survey of trauma in victims of the madoff ponzi scheme. Health and Social Work, 37(1), 39-48.) she stated:

There are no known studies to date examining the risk of PTSD associated with sudden and dramatic personal financial loss. A Web-based, online, nonprobability convenience survey of 172 Madoff victims (56% female; mean age, 60.9 years) using the Posttraumatic Stress List Checklist, civilian version was conducted 8 to 10 months following the focal event.

Sociodemographic information and data concerning anxiety/depression and health-related concerns were gathered by self-report questionnaire. A five-point Likert-type scale was used to assess victim response to government regulatory systems.

Results demonstrated that a majority of respondents (55.7%) met criteria for a presumptive DSM-IV-TR diagnosis of PTSD, and as a group, respondents acknowledged high levels of anxiety (60.7%), depression (58%), and health-related problems (34%). Victims overwhelmingly affirmed a substantial loss of confidence in financial institutions (90%). This raises a public health concern as to governmental response and counseling needs during times of severe economic trauma.

Dr. Goulston, who I previously mentioned, describes in an interview which you can listen to here, some key experiences of those with debt PTSD.

Goulston: I think what goes on for a lot of people, something that I call the ?Four D?s of financial PTSD,? and that?s debt, dependency, distrust and then our denials in working. And what that means is when you?re in debt, whenever someone calls you to try to get money from you, it re-traumatizes you, it makes you realize how you don?t have what you thought you had. And then, when you feel that vulnerable, you reach out ? who can I depend on? Who can I rely on? I?ll call my stock broker, I?ll call my financial person. I?ll read the news. And then what happens is when you hear the news changing from day-to-day, you feel I can?t trust anyone.

So when you?re in a state of feeling like the world is trying to take more money from you and you don?t even have that much leftover, and who can you depend on, because you don?t know what you can do under your own control, and the people that you have trusted, you can?t trust anymore. It puts you into this real state of irritability, almost brittleness, fragility. And that?s where the fourth D is, what allows us to get through life is denial that functions?

Moon: ?I?d rather not think about it.?

Goulston: There you go. I mean, if we were aware of how dangerous it is to drive, how dangerous it is to fly, all the side effects of every medication we take ? if we didn?t have healthy denial, we would be frozen. So I think what?s happening is people are living with these four D?s constantly, which leads to ?so what do you do about it?? So any thing that?ll help you regain a sense of control will help you feel better. And also, talk with each other and you listen to each other, makes it better.

Moon: What are some of the warning signs, if you will, that you might be experiencing this?

Goulston: OK, warning signs are you feel a change in your personality, you tend to be irritable, you snap at people, you?re withdrawn. But the key signs for PTSD is that you tend to relive the event over again, either in dreams or you even have flashbacks when you read the newspaper. And you want to avoid it, you want to avoid being re-traumatized, because if you?re feeling vulnerable and you get another hit, a lot of people feel shattered, I just won?t come back. And then the third thing is that you have this increased arousal in your hyper-vigilance. So you can?t ever totally lower your guard. And if you think about it, think about that you can never lower your guard, so you never know what it?s like to relax.

PTSD is an anxiety disorder following a traumatic event like injury, death or even something as emotional as the death of your financial like.

The symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

  1. ?Reliving? the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity
  • Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
  • Repeated upsetting memories of the event
  • Repeated nightmares of the event
  • Strong, uncomfortable reactions to situations that remind you of the event
  • Avoidance
    • Emotional ?numbing,? or feeling as though you don?t care about anything
    • Feeling detached
    • Being unable to remember important aspects of the trauma
    • Having a lack of interest in normal activities
    • Showing less of your moods
    • Avoiding places, people, or thoughts that remind you of the event
    • Feeling like you have no future
  • Hyperarousal
    • Difficulty concentrating
    • Startling easily
    • Having an exaggerated response to things that startle you
    • Feeling more aware (hypervigilance)
    • Feeling irritable or having outbursts of anger
    • Having trouble falling or staying asleep

    You might feel guilt about the event (including ?survivor guilt?). You might also have some of the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension:

    • Agitation or excitability
    • Dizziness
    • Fainting
    • Feeling your heart beat in your chest
    • Headache ? Source

    According to the National Institute of Mental Health to be diagnosed with PTSD, a person must have all of the following for at least 1 month:

    • At least one re-experiencing symptom
    • At least three avoidance symptoms
    • At least two hyperarousal symptoms
    • Symptoms that make it hard to go about daily life, go to school or work, be with friends, and take care of important tasks. ? Source

    It?s one thing to now recognize the reality that PTSD can be experienced by many as a result of financial trauma or debt trauma, but what now?

    Currently there are a number of therapies for those that suffer from PTSD. But the most important step to take is the one that allows you to either reach out to someone suffering and guide them towards help or to seek help if you are the one struggling with these issues.

    The most common avenues of treatment are counseling, therapy, medication, or a combination of all. If you are looking for help you should talk to your physician about a referral for help with anxiety counseling or find a local mental health professional that has experience with PTSD or anxiety counseling. You may also want to use the links provided here.

    With treatment, you can actually learn to get past these issues and resume a more emotionally stable and healthy life again.

    In my personal situation the financial trauma I lived through decades ago is still easily recalled and felt as if it was yesterday. But the good news is that it long ago stopped controlling my life because I took action and steps to deal with my trauma.

    Ironically, helping others with their debt problems was probably a real blessing for my recovery. It helped me to see I was not alone and that my issues were not catastrophic but actually trivial compared to many people face in debt.

    But my experience dealing with debt was not unique. Take Dave Ramsey for example, all you have to do is listen to his traumatic tales of his financial problems and you can begin to see some glimpses of the impact debt had on his life and how he struggle with the emotional implications of his financial stress.

    Dave says things like ?I?ve never forgotten how painful it was for both of us,? Dave says. ?I feel that pain to this very day.? ? Source. He also says, ?Bankruptcy is a gut-wrenching, life-changing event that causes lifelong damage? and ?Bankruptcy. That word sends chills up the spine. If you?re facing the prospect of bankruptcy or you?re in the middle of it right now, you know it?s a living nightmare. It can devastate your job, destroy your marriage and steal your peace of mind? and ?Bankruptcy is listed in the top five life-altering negative events that we can go through, along with divorce, severe illness, disability, and loss of a loved one. I would never say that bankruptcy is as bad as losing a loved one, but it is life-altering and leaves deep wounds both to the psyche and the credit report.? ? Source.

    It?s very possible that Dave?s disgust with bankruptcy and credit cards is not a position based on logic as I talked about here, but the remaining bits of his unresolved debt PTSD issues he faced.

    Debt Related PTSD and Financial PTSD Quietly Hurts Many ptsd Post Traumatic Stress Disorder depression depressed dave ramsey  mental health debt articles debt articles


    Get Out of Debt Guy ? Twitter, G+, Facebook
  • Source: http://getoutofdebt.org/48667/financial-problems-and-debt-can-cause-ptsd

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    'Spartacus' stars turn TODAY gang into gladiators

    By Ree Hines, TODAY contributor

    The violent action on "Spartacus" isn't just engrossing, it's educational -- at least that's what leading man Liam McIntyre claims.

    McIntyre, who visited TODAY Tuesday morning with co-star Todd Lasance and the show's head trainer Tyrone Bell, said first and foremost "Spartacus" is fun, but "you can learn stuff too."

    Such as?

    "You learn how to disembowel people," he laughed.

    For those who haven't exactly mastered that and other sword tricks from watching the show, McIntyre and Lasance put on a well-choreographed battle right in Studio 1A. After that, Bell joined the stars and taught TODAY's Willie Geist, Natalie Morales and Tamron Hall a few moves too.

    See how the lesson went in the clip above.

    "Spartacus" airs Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on Starz.

    What do you think of the new season of "Spartacus" so far? Share your thoughts on our Facebook page.

    Related content:

    More in The Clicker:

    Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2013/01/29/16755066-spartacus-stars-give-today-hosts-gladiator-lessons?lite

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    Henrico County Attracts National Investors

    Henrico County is a great place to do business, and it?s a great place to purchase commercial and industrial property. In the past year and a half, three large transactions involving eastern and western Henrico properties have brought investors from different states into the county. Who are these firms investing in Henrico? And what makes Henrico County so attractive to out-of-state investors?

    Arizona Firm Invests in Eastern Henrico

    Cole Real Estate Investments, based in Phoenix, AZ, recently purchased White Oak Village, a 61-acre shopping center in eastern Henrico. White Oak Village is home to Target, Lowe?s, JCPenney and Martin?s, among many other retail stores, restaurants and service providers.

    In a recent article on RichmondBizSense.com, Scott Holmes, Senior Vice President-Acquisitions, of Cole Real Estate Investments, was quoted in saying that his firm was attracted to White Oak because it is ??a densely populated trade area and an excellent location along a high-traffic retail corridor.?

    Henrico County has many thriving retail corridors and an excellent transportation infrastructure. Those traits, along with the variety of commercial space available in the county, also brought San Diego- and Miami-based companies to our locale.

    San Diego Firm Chooses West Broad Village

    Excel Trust, a firm based in San Diego, CA, recently completed a deal to buy 386,000 square feet of retail and commercial space, as well as The Flats at West Broad Village?a 339-unit apartment complex. The apartment community, which is 98% leased, contains luxury one-, two- and three-bedroom units. The retail space is home to Whole Foods, REI, HomeGoods and more.

    Recent media reports say Excel Trust may open an office in some of the undeveloped space in West Broad Village, which suggests a continued desire to invest in Henrico.

    Miami-Based Company Focuses on RIC Area

    Adler Real Estate Fund, out of Miami, recently partnered with Dallas-based firm TriGate Capital to purchase Byrd Center Park, a 32-acre, 475,000-square-foot mixed-use office park comprising 10 buildings.

    Matthew Adler, the company?s Chief Investment Officer, was quoted by richmondbizsense.com as saying that what drew the firm to Byrd Center Park is that it is a ??unique property in a growing commercial corridor near the airport.?

    As Henrico County continues to expand and grow, it will undoubtedly become more attractive to national and international investors. If you?re looking for a commercial property in Henrico County, visit our Commercial Real Estate search tool or contact the Henrico EDA.

    ?

    Source: http://newsletter.henrico.com/work/henrico-county-attracts-national-investors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=henrico-county-attracts-national-investors

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    Economists feeling more optimistic about 2013

    12 hrs.

    Economists are increasingly optimistic about growth in the year ahead with hiring expected to pick up in coming months.?

    A quarterly survey by the National Association for Business Economists released Monday shows half of the economists polled now expect real gross domestic product ? the value of all goods and services produced in the United States ? to grow between 2 and 4 percent in 2013. That's up from 36 percent of respondents who felt the same way three months earlier.?

    About half expect sluggish or negative performance, down from 65 percent in October.?

    The latest survey was conducted between Dec. 20 and Jan. 8 and asked 65 economists and others who use economics in the workplace about conditions at their firms or industries. It found that 34 percent of firms now expect to expand their payrolls in the next six months, the highest percentage since April of last year. Meanwhile, 2 percent said they expect their companies to cut payrolls through layoffs, while 14 percent see payrolls trimmed through attrition.?

    A quarter of respondents also said employment grew at their firms in the fourth quarter, which is comparable to the levels seen in the first half of 2012. The same percentage also reported a rise in wages at their firms in the final three months of the year, up 10 percentage points from the last survey.?

    Overall sales growth was stable in the fourth quarter with results mixed across industries. For instance, growth slowed in the services, finance, insurance and real estate sectors, but rose in the transportation, utilities, information and communications sectors.?

    Timothy Gill, chair of NABE's survey committee and director of economics at the National Electrical Manufacturers Association, noted that sales growth was stable despite "widespread uncertainty surrounding the potential impact of the fiscal cliff."?

    The "fiscal cliff" refers to the steep tax hikes and spending cuts that were to take effect Jan. 1 unless the White House and Congress reached an agreement to avoid them. The survey found that 27 percent of respondents postponed at least some hiring and capital spending during the quarter as a result, while 72 percent said the issue didn't affect hiring.?

    Despite stable sales growth, survey respondents noted that profit margins deteriorated in the fourth quarter, with 25 percent saying their margins increased, down from 27 percent in October. On the flipside, 18 percent reported declining profit margins, compared with 15 percent a year ago. Over the next three months slightly more than a third said they expect primary non-labor costs to rise. That's down from 43 percent in the previous survey.?

    Expectations for capital spending over the next year weakened from the last survey. Only 40 percent expect their firms to grow capital spending, down from 52 percent.?

    For consumers, the survey suggests modest inflation could be in the works, with two-fifths of respondents ? the highest share over the past year ? saying they expect prices to rise in coming months. Most of those expecting hike prices think the increases will be less than 5 percent.?

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/economists-feeling-more-optimistic-about-2013-1C8137827

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    A Very Bad Sign (Powerlineblog)

    Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/280088022?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    Qigong Improves Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients | Psych ...

    By Janice Wood Associate News Editor
    Reviewed by John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on January 26, 2013

    Qigong Improves Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients  New research has found that qigong, an ancient mind-body practice, has been found to reduce depression and improve the quality of life in women undergoing radiation for breast cancer.

    The study examined qigong in patients receiving radiation therapy and included a follow-up period to assess its benefits over time, according to researchers.

    ?We were [...] particularly interested to see if qigong would benefit patients experiencing depressive symptoms at the start of treatment,? said Lorenzo Cohen, Ph.D., a professor in the University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center?s Departments of General Oncology and Behavioral Science.

    ?It is important for cancer patients to manage stress because it can have a profoundly negative effect on biological systems and inflammatory profiles.?

    For the study, Cohen and his colleagues recruited 96 women with stage 1-3 breast cancer from Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center in Shanghai, China.

    About half of the women ? 49 ? were randomly assigned to a qigong group consisting of five 40-minute classes each week during their five-to-six week course of radiation therapy. The remaining 47 women comprised a control group receiving standard care.

    The program incorporated a modified version of Chinese medical qigong, which consisted of synchronizing one?s breath with various exercises, the researchers explained.

    Participants in both groups completed assessments at the beginning, middle and end of radiation therapy and then one and three months later. Different aspects of quality of life were measured, including depressive symptoms, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and overall quality of life.

    According to the researchers, patients in the qigong group reported a steady decline in depressive symptom scores beginning at the end of radiation therapy, with a mean score of 12.3, through the three month post-radiation follow-up with a score of 9.5. No changes were noted in the control group over time, the study found.

    The study also found that qigong was especially helpful for women reporting high baseline depressive symptoms, Cohen said.

    ?We examined women?s depressive symptoms at the start of the study to see if women with higher levels would benefit more,? he said.

    ?In fact, women with low levels of depressive symptoms at the start of radiotherapy had good quality of life throughout treatment and three months later regardless of whether they were in the qigong or control group. However, women with high depressive symptoms in the control group reported the worst levels of depressive symptoms, fatigue, and overall quality of life that were significantly improved for the women in the qigong group.?

    As the benefits of qigong were largely observed after treatment concluded, researchers suggest qigong may prevent a delayed symptom burden or expedite the recovery process, especially for women with elevated depressive symptoms at the start of radiation therapy. Cohen notes the delayed effect could be explained by the cumulative nature of the treatments, as the benefits often take time to be realized.

    According to the researchers, the findings support other previously reported trials examining the benefits of qigong, but are too preliminary to offer clinical recommendations.

    They note that additional research is needed to understand the possible biological mechanisms involved and further explore the use of qigong in ethnically diverse populations with different forms of cancer.

    The study was published in the journal Cancer.

    Source: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center


    APA Reference
    Wood, J. (2013). Qigong Improves Quality of Life for Breast Cancer Patients. Psych Central. Retrieved on January 27, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/01/27/qigong-improves-quality-of-life-for-breast-cancer-patients/50826.html

    ?

    Source: http://psychcentral.com/news/2013/01/27/qigong-improves-quality-of-life-for-breast-cancer-patients/50826.html

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    Monday 28 January 2013

    Claire Danes Says Son Cyrus Is ?Getting Fat!?

    "He's six weeks and getting fat. It's very exciting. All that time on the boob is starting to result in growth," the Homeland star, 33, told Giuliana Rancic on E!'s Live from the Red Carpet at the SAG Awards.

    Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/ONHJjWA0fAU/

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    Sunday 27 January 2013

    asbestos in the lungs: AND ALUMINIUM, ON THE LUNGS OF ...

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    Topless protesters take on elite Davos forum

    An activist of the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN stands on a fence during a protest at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott)

    An activist of the Ukrainian feminist group FEMEN stands on a fence during a protest at the 43rd Annual Meeting of the World Economic Forum, WEF, in Davos, Switzerland, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013. (AP Photo/Keystone/Jean-Christophe Bott)

    DAVOS, Switzerland (AP) ? Three women angry over sexism and male domination of the world economy ripped off their shirts and tried to force their way into a gathering of corporate elites in a Swiss resort.

    Predictably, they failed. The ubiquitous and huge security force policing the World Economic Forum in Davos carried the women away, kicking and screaming.

    The women, from Ukrainian feminist activist group Femen, scaled a fence and set off pink flares in the protest Saturday. Their chests were painted with "SOS Davos," as they sought to call attention to poverty of women around the world.

    Critics of the Davos forum say the business and political leaders at the gathering spend too little time doing concrete things to solve the world's problems and help the needy.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-26-EU-Davos-Forum-Protest/id-085c0bdac6d84918a03ea1c6711e90e0

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    Saturday 26 January 2013

    Trying to unlock secrets of dead serial killer

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) ? The suspect, hands and feet shackled, fidgeted in his chair, chuckling at times as he confessed to a brutal killing.

    Israel Keyes showed no remorse as he described in merciless detail how he'd abducted and strangled an 18-year-old woman, then demanded ransom, pretending she was alive. As the two prosecutors questioned him, they were struck by his demeanor: He seemed pumped up, as if he were reliving the crime. His body shook, they said, and he rubbed his muscular arms on the chair rests so vigorously his handcuffs scraped off the wood finish.

    The prosecutors had acceded to Keyes' requests: a cup of Americano coffee, a peanut butter Snickers and a cigar (for later). Then they showed him surveillance photos, looked him in the eye and declared: We know you kidnapped Samantha Koenig. We're going to convict you.

    They aimed to solve a disappearance, and they did. But they soon realized there was much more here: a kind of evil they'd never anticipated.

    Confessing to Koenig's killing, Keyes used a Google map to point to a spot on a lake where he'd disposed of her dismembered body and gone ice fishing at the same time. He wasn't done talking, though. He declared he'd been "two different people" for 14 years. He had stories to tell, stories he said he'd never shared. He made seemingly plural references and chilling remarks such as, "It takes a long time to strangle someone."

    As prosecutors Kevin Feldis and Frank Russo and investigators from the FBI and Anchorage police listened that day in early 2012, they came to a consensus:

    Israel Keyes wasn't talking just about Samantha Koenig. He'd killed before.

    In 40 hours of interviews over eight months, Keyes talked of many killings; authorities believe there were nearly a dozen. He traveled from Vermont to Alaska hunting for victims. He said he buried "murder kits" around the country so they would be readily accessible. These caches ? containing guns, zip ties and other supplies used to dispose of bodies ? were found in Alaska and New York.

    At the same time, incredibly, Keyes was an under-the-radar everyday citizen ? a father, a live-in boyfriend, a respected handyman who had no trouble finding jobs in the community.

    Keyes claimed he killed four people in Washington state, dumped another body in New York and raped a teen in Oregon. He said he robbed banks to help finance his crimes; authorities corroborated two robberies in New York and Texas. He confessed to burning down a house in Texas, contentedly watching the flames from a distance.

    Though sometimes specific, he was often frustratingly vague. Only once ? other than Koenig ? did he identify by name his victims: a married couple in Vermont.

    Israel Keyes wanted to be in control. Of his crimes. Of how much he revealed. And, ultimately, of his fate.

    In December, he slashed his left wrist and strangled himself with a sheet in his jail cell. He left two pages of bloodstained writings. And many questions.

    Investigators are now left searching for answers, but they face a daunting task: They're convinced the 34-year-old Keyes was a serial killer; they've verified many details he provided. But they have a puzzle that spans the U.S. and dips into Mexico and Canada ? and the one person who held the missing pieces is dead. FBI agents on opposite ends of the country, joined by others, are working the case, hoping a timeline will offer clues to his grisly odyssey.

    But they know, too, that Israel Keyes' secrets are buried with him ? and may never be unearthed.

    ___

    Authorities aren't certain when Keyes' crime spree began or ended. But they have a haunting image of his last known victim.

    Snippets of a surveillance video show the first terrifying moments of Koenig's abduction. Keyes is seen as a shadowy figure in ski mask and hood outside Common Grounds, a tiny Anchorage coffee shack then partially concealed from a busy six-lane highway by mountains of snow.

    It's Feb. 1, 2012, about 8 p.m., closing time. Koenig is shown handing Keyes a cup of coffee, then backing away with her hands up, as if it's a robbery. The lights go out and Keyes next appears as a fuzzy image climbing through the drive-thru window.

    Authorities outlined his next steps:

    Keyes forced Koenig to his Silverado; he'd already bound her hands with zip ties and gagged her. He hid her in a shed outside his house, turned on loud music so no one could hear if she screamed, then returned to the coffee shack to retrieve scraps of the restraints and get her phone.

    On Feb. 2, Keyes raped and strangled Koenig. He left her in that shed, flew to Houston and embarked on a cruise, returning about two weeks later.

    He then took a photo of Koenig's body holding a Feb. 13 newspaper to make it appear she was alive. Keyes wrote a ransom note on the back, demanding $30,000 be placed in her account. He texted a message, directing the family to a dog park where the note could be found. Her family deposited some money from a reward fund.

    On Feb. 29, Keyes withdrew $500 in ransom money from an Anchorage ATM, using a debit card stolen from Koenig's boyfriend (the two shared an account). The next day, $500 more was retrieved from another ATM.

    Then on March 7, far away in Willcox, Ariz., Keyes withdrew $400. He traveled to Lordsburg, N.M., and took out $80. Two days later, a withdrawal of $480 in Humble, Texas. On March 11, the same amount from an ATM in Shepherd, Texas.

    By then, authorities had a blurry ATM photo and a pattern: Keyes was driving along route I-10 in a rented white Ford Focus. On March 13, nearly 3,200 miles from Anchorage, police in Lufkin, Texas, pounced when they spotted Keyes driving 3 mph above the speed limit.

    Inside his car was an incriminating stash: Rolls of cash in rubber bands. A piece of a gray T-shirt cut out to make a face mask. A highlighted map with routes through California, Arizona and New Mexico. The stolen debit card. And Samantha Koenig's phone.

    Monique Doll, the lead Anchorage police investigator in the Koenig case, and her partner, Jeff Bell, rushed to Texas for a crack at Keyes.

    Doll showed Keyes the ransom note.

    "I told him that the first couple of times that I read the ransom I thought that whoever wrote the note was a monster and the more I read it ?it must have been 100 times ? the more I came to understand that monsters aren't born but are created and that this person had a story to tell."

    Keyes' response, she says, was firm: "I can't help you."

    Two weeks later in custody back in Alaska, he changed his mind.

    He told another investigator, Doll says, to relay a message: "Tell her she's got her monster."

    ___

    To Monique Doll, Keyes was a Dr. Jekyll-Mr. Hyde personality, but she saw only the diabolical side.

    "We knew him as a serial killer," she says. "That's how he spoke to us. We didn't know ... the father, the hard-working business owner."

    Keyes warned investigators that others might mischaracterize him.

    "There is no one who knows me ? or who has ever known me ? who knows anything about me really. ... They're going to tell you something that does not line up with anything I tell you because I'm two different people basically...," he says in one snippet released by the FBI.

    "How long have you been two different people?" asks Russo, one of the prosecutors.

    Keyes laughs. "(A) long time. Fourteen years."

    Authorities suspect Keyes started killing more than 10 years ago after completing a three-year stint in the Army at what is now Joint Base Lewis-McChord near Tacoma, Wash.

    Sean McGuire, who shared a barracks with Keyes, says they developed a camaraderie while spending some time together during grueling training in Egypt. But he says he was disturbed by a dark side that sometimes surfaced. When Keyes was offended by his buddy's comments, he'd drop his head, McGuire recalls, knit his brow, lower his voice and say, "'I want to kill you, McGuire.'"

    Keyes, the second eldest in a large family, was homeschooled in a cabin without electricity near Colville, Wash., in a mountainous, sparsely populated area. The family moved in the 1990s to Smyrna, Maine, where they were involved in the maple syrup business, according to a neighbor who remembered Keyes as a nice, courteous young man.

    After leaving the Army, Keyes worked for the Makah Indian tribe in Washington, then moved to Anchorage in 2007 after his girlfriend found work here. A self-employed carpenter and handyman, he was considered competent, honest and efficient.

    "I never got any bad, weird, scary, odd vibe from him in any way, shape or form," says Paul Adelman, an Anchorage attorney who first hired Keyes as a handyman in 2008.

    Keyes' live-in girlfriend also was floored to learn of his double life, according to David Kanters, her friend. "He had everyone fooled," Kanters told The Associated Press in an email. "THAT is the scary part. He came across as a nice normal guy." (She did not respond to numerous requests for comment.)

    Keyes blended in easily. "He was not only very intelligent," Doll says. "He was very adaptable and he had a lot of self-control. Those three things combined made him extraordinarily difficult to catch."

    Keyes also was meticulous and methodical, flying to airports in the Lower 48, renting cars, driving hundreds of miles searching for victims, prowling remote spots such as parks, campgrounds and cemeteries. The Koenig case was an exception; it was in his community.

    In one recorded interview, Keyes discussed his methods:

    "Back when I was smart, I would let them come to me," he said, adding that he would go to isolated areas far from home. "There's not much to choose from ... but there's also no witnesses."

    Keyes was proud he'd gone undetected so long. When asked for a motive, Anchorage police officer Bell recalls, Keyes said, "'A lot of people ask why and I would be like: Why not?'"

    "He liked what he was doing," says FBI Special Agent Jolene Goeden. "He talked about getting a rush out of it, the adrenaline, the excitement."

    Goeden says Keyes provided information for eight victims, some more specific than others. He also alluded to other victims, and said he killed fewer than 12 people altogether. In one case, he claimed a body was recovered and the death ruled accidental; he wouldn't say more.

    Investigators say they independently verified almost everything he told them. "It would have been impossible to make some of these details up," prosecutor Feldis says.

    They tried to get Keyes to identify more victims. But he balked at even providing their gender.

    There was an exception.

    Shortly after Keyes confessed to Koenig's murder, the prosecutors told him they knew he'd killed others and said his computers were being searched. Keyes knew he'd stored information in them about two victims.

    It was time to clear up a mystery in a small town 3,000 miles away.

    ___

    It was about 8 p.m. on April 6, 2012, and police Lt. George Murtie was home in Essex, Vt., when a local FBI agent called.

    Nearly 10 months had passed since Bill and Lorraine Currier, a couple in their 50s, had disappeared. They were presumed dead. Leads were still trickling in, but Murtie was surprised to hear authorities in Alaska had a man in custody who'd confessed to killing the couple and disposing of their bodies in an abandoned farmhouse.

    An Essex officer for 28 years, Murtie knew every inch of his community, including the location of that farmhouse. He headed out there that night with another detective, only to discover it had been demolished. They checked some nearby buildings but found nothing.

    Several weeks later, when Murtie questioned Keyes by phone, he found him matter-of-fact when discussing how he'd killed the Curriers.

    "I would describe it as if I was talking to a contractor about the work I was going to have done and he was describing the work he had done in the past," Murtie recalls. "There was no emotion or anything. Just flat."

    Keyes confirmed details of a nightmarish sequence of events later outlined by Vermont authorities:

    On June 2, 2011, Keyes flew into Chicago, intending to kidnap and kill. He carried a gun and silencer. He drove more than 750 miles to Essex, a bedroom community just outside Burlington. He checked into a motel he'd stayed at in 2009 ? he buried weapons and supplies in the area at that time ? and began scouting a house that suited his purposes: No children or dogs. No car in the driveway. A place he could be reasonably sure of where the bedroom was located.

    In the early moments of June 9, Keyes cut the phone lines and removed a window fan to enter the garage. Grabbing a crowbar, he smashed a window into the house and, wearing a headlamp to navigate the darkness, rushed into the Curriers' bedroom. He forced them into their Saturn and bound them with zip ties.

    They drove a few miles to the farmhouse where Keyes tied Bill Currier to a stool. Going back to the car, he saw Lorraine Currier had broken her restraints and was running toward the road: Keyes chased and tackled her, forcing her back to the building.

    Bill Currier had somehow broken the stool and was shouting, "Where's my wife?" Keyes hit him with a shovel, then shot him. He sexually assaulted and strangled Lorraine Currier and put both bodies in garbage bags. He then drove into New York state, and dumped the Curriers' stolen gun and parts of the weapon he'd used into a reservoir in Parishville, N.Y. FBI dive teams recovered both. Authorities were unable to find the Curriers' bodies.

    Murtie was struck by Keyes' confidence.

    "There was an enormous risk he had to take to go into a neighborhood he's unfamiliar with, into a house of people he's unfamiliar with and remove them in their own vehicle," he says. "A rational-thinking person would think the chances of getting caught are very high."

    During the interviews, Keyes sometimes clammed up and threatened to stop talking if publicly identified as a suspect in the Curriers' murders. Vermont authorities held off as Alaska investigators pressed for more information.

    "Why don't you give us another name?" asked Russo, a federal prosecutor.

    Keyes was conflicted ? he wanted his story out there, but worried about the impact it would have on friends and family (he has a daughter believed to be 10 or 11), says Goeden, the FBI agent. He rebuffed all appeals to bring peace to others.

    "Think about your loved ones," Doll urged. "Wouldn't you want to know if they're never coming home?"

    He mulled it over and returned another day with his answer.

    "I'd rather think my loved one was on a beach somewhere,' he said, "other than being horribly murdered."

    __

    Israel Keyes never provided another name.

    He was found dead Dec. 2, three months before his scheduled trial in the Koenig case. The FBI is analyzing his two bloodstained pages, with writing on both sides, but they apparently don't contain victims' names.

    His suicide leaves investigators and Koenig's family disappointed, angry and frustrated.

    "We deserved our day in court and we didn't get it," says James Koenig, Samantha's father.

    Months before Keyes' past was disclosed, Koenig believed his daughter was not his only victim. He and volunteers set up a Facebook page called, "Have You Ever met Israel Keyes? Possible Serial Killer." It includes photos of Keyes and maps.

    Meanwhile, investigators have used Keyes' financial and travel records to piece together a timeline of his whereabouts from Oct. 4, 2004, to March 13, 2012. He traveled throughout the United States and made short trips into Canada and Mexico.

    The FBI is seeking the public's help. On Jan. 16, a Dallas bureau press release stated Keyes was "believed to have committed multiple kidnappings and murders" across the country starting in 2001. It's looking for anyone who had contact with him on Feb. 12-16, 2012, when he was believed to be in various Texas cities.

    More appeals are expected in other places.

    FBI agents in Seattle and in Albany, N.Y., also are working with state and local authorities to try to verify tips from people who reported seeing Keyes. Unsolved homicides are being checked, too, to determine if Keyes was in the area at the time.

    But definitive evidence? That'll be hard to come by.

    Feldis, the prosecutor who heard Keyes' first confession, says it's likely the true scope of his crimes will never be known.

    "There's a lot more out there that only Israel Keyes knows," he says, "and he took that to his grave."

    ___

    AP National Writer Sharon Cohen reported from Chicago. Also contributing to this report were AP reporters Mark Thiessen in Anchorage, Alaska, Nicholas K. Geranios in Colville, Wash., and Wilson Ring in Montpelier, Vt.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/trying-unlock-secrets-dead-serial-killer-175348481.html

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    Adoptable Pets of the Week | EllenTV.com

    Petra

    • Breed: Labrador Retriever
    • Gender: Female
    • Born in 2004
    • Great with other dogs

    Petra lived with 12 kids in her former home. But when the 13th child came along, the family decided the dog had to go, so poor Petra ended up at a shelter. This sweet, friendly girl is nice to everybody she meets -- both people and dogs. She adores petting, and sometimes barks to ask for attention. Born in 2004, she has a history of ear infections, but is otherwise healthy. Petra is an easygoing girl who just wants to be loved. Could you give her the chance to have a home and family again?
    ?

    Anthony

    • Breed: Domestic longhair
    • Gender: Male
    • Born in 2007
    • Great with other cats

    Anthony introduces himself by reaching out his paw to touch your hand. This handsome cat adores people and is happiest when he's being petted, or cuddling in your lap. He also enjoys following his caregivers around like a puppy! A dapper Russian Blue-mix, Anthony keeps his soft grey fur impeccably groomed. He's also good with other cats and would welcome feline friends in his new home.

    Born in 2007, Anthony lost his home when his person passed away. Anthony has Feline Immunodeficiency Virus, but he's doing just fine. Cats who are FIV+ can live long, healthy lives, and it's very hard for other cats to catch. Anthony is a lover, not a fighter! If you're looking for an easygoing guy, Anthony would be the perfect fit for your home!

    Best Friends adopts to all of the United States and Canada. Please contact Best Friends Animal Society right?here.??See all the animals that need homes... at Best Friends Animal Sanctuary.

    Source: http://www.ellentv.com/2013/01/25/adoptable-pets-of-the-week/

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    Alberta premier warns of $6 billion shortfall in oil revenue

    CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Alberta's premier warned on Thursday that the Western Canadian province faced a C$6 billion ($6 billion) shortfall in revenue due to deeply discounted prices for its crude oil but offered no specifics on how to prevent falling deeper into the red.

    Alberta's financial forecasts have been thrown into disarray by fast-growing output from its vast oil sands and limited pipeline capacity to move it to markets in the United States and elsewhere. That has pulled the price of a barrel down to less than half that of international benchmark Brent oil.

    The situation has prompted Premier Alison Redford and her government to warn of a tough budget on March 7, and raised questions about her ability to meet a promise of erasing its budget deficit in the upcoming fiscal year.

    In an eight-minute televised address, Redford explained the reasons for the sharply reduced take from Alberta's biggest industry and pledged not to raise taxes to make up the difference, but did not say where she will cut spending.

    In fact, she made note of strong desire in the province of 3.8 million people for new roads, schools and healthcare facilities.

    "Despite falling oil revenues, I give you my commitment that as we deliver our long-term economic plan for Alberta, we will be thoughtful in our approach and we will deliver on these priorities," she said.

    Alberta is Canada's largest oil-producing province and the largest foreign energy supplier to the United States, and had become used to boom times until the oil market weakened last year.

    Redford has been an enthusiastic promoter of TransCanada Corp's contentious Keystone XL pipeline, which would carry Alberta's crude to refineries in Texas.

    The project took a series of steps forward this week as the governor of Nebraska approved a new route for the long-delayed project through the state and 53 U.S. senators urged U.S. President Barack Obama to approve it. However, Obama's decision is not expected for several months.

    Alberta is considering a host of other potential routes to new markets that could lead to higher returns, but Redford cautioned that long-term solutions will not be quick.

    In the meantime, Alberta, which derives 30 percent of its overall revenue from the oil industry, will be C$6 billion short of its revenue target for the upcoming fiscal year, she said.

    Recently, the bitumen crude from the oil sands has sold for more than $40 a barrel below U.S. light crude, leading the Bank of Canada this week to also point out the national economy was feeling the effects as well.

    "It will take focus and determination over the next several years to open new markets. And that is job one for my government," Redford said.

    The Progressive Conservative government, in power since 1971 and re-elected last year, is being pilloried by its opponents for forecasts they say that have been far too rosy, for relying too heavily on the fortunes of a highly cyclical industry and for tapping debt markets.

    "It doesn't do any good to talk about how we might have pipelines four or five or six years from now," said Danielle Smith, leader of the opposition Wildrose Party. "What is the plan over the next three or four or five years to get us accustomed to this new reality of lower energy prices and lower revenues?"

    Redford was vague as she cautioned about upcoming spending cuts in programs and services "that are not sustainable over the long term."

    "Quite simply, we have to put Alberta's finances on a more stable footing. A province as prosperous as Alberta should not be as susceptible as we are to swings in the price of oil and gas." ($1=$1 Canadian)

    (Reporting by Jeffrey Jones; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/alberta-premier-warns-6-billion-shortfall-oil-revenue-025043973--business.html

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