Pope to join celebs, presidents with Twitter feed

FILE - In this Oct. 24,2012 file photo, Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for his weekly general audience. The Vatican spokesman on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012 said that the 85-year-old Benedict will start tweeting from a personal Twitter account, perhaps before the end of the year. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

FILE - In this Oct. 24,2012 file photo, Pope Benedict XVI blesses the faithful in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for his weekly general audience. The Vatican spokesman on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012 said that the 85-year-old Benedict will start tweeting from a personal Twitter account, perhaps before the end of the year. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini, File)

VATICAN CITY (AP) ? He already has a billion followers.

Now, Pope Benedict XVI will join the Twitter-sphere, tweeting from a personal account along with the world's celebrities, leaders and ordinary folk.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi made the announcement Thursday, saying details about Benedict's handle and other information will come when the Vatican officially launches the account, perhaps before the end of the year.

The 85-year-old Benedict sent his first tweet from a Vatican account last year when he launched the Vatican's news information portal, aimed at the world's 1.1 billion Catholics. The new Twitter account will be his own, though it's doubtful Benedict himself will wrestle down his encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and other papal pronouncements into 140-character bites.

Benedict, who writes longhand and doesn't normally use a computer, will more likely sign off on tweets written in his name.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-08-Vatican-Tweeting%20Pope/id-2a722a7c44294ac281c6ed3d50de53bc

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A DNA Test Can Predict How Good Beef Will Taste

One cow looks much like another, but some provide meltingly tender meat while others are as tough as old boots. Fortunately, a team of researchers has devised a series of DNA tests that can predict how good beef will taste by the time it hits your plate. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/bcjM4TcBvEw/a-dna-test-can-predict-how-good-beef-will-taste

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Ellis Vidler, Romantic Suspense Author and Editor Interview ...

Ellis Vidler, romantic suspense author

Ellis Vidler, romantic suspense author

?Can you share a little bit about what you?re working on now or what?s coming next?

Time of Death, my new suspense novel, will be released November 19th. Artist Alex Jenrette has a psychic streak?or is it a curse? While visiting on an island near Charleston, she draws scenes of murder that turn out to be real. The police think she?s involved, the prosecutor fears a psychic witness will destroy his case, and the killer believes she was there. But she wasn?t, and she doesn?t know who?s behind it.

?When you?re writing, who?s in control, you or the characters?

I wish I could say I am, but they take over. I start out with a vague plan, and they quickly take me in a different direction. I thought Time of Death would be romantic suspense, but Alex and Connor just weren?t ready to move fast enough. We fought about it, but they dug their heels in.

?Mark Twain said, ?Southerners speak music??? Do you have a favorite southern saying you can share with our readers?

We tend to gush. J But there?s always ?Bless your heart.? It fits so many situations, it?s a good one to know.

?If you could talk for thirty minutes with any author (or person), living or dead, who would it be?

Tough decision. Maybe Edgar Rice Burroughs, author of the Tarzan books among others, or Helen MacInnes, an early romantic suspense author who never failed to take me to another place. Their books, tattered and stained, are on my shelves now.? I wept for the Ulan horsemen in MacInnes?s While Still We Live, set mostly in Poland during WWII; and I still give all the young readers in my family copies of Tarzan of the Apes.

?What are your thoughts on the standard writing advice, ?write what you know?? I think it should be ?write what you have a hope of understanding or imagining.? I wouldn?t write about life as a Afghani woman, but I?d try being an American in a foreign city. I don?t want to be limited to what I already know. You can expand your horizons through research and interviews and study.

?How do you classify yourself as a writer? Fiction or non-fiction? Specific genre such as mystery, short story, paranormal or more general such as women?s fiction, Appalachian, etc.

Fiction?I like to wander. Suspense or romantic suspense is what I?m comfortable doing. I like spy thrillers but don?t feel I have enough experience to pull one off.

?Beside ?writer,? what else are you; what is your ?day job?? I?m an editor, have been an illustrator and technical writer. ?I like to play with covers and cover art. Photoshop is more addictive than Spider Solitaire.

?What is your VERB? (This is a big poster at a local mall)? If you had to choose ONE verb that describes you and you behavior or attitude, what would it be?

To dream. My father was a dreamer and taught me. I?m never bored if I can wander off (mentally) and dream.

?Were books an important part of your household when you were growing up?

Yes, a major part. Some of my earliest memories are of my father reading Tarzan of the Apes and The Wizard of Oz to me. We had books everywhere, and both my parents read a great deal. When we went on vacation to a cabin at the lake or to the beach, we packed a cardboard box of books. I started reading The Lord of the Rings to my son when he was born. (When he began to understand more, I switched to stories for him though. J)

?Any teachers who influenced you?encouraged you or discouraged?

I will always be grateful to Mrs. Allen, my fourth grade teacher; Mrs. Areheart, 11th grade English; and to Scott Reagan, who taught a creative writing class that I took three times. They?re the ones who stand out, but there were others who encouraged me. Teachers have amazing influence. They should be honored for the tremendous work they do.

?How do your characters ?come? to you? Are they based loosely or closely on people you know?

Time of Death by Ellis Vidler

They usually spring full-blown from my head like Athena. I read or see something, maybe a picture, and the character pops up. My characters share some traits with people I know, but they aren?t based on them.

?Are you in a critique or writing group? If so, how does it work and specifically how do the members help your writing?

I was in a group for several years. They were wonderfully helpful, and each one saw different things. I enjoyed it. Now I have a great critique partner whom you may know: Polly Iyer?she?s an excellent writer and does her best to keep me on track. I?d have given up if it weren?t for her.

Visit her website at www.ellisvidler.com

Amazon link http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A02GD68

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Source: http://damesofdialogue.wordpress.com/2012/11/07/ellis-vidler-romantic-suspense-author-and-editor-interview/

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Forrester: U.S. Online Holiday Sales Will Grow 15 Percent This Year To $68.4B

forresterAfter comScore predicted a very healthy holiday shopping season for online retailers yesterday, Forrester is joining in, reporting that this holiday season is expected to generate $68.4 billion in US online sales. That's a 15% increase over 2011's total and 3% higher than the expected overall annual online retail growth rate.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/rvuc1_au3e8/

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New Arthritis Drug Xeljanz Gets FDA Approval

Nov. 6, 2012 -- The FDA has approved Pfizer's Xeljanz (tofacitinib), a first-of-its-kind treatment for rheumatoid arthritis.

Xeljanz is approved for use by patients not helped by methotrexate, the usual first treatment for RA. It's a pill taken twice a day.

Xeljanz is a type of drug called a Janus kinase or JAK inhibitor. Blocking JAK mutes the inflammation responses responsible for RA.

"Xeljanz provides a new treatment option for adults suffering from the debilitating disease of RA who have had a poor response to methotrexate," says Badrul Chowdhury, MD, PhD, the FDA's head of pulmonary, allergy, and rheumatology products.

Some 70% of RA patients eventually stop responding to methotrexate. Some 1.5 million Americans suffer from RA.

In clinical trials, patients taking Xeljanz had better physical functioning than patients taking an inactive placebo pill. But because it inhibits immune responses, Xeljanz adds to a person's risk of serious infections, cancers, and lymphoma. The drug will carry a "black box" warning about these risks.

People taking Xeljanz also had higher cholesterol levels, lower blood counts, and increased liver enzyme levels. Prescriptions will come with a medication guide carrying important safety information and a plan for informing health care providers about the drug's serious risks.

More common side effects associated with Xeljanz are upper respiratory tract infections, headache, diarrhea, and inflammation of the nasal passage and the upper part of the throat.

Because Xeljanz dampens out-of-control immune responses, it's being explored as a treatment for other autoimmune diseases such as psoriasis.

Source: http://www.webmd.com/rheumatoid-arthritis/news/20121106/arthritis-drug-xeljanz-fda-approval

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Edifier e10 Exclaim PC speakers punctuate the air with 36W of sound

Edifier e10 Exclaim PC speakers deliver 36W of punctuated sound

Computer speaker design rarely sits in the middle: it tends to be dry on creativity or go over the top. Edifier is sometimes known for testing the limits itself, but its new e10 Exclaim speakers might strike just the right balance in taste. The 2.0-channel system trades on its exclamation point imagery without falling too far into gimmick territory. It might even sound good at the same time -- the dot in each satellite's punctuation helps pump out a reasonable 36W of sound across two amplifiers and allows for separate woofer and tweeter sections with their own passive radiators. The speakers are available today for $100, and only leave us wondering if a higher-end model would demand an interrobang.

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Workers return to South Africa's Gold Fields mine

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/workers-return-south-africas-gold-fields-mine-130934946.html

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Commentary: Voting for Revenge or for Love of Country or for Something Else?

COMMENTARY | "Don't boo; vote. Voting is the best revenge," incumbent President Barack Obama told a crowd in Springfield, Ohio, a YouTube clip reveals. Should voters see their ballots as a measure of revenge? Should they vote out of love for their country instead? Why do people vote in the first place?

Jennifer Psaki, a spokesperson for the Obama campaign, has been walking back the revenge statement, Politico notes. According to her, the revenge that President Obama refers to is aimed at the scare tactics and alleged lies contained in GOP candidate Mitt Romney's campaign ads. It did not take the Romney campaign long to spin the revenge remark into a campaign ad that calls on the electorate to vote for the "love of country."

Why Americans Vote

Psychology Today took a closer look at presidential elections and noted that voting is "a supremely irrational act." Unless a voter lives in a county or state where the race is extremely close, the ballot cast does not truly affect the outcome and determine who wins and loses. The American Psychological Association notes that voting could be little more than an expression of altruistic behavior or simply a habit.

Digging a bit deeper, the experts note that there is the concept of "voter's illusion," which denotes the belief that if a person votes, others in the person's sphere of influence will do so as well. Then there is the urge to belong to a group. In this scenario, only American citizens may vote. Therefore, casting a ballot identifies the voter as a member of the American people. Psychologists refer to this as the "expression of the self-concept."

Peer pressure is another strong motivator for people to head for the polling place. While it is true that anyone could lie about casting a ballot -- or about the candidate for whom they cast it -- the checks and balances put on by the social circles in which each American moves can be quite powerful.

Whom Americans Choose

Race is a strong indicator of voting behavior. CNN's 2008 exit polls show that 55 percent of white respondents voted for Republican candidate John McCain, while 95 percent of African American voters cast their ballots in favor of then-candidate Obama. Age and party affiliation also matter, as does income. Education is a lesser factor in determining whom a voter chooses.

In the final analysis, it is clear that while President Obama's call to vote for revenge is disruptive in an activity that Americans generally associate with civic duty, it is as good a reason as any to cast a ballot. So whether an American wants to stick it to the Romney campaign, vote out of civic duty and love for the country, has fallen victim to what psychologists call a voter's illusion or simply faces mounting peer pressure from within a circle of influence, the reasons for voting are as diverse as the people casting the ballots.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/commentary-voting-revenge-love-country-something-else-235200769.html

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Sugar Bowl in New Orleans to host Big 12-SEC game

Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) scores the game winning touchdown past LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo (49) in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. Alabama won 21-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon (4) scores the game winning touchdown past LSU defensive end Barkevious Mingo (49) in the second half of their NCAA college football game in Baton Rouge, La., Saturday, Nov. 3, 2012. Alabama won 21-17. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

(AP) ? The Superdome in New Orleans will be the site of the new marquee bowl matching the Southeastern Conference and Big 12, and the game will still be called the Sugar Bowl.

The conferences made the announcement Tuesday. The agreement between the leagues and the bowl is for 12 years, and ESPN will hold the TV rights.

The SEC has a long history with the Sugar Bowl. Seventy-one times an SEC team has played in the game, far more than any other league. The very first Sugar Bowl in 1935 matched Tulane, then of the SEC, against Temple.

"New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl are synonymous with post-season college football. For many years, fans have enjoyed the color and pageantry that New Orleans offers," SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said in a statement. "We look forward to competing against the Big 12 as a new championship tradition begins on New Year's Day."

The agreement was first reported by ESPN.com, which also reported that ESPN will pay $80 million per year to televise the game.

Several sites were vying to host the game, including Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Atlanta, Houston and San Antonio also submitted bids, but it came down to the Cotton Bowl in Arlington and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans.

"It was a very difficult decision," Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the AP in a phone interview Tuesday night.

He declined to parse the decision, but did say many factors were considered, from facilities to hotel space. He said despite the SEC's long relationship with the Sugar Bowl, Texas got strong consideration.

"If think if it would have gone to Dallas, the SEC would have been fine with it," he said.

The new college football playoff begins after the 2014 season and the first Sugar Bowl in the new format will be played Jan. 1, 2015. It will match the champions from the SEC and Big 12, unless those teams are selected to the national semifinals. In that case, two other highly rated teams from those conferences will be paired up.

"We're pleased to have been selected to host this great game," Sugar Bowl Chief Executive Officer Paul Hoolahan said. "This gives us the chance to extend the Sugar Bowl's long-standing relationship with the Southeastern Conference and to develop a new relationship with the Big 12 Conference."

The game will be part of the semifinal rotation for the new playoff system, along with the Rose Bowl and the Orange Bowl. The Big Ten and Pac-12 will continue their longtime relationship with the Rose Bowl, and the Atlantic Coast Conference has a deal to send its champion or another highly ranked team to the Orange Bowl.

Another deal is being worked on that will send a team from either an SEC team, a Big Ten team, or Notre Dame to the Orange Bowl to face the ACC in years the Miami-based bowl does not host a national semifinal.

At least three more sites need to be picked, and the Cotton Bowl is likely to be one of them.

"Regardless of which site we chose, the other city is likely to host an access bowl, to host semifinals and will be considered to host the championship game," Bowlsby said.

The Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., is expected to be in the playoff rotation, and Atlanta, which hosts the Chick-fil-A Bowl, is the other leading candidate to be part of the new postseason system. How often each site hosts a semifinal has yet to be determined.

There is also a plan being considered to add a seventh game to the rotation that would match either a Pac-12 or Big 12 team against the best team from the five other FBS conferences, including the Big East.

"Both a seven-game and a six-game model are still in play," Bowlsby said.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-06-FBC-SEC-Big-12-Bowl/id-e986c71660104933bb8e2a988dc03b1b

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Please Help Children Fighting for Air | RichmondMom.com

Chances are, you?ve noticed days when the distance is obscured by haze. Sooty and smoggy air doesn?t just cloud our views, it also damages our lungs. And if your child has asthma, you know better than anyone that dirty air is dangerous.

Richmond had the dubious distinction of being named the Asthma Capital of the U.S. in 2010 and 2011 by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, and one of the reasons was poor air quality. The American Lung Association gave the area an ?F? for smog pollution in its 2011 State of the Air Report. This is bad news for everyone, but especially for elderly people; people living in poverty; people with lung and heart disease and diabetes; and children.

Children?s lungs are still developing, so they?re more vulnerable to the pollutants that they breathe in. Plus, they tend to breathe more rapidly, so they inhale more of that dangerous pollution into their lungs.

And for kids with asthma, smoggy days mean more asthma attacks, missed school days, and trips to the emergency room. Parents of kids with asthma should limit the amount of time their child plays outside on bad air days. Download the American Lung Association?s State of the Air app for your smartphone to get updates on your local air quality: http://www.lung.org/healthy-air/outdoor/state-of-the-air/app.html.

But we shouldn?t have to avoid the outdoors because of pollution in our air. The good news is, we can do something about it.

The Clean Air Act is the core law that protects us from dangerous air pollution. Over the 40 years it?s been in place, it has reduced major air pollutants by 71%. It prevented 160,000 premature deaths in 2010 alone, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

However, some of EPA?s clean air protections aren?t strong enough to keep up with what the latest science says is healthy. Worse, some members of Congress want to roll back current protections and keep EPA from issuing new ones.

Source: http://www.fightingforair.org/

The American Lung Association?s Healthy Air Campaign is bringing together medical professionals, public health officials, and parents like you to speak out about the need for healthy air. We?re publicizing the facts behind pollution?s impact on our health, and we?re putting a personal face to the fight against air pollution. That?s how we?ll convince our elected officials to protect us from soot and smog.

If your child has asthma, or you or someone you know has been impacted by air pollution, your elected officials need to hear from you. Visit www.fightingforair.org to learn more, sign a letter in support of stronger soot standards, and share your story online.

And if you have questions or would like get more involved, call or email Laura Kate Bender, the Virginia Healthy Air Coalition Coordinator, at 202-715-3457 or laura.bender@lung.org.

Kids are counting on you!

RhondaDay

Rhonda is the mother of two adult daughters and a grandmother to five wonderful grandchildren ? and our only grandmother on staff. She spent 25 years in corporate healthcare managing prenatal and disease management programs. She is the Content Manager for Richmondmom and contributes her expertise as both a mom and grandmother ? while sorting out the many opportunities for our valuable advertisers.

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Source: http://richmondmom.com/2012/11/05/please-help-children-fighting-for-air/

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