Nigerian Islamist leader denies peace talks in video

MAIDUGURI (Reuters) - The leader of Nigerian Islamist group Boko Haram rejected peace talks with the government in a new video on Sunday, distancing himself from a purported commander who declared a ceasefire on behalf of the sect in January.

The video was circulated to reporters in the northeastern city of Maiduguri, from where Boko Haram is waging a bloody insurgency against the state that has killed at least 3,000 people across northern Nigeria since 2009.

The video could not be immediately be verified, although the speaker appeared to be Abubakar Shekau, leader of the militant movement who has made several films threatening the authorities or outlining the sect's position in the past.

A purported Boko Haram commander called Sheik Abu Mohammed Ibn Abdulazeez, who is known to Nigerian security forces, declared a ceasefire at the end of January.

The government cautiously welcomed it, but Shekau himself was silent and violence in the north has continued unabated.

"Abdulazeez has not been speaking on my behalf and I disassociate myself from him completely," Shekau said in the brief video in the northern Hausa language.

"(Boko Haram) has at no time offered a ceasefire and we are not in dialogue with government, neither are we prepared for it until the conditions we laid down have been met," he added, listing those conditions as that Nigerian security forces must stop killing the sect's members and calling them armed robbers.

Shekau's comments raise questions about possible rifts within the secretive movement, which analysts say has long been splintered into different factions with varying interests.

No one knows where Shekau is, and the security forces believe him to have been wounded in a gun battle with them late last year.

Nigerian security forces killed 20 Boko Haram militants when they tried to attack the Monguno barracks in the northeastern state of Borno, a security force spokesman said. The Nigerian military often claims successes in clashes with Islamists, but rarely admits civilian deaths or significant casualties on its own side.

Western governments are concerned that Boko Haram, or some factions of it, have linked up with groups elsewhere in the region, including al Qaeda's North African franchise, especially given the conflict in nearby Mali, to which Nigeria has committed hundreds of troops.

Attacks in northern Nigeria are increasingly targeting foreign interests, especially since France's operation last month to flush Islamsists out of northern Mali.

Gunmen killed a security guard and abducted a Briton, an Italian, a Greek and four Lebanese workers after storming the compound of Lebanese construction firm Setraco in Bauchi state on February 16.

That attack was claimed by a Boko Haram splinter group called Ansaru, which British authorities believe was behind the killing of a British and an Italian hostage last year.

Gunmen claiming to be from Boko Haram are holding a French family of seven seized from northern Cameroon.

(Reporting by Ibrahim Mshelizza; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigerian-islamist-leader-denies-peace-talks-video-153444897.html

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Complementary Treatments Supplement Western Medicine

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Complementary Treatments Supplement Western Medicine

Written by Donna C. Gregory

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Physicians used to scoff when patients would ask about trying alternative medicine, labeling such things as quackery and a waste of money.

But views have changed in recent years as the traditional medical community becomes more accepting of acupuncture and other complementary treatments. Some modalities, like massage, have even gone mainstream.?

Below are a few of the more popular modalities available today.?

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is an ancient healing modality, dating back at least 2,500 years. It?s generally credited to China, but was actually widely used across Asia and Europe.?

?It?s not just needling, but a whole system of healing,? explains Dr. Wade Quinn with Integrative Chiropractic & Acupuncture, located in Williamsburg. ?The two strongest components are needling and herbs.?

?What makes acupuncture a good treatment is that it?s a systemic treatment, meaning it treats the whole body,? he continues. ?The simple understanding would be that acupuncture is about energy in your system called ?chi.? The flow of chi is through 12 primary meridians. A meridian is a pathway through which energy flows. A well person is one whose energy is flowing freely. When there?s a blockage somewhere in the meridians, it?s called the stagnation of chi.?

Acupuncture helps free those blockages, improving health and well-being. It?s commonly used to treat back, neck, jaw and joint pain as well as chronic conditions, such as depression, anxiety, allergies, asthma and migraines. It?s also helped people quit smoking and lose weight and is becoming more accepted by the traditional medical community.?

For those who are squeamish about needles, acupressure, a technique that involves applying pressure to the acupuncture points, might be an alternative.

The Alexander Technique

Chronic back and neck pain sufferers may find relief through the Alexander Technique. This ?gentle movement education program? was developed by Australian actor F.M. Alexander in the 1890s when physicians couldn?t cure his chronic laryngitis. After years of self-observation, Alexander deduced that his condition was caused by muscle tension, and set about creating a system to encourage stability between the head, neck and back, while reducing muscle strain.?

?The technique is based on three principles: recognizing and stopping habitual patterns of muscle tension; using conscious thought to free and lengthen the body?s structure; and allowing the head to balance freely on the top of the spine in order to allow for balanced movement,? explains Emily Clark, an Alexander Technique certified instructor. ?

The typical Alexander Technique client is seeking relief from back, neck and shoulder pain. The method is also used by performers and athletes to improve function in the vocal tract and lungs.?

?Over a series of lessons, the student would learn to replace their habits of tension with more balance and ease,? Clark explains. ?We call it a lesson rather than a treatment because it really is a re-education of the body/mind. The great thing about this technique is you don?t need to keep going forever because you?re learning the skills to take care of yourself.?

Reflexology

In reflexology, the feet are the foundation of healing.?

?Reflexology is a science that deals with the principles that there are reflex areas in the hands and feet that correspond to the organs, glands, muscles?all aspects of the body,? says JulieBeth Mezzy, an accredited reflexology educator.?

During a treatment, the reflexologist uses his or her thumbs, fingers and hands to apply pressure to areas along the client?s feet and hands.?

?Feet are like a mini-map of the body,? Mezzy explains.?

For example, the pads of the toes are believed to correspond to the sinuses, so theoretically, stimulating that area could improve sinus conditions.?

?We?re not allowed to diagnose, treat or prescribe,? Mezzy cautions. ?I just say the worst thing I can promise is you?re going to be relaxed when you leave. It is excellent for stress and relaxation.??

Reiki (pronounced ?ray-kee?)

According to the International Center for Reiki Training, ?Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by ?laying on hands,? and is based on the idea that an unseen ?life force energy? flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one?s ?life force energy? is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.?

During a typical one-hour Reiki session, the client lies on a massage table fully clothed, while the practitioner uses his or her hands to hold different positions over the major joints, glands and organs. Reiki is thought to promote healing by reducing stress and anxiety, and bringing the person back into a relaxed, balanced state.?

?When I?m giving a session, I like to have the client be part of the team,? explains Judy Settle, Reiki master and owner of Energy Arts Unlimited in Virginia Beach. ?Basically, they?re giving permission for the healing.?

The practitioner simply acts as a channel for the energy.?

?It?s really supporting people in their own healing,? Settle explains.

What makes acupuncture a good treatment is that it?s a systemic treatment, meaning it treats the whole body.

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Source: http://www.thehealthjournals.com/2013/03/massage-reiki-acupuncture/

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HBT: Angels tender Trout $510K contract

As a pre-arbitration player, 2012 AL MVP runner-up Mike Trout has no negotiating power with the Angels. So, instead of signing for a salary he didn?t like, he had his contract renewed by the team for $510,000 on Saturday.

That figure is just $20,000 above the major league minimum. It?s unclear whether the Angels initially offered him more. Teams will often make pre-arbitration-eligible players offers and then roll them back if they?re not accepted. The Angels other 21 pre-arby players all agreed to contract; Trout was the only one to have get renewed.

Most teams employ a strict scale for pre-arbitration players in which salary is almost entirely determined by service time, with performance figuring very little into it. That the Angels didn?t throw Trout a bone an kick in an extra $100,000-$200,000 likely has far less to do with them being cheap and more about not wanting to mess with their scale. They?ll certainly be willing to make it up to him later.

Trout, on the other hand, may have some hard feelings over the negotiations. Still, it?s strictly business as usual for major league teams. That pre-arbitration players are paid so little allows teams to fork over $15 million, $20 million or even $25 million per year to free agents. Trout will get his eventually; he?ll be eligible for arbitration for the first time after 2014 and he?ll be eligible for free agency following the 2017 season.

Source: http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/02/angels-renew-mike-trout-for-510000/related/

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Video: No 11th hour deal to avert the sequester

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/51010379/

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Windows Server Brings Manageability and Productivity to Businesses

For small and mid-sized businesses, the expanded capabilities of Windows Server 2012 provide significant benefits that far outweigh the investment, keeping the focus on growth.

By Nick Parker, CVP WW OEM Division

If you?re assessing whether to switch to a Windows Server system or upgrade from an older version, chances are you just want your IT to do more, and do it more efficiently.

Just last week we hosted 30 entrepreneurs on the Microsoft campus at the Dell Small Business Think Tank. In the session on technology they shared their goals for further embracing new devices in the workplace, increasing collaboration and improving security for the cloud. Small businesses want to grow their businesses. They don?t wake up in the morning and think ?I need a server? yet it is a server that would ultimately help them with these business challenges and allow them to focus on driving results, not managing IT.

The good news is we?ve been working on the Windows Server family for the past decade and continue to add capabilities that businesses tell us they need. Today the benefits of upgrading to Windows Server 2012 can far outweigh the investment. Here are some of the most impactful ways it will help the technology and the business run smoothly:

In the OEM Division, we work with hardware partners to bring Windows devices to market, including a range of Windows Servers and solutions for business customers. Several of our top OEM partners have server and systems packages that allow a business to upgrade from the point of customer contact all the way through to the back office and some will even manage it for you:

• HP offers quite a menu of products and services that can be combined into packages, including outsourced IT support and a comprehensive bring-your-own-device networking package so employees can securely use their own smart phones, tablets and more to do their work.
• Dell has an array of powerful servers and services, from small rack systems all the way to the cloud. The company also offers management software and services to help automate essential tasks like deploying, updating, monitoring and maintaining systems.
• IBM can bring the entire spectrum of processing, storage and networking technologies at whatever scale your business requires.
• Fujitsu produces some of the most cutting-edge servers out there today, including their Primergy line, which offers a range of flexible hardware and services to suit almost any business.

In addition, Microsoft has a network of thousands of partners worldwide who can help almost any business transform their infrastructure with state of the art hardware and implementation services.

The upshot is this: for any small or mid-size business looking to increase its competitiveness, making the move to Windows Server 2012 can increase employee productivity, reduce the time and costs associated with IT management and help keep critical data safe.

Source: http://blogs.technet.com/b/serverandtools/archive/2013/02/28/windows-server-brings-manageability-and-productivity-to-businesses.aspx

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EMPLOYMENTS,VACANCIES AND HOT JOBS

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Dear Friend,

Looking for a new job?

You may be the most qualified person for the job, with the best work ethic and sharpest skills ... but to get hired, you must do one simple thing. You must convince employers to call you for an interview.

Easier said than done, right?

I mean, how are you supposed to do that in this economy, when unemployment is at record levels? When companies get 150, 300, 400 resumes -- and more -- for every advertised job opening? When you?ve applied for jobs you know you?re PERFECT for, but employers don?t call you back? And how are you going to pay the mortgage or rent next month? What do you tell your family and friends when they ask, ?So, found a new job yet??

It's enough to make you want to tear your hair out.

BUT ...

Suppose you could get an ?unfair advantage? over other job seekers? What if you could almost magically ?force? employers to grant you interviews ... and give you the job you want, at the salary you deserve?

Imagine ... walking into a job interview next week, answering every question with ease, shaking hands with your future boss and accepting that job offer you?ve been dreaming about? What would you do with your new salary? Pay off some bills? Take the family out for dinner at that fancy restaurant you used to go to?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

Well, it isn't! Not if you do just a few things differently in your job search.

And that's where I come in.

Time Out! First, before we go any further, download your copy of "Job Search Secrets Exposed" -- a $25 value -- FREE! It's packed with 21 pages of my most valuable job-search tips and tricks, in a quick-read format (MS Word). There's no cost or obligation. And you can download and start reading it in 2 minutes! To get your copy, simply fill out the form below and click on "Get My Kit!" You easy download instructions will come by instant email. Meanwhile, you'll be brought back to this page to continue reading! OUR PRIVACY POLICY: Your email address will never be shared with any third parties. We respect your privacy.

My name is Endurance Greek. And I've been helping people like you find the right job fast since 1996, as President of Guaranteed Resumes.

In fact, I've helped more than 3,000 good, hard-working people get hired faster than they ever dreamed possible, in good economic times and bad, using my Guaranteed Resumes, cover letters, Internet resumes and job-search techniques.

Author of "Resume and Cover Letter Secrets Revealed," I've been interviewed by USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, CBS Radio, WCCO Radio, WLTE Radio and KMSP TV, among others. A career columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune and TechRepublic.com, my articles have also appeared on NetTemps.com, in the Twin Cities Employment Weekly and many other publications.

Here?s the story. Right now, you don?t have the job you want. Whatever you?ve been doing in your job search up to now has NOT worked. If it had, you wouldn?t be reading this letter, would you?

So ...

You Have To Try Something Different.

Or Else, You?ll Keep Getting More Of The Same!

And Your Job Search Will Drag On, And On, And On ?

Now. What if somebody wrote down and handed you one simple secret that could attract employers to you like bees to honey.

What if that secret had proven successful in the job market and had helped someone like you get hired? How much would that secret be worth to you? $25,000 in salary? $40,000? More?

What would 5 or 10 of those job-search secrets be worth to you? Do you think if you had 10 more PROVEN job-hunting techniques at your disposal, you MIGHT get hired faster?

How about 25 proven job-hunting techniques? Or 40?

?CLICK BELOW FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

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Source: http://openjobsonline.blogspot.com/2013/02/discover-51-little-known-secrets-you.html

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National Day Of Unplugging 2013: How To Incorporate Mindfulness Practices Into Your Everyday Life

Do you respond to the beep, ping, rattle and shake of your gadgets on command? You may be suffering from digital distress -- or maybe even a case of Social Media Anxiety Disorder -- and you might be in need of a digital purge.

Sound like something you could benefit from? This Friday, March 1, marks the fourth annual National Day of Unplugging. Participants around the country can pledge to unplug from their digital crutches for a full 24 hours -- from sunset to sunset -- while experiencing the forgotten art of being present.

Why unplug? ?We?ve reached a point where all of our technological devices are using us, rather than the other way around,? Gemini Adams, author of ?The Facebook Diet? (coming out April 2013) told The Huffington Post. ?Technology has come into our life so quickly that we haven?t had the time to make conscious choices about how to use it.? Adams says that having a national call to unplug is ?brilliant,? as the day gives people a taste of what life would be like if we actually had clear digital boundaries.

Who can benefit from this day? Anyone who Instagrams their hardboiled eggs, experiences those freaky phantom cell phone vibrations or just wants time to connect with friends the old-fashioned, in-person way.

On the flip side, the National Day of Unplugging will shed light on how challenging it is to unplug, Adams points out, because it will lead us to "realize how pervasive technology is in our lives.? We no longer rely on rolodexes (this, in case you're in the dark) or the Yellow Pages -- all of our information has been digitized.

Adams, who goes on digital detoxes regularly, says it's important to plan ahead to avoid feeling lost on your day of disconnect. How? Book anything you want to do (whether it?s getting a massage or going to the movies) before you unplug. Remember that if you?re meeting up with someone, you should know the exact location and time. And, maybe most importantly, plan to be reliable. There?s no texting ?running l8 -- be there in 5? on a day you choose to unplug. Your presence is gold.

The practice of unplugging should not be reserved for a single day of the year. Adams says unplugging every now and again can help you be more productive at work, generally focused and more in touch with the people you love. While realistically, most of us can?t fully unplug for long stretches of time, there are ways to practice a more mindful approach to tech in your day-to-day life:

• Choose your favorite form of communication and stick to it.
  ?There are so many forms of communication available to us that there is a lot of miscommunication going on -- some people prefer to use email while others want to use Facebook,? Adams says. These numerous platforms can get confusing and can turn what is supposed to be faster forms of getting in touch into inefficient ones (how many times have you forgotten to respond to a Facebook message?). Consider drafting up a statement in your outbound email that clarifies how you like to be in touch -- you can even include the times you plan to be off the grid. ?We?re not supposed to be available 24/7, so it?s OK to say that you?re not.? Being unavailable at times, Adams says, ?is an extremely healthy and positive practice."
• Design a method to the madness.
  Keep a log of all the voicemails, emails and messages you receive throughout the day, and plan to respond to them during a designated time you schedule on your calendar. Carving out a specific stretch to respond to these will ensure you?re not being dragged away from the tasks you?re trying to accomplish -- and, without the distraction, ?you?ll get those tasks completed in half the time,? Adams says.
• Make being present collaborative (and fun).
  Make a group mini-pledge to stay off your phones -- the time you spend with your friends will really count. Adams suggests phone stacking: Have your pals stack their phones in the middle of the table and enjoy the live conversation, food (of which there will be no Instagramming) and eye contact. First person to reach for the phone picks up the tab.

So, are you unplugging this Friday? Have you implemented any of these digitally conscious techniques in the past? Let us know how you?ll be spending your tech-free day and check in (after Saturday, of course!) to tell us about the experience.

Make sure to join our ?Social Media Anxiety Disorder? Twitter chat before you unplug. It's happening this Friday, March 1 at 12 p.m. ET. We'll be tweeting from @HealthyLiving and @GPSforSoul with the hashtag #SMAD.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/28/national-day-of-unplugging-2013_n_2760114.html

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