Monday, March 18, 2013

Iraq War 10 years later: was it worth it?

This week marks the 10th anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq ? a war that lasted far longer and was more costly than Americans were told to expect by their military and political leaders, a war that has led to much public questioning as well as private soul-searching.

It?s clear that a decade of war has led to changed attitudes.

At the conclusion of the Conservative Political Action Conference this weekend, there was a presidential straw poll. But conservative activists also were asked about the US role in the world, and the response was clear: only 34 percent said the US should adopt a more muscular role; 50 percent said the US should pull back, leaving it more to allies to take care of trouble spots.

Those results are similar to other recent polls taken of the general populace regarding whether the Iraq War was worth the effort and cost. By about two-to-one, Americans today answer ?no.?

RECOMMENDED: Think you know the Middle East? Take our geography quiz.

It will take years before the total costs are tallied. For one thing, thousands of combat veterans will require long-term treatment and disability benefits related to the conflict?s signature injuries: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

But a new report by Brown University scholars gives some indication of the financial and human toll.

Among the findings:

? More than 70 percent of those who died of direct war violence in Iraq have been civilians ? an estimated 134,000. This number does not account for indirect deaths due to increased vulnerability to disease or injury as a result of war-degraded conditions. That number is estimated to be several times higher.

? The Iraq War will ultimately cost US taxpayers at least $2.2 trillion. Because the Iraq war appropriations were funded by borrowing, cumulative interest through 2053 could amount to more than $3.9 trillion.

? The $2.2 trillion figure includes care for veterans who were injured in the war in Iraq, which will cost the United States almost $500 billion through 2053.

? The total of US service members killed in Iraq is 4,488. At least 3,400 US contractors have died as well, a number often under-reported.

? Terrorism in Iraq increased dramatically as a result of the invasion and tactics and fighters were exported to Syria and other neighboring countries.

? Iraq?s health care infrastructure remains devastated from sanctions and war. More than half of Iraq?s medical doctors left the country during the 2000s, and tens of thousands of Iraqi patients are forced to seek health care outside the country.

? The $60 billion spent on reconstruction for Iraq has not gone to rebuilding infrastructure such as roads, health care, and water treatment systems, but primarily to the military and police. The Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction has found massive fraud, waste, and abuse of reconstruction funds.

?Nearly every government that goes to war underestimates its duration, neglects to tally all the costs, and overestimates the political objectives that will be accomplished by war?s violence,? said Neta C. Crawford, professor of political science at Boston University and co-director of the "Costs of War" project at Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies.

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Meanwhile, although anti-war protesters no longer demonstrate in this country, the inevitable debate over the war continues.

In a new Showtime documentary ?The World According To Dick Cheney,? the former vice president says ?If I had to do it over again, I?d do it in a minute.?

No doubts for Mr. Cheney now ? as others have ? based on what?s known about Saddam Hussein?s nonexistent stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) or the Iraqi dictator?s questionable ties to Al Qaeda, the terrorist organization led by Osama bin Laden and responsible for the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon killing nearly 3,000 people.

Other senior officials in the administration of George W. Bush are not so adamant.

Regarding the elusive WMD, Bush administration national security advisor Stephen Hadley told NPR over the weekend: "Republicans thought [Hussein] had them, Democrats thought he had them, the Clinton administration thought he had them, the Bush administration thought he had them.?

"We were all wrong,? he says.

Regarding the human toll on both sides, Mr. Hadley admits that "clearly the situation got away from us."

But, he said in the NPR interview, "I think this is a country that is taking responsibility for its security both internally and externally.?

Responding to the Brown University ?Costs of War? report, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, said that the US and Iraq have forged a "strategically important bilateral relationship."

"Compared to where we were in the Saddam era, we now have a bilateral security agreement,? she said, according to several press reports. ?We have deep economic interests and ties. We have a security relationship. We have a political relationship.?

Still, stability in Iraq remains a serious concern.

?Ten years after the US-led invasion that toppled Saddam Hussein, talk swirls in government circles of Sunni protesters planning to destabilize the country,? Monitor correspondent Jane Arraf reports from Baghdad. ?While many discount the possibility of a coup, rising sectarian tension and an ongoing political crisis have raised fears that there is a new battle looming between Baghdad and the provinces.?

In a column last Friday titled ?Five Myths About Iraq,? Washington Post associate editor and former Baghdad bureau chief Rajiv Chandrasekaran notes the latest violent news from Iraq: ?On Monday, a suicide bomber drove his explosives-laden car into a police station, killing five people; the same day, six more people were killed in various militant attacks in Baghdad. Three days earlier, 19 people died in a string of attacks targeting security personnel.?

Andrew Bacevich has what is perhaps a unique view of the Iraq War, its outcome and its aftermath. Dr. Bacevich is a West Point graduate who served in Vietnam, a career US Army officer who retired as a colonel, and a professor of history and international relations at Boston University.

Bacevich's son, a 27 year-old US Army First Lieutenant, was killed in Iraq by a roadside bomb. The loss weighs heavily on Bacevich. (He wrote about it movingly shortly after his family's loss.) But he was speaking and writing critically about the war before his son was killed in 2007, and he continues to do so today.

In a long Washington Post essay earlier this month (?Ten years after the invasion, did we win the Iraq war??), Bacevich puts the Iraq War in the context of earlier conflicts ranging back to the War of 1812 through World War I to Vietnam, writing that ?battlefield outcomes thought to be conclusive often prove anything but.?

?A challenge facing historians of the Iraq war ? will be to gauge what senior members of George W. Bush?s inner circle were actually trying to accomplish,? he writes. ?The justifications offered for the invasion were all over the place, including supposed weapons of mass destruction, claims that Saddam Hussein had collaborated with al-Qaeda and visions of democracy throughout the Arab world.?

?Eventually, only this last ? Bush?s Freedom Agenda ? remained,? he continues. ?Yet, as the war dragged on, expectations of transforming the Middle East gave way to more modest definitions of success. When it came to advancing the cause of liberty, the Bush administration set out to build a cathedral. In the end, the Obama administration declared itself content with a shaky two-car garage.?

Politicians may argue vigorously about the conduct of the war and its outcome, as Sen. John McCain did in charging that Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel would be found to have been ?on the wrong side of history? regarding Iraq in general and the ?surge? in particular.

But Bacevich argues that ?judgments rendered by history tend to be tentative, incomplete and reversible.?

?More than occasionally, they arrive seasoned with irony,? he writes. ?This is especially true when it comes to war, where battlefield outcomes thought to be conclusive often prove anything but.?

Just as it was in Vietnam ? and back and back through previous wars ? the outcome of the US-led invasion and occupation of Iraq remains unclear. ?Was it worth it?? is a question impossible to answer.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-war-10-years-later-worth-141829429.html

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Kasey Kahne wins 1st career race at Bristol

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (5) celebrates after winning the Food City 500 auto race, Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne (5) celebrates after winning the Food City 500 auto race, Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Denny Hamlin (11) leads driver Kyle Busch (18), driver Kasey Kahne (5) and others during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 auto race on Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Kasey Kahne (5) leads the field during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 auto race on Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Jamie McMurray (1) spins as driver Kevin Harvick (29) and others get past during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 auto race on Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

Crew members work on Tony Stewart's car during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Food City 500 auto race on Sunday, March 17, 2013, in Bristol, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

(AP) ? Kasey Kahne won his first career Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway after Brad Keselowski struggled on the final restart.

Tempers flared after the race when Joey Logano leaned inside the car window of former teammate Denny Hamlin to complain about Hamlin spinning him during the race. At the time, Logano was racing Jeff Gordon for the lead.

Logano was pulled away from Hamlin's car by crew members for both drivers in a classic post-Bristol clash that delighted the crowd. "They're fighting! It's Bristol!" yelled Clint Bowyer, who saw the action on the infield big screen.

Logano wouldn't discuss what he told Hamlin.

"That is for me to know and Denny to know. Frustrating," he said. "I had a really fast ... Ford and I felt like it was capable to win the race."

Hamlin shrugged it all off.

"He said he was coming for me," Hamlin said. "I usually don't see him, so it's usually not a factor."

The two sparred briefly on Twitter after the season-opening Daytona 500, when Hamlin complained Logano ruined the closing laps of the race. But he said Sunday's flap was not a carryover.

"It didn't have anything to do with that," Hamlin said. "You've really got to control your car and he slipped up into me. Really, he would have been in the garage with no radiator in it if I had not checked up twice. I meant to run in to him. I didn't mean to spin him out, but his day was fine. We finished bad and he finished bad. It's even."

Their feuding may have played a role in the outcome of the race.

Keselowski was the leader on the final restart with 39 laps to go and lined up next to Kahne. Hamlin was lined up behind Keselowski, with Logano lined up behind Hamlin. When the flag waved, Keselowski didn't go and Kahne rocketed to the lead and never looked back.

Although it appeared Keselowski spun his tires, he was adamant after the race about what happened ? "I got ran over!" ? and that prevented him from breaking away on the restart.

Hamlin backed up Keselowski's account.

"The 22 (Logano) ran into me and shoved me into (Keselowski)," Hamlin said. "Sorry to the 2, but I was the pinball in the sandwich. Once he throttled up, the 22 lifted me up and just flat out pinned me up against the 2."

Logano seemed to think Keselowski spun his tires and that created the bottleneck, but Keselowski believed he had help from behind.

"I haven't seen the replay, I just know my rear tires were off the ground before I got to the restart zone," he said. "Eventually I got hit so hard it pushed my foot in the gas pedal, made myself look like a (fool). That was the deal. Never had another chance."

Nobody came close to Kahne, who drove his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet to the win by 1.7-seconds. Hendrick drivers have now won two of the first four races this season.

Kyle Busch snagged second from Keselowski, who took over the Sprint Cup Series points lead as the only driver to open the season with four top-five finishes. Kurt Busch finished fourth and was followed by Bowyer and Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Ryan Newman was seventh, Brian Vickers was eighth and Paul Menard and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 10.

The race changed dramatically with 110 laps to go in a bizarre crash between leaders Gordon and Matt Kenseth. Gordon was out front when he suddenly lost a tire and his car darted up the track into the wall. Kenseth had nowhere to go to avoid him and drove directly into the back of Gordon, causing heavy damage to both cars.

"You all right?" crew chief Alan Gustafson radioed Gordon.

"Yeah, I'm OK. Did we take out Matt, too?" Gordon asked.

With the top two cars in the garage, the rest of the field headed to pit road to reset for the final 100 laps.

"I hate that for Matt Kenseth," Gordon said. "He was coming, and it was just a matter of time before he caught us. We needed points. This definitely isn't going to get us many."

Kenseth, winner of last week's race at Las Vegas, said the crash was unavoidable.

"There's not a lot either one of us can do about that," he said. "There was nowhere to go."

Before the Gordon-Kenseth crash, Gordon and Logano were dueling for the lead. Gordon used a two-tire stop with about 175 laps to go to gain eight spots on pit road and take the lead. Logano chased Gordon around the 0.533-mile bullring, pulling even with the four-time champion as he exited the corners only to lose ground on the straights.

Lurking behind in third was Hamlin, who apparently got tired of waiting for Logano to get past Gordon and showed how restless he was with slight contact on Logano's bumper as they exited Turn 2.

The tap caused Logano to back his car into the wall and took him out of contention, leading to the post-race drama Bristol is known to create.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-17-CAR-NASCAR-Bristol/id-3deea14906fb49f3a9515c5c784ef9ae

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Sunday, March 17, 2013

St. Patrick's Day EVE Edition -- ISRAEL PULLING OUT ALL THE STOPS to maximize halo from Obama trip next week -- JEB BUSH at CPAC: 'Here's reality: . Much of the . nation is drowning'

OBAMA IN MIDEAST NEXT WEEK ? ?Israel sees Obama visit as chance to show its best side: an estimated 500 foreign journalists are arriving to cover the U.S. president's trip,? by L.A. Times? Edmund Sanders in Jerusalem: ?When the White House tweaked the president's upcoming Holy Land itinerary to include Bethlehem's Church of the Nativity, Israelis feared he wouldn't have time for a field trip to see their beloved Iron Dome missile defense system. No problem, Israeli officials decided. If Obama can't come to the Iron Dome, the Iron Dome will come to him. One of the five U.S.-funded batteries, which Israel is marketing for sale internationally, will be temporarily repositioned to the airport for a photo op with the arriving president. Obama's three-day trip to Israel and the West Bank, which begins Wednesday, offers Israelis a rare opportunity to shine before a global audience. ?

?Politicians and pundits will schmooze with some of the estimated 500 visiting foreign journalists at a government-sponsored cocktail reception, while special excursions are being offered for visitors to highlight the softer side of Israel, from wine tasting to Christian pilgrimage. The trip even has an official government logo (U.S. and Israeli flags morphed into one), a slogan (?Unbreakable Alliance?) and a new smartphone app launched by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office to track every step.? With a great AFP pic: ?Workers in the town of Kfar Saba ready U.S. and Israeli flags in preparation for President Obama's visit to Israel and the West Bank.? http://lat.ms/ZxCYPg

THE PRESIDENT?S WEEK AHEAD: ?On Saturday and Sunday, the President has no public events scheduled. ? On Tuesday, the President will welcome Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Enda Kenny of Ireland to the White House.? ? In the morning, the President will meet with the Taoiseach in the Oval Office, and subsequently he will attend the traditional St. Patrick?s Day lunch at the U.S. Capitol.? During the day, the President will also greet First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Northern Ireland at the White House to discuss their progress toward meeting their shared commitment to a peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Northern Ireland.? In the evening, the President and the First Lady will host a reception to celebrate their fifth St. Patrick?s Day at the White House.? During the reception, the President and Kenny will participate in the annual Shamrock ceremony started under President Truman.? Later in the evening, the President will depart for Israel.

?On Wednesday, the President will have separate meetings with President Peres and Prime Minister Netanyahu.? He will also hold a joint press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu. On Thursday, the President will meet with President Abbas of the Palestinian Authority and will tour a youth development center with Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Fayyad.? Later in the day, the President will deliver a speech to the Israeli people at the Jerusalem International Convention Center.? He will also hold a joint press conference with President Abbas. On Friday, the President will meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan and later will hold a joint press conference with King Abdullah II. On Saturday, the President will return to Washington.?

THE V.P.?S WEEK AHEAD: ?On Saturday, the Vice President will be in Wilmington, Delaware. There are no public events scheduled. On Sunday, the Vice President will depart from Washington, DC, en route Rome, Italy, to lead the U.S. Delegation to attend the Inauguration Mass celebrating the Pontificate of His Holiness Pope Francis. The Vice President will arrive at Ciampino Airport in Rome at 9:40 PM LOCAL TIME/4:40 PM ET. The arrival is open press.?

2017 WATCH ? ?Campaign for Obama library in full swing,? by AP?s Josh Lederman in D.C., with Sara Burnett in Chicago: ?In Illinois and Hawaii, the two states Obama calls home, universities and community groups are drafting plans and deploying a mix of public and private efforts to persuade Obama to choose their site for what will be a monument to his historic presidency and an instrument to continue his legacy. ? In December, top officials from the University of Chicago, where Obama once taught law, traveled to Dallas and met with archivists at The George W. Bush Presidential Library at Southern Methodist University. At the meeting was Susan Sher, first lady Michelle Obama's former chief of staff and longtime friend and now a senior adviser to the University of Chicago's president.

?Alice McLean, who heads special programs in the university [of Chicago] president's office ? met Susan Donius, the director of presidential libraries for the National Archives and Records Administration, who provided a set of architectural and design standards required for presidential libraries. ? In Honolulu, where the president was born, University of Hawaii officials have visited nearly all the 13 official presidential libraries to talk to officials involved in setting them up. An American studies professor, Robert Perkinson, is leading a statewide effort coordinated by the university, with support from Gov. Neil Abercrombie and other state and federal officials. The state Legislature has passed two resolutions urging Obama to pick Hawaii.?

KEEPING IT CLASSY: N.Y. Post cover, "KOREAN TAKEOUT: US aims anti-nuke missiles"

2016 WATCH?? "Jeb Bush CPAC Speech Says GOP Must Stop Being 'Anti Everything' Party,? by HuffPost?s Jon Ward in National Harbor, Md.: ?Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush , ? speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference annual dinner, made the heart of his speech a call to the GOP to ?learn from past mistakes. ?. All too often we?re associated with being ?anti? everything ? Way too many people believe Republicans are anti-immigrant, anti-woman, anti-science, anti-gay, anti-worker ? Many voters are simply unwilling to choose our candidates even though they share our core beliefs, because those voters feel unloved, unwanted and unwelcome ? It is not a validation of our conservative principles if we can only point to the increasingly rare individual who overcomes adversity ? Here?s reality: if you?re fortunate enough to count yourself among the privileged, much of the rest of the nation is drowning. In our country today, if you?re born poor, if your parents didn?t go to college, if you don?t know your father, if English isn?t spoken at home, then the odds are stacked against you. You are more likely to stay poor today than at any other time since World War II.?? http://huff.to/XKda6F

** A message from the Coalition for Medicare Choices: 16 days until CMS's proposed new Medicare Advantage cuts become permanent. If nothing is done, 14 million seniors in Medicare Advantage get hit with an average of $50-$90 per month in higher costs and benefit cuts next year. View the new TV ad at: www.medicarechoices.org. **

TOP TALKER -- Financial Times p. 1 (Asia and U.S. editions), ?China sees 330m abortions in 40 years of enforced controls on family size,? by Simon Rabinovitch in Beijing (online hed: ?Data reveal scale of China abortions?): ?Chinese doctors have performed more than 330m abortions since the government implemented a controversial family planning policy 40 years ago, according to official data from the health ministry. ? Since 1971, doctors have performed 336m abortions and 196m sterilisations ? The Chinese government has previously estimated that without restrictions, the country?s 1.3bn population would be 30 per cent larger. In the US, where the population is 315m or about one-quarter the size of China?s, an estimated 50m abortions have been performed since ? Roe vs Wade ? legalised abortion in 1973.?

GREAT OUT-OF-OFFICE MESSAGES -- Kerry Kennedy, president, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights: ?I will be on a delegation to Uganda and Zimbabwe.?

BEYOND THE BELTWAY ? L.A. Times second front, ?L.A.?S RACE FOR MAYOR: EMILY adds Greuel to list: The group?s endorsement could help her expand her fundraising network,? by Maeve Reston and Seema Mehta: ?Los Angeles mayoral hopeful Wendy Greuel got a potentially powerful boost Friday by winning the endorsement of EMILY?s List, which could help her tap into a deep network of female donors across the country. Under city campaign finance rules, City Controller Greuel and her rival City Councilman Eric Garcetti were required to spend all their money from the March 5 primary before entering the runoff. They now have 10 weeks to solicit the millions of dollars they will need to finance an expensive television campaign to reach city voters. That forced them to spend much of their time in the last week dialing donors, asking for contributions that are limited to $1,300 in the runoff cycle. Garcetti headlined a fundraiser Friday at the home of film producer James Lassiter and has an event planned next week at the Los Angeles manse of billionaire Tony Pritzker.?

BIRTHDAYS: WaPo's Ellen McCarthy (hat tip: Patrick Gavin) ... ABC?s ABCs Eric Avram ? comedian-director Jerry Lewis is 87 ? game-show host Chuck Woolery is 72 ? Erik Estrada is 64 (h/ts AP)

BIG DECKARD BIRTHWEEK: Joshua Spencer Deckard was yesterday ? Hudson Walker Deckard is 1 tomorrow!

THE SHOWS, from @MattMackowiak:

--NBC?s ?Meet the Press?: Cardinal Francis George; Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) and House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA); Gov. Scott Walker (R-WI); roundtable with MSNBC?s Chris Matthews, former Gov. Frank Keating (R-OK), author and former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend (D-MD) and Republican strategist Ana Navarro

--ABC?s ?This Week?: Speaker Boehner; roundtable with ABC News? George Will, Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-CA), NPR?s Audie Cornish, ABC News political analyst Matthew Dowd and former HP CEO Carly Fiorina; foreign policy roundtable with Will, former Clinton administration Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, former Bush administration National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley and former Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. James Cartwright (USMC, Ret.); ?Sunday spotlight? segment with ABC News? Bob Woodruff

--CBS?s ?Face the Nation?: Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI); Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN); RNC Chairman Reince Priebus; foreign policy roundtable with Council on Foreign Relations president Richard Haass, AEI?s Danielle Pletka, The Atlantic?s David Rohde and The New York Times? David Sanger

--?Fox News Sunday?: Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) and Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL); roundtable with The Weekly Standard?s Bill Kristol, FORTUNE Magazine?s Nina Easton, former Bush White House senior adviser Karl Rove and former Howard Dean campaign manager Joe Trippi

--CNN?s ?State of the Union? (SUN 9-10am ET / 12pm ET): Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) and Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-MD); Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) and Rep. Tom Cotton (R-AR); roundtable on the future of the Republican Party with ACU?s Al Cardenas, Democratic strategist Kiki McLean, Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ) and Johns Hopkins University?s Dr. Ben Carson

--CNN?s ?Fareed Zakaria GPS?: (SUN 10am ET / 1pm ET): Former Bush administration Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz; discussion on Afghanistan with Wolfowitz, former Pakistani Ambassador to the U.S. Hussain Haqqani and the Council on Foreign Relations? Gayle Tzemach Lemmon; discussion on North Korea with former Bush administration National Security Council Asian Affairs director and Georgetown University?s Victor Cha and former U.S. Ambassador to South Korea and Korea Society chairman emeritus Donald Gregg; Yale University?s Emma Sky

--Univision?s ?Al Punto? (SUN 10am ET): Argentinian journalist and co-author Sergio Rubin (?The Jesuit,? a biography of Pope Francis); Mexican Cardinal Juan Sandoval I?igues and American Cardinal Sean O?Malley; Jesuit priest and friend of Pope Francis, Ernesto Giobando; Vatican archives expert Roberto Antonio Ve?lsquez; Basque Country newspapers Vatican correspondent I?igo Dominguez (from the Vatican)

--C-SPAN: ?The Communicators? (SAT 6:30pm ET): Last in a series of interviews from the CES International 2013, highlighting the newest developments in TV, communications and consumer technology ? ?Newsmakers? (SUN 10am ET / 6pm ET): Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA), questioned by Bloomberg News? Heidi Przybla and The Hill?s Russell Berman ? ?Q&A? (SUN 8pm ET / 11pm ET): Weekly Standard executive editor Fred Barnes

--NBC?s ?The Chris Matthews Show?: Roundtable with NBC News? Chuck Todd; NBC News? Kelly O?Donnell, TIME Magazine?s Joe Klein and BBC?s Katty Kay

--Bloomberg?s ?Political Capital? with Al Hunt (SUN 8am ET / 1pm ET): House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA)

--Bloomberg?s ?Capitol Gains? (SUN 12pm ET / 5pm ET): Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI); White House Big Data Senior Steering Group?s co-chair Dr. George Strawn; segment with Bloomberg Government technology analyst Mike Nelson

--ABC7?s ?Inside Washington?: (SAT 7pm ET on NewsChannel 8 / SUN 9am ET on ABC7 WJLA): Roundtable with syndicated columnist Mark Shields, POLITICO?s Lois Romano, Evan Thomas and syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer

--PBS?s ?To the Contrary?: Re-broadcast of ?Meet the new Congresswomen? with Rep. Krysten Sinema (D-AZ), Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN), Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH), Rep. Elizabeth Etsy (D-CT), Rep. Susan Beldene (D-WA), Rep. Carol Shea Porter (D-NH) and Rep. Ann Kuster (D-NH)

--TV One?s ?Washington Watch with Roland Martin? (SUN 9am ET): The Potter?s House Worship Center?s (Dallas, TX) Bishop T.D. Jakes; AFL-CIO chief economist Williams Spriggs; The Washington Post?s Michael Fletcher; panel with former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell (R-OH), The Buten Group?s Charles Butler, The Grio?s Sophia Nelson and SiriusXM radio host Joe Madison

--SiriusXM's ?Polioptics? with Josh King (Sat., Sun.; noon and 6): Jenni LeCompte, former Assistant Treasury Secretary for Public Affairs of the U.S. Department of the Treasury (with guest exit interviewer Timothy Geithner). And chapter two of breaking down Netflix's "House of Cards" with executive producer and show runner (and former Howard Dean advance man) Beau Willimon. On SiriusXM's POTUS Ch. 124; available for download on iTunes and at http://www.polioptics.com.

** A message from the Coalition for Medicare Choices: In just 16 days, CMS's proposed new Medicare Advantage cuts become permanent. Vulnerable seniors will pay more, get less and lose choices. If the cuts become permanent, the average senior will get hit with $50-$90 a month in higher costs and benefit cuts next year. Many seniors will lose their Medicare Advantage plan altogether. According to an independent analysis, "Virtually all of the 14.1 million Medicare beneficiaries are likely to be affected by these changes, either through increased premiums, reduced benefits, or plan exits from local markets." Time is running out. Take action now to stop the proposed new Medicare Advantage cuts. View the new TV ad at: www.medicarechoices.org. **

Source: http://feeds.politico.com/click.phdo?i=38af09fd785a5f7feba0574b5eb779d6

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Saturday, March 16, 2013

We're live at Expand San Francisco 2013! Here's what we're liveblogging today

We're live at Expand San Francisco 2013! Here's what we're liveblogging today

We're here at beautiful Fort Mason, with San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge as our backdrops, and Engadget Expand is about to kick off! We couldn't be more thrilled about this weekend's lineup, which includes fireside chats with innovators from Google, Kickstarter, OUYA and more -- not to mention our first-annual Insert Coin competition and -- wait for it -- Tesla Model S test drives. If you haven't purchased tickets in advance, don't despair: they're available on-site at $60 for a full pass, $40 for Saturday only (including access to our after-party, which you won't want to miss) or $30 for just Sunday. We'll be liveblogging a handful of sessions today, and you can catch all of the action from the Expand stage in our livestreams as well. Click past the break for a breakdown of both.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/16/live-at-expand-2013/

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XBMC team starts work on version 13 'Gotham', breaks down new UPnP, Android updates

XBMC team starts work on version 13 'Gotham', breaks down new UPnP, Android updates

Just because XBMC 12 Frodo has been officially released we wouldn't expect the team behind the media PC software to take too long of a break. In fact, in a blog post it's announced plans to return to a monthly development cycle, as well as a code name for version 13 of the software: Gotham. While we wait for the next official release to arrive, the February build features improvements to UPnP with a "Play Using..." push server feature that should be familiar if you've used Play To on Windows for example. also new are Android fixes that let it rotate in any direction, and control the device's native audio. there are other changes as well, which can be reviewed beyond the source link, along with test versions for your preferred platform.

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Source: XBMC Blog

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/03/15/xbmc-team-starts-work-on-version-13-gotham-breaks-down-new-up/

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The Aspiring TV Writer and Screenwriter Blog: Screenwriting links ...

The Aspiring TV Writer and Screenwriter Blog: Screenwriting links: Friday, March 15 - and all the 'Veronica Mars' articles you can handle

Screenwriting links: Friday, March 15 - and all the 'Veronica Mars' articles you can handle

Source: http://aspiringtvwriter.blogspot.com/2013/03/screenwriting-links-friday-march-15.html

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A Night of Whiskey And Dancing At Front And Palmer ... - Phoodie.info

If you?re not into those fancy shmancy dinner parties then come down to Front & Palmer Friday, March 22nd for the Whiskey and BBQ Salon Dinner with special performances by The Bearded Ladies Cabaret Troupe. Food will be provided by Feast Your Eyes and whiskeys will be brought to you by High West Distillery and Philadelphia Distilling Company.

And did I mention free valet parking?

Tickets are $59, and you can buy them here

Front & Palmer, 1750 N Front St, (215) 634-3002

Source: http://www.phoodie.info/2013/03/14/a-night-of-whiskey-and-dancing-at-front-and-palmer/

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Molecule's structure reveals new therapeutic opportunities for rare diabetes

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Researchers at Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute (Sanford-Burnham) have determined the complete three-dimensional structure of a protein called HNF-4?. HNF-4? controls gene expression in the liver and pancreas, switching genes on or off as needed. People with mature onset diabetes of the young (MODY1), a rare form of the disease, have inherited mutations in the HNF-4? protein. This first-ever look at HNF-4?'s full structure, published March 13 in Nature, uncovers new information about how it functions. The study also reveals new pockets in the protein that could be targeted with therapeutic drugs aimed at alleviating MODY1.

"Previous structural studies of HNF-4? and related nuclear receptors only revealed smaller, isolated fragments of these proteins," said Fraydoon Rastinejad, Ph.D., professor in Sanford-Burnham's Diabetes and Obesity Research Center, located at the Institute's Lake Nona campus in Orlando, Fla., and senior author of the study. "Because those studies looked only at separate pieces of HNF-4?, many people suspected there was no coordination between different regions of the protein. But we showed those assumptions are incorrect. HNF-4?'s domains are highly organized in a way that has implications for our understanding of MODY1 and the development of treatments for the disease."

Implications for MODY1

Rastinejad's study helps explain why inherited genetic mutations that alter HNF-4? protein structure can be so damaging. The mutations that lead to MODY1 usually occur within a very small, specific region of the HNF-4? protein that's separate from the DNA-binding region. Rastinejad and his team found that, despite their distant location, the mutations telegraph a signal to the DNA-binding region, causing HNF-4? to malfunction and thus MODY1 to develop.

The team also discovered new pockets in the HNF-4? protein that could be targeted with therapeutic drugs. Like other nuclear receptors, HNF-4? has a pocket that binds natural signaling molecules or could be targeted with synthetic drugs. But this new study revealed several other pockets in other regions of the protein. And because they also found cross-communication among different regions on the protein, the team believes that a drug binding a distant pocket could still influence DNA binding.

"We're now working with our colleagues in Sanford-Burnham's Conrad Prebys Center for Chemical Genomics to screen a large chemical library?a collection of around 300,000 compounds?to find molecules that bind to these newly discovered HNF-4? sites," Rastinejad said. "We're looking for molecules that restore DNA binding in MODY1 patients. This way, even if we can't fix the mutation, we can still send a molecule to rescue the receptor's ability to tightly bind DNA."

More about HNF-4?

HNF-4? is a special type of protein called a nuclear receptor. It sits on the DNA in a cell, controlling thousands of genes by switching them on or off in response to outside signals. Nuclear receptors make good drug targets because one region is bound to DNA, while a pocket sits open on another part of the protein, just waiting to hold a signaling molecule. Therapeutic drugs can also be made to fit these pockets, switching the nuclear receptor on or off to alter gene expression.

Until this latest study, many researchers believed that most nuclear receptors are organized like beads on a string. Each bead (protein domain) has a function, but the string itself is just loose. Rastinejad and his team showed that the opposite is true. HNF-4?'s domains are organized and coordinated?a domain that receives a signal can actually transmit it to a distant site on the protein. According to Rastinejad, the domains are interconnected, talking to one another.

HNF-4? is found mostly in liver and pancreatic cells, where it turns on genes needed by those organs and keeps other, unnecessary genes off. HNF-4? helps control carbohydrate metabolism, glucose regulation, insulin production, and many other important processes. In other words, HNF-4? is what makes a liver a liver and a pancreas a pancreas.

###

Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute: http://www.burnham-inst.org

Thanks to Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

This press release has been viewed 42 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/127297/Molecule_s_structure_reveals_new_therapeutic_opportunities_for_rare_diabetes

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Jason and Molly Mesnick Welcome Daughter Riley Anne

It?s a girl for Bachelor couple Jason and Molly Mesnick, who welcomed daughter Riley Anne Mesnick on Thursday afternoon in Seattle.

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

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Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Denied the chance to cheat or steal, people turn to violent video games

Denied the chance to cheat or steal, people turn to violent video games [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Brad Bushman
Bushman.20@osu.edu
614-688-8779
Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio A new study suggests that people get frustrated when they are offered the opportunity to cheat or steal and that chance is then taken away from them.

Other studies have shown that blocking people from achieving their positive goals increases frustration, which is not surprising. But this is the first to show that even denying people the chance to commit forbidden behaviors can increase frustration.

That's not all. The researchers also found that people who are frustrated in their attempts to cheat or steal are more likely than others to be attracted to violent video games.

"We made new discoveries in what makes people frustrated and aggressive, but also what people do when they're feeling this frustration," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University.

"Our results help us understand why people are attracted to violent entertainment in the first place they feel they can take out their frustration virtually."

Bushman conducted the study with Jodi Whitaker, a graduate student at Ohio State, and Andre Melzer and Georges Steffgen of the University of Luxembourg.

Their results appear online in the journal Psychological Science.

The researchers conducted two experiments. The first involved 120 male college students, who were given 30 minutes to complete a multiple-choice history exam. They were told that those who did well on the exam would earn chocolates or apples (their choice).

All of the participants were given the exam in an envelope. But half of them received a completed exam with a score of 100 percent marked at the top the test had no name on it, so they could claim it as their own.

After five minutes, the experimenter interrupted participants and said: "Sorry, I gave you the wrong copy of the exam." The participants handed back their exams in the envelope, and were given another envelope with the exam. This exam was also either scored 100 percent or left blank.

Of those who initially were given the chance to cheat on the exam, half still had the chance to cheat, while that chance was withdrawn for the other half.

After turning in their tests, the students waited to receive their grades.

The question was: How would those people who lost their chance to cheat react? To find out, the students were told they could complete a brief study about video games while they waited for their test results.

Participants read descriptions of eight fictitious video games, four violent and four nonviolent, and rated how much they wanted to play each game on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 10 (extremely).

Those students who had the chance to cheat withdrawn were more attracted to the violent video games than those in the other two groups (never had a chance to cheat, or had a chance to cheat the entire time). The latter two groups did not differ in their attraction to violent video games.

None of the three groups differed in their attraction to nonviolent games.

Bushman noted that none of the students admitted to cheating, or having the chance to cheat, even though they did cheat (as evidenced by their scores). But the students who were denied the chance to cheat obviously had a different view than others on their video game choices.

"Because violent video games permit aggression, they may be especially attractive to people who experience frustration," Bushman said. "We believe students felt frustrated when they didn't get a chance to cheat on the test."

The researchers looked more closely at the link between frustration and attraction to violent video games in a second experiment that included 141 male college students. This experiment involved stealing rather than cheating. Students used a bowl of quarters to demonstrate their estimate of how many coins would weigh the same as an object.

In a similar setup to the first study, some students had the opportunity to steal coins, while others had that opportunity taken away from them. The remainder never had the opportunity to steal.

Afterwards, the students completed a "mood" form, in which they were asked to rate on a scale of one to five how much they felt various feelings, including frustration. They then rated how much they wanted to play the same eight fictitious video games used in the first study.

First of all, students who did have the chance to steal tended to do so an average of between about one and three quarters, depending on their level of access, Bushman said.

Those who had the chance to steal withdrawn from them showed higher-than-average levels of frustration than those in the other two groups and they were more likely to be attracted to the violent video games.

"The prevention of taboo behaviors like stealing produces frustration, just as does the prevention of more desirable goals," Bushman said. "This is a new finding that adds to our understanding of what causes frustration and aggression."

The results also help explain the appeal of violent video games.

"Many people believe that violent video games are a kind of catharsis, allowing them to alleviate angry feelings," he said. "Research findings suggest this isn't true, but that's part of the appeal to many people."

###

Contact: Brad Bushman, (614) 688-8779; Bushman.20@osu.edu Written by Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu



[ 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.


Denied the chance to cheat or steal, people turn to violent video games [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 11-Mar-2013
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Brad Bushman
Bushman.20@osu.edu
614-688-8779
Ohio State University

COLUMBUS, Ohio A new study suggests that people get frustrated when they are offered the opportunity to cheat or steal and that chance is then taken away from them.

Other studies have shown that blocking people from achieving their positive goals increases frustration, which is not surprising. But this is the first to show that even denying people the chance to commit forbidden behaviors can increase frustration.

That's not all. The researchers also found that people who are frustrated in their attempts to cheat or steal are more likely than others to be attracted to violent video games.

"We made new discoveries in what makes people frustrated and aggressive, but also what people do when they're feeling this frustration," said Brad Bushman, co-author of the study and professor of communication and psychology at Ohio State University.

"Our results help us understand why people are attracted to violent entertainment in the first place they feel they can take out their frustration virtually."

Bushman conducted the study with Jodi Whitaker, a graduate student at Ohio State, and Andre Melzer and Georges Steffgen of the University of Luxembourg.

Their results appear online in the journal Psychological Science.

The researchers conducted two experiments. The first involved 120 male college students, who were given 30 minutes to complete a multiple-choice history exam. They were told that those who did well on the exam would earn chocolates or apples (their choice).

All of the participants were given the exam in an envelope. But half of them received a completed exam with a score of 100 percent marked at the top the test had no name on it, so they could claim it as their own.

After five minutes, the experimenter interrupted participants and said: "Sorry, I gave you the wrong copy of the exam." The participants handed back their exams in the envelope, and were given another envelope with the exam. This exam was also either scored 100 percent or left blank.

Of those who initially were given the chance to cheat on the exam, half still had the chance to cheat, while that chance was withdrawn for the other half.

After turning in their tests, the students waited to receive their grades.

The question was: How would those people who lost their chance to cheat react? To find out, the students were told they could complete a brief study about video games while they waited for their test results.

Participants read descriptions of eight fictitious video games, four violent and four nonviolent, and rated how much they wanted to play each game on a scale of 1 (not at all) to 10 (extremely).

Those students who had the chance to cheat withdrawn were more attracted to the violent video games than those in the other two groups (never had a chance to cheat, or had a chance to cheat the entire time). The latter two groups did not differ in their attraction to violent video games.

None of the three groups differed in their attraction to nonviolent games.

Bushman noted that none of the students admitted to cheating, or having the chance to cheat, even though they did cheat (as evidenced by their scores). But the students who were denied the chance to cheat obviously had a different view than others on their video game choices.

"Because violent video games permit aggression, they may be especially attractive to people who experience frustration," Bushman said. "We believe students felt frustrated when they didn't get a chance to cheat on the test."

The researchers looked more closely at the link between frustration and attraction to violent video games in a second experiment that included 141 male college students. This experiment involved stealing rather than cheating. Students used a bowl of quarters to demonstrate their estimate of how many coins would weigh the same as an object.

In a similar setup to the first study, some students had the opportunity to steal coins, while others had that opportunity taken away from them. The remainder never had the opportunity to steal.

Afterwards, the students completed a "mood" form, in which they were asked to rate on a scale of one to five how much they felt various feelings, including frustration. They then rated how much they wanted to play the same eight fictitious video games used in the first study.

First of all, students who did have the chance to steal tended to do so an average of between about one and three quarters, depending on their level of access, Bushman said.

Those who had the chance to steal withdrawn from them showed higher-than-average levels of frustration than those in the other two groups and they were more likely to be attracted to the violent video games.

"The prevention of taboo behaviors like stealing produces frustration, just as does the prevention of more desirable goals," Bushman said. "This is a new finding that adds to our understanding of what causes frustration and aggression."

The results also help explain the appeal of violent video games.

"Many people believe that violent video games are a kind of catharsis, allowing them to alleviate angry feelings," he said. "Research findings suggest this isn't true, but that's part of the appeal to many people."

###

Contact: Brad Bushman, (614) 688-8779; Bushman.20@osu.edu Written by Jeff Grabmeier, (614) 292-8457; Grabmeier.1@osu.edu



[ 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/2013-03/osu-dtc031113.php

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Monday, March 11, 2013

NY man gets summonses for laughing too loudly

(AP) ? A New York man says he didn't know it was a crime to laugh.

Robert Schiavelli of Rockville Centre, on Long Island, was slapped with two summonses for "disturbing the peace."

Police responded to his home on Feb. 12 and Feb. 13 after receiving complaints from his next-door neighbor that his loud laughs could be heard across the driveway.

The 42-year-old was charged with acting "in such a manner as to annoy, disturb, interfere with, obstruct, or be offensive to others."

At his arraignment Tuesday, a judge declined to dismiss the charges.

Schiavelli tells the New York Post (http://bit.ly/WPGKHp ) his neighbor often taunts him due to his disability. He deals with it by laughing him off.

Schiavelli suffers from seizures and neurological impairments.

The neighbor didn't respond to requests for comment.

___

Information from: New York Post, http://www.nypost.com

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2013-03-06-US-ODD-Laughing-Summonses/id-c21c075e76e349a19927fa94d5983140

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Sunday, March 10, 2013

Alcohol Addiction Treatment & Self-Help - Health Care, Slimming ...

How to Stop Drinking and Start Recovery

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 1: Commit to stop drinking

Most people with alcohol problems do not decide to make a big change out of the blue or transform their drinking habits overnight. Recovery is usually a more gradual process. In the early stages of change, denial is a huge obstacle. Even after admitting you have a drinking problem, you may make excuses and drag your feet. It?s important to acknowledge your ambivalence about stopping drinking. If you?re not sure if you?re ready to change or you?re struggling with the decision, it can help to think about the costs and benefits of each choice.

Evaluating the costs and benefits of drinking

Make a table like the one below, weighing the costs and benefits of drinking to the costs and benefits of quitting.
Is Drinking Worth The Cost?
Benefits of drinking: Benefits of not drinking:
  • It helps me forget about my problems.
  • I have fun when I drink.
  • It?s my way of relaxing and unwinding after a stressful day.
  • My relationships would probably improve.
  • I?d feel better mentally and physically.
  • I?d have more time and energy for the people and activities I care about.
Costs of drinking: Costs of not drinking:
  • It has caused problems in my relationships.
  • I feel depressed, anxious, and ashamed of myself.
  • It gets in the way of my job performance and family responsibilities.
  • I felt embarrassed sometimes through unbalanced movements.
  • It makes me misbehave often when drunk.
  • I?d have to find another way to deal with problems.
  • I?d lose my drinking buddies.
  • I would have to face the responsibilities I?ve been ignoring.
  • I'd be a responsible being.
  • I will be highly respected in the society

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 2: Set goals and prepare for change

Once you?ve made the decision to change, the next step is establishing clear drinking goals. The more specific, realistic, and clear your goals, the better.
Example 1: My drinking goal
  • I will stop drinking alcohol.
  • My quit date is __________.
Example 2: My drinking goal
  • I will stop drinking on weekdays, starting as of __________.
  • I will limit my Saturday and Sunday drinking to no more than 3 drinks per day or 5 drinks per weekend.?
  • After three months, I will cut back my weekend drinking even more to a maximum of 2 drinks per day and 3 drinks per weekend.
  • Do you want to stop drinking altogether or just cut back??
  • If your goal is to reduce your drinking, decide which days you will drink alcohol and how many drinks you will allow yourself per day. Try to commit to at least two days each week when you won?t drink at all.
  • When do you want to stop drinking or start drinking less? ?
  • Tomorrow? In a week? Next month? Within six months? If you?re trying to stop drinking, set a specific quit date.
After you?ve set your goals to either stop or cut back your drinking, write down some ideas on how you can help yourself accomplish these goals. For example:
  • Get rid of temptations. Remove all alcohol, barware, and other drinking reminders from your home and office.
  • Announce your goal. Let friends, family members, and co-workers know that you?re trying to stop drinking. If they drink, ask them to support your recovery by not doing so in front of you.
  • Be upfront about your new limits. Make it clear that drinking will not be allowed in your home and that you may not be able to attend events where alcohol is being served.
  • Avoid bad influences. Distance yourself from people who don?t support your efforts to stop drinking or respect the limits you?ve set. This may mean giving up certain friends and social connections.
  • Learn from the past. Reflect on previous attempts to stop drinking. What worked? What didn?t? What can you do differently this time to avoid pitfalls?

Can I cut back on my drinking or do I need to stop drinking completely?

Whether or not you can successfully cut back on your drinking depends on the severity of your drinking problem.
If you?re an alcoholic?which, by definition, means you aren?t able to control your drinking?it?s best to try to stop drinking entirely. But if you?re not ready to take that step, or if you don?t have an alcohol abuse problem but want to cut back for personal or health reasons, the following tips adapted from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism can help:?
  • Set a drinking goal. Choose a limit for how much you will drink. Make sure your limit is not more than one drink a day if you?re a woman, or two drinks a day if you?re a man. Now write your drinking goal on a piece of paper. Put it where you can see it, such as on your refrigerator or bathroom mirror.
  • Keep a "diary" of your drinking. To help you reach your goal, keep a "diary" of your drinking. For example, write down every time you have a drink for 1 week. Try to keep your diary for 3 or 4 weeks. This will show you how much you drink and when. You may be surprised. How different is your goal from the amount you drink now?
  • Watch it at home. Keep a small amount or no alcohol at home. Don't keep temptations around.
  • Drink slowly. When you drink, sip your drink slowly. Take a break of 1 hour between drinks. Drink soda, water, or juice after a drink with alcohol. Do not drink on an empty stomach! Eat food when you are drinking.
  • Take a break from alcohol. Pick a day or two each week when you will not drink at all. Then, try to stop drinking for 1 week. Think about how you feel physically and emotionally on these days. When you succeed and feel better, you may find it easier to cut down for good.

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 3: Get sober safely

Some people can stop drinking on their own, while others need medical supervision in order to withdraw from alcohol safely and comfortably. Which option is best for you depends on how much you?ve been drinking, how long you?ve had a problem, and other health issues you may have.

Withdrawing from alcohol

When you drink heavily and frequently, your body becomes physically dependent on alcohol and goes through withdrawal if you suddenly stop drinking. The symptoms of alcohol withdrawal range from mild to severe, and include:
  • Headache
  • Shaking
  • Sweating
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Anxiety and restlessness
  • Stomach cramps and diarrhea
  • Trouble sleeping or concentrating
  • Elevated heart rate and blood pressure

Alcohol withdrawal symptoms usually start within hours after you stop drinking, peak in a day or two, and improve within five days. But in some alcoholics, withdrawal is not just unpleasant?it can be life threatening.

If you experience any of the following withdrawal symptoms:

Call the Doctor

  • severe vomiting
  • confusion and disorientation
  • fever
  • hallucinations
  • extreme agitation
  • seizures or convulsions
The symptoms listed above may be a sign of a severe form of alcohol withdrawal called delirium tremens, or DTs. This rare, emergency condition causes dangerous changes in the way your brain regulates your circulation and breathing, so it?s important to get to the hospital right away.

Do I need to go to detox?

If you?re a long-term, heavy drinker, you may need medically supervised detoxification. Detox can be done on an outpatient basis or in a hospital or alcohol treatment facility, where you may be prescribed medication to prevent medical complications and relieve withdrawal symptoms. Talk to your doctor or an addiction specialist to learn more.

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 4: Find new meaning in life

While getting sober is an important first step, it is only the beginning of alcohol recovery. Rehab or professional treatment can get you started on the road to recovery, but to stay alcohol-free for the long term, you?ll need to build a new, meaningful life where drinking no longer has a place.

5 steps to a sober lifestyle

  • Take care of yourself. To prevent mood swings and combat cravings, concentrate on eating right and getting plenty of sleep. Exercise is also key: it releases endorphins, relieves stress, and promotes emotional well-being.
  • Build your support network. Surround yourself with positive influences and people who make you feel good about yourself. The more you?re invested in other people and your community, the more you have to lose?which will help you stay motivated and on the recovery track.
  • Develop new activities and interests. Find new hobbies, volunteer activities, or work that gives you a sense of meaning and purpose. When you?re doing things you find fulfilling, you?ll feel better about yourself and drinking will hold less appeal.
  • Continue treatment. Your chances of staying sober improve if you are participating in a support group like Alcoholics Anonymous, have a sponsor, or are involved in therapy or an outpatient treatment program.
  • Deal with stress in a healthy way. Alcohol abuse is often a misguided attempt to manage stress. Find healthier ways to keep your stress level in check, such as exercising, meditating, or practicing breathing exercises or other relaxation techniques.

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 5: Plan for triggers and cravings

Cravings for alcohol can be intense, particularly in the first six months after you quit drinking. Good alcohol treatment prepares you for these challenges, helping you develop new coping skills to deal with stressful situations, alcohol cravings, and social pressure to drink.

Avoiding drinking triggers

  • Avoid the things that trigger your urge to drink. If certain people, places, or activities trigger a craving for alcohol, try to avoid them. This may mean making major changes to your social life, such as finding new things to do with your old drinking buddies?or even giving up those friends.
  • Practice saying ?no? to alcohol in social situations. No matter how much you try to avoid alcohol, there will probably be times where you?re offered a drink. Prepare ahead for how you?ll respond, with a firm, yet polite, ?no thanks.?

Managing alcohol cravings

When you?re struggling with alcohol cravings, try these strategies:
  • Talk to someone you trust: your sponsor, a supportive family member or friend, or someone from your faith community.
  • Distract yourself until the urge passes. Go for a walk, listen to music, do some housecleaning, run an errand, or tackle a quick task.
  • Remind yourself of your reasons for not drinking. When you?re craving alcohol, there?s a tendency to remember the positive effects of drinking and forget the negatives. Remind yourself that drinking won?t really make you feel better.
  • Accept the urge and ride it out, instead of trying to fight it. This is known as ?urge surfing.? Think of your craving as an ocean wave that will soon crest, break, and dissipate. When you ride out the craving, without trying to battle, judge, or ignore it, you?ll see that it passes more quickly than you?d think.

The 3 basic steps of urge surfing:

  • Take an inventory of how you experience the craving. Do this by sitting in a comfortable chair with your feet flat on the floor and your hands in a comfortable position. Take a few deep breaths and focus your attention inward. Allow your attention to wander through your body. Notice where in your body you experience the craving and what the sensations are like. Notice each area where you experience the urge, and tell yourself what you are experiencing. For example, ?My craving is in my mouth and nose and in my stomach.?
  • Focus on one area where you are experiencing the urge. Notice the exact sensations in that area. For example, do you feel hot, cold, tingly, or numb? Are your muscles tense or relaxed? How large an area is involved? Notice the sensations and describe them to yourself. Notice the changes that occur in the sensation. ?My mouth feels dry and parched. There is tension in my lips and tongue. I keep swallowing. As I exhale, I can imagine the smell and tingle of booze.?
  • Repeat the focusing with each part of your body that experiences the craving. Describe to yourself the changes that occur in the sensations. Notice how the urge comes and goes. Many people, when they urge surf, notice that after a few minutes the craving has vanished. The purpose of this exercise, however, is not to make the craving go away but to experience the craving in a new way. If you practice urge surfing, you will become familiar with your cravings and learn how to ride them out until they go away naturally.
Source: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 6: Get support

Whether you choose to go to rehab, rely on self-help programs, get therapy, or take a self-directed treatment approach, support is essential. Don?t try to go it alone. Recovering from alcohol addiction is much easier when you have people you can lean on for encouragement, comfort, and guidance.
Support can come from family members, friends, counselors, other recovering alcoholics, your healthcare providers, and people from your faith community.
  • Lean on close friends and family ? Having the support of friends and family members is an invaluable asset in recovery. If you?re reluctant to turn to your loved ones because you?ve let them down before, consider going to couples counseling or family therapy.
  • Build a sober social network ? If your previous social life revolved around alcohol, you may need to make some new connections. It?s important to have sober friends who will support your recovery. Try taking a class, joining a church or a civic group, volunteering, or attending events in your community.
  • Consider moving in to a sober living home ? Sober living homes provide a safe, supportive place to live while you?re recovering from alcohol addiction. They are a good option if you don?t have a stable home or an alcohol-free living environment to go to.
  • Make meetings a priority ? Join a recovery support group and attend meetings regularly. Spending time with people who understand exactly what you?re going through can be very healing. You can also benefit from the shared experiences of the group members and learn what others have done to stay sober.

Alcohol treatment and recovery?

Step 7: Getting started on treatment

As well as joining a recovery support group, you may also decide to see a mental health professional and take advantage of the latest addiction therapies and programs. As you consider the different options available, keep the following in mind:
  • There?s no magic bullet or single treatment that works for everyone. Everyone?s needs are different, so it?s important that you find a program that feels right to you. Any alcohol addiction treatment program should be customized to your unique problems and situation.
  • Treatment should address more than just your alcohol abuse. Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on examining the way alcohol abuse has impacted you and developing a new way of living.
  • Seek treatment for any other medical or psychological issues you?re experiencing. Alcohol abuse frequently goes hand in hand with other mental health problems, including anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, and bipolar disorder. In many cases, the drinking is an attempt to self-medicate. When these problems co-occur, recovery depends on treating them both.
  • Commitment and follow-through are key. Recovering from alcohol addiction is not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intense the alcohol use, the longer and more intense the treatment you?ll need. But regardless of the treatment program?s length in weeks or months, long-term follow-up care is crucial to recovery.
  • There are many places to turn for help. Not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. The level of care you need depends on your age, alcohol use history, and other medical or psychiatric conditions. In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.

Expect setbacks

Alcohol recovery is a process?one that often involves setbacks. Don?t give up if you relapse or slip. A drinking relapse doesn?t mean you?re a failure or that you?ll never be able to reach your goal. Each drinking relapse is an opportunity to learn and recommit to sobriety, so you?ll be less likely to relapse in the future.

What to do if you slip:

  • Get rid of the alcohol and get away from the setting where you lapsed.
  • Remind yourself that one drink or a brief lapse doesn?t have to turn into a full-blown relapse.
  • Don?t let feelings of guilt, blame, or shame keep you from getting back on track.
  • Call your sponsor, counselor, or a supportive friend right away for help.

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Fierce brawl mars Canada's 10-3 win over Mexico

Canada's Jay Johnson, top left, and Mexico's Eduardo Arredondo fight during the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canada's Jay Johnson, top left, and Mexico's Eduardo Arredondo fight during the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canada's Tyson Gillies, right and Mexico's Alfredo Aceves fight during the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canada's Jay Johnson, right, and Mexico's Eduardo Arredondo fight during the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic game, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canada's Jay Johnson, bottom right, and Mexico's Eduardo Arredondo fight during the ninth inning of a World Baseball Classic game as teammates try to break them up, Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Canada manager Ernie Whitt (12) and Mexico manager Rick Renteria greet each other before a World Baseball Classic game on Saturday, March 9, 2013, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York)

PHOENIX (AP) ? A little bunt single turned this WBC matchup into a World Boxing Classic.

Alfredo Aceves and several players threw nasty punches when a fierce, full-scale brawl broke out in the ninth inning Saturday of Canada's 10-3 romp over Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, a melee that also involved fans and set off skirmishes in the seats.

"Whoever says that we're just here as an extra spring training game or we're just here to say we represented our country and then go home obviously didn't see how intense that game was and what it means to everybody that was involved," Canadian slugger Justin Morneau said.

Multiple fights erupted after Canada's Rene Tosoni was hit in the back by a pitch from Arnold Leon with the score 9-3 at Chase Field, home of the Arizona Diamondbacks. It quickly turned into a wild scene, as chaotic as any on a major league field in recent years.

Even when the fisticuffs ended, Canadian pitching coach Denis Boucher was hit in the face by a full water bottle thrown from the crowd. Canada shortstop Cale Iorg angrily threw the bottle back into the crowd.

Several police officers came onto the field trying to restore order, and there were a few skirmishes in the decidedly pro-Mexico crowd of 19,581. Seven players were ejected after umpires huddled, trying to sort out the frenzy.

Canadian first base coach Larry Walker, a former NL MVP, said he held back Mexico star Adrian Gonzalez during the altercation. The solidly built Walker also tried to restrain Aceves.

"I had a hold of him and I thought I saw Satan in his eyes," Walker said.

There had already been several borderline plays on the bases when things got out of hand. A bunt hit by Chris Robinson heightened the tension ? a WBC tiebreaker relies heavily on runs and the Canadians wanted to score again in the ninth. Third baseman Luis Cruz fielded Robinson's bunt and seemed to tell Leon to hit the next batter.

Managers from both teams blamed the tiebreaking rule that uses run differential to determine what team moves on to the next round.

"It was just simply a misunderstanding," Mexico manager Rick Renteria said. "In a normal setting, a normal professional setting I should say, a 9-3 bunt in that particular fashion would be kind of out of the ordinary."

Right as the game resumed, someone in the crowd hurled a baseball that almost hit Walker in the head.

"That's when I went out to the umpire and I said, 'Another thing comes out, we're going to pull our team off the field," Canadian manager Ernie Whitt said.

The collision of WBC rules and the unwritten rules of the game led to the blowup, Renteria said.

"I think in just in the heat of the moment you lose sight of it," he said, "and maybe that's how it occurred."

Whitt said WBC officials need to look at the tiebreaking rule.

"There's got to be another method other than the scoring runs, running up the score on the opposing team," he said. "No one likes that. That's not the way baseball's supposed to be played. There's professionalism that we're all accustomed to here in North America. And unfortunately teams are knocked out of the tournament because other teams run up the score on them. Unfortunately that's what you have to deal with when you have that type of format."

Morneau, Gonzalez and Joey Votto were among the big-name, high-priced stars playing in the game. The fight was exactly the kind of thing that must have made major league managers and general managers cringe at the thought of one of their players getting hurt in such a fracas.

"There's a point you got to stand up for yourself," said Morneau, a former MVP with the Minnesota Twins. "We got hit for playing the game, and that happens, but at the same time you got to stand up for yourself. You can't just get pushed around."

"Obviously everyone wishes it didn't happen, but it happens in the game sometimes," he said. " I think we have all learned from being in the minor leagues that, especially in low-A ball, high-A ball, those things get real crazy. There's not as much security. It starts to get out of control pretty bad, and I think you learn from that, you learn to keep your head on a swivel."

Aceves was among four Mexican players thrown out ? the angry Boston reliever was tossed to the ground by Philadelphia minor league outfielder Tyson Gillies during the height of the fury, then rushed to rejoin the fray.

Also ejected were Leon, Oliver Perez and Eduardo Arredondo of Mexico and Tosoni, Pete Orr and Jay Johnson of Canada. A statement from organizers said tape of the incident would be reviewed for possible disciplinary action.

All in all, it was far from the worldwide goodwill that is supposed to accompany this competition, where players exchange team hats with opponents before the start of each game as a sign of sportsmanship.

A day earlier on the same field, Mexico posted an emotional 5-2 over the United States in a game without incident. Canada, meanwhile, absorbed an embarrassing 14-4 loss to Italy.

Mexico finished its Pool D play at 1-2. Canada is 1-1 going into a game Sunday against the United States.

Whitt said he hoped any decision on suspensions would take into account that Mexico has finished its pool play, while Canada has a big game remaining.

Canada scored four times in the first inning, and Mexico cut the lead to 4-3 with two runs in the fourth.

Karim Garcia, Edgar Gonzalez and pinch hitter Sebastian Valle started the inning with singles. Garcia tried to score from second on Valle's single and was thrown out from center field by Gillies.

Robinson, the catcher, held on to the ball in a collision with Garcia down the third-base line. Garcia never did touch the plate.

Gil Velazquez followed with an RBI double and Arrendondo's sacrifice fly cut Canada's lead to one.

Robinson's hard slide into second broke up a potential double play and allowed a run to score in a two-run seventh inning that put the Canadians ahead 7-3.

Morneau, who had four hits and drove in three runs, doubled in a run, then Michael Saunders walked and Robinson was hit in the foot by a pitch. With one out, pinch hitter Jimmy Van Ostrand grounded to second.

But Robinson took the legs out from Velazquez at shortstop to prevent the relay throw and a run scored.

"'We want to play the game hard. We want to play it properly. You get an opportunity to help a team, help your teammates, by breaking up a double play or something, that's something we do," Robinson said.

All that led up to the ninth, with Mexico trailing badly and facing possible elimination despite the big win over the United States.

Robinson bunted because Canada wanted to widen the margin.

Two pitches came close to Tosoni and the next one hit him in the back. He dropped the bat and walked toward the mound.

When the players all rushed onto the field. Some just shoved, other threw wild haymakers. And just when it seemed things would calm down, more skirmishes ensued.

When the bottle was thrown from behind the Canadian dugout, one Canada player had to be restrained from going into the stands.

No player seemed to be hurt.

"I know the bodies kept moving everywhere but there was a lot more people holding people back than there was real action going on," Renteria said, "as is always the case."

As for his team, Whitt said, "You can't hurt Canadians."

___

Follow Bob Baum at www.twitter.com/Thebaumerphx

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-03-09-WBC-Canada-Mexico/id-124d83454e9242f8ac0907cf849878ea

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