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Written by sportgnome on 28 September 2011

The next race in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship takes place this weekend at Dover International Speedway. The Nationwide Series is also at Dover. The Camping World Truck Series joins IndyCar at Kentucky Speedway.

NASCAR

Sprint Cup Series

AAA 400 ? Dover International Speedway ? Dover, DE

Tony Stewart is on fire in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship right now. After a winless 26-race regular season, Stewart has won the first two playoff races ? Chicagoland and New Hampshire.

One month ago, it looked as though Stewart might be absent from the 12-driver Chase field. In fact, the two-time Sprint Cup Series champion was almost ready to write himself off as a Chase contender after his disappointing 28th-place finish in the August 27 race at Bristol.

But things have changed for Stewart since then?big time.

?It?s huge,? he said. ?When you talk about momentum, that racecar doesn?t know anything about momentum?Momentum deals with people. It?s not just these first two races of the Chase. It was the two weeks [Atlanta and Richmond] leading before it, too. We haven?t finished outside the top-seven now in the last four weeks. That?s huge for us.?

Stewart began the Chase in the ninth seed, but after back-to-back wins, he has propelled to the lead, holding a seven-point advantage over Kevin Harvick.

?As much as we want to sit here and beat our chest and be proud of what we?ve done, and we are proud of what we?ve done these first two weeks, we got eight hard weeks to go here,? Stewart said. ?The celebrating isn?t going to last long. We got a lot of work to do. I?m proud of our group. I?m confident that we?ve got a group of guys that are very focused right now.?

Stewart joined Greg Biffle as the only drivers who have won the first two races in the Chase since NASCAR began its playoff format in 2004. Biffle accomplished the feat in 2008 but finished the season third in points that year.

Round three in the Chase takes place on Sunday at Dover International Speedway. If Stewart takes the checkered flag at Dover, it will be the first time in his 13-year Sprint Cup career that he has won three races in a row.

Stewart scored a season-sweep at Dover in 2000 but has not won a race here since then. He has finished 21st and 29th in the last two races at this one- mile, concrete-surfaced track.

Brad Keselowski is another driver who has been very hot lately. Keselowski has finished no worse than 12th in the last nine races. He began the Chase in the 11th seed (wild card), but after a fifth-place finish at Chicagoland and then a second-place run at New Hampshire, he is up to third in the rankings, just 11 points behind Stewart.

?We still have a long way to go, a really long way,? Keselowski said. ?There?s eight big races left. Then, of course, you can throw in Talladega. I don?t think anybody can tell you what?s going to happen there.?

If Jimmie Johnson is hoping to rebound in the Chase, Dover is where he can do it. Johnson?s current 10th-place ranking is his lowest Chase position ever. He is 29 points out of the lead.

Dover has been one of Johnson?s best tracks. He leads all active drivers with six wins here, including three in the last five races. Johnson finished ninth at Dover earlier this year.

?I look at Dover as a huge opportunity,? he said. ?It?s been a great track for me over the years. We?ve won a lot of Chase races there. It?s my favorite racetrack.?

Denny Hamlin also needs a good run at Dover to bounce back in the Chase. Hamlin is a distant 66 points behind Stewart after finishing 29th and 31st in the first two races. He has posted just four top-10 finishes in 11 starts at Dover.

?In the position I?m in at this point, we?re going out there and trying to win,? Hamlin said. ?That?s what we need to do to get back on track for 2011 is to win a few races before the season is over, and I feel like a no-points- pressure situation is just what we need.?

Forty-five teams are on the preliminary entry list for the AAA 400.

Nationwide Series

One Main Financial 200 ? Dover International Speedway ? Dover, DE

The Nationwide Series returns to action this weekend at Dover International Speedway. With six races to go, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. holds a 14-point lead over Elliott Sadler. Reed Sorenson is 47 points behind.

When the series competed at Chicagoland earlier this month, Sadler?s sixth- place finish compared to an eighth-place run for Stenhouse allowed Sadler to chip two points away from Stenhouse?s lead.

The points lead had swapped numerous times among Stenhouse, Sadler and Sorenson earlier in the season, but Stenhouse has been atop the standings since the July 30 race in Indianapolis.

?I think if you look at it over the whole season, no matter where you are in points, you just got to go out there and get all the points you can,? Stenhouse said. ?The way our series has been this year, whoever is leading always tends to have a bad race, and it brings everybody right back into it.?

Stenhouse has finished fourth, 11th and 18th in his first three races at Dover, while Sadler has finished sixth and 31st in his previous two races here. Prior to last year?s fall event, Sadler had not competed in a Nationwide race at Dover since 1998.

Sorenson has been exceptional at this track recently, finishing no worse than seventh in the last five races.

Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kasey Kahne, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano and Jamie McMurray are those Sprint Cup Series regulars scheduled to compete in this race.

Bowyer is the only driver of the 46 entered for Saturday?s One Main Financial 200 that has multiple Nationwide wins at Dover.

?I love Dover; it?s like Bristol, just a bigger, faster and meaner Bristol,? he said. ?I have two Nationwide Series wins at Dover, and I?d love to make it three.?

Logano will once again drive the No.18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. Kyle Busch, who won this race one year ago, is focusing his efforts on the Chase.

Ryan Truex, who hails from nearby Mayetta, NJ, will be behind the wheel of Gibbs? No.20 car.

Camping World Truck Series

Kentucky 225 ? Kentucky Speedway ? Sparta, KY

The Camping World Truck Series runs at Kentucky Speedway for the second time this season on Saturday night. The series competed here in July, with Kyle Busch taking the checkered flag in his No.18 Toyota. Busch is not entered in this race.

With six races remaining, only six points separate the top-three drivers ? Austin Dillon, James Buescher and Timothy Peters.

Last week at New Hampshire, Dillon?s second-place finish coupled with a seventh-place run for Buescher allowed Dillon to take a two-point lead over Buescher.

It?s been a seesaw battle among these three drivers for the points lead throughout the season.

?That?s what we?re all out here trying to do is win the championship,? Dillon said. ?I feel like we?ve had a great truck to beat each and every week but just been beating ourselves a lot this year. We?re finally putting some finishes together. We?re really focused on these last six races, so we?ll just go fight in these next six.?

Buescher held the points lead after this month?s races at Atlanta and Chicagoland ? both 1.5-mile tracks that are similar to Kentucky.

?[Crew chief] Michael [Shelton] and [team engineer] Hal [Ralston] have been working really hard on our mile-and-a-half program, and we seem to have hit on a couple of things that I think will help us in Kentucky,? Buescher said.

Buescher has yet to win a race in the series.

Finishes of fifth and sixth in the last two races have helped Sauter rebound in points.

?I?ve said it all year ? wins bring championships, and consistent finishes help tick up the points lead,? Sauter said.

Dillon?s younger brother, Ty, who is the current points leader in the ARCA Series, is scheduled to make his NASCAR national series debut at Kentucky, driving the No.21 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.

In a swap of seats at KHI for this race, Ron Hornaday Jr. is moving over to the No.2 Chevrolet, while Cale Gale is behind the wheel of the No.33 truck, normally occupied by Hornaday.

Brian Ickler will drive Busch?s truck at Kentucky. It will be Ickler?s first start in the series since July at Iowa.

Thirty-one teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Kentucky 225.

IZOD INDYCAR SERIES

Kentucky Indy 300 ? Kentucky Speedway ? Sparta, KY

The IZOD IndyCar Series will run its penultimate race of the season on Sunday at Kentucky Speedway. And the championship battle in the series is at its best right now.

After finishing second in last week?s race at Motegi, Japan, Will Power reclaimed the top spot in the point standings. Dario Franchitti?s eighth-place run there put the two-time defending series champion 11 points out of the lead.

Power also earned the Mario Andretti Trophy for winning this year?s road/street course title. It?s the second straight year the Team Penske driver has won the honors.

?It?s an honor to win the Mario Andretti road course award again,? Power said. ?Now we need to keep going and finish the season strong on the ovals.?

Luckily for Franchitti, the last two races of the year are contested on 1.5- mile ovals. The season concludes October 16 at Las Vegas.

Franchitti held a comfortable 62-point lead over Power after last month?s race at Mid-Ohio, but Power has progressively gained on Franchitti since then, doing so on the road/street courses (Sonoma, Baltimore and Motegi).

?If you win or if you lose, you always look at the championship as a whole,? Franchitti said. ?[Motegi], Loudon, Texas, Indy and on and on, you always look at these things, but Will can do the same with his races.?

Last year, Franchitti trailed power by 59 points late in the season, but he bounced back in the final four races ? all of them on ovals ? to steal the title from Power by just five points.

Franchitti has yet to win an IndyCar race at Kentucky but has finished no worse than ninth in his last four races here, including a fifth-place run in 2010.

Power?s best finish in three races at Kentucky is eighth, which came last year. He led 83 of 200 laps in that event.

Dan Wheldon will race in the series for the first time since his surprising victory in the May 29 Indianapolis 500. Wheldon is scheduled to drive the No.77 Sam Schmidt Motorsports car in place of Alex Tagliani.

Kentucky will be an opportunity for Wheldon to prepare for Las Vegas ? a race in which he would collect a $5 million bonus if he takes the checkered flag.

?I can?t thank Alex enough for letting me drive his car in Kentucky and to work with the team in preparation for Las Vegas,? Wheldon said. ?I?m really excited about this opportunity and look forward to working with everyone at Sam?s team. They were a large part of our winning effort in May, and I?ll do my best to get back to victory lane.?

Wheldon has posted five top-five finishes in eight starts at Kentucky. He started and finished third in last year?s race here.

Twenty-nine teams are on the preliminary entry list for the Kentucky Indy 300.

Social Isolation

It doesn?t matter what the actual disease is, if you aren?t around someone who has it, you aren?t going to get it. Period.

In Contagion they make the point that the virus is transmitted not just by getting coughed on, but by touching something that an infected person touched. You can?t even go places sick people have been.

Are you prepared for that?

There were two points I kept thinking of while watching the movie:

1. The plague went on for 144 days. Schools were closed, shopping malls were closed, nurses stopped going to work. Can you live on your own for 5 months? Do you have enough food and other supplies?

2. If you have to deal with a place where other possibly sick people have been, do you have protective gear? To use EMS terms, BSI (Body Substance Isolation), PPE (Personal Protective Equipment), ?If it is wet and sticky and not yours don?t touch it.? Of course in the case of Contagion it doesn?t have to be wet or sticky to be deadly.

Basic PPE should include gloves, eye protection and N95 masks. You should have a lot of these in your long term prep stores and a few in your everyday carry gear.

In addition, you need virus killing cleaning stuff. One of the characters and his daughter live in a house where two people died of the plague. How much cleaning did he do? It isn?t shown the movie, but it had to be extensive.

There are plenty of antiviral cleaning solutions out there, and in the end a little bit of bleach in some water will do a lot toward killing viruses.

Social Breakdown

Preppers are generally more prepared for this. Most are prepared to defend their home from invaders. But there is more to social breakdown than looters and criminals. There is also the fact no food is being delivered to stores. UPS and FedEx aren?t delivering packages. The pharmacy is closed. You can?t call friends over because you just lost your wife and son to the disease and need comfort.

The other point is that you aren?t going to be able to get around the government. I always find it strange when people hear their area has been quarantined and decided to leave. They sit in a line of cars to get to a road block and then start arguing with the national guardsman who won?t let them through. Really? Do you think that is going to work? You?ll be lucky if you don?t get shot for trying.

Conclusion

Should preppers see Contagion? Yes, absolutely. It gives perspective on what is going on at high government levels ? the CDC and WHO ? as well as what it is like for regular people. It will make you think, and thinking is central to preparing.

Tagged as: Disaster Matrix, Disaster Psychology, Emergency Medical, Pandemic

Source: http://www.intherabbithole.com/contagion-a-preppers-movie-review/

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unarut52

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) ? U.S. military action against insurgents in Pakistan would be unacceptable and the country's army would be capable of responding, intelligence chief Ahmed Shuja Pasha told a meeting of political leaders in Islamabad, according to media reports.

Express News TV cited Pasha as saying an "American attack on Pakistan in the name of (fighting) extremism is not acceptable".

However, several television news reports said Pasha had also told an all-party meeting to discuss the crisis in ties between Washington and Islamabad that Pakistan would not allow the situation to get to a "point of no return".

Pakistan has long faced U.S. demands to attack militants on its side of the border with Afghanistan.

But the pressure has escalated since the top U.S. military officer, Admiral Mike Mullen, accused Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI last week of supporting an attack by the militant Haqqani network on the U.S. Embassy in Kabul.

Mullen, speaking in an interview aired on Thursday, said the ISI was giving the Haqqani group, whose violent attacks threaten to become a major obstacle to U.S. hopes for withdrawing smoothly from Afghanistan, financial and logistical support and "sort of free passage in the (border) safe haven."

"They can't turn it off overnight. I'm not asserting that the Pak mil or the ISI has complete control over the Haqqanis. But the Haqqanis run that safe haven. They're also a home to al Qaeda in that safe haven," he told National Public Radio.

Mullen, who steps down this week, said he stood by the tone and content of his comments, from which some U.S. officials have appeared to distance themselves.

"I phrased it the way I wanted it to be phrased," he said.

PAKISTANI LIVES LOST

Support is growing in the U.S. Congress for expanding American military action in Pakistan beyond drone strikes against militants, said Senator Lindsey Graham, an influential Republican voice on foreign policy and military affairs.

Islamabad is reluctant to go after the Haqqanis -- even though the United States provides billions of dollars in aid -- saying its troops are stretched fighting Taliban insurgents.

Pakistan says it has sacrificed more lives than any of the countries that joined the "war on terror" after the Sept. 11 attacks by Islamist militants on the United States in 2001.

Pakistan's military faced withering public criticism after a surprise U.S. raid that killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a garrison town not far from Islamabad in May.

A similar U.S. operation against militants in North Waziristan on the Afghan border, where American officials say the Haqqanis are based, would be another humiliation for the powerful army.

Graham said in an interview with Reuters that U.S. lawmakers might support military options beyond drone strikes that have been going on for years inside Pakistani territory.

Those options may include using U.S. bomber planes within Pakistan, said, adding that he did not advocate sending U.S. ground troops into the country.

"I would say when it comes to defending American troops, you don't want to limit yourself," Graham said. "This is not a boots-on-the-ground engagement -- I'm not talking about that, but we have a lot of assets beyond drones."

Graham said U.S. lawmakers would think about stepping up the military pressure. "If people believe it's gotten to the point that is the only way really to protect our interests, I think there would be a lot of support," he said.

REVIEWING AID

Pakistan was designated a major non-NATO ally by the United States for its support of coalition military operations in Afghanistan after 9/11.

But their relationship has been dogged by mistrust. Although regarded as critical to U.S. efforts to stabilize Afghanistan, Pakistan is often seen from Washington as an unreliable partner.

Following U.S. accusations that some in the Pakistani government have aided anti-U.S. militants, Congress is reevaluating its 2009 promise to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to a total of $7.5 billion over five years.

That aid came on top of billions in security assistance provided since 2001, which Washington is also rethinking.

Any unilateral U.S. military action to go after the Haqqanis would deepen anti-American sentiment in Pakistan, which is already running high over U.S. drone strikes and other issues, reducing the space for the government and army to collaborate with Washington.

The Haqqani network is allied with Afghanistan's Taliban and is believed to have close links to al Qaeda. It fights U.S. and NATO forces in eastern Afghanistan. The group's leader says it is no longer based in North Waziristan and feels secure operating in Afghanistan after making battlefield gains.

(Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider and Augustine Anthony in Islamabad, Mirwais Harooni in Kabul and Missy Ryan and Susan Cornwall in Washington; Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by John Chalmers)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/india/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110929/india_nm/india596110

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Article by Leslie Jones

Can a curious clich? be related to home owners and how they secure their properties?

A political journalist from the national broadsheet The Independent has been making a case against civil leaders (and media centres) overusing clich?s and empty phrases. He blames politicians, and perhaps their lazy speech writers, for a seeming lack of rigour in the way we express ourselves.

It is implied that as more of the world moves online, and into a virtual realm of relationships, language and its connection to the material world is becoming fragile. We are using words with little regard to their meanings or referents: instead, these phrases, idiomatic catchphrases are being used as supposed ?catch-all? terms that we can all understand and relate to, when in reality?.nobody knows what they?re talking about (or listening to?)

One favourite phrase is ?early doors?, which many claim was coined by football manager Ron Atkinson? ?it?s early doors yet? indicating that there was still plenty of time for the game to change. Yet research of advertisements for entertainments in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century will show the phrase ?early doors? historically refers to theatres opening early for the public to take the cheap seats before the upper class spectators arrived to locate their reservations.

The ?doors? in this 19th century phrase are still real, then; and from this real-life example of being in plenty of time, we can understand how the figurative ?early doors? emerged. But we can bring both concrete, material door and these metaphorical doors back together? Can the clich? meet reality?

Perhaps ? in a slightly absurd twist ? in the realm of home improvement. Consumers might take a tip from those ticket-hungry bargain hunters of the music halls, by ?getting in early doors? with summer sales and bargains, such as timber and ironmongered external and internal doors from Todd Doors.

Indeed, this might be a stretch too far to hope that we can close the gap by being literal with these absurd clich?s. Can we use the lesson of getting in early doors when it comes to doors themselves? After all, even the term ?literally? has been turned against itself! This time, another footballer is the culprit ? ?literally? Jamie Redknapp, ex-Liverpool star-turned-pundit ? who has managed to overuse the term so much that its original meaning has been completely reversed.

But when it comes to the entrances and exits in your home, whilst it is good advice to be prepared and timely when it comes to furnishing you home, don?t be flimsy and vague like these clich?s have become in our language. Solidity, definition and durability are qualities which are necessary to building a sturdy house ? and, for the journalist at the Independent, a sturdy argument.

The author of this article has expertise in Todd Doors. The articles on internal doors reveals the author?s knowledge on the same. The author has written many articles on Todd Doors as well.

Source: http://www.effortlessfreedomonline.com/what-does-early-doors-mean-for-home-improvements/

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William Penn took on Indian Hills in two exhibition games Tuesday evening (photo submitted)

The academic school year is well underway for William Penn University and the coaches have been hard at work with their athletic teams.

Mike Christner, William Penn head softball coach, has 31 girls out this year between the Varsity and JV teams. Christner had them out at the Lacey Recreation Complex at the end of August to start off season practice. The team is working hard and has brought lots of intensity to the field while working on drills at the Lacey Recreation Complex. Varsity and Junior Varsity have been participating in many scrimmages during the month of September and last night the varsity team played Indian Hills Community College. The Lady Statesman came out on top and are looking forward to playing many more games during the spring season.

Be sure to check out the Lacey Recreation Complex calendars on Team Mahaska Online for dates and times of local sporting events located at Lacey.

Share this Oskynews.org story Posted by K.Allsup on Sep 28 2011. Filed under College Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Responses are currently closed, but you can trackback from your own site.

Source: http://oskynews.org/?p=31858&utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=william-penn-softball-brings-intense-action-to-the-lacey-rec-complex-2

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MOSCOW ? The departure of Russia's influential finance minister and the impending power swap between President Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin won't have any immediate impact on Russia's economic policies or its debt rating, Standard & Poor's said Tuesday.

The U.S. ratings agency was one of the few calm voices that sought to play down the importance of the resignation of Alexei Kudrin, who has been Russia's finance minister since 2000.

Investors and analysts warned that it would be hard to find a replacement who would be as effective in vehemently opposing the populist spending so beloved by politicians.

Kudrin was forced out Monday after a public spat with Medvedev after Kudrin refused to serve in any government if Medvedev was prime minister. Many suspect Kudrin had hoped himself to be named prime minister under Putin.

A darling of investors and post-Soviet Russia's longest-serving finance minister, Kudrin was widely credited with softening the blow of the 2008-2009 global downturn in Russia with his conservative fiscal policies. During Putin's presidency from 2000 to 2008, Kudrin set up a rainy day fund to stash some of the revenue from oil exports. The idea angered many in the government who sought higher spending, but ultimately proved to be an invaluable cushion.

S&P said in an emailed statement that recent days' events would unlikely mean a "significant departure from current economic and fiscal policies." The agency said it expects "Russian state capitalism and the close links between politics and business to remain unchanged."

The agency, however, voiced concern that a government reshuffle could make it difficult for Russia to "consolidate public finances" and boost long-term growth by "improving the business environment, competition, and the productive infrastructure."

Russia markets, buoyed by higher oil prices and surging stocks worldwide, seemingly paid no heed to the landmark resignation. The MICEX benchmark index was up 2.5 percent at 4 p.m. Moscow time (1200 GMT) and the ruble was 0.8 percent higher.

In another landmark reform under Kudrin, Russia introduced flat income tax and scrapped sales tax. The 50-year-old minister was also the driving force behind Russia's efforts to pay off its international debts, reducing the country's debt from equal to Russia's annual GDP to zero.

Boosted by strong oil prices and Kudrin's prudent fiscal policies, Russia did not run a single budget deficit from 2000 through 2008.

Despite the S&P statement, analysts warned that Russian financial policies will be affected since Kudrin's authority in Russia is unparalleled.

Sergei Guriev, a prominent economist and rector of the New Economic School, told Gazeta.ru that Kudrin has three "unique qualities."

"He's a professional, he can defend his principles and he enjoys good relations with the prime minister," Guriev said. "It's going to be hard to find a person who would have all of these qualities."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/russia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110927/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_russia_finance_minister

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unarut52

Let?s face it; orthodontic care ain?t cheap. In fact, it?s fairly expensive. If you or your children require orthodontic treatment but are unable to afford it, should that mean that you simply turn the other cheek and move forward? The decision lies with you, however, you should know that you do have options available to you which will enable your family to receive affordable? nay? even free treatment. In this article we will provide you with a few tips to help you and your family receive the care you deserve without breaking the bank.

Step 1 ? Schedule yourself a consultation. Many practices will offer prospective patients a free consultation in order to sell them on their care. Use this as an opportunity to figure out exactly what type of treatment you will be needing and get it in writing. This will provide you with enough information to properly research your options down the road. If you cannot find an orthodontist practice who offers free consultations, consider contacting a dental school for an evaluation. Though you will be treated by students, the appointments will always be supervised by a board certified physician. To boot, orthodontic care generally costs little to nothing.

Step 2 ? If you get in with an orthodontist, let them know that you are currently unable to afford the treatments you require and ask them if they will be able to help. Many practices will be able to offer you a list of charitable organizations that can help you out.

Step 3 ? Government assistance is in place for a reason. Swallow your pride and file. If you happen to reside in a state that does not cover cosmetic procedures, don?t assume that you?re down for the count. At this point, you should have your condition in writing. If your teeth are misaligned to a point where it is causing disruption to your life, the government should have no issues footing the bill for orthodontic care. This applies especially in cases of children.

Step 4 ? Those who don?t qualify for braces via state insurance should once again consider the option of turning to a dental school for their treatment. As mentioned prior, educational care is very cost effective, with many institutions providing their services pro bono.

Step 5 ? Consider taking out a loan. If you have a car or mortgage, you can take a trip down to your local financial institution to see if you can put up your property for the amount of the care. Not only will this provide you with the funding you require, but as long as you are able to keep up with the payments, the experience will help you build credit.

Step 6 ? Find out whether you can trade goods or services for the treatments you need. If you are a painter, find out whether the orthodontist needs any work done. The same can be applied to plumbing, auto work or any other trade you can think of. These days, physicians of all types are beginning accept payment in the form of barter.

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By Andrea Avery

Let?s face it; orthodontic care ain?t cheap. In fact, it?s fairly expensive. If you or your children require orthodontic treatment but are unable to afford it, should that mean that you simply turn the other cheek and move forward? The decision lies with you, however, you should know that you do have options available to you which will enable your family to receive affordable? nay? even free treatment. In this article we will provide you with a few tips to help you and your family receive the care you deserve without breaking the bank.

Step 1 ? Schedule yourself a consultation. Many practices will offer prospective patients a free consultation in order to sell them on their care. Use this as an opportunity to figure out exactly what type of treatment you will be needing and get it in writing. This will provide you with enough information to properly research your options down the road. If you cannot find an orthodontist practice who offers free consultations, consider contacting a dental school for an evaluation. Though you will be treated by students, the appointments will always be supervised by a board certified physician. To boot, orthodontic care generally costs little to nothing.

Step 2 ? If you get in with an orthodontist, let them know that you are currently unable to afford the treatments you require and ask them if they will be able to help. Many practices will be able to offer you a list of charitable organizations that can help you out.

Step 3 ? Government assistance is in place for a reason. Swallow your pride and file. If you happen to reside in a state that does not cover cosmetic procedures, don?t assume that you?re down for the count. At this point, you should have your condition in writing. If your teeth are misaligned to a point where it is causing disruption to your life, the government should have no issues footing the bill for orthodontic care. This applies especially in cases of children.

Step 4 ? Those who don?t qualify for braces via state insurance should once again consider the option of turning to a dental school for their treatment. As mentioned prior, educational care is very cost effective, with many institutions providing their services pro bono.

Step 5 ? Consider taking out a loan. If you have a car or mortgage, you can take a trip down to your local financial institution to see if you can put up your property for the amount of the care. Not only will this provide you with the funding you require, but as long as you are able to keep up with the payments, the experience will help you build credit.

Step 6 ? Find out whether you can trade goods or services for the treatments you need. If you are a painter, find out whether the orthodontist needs any work done. The same can be applied to plumbing, auto work or any other trade you can think of. These days, physicians of all types are beginning accept payment in the form of barter.

If you?re looking for an affordable orthodontist San Jose has a great office for you. To get more information about orthodontic care, visit: http://www.accu-dental.com/.

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Source: http://equusfoundation.info/2011/09/cheap-orthodontist-obtaining-affordable-orthodontic-care/

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There are varied tourism options available in royal and Indian state of Rajasthan ? the land of maharajas. It is the colorful, historical and culturally rich state of India where tourists from all over the world in galore. It is a beautiful Indian state with many historical cities which have played a vital role in the history of the state. Jaipur is the capital city of the state and famed as the Pink City of India. In fact, each city of this state has its unique nicknames such as Udaipur is called the City of Lakes, Jodhpur is called the Blue City, Jaisalmer is called the Golden City, and Bikaner is called the Camel City. Mount Abu is a beautiful hill town and the only hill station of the state.

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Magnificent monuments, elegant forts & palaces, beautiful temples, splendid havelis, prosperous museums, exotic wildlife sanctuaries & national parks, sand dunes, etc are forted of Rajasthan tourism which attracts travelers from all over India and from abroad as well.

Thus it is destinations for both cultural enthusiasts and adventure enthusiasts. Cultural enthusiasts enjoy tourism in various cities and treasure opportunity to see magnificent monuments featuring forts, palaces, temples, havelis and museums.

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Each city of Rajasthan is known for magnificent monuments. Jantar Mantar Observatory, City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Albert Hall Museum are worth visits in Jaipur. Lake Palace, City Palace, Monsoon Palace and Saheliyon-Ki-Bari are worth visits in Udaipur. Junagarh Fort, Lalgarh Palace and Camel Breeding Farm are worth visits in Bikaner.

Golden Fort, Jain Temples, Havelis and Sand Dunes are attractions to see in Jaisalmer. Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada Memorial and Umaid Bhawan Palace are attractions to see in Jodhpur. Exploring various cities on Rajasthan tour shall give you unforgettable experience of royal glory of India.

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Adventure enthusiasts can explore various wildlife sanctuaries and national parks to enjoy wildlife viewing, jungle expedition and birding. They can also enjoy exiting camel safari ride to explore rippling sand dunes of the vast Thar Desert (also called the Great Indian Desert). Ranthambhore National Park, Sariska Tiger Reserve, Desert National Park and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary are among top attractions of Rajasthan tourism which are very popular among wildlife lovers and adventure enthusiasts. Camel safari ride to explore rippling sand dunes will add unique memorable chapter into your trip to this royal Indian state.

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You can treasure best of tourism in this state with a right Rajasthan Tour Package. So hurry and ask your nearby tour operator for a right package. I again remind you Rajasthan tourism shall give you unforgettable experience.

Source: http://travel.ezinemark.com/rajasthan-tourism-shall-give-you-unforgettable-experience-7d30bb5ca7b9.html

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[unable to retrieve full-text content]The outcomes are: minimizing tension, maintaining superior health and fitness, along with achieving {a balanced} lifestyle. The various health benefits incorporate increased blood flow, increased skeletal mobility, the stronger ...

Source: http://myhealthandfitnesstoday.org/benefits-of-massage-main-reasons-why-massage-therapy-would-probably-be-desirable-for-you-personally

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In case you're still using Google+ (I kid, I kid, the other social network is doing well, apparently), the Google+ team has made it easy to "share" your Circles with friends today, by enabling an option to send other users a list of Circle members on your Google+ Circles page.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/faNpyOcBMlo/

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MIDDLETOWN, Conn. ? A national safety group is urging states and regulators to adopt new standards that would ban a pipe-cleaning practice blamed for a 2010 Connecticut power plant explosion that killed six workers.

The National Fire Protection Association's new standard, published a few weeks ago and publicly introduced Tuesday, prohibits the use of natural gas to clean pipes at industrial plants, commercial developments and other projects.

The standard is not binding, but could be used by state legislatures and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration to craft regulations banning the "gas blow" practice and encouraging companies to use nitrogen or other nonvolatile substances to clean pipes.

Connecticut this year became the first, and so far the only, state to outlaw the procedure, in which high-pressure natural gas is forced through pipes to push out metal shards, dirt and other debris.

National Fire Protection Association President James M. Shannon, who outlined the new procedure Tuesday at Middletown City Hall, said it usually takes a few years to develop new standards, but that the gas blow prohibition was put on a faster track because it could save lives.

The Chemical Safety Board, a federal investigative agency with advisory authority, has also asked OSHA to ban the gas blow procedure. OSHA officials have said they are considering the input, but as of Tuesday, had not issued a moratorium.

Six workers were killed in February 2010 when crews building the Kleen Energy Systems power plant in Middletown performed a gas blow.

About 400,000 cubic feet of natural gas and air was released in tight quarters, creating an explosive mixture large enough to fill a professional basketball arena. The ensuing blast was felt for miles and flattened much of the complex.

Investigators have not determined what ignited the gas and air mixture, though OSHA later said welders had been working nearby, and that gas and diesel heaters were left running during the gas blow.

Up to 50 people were injured, and lawsuits filed by the estates of the deceased workers and dozens of injured workers are still pending.

Crews had performed the same procedure eight days earlier with no problems, illustrating how unpredictable it can be and how the smallest factor can change everything, Middletown Mayor Sebastian Giuliano said Tuesday.

"The margin for error in these kinds of processes is paper-thin," he said.

Rosa DeLauro, whose congressional district includes Middletown, said Tuesday she felt compelled to honor the deceased workers by repeating each of their names so their deaths were not in vain.

"They're not just names or numbers. They have families, all of whom today are trying to adjust to their suffering and their loss," DeLauro said.

"We all feel very, very deeply that we owe it to the men who perished and their families and their colleagues ... to put such a standard in place," DeLauro said.

OSHA imposed $16.6 million in fines against the companies involved in the Connecticut blast. The two main construction companies, O&G Industries of Torrington and Keystone Construction and Maintenance of Rowley, Mass., are disputing the fines and their cases remain unresolved, an OSHA spokesman said Tuesday.

No criminal charges have been filed, but investigations by Middletown's police and fire departments remain open and the evidence is being protected for potential use at criminal and civil trials.

OSHA also has sent warning letters about the dangers of gas blows to companies involved in the 125 gas-fired turbine power plants planned or under construction.

Among other measures, the new National Fire Protection Association standard prohibits using flammable gas for pipe cleaning; requires crews to be sure that the substance released goes into a safe outdoor area where it will not build up; sets rules for alerting other workers; triggers crews to stop pipe-cleaning procedures under certain conditions.

Companies that follow the rules would use them not just at power plant construction sites, but all major projects ranging from new shopping malls to schools to industrial plants.

Workplace safety groups say forcing air, steam or nitrogen through pipes for cleaning is far safer than natural gas, but that natural gas has been particularly popular at power plants because it's already on hand ? and therefore less expensive than bringing in other materials and equipment for the pipe purges.

The Middletown explosion came as power generators are increasingly relying on natural gas to produce electricity because it's plentiful and cleaner than coal, and the use of gas is growing to power factories and heat homes.

Gas is used to make about one-fifth of America's electricity. That's expected to grow to 26 percent by 2018 as older, coal-fired plants are retired.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/27/connecticut-power-plant-explosion_n_983884.html

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BANGKOK ? Amnesty International is calling on Muslim guerrillas in Thailand's southern border provinces to stop targeting civilians.

The London-based rights group says that noncombatants have accounted for two-thirds of the nearly 5,000 people killed since insurgents took up arms in 2004.

Bomb blasts or shootings are reported every few days in the far south, and the London-based rights group says many of the attacks constitute war crimes that should be prosecuted under international law.

Most of the violence has taken place in three southern provinces dominated by ethnic Malay Muslims who are a minority in the mostly Buddhist nation.

Amnesty said in report Tuesday that at least 4,766 people have died and 7,808 have been wounded in the conflict.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110927/ap_on_re_as/as_thailand_insurgency

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TRIPOLI, Libya ? Libya's new rulers believe Moammar Gadhafi may be hiding in the southern desert under the protection of ethnic Tuareg fighters, while two of his sons are holed up in cities besieged by revolutionary forces elsewhere in the North African nation, officials said Wednesday.

Anti-Gadhafi fighters gained control of Tripoli and much of the rest of the country late last month, but the longtime Libyan ruler and his family fled and have been trying to rally supporters from hiding as fighting continues on three fronts ? Gadhafi's hometown of Sirte, Bani Walid and the southern city of Sabha.

Col. Ahmed Bani, the military spokesman for the National Transitional Council, which is now governing the country, said he couldn't confirm any information about Gadhafi's whereabouts but he could say that Gadhafi's son, Seif al-Islam, is in Bani Walid and another son Muatassim is in Sirte.

Although Bani offered no evidence and did not elaborate, it was the first official confirmation that the revolutionary forces believe they know the location of the two sons since the family fled after Tripoli fell.

Another military official said earlier that the Libyans have intelligence that Gadhafi is hiding in the vast southern desert, possibly in an area near the Algerian border, with help from Tuareg fighters. Ethnic Tuaregs, whose nomadic community spans the desert border of Niger, Mali, Libya, Algeria and Chad, are among Gadhafi's strongest remaining supporters.

"We do believe that he is somewhere in that region and we do know that Tuaregs are supporting him, probably because he's paying them," Abdel-Rahman Busin said, although he acknowledged that the military could not confirm the information.

"It's a very large bit of land to cover. We don't have the people to cover it all and he could move around quite freely," Busin told The Associated Press.

One report suggested Gadhafi was southwest of the desert town of Sabha, Busin said. He also said a recent attack on the border town of Ghadamis raised suspicion that the fugitive leader was hiding in the surrounding region, a vast area near the Algerian frontier. "Possibly they were just creating a diversion," he said.

Pro-Gadhafi gunmen crossed the border from Algeria to attack revolutionary forces in Ghadamis last week, killing at least nine people, local officials said.

Ali al-Mana, the Ghadamis representative on the National Transitional Council, said there was no confirmation that Gadhafi was in the city.

Many fear Gadhafi may still be able to stoke violence from his hiding place, raising concerns about a protracted insurgency.

Bani, the military spokesman, said revolutionary forces were focused on consolidating control over the entire country and would hunt for Gadhafi after all cities were secured.

Speculation has been rife that Seif al-Islam was in Bani Walid and Muatassim in Sirte as both areas have put up a fierce resistance against surrounding revolutionary forces.

The top commander of revolutionary forces in Bani Walid was killed Tuesday night in a rocket attack, Bani said. He said Daw Saleheen was on a patrol in the area, 90 miles (140 kilometers) southeast of Tripoli, when he was struck by a heat-seeking rocket. Saleheen spent more than 20 years in jail under Gadhafi's regime.

Anti-Gadhafi forces had conducted negotiations with Seif al-Islam in Bani Walid a couple weeks ago, Busin said earlier, but talks about his possible surrender had broken down.

On Tuesday, Syrian-based Al-Rai TV, which has become the former regime's mouthpiece, aired video of Seif al-Islam that it said was taken last week. The same video, however, appears to have been uploaded to YouTube on March 6. A second YouTube video appears to show the same event with an upload date of Feb. 27, less than two weeks after the Libyan uprising began.

Seif al-Islam's last known public appearance was on Aug. 23 in Tripoli. Like his father, he has been charged by the International Criminal Court with crimes against humanity for the regime's bloody efforts to crush the uprising.

Revolutionary fighters also have been unable to rout regime forces from Sirte on the Mediterranean coast. Libyan fighters pounded regime positions in the city with rocket and artillery fire on Wednesday, sending a black cloud of smoke over Sirte's low-slung skyline.

Dozens of trucks mounted with missiles, anti-aircraft guns and anti-tank weapons streamed toward the front lines on the western edge of Sirte and NATO warplanes roared overhead.

Britain's Ministry of Defense said Royal Air Force and NATO aircraft "were very active" over Sirte on Tuesday. The alliance usually only gives details about strikes the next day.

Maj. Gen. Nick Pope said Tornado GR4s twice conducted precision strikes on a large ammunition and vehicle storage depot that has been serving as one of the main bases for Gadhafi's garrison within the city.

He said six laser and GPS guided Paveway bombs were dropped, scoring direct hits that destroyed multiple military facilities within the depot, including storage bunkers.

___

Associated Press writers Hadeel al-Shalchi in Tripoli and Cassandra Vinograd in London contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/topstories/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110928/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_libya

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The vacuum cleaner stands as one of the most important at home products in the arsenal of maintenance equipment. It protects your investment in your carpets, one of the most expensive items in your home. Regular use of the vacuum cleaner adds years of use to a carpet and extends its life while creating a clean and inviting room.

Vacuum cleaners work equally well on hardwood or tile floors and also provide an excellent way to keep furniture free of dust and debris. Hand tools that come with most vacuum cleaners help you to clean all of the folds and cracks between cushions on your furniture.

Dog and cat hair can present difficulty when you try to remove it from your carpets or furniture, but the powerful suction of a good vacuum cleaner can easily remove them. Versatile at home products do more than one thing well. Cobwebs in the corners and dust bunnies under the bed have no chance of survival when the vacuum comes after them. As all-around superior performers, vacuum cleaners contribute significantly to the upkeep and care of the home.

The best at home products meet the home owner's demands for ease of use and effective performance. For vacuum cleaners, these two requirements equate to a machine that does not weigh much and one that has lot of suction ability. These two important factors make the difference in whether a person likes their vacuum cleaner or hates it.

When you want to run your vacuum, you find it easier to get started if you can pick it up and get started right away. A lightweight vacuum makes the job one that you want to do. Good at home products allow you to select tools that fit your needs. A heavy and cumbersome machine that you have to lug out of the closet does not encourage you to do the vacuuming. If you have ever had to contend with back problems, you know that you don't want to move a heavy piece of equipment.

A long cord on the vacuum allows you to move about the room conveniently, so you do not have to move the cord to another plug. The amount of time you have to spend on cleaning makes a difference. A cord that is easy to put away is a real plus. If the vacuum has a light on the front, you can easily see the dirt on the floor. This saves effort and time so you do not have to repeat your work to pick up everything.

Bagless vacuum cleaners have come onto the market in recent years as an innovation that means you don't have to buy bags for it. Some people have found that the traditional style of machine that uses bags actually works better for them. If it can make one pass and pick up the dog or cat hair and not tire you out, then it does the job you want it to do. Everything goes into a bag that you simply remove and replace when you need to. Some machines that do not have bags can make a bit of a mess when you go to empty them.

The design of at home products has to please the owner who needs them for every day work. A vacuum cleaner that you can run under beds shows excellent design work because it makes your cleaning tasks a lot easier. When you consider purchasing a vacuum cleaner, keep in mind the design characteristics of weight, suction, mobility and design.

For further information regarding at home products, please visit MyReviewsNow Online Shopping.

Source: http://www.ideamarketers.com/?articleid=2592155

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Researchers map genome of advanced, lethal prostate cancers and discover 'hypermutation'

Monday, September 26, 2011

A team of researchers at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington has conducted the first comprehensive assessment of every gene in the genome of advanced, lethal prostate cancer. Until now, the genetic composition of such tumors had been poorly defined.

In the process, they have discovered a number of potential key drivers ? recurrent genetic mistakes ? common to advanced prostate cancer that may contribute to disease progression. The researchers also have identified several instances of genetic "hypermutation," a gross excess of single-letter DNA "spelling errors" that could cause the cancer to become resistant to therapies commonly used to slow the progression of advanced prostate cancer, such as androgen-blocking drugs and surgical castration.

Corresponding authors Peter S. Nelson, M.D., a member of the Hutchinson Center's Human Biology Division, and Jay Shendure, M.D., Ph.D., an associate professor of Genome Sciences at UW and an affiliate member of the Hutchinson Center's Human Biology Division, and colleagues report their findings Sept. 26 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition. The lead author of the paper was Akash Kumar, a graduate student in Genome Sciences and an M.D.-Ph.D. candidate at UW.

"The most interesting finding to come out of our DNA sequencing project was the discovery of three aggressive tumor types that had 10 times the number of mutations compared to the other advanced prostate cancers we studied," Nelson said. "That was very surprising and unusual. We don't know the cause of these hypermutated tumors, but the frequency of the mutations suggests these tumors might evolve very rapidly to develop resistance to therapies."

The discovery of these genetic mutations should provide clues that illuminate why some prostate cancers are lethal, and potentially could be used to develop screening tests for early detection or drug targets to slow or halt cancer growth, Nelson said.

"The mutations underlying the progression of prostate cancer to an advanced state have been understudied to date," Shendure said. "Although further work is certainly necessary, our hope is that identifying the genes in which these mutations occur will facilitate biological insights and the development of new therapeutic strategies."

For the study, the researchers determined the mutational status of 23 aggressive and lethal, drug-resistant human prostate cancers, including those that had metastasized, or spread, beyond their primary site of origin and those that had not. They used a technology called exome sequencing to survey the mutational landscape. This method is more efficient and cost-effective than whole-genome sequencing because it zeroes in on just 1 percent of the human genome ? the exome ? a highly functional region that harbors the majority of disease-causing mutations.

In aggressive tumors, the researchers identified a number of genes with recurrent germline (inheritable) or somatic (noninheritable) mutations, including variants in TP53, a gene that encodes tumor protein p53, which normally functions as a tumor suppressor; and GPC6, a gene that encodes glypican-6, which regulates cell growth and division. They also found recurrent mutations in several genes whose mechanisms in prostate cancer development are not yet well understood, as well as thousands of individual, or "personal," mutations unique to individual tumors.

The researchers also found that of nearly 90 mutations associated with tumors that are resistant to testosterone suppression ? a common treatment for advanced prostate cancer ? each tumor studied had at least one mutation in the Wnt signaling pathway, a network of proteins known to play a variety of important roles in embryonic development and cancer, among other things.

Nelson and researchers at the Hutchinson Center contributed to the concepts underlying the study and confirmed the identified mutations using alternate technologies. Shendure and colleagues at the UW provided key tissue samples and a majority of the exome sequencing and analysis, among other contributions.

###

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center: http://www.fhcrc.org

Thanks to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/113713/Researchers_map_genome_of_advanced__lethal_prostate_cancers_and_discover__hypermutation_

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At first, Pacific Rubiales Energy had the magic touch in Colombia. Forty-two of its first 48 exploratory wells struck oil - an almost unheard of success rate. The Toronto-based firm, whose Colombian operations are run by exiled Venezuelan oilmen, now pumps nearly one-quarter of the country's present crude production of 953,000 barrels per day, and it's the main driver behind a boom that may well see the country reach 1 million barrels per day by the end of the year.

But this week, violent protests at the massive Rubiales and Quifa fields in the state of Meta completely halted Pacific Rubiales' production. Disgruntled oil workers and local residents blocked roads, cut electricity lines and burned backhoes and dump trucks, forcing the company to evacuate some of its personnel by helicopter. "This is not a labor protest," complained company executive director Camilo Valencia. "This is a hostile takeover of our installations." (See why land reform could end Colombia's guerrilla war.)

Valencia may be partly right. Though the protesters have legitimate beefs about wages and benefits, government officials suspect that guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, may have infiltrated the demonstrations. Either way, the production stoppage of 225,000 barrels per day has also disrupted the upbeat meme about Colombia overcoming security issues and other problems to become a safe, business-friendly alternative to oil-rich Venezuela. "Oil companies are quite concerned" about the troubles in Colombia, said Heather Berkman, a Latin America analyst at the Eurasia Group in New York City. "It's definitely had a ripple effect in the investment community."

It's hard to say how big that ripple will be. On Thursday, Sept. 22, Pacific Rubiales announced it had reached a temporary accord with the protesters and said production would return to normal next week. What's more, Colombia is no longer the near failed state where marauding guerrillas, paramilitaries and drug traffickers put huge chunks of the national territory off limits to oil exploration. In the past decade, a U.S.-backed military offensive has reduced guerrilla forces by more than half. And while Venezuela and other big producers in the region have changed investment laws and royalty rates to give their governments a greater share of oil profits, Colombia by contrast has reduced royalty rates and allowed foreign companies to own 100% stakes in oil ventures - incentives that opened the door to newcomers like Pacific Rubiales. (See why FARC won't die.)

Still, the oil boom has provoked numerous protests over labor and social and environmental concerns - sensitive issues in a country where there have been so many murders of union leaders, for example, that the U.S. recently demanded labor reforms as a condition for ratifying a bilateral free-trade pact. At the same time, the influx of foreign companies has provided soft and easy targets for FARC, which still has about 8,000 fighters, many of whom operate in oil-producing states like Meta and Caquet?. In June three Chinese oil workers and their translator, working for U.K.-based Emerald Energy, were kidnapped by FARC rebels in Caquet?. In August FARC set fire to numerous oil-tanker trucks and activated a roadside bomb in Caquet?, killing one oil worker and wounding six others. Police officials recently claimed that at least three petroleum companies in Caquet? had been paying extortion money to FARC, and that the attacks began when those payments were stopped.

In fact, a nationwide increase in rebel attacks and crime prompted the Aug. 31 resignation of Colombian Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera. It also persuaded President Juan Manuel Santos to station more police and army troops along vulnerable highways in oil-producing areas. "The growth in oil exploration has been dizzying," Santos said last month. "The area of the country under exploration has jumped from 8 million to 38 million hectares [20 million to 94 million acres]. That requires the presence of the armed forces. Oil companies are asking for this protection."

Amid the bonanza, oil firms are also being asked to do more. Most of Pacific Rubiales' workforce is employed by contractors and subcontractors, and workers insist that these companies are failing to comply with Colombian laws regarding salaries and benefits. That's what sparked this week's disturbances as well as a July protest at Pacific Rubiales installations that also briefly shut down production. The Ministry of Social Protection announced this week that it has opened 40 investigations into labor conditions for oil workers in Meta state. (See photos in the jungle with FARC.)

It's not just oil workers who are angry. People in Puerto Gait?n, an oil boomtown located near the production sites, are pressuring Pacific Rubiales to do more for their community, like buying local products and hiring local residents. "When they have oil running underneath them," says Meta governor Dar?o V?squez, "the people believe they have acquired new rights."

But some wonder who "the people" really are in certain cases. According to Pacific Rubiales and government officials, this week's demonstrations may have been inflated by FARC infiltrators - though it has often been a convenient excuse for officials and executives in Colombia to peg demonstrators as traitors. Oil companies also contend that while they're already paying out huge sums in taxes and royalties, politicians have sometimes squandered the riches. While petrodollars and huge growth in the mining sector have helped fuel Colombia's robust economic growth over the past five years, many towns and villages around production sites remain mired in poverty. One example is the oil-rich state of Arauca, where officials wasted millions on grandiose projects like an Olympic-size velodrome and a water park with a wave pool. Annual royalties to Puerto Gait?n's city government have jumped from chump change to about $50 million - yet 44% of the population lives in poverty and running water is available for just a few hours a day.

For now, peace has been restored in Meta, and Pacific Rubiales will soon be back to pumping its 225,000 barrels per day. But Rodrigo Vecino, a leader of the USO, or Colombian Oil Workers' Union, warns that unless the companies become more responsive to local residents, labor strife "will be constant."

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Friday, September 30, 2011

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Thursday, September 29, 2011

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Tuesday, September 27, 2011

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