McCartney, 'God particle' scientist get honors

LONDON (AP) ? Stella McCartney, who designed the uniforms worn by Britain's record-smashing Olympic team, and Scottish physicist Peter Higgs, who gave his name to the so-called "God particle," are among the hundreds being honored by Queen Elizabeth II this New Year.

The list is particularly heavy with Britain's Olympic heroes, but it also includes "Star Wars" actor Ewan McGregor, eccentric English singer Kate Bush, Roald Dahl illustrator Quentin Blake, and Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, the royal aide who helped organize the watched-around-the-world wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton.

McCartney was honored with the title of Officer of the Order of the British Empire, or OBE, in part for her work creating the skintight, red-white-and-blue uniforms worn by British athletes as they grabbed 65 medals during the 2012 games hosted by London. McCartney is the designer daughter of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney and his first wife Linda, and she has moved to make the family name almost as synonymous with fashion as it is with music, setting up a successful business and a critically-acclaimed label.

Higgs' achievements, which made him a Companion of Honor, touch on the nature and the origins of the universe. The 83-year-old researcher's work in theoretical physics sought to explain what gives things weight. He said it was while walking through the Scottish mountains that he hit upon the concept of what would later become known as the Higgs boson, an elusive subatomic particle that gives objects mass and combines with gravity to give them weight.

For decades, the existence of such a particle remained just a theory, but earlier this year scientists working at the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, said they'd found compelling evidence that the Higgs boson was out there. Or in there. Or whatever.

All of Britain's gold medalists from this year's games were on the list, with cyclist Bradley Wiggins and sailor Ben Ainslie honored with knighthoods.

Sebastian Coe, who masterminded the games as chairman of the London organizing committee, was made a Companion of Honor ? a prestigious title also awarded to Higgs. But Ken Livingstone, London's former mayor, said Saturday he turned down a Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or CBE, recognizing his services to the Olympics because he doesn't believe politicians should get the queen's honors.

Honors lists typically include a sprinkling of star power, and this year was no different. Ewan McGregor, who came to public attention through his role as the heroin-addled anti-hero of British drug drama "Trainspotting," was awarded an OBE. The 41-year-old actor is also known for his turn as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" prequels.

"Babooshka" singer Kate Bush said she was delighted to be made a CBE for a musical career which has resulted in a string of quirky hits including "Wuthering Heights," ''Cloudbusting," and "Man With The Child In His Eyes."

Other art world honorees included artist Tracey Emin and Quentin Blake, whose spiky, exuberant illustrations are best known through the work of his collaborator Roald Dahl.

Politicians, policemen, and spies got honors too. Scotland Yard chief Bernard Hogan-Howe was awarded a knighthood; former British foreign minister Margaret Beckett was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair's wife Cherie was made a CBE for her charity work. MI5 chief Jonathan Evans was made a Knight Commander of the Order of Bath.

Also honored was the man credited with helping pull off the wedding of the decade: Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, principal private secretary to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (as Prince William and his wife are formally known) was made a Lieutenant of the Royal Victorian Order.

Britain's honors are bestowed twice a year by the monarch, at New Year's and on her official birthday in June. Although the queen does pick out some lesser honors herself, the vast majority of recipients are selected by government committees from nominations made by officials and members of the public.

In descending order, the honors are knighthoods, CBE, OBE, and MBE ? Member of the Order of the British Empire. Knights are addressed as "sir" or "dame." Recipients of the other honors, such as the Order of the Companions of Honor given to Higgs and Coe or the Royal Victorian Order personally picked out by the queen, receive no title but can put the letters after their names.

The New Year's honors carried the usual batch of courtiers ? even the royal household's switchboard operator got a medal ? as well as senior civil servants, soldiers, charity executives, successful entrepreneurs, established academics, volunteers, and community workers. Some of the more eclectic honors included the OBE handed to card game columnist Andrew Michael Robson "for services to the game of bridge," and the OBE given to river conservationist Andrew Douglas-Home "for services to fishing."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mccartney-god-particle-scientist-honors-001258364.html

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Cheers! Snapshots could lead to finer wines

Digital snapshots may make cute holiday memories for all to share, but now a similar technology may soon help create superb Syrahs or marvelous Merlots. Researchers have created a new way to peer inside a grape to identify its composition and variety through computer imaging. This could cut back on laborious chemical analysis for winemakers.

Francisco Jos? Rodr?guez Pulido, a researcher at the University of Seville in Spain, said that the new system could work for both small growers as well as large companies.

"The cultivation of the vine and the production of quality red wines are facing serious problems due to high temperatures and climate change," said Pulido, adding that it makes it difficult for growers to know when to pick. "Usually, there is a gap between the pulp and the seed maturation, particularly in red grapes," which means that the different parts of each grape mature at different speeds, making it tough to pick at the right moment to maximize phenols ? the coveted flavor notes that contribute to taste, color and mouthfeel.

Pulido says that the process takes just a few minutes. A camera snaps a high-resolution picture of the seeds. Then, customized software identifies the seeds in the image and measures their color according to a standardized index of colors.

The close relationship between appearance and chemical composition makes it possible to estimate how mature the seeds are ? which is a good indication of when to pick the grapes. The process was tested and proven in Spanish grapes, but Pulido says that it should work in any type of red or white wine.

Pulido and his colleagues published their research on the new method in the journal Analytica Chimica Acta in November.

Gregory Balint, a professor at the Oregon Wine Research Institute, in Central Point, said that determining grape maturity is a toilsome process, and a digital tool could help ? but he is not convinced that color is the best way to determine ripeness.

"I couldn't see any correlation between basic data like soluble solids, acidity and pH and these colorimetric parameters," he said. "Many winemakers are still using these basic parameters to schedule the best time for harvesting. Moreover, many winemakers and growers are using the sensory evaluation of the berries, including seeds, to assess the maturity levels."

Balint added that winemakers could use something like Pulido's method in conjunction with other tools.

Ripeness means different things for different winemakers, depending on their style and ultimate vision. At Jalama Wines in Lompoc, Calif., winemaker Mark Cargasacchi says he tastes the grapes as well as using chemical tests to analyze acidity and sugar levels ? always looking for a consistent product, which can be tricky. "As hard as we try, Mother Nature always throws us a curveball," he says.

At Adelsheim Vineyards in Newburg, Ore., enologist Tracy Faulds says the picking time is based on flavor. "I think you can make really good wine based on taste, but you can't make one based only on numbers," she said.

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Faulds said that technology like cold-stabilization, filtration and additives like copper and carbon have enormously improved the winemaking process over the past few decades, and she expects that it will continue to improve wines around the globe. But, she said, technology has its limits: "Winemaking at its core is an agriculture practice, and if you don't have good grapes you're not going to make good wine."

At Fiddlehead winery in Lompoc, Calif., winemaker Kathy Joseph said that focusing only on color, as Pulido's technology does, cannot be the sole basis for assessing ripeness.

"I routinely consider many other very important assessments of ripeness, including berry turgidity [a measure of plumpness], raisining and ripeness variability within the cluster, pH and acid balance as well as projected alcohol balance, vine physiology, skin tannin and stem maturity and perhaps most importantly, taste," said Joseph. "It is that artistic talent of the winemaker that assesses all of those factors as a package to determine the best moment for picking, which also must be in sync with the selected style for that winery."

Katharine Gammon is a freelance science writer based in Santa Monica, Calif., and writes for a wide range of magazines covering technology, society, and animal science.

This report was originally published Dec. 28 by Inside Science News Service as "Could Digital Imaging Harvest a More Perfect Pinot?"

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50320306/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Critics: Myriad blocks cancer answers by impeding data sharing ...

Patents ? Utah company says it has aided, not hindered, research, care.

Tory Galloway thought her negative result on a widely-used test sold by Utah-based Myriad Genetics Inc. cleared her DNA as a cause for her fallopian tube cancer.

She happily advised her four sisters that the disease didn?t result from a family trait. The relief from the December 2010 test, though, was short lived. In October, after getting results from a broader scan at the University of Washington that included dozens of genes, she learned the truth: Her cancer was caused by a mutation that wasn?t included in the Myriad product.

"It makes me nuts to even think about it," said Galloway, a landscape designer in Indianola, Wash.

The broader test, created by University of Washington researchers, uses technology to identify as many cancer risks as possible. There?s one problem: Such a test can?t include the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes that are the most common inherited causes for breast and ovarian cancer because Myriad owns the patents on them. This prevents other U.S. laboratories from using them in a commercial test.

In the mid-1990s, Myriad helped kick-start the gene-testing revolution by pinpointing the two BRCA genes. Now, the world?s biggest genetic testing company for breast cancer, with a market value of $2.2 billion, is under attack by researchers, genetic counselors, doctors, and their patients.

Besides stifling competitors from offering combination tests, including the BRCA genes, critics also said the company won?t share data from decades of testing that could aid research into how best to interpret screening. They said Myriad doesn?t adequately respond when other researchers find added BRCA mutations that address risks their current tests don?t cover.

"What is at stake is the way we want our health-care system to work," said Robert Cook-Deegan, a professor of public policy, biology, and medicine at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, who supports limits on gene patents. "The testing has been set up by Myriad to optimize this business model. It is not set up to optimize public health outcomes."

The dispute, which has grown in intensity as more and more cancer-causing mutations are found, has spilled out of the laboratories and clinics into the U.S. Supreme Court. A ruling next year in a case challenging Myriad?s hold on the BRCA patents could either support the company?s profit-driven motives or redefine a nascent industry in a way that affects millions of dollars in revenue.

Myriad officials reject the criticisms, saying they offer faster, more accurate testing for harmful mutations in breast cancer genes than any other laboratory in the world, and that its patents haven?t hindered research or patient care.

"Myriad has never done anything to harm patients," CEO Peter Meldrum said during an interview at his company?s headquarters in Salt Lake City. "We have the most accurate results, we give the fastest results." There has never been a reported case in which Myriad wrongly told that a woman she had a cancer-causing mutation, he said.

story continues below

Carol Mackoff, 70, a Chicago-based managing director for Rice Financial Products Co., says Myriad "saved my life."

Mackoff tested positive on a Myriad test for a BRCA1 mutation in 2002 after visiting an ovarian cancer prevention program at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago, she said in a telephone interview. Within weeks, she had her ovaries removed to prevent ovarian cancer, and later in 2009 had a prophylactic double mastectomy.

Without the Myriad test, "I would have had cancer," she said. "The fact that they developed these tests and gave me a tool to work with to allow me to prevent getting cancer, I owe them everything."

Faster, cheaper DNA testing is revolutionizing medical care. Nowhere has the impact been felt more strongly than in breast cancer. A woman who tests positive using Myriad?s tests carries as much as an 80 percent chance that she will get breast cancer in her lifetime. Testing helps women take charge of their medical future, providing options that can include preventative surgery and more extensive monitoring.

Widespread use of the tests has made Myriad an unabashed financial success. The company?s testing business, led by its flagship $3,340 BRCA product, carries an 87 percent gross profit margin that in fiscal 2012 generated $496 million in sales, according to Myriad.

That?s helped boost the company?s shares 30 percent this year.

Next Page >

Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55537762-79/myriad-cancer-test-brca.html.csp

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Video: Sen. Corker on "fiscal cliff" situation: "It's a travesty" (cbsnews)

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How Ronald Reagan kept Queen Elizabeth II waiting

LONDON - Few people keep Queen Elizabeth II waiting, especially when she has issued a personal invitation, but President Ronald Reagan managed to do so in 1982 without causing any lasting damage.

It happened in 1982, when the Reagan White House failed to reply in a timely way to a personal invitation from the queen for the president and his wife Nancy to stay with her at Windsor Castle during a planned visit to England.

Formerly Confidential papers made public Friday reveal there were raised eyebrows, and bruised feelings, when Reagan did not answer the sort of invite that usually commands a prompt reply the world over. The queen's invitation was left to languish for weeks ? something the British believe is simply Not Done.

"It is really for the president to respond to her invitation, which he has not done personally, something that I have pointed out several times here," writes Nicholas Henderson, Britain's ambassador to Washington, in a memo to the British Foreign Office. "As you know those surrounding the president are not deliberately rude: It is simply that they are not well-organized and do not have experience of this sort of thing."

The misunderstanding was eventually cleared up ? and Reagan even found the time to go horseback riding with the queen.

A former Reagan official today offers one possible explanation for the delay replying: Nancy Reagan's need to consult an astrologer.

"You have to remember that Mrs. Reagan was very strict about his schedule, and she would consult her astrologer to see if this was the right time to travel," William F. Sittman, a special assistant to Reagan who was involved in planning the trip, told The Associated Press. "Sometimes she would back up departures."

The tiff over the tardy reply is but one revelation contained in nearly 500 pages of newly released documents relating to the Reagan visit being made public Friday by Britain's National Archives. The dossier shows the British government ? led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ? to be extraordinarily interested in pleasing the relatively new president on his two-day visit.

British leaders also fretted that perennial cross-Channel rivals might triumph in the tug-of-war for presidential face time in a visit that had to be sandwiched between two summits on the European mainland. They feared the president might cancel, either because of time pressure or a reluctance to offend other European leaders who wanted meetings with Reagan.

The dossier is filled with serious political concerns ? how to maximize Britain's influence on U.S. policy? ? and lighter matters, including what gift to give the Reagans (they decided on a carriage clock), and what type of horse and saddle Reagan would most enjoy for his ride with the queen.

At one point, the president's men pose a fashion question on his behalf: Just what should the president wear to go riding with the queen?

The answer: Something smart, but casual, of course. Riding boots, breeches and a turtleneck sweater would do fine ? no need for formal riding attire.

The papers show that top Reagan adviser Michael Deaver had a way of annoying his British counterparts with last-minute changes and requests, and also surprised them with some of his objectives. Deaver, remembered as a shrewd image-builder, said he wanted Reagan to be photographed outside of formal venues, so he wouldn't be seen "exclusively in white tie" at palace functions, even suggesting that Reagan go to a village pub to soak up the atmosphere

The documents make clear that Europe's leaders were desperate for Reagan's attention at a time of high Cold War tensions. A memo from U.K. Cabinet Secretary Robert Armstrong on Feb. 5 expresses concern that a gala, summit-closing dinner at the palace of Versailles outside Paris could delay Reagan's arrival in London. But he warns against pressuring the Reagan entourage to skip the meal at Versailles' Hall of Mirrors because "that would not please the President of the French Republic."

Reagan's aides also worried the British by suggesting the president might have to skip the stop in London because accepting it might anger the Germans, who had offered a similar invitation. The Americans express concern about "the German problem" ? the prospect that if the president visited London he might also have to add a stop in Germany, as well.

But feelings are smoothed when the Americans assure the British contingent that the Germans are not America's top priority.

"Eagleburger emphasized how much the president himself wanted to go to London," stresses one confidential memo from the British ambassador, referring to senior U.S. diplomat Lawrence Eagleburger. "There should be no doubt about that. Eagleburger also said that at the moment the Germans were not America's favourite allies."

There are confidential memos back and forth about whether the London stopover should be officially called a "state visit" ? the White House is reluctant to use that phrase for fear of offending the Italians, since a visit to Rome was not designated a state visit.

The prospect of a chance to relax from international summitry with a bit of horseback riding with the queen seems to have helped carry the day for the Brits. Asked for the president's favourite type of horse, British planners are told simply that he wants a thoroughbred. He ended up riding Centennial, one of the queen's favourites, and wearing a perfectly fitted sports jacket above his sweater, going for an old-time Hollywood look he carried off with ease.

Much of the actual visit was devoted to pomp and pageantry, or to relaxation, but Reagan did make one speech of consequence. He became the first American president to address a meeting of both houses of Parliament and used the occasion to trumpet his distaste for the Soviet Union, calling it an economic catastrophe.

He said Marxism-Leninism would be left on the ash heap of history ? a prediction that would come to pass in the following decade.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/keep-queen-elizabeth-ii-waiting-ronald-reagan-got-160018264.html

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IS Writing Creative? by Lily White LeFevre

I?ve seen a couple different articles in the past fortnight about optimal creative times, and how they usually occur at an inverse of optimal reasoning times.? The frequent example given is that if morning is your most productive time for problem solving, then afternoon or evening is probably a better time for you to do creative work.

While I don?t disagree with the basic idea?that creativity uses a different part of the brain than reasoning/analyzing and will thus peak at a different time of day?I found myself questioning the conclusion of the articles as applied to being a writer, namely, set aside time to write during that ?creative phase? of your day.

I questioned this advice because by far my most productive writing period is the same part of the day that includes my best cognitive work.

My biggest take-away from the logic course I took in college was this:? if you accept the premises given then you are bound to reach the same conclusion.? Thus the place to mount a logical challenge is not the logic itself but the premises.

The logic of these articles seems to be:? reasoning and creativity peak at opposite times; writing requires creativity; you want to write at the time you will be most productive; therefore you should write when creativity is peaking.? If the two premises are true, then I cannot argue that logic.? I agree with the first premise.? The second, then, must be the problematic one.

Which brings me to a question I haven?t seen addressed much in the how to write circuit?is ?creative writing??actually?a creative activity?

I have never before questioned that it is.? My whole life I?ve been told that writing is a creative act, an artistic expression.? The very term we use for fiction, and certain types of non-fiction, creative writing, embeds in its very definition that the act is creative.? (To clarify?I am using the word ?creative? to mean imaginative, expressive, abstract, unique?all those qualities we ascribe to artistic types and the work they do.? In a very base linguistic sense, creative also means ?to create,? so all writing is creative in that it creates from nothing, something.? But that is not the definition we mean when we use the term creative writing.)

I wonder now, however, if writing is creative at all, for me.

When I write what I term ?forward progress? on a story?writing from the beginning forward, in the style of a finished piece?the act is calculated, rational.? Each sentence is written after mental analysis of the best way to impart an idea.? The words are deliberate, chosen to most succinctly say exactly the idea I wish to express.? This type of writing almost always stands; that is, I don?t go back and rewrite the sentences, change the words, reorganize the grouping of ideas, because generally speaking I do not need to.? I said what I needed and wanted to say the first time.? The only changes are minor cosmetics, the taking off of one thing after I have dressed, so to speak.

The only time I can effectively write like this is first thing in the morning, when my mind is primed for the heavy lifting of logic and reasoning.? Given enough time, I can grind out 2000-4000 words before my brain atrophies.? Yet if I try to write like this at the end of the day, the words don?t make sense, my brain feels like so much mush churning about, and I am lucky to get 300 words in two hours.

Does this sound like a creative act to you?? It certainly doesn?t to me.

But there is another kind of writing that I do, what I call ?scene sketching.?? Almost invariably this is nothing more than conversations I hear in my head and transcribe.? Most of the time when I have the urge to write in the evening, it is to write scene sketches, and boy, do they come easily.? This writing does feel? creative.

The problem I face is that I could never finish a book, even a short story, if I relied upon evening jam sessions alone.? There would be no description, no grounding, no explanation of who people are and what brought them to that place.? I suppose in some post-modern deconstructionist way that could make interesting pieces, but that is not the kind of story I want to end up with.? At some point I have to sit down when I am at my most cognitive and write in all the stuff that won?t come in an imagination-storm.

Obviously my writing process incorporates both types of writing.? But the truth is, I could write novels without putting down a word during those creative flurries.? To me those flares of creativity are about the story; yes, they are necessary to write a novel, because without them what story do you write about?but they are not at all necessary to the actual act of writing.

Yeah?I think I have to reject that questionable premise. Writing is not creative.? It?s the cognitive summary of the creative process.? At least for me.? But what about you?

Source: http://amwritingblog.com/wordpress/archives/15873

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Invasive plant species may harm native grasslands by changing soil composition

Dec. 18, 2012 ? The future landscape of the American Midwest could look a lot like the past -- covered in native grasslands rather than agricultural crops. This is not a return to the past, however, but a future that could depend on grasslands for biofuels, grazing systems, carbon sequestration, and other ecosystem services. A major threat to this ecosystem is an old one -- weeds and their influence on the soil.

According to a study in the journal Invasive Plant Science and Management, when invasive plants spread, they can leave behind a "legacy" of alteration in the native soil. Even after an invading species has been controlled, its effects can inhibit the regrowth of native plant species. The causes of this process are still being investigated and may involve changes in soil food webs, soil microbial communities, and mutualistic fungi.

In the study, researchers tested soil conditions for changes in composition after three growth cycles of invasive plant species. Researchers looked for changes in colonization rates, diversity, and composition of arbuscular-mycorrhizal fungi (AMF). Three exotic plant species -- crested wheatgrass, smooth brome, and leafy spurge -- were tested in a glasshouse experiment. These plants, all characterized as strong invaders, were grown in native soil collected from North Dakota grasslands. Native species, including western wheatgrass, little bluestem, and blue gramma, were also grown, and after three growth cycles, soil composition was compared among these treatments.

The findings of this study showed that (1) invasive species changed the composition of AMF communities in seedling roots of native grassland species, and (2) invasive species were less colonized by AMF, forming fewer associations than native grassland species. These findings suggest that the ecological differences in how these native and invasive plants interact with soil may be a factor in this legacy effect. While market and policy demands might lead to a native grasslands agro-ecosystem, invasive plants species could derail its establishment. Weed management must be a component of any such ecosystem, so that it is possible to establish grasslands that are useful and profitable.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Allen Press Publishing Services, via Newswise.

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Journal Reference:

1. Nicholas R. Jordan, Laura Aldrich-Wolfe, Sheri C. Huerd, Diane L. Larson, Gary Muehlbauer. Soil?Occupancy Effects of Invasive and Native Grassland Plant Species on Composition and Diversity of Mycorrhizal Associations. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2012; 5 (4): 494 DOI: 10.1614/IPSM-D-12-00014.1

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/most_popular/~3/fi6iUg9_HQk/121219092817.htm

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UK police investigating false claims allegation

FILE - In this May 17, 2011 file photo, Andrew Mitchell arrives at Downing Street, London. Mitchell, who resigned from a government post over allegations that he used derogatory remarks against police officers called on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 for a full inquiry into the dispute amid new claims that police fabricated the evidence. Mitchell quit as the government's chief whip in September after he was accused of swearing at police officers who stopped him from wheeling his bicycle through the Downing Street gates. (AP Photo/PA, Yui Mok, File) UNITED KINGDOM OUT, NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE

FILE - In this May 17, 2011 file photo, Andrew Mitchell arrives at Downing Street, London. Mitchell, who resigned from a government post over allegations that he used derogatory remarks against police officers called on Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012 for a full inquiry into the dispute amid new claims that police fabricated the evidence. Mitchell quit as the government's chief whip in September after he was accused of swearing at police officers who stopped him from wheeling his bicycle through the Downing Street gates. (AP Photo/PA, Yui Mok, File) UNITED KINGDOM OUT, NO SALES, NO ARCHIVE

LONDON (AP) ? Detectives are probing "very serious" allegations that a police officer fabricated claims against a U.K. lawmaker who was forced to quit a Cabinet post after being accused of insulting police with the term "pleb," the prime minister said Wednesday.

Andrew Mitchell quit as the government's chief whip after he was accused of hurling the word "pleb" at officers who stopped him from riding his bicycle through the Downing Street gates in September. Mitchell admitted swearing, but denied calling anyone a "pleb" ? a demeaning reference to working-class people that touched a nerve in this class-conscious country.

Last week, a police officer from the diplomatic protection squad was arrested for alleged misconduct in public office. Channel 4 News has claimed the officer emailed his local lawmaker falsely pretending to be a member of the public who had witnessed the altercation. The email claimed Mitchell had sworn repeatedly and called officers "plebs," shocking passers-by.

"A police officer posing as a member of the public and sending an email potentially to blacken the name of a Cabinet minister is a very serious issue and does need to be seriously investigated," British Prime Minister David Cameron told lawmakers in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

Channel 4 News also showed CCTV footage Tuesday that appeared to contradict the officer's claim that there were other witnesses to the spat.

The Metropolitan Police said 30 officers had been assigned to investigate the incident. "It goes to the very heart of the public's trust in the police service," the force said in a statement.

The statement said both the force and the police watchdog were investigating the arrested officer's conduct and whether there was any evidence of a conspiracy between the arrested officer and anyone else.

Allies of Mitchell said there is mounting evidence he had been falsely accused, and called for him to return to the Cabinet. He resigned as chief whip a month after the Downing St. altercation but remains a member of Parliament.

The lawmaker admitted swearing, but strongly denied using the word "pleb," which reinforced a perception of the governing Conservative Party as elitist and lacking empathy with the poor.

"I would never call someone a (expletive) pleb," Mitchell told Channel 4 news on Tuesday. "Anyone who knows me well would know that it is absolutely not in me to use phrases like that."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-19-EU-Britain-Minister's-Outburst/id-cc1ade9604b9491991947ffcdb810a82

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Health briefs: Personal nutrition coaching; cancer patient?s treatment choice is key

By Karen Motosicky

Published: Tuesday, December 18, 2012, 8:45?p.m.
Updated 9 hours ago

Highmark offers personal nutrition coaching at Mills

Highmark Personal Nutrition Coaching is available at Allegheny Valley Hospital?s Destination Wellness, Pittsburgh Mills, Frazer.

This program empowers an individual to sustain healthy lifestyle changes by assisting with setting goals, selecting food and planning meals.

Receive a one-on-one counseling session facilitated by a registered dietitian that is designed to address the nutritional changes needed to manage heart disease, diabetes, weight management and other health-related issues.

Sessions are by appointment only. There is no fee for Highmark members; a nominal fee for non-Highmark members. Call 724-274-5202 today for an appointment or details.

Cancer patient?s treatment choice is key

According to a report in NewsUSA, the most important decision a newly diagnosed cancer patient will make is the type of treatment that will be used.

A recent study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology showed that when molecular profiling was used to guide the selection, a drug known to target the specific biomarkers of a tumor was found in 98 percent of advanced cancer patients studied.

Through molecular profiling, newly diagnosed cancer patients can avoid treatment paths that are not a good match or will not work for them, said Dr. Sandeep Reddy, an oncologist and clinical associate professor of medicine at Gefffen/UCLA School of Medicine Molecular. It can also help in the treatment of advanced cancers when standard therapies have been exhausted.

Today, molecular tumor profiling technology, called Caris Target Now, identifies the genetic and molecular structure of a tumor and its biomarkers, and matches this information with information about how these biomarkers respond to different cancer drugs.

For more information about this technology and whether it can be useful to you, talk with your doctor or visit www.mycancer.com.

? Staff reports

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/pghlive_vnd/~3/m9Q9r7FrxpQ/cancer-molecular-treatment

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Chinese approval for cellular versions of the iPad 4 and iPad mini tipped

Apple was bragging earlier this week that it had sold 2 million iPhone 5 smartphones in China the first weekend the device was available. Apple now has something else to look forward to in China with the network licenses needed to allow it to sell the Wi-Fi + cellular versions of the iPad 4 and the iPad mini in China seemingly granted. Both devices will be coming to major wireless carriers inside China.

The carriers that will get the iPad 4 and the iPad mini with the cellular modem inside include China Unicom and China Telecom. IPad models A1460 and A1455 turned up on the TENAA website China. That website is for the Chinese telecommunication certification center. Those two iPad model numbers match up on Apple?s support site to the iPad 4 Wi-Fi + Cellular in the iPad mini Wi-Fi + cellular tablets.

Chinese buyers have been able to purchase versions of the iPad 4 and the iPad mini since December 7 with Wi-Fi only. Apple took the time to brag about its sales figures for the iPhone 5, but has remained silent on how many iPad 4 tablets it has sold within the country. There is a chance that many Chinese consumers have been holding out for versions of the iPad with a cellular modem in sales figures for the Wi-Fi only tablets haven?t been that great.

Despite the cellular versions of the iPad tablets getting approval for the Chinese market, there is no indication of when the tablets might actually launch within the country. Cellular versions of the iPad tablets are available in other countries for several weeks now. Apple has made no official comment on Chinese availability for cellular versions of iPad tablets in China.

[via TheNextWeb]

Source: http://feeds.slashgear.com/~r/slashgear/~3/ryCS6RNs-5g/

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Green Blog: On Our Radar: Navigating a Parched Mississippi

Barge operators prepare to begin blasting large rock formations that are impeding navigation south of St. Louis on the Mississippi River, where water levels are 20 feet lower than normal because of a prolonged drought. Meanwhile, 40 representatives of government, business and labor meet to address the challenge of keeping the river open. Over the weekend, the Army Corps of Engineers began releasing water into the river from Carlyle Lake in southern Illinois. [The Chicago Tribune, The News-Democrat]

Experts say that the plan for building the Keystone XL oil pipeline across the Ogallala/High Plains aquifer lacks the most sophisticated leak detection technology. [Inside Climate News]

A wave of early retirements resulting from new federal rules is expected to create staffing strains in the management of parks and preserves in Alaska, which occupy hundreds of millions of acres of public land. [The New York Times]

A sustainability group sues the federal government over its oil and gas leasing program for the Outer Continental Shelf, saying that a flawed economic analysis led it to rush ahead with leases that may not be economically justified. [Center for Sustainable Economy]

While global climate change was the primary driver of fluctuations in the panda population for millions of years, human activities probably underlie the recent decline, genetic researchers report. [Asian Scientist]

Source: http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/on-our-radar-navigating-a-parched-mississippi/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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Hurricane Grill & Wings Opens Newest Restaurant in Pembroke Pines, Florida

Hurricane Grill & Wings?is landing in Pembroke Pines, Florida. West Palm Beach-based?Hurricane Grill & Wings?has impressed Floridians with their island-inspired flavor and family-friendly tropical atmosphere. The national chain is famous for their award-winning wings and extensive variety of more than 32 rubs and sauces that add an extra kick of flavor to every last bite.?

Hurricane Grill & Wings?specializes in quality food with bold coastal flavor. The extensive?menu?is packed with savory appetizers such as Hurricane?s World-Famous Garlic & Parmesan Fries and Wood-Smoked Fish Dip with Mahi-Mahi & Wahoo, signature entrees such as Santa Fe Churrasco Steak and 100 percent Half-Pound Angus Steak Burger and a thirst-quenching assortment of specialty cocktails that will blow guests away. Frantic holiday shoppers can drop into the newest?Hurricane Grill & Wings?for a much needed, relaxing flavor vacation between gift-wrapping.

?Hurricane Grill & Wings?has such a strong following in Florida, we are happy to continue growing locally in response to high demand,? says Martin O'Dowd, president of?Hurricane Grill & Wings.?

?We are certain residents of Pembroke Pines will be as fond of our tropical twist as our many other Florida fans.?

Hurricane Grill & Wings?is located at 10281 Pines Blvd. Pembroke Pines, Florida, 33026.

Source: http://www.fsrmagazine.com/content/hurricane-grill-wings-opens-newest-restaurant-pembroke-pines-florida

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Tips for dealing with sticky situations | The Mod Mommy

With a combination of my daughter being old enough to do crafts and the fact that it?s the holiday season, we sure have had a lot of art materials floating around the house.

So far we?ve used paint (for the first time!), crayons, glue sticks, stickers and frosting and candy for the gingerbread house. They were all a lot of firsts for my little two-year-old.

From the kitchen to the dining room to the family room, I think we?ve used three rooms in our house crafting this season. Therefore, we?ve been trucking these supplies everywhere. I recently decided one of my daughter?s Christmas gifts would be a ?busy box,? and in it has all of her craft supplies in one place.

I?m hoping this will help keep the house cleaner, and it will also keep sticky items and items that stain out of her reach. Plus, it?ll help keep me organized! Not to mention, if we travel to my mom?s or somewhere, we can just take the box with us and she?ll have all of the supplies she needs to keep her ?busy.? Triple bonus!

Another way I keep clean during crafting is by using disposable placements. I actually have them in my diaper bag at all times, but I also keep some in the house.

They?re these adorable plastic placements that stick to the table, whether it be at home or a restaurant, and your child can just do their project right on it. When you?re finished, the placement just peels up and you throw it out. Super easy!

I like them at restaurants because my daughter can eat directly on them and I know the surface is clean. So, we get multiple uses out of them.

Wet Ones is actually giving us the opportunity to share all of the Sticky Situations we?ve encountered and they?re looking for tips on how to deal with them through their Facebook Contest!

Win a prize pack for 4 people!

Just log on to Facebook, share your story and tips, and you can be entered to win an iPad Mini or Six Flags Tickets!

The Wet Ones Sticky Situations Contest ends December 28th, so there?s only a few days left to enter!

Here?s the link: https://www.facebook.com/momcentral/app_248884015238315

Apple iPad mini

I entered and would love, love to win an iPad.

?I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central Consulting for Wet Ones. I received a promotional item to thank me for participating.?

Source: http://www.modmommy.com/2012/12/tips-for-dealing-with-sticky-situations/

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Forex Technical & Market Analysis: December 18 2012

MARKET OVERVIEW

---

2012-12-17 16:40 GMT

Fiscal Cliff Talks Thaw

It seems that Republican stances are softening as the clock ticks down to the New Year, and the US approaches the activation of the Fiscal Cliff. In the newest round of discussions, Republican leaders led by House Speaker John Boehner have conceded to allowing a tax rate increase of earners making a minimum of $1 million. The tax rate for income in that range would increase from 36% to 39.5% under the concession.

In addition, Republicans have offered to table the $16.4 trillion debt ceiling discussion for one year. The debt ceiling debate would likely emerge early next year without any deal, sparking concern and speculation of a government shutdown. The concessions have done little to support the greenback as the Obama administration continues to press forward with its objective of raising tax rates for the top 2% of income earners ? rejecting recent Republican concessions.

Forex Economic Calendar

N/A | United Kingdom. BOE Inflation Letter
2012-12-18 09:30 GMT | United Kingdom. Consumer Price Index (YoY) (Nov)
2012-12-18 11:00 GMT | United Kingdom. BoE Quarterly Bulletin (Q4)
2012-12-18 23:50 GMT | Japan. Merchandise Trade Balance Total (Nov)

Forex News

2012-12-18 05:15 GMT | GBP/JPY range bound circa 136.00; overextended?
2012-12-18 03:51 GMT | AUD/USD retreats from RBA-induced highs
2012-12-18 02:25 GMT | EUR/AUD capped below 1.25 inside a 30 pip range
2012-12-18 01:57 GMT | USD/JPY outlook bullish on more BoJ easing anticipation ? RBS

AUDUSD	NZDUSD	USDCHF	USDCAD	GBPJPY	EURCHF	GOLD	SILVER
1.05501/510	0.84333/341	0.91764/780	0.98351/361	136.134/151	1.20860/879	1702.75/.03	32.42/.44

?

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS

---

EURUSD

HIGH: 1.31775 | LOW: 1.31556 | BID: 1.31717 | ASK: 1.31723 | CHANGE: 0.07% | TIME: 07:59:44

OUTLOOK SUMMARY: Up
TREND CONDITION: Sideway
TRADERS SENTIMENT: Bullish
IMPLIED VOLATILITY: Medium

MARKET ANALYSIS ? Intraday Analysis

Upwards scenario: Instrument show up 0.07 % rise today and any further appreciation needs to clear barrier at 1.3179 (R1). Intraday targets could be found at 1.3198 (R2) and then at 1.3218 (R3). Downwards scenario: Market stabilized after the previous day?s gains. Market decline below the next support level at 1.3151 (S1) would suggest next targets at 1.3131 (S2) and 1.3111 (S3).

Resistance Levels: 1.3179, 1.3198, 1.3218
Support Levels: 1.3151, 1.3131, 1.3111

---

GBPUSD

HIGH: 1.62177 | LOW: 1.6194 | BID: 1.62118 | ASK: 1.62127 | CHANGE: 0.05% | TIME: 07:59:45

OUTLOOK SUMMARY: Up
TREND CONDITION: Up trend
TRADERS SENTIMENT: Bullish
IMPLIED VOLATILITY: Medium

Upwards scenario: Market sentiment is clearly bullish. We placed our next resistance level above the fresh high formed today at 1.6222 (R1). Above here open way towards to next targets at 1.6235 (R2) and then at 1.6249 (R3). Downwards scenario: Downside fluctuations remains for now limited to next support level at 1.6195 (S1), only clear break here would be a signal of market easing with next targets at 1.6181 (S2) and 1.6167 (S3) in potential.

Resistance Levels: 1.6222, 1.6235, 1.6249
Support Levels: 1.6195, 1.6181, 1.6167

---

USDJPY

HIGH: 84.077 | LOW: 83.828 | BID: 84.020 | ASK: 84.025 | CHANGE: 0.16% | TIME: 07:59:46

OUTLOOK SUMMARY: Up
TREND CONDITION: Upward penetration
TRADERS SENTIMENT: Bullish
IMPLIED VOLATILITY: Medium

Upwards scenario: Medium term bias is positive for the pair. Risk of market appreciation is seen above the next resistance level at 84.09 (R1). Loss here would suggest next target at 84.24 (R2) and any further rise would then be targeting 84.39 (R3). Downwards scenario: On the short ?term perspective we expect market decline. A Bearish signal would be created if the currency dropped below the next support level at 83.85 (S1). We suggest next targets in such scenario at 83.71 (S2) and 83.56 (S3).

Resistance Levels: 84.09, 84.24, 84.39
Support Levels: 83.85, 83.71, 83.56

---

Prepared/Published By FXCC Forex Trading Blog.

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Labor headache on Broadway may be averted

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 file photo, cleaners, porters and matrons of theater union SEIU Local 32BJ demonstrate outside the Broadway League's office, before a vote authorizing a strike in New York. The union representing hundreds of Broadway theater cleaners, porters, elevator operators and bathroom attendants has reached a tentative labor agreement with the Broadway League to avert a strike. The potential deal, announced Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, must be ratified by the 250 theater workers represented by 32BJ, a process expected soon. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

FILE - In this Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012 file photo, cleaners, porters and matrons of theater union SEIU Local 32BJ demonstrate outside the Broadway League's office, before a vote authorizing a strike in New York. The union representing hundreds of Broadway theater cleaners, porters, elevator operators and bathroom attendants has reached a tentative labor agreement with the Broadway League to avert a strike. The potential deal, announced Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, must be ratified by the 250 theater workers represented by 32BJ, a process expected soon. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? A union representing hundreds of Broadway theater cleaners, porters, elevator operators and bathroom attendants reached a tentative agreement with theater producers to avert a strike, both sides said Monday.

The potential deal must still be ratified by the 250 theater workers represented by the 32BJ union, a process expected to be completed by next week. Details of the deal were not immediately revealed.

"This is a fair agreement that addresses the concerns of our members, the men and women who work hard every day to keep theaters safe, clean and running for the millions of theatergoers who come to Broadway from around the world," said Shirley Aldebol, vice president of 32BJ.

Members of the union last week authorized a strike if an acceptable new deal wasn't reached by the end of the year. The current contact ends Dec. 30. Workers are seeking pay increases and better health care benefits.

The Broadway League, which represents producers and theater owners, said the tentative agreement came after productive negotiations.

Any strike would have affected workers at 32 of Broadway's 40 theaters where the 32BJ has a contract, including all the Shubert, Nederlander and Jujamcyn-owned theaters, as well as the Circle in the Square Theatre.

The most recent major strike on Broadway was in late 2007, when a 19-day walkout dimmed the lights on more than two dozen shows and cost producers and the city millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The 32BJ, an affiliate of the Service Employees International Union, has more than 120,000 total members, with most concentrated in the Northeast. It represents janitors, property maintenance workers, doormen, security officers, window cleaners and food service workers. The Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds had backed 32BJ in its strike authorization.

___

Online:

Union: http://www.seiu32bj.org

Broadway League: http://www.broadwayleague.com

___

Follow Mark Kennedy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/KennedyTwits

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-12-17-Theater-Broadway%20Labor/id-dbf9faf89bf64c6f9b5d2d1f1fa1be02

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Two former hedge fund managers found guilty of insider trading

In the aftermath of Friday's Newtown school shooting, we've heard tales mostly horrifying and occasionally heroic, from surviving witnesses and mourning citizens alike, but this one lies somewhere in between, all the more unshakeable. One six-year-old Sandy Hook student played dead in her first-grade classroom, her family pastor said late Sunday, with the kind of quick thinking that ended up saving her life but now leaves her with the unshakeable memories of watching all her classmates being shot and killed. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/two-former-hedge-fund-managers-found-guilty-insider-222804195--sector.html

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Why You Can't Eat - Psychology Today

We often find what we need when we?re not looking for it. That?s how it was for me today, spending a lazy Sunday searching the scientific literature for research related to ?communication about feelings? (isn?t that what everyone does on Sundays?).

Instead of finding research related to how people talk or avoid talking about their feelings, I found myself taken in by the first result: a 2011 article published in?Nature?titled ?Gut feelings: the emerging biology of gut-brain communication.?

I was intrigued for two reasons: (1) one of my good friends, a neuroscientist, often talks about gut decisions (they are not always the "right" decisions to make but they deserve attention for various reasons); and (2) I had recently talked with another friend about some of my own gut-brain responses and it left me with a nagging question.

What happened is this: I had shared a story about how, when I was 19, I lost my appetite for a week. I was healthy and happy with life except that I had ended a relationship with someone who I liked, but didn?t want to be with anymore, and I felt badly about it. The pain of hurting another person was, for me, so painful that my stomach hurt and I couldn?t eat, a result of my overly sensitive and overly empathic nature in which I took in his perceived pain and made it my own (in reality, I?m sure he was just fine).

So there I was, relatively unable to eat normally except for the lucky fact that my body was adaptive enough to crave a specific food each day. For the first few days, the only food I could bare to eat was watermelon. Then, some specific muffins from a specific bakery. After about a week, time healed, my appetite returned, and I mostly forgot about this odd gut-brain reaction.

That is, until the next time I found myself ending a relationship and once again losing my appetite. This came to be a cycle that repeated itself during times when I was ready to break up with someone, had already broken up with someone, or was experiencing sufficient relationship distress. I didn?t lose my appetite for days at a time due to any other type of stress, I told my friend; just relationship distress. And it was annoying.

?What about drinking?? he asked, as I sipped from a tasty lavendar drink at a favorite bar. ?Did you ever lose your appetite for certain drinks??

And it occurred to me that I hadn?t. Yet the scientist in me couldn?t figure out why I would so routinely and consistently lose my appetite for food in the face of relationship issues but never any type of alcohol.

Reading the Nature piece today has provided me with some sense of my own gut-brain connection, and perhaps?if you?ve experienced appetite issues in response to relationship distress, it may for you too. It seems that there?s a growing and (for me) fascinating area of research related to interactions between our gut (e.g., appetite, GI function, etc) and our brain (e.g., thoughts, memories, decision making, and emotions).

The article reviewed scientific findings related to the gut/brain that lead me to believe that the following?at least for me?may have happened:

1. When I was 19 and had my first significant breakup, I had a fairly typical stress response of changes to eating patterns.

2. Relationship-related distress is rare enough for me?and I am a highly sensitive/empathic person?and thus ?memories of body states associated with previous feeling states? (this, from the article) perhaps became linked. That is, relationship distress is, for me, connected with loss of appetite going back to my first significant breakup.

3. Because I wasn?t really drinking alcohol very often at age 18 or 19, it wouldn?t have crossed my mind to want a drink, let alone to lose my appetite for a drink. Thus, I had no alcohol-related appetite loss in relation to relationship distress at the time, and it?s consequently never become part of how I deal with this now. It never became imprinted.?

I mention this because, in a recent class discussion about love, breakups, and communication, my students talked a bit about their own changes to eating patterns when faced with heartbreak. Some students talked about drinking more alcohol, or taking various drugs or pain medications, after a breakup. Other students talked about eating more than usual or less than usual when going through difficult relationship issues.

It?s common to experience changes related to eating (and to sleep) in response to relationship issues, including breakups. However, we have idiosyncratic patterns and the Nature article helped me to understand the numerous pathways that may be possible in creating these connections and establishing individuals? patterns related to appetite, eating behaviors and their memories and emotions. I liked this part of the article:

??body loops, or their meta-representations in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), may play a part not only in how somebody feels at a given moment but may also influence future planning and intuitive decision making. For example, according to Damasio, somatic markers may covertly result in ?undeliberated inhibition of a response learned previously ... [or] the introduction of a bias in the selection of an aversive or appetitive mode of behavior.??

My pattern of appetite loss is specific to me?and because it?s so predictable, when it happens at all I experience it as an annoyance since I like to eat and just want to get the whole ?appetite loss? thing over with. I know that I'm fine; I just want to eat again. I?ve also found that, for me, the appetite loss is linked specifically with feeling bad about hurting another person. I can manage relationship distress. I can manage breakups. But, going back to childhood, I?ve always found it painful to do things that break another person?s heart?and it's that pain that seems to be linked with finding it too painful to eat. [Fortunately these days, I am eating 100 percent normally and happily.]

There?s nothing to ?do? here; meaning, this isn?t a ?5 Tips? or ?10 Steps? piece. But if you find yourself interested in the topic, and have a science-y background, you may find the article to be an interesting read. And if you experience gut-related symptoms in response to relationship or sexuality issues, you might look for patterns in your own past, and memories, to see how a gut-brain reaction may have developed for you. It may even give you some insights in terms of how you might be able to care for yourself going forward.?

Debby Herbenick, PhD, MPH is an Associate Research Scientist and Co-Director of the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University and the sexual health educator at The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender and Reproduction. She is also the author of?six books about sex and love; her newest is?Sex Made Easy: Your Awkward Questions Answered for Better, Smarter, Amazing Sex.?Follow her on Twitter @DebbyHerbenick.

Source: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-pleasures-sex/201212/why-you-cant-eat-or-cant-stop-eating-after-breakup

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