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Thursday, May 24, 2012

Everest will be crowded again days after 4 killed

KATMANDU, Nepal (AP) ? Days after four people died amid a traffic jam of climbers scrambling to conquer Mount Everest, Nepal officials said a similar rush up the world's tallest peak will begin soon, and there's little they can do to control it.

About 200 climbers are expected to attempt to scale the summit of the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) mountain between Friday and Sunday, Nepali mountaineering official Gyanendra Shrestha said. Some have been at a staging camp for days, waiting for a window of good weather during this worse-than-usual climbing season.

A similar crowd of 208 climbers headed to the summit last week, and four died Saturday in one of the deadliest days ever on the mountain.

Ha Wenyi of China, Eberhard Schaaf of Germany, Nepal-born Canadian Shriya Shah and South Korean Song Won-bin died on their descents from the summit, apparently from exhaustion and altitude sickness.

Shrestha also said a Nepalese Sherpa guide who had been reported missing reached the base camp safely on Monday. The guide was separated from his group and did not have communications equipment, Shrestha said Tuesday.

The deaths have raised concerns about overcrowding above the highest camp on the mountain. The area is nicknamed the "death zone" because of the steep icy slope, treacherous conditions and low oxygen level.

Describing a "traffic jam" of climbers Saturday, Shrestha said climbers were heading to the summit at 2:30 p.m., even though 11 a.m. is the latest start time recommended. That meant climbers were staying too long at high altitudes and exhausting their oxygen supplies because they didn't anticipate having to wait.

Now, with a similarly large number of climbers expected to head up the same trail under similar conditions, Nepalese authorities acknowledged safety concerns but said they can't turn any of them away.

"The climbers have received the permits to climb within specific dates. We cannot say who gets to get to the summit on which dates because of the unpredictable weather. When weather clears up they all want to benefit," said Nepal's Tourism Ministry spokesman, Bal Krishna Ghimire.

Apa, a Nepalese Sherpa guide who has scaled Everest a record 21 times, said climbers are eager to reach the summit, so when the weather clears up they take their chances.

"The window of good weather is so short that if the climbers miss it then there is a good chance they will not be able to get another chance, so they don't want to wait and take their chances," said Apa, who uses only one name.

He said the traffic jam of climbers going up and down the same icy trail makes it hazardous, especially with climbers already exhausted from having climbed all night from the last camp, at 8,000 meters (26,246 feet).

"And having to wait for extra hours and the delays only makes the situation worse," Apa said.

Ghimire said it is up to the climbers and their teams to access the conditions and safety.

"We have officials at the base camp, but beyond that it is mostly up to the climbers," Ghimire said.

He said that eventually, the government plans to set up a seasonal office at the base camp equipped with doctors, weather experts and security personnel. Ghimire said they also have plans to give each climber a tracking device.

More than 3,000 people have climbed Everest since Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first to do it in 1953. Some 225 climbers have died attempting it.

The deadliest day was May 10, 1996, when eight people were killed. The main reason was said to be that climbers who started their ascent late in the day were caught in a snowstorm in the afternoon and lost their way.

The climbing season normally runs from late March to the first week in June, but this year the season's first clear conditions were on Friday and Saturday. A windstorm hit the higher altitudes by Saturday afternoon.

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Romney's playbook on Bain unclear as attacks grow

NEW YORK (AP) ? The core of his presidential candidacy under attack, Mitt Romney has yet to shape a playbook to defend a quarter-century in the business world that created great riches for him and great hardship, at times, for some American workers.

Romney and his aides have struggled to respond consistently to intensifying criticism about his tenure at Bain Capital, the private equity firm he helped found, and how it would be reflected in his presidency. The lack of a cohesive message stems, in part, from Romney's fundamental belief that any debate that puts the economy front and center is a win for Republicans. Public polling shows most Americans are not satisfied with the pace of the recovery under President Barack Obama.

The election, Romney aides say, will be a referendum on Obama's economic leadership far more than a question of Romney's business career, regardless of how much Democrats highlight that issue.

So far, Romney aides have let Democrats ? led by Obama ? do most of the talking.

Obama on Monday sharply attacked Romney's background as a venture capitalist, offering his most expansive comments to date about how Romney's role as founder of the Boston-based private equity firm doesn't necessarily translate to the White House.

"If your main argument for how to grow the economy is 'I knew how to make a lot of money for investors,' then you're missing what this job is about," Obama said during a news conference at an international summit in Chicago. "It doesn't mean you weren't good at private equity, but that's not what my job is as president. My job is to take into account everybody, not just some. My job is to make sure that the country is growing not just now, but 10 years from now and 20 years from now."

He added: "This is not a distraction. This is what this campaign is going to be about ? is what is a strategy for us to move this country forward in a way where everybody can succeed?"

Romney ignored Obama's criticism as he courted donors on Wall Street during a three-day fundraising tour. He issued a written statement that said Obama was once again attacking the free enterprise system.

"What this election is about is the 23 million Americans who are still struggling to find work and the millions who have lost their homes and have fallen into poverty," Romney said. "President Obama refuses to accept moral responsibility for his failed policies. My campaign is offering a positive agenda to help America get back to work."

Romney's campaign has offered several defenses since Obama's re-election team launched an all-out assault against Bain: It's a simple distraction, an affront to free markets, an attempt to divide the nation, a misreading of the firm's success. The campaign released a Web video last week featuring workers from an Indiana company that benefited from Bain's involvement.

On Tuesday, a prominent Romney supporter, former New Hampshire Gov. John H. Sununu further muddied the campaign's position when he said "the Bain record as a whole is fair game."

In 80 percent of the cases, he said the company saved jobs. A Bain spokesman also said "revenues grew in 80 percent of the more than 350 companies in which we have invested," which does not necessarily mean that the companies' bottom lines or job numbers improved.

"That's a good batting average in the private sector business ? private equity business," Sununu told reporters during a conference call. He added that any "cherry picking" focusing on the company's failures is "a distortion."

Romney himself generally has avoided the issue as he spends most of his time privately raising money, and did so during a $2,500-a-plate reception Monday at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel.

"I understand the economy because I've lived in it," he said. "And by the way, I've been successful, but I've also lost. There's sometimes I failed. I probably learned more from failures than from the successes. But I know how this economy works."

Romney's relative silence was made possible, in part, by a gaffe by Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker, an Obama supporter who on Sunday said exchanges by the campaigns over Bain were "nauseating" and a distraction from issues that interest voters. He walked back his comments after they dominated the campaign news for a day.

Obama is running television ads across five swing states featuring a former worker who likens Bain Capital to a vampire. The president's re-election campaign has also released Web videos and arranged multiple conference calls for reporters with employees from companies that suffered under Bain's leadership.

Romney senior aide Stuart Stevens described the television ad as "performance art gibberish."

"Shouting louder and getting more angry is not very persuasive," Stevens said in response to the line of attack. "The idea that people are walking around with less of a paycheck or higher gas prices because of something Bain Capital did 20 years ago is absurd."

Romney faced similar criticism from former House Speaker Newt Gingrich during the Republican primary. Gingrich accused Romney of "looting a company" and suggested that he return money earned "from bankrupting companies and laying off employees over his years at Bain."

The argument helped fuel Gingrich's surprise victory in South Carolina. Democrats are betting big that it will help Obama win over working-class voters in November, citing polling that suggests Romney would struggle with lower-income voters. But exit polling from the GOP primaries shows Romney won such voters about half the time.

In a rare interview on Bain, Romney told a conservative radio host last week that the closure of a Florida factory under Bain's control was not his problem. "The steel factory closed down two years after I left Bain Capital. I was no longer there. So that's hardly something which is on my watch," he said.

The Obama campaign has pointed out, however, that Romney continued to profit from Bain's investments years after he left.

Romney also opened himself to new criticism by resurrecting a controversy over the number of jobs he created at Bain. In the radio interview, he jabbed the Obama campaign for failing to mention that Bain created "over 100,000 jobs." He has struggled for months to back up the jobs claim.

The former Massachusetts governor co-founded Bain in the early 1980s, but left in 1999 to run the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics and pursue a political career. He has lived off his investments and retirement package ever since.

His net worth is now as much as $250 million, which would make him among the wealthiest presidents ever elected.

___

AP Deputy Director of Polling Jennifer Agiesta contributed to this report.

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Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Video: Closing Bell Exchange: Facebook's Fallout & Morgan Stanle...

Discussing Morgan Stanley's early cut on Facebook's estimates before its IPO, with Michael Mullaney, Fiduciary Trust CIO; Francis Gaskins, IPODesktop.com president/editor; and the "Closing Bell" crew.

Fire Up the Grill: 5 Mouthwatering Recipes for Your Memorial Day ...

For many of us, Memorial Day weekend kicks off the start of another great summer.? Thousands will flock to the beaches, lakes, and mountains of our great country to take in the warm sunshine and beautiful weather. ?Of course, I?ll be right there with the rest of you.? Readied with a cold beer in one hand and a spatula in the other, I spend the majority of my Memorial Day weekends surrounded by family and friends at our lake house on Georgia?s scenic Lake Oconee.

On such weekends, my house typically becomes the center for all of the action.? After all, my family is pretty well-known for never meeting a stranger.? For instance, if you walked through my backdoor, momma would instantly offer up a variety of home cooked food and drink from her kitchen?quickly followed by an invitation to stick around for supper.? I suppose it?s true that the acorn doesn?t fall too far from the tree.? I owe momma a debt of gratitude for my cooking expertise and Southern hospitality.

Since I can?t invite you all over for supper, I figured I?d offer up the next best thing: my recipes.? Whenever I?m at the lake, I prefer to spend my time outside?just man and grill.? These recipes provide an outstanding base of grilled fare for you to enjoy at your holiday cookout.

Most importantly, when you are surrounded by family and friends this weekend, enjoying some of the great recipes below, say a prayer for the members of our armed forces and their families. Some have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Many of them are fighting battles or serving far away from those that they love. May our hearts and prayers be with them until they safely return home.

Best,

Bistro Steak Sandwiches + Caramelized Onion + Basil-Balsamic Mayo

Even with such a complicated name, this recipe couldn?t be easier.? However, don?t let the ease of this recipe fool you, as it boasts tons of flavor.? Follow my step-by-step instructions for this delicious and hearty favorite.? (Prep 15 mins, Cook 45 mins, Serves 4)

Bistro Steak Sandwiches

4 Hamburger Buns (French-style if available)
2 lbs. Skirt/Flank Steak
? Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Caramelized Onions (see below)
Basil-Balsamic Mayo (see below)

Caramelized Onions

2 Large Yellow Onions, thinly sliced
? Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

Add ingredients into a skillet over medium low heat.? Cook onions for 25 ? 35 minutes, stirring often until browned and tender.

Basil-Balsamic Mayo

1 Cup Mayonnaise
1 Clove Garlic, finely minced
? Cup Fresh Basil, julienned
2 Tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Whisk together ingredients in a mixing bowl until thoroughly combined.? Cover and keep chilled until ready to serve.

Cooking and Assembly

Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium-high heat.? Slice buns and cook cut-side down over direct heat until slightly charred and toasted.? Meanwhile, coat the skirt steak in oil and season liberally with salt and pepper.? Add the steaks to the grill over direct heat and cook for 2 ? 3 minutes on each side for medium rare/medium (depending on the thickness).? Remove steaks from grill, allowing them to rest for 4 ? 5 minutes before slicing.? Next, thinly slice the steaks on the bias and across the grain every ? inch or so.? Pile the sliced steak high on the bottom side of the bun, while generously coating the top side of the bun with the mayo and onions.? Top off the sandwich and serve immediately.

Grilled Beef Kebabs

These juicy, marinated kebabs are perfect for preparing a day or so in advance, and pulling out to quickly grill and serve in a matter of minutes.? Packed with tender beef and colorful vegetables, these are sure to be a hit with your guests. (Prep 15 minutes, Marinate 3 ? 4 hours, Cook 15 minutes, Serves 4)

1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Lemon, juiced
10 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped
2 lbs. Top Sirloin Filets, cut into chunks
1 Large Red Onion, cut into chunks
Assorted Sweet Peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Fresh Cracked Pepper
3 Pinches Red Pepper Flakes
1 Teaspoon Allspice
1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon

Add all ingredients to a zip-lock bag and marinate for 3 ? 4 hours in the fridge, or overnight.? Preheat grill over medium high heat.? Skewer ingredients evenly on metal or bamboo skewers (soak prior to using).? Place skewers over direct heat, grilling for 2 ? 3 minutes on each side for medium.? Remove and rest for 5 minutes prior to serving.? Serve.

Grilled Rosemary Shrimp Kebabs

Tender, fresh shrimp are one of my favorite things to put on the grill.? The rosemary doubles as a skewer, while also providing a nice, herbaceous flavor to the hearty shrimp.? (Prep 10 mins, Cook 8 mins, Serves 4 ? 6)

6 ? 8 Large Rosemary Sprigs, soaked in water for 10 minutes
1 lb. Large Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
1 Lemon, juiced
2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat one side of the grill to medium-high heat.? Meanwhile, season shrimp in a bowl with a few generous pinches of salt and pepper.? Add lemon juice and olive oil?toss until thoroughly combined.? Begin skewering shrimp, starting at the bottom of the rosemary sprig and working your way to the top (with the leaves), careful not to overcrowd.? Add shrimp to grill over direct heat, 1 ? 2 minutes.? Move shrimp to indirect heat and cook for another 3 ? 4 minutes, or until firm and pink.? Remove from grill and serve immediately.

Oven Roasted/Grilled Baby Back BBQ Ribs

This recipe is written with the assumption that most of you do not have access to a smoker.? For those that do, you can replace the cooking process described below with simply smoking the ribs over low heat (175 ? 200 degrees F) for 3 ? 4 hours.? The result is a fall-off-the-bone rib that still packs plenty of bite and flavor.? Substitute spare ribs if desired.? (Prep 15 mins, Cook 3 ? 4 hours, Serves 4 ? 6)

2 Slabs Baby Back Ribs, trimmed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Garlic Powder
BBQ Sauce (I use Johnny Harris BBQ sauce out of Savannah, GA)

Preheat oven to 175 degrees F.? Meanwhile, line a large baking sheet with aluminum foil.? Coat ribs in olive oil and season liberally with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.? Place ribs, meat side down, onto the baking sheet and bake 3 ? 4 hours.? Next, preheat grill to medium-high, carefully add ribs over direct heat with the meat side up (as pictured) and coat in BBQ sauce.? Grill for 10 ? 15 minutes and serve.

Red Cabbage + Chive + Blue Cheese Slaw

A colorful and delicious slaw, this version omits the mayo without losing any flavor.? It?s best to prepare this at least an hour in advance, keeping covered in the fridge to allow the flavors to meld before serving. This slaw makes a great side dish for all of the grilled items above.? (Prep 15 mins, Cook N/A, Serves 4 ? 6)

5 Cups Red Cabbage, thinly sliced
? Cup Chives, sliced every inch on the bias
? Cup Crumbled Blue Cheese
? Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
? Cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1 Teaspoon Fresh Cracked Pepper

Add the first three ingredients into a large serving bowl.? Next, whisk together the remaining ingredients until thoroughly combined.? Pour the oil and vinegar mixture over the cabbage and toss until evenly distributed.? Cover, and keep in the fridge for at least one hour prior to serving.? Serve chilled or at room temperature.

What?s on your Memorial Day menu? Share your recipes and grilling tips with us in the comments!

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Colonoscopy May Detect Curable Cancer in Elderly: Study

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Tuesday, May 22, 2012

5 reasons Snooki will be a great mom

By Lela Davidson

Noel Vasquez / Getty Images

Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki, is all smiles about becoming a mom.

Snooki is having a baby this summer. Let the commentary begin. While the reality star?s future on Jersey Shore might be hindered by the impending bundle of joy, she is confident in her innate maternal instincts. She told?V Magazine?earlier this month,??Everyone will be surprised to see a different side of me. I?m loving, caring, sensitive, protective, and very maternal, no matter what people might think.?

Before you judge Snooki?s fitness to be a mother, consider for a moment your own wildest days (and nights), and how they would have played out in an edited-for-conflict ?reality? show. (And your antics weren?t encouraged by producers standing by with body shots.)

No matter what you think of her on-screen persona, I?d argue that the public perception of Nicole Polizzi, aka Snooki, is ? at least in part ? controlled by Ms. Polizzi. She?s no dummy. I?m not saying she?s secretly a Mensa-card-carrying neurobiologist exploiting the entertainment game until her Nobel prize comes through, but neither am I. Neither are you. We?re decent moms anyway, aren?t we? If the infamous Jersey girl can handle Hollywood, I say she can rock the motherhood gig.

Truth is we all screw up our kids. We also love them as best we know how. Reality stars are no different. But oh, how Snooki will be a magnet for our rampant maternal judgment.?Let?s choose instead to believe she?s going to be a great mom.

Here are a few ways Snooki might excel at the mom game:

1. Basic baby maintenance

Snooki is used to people puking on her. One cannot overestimate the value of this maternal attribute. Mothers must get accustomed to being sprayed with human body fluids at all hours of the night. Advantage Snooki.

2 Hello, multi-tasking!

Clubbing, on-screen debauchery, publishing, launching product lines of everything from scents to slippers, and now a boxing team! This girl does it all. As a mom, she will draw on these skills, all while bouncing a new baby for the cameras.

3. Picking her battles

I don?t imagine Snooki will obsess over whether the bows match the socks, or whether there is spit-up on the ?Team Vinny? onesie. And compared to those Jersey Shore roommates, living with babies, toddlers, and teens will seem like a Zen retreat.

4. Nurturing a positive self-image

Snooki told V Magazine she feels like the most bullied celebrity. It hurts to be a media target, but the pain will make her more sensitive to her child?s feelings about the inevitable nickname, Meatball.

5. Gym-Tan-Laundry (GTL)

No, I?m not suggesting Snooki take the baby into the tanning bed. Rather she can teach her child powerful study skills. GTL is a mnemonic device, and those are handy for boosting scores on standardized tests like the SAT ? whatever that stands for.

Nicole, you want my advice? Deck that baby out in animal print, slap on some outrageous sunglasses, and enjoy the ride, because motherhood is a whole lot wilder than any boardwalk or nightclub.?

Lela Davidson is the author of Blacklisted from the PTA (Jupiter Press, imprint of Wyatt-MacKenzie, July 2011). Her writing is featured regularly in family and parenting magazines throughout the United States and Canada. She blogs about marriage, motherhood,?and life-after-40 at?After the Bubbly.

Nicole Polizzi, better known as Snooki on TV's "Jersey Shore," chats about her dreams of becoming a mom and sounds off about her show's adult subject matter, saying she gets upset when 5-year-olds tell her they're her biggest fans.

If you just can't get enough Snooki:

In praise of Snooki's indomitable spirit... seriously

Pregnant Snooki gives up tanning for the baby

?Jersey Shore? slideshow

More stories from TODAY Moms:

Are dads pulling their weight? Take our survey

Rosie Pope: Why I tweeted my baby's birth

The latest child-rearing fad? Detachment parenting

Time's breast-feeding toddler cover spurs shock, talk

Dr. Bill Sears' theory of "attachment parenting" is making headlines after a Time magazine cover story featured a photo of a mother breast-feeding her 3-year-old. NBC's Darlene Rodriguez reports on this parenting technique and TODAY's Savannah Guthrie speaks with the mother in the now-infamous photo and Dr. Sears.

"Like" TODAY Moms?on Facebook, and follow us @TodayMoms

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Monday, May 21, 2012

Folic acid may reduce some childhood cancers

ScienceDaily (May 21, 2012) ? Folic acid fortification of foods may reduce the incidence of the most common type of kidney cancer and a type of brain tumors in children, finds a new study by Kimberly J. Johnson, PhD, assistant professor at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, and Amy Linabery, PhD, postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota.

Incidence reductions were found for Wilms' tumor, a type of kidney cancer, and primitive neuroectodermal tumors (PNET), a type of brain cancer.

Since 1998, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has mandated fortification of foods with folic acid because earlier studies show that prenatal consumption of folic acid significantly reduces the incidence of neural tube defects in babies.

"Our study is the largest to date to show that folic acid fortification may also lower the incidence of certain types of childhood cancer in the United States," Johnson says.

The study, published in the current issue of Pediatrics, examined the incidence of childhood cancer pre- and post-mandated folic acid fortification.

"We found that Wilms' tumor rates increased from 1986 to 1997 and decreased thereafter, which is an interesting finding since the downward change in the trend coincides exactly with folic acid fortification," Johnson says.

"PNET rates increased from 1986 to 1993 and decreased thereafter. This change in the trend does not coincide exactly with folic acid fortification, but does coincide nicely with the 1992 recommendation for women of childbearing age to consume 400 micrograms of folic acid daily."

Study authors used the 1986-2008 data from the National Cancer Institute's Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER), which has collected information on cancer cases in various areas of the U.S. since 1973. The study involved 8,829 children, from birth to age four, diagnosed with cancer.

"Declines in Wilms' tumors and PNETs in children were detected by multiple analyses of the data," Johnson says.

"Importantly, the reduced rates of Wilms' tumors also were found in a smaller study conducted in Ontario, Canada, that was published in 2011.

"More research is needed to confirm these results and to rule out any other explanations."

Julie A. Ross, PhD, professor and director of the Division of Pediatric Epidemiology & Clinical Research in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota, was a study co-author.

Johnson notes that one concern countries face as they are deciding whether or not to fortify foods to reduce neural tube defects in newborns is the possibility that fortification may cause unintended harm, such as causing new cancers or pre-cancerous lesions.

"Here, we are showing that folic acid fortification does not appear to be increasing rates of childhood cancers, which is good news," she says.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Washington University in St. Louis. The original article was written by Jessica Martin.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

Journal Reference:

Amy M. Linabery, Kimberly J. Johnson, and Julie A. Ross. Childhood Cancer Incidence Trends in Association With US Folic Acid Fortification (1986?2008). Pediatrics, May 21, 2012 DOI: 10.1542/peds.2011-3418

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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