Monday, December 31, 2012

I?m Bored. What?s Next?

boredIt?s just about 2013 and I gotta say, I?m a little bored. At least, the blogger in me is. As an investor things are just peachy. All this panic about overpriced consumer startups has led to a nice softening of the market (periodic reports of Blubbles are great for that). And other sectors, like business to business, is still under capitalized v. the consumer sector. But as a consumer and observer of tech, things feel very 2002ish to me. There?s been a lot of belt tightening, for example, as many startups are trying to make their seed rounds stretch just a little bit longer. But it?s more than that. I just don?t see the tons of crazy new ideas that I did a few years ago. Things that are genuinely new and interesting. Yeah, yeah, mobile. I get it. Everything?s mobile these days. LET?S GO MO-BILE! But really that?s just an IQ test. When you see bold new startups with nothing but a desktop strategy, you know they just don?t get it and you move on. But really a lot of the mobile stuff out there is just radioactive decay from the iPhone launching in 2007. 2007! Old news! Ancient platforms! Yeah, the iPhone and Android are great. But seriously, look at the top headline grabbers in tech news in 2012. Apple. Google. Facebook. Microsoft. Christ. It might as well still be 2007. I don?t want to read any more stories about how Facebook cloned something they couldn?t buy. Or that Twitter banned something that they tried to buy but Facebook got there first. Or the press regurgitating how Google+ is somehow not flailing. Or about the number of Android v. iPhone devices. Or Samsung?s patent mishaps. Or how Yahoo is winding down things in Asia. I certainly don’t want to, for example, spend another minute debating Hunter Walk on the nuances of social graphs or whether we should be given a way to efficiently remove friends from Facebook. For two other examples look at the post directly below this one, and (in a few minutes) the one directly above. Snoozers! I want something completely new and different to happen, and lots of it. Stuff that makes us change the way we think about a market, or the world. Something that inspires a new generation of crazy startups doing crazy things. I don?t want to be completely negative on the

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/zOMuUT45FpA/

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49ers Win NFC West Title With 27-13 Victory Over Cardinals

  • Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano acknowledges the fans after walking onto the field before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. Pagano is back as coach after nearly three months of treatments for leukemia. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Chuck Pagano

    Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano is greeted by family members after walking onto the field before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. Pagano is back as coach after nearly three months of treatments for leukemia. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Chuck Pagano

    Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, right, is hugged by general manager Ryan Grigson after walking onto the field before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Chuck Pagano

    Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano signs autographs for fans before an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Chuck Pagano

    Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano watches as the Colts prepare for an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Chuck Pagano, Bruce Arians

    Indianapolis Colts head coach Chuck Pagano, right, watches during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. Offensive coordinator Bruce Arians, left, looks on. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Chan Gailey

    Buffalo Bills head coach Chan Gailey, second from left, and Bills players stand on the sidelines during a remembrance for the West Webster Fire Department firefighters who were ambushed while responding to a house fire on Dec. 24th before an NFL football game against the New York Jets, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

  • Domenik Hixon

    New York Giants wide receiver Jerrel Jernigan (12), Spencer Paysinger (52) and Domenik Hixon (87) greet a contingent of teachers, parents, and students from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., before an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The school was the site of a mass shooting on Dec. 14. (AP Photo/Peter Morgan)

  • Rueben Randle, Nnamdi Asomugha

    New York Giants wide receiver Rueben Randle (82) catches a pass as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha (24) defends during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

  • Matt Schaub

    Houston Texans' Matt Schaub (8) throws during the first half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Mike Williams

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Williams (19) makes a touch-down catch during the first half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • Andy Dalton

    Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) passes against the Baltimore Ravens in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

  • Justin Blackmon, Tommie Campbell

    Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Justin Blackmon (14) beats Tennessee Titans defensive back Tommie Campbell (37) to the end zone to score a touchdown on a 30-yard pass play in the second quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Joe Howell)

  • Mike Smith

    Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith speaks with Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Harry Douglas (83) during the first half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

  • DeAngelo Williams

    Carolina Panthers' DeAngelo Williams (34) breaks away for a 65-heard run during the first half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • LaRon Landry, C.J. Spiller

    New York Jets free safety LaRon Landry (30) moves in for a tackle on Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller (28) during the first half an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

  • Reggie Wayne, Glover Quin

    Indianapolis Colts' Reggie Wayne (87) is tackled by Houston Texans' Glover Quin (29) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Kyle Wilson, C.J. Spiller

    New York Jets cornerback Kyle Wilson (20) tries to run down Buffalo Bills running back C.J. Spiller (28) during the first half an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

  • Chris Crocker, Jacoby Jones

    Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Jacoby Jones (12) is tackled by Cincinnati Bengals strong safety Chris Crocker (33) after a short gain in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

  • Jason Snelling,Mark Barron

    Atlanta Falcons fullback Jason Snelling (44) runs as Tampa Bay Buccaneers strong safety Mark Barron (24) makes the tackle during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • Danieal Manning, Dwayne Allen

    Indianapolis Colts' Dwayne Allen (83) is tackled by Houston Texans' Danieal Manning (38) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Mark Sanchez, Kyle Williams

    New York Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez (6) is pressured by Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Kyle Williams (95) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Bill Wippert)

  • Andrew Luck, Whitney Mercilus

    Indianapolis Colts' Andrew Luck (12) throws while pressured by Houston Texans' Whitney Mercilus (59) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

  • Chris Johnson

    Tennessee Titans running back Chris Johnson (28) celebrates after scoring a touchdown on a 2-yard run against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

  • Lawrence Timmons, Thad Lewis

    Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons (94) hits Cleveland Browns quarterback Thad Lewis as Lewis passes in the first quarter an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

  • Joe Flacco

    Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) passes against the Cincinnati Bengals in the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Al Behrman)

  • Ben Roethlisberger, Jabaal Sheard

    Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) passes over Cleveland Browns defensive end Jabaal Sheard (97) in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Don Wright)

  • Jordan Shipley

    Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Jordan Shipley runs untouched into the end zone as he scores a touchdown on a 5-yard pass play against the Tennessee Titans in the first quarter of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/Wade Payne)

  • LeSean McCoy

    Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy (25) stiff-arms New York Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul (90) during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

  • Coby Fleener

    Indianapolis Colts' Coby Fleener reacts after scoring on a 1-yard touchdown reception during the first half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Matthew Stafford, Julius Peppers

    Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford (9) looks downfield while chased by Chicago Bears defensive end Julius Peppers (90) during the first quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

  • T.Y. Hilton, Quintin Demps

    Indianapolis Colts' T.Y. Hilton (13) makes a 70-yard touchdown reception against Houston Texans' Quintin Demps (27) during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Henry Hynoski

    New York Giants fullback Henry Hynoski (45) catches a pass for a touchdown as Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie (23) defends him during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

  • Russell Wilson

    Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson passes during warm-ups before an NFL football game against the St. Louis Rams, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

  • Tom Brady

    New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady shouts as he takes the field before an NFL football game against the Miami Dolphins in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

  • Louis Murphy, Johnny Patrick

    New Orleans Saints' Johnny Patrick (32) breaks up a pass intended for Carolina Panthers' Louis Murphy (83) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in New Orleans. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

  • Ryan Fitzpatrick, Muhammad Wilkerson

    Buffalo Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick (14) throws a pass under as New York Jets defensive end Muhammad Wilkerson (96) tries to make a tackle during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Orchard Park, N.Y. (AP Photo/Gary Wiepert)

  • Deji Karim

    Indianapolis Colts' Deji Karim, left, runs back a kickoff 101-yards for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Houston Texans Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

  • Antonio Brown

    Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) makes a catch for a touchdown in the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

  • Antonio Brown, Leonard Pope

    Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown (84) and tight end Leonard Pope (45) celebrate after Brown made a touchdown catch in the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

  • Andy Dalton, Dannell Ellerbe

    Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton (14) avoids a sack by Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Dannell Ellerbe in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tom Uhlman)

  • Zach Brown, Tommie Campbell, Toney Clemons

    Tennessee Titans linebacker Zach Brown (55) intercepts a pass intended for Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Toney Clemons (17) in the third quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Brown ran the interception back 30 yards for a touchdown. Also defending is Titans' Tommie Campbell (37). (AP Photo/Joe Howell)

  • Ryan Tannehill

    Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill warms up before an NFL football game against the New England Patriots in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

  • Doug Martin

    Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Doug Martin (22) runs the ball alone on his way for a touchdown during the second half of an NFL football game against the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • Will Heller, Major Wright

    Detroit Lions tight end Will Heller (89), defended by Chicago Bears strong safety Major Wright (21), falls into the end zone for a touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

  • Asante Samuel

    Atlanta Falcons cornerback Asante Samuel (22) reacts to an interception he made against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/David Goldman)

  • Will Heller, Calvin Johnson

    Detroit Lions tight end Will Heller (89) is congratulated by teammate wide receiver Calvin Johnson (81) after his touchdown during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Chicago Bears at Ford Field in Detroit, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rick Osentoski)

  • Arian Foster

    Houston Texans' Arian Foster (23) celebrates with his teammates following a 13-yard touchdown run during the second half of an NFL football game against the Indianapolis Colts, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

  • Eli Manning

    New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (10) reacts after throwing a toucdown pass to Rueben Randle during the first half of an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

  • Greg Little

    Cleveland Browns wide receiver Greg Little (15) makes a catch in the back of the end zone for a touchdown in the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

  • Thad Lewis, James Harrison

    Cleveland Browns quarterback Thad Lewis (9) throws for a touchdown pass as Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) applies pressure in the third quarter of an NFL football game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Harrison was penalized for roughing the passer on the play. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/30/49ers-nfc-west-title-cardinals_n_2386333.html

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    Sunday, December 30, 2012

    rubeldebnath2: victorrusso23: Shopping And Product Reviews: Toys

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    Saturday, December 29, 2012

    Teachers get free gun training after Conn. shooting

    Rick Bowmer / AP

    Carl Stubbs, center, the principal of Valley View Elementary School in Pleasant Grove, Utah, looks on with other teachers during concealed-weapons training on Thursday.

    By Reuters

    Kasey Hansen, a special education teacher from Salt Lake City, Utah, says she would take a bullet for any of her students, but if faced with a gunman threatening her class, she would rather be able to shoot back.

    On Thursday, she was one of 200 Utah teachers who flocked to an indoor sports arena for free instruction in the handling of firearms by gun activists who say armed educators might have a chance of thwarting deadly shooting rampages in their schools.

    The event was organized by the Utah Shooting Sports Council in response to the mass shooting in Newtown, Conn., this month that killed 20 children and six staff members at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

    The council said it has typically attracted about 16 teachers each year to its concealed-carry training courses. But Thursday's event near Salt Lake City, organized especially for educators in the aftermath of Newtown, drew interest from hundreds, and the class was capped at 200 because of space limitations.

    "I feel like I would take a bullet for any student in the school district," Hansen, who teaches in a Salt Lake City school district, told Reuters after the training session.

    Photos: Training teachers to use guns in school

    "If we should ever face a shooter like the one in Connecticut, I'm fully prepared to respond with my firearm," she said, adding that she planned to buy a weapon soon and take it to work.

    The Newtown massacre reignited a national debate over gun safety. President Barack Obama signaled his support for reinstating a national ban on assault-style rifles and urged Congress to act. The National Rifle Association has called for posting armed guards at schools and rejected new gun-control measures.

    After school massacre, parents' divide deepens on gun control

    The National Education Association and a number of school officials criticized the NRA's stance, but it got a warmer reception in some parts of the West, where hunting and guns are prevalent.

    Utah is among a handful of states that allow people with concealed-carry licenses to take their weapons onto school property, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

    After a controversial press conference last week, NRA head Wayne LaPierre made an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" saying the American people would be "crazy" to not put armed guards in schools. Meanwhile, Newtown, Conn., continues coping with the death of 26 people during the tragic shooting. NBC's Ron Mott report.

    In Arizona, Attorney General Tom Horne on Wednesday jumped into the debate over school security with a proposal to allow any school to train and arm its principal or another staff member.

    The plan, which was backed by at least three sheriffs, would require approval by the legislature and the state's Republican governor, Jan Brewer.

    Clark Aposhian, head of the Utah Shooting Sports Council and a certified firearms instructor, organized the event on Thursday to provide teachers with permits to allow them to carry concealed handguns in the classroom. He waived the usual $50 fee for the course.

    NRA chief: If putting armed police in schools is crazy, 'then call me crazy'

    "I genuinely felt depressed at how helpless those teachers were and those children were in Newtown," Aposhian said. "It doesn't have to be that way."

    The parents of Noah Pozner, 6, who was killed in the tragic shooting ?at Sandy Hook Elementary School, had just laid their son to rest this week, when Noah's uncle says a scammer took to the web, posing as Noah's aunt and requesting donations to her personal Paypal account. NBC's Jeff Rossen reports.

    Utah teacher Kerrie Anderson was not about to participate. She is a choir and math instructor at a junior high school near Salt Lake City and said her family is "pro-gun" and uses firearms for sports such as target shooting. But she balks at the notion of carrying a weapon into her classroom.

    Guns flood into police buyback programs, though critics have doubts about the idea

    "How would I keep that gun safe?" she said. "I wouldn't carry (it) on my person while teaching, where a disgruntled student could overpower me and take it. And if I have it secured in my office, it might not be a viable form of protection."

    Gun-control activists have decried moves to arm teachers and said efforts at curbing gun violence in schools should be tied to tightening firearms laws.

    PhotoBlog: Buyback in Los Angeles brings in hundreds of guns

    "We think it makes a lot more sense to prevent a school shooter from getting the gun in the first place," said Kristen Rand, legislative director for the Violence Policy Center in Washington, D.C.

    The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary ranks as the second most deadly school shooting in U.S. history. Police say Adam Lanza, 20, killed his mother before going to the school, where he committed the massacre and shot himself to death.

    Related stories:?

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    Copyright 2012 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions.

    Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/28/16206006-utah-teachers-get-free-gun-training-in-response-to-newtown-shooting?lite

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    Asian stocks up ahead of US 'fiscal cliff' talks

    A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. Asian markets have risen amid optimism that Japan?s new leaders will stimulate its sluggish economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

    A woman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. Asian markets have risen amid optimism that Japan?s new leaders will stimulate its sluggish economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

    People walk by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. Asian markets have risen amid optimism that Japan?s new leaders will stimulate its sluggish economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

    A businessman walks by an electronic stock board of a securities firm in Tokyo, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. Asian markets have risen amid optimism that Japan?s new leaders will stimulate its sluggish economy. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

    (AP) ? Asian stock markets rose Friday, hours before President Barack Obama and key lawmakers were to meet at the White House to try to hammer out an 11th-hour budget compromise to avert the so-called fiscal cliff.

    Lawmakers have until Monday night to reach a deal before hundreds of billions of dollars in automatic tax increases and deep cuts to government spending kick in. Such a drastic reshuffling of money could throw the U.S. into another recession, economists have warned.

    However, failure to avoid the fiscal cliff doesn't necessarily mean tax increases and spending cuts would become permanent, since the new Congress could pass legislation canceling them retroactively after it begins its work next year.

    Japan's Nikkei 225 index marched higher, hitting its highest level since March 20, 2011. The Tokyo benchmark rose 1 percent to 10,428.36. Export shares posted big gains as the country's currency continued to recoil against the dollar. Mazda Motor Corp. jumped 4.2 percent and Isuzu Motors Ltd. surged 4.3 percent. Nintendo Co. advanced 3.4 percent.

    Investors have been cheering newly named Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his calls for more public works spending to reinvigorate the economy. He also wants the Bank of Japan to raise its inflation target from 1 to 2 percent to drag the country out of two decades of deflation, or steadily declining prices that have deadened economic activity.

    But Francis Lun, managing director of Lyncean Holdings in Hong Kong, said he was skeptical that the new government's roadmap would prove effective in the long run.

    "He will increase the deficit, print more money and try to spend out of the recession. If you print or borrow money, you give the economy a sense of false hope," he said. "It's like taking opium. You feel good but eventually you have to come down."

    Hong Kong's Hang Seng rose less than 0.1 percent to 22,637.91, while South Korea's Kospi added 0.6 percent to 1,999. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.5 percent to 4,671.30.

    "The fiscal cliff seems to have lost its negative influence on global markets," said Lun. "Even if it falls into the fiscal cliff, you will only reduce the deficit by about $100 billion. In Chinese terms, it's like trying to douse a fire with a cup of water. They should do what Europe has done and try to impose austerity."

    Markets got some lift from optimistic data out of the U.S. on Thursday and a statement from the German finance minister, Wolfgang Schaeuble, who said in an interview that the worst of the debt crisis in the 17 European Union countries that use the euro appears to be over.

    In the U.S., the average number of people seeking unemployment benefits over the past month fell to the lowest level since March 2008, a sign that the job market is healing.

    Worries over U.S. budget negotiations sent Wall Street slightly lower on Thursday. The Dow Jones industrial average fell 0.1 percent to 13,096.31. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 0.1 percent to 1,418.10, and the Nasdaq composite index fell 0.1 percent to 2,985.91.

    Benchmark oil for February delivery rose 41 cents to $91.28 in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract fell 11 cents to finish at $90.87 per barrel.

    In currencies, the euro fell slightly to $1.3239 from $1.3240 late Thursday in New York. The dollar gained to 86.45 yen from 86.02 yen.

    ___

    Follow Pamela Sampson on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pamelasampson.

    Associated Press

    Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-28-World%20Markets/id-d89d1968108a4dbdabc2baf2945c634a

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    Matt Damon tackles "fracking" issue in the "Promised Land"

    LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The hot-button topic of "fracking" has finally made its way to Hollywood in the new movie "Promised Land," out in U.S. theaters on Friday, with actors Matt Damon and John Krasinski teaming up to further the debate on the energy drilling technique.

    The film explores the social impact of hydraulic fracturing drilling technique, or "fracking," which has sparked nation-wide environmental and political battles over its impact on drinking water, U.S. energy use, seismic activity and other areas.

    "Promised Land" will see Damon, 42, reunite with director Gus Van Sant for the third time, following their success with 1997 film "Good Will Hunting and 2002's "Gerry."

    In their latest film, Damon plays a corporate salesman who goes to a rural U.S. town to buy or lease land on behalf of a gas company looking to drill for oil. He soon faces opposition from a slick environmentalist, played by Krasinski.

    In real life, Damon hasn't shied away from getting involved in political and social issues, working with charities and organizations to eradicate AIDS in developing countries, bringing attention to atrocities in Sudan's Darfur region, providing safe drinking water and stopping trees from being chopped and used for junk mail.

    Yet "Promised Land," which Damon also co-wrote and produced, doesn't take a noticeable stance on "fracking." The actor would not publicly state his own views, telling Reuters that he didn't think his opinion had "any bearing" on the film.

    "The point is that the movie should start a conversation. It's certainly not a pro-fracking movie, but we didn't want to tell people what to think," Damon said.

    The actor said he and Krasinski never set out to make a socially conscious film, and "fracking" was added in later, as a backdrop to the story.

    "It wasn't that we said we wanted to make a movie about 'fracking' as much as we wanted to make a movie about American identity, about real people. We wanted to make a movie about the country today, where we came from, where we are and where we are headed," Damon said.

    "'Fracking' was perfect because the stakes are so incredibly high and people are so divided. It asks all the questions about short-term thinking versus long-term thinking."

    Hydraulic fracturing entails pumping water laced with chemicals and sand at high pressure into shale rock formations to break them up and unleash hydrocarbons. Critics worry that "fracking" fluids or hydrocarbons can still leak into water tables from wells, or above ground.

    FROM 'ADJUSTMENT BUREAU' TO 'PROMISED LAND'

    At first glance, the pairing of Damon with Krasinski may not come across as the perfect fit, as Damon has primarily been associated with longtime friend and collaborator Ben Affleck, both of whom won Oscars for writing "Good Will Hunting."

    Damon later become a colleague and friend to a number of key Hollywood players, including George Clooney and Brad Pitt, with whom he co-starred in the "Ocean's Eleven" franchise.

    Krasinski, 33, is best known for playing sardonic Jim Halpert on NBC's long-running television series, "The Office," and has had occasional supporting roles in films such as 2008's "Leatherheads."

    Damon and Krasinski came together after meeting through Krasinski's wife, Emily Blunt, who co-starred with Damon in the 2011 film "The Adjustment Bureau." Damon said he and his wife started double-dating with Krasinski and Blunt, through which their collaboration on "Promised Land" came about.

    The duo's busy work schedules forced them to moonlight on weekends to make "Promised Land."

    "John showed up at my house every Saturday at breakfast and we would write all day until dinner," Damon said. "Then we'd do it again on Sunday. I have four kids so he would come to me."

    But Damon's determination to make the film his feature directorial debut fell through when his acting schedule changed, making it impossible to direct "Promised Land," so he turned to Van Sant.

    "My first inclination was to send the script to somebody I'd worked with before," he said. "Gus seemed like the most obvious choice and I realized later that I'd never written anything that anyone else had directed, except Gus. I have a real comfort level with him."

    Damon said he has not given up on his dream of directing movies and has his eye on a project at movie studio Warner Bros., which has a deal with Damon and Affleck's joint production company, Pearl Street Films.

    With Affleck's third directorial effort "Argo" becoming an awards contender, Damon joked that the film's success can only be a good thing for his own budding directing career.

    "I now happen to be partnered with the hottest director in Hollywood!" he said, laughing.

    (Reporting By Zorianna Kit, Editing by Piya Sinha-Roy and Paul Simao)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/matt-damon-tackles-fracking-issue-promised-land-110527766.html

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    Friday, December 28, 2012

    Work At Home Business Podcast How My Business Got Destroyed ...

    work at home

    Work At Home Business Podcast reveals how earlier this year my home business almost got destroyed, well it actually did after some idiot in customer service at a web hosting company deleted my website by accident and I rebuilt it from the GROUND UP and it's now set to cause a storm in 2013 and everything is revealed on this 20 min Work From Home Podcast Audio.

    Leave a comment on my blog after listening to this Blog Cast / Podcast.

    Until my next update.

    Sim -?Work From Home?Blogger

    Source: http://www.simeontuitt.com/workfromhome/work-at-home-business-podcast-how-my-business-got-destroyed-this-year-by-an-idiot-and-how-after-rebuilding-it-from-the-ground-up-i-literally-have-a-push-button-super-power-to-earn-online/

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    Thursday, December 20, 2012

    Texas officer gives $100 bill with traffic citation | Personal Injury News

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    Home / / Texas officer gives $100 bill... December 19, 2012 (AmericanInjuryNews.com - Press Release)

    12/17/2012 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release)

    Plano, Texas ? A Texas police officer handed a driver $100 along with his citation during a traffic stop. As reported by The Lookout, the Plano officer, who chooses to remain anonymous, made the gesture after Hayden Carlo told him he could not afford to update the expired registrations for which he had been pulled over.

    Carlo is quoted in the report as stating, ?I said there?s no explanation for why I haven?t done it, except I don?t have the money. It was either feed my kids or get this registration done.?

    Carlo, who further stated he cried after seeing the money along with the ticket, did subsequently get the registrations updated. His grandfather, Billy McIntire, commended the cop in a letter to the Police Department thereafter.

    David Tilley, a spokesman for the Police Department, is quoted in the report as stating, ?As he told me, this man needed it more than him, and it was the right thing to do.?

    Justice News Flash delivers the latest in Texas legal news.

    Media Information:

    Address: 215 South Olive Suite 300 W. Palm Beach FL 33401
    Phone: 866-598-1315
    Url: http://justicenews.visionsmartnews.com/texas-officer-gives-100-bill-with-traffic-citation_8358.html

    No tag for this post. Online Press Release Personal injury lawyers - AmericanInjuryLawyers.com

    Source: http://www.americaninjurynews.com/2012/12/19/Texas-officer-gives-100-bill-with-traffic-citation_201212197729.html

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    Hugh Jackman Confirmed for X-Men: Days of Future Past

    wolverine days of future past

    It had been strongly hinted at in late November, but now it's been officially confirmed by Bryan Singer himself:?Wolverine (as played by Hugh Jackman)?will appear in the sequel to X-Men:?First Class, X-Men:?Days Of Future Past.

    Tweeting the good news to the internet at large, Singer said "I would officially like to welcome @RealHughJackman to the cast of #Xmen Days of Future Past. Very excited! More to come..."

    What that "more to come" is remains to be seen, but this news alone will be enough to warm the hearts of hundreds of thousands of X-Men fans who were worried that the adaptation of the iconic run of the Marvel comics, Days Of Future Past, wouldn't include one of the most important characters involved. The question now is how big his role will be...

    In case you didn't know already, the comic run in question was written by Chris Claremont, John Byrne and Terry Austin - a storyline partially set in an alternate future where mutants are hunted and killed, with the survivors rounded out by Sentinels (as seen in X-Men:?The Last Stand)?and kept in a concentration camp. Our younger heroes must stop a key event in order to keep the future from coming true.

    With a dual-strand plot so complicated, it's going to be a huge task for director Bryan Singer and writer Simon Kinberg (Sherlock Holmes, Jumper, X-Men:?FIrst?Class, X-Men:?The Last Stand, Star Wars Episodes VIII and IX)?to wangle the younger cast (Fassbender, Lawrence, McAvoy et al.) and their plot threads with those of the older guard (McKellen, Stewart, Jackman).

    Now we have to wonder who will be next. Could Halle Berry Crop up as Storm? Alan Cumming as Nightcrawler? Anna Paquin?s Rogue? Let the conjecturing commence!

    While Days Of Future Past isn?t set to arrive until July 18, 2014, you won?t have to wait that long for your next hit of mutant madness: The Wolverine will be with us on July 25 next year.

    Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926524/news/1926524/

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    Wednesday, December 19, 2012

    Coalspur Mines Limited (ASX:CPL) Secures US$300 Million Senior Debt Commitment

    Alberta, Dec 20, 2012 (ABN Newswire) - Coalspur Mines Limited (ASX:CPL) (TSE:CPT) is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Commitment Letter with EIG Global Energy Partners ("EIG") to provide Coalspur a US$300 million senior secured debt facility (the "Facility"). Proceeds from the Facility will fund the majority of the development capital required to achieve first production at the Vista Coal Project ("Vista"). Advanced discussions are also underway with a number of strategic trading/off-take parties to secure additional funding for Vista and finalise coal marketing arrangements.
    The Facility, combined with the anticipated additional funding, will provide Coalspur with the funds required to commence production at Vista, provide working capital and repay the outstanding loan facility with the Highland Park Group. Coalspur expects the funding and off-take agreements to be executed and effective by the end of the first quarter of 2013.

    Commenting on the Facility, President and CEO, Gill Winckler said, "This is a significant milestone for Coalspur as it provides certainty of funding for the initial development capital of Vista and enables us to maintain our development timeline. Our ability to secure a significant portion of financing for Vista, at competitive terms in a difficult market, is a testament to the quality of our project. We believe we are in a unique position amongst coal development companies worldwide with our robust economics, fully committed and contracted port allocation, access to underutilised rail capacity and location in a stable jurisdiction.

    "We continue to build our team and we look forward to finalising the remaining coal-linked financing arrangements early in 2013 and continuing to deliver on our commitments as we move forward into construction in the second quarter of 2013."
    The Facility, which has been approved by EIG's Investment Committee, is for a term of eight years with a cash coupon of 8% per annum and with principal capitalising at 3% per annum. Coalspur has the ability to cash-pay this additional 3% instead of having it capitalise. The Facility is subject to a number of conditions, including completion of confirmatory due diligence (regarding technical, tax and accounting, insurance and legal matters) and documentation being entered into. Documentation will include customary terms and conditions including as to fees, representations and warranties, covenants, events of default and any early repayment.

    EIG will be granted 100 million warrants to purchase Coalspur shares, as noted below. The grant of the warrants is subject to necessary shareholder and regulatory approvals.

    ? 40 million warrants with an exercise price of A$0.90 (unless the five day volume weighted average price ("VWAP") prior to the financial close date is lower, in which case the exercise price will be the VWAP). These warrants expire 36 months from financial close;

    ? 30 million warrants with an exercise price of 125% of the five day VWAP prior to financial close. These warrants expire 96 months from financial close; and
    ? 30 million warrants with an exercise price of 150% of the five day VWAP prior to financial close. These warrants expire 96 months from financial close.

    Project Update

    The Company continues to advance the detailed engineering studies for Vista, the definitive transport agreement with CN, the requirements for the regulatory approval process and other activities that will ensure Coalspur is ready to commence construction in 2013.

    Logistics and Operating Costs

    On December 14, 2012 Coalspur announced that it had entered into a binding legal agreement with CN which outlined the key terms for a definitive rail transportation agreement. The agreement will have a seven year term, commencing in 2013. In terms of the contract CN will supply the equipment to transport coal from Vista to tidewater and there will be no "take or pay" exposure for Coalspur. The haulage rates and price escalation agreed with CN represent significant savings from the rates quoted in the Vista Feasibility Study.

    As a result of the agreement with CN, Coalspur's logistics' costs, which include port handling charges at Ridley Terminals Inc. ("Ridley Terminals") and haulage rates with CN, are now contractually defined until 2020. The agreements in place with CN and Ridley Terminals provide a high degree of certainty in Coalspur's future operating costs as approximately 50% of Coalspur's projected free on board ("FOB") costs are represented by logistics.

    The logistics costs for Vista will average C$30.81 per tonne over the first five years of production and C$31.40 per tonne at full production of 12.0 million tonnes per annum ("Mtpa"). These costs are respectively C$1.88 per tonne and C$2.29 per tonne lower than estimated in the Vista Feasibility Study.

    The finalised terms with CN reduce the projected total FOB operating costs for Vista to C$56.98 per tonne in the first five years of production. The FOB costs are projected to be C$59.55 per tonne in the first ten years of production and C$66.40 per tonne over the life of the mine.

    Vista Project and Engineering

    Detailed engineering studies for Vista are ongoing and the Company is preparing for civil earthworks and mine pre-development work to commence in the second quarter of 2013. The initial bid packages for the load out area, rail siding grading and drainage, access roads, plant site grading, surface water management and haul roads have been issued to pre-qualified contractors. Firm bids for this work are expected in early 2013. The bids will be evaluated and contracts will be awarded in time to mobilise equipment ahead of the final approvals to start construction.

    Selection of process equipment, including crushing, wash plant and load out facilities, to handle up to 3.0 Mtpa is substantially complete. Letters of Intent or purchase orders have been issued to the selected vendors to receive engineering drawings for the detailed design of the process plant. This will allow the plant structural and foundation design to be completed in early 2013. The detailed engineering completed to date confirms that the current capital cost estimate continues to track the budget.

    The decision regarding the use of a mining contractor for the initial years of operation will be made in early 2013 as the final bid submissions are received from contractors and the financing arrangements for Vista are finalised.

    Regulatory and Key Stakeholder Update

    The Company remains on track with its regulatory approval process and continues to engage with the Energy and Resources Conservation Board ("ERCB") in this regard. As part of this process, final supplementary information requests ("SIRs") were received from the ERCB in November and formal written responses have recently been submitted.

    Coalspur is seeking approval to commence forest harvesting in designated construction areas in the first quarter of 2013. Completion of logging in these areas will support Vista's construction schedule.

    Coalspur continues to engage with all key stakeholders and has recently received formal public support from the Town of Hinton. The Company also continues to engage with Aboriginal groups, and in this regard, an agreement has been reached with one of the main groups setting out the terms for the ongoing cooperation and collaboration between the parties.

    Coalspur continues to deliver on its targets and remains on schedule with its financing, project and all other activities necessary to commence construction on Vista by mid-2013, following the receipt of requisite approvals.

    About EIG

    EIG is a leading institutional investor in the global energy sector, with US$10.3 billion under management as of September 30, 2012. EIG specialises in private investments in energy, resources and related infrastructure and was formerly the Energy & Infrastructure Group of Trust Company of the West. During its 30-year history, EIG has invested over $14 billion in the sector through more than 290 projects or companies in 33 countries on six continents. EIG's clients include many of the leading pension plans, insurance companies, endowments, foundations and sovereign wealth funds in the United States, Asia and Europe. EIG is headquartered in Washington, DC, with offices in Houston, London, Sydney, Hong Kong, Seoul and Rio de Janeiro.

    Source: http://www.abnnewswire.net/press/en/74448/

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    Evaluating The Coming Deal (talking-points-memo)

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

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/271485447?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    Finance ministers at odds over CPP reform | canada.com

    MEECH LAKE, Que. ? Federal and provincial governments cannot agree at the current time to enriching the Canada Pension Plan ? but have not ruled out the idea ? as support for CPP reform grows and the Harper government suggested it will heed the will of the provinces.

    The country?s finance ministers, gathered in Meech Lake for their annual meeting, couldn?t find consensus Monday on the thorny issue of modestly enhancing the Canada Pension Plan to help more Canadians save for retirement.

    However, they made what Ontario called ?an important step forward? by having federal and provincial officials determine exactly what a ?modest? increase in CPP would look like and the economic triggers ? such as real GDP and the unemployment rate ? that would need to be met before proceeding with reforms.

    The finance ministers will discuss the findings from their officials at their next meeting in June, at which time they may decide whether or not to proceed with CPP reforms.

    Federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said last week he would prefer to see consensus, with all provinces agreeing to CPP reforms, before deciding to proceed on such an important policy change.

    On Monday, Flaherty said he would still prefer to see all provinces onside before forging ahead, but conceded that by the legislative rules, only two-thirds of the provinces representing two-thirds of the population need to approve the changes.

    ?There is no consensus on a CPP expansion at this time,? Flaherty told reporters following the seven-hour meeting.

    ?It is certainly preferable that we have a consensus with respect to such a serious matter, but the constitutional rule is two-thirds and two-thirds. We did not have that today . . . so there was not a consensus in that sense.?

    Flaherty said the provincial and federal governments will see how the economy is performing in June, including on jobs numbers and real GDP growth, then determine whether to enrich the CPP.

    He acknowledged that meeting the two-thirds rule for proceeding could be accomplished by June.

    ?We?ll have to wait and see,? he said.

    A number of provinces are urging the federal government to modestly and gradually increase CPP contributions in the coming years to help Canadians better save for retirement. An enriched CPP would complement the new Pooled Registered Pension Plans ? a private-sector pension option to boost retirement savings ? that is endorsed by the Harper government.

    The federal government and a handful of provinces are worried that increasing CPP contributions at the current time would slap an additional financial burden on employers during a fragile economic time, and could threaten their ability to hire workers.

    Quebec and Alberta both previously opposed enriching CPP, believing pooled registered pension plans were a better option. But the new Parti Quebecois government says it?s now open to enhancing CPP contributions, although by how much remains an open question.

    The Quebec government will wait for a provincial report on pensions that?s due back in February or March before committing itself to any specific CPP reforms, said Quebec Finance Minister Nicolas Marceau.

    ?We?re open to it,? Marceau said.

    Ontario Finance Minister Dwight Duncan said agreeing to establish definitions on a modest enhancement and economic triggers is ?an important step forward? and one he didn?t think ministers would agree to Monday.

    ?There isn?t consensus for moving forward now but there?s certainly an overwhelming majority of provinces that do want to move forward,? Duncan said. ?It?s still a little too slow for my taste.?

    Duncan said all provinces expressed an interest in looking at an enriched CPP at some point, although concerns remain over timing and how large the increase could be.

    ?There?s a much greater consensus among the population than there is among provincial governments. This will become, in my view, an important public battle. It could be an issue in the next federal election,? Duncan argued.

    An increasing number of Canadians aren?t saving enough for retirement, he said, and the CPP only pays a maximum of roughly $12,000 per year as it currently stands.

    ?That?s a recipe for real danger if we?re not careful,? he added.

    Alberta Finance Minister Doug Horner said his province is ?open to the discussion? about boosting CPP contributions and payments, alongside the new PRPPs, but he wants a better understanding of the size of the possible increases.

    ?There is a concern that our economy has a lot of danger signals in the future here that we have to get by,? Horner said, noting the fiscal cliff in U.S. and financial instability in Europe.

    The Alberta government will wait for federal and provincial officials to report back to ministers in June before deciding whether to support enriching the CPP, he said.

    B.C. Finance Minister Michael de Jong said ?a good balance? was struck among ministers on the need to look to PRPPs but also examine possible CPP reforms. Federal officials said following the meeting there was unanimous support to proceed with PRPPs as another savings option for Canadians.

    It is estimated six in 10 Canadian workers in the private sector have no private pension plan, while approximately only one-third of Canadians make contributions to registered retirement savings plans.

    The Canada Pension Plan is designed to replace about 25 per cent of a person?s employment earnings (up to a maximum amount) once they reach retirement at age 65. The current maximum pensionable earnings for CPP is $50,100, while the average monthly payment in 2012 (at age 65) was approximately $528, and the maximum monthly payment was about $987. The maximum CPP benefit will increase to approximately $1,012 per month in 2013.

    Federal and provincial governments also agreed to minor technical adjustments ? but no major policy changes ? to the $15.4-billion equalization program, which transfers federal dollars to poorer provinces to help them pay for programs and services.

    Ministers did not discuss the possibility for a national securities regulator but said it could be on the agenda for their June meeting.

    jfekete@postmedia.com

    Twitter.com/jasonfekete

    Source: http://o.canada.com/2012/12/17/finance-ministers-at-odds-over-cpp-reform/

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    Official Google India Blog: India's iconic Chandni Chowk market ...

    Chandni Chowk, a market that has existed for 100+ years is now embracing the digital era with open arms. Built in the 17th century and famous for its meandering streets that house one of biggest wholesale markets, Chandni Chowk is now just a click away.


    A little over a year ago, we started an initiative called India Get Your Business Online asking Indian small and medium business (SMBs) to get their businesses online. In the last 13 months since the launch of the campaign, over 150,000 websites for small and medium businesses across 7,850 cities in India have been already created along with our partner HostGator. And today, we are excited to bring India?s oldest SMB market - ?Chandni Chowk online on www.chandnichowknowonline.in.

    Those who have visited it know that this market is legendary not just in the variety of goods sold but the sheer volumes of transactions in a single day. Being online allows hundreds of small and medium businesses to spread awareness about their products to over 137 million Indian users on the Internet.


    Kapil Sibal, Union Minister of IT & Communication at the launch of the initiative along with Rajan Anandan, VP & Managing Director, Sales & Operations, Google India
    We partnered with HostGator to talk to individual business owners of almost every outlet in Chandni Chowk about the increased exposure the Internet would bring to their businesses. ?Today 2500 businesses from Chandni Chowk have free websites made under the ?India Get Your Business Online? campaign and all of them are listed on www.chandnichowknowonline.in!


    Our mission is to create 500,000 websites and give small and medium businesses in India a new identity on the web and help them to make the most of the Internet economy.

    India has over 47 million small medium businesses and even today only a few lakh have a website or some sort of a web presence. If you are small business owner or even startup we encourage you to explore the online platform to take your business to new levels and if you need help we are always a click away on www.indiagetonline.in.

    Meanwhile, ?get a cup of chai or coffee and find all the goodies at Chandni Chowk at the click of a mouse and contact them as per your needs!


    Posted by Madhukar Srivastava, Product Marketing Manager, Google India

    Source: http://googleindia.blogspot.com/2012/12/indias-iconic-chandni-chowk-market-now.html

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    Kevin Rose?s Milk Co-Founder Daniel Burka Joins Google Ventures As Design Partner

    daniel burkaDaniel Burka, who co-founded mobile incubator Milk, has joined Google Ventures as a design partner. In a tweet earlier this morning, Burka noted that this is another chance for him to work with his Milk co-founder Kevin Rose. Before Milk, Burka was a designer at Digg and a co-founder at Pownce (Rose co-founded both).

    Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/bRiyCBTFq0A/

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    Tuesday, December 18, 2012

    Educators on edge as children go back to school in U.S.

    (Reuters) - Cautious educators and police locked down schools at the first hint of trouble on Monday as nervous parents sent their kids back to school for the first time since the massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

    Educators fearful of "copycats" or troublemakers who might phone in empty threats grappled with how to respond and whether to discuss Friday's shootings with children.

    Safety was balanced against concerns over frightening children unnecessarily. Politicians debated whether to fortify schools with armed guards.

    At least three school districts near Newtown went into lockdown on Monday after a citizen reported a "suspicious person" at a train station near an elementary school in Ridgefield, about 20 miles from Newtown, where a gunman shot dead 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary.

    "We had a report of a suspicious person at the Branchville train station, which is near the Branchville Elementary School. What's suspicious to one person may not be suspicious to another," said Lieutenant Jeff Kreitz of the Ridgefield Police Department.

    Asked whether neighboring school districts needed to go into lockdown, Kreitz said "it was just a precaution because of the situation at Newtown."

    The lockdown was lifted about two hours later, police said.

    In Redding, about 10 miles from Newtown, schools went into lockdown as a precautionary measure, police said.

    The Katonah-Lewisboro School District in New York state, just over the state border from Ridgefield, sent parents an automated phone message notifying them district schools had been locked down because of an issue in a neighboring school district. It did not elaborate.

    The Newtown massacre reverberated elsewhere in the country.

    "We will not bring up the tragic events in lower grade classrooms," Cindy Wulbert, principal of Nettelhorst School in Chicago, said in a note to parents. "We will handle questions by addressing how they are safe at school and will ask younger children to talk with their parents."

    POST-SHOOTING STRUGGLES

    In Kernersville, North Carolina, first-grade teacher Molli Falgout struggled with how to address the tragedy with her young students on Monday - and wondered if she should mention it at all.

    "And if I do, what am I going to say about it? I'm just praying about it, because I don't know," Falgout said.

    "Just letting them know that school is safe" is an important message, said, Falgout, whose pupils were the same age - 6 or 7 - as those gunned down in Newtown.

    Falgout, 33, said she might think twice about opening the blinds all the way on her classroom's large windows as she normally does, worried that doing so would allow strangers to peer inside. "I'll kind of be on my toes more," she said.

    Even schools on military bases were concerned about safety.

    "Today, each school principal is reviewing, with the school staff, our established routine security measures and the procedures to be followed in the event of a school crisis," said Emily Marsh, superintendent for schools at the U.S. Army base Fort Bragg and U.S. Marine Corps base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.

    "Counselors, school psychologists, and our school social worker are available to assist teachers, students, and administrators," Marsh said in a note to parents.

    In Florida, a politician in Fort Lauderdale is proposing police officers be posted at all elementary schools in the city.

    Fort Lauderdale already provides school resource officers at its three high schools and five middle schools. The proposal would re-assign some city police detectives and narcotics officers to provide coverage at elementary schools and prevent copycats.

    "We must find the necessary funding from the city and grants to provide protection at every elementary school. Public Safety has always been a primary concern for our city's residents," said Chuck Black, a city commission candidate.

    (Additional reporting by Colleen Jenkins, David Adams, Brian Moss, Barbara Goldberg, Colleen Jenkins; Editing by Doina Chiacu)

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/schools-another-connecticut-town-lockdown-over-suspicious-person-145339914.html

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    Saturday, December 15, 2012

    Late to class (Unqualified Offerings)

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

    Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/270632188?client_source=feed&format=rss

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    The Best Credit Card For Gas | The White Coat Investor- Investing ...

    Do you buy gasoline for your car?? Me too.? Would you like a no-hassle 5% discount on every tank?? Then do what I?ve been doing for the last few years, use the Pentagon Federal Credit Union Platinum Cash Rewards card. These guys just came out with an affiliate advertising program, so as you might imagine, I signed the blog right up.? If you get this card using the links on this page, you can help support this site (since I get a commission on it.)? I love it when affiliate programs come out for companies and products that I actually use and can recommend wholeheartedly.? I?ve done Ally Bank, USAA, and now PenFed.? Maybe someday Vanguard will come out with one.

    5% On Gas

    I don?t use the PenFed card for much besides gas, but for gas, it?s awesome ? 5% back.? You can get 5% with lots of gasoline-branded cards, but you have to have one for each brand, which is a pain, or you can only do it for 3 months of the year, which is gimmicky.? This one can be used at any gas station and you still get your 5% back.? There are no caps, tiers, or limits on that 5%.? The rewards aren?t much for other purchases (0.25%) so you?ll need another card if you want to maximize your credit card rewards.

    No Hassle

    My favorite part about this card is the no hassle cash reward redemption.? It just gets applied to your credit card each month.? You buy $500 in gas this month?? There?s a credit on the statement for $25.? No muss, no fuss.? No logging in to check your rewards, waiting for cards or merchandise to ship to you, or waiting until you accumulate a certain amount ($50 or $200) of rewards before you get them.? Just cold hard cash applied to your statement without you having to do anything.? It?s also a VISA card, so you can pretty much use it anywhere, unlike American Express or Discover.

    Setting It Up

    I guess there?s a tiny bit of hassle.? You do have to join Pentagon Federal.? That?s free if you have any kind of association with the military or another qualifying organization (click on the join now button to see them all).? You just have to deposit $5 into a share account and you?re a member.? If you don?t belong to a qualifying organization (and there must be at least 100), you can join Voices for America?s Troops as you apply for the card for a one time $15 fee.? $20 total, of which you get $5 back if you ever leave PenFed.? You can link the card to any bank account and just have the total amount due automatically withdrawn each month.? I automate my finances by doing this with all my credit cards.

    Other Benefits

    There is NO annual fee.? There are NO foreign transaction fees.? If for some reason you ever have to carry a balance on the card, it?s a pretty low interest rate- currently 9.99%.? There?s even a temporary 0% APR on electronics purchases this month, so if you are buying a TV or computer for the holidays, now might even be a better time to join Pen Fed and get the card.? But since you don?t carry balances (RIGHT!?), that wouldn?t do you any good anyway.

    Other Cool PenFed Cards

    They have some other cool cards too.? Their Platinum Rewards Card (not the Platinum Cash Rewards Card) gives you 5% on gas, 3% on supermarkets, and 1% on everything else, but you do you have to deal with the hassles of a rewards program.? It might be worth it to you, and you can always redeem it for a pre-paid VISA cards which spend pretty much like cash.? I prefer the Fidelity American Express card for everything but gas (2% on everything, but can only be deposited into a Fidelity account,)? but I am missing out on some rewards for grocery store spending.? There is also the Promise Card, which doesn?t have any rewards, but it?s no-fees.? At all.? Even an over the credit limit fee or a late payment fee.? Weird, I know, but I guess it?s good for people who pay fees all the time.? There?s also a card just for military members (and vets) called the Defender Card.? It?s 1.5% cash back on everything and is also no fees like the Promise Card.? It?s only 6.99% for the first 5 years, then goes to the regular variable rate (currently 9.99%.)? 7% ain?t bad for a credit card;? it?s better than a lot of student loans out there.? The Travel Rewards Card is similar to the Platinum Rewards Card, but it?s 5% back on airfare and 1% back on everything else.

    Downsides of Using Pen Fed For Gas

    You have to buy the gas at a gas station and you have to pay at the pump.? You can?t use a VISA at Costco, and you may not get 5% back on supermarket gas.? It has to be ?Visa Merchant Category Codes 5542?.? If you go inside and pay, that?s 5541, and doesn?t count.? I understand many supermarket gas stations including Safeway, Smith?s, King Sooper, and Sam?s Club do use code 5542, but you might want to check your first statement just to check.? You can look up your favorite grocery store fuel station here and make sure it is 5542.

    Other Benefits of Pen Fed Membership

    PenFed is also pretty well-known for good CD rates (particularly in January for some reason), decent mortgages, and good home equity loans.? Your $5 membership may turn out to be worth more than you think.

    Are you buying gas and not getting 5% back on it?? Got room for another rewards card in your quiver?? I suggest you get the Pentagon Federal Platinum Cash Rewards Card for a no-hassle 5% discount on all your gasoline.

    What do you use for gas? Do you use this card? Comment below!

    Source: http://whitecoatinvestor.com/the-best-credit-card-for-gas-out-there/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-best-credit-card-for-gas-out-there

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    Campus Students Introduce Children to Exotic Species - Gant Daily

    You are here: Home / News / Local News / Campus Students Introduce Children to Exotic Species

    December 14, 2012 at 6:00 AM by Gant Team ? ?

    Penn State DuBois Wildlife Technology student Chelsea Clark presents a red-eared slider turtle to a fourth grade class at Moshannon Valley Elementary School. (Provided photo)

    By Steve Harmic, Penn State DuBois

    HOUTZDALE ? Students in Penn State DuBois? Wildlife Technology Program put their skills and knowledge to the test recently when they were asked to switch sides of the desk and become teachers, themselves.?

    The students visited fourth graders at the Moshannon Valley Elementary School. They introduced the youngsters to several exotic species of animals found in Pennsylvania using interactive games and activities.

    ?An exotic species is a species not native to an area,? explained Wildlife Technology Instructor Keely Roen.? ?All of these were non-native species to Pennsylvania that have either become problems or are in competition with native species.??

    Roen said those species are usually artificially introduced in a variety of ways.? Sometimes it?s because people have let exotic pets free in the wild.? Other times it?s because the species came to this country or state as stowaways in shipments of plants or other cargo from other countries.?

    The species that the Penn State students made presentations on included red-eared sliders, a variety of turtle native only to the southern United States, but a popular pet turtle that often finds freedom in natural areas where it does not belong.? Students also presented information on stink bugs, feral pigs, European starlings, and the chestnut blight, a fungus native to Asia that nearly wiped out the American chestnut tree in the early 1900?s.?

    To make the presentations both educational and fun, the Penn State DuBois students guided children through art activities like making feral pigs out of clay, and using paper plates to make model turtles.? The wildlife students also used colorful posters with photos of animals and insects to give the children visual examples of the species being covered.?

    According to Nisa Makowiecki, fourth grade teacher at Moshannon Valley, her students learned a great deal, and the timing of the visit was just right. She said, ?The Moshannon Valley fourth grade students have been learning about how changes in ecosystems affect our world.? The Penn State DuBois Exotic Species Presentations gave the students a visual depiction of the concepts they have been learning in their science class.? The Penn State students created engaging, hands-on projects that brought their science book to life.???

    ?I think it was important to introduce the students to a topic that isn?t normally talked about in class,? said Penn State DuBois student Mandy Marconi.? ?Overall, we wanted to make the youth aware of the exotic species in a fun way that both educators and learners could enjoy.??

    According to Roen, the lesson plans, games, and activities that her Penn State DuBois students designed for this visit were a valuable part of their education, as well.

    ?If they end up in a job working as a park ranger, or for the Pennsylvania Game Commission, or for any number of conservation agencies, they?ll have to create games and lessons to educate the public and interested groups,? said Roen.? ?In those professions, you never know when you might be asked to do a program.? These professionals are asked to instruct programs for kids and organizations all the time.? This prepares them for that.??

    In gauging feedback from these demonstrations, the wildlife students from Penn State DuBois are already skilled presenters.? Makowiecki said, ?The fourth grade students wrote reflective essays about what they learned from the Penn State presentations.?? For example, one fourth grader wrote that she learned about how a change in a food web affects all the animals.? Another student wrote that he now knows that releasing a non-native turtle like the red-eared slider into the wild could harm the native turtles.? These are just a few examples of the many concepts the fourth grade students learned from the Penn State DuBois Exotic Species Presentations.?



    Source: http://gantdaily.com/2012/12/14/campus-students-introduce-children-to-exotic-species/

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