What consumers can expect in 2013

I don?t have a crystal ball, but I am in contact with a lot of experts in consumer protection, marketing and fraud prevention. Based on information provided by these trusted sources, here are some predictions about what you can expect in 2013.

Anticipated price hikes
The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts grocery bills will rise 3 to 4 percent in 2013. Higher feed costs will continue to push up prices for animal-based products, especially dairy. In its Food Price Outlook Report, USDA noted that inflation should be ?above the historical average? for cereals and bakery products.

Banks will keep looking for ways to raise revenue without inciting customer backlash. This could mean higher overdraft fees and charges for using an out-of-network ATM. It could also mean higher minimum balances to avoid a monthly service charge.

??We?ll continue to see banks emphasize customer relationships, rewarding those customers that have more accounts, bigger balances, or other products and services by waiving checking account fees,? said Greg McBride, senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com.

Good news for home buyers and home builders: Bankrate expects mortgage rates to remain low.

?The Fed is aggressively buying bonds with the goal of keeping mortgage rates low,? McBride explained. ?Because of this, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate should stay below 4 percent for much of the year ? even if the economy continues to improve.?

The editors at dealnews.com predict a number of things will be more expensive in 2013. These include: smartphones and some other electronics, cars and many luxury goods.

Dealnews also expects higher shipping costs. It predicts a jump of 4.5 to 4.9 percent from both UPS and FedEx. This could seriously hurt small businesses and people who sell things on the Internet. It might also affect which orders qualify for ?free shipping? at some online stores.

And here?s a surprising one: Dealnews says copper prices could rise. That would have a ripple effect, because copper is used in all sorts of consumer products: wire, pots and residential water pipes. It?s also needed for industrial equipment that brews beer, distills liquor and makes candy.

On the bright side: Gasoline prices should continue their slow decline, barring unforeseen circumstances. The U.S. Energy Information Administration expects retail prices for regular-grade gasoline to average $3.43 a gallon in 2013. That would be down from this year?s average of $3.63.

More consumer-friendly regulations
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) went after unfair practices in the financial marketplace with gusto in 2012. That is sure to continue in the New Year.

My best guess is that we?ll see new regulations proposed for payday loans, prepaid cards and credit reporting agencies. The CFPB is already investigating complaints about errors in credit reports and the difficulty or sometimes inability to have them corrected.

As of Jan. 2, the agency will regulate the country?s large debt collectors, an industry that has been widely criticized for harassment, deception and other illegal tactics to get people to pay ? whether they owe the debt or not, in some cases.

?Millions of consumers are affected by debt collection, and we want to make sure they are treated fairly,? CFPB director Richard Cordray said in a statement.

I wouldn?t be surprised to see some civil penalties levied and new rules proposed to prevent abusive collection tactics.

New and changing digital threats
Cybercriminals are sure to step-up their game again in 2013. In a new report, Sophos (the giant digital security company), predicts businesses will be hit with more malware attacks that give the intruders ?long-term, high impact access? to those companies.

Digital extortion should increase with more ransomware malware attacks. ?(See ConsumerMan: Latest ?ransomware? attacks are scarily sophisticated.) This new generation of malicious software can encrypt the data on your hard drive and hold it for ransom. It?s often exceptionally hard or impossible to reverse the damage. This makes it critical to back-up your data on a daily basis.

Mobile devices, with GPS location, social media apps and new technology (such as near field communication) will give cybercriminals new opportunities to compromise your security and privacy.

?This trend is identifiable not just for mobile devices, but computing in general,? the Sophos report warns. ?In the coming year, watch for new examples of attacks built on these technologies.?

Men, millennials in the grocery store
Men have become more comfortable in the kitchen and more active in planning meals and food shopping. A survey by Cone Communications found that more dads than moms (52 percent compared to 46 percent) plan meals for the week ahead.

Industry analyst Phil Lempert, who runs the website SupermarketGuru, predicts grocery stores will focus more on the male shopper this year and in the future.

?Some supermarkets are experimenting with ?man aisles? ? locations in the store that feature male-oriented foods and other products to make shopping and impulse buying more targeted,? he said.

Lempert also expects supermarkets and food companies to go after the millennial shoppers (those born between 1982 and 2001) who want flavorful and ethnically diverse food that is also affordable. By 2020, millennials will represent about 20 percent of the population and compared to the general population, they?re expected to have twice the buying power for food they eat at home.

?Millennials are deal seekers,? Lempert pointed out. ?They are much more focused on finding the lowest price over brand loyalty.?

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/12/31/16220329-what-consumers-can-expect-in-2013?lite

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Publish Now or Perish Later ? nxsgsgnq - apobaevit's posterous

Strangely after it has proven itself to be a leading marketing tool ezine publishing is still one of the most underutilized online business building methods. Beyond the fact that it is efficient and cost-effective the intimacy of email provides ecommerce merchants with an extraordinary advantage over offline more traditional forms of marketing communications.

Agreeably email is still in its infancy and theres still a lot of ground to cover. First email will become more effective as time goes on especially once spam becomes a nonissue not because it is unethical tasteless unprofessional replica oris artelier complication illegal (for some) and all the other negative adjectives associated with spam but because it is simply not profitable in the long term.

But second roger dubuis much more fake watch new and interactive technologies are now being developed that will make ezine publishing an even more effective marketing tool in the coming years if not months. We have barely scratched the surface in terms of harnessing the power of email let alone the web jaeger lecoultre reverso duetto watches and the need to start using this yet greatly untapped resource is overwhelming.

Where the marketers axiom used to be publish or perish replica golana advance chrono pro 2 the advent of the Internet has changed it to publish now or perish later. In fact the Internet used to be a place that embraced (and even fostered) change. But soon it will become a crucible consisting of only those who create it therefore leaving the slow starters behind Way behind. The web is all about change.

Nevertheless having ones own newsletter (or at the very least a regularly published mailing to an opt-in subscriber-base) is a powerful way to attract not only prospects but also referral sources affiliates and centers-of-influence. It is powerful in that a newsletter doesnt outright promote ones company or product but ones expertise and value in the marketplace.

A newsletter is often more effective than an advertisement or brochure because the publisher is demonstrating its expertise in its particular field rather than stating it outright. Similar to public relations for example ezine publishing is sometimes more effective because it comes from an apparently objective third party in other words like a newspaper reporters article a newsletter reads more like an educational tool rather than some self-serving commercial.

And therein lies the key: People are constantly bombarded with commercial messages everywhere they go especially online. But a constant supply of solid information that attempts to educate readers rather than promote something to them will place a higher degree of credibility in the prospects mind on the company from which the information originates.

As my mentor in the professional speaking business once told me Dont be a speaker be an expert who speaks. Dont be a consultant be an expert who consults. Dont be a writer replica bell ross be an expert who writes. I would add: Dont be a online merchant be an expert in the field (or on the product) one merchandises. Essentially be an expert or a consultant not a retailer.

That mentor also told me Implication is more powerful than specification. Again one should aim at being perceived as (and not specifying that one is) an expert in a specific niche or industry. The newsletter therefore especially if its free can inform prospective clients of what a company is all about before people actually make the buying decision. That buying decision may very well be as simple as referring another client and repeat and referral sales are indeed where the bulk of most companies profits are often realized.

But the idea in delivering information through an ezine is nonetheless to target a specific audience and to have the people who read the ezine want more and come forward to get it. With information being one the major shifts the business world has experienced the ezine can also help make a companys presence known in a quicker and more inexpensive way.

In other words the newsletter not only uses the more economical email system but it also delivers that information to eager subscribers in a matter of seconds. More important it builds relationships and in this day and age where consumers are more leery than ever by offering a personalized approach it will position a company as one with a stronger customer focus.

Relationship marketing enables marketers to be in front of their prospects more and more often. If subscribers happen to need a marketers products or services at any given time or if they come to know anyone who does the marketer is there in front of them when their time is right. Like a lightning bolt the thought of a specific company (one that maintains a relationship with the subscriber) will come immediately to mind when the need presents itself.

Out of sight is out of mind as they say.

Finally publishing a newsletter helps to position a company very effectively in the mind. Whether the subscriber will or not buy right now from the marketer maintaining a constant contact also creates top-of-mind awareness. The continuous flow of information between publisher and potential client (or referrer of clients) can help to reinforce the unique replica michele urban blanc noir watches competitive advantage a company has over others within the same category.

Publishing an electronic newsletter should never be considered as a business expense. In a hypercompetitive marketplace that changes at the speed of electricity one satiated with cautious more educated and sophisticated click-happy consumers it is an investment.

In reality *not* publishing one is the true expense.

Michel Fortin is a direct response copywriter and consultant dedicated to turning sales messages into powerful magnets. Get a free copy of his book The 10 Commandments of Power Positioning when you subscribe to his free monthly ezine vacheron constantin replica watch concord replica The Profit Pill. See http://SuccessDoctor.com/ now!

Source: http://nxsgsgnq.unrestrictedminds.com/2012/12/28/publish-now-or-perish-later/

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Source: http://apobaevit.posterous.com/publish-now-or-perish-later-nxsgsgnq

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Video: Time Square ramps up security for New Year?s Eve

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

Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50329141/

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Obama wants gun violence measures passed in 2013

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Recalling the shooting rampage that killed 20 first graders as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to put his "full weight" behind legislation aimed at preventing gun violence.

Obama voiced skepticism about the National Rifle Association's proposal to put armed guards in schools following the Dec. 14 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The president made his comments in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."

Instead, the president vowed to rally the American people around an agenda to limit gun violence, adding that he still supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines. He left no doubt it will be one of his top priorities next year.

"It is not enough for us to say, 'This is too hard so we're not going to try,'" Obama said.

"I think there are a vast majority of responsible gun owners out there who recognize that we can't have a situation in which somebody with severe psychological problems is able to get the kind of high capacity weapons that this individual in Newtown obtained and gun down our kids," he added. "And, yes, it's going to be hard."

The president added that he's ready to meet with Republicans and Democrats, anyone with a stake in the issue.

The schoolhouse shootings, coming as families prepared for the holidays, have elevated the issue of gun violence to the forefront of public attention. Six adult staff members were also killed at the elementary school. Shooter Adam Lanza committed suicide, apparently as police closed in. Earlier, he had killed his mother at the home they shared.

The tragedy immediately prompted calls for greater gun controls. But the NRA is strongly resisting those efforts, arguing instead that schools should have armed guards for protection. Some gun enthusiasts have rushed to buy semiautomatic rifles of the type used by Lanza, fearing sales may soon be restricted.

Obama seemed unimpressed by the NRA proposal. "I am skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools," he said. "And I think the vast majority of the American people are skeptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem."

The president said he intends to press the issue with the public.

"The question then becomes whether we are actually shook up enough by what happened here that it does not just become another one of these routine episodes where it gets a lot of attention for a couple of weeks and then it drifts away," Obama said. "It certainly won't feel like that to me. This is something that - you know, that was the worst day of my presidency. And it's not something that I want to see repeated."

Separately, a member of the president's cabinet said Sunday that rural America may be ready to join a national conversation about gun control. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the debate has to start with respect for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and recognition that hunting is a way of life for millions of Americans.

But Vilsack said Newtown has changed the way people see the issue. "I really believe that this is a different circumstance and a different situation," Vilsack said on CNN.

Vilsack said he thinks it's possible for Americans to come together. "It's potentially a unifying conversation," he said. "The problem is that these conversations are always couched in the terms of dividing us. This could be a unifying conversation, and Lord knows we need to be unified."

Besides passing gun violence legislation, Obama also listed deficit reduction and immigration as top priorities for 2013. A big deficit reduction deal with Republicans proved elusive this month, and Obama is now hoping Senate Democratic and Republican leaders salvage a scaled-back plan that avoids tax increases for virtually all Americans.

In addition, he issued a defense of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who has been mentioned as one of the leading candidates to replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.

Hagel, who opposed President George W. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, has been criticized in conservative circles for not being a strong enough ally of Israel. Also, many liberals and gay activists have banded against him for comments he made in 1998 about an openly gay nominee for an ambassadorship

Obama, who briefly served with Hagel in the Senate, stressed that he had yet to make a decision but called Hagel a "patriot."

Hagel "served this country with valor in Vietnam," the president said. "And (he) is somebody who's currently serving on my intelligence advisory board and doing an outstanding job."

Obama noted that Hagel had apologized for his 14-year-old remark on gays.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-wants-gun-violence-measures-passed-2013-140306667--finance.html

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Bai Ling: Fashion Fail

OMG – Bai Ling is know for her wacky behavior fashion choices so this really shouldn’t come as a surprise. But girlfriend looks like a freakin bumble bee. I mean I can see where she was going with this – loose the hat and maybe it would be cute,. But he fluffy BRIGHT yellow hat is just too much. She should pack it away and save it for Halloween though. Girlfriend may win a prize. She gets bonus points for stepping out of her car like a lady though – so we won’t rag on her too much. What do you think?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RightCelebrity/~3/JO1rOQHbtmc/

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Dutch Catholics Seek to Ditch a Homophobic Church

Feyenoord to miss Schaken for six weeks

Amsterdam News.Net - Friday 28th December, 2012

Dutch league title contenders Feyenoord will miss Ruben Schaken for at least six weeks because the winger needed immediate surgery on his groin, Dutch media reported. The Dutch football ...

Moroccans voice opposition to Dutch ?abortion ship?

Al Arabiya - Friday 28th December, 2012

The Dutch non-profit organization Women on Waves, which is organizing the visit, says the ship will arrive at Smir, in northern Morocco on Thursday afternoon, around 40 kilometers (25 miles) east of ...

Spending a night in a Dutch ice hotel

Kuwait Times - Friday 28th December, 2012

Published Date: December 29, 2011 It could be any standard hotel room in the quaint northeastern Dutch city of Zwolle, with a bed, a minibar, bathrobes and two pairs of slippers. Except for the ...

Dutch pension funds need ?firm measures? to return to satisfactory funding levels

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

Firm measures are necessary to bring scheme funding levels of Dutch pension funds up to the minimum required funding ratio of 105 per cent within five years, warns De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) in ...

Dutch pension funds sell off securities

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

EUR 26bn worth of securities were sold by Dutch pension funds in the fourth quarter of 2008, according to figures published by De Nederlandsche Bank. The funds carried out equities sales ...

Dutch tax authorities rule on landmark tax rebate for UK pension funds

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

UK pension funds are set to enjoy a ?100million rebate from the Dutch tax authorities following a tax ruling, says the UK branch of KPMG. The professional services provider?s test ...

Net worth of Dutch investment funds decreases further

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

The net worth of supervised Dutch investment funds fell by ?6.4bn (eight per cent) in the third quarter of 2008 (Q3 2008), with De Nederlandsche Bank attributing losses to investment ...

Dutch pension funds receive ?4.9bn in dividends over 11 months

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

Between April 2007 and March 2008, Dutch pension funds are reported as having received ?4.9bn in dividends on quoted shares, according to De Nederlandsche Bank. Pension fund holdings of ...

Netherlands streets ahead in use of Liability Driven Investment

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

Sixty-one per cent of Dutch pension funds are currently employing a Liability Driven Investment (LDI) strategy, an increase of 18 per cent on last year?s figures. Fiduciary manager SEI ...

Slight growth in Dutch mutual funds

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

Dutch mutual funds expanded their share in Dutch household investments from 54 per cent to 55 per cent in the first quarter 2008, according to De Nederlandsche Bank. The Bank said the increase ...

Dutch pension liabilities fall

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

The value of the Dutch pension funds? technical provisions stood at approximately ?493bn at year-end 2007, a drop in liabilities of ?14bn, according to De Nederlandsche Bank. ...

Dutch metal pension funds launch joint in SRI policy

European Pensions - Friday 28th December, 2012

The two Dutch pension funds for the metal industry, the ?33bn Pensioenfonds Metaalelektro (PMT) and the ?21.5bn Pensioenfonds Metaal en Techniek (PME), have launched a joint social ...

Source: http://www.amsterdamnews.net/index.php/sid/211651326/scat/ec440608e2050e3b

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Russian FM says Assad won't go

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi meet in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi meet in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi shake hands during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, welcomes U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi talk during their meeting in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, left, and U.N. envoy for Syria Lakhdar Brahimi meet in Moscow, Russia, on Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Russia's foreign minister said Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has no intention of stepping down and it would be impossible to try to persuade him otherwise.

After a meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.'s envoy for the Syrian crisis, Lavrov also said that the Syrian opposition risks sacrificing many more lives if it continues to insist on Assad leaving office as a precondition for holding talks on Syria's future.

Assad "has repeatedly said publicly and privately, including in his meeting with Lakhdar Brahimi in Damascus not long ago, that he does not intend to leave for anywhere, that he will stay to the end in his post, that he will, as he expressed it, defend the Syrian people, Syrian sovereignty and so forth," Lavrov said. "There's no possibility to change this position."

Brahimi warned that the country's civil war could plunge the entire region into chaos by sending hundreds of thousands of refugees into neighboring nations, but his talks in Moscow produced no sign of progress toward settling the crisis.

Brahimi and Lavrov both said after their meeting that the 21-month-old Syrian conflict can only be settled through talks, while admitting that the parties in the conflict have shown no desire for compromise. Neither official hinted at a possible solution that would persuade the Syrian government and the opposition to agree to a ceasefire and sit down for talks about a political transition.

Brahimi, who arrived in Moscow on a one-day trip following his talks in Damascus with Assad this week, voiced concern about the escalation of the conflict, which he said is becoming "more and more sectarian."

The envoy warned that "if you have a panic in Damascus and if you have 1 million people leaving Damascus in a panic, they can go to only two places ? Lebanon and Jordan," and those countries may not be able to endure half a million refugees each.

Brahimi said that "if the only alternative is really hell or a political process, then we have got all of us to work ceaselessly for a political process."

Russia has been the main supporter of Assad's regime since the uprising began in March 2011, using its veto at the U.N. Security Council along with China to shield its last Mideast ally from international sanctions.

Lavrov said Russia would continue to oppose any U.N. resolution that would call for international sanctions against Assad and open the way for a foreign intervention in Syria. And while he again emphasized that Russia "isn't holding onto Bashar Assad," he added that Moscow continues to believe the opposition demand for his resignation as a precondition for peace talks is "counterproductive."

"The price for that precondition will be the loss of more Syrian lives," Lavrov said.

Both Brahimi and Lavrov insisted that efforts to end the civil war must be based on a peace plan that was approved at an international conference in Geneva in June.

The Geneva plan calls for an open-ended cease-fire, a transitional government to run the country until elections, and the drafting of a new constitution. But it was a non-starter with the opposition because of Russia's insistence that the plan leave the door open for Assad being part of the transition process and the fact that it didn't mention possible U.N. sanctions.

Brahimi said that while some "little adjustments" could be made to the original plan, "it's a valued basis for reasonable political process."

With the opposition offensive gaining momentum in Syria, there is little hope that the initiative would have any more chance of success than it had when it was approved.

Lavrov has said that Moscow is ready to talk to the main Syrian opposition group, even though it had earlier criticized the United States and other Western nations for recognizing the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

On Friday, coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib rejected the Russian invitation for talks and urged Moscow to support the opposition's call for Assad's ouster. Lavrov said Saturday that al-Khatib's statement was surprising after his earlier contacts with Russian diplomats in Egypt during which the opposition tentatively agreed on a meeting in a third country.

Lavrov said the coalition leader should "realize it would be in his own interests to hear our analysis directly from us."

Lavrov rejected the opposition claim that Russia's continuing weapons supplies to Assad's regime make it responsible for mass killings in Syria, saying that Moscow bears no responsibility for the Soviet-era weapons in Syrian arsenals. He said that defensive weapons such as anti-aircraft missiles that Russia has continued to supply to Damascus couldn't be used in the civil war.

"We aren't providing the Syrian regime with any offensive weapons or weapons that could be used in a civil war," Lavrov said. "And we have no leverage over what the regime has got since the Soviet times."

Georgy Mirsky, a leading Mideast expert with the Institute for World Economy and International Relations, a top foreign policy think tank, said President Vladimir Putin's stand on Syria is rooted in fear that joining international calls for Assad's resignation would make him look weak at home.

"It would look like an inadmissible concession to America, a virtual surrender. The Kremlin would lose its face, look like a loser," said Mirsky.

He wrote in his blog that Putin is resigned to Assad's eventual collapse and the loss of any Russian influence in a future Syria, but firmly opposes international sanctions. That stand allows Putin to tell his domestic audience that Russia has defended its ally until the end against overwhelming odds, said Mirsky.

__

Jim Heintz contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-29-Russia-Syria/id-f589ab2d0e81416fb27cc4d7b41c48b1

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Prison Planet.com ? Bill: Legal Gun Owners Must Surrender To ATF

PrisonPlanet.com
December 29, 2012

Legally owned guns to handed over to criminal BATF and owners fingerprinted as criminals.

Print this page.

Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/bill-legal-gun-owners-must-surrender-to-atf.html

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Swiss Hospitality And Management Schools: The Greater Picture

The billion-dollar hospitality industry is one of the largest, most progressive industries in the world as it keeps on advancing annually. In terms of having an exceptional, standardized practice in hotel management asserting precision and excellent quality assurance, Switzerland has this recognized, favored status of being the home ground of hospitality management. That is why there are now several Swiss hotel management schools that present academic programs to interested individuals, to develop them for a favorable international career in hospitality.

Having a profession in the Swiss hospitality business entails work openings in various areas such as: airlines, catering, concerts, conferences, cruise lines, cultural exhibits, fine dining, public recreation, resorts, restaurants, sports events, and many more. Countless amazing employment chances are in store for individuals who have appropriate credentials, as the hospitality industry is incessantly increasing.

A Swiss hotel management school can afford quality education and training that defines the right requirements an upcoming hotel manager must have. An array of first-rate undergraduate and postgraduate academic programs in International Hotel Operations Management, Events Management, Hotel Design and Project Management, Culinary Business Management, Entrepreneurship and Finance are present in top Swiss hotel management schools. These hotel management courses provide individuals extensive comprehension of all the facets of the industry.

Alongside the hospitality-centered academic programs are the comprehensive, practical hotel management training and internship experiences. Individuals are given the chance to immerse in the actual settings of hospitality facilities such as hotels, resorts and restaurants to let them put theory into practice. Some Swiss hotel management schools even incorporate internships across the globe, to guarantee an international awareness to education. Merging fundamental hotel management concepts and hospitality management skills produce the finest base for future profession. The skills and knowledge that the individuals earn from this Swiss hotel school are best applied in all hospitality businesses and tourism-related industries all around the world.

For individuals who have an interest to enroll in a Swiss hotel management school, there are several qualifying requirements that you have to meet. A minimum age of 17 is usually the primary requisite along with an English qualification. Usually, a level equal to a TOEFL 500 or an IELTS 5.0 is necessary. Some schools also have specific tests that entry applicants must take for English level assessment. For those who did not meet the necessities, or for non-native English speakers, they are usually enrolled to an Intensive English Language Course before they can proceed in taking up the hotel manager courses.

Switzerland has gained its reputation of being the "birthplace of hospitality management" a long time ago. People from all over the world, then and now, still yearn for the "'Swiss Hospitality Touch," that is why a Swiss hotel management school preserves the basic elements of what good hospitality management must be: convenient modernism, flawless accuracy, careful regulation, reliable quality and expert leadership. By enrolling in a Swiss hospitality management school, rest assured that you'll not just be an exceptional hotel manager, but an internationally-acclaimed, in demand hospitality management expert.

For more information about Hotel management and Swiss Hotel Management School, visit Vance W. Mae's website today for comprehensive detail.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/swiss-hospitality-and-management-schools-the-greater-picture-309840

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Mohamed A. El-Erian: This Political Polarization Is Really Bad for America

As the year comes to an end, dysfunctional Congressional politics continues to dominate the headlines, and rightly so.

Our politicians are scrambling to deal with a mess that they created all on their own -- a fiscal cliff that risks pushing the country into recession. And while a last minute "micro deal" is still possible, there will be little celebration, nor should there be.

Whatever transpires in the next few days, look for politicians to point fingers at each other. By diverting your attention to those in the other party on Capitol Hill, their hope is, of course, to influence your assessment of who is to blame for taking the country so close to the edge.

I argued in a prior post that the fiscal cliff is the result of a monumental Congressional political miscalculation back in the summer of 2011 -- one that a "game theorist" could have predicted based on an analytical assessment of the conditions under which politicians cooperate.

Yesterday, Jon Horne, a PIMCO colleague, pointed me to a column by Nate Silver which takes the analysis an important step further. And Mr. Silver's findings are quite depressing.

An anchor for Mr. Silver's analysis is the view that "one of the firmest conclusions of academic research into the behavior of Congress is that what motivates members first and foremost is winning elections." By combining this with realities on the ground, his analysis makes a strong case for continued political polarization going forward.

Mr. Silver's conclusion is stark: "As partisanship continues to increase, a divided government may increasingly mean a dysfunctional one."

It was once fashionable to argue that a divided government was good for the economy. The view then was that politicians would be too busy with political brinkmanship to get in the way of a dynamic private sector. As a result, unfettered by government interference, the private sector was more likely to invest, hire and prosper.

It is hard -- very hard -- to make this argument today; and for at least three reasons.

First, even diehard conservatives would admit that, since the 2008 global financial crisis, the country still has to overcome certain market failures. And for that, enlightened government policies are needed, including in clarifying property rights in segments still suffering from post financial bubble disorder.

Second, it is hard to deny the extent to which America has experienced a worsening in the distribution of income, wealth and opportunities in recent years. If we are not careful, this will tear at the social fabric that underpins a dynamic and prospering private sector.

Then there is the international evidence and related comparisons.

America has fallen behind several other countries when it comes to enhancing our human and physical capital. In many cases this is not something that the private sector can (and will) -- remedy fully. In particular, some of the slippages in education and infrastructure need (and should be solved via) public-private partnerships; others involve (indeed, urgently require) more active government reform efforts.

The bottom line is simple and consequential: Our self-inflicted fiscal cliff drama may be the most visible illustration of Congressional political dysfunction but it is unlikely to be the last one or the most challenging.

Judging from Mr, Silver's analysis, we could well experience several iteration of the analytical equivalent of the fiscal cliff in the months ahead. And we would do so with declining policy flexibility.

If left to fester, the related inability of Congress to step up to economic responsibilities would risk being associated with more than just sluggish growth, persistently high unemployment, and a growing sense of financial discomfort.

It would also undermine the country's longer-term growth potential and, with that, the ability of many citizens to realize the American dream.

?

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mohamed-a-elerian/political-polarization-fiscal-cliff_b_2379060.html

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Twitter stoush between MPs

MSNBC - Saturday 29th December, 2012

Add a location to your Tweets When you tweet with a location, Twitter stores that location. You can switch location on/off before each Tweet and always have the option to delete your location ...

How to keep Facebook on ?like? list

Tribune Review - Saturday 29th December, 2012

On Facebook, I?m connected to a lot of people who are not my friends. Over the years, as my Facebook friend list grows, it?s made me increasingly uncomfortable that I seem to know so ...

The Pope On Twitter

EWTN - Saturday 29th December, 2012

Vatican City, 29 November 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI is now present on Twitter. All related information will be reported on Monday 3 December at a press conference to be held in the Holy See Press ...

Michigan social media privacy law signed by governor

Global Post - Saturday 29th December, 2012

Getting a hold of your social media login info just got a lot harder in Michigan. Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday signed into law legislation that bans employers and schools from asking for ...

Four Big Questions for Social Media in 2013

Forbes - Saturday 29th December, 2012

Quora , the oldest of which is just five years old. The composition of this young social media ecosystem changes every year and 2013 will be no different. Social media companies will inevitably ...

Twitter stoush between MPs

New Zealand Herald - Saturday 29th December, 2012

A war of words has broken out on Twitter this morning after National MP Tau Henare was listed in a Herald on Sunday poll as one of the 10 MPs who should have performed better this year. Political ...

?Don?t insult Jonathan on Facebook?

The Punch - Saturday 29th December, 2012

The group said some Nigerians had taken delight in using abusive words against President Goodluck Jonathan, adding that such attitude was not common in other ...

Salem Police Track Down Graffiti Vandal Who Tagged Building With Twitter Handle

WBZ - Saturday 29th December, 2012

SALEM (CBS) ? Police in Salem had an easy time tracking down a graffiti vandal in their city after the suspect left behind a pretty big ...

Dish Network CEO Joseph Clayton talks about Hopper Blockbuster wireless mergers

Business Journal - Saturday 29th December, 2012

Joseph Clayton, Dish Network's CEO, at his Douglas County office. Dish Network Corp. founder Charlie Ergen grabs headlines for his crusade to create a multibillion-dollar wireless broadband ...

How We Used Facebook to Power Our Investigation Into Patient Harm

ProPublica - Saturday 29th December, 2012

A typical investigation might proceed like this: a journalist spends months (or more) reporting, keeps it fairly hush-hush, writes several stories, and then monitors comments and the social web as ...

How to Fix Facebook

Fox News - Saturday 29th December, 2012

NEW YORK ? A woman I haven't spoken to in six years is pregnant with her second son. Another college acquaintance reads the Bible a lot. A high school classmate likes to rant about ...

Social Medias Biggest Turn Offs

Forbes - Saturday 29th December, 2012

According to the social media gurus at SocialToaster in Baltimore, here are some surefire ways to lose followers on your social networking ...

Source: http://www.calcuttanews.net/index.php/sid/211660973/scat/63e88d54af0cf473

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Shark Tank Chaos, 40 Hacks for Great 2013, Randi Zuckerbergs Facebook Freakout, And More

2012 is quickly drawing to a close, but that doesn't mean the world has stopped turning. We had some good stuff in this last full week, and here's a selection of the best including 40 hacks you won't want to miss, the best concepts of the year that still haven't shown up, mind-bending optical illusions and logic puzzles, how to explain Santa scientifically, and how the Senate wants to keep spying on you. Check it all out below.

Watch Randi Zuckerberg Have a Facebook Freakout Over Her Photo Going Viral

You probably already read about Randi Zuckerberg's faux-privacy violation on Facebook this week. But odds are you're not part of her inner circle. Lucky for you, a tipster who's "Friends" with RZ gave up the goods directly from her wall. More ?

This Awesome Optical Illusion Will Twist Your Brain Into Knots

Kokichi Sugihara loves to screw up human perception. He is the master of 3D optical illusions, designing solid three-dimensional models that do impossible things. This house is his latest creation, presented a few days ago at the European Conference on Visual Perception in Sardinia, Italy. More ?

Senate Approves Warrantless Phone Tapping for Next Five Years

By a vote of 73 to 23, the US Senate just voted for the warrantless surveillance of American citizens until 2017. More ?

The Hardest Logic Puzzle Ever (and How to Solve It)

It's that strange time of year, the lull between Christmas and New Year, when you're not really celebrating but not really working either. So, how about you wrap your brain around the world's hardest logic puzzle to keep yourself amused? Y'know, just for fun. More ?

The 10 Most Exciting Concepts of 2012-Where Are You?

When you're obsessed with finding the most awesome gadgets and devices, there's nothing more heartbreaking than the word "concept." Not only does it mean you're not going to find a given device in stores-it usually means you're never going to find it anywhere. More ?

These Are the Best Android Apps of the Year According to Google

You already saw Apple's selection for best apps of the year 2012-which were kind of crappy and ridiculous. Here's Google's own list of best apps for Android. It's not much better than Apple's. Check them out and tell us what you think in the comments. More ?

Huge Shark Tank Breaks Inside Chinese Mall, 15 People Injured

Remember that fake image of a Dubai shopping mall flooded by a broken shark tank? Well, it has happened for real inside a shopping center in Shanghai, China, where 33 tons of water and three sharks invaded the mall after the glass shattered into multiple deadly shards. There are 15 people injured. More ?

40 Tricks You Must Know for a Much Better 2013

2012 is almost over. It's time to get ready for 2013 with these 40 life tricks that will make the next 12 months-and every month of your existence-a lot easier. Some hacks may be familiar, others will make you go "OMFG!" So bookmark this page and pass it along to your loved ones, because the more you remember, the easiest and more convenient 2013 is going to be. More ?

How to Scientifically Explain Santa Claus to Your Children

The Santa questions start firing at you before your kids turn five. How does he speed around the world in a single night? How does he know what I want? Sure, you could deny Santa's existence, but be ready for some tears. More ?

The Biggest Tech Disappointments of 2012

Lots of fun, good, and exciting things happened in our world this year. But there were still so many things that could've been truly great, but flopped. Broken promises. Awful gadgets. Here's what broke Gizmodo's heart in 2012. More ?

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/sXmronG8uMo/shark-tank-chaos-40-hacks-for-great-2013-randi-zuckerbergs-facebook-freakout-and-more

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Poorer School Districts Tend to Have Higher Portions of Kids in ...

ANNAPOLIS ? In poorer public school districts in Maryland, the percentage of students receiving special education is disproportionately higher than in wealthier districts, and has been since early 2000.

It?s a nationwide trend that experts say isn?t necessarily a bad thing, since schools in low-income areas have few other ways to address poverty-related disadvantages that affect students? learning abilities.

About 15 percent of students in Maryland?s top five poorest school districts received special education services last year, compared to about 10 percent in the five wealthiest districts, according to a Capital News Service analysis of the most recent Maryland Department of Education data.

Unlike labeling a child blind or deaf, other special education codes ? particularly ?learning disabled? and ?emotionally disturbed? ? aren?t as clearly defined and involve ?some judgment and subjectivity,? said Michael Petrilli, executive vice president of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a nonprofit educational organization.

Kids in poor areas struggle or act out in class ?because of the challenges of poverty,? he said, and are more likely to get labeled.

Baltimore, the second poorest district in the state according to U.S. Census data, has nearly double the percentage of students ? 16 percent ? in special education than Howard County, the wealthiest district, with 8.6 percent.

Low-income kids enter kindergarten already behind, said Abigail Thernstrom, vice chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights and an adjunct scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a nonprofit public-policy research group.

?Social class is a reality. There are student differences tied to social-class differences,? she said.

Parents reading to their children, making sure they eat a healthy breakfast and get enough sleep all affect a child?s learning ability, experts said.

?If you have a hungry kid in the classroom they can actually test for having a disability,? said Andrea Kalvesmaki, a medical anthropologist specializing in mental health disability at the Education Policy Institute, a nonprofit educational research and public policy group.

With less community support and fundraising power, schools in low-income areas shouldn?t be blamed for ?flagging problems they see ? That is their only means for helping,? she said. Placing a student in special education because of poverty-related challenges ?can actually help them so they can get extra services.?

Thernstrom said this doesn?t mean students are being mislabeled.

?These kids come in way behind,? and schools are responding to that, she said.

The federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990, last amended in 2004, governs special education and states a child cannot be deemed disabled if the ?determinant factor is lack of proper reading instruction, lack of math instruction or limited English fluency.?

There?s no way to tell if a school is unfairly labeling students, said Debra Gardner, communications specialist for the Maryland State Education Association, a union that lobbies for teacher and student needs. ?But it does raise a red flag when you see a trend in a specific area, school or neighborhood.?

The root problem is that poverty-related disadvantages are complex and hard to correct, especially through school systems.

?The important variables here are social class and parental education,? Thernstrom said. ?Is the state working with parents in charge to create a better environment for academic learning??

Staff commonly visit families? homes and make suggestions, sometimes on ?very basic parenting skills in combination with? special education, but they can?t force a family to comply, said Judy Pattik, special education coordinator for Howard County Public Schools.

Pattik doesn?t know why her district?s numbers are so low, but speculates the county?s strong early intervention program ? beginning special education as soon as possible, ideally before kids are even in school ? and extra help in regular classes, keeps kids from struggling.

Howard County resident Kim McKay has a 16-year-old son with autism enrolled in public high school. He?s received special education through the Howard County Public School System since he was 15 months old.

McKay said her son now takes all of his classes in regular classrooms with regular students where teachers adjust lessons for him as needed.

She said she was lucky to already live in a district with ?one of the best? public special education systems in the state. If she didn?t, she would have sought services elsewhere.

?There are a couple counties where I feel like the system is set up not against families, but not about families ? There seems to be more concern about budget than about what kids need,? she said.

Some counties have worked to change their numbers.

About 10 years ago, Allegany County, Maryland?s third poorest district at the time, had the highest proportion of special education students in the state ? 18 percent.

Concerned Allegany school officials went to the Maryland Department of Education, which contracted a consulting firm to analyze the school system, as well as those in Washington and Garrett counties that sit on either side of Allegany.

The firm concluded that while there was ?insufficient conclusive evidence? the county was over-identifying students, certain factors contributed to the high percentage.

These included a continuing decline in overall school enrollment, which, when the number of kids receiving special education isn?t declining, makes it hard to keep percentages down. They also pointed to ?several social and economic factors,? like high drug use and low median incomes, as well as other factors.

Allegany schools made changes in special and general education, such as enhancing pre-school programs and offering extra help in regular classes.

Since then, the percentage of special education students has declined to about 13 percent, the fourth highest percentage in the state. Allegany is Maryland?s poorest district.

?Funding does not drive services. Anything a child needs ? we must deliver,? said Marcella Franczkowski, assistant state superintendent of the division of special education and early intervention services at the Maryland Department of Education.

Schools must meet the same federal and state standards, but counties can deliver services in ways that best fit their demographics, which could account for disparities across the state, she said.

?You could not possibly expect services to be delivered the same way in Allegany County as in Baltimore County,? she said. ?With the distance between schools and homes, things are very different.?

Educators and analysts agree early intervention and mainstreaming are the best routes to ensure kids get help and eventually don?t need extra services.

Maryland is one of six states that provide special education from birth to 21 years old, and has been focusing on mainstreaming and early intervention over the past several years, Franczkowski said.

Statewide, the number of special education students has declined from 12.2 percent in 2003 to 11.4 percent in 2011, below the national average of 13 percent, which, Franczkowski said, ?reflects our work.?

But to shrink the disparity, people must talk about learning disability and poverty together, Kalvesmaki said. We ?can?t take poverty out of the equation.?

By SOPHIE PETIT

Source: http://talbotspy.com/poorer-school-districts-tend-to-have-higher-portions-of-kids-in-special-ed/

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Shared Web Hosting Simplified | Veritas India

Posted on December 29, 2012 by dufttuey508 in Internet

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Source: http://www.veritasindia.com/shared-web-hosting-simplified

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Carrot Juice - Benefits | Fitlife.TV

Carrot Juice?

I LOVE THIS STUFF. Check out some information I found while searching online. ?Hope you enjoy.

Islamabad: Carrot can offer prevention against different ailments, say health experts.

The vegetable-cum-fruit contains rich vitamin and mineral contents, besides other valuable nutrients.

Considering the effectiveness of carrot, doctors?and health experts have declared it ?apple? for the people having meager resources, the News reported.

Dr. Mian Iftikhar, a Medical Specialist, said that carrot especially its juice, is better for stomach and gastrointestinal health, which also solves a variety of digestive problems.

He said carrot is useful in different cases like stomach disorder, peptic ulcers, gastritis, crohn?s disease (chronic inflammatory disease affecting the whole of the alimentary tract), diarrhoea, celiac disease (defective digestion found in children).

Carrot Juice IS REALLY GOOD FOR YOU!

Carrot juice, combined with spinach and a little lemon juice, is very effective in the treatment of constipation, he added.

The juice cleanses the bowels, he said and added that this effect could not be expected soon after taking the juice but within two months, the bowel starts emptying regularly.

Family Physician Dr. Syed Hasnain Ali Johar, added that appropriate use of carrot juice is helpful in fighting obesity, poisoning of the blood, gum disease, insomnia, inflamed kidney, liver, gallbladder, Alzheimer?s disease, colitis, ulcer and painful urination.
He said it is an excellent source of pro-vitamin A, vitamins C, D, E, K, B1 and B6, adding that carrot is also rich with biotin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, organic sodium and some trace minerals.

The doctor said carrot could enhance the quality of mother?s milk, improving the appearance of skin, hair and nails.

He noted the carrot soup has been found as an effective natural remedy for diarrhoea, which supplies fluid to combat dehydration, replenishes sodium, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur and magnesium. Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice,?Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice, Carrot Juice,?

Here is one of our favorites at Fitlife.TV

Source: http://fitlife.tv/carrot-juice-what-are-the-benefits/

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21 missing Pakistani policemen found shot dead

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) ? Twenty-one tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan's troubled northwest tribal region early Sunday, government officials said.

Officials found the bodies shortly after midnight in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan.

The 23 policemen went missing before dawn Thursday when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in Frontier Region Peshawar. Two policemen were also killed in the attacks.

Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, but suspicion fell on the Pakistani Taliban, who have been waging a bloody insurgency against the government for the past few years. The tribal region is the main sanctuary for the Taliban in Pakistan.

On Saturday, an explosion ripped through a passenger bus at a terminal in the southern city of Karachi, killing six people and wounding 52 others, some of whom were in critical condition, said Seemi Jamali, a doctor at the hospital where the victims were being treated.

Police were trying to determine whether the blast, which reduced the bus to a charred skeleton, was caused by a bomb or a gas canister that exploded, said police spokesman Imran Shaukat. Many buses in Pakistan run on natural gas.

Karachi has a long history of political, ethnic and sectarian violence. It is also believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have fled U.S. drone attacks and Pakistani army operations in the country's northwest.

Also Saturday, a government official said authorities are investigating allegations that cough syrup has killed 33 people over the past three days in eastern Pakistan, the second time in recent months medicine is suspected of causing multiple deaths.

The deaths occurred in the city of Gujranwala and nearby villages, said local official Abdul Jabbar Shaheen. Another 54 people thought to have consumed the syrup are also being treated at city hospitals. Officials believe the victims drank the syrup to get high, he added.

Tests show the victims' stomachs contained dextromethorphan, a synthetic morphine derivative used in cough syrup that can have mind-altering effects if consumed in large quantities, said Shaheen. Investigators are trying to determine if the victims drank too much syrup, or whether there was a problem with the medicine itself, he said.

Twenty-three people died in the nearby city of Lahore in November after drinking bad cough syrup sold under the brand name Tyno. They were also described at the time as people who consumed the drug to get high.

Shaheen said the cough syrup involved in the incidents in and around Gujranwala was not sold under a single brand. He said some people in the city make cough syrup to sell specifically to drug addicts, and officials are trying to arrest them.

Officials temporarily closed one Lahore-based pharmaceutical company whose cough syrup was found in the possession of some affected in Gujranwala. They are investigating whether it caused any of the deaths, said Shaheen.

_____

Associated Press writers Adil Jawad in Karachi, Pakistan, and Zaheer Babar in Lahore, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/21-missing-pakistani-policemen-found-shot-dead-214325784.html

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Curiosity spends holidays in Yellowknife Bay, immortalized on special Foursquare badge

While many of us were opening presents and having our fill of mulled cider, NASA's trusty Curiosity rover was busy at work capturing panoramic views of Yellowknife Bay, a shallow area of unusual terrain on the Red planet. Jokingly dubbed "Grandma's house" by the crew, the rover spent over 11 Martian days there so that handlers could take some time off for the holidays. When they get back, the space vehicle will hopefully have provided enough data to pinpoint a potential drilling area so it can drill, collect and analyze rock samples using onboard tools -- a feat never-before attempted on Mars.

The Curiosity rover has, however, checked in on Foursquare on Mars, which is a feat no one else is likely to attempt. In continued collaboration with the social media platform, NASA is now providing a Curiosity Explorer badge to anyone who checks in to a NASA visitor center or a venue categorized as a science museum or planetarium. Badge recipients will get this message: "Get out your rock-vaporizing laser! You've explored your scientific curiosities just like NASA's Curiosity rover on Mars. Stay curious and keep exploring. You never know what you'll find." No idea if you'll get a free "scoop" of space ice cream or a hand in the next Mars mission along with it, but we're behind anything that boosts the public's interest in space.

Filed under: Science, Internet, Alt

Comments

Source: NASA, Space.com

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/WiOtte8w7QI/

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U.S. Senate leaders aim to craft "fiscal cliff" bill by Sunday

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate leaders are working to craft legislation by Sunday that averts the year-end "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, but many details needed to be worked out after a crucial meeting with President Barack Obama on Friday.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid and his Republican counterpart Mitch McConnell, termed the meeting "constructive" and "positive" and said they would keep working on trying to find a solution over the weekend.

After adjourning on Friday, Reid he would probably not call the Senate back into session until about 1 p.m. EST/ 1800 GMT on Sunday to give leaders time to hash out a deal.

"We are engaged in discussions, the majority leader and myself and the White House, in the hopes that we can come forward as early as Sunday and have a recommendation that I can make to my conference and the majority leader can make to his conference," McConnell said on the Senate floor.

"So we'll be working hard to try to see if we can get there in the next 24 hours. So I'm hopeful and optimistic," he added.

An aide to House of Representatives Speaker John Boehner said it was agreed at the White House meeting that the Senate should act first.

"The speaker told the president that if the Senate amends the House-passed legislation and sends back a plan, the House will consider it - either by accepting or amending," the aide said.

However, Reid said it would be difficult to craft a solution that can win passage in both the House and Senate, adding that it involves "big numbers."

"Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect," Reid said. "Some people aren't going to like it. Some people will like it less. But that's where we are and I feel confident that we have an obligation to do the best we can."

(Reporting By David Lawder, Rachelle Younglai; editing by Christopher Wilson)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-leaders-aim-craft-fiscal-cliff-bill-sunday-225027077--business.html

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Honorable Mentions of 2012: 'Argo'

You've seen our Top Ten of 2012 list, but now let's take a look back at the movies that just missed the cut. These are our Honorable Mentions of 2012. What the hell happened to Ben Affleck? The guy goes from being a punch line to being the director Warner Bros. supposedly wanted for their [...]

Source: http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2012/12/27/argo-honorable-mentions/

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Dockworkers strike averted for now at US ports

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a truck driver watches as a freight container, right, is lowered onto a tractor trailer by a container crane at the Port of Boston in Boston. The crane and a reach stacker, left, are operated by longshoremen at the port. The longshoremen's union may strike if they are unable to reach an agreement on their contract, which expires Dec. 29, 2012. A walkout by dock workers represented by the International Longshoremen?s Association would bring commerce to a near halt at ports from Boston to Houston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

FILE - In this Dec. 18, 2012 file photo, a truck driver watches as a freight container, right, is lowered onto a tractor trailer by a container crane at the Port of Boston in Boston. The crane and a reach stacker, left, are operated by longshoremen at the port. The longshoremen's union may strike if they are unable to reach an agreement on their contract, which expires Dec. 29, 2012. A walkout by dock workers represented by the International Longshoremen?s Association would bring commerce to a near halt at ports from Boston to Houston. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Dockworkers along the East Coast and the Gulf of Mexico agreed Friday to extend their contract for more than a month, averting a weekend strike that could have crippled major ports from Boston to Houston and bottled up billions of dollars' worth of cargo.

Talks aimed at reaching a new contract covering the 14,500 longshoremen will continue during the extension, which runs through Feb. 6.

The dockworkers' union and an alliance of port operators and shipping lines agreed to the extension after resolving one of the stickier points in their negotiations, involving royalty payments to longshoremen for each container they unload. Details were not disclosed.

Federal mediator George Cohen said the agreement on royalties was "a major positive step forward."

"While some significant issues remain in contention, I am cautiously optimistic that they can be resolved," he said.

The contract between the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance originally expired in September. The two sides agreed to extend it once before, for 90 days, but it had been set to expire again at 12:01 a.m. Sunday.

As recently as Dec. 19, the president of the longshoremen's union, Harold Daggett, had said a strike was expected.

A walkout would have crippled the loading and unloading of a vast number of products, including electronics and clothing, and made it more difficult for U.S. manufacturers to get parts and raw materials at a time when the economy is in shaky condition. The ports involved handle about 40 percent of all U.S. container cargo.

Business groups expressed relief that the two sides had agreed to keep the docks running.

"A coast-wide port shutdown is not an option. It would have severe economic ramifications for the local, national and even global economies and wreak havoc on the supply chain," said National Retail Federation President Matthew Shay.

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said: "We're pleased the parties are going to continue their work at the negotiating table and continue to urge them to reach an agreement as quickly as possible."

Major ports that would have been frozen included the massive terminals serving the New York City area and critical seaports in Savannah, Ga., Houston, and Hampton Roads, Va.

Other ports that would have been affected are in Boston; the Philadelphia area; Baltimore; Wilmington, N.C.; Charleston, S.C.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; Miami; Tampa, Fla.; Mobile, Ala.; and New Orleans.

Longshoremen on the West Coast have a separate contract.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-28-Longshoremen-Contract/id-7b007c49e2934a40a9a259eda181e4ab

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