UPDATE 3-Cricket-Controversial former England captain Greig dies

(Adds quotes, details)

* Outstanding all-rounder and captain diagnosed with cancer

* Key figure in World Series Cricket revolution

MELBOURNE, Dec 29 (Reuters) - Former England captain Tony Greig, one of the architects of cricket's World Series revolution in the 1970s, has died at the age of 66 after suffering a heart attack at his Sydney home on Saturday.

Greig, who was diagnosed with lung cancer in October, was taken to a Sydney hospital but died at about 1:45 pm (0245 GMT).

"The staff of the emergency department worked on Mr Greig to no avail," a spokesman at St Vincent's hospital told local media.

A larger-than-life figure standing 6ft 6in (1.98 metres), South Africa-born Greig was an outstanding all-rounder who played 58 tests for England from 1972-77, scoring 3,599 runs at 40.43 including eight centuries and claiming 141 wickets at 32.20 each. He was also a brilliant slip fielder, taking 87 catches in test matches.

Greig could bowl at either a lively medium-pace or, on occasion, employ quickish off-spin, using his height and bounce in the latter style to take 13 wickets and win a test match in the Caribbean.

But Greig and controversy were never far apart and on the same West Indies tour in 1974 he ran out Alvin Kallicharran while the batsman was walking back to the pavilion after the last ball of the day had been bowled.

Technically Kallicharran was out as the umpire had not yet indicated play had officially ended, but after spectators invaded the ground and threatened to riot, the batsman was recalled.

Later that year on the Ashes tour of Australia, Greig sometimes seemed to be playing the Australians on his own as Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson blitzed the hapless England batsmen with their pace, menace and bounce.

He was promoted to the captaincy in the following year after England lost the first Ashes test at home and immediately infused his own aggression and determination into the team who drew the next three tests against one of the strongest sides in history.

WEST INDIES OUTRAGED

However, in 1976 Greig attracted further unwanted controversy before a series against West Indies when he said he intended to make the tourists "grovel".

The use of the word by a white South African in a time of heightened racial tensions enraged the West Indies, whose fast bowlers noticeably lifted their pace when Greig arrived at the crease on their way to a 3-0 series victory.

Greig's biggest impact on the game came after he joined forces in 1977 with late Australian businessman Kerry Packer to set up the breakaway World Series Cricket (WSC) competition.

Media magnate Packer's concept, aimed at securing cricket broadcast rights for his Channel Nine in Australia, shook up the game's world order by pioneering limited overs matches played at night and turning cricketers into full-time professionals.

Greig's signature lent credibility to WSC and he played a key role in recruiting disaffected players to the controversial competition which lasted only two years but permanently changed the face of the game.

"He influenced all those guys from overseas, certainly, and the West Indies to join World Series Cricket and it was great for cricket what he had done," former Australia batsman Doug Walters, who played in the WSC competition, told Sky News.

"Greig was one of the great competitors of cricket...he was someone that really took the fight to Australia, but he took the fight to everybody.

"Win, lose or draw he was the first guy in our dressing room with a couple of beers in his hands."

COMBATIVE CHARACTER

Greig's recruitment to WSC's cause put him at loggerheads with cricket's conservative establishment and he was stripped of the England captaincy in 1977. His international career ended that year after he had made a typically whole-hearted contribution under Mike Brearley to England's Ashes success at home.

A long-time resident Down Under, Greig later became a cricket commentator with Channel Nine, having been promised a "job for life" by Packer.

A combative and occasionally abrasive character, Greig's booming voice and signature white hat featured on Australian television screens for over three decades, but his battle with cancer prevented him from taking his position behind the microphone for the current 2012/13 season.

"It's a great loss to world cricket. To me personally I'm shattered," said former Australia captain Bill Lawry, who spent decades alongside Greig in Nine's commentary box.

"World cricket's lost one of its greatest ambassadors."

Tributes flowed for Greig, who went from being a villain to a highly-respected cricket pundit in his adopted country.

"RIP Tony Greig!! You have left a great footprint on the world of cricket. My condolences to the Greig family," retired West Indies batting great Brian Lara said in a post on his Twitter account.

"Not only was he a wonderful player and a very successful player for England, I think he was a wonderful guy," Australia captain Michael Clarke told Australian television.

England and Wales Cricket Board chief executive David Collier said Greig had been "an extremely talented all-round cricketer and captain".

"He was a giant of a man who played a major role in the changing face of cricket during the 1970s," Collier said in a statement (Reporting by Ian Ransom and John Mehaffey; Editing by Peter Rutherford and Alison Wildey; peter.rutherford@thomsonreuters.com)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cricket-former-england-captain-greig-dies-reports-050252845--spt.html

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Genetic sequencing breakthrough to aid treatment for congenital hyperinsulinism

Dec. 27, 2012 ? Congenital hyperinsulinism is a genetic condition where a baby's pancreas secretes too much insulin. It affects approximately one in 50,000 live births and in severe cases requires the surgical removal of all or part of the pancreas.

Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School are the first in the world to utilise new genetic sequencing technology to sequence the entirety of a gene in order to identify mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Previously, existing technology limited such sequencing to only part of the coding regions of the gene which meant that some mutations were missed.

Using new Illumina genetic sequencing technology, the research team led by Professor Sian Ellard has discovered novel mutations that cause hyperinsulinism. Their findings are published December 27 2012, on-line by The American Journal of Human Genetics.

The outcome will be that some infants born with hyperinsulinism will require fewer investigations, because the new technology means that for many only one genetic test will be required to determine the extent of the condition in each child. It also means that clinicians will have more information at their fingertips to inform them about how much of the pancreas needs to be removed.

Approximately 50 per cent of patients with congenital hyperinsulinism require surgery, and of those half require the entire pancreas to be removed. Removal of the entire pancreas increases the risk of diabetes later in life, but if left undiagnosed and untreated hyperinsulinism can result in irreparable brain damage. Symptoms range from shakiness and tiredness to seizure and coma.

Dr. Sarah Flanagan, Research Fellow in Molecular Genetics at the University of Exeter Medical School said: "The potential provided by this new technology is important and exciting, because it allows us to investigate genetic coding in its entirety. This means that investigators can identify mutations that sit at the heart of any number of conditions where before they might have been missed. This in turn results in better information for clinicians upon which they can base effective treatments and interventions for their patients."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Exeter, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Sarah?E. Flanagan, Weijia Xie, Richard Caswell, Annet Damhuis, Christine Vianey-Saban, Teoman Akcay, Feyza Darendeliler, Firdevs Bas, Ayla Guven, Zeynep Siklar, Gonul Ocal, Merih Berberoglu, Nuala Murphy, Maureen O?Sullivan, Andrew Green, Peter?E. Clayton, Indraneel Banerjee, Peter?T. Clayton, Khalid Hussain, Michael?N. Weedon, Sian Ellard. Next-Generation Sequencing Reveals Deep Intronic Cryptic ABCC8 and HADH Splicing Founder Mutations Causing Hyperinsulinism by Pseudoexon Activation. The American Journal of Human Genetics, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.11.017

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/health_medicine/genes/~3/Hvyf7POeyVQ/121227130325.htm

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How to have a heart-healthy New Year

When you make your New Year?s Resolutions this year, don?t forget to include heart health. After all, there?s only one to a customer. If you want to optimize your heart health, a new book can lead the way. Brenda Watson?s ?Heart of Perfect Health? is filled with information that can fine-tune this essential organ.

Ms. Watson notes that few would argue that we are at a serious point regarding the health of Americans. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women in our nation and 1 in 3 people have some form of cardiovascular disease. Her area of focus has always been digestion; therefore, she did not envision that she would write a book about heart disease. However, as time progressed, her family experienced heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, weight gain, and diabetes. As a result, understanding these issues became very personal for hers. Her mantra has always been: ?Heal your gut, heal your body,? knowing digestive health is connected to heart health.

She points out that when she consults with doctors and cardiologists regarding the root cause of chronic disease, their response s have overwhelmingly been inflammation. Studies clearly show that chronic, low-grade inflammation; also called silent inflammation, underlies heart disease and other chronic conditions. But what causes this silent inflammation?

You may be surprised to learn that the digestive system is the major source of silent inflammation, largely due to a condition known as leaky gut syndrome, or increased intestinal permeability. A host of dietary and digestive factors can trigger leaky gut and silent inflammation, ultimately leading to heart disease. Indeed, you must heal your gut to heal your heart.

There are three main warning signs of silent inflammation that should be monitored: (1) high blood pressure, (2) high cholesterol, and (3) high blood sugar. These markers, when ignored, allow the silent inflammation, like a smoldering fire, to trigger chronic disease in the body.

Ms. Watson explains that she is on a crusade to empower people to become their own health advocate and to share the simple steps that can be taken today to stop silent inflammation, heal the gut, and in many cases, prevent and even reverse heart disease and other chronic conditions. She notes that one can start with eating more fat. Beneficial omega-3 fats have been shown to decrease silent inflammation and improve heart health. Next, we must decrease our sugar intake. Sugar is like gasoline on the embers of silent inflammation. Last, we need more fiber: 35 grams daily. A diet high in non-starchy vegetables and fruits, healthy fats, lean proteins, nuts, and seeds, along with supplements to reach your goals, will help get you to the heart of perfect health.

In addition to explaining nutritional factors involved in heart health, the high-quality, beautifully illustrated book debunks common heart disease myths, such as ?cholesterol is bad,? ?only diabetics need to worry about blood sugar,? and ?a low-fat diet is heart healthy.?

About Brenda Watson: For more than 20 years, Brenda Watson, C.N.C. has dedicated her career to helping people achieve vibrant, lasting health through improved digestive function. A dynamic health advocate, she is among the foremost authorities in America today on optimum nutrition and digestion, natural detoxification methods, and herbal internal cleansing. A New York Times best-selling author and seven books later, Brenda continues to educate people about the digestive connection to total-body health. Brenda?s high-energy, no-nonsense approach to bodily functions has made her a popular presenter on PBS and a frequent health expert on national television. Her fifth PBS special, ?Heart of Perfect Health? currently airs nationally. For more information visit, click on this link.

See also:
Tips on how to live to be 100: Reflection on Centenarians 2010 Report
Healthy alternatives to seven foods that impact your health
It is never too late to adopt a healthy diet to reduce heart attack risk

Source: http://www.emaxhealth.com/11306/how-have-heart-healthy-new-year

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Risk Management Online Course From A Risk Management College

The security industry is as diverse as the people it aims to protect. From physical security to risk mitigation and security planning, the goal of the security planner is to ensure the well-being of the organization, both financially and physically. Risk management is a large tool in the process of providing the security and safety desired by an organization. As risk management becomes a more vital tool for business survival, many potential security practitioners are looking for a risk management college that offers a risk management online course of instruction.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network, risk management involves the ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong and the ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. This does not mean the risk manager has to specifically solve the problem, but he needs to be able to identify the problem and communicate it to the right person or people in order to mitigate the identified issue. It is within this concept a risk management online course can greatly enhance a practitioner's knowledge and awareness of mitigation techniques.

Online courses provide increased flexibility with education and often provide greater real-world knowledge as instructors at online universities are often working in their field of specialty. This direct application allows for students to learn and study theories, while at the same time understanding the limitations of those theories as they apply to the real world.

The goal of a risk manager is to protect a corporation or business from work-related injuries or asset losses. Often the term security is used, but to differentiate, risk management addresses in-house threats to the personal safety and welfare of the employees as well as external security issues. External concerns relate to the loss of profit margin by way of asset loss or damage through accidental or malicious acts, shrinkage, and liability risks.

Risk management and security management, although distinct in how they are carried out, often overlap each other. Students at a risk management college learn lessons relating to security and its effect (both positive and negative) on the business continuity. Risk management training also addresses security/safety from a planning, operations, and response perspective. Risk management is tasked with the "big picture" analysis of safety and security measures, which are often suggested by security managers.

Risk management is the ability to manage mitigation. If a threat or issue exists, it is obvious to anyone that removal of the threat would solve the problem. In reality, however, it is not so simple. Computer viruses are a common threat and therefore the simple fix would be to prevent internet or external memory devices from entering the workplace. For obvious reasons in today's society this is not a reasonable alternative, so mitigation is needed to reduce the threat while still allowing the organization to function properly. Mitigation techniques must then be routinely managed to ensure effectiveness and implementation.

Risk management, along with security management, share a "bright outlook" from the Occupational Informational Network and are expected to see a 9%-19% growth of industry through 2020.

In order to be prepared for the risk management field where practitioners are expected to plan for, prevent, and, when needed, successfully respond to disruptions in business operations, a risk management college can provide the information needed to become successful. For those already in a career and looking for a change, or those who simply want a more flexible schedule, a risk management online course may be most desirable to attain the goal of becoming a risk management specialist.

Dan Sommer works for Henley-Putnam University, a leading educational institution in the field of Strategic Security. For more info on Henley-Putnam University, risk management online course, risk management college, call 888-852-8746 or visit us online at www.Henley-Putnam.edu

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/risk-management-online-course-from-a-risk-management-college-309664

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Elevated levels of C-reactive protein appear associated with psychological distress, depression

Dec. 24, 2012 ? Elevated levels of C-reactive protein, a marker of inflammatory disease, appear to be associated with increased risk of psychological distress and depression in the general population of adults in Denmark, according to a report published Online First by Archives of General Psychiatry, a JAMA Network publication.

Depression is one of the leading causes of disability and previous studies suggest that low-grade systemic inflammation may contribute to the development of depression. C-reactive protein (CRP) is a commonly used marker of inflammation, and inflammatory disease is suspected when CRP levels exceed 10 mg/L. Researchers are unclear whether and to what extent elevated CRP levels are associated with psychological distress and depression in the general population, according to the study background.

Marie Kim Wium-Andersen, M.D., of Herlev Hospital and Copenhagen University Hospital, Denmark, and colleagues examined whether elevated plasma levels of CRP were associated with distress and depression. Researchers analyzed CRP levels using data from two general population studies in Copenhagen, which included 73,131 men and women ages 20 to 100 years.

"The main finding of this study consisted of an association of elevated CRP levels with an increased risk for psychological distress and depression in the general population," the authors comment.

Increasing CRP levels were associated with increasing risk for psychological distress and depression in analyses. For self-reported antidepressant use, the odds ratio was 1.38 for CRP levels of 1.01 to 3 mg/L, 2.02 for 3.01 to 10 mg/L, and 2.7 for greater than 10 mg/L compared with 0.01 to 1 mg/L. For prescription of antidepressants, the corresponding odds ratios were 1.08, 1.47 and 1.77, respectively; for hospitalization with depression they were 1.30, 1.84 and 2.27 respectively. Other analyses suggest that increasing CRP levels also were associated with increasing risk for hospitalization with depression, according to the study results.

"More research is needed to establish the direction of the association between CRP and depression because this study and others are primarily cross-sectional. The results also support the initiation of intervention studies to examine whether adding anti-inflammatory drugs to antidepressants for treatment of depression will improve outcome," the authors conclude.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by JAMA and Archives Journals.

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Journal Reference:

1. Wium-Andersen M, ?rsted D, Nielsen S, Nordestgaard B. Elevated C-Reactive Protein Levels, Psychological Distress, and Depression in 73?131 IndividualsElevated CRP Levels and Psychiatric Illness. Archives of General Psychiatry, 2012; DOI: 10.1001/2013.jamapsychiatry.102

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/bZXk6VGWx7o/121226081050.htm

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Video: Christmas Came Early for Big Labor

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50300674/

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imranijins: Vocational Education

December 26, 2012 Education

Economies of the world will turn into knowledge economies. With the basics of the world are changing with the evolution of technologies, it is important for a person to specialize in a particular area to find gainful employment.

This type of specialization is taught by vocational schools. In the fields of health, technology, art and business of professional training is offered in general. The classification of these subjects will still be conducted in other courses.

Vocational education has gained increased revival of enthusiasm in the world of today?s demand for skilled workers for the company. Vocational training in the details is extremely diverse theme and title of the analysis of a wide range of references and sources includes several specific questions about education, vocational training and career. You will find many online sources that can help you with detailed information about the training in education. Due to the desperate need that rises on a large scale among corporate houses of skilled workers in the world today believe that the people business schools, rebuild its stable foundation.

Faculty of vocational schools is very experienced. They provide practical knowledge to their students. As a result, students are able to have a real life experience and industry practice. Students are also provided with training.

There are several professional development projects around the world. In fact, every state has vocational schools, where villagers can earn degrees and become part of a dedicated workforce. The majority of these training institutions. Work according to the rules and regulations of the State Department of Education The Ministry of Education of the State or Central Government granted recognition training institute.

AVLC is a center of learning, different types of training, such as vocational training, job training, training, English IELTS and so provides.

Source: http://nationalmilitarychildeducationcenter.net/education/vocational-education.html

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Source: http://imranijins.blogspot.com/2012/12/vocational-education.html

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Link between pot, psychosis goes both ways in kids

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Marijuana (cannabis) use may be linked to the development of psychotic symptoms in teens - but the reverse could also be true: psychosis in adolescents may be linked to later pot use, according to a new Dutch study.

"We have focused mainly on temporal order; is it the chicken or the egg? As the study shows, it is a bidirectional relationship," wrote the study's lead author Merel Griffith-Lendering, a doctoral candidate at Leiden University in The Netherlands, in an email to Reuters Health.

Previous research established links between marijuana and psychosis, but scientists questioned whether pot use increased the risk of mental illness, or whether people were using pot to ease their psychotic symptoms, such as hallucinations and delusions.

"What is interesting in this study is that both processes are going on at the same time," said Dr. Gregory Seeger, medical director for addiction services at Rochester General Hospital in upstate New York.

He told Reuters Health that researchers have been especially concerned about what tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the active property in pot, could do to a teenager's growing brain.

"That's a very vulnerable period of time for brain development," and individuals with a family history of schizophrenia and psychosis seem to be more sensitive to the toxic effects of THC, he said.

A 2010 study of 3,800 Australian teenagers found that those who used marijuana were twice as likely to develop psychosis compared to teens who never smoked pot (see Reuters Health article of March 1, 2010 here:).

But that study also found that those who suffered from hallucinations and delusions when they were younger were also more likely to use pot early on.

CHICKEN v. EGG

For the new study, published in the journal Addiction, the researchers wanted to see which came first: pot or psychosis.

Griffith-Lendering and her colleagues used information on 2,120 Dutch teenagers, who were surveyed about their pot use when they were about 14, 16 and 19 years old.

The teens also took psychosis vulnerability tests that asked - among other things - about their ability to concentrate, their feelings of loneliness and whether they see things other people don't.

Overall, the researchers found 940 teens, or about 44 percent, reported smoking pot, and there was a bidirectional link between pot use and psychosis.

For example, using pot at 16 years old was linked to psychotic symptoms three years later, and psychotic symptoms at age 16 were linked to pot use at age 19.

This was true even when the researchers accounted for mental illness in the kids' families, alcohol use and tobacco use.

Griffith-Lendering said she could not say how much more likely young pot users were to exhibit psychotic symptoms later on.

Also, the new study cannot prove one causes the other. Genetics may also explain the link between pot use and psychosis, said Griffith-Lendering.

"We can say for some people that cannabis comes first and psychosis comes second, but for some people they have some (undiagnosed) psychosis (and) perhaps cannabis makes them feel better," said Dr. Marta Di Forti, of King's College, London, who was not involved with the new research.

Di Forti, who has studied the link between pot and psychosis, told Reuters Health she considers pot a risk factor for psychosis - not a cause.

Seeger, who was also not involved with the new study, said that there needs to be more public awareness of the connection.

"I think the marijuana is not a harmless substance. Especially for teenagers, there should be more of a public health message out there that marijuana has a public health risk," he said.

Griffith-Lendering agrees.

"Given the severity and impact of psychotic disorders, prevention programs should take this information into consideration," she said.

SOURCE: http://bit.ly/Rr63N8 Addiction, online December 7, 2012.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/between-pot-psychosis-goes-both-ways-kids-215720943.html

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Eric Chua : Life, Business and Real Estate in Singapore ? The ...

Sometimes, you have a light-bulb moment and get hit with a great new business idea. When you have a great idea, you can start on your new venture. Keep reading for some ideas that can catapult your business to the next level.

You need to remember that you will need to use some of your profits from Web marketing to do more marketing. This creates a cycle of marketing, customers, and profits that can propel your business forward.

Create an easily accessible email list of your potential and current clients. Ask users to sign up on your site or require them to submit an email address before making a purchase. Later, you can incorporate this information to market to your customers, as well as send them promotional materials or inquire about customer feedback.

TIP! Since no business will thrive on luck alone you must be prepared to invest hard work, patience and plenty of dedication to your internet marketing business. Any business with long-term profitability and success worked hard to achieve those goals.

Make sure you have a good logo even if you are a small company. These tools are going to assist with building brand recognition. A potential customer can remember a slogan for a while. A customer might remember your slogan when deciding to make a purchase, which will increase your likelihood of making a sale.

Add a feedback form to the bottom of your advertisement that solicits opinions and explanations from people who have made the decision not to purchase. Perhaps there was something about your ad copy or your guarantee that they did not like.

Use your advertising campaign to make a personal connection with your potential customers. Use your name in your advertisements and have a picture of your face on your website. Hand write a note to welcome new visitors to your site.

TIP! Consistent blogging is a productive way to enhance any online marketing venture. A blog is another venue where consumers can find more information about your product or services.

Deals and sales can help boost the ranking of your site. An excellent deal is, in some ways, like buying your PageRank, as it will lead to many deal and general consumer news sites linking to you. This is just like stores marking down items that do not sell well at full price.

You can market your website as a place of social gathering rather than a business. This can hep build traffic to your website as customers come back to interact with others. This helps to keep your site at the front of people?s minds. You can also get some free advertising out of it. Give out different graphics and badges that people can use to advertise your site.

If you are using email marketing, you need to rotate links that are included in your correspondence. It is all too easy for customers to no longer even see the links that become too familiar. Keeping things constantly changing (even just a little bit) will prevent your readers from skipping over your links.

TIP! Do you want to break into the world of Internet marketing? Offer a great reason for your visitors to give their email. When they do, you will grow your opt-in mailing list.

Competition can be a very valuable tool for your Online marketing efforts. Research what your competition is doing and the things that are helping them as well as hurting them. You can learn a lot from watching what other people are doing. You can learn how to become successful and avoid mistakes.

Putting ads in various places online is one basic method of Online marketing. There are many companies who will allow you to do this, and Google AdSense is a very popular one. You just need to do the work of creating the ad up front, and let them do the rest of the work for you with the sharing of your information with potential customers afterward.

TIP! Send related items and catalogs to your customers. They are more likely to make purchases from you if a previous order went well.

Try to make your ads look unique, instead of traditional and common banner ads. By freshening up your banner ads, you will get more clicks.

It is most important that your customers trust you and that you maintain their trust. Utilize only information which is supported by documented evidence when designing and promoting your campaigns. Use things such as proven results and endorsements from experts and previous clients as proof to back up your claims.

Be active on the major social media networks to increase your customer base. Develop a Facebook page to give your customers a place to enter their feedback. You can use Twitter as a way of having a casual conversation with your clientele.

TIP! Building and sustaining a customer management database can improve your Internet marketing work. This type of database keeps track of customers, along with their purchasing histories.

A good Internet market tip is to always come off as someone who is an expert in whatever it is you are offering on your site. This will help you gain credibility since you will have a lot of correct information. If you claim you are an expert and you are not, most people will be able to see through your dishonest claims.

Putting yourself in the best position to make a profit is what it?s all about here. The tips you?ve read here will allow you to position yourself correctly, so do not neglect to use them. With patience and hard work, you?ll be rightfully rewarded in no time flat.

Join me on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/maynaseric

Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/the-newcomers-guide-to-efficient-affiliate-marketing

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TrackBack - MS Estate Planning

As in many estate planning strategies, the goal in this one is to remove rapidly appreciating assets with the GRAT to make sure that there will be enough left over at the end of the day to pay off the premium loan amount.

Over the past number of years, the stock market's ever-rising performance meant that the use of a GRAT as an exit strategy was successful. ?The recent economic crisis and its aftermath, however, have caused many to rethink entering a premium finance plan and others to have difficulty exiting as planned.

On the other hand, current loan interest rates are very attractive. ?If investment returns tick up in the near future, premium finance will likely be more attractive than ever.

Excerpt from The Complete Guide to Estate and Financial Planning in Turbulent Times (Collaborative Press, 2011) - Walt Dallas, Contributing Author

Click here to register for our eNewsletter.

For more information on Madison and Jackson MS Wills Trusts and other Estate Planning please visit our website.

For a Video on Health Care Directive please visit our website.

?

Source: http://blog.estateplanning123.com/2012/12/life-insurance-i-have-been-told-that-i-need-an-exit-strategy-with-my-premium-finance-pt-2.html

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'Hobbit' holds on at $36.9M, 'Reacher' does $15.6M

Director Peter Jackson arrives at the UK premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" at The Odeon Leicester Square, London on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)

Director Peter Jackson arrives at the UK premiere of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" at The Odeon Leicester Square, London on Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. (Photo by Jon Furniss/Invision/AP)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" easily defended its box-office title, remaining the No. 1 film for a second weekend with $36.9 million.

A rush of newcomers mostly had modest openings, led by Tom Cruise's action tale "Jack Reacher" at No. 2 with $15.6 million.

The top 20 movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Hollywood.com are:

1. "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," Warner Bros., $36,940,000, 4,100 locations, $9,010 average, $150,093,000, two weeks.

2. "Jack Reacher," Paramount, $15,600,000, 3,352 locations, $4,654 average, $15,600,000, one week.

3. "This Is 40," Universal, $12,030,690, 2,913 locations, $4,130 average, $12,030,690, one week.

4. "Rise of the Guardians," Paramount, $5,900,000, 3,031 locations, $1,947 average, $79,694,000, five weeks.

5. "Lincoln," Disney, $5,525,774, 2,293 locations, $2,410 average, $116,673,598, seven weeks.

6. "The Guilt Trip," Paramount, $5,390,000, 2,431 locations, $2,217 average, $7,421,000, one week.

7. "Monsters, Inc." in 3-D, Disney, $4,774,686, 2,618 locations, $1,824 average, $6,259,667, one week.

8. "Skyfall," Sony, $4,700,000, 2,365 locations, $1,987 average, $279,972,000, seven weeks.

9. "Life of Pi," Fox, $4,017,237, 1,750 locations, $2,296 average, $76,373,481, five weeks.

10. "The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn ? Part 2," Summit, $2,626,955, 2,000 locations, $1,313 average, $281,632,689, six weeks.

11. "Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away," Paramount, $2,135,000, 840 locations, $2,542 average, $2,254,000, one week.

12. "Wreck-It Ralph," Disney, $1,819,036, 1,444 locations, $1,260 average, $171,741,561, eight weeks.

13. "Silver Linings Playbook," Weinstein Co., $1,781,196, 371 locations, $4,801 average, $19,861,238, six weeks.

14. "Dabangg 2," Eros International, $1,019,213, 166 locations, $6,140 average, $1,019,213, one week.

15. "Argo," Warner Bros., $903,000, 450 locations, $2,007 average, $106,439,000, 11 weeks.

16. "Red Dawn," Film District, $794,880, 1,011 locations, $786 average, $42,626,783, five weeks.

17. "Flight," Paramount, $709,000, 742 locations, $956 average, $90,989,000, eight weeks.

18. "Anna Karenina," Focus, $667,669, 331 locations, $2,017 average, $9,645,583, six weeks.

19. "Hitchcock," Fox Searchlight, $579,676, 535 locations, $1,084 average, $4,194,968, five weeks.

20. "Playing for Keeps," Film District, $424,105, 851 locations, $498 average, $12,410,463, three weeks.

___

Online:

http://www.hollywood.com

___

Universal and Focus are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of Comcast Corp.; Sony, Columbia, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount is owned by Viacom Inc.; Disney, Pixar and Marvel are owned by The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is owned by Filmyard Holdings LLC; 20th Century Fox and Fox Searchlight are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a group of former creditors including Highland Capital, Anchorage Advisors and Carl Icahn; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC is owned by AMC Networks Inc.; Rogue is owned by Relativity Media LLC.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-24-Box%20Office/id-39899d9d215f4fac8e23279575f48643

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robertjump: Most Popular Diets of 2012 | Health and Fitness ...

Most Popular Diets of 2012

Michael Phelps' 12,000-calorie-a-day training diet and Beyonce's maple syrup cleanse may top Google's list of the 10 most-searched diets of 2012, but the popular website Diets in Review.com found that when people want to get serious about weight loss, ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Source: http://health-fitness.holidayinndeals.net/?p=2297

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UN envoy worried after talks with Syria's Assad

BEIRUT (AP) ? The international envoy to Syria said after talks with the country's leader Monday that the situation was "worrying" and gave no indication of progress toward a negotiated solution for the civil war.

Lakhdar Brahimi's mission came as activists reported intense fighting in the central province of Hama, where anti-government gunmen entered the predominantly Alawite town of Maan. Assad's regime is dominated by members of his minority Alawite sect, an off-shoot of Shiite Islam, while most of the rebels are Sunni Muslims.

Brahimi said he and President Bashar Assad exchanged views on the crisis and discussed possible steps forward, which he did not disclose. He spoke briefly to reporters after meeting the Syrian leader at the presidential palace in Damascus.

"The situation in Syria is still worrying and we hope that all the parties will go toward the solution that the Syrian people are hoping for and look forward to," Brahimi said.

Syria's state news agency quoted Assad as saying his government supports "any effort in the interest of the Syrian people which preserves the homeland's sovereignty and independence."

Brahimi has apparently made little progress toward brokering an end to the conflict since starting his job in September, primarily because both sides adamantly refuse to talk to each other.

The government describes the rebels as foreign-backed terrorists set on destroying the country. The opposition says that forces under Assad's command have killed too many people for him to be part of any solution.

Activists say more than 40,000 people have been killed since the Syrian uprising began in March 2011.

Brahimi's two-day visit was to end later Monday. It is his third to Damascus as an envoy of the United Nations and the Arab League.

The security situation in Damascus and elsewhere in the country has declined since Brahimi's previous visits. Instead of flying in to the Damascus International Airport as he did on earlier visits, Brahimi drove to Damascus over land from the Lebanese capital Beirut because of fighting near the Damascus airport.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights quoted activists in the central city of Homs as saying that six rebels died in two neighborhoods Sunday night after inhaling white smoke that came out of shells fired on the area.

"We demand that an international team be sent to the area to investigate the type" of the shells used, said Observatory chief Rami Abdul-Rahman.

Amateur videos released by activists showed men in hospital beds suffering breathing problems as doctors placed oxygen masks on their faces. Some of them coughed strongly as they tried to breath.

"At first, the smell was strong. Then little by little, it got weaker," a man who was identified as a rebel in the area said in the video. "The smell was like hydrochloric acid, and people started choking and I wasn't able to breath." He added.

"My eyes hurt and burned, my head started hurting, I wasn't able to breathe. I just want to breathe clean air," said the man who closed his eyes and said he was having difficulty seeing because of the attack.

The videos appeared genuine and corresponded to other AP reporting on the events depicted.

In nearby Hama province, where rebels launched an offensive against army checkpoints and posts last week, opposition gunmen entered Maan and raised the opposition flag over the main police station, Hama activist Mousab Alhamadee said via Skype.

The Observatory said the rebels included members of Jabhat al-Nusra, which has been branded a terrorist organization by the U.S. and is affiliated with al-Qaida.

The Observatory and Alhamadee said the rebels shot down a Syrian government MiG warplane that was attacking rebel positions in and around Maan. The Observatory said at least 20 soldiers and 11 rebels were killed in Monday's fighting.

The Observatory also said Syrian army helicopters bombed the town of Talbiseh in central Homs province, killing at least 14 people, five of them under age 18. The Local Coordination Committees said the attacks targeted a makeshift hospital and a bakery.

Reports by anti-regime activists about a government airstrike Sunday in the rebel-held central town of Halfaya that killed scores of people also cast pall over Brahimi's visit.

Some activists said the strike had targeted a bakery. Amateur videos posted online showed the bodies of many dead and wounded scattered in a street. The videos appeared to be genuine and corresponded with other AP reporting.

The Observatory said it had collected the names of 40 men and three women killed in Halfaya. The group also reported seeing photos of the dead bodies of 15 more unknown men.

On Sunday, it reported 60 dead.

Abdul-Rahman, the group's head, said he could not confirm that the attack was an airstrike or that it had targeted a bakery.

Syria's state news service blamed the attack on "an armed terrorist group" ? its shorthand for the rebels ? accusing them of filming the aftermath to "frame the Syrian army."

In the videos, armed rebels are clearly among those tending to the dead and wounded.

____

Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-envoy-worried-talks-syrias-assad-105353492.html

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Last-second gifts that won't make you look desperate

2 hrs.

Rosa Golijan , NBC News

Look, we've all had that instant in which we realize we forgot to get a gift for someone, the deadlines for online orders have passed, and all the stores are closed because Christmas is practically here. It's a particularly?miserable moment, but there's help?? so don't sigh and order yet another digital gift card just yet.

While digital gift cards can be what people want, they tend to scream, "I forgot about you, so here's a token that took about as much thought as pouring myself a glass of wine."

So what can you do? Why, you go for the last-second gifts that haven't become as cliche as those things.

If you've got a gamer on your hands, you?top off his or her Xbox Live Gold?subscription. It's a simple, yet thoughtful?gesture. Extra credit if you throw in some Microsoft Points. Does your gamer favor the PlayStation? Not to worry, Amazon sells PSN points with digital download codes.?But if you are not sure what the recipient is into, consider browsing through Steam for some games to gift him or her. The selection is huge and there are plenty of popular titles mere clicks away.

For the music lover in your life, a Spotify?or Rdio?subscription is the way to go. With unlimited Web and mobile?streaming music of most back catalog and?newly released albums for $10 a month, these services have become favorites among the NBC News tech reporters. They're a?great way to avoid buying any music you'll be sick of in two months. The only downside is, you might get your friend so hooked that you will have to keep paying for the subscription, year after year!

If you happen to be dealing with a particularly social media savvy pal, you might get away with sending him or her a Facebook Gift. You can select a real physical gift?? ranging from silly toys to cosmetics to food???for which the recipient will instantly receive a notification. Just practice smiling convincingly and telling your friend that you thought Facebook Gifts are the trendy way to celebrate Christmas and that you absolutely did not put shopping off until the last minute, no siree!

Now, we did slam digital gift cards, but there are a few exceptions. One is Amazon.?We wish there was a way to give someone the gift of an?Amazon Prime membership since?any online shopper would appreciate the year of?free two-day shipping, and would probably enjoy the streaming movies and TV shows, too. As of now, Amazon won't let you give someone Prime, though, so your alternative is a $79 Amazon?digital gift card.

Lucky for you, Amazon has taken digital gift carding to never-before-seen heights. By partnering with JibJab, the company lets you star in a goofy video that plays when the recipient receives the email notification. If you aren't ready for stage and screen, maybe you want to upload a picture of yourself instead. A third non-lame option is suggesting a gift ? it's a little like the Facebook Gifts, where you select a real genuine object, but?recipients?can spend their Amazon credit on something else if they?think your judgment is flawed.

Speaking of Amazon Prime's streaming?flicks and TV shows, there two other services that do?let you gift subscriptions, Netflix and Hulu. Netflix has a huge selection of movies (and older?TV shows) while Hulu's premium Plus lineup gets the latest TV?shows much sooner.

What about last-second gifts that aren't digital in nature?

For those lucky enough to have a local florist who isn't completely slammed for the holidays, a pretty bouquet or center piece may be the way to go. Just be sure to triple-check that the order will be delivered on time?? and maybe throw in some balloons or candy if available.

What if none of these last-second gifts fit your almost-forgotten friends and family? Well, then consider going old-school: Write. Folks are so unaccustomed to receiving touching, handwritten (perhaps even handmade)?holiday cards and letters that they sometimes value them more than random one-size-fits-almost-all gifts. The thought still matters,?so you can use this as an opportunity to remind your loved ones of?how much you care about them ? even if you did almost forget about them during this crazy?holiday season.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/last-second-gifts-wont-make-you-look-desperate-1C7660247

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Can Ethical be Practical ? Calmconfidentme | PRLog

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?

PRLog (Press Release) - Dec. 24, 2012 - The philosophy is free but we charge for the skills.

Can you remember being told not to lie as a child but then getting into trouble for telling the truth? We are told absolutely to tell the truth then friends ask us questions where a truthful answer would hurt so we soften our reply with a white lie. The reality is inflexible rules don?t work and our whole society is built on inflexible, absolute commandments. Absolutes are the shoulds and musts of black and white thinking. All or nothing or, black and white thinking tells us homosexuality is an abomination and sinners burn for all eternity. In the real world people do fall out of love, do bend the truth, have different sexual preferences and we do send soldiers to war to kill other people. Saying absolutely that you are not allowed to do so is unrealistic and a cause for mental anguish that can sometimes turn into illness and much of which is avoidable. What we need is a new realistic philosophy that matches our real world but is still ethical. I call this the Cirf. The Cirf is a world philosophy that solves the failure of absolute belief systems with the solution of ethical preferences in a consequence framework.

The solution is based on the lessons of therapy and the world of ideas. Consequence frameworks that use preferences don?t make unrealistic demands on our humanness. For example we say we should lose weight by exercising then when we slip back into our old habits we beat ourselves up and often stress eat or drink making things worse. But preferences allow us to be human and work towards realistic goals, even weight goals without stressing ourselves. Absolutes stress us out because they often make impossible demands however thinking in preferences automatically reduces our stress.

In the Cirf belief system we believe ideas are powerful in themselves and can be fitted into a philosophical framework. Most of the ideas come from Cognitive Therapy with one exception. Therapy teaches rationality, the Cirf is a consequence framework, which is both rational and irrational. It uses a consequence framework to help us make preferred choices, monitor and measure our progress as human beings. Some of those choices are rational but others are not. Choices of the heart are often irrational, rationality will often deny heart choices but the Cirf embraces all as a rainbow of choices that we select from based on consequence.

The key idea is that how we think, is how we feel and how we feel is what we do. There are insights based on this key idea- most importantly we can learn to change problem thoughts and we do this through thinking fixes, visualization and other brain strategies.

Consequence frameworks have an inherent danger of allowing unethical behaviour on the basis of the consequence justifying the means. The Cirf overcomes this with the use of the ethical guides of Love and Honesty. This is love of the world, others and ourselves where we care and respect based on consequence. It is also the honesty in our words and actions based on consequence. It is a love that gives us permission to fight to defend ourselves and an honesty that allows diplomacy with our friends. Ethical choices designed to help us survive and prosper.

The thinking fixes, visualizations and brain strategies of the Cirf are available through a new stress reduction program (https://www.calmconfidentme.com/stress-reduction-program) called Calm Confident Me. It packages the best of therapy techniques and practical experience in an 8 week self-improvement program. It is available for download at www.CalmConfidentMe.com and is written by a Masters qualified counselor with over 15 years of practical experience.

Calm Confident Me uses a practical, easy to understand approach to self-understanding and self-control based on a practical philosophy. Once you know in everyday terms what it is you are doing to stress yourself out and simple ways to manage your stress reactions you can relax more and get on with enjoying your life. Try it out with a money back guarantee in the privacy of your own home; Calm Confident Me teaches stress management techniques (https://www.calmconfidentme.com/stress-management-techniques) to help you build self confidence, become calmer and happier. It?s a recipe for personal success.

CalmConfidentMe is an online business selling a digital self-education stress management program based on a consequence philosophy. We believe that clients can live better through a neuroscience approach to skills training.

For more Information-

Calm Confident Me
Ian Berghofer

ianbmail@aol.com

infocalmconfidentme@gmail.com
PO Box 1221 Elanora P.O. Qld Australia 4221

Photo:
http://www.prlog.org/12041615/1

Source: http://www.prlog.org/12041615-can-ethical-be-practical-calmconfidentme.html

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Tips on Wine and Food Pairing | Tasting Argentina: The Anuva Wine ...

Ever since I was a little child I saw my dad drinking wine with love and dedication, now that we are both grown ups we happen to share the same passion for good food and wine. Since these two elements are big part of my business here in Buenos Aires , I put lots of attention to what wine and food I?ll be serving on my table.

Pairing wine and food ?is usually a task that many find overwhelming because they might think that it is a very strict and rigid. The basics of wine and food pairing are quite ?simple though! ?You just have to follow some basic, reasonable, rules. So here are some great tips to make your dinner something truly spectacular.

Go for what you like:

Very easy basic rule, cook and drink what you like the most. It doesn?t really matter how many experts have flattered a wine or food, if you don?t like it, forget it! Make a wise decision and trust your instinct by cooking and drinking only your favorite stuff!!

Keep the balance:

It is very important to keep a balance in your meal when it comes to wine. Try make the body, of the elements you are using, match. Have a light wine with a light meal, a rich, flavored and complex wine with food that has the same characteristics.
This is so we can keep a balance in our palate and prevent the wine overpowering food or vice versa.

Match categories:

When you?re eating a dish with a strong acidic content using ingredients such as lemons or tomatoes pair it with an acidic wine that can keep up with the acids in the food.

If what you are having is more of a ?fat? heavy meal instead, such as steak or pork, use a red wine with nice tannins, so it can help you to clean the palate. Tannins have a very particular astringency which will help strip the fats from your tongue. The tannins cleanse the palate of the rich fats from a meal and provide a refined, refreshing drink.

Find the descriptor that you want to enhance:

To keep a good balance between wine and food, find a good descriptor (easier to find on the wine) and try to work with that, by adding ingredients in your meal that will maximize that specific flavor you like.

Finding balance in different ways:

The balance between food and wine is not necessarily matching flavors in an exact way, you can add some of this balance by bringing characteristics missing on the dish (or wine) that go well together.
If you want to eat a ?fat? heavier dish, but want to go with white wine then try to use the elements you have and play with them, for example if you want fried chicken then try to contrast the taste with crisp refreshing wine like a Sauvignon Blanc or a Pinot Griggio instead. If you are using ?Creme fraiche? then try to go with a rich Chardonnay.

Don?t be scared to try new ideas:

I think this might be the most important part ?of a good wine food pairing guide. which is, don?t be afraid of trying new things, even if you fail and dinner end up tasting like a Picasso, never mind, you learned what tastes might not go along or could instead end up discovering a new match made in heaven combination.

All of this you can learn on your own, by reading, experimenting or going to wine tastings where you can pick up some more of this valuable tips, to cook and drink like a king!

Related posts:

1. How To Do Food Pairing for Wine Tastings?
2. Simple Guidelines to Pairing Food and Wine
3. Top 5 Shopping Tips For Buenos Aires Visitors
4. Safety Tips for Tourists in Buenos Aires
5. Buenos Aires Tips: The Ferry to Colonia Uruguay

I love wine. That's all there is to it!

Source: http://www.anuvawines.com/tasting-argentina/tips-on-wine-and-food-pairing/

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Lorelai's Baby Shower (11-10-12) | The Long Road Home:Cayden's ...

Aunt Kim and Aunt Jennifer kindly hosted a baby shower for little Miss Lorelai! We are so thankful to everyone who was able to come and celebrate the pending arrival of our new family member.? We had a great time catching up with everyone, especially those friends and family that live out of the area and drove in just to be with us.

Cayden gave his sister some gifts and received a few as her big brother.The favors had three colors of purple nail polish, lip balm, and a fantastic umbrella measuring tape. Aunt Kim had a gorgeous diaper cake made and we had some super yummy cupcakes. Our guests also decorated onesies for Miss Lorelai. She now has a personalized wardrobe!

We are very blessed!

Click last picture for more.

-Tami

P.S. As soon as I?m finished with her nursery, I?ll get pictures and post them!

Source: http://www.nateandtami.com/2012/12/23/lorelais-baby-shower-11-10-12/

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People flee Japan nuke disaster to faraway Okinawa

NAHA, Japan (AP) ? Okinawa is about as far away as one can get from Fukushima without leaving Japan, and that is why Minaho Kubota is here.

Petrified of the radiation spewing from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant that went into multiple meltdowns last year, Kubota grabbed her children, left her skeptical husband and moved to the small southwestern island. More than 1,000 people from the disaster zone have done the same thing.

"I thought I would lose my mind," Kubota told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I felt I would have no answer for my children if, after they grew up, they ever asked me, 'Mama, why didn't you leave?'"

Experts and the government say there have been no visible health effects from the radioactive contamination from Fukushima Dai-ichi so far. But they also warn that even low-dose radiation carries some risk of cancer and other diseases, and exposure should be avoided as much as possible, especially the intake of contaminated food and water. Such risks are several times higher for children and even higher for fetuses, and may not appear for years.

Okinawa has welcomed the people from Fukushima and other northeastern prefectures (states) affected by the March 11, 2011, earthquake and tsunami that set off the nuclear disaster. Okinawa is offering 60,000 yen ($750) a month to help relocating families of three or four pay the rent, and lower amounts for smaller families.

"We hope they feel better, maybe refreshed," said Okinawan official Masakazu Gunji.

Other prefectures have offered similar aid, but Okinawa's help is relatively generous and is being extended an extra year to three years for anyone applying by the end of this year.

Most people displaced by the disaster have relocated within or near Fukushima, but Okinawa, the only tropical island in Japan, is the most popular area for those who have chosen prefectures far from the nuclear disaster. An escape to Okinawa underlines a determination to get away from radiation and, for some, distrust toward Tokyo Electric Power Co., the utility that operates Fukushima Dai-ichi.

Kazue Sato lived in fear of radiation because the roof of her home in Iwaki, a major city in Fukushima, was destroyed by the earthquake.

And so she moved with her husband, a chef, back to Okinawa, where she had grown up. She now lives in her grandparents' home and hopes to turn it into a coffee shop with her husband.

But Sato is still struggling with depression, especially because her old friends criticized her for what they thought were her exaggerated fears about radiation. She struggles with a sense of guilt about having abandoned Fukushima.

"Little children have to wear masks. People can't hang their laundry outdoors," she said. "Some people can't get away even if they want to. I feel so sorry for them."

Sato and Kubota are joining a class-action lawsuit being prepared against the government and Tokyo Electric on behalf of Fukushima-area residents affected by the meltdowns. It demands an apology payment of 50,000 yen ($625) a month for each victim until all the radiation from the accident is wiped out, a process that could take decades, if ever, for some areas.

Independent investigations into the nuclear disaster have concluded that the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant was unprepared for the massive tsunami, in part because of the nuclear industry's cozy relationship with government regulators.

"We think people have the right to live in an environment not polluted by radiation that may harm their health, and that right has been violated by this accident," Izutaro Managi, one of the case's lawyers, said in a meeting earlier this month for plaintiffs in Naha, a major Okinawan city.

Japan's statute of limitations requires that the lawsuit be filed no later than March 11, 2014. About 20 of the evacuees in Okinawa have signed on to the lawsuit, which has gathered 100 other people in the three weeks since it began.

Kubota, who now works part time for an Okinawa magazine publisher, said the problem is that no one is taking responsibility for the accident.

"Seeking accountability through a lawsuit may feel like such a roundabout effort. But in the end, it's going to be the best shortcut," she said.

She is getting health checkups for her children, fretting over any discovered problems, including anemia, fevers and nosebleeds.

Her fears are heightened by the fact that she and her children had lived in their car right after the disaster, which had liquefied the land and destroyed their home. They had unknowingly played outdoors while the nuclear plants had been exploding, she recalled.

The disaster ended up separating her family. Her husband refused to leave his dentist practice in Ibaraki Prefecture. They argued over whether to relocate, but she knew she had to leave on her own when he said: "There is nothing we can do."

These days, he visits her and their two boys, ages 8 and 12, in her new apartment in Okinawa on weekends. He sends her money, something he didn't do at first.

"I wake up every day and feel thankful my children are alive. I have been through so much. I have been heartbroken. I have been so afraid," she said.

___

Follow Yuri Kageyama on Twitter at www.twitter.com/yurikageyama

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/people-flee-japan-nuke-disaster-faraway-okinawa-070442155.html

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Legal Insurrection Video of the Year (Reader Poll) - Le?gal In?sur?rec ...

It?s getting towards that time of the year when we start selecting the Best Of.

2012 was the first year in which we started focusing on videos, thanks in large part to Anne joining us in June.? A couple of our videos changed the national dialogue, if only for a moment.

Hopefully original video production will increase dramatically next year. That?s part of the plan.

I have selected several videos, some original to LI some taken from elsewhere but edited to highlight certain important newsworthy content.? Many, but not all, concerned Elizabeth Warren. (added) These are videos run at LI and which were created by LI. This is not an all-around Video of the Year type award.

They are all available on the LI YouTube channel.

Please vote below. You can make up to three choices.

POLL CLOSES MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, AT NOON (EASTERN)

Chicago Chick-fil-A Kiss-In Protesters ?Chalk? Homeless Street Preacher

Unaccountable ? Elizabeth Warren and the Cherokee

Nancy Reagan 1995: Ronnie turned that torch over to Newt

Elizabeth Warren ? I was the first nursing mother to take a Bar exam in New Jersey

National Dance for Obama Day in Manhattan 11-3-2012

Romney Ryan Wisconsin Rally

George Lakoff ? No One Got Rich On Their Own

Netroots security guards block access to Elizabeth Warren

Elizabeth Warren says has photos of Indian heritage but won?t show them

Elizabeth Warren runs when asked about being Woman of Color

POLL CLOSES MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, AT NOON (EASTERN)

You can pick up to three choices

+110

??

?

?

11 Comments

?

Source: http://legalinsurrection.com/2012/12/legal-insurrection-video-of-the-year-reader-poll/

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Modest discounts, fiscal cliff deter last-minute shoppers

NEW YORK/WESTBURY, New York (Reuters) - Retailers may not see a sales surge this weekend as ho-hum discounts and fears about imminent tax hikes and cuts in government spending give Americans fewer reasons to open their wallets in the last few days before Christmas.

The acrimonious debate in Washington over how to avoid the so-called "fiscal cliff" is one of a number of concerns weighing on shoppers, experts said, as consumers head to malls on the last Saturday ahead of the holiday - typically one of the busiest shopping days of the year.

"I don't think we're going to get a great pickup in the last few days here," said Ron Friedman, retail practice leader at consulting firm Marcum LLP, explaining how the uncertainty related to the "cliff" was weighing on American minds.

Some shoppers agreed.

"That whole fiscal cliff thing is a bit nerve-wracking, and we're trying to save a bit of money for some (home construction) projects next year," Emma Carrington, 43, said while shopping at the Westfield Old Orchard Mall in Skokie, Illinois.

The mother of three, who was at a Barnes & Noble store on Saturday to buy her husband a Nook e-reader, said she was spending less than last year.

Many others are also being cautious.

"We just try to stay on a budget. We're not going crazy," said Tom Chowinski, a market researcher at Nielsen, who was shopping with his wife for their four adult children on Saturday morning at a Wal-Mart store in Westbury, New York.

U.S. consumer sentiment plummeted in December as Americans were unnerved by ongoing negotiations. The Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan's final reading on the overall index on consumer sentiment tumbled to 72.9 from 82.7 in November, worse than forecasts for 74.7. It was the lowest level since July.

"Whenever you introduce anxiety, it will have an impact on shoppers' spending," especially those who shop on credit, said Kevin Regan, senior manager director at FTI Consulting.

Some, like New Yorker Linda Hampton, shopping at a Best Buy store, hope lawmakers will somehow avert the "cliff."

"It would be a disaster. Our taxes will go up. But I think our president will step in," Hampton said.

Talks to avoid the fiscal cliff stalled on Thursday when Republican lawmakers rejected House Speaker John Boehner's proposal aimed at winning concessions from President Barack Obama.

HO-HUM CHRISTMAS?

"What could have been a merry Christmas is going to turn to a ho-hum Christmas, and we can thank our, you know, politicians for getting in the middle of it all," NPD analyst Marshal Cohen said. "This great unknown puts a big damper on the consumer feeling confident to go out and spend more."

Malls from New York to Illinois to California had modest crowds on Saturday, but experts said shoppers could simply be procrastinating. Unlike the past couple of years, when Christmas fell on a weekend, the holiday falls on a Tuesday this year, giving last-minute shoppers more breathing room.

Also, many retailers were still offering free shipping and promising to deliver items by Christmas Eve.

"The traffic you see out and about may not necessarily give you the full picture," said Ramesh Swamy, an analyst at Deloitte.

Shoshana Pucci, senior marketing manager at Glendale Galleria in Southern California, said she expected these shoppers to even make multiple visits rather than do all their last-minute shopping in one go on Saturday.

The holiday quarter can account for about 30 percent of annual sales and half of profit for many chains.

More than 60 percent of U.S. consumers have already finished more than three-quarters of their holiday shopping, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday. This means retailers will have to bait shoppers with big discounts to get them to open their wallets in the last lap of the holiday race.

While Cohen and Friedman expected retailers to pull out all the stops this weekend to woo last-minute shoppers, some others expected discounts to be less aggressive since retailers did a better job of managing inventory this year.

"Customers will not be finding deals as good as last year," said Scott Tuhy, a vice president at Moody's. "I haven't seen 60-70 percent off sales as much."

While Barnes & Noble offered 25 percent off on any one item except Nook products, Ann Inc's Loft chain offered 50 percent off on everything except new arrivals. Gap offered 40 percent off on all denims, while Victoria's Secret advertised $5 lacie panties and $10 off some yoga wear.

Stores of Macy's and Nordstrom were some of the busiest at Roosevelt Field mall in Garden City, on New York's Long Island, but crowds were moderate at the J.C. Penney store.

This week, research firm ShopperTrak lowered its sales forecast for November and December and now expects sales to be up 2.5 percent, rather than up 3.3 percent.

Many retailers reported record traffic on Thanksgiving Day and the subsequent weekend, but several, including Macy's Inc and Saks Inc, lost a lot of business in early November because of Superstorm Sandy.

Sales for the November-December holiday season look set to rise 4.1 percent to $586.1 billion this year after a 5.6 percent increase in 2011, according to the National Retail Federation.

"Retailers are going to be pretty challenged this year in trying to get beyond all this," Cohen said, referring to a string of events this holiday season that have weighed on U.S. shoppers including the hurricane, gridlock in Washington and the December 14 shooting at an elementary school in Connecticut.

NRF sees 2013 retail sales rising about 2 to 2.5 percent if the fiscal cliff is averted. If not, sales would be essentially flat for the year, the trade group estimated in a study with Macroeconomic Advisers.

(Reporting by Dhanya Skariachan, Phil Wahba and P.J. Huffstutter; Editing by Matthew Lewis and Nick Zieminski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fiscal-cliff-spooks-u-shoppers-last-lap-holiday-060922915--finance.html

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