Russia pushes Syria to hold talks with opposition

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP-Getty Images

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, speaks with his visiting Egypt counterpart Mohamed Amr as they meet on the Syrian crisis in Moscow on Dec. 28.

By Reuters

Russia urged the Syrian government on Friday to act on its stated readiness for dialogue with its opponents, throwing its weight behind a diplomatic push to end a 21-month-old conflict in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had urged Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad to emphasize his government's openness to dialogue with the opposition during talks in Moscow on Thursday.

"We actively encouraged ... the Syrian leadership to make as concrete as possible its declared readiness for dialogue with the opposition," Lavrov told reporters after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr in Moscow.

He said the Syrian government should stress its readiness for talks on the widest possible range of matters, in line with an international agreement in Geneva last June calling for a transitional government.

"I think a realistic and detailed assessment of the situation inside Syria will prompt reasonable opposition members to seek ways to start a political dialogue," added Lavrov, who last week said that neither side would win by force.

Putin says fate of Assad unimportant to him

Russia expects to meet a senior U.S. diplomat on Syria next month to discuss with international Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi his plans to end the civil war there, the Kremlin's envoy to the region said earlier on Friday.

Brahimi will visit Moscow on Saturday for talks on the results of his negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Assad and his opponents during a five-day trip to Damascus in which he called for political change to end the bloodshed.

"We will listen to what Lakhdar Brahimi has to say about the situation in Syria, and after that, probably, there will be a decision to hold a new meeting of the 'three Bs'," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the RIA news agency -- in a word play on the first letter of the diplomats' last names.

Bogdanov, U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns and Brahimi, the joint special representative of the United Nations and the Arab League, agreed that a political solution to the crisis was necessary and possible in talks earlier this month.

Bogdanov, the Kremlin's special envoy for Middle East Affairs, said the three would meet again in January after the holidays.

Russia has also invited the head of the internationally-recognized, opposition Syrian National Council, Moaz al-Khatib, to talks, he said, in comments that appeared underline Moscow's commitment to helping Brahimi seek a way out of the crisis.

Brahimi, who has called for a transitional government to rule until elections, is trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power in Syria, where more than 44,000 people have been killed in a revolt against four decades of Assad family rule.

Past peace efforts have floundered as what began as peaceful protests in March 2011 turned into civil war. The conflict has become an increasingly sectarian struggle between mostly Sunni Muslim rebels and Assad's security forces, drawn primarily from his Shiite-rooted Alawite minority.

Assad forces accused of using 'poisonous gases'

World powers think Russia, which has given Assad military and diplomatic aid during the uprising, has the ear of Syria's government and must be a central player in any peace talks.

Moscow has tried to distance itself from Assad in recent months and has denied it is propping him up. But it maintains Assad's exit cannot be a precondition for talks and has repeatedly said Western powers should not impose solutions on Syria.

Lavrov warned on Thursday that time was running out to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and halt a descent into "bloody chaos".

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/28/16209381-russia-pushes-syria-to-hold-talks-with-opposition?lite

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How to use Roofing Calculator ? p1 | Home Improvement Ideas

27Dec

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Source: http://www.cohocton.org/178-how-to-use-roofing-calculator-p1

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Stocks drop as lawmaker sees 'fiscal cliff' ahead

4 hrs.

JeeYeon Park , CNBC

Stocks fell near session lows Thursday, with all key S&P sectors in negative territory, pressured by a weaker-than-expected consumer confidence report and as President Barack Obama and members of Congress headed back to Washington to resume talks over the looming "fiscal cliff."

So far, all three major averages are on pace to closing lower for the month. Still, the Dow is up nearly 6 percent for the year, while the S&P and Nasdaq are both up more than 10 percent.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell near the psychologically?important level of 13,000, dragged by Bank of America and JPMorgan, after closing lower for the third-consecutive session. The last time the Dow traded below 13,000 was back in Dec. 5, when it hit a low 12,923.44.

The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also declined. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, jumped above 20 for the first time in nearly five months.

All key S&P sectors were in the red, dragged by financials and energy.

"Moves are always exacerbated during low-volume days and we'll continue to react to every headline from Washington," said Keith Bliss, senior vice president at Cutton & Co. "But I still think the overall market is in a bullish sentiment by the way that the technical are lining up. It might be prudent to keep some powder dry and buy on these dips."

Stocks took a sharp leg lower after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed doubts that a deal can be reached to avert the "fiscal cliff."

"It looks like that's where we're headed," Reid said of the looming fiscal cliff and pointed fingers at House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by "not allowing the vast majority of the House of Representatives to get what they want."

Obama cut short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii to deal with the deadlocked talks between Democrats and Republicans on what to do with $600 billion in tax increases and automatic spending cuts, due to kick in on Jan. 1. With less than a week remaining this year, time is now running out and the pressure on politicians to find a solution is building, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling on Monday, Dec. 31.

The two sides could work towards a "mini-deal" to postpone the effects of the fiscal cliff by extending tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes below $250,000, postponing the automatic spending cuts, and extending unemployment benefits.?

Meanwhile on the economic front, the consumer confidence index tumbled to 65.1 in December from a downwardly revised 71.5 in November, hitting a four-month low, according to the Conference Board.

Earlier, jobless claims fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000 last week. Meanwhile, the four-week moving average tumbled to its lowest since March 2008.?

And new home sales rose 4.4 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted 377,000-unit annual rate, the fasts pace in 2-1/2 years, according to the Commerce Department.

Marvell Technology declined after a federal grand jury ruled the chipmaker infringed two patents held by Carnegie Mellon University and ordered the company to pay $1.17 billion in damages. In addition, at least two brokerages lowered their rating on the company.

Toyota Motor said it plans to settle a U.S. class-action lawsuit for $1.1 billion.

Domino's Pizza climbed after Oppenheimer raised its price target on the pizza chain to $50 from $44.

Hartford Financial Services edged higher after Stifel added the financial services company to its "select" list and raised its target price to $28 from $25.

BCD Semiconductor skyrocketed more than 90 percent after the chipmaker agreed to be bought by Diodes in a deal worth $151 million.?

In Europe, stocks rose in cautious trading after being closed for Christmas and Boxing Day.?Meanwhile, in Asia, Japanese stocks hit a 21-month high as a weaker yen boosted export stocks. Sentiment in Asia was boosted as profits at China's factories jumped in November, helped by the recovery in the economy.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-drop-lawmaker-sees-cliff-ahead-1C7657761

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Program helps veterans reintegrate through music

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, musician Julio Fernandez holds a guitar during a class session at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. Students are participating in a music class for service men and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, musician Julio Fernandez holds a guitar during a class session at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. Students are participating in a music class for service men and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, songwriter Jennifer Lampert, right, writes down lyrics during a class session at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. Students are participating in a music class for service men and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, students participate in a class at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. The music class is for service men and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, U.S. Army Sgt. Thomas Springsteen writes notes during a class session at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. Springsteen is participating in a music class for service men and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

In this Oct. 10, 2012, photo, musician Julio Fernandez, left, hands a guitar to U.S. Navy Petty Officer Mike Cordes during a class session at Montclair State University in Montclair, N.J. Students are participating in a music class for servicemen and women that helps them cope with their life after the military through a program called Voices of Valor. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

MONTCLAIR, N.J. (AP) ? During stressful times as a combat medic in Afghanistan, Mason Sullivan found solace in Vivaldi. New Jersey native Nairobi Cruz was comforted by country music, a genre she had never heard before joining the Army. For Jose Mercedes, it was an eclectic iPod mix that helped him cope with losing an arm during a tour of duty in Iraq.

These three young veterans all say music played a crucial role in alleviating the stresses of active duty. Now, all three are enrolled in a program that hopes to use music to ease their reintegration into civilian life.

"It's a therapy session without the 'sit down, lay down, and write notes,'" Mercedes, 26, of Union City, said of the music program. "It's different ? it's an alternative that's way better."

The pilot program, called Voices of Valor, has veterans work as a group to synthesize their experiences into musical lyrics. Guided by musicians and a psychology mentor, they write and record a song, and then hold a CD release party. The program is currently under way at Montclair State University, where students participate through the school's veteran affairs program.

Developed by husband and wife team Rena Fruchter and Brian Dallow, it is open to veterans of any age and background. No musical experience is required.

Both accomplished musicians, Fruchter and Dallow created the program as part of Music for All Seasons, an organization they founded which runs musical programs for audiences at places ranging from nursing homes to prisons.

Based on their experiences working with children at shelters for victims of domestic violence, Fruchter and Dallow realized that young people too traumatized to talk about what they had been through were nevertheless willing to bang on an instrument or sing ? often leading to communication breakthroughs. They felt the same might be true for veterans, or other populations traditionally averse to more overt forms of 'talk therapy.'

"We've had situations in which veterans have been carrying their burdens deep inside for such a long time, and they come into this group and they begin to talk about things that they've never talked about before," Fruchter said. "They really open up, and it translates into some music that is really amazing and incredible and powerful."

During a recent session of the eight-week program in Montclair, music facilitators Jennifer Lampert, a former Miss USO, and Julio Fernandez, a musician and member of the band Spyro Gyra, lead a small group of young veterans in brainstorming about their experiences.

"Tired of being angry," ''Easier not to move on," ''The war at home," were phrases Lampert extracted from a discussion among the participants and she wrote each phrase in marker on large notepads fastened to a classroom blackboard. As they spoke, Fernandez strummed an acoustic guitar while Lampert sang some of the phrases the students had come up with, adjusting the beat and tempo at their suggestion. Suddenly, a musical lyric emerged: "Sometimes, I wish the past is where I stayed."

A few weeks later, the group gathered at a sound studio in Union City, where they donned headphones and clearly relished the opportunity to record their collectively written tune, "Freedom," in a professional studio.

"To see music heal people in that way, it's beautiful, and the real incredible part is you don't have to do anything but give in to the music," Lampert said. She recounted how, time and again, the facilitators of the program had watched some participants start the class with shoulders slumped, hesitant to make eye contact, and afraid to speak up. Through the process of writing music they changed, she said, into group-focused, smiling, active participants unafraid to stand up and belt out a tune.

7/87/8_____

Follow Samantha Henry at http://www.twitter.com/SamanthaHenry

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/bbd825583c8542898e6fa7d440b9febc/Article_2012-12-28-Voices%20of%20Valor/id-43912a5987f04d59a9496e391d2ccdb0

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Best videos of 2012: Spiderman skin stops a bullet

Joanna Carver, reporter

This bullet-dodging hybrid skin comes in at number 4 in our best videos of 2012 countdown.

Imagine facing a speeding bullet without fear of it tearing through your flesh. By reinforcing human skin cells with spider silk, artist Jalila Essa?di has designed a futuristic material that could make this scenario plausible.

Spider-silk weaves are actually four times stronger than Kevlar, which explains why a half-speed bullet can't penetrate the hybrid skin in the video. However, when it meets a full-speed bullet, traveling at 329 metres per second, it's unable to stop it.

To find out more about the many applications of super-sturdy spider silk, read our full-length feature "Stretching spider silk to its high-tech limits". For more about Essa?di's project, check out our original post, "Bulletproof skin stops a speeding gunshot".

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/26fba613/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cnstv0C20A120C120Cbest0Evideos0Eof0E20A120Ebulletproof0Eskin0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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wise self improvement | self improvement made easy: Cultivating ...

I get to have juicy conversations just about every day of my life. My work depends on it. My inner impact goddess thrives on it. My clients create change by it. In fact, I'm finding that one of my metrics for meaning, joy, and how much impact I create, is in the amount of conversations I have that 1) feed my soul, 2) make me think, 3) contribute to another human being, 4) help move something forward, and 5) create a bigger conversation that ripples positively.

One of my favorite quotes from Rumi is "The breeze at dawn has secrets to tell you. Don't go back to sleep." I woke up early this morning in San Francisco with the "secrets" of "collaborative creative conversations" dancing in my head. Moved to create a conversation around them, and to contribute to your own conversations today as well, I offer some of them to you here.

This list falls in the "being" side of a conversation; many of these things you can't see or touch, but you can feel them- and they're potent. The energy and intention of these 5, underneath the "doing" of a quality conversation, creates magical space.

• Authenticity: Bringing one's full self to the conversation and standing in one's truth.
• Vulnerability: A willingness to be seen; and to be wildly brilliant or wildly off, wildly grounded or wildly lost. A willingness to have one's mind changed; a perspective even shattered.
• Presence: Full attention, honor, and presence in the conversation; emotionally, mentally, physically.
• Witnessing: Seeing, truly seeing, the other person in the conversation. Watching them shine, sourcing for greatness, holding space for them as they work through their thoughts.
• Creative Listening: Listening below the surface for what's not being said. And listening above the surface for how to contribute to and expand upon the topic.

This is just an early morning taster... not an exhaustive list by any means... and, these 5 things, brought to the table even energetically, create connection and intimacy. When connection, intimacy and space for authenticity is present, big things happen: truth occurs, creativity flows, cool things get manifested, big problems are solved, souls are fed.

What would you add to this list? What has to be present for you to create a meaningful and collaborative conversation? Where do you hold back when these things aren't present? What gets lost? And finally, what's possible for you and your team (or partner, spouse, kids) when they are?

To listening, contributing, and being in the conversation. // axc

Source: http://wiseselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2012/12/cultivating-truth-creativity-and-impact.html

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Obama to cut short holiday in Hawaii, leave Wednesday for Washington as 'fiscal cliff' looms (Star Tribune)

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