রবিবার, ৩০ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২

India rape victim's body cremated in New Delhi

NEW DELHI (AP) ? The body of a woman who died after being gang-raped and beaten on a bus in India's capital was cremated Sunday amid an outpouring of anger and grief by millions across the country demanding greater protection for women from sexual violence.

The young woman's body was cremated in a private ceremony soon after its arrival on a special Air India flight from Singapore, where she died at a hospital Saturday after being sent for medical treatment.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, were at the airport to receive the body and meet family members of the victim who had also arrived on the flight early Sunday.

Hours after the victim died Saturday, Indian police charged six men who had been arrested in connection with the attack with murder, adding to accusations that they beat and gang-raped the woman on a New Delhi bus on Dec. 16.

The victim, who has not been identified, was taken Thursday to Singapore's Mount Elizabeth hospital, which specializes in multi-organ transplants, in extremely critical condition, and her condition took a turn for the worse, with her vital signs deteriorating.

After her death, thousands of mourning Indians lit candles, held prayer meetings and marched through various cities and towns, including New Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata, on Saturday night to express their grief and demand stronger protection for women and the death penalty for rape, which is now punishable by a maximum of life imprisonment.

Women face daily harassment across India, ranging from catcalls on the streets, groping and touching in public transport to rape.

New Delhi police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said the six suspects face the death penalty if convicted, in a case that has triggered protests across India and raised questions about lax attitudes by police toward sexual crimes.

The tragedy has forced India to confront the reality that sexually assaulted women are often blamed for the crime, forcing them to keep quiet and discouraging them from reporting it to authorities for fear of exposing their families to ridicule. Police often refuse to accept complaints from those who are courageous enough to report the rapes, and the rare prosecutions that reach courts drag on for years.

Prime Minister Singh said Saturday that he was aware of the emotions the attack has stirred, adding that it was up to all Indians to ensure that the young woman's death will not have been in vain.

The woman and a male friend, who also has not been identified, were on a bus in New Delhi after watching a film on the evening of Dec. 16 when they were attacked by six men who raped her. The men beat the couple and inserted an iron rod into the woman's body, resulting in severe organ damage. Both were then stripped and thrown off the bus, according to police.

Dipali, a working woman who uses one name, said the rape victim deserved justice. "I hope it never happens again to any girl," she said.

Gandhi, the governing party chief, assured the protesters in a statement that the rape victim's death "deepens our determination to battle the pervasive, the shameful social attitudes and mindset that allow men to rape and molest women and girls with such an impunity."

Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said the woman's death was a sobering reminder of the widespread sexual violence in India.

"The outrage now should lead to law reform that criminalizes all forms of sexual assault, strengthens mechanisms for implementation and accountability, so that the victims are not blamed and humiliated," Ganguly said.

Singh said he understood the angry reaction to the attack and that he hoped all Indians would work together to make appropriate changes.

"It would be a true homage to her memory if we are able to channel these emotions and energies into a constructive course of action," the prime minister said.

Indian attitudes toward rape are so entrenched that even politicians and opinion makers have often suggested that women should not go out at night or wear clothes that might be seen as provocative.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/india-rape-victims-body-cremated-delhi-045328410.html

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The Way to Find the Most Professional Limousine Service in Leesburg

by JohnAdams

Meeting and exceeding client expectations is critical, regardless of what your business may be. Good word of mouth is so important. If you are interested in providing a high level of limousine service to your clients, Leesburg is the perfect city for this. Many of the top-rated transportation companies provide limousine service in Leesburg, Florida and the surrounding area.

The best Leesburg limo services will go out of their way to make sure you and your clients are 100% satisfied. When you call a limousine company, not only does being on-time speak for their stature of service, but so does experiencing a good quality level of satisfaction. Servicing someone is more than just a limo ride or a drop off to a particular destination. It's a majestic behavior that takes place from one mind to another. The best Leesburg limo services are willing to help people in the form of a service.

Leesburg boasts the most up to date and comfortable limo rides. Some services provide perks like wine and champagne in the limo to help celebrate that special occasion. Regardless of the event, V.I.P. treatment is always given. A limo services reputation can be seen in the friendly rapport they have with clients.

A key factor in limo driving is knowing your way around the places where your clients need to go. Even owning a GPS doesn't mean you will arrive on time. The number one complaint of customers is when the driver does not know how to arrive at the destination. In the limo industry, poor sense of direction is not best business practice. Another key factor in limo driving is setting your business apart from the competitors. Provide a superb service with your limousines in the city of Leesburg, and you will get positive results. The best Leesburg limo services have modern cars and limo stretches to drive you around in style with a touch of class. These limo services will find the right limo for you and your special occasion.

Hiring a limo service becomes a must when it comes to having clients from out of town or if you are planning a business trip to Leesburg. Your clients deserves it for good and also the essence of class is sure to make a mark. The travel hassle is to be broken with a limo along with the best impression note. Professional service is offered by the best Leesburg limousine service. No matter of your marital status or your position in the Fortune 500 companies, the level of the quality of service is always high with the limo service offered in Leesburg. Just be a part of it to experience it.

Source: http://recreation.articletree.info/recreation-a-sports/11563-the-way-to-find-the-most-professional-limousine-service-in-leesburg

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শনিবার, ২৯ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২

My Pair of Boots: Old Fort- Wing Family Home - yolandadurst0's

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The Wing Fort House is located at 69 Spring Hill Road, East Sandwich, Massachusetts. Open Tuesday through Saturday from June 15 to September 30 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. There is a small admission fee. For off-season visits please call the Caretakers at (508) 833-1540. Cousins, if you ever have the opportunity, this is a "must do" visit. It is something you will never forget and something you will never tire of talking about.

The oldest house in New England owned and occupied continuously by the same family for over three centuries. Built in 1641.? In 1646 it became the home of Stephen Wing, one of the early settlers of Sandwich, son of the Reverend John Wing and Deborah Bachelor. Stephen?and his descendants occupied the house from then on, adding on as families grew and changing tastes dictated. Now restored, it is furnished almost entirely with Wing family antiques showing the different periods of its long history. The house is maintained by the Wing Family of America and open to the public.

?This house is a must see on my list of Historic Landmarks!

Source: http://mypairofboots.blogspot.com/2012/12/old-fort-wing-family-home.html

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Source: http://timothyjohnnyy.posterous.com/my-pair-of-boots-old-fort-wing-family-home-yo

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Source: http://justindagett7.multiply.com/journal/item/2095/My-Pair-of-Boots-Old-Fort-Wing-Family-Home-yolandadurst039s

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Building Strategies for Giving Back into Your Financial Plan

Rob Rumley, assistant VP and financial advisor, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management

Tis the season of giving back! Charity Navigator?s website states that over 40 percent of giving is done in the month of December. In my line of work, I hear a lot about the economy being down but statistics show that giving is up 4 percent from last year. There are many opportunities to give back within our community and three ways to manifest those charitable inclinations: time, talent and treasure ?financial gifts. We will focus on financial displays of generosity. To that point, many avenues exist with regards to charitable giving but the biggest bang for the buck may come through utilizing Donor Advised Funds.

Donor advised funds are a charitable giving vehicle that allows you to contribute cash and other appropriate assets while permitting you to set the investment direction of your contributions. As a donor you will be able to support the charities of your choice and take an active role in the giving process. This investment vehicle helps you to identify suitable organizations and initiatives and advises you on making your charitable strategies even more effective.

At a very young age I was taught to give back and still do in many forms; there are so many ways to do it. It?s not only good for the soul; it?s good for your bottom line. Next year charitable donations may be effected by the fiscal cliff, reap the financial rewards of your altruism this year. Americans are generous people and donate about $300 billion each year to charity, according to a recent report by the Giving USA Foundation and the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Whether it is passing on a family?s passion of supporting the arts, a religious organization or a favorite alma mater, consider nurturing the future success of others through your gifts. It is simple to give away money but more of a challenge to make the giving effective so that it not only makes a difference but an impact.

SOURCE: Information sourced from MS document Global Impact Funding Trust

Rob Rumley is a Financial Advisor with the Global Wealth Management Division of Morgan Stanley in Atlanta. The information contained in this article is not a solicitation to purchase or sell investments. Any information presented is general in nature and not intended to provide individually tailored investment advice. The strategies and/or investments referenced may not be suitable for all investors as the appropriateness of a particular investment or strategy will depend on an investor?s individual circumstances and objectives. Investing involves risks and there is always the potential of losing money when you invest. The views expressed herein are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect the views of Morgan Stanley Wealth Management, or its affiliates. Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, LLC, member SIPC.

Source: http://atlantablackstar.com/2012/12/28/building-strategies-for-giving-back-into-your-financial-plan/

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4 dead in Moscow airliner crash

Rescuers work at the site of careered off the runway plane at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Alexander Usoltsev)

Rescuers work at the site of careered off the runway plane at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Alexander Usoltsev)

Rescuers work at the site where a plane careered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Rescuers work at the wreckage of a plane which careered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Rescuers work at the site where a plane careered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Alexander Usoltsev)

Wreckage of a plane which careered off the runway at Vnukovo Airport in Moscow, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. A Tu-204 aircraft belonging to Russian airline Red Wings careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing several people. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

(AP) ? A passenger airliner careered off the runway at Russia's third-busiest airport and partly onto a highway while landing on Saturday, broke into pieces and caught fire, killing at least four people.

Officials said there were eight people aboard the Tu-204 belonging to Russian airline Red Wings that was flying back from the Czech Republic without passengers to its home at Vnukovo Airport.

Emergency officials said in a televised news conference that four people were killed and another four severely injured when the plane rolled off the runway into a snowy field and partly onto an adjacent highway, then disintegrated. No collisions with vehicles on the major, multilane highway were reported.

The plane's cockpit area was sheared off from the fuselage and the tail section partly torn away.

The crash occurred amid snow and winds gusting up to 15 meters a second (30 mph), but other details were not immediately known. A spokesman for Russia's top investigative agency, Vladimir Markin, said initial indications were that pilot error was the cause.

The state news agency RIA Novosti cited an unidentified official at the Russian Aviation Agency as saying another Red Wings Tu-204 had gone off the runway at the international airport in Novosibirsk in Siberia on Dec. 20. The agency said that incident, in which no one was injured, was due to the failure of the plane's engines to go into reverse upon landing and that its brake system malfunctioned.

On Friday, the Aviation Agency sent a directive to the Tupolev company's president calling for it to take urgent preventive measures.

The plane that crashed Saturday took off from Pardubice airport in the Czech Republic. Jan Anderlik, the director of the company that operates the airport, told Czech public television that the plane underwent a regular technical check before takeoff and no problems were discovered.

Prior to Saturday's crash, there had been no fatal accidents reported for Tu-204s, which entered commercial service in 1995. The plane is a twin-engine midrange jet with a capacity of about 210 passengers.

The Red Wings airline is one of the holdings of Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev, who also owns the British newspapers The Independent and the Evening Standard.

Vnukovo, on the southern outskirts of Moscow, is one of the Russian capital's three international airports.

___

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow, and Karel Janicek in Prague, Czech Republic, contributed to this story.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-29-Russia-Plane%20Crash/id-6ced387b50064cf0913da5851cf4ed6a

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Russia pushes Syria to hold talks with opposition

NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / AFP-Getty Images

Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, left, speaks with his visiting Egypt counterpart Mohamed Amr as they meet on the Syrian crisis in Moscow on Dec. 28.

By Reuters

Russia urged the Syrian government on Friday to act on its stated readiness for dialogue with its opponents, throwing its weight behind a diplomatic push to end a 21-month-old conflict in Syria.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he had urged Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Makdad to emphasize his government's openness to dialogue with the opposition during talks in Moscow on Thursday.

"We actively encouraged ... the Syrian leadership to make as concrete as possible its declared readiness for dialogue with the opposition," Lavrov told reporters after talks with his Egyptian counterpart Mohamed Kamel Amr in Moscow.

He said the Syrian government should stress its readiness for talks on the widest possible range of matters, in line with an international agreement in Geneva last June calling for a transitional government.

"I think a realistic and detailed assessment of the situation inside Syria will prompt reasonable opposition members to seek ways to start a political dialogue," added Lavrov, who last week said that neither side would win by force.

Putin says fate of Assad unimportant to him

Russia expects to meet a senior U.S. diplomat on Syria next month to discuss with international Syria envoy Lakhdar Brahimi his plans to end the civil war there, the Kremlin's envoy to the region said earlier on Friday.

Brahimi will visit Moscow on Saturday for talks on the results of his negotiations with Syrian President Bashar Assad and his opponents during a five-day trip to Damascus in which he called for political change to end the bloodshed.

"We will listen to what Lakhdar Brahimi has to say about the situation in Syria, and after that, probably, there will be a decision to hold a new meeting of the 'three Bs'," Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov told the RIA news agency -- in a word play on the first letter of the diplomats' last names.

Bogdanov, U.S. Undersecretary of State William Burns and Brahimi, the joint special representative of the United Nations and the Arab League, agreed that a political solution to the crisis was necessary and possible in talks earlier this month.

Bogdanov, the Kremlin's special envoy for Middle East Affairs, said the three would meet again in January after the holidays.

Russia has also invited the head of the internationally-recognized, opposition Syrian National Council, Moaz al-Khatib, to talks, he said, in comments that appeared underline Moscow's commitment to helping Brahimi seek a way out of the crisis.

Brahimi, who has called for a transitional government to rule until elections, is trying to broker a peaceful transfer of power in Syria, where more than 44,000 people have been killed in a revolt against four decades of Assad family rule.

Past peace efforts have floundered as what began as peaceful protests in March 2011 turned into civil war. The conflict has become an increasingly sectarian struggle between mostly Sunni Muslim rebels and Assad's security forces, drawn primarily from his Shiite-rooted Alawite minority.

Assad forces accused of using 'poisonous gases'

World powers think Russia, which has given Assad military and diplomatic aid during the uprising, has the ear of Syria's government and must be a central player in any peace talks.

Moscow has tried to distance itself from Assad in recent months and has denied it is propping him up. But it maintains Assad's exit cannot be a precondition for talks and has repeatedly said Western powers should not impose solutions on Syria.

Lavrov warned on Thursday that time was running out to find a peaceful solution to the conflict and halt a descent into "bloody chaos".

More world stories from NBC News:

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Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/28/16209381-russia-pushes-syria-to-hold-talks-with-opposition?lite

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Video: Lisa Jackson to leave post as EPA Chief

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

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/nightly-news/50307667/

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শুক্রবার, ২৮ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২

UFC 155 picks from Kevin Iole, Maggie Hendricks and Cagereaders like you

UFC 155 is only a day away. It's time for picks from Yahoo! Sports' columnist Kevin Iole, Cagewriter editor Maggie Hendricks, and Cagereaders who posted their picks on Facebook.

Kevin Iole: Junior dos Santos W5 Cain Velasquez -- I can't believe I'm picking against Velasquez. To me, he is in many ways the perfect heavyweight, with great conditioning, great wrestling and tremendous power. But how do we ignore what dos Santos has done? Much was made of Velasquez's knee injury before their first fight, but what isn't as well known is that Junior had a bad leg, too, and couldn't do much. It's going to be a dogfight, but I think Junior finds a way to pull it out.

Maggie Hendricks: Cain Velasquez W5 Junior dos Santos -- Velasquez was injured in his last bout with JDS. With a healthy knee, he'll get to use his wrestling to control and beat on JDS for five rounds.

Cagereaders: Couldn't ask for a better way to end the year than this rematch. This will last longer than the first but not by much. I'm picking Cigano by KO R1. Cain has amazing wrestling and ground and pound. However, I think Junior is the guy that has his number and things won't go as planned for Cain. Velasquez will come out more aggressive than the first fight and that will spell the end. Junior will rock him with some brutal counters causing Cain to shoot in for the take down. Junior will stuff the attempt and finish the fight with an uppercut around 3 minutes into the first. -- Jackson Torres

__

Kevin Iole: Joe Lauzon W3 Jim Miller -- Definitely will be the Fight of the Night in my opinion (is there any other kind of fight for Lauzon?) I don't think Joe will be able to submit Jim, but he is so active and works so hard I think he'll pile up the points to win.

Maggie Hendricks: Joe Lauzon Sub2 Jim Miller -- Lauzon's submission game is tough to beat. He will need to avoid Miller's well-rounded game, but can do it.

Cagereaders: My two favorite 155 pound fighters. When I saw Miller step in for Maynard, my heart sank. I'm going to see one them lose, and it looks to be J-Lau. Miller matches up really well for Lauzon's style. He has power in his punches and solid wrestling, backed up with a serious ground game and outstanding cardio. Joe has a killer instinct and a more dangerous ground game. Still, I like Miller taking this fought by a UD. -- Tom Hogan

--

Kevin Iole: Tim Boetsch W3 Costas Philippou -- Boetsch will grind out a victory by controlling the distance and limiting Philippou's power

Maggie Hendricks: Tim Boetsch W3 Costa Phillippou -- Ditto on what Kevin said. Boetsch won't make it a thrilling fight, but it will be a convincing win.

Cagereaders: Boetsch over Phillipou by 3rd Round TKO -- I think this fight will be back to forth, I have counted out Tim Boetsch in many fights just to be shocked, from the poor decision in the Lombard fight, to the amazing knock out of Okami, I think Phillipou gets the better of him early in the fight, while Boetsch owns the latter part of the fight, this could easily be fight of the night and if it does go decision, it will be close, but I see Phillipou gassing late and Boetsch taking advantage. -- Daniel Ryan

--

Kevin Iole: Alan Belcher TKO2 Yushin Okami -- This outcome would have been unthinkable a year ago, but Belcher improves tremendously each time out and is now one of the world's most complete fighters.

Maggie Hendricks: Alan Belcher W3 Yushin Okami -- With title shot hopes hanging over him, Belcher has good reason to fight a smart game and come out with a win over Okami.

Cagereaders: Yushin Okami will beat Alan Belcher by decision. Okami will go back to what made him successful before his fight with Anderson Silva. He will use his jab and height, keeping Belcher back, then take him down for ground and pound. This will continue for 3 full rounds and Okami will come out with the unanimous decision. -- Marcus Min

__

Kevin Iole: Chris Leben TKO3 Derek Brunson -- This is a big fight for Leben, and I think he knows it. I expect him to eventually catch Brunson with something big that will end it.

Maggie Hendricks: Derek Brunson W3 Chris Leben -- In his first fight after a long layoff, Leben will have a hard time dealing with a wrestler with power like Brunson.

Cagereaders: Derek Brunson should be able to defeat Chris Leben by decision because he has a great wrestling background and Chris Leben may not be in the best shape coming off a 13-month layoff. -- Edgar Diaz

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-155-picks-kevin-iole-maggie-hendricks-cagereaders-161442619--mma.html

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Book Review : Darwin: Portrait of a Genius by Paul Johnson

By Paul Johnson

Web edition: December 27, 2012
Print edition: January 12, 2013; Vol.183 #1 (p. 30)

A historian celebrates Charles Darwin?s triumphs and analyzes his weaknesses in the latest biography of the naturalist.

Viking, 2012, 164 p., $25.95

Source: http://www.sciencenews.org/view/generic/id/347268/title/Book_Review__Darwin_Portrait_of_a_Genius_by_Paul_Johnson

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More than a turnaround, Toyota sees record-breaking sales in 2013

Despite the Japanese earthquake and tsunami which interrupted production in 2011, and massive safety-related recalls this year, Toyota Motor Corp. expects to finish 2012 with 9.7 million vehicle sales, more than ever before.

By Yuri Kageyama,?AP Business Writer / December 27, 2012

Toyota Motor Corp. President Akio Toyoda smiles as he shows a remodeled Crown sedan in Tokyo Dec. 25. Toyota expects to sell a record 9.7 million vehicles this year, bouncing back by 22 percent from a disaster-struck 2011.

Kyodo News/AP

Enlarge

Toyota?expects to sell a record 9.7 million vehicles this year, bouncing back by 22 percent from a disaster-struck 2011. It has set an even higher target of 9.91 million vehicles for 2013.

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The numbers released this week underline?Toyota?Motor Corp.'s solid turnaround from supply disruptions caused by the earthquake and tsunami in northeastern Japan in 2011 that had hurt global production and sales.

They also underline the Japanese automaker's ambitions to move past the woes from massive recalls that began in 2009, especially in North America.

On Wednesday,?Toyota?said it reached a settlement of more than $1 billion to resolve hundreds of lawsuits from?Toyota?owners who said the value of their cars and trucks plunged after the recalls involving unintended acceleration problems in?Toyota?vehicles.

Under the settlement, which still needs approval from a U.S. district judge,?Toyota?will offer cash payments to people who sold vehicles or turned in leased vehicles between September 2009 and December 2010.

It will also retrofit about 3.2 million vehicles with a brake override system, which ensures a stop when the brakes are applied even if the gas pedal is depressed.

Toyota, which makes the Prius hybrid, Camry sedan and Lexus luxury models, recalled more than 14 million vehicles in 2009 and 2010 worldwide over a variety of defects, including faulty floor mats, sticky gas pedals and braking problems.

Before those safety lapses, which damaged its once pristine reputation for quality, and the financial crisis that hurt overall auto sales in 2008,?Toyota?had been targeting global vehicles sales of 10 million vehicles.

The latest target shows?Toyota?is well on track toward reaching its goal.?Toyota?is also likely to regain its crown as the world's No. 1 automaker this calendar year, dethroning General Motors Co. of the U.S.

Toyota?sales have been roaring back in recent months, not only in the U.S. market but also in emerging markets such as Indonesia.

Another sign of?Toyota's?determination to put its woes behind it is the record $17.4 million fine it paid earlier this month, as ordered by the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, for failing to quickly report floor mat problems with some of its Lexus models. That follows $48.8 million in fines?Toyota?paid for three violations in 2010.

But?Toyota?officials have said the latest fine is not an admission of a defect but a demonstration of its desire to get on with business and avoid prolonged litigation. The company has instituted more careful product development and empowered regional units to respond to complaints and to deal more quickly with quality problems.

The one key market where?Toyota?has suffered sales declines recently is China, where a territorial dispute flared up earlier this year and set off widespread anti-Japanese sentiment, riots and boycotts.

Wednesday's settlement did not include claims by people who seek compensation for injury and death due to so-called sudden acceleration. The first trial in those lawsuits is set for February.

"Toyota?wants to put its unintended acceleration recalls behind, once and for all, and, as costly as it might be, this settlement will allow them to remove most of the lingering financial uncertainty," said Jesse Toprak, auto analyst with TrueCar.com.

"Toyota's?outstanding performance this year is a proof that consumer sentiment for the company's products has already recovered to a degree as if nothing ever happened," he said.

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at?www.twitter.com/yurikageyama

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/prybvgSh8A0/More-than-a-turnaround-Toyota-sees-record-breaking-sales-in-2013

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বৃহস্পতিবার, ২০ ডিসেম্বর, ২০১২

Communication: An essential part of poly relating

In my previous article in this series, i concluded by saying:

[S]ustaining poly dynamics does often require acceptance of the fact that, when it comes to communication, there?s always more to learn: about listening, about assumptions, about diversity of meanings, about when and how to prioritise form versus content, about communicating in order to be understood rather than to ?win?. i?ll discuss the topic of interpersonal communication in my next article.

Communicating. It?s easier said than done.

If good interpersonal communication skills are important for sustaining a healthy, ongoing, intimate relationship with one person, how much more important they are when trying to sustain healthy, ongoing, intimate relationships with multiple people, some of whom may themselves be in intimate relationships with each other! Errors of communication can get magnified each time they pass between a new pair of people. And of course, more generally, there can be more people directly affected by such errors.

For example, say someone fails to communicate whether or not they?re available to be at a certain place at a certain time. This can leave the timetables of multiple partners hanging; it can leave the timetables of their partners hanging; and so on. One person?s failure to communicate has ended up creating instability and uncertainty for many others.

With that in mind, i?d like to make some general points about interpersonal communication ? points that don?t necessarily apply to poly contexts only, but that nevertheless provide the framework in which i intend to cover certain poly-specific issues in later articles.

An oft-overlooked part of communication is listening ? really listening, not simply keeping one?s mouth shut until the other person stops speaking. And it also involves confirming one?s understanding of what one has heard, by saying things like ?Okay, let me check if I?m understanding you correctly. It sounds to me that you?re saying A, B and C. Is that correct?? Assumptions are the things we don?t know we?re making, and it can be rather difficult to reach agreements on various topics if we?re making incorrect assumptions about what the other person is trying to say. One person might have interpreted statement A as having meaning X, whereas the other might have interpreted it as having meaning Y; both meanings might make sense in the context.

This is particularly important when one or more parties are using terminology which everyone is assumed to understand the same way: terms like ?primary [relationship]? and ?secondary [relationship]?, for example. It might not be necessary to agree to use the same terms the same way; only to recognise that different interpretations of those terms are in play, and to keep that in mind during discussions.

Unfortunately, communication can be ?weaponised?. Under the guise of ?communicating?, one person can overwhelm another with words, bombard them until they withdraw, and seemingly acquiesce, just to make it stop. In such cases, the metamessage being communicated ? regardless of the words actually spoken ? is not one of genuine two-way communication, but of intimidation and silencing.

This leads me to the issue of ?winning? a discussion. Many of us have been raised in sociocultural environments in which not being ?right? means a significant ?loss of face?. In such contexts, we can develop approaches to interpersonal communication which prioritise ?winning? at all costs, so as to not have to face humiliation / loss of status; and this goal is ranked above goals such as gaining more comprehensive knowledge of life?s complexities, or maintaining relationships which are generally of net benefit to all parties. So it can be important to be conscious of which things one feels are principles / values one is not willing to move on, which things one is only willing to change one?s mind on if there appears to be no other choice, and which things are, in the larger scheme of things, not as important to be ?right? about. That is: is your communication rooted in your fundamental values, or mainly in a need to be ?right?, whatever the cost?

A related issue is willingness to genuinely apologise, to actually say ?I?m sorry?. i write ?genuinely?, because faux apologies, involving words that superficially seem to indicate remorse and/or regret, but which at core don?t really accept that any wrong has been done, are all too common. Such ?fauxpologies? come not only from representatives of the state, but also from those with a certain type of privilege who aren?t willing to check that privilege. It takes the form of statements like, ?I?m sorry people chose to take offence at my words?, or ?I?m sorry if my words caused offence?. The first invalidates the feelings of the upset person, the second refuses to acknowledge that the upset person /is/ upset; neither is conducive to moving the discussion forward.

One final point is the issue of communication media. Many people interact with others not only face-to-face, but also via telephone, email, instant messaging, blogging, Twitter, internet telephony and so on. However, some people prefer some of those media to others ? indeed, some might not want to use some forms of communication media at all. Twitter, for example, does not lend itself to easy expression of complicated situations; and the written word in general usually strips aspects of in-person communication such as body language, tone etc. Even voice/video-based communication can fail to adequately convey such things, particularly over (relatively) high-latency connections; crucial moments of body language and tone can end up being dropped. All these factors need to be kept in mind when communicating ? and particularly when trying to communicate in the sort of highly-emotional situations intimate partners often have to deal with.

In my own experience, monogamy can often allow people to avoid dealing with certain issues, and avoid having to develop good communication skills; whereas polyamory can force things out into the open, and make good communication skills essential. As Annie S. Murray wrote:

To choose nonmonogamy is to decline a particular protection, and involves some risks. It demands the self-awareness to know what you want, the strength to ask for it, the sensitivity to hear a refusal, and the power to refuse what you don?t want and have that refusal be respected. Maintaining successful nonmonogamous relationships requires these abilities. Oddly enough, many view nonmonogamy as an inability rather than an ability.

In my next article, i?ll discuss a couple of emotions commonly encountered in poly relationships: jealousy and envy.

Author: Alexis
Visit Alexis's Website - Email Alexis
Highly sexual transgenderqueer poly pansexual kinky witch, swinger, nudist, anarchist, privilege-critiquer, mathie, masturbation+anal sex evangelist. On Twitter as @flexibeast.

Source: http://www.gonzotimes.com/2012/12/communication-an-essential-part-of-poly-relating/

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Wall Street Transcript Interviews Nick Robinson of Aberdeen Asset Management: Investing in the Latin American Growing Middle Class

67 WALL STREET, New York - December 20, 2012 - The Wall Street Transcript has just published its Best Investment Strategy Interviews of 2012. The full issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Topics covered: Investment Strategies - Large Cap Investing - Investing in Emerging Markets - Investing in Energy - Value Investing - Downside Protection With Upside Participation - Macroeconomic Trends

Companies include: Aberdeen Latin America Equity Fund, Inc. (LAQ) and many others.

In the following excerpt from the Best Investment Strategy Interviews of 2012 Report, an expert Latin American portfolio manager discusses his firm's investment methodology, the regional outlook, and his top picks for investors:

TWST: How would you describe the firm's overall philosophy or investment strategy?

Mr. Robinson: The investment strategy that we use at Aberdeen is very simple. We try to take complexity out of every stage of the investment process. The investment process we use at Aberdeen on the equity team is the same across the firm, so you'll find the fund managers who are in the Sydney office use exactly the same process to select investments as the fund managers in the Philadelphia office, the fund managers in Singapore or indeed the fund managers here in Brazil. It's a very robust investment process that also requires a lot of discipline with a series of steps and rules that really define the investment process.

Firstly, we will never invest in a company unless we have met with management. Typically it may take sometimes a period of a few years for us to get comfortable enough with a company to invest in it, and that really leads to quite high conviction portfolios, and the portfolios tend to be quite concentrated. We have holding periods that are about five years on average. We do an awful lot of work on each company, both before we invest in that company and while we own that company, so we continue to follow up with the company, and every company that we own in portfolios we will visit that company at least twice a year.

Primary due diligence is part of the reason Aberdeen established this office here in Sao Paulo - one of the key principles of the investment process is to be located in those countries in which you invest. So that makes life easier in terms of visiting companies regularly, but also helps you understand the local culture, which hopefully allows you to make better investment decisions. The actual process we use for finding a company to invest in is essentially a three-step process.

The first step of that process we call the quality step. And it's important to say that if a company does not pass our quality step, we will not invest in that company. When we are talking about quality, we are talking about fairly straightforward criteria; we are talking about companies that have strong balance sheets, companies that are in good industries which demonstrate growth, and companies that have management teams that have demonstrated a commitment to the interests of minority shareholders in the past. So really we are looking for very straightforward, well-run companies.

If a company is deemed as high-enough quality, then we go into the second step, which is what we call the price step. And in this stage of the investment process we try to work out what is an appropriate price to pay for that company. When we're looking at companies, again, we try to keep things very simple. We examine price to earnings ratios, price to net asset value ratios, price to cash flow. We don't use items like dividend-discount models, as we think that they are overcomplicated and really not particularly useful. The second step of the investment process really is also about patience for us. We don't mind being very patient, to wait for good opportunities to buy an investment. Typically, if we think an investment has passed the quality step, then we may sit several years at the price step waiting for an opportunity to buy that company at a good valuation.

And then the final step of the investment process, the third step, is really just portfolio construction. How does this company that we want to put in the portfolio fit with all the other companies that are already in the portfolio?

TWST: We are going to focus specifically on emerging markets and investments in Latin America. Would you give our readers a snapshot of the Latin America Equity Fund in terms of its strategy and current portfolio?

For more of this interview and many others visit the Wall Street Transcript - a unique service for investors and industry researchers - providing fresh commentary and insight through verbatim interviews with CEOs, portfolio managers and research analysts. This special issue is available by calling (212) 952-7433 or via The Wall Street Transcript Online.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/wall-street-transcript-interviews-nick-205700312.html

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Final Capitol tribute to late Hawaii Sen. Inouye

Preparations are made for Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, to lie in state Thursday in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Preparations are made for Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, to lie in state Thursday in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - In this Monday, Sept. 19, 2011 file photo, Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, president pro temper of the Senate, and a recipient of the Medal of Honor, attends a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, where he is presented a commemorative coin marking the 150th anniversary of the creation of the Medal of Honor by Congress. Inouye has died of respiratory complications, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012. He was 88. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Preparations are made for Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, to lie in state Thursday in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - In this Friday, July 9, 2010 file photo, U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, is seen at the ceremony welcoming F-22 Raptor fighter jets to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickham in Honolulu. Inouye has died of respiratory complications, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, according to Inouye's office. He was 88. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia, File)

Preparations are made for Senate President Pro Tempore Daniel K. Inouye, D-Hawaii, to lie in state Thursday in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda, on Capitol Hill Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2012 in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

(AP) ? The body of Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii arrived Thursday at the U.S. Capitol, where former colleagues and the public had a rare opportunity to pay respects to a man who served his country as a soldier in World War II and was a U.S. senator for 50 years.

Inouye was to lie in state throughout the day in the Capitol Rotunda. The tribute demonstrated the respect and good will that lawmakers in both parties had toward the soft-spoken but powerful Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee. Inouye died Monday from respiratory complications. He was 88.

Only 31 people have lain in the Capitol rotunda. The last was former President Gerald R. Ford nearly six years ago. The last senator so honored was Democrat Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota in 1978.

"He was an institution unto himself, and he deserves to spend one more day in this institution, to which he dedicated his life's work," said Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev.

Before Inouye made a mark as a politician, he did so as a war hero who lost his right arm while leading his platoon into battle on a ridge in Italy. He was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military honor.

Following Hawaii's statehood in 1959, Inouye became its first congressman. He won election to the Senate in 1962. He was the first Japanese-American elected to both the House and Senate and was serving his ninth term in the Senate when he died. As a legislator, his specialty was steering federal money to his home state to develop the kinds of roads, schools and housing other Americans had on the mainland.

After a morning service and the ceremonial laying of wreaths, a viewing that would be open to the public was planned.

Inouye's body will be escorted Friday to the Washington National Cathedral and will be returned to Hawaii on Saturday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-20-Inouye-Senate/id-832292eab933439ea8787be5bf01c813

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Would a Retina iPad mini be the perfect tablet?

Apple May Already Be ?Pulling In? Suppliers For Retina iPad Mini [Rumor] | Cult of Mac

www.cultofmac.com

Are you one of the many people unhappy with your new iPad mini?s low-res screen? Good morning! Here?s a handful of salt in your wound. Apple may already be revving up retina iPad mini production, according to a tenuous new analyst report.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/cultofmac/posts/500987123279392

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Love Golf? Love Making Money?

Love Golf? Love Making Money?

We Offer A High Value 60 Minute Webinar For Free To All. Then, The Opt-in Is A 90 Min Seminar With $1905 In Bonuses, Selling For $197. Very Unique Product, Triple Guaranteed. Superb Value, High Production Quality, & Very Fun.

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Registering To Webinar... How To Profit From Golf Tournaments Webinar Presentation Tom Matzen & Allen Bonk Topic: How To Profit From Golf Tournaments Presenter: Tom Matzen & Allen Bonk Date and Time: Select from menu Don't just take our word, here's what some recent participants had to say:?"It was very helpful for me to see the right path in how to include golf or other sport events into your business model. Thanks!"? - Dieter Thoma, Kamloops, BC? "I'm really excited about all the information.? I love the suggestion of adding massive value by giving away a free workshop or webinar instead of sponsoring a "truck giveaway" or a massive prize to just one person.? That's a great idea as well as the capturing the information at the hole.? I also like the way you cut in a couple golf tips along the way, really well done. And the idea of taking the video or photo while waiting at a hole - fabulous! The content was solid, well produced and explained.? I also appreciated the overall production value as most webinars don't take the time to add a few extra details."? - Jen Mueller, www.TalkSportyToMe.com ? Give us sixty minutes and we'll show you how to profit from golf tournaments. Sign up now for this free webinar, you'll be glad you did. 1. Which Day Do You Want to Attend? Select desired date Watch yesterday's webinar replay NOW! Monday, December 17th Tuesday, December 18th 2. Which Time Works Best For You? Your Local Time: Select your date first 3. Where To Send The Invitation:

Source: http://bizgolfer.rsscb.com/?id=12181212&cbid=theeway9&tid=cbfeed

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Kate Upton Sports Illustrated 2013 Swimsuit Issue Preview: Model Heats Up Antarctica!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/kate-upton-sports-illustrated-2013-swimsuit-preview-model-heats/

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Whipping Flash Into Shape: Whiptail Bags $31M for Energy-Efficient Flash Storage

Whiptail?s just brought in?a $31 million Series C funding round, the result of some strategic investments from SSD maker SanDisk and a ?Silicon Valley titan? whose name was not disclosed; capital from Ignition Partners, RRE Ventures and? Spring Mountain Capital; and debt financing from Silicon Valley Bank.

Whiptail makes flash-powered storage arrays, branded?Invicta and?Accela, which measure performance at a quarter million IOSP and offer 60 times less latency than competing systems. The offerings are optimized for database management systems and analytical environments that require consistently fast access to information.

To learn more and to read the entire article at its source, please refer to the following page, Whipping Flash Into Shape: Whiptail Bags $31M for Energy-Efficient Flash Storage- SiliconANGLE.com

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Source: http://feeds.dabcc.com/~r/CloudComputingResources/~3/q630jA9XubA/article.aspx

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GoBlog Holiday Gift Guide 2012: Steinbach Mountaineer Nutcracker

Source: http://www.getoutdoors.com/goblog/index.php?/archives/4587-GoBlog-Holiday-Gift-Guide-2012-Steinbach-Mountaineer-Nutcracker.html

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Travel medical insurance from US companies

Over the years travel insurers and travel companies have developed many ways to make travel to the United States easier and less stressful for overseas visitors. One of the ways you can help yourself to a non-problematic US vacation is to think about the type of travel insurance you take with you. Years of experience tells us that when you travel to the United States it is better to be protected with a US insurance plan.

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Insurance plans originating in other countries are often problematic if you get into trouble in the US ? you fall ill, or you are involved in an accident. Insurance packages that are administered abroad are more difficult for US hospitals and doctors to manage. If there is an insurance dispute the US facility must deal with a foreign company and when it comes to administering a claim there may be problems if the insurer is operating in a different country.

You as the insured will also find it more difficult to get in touch with a foreign insurer while you are in America. You must take into account the cost of calling, the time difference, and the different ways of working. If you are traveling to the US on business or pleasure, get protected with an American insurance plan. Seniors, students and families can all find affordable plans from US companies.

US travel medical insurance plans are designed for the US healthcare system and you will easily be able to navigate the process and get in touch with the insurer if you need to. And in the event that you and the insurer disagree about coverage or terms, the matter will be handled in the correct manner in the States. The most convenient way to be covered is with a US visitors medical insurance plan for your trip to the States.

Source: http://www.ivisitorinsurance.com/visitors-health-insurance/travel-insurance/

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Susan Rice's surprise withdrawal saves Obama a fight

UN ambassador Susan Rice, once perceived as a natural replacement for Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, has withdrawn her name from the nomination process. It now seems likely that President Obama will pick Senator John Kerry for the role.?

By Steve Holland,?Reuters / December 13, 2012

This file photo shows UN Ambassador Susan Rice leaving a meeting on Capitol Hill in Washington. Rice has withdrawn from consideration for secretary of state.

AP Photo/ Evan Vucci, File

Enlarge

Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the?United Nations?and a close confidante of President Barack Obama, withdrew her name from consideration as secretary of state on Thursday in the face of what promised to be a contentious?Senate?confirmation battle.

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Rice has drawn heavy fire from Republicans for remarks she made in the aftermath of a Sept. 11 attack on the?U.S. mission?in?Benghazi,?Libya, in which four Americans were killed, including Ambassador?Chris Stevens.

"I am highly honored to be considered by you for appointment as secretary of state,"?Rice said in a letter to Obama. "I am fully confident that I could serve our country ably and effectively in that role. However, if nominated, I am now convinced that the confirmation process would be lengthy, disruptive and costly."

Her decision increases the odds Obama will turn to Senator?John Kerry, chairman of the?Senate Foreign Relations Committee?and the 2004 Democratic presidential nominee, to replace Secretary of State?Hillary Clinton?when she steps down early next year.

Rice's surprise withdrawal spares Obama a potentially bruising nomination fight in the?Senate, even as he grapples with congressional Republicans over tax, debt and spending policy to avoid the "fiscal cliff."

An announcement of Obama's national security team could come as early as next week. Officials say Obama is giving serious consideration to nominating former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel as his defense secretary to replace the departing Leon Panetta.

Obama had harbored hopes of picking Rice, 48, as the nation's chief diplomat. She was an early foreign policy adviser to him when he ran for president in 2008 and became the first black woman to serve as U.S. ambassador to the?United Nations. She was widely seen as a natural replacement for Clinton.

But?Rice has faced relentless criticism from Republicans about comments she made days after the attack in?Libya.

She went on five Sunday television shows on Sept. 16 to say that preliminary information suggested the assault was the result of protests over an anti-Muslim video that was made in?California?rather than a premeditated strike.

The video, posted on the Internet under several titles including "Innocence of Muslims," mocked the Prophet Mohammad and portrayed him as a womanizer and a fool.?

'Strength of character'

U.S. intelligence?officials have since said that militants with ties to al Qaeda affiliates were involved in the attacks, and acknowledged there were no protests.?Rice?has said she relied on talking points from intelligence agencies when she spoke, and Obama has angrily denied suggestions the?White House?played down terrorist connections for political purposes.

The?White House?has said Rice's comments were based on the best information she had at the time.

The?Libya?controversy, combined with a combative style and an eagerness to engage in partisan politics, undermined Rice's case, and visits she made to Capitol Hill in late November seeking to bolster her potential nomination did not help.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/BkK6VW2t_WU/Susan-Rice-s-surprise-withdrawal-saves-Obama-a-fight

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A tearful Obama: 'These children are our children' (CNN)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/270822777?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Boehner: Congress will never give up debt limit control

It looks like Microsoft?s (MSFT) new Windows 8 platform isn?t the only OS under fire. In an interview with Bloomberg Television, Elevation Partners co-founder Roger McNamee fired shots all over the tech industry. As many recall,?McNamee led the webOS charge following his firm?s investment in Palm, so he might not exactly have his finger on the pulse of the wants and needs of the modern consumer. Then again, Elevation was an early investor in Facebook (FB), Yelp and others, so it has certainly made some smart moves in the past.?Some choice quotes from the interview follow below. On Android: ?Android has been managed essentially to make it a profitless prosperity. Right now, if Google is (GOOG) not careful, Android will

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boehner-congress-never-debt-limit-control-165241494--business.html

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Hobbit home tour gears up for your totally expected journey

11 hrs.

HOBBITON, New Zealand???Like the "Lord of the Rings" saga, the tale of the?Hobbiton Movie Set Tour has grown in the telling. And like this year's most famous hobbit,?Bilbo Baggins, the folks behind the tour are scrambling to prepare for much more company.

The tale began in 1998, when "Lord of the Rings" director Peter Jackson was looking for a New Zealand locale suitable to serve as the home for Bilbo, Frodo and the other 3-foot-6, hairy-footed characters from J.R.R. Tolkien's saga.

Ian Alexander's 1,250-acre sheep and cattle farm near Matamata?fit the bill, and construction workers turned the place?into the pastoral Shire, complete with dozens of hobbit holes. The set was mostly dismantled after the filmmakers were finished; nevertheless, one of Ian's sons, Russell Alexander, started taking "Lord of the Rings"?fans on walking?tours in 2002.

Fast forward to 2011: Jackson had the set rebuilt for the new film trilogy based on "The Hobbit," and partnered with the Alexander family to preserve the set after the filming was done. This time, the structures have been built with solid wood and stone rather than plywood and styrofoam. There's a sturdy stone bridge and a mill, a Shire-worthy pond frequented by swans, and a fully operational pub.

About 250,000 visitors have been on the tour over the past decade. But now that the first movie of the trilogy,?"The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," is coming out, the operation is gearing up to accommodate 150,000 tourists in the next year. This month, the 105-minute?Hobbiton Movie Set Tour will be departing from the Shire's Rest Cafe on the farm not just every half-hour, but every 15 minutes.

"It's been an unexpected journey," said Russell Alexander, who is now the general manager of the increasingy busy tourist operation. "I'm not a mad fantasy person by nature. I'm pragmatic."

What you see
The tour costs a pragmatic $75 in New Zealand currency ($63 U.S.), but I'd say we got our money's worth in the mad fantasy department.?

We rode a bus down to the trailhead for a broad path that took us through the place where Gandalf set off fireworks for hobbit boys and girls in "The Fellowship of the Ring." Then we wound our way past the hillside where Bilbo lived at Bag End. (Sorry, no entry allowed, even if you're a wizard. You can go inside only one of the hobbit holes on the tour, and the interior of that one?is just bare wood.)

Our tour guide told us about the photogenic oak?tree that was found on a nearby farm, cut into pieces and reassembled as a movie?prop on top of Bag End. Today the tree is totally fake, with plastic leaves that occasionally drop onto the grass around the hobbit hole. (It's OK to pick them up as impromptu ... and free ... souvenirs.)

Fortunately, the wide-spreading Party Tree is 100 percent natural. In fact, Jackson saw?that tree as the biggest selling point when he chose the farm. Over the past couple of years, landscapers have cuted up the site's?44 hobbit holes with plenty of?homey touches???including miniaturized gardens, lawn furniture, implements and even clotheslines.?(That should appeal even?to folks who would pass up Tolkien's tales for a look at Better Homes & Gardens.)

The piece de resistance is the Green Dragon, the last stop on the tour, which has just been built up to look like Frodo Baggins' favorite pub. Each member of the tour group gets to taste the "refreshing beverage of their choice," Hobbiton spokesman Ian Brodie says. There are two types of ale (bitter and traditional), an alcoholic apple cider and a non-alcoholic ginger beer.

Slideshow:?New Zealand: The real Middle Earth

Raise a mug to toast the end of your adventure, then get on the bus to head back to Shire's Rest. At the cafe, you can get a light meal and have a swig of SobeRing Thought, the near-beer that was developed for use on the "Lord of the Rings" set so the actors wouldn't get tipsy. You can also give in to your lust for?"Hobbit" treasures at the gift shop next door. (A silver ring of power for $190? We wants it!)

What's in store
The $75 price applies to adults who book directly through the website or in person. You can ride a transfer bus from Matamata or Rotorua to Shire's Rest, or drive directly to the site (as we did) and pick up the tour. Some tour companies offer packages -- at a higher price --?that take in Hobbiton as well as other stops. These excursions typically involve a bus trip from Auckland or the Tauranga cruise terminal.

Hobbiton Tours can also arrange?overnight stays at farms near the movie set, at prices ranging from $110 per person?(for?three at a B&B) to $165 for a single visitor looking for dinner and breakfast as well as a place to stay. (A hobbit-style second breakfast is apparently not included.)

There are rumors that more ambitious plans are in the works, perhaps?including accommodations at the Green Dragon itself. On that point, Alexander is as silent as a Black Rider. But he promises that Hobbiton's tale will continue to grow in the telling.

"There'll be something new here every year," he said.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/hobbit-home-tour-gears-your-totally-expected-journey-new-zealand-1C7586882

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CSN: Do Patriots really need the No. 1 seed?

December 12, 2012, 12:06 am

Just two No.1 seeds have won a Super Bowl since 2003: the 2004 Patriots and 2010 Saints.

Half of the Super Bowl winners came from Wild Card weekend, half came from first round bye. Looking at that, there doesn't appear to be an advantage, but the guys on Sports Tonight still want a top two seed.

"More important for them to be No. 2 vs. a No. 3 than No. 1 vs. a No. 2," Mike Felger said.

What Felger is saying that a bye ? either one ? is huge, not so much the No. 1 seed.

But the Boston Herald's Steve Buckley says that it's the No. 1 seed that Bill Belichick and the Patriots are after.

"I was looking at that same chart 20 minutes in the news room. I don't care what it says, I don't care what the numbers say, and you're not supposed to do that. I'm fairly confident that Belichick is ticketing a course to get them the No. 1 seed. I just think it's an edge ? there's that old thing, you give Bill Belichick an extra week to get ready for a game, which is why the first round bye is important. And I just think he would rather have his team on his court, if you will, then to fly to Houston."

Check out the video for much more from Felger, Buckley, Gary Tanguay, and former Patriot great Troy Brown.

Tags: New England Patriots

Source: http://www.csnne.com/12/12/12/Debating-importance-of-No-1-seed-for-Pat/nbcsportspatriots.html?blockID=812829&feedID=10426

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