Russian ruling party official shot dead in Caucasus

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Two gunmen shot dead a ruling party official on Tuesday in Russia's North Caucasus, where the Kremlin is fighting to subdue an Islamist insurgency, investigators said.

Unknown assailants burst into Boris Zherukov's office in Nalchik, capital of the province of Kabardino-Balkaria, and shot him twice in the head, Russia's Investigative Committee said in a statement.

Zherukov was head of President Vladimir Putin's ruling United Russia party faction in the local parliament. He was also rector of the local State Agricultural University.

Insurgents fighting to carve an Islamic state out of a patchwork of mainly Muslim regions in Russia's mountainous south stage near-daily shootings and bomb attacks targeting officials and police.

The violence - fuelled by discontent over joblessness, corruption and police brutality - is mostly limited to the North Caucasus, where the Kremlin fought two wars against separatist rebels in Chechnya since the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

But insurgents have also struck the Russian heartland, claiming responsibility for a suicide bombing that killed 37 at Moscow's busiest airport in 2011 and twin bombings on the Moscow metro that killed 40 in 2010.

(Reporting by Nastassia Astrasheuskaya; Editing by Alissa de Carbonnel and Pravin Char)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russian-ruling-party-official-shot-dead-caucasus-131313157.html

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You Are Pretty Enough To Find Love | xoJane

The other day, a girl emailed me:

?I?m worried that I?m not pretty enough to get a guy. I?m single, and want a serious relationship, but sometimes I think I can?t find one because I?m not prettier.?

I wanted to exclaim, ?That?s ridiculous!? But instead I thought, Well, of course you?re worried.

When I was single, I reasoned that being hotter was always better because it would give me more options. The hotter I was, the more guys would be interested in me, and the more choice I?d have in the matter. So even if I thought I looked fine, it would?ve been better to look, well, even better. (And then there is no limit?you can always be hotter, somehow.) And when I thought that I looked significantly, depressingly less than fine, I was scared, because I felt as though I might miss out on something essential.

This is not irrational. It makes sense, when we think of women?s worth as being closely matched, at least initially, with their beauty.

From the time we?re little girls, we?re taught that if we were prettier everything in our lives would be better. We would have the things that we want. Girls become preoccupied with their appearances in an effort to control and improve their lives, and are too often driven to despair when they don?t see themselves as fitting into restrictive and seemingly arbitrary beauty standards. And this is not some dramatic interpretation?it?s just life. Some of us escape unscathed, and some of us are blissfully oblivious enough, and some of us recover from middle school and go on to not care very much, and some of us continue to be chased by the howling, hungry beauty demons into our adulthood and even until we die.

My grandmothers are always worried about how they look. Always.

So it?s no wonder that someone might worry that not looking good enough might interfere with finding love. It sometimes feels like it interferes with everything, after all. And what is more tied to beauty than selecting a partner? Isn?t that what beauty is all about, ultimately?-being able to attract desirable partners? Isn?t that the biological reason why we even have this thing called beauty?

Sure. Sort of.

Looking good is an important part of dating. But the critical part is looking good to a particular person who you would like to look good to. It?s taken me perhaps a surprisingly long amount of time to adjust to this idea.

?If I was prettier, I?d have more of a chance with guys,? I thought, shamefully, secretly, when I was single. At the same time I was telling my friends, ?Whatever?guys are so lame these days.?

But even as I worried that I wasn?t naturally beautiful enough to find someone great, everywhere I looked, there were real-life examples to the contrary. Lots of fabulously happy, well-matched couples in which neither person struck me as conventionally attractive. Couples in which the woman was not obviously ?hot,? and the man obviously thought she was. Stunningly lovely single women who couldn?t seem to go on a second date. Nerdy couples, married in their mid-20?s, fabulous women who were happy being single and fabulous women who were heartbroken over being single. Opposites-attract couples and couples who looked almost eerily sibling-esque. Couples who?d fallen in love at first sight and couples who had waited forever. Looking at the people around me, it almost seemed like no rules applied to love. It almost seemed like anything could happen, regardless of what a person looked like.

The thing about beauty is that we are taught that it applies in the same ways to everyone, and that we can all see it the same and judge it the same and experience it the same and value it the same. That is the reason why so many girls and women fight so hard and spend so much money and energy trying their best to look the same ways. Very thin and lustrously-haired and large-eyed and plump-lipped and full-boobed and narrow-waisted. And while it?s probably totally true that these beauty standards exist for a reason, that they are rooted in biology and confirmed by eons of culture, it is ALSO true that often, they just don?t matter a whole lot when it comes to finding love.

Maybe when it comes to finding a sexy one-night stand, yes, yes, definitely, the more stereotypically, standardly hot you look, the easier it might be to select from a larger number of eager volunteers. But when it comes to finding longer lasting love, it?s a different story. And that story is much more about individual tastes and conversation and that mysterious spark that wafts between people and sometimes suddenly ignites.

That?s the awesome thing about people?despite everything we?re told about the way other people should look, and despite all the ways in which we are influenced by our culture, our own desires often prevail. I have always wanted a squishy, hairy man, for example. I have heard these characteristics dismissed thoughtlessly as ?gross,? and I don?t admire them because I am so subversive and such a social rebel. I just like the way they feel and look. The belly that my husband is convinced makes him unattractive is one of my favorite features. Meanwhile, I?ve spent a long, stupid, but maybe inevitable amount of time hating my big nose, but on our third date, right before we kissed for the first time, my husband said, ?I love your nose. It?s so striking.?

There are men, I?ve seen their comments on the internet, who complain that Gisele Bundchen needs another nose job, because her nose is hideous for being ?too big.? There are men who have passed me over in a second for my beautiful blond, buxom friend. And there are men who have fallen madly in love with me and told me that I am the most beautiful thing they have ever seen. One of those men happened to be fantastically gorgeous and amazingly awesome in my eyes, and I married him. So that worked out.

I think it works out most of the time. Not just because of my own life, but because of everything I?ve seen, when I?m looking around honestly, instead of through the lens of self-criticism.

Feeling unattractive can be all-consuming, but it?s usually misleading. Just because you feel like you don?t look good enough for this or that or true love or the other thing doesn?t mean that you actually don?t. Because ?good enough? is a complicated, indefinable measure that is too easily moved around to accommodate our own worst fears, rather than the reality.

Maybe ironically, though I?ve been concerned about my appearance when single, I?ve felt my ugliest in long-term relationships. Maybe because I had more time to think, and I realized that my concerns about my appearance had very little to do with other people, they were mostly about my relationship with myself.

I don?t know your whole story, girl-who-is-afraid-she-isn?t-pretty-enough-to-get-a-guy, and of course stories are complicated, but I promise you that love is not waiting for you to get prettier. That?s just you, waiting. The rest, I think, has a lot to do with coincidence and luck. But in the meantime, it?s time to start feeling good about who you are. And in my opinion, it?s really important to learn to feel better about the way you look, not so that you can get a man, but so that you can learn to stop blaming your looks for the way your life is going. And then you can be happier all around. That is the real victory.

Reprinted with permission from The Frisky. Want more?

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Source: http://www.xojane.com/relationships/you-are-pretty-enough-to-find-love

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Mickey Mouse tattoo tights ? Style | News | Design | Arts | Tech ...

TATTOO TIGHTS MICKEY MOUSE

Mickey mouse tattoo tights, featuring elastic waist, sheer coloring with Mickey Mouse pattern on inside legs, and delicate stretch finish. via Romwe

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About the Author

Source: http://theskunkpot.com/index.php/mickey-mouse-tattoo-tights-style/

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Customer Service Essentials for Small to Medium Businesses ...

Smaller businesses don?t always have the resources for quick-response and automated customer service, but because they?re not gigantic conglomerates, consumers still expect the same speed and quality of service ? perhaps even more than they do of larger companies. In the age of social media and technology advancements, it?s easy to lose track of the customer service essentials SMBs need to maintain to stay relevant.

How does your website look?
A recent?Forbes Magazine article?noted that in their attempts to stay relevant in sales, SMBs often lose sight of their websites. Try walking through your website from the perspective of someone who?s never heard of your company before. Ask yourself: Is my website user friendly and modern looking and will it make customers visit more than once? You want your customers to frequent your website often and have a positive experience with it. Resources and support links should be easy for them to find, and pages should navigate organically to and from each other.

Forbes analysis reads: ?As sales move to digital, the web site drives higher customer value and loyalty. Just as importantly, it lowers interaction costs ? critical for winning in the SMB market where the small size of each individual customer requires a nimble interaction model to capture any margin.?

?

Do you have a social channel for your customers?

Social media customer relationship management (social CRM) is expected to be a billion dollar industry and is quickly being adapted into sales strategies and best practices. If you haven?t already, create a twitter handle for your support team. Monitor it weekly, if not daily, to engage with customers, promote deals and monitor customer service issues. Virgin Atlantic, for example, has set up a system that allows flyers to Tweet them for flight status updates.?http://www.virgin-atlantic.com/en/gb/bookflightsandmore/innovationzone/virginfamily/twitterstatus.jsp 0

?

People want their businesses to be as interactive as they are, which means you should develop social media strategies for your customer support as soon as possible. Don?t look at it as a nuisance, either.?Social CRM apps, which allow you to better track your customers online behavior, increase productivity among your sales team by about 25 percent.

How are you following up?
You absolutely should not leave your customers high and dry after you?ve won them. This isn?t Boiler Room. Refocus your SMB sales team commitment so every rep follows up with every customer post-sale in search of renewals and upsells. Ask them how their experience with your company went and encourage them to come back. To increase your chances of renewals, consider offering discounts to entice them to come back.

You should also fall back on your strong website and social media presence when chasing renewals. Once they purchase a product, make sure your website offers tips for using that product and recommends similar products they haven?t bought. Also engage with them via a tweet, for example, if they?ve found your business through a social media site. Customers are more inclined to come back to a business that can prove its run by humans and not automated, spam-like virtual salesmen.

Authored by:

Koka Sexton

Koka Sexton, Director of Social Strategy at InsideView, is one of the most recognized social experts in the technology industry. With ten+ years of sales experience and a passion for social media, Koka is the perfect evangelist for social selling, a topic that he promotes through national speaking engagements and InsideView's newest social media endeavor: Social Selling University. Koka's ...

See complete profile

Source: http://socialmediatoday.com/koka-sexton/1107866/customer-service-essential-small-medium-businesses

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Gingerbread and cranberry muffins

Make the batter a day or two ahead, then simply scoop them out in the morning and bake. The deep ginger and molasses flavor sings of Christmas and the tart, sweet cranberries add to the festive flavor.

By Perre Coleman Magness,?The Runaway Spoon / December 24, 2012

The deep ginger and molasses flavor sings of Christmas and the tart, sweet cranberries add to the festive flavor. Smooth the warm muffins with a bit of egg nog butter.

The Runaway Spoon

Enlarge

Everyone is up earlier than any other day of the year to see what?s under the tree. Wrapping paper ripping, bows flying, boxes everywhere. And somewhere in there, folks get hungry. Just a nibble before the big celebration. Something special, but simple. There?s just too much going on to whip up a gourmet feast. And the cookies Santa left behind just won?t do.

Skip to next paragraph Perre Coleman Magness

The Runaway Spoon

Perre Magness has studied food and cooking around the world, mostly by eating, but also through serious study. Coursework at Le Cordon Bleu London and intensive courses in Morocco, Thailand and France has broadened her own culinary skill and palate. The kitchen of choice is at home, cooking like most people, experimenting with unique but practical ideas.

Recent posts

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I?ve been making versions of this type of muffin for years, and decided it was finally time to work out a Christmas version. Because these are the perfect treat for a crazy, busy morning. Make the batter a day or two ahead, then simply scoop them out in the morning and bake. The deep ginger and molasses flavor sings of Christmas and the tart, sweet cranberries add to the festive flavor. I love the added hit of candied ginger, but feel free to leave them out or substitute raisins or nuts.

These muffins are delicious straight up, spread with a little plain butter or some cranberry jam if you happen to have any around. But add this nutmeg-y butter with the flavor of eggnog to add to the holiday spirit. Make it ahead, too, even a double batch for toast or waffles.

Merry Morning Muffins with Eggnog Butter (Overnight Gingerbread and Cranberry Muffins)

Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 eggs

1-3/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon warm water

1 cup dried cranberries

1/4 cup crystallized ginger pieces

Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy using an electric mixer.? Beat in the molasses, then add the eggs one at a time, beating until combined.

Sift the flour and spices together and beat into the batter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until the batter is just mixed. Dissolve the baking soda in the warm water in a small dish, then mix into the batter.? Stir in the cranberries and ginger until they are distributed throughout.

At this point, the batter can be refrigerated for up to two days, tightly covered.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 12 muffin cups and divide the batter among them equally.? Bake for 15 ? 20 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.? Cool in the pan for a few minutes, then turn out on to a wire rack to cool.

For the Butter:

Makes 1/2 cup

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened

2 tablespoons confectioners? sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Beat the butter and confectioners? sugar together until light and fluffy.? Beat in the vanilla and nutmeg until combined and smooth.? Scoop into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate until firm.

The butter can be made up to a week ahead.

Related post on The Runaway Spoon: Oatmeal Get Up and Go Muffins

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of food bloggers. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by The Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own and they are responsible for the content of their blogs and their recipes. All readers are free to make ingredient substitutions to satisfy their dietary preferences, including not using wine (or substituting cooking wine) when a recipe calls for it. To contact us about a blogger, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/cbralBC-Z3g/Gingerbread-and-cranberry-muffins

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Study: Blood transfusion associated with increased risk of death for patients with heart attack

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 24-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: David Orenstein
David_Orenstein@brown.edu
401-863-1862
JAMA and Archives Journals

CHICAGO A meta-analysis of 10 studies suggests that receipt of a blood transfusion among patients with myocardial infarction (heart attack) was associated with increased all-cause mortality compared with not receiving a blood transfusion during heart attack, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Therapeutic measures including anticoagulation and antiplatelet drugs have "revolutionized" the approach to acute coronary syndrome and improved clinical outcomes. However, some of these therapies may also increase the risk for bleeding, which can lead to patients developing anemia during their hospital stay and requiring blood transfusion, according to the study background.

Saurav Chatterjee, M.D., of Brown University and Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Rhode Island, and colleagues conducted a review of studies published between January 1966 and March 2012. Ten studies, including 203,665 participants, were selected for analysis. Only one study was a randomized trial, while the others were observational studies.

"Analyses of blood transfusion in myocardial infarction revealed increased all-cause mortality associated with a strategy of blood transfusion vs. no blood transfusion during myocardial infarction (18.2 percent vs. 10.2 percent), with a weighted absolute risk increase of 12 percent," the authors comment.

Other statistical analyses suggest that blood transfusion was associated with a higher risk for mortality independent of baseline hemoglobin level, nadir hemoglobin level and change in hemoglobin level during the hospital stay. Blood transfusion also appeared to be associated with a higher risk for subsequent myocardial infarction (risk ratio, 2.04), according to the study results.

"In conclusion, this meta-analysis provides evidence that rates of all-cause mortality and subsequent myocardial infarction are significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving blood transfusion. Additional outcomes data are needed from randomized clinical trials that investigate important outcomes with adequate sample size and with low risk for bias," the authors conclude. (Arch Intern Med. Published online December 24, 2012. doi:10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.1001. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Commentary: Blood Transfusions, Death and Heart Attack

In a related commentary, Jeffrey L. Carson, M.D., of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, and Paul C. Hbert, M.D., of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada, write: "Do blood transfusions kill more patients with an acute myocardial infarction than anemia? Chatterjee and colleagues would have you believe that they do. We remain unconvinced."

"What might we take away from this systematic review? The authors remind us that patients with an acute myocardial infarction are often anemic and receive red blood cell transfusion. However, because of its many limitations, as physicians, we should not use the results of this review to justify or limit the use of red blood cells," they continue.

"For researchers and decision makers, we can now appreciate how little reliable information is available to inform clinical and policy decisions involving red blood cell transfusions in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Given that real risks and potential benefits exist as to how we choose to use the valuable resource of blood transfusion, we believe that high-quality research is long overdue," they conclude. (Arch Intern Med. Published online December 24, 2012. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2855. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: Both authors made conflict of interest disclosures because they have applied for research funding to support a trial to evaluate transfusion thresholds in patients with acute coronary syndrome. One author also disclosed grant support to his institution and his work as a consultant. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

###

For more information, contact JAMA Network Media Relations at 312-464-JAMA (5262) or email mediarelations@jamanetwork.org.



[ 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: 24-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: David Orenstein
David_Orenstein@brown.edu
401-863-1862
JAMA and Archives Journals

CHICAGO A meta-analysis of 10 studies suggests that receipt of a blood transfusion among patients with myocardial infarction (heart attack) was associated with increased all-cause mortality compared with not receiving a blood transfusion during heart attack, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Internal Medicine, a JAMA Network publication.

Therapeutic measures including anticoagulation and antiplatelet drugs have "revolutionized" the approach to acute coronary syndrome and improved clinical outcomes. However, some of these therapies may also increase the risk for bleeding, which can lead to patients developing anemia during their hospital stay and requiring blood transfusion, according to the study background.

Saurav Chatterjee, M.D., of Brown University and Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Rhode Island, and colleagues conducted a review of studies published between January 1966 and March 2012. Ten studies, including 203,665 participants, were selected for analysis. Only one study was a randomized trial, while the others were observational studies.

"Analyses of blood transfusion in myocardial infarction revealed increased all-cause mortality associated with a strategy of blood transfusion vs. no blood transfusion during myocardial infarction (18.2 percent vs. 10.2 percent), with a weighted absolute risk increase of 12 percent," the authors comment.

Other statistical analyses suggest that blood transfusion was associated with a higher risk for mortality independent of baseline hemoglobin level, nadir hemoglobin level and change in hemoglobin level during the hospital stay. Blood transfusion also appeared to be associated with a higher risk for subsequent myocardial infarction (risk ratio, 2.04), according to the study results.

"In conclusion, this meta-analysis provides evidence that rates of all-cause mortality and subsequent myocardial infarction are significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction receiving blood transfusion. Additional outcomes data are needed from randomized clinical trials that investigate important outcomes with adequate sample size and with low risk for bias," the authors conclude. (Arch Intern Med. Published online December 24, 2012. doi:10.1001/2013.jamainternmed.1001. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

Commentary: Blood Transfusions, Death and Heart Attack

In a related commentary, Jeffrey L. Carson, M.D., of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Brunswick, and Paul C. Hbert, M.D., of the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, Canada, write: "Do blood transfusions kill more patients with an acute myocardial infarction than anemia? Chatterjee and colleagues would have you believe that they do. We remain unconvinced."

"What might we take away from this systematic review? The authors remind us that patients with an acute myocardial infarction are often anemic and receive red blood cell transfusion. However, because of its many limitations, as physicians, we should not use the results of this review to justify or limit the use of red blood cells," they continue.

"For researchers and decision makers, we can now appreciate how little reliable information is available to inform clinical and policy decisions involving red blood cell transfusions in patients with acute coronary syndrome. Given that real risks and potential benefits exist as to how we choose to use the valuable resource of blood transfusion, we believe that high-quality research is long overdue," they conclude. (Arch Intern Med. Published online December 24, 2012. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.2855. Available pre-embargo to the media at http://media.jamanetwork.com.)

Editor's Note: Both authors made conflict of interest disclosures because they have applied for research funding to support a trial to evaluate transfusion thresholds in patients with acute coronary syndrome. One author also disclosed grant support to his institution and his work as a consultant. Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, financial disclosures, funding and support, etc.

###

For more information, contact JAMA Network Media Relations at 312-464-JAMA (5262) or email mediarelations@jamanetwork.org.



[ 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/jaaj-sbt122012.php

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Global Finance School Learning Center 1.0 free download ...

GLOBAL FINANCE SCHOOL LEARNING CENTER OVERVIEW

Learn finance the easy way, with Global Finance School's Learning Center.

Global Finance School, an upcoming dominant provider of financial education for beginners, launches a brand new digital platform for self-learning of investments, economics and finance, for a free download:
http://gfs.am/free.

Global Finance School's new platform enables students and individuals seeking self- or job-improvement easy and fast access to a rich database of interactive courses in finance. These courses, until recently only available by streaming, are suitable for beginners in the field - each new term is carefully defined using straightforward language, examples and illustrations. They're also self-paced, giving the students the flexibility to learn whenever they please, flip back and forth, or even stop mid-lesson to continue later. The learning experience is enhanced by entertaining videos and weblinks to relevant real-life events. Learn more here: http://gfs.am/interactive-courses.

The new application makes learning finance simpler than ever. After a short login at start up, the user gets immediate access to purchased courses, which are available even when not connected to the internet - therefore perfect to study while traveling. The app includes individual completion rates per course, even per lesson, to help keep track of progress; as well as graded quizzes and a total mark for each course. It features in-app purchase of additional courses using a PayPal account - the purchased courses will be immediately downloaded and become available with no time limit, even offline.

About Global Finance School
Global Finance School's goal is to provide straightforward, accessible financial education for people of any age or background. Teams of dedicated professionals break down complicated financial subjects and bring them to life, using simple explanations, interactive elements and links to real-life events. Learn more at GlobalFinanceSchool.com.

Source: http://www.freshshare.com/Home-Education/Teaching-Tools/global-finance-school-learning-center-download-52777.htm

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Memory Box Christmas Tags - Society of Stampaholics

I like to make my own Christmas tags, and we save them from year to year, so it's reaching the point where we have some real variety when we pick and choose which tag we want for the gift we're wrapping. But you can never have too many tags, in my opinion!

When I first saw Memory Box's Eyelet Stocking die (98416), my brain immediately screamed, "Gift Tag! Gift Tag!"

It was really easy to make these tags while watching holiday classics like Miracle on 34th Street and Home Alone. If you've got this die and are planning on watching some films, go ahead and turn it into a family craft project - we had a blast!

I didn't even stamp on these (with the exception of the first tag); The focus her is on patterned paper, accents, and ribbon. I apologize for the poorly lit photos ?- just haven't been able to get any decent light lately.

Blue-Snowflakes

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: Water, Grey cardstock; Martha Stewart ribbon; Memento ink; snowflake stamp ?

Stars
All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: Wassail cardstock; Tinsel patterned paper; Martha Stewart ribbon; Recollections stars

Orange-Gigi

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: Ivory cardstock; Yuletide patterned paper; American Craft ribbon; Mark Richards gems; Ranger Liquid Pearls; Cosmo Cricket Tiny Type stickers

Snowflake-2

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: Wassail cardstock; Tinsel patterned paper; American Craft velevet rickrack ribbon; Paper Studio snowflake brad; Hero Arts gem

Rose-2

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: white cardstock; Yuletide patterned paper; K&I ribbon;?Recollections flower, Paper Studio silver rosette sticker ?

Candy-Canes-2

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: peapod cardstock; Yuletide patterened paper; Ranger Tinsel Twine; Making Memories brads; gems?

? Red-Pearls

All supplies are from Memory Box unless otherwise noted: white cardstock; Yuletide patterned paper; Martha Stewart, Offray ribbon; Paper Studio rosette sticker; red pearls

B A S I C ? I N S T R U C T I O N S

  1. Cut stocking from patterned paper (1) and matching cardstock (2). (Blue and gray tag requires 2 water cardstock stockings and 1 grey cardstock stocking.)?
  2. Horizontally score one of the cardstock stockings about .5" from the top of the stocking and bend it back on the fold. Write your TO and FROM info on the front, then?adhere the cardstocking stocking beneath the patterned paper stocking. (Keep your adhesive above the score line.)?
  3. Use a 1 3/8" circle punch to cut the toe and heel from the second cardstock stocking.
  4. (For blue and grey stocking, stamp snowflakes on stocking.)
  5. Adhere toe and heel "patches" to the patterned paper stocking.
  6. Cut eyelet stocking topper from cardstock.
  7. (Where applicable, wrap ribbon around stocking topper and adhere to stocking.)?
  8. Adhere accents, brads, etc to stocking and topper.
  9. (For dark snowflake stocking, dot liquid pearls in center of each snowflake.)

T I P

Once you cut the heel and tip from the stocking, line it up on your work surface with the stockign from which it was cut. This helps you to know which way to glue the bits on to the patterned paper.

Sock-Bits

Thanks for stopping and have a blessed day!

Source: http://dominodebi.typepad.com/sos/2012/12/memory-box-christmas-tags.html

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Syria activists: Several die after Assad's forces use 'poisonous gases ...

By Ayman Mohyeldin, NBC News

CAIRO -- Several Syrians have died after inhaling poisonous gas released by government forces in rebel-held districts of Homs, local eyewitnesses and activists claimed Monday.

Civilians were admitted to hospital with serious breathing problems after Sunday?s attack, according to doctors and groups who posted what they said was video of the aftermath to YouTube.

The gas is thought to have been a concentrated irritant, but not one of the deadly chemical weapons stockpiled by the regime of Syria president Bashar Assad.

Claims by either side in Syria?s bitter civil war are almost impossible to independently verify because journalists are rarely allowed access to the country.

Pesticide poisoning?
Mousab Azzawi, chairman of the London-based Syrian Network for Human Rights and a doctor, told NBC News that his organization had received reports from three eyewitnesses on Sunday.

He said field doctors in Homs were seeing patients ?losing consciousness, experiencing severe shortness of breath and vomiting.?

?To our understanding, this is similar to poisoning with pesticide,? he said, although he was not aware of any pesticide that could take the form of a gas.

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Azzawi added that they were ?very concerned and deeply worried? that the attack might be a sign that Assad?s regime might use chemical weapons ?on a very small scale.?

Walid Fares, spokesman for the Homs Revolutionary Council -- part of the National Coalition for Syrian Revolutionary and Opposition Forces, the umbrella organization recognized by more than 100 countries including the United States -- issued a statement to NBC News on Monday.

It said ?poisonous gases? came from shells fired by government tanks in the districts of Al Bayada and Al Khalideya.

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?The shells did not explode but rather emitted a cloud of white smoke and it landed in residential areas? where revolutionaries had gathered and which led to tens being injured,? the statement said.

It said symptoms included ?complete absence of vision? as well as nausea, lost consciousness and severe breathing difficulty.

?The initial analysis of the doctors in the hospital confirmed that it is a poisonous gas that contains banned substances,? the statement added, citing videos that claimed to show patients being treated.

'This isn't the first time'
It said there were seven deaths as of early Monday - naming six of the victims - and close to 50 injured.

A third group, the Local Coordination Committees - a network of local opposition councils across Syria - told NBC News: "The LCC has not yet confirmed what the substance was, but doctors in Homs are confirming the use of toxic gases. This isn't the first time; residents of Homs and Zabadani were reporting the use (confirmed) of white phosphorus months ago.?

Two YouTube videos showed patients being treated in hospital for the symptoms of a gas attack. In one, a doctor says in Arabic that the gas is ?definitely not Sarin? but is ?definitely? poisonous.

US officials:?Syria loads chemical weapons into bombs; military awaits Assad's order

Earlier this month, President Barack Obama warned Assad that the use of chemical weapons by his regime would be "totally unacceptable." "If you make the tragic mistake of using these weapons there will be consequences and you will be held accountable," he said.

The alleged gas attack came hours after a senior Israeli defense official said he believed Syria's chemical weapons were still secure despite the civil war.

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Amos Gilad told Army Radio that the both sides had become deadlocked but there was no sign of Assad heeding international calls to step down, according to a Reuters report.

"Suppose he does leave, there could be chaos ... in the Middle East you never know who will come instead. We need to stay level-headed; the entire world is dealing with this. At the moment, chemical weapons are under control," Gilad said.

Reuters contributed to this report.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/24/16127090-syria-activists-several-die-after-assads-forces-use-poisonous-gases

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