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December 18,2010 by Sarah Lieberman:Hoodwatch Media affiliate Chicago| It's no secret that in this life we will surely die someday,but sometimes, a time spent in life is too short. Some time over the labor day weekend, Atlanta rapper, and music composer Lord Hector Diono was remixing a previous release in his studio in Decatur Georgia when he received a phone call from a chief insider to his music nucleus, Mr. Dwight Wash of Forrest,Mississippi about 7pm Saturday September 4, this year. Hector was informed that his good friend and confidant Leteaka Coston had passed away earlier that morning from a massive heart attack,dead at the age of 29. Today we announce Hector's decision to release a piano composition he wrote in memory of Miss Coston to the entire world. The single is entitled "I Hope You Shine"(A Letter To Lateaka Coston) and will appear on itunes, one of many music outlets contracted to the rapper he'll use to spread the word about how much Miss Coston meant to him and his closest friends. The free version is available now at http://lordhectordiono.bandcamp.com/track/i-hope-you-shine-a-letter-for-lateaka-coston Hector told his online media staff October 18, 2010, "plain and simple, this will not stand,she was too damn young to go like this". Since then the rapper and music composer has been trying to complete the music project he deemed at times too hard to carry out. Lord Hector finished the project on Saturday December 4, 2010 and sends his deepest regards to her family and life partner Drama Franklin.The record will be released on his indie label; Dark Town Music Group and distributed by Island Def Jam Music on Christmas Day December 25, 2010(Updated December 25, 2010) Now Available on Napster.com| http://music.napster.com/lord-hector-diono-music/album/%E2%80%9Ci-hope-you-shine%E2%80%9D-%28a-letter-to-lateaka-coston%29---single/14079656#s_module Story by by Sarah Lieberman [UPDATE] by Jess Glass August 22,2011 Lord Hector Diono commemorates the 30th birthday of his fallen friend Ms. Lateaka T. Coston, Marietta, Georgia who would've turned 30 years old on August 24, 2011. A memorial tribute single released Friday August 19,2011 entitled "Reach For You" http://www.amazon.com/Reach-For-You-Memorial-Tribute/dp/B005HZV37C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1314010447&sr=8-1 The single is another attempt to add some closure for our CEO whom I spoke with on August 2, 2011 and came to my own conclusion that he is still very much affected by the sudden loss of Ms. Coston but shows improvement on the length of time he can actually talk about her demise. This single will also list as a free download for family, friends, and interested listeners of this latest composition which will be available August 24, 2011 http://islanddefjam.bandcamp.com/track/happy-birthday-lateakareach-for-you [STORY] by Jess Glass August 22,2011| Hoodwatch Media affiliate Athens,GeorgiaDecember 18,2010 by Sarah Lieberman:Hoodwatch Media affiliate Chicago| It's no... more
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The new UK Prime Minister David Cameron is shaping his government, after his Conservative Party formed an historic coalition with the Liberal Democrats.
Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg is to be the new deputy prime minister, with four colleagues also getting cabinet jobs.
Posts confirmed so far include George Osborne as chancellor and William Hague as foreign secretary.
Mr Cameron vowed to set aside party differences and Mr Clegg urged doubting Lib Dem voters to "keep faith with us".
The coalition is the first time the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have had a power-sharing deal at Westminster and the first coalition in the UK since the Second World War.
**Do you think the coalition will last? Or will it collapse like the last indecisive election in 1974?**
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/election_2010/8676607.stmThe new UK Prime Minister David Cameron is shaping his government, after his... more
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If you're reading this article sitting down—the position we all hold more than any other, for an average of 8.9 hours a day—stop and take stock of how your body feels. Is there an ache in your lower back? A light numbness in your rear and lower thigh? Are you feeling a little down?
These symptoms are all normal, and they're not good. They may well be caused by doing precisely what you're doing—sitting. New research in the diverse fields of epidemiology, molecular biology, biomechanics, and physiology is converging toward a startling conclusion:
Sitting is a public-health risk. And exercising doesn't offset it.
...more at link
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/10_19/b4177071221162.htmIf you're reading this article sitting down—the position we all hold more... more
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An American teacher vlogs about being stranded by the volcanic ash cloud over London. (Updated Thursday, April 22 -- Originals posted in comments below)An American teacher vlogs about being stranded by the volcanic ash cloud over London.... more
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Juarez, Mexico has become a war zone featuring the sort of ghastly crimes Americans thought only happened in Africa a la 'Blood Diamond'. Drug cartels waging all-out war have plunged Juarez into a melee of retaliatory violence. The situation is worse than previously reported by Vanguard eight months ago. (http://current.com/items/89845362_narco-war-next-door.htm)
These are some of the most disturbing quotes:
" New figures released to CNN on Wednesday by Mayor Jose Reyes Ferriz indicate the death toll for this year has already surpassed 2,000 homicides -- almost 400 more murders than the total count for 2008.
"It has been 22 months of this war, and it hasn't stopped. The violence has increased, and the possibility that it will stop is becoming more remote," Reyes Ferriz told CNN in a phone interview."
"A government source close to the investigation told CNN about a case where a relative of a drug cartel member was tied to two trucks and stretched until his arms where ripped apart. Dismemberments and beheadings have become a common method of retaliation."Juarez, Mexico has become a war zone featuring the sort of ghastly crimes Americans... more
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South Africa plans to ask Canada to review a ruling last week by an immigration board in Ottawa granting asylum to a white South African carnival worker who claimed that he was forced to flee his homeland after being attacked seven times because of the color of his skin.
**There is more to this story than first meets the eye. It sounds somewhat absurd at first glance, but after reading this... I just think it would be a fascinating story to investigate if there is truth behind it.**South Africa plans to ask Canada to review a ruling last week by an immigration board... more
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Recently we showed you images of one of the largest conflict mineral mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
by Jaymi Heimbuch, San Francisco, California
Photo credit Mark CraemerRecently we showed you images of one of the largest conflict mineral mines in the... more
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Obama presses the House and Senate to finalize their own versions of health care reform, the real battle over the issue is just heating up -- and it's about to get very personal.
From Jim Acosta
CNNWASHINGTON (CNN) -- As President Obama presses the House and Senate to finalize their... more
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The world’s population is 6.8 billion. That figure will rise to 9.2 billion by 2050. Meanwhile, climate change is speeding up alarmingly. So are there too many of us? If so, how long before our planet becomes unfit for purpose?The world’s population is 6.8 billion. That figure will rise to 9.2 billion by... more
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Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud music would turn down the sound or use ear protection if told to do so by a health care professional, a new Vanderbilt study performed in conjunction with MTV.com shows.
The study “Intentional Exposure to Loud Music: The 2nd MTV.com Survey Reveals an Opportunity to Educate,” from Vanderbilt’s Roland Eavey, M.D., is being released today in the Journal of Pediatrics.
By Craig Boerner,Children and adults at risk of permanent hearing loss due to repeated exposure to loud... more
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BOGOTÁ, Colombia — Like most thoroughfares in booming cities of the developing world, Bogotá’s Seventh Avenue resembles a noisy, exhaust-coated parking lot — a gluey tangle of cars and the rickety, smoke-puffing private minibuses that have long provided transportation for the masses.
By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
The New York TimesBOGOTÁ, Colombia — Like most thoroughfares in booming cities of the... more
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UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has criticised leaders of the G8 industrial nations for failing to make deeper commitments to combat climate change.
Ban Ki-moon: "The policies stated so far are not enough"
By BBC News UKUN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has criticised leaders of the G8 industrial nations... more
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It sounds big, but it just isn't enough. Leaders of the G8 industrial nations meeting in Italy this week are likely to agree that the world must cut greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent by 2050. That means cuts of 80 per cent among the rich nations.
They will say that this is essential to keep global warming below 2 °C - widely regarded as the tipping point beyond which scary global feedbacks could wreck the climate system that keeps us fed and watered.
Sorry, guys, but this is scientifically illiterate. We might be lucky: if the atmosphere is less sensitive to those gases than most scientists suppose, it could be enough to keep us below 2 degrees, for a while at least. But the best estimate is that the world needs at least 80 per cent cuts in global emissions, and probably more like 100 per cent, to stay below two degrees.
The smart talk back at the climate lab is about negative emissions. We may need to construct a planetary air-conditioning system to keep us cool by sucking carbon dioxide out of the air.
Now I have been writing about climate change since the mid-1980s, when it was not much more than a scary thought among a few atmospheric chemists. Even at the end of the 80s, insiders say Greenpeace decided not to launch a campaign on climate change because they were not sure about the science.
So I am amazed at how far the world has come since, in admitting the need to control the emissions of gases fundamental to our economies. I know the 1997 Kyoto protocol was a bit of a damp squib, with the US bailing out and everyone else taking their cue. But even to be talking about 50 per cent emissions cuts today is, from the historical perspective, dazzling politics.
The trouble is the science has moved on even faster. The planet is not waiting for the diplomats. Climate chaos is coming down the tracks fast.
Even a decade ago, most scientists figured that we could probably cope with doubling the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere from pre-industrial levels. That is, going from 275 parts per million to 550 ppm. Right now, we are at approaching 390 ppm and pushing up by around 2 ppm a year. So it seemed that we had a bit of time.
But five years ago, with growing concern about climate tipping points, scientists began to see 450 ppm as the threshold we should not exceed. That's a lot closer. We will be there in 30 years.
And more recently the talk has been about 350 ppm. In other words, because of the timelags involved in the whole global warming process, we will need to lower concentrations of greenhouse gases to below where they are now.
Either that or we may face the rapid breakup of the Greenland ice sheet, runaway African droughts, drowned cities and oceans so acid they dissolve coral reefs. As the cover story of New Scientist magazine eloquently put it last week: "It's worse than we thought".
But I won't despair when the G8 leaders walk away basking in the glow of having made a strong statement on climate change. Despair isn't really an option. And there is good news.
The White House is listening to its chief scientist, Nobel prize-winning energy campaigner Steve Chu, who certainly gets it. He tells Americans they will have to abandon California to the desert if they don't act fast. He and Obama believe there can be a worldwide revolution in how we generate energy: a low-carbon revolution within a generation.
I believe that too. There are tipping points in human society, as well as the climate system. But will we reach ours in time to prevent nature going over the edge? That I don't know.It sounds big, but it just isn't enough. Leaders of the G8 industrial nations... more
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The White House signaled a willingness Monday to compromise on details of a public plan to compete with private insurance companies as negotiators sought ways to advance health-care legislation.
A senior administration official said one way to meet President Barack Obama's goals would be a mechanism under which a public plan is introduced only if the marketplace fails to provide sufficient competition on its own.
Mr. Obama has pushed hard for a public option, saying it will keep the insurance industry honest, but he has also said he won't draw a "line in the sand."
The official noted that congressional Republicans created a similar mechanism when they introduced a prescription-drug benefit in Medicare. In that case, private competition has been judged sufficient and the public option has never gone into effect.The White House signaled a willingness Monday to compromise on details of a public... more
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US researchers have proposed a new strategy to tackle the global climate dilemma: target the biggest polluters in a country, who also tend to be the wealthiest individuals.
Under the framework, a universal cap — rather than different caps for different countries — would be placed on carbon emissions and countries would then be tasked with getting individuals living beyond that cap to reduce their carbon footprint.
“Most of the world’s emissions come disproportionately from the wealthy citizens of the world, irrespective of their nationality,” said lead author Shoibal Chakravarty, a research scholar at the Princeton Environmental Institute.
“We estimate that in 2008, half of the world’s emissions came from just 700 million people,” he added, noting that many emissions owe to lifestyles that involve airplane flights, car use and the heating and cooling of large homes.US researchers have proposed a new strategy to tackle the global climate dilemma:... more
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LONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientists in the United States are developing a "synthetic tree" capable of collecting carbon around 1,000 times faster than the real thing.
A conceptual design of how the "synthetic tree" might look should they ever reach the stage of production.
As the wind blows though plastic "leaves," the carbon is trapped in a chamber, compressed and stored as liquid carbon dioxide.
The technology is similar to that used to capture carbon from flue stacks at coal-fired power plants, but the difference is that the "synthetic tree" can catch carbon anytime, anywhere.
"Half of your emissions come from small, distributed sources where collection at the site is either impossible or impractical," said Professor Klaus Lackner, Ewing-Worzel Professor of Geophysics in the Department of Earth and Environmental Engineering at Columbia University.LONDON, England (CNN) -- Scientists in the United States are developing a... more
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President Barack Obama told a Pakistani television outlet that isolating extremists is crucial for improving ties between Muslim nations and the United States.
The interview taped Friday at the White House was scheduled for broadcast on Sunday by DawnNews, which is Pakistan's first 24-hour English-language news channel. According to DawnNews, it was the first time a U.S. president granted a one-on-one interview to a Pakistani media outlet.
According to the interview posted on the DawnNews Web site, Obama called the huge street demonstrations in Iran a sign that the election results ""obviously raised a lot of doubts."
"We respect Iran's sovereignty, but we also are witnessing peaceful demonstrations, people expressing themselves, and I stand for that universal principle that people should have a voice in their own lives and their own destiny," Obama said, according to Web site report. "And I hope that the international community recognizes that we need to stand behind peaceful protests and be opposed to violence or repression."
Asked about his June 4 speech in Cairo to the Muslim world, Obama called it a first step in the process of improving U.S. relations with Muslim countries.President Barack Obama told a Pakistani television outlet that isolating extremists is... more
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WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the United States could defend itself should North Korea launch a missile toward Hawaii and that U.S. officials are carefully monitoring the reclusive nation's military.
North Korea is preparing to launch a missile over Pacific Ocean waters, Japanese media reported Thursday.
With missile interceptors and radar equipment deployed in and near Hawaii, "we are in a good position should it become necessary to protect American territory," Gates said Thursday.
Meanwhile, the U.S. military is tracking a North Korean ship in the Pacific that is believed to be carrying illicit weapons or technology, a senior U.S. official said Thursday.
While the United States does not know what is on the ship, the Kang Nam is a "repeat offender," known for having carried "proliferation materials," one senior defense official said.WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Defense Secretary Robert Gates said that the United States could... more
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You've been coughing for weeks. How do you know if it's just a hard-to-shake cold or something more serious? A chronic cough, defined as lasting more than eight weeks, is not uncommon.
Up to 40 percent of nonsmokers in the United States and Europe have reported a chronic cough at some point, and coughing is one of the five most common reasons for a doctor's visit.
Only a doctor can tell for sure what's behind your endless hacking.
However, in a 2006 study of women with an average age of 48 who had a cough lasting for six months, 39 percent were found to have asthma, 9 percent had chronic upper airway cough syndrome (commonly known as postnasal drip), and 9 percent had gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).
In addition, another 11 percent had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a serious, progressive disease that includes both emphysema and bronchitis. While not all people who develop COPD are smokers, people who smoke are at higher risk. Overall, 24 million Americans -- about 1 in 12 people -- have COPD, although half don't know they have the disease.
1. Asthma and allergies
Asthma is a chronic lung disease in which the airways in the lungs are prone to inflammation and swelling. Along with chest tightness, shortness of breath, and wheezing, coughing is a characteristic symptom of asthma, one which tends to intensify at night or in the early morning. When the symptoms of asthma flare up suddenly, it's known as an asthma attack.
Although it can begin at any age, asthma usually develops in childhood. Asthma triggers are different for everyone, and they can include exercise, colds, cigarette smoke and other airborne irritants, and certain foods. Asthmatics usually also have allergies.
Even in people without asthma, inhaling pollen, dust, pet dander, and other airborne irritants can trigger allergic rhinitis, an allergic reaction that can cause coughing, along with symptoms such as stuffy nose and sneezing.
You may be able to determine whether your cough is caused by allergies by keeping track of whether it comes and goes in certain situations. If your coughing magically stops when you step into an air-conditioned room on a dry, pollen-heavy day, or if gets worse every time you pet Mittens, you probably have allergies. If you're not sure what's triggering your allergic cough, your doctor can give you a skin test or blood test to pinpoint the allergy.
2. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
One condition that can cause a nagging cough is COPD, a lung condition that includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema.
COPD occurs when the airways and air sacs in the lungs become inflamed or damaged, most often due to smoking, and is more common after age 45. In COPD, the lungs produce excess mucus, which the body reflexively tries to clear by coughing. COPD-related tissue damage can also make it particularly difficult to expel air from the lungs, which can make you feel short of breath. Health.com: Young and short of breath: Could it be COPD?
Your doctor may check you for COPD (particularly if you have risk factors, such as smoking), after ruling out other common causes of cough. To determine if you have COPD, your doctor is likely to conduct some tests, including spirometry, which involves inhaling as deeply as you can and then exhaling into a tube.
3. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
GERD is an ailment of the stomach and esophagus that occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus due to a weak valve. The main symptoms? Killer heartburn. But coughing is another common symptom of GERD, along with chest pain and wheezing. In fact, GERD is a fairly common, and unrecognizeYou've been coughing for weeks. How do you know if it's just a hard-to-shake... more
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Eleven of the 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Air France Flight 447 this month over the Atlantic Ocean have been identified, Brazilian authorities said.
They were five Brazilian men, five Brazilian women and a foreigner, according to a statement Sunday from the federal police and secretary of defense of Pernambuco. They did not release the foreigner's nationality.
The June 1 crash killed 228 people. At the request of family members, none of the names of the bodies recovered have been released.
On Friday Air France said it would pay families about €17,500 ($24,500) in initial compensation for each victim of the crash, the company's chief executive said.
So far, Air France has been in touch with about 1,800 relatives of the people who died when the Airbus A330 crashed, chief executive Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told France's RTL radio.Eleven of the 50 bodies recovered from the crash of Air France Flight 447 this month... more
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