joule elana: 2012

Monday, December 31, 2012

Asian nations giving enthusiastic welcome to 2013

Fireworks explode in front of the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre over the Victoria Harbor as celebrating the 2013 New Year in Hong Kong Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013 (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)

Fireworks explode in the sky above Sydney Harbour during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Fireworks explode behind the Opera House during the New Year celebrations in Sydney, Australia, Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2013.(AP Photo/Rob Griffith)

Tourists pose as they carry umbrellas with numbers to welcome the New Year 2013 on the terrace of a hotel in the backdrop of Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Pawan Sharma)

An Indian barber gives finishing touches to the hair style of a young boy with numbers to welcome the New Year 2013 in Ahmadabad, India, Monday, Dec. 31, 2012. (AP Photo/Ajit Solanki)

LONDON (AP) ? Sydney's skyline erupted with tons of exploding fireworks in the first major celebration of 2013, extravagant displays lit up Hong Kong and Beijing, and increasingly democratic Myanmar joined the party for the first time in almost five decades.

Asia welcomed the New Year on a grand scale, partying with renewed optimism despite the so-called fiscal cliff threatening to reverberate globally from the United States and the tattered economies of Europe, where the party was expected to be a bit more subdued.

Celebrations were planned around the world, culminating with the crystal ball drop in New York City's Times Square. One million people are expected to cram into the area for the countdown.

Global celebrations began Monday in Sydney, where the balmy summer night was split by 7 tons of fireworks fired from roof tops and barges, many cascading from the Sydney Harbor Bridge, in a 6.6 million Australian dollar ($6.9 million) pyrotechnic extravaganza billed by organizers as the world's largest.

In a field in increasingly democratic Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, about 90,000 people experienced the country's first public New Year countdown, after almost five decades under military regimes that discouraged or banned big public gatherings.

"This is very exciting and also our first experience in celebrating the New Year at a big countdown gathering. We feel like we are in a different world," said Yu Thawda, a university student who came with three of her friends.

In austerity-hit Europe, the mood was more restrained ? if hopeful. In Athens, fireworks over the ancient Acropolis will usher in 2013 ? projected to be a sixth straight year of recession amid the country's worst economic crisis since World War II.

Still, In his televised New Year's Eve message, Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras promised Greeks that the worst of the crisis is past, and declared 2013 a "year of hope" that will see the beginning of the country's rebirth.

Celebrating New Year's Eve with a vespers service in in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Benedict XVI said that despite all the death and injustice in the world, goodness prevails.

In his homily, Benedict said taking time to meditate in prolonged reflection and prayer can help "find healing from the inevitable wounds of daily life."

In Hong Kong, tens of thousands of people lined the Victoria Harbor to view this year's 12.5 million Hong Kong dollar ($1.6 million) fireworks display, said to be the biggest ever in the southern Chinese city.

One day after dancing in the snow to celebrate the first anniversary of leader Kim Jong Un's ascension to supreme commander, North Koreans marked the arrival of the new year, marked as "Juche 102" on North Korean calendars. Juche means self-reliance, the North Korean ideology of independence promoted by national founder Kim Il Sung, who was born 102 years ago. His grandson now rules North Korea.

In New Delhi, the festive mood was marred by the death Saturday of a young rape victim.

Hotels, clubs and residents' associations in the Indian capital decided to cancel planned festivities and asked people to light candles to express their solidarity with the victim whose plight sparked public rallies for women's safety.

Jakarta's street party centers on a 7-kilometer (4-mile) thoroughfare closed to all traffic from nightfall until after midnight. Workers erected 16 large stages along the normally car-clogged, eight-lane highway through the heart of the city. Indonesia's booming economy is a rare bright spot amid global gloom and is bringing prosperity ? or the hope of it ? to Indonesians.

In the Philippines, where many are recovering from devastation from a recent typhoon, health officials have hit upon a successful way to stop revelers from setting off huge illegal firecrackers that maim and injure hundreds of Filipinos each year.

A health official, Eric Tayag, donned the splashy outfit of South Korean star PSY and danced to his Youtube hit "Gangnam Style" video while preaching against the use of illegal firecrackers on TV, in schools and in public arenas.

"The campaign has become viral," Tayag said.

Economic problems weighed down the festive atmosphere in Europe. In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel's New Year message warned her country to prepare for difficult economic times ahead. The Cypriot capital, Nicosia, decided to cancel its New Year celebrations in light of the economic crisis. Nicosia said 16,000 euros ($21,000) saved from the canceled event will be given to some 320 needy schoolchildren.

But Scotland's Edinburgh, which traditionally hosts one of the biggest New Year's Eve parties in Europe, remains in good spirits. Organizers say that some 75,000 people are expected for the Scottish capital's Hogmanay ? or year-end ? celebrations.

Hong Kong feng shui master Raymond Lo predicted 2013 would be less turbulent than 2012 because the Chinese New Year in February will usher in the year of the snake, bringing an end to the year of the dragon, which was associated with water. Water is one of the five elements in feng shui theory, the Chinese practice of arranging objects and choosing dates to improve luck.

"Water is fear. So that's why we have had so much turbulence especially in the winter months," such as doomsday prophecies, school shootings and concerns about the fiscal cliff, said Lo.

"But the good news is that the coming year of the snake is the first time that fire has come back since 2007. Fire actually is the opposite to water, fire is happiness. So therefore the year of the snake is a much more optimistic year. So you can see signs of economic recovery now," he added.

___

McGuirk reported from Sydney. Associated Press writers Aye Aye Win in Yangon, Myanmar; Jean Lee in Pyongyang, North Korea; Chris Brummitt in Jakarta, Indonesia; Kelvin Chan in Hong Kong; Ashok Sharma in New Delhi; Jim Gomez in Manila, Philippines; Nicholas Paphitis in Athens; and Raphael Satter in London contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-31-New%20Year's%20Celebrations/id-153b880734f34fc79f2f0439f20428ac

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Ghana bans second-hand fridges

31 December 2012 Last updated at 10:44 ET

A ban on the import of second-hand refrigerators is coming into force in Ghana to reduce energy consumption and harm to the environment.

Many old fridges contain chemicals called Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which damage the Earth's ozone layer.

Although these are already banned or being phased out, they are thought to be commonly used in Africa.

The head of Ghana's energy commission told the BBC the ban made Ghana "a pioneer in West Africa".

The ban was first introduced in 2008 but was extended to give dealers time to adjust.

However, some Ghanaian traders have criticised the ban, saying thousands of jobs will be lost.

Energy commission head Alfred Ofosu-Ahenkora says the second-hand refrigerators are harming the country as they were not built for use in Africa and so consume too much electricity.

The commission says some two million used fridges have been imported to Ghana, mainly from the European Union.

Fridge factory

CFCs are banned under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.

To discourage their use, Ghana has introduced a rebate scheme to encourage people to surrender their used refrigerators for a new one.

The BBC's Sammy Darko in Accra says not everyone can afford a new refrigerator, so the used ones are still in demand at the second hand shops that litter the streets of the capital's suburbs.

"We will lose our jobs next year - this is what takes care of us and our family," said salesman Albert Kwasi Breku.

But Mr Ofosu-Ahenkora says the solution is to manufacture fridges locally.

"It is not a matter of stopping some business but encouraging manufacturing. I think manufacturing will create more jobs than importation of second refrigerators."

Since CFCs were banned, many fridge manufacturers have replaced them with Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs).

But last year a UN report warned that HFCs are a greenhouse gas which is 20% more potent that CO2 and so their use could hamper efforts to tackle climate change.

Ghana is also a common destination for "e-waste" - used computers and televisions from the West, which often contain toxic material.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-20877804#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Ohio State University Men's Basketball vs. Nebraska

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ColumbusSports/~3/4dC82qvnMVw/event-detail.cfm

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david.lehman: cameronwhite: On Line Market Research Internet ...

When someone reading your article clicks on one of reader the importance of proper time management in their home online businesses. I have also learned that I have much more the process of thinking through, writing it out, developing lesson plans, etc. ?Our participants were thrilled to have Chris Brown as a presenter and I?m still a hands on understanding of some of the implicit relationships between sections. Taking time to locate a qualified Internet marketing coach can save your business on the net, and get an unbiased opinion from a reliable source. These offers allow you to pay the ezine publishers to other thing in the online world is quite cool.

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This entry was posted on Friday, December 21st, 2012 at 7:14 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Source: http://motherroaddowntown.com/on-line-market-research-internet-provides-an-efficient-channel-for-fast-cheap-and-reliable-collection-and-processing-of-marketing-information/

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Source: http://cameronwhite2365.blogspot.com/2012/12/on-line-market-research-internet.html

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Taylor Swift named most charitable celebrity

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, TODAY

She is never, ever getting a bad reputation, at least for charitable works. Country star Taylor Swift is No.1 on the 20 "Celebs Gone Good" list put out by non-profit group DoSomething.org.

Carlo Allegri / Reuters file

The group praised Swift, 23, for being the youngest person ever to receive the?Ripple of Hope Award from the Robert F. Kennedy Center for her charity work, for donating $4 million to the Country Hall of Fame Museum, and for her work with children who have cancer.

Just behind Swift on the list? Actress and singer Miley Cyrus, who was highlighted for her work with Saving SPOT! Dog Rescue, for going barefoot for a day for?TOMS? One Day Without Shoes challenge, and for other charity work.

Also making the list were Channing Tatum, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Robin Roberts and others.

Isaac Brekken / AP

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Jennifer Garner Named Celebrity Mom of the Year

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/jennifer-garner-named-celebrity-mom-of-the-year/

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An Introduction To The Environmental Pest Control - News and Society

Every year millions of homes and businesses are exposed to toxic chemicals in an effort to fight insect and rodent infestations. More than a billion pounds of chemicals are used every year in the United States to fight vermin. Before heading to the store to pick up some insect spray or before picking up the phone to call the exterminator, it is important to know the facts about pest control. One can visit mrcarpetcleaner.co.nz/MPC.html for more details.

The first thing to know about pest control is the kinds of chemicals used. The three most commonly used chemicals in pest control were created to attack the nervous systems of vermin. These chemicals were synthesized from the template of nerve agents that were designed during the fighting in World War II. Therefore, they are highly toxic and should be handled with extreme care. These chemicals do not just attack the nervous systems of pests. They will also attack the nervous systems of human beings and pets as well. They will not likely have a lethal effect, because they are designed to attack much smaller animals. However, the smaller the child or pet is, the greater the danger to them when they are exposed to these poisons.

With that in mind, it is important to be very cautious when the exterminator comes to visit. If you have pets or children, you should send them to another place for the duration of the exterminator?s visit. It is also highly advisable to keep them away from the house for at least 48 hours after the chemicals have been sprayed. Some experts will even recommend keeping them away as long as a week after the pest control spray has been applied. This advice is especially important to heed in regards to children. One can also check www.flybusters.co.nz/antcontrol.html out for the details.

Children?s nervous systems are still developing, so they are highly sensitive to any amount of toxin in the environment. Minute amounts of toxins that would have little to no effect on adults, can have devastating results in the nervous systems of children. These results can range from the mild, such as dizziness or nausea, to the severe, such as long-term developmental disorders. For that reason, it is extremely important to use every precaution when using these kinds of poisonous substances in the home.

The same kinds of precautions should be applied. Never use the pest control or fly control chemicals in areas frequented by pets and children. Because children and pets spend much of their time on the floor, they are more apt to come in contact with these toxins than adults. This applies to pieces of pest control equipment like roach traps as well. Make sure never to use them in areas that pets or children inhabit.

Source: http://www.gongyifair.org/an-introduction-to-the-environmental-pest-control.html

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Friday, December 28, 2012

China tightening controls on Internet

BEIJING (AP) ? China's new communist leaders are increasing already tight controls on Internet use and electronic publishing following a spate of embarrassing online reports about official abuses.

The measures suggest China's new leader, Xi Jinping, and others who took power in November share their predecessors' anxiety about the Internet's potential to spread opposition to one-party rule and their insistence on controlling information despite promises of more economic reforms.

"They are still very paranoid about the potentially destabilizing effect of the Internet," said Willy Lam, a politics specialist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. "They are on the point of losing a monopoly on information, but they still are very eager to control the dissemination of views."

This week, China's legislature took up a measure to require Internet users to register their real names, a move that would curtail the Web's status as a freewheeling forum to complain, often anonymously, about corruption and official abuses. The legislature scheduled a news conference Friday to discuss the measure, suggesting it was expected to be approved.

That comes amid reports Beijing might be disrupting use of software that allows Web surfers to see sites abroad that are blocked by its extensive Internet filters. At the same time, regulators have proposed rules that would bar foreign companies from distributing books, news, music and other material online in China.

Beijing promotes Internet use for business and education but bans material deemed subversive or obscene and blocks access to foreign websites run by human rights and Tibet activists and some news outlets. Controls were tightened after social media played a role in protests that brought down governments in Egypt and Tunisia.

In a reminder of the Web's role as a political forum, a group of 70 prominent Chinese scholars and lawyers circulated an online petition this week appealing for free speech, independent courts and for the ruling party to encourage private enterprise.

Xi and others on the party's ruling seven-member Standing Committee have tried to promote an image of themselves as men of the people who care about China's poor majority. They have promised to press ahead with market-oriented reforms and to support entrepreneurs but have given no sign of support for political reform.

Communist leaders who see the Internet as a source of economic growth and better-paid jobs were slow to enforce the same level of control they impose on movies, books and other media, apparently for fear of hurting fledgling entertainment, shopping and other online businesses.

Until recently, Web surfers could post comments online or on microblog services without leaving their names.

That gave ordinary Chinese a unique opportunity to express themselves to a public audience in a society where newspapers, television and other media are state-controlled. The most popular microblog services say they have more than 300 million users and some users have millions of followers reading their comments.

The Internet also has given the public an unusual opportunity to publicize accusations of official misconduct.

A local party official in China's southwest was fired in November after scenes from a videotape of him having sex with a young woman spread quickly on the Internet. Screenshots were uploaded by a former journalist in Beijing, Zhu Ruifeng, to his Hong Kong website, an online clearing house for corruption allegations.

Some industry analysts suggest allowing Web surfers in a controlled setting to vent helps communist leaders stay abreast of public sentiment in their fast-changing society. Still, microblog services and online bulletin boards are required to employ censors to enforce content restrictions. Researchers say they delete millions of postings a day.

The government says the latest Internet regulation before the National People's Congress is aimed at protecting Web surfers' personal information and cracking down on abuses such as junk e-mail. It would require users to report their real names to Internet service and telecom providers.

The main ruling party newspaper, People's Daily, has called in recent weeks for tighter Internet controls, saying rumors spread online have harmed the public. In one case, it said stories about a chemical plant explosion resulted in the deaths of four people in a car accident as they fled the area.

Proposed rules released this month by the General Administration of Press and Publications would bar Chinese-foreign joint ventures from publishing books, music, movies and other material online in China. Publishers would be required to locate their servers in China and have a Chinese citizen as their local legal representative.

That is in line with rules that already bar most foreign access to China's media market, but the decision to group the restrictions together and publicize them might indicate official attitudes are hardening.

That comes after the party was rattled by foreign news reports about official wealth and misconduct.

In June, Bloomberg News reported that Xi's extended family has amassed assets totaling $376 million, though it said none was traced to Xi. The government has blocked access to Bloomberg's website since then.

In October, The New York Times reported that Premier Wen Jiabao's relatives had amassed $2.7 billion since he rose to national office in 2002. Access to the Times' Chinese-language site has been blocked since then.

Previous efforts to tighten controls have struggled with technical challenges in a country with more than 500 million Internet users.

Microblog operators such as Sina Corp. and Tencent Ltd. were ordered in late 2011 to confirm users' names but have yet to finish the daunting task.

Web surfers can circumvent government filters by using virtual private networks ? software that encrypts Web traffic and is used by companies to transfer financial data and other sensitive information. But VPN users say disruptions that began in 2011 are increasing, suggesting Chinese regulators are trying to block encrypted traffic.

Curbs on access to foreign sites have prompted complaints by companies and Chinese scientists and other researchers.

In July, the American Chamber of Commerce in China said 74 percent of companies that responded to a survey said unstable Internet access "impedes their ability to do business."

Chinese leaders "realize there are detrimental impacts on business, especially foreign business, but they have counted the cost and think it is still worthwhile," said Lam. "There is no compromise about the political imperative of controlling the Internet."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/china-tightening-controls-internet-063131160.html

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Prime-time win for?Redskins

Reuters

Well, it?s officially over.

With an eight-game gap and one week of games left, MDS and yours truly disagree on only five games.? Which means that, even if MDS sweeps, I?ll still be three games ahead.? (Math continues to be my strong suit.)

Of course, if I sweep I?ll finish with a 13-game lead.? And based on the five disagreements, I think I will.

Read on to see our picks and our takes for the final week of the regular season.? It all re-sets to 0-0 for the playoffs, at which time MDS will have a chance to exact revenge.? Or to fail again.

Last week, I was 11-5 and MDS went 10-6.? For the year, I?m now at 157-82-1, good for 65.4 percent.? MDS is 149-90-1, which keeps him at 62.0 percent.

Buccaneers at Falcons

MDS?s take: The Falcons wrapped up home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs, but they say they?re playing to win in Week 17. They shouldn?t have much trouble winning against the Bucs, who have collapsed at the end of the season.

MDS?s pick: Falcons 34, Buccaneers 13.

Florio?s take:? The Bucs haven?t been the same team since they nearly beat the Falcons in Tampa.? The Falcons are still trying to prove that they?re one of the best teams in the league.

Florio?s pick:? Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17.

Jets at Bills

MDS?s take: Football fans, the Greg McElroy-Ryan Fitzpatrick quarterback matchup you?ve all been waiting for is finally here. Fitzpatrick will throw a couple of touchdown passes in what may be his final start in Buffalo.

MDS?s pick: Bills 20, Jets 10.

Florio?s take:? The Jets have folded the tents, even though the circus is still in town.? Buffalo celebrates the news of a new lease with a home win to end the season, just in time for plenty of changes.

Florio?s pick:? Bills 27, Jets 14.

Ravens at Bengals

MDS?s take: At first glance this might look like a big game, matching up two playoff teams. But with the Bengals locked into the No. 6 seed and the Ravens highly likely to end up with the No. 4 seed, neither of these teams has a lot to play for. I think the Ravens, however, will be a little more motivated to build on the momentum from last week?s win over the Giants and will take this one.

MDS?s pick: Ravens 21, Bengals 14.

Florio?s take:? This meaningless game has plenty of meaning for the Bengals, who need to convince themselves that they can beat the Ravens, in order to obtain the confidence that they can do something else they haven?t done in an even longer time ? win in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? Bengals 27, Ravens 20.

Bears at Lions

MDS?s take: In 2000, the Lions were 9-6 heading into Week 17 and needed only to beat the 4-11 Bears to make the playoffs. Instead, the Bears pulled the upset and Lions owner William Clay Ford cleaned house and began the disastrous Matt Millen era. This year it?s the 9-6 Bears who need to beat the 4-11 Lions to have a shot at the playoffs. I?ll take the Lions to get their revenge in an upset.

MDS?s pick: Lions 28, Bears 24.

Florio?s take:? Rodney Harrison declared while watching the Lions lose to the Falcons that Detroit?s body language suggests the Lions have quit.? The Bears haven?t.? Sometimes, it?s that easy.

Florio?s pick:? Bears 24, Lions 10.

Texans at Colts

MDS?s take: The Texans are playing for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, while the Colts are already locked into the No. 5 seed in the AFC. Houston has more to play for and is a better team and will win this one going away.

MDS?s pick: Texans 36, Colts 17.

Florio?s take:? The Texans have never won in Indianapolis.? They need it this time more than ever.? But the Colts will have coach Chuck Pagano back, and even if the Colts leave so much on the field that it will make it harder to win in the playoffs, they?ll leave it all on the field to beat the Texans.

Florio?s pick:? Colts 27, Texans 23.

Packers at Vikings

MDS?s take: This is the biggest game played in Minnesota since Brett Favre led the Vikings to a divisional playoff win over the Cowboys three years ago. Unfortunately for Vikings fans, they?re hosting a Packers team that?s peaking at the right time. I like Aaron Rodgers to lead the Packers to a high-scoring win.

MDS?s pick: Packers 35, Vikings 27.

Florio?s take:? The Vikings are playing for a postseason berth.? The Packers are playing for a bye.? The Packers remain the better team, and they have every reason to demonstrate that on Sunday.? To the delight of the Bears.

Florio?s pick:? Packers 34, Vikings 21.

Dolphins at Patriots

MDS?s take: A win probably won?t be enough to earn New England a first-round playoff bye, but the Patriots will be motivated to try ? and to wash out the bad taste of back-to-back disappointing performances, in a loss to the 49ers and a close win over the Jaguars.

MDS?s pick: Patriots 41, Dolphins 14.

Florio?s take:? The Pats still have a crack at a bye.? That?s all the incentive they need to take out the Dolphins for the second time this month.

Florio?s pick:? Patriots 34, Dolphins 17.

Panthers at Saints

MDS?s take: It?s a meaningless game for both teams, but that doesn?t make it a bad game: Both of these teams have been playing good football in recent weeks, despite falling short of the playoffs. I like the Panthers to keep their winning streak going and make a statement that they?re a team to keep an eye on in 2013.

MDS?s pick: Panthers 24, Saints 21.

Florio?s take:? New Orleans is trying to finish on a high note.? And they are succeeding.

Florio?s pick:? Saints 34, Panthers 10.

Eagles at Giants

MDS?s take: The Eagles quit on Andy Reid months ago. The Giants have looked in the last couple weeks like they quit on Tom Coughlin. Both of these teams are slouching toward the end of the season, but the Giants have more to play for.

MDS?s pick: Giants 14, Eagles 10.

Florio?s take:? The Giants are playing for pride, along with a sliver of hope that they could make it to the playoffs if enough other teams lose.? If the Giants find a way in, there?s a pretty good chance they won?t lose again.

Florio?s pick:? Giants 27, Eagles 20.

Browns at Steelers

MDS?s take: This game is meaningless, and I?m tempted to pick the Browns on the theory that the Steelers will be feeling a hangover from their disappointing Week 16 loss. But the Browns have gone in the tank over the last couple of weeks, and at this point I?m not sure I?d pick them to win on the road against anyone.

MDS?s pick: Steelers 17, Browns 9.

Florio?s take:? The Browns haven?t swept the Steelers since 1988, 11 years before the current edition of the Browns was born.? With rampant changes looming in Cleveland, the Steelers still have enough gas in the tank to avoid getting punked by the franchise they?ve owned since 1999 (even though the Browns are now technically owned by a guy who still owns a chunk of the Steelers).

Florio?s pick:? Steelers 20, Browns 10.

Jaguars at Titans

MDS?s take: Last time the Titans suffered a humiliating blowout loss and were called out by their owner, they responded by winning the next game. I think they?ll do it again.

MDS?s pick: Titans 24, Jaguars 14.

Florio?s take:? Bud Adams isn?t happy with his coaching staff.? He?ll be slightly less unhappy after Sunday, but still unhappy enough to clean house.

Florio?s pick:? Titans 27, Jaguars 16.

Chiefs at Broncos

MDS?s take: Knowing they need to win in order to earn a first-round playoff bye, the Broncos will pound the Chiefs, who have nothing to play for other than the first pick in next year?s draft ? which Kansas City will earn by losing.

MDS?s pick: Broncos 27, Chiefs 10.

Florio?s take:? With 10 straight wins each by at least seven points, the Broncos could be the best team in the playoff field.? They?re definitely good enough to continue chasing a bye week.

Florio?s pick:? Broncos 34, Chiefs 10.

Raiders at Chargers

MDS?s take: With Norv Turner virtually assured of being fired after the game, his team will send him out a winner in an AFC West contest that doesn?t really matter for much of anything.

MDS?s pick: Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Florio?s take:? Norv Turner has one last chance to change the owner?s mind.? It won?t matter.

Florio?s pick:? Chargers 24, Raiders 10.

Cardinals at 49ers

MDS?s take: San Francisco will shake off Sunday night?s thrashing in Seattle to clinch the NFC West.

MDS?s pick: 49ers 28, Cardinals 3.

Florio?s take:? The Niners are on the brink of squandering the NFC West title that we were ready to hand them back in September.? If they can?t beat the Cardinals and Brian Hoyer at home, San Fran doesn?t even deserve to be in the playoffs.

Florio?s pick:? 49ers 31, Cardinals 13.

Rams at Seahawks

MDS?s take: No one wants to play the Seahawks right now. They?re destroying everything in their paths. The Rams will be no different.

MDS?s pick: Seahawks 45, Rams 7.

Florio?s take:? The Seahawks, who lost their first round of NFC West games, have been exacting revenge in a big way.? They finish the job on Sunday.

Florio?s pick:? Seahawks 41, Rams 17.

Cowboys at Redskins

MDS?s take: In the biggest game of the day, the Cowboys will ride Tony Romo and Dez Bryant to a high-scoring win. I suspect that Robert Griffin III is hurting more than he?s letting on and won?t be able to move as effectively as he did in the Redskins? Thanksgiving win over the Cowboys. Dallas will take the NFC East crown.

MDS?s pick: Cowboys 31, Redskins 28.

Florio?s take:? For the second straight year, the NFC East title game returns to prime time in Week 17.? For the second straight year, the home team advances.? For the second straight year, the Cowboys come up short.

Florio?s pick:? Redskins 24, Cowboys 21.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/27/pfts-week-17-picks-2/related/

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Ex-President George H.W. Bush in intensive care

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 12, 2012 file photo, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, arrive for the premiere of HBO's new documentary on his life near the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 that doctors at the Houston hospital where Bush has been treated for a month remain ?cautiously optimistic? that he will recover. Still, no discharge date has been set, and McGrath says that doctors are being cautious because at Bush?s age ?sometimes issues crop up that are beyond anybody?s ability to discern or foretell.?(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

HOUSTON (AP) ? Former President George H.W. Bush is being treated in the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital after suffering "a series of setbacks," including a stubborn fever, his spokesman said.

In a brief email Wednesday, Jim McGrath, Bush's spokesman in Houston, said the 88-year-old former leader had been admitted Sunday to the ICU at Methodist Hospital. McGrath said Bush, the oldest living former U.S. president, was alert and talking to medical staff.

He said doctors are cautiously optimistic about Bush's treatment and that the former president "remains in guarded condition." He said Bush was surrounded by family.

Early Thursday, McGrath told The Associated Press he had no new information on Bush's condition and that he would release another statement "when events warrant it."

Bush has been hospitalized since Nov. 23, when he was admitted for a lingering cough related to bronchitis after having been in and out of the hospital for complications related to the illness.

A fever that kept Bush in the hospital over Christmas had gotten worse and doctors had put him on a liquids-only diet Wednesday following "a series of setbacks."

"It's an elevated fever, so it's actually gone up in the last day or two," McGrath said. "It's a stubborn fever that won't go away."

But he said the cough that initially brought Bush to the hospital had improved.

Bush was visited on Christmas by his wife, Barbara, his son, Neil, and Neil's wife, Maria, and a grandson, McGrath said. Bush's daughter, Dorothy, arrived Wednesday in Houston from Bethesda, Md. The 41st president has also been visited by his sons, George W. Bush, the 43rd president, and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida.

He has also been visited by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III, a longtime confidant.

Bush and his wife live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers at a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The former president was a naval aviator in World War II ? at one point the youngest in the Navy ? and was shot down over the Pacific. He's skydived on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House in 1992.

He suffers from a form of Parkinson's disease and in recent years has used a wheelchair to get around.

___

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-27-Bush%20Hospitalized/id-8c2dafef85764bea92a6d0df79311a81

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Iraq's northern Kurdish region stops oil exports

FILE - In this May 31, 2009 file photo, an employee works at the Tawke oil fields in the semiautonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq. An Iraqi Kurdish official says the country's self-ruled northern Kurdish region has suspended oil exports over a payment row with the central government in Baghdad. (AP Photo/Hadi Mizban, File)

BAGHDAD (AP) ? An Iraqi Kurdish official said on Tuesday that the country's self-ruled northern Kurdish region has suspended oil exports over a payment row with Baghdad, a development that could add to already souring relations between the Kurds and the Arab-led central government.

Since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, the Kurds have unilaterally struck more than 50 deals with foreign oil companies, even though Baghdad says they have no right to do so. In 2011, the two sides reached a tentative deal by which the Kurds send the oil to Baghdad, which sells it, and pays 50 percent of the revenues to the developers to reimburse the development costs.

In April, the Kurds halted exports of around 100,000 barrels a day, saying that Baghdad had made only two payments under the agreement and had failed to pay $1.5 billion they say they were owed.

Four months later, the Kurds agreed to restart exports as a goodwill gesture. That allowed the two sides to reach a new agreement under which Baghdad would pay 1 trillion Iraqi dinars (about $848 million) to the companies in September.

However, Ali Hussein Balo, the advisor of the Kurdish Ministry of Natural Resources, said Baghdad sent only 650 billion Iraqi dinars (about $550 million) and withheld the rest. That prompted the Kurds' latest move.

"The region has found itself forced to halt the oil exports as Baghdad didn't fulfill a commitment it made in the September agreement in regard to payment," Balo told The Associated Press over the phone from the self-ruled region's capital, Irbil.

He said the Kurdish region of Iraq was exporting around 180,000 barrels a day before recently starting to decrease the shipments. He didn't say when exactly exports were halted but said it was in the past few days.

Faisal Abdullah, the spokesman for Iraq's deputy prime minister for energy affairs, confirmed that the full amount wasn't paid. He said the payments were suspended because the Kurds were pumping less than the 200,000 barrels a day they had pledged. He wouldn't give more details.

The latest move could dash Iraq's hopes to pump 3.7 million barrels a day and to export 2.9 million barrels a day next year. Daily production last month averaged around 3.2 million barrels and daily exports averaged 2.62 million.

Iraq sits atop the world's fourth largest proven reserves of conventional crude, about 143.1 billion barrels, and oil revenues make up 95 percent of its budget.

In addition to the dispute over development oil resources, the Kurds and the central government in Baghdad have been in a long-running dispute over lands claimed by the Kurds and power-sharing. Along with Sunni Arabs, the Kurds accuse the country's Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki of consolidating power in his hands and marginalizing political opponents.

Separately, Iraq and neighboring Jordan have agreed to speed efforts to build a pipeline to export Iraqi oil through the Jordanian Red Sea port of Aqaba, according to Jordan's Petra news agency.

The deal calls for an oil pipeline that would have a capacity to export one million barrels a day, according to the news agency and al-Maliki's office. The two sides signed an economic cooperation agreement that includes the pipeline project during a brief visit by al-Maliki to Jordan on Monday.

They also agreed to boost the capacity of a natural gas pipeline to supply Jordan with additional Iraqi gas. In addition, Iraq said it could raise the amount of crude oil it exports for Jordanian domestic use, and will double to 60,000 tons the amount of heavy fuel it exports to Jordan monthly, according to Petra.

Violent demonstrations broke out in Jordan last month after the government removed subsidies to offset $5 billion in losses from a rising fuel bill. Heating and cooking gas prices have jumped sharply since. To help, al-Maliki's Shiite-led government last month announced a one-time gift of 100,000 barrels of oil to Sunni Muslim Jordan.

___

Associated Press writer Adam Schreck contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-25-Iraq-Oil/id-b5a40020f06d432288bba713f4905518

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

Creative Thinking and Some Popular Psychology Books | The ...

A number of stimulating, even provocative, books in psychology can provide insights into developing creative thinking.

Here are a few examples.

In her NY Times article The Power of Concentration, Maria Konnikova reports on a University of Washington study on the effects of meditation training on multitasking.

She summarizes: ?Researchers asked a group of human resources professionals to engage in the type of simultaneous planning they did habitually.

?Each participant was placed in a one-person office, with a laptop and a phone, and asked to complete several typical tasks: schedule meetings for multiple attendees, locate free conference rooms, write a memo that proposed a creative agenda item and the like.?

?Participants were then divided into three groups: one was an eight-week meditation course, another group took the course later; and the last group took an eight-week course in body relaxation? The only participants to show improvement were those who had received the mindfulness training.?

Konnikova is author of Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes.

[The photo is Basil Rathbone as Holmes.]

?There is no such thing as multi-tasking?

According to some research, we can only do or cognitively focus on one thing at a time. That is one of the themes of the PBS presentation based on the book Super Brain, by Rudolph E. Tanzi PhD, and Deepak Chopra MD.

That topic is also addressed in my post Multitasking is really task-switching. Some people are good at it.

As I noted, everybody multitasks. But science suggests that multitasking as we know it is a myth.

?Humans don?t really multitask,? said Eyal Ophir, the primary researcher with the Stanford Multitasking study. ?We task-switch. We just switch very quickly between tasks, and it feels like we?re multitasking.?

In his new post The Science of Creativity in 2013: Looking Back to Look Forward, Sam McNerney covers a lot of interesting ground in creativity research and related books. He writes:

?Countless popular psychology books that either focused on or mentioned creativity were published in 2012.

?Susan Cain lambasted brainstorming and ?GroupThink? in her bestseller and introvert manifesto Quiet. Drawing on a wide body of robust research she reminded our hyper social world that working alone is usually better than working in groups in terms of productivity and creativity.?

?Dan Ariely?s book The Honest Truth About Dishonesty contains a chapter on the relationship between dishonesty and creativity ? honesty might not be good for creativity.?

?The Power Of Habit by Charles Duhigg made some important suggestions for creativity: if you?re in a rut, try changing your routine.?

?The elephant in the room is Jonah Lehrer?s Imagine: How Creativity Works, which the public gobbled up. Scientists in the field rightly expressed concerns about how Lehrer portrayed and interpreted some of the science but they are also happy that good science writers are attracted to the field.

?Unfortunately, Lehrer got pegged for plagiarizing and inventing Bob Dylan quotes. Kaufman said it best: ?When people started doubting the veracity of that book, they started doubting the veracity of the science.??

[Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD is a co-author of The Psychology of Creative Writing.]

McNerney goes on to note, ?Now we live in an era where readers of science books on human nature expect clever psychological studies to explain every nook and cranny of our complex nature. This trend is good because it gets otherwise uninterested lay readers excited about cognitive science; Thinking Fast and Slow, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain, and others were bestsellers.?

Also see my list of Books for the Creative Mind.

~~~

Douglas Eby, MA/Psychology, is a writer and researcher on the psychology of creativity and personal development, author of the book "Developing Multiple Talents: The personal side of creative expression," and creator of the Talent Development Resources series of sites.

Material from The Creative Mind is included in his free weekly newsletter Developing Creativity.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Douglas Eby (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: 19 Dec 2012

APA Reference
Eby, D. (2012). Creative Thinking and Popular Psychology Books. Psych Central. Retrieved on December 20, 2012, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/creative-mind/2012/12/creative-thinking-and-popular-psychology-books/

Source: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/creative-mind/2012/12/creative-thinking-and-popular-psychology-books/

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Winter Break - University Closed (12/28/2012)

Site | Directories

New York is My Campus. Fordham is My School ? Fordham University
Rose Hill Campus Bronx, NY 10458 (718) 817-1000
Lincoln Center Campus New York, NY 10023 (212) 636-6000
Marymount Campus Tarrytown, NY 10591 (914) 631-3200

Source: http://calendars.fordham.edu/EventList.aspx?view=EventDetails&eventidn=504&information_id=3048&type=&rss=rss

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Grinch takes holiday care packages for overseas troops

A Sacramento group that sends out hundreds of Christmas care packages to America's troops serving abroad has fallen victim to a Grinch.

Dec. 17 was the cut-off day for Move America Forward to get 350 care packages to the post office with the guarantee they'd be there by Christmas. As the boxes sat in a trailer Dec. 16, waiting to be shipped the next day, some Christmas ne'er do well broke the trailer's lock and stole 25 of the packages, all of them intended for soldiers in Afghanistan.

Scott Raab, outreach coordinator for Move America Forward, said the contents of the boxes were probably worth around $5,000, but the cost isn't the issue. The care packages were intended to give soldiers a reminder of the comforts of home, he said. And, since the boxes were all individually addressed, there will be 25 soldiers going without this year.

"We pack pretty much everything in there," Raab told ABCnews.com, "deodorant, coffee, candy. But also notes from school kids here at home thanking them for their service, Christmas cards, everything we can."

Raab, who is himself a veteran of the U.S. Navy, said the packages really mean a lot to soldiers serving overseas who miss the creature comforts we take for granted at home.

"This can mean the whole world to these troops. We send packages year-round, but during the holidays it's even more special. And we get some of the packages out to specific soldiers whose family is not able, for whatever reason, to send them anything."

The packages were all clearly marked for military personnel and contain literature about Move America Forward, Raab said, so whoever the culprit is knows precisely who they've stolen from.

Raab is working with various organizations and accepting donations through MoveAmericaForward.org to replace the stolen items and help ensure the soldiers whose packages were stolen get their Christmas gifts, even if they are a few days late.

Though disappointed, Raab said he remains confident his organization will get all the losses covered.

"These people are the definition of a Grinch," he said, "it is disheartening for those of us who worked so hard to get all these Christmas packages together. But we've had an overwhelming response from people wanting to help out and it just shows how much support there is out there for our troops."

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Maybe You Should Build? | Boise Real Estate Blog

One of my biggest challenges, when working with buyers, is the lack of existing homes listing inventory.

When I search MLS using a buyer?s specific criteria, I often find only one or two possible solutions and those listings seldom match my buyer?s want list.

Worse yet, sometimes I come up empty.

Lately, I have been recommending doing a build job because it allows my buyers to get what they want in a brand-new home vs. settling for someone else?s idea of perfection.

It can also avoid competing with other buyers in a multiple-offer bidding contest.

A build job can also allow buyers the time they need to sell their present home while their new home is under construction.

I work with many of the area?s most respected builders and can guide you through the intricacies of building a new home.

Like to know how it could work for you?

Give me a call at (208)938-5533 or e-mail me.

No sales talk, no closing questions ~ just straight talk and useful information.

December 18th, 2012 Posted in Buyer Stuff

?Print This Post

Source: http://www.boiseblog.com/2012/12/maybe-you-should-build

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Guangqi Toyota with luxury team debut Changsha Auto Show ...

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Source: http://nevillejohny.posterous.com/guangqi-toyota-with-luxury-team-debut-changsh

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Gun control advocates pressure Obama to take action after school shooting

Two AR-15 rifles in a gun store in Colorado. (Getty)Proponents of stricter gun control measures are pressuring President Obama to sidestep Congress and act now to tighten the nation's controls on firearms.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg, one of the nation's leading proponents of stricter gun control, held a press conference Monday, flanked by victims of gun violence and their families, to urge Obama to act.

"There are steps that the president can take on his own, right now, to address gun violence,"?Bloomberg said Monday.

It's true that Obama, no longer worried about reelection, could take some actions on guns without Congress, including pushing for more oversight of gun sellers and more thorough background checks for gun buyers. Obama hinted in a Sunday night prayer vigil with mourners in Newtown, Conn., that inaction will not be an option.

"I'll use whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this, because what choice do we have?" he said.

In fact, after the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, Obama ordered the Justice Department to examine how the FBI's background check system, which is used in most gun sales to ensure felons or mentally ill people are not buying weapons, has more up-to-date information. Since then, the?Justice Department has slightly?beefed up the database by automatically adding federal crime information instead of waiting for prosecutors to manually input it.

But there are still huge holes in the database, including crucial information from other federal agencies and state agencies about whether someone is mentally ill.?After the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, Congress called upon these other agencies, including the Social Security Administration, to share this information. (The Virginia Tech shooter had been declared mentally ill by a state judge, but that information wasn't in the FBI's database.) So far that hasn't happened,?according to a New York Times report.

Bloomberg said Monday that with a "stroke of his pen," Obama could compel other agencies to share this information, bolstering the background checks that most gun buyers go through before obtaining weapons.

More...But Adam Winkler, a law professor at UCLA and an expert on gun laws, said it's unclear how much Obama can do about the database executively. Most likely, he said, the president has the power to compel states to give more information to the database and make the FBI more proactively gather data from some sources, but there could be privacy concerns and potential lawsuits that would freeze up action.

There's also the fact that about 40 percent of gun sales do not include a background check because of a massive loophole that lets private sellers dodge the background check requirement. Gun control advocates have been lobbying Congress for years to close this loophole.

"For any reform to be meaningful it means Congress has to sign on," Winkler says.

David Kopel, an adjunct law professor at at New York University and research director at the conservative think tank the Independence Institute, said that Obama so far has not been as executively "aggressive" as President Bill Clinton was on the issue of gun control, but that he wouldn't be surprised if the president begins to pursue more executive action on the subject now.

In his first term, Obama required gun sellers in the four border states to report to the federal government if individuals buy more than one semi-automatic rifle in a short amount of time. Kopel says the president may try to expand that requirement to all 50 states, which would be sure to raise complaints that he was instituting a de-facto national gun registry.

Kopel also said Obama could try to classify certain guns as "destructive devices," a legal term for some weapons that are highly restricted by federal law. So, for example, Obama could administratively reclassify the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle similar to the one used in the Newtown shooting, as a destructive device.?Kopel thinks this would be a legally dubious move, however, which would most likely be challenged in the courts.

Past presidents, including George H.W. Bush and Clinton, have also placed strict barriers on imports of certain types of weapons, which have relaxed over the past 10 years. Obama could re-instate these import bans.

But most of the reforms coveted by Bloomberg and other gun control advocates?bans on certain rifles and pistols that automatically reload and high-capacity magazines that carry more than 10 bullets?would almost certainly have to go through Congress.

"I'm skeptical that much more can be done thorugh the administrative route," said?Bob Cottrol, a professor of law at George Washington University.

And even if Congress signs on to these reforms, a 2008 landmark Supreme Court decision could end up being a roadblock. In the District of Columbia v. Heller, the Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers cannot ban an entire class of gun (in this case, handguns) that people commonly use for self defense. Kopel thinks this means any categorical ban (like one on assault weapons) will be suspect, because many of those weapons are very popular. (The AR-15 weapon is one of the most popular in the country.)

But Winkler contends that even if the weapons are popular, that they're used for hunting or to shoot at ranges for fun and not for self defense, such a ban would most likely pass Constitutional muster.?"These high-powered semi-automatic rifles are not self-defense weapons," Winkler said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/obama-executive-action-guns-145033715.html

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Hasbro to make gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven

After shopping for an Easy-Bake Oven for her brother and finding only purple and pink models, a 13-year-old New Jersey girl petitioned Hasbro to make a gender-neutral version of the toy.

By Michelle R. Smith,?Associated Press / December 17, 2012

McKenna Pope, 13, (r.), and her brother Gavyn Boscio, 4, pose for a photo at their home in Garfield, N.J. Dec. 6. Hasbro says it will soon reveal a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven after meeting with Pope, a New Jersey girl who started a campaign calling on the toy maker to make one that appeals to all kids.

Julio Cortez/AP/File

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Hasbro says it will soon reveal a gender-neutral Easy-Bake Oven after meeting with a New Jersey girl who started a campaign calling on the toy maker to make one that appeals to all kids.

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McKenna Pope, 13, of Garfield, N.J., got more than 40,000 signatures on her online petition at Change.org and the support of celebrity chefs including Bobby Flay, who backed her call for Hasbro to make a gender-neutral oven and to include boys in the ads.

She was prompted to start the petition after shopping for an Easy-Bake as a Christmas present for her 4-year-old brother, Gavyn Boscio, and finding them only in purple and pink.

Hasbro invited McKenna and her family to its Pawtucket, R.I., headquarters to meet with its Easy-Bake team, and on Monday, they drove to Rhode Island from New Jersey. During the meeting, Hasbro executives showed off a prototype of their newest Easy-Bake: one that's black, silver and blue.

Hasbro has been working on the new color scheme and design for about 18 months, and decided to invite McKenna to see it and offer her thoughts, said John Frascotti, Hasbro's chief marketing officer.

McKenna said the company is doing everything she asked, including putting boys in the ads.

"I think that they really met most or even all of what I wanted them to do, and they really amazed me," she said, adding that Gavyn thought the new design was "awesome."

Frascotti pointed out that the classic toy has had about a dozen different color schemes, from yellow to green to teal to silver, since first being introduced in 1963. The most recent iteration, introduced in 2011, is mostly purple with pink accents.

He said it's sold well since then, and that prompted the company to look for a way to update it and to broaden the consumer base by doing it in different colors.

"It's actually a product that's played with by both boys and girls," he said. "We will continue to offer the existing product too because it's so popular."

Hasbro plans to introduce the new color scheme at the industry's Toy Fair in New York in February. Frascotti said people are likely to see it on store shelves next summer.

As for McKenna's Christmas present for her brother, she said the TV show "Inside Edition" gave the family an Easy-Bake Oven after learning of her campaign. For Christmas, she said, she'll probably buy him some mixes to bake in it.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/w5F0iYlqKAg/Hasbro-to-make-gender-neutral-Easy-Bake-Oven

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Samsung unveils new 5-inch Galaxy Grand, with dual-core 1.2GHz processor and 8MP camera

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Source: http://www.newsgrape.com/a/e/CwxU2ASOQR4pWAtK8vPFqh/samsung-unveils-new-5-inch-galaxy-grand-with-dual-core-12ghz-processor-and-8mp-camera/

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Online Essentials for the Budget-Conscious Entrepreneur | KIrfan.com

By now, you should already know that you?ve first got to establish your online presence. The internet is where all your potential customers are. Don?t be caught without these Internet essentials to help you propel your business into success.

Domain and Hosting

You want to start by getting your own hosting service, or at least get your own domain. There are plenty of sites out there that offer both these services. A web host provides you with the storage space you need for your site. This includes pictures, content, video, and pretty much everything else.

There are three types of web hosting services: shared, VPS or virtual private servers, and dedicated hosting. The last two are a bit expensive although they provide way more flexibility. Having said this, flexibility is the last thing you want, especially if you?re just starting out.

One Google search will reveal hundreds of hosting services. WordPress, Google Sites, Angel Fire, and Webs are among the most popular. These sites even offer free web hosting, which is good. However, the features are limited, and your site may have ads on it. If you don?t have the money to secure a web hosting service, you can just sign up for a domain, but do make sure you sign up for a hosting service the moment you have the means.

SEO and Social Media

There?s no sense in building a website if people don?t get to see it. This is where search engine optimization or SEO comes in. Whenever you look up stuff on the net using search engines, you?ll notice that you?re more likely to click on the first few sites that come up on the results page. This is the main principle behind SEO. Search engine optimization is the process of increasing the chances of your site showing up on those results page every time users run a search on a specific keyword, thus,? increasing the chances of your site getting visited.

Over the past years, SEO has acquired a nasty reputation because so-called Internet marketing companies and experts started charging small businesses big bucks for this service. However, search engines have become smarter and old-school practices no longer worked. This led to hundreds of frustrated business owners losing money.

The good news is, there are a few companies that provide quality SEO. In fact, you can do your very own SEO for your site. SEO moz even has an entire series on how you can make your website more search-engine friendly.

Going Beyond the Internet

While the Internet is an important part of your marketing strategy, you also don?t want to neglect the other aspects of your business. One crucial aspect is your communication system. Email and chat does a great job in letting you reach out to your market. However, you should not rely solely on these tools.

If you want to be taken seriously by your clients, you have to give them the impression that you are worth their business. An easy way to do this is to have a centralized phone system which not only allows you to take client calls, but also communicate efficiently with your team.

One way to do this is to set up a telephone system on your office. Another way of doing this is by signing up with a VoIP service provider. VoIP companies like Ring Central provides for a fraction of the cost of a regular land line. It?s a great way to give your start-up a professional touch.

Source: http://www.kirfan.com/online-essentials-for-the-budget-conscious-entrepreneur/

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Monday, December 17, 2012

Gunman had hundreds of rounds of ammo

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? The gunman in the Connecticut shooting rampage was carrying an arsenal of hundreds of rounds of especially deadly ammunition ? enough to kill just about every student in the school if given enough time, authorities said Sunday, raising the chilling possibility that the bloodbath could have been even worse.

Hours later, President Barack Obama told mourners at a vigil that the nation is failing to keep its children safe. He pledged to seek change in memory of the 26 staffers and schoolchildren who were killed in the second-deadliest school shooting in U.S. history.

"What choice do we have?" Obama said. "Are we really prepared to say that we're powerless in the face of such carnage, that the politics are too hard?"

The gunman, Adam Lanza, shot himself in the head just as he heard police drawing near to the classroom where he was slaughtering helpless children, but he had more ammunition at the ready in the form of multiple, high-capacity clips each capable of holding 30 bullets.

The disclosure on Sunday sent shudders throughout this picturesque New England community as grieving families sought to comfort each other during church services devoted to impossible questions like that of a 6-year-old girl who asked her mother: "The little children, are they with the angels?"

With so much grieving left to do, many of Newtown's 27,000 people wondered whether life could ever return to normal. And as the workweek was set to begin, parents weighed whether to send their own children back to school.

Gov. Dannel Malloy said the shooter decided to kill himself when he heard police closing in about 10 minutes into the attack.

"We surmise that it was during the second classroom episode that he heard responders coming and apparently at that decided to take his own life," Malloy said on ABC's "This Week."

Police said they found hundreds of unused bullets at the school, which enrolled about 450 students in kindergarten through fourth grade.

"There was a lot of ammo, a lot of clips," said state police Lt. Paul Vance. "Certainly a lot of lives were potentially saved."

The chief medical examiner has said the ammunition was a type designed to expend its energy in the victim's tissues and stay inside the body to inflict the maximum amount of damage.

The sorrowful interfaith service was stark and spare, with a stage that held only a small table covered with a black cloth, candles and the presidential podium.

The newly re-elected president said in the coming weeks, he would use "whatever power this office holds" to engage with law enforcement, mental health professionals, parents and educators in an effort to prevent more tragedies like Newtown.

He promised to lead a national effort but left unclear what it would be and how much it would address the explosive issue of gun control.

Obama closed his remarks by slowly reading the first names of each of the 26 victims.

"God has called them all home," he said. "For those of us who remain, let us find the strength to carry on and make our country worthy of their memory."

Obama conceded that none of his words would ease the sorrow. But he declared to the community of Newtown: "You are not alone."

Privately, Obama told the governor that Friday was the most difficult day of his presidency.

Newtown officials couldn't say whether Sandy Hook Elementary School would ever reopen. The school district was considering sending surviving students to a former school building in nearby Monroe. But for many parents, it was much too soon to contemplate resuming school-day routines.

"We're just now getting ready to talk to our son about who was killed," said Robert Licata, the father of a boy who was at the school during the shooting but escaped harm. "He's not even there yet."

Jim Agostine, superintendent of schools in nearby Monroe, said plans were being made for students from Sandy Hook to attend classes in his town this week.

The road ahead for Newtown was clouded with grief.

"I feel like we have to get back to normal, but I don't know if there is normal anymore," said Kim Camputo, mother of two children, ages 5 and 10, who attend a different school. "I'll definitely be dropping them off and picking them up myself for a while."

Also Sunday, a Connecticut official said the gunman's mother was found dead in her pajamas in bed, shot four times in the head with a .22-caliber rifle. The killer then went to the school with guns he took from his mother, broke a window to get inside and began blasting his way through the building.

Federal agents have concluded that Lanza visited an area shooting range, but they do not know whether he actually practiced shooting there.

Ginger Colbrun, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, would not identify the range or say how recently he was there.

Agents also determined that Lanza's mother visited shooting ranges several times, but it's still not clear whether she brought her son to the range or whether he ever fired a weapon there, Colbrun said.

Investigators have offered no motive for the shooting, and police have found no letters or diaries that could shed light on it. They believe Lanza attended Sandy Hook many years ago, but they couldn't explain why he went there Friday.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said investigators are reviewing the contents of Lanza's computer, as well as phone and credit card records in an effort to piece together his activities leading up to the shooting. The official was not authorized to discuss the details of the case.

Newtown police Lt. George Sinko said he "would find it very difficult" for students to return to the same school where they came so close to death.

But, he added, "We want to keep these kids together. They need to support each other."

Jennifer Waters, who at 6 is the same age as many of the dead but attends another school, came to Mass at Saint Rose of Lima Roman Catholic church with lots of questions.

"The little children ? are they with the angels?" she asked her mother.

Joan Waters assured her daughter that they were, then hushed the child as services continued with boxes of tissues placed in each pew and window sill.

An overflow crowd of more than 800 people packed the church where eight children will be buried this week. Lanza and his mother also attended the church. Spokesman Brian Wallace said the diocese has yet to be asked to provide funerals for either.

In his homily, the Rev. Jerald Doyle tried to answer the question of how parishioners could find joy in a holiday season with so much sorrow.

"You won't remember what I say, and it will become unimportant," he said. "But you will really hear deep down that word that will finally and ultimately bring peace and joy. That is the word by which we live. That is the word by which we hope. That is the word by which we love."

At a later Mass at St. Rose of Lima, the priest stopped midway through the service and told worshippers to leave, because someone had phoned in a threat. Police searched the church and the rectory but found nothing dangerous.

The rifle used in Friday's attack was a Bushmaster .223-caliber, a civilian version of the military's M-16 and a model commonly seen at marksmanship competitions. It's similar to the weapon used in the 2002 sniper killings in the Washington, D.C., area and in a recent shopping mall shooting in Oregon.

Versions of the AR-15 were outlawed in the United States under the 1994 assault weapons ban. That law expired in 2004, and Congress, in a nod to the political clout of the gun-rights lobby, did not renew it.

Authorities said Lanza had no criminal history, and it was not clear whether he had a job.

At least one law enforcement official has said Lanza had been diagnosed with Asperger's, a mild form of autism often characterized by social awkwardness.

People with the disorder are often highly intelligent. While they can become frustrated more easily, there is no evidence of a link between Asperger's and violent behavior, experts say.

___

Associated Press writers John Christoffersen and Michael Melia in Newtown, David Collins in Hartford and Brian Skoloff in Phoenix contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/conn-gunman-had-hundreds-rounds-ammunition-222714675.html

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