New Home Sales in November

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In each Economic Update, the Research staff analyzes recently released economic indicators and addresses what these indicators mean for REALTORS? and their clients. Today?s update discusses the latest new home sales data.

Sales of newly constructed homes rose in November by 4.4 percent from the prior month, and are higher by 15.3 percent from one year ago. The 377,000 annualized sales pace is the highest in nearly 3 years. However, there is ample room for further improvement to get us back to the pre-housing-bubble sales pace of 900,000 or so.
The median price of new homes jumped by 15 percent to $246,200. Higher copper and lumber prices are no doubt partly driving up the price of a newly built home. The faster rise in new home prices, with a widening gap against existing home prices, could be a forerunner for potential catch-up price gains for existing homes in upcoming years.
The inventory of newly constructed homes remains essentially at a 50-year low. Homebuilders need to ramp up production even further. Large national builders are tapping Wall Street funds to up construction activity. However, small local builders are having a difficult time obtaining construction loans.
On a technical note, this new home sales data are contract signings and not closings. Also, only single-family homes are included and not condos.

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Source: http://comorealty.com/new-home-sales-in-november/

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Photography exhibits at the Asia Society challenge self-perception ...

Tell us about yourself!

That's the invitation for those who make it into the current exhibition at the Asia Society Texas Center, and hundreds of visitors have taken the offer to heart. You can view their self-impressions along with their photos at the Grand Hall of the Texas?Center's new home in the Museum District. Even more responses can be found on the Center's website?and social media platforms.?

The actual question is "What Are You?" and, since it's tied to a photo exhibition by the gifted photographer and filmmaker Kip Fulbeck and built on the concept of the book by the same name,?part?asian, 100% hapa (HOP-ah, a Hawaiian word meaning of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in?Asian or Pacific Islander ancestry), one might think it's drawing those Americans who are part Asian. But it welcomes and has attracted all "kinds" of Houstonians who might answer the question with "German-English," "Bankruptcy Attorney" or "Mother," or something entirely different, sentimental or funny.

?"It has been a great interactive project and very educational in teaching about diversity."?

"It has been a great interactive project and very educational in teaching about diversity," says Jordan Dupuis, development coordinator at the Center. He took the show for a preview outing in October at an interactive booth at the Texas Contemporary Art Fair ? and it was a hit. "People were very engaged by the project. It draws people in and gets them thinking about how they define themselves."

You can't tell how people will respond based on age or looks, Dupuis says ? sometimes you get very thoughtful responses and sometimes more whimsical ones. "Some were very intense and very interesting in their answers; some were comical."

A few of our favorites among the current shots at the Center include the rather proper-looking lady who writes, no surprise: "British." The happy-looking man who writes: "I am making cancer history!" with a line drawn through "cancer." The young woman who wrote: "I'm 25% Chinese, 75% Viet. 100% Sunshine!" And the dapper gentleman who wrote: "I am 100% Chinese born living the American dream to the fullest with the most beautiful Mexican American woman by my side."

"The interactive component of the exhibition provides a forum for the exploration of Houston's cultural landscape, and truly reinforces the diversity and multiculturalism that have made Houston a microcosm of the entire country," says Patsy Brown, the Center's communication director. "Perhaps someone's statement will spark something of commonality elsewhere."?

Kip Fulbeck?will be at the Center on Jan. 12 at 3 p.m. for an artist talk?and to take photographs of Houstonians himself. For a glimpse of what you can expect to experience, you can view him?on YouTube delivering a commentary both witty and serious on race and identity.

Additional programs complementing the exhibition will also be presented at the Asia Society Texas Center in 2013. To name a few: The screening of experimental shorts from the Dallas Film Festival Experimental on Jan. 25; a Family Day with storytelling and portraiture activities on Feb. 24; and a talk with Yul Kwon, PBS host and winner of Survivor: Cook Islands, on April 4. ?

The Fulbeck portrait exhibition is free, as is visitor participation.?Those who wish to see a second exhibition also tied to the concept should see the groundbreaking exhibition Portraiture Now: Asian American Portraits of Encounter, which originated as the first Asian in America exhibition by the Smithsonian's National Portrait Gallery. It includes the work of seven artists and an invigorating collection of paintings, drawings, videos and more that give a preview into the not-so-demure direction of modern Asian artists.

Both shows will run through April 14, 2013. Visit the Asia Society Texas Center Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. (closed Mondays and all major holidays). Admission to the building is free, with a $5 exhibition entry fee for all non-members.

Source: http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/12-27-12-photography-exhibits-at-the-asia-society-challenge-self-perception-upset-stereotypes/

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Broncos to finish season in style

The difference Peyton Manning has made in Denver actually is measurable.

Try from 8-8, which the Broncos were a year ago in winning the AFC West, to 12-3. Try losing their final three games of 2011 and sneaking into the back door of the playoffs to winning their last 11 and moving into the postseason as the NFL's best team.

Those are the numbers, along with Denver (No. 1 in the AP Pro32) being a 16-point favorite over Kansas City (No. 32, AP Pro32), which is 2-13.

What Manning has brought to the Broncos in swagger, confidence and performance that has been impressive even by the four-time league MVP's standards.

Don't look for any temporary respite in any of those areas against the weak Chiefs.

"We talk about that a lot, not coasting, pedal downhill," coach John Fox said. "I appreciate him. I think that's a big reason why he's accomplished what he's accomplished, whether it's here or in Indianapolis. He's a tremendous competitor, doesn't let up. I think that's how you need to be to be successful."

Few teams have been more successful this season than the Broncos. Kansas City has no chance Sunday.

BRONCOS, 37-6

No. 20 Carolina (plus 4) at No. 16 New Orleans

After this, Saints will be unburdened from bounties that damaged season.

BEST BET: SAINTS, 40-27

No. 31 Jacksonville (plus 5? ) at No. 26 Tennessee

As bad as Jaguars might be, Titans look worse right now.

UPSET SPECIAL: JAGUARS, 17-13

No. 14 Dallas (plus 3? ) at No. 9 Washington

NBC and NFL get their wish: tight game between archrivals to win division.

REDSKINS, 29-27

No. 7 Houston (minus 6? ) at No. 10 Indianapolis

Texans never have won at Indy. They won't start now.

COLTS, 27-24

No. 19 Miami (plus 11) at No. 4 New England

Patriots playing for a bye, just might get it.

PATRIOTS, 30-17

No. 3 Green Bay (minus 3) at No. 12 Minnesota

Shouldn't be playing hunches so late in season. But ...

VIKINGS, 24-23

No. 27 Arizona (plus 15) at No. 6 San Francisco

Minnesota's win gives 49ers shot at a bye.

49ERS, 30-9

No. 18 St. Louis (plus 10) at No. 5 Seattle

Our ears still are ringing from the noise level at CenturyLink.

SEAHAWKS, 31-20

No. 8 Baltimore (plus 3) at No. 11 Cincinnati

These teams could meet in wild-card round next week.

RAVENS, 20-19

No. 29 Philadelphia (plus 9? ) at No. 15 New York Giants

Big last stand for Michael Vick and Andy Reid? Nah.

GIANTS, 24-13

No. 13 Chicago (minus 3) at No. 28 Detroit

Reeling Bears still have playoff shot. Lions have packed it in.

BEARS, 27-17

No. 24 New York Jets (plus 3) at No. 25 Buffalo

Go with the losing team with less turmoil.

BILLS, 24-16

No. 23 Cleveland (OFF) at No. 17 Pittsburgh

Strange not seeing Steelers in contention. Not strange with Browns.

STEELERS, 17-13

No. 22 Tampa Bay (OFF) at No. 2 Atlanta

Falcons won't have meaningful game for two more weeks.

FALCONS, 27-23

No. 30 Oakland (OFF) at No. 21 San Diego

Norv Turner could be leaving with a two-game winning streak.

CHARGERS, 30-10

___

2012 RECORD:

Against spread: 12-4 (105-118-7). Straight up: 13-3 (147-88-1)

Best Bet: 7-7-2 against spread, 11-5 straight up.

Upset special: 11-5 against spread, 9-7 straight up.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/broncos-finish-season-style-221151215--nfl.html

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Merry Copyright to you ? A jingle for the Oxford v. Rameshwari Case ...

A group of publishers (Oxford and Cambridge University Press and Francis & Taylor) have sued Delhi University & its agent, Rameshwari Photocopy Service for compiling short extracts from different textbooks into a digest for students to use as part of their study (commonly referred to as ?course packs?).

Naturally, students, teachers and even authors of these text books have protested this aggressive law suit, particularly since this is perfectly acceptable under the Indian Copyright Act, which allows for ?fair use? and permits any reproduction of copyrighted works, so long as it is done in the course of educational instruction.


This is not mala fide use, nor is anyone selling these ?course packs? for profit. Publishers going after students, many of them from economically disadvantaged communities, despite the high cost of textbooks, really begs the question ? whither our constitutionally guaranteed fundamental right to education?

In this festive Christmas season of giving and sharing, one really wonders what is the point of all this copyright aggression. Do we want these poor students to buy entire textbooks for the sake of a few pages? Or perhaps access to knowledge is not a concern at all, when there is money to be made in the name of copyright.

The publishers have, using their legal might, secured a temporary victory with a recent Delhi High Court order restraining Delhi University and the photocopier from making and distributing ANY course-packs! Meanwhile, students have nowhere to go and are struggling to access very basic material required for exam preparations that are just round the corner.

?Pay up, pay up, pay up? seems to be the publishers? mantra. But let?s sing along and battle this to the finish in true Christmas spirit. And lets hope that the new year brings in good cheer, as the Delhi High Court reverses the restraining order and rules in favour of students.

Share this with your friends, teachers, colleagues and others so everyone is made aware of this heinous injustice and we can all fight together to right this copy-wrong. For more information on this unfortunate law suit, see the well known Indian IP blog, SpicyIP (http://spicyipindia.blogspot.in/search/label/D.U.%20Photocopy%20Case) which has been tracking these legal proceedings.

CREDITS:

Video by Sudarshan Suresh

Music and Sound Effects by John Daniel

Lyrics: A friendly Santa, well versed in law!

Final Mastering done in Reub-Arc Studio, Bangalore.

LYRICS:

Dashing to the court
In a mighty fancy sleigh
O?er the case we gloat
Laughing all the way

A bunch of copyright crooks
Been rippin? off our books
What fun it is to sue this chain
In a copyright case again

Copyright? copyright?.. copyright all the way..
Oh what fun it is to make these needy students pay..
Copyright? copyright? copyright all the way..
Oh what fun it is to make these needy students pay..

Books are not so cheap
And course packs are for keeps
Why then do we sue?
When our authors don?t want to..

Why must we be right?
It?s all about the fright
These students should just pay?
And throw their case away..

Copyright? copyright?.. copyright all the way..
Oh what fun it is to make these needy students pay..
Copyright?. copyright?. copyright all the way..
Oh what fun it is to make these needy students pay..

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://kafila.org/2012/12/27/merry-copyright-to-you-a-jingle-for-the-oxford-v-rameshwari-case/

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Why Basic Insurance Is Not Enough | Estabrook & Chamberlain ...

Basic isn't enoughMany people think basic insurance is all they need.? The fact is, circumstances can quickly and? easily arise that can exhaust basic coverage limits and result in a significant financial impact.? One example of this is a real life case in which the 18 year old son of an insured was involved in an accident while driving a short distance to the store.? The car left the road, and struck a tree.? The teen?s girlfriend was traveling in the car and sustained significant injuries.? She was in the hospital for over a month.? Initially confined to a wheel chair, she was eventually able to walk with crutches and had to undergo lengthy physical therapy.
The driver of the car claimed he was cut off by another vehicle. However, since there were no witnesses and no physical evidence to support the driver?s claim, the insured?s auto policy had to cover the claim.? Luckily, the insured had a personal umbrella policy that provided additional coverage over and above their auto policy.? Without that added coverage, this tragedy could have had a much greater impact on the lives of all involved.? Personal umbrella policies can and do make a difference.? To learn more and find out how affordable they can be, talk to one of our representatives today.

Source: http://estabrookchamberlain.com/blog/?p=398

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Google Music matching explicit songs with clean ones, but contains a stopgap fix

Google Music graffiti Android

Early iTunes Match adopters will remember the unintentional bowdlerization of their music libraries: they'd listen to their scanned music collection on a second device and lose all the colorful language. As we're quickly learning, Google Music's newly added scan and match feature isn't exempt from that problem, either. Those streaming matched copies of explicit songs through the newer service are getting clean versions, with no obvious way to preserve the filth. Google declines to comment on whether or not there's a long-term fix in the works, although we do know that there's a temporary solution -- choose the "fix incorrect match" option and Google Music will typically upload the raw tracks. We just hope Google starts matching the correct tracks by the next time we want an unfiltered experience for our ears.

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Comments

Via: The Verge

Source: Droid-Life

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/HkNuGq3ttP8/

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Evidence contradicts idea that starvation caused saber-tooth cat extinction

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: David Salisbury
david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
615-343-6803
Vanderbilt University

In the period just before they went extinct, the American lions and saber-toothed cats that roamed North America in the late Pleistocene were living well off the fat of the land.

That is the conclusion of the latest study of the microscopic wear patterns on the teeth of these great cats recovered from the La Brea tar pits in southern California. Contrary to previous studies, the analysis did not find any indications that the giant carnivores were having increased trouble finding prey in the period before they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

The results, published on Dec. 26 in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, contradicts previous dental studies and presents a problem for the most popular explanations for the Megafaunal (or Quaternary) extinction when the great cats, mammoths and a number of the largest mammals that existed around the world disappeared.

"The popular theory for the Megafaunal extinction is that either the changing climate at the end of the last Ice Age or human activity or some combination of the two killed off most of the large mammals," said Larisa DeSantis, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt, who headed the study. "In the case of the great cats, we expect that it would have been increasingly difficult for them to find prey, especially if had to compete with humans. We know that when food becomes scarce, carnivores like the great cats tend to consume more of the carcasses they kill. If they spent more time chomping on bones, it should cause detectable changes in the wear patterns on their teeth."

In 1993, Blaire Van Valkenburgh at UCLA published a paper on tooth breakage in large carnivores in the late Pleistocene. Analyzing teeth of American lions, saber-tooth cats, dire wolves and coyotes from La Brea, she found that they had approximately three times the number of broken teeth of contemporary predators and concluded, "...these findings suggest that these species utilized carcasses more fully and likely competed more intensely for food than present-day large carnivores."

The latest study uses a new technique, called dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), developed by co-authorPeter Ungar at the University of Arkansas. It uses a confocal microscope to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of a tooth. The image is then analyzed for microscopic wear patterns. Chowing down on red meat produces small parallel scratches. Chomping on bones adds larger, deeper pits. Previous methods of dental wear analysis relied on researchers to identify and count these different types of features. DMTA relies on automated software and is considered more accurate because it reduces the possibility of observer bias.

DeSantis and Ungar, with the assistance of Blaine Schubert from East Tennessee State University and Jessica Scott from the University of Arkansas, applied DMTA to the fossil teeth of 15 American lions (Panthera atrox) and 15 saber-tooth cats (Smilodon fatalis) recovered from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles.

Their analysis revealed that the wear pattern on the teeth of the American lion most closely resembled those of the present-day cheetah, which actively avoids bones when it feeds. Similarly, the saber-tooth cat's wear pattern most closely resembled those of the present-day African lion, which indulges in some bone crushing when it eats. (This differs from a previous microwear study using a different technique that concluded saber-tooth cats avoided bone to a far greater extent.)

The researchers examined how these patterns changed over time by selecting specimens from tar pits of different ages, ranging from about 35,000 to 11,500 years ago. They did not find any evidence that the two carnivores increased their "utilization" of carcasses throughout this period. If anything, their analysis suggests that the proportion of the carcasses that both kinds of cats consumed actually declined toward the end.

The researchers acknowledge the high rate of tooth breakage reported in the previous study, but they argue that it is more likely the result of increased breakage when taking down prey instead of when feeding.

"Teeth can break from the stress of chewing bone but they can also break when the carnivores take down prey," DeSantis pointed out. Species like hyenas that regularly chew and crack bones of their kills are as likely to break the rear teeth they use for chewing as their front canines. Species like the cheetah, however, which avoid bones during feeding are twice as likely to break canines than rear teeth. This suggests that they are more likely to break canines when pulling down prey.

The researchers report that previous examinations of the jaws of the American lions and saber-tooth cats from this period found that they have more than three times as many broken canines and interpret this as additional evidence that supports their conclusion that most of the excess tooth breakage occurred during capture instead of feeding.

In addition, the researchers argue that the large size of the extinct carnivores and their prey can help explain the large number of broken teeth. The saber-toothed cats were about the size of today's African lion and the American lion was about 25 percent larger. The animals that they preyed upon likely included mammoths, four-ton giant ground sloths and 3,500-pound bison.

Larger teeth break more easily than smaller teeth. So larger carnivores are likely to break more canine teeth when attempting to take down larger prey, the researchers argue. They cite a study that modeled the strength of canine teeth that found the canines of a predator the size of fox can support more than seven times its weight before breaking while a predator the size of lion can only support about four times its weight and the curved teeth of the saber-toothed cats can only support about twice its weight.

"The net result of our study is to raise questions about the reigning hypothesis that "tough times" during the late Pleistocene contributed to the gradual extinction of large carnivores," DeSantis summarized. "While we can not determine the exact cause of their demise, it is unlikely that the extinction of these cats was a result of gradually declining prey (due either to changing climates or human competition) because their teeth tell us that these cats were not desperately consuming entire carcasses, as we had expected, and instead seemed to be living the 'good life' during the late Pleistocene, at least up until the very end."

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 26-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: David Salisbury
david.salisbury@vanderbilt.edu
615-343-6803
Vanderbilt University

In the period just before they went extinct, the American lions and saber-toothed cats that roamed North America in the late Pleistocene were living well off the fat of the land.

That is the conclusion of the latest study of the microscopic wear patterns on the teeth of these great cats recovered from the La Brea tar pits in southern California. Contrary to previous studies, the analysis did not find any indications that the giant carnivores were having increased trouble finding prey in the period before they went extinct 12,000 years ago.

The results, published on Dec. 26 in the scientific journal PLOS ONE, contradicts previous dental studies and presents a problem for the most popular explanations for the Megafaunal (or Quaternary) extinction when the great cats, mammoths and a number of the largest mammals that existed around the world disappeared.

"The popular theory for the Megafaunal extinction is that either the changing climate at the end of the last Ice Age or human activity or some combination of the two killed off most of the large mammals," said Larisa DeSantis, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at Vanderbilt, who headed the study. "In the case of the great cats, we expect that it would have been increasingly difficult for them to find prey, especially if had to compete with humans. We know that when food becomes scarce, carnivores like the great cats tend to consume more of the carcasses they kill. If they spent more time chomping on bones, it should cause detectable changes in the wear patterns on their teeth."

In 1993, Blaire Van Valkenburgh at UCLA published a paper on tooth breakage in large carnivores in the late Pleistocene. Analyzing teeth of American lions, saber-tooth cats, dire wolves and coyotes from La Brea, she found that they had approximately three times the number of broken teeth of contemporary predators and concluded, "...these findings suggest that these species utilized carcasses more fully and likely competed more intensely for food than present-day large carnivores."

The latest study uses a new technique, called dental microwear texture analysis (DMTA), developed by co-authorPeter Ungar at the University of Arkansas. It uses a confocal microscope to produce a three-dimensional image of the surface of a tooth. The image is then analyzed for microscopic wear patterns. Chowing down on red meat produces small parallel scratches. Chomping on bones adds larger, deeper pits. Previous methods of dental wear analysis relied on researchers to identify and count these different types of features. DMTA relies on automated software and is considered more accurate because it reduces the possibility of observer bias.

DeSantis and Ungar, with the assistance of Blaine Schubert from East Tennessee State University and Jessica Scott from the University of Arkansas, applied DMTA to the fossil teeth of 15 American lions (Panthera atrox) and 15 saber-tooth cats (Smilodon fatalis) recovered from the La Brea tar pits in Los Angeles.

Their analysis revealed that the wear pattern on the teeth of the American lion most closely resembled those of the present-day cheetah, which actively avoids bones when it feeds. Similarly, the saber-tooth cat's wear pattern most closely resembled those of the present-day African lion, which indulges in some bone crushing when it eats. (This differs from a previous microwear study using a different technique that concluded saber-tooth cats avoided bone to a far greater extent.)

The researchers examined how these patterns changed over time by selecting specimens from tar pits of different ages, ranging from about 35,000 to 11,500 years ago. They did not find any evidence that the two carnivores increased their "utilization" of carcasses throughout this period. If anything, their analysis suggests that the proportion of the carcasses that both kinds of cats consumed actually declined toward the end.

The researchers acknowledge the high rate of tooth breakage reported in the previous study, but they argue that it is more likely the result of increased breakage when taking down prey instead of when feeding.

"Teeth can break from the stress of chewing bone but they can also break when the carnivores take down prey," DeSantis pointed out. Species like hyenas that regularly chew and crack bones of their kills are as likely to break the rear teeth they use for chewing as their front canines. Species like the cheetah, however, which avoid bones during feeding are twice as likely to break canines than rear teeth. This suggests that they are more likely to break canines when pulling down prey.

The researchers report that previous examinations of the jaws of the American lions and saber-tooth cats from this period found that they have more than three times as many broken canines and interpret this as additional evidence that supports their conclusion that most of the excess tooth breakage occurred during capture instead of feeding.

In addition, the researchers argue that the large size of the extinct carnivores and their prey can help explain the large number of broken teeth. The saber-toothed cats were about the size of today's African lion and the American lion was about 25 percent larger. The animals that they preyed upon likely included mammoths, four-ton giant ground sloths and 3,500-pound bison.

Larger teeth break more easily than smaller teeth. So larger carnivores are likely to break more canine teeth when attempting to take down larger prey, the researchers argue. They cite a study that modeled the strength of canine teeth that found the canines of a predator the size of fox can support more than seven times its weight before breaking while a predator the size of lion can only support about four times its weight and the curved teeth of the saber-toothed cats can only support about twice its weight.

"The net result of our study is to raise questions about the reigning hypothesis that "tough times" during the late Pleistocene contributed to the gradual extinction of large carnivores," DeSantis summarized. "While we can not determine the exact cause of their demise, it is unlikely that the extinction of these cats was a result of gradually declining prey (due either to changing climates or human competition) because their teeth tell us that these cats were not desperately consuming entire carcasses, as we had expected, and instead seemed to be living the 'good life' during the late Pleistocene, at least up until the very end."

###


[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share Share ]

?


AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.


Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/vu-eci121812.php

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Turkey lifts objection to NATO cooperation with Israel

ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkey has given approval for Israel to participate in non-military NATO activities in 2013, withdrawing an earlier objection driven by an ongoing dispute between the former regional allies, a Turkish official said on Monday.

Relations between Israel and what was once its only Muslim ally crumbled after Israeli marines stormed the Mavi Marmara aid ship in May 2010 to enforce a naval blockade of the Palestinian-run Gaza Strip and killed nine Turks in clashes with activists on board.

The rift has continued despite U.S. efforts to encourage a rapprochement between the two regional powers whose cooperation it needs to address changes sweeping the Middle East.

Turkey, a NATO member, refused to allow Israel to take part in an alliance summit last May because the Jewish state had not apologized for the 2010 killings and Ankara has objected to any increased cooperation.

While not a NATO member, Israel is part of the Mediterranean Dialogue, a NATO outreach program, along with six other non-NATO countries, and had previously participated in summits and training exercises.

Turkey will now agree to Israel taking part in some NATO activities next year but remains opposed to joint military exercises, the official said.

Once close allies, Israel and Turkey, which both border Syria, used to share intelligence information and conduct joint military exercises.

But after a U.N. report into the Mavi Marmara incident released in September last year largely exonerated the Jewish state, Turkey expelled Israel's ambassador and froze military cooperation.

That report was meant to foster a thaw between the countries but ultimately deepened the rift when it concluded Israel had used unreasonable force but that the blockade on Gaza was legal.

Turkey has demanded a formal apology, compensation for victims and the families of the dead and for the Gaza blockade to be lifted.

Israel has voiced "regret", short of the full apology demanded, and has offered to pay into what it called a "humanitarian fund" through which casualties and relatives could be compensated.

(Reporting by Gulsen Solaker; Writing by Jonathon Burch; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-lifts-objection-nato-cooperation-israel-185052657.html

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'Star of Wonder' leaves lots to wonder about

Clay Frost / NBC News

The leading explanation for the blblical "Star of Wonder" is that the Three Wise Men saw a series of planetary conjunctions. Click on the image to launch a Flash interactive about the astronomical side of the Nativity story.

By Alan Boyle

The Star of Bethlehem is one of the best-known parts of the Christmas story, celebrated in the Gospel of Matthew as well in as a constellation of holiday songs. It was that star that led the Three Wise Men to the infant Jesus ??at least if you believe the Bible. But is there anything in the astronomical record that supports the story of the "Star of Wonder"?

The answer is, maybe. The case of the Christmas Star illustrates how slippery things can get when you try to mix scripture and science.


First of all, there's no way to show a definitive connection between any astronomical phenomenon and the tale of the Nativity. On one hand, you could just say that the star was a miraculous apparition. In that case, no further evidence would be needed. On the other hand, you could say that the whole Nativity story, including the part about the Three Wise Men, is fictional. In that case, trying to find the Christmas Star would be as fruitless as trying to determine the real-life location of Dumbledore's tomb in the "Harry Potter" saga.

But if you go along with the astronomers who have looked into the likeliest scenarios to explain Matthew's references to the Christmas Star, the line of reasoning takes some surprising twists: The star could have been a series of planetary conjunctions, or a comet, or perhaps a nova. These events didn't occur during the year A.D. 1, which most people assume was the year Jesus was born. Instead, they occurred at least a couple of years earlier. They also didn't occur anywhere close to Dec. 25.

And here's what might be the most surprising twist: All this meshes with the views generally held by scriptural scholars.

Matthew's story tells of "wise men from the east" ??who were actually priestly astrologers. What they saw in their astronomical calculations led them to alert Judea's king, Herod the Great, to the birth of the "king of the Jews." Herod told the astrologers to look for the infant in Bethlehem and let him know what they found. Matthew says they came upon the infant Jesus, but were warned in a dream not to go back to Herod.

Historical accounts?suggest that Herod died around the 4 B.C. ? although some scholars suggest the date could have been as early as 5 B.C. or as late as 1 B.C. Using this time frame, astronomers have checked the historical records and run computer simulations of the night sky?? and they've come up with these leading candidates for the Christmas Star:

Planets:?The simulations show that there was a rare series of planetary groupings, or conjunctions, in 3 B.C. and 2 B.C. The first conjunction was on the morning of June 12 in 3 B.C., with Venus close to Saturn in the eastern sky. The second conjunction was a spectacular pairing of Venus and Jupiter on Aug. 12 in the constellation Leo, which ancient astrologers associated with the destiny of the Jews.

Between September of 3 B.C. and June of 2 B.C., Jupiter would have passed by the star Regulus in Leo, reversed itself and passed it again, then turned back and passed the star a third time. This reversal was due to the planet's apparent retrograde motion?? a phenomenon familiar to the astrologers but not necessarily noticed by the casual observer. In his book on the Christmas Star, astronomer John Mosley says this would have been a significant event, because ancient astrologers considered Jupiter the kingly planet and regarded Regulus as the "king star."

The crowning touch came on June 17 of 2 B.C., when Jupiter was so close to Venus that "they would have looked like a single star," Mosley said. His scenario implies that the climax of the Nativity story came in the spring of 2 B.C.

There's a problem with this scenario, however: It doesn't work if Herod died in 4 B.C. An astronomer at the University of Sheffield, David Hughes, has proposed a different series of planetary conjunctions in 7 B.C. This was a triple conjunction, in which Jupiter and Saturn would appear to approach each other three times between May and December. "Events indicate that Jesus Christ was probably born in the autumn of that year, around October, 7 B.C.," Hughes wrote in a?paper published by the journal Nature.?

Comet: Other astronomers have considered the idea that the "star" was actually a comet. The likeliest candidate would be a comet recorded by Chinese astronomers in the year 5 B.C., in the constellation Capricorn or Aquila. Comet Halley would have been visible in 11 B.C., and the record suggests that other comets might have been seen in the time frame between those two dates.?"The snag is that they're not that rare,"?Hughes told the BBC. "They were also commonly associated with the 'four Ds' ? doom, death, disease and disaster. So if it did contain a message, it would have been a bad omen."?

Nova or supernova:?The Chinese were particularly good at chronicling supernovae, and the fact that none was recorded during the time frame in question has led most astronomers to discount a supernova as the explanation for the Christmas Star. However, astronomer Mark Kidger argues in his book, "The Star of Bethlehem," that the comet seen by the Chinese in 5 B.C. was actually a nova?? that is, a suddenly brightening star. The temporary brightening may not have caused a worldwide marvel, but if it came after a series of planetary conjunctions, it could have been enough of a signal to send the wise men on their way.

Kidger's scenario calls for the climax of the Christmas Star story to come in March of 5 B.C., after months of buildup. He even names his candidate for the Christmas Star: DO Aquilae, which is just faintly visible today.

What scholars say:?None of these scenarios would be consistent with Western Christianity's traditional schedule for the Christmas season, which calls for the "12 Days of Christmas" to begin on Dec. 25 and wind up with the arrival of the Three Kings on Epiphany, Jan. 6. However, scriptural scholars have pointed out that none of the Gospels refers to the date of Jesus' birth. In fact, the Gospel of Luke?s account about shepherds being out in their fields might make more sense if the birth occurred during the spring lambing season.

So how did Dec. 25, A.D. 1, get set as Jesus' birthdate? The current counting system for years (A.D. and B.C.) was set up in the sixth century by a monk named Dionysius Exiguus, who combined his reading of scripture, Roman history and end-of-the-world numerology to pick Year 1. Scriptural scholars now agree, however, that the timing of the Nativity story would make more sense if the birth occurred earlier than that?? because of the timing of Herod's death as well as a better understanding of the chronology for Roman emperors and governors.

As for the December date: Scholars say that the early Christian church wasn't all that interested in marking the day of Jesus' birth. For example, a 3rd-century theologian named Origen mocked the Romans for making such a big deal over divine birthdays.

Around the year 200, Clement of Alexandria noted that the favored dates for the birth were in the March-April-May time frame ? which would be consistent with the astronomical scenarios for the Christmas star.

It wasn't until the mid-4th century that Dec. 25 started showing up in church literature. The conventional wisdom is that Christmas was set in December after Constantine the Great's conversion to Christianity in 312, to bring the Christian holiday into line with?pagan celebrations of the solstice. But Andrew McGowan, warden and president of Trinity College at the University of Melbourne in Australia, argues in favor of an alternate explanation: that church leaders wanted to link their date for Jesus' conception with the presumed date of his death, on March 25. If you add nine months to March 25, you get Dec. 25 as the date of birth.

"Connecting Jesus' conception and death in this way will certainly seem odd to modern readers, but it reflects ancient and medieval understandings of the whole of salvation being bound up together," McGowan writes in this month's essay for Bible History Today.

The tale of Christmas and the Star of Wonder shows how astronomy and numerology can get tangled up with religion. But we're familiar with that, right? After all, we've just been through the apocalyptic angst surrounding the turnover of the Maya Long Count calendar. Fortunately, this week's turn of the calendar has a much more positive spin. So here's wishing you a wonderful holiday season of your choice ? whether it celebrates?Christmas or the solstice, the new year on the Gregorian calendar, or the new baktun for the Maya.

More about the science of the season:


Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the Cosmic Log community by "liking" the log's Facebook page, following @b0yle on Twitter and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space, sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/24/16115672-that-christmas-star-of-wonder-still-leaves-plenty-to-wonder-about?lite

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