Kids' Obesity A Global Threat | Your Health Journal

From Your Health Journal?..?The Toronto Sun has some amazing articles, including the one being reviewed here today about childhood obesity. Please visit The Sun?s site to read many great articles. This article discusses obesity in Canada, where according to the Childhood Obesity Foundation, 1.6 million Canadian children are considered overweight or obese. Reports have shown that obesity has overtaken hunger as a larger global threat. Data from reports have also shown the last 20 years showed a worldwide 82% increase in obesity ? meaning an increase in diseases such as early type 2 diabetes, heart and circulatory disease. Not only does this data apply to Canada, but worldwide. Please visit The Sun?s web site (listed below) to read the complete article.?

From the article?..

Are your kids too chubby? According to the Childhood Obesity Foundation, 1.6 million Canadian children are considered overweight or obese. And we are not alone. A recent report, called the Global Burden of Disease, indicated that obesity has overtaken hunger around the world as the biggest threat to global health. So now that the holiday cookies have all been eaten, it?s time to get kids on track nutritionally.

The above-mentioned report which compared data from the last 20 years showed a worldwide 82 % increase in obesity ? meaning an increase in diseases such as early type 2 diabetes, heart and circulatory disease as well as other ailments caused by carrying too much weight.

The good news is that obesity can be prevented, says Dr. Jonathan Maguire, a pediatrician at St. Michael?s Hospital in Toronto, who is involved in a massive research study called TARGet Kids! The program (a collaborative effort between his hospital, Toronto?s Hospital for Sick Children, and various participating children?s clinics) follows children from birth with the aim of understanding and preventing common problems that can impact their health later on.

?We know that children who are obese are likely to be adolescents who are obese and adults who are obese. We know that obesity can be prevented, but we don?t know much about how to do that,? says Dr. Maguire, adding that diets just don?t work. ?If we can understand why one child becomes obese and another child does not, maybe we can develop tools and interventions to keep kids from being obese before it starts.?

Already, 5,500 Canadian children are involved in the program (check it out at www.targetkids.ca) which is studying not only obesity but also iron deficiency, and the impact of vitamin D on colds and asthma in kids. Early results on the study?s obesity arm have already shown that screen time is associated with the development of obesity in kids: Limiting TV and computer time is a step that parents can take to help their kids, Dr. Maguire says.

To read the full article?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=11107

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Conduct background checks? Use new FCRA form ? Business ...

Starting Jan. 13, 2013, employers that obtain background checks from consumer reporting agencies must give applicants and employees a new, updated version of the Summary of Rights under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) form.

The FCRA requires employers to give people a copy of this form if the employer plans to take action?such as not hiring the applicant?based on information in the credit report.

Find more advice on using credit reports, plus a copy of the form, by reading "Conducting background checks on job candidates? Know how to comply with the FCRA."

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College for Creative Studies provost, design guru dies : Imre Molnar helped style future designers at Detroit school

Imre Molnar helped style future designers at Detroit school

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Imre Molnar, College for Creative Studies provost, helped produce scores of future car designers. A 2011 student project examining a future Chevrolet urban mobility vehicle called the Stretch is shown.

Imre Molnar, the longtime academic chief at the prestigious College for Creative Studies in Detroit, died Dec. 28 of a heart attack while bicycle riding in California, the school announced.

Molnar was at CCS for 11 years, holding the positions of dean and then provost. CCS is one of the top design schools in the country and counts some of the most important car designers as alumni, including Chrysler's Ralph Gilles and Ford GT designer Camilo Pardo. Along with the Art Center in Pasadena, Calif., CCS annually turns out a crop of young designers who are among the most sought-after in the auto industry.

Molnar was born in Hungary and grew up in Australia. He also served as design director for clothing maker Patagonia and worked as operations director for design consulting firm Hauser Inc. He also was a consultant for Ford, BMW, Hyundai, Kia and Volkswagen.

He came to CCS in 2001 and was instrumental in the expansion of the transportation design program. On his watch, the school moved to the historic former General Motors design studios in Detroit, allowing aspiring designers to learn in the same spaces Harley Earl and Bill Mitchell once created some of the landmark automotive stylings of the Twentieth Century.

Autoweek holds its annual Design Forum at CCS in the A. Alfred Taubman Center for design education.

Molnar also helped create the school's master's of fine arts program. Previously, he was a faculty member at the Art Center, where he earned a master's degree.

Well-respected in the automotive sector for his expertise, Molnar was a frequent source for Autoweek. He compiled a list of his favorite designs for an issue earlier this year, selecting the eye-catching Cadillac Sixteen from 2003 and the Corvette Stingray concepts (2010) among his favorites.

Despite his considerable standing in the design community and demand as a speaker at conferences around the world, he remained focused on developing the next generation of cutting-edge designers.

"In order to design, you've got to have a real passion and love for it," he told Autoweek this spring.

Molnar is survived by his wife, Felicia, and children Isabelle and Max.

CCS STATEMENT

Richard L. Rogers, CCS president, said in a statement on the school's website: ?Imre Molnar has been a remarkable leader whose accomplishments in his 11 years at the college are huge. For me, it was a personal privilege and pleasure to have worked so closely with him. I admired his values, his intelligence, his talent, his determination, and his passionate devotion to his family and the college. He leaves a great void, and we will miss him terribly. Let us go forward in reflection on his many contributions to CCS and the Detroit community and in sympathy with his wife Felicia and children Isabelle and Max.?

Imre Molnar, provost of the College for Creative Studies, died Dec. 28.

Get more car news, reviews and opinion every day: Sign up to have the Autoweek Daily Drive delivered right to your inbox.

Autoweek loves passionate comments and debate, but remember that you're part of a diverse community. Above all: be respectful. Critique statements, not people; talk about the automotive world, but skip the political rhetoric, hate speech, and obscenities. While we can't read every post, this site is moderated and Autoweek will remove comments as we see fit. Questions? Read our Terms of Use or email moderator@autoweek.com.

Source: http://www.autoweek.com/article/20121230/CARNEWS/121239999

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Wall St week ahead: Cliff may be a fear, but debt ceiling much scarier

NEW YORK, Dec 30 ? Investors fearing a stock market plunge ? if the United States tumbles off the ?fiscal cliff? next week ? may want to relax.

But they should be scared if a few weeks later, Washington fails to reach a deal to increase the nation?s debt ceiling because that raises the threat of a default, another credit downgrade and a panic in the financial markets.

Market strategists say that while falling off the cliff for any lengthy period ? which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending ? would badly hurt both consumer and business confidence, it would take some time for the US economy to slide into recession. In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects.

That has been reflected in a US stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and become more volatile.

In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008.

?If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a US debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two-and-a-half per cent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half,? said Jonathan Golub, chief US equity strategist at UBS Equity Research, in New York.

US Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said this week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.

Investors wary of January

The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the US credit rating. But it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets.

Markets posted several days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of ?no confidence? in Washington?s ability to function, considering how close lawmakers came to a default.

Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor?s lowered the US sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington?s legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade from triple-A status. The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 per cent in a four-week period ending August 21, 2011.

?I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling,? said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com, in Chicago.

?I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the US economy.?

There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market?s preferred indicator of anxiety, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July.

More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 per cent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 per cent increase in March futures and an 8 per cent increase in May futures. That?s a sign of increasing near-term worry among market participants.

The CBOE Volatility Index closed on Friday at 22.72, gaining nearly 17 per cent to end at its highest level since June as details emerged of a meeting on Friday afternoon of President Barack Obama with Senate and House leaders from both parties where the president offered proposals similar to those already rejected by Republicans. Stocks slid in late trading and equity futures continued that slide after cash markets closed.

?I was stunned Obama didn?t have another plan, and that?s absolutely why we sold off,? said Mike Shea, a managing partner and trader at Direct Access Partners LLC, in New York.

Obama offered hope for a last-minute agreement to avoid the fiscal cliff after a meeting with congressional leaders, although he scolded Congress for leaving the problem unresolved until the 11th hour.

?The hour for immediate action is here,? he told reporters at a White House briefing. ?I?m modestly optimistic that an agreement can be achieved.?

The US House of Representatives is set to convene today and continue working through the New Year?s Day holiday. Obama has proposed maintaining current tax rates for all but the highest earners.

Consumers don?t appear at all traumatized by the fiscal cliff talks, as yet. Helping to bolster consumer confidence has been a continued recovery in the housing market and growth in the labour market, albeit slow.

The latest take on employment will be out next Friday, when the US Labour Department?s non-farm payrolls report is expected to show jobs growth of 145,000 for December, in line with recent growth.

Consumers will see their paychecks affected if lawmakers cannot broker a deal and tax rates rise, but the effect on spending is likely to be gradual.

Playing defence

Options strategists have noted an increase in positions to guard against weakness in defence stocks such as General Dynamics because those stocks would be affected by spending cuts set for that sector. Notably, though, the PHLX Defence Index is less than 1 per cent away from an all-time high reached on December 20.

This underscores the view taken by most investors and strategists: One way or another, Washington will come to an agreement to offset some effects of the cliff. The result will not be entirely satisfying, but it will be enough to satisfy investors.

?Expectations are pretty low at this point, and yet the equity market hasn?t reacted,? said Carmine Grigoli, chief US investment strategist at Mizuho Securities USA, in New York. ?You?re not going to see the markets react to anything with more than a 5 (per cent) to 7 per cent correction.?

Save for a brief 3.6 per cent drop in equity futures late on Thursday evening last week after House Speaker John Boehner had to cancel a scheduled vote on a tax-hike bill due to lack of Republican support, markets have not shown the same kind of volatility as in 2008 or 2011.

A gradual decline remains possible, Golub said, if business and consumer confidence continues to take a hit on the back of fiscal cliff worries. The Conference Board?s measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in December, a drop blamed in part on the fiscal issues.

?If Congress came out and said that everything is off the table, yeah, that would be a short-term shock to the market, but that?s not likely,? said Richard Weiss, a Mountain View, California-based senior money manager at American Century Investments.

?Things will be resolved, just maybe not on a good time table. All else being equal, we see any further decline as a buying opportunity.? ? Reuters?

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Analysis: After "fiscal cliff" dive, more battles, new cliffs

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Whether or not the "fiscal cliff" impasse is broken before the New Year's Eve deadline, there will be no post-cliff peace in Washington.

With the political climate toxic in Congress as the cliff's steep tax hikes and spending cuts approach, other partisan fights loom, all over the issue that has paralyzed the capital for the past two years: federal spending.

The first will come in late February when the Treasury Department runs out of borrowing authority and has to come to Congress to get the debt ceiling raised.

The next is likely in late March, when a temporary bill to fund the government runs out, confronting Congress with a deadline to act or face a government shutdown. The third will possibly be whenever the temporary bill replacing the temporary bill expires.

While Congress is supposed to pass annual spending bills before the start of each fiscal year, it has failed to complete that process since 1996, resorting to stopgap funding ever since.

Influential anti-tax activist Grover Norquist predicted in an interview with Reuters that conservatives would wage repeated battles with President Barack Obama to demand budget savings every time the government needs a temporary funding bill or more borrowing capacity.

The so-called "continuing resolutions" to which a divided Congress has increasingly resorted to keep the government operating, provide a "very powerful tool" to pry out spending cuts, said Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Republican Senator Bob Corker of Tennessee said he will not be satisfied until there are substantial cuts to federal retirement and healthcare benefits known as entitlements, producing savings in the $4.5 trillion to $5 trillion range.

"Unfortunately for America," said Corker, "the next line in the sand will be the debt ceiling."

Most observers see the $16.4 trillion debt limit as the true fiscal cliff in the new year because if not increased, it would eventually lead to a default on U.S. Treasury debt, an event that could prove cataclysmic for financial markets.

The Treasury Department said on Wednesday it would start taking extraordinary measures by December 31 to extend its borrowing capacity for about two more months.

'POISONOUS CLIMATE'

It was a deadlock over raising the debt ceiling in August 2011 that prompted a deficit reduction deal that led to a key fiscal cliff component, the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts on military and domestic programs.

If the fiscal cliff's spending cuts or tax increases are left even partly unresolved on December 31, the political combat over them will carry over into the new Congress, possibly simultaneously with the debt ceiling debate.

"We would be pessimistic of a quick fix" if the deadline is missed, Sean West, head U.S. analyst at Eurasia Group, a political risk consultancy, said in a note to clients. "The political climate will be poisoned. The new Congress will need time to settle in."

"We are concluding one of the most unsuccessful Congresses in history," Democratic Representative John Dingell of Michigan declared in a statement on Saturday, "noteworthy not only for its failure to accomplish anything of importance, but also for the poisonous climate of the institution."

Dingell, 86, is the longest serving member of the House, elected first in 1955.

Historically, bitter struggles in Congress like that over the fiscal cliff lead to further resentment and strife in a cycle of cumulative grudges that now spans nearly 30 years.

Many analysts and lobbyists in Washington believe the strife could get even worse because the new Congress convening on January 3 will include fewer members from moderate or swing districts and more from districts tilted heavily to the left or the right.

Republicans in particular are likely to face their most serious re-election challenges in 2014 not from Democrats but from conservative Republicans challenging them in primary elections.

"Ironically," said a post-election analysis published by the law firm Patton Boggs, "the voters have elected a 113th Congress that may be even more partisan than the 112th."

(Reporting by David Lawder and Fred Barbash; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/analysis-fiscal-cliff-dive-more-battles-cliffs-212008912--business.html

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Video: ?Rescue Me? singer Fontella Bass dies at 72

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Texas rallies for 31-27 Alamo Bowl win over Oregon State

SAN ANTONIO -- David Ash threw two fourth-quarter touchdown passes, the last a 36-yard strike to Marquise Goodwin with 2:24 left, to give Texas a 31-27 comeback victory over No. 15 Oregon State in the Alamo Bowl on Saturday night. ?

The Longhorns (9-4) never led before Goodwin scored his second touchdown on a deep post pattern, just a down after Texas converted a fourth-and-1 play to keep its chances alive. ?

Storm Woods ran for 118 yards and scored two touchdowns for Oregon State (9-4). The Beavers left stunned after looking as though they would wrap up their first 10-win season since 2006. ?

Down 20-10 at halftime, Texas coach Mack Brown said he told his players they would win. ?

"I told them this it wasn't going to be easy, but I told them this game was ours and we would win it," Brown said. "This one is really special." ?

The victory was a dose of much-needed good news for Texas after coming into the game under a cloud of questions following the suspensions of backup quarterback Chase McCoy and injured linebacker Jordan Hicks. ?

Ash, whose been pulled at times for McCoy this season, was 21 of 33 for 241 yards. Ash sputtered until the fourth quarter, when he went 9 for 11 for 146 yards. Texas had no choice but to stick with the only backups two redshirt freshmen who haven't taken a snap all season.? ?

Brown announced the suspensions Friday but wouldn't reveal which players were sent home. A person with knowledge of the suspensions told The Associated Press the players were McCoy and Hicks, speaking on condition of anonymity because Texas wasn't releasing the names. ?

Brown addressed the suspensions during a previously schedule news conference and referred to a local TV report that police were investigating two unidentified Texas players in an alleged sexual assault at a San Antonio hotel. Police released a heavily redacted incident report that only identifies the suspects as two students, one 20 and the other 21. ?

Authorities are still investigating and no charges have been filed. ?

Brown said he would not address the suspensions further. ?

Oregon State quarterback Cody Vaz was 15 of 28 for 194 yards. The Beavers had negative 4 yards in the fourth quarter as they were muffled by the Longhorns defense that was led by Alex Okafor, who finished with 4 1/2 sacks. The Longhorns had 10 sacks in the game.

Although Goodwin's touchdown catch might have won the game, two spectacular Texas plays in an earlier 83-yard scoring drive handed the Longhorns momentum -- and a chance. ?

First was wide receiver Jaxon Shipley rescuing a pass sailing behind him with a dazzling one-handed grab at midfield. Ash made up for that off-target throw six plays later, slithering out of safety Anthony Watkins' near-certain sack and flinging the ball to Jonathan Gray, who then zipped down the sideline for a 15-yard scoring play that got the Longhorns to 30-27. ?

The Longhorns played for a national championship in 2009. What's followed has been the shakiest of Brown's 15 years at Texas: a combined 22-16 record, an overhaul of assistant coaches and stubborn instability at quarterback following seven spoiled years with Heisman Trophy finalists Colt McCoy -- the suspended player's brother -- and Vince Young under center. ?

A surge of four consecutive victories late this season put this nine-win season in reach -- a benchmark that had been the ho-hum standard of the Brown era. It comes following an unexpected twist earlier this month, when school President Bill Powers went to his blog to write that Brown had his "full support" and would remain the head coach. ?

Powers cited an increase an "increase in media speculation" about Brown's future. It was published on his blog the same day Brown would not yet commit to Ash or Case McCoy as his starting quarterback for the Alamo Bowl. ?

--The Associated Press

Source: http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2012/12/texas_rallies_for_31-27_alamo.html

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White House meeting a last stab at a fiscal deal

President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md., pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Amid partisan bluster, top members of Congress and President Barack Obama were holding out slim hopes for a limited fiscal deal before the new year. But even as congressional leaders prepared to convene at the White House, there were no signs that legislation palatable to both sides was taking shape.

The Friday afternoon meeting among congressional leaders and the president ? their first since Nov. 16 ? stood as a make-or-break moment for negotiations to avoid across-the-board first of the year tax increases and deep spending cuts.

Obama called for the meeting as top lawmakers alternately cast blame on each other while portraying themselves as open to a reasonable last-minute bargain.

Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid all but conceded that any effort at this late date was a long shot. "I don't know timewise how it can happen now," he said.

For Obama, the 11th-hour scramble represented a test of how he would balance the strength derived from his re-election with his avowed commitment to compromise. Despite early talk of a grand bargain between Obama and House Speaker John Boehner that would reduce deficits by more than $2 trillion, the expectations were now far less ambitious.

Although there were no guarantees of a deal, Republicans and Democrats said privately that any agreement would likely include an extension of middle-class tax cuts with increased rates at upper incomes, an Obama priority that was central to his re-election campaign. The deal would also likely put off the scheduled spending cuts. Such a year-end bill could also include an extension of expiring unemployment benefits, a reprieve for doctors who face a cut in Medicare payments and possibly a short-term measure to prevent dairy prices from soaring, officials said.

To get there, Obama and Reid would have to propose a package that Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell would agree not to block with procedural steps that require 60 votes to overcome.

Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York said he still thinks a deal could be struck.

The Democrat told NBC's "Today" show Friday that he believes the "odds are better than people think."

Schumer said he based his optimism on indications that McConnell has gotten "actively engaged" in the talks.

Appearing on the same show, Republican Sen. John Thune noted the meeting scheduled later Friday at the White House, saying "it's encouraging that people are talking."

But Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tenn., predicted that "the worst-case scenario" could emerge from Friday's talks.

"We will kick the can down the road," he said on "CBS This Morning."

"We'll do some small deal and we'll create another fiscal cliff to deal with the fiscal cliff," he said. Corker complained that there has been "a total lack of courage, lack of leadership," in Washington.

Speaking on the Senate floor Thursday, McConnell cautioned: "Republicans aren't about to write a blank check for anything the Democrats put forward just because we find ourselves at the edge of the cliff."

Nevertheless, he said he told Obama in a phone call late Wednesday that "we're all happy to look at whatever he proposes."

If a deal were to pass the Senate, Boehner would have to agree to take it to the floor in the Republican-controlled House.

Boehner discussed the fiscal cliff with Republican members in a conference call Thursday and advised them that the House would convene Sunday evening. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., an ally of the speaker, said Boehner told the lawmakers that "he didn't really intend to put on the floor something that would pass with all the Democratic votes and few of the Republican votes."

But Cole did not rule out Republican support for some increase in tax rates, noting that Boehner had amassed about 200 Republican votes for a plan last week to raise rates on Americans earning $1 million or more. Boehner ultimately did not put the plan to a House floor vote in the face of opposition from Republican conservatives and a unified Democratic caucus.

"The ultimate question is whether the Republican leaders in the House and Senate are going to push us over the cliff by blocking plans to extend tax cuts for the middle class," White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said. "Ironically, in order to protect tax breaks for millionaires, they will be responsible for the largest tax increase in history."

Boehner, McConnell, Reid and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi are all scheduled to attend Friday's White House meeting with Obama. Vice President Joe Biden will also participate in the meeting, the White House said.

Despite the urgency to act, the rhetoric Thursday was quarrelsome and personal.

The House of Representatives is "being operated with a dictatorship of the speaker," Reid said on the Senate floor. He attributed Boehner's reluctance to put a version of Senate bill that raised tax rates on incomes above $250,000 for couples to fears he could lose his re-election as speaker next week.

"Harry Reid should talk less and legislate more if he wants to avert the fiscal cliff," countered Brendan Buck, a spokesman for Boehner.

If a deal is not possible, it should become evident at Friday's White House meeting. If that occurs, Obama and the leaders would leave the resolution to the next Congress to address in January.

Such a delay could unnerve the stock market, which performed erratically Thursday amid the developments in Washington. Economists say that if the tax increases are allowed to hit most Americans and if the spending cuts aren't scaled back, the recovering but fragile economy could sustain a traumatizing shock.

But a sentiment is taking hold that despite a black eye to its image, Congress could weather the fiscal cliff without significant economic consequences if it acts decisively next month.

"Going over is likely because at this point both sides probably see a better deal on the other side of the cliff," Jared Bernstein, Biden's former economic adviser, wrote in a blog post Thursday.

By letting current tax cuts expire and rise, Bernstein and others say, Republicans would be voting to lower taxes next month, even if not for all taxpayers. Democrats ? and Obama ? would be in a stronger position to demand that taxpayers above the $250,000 threshold pay higher taxes, instead of the $400,000 threshold that Obama proposed in his latest offer to Boehner.

And the debate over spending cuts, including changes to politically sensitive entitlement programs such as Medicare, would have to start anew.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram, Charles Babington and David Espo contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jim Kuhnhenn on Twitter: http://twitter.com/jkuhnhenn

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-28-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-d2144b78ffdb4c88add874cb3e04d9ec

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Free calls in Gmail extended for another year

19 hrs.

Devin Coldewey , NBC News

In what is becoming a holiday tradition, Google has announced that Gmail users in the United States and Canada will be able to make domestic calls using the service until the end of next year. This follows similar announcements in 2011 and 2010.

Google's voice-over-IP tool is useful for someone who needs to call a Gmail contact quickly. When it was introduced in August 2010, Google said it would be available for free until the end of that year. But in late December, Google extended the free calls through 2011 ? and at the end of that year, extended it again through?2012.

Now Google says on its Gmail blog?that free calling within the U.S. and Canada will continue through 2013. Not an entirely unexpected announcement, but welcome to the many users of the service.

Chances are Google will never charge for domestic calls, something most people get gratis or at negligible cost anyway. The more people use the service for everyday phone?calls, the more likely they are to use it eventually for long-distance calls, which Google charges for.

Using the function is a simple as pressing the "phone" icon near your contacts in Gmail (you may need to download a plugin). Alternatively, follow the simple instructions in this link.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/free-calls-gmail-extended-another-year-1C7753187

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Measles: Measles Epidemic Is Spreading in Central Africa

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Measles, a highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease, is on the rise in Central Africa, the aid agency Doctors Without Borders warned.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/25/science/measles-epidemic-is-spreading-in-central-africa.html?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Video: Who should be Coach of the Year?

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Private picture of Mark Zuckerberg's family leaked

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, Randi Zuckerberg, former marketing director of Facebook and founder of RtoZ Media, speaks at the Executive Marketing Summit in New York. A picture Zuckerberg posted on her personal Facebook profile was seen by a marketing director, who then posted the picture to Twitter and her more than 40,000 followers on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Zuckerberg is the sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 4, 2011 file photo, Randi Zuckerberg, former marketing director of Facebook and founder of RtoZ Media, speaks at the Executive Marketing Summit in New York. A picture Zuckerberg posted on her personal Facebook profile was seen by a marketing director, who then posted the picture to Twitter and her more than 40,000 followers on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Zuckerberg is the sister of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

SEATTLE (AP) ? Even Mark Zuckerberg's family can get tripped up by Facebook's privacy settings.

A picture that Zuckerberg's sister posted on her personal Facebook profile was seen by a marketing director, who then posted the picture to Twitter and her more than 40,000 followers Wednesday.

That didn't sit well with Zuckerberg's sister, Randi, who tweeted at Callie Schweitzer that the picture was meant for friends only and that posting the private picture on Twitter was "way uncool." Schweitzer replied by saying the picture popped up on her Facebook news feed.

The picture shows four people standing around a kitchen staring at their phones with their mouths open while Mark Zuckerberg is in the background.

Randi Zuckerberg, who used to run Facebook's marketing department and now produces a reality television show, eventually said Schweitzer was able to see the picture because they had a mutual friend. Those tweets have since been taken down.

Schweitzer declined to comment when reached by The Associated Press. Randi Zuckerberg didn't reply to a message via Twitter seeking comment.

Randi Zuckerberg used the dustup to write about online sharing etiquette.

"Digital etiquette: always ask permission before posting a friend's photo publicly. It's not about privacy settings, it's about human decency," she posted on Twitter.

But Randi Zuckerberg's comments sparked sharp reactions from people who thought the issue wasn't about etiquette, but rather Facebook's often changing and often confusing privacy settings.

"The thing that bugged me about Randi Zuckerberg's response is that she used her name as a bludgeoning device. Not everyone has that. She used her position to get it taken it down," said Eva Galperin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a privacy advocacy group in San Francisco.

While Facebook has made improvements in explaining the social network's privacy settings, Galperin said they remain confusing to most people. She added that with people using Facebook as part of their everyday lives, the consequences of fumbling privacy settings can become serious.

"Even Randi Zuckerberg can get it wrong. That's an illustration of how confusing they can be," she said.

The Menlo Park, Calif., company recently announced it is changing its privacy settings with the aim of making it easier for users to navigate them.

The fine-tuning will include several revisions that will start rolling out to Facebook's more than 1 billion users during the next few weeks and continue into early next year.

The most visible change ? and perhaps the most appreciated ? will be a new "privacy shortcuts" section that appears as a tiny lock at the top right of people's news feeds. This feature offers a drop-down box where users can get answers to common questions such as "Who can see my stuff?"

But Galperin said Wednesday's incident also illustrates a general concern about Internet privacy. Essentially, she said, if you share information or a photo with your social network, people in your network have the ability to share that with whomever else they choose.

The mobile photo-sharing service Instagram, which is owned by Facebook Inc., had to answer to backlash to privacy concerns recently when new terms of service suggested user photos could be used in advertisements. The company later said it would remove the questionable language.

___

Manuel Valdes can be reached at http://twitter.com/ByManuelValdes .

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-27-Zuckerberg-Sister's%20Photo/id-ab1a182018354a2c84aa1be10c36985d

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Michigan I-96 shooting suspect faces arraignment (Providence Journal)

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Dancing, singing traffic reporter's antics go viral

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Anyone who thinks TV news traffic reports are just dry slabs of information has never caught Bob Herzog on "Good Morning Cincinnati." Yes, it's true that he helps direct viewers around potential tie-ups and bumps in the road, but he does it with a very particular flair, channeling Tom Petty lyrics when necessary (instead of the lyrics to "Free Fallin'," he sings "tree fallen" in the road, to help drivers avoid a blockage).?

And then there's his "Dance Party Friday," where producers have apparently let him have a free hand with content; here, he transforms into a song-and-dance man who'll do just about anything on camera, including channeling Elton John (to the tune of "Rocket Man," he croons, "And I think there's gonna be a long long line of cars as you try to get to work on time," adding, "I'm the Traffic Man") and donning costumes (cowboy, a wig, and a succession of skirts), all while shaking his bon-bon to songs such as "What's New Pussycat?" and "Celebration."

It's clearly no act; as Herzog notes on his Facebook page, "My flux capacitor is always fluxing," referencing "Back to the Future."

Herzog has gone mostly unheralded outside Ohio, but now he's gone viral by uploading two compilations of some of his best "Dance Party" moments. Traffic reports -- and local news -- may never be the same again. At least, until a cat wanders onto the set.

Check out the videos, and dig into more on Herzog's YouTube channel!

Related content:

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Source: http://theclicker.today.com/_news/2012/12/27/16189755-local-traffic-man-bob-herzog-channels-elton-john-tom-petty-in-viral-videos?lite

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Education Online | EOFULA

They descerrajaban in the SUR journal the other day a story that had a headline, at least, eye-catching: education surf, but whose foot prayed even more conspicuously online training reaches more than 55000 malaguenos students already. Reading this made me wonder: how many students are there in Malaga? In 2008 there were 135000 undergraduates in all Andalusia and according to the article, from Malaga University 800 attended subjects exclusively online do those 800 are very far from the 55,000 of which speaks in the intro not? Rereading the article, of course, large numbers not listed by any part, and it is those 55000 malaguenos students emerging from those who have been in the virtual campus of the UMA; no doubt cannot be called to this online training. If that relates, as well collect from iMasterD, online training company, to all students who are learning a new language or doing online Excel course, course of Word or similar courses they required of a good management of the online system, but with a learning curve impressively low due to the ease of certain online platforms. Scroll advantages without a doubt, the flexible timetable, prices are more reasonable and which is not necessary. This the online option is reinforced by new digital formats and a growing demand for professionals seeking to complement their training to be able to follow up his professional ladder: Office Automation, design, languages and even opposition.

Likewise, those who could not complete their training in other fields are also in the online vented to the labor crisis that exists today, since it has been proved that those with better formal education get better jobs and last longer in the companies. The UOC, a sample can be a quality training without attending classes; that at least show their titles, as they have become a reference in the sector and he only teaches its courses through the network. And as shown, a button, as were 47270 people which formed over the internet in this Spanish University. University digital platforms, a seed in the UMA (University of Malaga) speaks with mouth big that digital platform, where teachers turning notes and other students download the information teachers need to convey. In addition, is a semi-public forum where questions and problems are turning so that the answers are accessible to all students, so the information flow is constant in time and in the manner, always accessible. But that isn?t online training, while it is true that it is a very very good advance.

Source: http://www.eofula.org/education-online

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Newtown inundated with support, consolation on Christmas

Residents of Newtown Connecticut and out-of-towners alike came together Christmas Day to comfort families grieving after the horrific shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.?

By Brock Vergakis and Stephen Singer,?Associated Press / December 26, 2012

Members of the Rutter family of Sandy Hook, Conn., embrace early Christmas morning as they stand near memorials by the Sandy Hook firehouse in Newtown, Conn.,Tuesday. People continue to visit memorials after gunman Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School and opened fire, killing 26, including 20 children, before killing himself.

Craig Ruttle/AP

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This Christmas was unlike any other in?Newtown.

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When a gunman wiped out nearly an entire first-grade class and killed students and adults in two other first-grade classrooms just 11 days before Christmas, it made it impossible for the holiday to be the same this year.

Some residents, like Joanne Brunetti, have found ways to console and help their grieving neighbors. Well-wishers from around the country are stopping by to do the same.

Brunetti watched over 26 candles that had been lit at midnight, just before Christmas Day, in honor of those slain at Sandy Hook Elementary School. She and her husband, Bill, signed up for a three-hour shift and erected a tent to ensure that the candle flames never went out throughout the day.

"You have to do something and you don't know what to do, you know? You really feel very helpless in this situation," she said Tuesday. "People have been wonderful to everybody in?Newtown?whether you were part of what happened or not. My thought is if we were all this nice to each other all the time maybe things like this wouldn't happen."

At a town hall memorial, Faith Leonard waved to people driving by and handed out Christmas cookies, children's gifts and hugs to anyone who needed it.

"I guess my thought was if I could be here helping out maybe one person would be able to spend more time with their family or grieve in the way they needed to," said Leonard, who drove to?Newtown?from Gilbert, Ariz., to volunteer on Christmas morning. "I know they've been inundated with support and that's great, but it's always nice to have a present to open on Christmas Day."

Julian Revie played "Silent Night" on a piano on the sidewalk at the downtown memorial. Revie, from Ottawa, Canada, was in the area visiting at the time of the shootings. He canceled his plans to go to Australia, found a piano online and chose to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day playing for the people of?Newtown.

"It was such a mood of respectful silence," said Revie, who planned to leave the piano behind. "But yesterday being Christmas Eve and today being Christmas Day, I thought now it's time for some Christmas carols for the children."

Many town residents attended Christmas Eve services Monday evening and spent the morning at home with their families. Others attended church services in search of a new beginning.

At St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, attended by eight of the child victims of the massacre, the pastor told parishioners that "today is the day we begin everything all over again."

Recalling the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14, the Rev. Robert Weiss said: "The moment the first responder broke through the doors we knew good always overcomes evil."

"We know Christmas in a way we never ever thought we would know it," he said. "We need a little Christmas and we've been given it."

Volunteers hung ornaments on a series of memorial Christmas trees Tuesday morning while police officers from around the state took extra shifts to direct traffic, patrol the town and give police here a break.

"It's a nice thing that they can use us this way," Ted Latiak, a police detective from Greenwich, Conn., said Christmas morning, as he and a fellow detective, each working a half-day shift, came out of a store with bagels and coffee for other officers.

The expansive memorials throughout town have become gathering points for residents and visitors alike. A steady stream of residents, some in pajamas, relit candles that had been extinguished in an overnight snowstorm.

Others took pictures, dropped off toys and fought back tears at a huge sidewalk memorial in the center of?Newtown's?Sandy Hook section that is filled with stuffed animals, poems, flowers, posters and cards. Snow covered a pile of teddy bears displayed in town.

Newtown?officials plan to convert the countless mementos paying tribute to the 20 children and six adults into a memorial. Thousands of flowers, letters, signs, photos, candles, teddy bears and other items at sites around town will be turned into soil and blocks to be used in a memorial, The News Times in Danbury reports.

The mementos will stay up until after the New Year as residents and visitors pay their respects.

Police have yet to offer a possible motive for gunman Adam Lanza's rampage. The 20-year-old?Newtown?man, who lived at home, killed his mother in her bed before heading to the school and killing 20 children ? all either 6 or 7 years? and six adults. He then killed himself.

Associated Press writer Debbi Morello contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/CMNu4zG0cVI/Newtown-inundated-with-support-consolation-on-Christmas

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Reddit User Spends Over 200 Hours Building A Canoe (PHOTOS)

After tackling a few home improvement projects and mastering a table saw, you might think your woodworking skills are pretty solid. But Reddit user rsch, who built a beautiful canoe out of wood, seriously impressed us with his handiwork.

Since it was his first attempt at building a boat (he says he's only made paddles before), it included a significant amount of trial and error, along with careful attention to detail. And, over 200 hours of labor.

But the end result, a 49-pound, one-person canoe, was completely worth every minute of time. This gorgeous boat is made out of cedar and covered in fiberglass and epoxy and sprayed with varnish to give it a very professional and clean look. The total cost was just under $1,200, as opposed to the average price of a boat like this, which he says is between $5k-$8k.

Unfortunately, he might not get much use out of it right now. But once springtime rolls around, he'll be able to show off this one-of-a-kind, handmade work of art. Check out the slideshow below to see photos of the building process and the final product.

Have something to say? Check out HuffPost Home on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr and Instagram.

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Do you have a home story idea or tip? Email us at homesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/diy-canoe-reddit_n_2366251.html

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Disney Wins Control of 'Winnie the Pooh' Trademarks In Federal ...

A 21-year legal battle ended last week, as a federal court ruling protected Disney?s trademark of the characters of?Winnie the Pooh. The U.S. Federal Court of Appeals upheld a decision set by?U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, which blocked challenges to Disney?s trademark by Stephen Slesinger Inc.

Stephen Slesinger, a New York literary agent and pioneer in cartoon character marketing, was the first to see the potential in A.A. Milne?s original?Winnie the Pooh characters, and Milne transferred the characters? merchandise rights to Slesinger in 1930. Following Slesinger?s death, his widow then assigned the rights to Disney in 1961.

The Slesinger?s agreement with Disney was renegotiated in 1983 in order to settle certain contract disagreements. By that point, Disney had turned?Winnie the Pooh into a major global franchise; Pooh had become one of the most well-known and profitable Disney characters, and the company was able to build a multi-million dollar merchandising empire around the beloved characters. Soon after the contract renegotiation, the family became embittered with Disney and believed the company to be grossly underpaying the family in royalties for the various Pooh products.

In 1991, the Slesinger?s legal struggle against Disney began, as the family sued Disney in state court, alleging breach of contract. The family ultimately lost that case, and in 2009, a federal judge ruled that the Slesingers? Pooh rights had been completely transferred to Disney. Because of that 2009 ruling, the federal appeals court was able to give its ruling last Friday, which deemed it correct for the trademark office to reject the family?s challenge to Disney?s ownership, thus hopefully putting this long legal struggle to rest.

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Source: http://www.diszine.com/content/disney-wins-control-of-winnie-the-pooh-trademarks-in-federal-court-ruling

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The Most Popular Scientific American Stories of 2012

Relationships beat guinea worms as our most popular story published in 2012. Image: skodonnell /iStockphoto

The top 10 most popular stories published in 2012:

1. Men and Women Can't Be "Just Friends"?

2. The World?s Last Worm: A Dreaded Disease Nears Eradication

3. NASA Crushes 2012 Mayan Apocalypse Claims?

4. How Hollywood Is Encouraging Online Piracy

5. Scientists Discover Children?s Cells Livingin Mothers? Brains

6. Psychiatry's "Bible" Gets an Overhaul ?

7. ?Once in a Civilization? Comet to Zippast Earth Next Year

8. The Power of Introverts: A Manifesto for Quiet Brilliance ?

9. Obama and Romney Tackle 14 Top Science Questions

10. North Carolina Considers Making Sea Level Rise Illegal ?

Honorable mentions: old stories that surfaced with a vengeance this year.

Why Do Cats Purr? April 3, 2006

Why does lactic acid buildup in muscles? And why does I tcause soreness? January 23, 2006

How Long Can a Person Survive without Food? November 8, 2004

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7f482ca5ed0142692822f2961fb7082a

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Rihanna reportedly buys home in Pacific Palisades

2 hrs.

Erika Riggs , Zillow

Just because it?s around the holidays, doesn?t mean it?s been quiet in celebrity real estate. Rihanna picked up a place in the Pacific Palisades and Ricky Martin bought in Manhattan.

Rihanna buys in Pacific Palisades
Although her last home had leak issues, Rihanna didn?t let it dampen her next real estate move. The Barbados-born singer reportedly bought a new home in Pacific Palisades.

Like her previous digs in Beverly Hills, this place is a brand-new, ultra-modern construction. Sitting on a large private lot off a gated road, the home has 7 bedrooms, 9 baths and extra-large living spaces with 14-foot ceilings. True to most celeb properties, the Pacific Palisades home includes quite a few high-end features: media and game rooms and ?smart home? technology that controls temperature, fireplaces, security and sound.

Outdoor spaces abound in Rihanna?s new place, including a sun deck with fire pit and barbecue, as well as an enormous infinity pool with spa, perfect for lounging around after a late-night gig.

Ricky Martin buys NY condo
Shortly after finally selling his last Florida property, Ricky Martin has made his move to New York concrete with the purchase of a Big Apple condo. The pop singer currently stars in the Broadway production of ?Evita? and has said he wanted to make his move to NYC permanent. According to property records, Martin dropped $5.9 million on the home at the end of November.

The apartment Martin purchased is in the 170 East End Avenue building on the Upper East Side. Completed in 2009 by Peter Marino, the building is across the street from the 15-acre Carl Schurz Park, which has playgrounds and open fields, perfect for Martin?s twin boys.

Martin?s 3,147-square-foot place has 4 bedrooms, 4.5 baths, 10-foot ceilings and plenty of windows, creating light living spaces. The eat-in kitchen has top-of-the-line appliances, Swiss quartzite countertops and marble floors. Building amenities include a fitness center, squash court, Pilates room, yoga studio, movie theater, library and children?s playroom.

More from Zillow:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/rihanna-reportedly-buys-home-pacific-palisades-1C7660216

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GLHFCasting ? Everything You Need to Know About Car Insurance

With more cars out on the road each day, it is important to possess an effective car insurance plan. Auto insurance will protect you in the case of an accident by covering damages, financial loss, legal responsibilities, and medical expenses for you or those you are liable for. Auto insurance rates and coverage can fluctuate from company to company, which can be frustrating. Why not let us do the work for you and provide you with all your options? Our site is your source to find an assortment quotes on car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and business insurance. Remove the stress out of purchasing insurance and get yourself covered today. Car Insurance Online Quote

Source: http://www.glhfcasting.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-car-insurance-43/

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Hot spots draw believers, but not doomsday

As the sun rose from time zone to time zone across the world on Friday, there was still no sign of the world's end ? but that didn't stop those convinced that a 5,125-year Mayan calendar predicts the apocalypse from gathering at some of the world's purported survival hot spots.

Many of the esoterically inclined expected a new age of consciousness ? others wanted a party. But, in some places said to offer salvation from the end, fewer people showed up than officials had predicted ? much to the disappointment of vendors hoping to sell souvenirs.

Here are some key places being marked by the fascination over doomsday rumors:

MEXICO

In an area of Mexico that was once the ancient Mayan heartland, spiritualists gathered in the darkness before dawn on Friday to prepare white clothes, drums, conch shells and incense. They believed the sunrise would herald the birth of a new and better age as a vast cycle in the Mayan calendar comes to an end.

Many people who came to Yucatan for the occasion were already calling it "a new sun" and "a new era."

FRANCE

According to one rumor, a rocky mountain in the French Pyrenees will be the sole place on Earth to escape destruction. A giant UFO and aliens are said to be waiting under the mountain, ready to burst through and spirit those nearby to safety. But there is bad news for those seeking salvation: French gendarmes, some on horseback, blocked outsiders from reaching the Bugarach peak and its village of some 200 people.

Eric Freysselinard, head of local government, said the security forces had "partially stopped the new age enthusiasts as well as curious people from coming to the area."

Meanwhile, some Bugarach residents dressed up like aliens, with tinfoil costumes and funnels and fake antenna on their heads, strolling around their village Friday to make light of the rumored UFO prophecy.

RUSSIA

Doomsday rumors have prompted some people across Russia to stock up on candles, water, canned foods and other non-perishable foods. The apocalypse has proven a good business, with some shops selling survival aid packages that include soap and vodka.

In Moscow, salvation has also been promised in the underground bunker for the former Soviet dictator Josef Stalin ? with a 50 percent refund if nothing happens. An underground stay was originally priced at 50,000 rubles ($1,625) but dropped to 15,000 ($490) a week ahead of the feared end.

The bunker, located 65 meters (210 feet) below ground, was designed to withstand a nuclear attack. Now home to a small museum, it has an independent electricity supply, water and food ? but no more room, because the museum has already sold out all 1,000 tickets.

BRITAIN

Hundreds of people have converged on Stonehenge for an "End of the World" party that coincides with the Winter Solstice.

Arthur Uther Pendragon, Britain's best-known druid, said he was anticipating a much larger crowd than usual at Stonehenge this year. But he doesn't agree that the world is ending, noting that he and fellow druids believe that things happen in cycles.

"We're looking at it more as a new beginning than an end," he said. "We're looking at new hope."

Meanwhile, end-of-days parties will be held across London on Friday. One event billed as a "last supper club" is offering a three-course meal served inside an "ark."

SERBIA

Some Serbs are saying to forget that sacred mountain in the French Pyrenees. The place to be Friday is Mount Rtanj, a pyramid-shaped peak in Serbia already drawing cultists.

According to legend, the mountain once swallowed an evil sorcerer who will be released on doomsday in a ball of fire that will hit the mountain top. The inside of the mountain will then open up, becoming a safe place to hide as the sorcerer goes on to destroy the rest of the world. In the meantime, some old coal mine shafts have been opened up as safe rooms.

On Friday a New Age group called "The Spirit of Rtanj" was holding a conference there. Participants, however, said they expect not the end of time but the start of a new time cycle. Locals turned out to sell brandy and herbs.

"There will be no tragedy, no doomsday," said resident Dalibor Jovic. "It was supposed to happen at 12:12 and I think that time has passed. So, we can now go on with our lives and be happy to be alive."

TURKEY

A small Turkish village known for its wines, Sirince, has also been touted as the only place after Bugarach that would escape the world's end. But on Friday journalists and security officials outnumbered cultists. This outcome disappointed local business people who had prepared a range of doomsday products to sell, including a specially labeled Doomsday wine and Turkish delight candy whose "best before" date was Dec. 21, 2012. One restaurant prepared a special "last meal" menu that included a "heaven kebab" and "forbidden fruit dessert."

ITALY

Another spot said to be spared: Cisternino, a beautiful small town in southern Italy in an area of trulli, traditional dry stone huts with conical roofs. The notion that Cisternino could be a safe haven at world's end derives from an Indian guru, Babaji, who said "Cisternino will become an island" at world's end. His followers built a community in Cisternino centered on an ashram built in 1979. Hotel bookings are up this weekend.

Mayor Donato Baccaro told the AP that the beauty of the place has inspired many foreigners to live there. "This confirms that this place has a special energy," he said.

CHINA

A fringe Christian group has been spreading rumors about the world's impending end, prompting Chinese authorities to detain more than 500 people this week and seize leaflets, video discs, books and other material.

Those detained are reported to be members of the group Almighty God, also called Eastern Lightning, which preaches that Jesus has reappeared as a woman in central China. Authorities in the province of Qinghai say they are waging a "severe crackdown" on the group, accusing it of attacking the Communist Party and the government.

U.S.

Dozens of Michigan schools canceled classes for thousands of students to cool off rumored threats of violence and problems related to doomsday. The fears were exacerbated by the recent shooting at a Connecticut elementary school, which "changed all of us," the school system in Genesee County said. "Canceling school is the right thing to do."

___

Associated Press writers Florent Bajrami in Bugarach, France; Mansur Mirovalev in Moscow; Peppino Ciraci in Cisternino, Italy; Suzan Fraser in Ankara, Turkey; Paisley Dodds in London; and Dejan Mladenovic in Mount Rtanj, Serbia, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hot-spots-draw-believers-not-doomsday-142323297.html

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