Friday, November 30, 2012

Palestinians win de facto U.N. recognition of sovereign state

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate."

The U.N. victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity," like the Vatican.

Britain called on the United States to use its influence to help break the long impasse in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Washington also called for a revival of direct negotiations.

There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions. Three countries did not take part in the vote, held on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of U.N. resolution 181 that partitioned Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.

Thousands of flag-waving Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip set off fireworks and danced in the streets to celebrate the vote.

The assembly approved the upgrade despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government. U.N. envoys said Israel might not retaliate harshly against the Palestinians over the vote as long as they do not seek to join the International Criminal Court.

If the Palestinians were to join the ICC, they could file complaints with the court accusing Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious crimes.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the vote "unfortunate and counterproductive," while the Vatican praised the move and called for an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem, something bound to irritate Israel.

The much-anticipated vote came after Abbas denounced Israel from the U.N. podium for its "aggressive policies and the perpetration of war crimes," remarks that elicited a furious response from the Jewish state.

"Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel," Abbas told the assembly after receiving a standing ovation.

"The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, condemning Abbas' critique of Israel as "hostile and poisonous," and full of "false propaganda.

"These are not the words of a man who wants peace," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office. He reiterated Israeli calls for direct talks with the Palestinians, dismissing Thursday's resolution as "meaningless."

ICC THREAT

A number of Western delegations noted that Thursday's vote should not be interpreted as formal legal recognition of a Palestinian state. Formal recognition of statehood is something that is done bilaterally, not by the United Nations.

Granting Palestinians the title of "non-member observer state" falls short of full U.N. membership - something the Palestinians failed to achieve last year. But it does have important legal implications - it would allow them access to the ICC and other international bodies, should they choose to join.

Abbas did not mention the ICC in his speech. But Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told reporters after the vote that if Israel continued to build illegal settlements, the Palestinians might pursue the ICC route.

"As long as the Israelis are not committing atrocities, are not building settlements, are not violating international law, then we don't see any reason to go anywhere," he said.

"If the Israelis continue with such policy - aggression, settlements, assassinations, attacks, confiscations, building walls - violating international law, then we have no other remedy but really to knock those to other places," Maliki said.

In Washington, a group of four Republican and Democratic senators announced legislation that would close the Palestinian office in Washington unless the Palestinians enter "meaningful negotiations" with Israel, and eliminate all U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority if it turns to the ICC.

"I fear the Palestinian Authority will now be able to use the United Nations as a political club against Israel," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the sponsors.

Abbas led the campaign to win support for the resolution, which followed an eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Islamists in the Gaza Strip, who are pledged to Israel's destruction and oppose a negotiated peace.

The vote highlighted how deeply divided Europe is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At least 17 European nations voted in favor of the Palestinian resolution, including Austria, France, Italy, Norway and Spain. Abbas had focused his lobbying efforts on Europe, which supplies much of the aid the Palestinian Authority relies on. Britain, Germany and many others chose to abstain.

The traditionally pro-Israel Czech Republic was unique in Europe, joining the United States, Israel, Canada, Panama and the tiny Pacific Island states Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia in voting against the move.

'HOPE SOME REASON WILL PREVAIL'

Peace talks have been stalled for two years, mainly over Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded despite being deemed illegal by most of the world. There are 4.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

After the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called for the immediate resumption of peace talks.

"The Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded," she said.

She added that both parties should "avoid any further provocative actions in the region, in New York or elsewhere."

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said he hoped all sides would use the vote to push for new breakthroughs in the peace process.

"I hope there will be no punitive measures," Fayyad told Reuters in Washington, where he was attending a conference.

"I hope that some reason will prevail and the opportunity will be taken to take advantage of what happened today in favor of getting a political process moving," he said.

Britain's U.N. ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant, told reporters it was time for recently re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama to make a new push for peace.

"We believe the window for the two-state solution is closing," he said. "That is why we are encouraging the United States and other key international actors to grasp this opportunity and use the next 12 months as a way to really break through this impasse."

(Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn in Washington, Noah Browning in Ramallah, Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Robert Mueller in Prague, Gabriela Baczynska and Reuters bureaux in Europe and elsewhere; Editing by Eric Beech and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-win-implicit-u-n-recognition-sovereign-state-002420090.html

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Extra Credit Opportunity - Business Risk Management

As per our class discussion today,?you?may earn extra credit for Finance 4335 by writing a succinct (1-2 page) ?executive summary? in which you summarize what you learn from?tomorrow?s seminar presentation entitled??Thirty-Two Cents on the Dollar: An Econometric Case Study of a Large Tuition Increase?, which is scheduled for Friday, November 30, 11 a.m. ? 12 noon, in the Graduate Conference Room.? Email your report (in either Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format) to risk@garven.com by no later than the Tuesday,?December 4 at 5 p.m. I will use your grade on this assignment to replace your lowest quiz grade in Finance 4335 (assuming that your grade on the extra credit is higher than your lowest quiz grade). If you have any questions about this extra credit opportunity, please let me know by emailing me at James_Garven@baylor.edu or calling me at 254-307-1317.

See http://risk.garven.com/2012/11/28/thirty-two-cents-on-the-dollar-an-econometric-case-study-of-a-large-tuition-increase/?for more information about the seminar?

Print Friendly

Source: http://risk.garven.com/2012/11/29/extra-credit-opportunity-thirty-two-cents-on-the-dollar-an-econometric-case-study-of-a-large-tuition-increase/

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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Judge slams 'outrageous' behavior by UK press

LONDON (AP) ? Britain needs a new independent media regulator to eliminate a subculture of unethical behavior that infected segments of the country's press, a senior judge said Thursday at the end of a yearlong inquiry into newspaper wrongdoing.

Lord Justice Brian Leveson said a new regulatory body should be established in law to prevent more people being hurt by "press behavior that, at times, can only be described as outrageous." But Prime Minister David Cameron balked at that idea, warning that passing a new law to set up the body would mean "crossing the Rubicon" toward state regulation of the press.

Leveson issued his 2,000-page report at the end of a media ethics inquiry that was triggered by revelations of tabloid phone hacking and expanded to engulf senior figures in politics, the police and Rupert Murdoch's media empire.

His proposals will likely be welcomed by victims of press intrusion and some politicians, who want to see the country's rambunctious press reined in. But some editors and lawmakers fear any new body could curtail freedom of the press.

Cameron welcomed Leveson's proposal for a new regulator with powers to settle disputes, order corrections and fine offenders.

But he said that asking legislators to enshrine it in law meant "crossing the Rubicon of writing elements of press regulation into the law of the land."

"I believe that we should be wary of any legislation that has the potential to infringe free speech and a free press," Cameron told lawmakers in the House of Commons. "In this House which has been a bulwark of democracy for centuries, we should think very, very carefully before crossing this line."

Leveson insisted in his report that politicians and the government should play no role in regulating the press, which should be done by a new body with much stronger powers than the current Press Complaints Commission.

He said "what is needed is a genuinely independent and effective system of self-regulation."

But Leveson said it was "essential that there should be legislation to underpin the independent self-regulatory system."

"The ball moves back into the politicians' court: they must now decide who guards the guardians," he said.

He said the new body should be composed of members of the public including former journalists and academics ? but no serving editors or politicians. It should have the power to demand prominent corrections in newspapers and to levy fines of up to 1 million pounds ($1.6 million).

Critics of the tabloid press generally welcomed the report.

Former Formula One boss Max Mosley, who sued Murdoch's News Corp. for invasion of privacy over claims he had taken art in a Nazi-themed orgy, said Leveson's report went in the right direction, although "I would have liked to see more."

Campaign group Hacked Off said Leveson's proposals "are reasonable and proportionate and we call on all parties to get together to implement them as soon as possible."

Cameron set up the Leveson inquiry after revelations of illegal eavesdropping by Rupert Murdoch's now-defunct News of the World tabloid sparked a criminal investigation and a wave of public revulsion.

The furor erupted in 2011 when it was revealed that the News of the World had eavesdropped on the mobile phone voicemails of slain schoolgirl Milly Dowler while police were searching for the 13-year-old.

Murdoch shut down the 168-year-old newspaper in July 2011. His U.K. newspaper company, News International, has paid millions in damages to dozens of hacking victims, and faces lawsuits from dozens more, from celebrities, politicians, athletes and crime victims whose voicemails were hacked in the paper's quest for scoops.

Leveson heard evidence from hundreds of journalists, politicians, lawyers and victims of press intrusion during months of hearings that provided a dramatic, sometimes comic and often poignant window on the workings of the media. Witnesses ranged from celebrities such as Harry Potter author J.K. Rowling and Hugh Grant ? who both complained of intrusive treatment ? to the parents of Dowler, who described how learning that their daughter's voicemail had been accessed had given them false hope that she was alive.

Leveson said that the ongoing criminal investigation constrained him from accusing other newspapers of illegal behavior, but argued there was a subculture of unethical behavior "within some parts of some titles."

While many editors have denied knowing about phone hacking, Leveson said it "was far more than a covert, secret activity, known to nobody save one or two practitioners of the 'dark arts.'"

More broadly, he said newspapers had been guilty of "recklessness in prioritizing sensational stories almost irrespective of the harm the stories may cause."

"In each case, the impact has been real and, in some cases, devastating," the judge said.

The hacking scandal has rocked Britain's press, political and police establishments, who were revealed to enjoy an often cozy relationship in which drinks, dinners and sometimes money were traded for influence and information.

Several senior police officers resigned over the failure aggressively to pursue an investigation of phone hacking at the News of the World in 2007. But Leveson said that "the inquiry has not unearthed extensive evidence of police corruption.

Leveson said over the past three decades, political parties "have had or developed too close a relationship with the press in a way which has not been in the public interest."

He acquitted senior politicians of wrongdoing, but recommended that political parties publish statements "setting out, for the public, an explanation of the approach they propose to take as a matter of party policy in conducting relationships with the press."

Cameron is under intense pressure from both advocates and opponents of a new law to set up a press regulator. He is also tainted by his own ties to prominent figures in the scandal.

Former Murdoch editors and journalists charged with phone hacking, police bribery or other wrongdoing include Cameron's former spokesman, Andy Coulson, and ex-News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks, a friend of the prime minister.

Coulson and Brooks appeared in court Thursday on charges of paying public officials for information.

Cameron called on the press to implement Leveson's proposals quickly.

"While nobody wants to see full statutory regulation, the status quo is not an option," he said. "The system of press regulation we have is badly broken and it has let down victims badly."

___

Online: http://www.levesoninquiry.org.uk/

Jill Lawless can be reached at http://Twitter.com/JillLawless

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-judge-issues-damning-press-verdict-143727421--finance.html

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Booking pet friendly Minnesota vacation resort | Travel & Leisure ...

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Source: http://kirbybarrick.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/booking-pet-friendly-minnesota-vacation-resort-travel-leisure.html

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Video: Uglydoll donates $150,000 of toys to TODAY toy drive

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Source: http://video.today.msnbc.msn.com/today/50009270/

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Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Yes, You Have to Pay to Reach Some of Your Facebook Fans

understanding facebook edgerank Yes, You Have to Pay to Reach Some of Your Facebook FansI promised myself that I wouldn?t write another EdgeRank or Reach controversy article for a while, but I couldn?t resist?

Now that Facebook has tweaked EdgeRank, the common refrain is that brands are being forced ? blackmailed even ? to pay to reach their Fans.

My response: Well, yeah. Sorta.

And my follow-up: That makes Facebook a better place.

This deserves an explanation. First, let?s understand how Facebook EdgeRank works?

The People You Reach


Today, when you write your historically, insanely awesome Facebook post, you?re going to reach some people. Let?s try to break down how that is going to happen.

This historically, insanely awesome piece of content is going to reach?

  • Fans who regularly engage with you and who were online when you posted,
  • Fans who sometimes engage with you and were online when you posted, and
  • People who saw the engagement of friends with your awesome content.

The People You Don?t Reach

The following people will be extremely unlikely to see your content:

  • People who have hidden your content or marked it as spam,
  • Fans who have never clicked on or engaged with your content,
  • Fans who have rarely clicked on or engaged with your content, and
  • Fans who weren?t online within a couple of hours of your post.

The Other Reach Variables


This is if your content is historically, insanely awesome. If it?s average ? meaning that it doesn?t get a ton of clicks, comments, likes or shares ? expect to reach fewer people.

Who you reach then will be dependent upon a combination of?

  • How often they engage with you,
  • How often they engage with that type of content, and
  • How often others are engaging with that content.

Reaching the Rest


Is that unfair? Not really. It?s Facebook surfacing your content to the people most likely to want to see it.

Think that?s BS? Not according to the results I?ve seen ? both on my Page and globally. Reach does seem to be down a bit, but engagement remains steady. That can only be the case if Facebook has made the News Feed more relevant and efficient.

Let?s use an elementary example. Before, I reached 100 people to get 20 forms of engagement. Now I?m reaching 90 people to get the same 20 forms of engagement.

Should I feel wronged for not reaching the 10 invisible people?

There?s something that needs to be said here that brands do not want to admit: Some of your Fans simply do not care if they hear from you. Even stronger, some don?t want to hear from you at all.

Don?t assume that the ?Like? is an implied subscription to see all of your content. People ?Like? for different reasons. Sometimes they want to see your stuff. Sometimes it?s just as an expression.

But don?t think it?s not perfectly clear how they feel about you. If they wanted to see your content, they would be engaging with it. And when Facebook sees they don?t care about your content, Facebook stops showing it to them.

Maybe they don?t want to hear from you in general. Maybe the tepid response to your post is a cue to Facebook that most won?t want to hear from you. But it?s something you need to understand and accept.

The ?Blackmail?


So, you need to pay a few bucks to reach those people? Gotta shell out some green to invade the News Feeds of people even though your content was crap? Forced to pony up to get in front of someone who hasn?t once engaged with your content?

It actually makes sense to me. And I think it makes Facebook a better place.

If you aren?t reaching the number of people you think you should reach ? if the engagement is also low ? you have two choices: 1) Learn and adjust, or 2) Pay to reach those less willing to be reached.

You could yell and scream that Facebook is screwing you. But I don?t think that will get you very far.

Personally, I wouldn?t pay to promote a post that isn?t getting engagement. That?s your sign that it?s a waste of money.

I often have people tell me that a Facebook ad ?failed? because they spent $100 and didn?t get much of anything in terms of engagement or conversions. But they?re missing the point.

You paid to reach more people. Those people may not have wanted to be reached. You can?t pay to force them to engage. If they don?t engage, it?s a sign that your content was a failure. Not your ad.

So, is it blackmail to force you to reach people who weren?t online, don?t engage with your content or likely wouldn?t be interested based on initial response?

No way. It?s understanding what users want. It?s controlling the flow of stuff they don?t want. And it?s profiting if you want to override that control.

What do you think?

Source: http://www.jonloomer.com/2012/11/28/pay-to-reach-facebook-fans-edgerank/

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Apple dismisses manager following maps fiasco on iPhone 5

Apple dismisses manager following maps fiasco on iPhone 5

Apple dismisses manager following maps fiasco on iPhone 5

The iPhone 5

Apple has reportedly dismissed the manager responsible for the troubled mapping software that accompanied the launch of iOS 6 and the iPhone 5. Apple is understood to have enlisted outside help from GPS giant TomTom to fix glaring navigation and landmark errors.

The launch of its own Maps app with an impressive 3D mapping capability and the dropping of Google Maps was supposed to be a waypoint to the future for Apple as a vendor of applications every bit as exciting as the hardware they featured on.

But its mapping software turned out to be a source of embarrassment for Apple, with glaring mistakes and poor rendering. It even gave a sleepy Dublin suburb its own airport.

Apple?s management team had to apologise to the public ? something that never would have happened in Steve Jobs? day ? and even encouraged users to try Google Maps instead.

What should have been the waypoint to an exciting new era instead became an opportunity for other maps providers to rush their products into the gap. Google came up with a rejuvenated Google Maps for iOS 6 devices and Nokia found a new sense of purpose with its Here Maps app.

According to Bloomberg, Richard Williamson, who oversaw Apple's mapping team, was pushed out by SVP Eddy Cue, who took additional responsibility for Siri and Maps as part of a management shake-up at Apple last month.

The mapping debacle hasn?t in any way hurt sales of the iPhone 5 and yesterday it emerged that the iPhone 5 propelled iOS back into the No 1 spot in the US smartphone market, according to Kantar.

Source: http://www.siliconrepublic.com/business/item/30443-apple-dismisses-manager-fol

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Intrade boots US customers after federal charges

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Intrade, the online prediction market that gained popularity as an informal oddsmaker for the presidential election, shut itself to U.S. customers Monday after regulators charged it with illegally facilitating bets on future economic data, the price of gold and even acts of war.

Hours after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed a complaint in federal court, Intrade posted in its user forum and on its news page that it could no longer allow U.S. residents to trade "due to legal and regulatory pressures."

U.S. residents must begin closing their accounts and withdrawing their funds immediately, the website said. It said customers must resolve open predictions by Dec. 23 or the site would assign them "fair market value" and close them.

The CFTC's civil complaint charged that Intrade and its operator solicited customers to trade investment contracts that technically are options. Options must be traded on approved, regulated exchanges.

"Today's action should make it clear that we will intervene in the 'prediction' markets, wherever they may be based, when their U.S. activities violate" laws and rules enforced by the agency, CFTC enforcement director David Meister said in a statement.

By requiring that options be traded on approved exchanges, Meister said, regulators can "police market activity and protect market integrity."

Intrade did not respond to an emailed request for comment.

It was unclear whether regulators believe that all trades on Intrade by U.S. investors are illegal. The CFTC said it would not comment further because the matter was in litigation.

Intrade is known for facilitating bets on award shows, weather and other high-profile events. The prices at which customers are willing to make those bets are cited as informal odds. TEN also used to allow betting on sports through other sites that it operated.

For example, on Monday the site gave "Argo" a 28.5 percent chance of winning the Oscar for best picture and assigned a 19 percent chance that the United States or Israel would launch an airstrike against Iran by June 30.

The CFTC oversees markets for futures and options, investments that allow people to bet on the future prices of commodities like grain and oil. Those contracts help farms, airlines and other businesses to protect themselves against unexpected price swings.

In the complaint, the CFTC alleged that Intrade, based in Ireland, had illegally solicited everyday U.S. investors to use the website between September 2007 and June 25 of this year.

Intrade and its operator, Trade Exchange Network Ltd., falsely claimed in annual reports that the contracts were not being sold to ordinary U.S. customers, the CFTC said. Regulators want the companies to pay fines and return profits that were obtained illegally. They want the site and its operators barred from any future activities related to options trading.

Intrade users reported on Twitter that the site already blocks them from trading contracts related to the prices of oil and gold.

One of them, Joe Schilling, posted an image of an email he said was sent by Intrade in 2009, stating that crude oil and gold contracts were unavailable to U.S. users "due to a regulatory request" from the CFTC.

TEN settled similar charges of soliciting U.S. investors in 2005. In an order filed with that settlement, the CFTC said that U.S. customers accounted for up to 40 percent of Intrade's total customer base. TEN paid $150,000 and agreed to halt further violations.

Under the settlement, TEN agreed to use pop-up windows to tell U.S. customers which bets were not available to them. It said it would cooperate in any future investigations.

Monday's complaint includes charges that TEN violated that earlier settlement. The company used Intrade to offer illegal options including on the future prices of gold, changes in the unemployment rate and a measure of U.S. economic output, the complaint said. It said TEN failed to provide the pop-up notices mandated in the 2005 order.

___

Daniel Wagner can be reached at www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/intrade-boots-us-customers-federal-charges-220646079--finance.html

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Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Thanksgiving Week Shows Healthy Giving Signs - Prospecting - The ...

Americans didn?t increase their spending only at the malls over Thanksgiving, they gave a lot more money online to charity in the past week than they did at this time a year ago, producing a 61-percent surge in online donations.

The data come from a Chronicle analysis of gifts processed by Network for Good, which handles online donations for charities.?The Chronicle looked at gifts that the group processed for over 8,700 nonprofits in both 2011 and 2012 and found that not only did the amount of donations increase, but so did the number of donations, which rose 16 percent compared with Thanksgiving week last year.

?Corporate partners urging employees to give, coupled with [Superstorm] Sandy relief, have significantly boosted giving,? says Katya Andresen, chief operating officer at Network for Good.

The year-end surge was not just a one-week phenomenon. Since October, those?charities have more than doubled the amount of money they?ve raised online, compared with the first seven weeks of the last quarter in 2011. The number of gifts has risen by 26 percent.

Network for Good says the fourth-quarter rise isn?t just about Sandy but also about the popularity of online-fundraising portals like Crowdrise that help funnel contributions to different causes.

?That really bolsters the positive effects for the average nonprofit, because they?re getting donations from multiple sources,? Ms. Andresen says.

She adds: ?We?re seeing healthy growth already.?

The Chronicle will be providing a weekly tally on charities? online fundraising, based on Network for Good data, to serve as a benchmark for charities raising money online this season.

See our interactive graphic to track year-end online giving by day.

Emily Gipple contributed to this report.

Send an e-mail to Raymund Flandez.

Source: http://philanthropy.com/blogs/prospecting/thanksgiving-week-shows-healthy-giving-signs/36310

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Shopping and Product Reviews: Will Traditional Shopping Die ...

The popularity of online shopping has been seen by many as a threat to the existence of traditional shopping. Their argument is based on the recent widespread closure of established brands like Sears and Best Buy. But can we really say that traditional shopping is dying?

In 2011, even though the U.S economy was sluggish, shopping grew by 15% over the previous year. In addition, about 35% of Americans now have smartphones which enable them to purchase goods and services over the internet and this figure is expected to rise significantly in subsequent years. In actual fact, about half of smartphone users have used their phones for one purchase or the other. On Christmas day of 2011 alone, about 6.8 million iOs and Android smartphones were activated. Top internet retailer, Amazon, recorded a whooping net sale of $48.08 billion in 2011 which represents 40.6% increase over $32.20 billion recorded in 2010. This figure is expected to rise in 2012 and subsequent years. What then is the implication of all these to physical retailing?

Since many people now decide to shop over the internet due to the benefits derivable in doing so like convenience, easy access to market, price comparison, avoidance of crowd, better prices and so on, can we really say that that the traditional way of shopping is being threatened? In my own opinion, technology will enhance the traditional method and not kill it. The popularity of video cassette recorder (VCR) in the 80's was seen by many as a threat to movie theaters then, but today, the film industry has been strengthened by the new technology and the demand for films has increased.

Moreover, when the email became very popular, a lot people thought that the traditional postal service would die, but today, it is waxing stronger. The point I'm driving at here is that, if traditional shop owners can embrace new technology, shopping on the internet would not be a threat to them but a blessing.

If physical retailers can monitor shopping behavior through the use of Wi-Fi signals from smartphones, they would be able to compete favorably in a fast-changing world. They can use technology to measure loyalty, make better staffing decisions, improve store layouts, reduce wait times in checkout lines and so on. Online shopping has come to stay but it is not a threat to traditional shopping because many consumers still value some of its features like quality of customer service, the experience of trying and buying products, how products are displayed and so on.

Olushola Otenaike is an online shopping expert.

Source: http://mysoupbaby.blogspot.com/2012/11/will-traditional-shopping-die-because.html

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Celebrity Real Estate News: Madonna Lists Upper West Side ...

Monday, November 26th, 2012

Catching up on some news from last week that happened while I was out of town for Thanksgiving?

Madonna ditched the UWS for the UES in 2009, but kept her apartment at The Harperly, an exclusive co-op located at 41 Central Park West (at 64th).

The Material Girl is now officially cutting ties with the building, recently listing her 6,000 square foot duplex for a cool $23.5 million.

Real Estalker (via CurbedNY) has the details. The 6 BR/8 BA apartment features 110 feet of Central Park frontage.

In 2007, Architectural Digest profiled the apartment.

Here?s the listing detail from Brown Harris Stevens:

15 into 12 rooms: A masterful home, the most expansive at Harperley Hall, is now being offered for sale for the first time in the history of the distinguished 1907 cooperative at the corner of 64th Street and Central Park West.

This is a magnificent duplex of over 6,000 square feet with nearly 110 feet of frontage onto Central Park. Beautifully positioned on the 5th and 6th floors, it is imbued with the serenity of the park as well as the splendor of the Fifth Avenue and Central Park South skylines as its backdrop.

Meticulously designed to accord both privacy and expansive entertaining in equal measure, every aspect of this home is impeccable. Particular respect has been paid to preserving the integrity of the building?s aesthetic. The Great rooms on both levels are set off by wide Juliet balconies with French doors opening onto the Park, large wood burning fireplaces, and all the distinctive features associated with this historical cooperative. The layout offers four separate bedroom wings, six to seven bedrooms including a stunning master bedroom suite, endless closet space, eight sumptuous baths, five wood-burning fireplaces, an elegant formal dining room on the park, an exquisitely appointed Chef?s eat-in- kitchen with windowed library/dining room. Central air-conditioning, state of the art sound and humidifier system, 10?3 ceilings and gleaming oak floors throughout. From the moment of entry, one recognizes that this is a romantic and significant home and truly a rare opportunity in one of Manhattan?s most beloved and distinctive buildings.

Harperley Hall, designed by architect Henry Wilhelm Wilkenson, is a striking example of Neo-Italian Renaissance informed with the aesthetics of the Arts and Crafts movement, a style rarely seen in Manhattan . The building is notable for its broad central courtyard entrance with manned gate house, sidewalk landscaping, balconies and terra-cotta detailing. Shareholder amenities include a 20 car garage, gym, bike, storage, laundry rooms and, arguably, one of the most gorgeous roof gardens in the city.

In addition to the $23.5 million asking price, monthly maintenance is $11,774 ($141,288/year).

Last year, a judge OKed a lawsuit by one of Madonna?s former neighbors at Harperly Hall alleging that the singer and her guests created a nuisance by dancing 90 minutes to three hours a day to ?high-decibel amplified music.?

In 2010, retired FDNY firefighter Robert Linhart was arrested outside the building for stalking.

Madonna?s daughter, Lourdes, attends the prestigious LaGuardia High School of Music & Arts on the UWS (Amsterdam & 65th).

?



Filed under: Celebrities, Manhattan, New York City, News, NYC, Real Estate, Upper West Side, Upper West Side Blog, UWS No Comments ?
Tags: 41 Central Park West, celeb, Celebrities, celebrity, Celebrity Real Estate, celebs, Central Park West, Co-op, Harperley Hall, Madonna, New York City, NYC, Real Estate, Upper West Side, UWS

Source: http://myupperwest.com/upper-west-side/celebrity-real-estate-news-madonna-lists-uws-duplex-for-23-5-million/

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Monday, November 26, 2012

Israelis question too, 'Who wants this war?'

Residents of southern Israel only reluctantly express support for a potential expansion of the conflict in Gaza and express sympathy for the suffering on the other side of the border.

By Christa Case Bryant,?Staff writer / November 18, 2012

An Israeli woman takes cover as a siren sounds warning of incoming rockets fired from the Gaza Strip, in the southern town of Ofakim November 18. Many Israeli residents only reluctantly express support for the expansion of the conflict.

Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

Enlarge

Ashdod and Kiryat Malachi, Israel

Just days after Adi Pito married a woman from the town of Kiryat Malachi, he heard that a rocket from Gaza had struck an apartment building there, killing three residents.

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?I was worried about my wife,? says Mr. Pito, who was in a nearby city at the time. ?If you ask me, I think we have to destroy Gaza. I think they are animals, not people,? he says, pulling at his new wedding ring as he stood outside the damaged apartment yesterday. ?It?s the right thing to do.?

But in towns across southern Israel that have been hit by rockets, other residents only reluctantly express support for a potential expansion of Israel?s Pillar of Defense operation and express sympathy for the suffering on the other side of the border, where at least 53 Palestinians have been killed and hundreds injured since the operation began five days ago.

?When people say, ?Let?s kill them,? I don?t think they really mean to do it,? says Yehudit Bar Hay, a trauma expert at the Israel Center for Victims of Terror and War, known as NATAL. ?It is an angry feeling but ? we don?t want to kill the people of Gaza. We see the mothers and the children, we are sorry for them.?

Even those who are ?very, very injured? from the trauma of living under rocket fire say they don?t want to hurt anybody, adds Ms. Bar Hay, who lives less than a mile from the Gaza border.?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said today that Israel?s military ?is prepared for a significant expansion of its operations,? even as at least 16,000 reservists have been called up for a potential ground invasion. The Defense Ministry has authorized the calling up of as many as 75,000 reservists ? more than six times as many as participated in the 2008-09 Gaza war.

But while some Israelis say war is necessary or inevitable, few are happy about it.?

?Who wants this war? Nobody in Israel,? says Ashdod resident Bebert Avitan, his pink-rimmed glasses hanging from his neck.

Part of the reason for a lack of public pressure may be the effectiveness of Israel?s Iron Dome system, which has kept casualties very low despite a barrage of rockets from Gaza. See today's Monitor story on the Iron Dome system.?

?Hamas apparently has much greater capability than it had in the last war on Gaza,? says Galia Golan, a political scientist at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya, but notes that there hasn?t been a parallel uptick in Israeli casualties. ?Because Iron Dome has been relatively successful, there has been less pressure on the government or within the government to launch a ground attack.?

Only three Israelis, all from one building in Kiryat Malachi, have been killed in the recent escalation.

As the evening news shows a picture of a bombed out building, lifelong resident Masodi Sugaker says, ?It?s so sad to see this. To [have to] make everything new after this? Why? Because of Hamas.?

?Hamas exploits their own people, the Palestinians,? says she adds.

Her sister, Hanna Shukrun, adds, ?We don?t want [war],? because there are kids [in Gaza].

But she says, ?Israel can?t just sit here and do nothing?. Our army doesn?t need to wait until they have many weapons.?

(This story was edited after posting to correct the name of Galia Golan from IDC Herzliya. We apologize for the error).

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/EKBpRj7UmRU/Israelis-question-too-Who-wants-this-war

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Dinosaurs Skinny? Curved Bones Suggest Prehistoric Beasts Weighed Less Than Previously Thought

By: Charles Choi, LiveScience Contributor
Published: 11/21/2012 09:01 AM EST on LiveScience

The fact that bones have curves has now thrown a curveball into calculations of dinosaur weight, researchers say.

New estimates suggest dinosaurs may have been lighter than once thought, scientists explain.

With the rare exceptions of fossilized scraps of skin, feathers, bristles and other relatively soft tissues, all that remains of most extinct creatures are their skeletons. One way that investigators seek to learn more about these lost animals is to deduce their weight from their bones.

Traditionally, researchers would calculate estimates of dinosaur mass using a leg measurement such as the circumference of leg bones, understanding the relationship between body mass and this circumference in modern animals, "and scaling this up to the size of a dinosaur," said researcher Charlotte Brassey, a biomechanist at the University of Manchester in England.

For the sake of simplicity, these calculations often model leg bones as columnar beams. However, "as soon as we introduce irregularities into their shape ? the lumps, bumps and curves that are typical of animal bones ? then they no longer behave like columns," Brassey told LiveScience. [Gallery: Stunning Illustrations of Dinosaurs]

Dinosaur crash tests

To overcome any errors that simplifying these curved organic structures might introduce, the scientists developed complex 3-D models of leg bones from eight modern animal species ? the giraffe; the white-tailed eagle; the American flamingo; the European hedgehog; the common murre, a large bird; the rock hyrax, a guinea piglike animal; the Senegal bush baby, a type of monkey; and the European polecat, a weasel-like animal.

When the researchers digitally crash-tested the bones by virtually loading stress on the ends of the bones, they found "the smallest change in the position or direction of loading induced significant amounts of bending," Brassey said.

dinosaurbones
By simplifying leg bones down to basic columns, previous studies could have underestimated the stresses experienced in animal limbs by up to 142 percent.

By simplifying leg bones down to basic columns, previous studies could have underestimated the stresses experienced in animal limbs by up to 142 percent.

"We've always known that reducing bones down to simple beams was a huge simplification," Brassey said, but it was only after she created the models and compressed them "that I realized how infeasible it was."

True dinosaur mass

This raises concerns that past equations regarding fossil species, including dinosaurs, could have overestimated the maximum body weight their legs were capable of supporting.

"Unfortunately, it's not as simple as saying, 'These equations underestimate stress by 20 percent.' Instead, it depends on the underlying shape of the bone," Brassey said. "A whole-body approach to mass prediction in dinosaurs might be preferable."

When the researchers carried out such a whole-body approach to mass prediction with Giraffatitan, the giant dinosaur previously called Brachiosaurus, they came up with a body mass of 25 tons (23 metric tons), "which is quite a bit lower than some previous predictions," Brassey said. Previous mass estimates for Giraffatitan ranged from 31 to 86 tons (28 to 78 metric tons.)

"Other scientists will argue that finite element analysis remains too computationally expensive and time-consuming," Brassey said. "We appreciate this, and have also introduced improvements to the beam equations in our study for those who do not wish to use finite element analysis." (Finite element analysis is a method of breaking down a problem into many small elements that can be solved in relation to one another using complex equations.)

The findings another intriguing question: Why are bones curved in the first place?

"We've found that it massively increases stress levels when loading the bones in compression, which would be disadvantageous, yet most bones still have some degree of curvature, so evolution hasn't acted to get rid of this curvature," Brassey said.

There have been plenty of suggestions as to why the curvature is there ? for instance, to pack muscles around the bones. "But we still haven't really come up with the solution yet," Brassey said.

The scientists detailed their findings online Nov. 21 in the Journal of the Royal Society Interface.

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

Also on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/24/dinosaurs-skinny-curved-bones-prehistoric-weighed-less_n_2170489.html

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Newest Technologies in Computer Hardware | Batoime

The particular rate from which new PC hardware products or arriving in the industry is simply mind-boggling. As the technological advances, the size and the price of the devices come down, while the efficiency and capacity enhance. The situation is same in all case s, whether it is about inside components like processor chip, motherboard, RAM, graphics card, and hard disk drive or for peripheral components like a mouse, keyboard, and monitors. Computers became common only before about three years back.

But previously there are massive piles of out-of-date and vintage hardware component and products. This is a honour to the huge rate of growth of most current technologies in computer hardware field. The luxurious looking LCD monitors are spreading like PC malware.

Data storage products have captivated considerable focus of the technology designers. Brand New kinds of storage devices like newer types of flash memory cards, hard disks using most recent technology and disks of ever-increasing capability are the results of advancement in most recent technologies in compute equipment.

This memory size of the random access memory (RAM) cards is leaping to permit the clean functioning of graphics animation software packages and streaming video sites. Also, PC motherboards have undergone large modifications over the years. A growing number of functions are being added to the motherboard. Furthermore, inspite of the incredible enhancement in performance and functionalities, the price of these parts has actually dropped steadily.

The most essential component of a computer system is the microprocessor. It is at this field that?s a battle of developing latest systems in computer hardware takes place. The pace of improvement of microprocessor boosts as the competition between the major processor chip manufacturing firms, Intel and AMD, intensifies. Both businesses are participating in a neck and neck competition and also continuously outdo one another in launching new technologies.

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This entry was posted in Computers and tagged Computers, Hardware, technology. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://batoime.com/newest-technologies-in-computer-hardware/

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On the road again: Travelers head home after holiday

12 hrs.

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The Thanksgiving feast is over, and the majority of travelers will be heading back home Sunday. It?s a busy day that could prove challenging if Mother Nature decides to tag along. NBC?s Michelle Franzen reports.

Playlist

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/road-again-travelers-head-home-after-holiday-1C7227557

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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Eight policemen wounded in Russian prison protest

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Eight Russian policemen were injured trying to disperse a crowd outside a prison where 250 inmates staged a roof-top protest demanding the release of a group of fellow prisoners from a punishment cell, authorities said on Sunday.

Russian state television showed pictures of a group of inmates standing on the roof of the prison holding white banners reading "people, help" in the town of Kopeysk near the industrial city of Chelyabinsk in the Urals mountains.

Details of the incident remain unclear with human rights activist Oksana Trufanova telling the Echo Moskvy station that OMON special police troops attacked a group of inmates' relatives outside the prison.

"They beat us with batons. Their eyes were shining. I had never been in such mayhem," Trufanova said. Police said 38 people were detained, but denied OMON officers had beaten people outside the prison.

Trufanova said the protest was a consequence of regular beatings in Kopeysk prison. The local prison authority said in a statement the situation inside the prison was now stable and under control.

Police said the troops were attacked by groups of drunken youths who were throwing bottles and shouting obscenities. Prison mutinies in Russia are relatively rare.

More than 700,000 Russians are currently behind bars and human rights activists regularly complain of poor living conditions, cases of torture, beatings and disease in prisons.

Conditions in Russian prisons came to international attention after Sergei Magnitsky, a lawyer for equity fund Hermitage Capital died a Moscow prison. The Kremlin's own human rights council says he was probably beaten to death.

The local prison authority said the protesters had no demands other than the release of a group of their fellow inmates from a punishment cell. It said the group had violated prison rules and the demand to release them was illegal.

(Reporting by Gleb Bryanski; Editing by Jon Hemming)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eight-policemen-wounded-russian-prison-protest-173357896.html

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Tesla Model S price hike incoming, current reservations can dodge the increase

Tesla Model S price hike incoming, current reservations can dodge the increase

Just two weeks after announcing its expectations to become cash flow positive, Tesla's clued us into an upcoming price hike for the Model S. The word is mum regarding a reason for the change and how much more customers will have to pony up for the award-winning EV, but Musk and Co. are planning to reveal more details within the next two to three weeks. As part of the price increase, the automaker will be tweaking Model S package options, making some standard features optional going forward. Model S enthusiasts with reservations will remain unaffected by the price and package changes so long as they configure and finalize their cars "within a fair, predefined timeframe" before the heftier price tag goes into effect. Likewise, those who've deferred their reservations will have a similar period of time to finalize their order and escape the higher asking price.

[Thanks, Jarrod]

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Via: Autoblog

Source: Tesla Motors

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/11/23/tesla-model-s-price-increase/

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112 killed in fire at Bangladesh garment factory

Bangladeshi firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday. (AP Photo/Hasan Raza)

Bangladeshi firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday. (AP Photo/Hasan Raza)

Bangladeshis and firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. An official said firefighters have recovered more than 100 bodies after a fire raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside Bangladesh's capital. (AP Photo/Polash Khan)

Bangladeshi women react at the scene of a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday. (AP Photo/Hasan Raza)

Bangladeshi firefighters battle a fire at a garment factory in the Savar neighborhood in Dhaka, Bangladesh, late Saturday, Nov. 24, 2012. At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through the multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday. (AP Photo/Hasan Raza)

(AP) ? At least 112 people were killed in a fire that raced through a multi-story garment factory just outside of Bangladesh's capital, an official said Sunday.

The blaze broke out at the seven-story factory operated by Tazreen Fashions late Saturday. By Sunday morning, firefighters had recovered 100 bodies, fire department Operations Director Maj. Mohammad Mahbub told The Associated Press.

He said another 12 people who had suffered injuries after jumping from the building to escape the fire later died at hospitals.

The death toll could rise as the search for victims was continuing, he said.

The cause of the fire was not immediately known.

Bangladesh has some 4,000 garment factories, many without proper safety measures. The country annually earns about $20 billion from exports of garment products, mainly to the United States and Europe.

Mahbub said firefighters recovered 69 bodies from the second floor of the factory alone. He said most of the victims had been trapped inside the factory, located just outside of Dhaka, with no emergency exits leading outside the building.

Many workers who had taken shelter on the roof of the factory were rescued, but firefighters were unable to save those who were trapped inside, Mahbub said.

He said the fire broke out on the ground floor, which is used as a warehouse, and spread quickly to the upper floors.

"The factory had three staircases, and all of them were down through the ground floor," Mahbub said. "So the workers could not come out when the fire engulfed the building."

"Had there been at least one emergency exit through outside the factory, the casualties would have been much lower," he said.

Army soldiers and paramilitary border guards were deployed to help police keep the situation under control as thousands of onlookers and anxious relatives of the factory workers gathered at the scene, Mahbub said.

He would not say how many people were still missing.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina expressed her shock at the loss of a huge number of lives in the blaze and asked authorities to properly conduct rescue operations.

The Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association, the apex body of the garment sector, said the association would stand by the victims' families.

Bangladesh's garment factories make clothes for brands including Wal-Mart, JC Penney, H&M, Marks & Spencer, Carrefour and Tesco.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-11-25-Bangladesh-Factory%20Fire/id-39f0b892cdf54196a922167b3a585f41

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A Deep Nerve (talking-points-memo)

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, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/266083596?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Park & Rec Offering Ski and Snowboarding Lessons - Framingham ...

Framingham Park & Recreation Department will offer ski or snowboarding lessons beginning in January. The lessons are for children in Grades 4-12 and will take place Sunday mornings at Nashoba Valley Ski Area in Westford.

The fee includes transportation, a 1-hour lesson, and 2-hours of unsupervised
skiing or snowboarding. Bus leaves Bowditch Field at 7:45 a.m. and returns at
1:30 p.m.

Registration begins Dec. 6 for Framingham residents at 9 a.m.

The fee for 6 lessons is $275. First lesson starts Jan. 6. Last lesson is Feb. 10.

Equipment can be rented for an additional $95 at the time of the pre-fit, not at registration.

Questions can be directed to Dan Avery at 508 532-5960.

The Town of Framingham intends to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you need a reasonable modification of policies or practices, auxiliary aides or services, please contact us at least two weeks before this event or as soon as possible.

Source: http://framingham.patch.com/articles/park-rec-offering-ski-and-snowboarding-lessons

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Some Interesting Facts About Scuba Diving | EzinePR

It is therefore essential that you maintain your scuba skills by diving frequently. Scuba diving is your passport to an exciting new world under the sea. Students will then go to a specific location for their first open water dive. Travellers looking for an unique experience during their scuba diving holidays are being tempted to the stunning Indian Ocean destination of the Maldives by warm crystal clear waters and an exciting underwater realm. I saw corals that looked like giant mushrooms and goby fish hiding in the sand, sea urchins and giant sooi keong.

Scuba diving is not only a fun activity for all but it can be useful in the field of marine biology. Snorkeling and scuba diving are becoming more and more popular. This allows you to become accustomed to the scuba gear in the safest possible manner. Phuket is well deserving of its title as the Pearl of the Andaman,? and undoubtedly the region boasts some of Thailand?s best dive sites. Water training classes include controlled water dives to train on different safe techniques for diving.

This course will teach you all the basic skills and knowledge you need to dive safely. So if you are looking for something new and interesting to do on your next beach holiday then give scuba diving a try and discover the depths around Lanzarote or any of the other Canary Islands. If you are already qualified either with BSAC or another recognised dive agency and looking to join a club, or returning after a break from the sport, then the club will be happy to welcome you with a discounted joining fee. Two or more beginner scuba divers going on their own is an ingredient for disaster. There are a lot of resources out there that will help you to narrow down the right dive sites for you to visit.

The six kilometres of white sandy beach are stunning, and there are also excellent scuba diving opportunities, especially around the nearby Pigeon Island. And please take the time to visit the Arizona Memorial and pay your respects. Scuba diving has always been a sport that many people dream of taking part in but today, there is a new way to scuba dive. The short session will teach complete beginners the very basics of scuba diving and for many it will allow them to dispel fears about succumbing to the ocean?s depths. It also accounts for ascending to altitude and going home and ascending to a higher altitude.

The Atlantic waters surrounding Cape Cod in Massachusetts is the home to thousands of minke, finback, and humpback whales. However, before you start getting all excited about scuba, you have to be very well aware that scuba diving does carry its own risks. Therefore, just be aware of the environment when diving without a wetsuit or bathing suit so you take the right protective measures. The ocean covers three-fourths of our world, and conceals many marvels and wonders, which you can experience with only a modest investment in equipment, training and time. This is one of the last untouched diving areas in the world and has 75 miles of mangrove-fringed coral reefs.

If you are interested in it as well, then purchasing your own gear will probably be a good long term investment. Today, there are many dive charters operating in Pearl Harbor. As a club member, you may participate in as many or as few activities as you desire. With a narrow stretch of sand curving around a pristine bay, it is one of the most naturally beautiful beaches in the world, and the sheltered waters are perfect for swimming. No matter what level of expertise you have, you should always dive with a buddy.

Other activities included scuba diving and belly dancing lessons that are something of an eclectic or acquired taste. There are thousands of fantastic diving sites to explore across the world, from shipwrecks, caves and underwater tunnels, to colourful coral reefs and gardens. But whatever reasons you have for going to Sri Lanka, it is likely that the beaches are going to play a big part in your holiday! The remote island nation is the lowest country in the world at just 1.5 metres above sea level with pristine white sand beaches, an all year round warm climate, and turquoise warm waters rich in marine life. Divers can enjoy sightings of sea turtles, moray eels, puffer fish, jackfish, lionfish, snappers, spotted rays, eagle rays, lobsters, angelfish, butterfly fish, squirrel fish, tuna, barracudas, and grey reef, white, silver tip reef, and whale sharks.

On a typical 40 metres dive the Diver travels down to 40 metres on a 0.70 Set Point. Eelis Rankka, Tommi Salminen and Jukka Pelttari managed to fool viewers by wearing buoyant sealed dry suits, which were inflated with air and function like gravity. Your trim (horizontal position) is improved in the water as the air cell is on your back, causing less drag and you use less air. Accumulation of Earwax: If earwax is not removed properly and regularly, it can block the sounds from reaching the brain, resulting in clicking within an ear. Do not opt to get trained by a friend or a relative who is not an a certified scuba instructor.

It is nearly impossible in warm water and impossible in cold water with thick gloves on. Fins are other types of scuba diving gear which few could do without.
scuba

Source: http://ezinepr.com/outdoor-recreation/scuba-diving/some-interesting-facts-about-scuba-diving/

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House to consider limited GOP immigration bill

WASHINGTON (AP) ? House Republicans still smarting from their poor showing among Hispanics in the presidential election are planning a vote next week on immigration legislation that would both expand visas for foreign science and technology students and make it easier for those with green cards to bring their immediate families to the U.S.

Republican leaders made it clear after the election that the party was ready to get serious about overhauling the nation's dysfunctional immigration system, a top priority for Hispanic communities. Taking up what is called the STEM Jobs Act during the lame-duck session could be seen as a first step in that direction.

The House voted on a STEM bill ? standing for science, technology, engineering and mathematics ? in September, but under a procedure requiring a two-thirds majority. It was defeated, with more than 80 percent of Democrats voting against it, because it offset the increase in visas for high-tech graduates by eliminating another visa program that is available for less-educated foreigners, many from Africa.

Republicans are changing the formula this time by adding a provision long sought by some immigration advocates ? expanding a program that allows the spouses and minor children of people with permanent residence, or green card, to wait in the United States for their own green cards to be granted.

There are some 80,000 of these family-based green cards allocated every year, but there are currently about 322,000 husbands, wives and children waiting in this category and on average people must wait more than two years to be reunited with their families. In that past that wait could be as long as six years.

The House proposal would allow family members to come to the U.S. one year after they apply for their green cards, but they wouldn't be able to work until they actually got the card. It applies to the families of green card holders who marry after getting their residency permits.

Bruce Morrison, a former Democratic congressman from Connecticut who chaired the House immigration subcommittee and authored a 1990 immigration law, said the bill neither increases the number of green cards nor gives people green cards early. But people "get the most important benefit of being able to live legally in the United States with their spouses."

Morrison, an immigration policy lobbyist who advocates for groups such as American Families United, called the bill a stepping-stone to more comprehensive immigration reform, That Republicans initiated it "to me is a positive gesture that they want to do business on this subject," he said

Megan Whittemore, spokeswoman for House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., a key proponent of the STEM Act, said the bill is "family friendly, helping spouses and minor children who would otherwise be separated from their families for extended periods of time."

The bill will be taken up this time under normal procedures requiring only a majority vote, and it is almost certain to pass the Republican-led House. It remains to be seen whether it will engender enough Democratic support to give it momentum as it heads to the Democratic-controlled Senate.

It would give 55,000 green cards a year to doctoral and masters graduates in the STEM fields. The measure, strongly backed by U.S. high-tech companies, would make it easier for people trained in the United States to put their skills to work for American companies rather than non-American competitors.

But the legislation would still eliminate the Diversity Visa Lottery Program which gives out a similar 55,000 green cards a year to those from countries, including many in Africa, with traditionally low rates of immigration to the U.S. That prompted the House's Hispanic Caucus, Congressional Black Caucus and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus to all come out against it in September.

The three caucuses said Republicans were trying to increase legal immigration for people they want by ending immigration for people they don't want.

Crystal Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association, said the bill is a message from Republicans that "we are here and we are ready to talk about immigration reform."

But she said she doubted it will make much progress in the Senate during the short lame-duck session. People "are now starting to think about broader reform," she said, adding that a limited bill that doesn't increase visas won't get a lot of support.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/house-consider-limited-gop-immigration-bill-141325651.html

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