South Africa's rand hits fresh one-month high

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"7663536","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-1342339791", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-1342339791", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "7663536", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "7663536" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp=new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp=new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africas-rand-hits-fresh-one-month-high-061255761--finance.html

arizona republican debate arizona debate enquirer national inquirer knicks vs heat ash wednesday kate walsh

Fortissimo EXX//Akkord

Fortissimo EXX//Akkord

In a post-war mangrove surrounded island, there exist a magical ritual, one that requires a sacrifice between twelve selected magi before thirteen hours elapsed every occurrence of the I-Space: a world that resembles the real world, yet only magi can go.

Owner:

Game Masters:

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Fortissimo EXX//Akkord?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

Topic Tags:

online roleplay roleplay online -->

HTML, for websites and MySpace:

BBcode, for forum posts and signatures:

--> Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.


Post a reply

RolePlayGateway is a site built by a couple roleplayers who wanted to give a little something back to the roleplay community. The site has no intention of earning any profit, and is paid for out of their own pockets.

If you appreciate what they do, feel free to donate your spare change to help feed them on the weekends. After selecting the amount you want to donate from the menu, you can continue by clicking on PayPal logo.

Who is online

Registered users: 106.Whit(;, Abridged*, Adantas*, Addrinvan*, airedeiagrace*, Akantha, Alphawolf565*, alwaystheunlucky*, Angelfire, Animality Opera, animorph11*, Arabella13, Arch_Demon666, Archereon*, arpiainen*, Ashes-6695*, Asper, AugustaBlaze*, AzricanRepublic*, Beach-Born-Boy, Bhu-Bhu, BIGBADpanda, bizarre1*, Blackbird26*, BleedingCrimson*, Blue-red*, Blueman, BlueWind_22, Breyerluv*, Buddywazzizname*, Cadounus, Caelus, candykitten, ceh12*, Celedia, Centraiu, cha-kun, ChaosBlade*, cheater0611*, ChristyLovesYou*, Chynacat32, cima55, cirrus_sd*, cmpuncle, ColeMaibara*, Conumbra, CookieCupcake, CooL KiD x StCross, create_something*, crystalrain*, Curtsive*, Dalmar*, Dante Angelico*, DB_Explorer*, Deallo*, deathrisesagain*, delfiler, Digital_Muse*, Draruto, Elrith Eldwind, ElvenEllis*, EmperorCaesar*, EverFrost*, evilfang, Exabot [Bot], FamishedPants*, Fencer*, fiverglem*, FizzGig*, Furry Dragon, Geekly*, Genesis Rhapsodos*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, Haas33*, hanybanany*, Himekura*, Horseygirl, Hushh, I_Eat_Cookies*, Ichigo15, Imagine That!, Irish Wolf*, ItsViolet*, ItzReesieCup, ivythepikachu*, Izoi*, jackrules158*, Jadebud98, Jadeling Hawkins, JayZeroSnake*, Jinx911*, John_234*, kexia, KiraArsenic*, kobochi, Kohananinja*, Konstantein*, Korrye, LadyoftheLand*, Lainpinky131*, Lakeview24601, Lambie, Layla*, Legate, Leon21, Lexen, lexilexij*, Lifecharacter*, Link Mantis, Little Troll*, lovechanningforever, lovelyzombie*, Love?*, LRmember*, LuckyNumber24*, macheteshark, Magix*, MaliceInWonderland, Malzberry*, MarchHare*, Marionette*, marvell*, Mat_z6*, Miss_Sumo*, Modesty, Morgan, MSNbot Media, Nami*, Naruto94*, Nekohina, Nevan*, Nevermore90*, nicolbaka*, Nikolai*, No More Questions, NotAFlyingToy*, OpalePhantasmagoria*, pieluver*, ponerj, Princess Awinita*, Qaida*, qbsuperstar03*, RacoonMoon()*, reap*, ReaperGirl4*, Red Soldier*, RedRaine, rockPolotics*, Roku Mushabuki*, Romaneck, RoseAmedori, Rougeshadow*, RydeDawg*, S1mon*, Saarai*, Saikua*, sasha-jen*, Script*, Selmaina, Shifter13, SilverInk*, SkullsandSlippers, Skwidge*, slcam, Slump*, SMinSC*, Snow, snowstark*, Sokka25*, Sorella*, St. Valentine*, Starsailor, Stella11, StitchSaysHi, stormwolf321, SugarPlum2*, SunniBunny*, Susie Maddy Daison*, Sweet Angel Jocelyn*, SweetestXXdreams, Sylwyn, tachyglossus*, Tainted Twinkee*, Tayloremond, TemplarWarden, Terrus*, The Great Thundorz*, The Painkiller*, The*Lucky*Teacup, TheFlag, Thundera*, Thundergod1020*, Tiko, Tilly*, trouble_in_paradise, Tsukiakari, ultimas308*, varxint, Verum Umbra*, VindicatedPurpose*, VitaminHeart*, VoidZero, WadeJackel*, Welcome Home, whatyoufancy*, Wild1, WindOnFire*, Wingedness*, wolfoftheage, Wudgeous, xoxMissClairexox, XxEvil1xX*, Yahoo [Bot], YoureStillAnInnocent, ZacharyTC*, Zantejh*, Zenia*, zeno3111*, zerodagger*, Zitacamron95, zody*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/huhrQ4bDICc/viewtopic.php

saint louis university leprechaun night at the museum pope shenouda bolton muamba crystal cathedral sxsw

Serious games could be integrated into surgical training subject to validation

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley

Serious gaming can be used to enhance surgical skills, but games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into teaching methods, according to a paper in the October issue of the surgical journal BJS.

Researchers from The Netherlands reviewed 25 research studies covering 30 serious games published between 1995 and 2012.

"Many medical professionals may still have a rather out-dated view of the average gamer as being someone who is too young to vote, afraid of daylight and busy killing mystical dwarves in their parent's basement" says co-author Dr Marlies Schijven from the Department of Surgery at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.

"However, the reality is that the average game player is 37 years-old and there are almost three times as many women using games as boys aged 17 years or younger.

"Although game-based learning is becoming a new form of healthcare education, scientific research on its effectiveness is limited. The aim of this review was to identify the value of serious games for training professionals in medicine and, in particular, surgery."

Nineteen articles discussing 17 serious games specifically developed for educational purposes were identified by Dr Schijven and co-author Dr Maurits Graafland. Many of these covered team training in acute and critical care and dealing with mass casualty incidents, including nuclear events and hazardous materials. Others covered more specific areas of healthcare, such as training for coronary artery bypasses and knee joint surgery and assessing and resuscitating patients with burns.

Six studies assessed 13 commercially available games associated with, but not specifically developed for, improving skills relevant to the medical profession. They included sports, action, adventure and shooting games and were used to help surgeons improve their laparoscopic psychomotor skills.

The authors have made a number of observations as a result of their review. These include:

  • Serious games form an innovative approach towards the education of medical professionals and surgical specialities are eager to apply them for a range of training purposes.
  • Further research should define valid performance parameters and formally validate programmes before serious games can be seen as fully fledged teaching instruments for medical and surgical professionals.
  • Although a serious game does not necessarily have to be developed for an educational purpose to be an educational tool, such games cannot be seen as fully completed training resources.
  • Serious games allow multiple professionals to train simultaneously on one case and allow one professional to train multiple cases simultaneously. These skills are recognised as critical in reducing medical errors in dynamic high-risk environments, such as the operating room or emergency department.
  • Serious games can provide crisis resource training, with a large variety of cases, in a relatively cheap, readily available environment that provides a viable alternative to expensive simulators. Serious games also provide training environments for disaster situations and mass casualty incidents, including combat care.
  • Games need to be designed to fit into residency teaching programmes if they are to be used as a way of preventing medical errors.
  • Simulation and serious gaming represent ideal teaching methods to optimise the knowledge and skill of residents before they are entrusted with procedures in real patients. Educators and games designers should develop serious games that train professionals in order to maximise patient safety.
  • Although the cost of developing serious games can run into millions, this investment can be justified in terms of delivering better patient care and preventing errors and insurance companies could play a key role.

"Our review clearly shows that serious games can be used to provide surgeons with training in both technical and non-technical skills" says Dr Schijven. "However, games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into surgical teaching programmes."

###

The paper can be read free online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.8819/pdf

Note to editors

Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Graafland et al BJS. 99, pp1322-1330. (October 2012). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.8819

With an impact factor of 4.606, BJS is the premier surgical journal in Europe and one of the top six surgical periodicals in the world. Its international readership is reflected in the prestigious international Editorial Board, supported by a panel of over 1200 reviewers worldwide. BJS features the very best in clinical and laboratory-based research on all aspects of general surgery and related topics. Developing areas such as minimally invasive therapy and interventional radiology are strongly represented. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/BJS

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Sep-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Annette Whibley
annette.wizard@gmail.com
Wiley

Serious gaming can be used to enhance surgical skills, but games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into teaching methods, according to a paper in the October issue of the surgical journal BJS.

Researchers from The Netherlands reviewed 25 research studies covering 30 serious games published between 1995 and 2012.

"Many medical professionals may still have a rather out-dated view of the average gamer as being someone who is too young to vote, afraid of daylight and busy killing mystical dwarves in their parent's basement" says co-author Dr Marlies Schijven from the Department of Surgery at the Academic Medical Centre in Amsterdam.

"However, the reality is that the average game player is 37 years-old and there are almost three times as many women using games as boys aged 17 years or younger.

"Although game-based learning is becoming a new form of healthcare education, scientific research on its effectiveness is limited. The aim of this review was to identify the value of serious games for training professionals in medicine and, in particular, surgery."

Nineteen articles discussing 17 serious games specifically developed for educational purposes were identified by Dr Schijven and co-author Dr Maurits Graafland. Many of these covered team training in acute and critical care and dealing with mass casualty incidents, including nuclear events and hazardous materials. Others covered more specific areas of healthcare, such as training for coronary artery bypasses and knee joint surgery and assessing and resuscitating patients with burns.

Six studies assessed 13 commercially available games associated with, but not specifically developed for, improving skills relevant to the medical profession. They included sports, action, adventure and shooting games and were used to help surgeons improve their laparoscopic psychomotor skills.

The authors have made a number of observations as a result of their review. These include:

  • Serious games form an innovative approach towards the education of medical professionals and surgical specialities are eager to apply them for a range of training purposes.
  • Further research should define valid performance parameters and formally validate programmes before serious games can be seen as fully fledged teaching instruments for medical and surgical professionals.
  • Although a serious game does not necessarily have to be developed for an educational purpose to be an educational tool, such games cannot be seen as fully completed training resources.
  • Serious games allow multiple professionals to train simultaneously on one case and allow one professional to train multiple cases simultaneously. These skills are recognised as critical in reducing medical errors in dynamic high-risk environments, such as the operating room or emergency department.
  • Serious games can provide crisis resource training, with a large variety of cases, in a relatively cheap, readily available environment that provides a viable alternative to expensive simulators. Serious games also provide training environments for disaster situations and mass casualty incidents, including combat care.
  • Games need to be designed to fit into residency teaching programmes if they are to be used as a way of preventing medical errors.
  • Simulation and serious gaming represent ideal teaching methods to optimise the knowledge and skill of residents before they are entrusted with procedures in real patients. Educators and games designers should develop serious games that train professionals in order to maximise patient safety.
  • Although the cost of developing serious games can run into millions, this investment can be justified in terms of delivering better patient care and preventing errors and insurance companies could play a key role.

"Our review clearly shows that serious games can be used to provide surgeons with training in both technical and non-technical skills" says Dr Schijven. "However, games developed or used to train medical professionals need to be validated before they are integrated into surgical teaching programmes."

###

The paper can be read free online at: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/bjs.8819/pdf

Note to editors

Systematic review of serious games for medical education and surgical skills training. Graafland et al BJS. 99, pp1322-1330. (October 2012). DOI: 10.1002/bjs.8819

With an impact factor of 4.606, BJS is the premier surgical journal in Europe and one of the top six surgical periodicals in the world. Its international readership is reflected in the prestigious international Editorial Board, supported by a panel of over 1200 reviewers worldwide. BJS features the very best in clinical and laboratory-based research on all aspects of general surgery and related topics. Developing areas such as minimally invasive therapy and interventional radiology are strongly represented. http://wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/BJS

Wiley-Blackwell is the international scientific, technical, medical, and scholarly publishing business of John Wiley & Sons, with strengths in every major academic and professional field and partnerships with many of the world's leading societies. Wiley-Blackwell publishes nearly 1,500 peer-reviewed journals and 1,500+ new books annually in print and online, as well as databases, major reference works and laboratory protocols. For more information, please visit www.wileyblackwell.com or our new online platform, Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com), one of the world's most extensive multidisciplinary collections of online resources, covering life, health, social and physical sciences, and humanities.



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-09/w-sgc091112.php

jennifer garner jennifer garner romney michigan derrick williams railgun jk rowling new book between two ferns

Playroom September 10 2012 | Bonbon Break

?2012 Bonbon Break Media, LLC -- All text, images, design, titles, recipes, and other matter appearing on Bonbon Break ("BonbonBreak.com Material") are copyright of Bonbon Break, LLC and / or it's contributors unless otherwise specified and may not be transferred or copied - digitally or otherwise - in any manner without written permission of BonbonBreak, LLC. No alterations or modifications whatsoever may be made to BonbonBreak.com Material including to any of its images, graphics, designs, or recipes without written permission. Violations will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Source: http://www.bonbonbreak.com/2012/09/09/playroom-september-10-2012/

road house occupy oakland occupy oakland morgellons disease arik armstead sag awards red carpet torrey pines

Science helps Spain's natural cork industry pop back

Mon Sep 10, 2012 8:59am EDT

(Reuters) - For three generations Antonio Gorgot's family have carried axes into the mountainous forests of northern Spain to cut slabs of bark off their cork oaks. A few years ago their livelihood was under threat as the cork business lost its buoyancy.

Sales of Spanish cork plummeted between 2008 and 2010 as plastic wine stoppers or metal screw tops made headway globally alongside declining wine consumption.

But now the traditional cork business has recovered, rescued by unlikely saviors: cutting-edge laboratory researchers in white coats who are demonstrating why nature's stopper may still be one of the best ways of preserving and serving bottled wine.

"We're totally in debt to the labs. It's great for our market that they have shown that cork has advantages over other competitors," said Gorgot, 53.

Now natural wine cork production is back at levels of its best times, a bright spot in a Spanish economy that is mired in its second recession in just three years.

Cork cutters and wine producers say the turnaround is largely due to scientists helping them boost the quality of cork production by introducing a strict new European protocol to certify quality corks.

Spain's cork-producing regions of Catalonia, Andalucia and Extremadura have set scientists the task of ensuring corks don't have any infamous "cork taint" - a musty odor caused by the chemical trichloroanisole (TCA).

The Catalan Cork Institute (ICC) in Girona, the largest research institute of its kind, has had its public funding cut but continues its work due to contracts with cork producers and wine bottlers wanting improved standards to give them an edge.

The laboratory tests wine corks and bottles of wine from producers to see which stoppers perform best. It tests whether corks emit smells or contaminating molecules, does a microbiological analysis and also checks out torque and extraction to see how strong the cork is.

Results, which include comparisons with plastic stoppers, are used by bottlers to make buying decisions.

The result is higher quality corks being used for wine, driving out poor quality offerings.

MARKETING PUSH

The testing has also shown that sometimes wine tasters have wrongly blamed corks. Juan Pablo Orio, director of research and development at winemaker Bodegas Riojanas remembers: "At a wine tasting in England a client complained that a wine tasted of cork but when we checked on it, it had a plastic stopper."

That kind of scapegoating is becoming less common thanks to cork producers implementing stricter protocols.

The research has also helped cork producers to better market themselves, particularly targeting the more lucrative export market beyond crisis-rattled Spain.

Spain has exported cork since the 19th century and is now the second largest cork exporter in the world, last year selling 300 million euros ($384.03 million) of cork abroad. Spain each year sells 3 billion corks, making 1.3 billion for sparkling wines and 1.7 billion for ordinary wines.

While many mid- to low-range wines are increasingly bottled with plastic or metal corks in big wine drinking countries like Britain and Germany, Spain's producers are now pushing the advantages of traditional cork.

"With the alternative corks people lost sight of the fact that real cork works very well," said Manel Pretel, director of the ICC. "(Synthetic corks) generated problems such as the loss or gain of oxygen which weren't issues with real cork."

Cork can be compressed on bottling lines and then instantly revert to 85 percent of its original size to form an airtight seal for the bottle.

SYNTHETIC EDGE

Rival synthetic cork producers have noticed the improvement in natural corks but say there are still many poor quality corks on the market.

The most expensive natural corks are cut from a slab of bark in one piece, but "agglomerated" corks are made from the offcuts glued together.

"Those corks have a chemical that's a lot more aggressive and complex than the plastic we use," said Carlos Valero, manager of ExcellentCork, a synthetic maker in Alicante.

Spain's cork industry says, however, that developments from laboratories like the ICC have led to an improved quality in agglomerated corks.

Increasingly, environmentally aware consumers are also drawn to the fact that growing cork trees helps the planet since forests of cork-oak trees, Quercus suber, remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Also, cork is a renewable resource, since the bark of the tree grows back.

"It's (the) green economy: respecting natural regeneration cycles and respecting the ecosystem," said the ICC's Pretel.

Gorgot and his crew of between four and seven men harvest the cork in the thick forest of Alt Emporda, bordering France, between May and August, searching for the trees planted in higgledy-piggledy formations, rather than rows. An experienced cork cutter can earn 100 euros a day during the harvest season.

A cork tree must grow 25 years for the first harvest, and then it's another eight to 14 years until the next bark has been formed. And the bark is not good enough for corks until the third harvest.

"You don't learn to cut cork in one or two years," said Gorgot. "You need a lot of skill with the axe. You need to leave behind the lower layer of bark that regenerates the next harvest of cork."

($1 = 0.7812 euros)

(Writing by Sarah Morris; Editing by Fiona Ortiz)

Source: http://feeds.reuters.com/~r/reuters/scienceNews/~3/scIjIYTr0Uw/us-spain-wine-corks-idUSBRE8890IX20120910

republic wireless space ball drops on namibia matt barkley melanie amaro x factor boise state jordans prometheus movie

Childhood Obesity's New Frontier -- Shapewear

Argo gold mine

It?s a traditional American clich? ? ?Thar?s gold in them thar hills!? There certainly is gold in the mountains of fat that encumber so many people, as proven by billionaire Sara Blakely, the inventor of Spanx shapewear. A lengthy profile of the billionaire entrepreneur, written by Clare O?Connor, was the cover story of the March issue of Forbes magazine.

In her younger days, Blakely worked for a while at Disney World as a ride attendant, buckling the customers in. Maybe even then, her subconscious was storing up images of the hundreds of bulging bellies and hefty thighs that she must have come into contact with every day.

Later, she sold fax machines door-to-door and became that company?s national sales trainer. Unable to buy the exact kind of slimming underwear she wanted, she was struck by the inspiration to start manufacturing it. A lot more inspiration came from a series of cassette tapes by motivational speaker Wayne Dyer, titled ?How to Be a No-Limit Person.?

Over a two-year period, Blakely demonstrated the American DIY spirit, writing her own patent application, designing the product?s packaging herself, and overcoming stage fright and fears of both heights and flying. She personally sold the first Spanx from a folding table at the Neiman Marcus department store, and ran a mail-order business from her apartment, doing all the customer service, marketing, and public relations herself.

Other major department stores came on board, and Blakely scored a major coup by getting Oprah Winfrey into the figure-smoothing underwear. And then:

In November 2000 Winfrey named Spanx her favorite product of the year.

The company made $4 million the first year of its existence, and more than double that the second year. Now, it offers a couple of hundred different products that are manufactured in 15 counties and sold in 40 countries. Currently, the journalist reports:

Blakely owns 100% of the private company, has zero debt, has never taken outside investment and hasn?t spent a nickel on advertising.

Blakely is married to a multi-talented fellow named Jesse Itzler who has several glamor-fitness-related business interests including coconut water and low-calorie vodka. At some point in the past, the Spanx mogul tried out stand-up comedy, and her husband describes her as ?50% Lucille Ball, 50% Einstein.? Nowadays, she is a motivational speaker, tirelessly inspiring women to follow their own entrepreneurial dreams.

Over the last several decades, women have rejoiced at being freed from girdles. Now, they?re paying top dollar for undergarments that are, basically, girdles. Driven by the obsession to be firm, even East Coast intellectuals admit to wearing multiple layers of Spanx undergarments to ensure the restraint of any free-wobbling flab.

In one of her TV appearances promoting the tight undershirts that hold men?s stomachs in place, Blakely remarked, ?It looks so much cleaner under suits.? If thin is clean, then fat must be dirty, and this is the kind of unthinking linguistic habit that makes so many obese people more ashamed and alienated than they otherwise would be.

The Huffington Post recently posted a video about why these garments could be detrimental to the health of teenagers, mentioning ?bladder infections, gastro-intestinal problems and nerve damage that can result in numbness and burning in the thighs.? An online comment by Melissa Parker, who works in a clothing department, says:

The worst reasoning of all I see in young women when it comes to the purchasing/wearing of shapewear is when it is at the urging of their hyper-critical, judgmental moms? I spent most of prom season in fitting rooms with crying girls who looked perfectly lovely with no shapewear or push up bras, but were made to feel so inferior by the criticism from their own mothers.

Your responses and feedback are welcome!

Source: ?Undercover Billionaire: Sara Blakely Joins The Rich List Thanks To Spanx,? Forbes, 03/07/12
Source: ?Teen Spanx: Shapewear May Be Bad For Their Health (VIDEO),? The Huffington Post, 08/02/12
Image by Michelllaurence?(modified).

-->

Source: http://childhoodobesitynews.com/2012/09/10/childhood-obesitys-new-frontier-shapewear/

chris carpenter dick cheney hcg drops reason rally mad hatter azerbaijan ryan howard

AP PHOTOS: Scenes from final days of US Open

NEW YORK (AP) ? After a weather-challenged week, the U.S. Open wraps up Monday when defending champion Novak Djokovic and Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray meet in the men's final.

Djokovic leads the head-to-head series against Murray 8-6 but lost their most recent matchup in the semifinals of the London Games.

For the fifth straight year, rain forced the men's title match to be scheduled a day late.

The women's final between Serena Williams and Victoria Azarenka that was supposed to be played Saturday night was shifted to Sunday afternoon. Williams won for her fourth Open title.

Here's a gallery of U.S. Open photos.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-photos-scenes-final-days-us-open-231640769--spt.html

jose reyes college football bowl schedule college football bowl schedule double mastectomy 2011 bowl schedule bcs games heath bell

House chairman visits AF base reeling from scandal

(AP) ? The chairman of the House Armed Services Committee said the Air Force is diligently investigating a widening sex scandal at Lackland Air Force Base after he made a personal visit to the Texas installation on Sunday.

Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon spent three hours at the base, where he met with Gen. Edward Rice Jr., military officers, enlisted members and recruits. The base and the Air Force have been rocked by allegations that dozens of female recruits were sexually assaulted or harassed by their male instructors.

"Hundreds of investigators are following all kinds of leads," McKeon said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. In some cases, the investigators are going back two or three times, he said.

The California Republican, who made the stop in Texas on his way to Washington for Congress' return this week, said he received assurances from top military officers that they will do all they can to ensure the incidents don't occur again.

Military prosecutors have investigated more than a dozen instructors at Lackland and charged six with crimes ranging from rape to adultery. The most serious allegations involved an instructor sentenced to 20 years in prison in July after being convicted of raping one female recruit and sexually assaulting several others.

Lackland is where every new American airmen reports for eight weeks of basic training. About 35,000 graduate each year.

About one in five recruits are female, while most of the nearly 500 instructors are male.

McKeon's visit comes as the allegations at Lackland have prompted victims of sexual assault in the military to push for congressional investigations and hearings.

McKeon had an opportunity to meet with some 30 recruits, about half of them female, with few military officers in attendance. He described it as a unique situation.

"You can read about in the paper, watch it on TV or hold hearings, but you can't get 30 recruits to Washington," he said.

Last month, the military ousted the top commander over the basic training unit at Lackland. In addition, Texas Sen. John Cornyn held up the nomination of the White House pick for Air Force chief of staff while pressing for answers about the scandal. Cornyn finally ended his hold on the nomination of Gen. Mark Welsh after meeting with him to discuss the scandal.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-09-09-Air%20Force%20Sex%20Scandal/id-9ee4b4d2c2ad47d4ba715be80dcf3e6c

miguel cabrera michael bay ninja turtles san antonio weather mike daisey nicollette sheridan apple dividend snow white and the huntsman