HBT: A's pursuing deal for Rangers' Uehara

From FOX Sports? Ken Rosenthal comes word that the A?s are among the teams considering a trade for Rangers setup man Koji Uehara. The Orioles have also been identified as a potential suitor.

Uehara posted an?uninspiring?4.00 ERA in 18 innings for the Rangers last season after joining the team in a late-July trade from Baltimore. He also surrendered five earned runs on five hits in three postseason relief appearances. Texas would like to get rid of his $4 million salary and maybe score a prospect in return.

Uehara has a stellar 3.13 career ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 1.3 BB/9 since debuting as a big leaguer in 2009. A?s GM Billy Beane is likely viewing the 36-year-old right-hander as potentially attractive mid-season trade bait.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/02/05/as-among-teams-pursuing-trade-for-rangers-koji-uehara/related/

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Promote A Healthier Heart | Treat Heart Disease

[unable to retrieve full-text content]Currently, however, Often the Yankee Heart Bureau has stated That may physical fitness diseases, which include strokes, Have no The best killers On Americans. By choosing Lasting Education level Around Such diseases, however, The Customers Then Sales agents ... Eating in a healthy condition don't even have Visitors and friends Clinical signs experience. Successful a well balanced a diet plan is a central feature in Sticking to A nourishing heart. Once we Attain ...

Source: http://www.treatheartdisease.net/promote-a-healthier-heart.html

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Sony Ericsson hangs ten, launches Xperia Active Billabong Edition

Sony Ericsson hangs ten, launches Xperia Active Billabong Edition
Sony Ericsson is looking to start a bromance with the McTwist-loving, Double-Cork-landing, A-Frame-riding masses jonesing for a new Android device. The handset maker has announced a "global strategic alliance" with Billabong to launch the Xperia Active Billabong Edition smartphone in select markets. The handset will come preloaded with exclusive content, including Billabong screen savers, and bundle several Billabong-branded games and applications. As the two companies tell it, the Xperia ABE is the "ideal smartphone for extreme sports enthusiasts." Accordingly, Sony Ericsson hardware is about to start making appearances at various "major" Billabong events. Unfortunately, this next bit is really going to harsh your mello: the hardware is identical to that of the Xperia Active announced back in June, complete with a single-core 1GHz processor, Gingerbread, a 3-inch Reality display and a five-megapixel shooter. Even with its no-so-extreme spec sheet, we give SE a gnar-lay for effort.

Continue reading Sony Ericsson hangs ten, launches Xperia Active Billabong Edition

Sony Ericsson hangs ten, launches Xperia Active Billabong Edition originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 18:15:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pool Game Rules ? Articles Manifesto - belindas08's posterous

There was a really specific game which was really famous as being a medium of entertainment to the individuals back in 1800?s. Back again then only selected few are getting allowed to play the pool games, individuals for example the Kings, Gentlemen and Commoners.

As the pool of games it really is now becoming named, but in before days it had been getting known as in plenty of other names that were altered also right after the many years. As it is played by a handful of personalities again then, it is not in the existing time; everybody and everyone can now avail from the sport.

The outdoor recreation became an indoor game, from where it was adopted from. The pool games had been ultimately introduced in as the time passes on along with the players seeing the interruptions the sport was getting caused through the hazards of nature.

You are able to perform the game using a utilization of cue stick that is undoubtedly various through the dimensions of it at present; than that of the earlier stick utilised to shove the ball once the game was still played outdoors. In pool games the cue ball just isn?t becoming stroke into the air but instead it?s getting shoved as if to just make it slide; but with energy naturally, towards the cue ball to pocket the numbered ball.

Maybe towards the eyes of individuals who does not have any history concept about the pool games table, the green cloth do signify the grass wherein the sport was utilised to become played again when it had been still an outside sport. The grass or the cloth assists in controlling or keeping the ball in part, or whenever you shove the cue ball with the stick it will be prevented from spiraling or glide endlessly across the pool table. You can find a lot of materials that will be used to produce an excellent and dependable cue stick to, the gamers specifically the ones which are typically competing opted on purchasing or personalize their cue stick for that acquainted handling.

There are significant divisions that the pool games are getting classified into. But probably the most renowned of these divisions is the pool billiards, you?ll find 6 pockets used because the objectives; and also the famous 8-ball, 9-ball billiard games belong.

The coming forward in the pool games came having a vengeance, in the past that nobody critical pay any interest to this certain recreation. But with the persistence with the pool games fanatics, the dream of turning out to be a world renowned activity became a reality; even those who lived inside the far corners in the earth have heard of its fame.

Since the pool games are actually an official sport entry in the Olympics, there had been rules which are usually changeable as the game was in frequent attendance to all of competing groups. In case you are an professional of this recreation you may recognize anytime you heard the orientations becoming provided ahead of the start off in the game.

It is possible to discover a lot of places to perform the billiards. Since an increasing number of are finding intrigued using the game particularly the street frequenting people.

Innovations are actually applied in the pool games. You are able to now perform it within your own homes without having the cumbersome pool table because the main equipment to be utilised. It really is now within the web, certainly you?ll be able to perform the sport on the internet; you?ll be able to play with it as long as you desire to with no even stepping out of one?s personal door.

In case you need to have far more details concerning the background of pool games online, really feel cost-free to read a lot more pool party games just by clicking the links

Source: http://articlesmanifesto.com/recreation-sports/pool-game-rules

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Source: http://belindas08.posterous.com/pool-game-rules-articles-manifesto

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Castaway lizards offer new look at evolutionary processes

[ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 3-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Cheryl Dybas
cdybas@nsf.gov
703-292-7734
National Science Foundation

Differences caused by 'founder effect' persist when populations adapt to new environments

Biologists who released lizards on tiny uninhabited islands in the Bahamas have uncovered a seldom-observed interaction between evolutionary processes.

Jason Kolbe, a biologist at the University of Rhode Island (URI)--along with colleagues at Duke University, Harvard University and the University of California, Davis--found that the lizards' genetic and morphological (form and structural) traits were determined by both natural selection and a phenomenon called the founder effect.

Their research results are published online today in the journal Science.

The founder effect is the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. It often results in the new population becoming genetically or morphologically different from the original population.

"We rarely observe the founder effect as it happens in nature, but we know that it occurs because islands are colonized by new species over time," said Kolbe.

"What we didn't know was how these evolutionary mechanisms [natural selection and the founder effect] interact with each other."

The scientists learned that differences caused by the founder effect persist even as populations adapt to new environments.

"Evolutionary biologists have been debating the importance of founder effects for more than 70 years," said Sam Scheiner, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research. "This study is the first to definitively demonstrate those effects for ecologically important traits."

Kolbe and colleagues randomly collected brown anole lizards from a large island near Great Abaco in the Bahamas, and released one pair on each of seven nearby islands whose lizard populations had been cleared by a recent hurricane.

The source island is forested, while the other islands have short, scrubby vegetation.

Previous research had found that anole lizards living in forests had longer hind limbs than those found in scrub habitat.

Lizards with longer limbs can run faster on the broad perches available in forests, while short-limbed lizards are more adept at moving on the narrower perches found in lower vegetation.

The scientists revisited each of the islands over the next four years to measure the lizards' limb length and collect tissue samples for genetic analysis.

All the new populations survived and increased an average of 13-fold in the first two years, before leveling off.

"We noticed a founder effect one year after starting the experiment, which resulted in differences among the lizards on the seven islands," Kolbe said.

"Some of the islands had lizards with longer limbs and some had lizards with shorter limbs, but that was random with respect to the vegetation on the new islands."

Because the structure of the vegetation on the islands differed from that of the source island, the scientists predicted that natural selection would lead the lizards to develop shorter limbs.

"Over the next four years, the lizards on all the islands experienced a decrease in leg length that is attributable to natural selection," Kolbe explained. "But those that started out with the longest hind limbs still had the longest hind limbs."

The fact that the populations maintained their order from longest to shortest limbs throughout the experiment means that both the founder effect and natural selection contributed to their current differences.

According to Kolbe, the founder effect is rarely observed in nature, with most previous research conducted in the laboratory.

"Ours is the first to study this process experimentally in a natural setting, and we were able to account for multiple evolutionary mechanisms through time," he said. "We manipulated the founding of these islands, but everything else about it was natural."

The next step in the research will be to determine how long the founder effect persists before other factors erase its signature.

###

Co-authors of the paper are Kolbe; Manuel Leal of Duke University; Thomas Schoener and David Spiller of the University of California, Davis; and Jonathan Losos of Harvard.

The study was also funded by the National Geographic Society.



[ 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: 3-Feb-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Cheryl Dybas
cdybas@nsf.gov
703-292-7734
National Science Foundation

Differences caused by 'founder effect' persist when populations adapt to new environments

Biologists who released lizards on tiny uninhabited islands in the Bahamas have uncovered a seldom-observed interaction between evolutionary processes.

Jason Kolbe, a biologist at the University of Rhode Island (URI)--along with colleagues at Duke University, Harvard University and the University of California, Davis--found that the lizards' genetic and morphological (form and structural) traits were determined by both natural selection and a phenomenon called the founder effect.

Their research results are published online today in the journal Science.

The founder effect is the loss of genetic variation that occurs when a new population is established by a very small number of individuals from a larger population. It often results in the new population becoming genetically or morphologically different from the original population.

"We rarely observe the founder effect as it happens in nature, but we know that it occurs because islands are colonized by new species over time," said Kolbe.

"What we didn't know was how these evolutionary mechanisms [natural selection and the founder effect] interact with each other."

The scientists learned that differences caused by the founder effect persist even as populations adapt to new environments.

"Evolutionary biologists have been debating the importance of founder effects for more than 70 years," said Sam Scheiner, program director in the National Science Foundation (NSF)'s Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research. "This study is the first to definitively demonstrate those effects for ecologically important traits."

Kolbe and colleagues randomly collected brown anole lizards from a large island near Great Abaco in the Bahamas, and released one pair on each of seven nearby islands whose lizard populations had been cleared by a recent hurricane.

The source island is forested, while the other islands have short, scrubby vegetation.

Previous research had found that anole lizards living in forests had longer hind limbs than those found in scrub habitat.

Lizards with longer limbs can run faster on the broad perches available in forests, while short-limbed lizards are more adept at moving on the narrower perches found in lower vegetation.

The scientists revisited each of the islands over the next four years to measure the lizards' limb length and collect tissue samples for genetic analysis.

All the new populations survived and increased an average of 13-fold in the first two years, before leveling off.

"We noticed a founder effect one year after starting the experiment, which resulted in differences among the lizards on the seven islands," Kolbe said.

"Some of the islands had lizards with longer limbs and some had lizards with shorter limbs, but that was random with respect to the vegetation on the new islands."

Because the structure of the vegetation on the islands differed from that of the source island, the scientists predicted that natural selection would lead the lizards to develop shorter limbs.

"Over the next four years, the lizards on all the islands experienced a decrease in leg length that is attributable to natural selection," Kolbe explained. "But those that started out with the longest hind limbs still had the longest hind limbs."

The fact that the populations maintained their order from longest to shortest limbs throughout the experiment means that both the founder effect and natural selection contributed to their current differences.

According to Kolbe, the founder effect is rarely observed in nature, with most previous research conducted in the laboratory.

"Ours is the first to study this process experimentally in a natural setting, and we were able to account for multiple evolutionary mechanisms through time," he said. "We manipulated the founding of these islands, but everything else about it was natural."

The next step in the research will be to determine how long the founder effect persists before other factors erase its signature.

###

Co-authors of the paper are Kolbe; Manuel Leal of Duke University; Thomas Schoener and David Spiller of the University of California, Davis; and Jonathan Losos of Harvard.

The study was also funded by the National Geographic Society.



[ 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/2012-02/nsf-clo020312.php

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Extended synaptic development may explain our cognitive edge over other primates

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Over the first few years of life, human cognition continues to develop, soaking up information and experiences from the environment and far surpassing the abilities of even our nearest primate relatives. In a study published online today in Genome Research, researchers have identified extended synaptic development in the human brain relative to other primates, a finding that sheds new light on the biology and evolution of human cognition.

"Why can we absorb environmental information during infancy and childhood and develop intellectual skills that chimpanzees cannot?" asks Dr. Philipp Khaitovich of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, senior author of the report. "What makes the human brain so special?"

Chimps diverged from the human lineage about 4-6 million years ago, a relatively short period of time by evolutionary standards. Yet the differences in specialized social and cultural cognitive skills between humans and chimps are striking, and much remains unknown about the biological basis.

To answer his questions, Khaitovich and an international team of researchers used microarray and RNA-sequencing technology to investigate changes in how genes are read, or expressed, during development of the postnatal brain in humans, chimps, and macaques, a more distantly related primate. And the timing of these changes may set human cognitive development apart from other primates. The group sampled the prefrontal cortex, a more recently evolved brain region associated with cognition, and the cerebellum, an ancient brain region related to motor control.

Khaitovich explained that evolutionary studies of the human brain often produce murky results, however this approach performed even better than expected, pointing them to a specific postnatal developmental process. "Among all developmental changes specific to the human brain, one process ? synaptogenesis ? clearly stood out." Khaitovich explained that synaptogenesis, the foundation of learning and memory in the developing brain, is characterized by the formation of synaptic connections, strengthening useful connections, and also elimination of useless connections.

The authors found that in humans, peak expression of synaptic genes in the prefrontal cortex is delayed until about age five, in contrast to chimps and macaques where this occurs in the first year of life. The authors noted that this human-specific change was only observed in the prefrontal cortex, and not in the cerebellum

"Our findings suggest that the human brain remains extremely plastic and susceptible to environmental input during the first five years of life," said Khaitovich. "Our study uncovers one of the important mechanisms potentially involved in evolution of human cognition."

###

Liu X, Somel M,Tang L, Yan Z, Jiang X, Guo S, Yuan Y, He L, Oleksiak A, Zhang Y, Li N, Hu Y, Chen W, Qiu Z, P??bo S, Khaitovich P. Extension of cortical synaptic development distinguishes humans from chimpanzees and macaques. Genome Res doi: 10.1101/gr.127324.111.

Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory: http://www.cshl.org

Thanks to Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory for this article.

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

This press release has been viewed 43 time(s).

Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117301/Extended_synaptic_development_may_explain_our_cognitive_edge_over_other_primates

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Benefits Of Bioidentical Hormones In Austin | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

Hormone therapy is used by people who have disorders or are suffering from something due to a hormonal imbalance. They would make use of substances that mimics the function of the the body?s hormone. Hormone therapy can be done using the traditional synthetic hormones or the bioidentical hormones Austin.

This kind of hormone therapy differs from the conventional therapies because it makes use of a substance derived from plants and animals. What will be given to the patient will be tailored according to hormone levels that her body has.

Many women these days use this to help relieve themselves of the things that they feel during menopause. Menopause is not a good stage to be in for this is when you can experience unpleasant things like vaginal dryness, hot flashes, night sweats, fatigue, and other symptoms that can stop you from living normally.

One of the problems that menopausal women have once they reach this point in their lives is that they tend to gain more weight. They feel bloated at all times like they have just consumed a heavy meal. Hormone therapy can also help with this since it can make metabolism faster.

This can also help women have more control of their emotions, which tends to be unstable because of the imbalance. It can prevent or lessen depression, anxiety, and mood swings. This can also keep the mind clear so that it will not get easily confused and for better concentration.

There are also times when this can be used for those who are experiencing premenstrual syndrome. This can also be used especially in cases when the signs and symptoms have become so severe that it has greatly affected the person suffering from it. Examples of these symptoms are acne, bloating, and abdominal cramps.

Although bioidentical hormones Austin has a lot of benefits, this is still one substance that the FDA finds hard to approve. If you will use one, make sure that you will see a doctor about it so that you will be guided accordingly. You must be aware of the right dosage and the side effects that you may experience. bioidentical hormones austin

Stop by our site to find out more bioidentical hormones austin

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/02/benefits-of-bioidentical-hormones-in-austin/

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Ways To Decrease Lower Back Pain | New Health and Fitness

New Health And Fitness.Org - Health Information You Can Use

Do you remember the last time you didn?t have to worry about back pain? Probably not and the reason is because you have most likely had lower back pain for a while. What most people don?t realize is that you can easily reduce lower back pain by simply changing the way you do things and even buying a few cheap items.

The first thing that you need to know is that you are the entire reason your lower back hurts. Whether you are a construction worker or a personal assistant doesn?t matter, it is how you do things rather than what you do that causes your back to hurt. All the different parts of your body are controlled by another part so if something is wrong it might not be directly because of your back but once you make a few changes your body will be back to where you need it to be.

Methods To Reduce Lower Back Pain

Exercise Lower Back ? One of the first things that everybody needs to do is a little back exercises. The best way to exercise your lower back is to simply lie on your stomach and then do an upward arch using just your back muscles. The benefit of doing this is that you will start to build muscles in that area which is mostly week because you don?t do much with it.

Lumbar Support ? Something else you should do is get a lumbar support roll or cushion. For anybody that sits down during the day they should be using a lumbar support cushion. The benefit of using a lumbar support cushion is that you won?t over -extend your spine which in turn will reduce the amount of back pain.

Proper Neck Pillow ? Another thing that will work is to use a neck pillow whenever you are asleep. A lot of people have lower back problems because of the way they sleep at night so simply getting the proper neck pillow will dramatically fix this problem.

Sit Straight ? Did you know that simply sitting straight will be enough to reduce your lower back pain? This is true and even though most people don?t realize this, you should do it. I am not saying you have to sit perfectly straight all the time but the truth is the more you can sit perfectly straight, the better your back will be.

As you are well aware of now, there are a lot of ways that you can reduce the amount of lower back pain without spending lots of money. Before you do anything, just know that you can change the way you feel by simply taking action and doing something.

If you want to know more about the different lumbar support cushions out there then now is your time. You can also click here to learn more about furniture dollies.

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Source: http://newhealthandfitness.org/2012/02/02/ways-to-decrease-lower-back-pain/

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UN nuke inspectors hail 'good' talks with Iran

The leader of a United Nations nuclear inspection team said Wednesday that their visit to Iran had been a "good trip," and announced plans to revisit Tehran "in the very near future."

The remarks by mission leader Herman Nackaerts indicated some progress on the team's quest to wrest information from Iran about allegations that it is secretly working on an atomic arms program.

Tehran says its nuclear activities are for peaceful electricity production and to make medical radioisotopes to treat cancer patients.

Amid the rising tension, a report by a Bipartisan Policy Center (BPC) task force of Democrats, Republicans and independents said the United States should deploy ships, step up covert activities and sharpen its rhetoric to make more credible the threat of a U.S. military strike to stop Iran's nuclear program.

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Video: US official: Iran now ?more willing? to attack US (on this page)

Former U.S. politicians, generals and officials said in the report that the best chance of stopping Iran's suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons was to make clear American willingness to use force, although it stopped short of advocating military action.

The report is to be formally issued on Wednesday and comes amid speculation about the possibility of an Israeli military strike against Iran.

Nackaerts' comments were made shortly after his team landed at Vienna airport and on the heels of three days of discussions with Iranian officials.

While he gave no details on what the International Atomic Energy Agency experts had achieved, diplomats had said before their departure that their main focus was to break Iranian resistance to talking about the weapons program allegations.

Slideshow: Everyday life in Iran (on this page)

"We had three days of intensive discussions about all our priorities, and we are committed to resolve all the outstanding issues," Nackaerts told reporters. "And the Iranians said they are committed, too.

"But of course there's still a lot of work to be done," he said. "So we have planned another trip in the very near future."

Video: Nuclear inspectors go to Iran (on this page)

Asked if he was satisfied with the talks, Nackaerts, who headed the six-member IAEA mission, said "Yeah, we had a good trip."

Iran: Talks 'constructive'
Iran also said further meetings were planned.

"Talks between Iran and the visiting team of inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency were constructive and ... the two sides agreed to continue the talks," the semi-official Fars news agency quoted an unnamed source as saying on Tuesday.

Western diplomats have often accused Iran of using offers of dialogue as a stalling tactic while it presses ahead with its nuclear program, and say they doubt whether Tehran will show the kind of concrete cooperation the IAEA wants.

Story: Nuclear Iran could deter military action, Israel says

Iran has refused to discuss the alleged weapons experiments for more than three years, saying they are based on "fabricated documents" provided by a "few arrogant countries" ? a phrase authorities in Iran often use to refer to the United States and its allies.

Tehran is under four sets of U.N. Security Council sanctions because of its refusal to heed international concerns about its nuclear programs, as well as penalties imposed by the United States and Western nations meant to force it into dialogue.

There is little evidence to suggest that U.S. President Barack Obama has any significant interest in the possibility of a military strike against Iran, though his administration has repeatedly said that all options are on the table.

Story: Iran upbeat on nuclear visit, delays move to cut EU oil

The idea of a U.S. attack was advocated by former Pentagon defense planner Matthew Kroenig in his recent Foreign Affairs Magazine article, "Time to Attack Iran: Why a Strike Is the Least Bad Option."

The BPC report's central thesis is that to persuade Iran to address questions about its nuclear program via negotiations, economic sanctions must be accompanied by a credible threat of military attack against Iran's nuclear facilities, according to Reuters. ?

"The United States needs to make clear that Iran faces a choice: it can either abandon its nuclear program through a negotiated arrangement or have its program destroyed militarily by the United States or Israel," said the report, entitled "Meeting the Challenge: Stopping the Clock."

Story: Iran tests missile that could hit US bases, Israel

The BPC is a nonprofit policy group founded by prominent Republicans and Democrats that seeks to promote policy-making that can draw support from both major U.S. political parties.

Among its specific recommendations, the report calls for:

  • strengthening the United States "declaratory policy" to make clear its willingness to use force rather than permit Iran to acquire nuclear weapons;
  • intensifying covert activities by U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies to disrupt Iran's nuclear program;
  • bolstering the presence of the U.S. Fifth Fleet in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman by deploying an additional carrier battle group and minesweepers off Iran, conducting broad military exercises in the region with allies, and prepositioning supplies for the possibility of military action against Iran;
  • strengthening the ability of U.S. allies such as Saudi Arabia, the world's largest oil exporter, to ship oil out of the region without using the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has threatened to close in retaliation for Western sanctions;
  • and amplifying U.S. efforts to strengthen the militaries of countries in the region such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Oman and the United Arab Emirates through arms sales.

Should these steps fail to dissuade Iran from its suspected pursuit of nuclear weapons, the report urges the United States to consider a "quarantine" to block refined petroleum imports by Iran, which is heavily dependent on gasoline refined abroad.

Story: US denies killing Iran scientist with magnetic bomb

As a last resort, the group asserts that the U.S. military has the ability to launch "an effective surgical strike against Iran's nuclear program."

The report acknowledged a strike would carry many risks, including higher oil prices, possible Iranian retaliation against U.S. military installations, support of "terrorist" operations against U.S. interests and potential attacks on Iraq.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46216822/ns/world_news-mideast_n_africa/

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Colbert's Super PAC has raised over $1 million

FILE- This Thursday, June 30, 2011 file photo shows comedian Stephen Colbert as he appears before the Federal Election Commission in Washington. Colbert's ?super? PAC has raised a staggering $1 million. Political action committees were required to submit their financial reports to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Colbert disclosed that as of Monday, his Americans for a Better Tomorrow PAC has raised $1,023,121.24. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

FILE- This Thursday, June 30, 2011 file photo shows comedian Stephen Colbert as he appears before the Federal Election Commission in Washington. Colbert's ?super? PAC has raised a staggering $1 million. Political action committees were required to submit their financial reports to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday. Colbert disclosed that as of Monday, his Americans for a Better Tomorrow PAC has raised $1,023,121.24. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Stephen Colbert's sway in the presidential election might be a joke, but he's got some real financial muscle.

The comedian disclosed Tuesday that his Americans for a Better Tomorrow "super" political action committee has raised a staggering $1.02 million. PACs were required to submit their financial reports to the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday.

In a letter to the commission, Colbert was quoted as saying, "How you like me now, FEC?"

"I'm rolling seven digits deep!" Colbert said. "I got 99 problems but a non-connected independent-expenditure only committee ain't one!"

Colbert raised the money by asking for donations from viewers of "The Colbert Report." He has used the PAC to highlight what he considers the absurdity of campaign finance law and, in particular, the 2010 Supreme Court ruling that allows corporations and unions to raise limitless money to run campaign ads.

"We raised it on my show and used it to materially influence the elections ? in full accordance with the law," Colbert said in a press release. "It's the way our founding fathers would have wanted it, if they had founded corporations instead of just a country."

When Colbert earlier flirted with running for president, he legally transferred control of his PAC to Jon Stewart of "The Daily Show." On Monday's "The Colbert Report," he elaborately hunted down Stewart to regain his PAC presidency.

Colbert said Tuesday that the PAC is considering yet another name change to: John Colbert Cougar Super MellenPAC.

On "The Report," Colbert has portrayed every turn of the screw in the life of a political action committee, going through the minutia of the law with his attorney, Trevor Potter, former Federal Election Commission chairman.

Thus far, his PAC has created a handful of television ads, including an over-the-top negative ad against Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney, and an anti-players ad during the NBA lockout.

Tuesday's FEC filing also revealed the donors who gave more than $200 to Colbert's PAC. Among them are Gavin Newsom, lieutenant governor of California (who gave $500), Bradley Whitford of the "The West Wing" ($250) and "Hot in Cleveland" star Laura Sangiacomo ($250).

Colbert is yet to say what he intends to do with his money.

___

Online:

http://www.fec.gov/disclosure.shtml

http://www.colbertsuperpac.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-01-31-Colbert-Super%20PAC/id-9403fabc2bb049b8982c4173b50bb293

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