skydiving fermat: January 2013

Thursday, January 31, 2013

Lewis says he's 'agitated,' not angry, about story

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks during an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. Lewis denied a report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl on Sunday. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis walks onstage to speak at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis speaks at an NFL Super Bowl XLVII football news conference on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2013, in New Orleans. The Ravens face the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl XLVII on Sunday, Feb. 3. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Ray Lewis is "agitated."

Not because the Baltimore Ravens linebacker thinks the magazine report linking him to a company that purports to make performance-enhancers will affect his play or that of his teammates against the San Francisco 49ers in the Super Bowl ? the final game of a 17-year NFL career that most assume will earn him a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Rather, Lewis did not want to spend time discussing the subject in private with his head coach or in public with the media, as he did Wednesday, when his forceful denials ? and attacks on the owner of the supplement company ? meant the matter intruded for a second consecutive day on his retirement send-off.

"It's so funny of a story, because I never, ever took what he says or whatever I was supposed to do. And it's just sad, once again, that someone can have this much attention on a stage this big, where the dreams are really real," Lewis said, wearing his white No. 52 Ravens jersey, gray sweat pants and a black hat with the team's purple logo. "I don't need it. My teammates don't need it. The 49ers don't need it. Nobody needs it."

He smiled widely when the first question at his media session was about the topic ? surely, he figured it was coming ? then chuckled later while addressing it. Known for his frequent references to God and faith, Lewis called the whole episode a "joke" and a "trick of the devil," adding that he told teammates: "Don't let people from the outside ever come and try to disturb what's inside."

Sports Illustrated reported Tuesday that Lewis sought help from a company called Sports With Alternatives To Steroids (SWATS), which says its deer-antler spray and pills contain a naturally occurring banned product connected to human growth hormone. The 37-year-old Lewis, the MVP of the 2001 Super Bowl, is the leading tackler in the NFL postseason after returning from a torn right triceps that sidelined him for 10 games.

SI reported that company owner Mitch Ross recorded a call with Lewis hours after the player hurt his arm in an October game against Dallas. According to the report, Lewis asked Ross to send him deer-antler spray and pills, along with other items made by the company.

On Wednesday, Lewis called Ross a coward and said he "has no credibility."

Ross declined an interview request from The Associated Press but emailed a statement reading: "It is the view of SWATS and Mitch Ross that the timing of information was unfortunate and misleading and was in no way intended to harm any athlete. We have always been about aiding athletes to heal faster and participate at an optimum level of play in a lawful and healthy manner. We never encourage the use of harmful supplements and/or dangerous drugs."

Told by a reporter that he seemed angry, Lewis replied: "Me? Never angry. I'm too blessed to be stressed. Nah. You're not angry. You can use a different word. You can use the word 'agitated,' because I'm here to win the Super Bowl. I'm not here to entertain somebody that does not affect that one way or another."

Christopher Key, a co-owner of SWATS, said in a telephone interview that the company removed NFL players' endorsements from its website because "all the players were given letters by the NFL two years ago saying they had to cease and desist and could not continue to do business with us anymore."

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello confirmed that but did not respond to other requests for comment about SWATS or Lewis' involvement.

Teammates uniformly pushed the same message as Lewis and Ravens head coach John Harbaugh ? "Everybody heard about it, but we're not worried about it," is the way rookie running back Bernard Pierce put it ? and several said NFL players often are offered products to aid in muscle-building or recovery.

"You've got to be real careful. You've got to think there's a reason they're giving you this product," Pierce said. "If someone has success, another person wants to be mentioned in that ? like, 'Oh, I'm the reason for that.' If anybody tries to give me anything or tries to sell me on their stuff, I say, 'Go right to my agent.'"

Wary of using something that has no real benefit ? or, worse, that would result in a positive drug test administered by the league ? players seek approval first from the NFL, the union, or a team trainer or doctor.

"I've been approached," Baltimore nose tackle Ma'ake Kemoeatu said. "They'll come to me and they tell me, 'This will help you with recovery and all that.' I say, 'OK. I appreciate it.' And then I will call the NFL."

Another athlete mentioned in the SI story, three-time golf major champion Vijay Singh, released a statement Wednesday at the Phoenix Open, acknowledging he used deer-antler spray and saying he wasn't aware that it may contain a substance banned by the PGA Tour.

Sports Illustrated reported that when it spoke to Lewis for its story, he acknowledged asking Ross for "some more of the regular stuff" on the night of the injury and that he has been associated with the company "for a couple years."

Lewis' stance was different Wednesday.

"He told me there's nothing to it. ... He's told us in the past, he's told us now, that he's never taken any of that stuff, ever," Harbaugh said. "And I believe Ray. I trust Ray completely. We have a relationship. I know this man. And I know what he's all about. It's just too bad it has to be something that gets so much play."

While Lewis did face a handful of questions about SWATS, plus some on-field topics, he never had to deal Wednesday with a single reference to a dark chapter in his life: He pleaded guilty to obstruction of justice in connection with the stabbing deaths of two men after a Super Bowl party at an Atlanta nightclub in 2000.

"We all in here have a past. You know? But how many people actually dwell into it? You know? Nah, it ain't about your past. It's about your future," Lewis said in response to a question about keeping focused on Sunday's game.

"And for me and my teammates, I promise you, we have a strong group of men that we don't bend too much, and we keep pushing forward. So it's not a distraction at all for us," he said, raising a clenched fist.

"The trick of the devil is to kill, steal and destroy. That's what he comes to do. He comes to distract you from everything you're trying to do. There's no man ever trained as hard as our team has trained. There's no man that's went through what we went through," Lewis said. "So to give somebody credit that doesn't deserve credit, that would be a slap in the face for everything we went through."

Asked about deer-antler spray, 49ers tight end Vernon Davis' take was, "I don't think Ray would take any substance."

Carlos Rogers, a San Francisco cornerback, chuckled when asked about it and what effect the headlines could have on the Ravens.

"I don't think they'll get a distraction. I don't know what to make of that. I heard it was something that can't be detected. They can't test (for) it, anyway," Rogers said. "Him saying that he's never failed a test, he probably hasn't failed a test for what they test for."

Boasting that "you will never fail a drug test from taking our product," SWATS co-owner Key said the company has sold its products to more than 20 college football players each at Southeastern Conference schools Alabama, Auburn, Mississippi, LSU and Georgia.

Alabama has sent two cease-and-desist letters to SWATS, university spokeswoman Debbie Lane said, adding: "UA has been aware of this situation for some time, and we have monitored this company for several years." Auburn and LSU representatives also said they have asked the company to stay away from students.

___

AP Sports Writer John Zenor in Tuscaloosa, Ala., contributed to this report.

___

Follow Howard Fendrich on Twitter at http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2013-01-30-FBN-Super-Bowl-Lewis/id-2e81339aad8544dfac3207fcd6394b7a

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French foreign minister: Troops to leave Mali soon

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets of Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Chadian soldiers patrol the streets vacated by Islamic extremists in Gao, Northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Angry crowds shout at suspected Islamist extremists in the back of an army truck in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2013. Four suspects were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian man walks by a fabric store in the central market in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A French soldier lights up a cigarette outside a food store in Gao, northern Mali, Tuesday Jan. 29, 2013, days after Malian and French military forces closed in and retook the town from Islamist rebels. Earlier Tuesday, four suspected extremists were arrested after being found by a youth militia calling themselves the "Gao Patrolmen". Malian soldiers prevented the mob from lynching them. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

SEVARE, Mali (AP) ? France's foreign minister said Wednesday that French forces would depart Mali "quickly" following their success in taking control of the airport in Kidal, a key position in the last remaining urban stronghold of Islamist extremists in northern Mali.

French and Malian troops have recaptured two of the other provincial capitals, Timbuktu and Gao, in recent days. Once France, with its thousands of troops, fighter planes and helicopters, leaves, Mali's weak army and soldiers from neighboring countries Islamists might be hard-pressed to retain control of northern Mali's cities if the Islamists attempt a comeback from their desert hideouts.

"Now it's up to African countries to take over," French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Le Parisien newspaper. "We decided to put the means ? in men and supplies ? to make the mission succeed and hit hard. But the French aspect was never expected to be maintained. We will leave quickly."

Haminy Maiga, the interim president of the Kidal regional assembly, said French forces met no resistance when they arrived late Tuesday.

"The French arrived at 9:30 p.m. aboard four planes, which landed one after another. Afterwards they took the airport and then entered the town, and there was no combat," said Maiga, who had been in touch with people in the town by satellite phone as all the normal phone networks were down.

"The French are patrolling the town and two helicopters are patrolling overhead," he added.

In Paris, French army Col. Thierry Burkhard confirmed that the airport was taken overnight and described the operation in Kidal itself as "ongoing."

On Tuesday, a secular Tuareg rebel group had asserted that they were in control of Kidal and other small towns in northern Mali. Maiga said those fighters had left Kidal and were at the entry posts on the roads from Gao and Tessalit.

France, the former colonial ruler, began sending in troops, helicopters and warplanes on Jan. 11 to turn the tide after the armed Islamists began encroaching on the south, toward the capital. French and Malian troops seized Gao during the weekend and took Timbuktu on Monday. The Islamists gave up both cities and retreated into the surrounding desert.

In Gao's main market, women returned to work on Wednesday without the black veils required by the Islamists. They wore vibrant patterned fabrics and sported makeup.

While most crowds in the freed cities have been joyful, months of resentment toward the Islamists bubbled into violence in Gao.

Video footage filmed by an amateur cameraman and obtained by The Associated Press shows a mob attacking the symbol of the extremists' rule, the Islamic police headquarters.

Some celebrate cheering "I am Malian," while others armed with sticks and machetes attack suspected members of the Islamist regime. The graphic images shot Saturday show the mob as they mutilate the corpses of two young suspected jihadists lying dead in the street.

Gao's mayor and governor met Wednesday with community elders in an attempt to bring a halt to the vigilante attacks.

There are 3,500 French troops involved in the operation and 2,900 Africans, according to the latest figures from the French Defense Ministry.

Mali's military was severely affected by a military coup last year coup and has a reputation for disorganization and bad discipline. Malian soldiers have been accused of fatally shooting civilians suspected of links to the Islamists. The military has promised to investigate the allegations.

___

Associated Press writers Baba Ahmed in Segou, Mali; Lori Hinnant in Paris; and Andrew Drake and Jerome Delay in Gao, Mali contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-30-Mali%20Fighting/id-6c3be0de022445938b9695da0aee4307

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Study: Husbands who do more traditionally female housework have less sex

Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
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Contact: Daniel Fowler
pubinfo@asanet.org
202-527-7885
American Sociological Association

WASHINGTON, DC, January 24, 2013 Married men who spend more time doing traditionally female household tasksincluding cooking, cleaning, and shoppingreport having less sex than husbands who don't do as much, according to a new study in the February issue of the American Sociological Review.

"Our findings suggest the importance of socialized gender roles for sexual frequency in heterosexual marriage," said Sabino Kornrich, the study's lead author and a junior researcher at the Center for Advanced Studies at the Juan March Institute in Madrid. "Couples in which men participate more in housework typically done by women report having sex less frequently. Similarly, couples in which men participate more in traditionally masculine taskssuch as yard work, paying bills, and auto maintenancereport higher sexual frequency."

The study, "Egalitarianism, Housework, and Sexual Frequency in Marriage," which considers heterosexual married couples in the United States, relies on nationally representative data from the National Survey of Families and Households. Men in the study reported having had sex an average of 5.2 times in the month prior to the survey while women reported 5.6 times on average. But, both men and women in couples with more gender-traditional divisions of household labor reported having had more sex than those with more egalitarian divisions.

"The results suggest the existence of a gendered set of sexual scripts, in which the traditional performance and display of gender is important for creation of sexual desire and performance of sexual activity," said Kornrich, who co-authored the study with two University of Washington researchers, Julie Brines, an associate professor of sociology, and Katrina Leupp, a doctoral candidate in sociology.

The researchers also investigated, and ultimately ruled out, a number of other possible explanations for their findings. For example, they explored the possibility that couples with more traditional divisions of labor had more sex because the husbands in those relationships were sexually coercive. "Wives' reported satisfaction with their sex life has the same relationship to men's participation in household labor as sexual frequency," Kornrich said. "Had satisfaction with sex been low, but frequency high, it might have suggested coercion. However, we didn't find that."

In addition, the researchers found that happiness, religion, gender ideology, and a range of other variables did not affect the relationship between more traditional divisions of labor and more frequent sexual activity.

"The importance of gender has declined over time, but it continues to exert a strong influence over individual behaviors, including sexual frequency within marriage," Kornrich said.

But, for husbands who might see the study as justification for not cooking, cleaning, shopping, or performing other traditionally female household tasks, Kornrich issued a warning. "Men who refuse to help around the house could increase conflict in their marriage and lower their wives' marital satisfaction," he said. "Earlier research has found that women's marital satisfaction is indeed linked to men's participation in overall household labor, which encompasses tasks traditionally done by both men and women."

###

About the American Sociological Association and the American Sociological Review
The American Sociological Association, founded in 1905, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to serving sociologists in their work, advancing sociology as a science and profession, and promoting the contributions to and use of sociology by society. The American Sociological Review is the ASA's flagship journal.

The research article described above is available by request for members of the media. For a copy of the full study, contact Daniel Fowler, ASA's Media Relations and Public Affairs Officer.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
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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.

Study: Husbands who do more traditionally female housework have less sex Public release date: 30-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Daniel Fowler
pubinfo@asanet.org
202-527-7885
American Sociological Association

WASHINGTON, DC, January 24, 2013 Married men who spend more time doing traditionally female household tasksincluding cooking, cleaning, and shoppingreport having less sex than husbands who don't do as much, according to a new study in the February issue of the American Sociological Review.

"Our findings suggest the importance of socialized gender roles for sexual frequency in heterosexual marriage," said Sabino Kornrich, the study's lead author and a junior researcher at the Center for Advanced Studies at the Juan March Institute in Madrid. "Couples in which men participate more in housework typically done by women report having sex less frequently. Similarly, couples in which men participate more in traditionally masculine taskssuch as yard work, paying bills, and auto maintenancereport higher sexual frequency."

The study, "Egalitarianism, Housework, and Sexual Frequency in Marriage," which considers heterosexual married couples in the United States, relies on nationally representative data from the National Survey of Families and Households. Men in the study reported having had sex an average of 5.2 times in the month prior to the survey while women reported 5.6 times on average. But, both men and women in couples with more gender-traditional divisions of household labor reported having had more sex than those with more egalitarian divisions.

"The results suggest the existence of a gendered set of sexual scripts, in which the traditional performance and display of gender is important for creation of sexual desire and performance of sexual activity," said Kornrich, who co-authored the study with two University of Washington researchers, Julie Brines, an associate professor of sociology, and Katrina Leupp, a doctoral candidate in sociology.

The researchers also investigated, and ultimately ruled out, a number of other possible explanations for their findings. For example, they explored the possibility that couples with more traditional divisions of labor had more sex because the husbands in those relationships were sexually coercive. "Wives' reported satisfaction with their sex life has the same relationship to men's participation in household labor as sexual frequency," Kornrich said. "Had satisfaction with sex been low, but frequency high, it might have suggested coercion. However, we didn't find that."

In addition, the researchers found that happiness, religion, gender ideology, and a range of other variables did not affect the relationship between more traditional divisions of labor and more frequent sexual activity.

"The importance of gender has declined over time, but it continues to exert a strong influence over individual behaviors, including sexual frequency within marriage," Kornrich said.

But, for husbands who might see the study as justification for not cooking, cleaning, shopping, or performing other traditionally female household tasks, Kornrich issued a warning. "Men who refuse to help around the house could increase conflict in their marriage and lower their wives' marital satisfaction," he said. "Earlier research has found that women's marital satisfaction is indeed linked to men's participation in overall household labor, which encompasses tasks traditionally done by both men and women."

###

About the American Sociological Association and the American Sociological Review
The American Sociological Association, founded in 1905, is a non-profit membership association dedicated to serving sociologists in their work, advancing sociology as a science and profession, and promoting the contributions to and use of sociology by society. The American Sociological Review is the ASA's flagship journal.

The research article described above is available by request for members of the media. For a copy of the full study, contact Daniel Fowler, ASA's Media Relations and Public Affairs Officer.
[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/asa-shw012413.php
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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Brazilian cities crack down on nightclubs after deadly fire

SANTA MARIA, Brazil (Reuters) - Cities across Brazil are beginning to crack down on nightclubs to ensure they comply with fire regulations following a weekend blaze that killed 234 people at a club in the southern university town of Santa Maria.

The fire was Brazil's deadliest in half a century and resonated across the country, with many people demanding those responsible be prosecuted and that the government tighten up on safety.

Brazilians are outraged at what they see as lax regulation and corrupt officials whose oversights led to the tragedy. There are fears similar fires could happen at other clubs and public venues, especially as the country gears up to host the World Cup of soccer next year and the Olympic Games in 2016.

Sensitivity is also growing because Brazil is in the runup to next month's Carnival celebrations. The event routinely features throngs of unruly revelers in parades and street parties in cities across the country.

As funerals and an official investigation proceeded, government officials and lawmakers pressed for tougher laws. President Dilma Rousseff, who visited grief-torn Santa Maria over the weekend, urged local officials on Monday for more rigor in enforcing safety regulations.

Cities across the country quickly responded.

"We were all evidently shocked by the Santa Maria tragedy," Bosco Saraiva, the acting mayor of Manaus, a city of 2 million people in the Amazon region, said in a telephone interview. "Yesterday we started a total cleanup."

The campaign featured sudden club inspections and city authorities closed 17 because of fire hazards and expired permits. Americana, a city in the southeastern state of Sao Paulo, issued a blanket order on Tuesday for all nightclubs to shut down temporarily while new safety standards are discussed.

Brasilia and other cities including Sao Paulo, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Santos, Curitiba and Porto Alegre have also deployed inspectors. In Salvador, Brazil's third-biggest city, the mayor ordered the inspection of all entertainment venues, including Carnival installations now being erected.

Carnival floats and decorations in the past have been criticized by safety experts because they are often made with papers, plastics and other highly flammable materials.

'SOMEBODY HAS TO BE RESPONSIBLE'

Outrage over the disaster manifested in a march in Santa Maria, across headlines in national newspapers and in countless critiques in social media.

Cries of "Justice!" rose from a crowd of 15,000 people who marched through the center of Santa Maria on Monday night. Marchers carried flowers to a local gym that has served as a morgue and funeral parlor since the early Sunday fire.

After recounting, authorities said 234 people had been killed in the blaze, up from a previous tally of 231 victims. Another 122 people are still hospitalized, 83 of them on respirators.

Most of the dead were students suffocated by toxic fumes. Others were trampled as they stampeded toward the sole exit of the "Kiss" nightclub, whose permits were under review.

Witnesses said bouncers initially blocked the exit because they thought fleeing customers were trying to leave without paying for their drinks.

Families of the victims are demanding explanations.

"Somebody has to be responsible," said Elaine Marques Gon?alves, a mother who lost one son in the fire and has another critically injured.

"I will not get my son's life back, but I want the authorities to investigate and act, for the sake of other young people," the devastated woman said in a video interview on the website of the O Estado de S.Paulo newspaper.

Police on Monday detained the two owners of the club and two members of the band whose performance led to the blaze. Investigators say a flare lit by one of the band members ignited soundproofing above the stage, causing the calamity.

No charges have been filed against the detained men, but prosecutors said they could be held for up to five days for questioning.

Santa Maria's police chief, Marcelo Arigony, told local television that authorities still do not know how many people were in the club, which the fire department said was authorized to hold up to 700 people, and whether it was over capacity.

He said there was a security camera in the club, but there was no evidence it was working.

Experts say Brazilian safety laws seem sufficient on paper but that enforcement is weak and codes can vary from state to state. Marco Maia, speaker of Brazil's lower house of Congress, on Monday proposed setting up a commission to monitor police investigations into the fire and study the possibility of a single federal law that could unify regulations.

Unless authorities act to tighten inspections on a prolonged basis, however, a change in legislation might not make much difference. As it is, corrupt inspectors sometimes turn a blind eye to violations in exchange for bribes.

The Kiss nightclub appeared to have no fire escape, no alarm and no sprinklers. Experts said the soundproofing material that caught fire was banned.

"Inspection in this country is a joke. It's time for that to change," said the owner of several nightclubs in Sao Paulo, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of his position.

Licensing for clubs is laden with red tape and often requires the hiring of middlemen who are able to navigate the bureaucracy - often through bribes or other forms of corruption. That, the club owner said, means that inspectors often don't know whether the sites they approve respect capacity limits, have functioning fire extinguishers or comply with other safety standards.

"It's a business, a mafia," said the club owner.

Claudio Beato Filho, head of a crime and public safety research center at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, said new laws would solve nothing unless safety inspections improve.

Without better enforcement, Beato Filho said, additional safety regulations "will change very little."

(Additional reporting by Maria Carolina Marcello and Peter Murphy in Brasilia; Eduardo Sim?es and Asher Levine in Sao Paulo; Writing by Anthony Boadle; Editing by Paulo Prada, Kieran Murray and Cynthia Osterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/brazilian-cities-crack-down-nightclubs-deadly-fire-184728160.html

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Wed Jan 30 '13 Announcement from Let us raise Sir Steve Jobs Memorial Smart Brain Development Fund

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Source: http://www.indiegogo.com/sir-steve-jobs?c=activity

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adoption petitioner's health in the adoption proceedings: relevant

This blog addresses legal principles applicable to the court?s fitness finding in the adoption cases when the health or fitness of the adoptive petitioner is at issue.

There are statutory provisions that address both fitness as well as health of the petitioners, among other parties, and relevant case law, which extend possible waiver of the doctor-patient privilege when in the best interest of the child or justice to the petitioners as well as the natural parents.

There is the Termination of parental rights: D.C. Code ?16-2353 (b)(2), the court is charged with in considering what is in the best interest of the child to make a direct inquiry as to ?physical, mental and emotional health of all individuals involved?.? A triggering statutory provision under DC Code ?16-304 (2).

DC Code ? 16-309(b)(2), which requires a finding by the court that the petitioner is fit, and able to provide the child with a proper home and education.

And particular statutory provisions that address medical privilege: D.C. Code ?4-1321.05 provides that:?[n]otwithstanding the provisions of ?? 14-306 and 14-307, neither the spouse or domestic partner privilege nor the physician-patient privilege shall be grounds for excluding evidence in any proceeding in the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia concerning the welfare of a neglected child; provided, that a judge of the Family Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia determines such privilege should be waived in the interest of justice.

The case law on the subject is also well established.? In In re. O.L, 584 A.2d 1230 (D.C. 1990), the Court affirmed the trial court who had properly waived the mother?s physician-patient privilege and stated that ?the waiver applies to ?evidence?, and this term is broad enough to encompass information possessed by a doctor or other health professional whether that information was previously required to be disclosed or not.?? The Court further instructed that the statutory doctor-patient privilege should be waived in the interest of justice and when a parent?s mental or physical capacity to care for the child is at issue.? Id. at 1231; see also In the Matter of N.H., 569 A.2d 1179, 1184 (D.C. 1990) (?[a]bsence of a statutory physician-patient privilege in child neglect proceeding does not significantly or impermissibly infringe on any privacy right of a parent regarding medical information; the interest of the District of Columbia in assuring that a mother with an organic brain disorder be mentally competent to raise her daughter was sufficiently strong to limit the mother?s privacy right to information about her own mental health when that information was required for a disposition in the best interests of her child.?? ?That ?civil neglect statutes are designed to enable the state to protect children and, in order for the court to determine whether a child?s welfare requires intervention, the court must be apprised of all the facts.?)

The court in In re DRM, ordered mental health/psychological evaluation of the mother concerned that such would affect directly the parenting of the child.? 570 A.2d 796 (D.C. 1990).? Moreover, the Court of Appeals cases have instructed concisely that in the adoption cases not only the parental capacity of the natural parents affected by the medical issues are legally significant but also the adoption petitioner?s.? In re DeF., 307 A.2d 737 (DC 1973)(age and health of the petitioner at issue); In re ACG, 894 A.2d 436 (D.C. 2006).

Although the cases are generally focused on the parental medical fitness both physically and mentally ? parallel arguments could be made effectively that the proposed adoption petitioners are equally in a parenting role, if successful through an adoption petition, and thus same legal principles: best interests of the child, and in the interest of justice ? equally apply to the petitioners.

In fact, one could argue that more scrutiny must be placed on the adoptive parents? mental and physical fitness than the biological parents? as in the former there exists no biological link and by granting the adoption petition the biological link is in fact severed and thus more scrutiny is warranted when health or fitness of the proposed petitioner is at issue.

The Law Offices of David Stein is the preeminent litigation firm focused in all aspects of family law, criminal, and civil cases: familylawdc.com.

Source: http://www.familylawdc.com/blog/?p=99

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Uncontrolled Airport Radio Communications 01/28 by MzeroA | Blog ...

Mickey Sherman, a criminal defense lawyer from the Nancy Grace Show and HLN will be joining King Jordan Radio on January 28th at 7PM eastcoast time. We will be discussing the Jodi Arias trial. We will be discussing the George Zimmerman case.

Kristen Johnson is best known for her portrayal of, Sally Solomon, in the hit television series, 3rd Rock From the Sun. She chats with Take 2 Radio about her stellar career and her first book, Guts.

The foods we eat (or don?t eat) play a major role in all aspects of health, including the health of your eyes. Before you make your grocery shopping list, tune into the latest edition of Healthy Vision? with Dr. Val Jones, where Dr. Val and guests explore the role of nutrition and its impact on vision and eye health.

Tune in to listen to Season 2, Episode 4 of Verses and Flow with spoken word by Andrew Tyree, Marcus Omari and Carvens Lissaint. Brought to you by Lexus

Tonight?s guests include senior leadership Founder/CEO Yael Cohen and YA breast cancer survivor Bernadette Leno from the Canadian charity Cancer "Eff Cancer". In the survivor spotlight, brain cancer survivor and TED fellow Salvatore Iaconesi.

Join Blogcritics Magazine's Executive Editor/ Sr. TV Editor and blogger Gerry Weaver to look ahead to that all important February sweeps and the shows they're following. Hear the latest on Once Upon a Time, Revolution, Elementary, Supernatural & more.

Legendary Rock Producer, Kim Fowley tells The Phantom Zone about his rock n' roll history including working with artists like KISS, Alice Cooper, Cat Stevens and The Runaways! The Lord of Garbage spills his guts about his new Tell All book as well!

Join Joyce with guest Tess Pennington of Ready Nutrition and the author of The Prepper Cookbook as they discuss the popular series, "52 Weeks to Preparedness."

World renowned psychic Neil Baker and host Kristin are featured on this hour long show which deals with the vast, expansive world of psychic phenomenon. This show delves into the extraordinary mysteries that reside beyond the physical realm of common experience.

Wendy Duncan host of BookMark Radio Network welcomes well known entrepreneur and author, Guy Kawasaki who will be discussing his newly published book with Shawn Welch, APE: Author, Publisher and Entrepreneur How to Publish a Book.

Join the Paranormal Research Society as they talk to author and journalist, Sam Baltrusis, about the ghostly haunts and tales of historic Boston, MA. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States and one of the hottest spots for paranormal activity

Outside Pitch with Vince Lombardi Jr. and Andrew Vigliotti welcomes Double A Mississippi Braves radio play by play announcer Kyle Tait. Kyle will discuss the Justin Upton trade and the prospects that were traded with the Outside Pitch team.

Slicks and Sticks will have on two of the drivers from Kyle Busch Motorsports; Joey Coulter in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Parker Kligerman in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.

In uncertain times, self defense becomes very important since we cannot rely upon the government to protect us. Join Chris as he hosts Amelia Foxwell, representative of a new Civilian Critical Defense Course collaborative project with an upcoming class in MD.

Nicholas Snow and special guest co-host, Michael Kearns (one of Hollywood's first openly-gay actors, and author of the book, The Truth is Bad Enough: What Became of the Happy Hustler), along with openly-gay actor/comic Jason Stuart, have a comprehensive conversation about the Hollywood Closet, naming names that may surprise you!

Serena Dyer is currently co-writing a book with her dad, renowned author and speaker Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, "Don?t Die with Your Music Still In You" scheduled to release in Summer 2013. The focus is about growing up with her spiritual parents.

Fight-filled episode: Bacon, guests, music & questions, a movie review almost destroys a partnership, Mr. Bumblebrinks returns to apologize, and a revealing interview with 2-time Golden Gloves champion and former "The Biggest Loser" star Cara Castronuova!

The Power Is Now is a Weekly Radio Program about real estate for Real Estate Professionals. Listen to our special guest Donnell Spivey, Broker Owner of EXiT Spivey Professional Realty & President-Elect of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB)

Source: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/mzeroa/2013/01/28/uncontrolled-airport-radio-communications

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Spring may come earlier to North American forests

Public release date: 29-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail |

Share ]

Contact: Catherine Zandonella
czandone@princeton.edu
Princeton University

Trees in the continental U.S. could send out new spring leaves up to 17 days earlier in the coming century than they did before global temperatures started to rise, according to a new study by Princeton University researchers. These climate-driven changes could lead to changes in the composition of northeastern forests and give a boost to their ability to take up carbon dioxide.

Trees play an important role in taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so researchers led by David Medvigy, assistant professor in Princeton's department of geosciences, wanted to evaluate predictions of spring budburst when deciduous trees push out new growth after months of winter dormancy from models that predict how carbon emissions will impact global temperatures.

The date of budburst affects how much carbon dioxide is taken up each year, yet most climate models have used overly simplistic schemes for representing spring budburst, modeling for example a single species of tree to represent all the trees in a geographic region.

In 2012, the Princeton team published a new model that relied on warming temperatures and the waning number of cold days to predict spring budburst. The model, which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, proved accurate when compared to data on actual budburst in the northeastern United States.

In the current paper published online in Geophysical Research Letters, Medvigy and his colleagues tested the model against a broader set of observations collected by the USA National Phenology Network, a nation-wide tree ecology monitoring network consisting of federal agencies, educational institutions and citizen scientists. The team incorporated the 2012 model into predictions of future budburst based on four possible climate scenarios used in planning exercises by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The researchers included Su-Jong Jeong, a postdoctoral research associate in Geosciences, along with Elena Shevliakova, a senior climate modeler, and Sergey Malyshev, a professional specialist, both in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and associated with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

The team estimated that, compared to the late 20th century, red maple budburst will occur 8 to 40 days earlier, depending on the part of the country, by the year 2100. They found that the northern parts of the United States will have more pronounced changes than the southern parts, with the largest changes occurring in Maine, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The researchers also evaluated how warming temperatures could affect the budburst date of different species of tree. They found that budburst shifted to earlier in the year in both early-budding trees such as common aspen (Populus tremuloides) and late-budding trees such as red maple (Acer rubrum), but that the effect was greater in the late-budding trees and that over time the differences in budding dates narrowed.

The researchers noted that early budburst may give deciduous trees, such as oaks and maples, a competitive advantage over evergreen trees such as pines and hemlocks. With deciduous trees growing for longer periods of the year, they may begin to outstrip growth of evergreens, leading to lasting changes in forest make-up.

The researchers further predicted that warming will trigger a speed-up of the spring "greenwave," or budburst that moves from south to north across the continent during the spring.

The finding is also interesting from the standpoint of future changes in springtime weather, said Medvigy, because budburst causes an abrupt change in how quickly energy, water and pollutants are exchanged between the land and the atmosphere. Once the leaves come out, energy from the sun is increasingly used to evaporate water from the leaves rather than to heat up the surface. This can lead to changes in daily temperature ranges, surface humidity, streamflow, and even nutrient loss from ecosystems, according to Medvigy.

###

Citation:

Jeong, Su-Jong, David Medvigy, Elena Shevliakova, and Sergey Malyshev. 2013. Predicting changes in temperate forest budburst using continental-scale observations and models. Geophysical Research Letters. Article first published online: Jan. 25, 2013. DOI: 10.1029/2012GL054431

This research was supported by award NA08OAR4320752 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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.

Spring may come earlier to North American forests Public release date: 29-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]
Contact: Catherine Zandonella
czandone@princeton.edu
Princeton University

Trees in the continental U.S. could send out new spring leaves up to 17 days earlier in the coming century than they did before global temperatures started to rise, according to a new study by Princeton University researchers. These climate-driven changes could lead to changes in the composition of northeastern forests and give a boost to their ability to take up carbon dioxide.

Trees play an important role in taking up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so researchers led by David Medvigy, assistant professor in Princeton's department of geosciences, wanted to evaluate predictions of spring budburst when deciduous trees push out new growth after months of winter dormancy from models that predict how carbon emissions will impact global temperatures.

The date of budburst affects how much carbon dioxide is taken up each year, yet most climate models have used overly simplistic schemes for representing spring budburst, modeling for example a single species of tree to represent all the trees in a geographic region.

In 2012, the Princeton team published a new model that relied on warming temperatures and the waning number of cold days to predict spring budburst. The model, which was published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, proved accurate when compared to data on actual budburst in the northeastern United States.

In the current paper published online in Geophysical Research Letters, Medvigy and his colleagues tested the model against a broader set of observations collected by the USA National Phenology Network, a nation-wide tree ecology monitoring network consisting of federal agencies, educational institutions and citizen scientists. The team incorporated the 2012 model into predictions of future budburst based on four possible climate scenarios used in planning exercises by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The researchers included Su-Jong Jeong, a postdoctoral research associate in Geosciences, along with Elena Shevliakova, a senior climate modeler, and Sergey Malyshev, a professional specialist, both in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and associated with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory.

The team estimated that, compared to the late 20th century, red maple budburst will occur 8 to 40 days earlier, depending on the part of the country, by the year 2100. They found that the northern parts of the United States will have more pronounced changes than the southern parts, with the largest changes occurring in Maine, New York, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

The researchers also evaluated how warming temperatures could affect the budburst date of different species of tree. They found that budburst shifted to earlier in the year in both early-budding trees such as common aspen (Populus tremuloides) and late-budding trees such as red maple (Acer rubrum), but that the effect was greater in the late-budding trees and that over time the differences in budding dates narrowed.

The researchers noted that early budburst may give deciduous trees, such as oaks and maples, a competitive advantage over evergreen trees such as pines and hemlocks. With deciduous trees growing for longer periods of the year, they may begin to outstrip growth of evergreens, leading to lasting changes in forest make-up.

The researchers further predicted that warming will trigger a speed-up of the spring "greenwave," or budburst that moves from south to north across the continent during the spring.

The finding is also interesting from the standpoint of future changes in springtime weather, said Medvigy, because budburst causes an abrupt change in how quickly energy, water and pollutants are exchanged between the land and the atmosphere. Once the leaves come out, energy from the sun is increasingly used to evaporate water from the leaves rather than to heat up the surface. This can lead to changes in daily temperature ranges, surface humidity, streamflow, and even nutrient loss from ecosystems, according to Medvigy.

###

Citation:

Jeong, Su-Jong, David Medvigy, Elena Shevliakova, and Sergey Malyshev. 2013. Predicting changes in temperate forest budburst using continental-scale observations and models. Geophysical Research Letters. Article first published online: Jan. 25, 2013. DOI: 10.1029/2012GL054431

This research was supported by award NA08OAR4320752 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.

[ | E-mail | Share ]
?

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.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/pu-smc012913.php
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Asstacular! Are These the Greatest Gaming Glutes in the Cosmos ...

Click 'play' for today's dose of butt-jiggling joy.

We?re sure you?ll all concur, gentlemen, that Monday mornings suck monkey nuts. Even beardy philanthropist Bob Geldof knows this, as the much-vaunted song he penned, I Don?t Like Mondays, attests (Prospective titles that were eventually rejected included Bollocks to Mondays and Screw It, I?m Going to Call in Sick, Pretend I?ve Got Hemorrhoids Again. Would he have been knighted by Britain?s beloved Queen Lizzie for that? He would not.)

Let?s alleviate the tedium of this craptacular day, then, with an amusing-yet-arousing optical illusion. Allegedly, there?s a television in the above video, but we?re damned if we can see it. We?ll wager our wangs that you won?t, either. Test your powers of observation against the fine form of ?Tahiticora,? who -purportedly- is indulging in Colin McRae Dirt 2.

Still, the copious quantities of dirt (sweet dirty, dirty dirtiness) are plain to see, and what more could our gonads ask for?

Source: http://www.egotastic.com/2013/01/asstacular-are-these-the-greatest-gaming-glutes-in-the-cosmos-video/

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Olu of Warri tasks youths on leadership | Ghanamma.com

Olu of Warri tasks youths on leadership %description%

The Olu of Warri, HRM Ogiame Atuwatse II, has charged members of Chambers International, JCI, to continue the good work of sensitising the citizenry on self improvement and actualization as a means of getting Nigeria out of its current leadership problem.

The Olu gave the charge when Warri Chapter of JCI and some national executives of the body paid him a courtesy visit as part of activities for the investiture of Josephine Ukah as 2013 Chapter President of Junior Chamber International, Warri.

The royal father enjoined them not to relent in their determination to bring about leadership re-orientation in Nigeria and the world at large. He gave the delegation his royal blessings and promised them his continuous support.

Josephine Ukah, on her part, said the visit was to seek the advice of the royal father on how they could be actively involved in making the community a better place. She said JCI has four areas of opportunities, which include the individual, the community, international and business.

Comments are moderated. Please keep them clean and brief.

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Source: http://www.ghanamma.com/2013/01/olu-of-warri-tasks-youths-on-leadership/

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Uribana Prison Riot: Venezuela Inmates Evacuated From Facility Following Violence (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS)

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuelan authorities on Sunday finished evacuating inmates from a prison where 61 were reported killed in one of the deadliest prison clashes in the nation's history.

Penitentiary Service Minister Iris Varela said in a message on Twitter that the evacuation of Uribana prison in the city of Barquisimeto was completed on Sunday morning. Inmates were loaded aboard buses and driven to other prisons.

WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTOS BELOW.

Varela posted photos of inmates filing out led by authorities, and said that what will come next for the prison is "now the reconstruction!"

Two days after the violence, government officials had yet to provide an official death toll from the fierce gunbattles, which pitted armed inmates against National Guard troops.

Dr. Ruy Medina, director of Central Hospital in the city, told The Associated Press on Saturday that the death toll had risen to 61, while about 120 were wounded in the violence.

Medina said that nearly all of the injuries were from gunshots and that 45 of the estimated 120 people who were wounded remained hospitalized.

Relatives wept outside the prison during the violence, and cried at the morgue as they waited to identify bodies.

The riot was the latest in a series of deadly clashes in Venezuela's overcrowded and often anarchical prisons, where inmates typically obtain weapons and drugs with the help of corrupt guards. Critics called it proof that the government is failing to get a grip on a worsening national crisis in its penitentiaries.

The gunbattles seized attention amid uncertainty about President Hugo Chavez's future, while he remained in Cuba recovering and undergoing treatment more than six weeks after his latest cancer surgery.

Government officials pledged a thorough investigation, while some critics said there should have been ways for the authorities to prevent such bloodshed.

The riot was the deadliest in nearly two decades. In January 1994, more than 100 inmates died in the country's bloodiest prison violence on record when a riot and fire set by inmates tore through a prison in the western city of Maracaibo. In 1992, about 60 inmates were killed in a riot in a Caracas prison.

Varela said that the violence erupted on Friday when groups of inmates attacked National Guard troops who were attempting to carry out an inspection. She said the government decided to send troops to search the prison after reports of clashes between groups of inmates during the past two days.

"No one doubts that inspections are necessary procedures to guarantee prison conditions in line with international standards, but they can't be carried out with the warlike attitude as (authorities) have done it," said Humberto Prado, an activist who leads the Venezuelan Prisons Observatory, a watchdog group.

"It's clear that the inspection wasn't coordinated or put into practice as it should have been. It was evidently a disproportionate use of force," Prado said.

In 2011, when Chavez had been in office for 12 years, he created a Cabinet ministry to focus on prisons and appointed Varela to lead it. The president made that decision following a deadly, weekslong armed uprising at the prisons El Rodeo I and El Rodeo II outside Caracas.

Chavez at the time acknowledged that his government's previous initiatives to improve the prisons hadn't worked, and he pledged changes including building new prisons, improving conditions and speeding trials. Since then, Chavez has approved funds to repair and renovate prisons. But opponents and activists say the government hasn't made real progress at penitentiaries where hundreds continue to die each year.

Venezuela has 33 prisons built to hold about 12,000 inmates. Officials have said the prisons' population is currently about 47,000.

___

Associated Press writers Vivian Sequera in Bogota, Colombia, and Jorge Rueda in Caracas contributed to this report.

Earlier on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/27/uribana-prison-riot-venezuela_n_2563003.html

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Deadly smoke, lone blocked exit: 230 die in Brazil

A woman cries over the coffin of a victim at a gymnasium where bodies were brought for identification in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Flames raced through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 230 people as panicked partygoers gasped for breath in the smoke-filled air, stampeding toward a single exit partially blocked by those already dead. (AP Photo/Nabor Goulart)

A man carries an injured man, victim of a fire at the Kiss club in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, early Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. Firefighters say that the death toll from a fire that swept through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil has risen to 180. Officials say the fire broke out while a band was performing. At least 200 people have been injured. (AP Photo/Agencia RBS)

Relatives of victims react in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. A blaze raced through the crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, killing more than 200 people as the air filled with deadly smoke and panicked party-goers stampeded toward the exits, police and witnesses said. It appeared to be the world's deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.(AP Photo/Evandro Sturm)

Relatives of victims react as they wait for news near the Kiss nightclub in Santa Maria city, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. According to police more than 200 died in the devastating nightclub fire in southern Brazil. Officials say the fire broke out at the club while a band was performing. (AP Photo/Ronald Mendes-Agencia RBS)

Map locates Santa Maria, Brazil

SANTA MARIA, Brazil (AP) ? A fast-moving fire roared through a crowded nightclub in southern Brazil early Sunday, within seconds filling the space with flames and a thick, toxic smoke that killed more than 230 panicked partygoers who gasped for breath and fought in a stampede to escape.

It appeared to be the world's deadliest nightclub fire in more than a decade.

Firefighters responding to the blaze at first had trouble getting inside the Kiss nightclub because bodies partially blocked the club's entryway.

Witnesses said a flare or firework lit by band members started the blaze in Santa Maria, a university city of about 260,000 people. Officials at a news conference said the cause was still under investigation ? though police inspector Sandro Meinerz told the Agencia Estado news agency the band was to blame for a pyrotechnics show and that manslaughter charges could be filed.

Television images showed black smoke billowing out of the Kiss nightclub as shirtless young men who had attended a university party joined firefighters using axes and sledgehammers to pound at windows and hot-pink exterior walls to free those trapped inside.

Bodies of the dead and injured were strewn in the street and panicked screams filled the air as medics tried to help. There was little to be done; officials said most of those who died were suffocated by smoke within minutes.

Within hours a community gym was a horror scene, with body after body lined up on the floor, partially covered with black plastic as family members identified kin.

Outside the gym police held up personal objects ? a black purse, a blue high-heeled shoe ? as people seeking information on loved ones looked crowded around, hoping not to recognize anything being shown them.

Guido Pedroso Melo, commander of the city's fire department, told the O Globo newspaper that firefighters had a hard time getting inside the club because "there was a barrier of bodies blocking the entrance."

Teenagers sprinted from the scene after the fire began, desperately seeking help. Others carried injured and burned friends away in their arms. Many of the victims were under 20 years old, including some minors.

"There was so much smoke and fire, it was complete panic, and it took a long time for people to get out, there were so many dead," survivor Luana Santos Silva told the Globo TV network.

The fire spread so fast inside the packed club that firefighters and ambulances could do little to stop it, Silva said.

Another survivor, Michele Pereira, told the Folha de S. Paulo newspaper that she was near the stage when members of the band lit flares that started the conflagration.

"The band that was onstage began to use flares and, suddenly, they stopped the show and pointed them upward," she said. "At that point, the ceiling caught fire. It was really weak, but in a matter of seconds it spread."

Guitarist Rodrigo Martins told Radio Gaucha that the band, Gurizada Fandangueira, started playing at 2:15 a.m. "and we had played around five songs when I looked up and noticed the roof was burning"

"It might have happened because of the Sputnik, the machine we use to create a luminous effect with sparks. It's harmless, we never had any trouble with it.

"When the fire started, a guard passed us a fire extinguisher, the singer tried to use it but it wasn't working"

He confirmed that accordion player Danilo Jacques, 28, died, while the five other members made it out safely.

Police Maj. Cleberson Braida Bastianello said by telephone that the toll had risen to 233 with the death of a hospitalized victim. He said earlier that the death toll was likely made worse because the nightclub appeared to have just one exit through which patrons could exit.

Survivors said security guards briefly tried to block people from exiting the club. Brazilian bars routinely make patrons pay their entire tab at the end of the night before they are allowed to leave.

Officials earlier counted 232 bodies that had been brought for identification to a gymnasium in Santa Maria, which is located at the southern tip of Brazil, near the borders with Argentina and Uruguay.

Federal Health Minister Alexandre Padhilha told a news conference that most of the 117 people treated in hospitals had been poisoned by gases they breathed during the fire. Only a few suffered serious burns, he said.

Brazil President Dilma Rousseff arrived to visit the injured after cutting short her trip to a Latin American-European summit in Chile.

"It is a tragedy for all of us," Rousseff said.

Most of the dead apparently were asphyxiated, according to Dr. Paulo Afonso Beltrame, a professor at the medical school of the Federal University of Santa Maria who went to the city's Caridade Hospital to help victims.

Beltrame said he was told the club had been filled far beyond its capacity during a party for students at the university's agronomy department.

Survivors, police and firefighters gave the same account of a band member setting the ceiling's soundproofing ablaze, he said.

"Large amounts of toxic smoke quickly filled the room, and I would say that at least 90 percent of the victims died of asphyxiation," Beltrame told The Associated Press by telephone.

"The toxic smoke made people lose their sense of direction so they were unable to find their way to the exit. At least 50 bodies were found inside a bathroom. Apparently they confused the bathroom door with the exit door."

In the hospital, the doctor "saw desperate friends and relatives walking and running down the corridors looking for information," he said, calling it "one of the saddest scenes I have ever witnessed."

Rodrigo Moura, identified by the newspaper Diario de Santa Maria as a security guard at the club, said it was at its maximum capacity of between 1,000 and 2,000, and partygoers were pushing and shoving to escape.

Santa Maria Mayor Cezar Schirmer declared a 30-day mourning period, and Tarso Genro, the governor of the southern state of Rio Grande do Sul, said officials were investigating the cause of the disaster.

The blaze was the deadliest in Brazil since at least 1961, when a fire that swept through a circus killed 503 people in Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.

Sunday's fire also appeared to be the worst at a nightclub since December 2000, when a welding accident reportedly set off a fire at a club in Luoyang, China, killing 309.

In 2004, at least 194 people died in a fire at an overcrowded nightclub in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Seven members of a band were sentenced to prison for starting the flames.

A blaze at the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Russia, killed 152 people in December 2009 after an indoor fireworks display ignited a plastic ceiling decorated with branches.

Similar circumstances led to a 2003 nightclub fire that killed 100 people in the United States. Pyrotechnics used as a stage prop by the 1980s rock band Great White set ablaze cheap soundproofing foam on the walls and ceiling of a Rhode Island music venue.

The band performing in Santa Maria, Gurizada Fandangueira, plays a driving mixture of local Brazilian country music styles. Guitarist Martin told Radio Gaucha the musicians are already seeing hostile messages.

"People on the social networks are saying we have to pay for what happened," he said. "I'm afraid there could be retaliation".

___

Sibaja reported from Brasilia. Associated Press Writers Stan Lehman and Bradley Brooks contributed to this report from Sao Paulo.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-27-Brazil-Nightclub%20Fire/id-4788ede2f2774d4e8837521471c4e8ed

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