Childhood hypersensitivity linked to OCD

ScienceDaily (Dec. 27, 2011) ? In childhood, rituals like regular schedules for meal, bath, and bed times are a healthy part of behavioral development. But combined with oral and tactile sensitivities, such as discomfort at the dentist or irritation caused by specific fabrics, these rituals could be an early warning sign of adult Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

According to Prof. Reuven Dar of Tel Aviv University's Department of Psychology, hypersensitivity and excessive adherence to childhood rituals may foreshadow the onset of OCD as the child ages. He first suspected the link while working with OCD patients who reported sensitivity to touch and taste as children. Now, in the first comprehensive study of its kind, Prof. Dar and his fellow researchers have established a direct correlation between sensory processing -- the way the nervous system manages incoming sensory information -- and ritualistic and obsessive-compulsive behaviors.

The study, which appears in the Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, suggests that when children experience heightened levels of sensitivity, they develop ritualistic behaviors to better cope with their environment. In the long term, this is one potential pathway to OCD.

Connecting the behavioral dots

Two studies were devised to map the connection between sensory processing, rituals, and OCD. In the first, parents of kindergarten children were asked to complete three questionnaires on their child's behaviour -- their level of ritualism, such as the need to repeat certain acts or to order objects in a particular way; their level of anxiety, with questions relating to reaction to strangers, worrying about outcomes of events, and attachment to family members; and last, their reactions to everyday sensory events such as being touched or exposed to unusual tastes or smells.

In the second study, the researchers asked 314 adult participants to answer surveys online in relation to their OCD tendencies, their anxiety levels, and their past and current sensitivity to oral and tactile stimulation.

Results from both studies indicated a strong connection between compulsive tendencies and hypersensitivity. In children, hypersensitivity was an indicator of ritualism, whereas in adults it was related to OCD symptoms. As a whole, these findings provide preliminary support for the idea that such sensitivities are a precursor to OCD symptoms. When children are extremely sensitive to certain types of touch or smell, they can feel that they are being attacked, or that the environment is threatening them, Prof. Dar believes. Ritualism could develop as a defence mechanism, helping these children to regain a sense of control, which is also a symptom of adults with OCD.

Identifying the turning point

Next Prof. Dar hopes to conduct a longitudinal study to better understand the connection between hypersensitivity in childhood and adult OCD, following a large sample of children who experience oral and tactile sensitivities through to adulthood.

Of course, Prof. Dar says, all children have particular habits and preferences, and they're not all precursors to OCD. So what should parents watch for to correctly characterize normal and potentially pathological behavior? "If you see that a child is very rigid with rituals, becoming anxious if unable to engage in this behavior, it is more alarming," he explains. Also, age is a factor. A habit exhibited by a five- or six-year-old is not necessarily a predictor of OCD. If the same behavior continues to the ages of eight and above, it could be a warning sign, especially if accompanied by anxiety or distress.

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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.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111227142541.htm

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WAHHHH! These Horrible People Didn't Get What They Wanted for Christmas [Christmas]

Christmas! A cheerful time, right? The spirit, the decorations, the gift giving, the time off, it's supposed to be happy! Not for these horrible people. Ungrateful punks and out-of-touch teens have all taken to Twitter to complain about what they didn't get for Christmas and how they now hate life and everything Santa Claus. It's a shit show. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/oeIDLloJibY/wahhhh-these-horrible-people-didnt-get-what-they-wanted-for-christmas

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Tournament of THG Semifinals: Katy Perry vs. Demi Lovato!

Welcome back to the Tournament of THG, where fans vote on the most popular star of 2011! The concept is simple: Pick your favorite of the two stars in each poll. Done.

The semifinals kicked off with Robert Pattinson and Miley Cyrus battling to make the finals against ... the winner of this matchup, between Katy Perry and Demi Lovato!

In the quarterfinals, #3 seed Katy bested Lady Gaga with 59 percent of the vote, while #7 Demi topped Justin Bieber by an even wider margin in a bit of an upset. 

Who will advance to the championship round? VOTE below!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2011/12/tournament-of-thg-semifinals-katy-perry-vs-demi-lovato/

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Lions get wild card; Patriots earn playoff bye (AP)

The last time the Detroit Lions made the NFL playoffs, Barry Sanders was their star.

They're back, for the first time in 12 years, earning an NFC wild-card berth by beating San Diego 38-10, knocking the Chargers from contention Saturday.

"This is an accomplishment," coach Jim Schwartz said. "It's a big step for our team and our organization."

The Lions gave owner William Clay Ford the game ball.

Detroit (10-5) plays at NFC North champion Green Bay next Sunday before going on the road in the wild-card round.

New England, which already owns the AFC East title, grabbed a first-round bye with a 27-24 comeback victory against Miami. The Patriots (12-3) will have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs if they beat Buffalo next week.

"It's good to clinch," said Deion Branch, who caught a touchdown pass from Tom Brady, "but not by the way we played. It's not the way you want to do it."

The Dolphins led 17-0 at halftime before New England stormed back.

The New York Giants beat the local rival Jets 29-14 to tie Dallas at 8-7 atop the NFC East. The Cowboys, who lost 20-7 to Philadelphia, visit the Giants next Sunday night, with the winner taking the division, the loser going home.

Dallas lost to the Giants 37-34 on Dec. 11.

Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo missed most of Sunday's game with a bruised right hand as Dallas got within 7 seconds of being shut out.

"We need to be as healthy as we can be next week," coach Jason Garrett said.

The Giants virtually ended the Jets' shot at the AFC playoffs in a sloppy game.

"Given everything that was at stake, and all the noise that has been coming out of Florham Park," Giants co-owner John Mara said of the Jets' bragging all week that they were the better team, "yeah, it means a little more."

Denver's 40-14 loss at Buffalo dropped it into a tie atop the AFC West with Oakland, which beat Kansas City 16-13 in overtime. Still, if the Broncos (8-7) beat Kansas City in Denver next Sunday, they take the division.

"Everything is still on the table," quarterback Tim Tebow said. "We have to go and execute and play a little better. Hopefully, we can get in the tournament."

The Raiders get in if they defeat the Chargers in Oakland and the Chiefs beat the Broncos.

"The man told me, `Hue, we'll win it in the end.' I believe that," said Raiders coach Hue Jackson, reflecting on a conversation he had with Al Davis before the Raiders owner died in October. "I don't know how it's going to happen. I don't care how it's going to happen."

Baltimore and Pittsburgh remained atop the AFC North at 11-4, with the Ravens holding the tiebreaker after sweeping the Steelers. Baltimore beat Cleveland 20-14 and Pittsburgh blanked St. Louis 27-0.

If the Ravens win at Cincinnati (9-6) next week, they take the division and the Steelers get a wild card. If the Bengals win, they not only hand the Steelers a chance to grab the AFC North, but the Bengals get the last conference wild card.

"We started this quite a while ago ? seems like just yesterday," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis said after a 23-16 win over Arizona, which was eliminated from NFC wild-card contention. "But now we're right where we want to be at the end."

Seattle (7-8) also dropped out of the NFC wild-card race with a 19-17 home loss to San Francisco (12-3), which currently is seeded second to the Packers (13-1 heading into the Sunday night game with Chicago) in the NFC and owns the NFC West crown.

Tennessee (8-7) has a slim hope of grabbing the final AFC wild card, but needs tons of help despite a 23-17 win over Jacksonville.

If Atlanta (9-5) beats New Orleans (11-3) on Monday night, it still could take the NFC South, but would clinch at least a wild card. The Saints already are in the playoffs.

Also with an outside shot at a wild card is Chicago (7-7), which must win its last two games and have the Falcons fall twice.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111225/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_nfl_playoffs

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Pink on Pink skin for Microsoft Xbox 360 Wireless Controller

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Cancer Survivor Gets New Smile for Holidays

Giana Gergoire miraculously survived the brain cancer she was diagnosed with in 2010, but the disease took a toll on her dental health.

The 12-year-old suffered from tooth decay, cavities, gaps and discoloring. But her family didn't have enough money to pay for her dental treatment. And Gergoire, having missed a year of school due to her illness, desperately wanted a new smile to accompany her renewed lease on life.

Then Dr. Lee Gause, a dentist with Smile Design in Manhattan, showed up at her door and offered to do all her dental work for free.

He had asked his followers on Facebook to identify someone in need of a healthy smile for the holidays. And he found Gergoire.

"I am really grateful and thankful for that and I really appreciate it," she said.

Shortly thereafter, Gergoire found herself sitting in the dental chair for the first time. After more than an hour, Gause held up a mirror so Gergoire could see the finished product.

"At first I was scared but then I was happy because I finally got my teeth whitened and cavities fixed," she said.

Gause said it would take some time before the work he intends to do on Gergoire is completely finished, but she's off to a great start.

He estimated the pro bono job would involve about $10,000 in dental work when its completed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45787071/ns/local_news-new_york_ny/

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Strong earthquakes rattle NZ's Christchurch (AP)

WELLINGTON, New Zealand ? A series of strong earthquakes struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, rattling buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompting terrified holiday shoppers to flee into the streets. There was no tsunami alert issued and the city appeared to have been spared major damage.

One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, and four people had to be rescued after being trapped by a rock fall, Christchurch police said in a statement. But there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or widespread damage in the city, which is still recovering from a devastating February earthquake that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.

The first 5.8-magnitude quake struck Friday afternoon, 16 miles (26 kilometers) north of Christchurch and 2.5 miles (4 kilometers) deep, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude aftershock hit. About an hour after that, the city was shaken by another 5.8-magnitude temblor, the U.S.G.S. said, though New Zealand's geological agency GNS Science recorded that aftershock as a magnitude-6.0. Both aftershocks were less than 3 miles (5 kilometers) deep.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue an alert.

The city's airport was evacuated after the first quake and all city malls shut down as a precaution.

About 60 people were treated for minor injuries, including fractures, injuries sustained in falls and people with "emotional difficulties," Christchurch St. John Ambulance operations manager Tony Dowell told The Associated Press.

"We have had no significant injuries reported as a result of the earthquakes today," he said.

Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated "as an emergency measure." The area has recorded more than 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7.0 quake rocked the city on Sept. 4, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.

Rock falls had occurred in one area and there was liquefaction ? when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil ? in several places, Isaacs told New Zealand's National Radio.

"There has been quite a lot of stuff falling out of cupboards, off shelves in shops and that sort of thing, again," he said.

Isaacs said his immediate concern was for demolition workers involved in tearing down buildings wrecked in previous quakes.

"It ... started slow then really got going. It was a big swaying one but not as jolting or as violent as in February," Christchurch resident Rita Langley said. "Everyone seems fairly chilled, though the traffic buildup sounds like a beehive that has just been kicked as everyone leaves (the) town (center)."

The shaking was severe in the nearby port town of Lyttelton, the epicenter of the Feb. 22 quake.

"We stayed inside until the shaking stopped. Then most people went out into the street outside," resident Andrew Turner said. "People are emotionally shocked by what happened this afternoon."

Around 26,000 homes were without power in Christchurch, after the shaking tripped switches that cut supplies, Orion energy company CEO Rob Jamieson said.

"We don't seem to have damage to our equipment," he said. "We hope to have power back on to those customers by nightfall."

Hundreds of miles of sewer and fresh water lines have been repaired in the city since the February quake.

One partly demolished building and a vacant house collapsed after Friday's quakes, police said.

Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale said the quakes came at the worst possible time for retailers, with people rushing to finish their Christmas shopping.

Despite the sizable quakes, there was no visible damage in the central business district, where 28 stores have reopened in shipping containers after their buildings were wrecked by the February quake, he said.

"Hopefully tomorrow we'll be feeling a little bit better again and restoring our faith in the will to live and to stay in Christchurch," the city's deputy mayor, Ngaire Button, told National Radio.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/oceania/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111223/ap_on_re_as/as_new_zealand_earthquake

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Detroit Libraries Closing: Protesters Stage Sit-in At Lincoln Branch

The 11 protesters that were led out of a building and into a police van Thursday night may have been the last patrons of the Detroit Public Library's Lincoln Branch.

Community and social action groups came together to protest the library's closure, announced by the library commission in November. Due to lack of funds, four DPL branches were set to be shuttered on Thursday, among them, the Lincoln branch.

The branch closure protests were organized by the Hawthorne Neighborhood Block Club, Hull Street Block Club, BAMN, and Occupy Detroit. Around 50 people turned up to protest outside the Lincoln branch.

Protesters planned a sit-in beginning early in the day and a rally just before the library's normal closing time of 5 p.m. But DPL shut down the entire library system at 4 p.m. without advance notice, according to Laurie Stuart, a librarian at the Frederick Douglass branch and president of UAW 2200, which represents some DPL librarians.

(Stuart said the union, though not supportive of the library closures, also did not endorse the protests.)

By 4:30 p.m., the Lincoln library had closed and the public had been made to leave. But 11 protesters and three security guards remained.

Joyce Schon of the civil rights group By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), was one of the sit-in participants. She told The Huffington Post that protesters were threatened with felony charges. A video uploaded to UStream purportedly captured the group inside the library and an official off-camera telling the protesters they had to leave.

Close to 6 p.m., a police van arrived at the back door of the library. The Detroit News reports "police led at least two protestors away in handcuffs," but and witnesses at the scene said police officers led all 11 protesters into the vehicle.

At a Library Board of Commissioners meeting Tuesday, community members offered alternatives to full closures.

BAMN National Coordinator Donna Stern said one idea was to leave all the equipment and books in the libraries and run the branches with a volunteer staff.

Juliet Machie, deputy director of DPL, said the commission was open to suggestions, but noted using exclusively volunteers would be difficult due to union rules.

"Our library board made a commitment to review all the recommendations," Machie said. "There are things you can use volunteers to accomplish in a library system but there are also certain functions that are at the core of being a trained librarian."

"We got here because of revenue shortfalls and at the end of the day you've got to make hard decisions," Machie said. "Demand for our services is going up, and funding is going down."

Emma Howland-Bolton knows first-hand the demand for library services. She is a fifth-grade teacher at Mason Elementary and a member of Occupy Detroit's facilitation team. The Lincoln branch is less than a mile and a half away from the school and is an invaluable resource for Howland-Brown's students.

"Our school does not have a working library so that's the library we use," she said. "Kids go there to do there homework ... to access the Internet, use the computers, take out books. It's a quiet, safe, public space where they can get work done."

Her fifth-grade students have a science project due after winter break. Howland-Bolton said most were planning to do their projects at the library.

"It's upsetting because this isn't a library that no one is going to," Howland-Bolton said. "It's a hub of the community."

Her students wrote letters to the library commissioner and made signs for the Thursday night protest. "They have a very developed sense of justice," she said.

Howland-Brown provided a typed copy of a letter from one of her students to the library commissioner:

Hey,

My name is Benny and please don't shut down our library. It's the best library ever. I go to Mason Elementary and I have to do my science project at home. But I can't, because I don't have a computer. So I have to do my project somewhere else. And that's at the Lincoln branch.

Also I like to read books because my reading teacher said I had to pull my reading level up and I'm at a second grade reading level. And I'm in the fifth grade.

Please don't close the Lincoln branch.

Sincerely,

Benny

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/22/detroit-libraries-closing-shutdown-occupy-detroit-lincoln-monteith_n_1166382.html

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PFT: Plaxico eyes 'maybe 3 or 4' TDs vs. Giants

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Still nine games back with 43 to go, I need a minor miracle to catch Rosenthal.? But I?m not going to start pulling out Hail Mary-type maneuvers by doing something like Picking the Chiefs to beat the Packers.

I mean, that would be kooky.

Rosenthal and I emerged from that crazy, upside-down Week 15 at 9-7 each.? For the year, he?s 151-73.? I?m 142-82.

Texans at Colts

Florio?s take:? Not long ago, it was presumed that the Colts would beat the Texans.? That was before the Colts lost Peyton Manning ? and before the Texans found their defense.? The ongoing absence of defensive coordinator Wade Phillips makes this one less of a sure thing for Houston, but the Colts surely won?t be looking to risk losing the Andrew Luck pick.

Florio?s pick:? Texans 28, Colts 13.

Rosenthal?s take: The Texans were reminded last week that their margin for error isn?t huge with T.J. Yates at quarterback. But that won?t be a problem this week. Houston?s defense will want to make amends after getting manhandled against Carolina. Expect 35 rushing attempts by the Texans.

Rosenthal?s pick: Texans 26, Colts 10.

Browns at Ravens

Florio?s take:? The Browns are one of the few inferior teams the Ravens managed to beat on the road.? This time, the Browns come to Baltimore, where the team that used to play in Cleveland has lost once in the last two seasons.? With the division title only two wins away, the Ravens won?t be blowing their chance to play a postseason game at home for the first time in the John Harbaugh/Joe Flacco tenure.

Florio?s pick:? Ravens 31, Browns 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Seneca Wallace looked like a slight upgrade from Colt McCoy.? Peyton Hillis is slightly healthier and more effective than he was earlier in the season.? So I?ll predict the Browns will make this slightly more interesting than the last time these two teams played.

Rosenthal?s pick: Ravens 27, Browns 17.

Broncos at Bills

Florio?s take:? Tebowmania takes Buffalo, where the Bills have seen a 4-1 start disintegrate, via seven straight losses.? With a trip to New England looming, this one gives the Bills their last, best shot at winning another game.? Though a playoff berth seems inevitable for the Broncos, it?ll have to wait until Week 17.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 24, Broncos 20.

Rosenthal?s take: Timing is everything. If the Bills started the season at 0-7, losing by an average of 18 points per week, Chan Gailey would be on the hot seat. But the Bills started fast before the bottom fell out, so no one has noticed that Buffalo is arguably the worst team in football at the moment.

Rosenthal?s pick: Broncos 23, Bills 16.

Buccaneers at Panthers

Florio?s take:? The Panthers have gotten better on the fly.? The Bucs have fallen apart, with eight straight losses.? Though anything can happen when teams from the same division square off, the Bucs haven?t made much of anything happen this year.? The Panthers won?t need to annex Puerto Rico or any other U.S. territories to win this one on Saturday.

Florio?s pick:? Panthers 34, Buccaneers 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Bucs also have an argument for the worst team of the second half.? They?ve lost eight straight, with the last three by 21 points per game. Tampa is no longer even the up-and-coming ?Youngry? team in the division with the cool franchise quarterback; that?s now Carolina.

Rosenthal?s pick: Panthers 36, Buccaneers 23.

Cardinals at Bengals

Florio?s take:? One of the best games of the weekend will unfold before another way-less-than-capacity crowd in Cincinnati.? The Cardinals have won six of seven, and the Bengals still find themselves in the thick of things in the AFC wild-card chase.? But the Bengals have lost some of their punch in recent weeks, barely beating a pair of bad teams and losing four games to playoff contenders.? The Cardinals may not make it to the postseason, but it won?t be because they failed to handle their business.

Florio?s pick:? Cardinals 20, Bengals 17.

Rosenthal?s take: A legitimate quarterback controversy between Kevin Kolb and John Skelton is a surprising development. Arizona winning six of seven games in insane final possession fashion is even more surprising. The streak of luck ends against a Bengals team that was the surprise of the early season.

Rosenthal?s pick: Bengals 28, Cardinals 24.

Raiders at Chiefs

Florio?s take:? Chiefs players want to win for interim coach Romeo Crennel.? If they?d wanted to win as badly for former head coach Todd Haley, Crennel wouldn?t have the job he currently holds.? Kyle Orton and company keep making an unlikely push to the playoffs, as the Raiders continue to wonder how good they could have been if Darren McFadden hadn?t injured his foot the last time they played the team from Kansas City.

Florio?s pick:? Chiefs 24, Raiders 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Suddenly this game means a great deal. Both teams are trying to stay alive in the AFC West race. Romeo Crennel is trying to win a job. Hue Jackson is trying to justify his trade for Carson Palmer. Unfortunately, I fear that all the drama in the AFC West race will be over after this week.

Rosenthal?s pick: Chiefs 30, Raiders 20.

Dolphins at Patriots

Florio?s take:? Yes, the Dolphins aren?t as bad as they were when they lost seven straight games.? Yes, the Dolphins played the Patriots tough in Week One.? But the Patriots are two home wins away from the No. 1 seed for the second straight year.? Defensive warts and all, the Pats won?t be choking ? at least until they host the Jets or the Ravens in January.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 35, Dolphins 23.

Rosenthal?s take: The Dolphins are 5-2 in their last seven games. The defense that got strafed in Week One by Tom Brady has improved greatly. Karlos Dansby, Kevin Burnett, and Vontae Davis are all playing much better for Miami. This is a dangerous game for the Patriots as they try to lock up the No. 1 seed.

Rosenthal?s pick: Patriots 26, Dolphins 24.

Giants at Jets

Florio?s take:? I?ve said for days that, if there were a way for both teams to lose this one, that?s what would happen.? (Maybe that means a tie is coming.)? The Giants have the better team on paper, but on paper the Giants shouldn?t have lost five of six games.? Recent trends have the Jets pulling things together and getting to the playoffs and the Giants completing a slide out of postseason contention.? Though all reason and common sense points to a Giants win, neither team?s performance this year has meshed with reason and common sense.

Florio?s pick:? Jets 17, Giants 14.

Rosenthal?s take: The Giants don?t have much if they don?t have a pass rush. And they don?t have much of a pass rush right now. At least the Jets have one reliable strength: Their pass defense. That should be enough to stop a Giants team that relies too much on Eli Manning.

Rosenthal?s pick: Jets 22, Giants 17.

Rams at Steelers

Florio?s take:? Against any other team, the question of whether the Steelers would use Ben Roethlisberger or Charlie Batch at quarterback would matter.? But these are the Rams.? The 2-12 Rams.? The hopelessly hapless Rams.? The Steelers would be likely to win this one even with one of the St. Louis backup quarterbacks taking the snaps for the home team.

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Rams 3.

Rosenthal?s take: Charlie Batch is 37 years old. He was once teammates with Barry Sanders. At some point, the Steelers are going to roll him out there, and he just won?t be able to play the position anymore. Batch looked rough in his brief appearance two weeks ago. On the plus side: The Rams look rough every week.

Rosenthal?s pick: Steelers 16, Rams 6.

Jaguars at Titans

Florio?s take:? Though the Titans lost to the winless Colts last week, the Jaguars have been looking even worse in recent weeks, notwithstanding the contributions of Maurice Jones-Drew.? So with Matt Hasselbeck, Jake Locker, or even Vince Young at quarterback, the Titans should be able to take care of business ? despite the fact that the Jaguars pulled off the win the last time around.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 14.

Rosenthal?s take: Analysts have crushed Blaine Gabbert for his weak pocket presence all year. So interim coach Mel Tucker overcompensated by calling Gabbert ?courageous? and ?super-tough? this week. The Jaguars might be better off with a coach that recognizes Gabbert?s faults and tries to improve upon them.

Rosenthal?s pick: Titans 27, Jaguars 17.

Vikings at Redskins

Florio?s take:? Last year, the Vikings played their butts off against the Redskins in D.C., hopeful of helping Leslie Frazier lose the ?interim? tag.? This year, most Vikings don?t seem to care about Frazier or anyone else.? On a weekly basis, it shows.? It?s likely to show again on Saturday.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 23, Vikings 10.

Rosenthal?s take: The Vikings feel like a 3-13 team, but their last win is more likely to come next week against the Bears. The Redskins feel exactly like a 6-10 type of team. They will hit their magic number on Sunday. This ?analysis? made more sense in my head.

Rosenthal?s pick: Redskins 26, Vikings 17.

Chargers at Lions

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner?s team has launched another impressive late-season run.? But the Lions have rediscovered their explosiveness on offense.? It?s time for Detroit to nail down its first playoff berth in more than a decade ? and to do so not by the skin of their teeth but by flexing some Motown muscle.

Florio?s pick:? Lions 35, Chargers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: Both quarterbacks in this game are playing very well.? Matthew Stafford saves his best stuff for the fourth quarter, while Philip Rivers has simply been on fire for three weeks. The Lions are 4-5 since beating the Bears on Monday Night Football. I?m not convinced they can beat good teams. The Chargers finally are a good team.

Rosenthal?s pick: Chargers 33, Lions 30.

Eagles at Cowboys

Florio?s take:? Jerry Jones fears the Eagles.? And for good reason.? Philly has found its groove, perhaps too late.? But not late enough for the Dream Team to complete a sweep of America?s Team.

Florio?s pick:? Eagles 33, Cowboys 27.

Rosenthal?s take: I predicted the Eagles would miss the playoffs at the beginning of the year. Despite a 6-8 record, they are somehow still alive and look like the best team in the division. I?m trying not to fall for it. It?s all part of an elaborate plan for Andy Reid to torture Eagles fans in the most painful way possible.

Rosenthal?s pick: Cowboys 30, Eagles 27.

49ers at Seahawks

Florio?s take:? The Jim Harbaugh-Pete Carroll rivalry is renewed, weeks after we?d all forgotten about it.? But even if the Seahawks can?t get the help they need to make it to the playoffs, they can throw a wrench into the Niners? plans for an easier path to Indy by killing Harbaugh?s shot at a bye.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 23, 49ers 17.

Rosenthal?s take: This is a dangerous game for the 49ers on a short week. Seattle?s defense continues to improve, while Tarvaris Jackson is playing his football of the season. (Without both his starting wideouts.) Both teams play a style designed to keep the game close. That favors the home team.

Rosenthal?s pick: Seahawks 17, 49ers 13.

Bears at Packers

Florio?s take:? Not long ago, this looked like it could be one of the best games of the year.? Now, it?ll mainly be an opportunity for the Packers to get the bad taste out of their mouths that came from losing to the Chiefs.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 35, Bears 13.

Rosenthal?s take: Josh McCown was coaching high school football four weeks ago. On Christmas night, he?ll show that he?s better than Caleb Hanie, and that it doesn?t really make a difference. The Packers have solved bigger injury problems than a few missing tackles.

Rosenthal?s pick: Packers 31, Bears 14.

Falcons at Saints

Florio?s take:? The Falcons beat the Saints in New Orleans last year.? Somehow.? This year, the Saints are unstoppable in the Superdome, thanks to a record-smashing season from Drew Brees.? But the Falcons have the firepower to keep it interesting.? Get your popcorn ready.? And your abacus.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 45, Falcons 38.

Rosenthal?s take: Exactly three points decided the last four games in this series. Atlanta will do enough to remind everyone the Saints? defense really hasn?t improved much. But the Falcons won?t do enough to hand New Orleans their first home loss of the year.

Rosenthal?s pick: Saints 34, Falcons 31.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/12/21/plaxico-targets-multiple-touchdowns-against-the-giants/related/

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Israel orders defense pact with Turkey canceled

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Weird wildlife: Real animals of Antarctica

Ask anyone to name an Antarctic land animal, and chances are the response will be, "penguin." Try again, says David Barnes, a scientist with the British Antarctic Survey.

"Penguins aren't really residents on land. All the species except for one ? emperor penguins ? spend most of their lives at sea," Barnes told OurAmazingPlanet.

"And likewise the other sea birds go north during Antarctica's winter," he added.

It turns out that the usual suspects ? penguins, seals ? don't actually live on the continent. They just visit.

"In order to see Antarctica's resident land animals, you have to have a microscope," Barnes said.

And one look reveals an outlandish cast of characters more suited to Lewis Carroll's fiction than a Disney movie, both in name and ability. The continent's natives ? rotifers, tardigrades and springtails, collembola and mites ? possess a bizarre array of physiological tools to survive on the coldest, windiest, highest and driest continent on Earth.

In addition, evidence is mounting that these weird Antarctic animals are remnants of a bygone age, the only survivors of a vanished world ? something once thought nearly impossible.

"The take-home message is that we think our animals survived the last ice age," said biologist Byron Adams, a professor at Brigham Young University.

Petite pachyderms
The largest of the continent's land animals, the so-called "elephants of Antarctica," are the collembola, or, as they are more commonly known, springtails. Unlike the majority of their neighbors, they are visible to the naked eye.

"They look like insects ? a little bit like an earwig," said Ian Hogg, a freshwater ecologist and associate professor at New Zealand's University of Waikato. "But they're a lot cuter than earwigs," Hogg added.

Typically under a millimeter long, the tiny, six-legged arthropods are similar to insects, but more primitive, and likely resemble the ancient ancestors of modern-day insects,? Hogg said. They live under rocks near coastal areas, and survive on a diet of fungus and bacteria. Hogg has found them as far south as 86 degrees latitude.

Although springtails are found all over the planet, those that live in Antarctica have a few tricks to survive the brutal conditions. They can slow down their metabolism to save energy, "and when it gets close to winter, they start to produce glycerol, which lowers their freezing point," Hogg said.

But even springtails can succumb in harsh Antarctic conditions. "If they get too cold they'll freeze solid, and that's the end of them," Hogg said.

They're aliiiive
Yet for Antarctica's most abundant land animal, tiny nematode worms, freezing is not fatal ? it's more like a neat party trick.

The hardy worms are one of the most abundant creatures on Earth, and in Antarctica's simple ecosystems, they are king.

"They're the rulers of the continent," said BYU's Byron Adams. "As far as animals go, you're more likely to find a nematode than anything."

The worms may be tiny ? a real whopper is almost as long as a dime is thick, Adams said ? but they have the combined biological powers of a MacGyver and a Lazarus.

First, the worms employ inventive physiological processes to stave off the effects of the extreme cold.

Like springtails, Antarctica's nematodes can lower their freezing point. They also have a mechanism to protect their cells from the dangers of frozen water, allowing them to survive in temperatures well below freezing.

Inside a cell, ice can be deadly. "Imagine a drop of water," Adams said. "It's smooth and round. When that turns into ice, it turns into a ninja-star type of thing, with all these sharp points. That causes the cells to burst ? it kills the cell," he said. This same process causes frostbite and its nasty effects. As cells die, tissue is destroyed.

To prevent this, nematodes produce proteins that act as packing peanuts, surrounding the sharp-edged ice crystals with tiny cushions to protect the cells from rupture and ensuing death.

When conditions get too dry (the worms require moisture to function), the worms have the ability to drop into a death-like state of suspended animation from which they can revive many months, even decades, later, when conditions improve.

"They pump all the water out of the bodies until they're dried out like a little Cheerio," Adams said ? a process similar to freeze-drying. The worms then literally just blow around in the wind until water returns ? often, not until the following summer, when melt from glaciers creates freshwater streams around the continent.

"When the water comes back, the nematodes suck the water back into their bodies and they're re-animated ? they come back to life," Adams said.

The strategy is not unique to Antarctica. Nematodes that live in hot, dry deserts do the same thing, he added.

It's still not clear just how long the worms can survive in this state, but nematodes have reawakened after 60 years in freeze-dried mode.

For all their toughness, the nematodes may have reason to envy one of their Antarctic colleagues ? tardigrades ? which are similarly rugged, yet have one thing nematodes just haven't got: good looks.

Brawny beauties
"They're really cute," Adams said.

Tardigrades look a bit like a bear crossed with a sweet potato. In fact, they look huggable ? a rare quality among microscopic animals. They have chubby bodies and eight legs, from which curved, bear-like claws protrude.

Like nematodes, these algae-eating water beasts can "freeze-dry" themselves, and have even survived a trip into low-Earth orbit.

"It was quite surprising to me that exposure to the vacuum of space, with its extreme desiccating effect, did not affect survival at all," said Ingemar J?nsson, a professor at Sweden's Kristianstad University, in an email. J?nsson orchestrated the tardigrade space trip aboard a European Space Agency craft in 2007.

Where'd you come from?
The two remaining major Antarctic residents are mites ? tiny arachnids that live alongside springtails under rocks ? and rotifers, microscopic, slinky-like creatures that dwell alongside nematodes and tardigrades in more moist environments. Although there are many species of each, it's astonishing to essentially be able to count the land animals of an entire continent on one hand.

And although these extreme organisms use a range of biological stunts to survive in Antarctica, they can't live in the ice itself, and it was long accepted that the animals were fairly new arrivals.

"The dogma is that in the last glacial, the continent was totally covered with ice and there was no life," Adams said. "That would mean that all the organisms that live there had to have moved back there since the last glacial maximum ? in the last 12 (thousand) to 20 thousand years." That's when retreating ice would have exposed bits of land fit for habitation.

"The problem with that is almost all the animals we find in Antarctica are indigenous to Antarctica," he said. "They're not found anywhere else in the world, and they're not closely related."

Genetic evidence suggests that the continent's residents must have stuck it out through the last glacial maximum. That, in essence, they've been there since 100,000 years ago, when the planet began to cool.

This, along with geological evidence, is changing some of the accepted thinking. Now many Antarctic scientists think the continent wasn't entirely icebound during the last glacial maximum. "We think that there were areas that were exposed, and that these animals survived in little pockets ? and once the ice sheets receded, they expanded their range."

Essentially, the crushing cold and lack of moisture killed off the continent's more delicate beasts, and left behind only the hardiest. With almost no competitors for the limited resources, Antarctica's tiny animals were suddenly the smartest guys in the room, able to move out and take over the continent.

Tense future
Even as researchers are learning more about the past of Antarctic wildlife, they are using the continent's residents to peer into the future.

"What is really fascinating about working in Antarctica, is that we can look at the effect of climate change on a single species in the soil," said Diana Wall, a soil ecologist at Colorado State University who has studied Antarctica's tiny animal life for more than two decades.

"We can't do that with a single species anywhere else ? the communities are so complex," she said.

Hogg agreed. "Antarctica is such a simple system. The springtails are the biggest things you have to worry about," he said. "And the changes down there happen much more quickly than they will in more temperate latitudes, so it makes it a really fascinating place to look at these changes and how things might respond."

The continent serves as a pristine, natural laboratory, Adams said.

"If you take a sample from a beach in Florida, and you get an anomalous reading, it could be due to anything" he said. "Where we're working in Antarctica, we don't have any of those variables."

Ironically, because Antarctica has no native human population (along with the inevitable environmental footprints we leave behind), it's one of the best places on Earth to study how changing climate will affect the places people do live, Adams said.

"Someone might say, 'Well, springtails aren't very exciting animals,'" Hogg said. However, he added, studying them and their Antarctic neighbors, which all play a role in cycling nutrients through the environment, can help illuminate how ecosystems closer to home might change with the climate.

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"It can help us learn about agricultural systems and the places that we care about and rely on for our daily well-being," he said

"It's very appealing to those of us who are trying to get to the bottom of the fundamentals of the relationship between biodiversity and climate change," Adams said. "This is the one place where we can do these experiments in a natural system."

Reach Andrea Mustain at amustain@techmedianetwork.com. Follow her on Twitter @AndreaMustain. Follow OurAmazingPlanet for the latest in Earth science and exploration news on Twitter @OAPlanetand on Facebook.

? 2011 OurAmazingPlanet. All rights reserved. More from OurAmazingPlanet.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45766560/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Obama makes Christmas shopping stop at Best Buy (Los Angeles Times)

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Philippines sends coffins as toll nears 1,000 dead (AP)

ILIGAN, Philippines ? The Philippine government shipped more than 400 coffins Tuesday to two flood-stricken cities in the south where the death toll neared 1,000 as President Benigno Aquino III declared a state of national calamity and relief agencies rushed to help.

The latest count listed 957 dead and 49 missing and is set to climb further as additional bodies are being recovered from the sea and mud in Iligan and Cagayan de Oro cities.

A handful of morgues are overwhelmed and running out of coffins and formaldehyde for embalming. Aid workers appealed for bottled water, blankets, tents and clothes for many of 45,000 displaced in crowded evacuation centers.

Navy sailors in Manila loaded a ship with 437 white, wooden coffins to help local authorities handle the staggering number of dead. Also on the way were containers with thousands of water bottles.

Most of the dead were women and children who drowned Friday night when flash floods triggered by a tropical storm gushed into homes while people were asleep.

A Briton was the first foreigner reported dead in the flooding, according to the British Embassy in Manila. It didn't provide details.

Aquino, on a visit to Cagayan de Oro on Tuesday, said the national calamity declaration will help local authorities gain quick access to recovery funds and keep prices of basic goods stable.

"Our national government will do its best to prevent a repeat of this tragedy," Aquino told residents who came out to greet him.

He said there would be an assessment of what went wrong and why so many people died, if there was ample warning that a storm would sweep through the area and why people living along riverbanks and close to the coast had not been moved to safety.

"I do not accept that everything had been done. I know that we can do more. We must determine what really happened," Aquino said. "Must this end in tragedy? We knew that (storm) was coming. There should have been efforts to avoid the destruction."

The U.N. food agency flew in 3 tons of high-protein biscuits together with water tanks, blankets, tarpaulins and tents for some 75,000 people. Shortage of water was still a major problem in the two cities.

In New York, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed concerned about the flooding, U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said.

"The United Nations and its partners stand ready to support the government in responding to this disaster," the deputy spokesman added.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111220/ap_on_re_as/as_philippines_storm

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Group not laughing at Depp's Christmas tune

Forget turning the other cheek ? what some offended Christian groups really should've done is plugged their ears.

In a move Johnny Depp had to see coming, the conservative groups Christian Coalition and Focus on the Family have lashed out at the actor after he lent his voice to a tongue-in-cheek (and now ragingly controversial) new Christmas tune by the British act Babybird.

The track's name: "Jesus Stag Night Club."

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Basically, the song tells the story of a group of teenagers who hire a Jesus look-alike to organize a stag night (better known in these parts as a bachelor party). Over the course of a raucous night, the doppelganger ends up passed out drunk (possibly dead, some have inferred), and it's revealed that he's not just a copycat, but the real Jesus.

So you can see where the controversy would crop up?

The lyrics include "Saw a man in a bar with his hair like a lady/ Bloody thorns round his ear like he was a crazy/ He had holes in his hands and a cross for a spine/ Crushed a berry in his Perrier and called it wine."

And let's not forget: "I can't remember where I was last night/ Think I was hanging naked off a church spire/ Tied by my ankles to a weather vane/ Felt like I was Jesus on fire/ Cuffed to the bumper of a big truck/ I begged my dad to take me to a strip bar/ Drank kerosene through my eyeballs/ Drove myself home in a stolen car."

MORE: Johnny's winning formula: the freakier he gets, the more money he makes?

Plus the big finish: "Saw a man lying on the floor beaten up/ He had a fish finger sandwich and a yellow M coffee cup/ I bent down drunk and tried to pick him up/ But when I turned around I could see it was Jesus."

Lee Douglas, spokesman for the Christian Coalition, has already called for the song, currently vying to be the traditionally all-important No. 1 single on the U.K. on Christmas Day, to be pulled from British radio and called recording the tune tantamount to "blasphemy."

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"I'm sure he thinks he's being very funny, but he's simply a disgrace," Douglas told the U.K.'s Daily Star of Depp's participation in the song.

"One day, Johnny Depp and his cronies will face the judgment of our Lord and they will burn in hell for this filth."

A spokesperson for Focus on the Family released similarly damning statements.

MORE: Did Johnny almost die in a plane mishap?

"We are sickened by Mr. Depp's behavior. Why did he need to record this song? It's a slap in the face to Christians all over the world."

Depp has not commented on the brouhaha, but it's not his first time teaming up with Babybird, or frontman Stephen Jones. Depp played guitar on and directed the music video for the single "Unloveable" last year.

Jones took to Twitter to sound off on the controversy: "Christians go to heaven. Sinners go to hell. This is their message of peace. Oh yes and gays can f--k off too. It's a beautiful world, Jesus," he wrote.

He also spoke to E! News. "The Bible is the greatest fiction book of all time," Jones told us. "Incredible stories of magic and mayhem. Full of Hollywood storylines. I was in a Days Inn hotel room last year and in the bedside drawer was the Book of Mormon. But the second 'M' had been scraped off, so that immediately got my interest, and once I delved in, the lyrics for 'Jesus Stag Night' just flowed out of me as though the Lord himself has touched me in my secret place.

PHOTOS: Johnny Depp: Movie Star!

"Every song I've ever written is full to the brim with meaning, and this song takes the idea that if Jesus was around today, he would probably be laying low, like I was, in a Days Inn single room, staying incognito to prevent fueling any religious hatred."

As for the controversy surrounding the song, Jones said, "If they were true Jesus lovers, they wouldn't own CD players and iPods, they would be wandering the world preaching love and understanding."

And there was at least one person the frontman had kind words for: Depp himself.

"I'm not sure many people know, but Johnny is an incredible guitarist and collects guitars ... Johnny has played twice now on tracks. He has the same evil streak as me ... We aid each other's artistic license to produce unwatered down genius. It's gospel!"

? Additional reporting by Sharareh Drury

? 2011 E! Entertainment Television, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/45560133/ns/today-entertainment/

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China eases grip on blind Chinese activist: sources (Reuters)

BEIJING (Reuters) ? China has eased some restrictions on a blind legal activist whose smothering, secretive detention in his village has become the focus of protests at home and condemnation abroad, sources close to his family said.

Activists said the government of Linyi in eastern Shandong province in October allowed Chen Guangcheng's 77-year-old mother to leave Chen's home village to buy supplies for the family -- a hint that officials have softened some of the harshest restrictions on him and his family, all of whom have been under house arrest for nearly 15 months.

The fate of Chen, a charismatic, self-schooled advocate who has campaigned against forced abortions, has become a test of wills, pitting the ruling Communist Party's crackdown on dissent against rights activists who have rallied around his cause and that of the artist Ai Weiwei.

He Peirong, an activist based in the east Chinese city of Nanjing, told Reuters the Shandong provincial government had responded to some of the requests of Chen's supporters. Those included allowing Chen to receive medicine sent by supporters and to allow his six-year-old daughter to go to school.

"He is at a delicate crossroads now," said He, a Chen family friend. "The three conditions that we've requested the government for have basically been met."

"Except the issue about seeking medical treatment -- they haven't allowed him to go to the hospital for a full check-up."

County and town officials near Chen's home who Reuters called about his case either hung up their phones when asked about him or said they could not speak to reporters.

Chen remains under heavy guard, but has been allowed to receive ulcer medicine, easing fears of supporters that he could be near death, said one Chinese activist closely involved in the campaign to free Chen.

"His health has improved, and his family members are being given more opportunities to go out, buy food, send their daughter to school, but I'm not hopeful that this means Chen Guangcheng will win his freedom," said the activist, who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the threat of punishment for discussing the case.

Another source close to Chen's family said: "The government officials said they will keep him under guard for the rest of his life, until he dies."

Chen's daughter, Chen Kesi, who was previously prevented from attending school, was allowed to go to school in mid-September, marking what some said might have been the beginning of a fundamental shift in the treatment of Chen.

But the daughter remains under constant guard, even at school, said a source close to Chen's family.

"Several senior officials, including from the central government, have visited Yinan recently, and it's clear that they're trying to work out what's behind the protests and criticism over Chen," said the other anonymous source, referring to the area of Chen's home village.

A village official involved in beating up Chen last month visited the family and offered compensation, which Chen rejected, said the activist. Someone else close to the family -- who also spoke on condition of anonymity -- said a police officer had raised the idea of compensation.

Chen angered Shandong officials in 2005 by exposing a program of forced abortions as part of China's one-child policy. He was formally released in September 2010 after four years in jail on a charge of "blocking traffic."

He, the Nanjing-based activist, said sources had told her local government officials have conflicting views about how to treat Chen.

Some of them "believe that they went overboard with this matter," said He, who has travelled to Shandong four times and says he has been beaten on each trip.

Chen and his wife endured a "brutal four-hour beating" by local authorities in July, the U.S. advocacy group ChinaAid has said.

In recent months, dozens of supporters have been blocked from visiting Chen. Many of them were beaten by men in plain clothes.

(Editing by Ken Wills)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/china/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20111205/wl_nm/us_china_activist

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Cuts to first-class mail to slow delivery in 2012

FILE - In this March 2, 2010 file photo, letter carrier Kevin Pownall delivers mail in Philadelphia. Facing bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal Service is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - In this March 2, 2010 file photo, letter carrier Kevin Pownall delivers mail in Philadelphia. Facing bankruptcy, the U.S. Postal Service is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2011, file photo Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe speaks at a news conference on changes to the Postal Service that could potentially save as much as $3 billion in Washington. The estimated $3 billion in reductions, to be announced in broader detail on Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, are part of a wide-ranging effort by the Postal Service to quickly trim costs and avert bankruptcy. While providing short-term relief, the changes could ultimately prove counterproductive, pushing more of America's business onto the Internet.( AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

FILE - In this Sept. 6, 2011, file photo Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe appears before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee as the panel examines the economic troubles of the Postal Service, a self-funded federal agency, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Seeing no immediate help from Congress, the cash-strapped service is pushing ahead with unprecedented cuts to first-class mail next spring that will slow delivery and eliminate overnight service for the first time in 40 years. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Charts show U.S. Postal Service operating losses and mail volume since

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Unprecedented cuts by the cash-strapped U.S. Postal Service will slow first-class delivery next spring and, for the first time in 40 years, eliminate the chance for stamped letters to arrive the next day.

The estimated $3 billion in reductions, to be announced in broader detail later Monday, are part of a wide-ranging effort by the Postal Service to quickly trim costs and avert bankruptcy. They could slow everything from check payments to Netflix's DVDs-by-mail, add costs to mail-order prescription drugs, and threaten the existence of newspapers and time-sensitive magazines delivered by postal carrier to far-flung suburban and rural communities.

That birthday card mailed first-class to Mom also could arrive a day or two late, if people don't plan ahead.

"It's a potentially major change, but I don't think consumers are focused on it and it won't register until the service goes away," said Jim Corridore, analyst with S&P Capital IQ, who tracks the shipping industry. "Over time, to the extent the customer service experience gets worse, it will only increase the shift away from mail to alternatives. There's almost nothing you can't do online that you can do by mail."

The cuts would close roughly 250 of the nearly 500 mail processing centers across the country as early as next March. Because the consolidations would typically lengthen the distance mail travels from post office to processing center, the agency would also lower delivery standards for first-class mail that have been in place since 1971. Currently, first-class mail is supposed to be delivered to homes and businesses within the continental U.S. in one to three days; that will be lengthened to two to three days, meaning mailers could no longer expect next-day delivery in surrounding communities. Periodicals could take between two and nine days.

The Postal Service already has announced a 1-cent increase in first-class mail to 45 cents beginning Jan. 22.

About 42 percent of first-class mail is now delivered the following day; another 27 percent arrives in two days, about 31 percent in three days and less than 1 percent in four to five days. Following the change next spring, about 51 percent of all first-class mail is expected to arrive in two days, with most of the remainder delivered in three days.

The consolidation of mail processing centers is in addition to the planned closing of about 3,700 local post offices. In all, roughly 100,000 postal employees could be cut as a result of the various closures, resulting in savings of up to $6.5 billion a year.

Expressing urgency to reduce costs, Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe said in an interview that the agency has to act while waiting for Congress to grant it authority to reduce delivery to five days a week, raise stamp prices and reduce health care and other labor costs. The Postal Service, an independent agency of government, does not receive tax money, but is subject to congressional control of large aspects of its operations. The changes in first-class mail delivery can be implemented without permission from Congress.

After five years in the red, the post office faces imminent default this month on a $5.5 billion annual payment to the U.S. Treasury for retiree health benefits; it is projected to have a record loss of $14.1 billion next year amid steady declines in first-class mail volume. Donahoe has said the agency must make cuts of $20 billion by 2015 to be profitable.

"We have a business model that is failing. You can't continue to run red ink and not make changes," Donahoe said. "We know our business, and we listen to our customers. Customers are looking for affordable and consistent mail service, and they do not want us to take tax money."

Separate bills have passed House and Senate committees that would give the post office more authority and liquidity to stave off immediate bankruptcy. But prospects are somewhat dim for final congressional action on those bills anytime soon, especially if the measures are seen in an election year as promoting layoffs and cuts to neighborhood post offices.

The Postal Service initially announced in September it was studying the possibility of closing the processing centers and published a notice in the Federal Register seeking comments. Within 30 days, the plan elicited nearly 4,400 public comments, mostly in opposition.

___

Online:

https://www.usps.com/

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2011-12-05-Postal%20Problems/id-12199ff41d8e4cd2958063dc3df1c483

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