Eric Chua : Life, Business and Real Estate in Singapore ? Buying ...

Although there are several safe real estate investments, there are also many pitfalls you must watch out for. Do not lose your hard earned money buying a home that is priced higher than it should be, these tips can help you make a smart choice.

It is vital that you contact a mortgage lender and get pre-qualified prior to searching for a new home. One main reason to do this is to make sure you are searching for a home that fits within your budget. Furthermore, since obtaining a mortgage can take some time, it makes sense to get the ball rolling early.

Individuals with families, either existing or planned for the future, should shop for homes with enough square footage to handle an entire family. Look into the home?s safety as well. This is particularly true if the home that you?re considering has steep stairs or a large swimming pool. Buying a house from people who raised children in it should guarantee you a safe house.

TIP! If you are planning on starting a family, your home should have plenty of space for everyone. Be mindful of safety also, especially if the house you are viewing has a pool or stairs.

Hire your own people to provide support services when you decide to purchase a residence. It could be very enticing to use the seller?s appraisers and inspectors, but choose not to do so. You may think it is silly to spend money for services that could be procured at no cost. Even so, it is always best to hire people you personally can trust. Knowing you can rely on the advice you get will give you much peace of mind, and can save you quite a bit of money over the long term.

Look for the house of your dreams. A lot of investors will suggest that you should not sell your home and buy a larger one at this moment, but others disagree. This may be the best time to buy your dream property because housing prices are expected to rise.

Exercise flexibility when making decisions. There are trade-offs that must sometimes be made between buying in a particular neighborhood, buying the ideal house, and what you can afford. Think about settling for a different house or a different area you can afford.

TIP! If you are inexperienced with real estate investing, enlist the services of a broker or real estate agent. These real estate professionals have access to additional tools and databases that you may not have.

When deciding to purchase a large and commercial piece of real estate, make sure you get a trustworthy partner. It will make it easier to qualify for the loan that you need to buy the property. Having a partner is a great way to ensure that you have the necessary down payment amount as well as the creditworthiness required by commercial lenders.

Houses that need some ?tender loving care? are priced less. This will let you save some money in the beginning, and fix up the house as you see fit. You can build equity in your home while making improvements that maximize its livability for you and your family. Do not focus on what is wrong with the house; instead, focus on what is good. The home of your dreams might be waiting for you behind an outwardly rough exterior.

TIP! Make sure to ask your Realtor to supply you with a checklist. A good Realtor will be able to give you a list that covers the different steps of a transaction, from finding a home to getting approved for your mortgage.

If you are thinking about moving, you may want to research the neighborhoods of properties you are interested in online. You will be able to find lots of information, no matter the size and population of the town. Do thorough research into any area in which you plan to purchase real estate. It is no fun to find out later that you have invested in dead-end real estate.

Investing in real estate is always a risky situation. Upsets in the real estate market have resulted in low prices for buyers. This is a perfect time for first-time home buyers to get into a home, or for current home owners to invest in a larger property. Eventually, the market will rise again over time, making your investment profitable.

Get as much information about potential rental properties as possible. If you are thinking about buying a rental property, look at the records for this pertaining to the property for a couple years back or more. The reason for this is that you have to make sure that the seller has made full and accurate disclosure regarding the property?s potential for income. The lender will want to see income verification before issuing a loan for a property.

TIP! Do some research and analysis on the area housing market. Find out how many homes in your area face foreclosure as well as how long it takes to sell an average house and the price you can expect to pay for your new house.

Purchasing a home can be very difficult and complex, and it is very easy to make a costly mistake. If you follow the tips you have just read about, you will be able to recognize good deals. The next thing you must do is capitalize.

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Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/buying-real-estate-advice-that-will-keep-you-from-making-mistakes

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Arnova 8 android market

Bonjour,

Je souhaiterais installer android market sur une arnova 8.
J'ai essay? ce firmware http://www.arctablet...arn8-21-01-zip/ mais il plante beaucoup (blocage de la machine).

Il ya t-il une autre methode ou un autre firmware?

Modifi? par Bugmenot, aujourd'hui, 14:15.

Source: http://forum.frandroid.com/topic/132442-arnova-8-android-market/

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Would You Arrive To Wedding In Low Emissions Limo?

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://scribol.com/node/2246882

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Chinese fishing boat detained in Japan - Xinhua

BEIJING | Sun Dec 30, 2012 3:17pm GMT

BEIJING (Reuters) - Japan's coastguard detained a Chinese fishing boat within Japanese waters on Sunday evening, China's Xinhua news agency said, citing the Chinese consulate general in Fukuoka, a city in south-western Japan.

The captain of the boat, registered in the south-eastern Chinese province of Fujian, and two crew members have been brought to the southern Japanese city of Kagoshima for questioning, Xinhua said.

It said the captain had admitted he was in Japanese waters.

The incident comes just months after anti-Japanese protests erupted in many Chinese cities over disputed islands near Taiwan, known as the Diaoyu in Chinese and Senkaku in Japanese. Those tensions have cooled but could flare up if stoked by nationalists on either side.

A spokesperson for the Japanese embassy in Beijing could not be reached for comment late on Sunday evening.

The Chinese fishing fleet tends to range far into the waters east of China to offset depleted stocks closer to shore.

(Reporting by Lucy Hornby; Editing by Alison Williams)

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/12/30/uk-china-japan-fishing-idUKBRE8BT06K20121230?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

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Egypt opposition says Islamists trying to stifle dissent

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's opposition accused President Mohamed Mursi's Islamist allies of trying to muzzle dissent on Friday after prosecutors decided to investigate whether prominent government critics were guilty of sedition.

The probe, which comes a month after Mursi replaced the chief prosecutor, further sours the political climate as the leader and his opponents face off over a new constitution that became law on Wednesday.

Critics of the new charter say it uses vague language, fails to enshrine the rights of women and minorities and does little to champion the rights of Egyptians who rose up last year to overthrow army-backed strongman Hosni Mubarak.

Supporters say it protects personal rights that were often trampled upon during the Mubarak era and a subsequent spell of army rule.

The constitution text won about 64 percent approval in a two-stage referendum but Mursi's opponents vowed to continue protests and rejected his calls for a national dialogue.

Prosecutors ordered the inquiry into three of the president's most prominent opponents on Thursday - former Arab League chief Amr Moussa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mohamed ElBaradei and leftist Hamdeen Sabahy.

Moussa and Sabahy both challenged Mursi for the presidency in a June election which followed the 2011 uprising.

The prosecutor's office said the three had been accused of inciting supporters to rise up and overthrow Mursi, the country's first fairly elected leader.

Mursi's critics saw an attempt to intimidate them into silence and vowed to continue challenging his rule.

"I believe this is orchestrated by the Brotherhood leadership," Hussein Abdel Ghani, a spokesman for the country's main opposition umbrella group, told Reuters. "The Mubarak regime used to order the same tactics."

"But we are going to use our full rights, our civil tactics, to demonstrate our opposition to this regime," he said.

The charged atmosphere makes it harder for Mursi to bolster his authority and muster a consensus for unpopular austerity measures vital to preventing a weak economy from collapsing.

AN END TO TURMOIL

Mursi is hoping that the quick adoption of the constitution and holding elections to a permanent new parliament soon will help end the long period of turmoil since Mubarak's overthrow in February 2011 that has wrecked the economy.

But the Egyptian pound tumbled to its weakest in almost eight years this week after the constitution was approved. People unnerved by the continued political tension rushed to hoard dollars and gold.

The government ordered new restrictions on foreign currency apparently designed to prevent capital flight. Leaving or entering with more than $10,000 cash is now banned.

Mursi was propelled into office thanks to the rallying power of his Muslim Brotherhood, the country's main opposition group under Mubarak that was banned from formal politics for decades.

Ahmed Sobeih, a spokesman for the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, dismissed Abdel Ghani's accusation of an organised legal campaign against Mursi's opponents.

"We must get away from the language of mutual accusations," he said, adding that "dozens" of similar complaints had been filed against Brotherhood leaders.

Mursi appointed Chief Public Prosecutor Talaat Ibrahim when he assumed sweeping new powers on November 22. Ibrahim's predecessor, Abdel Maguid Mahmoud, had served for many years under Mubarak.

Judicial sources said the inquiry against Moussa, ElBaradei and Sabahy followed a complaint from lawyers sympathetic to Mursi.

The trio are part of the National Salvation Front, an alliance of political groups that has spearheaded street protests against the government.

"The mere referral of these complaints to an investigative judge and the accompanying public announcement is already cause enough for serious concern," said Heba Morayef, Egypt director at New York-based Human Rights Watch.

A spokesman for Moussa said the accusations against him were groundless.

"What we read in the papers are several allegations that we have denied over and over in the past few months," said Ahmed Kamel, a spokesman for Moussa's Congress Party. "They are completely unfounded and have no relation to reality."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-opposition-says-islamists-trying-stifle-dissent-082736414.html

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Workers Compensation Insurance For Colorado Roofing ...

The Colorado roofing industry will experience increased rates to their workers comp insurance due to industry wide claims and rising medical expenses. ? Pricing for roofing contractors is already at an all time high as rates hitting .2155? based on the annual payroll .? This means if you have roofing employees with $50,000 of payroll your annual premium could be over $10,000 per year.? ?

There are limited insurance carriers willing to provide insurance for roofing contractors.? This means roofers must be careful with who they hire, safety procedures, and implement best practices to avoid claims, which could impact your annual premium.

Need To Get Workers Compensation Insurance For Your Roofing Company?

Complete our online application for roofing contractors.?

Source: http://www.gpbusinessinsurance.com/workers-compensation-insurance-for-colorado-roofing-companies-to-rise/

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Obama: modestly "optimistic" fiscal cliff deal can be reached (Reuters)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273681269?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Reaction to death of Norman Schwarzkopf

Reaction to the death Thursday of retired Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf:

___

"Barbara and I mourn the loss of a true American patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. A distinguished member of that 'Long Gray Line' hailing from West Point, Gen. Norm Schwarzkopf, to me, epitomized the 'duty, service, country' creed that has defended our freedom and seen this great nation through our most trying international crises. More than that, he was a good and decent man ? and a dear friend. Barbara and I send our condolences to his wife, Brenda, and his wonderful family." ? former President George H.W. Bush.

___

"With the passing of General H. Norman Schwarzkopf, America lost a great patriot and a great soldier. Norm served his country with courage and distinction for over 35 years. The highlight of his career was the 1991 Persian Gulf War, Operation Desert Storm. 'Stormin' Norman' led the coalition forces to victory, ejecting the Iraqi Army from Kuwait and restoring the rightful government. His leadership not only inspired his troops, but also inspired the nation. He was a good friend of mine, a close buddy. I will miss him. My wife, Alma, joins me in extending our deepest condolences to his wife, Brenda, and to her family." ? former Secretary of State Colin Powell.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-27-Obit-Schwarzkopf-Reaction/id-f6a15cd9424e490f98492f051208da11

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Broadway to honor Jack Klugman and Charles Durning

NEW YORK (AP) ? The theater community will honor Jack Klugman and Charles Durning by dimming Broadway's lights in back-to-back memorials.

The marquees at all Broadway theaters will go dark for one minute at 8 p.m. Thursday in honor of Durning, who died Monday at 89. Durning amassed several important Broadway credits, including playing Big Daddy in a 1990 revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof," David Rabe's "Boom Boom Room" and opposite George C. Scott in "Inherit the Wind" in 1996.

On Friday, the 40 Broadway marquees will go dark at 8 p.m. for Klugman, who also died Monday at 90. Klugman earned a Tony Award nomination for "Gypsy" in 1960 and his Broadway roles included parts in "I'm Not Rappaport" and "The Sunshine Boys."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/broadway-honor-jack-klugman-charles-durning-175907370.html

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Smartest Magazines For Women - Fairchild Family Housing

Print lives! Even in our days of Facebook and iPads, printed magazines offer tactile and visual pleasures all their own. Here are five of the most delightful women's magazines available today. Try one next time you'd like to curl up with a good magazine at home at Fairchild Family Housing.

W Magazine
Full of sopisticated takes on style and living, W is a highly sophisticated fashion magazine. Gorgeous photography and great articles fill this elegant, over-sized publication, making it an essential read.

O, The Oprah Magazine
This relatively new magazine by Oprah Winfrey is all about empowering women and encouraging personal growth. Covering a wide range of topics, everything from fitness to career choices, this magazine is a valuable asset for the 21st century woman.

Prevention
With an emphasis on family health, Prevention works off of the basic premise that little changes can yield big results. It offers a friendly voice on issues of health, exercise, and nutrition, and is full of comprehensive and intelligent writing.

Bust
Tapping into women's issues intelligently and with a strong feminist perspective, Bust is a groundbreaking lifestye magazine. Its writing covers pop culture, news, music and book reviews, and a strong editorial voice that a strong, independent woman can read with pride.

Cooking Light
Unlike a lot of other food magazines, Cooking Light matches recipes with smart writing on health and fitness issues. This magazine is very educational and doesn't condescend, making it a good resource for nutritional information.

Source: http://blog.fairchildfamilyhousing.com/2012/12/27/smartest-magazines-for-women/

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Smart TV owners seemingly tuning out most apps

3 hrs.

Brad Chacos , Laptop

They may be called smart TVs, but that doesn?t stop the vast majority of us from using them as basic boob tubes. A new NPD Group report claims that most people use their Internet-enabled televisions to stream video services like Netflix or Hulu Plus, and?? actually, not much else.

Streaming music services manage to entertain around 15 percent of smart TV owners, but all of the more ballyhooed interactive aspects of Internet-enabled TVs???think Facebook, Twitter, Web browsers, and all those apps, games, and email widgets that come preloaded in newer HDTVs???are left completely untouched by most people.

The NPD Group?chalks the trend?up to a few different factors, the biggest of which being the simple fact that most people consider televisions sets to be, well, televisions???not computing devices. The proliferation of secondary Internet-enabled devices (like consoles and Blu-ray players) and the rise of local digital streaming options (like AirPlay, DLNA, and Samsung AllShare) may also be both confusing customers and cannibalizing traditional smart TV services, NPD theorizes.

We?ll add another possible factor: The molasses-slow processors in most smart TVs make anything beyond simple content streaming a major usability pain. Trying to browse your Facebook News Feed on a television is often a tremendously laggy exercise in frustration.

Fortunately, consumer disinterest in the Internet-enabled bells and whistles may just make the basic video-streaming functions of smart TVs more pleasant to use going into the future???at least if manufacturers listen to the NPD?s closing advice: ?Focus less on new innovation in this space and more on simplification of the user experience.?

More from Laptop Mag:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/smart-tv-owners-seemingly-tuning-out-most-apps-1C7660224

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MWN Shares its Success Story in Casablanca's School of Journalism

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, December 27, 2012

The Casablanca-based Ecole Superieure de Journalisme et de Communication (School of Journalism and Communication) on Wednesday invited Dr. Samir Bennis, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Morocco World News to share its experience with the young students of the school.

Samir Bennis shared with the audience the story behind the creation of Morocco World News. Being a strong advocate of Morocco?s territorial integrity, especially regarding the Sahara region, Mr. Bennis decided along with his brother, Mr. Adnane Bennis, to set up a new platform that would provide international public opinion with a more balanced and nuanced vision on the? Sahara issue. He highlighted that there is lack of awareness among the Moroccan public opinion and media professionals about the need to reach out to the international public opinion in order to provide it with a more nuanced and balanced vision about Morocco.

Dr. Samir Bennis in Casablanca's School of Journalism

He added that MWN intends to be Morocco?s window to the world, thus providing any person eager to learn about the country to have access to information covering every aspects of its culture, history, economic and political life.

He went to on to stress the pivotal role played by MWN in the media landscape both at the domestic and the international levels, especially in the United States. It has indeed lifted the veil of silence over deficiencies in defending Moroccan interests before the international community.

He also highlighted that MWN is the only Moroccan news outlet that provides news and analyses about Morocco and the rest of the world around the clock, while commending the other members of the team located in Morocco, who play an important role in providing the readers with the latest news about the event taking place in the MENA region.

Dr. Samir Bennis in Casablanca's School of Journalism, talking about the success story of www.moroccoworldnews.com

Mr. Bennis listed a number of crucial events that have traits with Morocco?s sovereignty over the Sahara region exclusively covered by the MWN team. He referred to the omission of the Sahara region from the documents submitted by the Morocco Mall architecture company. In addition, MWN was the first news outlet to address the lack of coverage by Moroccan media of the Security Council sessions in New York where the Sahara conflict is debated.

In this regard, Mr. Bennis had sent an open letter to the minister of communication Mr. Khalfi. He seized the opportunity to call for reform of the media sector in regard to national interests. The same issue was raised during an MWN interview with Mr. Choubani, minister in charge of relations with parliament and civil society.

Mr. Bennis shared with the audience the long term goals of MWN. Indeed, MWN founders envision building an influential news outlet that will rival with major international news outlets.

He highlighted that MWN emerged as a groundbreaking English speaking news outlet that provides insight to both local and international news in total alignment with Moroccan identity and supreme national interests. He added that the appeal of MWN is going crescendo, pointing out that readers from an average of 90 countries visit the website every day.

He also highlighted that, unlike other news outlets in Arabic or French whose reach is limited, MWN has further reach commensurate to the global reach of the English language.

Dr. Samir Bennis will also be a guest speaker at the University Hassan II of Casablanca on Friday 28 December where he will enlighten the audience of the university about the Spanish colonial legacy and the representation of Moroccans, as well as in Meknes? Moulay Ismail University on Friday 4 January where he will share his experience in launching MWN.

Online journalism is still at the embryonic stage. Yet, this new trend seems to be a bottomless reservoir of unexplored possibilities. MWN ambitious team is resolute to expand its outreach among Moroccan and international readership by maintaining high standards and, most importantly, by being faithful to the national identity.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/12/71815/mwn-shares-its-success-story-in-casablancas-school-of-journalism-2/

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Donald Blood III Gets DUI After Allegedly Driving On AA Co-founder's Lawn

Jana Lawrence

Jana Lawrence, 46, of Dacula, Ga., is accused of wreaking havoc at two restaurants Saturday, by groping, licking and flashing fellow patrons before being arrested.

Vanessa Robinson

Vanessa Robinson was charged with aggravated assult after she allegedly cut up her boyfriend after he tried leaving her apartment with the last beer -- a Colt 45 to be specific.

Niles Gammons

Ohio man <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/09/niles-gammons_n_2100591.html?1352482434" target="_hplink">Niles Gammons</a> found himself in a bit of double trouble when -- thanks to daylight savings -- authorities busted him twice in one day, at the exact same time.

Justina Laniewski

Laniewski, 41, was arrested for allegedly endangering her child, among other charges, when she ran in to a raging creek to "save" ducks during Hurricane Sandy's onslaught on Oct. 30, 2012. Police say that Laniewski left her 4-year-old unattended while she plunged into neck-high waters in Glen Rock, Pa. It took 8 firefighters to rescue the woman, who allegedly had a blood alcohol level more than twice the legal limit for driving.

Patricia Libby

Police say that Patricia Libby was under the influence when repeatedly crashed her car into another vehicle in the parking lot of a Marco Island, Fla. elementary school where her children are enrolled.

William Liddell

William Liddell is accused of <a href="http://www.marconews.com/news/2012/oct/17/reports-man-fought-with-officers-defecated-in/" target="_hplink">getting into a tussle</a> with cops after they tried to arrest him for a hit and run. During the altercation, a police report said Liddell defecated in his pants.

Ty Alsop

Ty Alsop was allegedly found passed out in a car with pants soaked in urine. He was taken to an Evansville, Ind. hospital to detoxify. Instead of staying put, he sneaked out past the staff. Witnesses saw him in the parking lot wearing a hospital gown that exposed his backside. Alsop asked police for a second chance, claiming "I'm not really a bad guy. I've just been a drunken a-----e tonight," according to the police report.

Alison Whelan

This 51-year-old Brit hijacked a ferry in September 2011, reportedly yelling to police officers that she was Jack Sparrow. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/20/alison-whelan-jack-sparrow-steals-ferry_n_1901200.html?1348169718" target="_hplink">Read the whole story here.</a>

Eugene Carl Kotelman

Largo (Fla.) Police pulled over Kotelman allegedly for speeding and driving drunk on May 3. Cops checked the trunk and say they found a small monkey tucked inside. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/04/a-man-and-his-monkey-pull_0_n_1477674.html" target="_hplink">Read more.</a>

Coley Mitchell

Coley Mitchell, a lab tech at Georgia Health Sciences University, was arrested for public drunkenness after being found in a locker room intoxicated with his pants down halfway his legs surrounded by two lab monkeys that had been let out of their cages.

Jesse James Thomas

Jesse James Thomas, arrested March 28 for public drunkenness, Thomas was wearing a sombrero when he jumped on an officer's parked patrol car screaming his name, according to an account in the <em>Sacramento Bee</em>. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/30/jesse-james-thomas-sombrero-jumps-on-cop-car_n_1392754.html" target="_hplink">Read more. </a>

Olivia Ornelas

Police in Illinois say that Olivia Ornelas blamed her DUI and crashed vehicle on her boyfriend's failure to take her, as he promised, to the new "Twilight" movie. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/21/illinois-twilight-fan-arrested_n_1105740.html" target="_hplink">Read more.</a>

Man Charged with DWI for Driving Motorized Cooler

An Australian man caught driving a motorized cooler box through a beachside resort town appeared in court charged with drunk driving, The Courier Mail reported Monday. Christopher Ian Petrie, 23, faces charges of driving under the influence and driving without a license after police caught him on the makeshift vehicle, which was powered by a 50cc engine.

Randon Reid

Police in Phoenix, Ariz., have accused Randon Reid of the crime of flight -- and a crime against flight. Investigators say the 26-year-old suspect opened fire on an airplane parked at Deer Valley Airport, then fled from authorities who tried to pull him over. He has reportedly been charged with felony flight and driving under the influence.

Debra Oberlin

It's always best to practice what you preach. Police in Florida say they arrested the former president of a local chapter of Mother's Against Drunk Driving for driving under the influence. Debra Oberlin has been charged with drunk driving for the Feb. 18 incident.

Andrei Bibbs

Andrei Bibbs, 54, of the 3000 block of Coopers Grove Court, was arrested Jan. 7 Illinois State Police and charged with driving while under the influence of alcohol. He <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/12/andrei-bibbs-blue-island-_n_1201547.html" target="_hplink">was clearly shocked by the change. </a>

Bradley Pope

Pope was arrested for DUI. He allegedly told police that he was a "covert agent" and that he had drank 100 beers.

David Caruso

In early August 2012, David Caruso was busted for allegedly deciding to grab a beer while driving through a sobriety checkpoint in Connecticut. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/01/david-caruso-sobriety-checkpoint_n_1726754.html" target="_hplink"> Read more.</a>

Garrett Stauber

Garrett Stauber, 24, allegedly drunkenly stole kitchen utensils -- including a potato peeler and a knife -- as well as a puppy in Pittsburgh.

Samuel Phipps

Phipps was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after he got into a car accident that he allegedly <a href="http://www.nbcchicago.com/news/weird/Man-Arrested-for-7th-DUI-Claims-Elephant-Caused-Accident-Cops---172153931.html" target="_hplink">blamed on an elephant.</a>

Sherri Wilkins

Sherri Wilkins, a drug and alcohol counselor, was arrested after allegedly fatally hitting pedestrian Philip Moreno with her car while driving under the influence. Police say Wilkins then drove over two miles with Moreno partially through her windshield. <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/sherri-wilkins-philip-moreno-windshield-_n_2191482.html?utm_hp_ref=crime" target="_hplink">Read the whole story here.</a>

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/27/donald-blood-dui-aa-cofounders-lawn_n_2370750.html

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Most Important Forms Of Internet Hosting In The Global Ecommerce ...

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Men&#39;s Health USA ? January/February 2013-P2P ? Releaselog ...

Men?s Health, the world?s largest men?s magazine, is an essential read for individuals who want to look, feel and live better. Professionals and experts from diverse fields of psychology, fitness, fashion and health team up with journalists to give you interesting features on the issues that matter most to men of all ages. Men?s Health is loaded with complete instructions for mastering the world?s greatest exercises and trusted, informative tips on how to cook healthier. You?ll find advice on careers and lifestyle along with fashion tips and easy-to-make recipes that will inspire you to live better. Weight loss advice comes in the form of articles like ?Eat This, Not That!? and tips on how to transform traditional recipes into power-packed, healthy meals. With research-based articles filed into sections including ?Health,? ?Sex & Relationships,? ?Nutrition,? ?Fitness,? and ?Guy Knowledge,? Men?s Health is your go-to guide for all of your important questions and concerns.

Men?s Health USA ? January/February 2013-P2P
English | 154 Pages | PDF | 71.9 MB
Download: HERE

Source: http://www.rlslog.net/mens-health-usa-januaryfebruary-2013-p2p/

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SpaceX Grasshopper reusable rocket improves leap to 131 feet (video)

Not to mix Aesop's Fables or anything, but when it comes to the world of commercial space race, sometimes slow and steady is the thing. A couple months back, we watched SpaceX's reusable vertical takeoff, vertical landing rocket, the Grasshopper, nudge its way off the ground. And while this current test isn't exactly the "few hundred feet to two miles" that we were promised, it's quite literally a step in the right direction, at 131 feet, plus some quality hover time. All in all, the test, conducted December 17th in McGregor, Texas, took around 29 seconds to unfold. Relive it in the video after the break.

Continue reading SpaceX Grasshopper reusable rocket improves leap to 131 feet (video)

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/26/spacex-grasshopper-reusable-rocket-improves-leap-to-131-feet-vi/

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Lawmakers see 'fiscal cliff' deal as elusive

President Barack Obama speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama speaks to reporters about the fiscal cliff in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington, Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? With anxiety rising as the country lurches towards a "fiscal cliff," lawmakers are increasingly skeptical about a possible deal and some predict the best possibility would be a small-scale patch because time is running out before the yearend deadline.

Sen. Joe Lieberman predicted Sunday: "We're going to spend New Year's Eve here, I believe."

Even those who see the possibility of a deal don't expect a lot.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she expects "it is going to be a patch because in four days we can't solve everything."

With the collapse Thursday of House Speaker John Boehner's plan to allow tax rates to rise on million-dollar-plus incomes, Lieberman said: "It's the first time that I feel it's more likely we'll go over the cliff than not," meaning that higher taxes for most Americans and painful federal agency budget cuts would be in line to go ahead.

"If we allow that to happen it will be the most colossal consequential act of congressional irresponsibility in a long time, maybe ever in American history because of the impact it'll have on almost every American," said Lieberman, a Connecticut independent.

Wyoming Sen. Jon Barrasso, a member of the GOP leadership, predicted the new year would come without an agreement, and he faulted the White House.

"I believe the president is eager to go over the cliff for political purposes. He senses a victory at the bottom of the cliff," he said.

Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad of North Dakota, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, was incredulous at Barrasso's assertion that 'there is only one person that can provide the leadership" on such a matter vital to the nation's interests.

"There are 535 of us that can provide leadership. There are 435 in the House, 100 in the Senate and there is the president, all of us have a responsibility here," he said. "And, you know what is happening? What is happening is the same old tired blame game. He said/she said. I think the American people are tired of it. What they want to hear is 'What is the solution?'"

President Barack Obama and Congress are on a short holiday break. Congress is expected to be back at work Thursday and Obama will be back in the White House after a few days in Hawaii.

"It is time to get back to the table," said Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., "And I hope if anyone sees these representatives from the House in line shopping or getting their Christmas turkey, they wish them a merry Christmas, they're civil, and then say 'go back to the table, not your own table, the table in Washington.'"

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., said he expects something will be passed, but nothing that will solve the nation's growing financial problems.

"I think there's unfortunately only going to be a small deal," he said, but added "it's critical we get to the big deal."

Obama already has scaled back his ambitions for a sweeping budget bargain. Before leaving the capital on Friday, he called for a limited measure that extends George W. Bush-era tax cuts for most people and stave off federal spending cuts. The president also urged Congress to extend jobless benefits for the long-term unemployed that would otherwise be cut off for 2 million people at the end of the year.

The failure of Boehner's option in the House has shifted the focus.

"The ball is now clearly with the Senate," said Lieberman.

He said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada and GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky "have the ability to put this together again and pass something. It won't be a big, grand bargain to take care of the total debt, but they can do some things that will avoid the worst consequences going over the fiscal cliff."

It was only a week ago when news emerged that Obama and Boehner had significantly narrowed their differences. Both were offering a cut in taxes for most Americans, an increase for a relative few and cuts of roughly $1 trillion in spending over a year. Also included was a scaling back of future cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients ? a concession on the president's part as much as agreeing to higher tax rates was for the speaker.

Lieberman was on CNN's "State of the Union," while Barrasso, Klobuchar and Conrad appeared on "Fox News Sunday." Hutchison and Warner were on CBS' "Face the Nation."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-24-Fiscal%20Cliff/id-9b16d28f8b104f5a93ec9c3667ebb981

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Gulf Arabs decry Iran "interference" in region

MANAMA (Reuters) - Six U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states demanded on Tuesday that Iran end what they called interference in the region, reiterating a long-held mistrust of their main rival.

The Islamic Republic denies trying to subvert Saudi Arabia and its wealthy Gulf neighbors.

A communique issued at the end of a two-day summit of the Saudi-led Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also urged action to halt mass killings and violations of international law in Syria.

The oil-producing GCC states wield influence out of proportion to their sparse populations due in part to global energy and investment links, generous international aid and Saudi Arabia's role as home to Islam's two holiest sites.

"The council expressed its rejection and condemnation of the continuing Iranian interference in the affairs of the Gulf Cooperation Council's states and called on Iran to stop these policies," the communique said.

On the conflict in Syria, the statement, read out by GCC Secretary-General Abdulatif al-Zayani, added: "We ask the international community for serious and swift moves to stop these massacres and these severe attacks".

Kuwait said it would host an international humanitarian donor conference for Syria in late January, amid concern for millions of Syrians suffering war, homelessness and winter cold.

"LOTS OF MEDDLING"

Gulf Arab leaders have long called for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down, and in November the GCC recognized a newly-formed opposition coalition as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

The communique did not elaborate on Iran, but the most common Gulf Arab complaint about alleged Iranian meddling in the region relates to Bahrain, which has repeatedly accused Tehran of interference in its internal politics.

Iran sees the Gulf as its own backyard and believes it has a legitimate interest in expanding its influence there.

Bahraini Foreign Minister Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa told reporters Iran posed a "very serious threat".

"Politically, (there is) lots of meddling in the affairs of GCC states; an environmental threat to our region from the technology used inside nuclear facilities; and there is of course the looming nuclear program," he said, referring to Iran's disputed atomic work.

"So the threat level is quite high, but we are ready if faced with circumstances that require action."

While not racked by disturbances on the scale of Syria or Egypt, Bahrain has been volatile since pro-democracy protests led by its Shi'ite Muslim majority erupted last year.

Scattered smoke plumes rose from Bahrain's Sitra and Sanabis districts on Tuesday, apparently caused by youths burning tires, but no major demonstrations were reported by activists.

Bahrain's Sunni Muslim rulers brought in Saudi and United Arab Emirates forces last year to help quell the protests, and Shi'ite power Iran condemned the move, saying it could lead to regional instability. Bahrain has accused Iran of being behind the unrest. Tehran denies this.

GCC FORCE LONG SEEN AS INEFFECTIVE

Bahrain's Shi'ites say they are marginalized politically and economically, a charge the government denies. It has rejected the protesters' main demand for an elected government.

The summit statement said the GCC would set up a unified military command to tighten defense cooperation but offered few details of a project long prey to sensitivities about sovereignty. Security in the waterway, through which 40 percent of the world's seaborne oil exports passes, has been dominated for decades by the United States.

But uprisings against long-standing governments across the Middle East and rivalry with Iran over the conflict in Syria have stirred calls among Gulf Arabs to speed up long-stymied efforts to integrate their own foreign and security policies.

The GCC said it had "supported the creation of a unified military command that organizes and plans and leads the ground, naval and air forces."

The communique did not elaborate. But Mustafa Alani, a security analyst, told Reuters that he understood the idea was to have a standing command rather than a functioning one, and that it would only operate in times of crisis.

The GCC already has a pan-GCC military force -- the 9,000-strong Peninsula Shield, created in 1986 and based in Saudi Arabia. It took part in the 1991 Gulf war and was deployed in Kuwait during the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003.

But the Saudi-based force is widely seen as ineffective. Gulf Arab states have faced a host of obstacles to military integration, including a lack of common equipment, their own reliance on their U.S. ally and concern among some states about potential Saudi dominance of any joint military effort.

(Reporting by Asma Alsharif; Writing by William Maclean; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gulf-arabs-demand-end-iran-interference-105611871.html

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Tarantino Heads South in ?Django Unchained? | Triangle Arts and ...

After creating his own genre with ?Reservoir Dogs? and ?Pulp Fiction,? Quentin Tarantino has spent the majority of his filmmaking career since making all sorts of genre films that he grew up on, with ?Kill Bill,? ?Death Proof? and ?Inglorious Basterds.? Tarantino is at it again, tackling the spaghetti Western with ?Django Unchained.?

Django (Jamie Foxx) is a quiet, angry man. Separated from his wife after they try to flee the plantation they live on, he?s left walking in shackles towards whatever person wants to purchase him when Dr. King Schultz, a dentist turned bounty hunter (Christoph Waltz) frees him. Django?s saving grace is he knows the Brittle brothers, three men Schultz wants to collect the bounty on. In exchange for helping Schultz, Django is taught the tools of the bounty hunter trade, which mainly involves killing people, and together they will rescue Django?s wife from Calvin Candie, a large plantation owner.

As Candie, Leonardo DiCaprio channels all of his charisma into making the character one of the most despicable Tarantino has ever created. The man is rotten to the core. Even his teeth are black. Candie is every bit as charming as Christoph Waltz?s Hans Landa in ?Inglorious Basterds,? but lacks almost all of the viciousness, which is left to his house slave Stephen (a brilliant Samuel L. Jackson). He?s an amazing villain, but Tarantino uses him all wrong. ?Django? itself really slows down once Candie appears, as Schultz and Django go from hunting down people to sitting around tables, negotiating with the man to get Django?s wife back.

Jamie Foxx?s Django is cut from the mold of the classic Western gunslinger, almost too much so. Django is very much a blank slate on his first appearance, and as the film continues he becomes more fleshed out, but there just isn?t much to him except that he wants his wife back.

The real treat is Christoph Waltz, who won an Oscar for his performance in ?Basterds.? Tarantino may have (moreso than Jackson) found his muse, the Robert DeNiro to his Martin Scorcese. Nobody delivers Tarantino?s dialogue with the perfect mix of charm and irony like Waltz. Every film Tarantino has made since ?Kill Bill? has been very aware that its a movie, and Waltz, who is from Austria, has the perfect voice and mannerisms to personify Tarantino?s style.

?Django? has a lot of things going for it, but it?s not one of Tarantino?s finest. It?s definitely one of his bloodiest films, but at 165 minutes, its bloated and loses entirely too much momentum as things go on. Even Candie, the main villain, doesn?t appear until maybe 90 minutes into the film. Not to mention the ridiculously excessive use of the n-word, which is uttered at least 300 times. Tarantino may be trying to be authentic to the time period, but at some point it just becomes too much. In fairness, every Tarantino film I?ve seen since ?Kill Bill? has felt overlong and self-indulgent on the first viewing, so ?Django? may be much better on a second viewing for me.

It?s been fun seeing Quentin Tarantino provide his own spin on classic movie genres and making them his own. With ?Basterds? and ?Django,? it feels like he?s entering a new phase of his career, where he is purely a genre filmmaker. Hopefully he?ll try and do something entirely new and give the world another ?Pulp Fiction,? but that?s probably just wishful thinking on my part.

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Tagged as: Christmas, django unchained, inglorious basterds, jamie foxx, leonardo dicaprio, quentin tarantino, sam jackson

Source: http://triangleartsandentertainment.org/2012/12/tarantino-heads-south-in-django-unchained/

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Is the Amazon Rainforest Drying Out?

The trees and vegetation of the Peruvian Amazon are adapting to a warmer, drier future?but can they adapt fast enough?

By Barbara Fraser

LAND CLEARING: Smoke rises from a fire set to clear land for farming or pasture outside Tarapoto, Peru. Roads and fields fragment the forest, drying it faster, changing precipitation patterns and making it more difficult for species to shift their ranges to adapt to climate change. Image: &COPY; BARBARA FRASER

TARAPOTO, Peru?For tropical ecologist Gregory Asner, flying over the Peruvian Amazon from the town of Tarapoto is like traveling back in time. Modern houses, rice paddies and oil palm plantations give way to steep, forested mountains and then to green, unbroken forest that curves toward the horizon.

Suddenly the tree canopy below the twin-engine plane turns a mottled gray-brown, a sign of drought damage that he estimates may affect as many as half the trees.

In this remote corner of Peru?s Ucayali region, Asner, a tropical ecologist at the Carnegie Institution for Science at Stanford University, is afraid he is seeing the future. In the last few years this patch of forest has been hit by two ?once-in-a-century droughts??one in 2005 and another in 2010. These dry spells may become more frequent as temperatures in the tropical North Atlantic Ocean rise and as humans burn thousands of square kilometers of forest for farming. Although it has seen warmer temperatures in the past, the western Amazon is under siege now from a combination of a warming climate and human population growth that it has never faced before, and scientists are scrambling to determine whether existing protected areas will be enough to buffer against the changes to come.

Behind the plane Asner glimpses smoke rising from fires set to clear land for farming. Migration from the Andean highlands has boosted Peru?s Amazonian states to the top of the population growth chart, and the influx of people is taking a toll on the forest.

Peru?s Ministry of Environment?using satellite images and Carnegie-provided software?calculates that the country lost about 6,475 square kilometers of forest, an area the size of Delaware, between 2005 and 2009, up from some 4,550 square kilometers in the five previous years. Losing forest reduces precipitation, further stressing the remaining trees. ?About 50 percent of the rain that falls in the Amazon is generated by the forest itself, through transpiration and evaporation,? Asner says. ?Deforestation exacerbates the drought problem, because it removes that internal engine.?

Clearing fields and pastures also leaves more exposed forest edges, drying out the interior and making it more likely to burn if an agricultural fire escapes. Fires during the 2005 and 2010 droughts added 3.8 gigatons of carbon to the atmosphere, according to Simon Lewis, a forest ecologist at University College London. In recent genetic studies Lewis found that Amazonian trees have weathered past climatic warming, but the changes were slower then and were not exacerbated by humans, he says.

Faced with warmer, drier conditions, trees have three options:

?Individuals can acclimate, species can adapt or migrate, or they go extinct,? says Kenneth Feeley, a biologist at Florida International University. A floral species can expand its range into a cooler region, but only as fast as seed dispersal allows. Feeley, who studies trees on the eastern slope of the Peruvian Andes, was surprised to see range changes there in just a few years. ?Species are moving upslope about three vertical meters a year?that?s really fast,? he says, although perhaps not fast enough. ?Based on the climate change that?s already happening, they need to move nine or 10 vertical meters a years.?

In the lowlands, deforestation reduces the areas to which species can move, and fields, pastures and roads create barriers to dispersal. Peru has some large protected areas, such as Man? National Park, where Feeley does his work, but scientists don?t know if they are big enough?or in the right places?to allow species to migrate in a rapidly changing climate.

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=9f3a5cd00b70c6681d4c8570f36591a7

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Free At Last, I&#39;m Free At Last.... | Step Talk

So last week was a pretty enlightening week in this unblendable household. DH and I had a LOT of words fly back and forth and I think/hope/pray we are in a better place for it. At least I hope so.

One of the things I vowed I would do was wash my hands of anything "First Family" and I have to tell you, with the holidays upon us it was actually quite a freeing vow.

MY extended family had their Christmas last night, which meant traveling to my parents' home. My DH has his kids every weekend, but as they get older they are coming over less and less. However, of COURSE they'd want to come over in the days leading up to Christmas, because they certainly don't want to miss out on any "What did you get me" time with my DH. So... they came over. Got their money. DH told BM about my family's Christmas, the time, etc. a week ago. Yesterday BM decides she wants HER kids home by 5pm. Great... my family's Christmas starts at 4pm, and it's an hour away.

DH wants to go visit his parents in another state after Christmas (I have to work so cannot go). BM told him a week ago they would be home from her family on Christmas night. So my DH planned on leaving the morning of the 26th (with kids in tow) to travel. Had it all planned with his parents. Tells BM, and she suddenly decides she's not going to come back until "maybe" the 27th. Of course DH gets pissed off and then she acts like she's doing him a favor by "maybe" being back on the 26th so that he can leave on the 27th.

Every year. Every. Damned. Year. She takes HER piece of the pie right out of the middle, and leaves DH to make-do with crumbs. They have NEVER followed the parenting guidelines on sharing holidays, so NEVER in the 15 years they've been divorced has he EVVVVVEEEEERRRRRRR had his kids on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. And this year is no different. The only holidays my DH can be absolutely sure

In years past, I would get pissed. It's unfair, it's not right, she's such a bitch... But after last week? I didn't care, not one iota. If he's willing to roll over for such nonsense, that's his problem. However, I will NOT allow it to affect my holidays with my family, nor my life in general.

It really WAS nice getting to visit with my family and not have a couple morose teenagers slinking around complaining under their breath how bored they were, how stupid their gifts were, etc. And it took this for my DH to realize I'm not wasting one more ounce of "giveashit" on his situation.

Source: http://www.steptalk.org/node/102266

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Stocks dip with budget deal in doubt at year's end

FILE - In this New York Stock Exchange Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, photo, Trader Warren Meyers uses his handheld device as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks are down Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, amid concern that lawmakers will fail to reach a deal to stop the U.S. going over the so-called fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

FILE - In this New York Stock Exchange Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, photo, Trader Warren Meyers uses his handheld device as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Stocks are down Monday, Dec. 24, 2012, amid concern that lawmakers will fail to reach a deal to stop the U.S. going over the so-called fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

Stocks fell in light trading Monday during a shortened holiday trading session with lawmakers running out of time to reach a budget deal that would prevent the U.S. from going over the so-called fiscal cliff.

The Dow Jones industrial average fell 52 points to 13,139.08. The Standard & Poor's 500 index gave up 3 points to 1,426.66 The Nasdaq composite slipped 8.4 points to 3,012.60.

In more than a dozen interviews with The Associated Press, conservative activists said they would rather see the country fall off the cliff than agree to any tax increases for any Americans, no matter how wealthy.

With many in Washington away for the holidays, that scenario appears increasingly likely.

"There is starting to become a little bit of an acceptance that we fall off the fiscal cliff," said JJ Kinahan, chief derivatives strategist for TD Ameritrade. "People are starting to think about how they may plan their portfolio if that does happen."

Stocks fell sharply Friday, with the Dow logging its biggest drop in more than a month, after House Republicans called off a vote on tax rates. That left federal budget talks in disarray just days before sweeping tax increases and government spending cuts are scheduled to take effect.

Sen. Joe Lieberman said Sunday that "it's the first time that I feel it's more likely we'll go over the cliff than not," following the collapse late Thursday of House Speaker John Boehner's plan to allow tax rates to rise on million-dollar-plus incomes. Wyoming Sen. Jon Barrasso, a member of the Republican leadership, predicted the new year would come without an agreement.

Failure to agree on a budget plan before year-end would lead to simultaneous spending cuts and tax hikes that many fear may push the economy back into recession.

President Barack Obama and Congress are on a short holiday break. Congress is expected to be back at work Thursday and Obama will be back in the White House after a few days in Hawaii.

J.C. Penney Co.'s stock jumped after Oppenheimer analysts reiterated a "Buy" rating on the company Monday, saying that traffic in stores in the final weekend before Christmas was strong. The analysts said that this made them more optimistic that the company's new approach to promotion will help it through the holidays and into 2013.

The stock gained 28 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $19.87.

Other retailers may struggle though this holiday season, as Christmas shoppers rein in their spending, their spirits dampened by concerns about the economy and the aftermath of shootings and storms. Marshal Cohen, chief research analyst at NPD Inc., a market research firm with a network of analysts at shopping centers nationwide, estimates customer traffic over the weekend was in line with the same time a year ago, but that shoppers are spending less.

Shoppers are increasingly worried about the fiscal cliff deadline, adding to the fall's retail woes after Superstorm Sandy's passage up the East Coast.

Consumer spending drives about 70 percent of economic growth, so how confident people are about parting with money is crucial for any economic recovery.

Falling stocks outnumbered gainers by a ratio of five to one in the 30-member Dow, with technology companies leading the decliners. Hewlett-Packard fell 33 cents, or 2.3 percent, to $14.01 and Microsoft Corp. dropped 39 cents, or 1.4 percent, to $27.06.

Stocks may also come under pressure in coming days as investors who have seen their holdings gain this year, decide to sell and book the capital gains tax in 2012 so as to avoid any potential increase in that tax rate next year, according to Kinahan, of TD Ameritrade.

"People who have had a nice year in a particular stock may say 'why not take the hit this year,' " said Kinahan.

Barring a dramatic sell-off in the year's final days of trading, stocks will end the year higher on signs that the U.S. housing market is recovering and the U.S. economy is adding jobs. The Federal Reserve also announced a third-round of its so-called quantitative easing program in September. The program, intended to lower the cost of borrowing and spur lending, helped underpin demand for stocks.

The S&P 500 is 13 percent higher for the year, the Dow is almost 8 percent up and the Nasdaq is nearly 16 percent higher.

Trading volumes were lower than average today before the Christmas holiday Tuesday. The stock market will close at 1 p.m. Monday and will reopen Wednesday.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury note rose 1 basis point to 1.78 percent.

Among other stocks making big moves:

?Herbalife Ltd., the nutritional supplements company, fell $1.21, or 4.4 percent, to $26.06. The stock has tumbled 43 percent this month after William Ackman, the founder and CEO of hedge fund Pershing Square Capital Management L.P., claimed that the nutritional supplements company is a pyramid scheme.

The company said Monday that it would hold an analyst and investor meeting Jan. 10 to discuss the company's business in detail.

___

AP Writer Steve Peoples contributed to this report from Boston.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-24-Wall%20Street/id-39de844207154d50809b68c62ab6fde6

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Useful Tips On Successful Family Portrait Photography ? Arts and ...

People do not think about any novel application of the service of a professional portrait photographer other then when they have a birthday, a centenary or a death in the family. We are equally hapless and unimaginative at thinking new occasions or making them, but we will do a little better and think of techniques using which you can sabotage the photography sessions and give your photographer a few brain tumors!

There are millions of expert opinions and tips on family portraits photography, but not many on how you can destroy the day! Here is how you can force the photographer into running away, not to mention flush your money down the drain. Take all the kids in your family to a photo tour! And pinch them when they get naughty and if they cry, ignore them. In minutes, the photographer will have bailed out and your family portrait photography session will have ended without one single shot being snapped.

Let the photographer know that you are the family expert on matters of photography. Argue on every point and have your way. Family portrait photography Melbourne might be the bread and butter the poor bloke wielding the SLR, but they do not know that you have read every single book about photography. Let them have a taste of your knowledge.Do not let the occasion fool you. Even if it is your grandfather?s birthday and he might not live any longer to see another one, make sure that your ego is bigger than the occasion. The photographer might want you to stand near your sister-in-law, but little does he know about the relation you share with her. Refuse to have anything to do with your family foes. If possible start a civil war right on the sets while the photographer stares at all of you in wild amazement.

Be the funny guy. Every person in the image should have a big smile right? Yeah. So be the funny fellow and have everybody in splits and rolling onto the floor with laughter. When they manage to subdue their pangs of ecstasy, give it another go. This will look much better if it was organized after your granny passed away recently or something of equivalent solemnity! Just before the family portrait photography Melbourne session begins, call the photographer a nincompoop and tell him that you are going to pay less than what you agreed to. This will snap even the most resilient of professional and have them looking for the exit sign. One can always check http://photographersinc.co.nz/ for more useful tips.

Tags: family portrait photography, photography

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haidarr: VOR Calls for Mental Health Reform - Extends Heartfelt ...

?Politics over diverse issues have divided our nation,? said Julie Huso, VOR Executive Director. ?There can be no justice for these senseless killings in Connecticut and elsewhere, but uniting as a nation will get us as close to healing as possible and help prevent tragedies in the future.?

Elk Grove Village, IL (PRWEB) December 21, 2012

VOR, a national organization advocating for high quality care and human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, joins the chorus of heartfelt sympathy expressed for the families and friends of the victims of the Sandy Hook tragedy. While many citizens and organizations are taking aim at gun control, VOR believes that systemic reform of disability and mental health policies is critically necessary to prevent future violence.

?Politics over diverse issues have divided our nation,? said Julie Huso, VOR Executive Director. ?There can be no justice for these senseless killings in Connecticut and elsewhere, but uniting as a nation will get us as close to healing as possible and help prevent tragedies in the future.?

?We can't tolerate this anymore,? stated President Barak Obama, as he addressed a grieving nation Sunday night. ??These tragedies must end, and to end them, we must change.? (Transcript of President?s Remarks __Transcript of President?s Remarks __, reprinted by The Washington Post, December 16, 2012)

For 30 years, VOR has been calling on Congress to support specialized treatment options for people with profound intellectual and developmental disabilities.

?Too many people who need help have nowhere to go, are turned away, are displaced from specialized care, or are not adequately treated and monitored,? said Huso. ?Patients? rights have trumped almost completely safety ? to self and others -- in the name of ?deinstitutionalization? and ?integration.??

Decades of deinstitutionalization has resulted in the depletion of an adequate safety net for people who need our help.

?Our mental health system has completely failed individuals with severe mental illness and their communities,? said Doris A. Fuller, executive director for the Treatment Advocacy Center, a nonprofit organization which advocates for timely and effective treatment of severe mental illness. ?We have emptied the nation's hospitals, gutted state and local mental health programs, and turned involuntary treatment into a debate point instead of using it as a viable option to prevent tragedy involving those too ill to help themselves.? [Treatment for Mental Illness Should be as Easy to Get as Guns, Treatment Advocacy Center (December 14, 2012)].

Beginning in the 1960s, closing specialized care centers for people with developmental disabilities and mental illness ? ?deinstitutionalization? ? was meant to advance the civil liberties of those inappropriately institutionalized by offering care and supports in a less restrictive environment.

Some advocates, however, say deinstitutionalization has gone much too far. Today, people with profound developmental disabilities and health concerns, and those with severe mental illness, are being removed from highly specialized care or prevented from accessing such care in the first place.

?What began with altruistic motives ? namely, better and more appropriate care for disabled people ? has spawned into something very different,? remarked Huso. ?Today, very fragile people are being forced from their homes under the belief that money will be saved and quality of life will improve.?

?We?re protecting civil liberties at the expense of health and safety,? says Fuller. ?Deinstitutionalization has gone way too far.? (?Seven facts about America?s mental health-care system,? The Washington Post (quoting Fuller) (December 14, 2012))

VOR calls for reform, beginning with a moratorium on deinstitutionalization

Tragedies will continue to befall people with I/DD, children, adults, and citizens if our laws and policies continue to support deinstitutionalization, depriving people with disabilities of needed specialized, residential care and treatment.

?Over and over again, news investigations and state audits show that these very fragile individuals need comprehensive, skilled care. They are the ICU residents of the disability community. Scattering them in homes around a community only separates them from qualified staff, life-sustaining health care, oversight, and friends,? said Ann Knighton, VOR?s president.

?Prison is now the last resort for the mentally ill,? wrote Liza Long, whose son, Michael has severe mental illness. [?I am Adam Lanza?s Mother,? by Liza Long (The Blue Review, December 14, 2012)].

President Obama vowed to use ?whatever power this office holds to engage my fellow citizens, from law enforcement, to mental health professionals, to parents and educators, in an effort aimed at preventing more tragedies like this.? (Transcript of President?s Remarks, reprinted by The Washington Post, December 16, 2012)

Yet, a significant part of the problem begins at his doorstep, says VOR.

?Significant federal funds and energies by powerful federal agencies are dedicated to deinstitutionalization,? said Tamie Hopp, Director of Government Relations and Advocacy for VOR. ?The Justice Department has pursued more than 30 legal actions which at their core aim to displace individuals from specialized care options. In Georgia, a Justice Department settlement calls for moving 9,000 people with mental illness from mental health facilities by 2015.? (?Olmstead: Community Integration for everyone,? U.S Department of Justice?s Olmstead Enforcement Website); (U.S. v. Georgia Fact Sheet, U.S. Department of Justice (October 19, 2012)

Likewise, in a move that VOR characterizes as ?reckless,? the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency, last month released a 300 page policy document and toolkit calling for the closure of all ?institutions,? which it defines as any setting larger than 4 people. [?Deinstitutionalization: Unfinished Business,? National Council on Disability (November 2012); ?Reckless disregard shown for the needs and choices of vulnerable persons with severe and profound disabilities,? VOR (December 2012)]

?As a nation, the Sandy Hook tragedies have left us heartbroken,? said Hopp. ?Families of individuals with profound cognitive disabilities recognize the reform that is needed better than most. Their sons and daughters need highly specialized treatment. Instead federal agencies, some state governments and advocates, are putting energies into removing their loved ones from treatment?

We agree with the President. ?This must end.? (Transcript of President?s Remarks, reprinted by The Washington Post, December 16, 2012).

About VOR:

VOR is a national organization that advocates for high quality care and human rights for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Offering community, legal, medical and educational resources for families of individuals with special needs, VOR is committed to providing help for people with disabilities. Standing up for long term care facilities and community disability programs, VOR is dedicated to maintaining family choice for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. For more information about VOR, please visit us at http://www.vor.net __VOR__.

Julie Huso
VOR
605-370-4652
Email Information

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vor-calls-mental-health-reform-extends-heartfelt-sympathy-205222535.html

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Source: http://haidarro.blogspot.com/2012/12/vor-calls-for-mental-health-reform.html

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