Event closes Washington Street near Zoo

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Refurbished Sony Bloggie Touch 1080p 8GB HD Camcorder for $40 + $5 s&h

As one of its daily deals, Tech Woot offers the refurbished Sony Bloggie Touch 1080p 8GB Flash Memory HD Digital Camcorder in Black, model no. MHS-TS20/B, for $39.99 with $5 for shipping. That's $10 under our May mention of a new one and the lowest total price we've seen for this digital camcorder. (It's also $25 below the lowest total price we could find for a new one today.) Sales tax is added where applicable. This 4.4-oz. digital camcorder shoots 1920x1080 (1080p) video and takes 12.8-megapixel still images. It features a 3" touchscreen LCD, 8GB of internal memory, USB, mini HDMI, and more. Deal ends today. A 90-day Sony warranty applies.

Source: http://dealnews.com/Refurbished-Sony-Bloggie-Touch-1080-p-8-GB-HD-Camcorder-for-40-5-s-h/619238.html?iref=rss-dealnews-todays-edition

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Romney courts military voters in Pennsylvania (Reuters)

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?Oil marketing firms asked to hike dealer commissions on petrol?

New Delhi, Sept 29:?

The Petroleum Ministry has asked public sector oil marketing companies to revise dealer commissions for petrol immediately, according to the Federation of All India Petroleum Traders. . But, the increase in commissions will not result in a hike for consumers, the dealers? body said on Saturday.

?Commission for petrol needs to be revised from Rs 1.49 a litre to Rs 2.16 for every litre . Since petrol is a de-regulated product, OMCs can revise the commission. Oil Ministry has issued a letter to them in this regard on September 20,? Ajay Bansal, General Secretary of the Federation said.

?Crude oil prices have gone down and the dollar is also stable. We have told the companies that if they want to reduce retail price of petrol, they should first adjust the dealers? commission. This would prevent any rise in price for consumers,? Bansal said.

The dealers have also asked for revision of commission on diesel from Rs 0.91 a litre to Rs 1.32 .

In respect of revision of dealers? commission on diesel, the Ministry has asked oil marketing companies to submit a proposal within ten days, said Bansal.

He said operating costs of petrol pumps, such as for wages and electricity bills, have gone up drastically, which called for an increase in their commission.

The Federation also said petrol pumps will not be shut on October 1 and 2. ?This is false news. Pumps will operate normally and dealers shall make purchases on October 1 according to their requirement keeping in view that October 2 is a public holiday,? said Bansal.

siddhartha.s@thehindu.co.in

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Source: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/article3948960.ece

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The Media Is Skewing the Polls Gabfest

Become a fan of the Political Gabfest on Facebook. We post to the Facebook page throughout the week, so keep the conversation going by joining us there. Or follow us @SlateGabFest!

To listen to the discussion, use the player below:

Live Seattle Gabfest: Oct. 4, 6:30 p.m., at Town Hall, with special guest Dan Savage! Bring your friends, enemies, and pandas. Tickets here.

Live D.C. ?Hang Up and Listen? Gabfest: Oct. 1, 7 p.m., at Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company in Washington, D.C. Tickets here.

The Gabfest welcomes all of our new listeners from WNYC and New Jersey Public Radio. For more info, visit the Gabfest Radio show page.

On this week?s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, John Dickerson, and David Plotz discuss Mitt Romney?s challenges heading into the debates, alleged liberal bias in the media and polling, and important senate races. ?

Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week's show:

Can Romney win without Ohio? Nate Silver summarizes some alternative paths to victory.

Emily speculates about the cause of Obama?s stronger Ohio polling; one of several explanations, says the New Republic?s Alec MacGillis, is an overemphasis of Obama?s problems with white working-class voters, which seem greater in the South than in the Midwest.

James Fallows plays debate coach in his technique and skill-focused preview.

But John reminds us: Debates usually don?t matter. For a review of the academic research, read John Sides in the Washington Monthly.

David says a new polling site purports to correct a liberal bias in polling. Chris Cillizza has a fact-check on the main argument?that party identification is skewing polls.?

Slate?s Will Saletan observes that the GOP?s national leadership?and money?is making a slow creep back toward Todd Akin.

John chatters about the first photo ever taken of humans, circa1838.

Emily chatters about John?s ?Fresca? project, a look at what criteria we might use if we conducted job interviews for the presidency.

David chatters about the Washington Post?s panda coverage.

Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest

The e-mail address for the Political Gabfest is gabfest@slate.com. (E-mail may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=e2a1fc991f045d82878e68e2f10fd25a

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Poet laureate receives warm welcome at WMU | Western Herald

U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine signs a book for Rebecca Mandrell after a poetry reading at WMU. Aaron LaRoy/Western Herald.

Aaron LaRoy
Staff Reporter

Western Michigan University was the destination of poetry lovers Friday evening.

Brown Auditorium, inside WMU?s Schneider Hall, was packed with over 400 people?who wanted to?hear U.S. Poet Laureate Philip Levine read some of his works.? All the chairs in the auditorium were filled ten minutes before the poetry reading was scheduled to start, and more people were still coming in.? When Levine entered,?people were seated on the stairs on?both sides of the?lecture hall?and?many more were standing behind the back row.

Rebecca Mandrell, from Richland, came to the reading because she had heard from a friend that if there was one poet she had to hear read, it was Levine.

Levine?s poetry focuses on personal topics and it has been written with a passion that comes out when he reads. ?Mandrell said that Levine?s poems came from ?the depth of his soul? and?focused on ?the common man.?

The subject matter of one poem especially, combined with Levine?s fervor, made an impression on Mandrell.

?My father was in World War II, so when he was reading about the World War II experiences and also about Hitler, it touched me very deeply,? Mandrell said.? ?I could tell that he felt very strongly about that.?

The poems touched the hearts of others as well.? After the reading had concluded, many of those?that attended?discussed the words amongst one another.

Levine ended the night by signing books for many attendees while they enjoyed refreshments in the Fetzer Center.

?

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Short URL: http://www.westernherald.com/?p=31551

Posted by Aaron LaRoy on Sep 29 2012. Filed under A & E. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry

Aaron LaRoy

Source: http://www.westernherald.com/arts-and-entertainment/poet-laureate-receives-warm-welcome-at-wmu/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=poet-laureate-receives-warm-welcome-at-wmu

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The New Mage Guild: Amaranth

Taking place shortly after Natsu and company stopped the Eisenwald Guild in Oshibana Town. An up-and-coming Guild decided to station itself in place of Eisenwald. Now Oshibana Town has it's own certified Guild; Amaranth.

Owner:

Game Masters:

Topic Tags:

Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.
Welcome to the Out of Character page for The New Mage Guild: Amaranth

Please use this OOC for discussions about the roleplay as frequently as possible.

Last edited by Temperance on Sat Sep 29, 2012 2:13 am, edited 1 time in total.

Temperance

Member for 1 years

---

---

I am certainly interested in joining. May I please reserve the remaining S-rank mage of Amaranth, please? Thank you very much for your help :) I'll have her done as soon as I can.

If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence of trying.

Layla

Member for 0 years

---

Well for the most part I do not take reservations, and base my choosings on profiles. But from your history of profiles/postings, you're sitting quite well with your chance of getting it. As long as you have a good profile, I will accept it as an S rank.

Temperance

Member for 1 years

---

Will do. Do you have a rough idea of what your character will be like? If so, could you brief me on him/her, please? I would like to make my character clash as much as possible with yours - in terms of both personalities and abilities. :)

Layla

Member for 0 years

---

Ah, in terms of abilities I have Requip as one of them - need to go over the rest of the abilities. (If you were thinking of that for yours just tell me, there's plenty others I would not mind having lol. Personality hmmm...I will get back to you and edit this XD.

Temperance

Member for 1 years

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@Temperance
I'll make my character once you edit your post :) Vague personality descriptions are fine lol. I just want it so our characters clash. Like if your character's stern and law-abiding, mine will be reckless and uncaring. If yours uses their powers only when necessary, mine will be all use-powers-every-other-second-for-menial-tasks haha. If yours is the hard working, mine will be one lazy ass xD By the way, I won't be able to make my character until tomorrow.

Layla

Member for 0 years

---

---

Post a reply

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High School Sports: Ridgefield's Boyle is WIAA athlete of the week

By Tim Martinez (Columbian Staff)

September 27, 2012

Ridgefield volleyball player Shannon Boyle was selected as the WIAA state high school athlete of the week for Class 2A girls.

The junior recorded 37 kills and 25 digs in two matches last week against Woodland and Battle Ground.

Each week throughout the school year, the WIAA recognizes twelve varsity athletes, a male and a female from each of the six classifications, who exhibited an outstanding performance for the previous week. The weekly deadline is Tuesday before noon.

All varsity level students in good academic standing at their schools are eligible to receive the WIAA State Athlete of the Week Award. Students may win the WIAA State Athlete of the Week Award once during any given academic year. Each winner of the WIAA State Athlete of the Week Award will receive a letter of recognition from the WIAA Executive Director, a commemorative WIAA State Athlete of the Week T-Shirt and certificate. Winners are announced weekly.

Source: http://www.columbian.com/weblogs/highschoolsports/2012/sep/27/ridgefields-boyle-wiaa-athlete-week/

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Buddhist statue found by Nazis made from meteorite

The undated photo provided by University of Stuttgart shows an ancient Buddhist statue that a Nazi expedition brought back from Tibet shortly before World War II. The statue was carved from a meteorite which crashed on Earth thousands of years ago. What sounds like an Indiana Jones movie plot appears to have actually taken place, according to European researchers publishing in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science this month. Elmar Buchner of the University of Stuttgart, said Thursday Sept 27 2012 that the statue was brought to Germany by the Schaefer expedition. The Nazi-backed venture set out for Tibet in 1938 in part to trace the origins of the Aryan race _ a cornerstone of the Nazis' racist ideology. The existence of the statue _ known as "iron man" _ was only revealed in 2007 when its owner died and it came up for auction, Buchner told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/University of Stuttgart, Elmar Buchner)

The undated photo provided by University of Stuttgart shows an ancient Buddhist statue that a Nazi expedition brought back from Tibet shortly before World War II. The statue was carved from a meteorite which crashed on Earth thousands of years ago. What sounds like an Indiana Jones movie plot appears to have actually taken place, according to European researchers publishing in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science this month. Elmar Buchner of the University of Stuttgart, said Thursday Sept 27 2012 that the statue was brought to Germany by the Schaefer expedition. The Nazi-backed venture set out for Tibet in 1938 in part to trace the origins of the Aryan race _ a cornerstone of the Nazis' racist ideology. The existence of the statue _ known as "iron man" _ was only revealed in 2007 when its owner died and it came up for auction, Buchner told The Associated Press. (AP Photo/University of Stuttgart, Elmar Buchner)

BERLIN (AP) ? An ancient Buddhist statue that a Nazi expedition brought back from Tibet shortly before World War II was carved from a meteorite that crashed on Earth thousands of years ago.

What sounds like an Indiana Jones movie plot appears to have actually taken place, according to European researchers publishing in the journal Meteoritics and Planetary Science this month.

Elmar Buchner of the University of Stuttgart said Thursday the statue was brought to Germany by the Schaefer expedition. The Nazi-backed venture set out for Tibet in 1938 in part to trace the origins of the Aryan race ? a cornerstone of the Nazis' racist ideology.

The existence of the 10.6-kilogram (23.4-pound) statue, known as "iron man," was only revealed in 2007 when its owner died and it came up for auction, Buchner told The Associated Press.

German and Austrian scientists were able to get permission from its new owner, who wasn't disclosed, to conduct a chemical analysis that shows the statue came from the Chinga meteorite, which crashed in the area of what is now the Russian and Mongolian border around 15,000 years ago.

The meteorite was officially discovered in 1913, but Buchner said the statue could be 1,000 years old and represent a Buddhist god called Vaisravana.

The Nazis were probably attracted to it by a left-facing swastika symbol on its front. The swastika has been used by various cultures throughout the ages, but the Nazis tried to appropriate it as the symbol of their ideology, going so far as to put a right-facing version of it on their red and white flag.

Scientists not involved in the study told the AP that the research linking the statue to the meteorite was credible.

"Looks like a solid piece of geochemical 'forensic' work," said Qing-Zhu Yin, a researcher in geology at the University of California, Davis. "No terrestrial artifact would generally contain that much nickel content. Chemical elements don't lie."

Rhian Jones, an associate professor at the University of New Mexico who specializes in meteorites, said the claim appeared conclusive.

"There is a clear and convincing argument that the meteorite the statue is made from is the Chinga iron meteorite," she said.

But Yin cast doubt on the claim that the statue represented a Buddhist deity.

"I am not a historian. But the 'iron man' does not look like a Buddha to me from my cultural background," he said. "It looks more like a warrior with a sword ... (a) resemblance of Genghis Khan. ... I have never seen a Buddha with a sword or knife."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-09-27-Meteorite%20Statue/id-eb5da4eb8b1c4d208a61e59007b4b018

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DIY Enthusiasts 'Must Check Their Home Insurance Policy ...

September 28th, 2012 by Sureterm

Property owners must ensure their home insurance policies are in check before carrying out home improvements, one expert has advised.

With any DIY job there is the potential for disaster and homeowners must cover their backs before risking thousands of pounds worth of damage repair.

Anna-Marie DeSouza, editor of Build It magazine, said: ?You would be surprised by the number of people who have simply wanted to update a room by painting it, but have accidentally dropped the pot and ruined the flooring.?

Even the smallest of jobs can go wrong so it is particularly important that before a large-scale improvement is made homeowners are insured correctly.

This advice does not just end with DIY ? making an extravagant purchase and adding to your furnishings are reason enough to update your home insurance policy.

For those who are unsure of who to ask about their policy, Ms DeSouza advises that they speak to their provider for clarity and how to extend protection if necessary.

She says that the policies of most homeowners provide cover for improvements such as flooring, sanitary ware and soft furnishings, but for more advanced structural changes they may want to double check that they have the protection they need.

No risks must be taken in selecting cheap home insurance if it does not offer the right amount of cover. Damage to a property can rack up bills far higher than the revisions of home insurance.

Ms DeSouza further warns: ?Unless you are a professional in the field you shouldn?t carry out any electrical repair or upgrade work, you won?t get cover and work can be illegal.?

Homeowners risk both their home and bank balance when taking on tasks they are not equipped for. This also applies to hiring someone who is not adequately trained to fit their improvements, where you may be paying for a dodgy service and further damage.

Any updates you wish to make to your policy must be communicated to your provider as soon as possible and preferably before any home improvements begin.
Please click here for more information on home insurance.

Source:
http://adferoreporters.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/build-it-large-diy-jobs-can-cause.html

Posted in Car News | No Comments ?

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Source: http://www.sureterm.com/news/2012/09/diy-enthusiasts-must-check-insurance/

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Family Moves Forward After Losing Everything in House Fire

Days after a Brazos County home burned to the ground, a single mother of three is trying to pick up the pieces.

?Right now I don't even have a job, I'm trying to find a job somewhere,? said Tranika Montgomery.

Montgomery says she doesn?t have home insurance either.

Montgomery says she's staying positive because she knows things can be replaced. The problem is finding a way to replace everything.

?My kids bedroom sets, my bedroom set, the clothes, tooth brushes, spoons...everything you have in a house to live to make it a home...we no longer have that anymore,? said Montgomery.

That's why people across Brazos County are stepping up to help.

?I've never been through a fire but I've been through eviction so I know the struggle. I couldn't do anything but help,? said Raquel Masco, Executive Director of the Single Moms Created for Change Organization.

There was a steady flow of people dropping by to drop off donations Thursday afternoon.

?Just odds and ends, little tea sets, so the little one has something to play with instead of worrying about what she lost,? said Skip Dent, a generous Bryan resident. ?They lost things instead of each other, and that?s the important thing.

Montgomery says she isn't worried because of all the love and support she's received from friends, family and strangers.

Anyone who would like to donate money to the family can go to any Wells Fargo Bank branch. There is a fund for the family listed under ?Tranika Montgomery?.

For anyone who wishes to donate clothing:
Tranika Montgomery age 28 size 18 pants, XL shirts, shoes size 10
Kierra Moore age 13 size 13 pants shirts med-lg, shoes size 10
Kiasha Moore age 10 size 10 pants, shirts med, shoes size 4
Gerren Moore age 5 size 6 pants,shirts 6-7, shoes 1

Source: http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/Family-Moves-Forward-After-Losing-Everything-in-House-Fire-171616741.html

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3 Reasons Why Every Business Needs Product Reviews

For any company that wants to improve service provision and grow in the right direction, reviews on products have to be an important aspect of daily operations. The like it or don?t attitude of days gone by does not work anymore. Consumers have many providers to choose from and so it is your duty as a business owner to show them why you should be their preferred service provider. The customer has secured a place in today?s world as the most important player in any business transaction. Customer satisfaction comes first.

Consumers have the ability to create a chain reaction that starts with them using a particular product, liking or disliking it, expressing their satisfaction or dissatisfaction online and subsequent customers either buying or turning away from the brand. Such a chain of events has serious implications on a business and it is the role of the business owner to make sure that the implications are positive and not negative. The best way to do this is by allowing consumers to air their opinion in the form of reviews and then acting on the recommendations accordingly.

What weight do product reviews carry?

Several surveys have been carried out online and offline to try and find the extent to which a review by a consumer can influence purchasing behavior. Results indicate that many people will first look at the pricing of a service and product provider prior to making a purchase decision but they will inevitably also look at reviews about the product they find most fair priced.

The decision to buy or not is primarily determined by what a customer finds on the company website in the reviews section. There are also sites that specialize in featuring only product reviews and consumers often source for information from such sites. On average, 3-4 negative comments about a product will make the consumer look for an alternative to what they initially considered.

The reception of reviews by businesses has done many companies more good than any other strategy anyone can think of. Negative reviews can be used as turning points to leave from old ways and alter products and services to serve consumers better. Reviews do a lot for businesses and here are three invaluable benefits that any business can gain from honest and impartial reviews on products.

Promote change and product improvement

It is impractical to try and satisfy everyone?s needs as a service provider or business entrepreneur but you can certainly try to meet the needs of the most. While some reviews about your product will be partial and driven by other motives, most of them will be genuine and your clients will be reporting back genuine difficulties they have come across with your product. It may be a problem about difficulty to use the product, mechanical or compatibility problems in the case of software or some other type of problem. Whatever the case is, the company concerned should consider the review as a chance to improve on a product they already have to suit the needs of their clients. Happy clients buy more.

Highlight important sales opportunities

There is no denying that sales teams do a great job creating interest in your product and luring buyers. It is however also true that they may not be able to harness the full potential of the product and as a result under-sell the product. Reviews by customers highlight important aspects of the product that act as selling points. Missed opportunities can be pointed out by users and this can help improve the product or service greatly.

Creating brand awareness and validation

Many companies ignore or worse even block product reviews by consumers from appearing on their websites. Encouraging public participation improves online visibility for the product and brings you even more customers than before.

Know how Product Reviews, can help propel your business towards success. Also find a lot of information about the role of reviews in business.

Source: http://toddsblogs.com/shoppingandproductreviews/2012/09/27/3-reasons-why-every-business-needs-product-reviews/

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Paralympics: Israeli pilot overcomes crash to win tennis gold

Noam Gershony won gold for Israel yesterday in wheelchair tennis at the London Paralympics.?

By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / September 9, 2012

It's too bad more people don't tune into the Paralympics, because they offer really outstanding examples of human triumph ? maybe more so than the heavily commercialized Olympic Games.

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Take Noam Gershony, who won gold for Israel yesterday in wheelchair tennis at the London Paralympics. Mr. Gershony, an Apache helicopter pilot, was injured and his co-pilot killed when their craft collided with another helicopter during Israel's 2006 war with Lebanon. After extensive rehabilitation, he took up surfing and wheelchair tennis.

The persistence he displayed in overcoming that ordeal no doubt came in handy during the Paralympic semifinals when he found himself losing to local favorite Jamie Burdekin of Great Britain. As in life, so on the court: He rallied back after the first set to defeat Burdekin ? advancing to the finals, where he bested the top-ranked player in the world, David Wagner of the US.

Gershony says he never expected to win gold at the 2012 Paralympics in London, and his modest, almost bashful smile upon wheeling up to the top of the podium said as much. Only one Israeli has ever won gold at the Olympic Games, windsurfer Gal Fridman in 2004. Gershony's gold, though captured on the less-heralded stage of the Paralympics, was much celebrated in the Israeli media this weekend.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/tlIorhJm_9s/Paralympics-Israeli-pilot-overcomes-crash-to-win-tennis-gold

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Amazon seeks to throw out Apple "app store" advertising claim

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Rajoy inches toward aid as protests seethe

MADRID (Reuters) - Violent protests in Madrid and growing talk of secession in Catalonia are piling pressure on Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy as he moves closer to asking Europe for rescue money.

In public, Rajoy has been resisting calls from bankers at home and the leaders of France and Italy to move quickly to request assistance, but behind the scenes he is putting together the pieces to meet the stringent conditions for aid.

With protesters stepping up anti-austerity demonstrations, Rajoy presents painful economic reforms and a tough 2013 budget on Thursday, aiming to persuade euro zone partners and investors that Spain is doing its deficit-cutting homework despite a recession and 25 percent unemployment.

Figures released on Tuesday suggested Spain will miss its public deficit target of 6.3 percent of gross domestic product this year, and on Wednesday the central bank said the economy continued to contract sharply in the third quarter.

By pre-empting reforms demanded by Brussels -- such as creating an independent fiscal auditor -- Rajoy hopes to sell them to voters as home-grown rather than imposed from outside.

Diplomats reported intense last-minute pressure on Madrid on Wednesday from key euro zone policymakers to take tougher measures, notably on freezing pensions.

On Friday, Moody's will publish its latest review of Spain's credit rating, possibly downgrading the country's debt to junk status.

On the same day, an independent audit of Spain's banks will reveal how much money Madrid will need from a 100 billion euro ($130 billion) aid package that Europe has already approved for the banks.

A STEP CLOSER

Rajoy is gradually shedding his reluctance to seek a sovereign bailout for the euro zone's fourth biggest economy - a condition for European Central Bank intervention to cut his country's borrowing costs.

He suggested in an interview published on Wednesday that he would make the move if debt financing costs remained too high for too long.

"I can assure you 100 percent that I would ask for this bailout," he told the Wall Street Journal, calling the situation he faces right now "fascinating".

He also said he had not made his mind up on whether to maintain inflation indexation of pensions, which could cost the state an extra 6 billion euros this year.

"We need to be sufficiently flexible in order not to create any further problems," he said when asked about pensions.

The interview, the central bank's warning on the third quarter and other factors drove up Spain's borrowing costs, with the yield on the benchmark 10-year bond jumping to 6 percent on Wednesday, a level seen as unsustainable in the medium term.

The blue-chip index of leading stocks fell 3.46 percent to a two-week low, with heavyweight banks BBVA and Santander leading the way.

Markets were also reacting to a letter from Germany, Finland and the Netherlands on Tuesday that implied that rescue funds Spain receives for its banks will remain on its public debt. The three said any future direct recapitalization of banks by the euro zone's bailout fund should not cover "legacy" problems.

CATALONIA INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT

The government's drive to rein in regional overspending as part of its austerity measures has prompted a flare-up in independence fervor in Catalonia, the wealthy northeastern region that generates one-fifth of Spain's economic output.

Just as the euro zone crisis has strained relations between wealthier nations of the north and heavily indebted countries to the south, Spain's crisis has aggravated tensions between the central government and its self-governing regions.

Catalonia needs a 5 billion euros bailout from the central state to meet debt payments this year, but Catalans are convinced they bear an unfairly large share of the country's tax burden.

More than half say they want independence from Spain, the highest level ever.

Artur Mas, the conservative president of Catalonia, announced on Tuesday he would hold early elections in November after Rajoy rejected his call for more tax autonomy. Mas's Convergence and Union, or CiU, party is likely to win an absolute majority in the regional parliament, which he can use to battle Rajoy over spending cuts.

On Wednesday Mas took things further, saying Catalonia should also hold a referendum on independence, which the central government says would be unconstitutional.

Although an independent Catalonia is a remote possibility, the political instability sends a worrying message to investors. Rajoy's People's Party has threatened to take control of the budgets of regions that fail to meet deficit reduction targets despite Catalonia already having made tough austerity measures.

Analysts said Mas, who until recently expressed more moderate aims for Catalan autonomy, was playing a dangerous game.

"In the short term it's not going to help in any way, it's going to increase, if this is at all possible, the lack of confidence in the future of Spain," said Javier Diaz-Gimenez, professor of economics at IESE.

COMMUNICATION PROBLEMS

Anti-austerity groups planned a fresh demonstration on Wednesday evening in Madrid, a day after police fired rubber bullets at thousands of protesters who tried to form a human chain around the parliament building.

Police arrested 35 protesters on Tuesday and 64 police and demonstrators were injured in the clashes.

The relatively small but intense protests this week have added to Rajoy's image problems abroad.

Officials in Brussels and Berlin have accused him of failing to sell his reforms effectively, partly because of confusing messages from his separate treasury and economy ministers and from his own office.

"The problem in the structure of his economic cabinet is transmitting a confused, improvised image," said an economist, who did not want to be named and who said Rajoy will have to name a powerful economic deputy by the end of the year to sort out his communications issues.

The governments of Ireland, Portugal and Greece were all voted out of office after they sought bailouts from Europe.

But Rajoy may have more staying power, especially if he negotiates a bailout "lite", such as a precautionary credit line from the European bailout fund that would not involve taking Spain out of the credit markets.

The uncharismatic conservative has more than three years left to his term and his People's Party has firm control of parliament, with no signs so far of party splits that might force him out early.

(Additional reporting by Paul Day; Editing by Paul Taylor)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/spains-rajoy-seek-bailout-yields-too-high-too-061424118--sector.html

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Homeless Boy Wins $130K Peace Prize

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/09/homeless-boy-wins-$130k-peace-prize/

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Celebrating Motherhood: talking about my girls..

Waking up with barely a cup of coffee in me, I stumble?upon?this little splash of sunshine on my little girls. I love the sun and I love the way she makes me notice. Notice their legs and how long they've gotten lately. How their clothes are warm to the touch and how inviting our breakfast table looks with the sunbeams laying on top.

The sun..last night we took?a ride?across the pasture to watch her go down and it was the most beautiful sunset I think I've ever witnessed. We sat there until she fell deeper and deeper into the bottom of the earth. All the kids yelling, "no Sun don't leave-- not yet!" and their faces lit up as she disappeared and I told her goodnight and we'd see her in the morning... I drove back with faces smiling in my rear view mirror as we all knew we just witnessed something special. A gift.?

I also love the light from the 3 little candles that stood ?on top of their farm birthday cake. It glows in their eyes and I honestly can't believe they're 3 already. Totally potty trained which I thought would never happen..:) and obsessive about their pink cowgirl boots. They put them in front of their beds and we have to slowly take them off at night with promises of putting them on again in the morning.

Yes,?ummm her pants are on backwards..she dressed herself

I can't write a post about all my girls without mentioning Rosebud. Her beautiful eyes watch me as I walk this farm and I never ever could believe the beauty and love that I could have for a cow.

??

and for cowgirl boots on a fence I'm just saying

and my two best cow hands;)Just kidding guys..Yes,?Channie is dressed like an Egyptian?? You learn not to ask..

Yep, the daylight keeps us busy and the daylight keeps me

noticing the everyday beauty all around me.The clothes on the line blowing in the wind. The fresh baked bread and the smell of fall.

?Thank you Lord?for letting us live here. Thank you for letting my children grow up in the lush green pastures and beautiful sunsets that we call our home on this farm. And thank you for these amazing girls in my life and the privilege of working along side them while the sun is up.

Source: http://www.celebratingmotherhoodeveryday.com/2012/09/talking-about-my-girls.html

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Google & Social: A Cautionary Tale | Business 2 Community

Google?s recent?acquisition of Wildfire?was just the latest in a long series of big moves made by the search giant in their quest for prominence in the social sphere. But it was the first significant one in a while that didn?t involve launching a product of their own. True, there have been social-oriented acquisitions in the past (Blogger back in the day comes to mind), but lately Google?s most memorable efforts to dabble into the social space came straight out of the labs over in Mountain View and, unfortunately for them, didn?t reach the heights they were undoubtedly hoping for.

Let?s take a look back at some of their efforts and learn some lessons of our own for launching a new product/service.

1. Google Wave: Too Smart for its Own Good?

Back in 2009 when Google VP of Engineering, Vic Gundotra, and his team first?unveiled Google Wave at that year?s I/O conference, people believed they had just witnessed the second coming of email. Combining the latter with instant messaging and layering a boatload of functionality on top of the already impressive combo, Wave promised a radical shift in the way we communicated on the web.?Expectations couldn?t have been higher, and everyone and their mother in the tech/geek world (including yours truly) just couldn?t wait to get their golden ticket and grubby hands on the beta?(limited to 100,000 users only at first).

Initial feedback ranged from mixed to very positive (check out Engadget?s and Ars Technica?s hands-on reviews at the time for instance), with everyone agreeing that this was a tool with a tremendous amount of potential. But analysts also waved a few red flags, cautioning people to keep their expectations grounded as Wave needed to work out some kinks before being officially anointed the future of the Internet, most notably that it lacked?a clear purpose and viable real-life applications. Unfortunately, those hurdles proved too great, adoption never took off, even after removing the invite-only gate, and?Google pulled the plug on Wave?barely a year after introducing it.

But come on, this was pretty cool:

?2. Google Buzz: Parlez-vous Privacy?

As with Wave, Buzz was greeted with a fair amount of buzz (OK, that was too easy) upon release. Some were already dubbing it the ?Twitter killer? as Google was looking to leverage its considerable Gmail user base by integrating the new product directly within their email client. This would allow users to post updates visible to anyone in their Gmail contact list, directly from their Gmail page. In addition to the convenience of not having to change windows/tabs, Google enabled auto-following between a user and all his/her Gmail contacts, public and private sharing (which meant your posts would be indexed and thus Googleable) and a customized recommendation system for access to only the most relevant updates. All in all, it seemed the search giant had finally hit a social home run, and initial numbers posted on the official Gmail blog seemed to confirm it. Within 56 hours Buzz already had over 9?million posts and comments, which represents more than 160,000 comments and posts per hour.

Google however, neglected one vital aspect that would eventually bring about the demise of its newborn product: privacy. As soon as Buzz was announced, and even prior to launch, industry experts started pointing out the various breaches of user information that the company?s decision to automatically opt in its customer base, had caused. Chief among these complaints and considered the biggest privacy flaw was the public disclosure of the names of all Gmail contacts on a given user?s Google profile. After being hit with various lawsuits and settling a few of them, as well as being investigated by the FTC,?Google decided to shut down its Buzz service?a little over two years after its inception.

3. Google+: Is This Thing On?

By launching its own social network, pitting itself in direct competition with Facebook and its already built-in user base of 500 million-plus (at time of launch), Google knew it was taking a big gamble. So, when they officially announced the launch of Google+, it was immediately met with skepticism, fueled undoubtedly by the company?s recent history with failed social products. Features such as Circles (a fancy term for lists) or Hangouts (a glorified chat) didn?t do much to help the matter. When asked whether he felt threatened on the Charlie Rose show, Mark Zuckerberg said Google was just ?trying to build their own little version of Facebook? (even though he eventually got on it too).

Fast-forward to over a year later, and the jury is still out as to whether Google+ is a success. Some still believe in its potential, believing it?s only a matter of time before the social network truly takes off. But when faced with the hard, cold truth, we can only note that there just isn?t much going on there right now. People from within the company itself seem to have lost faith as well, as illustrated by Steve Yegge?s infamous rant.?Instead of a list of raw numbers, here?s a nice little infographic?(courtesy of Umpf) to prove my point:

So as you can see, even one of the largest and most innovative companies in the world has had its own share of hiccups when launching new products/services. Google prides itself in letting its teams run independently to pursue their own projects, with the firm belief that it breeds innovation. But we can see in the 3 cases mentioned above that some coordinated homework and research wouldn?t have hurt. The good news is the lessons learned are applicable to businesses of all sizes:

• Make sure your product has legs: Wave was considered a genius idea with the potential to revolutionize the way we interacted online, but didn?t live up to its lofty promise by failing to explain exactly what it was for or to promote its benefits clearly. Buzz was a good idea to begin with, but its utter disregard (blissful ignorance?) for privacy laws pretty much crippled it from the start. So do some research on your target audience and gauge potential interest, and identify any risks/opportunities that may arise during your product?s lifecycle before moving forward with any development. A beta is a great way to get an initial read and make tweaks before exposing your new product/service to the masses.
• Be wary of the state of the competitive market: Google+ hasn?t offered enough difference-making?features to make it a viable alternative to Facebook yet.?If you are going after a market with firmly established leaders, identify some of the pain points that users are facing (using SWOT analysis, BCG or McKinsey matrices?)?and launch a product that serves unmet needs in order to carve out unique market share.
• And most importantly, make sure your product is ready for consumption: Wave was available to only a limited number of people, in part due to the lack of technical resources to support heavier use. By the time Google was ready to accommodate everyone, the hype was over, and even the most fervent supporters had lost interest. At time of launch, your product/service needs to be robust enough for your consumers to, well, consume and enjoy. Beta testing is a great way to battle-proof it prior to general availability, but make sure to gather feedback from your testers and adjust accordingly in quick fashion.

Have you had issues launching a product or service of your own, and if so, what have you been able to take away from the experience? Share away in the comments!

My Truong is the Marketing Programs Manager at VerticalResponse. Connect with him on Twitter?@PtitMy.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/social-media/google-social-a-cautionary-tale-0292952

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Myanmar leader praises Suu Kyi at UN

President Thein Sein of Myanmar addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Thein Sein of Myanmar addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Thein Sein of Myanmar addresses the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

President Thein Sein of Myanmar prepares to address the 67th session of the United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)

UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? Myanmar's president Thursday said his country has taken irreversible steps toward democracy and paid unprecedented public tribute to opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

President Thein Sein told the U.N. General Assembly that the country also known as Burma is leaving behind five decades of authoritarian rule.

It was a speech that reflected the momentous changes in Myanmar over the past year, as Suu Kyi has been elected to parliament after 15 years of house arrest, and the country has shed its pariah status.

For the first time, Myanmar's speech to the U.N.'s annual gathering of world leaders was broadcast live on state television at home. Never before had such a speech even mentioned the opposition leader, whose peaceful struggle against military rule won international admiration but only the ire of the former junta.

While former general Thein Sein has orchestrated Myanmar's political opening, he has not publicly praised Suu Kyi before, nor referred to her as "Nobel laureate" as he did Thursday.

"As a Myanmar citizen, I would like to congratulate her for the honors she has received in this country in recognition of her efforts for democracy," Thein Sein said.

Suu Kyi is currently visiting America, and last week met President Barack Obama and was presented with Congress' highest award. She attended a meeting on global education on the sidelines of the General Assembly Wednesday.

The Obama administration has been anxious that her visit should not overshadow Thein Sein's. He still faces opposition with the military to the political reforms.

Thein Sein met Wednesday with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who announced the easing of a ban on imports from Myanmar ? the main plank of the remaining U.S. sanctions on the country ? to reward its progress toward democracy.

The Myanmar leader said in his speech that the country has seen "amazing changes." He said Myanmar ? including its armed forces ? "have been taking tangible irreversible steps in the democratic transition and reforms process." He said it has left behind centralized authoritarian rule, and now has a viable parliament with checks and balances. He said the government has reached cease-fires with 10 ethnic armed groups and would hold national-level negotiations to reach a final peace agreement to completely end hostilities.

Experts on Myanmar stay that while the new legislature is energetic, it remains dominated by pro-military parties. Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy, which won 1990 elections but was barred from power, still has only a tiny portion of the seats, which it won in special elections in April.

Also, ethnic fighting persists, and has escalated in the past year between Myanmar's military and the Kachin group in the country's north, which has led many to question the military's willingness to reach peace.

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Associated Press writer Aye Aye Win in Yangon contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-27-UN-Myanmar/id-b6f2487a7a814c50a714aa9deb04ee3b

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Two categories of multiple sclerosis patients defined

ScienceDaily (Sep. 26, 2012) ? There are approximately 400,000 people in the United States with multiple sclerosis. Worldwide, the number jumps to more than 2.1 million people. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach to treating the millions with multiple sclerosis, what if doctors could categorize patients to create more personalized treatments? A new study by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) may one day make this idea a reality in the fight against the debilitating autoimmune disease.

A research team led by Philip De Jager, MD, PhD, BWH Department of Neurology, senior study author, has found a way to distinguish patients with multiple sclerosis into two meaningful subsets. The ability to categorize patients with multiple sclerosis may open new doors for treatment development.

The study will be electronically published on September 26, 2012 in Science Translational Medicine.

"Our results suggest that we can divide the multiple sclerosis patient population into groups that have different levels of disease activity," said De Jager. "These results motivate us to improve these distinctions with further research so that we may reach our goal of identifying the best treatment for each individual who has multiple sclerosis."

De Jager and his team extracted RNA -- key molecules involved in making proteins from the instructions found in the DNA sequence -- from blood cells of patients with multiple sclerosis. After analyzing the samples, they found distinct sets of RNA molecules among the patient samples. These unique sets formed a transcriptional signature that distinguished two sets of multiple sclerosis patients -- MSa patients and MSb patients -- with those in the MSa group having a higher risk for future multiple sclerosis relapse.

According to the researchers, knowing the category a person with multiple sclerosis is in may help doctors make more informed treatment decisions. For instance, since a patient who falls into the MSa category is more likely to experience relapse, her doctor may consider a stronger treatment for the patient.

In light of the discovery, the researchers remain cautious about the findings.

"Our study is an important step towards the goal of personalized medicine in MS, but much work remains to be done to understand under which circumstance and in combination with which other information this transcriptional signature may become useful in a clinical setting," said De Jager.

However, from the pre-clinical perspective, the researchers recognize that the findings are essential because they build on earlier studies that had suggested that this structure might be present.

"The study will further enable the community of MS researchers to build upon this transcriptional signature with other data in order to enhance patient care in the future," said De Jager.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Brigham and Women's Hospital, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Linda Ottoboni, Brendan T. Keenan, Pablo Tamayo, Manik Kuchroo, Jill P. Mesirov, Guy J. Buckle, Samia J. Khoury, David A. Hafler, Howard L. Weiner, and Philip L. De Jager. An RNA Profile Identifies Two Subsets of Multiple Sclerosis Patients Differing in Disease Activity. Sci Transl Med, 26 September 2012 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.3004186

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/xdkeF9drOkA/120926141659.htm

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