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St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, center, speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, flanked by team owner Bill DeWitt Jr., left, and general manager John Mozeliak. . La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, center, speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, flanked by team owner Bill DeWitt Jr., left, and general manager John Mozeliak. La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, center, speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011, flanked by team owner Bill DeWitt Jr., left, and general manager John Mozeliak. La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, right, speaks at a news conference at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Monday, Oct. 31, 2011. At left is team owner Bill DeWitt Jr. La Russa retired as manager of the Cardinals, three days after winning a dramatic, seven-game World Series against the Texas Rangers. (AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Chris Gooden) EDWARDSVILLE INTELLIGENCER OUT. THE ALTON TELEGRAPH OUT
ST. LOUIS (AP) ? Tony La Russa waited until after the championship parade and then called a team meeting with his players.
"We didn't know what to expect," said pitcher Chris Carpenter, who won Game 7 of the World Series against Texas on Friday night. "I think we all figured it was just going to be like, 'Thataway guys. Great year. Way to battle!' Instead, he dropped that on us. I think everybody was caught off-guard."
And with that, the 67-year-old La Russa said goodbye to baseball and became the first manager to retire immediately after leading his team to a Series title ? the third of his career.
"I think this just feels like it's time to end it," he said Monday. "When I look in the mirror, I know I'd come back for the wrong reasons, and I didn't want to do that."
La Russa said he told general manager John Mozeliak of his decision in August ? before the Cards rallied from a 10?-game deficit in the NL wild-card race to upset Philadelphia and Milwaukee in the playoffs.
They won the thrilling seven-game Series after twice coming within a strike of elimination in Game 6.
"I tip my hat to him. He's had a great career. What a way to go out," Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson said.
The player meeting was short and emotional.
"Some grown men cried," La Russa said, joking that, "I kind of liked that because they made me cry a few times.
La Russa won the World Series with Oakland in 1989, and St. Louis in 2006 and this year, joining Sparky Anderson as the only manager to win with clubs in both leagues.
During 33 seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1979-86), Oakland (1986-95) and St. Louis (1996-11), La Russa compiled a 2,728-2,365 regular-season record. He trails only Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) for wins. And his 70 postseason victories are behind only Joe Torre's 84.
A rare manager with a law degree, La Russa was voted AL Manager of the Year three times, and NL Manager of the Year in 2002. He will be up for consideration for the Hall of Fame in December 2013, at the same time as Torre and Bobby Cox.
"I think you can make a case for him as best of all-time. Absolutely," said Detroit manager Jim Leyland, who coached for La Russa with the White Sox after managing against him in the minors.
Leyland said La Russa was the "total package" as a manager, obsessing over the lineup card, outfoxing opponents during games and refusing to bend to public opinion.
"Terry Francona used to say 'If you manage for the guys in the seats, pretty soon you'll be sitting with 'em.' Tony never worried about that stuff," Leyland said. "It's a good lesson for managers."
La Russa revolutionized the sport during his time with Oakland, making Dennis Eckersley a one-inning closer. Now, it's common for all 30 big league teams.
"He's been an outstanding leader of many different teams under many different circumstances, and that's hard to do," said New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson, La Russa's GM with the Athletics.
La Russa had unusual strategies: He started a game with the pitcher batting eighth 432 times. He was renowned for his use of batter-pitcher matchups in determining which reliever to bring in, but also ridiculed "Moneyball" and its emphasis on statistics over human scouting and observation.
Potential successors include Francona, Jim Riggleman and Joe Maddon, who has one year left on his deal in Tampa Bay but has expressed interest in the Cardinals in the past.
A pal of Bobby Knight, Bill Parcells and Bill Belichick, La Russa was an outspoken supporter of PETA and animal rights, and could be seen during spring training years ago in Phoenix hitting fly balls to one of his dogs.
He was treated at the Mayo Clinic in May for shingles, which left his face swollen and right eye nearly shut. The manager downplayed his health, saying "it had no bearing on my future."
La Russa spoke with little emotion at the news conference with one exception, when he paused to compose himself as he thanked his wife, Elaine, and two daughters for putting up with his absence over much of his long tenure.
La Russa often appeared tightlipped at his televised postgame news conferences, but behind the scenes he showed his sense of humor and often poked fun at himself by referencing his .199 career big league average in a playing career that consisted of 176 at-bats over 11 years as a second baseman, shortstop and third baseman. The manager was looser than usual and more reflective in October, perhaps doing a personal farewell tour.
La Russa donned a throwback Sam Bradford jersey on the sideline before the Rams' upset of the Saints on Sunday.
"I saw him smile more in the last few months during games than I ever saw in the eight years that I was here before it," Carpenter said. "He was enjoying the moment, but I didn't know it."
La Russa gave a signal of his intentions to Dave Duncan, his former teammate and his pitching coach since they were together on the White Sox. Duncan left the team for several weeks to tend to his ailing wife, and La Russa asked whether Duncan could return in time for the regular-season finale.
Chris Duncan, a son of the pitching coach, who played for La Russa in St. Louis, said he was fairly certain this meant the end.
"Tony wanted his longtime sidekick, the coach who's been with him all the way, with him if it was going to be his last game," Chris Duncan told The Associated Press. "That was important to him."
La Russa said it was definite that he'd never manage again and added he has no desire to be a general manager, a job he described as the hardest in baseball. He would be open to a position in baseball in the future, but probably not with the Cardinals.
"Me personally, I think it's time to step away for a long while," La Russa said
Hired by Bill Veeck for his first major league managing job with the White Sox, La Russa was fired by White Sox GM Ken Harrelson.
"I allowed the general manager to fire him. That was the worst mistake I ever made," Chicago White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said. "It turned about to be great for Tony, though, because he left here at a time we weren't doing well and he went to Oakland right at the time that all of their talent came to fruition."
La Russa managed teams to 12 first-place finishes and six pennants, going to the World Series in three straight years with the A's from 1988-90. He also lost in the Series with the Cardinals in 2004.
"Tony wanted to win in spring training," Leyland said. "He wanted everything done right from the start. It's like he was born to manage."
Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. said he didn't try to talk La Russa out of his decision. The manager had taken his time in recent years deciding whether to return to baseball.
"I said, 'Are you sure you want to do this?'" DeWitt said. "I respected his decision. It was never about 'Do you want me to come back?'"
"We're not going to find a Tony La Russa out there, given his career and what he's accomplished, what he's meant to the Cardinals," DeWitt said.
Mozeliak said the new manager will be given autonomy to hire staff. Duncan is under contract for 2012, but will likely also retire.
Mozeliak didn't think La Russa's departure would affect negotiations with Albert Pujols, a free agent for the first time after 11 seasons with the Cardinals.
"He probably understood that Tony is not going to manage forever," Mozeliak said.
Before heading home to California, La Russa said he was happy he didn't know what the future held for him. He even joked about his next occupation.
"Maybe open a book store," he said.
___
AP St. Louis correspondent Jim Salter, Columnist Jim Litke and Sports Writer Howard Fendrich in Washington D.C. contributed to this report.
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The UFC's only official pre-fight show returns when Fight Day comes to you live this afternoon (5 p.m. ET/2 p.m. PT) from the sold-out Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, the home of "UFC 137: Penn vs. Diaz."
Hosts Dave Farra and Megan Olivi will break down all of the latest news from the UFC, including the stunning cancellation of the main event after an injury to Georges St-Pierre forced him to withdraw from the event.
Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson will join the show to discuss his career and what's next for him, and we'll have a panel of journalists ready to break down the entire card.

Watch UFC 137 right here on Yahoo! Sports
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ScienceDaily (Oct. 31, 2011) ? Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine researchers have discovered that the infiltration of white blood cells into an expectant mother's blood vessels may explain high blood pressure in pregnancy.
The findings could lead to novel avenues of treatment for pregnant women with preeclampsia based on regulation of white blood cells called neutrophilis, their products or their cellular effects.
Preeclampsia is one of the most significant health problems in pregnancy and a leading cause worldwide of both premature delivery and of sickness and death of the mother and baby. Research has shown that the blood vessels of women with preeclampsia are dysfunctional, but the cause of preeclampsia is not known, and the only treatment is delivery of the baby.
In a study published online in the October issue of Hypertension, a journal of the American Heart Association, the VCU team reported that an infiltration of white blood cells may be responsible for the high blood pressure observed in preeclampsia. These white blood cells release reactive oxygen species that the team showed enhance the reactivity of the mother's blood vessels to hypertensive hormones by activating the RhoA kinase pathway in the blood vessels.
According to corresponding author Scott W. Walsh, Ph.D., professor in the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the RhoA kinase pathway is an intracellular mechanism in the smooth muscle cells of blood vessels that makes the blood vessels more reactive to hormones that increase blood pressure.
"In other words, the blood vessels contract more easily to the hormones so blood pressure increases even though the hormone levels do not increase," said Walsh.
"These findings may explain the enhanced blood pressure response of women who develop preeclampsia, which was first described almost 40 years ago," he said.
Walsh said some potential treatments on the horizon for clinical studies are monoclonal antibodies that could prevent the infiltration of the white blood cells, and selective RhoA kinase inhibitors that could prevent the enhanced reactivity of the mother's blood vessels.
This work was supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
Walsh collaborated with Nikita Mishra Ph.D., M.B.B.S., graduate student with the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Physiology and Biophysics, and currently an Ob-Gyn resident at The Reading Hospital and Medical Center in Pennsylvania; William H. Nugent, a post-doctoral student in the VCU Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology; and Sunila Mahavadi, a post-doctoral student in the VCU Department of Physiology and Biophysics.
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FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2010, file photo, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Washington. It's still ?drill, baby, drill.? After the nation's largest offshore oil spill and a series of pipeline breaks, Republican presidential candidates are still pushing an aggressive policy of oil and gas drilling. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
FILE - In this Feb. 18, 2010, file photo, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks in Washington. It's still ?drill, baby, drill.? After the nation's largest offshore oil spill and a series of pipeline breaks, Republican presidential candidates are still pushing an aggressive policy of oil and gas drilling. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Mitt Romney may need a censor. For himself.
In the last few weeks in Nevada, the man who owns several homes told the state hit tough by the housing crisis: "Don't try and stop the foreclosure process. Let it run its course and hit the bottom."
At one point in Iowa, earlier this year, the former venture capitalist uttered, "Corporations are people," with the country in the midst of a debate over Wall Street vs. Main Street. At an event in economically suffering Florida, the retiree ? who is a multimillionaire many times over ? told out-of-work voters, "I'm also unemployed."
Over the past year, the Republican presidential candidate has amassed a collection of off-the-cuff comments that expose his vulnerabilities and, taken together, cast him as out-of-touch with Americans who face staggering unemployment, widespread foreclosures and a dire outlook on the economy.
So far, the foot-in-mouth remarks haven't seemed to affect his standing in the nomination race.
Romney has run a far more cautious and disciplined campaign than his losing bid of four years ago. He's kept the focus on his core message: He's the strongest candidate able to beat President Barack Obama on the biggest issue of the campaign, the economy. He still enjoys leading positions in public opinion polls in early primary states and across the nation. Few, if any, of the other Republicans in the race have turned his remarks against him.
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, Romney's chief rival with the money to prove it, is all but certain to try. Perry has already started suggesting that Romney lives a life of privilege while he comes from humble roots. In an interview Friday with CNN, another GOP candidate, former Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, painted Romney as "a perfectly lubricated weather vane on the important issues of the day."
And Romney's eyebrow-raising comments are tailor-made for critical TV ads.
Look no further than the Democratic Party and Obama's advisers for proof of that.
Each time Romney says something that makes even his closest aides grimace, Democrats quickly put together a Web video highlighting the remark ? a preview of certain lines of attack come the general election should the former Massachusetts governor win the nomination.
"Mitt Romney's message to Arizona? You're on your own," says a new ad by the Democratic National Committee that jumps on Romney's foreclosure remarks.
Romney's team publicly dismisses their boss's occasional loose lips, dismissing them as inconsequential to voters focused on an unemployment rate hovering around 9 percent.
"It's a long campaign and at the end of the day people are going to judge Gov. Romney and his ability to take on President Obama over jobs and the economy. And certainly there will be a lot of back and forth as the campaign progresses," said Russ Schriefer, a Romney strategist.
"This election will be decided on big issues because the issues are so big and so important," Schriefer said. "And not on a gaffe or a mistake or a moment, any particularly moment. It's more about the big moments and who voters see and being able to turn the economy around."
It usually takes more than one gaffe or one mistake to undo a campaign. And other candidates have made their own potentially problematic comments.
Take, for instance, Herman Cain's assertion that the Wall Street protesters are in the streets to distract from Obama's record: "If you don't have a job and you're not rich, blame yourself." Or Perry's suggestion that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is "almost treasonous": "If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don't what y'all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas." Or former House Speaker Newt Gingrich explaining his infidelity: "There's no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate."
But a string of unforced errors, when combined, can reinforce unfavorable perceptions of the candidate, as Romney aides privately acknowledge. And that's the trouble Romney faces ? just as John Kerry damaged himself when he racked up a series of equivocating comments on a series of issues while the Democratic nominee in 2004.
President George W. Bush's re-election campaign used Kerry's waffling ? conflicts between his votes and his quotes ? to cast him as an opportunist who would shift his positions to win votes.
Romney gave his critics a similar opening over the past few days. In Ohio, he refused to say whether he would support a local ballot initiative even as he visited a site where volunteers were making hundreds of phone calls to help Republicans defeat it. Issue Two would repeal Ohio Gov. John Kasich's restrictions on public sector employee bargaining.
It turned out that Romney had already weighed in, supporting Kasich's efforts in a June Facebook post. And, a day after the Ohio visit, Romney made clear where he stood, saying he was "110 percent" behind the anti-union effort.
There have been other instances of comments that could come back to haunt him. In Arizona at one point, he tried to highlight his father's role running an auto company but inadvertently painted himself as a have, rather than a have not.
"See, I'm a Detroit guy, so, you know, I only have domestics," he said, then added: "I have a couple of Cadillacs, at two different houses. You know, small crossovers."
During a recent debate, Romney suggested that the discovery of illegal immigrants working on his yard during his first presidential campaign was a problem ? not because it was illegal, but because "I'm running for office, for Pete's sake."
Comments like those could partly explain why Romney has kept a limited public schedule and favors closed events and appearances that play down spontaneous interaction with reporters.
Still, in some ways, the damage may already have been done. Expect to hear Romney's impolitic comments frequently as Republicans and Democrats alike try to derail Romney.
__
Associated Press writer Beth Fouhy in Boston contributed to this report.
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In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, Meena Rahmani, 26, owner of The Strikers, the country's first bowling center, holds a bowling ball in Kabul, Afghanistan. In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that the country could use a chance to have a bit of fun _ by bowling. Located just down the street from Kabul's glitziest mall, Meena Rahmani opened Afghanistan's first bowling alley, offering a place where Afghan men, women and families can gather, relax, bowl a few games and not be burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, Meena Rahmani, 26, owner of The Strikers, the country's first bowling center, holds a bowling ball in Kabul, Afghanistan. In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that the country could use a chance to have a bit of fun _ by bowling. Located just down the street from Kabul's glitziest mall, Meena Rahmani opened Afghanistan's first bowling alley, offering a place where Afghan men, women and families can gather, relax, bowl a few games and not be burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011 photo, an Afghan girl walks back to her home, carrying her sister on her back after buying balloons from a vendor in Kabul, Afghanistan. For most people in Kabul, there have long been few options for how to spend their free time. But now, a young Afghan woman has opened the country's first bowling alley, betting that her countrymen could use a chance to have a bit of fun.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, an Afghan man plays at the Strikers, the country's first bowling center, in Kabul, Afghanistan. In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that the country could use a chance to have a bit of fun _ by bowling. Located just down the street from Kabul's glitziest mall, Meena Rahmani opened Afghanistan's first bowling alley, offering a place where Afghan men, women and families can gather, relax, bowl a few games and not be burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Friday, Oct. 28, 2011 photo, Afghan men play at the Strikers, the country's first bowling center, in Kabul, Afghanistan. In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that the country could use a chance to have a bit of fun _ by bowling. Located just down the street from Kabul's glitziest mall, Meena Rahmani opened Afghanistan's first bowling alley, offering a place where Afghan men, women and families can gather, relax, bowl a few games and not be burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
In this Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 photo, Afghan children enjoy a swing ride set up in a cemetery outside Sakhi shrine in Kabul, Afghanistan. For most people in Kabul, there have long been few options for how to spend their free time. But now, a young Afghan woman has opened the country's first bowling alley, betting that her countrymen could use a chance to have a bit of fun.(AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen)
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? In an Afghan capital scarred by years of war, a young Afghan woman has bet $1 million that her countrymen could use a little fun.
Located just down the street from Kabul's glitziest mall, is The Strikers, the country's first bowling alley and owner Meena Rahmani's gamble on the capital's newest entertainment venue. But more than a place for family fun in a city largely devoid of options, the 12-lane center stands as a reflection of both the country's hope for the future and the challenge of securing one even as NATO's fight against the Taliban enters its 11th year.
"We can never compare a bowling center ... in Afghanistan and one ... in the West," said Rahmani. "Afghanistan needed a place like this."
Aside from the cultural significance of such a center in a country largely lacking entertainment choices, building the bowling alley was a massive undertaking. All the equipment is imported, the engineers came from China and the alley is powered by several industrial-sized generators. The entrance to the alley sits behind blast-resistant steel doors guarded by burly men toting AK-47 assault rifles.
"This was a huge project," said Rahmani, but "we were committed to it."
Rahmani has gambled $1 million of her own money ? secured from the sale of family land ? that the center will not only help bored Afghans kill a few hours, but also a place where men, women and families can gather and relax, not burdened by the social, religious and cultural restrictions that govern daily life in the impoverished country.
Inside, several dozen Afghans, most of whom learned to bowl abroad, seem to agree. In the month since it opened, The Strikers has become a hit.
"Here, on our days off, we walk aimlessly in the streets," said Navid Sediqi, a 29-year-old businessman. He said he used to begin his weekend by logging onto Facebook and chatting with his friends online. After Friday prayers, they would go to picnic areas or parks, and sit and chat.
"This is so much better. Finally, a bit of excitement on our days off," he said dressed in a pressed, white traditional shalwar kameez.
For most people in this city of about 5 million, there were, for years, few options to while away the hours.
There are kite fights, picnics or paddle-boat rides on a lake on Kabul's outskirts, as well as football games on dirt pitches that ring Darulaman Palace, the bombed-out seat of former Afghan kings. Some rusty amusement rides have been set up for children, including in a graveyard.
Snooker clubs also have sprouted up around Kabul, but they are largely seen as attracting unsavory characters ? people who Sediqi described as "not the kind of open-minded people" one would find at the bowling alley.
Like most everything else in Afghanistan, the alley is a study in contrasts and challenges, not the least of which is that it's a business started by a young woman in a country where women have traditionally been pushed firmly to the sidelines.
Rahmani, who left Afghanistan in 1992 and spent 15 years in Pakistan with her parents before moving to Canada for graduate studies, said the idea came to her when she visited her home country several years ago and found there was nothing for Afghans to do beyond occasionally going out to eat, going for walks or visiting family.
The alley seemed like a good antidote to the boredom.
But the daily reality of life in the troubled nation is clearly reflected outside the alley's main door.
In a country where restaurants frequented by wealthier Afghans and Westerners require patrons to check their guns at the door, bowlers get frisked by security before entering the building. It's not without reason ? a nearby shopping mall was hit twice by insurgent attacks since it opened in 2005. Above the second steel door sits a sign all too common in Afghanistan: "No weapons."
The Strikers is divided into two parts, a restaurant and 12 fully-automated bowling lanes with computer scoring.
The alley, which opened about a month ago, was built from the ground up. The equipment was imported from the United States and the engineers who set it up and trained the local staff came from China.
"Since there had never been bowling in Afghanistan, no one here knew how to set it up," said Rahmani, while a group of young Afghans sipped Red Bull energy drinks and watched their friend toss a neon bowling ball straight into the gutter.
While men so far make up the bulk of the bowlers, Rahmani said women are increasingly making an appearance, coming with their husbands and families. She sees their presence in the alley as an encouraging sign of changes in the country. If it catches on, she said, she sees expanding to other provinces and starting bowling leagues in the country.
"This place is made for our own nation," she said, stressing that politics has no role in the push for fun. "It's just a sports place."
Kabul's unreliable electricity network meant she had to install industrial size generators to ensure a steady stream of power. The operating expenses for the first month alone came to $30,000, most of it for utilities.
Those expenses mean that it's a pass-time for a select few in the capital.
An hour of bowling costs $35, which can be divided between as many as six players to a lane. A cup of coffee costs $5, more than the average local daily wage.
She concedes its unaffordable for most in the country, but says that when expenses and startup costs are so high, she had little choice but to charge such rates. If it catches on, prices could quickly drop.
____
Associated Press writer Massieh Aryan contributed.
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October may be winding down, but finding a cure for breast cancer is always at the forefront of our minds. With this being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we?ve rounded up some of our favorite pink products to share ? and proceeds from all of them help support the cause.
Lacoste
Ten percent of proceeds from the Pink Croc product line ? which includes this charming striped watch (center) ? will go to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. $95 on lacoste.com
LOFT
The brand tapped designers Rachel Leigh and Roxanne Assoulin, plus blogger Jessica Quirk, to create jewelry and T-shirts already beloved by celebrities. Five dollars from each item sold will be donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Prices vary at loft.com
Tommy Hilfiger
Throughout the month of October, Hilfiger is donating 30 percent of sales from pink merchandise ? up to $15,000 ? to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Purchasing the classic pink-gold watch (right) contributes to the cause. $135 at tommyhilfiger.com
GUESS
Guess created three limited-edition items this season, all to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Scoop up a sparkling pink watch, a pink friendship bracelet with heart charm (bottom left) and a BCA T-shirt, and know you?re making a difference. Prices vary on guess.com and guessbymarciano.com
Stella & Dot
The brand?s Tribute Bracelet features hematite beads and rose gold, and 20 percent of the profits benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. $36 at stelladot.com
Melissa Joy Manning
Featuring the iconic ribbon logo, Melissa Joy Manning?s bangle, made in collaboration with Greenwich Jewelers, should raise a lot of money for the cure: 100 percent of proceeds are going to charity. $175 at melissajoymanning.com
Gemvara
Pick up any pink gemstone jewel from Gemvara this month, and know that 20 percent of the price will benefit the Ellie Fund, a non-profit that helps families affected by breast cancer by providing childcare, housekeeping, groceries and more. Prices vary on gemvara.com
iRenew
New this year, iRenew created a pink bracelet (bottom) to fit in with its line of bangles said to promote balance, strength and endurance through SFR technology. Fifteen percent of profits from the pink bracelet sales will go toward the 26.2 with Donna National Marathon to Finish Breast Cancer. $19.99 on irenewproducts.com
CFDA and Altruette
The Council of Fashion Designers of America and philanthropic charm jewelry line Altruette teamed up to design a sweet high-heel shoe charm to directly benefit the CFDA?s Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Foundation. $95-$125 on altruette.com
Kara Ackerman Designs
For each charming rose vermeil and white resin cocktail ring (top left) purchased, the designer will donate 20 percent of profits to Susan G. Komen for the cure. $100 on karaackerman.com
Source: http://stylenews.peoplestylewatch.com/2011/10/27/breast-cancer-awareness-month-jewelry/
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A photo released by the INdiana State Police show firemena nd EMS workers at the scene of a fatal accident on sthe Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind. Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four other to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
A photo released by the INdiana State Police show firemena nd EMS workers at the scene of a fatal accident on sthe Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind. Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four other to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
A photo released by the Indiana State Police shows firemen surveying the wreckage of a fatal accident on the Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind. Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four others to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
A photo released by the Indiana State Police shows firemen and police examining the wreckage of a fatal accident on the Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind., Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four others to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
A photo released by the INdiana State Police show firemena nd EMS workers at the scene of a fatal accident on sthe Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind. Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four other to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
A photo released by the Indiana State Police shows firemen and police surveying the wreckage of a fatal accident on the Indiana Toll Road near Bristol, Ind. Thursday Oct. 27, 2011. A tractor-trailer slammed into the back of a minivan in northern Indiana killing at least seven people and sending four others to hospitals, authorities said. (AP Photo/Indiana State Police)
Seven members of an extended family traveling from Chicago to New Jersey for a funeral, including a newborn and three other children, were killed when their minivan hit a deer and a semi-trailer struck them from behind, police said Friday.
Those killed in the crash on the Indiana Toll Road include a 21-year-old mother and her two sons, one of whom was 6 weeks old. The other victims were a 52-year-old man and his 15-year-old son, and a 26-year-old woman and her 8-year-old daughter, said Indiana State Police Sgt. Trent Smith.
Three other people from the minivan were hospitalized.
A relative in the Chicago neighborhood of Albany Park said the whole family was from Ecuador and many lived in the Chicago area. Segundo Quishpi said he last saw his cousin Cayetano Quizhpe and his cousin's family on Tuesday for a big family gathering.
"They lived well, and they brought no trouble," he said.
State police said the victims were members of an extended family composed of three family groups.
One family was identified as Cayetano Quizhpe, 28, who was listed in stable condition. His wife, 21-year-old Maria J. Yupa, and sons, 8-year-old Edwin Quizhpe and 6-week-old Franklin Quizhpe, were killed. Quishpi said the couple had been together many years.
A second family included Pedro Chimborazo, 52, who was killed along with his 15-year-old son, Pedro Chimborazo Yupa. His wife, Maria Antonia Yupa, 36, was listed in serious condition.
The other two killed were Maria Chimborazo Pinguil, 26, and her 8-year-old daughter, Jessica Chimborazo. The driver of the minivan, 30-year-old Manuel Chimborazo, was listed in critical condition, state police said.
An acquaintance of the families in Albany Park, Maria Yupa, 34 (no relation to the victims), said the men in the families worked in construction. She said it's common in the part of Ecuador they're from for people to have the same name. She said the 8-year-old girl, Jessica Chimborazo, was close to her grandfather and liked to dance and use the computer.
None of the minivan's 10 occupants were wearing seatbelts during the crash Thursday night about 10 miles east of South Bend, Smith said. Smith said the infant was in a car seat but had not been buckled in.
The minivan was heading east on the toll road about 8 p.m. Thursday when it hit a deer and stopped or slowed down, authorities said. The semitrailer was going about 65 mph when it hit the van in the highway's eastbound lanes shortly after that.
Both vehicles ended up in the center median, blocking traffic in both directions for several hours. Firefighters and emergency workers at the scene of the crash swarmed around the crumpled remains of the minivan, its side shredded with a torn hunk of metal pinned beneath one of the semi-tractor's tires.
The driver of the semi-trailer ? Jesse Donovan, 24, of Johnston, R.I. ? was released from a hospital after being treated for minor injuries. Smith said he didn't face any charges at this time and preliminary tests indicated that he had not been drinking alcohol.
Donovan was an employee of Roehl Transport Inc. of Marshfield, Wis., which owns the truck, said Vice President of Workforce Development and Administration Greg Koepel.
"Our hearts go out to those in the accident and their families," said Koepel, who said the company would have no further comment.
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