2012: The Year in TV Moments

CNN, Jan. 19, 8:10 p.m. ET

The televised presidential debate is glitz on the outside and tedium within. After I got to Charleston, S.C. for the CNN-hosted GOP primary debate, I spent my downtime vouching for reporters who'd been accidentally cut off the press list. My chivalry won them some cramped seating and dodgy Wi-Fi in front of a screen that was playing the debate, which was happening a few yards away. I remember that the failed Americans Elect campaign, which had raised $35 million to run a third party candidate, had two seats in the hall, and that this was ludicrous.

And then the debate began. John King's first question to Newt Gingrich concerned an interview Gingrich's ex-wife Marianne?his second, the one he had while speaker?had given to ABC News. Gingrich blew up, but masterfully. It was like watching a controlled demolition bring down a creaking skyscraper.

"Everybody here has known personal pain," said Gingrich. He walked all over the meek King, who semi-apologized and said he was asking about another network's story. "They're attacking the governor,? said Gingrich, referring to Mitt Romney, ?they're attacking me. I'm sure they'll probably get around to Sen. Santorum and Congressman Paul. I am tired of the elite media protecting Barack Obama by attacking Republicans."

To those of us in the press room, this was pure buncombe?and clearly, a debate-ending masterpiece of an answer. "This is over," said a confident reporter at the table behind me, and he was right. We media hacks had never taken Gingrich seriously when he bashed us. This was a guy who'd reinvented himself, post-Congress, as an all-purpose pundit who made a point of living just 20 minutes from the Sunday show studios. Now he was leading a crusade against the media?

He was. The Gingrich debate presaged his South Carolina victory. For the first time, the state's Republicans had rejected the establishment candidate for the one who yelled the loudest. Gingrich faltered after this, but the conservative base's anger at the media would spike again and again all year. Its final surge came right before the general election, when Republican pundits inaccurately claimed that the media was skewing polls against Mitt Romney. The Gingrich surge was just the first and feistiest burst of id.

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astaektagadar: Education & Reference 2020: TIME for Kids BIG ...

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Why do we have eyebrows? What's a black hole and what happens if you fall into one? What's the fastest a human is capable of running? Why do wet fingers stick to metal in the freezer? Where is the deepest point on Earth? Divided by subject area - humans, animals, environment/nature, technology, and space - and written in an upbeat manner, each answer is accompanied by either a photo or an illustration to show the reasons why. Of course, "Time for Kids" goes beyond answering the question by dipping into the science or history to further explain the answer in an easy-to-follow, straightforward manner. This is a must -have book to satisfy the most curious of kids and provokes a great way to encourage interest and knowledge about a wide range of subjects, as well as to stimulate reading. Kids will be desperate to share what they've learned with their parents, teachers, and friends...and anyone else who will listen.

  • Rank: #118 in Books
  • Brand: Time For Kids
  • Published on: 2010-08-10
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 9.25" h x .71" w x 7.99" l, 1.50 pounds
  • Binding: Hardcover
  • 192 pages

Source: http://greateducationreference609.blogspot.com/2012/12/time-for-kids-big-book-of-why-1001.html

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Plumes across the Pacific deliver thousands of microbial species to North American West Coast

Dec. 17, 2012 ? A surprising number of microorganisms -- 99 percent more kinds than had been reported in findings published just four months ago -- are leaping the biggest gap on the planet. Hitching rides in the upper troposphere, they're making their way from Asia across the Pacific Ocean and landing in North America.

For the first time researchers have been able to gather enough biomass in the form of DNA to apply molecular methods to samples from two large dust plumes originating in Asia in the spring of 2011. The scientists detected more than 2,100 unique species compared to only 18 found in the very same plumes using traditional methods of culturing, results they published in July.

"The long-range transport and surprising level of species richness in the upper atmosphere overturns traditional paradigms in aerobiology," says David J. Smith, who recently earned his doctorate at the University of Washington in biology and astrobiology. He's lead author of a paper in the current issue of the journal Applied and Environmental Microbiology.

"It's a small world. Global wind circulation can move Earth's smallest types of life to just about anywhere," Smith said.

It's been estimated that about 7.1 million tons (64 teragrams) of aerosols -- dust, pollutants and other atmospheric particles, including microorganisms -- cross the Pacific each year. The aerosols are carried by wind storms into the upper reaches of the troposphere. The troposphere, the layer of air closest to earth up to about 11 miles (18 kilometers), is where almost all our weather occurs.

Co-author Daniel Jaffe, professor at UW Bothell, has previously documented especially large plumes of aerosols in the troposphere making the trans-Pacific trip in seven to 10 days. The recent findings are based on two such plumes, one in April and the other in May of 2011, detected at Mount Bachelor in the Cascade Mountains of central Oregon.

Most of the microorganisms -- about half were bacterial and the other half fungal -- originated from soils and were either dead on arrival or harmless to humans. A few fungal species have been associated previously with crop wilt but scientists had no way of determining if any crops were affected during either plume event.

Most of the species in the plumes can be found in low, background levels on the West Coast. The plumes, however, brought elevated levels of such organisms leading the scientists to say that it may be useful to think about microorganisms as air pollution: microorganisms that are unnoticed in background levels might be more relevant in concentrated doses.

"I was very surprised at the concentrations. One might expect the concentrations of cells to decrease with altitude based on fallout and dilution," Smith said. "But during these plume events, the atmosphere was pooling these cells just as it does with other kinds of air pollution."

Interestingly, Smith says, two of the three most common families of bacteria in the plumes are known for their ability to form spores in ways that they can hibernate safely during harsh conditions, making them especially well adapted to high altitude transport.

"I think we're getting close to calling the atmosphere an ecosystem," Smith said. "Until recently, most people would refer to it as a conveyor belt, or a transient place where life moves through. But the discovery of so many cells potentially able to adapt to traveling long distances at high altitudes challenges the old classification."

Cells also can interact with their high-altitude environment, for example, becoming the nucleus for rain drops and snow flakes and influencing the amount of precipitation that falls. Other scientists estimate that 30 percent of global precipitation stems from microbes.

On the other hand, scientists have yet to see evidence of metabolism or growth of microorganisms while aloft and there's a limited amount of time that any organism might reside there.

Sampling the upper troposphere for microorganisms in the past has been a spotty effort using aircraft and balloons, Smith said

"Because it is so difficult to get samples, I argue it's probably the last biological environment on the planet to be explored," he said.

Mount Bachelor, like many other mountains in the Cascades, has a peak tall enough to pierce the upper troposphere. Unlike other mountains in the Cascades, however, the top of Mount Bachelor is a far more accessible place for an observatory because a ski area exists there. There's power and bringing equipment and personnel to the observatory is not a major undertaking, you just take the ski lift.

Funding for the work came from the National Science Foundation, National Geographic Society, NASA's Astrobiology Institute, the UW's NASA Space Grant Consortium and the UW Department of Biology.

Other co-authors are Peter Ward and Hilkka Timonen with the UW and UW Bothell respectively, Dale Griffin with the U.S. Geological Survey, Michele Birmele and Michael Roberts with NASA and Kevin Perry with the University of Utah.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Washington. The original article was written by Sandra Hines.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. D. J. Smith, H. J. Timonen, D. A. Jaffe, D. W. Griffin, M. N. Birmele, K. D. Perry, P. D. Ward, M. S. Roberts. Intercontinental Dispersal of Bacteria and Archaea in Transpacific Winds. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 2012; DOI: 10.1128/AEM.03029-12

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_environment/~3/JX4mwBex4Yc/121217152711.htm

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Scientists discover evidence of giant panda's population history and local adaptation

Dec. 16, 2012 ? A research team, led by Institute of Zoology of Chinese Academy of Sciences and BGI, has successfully reconstructed a continuous population history of the giant panda from its origin to the present. The findings suggested whereas global changes in climate were the primary drivers in panda population fluctuation for millions of years, human activities were likely to underlie recent population divergence and serious decline. This work reveals a good example for assessing and establishing the best conservation method for other endangered species.

The latest study was published online in Nature Genetics.

The giant panda is the rarest member of the bear family. Looked upon as the ambassador for all endangered species, it is a well-recognized symbol of international wildlife conservation. The giant panda is currently threatened by continued habitat loss, human persecution, among others. Its dietary specialization, habitat isolation, and reproductive constraints have led to a perception that this is a species at an "evolutionary dead end," destined for deterministic extinction in the modern world.

In this study, researchers carried out whole genome resequencing of 34 wild giant pandas and found the current six geographic populations of giant panda could be divided into three genetic populations, including Qinling (QIN), Minshan (MIN) and Qionglai-Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan (QXL). Through reconstructing giant panda's population history, they found several important evolutionary events such as two population expansions, two bottlenecks and two population divergences.

The giant panda has a very special bamboo diet, while its ancestor was omnivorous or carnivores. As early as about 3 Myr ago, they probably had already completed their dietary swift and pygmy panda emerged with bamboo as its primary diet. The warm and wet weather at that time provided ideal conditions for the spread of bamboo forests that further led to the first population expansion of giant panda. However, about 0.7 Myr ago, the panda population began to decline due to the two largest Pleistocene glaciations happened in China, and its first population bottleneck occurred at about 0.3 Myr ago. During that period, pygmy panda was gradually replaced by another subspecies -- baconi panda that has larger body size.

After the retreat of the Penultimate Glaciations, giant panda's second population expansion happened and it reached its population peak between 30~50 thousand years (kyr) ago. The warm weather in the Greatest Lake Period (30~40 kyr ago) and alpine conifer forest may play an important role in the flourishing of the panda population. However, during the period of last glacial maximum (LGM), the climate was cold, dry, and inhospitable with frequent storms and a dust-laden atmosphere. Under such harsh environment, extensive panda habitats were loss and its second population bottleneck occurred.

The more recent panda population history showed that the panda population separated into Qinling (QIN) and non-QIN populations at about 0.3Myr ago, and then the non-QIN cluster diverged into two populations, the Minshan (MIN) and Qionglai-Daxiangling-Xiaoxiangling-Liangshan (QXL) at about 2.8 KYA ago. Subsequently, the three populations were different in the ways of fluctuation. For example, there was a drastic decline in the QIN, a slight increase in the MIN and a more remarkable growth in the QXL populations.

Researchers identified the signals of panda's local adaptation. They found the largest group of selected genes in these populations was related to sensory system. However, the two genes, Tas2r49 and Tas2r3, were associated with bitter taste and were under directional selection between the QIN and non-QIN populations, showing no signal of directional selection between MIN and QXL populations.

As a form of olfactory communication, odor perception is crucial for reproduction and survival of giant pandas in the dense forest. Researchers found the MIN and QXL populations had fewer directionally selected genes than QIN and non-QIN, suggesting less variation happens in the selection processes between MIN and QXL. They also found the evidence that population fluctuations were driven by global climate shifts, but recent human activities have likely caused population divergence and the serious recent decline.

Shancen Zhao, Project Manager from BGI, said, "We have identified three genetic populations of giant panda for the current six geographic populations lived in western of China. The varied local adaptations found in our study provide invaluable resource for researchers to better select effective conservation methods to rescue the giant panda even other endangered species. The translocation of wild-caught individuals or releasing the captive-bred ones may be a feasible approach. "

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by BGI Shenzhen.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Shancen Zhao, Pingping Zheng, Shanshan Dong, Xiangjiang Zhan, Qi Wu, Xiaosen Guo, Yibo Hu, Weiming He, Shanning Zhang, Wei Fan, Lifeng Zhu, Dong Li, Xuemei Zhang, Quan Chen, Hemin Zhang, Zhihe Zhang, Xuelin Jin, Jinguo Zhang, Huanming Yang, Jian Wang, Jun Wang & Fuwen Wei. Whole-genome sequencing of giant pandas provides insights into demographic history and local adaptation. Nature Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/ng.2494

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/21Wy8KjtKXU/121216132511.htm

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Sunday links: salad bar investing - Abnormal Returns | Abnormal ...

  • abnormalreturns
  • December 16th, 2012

Quote of the day

Laszlo Birinyi, ?But too many individuals approach investing more like it?s a salad bar. They hear a bunch of ideas, and then they go pick certain ones out. But we can?t stress enough how hard one really has to work at this.?? (Barron?s)

Chart of the day

MG 1212 560x420 Sunday links:  salad bar investing

The S&P 500 continues to track initial unemployment claims.? (Money Game)

Markets

Be on guard for a ?quick sentiment shift.?? (Dynamic Hedge)

Where markets stand at week-end.? (Global Macro Monitor, ibid)

You need to have conviction in your ideas in this market.? (Joe Fahmy)

Does slow economic growth doom the stock market?? (Jason Zweig)

Strategy

There?s always going to be ?uncertainty.? Get over it.? (Motley Fool)

What kind of charts are being used around the world.? (All Star Charts)

Beware the stealth options seller.? (Aleph Blog)

How investor sophistication affects asset prices.? (SSRN via @quantivity)

Apple

Why Apple ($AAPL) stock is hurting.? (UpsideTrader, The Reformed Broker)

Apple and Yahoo! ($YHOO) are moving in separate directions.? (VIX and More)

Is Apple too big to succeed?? (Global Macro Monitor)

ETFs

How low can fund fees go?? (WSJ)

Why fund investors always seem to have worse performance than the underlying fund.? (Economist)

Global

At 9x earnings you can argue that South Korean stocks are cheap.? (Barron?s)

Then again so are Russian stocks at 5.5x 2013 earnings.? (Barron?s)

Economy

Housing prices have reverted to the mean.? (Sober Look)

Coexistence with robots in this economy is possible.? (Businessweek)

Opinions are still very divided on the resolution of the fiscal cliff.? (A Dash of Insight)

Why we need to keep the charitable deduction.? (NYTimes)

A look back at the economic stats for the week.? (Bonddad Blog, Calculated Risk)

A look ahead at the economic week.? (Calculated Risk)

Earlier on Abnormal Returns

What you missed in our Saturday morning linkfest.? (Abnormal Returns)

Top clicks this week on the site.? (Abnormal Returns)

Mixed media

Intuition is far more effective for those with domain expertise.? (ScienceBlog)

Why we need to learn more about our guts, or microbiomes.? (Big Think)

Thanks for checking in with Abnormal Returns. You can follow us on StockTwits and Twitter.

Abnormal Returns is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. If you click on my Amazon.com links and buy anything, even something other than the product advertised, I earn a small commission, yet you don't pay any extra. Thank you for your support.

The information in this blog post represents my own opinions and does not contain a recommendation for any particular security or investment. I or my affiliates may hold positions or other interests in securities mentioned in the Blog, please see my Disclaimer page for my full disclaimer.

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Packers beat Bears, win North

Rodgers throws 3 TD passes to Jones and Matthew sacks Cutler twice

Image: Jones catches TD passGetty Images

James Jones catches a touchdown pass as Kelvin Hayden tries to defend.

By NANCY ARMOUR

updated 4:58 p.m. ET Dec. 16, 2012

CHICAGO - The Green Bay Packers had the best comeback for all that trash-talk from the Chicago Bears.

Another NFC North title.

The Packers clinched their second straight division crown with a 21-13 victory over their archrivals Sunday - at Soldier Field, no less.

Aaron Rodgers connected with James Jones on all three touchdowns, Clay Matthews hounded Jay Cutler with two sacks and the Packers limited the Bears to just 190 yards, their third-lowest total of the season. Rodgers finished 23 of 36 for 291 yards as Green Bay won its sixth straight against Chicago.

Brandon Marshall had a 15-yard TD catch for the Bears. But Cutler had another dismal day against the Packers, throwing an interception that led to Green Bay's second touchdown, and Alshon Jeffery was whistled for three offensive pass interference calls late in the second half.

Chicago has lost five of six and is in danger of missing the playoffs after beginning the season 7-1. Boos rained down on the Bears in the fourth quarter, and again as they walked off the field.

Packers vs. Bears is the NFL's oldest - and fiercest - rivalry, and it got a little more heated earlier in the week when Marshall and Lance Briggs ripped on their neighbors to the north.

Marshall was particularly vehement, saying he'd never disliked a team as much as he did the Packers.

Green Bay had held him to 24 yards on two catches in their first meeting back in September, and the NFL's receptions leader called the rematch "personal," adding, "But the talk, you have to back it up. We'll go out there and we'll do everything we need to do to get a win."

Marshall did his part, sidestepping one tackle and stiff-arming Casey Hayward on his way to the end zone for a touchdown that gave Chicago a 7-0 lead in the second quarter. He screamed and tossed the ball into the stands while the Chicago sideline erupted in high fives and hand slaps.

But the Packers silenced the Bears - and their fans - with a touchdown, interception and another touchdown, all in a three-minute span.

Having already been sacked twice, Rodgers was on the run again on third-and-6 when he spotted Randall Cobb down the right sideline. He threw a dart to Cobb, who hauled it in for a 31-yard gain that put the Packers at the Chicago 35. Three plays later, Rodgers connected with Jones for a 29-yard score that tied the game at 7.

After exchanging punts, Cutler was looking for Devin Hester but found Hayward, instead. It was the sixth pick of the season for the rookie, who grabbed the ball at midfield and returned it 24 yards. Five plays later, Rodgers hooked up with Jones again, this time for an 8-yard catch that made it 14-7 at halftime.

The Packers made it 21 unanswered points on the first drive of the second half. In another third-and-long situation, Rodgers threw incomplete to Jermichael Finley.

But the Packers got a second chance when Chris Conte was called for pass interference. After a delay of game penalty on Green Bay, Rodgers found Jones for a 6-yard score.

It was Jones' first three-touchdown game and the fourth multiple-TD game of his career.

The Bears had a chance to get back in the game when Charles Tillman forced a fumble by Ryan Grant and Nick Roach recovered it. Chicago got another break when Green Bay safety Morgan Burnett hauled Jeffery down right in front of the end zone - and right in front of an official. The pass interference penalty gave Chicago the ball at the Green Bay 1.

But the Bears could only get a 34-yard field goal by Olindo Mare out of it after Jeffery was called for pass interference, his first of three.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


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Packers beat Bears, win North

??The Green Bay Packers clinched their second straight NFC North title with a 21-13 victory over the archrival Chicago Bears on Sunday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50217171/ns/sports-nfl/

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Electoral chief: Allies of Chavez sweep gubernatorial seats in Venezuela elections

Essential News from The Associated Press

AAA??Dec. 16, 2012?8:51 PM ET
Electoral chief: Allies of Chavez sweep gubernatorial seats in Venezuela elections
AP

Miranda's Gov. Henrique Capriles laughs while casting his ballot at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the socialist leader leaves the political stage. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Miranda's Gov. Henrique Capriles laughs while casting his ballot at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the socialist leader leaves the political stage. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's Vice-President Nicolas Maduro speaks during a news conference in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the socialist leader leaves the political stage. (AP Photo/Miraflores Press Office)

People wait to cast their ballots at a polling station in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the leader leaves the political stage. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A woman cats his ballot during elections in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the leader leaves the political stage.(AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

A voter uses a fingerprint scanner during elections in Caracas, Venezuela, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012. Venezuelans are choosing governors and state lawmakers in elections that have become a key test of whether President Hugo Chavez's movement can endure if the leader leaves the political stage. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

(AP) ? Electoral chief: Allies of Chavez sweep gubernatorial seats in Venezuela elections.Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-16-LT-APNewsAlert/id-b0dd1191ac9a40e4bf502d5185c84fdf

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Final campaign push a day before Japanese vote

TOKYO (AP) ? Candidates are making final impassioned appeals to voters before parliamentary elections Sunday that are likely to hand power back to a conservative party that ruled Japan for most of the post-war era.

Polls suggest that voters will dump the ruling Democratic Party of Japan three years after it swept to power and give the most seats in the 480-member lower chamber to the opposition Liberal Democratic Party, which ruled Japan for decades.

That would give the hawkish Shinzo Abe, who was prime minister from 2006-2007, the top job again ? raising concerns about ties with rival China amid a territorial dispute.

But the emergence of several new parties has confused some voters, and polls show that about 40 percent of people are yet undecided.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/final-campaign-push-day-japanese-vote-042117883.html

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Sandy Hook School shooting: Voices from around the world

As officials continue to investigate the Sandy Hook School shooting, leaders and others from around the world weighed in on what seemed to many to be a typically American tragedy.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / December 15, 2012

People take part in a prayer service at St. John's Episcopal church near Sandy Hook Elementary School Saturday. Residents of the small Connecticut community of Newtown were reeling from one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history.

Eric Thayer/REUTERS

Enlarge

As officials continue to investigate the Sandy Hook School shooting ? and as residents of the small Newtown, Connecticut, community search for answers to their own perhaps more profound questions ? leaders and others from around the world weighed in on what seemed to many to be a typically American tragedy.

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In a message beginning "Dear President Obama," Great Britain?s Queen Elizabeth said, "I have been deeply shocked and saddened to learn of the dreadful loss of life today in Newtown, Connecticut; particularly the news that so many of the dead are children."

"The thoughts and prayers of everyone in the United Kingdom and throughout the Commonwealth are with the families and friends of those killed and with all those who have been affected by today's events," the Queen said.

Sandy Hook shooting: Stories of heroism, ways to help

"My thoughts are with the injured and those who have lost loved ones,? British Prime Minister David Cameron said. ?It is heartbreaking to think of those who have had their children robbed from them at such a young age, when they had so much life ahead of them.?

From Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel said: ?Once again we stand aghast at a deed that cannot be comprehended. ?The thought of the murdered pupils and teachers makes my heart heavy."

With more than 100,000 Chinese studying in US schools, a sense of shared grief came through.

"Parents with children studying in the US must be tense. School shootings happen often in the U.S. Can't politicians put away politics and prohibit gun sales?" Zhang Xin, a wealthy property developer, wrote on her feed on the Twitter-like Sina Weibo service, where she has 4.9 million followers.

In the Philippines, a society often afflicted by gun violence, President Benigno Aquino III said he and the Filipino people stand beside the United States "with bowed heads, yet in deep admiration over the manner in which the American people have reached out to comfort the afflicted, and to search for answers that will give meaning and hope to this grim event.

"We pray for healing, and that this heartbreak will never be visited on any community ever again," Aquino said in a statement tweeted by deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte.

In Thailand, which has one of Asia's highest rates of murder by firearms and has seen schools attacked by Islamist insurgents in its southern provinces, a columnist for the English-language daily newspaper The Nation blamed American culture for fostering a climate of violence.

"Repeated incidents of gunmen killing innocent people have shocked the Americans or us, but also made most people ignore it quickly," Thanong Khanthong wrote on Twitter. "Intentionally or not, Hollywood and video games have prepared people's mind to see killings and violence as normal and acceptable," he wrote.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/6SKi6ONKjQo/Sandy-Hook-School-shooting-Voices-from-around-the-world

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