Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273910513?client_source=feed&format=rss
Monday, December 31, 2012
NHL, union still dancing as midnight approaches
Multiple sources say the National Hockey League and its union will hold the first face-to-face negotiating session in almost a month on Monday, as the clock ticks towards virtual midnight for a resolution to the 106-day lockout.
The sides spent the weekend exchanging phone calls to clarify points made in a major proposal from the NHL on Thursday night that ran to 288 pages.
At the same time, lawyers and business experts representing Commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA head Donald Fehr also held meetings to go over points.
Time is short as NHL sources indicate anything less than a 48-game schedule would not be acceptable, and that must begin by Jan. 19. Work in a week of training camp, with no exhibition games, and a day for organization, and that seems to leave Jan. 11 as a drop-dead date for a final deal.
This would not preclude the union from telling players to head for their teams in the days before that, if negotiations indicated success was at hand, according to sources.
Also, there are more than 100 free agents left to be signed by teams who won?t know the salary cap for this season until a deal is signed.
The NHL breathed new life into negotiations Thursday night by presenting their proposal to the NHLPA, one that included a summary of key points, a Memorandum of Understanding with more detail, and a lengthy legal document that details the offer in proper language.
After spending Friday going over the package, the union held informational discussions by phone with the NHL on Saturday to ensure they were clear on each point. Sunday morning saw more of the same.
Under the league?s new proposal, term limits of the deal would be 10 years, with a mutual opt-out at eight, maximum contract length would be six years, or seven if re-signing your own player, and a $300-million fund to guarantee much of the existing contracts is included.
A key point seems to be variance, with the NHL not wanting any contract year paying more than 10 per cent more than it did in the first year, while the players are reportedly seeking a 25 per cent level.
This is important because of the league?s resistance to the long-term, back-ended contracts some general managers have used as a way around salary caps.
Also, reports each team would be able to buy out a contract (likely a large one for a player no longer producing well) without it counting against the salary cap now seem to point to a start date of this summer, so it would not affect the stub season this winter and spring.
Escrow terms are also still under discussion. Under this provision, players would continue to have some of their salary held back until the end of each season when league-wide profits are counted up.
If the players have earned less than a 50-50 split of overall revenues, they would receive monies from escrow to bring it back up. If they have earned more, the escrow goes to the league.
More than 50 per cent of the schedule (625 games), has been lost to the lockout.
Source: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/nhl/story/2012/12/30/sp-nhl-nhlpa-lockout-sunday.html?cmp=rss
Led Zeppelin Live Dreams iPhone App Review
Led Zeppelin Live Dreams iPhone App Review
Live Dreams is an iPhone app for Led Zeppelin fans who want to get a behind the scenes look at the band?s greatest moments. From never-before-seen pictures of live concerts, to exclusive stories about the band members, this app will give you a fresh new insight into the world of one of the most influential bands in rock history.
The app?s main menu is split into six sections ? Photographs, Outtakes, Cornerstones, The Journeys, Favorites, and about section where you can discover how all the band information was collected. Swiping across the screen cycles through the band member symbols which can then be tapped on to go into a particular section.
Under the Photographs section you?ll find 168 photos taken from live concerts during their tours around the world. Each photo contains details about the date the photo was taken, when it was taken, and a brief description. Some images also come with a voice narrative and an option to purchase a print version from the app?s website.
Additional concert pictures are shown in the Outtakes section which contains a collection of over 100 rare photos of the band members. Some of the pictures have been digitally restored from their original form so you can see what they look like according to today?s photography standards. Photos from both the Photographs and Outtakes section can be added to your favorite which gives you the ability to revisit them quickly whenever you use the app.
The Cornerstones section shows the band?s show highlights from 1972 to 1977. You can find out interesting information about some of the band?s most iconic songs such as No Quarter, Dazed & Confused, and Stairway to Heaven. Each of the cornerstones are accompanied by a long description and images from the shows taken by different people.
In The Journeys section you can read Laurence Ratner?s (author of the app and book entitled Led Zeppelin) personal experiences related to the various tours, events, and concerts documented in Live Dreams from 1972 to 1995. Every show he went to during that period is documented in a diary you can read to experience what going to the concert was like.
The app?s user interface is well designed which makes reading the information, and browsing through the pictures an intuitive process. However, it would be nice if there was a way to save the pictures to your device instead of just viewing them. In the about section you can also read about the inspiration behind the app?s design, photo specs, and notable collectors who contributed to the making of the app.
This is definitely a must have app for any Led Zeppelin fan and a great way to relive some of the band?s best moments. Live Dreams is compatible with iPhones iOS 4 or later and costs $3.99 from the app store.
Led Zeppelin Live Dreams App
Led Zeppelin Live Dreams iPhone App Review
Written by: Chris Caso
Date Published: 12/30/2012
Led Zeppelin Live Dreams iPhone App Review
4 / 4 stars
Source: http://appdictions.com/led-zeppelin-live-dreams-iphone-app-review/
Nobel scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini dies in Rome
FILE -- Undated file photo of Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
FILE -- Undated file photo of Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
FILE -- In this photo from files, taken on April 18, 2009, Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986, is seen at a press conference for her one hundredth birthday, in Rome. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
FILE -- In this photo from files, taken on April 18, 2009, Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986, is seen at a press conference for her one hundredth birthday, in Rome. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
FILE -- In this photo from files, taken on April 18, 2009, Italian neurologist and senator for life Rita Levi Montalcini, Nobel Prize winner for Medicine in 1986, is seen at a press conference for her one hundredth birthday, in Rome. Rome's mayor says biologist Rita Levi-Montalcini, who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution, and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, has died at her home in the city. She was 103. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)
ROME (AP) ? Rita Levi-Montalcini, a biologist who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, died at her home in Rome on Sunday. She was 103 and had worked well into her final years.
Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, announcing her death in a statement, called it a great loss "for all of humanity." He praised her as someone who represented "civic conscience, culture and the spirit of research of our time."
Italy's so-called "Lady of the Cells," a Jew who lived through anti-Semitic discrimination and the Nazi invasion, became one of her country's leading scientists and shared the Nobel medicine prize in 1986 with American biochemist Stanley Cohen for their groundbreaking research carried out in the United States. Her research increased the understanding of many conditions, including tumors, developmental malformations, and senile dementia.
Italy honored Levi-Montalcini in 2001 by making her a senator-for-life.
A petite woman with upswept white hair, she kept an intensive work schedule well into old age. "At 100, I have a mind that is superior ? thanks to experience ? than when I was 20," she said in 2009.
"A beacon of life is extinguished" with her death, said a niece, Piera Levi-Montalcini, who is a city councilwoman in Turin. She told the Turin daily newspaper La Stampa that her aunt passed away peacefully "as if sleeping" after lunch and that the scientist had kept up her research studies several hours a day "right up until the end."
Levi-Montalcini was born April 22, 1909, to a Jewish family in the northern city of Turin. At age 20 she overcame her father's objections that women should not study and obtained a degree in medicine and surgery from Turin University in 1936.
She studied under top anatomist Giuseppe Levi, whom she often credited for her own success and for that of two fellow students and close friends, Salvador Luria and Renato Dulbecco, who also became separate Nobel Prize winners. Levi and Levi-Montalcini were not related.
After graduating, Levi-Montalcini began working as a research assistant in neurobiology but lost her job in 1938 when Italy's Fascist regime passed laws barring Jews from universities and major professions.
Her family decided to stay in Italy and, as World War II neared, Levi-Montalcini created a makeshift lab in her bedroom where she began studying the development of chicken embryos, which would later lead to her major discovery of mechanisms that regulate growth of cells and organs.
With eggs becoming a rarity due to the war, the young scientist biked around the countryside to buy them from farmers. She was soon joined in her secret research by Levi, her university mentor, who was also Jewish and who became her assistant.
"She worked in primitive conditions," Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack told Sky TG24 TV in a tribute to her fellow scientist. "She is really someone to be admired."
Italy's premier, Mario Monti, paid tribute to Levi-Montalcini's "charismatic and tenacious" character and for her lifelong battle to "defend the battles in which she believed."
Only a few months ago, she helped sponsor an appeal to the government for more attention of fund-strapped young scientists in Italy.
Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi praised Levi-Montalcini's civil and moral efforts, saying she was an "inspiring" example for Italy and the world, the ANSA news agency said.
An Italian scientist, who worked for some 40 years with Levi-Montalcini, including in the United States, said the work the Nobel laureate did on nerve growth factor was continuing. The protein assists portions of the central nervous system that have been damaged by disease or injury.
"Over the years, this field of investigation has become ever more important in the world of neuroscience," Pietro Calissano was quoted by ANSA as saying. Calissano began studying under Levi-Montalcini in 1965 and recalled her ability to relate to students on a very human level, with none of the elite airs that often characterize Italian professors.
"I remember we were in a closet with cell cultures when she offered me a fellowship," Calissano said. He added that research building on Levi-Montalcini's pioneering achievements continues. "We are working on a possible application in the treatment of Alzheimer's," he added.
The 1943 German invasion of Italy forced the Levi-Montalcini family to flee to Florence and live underground. After the Allies liberated the city, she worked as a doctor at a center for refugees.
In 1947 Levi-Montalcini was invited to the United States, where she remained for more than 20 years, which she called "the happiest and most productive" of her life. She held dual Italian-U.S. citizenship.
During her research at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she discovered nerve growth factor, the first substance known to regulate the growth of cells. She showed that when tumors from mice were transplanted to chicken embryos they induced rapid growth of the embryonic nervous system. She concluded that the tumor released a nerve growth-promoting factor that affected certain types of cells.
The research increased the understanding of many conditions, including tumors, developmental malformations, and senile dementia. It also led to the discovery by Stanley Cohen of another substance, epidermal growth factor, which stimulates the proliferation of epithelial cells. The two shared the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1986.
Levi-Montalcini returned to Italy to become the director of the laboratory of cell biology of the National Council of Scientific Research in Rome in 1969.
After retiring in the late 1970s, she continued to work as a guest professor and wrote several books to popularize science. She created the Levi-Montalcini Foundation to grant scholarships and promote educational programs worldwide, particularly for women in Africa.
In 2001 Levi-Montalcini was made a senator for life, one of the country's highest honors.
She then became active in Parliament, especially between 2006 and 2008, when she and other life senators would cast their votes to back the thin majority of center-left Premier Romano Prodi.
Levi-Montalcini had no children and never married, fearing such ties would undercut her independence.
"I never had any hesitation or regrets in this sense," she said in a 2006 interview. "My life has been enriched by excellent human relations, work and interests. I have never felt lonely."
Italian mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi said he was always struck by the contrast of this "petite, frail woman and the power of her mind." He recalled comments that Levi-Montalcini made when she turned 100. She mentioned that she would sleep no more than two or three hours a night because "I have no time to lose," Odifreddi told Sky TG24.
There was no immediate announcement of funeral or memorial services.
Associated PressSome Thoughts on Negotiation (and Fiscal Cliffs) ? S. Anthony ...
I learned a lot about negotiation at Harvard Business School. I took classes from Max Bazerman (for my money, the best in the business) and John S. Hammond (no slouch either, one single insight he gave me has paid dividends for decades).
We did a lot of work on taking some of the more emotional, lizard-brain elements out of negotiating. We did a lot of work on expanding the pie (creating of new value) before any divvying up (claiming of value). The more you learn about expanding the pie, the more you find that there is always a better deal to be had for both sides.
I have yet to encounter a deal where more value can?t be created. But in order for this approach to work, both sides need to be willing to try to create more value first. Sometimes, one or both sides let a scarcity mindset and fear overrule the better decision of first creating value.
Here?s what I notice, especially as this pertains to politics and very often sales.
In order to be an effective negotiator, you must allow your partner to capture and claim some of the value that is being created and negotiated for. If you are the only one that can win, it?s very difficult to come to a deal. That?s because no one can accept a win-lose deal. You can?t. They can?t.
The more you try ensure that your partner in a negotiation can capture some of the value being created, the easier you make it for them to say, ?yes,? because they have their win. If they can claim that they ended up with a good deal to their stakeholders, then you make it easier still.
When grown ups sit down to negotiate, this is how both sides operate. When children sit down to negotiate, both sides are too busy trying to capture and claim value to ever come to an agreement. They quickly get to lose-win or win-lose, depending on which side of the table you?re sitting on.
If there is no way the person with whom you are negotiating is allowed to walk away with a win, then you are a poor negotiator.
Questions
Do your negotiations improve by you or your partner behaving as adversaries?
How might your results be improved if you approached every negotiation as if it were a problem solving exercise instead of an adversarial interaction?
How do you expand the pie in the deals that you create?
Have you ever had to negotiate with a client that was only interested in capturing and claiming value? How?d you deal with that client?
Join my weekly Newsletter or apply for membership in my exclusive Inner Circle Mastermind Group.
Source: http://thesalesblog.com/blog/2012/12/30/some-thoughts-on-negotiation-and-fiscal-cliffs/
Homes For Sale Golden Eagle Pleasanton CA November 2012 ...
?2012 Bay East. ?2012 CCAR. ?2012 EBRD. All rights reserved. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. This information is provided from three separate sources: Bay East, CCAR and EBRD. The listings presented here may or may not be listed by the Broker/Agent operating this website. Information last updated on 12/31/12 12:30 AM PST.This IDX solution is (c) Diverse Solutions 2012.
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Source: http://www.qype.co.uk/review/3489433
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
Arnold Schwarzenegger: Terminator, Body-Builder, and Global Leader on Climate-Change
If the United States ever enacts a major climate-change law, it will owe a debt to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Strange as it sounds, the Austrian-born bodybuilder, former California governor, and movie star has flexed more legislative muscle on climate change than President Obama--who ran for office on the promise of curbing sea level rise and creating millions of green jobs--and Al Gore, the former vice president who won a Nobel Prize for his advocacy on climate change. ??
Like Gore and Obama, Schwarzenegger, in his two terms as governor of the largest state in the nation, championed policies to promote clean energy and to fight climate change. Unlike those Democrats, Schwarzenegger, a Republican, succeeded in translating that passion into a major climate-change law. ?
(RELATED: Will California's Cap-and-Trade Law Be a National Model?)
In 2006, Schwarzenegger signed a pioneering climate-change and clean-energy law known as AB-32. Its centerpiece is an aggressive cap-and-trade program, the controversial market-based system that caps emissions of heat-trapping fossil-fuel pollution and creates a financial market in which polluters and financial players can buy and sell carbon-pollution credits.
On Jan. 1, 2013, the rubber meets the road for AB-32: The cap-and-trade program--the first of its kind in the nation--will be fully enforced, and the country and the world will be watching. If it succeeds in cutting California?s carbon pollution without harming the Golden State?s economy, the law could serve as a model for other state policies--and eventually a national law. If it fails, it could be the last nail in the coffin for efforts to enact a national climate law. ?
Schwarzenegger knows this. The California law was designed to be replicated by other states. Schwarzenegger, whose legacy was tarnished by California?s plunge into an economic recession under his watch and by a high-profile marital-infidelity scandal, has campaigned heavily since stepping down from office to encourage other states and regions to enact climate policies modeled after California?s, with the aim of building up momentum for national and international climate laws.
Schwarzenegger brings his global celebrity to the cause, but he also brings credibility, as the only American political leader to date who has succeeded in enacting a climate-change law. ??
It appears to be working. On Dec. 19, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon presented Schwarzenegger with the U.N. Correspondents Association?s global advocate of the year award. The award recognized work he has done with Regions20, his U.N.-affiliated climate-change advocacy group. The group aims to push cities, states, provinces, and other regions to create a network of bottom-up climate policies that will eventually lead to broader action.
On the evening he received the U.N. award, Schwarzenegger sat down with National Journal to talk about climate policy, his legacy, and bodybuilding. On his left hand, the former governor wore a massive knuckle-dusting ring bearing the seal of California. On his right hand, he wore an equally massive skull-shaped ring, with glittering diamonds in its eyes. Peeping out from his tuxedo jacket sleeves was a bracelet made out of a polished bicycle chain. ?
Sitting back in a walnut-paneled holding room while he waited to receive his U.N. award, Schwarzenegger propped an alligator-skin shoe up on the coffee table and held forth on the stakes of the California climate law.? ??
?The key thing is that we?re successful, so that others will join,? he said.
He likes to talk about the strategy of building up from the ?subnational? level--getting cities, states, provinces, and regions to adopt similar policies--taking action when a national government won?t.
?We?ve always tried to show leadership on the subnational level,? Schwarzenegger?said of California. ?Since the United States was not coming to agreement on anything, we didn?t want to wait. So we moved. But it?s not something that is for 38 million people. It?s supposed to have an effect worldwide. Because if we do well as a subnational government, then other governments are going to feel that they can also venture out and be more independent, and not wait for their capitals to create action.?
Already, California plans to link its cap-and-trade carbon market with a regional market in Quebec, and talks are beginning about connecting with a carbon market in Australia. China--which is today the world?s largest global-warming polluter and which has refused to take national-level action to cut its greenhouse-gas pollution without a national commitment from the U.S.--is now looking into enacting cap-and-trade programs in some provinces, which could also link up to the California carbon market. ??
?What [Regions20] is all about is, let?s not freeze--let?s move forward on the subnational level, let?s not be at a standstill,? Schwarzenegger said. He cited the California law's target--reducing carbon pollution 25 percent by 2020. ?Imagine if every state does that. This is the power that states have--they can do that. If states can do it, then provinces in Canada and China can do it. Cities in Italy can do it.?
That?s exactly what has happened with climate-change policy in the U.S., as ?Obama has tried but failed to enact a national law. In 2010, he pushed Congress to pass a cap-and-trade law similar to California?s. But the bill failed in the Senate, and Republicans turned ?cap-and-trade? into a toxic political catchphrase. Although Obama has said he would like to make climate change a top priority in a second term, it?s hard to imagine that he?ll be able to get congressional Republicans to embrace the return of a major climate-change bill--especially after a presidential campaign in which almost every GOP contender openly questioned the science of climate change.
?I think the president is pushing the issue as much as he can,? Schwarzenegger said. But that?s why, he said, the future of national climate policy will depend on building momentum from the state level.
Of Republicans who denounce climate science, he said, ?I pay very little attention to what they say before an election. The very people that screamed before the election that 'Over my dead body we?ll raise taxes' are the same ones that are now going to agree to raise taxes.? ???
Throughout his political and advocacy career, Schwarzenegger?s secret climate weapon has been Terry Tamminen, a California Democratic energy-policy strategist. When the movie star first considered running for governor, he recruited Tamminen to write his energy policy--including the cap-and-trade climate plan, which became the model for the 2006 AB-32 law.
After he won the governorship, Schwarzenegger appointed Tamminen to head his Environmental Protection Agency and to be his chief policy adviser--a job from which Tamminen took a sabbatical in 2008, to work on energy and climate policy for Obama?s first presidential campaign. In that role, Tamminen helped craft candidate Obama?s energy and climate plan--modeled after AB-32.
Tamminen sees California as an energy and environment pilot program, a state where landmark laws are tried and tested before being replicated in other states around the country--and eventually made national.
?When we passed AB-32, eight states copied us. When we passed our [renewable-electricity standard], 33 states followed. When I advised Obama during his first campaign, we thought, why not make these standards national?" Tamminen told NJ.
When California enacted a tough clean-air rule reining in global-warming pollution from vehicle tailpipes, the auto industry and its allies in Congress fought hard to have it overturned. ?
Instead, 14 other states passed tailpipe-emissions rules modeled on the California standard. ??
?That gave Obama the momentum and the political cover to say, 'There are enough states doing this--let?s federalize it,' ? Tamminen said.?
And in May 2009, Obama followed California?s lead, using the executive authority of the Environmental Protection Agency to make the tough California tailpipe regulations apply nationwide. ??
Schwarzenegger stood with Obama in the White House Rose Garden when the announcement was made.
Tamminen thinks the same thing can happen with cap-and-trade policy, as California?s carbon market links up to other state and regional markets around the country and the world. ?When you aggregate all that, it becomes a tidal wave,? he said. ??
Schwarzenegger is expanding his climate advocacy beyond the policy push. He is collaborating with James Cameron, who directed him in The Terminator, on the production of a new Showtime series that will begin airing in 2013?about the effects of climate change.
Asked if he believes his role on spurring global warming action will ultimately stand as his legacy, Schwarzenegger invoked his career as a bodybuilding trailblazer.
?It?s one of those things, when I got into bodybuilding, the last thing I ever thought of is that I would be out there leading the fitness movement, going around the world and talking about fitness and exercising,? he said.
?I was just interested in winning as many bodybuilding championships as possible--Mr. World, Mr. Universe. But it just happened to be that there was a vacuum, and people looked at me as the guy who should carry the ball, and all of a sudden, there I was--it became my legacy. When I stepped into the governorship, this is the last thing I thought I would do--that I would be successful in this area. But the opportunity came up. You don?t know ahead of time.?
The I Do Diet - How To Become A Honeymoon Hottie and Achieve Your Ideal Wedding Weight - Volume 1 of The I Do Diaries
Rating: Not yet rated.
Published: Dec. 30, 2012
Each year, a staggering quarter of a million loved-up Brits tie the knot here in the UK, and a further 80,000 elope abroad to do just the same.That means in the next twelve months, well over 150,000 nervous brides will start counting down the days - and the calories - until they make that special journey to the altar.
Over two thirds of brides set out to lose weight before the big day (in recent months this has leapt to an astonishing 83% - in no small part, down to certain Royal nuptials!) and the goal set for the majority of those shedding for the wedding is an ambitious 23lbs.
Yet in reality, most brides average out at a more modest 7lbs of weight lost by the time they tread more lightly down the aisle.
If, like me, you're one of those brides-to-be who has often tried and failed to lose and keep weight off, then this personal, diary-style account of how I lost 28 lbs to become a honeymoon hottie, could be the plan for you!
Think of this e-Book as a 'chief bridesmaid' pocket companion - an essential, quick and handy guide to looking and feeling your best on your big day in as little as FOUR weeks.
And much like any great maid of honour, this short guide is designed to offer fast and effective advice on the basics of organizing yourself and your wedding day, delivered in a supportive but no-nonsense, straight-to-the-point fashion.
Inside you'll be amazed to discover:
How I dropped 28 lbs to fit into my size 8 princess gown.
How to lose weight, forever, by eating more often than ever.
How a simple ice cube could get you the dress of your dreams.
How losing weight can help you pay for your wedding.
How eating ice cream can help you achieve your fantasy figure.
How a child's toy can vanquish your muffin top.
How to feel fitter without even breaking a sweat.
How chewing gum could drop you a dress size.
How your engagement finger can help you beat wrinkles and achieve flawless skin.
A fortnight of evening meals under 400 calories.
A FREE guide to Wallet-friendly Weddings - essential mini-tips on cutting the cost of your big day?
A FREE sample wedding budget planner.
Plus, essential diary-style reminders to help you organize your big day.
It's time to start shedding for the wedding, so you can say yes to that dress!!!
(Less)
This book has not yet been reviewed.
Source: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/269809
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Launchers turned in to LAPD were from military
LOS ANGELES -- Experts say two rocket launchers turned in during a one-day gun buyback program in Los Angeles appear to be antitank weapons from the military.
The LA Times reports ( http://lat.ms/12O4KKo) one of the rocket launchers is likely a version of the AT4, a single-shot, disposable antitank weapon manufactured in Sweden.
Police said the people who turned them in claimed they had family members who were once in the military. Just the barrels of the weapons were turned in, without the projectiles.
Det. Gus Villanueva tells the Times police would check the origins of the weapons with the U.S. military to see if they were ever stolen. He says officers could not provide details on the models.
Wednesday's buyback program brought in 2,037 firearms, including 901 handguns, 698 rifles, 363 shotguns and 75 assault weapons.
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
Source: http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/12/29/3116298/launchers-turned-in-to-lapd-were.html
Breastcancer.org States Boosting Immune System Is Essential In Fighting Cancer
Los Angeles (I-Newswire) December 30, 2012 - According to an article onbreastcancer.org, ?Intuition tells you (more like SHOUTS at you) that you need to build up your immune system to combat the cancer and to restore your overall health.?
This is backed up by research conducted by scientists at the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD.) In fact, a study revealed that a complete recovery of the immune system (http://buygeneeden.com/Cancer.php) and an amazing 34% reduction in tumor size in a patient with pancreatic cancer was accomplished by boosting the immune system through the use of a natural antiviral supplement called Gene-Eden-VIR.
That study was published in Acta Oncologica, a leading scientific journal in clinical oncology and related disciplines, and the official journal of the five Nordic oncological societies.
Moreover, according to an article published by Reuters, and written by Bill Berkrot, ?The concept of using the immune system against cancer dates back to the 1890s when Dr. William Coley, a New York surgeon, noted that some patients who got infections after cancer surgery fared better.?
The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD) has long advocated the need for people to maintain ahealthy immune system. The immune system is key in the body?s defense against many different chronic diseases, including cancer.
According to the WebMD website (http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/lifestyle-g...): ?If you?re among the 1.5 million people in the United States diagnosed with cancer each year, you may be considering taking vitamins and supplements for cancer. Supplements, herbs, and extracts are increasingly used in integrative medicine to:
*Help strengthen the immune system
*Help ease side effects of chemotherapy and radiation.?
In simple terms, medical experts today highly recommend taking supplements to help patients fight cancer.
How did Gene-Eden-VIR boost the immune system according to the study mentioned above?
Gene-Eden-VIR targets the cause of most cancers, not the symptoms. Consider breast cancer as an example. The current belief in the medical community holds that most cases of breast cancer are caused by a mutation in a certain gene. Genes, in general, produce proteins, which are the building blocks of cells. The concentration of proteins is tightly regulated. A mutated or injured gene produces an abnormal concentration of its protein, which may lead to disease.
In 1994, Mark Skolnick, PhD, discovered the BRCA1 gene (BRCA1 is short for BReast CAncer 1). Following the discovery, scientists observed a low level of the BRCA1 protein in breast cancer tissues.
This observation created a lot of excitement. At the time, scientists believed that they were on the verge of finding the cause of breast cancer. The reasoning was that breast cancer patients must have a mutated BRCA1 gene, which would explain the decreased production of the protein, and the development of tumors.
In the United States, 180,000 cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year. However, only 5% of these cases have a mutated BRCA1 gene. In more than 95% of the breast cancer patients the gene is not mutated.
So here is the mystery. If the gene is not mutated in the great majority of the breast cancer patients, why are the tumors showing a low level of the BRCA1 protein? The BRCA1 gene is not unique. Many normal (perfect shape, non-mutated) genes exhibit a mysterious abnormal (increased or decreased) production of proteins in cancer.
And, breast cancer is only one example.
According to Dr. Hanan Polansky highly acclaimed scientific discovery [1], the cause of most cancers is latent viral DNA that lays hidden in human cells. To survive, the latent viral DNA feeds off the resources it ?steals? from the human DNA in these cells, thereby creating a supply shortage for the human genes. The latent viral DNA, which is a genetic parasite, in fact ?starves? the human genes, and causes them to behave irregularly, which leads to disease. This effect of the foreign DNA on human genes inspired Dr. Hanan Polansky to call the discovery the ?starved? gene phenomenon.
Gene-Eden-VIR was designed to target the most common latent viruses that attack the human body.
To learn more about Gene-Eden-VIR please visit:
http://buygeneeden.com/Cancer.php
For more information on the Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease, or to schedule an interview with one of our researchers, please visit http://www.cbcd.net or call 585-250-9999.
Reference:
[1] Polansky H. Microcompetition with foreign DNA and the origin of chronic disease. CBCD publishing. 2003. 543 p.
The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD, http://www.cbcd.net) is a research center recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. The mission of the CBCD is to advance the research on the biology of chronic diseases, and to accelerate the discovery of treatments for these diseases.
We invite biologists, virologists, scientists everywhere to download Dr. Polansky?s book, ?Microcompetition with Foreign DNA and the Origin of Chronic Disease? here: http://cbcd.net/
The CBCD published the ?Purple? book by Dr. Hanan Polansky.
The book presents Dr. Polansky?s highly acclaimed scientific theory on the relationship between the DNA of latent (chronic) viruses and the onset of chronic diseases. Dr. Polansky?s book is available as a free download from the CBCD website.
About The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease:
The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease is a research center recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. The mission of the CBCD is to advance the research on the biology of chronic diseases, and to accelerate the discovery of treatments for these diseases.
Company Contact Information
The Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease
Mike Davis
PO Box 65402
61653
Phone : 585-250-9999
Source: http://www.i-newswire.com/breastcancer-org-states-boosting/208079
California High Speed Rail Project to Cost U.S. Taxpayers $42 Billion
(Photo: California High Speed Rail Project)
(CNSNews.com) -- The California High-Speed Rail project is supposed to run from San Francisco to Los Angeles and be completed in 2028 at a cost of $65 billion, but only $11.5 billion in funds have already been secured for the project from state, local and private investment.That means U.S. taxpayers will be called on to make up 61 percent of the estimated $57 billion that the project currently lacks in funding ? or $42 billion -- ?according to congressional testimony from the Government Accountability Office (GAO.)
The project?s four phases of construction depend on a majority of funding to come from congressional appropriations, in addition to the California state government and private investment.
While $11.7 billion in state and federal funds have been guaranteed for the project, it is unclear if California will receive the additional $57 billion needed for completion.
As of Dec. 6, the California High Speed Rail Project has received the most funding of any initiative from the Federal Railroad Administration?s (FRA) High Speed Intercity Passenger Rail (HSIPR) program ($3.5 billion) and has also received money from the 2009 Stimulus bill.
The GAO found that of the $11.5 billion in secured funds for the project, $8.2 billion comes from ?high speed rail bonds? in California and $3.3 billion is from the federal government.
?One of the biggest challenges facing California?s high-speed rail project is securing funding beyond the first construction segment. While the [High-Speed Rail] Authority has secured $11.5 billion from federal and state sources for project construction, almost $57 billion in funding remains unsecured,? said Susan A. Fleming, the GAO director of Physical Infrastructure Issues, in her written testimony on Dec. 6th to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
The GAO estimates that 81 percent, or $55 billion, of the project?s total funding will come from government entities -- of that $55 billion, $42 billion (61 percent) will be provided by the federal government.
Out of the $55 billion the California High-Speed Rail Authority is counting on from the state and federal governments, only $11.5 billion has been guaranteed for the project and $37.5 billion in federal funds remains uncommitted.
?However, given that the HSIPR [High Speed Inner City Passenger Rail] grant program has not received funding for the last 2 fiscal years and that future funding proposals will likely be met with continued concern about federal spending, the largest block of expected funds is uncertain,? Fleming said.
The California High-Speed Rail Authority plans to use revenues from California?s cap and trade emissions program in case federal funding does not arrive, but the amount of revenues generated from cap and trade has yet to be determined.
The GAO also found that Authority cost estimates exhibited several weaknesses.
Although costs for construction were well documented, estimates for operating costs as well as adapting foreign technology from other high speed systems were unclear.
Cost estimates for ?stations and trains? had little or no supporting documentation at all, the GAO said.
?In many cases, the methodologies used to derive the construction cost estimates were well documented, but in other cases the documentation was more limited,? said Fleming. ?For example, while track infrastructure costs were thoroughly documented, costs for other elements, such as stations and trains, were supported with little detail or no documentation.?
The Authority has also experienced difficulty gauging ridership and revenue turnout once the project is completed. Previous forecasts were based on survey data from 2005, but the Authority is expected to release a new ridership forecast with updated data in December 2012.
Other challenges to the project include legal challenges on environmental grounds, along with timely right-of way acquisition to reserve property for the project?s construction.
?Environmental concerns have been the subject of legal challenges. For example, a lawsuit was filed in October 2010 against the Authority challenging the decision to approve the Bay Area to Central Valley segment based on an EIR [Environmental Impact Report] alleged to be inadequate. Several lawsuits have been filed and these cases are still pending,? said Fleming.
The California High Speed Rail line will be 520 miles long, spanning from San Francisco to Los Angeles. The line?s anticipated completion date is 2028U.S. taxpayers to
Mars rover snaps amazing self-portrait
NASA has snapped its most amazing self-portrait yet of the Curiosity rover on Mars, showing the robot posing with its ultimate destination: a huge Martian mountain.
The new view of Curiosity on Mars is actually a mosaic of dozens of high-definition color photos taken by the rover between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. The image shows Curiosity surrounded by the tracks of its wheels, with the 3-mile-high Mount Sharp rising into the sky in the distance.
NASA featured the latest Curiosity portrait as its image of the day Dec. 27 after releasing the photo earlier this month.
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Space news from NBCNews.com
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Cassini orbiter captures Saturn's swirling storms
Science editor Alan Boyle's blog: The storms of Saturn ripple through the frame of a black-and-white close-up captured by the Cassini orbiter on Christmas Eve.
- 2013 might be the year for first 'alien Earth'
- Mars rover spends holidays at 'Grandma's House'
- After setbacks, Russia boosts space spending
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Cassini orbiter captures Saturn's swirling storms
The prominent Mount Sharp is the central peak of Curiosity's vast Gale Crater landing site. Another mountain in the image, on the rover's left, makes up the northern wall of the expansive crater.
To create the eye-popping Mars photo, Curiosity used its Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI), a powerful camera mounted at the end of the rover's robotic arm. Curiosity turned the camera on itself much like a human tourist might when traveling alone, snapping a series of photos that rover team members then stitched together into a high-definition composite view.
The rover had to move its robotic arm through more than 50 positions in a single day to capture its entire car-size body on camera. ?NASA scientists used a test version of Curiosity on Earth to practice the Martian photo session.
NASA unveiled an earlier version of Curiosity portrait, composed out of 55 separate images, in early November, but the latest view includes significantly more detail and a wider view.
The Mars rover Curiosity is headed toward a spot near the base of Mount Sharp called Glenelg, and will continue to perform experiments along the way. The $2.5 billion rover's primary mission is to determine if its Gale crater landing site could have ever supported primitive microbial life.
Follow SPACE.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter@Spacedotcomand onFacebook.
Copyright 2012 SPACE.com, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50313865/ns/technology_and_science-space/
I SPECIFICALLY SAT MYSELF DOWN AND TOLD ME I WASN'T GONIG TO CARE ABOUT THE HOBBIT CAST BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE EMOTIONAL ENERGY AND YET HERE I AM OH GO DNO.
"The truth is that I need the stimulus of other people. Alone, over my dead fire, I tend to see the thin places in my own stories. The real novelist, the perfectly simple human being, could go on, indefinitely, imagining. He would not integrate, as I do. He would not have this devastating sense of grey ashes in a burnt-out grate. Some blind flaps in my eyes. Everything becomes impervious. I cease to invent."
Virginia Woolf, The Waves
Source: http://commissioner-blake.tumblr.com/post/39219364194
Shock, heartbreak for U.S. parents adopting Russian kids
(Reuters) - For months, life for Ann and Kurt Suhs has been a whirlwind of assembling documents, getting fingerprinted and scheduling evaluations of their Atlanta-area home in preparation for welcoming a Russian child into their family for a second time.
Now, the couple - who adopted their son Ben, now 7, from Russia at age 13 months - say they were blindsided by news that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law on Friday banning Americans from adopting Russian children effective next Tuesday.
"It's hard to think that it would all stop, that it would all just come to such a screeching halt," Ann Suhs said. "We haven't talked about a Plan B. We hope and we pray."
She and her husband are among some 1,500 U.S. families who are in the process of adopting a child from Russia, according to an estimate from the Alexandria, Virginia-based National Council For Adoption. Some of those families had just started paperwork, while others had already been matched with a child and, in some cases, had the chance to meet the boy or girl.
The Russian measure was passed in retaliation for a U.S. human rights law - approved this month as part of a trade bill and signed by President Barack Obama - that bars entry to Russians accused of involvement in the death in custody of anti-corruption lawyer Sergei Magnitsky and other alleged rights abuses.
Putin has defended the Russian law by saying his country should care for its own children. But critics including child rights advocates say it is an unfair move that uses orphans as pawns in an unrelated dispute.
Ann and Kurt Suhs, who were waiting to be matched with a child, had been frantically checking every morning for news about the Russian proposal moving through the legislative process. They had chosen Russia in part because Kurt Suhs' grandmother grew up there.
On a recent day, "I looked at Kurt and said, 'Do we know what we're going to do if this goes through?'" Ann Suhs said. "We can't put our heads around it to say, 'OK, we give up on this dream.'"
A November agreement between Russia and the United States calls for a one-year transition period in the case of either country banning adoptions, said Lauren Koch, a spokeswoman for the National Council For Adoption.
"All we can hope for now is that President Putin will honor the terms of that agreement and at least, at a very minimum, allow those families who have been matched with a child to bring him/her home," Koch said in an email.
But Russia is withdrawing from that agreement under the law Putin signed, and there was no indication any American adoptions now under way would go through other than six that Russian officials said have been approved by Russian courts.
'ONCE YOU'VE MET THAT CHILD'
Americans have adopted more than 45,000 Russian children since 1999, including 962 last year.
More than 650,000 children are considered orphans in Russia - though some were rejected by their parents or taken from dysfunctional homes. Of those, 110,000 lived in state institutions in 2011, according to government figures.
Many American families are now in limbo.
"Once you've met that child, that's your child, and that child is in your mind, he or she is in your heart, there are pictures on your refrigerator," said Frank Garrott, president of Gladney Center for Adoption, a Fort Worth, Texas-based adoption agency working with about 25 families now in the process of adopting a child from Russia.
In Oakland, California, the news from Russia has Lease Wong holding her little girl especially tightly. She and her husband, Marty, arrived home from Russia about a month ago with their newly adopted daughter, Brianna, who is now 23 months old.
"I think she knows she has a family," said Lease Wong, who owns a toy store. "I have to think of all those other children. They're losing their opportunity for a family."
As Wong spoke, the girl chattered away in the background.
Those are sounds that Kim and Robert Summers are desperate to hear. They traveled to Russia in August to meet the boy who they call Preston - he's known as Stanislav in Russia - then returned to Russia earlier this month to continue the adoption process. They had expected to go back to Russia in January to bring the boy home to New Jersey.
At their home in New Jersey, a stroller for the red-headed 21-month-old sits in the dining room and his crib is already partially assembled.
The Summers' two-year adoption journey followed eight years of infertility struggles, three miscarriages and four unsuccessful attempts at in vitro fertilization. After soul-searching and prayers, they turned to international adoption, and the match with the boy was approved at a December court hearing, they said.
Kim Summers, a chef who has no other children, said she quit her job to become a stay-at-home mother to Preston.
When they left Russia in December, they were so sure they would be back the next month that they left their diaper bag with a family there.
On Friday, Kim Summers expressed shock, outrage and a determination to bring her son home in January as planned.
"I promised this baby I was going to be his mommy," she said. "I'm a mommy on a mission."
(Editing by Paul Thomasch, Will Dunham and Alistair Lyon)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shock-heartbreak-u-parents-adopting-russian-kids-091850864.html
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Ex-NBA player found dead
Updated?Dec 29, 2012 9:33 PM ET
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Former NBA player Jerome Whitehead was found dead in a San Diego suburb last week, according to California authorities. Whitehead was 56.
Whitehead played for six NBA teams during his 11-year career. The 6-foot-10 forward/center was taken 41st overall by the San Diego Clippers in the 1978 draft.
Whitehead was the starting center on Marquette?s 1977 NCAA title team.
An autopsy revealed that Whitehead died as a result of gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by alcohol abuse.
Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/jerome-whitehead-ex-nba-player-found-dead-122912
Saturday, December 29, 2012
I'm I'm Gini Dietrich, Founder of Arment Dietrich and Spin Sucks, and ...
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Firmology?s How I Power My Business?series?profiles the technology?business owners?use to run and grow their business.
How I Power My Business
By Gini Dietrich of Arment Dietrich and Spin Sucks
What?s the story behind Arment Dietrich and Spin Sucks?
In true entrepreneurial fashion, I run not one, not even two, but three businesses (unless you count speaking and book writing as separate businesses, in which case there are five).
The core business is Arment Dietrich, which is an integrated marketing communications firm in Chicago. A little more than a year ago, we went virtual (hence no photo of me in front of the business) and we experienced 200 percent growth this year. I truly believe there are two reasons for that: I have an amazing team with really talented professionals who are doing what they?re meant to do and our overhead went from thousands of dollars a month to almost nothing.
Six years ago, we launched Spin Sucks ? the blog ? and nearly three years ago, we began to use it to generate revenue. Today it is the number two driver of new clients for Arment Dietrich.
And we have Spin Sucks Pro in beta right now, which is a professional development site for PR and marketing pros. We are developing this because there isn?t anywhere, other than annual conferences, where our profession can learn about new technologies, new initiatives, and new campaigns. Because things are changing so quickly, it?s important to have a place to learn every day versus once a year.
What apps, software, service or gadgets are essential to the operations of your business?
Because we?re a virtual company and because we have clients in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, it?s important for us to use technology to stay connected, be productive, and manage our time most effectively.
- WordPress powers our website, our blog, and Spin Sucks Pro.
- Dropbox serves as our document sharing server.
- Skype serves as both our telephone system and our instant messaging.
- Google Docs is used for our editorial calendars and client documents.
- BusyCal is my go-to choice for my calendar and task list.
- Passbook is fantastic for traveling. You add your boarding pass through your airline?s app and you can use your phone for your ticket.
- We all use most of the social networks to connect with one another in public ways that builds our culture.
What time-saver or money-saver would you love your fellow business owners to know about?
There are a few things that have made us more efficient:
- Dropbox is only $10 per month and it allows us to not only share documents, but access them from anywhere in the world, including on planes without Internet access. Not having the server anymore saves significant expenses each month.
- VirtualPBX allows us to have a main office number that rings directly to people?s cell phones. I think it?s something like $49 a month.
- I mentioned BusyCal above. It was $50, but it?s worth every penny. I couldn?t find anything I liked better than my paper task lists before I found BusyCal. Now I use it for everything.
If you?d like to be featured on Firmology?s How I Power My Business series, here?s what we need from you:
- Read this example post first:?Wanted: Businesses for How I Power My Business Series
- Headshot/Company Photo: Ideally, we?d like a picture of you standing in front of or in your business, but we?ll take your profile headshot by itself or two separate photos too!
- Company Logo: Who doesn?t have a logo now-a-days? If you don?t have the file, just send us your website link and we?ll grab it from there.
- Description of Business: Tell us about your business! What is your product or service? Extra points if you have a story of how or why you launched your business.
- How You Power Your Business: What apps, software, service or gadgets do you use to power your business?
Email the above information to contact@firmology.com with the subject line: How I Power My Business
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Blood found on borrowed car in missing girl case
This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Moris, 10, who police are searching for after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The woman, Brenda Stokes, 50, made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Police Department)
This undated photo provided by the Las Vegas Police Department shows Jade Moris, 10, who police are searching for after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. The woman, Brenda Stokes, 50, made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Las Vegas Police Department)
This booking photo provided by the Clark County Detention Center in Las Vegas, Nev,. Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, shows 50-year-old Brenda Stokes. Police in Las Vegas have issued a plea for information about 10-year-old Jade Morris after she failed to return home Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, from a shopping trip with a woman who is thought to be Stokes. Stokes was arrested that night and accused of slashing the face of a female co-worker at the Bellagio resort on the Las Vegas Strip. She made her first appearance in Las Vegas Justice Court Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Clark County Detention Center )
LAS VEGAS (AP) ? A prosecutor says blood was found in a car borrowed by a woman last seen with a missing 10-year-old girl and later arrested in a razor blade slashing of a co-worker at a Las Vegas Strip casino.
Police investigating the disappearance Jade Morris expect to know Friday whether her body is the one found by a person walking a dog in an undeveloped North Las Vegas housing tract.
Jade was last seen Dec. 21.
Clark County Coroner Michael Murphy says he's awaiting results of DNA testing before saying whether the body is Jade Morris.
Prosecutor Robert Daskas convinced a judge Friday to raise bail to $600,000 for Brenda Stokes Wilson.
Wilson is jailed in the slashing case and is expected to face murder and kidnapping charges in Jade Morris' disappearance.
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AP sources: Saints, Payton, agree to terms on deal
NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? The New Orleans Saints and suspended coach Sean Payton will indeed be together again next season as the bounty scandal fades into history and the bid to win a second Super Bowl resumes.
Payton has agreed in principle to a multiyear contract extension, according to two people familiar with the deal.
The people told The Associated Press about the deal Friday night on condition of anonymity because it hasn't been signed and final details regarding the length of the contract and financial compensation are still being worked out.
"Very happy it is official," Brees said in an email to the AP. "Never had any doubts."
Payton was due to begin his seventh season as the Saints' head coach in 2012 before being suspended for the whole season by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in connection with the NFL's bounty investigation.
Payton signed an extension in 2011 that would have kept him in New Orleans through 2015, but Goodell objected to certain language in that deal, leaving Payton's future uncertain until the deal was reached Friday. The language in question in the previous extension gave Payton the right to opt out early if general manager Mickey Loomis left the club for any reason.
The new agreement, which was first reported by Fox Sports, also must be approved by the NFL.
Payton is the only coach in Saints history to win a Super Bowl, a title earned at the end of the 2009 season. But his legacy was tarnished by the NFL's bounty probe, as Goodell ruled that Payton failed to exert proper institutional control over a cash-for-hits bounty program run by former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams from 2009-2011.
Although the Saints objected to the characterization of what coaches and players have said was nothing more than a performance pool for big plays, Goodell suspended Payton for the entire season. The commissioner also suspended Loomis for half of the season and assistant head coach Joe Vitt for six games.
Payton is 62-34 as in regular-season games as Saints head coach and 5-3 in the postseason. During the three seasons before his suspension, the Saints won 41 regular-season and playoff games combined, more than any other team in the NFL.
Payton has primarily handled the offense in New Orleans, teaming up with Brees to break numerous NFL and club records. The single-season NFL records set by the Saints in 2011 included yards passing by a team (5,505) and a quarterback (5,476). The Saints also set a record for total offensive yards with 7,474.
Although speculation ran rampant that Payton could essentially become a free agent after this season and end up elsewhere, Brees repeatedly said he would be "shocked" if Payton ended up anywhere but New Orleans next season. Brees is under contract with the Saints through the 2016 season, and Payton was the driving force in the Saints' effort to acquire Brees as a free agent in 2006.
Without Payton on the sideline this season, the Saints missed the playoffs for the first time since 2008. Brees remained prolific, but his 18 interceptions also tied for a league high heading into the final weekend of the season.
The Saints headed into Sunday's season finale against Carolina at 7-8, hoping to avoid their first losing season since they went 7-9 in 2007.
Payton is expected to return to the Saints immediately after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3, unless Goodell allows him to return earlier.
When Payton reports back to work, it will offically close the book on the bounty saga that has overshadowed the Saints' organization since the NFL first announced on March 2 that it found the Saints ran a program that paid improper cash bonuses for hits that injured opponents.
In addition to the suspensions of Payton, Loomis and Vitt, the Saints also were docked second-round draft choices in 2012 and 2013, though Goodell has said he could potentially restores the Saints' 2013 second-round choice and dock the team a later-round pick.
Meanwhile, four current or former Saints were initially given suspensions of varying lengths. Two current Saints defensive captains, linebacker Jon Vilma and defensive end Will Smith, were among those suspended. Vilma was banned for the whole season and Smith for four games, but the players successfully challenged their punishment with the help of the NFL Players Association and never served a game.
Former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed by Goodell to oversee the players' appeals, ruled that the NFL probe was accurate in its findings that the Saints ran and improper program and attempted to cover it up, but that the evidence was not strong enough to warrant unprecedented suspensions for players who had been only fined for similar behavior in the past.
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Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-sources-saints-payton-agree-terms-deal-005653601--nfl.html
Around the Web?
TGIF! Give the last links of 2012 a read: Some parents banning toy guns at home after Newtown tragedy ? Parenting.com Russia bans adoption of its children by American citizens ? The New York Times RECALL: Nap Nanny recliners no longer sold at four major retailers ? TheBump.com Hospitals struggle to treat babies born with [...]
Source: http://feeds.celebritybabies.com/~r/celebrity-babies/~3/YUF_PALfmqA/
Gambling Lobbyists Top Md. List For Spending ? CBS Baltimore
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) ? Gambling interests are high up on a list for spending on lobbyists in Maryland this year.
The State Ethics Commission has released a list of employers who spent $50,000 or more between May and Oct. 31.
Buildings Trades for National Harbor Inc., spent about $2.7 million. That?s the most on the list. The group lobbied on legislation to allow a casino in Prince George?s County.
PPE Casino Resorts Maryland, LLC, which was supported by The Cordish Cos., spent about $482,400 on lobbying during the period.
Other gambling interests also are prominent on the list, including CBAC Gaming, LLC., and MGM Resorts International Operations Inc.
Voters approved allowing table games like blackjack and the Prince George?s casino site in November, after lawmakers passed legislation in an August special session.
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Source: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/12/27/gambling-lobbyists-top-md-list-for-spending/
Russia: Syrian opposition's stance on Assad "a dead end"
Producers of Katie Holmes's Broadway play Dead Accounts, a dark family comedy by Theresa Rebeck, have announced that the show will be closing nearly two months early, wrapping up on January 6 instead of the planned February 24. Obviously the press release about the matter doesn't mention any reasons, but we can assume the show is closing because of poor ticket sales. January is a notoriously difficult frozen tundra for many a Broadway show to traverse, and Dead Accounts just didn't have it. So the cast is being spared the agony of trying. ...
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-syrian-oppositions-stance-assad-dead-end-102625746.html
GLHFCasting ? Professional Car Repair Service
Your car is a vitally important aspect in your daily life. You always do the necessary things to help your car run smoothly and look great. But even if you are doing these things, there are times you will need help to adequately repair your vehicle. Our auto repair shop employs a qualified and experienced staff that is able to handle an extensive list of repairs. From minor repairs like a squeaky brakes to major problems such as a faulty engine, we are your resource to get all cars fixed quickly. We will ensure that you understand the full extent of any repair we do and our staff will answer any question and resolve all your concerns. Along with these repairs, we are also proficient with several upgrades to improve the performance or look of your vehicle. Call us now for help with all your auto repair needs. Body Shop Las Vegas
Source: http://www.glhfcasting.com/professional-car-repair-service/
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Marketing Operations Specialist | IABC
Are you looking for an opportunity to apply your marketing skills at a growing technology company? Are you a stickler for details with the ability to forecast and remedy marketing and public relations challenges with your arsenal of talent? If so, we are looking for you!
Key responsibilities will include:
- Assists with the development, writing and communication of marketing plans, promotional recaps, creative briefs, project recommendations and presentations
- Ensures that all creative marketing materials undergo brand review and adhere to strict brand guidelines
- Assists with writing and editing of promotional literature, newsletters, direct marketing and Internet marketing projects
- Designs company collateral specific for campaigns, proposals, presentations and more
- Works effectively as part of a multi-disciplinary marketing and communications team to communicate, coordinate and integrate marketing and communications, and apply best-in-class practices to all efforts
- Develops opportunities and tactically executes upon department initiatives including internet marketing, direct marketing, tradeshow development, events and more
- Responsible for managing all tactical event components with guidance of department director
- Participates in regular strategy meetings and develops new programs and initiatives that are designed to further our mission
- Assists with managing advertising initiatives and media plans
- Participates in weekly sales meetings that are designed to inform and teach others in the company about marketing activities and initiatives
- Analyzes marketing and competitive data and consolidates findings to support local and national marketing strategy development
- Demonstrated success supervising and maintaining marketing plans, programs and initiatives that are strategic assets to the business and all clients
- Ability to execute the day to day delivery of email marketing campaigns, e-newsletters, invitations etc.
- Develop a lead nurturing program strategy and monitor ongoing campaigns
- Has an understanding of marketing automation and can execute as needed
- Monitor all processes and implement improvements to enhance marketing productivity
- Assists in theme and content development for a variety of projects
- Reviews various marketing materials and make recommended edits
- Assists sales staff with marketing project requests
- Must be able to write press releases, pitches, public relations campaigns and monitor such campaigns, providing metrics
- Pitching relevant, targeted media with news stories that will drive awareness of the brand
- Ability to work with journalists, creating and maintaining ongoing relationships for continued coverage
- Monitoring and reporting on a wide variety of highly detailed Web analytics with emphasis on fact-based ROI and SEO recommendations
- Assisting our team of technology specialists covering a broad spectrum of functions, including CRM, marketing database development, Web development and maintenance, e-campaigns and online marketing
- Acting as Web project manager of the development of major new digital and interactive properties, with responsibility for all sourcing, pricing, documentation, needs assessment, resource management and monitoring at all project stages from pre-production to maintenance
- Creating a culture of digital fluency and excitement within the organization through education, training, internal communications and marketing, and other activities
Expected Skills and Experience:
- Strong writing skills are a must. We can?t stress this enough. Knowledge of AP style is mandatory.
- Familiarity and experience handling large-scale campaigns
- Extensive use of Facebook, Twitter, Hoot Suite/Tweetdeck and social media monitoring and management tools
- Thorough understanding of key messaging and communicating to different audiences
- Strong ability in graphic design, using Adobe Creative Suite ? we?ll need your creative brain, and your superior design skills to back it up
- Seasoned experience in event management from brainstorming to execution
- Minimum 3 years? experience in an agency setting or a managerial position.
Additional Experience Sought: Knowledge of digital design and design production principles, social media tools for business and media buying across multiple platforms, ability to build and manage websites and portals.
About BestIT:
BestIT is a technology solutions integrator that delivers high-value, client-focused solutions to enterprises at competitive prices. BestIT works with clients to create a roadmap designed to reinstate the collaborative dialog between business and technology.
Our environment is unique as it feels like a buzzing startup; we provide an upbeat modern professional space where you can share your knowledge base with fellow information technology and sales professionals in a way that is progressive and fun. We pride ourselves for providing cutting edge solutions, unlike any other competitor.
Contact info for applicants:
Apply here: https://hire.jobvite.com/Hiring/ViewJob.aspx?v=4&id=0
Or email: jeremiah.anderson@bestit.com
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Source: http://www.iabcphoenix.com/marketing-operations-specialist/
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