Friday, November 23, 2012

Video: Average Mitt hits California for vacation

Don't be fooled! Great camera deals are harder to spot on Black Friday

??While there are plenty of deals and discounts to be had on TVs, phones, laptops and other tech products, camera-wise, there aren't a lot of reasons to wait in line until midnight after Thanksgiving dinner. That's because the year's best cameras ? many of which are rounded up here ? simply aren't subject to fire-sale pricing.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49923337#49923337

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Thursday, November 22, 2012

The Voice Recap: Cassadee Pope, We're Not Over You

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/11/the-voice-recap-cassadee-pope-were-not-over-you/

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9.2-million-year-old rhino skull preserved by instant 'cooking to death' in volcanic ash

ScienceDaily (Nov. 21, 2012) ? Less than 2% of Earth's fossils are preserved in volcanic rock, but researchers have identified a new one: the skull of a rhino that perished in a volcanic eruption 9.2 million years ago. The find is described in a paper published November 21 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Pierre-Olivier Antoine and colleagues from the University of Montpellier, France.

The fossil, found in Turkey, is thought to be that of a large two-horned rhino common in the Eastern Mediterranean region during that period. According to the researchers, unusual features of the preserved skull suggest that the animal was 'cooked to death' at temperatures that may have approached 500? C, in a volcanic flow similar to that of the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius in Italy in 79 A.D.

The rhino's grisly death was near-instantaneous, and followed by severe dehydration in the extreme heat of the eruption. As the researchers describe its end, "the body was baked under a temperature approximating 400?C, then dismembered within the pyroclastic flow, and the skull separated from body." The flow of volcanic ash then moved the skull about 30 km north of the eruption site, where it was discovered by the four member research team.

Although other researchers have previously identified fossils of soft-bodied organisms preserved in volcanic ash, organic matter near an active volcanic eruption is usually quickly destroyed by the high temperatures, making a fossil such as this one extremely rare.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.


Journal Reference:

  1. Pierre-Olivier Antoine, Maeva J. Orliac, Gokhan Atici, Inan Ulusoy, Erdal Sen, H. Evren ?ubuk?u, Ebru Albayrak, Ne?e Oyal, Erkan Aydar, Sevket Sen. A Rhinocerotid Skull Cooked-to-Death in a 9.2 Ma-Old Ignimbrite Flow of Turkey. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e49997 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049997

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/eDZdDLj57Yg/121121210251.htm

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

France to answer ratings downgrade with reforms

PARIS (Reuters) - France said on Tuesday it would respond to a Moody's credit downgrade by pushing on with reforms, complaining that the ratings agency had overlooked steps already taken to revamp the euro zone's second-largest economy.

France lost its prized triple-A badge from the Standard & Poor's agency in January, so Monday's move by Moody's was not surprising. But it underlined doubts about Socialist President Francois Hollande's ability to fix France's public finances.

The downgrade also highlighted the divergence with the top-rated regional powerhouse Germany whose finance minister called it a "small warning" to its most important euro zone partner.

Hollande said after the cut: "We must take note, stick to our economic policies, keep on track and understand that we have every interest in improving public finances."

Moody's said it would assess the triple-A ratings of the euro zone's EFSF and ESM bailout funds in light of its one-notch cut of France to Aa1 with a negative outlook.

However, its France downgrade did not appear to affect the perceived status of French bonds which, along with German debt, are seen as a safe haven from the crisis in southern Europe.

The benchmark French 10-year government bond yield - which has been trading at historic lows and offering Hollande crucial access to cheap borrowing - was little changed at 2.15 percent versus 2.08 percent before the downgrade.

"Moody's raised concerns about France's capacity to reform and so it is up to us to show that this time we are going to carry out reforms," Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici, leading a government offensive to play down the move, told journalists.

"The rating change does not call into question either the economic fundamentals of our country, the efforts undertaken by the government or our creditworthiness."

The government is planning the toughest belt-tightening effort in 30 years in 2013 but must also try and halt a growth slow-down that has seen unemployment surge to 13-year highs.

Moody's said it kept a negative outlook on France due to structural challenges and a "sustained loss of competitiveness" in the country, where business leaders blame high labor charges for dragging down exports. It also cited "sizable exposures" of its banks to weak, southern euro zone countries.

"The first driver ... is the risk to economic growth, and therefore to the government's finances, posed by the country's persistent structural economic challenges," Moody's said.

The downgrade initially nudged the euro 0.30 percent lower to 1.2770 against the dollar late on Monday but the currency recovered some ground to trade at 1.2805 at 1730 GMT on Tuesday.

Deutsche Bank economist Gilles Moec said the fact the downgrade was largely priced in did not take the pressure off Hollande to show he will pursue more reforms, with an overhaul of rigid hiring and firing rules seen as the most pressing.

"Public opinion in France - as well as the market ultimately - will expect a reaction from the executive," Moec said. "The market ... is giving France the benefit of the doubt, but a further clarification of the policy stance is becoming urgent."

NEGATIVE OUTLOOK

Moody's said it could cut France again if efforts to free up the rigid labor market and overhaul an economy where public spending accounts for 57 percent of output ran into trouble.

"We would downgrade the rating further in the event of an additional material deterioration in France's economic prospects or in a scenario in which there were difficulties in implementing the announced reforms," Moody's lead France analyst Dietmar Hornung told Reuters.

He said more big shocks from the euro zone debt crisis would also exert downward pressure on the rating.

The downgrade follows concerns raised by the IMF that France could be left behind as Italy and Spain reform at a faster pace.

"The government has sent positive signals on public finance commitments and competitiveness. However, more is required," said Societe Generale's Michel Martinez, who like many analysts sees French growth falling short of 2013 budget estimates.

But analysts see French bonds remaining resilient for now.

"The French debt market is highly liquid and remains a favored venue for international investors, particularly in a world where 'double-A' is becoming the norm among Western states," Barclays France director Franklin Pichard said.

Yet with Germany one of the few major economies to retain a triple-A rating, the move is likely to reinforce Berlin's role as the capital calling the shots in the 17-country euro zone.

Michael Grosse-Broemer, parliamentary whip of German Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling CDU party, told Reuters the downgrade gave fresh impulse to France to fulfill its reforms.

Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble said the move was a warning for everyone in Europe to meet their responsibilities.

With France's 2-trillion-euro economy teetering on the brink of recession, Hollande surprised many this month by granting 20 billion euros in annual tax relief to companies, equivalent to a 6 percent cut in labor costs, to spur competitiveness.

The government also plans 30 billion euros in budget savings next year to trim its deficit and has promised reforms next year to add flexibility to rigid labor laws.

"Certain criticisms are too strong or are too late. I would have preferred that the bold and unprecedented decisions on the crisis were better received," Moscovici said of Moody's.

He said it was unfair to flag concerns over French banks as they have cut exposure to troubled euro states such as Greece.

"I don't expect (the downgrade) to have an immediate knock-on impact today on access to and cost of funding," said Espirito Santo analyst Andrew Lim of any impact on the banking sector.

But he said France's exposure to Spain, Italy and peripheral Europe should be kept in mind.

As far as government borrowing goes, France has completed its issuance for 2012. Demand is strong from foreign buyers, who hold 55 percent of its long-term bonds, but the downgrade could be a trigger to bet on yields rising next year.

"Our view is the market is teeing itself up to short France in 2013. It's the trade everyone wants to get into," said Lyn Graham-Taylor at Rabobank in London.

(Additional reporting by Blaise Robinson, Alexandre Boksenbaum-Granier and Andreas Rinke; Writing by Mark John; Editing by Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/moodys-strips-france-aaa-rating-one-notch-cut-003140288--business.html

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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Biggest Mistakes Aspiring Real Estate Investors Make | FECEPAC ...

As an instructor of beginning real estate investors, one of the questions I?m asked most often is, ?Why can?t I get started ? what am I doing wrong?? Maybe you?re an aspiring real estate investor wondering the same thing. You?ve seen lots of others get going, yet you?re still sitting on the bench and wondering why. You aren?t alone if you are. There is usually more than one reason that keeps people from starting out. In this article, I will lay out the most common reasons why some people get going like ?gangbusters? while others don?t. I?ll address one or two f the reasons here and explain more of them in follow up articles.

So here are the top 5 reasons some aspiring real estate investors have trouble starting out. I?ve given them in the order I consider to be most relevant.

? Listening to and buying into the ?get rich quick? infomercial, webinar gurus.

? Failing to get a PROPER investing education.

? Not understanding the market fundamentals.

? Fear of taking action.

? Not making offers.

In my experience as an instructor of beginning real estate investors, those are the top five reasons. I know there are many more, but let?s explore one of these right now. We?ll get to the other reasons in future articles.

First mistake, and probably the biggest, is listening to and buying into the get rich quick infomercial or webinar gurus out there. Not only is this a big mistake, but it?s a colossal waste of time and money for the most part as well. Here?s why.

Prior to the 70?s, real estate investing education consisted primarily of buying a property, fixing it, renting or selling it, and then learning from the profit or loss you experienced.

In the late 70?s, and early 80?s we witnessed the birth of the ?multi-day seminar.? These were advertised with full-page ads in newspapers, and held in hotels across the nation. Initially, these filled a need, but they also spawned a couple of other trends, namely real estate investor associations or REIA?s and the explosion of local, regional, and national seminars. All of these varied in content and quality. In the late 90?s and into the 2000,s the ?webinar? gained popularity. Again, all of these vary in content and in quality.

The one constant from the multi-day seminar all the way through to the webinars of today is that they are all a sales pitch of one sort or another. For the most part, the promoters of these webinars are trying to sell you their latest ?course? or product, but more importantly they are ?farming? for your email address. You see, that?s modern day, internet marketing. If you don?t buy whatever it is they are selling on their webinar, they?ve got your email address to bombard you in the future with other products they are selling. Some of them even make money selling your email address to other gurus enabling them to flood your email with their products too. In short, you learn very little (if anything) from most of these, and you are basically giving them your money.

The RIGHT way to get started as a real estate investor is with a proper education. This includes the fundamentals, goals, ALL the different strategies available, contracts, negotiating, financing, exit strategies, building a team, and more. You won?t get that from the webinar or informational gurus out there.

To summarize, your real estate investing education is the tool that can generate lots of money for you. If you make the wrong choice, your investment with infomercial or webinar gurus could wind up costing you thousands more. The old adage ?you get what you pay for? is true in a lot of things. It?s gospel in real estate investment education. Get the proper training so you don?t make the biggest mistake a lot of beginning real estate investors make.

Source: http://www.fecepac.org/biggest-mistakes-aspiring-real-estate-investors-make.html

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Zimbabwe: Anglican ex-bishop must return property

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) ? A Zimbabwe court has ordered a breakaway Anglican bishop to return church property he seized after his excommunication in 2007.

Supreme Court Judge Yunus Omerjee ruled Monday that Bishop Nolbert Kunonga has no right to the church property because he left the mainstream Anglican Church.

Zimbabwe's Anglican Church has been divided since Kunonga, a loyalist to President Robert Mugabe, was excommunicated in 2007 by the main Anglican Province of Central Africa and the worldwide head of the church for inciting violence in sermons supporting Mugabe's ZANU-PF party. Kunonga broke away from the Anglican Church and formed an independent Harare diocese. He held the Anglican Cathedral in Harare and several other churches, with the help of police.

The schism left mainstream Anglicans without places of worship and many were subjected to intimidation and violence.

Omerjee's ruling stated that Kunonga did not have the right to the Anglican church property.

"When one leaves a club one does not take its property with him or her. It has long been established as a salutary principle of law in this area of property ownership that when one or more people secede from an existing church, they have no right to claim church property even if those who remain members of the congregation are in the minority," said the judgment.

After the ruling Monday, Anglican worshipers sang, danced and ululated outside the court.

The head of Zimbabwe's mainstream Anglicans, Bishop Chad Gandiya described Monday's ruling as a "pleasant surprise."

"We prayed, we waited and we have been vindicated," Gandiya said. "This is God's doing."

An earlier ruling made in August last year by Chief Justice Godfrey Chidyausiku, another open supporter of Mugabe's party, had allowed Kunonga to retain the cathedral and its administrative offices, bank accounts and vehicles.

During the past five years, Kunonga had intensified seizures of the Anglican Church property, taking over orphanages, church buildings and schools countrywide with the help of police loyal to Mugabe.

Kunonga claims he left the mainstream Anglican Church because of its position on gay marriage.

Leaders of the global Anglican Communion have condemned gay relationships as a violation of Scripture. However, the Anglican Communion is loosely organized without one authoritative leader such as a pope, so some individual provinces have accepted same-gender unions and in the United States an openly gay man was the Bishop of New Hampshire.

Mugabe is a bitter critic of homosexuality.

The former head of the worldwide Anglican Church, Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, visited Zimbabwe last year and handed Mugabe a dossier detailing allegations of the intimidation of worshipers.

The report described a "litany of abuses" including murder, harassment and assaults of parishioners by police and Kunonga's followers.

Mugabe then claimed he was unfamiliar with the scale of intimidation experienced by mainstream Anglicans.

Gandiya, the Zimbabwe Anglican bishop, told The Associated Press that most parishioners who had taken to worshiping under trees and leased buildings are "ecstatic" at having their places of worship back.

"We have been in exile for five years but now we are going back home," he said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/zimbabwe-anglican-ex-bishop-must-return-property-124219756.html

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Nigeria Exxon spill spreads for miles along coast

IBENO, Nigeria (Reuters) - An oil spill at an ExxonMobil facility offshore from the Niger Delta has spread at least 20 miles from its source, coating waters used by fishermen in a film of sludge.

A Reuters reporter visiting several parts of Akwa Ibom state saw a rainbow-tinted oil slick stretching for 20 miles (32 km) from a pipeline that Exxon had shut down because of a leak a week ago. Locals scooped it into jerry cans.

Mark Ward, the managing director of ExxonMobil's local unit, said a clean up had been mobilised, and he apologised to affected communities for the spill.

Exxon said last Sunday it had shut a pipeline off the coast of Akwa Ibom state after an oil leak whose cause was unknown.

"This is the worst spill in this community since Exxon started its operations in the area," said Edet Asuquo, 40, a fisherman in the Mkpanak community, as women scooped oil into buckets. In some marshy areas, plants were poking out of the slick, not yet dead and blackened by the oil.

"The fishermen cannot fish any longer and have no alternative means of survival," Asuquo said.

The U.S. major's outage comes on top of multiple production problems in Africa's biggest crude exporter, after fellow oil majors Shell and Eni reported disruptions at onshore sites due to oil theft and Nigeria's worst flooding in 50 years.

"Mobil Producing Nigeria (MPN) regrets this incident. Our teams are being mobilised to clean up the area," Ward said in a statement emailed to Reuters.

"We apologise for the inconveniences that it has caused."

OIL SLICK

One fisherman described noticing a large quantity of oil on the surface of the sea and all over the beach the Friday before last, adding that the company has since sprayed chemicals in the water, which was helping to disperse it.

It was the second major oil spill near Exxon facilities in three months. At the end of August, an oil spill left a slick running for miles along the coast.

Oil spills are common in Nigeria, where enforcement of environmental regulations is lax and armed gangs frequently damage pipelines to steal crude. Oil majors say thieves are responsible for most of the spills on shore.

A U.N. report in August last year criticised the government and multinational oil firms for 50 years of oil pollution that has devastated the Ogoniland region.

"Our prayers are for tough punishment on the oil companies operating the Niger Delta," said Inyang Ekong, the secretary of the fishermen's association, as the car he was in swept past oil washing up onto beaches in an area called Ibeno.

Oil major BP Plc this week agreed to pay $4.5 billion in penalties for spilling nearly 5 million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. Despite thousands of barrels a year spilt by oil majors in Nigeria, none has ever been forced to make a financially significant settlement.

Some communities are now attempting to sue for compensation from Shell in Western courts.

A raft of production outages has caused export delays to Nigerian crude to lengthen, as the country's number one export suffers acutely, oil traders say.

Shell still has a force majeure in place on Forcados and Bonny Light crude oil grades after a tanker being used to steal oil caught fire on September 30, spreading a blaze across several oil and gas installations.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nigeria-exxon-spill-spreads-miles-along-coast-083750356--finance.html

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Thursday, November 15, 2012

Amid political storm, Obama to view Sandy recovery

President Barack Obama gestures as he answers a question during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

President Barack Obama gestures as he answers a question during a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)

(AP) ? In the midst of a political tempest that has engulfed his former CIA director and his top military commander in Afghanistan, President Barack Obama is traveling to New York City to view recovery efforts from the massive East Coast storm Sandy.

While there Thursday, Obama will meet with affected families, local officials and first responders who have been dealing with the deadly storm, which slammed into New York, New Jersey and other East Coast states late month, killing more than 100 people and leaving millions without power.

Obama traveled to New Jersey on Oct. 31 to meet with Gov. Chris Christie and view recovery efforts in coastal communities. The president viewed flattened houses, flooded neighborhoods, sand-strewn streets and a still-burning fire along the state's battered coastline. Parts of the New Jersey shore's famed boardwalks were missing.

Obama pledged to those affected by the storm that "we are here for you and we will not forget."

Obama also traveled to Louisiana in early September after the Gulf Coast was hit by Hurricane Isaac.

Thousands of people in the New York region remain without power 2? weeks after Sandy hit, including customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties, just east of New York City, and in parts of Queens, Brooklyn and Staten Island.

___

Reach Matthew Daly on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-15-Obama/id-1fee6f6ecf0843e689ef53a30c44e68d

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Shania Twain makes horseback arrival for Vegas gig

LAS VEGAS (AP) ? Country music star Shania Twain arrived on horseback Wednesday for a two-year headline gig at Caesars Palace, parading up the Las Vegas Strip with a herd of 40 horses.

Promoters called the event a stampede, but hooves were kept to a steady, slow gait by nine wranglers who escorted Twain to a reception crowd of several hundred people in front of the famous Caesars fountains. Dozens more people watched from the sidewalk of the Flamingo resort across Las Vegas Boulevard.

"We could either lose a few hundred dollars inside or come out and see what kind of spectacle she puts on," said Steve Huffman, a UPS manager from Charleston, W.Va., who watched with his wife, Debi, from an overhead pedestrian walkway.

The couple was in town for his 52nd birthday and learned through a Twitter message that Twain planned to arrive on a horse. They identified Twain's hit, "Man, I Feel Like a Woman," as the country singer rode up the street, and they said they'll plan to see the show next year.

"Still The One" blasted on speakers as Twain stepped onto a temporary outdoor stage near fountains made famous by events including daredevil Evel Knievel's motorcycle crash during a stunt on New Year's Eve 1967.

To some, Twain's arrival echoed singer Frank Sinatra's heralded arrival on a camel at the old Dunes hotel in September 1955.

Twain's show titled "Shania: Still the One" opens Dec. 1 at the nearly 4,300-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The venue also hosts entertainers Celine Dion, Elton John, Jerry Seinfeld and others.

Twain, 47, is touted as one of the best-selling female country artists of all time. The Canadian singer-songwriter has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide.

Las Vegas police, including several on horseback, diverted traffic on the busy casino corridor for about 30 minutes for the spectacle.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shania-twain-makes-horseback-arrival-vegas-gig-001726081.html

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Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Plane in South Africa catches fire, no injuries

JOHANNESBURG (AP) ? A chartered Boeing MD-82 airplane aborted its takeoff Tuesday in South Africa after its landing gear caught fire when a tire came off its mount, officials said. No one was injured.

The Global Aviation Operations Ltd. flight was attempting to leave O.R. Tambo International Airport near Johannesburg when one of its pilots saw the landing gear on fire, said Unathi Batyashe-Fillis, a spokeswoman for the Airports Company South Africa. The pilot halted the takeoff and stopped the plane on one of the runways at South Africa's busiest airport, temporarily closing it. The flight's destination was the southern African nation of Malawi.

Rescuers and emergency workers quickly surrounded the plane which had 136 people on board, officials said. The plane had been bound for Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, she said.

Global Aviation Operations, which flies charter flights throughout Africa, blamed the fire on a "tire separation." A statement Tuesday from its CEO Ronald Finger said the company would investigate the cause of the tire problem. Those on the flight were flown out on an alternative aircraft, he said.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-82, a jet aircraft often used by airlines for middle-distance flights, is a model owned by Boeing Co. McDonnell Douglas had stopped production of all but one of the models in the series when Boeing bought its smaller rival in 1997, and it closed down that line two years later to focus on newer models of its own popular midrange jet, the 737.

The plane involved in Tuesday's incident was manufactured in 1990 and exported to South Africa in 2009, according to U.S. Federal Aviation Administration records. In April 2007, the airline operating the plane had trouble with the aircraft's nose landing gear and found packing around a valve cracked, according to FAA records. The packing and gear later were serviced, the records show.

___

Jon Gambrell can be reached at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP .

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/plane-south-africa-catches-fire-no-injuries-124017914.html

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Sandy's hit on autos debated by insurance experts

16 hrs.

When Superstorm Sandy smashed into the metro New York coastline two weeks ago, the winds and waves ravaged everything in their path, from homes on Staten Island to the roller?coaster on the Seaside Heights, N.J.,?boardwalk.

Also caught up in the deluge were tens, and perhaps hundreds?of thousands of automobiles.? Some came floating out of flooded Manhattan garages. The roofs of others could barely be seen submerged at the shipping port near Newark.? Still more were tossed and rolled in communities like Atlantic City, Breezy Point and Sea Bright, wrapped up amid the wreckage of homes, boats and businesses.

Just how many vehicles were caught up in the disaster remains to be seen, and the tally could take months to complete.? It could add billions to the total damages from what is expected to become one of the most expensive storms ever to strike the United States ? but experts are already debating whether Sandy?s automotive toll will come anywhere near what was seen in other recent disasters, such Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

A preliminary estimate by the National Automobile Dealers Association suggests the tally could reach 250,000 vehicles, well under the 600,000 experts say were claimed by Katrina.? But preliminary data suggest the damage may be far less than initially feared ? an early review of data by the Associated Press finding just 31,000 claims filed with four major insurance companies serving the New York region as of late last week.

"It's not anything near what we're talking about in the Katrina situation," James Appleton, president of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers, told AP.

The Coalition represents about 500 N.J. dealers, but there are more than 1,500 showrooms in the NY tri-state region. And the shipping center near Newark, including Port Elizabeth, are the busiest for auto manufacturers on the East Coast.

?We had nearly 5,000 cars at Port Elizabeth, N.J., and a little over 1,000 more cars in dealer stock up and down the East Coast that are unsaleable and must be destroyed,? said Dave Reuter, chief U.S. spokesman for Nissan.? ?Obviously there are customer cars that were damaged, too, but it will take time to determine how many.?

More than a dozen Fisker Karma plug-in hybrids and at least one Toyota Prius hybrid caught fire during the flooding, a problem now believed to have been caused by saltwater shorting out the vehicles? batteries.? Fisker reports about 320 of its new model were lost due to the flooding, all told, at Port Elizabeth. Meanwhile, another 4,000 Toyota and Lexus models were also at the shipping center just outside Newark, waiting for delivery to dealers. All told, an estimated 14,000 new vehicles were lost at New York area ports.

Automakers are expected to scrap most or all of those vehicles to avoid facing problems later should they develop unexpected flood-related problems.? Industry officials warn that while it?s possible to dry out a car, any vehicle whose engine and other key mechanical components were submerged will likely experience issues later on, whether premature corrosion, faulty electrical and electronic systems or simply musty smells and mold that can?t be contained.

The concern is that dealers and consumers, especially those whose losses?aren't?covered by insurance, may try to repair their vehicles and push them back into the market.

?A car that?s been in a flood, with the engine submerged for any length of time, will never be the same,? said Carl Sullivan, who has nearly two decades of experience inspecting vehicles for AiM, a California-based team of auto inspectors.?

So far, insurance companies are logging far fewer claims than at the same point after Katrina, according to the National Insurance Crime Bureau, which tracks insurance related crimes including the resale of vehicles that insurance companies write off after storms.

But experts caution that it could be weeks, even months before the full extent of the damage is known ? in many cases because automotive retailers and vehicle owners are still struggling with more serious issues, such as the destruction of their businesses or homes.? Along many parts of the affected coastline, it?s quite possible that every homeowner who choose to sit out the storm only to experience a flooded or wind-damaged home had one or more vehicle impacted, as well.

Experts like AiM's Sullivan warn that the problem could eventually impact used car buyers far from the storm?s reach.? They note that scam artists will take junked vehicles, make minimal repairs and then move them around the country, registering and re-registering them in states where notations like ?Junked? or ?Flooded? wash off their titles.

Sullivan said it can be difficult to detect a flood-damaged vehicle; he once found out only by discovering a couple dead fish hidden under a seat. But he suggested several key steps, such as:

Looking for water or condensation in headlights or taillights;

  • Mud in seat?belt latches or seat tracks.
  • Water in the trunk.
  • Corrosion in unusual places, such as atop the shock towers.
  • A musty smell or mold.

Buyers may also be impacted if, in fact, the number of vehicles destroyed by Sandy does prove to meet worst-case forecasts.? Used car prices have been running at or near record levels in recent months. That is, in large part, due to the low sales of new vehicles during the recession which led to a shortage of relatively new, ?previously owned? vehicles.

A burst of demand in the coming months could mean ?We may be seeing anything from $200 to $600? in higher prices for good-quality used vehicles, ?depending on how much the need is,? cautioned Ricky Beggs, managing editor of the Black Book, which tracks vehicle pricing.

He anticipates particularly strong demand for pickups and vans, in the months to come, as contractors not only replace damaged vehicles but add to their fleets in order to take on the mammoth task of helping rebuild much of the mid-Atlantic coast.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/sandys-hit-auto-fleet-debated-insurance-experts-1C7009964

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Homes for Sale Dublin CA Real Estate Weekly Review November ...

Homes for Sale Dublin CA Real Estate Weekly Review November 11, 2012 | Homes for Sale in San Ramon, Danville CA, Dublin CA, Pleasanton ?2012 Bay East. ?2012 CCAR. ?2012 EBRD. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information is provided from three separate sources: Bay East, CCAR and EBRD. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website. Information last updated on 11/12/12 10:01 AM PST.

This IDX solution is (c) Diverse Solutions 2012.

Source: http://vickiesellshomes.com/homes-for-sale-dublin-ca-real-estate-weekly-review-november-11-2012/

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Monday, November 12, 2012

Tax Havens Are Essential And Do Us All A Favor - Business Insider

Who among Sunday Telegraph readers has not tried to avoid paying tax? I should imagine that most married readers keep their assets in the name of the spouse with the lowest tax rate.

And I would be surprised if readers did not make use of pension tax reliefs and the tax-free lump sum we receive from pension funds.

Those readers who are self-employed will, no doubt, do their best to ensure that they claim the maximum expenses against their income. All this is absolutely right and proper. Our first respon?sibi?lities are to our families, not the state, as long as we give the state in taxation what we legally owe.

However, as soon as we see companies making use of special allowances and schemes to reduce their tax bill, there are furious denunciations. Google, Starbucks and many other companies are vilified for trying to reduce their tax bill by using ?tax havens?.

It might be thought that the use of tax havens by companies is against the spirit and letter of the tax law ? way beyond the examples of personal tax avoidance we are all involved with. Sometimes this is true. Whilst tax havens can ? and should ? be defended, they should not be used to shelter illegal activity and they should not be used by companies to pay less tax than they legally owe.

For example, if a fictional company, We Make Widgets PLC, were to operate in only two countries ? the UK and Ireland, it could register its ?intellectual property (a special method of polishing metal, for example) in Ireland.

The Irish subsidiary could then charge a very high price to the UK subsidiary for buying the rights to polish the metal. The UK subsidiary would make very small profits and the Irish subsidiary would make very large profits ? and be taxed at Ireland?s low corporation tax rate.

These internal ?transfer prices? should accord with the rules. To artificially reduce profits in high-tax countries would be like a self-employed person taking his wife out to dinner and charging it as expenses to his company. It would be legally and ethically wrong.

Of course, there is a continual battle between HMRC and international companies over these type of issues and that is inevitable. It should also be remembered that, if companies pay more tax than they need, then it is all of us savers who own shares who suffer.

Tax havens are in fact essential, especially international financial centres. Tax rules are often unjust, with non-taxpayers (such as investors in ISAs) often paying tax or taxpayers from overseas being taxed twice when they save money in investment funds.

Non-taxpayers should not pay tax and nobody should be taxed twice on investment returns. Of course, the offshore funds designed to avoid unjust tax are often used by very rich people who are mobile and have complex tax affairs across several countries. However, they are also used by our own pension funds and ISA pro?ducts to prevent investment returns being taxed when it is very clear under UK tax law that they should not be taxed.

Indeed, it would be to the detriment of us all if there were no tax havens.

Most predatory activity is actually undertaken by governments and not by companies. Governments are trying to spend more and more with the UK government now spending 50 per cent of national income ? in common with other European Union countries. This is deeply damaging to general welfare and business in particular and it is very difficult to hold the elites who con?tinually expand the size of the state to account. Elections are very imperfect mechanisms.

One effective method by which we can keep the size of government in check is if labour and capital can exercise its freedom to move to lower-tax jurisdictions. Capital is much more mobile than labour and so tax havens do us all a favour by ensuring that governments have to keep tax rates lower - thus creating a better environment for business.

There is certainly a case for a much simpler tax system and perhaps for a radical reform of corporation tax so that shareholders and not companies are taxed directly. But tax havens perform a useful function. They keep a check on governments and they prevent ? double? taxation of investment returns. This benefits us all. It is true that there may be some shady behaviour designed to reduce taxes, but this is inevitable in a world where taxes are so complex and governments try to extract so much from their citizens.

Indeed, Britain should become a tax haven ? both for companies and for people.

Professor Philip Booth is the Editorial and Programme Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/tax-havens-are-essential-and-do-us-all-a-favor-2012-11

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Biochemistry Biology - Career Development Fellow Single Molecule ...

MRC Band 4
?30,124 ? ?35,860 pa inclusive
London W12

This post is a Career Development Fellowship to support post-doctoral scientists in early or changed career training and help establish them as a successful research scientist in their chosen field. It is initially a 3-year training and development post, which incorporates both scientific and transferable skills training.

The post-holder will join the Rueda lab, currently using Single Molecule Microscopy to investigate key mechanistic aspects in RNA folding and splicing, and DNA replication and deamination. The successful candidate will use state-of-the-art experimental biophysical tools to accomplish single molecule fluorescence, magnetic/optical tweezers, live cell imaging and superresolution microscopy. The candidate will develop and apply these experimental techniques to essential biological processes.

You should be highly motivated individuals with an open and organized mind, capable of both thinking outside the box and detail oriented. You should have a relevant PhD (or near completion stage), and at least some of the following attributes: training in biophysics, biochemistry, cell biology and/or yeast genetics, a strong publication record, creativity, excellent oral presentation and written skills and work well with others.

Interested applicants should submit a cover letter, an updated CV and a short summary of their research accomplishments along with their application by clicking the APPLY button below.

Closing Date: 10 December 2012

Selection events will be confirmed.

We want to make our application process as easy for you as we possibly can. If you experience any problems in applying for this job, or have any feedback for us about the application process, please contact our Recruitment Hotline on 01793 867406 (8.30am ? 5.00pm Monday to Friday). ?Please quote reference number IRC72809 when calling.

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all sectors of the community.

Source: http://www.thesciencejobs.com/jobs/biology/134178

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Saturday, November 10, 2012

Obama tears up while thanking staff, volunteers

The morning after he won re-election, an emotional President Barack Obama credited his youthful staff of several hundred with running a campaign that will "go on in the annals of history."

"What you guys have accomplished will go on in the annals of history and they will read about it and they'll marvel about it," said Obama told his team Wednesday morning inside the Chicago campaign headquarters, tears streaming down his face.

"The most important thing you need to know is that your journey's just beginning. You're just starting. And whatever good we do over the next four years will pale in comparison to whatever you guys end up accomplishing in the years and years to come," he said.

The moment, captured by the Obama campaign's cameras and posted online, offers a rare glimpse at the president unplugged and emotional. During the first four years of his presidency, Obama has never been seen publicly crying.

He first came to Chicago, he told the campaign staff, "knowing that somehow I wanted to make sure that my life attached itself to helping kids get a great education or helping people living in poverty to get decent jobs and be able to work and have dignity. And to make sure that people didn't have to go to the emergency room to get health care."

"The work that I did in those communities changed me much more than I changed those communities because it taught me the hopes and aspirations and the grit and resilience of ordinary people," he said, as senior strategist David Axelrod and campaign manager Jim Messina looked on. "And it taught me the fact that under the surface differences, we all have common hopes and we all have common dreams. And it taught me something about how I handle disappointment and what it meant to work hard on a common endeavor, and I grew up."

"So when I come here and I look at all of you, what comes to mind is, it's not that you guys remind me of myself, it's the fact that you are so much better than I was in so many ways. You're smarter, you're so better organized, you're more effective," he said.

Obama said he expected many of those who helped to re-elect him will assume new roles in progressive politics, calling that prospect a "source of my strength and inspiration."

Senior campaign officials said Thursday that the Obama campaign infrastructure - the field offices and network of hundreds of thousands of volunteers - would undergo a period of transition in the coming weeks to determine how to remain sustainable and influential.

"We have remarkable staff, and the campaign that Jim [Messina] put together, you know, is the best in history," said senior Obama adviser David Plouffe. "But the reason those people got involved was because they believed in Barack Obama. It was the relationship between them and our candidate."

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tearful-obama-credits-staff-history-books-campaign-032609276--abc-news-politics.html

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Help Your Pet Live the Good Life ? DogGeek.com


Help Your Pet Live the Good Life (via MarketWire)

SOURCE: Canyon Creek Ranch November 08, 2012 05:00 ET MISSION, KS?(Marketwire ? Nov 8, 2012) ? (Family Features) Pets bring companionship, affection and fun to the families who love them, which is why many pet owners strive to give their four-legged friends the best lives possible to help ensure they?

Source: http://www.doggeek.com/news/news/articles/health/help-your-pet-live-the-good-life/

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Thursday, November 8, 2012

tenuous phylis: Recreation Sports - Albertellison8360's blog

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Source: http://albertellison8360.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/tenuous-phylis-recreation-sports.html

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Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Car bomb near Iraqi military base kills 33

(AP) ? A suicide bomber driving a car packed with explosives detonated the vehicle near an Iraqi military base as soldiers changed shifts north of Baghdad on Tuesday, killing at least 33 people and wounding 56, according to authorities.

The blast struck around midday as troops were leaving the base in Taji, 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of the capital, police said. Twenty-two soldiers were among the dead, and several vehicles were damaged, they said.

The casualty toll was high because the attacker blew up the car while large numbers of soldiers were walking to and from a parking area for waiting minibuses that take them to work, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though suicide car bombings are a favorite tactic of Sunni militant groups such as al-Qaida.

Insurgents frequently target members of the country's security forces in an effort to undermine confidence in the Shiite-led government. Although violence has ebbed in Iraq since the height of the insurgency, attacks still occur frequently.

Officials said many of the wounded were soldiers. They warned the death toll could rise further because several of the injuries were serious.

Tensions at the scene remained high hours after the blast. Police and soldiers cordoned off the area and prevented journalists from approaching. Two cameras were damaged when a scuffle broke out between security forces and journalists who were trying to reach the attack site, a police official said.

Hospital officials confirmed the casualties. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media.

The attack was the deadliest in Iraq in more than a week. On Oct. 27, insurgents unleashed a string of bombings and other attacks around the country that left at least 40 people dead.

It was the second bombing in Taji in less than 24 hours. On Monday, police said a car bomb struck an army patrol not far from the site of Tuesday's blast, wounding eight people. Another bombing Monday near an outdoor market in a Shiite neighborhood on Baghdad's outskirts killed four.

Also Tuesday, Iraq's Cabinet voted to do away with a major social safety net program and instead provide cash payments directly to citizens, government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said.

The reform would bring an end to food ration cards that many Iraqis use to buy basic, highly subsidized foodstuffs such as flour and rice. Instead, the government plans to begin paying out 15,000 dinars ($12.50) monthly and will set the price of flour starting in March.

In Iraq's north, the president of the country's self-ruled Kurdish region urged Kurds in neighboring Syria to stay united and not let political differences deteriorate into violence.

The comments by Massoud Barzani, posted Monday evening on the regional government's website, point to growing concern in Iraq that infighting among Syrian Kurds could complicate that country's civil war and risk destabilizing Iraq's Kurdish region. Syria's Kurds have been solidifying control over territory where they live during the tumult of the conflict.

Over the summer, Barzani brokered an agreement between the rival Kurdish Democratic Union Party and the Kurdish National Council, the main Kurdish umbrella group, to jointly control Kurd-populated areas in Syria.

___

Associated Press writers Bushra Juhi, Sinan Salaheddin and Sameer N. Yacoub contributed to this report.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-06-Iraq/id-200b997908334734ab2cad671699d818

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A Farmer's Alphabet | Education & Reference

A Farmers
A Farmer's Alphabet
by Mary Azarian
4.8 out of 5 stars(4)
Publication Date: October 31, 2012

New!: $15.95 $12.44
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Education & Reference

One of our most popular titles, the striking woodcuts of this big, bold alphabet book, printed in two colors on beautiful paper, are a felicitous introduction to letters as well as to the charms of simple country life.

  • Rank: #315957 in Books
  • Published on: 2012-10-31
  • Original language: English
  • Number of items: 1
  • Dimensions: 8.98" h x .43" w x 5.98" l, .69 pounds
  • Binding: Paperback
  • 32 pages

Source: http://educationreference839.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-farmer-alphabet.html

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Suggestions On How To Reduce Your Discomfort Associated With ...

It is not uncommon for pregnant and new mothers to develop hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids appear when too much pressure is applied on the veins around the rectum. Tons of people experience hemorrhoids, but many do not discuss them. Read this article to get a better understanding of this condition and learn to avoid it.

If you suffer from the discomforts that hemorrhoids cause, you may be able to find some relief. Try a warm sitz bath for 10 to 15 minutes, a few times during the day. Use a cold compress on the affected area, too.

Scratching your hemorrhoids is something you cannot ever do. Of all the hemorrhoid symptoms, the most irritating may be the constant itching. The relief of scratching won?t last long, and the irritation you will cause may slow down the process of healing. Instead, individuals with hemorrhoids need to find other treatments that can help, and they should stop scratching immediately.

You don?t necessarily need those expensive hemorrhoid treatments and medications, because there may be some natural remedies you could try. Soaking in a warm tub for 15 minutes following a bowel movement can help to relax the area. Hemorrhoids can itch like crazy, but it?s important not to scratch since this will just make things worse. If you need some relief, soak cotton pads in witch hazel and place them on the hemorrhoids. Eat tons of food with fiber, and make sure you drink at least eight cups of water each day. This helps to maintain soft, regular bowel movements.

Use a cream made for hemorrhoids; just don?t use it too often. What creams do is minimize the pain by numbing the area. The don?t actually help with the swelling or irritation associated with the condition. If you?ll be using a cream like this for longer than one week, talk it over with your physician. Applying them too much can cause extra pain, particularly if applied more often than is allowed.

Anus exercises can help prevent hemorrhoids. If the muscles of your sphincter are not strong enough, the area might not receive proper circulation. In turn, this can lead to hemorrhoids. Flex your sphincter muscles, holding them for about five seconds and releasing. Do this for five minutes every three or four hours.

Alternating ice and heat is a good way to treat hemorrhoids at home. This one-two punch of ice and heat reduces the size of the hemorrhoid and speeds the healing process. The ice should be applied to the affected area for at least 10 minutes each day, followed by warm, moist heat for 20 minutes.

Drinking an adequate amount of water has been known to prevent hemorrhoids and can help existing ones heal faster. Water is key in digestion, leading to easy to pass bowel movements. If you are having difficulty passing hard stools, you may be more susceptible to developing or worsening hemorrhoids. If you consume a full eight glasses of drinking water per day, you will notice softer stools and less frequent hemorrhoids.

The first paragraph of this article noted that both expectant and new mothers are at increased risk for hemorrhoids. Hemorrhoids are caused by is pressure that is increased in your anus, so try to relieve this pressure as much as possible. If you apply what you?ve read here and create a prevention strategy, or treatment plan if you already suffer from hemorrhoids, you?ll find that you?re less likely to develop this condition or are better equipped to treat it.

Get information about hemorrhoids sufferers.

Source: http://articlepdq.com/health-fitness/fitness-equipment/suggestions-on-how-to-reduce-your-discomfort-associated-with-hemorrhoids/

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Why You will need a Bank loan Modification Legal professional ...

The financial meltdown could have impacted your economic potential. There are several others who will be while in the identical boat.. If you?re about the verge of dropping your hard-earned home, take into consideration having enable from the bank loan modification lawyer or attorney. This sort of law firm focuses primarily on aiding consumers renegotiate the phrases in their payday loans online property finance loan financial loans to the a great deal more very affordable charge phrase. On the other hand, not all creditors is going to be cooperative.

That is in which a personal loan modification legal professional is usually of services. These gurus learn how to correctly converse that has a lending enterprise so your month-to-month cost might be modified to an total you?ll be able to effortlessly pay for. In result, these legal professionals work as center adult males by getting the most effective house loan personal loan modification for his or her clientele.

If a bank loan modification law firm is prosperous, the financial institution or lending business may possibly concur to any of your next:

one. diminished rates of interest

two. waived fascination quantities to the deferred volume

three. forebear arrears

four. deferred part with the principal right up until the bank loan is as a final point compensated off

Why a modification attorney rather of other gurus?

Competence ? a mortgage modification attorney understands the ins and outs with the mitigation course of action. The decades of practical experience they have got originate from exactly the same instant loans spot of abilities. They understand how to offer with lending corporations or banking institutions from the lawful mindset. To make sure a beneficial petition result, these regulation corporations go more than the finances in their customers in excellent depth and existing their software from the most favorable way potential.

Understanding and knowledge ? Compared to personal loan modification ?professionals?, loan-mod legal professionals are bound by legitimate and moral policies that has to be obeyed. Attorneys also are aware of the legal rights of the property owner. These are mindful on the pending regulations and legislations that could assist aid the modification of the personal loan framework. In addition, financial institution personnel offer with lawyers improved. This can be the rough truth on the offer. Any unique which includes experimented with to go directly to the lender for your mortgage modification has almost certainly wound up currently being specified the run-around.

A bank?s purchaser services personnel could buy you to go go to distinct departments. They?re going to bad credit payday loans inquire you to complete software varieties and ship you someplace else until eventually the method repeats. By using specialist providers from the bank loan modification attorney, the method is then streamlined. Legal professionals know precisely what paperwork a lender requirements to approve a loan-mod.

After profitable, a lender could place you over a trial period of time. On typical, this trial interval lasts for a couple of months. If payments are created within a timely method in this momentary time period, the lender will concur to formally decrease or modify the bank loan preparations.

Shedding a residence you?ve got labored challenging for is usually s a disheartening encounter. Acquiring expert enable is significant in order for you to be certain your own home is preserved being an investment decision for foreseeable future generations. Both you?re employed out a charge want to keep your house otherwise you absolutely shed it entirely to gross carelessness. Attorneys might cost various charges, nonetheless they are definitely worth the cost you spend. Cost-wise, using the services of a mortgage modification lawyer or attorney may possibly grow to be the top transfer you may at any time make.

Source: http://bluestarpartynyc.com/why-you-will-need-a-bank-loan-modification-legal-professional-whenever-your-home-is/

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Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Sony brings Reader app to iOS devices

10 hrs.

Users of Sony's Reader e-book service will be happy to know that an iOS app has just been added to the App Store, so users of Apple devices can access the books they've been reading on Sony gear.

It's good news for people who may have one of Sony's Reader devices, but doesn't always want to carry it with them. The app isn't the same as the one found?on Android or elsewhere, but rather is based on the Bluefire reader app already in the App Store. That said, once you log in you'll have full access to your purchased and stored books.

Sony's customers have had a long time to wait; Kindle, Nook, Kobo?and Google reading apps have all been available on iOS for some time, and given Sony's investment into the e-book world, it seemed strange to many that they had no presence on Apple's platform.

Whatever the case was, the app is live now in the App Store as a free download.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBC?News Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/gadgetbox/sony-brings-reader-app-ios-devices-1C6884770

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Disappointed NYC marathoners run in aid of Sandy victims

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hundreds of runners in New York City are refusing to let a canceled marathon spoil their Sunday plans and are channeling months of preparation into informal runs intended to benefit victims of superstorm Sandy.

Amid criticism from victims of Monday's storm that the race would divert resources away from efforts to help flood-ravaged parts of the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday abruptly canceled Sunday's marathon. The event was expected to draw more than 40,000 runners to the city - including Kelly Rooney, a 31-year-old stay-at-home mother from Florida.

Rooney was at first irked that Bloomberg called off the marathon after insisting earlier in the week that it would go ahead in spite of Sandy, whose 80 mile-per-hour (130-kph) winds and record surge of seawater devastated coastal communities and claimed at least 110 U.S. lives.

Rooney traveled with her husband and 6-year-old daughter in tow, while her parents flew in from Mexico to cheer her on.

By Saturday afternoon Rooney was over her disappointment and looking forward to a charity run on hard-hit Staten Island that she had found advertised on the Internet.

On Sunday, Rooney will be running with a backpack full of dog food, cat food, batteries and some water donated by her hotel, the Ritz-Carlton across from Central Park.

"I truthfully at this point don't care if I run, I just want to give this stuff out," she said.

The idea for the Staten Island run came to 46-year-old Jordan Metzl, a doctor of sports medicine, and his running friends just as the debate was heating up last week about whether storm-battered New York City should hold a marathon.

He was discouraged that the running community was being perceived so negatively when it holds so many races to raise money for a variety of causes.

Metzl is expecting more than 500 runners to show up on Sunday at the Staten Island Ferry terminal in Manhattan, including participants from Germany and Italy. U.S. rower Alison Cox, who won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics, is also expected to participate.

The runners will take different routes across Staten Island and distribute supplies along the way.

Other informal runs will be held on Sunday that loop around Central Park, mimicking the original 1970 route of the New York City marathon.

Mindy Solkin, a running coach, already organized a five-mile run on Saturday that started at the marathon's finish line in Central Park.

She is now planning a 26.2 mile run on Sunday called "The Ad Hoc Marathon." Solkin and fellow coaches from The Running Center in Manhattan will be on hand at 9:00 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) with water and "power gels" to pass to runners.

Since Friday night, Solkin has also been scrambling to get some of the 50 runners she coaches registered in upcoming marathons in places such as Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Metzl, who has run 29 marathons in his life, said it would be pointless to let well-trained limbs go to waste.

"Initially we were just going to do a run to raise some money and then we thought, hey, we've got these legs that are ready to run 26 miles, why don't we actually run in Staten Island and get things that people need?" he said.

(Editing by Louis Charbonneau and Eric Walsh)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/disappointed-nyc-marathoners-run-aid-sandy-victims-040500525--spt.html

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Downtown Church saved by donation holds first service

By Ava Wilhite
awilhite@abcnews4.com

Charleston, S.C. (WCIV) -- As members of Redeemer Presbyterian walked up the stairs to church, they walked under the 'Saved' banner.?

"Last Sunday, Craig preached on have faith in the Lord, like he said we had no idea we were going to be able to come up with the money, to make this a successful operation," says church member William Jones.

Jones says he was amazed to learn on Wednesday they had saved their church. Just days ago the congregation was a $150,000 short of being able to buy the 173 year old building. The church needed to match a private offer to buy the historic St. Andrews Church.

"Well, we didn't think it was appropriate for a house of God like this to be turned into a residence. I think a lot of other people, the preservation society and Mayor Riley for example, a lot of other people agreed with us," says Jones.

Some of the congregation members made peace with the idea they could loose their building.? Even they were overwhelmed at the last minute outpour.

"I'm still trying to comprehend.? He really does hold all things in his hand, and he can give us whatever we need and he did. So, to whom much more is given, more will be required," says church member Lisa Christian.

Pastor Craig Bailey says for the past several months the entire church was in fundraising mode.

"Then in just a miraculous way just Wednesday morning, just hours before our closing, we had two huge pledges come in that enabled us to be able to sign the papers," said Bailey.

Pastor Bailey says they will continue to work on the debt they owe on the church, but they are looking forward to focusing on the ministry.

Next Sunday evening, the church plans to hold an official dedication service at 6 p.m.

Source: http://www.abcnews4.com/story/19998453/downtown-church-holds-first-service-after-buying-building

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Monday, November 5, 2012

CFP for Special Issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing on ...

Interactive Multimedia Technology: CFP for Special Issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing on Educational Interfaces, Software, and Technology (EIST) -Extended Deadline: December 9, 2012

CFP for Special Issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing on Educational Interfaces, Software, and Technology (EIST) -Extended Deadline: December 9, 2012

CFP for Special Issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing on Educational Interfaces, Software, and Technology (EIST) -Extended Deadline: December 9, 2012

Overview?
One of the primary goals of teaching is to prepare learners for life in the real world. In this ever-changing world of technologies such as mobile interaction, cloud computing, natural user interfaces, and gestural interfaces like the Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect, people have a greater selection of tools for the task at hand. Given the potential of these new interfaces, software, and technologies as learning tools, as well as the ubiquitous application of interactive technology in formal and informal learning environments, there is a growing need to explore how next-generation technologies will impact education in the future.?

As a community of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and educational researchers, we need to theorize and discuss how new technologies should be integrated into the classrooms and homes of the future. In the last three years, three CHI workshops have provided a forum to discuss key issues of this sort, particularly in the context of next-generation education. The aim of this special issue of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing is to summarize the potential design challenges and perspectives on how the community should handle next-generation technologies in the education domain for both teachers and students.?


We invite authors to present position papers about potential design challenges and perspectives on how the community should handle the next generation of HCI in education. Topics of interest include but are not limited to:?

  • Gestural input, multitouch, large displays?
  • Mobile devices, response systems (clickers)?
  • Tangible, VR, AR & MR, multimodal interfaces?
  • Console gaming, 3D input devices?
  • Co-located interaction, presentations?
  • Educational pedagogy, learner-centric, child computer interaction?
  • Empirical methods, case studies?
  • Multi-display interaction?
  • Wearable educational media?
Important Dates?
  • Full papers due: December 9, 2012?
  • Initial reviews to authors: January 18, 2013?
  • Revised papers due: March 15, 2013?
  • Final reviews to authors: April 26, 2013?
  • Final papers due: June 14, 2013?


Submission Guidelines?

Submissions should be prepared according to the Word template located at the bottom of this page. All manuscripts are subject to peer review. Manuscripts must be submitted as a PDF to the easychair submission system. Submissions should be no more than 8000 words in length.?

Guest Editors and Contact Information?
  • Syed Ishtiaque Ahmed, Cornell University?
  • Quincy Brown, Bowie State University?
  • Jochen Huber, Technische Universit?t Darmstadt?
  • Si Jung ?Jun? Kim, University of Central Florida?
  • Lynn Marentette, Union County Public Schools, Wolfe School?
  • Max M?hlh?user, Technische Universit?t Darmstadt?
  • Alexander Thayer, University of Washington?
  • Edward Tse, SMART Technologies?

Contact: eistjournal2012@easychair.org?

Information about the Journal of Personal and Ubiquitous Computing?
Submission Template:?PUC_EIST_article_template.docx ?(59k)

Source: http://interactivemultimediatechnology.blogspot.com/2012/11/cfp-for-special-issue-of-personal-and.html

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