'You feel helpless': First responders on Newtown tragedy

The men and women who first arrived at Sandy Hook Elementary School tells TODAY's Erica Hill that "this is something that is going to take us a long time to work through."

By Miranda Leitsinger, NBC News

NEWTOWN, Conn. ? Emergency medical services responders in this ?volunteer town? were having an ordinary day on Friday, getting ready to go Christmas shopping, waiting in line at the post office or hanging out at home on the crisp fall morning when the call came in: Their skills were needed at Sandy Hook Elementary.

More than 20 members of the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps and two of its rigs rushed to the scene of what was first described simply as a ?shooting in the building,? but quickly escalated to reports of a gunman -- or possibly two -- at large on the school grounds and gunfire, lots of gunfire.

They quickly set up primary and secondary triage sites, preparing to receive the wounded. But as other ambulances from neighboring communities rolled up, sirens blaring, the first responders slowly realized that their training would be tragically underutilized on this horrible day.

Only a few of the wounded were brought out for stabilizing treatment and then whisked off to the hospital. Everyone else among the 20 children and six adults who were shot had been killed by what turned out to be a single gunman ? now identified as 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who committed suicide at the end of the rampage.


?We're waiting there with a triage area set up to take care of all of these patients ... and when the call came over the radio to release all of these ambulances from surrounding towns and just hold the Newtown ambulances at the scene, that was when I think it hit most of us that our services were not going to be utilized at that point,? James Wolff, a 44-year-old EMT who responded to the mass shooting, told NBC News on Wednesday.

?Seeing the faces on the other side of the (police) scene tape and the emotion on those faces was, it was difficult to see and especially because we weren't in action doing things trying to save people,? said Wolff, a father of two who joined the town?s volunteer ambulance company 18 months ago. ?You may not be able to save everybody, but you damn well try. And when (we) didn't have the opportunity to put our skills into action, it's difficult.?

But Assistant Chief Sharon McCarthy said the first responders found other ways to contribute.

?You feel helpless, I think, but yet we were there,? said McCarthy, who spent six hours at the scene and was the last member of her team to leave. ?Police are there, the parents are there. We're trying to help them and reassuring people and just trying to be there. I mean, you know, the parents were victims, too.?

Many of the first responders to the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary on Friday say they will never forget what they saw. Said one: "This is forever in our memory bank." NBC's Miguel Almaguer reports.

?There was an anxious, chaotic crowd and we were trying to keep peace there,? she added. ?It was really controlling the scene was what we were working on.?

Laurie Veillette, a volunteer EMT who was leaving the post office when she saw the police cars zoom by moments before receiving the call to duty, said she was assigned to the secondary triage area in the parking lot of the nearby fire station, where unharmed schoolchildren who were evacuated waited to be picked up by their parents.

?We were there while events were still unfolding and we received patients and left,? she said. ?I got a text from my daughter on the ambulance on the way back and she said people were saying, 'People are dying there mommy, are you all right?' ... She asked me if I was there and I said, 'I am.' And I said, 'It's bad, and I can't talk about it.'?

Veillette and other EMTs at the scene weren't getting any information from radio or television, but she said they sensed the enormity of what had happened.

?To get that text from her, I knew that it had gotten bigger and it was big,? she said.

Veillette, who said she had worked in past years as a substitute teacher at Sandy Hook, said the loss of so many young children and the professionals who cared for them hit even those used to dealing with death hard.

Julio Cortez / AP

This aerial photo shows a triage area set up at the Sandy Hook fire station in Newtown, Conn., near where a gunman opened fire inside Sandy Hook Elementary School on Friday, Dec. 14.

Some of her fellow EMT workers didn't watch the news reports in the immediate aftermath, and they spoke to counselors brought in to handle the ?raw emotion? that was coming out, Veillette said.

?The loss of faces in town,? she said, trying to explain the powerful impact the tragedy has had. ?It's just a huge loss that touched so many people, but then again, you know, it brought us together. ? it's such a mixed emotion. I mean I feel such love and support but at the same time, our community is missing too many people right now.?

Jill Urciuoli, a 58-year-old EMT who also responded that day, said she had spent some time ?just trying to figure out what happened, rework everything, see if there was a way I could have done something differently.?

But then she surrendered to the strong emotions coursing through this tight-knit community.

?Grief is grief,? she said. ?Everybody feels it. Everybody's heart is ripped out. You don't even need to see it, you feel it ... it hurts.?

McCarthy said that even before the tragedy,?a medical call was handled with a small-town approach by the 69-member EMT team, who range in age from 18 to 72. When EMTs had to transport people to the hospital, patients would often hold their hands or pinch their cheeks. And if reassurance was all that was needed, McCarthy said she had occasionally brewed tea and sat down to comfort a nervous resident.

She called the job the second-most challenging and rewarding thing she has done, after parenthood. ?This group of people has more heart than you can imagine,? she said.

Jessica Hill / AP

Parents leave a staging area after being reunited with their children following a shooting at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northeast of New York City, Friday, Dec. 14, 2012. An official with knowledge of Friday's shooting said 27 people were dead, including 18 children. It was the worst school shooting in the country's history. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Mike Collins, a volunteer since 2005, proudly called Newtown a "volunteer town," with five volunteer fire departments in service, too.?

As he stood in the ambulance bay at the corps' post on Main St. -- where a sign posted outside reads, "Still united, we are Newtown strong!" -- Wolff said the shootings have already had a ?rippling? effect, noting that his children, a son, 12, and daughter, 15, were openly worrying about him and his wife, who is a teacher in another school district.

?Our kids are now thinking, 'OK, what happens to mom, what happens to dad when they go do what they do," he said, noting that his daughter had pleaded in a text message on Friday after she heard about the shootings, "Daddy don't go."

Wolff also responded later Friday to the home of the alleged shooter's mother, Nancy Lanza, located on a normally quiet residential street that was then flooded with police cruisers, the FBI and the media, among others. Police suspect Nancy was also shot to death by her son at the beginning of the still-unexplained massacre.

Wolff said he arrived in disbelief at the scene, and said the community was just beginning to process what happened.

?We just can't even imagine the long-term feelings and implications,? he said, adding that someone told him this was ?Newtown's 9/11. It's kind of on that order of magnitude, for a smaller number of people.?

"This is something that is going to take us a long time to work through. It's all still very raw right now," he said. "But ? we are a strong community, we have come together. I think we'll continue to come together and support each other."

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A nation mourns after the second deadliest school shooting in U.S. history at Sandy Hook Elementary, which left 20 children and six staff members dead.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/20/16026666-you-feel-helpless-first-responders-rushed-to-school-after-shooting-only-to-wait?lite

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Mental Health: Finding And Offering Help - Courant.com

IF YOU WANT TO HELP:

The Town of Newtown is taking contributions to both its Sandy Hook Special Revenue Fund (donations specified for the benefit of the town to be used for a public purpose, such as schools, police, parks, playgrounds and memorials) and the Sandy Hook Private Purpose Trust Fund, which will benefit individuals or private organizations, including scholarships.

Newtown Social Services is starting a fund for the first responders at Sandy Hook. Checks should be made out to the Town of Newtown ? be sure to write "First Responders" in the memo line ? and can be mailed or dropped off at the office at 3 Main St., Newtown, CT 06470. Newtown Social Services also is collecting gift cards for restaurants and food that will be distributed to victims' families in January. Call 203-270-4330.

Newtown Social Services also is seeking other establishments to which to donate some of the thousands of teddy bears and other stuffed animals that have poured into town. Some will be brought to the Connecticut Children's Medical Center. Call 203-512-8866. An event also is planned Saturday at Edmond Town Hall to distribute some of the extra stuffed animals to all the children of Newtown. Volunteers were being sought to help sort out the items Saturday morning. Call 203-270-4330.

Volunteers also are needed Saturday morning at about 10 a.m. to help plant thousands of spring bulbs at Treadwell Park on Philo Curtis Road in Sandy Hook, in honor of those who lost their lives. Call 203-270-4330. Also, the town's Parks and Recreation Department is taking contributions to the Park Gift Fund in honor and memory of Sandy Hook victims. Go to http://www.newtown-ct.gov and click on Parks & Recreation to give online.

The Sandy Hook School Support Fund: United Way of Western Connecticut and Newtown Savings Bank have joined to establish this fund. Mail donations to Sandy Hook School Support Fund, c/o Newtown Savings Bank, 39 Main St., Newtown, CT 06470; drop off at any Newtown Savings Bank branch location; or contribute online at https://newtown.uwwesternct.org/ or at http://www.uwwesternct.org. For details, call United Way of Western Connecticut at 203-792-5330.

The Newtown Youth Academy's Sports and Fitness Center has been hosting Newtown kids to let them have fun out of the public eye. Donations of snacks are requested.

The Hartford Police Department Credit Union has set up a bank account for donations to the victims of the Newtown shooting. Donations may be sent to: Newtown Victim Relief Fund, c/o the Hartford Police Department Federal Credit Union, 50 Jennings Road, Hartford, CT 06120.

The Connecticut chapter of the American Red Cross asks people who want to make a donation to help the affected families to contribute to the Sandy Hook School Support Fund, https://newtown.uwwesternct.org.

The 211 InfoLine has been taking calls from people who want to donate goods or volunteer services ? from grief counseling and catering to therapy dogs and floral arrangements for funerals. Call 211 or 1-800-203-1234 or go to 211ct.org.

HONORING THE VICTIMS

Eastern Connecticut State University has established the Victoria Leigh Soto Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund to support students studying to teachers and who have unmet financial need. Checks should be made payable to the ECSU Foundation Inc. and mailed to Victoria Soto Memorial Endowed Scholarship, Eastern Connecticut State University, 83 Windham St., Willimantic, CT 06226, Attn. Kenneth J. DeLisa. Or donate online at http://www.easternct.edu/advancement/victoria_soto.html.

The University of Connecticut has established a memorial scholarship fund honoring the victims of the Newtown school killings. The Sandy Hook School Memorial Scholarship Fund will provide financial aid at UConn for any students who currently attend the elementary school, as well as siblings of those killed in the assault and dependents of the teachers and other adults who also lost their lives. All money will be spent on scholarships; none on administrative costs. If funds remain once the needs have been met, the fund will be used to benefit any future student from Newtown who attends UConn. To donate, go to http://www.friends.uconn.edu/sandyhook.

Danbury High School has established a scholarship in memory of alumna Lauren Rousseau, one of the teachers who died at Sandy Hook. Send donations to the Lauren Rousseau Memorial Scholarship, Danbury High School, 43 Clapboard Road, Danbury, CT 06811.

Donations to the Victoria L. Soto Memorial Fund for Education may be made c/o Adzima Funeral Home, 50 Paradise Green Place, Stratford, CT 06614.

Donations in honor of special education intern Rachel D'Avino may be made to Autism Speaks, 1 East 33rd St., 4th Floor, New York, NY 10016.

Contributions in memory of school psychologist Mary Sherlack may be made to Fairfield County Community Foundation's Fund for Health and Wellness, 385 Main Ave., Norwalk, CT 06851, to continue her work with children and mental health

Donations to the Dylan Hockley Memorial Fund may be sent to 34 Charter Ridge Road, Sandy Hook, CT 06482.

Funds in honor of Ana Grace Marquez-Greene have been established at the Outpatient Clinic/Family Therapy Institute, Klingberg Family Centers, 370 Linwood St., New Britain, CT 06052; The Artist's Collective, 1200 Albany Ave., Hartford, CT 06112; and the Ana Grace Marquez-Greene Scholarship Fund, c/o Western Connecticut State University, Office of Institutional Advancement, 181 White St., Danbury, CT 06810 or http://www.wcsu.edu/ia/greene-scholarship.asp. Friends also have established the Ana Grace Fund at http://www.AnaGraceFund.com for the Marquez-Greene family.

Donations in memory of Catherine V. Hubbard may be sent to Newtown Animal Center, P.O. Box 475, Newtown, CT 06470.

Source: http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/newtown-sandy-hook-school-shooting/hc-mental-health-help-newtown-1218-20121217,0,3785218.story

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Horses' rescuing angel | Ipswich Queensland Times

Tags:? horse sanctuary, save a horse australia, thagoona, the big read

Amanda Vella holds Jet a rescue horse who has lost an eye. Amanda is the founder of Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland TimesAmanda Vella holds Jet a rescue horse who has lost an eye. Amanda is the founder of Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland Times Claudia Baxter

IN A corral at the slaughterhouse sales, a bony mare stands watch over her foal, an equally skeletal heap, as its protruding ribcage heaves with each breath.

Amanda Vella's horse sanctuary is already full, but the sight of this pair has brought her back to the yards with a float in tow later in the week.

She is able to buy the mare, but the foal has been killed ahead of transport to another site. Many foals are injured in transit, Ms Vella said, so this practice makes death slightly cleaner.

This is just one of hundreds of cases Ms Vella remembers vividly - this foal, along with the hundreds of horses she can't afford to save, the animals too starved to digest food even if she does take them home, are all evidence of human cruelty.

"Horses usually go for between $50 to $400 at sales, depending on what they'd be worth in meat," Ms Vella said.

"There are a lot of ex-racehorses, horses from farms, and trail riding ponies that people don't know how to care for."

"With pets like dogs and cats there are rules to make sure they're treated humanely, but horses at these sales are mostly emaciated and often injured, and they're often slaughtered in front of each other and die slowly - there's nothing humane about that.

"Horses can be used to ride, race, do work on the farm, and they're pets, too, and then they can also be taken out into the backyard and shot, or sold for met."

Rescue horse Chyanne grazes in a Thagoona paddock. Amanda Vella founded Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland TimesRescue horse Chyanne grazes in a Thagoona paddock. Amanda Vella founded Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland Times Claudia Baxter

Ms Vella said the practice of neglecting and then slaughtering horses was widespread, but not widely prosecuted.

"The RSPCA treats extreme cases of neglect that are reported to them, but if there's more than 10 head of livestock the responsibility goes to the DPI (now the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry), and it seems to be accepted that once the horses are at slaughterhouse yards they're going to die anyway, so what's the point?"

Outrage at this quietly but widely conducted slaughter of horses motivated Ms Vella not only to rescue and rehabilitate the animals, but also to advocate for stronger horse ownership and slaughtering regulations.

Ms Vella does this work under the banner of Save A Horse Australia, a self-funded project she began in 2002 that's since become a registered charity supported by hundreds of people across Australia.

The charity's critical cases are now sent to a newly founded Thagoona sanctuary before being assessed and fostered or adopted.

"Since starting, we've got 503 horses that are in our care or have been adopted out," she said.

"There are too many to rescue all of them though; once, over five days, we turned down 18 horses and accepted one.

"Most of our horses are now surrenders; we don't go to sales as much anymore because we're already full.

"We've also lost 27 horses we've tried to save - we've had to put some down that have severe injuries, and some have died a couple of days after we've got them because their bodies have started to shut down."

A wound heals on Promise's hind leg while she and Jet graze in a Thagoona paddock. Amanda Vella founded Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland TimesA wound heals on Promise's hind leg while she and Jet graze in a Thagoona paddock. Amanda Vella founded Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Photo: Claudia Baxter / The Queensland Times Claudia Baxter

Ms Vella said it was heart-rending to accept that only a small number of horses could be saved.

"It drains your energy," she said.

"You have to focus on the ones you save."

The animals recovering at Thagoona help to affirm Ms Vella's mission.

Chyanne, aged 38, and Jet, 33, are the veterans of the sanctuary.

The two old horses won't be adopted out because of their age; instead, they'll live at Thagoona and help to calm down new arrivals.

"Jet's also missing an eye... when we got him he had an eye ulcer that was really, really deep and the vet said it would be best to take the whole eyeball," Ms Vella said.

Most of the other horses will only be here temporarily.

"Promise has been here since October. We paid $180 for her at the Gympie sales," Ms Vella said.

"She's got a deep wound on her leg and bone damage, so it'll take up to a year until she's healed."

Once rehabilitation is complete, horses are adopted out on a welfare contract and checked every three months.

The adoption cost is less than each animal's initial vet check, Ms Vella said.

"It costs about $11,000 a month to feed and treat all the horses in our care," she said.

"Horse ownership isn't cheap and there are lots of different costs, and our costs are even greater because of the extra vet care the animals require."

Find out more about Save a Horse Australia at saveahorseaustralia.blogspot.com.au.

The charity will also host a stall at Riverlink today and tomorrow.

Amanda Vella strokes rescue horse Chyanne. Amanda is the founder of Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Amanda Vella strokes rescue horse Chyanne. Amanda is the founder of Save A Horse, a horse rescue and sanctuary charity who rescue poorly treated and emaciated horses from the slaughter yard. Claudia Baxter

Source: http://www.qt.com.au/news/horses-rescuing-angel/1651832/

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Buffets, Inc. Selects Restaurant Industry Pro Anthony Wedo as Chief ...

GREER, S.C., Dec.?5, 2012 (www.hospitalitybusinessnews.com) --?Buffets, Inc., the nation's largest owner and operator of buffet-style family restaurants, today announced the appointment of seasoned restaurant executive, entrepreneur and turnaround specialist Anthony Wedo to the position of Chief Executive Officer.? With more than twenty-five years of restaurant industry experience, including a key leadership position with a Fortune 50 brand, Wedo has developed and led the turnaround of major restaurant chains throughout the U.S.? His brand experience includes PepsiCo Restaurants, KFC, Boston Market, Noah's and Manhattan Bagels, and Einstein Bros. Bagels and most recently as CEO of a firm specializing in consulting private equity and professional debt investors in the restaurant industry.

"Tony has demonstrated consistent success in a variety of settings ranging from growth concepts to brand turnarounds. ?He has a proven track record in revitalizing brands. ??His unique background makes him the perfect leader for Buffets," said Rob Webster, Chairman of the Board of Buffets, Inc.

"I believe I'm joining Buffets and this team at the perfect moment," Wedo said.? "The balance sheet is fixed and the company generates significant cash flow which will enable us to focus on growing the brand and transforming it into something better than it has ever been.? We will be fast tracking the 'Plan to Win' initiatives that members of this team and the Board of Directors have worked so hard to develop, and we are going to execute it successfully."

Wedo began his career as an entrepreneur prior to joining PepsiCo as part of a new breed of young, entrepreneurial restaurant operators to help the corporate giant create a culture of nimbleness.? As one of the first participants in PepsiCo's Senior Operations Designate program, Wedo was fast tracked and quickly grew to Vice President and General Manager of the Southeast Division of KFC, overseeing more than 1,200 restaurants, 7,000 employees and $1 billion in revenue.?

Following his success at PepsiCo, Wedo founded Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Systems, the largest Area Developer and franchisee of Boston Market. ??As Chairman, President and CEO, he grew the company over a four-year period to 160 restaurants, generating in excess of $250 million in annualized sales.? He was named Entrepreneur of the Year and chosen a top 50 Employer in Pennsylvania.

Following the acquisition of Mid-Atlantic Restaurant Systems by Boston Market, Wedo held the position of Chairman, President and CEO of New World Restaurant Group. ?New World, with approximately 1,000 units and $750 million in system revenues, operated six unique brands, including Einstein Bros., Noah's and Manhattan Bagel.

Most recently, Wedo has served as CEO of Mainline Capital Advisors, LLC, which provided M&A, turnaround management, advisory and executive management consulting services to debt investors and private equity sponsors in the restaurant industry.

"Tony is clearly the right person to take the leadership of Buffets, accelerate the transformation of our family buffet restaurants and position our company for a new era of profitable growth and success," Webster added.

Source: http://www.hospitalitybusinessnews.com/peoplpe/13264/buffets-inc-selects-restaurant-industry-pro-anthony-wedo-chief-executive-officer

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Are polar ice sheets shrinking? Report offers definitive answer at last.

Numerous studies in recent years have offered different ? and sometimes conflicting ? views about ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica. But a new report offers unprecedented scope.

By Mark Guarino,?Staff writer / November 29, 2012

Meltwater flows though Greenland's Birthday Canyon in this file photo. According to a new report, Greenland is losing five times as much ice annually as it did in the 1990s. (AP Photo,

James Balog/Extreme Ice Survey/AP/File

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A team of scientists has combed through 20 years of data to arrive at what it says is the first comprehensive report on how much ice Greenland and Antarctica are losing as the global climate warms ? and how much this trend has contributed to sea-level rise.

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Previous studies, done over certain parts of these regions and over various time periods, had led to disagreement concerning these questions. Some studies showed catastrophic ice loss, and others showed a small net gain.

The team reporting in Friday's issue of the journal Science says that when these data are synthesized and looked at holistically, as this report does, the apparent contradictions disappear and a single picture emerges.?

The fuller picture suggests that, collectively, the ice sheets that cover Antarctica and Greenland are now losing three times as much ice each year as they did in the 1990s. All told, they lose about 344 billion tons of ice annually ? about in the middle of previous estimates.

These losses push up sea levels about 1 millimeter (0.04 inches) a year. Since 1992, the trend has contributed 11 millimeters (0.43 inches) to sea-level rise ? about 20 percent of total sea-level rise during that time, the team says.

Scientists say it will take years to develop models that can forecast how sea levels will fare by the end of the century.

?It remains unclear if such losses will decline or will level off or will accelerate further," says Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the University of Washington in Seattle. "The melting needs monitoring to further understand the ice sheet processes leading to the change.?

The findings show that two thirds of the annual ice loss is from the Greenland sheet. Indeed, Greenland is losing five times as much ice each year as it did in the 1990s.

Antarctica provides a more nuanced picture. In East Antarctica, which holds at least four-fifths of the continent?s ice, the mass ice forms are stable ? actually gaining slightly during the past 20 years. But these gains are eclipsed by losses in West Antarctica and on the Antarctic peninsula, which yield a net loss of ice for the continent annually and account for the remaining third of total annual ice-sheet loss detailed in the study.

The report is a ?milestone,? because it provides a more precise estimate of ice-sheet losses, the researchers said during a Wednesday teleconference. Previously, scientists had to sort through as many as 30 independent data estimates collected over 50 years, and these often produced the conflicting results, said Andrew Shepherd of the University of Leeds in Britain, a project leader.

The report also offers new clarity on sea-level rise. A 2007 report by the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), for example, observed the reduction in size of the ice sheets, but was not conclusive about its effects on sea levels.

Moreover, establishing a 20-year record of the ice sheets will help scientists understand the dynamics of what is going on. ?We thought we understood ice sheets ? but we realized we didn?t understand the physics of ice sheets very well,? said Erik Ivins of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and another team leader

Ice sheets are one of several main drivers of sea-level rise. The others ? which account for the other 80 percent of sea-level rise ? include the melting of glaciers and the fact that water expands as it warms, meaning seas are expanding somewhat as the atmosphere heats up. By contrast, the melting of polar sea ice has no direct effect on sea levels, since the ice is already in the water.?

Researchers warn that the 11 millimeters added to sea levels by declining ice sheets since the 1990s might not sound significant, but it could be ? and the storm surge from hurricane Sandy pointed to some concerns.

?We don?t fully understand or appreciate yet the physics involved in storm surges. When you have 11 millimeters of increase in sea level, it?s still a lot of mass,? says Dr. Ivins. ?Small changes in sea levels in certain places mean very big changes in the kind of protection of infrastructure that you need to have in place.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/bxmHT0Ng_k8/Are-polar-ice-sheets-shrinking-Report-offers-definitive-answer-at-last

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The basics: How to install the Nexus 4 SIM card

Nexus 4 SIM card

This one's super basic, but we've had enough people ask, so here's how to install the SIM card on the Nexus 4.

With the phone's display facing you in your hand, look on the left-and side. (If you see "Nexus", you're looking at the back, and so the SIM card tray will be on the right.) Look just below the volume rocker, and you'll see a little pinhole next to the SIM card tray.

In your Nexus 4 box there's a little metal SIM card tray ejector tool thingy. Kinda looks like a circle with a little pin sticking out of it. Press is straight into that pinhole, and the SIM card tray will pop out.

There's only one right way to insert the SIM card into the tray. Look for the notched corner, and make sure it matches up with the notch in the tray. The slide the tray back into the phone. (The printed side of the card faces the same direction as the front of the phone; the gold contacts face the rear.

You'll need to reboot once you've got the SIM card installed. But after that, you're golden.

Need more Nexus 4 help? Ask a question in our Nexus 4 forums!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/TX8QWDDwY-I/story01.htm

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Turning Into Who You Want To Be | Bob Spiro's Empower Network ...

Something may have occurred to make you realize that your behavior needs to change, so that you do not drive people you care about away. Personal development could transform your life. This article has some simple, effective ways you can improve yourself so that you can become a better person.

Examine your inner self instead of your external appearance. It makes no difference if you have fancy clothing or resemble a movie star. Your personality is the most beautiful part of you that should be allowed to shine through. Focus on improving your character instead of your external appearance.

TIP! If you want to enhance your approach to personal development, learn to be humble. When you accept that you are but a tiny speck in the scope of our universe, you can begin to realize that there is much to learn if you hope to advance.

Live according to your principles. Each person has a set of beliefs that determine who they are. Use your faith in these principles to drive your faith in yourself. This practice also promotes consistency, which is a great trait to have.

Having specific, written goals is crucial to successful personal development. If you?re looking for confidence, for instance, write that down as a goal. Think about as many things as you can to gain confidence. Follow through on your goals by allowing yourself to use those ideas and resources. If you keep at it, you will be more likely to succeed.

If you shop for comfort, remember you are only creating more stress in the end. Instead, find a hobby to take up your time that doesn?t cost you much money. This way, you won?t be running up high bills and filling your house with things you don?t need.

TIP! Sexual capitol is an important new trait that?s being researched. This doesn?t mean you need to use your sexuality as a means of getting the results you desire.

In self improvement, when you avoid making a decision, you also avoid seizing an opportunity. Do not fear decisions that need to be made, even if you do not have all of the information that you need to be sure of the decision. Great decisions encourage sharp instincts. Even decisions that don?t turn out as you would have liked are valuable because you still learn from the experiences they give you. A wrong decision will help you choose the right path next time.

Make your goals specific; this way, they can lead to self improvement success. If you set goals that are clearly laid out, you will improve your chances of meeting or surpassing them. Doing so will allow you to realize success more quickly and meet all challenges.

When you feel anger start to boil over, stop before you react and count to ten. Another technique is to breathe deeply and imagine a peaceful place. Calm yourself in order to avoid saying things you will later regret.

TIP! If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. Look for stories of other people who have successfully achieved goals similar to your own, then compare your approaches.

Every morning when you wake up, tell yourself that you are going to make today better than yesterday. You should never stop trying to find ways to do things better, and better yourself. Each day, make sure that you perform better than you ever have before.

Personal development will require some efforts from you, it?s not always that easy. However, if you make a good effort and establish a strong support system, you are sure to be successful in your personal development journey. The tips in this article will serve as a good starting point.

Bob Spiro

For MLM Pros Team Founder

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Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/formlmpros/blog/turning-into-who-you-want-to-be/

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Skip the bonus and pour on the praise

1 hr.

When it comes to rallying the troops, bonuses aren?t always?the best way to go --?or the cheapest.

As common as holiday bonuses are, some workplace experts argue that the little something extra some?companies tack onto paychecks come December isn?t the greatest way to say thanks for a job well done.

?The $500 bonus check is a sugar rush,? says Razor Suleman, chairman and chief evangelist at Achievers, a company that sells employee rewards and recognition software. ?You?re happy when it hits; you pay for your January credit card bills. But you don?t feel it.?

Pay annual year-end bonuses long enough and employees start to feel entitled to them regardless of how they have performed, Suleman says.

Others agree. Using money to motivate people doesn?t work, especially if they anticipate the reward before they?ve finished the task, Edward Deci,?a University of Rochester human motivation psychologist, says in this Entrpreneur.com blog post.

Companies do better at engaging workers if they pair bonuses with employee recognition programs, according to a recent Society of Human Resources Management/Globoforce survey. Companies that spend 1 percent of payroll on programs that publicly call out employees for above-average performances see an 85 percent positive impact on worker engagement, and 61 percent hang onto workers longer, according to the survey.

Acting on employees? suggestions is just one way companies can recognize and reward workers in addition to or in lieu of year-end bonuses -- and not spend a lot doing it.

At the Las Vegas Cosmopolitan Hotel, for example,?employees get three minutes to pitch new business ideas to the?company?s executives a la ?Shark Tank,? an ABC television series in which budding entrepreneurs pitch their ideas to potential investors. In the past two years, the hotel has adopted more than 70 suggestions from staff members, including creating an internal mentor program and starting a ?Costar Closet? employees can use to swap household items and clothing they no longer need,?according to Alyssa Anderson, a company spokeswoman.

Companies can please employees by keeping communications open between managers and subordinates, and between co-workers, says Robert Levering, co-founder of Great Place to Work Institute, publisher of annual lists of exemplary U.S. employers. The real distinguishing characteristic of great places to work ?is the level of trust, how much employees trust the management,? Levering says.

Here are other ways companies can show the love to employees and not break the bank:

Create a formal employee recognition plan. A plan doesn?t have to be complicated. It could be praising that week?s all-star performers at the end of a routine meeting, or recognizing stand-out employees at a monthly town hall or in a company newsletter.

Praise peers in public. At Achievers, staff meetings end with employees sharing something about one of their co-workers? accomplishments. ?It costs the company nothing, and it leaves (employees) with a different level of enthusiasm,? Suleman says. ?Recognition is free, that?s the brilliance of it. Every company can afford free.?

Don?t wait until December to pay bonuses. If you have money set aside for bonuses, pay it out a little at a time throughout the year instead of in one lump sum at the end.

Offer rewards that employees value. If companies offer a recognition plan that includes financial rewards, make sure they?re rewards that employees perceive to be high in quality and financial value, according to a study from human-resources researcher Bersin & Associates. Forget one-size-fits-all prizes; employees want a say in the types of rewards they get, according to the Bersin & Associates survey.

Offer flexible schedules. Another way to recognize employees: Offer them more flexibility. Employees want more work/life balance, whether they?re parents juggling caring for kids and aging parents, or older employees who want to work part time, Levering says.

Provide challenging work. Interesting work is a more powerful incentive than money, says?Charalambos Vlachoutsicos, an adjunct professor at Athens University, in this Harvard Business Review blog post. As an example, Vlachoutsicos shares how he once helped a Russian sawmill with an employee whose bad temper and drinking caused problems for his foreman and co-workers. The man also was the mill?s only employee with certain technical skills, so Vlachoutsicos put him in charge of running a new machine -- and he rose to the occasion. ?When you're thinking about ways to motivate your work?force, always acknowledge and praise their worthwhile contributions and try to find out more about their interests, their backgrounds, their skills,? Vlachoutsicos writes. ?These will give you insight into their non-financial, intrinsic motivations.?

Let employees share recognition on their social networks. Companies can use social media-style internal networks or smartphone apps such as Achievers, iAppreciate, GiveaWow and Sparcet to give digital shout outs to employees. On some of these networks, employees can display awards on their profiles and share them with friends on public social networks such as Facebook and Twitter.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/skip-bonus-pour-praise-1C7393763

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Video: Dustin Hoffman goes from actor to director

>>> has dazzled us for more than four decades and now he's taking his talents behind the camera, making his directorial debut with the romantic comedy "quartet" and it already has people talking a potential best director nomination. dustin hoffman , welcome back. you are a i go who in a interview i read recently described yourself as the least remarkable guy in the room. yes.

>> so when you look at your directorial debut , rate yourself. how did you do?

>> i put on the screen what i wanted to do. it wound up on the screen, but in terms of least remarkable guy in the room, not this room, because i'm looking at the crew.

>> a bit of a standout in this room.

>> pan the crew, i may --

>> why haven't you directed before now? i'm sure you had opportunities.

>> yes, i am. i always talk my way out of it. i would always say the script is not ready. you should start, even if the script is not ready, because the script is never ready.

>> and the story line , called "quartet,".

>> yes.

>> home for retired musicians.

>> and opera singers .

>> and there actually is a place like this. a documentary called "tosca's kiss" made in 1983 , verdi was rich and famous and before he died he built this mansion for himself and because he knows opera singers , 30 years later can't pay their rent and you can get the documentary called "tosca's kiss" and it's quite moving.

>> as someone who has worked with so many directors in your career, is there someone you wanted to emulate, not style in terms of what you shot, but in terms of demeanor on set and in working with actors?

>> yes, i would say barry levenson comes to mind on "rain man" because every day we went to work and every day he'd come to work and he'd be telling a story. we're ready and he's like i'm not done with my story. he created relaxation and brought the film in under budget and mike nichols , he took me aside, and said this is the only time for you to do this scene and it will be up there froefrt and feel like you've given it your all.

>> maggie smith said it's, quote, a new territory for him but a delight for hip. billy connolly in the move said dustin always knew how to keep his cast in good spirits. he jokes all the time in gest and has fun at your expense.

>> oh, yes.

>> is it all about keeping a light hearted atmosphere?

>> yes. i've never understood -- i've been doing this for 45 years. i mean, you guys, you noticed, there's such an amiablity, five seconds, step seconds and you go and never understood on move sets where there's kind of a natural behavior and then they yell quiet, action, and they take the life right out of room and everybody winds up like this. i think the idea is to feel loose and to feel basically like you're not shooting. you're just, you know, you're rehearsing basically.

>> superlatives are being used to describe the move, and i know there's talk, and it sounds tired after a while because we say it with a lot of movies and actors and directors.

>> yes.

>> but there is talk that you would get a nod for academy award director. what would it mean to you?

>> nothing unless i win.

>> not an honor to be nominated. it would be a big deal .

>> yes.

>> you were honored recently. what was that like?

>> extraordinary, i was able to bring my whole family including my grandchildren who are 6 and 8. they met the president and the first lady. that the most thrilling aspect of it, and then we're sitting up in the box of the kennedy center , and the first lady sitting next to me and president obama is sitting to my left, and, you know, there's other artists that are being celebrated, you know, led zeppelin and sometimes the music would come on and i'd see him go to the beat and very affectionate with the first lady, and i'm like they are people. they are normal people. fooling around a little bit.

>> what's it like to sit there and watch your professional life flash in front of your face?

>> quite depressing.

>> why?

>> i would think it would be incredibly thrilling.

>> it feels like a you'll.

>> narrator: i mean, it's the next best thing to being alive at your own funeral because everyone is saying only nice things about you and your life is there, and there's a sense of it being, you know, oh, that's just the first act, you know. you're surprised?

>> i think if i had your highlight reel, i think it would be one of the great things in my life.

>> oh, no, it wouldn't.

>> well, i'm in the middle of this movie, i've been watching it on dvd and i can't wait to get back to. it called "quartet." masterful job.

>> thank you, matt.

>> thank you. we're back after your local news.

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50084724/

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School Superintendent Helps Build School in Dominican - FOX 4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. ? A charter school superintendent from Kansas City is traveling to the Dominican Republic to help out a school there. But he?s not helping them with academics or school administration. What he?s doing requires a bit more sweat.

Danny Tipton is the former principal at Hogan Prep High and is now superintendent of the newly expanded Hogan School District. He?s been selected as one of 40 secondary school professionals heading to the Caribbean on a very special service mission. He?s not going there to teach them about how he runs his school here. He?s actually going to learn about building a school brick by brick.

?Actually laying bricks, mixing concrete, and whatever else they ask us to do,? says Tipton, ?but it?s all manual labor.?

The mission trip is part of the Lifetouch Memory Mission. Last year volunteers started construction of the new school in a rural area, and this year Tipton and 40 some volunteers will add new classroom space.

?It?s in a rural area of the country and they had a need to provide an education for their kids and a place for them to go to school,? said Tipton. ?Obviously education is important to me.?

Kids at Hogan High are supporting the cause too. They paid two dollars to wear hats at school on Monday and the money helps pay for bricks and cement. They?re excited to help support the cause.

?Kids everywhere need a good education no matter where you are, it?s really important,? said Jessica Harvey, Hogan senior.

?I think it?s a wonderful thing that my principal is helping build a school so they can get an education,? said Kwan Laury, senior.

Tipton says he?s taking Hogan t-shirts to give to the kids there and he hopes to come back with a greater understanding of the community and schools. He hopes his students learn from this too.

?If we live in a global society we need to make sure our neighbors are taken care of as well as ourselves,? he said.

Tipton leaves for the Dominican Republic Tuesday morning.

Source: http://fox4kc.com/2012/12/03/school-superintendent-helps-build-school-in-dominican-republican/

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