Japan's Retail Sales Remain Tepid In December As Economy Struggles To Emerge From Recession

The December sales were lower than the 1.3 percent gain witnessed in November. However, it was higher than analysts' expectation of 0.3 percent in December.?

The data released Wednesday by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry showed that Japan?s retail sales, which measure the change in the total value of inflation-adjusted sales at the retail level, rose 0.1 percent from November, when it fell 0.1 percent.

Sales of large retailers were flat in comparison to December 2011, after gaining 0.9 percent the previous month. However, the sales grew 0.7 percent, if stores not surveyed last year were taken into consideration.

Japan?s gross domestic product contracted 3.5 percent in the third quarter of last year in comparison to the previous quarter owing to weak global demand and the low domestic consumption indicating a deepening of recession in the world's third-largest economy.?Besides, exports were seen falling for the seventh consecutive month in December.

However, economists are optimistic of a rebound in the economy in the second quarter, as the U.S. and China markets show signs of recovery.

?Japan?s economy will probably head back to a gradual recovery from this quarter as external demand rebounds, while the government?s stimulus may lend support from the second quarter,? Azusa Kato, an economist at BNP Paribas SA in Tokyo, told Bloomberg before the report was released.

In November, it was reported that Japan?s manufacturing activity contracted to a seasonally adjusted 1.7 percent - much worse than the analysts? expectation of a 0.5 percent decrease.

The continued shrinking of the manufacturing activity is seen increasing the likelihood of a sharp contraction in the economy.

Earlier this month, the government announced a 10.3 trillion yen ($113 billion) fiscal stimulus to revive the economy weakened by a soft global demand and sluggish domestic spending.

Source: http://www.ibtimes.com/japans-retail-sales-remain-tepid-december-economy-struggles-emerge-recession-1047824

isiah thomas passover easter recipes live free or die hard carlos pena amanda bynes arrested f 18

Ashley Judd getting a divorce. Does that make a Senate run more likely?

Ashley Judd, an-eighth generation Kentucky native, has lived in Tennessee and Scotland with her husband. Some Kentucky Democrats would like to see Ms. Judd take on Mitch McConnell in 2014.

By Peter Grier,?Staff writer / January 30, 2013

Ashley Judd arrives at the 64th Primetime Emmy Awards Governors Ball in Sept.

Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP

Enlarge

Actress Ashley Judd and her husband, race car driver Mario Franchitti, are getting divorced after 11 years of marriage. We?re sure this is sad for both of them, but we?re going to jump ahead to the question every bored aide in the Hart Senate Office Building asked themselves Wednesday when they read the news: Does this mean she?s going to run for Senate in Kentucky?

Skip to next paragraph

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

Maybe you didn?t know that was a possibility. But it?s true: Some Kentucky Democrats are talking up Ms. Judd, an eighth-generation Kentucky native, as an ideal candidate to run against Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell in 2014.

Judd was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention this summer and is something of a political activist, so it?s not exactly like this is a wacky idea. Plus she?s been noncommittal in an encouraging kind of way when asked if she?s interested.

?I am incredibly honored and frankly overwhelmed by the outpouring of support ? that the people of Kentucky are interested in having me represent them is the greatest honor of my life so far and I am certainly taking a close look at it,? said Judd before the Kentucky Society of Washington?s Bluegrass Ball in Washington on Jan. 19, according to a report in Politico.

OK, then. Does her impending divorce indicate she?s more likely to do this, or less?

Over at The Atlantic, Michael Catalini thinks it means Judd will take a pass.

?Given this development, there?s a chance Judd won?t want to jump into a messy political campaign,? he writes.

Catalini adds that this is ?bad news? for Senator McConnell, since Judd would be politically weaker than other Democrats he might face. After all, Kentucky is a conservative state, and Judd?s own grandmother called her a ?Hollywood liberal.? Plus, while she was a DNC delegate, she didn?t represent Kentucky. She represented Tennessee ? the state she and Franchitti called home.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/jdAHgqVW-dc/Ashley-Judd-getting-a-divorce.-Does-that-make-a-Senate-run-more-likely

2012 westminster dog show abe lincoln vampire hunter xi jinping matt bomer westminster kennel club dog show jeremy lin game winner chocolate covered strawberries

Cruising On Video

What did we do before the internet? Its a expression we hear quite a lot these days. Since it was commercialised in 1995, the internet has become an essential part of our daily lives, from entertainment, such as music, gaming, film and TV to everyday tasks such as shopping, banking and paying our bills. Clearly, its also had a massive impact on the cruise industry, with lines and booking agencies able to tell the customer everything they could ever possibly want to know about destinations, itineraries, ships, cuisine and entertainment, as well the ability to offer them cruises directly and in the luxury of their own home.

The sophistication of websites advanced at a rapid pace and it wasnt long before website creators were able to embed video content into their websites, so those running them were able to offer online visitors a complete multimedia experience. Today, all the major cruise lines websites offer some form of interactive video experience to budding customers.

Lines such as Celebrity cruises host mini-films which serve as the perfect introduction to what the line has to offer, while many lines such as Disney cruises host video guides and tours of each of their ships. Leading river cruise company Viking River Cruises have enlisted the help of leading UK television advert agency DRTV to host a series of videos on their site, which tells customers whats included on their river cruises. These videos are a great way for customers to get a feel for what they can expect on a cruise, and feature everything from footage of the ship at sea, tours of the decks and details of the itineraries, to the range of cuisine and type of entertainment you can expect on-board.

One of the internets biggest success stories is the video hosting website YouTube. Since its creation in 2005, it has been placed as highly is third in the rankings of most frequented websites in the world and its huge profile is something which cruise lines have been quick to pick up on. Major cruise lines and river cruise companies such as Carnival Cruises, Princess Cruises, Tauck River Cruises and Viking River Cruises operate their own YouTube channels, enabling regular YouTube users who are also cruise aficionados to subscribe to all their latest video uploads. Often, video content from these channels is also embedded on the cruise lines site itself.

Of course, the initial concept behind such video hosting websites as YouTube, and their biggest draw, is the ability to enable anybody to upload their own original video content for the world to see. This means that in the world of cruising, some cruise websites now host videos of ships and itineraries which customers have previously uploaded to YouTube, and large numbers of cruisers can share their holiday experiences through video sharing websites with anyone at the touch of a button. Its a development which, hopefully, can only bring the cruiser and the cruise line closer together.

About the Author:
This author is a river cruise enthusiast and recommends River Voyages for Viking River Cruises.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Cruising-On-Video/4403868

rick ross yahoo finance coachella deer antler spray jennifer lawrence lakers school closings

Athina et hayat en chair et en Os?La Positive Attitude! | Self ...

Uploaded by James Upton on January 26, 2013 at 7:51 pm

Thanks! Share it with your friends!

Le r?dicule ne tue pas?Illustration par la vid?o! LOOOOOOL

Find Self Improvement Golden Nuggets Here

Loading

• Rating:
• Views:543 views
• Tags: -
• Categories: Uncategorized

Comments

Write a comment Cancel reply

Name

Email

Source: http://selfimprovement.advancedstrategicmarketing.com/?p=1594

kathy ireland brooke mueller all star weekend lent undercover boss barbara walters tupelo honey

UN humanitarian chief in Syria for talks

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) ? The United Nations humanitarian chief was in Damascus on Sunday for talks with Syrian officials about the nation's conflict, which has forced millions of people from their homes, destroyed the country's cities and created food and fuel shortages.

Valerie Amos did not make any public remarks upon her arrival in Damascus on Sunday for a two-day visit, but at the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, she said world powers had not done enough to lessen Syrian suffering.

"The humanitarian situation in Syria is already catastrophic and it's clearly getting worse," she said. "What we are seeing now are the consequences of the failure of the international community to unite to resolve the crisis."

The U.N. says more than 60,000 people have been killed since the start of the conflict in March 2011.

Living conditions have deteriorated across Syria during the 22-month conflict, which began with political protests that escalated into a civil war with scores of rebel groups battling President Bashar Assad's forces. Entire towns and neighborhoods have been damaged in the fighting, and more than 2 million people are internally displaced, with another 650,000 seeking refuge in neighboring countries.

Some areas face food shortages, and even areas that have been spared large-scale violence like Damascus lack sufficient quantities of gasoline, heating oil and cooking gas.

On Friday, the U.N. announced it was preparing to send $10 million in new U.S. aid to help alleviate hunger in northern Syria.

World powers remain divided on how to solve the crisis. The U.S. and many Arab and European countries have called on Assad to step down, while Russia, China and Iran refuse any pressure from outside that seeks to hasten the regime's fall.

On Saturday, Iran made its strongest warning to date that it could intervene militarily to help Assad's regime.

As quoted by the semiofficial Mehr news agency, an aide to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said Syria held a key position among a group of Middle Eastern powers opposed to U.S. and Israeli influence in the region.

"Syria plays a very key role in supporting or, God forbid, destabilizing the resistance front," said Ali Akbar Velayati. "For this same reason, (an) attack on Syria is considered (an) attack on Iran and Iran's allies."

Iran is Syria's strongest ally in the Middle East, and has provided Assad's government with military and political backing for years. In September, the top commander of Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, said the elite unit had high-level advisers in Syria. Iran also is believed to be sending weapons and money to Syria.

A senior Israeli Cabinet minister warned on Sunday that Israeli could attack sites in Syria if Assad's regime transferred chemical weapons to the Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon.

Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom confirmed to Israel's Army Radio that top security officials held a special meeting last week to discuss Syria's chemical weapons arsenal.

"It would be crossing a line that would demand a different approach, including even action," he said. Asked whether this might mean a pre-emptive attack, he said: "We will have to make the decisions."

Also on Sunday, Syria announced that it would drop legal proceedings against opposition figures who returned to the country to participate in a "national dialogue" called for by Assad during a recent speech.

Syria's Higher Judicial Council announced the decision in a statement carried by the state news agency. The report gave no further details.

Assad proposed the national dialogue as part of his plan to end the country's crisis as laid out in a high-profile speech this month at the Damascus Opera House.

In the same speech, however, he vowed to keep fighting and referred the opposition as criminals and terrorists ? making it unlikely anyone will take their chances on the amnesty offer.

Tens of thousands of activists, their family members and opposition supporters remain jailed by the regime, according to international rights groups.

Opposition leaders have repeatedly rejected any talks that include Assad, insisting he must step down.

Violence continued around Syria on Sunday. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported clashes and government airstrikes in neighborhoods east and south of Damascus as well as elsewhere. At least seven people died in attacks in the suburbs, and three others died after a shell landed in the city's southern Yarmouk district.

The group, which relies on contacts throughout Syria, also reported clashes near a train station in southwestern Qadam neighborhood where four rebel fighters and one woman were killed.

___

Hubbard reported from Beirut. AP writer Joseph Federman contributed reporting from Jerusalem.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-27-ML-Syria/id-7e67fd0b717845faa1abedfc78063a83

best picture nominees 2012 academy awards 2012 albert nobbs a star is born oscar nominees oscar nominations 2012 kombucha tea

Vine (for iPhone)

Microblogging, meet micro video sharing. Just as Twitter curtails anything of substance you'd like to say to a headline requiring a link to a blog or other webpage for any kind of depth, the free Vine app, recently acquired by Twitter, curtails your videos to a mere 6 seconds. That's not necessarily bad: Who wants to watch minute after minute of boring video? In a world where most people still think of Twitter as just short text snippets, can micro-videos make an impact?

Let's be clear: This isn't a case of "video finally comes to Twitter." You've already been able to embed a YouTube or Vimeo video in a Twitter post forever, so this isn't the first time anyone's been able two add video to tweets. Vine is more of an attempt to co-opt the craze for animated GIFs, most prominently evidenced on image-heavy mini-blogging site Tumblr. ?You could also think of it as the latest entry in the "Instagram for video" app genre.

Vine plays to today's brief attentions spans, which causes people at a play or a concert to reach for their smartphones the moment the curtain falls at intermission, rather than trying to digest the performance. Vine movies may be limited in length, but like animated GIFs, they loop infinitely, which actually does the opposite of increasing their impact. Let's see how it stacks up against other "Instagram but for video" apps, such as Lightt and Cinemagram.

Signup and Setup
As with so many new mobile apps, Apple's iPhone gets first dibs when it comes to Vine. I've contacted the company to ask when we might see apps for Android and Windows Phone, and will update this if and when I hear back. And as with so many hot new apps these days, Vine wants to interrupt you with notifications and wants access to your location, both requiring message box OKs at installation. I didn't need another source of notifications, but I though location might help for video posts.

As you'd expect with an app just acquired by Twitter, you can sign in with your Twitter account, or create a new Vine account using an email address. The typical social app would also let you sign up via Facebook, but that's not an option for obvious reasons. Conveniently, you don't need to actually provide your Twitter credentials, the app can take them from your iPhone's Settings. Despite Vine now being a part of Twitter, though, you're still prompted to agree to create a new Vine account, even if you sign up with your Twitter account.

Interface
After setup, my view was of an Instagram-like newsfeed of GIF-like videos from contacts I didn't know I had. Apparently, these were preselected Twitter employees. The well-designed and simple interface had but two buttons in the top corners above the feed?on the left Home, and on the right a movie camera. Pressing the home button offered three more options in addition to the home view I was already viewing: Explore, Activity, and Profile. These first two were encouraging, reminding me of the addictive similar pages of Flickr. More on these in a bit.

A banner ad across the top of the home screen encouraged me to get my own new Vine follows. I could find these by scanning my phone's local address book, Twitter (of course), or Facebook (surprise!). Though some reports claim that Facebook has blocked Vine from accessing it, and though I got to the Facebook permission button, an error appeared when I returned to the Vine app. Tit-for-tat for when Twitter blocked the Facebook-owned Instagram.

I could also simply search for Vine user names, or invite friends to the service using email or SMS. Each user, as with every self-respecting social network, has a profile page, and Vine's resembles Twitters, except it offers separate tabs for Posts and Likes. At top was the user's photo, a text area for inspirational self-description and a big Follow button.

The Explore page was a treat. Here I could view Editor's Picks, Popular Now, and All Posts (presumably by recency). Colorful Windows 8-like tiles in the bottom half of this page let me browse hashtags, such as #magic, #travel, and #sports. The first of these hints at the prominence of stop motion, and also feature a lot of disappearing toddlers. Even the Popular Now videos weren't especially compelling, but it's early days, and no doubt there'll be plenty awesome mini-vids in the offing.

There's no website where you can view all your own and contacts' Vine videolets, so you'll only be able to see them in the app or in your Twitter feed. The videos play on the Twitter website and in the Twitter iOS apps, and in each of those places you get a link to a bare-bones Vine-hosted Web page for the video at hand.

Shooting with Vine
When you hit that movie camera icon atop your home screen, you don't get the standard iPhone camera app in movie mode. Instead, you get a completely plain square image of what's in front of your iPhone's lens?that's right, there's no way to switch to the backward-facing camera to shoot your mug. Nor is there even a shutter button: You shoot video by holding your finger on the screen. You get a total of 6 seconds, and can lift and re-touch the screen to pause and restart shooting?which the service encourages. It's really well suited to stop motion shooting, or shooting those "magic" clips where something or someone disappears or suddenly appears.

Once you're through shooting, the Next button takes you to a page where you can add a caption for your tiny video compilation, choose a hash tag, and decide where to share it. Sharing target options are Vine, Twitter, and Facebook, and in this case, my test video did appear on my Facebook timeline, so there's no blocking in this direction.

You can also add a location at this point; the tool for this says "Powered by FourSquare" (of which I'm not a user), but it never worked for me in my testing. I'd think you'd be able to attach a location without having to be a member of yet another minor social network. And indeed a colleague was able to get location suggestions on her iPhone, though she wasn't a FourSquare member either.

The Final Products
My gut tells me that Vine is not going to unseat YouTube or Vimeo anytime soon, or even Facebook video sharing. The videos it produces are usually jerky and somewhat unpleasant to view, which effect is multiplied by their ceaseless repetition. Luckily, though, on Twitter the videos don't auto-repeat. The six-second limit doesn't really give them a chance to have anything but a superficial impact. A lot of times, the best viral YouTube videos are marked for having a visual punch line after a time of suspense. Not possible with Vine.

I actually found Vine less interesting than the innovative Lightt app, which also limits shooting time, though to 10 seconds. Lightt also combines all your short videos into an endless timeline that you can fast forward or reverse through. Nor does Vine offer the clever effects you can find in apps like Cinemagram or SocialCam. And unlike their verbal equivalent, the Tweet, there's no link to the full version.

Vine Needs Some Ripening
I'm all for innovative new ways to create and present video, and Twitter certainly needs to grow beyond being a place where you can get the occasional 140 characters from the oracle known as Justin Bieber. I'm just not convinced that Twitter's enforced verbal pithiness translates well to a video equivalent. Should you download the app and give it a shot? By all means, go for it! But as to paraphrase another tech writer, while a picture may be worth a thousand words, a Vine video somehow manages to fall short of that word count.

More iPhone App Reviews:
??? Vine (for iPhone)
??? YouSendIt (for iPhone)
??? EyeEm (for iPhone)
??? NRA: Practice Range (for iPhone)
??? Garmin (for iPhone)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/ZgykgYYT3Vk/0,2817,2414732,00.asp

marianas trench camille grammer camille grammer us supreme court breaking dawn part 2 trailer mississippi state chris carpenter

Helpful Tips On Using A Broker To Market Your House

Selling a house could be a difficult job in today?s current market and you will need someone to help you with the procedure to make it less stressful. Because this may be the greatest transaction of one?s life, you need to employ an expert realtor who has a verified track record. Nevertheless, there are many realtors in the real estate marketplace today of course, if you aren?t cautious, you may end up hiring the wrong one. You need to do an extensive search so that you don?t fall for the inexperienced and unqualified real estate agents who pose as legitimate and qualified ones. Here is a guide on employing a realtor to sell your home.

Requesting beneficial recommendation from buddies, family members and neighbors is a great method to begin your search. This may familiarize you with real estate professionals in your area, especially if this really is your first time to conduct this sort of transaction. The recommendations from these people will inform you of the real estate agents in your area who can be reliable and those to stay away from also. The internet can also be a good place from where you can get a good agent.

Right after getting names of several top rated real estate professionals in your area, schedule meetings with each. Hold these meetings in your home for sale so that the agent can have a glimpse at it and discuss with you how he will market it and represent you to possible purchasers. Ask the realtor for references of the previous clients he has assisted in such transactions. Also inquire concerning the kind of neighborhoods the agent usually works in and the number of homes he has successfully sold in the last year.

Once you have held meetings with several real estate professionals, select someone to represent you as well as your property. Here, consider things like the realtor?s experience and their price generally. You need also follow your gut instincts when creating this choice.Avoid any realtor you feel is not good enough and go for someone you are convinced will get the job carried out.

Lastly, sign a legal contract with the chosen real estate professional. Read and have an understanding of the contract before signing and give consideration to areas that talk about the agent?s commissions, changing realtors or even cancelling the agreement. By simply following the above tips, you are certain to get a good realtor to help you in selling your home.

Get more informative real estate info at www.trilogyatpowerranchhomes.com. Always perform your due diligence before hiring a Scottsdale realtor.

Source: http://www.villasandland.com/articles/helpful-tips-on-using-a-broker-to-market-your-house/

Huell Howser Justin Bieber Smoking Weed Katherine Webb Cut for Bieber AJ McCarron Johnny Manziel ups

'Getting worse': Egypt's gays fear crackdown

Ahmed Youssef / EPA

Eighteen days of popular protest culminated in the downfall of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak on Feb. 11, 2011.

By Duncan Golestani, Correspondent, NBC News

CAIRO, Egypt -- Maha remembers going to Tahrir Square on Jan. 25, 2011. The 27-year-old office worker only wanted to look around the Cairo intersection filled with thousands of protesters. But seeing Egypt's revolution unfold before her, she left to get friends and quickly returned. Without planning to, Maha became one of the highly visible gay men and women who took to the streets shouting for change.

"We don't get freedom anywhere. No voice, nothing," said Maha, who declined to give her surname "So, the first chance at revolution, we fought."

Nearly two years after the ouster of former leader Hosni Mubarak, Maha sits smoking a shisha with her friend Noor at a back-street cafe in downtown Cairo. Together, the women have made this location a "safe place" for gays, somewhere they can come and be themselves.

Unlike in other major cities around the world, there is no flag or signage to indicate this is a "gay" cafe. People know about it through word-of-mouth and the online forum, "Bedayaa." They talk about the time since the revolution with a weariness that contrasts with the excitement they initially felt.

Many of Egypt's gays and lesbians thought sexual freedom was on the horizon. "There was a moment of hope but the last few years has killed it," Maha says, adding: "Nothing much has changed, it is very hard." She is interrupted by Noor: "I think it is getting worse," she says.

The women remember sitting with gay male friends at another cafe three months after the revolution, when locals complained about it and called nearby military police, who then found make-up in the bag of one of the boys. They were all taken away for questioning for "making a mess" in the area.

Egypt has no specific laws banning homosexuality although there are plenty of ways to charge someone suspected of engaging in homosexual acts. Police will often charge gay people with "debauchery" or breaking the country's law of public morals. The election of an Islamist president in Egypt, and the passing last month of a new constitution, has also increased fears among the country's gay men and women that anti-gay legislation could soon be introduced. "We think in two or three months they will put a law to discriminate," Maha says.

Many others fear a government crackdown is only a matter of time. The most notorious pre-revolution attack on gay men took place in 2001, when Cairo police raided a Nile boat, arresting dozens of gay men. Along with others taken from the streets, they became known as the "Cairo 52." But now, the Muslim Brotherhood is not just a power to be appeased - it is the dominant power in Egypt's new government.

The natural instinct for most gay Egyptians is to try not to draw attention to themselves but taking part in the revolution has brought greater visibility -- at a cost. Alongside other minorities the gay community has been criticized for its role in the uprising.

Adel Ramadan, a legal officer at the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, describes the derogatory language used to attack the groups that took to the streets. "After? the fall of Mubarak, the criticism of those groups has always contained a sexual element. Whether it's the women who are participating are called prostitutes or 'loose' women, or men are called homosexuals."

AP

The former Egyptian president faces charges of corruption and complicity in deaths of protesters.

Maha believes this kind of rhetoric has led to an increase in verbal abuse. She thinks some people feel emboldened to shout and call names, knowing the authorities will be on their side. A popular term with some members of the Muslim Brotherhood is "shewaz," a derogatory term for homosexuals that loosely translates as "perverts."

While gay advocacy organizations are active in other predominantly Muslim countries such as Lebanon, Egypt's support groups are not well organized and struggle to be heard. The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights is a human rights group that will talk about gays but this cause is not a priority for them. Another group that works with them asked that it not be named for fear of reprisals.

Despite their fears, gay life continues in Cairo. Men still meet on one of the city's bridges, and the Internet and social media help bring people together. Kholoud Bidak is an activist who is thinking of setting up an online forum. She was also in Tahrir Square in January 2011 and was stunned at the number of gay men and women at the heart of the protests. She has been disappointed in the two years that followed, but believes the gay community has at least gained recognition from human rights groups, which were previously uninterested. "They are finally starting to acknowledge LGBTs, 'oh, they were in the revolution since day one very, very effectively.' I thought that is very positive."

She remains scared by the anti-gay rhetoric from some politicians and clerics but tries to stay upbeat. "There is some hope," she says. "How? I don't know."

Related:?

Oasis of tolerance or 'Republic of Shame'? Two faces of gay life in Beirut

'Men don't have to worry about being caught': Sex mobs target Egypt's women?

In Egypt's elections, politics is a new family affair

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/23/16644770-getting-worse-egypts-gays-fear-government-crackdown?lite

censorship wikipedia sopa and pipa bills censoring the internet blackout blackout congress

Anaheim hit with legal claims over summer unrest | police, claims ...

ANAHEIM ? Police actions escalated tension and put bystanders in harm's way in the moments after officers shot and killed an unarmed man who had run for them, according to legal claims filed against the city.

Eight residents of Anna Drive filed claims, seeking $500,000 each for physical injuries, emotional trauma, violations of Constitutional protections against unreasonable search and seizure and other damages. The claims were filed Friday and Tuesday, city officials said.

An officer-involved shooting on Anna Drive near La Palma Avenue in July left one man dead.

KEVIN WARN, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ADVERTISEMENT

The city has 45 days to formally respond; if it denies the claims, the residents may then file lawsuits.

Mayor Tom Tait said he had not seen the claims.

"All claims will be seriously looked at," he said.

Sgt. Bob Dunn of the Anaheim Police Department said he could not comment on claims. Representatives from the city attorney's office did not respond to requests for comment.

Each of the claims outlines the events on July 21 immediately after police shot 25-year-old Manuel Diaz, who they said was a known gang member. According to the claims, neighbors began gathering on the 600 block of Anna Drive, questioning why police shot Diaz as he fled, and why he did not receive medical attention as he lay dying. Shouting began, as neighbors called on officers to help Diaz.

Officers responded with "conflicting and incoherent" orders, according to the claims, then brought out batons and fired rubber bullets and pepper bullets to control the crowd.

"In this case, police didn't follow good procedure, and they turned a bad situation worse," said Dana Douglas, the attorney representing the eight Anna Drive residents as well as Diaz's family in a separate lawsuit.

Some in the crowd retaliated by throwing rocks, she said. Her clients and others, however, committed no crime, she said, and did not threaten police.

At the time of the unrest, Police Chief John Welter said officers fired bean bags and pepper spray into the crowd in response to "known gang members" who threw rocks and bottles at police. A K-9 police dog accidentally escaped from an officer's vehicle, he said.

"Officers in this situation can't retreat," Welter said at the time, defending the officers' decision to fire at the demonstrators. "If we would have abandoned the scene, we would not be doing our job."

On Tuesday, Anna Drive resident Elizabeth Aguilar, 19, vividly recalled the rubber bullets striking her and her father and displayed a bruise on her right arm.

She said she decided to file the claim to prevent another occurrence of what she called police mistreatment.

"If we let this slide, it will happen again," Aguilar said outside her apartment. "We have to put a stop to police."

On a fishing trip Monday, she wore the same clothes she did the day she was injured in July and said: "I had the biggest flashback of everything."

According to the claims:

?Junior Lagunas was bitten by an unleashed police dog as he tried to protect his young son, who was in a stroller. He saw his mother hit with rubber bullets and feared for her safety.

?Benjamin Ventura, a minor, was shot multiple times with rubber and pepper bullets. His injuries sent him to Western Medical Center.

?Susan Lopez was walking by the scene, pushing her infant daughter in a stroller. She shielded her daughter from rubber bullets and the police dog, but suffered injuries herself.

?Jose Herrera was struck with rubber and pepper bullets. Under emotional and physical stress, he had a seizure and was taken to Western Medical Center.

?Jose Jaime Aguilar-Lopez was shot with rubber and pepper bullets, eventually losing consciousness and falling to the ground. When he came to, he saw police shooting at his father in the back with rubber and pepper bullets. As he went to help his father, police shot at him again.

?Yesenia Rojas was struck with rubber and pepper bullets as she tried to protect her son and grandson. She then watched the police dog attack them and officers shoot at them.

?Yoseline Alonso, 11, was shot with rubber and pepper bullets in the leg, causing her to fall to the ground.

Two other men filed claims against the city in August. Anaheim residents Victor Gonzalez and Jesus Reyna said they were protesting the shooting when they were shot with rubber bullets. According to court records, they have not yet filed lawsuits.

Contact the writer: Sarah Tully contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: ckoerner@ocregister.com or 714-704-3709

Source: http://www.ocregister.com/news/police-408849-claims-bullets.html

bowl games rose bowl auld lang syne dick clark Happy new year fiscal cliff Pitbull

Gay marriage-crime link 'rubbish' - Stuff

Linking an increase in crime to gay marriage is ''completely unfounded'', says a Christchurch-based group.

Labour MP Louisa Wall's Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill is currently before a select committee, which will report to Parliament on February 28. If passed, it could see gay marriage legal by May next year.

Sensible Sentencing Trust leader Garth McVicar has submitted to Parliament that changing the law to allow same-sex marriage will be yet another erosion of basic morals and values in society which have led to an escalation of child abuse, domestic violence, and an ever-increasing prison population.

He said crime will rise if gay couples are allowed to marry.

''The marriage amendment bill will not benefit society at all and will ultimately have detremetal (sic) effect on crime at all levels,'' the submission read.

However, Q-topia co-ordinator Anne Nicholson said McVicar's comments were rubbish.

Nicholson said similar argument were made when civil unions were introduced in 2005, but nothing had come of those claims.

''It's completely unfounded... there won't be any negatives.''

She questioned how a bill that would create more equality for New Zealand citizens could cause crime to increase.
The committee has received over 20,000 submissions on the bill.

Green MP Kevin Hague, who sits on the select committee, said after reading the vast majority of submissions, McVicar's was the only one linking crime to gay marriage.

''Although it echoes a number of submissions that say marriage has been the same way for a long time and that if you tamper with it there will be lots of unforeseen circumstances,'' Hague said.

He said he had not read any evidence to suggest that allowing gay people to marry would create a dysfunctional society or increase crime. ''I suspect that underlying this submission is a prejudice against gay people. If you break the argument down, it is manifestly nonsensical.''

McVicar's statement said that he considered the bill would be a further erosion of what he considered to be essential basic values and morals that have ''stood the test of time for centuries''.

''Furthermore, the bill represents a further decay and erosion of the traditional family that society has been founded on.''
He said while much good work has been done recently to reduce crime and ensure better treatment of victims, the bill had the ability to destroy that good work.

Criminologist Dr James Oleson, from Auckland University, an expert in deviance, said he was not familiar with any research that would suggest homosexuals would be responsible for a disproportionate amount of crime.

For McVicar's argument to be plausible, he said, it would have to be proved that allowing homosexuals to marry degraded morality, and that this produced more crime. ''But I'm not sure that's true.'' The more common drivers of crime were economic issues, alcohol, drugs, education and employment and family dysfunction, Oleson said.

McVicar did not respond to requests for comment.?

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Comments

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/8201303/Gay-marriage-crime-link-rubbish

Karrueche Tran dodd frank Lark Voorhies Jennifer Livingston Orlando Cruz MLB Playoff Schedule arizona cardinals

Meta LEGO Movies, Frozen Shops, and the Drug (Wars) Don't Work

The Price of Mexico's Drug War is Too Damn High

More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8_eRD4sPt2g/meta-lego-movies-frozen-shops-and-the-drug-wars-dont-work

ariel winter Paige Butcher David Petraeus Petraeus Mia Love wall street journal us map

Utah's health insurance plans rated by customers - Salt Lake Tribune

Managed care ? Health officials aiming to make quality ratings more meaningful for consumers.

Intermountain Healthcare?s Select Access has been Utah?s most popular managed care plan for residents on Medicaid for some time.

Yet it gets the lowest customer satisfaction ratings, according to new Utah Department of Health data.

?

Consumers score Utah insurers

Customers were asked to rate their health plans on a scale of 0 for ?worst possible? to 10 for ?best possible.? The list shows the percentage of clients who gave their health plan a rating of 8 or above.

Medicaid

University of Utah?s HealthyU: 86 percent

Molina Healthcare: 85 percent

Intermountain Healthcare?s Select Access: 84 percent

Private HMOs: Health Maintenance Organizations

Intermountain Healthcare?s SelectHealth: 64 percent

Public Employee Health Plan: 62 percent

Altius: 55 percent

Private PPOs: Preferred Provider Organizations

Deseret Mutual: 82 percent

Aetna: 60 percent

United Healthcare: 59 percent

Regent BlueCross BlueShield: 56 percent

EMI Health: 55 percent

Cigna: 54 percent

Humana: 38 percent

Source: Utah Department of Health, http://1.usa.gov/XeVSa6

Customers surveyed for the 2012 Consumer Satisfaction Report of Utah Health Plans (CHAPS) gave Select Access a lower overall rating than competing plans run by Molina Healthcare and the University of Utah.

Select Access also scores lowest for customer service.

The federal data are published annually to aid consumers in choosing a health plan, said Keely Cofrin Allen, the Utah Health Department?s Health Plan Program Manager.

But Select Access? unflagging dominance suggests either Medicaid recipients don?t use the tool, or they don?t find it useful.

All Utah Medicaid plans, however, perform above the national average. They also get higher marks than Utah?s private insurance plans.

Health officials are looking to improve measures for gauging the quality of Medicaid plans as they transition to become Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) where doctors will be held accountable for improving the health of their patients.

Currently, in addition to the CHAPS survey, the state collects federal data measuring how many patients get recommended check-ups and disease screenings.

The trick, says Allen, is finding a way to blend and balance the two.

story continues below

"When people say quality improvement, what do they really mean?" asked Allen. "The right care at the right time for the right conditions? Or do they mean less care or less expensive care?"

Copyright 2013 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/55650180-78/health-percent-utah-plans.html.csp

robin roberts Democratic National Convention 2012 myocardial infarction What Is Labor Day jersey shore Pasquale Rotella Michael Clark Duncan

California Gov. Jerry Brown Spurs Online Education Action

California Gov. Jerry Brown has been pushing online courses as one way for the state's universities to expand access to students and reduce student costs. And he's getting results.

A June 2012 phone call from the governor to Sebastian Thrun, co-founder and CEO of Udacity, sparked an agreement between the online course provider and San Jose State University that was announced on Tuesday, Jan. 15.

"That hour changed my life," Thrun said in a press conference.

The agreement sets up a pilot of three classes offered for credit to 300 students. Registration opened on Tuesday for the pre-algebra, college algebra and elementary statistics courses that will begin on Jan. 30. The courses will also be offered online without credit or charge to anyone who wants to join.

Five San Jose faculty members are the instructors of record and retain intellectual property rights to the classes they develop with Udacity. Mentors will support the students, and a National Science Foundation research grant will be used to study the effectiveness of these courses.

This is basically a research and development project to figure out the role of faculty, what technology can assist with, and whether students can learn and advance in this pilot, said Timothy White, chancellor of the California State University System. Then the system will figure out whether it can be scaled up while still maintaining the learning environment students need to be successful.

"Part of educating California's students today is to not only challenge them intellectually, but also to support them to succeed," White said.

In each class, 50 San Jose State students and 50 non-San Jose State students will pay $150 per person to earn college credit from the university for the course. A typical university course would cost about $450, with half paid by the student and half paid by the state, said San Jose State University President Mohammad Qayoumi in a press conference.

The university plans to give priority for the non-San Jose State slots to high school and community college students, as well as military members, veterans and waitlisted San Jose State students.

"Ultimately, we would like to build a high-quality, cost-efficient way to bring our curriculum to students anytime, anywhere, as soon as they are ready, whether they are in high school, community college, university or in the workplace," Qayoumi said.

With the billions of dollars that the state spends on schools, California has a right to get better results for itself and for students, Brown said. Sixty percent of California State University students go straight to remedial courses, and 70 percent fail math and English entry tests at the community college level.

And as the nation's older population dwarfs that of the school and work force population, the next generation of students will have to be smarter.

"If we can't invent and create and mobilize and pull together in a much more effective way than we have hitherto, we'll be in trouble," Brown said. "And I did come back here to avoid some troubles, and I think [this pilot] is not the only step, but it is a very significant step in handling this overall global problem that we ignore at our peril."

This is just one of a number of efforts Brown has been involved in to open access and cut costs for students and the state through online education.

An online learning summit last week brought together leaders from the legislature, state government and universities to talk about how online education could help handle higher education's affordability problem.

Separate meetings with the University of California and California State University leaders included online education discussions with Brown.?

And the governor's proposed 2013-14 budget includes $10 million each for the University of California and California State University system to offer more undergraduate courses through technology. In particular, this extra funding would go to classes that have the highest demand and are prerequisite classes for many different degrees.

This story was originally publised at the Center for Digital Education

PHOTO:?California Gov. Jerry Brown talks about online education at San Jose State University on Jan. 15, 2013. Screenshot from the press conference video.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/govtech/top_news/~3/rdnUo_jzfDQ/California-Gov-Jerry-Brown-Spurs-Online-Education-Action.html

pipa keystone xl sopa bill sopa and pipa piracy sopa marg helgenberger

Anthony Bourdain Goes Off on American Airlines, Wet Deuce-Based Delay

Source:

post grad arpaio carol burnett neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson davy jones death born this way foundation

This House Is Beyond Incredible

The X House is not the name of a popular rave venue, it's an awesome X-shaped home hanging off a cliff outside Barcelona. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/RpJ9vttI3Mo/the-x-house-isnt-not-a-trance-album-but-its-incredible

annalynne mccord van halen numerology the game george lucas billy the kid neville

Animal Profile, Bing the American Alligator

Animal Profiles are a closer look at some of the education outreach animals that are part of the Zoo's Interpretive Center.
_______________________________

Bing, the American Alligator was born in the fall of 2010 and spent his early days in a civilian?s bathtub. He was then confiscated from that individual by Fish and Game because it is illegal and dangerous to have them as pets.

?

Source: http://midtown.news10.net/news/animal-lovers/109308-animal-profile-bing-american-alligator

jacksonville jaguars benjarvus green ellis shaka smart hungergames bagpipes aspirin aspirin

South Africa's Amplats to shed mines and 14,000 jobs

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Anglo American Platinum , the world's top platinum producer, said it will mothball two South African mines, sell another and cut 14,000 jobs in moves to restore profits that may provoke a repeat of last year's strikes when about 50 people died.

In a long-awaited review announced on Tuesday that is seen as crucial to the flagging fortunes of Anglo American , which owns about 80 percent of Amplats, the platinum producer said it aimed to cut output by around a fifth or 400,000 ounces.

The price of platinum rose 1.6 percent in response, leaping past gold for the first time in 10 months.

Labor reaction was swift, with an Amplats Labor leader threatening a strike across its South African operations if the indefinite closures, when they would be put on "care and maintenance", go ahead.

"If they put any shaft on care and maintenance, all of the operations will go on strike. Nothing like this will be allowed," said Evans Ramogka, an Amplats Labor leader in platinum belt the city of Rustenburg, which will bear the brunt of the job cuts.

Activists brought many of South Africa's platinum and gold mines to a standstill last year in a wave of violent wildcat strikes. The unrest was rooted in a union turf war and aggravated by income disparities within the industry and low wages for dangerous work.

If 14,000 jobs are lost, it will represent about three percent of South Africa's mine Labor force and set back government efforts to cut unemployment from over 25 percent.

The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is losing support among mine workers before general elections next year. The National Union of Mineworkers (NUM), a base of ANC electoral support, is rapidly losing members to the militant Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) and other groups.

"As the NUM we are extremely disturbed by these job losses and we are asking workers to be united to defend their jobs," NUM General Secretary Frans Baleni told Reuters.

Amplats said on Monday it probably fell to a full-year loss because of the 2012 strikes, which were centered on Rustenburg.

It said two of its mines in Rustenburg, Khuseleka and Khomanani would be put on "long-term care and maintenance" - when mines are maintained so that they could be reopened in future but are not operated - because of their high costs.

Amplats also said it would "divest the Union mines at the right time - to maximize value under different ownership". Reuters reported on Monday Amplats was likely to sell Union.

SAVING THE COMPANY

Amplats chief executive Chris Griffith said on a conference call with reporters that the proposals were not a short-term response but were vital to "save the company".

"We must evolve to align the business with our expectations of the platinum market's long-term dynamics and address the structural changes that have eroded profitability over time," he said.

The proposals will have to be pushed through by new Anglo American chief executive Mark Cutifani, who will take over from Cynthia Carroll in April.

Cutifani hailed South Africa as an investment destination as he turned around bullion producer AngloGold Ashanti but is also a realist who will want to deliver for shareholders.

Investors applauded the moves. "It's good that they've made a good, strong first move and this will place them on a great footing to profit when the cycle does turn," said Nic Norman-Smith, chief investment officer at Lentus Asset Management in Johannesburg, which owns Amplats shares.

South Africa is home to about 80 percent of the world's known platinum reserves, but soaring power and Labor costs and depressed prices for the metal - used in autocatalysts to lower emissions - have conspired to make much of the industry unprofitable.

A tipping point may have been reached last year by the illegal strikes that hit production and bottom lines.

(Additional reporting by Sherilee Lakmidas and David Dolan in Johannesburg, Agnieszka Flak in Rustenburg and Clara Ferreira-Marques in London; Editing by David Stamp)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africas-amplats-shed-mines-14-000-jobs-090410897--finance.html

ibooks author gabrielle union mark wahlberg merle haggard ladainian tomlinson pipa keystone xl

How To Make Money Quickly - Mehak Naheem Online Business ...

How to make money quickly is a question which I get asked again and again when people contact me wanting to work from home. How quickly you will make money depends on a few different factors. These include your attitude, how much time or money you have to invest in the business and what type of marketing you do. Your attitude is very important when turning to make money online because it?s not just a case of joining a business opportunity and that guarantees you success. You will need to actually follow the training and take action.

How To Make Money Quickly Online

How much time or money you have will also be a major factor to determine how to make money quickly for you! That?s not to say that you should sit on your computer all day so you can make money because you?re simply limited by the number of hours which you can work to determine how much money you will make. You ultimately want time and financial freedom, this will be achieved through either using other people?s time and resources. Initially you may not have the money to invest into the business and pay for the work so you can use tools to give you the best use of your time and give you the best returns. This is one of the ways on how to make money quickly. Once you have started making some profit, you can then invest back into the business so you can leverage time and make even more money back!

Taking Action is?How To Make Money Quickly

As you can see a lot of the time it all just comes down to taking action and making the most of what you have. Don?t get bogged down with excuses because you can always properly set up the business later, when you have the knowledge. If you try to learn everything at once you won?t be able to get started and find there?s so much to do, which is not how to make money quickly. So as you can see as soon as you start, by using the websites and information the company provides you with, you can actually start making money within hours.

I have had people in their late 50?s who aren?t the most technically gifted people, make money within 24 hours so if they can do it, so can you! Stop thinking about how to make money quickly and just go DO it! Find out more about working with me by clicking below.

?

Tags:how can i make quick money, How Quickly Can I Make Money Online, how to make money online, how to make money quickly, make money online fast, make money quick, mehak naheem

Watch My Live Sky TV Interview

Join Me On YouTube!

Join My Facebook Fan Club!

Follow My Tweets On Twitter

Recent Post

CATEGORIES

Source: http://mehaknaheem.info/how-to-make-money-quickly-how-quickly-can-i-make-money-online/

kuroda gene hackman pineda john edwards heart condition mena suvari joyful noise one life to live

Lung, Colon Cancer Rates Higher Near Rubbertown Than Other Louisville Neighborhoods

A new analysis shows that certain cancers are more prevalent in areas near the Rubbertown neighborhood in west and southwest Louisville. But it?s impossible to determine what role?if any?pollution from nearby industries plays in the elevated cancer rates.

Everyone in Rubbertown knows someone with cancer. But are people in these neighborhoods actually more likely to get cancer than other Louisville residents? I called someone who should know: Dr. Tom Tucker, the head of the Kentucky Cancer Registry.

The Kentucky Cancer Registry is a repository of information about every cancer case in the state since 1994. By law, doctors are required to tell the registry when a patient is diagnosed.

So I had Tucker run an analysis of his data.

The study

The smallest way to group the data was by zip code, so I had to settle for looking at the two zip codes that encompass Rubbertown and its environs?and incidentally, also a good portion of West Louisville.

Besides being heavily polluted, these zip codes are also among the poorest in the city. And low income often comes with other risk factors for poor health, like less access to health care, bad diets and smoking. So to make the fairest comparison possible, I had Tucker pit those West End zip codes against five others?all within the city limits and with a similar median household income.

Tucker looked at a few cancers that are known to be influenced by environmental factors, like bladder cancer, tumors of the central nervous system and leukemia. Those weren?t significantly higher in the Rubbertown zip codes. But common cancers?lung cancer and colorectal cancer?were significantly higher in Rubbertown than in the other zip codes we compared them to.

How much higher? People in the zip codes near Rubbertown are nearly 35 percent more likely to develop lung cancer than those in the other areas we looked at. And they?re about 31 percent more likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than people in the other zip codes.

Inflammation, toxins and cancer

Take colon cancer. There are lots of factors that dictate whether someone develops it?like early screening and a healthy diet. But environmental toxins like PCBs could play a role by creating or exacerbating inflammation.

?We know that inflammation and cancer are tied part and parcel together,? Dr. Tad Dryden said. He?s an associate professor of medicine and bioengineering at the University of Louisville, and he specializes in colon cancer. ?And we know that essentially 75 percent of all cancers have some sort of inflammatory component to them. So inflammation is an important driver of cancer.?

As for lung cancer, cigarette smoking is the disease?s number one cause. But studies have also shown that smokers who are exposed to environmental factors like asbestos or radon are even more likely to develop cancer than smokers without the environmental exposure.

This isn?t the first look at cancers near Rubbertown; a study by the Kentucky Department for Public Health looked at cancers in the 40216 zip code as recently as 2011. There were 2693 cases of cancer in the area between 1999 and 2008. This was higher than the expected number of 2074, considering the area?s population and age adjusted cancer rate. In an email to Carl Blair of the federal Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry, epidemiologist Colleen Kaelin says that?s not high enough to set off any red flags.

?The ratio of observed to expected cases of all types of cancer is 1.43,? she wrote. ?The guidelines established by the Centers for Disease Control state that generally the number of observed cases should exceed the number of expected cases by 2 to 3 times before an environmental investigation is considered.?

Environment's role is unknown

This new analysis of the available data suggests only that the rates for colon and lung cancer are higher in the two zip codes near Rubbertown than in several other comparable zip codes. There are several factors that increase the risk of these cancers that have nothing to do with the environment, but Tucker says that doesn?t mean environmental factors don?t play a role.

?And while we are unable to show a statistical difference between those tumors with known environmental exposures; that doesn?t mean it?s not possible they?re there, we simple are unable to do it with the information and data that?s available,? he said.

Bottom line: cancer is complicated. No matter what the data may seem to imply, it?s nearly impossible for doctors to make a link between a type of cancer and exposure to one specific chemical or pollutant. But there?s one exception: a chemical called vinyl chloride. And that?s the chemical thousands of Rubbertown workers were exposed to between the 1940s and 1970s?and the cause of liver disease and liver cancer in many of them.

Read the rest of the series.

Coming up Wednesday, in our next installment: we meet a woman whose husband was one of nearly three dozen Rubbertown workers who died from exposure to vinyl chloride.

Erica?s reporting on health issues in Rubbertown was undertaken as a California Endowment Health Journalism Fellow at the University of Southern California's Annenberg School of Journalism.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/wfplnews/~3/hKtDWAiNcLA/lung-colon-cancer-rates-higher-near-rubbertown-other-louisville-neighborhoods

ann coulter Iron Man 3 Trailer minecraft Ben Wilson Latest Presidential Polls trump debate

Snow Go ? Are We Covered For Bad Weather? Travel Insurance ...

Thousands of Britons have their holiday and travel plans disrupted every few years when snow and icy conditions bring parts of the country to a standstill.

What are their rights if they miss a flight, ferry or Eurostar because the airport is shut, roads are blocked or trains not running? Does travel insurance cover bad weather?

Here are some answers from the experts at Direct Travel:

If snow or ice close an airport, airlines will refund travellers who booked flight-only; if the flight was part of a package, the tour operator is responsible for the refund.

Holiday insurance should cover the following cases:

• Travellers make it to the airport or station but delays are so bad they decide to abandon their trip ? if they were only going for a weekend, for example.
• They miss their departure. They set off from home but motorway snarl-ups, frozen rail lines or snowbound vehicles blocking the way mean they?re too late.
• They can?t get out of the house because they?re snowed in or there is a severe weather warning advising people to travel only if they have to. Insurers expect travellers to make a reasonable effort to get to the airport or station if it is open ? but never to put themself or their family in danger.

Travellers should speak to their travel insurance company, the airport, tour operator or travel agent and follow their advice.

Taking out natural disaster insurance* provides added reassurance when very bad weather or a calamity such as a hurricane, earthquake or flood strikes and passengers have their travel plans disrupted or are stranded abroad.

Benefits include up to ?6,000 for a cancelled trip and up to ?2,000 if travellers are stuck overseas.

Holidaymakers should buy their travel insurance in advance, however, not wait until the last minute. A policy will not pay out if it was only taken out once the garden path was 4ft deep in snow.

*Such provided by Direct Travel Insurance.

?

Source: http://www.ski-press.com/2334/travel-insurance/direct-travel?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=direct-travel

Newton virginia tech shooting Bbc News China abc glock earthquake

5 Simple Projects to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient

When it comes to green energy, there are plenty of little things homeowners can do to help. Both minor adjustments and major investments can help reduce the amount of energy you waste in a given year and thereby lower your heating and cooling bills significantly. Below I?ll outline a few ideas that the average homeowner overlooks far too often. Some of them are simple DIY projects; others call for replacing some equipment. Either way, a reasonable initial investment and some attention to detail can help you minimize your environmental impact and save money at the same time.

?

1. Check the Attic Insulation

The attic is one of the most overlooked areas of any house but it?s definitely worth investing in, especially if it?s unfurnished. Proper insulation will help bottle up the heat in the winter and keep it out in the summer. Fiberglass, cellulose and most foam materials, when installed properly, are all cost-effective materials that can help reduce your energy costs and keep your home comfortable. That means less tinkering with the thermostat, less uncomfortable fluctuations in temperature and less energy needed to sustain a comfortable living space.

?

2. Upgrade Your Windows

It may not be entirely cost-effective to replace every window in your house, but if you?re in the market anyway you might as well check out EnergyStar.gov to shop around for the most effective kinds. Replacing entire windows could save between 7 and 25 percent on your energy bills, but that really depends what kind of windows you have. There are, however, some relatively affordable upgrades you can make instead, like replacing the weatherstripping or installing new storm windows. Always remember to keep your storm windows closed during extreme seasons when you?re running either your heat or AC continuously.

?

3. Plant Some Trees

A lot of people overlook the possibilities landscaping brings to the table. If you were to plant a tree on the west side of your house, the leaves will help provide shade and protect the house from infrared radiation that would otherwise warm up the entire house in the summer. Then, during the winter, after the leaves have all fallen off, the bare branches will let that same light through, which helps warm your house naturally. If you?ve already taken care of the insulation and upgraded your windows, the effect here will be minimal, but every little bit helps; at the very least, you?re planting another tree, which is a great way to go green.

?

4. Replace Your Old Furnace

Any furnace built before 1992 that uses a standing pilot is going to be inefficient, to the tune of about 35 percent wasted energy. If it?s near the end of its lifetime, early replacement is a great idea. Modern condensing furnaces waste no more than 10 percent of the natural gas they use, which equates to roughly 25 percent savings on your heating bill. The difference is even more substantial if your house has a boiler or utilizes a hot water heater or radiators for climate control.

?

5. Adjust your Hot Water Heater and Replace Light Bulbs

This last one is a two-parter because they?re both relatively simple. First, set your hot water heater to around 120 degrees. This should be in the ?warm? range on your unit. This way your hot water doesn?t get too hot. If you want to go the extra mile you could even insulate your hot water lines to retain heat between uses, or you can even install low-flow fixtures in showers and bathtubs. Lastly, replace your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. They?re more expensive, but they last much longer than their outdated counterparts, which can save you about 75 percent on energy. The best lights to replace are ones that you use the most, in order to more quickly recover the investment.

---

Contributing author Mike Martin is a consultant and blogger, writing about a wide range of topics, including energy efficiency and green car technology. He currently works with Small Step Energy Solutions, an energy auditing company in Kansas City.

Related posts:

Tags: DIY, energy efficiency, home energy

Source: http://www.greenerideal.com/building/0113-5-simple-projects-to-make-your-home-more-energy-efficient/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=0113-5-simple-projects-to-make-your-home-more-energy-efficient

nba all star reserves rock center christine christine will ferrell double fine adventure turbo tax