Video: The Case for China Play

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Risk factors for breast cancer for women aged 40 to 49 years: a - JSurg

Risk factors for breast cancer for women aged 40 to 49 years: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Ann Intern Med. 2012 May 1;156(9):635-48

Authors: Nelson HD, Zakher B, Cantor A, Fu R, Griffin J, O?Meara ES, Buist DS, Kerlikowske K, van Ravesteyn NT, Trentham-Dietz A, Mandelblatt JS, Miglioretti DL

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Identifying risk factors for breast cancer specific to women in their 40s could inform screening decisions.

PURPOSE: To determine what factors increase risk for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years and the magnitude of risk for each factor.

DATA SOURCES: MEDLINE (January 1996 to the second week of November 2011), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials and Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (fourth quarter of 2011), Scopus, reference lists of published studies, and the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium.

STUDY SELECTION: English-language studies and systematic reviews of risk factors for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years. Additional inclusion criteria were applied for each risk factor.

DATA EXTRACTION: Data on participants, study design, analysis, follow-up, and outcomes were abstracted. Study quality was rated by using established criteria, and only studies rated as good or fair were included. Results were summarized by using meta-analysis when sufficient studies were available or from the best evidence based on study quality, size, and applicability when meta-analysis was not possible. Data from the Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium were analyzed with proportional hazards models by using partly conditional Cox regression. Reference groups for comparisons were set at U.S. population means.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Sixty-six studies provided data for estimates. Extremely dense breasts on mammography or first-degree relatives with breast cancer were associated with at least a 2-fold increase in risk for breast cancer. Prior breast biopsy, second-degree relatives with breast cancer, or heterogeneously dense breasts were associated with a 1.5- to 2.0-fold increased risk; current use of oral contraceptives, nulliparity, and age 30 years or older at first birth were associated with a 1.0- to 1.5-fold increased risk.

LIMITATIONS: Studies varied by measures, reference groups, and adjustment for confounders, which could bias combined estimates. Effects of multiple risk factors were not considered.

CONCLUSION: Extremely dense breasts and first-degree relatives with breast cancer were each associated with at least a 2-fold increase in risk for breast cancer in women aged 40 to 49 years. Identification of these risk factors may be useful for personalized mammography screening.

PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Cancer Institute.

PMID: 22547473 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

Source: http://jsurg.com/blog/risk-factors-for-breast-cancer-for-women-aged-40-to-49-years-a-systematic-review-and-meta-analysis/

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CUBA SWIMMING TO FLORIDA 21570519.JPG

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Treasure Coast Real Estate | Pineapple Plantation 01 Homes For ...

by starfish on June 28, 2012

Find Pineapple Plantation 01 Homes For Sale and Pineapple Plantation 01 Home Values. We also have information on mortgages, insurance, movers and other Treasure Coast Real Estate Services for anyone looking to sell or buy a home in beautiful Martin COUNTY Florida.

Paul Kitchen and Starfish Team provide clients, family and close friends with professional, honest and dependable service. A resident of Treasure Coast, Paul is extremely familiar with the local neighborhoods including Pineapple Plantation 01, school districts and the Treasure Coast Real Estate market in this beautiful Florida town.

Paul Kitchen
Broker-Owner
Starfish Real Estate
8985 SE Bridge Road Hobe Sound, Florida 33455
(772) 539-8380
(800) 793-7304 toll free
Treasure Coast Real Estate
Treasure Coast Real Estate Blog

Tagged as: Pineapple Plantation 01, Treasure Coast Real Estate

Source: http://www.treasure-coast-living.com/2012/06/28/treasure-coast-real-estate-pineapple-plantation-01-homes-for-sale-june-2012/

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goodasyou: The hubby and I were planning on having Chinese on the Upper West Side tonight. Join us at Shun Lee, Justice Kagan? #p2

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Simple Ways To Get caught up with Social network Plans In 2012The Most significant Articles and reviews Near to E-Business

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Gameflynews: PlayStation 3: Why Acquire This Gaming Console ...

Sony is among the leading producers of gaming consoles today. Compared to other consoles, Sony's gaming consoles are integrated with the latest innovative know-how in graphics and sound, which will give you and your family prime quality dwelling entertainment.Sony's line of PlayStation is likely one of the most profitable gaming consoles within the market. In truth, it is so successful that many individuals all around the world choose PlayStation gaming consoles than other totally different gaming consoles developed by other companies.Simply think about a gaming console with a large library of widespread video games with realistic graphics and sound that may nearly take you within the sport and make you're feeling as in case you are the character and never just enjoying the sport itself. In case you played a PlayStation before, you know how entertaining it is and you also know what kind of advantages that PlayStation gaming consoles can contribute to your home leisure systems.Right this moment, Sony will likely be officially releasing their much-anticipated PlayStation 3 on November 2006 in Japan, United States, and in Canada in that order. PlayStation 3 guarantees to ship excessive-quality gaming experience for everyone within the world. With the latest graphics chip installed and with the most effective processor obtainable for game consoles, PlayStation 3 will definitely provide you with and your family high quality entertainment.Though the modern design of the PlayStation three is purely for aesthetics purposes, you can by no means deny the fact that the outer shell design will look good with your house entertainment system. PlayStation three also has Bluetooth wi-fi controllers that you should use for optimum consolation and delight whilst you play the game.PlayStation 3 may also be built-in with Wi-Fi know-how that can enable you to play online PlayStation three video games with totally different folks all around the world. Because of this, it is possible for you to to play with your personal custom-made character on-line and battle in opposition to other people from everywhere in the world or make new mates in the virtual group the place you possibly can go on cooperative missions.There are other equipment that you could benefit from PlayStation 3. It has an upgradeable laborious disk, and it will even be integrated with the Blu-ray drive. Additionally, PlayStation three will also be built-in with USB ports and the HDMI. With an HDMI function, it is possible for you to to play games on your Excessive Definition TV with superior quality.The Blu-ray drive is an advanced disc format that will be capable to hold information five occasions more than that of a DVD. The Blu-ray drive will have the ability to play varied disc media codecs like your old PlayStation and PlayStation 2 video games, your audio CDs, your DVDs and others. This means that you can be getting more aside from a game console. The PlayStation 3 will have the ability to play your DVD motion pictures and it will also be capable of play your audio CDs.Now that you've got a number of reasons why you should buy Sony PlayStation three instead of the other main gaming consoles out there available in the market presently, you must also know that the PlayStation three is an extremely anticipated gaming console today. It's best to anticipate that many individuals will likely be lining up to purchase PlayStation three all over the world and this why you must also take into account preordering a PlayStation three before it's even released in the market.By preordering your individual PlayStation three, you can make sure that you'll own a PlayStation 3 upon the official launch of this gaming console on November 2006 within the United States, and in Canada. Purchase PlayStation three now by preordering it online or by preordering it on your nearest Sony PlayStation three retail outlets.Pei P. Pozzobon

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New way of probing exoplanet atmospheres

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

The planet Tau Bootis b was one of the first exoplanets to be discovered back in 1996, and it is still one of the closest exoplanets known. Although its parent star is easily visible with the naked eye, the planet itself certainly is not, and up to now it could only be detected by its gravitational effects on the star. Tau Bootis b is a large "hot Jupiter" planet orbiting very close to its parent star.

Like most exoplanets, this planet does not transit the disc of its star (like the recent transit of Venus). Up to now such transits were essential to allow the study of hot Jupiter atmospheres: when a planet passes in front of its star it imprints the properties of the atmosphere onto the starlight. As no starlight shines through Tau Bootis b's atmosphere towards us, this means the planet's atmosphere could not be studied before.

But now, after 15 years of attempting to study the faint glow that is emitted from hot Jupiter exoplanets, astronomers have finally succeeded in reliably probing the structure of the atmosphere of Tau Bootis b and deducing its mass accurately for the first time. The team used the CRIRES instrument on the Very Large Telescope (VLT) at ESO's Paranal Observatory in Chile. They combined high quality infrared observations (at wavelengths around 2.3 microns) with a clever new trick to tease out the weak signal of the planet from the much stronger one from the parent star.

Lead author of the study Matteo Brogi (Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands) explains: "Thanks to the high quality observations provided by the VLT and CRIRES we were able to study the spectrum of the system in much more detail than has been possible before. Only about 0.01% of the light we see comes from the planet, and the rest from the star, so this was not easy".

The majority of planets around other stars were discovered by their gravitational effects on their parent stars, which limits the information that can be gleaned about their mass: they only allow a lower limit to be calculated for a planet's mass. The new technique pioneered here is much more powerful. Seeing the planet's light directly has allowed the astronomers to measure the angle of the planet's orbit and hence work out its mass precisely. By tracing the changes in the planet's motion as it orbits its star, the team has determined reliably for the first time that Tau Bootis b orbits its host star at an angle of 44 degrees and has a mass six times that of the planet Jupiter in our own Solar System.

"The new VLT observations solve the 15-year old problem of the mass of Tau Bootis b. And the new technique also means that we can now study the atmospheres of exoplanets that don't transit their stars, as well as measuring their masses accurately, which was impossible before", says Ignas Snellen (Leiden Observatory, the Netherlands), co-author of the paper. "This is a big step forward."

As well as detecting the glow of the atmosphere and measuring Tau Bootis b's mass, the team has probed its atmosphere and measured the amount of carbon monoxide present, as well as the temperature at different altitudes by means of a comparison between the observations and theoretical models. A surprising result from this work was that the new observations indicated an atmosphere with a temperature that falls higher up. This result is the exact opposite of the temperature inversion -- an increase in temperature with height -- found for other hot Jupiter exoplanets.

The VLT observations show that high resolution spectroscopy from ground-based telescopes is a valuable tool for a detailed analysis of non-transiting exoplanets' atmospheres. The detection of different molecules in future will allow astronomers to learn more about the planet's atmospheric conditions. By making measurements along the planet's orbit, astronomers may even be able to track atmospheric changes between the planet's morning and evening.

"This study shows the enormous potential of current and future ground-based telescopes, such as the E-ELT. Maybe one day we may even find evidence for biological activity on Earth-like planets in this way", concludes Ignas Snellen.

###

ESO: http://www.eso.org

Thanks to ESO 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.

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Hindu Leader Says Controlling Goddess in Online Game Is ...

Upcoming free-to-play online game Smite features three Hindu gods: Kali, Vamana and Agni.

According to religious leader Rajan Zed, the manner that they are depicted in the game is insensitive to Hindu worshippers. The game, Zed contends, trivializes these highly revered Hindu deities, who are worshipped in temples and home shrines and not simply reduced to video game characters. Zed is calling for the gods' removal from the game, which is being developed by American developer Hi-Rez Studios.

Smite is described as "online battleground between mythical gods", and it allows players to pick their god and then duke it out in virtual combat.

In an official statement from Zed, the "Hindu statesman" notes that Hindus are, of course, for free speech. The issue here is that Zed believes Smite belittles Hinduism and hurts believers, as faith is something sacred and should be respected.

For some time now, Zed has publically disapproved of how Western popular culture re-appropriates Hindu concepts and gods: whether that be Heidi Klum's Halloween costume, James Cameron's Avatar, or yoga mats.

The Official Site of Rajan Zed [RajanZed]

(Top photo: Hi-Rez / Falk Kienas | Shutterstock)

Category: Industry News, Kotaku

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Developers ? Blog Archive ? A Choice For Assisted Living

Within the coming years, as the baby boomers still enter the retirement phase of the lives, the options for living because individually as you possibly can have raised. Within states such as Denver, adult towns have given an overview of the items getting older appears like for seniors. Whilst active and impartial at fifty-five, aging in to one?s 1980?s as well as nineties often demands a few help with every day living actions. Assisted Living Denver homes have evolved from the wish to be as independent provided one can.

In the medical industry activities of every day living, for example being able to drive, use the telephone, help to make foods, and maintain individual hygiene, are used as a way of measuring a good adult?s ability to live individually. If an individual needs assist in a number of of those actions, selecting a house providing you with this particular help may be the solution.

A doctor ought to do an assessment associated with a restrictions associated with day to day activities. Knowing how much assist a person needs is the first step to locating the right home. Assisted Living Denver communities are positioned as much as provide very basic providers, like making meals, assisting along with shopping needs, as well as providing help with transportation. Additional communities will give you basic treatment in the beginning, however have the ability to include services depending on a person?s future needs.

When the level of care is known, the decision of where you can locate will have to be tackled. Plan in advance, it can make the transfer easier for all included. When the move will be to a new city or another part of the nation, find out about the climate, the attractions, along with other info to make the modification simpler. Locate a facility at the start of your decision process. Set up assistance to load up as well as transport belongings. Engage friends and family to help in the actual transition.

Find out about the providers the care service offers to make sure it may properly assist with current and long term requirements. Going to the community will provide knowledge of the actual amenities accessible, the way the employees interacts with the residents, and if the actual residents are happy and involved with activities.

Seriously consider the personnel?s interaction with the citizens. Perform the personnel make time to talk to the residents, and will they seem comfortable and genuine in these interactions? Find out the ratio of staff to seniors, could it be sufficient to handle the number of citizens?

Check out the recreational routine, will it give a variety of occasions? Walk around the community to see if the citizens tend to be positively participating in various occasions and just how well they like the community.

Whilst shifting could be frantic, with advanced planning and getting others involved, usually supplies for an easier transition. An Assisted Living Denver home can boost the sociable interaction of seniors, whilst providing the security associated with needed care. Planned events as well as organized transport may existing brand new opportunities for the residents. Understanding that the amount of assistance is available should relaxed any present or long term fears.

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Real Estate Buying ? Tips From The Pros | Toronto Presale Condo

Posted on 27. Jun, 2012 by admin in Info Buyer

You need to know what?s on your credit report prior to applying for a mortgage loan. Once you have your report, check through it for any issues or red flags that may be present, and be sure to report any mistakes. It is important that your credit looks good prior to looking for a home, as you don?t want to be declined for a mortgage.

You must be organized if you are looking into buying real estate. You should establish a notebook and jot down the information and knowledge you gain during the process. In this manner, everything important that you will need to review will be in a singular location.

If you are thinking of relocating, do your research online about the area and neighborhood you are looking at. There is plenty of information available to you, even if you are thinking about moving to a small town. Do thorough research into any area in which you plan to purchase real estate. It is no fun to find out later that you have invested in dead-end real estate.

Although the bank does not require a home inspection sometimes, you should still have one done anyway. You should know whether there are any serious issues with a prospective house before purchasing it, so hire a professional home inspector. Any number of things can go wrong in a home, and only a professional will be able to point out many of them. It is a worthy investment to save yourself a headache in the future.

Make sure you pay attention what other kinds of homes are in that neighborhood! This is important, because you do not necessarily want to purchase the biggest and the best house in that neighborhood. The reason is because you will not get back the money you put into the home when there are homes that are less expensive in the same area.

Stay in touch and communicate regularly with other investors in the real estate field. An array of properties are always going to be for sale, though some properties will be unsuitable for your needs. Remaining social can lead to other investors revealing properties that weren?t suitable for them, but are perfect for your needs.

When you are considering a certain real estate agent, make sure to have plenty of questions planned to address all of your concerns. Ask them for important information. This can include how many houses they have sold in the past twelve months and how many they sold near the location you?re looking at. The real estate agent should be ready to answer any of your inquiries in a professional way.

When looking to select the perfect agent to represent you, make sure you inquire how long he or she has lived in your preferred area. If your agent is not familiar with the area, they won?t be able to inform you about many things you may want to know. You should work with real estate agents who have lived locally for at least a decade.

Be sure to get a warranty on your home. Anytime you purchase a new or older home, ask the builder or previous owner for a warranty. Builders usually offer a warranty on the work they do for a designated amount of time. For older homes, you can ask the previous owner to give you a warranty to cover any repairs that may come up.

The tips in this article will help you make the correct decisions when it comes to purchasing real estate. Apply what you have learned to maximize the return on your property investment. When you feel that you are aware of what the correct procedures are, you can certainly purchase with confidence.

www.torontorealtoronline.com

Tags: investment

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Nano-sandwich technique slims down solar cells, improves efficiency

ScienceDaily (June 25, 2012) ? Researchers from North Carolina State University have found a way to create much slimmer thin-film solar cells without sacrificing the cells' ability to absorb solar energy. Making the cells thinner should significantly decrease manufacturing costs for the technology.

"We were able to create solar cells using a 'nanoscale sandwich' design with an ultra-thin 'active' layer," says Dr. Linyou Cao, an assistant professor of materials science and engineering at NC State and co-author of a paper describing the research. "For example, we created a solar cell with an active layer of amorphous silicon that is only 70 nanometers (nm) thick. This is a significant improvement, because typical thin-film solar cells currently on the market that also use amorphous silicon have active layers between 300 and 500 nm thick." The "active" layer in thin-film solar cells is the layer of material that actually absorbs solar energy for conversion into electricity or chemical fuel.

"The technique we've developed is very important because it can be generally applied to many other solar cell materials, such as cadmium telluride, copper indium gallium selenide, and organic materials," Cao adds.

The new technique relies largely on conventional manufacturing processes, but results in a very different finished product. The first step is to create a pattern on the substrate using standard lithography techniques. The pattern outlines structures made of transparent, dielectric material measuring between 200 and 300 nm. The researchers then coat the substrate and the nanostructures with an extremely thin layer of active material, such as amorphous silicon. This active layer is then coated with another layer of dielectric material.

Using dielectric nanostructures beneath the active layer creates a thin film with elevated surfaces evenly spaced all along the film -- like crenellations at the top of a medieval castle.

"One key aspect of this technique is the design of the 'nanoscale sandwich,' with the active materials in the middle of two dielectric layers. The nanostructures act as very efficient optical antennas," Cao says, "focusing the solar energy into the active material. This focusing means we can use a thinner active layer without sacrificing performance. In the conventional thin-film design, using a thinner active layer would impair the solar cell's efficiency."

The paper, "Dielectric Core-shell Optical Antennas for Strong Solar Absorption Enhancement," is published online in Nano Letters. Lead author of the paper is Yiling Yu, a Ph.D. student at NC State. Co-authors include Drs. Vivian Ferry and Paul Alivisatos of the University of California, Berkeley. The research was supported, in part, by the U.S. Department of Energy.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by North Carolina State University.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Linyou Cao, Yiling Yu, A. Paul Alivisatos, Vivian E. Ferry. Dielectric Core-shell Optical Antennas for Strong Solar Absorption Enhancement. Nano Letters, 2012; 120611122627002 DOI: 10.1021/nl301435r

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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New Cisco Innovation Centre demonstrates commitment to our ...

It?s an exciting time here at Cisco Canada, especially for the folks involved with Smart+Connected Communities (S+CC). We recently announced the second phase of the Boyle Renaissance development with The Holmes Group in Edmonton, are underway on Canada?s first Smart+Connected Community, Rampart Avenir in St.Albert, and we continue to build strong relationships with municipalities throughout Canada. And now, we add to our achievements with the official opening of our exciting new Innovation Centre here in our Toronto office.

?

?

At first glance, the Innovation Centre is a strategic location where Cisco and our partners can come together and co-create pragmatic, scalable and repeatable solutions and proof of concepts for smart communities. But the Centre is much more than that. It truly is the culmination of our S+CC vision and highlights the vital role our partners play in the execution of that vision.

The ultimate goal of S+CC is to help communities achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability by changing the way cities, towns and villages are built, managed and renewed. From a technical perspective, this is done by using the power of the network to transform physical communities into connected communities that run on networked information.

?

But there?s more to S+CC than simply deploying the technology. In order for the solution to be completely successful, we need to have a strong relationship with partners and make sure our visions are aligned and in sync. To this end, we work very closely with our partners, from idea to execution.

?

Cisco has spent many years building a broad ecosystem of partners that bring proven expertise across green field and revitalization projects for communities around the world. Partners such as Fifth Light, Delta Controls, FlexITy, ESC Automation, Control4, EllisDon, IBM and many others all have strong track records of bringing innovative sustainability solutions. Together, we can use our diverse portfolio of products, services and solutions to effectively address the emerging opportunities inherent in using the network as an open and integrated platform to deliver the most effective S+CC solutions.

?

The new Innovation Centre will serve as a fantastic method for Cisco and our partners to further explore solutions for long-term sustainability. Partners can work with us within the Centre and have the opportunity to test firsthand a variety of Cisco smart technologies through a number of connected real estate solution demos such as building automation systems like lighting and HVAC controls, or Kiosk options for retail or transportation.

The Centre further allows partners to check for network compatibility with their products. This can identify and isolate any potential challenges with future deployment without having to do painstaking and time-consuming testing throughout the actual customer deployment. It?s a terrific time and cost-saving tool that ensures partners will be well-equipped and ready to go once they deploy solutions for their customers.

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Ultimately, the Centre will further cement the relationships we hold with our partners. This is something that will not only benefit the active participants, but also those within the communities that will be transformed into sustainable smart communities. It?s a vision Cisco Canada and our partners are proud to have as we collectively embark on the transformation of our communities, regions and country.

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Houston entrepreneurs competing for $250000 Mission: Small ...

If it seems like everyone is applying for the Mission: Small Business grant, that's not too far from the truth ? especially in Houston.?

The contest, sponsored by Chase and LivingSocial, is meant "to increase awareness of the important role small businesses play in local communities and to help small businesses grow." The program has raised a grant pool of $3 million to be awarded to 12?eligible, established small businesses based on the strength of each company's application.?

That amounts to a grant of $250,000 each; nothing for a small business to sneeze at. Houston business owners have taken to the challenge, racking up a whopping 67 pages of grant applicants and proving that our city is something of an entrepreneurial mecca.?

?Houston business-owners have taken up the challenge, racking up 67 pages of applicants that prove our city is something of an entrepreneurial mecca.??

Barber shops, gyms, car washes and cupcakeries?have all put their name in the pot for consideration.?

We're particularly excited about New Living, which plans to launch an ecommerce site for The Green Painter and open a second Houston location, plus follow through with an inner Loop, artisan-crafted furniture factory, Made at 6111 Kirby, if it receives the funds.

But that's just one of many locally-focused Houston businesses in the running:?Houston Dairymaids, New for the Night, Texas Art Asylum, 18 Hands Gallery, Kitchen Incubator?(which would use the funds to open Project Brew), One Green Street, Houston Heights Orchestra, Radical Eats, Down Easy Brewing Company and many, many more are looking for the votes to move on the next round and make positive changes in their businesses and the surrounding community.?

Each applicant must garner a requisite 250 votes by 11:59 p.m. EST on Saturday to advance to an application review.?Check out the full list?here?(the ballot requires Facebook sign-in, and entrants are searchable by city and state or by company name)?to support your favorite local businesses.

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Full-time fatherhood is more than a trend | hendersonhouseofcards

Nightline, on Monday, June 18,?featured the rising trend?of stay-at-home dads, the number of which, based on the most-recent Census, tripled since 2000 up to 154,000. A nice, round number, 154,000. Easy to report and remember and link to the faces of families around the country where the primary caregiver (or, PCG, in my family) is the dad, as I am in my family.

Read more:?http://goodmenproject.com/families/full-time-fatherhood-is-more-than-a-trend/

Will Henderson is a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer who has worked as a reporter and editor at newspapers and magazines. He lives outside of Boston; writes about love; and rarely reads directions. This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged Aurora, Avery, children, coparenting, dad is the new dad, dad is the new mom, Dateline, father, fatherhood, Good Men Project, love, memoir, parenting, stay at home dads, stay-at-home dad, writing. Bookmark the permalink.

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Logo Design, business cards and Facebook Banner image by BowlingGreen

• Project ID:

  1715177

• Project Type:

  Fixed

• Budget:

  $30-$250 CAD
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Project Description:

I'm just starting up an online clothing business for ladies plus sized clothing.

My company name is "Sweet Echo" and the full name is "Sweet Echo - Plus Size Clothing"

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Congressman accused in campaign finance probes (CNN)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Sandusky lawyers raise appeal issue on timing

In this booking photo released early Saturday morning June 23, 2012 by the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, Pa., former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is shown. Sandusky was convicted on Friday, June 22, 2012, of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.. (AP Photo/Centre County Correctional Facility)

In this booking photo released early Saturday morning June 23, 2012 by the Centre County Correctional Facility in Bellefonte, Pa., former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky is shown. Sandusky was convicted on Friday, June 22, 2012, of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno.. (AP Photo/Centre County Correctional Facility)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, center, leaves the Centre County Courthouse in custody with Centre County Sheriff Denny Nau, left, after being found guilty of multiple charges of child sexual abuse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

In this courtroom sketch, Judge John Cleland, second from left, defendant former Penn State assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, right, and his lawyer Karl Rominger, second from right, listen at the verdict in Sandusky's child sexual abuse trial is read by the jury foreman at the Centre County Courthouse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was found guilty of 45 charges of child sexual abuse involving 10 boys over a period of 15 years. (AP Photo/Aggie Kenny)

Former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky, rear, leaves the Centre County Courthouse with a Centre County Sheriff's deputy after being found guilty of multiple charges of child sexual abuse in Bellefonte, Pa., Friday, June 22, 2012. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

Jerry Sandusky leaves the Centre County Courthouse Friday, June 22, 2012, after being found guilty in his sexual abuse trial, in Bellefonte, Pa. Sandusky was convicted of sexually assaulting 10 boys over 15 years Friday, accusations that had sent shock waves through the college campus known as Happy Valley and led to the firing of Penn State's beloved Hall of Fame coach, Joe Paterno. (AP Photo/Centre Daily Times, Nabil K. Mark)

BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) ? Jerry Sandusky's lawyers said Saturday they tried to quit the night before his child sex abuse trial because they weren't given enough time to prepare, raising an argument on the trial's speed that could become the thrust of an appeal.

And one of the jurors who convicted Sandusky of 45 child sex abuse counts said Saturday he was swayed by the "very convincing" testimony of eight accusers who said the ex-Penn State coach molested them for years.

"It's hard to judge character on the stand, because you don't know these kids," juror Joshua Harper told NBC's "Today" show. "But most were very credible ? I would say all."

A day after the former Penn State assistant football coach's child sex abuse conviction, Sandusky's lawyers disclosed they felt too unprepared to adequately defend their client because of how quickly the case was brought to trial. Experts have said the seven months between Sandusky's November arrest and trial was fast-paced by Pennsylvania standards.

"We told the trial court, the Superior Court and the Supreme Court we were not prepared to proceed to trial in June due to numerous issues, and we asked to withdraw from the case for those reasons," attorney Joe Amendola told The Associated Press.

The issues included a scheduling conflict with a defense team member and the need to read a cache of documents produced by a length grand jury investigation. Judge John Cleland denied their request.

The attorneys raised other issues that could be part of the future appeal, saying a mistrial was sought and denied over a repetition at trial of a brief part of a November interview Sandusky had with NBC's Bob Costas.

Jurors in the two-week trial convicted Sandusky of 45 of the 48 counts against him, meaning Sandusky, 68, likely will die in prison.

Harper said the accusers who testified one by one of horrific abuse at Sandusky's hands were each believable, "but then also the fact that we saw this corroborating story between all of them. It was very convincing."

Then Sandusky's impassive face when the verdict was read was confirmation for the jury, he said.

"I looked at him during the reading of the verdict and just the look on his face. No real emotion," he said, "because he knew it was true."

Harper said jurors had some issues with the testimony of Mike McQueary, a then-assistant who said he saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in the Penn State showers in 2001; jurors acquitted Sandusky on one count relating to the incident.

The case is poised to move to an investigation of university officials' role in reporting the charges; two ex-school administrators face trial on charges they didn't properly report McQueary's account of the suspected abuse in 2001.

Almost immediately after the verdict, Penn State President Rodney Erickson signaled an openness to quickly settle potential civil lawsuits arising from the convictions, saying the school "wants to provide a forum where the university can privately, expeditiously and fairly address the victims' concerns and compensate them for claims."

The university recently reported a $1.8 billion endowment. But both sides have reasons not to want to go to court, said Jason Kutulakis, a Harrisburg-area lawyer who specializes in child welfare and juvenile law. Victims are reluctant to tell their story again, he said.

But "Penn State's got so much egg on their face, they probably just want to make it all go away," he said..

For now, the school is facing one lawsuit from an accuser, Travis Weaver, who was not among those represented in the criminal case against Sandusky.

Lawyers for McQueary, who testified against Sandusky have signaled their intent to sue, along a lawyer for one accuser, so-called Victim 5.

Jeff Anderson, who represents Weaver, said that he represents more victims of Sandusky's and that he will ask the court to allow him to begin seeking information from Penn State in Weaver's case.

The next step is to determine the extent of Penn State's culpability, lawyers say. In part, that means finding out who in the university's upper ranks knew Sandusky was preying on boys and could have stopped it.

The former Penn State officials facing charges, athletic director Tim Curley and retired vice president Gary Schultz, are charged with lying to a grand jury about what they knew of a 2001 incident in which McQueary said he saw Sandusky assaulting a boy in a football team shower.

A separate investigation by ex-FBI director Louis Freeh, who was hired by Penn State's board of trustees to investigate the university's handling of the Sandusky allegations, is due later this summer.

Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno was fired for a failure of leadership for not going to the police after McQueary told him about that incident. The scandal also caused the departure of university president Graham Spanier.

Philadelphia-based lawyer Fortunato Perri Jr., who followed the trial, said the jury's dismissal of the charge involving the 2001 shower incident could help Curley and Schultz' defense.

"You've now had a jury kind of preview your case with respect to the credibility of McQueary, and they didn't believe him," Perri said. "Who knows if the next jury would believe him or not believe him?"

But the administrators' attorneys would probably be precluded from introducing the acquittal evidence at the separate trial, Perri said.

Sandusky's sentencing should be in about three months; an exact date hasn't been set. Because of the severity of the charges and mandatory minimum sentences he faces an effective life sentence.

Until his next court date, Sandusky is one of 272 inmates at the Centre County Correctional Facility, seven miles from the Penn State campus. He was kept under watch overnight and is allowed access to some personal items including a prayer book, and can get visits from family, friends and attorneys.

Rominger said he planned to visit him on Sunday.

___

Associated Press writers Marc Levy in Harrisburg, Pa., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

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Israel kills Gaza militant as truce unravels

By Saleh Salem

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli air raids on Hamas security targets in Gaza killed one militant and wounded 20 people on Saturday, medical officials in the Islamist-ruled territory said, while increased rocket fire by militants wounded an Israeli man.

The escalating violence undermined a shaky truce brokered by Egypt on Wednesday, which sought to calm the new flare-up in fighting that began on Monday when an Israeli man and two gunmen were killed in a raid across Egypt's Sinai.

The Palestinian militant was killed in an Israeli air strike in northern Gaza, medical officials said. Israel confirmed the strike without providing further details, and denied a report that a six-year-old Palestinian boy had also been killed in an air strike.

The Israeli strikes followed the worst rocket assault in six days of fighting. Shrapnel from a rocket into the Israeli town of Sderot wounded an Israeli man in the neck just as he was trying to enter a concrete shelter.

After a relatively calm period, more than 150 rockets have been fired into Israel in the past week, the military said.

At least 15 rockets were fired at Israel on Saturday, nearly three times as a day ago, and at least six others were intercepted by the Israeli missile defense system, the military said.

Israel's military chiefs scheduled urgent consultations to weigh a "course of action", a military spokeswoman said. Israeli authorities also urged the roughly 1 million Israelis who live in the south to stay indoors or close to fortified shelters.

"Israel cannot be silent in the face of the recent days' events," Civil Defence Minister Matan Vilnai said in remarks released by his office.

"We regard Hamas as fully responsible for everything that is happening in the Gaza area. Israel is acting, and will continue to act, with a strong hand against those terrorists who want to escalate the situation in the area," Vilnai said.

HAMAS VOWS TO 'SMASH' ISRAEL

Hamas's military wing, which had not claimed responsibility for any of the rocket fire in the past few days, said it was "ready to smash the Israeli arrogance in response to its aggression".

Hamas medical officials said a six-year-old Palestinian boy had been killed in an air strike and a that a baby had been hurt in a separate raid near the Egyptian border.

Israel denied involvement in hurting either of the children.

Lieutenant Colonel Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said on Twitter that the report of Israeli responsibility in the death of the six-year-old was the result of "false rumors" and that the boy had died due to an explosion of ordnance belonging to Palestinian militants.

Another Israeli military spokeswoman said she had no report of any air strikes in Rafah, where the baby was reported to have been hurt.

Israel confirmed its aircraft had struck three militant targets in Gaza in at least two predawn raids.

Nobody in Gaza claimed responsibility for the rocket fire at Israel, but a security source said the missiles had been launched by members of a fringe Salafi group sympathetic to al-Qaeda, two of whose militants were killed in Israeli raids on Friday.

Israel blamed the Salafis for Monday's cross-border raid from Egypt, after which Israel launched punitive air raids on nearby Gaza, killing 11 Palestinians, many of them militants but also including a 14-year-old boy.

Hamas militants had conditionally pledged to adhere to the truce brokered by Egypt if Israel also held fire. Israel never formally commented on the deal but its officials have pledged to respond to any rocket fire from Gaza.

Cairo has brokered such deals in the past and stepped in this time fearing the violence, which coincided with a hotly contested presidential race in Egypt, could spiral out of control.

(Additional reporting by Dan Williams in Jerusalem; Writing by Allyn Fisher-Ilan; Editing by Alessandra Rizzo)

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Simple Mistakes to Stay Away from When Launching Your Online ...

Not only do you need to have some courage when you decide to start your own online business, you also need to have a strong plan in place.

If you are hoping to start a successful internet business, you are going to need to remember some very important things. If you fail to master the basics at the beginning, finding success later on is going to be really hard. This article will explain which are the most common mistakes new entrepreneurs commit when they try to launch online businesses. Going through these mistakes will help you understand how you can avoid making them with your online venture. This Reverse phone lookup white pages is highly recommended for achive your marketing goals

If you are completely dedicated to your online business you?ll want to avoid making the mistake of using those ?free? services for domain and hosting. You will only regret it in the long run as your target market won?t feel comfortable completing a transaction with you. The reality of it is you might have to invest a few bucks to get up off the ground and really start making money. You main goal is to be professional as far as the customer is concerned after all you want them to buy from you not just come to your site look around and leave without ever returning. Going for free hosting will have the hosting company plaster banners all over your site and make it look ugly. There are many sites that are better than the free ones and not expensive at all. When it comes to quality you don?t want to compromise.

Don?t make the mistake of not knowing your competition. If you ask someone who is trying to start a business about competition and they claim not to have any, two things are possible, either they haven?t done enough research into their target market or no market exists for that product. If the market is profitable there is no way that the person won?t have competition. Every niche, no matter how tiny, has competition. So learn all you can about who your competitors are. Find out what kind of products they are selling and if you can do better with your new business. Look for gaps in the offerings of others that you can fill with your own company. And an example of this you can see white pages reverse lookups example.

Last but not the least; not using email to grow your business and reach out to your prospects is definitely a big mistake. If you use email to setup autoresponders effectively you will grow your email list. You will gain more sales as well as more leads with some good email follow up marketing. Your business, as you can see, will grow with email marketing. All in all, this article makes it clear that, if you want to build your own online company, you need to have more than a simple idea. To truly find internet success, you need to be committed to your project and get ready to do some hard work. Though it often isn?t super easy, if you know what you are doing, it won?t be super hard. So start applying the things you?ve learned here and embrace the idea of taking a few risks. Test out some newer markets and experiment a little bit if you really want to make money with your internet business.

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Team_Anissa: RT @lwrjohnnunes: Thirty Junes ago, an "assimilated son of Chinese immigrants somehow came to be associated with Japanese automakers." h ...

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BRICUP Briefing Document: Universities rebranding Israel?s image: Hasbara posts in Israel Studies threaten academic integrity

?

Since 2009 several UK universities have created posts in Israel Studies, all funded by external donors. Some explicitly promote political aims, especially by diverting attention from Israel?s occupation of Palestine.?Such efforts threaten academic integrity and freedom.???

This briefing document provides guidance about the threat and about opposition strategies for local campaigns.?Special thanks are due to Adriano M?rola for useful material, especially in the Annex.

We welcome extra information and comments for future development of the briefing document.??? Likewise any requests to support local campaigns via endorsement or practical assistance.?See email contact address above.

For many years, supporters of Israel have sought to re-brand its global image.?They have promoted an intense campaign of hasbara, the Hebrew word for 'explanation?, though also often translated as 'public relations?.?This is a euphemism for propaganda: hasbara portrays Israel as a centre of academic and cultural excellence, as well as a civilized democracy.?This diverts attention from its colonisation of Palestine, where Israel has systematically violated international law and carried out war crimes in Gaza. Hasbara attempts to soften or pre-empt negative public attitudes towards Israel, while also deflecting the international campaign of Boycott, Sanctions and Divestment (BDS).[1]? Hasbara initiatives have been well funded by the Israeli government and Zionist foundations, with strategic advice from organizations such as the Reut Institute, an influential Zionist think-tank.?According to its 2010 report on threats to Israel, hasbara means 'public relations?, which have 'great significance in articulating Israel's positions?.?After the UN?s Goldstone Report accused Israel of war crimes during the 2009-10 'Operation Cast Lead? against Gaza, for example, 'a number of Israeli ministers were sent on rapid-response missions to provide hasbara for Israel's stance and policy?.[2]? More recently the strategy has been extended to academia, especially for countering calls to boycott Israeli universities.[3] Money can buy hasbara in universities, which thereby become complicit in rebranding Israel. ?? In the UK a key hasbara initiative is the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange (BIRAX). It was jointly established by the UK and Israeli governments, with support from the Pears Foundation and United Jewish Israel Appeal?(UJIA).[4] ?BIRAX has been facilitated by Lord Weidenfeld, a former Chef de Cabinet of Israel.?BIRAX aims to strengthen research cooperation between Israeli and British academics, especially as a way to counter boycott calls against Israeli universities.?The UK ambassador to Israel, Matthew Gould, commented on the BIRAX initiative as follows: I also think the clearest possible answer to people who are calling for a boycott of Israel is to promote cooperation. So when people call for an academic boycott, we push for scientific cooperation. Just when people call for an economic boycott, we push commercial collaboration and when people call for a cultural boycott, we push cultural collaboration.[5] Going beyond academic cooperation, in 2006 the Australian millionairess Lee Lieberman funded a new chair in Israel Studies at Monash University.?She was worried that Israel is studied in universities 'through the narrow perspective of the Palestinian conflict?.?As a way forward, she encouraged the creation of Israel Studies courses all over the world.[6]

This strategy has been promoted by the Reut Institute, whose website reported in 2009: 'Ben Gurion University Professor David Newman describes how the growth of Israel studies programs may serve as a constructive response to delegitimacy and attempted boycotts of Israel on campus.??Moreover,

in the context of Reut?s current work on how to fight the delegitimacy of Israel, the suggestion to create chairs of Israel Studies in leading UK universities could act as an important component of Israel?s strategy.^[7]

A hasbara strategy in academia was likewise developed at a 2009 conference convened by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Likud Minister of Knesset Yuli Edelstein, especially in a working group on 'Delegitimization of Israel: Boycotts, Divestment and Sanctions?. Amongst its UK participants were representatives from the Union of Jewish Students and Wes Streeting, President of the National Union of Students. It produced a document targeting university campuses, especially through the development of 'Israel Studies as an academic discipline?. This contributed to the group?s 'Going on Offense? plan to counter the 'critics of Israel?, which included a point titled 'Circulate information on Muslims acting contrary to Islam?.?

Since 2009 several UK universities have created posts in Israel Studies. The list includes: the School of African & Oriental Studies (SOAS), Manchester University, Leeds University (all funded by the Pears Foundation) and at Oxford University (Stanley and Zea Lewis Family Foundation).[8]?At SOAS the posts are named Israel Studies.?At the other universities the names link Israel with Middle Eastern or Mediterranean Studies.?There are efforts to create more posts. At Sussex University in particular, the Yossi Harel Chair in Modern Israel Studies is named after a Mossad spy-provocateur who sought to escalate conflict with Egypt during the 1954 Suez crisis; he also fought in the Haganah (see Annex on Yossi Harel).?The Chair?s name indicates the pro-Zionist political objectives of the sponsors: the R and S Cohen Foundation, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, the Atkin Foundation, the Gerald Ronson Foundation (see Annexes).?Lord Weidenfeld welcomed the Yossi Harel Chair as 'vital in the fight against anti-Zionism?.?Indeed, Israel Studies 'is very important to have in some key universities, particularly those with an anti-Israel presence?, he told the Jewish Chronicle (01.03.12).[9]

In financing these posts, donors aim to promote the Zionist narrative, e.g. by either obscuring or justifying Israel?s ongoing and illegal dispossession of the Palestinian people. This hasbara agenda profoundly contradicts the mission and basic values of universities. ?They are committed to excellence, integrity and rigour in both research and teaching. This aim distinguishes universities from PR companies, advertising agencies, policy-based think-thanks, in-house research units, commercial R&D units and the like.?It forms the core value of universities to the wider society.?Research and teaching therefore must be carried out in ways that are not, nor seen to be, captured by special interests of any kind. Universities have a fundamental responsibility to students, tax-payers, donors, and the wider public in this regard.?Their intrinsic value and wider reputation would suffer to the extent that they disregard this responsibility.

Universities must also operate in ways that conform to their core ethical values. Under new financial pressures, universities increasingly pay attention to who their partners and stakeholders are, especially regarding what ethical standards should apply to new fund-raising for academic activities. Such issues have been highlighted by the Woolf Report criticising the LSE?s relations with the former Libyan regime.[10]?Since then, codes of corporate and social responsibility have been examined in order to devise an Ethics Code governing relations between the LSE and donors.

Israeli PR has goals fundamentally at odds with the university?s mission.?Such funding also generates a conflict with the ethical codes and standards that some universities are attempting to formalize. ??Academic integrity and freedom are under threat at every stage: in accepting such funds, selecting staff, setting the curriculum, research topics, framing issues, etc.?? Staff may well feel under pressure to keep quiet about such concerns.?Such funds concern all those who wish to uphold basic academic standards in an era of greater austerity and private fund-raising.

To defend the basic mission of the university, we have a responsibility to question the aims and conditions of a new post in Israel Studies, regardless of whether it has already been established.?Questions can be flexibly deployed for different purposes or at different stages, for example:

1.?????? pressurising universities to demonstrate that the post is not Hasbara Studies, or

2.?????? opening up debate about the academic integrity of such a post, or

3.?????? trying to set conditions for improving its integrity, or

4.?????? opposing the post.?

A campaign can maximise initial unity by posing questions to donors and universities, who may be sensitive about their reputation.?Questions could be put more forcefully if sponsored by unions of university staff and students. The list of questions should be widely publicised; see examples below.?

University staff have already posed such questions about posts in Israel Studies.?In some cases, donors? terms have been clarified or improved, or else their offers have been withdrawn.

Depending on responses from the university and donors, a campaign can then decide on further demands or action.?? This activity could be called, for example, the 'Campaign Against Hasbara Studies? or the 'Campaign Against Apartheid Apologetics?, or the ?Campaign for Academic Integrity?.?Groups to be engaged in a campaign include: academic and other staff; students, student societies and the Students Union; UCU at branch and national level; and the local community.?Appropriate methods include public meetings, press announcements, cross-university collaboration, etc.

As a general question: How do the criteria and procedures for this post compare with other new posts in the department??? More specific questions:

Rationale for the post

What academic need informed the decision to create the post? Or did the initiative come from the donors?

What are the aims for establishing the post??What is the justification within the academic framework and the department?s programme??

How does this post relate to the department?s other strengths in Middle East studies? Why isn?t the post called Middle Eastern or Mediterranean Studies? (as already done at some universities)

Criteria for candidates

What are the criteria and specifications for selecting a candidate?

Is the position open to all applicants, regardless of ethnic or religious origin??

Will the donors accept a decision to select a Muslim, Arab or Palestinian?

Role of donors

Will the appointment be set up on a basis independent of the donors??Have they expected or requested a role in the selection process? Do they have the opportunity to set criteria??If so, what are they?

Have any donors suggested names of candidates??Have such suggestions resulted in applications?

Will the financial contribution be an annual renewal and therefore vulnerable to donor interference? or by a long-term guaranteed endowment?

Application and selection process

Where is the post to be advertised?

Who are the members of the appointment committee??Will it include a staff-appointed representative??

Has a shortlist been established??What are the shortlisting procedures?

After shortlisting, will candidates give presentations accessible to staff members?

?

The information below on key hasbara names further demonstrates the political agendas driving new finance in academia. The above criticisms and questions apply equally to new posts or relevant units which may have names other than Israel Studies.?Most text below comes from investigation by Adriano M?rola.

?

Lord Weidenfeld is a cross-bench member of the House of Lords since 1976. It was his initiative to create the Chair in Modern Israel Studies at Sussex. He has been a life-long supporter of Israel, from its inception until the present day. In 1949, he was Political Advisor and Chef de Cabinet in Israel to Chaim Weizmann, working for an entire year in this capacity. He has been the Vice-Chairman of the EU-Israel Forum, as well as the Governor of Tel-Aviv University, Chairman of Ben Gurion University of the Negev amongst many.

He has been quoted as not supporting the Palestinian Statehood bid because of its unilateral nature; a common argument amongst right-wing Zionists. Instead, the 'peace talks? are upheld as the model for co-operation, despite their appalling track-record.

He is quoted as saying that Islam is a 'merciless? religion. Furthermore, he has compared Hamas to the SS special death squads or the Ascension Commandos of the Gestapo. He is an outspoken defender of the Israeli attack on the Freedom Flotilla to Gaza in May 2010, as well a supporter of Israel?s supposed right to own nuclear weapons.?He openly encourages military intervention as a means to stop Iran from attaining any nuclear arsenal. ?The Jewish Chronicle said of Lord Weidenfeld: 'He has worked with presidents, prime ministers, a pope and just about every significant Israeli politician since the birth of the state.?

Lord Weidenfeld also runs the Weidenfeld & Nicolson publishing company, which he set up in 1948. This company has published many books by outspoken Zionists:

I can say without exaggeration that I published just about every Israeli memoir that?s ever been done. I published Rabin, Peres, Golda Meir, Shamir and, of course, Kollek
(Lord Weidenfeld quoted in the Jewish Chronicle, 21.05.09).

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The Atkin Foundation is headed by Edward Atkin, CBE, although the charity is officially under the name of someone else. The Foundation has worked to support many Jewish Charities in the UK, from mental health charities to institutions helping Jewish kids with learning disabilities.

The Atkin Foundation is an ardent financial supporter of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation (ICSR). This centre attempts to combat 'radicalism? all over the world, though its main focus is the Middle East. The centre is a partnership of four institutions ? King?s College London, the University of Pennsylvania, the Jordan Institute of Diplomacy and the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya. The last institute, located in Israel, is a private university with strong ties to the Israeli military intelligence community. This institute is also tied to the R & S Cohen Foundation, mentioned above. ?Some of its notable contributors are Avi Dichter (former head of Israel?s internal security agency), Richard Dearlove (former head of MI6), among other well-known security personnel.

The Atkin Foundation provides the financial support for the 'Atkin Fellowship? as part of the ICSR. This fellowship is funded by the Atkin Foundation and it offers Israeli and Arab students the opportunity to come to London as Fellows of the ICSR and learn/ promote these particular ideas of security. Every year, 4 students are chosen, one from each institution. There is an abundance of Zionist publications focused on security coming out of the ICSR, including ideas of 'neutralizing Iran? and 'excluding Hamas and Hezbollah? from political participation. Much of the contributions in publications are done by Israeli political actors; the same right-wing actors which are in power today.

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The owner and founder of this foundation is famous Russian-American oligarch Leonard Blavatnik. Leonard Blavatnik is the sixth wealthiest person in the UK and 80^th in the world.?He has an outstanding debt to the Royal Bank of Scotland (and thus to the UK government) of ?2.5 billion, which he was granted in a loan and then never repaid.?He has been allowed not to do so and so is effectively subsidised by the UK government. He is a former owner of Warner Music.

He supports a Zionist charity called Colel Chabad, which has existed since 1788 to aid and improve the economic standing of Jewish people in what is today Israel. The charity works to fight poverty in Israel, on the basis that the recipients of aid are Jewish. This charity does not differentiate between 'aiding? Jewish inhabitants of Israel and Jewish settlers in the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

The Blavatnik Family foundation is a financial supporter of the 'UK Friends of the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel?s Soldiers?. Every year, the Association for the Wellbeing of Israel?s Soldiers (AWIS) gives 120 'outstanding? soldiers from the Israeli Defence Forces scholarships of NIS 4,000 (approx. ?670). The UK Friends of AWIS are amongst the most prolific Zionist groups in the UK; their unrelenting support for any and all of Israel?s wars makes them a highly politically biased organisation for the Blavatnik Foundation to associate with.

The Blavatnik Foundation has donated millions to Tel-Aviv University for them to enhance their computer science department. This strengthens the human capital resources of Israel?s IT industry, its most prominent industry.

Leonard Blavatnik controls various media firms all around the world, and has long looked to invest in Israeli media to further expand his corporation?s influence. He has also close ties with the former Israeli ambassador to Britain, Zvi Hefetz.

The Blavatnik Foundation has invested in other academic institutions beyond Tel-Aviv University where Leonard Blavatnik sits on the academic board; these institutions include $10 million to Harvard University and $75 million to Oxford University, to create the Blavatnik School of Government. This school is designed to 'develop tomorrow?s leaders, in both the private and public sectors?.

Leonard Blavatnik is the Honorary Vice-President of the UK Hillel group. Hillel is a Zionist international organisation which aims at refuting 'anti-Israeli? claims on university campuses around the world, whilst fostering ties between Jewish students and Israel.?Leonard Blavatnik is also on the International Board of Governors of the One Family Fund, an Israeli organisation which helps victims of terrorism and spreads information about the dangers of terrorism in Israel, usually with a staunchly nationalistic bias.

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Gerald Ronson is a multi-millionaire businessman and Chief Executive of Heron International Plc, one of the largest real-estate companies in the UK. He is the head of the Gerald Ronson Foundation. Ronson is a convicted felon, involved in the famous Guinness share-trading fraud and convicted in 1990 of two charges of false accounting, one of conspiracy and one of theft. He was given a one-year jail sentence, of which he served 6 months at the Ford Open Prison in Sussex.

Whilst in prison, during a one-day release for a medical examination, he met Yitzhak Shamir the then Israeli Prime Minister, together with Binyamin Netanyahu, the current Prime Minister of Israel. He reportedly maintains a close relationship with Shamir and other high-ranking Israeli politicians, frequently visiting them in Israel.

He has worked with the United Jewish Israel Appeal, a Zionist organisation from the UK which offers education opportunities to inhabitants of the northern area of Galilee, including the occupied Golan Heights. Furthermore, this group operates the UJIA Israel Experience, a program designed to offer tours and year-abroad opportunities to Jewish people wishing to know Israel. This program is part of a wider Zionist idea of strengthening ties between Israel and the Jewish community outside of Israel.

Ronson set up the Jewish Community Secondary School, an exclusively-Jewish secondary school in London. The School ethos is one of staunch support for Israeli national politics, whilst committing itself to 'developing strong links with Israel?. Some of the ways they demonstrate this Zionist support includes residential visits to Israel and close links with Israeli schools.

Ronson also funds Jewish Care, a UK-registered charity which provides support to the Jewish community in the UK through day centers and other facilities designed to aid Jewish pensioners and disenfranchised people. Although not an explicitly Zionist organization, Jewish Care community centers have celebrated Israel?s independence days through large, extravagant celebratory shows.

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The Pears Foundation is run by Trevor Pears and his family. Trevor Pears is a British billionaire and property mogul who has been in much controversy over the past decade for his seemingly ruthless treatment of small shopkeepers and individual tenants. He is one of David Cameron?s largest donors, and has long supported the current Conservative Prime Minister since before he became leader of the Conservative Party.

The Pears Foundation considers itself a 'friend of Israel?.?It has started a campaign to spread Israel Studies across Europe, in the hope of fostering stronger ties between Europe and Israel. ??Its support for 'friendship-building? includes the Britain-Israel Research and Academic Exchange Partnership (BIRAX).[11] This ?1 million joint initiative with the British Council is supported by the British and Israeli governments. It was created to counter the growing calls for academic boycott of Israel, with greater research cooperation as the proposed response.

The establishment of 'Pears Scholarships? is another example of the 'friendship-building? with Israel that the Pears Foundation proposes. In this scholarship programme, students from primarily Africa and Asia receive free-of-charge opportunities to study at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in the field of public health and agriculture, all with funding from the Pears Foundation. Over the past five years, over 60 people have graduated from this programme.
The Pears Foundation has created numerous Israel-focused institutions at leading academic institutions across the UK in the past three years.?They include

the 'Pears Fellowship in Israel and Middle Eastern Studies? at Manchester University;

the 'Pears Fellowship in Israel and Mediterranean Studies? at Oxford University;

a 'Lecturer/ Senior Lecturer position in Israel & Middle East Studies? at Leeds University;

the 'Pears Lectureship in Israel Studies? as well as the 'Pears Senior Research Fellowship in Israel Studies? at the School of Oriental & African Studies (SOAS);

the 'European Association of Israel Studies? (EAIS), which is temporarily located at SOAS, with plans for it to be a Europe-wide organisation.

The Pears Foundation supports the New Israel Fund, which promotes Israel as a highly accomplished country, looking beyond the Israel/Palestine conflict. The New Israel Fund complements efforts by the Israeli government and other organisations to rebrand Israel as a prosperous country.

With the help of Lord Weidenfeld?s own publishing company, the Pears Foundation published a book titled Israel in the World in 2005. This book emphasises the scientific and cultural accomplishments of Israeli society.?It contributes to wider efforts to focus on the positive accomplishments of Israel in order to counter increased 'de-legitimisation? of Israel in Europe, especially on university campuses. ?It is written by two journalists, Douglas and Helen Davis, who happen to be prominent Zionists.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem gave Trevor Pears, the head of the Pears Foundation, an honorary doctorate 'in recognition of his outstanding commitment to social justice and in tribute to his profound friendship for Israel and the Hebrew University?. ?His friendship of Israel amidst growing opposition to the occupation of Palestine is undeniable.

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The R & S Cohen Foundation is run by Ronald Cohen. He is married to the daughter of Yossi Harel, whose name features in the Sussex University Chair of Modern Israel Studies.?Ronald Cohen is linked with a new 'non-political? movement in Israel, whose goal is to change the country?s electoral system.?In 2004 Ronald Cohen was the Labour Party?s fourth largest financier.

He set up the Portland trust together with Sir Harry Solomon, whose aim is to relieve poverty through encouraging Palestinian entrepreneurs to set up businesses in Israel. This NGO tries to foster entrepreneurial co-operation by having Palestinians set up businesses in Israel, leading both to an outflow of Palestinian entrepreneurs from the West Bank and a normalisation of an inherently political conflict.??

The R & S Cohen Foundation finances UK Friends of I.D.C., a Zionist organisation which fundraises for a private university in Israel with strong links to the military Intelligence community. This University is called the 'Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya University?. It is responsible for, amongst others, the Israeli propaganda campaign 'Stand With Us?.

In 2005-06 the R & S Cohen Foundation gave ?10,000 to the Jewish National Fund, ?5,000 to the Institute for Jewish Policy Research, ?15,000 to the Jewish Leadership Council. The latter was a major group successfully lobbying to change UK law on Universal Jurisdiction, so that now a government Minister can block arrest warrants on suspected war criminals.

Ronald Cohen is a member of the executive committee of the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS), a right-wing, pro-Israel think-tank based in London. The IISS has been prominent in the fear-mongering regarding the supposed nuclear threat from Iran.?? Ronald Cohen is also on the board of trustees of the Institute for National Security Studies in Israel, a right-wing think-tank which advises the Israeli government on matters of national security, with close links to the military intelligence community.

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