Monday, December 31, 2012

Changing Calendar 2012

I begged the old man who was standing on the threshold of a new year, "Give me a light that lets me move safely into the darkness". The old man replied, "Go into the darkness and put your hand in the hand of God. It would be better for you than light, and safer than a known way."

That's the King George VI discourse in welcoming Christmas Day 1939. A simile how should the British people faced the New Year in a protracted crisis, the world economic depression following the decade of the 1930s.

A crisis arose because the legacy of the past dark sides which we do not fully recognize it. To identify the causes, we must dare to down the past dark hallway, to find the vision and the right formula changes, instead of relying on generic prescriptions known. To find enlightenment in the dark hallway, we need sincerity and submission to the guidance of the Supreme Pointing.

For those who have the courage and resignation, the inherited crisis is not an excuse to find scapegoats, but rather an opportunity for fundamental change. To make fundamental changes, then what must first be realized is whether what we learn today is the fruit of what we sow in the past. Just remember one thing: who sow the wind will reap a storm, and who create the drama will get the karma. Throughout 2012, the public witness the reversal of a government that stands on the pillars of lies. If the elections as democratic input characterized by a variety of 'lie', then the power will use lies as a way of maintaining the power.

But ignorance of each regime of lies is the belief that the people can always be fooled, whereas the people as the "voice of God" never sleep. How neat the lies covered up, there is always the risk of leakage. Gradually, the political parties --- which in their campaigns promises are always the most vocal saying, "No", --- the corruption plagued by the corruption scandals. People from the party's inner circle one by one revealed to be part of a corruption syndicate. More than that, something that starts with the power of a lie can bear the imitation effects at lower levels. Not only stop in the cases of corruption, but the people of the inner circle of power also continue to show their heart attitude to manipulate public reasoning. In the face of public distrust in government performance, they develop an attitude of apologetics. Apologetics is an attitude to take some of the views that reinforce their claims while rejecting some of the other weakens, such as the attitude of the government which is so hooked to spit out a favorable assessment of the world, but so reactive to reject other assessments that drop their claims of success. Such an attitude will give birth to a double standard. On the one hand, the government proud of the state in the G-20. On the other hand, in establish the measures of poverty -- for example-- the government does not follow the used standards in the elite group, but wears a size prevailing in developed countries.

The attitude of apologetics putting the external assessment as an imaging tool, not a means of introspection. Attitudes like that curb the attainment of truth and maturity. Truth be achieved through openness. Maturity forged through willingness and regretting the weakest side of ourselves.

Unfortunately, the government tendency to cover up the fact and realize its weakness is given confirmation by the academics circumference in the ruling. If Joseph Stiglitz advocated the political leaders to engage in scientific forums -- and so that their policies are objective -- then the scientists in the inner circle of rulership have tended to neglect a critical attitude and objectivity in the face of the ruler.

It seems in 2013 will also be colored by "political noise" due to the discovery of the involvement of "high profile actors" in the mega corruption scandals that continue to be left hanging. Meanwhile, the power aspirants will compete for raffle their luck with each other to steal the opportunity. They are not shy with the red light and breaking the state finances, cause the collision of interests at a crossroads. Forward: hit! Rewind: hit! All drivers of vehicles can be locked, potentially causing gridlock in shaping the state, causing congestion in all lanes.

2013 is also the critical points in the development of democracy. We are facing a critical point in the course of democratic transition, that if it fails to run then it can swing back toward the anarchy or tyranny. The level of public confidence in democracy and the government is in the lowest point that can threaten the survival of democracy.

As reminded by Robert Maynard Hutchins, "The death of democracy is not a murder by a sudden ambush, but rather a gradual extinction caused by apathy, ignorance, and misery." We are also faced with global challenges to bang the challenges doors: Asian free trade, AFTA, the fulfillment of the MDGs, and the pressures of global capitalism, which if it fails to deal with then it can cause a great harm to the nation.

Walking down the dark alley of the past is not meant to make us lose the hope. Experience shows that the spirit of the fight has unlimited ability to face the obstacles because of the expectations. Anger, fear, and grief are unbearable, but so far there is still hope, the spirit remains on.

Thus, as written in the Gospel of Matthew, "Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself." It was also said by the Prophet Muhammad, "If only you know the apocalypse happens tomorrow, while in the grip of your hand there is a seed, then plant it."

A young man asked an old man who was planting the trees. "Why do you grow something that you will not enjoy its fruit?"

The old man replied, "Do you eat whatever the result of what you planted by your own self?"

Fear of tomorrow can only be overcome by planting the virtues today. If our vision for the future clouded by the fog of anxiety and pessimism, then the main cause of it is because we stop growing the hope for the future.

Time is not an eternity, just the labyrinth of question mark which at each end of its interval and its doors will always reserve a mystery. But every trail is not in vain. Just like the ocean begins with drops of water, then any excursions will give hope for the future. Painting of the future is our choice to carve colors on the canvas today.
***
(CZ-lacalifusa123112) 



News Headlines (111) 31 December 2012




ONLINE TODAY

Article: Like Math? Thank Your Motivation, Not IQ - by Tia Ghose, LiveScience Staff Writer | Date: 28 December 2012 

► Oregon man seeks a mate by wearing a Wife Wanted sign - Wed, Dec 26, 2012 - Odd News  :: Sandy McCulloch, a Corvallis, Oregon 82-year-old wears a paper sign around his neck that reads, "WANTED: A WIFE." His low-tech message describes that he's searching for a companion over the age of 60 who loves books, has a sense of humor, and lives in Corvallis. The idea for McCulloch's sign came from a conversation he had with a hospital greeter. When waiting to have coffee with his friend, a hospital minister, he was asked by the greeter if she could help him with anything.


Hot Links: Lindsay Lohan spends $250,000 to redecorate house  || Get Ready For Lindsay Lohan's Bravo Home Makeover 

Gwyneth Paltrow to publish second cookbook 

Memo From Miami | Louis Vuitton's Objets Nomades 

2012's Top 20 Most Fashionable Items On Polyvore The Huffington Post Canada  |  Posted: 12/18/2012

New Year's Eve Dresses: 10 Sparkly Outfits To Wear When You Ring In 2013

Victorian zoological map redrawn - Patterns that inspired Darwin and Wallace get an update 

Chinese scientists find evidence for speed of gravity

Chemistry may save some coral from acidity 

ScienceShot: Plants ... in ... Space!

Who killed Ramses III

Female Fish Are More Attracted to Bi-Curious Males :: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/technology/2012/12/female-fish-are-more-attracted-bi-curious-males/59934/ || TELEGRAPH - Female fish attracted to males that exhibit gay behaviour. Female fish are attracted to males that "flirt" with other males, a study has found.  

Surprising 'Mini' Supermassive Black Hole Found in Unlikely Home - by SPACE.com Staff Date: 06 November 2012

EPA Releases Update on Ongoing Hydraulic Fracturing Study :: http://energy.aol.com/2012/12/21/epa-releases-update-on-ongoing-hydraulic-fracturing-study/ || NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC - Breaking Fuel From the Rock

Nearly One in Three Children With Food Allergies Experience Bullying, Survey Shows Dec. 24, 2012— Nearly a third of children diagnosed with food allergies who participated in a recent study are bullied, according to researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Almost eight percent of children in the U.S. are allergic to foods such as peanuts, tree-nuts, milk, eggs, and shellfish. 

China opens world's longest bullet train line - Between Beijing and Guangzhou, 22 hours is now eight hours. But some say it's still cheaper and faster to fly 

Stella McCartney awarded OBE in 2013 New Year Honours List 

The top 10 tech 'fails' of 2012  -  By Doug Gross, CNN | December 28, 2012 






Hillary Clinton Hospitalized With Blood Clot. Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton has been admitted to a New York hospital after the discovery of a blood clot stemming from the concussion she sustained earlier this month. (Dec. 30) || ► Clinton on Qaddafi: We came, we saw, he died. Published on Oct 20, 2011 ::  Speaking between network interviews, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton jokes with reporter on early, unconfirmed reports that deposed Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi had been killed.


ehehehhee....

► Raw: Baby Boom at British Zoo. Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: Chester Zoo, in northwest England, saw something of a baby boom in 2012. As well as a baby orangutan and an okapi foal, zookeepers delivered an Asian elephant calf.


► Last-Minute Fiscal Cliff Talks in Senate. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: Senate leaders groped for a last-minute compromise Saturday to avoid middle-class tax increases and possibly prevent deep spending cuts at the dawn of the new year. (Dec. 29)







US 'fiscal cliff' talks go to wire 
US Congressional leaders have one more day to avert the "fiscal cliff" of tax rises and spending cuts as talks end on Sunday without a deal.
* Mardell: Obama's fiscal trap 
* Obama on fiscal deal hopes -VIDEO
* Five ways the cliff might hit
* Q&A: The US fiscal cliff
* Fiscal cliff: Possible scenarios
* Naming the 'fiscal cliff'
► Russian plane crash impact captured by Moscow driver. 30 December 2012 - Footage of the moment a Russian plane ran off a runway and hit a motorway in Moscow has emerged. At least four crew members were killed when the Red Wings Tupolev-204 overshot the runway. No passengers were on board. A motorist happened to be filming in his car as he drove along the road when the plane crashed. Peter Dobbie reports. (VIDEO) || NEWS 

► Local government reform 'success' in Helmand. 31 December 2012 - When foreign combat troops pull out of Afghanistan in 2014, Afghan troops will try to fill the gap. In the troubled province of Helmand in the south-west, the security effort has been backed up by local government reform, one of the more significant successes of western intervention. It has been so successful that the British officials who introduced it have been asked to take it to other provinces. David Loyn reports. (VIDEO) || NEWS

► A tour of a Soviet era nuclear bunker targeting the West. 30 December 2012  - Only now are Germans learning the full extent of their past when the East was ruled by the Soviet Union. North of Berlin, for example, there is a hidden nuclear base about which the East German government itself had little knowledge. In 1959, though, nuclear missiles were stationed there, targeted at Western Europe. BBC correspondent Steve Evans has this guided tour. (VIDEO)

► Japan school teaches art of being a mascot. 31 December 2012 - Demand from theme parks, companies and even government offices is fuelling a mini-boom in the use of mascots in Japan. Choko Oohira is making it her mission to ensure that quantity doesn't undermine quality by teaching mascot skills at her own school. Rupert Wingfield-Hayes reports. (VIDEO)

31 December -Italian TV boss criticises sexy showgirls - By Alan Johnston BBC News, Rome 

31 December 2012 - Belle de Jour's history of anonymity

31 December 2012 - The hard task of inventing a truly great dish By Anna-Louise Taylor BBC Food  

31 December 2012- The top memes and viral videos of 2012 By Dave Lee and Mark Ward BBC technology reporters 

2012: A year of new frontiers

Best of the best of 2012 science and tech articles

► Today's African Proverb :: "Bad dancing does not break an engagement" - A Luyia / Gisu proverb sent by Sheila Oder, Kampala, Uganda





► Video: Moment of deadly plane crash into Moscow highway. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: A fatal passenger jet crash was caught on a dashboard camera. The plane skidded into a highway after making a hard landing at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. Five people were killed, three others critically injured. Officials believe the cause could be pilot error. (VIDEO) || NEWS - Moscow plane crash: Deathtoll rises to five (VIDEO OF CARNAGE, PHOTOS) 

Gang-rape epidemic: India mourns victim, proposes chemical castration for offenders

Al-Qaeda offers bounty for US ambassador in Yemen 

Silent sub: Russian noiseless Borei class nuclear submarine immersed

RT recalls 2012: Putin;s back, opposition turmoil, Pussy Riot prank 

Russians; nostalgia for USSR is dwindling - poll


Happy New Law: US adoption in Russia no longer possible. Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: From New Year's Day, the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens will no longer be possible - after President Putin signed the measure into law. It's a tit-for-tat response to America's sanctions against Russian officials which it sees as human rights violators. Irina Galushko has more on the diplomatic spat. Also, Russian studies and history professor Stephen Cohen, from New York and Princeton Universities, says he's never been under any illusions about Russia-US relations.







Obama pushes for gun control measures. Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: US President Barack Obama has used a television appearance to push for new gun control measures. It follows the shooting of 20 children and six adults this month, at a school in Connecticut. Al Jazeera's Daniel Lak reports from Washington.




Inside Story - Confronting India's culture of rape. Published on Dec 31, 2012 :: Ghida Fakhry speaks to guetsts Ved Marwah, a former Commissioner of Police in New Delhi; Aisha Gill, a reader in criminology at the Univeristiy of Roehampton; Ranjana Kumar - director of the centre for social research.


Venezuelans prefer Chavez be treated at home. Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: Ever since he was diagnosed with cancer last year, Venezuela's president Hugo Chavez has been receiving treatment in Cuba. This has got some people to ask why he is not being treated at home. Al Jazeera's Lucia Newman reports from Caracas.







Latest Headlines
Asian Nations Giving Enthusiastic Welcome to 2013 
Chavez Suffers New Complications in Cancer Fight
U.S. Family Pleas for Couple Missing in Afghanistan
9 Killed in Tour Bus Crash Along Oregon Highway
Car Bombing Targeting Shiites in Pakistan Kills 19
Maine Man Held in Deaths of Teenage Tenants
Comedian Katt Williams Arrested in LA  || LATIMES - Comedian Katt Williams in trouble with police -- again
International Syria Envoy Warns of Surge in Deaths
German Magazine Mistakenly Publishes Bush Obituary 
Nobel Scientist Levi-Montalcini Dies in Rome, 103
Obama Wants Gun Violence Measures Passed in 2013
Spanish Police Arrest 17 Suspected Pimps 
At Least 15 Killed in Sect Attack in North Nigeria
CNN: Woman Accused in Newtown Scam 
CNN: Fiscal Cliff Could Put Your Tax Refund on Hold 
France Strikes Down 75% Income Tax On the Rich 
By Bruce Crumley
* France's Colonial Hangover: Apologizing Abroad, Ignoring Injustice at Home
* France 'Biggest Problem' in Euro Crisis, Say German Officials
Fiscal Cliff Disputes Remain as Deadline Nears
* Fiscal Cliff Will Force Big Business Against Mom and Pop
Hillary Clinton Hospitalized with Blood Clot
Hollywood Solves Its Fiscal Cliff Crisis: Hobbit, Django and Les Mis All Win Big 
India Demands Change as It Mourns Gang Rape Victim
* India Rape Sparks Violent Protests (PHOTOS)
Year in Review: Take TIME's 2012 News Quiz
Hunt for the Vicuña: Can This Andean Animal Be a Cash Cow?

Featured
■ TIME's Top 10 New Species (PHOTOS)
Top 10 Comebacks of 2012 
TIME's Top 10 Songs of 2012 
The Year's 10 Worst Tweets



3 PICTURES TODAY

A Russian man holds an ice cream as he swims with other people dressed as Santa Claus in an ice-hole of a pond in the Siberian city of Novosibirsk on December 30, 2012, on the eve of the New Year's celebrations. AFP PHOTO/VALERY TITIEVSKY


A man is seen wrapped with pythons, some which include the Albino Burmese Python, as part of a show celebrating the coming Year of the Snake in the Chinese calendar, while spectators look on, in Malabon city, north of Manila December 28, 2012. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco


A reveler dances during the "Carnaval de Cali Viejo" parade, on December 28, 2012, in Cali, department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia. This parade makes a tour of the popular people and the most important historical events of this region of Colombia. AFP PHOTO/Luis ROBAYO




News Headlines (110) 30 December 2012





New York Prepares for New Year's Eve. Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: To have a New Year's Eve celebration at Times Square, you first have to get '2013' in lights ready. Along with the famous Waterford Crystal ball that drops just in the nick of time. (Dec. 28)




Utah Teachers Trained to Use Guns.  Published on Dec 27, 2012 :: Teachers in Utah attended a gun training class on Thursday. Utah teachers with proper permits can legally carry a gun in their classrooms. 

Oh? Teachers are trained to use the guns? Good. If so, should the students be also allowed to carry the guns? So, if the teachers and students are involved in a dispute, ... ehehehe... let them kill each other. Then do not cry for a bad possibility. As long as Americans continue to use cowboy management, all issues can be reached with the completion of cowboy way.

Obama: Without Tax Deal, Vote on My Plan.  Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: President Barack Obama says Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell are discussing a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff. Without one, Obama demands a vote on his own plan to avoid tax hikes for everyone and government spending cuts. (Dec. 28)







30 December 2012 - Obama 'makes no new cliff offer' 
President Obama asks US Congress to back an interim plan to avoid the "fiscal cliff" and extend tax cuts for most Americans, reports say.
* The cost of the fiscal cliff 
* What if US goes over the cliff?
* Q&A: The US fiscal cliff
* Small firms wary of the cliff
30 December - What 2012 has meant for Afghanistan 

28 December 2012 - A Point of View: The British vomitorium 

► Elephants compete at Nepal 'beauty contest. 30 December 2012  - Elephants and their trainers have competed for prizes at a beauty pageant in the village of Sauraha next to the Chitwan National Park in Nepal. There are around 90 elephants in the area and three made it through to the final round of the contest which is used to highlight the country's elephant preservation programme. Russell Trott reports. (VIDEO

29 December 2012 - Sex, lies and videotapes: A year in Chinese microblogs 

► O2 boss on curry, network outages and family life. 28 December 2012  - BBC Breakfast's Steph McGovern has been speaking to the chief executive of mobile network O2, Ronan Dunne. He told her about how he deals with issues like the network outages that affected millions of customers in 2012, and how family life keeps him grounded. (VIDEO)



   
   




► Oliver Stone: Obama a wolf in sheep's clothing. Oliver Stone: Obama a wolf in sheep's clothing





Fear & Loading: Record gun sales as ban demand backfires. Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: Gun sales are surging to record levels across the US. President Obama's pledge to tackle firearms ownership in the wake of the Sandy Hook school massacre has seen the shooting spree develop into a shopping spree for guns. RT's Gayane Chichakyan spoke to some of the store owners who are cashing in. 





Putin signs law banning American adoption in Russia. Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: President Putin has signed off a bill aimed at U.S. citizens accused of abusing the human rights of Russians. It includes a ban on Americans adopting Russian children. The restrictions came about after Washington introduced travel and financial sanctions against Russian officials it alleges are involved in rights violations. RT's Egor Piskunov has the story. 




Russia plane crash: Tu-204 crashes into highway near Moscow's Vnukovo airport. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: A passenger jet has crashed after taking a hard landing at Moscow's Vnukovo Airport. Three people killed and at least three others taken to hospital in a critical condition.



Happy Crisis! New Year lights leave plight of poor in darkness. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: For most people, this week's festivities have meant a time for family, decoration and the once-a-year spirit of goodwill in the air. So, spare a thought for those who have little to cheer - such as the 11 million French people living in poverty. Alexey Yaroshevsky reports from the capital on whether the bright lights are leaving too many citizens in the dark. 




Medical Marvels: Fancy Living Forever? Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: This holiday season give yourself the gift of good health and check out the latest breakthroughs in Russian medical science. Russia's leading cardiovascular center tests out a brand new artificial heart valve that combines the best of the biological and mechanical worlds. Dental surgery is no longer such a headache with the latest laser scalpel developed in St. Petersburg. Fancy living forever? A Moscow State University professor thinks he might have found the key to giving Father Time the slip, at least temporarily. And see how doctors use state-of-the-art simulators to hone their skills out in innovation-obsessed Kazan.







Inside Story Americas - Has capitalism proven its durability? Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: As unemployment in the US decreases and large companies expand their profit margins, we ask if the capitalist system has proven its ability to endure and adapt. Or should Americans be considering an alternative economic system?




Inside Story Americas - Risking their lives to reach the US. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: An unprecedented number of children from Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras are migrating to the US. It is a harrowing, dangerous journey, but what is making them flee their home countries and what awaits them if they make it to the US?




The Frost Interview - Shimon Peres: 'Self-victimising Palestinians'. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: In an exclusive interview with Sir David Frost, Israel's president questions his government's position on settlements, pours scorn on accusations of a plot to kill Yasser Arafat and insists Palestinians are victims of their own mistakes.



► Inside Story - Central African Republic's looming crisis. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: Will a rebel coup looking to unseat the government place the country in yet another humanitarian disaster? Inside Story, with presenter Adrian Finighan, speaks to guests: Louis Keumayou, the president of the Pan-African Press Association; Magloire Kolisso, a former press attache to the president; and Emmanuel Dupuy, the president of the Institute for Prospective and Security Studies in Europe. (VIDEO


Inside Syria - Is a diplomatic truce in sight for Syria? Published on Dec 30, 2012 :: We ask if UN-Arab League mediator, Lakhdar Brahimi can help end the Syrian crisis after talks with opposition. Inside Syria, with presenter Adrian Finighan speaks to guests: Dr Yazan Abdallah, a Syrian political activist Dr. Abdallah is a member of Syria Dialogue -- a group calling for transitional change in Syria; Dimitri Babich, political analyst at Russia Profile Magazine; Radwan Ziadeh, member of the Syrian National Council; and Salman Shaikh, director of the Brookings Doha Center.






Latest Headlines
Woman Charged with Murder in NY Subway Death 
21 Missing Pakistani Policemen Found Shot Dead
Former President Bush Moved Out of Intensive Care 
At Least 15 Killed in Sect Attack in North Nigeria 
Cough Syrup Suspected in 33 Deaths in Pakistan 
Pony Back With Circus After Christmas Kidnap
4 Dead in Moscow Airliner Crash 
Egypt Transfers Tons of Building Materials to Gaza 
Gay Marriage Law Goes Into Effect in Maine 
N.Y. Woman Arrested in Slaying of 2 Firefighters
Strike Likely Averted at East Coast Ports 
U.S. Shuts Embassy in Central African Republic
CNN: North Korea Likely Deceived U.S.
CNNMoney: The Rich Will Pay More Taxes Next Year 
Dumb Year: The Lamest Moments in Tech 2012 
By Harry McCracken
* Top 10 Apps of 2012 
* Top 10 Gadgets of the Year 
Talks Continue as Fiscal Cliff Deadline Approaches 
After the Fiscal Cliff: Big Business Against Mom and Pop
India Demands Change as It Mourns Gang Rape Victim 
India Rape Sparks Violent Protests
Top 10 Les Mizzes Better Than the New Les Miz 
Study: Potential Increased Risk of Cancer Among 9/11 Rescue Workers
Oscar Surprise: Why a 5-Year-Old Actress Might Just Win Over the Academy
France's 75% Income Tax On the Rich Overturned As Unconstitutional

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Canada's Maple Syrup Cartel 
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Video: SpaceX's Grasshopper Rocket
Multi-Angle: Grasshopper 12-Story Test Flight 12/17/12




News Headlines (109) 29 December 2012






Indian protests after rape death 
Thousands of people stage peaceful protests in India's capital, Delhi, after a woman who was gang-raped in the city dies at a Singapore hospital. 72
* Why does India treat women so badly? 
* Enough! say rape protesters - VIDEO
* In pictures: Protests at death
* Rape death prompts press anger 
21 December 2012 -  Your highlights of 2012 in pictures 

► Paraguayan orchestra using instruments made from rubbish. 29 December 2012 - An orchestra of young musicians from a Paraguayan slum has been touring South America, using instruments constructed entirely from recycled materials. They pulled them from the rubbish dump around their homes. Russell Trott reports. (VIDEO)

► 27 December 2012 - A panda in a zoo in Fu Zhou, China, was rushed to hospital after it began choking and vomiting. An examination revealed that a piece of steamed corn bread was stuck in its oesophagus. It is now recovering after an operation. (VIDEO

► 29 December 2012 - Peter Higgs: honour for physicist who proposed particle By Paul Rincon Science editor, BBC News website  (My older post on Astrid Adrienne (25)|| DAILYMAIL - Battle of the professors: Richard Dawkins branded a fundamentalist by expert behind the 'God particle' 


28 December 2012 - Wikipedia's most searched articles of the year revealed

28 December 2012 - 2012: The year's science and tech news in one graphic 

29 December 2012  - The numbers of the year 2012 

Bangkok' s hippest hostels 

Why did the Antarctic drilling project fail? 

Liquid traditions around the world 

28 December 2012 -  Week in pictures: 22-28 December 2012

29 December 2012 -  50 years of the UK in space 

28 December 2012  -  In pictures: The amazing wildlife of Africa 


It is not without reason, ... why do I want to linger looking at you? (What, Cisca? Cool-eyed monkey?)

Oh, nope. Please do not be offended. Yesterday my fiance was thinking that he would make a report to the United Nations. He wrote, "This morning my fiancée has been kidnapped by a monkey!"


....

28 December 2012 - Big Picture: Interactive antique globe




Six charged with murder after victim dies in Indian gang-rape case 

Senate extends warrantless wiretapping under FISA 

'US, Russia plunging into new Cold War' 

Oliver Stone to RT: 'US has become an Orwellian state'
Anonymous threatens to take down California police department 

Brahimi: Only two ways for Syria - political process or hell 
  There are three crucial things that have to be managed on the conflict in Syria. Cessation of conflict and violence, the humanitarian assistance to civilians and political transition. They are interdependent, because they can strengthen or weaken each other if there is no progress.  Especially with regard to the political transition, it is important to underline the importance of a natural political process. Now, what happens is there's no a forum for both parties to meet without preconditions. This condition needs to be changed. About the position should be carried by Assad needs to be seen through consensus after the talks.

In the field, both sides are equally feeling that they have the upper hand, that they can win with a military option. There is a tendency for self-fulfillment on both sides. The opposition believes Assad will soon fall, while the regime believes that the opposition can be defeated. Both parties should resolve their differences through the political process. Too bad if the political process is stalled because there is still debate about the Assad's future. Some figures from the opposition insisted Assad resignation should be a precondition for the start of the political process. On the other hand, some countries such as Russia finds that whether or not Assad retreat is supposed to be the result of a political process.
****
Russia hopes 'reasonable' Syrian opposition will seek dialogue 

Sweater made by Burmese dissident 'Amay Suu' sold for $49k
(My admiration for this lady has been reduced than before.)
Breaking the ice: Kingdom of Snow to open in Moscow

No small potatoes: Belgium and France argue over origins of French fries 




► South2North - Comedy: 'An agent for change'. Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: Is our political life enriched or undermined by humour that makes fun of those in power? We that question to South African cartoonist Jonathan Shapiro, stand-up comedian Nik Rabinowitz, comedy pioneer Kagiso Lediga and comic Dean Obeidallah.



► Talk to Al Jazeera - William Lacy Swing: Enabling a mobile world. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: The director general of the International Organization for Migration discusses global migration and how it is impacting all of us.



► Listening Post - Syria: Battles fought, lives lost, lies told. Published on Dec 29, 2012 :: This week's Listening Post special takes a chronological look at a year of battles fought, lives lost and lies told in a war that, as the cliché says, has claimed as one of its casualties, the truth. (VIDEO





Latest Headlines
Gay Marriage Law Goes Into Effect in Maine
N.Y. Woman Arrested in Slaying of 2 Firefighters 
Strike Likely Averted at East Coast Ports 
U.S. Shuts Embassy in Central African Republic 
Burma to Allow Daily Private Newspapers 
Argentina's Fight on Defaulted Debt Takes New Step
Pakistan: Bhutto's Son Launches Political Career 
Hawaii Lieut. Governor Picked to Fill Senate Seat 
U.N. Envoy, Moscow Call for Revival of Syria Plan
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Announces Resignation
U.S. Jobless Aid Applications Fall to Five-Year Low
Death Toll from Northeast Storm Rises to Nine 
CNN: North Korea Likely Deceived U.S. 
CNNMoney: The Rich Will Pay More Taxes Next Year 

After the Fiscal Cliff: Big Business Against Mom and Pop
By Scott Gerber
* Obama 'Optimistic' on Fiscal Deal, Urges Senate to Forge Pact 
* Fiscal Cliff Interactive: What the First Month Looks Like
Indian Gang Rape Victim Dies in Singapore Hospital
       * India Rape Sparks Violent Protests (PHOTOS) 

The Great Housing Rebound of 2012: How the Fed Helped Sellers Beat the Odds 

TIME's 10 Most Underreported Stories of the Year

Putin Signs Adoption Ban: Meet the U.S. Families Caught in a Diplomatic Tailspin

10 Big Retail Trends from the 2012 Holiday Shopping Season

Hugh Jackman: Les Miz's Leading Man Talks to TIME

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NBA: The Tale of Two Sad Sacks
Rainbows in the Frame: Emblems of Hope in a Dark Year
Rainbows in the Frame: Emblems of Hope in a Dark Year
A Year of Photographers in the Picture 





Newtown carries on, with reminders everywhere 
* Opinion: Packyour guns, kids 
* N.Y. gunman wrote he was best at killing
* Poll: Support for gun control rises 
* L.A. gun buyback breaks record 


Ibi, Spain - A combatant scores a direct hit with a carton of eggs during Els Enfarinats, part of the local annual celebration of the Day of the Innocents, in which participants dress in military garb and stage a mock coup using raw eggs and flour as weapons. PHOTOGRAPH BY: MORELL / EPA

FRAMEWORK  - The Week in Pictures | December 24-30, 2012 Posted By: Marc Martin 


Friday, December 28, 2012

News Headlines (108) 28 December 2012




ONLINE TODAY

Why being tired makes us look ugly - By Meghan Holohan 

Japanese man is world's oldest person || Japanese man Jiroemon Kimura to become oldest living man ever on record 


An elephant ate my phone, but is this video real?

Natalie Portman, Kristen Stewart Top Our List Of Hollywood's Best Actors For The Buck 


Katy Perry Dresses Up John Mayer as Santa Claus

Kate Winslet Marries in Secret  ||  Kate Winslet's New Husband, Ned Rocknroll: 5 Things You Should Know 

Russia's brutal winter claims 123 lives

Christmas rush: Flight delays blow into Northeast  || 2012 Tornadoes: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi And Alabama Report Christmas Twisters (PHOTOS) || F L I G H T A W A R E




Raw: Pres. Obama Returns From Hawaii. Published on Dec 27, 2012 :: President Barack Obama returns from Hawaii Thursday morning in order to address fiscal cliff negotiations with Congressional leaders in Washington. (Dec. 27) || ► President Expected in Washington Thursday.  Published on Dec 27, 2012 ::  President Obama is expected in Washington on Thursday. The President left his vacation in Hawaii so he could return to negotiations over the impending fiscal cliff. (Dec. 27)






Worker: Keeping Up With the Snow Is "Impossible".  Published on Dec 27, 2012 ::  There's already a foot of snow on the ground in some locations, a the storm pushed its way through the upper Ohio Valley and into the Northeast. The death toll from the storm has risen to 12. (Dec. 27) || ► Christmas Storms Across U.S. Blamed for 2 Deaths.  Published on Dec 26, 2012 :: A Christmas Day twister outbreak left damage across the Deep South while holiday travelers in the nation's much colder midsection battled sometimes treacherous driving conditions from freezing rain to blizzard conditions. (Dec. 26)









US winter snow storm claims more lives 

Obama to host fiscal cliff talks 
President Obama invites Congressional leaders to talks at the White House in a bid to stop the US sliding over the "fiscal cliff".
* What if US goes over the cliff?
* Republicans: 'No blank cheque' - VIDEO 
* Democrats: Cliff edge close - VIDEO
* Small firms wary of the cliff 
US Gen Norman Schwarzkopf dies
Retired US General Norman Schwarzkopf, who led troops in the 1991 Gulf War, has died aged 78 in Tampa, Florida, US media report.
* Gen Schwarzkopf was 'smart' (VIDEO)
► Benazir Bhutto's son makes democracy pledge in Pakistan. 28 December 2012 - The son of Pakistan's murdered ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto has promised to fight militancy to maintain democracy, in his first major political speech. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari told party supporters, who had gathered to mark five years since his mother's death, that she "sacrificed her life to uphold democracy". Jonathan Josephs reports. (VIDEO) ||  NEWS - Benazir Bhutto son Bilawal gives Pakistan political vow 

Cyrus Mistry: Challenges before India's new Tata chief

28 December 2012  -  The year in pictures 2012

In pictures: Art controversies of 2012 

Faces of the year: The men || Faces of the year: The women

Global notable deaths of 2012

► 2012 in 201.2 seconds - 28 December 2012  :: From a royal jubilee, to a royal baby. From drought to flood. Into recession and out again. Elections, protests and of course, the Olympics. It has certainly been an eventful year. Watch the news stories of 2012 condensed into 201.2 seconds. (VIDEO)

2012: Weird and wonderful pictures 

2012: Visions of the future 

Japan's Daisetsuzan National Park || Daisetsuzan National Park




Oregon's flourishing wine region 

28 December 2012 - Predictions for 2013: BBC correspondents. What might 2013 bring? Our experts make their predictions on the big stories and the names to watch.





Obama seeks deal as US 'fiscal cliff' looms. Published on Dec 27, 2012 :: President Barack Obama has cut short his holiday and was returning to Washington as no deal appeared in sight to avoid the year-end "fiscal cliff" of higher taxes and deep spending cuts that could spin the still-fragile economy back into a recession. The US treasury secretary warned on Thursday that the government would hit its borrowing limit on Monday, the final day of the year. Al Jazeera's Tom Ackerman reports from Washington D.C.



► Inside Story Americas - Have US police forces become too militarised? Published on Dec 27, 2012 :: From assault rifles to armoured trucks, even drones. Since the 9/11 attacks the US police have becoming increasingly militarised. But does that mean more safety for Americans? Guests: George Schulz, Norm Stamper, Radley Balko. (VIDEO)

► Inside Story Americas - Which stories did the media ignore this year? Published on Dec 27, 2012 :: There are stories that have enormous consequences on the lives of Americans but are regularly under-reported or misrepresented by the mainstream media. Project Censored, the US media watchdog group, has released their annual report examining the shortcomings of reporting in 2012. (VIDEO)


Al Jazeera World - 36 Boys. Published on Dec 26, 2012 :: About three million Turks live in Germany today. Multiculturalism and integration of immigrants is a fiercely controversial topic. 36 Boys is a compelling insight into the urban reality as told by Turkish immigrants in a Berlin district.



► Inside Story - What is driving Iraqi rage? Published on Dec 28, 2012 :: In central Iraq, a number of arrests have provoked mass protests in two major cities. Will these latest protests lead to renewed sectarian violence? Guests: Saad al-Muttalibi, Anas al-Tikriti, Hiwa Osman. (VIDEO)





Latest Headlines
U.S. Shuts Embassy in Central African Republic
Burma to Allow Daily Private Newspapers
Argentina's Fight on Defaulted Debt Takes New Step
Pakistan: Bhutto's Son Launches Political Career
Putin to Ban Americans from Adopting Russian Children
Hawaii Lieut. Governor Picked to Fill Senate Seat
U.N. Envoy, Moscow Call for Revival of Syria Plan
EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson Announces Resignation
Storm Carries Snow, Rain and Flight Delays into Northeast
U.S. Jobless Aid Applications Fall to Five-Year Low
Death Toll from Northeast Storm Rises to Nine
China Tightening Controls on Internet
CNN: North Korea Likely Deceived U.S.
CNNMoney: The Rich Will Pay More Taxes Next Year
Fleeing Civil War, Syria's Kurds Enter Another Minefield
By Jay Newton-Small / Dohuk, Iraq
* In India, a Rape Sparks Violent Protests and Demands for Justice (PHOTOS)
* Brutal Delhi Gangrape Outrages Indians, Spurs Calls for Action
* New Delhi's Women Problem: What Does It Take to Make a Society Safe? 
Gen. Schwarzkopf, Dead at 78; Remembering Stormin' Norman
France's Colonial Hangover: Apologizing Abroad, Ignoring Injustice at Home
Vietnam's Blogosphere: The Battleground for Rival Factions of the Ruling Communists 
Obama Invites Congressional Leaders to Cliff Talk 
What a Park Presidency Means for S. Korea's Foreign Policy
After India Gang Rape, Should the Culprits Be Executed?


Featured
Constitution Aftermath: Can Morsi Fix Egypt's Economy? 
Poll: Words to Banish in 2013
The Flops: The Worst Movies of 2012
Top Apps for Tablets and Smart Phones
The Winter Storm That Ruined Christmas (Travel): New Photos of the Fallout 

Teenage Wasteland: Japanese Youth in Revolt, 1964

A Year of Photographers in the Picture 






5 PICTURES TODAY


Swimmers step into the water during their traditional Christmas swim in the Vltava river, on December 26, 2012, in Prague. AFP PHOTO / MICHAL CIZEK

Members of the Quorn hunt pause in flood water during the traditional Boxing Day meet at Prestwold Hall near Loughborough, central England, Dec. 26, 2012. REUTERS/Darren Staples

A participant dressed up as Santa Claus jumps in the cold water of Barcelona's Port Vell as he takes part in the103rd edition of the Copa Nadal (Christmas Cup) on December 25, 2012. The traditional 200-meter Christmas swimming race gathered around 400 participants at the Old Harbour of Barcelona. AFP PHOTO/JOSEP LAGO

Children dressed in Santa Claus outfits line up before a Christmas celebration at a kindergarten in Hanoi Dec. 24, 2012. REUTERS/Kham

A horse carriage carrying tourists travels past ice sculptures during the lights testing period of the 14th Harbin Ice and Snow World in Harbin, Heilongjiang province Dec. 23, 2012. REUTERS/China Daily


A L A I N S O R A L






C O M I N G S O O N





He who behaves awkwardly, chaotic, and completely wrong because of nervousness in expressing his feeling for me is the most worthy man I love. Instead, I deserve to suspect him who is very fluent in love speech, because the fluency could be gained from a long practice in an art of seduction, which it has hurt many good people as his guinea pigs. This is my life, I'll be wise.
***
(CZ-Lacalifusa122812)