Willie Walsh to headline Business Travel Show | News | Breaking ...

Willie Walsh ? CEO of IAG and President of London Chamber of Commerce ? will officially open the Business Travel Show next week. Mr Walsh will present a welcome address to thousands of corporate travel buyers and suppliers at 0945 Tuesday 5 February on the show?s Centre Stage followed by an open Q&A session.

The Business Travel Show, taking place in London on 5-6 February 2013, is Europe?s main exhibition and conference for more than 6,000 corporate travel buyers, managers and bookers to source from more than 200 suppliers (including more than 30 airlines), learn and network. Buyers can register to attend at www.businesstravelshow.com.

?We are incredibly excited that Willie Walsh is opening the 19th Business Travel Show ? he?s such a well-respected and interesting figure in the travel industry, and it?s a rare and valuable opportunity for corporate travel buyers to put their questions directly to him,? commented David Chapple, Business Travel Show event director.

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Source: http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/willie-walsh-to-headline-business-travel-show/

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Study shows how brain cells shape temperature preferences

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

While the wooly musk ox may like it cold, fruit flies definitely do not. They like it hot, or at least warm. In fact, their preferred optimum temperature is very similar to that of humans?76 degrees F.

Scientists have known that a type of brain cell circuit helps regulate a variety of innate and learned behavior in animals, including their temperature preferences. What has been a mystery is whether or not this behavior stems from a specific set of neurons (brain cells) or overlapping sets.

Now, a new study from The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) shows that a complex set of overlapping neuronal circuits works in concert to drive temperature preferences in the fruit fly Drosophila by affecting a single target, a heavy bundle of neurons within the fly brain known as the mushroom body. These nerve bundles, which get their name from their bulbous shape, play critical roles in learning and memory.

The study, published in the January 30, 2013 edition of the Journal of Neuroscience, shows that dopaminergic circuits?brain cells that synthesize dopamine, a common neurotransmitter?within the mushroom body do not encode a single signal, but rather perform a more complex computation of environmental conditions.

"We found that dopamine neurons process multiple inputs to generate multiple outputs?the same set of nerves process sensory information and reward-avoidance learning," said TSRI Assistant Professor Seth Tomchik. "This discovery helps lay the groundwork to better understand how information is processed in the brain. A similar set of neurons is involved in behavior preferences in humans?from basic rewards to more complex learning and memory."

Using imaging techniques that allow scientists to visualize neuron activity in real time, the study illuminated the response of dopaminergic neurons to changes in temperature. The behavioral roles were then examined by silencing various subsets of these neurons. Flies were tested using a temperature gradient plate; the flies moved from one place to another to express their temperature preferences.

As it turns out, genetic silencing of dopaminergic neurons innervating the mushroom body substantially reduces cold avoidance behavior. "If you give the fly a choice, it will pick San Diego weather every time," Tomchik said, "but if you shut down those nerves, they suddenly don't mind being in Minnesota."

The study also showed dopaminergic neurons respond to cooling with sudden a burst of activity at the onset of a drop in temperature, before settling down to a lower steady-state level. This initial burst of dopamine could function to increase neuronal plasticity?the ability to adapt?during periods of environmental change when the organism needs to acquire new associative memories or update previous associations with temperature changes.

###

Scripps Research Institute: http://www.scripps.edu

Thanks to Scripps Research Institute for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126537/Study_shows_how_brain_cells_shape_temperature_preferences

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The Balanced way to structure a speech - Ginger Public Speaking

Balance is one of the six qualities of an Inspiring Speaker. But how does balance help you to structure a speech? Without a strong and balanced structure, your speech structure will be like a gingerbread house with no icing to hold it together: just a collection of pieces that nobody can make sense of. Let?s investigate?

Writing a speech is easy.

We can all write something down on paper that might be spoken out as a speech, can?t we? It just might not be very good? But if you?re trying to be influential, or even inspiring with your speaking it?s getting the speech structure right that?s the tricky part.

One of the biggest speech writing mistakes speakers make is to try to pack in too much information into their structure. Like a gingerbread house that?s designed to be part castle, part luxury hotel, part mountain refuge, we will become confused about what your speech is built for.

Other speakers stay focused on one tiny area of their speech structure for too long and then rush the rest of the speech, like making a really beautiful door for your gingerbread house, but having nothing to attach it to.

How to structure a speech

To become experts in structuring a speech, we need to develop the quality of Balance; one of six qualities of an inspiring speaker I speak about in my book ?How to be Brilliant at Public Speaking?. It?s the quality that tells us: ?Yes, this information should go in my speech structure and this information should be left out this time.?

Balance is developing an understanding of which information goes where in a speech structure.

Balance in public speaking is like building a beautiful gingerbread house structure with a solid foundation and stable walls. It?s about concocting your ?icing? to be just the right consistency to hold the structure together. If the structure of your speech is wobbling in front of you as you speak and you?re making on-the-spot decisions about what information to put where? your audience will not see the full power of your message.?

Structuring a speech the Balanced Way

To develop a powerful speech structure, think about the following four things -?

1.?Choose speech content that contains just the right amount of just the right type of information

2. Create a powerful flow of information

• Seek a structure that turns up the intensity as you progress through your speech.
• Keep the audience?s attention throughout your speech by building to a climax, rather than peaking too soon. Your structure should always show them a reason why they should keep listening, but don?t quite satisfy that reason until just before the end of your speech.
• Use your structure to build that intensity over time to a crescendo then end quickly. This allows the audience to remember your peak and not a 10 minute droning ending that never ends. (Think ?out with a whimper?)

3. Find your narrative

Think of a familiar or archetypical plot or storyline that you can structure your speech. This will help your speech to be more memorable to your audience. Here are 4 of the most common speech narratives:

?

Melodrama Structure:

A story personal to the speaker with a similar structure to many movies. We meet the character and see their circumstances. Then a tragedy occurs. And finally tell how your character overcomes and triumphs over the tragedy. This speech structure creates a journey that will emotionally engage your audience and build credibility.?

?

The Tower Structure:

This structure is all about using different layers of information that garners the audience?s attention by supporting your key message. When you (and your audience) finish building the structure together you can look at the power of the structure you?ve created.?

?

Mystery?Structure:

Structure your speech around asking a question or presenting a problem to the audience that they are desperate to know. Keep them on the edge of their seats by their desire to hear your crucial message.

?

?

Ping Pong Structure:

Another fun way to structure a speech is to present both sides of the argument in such a way that the audience wants to find out ?Who wins??.?

4. Look for a speech structure that compels your audience to act on your words.?

• Organise your thoughts so that you don?t have to make snap decisions while presenting.
• Structure your speech so that you send your audience home remembering your key messages rather than wondering ?what was that all about??
• Don?t be afraid to edit your speech down to the simplest possible structure. If your structure is simple (without being over simplistic) you will keep everyone on board.
• As you establish your structure and feel confident about it, you are more able to improvise and then come back to the plan. This helps you to be more fresh and empathetic with your audience.

Any time invested in working on the structure of a speech will help you to be more powerful and engaging as a speaker. So, good luck in building a well structured gingerbread house for your audience to gratefully nibble on!

?

Want more resources to help you structure a speech and deliver it with power? Sign up for the FREE Ginger Doodles eCourse:

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Source: http://www.gingerpublicspeaking.com/how-to-structure-a-speech

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Groundwater depletion linked to climate change

Jan. 25, 2013 ? Simon Fraser University earth scientist Diana Allen, a co-author on a new paper about climate changes' impacts on the world's ground water, says climate change may be exacerbating many countries' experience of water stress.

"Increasing food requirements to feed our current world's growing population and prolonged droughts in many regions of the world are already increasing dependence on groundwater for agriculture," says Allen. "Climate-change-related stresses on fresh surface water, such as glacier-fed rivers, will likely exacerbate that situation.

"Add to that our mismanagement and inadequate monitoring of groundwater usage and we may see significant groundwater depletion and contamination that will seriously compromise much of the world's agriculturally-grown food supply."

In Ground Water and Climate Change, Allen and several other international scientists explain how several human-driven factors, if not rectified, will combine with climate change to significantly reduce useable groundwater availability for agriculture globally.

The paper was published in late 2012 in the journal Nature Climate Change.

The authors note that inadequate groundwater supply records and mathematical models for predicting climate change and associated sea-level-rise make it impossible to forecast groundwater's long-range fate globally.

"Over-pumping of groundwater for irrigation is mining dry the world's ancient Pleistocene-age, ice-sheet-fed aquifers and, ironically, at the same time increasing sea-level rise, which we haven't factored into current estimations of the rise," says Allen. "Groundwater pumping reduces the amount of stored water deep underground and redirects it to the more active hydrologic system at the land-surface. There, it evaporates into the atmosphere, and ultimately falls as precipitation into the ocean."

Current research estimates oceans will rise by about a metre globally by the end of the century due to climate change. But that estimation doesn't factor in another half-a-centimetre-a-year rise, says this study, expected due to groundwater recycling back into the ocean globally.

Increasing climate-change-induced storm surges will also flood coastal areas, threatening the quality of groundwater supplies and compromising their usability.

This is the second study that Allen and her colleagues have produced to assist the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in assessing the impact of climate change on the world's groundwater supply.

The IPCC, established by the United Nations Environmental Programme and the World Meteorological Organization in 1988, periodically reviews the latest research on climate change and assesses its potential environmental and socio-economic impacts.

This study is one of several guiding the IPCC's formulation of upcoming reports, the first being about the physical science behind climate change, due Sept. 2013.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Simon Fraser 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. Richard G. Taylor, Bridget Scanlon, Petra D?ll, Matt Rodell, Rens van Beek, Yoshihide Wada, Laurent Longuevergne, Marc Leblanc, James S. Famiglietti, Mike Edmunds, Leonard Konikow, Timothy R. Green, Jianyao Chen, Makoto Taniguchi, Marc F. P. Bierkens, Alan MacDonald, Ying Fan, Reed M. Maxwell, Yossi Yechieli, Jason J. Gurdak, Diana M. Allen, Mohammad Shamsudduha, Kevin Hiscock, Pat J.-F. Yeh, Ian Holman, Holger Treidel. Ground water and climate change. Nature Climate Change, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nclimate1744

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.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/3rsJJUgFddY/130128104747.htm

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US Postal Service teeters at the edge of ruin

9 hrs.

Martha C. White , NBC News contributor

Even as the price of a first-class stamp rose a penny Sunday to 46 cents, the U.S. Postal Service is operating on borrowed time.??We are currently losing $25 million per day,? Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe warned earlier this month. The agency lost nearly $16 billion in its last fiscal year, and its line of credit with the U.S. Treasury is tapped out.

If lawmakers don?t act, it could run out of money ?between six months and a year at most,? said Richard Geddes, associate professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell University.

?There could be a period when mail is not being delivered,? said Michael Crew, director of the Center for Research in Regulated Industries, and professor of regulatory economics at Rutgers University.?

The Postal Service said keeping letters moving is its top priority, even if it means defaulting on its retirement benefit funding again. ?Although our liquidity situation remains a serious concern, the Postal Service is continuing to prioritize payments to ensure employees and suppliers are paid on time, preventing any interruption in our operations,? spokesman David Partenheimer said via email.

How did the Post Office get into these dire straits when the price of stamps keeps going up??

As it turns out, 46 cents is a really good deal. In the United Kingdom, for example, a first class stamp costs 60 pence, or roughly 94 cents. In Canada, it?s 63 cents (which is about the same in U.S. currency). Geddes said if our postal service was refashioned to be more of a delivery system for still-plentiful but lower-margin commercial mail ? ads, catalogs and the like ? Americans could pay 30 percent to 40 percent more to send that birthday card ? which would bring the price of a stamp to about 64 cents.

The Postal Service is limited in how much it can raise the price of postage, but that?s only one of the factors keeping it from financial solvency.?

?The other thing that?s hurt the postal service is it?s an industry where we have scale economies,? Crew said. The post office?s fixed costs ? keeping the lights on at its huge network of facilities, maintaining its fleet and paying its employees ? are amortized across the amount of mail it processes. ?As you increase volume, unit costs decline.??

But volume isn?t increasing; it?s plummeting. First-class mail volume ? which earns around three times the profit of bulk mail ? has dropped by about a third in a little more than a decade, Geddes said. ?That decline is just enormous in a historical context,? he said.

The decline was sparked by the rise of the Internet and exacerbated by the recent recession, when companies cut their budgets for mailings. ?About a quarter of their traffic has been lost in the period since 2007-2008,? Crew said. The agency has shed thousands of workers, but it?s losing business faster than it can save money by shrinking its work?force.

Crew also blamed ?a flawed governance structure and flawed business model? for the agency?s woes. ?Any significant changes that have to take place have to be approved by Congress. This is not a way to run a business if you?re in a fast-moving environment,? he said. The Postal Service has expensive benefit obligations for retirees, a bill the agency is currently putting off and on which it owes $11.1 billion. ?

?The main problem here is Congress had introduced too many conflicting and inconsistent demands,? said James I. Campbell, an attorney and consultant on postal policy.?

The USPS has to deliver mail six days a week to everybody in the country who has been sent mail, and it has to maintain a network of around 32,000 post offices ? a much bigger footprint than other industrialized nations have.?The post office wants to eliminate Saturday delivery, which Partenheimer said would save $2.7 billion a year. But to do this, it needs Congressional approval, which ? so far, at least ? it hasn?t received.

?Essentially, Congress has got to rethink the legislation that establishes the post office,? Campbell said.?

That is easier said than done, even with dire consequences looming. ?The information I?ve gotten is not looking good,? Geddes said. ?The reason they?ve been able to last this long is because they have gotten the low-hanging fruit ? but they?re at they?re bare bones now.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/postage-prices-rise-usps-still-teeters-edge-ruin-1C8146115

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Time to Getaway Staycation with the Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore

Weekend stay-cations are now tailored to guests? needs and schedules at The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore with check-in times that guests can personally choose.

With Time to Getaway, guests enjoy $20 off their package rate every hour after 2pm that they opt to check-in, up to a maximum limit of $80 off i.e.

• Check-in from 3pm: $20 off
• Check-in from 4pm: $40 off
• Check-in from 5pm: $60 off
• Check-in from?6pm: $80 off

Time to Getaway is available from Fridays to Mondays from 1 to 31 January and 1 to 31 March. In addition, guests will enjoy an in-room breakfast for two and $50 hotel credit which can be used for dining, at the retail shop and spa.

Prices are quoted in Singapore dollars and are subject to 10 percent service charge and prevailing government taxes. Reservations are subject to availability and can be made by calling (65) 6434 5118 or emailing [email?protected]

Well-positioned along Singapore?s Marina Bay, this newly-renovated 608-room luxury hotel continues to be the city?s foremost hotel with award-winning hospitality synonymous with the Ritz-Carlton brand and breathtaking views. The hotel is located minutes away from attractions such as the ArtScience Museum, Integrated Resorts, Esplanade-Theatres on the Bay and the Singapore Flyer whilst two shopping malls are accessible via covered skybridge with over 2,000 shopping and dining options.

With restaurants and food and beverage options voted by readers of Travel and Leisure as ?The Best in Singapore?, The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore is set amidst seven acres of tropical landscape. All guest rooms and bathrooms offer views of either Marina Bay or the city skyline.? Services and facilities include restaurants and a lounge serving Chinese, Western and international favourites; a Fitness Centre with swimming pool, indoor gym and treatment rooms; and a business centre.

Source: http://www.passportchop.com/advertorial/time-to-getaway-staycation-ritz-carlton/

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Join the Engadget HD Podcast live on Ustream at 5:30PM ET

It's not Monday and we're finally back to our original recording schedule of the Engadget HD podcast. You can tune in live at on this Wednesday edition at 5:30PM and be be a part of it. Start by reviewing the list of topics after the break, then participate in the live chat.

Japan plans to broadcast 2014 World Cup in 4K
ITU approves the H.265 video format
LG has found 300 homes for its $20K, 84-inch, 4K TV in Korea so far
Apple TV software update brings Bluetooth keyboard support, music from iTunes in the Cloud
HDHomeRun Prime beta update for DLNA streaming is live
'User friendly' XBMC for Android build rolls out for set-top boxes and mobile devices
Ceton Companion becomes My Media Center and is available for Windows 8
Sony Entertainment Network web store now live in North America and Brazil
Netflix and YouTube's DIAL promises to be open alternative to AirPlay
Netflix streaming most dominant on HDTVs, more than double PC and tablets
Netflix Q4 earnings show 2 million new customers streaming in the US, 6 million total internationally
Samsung reports $8.27 billion in profits for Q4 2012
AT&T lost $3.9 billion in Q4 2012, earned $7.3 billion profit for the year
Verizon adds 'record-high' 2.1 million subscribers in Q4 2012, but still makes a loss
Logitech Q3 earnings reveal plans to sell off Harmony remote, video security divisions
Jurassic Park 3D Blu-ray comes home April 23rd after its one-week theatrical return
Lucasfilm postpones Star Wars Episode II and III 3D, focusing on Abrams-directed Episode VII

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/28/join-the-engadget-hd-podcast-live-on-ustream-at-5-30pm-et/

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Singapore ruling party rebuked in by-election as disquiet rises

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore's long-dominant People's Action Party (PAP) lost heavily in a single-seat by-election on Saturday, a barometer of how the government is dealing with discontent in the wealthy Asian country over immigration and the high cost of living.

The result in the Punggol East ward - 54.5 percent of the vote for the Workers Party and 43.7 percent for the PAP, with the rest split by two others - does not alter the balance of power in parliament, where the ruling party will still hold 80 of 87 elected seats.

But the rebuke in the relatively young and affluent constituency sends a signal to the PAP about the level of dissatisfaction in the city-state of 5.3 million people that is a hub for banks and multinational companies.

"I want a difference," said Nita, a woman in her 30s. "If the Workers Party can do well in Punggol East, the other constituencies are also watching."

Some analysts had expected the PAP to eke out a victory, especially if the three opposition candidates diluted the anti-government vote. The next general election is due in 2016.

The seat in Punggol East, won by the PAP in 2011 with 54 percent of the vote, was vacant after the speaker of parliament quit in December over an extramarital affair. Other recent scandals include last year's arrest of the civil defense chief and head of the police anti-drug unit on corruption charges.

"I respect the choice of Punggol East voters," Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said in a statement. He called on people to refocus on national issues including the 2013 budget and a new population and immigration plan the government is preparing to deliver.

"The PAP will continue to improve the lives of Singaporeans, and present our report card for voters to judge in the next general elections," he said.

The PAP - founded by Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first leader for three decades and father of the current prime minister - has won every national election since independence in 1965, transforming the post-colonial port into a major financial center by keeping the economy open and society regimented.

But the 2011 election was its worst showing ever, prompting the government to engage more openly with increasingly vocal citizens over their concerns about property prices, public transport and immigration. Foreigners now make up about 38 percent of the population, up from about 25 percent in 2000.

Rolling out measures to help Singaporeans, it has raised the levy on foreigners buying property and boosted spending on housing grants, subsidized childcare and cash gifts for babies to try to raise one of the world's lowest fertility rates.

But as Saturday's by-election shows, many people expect more from the government, or at least a bigger say for the opposition.

"The PAP forgets us after the elections - only gives candies during elections and terms and conditions after," said Daniel Chua, a 58-year-old consultant. "The Workers Party has the heart to serve."

(Additional reporting by Jion Chun Teo; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/singapore-ruling-party-rebuked-election-disquiet-rises-165513090--business.html

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Colts Legend Jeff Saturday Announces His Retirement After 14 ...

Six time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro Center Jeff Saturday announced his retirement Friday, and everyone in Indianapolis should be giving him a standing ovation for everything he did for both the Colts, and the NFL in general.

Jeff Saturday was always a guy that worked tirelessly in the background, never asking for the spotlight, and always did his job without calling attention to himself. It makes perfect sense, then, that he announced his retirement from the NFL on the Grady and Big Joe show, heard locally here in Indianapolis on 1070 The Fan.

You can listen to the audio of the interview here.

Saturday will be best known league-wide for all his work in the labor dispute that occurred in the 2011 Offseason. He was the key negotiator for the Player's Associated, and without Saturday, it really is unclear whether a season would have been played last season without him. The iconic picture came with him and Patriots Owner Bob Kraft hugging at the press conference after they announced we'd be getting back to football.

Saturday was undrafted coming out of North Carolina in 1998, and while the Ravens had the first shot at him, but was cut before Training Camp even started. He didn't have a home during the '98 season, and signed with the Colts right after the 1998 season in January of '99. He only played in 11 games in his first season in Indianapolis, starting twice at Left Guard, but he impressed the Colts so much that me moved returning Center Larry Moore to Right Guard, and then started 185 of the next 191 games through the 2011 season with the Colts, a good portion of that time as the best Center in the NFL.

He was named to six Pro Bowls, and was named a First Team All-Pro twice, in 2005 and 2007. His most memorable game is easily the 2006/07 AFC Championship game, where he had two career-defining moments. The first one was made by his alter ego "Jeff Friday", recovering a Dominic Rhodes fumble in the end zone to tie the game at 28 early in the 4th quarter. That's the play everyone remembers, but was not his best play of that game, and it wasn't even close. We all know that Joseph Addai goes untouched into the end zone to score the winning touchdown, but he got in so easily thanks to the greatest block in Indianapolis Colts history by Jeff Saturday on Vince Wilfork. He demolished him, clearly a two-lane highway for Addai to run through. I rarely watch Addai on that play any more. I only watch Saturday.

Saturday spent 2012 in Green Bay, and despite his Pro Bowl selection this year, was benched after Week 14. Football is a rough sport, and when your body gives out, even when it did it at such a high level for so many years, it's better to step aside and let somebody else play. Acme Packing Company, SB Nation's Packers blog, had some really nice things to say about Saturday as well.

While Saturday was unsure what his future will be, whether it would be television, coaching, a front office job, or just relaxing at home with his family, we all wish Jeff and his family the best in his retirement. It's a given he'll be inducted into the Colts Ring of Honor, and a bust in Canton is certainly a possibility too.

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Source: http://www.stampedeblue.com/2013/1/26/3918186/colts-legend-jeff-saturday-announces-his-retirement-after-14-seasons

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Armstrong meeting with USADA appears unlikely

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? Lance Armstrong's lawyers say the cyclist will talk more about drug use in the sport, just likely not to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency that led the effort to strip him of his Tour de France titles.

In a testy exchange of letters and statements revealing the gulf between the two sides, USADA urged Armstrong to testify under oath to help "clean up cycling."

Armstrong's attorneys responded that the cyclist would rather take his information where it could do more good ? namely to cycling's governing body and World Anti-Doping Agency officials.

USADA's response to that: "The time for excuses is over."

The letters, obtained Friday by The Associated Press, underscore the continuing feud between Armstrong and USADA CEO Travis Tygart, the man who spearheaded the investigation that uncovered a complex doping scheme on Armstrong's U.S. Postal Service teams.

Armstrong's seven Tour de France victories were taken away last year and he was banned for life from the sport.

In an interview with Oprah Winfrey last week, Armstrong admitted doping, said he owed a long list of apologies and that he would like to see his lifetime ban reduced so he can compete again.

His most realistic avenue toward that might be telling USADA everything he knows in a series of interviews the agency wants started no later than Feb. 6.

That seems unlikely.

Armstrong attorney Tim Herman responded to USADA's first letter, sent Wednesday, by saying his client's schedule is already full, and besides, "in order to achieve the goal of 'cleaning up cycling,' it must be WADA and the (International Cycling Union) who have overall authority to do so."

By Friday night, Herman strongly suggested Armstrong won't meet with USADA at all but intends to appear before the UCI's planned "truth and reconciliation" commission.

"Why would we cooperate (with USADA)?" Herman said in a telephone interview. "USADA isn't interested in cleaning up cycling. Lance has said, 'I'll be the first guy in the chair when cycling is on trial, truthfully, under oath, in every gory detail.' I think he's going testify where it could actually do some good: With the body that's charged with cleaning up cycling," Herman said.

In its last letter to Armstrong, sent Friday evening, USADA attorney William Bock said his agency and WADA work hand-in-hand in that effort.

"Regardless, and with or without Mr. Armstrong's help, we will move forward with our investigation for the good of clean athletes and the future of sport," Bock's letter reads.

The letters confirm a Dec. 14 meeting in Denver involving Armstrong, Tygart and their respective attorneys, which is when, in Tygart's words, Armstrong should have started thinking about a possible meeting with USADA.

"He has been given a deadline of February 6th to determine whether he plans to come in and be part of the solution," Tygart said in a statement. "Either way, USADA is moving forward with our investigation on behalf of clean athletes."

The letters were sent to the AP after details about a Tygart interview with "60 Minutes," being aired Sunday, were made public.

Among Tygart's claims: Armstrong is lying when he says he didn't dope during his 2009-10 comeback.

Tygart said USADA's report on Armstrong's doping included evidence Armstrong was still cheating in those years.

"His comeback was totally clean," Herman said. "It's pretty fashionable to kick Lance Armstrong around right now."

Tygart also reiterated that an Armstrong associate offered USADA a donation of more than $200,000. Armstrong denied that in his interview with Winfrey, too.

In advancing his claim that USADA is only a bit player in the investigation, Herman noted in his letter, sent to USADA on Friday, that most cycling teams are based in Europe.

"I'm pretty sick of people trying to blame a European cycling culture that goes back to the 1920s on one guy," Herman said.

Bock's response to that: "Your suggestion that there is some other body with which Lance should coordinate is misguided," he said in his final letter.

___

AP National Writer Eddie Pells contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/armstrong-meeting-usada-appears-unlikely-033646505--spt.html

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Eagles' Kelly says he will adapt practice routine

Credit coach Chip Kelly for this: The new Eagles coach has no illusions that every facet of his operation at Oregon can be duplicated in his new line of work.

At Oregon, Kelly?s frenetic practices were famous for blaring music, players sprinting from one drill to another, and first- and second-string units running on and off the field for reps against scout teams composed of walk-ons and underclassmen.

Because of NCAA practice-time restrictions, coaches interacted with players mostly in the form of whistles, horns, gestures or one-word utterances and saved lectures for the classroom.

You can pull that off with 85 scholarships players and more walk-ons. With an NFL maximum of 53 on the roster and an eight-man practice squad, adaptations for Kelly are necessary and imminent.

?It really depends on how many guys you have, and obviously everybody [in the NFL] is the same,? Kelly said recently after a Senior Bowl practice in Mobile, Ala. ?Training camp is going to be different because you?ve got more guys there and then when you get in during the season you?ve got 61 guys, counting your practice squad, but not everyone is healthy. A lot of times that becomes a daily adjustment. We can?t practice ... on Tuesday like we did on Wednesday because we?ve got two or three guys short.?

Kelly will try to continue the recent trend of college coaches transitioning smoothly to the professional level.

Jim Harbaugh left Stanford two years to coach the 49ers and has taken his team to the Super Bowl this year after being bounced out of the NFC Championship game last year.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Greg Schiano won seven games this year in his first season after leaving Rutgers, a three-game improvement from 2011. The Bucs scored 102 more points this season than the year before and allowed exactly 100 fewer.

Kelly on Monday spent some time chatting with his coaching pal Nick Saban, who had paraded around the area where the South Team conducted its first official practice for the Senior Bowl. Clad in his crimson-colored blazer and alligator-skin loafers, the Alabama coaching icon paused from kissing babies and curing lepers to conduct a press conference on the sideline.

Asked about Kelly?s decision to turn pro, the former failed Dolphins coach suggested that Kelly would succeed in his most recent stop.

"I am excited for Chip," Saban said. "He has done a fantastic job, been a real innovator in college football with some of the things he's done. We have a tremendous amount of respect for the great job he did at Oregon and the success he had there. He'll do just fine in the NFL."

By the same token, Saban admitted that Kelly faces the adjustments that he struggled with in 2005 and 2006, when he combined to go 15-17 as the Dolphins? head coach after leaving LSU, where he had won his first national championship.

Saban?s rigid, often abrasive style of coaching created friction with some veterans and his NFL coaching career lasted all of two seasons before he jumped at the chance to coach Alabama, where he has since added three more national title trophies to his mantle.

"How you bring players to your team is different,? Saban said. ?How you manage your squad is a little different than the way you motivate younger players, and to be able to make those transitions is a real key to being successful.?

Since accepting the job last Wednesday, Kelly has frequently acknowledged that his blueprint won?t be a carbon copy of the one he designed at Oregon.

?That?s the fun part, in essence, too,? he said. ?How do you plan? And how do you make it efficient, so that when you play on Sunday you?re the freshest team on Sunday. That?s kind of the key. But I know this, no matter what: The team that prepares the best each week has got the best chance.?

If that means altering his practice routine, so be it.

?I think you have to adjust to the numbers,? he said. ?We obviously had more numbers in college, so the Philadelphia Eagles are a football team, not a cross country team. If you go with the pace that we practiced at at Oregon then we?d have a real good cross country team.

?But we?re not playing in Valley Forge Park. We?re playing in the Linc. It?s gotta be an adjustment. I?m aware of it, I?ve studied it and [I?m] really trying to formulate that whole idea of how we?re going to do it.?

Source: http://www.csnphilly.com/football-philadelphia-eagles/kelly-knows-he-must-adjust-practice-pros

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How to Share Vine Videos on Tumblr

When Twitter launched Vine Thursday it omitted one important social network from its sharing options: Tumblr. Looped GIF images are extremely popular on Tumblr, so the audience there for Vine videos is potentially huge.

Just because there?s no native way to share Vines on Tumblr, doesn?t mean you can?t share your creations on the site. Here are few different ways you can include Vine videos in your Tumblr posts:

[More from Mashable: Facebook Explains Why Vine Can?t Access Your Friends]

Upload Directly To Tumblr

If you want to share your Vine on Tumblr, one of the easiest ways is to just upload it directly to your Tumblr from your iOS device using Tumblr's app.

Every Vine you create is automatically saved to the camera roll on your device. To upload to Tumblr:

[More from Mashable: John Tesh Thanks 500 Helpful Tweeters With $5 Gift Cards]

• Launch the Tumblr app on your phone
• Create a new post
• Select video from the options
• Choose existing video
• Select the Vine you?d like to upload from the video clips stored on your phone

Vine videos shared this way will just play through once rather than loop. To get that looped effect, you can import the video clip into your favorite mobile video editor (Splice is a good example, but there are many others) and copy it several times, laying the copies down on the timeline, one after another. Once you?ve reached your desired length, export the video and upload it just as you would a traditional video through Tumblr.

SEE ALSO: Brands Are Already Experimenting With Twitter's Vine

If you don?t have a video editor on your phone, you can email the clip to yourself from your phone?s Photo Library and edit it on your computer instead.

Embed a Tweet

Embedding a tweet on Tumblr is the easiest way to share the looped version of your Vine. To embed a tweet:

• Share your Vine on Twitter
• Go to Twitter.com
• Click on the More button on the tweet associated with your Vine
• Select Embed Tweet
• Copy the code generated by Twitter and add it to a post on Tumblr

If you don?t want to share all your Vines through your own Twitter stream but want the ability to embed them, consider creating a Twitter account just for your Vines. Once you tweet them, you?ll be able to copy/paste tweets or links to your Vine from your special account to your main account fairly easily, and you won't pollute your traditional Twitter stream.

Upload To Your Favorite Video Service

iOS devices offer the ability to upload video clips directly from your Photo Library to YouTube.

Vine video files are saved as MOV?s so you can upload the file to almost any video service and then embed that player into your Tumblr blog.

SEE ALSO: Dolphin Trapped in NYC Harbor Gives Vine First News Hit

The file can also be downloaded onto your computer and uploaded to Tumblr (or other sites) any way you?d like.

Have you tried sharing Vine videos on Tumblr, or another site? Let us know your own tips and tricks for sharing the video clips in the comments.

Click here to view the gallery: How To Use Vine

Photo by Emily Price, Mashable

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/share-vine-videos-tumblr-160300567.html

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Watch: Family Struggles With Medical Bills After Son's Accident

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Look at Gonzales stretches out -- play in an effort to strengthen his reattached finger. It was just five months ago summertime play turned in two tranche. I mean -- toys and a large. As I opened it -- -- of me and grabbed it and -- and and then put my hand like this the door closed you've asked. And next thing I knew I looked up and they -- I think it was around. But -- -- has resumed normal activity. His father is a paramedic he quickly stop the bleeding -- -- mother to put a finger on -- into rushed him to mills peninsula medical center as -- terrified mom looked. Certainly I think thoughtful and then. They were able to somewhat reattach it I love this thing there. And I lost -- here. Then came the hard part. The rehabilitation. And dealing with a mix up with the medical bills. The family's health plan Health Net. Refused to cover the medical expenses -- -- the insurance company said the Doctor Who performed the surgery was out of network. It was an emergency to my child that was an emergency that was just not a broken bone are broken ankle this with a severed finger. To an eleven year old child. And at no time did anybody ever discuss this with us. The doctor began building a family directly over 101000. Dollars in medical expenses. Linda Lou is with health access a patient advocacy group. But this is definitely not an uncommon practice this is something that we've heard of many times she says that's because doctors and insurance companies disagree over compensation. The problem. Needed to be worked out between the insurance company the doctor. And and the provider should not have immediately -- to consumer to try to fill them. Irene made calls to everyone involved but got no answers she ended up making payments to the doctor because she didn't want her credit her. She then called seven on -- -- Health Net told -- what they thought was an out of network treatment was actually a paperwork stamp photo. What happened was armed services came through and were coded -- outpatient. Instead of emergency. That left turn not fully covered but I green has since received a check reimbursing -- for -- 600 dollars in payments made to the doctor. Thank you channel seven fry your health and -- helping us with this matter and you -- for --

Source: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/video/family-struggles-medical-bills-sons-accident-18307966

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Oops! Twitter's new video-sharing service lacks privacy settings

10 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

Twitter's new video-sharing service Vine?feels a lot like Instagram for videos. It's neat, easy to use, and can produce fun clips. Just?one problem: There are no privacy settings whatsoever.

Right now, you can create and share Vine?videos using an iOS app?only. All you have to do is point your iPhone (or iPod Touch) at something and press your finger to the screen to record a clip up to six seconds in length (both sound and motion are captured, of course). Once satisfied with your final product, you can share it to Vine, Twitter and Facebook.?

Unfortunately as soon as you post?the clip to Vine, you've lost any control over who views it or interacts with it. There's no way to create a private Vine account nor can you choose who may follow you or view your profile on the video-sharing service. And while you can delete comments from your Vine posts, there's no way to block or report abusive users. (Though you can report videos as inappropriate.)

NBC News asked Twitter about the lack of privacy settings on Vine, and we were?pointed to the service's Help site, which confirms what we've experienced. ?"Profiles and videos on Vine are public, and anyone on the service can view them," a note declares before clarifying that?you can certainly?use Vine to create a video and save it to your Camera Roll rather than sharing it.?But this?isn't enough to?satisfy our need for actual privacy controls. We're instead left with the promise that the team?behind the service will "add more ways for you to control the visibility of your content in a future version of Vine."?

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/oops-twitters-new-video-sharing-service-lacks-privacy-settings-1B8101730

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Report: Americans dying earlier, getting sicker than those in other ...

by Kim Krisberg

When it comes to good health, America is far from top dog.

Yes, we may spend the most, we may have some of the most advanced medical technologies and we may produce some of the best doctors. But when it comes to the ultimate measure of a health care system?s success ? the health of people and populations ? it seems we are losing a winnable battle.

?There?s hardly anything more consequential than Americans dying earlier and being sicker,? Dr. Steven Woolf, chair of the Institute of Medicine?s and National Research Council?s Panel on Understanding Cross-National Health Differences Among High-Income Countries, told me. ?That our children are going to die an earlier death than children in other (comparable) countries ? I think this is a pretty serious situation. ?On all accounts, humanitarian and economic, this is serious.?

Woolf and his colleagues on the panel recently released a report finding that although the nation has experienced dramatic improvements in life expectancy and survival in the last century, we?re falling behind our counterparts in other high-income countries. The report, which compared U.S. health outcomes to those in 16 comparable nations, such as Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan and the United Kingdom, found a ?pervasive pattern of higher mortality and inferior health in the United States, beginning at birth.? In fact, the U.S. health disadvantage can be seen in all age groups up to age 75 and is observed for multiple diseases, injuries, and biological and behavioral risk factors. Woolf noted that the report provides the most comprehensive analysis of the topic to date.

The report found that the nation fares worse in nine health domains:

• The U.S. is home to the highest infant mortality rate among high-income countries, and American children are less likely to live to age 5 than children in comparable nations.
• Deaths related to motor vehicle crashes and violence happen at much higher rates in the U.S. and are a leading cause of death for children, adolescents and young adults.
• U.S. adolescents experience the highest rate of pregnancies and are more likely to become infected with a sexually transmitted disease.
• The U.S. has the second-highest HIV infection prevalence among the nations studied and the second highest mortality rate linked to HIV/AIDS after Portugal. The U.S. is also home to the highest incidence of AIDS.
• U.S. residents lose more life years to alcohol and other drugs than people in peer nations.
• The U.S. has the highest obesity rate among high-income countries. Also, beginning at age 20, American adults have the highest prevalence rate of diabetes.
• The U.S. is home the second-highest death rate from ischemic heart disease after Finland among the nations studied.
• When compared to European countries, lung disease is more prevalent and tied to a higher mortality rate in the U.S.
• Older U.S. adults experience a higher prevalence of arthritis and activity limitations than their peers in Europe and Japan.

Researchers surprised by pervasiveness of problem

Woolf, who is also a family medicine professor and director of the Center on Human Needs at Virginia Commonwealth University, said that since the U.S. health disadvantage has been discussed previously in the literature, especially the disadvantage among older Americans, ?we had some sense that we might find other bad news, but we were not prepared for the scale of what we found.? Woolf said he and his colleagues were most surprised at the sheer pervasiveness of the problems.

For example, he said that while researchers knew violence was a big issue in the U.S., they didn?t realize that American children younger than 5 experienced the highest rate of violence when compared to their counterparts in other high-income nations. Similarly, he said the health status of American teens was quite surprising ? they have a higher risk of dying in their teen years and experience a higher prevalence of disease and risk factors.

?American teens are in a really bad place compared to teens in other countries,? Woolf said. ?It?s a stunning pattern.?

During our conversation, Woolf took care to note that while some might be inclined to conclude that the U.S. average is being drawn down due to the nation?s racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity and the health disparities documented in many minority and low-income communities, that?s not the case.

?When we analyzed data for advantaged Americans, there?s still a disadvantage,? he said. ?We still find the same patterns ? that Americans are dying earlier, even if you?re a rich American. So to dismiss this as someone else?s concern is a mistake. We?re all in this together.?

However, the news wasn?t all bad. The report did find that Americans older than 75 live longer. Also, Americans experience lower death rates from stroke and cancer, better control over cholesterol and blood pressure levels, and lower rates of smoking compared to many of their counterparts in other wealthy nations. Woolf said it?s critical to better understand how those success stories came to be. For example, he said, researchers aren?t sure if lower stroke mortality rates are a reflection of better blood pressure control, better diet or the success of the medical sector in treating stroke ? ?we haven?t unpacked that enough to know what?s going on there,? he said.

While there are many probable explanations for the U.S. health problems, such as a large uninsured population, high calorie consumption, more access to firearms, and higher rates of poverty and income inequality, the report stated that ?no single factor fully explains the U.S. health disadvantage.? The authors wrote:

Might certain aspects of life in modern America ? including some of the choices that American society is making (knowingly or not) ? be part of the explanation for the U.S. health disadvantage? There are no definitive studies on this subject, but the public health literature certainly documents the health benefits of strengthening systems for health and social services, education, and employment; promoting healthy lifestyles; and designing healthier environments. ? In countries with the most favorable health outcomes, resource investments and infrastructure often reflect a strong societal commitment to the health and welfare of the entire population.

On the other hand, the report also notes that in some cases, it ?may simply be that the United States is at the leading edge of global trends that other high-income countries will follow.?

Woolf noted that the Affordable Care Act and its expanded access to affordable insurance could address some of the issues highlighted in the report. But he called the law?s investments in public health and prevention ?crucial,? adding that ?talks to cut back on (public health funding) are scary because they will likely only exacerbate the U.S. health disadvantage.? He added that while some policymakers claim that the current fiscal environment demands cuts to discretionary public health spending, he doesn?t believe that?s an accurate assessment of the situation. It?s not that the money isn?t there, Woolf said, it?s how we?re spending it.

?If you look at the ratio of health care spending to social spending, the U.S. is an outlier?countries with better (health) outcomes are spending more on social programs and less on health care,? he said. ?We need to start thinking about whether spending on public health and social programs may give us better value for our dollar.?

For a copy of the new report, ?U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health,? visit www.nap.edu. Also, click here to use an interactive graph to see how the U.S. compares to its 16 peer countries. And below is a video interview with Steven Woolf discussing the new report. (Video courtesy the National Academies)

Kim Krisberg is a freelance public health writer living in Austin, Texas, and has been writing about public health for the last decade.

Source: http://scienceblogs.com/thepumphandle/2013/01/25/report-americans-dying-earlier-getting-sicker-than-those-in-other-high-income-nations/

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Rules for Visiting a New Mom

By Scary Mommy Contributor, Robyn

?

You know the scene: A close girlfriend has her long-awaited new baby and you feel the need to hightail it to her house to hold that little bundle of joy. In fact, it takes all of your self-control to not show up at the hospital and interrupt the precious few hours that she?ll have a staff doting on her around the clock. Either it?s because you love that new baby smell or you think Mama is going to have hurt feelings if you don?t show interest in her newest family member, but regardless,?you are going to hold that baby. This is what we do as women, yes?

?

Au contraire, mon amie. I distinctly remember being two months into motherhood and realizing that I didn?t need or want any more girlfriends stopping by and over-stimulating my colicky, sensitive child with their scary foreign faces, inappropriately loud voices, or refusal to stop bouncing him for even a few minutes. Give the baby a break from the bouncing, ladies. Do you think I want him to get used to that?? No, I don?t, because I?m tired and I don?t want to have to bounce him myself.

?

I assure you that I would not have been hurt had no one come to visit me at all.? Do you think I made this baby by myself?? In fact, I did not. There is a man who lives here to keep me company in the evenings. During the day I was too tired, overwhelmed, and covered in spit-up to care about loneliness, and having company just meant that I?d have to squeeze my fat ass into something that didn?t fit and vacuum the dog hair off the floor.

?

Before I became a mother I was one of those girlfriends who showed up just to hold your baby. I hereby publicly apologize to all of the new mommies that I did this to. No mother I know was sitting around, desperately waiting for me to appear at her house empty-handed and hold her baby. I am no Baby Whisperer, believe me.

?

There was one instance that I arrived at a girlfriend?s house for no other reason than to hold her new baby and then?I sat down and ate the dinner that her husband had been preparing for them. Me! I did not just have a baby! Why was I eating her food?? Shameful.

?

Now I?m a mother and realize that if you want to hold that babe in the first four months before the yummy new baby smell wears off, then there are some rules governing that situation?

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??Bring food that you know they?ll like.?This means a take-out lunch from a higher-end restaurant and bring enough food so that Daddy has something to eat when he gets home. Chicken, fish, steak, or something that fits their special diet.? Don?t be stingy; buy enough for leftovers. Don?t bring Subway; in case you hadn?t heard, Subway is disgusting. Don?t make something on your own unless it actually tastes good. It?s best to spend a little money and treat them to something nice since it?s going to be a long, long time before they go to a restaurant again. I hate to say it, but if you can?t afford to buy her a nice lunch then you need to consider whether you can really afford to hold this baby.

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? Don?t eat her food. Does Mama have some pulled pork or a rack of short ribs simmering in the crock-pot when you arrive? Don?t you dare accept any of it if she offers.? She is being polite and you are not actually a guest.? You are an intruder. Remember: ?Everything that you don?t eat is leftovers for them tomorrow, so don?t eat anything at all. You can have some water if you get it yourself. You need to be on high alert to recognize fake offers of food/gifts/favors and so on from this woman; she is likely out of her mind from sleep deprivation and doesn?t know what she?s saying, but she will still remember your greediness years later.

One of my friends left a homemade chicken casserole and fresh chocolate chip cookies at our front door and didn?t even need to come inside.? The hallmark of a truly excellent friend is one who will knock quietly, put the food on the front porch, then get in the car and drive away.

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??Bring a gift, even if you already gave a baby shower gift.?Ask Mama what she needs or check her registry for lingering purchases. Don?t get your panties in a bunch about this one; it can be something as simple as a case of pacifiers or replacement pump pieces?? things that only cost a few bucks. Nobody ever said that a gift had to be a surprise in order to be good. When in doubt, ask what diapers they use and bring those. If you buy the cheapest diapers you can find that are imported from Mexico, she?ll be dealing with scratchy leaky diapers and cursing your name at 4am.

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? Snap Away. If you?re a semi-pro photographer, bring your camera and your most flattering lens. Don?t try to sell her the portraits later. Send them for free.

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? No summer dresses in winter. Don?t bring size-inappropriate-for-the-season clothing that suits your taste and not theirs. Babies grow fast. Use your brain.

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? Don?t bring decorative kick-knacks. As much fun as you might think it is, no mother wants you to decorate her new baby nursery. Decorating the nursery is strictly relegated to mom and dad and you can keep your over-sized stuffed animals, picture frames, and inspirational quotes out of it. Nobody wants something extra to dust around when they have a new baby. Don?t make Mama waste a stamp graciously thanking you for some random thing you dug up at Tuesday Morning that she never wanted in the first place.

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??Make yourself useful.?Is your new-mother friend one of those controlling types who doesn?t want anyone helping with her housework?? Your friend needs to get over it because in about 8 months that baby is going to be mobile and her days of being in control of her surroundings are officially a thing of the past.

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? Do the dishes. If the kitchen sink is full of dishes, turn on the water, rinse them off, and start loading them up in the dishwasher. Load them smart because you know how much we hate it when the dishwasher is loaded wrong.? Don?t halfheartedly ask Mama if maybe you can help out in some way because she?s going to say no even though she means ?God, yes, please someone help me for once.?? Just do it.

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? Or the laundry. Look around and spy a pile of clean clothes that needs to be folded? Do you have two working hands?? Fold the laundry, even the underwear.

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? Be that friend.?One of my friends not only brought food and a gift, but she called from the drugstore to see if I needed anything (indeed, I did need nursing pads for those leaky boobs no one warned me about) and started putting away all of the odds and ends that belonged in the baby?s closet that I couldn?t reach because of my c-section. When she asked what she could do it wasn?t really a question as much as it was a statement and request for orders.

Another girlfriend came over with her husband for an afternoon.? He sat in a chair and rocked the baby while she cleaned my kitchen spotless, including shining up the stainless steel of the refrigerator.? What did I do?? I took a bath and washed and dried my hair for the first time in a week.? You know when your hair gets so dirty that the roots hurt?? That was my hair.? I had an entire hour to myself where I wasn?t listening for the baby to cry for the first time since becoming a mother two months prior.? When I tried to check on the baby in the living room she whispered, ?Get out of here.? He can smell your milk.?

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? But not THAT friend. I can honestly say that there were a few visitors during that time of my life who had me thinking, ?I?m being held hostage by this tiny person who just threw up in my eyes and you didn?t even bring me anything??? Don?t be that friend.? Learn from me, the reformed do-nothing baby holder.? Last summer when a friend had a new baby, I brought a small gift and lunch whenever I went to see her because I knew she felt so overwhelmed.? These days I don?t even give birthday presents without asking Mama what the little one needs, or if my gift idea is OK with her.

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If you?ve been a blatant do-nothing baby holder in the past, fear not.? Make a mental note to buy the child a special gift for their next birthday party and rest easy knowing that at some point, your day of having vomit in your eyes will come and you will find yourself wondering what the hell these baby-holding friends are doing in your house.

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Robyn divides her time between wondering where those 30 points of IQ snuck off to after the birth of her first child and silently judging parents who let their kids eat red dye #40. In her spare moments she updates her blog?therobynnest?and compulsively checks her?Facebook??for Paleo crockpot recipes.

Source: http://www.scarymommy.com/rules-for-visiting-a-new-mom/

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