Affairs of the hearth - Washington Blade

Have you had an affair this year?? Open any newspaper or online news source and the odds are pretty good that you?ll be reading about someone else?s.

There are foreign affairs and domestic affairs, love affairs and extramarital affairs, current affairs and political affairs and let?s not forget our country?s financial affairs, which nobody in Congress seems to be able to straighten out.

I?ve had many affairs of the heart, but at the end of the year I always think back on my affairs of the hearth: my real estate relationships with buyers and sellers.

The purchase of a home is probably one of the largest and most important business affairs you will ever be involved in. It?s an emotionally charged process, where you share the intimate details of your life ? your wants, needs, finances and insecurities ? with relative strangers.? Your own story may be a romantic comedy, a farce or a thriller with lots of twists and turns, but each time you buy or sell a home, you can be sure it will be An Affair to Remember.

The Meet Cute

Selecting your agent is the first step in beginning your affair with real estate. You may spy him across a crowded room at an open house or be attracted to his online photo. You may be introduced to her by friends or family, or share a smile in the checkout line at Whole Foods.

However you meet, your relationship begins with a hint of desire. You?re excited about the prospect of finding a new home. Your sleep schedule suffers as you stay up late looking at listings on the Internet. You draw little hearts around your favorites and tell all your friends about them.

The Dating Game

On your first ?date? with your agent you are a bit tentative about the information you share.? Unlike a personal relationship, however, there is no such thing as too much information. Sharing personal data early helps to enhance communication and establish mutual respect and trust, which is a critical part of a successful future together.

Slowly, you introduce your agent to your circle of friends and family who want to meet this new person who is currently playing such a large role in your life. After all, these people care about your interests and you want them to like each other and work well together.

The Romantic Journey

During your next series of dates, your agent takes you to new heights, Columbia Heights, District Heights and places you have never been before. Boy meets condo. Girl meets house.? You feel euphoric as you are being introduced to an entirely new world of light-filled spaces.? Your eyes sparkle like granite countertops.

Your agent takes on the roles of educator, counselor, mentor and sometimes inquisitor to make sure you are informed and at ease, and when the time and place are right he asks if you are ready to make a commitment.? Like Sally who met Harry, you shout, ?Yes!? Yes!? Yes!?

The Rules of Engagement

Before you ?put a ring on it,? your agent negotiates your pre-nuptial agreement. This document, also known as a contract offer, outlines the terms and conditions of your upcoming marriage.

You use the ensuing engagement period to conduct a review of your financial obligations, obtain a health check-up, see that you are properly insured and decide whether you are still in love. Soon you are ready for the wedding ceremony, where you signify your commitment to everlasting joy and debt.

Back to the Future

Will you outgrow your first love, divorce and move on or stay with your beloved forever as you grow old together? Will this be The End of the Affair? I doubt it.

Just as Thomas Crown had two affairs, one with Faye Dunaway and the other with Rene Russo, most of us will have more than one affair of the hearth in our lifetime. Look for the sequel in 2013.

Valerie M. Blake can be reached at 202-246-8602 or Valerie@DCHomeQuest.com. Prudential PenFed Realty is an independently owned and operated broker member of BRER Affiliates, Inc. Prudential, the Prudential logo and the Rock symbol are registered service marks of Prudential Financial, Inc. and its related entities, registered in many jurisdictions worldwide.? Used under license with no other affiliation with Prudential. Equal Housing Opportunity.

Source: http://www.washingtonblade.com/2012/12/27/affairs-of-the-hearth/

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Goldwin Korea to sponsor the UIAA Ice Climbing ... - Recreation Law

PRESS RELEASE Goldwin Korea to sponsor the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour 12 December 2012, BERN, Switzerland: The UIAA ? International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation has signed a sponsorship agreement with Goldwin Korea, the official license partner of The North Face in Korea, starting with the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour.The agreement involves a long-term commitment by the UIAA and Goldwin Korea to champion and develop the sport of competitive ice climbing.?An agreement such as this one is a sign of confidence that the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour which has been growing in popularity over the years is a top notch international event,? said UIAA president Frits Vrijlandt. ?We are ready to take the sport to the next level and the support of a major company such as Goldwin Korea will ensure this happens.?Kihak Sung who is Chief Executive Officer of Goldwin Korea said the sponsorship agreement with the UIAA is an evolution of the company?s continued and proud support of a number of Korean climbers and explorers since 1997.?I am very delighted that we will support global climbers as sponsor company of the UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour series from 2013 to 2018,? said Sung. ?I also look forward to the ongoing success of all UIAA Ice Climbing World Tour events.?

Sung who sent a video message to the UIAA General Assembly last month said that he is especially enthusiastic that the first stop in the 2013 UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup tour will be in Cheongsong, Korea and he is looking forward to meeting ice climbers from all over the world.

Angelika Rainer ? Italy, Shin Woon Seon ? Korea and Maria Shabalina-Tolokonina ? Russia (Photo: UIAA)

The 2013 tour dates are:

• Cheongsong, Korea (12 ? 13 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed) & World Championship (Lead) Saas-Fee, Switzerland (18 ? 19 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
• Rabenstein, Italy (26 ? 27 January, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
• Busteni, Romania (7 ? 9 February, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed)
• Kirov, Russia (8 ? 10 March, 2013): UIAA Ice Climbing World Cup (Lead and Speed) & World Championship (Speed)

The promotional video for the 2013 competition which was recently released by the UIAA can be found here.

In addition to the usual tour, a new event, the UIAA Ice Climbing World Youth Championship will be held in Saas Grund, Switzerland 12 ? 13 January, 2013 simultaneously with the Cheongsong competition.

The 2012 tour saw 209 athletes from 27 countries compete in the Lead and Speed disciplines.

In Speed, competitors climb up an artificial ice wall in the fastest time while in the Lead discipline athletes are judged on their ability to climb a difficult route in the best time.

There are two types of winners; those who win each phase of the competition and overall winners based on the total points accumulated after events in Korea, Switzerland, Italy, Romania and Russia where the tour concludes on 10 March 2013.

The UIAA Ice Climbing Commission has added Rabenstein (Italy), which has experience holding ice climbing competitions, as a new venue for the 2013 competitions calendar. Additional requests from organizers for competitions to be held in the U.S.A. and Russia are under consideration.

Kihak Sung of Goldwin Korea (Photo: Goldwin Korea)

About Goldwin Korea

Goldwin Korea is the official license partner of The North Face in Korea. Goldwin Korea launched The North Face in Korea in 1997 and The North Face is now the leading outdoor brand in Korea.

About The North Face

The North Face, a division of VF Outdoor, Inc., was founded in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, snowsport athletes, endurance athletes, and explorers. The company?s products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, running and snowsport retailers, premium-sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains.

About the UIAA

The UIAA was founded in 1932 and has 80 member associations in 50 countries representing about 1.3 million people. The organization?s mission is to promote the growth and protection of mountaineering and climbing worldwide, advance safe and ethical mountain practices and promote responsible access, culture and environmental protection.

The organization operates through the work of its commissions which make recommendations, set policy and advocate on behalf of the mountaineering community. The UIAA is recognized by the International Olympic Committee for mountaineering and natural surface climbing.

Source: http://recreation-law.com/2012/12/27/goldwin-korea-to-sponsor-the-uiaa-ice-climbing-world-tour/

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New computer bridges classical and quantum computing

A new type of machine could rival quantum computers in exceeding the power of classical computers, researchers say.

Quantum computers rely on the bizarre properties of atoms and the other construction blocks of the universe. The world is a fuzzy place at its very smallest levels ? in this realm where quantum physics dominates, things can seemingly exist in two places at once or spin in opposite directions at the same time.

The new computers rely on "boson" particles, and resemble quantum computers, which differ from traditional computers in important ways. Normal computers represent data as ones and zeroes, binary digits known as bits that are expressed by flicking switch-like transistors on or off. Quantum computers, however, use quantum bits, or qubits (pronouced "cue-bits"), that can be on and off at the same time, a state known as "superposition."

This allows the machines to carry out two calculations simultaneously. Quantum physics permits such behavior because it allows for particles that can exist in two places at once or spin in opposite directions at the same time.

[Experiment Demonstrates Possibility of Quantum Internet]

In principle, quantum computers could solve certain problems much faster than can classical computers, because the quantum machines could run through every possible combination at once. A quantum computer with 300 qubits could run more calculations in an instant than there are atoms in the universe.

However, keeping qubits in superposition is challenging, and the problem grows more difficult as more qubits are involved. As such, building quantum computers that are more powerful than classical computers has proven very difficult.

Now, though, two independent teams of scientists have built a novel kind of device known as a boson-sampling computer. Described as a bridge between classical and quantum computers, these machines also make use of the bizarre nature of quantum physics. Although boson-sampling computers theoretically offer less power than quantum computers are capable of producing, the machines should still, in principle, out-perform classical computers in certain problems.

In addition, a boson-sampling computer does not require qubits. As such, "it's technologically far simpler to create than building a full-scale quantum computer," said researcher Matthew Broome, a quantum physicist at the University of Queensland in Australia.

Boson-sampling computers are actually a specialized kind of quantum computer (which is known more formally as a universal quantum computer).

"The main difference between boson-sampling computers and universal quantum computers is that boson-sampling quantum computers can't solve a universal set of problems like universal quantum computers can," Broome said. "But they are still conjectured to be able to solve problems that would be massively intractable for classical computers. Boson sampling computers are an intermediate model of a quantum computer."

Boson-sampling computers are not based on qubits, but on particles called bosons. "In our case, we use photons," said researcher Ian Walmsley, a quantum physicist at the University of Oxford in England. Photons are the packets of energy that make up light, and are one type of boson.

Broome and Walmsley were in separate groups that each devised a boson-sampling computer, based off concepts first described by theoretical computer scientist Scott Aaronson at MIT. The computers involve multiple devices that can each generate single photons. The photons are inserted into a network where they can interact with one another. They emerge from outputs equipped with sensors to analyze the particles.

The task of calculating which outputs these photons will emerge from, an operation known as boson sampling, grows well beyond the capabilities of classical computers the more photons are involved. The new computers accurately resolved what paths the photons would take ? three photons with Broome and his colleagues' machine and four in Walmsley and his collaborators' device.

Since boson-sampling computing is in its infancy, it remains uncertain whether these computers can solve problems beyond boson sampling. Still, this research suggests that computers based on quantum physics could indeed tackle problems beyond the reach of classical computers.

Previously, there was nothing to say "that anything you can do on a quantum computer you can't do on a normal computer, which leaves in question the necessity for quantum computers," Broome said. "Now, with boson sampling, we're coming up with machines based on quantum physics that can attack problems strongly believed to be intractable for classical computers."

In the future, "it would be great to push these computers toward more photons to tackle problems that would be challenging to simulate on normal computers," study coauthor Walmsley added. Using about 20 to 30 photons would be a problem?beyond the capabilities of classical computers.

Both research teams detailed their findings online Dec. 20 in the journal Science.

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, sister site to LiveScience.

Copyright 2012 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/computer-bridges-classical-quantum-computing-175759146.html

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Killer Left Chilling Note Before N.Y. Firefighter Shootings

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/killer-left-chilling-note-before-ny-firefighter-shootings/

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So You Just Got a Wii U. Now What?

Chelsea Stark 2012-12-26 18:25:02 UTC

Since the holiday gift-giving period is over, many of you might be fortunate enough to have received a brand new Wii U.

Nintendo's latest console is quite different from other gaming consoles, and there are lots of great ways for you to take advantage of it. There are already a wide variety of games coming out for the Wii U, so you have a plethora of entertainment options as soon as you take it out of the box.

We've compiled a list of tips for first-time Wii U owners that should make your setup and first few days much easier. We've included a few games to try, as well.

Are you setting up a Wii U for the first time? Share any of your thoughts and tips in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy nubobo, Flickr.

Topics: Entertainment, Gadgets, gallery, Gaming, holidays 2012, Nintendo, Wii U

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/12/26/wii-u-setup-tips/

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'Les Mis' dreams a dream, and dreams big

By Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, NBC News

REVIEW: There are movies and then there are movie experiences. "Les Miserables" is the latter. The audience I saw it with sat in mesmerized silence through the songs, the drama, the very miniscule speaking parts. They sat quietly when the credits rolled and then applauded with fervor, as if they were seeing the show live. If a Broadway musical isn't your thing, "Les Mis" won't convert you, but if you're open to it, the filmed version doesn't let fans down. It's not subtle, it's not small, but it shouldn't be.

The musical, based of course on Victor Hugo's 1000-page-plus 150-year-old novel, does an amazing job of skating between multiple plots. Hugh Jackman plays the released prisoner Jean Valjean, who spends the film fleeing the dogged Inspector Javert (Russell Crowe). Their lives criss-cross with that of a doomed mother, trickster innkeepers, an abused orphan and the young students of France's 1832 June Rebellion. That's a lot of happenings, even for a three-hour film, and newcomers to the "Les Mis" craze are bound to get lost once or twice, but stay with it.

So much of the movie rests on Jackman's performance, and he delivers. His singing is powerful and natural, and his performance as the haunted, redeemed Valjean drives the movie.

Anne Hathaway as Fantine isn't in every scene, but her fall from prettiest girl in the factory to wretched mother who sells her hair, teeth and body to save her child is stunning, a mini-movie all its own. The beautiful Hathaway keeps only her swan neck -- the rest of her turns dirty and ugly and sick and messy, a most non-Hollywood look for a red-carpet icon.?

Sacha Baron Cohen and Helena Bonham Carter play the?Th?nardiers, the conniving innkeepers who treat Fantine's daughter Cosette as their own Cinderella. Not all critics appreciate their bumbling slapstick, but it's remarkably toned down considering the actors in question. Their "Master of the House" is the musical's most memorable song (tied only with Fantine's "I Dreamed a Dream"), and it's hard not to leave the theater with it bumbling around in your brain.

So many other highlights. Isabelle Allen, the tiny blonde who plays a young Cosette, is a somber, sweet version of the musical's famed poster, and her grave demeanor suits her role. Her character grows up to be played by an adequate Amanda Seyfried, but Seyfried is blown off the screen by beautiful brunette Samantha Barks, who played the role of Eponine in the London production and reprises it wonderfully, touchingly here.

The plot that takes place on a Parisian barricade brings in a dozen or so young men with names like Scrabble words (Enjolras,?Courfeyrac,?Lesgles). But Eddie Redmayne as Marius, who pines for Cosette and is in turn loved by Eponine, is really the main one you need to know, and he rises out of a crowd of young faces with a soaring voice and a believable anguish as his brave rebellion goes horribly wrong.

Not everything works. Fans of the musical were amused by the casting of Russell Crowe as Inspector Javert. He can be a great actor, but he has an Australian accent and no stage singing experience (though yes, he sang for years with his own band). Every time he sings, it feels a little like a night at a Sydney karaoke bar. But the complaints are minor. Whether you've got the soundtrack memorized or only know it from Susan Boyle and George Costanza,?"Les Mis" is a dazzling film experience.

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/21/16073473-les-miserables-dreams-a-dream-and-dreams-big?lite

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TSX closes lower as U.S. budget fears linger

TORONTO (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index ended down after a quiet, shortened Christmas Eve trading session on Monday, as oil prices extended their retreat on worries about U.S. 'fiscal cliff' budget measures, pulling energy shares lower.

With U.S. lawmakers suspending talks on the spending cuts and tax increases that could send the economy back into recession until after Christmas, the market was cautious.

Rick Hutcheon, President and Chief Operating Officer at RKH Investments, said uncertainty around the U.S. fiscal cliff was weighing on the market.

"We have to get past the fiscal cliff. That's obviously a negative," he said.

World oil prices fell for a third straight session as the budget dispute threatened to hurt demand by the United States - the world's top oil consumer. Energy was the most influential negative sector, closing down 0.7 percent.

There is no set date for budget talks to resume, and the two sides have only a few days between Christmas and January 1, when $600 billion in spending cuts and tax increases start to take effect.

But Hutcheon also cautioned that markets were quiet: "There is very little volume - you can't read too much into the transactions that are occurring today."

"It's extremely quiet," said John Kinsey, Portfolio Manager at Caldwell Securities. "There's just nobody around."

Kinsey, like most political experts and economists, expects a U.S. budget deal of some sort will come after Christmas.

"They have been through this before and they usually just kick the can down the road," he added. "Something's going to get down, not probably what I would like to see, but something is always done."

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index <.gsptse> closed down 0.12 percent, or 14.90 points, at 12,370.80.

Canadian and U.S. equity markets closed early, shutting at 1 p.m. EST (1800 GMT) ahead of Tuesday's Christmas holiday. Canadian markets will remain closed through Wednesday's Boxing Day holiday.

Financial stocks closed little changed, up 0.03 percent. The materials sector edged down 0.13 percent as copper slipped. The Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB Index <.trjcrb>, which tracks commodity prices, was down 0.35 percent.

Canada Life, a unit of insurer Great-West Lifeco Inc , is close to a deal for state-rescued insurer Irish Life, a source familiar with the talks said on Sunday. On Monday, Great-West rose 0.5 percent to C$24.30.

Chevron Corp's Canadian unit said it would buy a 50 percent stake in the Kitimat liquefied natural gas project and the proposed Pacific Trail Pipeline from EOG Resources Inc and Encana Corp . Encana fell 2.3 percent to C$19.66.

After Friday's close, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc said a client had given notice that it would terminate an engineering, procurement and construction contract. But SNC said it did not anticipate a material impact on fourth-quarter earnings. Its shares closed up 0.8 percent at C$40.21.

Outside the index, Sears Canada Inc rose 1.6 percent to C$10.83 after it said its chief financial officer would resign effective January 4. The company, majority-owned by Sears Holdings Corp is pushing for a turnaround after several quarters of precipitous declines in same-store sales.

($1=$0.99 Canadian)

(Reporting by Allison Martell; editing by Peter Galloway, G Crosse)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tsx-may-open-lower-u-fiscal-cliff-concerns-133350692--finance.html

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Let Your Spouse Sleep And Stop Snoring With These ... - Health Care

A lot of people are embarrassed by their snoring and tend to be in denial about how serious the problem is. If your snoring has embarrassed you, and you?re ready to stop, then read on.

If someone close to you is complaining about your snoring, try eliminating dairy products, as they may be the cause. If you are eating them just before going to bed, stop doing so for seven days and see if things get better. For some people, dairy causes mucus to build up in their throat. This could result in snoring. You can still enjoy dairy products, just make sure you eat them before 6pm.

Run a humidifier each night when you go to bed. Humidifiers put out a consistent stream of warm vapor that can moisturize the air. When that warm, moist air is breathed in, then the nasal passages, the throat and the remainder of the airway is moisturized, as well. A benefit to doing this is the minimizing of snoring.

One tip that people with allergies should consider, if they are prone to snoring, is to stay away from antihistamines before they go to sleep. Antihistamines may cause drowsiness, and also dry out nasal passageways. And this can lead to snoring. If it is necessary to take these types of drugs, take them several hours before bedtime.

Stop snoring with the help of special exercises. Through advancements in medical science, exercises have been developed to help eliminate snoring. Consult a medical professional and ask her if these snoring exercises may be able to treat your snoring problem.

Whether you snore or you are being kept up by someone who does, a great tip to reduce snoring is to use multiple pillows. Using more pillows allows your head to be raised, creating a clear path down your throat for easier breathing. That will fix your snoring problem right away.

Speak to your doctor to learn more about mandibular advancement appliances, and if that is something that would help control your snoring. This is a mouth guard which fits perfectly against your teeth, both the top and the bottom. As their name states, mandibular advancement appliances help position your jaw a tad forward so that you can stop snoring.

Don?t sleep on your back to prevent snoring. To help you stay off your back, sew a tennis ball on the back of the top of your pajamas. Lying on the object won?t be comfortable and may even wake you up, so this technique helps you train yourself not to sleep on your back.

If you have trouble with snoring, essential oils may offer some relief. Some of these oils, such as eucalyptus and peppermint, are great at clearing stuffy nasal passages. They facilitate breathing, which in turn facilitates snore-free sleep. Try this easy solution next time you feel stuffed up.

If you or someone you know has a snoring problem, there is a nifty trick that prevents snorers from rolling onto their backs. Attaching an object to your back will help you to roll to your side each time you end up on your back.

Now you should have more of an idea of the requirements for eliminating snoring. Implement these tips into your nightly routine, and soon you?ll be sleeping noise free.

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Source: http://www.healthcarecenteradvice.com/2012/12/25/let-your-spouse-sleep-and-stop-snoring-with-these-tips/

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Political Hypocrites: A Look At Politicians Who Deserve A Lump Of ...

Mike Crapo

Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), who has touted his <a href="http://www.theatlanticwire.com/politics/2012/12/mormon-senator-mike-crapo-gets-arrested-drunk-driving-bad-jokes-follow/60290/" target="_hplink">Mormon religion</a> in the past, was <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/mike-crapo-dui_n_2357148.html?utm_hp_ref=politics" target="_hplink">arrested</a> in Alexandria, Virginia for driving under the influence. Crapo released the <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/mike-crapo-drunk-driving-85451.html" target="_hplink">following statement</a> on his arrest: "I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance," Crapo said. "I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter. I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated."

John Ensign

Then-Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) was a proponent of the Federal Marriage Amendment, which would have banned states from recognizing same-sex marriage. "Marriage is the cornerstone on which our society was founded," he argued on the Senate floor in 2004. He also called on President Bill Clinton to resign over the Monica Lewinsky scandal, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/16/ensign-whacked-clinton-fo_n_216508.html">saying it had destroyed the president's credibility</a>. Yet in 2009, Ensign admitted that he had had an extramarital affair with a former campaign staffer who was also the wife of one of his top aides. An ethics investigation by the Senate Ethics Committee and the FBI followed, and<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/21/john-ensign-resigns-reports_n_852285.html"> Ensign resigned</a> in 2011.

Newt Gingrich

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) has a long and rich history of hypocrisy, including receiving a reported $1.6 million in consulting fees from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac before blaming the mortgage giants for the country's housing crisis and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/newt-gingrich-endorses-obamacare-individual-mandate-audio-2012-1">endorsing President Barack Obama's health care plan</a> before the 2012 presidential primary campaign, during which he hammered Mitt Romney's Massachusetts plan for being similar to Obamacare. But his crowning hypocrisy was probably leading impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton in the 1990s over the Monica Lewinsky scandal while Gingrich himself was having an extramarital affair. His ex-wife Marianne recently claimed that while they were married, Newt <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/19/open-marriage-newt-gingrich-marianne-affair-_n_1217944.html">requested an "open marriage" </a>so that he could continue the affair with his now-wife, Callista.

Charlie Rangel

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) stepped down as chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee after <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/12/02/charles-rangel-censured-censure_n_791289.html">he was congressionally censured</a> for failing to pay income taxes and filing misleading financial statements, among other misdeeds. But that didn't stop him from hammering Mitt Romney for his lack of transparency on tax returns. "Before he judges other people about paying federal income taxes, Governor Romney should come clean about the tax returns he's hiding from voters," Rangel said.

Paul Ryan

The failed vice presidential candidate has been an outspoken opponent of earmark spending, but that didn't stop Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) from <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/27/paul-ryan-emails-stimulus_n_2027975.html">arranging a $735,000 earmark</a> to construct a transit center in his hometown of Janesville, Wis. Likewise, after slamming President Barack Obama's stimulus package, Ryan sought stimulus funds for several projects in his district.

Michele Bachmann

Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.) was the original sponsor of legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but her war against "socialized medicine" hasn't stopped husband Marcus from <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bachmann-20110626,0,7400031,print.story">applying for public funds</a> for his "pray away the gay" counseling practice. Bachmann, an outspoken opponent of big government, has also <a href="http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-bachmann-20110626,0,7400031,print.story">personally benefited from federal farm subsidies</a>. She recently described the Internal Revenue Service, which earlier in her career employed her to sue people in tax collection cases, as <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/07/11/264991/bachmann-tax-collector-irs/">"the most heartless organization anyone knows of." </a>

John Boehner

House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) has loudly congratulated himself for the GOP House jobs package -- even though economists say the package's 32 bills <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/republican-jobs-bills_n_1687647.html">will do little to create jobs</a> -- while working hard to block President Barack Obama?s $447 billion jobs plan. A longtime critic of wasteful government spending, Boehner (along with other House Republican leaders) <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/16/doma-house-republicans_n_1971666.html">spent $1.5 million</a> defending the Defense of Marriage Act.

Al Gore

He won an Oscar for "An Inconvenient Truth" and <a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21262661/ns/us_news-environment/t/gore-un-climate-panel-win-nobel-peace-prize/#.UKqNy2mMF9Q">a Nobel Peace Prize</a> for his work on climate change, but Al Gore's own carbon footprint was once an inconvenient issue. His 20-room Nashville mansion and pool house in 2006 <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/GlobalWarming/story?id=2906888&page=1#.UKqO42mMF9Q">racked up $30,000 in utility bills</a>, consuming more than 20 times the national home average, according to a report by the Tennessee Center for Policy Research. A Gore spokesperson <a href="http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/city-news/despite-home-upgrades-gore-still-%E2%80%98hypocrite%E2%80%99-energy-usage-group-says">disputed the conservative think tank's report</a> and said that renovations on the home cut its electricity and natural gas consumption about 40 percent by the next year.

Strom Thurmond

Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.), a famed segregationist, spent many of his 48 years in the U.S. Senate fighting racial integration and equality, punctuated by his 24-hour filibuster in a failed attempt to kill the Civil Rights Act of 1957. Six months after Thurmond's death in 2003, a biracial woman named Essie Mae Washington-Williams revealed that the late senator was her father. Her mother was 16 and working for Thurmond?s parents when she became pregnant.

Mitt Romney

From his opposition to President Barack Obama's health care reform, which was patterned after his own plan in Massachusetts, to his politically expedient shifts in positions on immigration, climate change and abortion, Mitt Romney has a record of hypocrisy too expansive and well documented for any Etch A Sketch to erase.

Mark Foley

During his time in office, former Rep. Mark Foley (R-Fla.) introduced a bill against child pornography, fought to expand federal sex offender laws, supported anti-gay legislation and chaired the House Caucus on Missing and Exploited Children. Then he was caught sending graphic sex messages to underage males working as congressional pages. He quickly resigned in 2006.

David Vitter

When Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) admitted his involvement in the "D.C. Madam" scandal in 2007, it didn?t end his career or lead to any criminal charges. It also didn't end his attempts to narrow prosecutorial discretion for others in vulnerable positions. At a hearing last year on the HALT Act, which would have suspended discretionary immigration protections, Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.) <a href="http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2011/07/sen_david_vitter_called_hypocr.html">accused Vitter</a> of "hypocrisy to seek to limit the use of discretion when one has enjoyed the benefit himself." Vitter has also advocated for abstinence-only sex education and in 2004 ran on a "family values" platform that included opposition to same-sex marriage.

Sarah Palin

Sarah Palin has been an outspoken opponent of President Barack Obama's health care plan, but a more socialized system wasn't always so problematic for her. In 2010, she admitted to having taken <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/08/palin-crossed-border-for_n_490080.html"> trips across the Canadian border</a> to receive single-payer health care long before she brought "death panels" into the war against the Affordable Care Act.

Larry Craig

Former Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) is best known for his 2007 airport bathroom trip that ended in a same-sex-sting arrest for lewd conduct after he allegedly solicited sex from an undercover officer. Craig blamed his wandering foot on his "wide stance" but resigned later that year. While in office, he had supported the anti-gay marriage Federal Marriage Amendment and voted against a measure to include anti-gay bias in hate crimes legislation. He received a rating of zero from the Human Rights Campaign for his votes on LGBT issues.

Eliot Spitzer

While serving as the Democratic governor of New York, Eliot Spitzer was brought down by a federal wiretap that revealed he patronized a $1,000-an-hour prostitute named Ashley Dupre at a Washington, D.C., hotel. Further investigation uncovered the prostitution ring Emperors Club VIP, and numerous money transfers to the club were traced back to Client 9 -- the governor. As New York state attorney general, Spitzer <a href="http://nymag.com/daily/intel/2008/03/report_governor_spitzer_involv.html">prosecuted at least two prostitution rings</a>, and as governor he forced state comptroller Alan Hevesi out of office for the comparatively minor offense of using a state car and chauffeur for his sick wife.

Scott DesJarlais

Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-Tenn.) just won a second term despite <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/scott-desjarlais-approved_n_2140171.html">recent revelations</a> that he had sex with a patient while working as a physician and later urged her to get an abortion. Yet DesJarlais' campaign platform opposed abortion. "All life should be cherished and protected. We are pro-life," his website stated. There?s more. According to transcripts from his 2001 divorce proceedings, released after the election, the congressman and his then-wife made a "mutual" decision for her to have two abortions while they were married.

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/political-hypocrites_n_2352328.html

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Luck sets rookie record, rookie PK sets NFL mark

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, right, scrambles away from Kansas City Chiefs inside linebacker Brandon Siler during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, right, scrambles away from Kansas City Chiefs inside linebacker Brandon Siler during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Kansas City, Mo. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Minnesota Vikings' Blair Walsh (3) is congratulated by Chris Kluwe (5) after kicking a 56-yard field goal against the Houston Texans during the second quarter of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in Houston. (AP Photo/Patric Schneider)

Andrew Luck has broken the NFL rookie record for yards passing, and rookie kicker Blair Walsh has broken the league mark for 50-yard plus field goals in a season.

On a Sunday featuring a slew of records, Luck topped Cam Newton's year-old mark for yards passing in the first half of Indianapolis' win at Kansas City. Newton's record was 4,051 yards. Luck entered the game needing 74 yards to break the mark. He finished with 205 yards and now has 4,183 yards with a game against Kansas City remaining in the regular season.

"Yes, it definitely means something," Luck said of the record. "And after the season I'll have a chance to look back and reflect on it. It's nice; obviously it's nicer to be in the playoffs but it's nice to have a couple records, which I'm sure will be broken in the next year."

Minnesota's Walsh kicked a 56-yard field goal in the second quarter against Houston, giving him a record ninth field goal of 50 yards or more.

Also, Redskins kicker Kai Forbath set the NFL record for consecutive field goals to begin a career with 17 straight. He had field goals of 45 and 42 yards in the first half against the Eagles. New Orleans' Garrett Hartley had 16 straight.

On Saturday, Detroit's Calvin Johnson broke Jerry Rice's single-season yards receiving record, and is at 1,892 with a game left. He also became the only NFL player with 100 yards receiving in eight straight games, and with 10-plus receptions in four straight games.

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-23-FBN-NFL-Records/id-72dbbd2dbc5b4dba994cfb1b55687c03

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Deal of the Day ? 14? Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch Core i5 900p Ultrabook with 128GB SSD

Sunday’s LogicBUY Deal is the 14″ Lenovo?ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch Ultrabook, with prices starting at?$1,499. ?Features: Core i5-3427U up to 2.8GHz Dual-core CPU 4GB RAM 128GB SSD Carbon fiber construction 14″ 1600 X 900 display with 10-point multitouch capacitive screen HD webcam USB 3.0 and Mini DisplayPort Dolby Home Theater v4 audio 4-in-1 card reader [...]

Source: http://the-gadgeteer.com/2012/12/23/deal-of-the-day-14-lenovo-thinkpad-x1-carbon-touch-core-i5-900p-ultrabook-with-128gb-ssd/

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3 Reasons Why You Should Use Social Media for Marketing

Do you have a business that you?re trying to create attention for?? Are you trying to make a name for yourself either as an artist or performer online? If either of these things is true?and you?ve been on the fence as far as social media is concerned?then you?ve got to jump down off that fence right away.

The truth is if you?re not using social networks and social media marketing, then you?re leaving tons and tons of money, business, and/or fans on the table.

Social media is not a fad. This should be obvious but some people just don?t get it. Not only is it not a fad, but it?s the way the total internet seems to be heading. Even Google is continuously trying to make their sites more focused on social media aspects.

You?ll often see evidence of this when you see how social networking sites rank on the search engine result pages. This is not by accident.

There are a few other very good reasons why marketing on social networks is so vitally important?

3 Reasons You Must Start Using Social Media for Your Business or Fan Base?

#1 You Cannot Deny the Sheer Numbers and Popularity of These Social Networking Sites?

You know, when you have a business, you want to expose that business to as many people as possible. Never has there been a greater number of people in one place than there are on social networking sites online.

On any given day there are between 580 to 600 million active users ON Facebook. That?s insane. They have over 1 billion users log in each month. You cannot deny these numbers, and you certainly can?t deny the fact that there are a nice percentage of people interested in your product or service on Facebook.

Twitter has 500 million users. On an average day, there are over 170 Million Tweets posted. What if just a small percentage of those tweets were regarding you or your business?

#2 Social Networking Is Social Proof?

Social proof is a factor that influences people. Basically when you see someone that you know, like, or respect doing or using something?it makes it okay in your mind to do or use the same things.

Getting people talking about you and your business online creates a huge amount of social proof. Here?s a nice little tidbit. On Twitter, 50% of users say that they follow the brands that they use. They also follow businesses that they frequent.

This means that when you get people following you, it creates a snowball effect. And the great thing is that you?ve just got to prime the pump, and it perpetually starts building on its own momentum after that.

#3 Your Competition Is Using Social Media?

The chances are that your competition is already using or will very soon be using social media to gain new customers or fans. This is because your target market is on the social networking sites. So you go where your prospects are? as common sense business savvy dictates.

This means that you need to not only be on the social sites yourself, but you need to be doing social marketing better than your competition is doing it.

One of the best ways to start getting an edge over your competition on these sites is to know what?s already being said about your business across the social networking spectrum.

This can be tough so it?s always good to find a good effective tool to make your life easier for doing this.

If you?d like to see a review of a strong tool for analyzing your social networking and social media effectiveness;

Read a great Sprout Social review by clicking here now!

About Jeff Kiefer

Hi Im Jeff Kiefer and Themasterplan is my Blog. I've been in the Internet Marketing industry for over ten years now, and I would like to share all my experience, insights and other fun stuff with you guys!

Source: http://themasterplan.in/3-reasons-to-start-usin-social-media/

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Taylor Swift And Harry Styles Enjoy Romantic Ski Vacation In Utah

Celebuzz:

It?s Christmas in the snow for Harry Styles and his girlfriend Taylor Swift.

The new couple have escaped to the?Canyons Resort in Park City, Utah, for a Christmas vacation ? reportedly with her close pal Selena Gomez and her on-again, off-again beau, Justin Bieber.

Read the whole story at Celebuzz

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/23/taylor-swift-and-harry-styles-enjoy-romantic-ski-vacation_n_2356281.html

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Internet Presence = Internet Marketing + Social Media ++

What is your Internet Presence? ?Do you know? ?Do you even know what it means?

Every business in the US, and for the most part, every business in the world has an "Internet Presence" whether they know it or not. ?If one customer stops by your business and posts information about you on their Facebook page, that is your Internet Presence.

At the end of the day, your Internet Presence is the sum total of all of the information about you that is published online. ?If you don't add to that information, then you have zero control over your Internet Presence. ?The more information you add, the more you control. ?At least that is the idea.

All told you actually can control a lot more or a lot less of the information based on how you deal with your customers. ?You can actively seek reviews on Yelp! or Google+. ?You can also ignore them. ?It is your choice.

As part of your complete marketing plan, you should have a plan and a direction for Online Marketing, Social Media and digital PR so that you can at least influence the Internet Presence of your business.

If you feel like all of this is overwhelming, and you just don't know what to do about your online marketing, you can of course hire an online marketing business like the Bourquin Group, and for a fee, we'll be glad to go to work for you.

If you want to watch your budget, another option is to get a copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing, and follow the step by step guide to build your Internet Presence on your own. ?It is something that any business owner can do in just a few hours each week. ?You don't have to give up your life to monitor Facebook and Yelp!.

Even if you are going to hire someone to take over your online marketing and help you improve your internet presence, getting a copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing will help you understand how to hire better and how to decide if your marketing and internet presence plan are going in the right direction.

Don't ignore your customers on the internet, engage them and win them over today so your business can grow tomorrow and you can enjoy the freedom that you were looking for when you started your business. ?Get your copy of The Easy Guide To Internet Marketing today.

Source: http://scottbourquin.blogspot.com/2012/12/internet-presence-internet-marketing.html

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Ashton Kutcher Files to Divorce Demi Moore

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/ashton-kutcher-files-to-divorce-demi-moore/

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Commercial Realtor Waddell Wright on Sales Training |

Commercial Realtor Waddell Wright talks about how Dale Carnegie Sales Training helped him close some pretty major business deals. For more information on upcoming Sales Courses, check out: www.dalecarnegietn.com Transcript: My name is Waddell Wright, I own a company called Retail Development Group. We do commercial investment real estate and I?ve been doing it about 16 years. One of the specific examples i got from the Dale Carnegie Sales Training is: When I was going through the course, I was in the middle of a multi-million dollar sales transaction with a large national company located here in Nashville. During that transaction, we were selling 16 stores in about 3 different states and it ended up being about a 14 million dollar transaction. The seller or the owner of the real estate was in another state, and we had to talk to him over the phone initially. And I was able to convince him to do business with us through a benefit statement and also a credibility statement that we learned in the Sales Training Course. I highly recommend that others take the Dale Carnegie Sales Training because it will benefit you immediately and impact your bottom line. The return for me has been 100% positive because you can immediately use the tools that you use in this course and apply it to your business.
Video Rating: 0 / 5

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Source: http://makemoneyhomebusinesscenter.com/commercial-realtor-waddell-wright-on-sales-training/

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Re: Glitch in Generations Display? - Family Tree Maker software ...

When you are in People there is a chart of three or four generation displayed at the top for the husband or wife whichever is high lighted. When you click the other person their tree for the the same number of generation is displayed. After a little getting use to this is my primary way of navigating through the family.

If you are having items mixed up in one part of your tree, you need to start with the main person in the mixup, and check the relationship for each.

You can check the relationships in People, Person and click the relationship Tab on the upper right of the main window. In the pane immediately below the Tree are all of the people associated with the person you clicked. It list each person and their relationship.

If you highlight any person shown, you will see the relationship to the primary individual in the right pane. In the right pane you can change the type of relationship for each person shown.

When you find a wrong connection you can detach the person and attach them to the correct person. You attach and detach people from the main menu (File, edit, view, etc) in the Person options Attach/Detach person

Source: http://boards.ancestry.co.uk/topics.software.famtreemaker/9261.1/mb.ashx

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Carly Rose Sonenclar Family Blames LeAnn Rimes for X Factor Loss

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/carly-rose-sonenclar-family-blames-leann-rimes-for-x-factor-loss/

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Writing Goals: 2013 [Part 5] ? Going Public | Go Into The Story

So after four days of looking at the Past, Present, Future, and Practical Matters, the big day has arrived: Time to etch in virtual stone our writing goals for 2013. Oh, and one more little thing: It?s important that you go public with your goals.

Today: Going Public

Why go public?

Because if we just think about your goals, they are nothing more than illusions, hazy, half-baked phantasms in our heads, here and potentially gone like all the other zillion thoughts that spurt through our consciousness each day.

Because if you don?t formalize your writing goals, you may forget them.

Because having some sort of tangible, physical list gives you a touchstone to remind you what you need be focusing on throughout the year.

Because by proclaiming your goals to the Universe, they become real.

And the biggest reason of all: That simple act of courage ? declaring your goals publicly ? engenders positive energy, recalling the line by the Rev. Basil King who said, ?Be bold and mighty forces will come to your aid.?

What then do I mean by going public?

Anything that gets the goals out of your head and into the physical universe. Such as:

* Write down your goals onto 3?5 index cards.

* Compose a letter to yourself with your goals, stick said letter in an envelope, and tack it to your desk where you can see and know it?s there when you write.

* Email your family and friends with the list of goals.

* Host a party at which you recite your goals and invite people?s moral and emotional support.

* Hire the Goodyear Blimp and flash your goals on it over the Rose Bowl.

Or you can simply post your writing goals for 2013 here on GITS. Just like I?m going to do now.

Scott Myers Writing Goals: 2013

As noted, I have three areas of my life and work that involve writing:

* Write stories.

* Write about Story.

* Teach writing.

Here are my writing goals next year for each area.

WRITE STORIES

I?m laser-focused on one project: a high concept comedy spec script. I have what I think is a great idea, a great way to tell it, and for the first time in several years, I pumped up to write a big mainstream commercial comedy.

WRITE ABOUT STORY

Okay, okay, I hear you. I?ll finally get some eBooks on the craft of screenwriting out there. Definitely one this year, maybe two.

TEACH WRITING

I will continue to teach screenwriting and mentor writers through Screenwriting Master Class. I have one more class I will put together in 2013: The Coen Brothers and the Craft of Storytelling, a compendium to Pixar and the Craft of Storytelling. That will make eight 1-week Craft classes to go along with eight 1-week Core classes, as well three writing workshops, Prep: From Concept To Outline, Pages I: The First Draft, and Pages II: Rewriting Your Script. And of course, The Quest, a 24-week comprehensive screenwriting program, both theory and practice which I introduced to great acclaim this year, and offer to a handful of writers on a private one-on-one basis.

I have a big decision to make: Do I offer The Quest Initiative again: Solicit logline submissions to work with four or possibly more writers in the 24-week program ? for free. I won?t decide that until I finish working with the 8 writers I took on this year and read their first drafts, but I will say this: I am quite pleased with what I?ve read so far of the Questers? scripts, so that?s encouraging. I should be able to make a decision about The Quest Initiative by some time in February.

Then there?s this: I want to explore two additional ways to teach:

* The first is a weekend seminar [Saturday-Sunday] in which I will present a condensed version of The Quest. I am targeting at least one trip to Los Angeles in the summer.

* The second is a writer?s retreat, working with a select group of people in a natural habitat conducive to reflection and writing, really digging into their stories in a week-long intensive, offering the opportunity to follow up with online writing workshops.

Finally there is GITS. I am committed to maintaining the basic approach to generating content and interacting with readers I have developed over the nearly five years I?ve been hosting the site. As always I will continue to solicit ideas and suggestions from you. And I look forward to exploring more possibilities that may emerge from the site?s partnership with the Black List. For example, expect to see a lot more interviews with top screenwriters as well as industry insiders in 2013, questions and answers I hope will speak to your creative needs and help you develop as writers.

So that?s what I aim to be writing in 2013. What if I land writing gigs like I did this year? What if I come up with another crazed idea like The Quest Initiative? Here?s how I look at writing goals: They are similar to the relationship a writer has with an outline.

An outline can be a tremendous benefit to a writer, wrangling the story and giving shape to it. But once you hit FADE IN, you have to be willing to follow the characters wherever they take you. Sometimes the characters follow the outline perfectly. Other times, they don?t. In the case of the latter, you never stifle your characters, instead you have to have the courage to set your outline aside, and go with the creative flow.

Same thing with writing goals and whatever opportunities come along. Your goals give shape to the potential narrative of your creative year. Sometimes events lay out just like you figured they would. But other times, some project pops up, a unique opportunity to write a story about which you feel passionate. In those cases, you have to be willing to veer away from the schedule for your goals ? not the goals themselves, just how and when you are go about realizing them.

Speaking of schedule, going public with your writing goals does not mean your planning work is done. It will do you little good if you generate a list of goals, but don?t figure out a time frame within which to accomplish those goals. So that is where we start the next step in the process on Monday: Working up a schedule. Following that on Tuesday through Friday, we will explore time saving and project management tips, mine and hopefully yours, to help facilitate reaching our writing goals next year.

For now, those of you who feel emboldened, I?ll see you in Comments and look forward to reading about your writing projects in 2013. And for those of you who want to keep that information to yourself, that?s completely fine. Just be sure to go public, even if it?s formalizing a list of writing goals on a 3?5 index card.

See you in Comments!

Source: http://gointothestory.blcklst.com/2012/12/writing-goals-2013-part-5-going-public.html

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Indian court allows Italian marines to go home for Christmas

KOCHI, India (Reuters) - Two Italian marines charged with killing two fishermen off the coast of India are likely to spend Christmas in Italy, after an Indian court on Thursday accepted the sailors' request to be allowed to join their families for the holiday season.

The two sailors, members of a military security team protecting the cargo ship Enrica Lexie from pirate attacks, shot the fishermen they say they mistook for pirates off the southern state of Kerala in February, sparking a diplomatic row between New Delhi and Rome.

Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone are out on bail in the Indian state but not permitted to leave the country. They will be required to hand over 60 million rupees ($1.1 million) as a bank guarantee to the court before leaving. The sailors have to report back to India on January 10.

"It is a moment of great joy, our hearts are dancing. The greatest Christmas present has arrived for us," Vania Ardito, Girone's wife, told Italian news agency Ansa.

The Kerala high court said its decision to allow the men back home for two weeks was contingent on the Indian government's approval.

While awaiting trial in New Delhi's Supreme Court in connection with the shooting deaths, the men filed a petition last week to the Kerala high court asking to celebrate Christmas back home.

The Italian government submitted an undertaking that the marines would be in its custody during their stay and would take responsibility for their timely return to India.

The Kerala state government had opposed the sailors' plea, suspecting Italy of trying to smuggle the men out of India and feared that the sailors may not return.

New Delhi is likely to approve the sailors' departure with India's foreign ministry having already asked the court to consider Rome's case in light of the "excellent" relations between the two countries.

The foreign ministry was not immediately available for comment.

Last week, Italian authorities summoned India's ambassador in Rome and expressed "strong disappointment" that the Supreme Court had delayed a decision on where the men would face trial.

Italy argues that the Supreme Court should rule the shooting took place in international waters, outside India's jurisdiction, allowing the marines to be tried in Rome.

Indian authorities accuse the sailors of killing unarmed fishermen in a "contiguous zone" where Indian law applies.

While visiting the marines in Kerala last week, Italy's Defence Minister, Giampaolo Di Paolo, pinned his hopes on India allowing the men home for Christmas, saying "nobody more than India knows the values of festivities".

Italy petitioned India's Supreme Court after the Kerala High Court said the marines were liable to be tried under Indian law. In India, state level judiciaries are responsible for law and order on their territory.

(Additional reporting by Naomi O'Leary in ROME, writing by Annie Banerji, editing by Matthias Williams and Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/indian-court-allows-italian-marines-home-christmas-121007355.html

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Venezuela court could decide on Chavez swearing-in

	Essential News from The Associated Press

? ?Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-20-LT-Venezuela-Chavez/id-09e2987be1fb4cfb8d5b497f05d0d5c2

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Fantasy Football Finals lineup question

Play 1 RB, 2 WR, 1 TE, 1 WR/TE, 1 WR/RB

RB
F Gore vs SEA
D Murray vs NO *
K Moreno vs CLE *
D Wilson vs BAL
A Bradshaw vs BAL

WR
W Welker @ JAC *
E Decker vs CLE *
Torrey Smith vs NYG
L Moore @ DAL *
G Jennings vs TEN

TE
D Pitta vs NYG *
B Myers @ CAR

Stars next to who I'm prolly playing.

Biggest hangups...

F Gore or K moreno, I'm playing E Decker no matter what so would I be limiting myself by playing Moreno? I've played F Gore literally every week so far this year and he hasn't really let me down yet. He's a guaranteed 10+ points almost every week but this is a very tough matchup for him. Moreno has the hot hand getting 100+ and a TD 2 weeks in a row.

Torrey Smith or Lance Moore. If Smith is healthy (concussion) hes probably the more likely play but same as before, I'm almost certainly playing Pitta, especially after last week. am I limiting myself by playing both and given that I have Moore as a good replacement for Smith I'm thinking its the way to go. the giants pass defense is miserable though so playing both may not be a bad idea.

THOUGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Source: http://forum.parttimepoker.com/shooting-off-sponsored-carbon-poker/923475-fantasy-football-finals-lineup-question.html

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UH assistant mechanical engineering professor wins 2013 NSF CAREER Grant

Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Laura Tolley
ljtolley@uh.edu
713-743-0778
University of Houston

Professor's NSF grant will be used to study flexible, stretchable batteries

Imagine a stretchy, flexible battery, one that could be wrapped around a wrist or sewn into clothing.

Halel Ardebili, an assistant mechanical engineering professor at the University of Houston, is exploring the fundamental science behind such a battery. She just received a 2013 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to pursue her research.

NSF CAREER awards are given to exemplary junior faculty members to help them launch long, productive research careers. They are one of the most prestigious honors available to faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

UH's Cullen College of Engineering posted a perfect record in the 2012 CAREER awards competition, with all six of its applicants winning grants. Overall, eight UH faculty members won CAREER awards this year.

And 2013 is off to a good start with Ardebili winning a five-year, $400,000 CAREER award.

Ardebili, who joined UH in 2010, said there are numerous applications for a flexible, stretchable lithium ion battery. When sewn into fabric, these batteries could be used to power equipment worn by soldiers in the field or to supply energy to patches placed on the skin for medical purposes, such as patient monitoring or diagnostics. A battery worn around the wrist could be a convenient backup power source, serving as a charger for a smart phone.

However, there are several hurdles to making these batteries effective, she said. One of the biggest challenges is finding out how bending and stretching affect a battery's ability to store and discharge energy. That's a question Ardebili intends to answer through her research.

"If it stretches, we have to make sure it does not lose its electrochemical performance," she said. "That's the motivation to study the fundamental side of it. We want to understand the relationship between the mechanical strain and stress applied to the battery and how it performs."

The relationship between performance and mechanical strain, Ardebili added, will be greatly influenced by the different components used in the batteries. She will work to develop battery components that offer the best combination of stability and performance.

Ardebili and her research team will spend much of the next five years in the lab constructing, testing and analyzing different types of flexible, stretchable lithium ion batteries. They hope to develop components for the commercial production of these batteries, along with a set of rules for making such devices.

"Technology has been moving in this direction for some time," she said. "Whether they're used in flexible electronics, for medical applications or for something else, these can provide an additional feature that electronics developers can work with. For any product, that's important. If you have a new feature, you can develop all new applications for it."

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Public release date: 19-Dec-2012
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Contact: Laura Tolley
ljtolley@uh.edu
713-743-0778
University of Houston

Professor's NSF grant will be used to study flexible, stretchable batteries

Imagine a stretchy, flexible battery, one that could be wrapped around a wrist or sewn into clothing.

Halel Ardebili, an assistant mechanical engineering professor at the University of Houston, is exploring the fundamental science behind such a battery. She just received a 2013 National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award to pursue her research.

NSF CAREER awards are given to exemplary junior faculty members to help them launch long, productive research careers. They are one of the most prestigious honors available to faculty in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields.

UH's Cullen College of Engineering posted a perfect record in the 2012 CAREER awards competition, with all six of its applicants winning grants. Overall, eight UH faculty members won CAREER awards this year.

And 2013 is off to a good start with Ardebili winning a five-year, $400,000 CAREER award.

Ardebili, who joined UH in 2010, said there are numerous applications for a flexible, stretchable lithium ion battery. When sewn into fabric, these batteries could be used to power equipment worn by soldiers in the field or to supply energy to patches placed on the skin for medical purposes, such as patient monitoring or diagnostics. A battery worn around the wrist could be a convenient backup power source, serving as a charger for a smart phone.

However, there are several hurdles to making these batteries effective, she said. One of the biggest challenges is finding out how bending and stretching affect a battery's ability to store and discharge energy. That's a question Ardebili intends to answer through her research.

"If it stretches, we have to make sure it does not lose its electrochemical performance," she said. "That's the motivation to study the fundamental side of it. We want to understand the relationship between the mechanical strain and stress applied to the battery and how it performs."

The relationship between performance and mechanical strain, Ardebili added, will be greatly influenced by the different components used in the batteries. She will work to develop battery components that offer the best combination of stability and performance.

Ardebili and her research team will spend much of the next five years in the lab constructing, testing and analyzing different types of flexible, stretchable lithium ion batteries. They hope to develop components for the commercial production of these batteries, along with a set of rules for making such devices.

"Technology has been moving in this direction for some time," she said. "Whether they're used in flexible electronics, for medical applications or for something else, these can provide an additional feature that electronics developers can work with. For any product, that's important. If you have a new feature, you can develop all new applications for it."

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Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-12/uoh-uam121912.php

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