Tuesday, January 31, 2012

New guidelines to prevent infection in minor surgery

New guidelines to prevent infection in minor surgery [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
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Contact: Romilly Cook
romillydcook@btinternet.com
44-187-381-0272
Elsevier

London -- New guidelines from the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) aimed at minimising surgical infection in day centres and primary care are now published in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

"These guidelines are the first ever published guidance in the UK that define, from an infection prevention and control perspective, the basic physical requirements for facilities in which surgical procedures may be performed outside conventional operating theatres and carried out within day centres and primary care," advises Professor Hilary Humphreys, lead author on the HIS guidelines and Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin.

Recent changes in healthcare include the provision of more surgical services in primary care and day centres where it may be cheaper and easier for patients to access them, rather than admit patients to an acute hospital. In addition, developments in certain areas of medicine, such as interventional radiology and cardiology, have expanded the range and complexity of procedures now undertaken outside an acute hospital setting. However, not all of these new settings are suitably equipped to prevent and control infection when undertaking minor surgery.

"The trend to carry out more minor surgery in day centres and primary care is presenting new challenges as some of these facilities are not appropriately set up to undertake minor surgery," continues Professor Humphreys.

To address this issue, HIS convened a multi-disciplinary group tasked with producing the first ever UK guidelines to minimise infection occurring outside conventional operating theatres. The guidelines, published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Hospital Infection, cover topics such as appropriate ventilation, use of instruments, flooring/ceiling requirements etc.

These guidelines should now be referred to by all infection prevention and control teams and others (e.g. practice managers) involved where minor surgical procedures are to be carried out in day centres or primary care settings. They should also be considered when developing new facilities or updating/refurbishing pre-existing facilities.

Dr. Tim Boswell, Consultant Microbiologist at Nottingham University Hospitals, and Chairman of HIS comments, "The Society hopes that these guidelines will improve the safety and quality of patient care in settings outside hospital operating theatres and also recommends that on-going surveillance of outcomes, such as surgical site infection, takes place to guide future guidelines and practice."

###

The guidelines are published as: "Guidelines on the facilities required for minor surgical procedures and minimal access interventions" by H. Humphreys, J.E. Coia, A. Stacey, M. Thomas, A.-M. Belli, P. Hoffman, P. Jenks, C.A. Mackintosh (doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2011.11.010). The article appears in the Journal of Hospital Infection Volume 80, Issue 2 (February 2012) published by Elsevier.

About the New HIS Guidelines

The recommendations include the need for solid ceilings, floors that are easily cleaned and disinfected, single use instruments rather than re-usable instruments owing to the difficulty of accessing sterilisation facilities and ventilated facilities with up to 15 air changes per hour for certain categories of procedure, i.e. minimal access interventions, which include laparoscopy or 'key-hole' surgery. Sterile gloves and a plastic apron are sufficient for minor procedures but full precautions, including sterile gowns, are required for more complex procedures. All the staff involved must be able to provide evidence of competency with appropriate mandatory training and ongoing professional development. The full journal article is available from the following link: http://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(11)00444-0/fulltext

About the Healthcare Infection Society

The Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) exists to foster the advancement of knowledge and education of all those who have an interest in the important field of healthcare infection.

About The Journal of Hospital Infection

The Journal of Hospital Infection is the official journal of HIS, and is published on its behalf by Elsevier Ltd. The Journal seeks to promote collaboration between the many disciplines in infection control in different countries resulting in multidisciplinary and international coverage of the latest developments in this crucial area.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contacts

Romilly Cook
Healthcare Infection Society
44-1873-810272 / 44-7792-079404
romillydcook@btinternet.com

Fiona Macnab
Elsevier
44-20-7424-4259
f.macnab@elsevier.com



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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 guidelines to prevent infection in minor surgery [ Back to EurekAlert! ] Public release date: 30-Jan-2012
[ | E-mail | Share Share ]

Contact: Romilly Cook
romillydcook@btinternet.com
44-187-381-0272
Elsevier

London -- New guidelines from the Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) aimed at minimising surgical infection in day centres and primary care are now published in the Journal of Hospital Infection.

"These guidelines are the first ever published guidance in the UK that define, from an infection prevention and control perspective, the basic physical requirements for facilities in which surgical procedures may be performed outside conventional operating theatres and carried out within day centres and primary care," advises Professor Hilary Humphreys, lead author on the HIS guidelines and Professor of Clinical Microbiology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland in Dublin.

Recent changes in healthcare include the provision of more surgical services in primary care and day centres where it may be cheaper and easier for patients to access them, rather than admit patients to an acute hospital. In addition, developments in certain areas of medicine, such as interventional radiology and cardiology, have expanded the range and complexity of procedures now undertaken outside an acute hospital setting. However, not all of these new settings are suitably equipped to prevent and control infection when undertaking minor surgery.

"The trend to carry out more minor surgery in day centres and primary care is presenting new challenges as some of these facilities are not appropriately set up to undertake minor surgery," continues Professor Humphreys.

To address this issue, HIS convened a multi-disciplinary group tasked with producing the first ever UK guidelines to minimise infection occurring outside conventional operating theatres. The guidelines, published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Hospital Infection, cover topics such as appropriate ventilation, use of instruments, flooring/ceiling requirements etc.

These guidelines should now be referred to by all infection prevention and control teams and others (e.g. practice managers) involved where minor surgical procedures are to be carried out in day centres or primary care settings. They should also be considered when developing new facilities or updating/refurbishing pre-existing facilities.

Dr. Tim Boswell, Consultant Microbiologist at Nottingham University Hospitals, and Chairman of HIS comments, "The Society hopes that these guidelines will improve the safety and quality of patient care in settings outside hospital operating theatres and also recommends that on-going surveillance of outcomes, such as surgical site infection, takes place to guide future guidelines and practice."

###

The guidelines are published as: "Guidelines on the facilities required for minor surgical procedures and minimal access interventions" by H. Humphreys, J.E. Coia, A. Stacey, M. Thomas, A.-M. Belli, P. Hoffman, P. Jenks, C.A. Mackintosh (doi:10.1016/j.jhin.2011.11.010). The article appears in the Journal of Hospital Infection Volume 80, Issue 2 (February 2012) published by Elsevier.

About the New HIS Guidelines

The recommendations include the need for solid ceilings, floors that are easily cleaned and disinfected, single use instruments rather than re-usable instruments owing to the difficulty of accessing sterilisation facilities and ventilated facilities with up to 15 air changes per hour for certain categories of procedure, i.e. minimal access interventions, which include laparoscopy or 'key-hole' surgery. Sterile gloves and a plastic apron are sufficient for minor procedures but full precautions, including sterile gowns, are required for more complex procedures. All the staff involved must be able to provide evidence of competency with appropriate mandatory training and ongoing professional development. The full journal article is available from the following link: http://www.journalofhospitalinfection.com/article/S0195-6701(11)00444-0/fulltext

About the Healthcare Infection Society

The Healthcare Infection Society (HIS) exists to foster the advancement of knowledge and education of all those who have an interest in the important field of healthcare infection.

About The Journal of Hospital Infection

The Journal of Hospital Infection is the official journal of HIS, and is published on its behalf by Elsevier Ltd. The Journal seeks to promote collaboration between the many disciplines in infection control in different countries resulting in multidisciplinary and international coverage of the latest developments in this crucial area.

About Elsevier

Elsevier is a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services. The company works in partnership with the global science and health communities to publish more than 2,000 journals, including The Lancet and Cell, and close to 20,000 book titles, including major reference works from Mosby and Saunders. Elsevier's online solutions include SciVerse ScienceDirect, SciVerse Scopus, Reaxys, MD Consult and Nursing Consult, which enhance the productivity of science and health professionals, and the SciVal suite and MEDai's Pinpoint Review, which help research and health care institutions deliver better outcomes more cost-effectively.

A global business headquartered in Amsterdam, Elsevier employs 7,000 people worldwide. The company is part of Reed Elsevier Group PLC, a world-leading publisher and information provider, which is jointly owned by Reed Elsevier PLC and Reed Elsevier NV. The ticker symbols are REN (Euronext Amsterdam), REL (London Stock Exchange), RUK and ENL (New York Stock Exchange).

Media contacts

Romilly Cook
Healthcare Infection Society
44-1873-810272 / 44-7792-079404
romillydcook@btinternet.com

Fiona Macnab
Elsevier
44-20-7424-4259
f.macnab@elsevier.com



[ Back to EurekAlert! ] [ | E-mail | Share 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/2012-01/e-ngt013012.php

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Ex-RBS CEO Fred Goodwin stripped of knighthood (AP)

LONDON ? The former Royal Bank of Scotland chief who infuriated the British public by leading the bank to near-collapse and then walking away with a fat pension was stripped of his knighthood Tuesday, a rare punishment that puts him in the company of criminals and dictators.

Queen Elizabeth II "canceled and annulled" Fred Goodwin's knighthood for the key role he played in the failure of RBS, a financial disaster that helped trigger the recession in Britain and forced taxpayers to bail out the bank, the Cabinet Office said.

Knighthoods are rarely revoked, but the government said Goodwin "had brought the honors system into disrepute" and that the "scale and severity" of the impact of his actions made it an exceptional case.

After losing the honor, Goodwin, 53, joins a group that also includes the British spy Anthony Blunt, Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe and Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu.

"I think we've got a special case here of the Royal Bank of Scotland symbolizing everything that went wrong in the British economy over the last decade," Treasury chief George Osborne said. "Fred Goodwin was in charge, and I think it's appropriate that he loses his knighthood."

Since he left RBS in 2008 with a multimillion-dollar pension as the bank was foundering, Goodwin has become a high-profile public villain of the financial crisis in Britain.

Goodwin built the Royal Bank of Scotland into one of the world's largest banks and was knighted in 2004 for services to banking. But four years later, he led the bank to ruin with a multi-billion dollar takeover of the Dutch bank ABN Amro just as the credit crisis was starting to bite.

Goodwin resigned in October 2008 as the bank was failing, provoking the public's ire by leaving with 16 million pounds ($25 million) in pension benefits.

The British government had to spend 45 billion pounds ($71 billion) bailing out and nationalizing RBS, and taxpayers now own an 82 percent stake.

A report on RBS published last year by the Financial Services Authority blamed the RBS debacle on bad decisions, rather than dishonesty or any violation of regulations.

Prime Minister David Cameron welcomed the move and called it "the right decision."

"The FSA report into what went wrong at RBS made clear where the failures lay and who was responsible," he said in a statement.

The queen removed Goodwin's title on the advice of the Forfeiture Committee, which usually acts only against people sentenced to more than three months in prison for a criminal offense, or who have lost their professional license or been censured by a regulatory or professional body.

Some believed that in the absence of a trial it was the appropriate penalty.

"There was a sense that this guy had got away scot-free and the only thing left really to show the public opprobrium was for the knighthood to be stripped," said Conservative lawmaker David Ruffley.

RBS declined Tuesday to comment on the decision and Goodwin was not immediately reachable for comment. But, not everyone saw it as fair for a man who has not been charged with any crime.

Simon Walker, director general of the Institute of Directors, said he did not approve of the decision and was concerned about "anti-business hysteria."

"To do it because you don't like someone, you don't approve of someone, you think they've done things that are wrong, but actually there's no criminality, alleged or charged, I think is inappropriate and politicizes the honors system," he told the BBC.

Goodwin is likely to retain his other title ? "Fred the Shred," a tribute to his aggressive cost-cutting while expanding RBS.

Public and political pressure has been mounting on the current executives of the bank to renounce hefty bonuses they were awarded at a time when many Britons face painful spending cuts and tax hikes.

Goodwin's replacement, Stephen Hester, announced Sunday he would not accept a bonus of 1 million pounds ($1.6 million) in shares. The day before, RBS chairman Philip Hampton waived his own bonus of 1.4 million pounds ($2.2 million) in shares.

___

Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120131/ap_on_bi_ge/eu_britain_rbs

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Myanmar says will put stability ahead of economy: report (Reuters)

SINGAPORE (Reuters) ? Myanmar President Thein Sein said his government was committed to political reform and would put the stability of the country ahead of economic development, Singapore's Straits Times newspaper reported on Tuesday.

The president, in Singapore for a three-day official visit that began on Sunday, has overseen dramatic reforms over the past few months, including the freeing of hundreds of political prisoners, a loosening of media controls and engagement with Aung San Suu Kyi, leader of the fight for democracy in Myanmar.

The government has also agreed to ceasefires with several ethnic rebel groups in the past three months and is holding talks with others, some of which have been fighting for autonomy for decades.

"The future of Myanmar lies in peace and stability, while economic development is a secondary priority for the country," Thein Sein said in an interview with the newspaper.

"We are already on the chosen path to democracy and we will continue. We are nurturing the system to have a flourishing democracy in the country," he said.

Thein Sein was part of the junta that stepped aside when a nominally civilian government took office last March. As the country has opened up to the outside world, he and his ministers have started speaking more to the media.

The president indicated interest in developing trade in foreign currencies and stocks as part of Myanmar's economic reforms.

"At the moment we do not have the skills and expertise (in this area) and are seeking technical assistance from international financial institutions," he said.

Japan's Daiwa Securities is advising on how to develop the barely functioning stock exchange it helped set up in Myanmar in the 1990s. South Korean bourse operator Korea Exchange has held talks with the authorities on a separate bourse.

The International Monetary Fund is advising on currency reforms.

Singapore said on Monday it would help Myanmar train its people in areas such as economic planning and urban development.

The government has launched a number of initiatives to boost the economy, introducing tax breaks for foreign investors and announcing tax exemptions to help exports of commodities such as rice, beans, corn and rubber.

(Reporting by Harry Suhartono; Editing by Alan Raybould)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120131/wl_nm/us_myanmar_president

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Monday, January 30, 2012

UN panel urges world at Rio to launch energy fixes (AP)

GENEVA ? A high-profile U.N. panel headed by the presidents of Finland and South Africa hopes to spark an "ever-green" energy revolution later this year in Brazil using a general roadmap it presented Monday on how world leaders could wean the world off fossil fuels.

Its report links the world body's goals of reducing poverty and inequality to promoting the use of wind, solar and other renewable sources of energy to run the economies of nations rich and poor.

To do that, the panel urges that nations fully integrate the social and environmental costs of their commerce into the prices and measures of their economic goods and services. They also call for creation of a global education fund, improvements in human rights and more programs to empower women ? all with the aim of overhauling economies.

The report says governments and international organizations "should work to create a new green revolution ? an 'ever-green revolution' for the 21st century" by spending more on agricultural research, protecting imperiled plant and animal species, conserving land and water and fighting pollution.

It also encourages the creation of regional oceans and coastal management bodies that protect world fisheries supplying 170 million jobs and daily protein for about one in five people on the planet.

The U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon created the 22-member high-level panel in August 2010 to focus on one of his top priorities by providing the U.N. Conference on Sustainable Development with a roadmap for its meeting in June at Rio de Janeiro.

The panel is headed by Finnish President Tarja Halonen and South African President Jacob Zuma. Other panel members include top officials from the United States, Russia, United Arab Emirates, Turkey, and some former world leaders.

The conference known as Rio+20 is a follow-up to the landmark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio that galvanized the global environmental movement.

It was at that gathering two decades ago that the world first agreed to accept voluntary controls on greenhouse gases. National leaders signed on to a treaty committing them to work "to protect the climate system for present and future generations."

Five years after Rio, negotiators added the Kyoto Protocol to the treaty. The Kyoto pact ordered cuts in emissions of heat-trapping cuts by 37 industrialized nations, but the U.S. rejected it. Subsequent climate summits have so far failed to craft a successor to Kyoto, which expires at the end of 2012.

Scientists have produced persuasive evidence that the carbon dioxide, methane and other greenhouse gases that industry, transport and farming pour into the atmosphere are trapping heat and raising global temperatures, with potentially damaging effects from a changing climate.

The panel's report, presented at an African Union meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is billed as a new blueprint for sustainable development and "low-carbon prosperity," with 56 recommendations to help get those priorities mainstreamed into nation's economic policies.

"With the possibility of the world slipping further into recession, policymakers are hungry for ideas that can help them to navigate these difficult times," Zuma said in a statement. "Our report makes clear that sustainable development is more important than ever given the multiple crises now enveloping the world."

Jim Leape, director-general of Swiss-based WWF International, one of the world's largest conservation groups, said the recommendations are "the highest-level political signal yet of greater readiness" by world leaders to transition away from fossil fuels.

"This report makes the alarming point that while we are already exceeding the Earth's capacity to support us, by 2030 we will need 50 percent more food, 45 percent more energy and 30 percent more water than we do today," he said.

But in a statement the group also criticized the U.N. report because it "fails to suggest any concrete, time-bound commitments for progress, leaving policies open to governments to implement as they saw fit."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/europe/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120130/ap_on_re_eu/eu_un_energy_revolution

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Egypt says it has ended US lobbyists' contract

An Egyptian woman reacts casting her ballot at a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Egyptians cast their ballots on Sunday for the upper house of parliament, a largely consultative body with limited powers. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

An Egyptian woman reacts casting her ballot at a polling station in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Jan. 29, 2012. Egyptians cast their ballots on Sunday for the upper house of parliament, a largely consultative body with limited powers. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)

(AP) ? Egypt's Foreign Ministry said Sunday it has ended a contract with three Washington lobbying firms to cut expenses, denying reports that the Americans were the ones to sever the contract.

The rupture occurred as Cairo faces criticism from Washington for banning at least 10 Americans and Europeans from leaving the country as part of an investigation into foreign-funded civil society organizations. Among those barred was Sam LaHood of the U.S.-based International Republican Institute, who is the son of U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.

The ban sparked anger in the United States, and Washington warned on Tuesday that the campaign raised concerns about Egypt's transition to democracy and could jeopardize American aid that Egypt's battered economy needs badly after a year of political and social unrest.

The travel ban was part of an Egyptian criminal investigation into foreign-funded democracy organizations after soldiers raided the offices of 10 such groups last month, including the IRI and its sister organization, the National Democratic Institute, as well as several Egyptian organizations.

Both the IRI and the NDI, linked to the Republican and Democratic parties, monitored Egypt's recent parliamentary elections.

The Egyptian investigation is closely linked with the political turmoil that has engulfed the country since the fall of Hosni Mubarak nearly a year ago. The generals who took power after Mubarak's fall have accused "foreign hands" of being behind protests against their rule, and they frequently depict the protesters themselves as receiving foreign funds in a plot to destabilize the country.

The December raids have drew sharp U.S. criticism, and President Barack Obama has spoken by telephone with Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, the head of the ruling military council, to emphasize "the role that these organizations can play in civil society," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said Thursday.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry's statement was issued two days after Politico reported that former Republican Rep. Bob Livingston, former Democratic Rep. Toby Moffett and longtime lobbyist Tony Podesta ended their contract with the Egyptian government.

The lobbyists confirmed in a statement Saturday that they were immediately terminating their four-year relationship with the Egyptian government.

"We hope that Egyptians continue to enjoy the deepening of democracy in their country, and that Egypt remains a strong, stable and vital ally of the United States," the three lobbyists said in a joint statement.

Politico reported earlier that the firms came under criticism after circulating talking points justifying Egyptian security forces' raids on a number of NGOs including American groups.

Meanwhile, a delegation from Egypt's Defense Ministry has arrived in New York, Egypt's state news agency reported.

MENA quoted military attache Gen. Mohammed el-Kishki as saying that the visit was aimed at discussing "cooperation between the two countries in military affairs."

Egypt's army, which took power after the February 2011 ouster of Hosni Mubarak, receives 1.3 billion dollars a year in U.S. foreign assistance.

The country's aid package has come under pressure by members of Congress who want assurances that Egypt will abide by a 1979 peace treaty with Israel, and that the military rulers will respect democratic freedoms.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-01-29-Egypt-US/id-60588042fcbb4f53afb65e31b8331ce0

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Sunday, January 29, 2012

Need for courtroom artists fade as cameras move in (AP)

CHICAGO ? One marker in hand and one in his mouth, Lou Chukman glances up and down from a sketchpad to a reputed Chicago mobster across the courtroom ? drawing feverishly to capture the drama of the judge's verdict before the moment passes.

Sketch artists have been the public's eyes at high-profile trials for decades ? a remnant of an age when drawings in broadsheet papers, school books or travel chronicles were how people glimpsed the world beyond their own.

Today, their ranks are thinning swiftly as states move to lift longstanding bans on cameras in courtrooms. As of a year ago, 14 states still had them ? but at least three, including Illinois this month, have taken steps since then to end the prohibitions.

"When people say to me, `Wow, you are a courtroom artist' ? I always say, `One day, you can tell your grandchildren you met a Stegosaurus," Chukman, 56, explained outside court. "We're an anachronism now, like blacksmiths."

Cutbacks in news budgets and shifts in aesthetic sensibilities toward digitized graphics have all contributed to the form's decline, said Maryland-based sketch artist Art Lien.

While the erosion of the job may not be much noticed by people reading and watching the news, Lien says something significant is being lost. Video or photos can't do what sketch artists can, he said, such as compressing hours of court action onto a single drawing that crystallizes the events.

The best courtroom drawings hang in museums or sell to collectors for thousands of dollars.

"I think people should lament the passing of this art form," Lien said.

But while courtroom drawing has a long history ? artists did illustrations of the Salem witch trials in 1692 ? the artistry can sometimes be sketchy. A bald lawyer ends up with a full head of hair. A defendant has two left hands. A portly judge is drawn rail-thin.

Subjects often complain as they see the drawings during court recesses, said Chicago artist Carol Renaud.

"They'll say, `Hey! My nose is too big.' And sometimes they're right," she conceded. "We do the drawings so fast."

Courtroom drawing doesn't attract most aspiring artists because it doesn't afford the luxury of laboring over a work for days until it's just right, said Andy Austin, who has drawn Chicago's biggest trials over 40 years, including that of serial killer John Wayne Gacy.

"You have to put your work on the air or in a newspaper whether you like it or not," she said.

The job also involves long stretches of tedium punctuated by bursts of action as a witness sobs or defendant faint. It can also get downright creepy.

At Gacy's trial, a client asked Austin for an image of him smiling. So, she sought to catch the eye of the man accused of killing 33 people. When she finally did, she beamed. He beamed back.

"The two of us smiled at each other like the two happiest people in the world until the sketch was finished," Austin recalled in her memoirs, titled "Rule 53," after the directive that bars cameras in U.S. courts.

There's no school specifically for courtroom artists. Many slipped or were nudged into it by circumstance.

Renaud drew fashion illustrations for Marshall Field's commercials into the `90s but lost that job when the department store starting relying on photographers. That led her to courtroom drawing.

Artists sometime get to court early and sketch the empty room. But coming in with a drawing fully finished in advance is seen as unethical.

Some artists use charcoal, water colors or pungent markers, which can leave those sitting nearby queasy. Most start with a quick pencil sketch, then fill it in. Austin draws right off the bat with her color pencils.

"If I overthink it, I get lost," she said. "I have a visceral reaction. I just hope what I feel is conveyed to my pen."

These days, Chukman and Renaud fear for their livelihoods. They make the bulk of their annual income off their court work. Working for a TV station or a newspaper can bring in about $300 a day. A trial lasting a month can mean a $6,000 paycheck. Chukman does other work on the side, including drawing caricatures as gifts.

Austin is semiretired and so she says she worries less. She also notes that federal courts ? where some of the most notorious trials take place, like the two corruption trials of impeached Gov. Rod Blagojevich ? seem more adamant about not allowing cameras.

Still, though Rule 53 remains in place, federal courts are experimenting with cameras in very limited cases.

"If federal courts do follow, that will be the end of us," Austin said.

Renaud holds out hope that, even if the worst happens, there will still be demand from lawyers for courtroom drawings they can hang in their offices. Lien plans to bolster his income by launching a website selling work from historic trials he covered, including of Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh.

Chukman, a courtroom artist for around 30 years, jokes that if asked for his opinion, he'd have told state-court authorities to keep the ban in place a few more years until he retires.

"I recognize my profession exists simply because of gaps in the law ? and I've been grateful for them," he said wistfully. "This line of work has been good to me."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/crime/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120127/ap_on_re_us/us_camera_in_courts_sketch_artist

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Saturday, January 28, 2012

The iLuv Alarm Clock with iPod Dock and Bed Shaker Is Your BEEP-BEEP-WAKE-THE-F*&K-UP Deal of the Day [Dealzmodo]

I know that my alarm clock is the devil. It doesn't matter which physical clock I'm using. There's a spirit that moves from clock radio to cellphone to travel clock and channels evil at my motionless body. My subconscious is so sure of this that it wakes me a few minutes before the alarm goes off whenever possible. More »


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Lazio defender Dias banned for 3 Cup matches

Associated Press Sports

updated 10:45 a.m. ET Jan. 27, 2012

MILAN (AP) -Lazio defender Andre Dias has been banned for three Italian Cup matches for taking a swipe at the head of AC Milan midfielder Mark van Bommel.

The referee missed the incident during the second half of Milan's 3-1 quarterfinal win on Thursday, even though Van Bommel ended up on the ground.

The league judge also banned Inter Milan coach Claudio Ranieri for one match for insulting the referee during a 2-0 loss to Napoli on Wednesday.

Since Lazio and Inter have already been eliminated, Dias and Ranieri will serve out their bans next season.

Milan faces Juventus in one semifinal, and Napoli meets Siena in the other.

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


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Hope for Solo

U.S. women's goalie Hope Solo was back on the practice field Thursday, one day before the game that will determine whether the Americans go to the Olympics.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/46163291/ns/sports-soccer/

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Friday, January 27, 2012

Flashback of the Day (Taegan Goddard's Political Wire)

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[OOC] NPC List

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This forum is for OOC discussion about existing roleplays.

Please post all "Players Wanted" threads in the Roleplayers Wanted forum!

This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?Through the Looking Glass?. Anything posted here will also show up there.

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Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
This is where we will keep a maintained list of fantasy characters in the roleplay. Any fantasy character that is not currently claimed by a player will also be listed here.

Sir Percival - A member of Queen Wilster's royal court.
Prince Ring- Queen Wilster's son and future heir to the throne.
Princess Signy- Niece of Queen Grimhild, married to Prince Ring.
Prince Asmund- Nephew of Queen Grimhild and brother to Signy. Asmund is under the care and protection of Queen Wilster.

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Thursday, January 26, 2012

PFT: Vikings open to offers for No. 3 pick

New England Patriots' Gronkowski is tackled by Baltimore Ravens' Pollard in the third quarter during the NFL AFC Championship football game in FoxboroughReuters

The NFL has some great traditions.? And some bizarre habits.

One particularly goofy quirk comes from the publication of injury reports for practices that didn?t happen.? It happens from time to time during the season.? And it happens during the bye week before the Super Bowl.

On Wednesday, neither the Giants nor the Patriots practiced.? But both teams were required to predict whether and to what extent injured players would have been able to participate in practice, if there actually had been practice.

For the Patriots, the only player whom they think wouldn?t have been able to practice if there were practice was tight end Rob Gronkowski, whose ankle suffered an unnatural, Gumby-like twist on Sunday against the Ravens.

The following Patriots would have participated in practice on a limited basis, if there had been practice: receiver Deion Branch (knee), tackle Marcus Cannon (ankle), safety Patrick Chung (knee), linebacker Dane Fletcher (thumb), safety James Ihedigbo (shoulder), defensive tackle Kyle Love (ankle), guard Logan
Mankins (knee), linebacker Rob Ninkovich (hip), linebacker Brandon Spikes (knee), tackle Sebastian
Vollmer (back, foot), receiver Wes Welker (knee), and linebacker Tracy White (abdomen).

Guard Dan Connolly (groin) and receiver Matt Slater (shoulder) would have fully participated in practice.

For the Giants, running back Ahmad Bradshaw (foot), receiver Hakeem Nicks (shoulder), and safety Tyler Sash (concussion) would not have practiced.? Defensive end Osi Umenyiora (ankle, knee) would have practiced on a limited basis.

Stay tuned for further updates for who wouldn?t have practiced on days on which there wasn?t practice.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/01/26/spielman-says-vikings-more-than-willing-to-listen-to-trade-offers-for-no-3-pick/related/

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Venezuela touts anti-drug effort, deports suspects (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Venezuela on Tuesday deported three suspected drug smugglers wanted in the United States, Canada and Colombia, touting the moves as proof the government of President Hugo Chavez is making strides in fighting trafficking.

Those deported include Luc Letourneau, a Canadian wanted in his homeland on drug trafficking charges, Oscar Martinez Hernandez, an American wanted in Puerto Rico on charges including cocaine and heroin smuggling, and Colombian Adalberto Bernal Arboleda.

Arboleda, known by his nickname "El Cali," faces drug smuggling charges in Colombia and the United States.

Justice Minister Tareck El Aissami trumpeted the deportations as evidence Venezuela is cracking down on drug trafficking.

Venezuela is a major hub for gangs that smuggle Colombian cocaine to the United States and Europe, and U.S. officials have accused Chavez's government of being lax in anti-drug efforts.

Last year, President Barack Obama's administration classified Venezuela as a country that has "failed demonstrably" to effectively fight drug trafficking.

El Aissami dismissed that accusation, accusing U.S. officials of "defaming" Venezuela's counter-drug efforts.

Letourneau, 53, was captured in May on Margarita Island, a popular tourist destination. At the time of his arrest, Letourneau was planning to smuggle 110 pounds (50 kilograms) of cocaine into Canada, El Aissami said.

Hernandez, a 44-year-old man who was nabbed by police on Jan. 4 in the western city of Maracaibo, faces numerous criminal charges ranging from drug trafficking to illegal possession of firearms and explosives.

Arboleda was captured in the town of Mariara, in central Carabobo state, on Jan. 11.

U.S.-Venezuelan counter-drug cooperation has been sharply scaled back since 2005, when Chavez suspended cooperation with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and accused it of being a front for espionage.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_drug_suspects

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Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Azeri company plans world's tallest building (AP)

BAKU, Azerbaijan ? A property developer in oil-rich Azerbaijan says the company is aiming to construct the world's tallest building on a chain of artificial islands in the Caspian Sea.

Kana Guluzade, marketing director of the Avesta company, said Tuesday the plans for the complex include a business center soaring to 1050 meters (3,645 feet), which would be 27 percent taller than the current champ, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

The tower initially had been planned at 560 meters (1,837 feet), he said.

The project is to include 41 islands about 25 kilometers (15 miles) south of the capital Baku, including hotels and apartment buildings.

Guluzade said construction of the complex, called Khazar Islands, is to begin at the end of 2013.

___

Online:

Project website: http://khazarislands.com

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120124/ap_on_re_eu/eu_azerbaijan_tallest_building

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Ali Shields Raps, Kisses, Dances on American Idol


Ali Shields is off to Hollywood, but it took one of the more unusual American Idol auditions to get her there.

This aspiring singer has actually been featured on national television before, posting a video online that eventually landed her a spot on Ellen. She proceeded to attend a red carpet event through the talk shot host and kiss Usher. No, really!

Last night in San Diego, meanwhile, Ali at first rapped for the Idol panel; and then broke down into a dance at Randy Jackson's request; only to finally conclude with an actual song that landed her a Golden Ticket. Watch for yourself:

While enjoyable, Ali's audition was not our favorite of the night. That honor belongs to Aubree Dieckmeyer.

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/01/ali-shields-raps-kisses-dances-on-american-idol/

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Tuesday, January 24, 2012

RolePlayGateway?

We've all heard the fairy tails, I'm sure. How fairies do this, and elves do that. Well, have you ever wondered if we don't have it all wrong? Because, if we do: then maybe we should just fear vampires more, or maybe the ocean isn't as inviting as we once believed...At any rate, today, I think we have the chance to find out. Won't you join me?

Our story, dear child, starts with a war.

And what a terrible war it was. The entire land participated, from the Vampire nation to the east, to the Eleven kingdom of the west, all the way to the Human settlements of the north and the Werewolf clans in the south. It was absolutely everyone. Sure, some of the armies fought differently, some were more merciful than others, but there was bloodshed from all sides. Alliances were formed, people were slaughtered, and the Angels were the ones to end it, after not participating but the last year, they grew tired of the fighting and simply put an end to it. Now, ten years later, the children of the royal families, born during the war, are old enough to wed. Normally, the kings and queens would simply get together with their favored kingdoms to find a suitor for their little prince or princess; but not this time. No, this time the Angels insist that something different be done. The hair to every throne now must meet up in the Kingdom of La Lumi?re, where the Angels dwell, to find themselves a suitor. This has caused a bit of an uproar, let them choose for themselves?! It's simply unheard of! However, if this condition is not met, the Angels have made it more than clear that they can pull their influences from every kingdom in the land, and that is more than enough convincing for most. However, if they choose nt to choose, or don't like the choices they've been given...Then what will happen?

And then the beautiful princess locked eyes with the prince...

Here we have our lovely cast of characters. I will let you interpret them however you wish, permitting the description of their race, of course.

Dryad Princess. Dryads are tree nymphs and as such are an entirely female race: a child of a Dryad is either born a Dryad, or as the race of the father. There is never a mixture of the two. They are a long-living race, and each is linked to a tree from somewhere in the land and as thus they live all across our fair land, for if their tree dies, so do they and as such they tend to like to be near their tree. Dryads are notoriously shy, except around those they've known for a while, or have observed to be kind to nature. (Open)

Fairy Prince. Fairies are a human-sized, and incredibly beautiful race. Unlike what we're often told, they do not posses wings, rather they fly using their magic. The females are often mistaken for Angels due to their appearance, though their one major difference is Fairies tend to be somewhat translucent- they're solid to the touch, but you can almost see right through them. They are a kindhearted, but mischievous people that have been cursed with an inability to lie, and they hate people thanking them with words alone, they'd much rather you insure their kindness never be forgotten than simply say "Thank you" and forget about them. (Open)

Angel Princess. Angels are the second of the fully-female races, or first, depending on how you look at it. They are radiant, confident, and masters of light magic. It is because of their influences that every kingdom in the land is as fertile and well off as it it, and as such losing their influences would be terrible. They do have wings, and they can fly. They hate the Demons with a passion and have an undying compassion for the Humans, seeing as how fragile and innocent they are. (Sorella)

Werewolf Prince. Basically, Werewolves change in an inhuman, but not quite animal, being during full moons and when extremely angered. They're infamous for their tempers and hatred for humans. (Open)

Merfolk Princess. Put simply, the Merfolk are a race of people that live primarily in water, though they do need water to survive. They often lure sailors out to sea so that they can rip them apart and feed on their flesh. Charming, aren't they? They can survive out of the water, and their tails will turn to a pair of legs once fully dried out, but they need to ingest large amounts of liquid to survive. (That one guy)

Elven Prince. Look, we ain't talking Santa's Elves here. These Elves are tall, sensual and skilled people. They're great at elemental magic and live as one with nature. They just so happen to be faster, stronger, and more agile than humans, but not quite so much as some of the other races. (Open)

Human Princess. Humans are among the most hated of all the peoples in the land. They are the weakest, the slowest, the least intelligent and most prone to being hurt or killed. Though, they are also loved for their ability to love so much it hurts, for their intense imaginations and the fact that no matter where they go, they adapt and survive- something many of the other races simply cannot do. (Open)

Ghost Prince. Ghosts are not dead, they are simply beings that are not fully understood at the time. While, yes, they can walk through solid objects and walls, it is all because of a type of magic that's flowing through their very blood. They are completely translucent, but can be touched and felt if they feel like letting you, and they also do need to eat, and will do so, but they hate hot food, so it much be cooled properly. (Jeffrey!)

Vampire Princess. Vampires love the darkness, direct light from the sun is poison to them, reflected light, not so much. Crosses and Holy Water don't do much to them, they find it funny, actually. Though they can be killed by most anything that would instantly kill a human, otherwise they'll heal up pretty quickly. They need to drink blood to survive, though the type of blood is really just a personal preference. (Madmoiselle)

Demon Prince. Demons are...Well, the opposite of Angels, that's for sure. They can survive anywhere, really, and are just as beautiful as Angels, the only real catch is, they're all male. Masters of dark magic, they're often blamed when anything goes wrong in the world, but the biggest question is: are they really evil, or are they just there to bring balance to the world. Legend says that the Angels and Demons were once one, so why do they hate each other so much, now? (Traveler)

The lore of my people is an interesting one, fair maiden.

This is simply some lore to help you understand our world better.

The top three least trusted races are, 1: Demons, 2: Ghosts, 3: Vampires. It's said that one of these three races started most every war every fought.

The world is thought to have been started when the Angels and Demons entered into the first war ever, there was when they spilt from being one group (often referred to as the Celestials) and went their own ways.

To actually have a Ghost let you see them is a difficult feat, and is said to be a sign of a tender, trustworthy heart.

Crossing paths with a Demon is terrible luck in the eyes of many, and some will go so far as turning around and staying at home for as long as a week so they won't be cursed.

Vampires and Werewolves have fought many wars, so many, in fact, that they don't remember why they hate each other.

A kiss from an Angel is said to bring a long and happy, but difficult life.

Alternatively, a kiss from a Demon is said to bring a short, but powerful and easy life.

Sleeping in the same bed as a Fairy is said to bring sweet dreams.

Though, if said Fairy is angry, it is said to bring nightmares.

Living with a Ghost is believed to ward off sickness by some, and thought to bring it tenfold by others.

Humans are often captured and sold as slaves, especially to the Vampires and Elves.

To say, "He's as sneaky as a Ghost on purification day." Is referring to the one day a year that Ghosts can legally be captured and killed by Werewolves, Vampires and Elves. It's not easy to do, either.

What would your fair laws be, noble king?

1. Romance is not only allowed, but encouraged! Just a thought, though, you shouldn't be madly in love as soon as you look at someone. Sure, crushes happen, but please give relationships time to bloom. Oh, but once romance starts up, don't blind us. Follow rpg's rules, too, love.
2. Not everyone will like each other ic, actually, I'd like it much more if a little drama was going on.
3. Um, be awesome?
4. Electricity doesn't exist yet, so, you know, keep that in mind and stuff.
5. I'm letting you come up with names for the nations (except the Angel's kingdom, I didn't that one for you) and what they believe and such. Have fun with that one.
6. If I've never roleplayed with you before, I'd love a small sample of what you can do, just to insure you'll be a nice fit here, please. Thank you.

Oh! What dress to wear to the ball?

Code: Select all
[left][img]Picture here, I'd prefer realistic, but this is a fantasy rp so I understand needing something different.[/img][/left][i][b]Name:[/i][/b] Be creative, here.
[i][b]Sex:[/b][/i]
[i][b]Age:[/b][/i] Sixteen to nineteen, please.
[i][b]Role:[/b][/i]
[i][b]Appearance:[/b][/i] Because the picture is just to help us out a little on picturing the character.

[i][b]Personality:[/b][/i] Because we want to know your character as well as you do.
[i][b]What do you think about being able to choose your spouse:[/b][/i]
[i][b]History:[/b][/i] What kind of life have you had until now?
[i][b]Extra[/b][/i]

Alright, and that's all. Have fun with this, loves.

Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway

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Extraordinary Gingrich comeback also vindication

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich prepares to walk off stage with his grand daughter Maggie Cushman, after Gingrich spoke during a?South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich prepares to walk off stage with his grand daughter Maggie Cushman, after Gingrich spoke during a?South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich laughs while speaking during a?South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary.(AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich waves to the crowd with his wife Callista during a?South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. Newt Gingrich won the South Carolina primary. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich speaks during a?South Carolina Republican presidential primary night rally, Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012, in Columbia, S.C. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Republican presidential candidate, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, stands with his wife Ann as he speaks at his South Carolina primary election night reception at the South Carolina State Fairgrounds in Columbia, S.C., Saturday, Jan. 21, 2012. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich won the Republican primary Saturday night. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(AP) ? To say Newt Gingrich capped an extraordinary comeback with a South Carolina victory doesn't quite capture what happened.

It was more like vindication.

The former House speaker came from behind to overtake Mitt Romney on Saturday in a state that for decades has chosen the eventual Republican nominee. On the way there, Gingrich triumphed over months of campaign turmoil and at least two political near-death experiences as well as millions of dollars of attack advertisements and potentially damning personal allegations.

He did it by finding his voice and rallying conservatives with a populist defiance.

"The American people feel that they have elites who have been trying to force us to stop being Americans," Gingrich told cheering supporters in Columbia after he was declared the victor. "It's not that I am a good debater. It's that I articulate the deepest-felt values of the American people."

It was on the debate stage that the pugnacious Gingrich arguably revived his presidential campaign, not once but twice in the past year, by giving a tea party-infused GOP exactly what it's hungering for ? a no-holds-barred attack dog willing to go after President Barack Obama with abandon. If Gingrich wins the nomination, his confrontational attitude against all things Obama likely will be a big reason Republicans choose him over chief rival Romney.

Gingrich, a political strategist in his own right who has a knack for understanding precisely what the GOP electorate wants, has aggressively taken it to Obama since the moment he entered the race last spring determined to turn his nationwide grass-roots network of support that he's cultivated for a decade into a front-running White House campaign.

But he stumbled early, including by disparaging the House Republicans' Medicare proposal as "right-wing social engineering" and was all but forced to apologize after the conservative outcry. His campaign nearly imploded over strategy squabbles, with virtually his entire senior staff abandoning him before the summer even began. And he was broke after spending lavishly.

Gingrich spent the next six months running his own campaign on a shoestring. The former college professor used a series of debates in the fall ? and the free media they afforded him ? to show Republican voters his political and oratory skills. Their adoration ended up catapulting him back into contention in Iowa. He vowed to stay positive and focus on Obama ? even as his rivals, sensing a very real threat, went on the attack with a barrage of negative TV advertising.

His rivals and allied groups ? primarily the pro-Romney Restore Our Future political action committee and Texas Rep. Ron Paul ? castigated him for a tumultuous speakership and career in Washington after Congress, knocking him way off course and nearly bludgeoning him to political death.

It turned out Gingrich didn't have the money to respond on TV. And his standing slid as the new year began, and he ended up coming in a distant fourth place in the leadoff caucuses on Jan. 3.

He was but an afterthought in the next state to vote, New Hampshire, where he spent a full week on the attack against Romney while complaining about the beating he took in Iowa on the air. But the cash-strapped Gingrich didn't have money to take his criticism of Romney to the TV airwaves. He seemed completely off his game, losing big in the first-in-the-nation primary state.

Then Sheldon Adelson came to the rescue.

The billionaire casino magnate and longtime Gingrich backer ponied up at least $5 million for an outside group ? made up of former Gingrich aides ? to help put his buddy back in the game. It wasn't long before the group ? Winning Our Future ? was exacting payback on Romney for his allies pummeling Gingrich in Iowa. And the group started raising questions about Romney's time at the helm of a private equity firm, Bain Capital, putting Romney on the defensive for the first time during the campaign.

When the race turned to South Carolina, it didn't take long for Gingrich? a former Georgia congressman ? to hit his stride. The state had always been a campaign firewall for him. He had visited often, built his biggest staff of any of the first three early-voting states and spent $2.5 million on advertising.

Over the past 10 days, he raised questions about Romney's private business experience while Winning Our Future reinforced the message by financing millions of dollars in South Carolina advertising characterizing Romney as a corporate predator who dismantled companies while running Bain Capital. Gingrich also started working to undercut Romney's strength ? the notion that the former Massachusetts governor was the Republicans' best chance to beat Obama in the fall.

"What you are seeing him doing is convincing people first that he can win," senior Gingrich adviser David Winston explained at one point. "He's in the process of crossing that threshold."

It was his performance in two debates last week that may have helped him seal the deal with undecided Republicans who were questioning his viability as a candidate.

He turned his vulnerabilities ? a comment some interpreted as racist and an allegation by an ex-wife that he had wanted an "open marriage" ? into moments of strength by answering questions about those issues with nothing short of a character assassination on the national media. In both instances, he clearly tickled his conservative audience ? many of whom are skeptical of a media industry they view as left-leaning.

In Myrtle Beach last Monday, Gingrich lashed out when FOX News Juan Williams had asked him if comments he made urging poor minority children to work as janitors were racially insensitive.

"The fact is that more people have been put on food stamps by Barack Obama than any president in American history," Gingrich retorted ? and then turned up the intensity.

His voice rose and he jabbed a finger into the podium as he said: "I believe every American of every background has been endowed by their creator with the right to pursue happiness. And if that makes liberals unhappy, I'm going to continue to find ways to help poor people learn how to get a job, learn how to get a better job, and learn some day to own the job."

The clip became the heart of Gingrich's final television ad in South Carolina, and won high praise from supporters at the barbecue joints and sportsmen's clubs he visited in the campaign's closing days.

But three days later, Gingrich had what seemed like a problem on his hands.

An ex-wife, Marianne Gingrich, did an interview with ABC News in which she said Gingrich had asked her to allow him to have a mistress while they were married. It was unclear how the allegation would play in a Baptist state where many in the GOP electorate call themselves evangelical.

Gingrich ended up using the allegation to his advantage on a debate stage in Charleston, when CNN moderator John King opened the candidate face-off by asking Gingrich about his ex-wife's claim.

"Every person in here knows personal pain. Every person in here has had someone close to them go through painful things," an indignant Gingrich said. "To take an ex-wife and make it, two days before the primary, a significant question for a presidential campaign is as close to despicable as anything I can imagine."

The audience roared and rose to its feet.

Several things also fell Gingrich's way.

Romney's personal wealth was thrust into the spotlight as he stumbled over whether ? and then eventually when ? he would release his tax returns. Gingrich pounced, suggesting Romney may have something to hide that could pose a liability against Obama. Romney also took a hit when the Iowa GOP declared that Rick Santorum, not Romney had won the leadoff caucuses.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry also quit the race two days before the primary and endorsed Gingrich. And evangelical conservatives in the state largely ignored the pleas of national Christian leaders who had voted to endorse Santorum and started coalescing behind Gingrich, the only other candidate in the race fighting over the support of the right flank.

In the end, South Carolina Republican strategist Chip Felkel said: "His supporters were fired up, and it's contagious, especially given Romney's failure to generate that kind of enthusiasm."

The coming weeks will determine whether Gingrich can stay on top this time.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-01-22-How%20Gingrich%20Won/id-6ecdcedee10e4ea9990fa133c45ca1f1

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