Friday, August 31, 2012

Cricket-Australia captain Clarke leads praise for retired Strauss

LONDON, Aug 30 (Reuters) - England captain Andrew Strauss

announced his retirement from professional cricket with

immediate effect on Wednesday. Following is a selection of

tributes from his fellow players:

Australia captain Michael Clarke on Twitter: "Big

congratulations to Andrew Strauss on a great career. Still is a

very good player and a lovely man. Can only wish him the best

for the future."

South Africa test captain Graeme Smith on Twitter: "Just

want to congratulate Andrew Strauss on a great career as captain

and player for England.

"Fully appreciate the demands of captaining your country. It

was always a great contest playing against Andrew and his team

and I wish him well in his future."

England fast bowler Stuart Broad on Twitter: "Awesome guy,

great leader, dependable batsman and a solid first slip catcher.

"Cheers Straussy, you'll be playing scratch golf within a

year," added Broad, referring to his former captain's news

conference comment about spending more time on the golf course.

England spinner Graeme Swann on Twitter: "An emotional day

with Straussy hanging up his boots. What a great captain,

brilliant player and most importantly fantastic bloke."

England all-rounder Tim Bresnan on Twitter: "Andrew Strauss

is the epitome of professionalism. A great leader, wonderful

team mate and all-round nice bloke. I wish him well for the

future."

(Reporting by Mark Pangallo; editing by Tony Jimenez)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cricket-australia-captain-clarke-leads-praise-retired-strauss-151641315--spt.html

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Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Driver claiming he's 101 hits kids outside school

Eleven pedestrians were injured when 100 year-old Preston Carter backed into them with his Cadillac. KNBC's Michelle Valles interviewed Carter and his daughter after the accident.

By NBC News staff and wire services

Updated at 9:25 p.m. ET:A driver who said he was 101 years old jumped a curb and crashed into a group of pedestrians Wednesday afternoon outside a south Los Angeles elementary school, injuring 11 people, mostly children, officials said.

The accident occurred about 2:30 p.m. just after Main Street Elementary School let out for the day, NBCLosAngeles.com reported.

"I was backing out of the parking lot (of a grocery store) to go home and lost control," Preston Carter, the driver of the powder blue 1990 Cadillac,?said.


See more about this story at NBCLosAngeles.com

"It was not on purpose, because I?love everybody," Carter told NBCLosAngeles.com. "I put God first."

KNBC

A car hopped a curb near a south Los Angeles school just after classes let out Wednesday. Several people were injured.

His daughter, Rose Jenkins, told the station?that she had wanted Carter to stop driving for the past year.

"I think this is a wakeup call for him and I don't think he will be driving any more," Jenkins said.

After saying he was 101, Carter gave his birthdate as Sept. 5,?1911, making him only 100.

Watch US News videos on NBCNews.com

Carter has a current driver's license valid until 2013, the Los Angeles Times reported.?He?was required to wear corrective lenses while operating a vehicle but had a clean driving record, according to the DMV, the Times said.

Aerial footage provided by the station showed a child in a pink t-shirt being loaded into an ambulance as firefighters and police officers interviewed witnesses at the scene.

Stay informed with the latest headlines; sign up for our newsletter

Los Angeles County USC Medical Center said six accident victims, including five children and one adult, were brought there. The adult was discharged, four children were stable and one child was in critical condition.?

Related stories:

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/29/13554865-driver-claiming-hes-101-hits-pedestrians-outside-los-angeles-school?lite

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Total Vibration ? Blog Archive ? Valuable Guidance For ...

Whenever you take a look at lawn will it give you delight or force you to cringe? A lot of people feel it?s too costly to get a beautiful back garden. Nevertheless, it merely requires several basic steps to produce a spectacular difference we now have mentioned some beneficial goods in this post.

Select local vegetation when your target is to have an exclusive nevertheless an easy task to maintain scenery. Herb species who have modified by natural means in your local climate are practically universally easier to look after than international transplants. Using local plant life will likely require significantly less added irrigation, helping you save lots of money.

A small lawn could be a stunning 1, so make yours into one who you love! Take advantage of the space to generate concentrated areas of interest. The garden table or birdbath can be a great showpiece. Placing various blooms, taking care to make sure they are going to grow 1 soon after another, means that there will probably consistently be blossoms on your property.

If you would like a lot of coloration, but use a minimal spending budget, look at wildflowers for your personal yard or backyard garden. All home improvement stores carry wildflower seeds, and they may be dispersed on huge areas that are difficult to vegetation. You will get lovely, vibrant blooms throughout your backyard. Wildflowers are stunning on your lawn and so they will also help to make wonderful bouquets for your personal dining area kitchen table!

Try to use local plants and flowers when landscape design. If you are determining what you should grow, it may be beneficial to select shrubs, blooms and trees and shrubs that do well in the area. Local plant life will prosper within the poorest of soils, are unlikely to call for plenty of normal water, and can make it through in the most extreme climate conditions.

Cautiously select your local area when planning for a landscaping undertaking. For your plants to prosper, they need to be planted exactly where they will get what they really want although supplying the appropriate enhancements in your landscaping design. A lot of things to be aware of are how aspects for example sun rays, shade and dampness will impact every single vegetation.

Take your time when preparing your landscape designs. When relocating to a residence with an set up garden, it might seem sensible to stage existing garden and begin from scratch. This may not be usually the easiest method to continue, nonetheless. It may be a good idea to wait around a few months to acquire a feel for just how the present back garden will grow, while using stock of the aspects. Then, determine which sections to hold or get rid of. Home gardens change as time passes, and this waiting around period may possibly reveal concealed gemstones. So, have patience and you could be compensated with a few amazing and well known plants and flowers.

Those of you who definitely are developing your personal landscape could be wise to use mulch inside your flowerbeds. Mulch could keep your vegetation most and this can be a major support should you live in a place where by it really is frequent for the warmth to be higher. Compost will offer your plants the chance to obtain the normal water which they need.

Also a tiny back garden can be made charming when the place is well applied. Come up with a denote prepare areas having a concentrate on getting interest. Planting some flowers and shrubbery close to a birdbath is a superb center of attention. Use a variety of vegetation that blossom in sequence to generate long lasting blooms to take pleasure from.

Use a number of sizes, forms and finishes of plants on your property. Use bigger vegetation to anchor the area you are landscape design and more compact plants to fill out any spaces around your huge plants. Quicker plant life ought to always be in the front with larger versions within the back again. A style is a good idea, but make sure you supply deals to produce your layout interesting.

Decorative grasses can also add plenty of structure to the beds of blossoms and backyard borders. Adorning grass is ideal for free structure in blossom mattresses. They can also be used as edges themselves. Considering the variety of types accessible, it must be basic to locate an assortment which fits your style and routine maintenance abilities.

That you can almost certainly see, when done properly, landscaping design is quite reasonable and easy. Use what you?ve just discovered, and glean great outcomes. With adequate self-schooling and lots of practice, it is possible to produce expert-levels landscaping expertise of your personal. Get yourself started on your way to becoming a fantastic landscaper nowadays!

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Source: http://blog.thorsrubberhammer.com/2012/08/valuable-guidance-for-transforming-into-a-lanscaping-specialist-12/

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Monday, August 27, 2012

96% The Imposter

All Critics (78) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (75) | Rotten (3)

Beverly Dollarhide, Nicholas's mother, says of the period after her son's disappearance, "My main goal in life at that time was not to think." Apparently, the filmmakers have taken a cue from her.

Layton's dazzling film is an exciting, edge-of-your-seat experience superior to any Hollywood mystery you're likely to see for a long time.

"The Imposter" becomes more than just a missing-persons drama. It hints at something much darker: a real-life horror story, the full truth of which may never be known.

This is one creepy mystery.

"The Imposter" initially seems to be a tutorial in identity theft, as well as a cautionary tale about the susceptibility of people who have lost a loved one. But that's not the half of it.

Layton's film joins the top ranks of nonfiction films because he recognizes that in this case no solution could be as engrossing as the questions.

One of the year's most provocative pictures.

Incredibly well-made and with a story you won't forget, "The Imposter" is one of the better docs of the season.

The Imposter emerges as a brilliantly slippery film that demands brain-stretching consideration. Astonishing, indeed.

It's an astounding story, truly, and Bourdin is the most chillingly sympathetic sociopath: frank, remorseless, matter-of-fact.

British director Bart Layton has only slightly fictionalised this extraordinary story for his documentary, which is told more as a thriller than a statement of hard fact.

"The Imposter" is one of the best films of the year.

Not only is the story riveting, but the film explores huge issues that really get under our skin

The Imposter frequently sends your jaw hurtling to the floor as it tries to understand the great pretender and a family only too willing to accept him as one of their own.

When this film was over, I felt as if I had been holding my breath for 99 minutes. It is pure, delicious suspense.

The mysteries stick with you. In 20 years time, someone will leap up and shout, "Eureka!"

Think of Clint Eastwood's Changeling and multiply by the power of reality.

The month's second mind-blowing doc ... a thinker that deserves the thought.

[The] unbelievable blend of confidence trickery and seemingly wilful blindness is what fascinates most in The Imposter, and raises more tantalising and disturbing questions.

You couldn't make this stuff up - and no one would buy it as fiction. But as a documentary, it's a different matter.

Layton may be making a sophisticated point about the elusive nature of truth but at the same time, it's a point made at the expense of the Barclays.

The year's most fascinating and frightening doc so far, The Imposter delves far beneath the hysterical tabloid headlines.

It's both preposterous and horrific, and therein lies its powerful, disquieting charm.

The real imposter here is the director.

A fascinating glimpse into the mind of a cunning con-man...and it's just as cunning as he was in constructing the story to hold our interest.

More Critic Reviews

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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_imposter_2012/

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Coping with Angry People - The Self Improvement Blog

By Timothy Dey -

I often work as a professional coach to executives, physicians, lawyers and others. One of the issues that frequently comes up in coaching is how best to cope with angry bosses, coworkers,or clients who suddenly or repeatedly appear. Skill in dealing with such people is no small matter ? depending on our skillfulness,encountering and angry person can be a minor bump in the road or can upset us for the rest of the day. If we lose our balance, not only is it much less pleasant to be inside our own skins, but our effectiveness at completing tasks and communicating with others can be substantially diminished. The good news is that there are a few easily remembered steps that anyone can make use of with a little practice and powerful results.

When beginning to deal with an angry person,the first step is always to listen. This is done with eye contact, but very few words, until the initial wave of angry energy pauses for the first time. During that interval, listen for the factual content of what that person thinks is their concern, while letting the emotional content wash by without ?hooking? you. Don?t put much effort into sharing information at this point. The person who is very angry is not in a state where they can absorb much of anything you have to say, even if they would benefit from hearing it. They may often misinterpret your quick verbal response or problem-solving as a way of getting rid of them and their needs.

A great metaphor to hold in mind as you listen during this first

step is that of a great ocean wave crashing over you as you stand in the surf, or perhaps a volcano erupting with hot rock and ash. There is no point in trying to shout over the noise until the initial outburst is complete, or become upset that this event is

all about you, even if the angry person would have you believe that at the time.

When the pause in their verbal torrent finally comes, briefly mirror the factual content with the goal of letting the other person know that you?ve heard the core of their complaint accurately. This can sound something like: ?So if I heard you correctly, you?re saying ??or ?What I hear you saying is this ??, but you should always use your own judgment in choosing language that sounds natural to each situation. Even better, the mirroring statement can be preceded by first asking permission to confirm

you heard, and/or a finishing question asking if your understanding is accurate. This might sound something like: ?Can I make sure I heard you correctly?? Rest assured

that the answer to this question will always be ?yes?. This person wants to be heard! Understand that you are teaching two concepts to the angry person at this point: that you have heard the essence of their statement, and that you have not moved into anger yourself. You have remained sane in the presence of their unbalanced state, and are not becoming their enemy.

There is magic built into what you have just accomplished in justa minute or so of time and a few simple words. You have managed to share with someone who is feeling attacked and vulnerable (and who is barely able to listen to anyone) that not

only are you not angry in response to their anger, but that you have actually understood what they are upset about accurately.

Furthermore, if you asked and were given permission to make a mirroring statement to prove you heard them correctly,

you have already made and kept a successful contract with them, giving you credibility in their mind. You now established a relationship that has value to the person that is angry. Very likely they have aired their grievances with individuals

before you who did not listen well or became angry in return, and who did their best to pass the buck of dealing with the angry person. With just this first step, you are shifting the mental image the angry person holds of you from being the enemy like all

the rest to a becoming an ally in getting their needs met. There is still work to do, but in one move you have done the biggest part of defusing the interaction.

Timothy Dey, M.D. is a speaker and educator who makes a unique combination of educational assets and life experiences available to people through his coaching, consulting, teaching, writing, and workshops. He is a graduate of the Wayne State University School of Medicine, a certified comprehensive coach, and adjunct professor in multiple fields. He creates courses and teaches for online colleges in the areas of leadership, communication, corporate culture, and stress-management skills, as well as pharmacology and other health-related topics.

Dr. Dey works extensively with hospital systems, residency programs, attending physicians, and executives seeking expert guidance in interpersonal communication skills, physician-patient relationships, and executive goal-oriented coaching. As co-founder of The Dey Group, Inc., he is available through his website http://www.deygroup.com, e-mail at dr.dey@deygroup.com or by phone at 313-383-0582, and welcomes all contacts.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Timothy_Dey
http://EzineArticles.com/?Coping-with-Angry-People&id=149071

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Source: http://theselfimprovementblog.com/self-improvement/self-improvement-skills/coping-with-angry-people/

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Book Review: Resonate (Nancy Duarte)

ResonateResonate: Present Visual Stories that Transform Audiences?is the second book from presentation superhero Nancy Duarte.

It is also the second book of hers which I strongly recommend you read ? immediately.

This article is the latest of a series of public speaking book reviews here on Six Minutes.

What?s Inside?

Duarte?s first book, slide:ology, addressed the challenge of designing visuals to support your message. Her second book, Resonate, addresses the more fundamental issue of deciding what your message will be. As such, Resonate will appeal universally to all speakers.

Resonate has nine chapters, covering 272 pages of deliciously beautiful writing and visuals:

ChapterPrimary takeaway
1Why Resonate?Presentations will motivate your audience to move if you match your message perfectly to their frequency.
2Lessons from Myths and MoviesThe plot structure from literature and filmmaking relates to the structure of great presentations in intriguing ways.
3Get to Know the HeroAudience analysis is critical, because they are the hero of your presentation, not you.
4Define the JourneyBecause audience members will resist, you need to use persuasive techniques to have them adopt your message.
5Create Meaningful ContentPresentation content must be more than facts; it must include meaningful ideas, stories, contrast, and emotion.
6Structure Reveals InsightsThe way you organize a sequence of ideas matters.
7Deliver Something They?ll Always RememberIncorporating a S.T.A.R. moment into your presentation makes it memorable.
8There?s Always Room to ImproveIntense preparation and rehearsal are needed for a truly remarkable presentation.
9Change Your WorldThrough presentations, we can influence the world around us, no matter who we are.

The main text is supported with copious illustrations, diagrams, and photographs. As well, detailed case studies are sprinkled throughout. It covers both theory and practical tips for crafting your message.

The Price

At the time of writing this review, you can get this book for only $15.88?from amazon.com. This is 47% off the list price. That is ridiculously good value.

3 Things I Love about Resonate

I read Resonate twice, once for pleasure (on the beach, as shown in the picture), and once before writing this review.

I could easily list 33 things I loved about Resonate, but for the sake of brevity, here are three things I liked most:

1. Numerous case studies

There are seventeen case studies woven into Resonate, stretching from Abraham Lincoln?s Gettysburg Address to contemporary TED talks. The analysis presented is insightful and captivating.

2. It?s beautiful? in an important way

When discussing the creative team led by Alfred Hitchcock, Duarte writes:

The presenter is the public persona of a single individual, but in reality, the best presentations result from the collaborative efforts of an empowered team behind the scenes.

This is true for?Resonate?as well. Nancy Duarte deserves credit as the author, but the collaborative efforts of the Duarte firm make the book beautiful. By ?beautiful?, I don?t mean simply that ?the photos were nice? or ?the typesetting was elegant?; rather, the numerous visuals add tremendous value to the book.

3. The best treatment of contrast

Great presentations employ contrast in numerous ways. No book handles this topic in a more compelling manner than Resonate. Indeed, contrast is at the very heart of Duarte?s presentation form, which contrasts between ?what is? and ?what could be?.

How could it be better?

Finding deficiencies in Resonate is a bit like using laser imaging to find imperfections in the Mona Lisa. Nonetheless, all books can be better, so here are a few ideas I suggest if I were the editor:

1. Follow a Single Example Presentation from Concept to Completion

In my review of slide:ology, I wrote:

I?d like to see one example to which the entire?slide:ology?methodology would be applied. Start by setting the context, and then show the steps to the final presentation.

I feel the same thing is needed for Resonate ? take a single presentation, start with idea formation and audience analysis, and carry through all the way to a thorough outline of material (where then the concepts of slide:ology help to develop support visuals).

There is a phenomenal diagram spread between pages 142 and 143 which depicts the entire process from idea generation to visuals. (This diagram alone is worth the price of the book.) I would have liked to see ?Chapter 10: A Complete Case Study? open with this diagram, and then proceed to walk through the process in detail for a single presentation.

Note: In the slide:ology review, I also asked for a more comprehensive table of contents. Resonate?s table of contents is perfect!

?I strongly recommend you read Resonate ??immediately.?

2. More explicit use of audience analysis in latter chapters.

The early chapters of Resonate focus heavily on audience analysis. Indeed, this is the focus of Chapter 3, and much of Chapter 4.

Later chapters, however, don?t include many explicit references to audience analysis. For example, in Chapter 5, when discussing how to select and organize material, I think there?s an opportunity here to emphasize that the audience?s needs should dictate the selection and organization. Failing to draw upon audience analysis during this phase?is an issue which troubles students in my presentation classes, and I wish Resonate would have made the connection stronger.

3. Better sorting of some topics.

I felt that the early chapters held together quite well, but some later chapters seemed a little less focussed. For example, Chapter 8 focuses on preparation and practice, but starts with twelve pages that deal with topics which are more about content creation/organization, avoiding jargon, and delivery issues. Those twelve pages have useful information, but I?m just not sure they are placed properly within the overall book.

On this theme, the chapter introductions and summaries could have been improved to emphasize unity in the chapter material.

What Other Presentation Experts Wrote about Resonate

Kathy Reiffenstein:

Resonate is being called groundbreaking and magnificent. I don?t think that?s hyperbole. [...] Rush out and buy resonate. It belongs on your bookshelf, to be consulted frequently.

Nick Morgan,?Public Words:

Duarte is one who gets the idea that speeches need the same techniques and structural devices that make movies interesting. ?Situation, complication, resolution. ?Tension and release. ?The audience?s journey. ?Good speechwriters need to know and use these concepts ? and Nancy makes them clear and usable for you.

Alex Rister,?Creating Communication:

Resonate [...] is one of my presentation bibles.

Ian Griffin, Professionally Speaking:

My one complaint with resonate is that the subtitle is too limiting. It?s far more than a book on how to ?present visual stories?; rather, it?s an extensive listing of the secrets and essential truths of the best storytellers and public speakers, whether they use visuals or not.

Brent Dykes, PowerPoint Ninja:

Resonate is a great ?strategic? design book and a worthy addition to any presenter?s library. Nancy Duarte made me think and re-evaluate my own presentation design style, which I think is a compliment to her new book.

Rohit Bhargava, Influential Marketing Blog:

Even if all your presenting is done with PowerPoint, focusing on the story instead of the slides is the real secret to being a compelling presenter and communicator. Resonate is a brilliant guidebook to help you get there.

Dave Paradi:

Is this book valuable if you are an everyday presenter? Absolutely. Look past some of the examples that may not be from the world you live in, and focus on the key ideas that are applicable to all presentations.

Olivia Mitchell,?Speaking about Presenting:

If you?re a presentation geek, you?ll want this book on your bookshelf.

Nancy?s TEDx Talk

Nancy Duarte spoke at TEDx East and gave a capsule presentation of the key ideas in Resonate:

YouTube Preview Image

Verdict

Exactly four years ago,?I reviewed?Nancy Duarte?s first book, slide:ology. In that review, I wrote:

I highly recommend?slide:ology. It is destined to become a classic reference text for presentation skills.

Resonate?deserves the same high praise. You should get yourself a copy today.?I only wish I could send copies to every?Six Minutes?reader.

Source: http://sixminutes.dlugan.com/book-review-resonate-nancy-duarte/

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Sunday, August 26, 2012

dbasch: The ruling doesn't affect me, I'll happily continue to use my Samsung Galaxy iPhone.

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

Source: http://twitter.com/dbasch/statuses/239144053915136000

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7 Quick Takes Saturday!

#7

Seriously, this week has been insane. The first week of school went beautifully for Sienna, but unfortunately all the long, quiet hours of blogging I envisioned never quite materialized.

This is partially the fault of Florida and its stupid tendency to get hit with hurricanes, and my subsequent need to prepare for said impending hurricane, partially the fault of Lincoln, whose due date grows ever nearer and whose enormous piles of newborn clothes insist upon being washed and put away, and partially my fault, because every time the littlest minions were napping and Sienna was at school, I napped instead of blogging.

But elsewhere on the internet, things have been rockin?! I mean, look at the headlines! Todd Akin! Paul Ryan! The Empire State Building shooter! Obama?s Twitter followers! Prince Harry?s admirable bum! I have opinions on every single crazy thing that happened this week, and wanted to blog on all of them, and instead I slept.

I sincerely hope my blog survives this pregnancy.

#6

When the Ogre was in Vegas, he stumbled across a little Italian market that I somehow missed during our three-year exile there, and brought me home bucatini and savoiardi. Genuinely Italian bucatini and savoiardi, in the familiar Italian packaging I love so much. I was beyond excited, and decided to invite our next-door neighbors (who also studied in Rome and understand the appeal of all things Roman) over tonight for bucatini alla?amatriciana and tiramisu?two things that can only be properly made with truly Italian bucatini and savoiardi.

I was so excited. They were so excited. The kids were so excited.

And then yesterday Liam got pinkeye and a fever and ruined everything.

I feel sorry for the kid, I really do, but I feel even more sorry for me. There?s nothing I love more than cooking for company, and Italian food is my favorite thing to cook, and outside of penne alla vodka, amatriciana and tiramisu are my favorite Italian things to cook, and besides, tiramisu. I was so looking forward to it. And now I?m really sad that there?s not a gorgeous tiramisu resting in my refrigerator and becoming magical.

If Liam wasn?t so pathetic and cuddly, I?d be seriously annoyed. As it is, I just really want some tiramisu.

#5

So the night before last, I was getting ready for bed and the Ogre came into the bathroom with a really strange look on his face. I asked him what was wrong and he just motioned for me to follow him, so I did. We walked into the front room, where there were three small (maybe one-month-old) kittens peering into the window and meowing.

It was so heartbreaking. They really wanted to come in the house, but we aren?t allowed to have animals in our house per our landlord?s request. So we set out some milk for them and they took up residence on our front stoop, periodically pawing at the window and meowing plaintively.

It broke my heart, and all I could think about were those poor little kittens getting eaten by bears or alligators or panthers, so finally the Ogre put them in our garage.

I spent a good deal of yesterday calling no-kill shelters (because did you know that even the Humane Society euthanizes?) but didn?t have any luck. We moved the kittens out onto our lanai when it got hot, and they?re still out there. We?ve been trying to find homes for them, but in the meantime our kids have fallen totally in love with them. Sienna especially. I told them that we have to find a place for them today, because obviously we can?t keep three kittens on a screen porch during a hurricane, and Sienna broke into tears and spent a half-hour mourning the unfairness of her existence in her room.

#4

It was like looking into a time-traveling mirror. When I was little, all I wanted was a kitten. I was in love with kittens, obsessed with them even, but my dad is allergic and we couldn?t have one.

I was convinced that it was really a plot by my parents to make my life miserable and deny me the very thing that I wanted more than anything else, and I spent many long hours bemoaning the injustice of my father?s mythical ?allergies?. Kind of like Sienna spent an hour this morning insisting that our landlord must hate her.

This was not an adorable or endearing look into my past. I?m in for a melodramatic few years, until puberty hits. And remembering my own hormonal wackiness (seriously, I swung from Hanson fan to goth to head cheerleader to Nietzschean pseudo-intellectual), I?m going to do the smart thing and just ship her off to a convent. With high walls. And nuns who understand that Nietzsche is not appropriate reading for teenagers who already think they know everything.

#3

When I was in college I rectified the injustice of my childhood by rescuing a 2-week-old kitten from a crack house.

It was somewhat less picturesque than this pretty drawing, but the kitten became a fixture in our lives. I couldn?t have her in? my apartment because my roommate was allergic, so the Ogre kept her for me. We named her Loki, after the Norse god of mischief, which was a perfect name because she grew up to be a perfectly horrible cat.

Seriously, the thing they never tell children about kittens is that they grow up to be cats. And this cat was a be-yotch. With a capital B. The only person she loved in the entire world was the Ogre. Everyone else she either treated with contempt and disdain or tried to kill with her claws. I thought I hated her, and then we had to get rid of her when we moved away from Vegas and I cried.

It turns out I didn?t hate her. I really miss her. The Ogre misses her even more. She was his late-night study companion. She?d always hop into his lap when he sat up late, reading in the Wisdom Chair, and sharpen her claws on his shirt. He said it kept him awake.

#2

Why yes, we do have a chair called the Wisdom Chair. This is Sienna sitting in it. It?s called the Wisdom Chair because it was the Ogre?s father?s chair, and he used to sit in it when he called the family together for lectures. It?s the Ogre?s now, and any time he has to have a serious talk with one of the kids he sits in it.

I tried to get rid of it when we moved away from Texas, and he still hasn?t forgiven me for that.

#1

I actually did dream that my house was clean last night, but I woke up and found that it?isn?t. And since we might have to put up hurricane shutters and do other hurricane-prep-things this afternoon, I must go do the Saturday chores. Grimly. Have a wonderful, hurricane-free weekend! I?ll just be here, stuck inside, depressed because I can?t see the sun. Again.

Dear Florida: you do not deserve to be called the sunshine state. I hereby dub thee ?The State of False Advertising and Octogenarians.?

Go see Jen for more quick takes!

Source: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/barefootandpregnant/2012/08/7-quick-takes-saturday-7.html

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Saturday, August 25, 2012

Senator wants Lil Wayne to apologize for NY diss

Ronald Martinez / Getty Images

By Josh Grossberg, E! Online

There's at least one New Yorker who didn't appreciate Lil Wayne telling the Big Apple to go suck it.?New York State Senator Malcolm A. Smith was so incensed that the rapper told MTV on Monday, "I don't like New York," Smith actually called a press conference in Times Square to demand the hip-hop star apologize.

"I take strong exception to the words 'I don't like New York,'" the democrat told reporters yesterday, adding that he was "shocked" when he first heard it.

Lil Wayne taking a break from rapping

Smith went on to suggest that if Weezy hates New York, "you don't have to come to New York."

"You don't have to sell your products here. And perhaps we won't come to your concerts," he noted.

He might have difficulty selling some members of his own family on the idea however considering he admitted his 19-year-old daughter, Amanda, is a Lil Wayne fan.

Lil Wayne writing a book about jail time

And to be fair, the hitmaker hasn't had an easy time in the five boroughs considering that in 2007, he was busted on illegal weapons possession charges and following a guilty plea spent eight months locked up in Rikers Island in 2010. He also wasn't thrilled this June when a New York City DJ dissed of his protegee Nicki Minaj, prompting him to pull his Young Money acts out of the Hot 97 summer jam.

Still, given his neighborhood is famous for being the place that birthed such hip-hop icons as Run-D.M.C., rap mogul Russell Simmons, Ja Rule and Young MC among others, Smith wasn't taking Lil Wayne's insult lying down.?

Check out these famous family feuds

In a separate statement issued Wednesday and obtained by E! News, Smith noted: "Millions of New Yorkers listen to his music every day. His comments outraged his local fans and residents. The group today will be demanding an apology of the hip-hop star. Lil Wayne has had misfortune in New York with recent gun charges and a jail sentence."

Lil Wayne pulls Nicki Minaj out of radio concert after DJ diss

To that end, Smith offered to meet with Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, at a time and place of his choosing to discuss "how to stop gun violence in cities" and allow the New Orleans native an opportunity to seek forgiveness.

"We're prepared to forgive Lil Wayne if in fact he makes a sincere apology," he said.

A publicist for Lil Wayne could not be reached for comment.?

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/08/24/13453004-lil-wayne-doesnt-love-new-york-draws-state-senators-ire?lite

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Custer Gets a New Stand (talking-points-memo)

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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Home Improvement Tips That Anyone Can Try | Silver and Spice

Whether you?re trying to increase your home?s value or simply beautify the place a little bit via a few needed improvements, you should know that there?s a lot more that can go wrong than can go right. That?s just how it is with improvement jobs. Being a carpenter is a true skill. The handyman isn?t always the best at home improvements. This is why you need to read these tips.

Remember that the lowest estimate that you get might not always be the best. When getting bids for your home improvements you really need to research the companies giving you the bids and scrutinize them thoroughly. In the beginning, the lowest price might seem best, but you might end up paying more in the end for sub par work.

Before starting a home improvement project throw away all the stuff you don?t need. This will clear a lot of needed space for when you need to move furniture around for the improvement project, as well as clear clutter from your home. Less junk makes life easier and increases organization as well.

If you no longer use your garage for parking your cars, you may want to consider remodeling it to be a part of your home. It can serve as an extra bedroom, office or den/family room for your home. Since it is usually attached to your home, the duct work is probably already in place for heating and cooling.

When making a major renovation to your home, check into what kind of return for investment that you can get from it. The reason for this is that certain updates can be a bit of an overkill depending on what neighborhood you live in. This is especially important if you might be planning on selling your home within a couple of years of doing this renovation. If you do too much, you might not get your money?s worth out of it.

Updating a bathroom that seems old and dated, can be a quick and easy way to liven the overall appearance of your home. Consider replacing the carpet, throw on a fresh paint of coat, or buy new towels and a new shower curtain, for some fast and painless results.

If you want to do all of the home improvements and not have to pay more in the long run by having someone else do it, you must start with having all of the essentials. If you do not have the tools that you need to complete your work, you will be wasting your time.

Before making renovations on your home, you should make sure that you know your budget. Otherwise, you could end up with a home renovation project that you can not afford to complete. Making a budget is vital to making sure you can safely afford going through on a renovation project.

If your home was built in the seventies or earlier, chances are good that it was built with only a very thin layer of insulation throughout the entire structure. Ideally, the layer should be approximately 27 centimeters or 10.5 inches thick. By increasing the thickness of insulation to the recommended four to six inches, you could easily save a couple of hundred dollars per year.

When creating a budget for a home improvement project, make sure that you factor in ?small? expenses like nails, tools, tape, and so forth. The cost of these surprises can really impact your overall budget and leave you scratching your head about how you spent so much. It?s better to plan for them ahead of time.

After reading these tips, you are one step closer to finally making those repairs or upgrades. What?s the next step, you ask? Well, proper implementation of the above tips and tactics is how you want to proceed. No shortcuts here; apply exactly what you?ve learned for the best results.

Shopping for the Hotpoint Condenser Tumble Dryers but don?t want to pay those outrageous prices? Hurry over to see the Cheapest price for the Hotpoint TCD980P Tumble Dryer and get the lowest price possible with the best selection of tumble dryers on the web!

Source: http://www.silverandspice.com/home-improvement-tips-that-anyone-can-try/

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Monday, August 20, 2012

What China's space capabilities mean for India

China's manned missions and the space station also indirectly showcase the country's ability to use space for military purposes, says Dr Manpreet Sethi.

The successful touchdown of the American spacecraft Curiosity on mars has generated much interest in India [ Images ] and the world. Certainly, this is a major milestone in earth's search for life elsewhere in space. But another event of significance for India's national security went relatively unnoticed though it took place much closer home in India's eastern neighbourhood.

On June 29, China welcomed three of its 'taikonauts' aboard Shenzhou 9 back to earth after their 13-day sojourn into outer space. Of course, this was not the first time that China had sent up a manned spacecraft. In fact, it had already demonstrated this feat in 2003 and repeated it a few times since then.

But there were two new dimensions of the recent flight. One, it carried a Chinese woman astronaut into space for the first time. Secondly and far more significantly, it demonstrated China's capability to conduct docking of a manned spacecraft with the experimental lab Tiangong 1 that China has had stationed in space since September 2011. Successful docking with an unmanned spacecraft had already been conducted in 2011 itself. But this time, the three astronauts in Shenzhou 9 established that China could precisely maneuver a space capsule to rendezvous with and attach itself to a port on the station in order to transfer people and material to sustain a space station.

Each one of these feats is meant to fit into the long term objective of having a Chinese manned space station in outer space by sometime towards the end of this decade. Such a goal was first articulated by the standing committee of the Politburo in 1992 when it approved the manned spaceflight programme.

The country has steadily moved to accomplish this and in fact, the white paper on space activities issued by China in 2011 categorically identified the national ambition to "launch space laboratories, manned spaceship and space freighters, make breakthroughs in and master space station key technologies, including astronauts' medium stay, regenerative life support and propellant refueling".

What are the implications of these developments? First of all, a Chinese space station and the demonstration of capabilities towards that objective have tremendous symbolic value for power projection. Achieving these tasks reflects favorably on the scientific, technological and industrial/manufacturing capability of the country. Not only does this enhance the reputation of China to provide commercial services to global customers, it also enhances the soft power of the country.

It is worth mentioning that China today claims international cooperation with 12 countries in the field of space. Just last year it launched satellites for three customers -- Pakistan, Eutelsat and Nigeria. Of these, the two vehicles launched for Pakistan and Nigeria were communication satellites made in China. Just last month China entered into a joint venture with Sri Lanka [ Images ] to set up its first space academy.

Indeed, for the developing world, China has become a key provider of technology and other commercial launch services at competitive rates. But more importantly, China has taken upon itself the role of a mentor in space for many smaller countries in Asia. Since 2008, Beijing [ Images ] has led the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organisation. With its headquarters in Beijing, it comprises Bangladesh, Indonesia, Iran, Mongolia, Pakistan, Peru and Thailand. Training of foreign scientists at Chinese institutes and donation of ground stations to member countries to receive information from Chinese satellites are some of the activities that the organisation has undertaken.

As China enhances its space capabilities, it raises its profile amongst smaller nations taking tentative steps into this new domain. China plays upon the psychology of these nations by offering its space services as a means to break the monopoly of western imperialism in a pioneering field of science and technology. That China gains commercially and strategically from such relations is self evident.

Besides raising its profile amongst the less space savvy nations, China's manned missions and the space station also indirectly showcase the country's ability to use space for military purposes. There are reports that the Shenzhou missions have been equipped with electronic intelligence or image intelligence gathering devices. Officially, China has never acknowledged the launch of a single military satellite, admitting at most that its space assets might have a dual role. But the demonstration of capability allows enforcement of military prowess for political objectives.

Meanwhile, there are two added bonuses of the success of these plans. One, they do wonders for the party's self confidence and enhance its legitimacy at home. Secondly, they also allow China to participate in international negotiations on use of space from a position of strength. Not surprisingly, therefore, China perceives great value in these projects and will persist in its efforts towards setting up a space station by about the turn of this decade. Interestingly, this will also be about the time that the International Space Station [ Images ], a joint endeavor of USA, Russia [ Images ], Japan [ Images ], Europe and Canada [ Images ] would have lived its life and be ready to be de-orbited in 2020.

In the next decade then, China might be the only country with a permanent human presence in low earth orbit. It is a thought that should spur India into action.

Dr Manpreet Sethi is senior fellow at the Centre for Air Power Studies, New Delhi [ Images ].

Source: http://www.rediff.com/news/column/what-chinas-space-capabilities-mean-for-india/20120817.htm

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Native American spiritual beliefs influential in spurring youth to avoid drugs and alcohol

ScienceDaily (Aug. 20, 2012) ? New research indicates that urban native American youth who follow American Indian traditional spiritual beliefs are less likely to use drugs and alcohol. Arizona State University social scientists will present their findings at the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association in Denver, Colorado.

The study, "Spirituality and Religion: Intertwined Protective Factors for Substance Use Among Urban American Indian Youth," was recently published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. The authors are: Stephen Kulis, the study's principal investigator and ASU School of Social and Family Dynamics professor; David R. Hodge, ASU School of Social Work associate professor; Stephanie L. Ayers, ASU Southwest Interdisciplinary Research Center associate director of research; Eddie F. Brown, ASU American Indian Studies professor and American Indian Policy Institute executive director; and Flavio F. Marsiglia, ASU School of Social Work professor.

"Most American Indians now live in cities rather than tribal communities. Our study is one of the few to address the role of spirituality and religion among urban Native youth, recognizing the unique histories of cultural integration that characterize today's urban American Indian communities and the complex belief systems and practices that sustain them in the urban landscape," Kulis said.

Among the general native American youth population, higher rates of substance (both drug and alcohol) abuse are reported than among their non-native American counterparts. They also are more likely to use heavier amounts, initiate substance use earlier, and have more severe consequences from substance use, according to past research.

Native Americans typically do not separate spirituality from other areas of their lives, making it a complex, cultural and intertwined aspect of their daily existence.

Researchers found that adherence to native American beliefs was the strongest predictor of anti-drug attitudes, norms, and expectations. Concerning substance use, aspects of spirituality and religion associated with lower levels of use were affiliation with the Native American Church and following Christian beliefs.

Data for the study were collected from native American students enrolled in five urban middle schools within a large southwestern city in 2009. The average age of the 123 respondents was 12.6 years old.

Most of the study respondents expressed strong anti-drug and alcohol beliefs, with the majority stating that they "definitely would not" use alcohol, cigarettes, or marijuana if given an opportunity (55 percent) and that it was "definitely not okay" for students their age to use those substances.

Respondents also felt that their parents (78 percent) and grandparents (69 percent) would be "very angry" if they used drugs or alcohol and 51 percent stated they were "very sure" that they would reject any substance offers.

Also notable was that about half (53 percent) had resisted offers of drugs in the past 30 days.

Spirituality was reflected as an important aspect in students' lives. More than 80 percent of respondents said that spirituality held some importance to them and was part of their lives. Seventy-nine percent of the students felt it was "somewhat" or "very important" to follow traditional American Indian beliefs and about half felt it was important to follow Christian beliefs.

However, a general sense of spirituality that did not refer specifically to native American traditions, beliefs, or culture was not found to be a deterrent against substance use.

"Rituals and ceremonies have helped American Indian communities adapt to change, integrate elements of different tribes, infuse aspects of Western organized religions, and make them their own," according to the paper.

In addition, the paper states that possessing a feeling of belonging to traditions from both American Indian and Christian cultures may foster integration of the two worlds in which urban American Indian youth live.

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


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Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/mZP_3XxpNpg/120820110807.htm

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Saturday, August 18, 2012

Aug. 19, 2012 - 3:00 PM : Redmen Basketball vs Northeastern University (NCAA; Home)

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Aug. 19, 2012 - 3:00 PM

Redmen Basketball vs Northeastern University (NCAA; Home)

Source: http://www.mcgill.ca/channels/events/item/?item_id=217302

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Florida Football 100 For 100, No. 65: The Gators Are Coming Soon

There are 15 days until Florida's September 1 opener with Bowling Green. There are 65 entries left in the 100 For 100 series.

I don't know if I've written about the Live Life In The Swamp campaign that UF (or, really, the UAA) is putting together to make sure everyone knows Gators football is cool at length here, but I really like this new spot.

A little music, a little judicious use of the magic hour, and you get a pretty neat video dignifying the work of the players who are getting ready to put on the orange and blue. It doesn't really make me want to go out and buy tickets, and not just because I have them already, but it does get my pulse racing a bit, and wishing the next two weeks would go by faster.

Do you like this as much as I do? What would you do if given the chance to run Florida's marketing? The comments, as always, are open.

Source: http://www.alligatorarmy.com/2012/8/17/3250496/florida-football-coming-soon-video

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Friday, August 17, 2012

Big-Budget Reshoots Are on the Rise

This story first appeared in the Aug. 24 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine.

With a number of troubled big-budget movies having been pushed off their release dates this year for what executives called minimal "reshoots," some industry insiders think studios might be bandying about the term too loosely.

"I think it's a misnomer," says a prominent producer. "It's additional shooting. They are actually coming up with brand-new scenes, and that's happening a lot." A former studio chief concurs, saying, "Reshoots are routine for nine out of 10 movies, but reshoots to pick up some shots are different from doing multiple weeks to fix a movie."

PHOTOS: 28 of Summer's Most Anticipated Movies: 'Avengers,' 'Dark Knight,' 'Prometheus'

Industry sources cite two high-profile projects as examples of the latter: Universal's 47 Ronin, a period samurai film starring Keanu Reeves, and World War Z, a Paramount zombie movie with Brad Pitt, which were both moved to 2013. Studio sources are adamant that Ronin will have one week of additional work, but others with ties to the project expect it to be much more. In the case of the Marc Forster-helmed World War Z, new writers were called in to craft an entire third act. Other films that have been pushed include Paramount's G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Hansel and Gretel. Disney's Oz: The Great and Powerful is still on track for a March 8 release but recently completed 13 days of reshoots.

When do reshoots indicate a fundamental problem? Veteran producers agree that on a big-budget project, a week or even two is reasonable. Beyond that, the likelihood is the production needs a significant rework. One veteran of big-effects films says the recent rash of movies needing additional reshoots might result from studios engaging in a "false economy" by hiring directors who lack experience with effects and action. "The big studios take a $100 million, $200 million movie and put it in the hands of somebody who's never done it before, and that's asking for trouble," he says.

That was the case with Ronin. Universal went with first-time director Carl Rinsch, and trouble quickly followed. Sources confirm the studio was aware during principal photography that Rinsch hadn't done a satisfactory job with a key battle sequence at the film's end. A closely supervised Rinsch now will shoot that sequence along with other material to bolster Reeves as the hero and enhance the romance.

STORY: Universal Pushes Back Keanu Reeves' '47 Ronin'

On World War Z, writer Damon Lindelof was brought in to do a third act, but after figuring out how much additional work was needed, he handed the project off to collaborator Drew Goddard. Sources say Paramount execs only had 52 minutes of continuous footage cut together to show them, along with a few minutes of other action. The film is said to be gearing up for a seven-week reshoot in London.

One former studio chief says it's tough to "throw good money after bad" in an attempt to salvage a troubled film. But others point to The Bourne Identity, which became a big hit despite drastic reshoots before its 2002 release.

Among the current crop, industry observers are giving the benefit of the doubt to Disney's $200 million-plus Oz because it comes from seasoned producer Joe Roth and director Sam Raimi, who has the Spider-Man franchise under his belt. That film completed 13 days of reshooting in early August; Roth says the film needed "substantial" work to fix a talking monkey that only started to speak at the midway point, which confused test audiences. "We thought the joke would work, and we were wrong," he says. "We had to go back and have all the main characters who are interacting with the monkey reshoot."

STORY: Damon Lindelof to Rewrite 'World War Z' (Exclusive)

Despite the risks, producer Jerry Bruckheimer says the situation isn't always as bad as it might seem. He has built as much as $2 million into budgets to cover reshoots but estimates his longest redo was about 10 additional days on 1995's Dangerous Minds: "If you have to go back for a month, there might be issues, but that doesn't mean you can't fix them."

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1925732/news/1925732/

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Thursday, August 16, 2012

Romney says Obama just trying to 'hang onto power'

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Republican presidential challenger Mitt Romney charged Wednesday that President Barack Obama is running a campaign "of enmity and jealousy and anger" and called on him to lift the tone of political discourse.

In an escalation of an increasingly acrimonious campaign, Romney went on national television to say he thinks Obama is "running just to hang onto power, and I think he would do anything in his power" to remain in office.

Asked if he was worried that people would think the presidential campaign has become "unhinged," the former Massachusetts governor replied, "I think unhinged would have to characterize what we've seen from the president's campaign."

"These personal attacks, I think, are just demeaning to the office of the White House," he added.

The campaign has been lurching toward a more intensive stage in the wake of Romney's announcement Saturday of conservative Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin as his vice presidential running mate.

Even before that, independent groups supporting the respective campaigns had been running increasingly provocative TV ads, including one from a group supporting Obama. That commercial suggested Romney was personally responsible for the death from cancer of the wife of a man who worked at a steel plant that was bought and subsequently shut down by Romney's venture capital firm, Bain Capital.

The tone reached a fever pitch Tuesday in connection with a remark Vice President Joe Biden made to a mostly black audience in Danville, Va. Commenting in response to Republican criticism that the Obama administration had sought to regulate Wall Street too tightly, Biden said the GOP wanted to "unchain Wall Street."

The vice president went on to say, "They're going to put y'all back in chains."

Speaking in Wytheville, Va., later Tuesday, Biden said he had meant to use the term "unshackled." But he did not apologize, and he mocked the Romney campaign for showing outrage.

In his interview Wednesday on "CBS This Morning," Romney said, "I can't speak for anybody else, but I can say that I think the comments of the vice president were one more example of a divisive effort to keep from talking about the issues."

"The president's campaign is all about division and attack and hatred and my campaign is about getting Americans back to work and creating more unity in this country," he said.

Meanwhile, Obama's campaign is launching state-specific efforts to target elements of Ryan's austere budget proposals, expanding beyond its opposition to the Republican vice presidential candidate's Medicare overhaul.

The developing Obama strategy comes as Romney and Ryan make clear they plan to campaign aggressively on Medicare, not run away from it. In person and in a television ad, the Republicans argued Tuesday that Obama is the one who cut spending for Medicare to put money toward his divisive health care overhaul.

Obama was campaigning in Iowa on Wednesday, the final day of his three-day bus trip through the Midwestern swing state. First lady Michelle Obama was joining the president, marking their first joint appearance on the campaign trail since May. Romney had a pair of private fundraisers in North Carolina and Alabama.

In states with large military and veteran populations ? Florida, Ohio and Virginia among them ? the Obama campaign plans to attack Ryan's proposed cuts for veterans' benefits and care, a campaign official said. The official was not authorized to discuss the campaign strategy publicly and requested anonymity.

In Colorado, Ohio and Iowa, the campaign sees opportunities to capitalize on Ryan's proposed cuts to clean energy industries that are taking hold in those states. The Obama team will argue that cutting those investments would essentially cede new energy technologies ? and the jobs that could come with them ? to countries like China, the official said.

In Nevada and several other states, the campaign plans to push the impact of Ryan's budget on education, citing estimates that it would cut 200,000 children a year from Head Start, an early education program, and reduce Pell grants for 10 million college students.

The campaign launched an ad Tuesday in five states ? Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia ? that links Romney directly to the Ryan budget's impact on college grants.

Obama's team may launch other paid advertising on elements of Ryan's budget soon. But for now, the campaign is focused on getting its message out in local media and directly to voters through its ample grass-roots network, which still trumps Romney's ground game in some states.

Despite ramping up new areas of attack, Obama's campaign is still eager to link Romney to Ryan's Medicare proposals, both on the national level and in battleground states with a significant number of voters over the age of 65, including Florida, Ohio, Iowa and Pennsylvania.

The president's pollsters wrote in a campaign memo that Ryan's Medicare proposals are a "game changer" in Florida, the battleground state with the most electoral votes up for grabs in November.

Romney launched a strong Medicare counterattack Tuesday, accusing Obama of having "raided" $716 billion from the Medicare trust fund.

"And you know what he did with it? He's used it to pay for Obamacare, a risky, unproven federal takeover of health care. And If I'm president of the United States, we're putting the $716 billion back," Romney said at a campaign stop in Beallsville, Ohio, as he neared the end of a multistate bus trip that began with his weekend selection of a running mate.

Romney's campaign also released a commercial Tuesday containing the same allegation that began airing immediately in several battleground states, although officials declined to provide details.

Ryan, interviewed on Fox News Channel, said he and Romney believe Medicare can be a winning issue for Republicans in the fall. "Absolutely, because we're the ones who are offering a plan to save Medicare, to protect Medicare, to strengthen Medicare," he said.

Ryan didn't say so, but the budgets he has written in the House both called for leaving in place the cuts to Medicare that he is now criticizing. Romney has consistently favored restoring the funds, and his running mate said, "I joined the Romney ticket."

Obama campaign spokesman Danny Kanner criticized Ryan's answers, calling the Wisconsin congressman "not ready for prime time."

"First, he attacked the president for the very same Medicare savings that he includes in his own budget," Kanner said in a statement. "In the same breath, he falsely claimed that the Romney-Ryan budget protects Medicare ? in fact, their plan would end Medicare as we know it, leaving seniors with nothing but a voucher in place of the guaranteed benefits they rely on today."

The Obama campaign released a web video Wednesday that declares Romney and Ryan "plan to end Medicare as we know it." It features news commentators and liberal analysts such as economist Paul Krugman declaring that Ryan's House Republican budget would mean millions of older Americans would be unable to afford health care.

The video declares that Romney has lied about Obama's record on Medicare, and says Obama's proposal cuts payments to Medicare providers but offers more benefits to Medicare participants.

Romney and the Republican National Committee planned to release a new Spanish language TV ad Wednesday highlighting Obama's economic policies. Romney's campaign didn't say where it would run or how much money they plan to spend on the spot.

___

Associated Press writers Kasie Hunt in Columbus, Ohio, and Jim Kuhnhenn in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/romney-says-obama-just-trying-hang-onto-power-120255972.html

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Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Children's Health and Fitness - Len Saunders

From Health News Digest?..

Schools will resume for many of the nation?s youth over the coming weeks and one change parents may notice is healthier meals offered in their children?s school meals program.

The passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act in December 2010 helped usher in more changes to what children are served at school, according to a Kansas State University school nutrition expert.

?There has been a real push to increase the amount of fresh fruits and vegetables served to children and a move to purchase local foods from local farmers,? said Jeannie Sneed, head of the department of hospitality management and dietetics in the university?s College of Human Ecology. ?Many schools offer lots of choices so that children can select foods that they enjoy.?

Congress reauthorizes child nutrition programs every five years, which precipitated passage of The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act. The legislation included many provisions that improved access to nutrition assistance programs, required compliance to new meal pattern and nutrition standards, emphasized school wellness policies, provided grants and instituted a series of other reforms related to meal pricing and food safety.

A new menu pattern will be implemented this year for the School Breakfast Program and the National Lunch Program. The reforms will be phased in over the next 10 years. The new meal pattern emphasizes the consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and provides both minimum and maximum calorie levels for children at various grades. Increasingly lower sodium levels also will be phased in.

During the 2012-201313 and 2013-2014 school years, half of all grains served must be whole grains. By 2014-2015, all must be whole grain.

?We won?t see any traditional white bread in the school meals program,? Sneed said.

Fruit servings will increase to five cups per week as part of the new meal pattern. Another requirement will be for five cups of vegetables to be served weekly. All flavored milks will have to be fat-free and low-fat, unflavored milk can be served. The number of times starchy vegetables such as corn and potatoes can be served has also been reduced substantially.

The importance of reforms in meals programs cannot be underestimated, according to Sneed.

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=3268

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Sunday, August 12, 2012

should help you to know about personal development ~ all about ...

Want to live a fuller life? The following tips can make it easier to change your life.

Instead of all his trophies and successes, ask other people about their remarkable achievements and proudest moments. This helps you to find what others have done to help you comply with this turn of your character.

The people in your life must have similar interests. Personal development is easier when partners do not underestimate their efforts and try your goals, but share your journey to self-improvement.

Improving health is something to go very far down the path of personal development. A healthy body will help you feel better. Your mind is less clear, and you can even have more free time and reduce costs, and will not consult to the doctor so often. Decisions that would lead to a healthy lifestyle are part of your daily routine.

A simple step to personal development is to do things for the good of others. Respect for others, and be able to sacrifice for them, will help you improve and become a better person. Be able to sacrifice themselves to be to get the satisfaction of others and be able to will help you become a more well rounded person.

Feed your faith, with love. Without love you can not have faith. Use of love and faith as the foundation of your life makes you a happier person. So you can be a living example for all around you.

Whatever you need, and what to do to get it, not something that everyone has to do with his life on this planet. It is important that you be an active participant in your life. View from outside is good for nothing. Watching life go by without at, he separated from all over the world and the people were to go out and live life.

Concentrate on learning to stay in difficult situations calmly and not irrational and emotional. If you know how to keep a cool head in stressful times, then it is likely to be able to handle most problems in life sends your way. Take time to relax and take a few deep breaths.

Keep your goals realistic as possible so that you can reach them. To identify your weaknesses, you can treat them properly and to a better service.

When potential employers look at their history, more education, are to the extent that you have won, not the school you attended. Some countries, such as banks and investment firms, I really think about where you take care of your studies. It is actually more important than simply opened with a level of quality, the new possibilities for you.

Before you all regret what you say, count to ten. Visualize a peaceful and safe and breathe deeply. Make sure you stay calm and stable, and only say what he meant.

Avoid shopping as a form of entertainment or comfort. If you focus your time on something productive instead of shopping, you'll save money and your house is not such a big mess look.

Self-discipline is a prerequisite for the development of personal success. Make sure you have your own control over what I want more. Excess, overeating, lust and selfishness are all hard core, which can be overcome. You can retain the services to harm you, body and spirit, when to check and to resist, to learn them.

The sexual capital is a trait worth developing in their quest for improvement. Not so bad. Does not translate into use to get sex, what you want. It's as easy as with his charm. Not everyone is good in a social context, in spite of the sex in the city can help many aspects of life.

Personal development is not a fight, have seen how in this article. So pay attention to the incredible benefits you receive, including an increase in overall happiness and health expenses

This page was made to go directly into the field full of good thoughts of the day. Other useful information, as well as exercises to keep your brain strong and optimistic light to speak to one of the proposed sites for your benefit below.

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Source: http://allaboutselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2012/08/should-help-you-to-know-about-personal.html

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