Leave a Reply Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
*
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Repeated exposure to traumatic images may be harmful to health
ScienceDaily (Sep. 4, 2012) ? Repeated exposure to violent images from the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the Iraq War led to an increase in physical and psychological ailments in a nationally representative sample of U.S. adults, according to a new UC Irvine study.
The study sheds light on the lingering effects of "collective traumas" such as natural disasters, mass shootings and terrorist attacks. A steady diet of graphic media images may have long-lasting mental and physical health consequences, says study author Roxane Cohen Silver, UCI professor of psychology & social behavior, medicine and public health.
"I would not advocate restricting nor censoring war images for the psychological well-being of the public," Silver said. "Instead, I think it's important for people to be aware that there is no psychological benefit to repeated exposure to graphic images of horror."
People who watched more than four hours a day of 9/11- and Iraq War-related television coverage (in the weeks after the attacks and at the start of the war) reported both acute and post-traumatic stress symptoms over time. Those who watched more than four hours a day of 9/11-related coverage in the weeks after the attacks reported physician-diagnosed physical health ailments two to three years later.
Seeing two particular kinds of images in the early days of the Iraq War was associated with post-traumatic stress symptoms over time: soldiers engaged in battle and dead U.S. and Allied soldiers.
The study included assessments of participants' mental and physical health before the 9/11 attacks and information about their media exposure and acute stress responses immediately after the attacks and after the initiation of the Iraq War. Researchers conducted follow up assessments in the three years after 9/11.
The acute stress period refers to the first few weeks after the event and post-traumatic stress is any time after one month. Researchers started to measure stress nine to 14 days after 9/11 and within a few days after the start of the Iraq War.
Almost 12 percent of the 1,322 participants reported high levels of acute stress related to 9/11 and about 7 percent reported high levels of acute stress related to the Iraq War. After taking pre-9/11 mental health, demographic characteristics, and lifetime trauma exposure into account, people who watched four or more hours of 9/11- or Iraq War-related television were more likely to experience symptoms of acute stress.
"The results suggest that exposure to graphic media images may be an important mechanism through which the impact of collective trauma is dispersed widely," Silver says. "Our findings are both relevant and timely as vivid images reach larger audiences than ever before through YouTube, social media and smartphones."
Funded by the National Science Foundation, the study appears in a forthcoming issue of Psychological Science, the flagship journal of the Association for Psychological Science. It was co-authored by Alison Holman, assistant professor of nursing at UCI; Judith Pizarro Andersen of the University of Toronto, Mississauga; Michael Poulin of the University at Buffalo; Daniel McIntosh of the University of Denver; and Virginia Gil-Rivas of the University of North Carolina, Charlotte.
"When we consider that graphic images of individuals being overcome by the 2011 tsunami in Japan were shown repeatedly, that a vigorous debate occurred last year regarding the release of the gruesome death photos of Osama bin Laden, and that vivid and disturbing images of 9/11 will likely appear on our television screens marking the anniversary of the attacks, we believe that our paper has something important to say regarding the impact of repeated exposure to graphic traumatic images," Silver said.
Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:
Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:
Story Source:
The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of California - Irvine.
Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.
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.
Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/vz_81djB8gY/120904150108.htm
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Eric Church leads nominations for CMA Awards
Country singer Eric Church has gone from being among the best new artists to leading the pack of this year's CMA nominees.
The "Springsteen" singer has nabbed five nominations with the 46th annual CMA Awards, coming out ahead of married crooners Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, as well as country pop princess Taylor Swift.
Church, who just a year ago was vying for his first CMA award (which he ended up losing to The Band Perry), has been nominated for Single of the Year, Song of the Year and Music Video of the Year with his hit song "Springsteen." He's also up for Album of the Year ("Chief") and Male Vocalist of the Year.
Shelton and Lambert aren't far behind with four nominations each. Shelton's competing in the Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year and Single of the Year ("God Gave Me You") categories, while his wife is nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year ("Four the Record") and Music Video of the Year ("Over You").
The couple also share a nomination for Song of the Year with "Over You," which they wrote together.
Jason Aldean, Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift and Little Big Town all received three nods each.
Swift, last year's Entertainer of the Year winner, is nominated once again in that category along with Shelton, Aldean, Chesney and Paisley.
The 22-year-old songstress will also compete in the Musical Event of the Year category with her song from "The Hunger Games" soundtrack, "Safe & Sound" with The Civil Wars, as well as in the Female Vocalist category.
In addition to Miranda Lambert, Swift will also be up against Kelly Clarkson for the Female Vocalist honor, which is the first time Clarkson's been nominated in that category.
To see the full list of nominees, visit CMAworld.com.
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Enhance Beauty of Home with Contemporary Furniture
With the coming up of modern contemporary furniture, it has become easy for people to give their home the best interior look. The perfect way to style your place in a beautiful and attractive look, contemporary furniture items are the latest craze among patrons.
Your home is the place where you spend most of your time. It is the place where you feel comfortable and relaxed. Wherever you go, you won't find any other place as cozy as your home. People just love to style their home in the best possible way that not only provides them with comfort, but reflects their sense of fashion as well.
When seeking different options to give your home a classy makeover, furniture has a major role to play that adds beauty and life to your home. With changes in lifestyle and interior designing, contemporary furniture items have come up as the most popular choice of people to style their home.
People wish their place to look distinct from others and with contemporary furniture items they exactly get what they want. They seek furniture items that are not only beautiful and elegant in appeal, but offer a great level of comfort as well. Being an excellent combination of style and comfort, contemporary furniture perfectly matches to the varied tastes and requirements of people.
If you love to try new things and set your own style statement, contemporary furniture would surely fascinate you. Available in simple, sleek and stylish designs, it is the best way to give your place a creative appeal. You have multiple options to decorate your place in simply your style. You want your home to have an ethnic look or you want it to reflect modernism, there are endless options available to match your fashion sense.
The excellent range of designs available in contemporary furniture is simply outstanding. Being a true showcase of your unique style statement, contemporary range of items is the best way to give your place an elegant and classy look. Also, you can go for wide variety of patterns like geometrical or clean and smooth lines that would simply add an interesting appeal to your home.
You would surely fall in love with the amazing color combinations available in contemporary furniture items. Unlike traditional furniture, there is an endless variety when it comes to buy furniture in colors of your choice. Bright and bold shades like red, blue, green, pink and orange would certainly reflect your confident personality. However, when you want a sober and sophisticated look, colors like white and black would do the magic.
The best part of contemporary furniture items is that these are available in various other materials apart from the traditional wood. These days, manufacturers use plywood, leather, glass, wrought iron and plastic to design furniture items. Such materials not only enhance the beauty of your place, but offer high durability to contemporary furniture items.
Renowned for their excellent functionality, contemporary furniture is the most popular choice of people today. Innovation sofa bed is one such popular example of simple, stylish and functional contemporary furniture items from Innovation USA.
So, if you are planning to revamp your home, start it by placing stylish furniture that would reflect your fashion sense. There are reputable furniture stores that offer a wide array of contemporary furniture items. You can pick the one that suits your style and budget as well.
The writer of this article is associated with LaContempo that is renowned for offering a wide range of contemporary furniture. To know more about the store, you can log on to Lacontempo.com.
This article has been viewed 14 time(s).
It is a violation of our terms and conditions for writers to submit material which they did not write and claim it as their own.
If this article infringes on your copyrights, you MUST either call us at 706-866-2295 or send proof of infringement
along with the offending article's title, URL, and writer name to
IdeaMarketers.com
Attn: Marnie Pehrson - Copyright Concern
514 Old Hickory Ln
Ringgold GA 30736 USA
If you email us or use our problem submission form, we CANNOT guarantee we'll receive your notice!
Art market heats up in Rio with middle-class rise
In this Aug. 21, 2012 photo, Beto Silva, who works as a salesman at a luxury clothing store, poses for a photo with his art piece by artist Waltercio Caldas, titled "Fim Fim,"' or "End End," inside his apartment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like other thriving middle-class Brazilians, Silva has bought his way into the growing ranks of collectors who are helping to put Rio de Janeiro on the international art map. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
In this Aug. 21, 2012 photo, Beto Silva, who works as a salesman at a luxury clothing store, poses for a photo with his art piece by artist Waltercio Caldas, titled "Fim Fim,"' or "End End," inside his apartment in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like other thriving middle-class Brazilians, Silva has bought his way into the growing ranks of collectors who are helping to put Rio de Janeiro on the international art map. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
In this Aug. 21, 2012 photo, a plate by Brazilian artist Vik Muniz that features his recreation of Caravaggio's Medusa hangs on the kitchen wall at the home of Beto Silva, a luxury clothing store salesman, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Like other thriving middle-class Brazilians, Silva has bought his way into the growing ranks of collectors who are helping to put Rio de Janeiro on the international art map. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
A man looks at at a sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley on exhibit at the Brazilian Bank Cultural Center (CCBB) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. Art collecting was long considered the exclusive domain of a tiny cadre of enthusiasts from the country's ruling elite, but Rio's middle class is jumping in and investing, and international dealers are scrambling for a toehold in this promising market. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
People look at a sculpture by British artist Antony Gormley on exhibit at the Brazilian Bank Cultural Center (CCBB) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. Art collecting was long considered the exclusive domain of a tiny cadre of enthusiasts from the country's ruling elite, but Rio's middle class is jumping in and investing, and international dealers are scrambling for a toehold in this promising market. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
A woman looks at photographs on exhibit at the Brazilian Bank Cultural Center (CCBB) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Friday, Aug. 31, 2012. Art collecting was long considered the exclusive domain of a tiny cadre of enthusiasts from the country's ruling elite, but Rio's middle class is jumping in and investing, and international dealers are scrambling for a toehold in this promising market. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) ? As a salesman at a luxury clothing store, Beto Silva has seen his earnings jump over the past decade as Brazil's economy has boomed.
That doesn't mean he's moved out of his cramped, 600-square-foot apartment, but it's now filled with the spoils of his new wealth: paintings, lithographs, collages and sculptures, many of the purchases still shrouded in protective bubble wrap and stacked a dozen deep in his study.
Like other thriving middle-class Brazilians, Silva has bought his way into the growing ranks of collectors who are helping to put Rio de Janeiro on the international art map.
Art collecting was long considered the exclusive domain of a tiny cadre of enthusiasts from the country's ruling elite, but Rio's middle class is jumping in and investing, and international dealers are scrambling for a toehold in this promising market.
"I used to feel a bit out of place going into a gallery," Silva said. "But now, people know me and appreciate my eye and what I know about art."
In what collectors here interpret as a sign that their laid-back beach city has finally arrived, Larry Gagosian, one of the world's foremost gallerists, announced this year he'll take part in the second edition of the city's new international art fair, ArtRio, a four-day event that opens Sept. 13. His is only one of a flock of famed galleries taking part.
"There's been a paradigm shift. Art has become an object of desire here," said Katia Mindlin Leite-Barbosa, president of Sotheby's Brazil. "It's becoming something of a marker of status, like a nice car or a fancy vacation.
"It used to be that you couldn't even find listings for gallery exhibitions in the paper. Now there's a whole weekly section devoted to it," she said. "The interest is palpable."
Though Sao Paulo, the richer, more sophisticated megalopolis to the south, has had its own international art fair for the better part of a decade, Rio had no major art market event until ArtRio got its start last year.
Its debut was a spectacular success. More than 80 galleries from across Brazil and around the world recorded sales totaling $60 million. Turnout for the four-day show was twice as high as expected, with more than 40,000 people flooding through the fair.
For many visitors, it was their first real exposure to a gallery, said artist Brenda Valansi, who co-founded the fair along with gallerist Elisangela Valadares.
"It used to be that we Brazilians were just worrying about inflation, security, making ends meet. But the country has changed so much and so quickly that now people have the luxury of focusing on other things, including art," Valansi said. "With ArtRio, we're trying to debunk this notion that art is just for a few and show that you don't have to be a millionaire to be a collector."
She added that prices at last year's fair ranged from $500 to $5 million. "Now, any working class person who's interested can enter the art market," she said.
ArtRio mushroomed this year and is slated to take up twice as much space as last year's staging at the refurbished Porto Maua port area, with its stunning views of Guanabara Bay.
Some 120 galleries, 50 percent more than last year, are expected to participate. Half of them are international, hailing from New York, London, Zurich, Berlin and other more traditional art capitals. Organizers said the split between local and international galleries reflected the mix of Brazilian and foreign art being bought.
But the jewel in the crown will undoubtedly be the Gagosian Gallery, widely considered the world's top. Gagosian is known for having his finger on the pulse of promising new markets and has opened 11 locations worldwide.
The gallery's stand at ArtRio, which is expected to feature a 1937 Picasso as well as an extensive sculpture wing, is Gagosian's first foray into South America. Rio's art community was abuzz with rumors that he was planning on setting up permanent shop in the city, but the Los Angeles-born dealer called the ArtRio stand "a test of the appetite" there.
"We've had some success in recent years selling to Brazilian collectors at other galleries that we have in London and Paris, but honestly we don't really know what to expect," Gagosian said in a telephone interview. "Hopefully that's just the tip of the iceberg and there are a lot of other collectors there in Rio."
Artists themselves welcome the attention, and say it's based on more than just an increase in Brazilians' wealth.
Sculptor Raul Mourao has watched Rio's art scene establish itself in the last two decades. When he started, there weren't more than a dozen books out on Brazilian art in general. The opening of a single exhibit in Rio was a novelty that made news.
Now, dozens of exhibits show in Rio at any given time, and an established culture of publicly financed displays has taken root. Mourao has two openings in the coming month: one in a private gallery and one in a public square, where he'll show six massive outdoor sculptures.
"It's not just the art market; it's the whole cultural scene that's booming," he said. "There are more plays, more movies, more books. Brazil as a whole is growing, and it's natural that the art and cultural markets grow along with it."
"If we didn't have a rich history, fascinating work, a group of good artists, interesting movements, money wouldn't make a difference," Mourao said. "What is happening now, though, is that artists can produce with more confidence, in a field that is more welcoming."
Other top international galleries making their debut at ArtRio include Japanese artist Takashi Murakami's KaiKai Kiki, New York's David Zwirner and White Cube of London, organizers said.
One major question is whether authorities will lift a hefty import tax that can end up hiking the cost of imported artwork by as much as 50 percent above market prices. Last year, a one-time exemption was announced on the eve of the fair.
Partly as a result of the tax, Rio's new collectors tend to focus on homegrown artists, at least at first, said ArtRio's Valansi.
"We're seeing that a lot of collectors here, who started off focusing on domestic artists, have begun to open their collections to international art," she said.
That's the case of clothing vendor Silva, who started out selling cut-rate jeans in Rio's suburbs and became the top salesman at one of the city's most exclusive boutiques.
He began his collection seven years ago with a slim, multicolored statue he bought for $90. Now, he says, he invests 30 to 40 percent of his salary on art.
His ever-burgeoning collection of 60-plus pieces, including a Medusa head-emblazoned plate by Brazilian star Vik Muniz, lend his apartment the feel of a lived-in museum.
"Now, when I walk into a gallery," he said. "I feel like a VIP."
___
Associated Press writer Juliana Barbassa contributed to this report.
Associated PressMonday, September 3, 2012
Suicide bomber wounds 2 Americans in Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? A suicide car bomber rammed into a U.S. government vehicle in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Monday, killing two Pakistanis and wounding more than a dozen ? including two Americans ? in one of the worst attacks against the U.S. in Pakistan in recent years, officials said.
The bombing was a vivid reminder of the danger of operating in Pakistan, especially in the northwest where Taliban and al-Qaida militants are strongest. The U.S. has persisted because its work in Pakistan is seen as key to countering militants who threaten American interests in neighboring Afghanistan and elsewhere.
Insurgents have carried out scores of bombings in Peshawar in recent years, but attacks against American targets have been relatively rare because of extensive security measures by the U.S. government ? ones that diplomats sometimes complain limit their effectiveness and ability to move around.
The U.S. said it would review its security procedures following Monday's attack, which was condemned by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.
"We pray for the safe recovery of both American and Pakistani victims, and once again we deplore the cowardly act of suicide bombing and terrorism that has affected so many around the world," Clinton said during a visit to Indonesia.
The armored SUV from the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar was attacked as it traveled through a heavily guarded area of the city that hosts various international organizations, including the United Nations. It was unclear how the bomber penetrated the area and knew which vehicle to attack.
The car driven by the bomber was packed with 110 kilograms (240 pounds) of explosives, police said. The blast ripped apart the SUV ? tossing its engine at least 6 meters (20 feet) away ? and started a raging fire. Rescue workers and residents rushed to put out the fire and pull away the dead and wounded. All that was left of the SUV was a charred mass of twisted metal with a red diplomatic license plate.
The SUV's driver, Atif Nawaz, said the blast knocked him out.
"When I came to my senses, I jumped out of my car and screamed, 'What happened?'" said Nawaz, whose face and hands were badly burned.
The attack killed two Pakistanis and wounded 19 other people, including police who were protecting the Americans, said senior police officer Javed Khan.
Two Americans and two Pakistanis working at the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar were among the wounded, said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland, who called the attack a "heinous act."
The wounds to the Americans were not life-threatening, a U.S. Embassy official said on condition of anonymity because the information had not been officially released.
The charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy, Richard Hoagland, praised Pakistani security forces for saving the lives of the four consulate employees.
"In this dangerous world where terrorists can strike at any moment, we must all work together ? Pakistanis and Americans alike ? because we have a strong mutual interest in defeating terrorism," he said.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion will fall on Taliban and al-Qaida militants who have long had their sights set on the United States. American drones have fired scores of missiles at the militants' hideouts in Pakistan in recent years, and Washington has given the Pakistani military billions of dollars to fight the extremists.
The worst recent attack on U.S. personnel in Pakistan was in 2010 when a suicide car bombing in the northwest area of Lower Dir killed three American soldiers who were training local forces.
A car bomb and grenade attack against the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar in April 2010 killed four Pakistanis, including three security personnel and a civilian. In August 2008, the top U.S. diplomat at the consulate survived a gun attack on her armored vehicle. Three months later, gunmen shot and killed an American in Peshawar as he was traveling to work for a U.S.-funded aid program.
Peshawar, located some 135 kilometers (85 miles) from Islamabad, has long been a vital hub for U.S. interests in the region. It is the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and is located on the border of Pakistan's semiautonomous tribal region, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country.
Much of the funding that was handed to Afghans fighting Soviet troops in neighboring Afghanistan in the 1980s was channeled through Peshawar. The city's proximity to the tribal region made it an important place for American officials to be based following the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks that led to the invasion of Afghanistan. Many militants have used the tribal region as a base to attack U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan.
___
Abbot reported from Islamabad. Associated Press writer Matthew Lee contributed to this report from Jakarta, Indonesia.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/suicide-bomber-wounds-2-americans-pakistan-161617768.html
Sunday, September 2, 2012
WeBlogtheWorld: iPhone 5 For All The Lonely Food Photographers Out There http://t.co/oR4RXupx
Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.
Source: http://twitter.com/WeBlogtheWorld/statuses/241764315496062976
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)