Pakistani doctors remove bullet from girl shot by Taliban

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (Reuters) - Pakistani surgeons removed a bullet on Wednesday from a 14-year-old girl shot by the Taliban for speaking out against the militants and promoting education for girls, doctors said.

Malala Yousufzai was in critical condition after gunmen shot her in the head and neck on Tuesday as she left school. Two other girls were also wounded.

Yousufzai began standing up to the Pakistani Taliban when she was just 11, when the government had effectively ceded control of the Swat Valley where she lives to the militants.

Her courage made her a national hero and many Pakistanis were shocked by her shooting.

General Ashfaq Kayani, chief of Pakistan's powerful army, visited her in hospital and condemned her attackers.

"The cowards who attacked Malala and her fellow students, have shown time and again how little regard they have for human life and how low they can fall in their cruel ambition to impose their twisted ideology," Kayani said in a statement.

The military said it had a simple message, which it wrote in capital letters in the statement to add emphasis: "WE REFUSE TO BOW BEFORE TERROR."

Doctors said they were forced to begin operating in the middle of the night after Yousufzai developed swelling in the left portion of her brain.

They removed a bullet from her body near her spinal cord during a three-hour operation that they finished at about 5 a.m. (0000 GMT).

"She is still unconscious and kept in the intensive care unit," said Mumtaz Khan, head of a team of doctors taking care of Yousufzai in a military hospital in the northwestern city of Peshawar.

One of the girls wounded with Yousufzai is in critical condition and the other is recovering and out of danger.

The military flew Yousufzai from her home in Swat, northwest of Islamabad, to Peshawar on Tuesday.

The shooting was denounced across Pakistan. The front pages of national newspapers carried pictures of a bandaged and bloody Yousufzai being brought to hospital.

"Hate targets hope" the Express Tribune said in a headline.

Schools closed across Swat in protest over the shooting and a small demonstration was held in her hometown of Mingora. Another was planned in the eastern city of Lahore for later on Wednesday.

"All Pakistanis should come together and raise their voices against such acts. If they do not do this, then they should mentally prepare themselves for their own children's fate to be like Malala's," said Saeeda Diep, an organizer of the Lahore protest.

Many commentators said Yousufzai's courage contrasted with that of many of the country's leaders, who fear that challenging militants will make them targets.

"PEACE WILL BE SHAKEN"

Pakistan's president, prime minister, and heads of various opposition parties joined human rights group Amnesty International and the United Nations in condemning the attack.

"Pakistan's future belongs to Malala and brave young girls like her. History won't remember the cowards who tried to kill her at school," Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said on Twitter.

The attack was also condemned by many leaders of ethnic Pashtun tribes in northwest Pakistan.

"This attack is against Pashtun and Islamic practices," said Khurshid Kaka Ji, leader of a jirga, or tribal council, in Swat, a one-time tourist destination of peaks and meadows where the military has battled the Taliban intermittently since 2007.

"The security forces and police deployed should capture the attackers and punish them. If they do not catch these people, then the peace that Swat has gained through bloodshed will be shaken."

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack saying Yousufzai was "pro-West", had been promoting Western culture and had been speaking out against them.

They justified shooting her by citing instances from the Koran when a child or woman was killed.

"Any female that, by any means, plays a role in the war against mujahideen should be killed," said Taliban spokesman Ihsanullah Ihsan, using the term for Islamic holy warriors to refer to the Taliban.

"We are dead against co-education and a secular education system."

President Asif Ali Zardari said he had directed that Yousufzai be sent abroad for medical care.

A special aircraft had been sent to Peshawar in case doctors say she should be moved to the United Arab Emirates, said Zaibullah Khan, general manager of the city's airport.

Imran Khan, a former cricketer turned politician who recently led a march into northwestern Pakistan protesting against U.S. drone strikes, said he was willing to pay for Yousufzai's medical treatment in Pakistan or abroad.

"Brave girl. Praying for her recovery," he said on Twitter.

(Additional reporting by Katharine Houreld and Saud Mehsud in Dera Ismail Khan; Editing by Robert Birsel)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistani-doctors-night-save-girl-shot-taliban-071335702.html

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Iran budget under pressure, Ahmadinejad says

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran's state budget is under pressure and the government has cut spending in some areas, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying as the country struggles to cope with Western economic sanctions.

"Right now in terms of the budget we are under pressure," Ahmadinejad said in a speech on Tuesday, according to the Iranian Students' News Agency.

"In many places the budget has become zero or has been cut by 25 percent," he said without elaborating.

Ahmadinejad did not mention reasons for the pressure but his remarks appeared an indirect acknowledgement that the sanctions, imposed over Iran's disputed nuclear program, are having a major impact on state revenues.

They have also triggered a plunge in Iran's rial currency, which the head of parliament's budget and planning committee said would be addressed via a further tightening of foreign exchange controls.

By largely freezing Iran out of the global banking system and banning sales of its oil to the European Union this year, the sanctions are believed to have slashed the government's oil income, which last year accounted for about two-thirds of state revenues.

The International Monetary Fund forecast in April that Iran would run a budget deficit of 0.3 percent of gross domestic product this year after a 0.2 percent surplus last year.

That forecast was based on the assumption that Iran's oil exports would fall 20 percent in volume terms this year. But some private analysts think they may drop nearly twice that much, which would mean a bigger hit to the budget.

CURRENCY CONTROLS

The rial lost about a third of its value in the free market to around 37,500 against the dollar in the 10 days to October 2.

By arresting dozens of foreign exchange traders on charges of manipulating the currency, authorities have been trying to pressure money changers into quoting stronger rates for the rial.

But so far that strategy appears to have failed, with many money changers refusing to do business.

So the government has shown signs of wanting to transfer all currency trade into official channels, such as a new foreign exchange centre where supplies of dollars to importers of some basic goods are rationed at rates near 25,000.

Gholamreza Mesbahi-Moghaddam, who heads parliament's budget and planning committee, indicated on Tuesday that authorities would further tighten control over currency trade, Mehr news agency reported.

"It is planned that from now on, all currency transactions outside of the banking and money-changing system will be controlled," he was quoted as saying.

"The Ministry of Intelligence, Ministry of Interior and police will enter the arena. Luckily so far, 50 of the currency market disruptors have been arrested."

(Editing by Andrew Torchia; Editing by John Stonestreet)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iran-budget-under-pressure-ahmadinejad-says-152057253.html

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Greece: Merkel travels to eurozone fault line

Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, right, and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel speak before their meeting at the Maximos mansion in Athens, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Amid draconian security measures and a mass protest, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived Tuesday for her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began there three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the Greek government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, Pool)

Greece's Prime Minister Antonis Samaras, right, and Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel speak before their meeting at the Maximos mansion in Athens, Tuesday, Oct. 9, 2012. Amid draconian security measures and a mass protest, German Chancellor Angela Merkel arrived Tuesday for her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began there three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the Greek government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis, Pool)

Demonstrator display a banner that reads " NO to the 4th Reich" prior to an protest in Athens on Tuesday Oct. 9, 2012. German Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began here three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe's shared currency, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. More than 7,000 police will be on hand, cordoning off parks and other sections of central Athens, to keep demonstrators away from the German leader who is due to arrive Tuesday in the Greek capital for talks with conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Civilians are detained as precaution by riot police prior to an protest in Athens on Tuesday Oct. 9, 2012. German Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began here three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe's shared currency, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. More than 7,000 police will be on hand, cordoning off parks and other sections of central Athens, to keep demonstrators away from the German leader who is due to arrive Tuesday in the Greek capital for talks with conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. (AP Photo/Dimitri Messinis)

Demonstrator holds an anti-Merkel banner prior to a protest in front of the Greek Parliament in Athens on Tuesday Oct. 9, 2012. German Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe's shared currency, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. More than 7,000 police will be on hand, cordoning off parks and other sections of central Athens, to keep demonstrators away from the German leader who is due to arrive Tuesday in the Greek capital for talks with conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

Demonstrator holds a banner with an image of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler and present German Chancellor Angela Merkel with a swastika and a slogan that reads " the Germans are coming back" prior to an protest in Athens on Tuesday Oct. 9, 2012. German Chancellor Angela Merkel makes her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began here three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the government as a historic boost for the country's future in Europe's shared currency, but by protesters as a harbinger of more austerity and hardship. More than 7,000 police will be on hand, cordoning off parks and other sections of central Athens, to keep demonstrators away from the German leader who is due to arrive today in the Greek capital for talks with conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras. (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis)

ATHENS, Greece (AP) ? German leader Angela Merkel arrived amid draconian security measures and a mass protest in Athens Tuesday for her first visit to Greece since the eurozone crisis began there three years ago. Her five-hour stop is seen by the Greek government as a much-needed boost for the country's future in Europe ? but protesters view it as a harbinger of further austerity and hardship.

A few dozen protesters broke away from the peaceful rally and threw rocks and flares at riot police, who responded with pepper spray and stun grenades, in clashes that remain relatively minor.

More than 7,000 police were on hand in Athens, cordoning off parks and other sections of city to keep demonstrators away from the German leader, who will hold talks with conservative Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

As a helicopter buzzed overhead, thousands of protesters, chanting "History is written by the disobedient" gathered in front of Greek parliament. One group of demonstrators burned a Swastika and threw it onto a police barrier.

"I have no doubt that (Merkel) has good intentions, and wants to help, but that won't solve Europe's problem," retired teacher Irini Kourdaki said.

Merkel will meet with Samaras and was also due to hold talks with President Karolos Papoulias before flying back out of the country.

At least 40 people were detained for questioning as police, even in unrestricted areas, stopped and searched pedestrians. Stiff security measures include a ban on public gatherings outside the German Embassy and other parts of central Athens as well as within 100 meters (330 feet) of her motorcade route from the airport.

The demonstrators included a group of special forces reservists, in uniform, who chanted "Merkel out of Greece" in time to their march.

"All the Greek people must rally together to rid the country of all those who oppress and humiliate us," Navy Seal reservist Giorgos Drakopoulos said.

Many of Europe's leading politicians have avoided official travel to Greece and the risk of a hostile reception, as the debt-saddled country struggled to keep up with commitments needed to guarantee rescue loan payments and long-term euro membership.

But Merkel, heading Europe's largest bailout contributor, accepted Samaras' invitation to Athens despite failure by his government so far to conclude a massive new austerity package.

Greece has depended on bailouts from Europe and the International Monetary Fund since May 2010. To get the loans, it has implemented a series of deep budget cuts and tax hikes, while increasing retirement ages and facilitating private sector layoffs.

However, Athens must pass further austerity measures worth ?13.5 billion ($17.5 billion) over the next two years to qualify for its next rescue loan payment ? without which the government will run out of cash next month. New cuts are set to further reduce pensions and salaries and increasing the retirement age by two years, to 67.

Debt monitors from the EU, IMF and European Central Bank, known as the "troika", will deliver a report within coming weeks on whether Greece should receive its next bailout payment, without which it will go bankrupt.

After months of tough rhetoric, the German chancellor could be using her visit to prepare her own voters for a more tolerant approach toward Greece ahead of federal elections next year, according to Jason Manolopoulos, author of the 2011 book on Europe's financial crisis "Greece's Odious Debt."

"Given how some other members of the (eurozone) core ? Austria, Holland, Finland ? had made some very harsh comments ... I think it does send a message to Greece," Manolopoulos said of Merkel's visit.

"But I think it's also important, if not more important, for German domestic consumption."

Economist Martin Koehring, from the Economist Intelligence Unit, said Merkel wanted to underscore her commitment to keeping Greece in the 17-member eurozone, and make a gesture of support to Samaras' coalition government, in power since late June.

He added: "Mrs Merkel's visit is ... also likely to stress that, in addition to solidarity from its EU partners, the pressure to implement fiscal austerity and structural reforms will not be eased."

___

Efty Katsareas in Athens contributed.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-10-09-Greece-Financial%20Crisis-Merkel/id-afff43de49334a20ab292fbb4b7cd941

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National real estate picture holds good news | Aspen Daily News ...

The Aspen real estate market is set against the backdrop of the national real estate market. There is little doubt now that the national real estate recession is over and the enthusiasm for real estate has returned. The presidential election may be keeping some buyers on the sidelines, but favorable prices and low interest rates are bringing buyers across the country back into the real estate market. The improving real estate market may even contribute to determining the outcome of the presidential election as people start to feel better about the outlook for the national economy.

Two weeks ago, the Standard & Poor?s/Case-Shiller 20-city index, the most widely watched real estate index, showed that national home prices had risen 5.9 percent from a year earlier. Some markets, such as San Francisco and Phoenix, have seen big increases in values of 10.1 percent and 15.0 percent, respectively. This was the largest gain in annual real estate values since 2005. In comparison, this gain was significantly greater than the same period in 2011 and 2010 when the index rose only 0.4 percent and 2.0 percent, respectively. One of the principle reasons for the resurgence in home prices is the dwindling inventory along with fewer distressed homes from foreclosures on the market. Existing home inventory is at an eight-year low and new home inventory is the lowest at any time since the U.S. census began tracking that statistic in 1963.

Another key driver of the national real estate recovery is the historically low interest rates. Although it?s difficult to qualify for new financing, low rates of 3.5 percent for a fixed 30-year mortgage make the current time ideal for purchasing real estate. The same holds true for commercial loans that currently cost under 5 percent for 10-year term mortgages with 25-year amortization schedules. In addition, the Federal Reserve?s recently announced program to purchase mortgage-backed securities should keep rates low for the foreseeable future.

Also, this past August, new home construction reached its highest level in two years. The improving new home market, however, is still significantly behind the boom years of the last decade. On Wall Street, home construction companies, such as PulteGroup, Inc., DH Horton, Inc. and Lennar Corporation have all seen significant increases in stock prices of 45 percent, 12 percent, and 13 percent, respectively in the third quarter as investors anticipate significantly higher profits in the near future.

Despite the flow of this good news, there are still reasons to be cautious. The overall economy recovery is still slow with job growth remaining sluggish. There is also the concern over the ?fiscal cliff? issue facing the country. The fiscal cliff is the planned expiration of the Bush-era tax cuts along with the automatic spending cuts that will take effect at the beginning of 2013 as a result of the government?s failure to reach a bi-partisan agreement on a plan to reduce the federal deficit. The Congressional Budget Office has warned that the country would likely go into another recession if the U.S. goes off the fiscal cliff.???

Despite these potential clouds on the horizon, the improving market psychology is very important to the health and vitality of the real estate market. If people feel good about the real estate market, they will start buying real estate again. With the recent flow of positive news about real estate, the national real estate market should continue to gain strength. As the national appetite for real estate grows, we should continue to see improving demand for real estate here in the Aspen area.

This opinion article is provided by William Small, JD, CCIM, managing director of Frias Luxury Estates, a division of Frias Properties of Aspen. Email him at bill@friasproperties.com.

Source: http://www.aspendailynews.com/section/home/155040

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Larklife Is the Wristband to Track Your Life [Fitness]

Lark, the folks who made the wristband alarm clock to track your sleep, now has a wristband to track your life. Called Larklife, the wristband tracks your steps taken, calories burned and distance traveled and your diet and sleep too. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/75nLnq6S7js/larklife-is-the-wristband-to-track-your-life

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BoSanchez.ph ? What Is YOUR Special Gift?

Last week, I said that in order to hit your mission in life, you need to align 3 things: your passion, your potential, and your purpose.?

Today, I?d like to talk about potential.

You see, passion isn?t enough to discover your purpose.

I know some people who love singing but singing doesn?t love them.?One day, a woman come up to me and told me, ?Brother Bo, I heard God tell me, ?I?m calling you to sing to the world.??? She proceeded to give me a sample of her singing.?And as I listened to her, I wondered if she heard wrongly.?Perhaps God told her, ?I?m calling you to sting the world.???Because that was what I was experiencing at that moment.?She wasn?t a singing sensation, she was a stinging sensation.

You need to identify your potential, your special gift.?God has given you one.?And it?s very simple to find out what it is.?Ask yourself, ?Where do I excel??What one thing do I do that when I do it, people are blessed??

This is your core gift.?And this is how you become a superstar.

Face it.?People love superstars.?People like to deal with superstars.?People will buy from superstars.?People will listen to the music of superstars, watch the sports of superstars, eat in restaurants with superstar chefs, wear the clothes of superstar brands, and read the books of superstar authors.

Here?s my belief: God has given you a unique gift that will make you a superstar in your world.?God is telling you today, Do not neglect your gift.?(1 Timothy 4:14)

?????? If you find your unique gift, develop your unique gift, and resist the temptation to divert away from your gift?you?ll be Number One.?

80% Of Your Life Should Be About Your Special Gift

?????? I?m not saying, ?Abandon everything else you?re doing.??My gift is in speaking and writing, but I still do other stuff like running my businesses, leading a lot of meetings, and pioneering new projects.?Those things are still necessary, and I have to do them.?But I focus at least 80% of my productive time in what I do best?speaking and writing.??

?????? And when I say superstar, I?m not suggesting that you be superstar of the entire world.

?????? Just the superstar of your niche.

Be A Niche Superstar

?????? Let me give you an example.

?????? I?m not the best preacher in the world.

Again, my mother will disagree, but please be quiet about it and don?t burst her bubble.?She?s 87 years old and I want her to live the remaining 23 years of her life on earth (yes, she?ll live until 110) with the belief that I?m the best preacher in the world.?So Shhhhhhh?

But this I can accept.?I think I?m one of the best (1) Lay, (2) Catholic, (3) Filipinopreachers who preach on (4) practical topics, (5) especially in the area of personal finance, personal health, and personal relationships, (6) that speak in a very simple and down-to-earth way, (7) who always gives it from a spiritual perspective, (8) whose audience is primarily the English-speaking crowd, (9) funny in a corny way, and (10) who has a huge black mole on BOTH of his ears.?In that tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny, tiny niche, I?m a superstar.

?????? Question: How can you be a superstar in your niche?

?????? Define yourself.

?????? Mark your boundaries and call it your property.

Let me give you a very simple example about my property?

Focus On Your Strength?Forget Your Weakness

Here?s my niche: I preach mainly in English.?

Which is a problem.?Because I can?t reach the majority of the Philippine population.?And believe me, I want to!?I still feel a pinch of envy when I hear my fellow Feast preachers preach in fluent, spontaneous, powerful Tagalog?and they connect to all sorts of crowds?something I can never do.

Regularly, I get comments from Facebook and my blog, telling me, ?Brother Bo, please preach in Tagalog so we can understand you more.?

But today, I realize that this is what God wants me to do?to preach and write in English.

Yes, I can keep on working on my Tagalog preaching.?But no matter how much I try doing that, I?m ashamed to say that I can?t preach in Tagalog in the same level that I preach in English.?If you heard me preach in Tagalog and were impressed, don?t be.?I was probably giving one of my memorized Tagalog talks.?(I have 3 of them!)

Yes, I can preach in Tagalog adequately, but I always sound? uh, queer. Let me give you an analogy.?When I preach in English, I feel like I?m driving the fastest motorbike in the world.?My thoughts and words flow like the wind.

But when I preach in Tagalog, I feel like I?m riding this rusty bicycle overloaded with stuff in my mind that I can?t express?

?

Again, I?m not proud of this.

I don?t even have a Filipino accent.?Years ago, when I preached in the US, Americans think I live there.?Some of them asked me, ?What State were you born??California???I told them, ?No, I was born in the State of Caloocan.??They get surprised why I speak the way I do.??Did you grow up here perhaps?? they asked.

I told them, ?Well, I lived in Chicago for 20+ years.?

?I knew it, ? they smiled.

?Every morning, from Chicago, I turn right to New York, turn left to Aurora Boulevard until I reach Araneta Coliseum.?

This conversation happened years ago.?That doesn?t happen anymore today.?When you speak without a Filipino accent in America, they now ask, ?Do you work in a Call Center??

?????? Why do I preach in English??I see two twists of fate that made me speak this way?

?????? First reason: I was born to parents who spoke only two languages?English and Spanish.?Since I felt that Spanish wasn?t very useful for me, I grew up speaking only English.

?????? Second reason: When I was one year old, Dad?s company transferred him to Cebu.?We lived there for 8 years.?As a kid, I learned Cebuano, not Tagalog.?But when I transferred back to Manila at 9 years old, I forgot my Cebuano and wasn?t great in Tagalog.

?????? It?s Divine Orchestration.?Through my history, God prepared me to preach in English.

?????? But here?s a fact. When you have a strength, you also have a weakness.?And that?s okay.?Let me give you my controversial point:?Focus on your strength and forget your weakness.?Often, our school system aims to produce well-rounded students who are jack-of-all-trades, but masters of none.?Believe me, that?s the recipe for mediocrity.?Successful people aren?t well-rounded people?they?re extremely fantastic in one specific field and a total nincompoop in other fields.

I can write a book in five days with ease.?But I can?t dance.

I can give a whole day seminar in my sleep.?But I can?t memorize the multiplication table.?(I keep forgetting what?s 8 x 7 and 9 x 6?)

Goodness, I can?t even replace a light bulb decently.?Believe me, I tried.?Three weeks ago, my wife asked me to change the light bulb above our bed.?So I stood on the bed and reached up. The light fixture slipped off my hands and it shattered to a thousand pieces.?My wife looked at me and said, ?Bo, go back to preaching.?

Do you want to be successful in life??Focus, focus, focus.?Be good in one thing.?Be a master of one skill and make that your special gift to the world.

?????? Next week, I?ll give you my final installment of this message on passion, potential, and purpose?

?????? May your dreams come true,

?????? Bo Sanchez

PS. ?Your journey to prosperity starts here!?Learn God?s Way of blessing your financial life.?? How??Join my How To Be Truly Rich Seminar on October 20 in Mandaluyong and find out how.?To change your financial life, click the link below:

Yes Bo, I Want To Know More About The Seminar on October 20

Filed under: Blogs by bosanchez

Source: http://bosanchez.ph/what-is-your-special-gift/

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Combatting military suicides: limit access to private weapons

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Combatting military suicides: limit access to private weapons New York Times *, by?James Dao Original Article Posted By:Photoonist, 10/7/2012 5:03:31 PM With nearly half of all suicides in the military having been committed with privately owned firearms, the Pentagon and Congress are moving to establish policies intended to separate at-risk service members from their personal weapons. The issue is a thorny one for the Pentagon, with gun-rights advocates and many service members fiercely opposing any policies that could be construed as limiting the private ownership of firearms. (Snip) ?This is not about authoritarian regulation,? Dr. Jonathan Woodson, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs, said in an interview. ?It is about the spouse understanding warning signs and, if there are Comments: [* at MSNBC, no reg required] Like a determined suicide can't kill himself by one hundred other means? This IS about attacking the 2nd Amendment on another front. Are they talking about detecting and removing all drugs on which someone can overdose from homes of military homes? Of course not. And that this nonsense, instead of improved counseling suggestions, comes out of the Defense Dept. tells you how many turncoats we now have within our own government. Finding out what firearms someone owns is NOT explicitly a way of preventing suicide. Reply 1 - Posted by: SoCalGal, 10/7/2012 5:13:03 PM?????(No. 8916435) Patently absurd. That's the NYT. Men are said to prefer firearms because they are assured of the result. Quick and over. The likelihood that a spouse can prevent a suicide is slim to none. The depression that drives one to suicide is deep. Shell shock (now called PTSD) is a living nightmare to the afflicted. Reply 2 - Posted by: voxpopuli, 10/7/2012 5:20:31 PM?????(No. 8916446) here's a better way.. get rid of the commie feather merchants who are running our country and de-moralizing and KILLING our military..

???

Reply 3 - Posted by: Rael, 10/7/2012 5:20:47 PM?????(No. 8916447) Maye if they didn't have a leader who hated them and put rules in place that gets them killed, they wouldn't be killing themselves? Reply 4 - Posted by: Coy860, 10/7/2012 5:29:46 PM?????(No. 8916454) Start getting the VA to provide help that Vets are entitled to. Our returning heroes are getting the shaft from the VA. Why do you think we have the "Wounded Warriors" organization? We pay taxes for services that are our first obligation but that money is going to the VA to sit on their lazy asses or partee. Complete overhaul necessary. Reply 5 - Posted by: TunnelRat, 10/7/2012 5:32:23 PM?????(No. 8916458) Aggressively promoting gun safety and passing out trigger locks have nothing to do with suicides. It's not the gun safety that's at issue; it's the mental health of 'at risk' troops. Reply 6 - Posted by: GOPJihad, 10/7/2012 5:36:02 PM?????(No. 8916465) Nidal Malik Hasan approves. Reply 7 - Posted by: Robinsolana, 10/7/2012 5:41:39 PM?????(No. 8916478) Obama has stressed, dissed, slashed and demoralized the military and the NYT comes up with this. Obama hides his failures behind the SEALs and the rest of the military. Talk about a user. Obama's lies about Benghazi continue after weeks of relentless stonewalling and coverup. If I were in the military I would be asking why I was putting my life in danger under the leadership of 'lead from behind' Obama.

???

Reply 8 - Posted by: Keekng, 10/7/2012 5:44:52 PM?????(No. 8916488) True to form thr kids at NYT's need to learn how to spell, it is combating, with one T, not "combatting". Reply 9 - Posted by: Theeo, 10/7/2012 5:45:46 PM?????(No. 8916490) Let the suicidal have his way; those left behind, simply pray and take no blame. Reply 10 - Posted by: Time4AR2, 10/7/2012 5:53:37 PM?????(No. 8916509) Sad to say, but: If you are FREE, you are free to kill yourself. This is liberal think, it is the gun's fault.(and this is another heart-tugging gun grab) Anyone intent on killing himself will find a way. Reply 11 - Posted by: veritas, 10/7/2012 5:54:58 PM?????(No. 8916513) Never let a good crisis go to waste, eh? Reply 12 - Posted by: montanabound, 10/7/2012 5:56:29 PM?????(No. 8916515) What are the reasons for all of these suicides? I know morale is low, deployments are way too long, etc., but I have many family members who served in the past, and I don't remember suicides among servicemen. My uncle had severe shell shock from the Battle of the Bulge, for example, but he was never suicidal. What is going on?

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Reply 13 - Posted by: WimeTarmerFable, 10/7/2012 6:01:23 PM?????(No. 8916519) Another Socialist reason to disarm those who would keep Liberty as the basic principle of America. Reply 14 - Posted by: killerbee, 10/7/2012 6:17:24 PM?????(No. 8916533) Wow. If that's not the dumbest thing ever. When I was in high school there was a rash of suicides. At least one a year. Two guys killed themselves in cars in garages (ban garages!), two hung themselves (ban rope or anything that can be used as a rope!), one used a plastic bag to kill himself (well, I guess this is where the plastic bag ban comes in) and only one used a gun to kill himself. How about we limit stupid rules of engagement so our guys know that their government isn't trying to kill them in the first place? How about not forcing them to look the other way while Muslims torture men, women, children and dogs? Reply 15 - Posted by: Blue-Z-Anna, 10/7/2012 6:22:44 PM?????(No. 8916542) The greatest tragedy of war is that we train our sweet children to become killers. Killers tend to solve problems by killing. Liberals get it wrong on every issue, every time, in great detail. Reply 16 - Posted by: kanphil, 10/7/2012 6:39:16 PM?????(No. 8916558) Take the money given to lazy no-goods for cell phones, food stamps and the like and give it to agencies who can be trusted to spend it on addressing the mental health of our returning heroes. Reply 17 - Posted by: earlybird, 10/7/2012 6:42:34 PM?????(No. 8916562) This can't be helping. They need more than Mooch's smothering hugs: Backlog of Veterans' Disability Claims Increases 179% Under Obama http://cnsnews.com/news/article/backlog-veterans-disability-claims-increases-179-under-obama And whose photo accompanies the article? Good old VA Secretary Eric (Feckless) Shinseki.

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Reply 18 - Posted by: earlybird, 10/7/2012 6:45:05 PM?????(No. 8916566) Re the article linked in #17, When Obama took office, there were approximately 390,000 outstanding claims, of which only 22 percent had been pending for more than 180 days. That number had been falling during the second George W. Bush administration, despite the military being heavily engaged in two wars. At the beginning of Bush?s second term, the VA had about 480,000 outstanding claims, with only 21 percent backlogged for more than 180 days. That number fell by almost 100,000 claims by the time Obama took office. The claims are for dependents as well as for the service members themselves. Reply 19 - Posted by: chance_232, 10/7/2012 7:13:15 PM?????(No. 8916595) As a first step...... The Reserves should only be called up in the event of a national emergency. If we need to boost our forces, take reserve VOLUNTEERS first. Our reserve forces face financial ruin when they get called to active duty. Their income gets slashed, but the bills remain. Increase active duty pay and benefits substantially! Active duty personnel should NEVER have to go on food stamps and should never have to worry about their families at home. Bring religion back to the troops. None of the above will fix the problem, but may help to alleviate some of the reasons. Taking away weapons certainly wont "FIX" anything. Reply 20 - Posted by: tatterdemalion, 10/7/2012 7:51:06 PM?????(No. 8916662) Journalistic malpractive should be combatted: limit access to printing presses by leftists. Reply 21 - Posted by: Bonbon, 10/7/2012 7:57:21 PM?????(No. 8916676) I have a theory and it's only that. When children are reared with no purpose to their lives apparent to them it's little wonder. When I was young we played outside all day everyday unless in school or inclement weather (Barbados, California heh!) When a little older we had chores that had to be done the... way my parents wanted them done. When I did wrong I was punished. I had two parents who worked hard, loved each other and us and were committed to the bitter end. No psychology there. Commitment, love, mercy and understanding. I had every complaint other kids had but so what!?!. That was life! I'm married to the same man 47 years. Neither of us got what we deserved (We both could have been better and/or worse!) One has MS the other recovered from brain tumor surgery. God loves us, We love God. He carries our burdens and we let Him. Gets you through a lot of things. Suicide prevention should start early. So should understanding the purpose of ones life. Reply 22 - Posted by: KimoSaavy, 10/7/2012 9:14:40 PM?????(No. 8916813) Take away the guns, but don't forget the knives and other sharp objects. That should lower suicide rates. Maybe have them wear handcuffs so they can't reach for anything that can be weaponized. How about putting all returning service men in padded rooms because they are a potential danger.

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Reply 23 - Posted by: ColonialAmerican1623, 10/7/2012 11:05:37 PM?????(No. 8917053) I understand the issue, but it's wrong to tell a person how or not to kill themselves. The gov should butt out of our personal lives and leave the Constitution alone. Reply 24 - Posted by: god of irony, 10/7/2012 11:20:15 PM?????(No. 8917077) It is not the guns, it is the complete lack of faith in our civilian and military leadership that has us being killed for a political agenda that has nothing to with protecting America. Below, you will find ... Most Recent Articles posted by "Photoonist" and Most Active Articles (last 24 hours) Most Recent Articles posted by "Photoonist" 2 arrested for trying to steal TV from police station Ynet News [Israel], by Raanan Ben-Zur??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 11:13:27 PM ??? Post Reply A resident of Hod Hasharon (25) and a resident of Baqa al-Gharbiya (21) were arrested on suspicion of attempting to steal a television set from the Glilot police station in Herzliya. The two men arrived at the station overnight Sunday to visit the detained brother of the Hod Hasharon resident. At some point they allegedly detached a television screen from a wall in the hallway. Officers who noticed that the TV was missing eventually found it hidden. They immediately suspected the two young men, who denied the allegations during questioning. There is no footage of the theft because the hallway Home-grown terror suspects spark French alert France 24, by Staff??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 11:07:23 PM ??? Post Reply For J?r?mie Louis-Sidney, France?s latest home-grown terror suspect, the end came swiftly and violently. On Saturday morning, the 33-year-old Frenchman was sitting on a couch in a Strasbourg apartment when special anti-terror police officers stormed into the premises, according to police sources. Sidney immediately fired at them with a .357 Magnum, emptying his Smith & Wesson pistol barrel before he was shot dead by police. Three police officers were injured ? including one who was shot in the chest and another in the head. They were both protected by their helmets and body armour. Sidney, a recent convert to Islam, Nine in ten Scots 'living off state's patronage' Telegraph [UK], by Simon Johnson??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 11:00:16 PM ??? Post Reply Almost nine out of 10 Scottish households take more from the public purse than they contribute in taxes thanks to a ?rotten system? of state patronage, the Tory party conference will hear on Monday. Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Conservative leader, is to highlight official figures showing that only 283,080 households north of the border ? 12 per cent of the total ? pay more in tax than they receive in public services. She will tell delegates that, because the public sector is seen as the key provider of everything from housing to employment, state spending now accounts for more than U.S. suspects Haqqani tie to Afghan insider attacks Associated Press, by Staff??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 10:37:53 PM ??? Post Reply Kabul, Afghanistan - The Haqqani insurgent network, based in Pakistan and with ties to al-Qaida, is suspected of being a driving force behind a significant number of the "insider" attacks by Afghan forces that have killed or wounded more than 130 U.S. and allied troops this year, American officials said Friday. (Snip) New data provided to The Associated Press this week also reveal that in addition to 35 U.S. and allied troops killed in insider attacks last year, 61 were wounded. Those included 19 in a single attack in the eastern province of Laghman on April 16, 2011, in which Eurozone to launch new rescue fund ESM Deutsche Welle, by Bernd Riegert??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 10:33:44 PM ??? Post Reply With the first session of the governing body, the eurozone's finance ministers inaugurate the permanent rescue fund ESM in Luxemburg. How does the new firewall against the mountain of debt work? Even after it officially opens on Monday, there won't be much to see at the offices of the European Stability Mechanism (ESM). Despite soon being responsible for 700 billion euros ($912 billion), press spokesman Wolfgang Proissl told DW there may not even be a sign announcing the European bailout fund on the front of the inconspicuous office building (Snip) In order for the system to work, the ESM needs Chavez: Polling stations remain open in Venezuela Associated Press, by Staff??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 10:24:21 PM ??? Post Reply Caracas, Venezuela - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said some voters were still in line voting Sunday night, and he called for calm as the nation awaits results of the presidential election. "There are still people voting in some centers," Chavez said in a phone call to his campaign leaders broadcast live on state television. "Let's wait for the results with patience, calm." (Snip) The official, Tibisay Lucena, didn't say how many voting stations still had voters waiting. Nor did she say for how long the polling stations might remain open. Biden Takes 6 Days Off Campaign Trail Weekly Standard, by Daniel Halper??? Original Article Posted By: Photoonist- 10/7/2012 10:21:30 PM ??? Post Reply With just about a month until Election Day, Vice President Joe Biden is in the middle of taking nearly a week off the campaign trail. He will return to doing campaign events on Thursday, when he will debate Rep. Paul Ryan in the vice presidential debate. (Snip) As for the next three days, Biden will remain in Delaware. "On Monday through Wednesday, the Vice President will be in Wilmington, Delaware. There are no public events scheduled." Meanwhile, Thursday, October 11, is a big day for Biden. "On Thursday, the Vice President and Dr. Jill Biden will travel to Danville, Kentucky. Most Active Articles (last 24 hours) Why he's falling apart New York Daily News*, by Jim Geraghty??? Original Article Posted By: StormCnter- 10/7/2012 6:20:14 AM ??? Post Reply A presidential reelection campaign needs three key elements: a defense of the incumbent?s record, a successful effort to define the opposition and a compelling vision of a second term. President Obama may well celebrate a second term in Chicago next month, but the conventional wisdom underestimates the difficulty he faces, as his campaign has distinct problems with all three elements. His defense of his record is exceptionally weak, his effort to define Mitt Romney is nearly exhausted, and his vision for the next four years ? perhaps the most important ? has been largely missing from The Master Debater Part II American Thinker, by Clarice Feldman??? Original Article Posted By: DW626- 10/7/2012 4:35:33 AM ??? Post Reply Wednesday the public got to see the president as I have always seen him -- a lazy, superficial thinker who is over his head as Chief Executive. There were so many witty tweets and columns that our side of the aisle was kept laughing as the night wore on. "Mene mene tekel upharsin", tweeted the great Iowahawk, reminding readers of the words written by a mysterious hand that to the Biblical Daniel correctly signified the end of a king (Belshazzar) and his reign. Abdication of a superpower Washington Examiner [DC], by Jed Babbin??? Original Article Posted By: StormCnter- 10/7/2012 5:34:59 AM ??? Post Reply The New York Times reports that the Obama administration has abandoned its limited goal of a negotiated settlement with the Taliban, leaving the Afghans to do it in the years after we leave. Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi rebuffed President Obama's call for free speech in the aftermath of the Arab Spring, calling in his United Nations speech for repression of any speech that offends Islam. President Obama intervened militarily in Libya after his then-defense secretary, Bob Gates, said America had no national security stake in that nation. The result, in the words of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Survey Says GOP Women Are Prettier Daily Beast, by Allison Yarrow??? Original Article Posted By: SoCalGal- 10/7/2012 4:09:47 PM ??? Post Reply They?re calling it the Michele Bachmann effect. And no, it?s not the Minnesota congresswoman?s crusade to ban falafel from public schools. It refers to the relationship between a woman?s politics and her face. Women politicians with ?stereotypical feminine facial features? are more often Republicans, found researchers at UCLA]. And the more feminine their features, the more conservative their voting records. They also found the reverse?that women with more masculine facial features tended to be Democrats. Less gender-typical visages tracked with more liberal voting records. The correlation between face and party ideology was stronger for Republican women politicians than Democrats. Liberals fret: Is Obama bored? Does he want a second term? Maybe not. Washington Examiner, by Byron York??? Original Article Posted By: afortiori- 10/7/2012 12:38:32 PM ??? Post Reply There?s no doubt President Obama?s liberal supporters are worried by his lackluster performance in the Denver debate. ?Everyone is in shock,? one show-business liberal told the Hollywood reporter. ?No one can understand what happened.? The Obama faithful are offering the White House advice, talking points, pep talks ? anything to improve the president?s performance when he next faces Mitt Romney at Hofstra University on October 16. But for some liberal writers, the concern goes deeper. Perhaps Obama?s somewhat withdrawn demeanor at the debate was an indication that he doesn?t even want a second term as president. Axelrod: Obama 'taken aback by the brazenness' of Romney's debate performance Politico, by Mackenzie Weinger??? Original Article Posted By: Scottyboy- 10/7/2012 11:57:40 AM ??? Post Reply Obama senior campaign adviser David Axelrod on Sunday said Republican Mitt Romney delivered a ?very good performance? at the first presidential debate that was ?completely un-rooted in fact? and the president was ?taken aback at the brazenness? of the Republican nominee's answers.(snip)As for why Obama did not address Romney?s ?47 percent? comments at the debate, Axelrod said ?the president obviously didn?t see the appropriate opportunity.? ?The president was earnestly trying to answer questions that were asked on the topics that were being discussed, and he didn?t find the opportunity to raise it, and it?s obviously well known,? Axelrod said. President Obama's team slams critics of new unemployment statistics as 'lunatics' New York Daily News, by Tracy Connor??? Original Article Posted By: PageTurner- 10/7/2012 1:22:11 PM ??? Post Reply President Obama?s advisers attacked critics for suggesting the White House fudged jobs figures, comparing them to ?lunatic? birthers. The sub-8% unemployment stats were released by the non-partisan Bureau of Labor Statistics Friday, but former GE chief Jack Welch and several Tea Party figures claimed the numbers were cooked. Obama campaign senior adviser Robert Gibbs called such comments ?incredibly dangerous? and said Welch had embarrassed himself. ?There's a number of people that believe the real unemployment report is somewhere in a safe in Nairobi with the president's Kenyan birth certificate," Gibbs said sarcastically on NBC?s ?Meet the Press? Sunday.

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