Skating on fun ice ? Bangor Daily News ? BDN Maine

This winter, welcome the quintessential tradition of ice skating as soon as the ice gets hard or a rink is opened.

Imagine it: You arrive at the ice rink all bundled up. You lace on a pair of skates ? figure, recreational, or hockey ? and once arriving at the ice, you glide easily across it.

Advanced skaters may do jumps and spins while newer skaters will slowly shuffle across the ice. Little ones will hold the hands of the adults who brought them. Couples cuddle side-by-side as they support each other around the rink.

The vision ? a Norman Rockwell painting of brightly colored scarves, knit hats, and smiles that stretch from ear to ear.

But there are a few things smart skaters ? and hopeful skaters ? should know before hitting the ice.

Get the right gear

While consumers can purchase ice skates from most department stores, purchasing skates from a specialty shop can save time and money in the long run.

According to Rick Gunn, owner of Gunn?s Sports Shop at 32 Greenpoint Road in Brewer, novices should get started with a basic pair of skates. His family-owned business has been serving skaters for almost 37 years.

According to Gunn, hockey-style skates or recreational skates share a similar look and their rounded blade with no toe pick are best for the newbie skater.

?Most beginner figure skaters use the toe pick inappropriately and can develop bad technique,? Gunn said. ?Proper technique is important so it doesn?t matter what you learn on.?

He added that there are three essential things to consider when choosing ice skates: proper support, the right fit to allow room for growth, and correctly sharpened blades. Specialty shops often include sharpening in the price of the skates.

?Skates don?t come already sharpened,? he said.

Purchasing skates from a specialty store doesn?t always mean the skater will pay more. In fact, utilizing experts can help save a skater money, and frustration, in the end.

Get the right fit

Choosing the right sized skate is a lot like choosing the right sized shoe. If the shoe fits properly, the foot feels great. If it?s ill fitting, all sorts of problems can arise resulting in extra dollars spent to get the right equipment.

?You?re trying to achieve the equivalent of bolting a blade to your shoe, so it?s important to get the boot to fit tightly,? he said. ?As an adult, you want to get it as tight as you can with it still being comfortable. Comfort is king.?

The correct and comfortable fit begins with the socks. Forget about those super thick wool socks your grandmother knit for you when it comes to going ice skating. Thinner socks made from SmartWool or any fabric that wicks away moisture is optimal. Choose well-fitting socks that don?t bunch or sag and bring them to the fitting.

Hockey skates, he said, should usually be bought a size and a half below the skater?s shoe size.

For young skaters, Gunn recommended purchasing skates an extra size larger to allow for the foot to grow. Gunn?s offers used skates and a trade-in program for re-saleable skates, making skating more affordable for youngsters who want to give it a try.

?The skates don?t have to be from here originally,? he said.

The most important part to getting the fit right, Gunn said, is having the skater present for the fitting. Gunn said he and his staff ask lots of questions while working with the skater to find the perfect skate for them. That?s doubly important for children and youth skaters who are constantly growing, he said.

Upkeep is key

After finding ?the one? at the skate store, storage and upkeep are key to keeping the skates looking (and feeling) like new. To keep equipment in tip-top shape, skaters should:

? Purchase blade guards. Blade guards protect the blades from dulling due to dirt, gravel, or pavement. They also protect hands, fabrics, and pets from being cut. Hard blade guards are ideal for walking short distances.

? Don?t store the skates in the blade guards. Moisture from the environment and ice that is trapped in guards can cause the blades to rust and is costly to fix. Put blade guards on while travelling and if walking over gravel, dirt, or pavement.

? Keep those blades sharp. For recreational skaters, once or twice a year should suffice. For more constant skaters or for skaters who are outside, Gunn recommends sharpening the skates every six to eight hours of ice time.

? Store skates in a dry, cool location. To prevent moisture from infiltrating the skates, Gunn recommended storing skates in a dry, cool location to allow skates to air dry.

For a list of ice arenas in Maine, many of which offer public ice time and rent equipment, visit arenamaps.com/arenas/Maine.htm. Many towns also have outdoor rinks, but if you?re planning to venture out on one of Maine?s many lakes or ponds to try out those blades, make sure the conditions are safe.

Maine Warden Service tips for ice safety

Never guess the thickness of the ice ? Check it! Check the ice in several different places using an auger or some other means to make a test hole and determine the thickness. Make several, beginning at the shore, and continuing as you go out.

Check the ice with a partner, so if something does happen, someone is there to help you. If you are doing it alone, wear a lifejacket.

If ice at the shoreline is cracked or squishy, stay off! Watch out for thin, clear or honeycombed ice. Dark snow and dark ice are other signs of weak spots.

Avoid areas with currents, around bridges and pressure ridges. Wind and currents can break ice.

Parents should alert children of unsafe ice in their area, and make sure that they stay off the ice. If they insist on using their new skates, suggest an indoor skating rink.

If you break through the ice, remember:

Don?t panic.

Don?t try to climb out immediately ? you will probably break the ice again. Reach for solid ice.

Lay both arms on the unbroken ice and kick hard. This will help lift your body onto the ice. Once on the ice, roll, don?t walk, to safety.

To help someone who has fallen through the ice, lie down flat and reach with a branch, plank or rope or form a human chain. Don?t stand. After securing the victim, wiggle backwards to the solid ice.

?

Source: http://bangordailynews.com/2012/11/29/outdoors/outdoors-extra/skating-on-fun-ice/

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Sudan: Group says images show burned villages

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) ? A U.S. based advocacy group says that satellite images show 13 villages were intentionally burned in Sudan.

The Satellite Sentinel Project said Friday that the images show that the government of Sudan deliberately burned 13 villages in the war-torn border region of South Kordofan from Nov. 17-22.

Sudanese troops are fighting rebels who were once aligned with South Sudan. When South Sudan peacefully broke away from Sudan last year, the rebels were placed in the Sudan half of the partition. The two sides have been fighting over the last year.

John Bradshaw, executive director of the advocacy group the Enough Project that supports the satellite program, said the images are visual proof that Sudan is violating the laws of war and carrying out indiscriminate attacks.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sudan-group-says-images-show-burned-villages-150202622.html

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Customer Dissatisfaction: Why Containment Is Not An Option ...

This often leads to younger companies adopting reactive customer service strategies that do not prioritize finding ways to systematically reduce customer dissatisfaction and, rather, just try to contain customer service issues. This approach almost always results in an endemic problem with high customer loss rates down the road and substantially higher long-term customer service costs. Both of these problems usually spell disaster for a startup or expansion-stage company.

So why is customer dissatisfaction such a powerful force that needs to be addressed in a company?s customer service strategy? Below are four customer dissatisfaction characteristics that highlight why adopting a proactive customer service strategy is the logical choice:

1. Dissatisfied customers are much more emotional than satisfied customers, and consequently much more likely to share their experiences with others. Just think of the customer experiences you have had over the last year. Most people will find the majority of the ones they remember and shared with others were negative experiences. Additionally, negative customer experiences lead to much more substantial reactions than positive customer experiences.
2. Customers rarely complain to service providers directly. In fact, most of the time customers opt to complain to others or take their complaints to the internet. With social media listening techniques much of this can be captured. However, once complaints have reached the social media waves they are public and no longer a private issue.
3. The growing popularity of social media has amplified the reach of customer opinions. This effect has had a disproportionately large effect on customer dissatisfaction because negative sentiment is more likely to go viral. Just think about all the negative customer stories you can remember going viral on the internet over the last few years. One that remains clear in my mind is EJ?s AirBnB.com nightmare story that single handedly threw the company into disaster recovery mode. I bet you can?t think of a positive customer story garnering that kind of attention.
4. Customer expectations continue to grow at an astounding rate. What was considered an adequate response time or handling of a service issue yesterday is today considered below expectations. Just a few years ago a 24 hour response time to a customer complaint was considered top in class performance in most markets. Now many customers expect immediate responses to their social media communications. These constantly changing market dynamics have made it difficult and costly for companies to maintain top performance levels. To make these new demands more manageable companies have to focus more effort towards eliminating systematic issues and not being more effective at resolving them.

For these reasons, startups and expansion-stage companies need to prioritize customer service and adequately invest in developing a proactive customer service strategy.

Proactive customer service strategies are the product of including a mixture of proactive and reactive customer service key performance indicators that the company tracks in its service division. By incorporating proactive metrics, you will encourage the service team to develop systematic approaches to deal with customer dissatisfaction, not just finding better ways to resolve customer issues and contain them. However, it is also important to develop a service-oriented culture across the company, as this will lead to a long-term focused customer service strategy.

If you would like to read more on managing customer satisfaction, I recommend reading my post from last year on 6 Net Promoter Score Mistakes that Derail Customer Management Process. Similarly, if you would like to read more on customer communication, I also recommend reading my previous post on customer communication strategy development.

Sign-up for our Free Weekly Newsletter to get the best new ideas for building technology companies.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/customer-dissatisfaction-why-containment-is-not-an-option-0340060

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Confirmed: Google Acquires Incentive Targeting To Power Super ...

Google has just acquired coupon targeting company Incentive Targeting. The acquisition was confirmed in Tweet from Mike Dudas, who is on the team building Google?s mobile commerce business. Google confirmed the acquisition to TechCrunch.

The company partners with retail chains to provide a targeted marketing and coupon service to manufacturers of grocery and consumer products. Incentive Targeting?s patent-pending technology aims to help marketers create personalized, relevant promotions?and measure ROI in real time.

A Google spokesperson issued this statement ?We look forward to working with Incentive Targeting in our ongoing efforts to help consumers save time and money and enable retailers deliver relevant discounts to the right customers.?

As Dudas wrote in his Tweet, it appears that Google will be using the technology from the startup to power highly targeted manufacturer and private label coupon programs. Essentially, he says, the company does ?for retail couponing what Google [does] for online advertising: make simple, relevant, measurable, & effective?

It?s unclear what the acquisition price was, but the company has raised $4.4 million in funding.

So what does this mean for Google? Well, it looks like part of the company?s commerce strategy will center around delivering more personalized deals and coupons to its users, perhaps via Wallet. It?s not surprising that Google is heading down this road?every commerce and payments company is. But in order to deliver more personalized offers, Google needs to have actual purchasing and intent data; which is harder to come by. Incentive Targeting?s technologies could also be offered to advertising customers as well.

We know a new version of Wallet is in the works, so perhaps we?ll get more insight into Google?s commerce plans and personalization strategy soon.

Here?s the announcement:

We are excited to announce that Incentive Targeting has been acquired by Google!

When we founded Incentive Targeting in 2007, we set out to do for retail couponing what Google had done for online advertising: make it simple, relevant, measurable, and effective. So, it is both humbling and gratifying to be joining the ranks of the company that inspired our initial vision.

As part of Google, we will have the resources and expertise to continue the transformation of couponing from a way to give discounts to a way to build business. And, we can now work towards that vision as part of a company that improves the lives of hundreds of millions of people every day.

We didn?t reach this milestone alone. From day one, we have relied on the support and commitment of our retailers, brands, investors, partners, and advisors, as well as the hard work and dedication of our team. We could not have done this without them, and as we look ahead, we are thrilled to be part of Google!

We?ve contacted Google for additional comment on the acquisition.

Source: http://techcrunch.com/2012/11/28/google-acquires-incentive-targeting-to-power-targeted-coupon-programs/

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Vimeo revamps iOS app with new design, improved social sharing features

It's been nearly a year since Vimeo proudly went universal on iOS, and today the video service has rolled out its application's third major installment. Inside version 3.0, the iOS folk will find a redesigned app with a brand new "tab-based" design and a novel Feed video browser. That's not all, however, as Vimeo's also added the ability to natively share to both Twitter and Facebook, the option to manage vids on the Watch Later queue and a trait which lets users take advantage of background uploads. While most of today's release is filled with an array of video-friendly goods, some iOS users will be disappointed to hear that this new version nixes the editor feature -- however, according to Vimeo, "active" projects can still be downloaded and saved to the Camera Roll app. Those of you interested in checking it out can hit the link below to grab the updated app.

Comments

Via: TechCrunch

Source: iTunes (App Store)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/G27nQZLoNNY/

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Major breakthrough in deciphering bread wheat's genetic code

ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) ? Scientists, including Professor Keith Edwards and Dr Gary Barker from the University of Bristol, have unlocked key components of the genetic code of one of the world's most important crops. The first analysis of the complex and exceptionally large bread wheat genome, published today in Nature, is a major breakthrough in breeding wheat varieties that are more productive and better able to cope with disease, drought and other stresses that cause crop losses.

The identification of around 96,000 wheat genes, and insights into the links between them, lays strong foundations for accelerating wheat improvement through advanced molecular breeding and genetic engineering. The research contributes to directly improving food security by facilitating new approaches to wheat crop improvement that will accelerate the production of new wheat varieties and stimulate new research. The analysis comes just two years after UK researchers finished generating the sequence.

The project was led by Neil Hall, Mike Bevan, Keith Edwards, Klaus Mayer, from the University of Liverpool, the John Innes Centre, the University of Bristol, and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, Helmholtz-Zentrum, Munich, respectively, and Anthony Hall at the University of Liverpool. W. Richard McCombie at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, and Jan Dvorak at the Univerisity of California, Davis, led the US contribution to the project.

The team sifted through vast amounts of DNA sequence data, effectively translating the sequence into something that scientists and plant breeders can use effectively. All of their data and analyses were freely available to users world-wide.

Professor Keith Edwards said: "Since 1980, the rate of increase in wheat yields has declined. Analysis of the wheat genome sequence data provides a new and very powerful foundation for breeding future generations of wheat more quickly and more precisely, to help address this problem."

The analysis is already being used in research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to introduce a wider range of genetic variation into commercial cultivars and make use of wild wheat's untapped genetic reservoirs that could help improve tolerance to diseases and the effects of climate change. The wheat breeding community and seed suppliers have welcomed the research.

The sequence data has been deposited at the European Nucleotide Archive and is also available from databases in the UK and Germany.

Researchers from the European Bioinformatics Institute, Kansas State University, and the United Sates Department of Agriculture were also vital to the project's success. The research was possible thanks to major funding was form the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), the EU and the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Professor Douglas Kell, BBSRC Chief Executive, said: "In the face of this year's wheat crop losses, and worries over the impact on prices for consumers, this breakthrough in our understanding of the bread wheat genome could not have come at a better time. This modern strategy is a key component to supporting food security and gives breeders the tools to produce more robust varieties with higher yields. It will help to identify the best genetic sequences for use in breeding programmes."

David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science said: "This groundbreaking research is testament to the excellence of Britain's science base and demonstrates the capability we want to build on through the agri-tech strategy currently being developed. The findings will help us feed a growing global population by speeding up the development of new varieties of wheat able to cope with the challenges faced by farmers worldwide."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Bristol.

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. Rachel Brenchley, Manuel Spannagl, Matthias Pfeifer, Gary L. A. Barker, Rosalinda D?Amore, Alexandra M. Allen, Neil McKenzie, Melissa Kramer, Arnaud Kerhornou, Dan Bolser, Suzanne Kay, Darren Waite, Martin Trick, Ian Bancroft, Yong Gu, Naxin Huo, Ming-Cheng Luo, Sunish Sehgal, Bikram Gill, Sharyar Kianian, Olin Anderson, Paul Kersey, Jan Dvorak, W. Richard McCombie, Anthony Hall, Klaus F. X. Mayer, Keith J. Edwards, Michael W. Bevan, Neil Hall. Analysis of the bread wheat genome using whole-genome shotgun sequencing. Nature, 2012; 491 (7426): 705 DOI: 10.1038/nature11650

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_science/~3/CmhAUI61ccc/121128142144.htm

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Scott keys Colorado 2 OT win over Texas-Southern

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Josh Scott scored the first two baskets of the second overtime and No. 19 Colorado fought back from an early 15-point deficit to beat Texas Southern 85-80 on Tuesday night.

The Buffaloes (6-0) withstood a 39-point performance by Texas Southern's Omar Strong, who made nine 3-pointers, including three in the extra sessions.

Spencer Dinwidde had 24 points to lead Colorado, which is off to its best start since opening 6-0 in 1989-90. Scott finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, Askia Booker added 15 points and Andre Roberson had 11.

Fred Sturdivant had 12 points and 11 rebounds for Texas Southern (1-6).

Tied at 59 at the end of regulation, Booker converted a three-point play with 1:38 remaining in overtime for a 68-66 Colorado lead. But Strong was fouled attempting a 3-pointer and made two free throws to re-tie it.

Booker drained a 3-pointer from the corner with 41 seconds left in the first overtime to make it 71-68 but Law Johnson-Danner answered with a 3-pointer for the Tigers and Booker's long jumper rimmed out at the buzzer, forcing the second overtime.

Scott hit successive baskets from up close to start the second overtime, getting fouled in the lane and converting the free throw after the second shot to give the Buffaloes a 76-71 lead they would not relinquish.

After Sabatino Chen drove in for a layup with 1:09 left, Dexter Ellington made one of two free throws for the Tigers. A fastbreak layup by Chen gave the Buffaloes an 80-72 lead, enough to withstand another 3-pointer by Strong with 11.5 seconds remaining.

Trailing by 10 points at halftime, Colorado finally shook off its early shooting woes to run off 11 straight points starting the second half, moving in front 40-39 on Roberson's fastbreak layup with 15:35 remaining.

Roberson, whose blown breakaway dunk midway through the opening period epitomized Colorado's earlier offensive struggles, had seven points during the stretch.

The Tigers came back to take a 50-48 lead when Penn connected on a 3-pointer with 9:02 left. Colorado put together an 8-0 flurry for a 56-50 lead with 6:44 remaining. Dinwidde sparked the run with two 3-pointers.

Madarious Gibbs made both ends of a 1-and-1 to pull the Tigers to 57-56 with 3:06 left and Scott made two free throws for Colorado with 1:51 left.

Roberson fouled out with 1:30 left when he fouled Aaron Clayborn as he went up for a shot. Clayborn made one of two free throws, getting the Tigers within two points.

Booker missed a jumper and Sturdivant drove in for a layup that tied it at 59-all with 42.5 seconds left.

Maneuvering for a tie-breaking shot, Colorado hung on to the ball too long, turning it over with 6.8 seconds left in regulation when the 35-second shot clock expired. Strong missed a 15-foot jumper at the buzzer.

Colorado missed its first six shots from beyond the arc before Booker connected at the buzzer, pulling the Buffaloes within 39-29 at halftime after trailing by as many as 15 points.

Source: http://www.omaha.com/article/20121128/AP0408/311289975

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Will Fiscal Cliff Deal Harm 401k Investors?

Are Congress and the Obama administration getting ready to balance the budget on the backs of the nation?s retirees? If history, a bipartisan report and the rumblings of Washington are any indication, then workers across America better be prepared from some sad news.

According to Brian Graff, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries (ASPPA), ?Already we have Simpson-Bowles proposing to cut retirement plan deductions by 60%. In addition, there?s talk of placing a cap on all deductions, including those associated with retirement plans.? Graff fears if Washington turns this talk into action, it can have dire consequences on America?s workers. ?The single most important factor in determining if a worker is saving for retirement is whether or not there is a plan at work,? he says, ?Last time Congress took up tax reform in 1986, employees? 401k plans were cut by 70%, resulting in a mass termination of plans.?

Increasing taxes, both directly through higher rates and indirectly through deduction reduction, acts as a double edged sword. ?An increase in marginal tax rates on 401k withdrawals during retirement will immediately reduce the purchasing power of the investor?s existing 401k balance,? says Adam Cufr, Principal at Fourth Dimension Financial Group in Perrysburg, Ohio. Likewise, he adds, ?A proposed reduction in the allowable contribution amounts would result in investors needing to seek out investment alternatives to their 401k plan, causing many investors to lose the tax deduction on those dollars redirected from their plan (unless they qualify for a tax-deductible IRA).?

Worse, still, is the talk of changing the tax code. Such talk only increases uncertainty, and that, by itself, has repercussions. Clark Kendall, President and Founder of Kendall Capital Management in Rockville, Maryland, says, ?Investors/employees do not know what their income tax rate will be next year. Employees do not if it?s better to contribute to a retirement plan with before tax dollars or to a Roth with after tax dollars. Investors do not know if it is better to sell their appreciated Apple stock before the end of the year at a capital gains rate of 15% and contribute to a retirement plan next year with an income offset deduction of 15, 25, 28 or 35%.?

But not all feel changing tax rates will have any real impact on 401k savings. Although he would ?personally and professionally? oppose cutting retirement plan contribution limits, Dustin TenBroeck, Co-Founder of Poole & TenBroeck Wealth Management in Del Mar, California, is among those who believe it doesn?t matter. ?I am unsure of what affect it would have on 401k participants,? he says. ?On one hand, you can look to the statistics which site that 95% of baby boomers have not saved enough money for retirement and 55% of all Americans did not save even one penny in 2011. This would indicate that the government should be doing more to incentivize our citizens to save for when they can no longer work, especially if we foresee cuts to social programs in the future. Conversely, you may look at these statistics and suggest that most Americans would be unaffected by these changes in tax law.?

The New York Times added its opinion to the debate in its November 25, 2012 article ?Study Questions Tax Breaks? Effect on Retirement Savings.? The article states a study, based on Denmark data, concludes, like other similar European studies, people save more when they?re forced to. The article then goes on further to claim tax deductions do not provide an adequate incentive to save in retirement plans.

Graff, whose organization, an umbrella group of plan service providers, is promoting a ?Save My 401k? campaign, believes the Times article, if not the study itself, ?has nothing to do with reality.? He says the article is ?yet another example of misinformation,? pointing out, contrary to assertions made by the Times reporter, ?there actually is research on American taxpayers that you can rely on. An ICI study says 83% of those who contribute to their 401k plan oppose any reductions in the tax deduction.?

A November 26, 2012 ASPPA press release promoting the ?Save My 401k? effort references data from the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) that says more than 70% of workers earning from $30,000 to $50,000 participate in their employer 401k plans, compared with only 5% who save for retirement without a plan at work. Moreover, these plans have grown more important. When families have a retirement savings account, those savings represent more than 65% of their financial assets.

?We understand Congress needs to reduce the debt and raise revenue but raiding the tax incentives for 401k plans will put American workers? retirement security at risk. Tens of millions of Americans participate in these retirement plans, and 80% of them earn less than $100,000 per year. This is a battle that American workers simply can?t afford to lose,? said Graff.

Financial professionals tend to agree lowering the retirement plan contribution limits would likely damage America?s already fragile retirement system. Rather than do anything that might discourage more savings, they feel Congress and the White House need to focus on policies that encourage more savings. One area that has been spoken of is legislation broadening the eligibility for plans to participate in Multiple Employer Plans (MEPs).

Tenbroeck notes when the DOL last year issued ?Advisory Opinion 2012-04A [it] eliminated many of the benefits that employers gain with an MEP. Each plan must be subject to a separate Form 5500 filing, when needed an annual audit requirement, and a separate Form 8955-SSA with the IRS.? He believes that ?if ?open? MEPs can be treated as a single plan, then small businesses would see cost savings as the third party administer can perform the functions which are currently a burden of the company.? Tenbroeck is hopeful ?we will get legislation that is required for MEPs to act as a single employer plan for ERISA?s tax reporting and fiduciary requirements.?

Cufr concurs, adding ?Allowing plans to pool through an MEP makes incredible sense to smaller plans. Not only are there gains in plan administrative cost efficiencies, the plan sponsors are able to reduce, if not eliminate, their personal fiduciary liability ? a responsibility most small plan sponsors have no idea they are shouldering.?

Washington does have the opportunity to do well by retirement plan investors, but not by tampering with the tax code. Just ask any of those closest to the action and you?ll see.

Interested in learning more about this and other important topics confronting 401k fiduciaries? Explore Mr. Carosa?s book 401(k) Fiduciary Solutions and discover how to solve those hidden traps that often pop up in 401k plans.

Source: http://fiduciarynews.com/2012/11/will-fiscal-cliff-deal-harm-401k-investors/

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Travel And Leisure Vacation-rentals | Home Schooling

Vacation Rentals offer the best lodgings for any occasion. It brings clients and owners to work together as these clients go for their vacation. Vacation rentals offer an alternative to hotels because it is more spacious, private and comfortable. These homes are also where families lived and they have just decided to rent out the place for a specific period of time. As you book for a vacation, you can choose from a variety of vacation rentals ranging from apartments, cottages, condos and even castles! You can get more than just a place where you can cook your meals or sleep because these vacation rentals are fully furnished.
Over the past few years, the trend of renting out a villa or home in place of a hotel is growing as vacation rental homes industry is thriving and blooming day after day. Renting out apartments or homes is much more affordable when compared to the hotels, which is attracting more and more tourists to make plans for vacations, as it is affordable.
Running a bed and breakfast is a dream career for a lot of people, but if you ask an experienced innkeeper about what it takes to run an inn, you will discover that it involves a lot of work and long hours, especially in the beginning phase of opening a bed and breakfast business. It will eventually get easier to run a B&B, in the meantime, here are some tips to help you manage a B&B with less cost and more efficiency.
After choosing a destination for your vacation, the next problem becomes where to stay. Many people choose hotel chains based on name familiarity and ease, although all you will really get is a place to sleep and nothing more. Many people believe that a bed and breakfast is out of their budget when in fact, a luxury B & B Inn costs the same as a four star hotel.
With a bed and breakfast you receive personalized service and attention, not a number on an invoice
With both unemployment and financial hardship increasing, many people are looking at ways to either start their own business or supplement their existing income. An increasingly popular option is to put your home-making and culinary skills to good use and start a bed and breakfast business
f your business is growing you may find that you are outgrowing your small home office. This can become more of a necessity than a want if you are about to take on employees for the first time. When you find yourself in this situation you should begin to consider short term rentals for business use.
Also various amenities are offered to tourists for a comfortable stay at motel. Some are like Cable/Satellite TV, Air conditioning, Phone, Coffee/tea maker, Microwave, Wake-up calls, Housekeeping, Wi-Fi Available, Rollaway beds, Swimming pool ? outdoor, Fax machine and 24-hour front desk. Food facilities are also available for tourists

More About: Wi Fi Available

Source: http://www.whzqkj.com/travel-and-leisure-vacation-rentals.htm

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Star Citizen's ship insurance explained | Massively

If you've been wondering how ship insurance works in Star Citizen, the game's latest comm link update is for you. Cloud Imperium says that SC's insurance system will ensure that your ship will be replaced "and/or its modifications and cargo will be subsidized should you be destroyed in a fight or accident."

The costs will be "a relatively small part of your regular in-game expenses" (think landing fees, trade tariffs, fuel costs, etc.). Insurance policy upgrades based on risk levels will also be available. Players who pledged to support Star Citizen prior to November 26th will have lifetime insurance on their pledge ships, though it's worth noting that the lifetime coverage does not extend to mods or cargo.

There's much more to read about SC's insurance system, so head to the game's official website for that as well as an update on customer service and stretch goals.

Source: http://massively.joystiq.com/2012/11/27/star-citizens-ship-insurance-explained/

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China's party paper falls for Onion joke about Kim

FILE - In this July 25, 2012 file photo released by the Korean Central News Agency and distributed in Tokyo by the Korea News Service, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju, waves to the crowd as they inspect the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground in Pyongyang, North Korea. The online version of China's Communist Party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming Kim as the "Sexiest Man Alive" - not realizing it is satire. The People's Daily on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the round-faced leader, under the headline "North Korea's top leader named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012." (AP Photo/Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service, File)

FILE - In this July 25, 2012 file photo released by the Korean Central News Agency and distributed in Tokyo by the Korea News Service, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, accompanied by his wife Ri Sol Ju, waves to the crowd as they inspect the Rungna People's Pleasure Ground in Pyongyang, North Korea. The online version of China's Communist Party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming Kim as the "Sexiest Man Alive" - not realizing it is satire. The People's Daily on Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2012 ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the round-faced leader, under the headline "North Korea's top leader named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012." (AP Photo/Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service, File)

BEIJING (AP) ? The online version of China's Communist Party newspaper has hailed a report by The Onion naming North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un as the "Sexiest Man Alive" ? not realizing it is satire.

The People's Daily on Tuesday ran a 55-page photo spread on its website in a tribute to the round-faced leader, under the headline "North Korea's top leader named The Onion's Sexiest Man Alive for 2012."

Quoting The Onion's spoof report, the Chinese newspaper wrote, "With his devastatingly handsome, round face, his boyish charm, and his strong, sturdy frame, this Pyongyang-bred heartthrob is every woman's dream come true."

"Blessed with an air of power that masks an unmistakable cute, cuddly side, Kim made this newspaper's editorial board swoon with his impeccable fashion sense, chic short hairstyle, and, of course, that famous smile," the People's Daily cited The Onion as saying.

The photos the People's Daily selected include Kim on horseback squinting into the light and Kim waving toward a military parade. In other photos, he is wearing sunglasses and smiling, or touring a facility with his wife.

People's Daily could not immediately be reached for comment. A man who answered the phone at the newspaper's duty office said he did not know anything about the report and requested queries be directed to their newsroom on Wednesday morning.

It is not the first time a state-run Chinese newspaper has fallen for a fictional report by the just-for-laughs The Onion.

In 2002, the Beijing Evening News, one of the capital city's biggest tabloids at the time, published as news the fictional account that the U.S. Congress wanted a new building and that it might leave Washington. The Onion article was a spoof of the way sports teams threaten to leave cities in order to get new stadiums.

Two months ago, Iran's semiofficial Fars news agency reprinted a story from The Onion about a supposed survey showing that most rural white Americans would rather vote for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad than President Barack Obama. It included a quote from a fictional West Virginia resident saying he'd rather go to a baseball game with Ahmadinejad because "he takes national defense seriously."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-27-China-Onion-Kim/id-6cca41e90dbe4ab1a86f8de58c3fb044

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In UK Holiday Shopping, Mobile Devices Win Friends And Influence People To The Tune Of Nearly $7B

Over the weekend we saw how much mobile impacted holiday shopping over the Thanksgiving weekend in the U.S. Today, Deloitte is publishing figures that show this is more than a U.S. trend.

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

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Chicago Fed: US economy at near-recession level

The Chicago Federal Reserve National Activity Index fell notably in October 2012, slumping to?a near-recessionary level of -0.56.

By SoldAtTheTop,?Guest blogger / November 26, 2012

This graph shows the Chicago Federal Reserve National Activity Index since 2000. The index indicated pronounced weakness for the US economy in October 2012.

SoldAtTheTop

Enlarge

The latest release of the?Chicago Federal Reserve National Activity Index (CFNAI)?indicated pronounced weakness for the national economy with the index falling notably from the prior month to stand at a near-recessionary level of -0.56 while the three month moving average also slumped to -0.56.?

Skip to next paragraph SoldAtTheTop

Writer, The PaperEconomy Blog

'SoldAtTheTop' is not a pessimist by nature but a true skeptic and realist who prefers solid and sustained evidence of fundamental economic recovery to 'Goldilocks,' 'Green Shoots,' 'Mustard Seeds,' and wholesale speculation.

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The CFNAI is a weighted average of 85 indicators of national economic activity collected into four overall categories of ?production and income?, ?employment, unemployment and income?, ?personal consumption and housing? and ?sales, orders and inventories?.?

The Chicago Fed regards a value of zero for the total index as indicating that the national economy is expanding at its historical trend rate while a negative value indicates below average growth.?

A value at or below -0.70 for the three month moving average of the national activity index (CFNAI-MA3) indicates that the national economy has either just entered or continues in recession.?

The Christian Science Monitor has assembled a diverse group of the best economy-related bloggers out there. Our guest bloggers are not employed or directed by the Monitor and the views expressed are the bloggers' own, as is responsibility for the content of their blogs. To contact us about a blogger, click here.To add or view a comment on a guest blog, please go to the blogger's own site by clicking on paper-money.blogspot.com.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/EyEvO4nV7eo/Chicago-Fed-US-economy-at-near-recession-level

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SMART LIVING IN MONTREAL ? IN THE CONDO KNOW

November 26, 2012 by Barbara Lawlor

One of the wonderful new condominiums being introduced in Montreal this year is Kubik Condos in Ville Mont-Royale. Construction Za-Ne is referring to the intimate seven-storey residence as ?Kubik Smart Living,? and rightly so. The stunning modern exterior of stacked integrated cubes is joined by equally sleek, modern interiors. Amenities will include a stunning lobby, sumptuous spa, invigorating gym and glorious rooftop terrace with comfortable furnishings and inspiring views.

High-quality suite features and finishes will invite you to personalize your space from minimalist to maximum design and comfort. And the living here is smart in more than just design ? a SMART electronics package is included with each purchase including INSTEON thermostats and LED bulbs, building-wide WiFi, Withing WiFi Body Scales, and Lockitron, the latest in distance access and security technology.

Prices for these 80 condominium suites will range from just $149,900 to $249,000, with sizes ranging from a 441 sq. ft. studio to a 1,057 sq. ft. two-bedroom + den. The suites feature stunning interior design, and each has a balcony running its entire length. Plus, for a limited time, purchasers will receive a $5,000 cashback (ask a sales representative for details).

For smart sophisticated living in exciting Montreal, Kubik Condos is a must-see. The Presentation Centre?is now open at 2455 Chemin Manella in Mont-Royale. Register now at?www.baker-re.com?or call 514-908-1711.

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Video: Does the right have the ?right? to rule?

The top team in all the land

Keith Arnold looks back at the good, bad, and ugly from Notre Dame?s 22-13 win over USC while also getting you ready for January?s matchup that will pit the Irish against a SEC foe in a National Championship Game that is sure to thrill even the modest of college football fans.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036697/vp/49971284#49971284

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Will storm-struck US deliver at climate talks?

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? During a year with a monster storm and scorching heat waves, Americans have experienced the kind of freakish weather that many scientists say will occur more often on a warming planet.

And as a re-elected president talks about global warming again, climate activists are cautiously optimistic that the U.S. will be more than a disinterested bystander when the U.N. climate talks resume Monday with a two-week conference in Qatar.

"I think there will be expectations from countries to hear a new voice from the United States," said Jennifer Morgan, director of the climate and energy program at the World Resources Institute in Washington.

The climate officials and environment ministers meeting in the Qatari capital of Doha will not come up with an answer to the global temperature rise that is already melting Arctic sea ice and permafrost, raising and acidifying the seas, and shifting rainfall patterns with impacts on floods and droughts.

They will focus on side issues, like extending the Kyoto protocol ? an expiring emissions pact with a dwindling number of members ? and ramping up climate financing for poor nations.

They will also try to structure the talks for a new global climate deal that is supposed to be adopted in 2015, a process in which American leadership is considered crucial.

Many were disappointed that Obama didn't put more emphasis on climate change during his first term. He took some steps to rein in emissions of heat-trapping gases, such as sharply increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars and trucks. But a climate bill that would have capped U.S. emissions stalled in the Senate.

"We need the U.S. to engage even more," European Union Climate Commissioner Connie Hedegaard told The Associated Press. "Because that can change the dynamic of the talks."

The world tried to move forward without the U.S. after the Bush Administration abandoned the Kyoto Protocol, a 1997 pact limiting greenhouse emissions from industrialized nations. As that agreement expires this year, the climate curves are still pointing in the wrong direction.

The concentration of heat-trapping gases like carbon dioxide has jumped 20 percent since 2000, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels like coal and oil, according to a U.N. report released this week. And each year, the gap between what researchers say must be done to reverse this trend, and what's actually being done, gets wider.

Bridging that gap, through clean technology and renewable energy, is not just up to the U.S., but to countries like India and China, whose carbon emissions are growing the fastest as their economies expand.

But Obama raised hopes of a more robust U.S. role in the talks when he called for a national "conversation" on climate change after winning re-election. The issue had been virtually absent in the presidential campaigning until Hurricane Sandy slammed into the East Coast.

The president still faces domestic political constraints, and there's little hope of the U.S. increasing its voluntary pledge in the U.N. talks of cutting emissions by 17 percent by 2020, compared to 2005 levels.

Still, just a signal that Washington has faith in the international process would go a long way, analysts said.

"The perception of many negotiators and countries is that the U.S. is not really interested in increasing action on climate change in general," said Bill Hare, senior scientist at Climate Analytics, a non-profit organization based in Berlin.

For example, Hare said, the U.S. could stop "talking down" the stated goal of the U.N. talks to keep the temperature rise below 2 degrees C (3.6 F) compared to pre-industrial levels.

Todd Stern, the U.S. special envoy on climate change, caused alarm among climate activists in August when he said that "insisting on a structure that would guarantee such a goal will only lead to deadlock." He later clarified that the U.S. still supports the 2-degree target, but favors a more flexible way to reach it than dividing up carbon rights to the atmosphere.

Countries adopted the 2-degree target in 2009, reasoning that a warming world is a dangerous world, with flooding of coastal cities and island nations, disruptions to agriculture and drinking water, and the spread of diseases and the extinction of species.

A recent World Bank report found the world is on track toward 4 degrees C (6.2 F) of warming, which would entail "extreme heat-waves, declining global food stocks, loss of ecosystems and biodiversity, and life-threatening sea level rise."

The U.S., alone among industrialized countries, didn't ratify the Kyoto Protocol because it found it unfair that China and other emerging economies, as developing countries, were not covered by any binding emissions targets. The U.S. and other rich countries say that firewall must be removed as the talks enter a new phase aimed at adopting a new climate treaty by 2015 that applies to all countries.

China ? now the world's top carbon emitter ? wants to keep a clear dividing line between developed and developing countries, noting that historically, the former bear the brunt of the responsibility for man-made climate change.

The issue is unlikely to be resolved in Doha, where talks will focus on extending Kyoto as a stopgap measure while negotiators work on the wider deal, which would take effect in 2020.

The 27-nation EU, Switzerland, Norway and Australia are on board but New Zealand, Canada and Japan don't want to be part of a second commitment period of Kyoto. That means the extended treaty would cover only about 15 percent of global emissions.

Delegates in Doha will also try to finalize the rules of the Green Climate Fund, which is supposed to raise $100 billion a year by 2020. Financed by richer nations, the fund would support poorer nations in converting to cleaner energy sources and in adapting to a shifting climate that may damage people's health, agriculture and economies in general.

In addition, countries need to agree on a work plan to guide the negotiations on a new treaty. Without a timeframe with clear mileposts, there's a risk of a repeat in 2015 of the hyped-up but ultimately disappointing climate summit in Copenhagen in 2009.

Judging by previous conferences, the negotiations in Doha will ebb and flow, with progress one day being replaced by bitter discord the next. And in the end, after an all-night session, bleary-eyed delegates will emerge with some kind of face-saving "accord" or "action plan" that keeps the talks alive another year, but does little to address the core problem.

"It shows that leaders and also the public in these countries ? the U.S. certainly is one of them ? don't yet understand the full implications of the costs associated with the path that we're on," said Alden Meyer, of the U.S.-based Union of Concerned Scientists.

___

Follow Karl Ritter at www.twitter.com/karl(underscore)ritter

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/storm-struck-us-deliver-climate-talks-111836578.html

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Simple And Efficent Way To Learn Online Network Marketing |

Sunday, November 25th, 2012 at 6:22 AM ?

As you strive to build a home based business you?d be proud of, it is important to find the right approach to learning online network marketing. Understanding the principles of how to use attraction marketing to connect with others online can be a useful tool to growing a successful business.

Here are a few tips to cutting down your learning curve and building your downline fast.

1. Get yourself a marketing system:

There are a few popular online marketing systems out there today that will help guide you and cut down your learning curve. You want to find a system that has a high converting lead capture page, is easy to use, and will pull you in to a supportive community of fellow marketers from who you can get mentoring.

2. Focus on 1 to 2 marketing methods:

Decide where you will focus your prospecting and marketing effort. Facebook, Forums, or Video Marketing? When you have a consistent go-to marketing strategy, you can create momentum from your focused efforts. Jumping from one method to another before you have a steady flow of leads coming in can dilute your results and your income.

Content is king in online Network Marketing

3. Decide how you want to deliver your content?

Decide what method of content delivery you are going to use long-term to build your business. Most online network marketers will choose blogging, but the search engines also love YouTube and article sharing sites as well.

Video marketing is a great way to share your insights and value in a way that helps people connect with you on a personal level at the same time. There is just something about being able to hear and see someone as you learn from them?.and that is what makes video marketing so powerful.

Be persistent?and consistent with Online Network Marketing

But, whatever you choose to do, stick with it and be consistent. This is the only way to get the most traffic out of your efforts.

?4. Join a mastermind group

?Support matters for a new online network marketer. The more support you have, the better your life will be. You can share ideas, swap ideas about what?s working now, and be encouraged when you hit rough patches that are guaranteed to pop up along the way. It helps having an accountability partner, someone who can help promote your brand socially and within industry networks.

Follow these simple steps when you are first starting to build your online network marketing business, and you?ll have more success and attract more business faster.?

To Our Success,

Michael Penny

P.S. The value provided fr you today is the most simple methods and structure I used to learn to generate tons o content and leads online for my Network Marketing Business. It is yours free, click this link and enjoy my recommendation for online Network Marketing community and platform.

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Casey Anthony detectives overlooked Google search

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) ? The Florida sheriff's office that investigated Caylee Anthony's death confirmed Sunday that it overlooked a computer search for suffocation methods made from the little girl's home on the day she was last seen alive.

Orange County sheriff's Capt. Angelo Nieves said the office's computer investigator missed a June 16, 2008, Google search for "fool-proof" suffocation methods. The agency's admission was first reported by Orlando television station WKMG. It's not known who performed the search. The station reported it was done on a browser primarily used by the 2-year-old's mother, Casey Anthony, who was acquitted of the girl's murder in 2011.

Anthony's attorneys argued during trial that Casey Anthony helped her father, George Anthony, cover up the girl's drowning in the family pool.

WKMG said sheriff's investigators pulled 17 vague entries only from the computer's Internet Explorer browser, not the Mozilla Firefox browser commonly used by Casey Anthony. More than 1,200 Firefox entries, including the suffocation search, were overlooked.

Whoever conducted the Google search looked for the term "fool-proof suffication," misspelling "suffocation," and then clicked on an article about suicide that discussed taking poison and putting a bag over one's head.

The browser then recorded activity on the social networking site MySpace, which was used by Casey Anthony but not her father.

A computer expert for Anthony's defense team found the search before the trial. Her lead attorney, Jose Baez, first mentioned the search in his book about the case but suggested it was George Anthony who conducted the search after Caylee drowned because he wanted to kill himself.

Not knowing about the computer search, prosecutors had argued Caylee was poisoned with chloroform and then suffocated by duct tape placed over her mouth and nose. The girl's body was found six months after she disappeared in a field near the family home and was too decomposed for an exact cause of death to be determined.

Many jurors apparently went into hiding amid public outrage over the verdict and refused to comment, but two have said prosecutors couldn't conclusively prove how Caylee died.

Prosecutors Linda Drane Burdick and Jeff Ashton didn't respond to emails from The Associated Press on Sunday.

But Ashton told WKMG that "it's just a shame we didn't have it. This certainly would have put the accidental death claim in serious question."

Baez didn't respond to phone or email messages Sunday from The Associated Press but told WKMG that he expected prosecutors to bring up the search at trial.

"When they didn't, we were kind of shocked," Baez, who no longer represents Anthony, told the station. Her attorney, Cheney Mason, who was also on the trial team, didn't return an email message from AP Sunday, and his office answering service refused to take a phone message.

The sheriff's office didn't consult the FBI or Florida Department of Law Enforcement for help searching the computer in the Anthony case, a mistake investigators have learned from, Nieves said.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/casey-anthony-detectives-overlooked-google-search-153900682.html

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Creativity and Affect | Self Improvement & Personal Growth

Creativity and Affect

The authors of this volume attempt to cohere the field of creativity and affect in a scholarly fashion by categorizing and characterizing some of its major features, including environmental influences; underlying processes; specific affective states; the role of atypical or pathological personalities; unconscious processes; physiological components; proactive and reactive stimuli; intrinsic motivation; eminence versus everyday creativity; and testing of assessing the affective component of creativity. The authors also examine and discuss the role that emotions, feelings and moods play in the creative process. This volume also provides a vehicle for students and psychotherapists, with which they can fully appreciate the feelings generated by the creative process and the various stages of it. How does a creator feel during its more mundane phases? Can he or she tolerate the frustration of failing and being unsuccessful most of the time? What is the real joy of achievement, success, and ultimate acceptance by ones peers in a given field? Do we have to exhibit major psychopathological features in order to achieve eminence in specific fields? What is the role of mind altering substances, mood disorders, and the like? This volume answers these questions and more. Author: Shaw, Melvin P./ Runco, Mark A./ Shaw, Melvin P. Series Title: Creativity Research Binding Type: Hardcover Number of Pages: 296 Publication Date: 1994/01/01 Language: English Dimensions: 9.21 x 6.14 x 0.69 inches
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iCandy Online | Health & Beauty

Fitness

Published on November 23rd, 2012 | by icandy

Describe your style

My style is a mixture of comfort, sporty yet classy kind of day to day wear. I?m not big on accessories but love a good smelling fragrance!

Are you a natural beauty or would you find it hard to live without hair, eyelashes, nails??

I think every girl likes getting her nails and hair done, but to be honest I?m quite simple with my use of make up on a daily basis, a little bit of blusher and mascara and that?s it really. If I?m on a night out, then yes I will doll myself up of course. I like to remain quite natural though!

Are you a high street girl or a designer clothes diva?

A bit of both, if I think something looks good but it isn?t a designer brand, then it would not stop me from purchasing it!

Any favourite places to shop?

Topshop has a whole range of things! Its pretty varied with its style, plus they do a tall section which comes in handy!

How do you maintain your skin?

I wash my face morning and night with GOSH face wash. I try not to moisturize it before bed as it irritates my skin.

What?s your favourite lipstick brand?

Chanel? Its the one!

What?s your favourite makeup brand?

Benefit do a good range, my skin gets on with that brand!

What?s your favourite underwear brand?

AGENT PROVOCATER,? I LOVE IT

What do you do to keep yourself fit?

I go to the gym 4 times a week and combine weight training with boxing and cardio exercise.

Do you stick to a strict diet or do you eat whatever you like?

I try to be good in the week and every Sunday I have a cheat meal, which would probably be either a burger or pizza, I?m a big chocoholic as well!

Whats your twitter name?

@louisebee10

Website address?

http://www.platinumangels.co.uk/london/models/louise-b

Source: http://www.icandy-online.com/fitness-and-beauty-with-fitness-model-louise-bee-louisebee10/

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50Plus : Health : Obesity gene could protect against depression

The notion that obese people are more likely to be depressed is challenged by Canadian researchers.

It has long been thought that people who are obese are more likely to be depressed ? whether because of self esteem and?discrimination?issues resulting from?their?appearance, the?perceived?lack of physical activity and healthy eating habits, or the fact that anti-depressants are known to cause weight gain.

A new study at McMaster University in Ontario has found the opposite to be more likely. While it is common knowledge that depression has a genetic component, no gene has been found to be associated with the illness.

Researchers decided to test how the obesity gene may be linked to depression, and the results showed that a variant of the FTO gene may actually give carriers a lower risk for depression, no matter its effect on their weight. The new findings challenge the common stereotype that overweight people are depressed, since researchers found that those with the genetic mutation were actually protected from the disease.

?This suggests that the FTO gene may have a broader role than initially thought with an effect on depression and other common psychiatric disorders,? they wrote in the study report.

This protective effect was found to be the case regardless of ethnicity, as it was consistent in four different studies around the world.

For the McMaster study, led by David Meyre, associate professor in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics, researchers?analysed?the FTO gene mutation in 6,591 people with depression, along with 21,000 others who were not diagnosed with the disease.

While the study may not affect the way doctors diagnose and treat depression, researchers hope it will change the biased and limiting view that obesity leads to depression. Next steps include an examination of the 59 other genes associated with obesity as well as similar research with various diseases linked to obesity, such as Type 2 diabetes.

Sources: CBC.

Photo ?iStockphoto.com/okeyphotos

READ MORE
The Zoomer Report: Obesity and Later Life
The obesity epidemic
Fatty food linked to depression
The Zoomer Report: Testosterone and Aging

Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved - ZoomerMedia Limited.

Source: http://www.50plus.com/health/obesity-gene-could-protect-against-depression/196375/

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Congo rebels advance as regional leaders seek cease-fire

The war continues to expand in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with rebels vowing to extend the gains they've made in the east of the country as more civilians are forced to flee their homes.

By Max Delaney,?Correspondent / November 23, 2012

Refugees flee the town of Sake in Congo after the government failed to liberate the town from the M23 rebel movement.

Jerome Delay/AP

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As regional leaders talked peace in plush hotel rooms a country away, fighting between rebels and government troops in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east rumbled on.

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On Friday, civilians carrying meager bundles of their belongings continued to stream out of the town of Sake a day after the Congolese national Army and an allied local militia tried ? and failed ? to retake the town from the M23 rebels.

Where those fleeing can go is unclear. Already tens of thousands of people displaced by the swirl of fighting are struggling to survive in makeshift camps studding the stony countryside.

The rebels pushed on with their offensive, capturing towns and villages around the regional capital Goma ? which they have controlled without challenge since seizing it from Congo's ragtag military on Tuesday. Buoyed by their victory the rebels said they were going much farther ? Congo's capital Kinshasa, a thousand miles to the west.

The continuing advance comes despite a flurry of diplomatic efforts to end the fighting.

As Goma fell, the three men who are widely seen as having played a central role in creating the conflict ? and could play the key role to end it ? met for talks at a luxury hotel on the shores of lake Victoria outside Uganda's capital Kampala.

On the one side was Congo's beleaguered president Joseph Kabila ? who had just seen his army melt away and angry protestors torch his party offices in several cities. On the other side was Rwandan President Paul Kagame ? the man whose own defense minister is in de facto command of the M23 rebels, according to the UN and Congo.

And somewhere in the middle was Uganda's wily leader Yoweri Museveni, a compromised mediator given that some senior Ugandan officials, including Mr. Museveni's own younger brother, have been accused by the UN of supporting the rebels.

Backing DRC?

At a hastily convened press conference on Wednesday the three presidents, looking weary after hours of talks, demanded the rebels stop fighting and pull out of Goma, while Museveni and President Kagame said they could not ?entertain the idea of overthrowing the legitimate government of the DRC or undermining its authority.?

"Wherever they [M23] are we shall tell them to go back. The region is saying to them to go back ... and I can assure you they will go back," Museveni said.

For its part, the government of Congo said it would ?look expeditiously into the causes of [the rebels'] discontent and address them as best as it can.? Mr. Kabila was noncommittal when asked about the possibility of direct negotiations ? the rebels' major demand.

While the presidents seemed confident about stopping the violence, no one seemed to have told the rebels to stop fighting. Rebel leaders said they would not be withdrawing from Goma any time soon.

Museveni reportedly sent a chopper down to the Congo border on Thursday to spirit M23's political chief to Kampala for talks, and Kagame and Kabila are expected back in town over the weekend.

But whether Kabila will agree to negotiate face-to-face with the rebels remains the big question, say analysts.

?Given that the FARDC [Congo's Army] is not strong enough to defeat M23 it's not clear that he is in a position to block such an agreement. It may be his only choice,? says Laura Seay, a regional expert at Morehouse College in the US. ?That said, Kabila only wants to deal with Rwanda, not the M23, as he sees Kigali as the source of M23's strength.?

And despite intense international pressure to find a solution, both sides remain far apart.

?It's hard to see what a negotiated solution would look like at this stage,? Ms. Seay says

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/fnbkVWhjiOE/Congo-rebels-advance-as-regional-leaders-seek-cease-fire

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Energy efficient windows ? Home Improvement: House Plans ...

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Source: http://boynamalikas.blogspot.com/2012/11/energy-efficient-windows-home.html

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Eating right key to survival of whales and dolphins

Thursday, November 22, 2012

In the marine world, high-energy prey make for high-energy predators. And to survive, such marine predators need to sustain the right kind of high-energy diet. Not just any prey will do, suggests a new study by researchers from the University of British Columbia and University of La Rochelle, in France.

Published today in the online journal PLOS ONE, the study is the first to show that the survival of whales and dolphins depends on the quality of their diets and this plays an important role in conservation.

"The conventional wisdom is that marine mammals can eat anything," says co-author Andrew Trites, a marine mammal expert at UBC. "However, we found that some species of whales and dolphins require calorie rich diets to survive while others are built to live off low quality prey?and it has nothing to do with how big they are."

The team compared the diets of 11 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, and found differences in the qualities of prey consumed that could not be explained by the different body sizes of the predators. The key to understanding the differences in their diets was to look at their muscle performance.

"High energy prey tend to be more mobile, and require their predators to spend more energy to catch them," says Trites. "The two have co-evolved."

J?r?me Spitz, the study's first author, says the research will help better assess the impact of resource changes to marine mammals.

"Species with high energy needs are more sensitive to depletion of their primary prey," says Spitz, a post-doctoral fellow at ULR in France, who completed the research while a visiting scholar at UBC. "It is no longer a question of how much food do whales and dolphins need, but whether they are able to get the right kinds of food to survive."

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University of British Columbia: http://www.ubc.ca

Thanks to University of British Columbia for this article.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125433/Eating_right_key_to_survival_of_whales_and_dolphins

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