Rachel Zirlin, Speech Pathologist, Frederick, MD 21701 ...

As a both a Speech Pathologist and Certified Hypnotist, I incorporate hypnotic and neuro-linguistic techniques into my practice of speech therapy to increase carry-over of speech improvement techniques, enhance musculoskeletal relaxation, decrease tension and stress, and improve self-confidence in speaking situations. As a Speech Pathologist, my focus is on adults with a variety of speech, language, and swallowing disorders, including Stuttering and Fluency disorders, Voice disorders (Muscle Tension Dysphonia and Vocal Cord Dysfunction), and neurological disorders such as Stroke, Parkinson's Disease, and MS.

As a Hypnotist, certified through the National Guild of Hypnotists, my process is to gently guide my clients into a natural hypnotic state. In this trance state, the conscious mind is relaxed and the subconscious mind is open to receiving positive and beneficial suggestions for change.

Common Goals: Weight Loss, Smoking Cessation, Fears, Self Confidence, Learning/Grades, Stress Management, Stuttering, Public Speaking, Sports and Fitness Goals, Business and Sales Performance, Guided Imagery, Reduction of Worry, Wellness, Coping with Illness, Chronic Pain Control (with physician referral), Preparing for Surgery, Recovery and Healing, Sleep Improvement, Life Transitions

Source: http://healthprofs.com/cam/536415

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Eco hybrid is most fuel-efficient Malibu ever - MyrtleBeachOnline.com

The family-size, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco hybrid sedan is the most fuel efficient Malibu ever, with a combined city/highway federal government mileage rating of 29 miles per gallon.

This is 11.5 percent higher than the combined mileage of any non-hybrid 2013 and 11.5 percent better than any 2012 .

Better still, the redesigned and re-engineered 2013 Malibu Eco received the top safety rating - five of five stars - in both frontal and side crash tests by the federal government.

In comparison, the 2012 Toyota Camry Hybrid received four out of five in frontal crash testing, as did the 2013 Toyota Prius and the 2013 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. There was no posting for the 2013 Camry Hybrid crash test results.

While it may not be apparent from pictures, the new Malibu Eco also has significantly new styling, including a taller hood, wider track and a 4.5-inch shorter wheelbase from the 2012 .

Many of the changes stem from the five-seat switching to the front-wheel drive platform of the Buick Regal so the can be built at plants outside the that also build Buicks.

The styling and platform changes sweep through the entire 2013 lineup, marking the launch of the eighth-generation .

Additionally, the 2013 Malibu Eco uses the Regal's mild hybrid powerplant that mates a 2.4-liter, gasoline four cylinder with an electric motor and lithium ion battery pack.

Starting retail price is $26,855 for a base 2013 Malibu Eco, putting it amid mid-size, hybrid car competitors.

Unfortunately, though, the major competitors have higher fuel mileage ratings from the government than does the new Malibu Eco.

For example, the 2013 Toyota Prius, the top-selling hybrid in America, carries a starting manufacturer's suggested retail price of $24,795 and has a combined city/highway mileage rating of 50 mpg. The Prius is a five-passenger, mid-sized hatchback.

's mid-size, 2012 Camry Hybrid sedan has a retail starting price of $26,785, or $70 less than the Malibu Eco, and has a combined mileage rating from the government of 41 mpg. has not announced 2013 Camry Hybrid pricing.

Ford's newly revamped Fusion Hybrid, while priced higher at $27,995, is rated by the government at 47 mpg.

The 2013 Malibu Eco also is $3,705 more than the base, non-hybrid 2013 .

But be aware the Malibu Eco comes standard with some equipment that's extra on some non-hybrid . This includes rearview camera and power seat adjusters for the front seats.

In contrast to the Prius and other full hybrids, the Malibu Eco cannot travel on electric power alone, not even for short distances.

The 's onboard electric assist - which Chevy calls e-assist - supplements the engine power during acceleration, helping to bolster acceleration.

The test car, for example, accelerated acceptably on flat pavement and moved along well in city traffic. But the test Malibu Eco, with three adults inside, felt sluggish going up mountain roads.

The Ecotec four cylinder has direct-injection, which helps provide a somewhat peppy feel, but the engine seemed taxed in the test car, considering the weight of people and the battery pack it lugged around to work with the onboard, 15-kilowatt electric motor.

Drivers don't ever plug in the Malibu Eco. Electric power is generated as the car travels. For example, regenerative brakes on the car help save braking energy that would dissipate and be wasted.

And gasoline is saved because the engine, which develops 182 horsepower and peak torque of 172 foot-pounds at 4,900 rpm, is shut down automatically at stoplights, when the car is stopped and idling curbside and other times when power is not needed.

Then, when the driver wants to move, the engine restarts automatically, and this stopping and starting was seamless in the test car.

Passengers could hear this four cylinder at work during acceleration, but because the Malibu Eco uses a regular, six-speed automatic transmission and not a continuously variable transmission, there wasn't any drawn-out droning engine noise in the test car.

The tester, with 70 percent city travel and 30 highway driving, averaged just over 26 mpg, which isn't that different from the mileage that was racked up in a non-hybrid, 2013 Mazda CX-5 sport utility vehicle.

Note that the Malibu Eco doesn't include some of the electronic aides, such as Brake Coach, that Ford has in its Fusion Hybrid that provide feedback to drivers to improve their mileage.

Wind noise in the Malibu Eco was nicely muted. There was a bit of road noise from the tires, but it was not intrusive.

Overall, the Malibu Eco test car rode with a compliant, rather than firm, sporty ride, and the suspension kept most road bumps away from passengers. The car wasn't wallowy, but there was noticeable body motion in turns and curves taken at a good speed. The electric, rack-and-pinion power steering felt a bit numb on center.

But the soft-touch, nicely grained plastics inside on the dashboard and doors was nice. There was stitching here and there as well as silver-colored trim pieces and all gave an unexpected upscale feel. The ceiling material texture added to the richer feel, as did the optional leather seat trim.

Be aware, though, that the Malibu Eco's trunk has just 13.2 cubic feet of space, and it's cut up around the battery pack back there. A non-hybrid has 16.3 cubic feet of trunk room.

Standard safety equipment includes plentiful air bags, electronic stability control and traction control.

Some 4,300 Malibus from the 2013 model year were recalled in May because a faulty sensor module could cause air bags to deploy without cause and seat belt pre-tensioners might not work during a crash.

Source: http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/11/21/3183061/eco-hybrid-is-most-fuel-efficient.html

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Russian farmer takes on corrupt officials

YARABAIKASY, Russia (AP) ? When Eduard Mochalov tried to have the people who stole his cattle and pig farm brought to justice, he spent eight months in jail on charges he says were cooked up. He appealed to Vladimir Putin and even set himself on fire outside the Kremlin in protest, but still couldn't draw attention to his cause as his farm slowly fell into disrepair.

Now, Mochalov has found a new life as a crusading journalist investigating corruption in his native region, fueled by tips from disgruntled businessmen and government workers. Undeterred by a system where the law is selectively used to protect the powerful and crack down on critics, Mochalov has quickly earned cult status ? not to mention the ire of countless local officials ? throughout the small province of Chuvashia.

Roughly once a month, he publishes a free newspaper called Vzyatka, or The Bribe, which rails against what it calls "Chuvash kingpins" who steal from the province's budget. Headlines include "The governor of Chuvashia's family business" and "If nobody's been found guilty, that means they're already in power." The paper has proved so popular that with a print run of 20,000 he has trouble meeting demand.

While official corruption has been rife in Russia since czarist times, frustrations over such graft have skyrocketed under President Putin's rule. Twenty-nine percent of Russians believe that civil servants only care about using public funds to enrich themselves, a more than nine-fold increase since Putin took power in 2000, according to the Levada Center, an independent polling agency.

Corruption was a key motivation behind the unprecedented series of huge protests against Putin in Moscow last winter and spring, and remains a key rallying point for the opposition. Recently, the Kremlin has attempted to siphon off popular anger by launching a major crackdown on corruption, which has cost several high-level officials their jobs.

In Chuvashia, a sleepy rural region 650 kilometers (400 miles) east of Moscow best known for its felt boots, Mochalov devotes all his energy to campaigning against local corruption. That makes him unusual in Russia, especially in the provinces, where few journalists seriously investigate officials and those who do frequently face violent reprisal.

Chuvashia is one of the three most corrupt regions in Russia, according to the country's top investigative agency, but few cases make it to court. Officials in Chuvashia did not immediately respond to requests for comment on this story.

"If they brought charges based on my investigations, they'd have to arrest the entire provincial government," said Mochalov, as what remained of his abandoned hog barn's roof crumbled around him.

What started as an attempt to end the legal struggles over his farm has become an all-consuming mission. The newspaper's high costs ? each print run costs 100,000 rubles ($3,150) ? have essentially forced Mochalov to give up his farm: He sold all his livestock and equipment years ago, and rents out some of the buildings to local services like banks and post offices.

The rest lack heat and electricity, if they are still standing at all. One barn is filled with rotting bales of hay; a corrugated iron shed next to it has nearly collapsed.

The change was a dramatic one for Mochalov, who left school at 16 and now at 38 sports the thickly callused hands of a provincial farmer, and has a gap-toothed grin. He once employed 150 workers from 11 surrounding villages and ran a thriving concern trading in pigs, cows, sheep and horses.

But seven years ago, Mochalov says, he failed to pay a policeman as big a bribe as he wanted. Shortly afterward, men burst into his office with armed guards and presented tax papers supposedly showing that Mochalov had sold them the farm. When he filed a legal appeal, prosecutors filed charges against him instead, accusing him of having obtained credit illegally to buy the farm.

After spending eight months in jail awaiting trial, Mochalov was released on time served and later succeeded in restoring his legal ownership. By then, however, the farm had already fallen into disrepair.

Mochalov set about trying to bring the raiders to justice. First he tried the legal route, but to no avail. Appeals to Putin and the government also produced nothing. Then he staged protests, including the 2007 Kremlin fire stunt, which caused little physical harm aside from a few scars on his hands. The disused barn where he stores newspapers is full of banners left over from demonstrations imploring pro-Kremlin political parties to "help us fight corruption."

He put his faith in Dmitry Medvedev, who served as president from 2004 to 2008 when Putin had to step aside because of term limits ? but was soon disappointed.

"He promised to crack down on corruption when he was elected, and I believed him!" laughs Mochalov. "I've never considered myself a member of the opposition. It's about sorting out what's wrong with our country ? it's plagued by corruption."

Russia is considered to be one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index ranks Russia 143rd out of 183 countries, level with Nigeria and below Pakistan.

The Levada survey that showed a dramatic jump in public perceptions of official greed polled 1,559 people in person over five days in June; it had a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percent.

Mochalov puts the newspaper together in a pokey office smelling of stale varnish at the back of a truck repair shop. He prints it in a neighboring province, since no printer in Chuvashia will go near it. He has only two colleagues, a journalist and a village woman who helps hand the paper out at factories, and he writes many of the articles himself under pseudonyms.

To his frustration, however, no charges have been filed against the officials exposed in The Bribe. Russian officials frequently turn a blind eye to corruption stories in the press.

The Bribe has nonetheless struck a chord in Chuvashia, whose president earlier this year proposed creating a blacklist of print media "that write untruths." Several officials mentioned in the newspaper have sued him for damaging their reputation. In court, Mochalov, who says he cannot afford a lawyer, defends himself by insisting proceedings be carried out in his native Chuvash language and storming out.

"All of the government knows about what he's writing," Alexei Glukhov, a local human rights activist, said. "So they try to make him look like a crazy village person who sets himself on fire, and Eduard favors the poetic aspect over the legal side. He has his own, idiosyncratic way of doing things."

In a sense, Mochalov has always been something of a performer. He began his campaign to get his farm back by blocking off a highway with tractors. Earlier this year he spent 15 days in jail for throwing eggs at government buildings at a protest.

That unusual style is earning him fans far and wide. Last month, he traveled to Moscow to meet Alexei Navalny, one of the main leaders of the opposition, who made his name through his own efforts to expose corruption in the government and state-owned companies. In messages posted on Twitter, Navalny described Mochalov and his journalist assistant as "incredibly cool people" and "real heroes," and wondered how he has "managed not to get whacked yet."

Mochalov says he is undeterred by any possible reprisal, legal or otherwise. Recently, prosecutors began to investigate a seemingly innocuous article about the Chuvash language for allegedly inciting racial hatred, although no charges have been filed. He also shrugs off the threat of physical violence. Russia is the ninth most dangerous country in the world to be a journalist, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, a New York-based watchdog. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, 53 journalists have been murdered.

More importantly for Mochalov, however, is the newspaper's continued popularity. Demand has been so great that he is considering charging to help cover its increasing costs. When he set up a makeshift stall at a market on a recent snowy afternoon, he was quickly surrounded by people who made off with several copies at a time. After 15 minutes he had given away several hundred.

"The people have had it with all these corrupt people in power," Mochalov said, grinning. "They want to know the truth."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-farmer-takes-corrupt-officials-071917323.html

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Your Guide To Small Chipper Shredders

Are you a proud gardener with only a small property to work with? Do you have quite a small backyard but still have a fair amount of garden waste that you must dispose of? For many people, the prospect of lugging heavy bags of leaf litter and fallen branches is not overly appealing, providing them with enough incentive to leave their backyard as is. With the purchase of a small chipper shredder, however, you can easily dispose of this garden waste yourself.

By feeding your leaf litter and fallen branches through a chipper shredder, you will be left with chippings that can be used in a number of applications around your property. For one, they can be tipped into your compost where they will easily break down, putting the nutrients right back into your garden. For two, they can be spread out on your garden beds, providing your flowers and plants with the food and protection from weed growth that they need. For three, they can be spread out on areas of your lawn where your children play, providing them with some cushioning.

If you have already decided that you have no use for the garden waste that your property is subjected to, you will find that passing it through a chipper shredder will make it easier to fit into your green waste bin or into bags that you can take to a recycling centre. Imagine never having to huff and puff as you attempt to snap branches in half so that theyll fit into the bin again; imagine being able to effortlessly carry bags of garden waste. With a shredder, this is a reality that is all but achievable.

Many homeowners decide not to purchase a chipper shredder, however, simply because they see it as another piece of equipment that they have to store. If you take the time to find a small one, you will be able easily store the shredder in your garden shed (along with your lawnmower and all of the other gardening supplies that you use on a daily basis). And trying to find a place in your backyard to use it will be a breeze with its smaller size.

Keeping your garden as immaculate as possible is no longer the impossible task that it once seemed with the purchase of a small chipper shredder. This piece of equipment operates in exactly the same way as a standard sized shredder, except that it is slightly smaller. This will allow you to cut up as much of your garden waste as you like without feeling like youre trying to park a car in your shed or backyard. A small shredder is the solution!

About the Author:
Redgumproducts are known for their work, for several years they provide high quality chippers shredders and logsplitters for sale in Melbourne.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Your-Guide-To-Small-Chipper-Shredders/4275417

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Video: Tension, violence rise as Middle East faces growing crisis

Black Friday psychology: Inside the minds of shoppers

An estimated 147 million Americans plan to go shopping sometime this weekend, according the National Retail Federation. But who are these people, what's the psychology driving them to rise before dawn in pursuit of a deal -- and have they really never heard of online shopping?

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49892524#49892524

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YOTEL | i Golf Travel News

by Anthony Webber iGTN Editor-At-Large.

YOTEL??sleep cabins? at Heathrow Airport?are located inside Terminal 4 and they give long-haul weary travelers an alternative option to airport motel and hotel transfers ? with the added ultimate experience of being only minutes away from Heathrow departures and arrival gates.

Free bus transfers between Terminal 4 and Terminal 5 run every 10 minutes.

Last week, after attending the International Golf Travel Market (IGTM) convention and trade show produced by Reed Travel Exhibitions?in Vilamoura, Algarve, Portugal ? my flight home to Florida from Faro via Gatwick necessitated a coach transfer over to Heathrow in the middle of the night with a 10 hour layover ? until my British Airways flight to the US departed from Terminal 5 the next day.

YOTEL-Premium cabin corridor view.

Trine Giertsen, YOTEL?s Sales & Marketing executive in the UK, arranged my 8 hour Heathrow YOTEL stay, principally so that this golf travel writer could ascertain if guests could fit a golf bag travel-case or two inside a YOTEL cabin.

The answer is yes, if you book a Premium Cabin! There is sufficient room under the bed to stow one or two golf bag travel-cases.

YOTEL ?sleep cabins? rent by the hour usually with a 4 hour minimum. You?ll find YOTEL?s at England?s Heathrow and Gatwick airports,?Amsterdam Schiphol airport?and the newest YOTEL at New York?s Times Square West, located at 570 Tenth Avenue (West 42nd Street).

YOTEL-Premium cabin bed deployed.

YOTEL?s Trine Giertsen says, ?At YOTEL we have created a first class hotel experience at a great value price. ?Cabins? are bookable by the hour with check in and check out times totally flexible. The cabins are small but perfectly formed, smartly designed so that everything is at your fingertips, simple and easy to use. We offer our guests free Wi-Fi and complimentary hot drinks and ?Food to Go? is available 24/7 from our menu at the Galley. Beds come with?luxury sheets and each cabin has a monsoon power shower room and fresh towels. The?technowall has a TV and power services. So the next time you have an early flight, a stopover or are in transit, why not get a few hours to relax, refresh, connect and sleep before your onward journey.?

About YOTEL.

YOTEL was created by YO! Founder Simon Woodroffe OBE and YOTEL CEO Gerard Greene.

The idea was conceived by Simon after he was upgraded into first class on a British Airways flight. He decided to translate the language and the luxury of airline travel and a touch of Japanese influence into a small but luxurious cabin.

Gerard had spent years staying in boring and expensive hotels and decided to do something about it. In 2002 he met with Simon, secured funding for a prototype cabin from IFA Hotels & Resorts and then pulled together a team to evolve Simon?s idea into reality.Together they embarked on an incredible journey to open the first airport hotel in 2007.

Airport YOTEL?s are situated inside terminal buildings to give customers the ultimate experience of being minutes from departure and arrivals gates. They have three cabin types at airports, a ?Standard? bunk style single cabin (can be shared by two, a little cozy but perfect for a few hours) ?Premium? double cabins and ?Premium? twin cabins.

For a limited time you can book an overnight stay in a YOTEL Standard cabin for just ?49.

Source: http://www.igolftravelnews.com/articles/660-yotel/

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The Mythic Narrative of the 2012 Election

The aftermath of the 2012 presidential election has generated a moment of myth creation about what happened on Nov. 6 ? why President Obama won, why Mitt Romney lost, and what roles real human beings played in the result. These myths are not only being repeated and set in stone by the media and pundits, but also by the campaigns themselves. Democrats and the Obama campaign as well as Republicans and the Romney campaign are repeating the same myths to explain the outcome.

I have often talked about how myths arise in politics in the aftermath of the election, and how these myths move from fiction to nonfiction. And it is because folks buy into the myths that mistakes are made in future campaigns, and wrong lessons are learned along the way. The winning campaign operatives and consultants usually disseminate the myths to justify their work, but in this election both the winners and losers are creating the same mythic narrative.

Though it is early in the analysis of the election results, and we have some returns in some states still to be counted, we can begin to get a clear picture of what happened on Election Day and then understand better what myths are out there.

Myth No. 1. This election was ultimately about a choice, and not primarily a referendum on President Obama. In the late spring and early summer, it was building into a choice election, but as the fall approached, it became a referendum on the president. That was to his benefit. As I attempted to repeat all along, the most important number to pay attention to was the president?s job-approval rating. Every president with job approval at 45 percent or below going into Election Day lost, and every president with a job approval at 50 percent or higher has won.

Six months ago, President Obama?s job approval was at a precarious 47 percent, and his campaign knew that to win they had to make this a choice election. But as spring moved into summer and summer to fall, the dynamics of the country changed and so did the president?s approval rating. The net right direction/wrong track number for the country improved in ABC News polling from minus-31 points to minus-14 points over this time ? a net 17-point positive rise as Americans began to feel more optimistic about the economy and their lives. And this caused the president?s job-approval rating to rise from 47 percent to 51 percent by Election Day. Presidents running for reelection consistently get a popular-vote percentage that is within a point of their approval rating ? and that is exactly what Obama got.?

Myth No. 2. The target-state onslaught of advertising changed the dynamics of Mitt Romney?s image and President Obama?s image. I have written before about the insignificant role all of this advertising plays in the actual results on Election Day in presidential contests, and this year that dynamic was revealed again. There was no difference in the perceptions of the Obama and Romney images in the target states versus the 40-plus other jurisdictions which saw little to no advertising. Further, the election results saw no significant difference between Obama?s winning margins in the target states versus his winning margin in all the nontarget states. In addition, the fall-off from the president?s election result in 2008 was the same in the country as a whole versus the target states. President Obama did not overperform in target states. The results in target states and nontarget states, despite the hundreds of millions of dollars of ads, were the exact same in terms of both image and vote margins. ? ?

Myth No. 3. The advanced, technologically driven ground game the Obama campaign organized made the difference in the election by changing the shape of the American electorate and surprising everyone on Election Day by turning out unexpected voters. The results nationally and in the target states nearly perfectly matched projections made by reliable polls. ABC and Pew had Obama winning nationally by 3 points, and that was the result. The results in nearly every target state matched within a point the reliable polls before Election Day. Again, when compared with the country as a whole, President Obama did not overperform in states where his team conducted significant turnout operations.?

The nature of the American electorate has been moving in the direction of the 2012 outcome for many years, and this is a troubling sign for Republicans. This is not a problem of turnout operations or bad campaigns or bad candidates. The Republican Party increasingly doesn?t reflect the American demographic. For example, the Latino share of the vote has risen from 2 percent in 1984 to 10 percent in 2012 ? a very steady increase of about 1 percent every presidential election, which is consistent with population growth.?

Further, the number of voters who choose 'none' for religious status has also risen consistently and steadily. In 1984, the share was 4 percent and today it is 12 percent ? a rise of about a point every four years. Also, the number of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 on Election Day has stayed within a very consistent range in the last 30 years, from a high of 24 percent in 1984 to a low of 17 percent in three elections to a midrange of 19 percent this year.?

The interesting thing about this election was that conservatives and white evangelicals were either exactly the same share as 2004, when President Bush won reelection, or slightly up this year, and Romney?s share of those groups equaled President Bush's. The problem, though, for Republicans is that the share liberals represent of the country has grown from 17 percent in 1984 to 24 percent this year ? a very steady and consistent increase in each election.?

All of this raises the question of whether campaigns and tactics matter. They do, but only in a very limited way, and they are insignificant compared with the overall political environment and the grand movements of the world and our country. The most successful people in life and in politics learn to recognize the big waves happening in the world and then surf them as best they can. President Obama, despite many flaws and vulnerabilities, had the traits and attributes that made him more able to surf the movements than Romney or the Republican Party.?

And if the GOP thinks this election was about bad polling, or Mitt Romney, or outdated tactics, then it will find it very difficult to win national elections again. The party needs to find leaders and candidates of a new generation and have a brand that is more in tune with the ocean of politics in the 21st century. ?And in my view, going to their roots as the Teddy Roosevelt party might be a good start. He was a Republican populist fighting against both oppressive government and corporations and big business ? a Republican who believed in the vigor of the individual, the power of a community, and the value of shared sacrifice at all levels. ? ?

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mythic-narrative-2012-election-122710818--politics.html

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Thanksgiving Closings and City Service Schedules in Arlington ...

Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012 ? Thanksgiving Day

What?s Closed:

  • City Hall
  • City Office Tower
  • Arlington Municipal Court
  • Arlington Animal Services Center
  • George W. Hawkes Central Library and all branch libraries
  • Parks and Recreation Department administrative offices
  • Handitran office and Handitran special transportation services
  • All senior recreation centers
  • All recreation centers
  • Hugh Smith Indoor Pool
  • Lake Arlington operations
  • Arlington Tennis Center
  • Ditto Golf Course
  • No garbage or recycling pickups will occur. There will be no make-up days; service will resume on the next regularly scheduled collection day.

What?s Open:

  • Tierra Verde Golf Club and Lake Arlington Golf Course are open with an 8:30 a.m. shotgun start time. Special weekend/holiday rates are in effect.
  • Meadowbrook Golf Course will close at noon, no shotgun start.

Friday, Nov. 23, 2012

What?s Closed:

  • City Hall
  • City Office Tower
  • Arlington Municipal Court
  • Arlington Animal Services Center
  • George W. Hawkes Central Library and all branch libraries
  • Parks and Recreation Department administrative offices
  • Handitran office and Handitran special transportation services
  • All senior recreation centers
  • Hugh Smith Recreation Center
  • Hugh Smith Indoor Pool
  • Arlington Tennis Center

What?s Open:

  • All municipal golf courses with special weekend/holiday rates
  • Elzie Odom Athletic Center ? Opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 5 p.m.
  • Cliff Nelson Recreation Center ? Opens at 8 a.m. and closes at noon
  • Dottie Lynn Recreation Center ? Opens at 8 a.m. and closes at noon
  • Garbage and recycling pickups will occur as scheduled
  • Lake Arlington office-Opens at noon and closes at 5 p.m.

Source: http://myarlingtontx.com/2012/11/19/thanksgiving-closings-and-city-service-schedules-in-arlington/

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US, Britain warn of risks of Israeli ground war

Israeli soldiers gather with their armored personnel carriers in a gathering area near the Israel Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. President Barack Obama on Sunday defended Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, but he warned that escalating the offensive with Israeli ground troops could deepen the death toll and undermine any hope of a peace process with the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Israeli soldiers gather with their armored personnel carriers in a gathering area near the Israel Gaza Strip border, in southern Israel, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. President Barack Obama on Sunday defended Israel's airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, but he warned that escalating the offensive with Israeli ground troops could deepen the death toll and undermine any hope of a peace process with the Palestinians. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit)

Palestinians watch bulldozers remove debris from the Daloo family house following an Israeli air strike in Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. An Israeli missile flattened a two-story house in a residential neighborhood of Gaza City on Sunday, killing several civilians shortly after Israel announced plans to intensify an offensive by attacking the homes of wanted militants, medical officials said. Gaza health official Ashraf al-Kidra says several women, including an 80-year-old women, and several small children were among the dead. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Residents stand next to a damaged house after a rocket fired by Palestinian militants from inside the Gaza Strip, landed at the community of Ofakim, in southern Israel, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. Israel launched the operation last Wednesday by assassinating Hamas? military chief and carrying out dozens of airstrikes on rocket launchers and weapons storage sites. Over the weekend, the operation began to target Hamas government installations as well, including the offices of its prime minister and attacks on a major training base and the two media centers. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

(AP) ? The U.S. and Britain on Sunday warned about the risks of Israel expanding its air assault on the Gaza Strip into a ground war, while vigorously defending the Jewish state's right to protect itself against rocket attacks.

The remarks by President Barack Obama and Britain Foreign Secretary William Hague were part of a diplomatic balancing act by the West as it desperately seeks an end to the escalating violence without alienating its closest ally in the region.

"Israel has every right to expect that it does not have missiles fired into its territory," President Barack Obama said at a news conference in Bangkok at the start of a three-nation visit to Asia.

"If that can be accomplished without a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that's preferable," Obama said. "It's not just preferable for the people of Gaza. It's also preferable for Israelis, because if Israeli troops are in Gaza, they're much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded."

The president spoke shortly before an Israeli airstrike leveled a home in a residential neighborhood. Palestinian medical officials said at least 11 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed. The attack was the single deadliest incident of the 5-day-old Israeli operation.

The Israeli military said the target was a top rocket mastermind of the Islamic Jihad militant group. The claim could not be immediately verified, and the attack raised speculation that Israel could face increased international pressure if the civilian death toll continued to rise.

Hague said Hamas, Gaza's militant rulers, "bears principal responsibility" for initiating the violence and must stop all rocket attacks on Israel. But Hague also made clear the diplomatic risks of an Israeli escalation.

"A ground invasion is much more difficult for the international community to sympathize with or support, including the United Kingdom," he said.

Israeli officials say the airstrikes are aimed at ending months of rocket fire out of the Hamas-ruled territory. Israel began the offensive with an unexpected airstrike that killed Hamas' military chief, and since then has targeted suspected rocket launchers and storage sites.

The Mideast ally is now at a crossroads: launch a ground invasion or pursue Egyptian-led truce efforts. But with Israel and Hamas far apart on any terms of cease-fire, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared at the start of the weekly Cabinet meeting, "The Israeli military is prepared to significantly expand the operation."

The crisis threatened to overshadow Obama's trip to Asia, which includes stops in Myanmar and Cambodia as part of a broader effort to expand the U.S. economic and military presence in a region long dominated by China.

So far, the U.S. has thrown its weight behind Israel, and Obama has called on Egypt and Turkey to intervene on Israel's behalf. Obama said he has told Egypt's president, Mohammed Morsi, and Turkey's prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan that "those who champion the cause of the Palestinians should recognize that if we see a further escalation of the situation in Gaza, then the likelihood of us getting back on any kind of peace track that leads to a two-state solution is going to be pushed off way into the future."

Obama also pointed to the next 48 hours "to see what kind of progress we can make."

Members of the U.S. Congress, which overwhelmingly supports Israel, criticized Egypt and Turkey for not doing enough to intervene. They said all eyes were on Morsi, Egypt's first civilian and freely elected leader.

"Egypt, watch what you do and how you do it," said Sen. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., in an interview on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''You're teetering with the Congress on having your aid cut off if you keep inciting violence between the Israelis and the Palestinians."

In a separate interview on ABC's "This Week," Sen. Carl Levin, chairman of the Armed Services Committee, called Egypt's response to the crisis "pretty weak" so far.

"I think that they're going to have to take some very serious steps diplomatically to make it clear to Hamas that they're going to lose support in the Arab world if they continue these rocket attacks on Israel," said Levin, D-Mich.

Lawmakers also blamed Iran for arming Hamas militants, and questioned Egypt's role in that.

"My guess is there has to be some tacit involvement in Egypt and the border or these things wouldn't be getting in to Gaza," said Rep. C.A. "Dutch" Ruppersberger of Maryland, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee.

Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., said he thinks the threat of a ground war is overblown.

"I don't think the Israelis really want a ground war," he told "Fox News Sunday." ''They'll go into Gaza if they feel they need to, to eliminate the remainder of the missiles. ... So really, the decision is up to Hamas, as to whether there will be a ground invasion of Gaza or not."

____

Flaherty reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Gregory Katz in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-11-18-AS-Obama-Israel/id-515c94758424493aadf21772b5492eef

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Animal Tales: Maine stories make dog book

In one true story, Little Bit the Chihuahua saved her owner's life when she detected cancer in the Maine woman's breast. In another, a gentle Bucksport-area golden retriever named Ziva coaxed an autistic boy to talk. Another tale reveals how a rescued mixed-breed showed a heartbroken Monmouth man that he could love again.

But when Hebron Academy alumna Jennifer Skiff talks about her new book, "The Divinity of Dogs," the tale she tells most often is of Emma the Rottweiler, who grabbed her owner's arm and all but forced him out of the house as he was trying to commit suicide.

"That story tells it all in a nutshell," said Skiff, a journalist and author. "They're profound. The stories are profound."

The book, released this fall by Simon & Schuster, tells true stories of love, miracles and personal transformations involving dogs. Skiff came up with the idea after the 2008 publication of her first book, "God Stories: Inspiring Encounters with the Divine," which featured 138 stories of real-life encounters with the divine. Skiff, who divides her time between Mount Desert Island and Australia, began looking for similarly inspiring dog stories in 2010.

Skiff received hundreds of responses from people with funny, sad or touching canine tales to tell. Of the 71 stories that made it into the 320-page book, 14 are from Maine.

One story was from Lisa Gagnon of Lewiston, whose challenging-but-beloved rescue dog, Daisy, escaped from the house and was hit while chasing a car. The driver rushed Daisy to the emergency veterinary clinic, but her injuries were too severe and the dog died. ?

"I was just devastated," Gagnon said. "Anyone who knows me knows how I am with my animals ? they're like my children. I was crushed. Beyond crushed."

Depressed, Gagnon prayed desperately to God to bring her some joy. Her prayers eventually led her to a classified ad for a free dog ? a dog given away by the very same family who had hit Daisy and had tried to save her.

"I just started bawling," she said. "I could not believe it. It hit me like a ton of bricks. When she told me that, I'm like, that's my sign. This is no coincidence."

Gagnon would end up with not one, but two dogs. Her new Lab mix, Keisha, turned out to be pregnant.

?"It was a double blessing," she said.?

Although the book has been out for less than a month, "The Divinity of Dogs" has been getting rave reviews from readers. Skiff has given readings across the country, including New York, Chicago, Atlanta and several places in Maine. Since crowds often burst into tears over the emotional stories, bookstores have started passing out tissues.?

"They insert themselves and their own dogs into the story, and it's often a dog that's passed, a dog that helped them," she said. "They get emotional because we miss those dogs that have been there for us in our lives."

Skiff's own elderly dogs, CousCous, a Maltese-Pomeranian mix, and ChickPea, a one-eyed, rescued Shih Tzu, were there for the author during the eight-month period when she wrote the book. Both died, however, within days of the book's completion.

Skiff now has a 10-year-old Maltese mix named Honey. She hopes to get a second dog once she takes a break from the book tour.

Skiff is already collecting stories at JenniferSkiff.com for her next book. It will likely have something to do with epiphanies about God or dogs, though the theme isn't yet set.

For the moment, she's still focused on "The Divinity of Dogs."

"I'm overwhelmed with happiness," she said. "I'm overwhelmed that it's touching so many people."?

Have an idea for Animal Tales? Contact Lindsay Tice at 689-2854 or ltice@sunjournal.com.

Source: http://www.sunjournal.com/news/lewiston-auburn/2012/11/18/animal-tales-maine-stories-make-dog-book/1281009

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