Monday, February 27, 2012

UnionLeader: Kevin Gray's On Baseball: Sox still looking up at AL pack ... http://t.co/EUTCMrBp

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Kevin Gray's On Baseball: Sox still looking up at AL pack ... bit.ly/zgKCma UnionLeader

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Source: http://twitter.com/UnionLeader/statuses/173726252975407104

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Friday, February 24, 2012

Oklahoma bill tackles 'controversial' science education

It's been a busy week for the teaching of science in US schools. Most of the attention has focused on the leaked plans of the libertarian Heartland Institute to promote doubt in classrooms about whether human activity is causing global warming.

Earlier this week, the education committee of the Oklahoma House of Representatives also got in on the act by approving a bill on the teaching of controversial scientific subjects such as evolution and climate change.

The Scientific Education and Academic Freedom bill says that "the teaching of some scientific subjects, such as biological evolution, the chemical origins of life, global warming, and human cloning, can cause controversy".

"Teachers," it goes on, "shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories." That sounds innocuous enough, but the bill has alarmed science-education advocates.

"If the goal is simply to permit teachers to help students understand, why do you need to pass a law?" asks Joshua Rosenau, a programmes and policy director at the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) in Oakland, California. Instead, he warns, the law would provide protection for teachers who wish to teach creationism or global-warming denial.

The bill also mandates that students "may be evaluated based upon their understanding of course materials, but no student [?] shall be penalized in any way because the student may subscribe to a particular position on scientific theories".

The bill now goes to the full Oklahoma House of Representatives for approval.

In other news, it was revealed this week that Peter Gleick - a US climatologist and climate activist who impersonated a Heartland employee to obtain internal documents, including details of their climate education programme - was to have joined NCSE's board of directors later this year. In light of recent developments, though, Gleick offered to withdraw from this position, and NCSE has accepted his offer.

If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to.

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Biden to travel to Mexico, Honduras (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - Vice President Joe Biden will travel to Mexico and Honduras next month.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/mexico/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120222/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_biden_latin_america

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

No evidence of medical problem in Ark. plane crash (AP)

[unable to retrieve full-text content]AP - A medical examiner who performed an autopsy on an 82-year-old pilot was not able to find any medical conditions that could have contributed to the crash that killed all four people aboard, including Oklahoma State University women's basketball coach Kurt Budke last year in central Arkansas.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120223/ap_on_sp_ot/us_fatal_plane_crash_coaches_killed

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Sunday, February 12, 2012

Parenting Secrets Which Can Be Sure To Perform! ? huge Articles

Whatever the age of your children, you will definitely want the most effective relationship possible. This informative article will help you create that partnership and raise the bonds you might have together with each other. You can start now to improve your relationship and establish the lifetime relationship you would like to have together with your young children.

Make technology fun for your little one through taking him to some technology museum. These museums generally have hands-on activities for children that can demonstrate an intricate clinical idea in an effortless, entertaining way. This is a good way to reveal your son or daughter on the mystical world of scientific disciplines, and to allow him realize that science could be exciting.

Aid your youngster to refrain from eating too much at mealtimes. Together with the rise in childhood excessive weight in our state, it is rather essential to help our children to recognize once they continue to be feeling hungry and when they have a tendency to nibble on away from boredom. Once your little one cries, ?I?m nevertheless eager!? advise yet another activity or even a glass water alternatively. If they actually are feeling hungry, they allows you to know extremely shortly. Then encourage them to get a healthful snack food like veggies with a low-extra fat dip, or some fruit. Sometimes they actually are starving, but by distracting them for a couple of minutes or so, you will probably find that they were actually just trying to find anything to accomplish.

An excellent parenting idea would be to generally attempt as being a very good position product to your little ones. If you inform your youngsters to perform a thing or react within a certain way, they?ll assume one to do the identical. If you?re not training what you?re preaching, your parental attempts are usually in vain.

In case you have a new baby which can be not very easily soothed, think about rubbing some lavender essential essential oil on the back of your neck area. The baby will scent this when you find yourself rocking her and this will have rather the soothing effect on her. You may even want to put one or two drops of lavender little one cream on your own baby?s blanket.

As you can tell from the fantastic suggestions, it can be not necessary to sense overwhelmed in your goal to manage your parenting problems and make up a happy home and family. Go ahead and take info you have learned from the short article over and you may transform a hard career into the chance to mature being a parent as well as a particular person.

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? N huge Articles

Source: http://hugearticles.info/parenting-secrets-which-can-be-sure-to-perform.html

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WR Ward willing to restructure deal with Steelers (AP)

PITTSBURGH ? Steelers' wide receiver Hines Ward wants to retire with the Pittsburgh Steelers, offering to restructure his contract to do it.

Ward posted on his Facebook page Saturday that he's already told the Steelers he's willing to work with them on altering his deal so he can remain with the team. Ward's comments came after NFL.com reported the Steelers are planning to cut the franchise's all-time leading receiver.

"I don't normally like to respond to rumors, but as I've said all along, I want to finish my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers," Ward posted.

The 14-year veteran is scheduled to make $4 million in 2012. He's coming off a season in which he finished with 46 receptions for 381 yards and two touchdowns, the lowest totals in each category since he was a rookie in 1998.

Ward, who turns 36 next month, became the eighth player in league history to reach 1,000 career receptions in the regular-season finale against Cleveland. He and Jerry Rice are the only players in league history to reach 1,000 receptions and win multiple Super Bowls.

Yet Ward's role within the offense diminished as Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders passed him on the depth chart and Mike Wallace became a Pro Bowler. Ward pushed aside speculation he would retire after the Steelers' season ended with a 29-23 overtime loss to Denver in the wild card round.

"No, I'm not even thinking about that," Ward said at the time.

The 2006 Super Bowl MVP did not catch a pass against the Broncos, the first time in Ward's career he was held without a reception in a postseason game. His future is one of several questions that will need to be addressed during what's already been an active offseason for one of the league's most stable franchises.

Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians was not offered a new contract and spent just over a week unemployed before taking the same position with the Indianapolis Colts. The Steelers hired former Kansas City head coach Todd Haley to replace Arians, though Haley didn't mention Ward's name at all during an introductory press conference on Thursday.

The Steelers will look for receiver depth after releasing veteran Arnaz Battle this week and the possible departure of Jerricho Cotchery, who will be an unrestricted free agent. Pittsburgh has just four receivers under contract for 2012, including Ward.

Wallace, Brown and Sanders have spoken at length about Ward's leadership and all want his No. 86 to be on the field next season.

"He sets the tone in the room," Brown said of Ward. "We definitely want to help a guy like him win."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/sports/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120211/ap_on_sp_fo_ne/fbn_steelers_ward

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Saturday, February 11, 2012

Jolie: nervous, excited about premiere in Bosnia (AP)

BERLIN ? Angelina Jolie says she's nervous and excited about the upcoming premiere in Sarajevo of her Bosnian war movie "In the Land of Blood and Honey."

The film, which is showing at the Berlin International Film Festival on Saturday, is set to make its full debut in the Bosnian capital on Feb. 14, though it already has been shown to some groups there.

Already released in the U.S., Jolie's directorial debut is a drama about a Serb soldier who finds his ex-lover, a Muslim Bosnian woman, among sex slaves in a camp.

"I'm nervous and I'm excited," Jolie said of the Bosnian premiere. "I'll probably cry through the entire thing."

"I'll be very, very moved because, of course, a lot of the people coming are the victims of war so it's going to be heavy," she added.

Jolie, 36, said that "it didn't take much for me to be driven" while directing the film, noting that her cast lived through the 1992-95 war in Bosnia.

Actress Vanesa Glodjo, she said, crossed Sarajevo's "Sniper Alley" ? named after the heavy fire by sharpshooters that made it notoriously dangerous ? daily to get to her theater school.

"Art meant that much to her that she risked her life every day," Jolie said. "The privilege you feel to have the opportunity to work with such a dedicated and such an extraordinary human being made it all ... just wonderful."

Glodjo said that Jolie "gave me the words and opportunity to express what I lived during the war."

Jolie's film is showing outside the main competition at the Berlin festival.

The film has triggered outrage among Serbs although it has yet to be premiered in Serbia and the Serb-controlled parts of Bosnia. Authorities rejected a request by some Serb war veterans' organizations to ban the film because of alleged anti-Serb bias.

Jolie stressed during a press conference at the festival Saturday that "this is not a documentary ... it's an artistic interpretation."

"I tried to bring as much as I could but there are many different sides to war, many different sides to this war," she said.

"This was this particular story, but there are many different stories to be told in this war and many different ways to tell the story of this war."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/movies/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120211/ap_en_mo/eu_germany_jolie

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Healthy Relationships 101 ? Healthy Minds at UBC

Guest Blogger: SASC Outreach Worker

Whether your significant other is new, or if you are high-school sweet-hearts, Valentines Day can be a perfect opportunity to check in about where your relationship is at. It can be very easy to go with the flow, and just ?let things happen?, especially in a new relationship. I challenge you all to take a moment in your busy Valentines Day plans to communicate about your relationship, and check out if it is healthy for you, and for them.

So what is a healthy relationship? How do you know you?re in one?

First and foremost is communication. Healthy relationships are ones where you and your partner communicate openly about any problems or concerns. You listen respectfully to what they have to say, and are willing to compromise when their opinion differs from your own. Respecting them means valuing their beliefs and celebrating who they are. In a new relationship, this can mean respecting their boundaries and allowing them to have their own space to process.

Talking about your sexual decisions is very important! This can mean discussing everything from birth control methods to condoms types, from allergies to sexual boundaries. You should feel comfortable to communicate your sexual decisions, and respect your partner?s. Consent should be mutual and ongoing. You should both be aware of what is ok to do, and what is not. If you are unsure about something, simply ask your partner.

Along with communication and respect comes honesty and trust. It can take time to build up trust in a relationship, and the only path towards trusting each other completely is through honesty. Clich? as it may sound; being honest and truthful with yourself and your partner can be extremely difficult at times. Honesty means feeling safe and valued enough to share your thoughts and experiences. This does not mean that you have to share everything! It is ok to keep certain things private! Honesty simply means sharing feelings, situations, concerns or experiences that are relevant to the relationship.

Finally, a healthy relationship celebrates the individuals that are in it! Maintain your individuality. Yes, compromises are key to healthy relationships, but this should never mean hiding who you are, or pretending to be something that you are not.

So, take a moment to think about which aspects of your relationship are healthy, and identify the areas that need work. Taking the time to check in with these topics will result in a healthier, happier relationship!

For more info on the Sexual Assault Support Centre

(604) 827 ? 5180
SUB 119 A/B

Source: http://blogs.ubc.ca/healthyminds/2012/02/10/healthy-relationships-101/

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Friday, February 10, 2012

Publicist Says Macaulay Culkin Is Not Ill, Calls Speculation "Reckless" (omg!)

Macaulay Culkin | Photo Credits: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic

Macaulay Culkin's rep says that the Home Alone actor is "in perfectly good health" and characterizes speculation to the contrary as "reckless."

The response came after a photo of the 31-year-old actor ran Thursday on ET.com, which described Culkin as "gaunt" and suggested the image was "likely to spark concern for the actor's health."

Check out more photos of Macaulay Culkin

"Macaulay Culkin is in perfectly good health.?For Entertainment Tonight ? or any other media outlet ? to speculate otherwise is reckless, thoughtless and irresponsible.?We are asking them to discontinue the rumors," says his rep.

His rep also says that reports Culkin is set to start in the upcoming film, Service Man, are incorrect. "Mr. Culkin is NOT starring in Service Man, don't take for face value everything you read on IMDb.?They are not always accurate."

Read the rest of today's news here

The photo of Culkin shown here was taken at the Oscars on March 7, 2010, compared to the photo that is running on ET.com here.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/entertainment/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/omg_rss/rss_omg_en/news_publicist_says_macaulay_culkin_not_ill_calls_speculation205100555/44474090/*http%3A//omg.yahoo.com/news/publicist-says-macaulay-culkin-not-ill-calls-speculation-205100555.html

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Scuba Diving Grand Cayman ? Article Directory Site

Scuba Diving in the Cayman Islands is something special. The magnificent walls, spectacular soft and hard corals, great wrecks, easy access and warm water makes this a marvelous place for scuba diving. Whether you are an experienced technical diver or a recreational diver or an undewater photographer, there is something for you in the Cayman Islands. The variety of marine species and topography provides every type of scuba diver with what they want. With boat rides of 10 to 30 minutes to the dive site you can become easily spoiled to the warm, friendly and inviting waters of this Caribbean paradise.

There are a number of great scuba diving sites in the Cayman Islands such as Babylon, Andes Wall, the USS Kittiwake, MV Capt. Keith Tibbetts, Bloody Bay Wall and much, much more. With water temperatures requiring only shorts and t-shirt almost year around and abundant marine life, the Cayman Islands are hard to beat. Whether you prefer the slightly higher pace of life in Grand Cayman or the laid back atmosphere of Little Cayman and Cayman Brac the scuba diving here is marvelous. As an underwater photographer, I find this one of the most ideal places on the planet to see and interact with an extremely wide variety of marine life in a very relaxed and easy going environment. The conditions are rarely challenging, although the swell on some parts of the islands can be interesting if you tend to have sea sickness, these scuba diving sithes offer easy to access snd numerous high quality scuba diving for novices to professional divers.

I love to dive in Grand Cayman, as the variety of marine life and of diving sites around the entire island provides any scuba diver with dozens of high-quality scuba diving sites from which to choose. There are a number of reputable scuba diving operators in Grand Cayman, from very large such as Red Sail Sports or specialtiy scuba diving operators like Cathy Church (who is the queen of underwater photography). Most of these dive operations are of a high quality, but do use seasonal / short-term staff that will from time to time cause problems for individual divers.

My recommendation are:

1. Book as early as possible before you arrive at the island (you can usually get a discount if you book before you arrive and make sure you check the "rules" for the discount)
2. Think about what you want to accomplish on your dives such as going for a higher certification, taking amazing macro shots, night diving, wreck diving, just relaxing, etc., and make sure that those in your group have the same objectives
3. When you arrive on the island spend some time to review your itinerary with the dive shop and make sure that what they have on their schedule is what you want.

4. Inspect and check all of your gear before it is time to go to the boat

5. Bring extra straps, masks, etc., in case of problems and do not forget the sunscreen

6. Listen to the instructions from the dive master and boat captain

7. Adequately tip the crew for their work. These people are professionals, and they are professionals at what they do, they work by the hour and it is not a highly paid profession.
8. When the scuba diving is done, review the bill and charges a day or two before you leave the island so you can sort out any issues. It is always a good idea to review and validate any charges being made to a credit card or room charge before you have to leave.

If you follow these simple guidelines, then 99 times out of 100 you will have a great time and a great scuba diving experience and if you do not then?..

The pool is open?

Source: http://companieslist.org/recreation-sports/scuba-diving-grand-cayman/

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Thursday, February 9, 2012

NEOM Urges Women to Reduce their Chemical Count

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Harrogate, UK, (12th January, 2012) ? NEOM, leading providers of luxury organic beauty products and relaxation treatments, have begun the new year by urging women to reduce the amount of chemicals they put on their skin each day .

NEOM recently conducted a poll of 100 women, and discovered that 95% do not recognise a single ingredient listed on the back of their regular beauty products, indicating their buying decisions are based on the fundamental trust they place in the industry and the claims leading manufacturers make. As current legislation stands, there is nothing to force EU cosmetics manufacturers to test products for long-term use, or to investigate their effect on people when used with other chemical formulations.

To help illustrate their advice, NEOM referred to research discussed in Dawn Mellowship?s Toxic Beauty (Octopus, 2009), which found that up to 60% of chemicals in cosmetics and other products are absorbed into the skin and bloodstream, with health problems connected to synthetic chemical absorption ? such as cancer and kidney damage ? on the rise. NEOM advises people to begin using organic beauty products, candles and home fragrances whenever they can to enjoy the benefits of all-natural ingredients. However, they acknowledge that it may take time for people to make the change from their usual products to organic alternatives.

?We call ourselves ?pale-greens? here at NEOM. We try to be as green as possible but don?t get it right 100% of the time,? said NEOM founder Nicola Elliott. ?So while we understand that you can?t live a completely chemical-free life, we want to offer everyday alternatives to help reduce your chemical count and that of your family, without sacrificing on luxury.?

For further reading on cosmetics, NEOM suggests the following sources:

1. EWG ? Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/skindeep)

2. Campaign For Safe Cosmetics (http://safecosmetics.org/) Articles 300 & 682

3. The Facts About (http://www.thefactsabout.co.uk)

4. Chemical Safe Skincare (http://www.chemicalsafeskincare.co.uk/chemicals/)

5. David Suzuki Foundation (http://www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/)

6. Colipa ? The European Cosmetics Association (http://www.colipa.eu/)

7. Toxic Beauty (http://toxicbeauty.co.uk/blog/)

?

For more information on NEOM and their range of organic beauty and home products, visit their website at http://neomorganics.com/ or call 0870 460 4677.

About NEOM:

NEOM specialises in creating organic luxury beauty and home products which work as treatments to help people feel more relaxed, more energised and happier overall. NEOM strongly opposes synthetic scents and harsh ingredients, with an aim to help women reduce their chemical count. Their products, including candles, home fragrance and natural beauty aids, have featured in various high-profile women?s magazines including Vogue, Glamour, Marie Claire, Elle and Easy Living.

Contact:

Claudia Christie,

1st Floor 4 Sceptre house
Hornbeam Square North Hornbeam Business Park
Harrogate, North Yorkshire
England, United Kingdom
Zip: HG2 8PB

Tel: 0870 460 4677

Email: moc.scinagromoennull@aidualC

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Source: http://www.freepressreleases.com/neom-urges-women-reduce-chemical-count/104198

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Networked Politics ? Blog Archive ? International Business Masters ...

Breakthroughs in the fields of communication and technology, as well as world wide travel, have reduced the earth considerably. These enhancements have created quite a few potential business opportunities for firms around the globe. The opening of nations? economy and lowering of international trade tariffs has increased the volume of world-wide business considerably. Hence , a degree in international business is a wise move for career growth.

Serious college tuition at a business college gives undergraduates the ideal possible learning environment in terms of facilities, educating and market segment links. There?s no better way to study business than in New York, the financial epicentre of the planet. The broad-based information, skills and teaching you receive for a profession in the international business world is invaluable.

There are actually various international business college diplomas available to enroll on, each providing their own insight into international business - from accounting and finance to real estate and management. Naturally, applying on training programs at such landmark establishments with close links to the City of New York is an intense process with high entry requirements. Students with a clear aptitude and ability in a business environment may be able to benefit from generous scholarships or grants and bursary awards made purely on the basis of academic merit.

International business college degrees provide the chance to attain world wide exposure in the marketplace, giving undergraduates a vital edge in the career segment. A lot of institutions give scholars the opportunity to spend a year or a term studying in partner schools be it Hong Kong, Singapore, the United States Of America or across Western Europe.

Licensed placements and internships are the best opportunity to attain both work experience and build up networks and relationships that can mould future job steps. Being able to apply theoretical know-how gleaned from an international business degree short course and apply it to practical everyday challenges is a worthwhile experience.

Global business is integral to the achievements and sustainability of many companies across the nation. As such, it?s imperative that these reputable companies hire applicants with massive international business expertise. The job outlook for professions in international business is very positive as the international interaction between multi-national organizations continues to increase.

If you?ve generally had great communication ability , have excellent wish to gather more information about other cultures, are business-minded, think about how online colleges can help you achieve your Masters in international business degree program.

Do you know that you actually can discover all the information and admission specifications with regards to a href=?http://www.internationalbusinessdegrees.ws/online-masters-degrees.html?masters degree in international business/a right here.

Source: http://www.networked-politics.info/?p=55117

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Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Chavez's opponents gear up for Venezuela vote (AP)

CARACAS, Venezuela ? Outmatched time and again at the polls by President Hugo Chavez, Venezuelan's opposition leaders are trying a new strategy to unseat the populist leader this year, holding the nation's first presidential primary to choose the strongest challenger.

The front-runner in Sunday's election is Henrique Capriles, a 39-year-old state governor who has won a large following as a youthful alternative to the 57-year-old Chavez. Capriles, an avid jogger who plays pickup basketball games with supporters, has crowd appeal that makes him a formidable adversary.

Sometimes wearing a baseball hat emblazoned with the yellow, blue and red stripes of Venezuela's flag, Capriles has pledged both to help the poor and be a friend to business. He describes himself as a center-left progressive, saying he admires the approach of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

Other contenders range from Pablo Perez, a popular state governor, to Maria Corina Machado, a congresswoman who is the most forceful in her criticisms of Chavez and his effort to bring socialism to Venezuela. Whoever wins the primary is likely to give Chavez the toughest electoral fight of his more than 13 years in office.

In the past, Chavez has capitalized on his opponents' mistakes. He saw his popularity grow after a failed 2002 coup, swept a 2005 congressional vote boycotted by the opposition and won re-election in 2006 with 63 percent of the vote.

Since then, though, his popularity has slipped as ills such as crime, inflation, and problem-riddled public services have taken a toll.

The once-fractured opposition has been emboldened by a strong showing in 2010 congressional elections, and has united to hold the primary vote at a time when polls show Chavez's adversaries have gained ground.

"The opposition has never been in better shape to defeat Chavez," said Angel Alvarez, director of the Institute of Political Studies at the Central University of Venezuela.

Polls show more than half of Venezuelans still approve of Chavez. But the new batch of opposition challengers are more popular than those who faced Chavez in 1998, 2000 and 2006, Alvarez said.

The top three contenders are all under 45 and represent a new generation of anti-Chavez leaders. After three terms as president, Chavez is less able to paint his opponents as part of the corrupt political establishment he once defeated.

Capriles comes from an upper middle-class family but has managed to make inroads among the poor, who have traditionally been Chavez's support base, by promoting programs including food and housing assistance as governor of Miranda state, which includes part of Caracas.

Capriles also largely avoids direct confrontation with Chavez, seldom mentioning the president by name even when he criticizes him.

In a typical jab at Chavez's preferential oil deals with his allies, Capriles told reporters recently: "We aren't going to go around using oil to try to win political loyalties ... because I don't want to be a world leader. I want to be the leader of Venezuela."

Capriles' leading rival according to the polls is Perez, the 42-year-old governor of western Zulia state and another fresh face in the opposition. Perez's potential advantages include support in the country's second largest state and the campaign experience of the established Social Christian and Democratic Action parties, which have backed him instead of politicians from within their own ranks.

Perez has taken the place of his political mentor Manuel Rosales, who was handily defeated by Chavez in the last vote in 2006. Rosales then fled to Peru in 2009 after officials filed corruption accusations that he said were trumped up for political reasons.

Perez too has avoided direct sparring with Chavez. The governor has rallied large crowds during the campaign, denouncing the government for squandering oil wealth while failing to fight joblessness, fix undersupplied hospitals or repair potholed roads.

Recent polls have shown Capriles with about 40 percent support among opposition voters, about 10 percentage points ahead of Perez. Capriles could also see a boost from his endorsement by rival Leopoldo Lopez, who bowed out of the race last month.

If voters favor a staunch anti-Chavez approach, that could help Congresswoman Machado, who has repeatedly challenged Chavez directly and has promoted her candidacy with the slogan "Vote hard." Machado has opposed Chavez's brand of socialism, saying she thinks Venezuela needs "popular capitalism."

Machado grabbed attention last month during Chavez's annual speech to the National Assembly, which ran for nine and a half hours, when she stood and asked: "How can you say you respect the private sector in Venezuela when you've dedicated yourself to expropriating, which is robbing?"

Chavez dismissed her comment, suggesting that Machado should first win the primary before trying to debate with him. "An eagle doesn't hunt a fly, congresswoman," Chavez said. That exchange has helped Machado stand out among the candidates, though prior polls showed her trailing.

Also running are two independents: Diego Arria, a 73-year-old former ambassador the United Nations, and Pablo Medina, a 64-year-old former leftist lawmaker.

All registered voters will be able to vote in Sunday's opposition primary regardless of party affiliation.

Chavez has said it's all the same to him who wins, calling the entire field of challengers pawns of the rich and allies of the U.S. government.

"The candidate, whoever it is, will be the candidate of capitalism, the candidate of imperialism," Chavez said in a Jan. 31 speech before the Supreme Court. "And this humble soldier will be the candidate of socialism."

Chavez says he has recovered after undergoing cancer surgery and chemotherapy last year, and he has appeared vigorous while speaking for his usual long stints on television.

Chavez has long described himself as a revolutionary on a crusade to change Venezuela. Now that he is the older incumbent, though, he warns that a change in leadership would only bring chaos.

"We're the only ones who can guarantee national stability ? stability, national peace," Chavez said. "That's good for the world."

____

Associated Press writer Ian James in Caracas contributed to this report.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/latam/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120207/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/lt_venezuela_opposition_primary

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The ultimate estate planning quiz - Holy Kaw!

While you might not want to think about what will happen to your assets after you die, proper estate planning is necessary if you want your wishes to be carried out. Wills and trusts are just part of estate planning, a complex but important segment of financial planning.

Take this quiz to determine if you have the knowledge to get your assets to your heirs with the least hassle and cost.

Show what you know at HowStuffWorks.com.

Total aggregation of HowStuffWorks.com.

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Source: http://holykaw.alltop.com/the-ultimate-estate-planning-quiz

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

House Plans Design Tips | Rise Furniture

Look for small house programs. The largest house more power than it utilizes. Even with all possible power, saving techniques in place a bigger house uses the power a little more than a smaller house. To have a house that is more effective to develop a house that is as large as necessary for your household. custom house programs can be created to meet the needs of your household and not waste space.

Consider where you develop the property. Making a house on the side of a mountain or in an open field is a great concept, however, the concept is probably not more green. Instead of developing his house near other established residences and gardens. Is the least harmful to the environment surrounding the property. Fewer trees are cut and less land will be removed. Also, if you live close to others will be easier to carpool, bike or take the bus to preserve even more cash.

Find sunlight. The house is in a strategic position so that it can take advantage of sunlight. During daytime most of the gentle should come from sunlight instead of lights and bulbs. Windows and skylights can help decrease power expenditures. Separated from two windows to decrease warm in summer time time and warm loss in winter. It looks over the facades of the property to the south and west to help prevent too hot in summer time time.

Isolation. Discover a high insulating material R-value, the higher the R value, is more powerful insulator. Avoid insulating material containing chemicals as a connection agent. Discover insulating material made from soy beans, cotton, pulp or recycled materials. A well covered house can preserve 100?s of dollars for the duration of the house.Reduce power consumption. When you purchase equipment for new or established house in search of ENERGY STAR rated. Efficient air conditioning systems preserve power and cash. Set up a automated temperature. You might also consider installing solar power sections or geothermal energy warm for ways to bring power into the property to warm water and provide air conditioning throughout the property. Some residences with solar power sections and geothermal energy power can not be networked. Set up and use fans as often as possible instead of air conditioner, which saves 30% of air conditioning expenditures.

Source: http://www.rise-furniture.com/home-improvement/house-plans-design-tips/

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Employment gains as health care eclipses factories ? Health ...

WASHINGTON ? The aging of America may be good for the labor market.

A growing number of older people and rising health-care spending are driving demand for workers from nursing aides to surgeons. While the economy lost 7.5 million positions during the recession, health care expanded staff. Together with social assistance, it will add 4 million employees to become the second-biggest job gainer by 2018, behind only professional and business-services, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Manufacturing is projected to lose 1.2 million jobs by then.

Health care ? including doctors, nurses and hospitals ? was the largest contributor to employment growth in the past two years, with a 22 percent share that was almost twice as big as manufacturing.

The U.S. workforce could use the boost: Monthly payroll gains are running below what?s required to reduce significantly the 8.5 percent jobless rate. Unemployment was 5 percent in December 2007, when the recession began.

?The first baby boomer just turned 65 last year, so when it comes to health-care jobs in America, we haven?t seen nothing yet,? said Chris Rupkey, chief financial economist at Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ in New York. These jobs ?are going to literally explode over the next two decades.?

Almost 87 million, or one in four, Americans will be 65 or older by 2050, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

?The demographic story for health care remains good and will get better,? said Jim Paulsen, who helps oversee about $333 billion as chief investment strategist at Minneapolis-based Wells Capital Management. It still will be hard for investors to pick stocks in the industry, as prospects for hiring and profitability are clouded by lack of clarity on legislation.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments in late March on President Barack Obama?s health-care law, including the requirement that Americans either buy insurance or pay a penalty. Republicans competing for the White House have all said they?ll get rid of the law if they?re elected in November. Regardless of who wins, future presidents may try to turn the clock back on changes made by the previous one, Paulsen said.

?There?s going to be a chronic state of uncertainty in the health-care arena,? making it ?really hard to place specific bets,? Paulsen said. ?There will be opportunities on a value basis, rather than buy-and-hold.?

Aetna, the third-largest U.S. health insurer, and Humana, the second-largest Medicare provider, may offer some of the best rewards for investors, according to Matt Borsch, a health-care analyst at Goldman Sachsin New York.

Competition among health-care providers will limit costs for managed-care companies, many of which also have a low price- to-earnings ratio, he wrote in a Jan. 4 note.

?The labor market is improving very slowly, but at least we?re headed in the right direction,? said David Autor, an economist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Employment in health care ?is definitely going to continue? rising, and manufacturing jobs ?will see a recovery? as demand picks up.

While factories still represent a larger share of the economy ? 12 percent of gross domestic product compared with 7.6 percent for health care ? they have fallen behind since 2008 as a percentage of total payrolls, according to data compiled by Bloomberg News. Health services accounted 11 percent of jobs in 2011, outpacing manufacturing?s 9 percent.

The shift reflects productivity gains as factories produced more goods by replacing workers with technology and by shipping jobs overseas to cut costs. Health services require more face- to-face interaction, which means ?these jobs are protected from the forces of globalization,? Rupkey said. ?We can?t imagine a time when we?ll be able to outsource the job of a home health aide giving a senior a bath or helping with physical therapy.?

Openings in health care are more broadly distributed geographically, even in economically distressed small towns where they often are ?all that?s left,? said David Card, an economics professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and director of the Labor Studies Program at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

They also provide ?pretty good? opportunities, particularly for women, he said. This was evident during the 18- month recession, when health care added almost half a million positions, while construction, which typically employs more men, shed 1.2 million workers.

More importantly, the industry?s projected expansion would generate more jobs young people can prepare for and absorb out- of-work Americans ? even those without education beyond high school ? once they adapt to the skills needed.

?One of the few bright spots in retraining has been health care,? Card said. ?That?s a kind of reliable thing.?

Opportunities range from home health aides, who made an average of $21,760 in 2010, to surgeons, whose annual wages averaged $225,390, BLS data show.

Sharon Rudolph, 64, says she?s studying to be a nurse alongside classmates who previously worked in real estate and banking, as well as one who owns a nail salon. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., resident was a radiologic technologist for two decades before taking a break during the 1990s to raise her family. Now she?s in a 27-month training program at the city?s Nova Southeastern University.

?I felt I?d become more marketable once I get out,? said Rudolph, who ensured that her licenses, including in registered diagnostic medical and cardiac sonography, remained current. ?I have to work twice as hard as some of the kids? to keep up with the coursework, and the increased use of technology has ?been a challenge.?

Registered nursing, which requires at least an associate degree, will have the largest growth of all occupations, according to the BLS projections, adding about 582,000 jobs between 2008 and 2018, to reach 3.2 million. Home health aides, who need on-the-job training, will surge by 461,000, or 50 percent, to 1.4 million. Hiring among physicians and surgeons will rise by 22 percent, or 144 ,100, to 805,500.

While the additional jobs will lift employment, many pay low or very low wages, according to the BLS. That means these workers will have less ability than employees in higher-paid industries to boost consumer spending, the biggest part of the U.S. economy.

?It is fine to have low-skilled jobs as part of the mix or portfolio of employment opportunities,? said Michael Spence, winner of the Nobel Prize in economics in 2001, and a professor at New York University?s Stern School of Business. ?It is better than no jobs. But the mix is important too.?

Charles Roehrig, director of the nonprofit Altarum Institute?s Center for Sustainable Health Spending, said that every 10 jobs in health care ultimately generate an additional 12 elsewhere in the economy. Without the industry?s hiring growth, the unemployment rate would have been 9.5 percent in December, instead of 8.5 percent, he said.

For now, having more jobs ?outweighs any other concern,? he said.

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/02/05/business/employment-gains-as-health-care-eclipses-factories/

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Monday, February 6, 2012

Large bomb explodes in southern Afghan city (AP)

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan ? Officials say a large explosion has hit the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, causing casualties.

The provincial government says in a statement that Sunday's blast hit near the city's major downtown intersection. The statement says there have been casualties, but does not provide any figures.

An Associated Press reporter says the blast has broken windows in downtown office buildings.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? An American soldier shot and killed an Afghan guard at a base in the country's north, apparently because the American thought the guard was about to attack him, Afghan police said Sunday.

There have been a growing number of attacks by Afghan soldiers against international forces in Afghanistan in recent years, some the result of arguments and others by insurgent infiltrators. Last month, an Afghan soldier shot and killed four unarmed French troops last month at a base in eastern Afghanistan.

Friday's shooting in Sari Pul province in northern Afghanistan resulted from an unfortunate misunderstanding, said Sayed Jahangir, the deputy police chief for the province.

Afghans guard the outside perimeter of the base and Americans guard inside. Jahangir said that the Afghan guard ? a man named Abdul Rahim ? wanted to go into the base and started arguing with the American at the door. Rahim did not raise his weapon, but the American thought he was about to do so and fired, Jahangir said.

"Our initial reports show that the American thought he was acting in self defense," Jahangir said. Rahim was a private guard, not an Afghan soldier or policeman, Jahangir said.

U.S. forces were "aware of an incident in northern Afghanistan" and were investigating, said U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings. He declined to provide further details.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/asia/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120205/ap_on_re_as/as_afghanistan

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Cracking Finance ? Gaining a Personal Loan When You Are ...

When you are unemployed, it can seem like everything is an uphill battle. You may feel discouraged because there are few reasonable options for you and your family. One thing you may be considering is a personal loan to get you through this tough time. The obstacle here is finding a lender willing to give a loan to someone who has no steady source of income. However, hope is not lost. It is possible for you to get a personal loan in your financial state. It may not have the best terms, but it will be far better than trying to get a payday loan or title loan.

Exhaust All Other Options First
It should be said that just because you are out of work does not mean that you should be borrowing money to get you buy. Anyone who is employed or has the means to make an emergency fund with at least six months? worth of expenses should do so before they are put into the position of needing to borrow money should they become unemployed. I realize that this may not be an option for many, and emergencies do arise whether you are employed or not.
Before you even consider taking out a loan, you should make sure you have exhausted all of your other options. If you won?t be able to pay back the loan, you could end up in a lot more trouble than you are already in, and you should want to make sure you don?t build up so much debt that you won?t be able to pay it off later. From here on, I will assume that anyone looking to take out a loan during difficult financial times has already used their credit cards, asked for loans from friends and family, and done everything else possible to get by. There are many other options in these situations, so you should look into all of them before you make your decision.

Look Into Different Loan Possibilities
Trying one of the following types of loans could be a solution to your problem in the short term.

  1. Make a large down payment. If you are able to make a down payment of about 30% of the loan, there will be many more lenders willing to give you a loan even if you are unemployed. While this may not be an option for many, it will help the lender feel more comfortable giving a loan to someone with no steady source of income.
  2. Get a home equity line of credit. This type of loan is similar to having a credit card with a revolving balance. You can use any home that you won as collateral for the loan, and the credit can be available again as long as you have paid off the loan. Proof of employment is not necessary, but if you default on the loan, you run the risk of losing your home.
  3. Consolidate your debt with a debt consolidation loan. These loans will help you pay off your existing debt, but they won?t provide you with additional cash that might be necessary for you to get by during this tough financial time. You can pay back all the creditors who have given you money in the past, and you might even be able to get a lower rate than you had before.
  4. Use a pawnbroker or pawnshop to get a secured loan. If you have something very valuable, you can give them to the pawnbroker or pawnshop as collateral for a loan that is a percentage of what the item is worth. You will then have a specific amount of time to repay the business, at which point you will get your expensive item back. Again, you will run the risk of losing that item if you aren?t able to repay the loan, so think twice before you decide to take out this type of loan.

Don?t Lose Hope
Being unemployed can put a lot of stress on a person and their family. Just because you have to make this difficult decision now doesn?t mean that all hope is lost. Keep looking for a job and find one as soon as possible, even if it is temporary or you have to settle for something less than you had before. Any job is better than no job, and with a little hard work and dedication you can work your way to the top again in no time.

Vanessa Lang is an author who writes guest posts on the topics of business, marketing, credit cards, and personal finance. Additionally, she works for a website that focuses on educating readers about payday advance loans.

Source: http://crackingfinance.com/2012/02/gaining-a-personal-loan-when-you-are-unemployed/

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Sunday, February 5, 2012

Christians Are Better Investors (Free Money Finance)

For those of you new to Free Money Finance, I post on The Bible and Money every Sunday. Here's why.

Ha! That headline is sure to get people stirred up! I'm betting I get at least one nasty comment from a person who reads it but not the post. ;-)

Seriously, though, I do not think that Christians per se are better investors than anyone else. Nor do I think they are worse than anyone else.

The headline is in reference to a Market Watch piece that highlights the great performance of two Christian investment newsletters. One of them is Sound Mind Investing, a company I used early in my investing days and that I think very highly of. In particular, their book The Sound Mind Investing Handbook - A Step-By-Step Guide To Managing Your Money From A Biblical Perspective 5th Ed is excellent! Even if you are not a Christian, the guidance in the book is sound and the thoughts on investing are top-notch IMO, especially for the beginning investor.

If you're interested in getting some Christian-based guidance on your investments, I can't think of a better option than Sound Mind Investing (no, this is not a paid endorsement -- I really do like them.) I've written about them quite a bit, so to get more information on SMI check out these posts:

Source: http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2012/02/christians-are-better-investors-.html

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Take The Road Less Traveled By having These Treasure Tips ...

There are lots of horror stories that people can easily share by having you about a traveling encounter. In most of these stories, the complications might have been averted through proper planning. This article will definitely offer you the assistance you need to assist you organize in advance for your next holiday.

For the leading exchange prices on currency, hang around to alter your money till you show up on your holiday. Exchange currency before going on your tour to benefit from a more desirable exchange rate. If you absolutely need to, you can easily also exchange currency in airports or once abroad, yet ensure to compare prices prior to you do.

Be conscious of individuals pretending to be officials in a faraway country. Do not let anybody have your passport unless you are certain they are legitimate. If they state you must go to an office, promotion to walk the distance with them. Never ride in a car with a stranger, no matter exactly how pleasant they are.

When taking a cruise, discover a good resort in the port city that provides free or reduced fee parking and make deals to show up the day prior to your departure. Ask resort staff regarding any sort of parking deals if there are not any published.

Workout at the gym prior to your flight. It?s mundane needing to sit as a result of a prolonged flight. When you are forced to sit in the same position for hrs on end, your backside as well as legs are able to cramp up. This is why hitting the health and fitness center or at the very least stretching prior to boarding a flight is able to reduce or completely get rid of any sort of cramps.

Determine if you will certainly need a Visa in purchase to go to the foreign nation you are traveling to. Obtaining a visa can be a prolonged procedure, so do not wait until the last second to apply. It is necessary to understand that some countries may deny you entrance without the suitable visa.

Take the time to check out evaluations on the Web concerning any sort of resorts or lodgings in which you are interested, so you will certainly understand what to assume when you make your tour deals. If you eliminate resorts that have several bad appraisals, you can help conserve yourself from having the same unsatisfactory encounters.

The reason for some of the worst stories about traveling take place because the traveler didn?t believe ahead as well as arrange effectively. The guidance that was provided to you in this write-up well help you take all the necessary steps to make certain you get some others and satisfaction from your holiday.

If you would like to read more travel tips and inspiration visit GlobalGrasshopper.com which has many great city guides and travel information including where to find the best cheap spa hotels in the world

from your own site.

Source: http://cheapflights.yourinformationhighway.com/take-the-road-less-traveled-by-having-these-treasure-tips

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Saturday, February 4, 2012

Japanese entrepreneurs aim for Silicon Valley (AP)

TOKYO ? For an emerging generation of Japanese innovators, the dream isn't a job for life at a big company. They have new ambitions, and they're determined to go places. Especially Silicon Valley.

Small but growing numbers of Japanese entrepreneurs are jumping into the startup scene in northern California, particularly since the earthquake and tsunami last March. They include Naoki Shibata, who took the plunge by giving up the sort of life many Japanese in past decades spent their lives trying to attain.

Only 30, Shibata had an executive-level position at online retailing giant Rakuten Inc. and an assistant professorship at the prestigious University of Tokyo, where he earned a Ph.D. Last June he launched AppGrooves, an iPhone application discovery tool.

"I wanted a global company from the first moment," he said. "If you want to reach a global market, then you have to start from Silicon Valley."

Shibata and others say they are seeing a major uptick in Japanese entrepreneurs migrating to Silicon Valley or seriously contemplating a move, as their country struggles with two decades of economic stagnation and a rapidly shrinking and aging population.

Some venture capitalists believe the earthquake, tsunami and the nuclear disaster that followed compelled many Japanese to take an increasingly uncertain future into their own hands.

"Whenever there's a natural disaster, people are pushed and pressed against the wall," said Annis Uzzaman, one of the founders of San Jose, Calif.-based Fenox Venture Capital. "And they want to come out as number one."

Attorney Yoichiro Taku, a partner at Silicon Valley firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, has taken on AppGrooves as a client, as well as Japanese-founded social network startups Wondershake and Mieple. Taku, who has among the most active startup practices in the U.S., said it's the most Japanese startup traffic he has ever seen in his Silicon Valley career.

More than the earthquake, Taku believes the trend has more to do with the sprouting seeds of entrepreneurship back in Japan, cultivated by the emergence of Tokyo-based incubators like Open Network Lab and Samurai Incubate. Some will naturally want to aim bigger.

"It's like Ichiro Suzuki wanting to play in Major League Baseball," Taku said.

Shibata also suggested that it's just easier to be offbeat in the U.S.

"The biggest difference between Silicon Valley and Japan is when I hack something in Japan, I'll be punished first," Shibata said of making unscripted modifications. "But in Silicon Valley, when I hack something, I will be encouraged to do more."

Technology and innovation have long been sources of pride in Japan. The country's phenomenal economic development in the 20th century was fueled by visionary entrepreneurs and industrialists whose ventures are now some of the country's most well-known brands like Sony Corp. and Panasonic Corp.

But as Japan grew into one of the world's biggest economies, it seemed to lose its pioneering spirit. Business leaders, officials and academics in recent years have blamed the country's dearth of entrepreneurship on a mix of social and structural factors that constrict new innovators.

The Japanese, they say, have become risk-averse, opting to stick to the safety of lifetime employment at established companies. Venture capital is scare. Exits in the form of mergers and acquisitions or initial public offerings are too difficult.

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, which measures attitudes toward starting new businesses around the world, found in its 2010 report that Japan ranked lowest among 22 advanced economies. The same survey found that Japanese citizens were least likely to consider entrepreneurship a good career choice.

This reality, however, has spurred new action among individuals and groups trying to rekindle the country's entrepreneurial ambitious and build a viable startup ecosystem.

"There's a lot more startup companies, and there's probably more support for them now," said Taku, the attorney. "Just mathematically, some percent of them have some aspiration to go the U.S. because they speak English or they studied in the U.S."

The demographics of applicants to Open Network Lab, a Tokyo startup incubator, shifted dramatically after the earthquake, managing partner Hironori Maeda said. Before the disaster, applications tended to come from recent university graduates or freelance programmers. But now, Maeda said, they're coming from employees at large Internet companies who are willing to quit their jobs if accepted.

"Japan was all about harmony and longevity," he said. "Then the earthquake hit them, and everyone is all of a sudden put into uncertainty. That kind of woke everyone up. It probably made a lot of people consider what they should do with their lives."

Open Network Lab, a joint effort among listed tech companies Digital Garage Inc., netprice.com and kakaku.com, launched less than two years ago with the aim of finding startups with the potential to go global. Teams accepted into its three-month seed accelerator program are given 1 million yen ($12,800) in funding, office space, mentoring and access to its extensive network of entrepreneurs and partners.

Interest has soared since its first class, when it received 47 applications. For its fourth class that started in January, nearly 100 teams applied.

Other initiatives are also sparking change.

William Saito, a Japanese-American entrepreneur and venture capitalist in Tokyo, has made it his personal mission to reinvigorate Japan. He co-founded Impact Japan to serve as a hub and clearinghouse for innovation, helping organize local events for the annual Global Entrepreneurship Week and launching scholarships for study abroad.

For the past three years, he has taken groups of about 30 Japanese students, researchers and would-be entrepreneurs to Silicon Valley to expose them to the global marketplace.

"I think we're finally turning a curve," Saito said of entrepreneurship in Japan.

Saito helped journalist Lisa Katayama and designer Tomo Saito launch the Tofu Project in San Francisco last year. The unique initiative brought 10 young Japanese entrepreneurs to California in late October for a weeklong boot camp in Silicon Valley-style design thinking and innovation.

Satoshi Suzuki, the 22-year-old president of a social networking startup called Wondershake, took part in the program. He, too, is determined to make it in Silicon Valley.

He describes Wondershake as an icebreaker for the real world, designed to facilitate immediate face-to-face connections at events, schools and other venues. As soon as visas are approved for him and his four partners, Suzuki plans to move to the San Francisco Bay Area.

"No one expects me to succeed, and 99 percent of people don't succeed, so a lot of people could just give up," he said. "But the main reason I'm doing this is because the product is really something I want to create for the world."

Suzuki said the broader issue isn't that Japanese people are afraid of risk, but that they lack mentors and examples of success to encourage them.

That can be overcome if there are actually people who've done it and can say, 'You can do it too,'" he said.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/japan/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120203/ap_on_bi_ge/as_japan_silicon_valley

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Friday, February 3, 2012

Sanctity of marriage | QSaltLake - Utah Gay and Lesbian News and ...

Gingrich talks the talk

GOP presidential candidate and current frontrunner Newt Gingrich is hitting headlines because his second wife told ABC News he wanted an open marriage. Gingrich refuted the claims and attacked anyone who asked about the allegations. But Gingrich doesn?t want an open marriage, he wants a mistress, as activist and author Dan Savage said, ?Newt Gingrich wants us to know that he did not ask his second ex-wife for an open marriage. An honest, open relationship was never on the table. Newt and Callista?s six-year adulterous relationship was grounded in deceit and betrayal from the start, and Newt and Callista never wavered from the path of deceit and betrayal.?

A fire-hot union

A New Delhi man is being held by police after his wife told them that he lit her on fire, burning more than half of her body. The 23-year-old man came home inebriated and accused her of having an affair with his cousin, according to police. She denied the claims but the husband proceeded to beat her until she was unconscious, after which he poured kerosene on her and lit her on fire. Neighbors heard the commotion and rushed to save her.

An American horror story

A 41-year-old Wisconsin man was charged with domestic abuse after he told police a ghost attacked his wife and was responsible for her injuries. Michael West was arrested for battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest. Police found West?s wife, Rebecca, bloody and crying when they responded to a domestic-violence call. She told officers that he punched and kicked her repeatedly. When asked about bruises on her body, Michael told police he was not responsible, but that a ghost had entered the house and attacked her.

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Source: http://qsaltlake.com/2012/02/03/sanctity-of-marriage-18/

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Devil's Mind: The False Dichotomy of Friendship and Romantic ...

In a previous post I hinted at problematic distinction between friendship and romantic companionship. I have stumbled upon a very interesting post that expresses my concern in a quite eloquent manner.

The following are excerpts from that post:

I recently witnessed many discussions on how acceptable it is to pursue a friendship with someone you're interested in romantically, and I keep hearing opinions that are absolutely baffling to me. I hear things like: it's wrong, it's dishonest, it's not a "real" friendship, the other person will be rightfully furious at you when they find out, etc. etc.

It seems that, for all these people, friendship and romance are required to develop on absolutely distinct paths, right off the bat; otherwise, they see it as wrong somehow.

I suspect that the difference between us is this: they see friendship as opposed to a romantic relationship, like the two are mutually exclusive, whereas I see friendship as being a part of romantic relationship. Moreover, it is an absolutely vital part ? I can?t have romantic relationships without it. All of my romantic relationships began with friendship!

Another point: friendship is not only a vital part of a relationship ? it is also the most important one, by far! The most rewarding, the most fun, the most worthy to pursue. Whenever I really like someone, I?ll always be willing to give up the sex in order to be able to be their friend.

When I am trying to become friends with someone, it is because I find them interesting and fun and I want to be their friend. Now, I may also want to sleep with them; but I can?t emphasize the ?also? enough. The romance is not mandatory ? the friendship is. First, foremost and most importantly ? I want to be their friend.

For me, spending time and energy on a friend is its own reward... Otherwise, what kind of friendship is that?! And regarding the emotional turmoil ? yes, I agree, it can be not easy sometimes. But it?s totally worth it. (At least for me.)

source: Dishonest Friendship?


Although the concluding remarks in that post are a little bit off-topic, I am going to include them because I find them enlightening and address some issues commonly encountered in practice:
This post has a dual goal:

If you?re my friend, and you realize that I?m in love with you ? don?t conclude that my friendship is not genuine. It is.

If you are interested in me romantically, ask yourself: if a fairy told you that she looked into the future and I definitely won't sleep with you, ever ? would that knowledge make you not want to be my friend anymore?

If the answer is yes ? that you?re interested in my friendship only on condition for the prospect of sex ? please, fuck off! I mean it ? we?re not right for each other, I don?t need you in my life.
But it is completely okay if you are interested in sex ? as long as you are interested in me regardless of ever having it.

Source: http://zeidspex.blogspot.com/2012/02/false-dichotomy-of-friendship-and.html

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Thursday, February 2, 2012

Egypt soccer violence kills 74, fans turn on army (Reuters)

PORT SAID, Egypt (Reuters) ? Seventy-four people were killed when supporters clashed at an Egyptian soccer match, prompting fans and politicians on Thursday to turn on the ruling army for failing to prevent the deadliest incident since Hosni Mubarak was ousted.

At least 1,000 people were injured in the violence on Wednesday when soccer fans invaded the pitch in the Mediterranean city of Port Said, after local team al-Masry beat visitors from Cairo, Al Ahli, Egypt's most successful club.

Angry politicians denounced the lack of security at the match and accused military leaders of allowing, or even causing, the fighting. The Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that dominates parliament, saw an "invisible" hand at work.

The city's streets were quiet at dawn, with few police or army officers in sight.

"The military council wants to prove that the country is heading towards chaos and destruction. They are Mubarak's men. They are applying his strategy when he said 'choose me or choose chaos'," said Mahmoud el-Naggar, 30, a laboratory technician and member of the Coalition of the Revolutionary Youth in Port Said.

"Down with military rule," thousands of Egyptians chanted at the main Cairo train station where they met injured fans returning from what one minister said was the scene of Egypt's worst soccer disaster.

Hundreds of protesters gathered outside the state television building and marches across the capital were planned.

Field Marshal Mohamed Hussein Tantawi, 76, who heads the ruling military council, took an unusual step of speaking by telephone to a television channel, the sport broadcaster owned by Al Ahli, vowing to track down the culprits. The army announced three days of national mourning.

"I deeply regret what happened at the football match in Port Said. I offer my condolences to the victims' families," Tantawi said in comments broadcast on state television.

It did little to assuage the anger of fans, who, like many Egyptians, are furious that Egypt is still plagued by lawlessness and frequent bouts of deadly violence almost a year after Mubarak was driven out and replaced by an army council.

As with past flare-ups, it quickly turned political. Parliament will hold an emergency session later on Thursday to discuss the violence.

"The people want the execution of the field marshal," fans chanted at the station. "We will secure their rights, or die like them," they said as covered bodies were unloaded from the trains.

ENRAGED

The post-match pitch invasion provoked panic among the crowd as rival fans fought. Most of the deaths were among people who were trampled in the crush of the panicking crowd or who fell or were thrown from terraces, witnesses and health workers said.

Television footage showed some security officers in the stadium showing no sign of trying to stop the pitch invasion. One officer was filmed as people poured onto the field, talking on a mobile phone.

"The rush caused a stampede, people were pushing each other against the metal door and stepping on each other," said one witness who attended the match, 23-year-old Ossama El-Zayat.

"We saw riot police firing shots in the air, and then everyone got scared and kept pushing against the locked door. We didn't know whether police were firing live rounds or not. People were crying and dying," he said.

Several enraged politicians and ordinary Egyptians accused officials who are still in their jobs after the fall of Mubarak of complicity in the tragedy, or at least of allowing a security vacuum that has let violence flourish in the past 12 months.

"The security forces did this or allowed it to happen. The men of Mubarak are still ruling. The head of the regime has fallen but all his men are still in their positions," Albadry Farghali, a member of parliament for Port Said, screamed in a telephone call to live television.

Some saw the violence as orchestrated to target the "Ultras," Al Ahli's dedicated fans whose experience confronting police at soccer matches was turned with devastating effect against Mubarak's heavy-handed security forces in the uprising.

They played a significant role in defending Cairo's Tahrir Square, the heart of the uprising against Mubarak, when men on camels and horses charged protesters last year. Thursday is the anniversary of the notorious February 2 camel charge.

"All that happened is not for the sake of a game. It's political. It was orchestrated by the military council to target the Ultras," said Abdullah el-Said, a 43-year-old driver in Port Said. "The military council wanted to crush the ultras because they sided with protesters ever since the revolution began."

Yet many Egyptians still see the army as the only guarantor of security. When one activist in group outside a hospital accused the army of sowing chaos, a man chimed in blaming the youths: "Security has to return to the streets. Enough with all those protests that caused this security vacuum," he yelled.

The Brotherhood, whose Freedom and Justice Party won the biggest bloc in parliament, blamed an "invisible" hand for causing the violence and said the authorities were negligent.

"We fear that some officers are punishing the people for their revolution and for depriving them of their ability to act as tyrants and restricting their privileges," it said.

'THUGS'

Others blamed "thugs," the hired hands or plain clothes police officers in Mubarak's era who would often emerge from police lines to crush dissent to his rule.

"Unknown groups came between the fans and they were the ones that started the chaos. I was at the match and I saw that the group that did this is not from Port Said," said Farouk Ibrahim.

"They were thugs, like the thugs the National Democratic Party used in elections," he said, referring to Mubarak's former party and the polls that were routinely rigged in its favor.

The two soccer teams, al-Masry and Al Ahli, have a history of fierce rivalry. Witnesses said fighting began after Ahli fans unfurled banners insulting Port Said and one descended to the pitch carrying an iron bar at the end of the match.

Al-Masry fans poured onto the pitch and attacked Al Ahli players before turning to attack rival supporters.

"I saw people holding machetes and knives. Some were hit with these weapons, other victims were flung from their seats, while the invasion happened," Usama El Tafahni, a journalist in Port Said who attended the match, told Reuters.

Many fans died in a subsequent stampede, while some were flung off their seats onto the pitch and were killed by the fall. At the height of the disturbances, rioting fans fired flares straight into the stands.

Television footage showed fans running onto the field and chasing Al Ahli players. A small group of riot police formed a corridor to protect the players, but they appeared overwhelmed and fans were still able to kick and punch players as they fled.

Hospitals in the Suez Canal zone were put on alert and dozens of ambulances were sent from the cities of Ismailia and Suez, said an official in the zone's local ambulance service.

Tantawi said a fact-finding committee would be set up and pledged that the army's plan to hand over power to civilians would not be derailed. The army has promised to go back to barracks by the end of June after a presidential election.

"Egypt will be stable. We have a roadmap to transfer power to elected civilians. If anyone is plotting instability in Egypt they will not succeed," he told Al Ahli's channel.

Interior Minister Mohamed Ibrahim said 47 people were arrested. Egypt's football federation said it was indefinitely delaying matches for the Egyptian premier league. Al Ahli club said in a statement it was suspending all sports activities and holding three days of mourning.

(Reporting by Dina Zayed, Ali Abdelatti, Edmund Blair, Yasmine Saleh, Shaimaa Fayed and Patrick Werr in Cairo; Writing by Edmund Blair; Editing by Maria Golovnina)

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20120202/wl_nm/us_egypt_soccer_violence

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