Monday, 31 December 2012

Ex-NBA player found dead

Updated?Dec 29, 2012 9:33 PM ET

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Former NBA player Jerome Whitehead was found dead in a San Diego suburb last week, according to California authorities. Whitehead was 56.

Whitehead played for six NBA teams during his 11-year career. The 6-foot-10 forward/center was taken 41st overall by the San Diego Clippers in the 1978 draft.

Whitehead was the starting center on Marquette?s 1977 NCAA title team.

An autopsy revealed that Whitehead died as a result of gastrointestinal hemorrhage caused by alcohol abuse.

Source: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/jerome-whitehead-ex-nba-player-found-dead-122912

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Happy New Year from iMore!

It's been a hell of a year. In 2012, with your help and support, we changed our name to iMore and relaunched on a powerful new platform with fantastic new forums. We released the official iMore app and some forum apps to go with it. We broke a bunch of news and wrote a bunch of editorials and reviews, we loved a lot of apps, and you did to, and we began our hall of fame.

iMore hit almost 2 million readers and 10 million pageviews a month and, as a network, Mobile Nations hit over 12 million readers and 56 million pageviews.

We launched a couple new podcasts, including Debug, a companion show to Iterate, we like to think of as DVD extras for apps, and Ad hoc, where we bring together a bunch of nerds to talk about everything but mobile (like Star Wars and James Bond). Yours truly also joined the team at MacBreak Weekly, bringing you a couple extra hours of Apple talk a week.

It's been a hell of a year. Crazy as it sounds, we're still only just getting started.

Next week brings CES 2013, and next month, Macworld|iWorld 2013. We'll be covering both. There are going to be new and better features on the website -- you'll be seeing some of them soon on our sibling sites. We're working on hard on making the forums best in class. We've got the iMore app 2.0 well underway, with a lot of your most requested features, including commenting and push notifications. The forum apps are going somewhere really interesting as well.

We've got some amazing guests lined up for the next few podcasts as well. We've already posted the iMore show's 2013 preview, and tomorrow we'll be posting a special Iterate interview with Pacific Helm. All of them.

And that's just the stuff I can tease.

Once again, it's all thanks to you, our readers, listeners, and viewers. We appreciate each and every one of you, and what you allow us to do for you and with you.

You're why 2013 is going to be our biggest, best year ever.

Thank you, and Happy New Year!



Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/pH8go4nuq2E/story01.htm

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Woman charged with murder in NYC subway death

NEW YORK (AP) ? A woman who told police she shoved a man to his death off a subway platform into the path of a train because she has hated Muslims since Sept. 11 and thought he was one was charged Saturday with murder as a hate crime, prosecutors said.

Erika Menendez was charged in the death of Sunando Sen, who was crushed by a 7 train in Queens on Thursday night, the second time this month a commuter has died in such a nightmarish fashion.

Menendez, 31, was awaiting arraignment on the charge Saturday evening, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown said. She could face 25 years to life in prison if convicted. She was in custody and couldn't be reached for comment, and it was unclear if she had an attorney.

Menendez, who was arrested after a tip by a passer-by who saw her on a street and thought she looked like the woman in a surveillance video released by police, admitted shoving Sen, who was pushed from behind, authorities said.

"I pushed a Muslim off the train tracks because I hate Hindus and Muslims ever since 2001 when they put down the twin towers I've been beating them up," Menendez told police, according to the district attorney's office.

Sen was from India, but police said it was unclear if he was Muslim, Hindu or of some other faith. The 46-year-old lived in Queens and ran a printing shop. He was shoved from an elevated platform on the 7 train line, which connects Manhattan and Queens. Witnesses said a muttering woman rose from her seat on a platform bench and pushed him on the tracks as a train entered the station and then ran off.

The two had never met before, authorities said, and witnesses told police they hadn't interacted on the platform.

Police released a sketch and security camera video showing a woman running from the station where Sen was killed.

Menendez was arrested by police earlier Saturday after a passer-by on a Brooklyn street spotted her and called 911. Police responded, confirmed her identity and took her into custody, where she made statements implicating herself in the crime, police spokesman Paul Browne said.

The district attorney said such hateful remarks about Muslims and Hindus could not be tolerated.

"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway commuter's worst nightmare," he said.

On Dec. 3, another man was pushed to his death in a Times Square subway station. A photo of the man clinging to the edge of the platform a split second before he was struck by a train was published on the front page of the New York Post, causing an uproar about whether the photographer, who was catching a train, or anyone else should have tried to help him.

A homeless man was arrested and charged with murder in that case. He claimed he acted in self-defense and is awaiting trial.

It's unclear whether anyone tried ? or could have tried ? to help Sen on Thursday.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg on Friday urged residents to keep Sen's death in perspective as he touted new historic lows in the city's annual homicide and shooting totals.

"It's a very tragic case, but what we want to focus on today is the overall safety in New York," Bloomberg told reporters following a police academy graduation.

But commuters still expressed concern over subway safety and shock about the arrest of Menendez on a hate crime charge.

"For someone to do something like that ... that's not the way we are made," said David Green, who was waiting for a train in Manhattan. "She needs help."

Green said he caught himself leaning over the subway platform's edge and realized maybe he shouldn't do that.

"It does make you more conscious," he said of the deaths.

Such subway deaths are rare, but other high-profile cases include the 1999 fatal shoving of aspiring screenwriter Kendra Webdale by a former psychiatric patient. That case led to a state law allowing for more supervision of mentally ill people living outside institutions.

___

Associated Press writer Karen Matthews contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/woman-charged-murder-ny-subway-shove-death-223404308.html

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Car bombing targeting Shiites in Pakistan kills 19

Pakistani tribal policeman Amanullah Khan, receives treatment at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Twenty-one tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Pakistani tribal policeman Amanullah Khan, receives treatment at a local hospital in Peshawar, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. Twenty-one tribal policemen who were shot dead were found by officials shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, said Khan. (AP Photo/Mohammad Sajjad)

Security men gather at the site of a suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. A suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims in southwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing several people, a government official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)

Pakistani volunteers carry a lifeless body out of a bus targeted in a suicide bombing in Quetta, Pakistan, Sunday, Dec. 30, 2012. A suicide bomber driving a vehicle packed with explosives rammed into a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims in southwest Pakistan on Sunday, killing several people, a government official and eyewitnesses said. (AP Photo/Arshad Butt)

(AP) ? A car bomb targeting a bus carrying Shiite Muslim pilgrims killed 19 people in southwest Pakistan, officials and eyewitnesses said.

Earlier Sunday, 21 tribal policemen believed to have been kidnapped by the Taliban were found shot dead in Pakistan's troubled northwest tribal region, government officials said.

Reports conflicted about whether the car bombing was a suicide attack or the device was detonated remotely.

Pakistan has experienced a spike in killings over the last year by radical Sunni Muslims targeting Shiites, whom they consider heretics. The violence has been especially pronounced in Baluchistan province, where the latest attack occurred.

In addition to the 19 people killed in the bombing in Baluchistan's Mastung district, 25 others were wounded, many of them critically, said Tufail Ahmed, a local political official. The blast destroyed the bus and damaged a nearby bus also carrying Shiites.

Ahmed and a person who was riding in the second bus, Mohammed Ayan Danish, said the attack was carried out by a suicide bomber.

The bomber "rammed a small car into the first bus, which contained 43 pilgrims," said Danish.

But Akbar Durrani, the home secretary in Baluchistan, said the explosion was caused by a car packed with explosives that was parked beside the road and detonated by remote control.

The pilgrims who were targeted were headed to Iran, a majority Shiite country that is a popular religious tourism destination, Ahmed said.

Shiites make up around 15 percent of Pakistan's 190 million people. Baluchistan has the largest community, mainly made up of ethnic Hazaras, identifiable from their facial resemblance to Central Asians.

An escalation in recent years of Sunni extremists' attacks against Shiites in Pakistan has been fueled mainly by the group Laskar-e-Jangvhi, aligned to Pakistani Taliban militants in the tribal region. More than 300 Shiites have been killed in Pakistan this year, according to Human Rights Watch.

The violence has pushed Baluchistan deeper into chaos. The province was already facing an armed insurgency by ethnic Baluch separatists who frequently attack security forces and government facilities. Now the secessionist violence has been overtaken by increasingly bold attacks against Shiites.

The sectarian bloodshed adds another layer to the turmoil in Pakistan, where the government is fighting an insurgency by the Pakistani Taliban and where many fear Sunni hard-liners are gaining strength. Shiites and rights group say the government does little to protect Shiites and that militants are emboldened by their perceived links to Pakistan's intelligence agencies.

The 21 tribal policemen who were shot dead were found shortly after midnight Sunday in the Jabai area of Frontier Region Peshawar after being notified by one policeman who escaped, said Naveed Akbar Khan, a top political official in the area. Another policeman was found seriously wounded, Khan said.

The 23 policemen went missing before dawn Thursday when militants armed with rocket-propelled grenades and automatic weapons attacked two posts in Frontier Region Peshawar. Two policemen were killed in the attacks.

Militants lined the policemen up on a cricket pitch late Saturday night and gunned them down, said another local official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to reporters.

Also Sunday, two Pakistani army soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb in the North Waziristan tribal area, the main sanctuary for Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the country, security officials said, speaking on condition of anonymity in line with official policy.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the escalating violence, especially the continuing targeting of religions minorities, U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said.

"These cruel acts of violence cannot be justified by any cause or grievance," Ban's spokesman said. "Their perpetrators should be brought to justice."

The secretary-general stressed the U.N.'s solidarity and support for the government and people of Pakistan and "their efforts to defend their country's institutions and freedoms in the face of the scourge of terrorism," Nesirky said.

___

Associated Press writers Riaz Khan and Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-30-Pakistan/id-f6fe55f6c8aa4887bb6e116893583ed1

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Cheap Buy Wii Sports Resort Pack

The Nintendo Wii U ExperienceNintendo launched a Wii U Experience tour in major towns of the US.This tour wasn't for everyone.A number of Club Nintendo members and some of the older comrades were in...

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Sunday, 30 December 2012

Pakistan: Cough syrup suspected in 33 deaths

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) ? Authorities are investigating cough syrup believed to have killed 33 people in eastern Pakistan in the past three days, a government official said Saturday, the second time in recent months that suspect medicine is thought to have caused multiple deaths.

Also Saturday, an explosion ripped through a passenger bus while it was at a terminal in the southern city of Karachi, killing four people and wounding 40 others, police and hospital officials said. It's unclear if the blast was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder exploding.

The deaths from the cough syrup occurred in Gujranwala and villages surrounding the city, said Abdul Jabbar Shaheen, the top administrative official in Gujranwala. Another 54 people are being treated at hospitals in the city who are also believed to have consumed the syrup. Those involved are thought to be laborers or drug addicts who drank the syrup to get high, said Shaheen.

Chemical samples collected from the victims' stomachs contained dextromethorphan, a synthetic morphine derivative used in cough syrup that can have mind-altering effects if consumed in large quantities, said Shaheen. It is being investigated whether the people affected by the syrup in Gujranwala drank too much of it, or whether there was a problem with the medicine itself, he said.

Twenty-three people died in the nearby city of Lahore in November after drinking bad cough syrup sold under the brand name Tyno. They were also described at the time as people who consumed the drug to get high.

Shaheen said the cough syrup involved in the incidents in and around Gujranwala was not sold under a single brand. He said there were some people in the city involved in the business of making cough syrup specifically to sell to drug addicts, and officials were trying to arrest the culprits.

Officials temporarily closed one Lahore-based pharmaceutical company whose cough syrup was found in the possession of some of those affected in Gujranwala and were investigating whether it caused any of the deaths, said Shaheen.

The blast that ripped through the bus in Karachi on Saturday set the vehicle on fire and reduced it to little more than a charred skeleton. Police were trying to determine whether the explosion was caused by a bomb or a gas cylinder, said police spokesman Imran Shaukat. Many buses in Pakistan run on natural gas.

The explosion killed at least four people and wounded 40 others, some of whom were in critical condition, said Seemi Jamali, a doctor at the hospital in Karachi where they were being treated.

Karachi has a long history of political, ethnic and sectarian violence. It is also believed to be home to many Taliban militants who have fled U.S. drone attacks and Pakistani army operations in the country's northwest.

____

Associated Press writer Adil Jawad contributed to this report from Karachi, Pakistan.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-cough-syrup-suspected-33-deaths-112951838.html

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Saturday, 29 December 2012

Learn To Market Online With These Suggestions - Empower Network

Occasionally, you will come up with a fabulous idea for a new business you could start. When you have a good idea, be sure you?re able to effectively market it that so you can create business for yourself. Read on and learn some great Affiliate marketing tips that are sure to increase your profits.

Offer something free with your business name and logo on it. For example, if it?s a wallpaper, submit it to sites that offer free wallpapers. There are many different sites that supply freebies, e-zines and articles that you can attempt to submit to.

TIP! You need to be willing to put in a bit of time to learn the basics of website design. Use the Internet to find information about CSS and HTML.

A press release might help you to increase traffic, and it is a fantastic way to market your brand. If you are not a great writer, there are sources online that provide you with your own press release in your niche. This is a simple, quick and effective means of getting your name out there.

TIP! Try and see your website through the eyes of your customers. Do you enjoy using it? Is it enjoyable to look at? Is it user-friendly? It?s pointless to get customers on your page via SEO only to lose their business because your page is boring or confusing.

When it comes to products that customers need to periodically replenish, a good way to keep them returning is to offer them a small discount for repeat purchases. If there is a way to offer a monthly supply of your product, a subscription is a great way to keep them coming back for more.

Make sure your page has information that your customers want. Simply providing a single-page site that provides your business hours and your address will not bring in customers. Use the space to add reviews, blog posts, articles and similar content that demonstrates to potential customers that you know what they find helpful and relevant.

TIP! Make sure to include content that is original and rich on your site. Search engines will rank your website higher if it contains unique and valuable content in the articles and your customers will be more favorable to your site as well.

One new Internet marketing strategy is to create a public relations page for your company. Try to target your audience with articles that may be seen in magazines and newspapers. This will help you show off any positive reviews you have received, which will increase your credibility.

Do your homework before jumping into a new Internet marketing campaign. Pick a mentor that you trust and admire online. People who know how to effectively market on the Internet often provide free tips or online tutorials for a nominal fee. Design a strategy that makes sense for your business, and see it through. Starting up is a gradual process, but focusing your attention will help you become accomplished.

TIP! Squeeze pages can be used to creates lists of contacts. Basically, you?re creating a page that will draw your visitors in to sign up for something, thus allowing you to gain their emails.

Blogging is a great adjunct to any internet promotion business. A continuing blog also stands as testament to the enduring value of your products. Also, a blog makes your website larger, making it more visible to search engines and increasing the number of visitors to your site in the long run.

Create a unique quality website and you will get more visitors. Cartoons that illustrate your products or funny limericks about the niche may suffice. You can market your site much better if you offer something that cannot be found elsewhere.

TIP! You do not want to spread yourself too thin, rather it is best to try several forms of Internet marketing at first. This is key when because income will vary in the beginning and may not be sufficient at first until you are more established.

It can be a bit overwhelming when you try and decide exactly what type of business you want to create. Think about your interests, and narrow the list until you can see a clear winner. You should choose a website niche you enjoy that interests you as well. Having a definite goal will make marketing your site a lot easier.

Video marketing is a great choice for Online marketing. Use keywords in the descriptions and captions to increase the visibility of your website. Think of ways to mix up the way you send out videos and the rewards will benefit your greatly in the end.

TIP! One often-overlooked way to build more web traffic is by keeping your website simple. Adobe Flash and other multimedia tools can be seductive to website owners, so professional website designers push these tools.

Research your competitors and how they are marketing rather than being intimidated by them. If you are aware of what they are selling and know you can do something a bit better, then you can be very profitable and surpass them in sales. This is an essential part of Online marketing.

No matter what your product or service is, you have to be able to generate profits. We hope this article has been helpful to you and provides information that will position you for much success. With a little persistence and motivation, you will be on the path to success in no time.

TIP! Internet marketing can help promote your small business, but make sure you fully understand and pay attention to the the types of information you provide to consumers. Focus on providing useful, original content.

To get some additional advice, consider a look at this specific full article MLM How To because what you will discover will certainly give a boost to your personal business and give you new insights into Internet Marketing.

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To Your Success,
?

Mike Donaldson

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Partner for Wealth Through Online Automated Marketing | MLM Attraction Marketing Secrets | Make Money Now

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P.S. ? Who else wants to discover how to get 100% affiliate commissions?

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/getfreedom/blog/learn-to-market-online-with-these-suggestions/

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The Watanabes are coming | Global Investing

With?Shinzo Abe?s?new government intent on prodding the Bank of Japan into unlimited monetary easing,?it is hardly surprising that the?yen has?slumped to two-year lows against the dollar.?This could lead to even more flows into?overseas markets from Japanese investors seeking higher-yield homes for their money.

Japanese mom-and-pop investors ? known?collectively as Mrs Watanabe?- ?have for?years?been canny players of currency and interest rate arbitrage.?In recent years they have?stepped away from old favourites, New Zealand and Australia, in favour of?emerging markets such as Brazil, South Africa and Turkey. (See here? to read?Global Investing?s take on?Mrs Watanabe?s foray into?Turkey).?Flows from Japan?stalled somewhat in the wake of the 2010 earthquake but EM-dedicated Japanese investment trusts, known as toshin,?remain a mighty force, with?estimated assets of over $64 billion.??Analysts at JP Morgan?noted back in October that with the?U.S. Fed?s QE3 in full swing, more Japanese cash had started to flow out.

That trickle?shows signs of ?becoming a flood. Nikko?Asset Management, the country?s?third ?biggest money manager, said this week that retail investors had poured $2.3 billion into a mutual fund that invests in overseas shares ? the biggest? subscription since October 2006. This fund?s model portfolio has a 64 percent weighting to U.S. shares, 14 percent to Mexico and 10 percent to Canada while the rest is split between Latin American countries.

And what of currency wars? The yen has slumped 12 percent against the dollar this year while currencies from emerging economies Korea, Philippines, and Mexico?have ?risen 6-7 percent. JP Morgan predicts the yen, currently trading around 86 to the dollar, ?will trade between 80 and 90 next year ( previous estimate?75-85 yen) But some in the?new administration want more?? Abe?s special advisor Koichi Hamada?says?only a 95-100 per dollar level would be proof that monetary easing is working.

So emerging?central banks may have?a hard fight to keep a lid on their currencies if?outflows from Japan gather momentum. Look at the Korean won ? it is trading at a 2-1/2 year high against the yen, having risen 21 percent?in 2012, the largest annual gain since 1998. That?s painful for an economy that sends around 6 percent of its exports to Japan; its companies from carmakers to electronics manufacturers compete against?Japan for other export markets and all that should eventually force the central bank to step in. The Singapore dollar?meanwhile has appreciated?19 percent?versus the yen this year.

Japanese?citizens have 1,500 trillion yen in personal assets and the mutual fund industry is worth $720 billion.?Once?the yen debasement gets fully under way,?more of this cash will be?hunting for yield overseas.

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Source: http://blogs.reuters.com/globalinvesting/2012/12/28/the-watanabes-are-coming/

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Make Some Resolutions in This Week's Open Thread

Make Some Resolutions in This Week's Open ThreadAnother year is almost done and many of us have some things we'd like to change about ourselves. Share those New Year's resolutions or talk about anything else you want to in this week's Open Thread.

Same drill as always, open-threaders: You can chat and ask questions with your fellow readers all week long at the #openthread hashtag page, but our weekly open thread post is your opportunity to reach the most people. Ask questions, offer advice, discuss productivity tips, or just chat about whatever's on your mind. You'll need a commenter account to participate, then you're ready to roll.

An extra reminder: If you're not quite satisfied with the interaction in the weekly open thread or in #tips, remember that you can also share your expertise every day on our Expert Pages.

Photo by stephenhanafin.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/Tol_qFRltEk/make-some-resolutions-in-this-weeks-open-thread

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Self Improvement Tips That Can Get You Out Of Your Slump | Gifts ...

Head to a movie with your best friend if anxiety is a problem in your life. You will be out and about but not have to socialize as much. It can also be an effective way for you to become more comfortable with being near a large group of people.

TIP! Everyone screws up sometime and does something they should not. Stress is just as harmful to the body as eating bad foods.

If you do not know how to grow personally, you have come to the right place! Keeping an open mind and using the tips that this article will provide you will help you reach any personal development goals you may have.

Learn the habits that successful people practice, and build them into your own life. Concentrate on practicing some vital core habits at first, and keep at it until they become second nature to you. New habits are developed over approximately twenty-one days so a little patience will go a long way when you are improving your habits.

TIP! Understand that there is a divide between where you are and where you wish to go. You cannot successfully make the journey from here to there if you do not know the intervening territory.

When you are pursuing your personal development goals, having setbacks can be discouraging and make you feel like a failure. Failure is just a learning experience incognito. Failure is simply another method of determining what have been losses in your life and what have been your strengths. When you look at it from that perspective, failure can be considered a good thing, as it helps you know more about your personal makeup.

Begin a special savings for emergencies. Most of the time, it seems that the smallest unexpected expense adds more credit card debt. All you will need to do is save a couple of dollars per week. This will be able to get you through a short term crisis like unemployment or a large unexpected health care bill.

TIP! Knowing what you want out of life and how to get there are great tools for personal development. Broad objectives are extremely useful and can lend a positive outlook on life.

Find a book that you can turn to for encouragement. For some people, that would be a religious text, and for others, it might be something like an inspirational book of quotes. Knowing that there is some source of encouragement to which you can turn will improve your mental state and make it easier to face life?s challenges.

Ultimate happiness may lie in assuming a manageable amount of risk. Most people don?t want to risk feelings of rejection or failure, so they never travel from their comfort zone, eventually causing dissatisfaction. If you take risks, chances are you will be happier.

TIP! Being selfless is an important part of personal development. If you understand the importance of caring for others at your own expense, you can build stronger character.

Making yourself number one, and not overextending yourself, is very important. Do not focus on your own happiness to the exclusion of others? needs, but definitely make it a priority. They key is to stay true to your beliefs, and then you can have a much greater chance at happiness in your self improvement.

You may find it helpful to discuss your issues with a counselor or other trusted professional, such as your pastor. They are trained to help you with issues, and also are experienced. These impartial listeners can provide a sympathetic ear or help you deal with troublesome areas of your life. Talking to someone who knows how to listen and help will make you happier, and allow you to reach your goals.

TIP! Several people have difficulty meeting someone worthwhile to date. You should consider using the Internet.

Setting and reaching some short term goals can jump start your path to a happy, healthy life. By taking some time our for yourself to focus on both strengths and weaknesses, you will notice overall self-improvement.

Accomplish the things in life you want to accomplish. Sitting and thinking about the life you want will not get you that life. Take action, and turn your dreams into reality.

TIP! When trying to handle depression, focus on your diet and increase your complex carbohydrates. If your complex carb intake is lower than recommended, your body won?t produce enough serotonin.

Find out how successful people improved themselves. Studying the processes used by others will help you better develop your own personal development strategies. Reading about the lessons they have learned will have a positive impact on your own self improvement.

Choose one element of your life to focus on improving. If you focus all your efforts on that one thing, then the change will come faster and easier. By slowly introducing things one at a time, it is much easier to stick with these personality changes in the long-term.

TIP! Examine your inner self instead of your external appearance. It really does not matter what expensive clothing you wear, or if you look like someone from a magazine shoot.

Remove the disorganization from all aspects of your life. If you are able to get your life organized and keep it that way, you will see a real boost to your self-confidence. This will also lead to less stress because the disorganization contributing to it will be eliminated. It is soothing to know that everything is where it belongs.

Take a notebook around with you to jot ideas in. Keep a small notepad and pen with you at all times. If an idea grabs you while you are on the subway, write it down, then do something about it when inspiration strikes.

TIP! If you are not able to achieve anything you wanted to, it is time to evaluate the situation seriously. One way to check yourself is to go online and read what others have experienced when aiming for the same kind of achievements.

Use the knowledge you have and be modest in order to live your life to the fullest. You can learn from the situations that you deal with on a daily basis. Ensure you can recognize what circumstances can?t be changed in your life. You will be less likely to bit off more than you can chew if you remain modest. Use the wisdom gained from past mistakes to make your future choices more positive and empowering.

Pick up a book to find out more about personal development. Having a good personal development book can give you insight and advice that will make a difference in your life forever. Be sure that you pick out a book that has been favorably reviewed because a lot of the times, these type of books can be poorly written.

TIP! Have a clear understanding of the obstacles between you and your success. This seems to be hard from some people.

When working on your personal development, you need to value yourself and what is best for your life. Make reaching your goals one of the most important aspects of your life.

Do what you can to remove unnecessary stress from your life. To avoid stress, try to remain calm when something unexpected happens. You should remember that not everything is perfect, and try to fix the problem when it arises.

On the road to personal development, treat your body with respect. Never allow yourself to become dehydrated or overly hungry. By doing that, your body will perform better later on in the future. If you disregard your body?s intelligence, you might find in the future that it will not be able to take care of you.

TIP! Make sure that you have specific and tangible personal development goals. If you have more tangible goals in mind, you?ll be able to better resolve how you might accomplish them.

It is essential to have a clearly outlined goal, when working toward improving self improvement. Create a specific goal for yourself. A specific goal will often achieve the desired results.

When you are trying to improve yourself, you should aim to have a high amount of self-discipline. You should strive to control your temptations and increase your self control. You can conquer many desires such as lust, drunkenness, or greed. Using self-control and restraining from these horrid vices can protect you from the negative effects they may have on your body and mind.

TIP! Even if you feel the need to change and grow, you will not do so until you choose to. Unless you understand and accept the fact that it will require change, personal growth will be almost impossible for you to achieve.

By using love, you can re-energize your faith and get closer to your self improvement goals. You must have love to have faith. You will also make decisions guided by your core beliefs. Faith and love can lead you to help those in need, and believe in people when they need it most, especially yourself.

Everyone needs to exercise, not just people who want to lose weight. There are lots of good, healthy reasons for exercising. For one thing, exercise stimulates your brain to produce chemicals that improve your mood.

Growing as a person requires improving your health. Exercising and eating nutritious foods are core to a healthy lifestyle, but you also need to be able to stay with your regimen. When you are healthy, you feel your best and therefore can be more effective in all the other areas of your life.

Become awesome at something you?re passionate about. Your aspiration to greatness is usually pointed to by your passion. No one can be perfect at everything, but we all aspire to provide inspiration to others. Enhance your standing in your niche, and your self-esteem will climb too.

A leader knows how to be modest, yet assertive. Be critical yet gentle in your approach, and remember, one must learn how to serve before he can lead. A leader is a person of integrity and virtue. These are admirable qualities for anybody to possess, so work on being more like a leader today.

When you?re looking for employment, having a degree is often essential. It typically does not matter what school that degree came from though. However, there are some instances, such as with financial institutions, that this may not be the case. Obtaining the degree in the first place should be the primary goal.

It?s often said that listening is no less important than speaking when it comes to effective communication. This is very true for personal development skills. Always pay attention to what you are telling yourself. You will have a hard time finding what your goals are if you are not listening to yourself.

One interesting trait the might be worth developing is called ?sexual capital.? Sexual capitol does not mean employing your sexuality as a tool in procuring what you want out of life. This means to use charisma instead. Not everyone has good social skills, but these can help you go farther in all aspects of your life.

Avoiding a decision means missing out on an opportunity when engaging in personal development. This may mean you need to make decisions without having perfect information about the outcomes of those decisions. Being able to make good decisions sometime requires you to trust your instincts. Even when you make a bad decision, you can learn valuable lessons from your experience. A bad choice will just open up the door for a better one.

You should now have a better idea how to maintain an optimistic outlook and plan. Keep any eye out for new information and use this information towards your self improvement.

Source: http://www.giftsforhappiness.com/self-improvement-tips-that-can-get-you-out-of-your-slump/

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Friday, 28 December 2012

One Direction stars in Bad Lip Reading film spoof

By Kurt Schlosser, TODAY

The pros at Bad Lip Reading have set their sights on the boys of One Direction and made them the stars of a spoof foreign language film called "Shadow Pico."

Set to the visuals of the British band's video for "Gotta Be You," "Pico" dubs phony languages over the top for a dramatic art-house feel.

"They've captivated the world with their music," the intro says. "Now experience One Direction as you've never seen them before. In their first foreign language motion picture." And then, instead of bubbly lyrics about girls and bro-bonding, the gibberish begins.

Turning on the video's closed captioning makes the entire effort all the better, especially when "Ooh, ooh, ooh" is translated as "Ooh, ooh, ooh."

With 82 million views, the real music video is in no danger (yet) of being eclipsed by the spoof's 29,000 views. But Bad Lip Reading does attract a lot of eyes -- this?classic "Twilight" spoof?has 16 million views.

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/27/16194492-one-direction-gets-bad-lip-reading-treatment-in-shadow-pico?lite

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Remains of the Day: Google Calling to Be Free Through 2013

Remains of the Day: Google Calling to Be Free Through 2013Google extends its free calling service, Google Music's scan-and-match has a bit of a mix-up, and Netflix's US customers will get new social features next year.

  • Free calling within the US and Canada through 2013 If you already use Gmail to make free calls, then here's some good (though perhaps expected) news: Google will continue to support free calling within the US and Canada through 2013. If you don't already take advantage of this, here are a few ideas on how to use it. [Official Gmail Blog]
  • Google's Music Matching Reportedly Replacing Explicit Songs with Clean Versions Some Google Music users are reporting that the service's new scan-and-match feature has been replacing explicit songs in their collections with clean versions. Other users have reported the exact opposite scenario?clean versions being replaced with explicit ones. Commenters have been quick to point out that this sort of problem happens a lot with many scan-and-match services. Google has yet to respond. [The Verge]
  • Netflix ?Social Features' Coming In 2013, Once President Signs Bill Netflix will be introducing new social features for its US customers next year which will allow them to link their Netflix and Facebook accounts and share their recently watched list with friends. Canadian and Latin American Netflix customers have already had this feature for some time, but the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act prohibited companies from disclosing customers rental histories. A bill amending the act was passed by the Senate last Thursday and will allow companies like Netflix to share such information provided they obtain "informed, written consent." [Talking Points Memo]

Photo by photastic (Shutterstock), a2bb5s (Shutterstock), and Feng Yu (Shutterstock).

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/0pZmWvGyi4o/remains-of-the-day-google-calling-to-be-free-through-2013

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Thursday, 27 December 2012

Ex-President George H.W. Bush in Intensive Care (Voice Of America)

Share With Friends: Share on FacebookTweet ThisPost to Google-BuzzSend on GmailPost to Linked-InSubscribe to This Feed | Rss To Twitter | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273377840?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Mental illness, poverty haunted Afghan policewoman who killed American

KABUL (Reuters) - The Afghan policewoman suspected of killing a U.S. contractor at police headquarters in Kabul suffered from mental illness and was driven to suicidal despair by poverty, her children told Reuters on Wednesday.

The woman was identified by authorities as Narges Rezaeimomenabad, a 40-year-old grandmother and mother of three who moved here from Iran 10 years ago and married an Afghan man.

On Monday morning, she loaded a pistol in a bathroom at the police compound, hid it in her long scarf and shot an American police trainer, apparently becoming the first Afghan woman to carry out such an attack.

Narges also tried to shoot police officials after killing the American. Luckily for them, her pistol jammed. Her husband is also under investigation.

Her son Sayed, 16, and daughter Fatima, 13, described how they tried to call their parents 100 times after news broke of the shooting, then waited in vain for them to come home.

They recalled Narges's severe mood swings, and how at times she beat them and even pulled out a knife. But the children said she was consistent in bemoaning poverty.

"She was usually complaining about poverty. She was complaining to my father about our conditions. She was saying that my father was poor," Sayid said in an interview in their damp, cold two-room cement house.

On the floor beside him were his mother's prescriptions and a thick plastic bag filled with pills she tried to swallow to end the misery about a month ago. On another occasion, she cut her wrist with a razor, Sayed said.

"My father was usually calm and sometimes would say that she was guilty too because it wasn't a forced marriage. They fell in love and got married."

There was no sign in their neighborhood of the billions of dollars of Western aid that have poured into Afghanistan since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001, or of government investment.

RAW SEWAGE, STAGNANT WATER, DIRT ROADS

The lane outside their home stank of raw sewage.

Dirty, stagnant water filled holes in dirt roads nearby, where children in tattered clothes played and butchers stood by cow's hooves in shops choked by dust.

Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest nations, with a third of its 30 million residents living under the poverty line.

The sole distractions from the daily grind appeared to be a deck of playing cards and a compact disc with songs from Iranian pop singers, scattered on the floor of a room where Narges would lock herself in and weep, or sit in silence.

At times, Narges would try to focus on building her children's confidence, telling them to be guided by the Muslim holy book, the Koran, to tackle life's problems.

Sayed and Fatima said she never spoke badly of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan or of President Hamid Karzai's government.

Neighbor Mohammad Ismail Kohistani was dumbfounded to hear on the radio that Afghan officials were combing Narges' phone records to try to determine whether al Qaeda or the Taliban could have brainwashed her into carrying out a mission.

But he was acutely aware of her mental problems and often heard her scream at her husband, whose low-level job in the crime investigation unit of the police brought home little cash.

Kohistani, who operates a small sewing shop with battered machines, never imagined his neighbor could be accused of a high-profile attack that raised new questions about the direction of an unpopular war.

"I became very depressed and sad," said Kohistani, sitting on the floor few feet from a tiny wood-burning stove in Narges's home, alongside family photographs and a police training manual.

Fatima would often seek refuge in Kohistani's house when her mother's behavior became unbearable. "She did not hate us, but usually she was angry and would not talk to us," said Fatima, her eyes moist with tears.

Nevertheless, she missed her mother. The children were staying with a cousin.

"I ask the government to free my mother, otherwise our future will be destroyed," said Fatima.

Officials described it as another "insider shooting", in which Afghan forces turn on Westerners they are meant to be working with to stabilize the country. There have been over 52 such attacks so far this year.

The shooting at the police headquarters may have alarmed Afghanistan's Western allies. But some Afghans have grown numb to the violence.

Kohistani's 70-year-old father Omara Khan, who sports a white beard, sat twirling prayer beads beneath a photograph of Narges in a black veil beside one of her husband.

Asked what he thought of the attack, he laughed.

"This is common in Afghanistan," said Khan, who lived through decades of upheaval, including the 10-year Soviet occupation and a civil war that destroyed half of Kabul and killed some 50,000 civilians.

"People are killed every day."

(Editing by Ron Popeski)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mental-illness-poverty-haunted-afghan-policewoman-killed-american-153553139.html

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Rihanna Donates $1.75 Million In Memory Of Grandmother

'Diamonds' singer donates large sum to the radiotherapy department of a Barbados hospital.
By Brendan Dempsey


Rihanna
Photo: NBC

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1699421/rihanna-donates-to-hospital-in-memory-grandmother.jhtml

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Wednesday, 26 December 2012

CP Group denies Thaksin role in Ping An acquisition - The Nation

Home ? business ? CP Group denies Thaksin role in Ping An acquisition

CP Group VS Ping An

The Nation December 26, 2012 1:00 am

"The Charoen Pokphand Group would like to officially clarify as follows: The acquisition of shares were legal - the source of capital is transparent," the group said in a statement yesterday.

On December 5, All Gain Trading, Bloom Fortune Group, Business Fortune Holdings and Easy Boom Developments signed an agreement to transfer shares of Ping An Insurance from the seller HSBC Insurance Holdings and the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation. The deal raised eyebrows as it was valued at US$9.4 billion or 73.32 billion Hong Kong dollars (Bt288 billion).

"All four companies are subsidiaries of CP which CP fully owns," CP Group insisted. "Furthermore, this acquisition was conducted with legal capital from the Charoen Pokphand Group and its subsidiaries."

It also said that since the People's Republic of China opened up its economy in 1979, CP had cooperated well with its government. CP was the first foreign entity to invest in China and throughout the years, CP had upheld Beijing's three agricultural-development policies as well as the "Three Benefits Principle" (benefit to the country, benefit to the people and benefit to the company).

In addition, CP said, it had continually reformed agricultural management such as expanding farmland, setting strict standards and modernising agriculture.

It said it was confident in the development of Ping An Insurance and aimed to collaborate with the company to develop every sector in the rural area, in line with the policy of modernising China's agricultural sector.

It was reported by Chinese media this week that Thaksin might have taken part in the acquisition of Ping An Insurance.

Caixin Media's Century Weekly magazine reported, quoting sources, that about a third of the HK$15.2-billion (Bt60-billion) first tranche of the purchase was funded by the Shinawatra family, while the rest came from businessman Xiao Jianhua.

Xiao is the founder of several banking and securities firms and has also invested in some. He is reportedly close to former top Chinese government leaders and securities watchdog officials. Century Weekly said his purchase of the Ping An stake was funded by three commercial banks he has links to.

Latest stories in this category


Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/business/CP-Group-denies-Thaksin-role-in-Ping-An-acquisitio-30196806.html

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Obama, Congress set for one last effort on "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON/HONOLULU (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is due back in Washington early Thursday for a final effort to negotiate a deal with Congress to avert or at least postpone the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and government spending cuts set to begin next week.

No specific bill dealing with the cliff was on the schedule of either the U.S. Senate or House of Representatives, which are expected to return on Thursday after the holiday break. Investors are closely watching the talks, concerned that going over the cliff could throw the economy into recession.

Aides and members of Congress have said that a modest, last-minute measure to avoid the spending cuts and most of the tax hikes could pass the Democratic-controlled Senate if Republicans agree not use a procedural roadblock known as a filibuster, a commitment that Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has so far not made.

But to win approval in the Republican-controlled House of any bill that raises taxes on anyone, a rare bipartisan vote would be required. All 191 Democrats would have to team with up with at least 26 Republicans to get a majority if the bill included tax hikes on the wealthiest Americans, as Obama is demanding.

Some of those votes could conceivably come from among the 34 Republican members who are either retiring or were defeated in the November elections and no longer have to worry about the political fallout.

In the alternative, Congress could let income taxes go up on everyone as now scheduled and then during the first week of January, scramble and get a quick deal to cut them back except for the highest brackets, along with a measure putting off the $109 billion in automatic spending cuts that most lawmakers want to avoid.

Once the clock ticks past midnight on December 31, no member of Congress would have to vote for a tax increase on anyone - taxes would have risen automatically - and the only votes would be to decrease tax rates for most Americans back to their 2012 levels.

Obama and congressional lawmakers left Washington on Friday for the Christmas holiday with talks to avert the fiscal cliff in limbo.

The president will cut short his vacation in Hawaii and leave for Washington later on Wednesday, arriving in the capital on early Thursday.

Obama is expected to turn to a trusted Democratic ally, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to help craft a quick deal.

White House aides began discussing details of the year-end budget measure with Senate Democratic counterparts early this week, a senior administration official said on Monday

(Reporting by Mark Felsenthal in Honolulu and Fred Barbash in Washington; Writing by Fred Barbash; Editing by Eric Beech)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-congress-set-one-last-effort-fiscal-cliff-124656798--business.html

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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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Story Source:

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

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


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/top_news/top_health/~3/bZXk6VGWx7o/121226081050.htm

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Tuesday, 25 December 2012

Official: Navy SEAL died of apparent suicide

WASHINGTON (AP) ? U.S. military officials are investigating the apparent suicide of a Navy SEAL commander in Afghanistan.

Cmdr. Job W. Price, 42, of Pottstown, Pa., died Saturday of a gunshot wound to the head while supporting stability operations in Uruzgan Province, Afghanistan, a U.S. military official said Monday on condition of anonymity because the death is still under investigation.

The official said Price failed to show up for an appointment and was found when others went to check on him.

Price was from Virginia Beach, Va.-based SEAL Team 4, which is part of the mission to train Afghan local police to stave off the Taliban in remote parts of Afghanistan.

It was not immediately known when Price started his tour of duty in Afghanistan, though he had been in command of the team of 25 to 30 men since June 2011, the official said. He said Price had no immediately known professional or work problems other than the stresses of deployment, which can be tremendous for troops.

"The Naval Special Warfare family is deeply saddened by the loss of our teammate," said Capt. Robert Smith, Commander of Naval Special Warfare Group Two, which manages all Virginia-based Navy SEAL teams. "We extend our condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family, friends, and NSW community during this time of grieving."

"As we mourn the loss and honor the memory of our fallen teammate, those he served with will continue to carry out the mission," Smith added Sunday.

Price is survived by a wife and a daughter.

His body is to be returned to the United States early Tuesday.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/official-navy-seal-died-apparent-suicide-213239200.html

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SpaceX rocket goes for 12-story-high hop

A SpaceX video shows the Grasshopper prototype rocket taking a 12-story leap toward full rocket reusability in a Dec. 17 test flight.

By Alan Boyle

SpaceX's prototype Grasshopper rocket took one giant leap last week, rising to a 12-story height and settling back down safely on its landing legs at the company's Texas rocket test facility. Just for fun, the engineers let a dummy cowboy go along for the ride.

The Dec. 17 test flight at the pad in McGregor, Texas, was documented in a YouTube video released today ? and discussed in a?series of lighthearted tweets from SpaceX's billionaire founder, Elon Musk.

"To provide a little perspective on the size of Grasshopper, we added a 6-ft cowboy to the rocket. ... Then we took him for a ride," Musk wrote. So how did the cowboy fare? "No problemo," said Musk.


The 10-story-tall Grasshopper rocket is designed to take off and land vertically, as part of Musk's plan to develop a rocket capable of returning itself to a launch pad for rapid reusability. Today's vertical-takeoff launch systems generally rely upon expendable lower stages ? although the space shuttle's solid rocket boosters could be recovered from the Atlantic Ocean and refurbished for reuse. If a rocket stage can return to its launch facility intact and ready to go again, that could significantly lower the cost of spaceflight. That's what Musk is shooting for.

SpaceX says the Grasshopper consists of a Falcon 9 rocket first stage, a Merlin 1D engine, four steel landing legs with hydraulic dampers, and a steel support structure. During the prototype's first flight test on Sept. 21, the Grasshopper rose 6 feet into the air. The second test, on Nov. 1, lasted 8 seconds and lifted the Grasshopper 17.7 feet (5.4 meters) off the pad.?The company said last week's third test went for 29 seconds, during which the Grasshopper rose 131 feet (40 meters) into the air, hovered and landed safely back on the pad, using closed-loop thrust vector and throttle control.

SpaceX

A dummy cowboy is perched on SpaceX's Grasshopper rocket for a Dec. 17 test.

In addition to the Grasshopper, SpaceX is sending its Dragon capsules to resupply the International Space Station, working on a version of the Dragon that could carry astronauts into orbit sometime soon, and developing a Falcon Heavy rocket that could conceivably power flights to the moon. But Musk's long-range goal is even more ambitious: getting settlers to Mars. He has said Grasshopper-style rocket reusability is a key part of that long-term strategy.

"If it does works, it'll be pretty huge," he said last year during a speech at the National Press Club in Washington. ?

More on the commercial space race:


Alan Boyle is NBCNews.com's science editor. Connect with the?Cosmic Log?community by "liking" the log's?Facebook page, following?@b0yle on Twitter?and adding the?Cosmic Log page?to your Google+ presence. To keep up with Cosmic Log as well as NBCNews.com's other stories about science and space,?sign up for the Tech & Science newsletter, delivered to your email in-box every weekday. You can also check out?"The Case for Pluto,"?my book about the controversial dwarf planet and the search for new worlds.

Source: http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/23/16114180-spacex-launches-its-grasshopper-rocket-on-12-story-high-hop-in-texas?lite

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Take time for notable 2012 books | Lauren Gallagher | Fine Arts ...

For those who haven?t gone completely digital yet, here are recommendations for readers and book lovers, including notable volumes published this year, and last-minute gift ideas, too.

FICTION

Sweet Tooth
By Ian McEwan ($26.95)
The author of ?Atonement? returns with a tale of love, espionage and word play, complete with dazzling dialogue and astute narrative observation.

Flight Behavior
By Barbara Kingsolver ($28.99)
Set in rural Tennessee where an unusual display of monarch butterflies occurs, the acclaimed novelist?s 14th book takes on climate change and other environmental issues.

Broken Harbor
By Tana French ($27.95)
The latest by the bestselling Irish author of ?In the Woods? is a psychologically compelling thriller about the investigation of a husband and his two children found dead in their home in a deserted development outside Dublin.

ART AND DESIGN

Graphic Design Before Graphic Designers
By David Jury? ($60)
?Graphic designer? wasn?t always a job title. For some 500 years, books and posters were largely designed by printers, typesetters and painters. This book, a fascinating history, is a resource for designers and book geeks.

?Our True Intent is All For Your Delight
By John Hinde ($29.95)
Kitsch-cultists, ?Mad Men? fans and photographers will enjoy this book of images of promotional postcards for Butlin?s, a British resort chain popular in the 1950s-?60s. The pictures are richly saturated, humorous shots of holiday-goers bathing and dancing.

Space Race
By Tom Clohosy Cole ($16.95)
The accordion-folding, double-sided, vividly colored concertina? delightfully and artfully depicts the history of space travel. The similarly beautiful ?High Times? is a timeline covering aviation, starting with Icarus.

POETRY

Mayakovsky?s Revolver
By Matthew Dickman ($25.95)
Poems in the acclaimed, award-winning writer?s sophomore volume are unique, accessible, pensive, featuring notes of Whitman, Ginsberg and O?Hara.?

The Collected Poems of Lucille Clifton: 1965-2010
By Lucille Clifton ($35)
The late, lucid, heartfelt African-American writer?s career was? jumpstarted by Langston Hughes. She became a revered voice in American poetry, known for grace, sensuality and honesty.

FOOD

Ripe
By Nigel Slater ($40)
The sumptuous follow-up to the British chef?s ?Tender? is passionate and conversational. Subtitled ?A Cook in the Orchard,? the book includes recipes, gorgeous photography and lifestyle essays.

?Vietnamese Home Cooking
By Charles Phan ($35)
Despite the generic title, the book contains recipe secrets from none other than the famed Slanted Door chef, who shares insights for home cooks.?

MISCELLANOUS NON-FICTION

Hallucinations
By Oliver Sacks ($26.95)
The physician, best-selling author and professor of neurology explains the wiring that makes the human brain hallucinate, and why hallucinations aren?t solely experienced by the insane.?

Detroit City Is the Place to Be
By Mark Binelli ($28)
The author, a Detroit native, looks at his city?s decline and rebirth telling stories of entrepreneurs, artists, and complex, often controversial, city planning iniatiatives.

Reinventing Bach
By Paul Elie ($30)
Taking into account virtuoso musicians, recordings and technology, the Georgetown University scholar examines how Bach?s music, from the Baroque era to Gould and Casals, has evolved and remains relevant.

One for the Books
By Joe Queenan ($24.95)
The bestselling author of ?Closing Time? who grew up in the projects outside Philadelphia elucidates on his own bibliophilic obsessions in conversational essays.

Joseph Anton: A Memoir
By Salman Rushdie ($30)
The revered author discusses the death warrant fatwa issued against him in 1989 in Iran and how he lived through years in hiding.
?
KIDS BOOKS ? YOUNGEST READERS

Dragons Love Tacos
By Adam Rubin ($16.99)
Friendship, snacktime, dragons and tacos are the main topics covered in this hilarious picture book with artwork by Daniel Salmieri.

Extra Yarn
By Mac Bennett ($16.99)
A little girl?s magic ball of yarn is under threat in this warm tale with adorable illustrations by Jon Klassen.

Moominvalley Turns Jungle
By Tove Jansson ($8.95)
Moomins, the famed Finnish-Swedish cartoon characters, have to figure out how to deal with a verdant takeover when a heat wave coincides with exotic seeds being uncovered at sea in this new paperback version of a children?s classic.??

KIDS BOOKS ? MIDDLE GRADES

Drama
By Raina Telgemeier ($10.99)
The graphic novel revolves around Callie ? a theater geek with a tone-deaf voice ? during trials and tribulations of middle-school life.

Who Could That Be at This Hour
By Lemony Snicket ($15.99)
In this prequel to ?An Unfortunate Series of Events,? kiddie investigator Snicket begins his career, asking all the wrong questions at all the wrong times.

?

?

Source: http://www.sfexaminer.com/entertainment/fine-arts/2012/12/take-time-notable-2012-books

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Swedish princess to marry next June

STOCKHOLM (AP) ? Sweden's royal family says Princess Madeleine's wedding will take place on Saturday, June 8, at the Royal Palace chapel in downtown Stockholm.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia's youngest daughter was engaged to U.S.-British boyfriend Christopher O'Neill, a 38-year-old New York banker, in late October. The 30-year-old Madeleine is fourth in line to the Swedish throne.

The royal family's chief spokesman Bertil Tenert said Sunday that wedding organizers will now start planning details of the nuptials. He added that Madeleine's wedding will be smaller than Crown Princess Victoria's wedding two years ago in Stockholm.

The Swedish royal family has only ceremonial duties, such as supporting charities and promoting Swedish businesses.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/swedish-princess-marry-next-june-122606110.html

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Monday, 24 December 2012

DUI charge: Jan. 4 court date for Idaho Sen. Crapo

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 booking photo provided by the Alexandria, Va. Police Department shows Idaho U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo. Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning, Dec. 23, 2012 and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said. (AP Photo/Alexandria Police Department)

This Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 booking photo provided by the Alexandria, Va. Police Department shows Idaho U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo. Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning, Dec. 23, 2012 and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said. (AP Photo/Alexandria Police Department)

FILE - In this Nov. 2, 2010 file photo, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, gives his victory speech at the Republican Party election headquarters held at the Doubletree Riverside Hotel in Boise, Idaho. Authorities say Crapo has been arrested and charged with driving under the influence Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012 in a Washington, D.C. suburb. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley, File)

(AP) ? A conservative U.S. senator from Idaho who has said he doesn't drink because of his Mormon faith has been charged with drunken driving.

Sen. Michael Crapo, a three-term Republican with a reputation as a social and fiscal conservative, registered a blood alcohol content of .11 percent after police pulled his car over in this suburb south of Washington, D.C., authorities said.

The 61-year-old lawmaker, who faces a court date Jan. 4, apologized in a statement issued hours after his arrest early Sunday.

"I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance," Crapo said in the statement Sunday night. "I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter."

He also said he would take measures to ensure "this circumstance is never repeated."

Crapo, who was elected in 1998 and is in his third Senate term, is expected to take over the top Republican spot next year on the Senate Banking Committee. He also serves on the Senate's budget and finance panels and has been active on environmental and health issues. Crapo was a member of the so-called "Gang of Six" senators that worked in 2011 toward a deficit-reduction deal that was never adopted by Congress. He also served for six years in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Police in the suburb of Alexandria said Crapo was stopped early Sunday after his vehicle ran a red light. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said Crapo failed field sobriety tests and was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. Sunday He was taken to the Alexandria jail and released on an unsecured $1,000 bond at about 5 a.m. Sunday.

"There was no refusal (to take blood alcohol tests), no accident, no injuries," Donaldson said. "Just a traffic stop that resulted in a DUI."

Police said Crapo, who was alone in his vehicle, registered a blood alcohol level of .11 percent. The legal limit in Virginia, which has strict drunken driving laws, is .08 percent.

In Virginia, the driver's license of anyone who registers a blood alcohol level of .08 percent or higher is automatically suspended for seven days. A first-time conviction for DUI carries a mandatory, minimum $250 fine and license revocation for one year, according to the state Department of Motor Vehicles.

A Crapo spokesman declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding the arrest.

Crapo had told The Associated Press in past interviews that he abstains from drinking alcohol.

A Mormon who grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Crapo was named a bishop in the church at age 31. He is an attorney who graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law School. He has five children with his wife, Susan, and three grandchildren.

The Mormon church prohibits the use of alcohol, as well as coffee, tea and other substances. About one-quarter of Idaho residents are Mormon.

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Associated Press writers Norman Gomlak in Atlanta and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-24-Crapo-DUI%20Arrest/id-496a9b545c7a49c38b262527e67bbe4b

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