"Zero Dark Thirty" hits the U.K.: did critics zero in on torture scenes?

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - "Zero Dark Thirty" landed this week in the United Kingdom, where the Kathryn Bigelow drama continued to stir debate over its depiction of the use of torture in the CIA's decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden.

As they have in the U.S., some critics accused the filmmakers of implying that enhanced interrogation techniques could be a useful form of intelligence gathering, while others believed that Bigelow and screenwriter Mark Boal were more ambiguous in their portrayal of torture's efficacy.

Most reviewers were floored by the propulsive storyline, the performance of star Jessica Chastain and the gripping dramatization of the raid on bin Laden's compound in Pakistan.

In the Evening Standard, David Sexton argues that the film is ambivalent about waterboarding and other brutal methods, noting that a key piece of information is only discovered after interrogators ply a detainee with food and kindness.

"This has proved offensive to those who, to avoid having to accept there may be negative consequences from taking the moral high ground, prefer to believe that torture must always be ineffective as well as wrong," Sexton writes. "Some of these critics - most notably nitwit Naomi Wolf, who has tastefully compared Bigelow to Leni Riefensthal and dubbed her 'torture's handmaiden' - have claimed the film's disturbing representation of torture amounts to a blithe commendation of the practice, not really a possible interpretation for those who have actually seen the movie."

In a four-star review, Sexton went on to hail "Zero Dark Thirty" as "terrifically good" and said the depiction of the raid was a "masterclass in action filmmaking."

In The Independent, Anthony Quinn praised the film for avoiding simplistic conclusions about America's controversial interrogation methods.

"The waterboarding, the beatings, the dog collars, all the stuff you've heard about is here, and perhaps some you haven't - the spectacle of a man being forced inside a small wooden box is as harrowing as any," Quinn writes. "Is this an abhorrent crime? Would the information be impossible to gain by other means? The film isn't saying either way; it is asking us to make up our own minds."

Quinn also argued that the film is more effective because it was directed by a woman and that because of her gender, Bigelow has a less "gung-ho" relationship to violence than a Ridley Scott or Michael Mann might bring to the same material (he may not have seen "Point Break")

Robbie Collins maintains in his review of the film in the Telegraph that Bigelow and Boal leave it to audiences to decide whether torture is right or wrong.

"These scenes are every bit as hellish to watch as they should be, and Bigelow's genius is to make them feel at once gratuitous and necessary," Collins writes.

He also praised the film for eschewing jingoism and for having the courage to end on a deflated note.

"Where, then, does Zero Dark Thirty leave us?" Collins asks.

"In the same place it leaves Maya: with our thirst for justice quenched, but our sense of rightness shaken. "Where do you want to go?" a pilot asks her, and she starts shedding tear after tear. This, finally, is what victory looks like, and its likeness to defeat is terrifying."

Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian was more unsettled by the film's relationship with torture and seemed to wish it had taken a firmer position.

"There is nothing in Zero Dark Thirty comparable to Gavin Hood's soul-searching 2007 movie, Rendition, in which Jake Gyllenhaal's CIA agent denounces waterboarding information as valueless; he quotes Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice and says torture victims 'speak upon the rack,/ Where men enforced do speak anything,'" Bradshaw writes. "I can well believe that, but for me the most sinister depiction of torture is non-depiction. Many Hollywood movies about the war on terror have managed to ignore the subject, implying non-existence. Despite its fence-sitting, I prefer Bigelow's account."

Bradshaw was also less enamored of the film on an artistic level, writing that "It is well made, with a relentless, dour drumbeat of tension and a great final sequence, but nowhere near as good as the first season of Homeland."

Empire Magazine's Kim Newman mostly skirted the political debate surrounding "Zero Dark Thirty," but was ecstatic about Bigelow's directing, the film's pacing and star turns.

"Like Bigelow's The Hurt Locker, it's a relatively new kind of American patriotic war movie, counterprogramming jaded paranoid fantasies like the Bourne movies or the liberal horror stories (Redacted, Rendition, In The Valley Of Elah, Green Zone etc.) thrown up by the War On Terror," Newman writes. "It's measured, seething with suppressed emotion, unafraid of slow stretches and false trails, snapping shut like a mantrap when blood is shed. If it grips in a more intellectual, journalistic manner than its Oscar-winning predecessor, it's because Chastain's character is necessarily absent during the climax - though she has a terrific post-traumatic outburst when the case is closed."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zero-dark-thirty-hits-u-k-did-critics-005856852.html

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Choosing the Right Destination | BeCleanLiveGreen

Posted by Travel-and-Leisure:Destination-Tips Articles from EzineArticles.com on January 25, 2013

if you are planning for a vacation, consider it a must to choose the right destination. There are a lot of things that you need to look into so you could have a memorable vacation. This article will tackle a number of tips......

Click to read the complete article

Source: http://www.becleanlivegreen.com/?p=97378

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Dance showcase Saturday to help cancer foundation - The Orange ...

If you'd like to see some high-energy youth dancing Saturday, stop by a San Clemente dance studio that invites the community to "Dance for a Cause," a showcase that will benefit Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, a nonprofit that helps families dealing with cancer.

You'll see dancers ages 6-18 performing tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, ballet and other forms. General admission is a $10 donation.

Performances will be offered at noon, 3 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at San Clemente Dance & Performing Arts Center, 1321 Calle Avanzado, in the Talega Business Park. The event will include a silent auction at 5:30 p.m.

This is the second year for Dance for a Cause, organized by Jake Esten, a San Clemente resident who organized the first benefit a year ago for the Multiple Sclerosis Society. It was his senior project at Saddleback Valley Christian Schools.

This year?the beneficiary is?the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation, which has been assisting the family of Allie Brady, a dancer at the studio whose father was stricken with leukemia and lymphoma.

For information or tickets, call 949-498-7571 or email scdancedirector@gmail.com.

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/dance-409305-cancer-san.html

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Nokia 808 PureView: officially the last Symbian phone

So long, Symbian. Nestled away in the company's financial announcement this morning, Nokia confirmed that its pixel-punching 808 PureView phone will be the last release powered by the increasingly creaky Symbian OS. In no uncertain terms:

"The Nokia 808 PureView, a device which showcases our imaging capabilities and which came to market in mid-2012, was the last Symbian device from Nokia."

The company still managed to sell a total of 2.2 million Symbian devices during the last quarter, half the number of Windows Phone 8 devices shifted in the same period -- presumably thanks, in some way, to that as-yet unparalleled PureView camera sensor. We'll be pouring one out (and capturing it in 38 megapixels) if you need us.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Nokia

Comments

Via: TechCrunch

Source: Nokia (PDF)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/9oMpihlcFQo/

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Giovanna Plowman, 'Tampon Girl', Apparently Puts Bloody Hygiene Product In Mouth (GRAPHIC VIDEO)

So, bloody tampon sucking is a thing now, it seems.

The person to thank for this happening is the lovely and talented Giovanna Plowman who posted a video (a GRAPHIC portion of which you can see below) to her now deleted Facebook page in which she appears to put a bloody tampon in her mouth and suck on it, several times.

There is, as KnowYourMeme.com points out, lots of speculation amongst commenters as to the video's authenticity. Some suspect the tampon was dipped in tomato sauce or some other red liquid.

But even with the prospect of the video's fraudulence in mind, it's hard not to cringe when you see Plowman swallow the feminine hygiene product.

The Buffalo, N.Y. teen has received a lot of blowback for posting the video from Twitter users and commenters who accuse her of doing anything for 15 minutes of fame, according to the International Digital Times.

See for yourself if Plowman deserves the attention or the ridicule in the GRAPHIC VIDEO below:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/24/giovanna-plowman-tampon-girl_n_2543904.html

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Walmart Explores Offering Private Health Insurance for Small

Once again I am here to sing the praises of Walmart. Over the years I have done so on many occasions.

Many misguided souls take the other side. They blame Walmart for ruining mom and pop grocery stores, mom and pop hardware stores, etc.

Not me, I praise cheaper prices. Moreover, it's what consumers voted for with their hard-earned dollars.

If anyone wants to pay more for stuff, all they have to do is shop at a mom and pop hardware store, grocery store, or pharmacy. Most don't because they want a bargain.

Today, I have good news. Walmart-style competition may be on the way in the healthcare business.

The Orlando Business Journal writes Wal-Mart exploring private health insurance exchange for small biz.

Wal-Mart is exploring the idea of building a private health insurance exchange tailored to offer cheaper health insurance to small businesses, a vice president told Orlando Business Journal Jan. 11.

Marcus Osborne, vice president of health and wellness payer relations for Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT), spoke to OBJ after his keynote speech at the Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida?s 2013 Health Care Affordability Summit. Osborne said Wal-Mart wants to work with insurers and managed care companies to find new, low-cost health insurance options tailored for small companies, which historically have limited options.

The idea is to offer those products through a health insurance exchange ? or as Osborne said, simply a marketplace ? that would leverage Wal-Mart?s buying and marketing power to make the exchanges widely available and used. ?It would allow small employers to piggyback Wal-Mart,? Osborne said. ?We haven?t got it all figured out, but it?s one of the things we?re looking at.?

?The biggest problem today small employers face from a health insurance perspective is they have no alternatives,? Osborne said. ?If they find anything, they?ve got to take it. There?s something wrong with that.?

In Praise of Walmart

Obamacare is going to raise the cost of healthcare. Walmart will lower costs. I have been waiting for this since Summer of 2008.

Flashback June 22, 2008: Trade Wars, Health Care, and Wal-Mart

This post is about trade wars, tariffs, health care, and Wal-Mart. I will tie these themes together starting with a look at Wal-Mart and health care.

I have many disagreements with Jim Jubak, but he hits the nail on the head with Let Wal-Mart fix US health care.

I know who can fix our broken health care system -- and who can't:

• Not presumptive Republican nominee John McCain. He proposes a tax credit of $5,000 per family to encourage us to buy private health insurance.
• Not Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. She proposes universal health insurance supported by tax credits.
• Not Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama. He proposes a mix of public and private health insurance with government subsidies to those who don't qualify for government insurance plans such as Medicaid.

I say, let Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) do it. Hold your guffaws. Stifle your impulse to scoff. Control those sputters of rage.

Wal-Mart has done more to expand coverage and lower costs in the past year than any government program to come out of Washington in the past 10 years. And I'd bet the new programs that this company -- known for stiffing its own part-time workers on health care benefits -- has announced in the past year will do more to expand coverage and cut costs than anything likely to come out of a McCain, Clinton or Obama first term.

Letting Wal-Mart run the health care system would fix many of those problems. It's a company that understands how low prices can build market share and thus increase profits. Furthermore, it's a company with a culture of cutting costs that has shown no compunction in pushing suppliers to the wall over price. The Wal-Mart motto ought to be, "Make it cheaper, or we'll find someone who can." I'd love to see that attitude brought to bear in health care.

Inquiring minds will want to read the rest of the article. It's surprisingly good.

Jubak makes a compelling case. He never said this explicitly but I will. "We do not need higher wages or higher prices. We need lower prices and a dollar that buys more".

Hopefully a good idea, long overdue, is about to happen. I repeat what I said in 2008: "We do not need higher wages or higher prices. We need lower prices and a dollar that buys more".

Walmart-style competition would do just that.

My primary fear is regulators will kill the idea based on trumped up charges of some sort (or bribes from healthcare providers who fear competition) before the idea takes hold.

Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com

Disclaimer:The content on this site is provided as general information only and should not be taken as investment advice. All site content, including advertisements, shall not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security or financial instrument, or to participate in any particular trading or investment strategy. The ideas expressed on this site are solely the opinions of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions of sponsors or firms affiliated with the author(s). The author may or may not have a position in any company or advertiser referenced above. Any action that you take as a result of information, analysis, or advertisement on this site is ultimately your responsibility. Consult your investment adviser before making any investment decisions.

Source: http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2013/01/walmart-explores-offering-private.html

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"Disrespectful" IKEA ad touches nerve with Thai transsexuals

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai man and his girlfriend are shopping at a furniture store. She sees pillows on sale and gets excited, her feminine voice falls suddenly to a deep male-like tone.

Shocked and horrified, her boyfriend runs off.

The advertisement by IKEA, the world's biggest furniture retailer, has incensed a Thai transgender group which called it "negative and stereotypical" and "a gross violation of human rights" in an open letter to the Swedish retail giant.

The 20-second commercial shown on YouTube (http://link.reuters.com/gyz45t) and on Bangkok's trains in December and January entitled "Luem Aeb" ("Forget to Keep Hidden"), was disrespectful to transsexuals, according to the Thai Transgender Alliance, which demanded an explanation from IKEA.

Transgenders, or "Ladyboys" as they are often referred to, are widely accepted in Thailand and are commonplace in the fashion, beauty and entertainment industries, but are not officially recognized as women.

A marketing official at IKEA Thailand, which opened its first store in the country in November 2011, said on Thursday it had talked with the group in response to its January 9 complaint.

"IKEA has spoken to the group over the telephone and the conversation went very smoothly. We are now drafting a letter in response," the official said, declining to be identified.

(Reporting by Amy Sawitta Lefevre; Editing by Martin Petty and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/disrespectful-ikea-ad-touches-nerve-thai-transsexuals-115602272--finance.html

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More Effective Web Marketing With These Tips | ArticleTree.info

by RobertStrong

Many people experience great difficulty when beginning an Internet promotion campaign, but the process does not need to be as complex as you might think. Web marketing is an effective and important tool in the digital age. This article is meant to guide you through the process of launching an Affiliate marketing campaign through helpful tips and advice.

Your business may be small, but your web presence should be enormous. Your website should look professional, so don't shy away from seeking out a graphic designer when you are building your website. A well put together website can make prospective customers feel your customer is much larger than it actually is.

If you'd like to market your online blog, make friends with the authors of the websites you admire most. No joke! Contact a blog that you love (and that hosts similar content to your own). Make a case for the quality of your blog, and offer a link-exchange. In a link-exchange, each site posts an outgoing link to a relevant entry on the other site. With this strategy, you each instantly get new, diverse visitors. A win-win!

Ascertain that the style of your website is appealing and does not detract customers due to poor design. Your logo should match identically, as you do not want to market an outdated version of your design. Try to make your website as appealing and contemporary as possible for a comfortable viewing experience.

If you are going to have sound on your site then you need to give users a way to turn the sound off. People are reluctant to revisit sites that have very loud sound that they cannot disable, because sometimes they may be listening to something else on their speakers.

Use pictures and graphics more than words on your website. Don't clutter your website with endless paragraphs of words. It's difficult to read extremely long passages on the Internet, and first time buyers won't do it. Instead, use charts, graphics and pictures to help explain what your business and your site are all about.

Consider a banner ad for your website. Some people don't like banner ads, but if you do it right you can have a great way to bring visitors to your site. The key to a good ad is twofold: you need the right design and the right site to advertise on. If you do those two things you're guaranteed results.

Be sure to fire problematic customers the right way. In the age of the internet, telling a customer that he or she should go somewhere else for his goods or services can blow up in your face if your are not careful. Complaint boards and consumer blogs abound, so if you have to fire a customer, don't use insults or other negative language.

People should consider including coupons with any products they have sold for better mlm prospecting techniques. When your customer receives their product and there is a coupon for related products that are shipped with it, it greatly increases the likelihood for return customers. This is an website marketing strategy that everyone should implement.

A great way to make your site seem up to date and growing, you should time to time quote the big boys in your specific niche. If you do that, not only will the readers appreciate your references to the content, but also it will make it seem as though you are involved in the community.

Instead of relying solely on traditional marketing channels, businesses must explore the possibilities of online marketing channels. This allows them to increase their geographical reach, expand their customer base, and more efficiently track response to marketing efforts. Follow the advice in this article, and your business is sure to succeed in its digital marketing approach.

About the Author:

Read More On Robert Strong website to see more about this article More Information And download his Ebook

Source: http://business.articletree.info/-advertising/26931-more-effective-web-marketing-with-these-tips

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It's not just an inauguration, it's a day of symbolism and stagecraft (+video)

Obama's inaugural address invoked the syntax and themes of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I have a dream' speech, and, on the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, the president took the oath of office on Bibles used by Lincoln and King.

By Gail Russell Chaddock,?Staff writer / January 21, 2013

Myrlie Evers-Williams delivers the invocation at the ceremonial swearing-in for President Obama at the Capitol during the 57th Presidential Inauguration in Washington on Monday.

Carolyn Kaster/AP

Enlarge

On a day already steeped in national symbolism, Barack Obama added a few more iconic touches for his second inaugural ? moments of high political theater meant to illustrate the president's values and priorities.

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Of course, as the first black US president, he adds a powerful symbolic element to the day simply by showing up.

Many in the largely black crowd on the Mall said they braved the horde so that their children could have the experience of seeing the president.

?It?s a life-changing experience," says Michelle Brown, a Detroit public schoolteacher, who spent a long day with a busload of 14- to 17-year-old students to get here.?The first election of a black president was historic, she says, but the second is ?awesome.? ?Our children can see that anything is possible.?

For the second time in American history, a presidential inauguration fell on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. But it also fell on the 150th?anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 50th?anniversary of the March on Washington, whose iconic moment took place at the far end of the National Mall with the Rev. Dr. King?s ?I have a dream? speech.

Mr. Obama invoked the syntax and themes of that speech in his own address, as he referred to ?all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King proclaim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.?

?It is now our generation?s task to carry on what those pioneers began,? he added.

Team Obama amplified this coincidence of calendar and inauguration at key points throughout the day. One was the choice of the Lincoln and Martin Luther King Jr. Bibles for the swearing-in. The Lincoln Bible had been used only once since President Lincoln used it for his first inaugural ? and that was by Obama during his first inauguration. The King Bible had never been used during an inauguration.

Another was the invitation to Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights activist Medgar Evers, to deliver the invocation.?The author of three books on civil rights, she famously won a 30-year fight to bring her husband?s killer to justice in 1994.??We celebrate the spirit of our ancestors,? she said.??They are a great cloud of witnesses unseen by the naked eye.?

This theme, that there is a connection between the Obama presidency and the sum total of the civil rights movement that preceded it, is one promoted by the White House and reinforced by what has come to be known as Barack Obama art.?Just off the Mall, hundreds of vendors sold all manner of offerings, including the iconic ?Dreams of Change? by Michael Eaton. In this poster, Obama is seen taking the oath of office surrounded by Medgar Evers, Abraham Lincoln, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Thurgood Marshall, Martin Luther King Jr., John Kennedy, Roberrt Kennedy, Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, and W.E.B. DuBois.?

?Usually, the second inauguration is not memorable, but this one was very powerful symbolically,? says Julian Zelizer, a historian at Princeton University in Princeton, N.J.??What could be more exciting than to have an African-American president standing on the same Mall where Martin Luther King led a fight for racial equality,? he adds. ?To have him there was a stirring success.?

Adds Mr. Zelizer: ?It was also powerful because it was a reelection: Americans confirmed the decision. They had four years and they wanted him again.?

In a last powerful gesture, the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue included a float to honor the famed Tuskegee Airmen, an all-black unit who served with distinction during World War II at a time when the US military was still segregated. Several of the last surviving members sat as honored guests of the president, watching the parade.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/KCB7NNraw34/It-s-not-just-an-inauguration-it-s-a-day-of-symbolism-and-stagecraft-video

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Long shot: GOP rejects, some Dems cool to Obama guns plan

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Obama's proposed assault weapon ban isn't likely to survive the House, analyst says
• Vulnerable Democrats may not support legislation in the Senate, either
• But supporters say December's killings in Connecticut changed the equation

(CNN) -- Despite supporters' hopes that this time it's different, President Barack Obama's new call for restricting some semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity magazines will face deeply entrenched resistance in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and could be a long shot even in the Democratic-led Senate.

Any gun legislation sent to the House "is going to have to pass with most Democrats and a few Republicans," said Nathan Gonzales, deputy editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. "This would be an even more high-profile bill."

Read the proposals

And Obama's call for Congress to reinstate the federal ban on military-style rifles that expired in 2004 "is a further reach than some of the other proposals that are being tossed around," Gonzales said.

"There is no way that it is going to pass with a majority of Republican support," he said. "That is just the reality of the situation. It is going to take virtually all the Democrats, and all the Democrats won't vote for that."

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden laid out a package of measures aimed at reducing gun violence Wednesday, just over a month after the December massacre at a Connecticut elementary school. The killings of 26 people there followed a July rampage in a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, that left 12 dead and the August attack on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin that killed another six.

"The world has changed, and it's demanding action," said Biden, who led a White House task force on gun violence after the Connecticut slayings.

But before the announcement, local officials in at least three states vowed to resist any new gun controls. And Second Amendment fans have poured out their vituperation online, some floridly warning of a power grab by the Obama administration.

A look at U.S. gun laws

Texas state Rep. Steve Toth told CNN on Wednesday that he'll introduce legislation that would make it illegal to enforce a federal gun ban.

"We're going to do everything we can to call people back to the belief and the understanding that we're a constitutional republic and that our rights do not come from Congress," he said. "Our rights come from God and are enumerated in the Constitution."

And in a video that spread virally across the Internet, the head of a Tennessee gun training and accessory company warned "all you patriots" to "get ready to fight" if the Obama administration took steps to restrict firearms.

"I am not letting my country be ruled by a dictator. I'm not letting anybody take my guns. If it goes one inch further, I'm gonna start killing people," Tactical Response CEO James Yeager vowed. In a later video, in which he's accompanied by his attorney, Yeager apologized "for letting my anger get the better of me" and cautioned viewers, "It's not time for any type of violent action."

Opinion: NRA's paranoid fantasy

Obama on Wednesday signed 23 orders that don't require congressional approval that he said would stiffen background checks on gun buyers and expand safety programs in schools. And he called on Congress to restrict ammunition magazines to no more than 10 rounds and to require a background check for anyone buying a gun, whether at a store or in a private sale or gun show.

The steps that require legislative action are likely to bump up against the often-visceral opposition of lawmakers from conservative districts -- and some of their more outspoken constituents.

Most Republicans in the House of Representatives have top rankings from the National Rifle Association, the powerful gun-rights lobby, which quickly criticized the White House plans.

But it's not just Republicans: Many Democrats, particularly in the conservative South and rural West, are vocal gun-rights supporters as well.

"Guns have been one of the key issues that more moderate Democrats have used to express their independence from the Democratic Party, and this gun talk is putting a strain on that independence," Gonzales said. Though they might be willing to support proposals such as a ban on large-capacity magazines, they're unlikely to vote to ban "an actual gun," he said.

CNN/Time Poll: Slight dip in support for gun control measures in last month

"You can just see the ads -- 'They are taking guns away' -- where with these other items it is different," Gonzales said.

Even in the Senate, where Democrats control the chamber, Democratic leadership sources told CNN that passing any new legislation will be extremely difficult. More than a dozen vulnerable Democrats from conservative states will likely resist much of what the president is pushing, the sources said.

Those sources say they have no intention of putting their members in politically vulnerable position on a gun measure unless they are sure it can reach the president's desk. That means not only getting enough red-state Democrats on board, but getting enough Republicans to break a possible GOP filibuster.

But Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, D-New York, said the tide appears to have shifted in favor of gun control after the Connecticut killings.

A CNN/Time magazine/ORC International poll released Wednesday found 55% of Americans generally favor stricter gun control laws, with 56% saying that it's currently too easy to buy guns in this country -- but only 39% say that stricter gun controls would reduce gun violence all by themselves.

McCarthy said Senate approval "might even give some members of Congress the spine to do the right thing."

"You know, the NRA is not in line with an awful lot of their members, and that is something we're counting on to go forward," said McCarthy, whose husband was among the six killed when a deranged gunman opened fire on a Long Island commuter train in 1993

December's killings have "gone to the heart of every mother, father, grandparent thinking about their children, grandchildren. We have to do something," she added.

Opinion: Gun control -- it's on all of us

CNN's Dan Merica contributed to this report.

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/cnn_allpolitics/~3/1OVFxe1VkFU/index.html

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How to ensure your health and safety training actually keeps ...

Worker? training and competency is enshrined as a fundamental element in health and safety legislation.? This is not confusing since the large quantity of accidents at work are generated by workers who lacked the essential skills or knowledge.?? It is usually the most common reasons why employers are prosecuted in the eventuality of a major accident.

Assessing your health and safety training needs is however not a straight-forward exercise.? Legislation does not give you a simple look-up chart of training qualifications that should be provided.?? With some exceptions the guidance is based on general principles which need the business to assess the requirements.??? When there is any sort of accident it will be down to the employer to demonstrate? not just?what training ?was provided and also the reason why you consider this to have?been appropriate.

So, this in article we aim to give practical guidance to begin to help you to make sense of this exercise.? It is not an alternative to the advice of a competent person and it is recommended that you seek appropriate additional help if you are unsure about any aspect covered with this guide.?

What does?health and safety competency mean?

The call to ensure worker competency runs through all health and safety legislation. ?Regardless of the territory you operate in, health and safety competency generally?means having:

• Relevant knowledge, skills and experience
• The ability to apply these appropriately, while recognizing the boundaries of your respective competence and,
• The required training to aid acquire and maintain this.

So, does this imply that somebody who has had relevant training is therefore competent?? The answer is clearly ? no!? Since the above definitions highlight, training can be a necessary prerequisite to competency.? But, simply because you?ve been on a training programme and properly passed?an evaluation ?it doesn?t mean you have the knowledge to utilize this in reality?and crucially, to be aware when you are out of your depth. ??So, as well as checking what training has been?provided, assessing previous experience and monitoring on-the-job activity, it is important ?to check that a worker can carry out what ?been learnt?when ?assessing competency.

Precisely what is health & safety training?

Health and safety training is any pursuit that can help anyone to build a skilled behaviour ?including being able to lift and carry a?heavy load safely. ??Examples of online health and safety training courses can be seen here . Training can also develop knowledge?for instance an awareness of methods a permit to operate system operates or how to do a risk assessment.?? Clearly, both skills and knowledge?are crucial blocks to achieving competence. ?And so, we are able to note that ?health and safety training is any action that helps in the development of the subsequent areas:

• An awareness of health and safety issues
• Risk assessment and risk management skills
• Skills needed to deal with the hazards of particular tasks or occupations

Using this list we are able to notice that health and safety training covers not just sessions which can be defined as ?health and safety training?, but, also covers many learning how to carry out a job or?so called vocational skills training.?? No doubt, for instance, that if you have an electrician?you will need to see formal electrician qualifications?to have?confidence that they can work safely. ?

What should the?training cover?

Safety and health regulations usually do not?specify what type of training or qualifications need to be achieved and deciding what training to supply usually depends on the judgement?of the?employer. ?

To aid this method, in terms of specific health and safety issues you will find often a series of regulations which cover different hazard areas ?such as manual handling, confined space entry, working at height -? etc. ?Each of those regulations usually outline general outcomes for training?like the capability to assemble safely mobile access platform recognize associated health and safety hazards and set up remedial actions.

Most groups of legislation will also be backed up by guidance documents that supply more detail to these general requirements.?? These details provide?helpful information for what training has to cover ?but it is not definitive, and, certainly requires judgement to what is or possibly unsuitable training.

Source: http://velgrimes.4ove.com/how-to-ensure-your-health-and-safety-training-actually-keeps-workers-safe/

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Preparing your toddler or preschooler for the arrival of a new baby

13 Flares 5 Facebook 6 Google+ 0 StumbleUpon 1 LinkedIn 0 Email -- Email to a friend 13 Flares ?

Source: http://ohsosavvymom.com/2013/01/preparing-your-toddler-or-preschooler-for-the-arrival-of-a-new-baby/

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Jessica Simpson Signs on For NBC Comedy

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/jessica-simpson-signs-on-for-nbc-comedy/

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Stuart Scott's cancer back - but he tweets he's fighting hard

NEW YORK (TheWrap.com) - ESPN anchor Stuart Scott tweeted that his cancer has returned, but that he's fighting hard.

How hard? He went from tweeting Monday night about his health to hosting SportsCenter, as if nothing were wrong. As he hosted, he was inundated with supportive tweets.

"Blessed by prayers... I'm back in the Fight," Scott wrote. "C reared its head again. Chemo evry 2 wks but I'll still work, still work out..still #LIVESTRONG"

In another tweet, he said that after chemotherapy treatments he goes straight to work out, doing either P90X or mixed martial arts.

Scott was treated for cancer in 2007 after doctors found malignant tissue following an emergency appendectomy. He returned to work at ESPN a month later.

In January 2011, Scott began undergoing chemotherapy after more cancerous tissue was removed. He again returned after a month.

Scott has become a symbol of hope for many who have loved ones fighting the disease or who are fighting it themselves. He traded tweets with some of them after his latest announcement.

He also tweeted Tuesday: "Don't like using profanity on Twitter but some of my fav well wishes R the good folks who say #F@$KCancer... I can't spell it out but I AGREE."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stuart-scotts-cancer-back-tweets-hes-fighting-hard-231339630.html

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Buying Bedroom Furniture | Home Improvement Design

Buying bedroom furniture does not have to be an expensive option. Good, tasteful and well made furniture can be purchased at reasonable prices also. First you have to know which bedroom the furniture is to be purchased for. If it?s the master bedroom, then what you want is furniture that will suit your taste, the theme and decor of your house, and your budget. After all, the bedroom is the place that you are going to be spending a lot of time in, to lie down, to sleep and to relax.

So you will want furniture that is soothing and comfortable also. If its bedroom furniture for the children that is required, then the choice of furniture will depend on the number of children and their age and sex. If it?s a guest bedroom then you would want furniture that is practical and not very costly.

Bedroom fixture is popularly made from wood, wrought iron, metals and particle board. There are different qualities of wood that are used in making room furniture. You can get good sturdy and tastefully designed bedroom furniture in wood that?s not going to drill a hole in your wallet. There is expensive wood furniture made from teak, mahogany, walnut, oak and other expensive wood. But then there is reasonably priced bedroom furniture made from pine, ash, poplar, fir and other cheaper wood.

Quality furniture makers will use good quality seasoned wood as they have a reputation to maintain. Bedroom fixture makers know that everyone cannot afford mahogany or other expensive furniture. So they use cheaper quality wood but they don?t compromise on the quality of the furniture. In some bedroom furniture wood and particle board are combined in making the furniture.

Wrought iron furniture has also become quite popular with people who want modernistic looking furniture. There is some very tastefully designed and well made wrought iron bedroom furniture available. The prices of wrought iron furniture are also not frightfully expensive. Unless its designer furniture.

Bedroom fixture traditionally used to be purchased from furniture stores but now you can also purchase it over the net. Furniture stores do hold annual clearance sales and that?s the time when you can pick up reasonably priced, good quality wood furniture. Most renowned furniture makers have their web sites from where you can do a direct order or get the address of their retail shop in your vicinity.

People generally invest in a bedroom fixture set that will last them a lifetime. So the choice has to be precise as they will be using it for years and years. So when buying bedroom furniture you must take it as an investment that you are making in your life. Not that something that you will use and discard after a while.

You can get good quality bedroom fixture on the internet. Just make sure that you can return it if you find its lacking in quality. Also furniture suppliers offer guarantees so you can be assured you can return it if it turn out to be faulty.

Source: http://www.hbergdesign.com/buying-bedroom-furniture/

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Nokia Lumia 920 video quality compared to iPhone 4S

Phonographie.fr have posted this video comparing the video quality of the Nokia Lumia 920 vs the iPhone 4S, which has the same camera as the iPhone 5.

The captions on the video says:

Lumia 920: Beautiful colours, a fairly well detailed and wide angle very appreciable.
iPhone 4s: Pretty details, colours very bland and zoom video quite embarrassing.
Lumia 920: In yet very beautiful colours, a very detailed picture in the centre and very blurred behind.
iPhone: The iPhone on the ACTUAL colours are less attractive but the foreground is less detailed and the back plane anymore.
iPhone 4S ? Dry but still colour is largely the same. The picture is more detailed but less homogeneous in the centre.
Lumia 920: Problem re-focus.
iPhone 4S: Same problem as the Lumia 920.
The iPhone has completely off exposure. The angle is really reduced.
Lumia 920: The picture says it all even, beautiful colours, a very wide angle.

So in short the Nokia Lumia 920 had better colours, had better focussing in the centre of the image and a much wider and more satisfying viewing angle.

Have our readers been satisfied with the video performance of your Nokia Lumia 920? Let us know below.

4

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC?s. He is currently sporting a Nokia Lumia 920.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WmPowerUser/~3/eV1Z81zf2x4/

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Women's college basketball: OSU at Texas

11:30 a.m. Sunday

Erwin Events Center, Austin, Texas

TV: FSOK-27

OSU (12-2, 1-2)

		Ht.	Pt.	Rb.
F	Donohoe	6-0	17.0	6.6
F	Young	6-2	17.4	10.1
F	Keller	6-2	8.5	4.5
G	Bias	5-6	13.4	6.6*
G	Martin	6-0	8.9	6.5

*assists per game

Texas (7-7, 0-3)

		Ht.	Pt.	Rb.
G	Enemkpali	6-1	14.4	10.6
C	McGee-Stffrd	6-7	10.4	8.6
G	Davenport	5-7	7.7	3.9
G	Rodrigo	5-8	2.4	4.4
G	Roberts	5-8	5.6	2.1

OSU has won eight of the last 13 meetings but has split the season series in each of the past five years. The Cowgirls are 3-14 in Austin, with the last win coming on Feb. 18, 2009.

Three of OSU's players are among the Big 12's top 10 free-throw shooters, including first-place Liz Donohoe, who has 31 consecutive free throws. Lindsey Keller ranks sixth in the league and Tiffany Bias is 10th.

In 11 of the Cowgirls' 12 wins, they have had at least four players score in double figures. They rank third in the country in scoring offense (82.6 points per game) and fourth in assists (19.1 per game).

The Longhorns lead the conference in rebounding margin, averaging 13.1 more than their opponents. Nneka Enemkpali is first in the Big 12 with 10.6 rebounds per game.

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20130113_93_B4_hWomen443977&rss_lnk=93

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Malaysian consortium aims high on London development

LONDON, Jan 13 ? The ?8 billion (RM38.5 billion) redevelopment of the Battersea Power Station project, owned by the Malaysian consortium comprising the Employees Provident Fund, Sime Darby Bhd and SP Setia Bhd, is likely to be completed within eight years and much earlier than expected.

?On paper, it is expected to stretch over a period of 15 years, but our target is eight years,? said Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, chairman of Battersea Power Station Development Co Ltd, the development manager for the project.

?With SP Setia, everything is half the time,? said Liew, who is the president and chief executive officer of SP Setia Bhd.

He was speaking to the Malaysian media before the recent launch of the UK sales programme for the first phase of the development.

The consortium bought the 15.8-hectare Battersea Power Station site for RM1.99 billion in September last year.

Liew said the consortium?s ultimate goal was to enhance the value of the Battersea Power Station and ensure the proper construction of every residential and commercial unit.

This included the power station?s restoration within the stipulated time.

?We believe the whole project to be worth ?8 billion but who knows in eight years? time, the value may be much higher,? he said.

Liew is confident of selling all 800 units of apartments, townhouses and penthouses planned in the first phase by April.

This phase, known as Circus West at Battersea Power Station, has a gross development value of ?900 million, and due for completion by 2016.

?We want Battersea Power Station to be an international centre for the global community. That?s why we are selling to buyers in London, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong,? he said.

Asked if Battersea Power Station Development was eyeing another possible project, Liew said it would like to invest further, depending on the shareholders, but the priority now was the Battersea Power Station venture.

?You don?t run before you can walk properly. It has to be this way,? he added.

Robert Tincknell, chief executive officer of Battersea Power Station Development, said phase two construction would start soon, together with the external package of refurbishment work on the power station.

The company would appoint a new architectural team in the next couple of months to make the power station?s design even better.

?Hopefully, just before Christmas this year, we will launch the second phase of the Battersea Power Station,? Tincknell said. ?We will also bring on very quickly the third phase, which is similar to the first.? ? Bernama

Source: http://business.rss.themalaysianinsider.com/c/33362/f/567636/s/27784812/l/0L0Sthemalaysianinsider0N0Cbusiness0Carticle0Cmalaysian0Econsortium0Eaims0Ehigh0Eon0Elondon0Edevelopment0C/story01.htm

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Message Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg for $100?

Is it worth $100 to get a message through to Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg?

Facebook is trying to figure out how much its users are willing to cough up to ensure that a message they send to a non-friend ends up in the Facebook recipient's "Inbox" instead of landing in the dreaded "Other" folder where spam goes to die.

So Facebook is using its new $100 come-on to contact Zuckerberg to find out how much users are willing to pay. Not everyone who messages Zuckerberg will be asked to fork over a Benjamin during the test period that began Dec. 20. That means your message may never

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg smiles at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference in Sun Valley, Idaho, Thursday, July 12, 2012. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) (Paul Sakuma)

get through.

"For example, if you want to send a message to someone you heard speak at an event but are not friends with, or if you want to message someone about a job opportunity, you can use this feature to reach their Inbox," Facebook said in a statement. "For the receiver, this test allows them to hear from people who have an important message to send them."

The company also has to decide who gets the money -- Facebook or the recipient.

Asked who they would pay to get a Facebook message to -- and how much they'd be willing to pay -- -- readers posted fierce responses on this newspaper's Facebook page:

"Not a solitary penny... ZILCH!" wrote Janie Chavez.

"This is plain stupid," said Jeanne McGarry

Morrison.

Brian Blau, Gartner's research director in consumer technologies, believes such volatile responses won't make any difference.

Blau says Facebook's new pay-to message approach is similar to paying an athlete to autograph a ball, donating money to hear a politician speak at a dinner, or dropping a few bucks to have your picture taken with an actor at Comic-Con.

"Any negative reaction will be counter-balanced by people who think it's fascinating and have an extra dollar or two and are willing to spend it to communicate with someone they've always wanted to communicate with," Blau said.

But Rebecca Lieb, an industry analyst with the Altimeter Group, said Facebook's plan has frightening implications for users who don't want messages from certain people, especially women with restraining orders or are being stalked.

"This could make Facebook, for real or perceived reasons, a scarier or creepier place," Lieb said.

Contact Dan Nakaso at 408-271-3648. Follow him at Twitter.com/dannakaso.

Source: http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_22357419/message-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-100?source=rss_viewed

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With rising revenues for almonds and other nut crops, investors rush to buy California land

FRESNO, Calif. ? Bill Enns, a central California real estate agent specializing in farmland, fields dozens of calls every week from potential buyers. Many want almond, pistachio or walnut orchards ? or any land suitable for growing nut trees.

This summer in Merced County, Enns brokered the sale of 1,200 acres (480 hectares) of open ground lacking a good source of water. Listed at $12,500 per acre (0.4 hectares), the land attracted dozens of buyers and sold within a month for a whopping $15,000 per acre. The buyer will plant it with almond trees, a notably water-intensive crop.

"It was one of the highest sales per acre that we've seen for that kind of land," said Enns, vice-president of the Farm Lands Department at Pearson Realty. "We've seen some numbers that would just blow your mind."

In recent years, farmers in California's Central Valley have seen record-high revenues, buoyed by high demand for fruits, nuts and vegetables in the U.S. and abroad. Investors both foreign and domestic have taken notice, buying up farmland and driving up agricultural land values in a region with some of the highest residential foreclosure rates.

California's almond industry, which grows about 80 per cent of the global almond supply and 100 per cent of the domestic supply, saw the most dramatic growth ? powered by strong demand from new money-spending middle classes in India and China. The growth has prompted a rush for almond-growing land and pushed almond land values through the roof.

Farmland prices have been mostly rising for the past decade throughout the U.S., according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But over the past three years, despite the recession, they reached record highs.

"A lot of people thought values in farmland would drop like the values in housing," said Allan Barros, a Fresno-area appraiser. "But the sellers ... sat on their properties and farmland values didn't budge. Everybody gave a sigh of relief."

Then land values went sharply up, Barros said, pushed by rising agricultural revenues. In this region with the highest farm receipts in the U.S., prices for most commodities rose dramatically. Revenues for almonds and walnuts increased by 30 per cent between 2010 and 2011, and revenues for grapes rose by 20 per cent, according to the USDA. California's agricultural exports during that time grew by more than $3 billion.

In 2011, for the first time, the value of California's almond crop surpassed the state's iconic grape industry to move into second place, behind dairy, as the state's top commodity. Almond producers increased their productivity and their orchard sizes, and shipments more than doubled over the past 10 years, according to the California Almond Board. During the 2011-2012 crop year, California farmers brought in $3.9 billion in revenue.

Almonds also became the top export, outpacing dairy and wine, mostly due to increased demand from Asia and a weak dollar, almond producers say. Two-thirds of the almonds produced today are shipped overseas.

Real estate experts say farmers and other investors wanting to cash in on that growth quickly cleared the inventories of available nut land. With little else to buy, they ripped out vineyards and other crops to plant almond orchards. Almonds ? which grow from Red Bluff to Bakersfield ? increased by over 100,000 acres (40,000 hectares) since 2008, to 760,000 total bearing acres (304,000 hectares) today, according to the Almond Board.

Scarcity of available almond land is also pushing some investors to plant trees in areas with a poorer water supply or less appropriate soil. Since nut trees take several years to mature, time will tell whether the risks were worth taking, said Barros, the appraiser.

New investors range from local farmers trying to expand their orchards to international companies seeking high returns on prime almond farmland, experts say. Pension funds, insurance companies and retirement funds also are investing portions of their portfolios into agriculture. Olam International, a Singapore-based commodities supplier, farms 7,000 acres (2,800 hectares) of almonds in California.

Nut land ? almond, pistachio and walnut ? is now the highest valued type in every county throughout the valley, according to the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers' California chapter.

In Fresno County, almond land was valued at up to $18,000 per acre in 2012, and pistachio land at up to $25,000 per acre. That's higher than citrus, grape, or tree fruit land ?and much higher than the $7,200 average per acre farm real estate value in California last year, according to the USDA.

Putting money in farmland pays off, said Biff Ourso, portfolio manager at the New York-based financial services firm TIAA-CREF, because it can generate an income and appreciate over time. But it also brings much-needed diversification.

"Farmland doesn't behave in the same pattern as other traditional asset classes," Ourso said, which means it reduces the risk for investors in case of a market downturn.

Investing in agriculture is attractive in the long term, he said, because of the growing world population, expanding middle classes and the fact that farmland is a finite resource. The company ? which manages about 140,000 acres (56,000 hectares) of farmland in the U.S., including almonds in California ? leases its farm properties to farmers.

Local almond operators say heightened interest from investors spells out a bright outlook.

"There's lots of excitement in the industry," said Jim Crecelius, CEO of Montavista Farming Company based in Hanford.

Crecelius, an almond farmer, also processes the nuts for investors throughout the Valley and markets them in Asia. "We have never been able to completely supply every almond that our customers need," he said.

Some worry that the almond investment boom could lead to overproduction and hurt local farmers.

"Everybody in the industry is continually asking: are we in a bubble or is this a change of economies?" said Chuck Nichols, who farms over 1,000 acres (400 hectares) of almonds and pistachios in Tulare and Kings counties. "We don't know the answer to that."

___

Follow Gosia Wozniacka on Twitter at (at) GosiaWozniacka.

Source: http://feeds.canada.com/~r/canwest/F293/~3/i1u3Hep_m1E/story.html

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Thief posts own picture on victim?s Facebook page

By Agence France-Presse
Friday, January 11, 2013 7:22 EST

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A suspected thief appears to have mistakenly posted his own picture on his victim?s Facebook page using a stolen tablet computer, South African media reported Friday.

James and Barbara McCall returned from a weekend break to find thieves had broken into their home and had made off with digital cameras, tablets and television sets.

On discovering the theft the following morning, James set to change his login passwords for Facebook and other sites.

It was then that McCall noticed that a man?s picture had been uploaded on his wife?s Facebook page.

He suspects it must be that of one the thieves.

?He probably did not realise he was doing it,? McCall told the Star daily.

?Usually you never log off from a tablet, so it could have happened quite quickly.?

Police have not yet made any arrests.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheRawStory/~3/AXPc2p9KoLo/

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Smaller US Paychecks In 2013 Spark Twitter Outrage From Disgruntled Obama Voters

So naturally, 99 percenters everywhere breathed a collective sigh of relief when Congress this month passed legislation that will raise taxes only on those making more than $400,000 per year. And yet, much to the dismay of many middle-income earners, the federal government still began sucking more money out of average Americans? paychecks beginning in January.

That?s because a temporary reduction in the Social Security payroll tax expired this year, bringing the 4.2 percent tax back to its original rate of 6.2 percent. It was called the ?payroll tax holiday,? part of a relief bill signed by President Barack Obama in Dec. 2010 as an effort to boost the sluggish economy for the Christmas season.

Early during the fiscal cliff negotiations with Republicans last month, Obama had initially proposed extending the payroll tax cut, but he dropped that demand as the January deadline loomed. Many critics, including the Washington Post?s Suzy Khimm, warned that the fiscal cliff deal would result in the expiration of the payroll tax cut, and they were right.

And people noticed. The 2 percent increase in payroll tax is stinging middle-income workers. Someone making $50,000, for instance, will take home $76.92 less every month, or $1,000 per year. That?s a phone bill, a new pair of shoes or a night out. What?s more, because Social Security payroll taxes are split between employers and employees, business owners will pay more, too.

Meanwhile, workers of all stripes have been venting their frustrations on Twitter, with some who had supported the president saying they now feel duped by his oft-repeated campaign mantra of not raising taxes on the middle class.

Below is just a small sample of the tweets pouring in on the issue:

@1keonclark: ?This tax increase on my paycheck blows! Thanks Obama.?

@rohixx: ?Thanks Obama I really enjoy getting $26.06 LESS per paycheck from your tax increase when I already had trouble paying off my student loans.?

@mlbingham: ?First paycheck of 2013? thanks #obama for taking about $2k/year more of MY hard-earned $$$. #tax #obamafail?

@DJHeatDC: ?Dear President Obama, I love you? but my paycheck does not!?

@jeffreywiernik: ?my paycheck was about $50 lighter & I don't make over $250,000, thank you president Obama for raising taxes! #liar?

BenGrindstaff: ?Nowhere near Obama's 2% but yet I am getting a smaller paycheck. His math doesn't add up either. Liar.?

@mabaltuska: ?Thanks Obama for a sh--ty paycheck today. You suck.?

Whether or not Obama should bear the brunt of the blame for Americans? smaller paychecks is open for debate. Not surprisingly, conservative news outlets have been gleefully reporting on the issue. Says the conservative website Twitchy: ?Happy New Year and happy payday! Thank goodness our ?lord and savior? Obama signed the fiscal cliff bill into law after proudly proclaiming, ?Under this law, more than 98 percent of Americans and 97 percent of small businesses will not see their income taxes go up.??

Regardless of who?s to blame -- the president, congressional Republicans or plain-old Washington dysfunction -- most of us just noticed we were $72 poorer this month. There goes date night.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/smaller-us-paychecks-2013-spark-twitter-outrage-disgruntled-obama-voters-1009714

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Diabetes education, yoga, addiction support and more in this week's ...

Health Notes is a weekly feature that highlights health and wellness news in the area. Hospitals and other health related agencies may e-mail items to scappetta@hersamacorn.com.

Nutrition for cancer survivors

Second Wednesday of month, 4:30-5:30, St. V?s Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care. Next: Jan. 9, 203-576-6158.

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Genetic counseling

Bridgeport Hospital?s Norma F. Pfriem Cancer Institute and Yale Cancer Center provide genetic counseling services by appointment, including Wednesdays, Jan. 9 and Feb. 13, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull, 203-764-8400.

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Diabetes education?

Fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30, St. Vincent?s Level 4 Seton Conference Room. Next: Jan. 10, 203-576-6168.

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Yoga classes

?New ?Mindful Flow? yoga class series offered Fridays, 9:30-10:30 a.m. at 2505 Main St., Suite 224, Stationhouse Square, Stratford.

This class provides a foundation in learning yoga postures while incorporating mindfulness ? ?meditation in motion?. Instruction will be given on both inner and outer practices of yoga (postures, breathing, meditation) and is appropriate for beginner and intermediate level students.

Information is available at naturesourcecare.com/yoga; 203-895-5534 or info@naturesourcecare.com.

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Parkinson?s support

Meeting, Thursday, Jan. 10, 10 a.m. The Watermark at 3030 Park, 3030 Park Avenue, Bridgeport, 203-373-6288.

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Senior driving course

Senior Driver Safety Program, Saturdays, Jan. 12 and Feb. 9, 9-1, first-floor Administration Conference Room, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., $12 AARP members, $14 non-members, covers handouts and instructional materials. To register, call 1-888-357-2396.

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Mammography screenings

Free and low-cost digital mammography screenings for women age 35 and older Monday, Jan. 14, 9-3, Easton Senior Center, 650 Morehouse Road, Easton; Wednesday, Jan. 16, 9-1, Fairfield Health Department, 100 Mona Terrace, Fairfield; Wednesday, Jan. 23, 9-1, Bridgeport City Hall, 45 Lyon Terrace, Bridgeport; Wednesday, Jan. 23, 1-3, Margaret Morton Government Center, 999 Broad Street, Bridgeport. Appointments recommended; walk-ins accepted, 203-576-5505.

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Breast cancer survivor support

Meets first and third Tuesdays of the month, 5:30-7, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, 203-576-6158, tmclaugh@st.vincentss.org. Next: Jan. 15.

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CNA, PCT and phlebotomy programs

Griffin Hospital School of Allied Health Careers, 300 Seymour Avenue, Suite 206 in Derby, will offer Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA), Patient Care Technician (PCT) and Phlebotomy programs. Anyone 18 years of age or older with a High School Diploma or GED may apply for admission. Early application encouraged.

CNA program, 13-weeks, begins Jan. 14, Monday and Wednesdays, 5-9.

PCT program, 16-weeks, begins Jan. 21, Mondays and Fridays, 9- 3:30.

Phlebotomy program, 13-weeks, begins Jan. 22, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; both day and evening class options available. $1,995 tuition includes 40-hour internship, national certification, lab coats, CPR certification, malpractice insurance, textbook, 203-732-1276 or 203-732-7578.

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Prostate cancer talk

Bridgeport Hospital radiation oncologist Bruce McGibbon, MD, will discuss the latest developments in radiation medicine for prostate cancer treatment and the new Trumbull Radiation Oncology Center during the next meeting of Man to Man, the hospital?s prostate cancer support group, Tuesday, Jan. 15, 6-8, Spring Meadows, 6949 Main St., Trumbull, 1-888-357-2396.

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Breastfeeding support

Bridgeport Hospital?s free breastfeeding support group for new and expectant mothers, first and third Wednesday of the month, 10-noon, 5520 Park Ave., Trumbull, 1-888-357-2396. Next: Jan. 16 and Feb. 20.

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Lunch & Learn cancer support

Free Lunch & Learn Cancer Support Group third Thursday of the month noon-1, Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, adjacent to the St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport. Next: Jan. 17, 203-576-6158, tmclaugh@stvincents.org.

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Blood pressure screenings

Screenings offered by Bridgeport Hospital at Fairfield Senior Center, 100 Mona Terrace, Tuesdays, Jan. 22 and Feb. 19, Monday, Feb. 4, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Stratford Baldwin Center, 1000 West Broad St., Tuesday, Jan. 14 and Monday, Feb. 11, 9:30-11:30 a.m.; Shelton Senior Center, 81 Wheeler St., Mondays, Jan. 28 and Feb. 25, noon-2. Call 1-888-357-2396.

Also offered by the South End Community Center in collaboration with the Stratford Health Department, first and third Wednesdays of the month, 10-noon, South End Community Center; 203-385-4058; 203-377-0689.

The Mario and Irma D?Addario Hypertension Program at St. Vincent?s Medical Center provides free blood pressure screenings and information to the public every Tuesday, 11:30-3:30, main lobby of St. V?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport; 1-877-255-7847.

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First aid/safety class

Bridgeport Hospital?s Emergency Care Institute offers the following self-care classes in the duPont Board Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-4497.

Adult, child and infant CPR/AED two-year certification, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 6-9, $65; Pediatric first aid & safety and adult, child and infant CPR/defibrillator training two-year certification, Saturdays, Jan. 12 and 26, Feb. 16, 8:30-5:30, $100 full class or $70 first aid portion only; Administration of Medicine Class, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 6:30-9:30, $50 full program (three-year certification) or $25 for injectable medications only; Basic life support for healthcare providers, Wednesdays, Jan. 16 andn Feb. 20, 6-10, $90 ($65 for those with an unexpired American Heart Association certification card).

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Ostomy support

Sponsored by Bridgeport Hospital Sundays, Jan. 20 and Feb. 17, 2, Visiting Nurse Services of Connecticut, 40 Lindeman Drive, Trumbull. Open to anyone who has had or will have an ostomy operation, such as colostomy, urostomy or ileostomy. Spouses welcome. Meetings held third Sunday of month except July and August, Sharon Tilley, 203-384-3209.

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Extended clinical pastoral education

Griffin Hospital?s Pastoral Care and Education Department is offering an extended unit of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for area clergy, seminarians and, lay persons Jan. 24-May 23, 2013. The course requires a commitment of approximately 20 hours per week, Chaplain Cormac Levenson, 203-732-1126, clevenson@griffinhealth.org.

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Better Breathing Club

Meets Fridays, Jan. 25 and Feb. 22, 1:30, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St. Open to anyone with chronic respiratory disease. To register, call 203-336-7375.

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Stroke support?

Hosted by Bridgeport Hospital?s Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers for recovering stroke patients and caregivers Tuesday, Feb. 5, 6-7, Shelton outreach site, 4 Corporate Drive, 203-925-4201.

Third Wednesday of the month, 5:30-7, Seton Room, Level C, St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, 203-576-5361.

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Caregiver support

For family members and others responsible for the day-to-day care of elderly relatives, meets first Friday of month, 10-11, Operations Conference Room at Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St.; and 5:30-6:30 on the second Tuesday of the month, Center?s offices, 95 Armory Road, Stratford. Next: Feb. 12.

To register or for information, call 1-888-357-2396.

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Look Good ?. Feel Better

Free American Cancer Society program helps women with cancer improve their appearance and self-image through hands-on beauty techniques Friday, Feb. 15, 1-3, Bridgeport Hospital, 267 Grant St., 1-888-257-2396.

Also offered Thursday, Feb. 7, 1-3, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care adjacent St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main Street, Bridgeport, 203-576-6158.

Also offered by The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital, Derby the third Thursday of the month, 5-7 p.m. Register in advance by calling Laura Howell, 203-732-1280 or email lhowell@griffinhealth.org.

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Cancer survivor support

Moving Forward support and educational series for cancer survivors, Thursday, Feb. 21, 1-3:30, Bridgeport Hospital Administrative Conference, first floor, 267 Grant St. To register, call 203-384-3094.

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Al-Anon meetings

Al-Anon is a resource for family members and friends affected by alcoholism. For information about groups in Connecticut, call 1-888-825-2666. For more information about Al-Anon, visit ct-al-anon.org. A free publication is available at Al-AnonFamilyGroups.org.

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Family support group

For adult patients, family members and friends who are coping with a diagnose of leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and Hodgkin?s Disease, first Tuesday of every month, 4-5:30, St. V?s Elizabeth M. Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, Level 3 Medical Oncology Conference Room, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport, 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@stvincent.org.

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Free HIV/HCV tests

The Greater Bridgeport Area Prevention Program and the Stratford Health Department will offer rapid HIV and Hepatitis C testing with results in 20 minutes every first and third Tuesday of the month from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Stratford Health Dept., 468 Birdseye St., Stratford.

To schedule an appointment call 203-385-4058.

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Healthcare and Medicare information

St. Vincent?s Medical Center is offering a free program of health insurance and Medicare information and counseling to the public every week. Individuals can meet with the health insurance specialist by appointment in the privacy of the Banks Library located on the third level of St. Vincent?s.

To schedule an appointment or for more information call St. Vincent?s Volunteer Office at 203-576-5111.

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Bereavement support

Eight-week support group facilitated by Ximena Varas, certified lay minister and chaplain meets Mondays, 7-8:30 p.m at First United Methodist Church, 188 Rocky Rest Road. Registration required: ximenavaras@umcshelton.org or 203-278-1568.

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Breast cancer survivor support

St. Vincent?s free Breast Cancer Survivor support group meets the first and third Tuesdays of the month 5:30-7 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations are required. Information: 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@st.vincentss.org.

Weight loss support?

Interested in losing weight? Concerned about your weight? First Congregational Church, 44 South Cliff St., Ansonia hosts a night of mutual support Mondays, weigh in from 5:45-6:50 p.m.; meeting 7-8 p.m. First meeting is free. Call Tom, 203-308-3355 and leave a message.

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Cancer support group?

Ongoing monthly group is focused on giving support to patients and families who have been diagnosed with lung, colon, head and neck, esophageal, GI cancers and other solid tumors. One-hour dialogue and discussion on medical issues and stress related issues regarding the medical, physical, and emotional effects concerning the diagnosis and treatment of cancer. Meetings are the third Wednesday of the month, 9-10 a.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, third floor conference room, St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158.

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Nursing moms support

Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby hosts a monthly Nursing Moms Support Group, facilitated by a board-certified lactation consultant the fourth Tuesday of each month from 7-9 p.m. Contact JMatranga@griffinhealth.org for more information.

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Massage therapy

Massage is offered for oncology patients undergoing definitive active treatment and for survivors who have completed treatment. Call 203-576-6158 for an appointments. Program takes place on third floor of Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport.

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Ring for Your Rhythm

Bridgeport Hospital?s ?Ring for Your Rhythm? line provides recorded, step-by-step instructions for taking a pulse reading, to help detect atrial fibrillation (a-fib) and possibly prevent a stroke. Call toll free, 24/7, at 1-855-247-8573. A-fib, the most common type of heart rhythm disorder, causes blood to pool in the heart?s chambers, which can lead to blood clots that may travel to the brain and trigger a stroke.

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Yoga for cancer patients

Restorative yoga, chair yoga with breathing and meditation for patients in active treatment or post-surgery, Tuesdays, 10 a.m., The Watermark, 303 Park Ave., Bridgeport; Thursdays, 10 a.m., Yoga Room on Level 3 of St. Vincent?s Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, adjacent to the Medical Center. Gentle Yoga, for patients in treatment or recently finished, Saturdays, 8:30 a.m., Yoga for Everybody, 27 Unquowa Road, Fairfield. Formal Yoga, for cancer survivors of five years or less, Wednesdays, 4:30 p.m., The Watermark, 3030 Park Ave., Bridgeport. To register call 203-576-6158.

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Fitness classes

Bridgeport Hospital?s Ahlbin Rehabilitation Centers offers weekly fitness classes in Bridgeport and Stratford:

Boot Camp, Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:45-6:45 a.m., 226 Mill Hill Ave., Bridgeport; Saturdays, 10-11 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

Women?s Strength Training, Tuesdays, 11-noon; Thursdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

Zumba, Tuesdays, 5:30-6:30 p.m., 226 Mill Hill, Bridgeport; Saturdays, 8-9 a.m., 3585 Main St., Stratford.

All classes are conducted by certified fitness trainers. Cost is $8 per class or $75 for 10 classes. Tickets are available at all Ahlbin Centers locations, or before or after classes. For information or to register, call 203-336-7301 (Bridgeport) or 203-380-4672 (Stratford).

In addition to Bridgeport and Stratford, Ahlbin Centers has outpatient facilities at 4 Corporate Drive, Shelton; 2600 Post Road, Southport; and 2750 Reservoir Ave., Trumbull.

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Diabetes education?

St. Vincent?s Medical Center and the Merck Co., are co-sponsoring The Journey for Control, a monthly Diabetes Education Workshop, held the fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m. in St. Vincent?s Level 4 Seton Conference Room. To register, call 203-576-6168.

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Gamblers Anonymous

Meets Saturdays, 7 p.m., 100 Bank St., Seymour. For more information, call Steve, 203-362-5234.

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Addiction support

Are you dealing with an addiction in your life or the life of a family member? Higher Ground Ministry is non-denominational offering help that is permanent through biblical truths. Weekly meetings are held where one receives support, encouragement and spiritual guidance. Meetings are Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., Trinity Baptist Church, 300 North Benson Road, Fairfield. Also, Sundays 6-7:30 p.m., Stepney Baptist Chruch, 423 Main St., Monroe; Mondays, 7:30-9 p.m., Huntington Chapel, 177 Ripton Road, Huntington; Thursdays, 6:30-8 p.m., Christ the King Church at American Legion Hall, 21 Cedar St., Naugatuck; Fridays, 7-8:30 p.m., First Baptist Church,178 Leavenworth Road, Shelton and First Baptist Church, 235 Prindle Ave., Ansonia. Information: 203-888-9974; highergroundministry.org.

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Overeaters group

Compulsive overeaters group meets Wednesdays, 6-7:30 p.m., Rimmon Pond Counseling, LLC, 100 Bank St., Seymour. Group will address underlying attitudes and beliefs which affect eating behaviors. For more information or to register, call 203-888-0462.

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Acupuncture

Led by licensed acupuncturist Gregor Wei, Mondays, 10-2, Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Call 203-255-5300 to register. Advance registration requested. Private appointments available.

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Genetic counseling

The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital offers cancer genetic counseling services to individuals and families as part of the Center?s comprehensive model of patient-centered care.

Cancer genetic counseling is the process of collecting a patient?s detailed personal and family history, assessing their personal risk, and discussing their genetic testing options. Genetic tests are tests on blood and other tissue used to identify genetic disorders.

For more information, or to schedule an appointment, call 203-732-1260.

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Diabetes support

Diabetes Education & Support Group meets September -June, second Tuesday of the month, 6:30 p.m., Griffin Hospital, Derby. Open to diabetics and their families; 203-732-1137.

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Weight-loss surgery support

Griffin Bariatrics, a new program of Griffin Hospital, will host weight loss surgery support group meetings the third Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. at the Griffin Imaging & Diagnostics Center at Ivy Brook, 2 Ivy Brook Road, Shelton. Advance registration requested; griffinhealth.org; 888-657-9252.

To help bariatric patients bridge the gap between the time of surgery and reaching their healthy weight, Griffin Bariatrics has assembled a Clothes Closet with men?s and women?s clothing in barely worn or new condition, which has been donated by bariatric patients and hospital staff and family members. The Clothes Closet is open the second Wednesday of each month, 4:30-6:30 p.m., prior to monthly ?On Track? support group meetings; 203-732-7108; kfisher@griffinhealth.org.

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Fibromyalgia support

Fibromyalgia Support Group meets the last Tuesday of the month, 2 p.m., Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby. Information: Daun Barrett, 203-732-7584.

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Health and wellness classes

St. Vincent?s Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport offers a variety of health and wellness classes. Most sessions run for 10 weeks with the exception of pilates, which is six weeks; and Y Diabetes Prevention Program and Weight Watchers program, 16 and 17-week sessions respectively. 10-week sessions: $90. Information/registration: 203-576-6267; scollins@stvincents.org.

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Free exercise video program

A new online video program called A-B-E (Activity Bursts Everywhere) for Fitness, designed specifically to help adults meet those recommendations for daily physical activity, is available at abeforfitness.com.

The program offers a library of more than 50 videos of guided physical activity routines, each of which may be done in 3 to 5 minutes. It offers a variety of options based on users? time, interests, needs, and fitness levels.

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Kripalu yoga

Beginner and intermediate level, runs weekly, Fridays, 9:15 a.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300; bridgeporthospital.org. Yoga, restorative yoga and teen yoga classes also available. Call for full class schedule.

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Pilates

Weekly, Mondays, 5:30 p.m., Norma F. Pfriem Breast Care Center, 111 Beach Road, Fairfield. Class size limited to six students. Advance registration requested; 203-255-5300.

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OCD support

Yale Obsessive Compulsive (OCD) Support Group meets first and third Thursday of the month, 3-4 p.m., CHMC, 34 Park St., 3rd floor conference room, New Haven. Information: psychiatry.yale.edu/ocd/patients; Suzanne Wasylink, 203-974-7523.

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Wellness booth

St. Vincent?s Wellness Booth has relocated to the main lobby of the Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. The Wellness Booth, a project of the Mario and Irma D?Addario Hypertension Fund, formerly was located at Westfield Shoppingtown, Trumbull. The booth offers a variety of health screenings and services to the public every Tuesday and Wednesday, 11:30-3:30. No appointment required for any of the screenings.

Free blood pressure screenings are performed every Tuesday. On Wednesdays, Cholesterol/HDL ratio/glucose screening, $18; a lipid panel requiring a four-hour fast, $25; blood sugar screening alone requiring a two-hour fast, $1.

For more information call St. Vincent?s toll-free Care Line at 1-877-255-SVHS (7847).

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Help for new movers

Bridgeport Hospital?s free Newcomer Concierge Service helps new residents of Bridgeport and surrounding towns locate physicians to meet personal and family health needs. Service also provides information on health-related events and activities. To reach the Newcomer Concierge Service, call 203-330-7462, Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays or Fridays, 9-3.

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Heart-disease risk quiz

Bridgeport Hospital offers ?Take 10 for Your Ticker,? a free online heart-disease risk quiz. Quiz is available at bridgeporthospital.org, by clicking on the link in the ?Take 10 for Your Ticker? box.

For those without access to the Internet, a free printed copy of the quiz, with an explanation of results, is available by calling 1-888-357-2396.

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Breast cancer support

Woman to Woman of the Valley group meets second and fourth Thursday of the month, 6-7:30 p.m., Griffin Hospital Cancer Center, 350 Seymour Ave., Derby.

Information: Midge Johnson, breast care coordinator at Griffin Hospital, 203-732-7566 or e-mail mjohnson@griffinhealth.org; or Joyce Grohe, co-facilitator, 203-888-3993.

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MS support

Derby MS support group meets third Wednesday of the month, 4:30-5:30, Griffin Hospital, 130 Division St., Derby; Lisa, 203-231-4716; ctfightsMS.org.

The Shelton MS support group meets second Monday of the month, 2-3:30, Plumb Library, 65 Wooster St., Shelton; 1-800-344-4867; ctfightsMS.org.

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Overeaters anonymous

Free 12-step program for compulsive eaters, meets Mondays, Fridays, noon-1, St. Paul?s Episcopal Church, 25 Church St., Shelton; 203-454-6607.

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Caregiver support

Atria Stratford Assisted Living, 6911 Main St., offers a support group for family caregivers of persons with Alzheimer?s disease, or related dementia, living at home or in an extended care facility. Group meets first Wednesday of the month, 6-7; 203-380-0006.

Grasmere Eldercare Center: 240 Colony St., Fairfield, offers open discussion about Alzheimer?s disease and related dementias, last Friday of month, 1-2. RSVP Courtney: 203-259-6699 or cluttrell@jhe.org.

Jewish Family Service, 2370 Park Ave., Bridgeport, offers support group for family members or friends helping with the care of adults over 60, meets first Wednesday of month, 6-7:30 p.m. RSVP: 203-366-5438, Ext. 219.

Sunset Shores Adult Day Health Center, 720 Barnum Avenue Cut Off, Stratford, offers a support group for people caring for a loved one with Alzheimer?s disease or a related dementia. Meetings are the second Wednesday of the month, 4-5; 203-380-1228.

St. Vincent?s SWIM family support group meets first Tuesday of each month, 4-5:30 p.m., Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required; 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@st.vincents.org.

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Prostate cancer survivors

St. Vincent?s SWIM Prostate Cancer Survivors Educational Lecture Series and Support Group meets at Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. Call 203-576-6158 or e-mail tmlaugh@stvincents.org for dates and times of lectures. No reservations required.

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Breast cancer wellness

St. Vincent?s Breast Cancer Survivor Wellness program, intended for women who have recently undergone breast cancer surgery and those further along in their recovery, 4:30-5:30, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care at St. V?s, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. No reservations required. For dates, call 203-576-6158.

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Breast cancer stories?

Bizymoms.com has helped many women with whatever information it is they may be seeking about breast cancer. A panel of cancer experts, women, wives, and mothers are waiting to share their expertise and stories while learning about yours. Visit bizymoms.com/cares/breastcancer.

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Cancer boutique

St. Vincent?s partners with Saxon-Kent Lingerie of Orange to provide special products for women battling cancer. Boutique hours: Monday-Friday, 10-4. Fitting hours for wigs, prosthesis, mastectomy bras, lymphedema sleeves etc: Tuesdays, 2-4; Wednesdays, 10-noon; or by appointment; 203-576-6158; tmclaugh@stvincents.org.

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Breast cancer support

Woman-to-Woman, an American Cancer Society sponsored support group for women who have had breast cancer or who have been newly diagnosed, meets monthly, 2-4 p.m., Cambridge Manor, 2428 Easton Tpke., Fairfield; 1-800-889-3340.

The Center for Cancer Care at Griffin Hospital offers a breast cancer survivor group ?Circle of Friends? which meets the second Thursday of every month, 6-7:30 p.m. at the Center for Cancer Care, 350 Seymour Ave., Derby. New topics and guest speakers monthly; 203-732-1300; tkochiss@griffinhealth.org.

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Cancer resource library

St. Vincent?s SWIM Cancer Resource Library is open Monday-Friday, 9-5, Maureen Ringel Cancer Resource Library, Elizabeth Pfriem SWIM Center for Cancer Care, St. V?s. Medical Center, 2800 Main St., Bridgeport. A representative is available to assist visitors with navigation of web-based searches, cancer clinical trial searches and direct patient referrals to a variety of free resources Monday-Friday, 9-1.

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Free hearing tests?

Offered in the office or at home, by Affordable Hearing Solutions, LLC, Orange Medical Center, 380 Boston Post Road #107, Orange, Monday-Friday, 9-5; free. Call 799-7775, for an appointment. Tests also offered at Waterbury office, 2457 East Main St.; call 203-574-5377.

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Scleroderma support?

The American Society For Scleroderma Research has formed a support group for all afflicted by this disease. Group meets every second Thursday, 6:30-7:30 p.m., St. Vincent Medical Center, Main Street, Bridgeport; Aimee Turiano or Joy LoSchiavo, 203-273-2034.

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Donate vehicles

RedcrossMotors converts donated vehicles into dollars to help support the local chapter. Most motorized vehicles including boats, trailers, trucks, motorcycles and motor homes are accepted, running or not. Information: 1-877-RCDONOR (732-6667).

Source: http://sheltonherald.com/8908/diabetes/

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