Michael Moore Implores Twitter: ?Leave Piers Alone!?

Documentary filmmaker Michael Moore is vigorously defending Piers Morgan this week for his outspoken opinions on American gun control. A sad Moore Tweeted, ?Leave Piers alone!?

Morgan has been the subject of several White House petitions in response to his controversial comments on gun violence. One suggests he should be deported ?immediately? for his ?effort to undermine the Bill of rights,? and another requests that he stay in America because ?no one in the U.K. wants him back.?

Moore, no stranger to

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Your one-minute real estate update ? Off the Kuff

Dec 30th, 2012 by Charles Kuffner.

I just have one mostly tangential thing to say about this.

Houston will see a modest and steady growth in retail activity in 2013, according to Ed Wulfe?s annual retail forecast.

And the following year should be much better, said Wulfe, who is chairman and CEO of Wulfe & Co., a retail development, brokerage and property management firm.

The amount of new shopping center space to be built and opened in 2013 will be slightly greater than this year?s, while 2014 should be ?very strong based on what?s underway,? Wulfe said.

I note that story mostly because it seems like as good an excuse as any to wonder once again about the status of all those long-dormant projects whose empty lots serve as a daily reminder of their lack of activity. I speak of course of the Stables and the Robinson Warehouse, now celebrating its sixth anniversary of vacantness. At last report the Sonoma site was being redeveloped; I can?t personally confirm this, as I generally avoid the area. Regent Square was supposed to have commenced construction in October, but I haven?t seen anything on the Allen Parkway part of the property. And one property that I generally forget about but was in the news recently, the old Astroworld site, also continues to lay fallow. I know this story is about retail development, and most of the sites I?m talking about were intended to be residential or mixed-use, but I feel like the Houston real estate market won?t truly be healthy again until something is happening with all of them.

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Source: http://offthekuff.com/wp/?p=49854

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KZN MEC stops fitness tests for traffic officer jobs

KZN MEC stops fitness tests for traffic officer jobs

Sapa | 2012-12-30 08:24:00.0

Willies Mchunu
Image by: THULI DLAMINI ? Sowetan.

KwaZulu-Natal transport MEC Willies Mchunu has suspended all tests for Road Traffic Inspectorate jobs after seven people died.

The SABC reported that he said he would investigate the incident whereby "scores" of people who were trying to get a job at the road traffic inspectorate, collapsed during a fitness test.

"More than 34,000 applicants qualified for the 90 trainee posts which were advertised," said Mchunu in a statement.

He said that 15,600 applicants attended a fitness test at the Harry Gwala Stadium on Thursday, and a similar number attended on Friday.

"Scores of them could not cope with the hot weather condition and collapsed."

Many were taken to hospital.

Source: http://www.timeslive.co.za/local/2012/12/30/kzn-mec-stops-fitness-tests-for-traffic-officer-jobs

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Taco Bell Pregame Press Pass: Watch video of Coach Pagano walking onto the field...

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We Look Back Earthily At 2012

Superstorms, electric cars, alternative fuels and arctic sea ice all made environmental news in 2012. David Biello reports.

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  Showcasing more than fifty of the most provocative, original, and significant online essays from 2011, The Best Science Writing Online 2012 will change the way...

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Twenty-twelve was quite a year of change for the planet, if not quite the apocalypse imagined by New Age shamans or Hollywood producers.

Arctic summer sea ice shattered its previous record low, and set off a storm of speculation about what an ice-free Arctic might mean for future weird weather. In a bid to counter exactly this kind of thing, a team of would-be geoengineers dumped iron in the ocean off British Columbia to prompt a plankton bloom, in hopes of boosting local salmon populations and sucking CO2 out of the air.

In a perhaps less quixotic bid, scientists continued to work on breakthroughs that could alter our dependence on fossil fuels, from using microbes to turn seaweed into biofuels to better batteries for electric cars.

Speaking of which, an electric car, the Tesla Model S, became simply the best car of the year, according to Motor Trend. Meanwhile, the human population kept growing, urbanizing and struggling to either feed itself or not overfeed itself.

Finally, there was Hurricane Sandy, which closed our offices for a week and appeared to have blown climate change back onto the American political landscape, however briefly. Judging by what happened at the United Nations climate conference in Doha, however, 2012 was not the year when the United States or the world finally did something about restraining the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, not even CO2 capture and storage. And it doesn?t look like 2013 will be either.

That said, natural gas began to supplant coal in the U.S., driving down greenhouse gas emissions. And that's a good thing. Happy New Year!?David Biello [The above text is a transcript of this podcast]?
?

Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=881749f1f70c40a2e80404ba507b52c0

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Syracuse plows through WVU and snow, 38-14

Syracuse running back Prince-Tyson Gulley (23) and guard Zack Chibane (75) celebrate Gulley's third-quarter touchdown against West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Syracuse won 38-14. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Syracuse running back Prince-Tyson Gulley (23) and guard Zack Chibane (75) celebrate Gulley's third-quarter touchdown against West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Syracuse won 38-14. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Syracuse running back Prince-Tyson Gulley (23) scores a touchdown, leaving West Virginia defenders in his wake during the third quarter of the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. Sryacuse won 38-14. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Syracuse coach Doug Marone, right, greets West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen after Syracuse defeated West Virginia 38-14 in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

From left, Syracuse safety Shamarko Thomas (21), linebacker Siriki Diabate and left tackle Justin Pugh celebrate with the trophy after Syracuse defeated West Virginia 38-14 in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

Syracuse linebacker Siriki Diabate salutes fans after he caused a safety in the first half of Syracuse's 38-14 victory over West Virginia in the Pinstripe Bowl NCAA college football game at Yankee Stadium in New York, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)

NEW YORK (AP) ? The weather made passing at the Pinstripe Bowl perilous, so Syracuse sent Prince-Tyson Gulley and Jerome Smith dashing through West Virginia and the snow.

Gulley ran for a career-best 208 yards and had three touchdowns, Smith added 157 yards, and the Orange bid a blustery farewell to the Big East with a 38-14 victory Saturday.

Syracuse (8-5) will enter the Atlantic Coast Conference on a roll after finishing this season with six wins in its last seven games, capped by its second postseason victory at Yankee Stadium in the last three years.

In a bowl played in a baseball stadium, with weather more suited for a playoff game in Green Bay, the team that plays in a dome ended up being better equipped to handle the elements.

"The football Gods brought snow," said Smith, who carried a season-high 30 times. "The football Gods from Syracuse brought us some snow and it changed even West Virginia's game. They had to run a little bit more than they were used to. We ran the ball a little bit more than we're used to and did what we were supposed to do."

Syracuse finished with a season-high 369 yards on the ground and beat its former Big East rival from West Virginia, now playing in the Big 12, for a third straight time.

"They just did a better job than us at the line of scrimmage," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. "To be in a game like this when you've got to rely on your run defense to help you win and you're not able to do it, it's frustrating."

Geno Smith connected with Stedman Bailey for two touchdown passes for West Virginia (7-6), but the Mountaineers' quarterback also was sacked in the end zone in the first half and called for intentional grounding in the end zone in the third quarter to give Syracuse a second safety.

Smith, who was an early Heisman Trophy front-runner as the Mountaineers got off to a 5-0 start this season, was 16 for 26 for 197 yards in the final game of his record-breaking career. The NFL awaits.

Same goes for Ryan Nassib, though Syracuse didn't ask much of its talented senior quarterback. He threw two touchdown passes and an interception. His most impressive feat on this day was surviving being driven into the cold turf by Terence Garvin on a sack in the first half. Nassib missed only one play.

"It's my last game, man, nothing's going to take me out," he said.

Especially against a West Virginia team the Orange felt didn't give them much credit after two straight victories over the Mountaineers.

"It was about us going out there and getting respect," tackle Justin Pugh said. "They didn't give us any respect. We kind of said three strikes you're out. Beat them three straight times, so they really can't say anything now."

Snow fell just about all game, giving most of the field a white dusting. Fans were bundled and players not in the game tried to do the same. It took a while for those potent offenses ? both ranked in the top 25 nationally in yards per game ? to heat up, which seemed appropriate considering the conditions.

"Cold. Cold," said Jerome Smith, a junior from Delaware. "I never got a chance to play in the snow, but it was good."

His running mate from Akron, Ohio, had just a bit more experience playing in wintry weather.

"In pee-wees I played in some (snow) like this but not in high school," said Gulley, who carried 25 times. "It was fun."

A goal-line stand by West Virginia in the second quarter kept Syracuse out of the end zone, but set up the Orange for a scoring run.

Left at the 1, the Mountaineers tried to pass out of their end zone, but Geno Smith was smothered by blitzing linebackers Cameron Lynch and Siriki Diabate to make it 5-0 ? a baseball score, of course.

The Orange followed that up with a 33-yard touchdown run by Gulley to make it 12-0 with 6:07 left in the second.

The Mountaineers responded with their first sustained drive. Bailey took a quick pass, darted and broke tackles, and scooted 32 yards to the end zone to make it 12-7.

The Orange extended the lead to 12 to start the second half when they caught a break ? and a touchdown pass. Nassib's throw was tipped around the goal line, but floated safely into the waiting arms of intended receiver Beckett Wales for a 10-yard score.

West Virginia appeared to answer with a touchdown of its own. Andrew Buie broke free for a 28-yard TD run on fourth-and-2. Not so fast. A holding call on the Mountaineers wiped out the play and sent Holgorsen on to the field screaming at the officials.

It didn't help. Instead of a touchdown, a punt.

Holgorsen had nothing to say about the call and was more disappointed with how his team responded.

"We did a poor job of continuing to play. A poor job of overcoming some things," he said.

Moments later another close call, this time on a fumble by Geno Smith which was reviewed to determine if it was an incomplete pass, went Syracuse's way, and again the Orange capitalized.

On the next play, Gulley broke through the line, bounced to the outside and went 67 yards for a touchdown to make it 26-7 with 6:52 left in the third.

West Virginia wouldn't let Syracuse pull away. Smith found Bailey deep down the sideline, beating one-on-one coverage for a 29-yard score 1:11 later.

Back came the Orange, nine plays, 70 yards, with Gulley taking a swing pass from Nassib 10 yards to make it 33-14.

From there the 60th meeting between these teams, but first in a bowl, was a romp in the snow for Syracuse.

___

Follow Ralph D. Russo at www.Twitter.com/ralphdrussoap

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-30-FBC-Pinstripe-Bowl/id-4738193d3ebd48319d26cbb389eb64ca

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Peterson, Vikings top Pack 37-34 to make playoffs

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, left, runs from Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, left, runs from Green Bay Packers cornerback Tramon Williams during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (28) runs from Green Bay Packers free safety M.D. Jennings (43) during a seven-yard touchdown run in the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Green Bay Packers wide receiver James Jones (89) looks to break a tackle by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Josh Robinson (21) after making a reception during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Genevieve Ross)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) ? Adrian Peterson picked up the Minnesota Vikings and gave them a thrilling ride to the playoffs, where the next stop on this improbable journey is, yes, Green Bay.

This game was so full of action, intrigue and tension they're going to stage it again next weekend.

Peterson finished 9 yards shy of breaking Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record, but he still powered the Vikings past the Packers 37-34 Sunday with 199 yards to set up a rematch at Lambeau Field in a first-round playoff game.

"I told myself to come into this game focused on one thing, and that's winning," Peterson said.

Peterson rumbled around the left side of the line for a 27-yard gain in the closing seconds, his career-high 34th carry exactly one year after reconstructive surgery on his left knee. That set up Blair Walsh's 29-yard field goal as time expired and put the Vikings (10-6) in the postseason after consecutive last-place finishes.

"For our guys to be as resilient as they were, it has you swelling with pride," coach Leslie Frazier said.

The division champion Packers (11-5) dropped to the NFC's No. 3 seed. Their five-game winning streak against the Vikings ended.

"I had a feeling that we had the game in the bag the whole game," Vikings cornerback Chris Cook said. "It was just a vibe that I had on the sideline, in how we were carrying ourselves."

Aaron Rodgers completed 28 of 40 passes for 365 yards and four touchdowns and no interceptions, connecting with Jordy Nelson from 2 yards to tie the game with 2:54 remaining. But Christian Ponder threw for three scores, including one to Peterson.

Ponder went 16 for 28 for 234 yards, including a 65-yard zinger in stride to Jarius Wright midway through the fourth quarter that set up Ponder's third touchdown toss.

"It's disappointing. A lot of us wanted that extra week," Rodgers said.

Peterson finished with 2,097 yards, becoming the seventh player in NFL history to reach the 2,000 mark. He had to work for it, pulling out all the cutbacks, stutter-steps and spins he could find in his exceptional skill set. His longest run was only 28 yards against a defense geared to slow him down, and the first contact often came at, near or behind the line of scrimmage.

"It wasn't meant to happen, or it would've happened. Not to say it doesn't hurt, because it does," Peterson said of Dickerson's 28-year-old record. "But we came in here tonight and accomplished the ultimate goal, and that was getting a win and punching our ticket to the playoffs."

The Packers cut the lead to 27-24 late in the third quarter on a touchdown reception by James Jones. The on-field ruling was a fumble at the goal line, triggering an automatic review. Because the Packers threw the challenge flag after the replay process began, however, they were only penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, not prevented from benefiting from the overturned call. That's what happened to Detroit infamously on Thanksgiving, when a disputed score by Houston was prevented from review.

After posting a 9-23 record over the last two years, the Vikings made so many strides in 2012 that the season was already a success. But no NFL team would ever be satisfied by finishing in defeat against a division rival, and the emotion and energy behind the quest was palpable all afternoon.

"It took us a little while to adjust to the crowd noise, and we didn't get going," Packers coach Mike McCarthy said. "That usually happens up here. This is a tough place to play, no doubt. We anticipated this being the loudest environment of the year. They pumped it in here pretty good today."

The NFC North was sewn up by the Packers two weeks earlier. Even though the bye remained in the balance the top seed didn't do the Packers any good last season. They went 15-1 and lost their opener at home to the eventual champion Giants.

Rodgers played without injured leading receiver Randall Cobb, so Greg Jennings was the main guy, grabbing eight passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. But the Vikings sacked Rodgers five times, recovering a fumble on one of them at midfield to set up a third-quarter touchdown.

Rodgers has 24 touchdowns, only four interceptions and a 70 percent completion rate over 10 career starts against the Vikings. His poise, arm strength and savvy came through clear against them as much as any other team. Plus, cornerback Antoine Winfield's aggravated hand injury kept him on the sideline for most of the game.

Just as Ponder capably complemented Peterson, DuJuan Harris came out of nowhere to provide Rodgers some help. Green Bay has been proving lately it's not a one-sided offense, either, and Harris rushed 14 times for 70 yards

But this was Peterson's show. Second-and-27? He surged off right tackle and bounced outside for 28 yards on a drive that ended with his second touchdown, a 2-yard reception that pushed the lead to 27-17 in the third quarter. The "MVP" chants from the crowd rang out in earnest after that.

NOTES: Cobb's absence meant the Packers went without a 1,000-yard receiver for the first time since 2003. Cobb finished with 954 yards. ... Vikings WR Jerome Simpson was woozy after an end-zone collision in the third quarter, falling back down after trying to get up the first time. He passed concussion tests and returned to the game.

___

Follow Dave Campbell on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/DaveCampbellAP

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-30-Packers-Vikings/id-783e8d86191749ad9b4bc76d076124d5

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Obama calls for stopgap tax deal; GOP says Democrats need to work with them

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Video: Easy app: Tortellini with savory dipping sauces

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John-Manuel Andriote: Don't Be Angry at Spencer Cox; Be Angry at the Stigma That Pushes Gay Men Into Drugs and Unsafe Sex

Bob Hattoy, the late and hilariously funny environmental activist and friend of President Bill Clinton, used to crack us up at friends' gatherings in Washington, D.C., with his quip, "I used to be a legend. Now I'm a cautionary tale."

In 1992 Hattoy became the first openly gay man living with HIV/AIDS to address the Democratic National Convention. "I am a gay man," he told the convention, "and I have AIDS."

Hattoy succumbed to AIDS-related complications on March 4, 2007, at age 56. The New York Times obituary quoted AIDS activist Michael Petrelis as saying, "Bob Hattoy gave people with AIDS and gays in America hope with that [1992] speech."

On Dec. 18, 2012, another gay man who was something of a legend among AIDS activists also became a cautionary tale. Spencer Cox, age 44, died from advanced untreated HIV disease -- also known as AIDS - -after two decades of helping lead the charge against the epidemic that continues to ravage the lives of far too many gay men.

Cox became a leader in the fight against AIDS, joining ACT UP in New York in 1989 and co-founding the Treatment Action Group (TAG) to work with scientists in advancing the development of medical treatments for HIV.

"It's a great loss," said Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). "He was part of a historic group of people."

Mark Harrington, another legendary AIDS activist and the co-founder and executive director of TAG, told The New York Times that Cox had struggled with an addiction to crystal meth -- and had apparently stopped taking his HIV medication. "He saved the lives of millions," said Harrington, "but he couldn't save his own."

In his 1992 speech Bob Hattoy quoted Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."

It's high time for gay America finally to end the silence and speak out boldly about the plague of crystal meth addiction and abuse in our community that contributed to Spencer Cox's death -- and continues to destroy the lives of so many others. I have reported on it and have personally seen it destroy the careers, relationships and sanity of more than a few gay men.

But it's completely backwards to be angry at Cox, or anyone else, for inflicting such harm on themselves. Addiction is brutal, and beating people up for being addicted and harming themselves does nothing but reinforce the reasons that gay men turn to drugs and risk their lives to have unprotected sex with strangers of uncertain HIV status.

If we want to address the destruction of crystal meth and reckless sex in our community, we need to talk honestly about the reasons these things seem so appealing in the first place. Simply put, they offer vulnerable men the chance to anesthetize the pain of being gay and, for those of us living with HIV, the rejection and stigma we experience from other gay men.

Even in 2012 it is damned hard to be a gay man in America. For all the progress we've made toward almost being treated as equal, there continue to be daily challenges -- particularly for those of us who haven't constructed our lives in a way to exclude others who aren't gay. The ghetto might provide a sense of security, but it's not so different from the altered reality provided by drugs. Leave the safety of that segregation, come down from the trip, and reality can bite. Hard.

Being "openly gay" is a whole different experience for those of us who live in smaller towns and cities, surrounded by married heterosexuals and their children, possibly by our own family of origin. It's hard to be constantly reminded that you are "different," as most of us know from our childhoods.

And for anyone who believes the stigma of HIV among gay men is a thing of the past, I have news for you.

Take a look some time, if you don't secretly already, at the profiles on Manhunt, Adam4Adam or Craigslist. The code words "clean" and "DDF" (drug and disease-free) pop up everywhere. They don't need to spell it out to make it clear that these men consider those of us with HIV to be "unclean" and most certainly unworthy of their consideration. Ironically, of course, these men betray their delusional belief that strangers online actually know and will be truthful about their current HIV status in the heat of the sexual chase.

Too many gay men's lives have ended too soon because of the silence in our community about crystal meth addiction and the high-risk sex that tends to go hand in hand with it.

But instead of being angry at men like Spencer Cox for their self-destructive behavior, how about directing our anger where it really belongs: at the shame and stigma that is forced on us from both non-gay people and from other gay men?

In closing his 1992 speech, Bob Hattoy said, "We have hope. Hope gives me the chance of life." If we will commit ourselves to supporting one another's sense of hope, to building up instead of putting down, then just maybe we will see a reduction in the depression, despair, drug abuse and new HIV infections among gay men.

?

Follow John-Manuel Andriote on Twitter: www.twitter.com/JMAndriote

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johnmanuel-andriote/spencer-cox-drugs-unsafe-sex_b_2372282.html

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London photo of the day: what the holidays mean to some people

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Senate approves $60.4 billion Sandy aid package; bill faces uncertain fate in House (Star Tribune)

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Central Africa states to up troops in Central African Republic ahead of peace talks

By Phal Mezui Ndong

LIBREVILLE | Sat Dec 29, 2012 7:29am EST

LIBREVILLE (Reuters) - Central African Republic's neighbors have agreed to increase the number of troops stationed there to help defend against rebels threatening to overthrow the government.

The Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS) - which already has more than 500 peacekeepers in CAR - announced its decision overnight in Gabon's capital Libreville, ahead of peace talks planned between the SELEKA rebels and the government in early January.

The insurgency poses the biggest threat yet to President Francois Bozize's nearly ten years in charge of the nation, which has remained poor since independence from France in 1960 despite rich deposits of uranium, gold and diamonds.

"We are thinking of a way to deploy this mission as quickly as possible," Gabon Foreign Minister Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet told reporters after a meeting with his regional counterparts. He did not say how many soldiers would be deployed.

The ECCAS troops, mostly from Chad, are part of the MICOPAX (Mission for the consolidation of peace in Central African Republic) peacekeeping force, but have been unable to prevent a rebel advance to within 75 km (45 miles) of the capital Bangui since early December.

The SELEKA rebels have threatened to overthrow Bozize if he does not live up to a previous peace deal offering former fighters pay and jobs, but they have agreed to stay out of Bangui to allow for peace talks.

Officials in Bangui on Friday said rebels had agreed to send delegates to Libreville in early January. A rebel spokesman was not immediately available to comment.

Some clashes between government troops and rebel fighters were reported on the outskirts of Damara, 75 km north of Bangui, on Friday, and some residents of the capital were fleeing the city, fearing a fresh rebel push.

Clashes were also heard in Bambari, some 385 km northwest of Bangui, residents told Reuters.

Bozize came to power in a rebellion in 2003 and has since won two elections. France conducted air strikes against rebels challenging him in 2006, but Paris has said it will not intervene militarily in the current conflict.

The United States said on Thursday it had closed its embassy in Bangui and evacuated its staff.

Central African Republic is one of a number of countries in the region where U.S. Special Forces are helping local forces try to track down the Lords Resistance Army, a rebel group responsible for killing thousands of civilians across four African nations.

Some 1,200 French nationals live in CAR, mostly in the capital, according to the French Foreign Ministry, where they typically work for mining firms or aid groups.

French nuclear energy group Areva mines the Bakouma uranium deposit in CAR's south - France's biggest commercial interest in its former colony.

(Additional reporting by Paul-Marin Ngoupana in Bangui; Writing by Richard Valdmanis; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/29/us-car-rebels-idUSBRE8BS03Y20121229?feedType=RSS&feedName=worldNews

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Steve Clare: Fans, Families and Banning the 'F-Bomb'

In my previous article, I looked at the possibility that supporter culture may be the next marketing tool for the men charged with growing soccer.

The banners and the singing present something not only organic but relatively rare in North American sport, audience inspired demonstrations of support.

That however brings a problem for administrators still rooted to the core mission of attracting a family audience -- we're vulgar and we're potty-mouthed.

Admittedly so are those who attend other sports but they are generally disbarred from any access to the television microphones placed at pitchside. They chant what they are told to.

Our sport's culture is different.

Support comes from the fans and has really done so anecdotally since Liverpool fans started singing Beatles' songs on the Kop for no apparent reason.

There have of course been many problems in Europe over the years with far right groups infiltrating Ultras in several countries, sectarian chanting in Scotland and tasteless references to the Munich and Hillsborough tragedies in England.

Compared to some of the stuff I have heard in my lifetime at matches in Glasgow and London, what happens in MLS is miniscule and harmless.

Despite that, there is one chant that really irks the league.

When a visiting goalkeeper takes a goalkick, the fans chant something naughty as he takes his run up. It's known as the YSA chant. I don't know if I can write it out on The Huffington Post so you'll have to use your imaginations or wait until somebody writes it out in full in the comments section.

In truth, the YSA chant is pretty moronic and organized supporters groups have recognized that.

Before joining MLS, the Portland front office asked the Timbers Army for their help in eradicating it. The TA agreed and succeeded.

In a skillfully calibrated statement, a Portland club spokesman described their general attitude to profanity thus:

The Portland Timbers do not condone witless profanity for profanity's sake chants, such as YSA and F*ck Seattle. We have chosen to work with the supporters in a constructive manner to eliminate these types of chants. The Timbers Army does not endorse these chants either and they have been successful over the years in eliminating them.

And yes, the Timbers spokesman put the asterisk in the word 'fuck' in his email. He must think I'm more easily offended than I actually am. He may have forgotten the full range of my compatriot John Spencer's vocabulary which often seemed to be solely composed of that word on a bad day.

The club spokesman would not confirm that they actually endorse witty profanity but the insinuation is that if there's a degree of originality and wit, stewards won't be hauling bodies out of the stadium. It's a nuanced, deft and clever attitude. Dare I say mature?

Even though Portland is in a region of America not prone to taking knee jerk fake offence at profanity or an insufficient kowtowing to political correctness, he was careful not to be seen to be endorsing any position that would give the impression that swearing is permitted.

Let's just say, in language more commonly reserved for marijuana legislation, that it is 'decriminalized' inside Jeld Wen Field unless you are being an idiot about it.

Like driving slightly over the limit on a Texas freeway or being obviously drunk in public within half a mile of a Scottish university.

In Seattle, the fans themselves decide to replace the last word in YSA, with the name of the goalkeeper who was actually taking the goal kick.

Lead capo and respected veteran of the supporter scene in Seattle, Sean McConnell was barely able to suppress his laughter on one occasion when Chicago Fire visited in 2011.

The Fire had a goal kick at the Royal Brougham End where the noisiest fans congregate. Sean Johnson was the visiting goalkeeper.

Judging by the width of his grin, McConnell had clearly worked out that by encouraging fans to dumb it down to "You Suck Johnson," he was keeping to the letter of the law and having a good laugh at the ridiculousness of the whole issue.

One man who saw the joke that day was Kevin Zelko who heads Gorilla FC, a Sounders Supporters Group. His members tend to be a little older on average than many SGs, with many of their active members in the 35-45 age group and board members stretching into their mid 60s.

Even he has no doubt that making the atmosphere child friendly is not the path forward:

I think our league history has shown which model works, looking at how teams are retooling their target fan bases like in Kansas City and Houston with the turnaround there. The old model was soccer moms. The new growing, working model shows build on supporters, and let the supporters build it.

Zelko is right about Kansas City. Their new stadium heralded an opportunity to start again, eschewing previous models of stadium atmosphere.

Sean Dane holds the quirky title of 'Hype Man' of the Cauldron, the main Sporting Kansas City Supporters Group, and has observed it at first hand.

He takes an admirably balance view on these matters:

It's a fine line to walk. Obviously the league has responsibilities to its television and advertising partners. Additionally there is a responsibility to those coming to games that expect a certain level of family friendly-ness. Supporters don't buy every ticket in the stadium, and there has to be some level of respect for those that want to sit and watch the game.

That being said, you cannot pick the parts of supporter culture that you like and use to promote your league while trying to ban the parts that you don't. I personally try not to lead chants with unnecessary foul language. That is not to say I am anti foul language. We killed YSA last year. Not because it says shit or asshole but because it's unoriginal and ineffective.

You can see the full interview with Sean Dane on Prost Amerika where he develops these points and provides a very good starting point for charting the path forward that I hope all sides can embrace.

Personally, I have one last cheeky and irreverent observation on the matter.

If clubs want to eradicate swearing at matches, then why not start with their employees rather than waving a big stick at their customers?

OK, that was kind of a low blow. I'll take a yellow card for dissent and walk away.

Prost Amerika on Facebook

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Follow Steve Clare on Twitter: www.twitter.com/ProstSoccer

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-clare/mls-supporters-groups-profanity_b_2371900.html

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Unnatural Acts And The Rise Of Mobile

Editor?s note: Keith Teare?is General Partner at his incubator Archimedes Labs and CEO of recently funded just.me. He was a co-founder of TechCrunch. As all predatory, or formerly predatory, men and women know, if you're at a party and still by yourself at 2 a.m., and the drinks have been flowing, bad behavior replaces etiquette as the crowd shrinks. That?s when desperation to not leave alone kicks in.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/FQhrxrc-FJQ/

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Impact Investing, Naturally | Bonnie Foley-Wong

Are we hardwired to make impact investing impossible? That is the question posed by Ben Metz on the Pioneers Post. In my response to what motivates us to invest for positive impact, we must consider the following: what does impact mean to each of us, what is the purpose of money and monetary rewards, and how we make decisions.

Impact is Personal

I believe impact is fair and equitable access to resources for all. By resources, I include food, clean water, shelter, education, information, energy, transportation ? anything that is a resource that enables people to do the things they need to do to have a thriving, fulfilling life. More specifically, the things that had the most significant impact in my life were access to education (specifically deep literacy in financial matters), guidance from people who identified and supported potential, not just performance, and being in careers where building relationships was a daily necessity. It is no coincidence that the social venture I have created is focused on investing in earlier stage entrepreneurs with potential, building a community of investors and increasing investment literacy, and building relationships between investors and entrepreneurs. I support and serve women investors because I believe growing the community of women investors will have the most positive impact and knock-on effect on the world.

Ask a handful of people what they believe ?impact? is and get a handful of different answers. Impact is personal. It depends upon personal experiences. What someone experienced in their life will influence what they believe is impact. Just take a look at how organizations and businesses are often formed. Many are solutions to problems or challenges faced by the founders themselves. Founders create impact based on their personal experience of what would have greatest impact.

In his post, Ben writes that ?introducing the promise of monetary reward can actually reduce the motivation to do good ? and throwing more money at the problem doesn?t yield proportionate returns.?

The issue is not ?doing good and pursuing monetary reward, where one competes against the other?. It is most definitely not about one as motivation for the other. They are distinct, but complementary goals and desires. Each has its own motivation and each yields its own, complementary outcome.

The promise of monetary reward triggers an analytical part of the brain, potentially motivating a person to maximize monetary reward. However, to increase the motivation to do good, we must consider the key influencers of decisions to do good, such as feelings of fulfilment, contentment, joy, and love. For each person, these key influencers to do good are going to be different and personal.

Ben notes a study in 2000, where researchers offered subjects the opportunity to earn money for a charity at varying levels of financial reward. The study shows that monetary rewards alone do not motivate good acts. Feelings of creating fairness, emotional drivers, physiological conditions, and mindset all could have influenced the decisions to generate more money for the charity or not. How motivated each subject was to generate more money for the charity would have been influenced by their personal experiences.

The Purpose of Money and Monetary Rewards

The connection between the study?s subjects earning money for themselves and impact investing is that in order for doing good or doing purposeful work to be ongoing, it must be economically viable. To be economically viable, we must also earn money. More accurately, we must continually produce, generate, recycle, and reuse resources in order to sustain ourselves ? money happens to be the measure and currency of those resources.

It gets even more complicated and interesting. Money and monetary rewards are not themselves motivators. Instead, I believe it is the purpose of money that motivates people. Dougald Hine gave a great presentation on the purpose of money, in which he describes five main purposes:

• Subsistence ? a means to stay alive or sustain one?s self
• Security ? a means to manage your future, to make the world less unpredictable
• Luxury ? if something is a luxury, then you?re not dependent upon it
• Status ? games by which people establish, hold onto, and change status
• Accumulation ? the idea that more is in and of itself better

Relating the above to investing, the purpose of money or more specifically the purpose of a financial return is:

• to create an income to sustain one?s self or others
• to grow financial reserves in order to manage the future or manage change or be re-invested in other ventures and projects
• for luxury, if investing is not one?s main source of income
• for status as a successful investor
• simply as a way of keeping score, if you treat investing as a game

Integrated Decision-Making

Impact investing is a complex decision-making experience. We seek multiple outcomes from an impact investment ? economic viability and positive impact in the unknown and uncertain future. To achieve these multiple outcomes, we require multiple inputs into the decision-making experience or process.

We all make decisions using analysis, emotion, intuition, and body. Reflect upon the biggest decisions you have made in your life ? choosing a college, university or course to further your education, choosing a career path, or choosing in what city in the world to live. All of these decisions are similar to those faced in impact investing ? they each come with different monetary implications and each may have impact. There is a high likelihood that you conducted some analysis and reflected upon the emotions you felt given your choices. Your physiological state and a dose of intuition likely would have affected your decision. I suspect monetary reward alone would not have been a sufficient motivator where impact is important to you.

?

These ideas, concepts, and approaches ? that impact is personal, the purpose of money and investing, and integrated investment decision-making ? will be discussed further in the book I am writing on investing in an integrated way. Chapter excerpts will be posted on this website throughout early 2013.

Source: http://bonnie.foleywong.com/impact-investing-naturally/

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Jobless claims fall to lowest level in nearly five years

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence fell more than expected in December, hitting a four-month low as a looming fiscal crisis sapped what had been a growing sense of optimism about the economy.

The report heightened concerns that a failure by Washington to avert planned tax hikes and spending cuts could lead households to close their wallets, threatening an economic recovery that has been steady albeit lackluster.

Other data on Thursday highlighted the positive momentum building in the economy, with the number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits falling to a nearly 4-1/2 year low and new home sales hitting their highest level since April 2010.

But gauges of business sentiment have weakened recently on worries Washington will go forward with plans to slash the federal deficit by about $600 billion in 2013.

Now consumers also appear apprehensive, a sign worries about the so-called "fiscal cliff" could bite into household spending.

The Conference Board, an industry group, said its index of consumer attitudes fell to 65.1 from 71.5 in November.

A sub-index measuring how consumers feel about their present situation rose to its highest level in more than four years, but a gauge of sentiment about the future plunged to its lowest point in more than a year.

"Consumers are increasingly preoccupied with the potential damage the fiscal cliff will cause to the economy and to their wallets if a deal is not reached soon," economists at RBS in Stamford, Connecticut, wrote in a research note.

Separately, the Labor Department said initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 12,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 350,000, the Labor Department said.

"This recent improvement in the claims data is potentially a favorable signal for the labor market," said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan in New York.

After spiking in the wake of a mammoth storm that ravaged the East Coast in late October, new claims have dropped to their lowest levels since the early days of the 2007-09 recession. The four-week moving average fell 11,250 last week to 356,750, the lowest since March 2008.

The claims data has no direct relation to the government's monthly employment report, but it suggests the surge in layoffs since the recession has at least run its course.

Still, many economists think hiring may remain sluggish even as the pace of layoffs ease.

Companies in recent months have been adding to their payrolls at a lackluster pace, and analysts expect the employment report due on January 4 will show 143,000 jobs were created in December, down from 146,000 in November.

"A significant improvement in labor market conditions ahead of any resolution to the fiscal cliff is unlikely," said Michael Gapen, an economist at Barclays in New York.

U.S. stocks opened flat but turned lower as the Senate Democratic leader derided Republicans for the lack of progress in budget talks and warned that a fall off the "cliff" appeared inevitable. Investors sought safety by buying U.S. Treasury debt and the dollar, which rose against the euro.

Following a truncated holiday break in Hawaii, U.S. President Barack Obama returned to Washington to restart talks to avoid the brunt of the fiscal cliff's impact, which would likely put the U.S. economy back into recession if not lessened.

HOLIDAY CAVEAT

The signs of progress in the claims data also included a caveat, at least for the latest week.

Obama declared Monday a holiday for federal workers and many state offices followed suit and were unable to provide complete data for last week's jobless claims. Data for 19 states was estimated, although 14 of those states submitted their own estimates, which tend to be fairly accurate.

The holiday season can make it more difficult to adjust the claims data for normal seasonal fluctuations, another reason to be cautious about the report for last week.

Separately, the Commerce Department said new U.S. single-family home sales rose in November to a 377,000-unit annual rate, while the median sales price jumped 14.9 percent from the same month in 2011, the latest signs the U.S. housing recovery is gaining some steam.

In a fourth report, the Chicago Federal Reserve Bank said its index of factory activity in the U.S. Midwest increased in November to 93.7 from a revised 92.2 in October.

(Reporting by Jason Lange; Additional reporting by Richard Leong and Ryan Vlastelica in New York; Editing by Neil Stempleman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/jobless-claims-fall-trend-reading-four-half-low-133656610--business.html

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iPad dominates tablet Web traffic among tablets

4 hrs.

Brian Chacos , LAPTOP

Those spunky?Android tablets may have made big gains on Apple's flagship slate in recent months in terms of sales, but competitors still have a long way to go when it comes to actual usage. So says Chitika Insights, an ad and analytics firm that claims the iPad still accounts for a full 87 percent of all tablet Web traffic.

For every 100 iPad impressions Chitika receives, it only receives 14.75 impressions from all other tablets combined, VentureBeat reports.

As you can see in the chart below, the Kindle Fire family is far and away the second most popular tablet on Chitika's ad network, and it generates more than 20 times less traffic than the iPad, accounting for just 4.88 percent of all impressions. The vaunted Google Nexus tablets? Just 1.22 percent.

Early reports peg Microsoft's Surface tablet as the most-used Windows 8/RT device, but it only accounts for 0.22 percent of all tablet traffic by Chitika's count???just 0.04 points ahead of the defunct HP TouchPad's share. No wonder Microsoft has broadened the Surface's distribution.

Android tablets, on the other hand, have been on a hot streak of late. Google-powered tablets managed to knock the iPad's market share down to "just" 50.4 percent in the third quarter, which was the Apple tablet's smallest chunk since its launch.

One strong quarter is just the start of an uphill battle for Android, however. As Chitika's numbers show, years of utter dominance by the iPad have given it a substantial lead when it comes to actual usage. It will be interesting to see if the release of the iPad mini and fourth-gen iPad chew into Android's gains when the fourth-quarter sales numbers are released.

Copyright 2012 LAPTOP, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/ipad-dominates-tablet-web-traffic-kindle-fire-distant-second-1C7753000

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Fiscal Cliff Polls Show Americans Increasingly Pessimistic About Resolution

With just days before the fiscal cliff is reached, public opinion is growing increasingly pessimistic about the prospects of a deal.

An online HuffPost/YouGov poll conducted Wednesday and Thursday found that 51 percent of Americans thought a fiscal cliff deal was not very or not at all likely, up from 36 percent in late November. Only 8 percent thought a deal was very likely.

The skepticism transcended partisan lines, with more Democrats, Republicans and independents all saying a deal was more unlikely than likely. Republicans, however, were the most likely to expect further gridlock, with 59 percent predicting that a compromise wouldn't be reached.

The results mirror a Gallup poll that showed a 7-point dip over the last week in the belief a deal would be reached. Other polling has found even less confidence.

Most Americans have been following fiscal cliff news at least somewhat -- 88 percent in the HuffPost/YouGov poll said they'd heard something about the issue. The debate, however, has seemingly changed few minds, giving Democrats a relatively stable edge in public opinion for their handling of the negotiations, as well as their position on ending the Bush tax cuts on incomes over $250,000. A proposed last-ditch deal might set the threshold at $400,000.

The HuffPost/YouGov poll was conducted among 1,000 adults in the United States and has a margin of error of 4.4 percentage points, though that variation does not take into account other potential sources of error including statistical bias in the sample. It used a sample selected from YouGov's opt-in online panel to match the demographics and other characteristics of the adult U.S. population. Factors considered include age, race, gender, education, employment, income, marital status, number of children, voter registration, time and location of Internet access, interest in politics, religion and church.

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/fiscal-cliff-polls-huffpostyougov_n_2377118.html

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Ouya developer kits are shipping, $99 Android game console ...

The makers of the Ouya video game console have started shipping developer kits to folks who paid $699 or more during the team?s successful Kickstarter campaign. The company plans to start shipping Ouya units to customers early in 2013, with the video game console selling for about $99 plus shipping.

SlashGear reports the first units should begin arriving this week.

The Ouya game console is a small box with an NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, a USB 2.0 ports, Ethernet, and HDMI ports.

It runs Google Android software, but it?s not a phone or a tablet. Instead the Ouya console is designed to be plugged into your television so you can play games on the big screen. It also includes a wireless game controller, a game store, and more.

The developer consoles come with two controllers ? but their main appeal is that they?re shipping a few months ahead of the final units, which should give game developers (or serious enthusiasts) a chance to try out the device before it?s available to the general public, and adapt games to run on the platform.

While there?s no shortage of video game consoles for the living room, the developers of the Ouya project want to lower the barriers to entry for independent game developers. Basically, if you can create a game that runs on Android, it can run on Ouya ? you don?t need to go through the hassle of signing with a game publisher, packaging the title on a disc and distributing it to game stores.

On the other hand, the Ouya is expected to ship to regular customers in early 2013 with hardware that was state of the art in early 2012. While you can still write some pretty nifty games for the Tegra 3 processor, Samsung and Qualcomm are already offering mobile processors with significantly more graphics power, and NVIDIA is expected to launch a Tegra 4 chip soon.

Will the Ouya feel dated by the time it finally arrives? Then again? with a $99 price tag, does it really matter?

via SlashGear and Ouya Forum

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Source: http://liliputing.com/2012/12/ouya-developer-kits-are-shipping-99-android-game-console-coming-in-2013.html

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Video: Putin to sign bill, halting US adoptions

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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/newsnation/50306202/

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Online Christmas Shopping

2012 has been a great year for Ecommerce and online shopping. As Ecommerce specialists we?ve seen this impact positively on our clients? campaigns, with a large majority of clients? websites receiving an increase in traffic and sales.

The UK is one of the world leaders when it comes to online shopping, with an average of around 60% of adults purchasing goods or services online according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) ? double the average of the survey. This is a fantastic figure when comparing the UK to countries such as the United States with around 35% of adults purchasing online, ironic as the US established a lot of the brands and infrastructure related to online searching and purchasing.

The rising number of smart devices and tablets on the market, combined with the affordability of certain technology, is likely to translate into both visits and online purchases. This was a trend recorded in previous years by the OECD with an increase of ?10 billion on 2010?s online spend to ?68.2 for 2011. This pattern is also noticed by a consumer research survey carried out by Ofcom in October 2012, with online shopping value per head per year being ?1083 for the UK, followed by Australia (?842), Sweden (?747), Ireland (?683) and the USA (?620).

Ecommerce: Not Just for Christmas

This Christmas has marked a change in behaviour for some consumers. On the one day when most shopping centres and retail stores are closed, the reality of online shopping is that it is growing ? fast. For example, Amazon.co.uk have commented that Christmas Day sales have almost doubled in the past 5 years. An estimated ?307 million will be spent online this year; a 17 per cent predicted increase on last year?s spending.

Companies such as John Lewis have seen this trend and have noticed a 70 per cent rise in sales on Christmas Eve, and a 24 per cent Christmas Day. Is this a sign of things to come for the retail industry on a whole? Should companies look to investing more in online business opportunities?

The nature in which we buy online has changed and companies need to capitalise on this previously underestimated amount of traffic and potential sales. With a predicted rise in tablet sales this year and the constant increase in market share for these types of devices, it is becoming much easier to browse and purchase online. I recommend that any company wanting to improve online performance over the Christmas holidays should invest time and money into creating an excellent 2013 strategy to enjoy Ecommerce success throughout the year.

Related Posts

Read more from: Josh

Source: http://www.seo-creare.co.uk/seo-blog/internet-marketing-services/2013-an-online-christmas-shopping-odyssey.html

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layanau: writ trig: Bodybuilding Basics | Sports n Recreation Info ...

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Streaming Audio and Video has always been available towards the large corporate sites and techies. Now you can utilize inexpensive software to generate your own streaming audio or video the same as the professionals without the need of knowledge of programming required. Lets face it when a person concerns your website what would they rather [...]

Thousands of Syrians have already taken refuge in Turkey, while others are waiting before making the decision to cross Hundreds of Syrians have been massing on the northern border with Turkey, preparing to cross over if the army advances further into the area after seizing the city of Jisr al-Shughour. Syrian military sources have told [...]

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. ? A sun-powered robotic explorer named Juno rocketed away Friday on a five-year journey to Jupiter, the solar system?s most massive and ancient planet. Hundreds of scientists and their families and friends watched from just a few miles away, cheering and yelling, ?Go Juno!? as the NASA spacecraft soared into a clear [...]

Greg Stokes and David Chaney have both left their jobs in the wake of the Colombia prostitution scandal. NBC News? Kristen Welker reports. By NBC News and msnbc.com staff Updated at 6:53 p.m. ET: A 12th Secret Service agent is under investigation in the Colombian prostitution scandal, the agency said Friday. Meanwhile, three more agents [...]

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Some Of The Things That Windows Kenosha Clients Should Consider

It is imperative for some creativity to be displayed while a windows Kenosha client is trying to improve the look that a home has. The use of blinds is a means that can be used in such an endeavor. When in place, they are very instrumental in the control of the amount of light allowed into the room.

Vertical blinds are an example of the kind that an individual can have installed in room. These are most suitable for cases where a person is interested in a particular type of material. Several types are available including those that come from faux wood, aluminum, cellular and even fabric.

It is possible for a person to go for those known as roller blades. There are also those that are made of plastic. These can be found in all sorts of materials plastic. They can also be got in all types of colors possible. This ensures that the rooms get to be given matching accessories. With them in place, an individual not interested in the morning light can keep it out.

Roman blinds are another alternative that an individual can opt to go for. These are made in such a way that they resemble the roller blades. With them, a person is also able to adjust it in such a way that only a desired part of a window gets to let in light. To make them, any desired fabric may be settled for.

One of the designs an individual may go for is the Venetian, this is the kind that is made of horizontal slats. These can be used in any room in a house. Most people find them to be convenient especially when making installations in places such as above kitchen sinks and even bathrooms. This is because one can opt for the kind that is water proof when installing them. An individual can also choose the material to be used depending on what is desired. For a contemporary look, aluminum will come in handy. Wood I s what can be used to give it a more traditional look.

For the purposes of improving the safety in the home, there is need to have some measures in place. One of which would be to use blinds that do not have cords. This helps a lot especially when small children are around the home. They are known to be agents of strangulation.

Those with an intention of making purchases of such blinds should proceed with some degree of caution. The reason being; various companies have come up with such products in huge numbers. They are varied and their difference is distinct. When one goes to the various dealers, he or she will be able to check out various aspects including their cost and even design. A decision that one can be satisfied with will therefore be reached.

A number of things including size, color and the design should be considered by the windows Kenosha clientele when purchases are being made. When some of these methods are used in making a selection, regrets will get to be avoided. Those people known to one who already have such accessories should also be checked with as they will be better placed at dispensing the necessary knowledge.

You can visit the website www.millworkmasters.net for more helpful information about Some Of The Considerations To Be Made By Windows Kenosha Clientele

Source: http://www.cohocton.org/139-some-of-the-things-that-windows-kenosha-clients-should-consider

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