Syria acknowledges its chemical weapons

As Syrian rebels gain ground in fierce fighting, the Syrian government has acknowledged its stockpiles of chemical weapons (CW) ? by announcing that they will not be used against Syrians, only foreign invaders.

However, the regime has insisted that the rebellion, which began over a year ago, is the work of foreigners. Ironically, the only known plans for foreign troops to engage Syria are to secure the CWs.

Leonard Spector of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies in Washington DC told a US Congressional committee last week that in a recent military exercise, the US and 18 other nations, and "more than 12,000 participants" rehearsed ways to "prevent the transfer of chemical arms out of Syria".

Syria is thought to possess between 500 and 1000 tonnes of mainly mustard gas and the nerve gas sarin. A stolen shell set off in a city "could wreak havoc", Spector warned. He added that a sudden collapse of the regime could make it difficult to establish who controls the CWs.

So-called "retroactive verification" that nothing has been spirited away "will be very difficult, since we do not have a reliable baseline for Syria", says Andreas Persbo, head of VERTIC, a verification research organisation based in London.

Foreign powers should now "negotiate international monitoring and security arrangements" for the CW sites, Spector said, starting by assuring the current guards that they will be rewarded for staying at their posts if the current regime falls. Any new government must renounce CWs, he added, though he admitted the current government acquired them as a deterrent against nuclear-armed Israel, a situation that still exists.

"There is no guarantee that a post-Assad government would accede to the treaty banning CW," agrees Persbo ? especially if it inherits an existing supply.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

Have your say

Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in.

Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article

Subscribe now to comment.

All comments should respect the New Scientist House Rules. If you think a particular comment breaks these rules then please use the "Report" link in that comment to report it to us.

If you are having a technical problem posting a comment, please contact technical support.

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/21b3a9ed/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Carticle0Cdn2210A40Esyria0Eacknowledges0Eits0Echemical0Eweapons0Bhtml0DDCMP0FOTC0Erss0Gnsref0Fonline0Enews/story01.htm

trayvon martin 911 call kiribati vernal equinox mr rogers jamie lee curtis spring equinox audacious

Logitech's Skype TV Cam HD passes through FCC

Logitech isn't giving up on living room video chats just yet. Sure, the Revue and the Viera-friendly TV Cam failed to set the world on fire, but a new TV Cam HD just hit the FCC and appears poised to bring Skype to your couch. There was a promo video on Vimeo, but it's since been pulled. Fortunately there's still a Best Buy listing (at the more coverage link) for the device which has it priced at $200. When will it hit shelves? That's anyone's guess... but we imagine it wont be much longer.

Filed under: Digital Cameras

Logitech's Skype TV Cam HD passes through FCC originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 25 Jul 2012 14:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink Zatz Not Funny!  |  FCC  | Email this | Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/tra3WnX0VR8/

heath bell ncaa bowl schedule ncaa bowl schedule farrah abraham whats going on bowl projections bedlam

Midwest Drought 2012: Plains Ranchers Forced To Sell Cattle

WICHITA, Kan. (AP) ? Kansas cattleman Ken Grecian sold 20 pairs of cows and calves a few weeks after drought had sucked his pastures dry and no rain was in the forecast. He sold 20 more pairs Friday.

Grecian spent years meticulously breeding his cows to improve the genetics in each generation, but with Kansas in one of the worst droughts seen in decades, he's struggling to find enough grazing to feed 300 cows, plus their calves. He hopes to get by with selling only a quarter of his herd, but there are no guarantees with the drought expected to linger through October.

Other cattlemen throughout the middle and western part of the U.S. also are selling animals they can't graze or afford to buy feed for. Beef from the animals now flooding livestock auctions will start showing up in grocery stores in November and December, temporarily driving down meat prices. But then prices are expected to rise sharply by January in the wake of dwindling supplies and smaller livestock herds.

The number of cattle in the U.S. has been dropping for years, but the pace picked up last year when ranchers in Texas, the nation's top beef producer, sold a massive number of animals amid a severe drought in the Southwest. Farmers in Nebraska, Montana, Wyoming and the Dakotas bought some of those cows, however, so nationwide, the loss wasn't as great as it could have been. This year, virtually no one is expanding herds.

"The drought was really bad in the Southern Plains last year, but the cattle industry was able nationally to absorb it because it wasn't bad everywhere. This one is much more along the lines of bad everywhere, so the market implications are a lot larger and a lot more players in the industry are impacted by this," said Glynn Tonsor, an agriculture economics professor at Kansas State University.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Friday that the nation's cattle inventory was the smallest since the agency began a July count in 1973. It estimates the size of the nation's herd each January and July. The U.S. had 97.8 million head as of July 1, 2 percent less than a year ago.

It is likely to take the beef industry years to recover. Cows have a nine-month gestation period, and it can take up to two years after calves are born for them to grow big enough for slaughter. The time needed to repair drought-damaged pastures will only extend that timetable because ranchers must have grass for grazing before they can add animals.

Grecian, 62, who farms northwest of Hays, said a local drought forced him to sell nearly 30 percent of his cattle in 2003. It took six years for him to rebuild once the drought ended. He did it by holding onto female calves and not selling them.

It's possible, he said, to rebuild faster by buying animals, but that can be costly when few young, female cows are available, and farmers might not get the animals they want.

"It is our life and we invest a lot of emotion and energy and money into developing a cow herd that is genetically what we want," Grecian said. "When we are forced to liquidate, it is not an easy thing to do. It is pretty heart-wrenching sometimes, but is part of the business."

Cattle have been streaming into auction yards across the country in recent weeks as grazing land burns up in the sun, ponds and streams evaporate and prices for feed corn rise. In Oklahoma City, the number of cattle going to auction quadrupled in one week earlier this month, and in Kearney, Neb., it increased three-fold.

In Texas, some 36,000 cattle were brought to auctions last week ? nearly triple the 13,400 animals sold just a couple of weeks earlier and approaching the 43,600 head sold at the same time during last summer's brutal drought, according to the USDA.

Calf prices are falling with so many animals on the market. A 600-pound calf now fetches $120 less than it brought in just a couple of months ago. Prices for feeder cattle, which are typically fed grass before going to feedlots to be fattened on corn, have collapsed as corn prices have gone up. Feedlots are spending about $200 more per cow on corn than they were just months ago.

Beef prices were already falling after rising 10 percent last year amid the drought in the Southwest. They peaked at an average of $5.09 per pound in January, and then came down to about $4.93 per pound in June. They are expected to increase again, but it's not clear by how much. The USDA had predicted a 2.5 to 3.5 percent increase in beef prices for the year, but that was before the drought spread and cattle selloffs mounted.

Jon Ferguson, 63, has weaned calves earlier and sold some cows about a month earlier than usual to save pasture on his ranch near Kensington, Kan. He has about 450 pairs of cows and calves and nearly 1,200 other calves that he buys each year to fatten on grass before shipping them to a feedlot.

He shipped a third of his cattle from Kansas to Colorado to graze during a drought in the summer of 1989. He's not sure whether that option will be available this year, or whether he should just liquidate and cut his costs now.

"If you can figure out a way to hang on to them at a reasonable cost until the drought is over, it typically pays you pretty well," Ferguson said. But, he added, "If this thing persists through the summer, and we see these kinds of temperatures with no significant moisture relief, we will be in trouble by fall."

Related on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/midwest-drought-2012-ranchers-farmers_n_1697169.html

drew drew lady gaga marry the night video lady gaga marry the night video pac 12 championship game pac 12 championship game al franken

Futurity.org ? Having last baby later cuts cancer risk

"The lower risk of endometrial cancer continued for older mothers across different age-at-diagnosis groups, including under 50, 50-59, 60-69, and over 70?which shows that the protection persists for many years," says study author Veronica "Wendy" Setiawan. (Credit: iStockphoto)

USC (US) ? Women who have their last baby in their 30s and 40s have a reduced risk of developing endometrial cancer, the most common gynecological cancer in the US.

New research finds that women who last give birth at age 40 or older have a 44 percent decreased risk of endometrial cancer, which strikes the tissue lining of the uterus, as compared to women who have their last baby younger than 25.

The study found that risk begins to decrease after age 30 by approximately 13 percentage points for each five-year delay in last births. Compared to women who last give birth before age 25, those who have their last child between age 30 and 34 reduce their risk by 17 percent and those between age 35 and 39 reduce their risk by 32 percent.

?While childbearing at an older age previously has been associated with a lower risk of endometrial cancer, the size of this study definitively shows that late age at last birth is a significant protective factor after taking into account other factors known to influence the disease?body weight, number of kids, and oral contraceptive use,?? says Veronia ?Wendy? Setiawan,? assistant professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California.

Published online in the American Journal of Epidemiology, the study that is believed to be the largest of its kind, examined pooled data from four cohort studies and 13 case-control studies. Funded by the National Cancer Institute, the research examined a total of 8,671 cases of endometrial cancer and 16,562 control subjects, all derived from studies in the Epidemiology of Endometrial Cancer Consortium.

?We found that the lower risk of endometrial cancer continued for older mothers across different age-at-diagnosis groups, including under 50, 50-59, 60-69, and over 70?which shows that the protection persists for many years,? Setiawan says.

?Protection also did not vary by the two types of the disease: the more common Type 1, which we think is related to estrogen exposure; and the more rare, but more aggressive and deadly, Type 2, which has been thought to develop independent of hormones.?

Endometrial cancer is the fourth most common cancer diagnosed among American women. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2012 about 47,130 new cases of cancer of the uterine body will be diagnosed, and about 8,010 women will die from such cancers. The vast majority of those cases are endometrial cancer.

Setiawan?s research also examines whether the association between age at last birth and endometrial cancer was consistent across race and ethnicity. The protective association was observed in Caucasian and Asian women, but not in the study?s small subset of black women, warranting additional study of larger groups of those women.

More research is necessary to determine why late age at last birth might protect against endometrial cancer, but Setiawan notes that several potential mechanisms have been suggested by other investigators, including:

• Women capable of becoming pregnant at an older age may possess a healthy endometrium or experience fewer menstrual cycles without ovulation
• Prolonged exposure to the hormone progesterone during pregnancy may be especially beneficial at older ages, the critical period for endometrial cancer development
• Premalignant or malignant cells of the uterine cavity?s mucosal lining, which are more likely to exist with increasing age, are shed during childbirth.

?This study shows an important protective factor for endometrial cancer,? Setiawan says, ?and when the exact mechanism by which it protects women from getting the disease is known, it can help our understanding of how endometrial cancer develops and thus how to prevent it.?

The analysis was supported by the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health.

More news from USC: http://uscnews.usc.edu/

Source: http://www.futurity.org/health-medicine/having-last-baby-later-cuts-cancer-risk/

brown recluse front door alyssa bustamante protandim weightless ellen degeneres jcpenney yeardley love

Olympic Spirit Triumphs | Spotlight on Spirituality and Health

The Olympics is sure to be in your thoughts right now as our athletes line up with the world?s best in London. With around 100 athletes hailing from Queensland some would say that there must be ?something in the water? here. And one who excelled in the water was Kieren Perkins. When asked how he achieved such feats he answered, ?Being your best is not so much about overcoming the barriers other people place in front of you as it is about overcoming the barriers we place in front of ourselves?.

Society as a whole is finding out at breathtaking speed that health, like sporting success, is not just about what?s going on physically but what?s happening mentally. We?re hearing a lot more about how what we believe can make an enormous difference in what we experience. We?re hearing more about the role of spirituality in health, making people better physically as well as emotionally.

Sports medicine researcher, Brian Udermann, points to strong scientific evidence suggesting that individuals who regularly participate in spiritual activities and who feel strongly that spirituality or the presence of a higher power are sources of strength and comfort are healthier and possess greater healing capabilities. He goes so far as to suggest that incorporating spirituality into training could be crucial to providing the highest quality care possible for athletes?(The Effect of Spirituality on Health and Healing: A Critical Review of Athletic Trainers, Journal of Athletic Training, 2000).

Some psychiatrists support these ideas by pointing out that obsessions with fitness and weight loss are not helpful, while we overlook a yearning for meaning in life. It?s not until many?elite athletes retire that they are compelled to discover real spiritual meaning to their lives. Big life changes that we all face at times, tend to promote this searching.

On the other hand, often it?s when athletes?find spiritual meaning that talent and true sportsmanship unite to produce a great athlete. And we?ve seen some true ?greats? in Australian sporting history. The same could be said ?for?musicians or architects or administrators.

Observe with me over the next couple of weeks how each of our Olympian athletes has progressed in this understanding, as we barrack together for the sporting and spiritual quests of ?Team Oz?.

Read more examples of current research on this subject in this post, Brain not the source of thought and action after all

Blogs posts from other spiritual thinkers focusing on the Olympics:
For success (and health), mind matter most?by Keith Wommack
The end of faster, higher, stronger??by John Yemma, editor of The Christian Science Monitor
Olympic mettle: athletes who overcame barriers to get to London?Inspirational stories in The Christian Science Monitor

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

As the Christian Science media spokesperson and legislative liaison (or Christian Science Committee on Publication) for the State of Queensland, I look for opportunities to provide a spiritual perspective to current events, offer findings on current scientific research in the field of spirituality and health, and give accurate information to the public about Christian Science and its founder Mary Baker Eddy.

Source: http://qldhealthblog.com/2012/07/25/olympic-spirit-triumphs/

gpa calculator menorah chanukah chanukah david archuleta david archuleta hobbit trailer

Spiritum Dividum I- The Space Shield

For many years, the Spiritum Dividum set was lost, but now, a human has found the Space Shield. And, the Horrors have awakened.

Owner:

Game Masters:

Topic Tags:

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

---

---

As said, the RP is a WIP (Work In Progress). Although, I will be accepting characters, as long as you use the CS.

DarkLancer

Member for 0 years

---

---

Post a reply

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

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

Who is online

Registered users: AceofSpade, airedeiagrace, Akantha, Ancientflower20, Angel's Whisper*, Aniihya*, Arabella13*, Arceius*, AriaSama123, Artik, AshleighC*, Auricambrflaym, BAWADABOO, BIGBADpanda, BleedingLover, BrandedOne*, Breyerluv*, Bromander Shepard*, BubbleYum*, c.allen2.11*, Calvazara*, ceh12*, Chaoticfyre, Child of the Winged, claw*, cmpuncle, Crystal Flamedance, Dante Angelico, Deallo*, deathrisesagain*, Depressence, Digital_Muse*, dimon lord*, DokodemoElisa*, Doug, DumbDora*, Elenore, Everscale*, eye see you, Fatalfrost*, Firebird18*, Flexar*, Forget~Me~Not*, frazzguy*, Free_Polity, Gamer_Templar*, genericroleplayer92*, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], Google Feedfetcher, GoriexGorie, halfhuman2214*, Hazezon, Hinasil*, Horseygirl*, iApple*, iCat, jackrules158*, Kai*, kaze04*, Kestrel*, kingjpc*, Kiu*, Konstantein*, KulasLightShadow*, Kyren.Laili*, Lady Inali*, LitaKnix*, Lord Saladin, Lotsalove052, Lucy Knox, Lyndie, madisontaylorjb, Magnolia21*, MarchHare*, Mariofox*, mechanimated*, Mela, Meowsic, MilkHoney*, Misdemeanor*, MSNbot Media, nariko11, Nevan, Nevermore90*, Nogond*, Noxize*, Oborosen*, Outlaw*, Patcharoo*, peace_love_dance, Penfold*, pieluver*, PirateofPie, Porecomesis, PreachingLegionary, Romaneck*, rpannier*, Rulke, S1mon*, Sage Akia*, Saint Crash*, Saviarre*, ScarnyLuv*, Shaodow, Skwidge*, Smith, Solo Wing Pixy, StefanLF, StitchSaysHi*, stormwolf321*, SuperQ19, Tech Jam*, TechScience*, The Adversary*, The Great Thundorz*, The*Lucky*Teacup, TheFlag*, ThornGood*, Tiko*, Trickster*, Uchiha_Itachi*, ultimas308, Usui*, UVERazn, Vanillasugar41*, velvet.dress, VitaminHeart*, WadeJackel*, Wake*, Whiskyness, Whispers..x*, whscorbin, Wing06Twilight, XOXOHannah*, XxEvil1xX*, Yahoo [Bot], yamada*, Zman2010, zody*

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/-zRV_nD9jNM/viewtopic.php

dodgeball 2012 pro bowl postsecret ufc on fox 2 supercross christina aguilera etta james funeral sundance film festival

Who Else Wants Free Self Help? Listen To My Favorite Online ...

?The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.? Anonymous

Between 2000 and 5000. That?s how many spare thoughts you and I have running through our minds each day.

If we?re dealing with stress, problems, and unforseen circumstances, or if we harbor negative core beliefs, a large percentage of those thoughts will harm us, not help us.

If you have a heart attack, you have a choice.

A) Change your eating and exercise habits. Start eating healthy foods and exercising daily.
B) Continue to sit on your butt and eat all the junk food responsible for your heart attack in the first place.

Your heart, mind, and soul are waiting for good mental nutrition.

Ignore These Free Self Help Online Podcasts If You Want To Stay Poor ?Please Tweet This!

On the other hand, if you want to think and grow rich, add these podcasts to your personal growth arsenal.

I listen to my podcast episodes on Stitcher and on Pocket Casts.

The Foundation: Soul Purpose Podcasts

Walk In The Word Podcast?

James McDonald, pastor of Harvest Bible Chapel, has been speaking soul growing truth for the past 25 plus years.

If you?d like to grown up in your faith, check out his podcast.

The Chapel Podcast

Jeff Griffin is one of my best friends from my college days.

Today, he and Scott Chapman co-pastor The Chapel. ?Both Scott and Jeff are passionate for God and for bringing His Word to all people.

The Bridge Podcast

Scott Ziegler and other pastors at my church share their weekly messages on the Bridge podcast. ?The Bridge seeks to?connect people to God and to one another with Biblical solutions. ?The practical life lessons from the Bible will feed your soul.

Discover, Plan, and Lead Podcasts

48 Days Podcast

The 48 Days Podcast with Dan Miller will catalyze you?to find work you love.

Dan Miller, author of 48 Days to The Work You Love, speaks about the nuts and bolts of uniting passion with work while living a balanced life.

This Is Your Life

Michael Hyatt, former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers, and current chairman of the same company, podcasts about intentional leadership.
As Michael shares in his opening line of every weekly podcast,

?My goal is to help you live with more passion, work with greater focus, and lead with extraordinary influence.?

You can?t listen to this podcast without growing and enriching those around you.

Successful Life Mindset

Cliff Ravenscraft and Tracy Trost have co-hosted over 40 episodes of this podcast.

From the website:

The Successful Life Mindset has been called ?A Motivational Happy Hour.? This show is devoted to encouraging you to live your life to its greatest potential.
The hosts get together each week talk about valuable principles for living a life full of meaning and purpose.

According to the most recent podcast I listened to, Cliff will be dialing back his appearances on the show so that he can devote his time to other goals.
However, Tracy is an excellent host, and I expect the future content will be just as great as the past.

Entreleadership

David Ramsey is not only one of the most successful debt counselors in America. He?s also established a long track record of effective business results with his own organization.
He?s put together a podcast speaking to leading organizations with integrity. You?ve got to listen to these episodes to expand your own personal leadership.

Grow Your Internet Business Podcasts

If you?re blogging, I?m pretty sure you?ve developed a business mindset.

Whether you?re new to the internet or a veteran, you?ll love these internet business resources.

The Mason World Late Night Internet Marketing Podcast

I love this podcast, because Mark Mason lives where I am. I?m very much a part-time business blogger/internet marketer. And so is he. He works full-time while working on his part-time internet business. Mark wants to inspire and help others build their internet businesses one night at a time.
His primary business model is affiliate marketing, you?ll find most of his internet marketing business tips and tricks helpful regardless of your business model.

Internet Business Mastery Podcast

Sterling and Jay have inspired thousands to live their dreams of creating their own internet business.
Week in and week out they give many business strategies in teaspoon sized bits to help you succeed.
Each of them successfully runs his own internet businesses in addition to Internet Business Mastery.

The Smart Passive Income Podcast

Pat Flynn burst on the internet marketing scene shortly after his architecture dream job was eliminated.
Both he, I, and thousands of others are glad he was out of a job.
Because he went on to create his Smart Passive Income website, videos, and podcast.
Pat?s work ethic, creativity, sense of humor, and integrity shine through in every episode.

The Podcast Answer Man Podcast

If you haven?t yet listened to this podcast, you?ve missed out!

But it?s not too late. ?Cliff Ravenscraft is the go to guy for all things podcast. ?If you?re in business on the internet, you?ll need to start your podcast sooner or later.

I plan to start mine by the end of the year. ?And Cliff has inspired me and taught me every single week with his content packed podcast.
Cliff Ravenscraft

Get Out of Debt Podcasts

Man Versus Debt Podcast

Adam Baker is ?passionate about getting out of debt.

Beyond getting out of debt, he shows you the proper mindset for getting out of debt; how to sell your ?crap?, and do what you love.

I just started listening this year and learned a lot. ?In fact, I?ve gone back to re-listen to his episodes, I liked them so much.

The Dave Ramsey Show Podcast

I?ve put my finances under the surgical knife this year. ?Dave Ramsey?s Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial Fitness?is my main blueprint.

Every time I listen to his daily Dave Ramsey Show podcast, I?m encouraged to keep going on my road to being debt-free.

Ignore These Free Self Help Online Podcasts If You Want To Stay Poor ?Please Tweet This!

These are the free self-help podcasts that most influence me. What are some of your favorite online podcasts? ? photo credit: Pink Sherbet Photography?

Related posts:

Want our free eBook? Keep reading...

I've written an amazing eBook about Building Your Online Career Portfolio that I think you'll love. Enter your email address below for instant access

Source: http://www.personal-success-factors.com/who-else-wants-free-self-help-listen-to-my-favorite-online-podcasts/

pekingese ups tcu football westminster bonnaroo 2012 lineup twisted metal sea lion