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Chairman of the Ukrainian democratic opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform Party and former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, centre right, and his wife Natalia cast their ballots, at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Ukrainians are electing a parliament on Sunday in a crucial vote tainted by the jailing of top opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and fears of election fraud. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Chairman of the Ukrainian democratic opposition Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform Party and former boxing champion Vitali Klitschko, centre right, and his wife Natalia cast their ballots, at a polling station during parliamentary elections in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Ukrainians are electing a parliament on Sunday in a crucial vote tainted by the jailing of top opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and fears of election fraud. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainians cast their ballots at a polling station in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Ukrainians are electing a parliament on Sunday in a crucial vote tainted by the jailing of top opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko and fears of election fraud. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
An Orthodox priest casts his ballot paper at a polling station in Kiev, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012. Voters in Ukraine are choosing a new parliament Sunday. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
Ukrainian military examine their voting ballots at a polling station in Kiev during parliamentary elections in Ukraine Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 28, 2012.(AP Photo/Sergei Chuzavkov)
KIEV, Ukraine (AP) ?
Ukraine's opposition parties performed strongly in Sunday's parliamentary vote, according to an exit poll, but President Viktor Yanukovych's party could still retain control of the legislature as its members are likely to sweep individual races across the country.
The West is paying close attention to the conduct of the vote in the strategic ex-Soviet state, which lies between Russia and the European Union, and serves as a key conduit for transit of Russian energy supplies to many EU countries. An election deemed unfair would likely turn Ukraine further away from the West and toward Moscow.
Opposition parties alleged widespread violations on election day, such as vote-buying and a suspiciously high amount of home voting, but a local election monitor said those violations were isolated. Authorities insisted the election was honest and democratic.
The Fatherland party, led by the jailed charismatic former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, the Udar (Punch) of world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko and a nationalist party together received more than 50 percent of the vote on party lists, outnumbering Yanukovych's Party of Regions and its traditional ally, the Communist Party.
Both Yanukovych's and Tymoshenko's parties claimed victory, saying the election showed the voters trust them to lead the country.
However, only half of the parliament's 450 seats are split proportionately between the winning parties. The other half is filled by the winners of single-mandate races, where Yanukovych loyalists are expected to make a strong showing. In the election, each voter had two ballots, one with party names and one with the name of candidates in specific constituencies. No exit poll numbers were available for the individual races.
With Yanukovych under fire over the jailing of his top rival, Tymoshenko; rampant corruption and slow reforms, the opposition made a strong showing.
Tymoshenko's Fatherland party is poised to get about 25 percent of the proportional vote, the Udar (Punch) led by world boxing champion Vitali Klitschko is set to get around 15 percent and the nationalist Svoboda (Freedom) party receives some 12 percent. The Party of Regions polled 28 percent and the Communists nearly 12 percent.
If the three opposition groups unite, they could get 127 parliament seats versus 98 seats gained by the Regions and Communists. The distribution of the remaining 225 seats is expected to be clear Monday.
Opposition forces hope to garner enough parliament seats to weaken Yanukovych's power and undo the damage they say he has done: the jailing of Tymoshenko and her top allies, the concentration of power in the hands of the president, the snubbing of the Ukrainian language in favor of Russian, waning media freedoms, a deteriorating business climate and growing corruption.
The strong showing by the far-right Svoboda (Freedom) party which campaigns for the defense of the Ukrainian language and culture but is also infamous for xenophobic and anti-Semitic rhetoric emerged as a surprise and showed the widespread disappointment and anger with the ruling party.
It remains to be seen whether Tymoshenko's group, Klitschko's party and Svoboda can forge a strong alliance and challenge Yanukovych.
The election tainted by Tymoshenko's jailing on charges of abuse of office has also been compromised by the creation of fake opposition parties, campaigns by politically unskilled celebrities, and the use of state resources and greater access to television by Yanukovych's party.
___
Yuras Karmanau in Kiev contributed to this report.
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NASSAU (Reuters) - Hurricane Sandy pounded the Bahamas with battering winds and rain on Friday, sweeping over the island chain after killing 21 people across the Caribbean and posing a menacing threat to the U.S. East Coast.
Forecasters warned the late-season storm is expected to combine with a polar air mass near the United States next week, potentially producing a highly unusual and potent storm that could wreak havoc along the U.S. East Coast.
The U.S. National Hurricane Center early on Friday issued tropical storm warnings for much of the Florida coast and tropical storm watches up through much of North Carolina.
Late Thursday, Sandy weakened to a Category 1 storm as it tore though sparsely populated low-lying southeastern islands in the Bahamas, knocking out power and blowing off rooftops of some homes.
Sandy's torrential rains and heavy winds were blamed for the deaths of 21 people. The Cuban government said on Thursday night that 11 people died when the storm barreled across the island, most killed by falling trees or in building collapses in Santiago de Cuba province and neighboring Guantanamo province.
Haiti's civil protection office said nine people died even though the country did not suffer a direct hit from Sandy, and one person was killed by falling rocks in Jamaica when the storm struck there on Wednesday.
The Cuban deaths were an unusually high number for the communist island which prides itself on protecting its people from storms by ordering mass evacuations.
Winds and rains generated by Sandy were also being felt in south Florida.
Early Friday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Sandy was about 15 miles southeast of Great Abaco Island in the Bahamas and packing maximum sustained winds of 80 miles per hour (130 km per hour).
Sandy is forecast to remain a Category 1 hurricane as it continues to move over the Bahamas on Friday, sending swirling rains and winds across several hundred miles.
In the Bahamas, government officials warned residents to stay indoors until the storm passed. There were no immediate reports of casualties or serious injuries.
On Long Island, in the southeast corner of the Bahamas island chain, Joel Friese, general manager of the Stella Maris Resort, said Sandy was fierce as it cut across the island on Thursday.
"It was way stronger than we expected," he said by telephone. "There are lots of downed trees and partial to heavy roof damage on some of the buildings."
The Bahamas Electricity Corporation, which supplies power to most of the Bahamas, said Sandy had caused power outages on several islands.
Sandy was expected to move past the Bahamas by Friday evening and head north off the U.S. coast.
Forecasters say Sandy is expected to be pulled in by another storm system moving from the west, making it come ashore in the northeastern United States late Monday or early Tuesday and unleashing heavy rains, storm surges and possibly near hurricane-force winds.
Weather trackers say the hardest-hit areas could span anywhere from the coastal Carolinas up to Maine, with New York City and the Boston area potentially in harm's way.
"There are many questions surrounding this hurricane and its forecast, but I find it important to convey that Sandy's impacts will be widespread, no matter the location of landfall," Jeff Masters, a hurricane expert at private forecaster Weather Underground (www.wundergournd.com), wrote in a blog.
He said a landfall by Sandy along the Mid-Atlantic coast could trigger "a billion-dollar disaster."
Amid final preparations for the crucial November 6 presidential election, the storm could hit an area of New England where Hurricane Irene caused severe damage last year.
Unlike Irene, which caused billions of dollars in damage as it battered the Northeast in August last year, Sandy is forecast to be a weaker storm but will be moving slower than Irene, likely bringing more rain and increasing its potential for damage, weather forecasters said.
At $4.3 billion in losses, Irene ranks as one of the 10 costliest hurricanes, adjusted for inflation and excluding federally insured damage, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an industry group.
Sandy is expected to hit the United States during a full moon, increasing the flood potential since tides will be at or near their highest.
(Reporting by Jeff Franks and Nelson Acosta in Havana, Tom Brown and Kevin Gray in Miami, Susana Ferreira in Port-au-Prince; Editing by Lisa Shumaker and Vicki Allen)
What exactly is fishing? I suppose it may be a sporting activity, a way to earn a living, although I am more of a mind to deem it to be a hobby as it is the ideal antidote for fighting any amount of stress.
Fish is an important food item which we cannot do without and we can always rely on working fishermen to keep the stocks plentiful. On the other hand, fishing is also a leisure interest and is one of the most popular hobbies.
The hobby of fishing continues to grow and there?s more money spent on it than arguably any other on account of the cost of buying a licence, fishing tackle, bait, clothes and transport etc. Often creating your own, obtaining second hand or borrowing it allows us to keep the costs down to a minimum.
Why is fishing a popular hobby? Just because it?s an excellent means of relieving stress and tension. It also helps anxious teenagers to adjust their way of thinking and form more constructive qualities, attitudes and activities.
You can find lots of family crafts and hobbies that could be taken on and enjoyed by one and all, this includes fishing.
Children in particular are keen to find out how to use bait in order to catch themselves a fish. Actually using and trying out each and every item of fishing gear in conjunction with a camping holiday may make them feel like characters in a Mark Twain novel.
It is necessary that we all realise the true worth of fishing as a recreational hobby, specially as it is just one of a few hobbies for men and women that they can both participate in and enjoy.
People of all ages enjoy fishing with their families or to take up many more family crafts and hobbies in order to alleviate the anxiety or boredom which lifestyles of today might bring about.
Fishing helps you to take in and enjoy all the benefits and beauties given to us by nature, such as rivers and riverbanks, birds and other animals. Fishing is a much preferred way to relax and take in the air.
Family together time has fallen considerably in recent years and for that matter so has the time spent interacting with the kids so any time set aside for family crafts and hobbies should help to restore a happy family environment.
Although there are many hobbies for men and women that you could do, chances are you can include the kids or your best friends in these pursuits too; it would be time well spent.
Catching the fish is the best feeling, regardless of if you catch them to cook and eat or just for the pleasure in catching them and releasing them again. The time we spend connecting with friends and family is well worth making the effort.
A great time can be had by all if you invest your leisure time wisely in family crafts and hobbies. The fun and learning experiences you acquire from such hobbies, like fishing, can make them family activities which will never be forgotten.
Fortunately, this has turned out not to be another fish story. However, if fishing as a hobby doesn?t float your boat then hopefully it will now motivate you to consider books on hobbies for men and women and the children too, to help find one that does.
New genomics study shows ancestry could help solve disease riddlesPublic release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mika Ono mikaono@scripps.edu 858-784-2052 Scripps Research Institute
LA JOLLA, CA October 25, 2012 Explosive advancement in human genome sequencing opens new possibilities for identifying the genetic roots of certain diseases and finding cures. However, so many variations among individual genomes exist that identifying mutations responsible for a specific disease has in many cases proven an insurmountable challenge. But now a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Scripps Health, and Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) reveals that by comparing the genomes of diseased patients with the genomes of people with sufficiently similar ancestries could dramatically simplify searches for harmful mutations, opening new treatment possibilities.
The work, reported recently in the journal Frontiers in Genetics: Applied Genetic Epidemiology, should speed the search for the causes of many diseases and provide critical guidance to the genomics field for maximizing the potential benefits of growing genome databases.
Much work is already under way to sequence the DNA of people suffering from diseases with unknown causes, called idiopathic conditions, to find the roots of their problems. Unlike more complex conditions such as diabetes, in some cases a limited number of genetic defects, or even a single mutation, can cause an idiopathic disease. Identifying those critical mutations can lead to effective treatments for previously mysterious problems.
Complicated Searches
While there have been some successes, in many other instances the genetic basis of an idiopathic disease remains elusive. Among other groups, The National Human Genome Research Institute runs searches for idiopathic disease sufferers and is able to find offending gene sequences only about 30 percent of the time. "One explanation for that other 70 percent might be that the diseases are enormously complex," said the new study's senior author Nicholas Schork, a professor at TSRI, director of research for Scripps Health's genomic medicine program, and director of biostatistics and bioinformatics at STSI, "but it could be that they're still searching in the noise."
The new work offers a likely filter for much of that noise. The results show that comparing a person's DNA sequence against existing genomes for those whose ancestry is not sufficiently similar, as is typically the case, can cause serious problems. Countless differences that seem unique to a patient might instead be DNA variants carried by everyone with the same ancestry. A researcher might, for instance, identify hundreds of variants and not be able to zero in on the one responsible for a disease.
But the new results show that comparing closer ancestry matches will dramatically reduce the number of variants identified as potentially responsible for a disease, reducing a search to a workable number.
For the work, the team developed a tool called the Scripps Genome Adviser. This processing framework uses a supercomputer to incorporate a variety of databases and algorithms to identify DNA variants in a particular genome relative to reference genomes. It then uses algorithms to analyze these variants and predict whether they have any physiological effects, and if so what those might be.
The team began with nearly 60 whole human genome databases and ran three key types of computing experiments. First the researchers identified the number of variants in the reference human genomes and found that on average each has millions of variants, about 12,000 of which have functional effects. Then the scientists looked at the rates at which variants appeared in various ancestry lines.
Honoring Ancestry
Importantly, the scientists didn't stop there. They deliberately inserted a mutation known to cause disease into a genome, then ran this genome through the Adviser to see how effectively it could identify that known variant as unique.
When the team ran the searches comparing that altered genome against a reference panel of genomes that included different ancestries, the known variant remained effectively lost in a sea of other variants. But comparison against genomes of similar ancestry dramatically reduced the number of variants identified, allowing identification of the inserted disease-causing gene.
A study published simultaneously with the Scripps team's paper by Professor Carlos Bustamante and colleagues from Stanford University also pointed to ancestry's importance, but this is the first time a team has been able to look at the problem on the whole-genome scale. "Others have indeed recognized ancestry as important," said Schork, "but no one had shown how much it could haunt a particular study, especially on a whole genome basis."
As importantly, prior to this study it wasn't clear how to address the ancestry issue. But the new study provides clear direction. The team calculated that identification of the vast majority of ancestral variants can be performed successfully with a reference panel of less than 20 genomesthough it could well take more to identify a particular ancestry group's rarest deviations. Of course, most people have more than one ancestry line, meaning that in practice a patient's reference panel would need to include multiple reference groups.
This result should act as a guide for continuing genomics work. Many ancestries are already well represented, meaning that assembling an effective reference panel is possible in some cases. But the number of whole genomes from a particular ancestral group isn't the only consideration. Ideally, reference genomes need to be from relatively disease-free people, meaning subjects who lived to an old age without major complications from genetic conditions.
Recognizing the importance of ancestral comparisons, researchers and companies can now deliberately work to fill any holes. "Building those sorts of resources could only benefit the community," said Schork. In fact, Schork, Ali Torkamani and others at Scripps are collaborating with Complete Genomics, Inc., a whole genome sequencing company in Mountain View, CA, to develop appropriate reference panels for clinicians and researchers.
Deciphering Diseases
Schork and his colleagues are already working toward broader application of their results using an increasingly advanced version of the tool. While processing a single person's genome to identify and analyze variants took about four days when the project began, today the Adviser can accomplish the task in about 30 minutes.
Along with the paper's lead author Torkamani, Schork is a founder of a company called Cypher Genomics that has licensed the Scripps Genome Adviser for disease-focused research. The teams in both industry and academia hope not only to continue idiopathic disease research, but also to apply similar principles to search for the causes of more complex congenital conditions. "The broader message of our work is that you have to take ancestry into account no matter what disease you're studying," said Schork.
###
In addition to Torkamani and Schork, other authors on the paper, "Clinical Implications of Human Population Differences in Genome-wide Rates of Functional Genotypes," are Phillip Pham, Ondrej Libiger, Vikas Bansal, Guangfa Zhang, Ashley Scott-Van Zeeland, Ryan Tewhey and Eric Topol (director of STSI). For more information on the paper (doi: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00211), see http://www.frontiersin.org/Applied_Genetic_Epidemiology/10.3389/fgene.2012.00211/abstract
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers 5 UL1 RR025774, 5 U01 DA024417, 5 R01 HL089655, 5 R01 DA030976, 5 R01 AG035020, 1 R01 MH093500, 2 U19 AI063603, 2 U19 AG023122, 5 P01 AG027734, 1 U01 HG006476-01), the Stand Up to Cancer Foundation, the Price Foundation and Scripps Genomic Medicine.
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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
New genomics study shows ancestry could help solve disease riddlesPublic release date: 25-Oct-2012 [ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Mika Ono mikaono@scripps.edu 858-784-2052 Scripps Research Institute
LA JOLLA, CA October 25, 2012 Explosive advancement in human genome sequencing opens new possibilities for identifying the genetic roots of certain diseases and finding cures. However, so many variations among individual genomes exist that identifying mutations responsible for a specific disease has in many cases proven an insurmountable challenge. But now a new study by scientists at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), Scripps Health, and Scripps Translational Science Institute (STSI) reveals that by comparing the genomes of diseased patients with the genomes of people with sufficiently similar ancestries could dramatically simplify searches for harmful mutations, opening new treatment possibilities.
The work, reported recently in the journal Frontiers in Genetics: Applied Genetic Epidemiology, should speed the search for the causes of many diseases and provide critical guidance to the genomics field for maximizing the potential benefits of growing genome databases.
Much work is already under way to sequence the DNA of people suffering from diseases with unknown causes, called idiopathic conditions, to find the roots of their problems. Unlike more complex conditions such as diabetes, in some cases a limited number of genetic defects, or even a single mutation, can cause an idiopathic disease. Identifying those critical mutations can lead to effective treatments for previously mysterious problems.
Complicated Searches
While there have been some successes, in many other instances the genetic basis of an idiopathic disease remains elusive. Among other groups, The National Human Genome Research Institute runs searches for idiopathic disease sufferers and is able to find offending gene sequences only about 30 percent of the time. "One explanation for that other 70 percent might be that the diseases are enormously complex," said the new study's senior author Nicholas Schork, a professor at TSRI, director of research for Scripps Health's genomic medicine program, and director of biostatistics and bioinformatics at STSI, "but it could be that they're still searching in the noise."
The new work offers a likely filter for much of that noise. The results show that comparing a person's DNA sequence against existing genomes for those whose ancestry is not sufficiently similar, as is typically the case, can cause serious problems. Countless differences that seem unique to a patient might instead be DNA variants carried by everyone with the same ancestry. A researcher might, for instance, identify hundreds of variants and not be able to zero in on the one responsible for a disease.
But the new results show that comparing closer ancestry matches will dramatically reduce the number of variants identified as potentially responsible for a disease, reducing a search to a workable number.
For the work, the team developed a tool called the Scripps Genome Adviser. This processing framework uses a supercomputer to incorporate a variety of databases and algorithms to identify DNA variants in a particular genome relative to reference genomes. It then uses algorithms to analyze these variants and predict whether they have any physiological effects, and if so what those might be.
The team began with nearly 60 whole human genome databases and ran three key types of computing experiments. First the researchers identified the number of variants in the reference human genomes and found that on average each has millions of variants, about 12,000 of which have functional effects. Then the scientists looked at the rates at which variants appeared in various ancestry lines.
Honoring Ancestry
Importantly, the scientists didn't stop there. They deliberately inserted a mutation known to cause disease into a genome, then ran this genome through the Adviser to see how effectively it could identify that known variant as unique.
When the team ran the searches comparing that altered genome against a reference panel of genomes that included different ancestries, the known variant remained effectively lost in a sea of other variants. But comparison against genomes of similar ancestry dramatically reduced the number of variants identified, allowing identification of the inserted disease-causing gene.
A study published simultaneously with the Scripps team's paper by Professor Carlos Bustamante and colleagues from Stanford University also pointed to ancestry's importance, but this is the first time a team has been able to look at the problem on the whole-genome scale. "Others have indeed recognized ancestry as important," said Schork, "but no one had shown how much it could haunt a particular study, especially on a whole genome basis."
As importantly, prior to this study it wasn't clear how to address the ancestry issue. But the new study provides clear direction. The team calculated that identification of the vast majority of ancestral variants can be performed successfully with a reference panel of less than 20 genomesthough it could well take more to identify a particular ancestry group's rarest deviations. Of course, most people have more than one ancestry line, meaning that in practice a patient's reference panel would need to include multiple reference groups.
This result should act as a guide for continuing genomics work. Many ancestries are already well represented, meaning that assembling an effective reference panel is possible in some cases. But the number of whole genomes from a particular ancestral group isn't the only consideration. Ideally, reference genomes need to be from relatively disease-free people, meaning subjects who lived to an old age without major complications from genetic conditions.
Recognizing the importance of ancestral comparisons, researchers and companies can now deliberately work to fill any holes. "Building those sorts of resources could only benefit the community," said Schork. In fact, Schork, Ali Torkamani and others at Scripps are collaborating with Complete Genomics, Inc., a whole genome sequencing company in Mountain View, CA, to develop appropriate reference panels for clinicians and researchers.
Deciphering Diseases
Schork and his colleagues are already working toward broader application of their results using an increasingly advanced version of the tool. While processing a single person's genome to identify and analyze variants took about four days when the project began, today the Adviser can accomplish the task in about 30 minutes.
Along with the paper's lead author Torkamani, Schork is a founder of a company called Cypher Genomics that has licensed the Scripps Genome Adviser for disease-focused research. The teams in both industry and academia hope not only to continue idiopathic disease research, but also to apply similar principles to search for the causes of more complex congenital conditions. "The broader message of our work is that you have to take ancestry into account no matter what disease you're studying," said Schork.
###
In addition to Torkamani and Schork, other authors on the paper, "Clinical Implications of Human Population Differences in Genome-wide Rates of Functional Genotypes," are Phillip Pham, Ondrej Libiger, Vikas Bansal, Guangfa Zhang, Ashley Scott-Van Zeeland, Ryan Tewhey and Eric Topol (director of STSI). For more information on the paper (doi: 10.3389/fgene.2012.00211), see http://www.frontiersin.org/Applied_Genetic_Epidemiology/10.3389/fgene.2012.00211/abstract
This research was supported by the National Institutes of Health (grant numbers 5 UL1 RR025774, 5 U01 DA024417, 5 R01 HL089655, 5 R01 DA030976, 5 R01 AG035020, 1 R01 MH093500, 2 U19 AI063603, 2 U19 AG023122, 5 P01 AG027734, 1 U01 HG006476-01), the Stand Up to Cancer Foundation, the Price Foundation and Scripps Genomic Medicine.
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?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
LONDON (AP) ? British lawmakers are sparring over what may be left of Richard III.
No one is certain yet that remains dug up last month at a Leicester parking lot are those of the monarch immortalized by William Shakespeare for his willingness to trade his kingdom for a horse.
It may take months for DNA testing to determine if the body is the king's, but that hasn't stopped lawmakers in Parliament from sparring over the remains for their valuable tourism potential.
Archaeologists found the bones beneath the site of the Grey Friars church in Leicester, central England. Accounts at the time say Richard was buried there following his 1485 death in the Battle of Bosworth Field.
Labour lawmaker John Mann says the priory of Worksop, in Nottinghamshire, would be an ideal final resting place for the king ? but his Labour colleague Jon Ashworth of Leicester South was having none of that.
"I am sure Worksop has many fine qualities, but given it was the Grey Friars who took the body of Richard and buried him at what was then the Grey Friars' church, a site which is today just a stone's throw from Leicester Cathedral, and he has been in Leicester for 500 years, it would be most appropriate that he is finally laid to rest at Leicester Cathedral," Ashworth said.
The University of Leicester team behind the find noted that archaeologists are still doing tests and are far from certain that the bones are Richard's.
The team that excavated the bones has identified a direct descendant of Richard's elder sister ? a 17th great-grand-nephew ? and obtained a DNA swab for possible matching with any bones found at the site.
"Let's see if it is him first," said Lin Foxhall, head of the university's School of Archaeology and Ancient History. "What we have is a really convincing candidate on the basis of circumstantial evidence. This is just not certain."
The global banking industry faces two opposing truths. On one hand, regardless of current economic concerns, emerging markets are where long-term growth opportunities lie. On the other, the crisis in the euro zone has forced banks to rethink their investments in numerous markets, if not retreat from them altogether. The result is a chasm of opportunity ? a vacuum ready to be filled by banks from both the emerging and developed worlds.
Largely free of the debt and de-leveraging that have undermined growth in the West, emerging economies in Asia, Africa, and Latin America remain among the few areas experiencing relatively good growth. Even amidst the euro crisis, the World Bank (PDF) expects developing economies to grow at a rate nearly four times that of the developed world over the next year.
While European banks were among the first to move into emerging markets, the euro zone crisis has led many to recoil or switch course. Recent headlines have been foreboding, highlighting concerns that the retrenchment could leave the most promising engines of global economic growth sputtering. Indeed, Bank for International Settlements (BIS) figures for the last quarter of 2011 showed that cross-border lending to emerging economies had declined by $75 billion ? its steepest fall since the Lehman collapse.
And yet three months later the same report showed a reversal: cross-border lending to emerging economies in the first quarter of 2012 increased by $86 billion. Lending from Europe remained flat, and the gap was filled from elsewhere ? largely Asian offshore centers and the U.K.
Filling the Gap
A combination of healthy Western banks and the players operating in and around emerging markets are targeting opportunity beyond the euro zone crisis. Their movements could potentially create a new class of global banking leaders for the next decade. Which are the likeliest to seize the opportunity?
Japanese banks. In some respects, the retrenchment by European banks bears similarities to the plight of Japanese institutions in the 1990s, when the contraction of the nation's domestic economy undercut its international banking giants. As the Japanese retreated home, European and other Western banks moved onto the global stage. Now the situation has reversed. Several of Japan's major banks, which have a surplus of deposits, are again expanding internationally and buying up loan portfolios from Western banks. Key players include Sumitomo Mitsui (PDF), Mitsubishi UFJ, and Mizuho.
Emerging market players. The banking vacuum might be filled from within, as the European retreat provides unprecedented opportunity for emerging market banks looking to form regional hubs and replace outbound international institutions. Take Russia's Sberbank: Last year it agreed to buy the operations of Austria's Volksbank in eight Eastern European countries for about $800 million. Likewise, BTG Pactual in Brazil has been clear about its intent to become the largest investment bank in emerging markets by the end of the decade. It recently bought Bolsa y Renta (PDF), a Columbian securities firm, and paid $600 million for Celfin Capital, a Chilean firm. In the East, Chinese banks and players like Singapore's DBS Bank and Malaysia's CIMB Bank are opening overseas branches and making more and more regional acquisitions.
Forward-looking Western banks. A handful of mature Western institutions are reinventing themselves as global players. Aside from the well-known players that have long profited from emerging markets (BBVA, HSBC, Santander, Standard Chartered), new names are emerging. For example, Wells Fargo plans to expand into 20 new markets, including China, Hong Kong, India, South Korea, and Singapore. JP Morgan has reported plans to assert itself throughout Asia, Latin America, and Africa to capture $1 billion in annual pre-tax profit over five years. Barclays has bold plans for investment and expansion in Africa (PDF).
These banks face a common challenge, too: Customers in emerging markets have proven especially fickle. Accenture research shows that bank customers in these economies are twice as likely as those in mature markets to switch to another bank for new products.
The winners of this global challenge must minimize churn and excel at customer retention. To do so, they will need to acquire genuine local-market knowledge and exhibit a disciplined approach to acquisitions. This might also be accomplished through joint ventures with trusted local brands. Ensuring customer support through cutting-edge systems and IT will be critical, as will the ability to tap online, mobile, social, and analytic innovations. Institutions that successfully fill the vacuum to capture future growth in emerging markets will join a new class of global banking leaders.
Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock pauses during a news in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, to explain the comment he made during last night Senate debate. Mourdock said that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, "that's something God intended." Mourdock has been locked in a close contest with Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock pauses during a news in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, to explain the comment he made during last night Senate debate. Mourdock said that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, "that's something God intended." Mourdock has been locked in a close contest with Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
Indiana Republican Senate candidate Richard Mourdock gestures during a news in Indianapolis, Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012, to explain the comment he made during last night Senate debate. Mourdock said that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, "that's something God intended." Mourdock has been locked in a close contest with Democratic Rep. Joe Donnelly. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)
FILE - In this Aug. 28, 2012 file photo, Sen. Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H. gestures while speaking at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. Republicans locked in close races _ from Mitt Romney to Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown _ on Wednesday disavowed Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's comment that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, ?that's something God intended.? Other Republicans also immediately distanced themselves from the tea party-backed Mourdock. Ayotte canceled a planned trip to campaign with the candidate Wednesday and issued a statement saying she disagreed with him. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall, File)
FILE -This Oct. 23, 2012 file photo shows Sen. Scott Brown, R-Mass. speaking in Shrewsbury. Republicans locked in close races _ from Mitt Romney to Brown _ on Wednesday disavowed Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's comment that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, ?that's something God intended.? Other Republicans also immediately distanced themselves from the tea party-backed Mourdock. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)
FILE - In this Oct. 19, 2012 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Daytona Beach, Fla. Republicans locked in close races _ from Romney to Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown _ on Wednesday disavowed Indiana Senate candidate Richard Mourdock's comment that when a woman becomes pregnant during a rape, ?that's something God intended.? Other Republicans also immediately distanced themselves from the tea party-backed Mourdock. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Just as Mitt Romney and other Republicans had cut into the Democrats' advantage with female voters, a tea party-backed Senate candidate's awkward remark ? that if rape leads to pregnancy it's "something God intended" ? has propelled the emotional issue of abortion back to the political forefront. It's put GOP candidates in tight races, from the presidential candidate on down, on the defensive.
Divisive social issues are hardly what most GOP candidates want to be discussing in the few days remaining until elections largely hinging on jobs and the economy. Almost immediately after Richard Mourdock's comment, Republican candidates distanced themselves from the Indiana state treasurer ? though by varying degrees.
The Romney campaign said Wednesday that the presidential nominee disagreed with Mourdock but stood by his endorsement of the Senate candidate. There were no plans to drop a Romney testimonial ad for Mourdock that began airing in Indiana on Monday.
Mourdock's comment in a Tuesday night debate came in answer to a question on when abortion should or should not be allowed. Said Romney spokeswoman Andrea Saul: "We disagree on the policy regarding exceptions for rape and incest but still support him."
Reaction was quick from Republican senators and candidates rejecting Mourdock's statement.
Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown, struggling to hold onto his seat against a challenge from Democrat Elizabeth Warren, said he was "a pro-choice Republican and that's not what I believe and I disagree with what he said." Pressed on his support for Mourdock's candidacy, Brown said that was up to Indiana voters.
Connecticut Republican Linda McMahon, bidding for the Senate seat there, called Mourdock's remarks "highly inappropriate and offensive. They do not reflect my beliefs as a woman or a pro-choice candidate."
New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, who had planned to campaign with Mourdock in Indiana, canceled her appearance.
In Wisconsin, former Republican Gov. Tommy Thompson, who faces Democratic Rep. Tammy Baldwin, called Mourdock's comments "really sad."
"I've got a wife and two daughters and six granddaughters," he said in an interview. "Anything dealing with rape against women is uncalled for. Period. No tolerance whatsoever."
Mourdock's debate comment recalled GOP Senate candidate Todd Akin's remark in August about rape and pregnancy. The Missouri congressman said women's bodies have ways of preventing pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape." Republicans, led by Romney, called for Akin to abandon the race, but he refused and is pressing ahead against Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill.
Romney and several Republicans have been moderating their positions in the campaign's closing days, making their final pitch to the independents, undecideds and female voters whose votes could tip both the presidential election and majority control of the Senate. Recent national polls have shown Obama's edge with female voters shrinking to single digits.
Mourdock's comment rattled the races, including his own surprisingly competitive contest with Rep. Joe Donnelly. Mourdock had prevailed over six-term Sen. Richard Lugar in a bitter GOP primary in May.
Democrats, who have pushed the narrative of a Republican "war on women," eagerly made Mourdock's comment an issue for Romney and Senate GOP candidates. The Democrats are increasingly hopeful that they can hold their slim Senate advantage despite defending 23 seats to the GOP's 10.
The Obama campaign said the president found Mourdock's comments "outrageous and demeaning to women," and it contended they were "a reminder that a Republican Congress working with a Republican President Mitt Romney would feel that women should not be able to make choices about their own health care."
Said spokeswoman Jen Psaki of Romney: "It is perplexing that he wouldn't demand to have that ad taken down."
On Tuesday night, Mourdock was asked during the closing minutes of a debate with Donnelly whether abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest.
"I struggled with it myself for a long time, but I came to realize that life is that gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, that it is something that God intended to happen," Mourdock said.
At a news conference Wednesday, the state treasurer stood by his statement but suggested he had been misunderstood.
"I think that God can see beauty in every life," Mourdock said. "Certainly, I did not intend to suggest that God wants rape, that God pushes people to rape, that God wants to support or condone evil in any way."
Another tea party-backed candidate, Rep. Joe Walsh, R-Ill., said last week that medical advances mean women no longer die in pregnancies and the exceptions for abortion are unnecessary. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called that comment inaccurate since "pregnancy is not a risk-free life event." The organization said more than 600 women die each year from pregnancy or childbirth-related reasons.
As for Mourdock, the National Republican Senatorial Committee stood by its candidate and argued that his words were being taken out of context.
"Richard and I, along with millions of Americans ? including even Joe Donnelly ? believe that life is a gift from God. To try and construe his words as anything other than a restatement of that belief is irresponsible and ridiculous," said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, chairman of the committee.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said it is "incredibly irresponsible for anyone to take what Richard said about his views on life to demean his opposition to the detestable act of rape."
Cornyn had criticized Akin in August and called on him to abandon the Missouri race at a time when the GOP had a chance to put a replacement candidate on the ballot. Republicans have no opportunity now to make a change 13 days to the election in Indiana.
This month, the Republican Senatorial Committee has spent more than $1.2 million on ads criticizing Donnelly. The Republican-favoring group Crossroads GPS invested nearly $1.1 million on Wednesday to run ads against the Democrat.
In the most competitive Senate races, however, Republicans were quick to react negatively.
In Arizona, Republican Rep. Jeff Flake's campaign said his "pro-life position has always included exceptions for rape, incest and to protect the life of the mother, so he does not agree with some of the comments made by other candidates on this issue."
Still, Flake's rival, former U.S. Surgeon General Richard Carmona, tried to use the firestorm over Mourdock's remark in the Arizona race.
"Jeff Flake's record is in lockstep with the ignorant and dangerous comments and positions we've seen come from U.S. Senate candidates across the country," said Elizabeth Kenigsberg, a Carmona campaign spokeswoman.
In Nevada, Republican Sen. Dean Heller also disagreed with the comments from Mourdock. Heller is in a close race with Democrat Shelley Berkley.
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Associated Press writers Andrew Miga and Kevin Freking in Washington, and Bob Salsberg in Boston contributed to this report.
Michael Phelps enjoys smoking weed. Er, okay. Not surprised? Then, how about this? Michael Phelps enjoys smoking weed?with Young Jeezy! Ahhh. Now we've got your attention, don't we?!
Unfortunately, we don't have any visual evidence of Phelps and Jeezy lighting up. But, earlier today, former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder made an appearance on a radio show in Miami. And, he revealed that he was at a club in South Beach back in 2009 when he saw the Olympic swimmer and the Trapper of the Year passing a blunt back and forth in the VIP section.
"I was on South Beach probably three weeks before [the infamous photo of Phelps smoking weed came out]," he said. "Everybody knows who Young Jeezy is?he was in [the club]. It was crazy because it was Young Jeezy and Michael in the next section over from us?I look and I see Young Jeezy's hanging out with a big old white guy and it was Michael Phelps. I shook his hand and he was blowing people off because he was drunk, too, and I see him hit the blunt later on when Jeezy passed it. No lie! I don't get star struck or impressed by many people. But, when I saw Young Jeezy hand Michael Phelps a blunt, that was impressive to me."
Hell yeah! We don't blame you for being impressed. We just wish someone would have snapped a picture of that. It would have been historic.
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More than 75 percent of global real estate and construction industry executives believe that current energy efficiency legislation can benefit the commercial building sector, according to a report commissioned by the Global Buildings Performance Network (GBPN).
The study, which was conducted by The Economist Intelligence Unit, was aimed at industry executives in the USA, China, India and the European Union, with respondents asked a number of questions regarding their approach to energy efficiency initiatives and the effect of current legislation in their respective countries.
With commercial buildings coming under an energy efficiency spotlight, the study highlighted a number of key findings from its global respondents. Legislation was considered to be key in all territories with 34 percent of the industry believing that a lack of enforcement of regulations was a major obstacle to continued investment in efficiency, with 75 percent believing that there was an opportunity for commercial real estate to implement deep energy efficiency retrofits as, and when, further government incentives become available.
With 27 percent of the respondents based in the U.S, the work of DOE-sponsored initiatives such as the Energy Efficient Buildings Hub (EEB Hub) in the Greater Philadelphia region is seen as a model for national retrofit implementation. However, the study shows that despite such high-profile public-private sector collaborations, there is an apparent level of disinformation affecting the growth of the industry.
Respondents to the survey were divided on the true cost of commercial building energy consumption with 33 percent underestimating the financial significance of using energy efficient building materials. According to the GBPN, the cost of constructing an energy efficient building is between 5 and 15 percent more than a standard build, however 66 percent of respondents stated that it was significantly higher.
Respondents did admit that the message is gaining momentum, with 63 percent saying that it impacts on their investment decisions with over 50 percent taking a long-term view of potential payback. However, many of the executives interviewed would approve of government-mandated legislation to drive investment, with 68 percent believing that either a carbon tax or a limit on emissions would level the playing field for commercial construction companies.
"The market needs clear long-term signals, rational expectations and opportunities for a reasonable return on investment," wrote the authors of the report. "But with buildings?responsible for such a large proportion of global greenhouse gas emissions, it is a task that should be embraced with urgency by both governments and the private sector."
Oil and gas companies could sell twice as many junk bonds this month as they did in September. Capital markets will continue to welcome the issues, even as the industry slows down.
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There?s nothing like a collection of useful tips to get someone started dealing in commercial real estate. This article is filled with useful tips designed for beginners who need to learn the basics of real estate transactions.
Foster a reputation for yourself by having a blog which specializes in commercial real estate. This is helpful in finding people that want what you have looking at your properties.
Before you start out on your search for the perfect commercial property, you should be fully attuned to the specifics of your business needs. You should know the minimum square footage necessary, as well as any must-have amenities. If you plan to make your company grow, it will be a good idea to buy more space than you need while the market is low to save you some money later.
TIP! You need to realize that every property has a lifetime. Don?t make the mistake of overlooking the fact that you will need to put a substantial amount of money into the property to keep it well-maintained.
Real Estate
There are differences between brokers in the commercial real estate field. Real estate agents will work with landlords and tenants, but there are also some that only work with tenants. A tenant?s-only broker may serve your needs better than a full service broker.
Keep your focus on just one investment type at a time. Whether you?d like to get involved in investing in commercial property, renting apartments or some other type of commercial investment, do yourself a favor, and choose just one investment to focus on. Each type of investment requires individual attention. Start out with only one type of investment, and you will soon master it. This is much more profitable then having just a little experience with many types of real estate.
TIP! You need to advertise that your commercial property is for sale to both locally and non-local people. Don?t be mistaken by the thought that locals will be the only people interested in your sale.
To ensure that you receive quality service when searching for commercial property, find a company which cares for their customers. If you don?t do this, you might get taken advantage of or wind up paying much more money over time.
Anyone in real estate would be wise to keep the possibility of inflation or an economic downturn at any time. The days when leases used regular adjustments to protect you against inflation are over. With the way things work today, take precaution because this type of contract is extinct, which leaves you a lot more vulnerable when it comes to losses as a result of inflation.
Purchase a piece of property with multiple units. The more units you have, the easier you can spread out the wealth you are receiving from each of them. Many buyers don?t look at a property with less than 10 units, and many think the more units you have, the more cash you can earn.
TIP! Ask your real estate broker how they measure success and failure to determine if you have hired the correct one. Find out what criteria they use to determine their results.
Smaller Issues
When drawing up a letter of intent, try to solicit agreement on big issues first and leave smaller issues for later rounds of negotiations. This will make negotiations less tense and make gaining agreement on the smaller issues easier to complete.
You should consult with a tax expert prior to purchasing anything. A good tax adviser can let you know what percentage of the income will be taxable, and exactly how much the building will cost you. An adviser could even help you find an area with lower taxes.
TIP! Take plenty of pictures of the building. Make certain your photos highlight specific defects such as carpet spots, wall holes and bathroom discolorations.
Buying commercial properties requires plenty of perseverance and calmness. Don?t jump into a new investment too quickly! If the property isn?t really what you want, you will regret your haste. It could take you twelve months or longer to get the deal that fits you perfectly.
If you put the commercial property up for sale, have it inspected. If anything turns up during the inspection, you should immediately address the problem.
Be prepared to put a large amount of time into a real estate investment right from the start. Good opportunities can be found if you look, and after you have made a purchase, the property may require repairs or remodeling. Even though this work takes time, don?t lose heart! You will reap the rewards in the near future.
TIP! You can post to social networking sites, and you should also send out newsletters about your commercial properties. Keep your investors in the know so you can use them again on future deals.
Contact Information
It?s critical to have emergency maintenance contact information very accessible. The landlord in the building where you have your office will be able to provide emergency repair contact information for you. Know the phone numbers, and be aware of their response time. Use the information provided by your landlord to help you prepare a plan for when normal business is disrupted by certain events.
Know your needs before you even start looking for a commercial real estate. Draw up a list of specific attributes your office space must have, including size, number of meeting rooms, and available bathrooms.
TIP! When you buy commercial real estate, look for opportunities to buy bigger. This lets you take advantage of economies of scale.
Ask a broker firm how they make their money before you start working with them. Their answer should be discussed openly. Get an understanding of why they are in business and what they can do for you.
Location is the most important factor in choosing a commercial property to buy. Take the neighborhood of the property into consideration. Also, consider local growth projections. The area you buy in needs to have potential over the next 5 to 10 years.
If inspections are included in your real estate transaction, as they usually are, make a request to see the inspectors? credentials. Pest removal companies should be closely checked because many non-professionals do this work. This can avoid future problems after the sale.
TIP! Keep in mind how important size is when you are looking for a spot for an up-and-coming business. Invest in property which allows your business to grow as necessary so you can avoid having to buy another property down the road.
During the commercial loan process, the person who is the borrower will need to order the appraisal. Banks will not allow them to be used later. Spare yourself further hassle by initiating the request yourself.
Hopefully the previous tips that were mentioned in this article will help you get started, so you know what it takes to buy and sell commercial real estate. Remember to apply these tips and work on improving your skills linked to property hunting and negotiating.
ScienceDaily (Oct. 22, 2012) ? That snake heading towards you may be further away than it appears. Fear can skew our perception of approaching objects, causing us to underestimate the distance of a threatening one, finds a study published in Current Biology.
"Our results show that emotion and perception are not fully dissociable in the mind," says Emory psychologist Stella Lourenco, co-author of the study. "Fear can alter even basic aspects of how we perceive the world around us. This has clear implications for understanding clinical phobias."
Lourenco conducted the research with Matthew Longo, a psychologist at Birkbeck, University of London.
People generally have a well-developed sense for when objects heading towards them will make contact, including a split-second cushion for dodging or blocking the object, if necessary. The researchers set up an experiment to test the effect of fear on the accuracy of that skill.
Study participants made time-to-collision judgments of images on a computer screen. The images expanded in size over one second before disappearing, to simulate "looming," an optical pattern used instinctively to judge collision time. The study participants were instructed to gauge when each of the visual stimuli on the computer screen would have collided with them by pressing a button.
The participants tended to underestimate the collision time for images of threatening objects, such as a snake or spider, as compared to non-threatening images, such as a rabbit or butterfly.
The results challenge the traditional view of looming, as a purely optical cue to object approach. "We're showing that what the object is affects how we perceive looming. If we're afraid of something, we perceive it as making contact sooner," Longo says.
"Even more striking," Lourenco adds, "it is possible to predict how much a participant will underestimate the collision time of an object by assessing the amount of fear they have for that object. The more fearful someone reported feeling of spiders, for example, the more they underestimated time-to-collision for a looming spider. That makes adaptive sense: If an object is dangerous, it's better to swerve a half-second too soon than a half-second too late."
The researchers note that it's unclear whether fear of an object makes the object appear to travel faster, or whether that fear makes the viewer expand their sense of personal space, which is generally about an arm's length away.
"We'd like to distinguish between these two possibilities in future research. Doing so will allow us to shed insight on the mechanics of basic aspects of spatial perception and the mechanisms underlying particular phobias," Lourenco says.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Emory University. The original article was written by Carol Clark.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
Journal Reference:
Eleonora Vagnoni, Stella F. Lourenco, Matthew R. Longo. Threat modulates perception of looming visual stimuli. Current Biology, 2012; 22 (19): R826 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2012.07.053
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
NICOSIA, Cyprus (AP) - Fans of a Cypriot soccer club threw a powerful firecracker at one of its players while he was receiving medical treatment during a game.
The team, Anorthosis Famagusta, said no one was seriously injured.
Trainers were tending to Colombian forward Ricardo Laborde on Sunday. Video footage shows the trainers and Laborde writhing on the ground after the firecracker exploded inches from their faces.
Anorthosis Famagusta condemned the actions of its fans and also denounced those who lit flares during the league game against Omonia Nicosia.
Anorthosis, which is tied for first place, urged police on Monday to check fans more thoroughly when entering the stadium. Police said investigators are studying television footage to track down the culprit.
? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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PST: Those free-spending Parisians probably should've been ruling Ligue 1 before now. But hey, it's not like it was going to be a cakewalk.
My sponsor just sends me an email: scrapbooking supplies up to 60% off! This is for the good stuff. Here are 10 scrapbooking supplies that I think are worth stocking up on/investing in now, to take advantage of the savings, while getting ready for that wonderful time of the best scrapbooking season of the year: the holidays!
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1.
Crafts Scoring Board and Envelope Tool.
By Martha Stewart. Now $13, is 60% off.
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Cricut Expression 290300 Personal Electronic Cutter.
Virtually limitless paper cuts & design possibilities.? Now $200, is 33% off.
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3.
Cricut 29-0002 Replacement Cutting Blades for Cricut Cutting Machines.
Martha Stewart Crafts Tinsel Glitter Set, 12-Pack.
Can never have enough glitter in the holiday season.
< $10, is 63% off.
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Stanley GR20K Trigger Feed Hot Melt Glue Gun Kit.
Now $12.50, is 30 % savings.
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Stanley GS20DT Dual Temperature 4-Inch Glue Sticks, 24-Pack
Now $5, i.e. at 27% discount, so now is a great time to stock up on them.
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Enjoy these fabulous discounts* on your everyday scrapbooking supplies!
(* These are the actual (rounded off) prices as of this writing. Online retailers may adjust prices over time to meet market conditions.)
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Favorite Scrapbooking Supplies
Oh, you ask me what?s my favorite? I love paper punches and if I were to choose just one thing on a small budget, I?d go for the doily punch. It is the ideal tool for making lovely decorative cards, perfect for sending thoughtful messages to family and friends.? And it?s the season to do just that.
Here are some sample cards made with Martha Stewart doily punches. Really beautiful and elegant. Add some gold embossing and some browns, ochers and reds to your cards to make your stationary seasonal.
Handmade Cards(credit: Martha Stewart)
Scrapbooking Projects
Ordered your paper art supplies and now want to start doing something right away?
Here you will find a long list of all kinds ofscrapbooking and greeting cards projects. Free tutorials.
For some projects you?ll need the above tools, while for others all you?ll need is a piece of white office paper and a pair of scissors.., like for this origami butterfly.
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_s33uSHfFqR6OIZv3G9A4vTOAogUHvgr__AeANgrVCMWo_i9vr-UqQc7mGqO1isE1mP5fVxmjJCpiC1yP-ES1mDXx6hhDlt843gUgt-qNI=s0-d){kind=small}
Public release date: 25-Oct-2012
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