Venezuela VP: Chavez suffers 'new complications'

CARACAS, Venezuela?? Hugo Chavez has suffered "new complications" following his cancer surgery in Cuba, his vice president said Sunday, describing the Venezuelan leader's condition as delicate.

Vice President Nicolas Maduro spoke with a solemn expression in a televised address from Havana, saying he had spoken with Chavez and that the president sent greetings to his homeland. Maduro did not give details about the complications, which he said came amid a respiratory infection.

"Several minutes ago we were with President Chavez. We greeted each other and he himself referred to these complications," Maduro said, reading from a prepared statement. Maduro was seated alongside Chavez's eldest daughter, Rosa, and son-in-law Jorge Arreaza, as well as Attorney General Cilia Flores.

The vice president's comments suggest an increasingly difficult fight for the ailing president. The Venezuelan leader has not been seen or heard from since undergoing his fourth cancer-related surgery Dec. 11, and government officials have said he might not return in time for his scheduled Jan. 10 inauguration for a new six-year term.

"The president gave us precise instructions so that, after finishing the visit, we would tell the (Venezuelan) people about his current health condition," Maduro said. "President Chavez's state of health continues to be delicate, with complications that are being attended to, in a process not without risks."

Maduro held up a copy of a newspaper confirming that his message was recorded on Sunday.

"Thanks to his physical and spiritual strength, Comandante Chavez is facing this difficult situation," Maduro said.

Maduro said he had met various times with Chavez's medical team and relatives. He said he would remain in Havana "for the coming hours" but didn't specify how long.

Maduro, who arrived in Havana on Saturday for a sudden and unexpected trip, is the highest ranking Venezuelan official to visit Chavez since the surgery.

Before Chavez left for Cuba, he acknowledged risks in the operation and designated Maduro as his successor, telling supporters they should vote for the vice president if a new presidential election was necessary.

Chavez said his cancer had come back despite previous surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation treatment. He has been fighting an undisclosed type of pelvic cancer since June 2011.

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Medical experts say that it's common for patients who have undergone major surgeries to suffer respiratory infections and that how a patient fares can vary widely from a quick recovery in a couple of days to a fight for life on a respirator.

Maduro's latest update differed markedly from last Monday, when he had said he received a phone call from the president and that Chavez was up and walking.

The vice president spoke on Sunday below a picture of 19th century independence hero Simon Bolivar, the inspiration of Chavez's leftist Bolivarian Revolution movement.

Maduro expressed faith that Chavez's "immense will to live and the care of the best medical specialists will help our president successfully fight this new battle." He concluded his message saying: "Long live Chavez."

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50327377/ns/world_news-americas/

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Deep emotions run beneath Russia's adoption ban

The Duma's bill to ban US adoptions of Russian children, which passed another legislative hurdle today, appeals to Russian pride and concerns about the US.

By Mike Eckel,?Correspondent / December 22, 2012

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday. Putin says a draft bill banning US adoptions of Russian children is a legitimate response to a new US law that calls for sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights violators.

Misha Japaridze/AP

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You usually can judge Vladimir Putin?s dislike of a reporter's question by the intensity of his expression. Such was the case this week at his annual news conference, when he greeted with a hard scowl the subject of pending Russian legislation that would ban Americans from adopting orphaned children. Mr. Putin unleashed invective on the fact that consular representatives aren?t allowed to visit adopted Russian children in the United States.

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?I believe that is unacceptable. Do you think this is normal? How can it be normal when you are humiliated? Do you like it? Are you a sadomasochist or something? They shouldn?t humiliate our country,? he told reporters in Moscow.

As is often the case in Russia, there is the issue of what is going on versus what is really going on. And as is often the case in Russia, it?s complicated.

There is very little doubt as to the goal of the legislation, which passed its third and final reading in the lower house of parliament Friday and must still be signed by Putin. The bill is named after Dima Yakovlev, the toddler who died of heat stroke in 2007 after his adopted father forgot him in a locked car in Virginia for nine hours. The father, Miles Harrison, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dima, whose adopted name was Chase. His acquittal in 2008 sparked banner newspaper headlines, incendiary TV news reports, and howls of outrage in Russia.

Lawmakers in the State Duma made it clear that today's legislation is a direct response to the US ?Magnitsky Act,? a law designed to sanction a particular group of Russian officials connected to the death of a whistle-blowing lawyer in a Moscow prison.

In other words, a law designed to punish people tied to a lawyer?s prison death has been answered with a law to prevent people from adopting orphaned children, many of whom have have developmental or other disabilities and will otherwise end up living much of their lives in orphanages that often resemble state mental hospitals of a bygone era.

Adoption is a searingly emotional issue for Russians, and one easily manipulated by the Kremlin. The institution of adoption is relatively uncommon in Russia, for cultural and other reasons. And judging by headlines in the Moscow tabloids, and the rhetoric of some state lawmakers, you?d think that Americans adopt Russian children to eat them.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/V_elSV87HO8/Deep-emotions-run-beneath-Russia-s-adoption-ban

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Windows Phone: Safe work with tasks

04.07.2012 06:34 UTC

When developers use task from namespace Microsoft.Phone.Tasks they can do two mistakes: a) do not put some logic about that application can go to the tombstone mode, it is when phone will save all states off pages and application somewhere and when user will come back to application ? phone will restore these states to application and pages; b) developers don't known that method Show can throw exception InvalidOperationException, this can happends when application is in progress of navigation, which potentially can kill your application if you do not have some exception handler, and this means that when user will go back from task to application he will see the main page of phone instead of the application's page.

Ok, so let's look at simple example, my Windows Phone page will do next task: it will have some image control and button which can choose the image from library:

I have next code behind:

So, how much problems you see in this code?

Problem #1. Tombstone mode.

If you will have closer look on MSDN documentation, for example on PhotoChooserTask ? you will see the Important Note which tells us about Tombstone Mode. This is big mistake to think that your application is not really huge and there are a little chance that phone can send your application to Tombsone Mode (especially when we got users with just 512Mb devices). It is very simple to test your application on how it can handle Tombstone Mode, you just need to set the checkbox in Debug setting of your project properties:

If you will try to use my example you will see that after you will choose the image ? the application will do nothing. You will see this behavior because phone will kill all instances of pages and instance of application when task will be launched. And after user will come back to your application ? the phone will recreate all instances of pages and instance of application. If you need to store some data between the time when it kills and restores the instances of the application and pages you can use the States of pages and application to store some data. Be careful, because all objects in states will be serialized and deserialized, so if you will try to save a very huge graph of objects ? phone can throws exception. Also phone knows what task you've invoked on your page and when phone will navigate back to your page from tombstone mode it will also invokes the event of the task like Completed. So this is how we can solve problem with tombstone mode in my example:

Of course in most cases you will need to have some association between the image and data in your application model. For example you want to store the icon for some contact in application. So we need to get knowledge how to work with States: How to: Preserve and Restore Page State for Windows Phone. Actually the solution will be pretty simple: a) we need to save data in method OnNavigatedFrom b) and in method OnNavigatedTo we need to read from State this data and after that subscribe to Completed event of the task. You will need to have subscription exactly in an OnNavigatedTo method, because if you will still have a subscription in constructor ? phone will invokes the handler when State will not be loaded yet. You can use State only after OnNavigatedTo will be invoked. So, I will need to change my example to this:

Problem #2. Method Show can throw exceptions.

The method Show can throw exception. It is very easy to reproduce this. Just double click on button from previous example. After you will do this ? after you will choose the image the phone will show you main screen instead of your application's pages. This is because your application will not catch exception on second button's click, so on first click you will launch the task, and on second click method Show will throw exception "System.InvalidOperationException: Not allowed to call Show() multiple times before a Chooser returns". So you need always to have a try-catch blocks on top of Show invokes. I solved this problem for me very easy: I just wrote couple wrappers which do all work like catch exception. You can look on the code in my repository.

So, the previous example will be next (if we will not need the States to store something when Task will be launched):

And to invoke tasks which don't have ChooserTask as a base class (which just shows something and you do not expect to get some data from them) you will need to write the next code:

Let's do our windows phone application more stable! Example with my wrappers and all other my source code you can find at my repository.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/outcoldman_en/~3/a7FwwJo80M8/318

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Personal finance to-do list for year's end | GoErie.com/Erie Times ...

As the calendar ticks toward Dec. 31, here are some last-minute, year-end tips recommended by financial professionals:

- Do your donations: If you want a charitable deduction on this year's taxes, you need to write that donation check by Dec. 31. Donations made on a credit card by Dec. 31 are deductible for 2012, even if you pay the Visa bill in 2013.

- Max out the 401(k): It's a gift to yourself -- a little retirement cushion. If you haven't maxed out the contribution to your 401(k) at work, do so now. For 2012, the annual contribution limit is $17,000.

- Ditto for your IRA: To boost your retirement savings, don't forget your IRA contributions. In 2012, the maximum contribution to IRAs and Roth IRAs is the smaller of $5,000 or your taxable compensation for the year. For those age 50 or older, the limit is $6,000.

- "Moving" donations: If you're donating a car, boat or plane to a charitable organization at year-end, the IRS reminds that you can only deduct the fair market amount when the car is sold by the charity. This applies to vehicle deductions valued at $500 or more.

- Spend those FSA dollars: If you have a Flexible Spending Account at work to cover health/dependent care costs, now's the time to make sure you've spent all of those tax-free dollars you squirreled away. FSA accounts are use-it-or-lose-it; you don't want to let that money slip away.

Source: http://www.goerie.com/article/20121230/BUSINESS05/312309991/Personal-finance-to-do-list-for-year's-end

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Ebooks PLR Love Sex and Dating Online - PLR Ebooks Packages ...

Private Label Articles - Get More Useful Content At Low Cost and Effort

Private label rights (PLR) are one of the hottest things in Internet marketing today. Everybody wants to know what they are and, more importantly, what benefits they can get out of them.

In essence, PLR is a kind of license you acquire for material, which allows you to change and edit existing material and call it your own. Without having to do a lot of work, you could be credited as the author of the material and not have to worry about any violations in copyright.

Not a lot of people know about the PLR articles, much less why they should pay attention to them. Give yourself the edge and find out why you should know all you can about PLR and how you can profit from them in the most efficient and effective way possible.

1. Saves time and effort.
You probably already know how much work and time it will take to write an article. On average, a single 700-word article will take about two hours to compose from scratch. If your intention is to create a website with over 50 pages, then you can see how daunting and time-consuming the task of simply writing content will be. PLR articles will save you this time and effort.

2. All credit goes to you.
You are under no obligation to credit the original author for PLR articles. As such, when you publish them on your website, no outbound links and advertisements will be there to distract your visitor / customer. All links will be focused on your brand and your affiliates.

3. Saves you money.
This point requires a different point from saving time and effort simply because of economics. Hiring writers to create content for your website averages about $15 per article. If your site were to hold even just 20 articles that you need to update regularly (say every two weeks), you'd see how the bill could add up.

But if you were to acquire PLR for a set of articles, you could save money because of the economics of scale. Articles are bought at bulk and as such it is possible to get your hands on 200 articles for only less than $30.

4. Editorial freedom.
You don't like how the article is written or the information it is presenting? PLR allows you to change the material right away without needing to ask permission from the writer.
This is also especially useful for optimizing your website for search engines since you can enrich the content with keyword phrases to improve your rankings in SERPs.

5. Create a brand for yourself.
Today, it's all about distinguishing yourself from the rest. PLR articles allow you to provide content that is both relevant and updated. By doing so you build a reputation with your target audience as an expert. And since people would much rather go with someone they trust, your chances of return visitors increases significantly.

6. Get professional results.
Many of the writers who offer articles with PLR are professionals and have access to the latest information regarding your field of interest. By acquiring the rights from them, you avail yourself of their professional results without having to retain their services regularly.

With one set of PLR articles and some creativity on your part, you can extend the life of the articles to the point where the content has more than paid for itself. So when sourcing out a supplier for PLR articles, ask for sample works to demonstrate the quality of articles you would be purchasing.

Now that you know why you should seriously consider getting PLR articles, here are some ways to get you started on profiting from them.

1. Compile a list or report.
You can consolidate a series of articles of a similar theme and package them as a report or listing of information. While you may think that anyone can do this, you'd be surprised how little of this is done.

Many people don't have the time to read or the willingness to read several articles at different times. Providing them a simplified version of the information they want will be a welcome offer for your visitors. You can either give away the report for free, sell it as your own product or use it as content on your website.

2. Use PLR content to create a series of small articles
This is especially useful when producing material for an email campaign. A series is by far, one of the more effective ways to create a following with your audience.

Give enough to allow them a feel for what you're offering and hint at giving more of the same if they will subscribe to your mailing list. In turn, your emails promote your website by inviting them to visit you on a more regular basis.

3. Produce ebooks.
It is very possible for you to take a set of PLR articles and come up with an ebook, for which you can credit yourself as the author.

Since you have created an entirely new product you could repackage this and sell this with your own resale rights. Just like you, there are people who are looking for material they can use for their own promotion needs so cater to this market as they are increasingly growing in number.

As you can see, using PLR articles are not only effective in providing truly useful content. They are also cost and labor-efficient, which means you can focus more of your time to more important matters, whether they are for business or otherwise.

Introducing the ultimate PLR articles pack, this massive PLR articles pack includes more than 400,000 PLR articles, all included with full private label right license. This massive PLR articles pack is categorized in more than 950 folders on different niche topics, from marketing articles to topics like health & fitness,pets,marketing,medical, fashion,travel, finance, birthdays, herbs and many many more.

This massive ultimate PLR articles pack is so huge that we had to divide them to several different packs, take a look below to see what is included in the massive 400,000 PLR articles pack.

Hello Friend,

If you would like to set up your own Info-Business, but hate to write, or have no idea where to get copy to create your own fresh products, then this is for you...

The "400,000 PLR Articles Package" is a huge collection of over 1,000,000 quality articles, all written by professional copywriters.

In other words: You'll be able to create a line of new niche products almost instantly!

Let me sum up what you'll get:

You'll receive over 400,000 high quality articles, each between 400 and 900 words. These cover some of the hottest subjects online...

You can do anything you want with this content...

Resell the articles as they are, create brand new Ebooks, special reports, eCourses or add them to your web site or newsletters.

Source: http://articulosdisenoweb.blogspot.com/2012/12/ebooks-plr-love-sex-and-dating-online.html

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Rational units (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273938078?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Russian Adoption Ban Breaks Hearts Of Bay Area Families

Russia was poised Thursday to break the hearts of some Bay Area families and others nationwide awaiting the arrival of orphaned Russian children they have met and chosen to adopt.

In a brusque move aimed at rebuking American foreign policy, the Russian Parliament on Wednesday approved an immediate U.S. adoption ban, and President Vladimir Putin said he is likely to sign it.

"Everybody's devastated," said Janet Shirley of Bay Area Adoption Services in Mountain View.

Among those petitioning to stop the ban is 18-year-old Anastasia Helberg, whose life brightened when she moved to California from a crowded Russian orphanage seven years ago.

Putin "is not thinking about these kids," she said. "It's really sad that these kids are stuck there and have no chance to come over here and live a normal life with a family."

American families have welcomed more than 60,000 Russian children into their homes since 1992, including nearly 1,000 last year, but an escalating diplomatic dispute threatened a sudden end to the exchange.

About 740,000 Russian children live without their parents, most of them in state-run institutions, according to the United Nations Children's Fund, which on Thursday urged the Russian government to "let the best interests of children" determine its policies.

One California family working with a Pleasant Hill adoption service is in Russia now with a newly adopted child, hoping to fly out before the ban takes effect. Two other families have bonded with their children and are waiting for a hearing in Russian adoption courts, so the children are not yet legally theirs.

Several other Bay Area families are in some stage of adopting but declined to speak publicly, fearing that the exposure could damage their chances.

The Russian bill calls for the ban to take effect Tuesday, though adoption agencies hope Putin, if he enacts it, abides by an agreement that requires a yearlong delay.

Russian lawmakers are using the ban to retaliate against new American travel and financial sanctions targeting Russians accused of human rights violations. The controversy also reflects deeper Russian concerns about losing children to foreigners, especially amid several well publicized cases of American abuse and neglect.

Russia was the third most popular country for U.S. adoptions in 2011 after China and Ethiopia, despite an increasingly laborious and costly process that requires prospective American parents to visit the country three times to bond with the child, attend a court hearing and undergo a battery of background checks.

"Russian adoptions are probably -- on a scale of zero to 10 -- they're 9.5 in difficulty," Shirley said. "Parents who adopt from Russia are very dedicated."

Some white couples or Russian-Americans look to the country for children who share their fair complexion or cultural ties; single mothers choose to adopt there because Russia, unlike many countries, doesn't require married parents; and parents desiring to adopt children as young as 12 months also find more options in Russia, adoption coordinators said.

Amid domestic protests over the proposed ban, Russian leaders promised Thursday to improve the lives of abandoned Russian children and those with medical conditions so that they don't have to leave. Legislators have pledged to clean up the nation's shabby patchwork of more than 2,000 orphanages and encourage more domestic adoptions and foster care. Those who have found homes with loving American families remain skeptical.

Now a high school senior living with her adoptive parents in Lafayette, Helberg grew up bunking with other orphaned girls in the rust-belt Russian city of Yoshkar-Ola some 500 miles east of Moscow.

Many abandoned children who aged out of her orphanage fell into street crime or prostitution, she said.

"I know that I would have not been in a good place if I were still in Russia," she said. "I would not have the things I have today. No family, and no money."

The Russian consulate in San Francisco declined to discuss the proposed ban "because it hasn't been passed yet," said consular spokesman Yevgeny Avdoshian. "We don't comment on the work of the legislative branch."

U.S. diplomats, however, voiced "deep concerns" over the Russian government's maneuvers. ___

Related on HuffPost:

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/28/russian-adoption-ban_n_2375029.html

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Akcent: Weekend family, baby, toddler and pre-schooler events local ...

Christmas may be over and you?re feeling a bit flat, so we have come up with some fantastic things to do and places to go with your baby, toddler and pre-schooler this weekend. Just click on one of the selected local events below to see more information or click here to go to our Local Activities Calendar.

Bath On Ice: Bath On Ice? Bath?s new festive ice rink.? Bath on Ice is open until Sunday 6th January 2013. With the stunning Royal Crescent as your backdrop you will be able to take to the ice in the spectacular surroundings of Royal Victoria Park.

Stockeld Park:?Harrogate, York. Come and visit the Enchanted Forest, Ice rink, Giant snowflake maze, experience Nordic skiing, visit our magical gift shop and join us for some home cooked locally sourced food in our licensed cafe.

Too Many Penguins??Sutton and Merton, Wandsworth. How many penguins are too many penguins? Mr Polaro thinks one is more than enough, thank you very much! But Penguina has other ideas?she wants someone to play with. Just one friend?well, maybe two?or three?Squeeze into this fun theatrical experience and find out just how many penguins we can get into one space. It might get crowded, but we promise that the arrival of the penguins will entertain and delight!

The Lost Present:?Bristol. It?s a busy day in the Number One Lost Present Department. It?s Christmas-time and lots of presents have gone astray. Vic and Ed need to do some detective work? and FAST? to find a home for all the lost presents before it?s too late.

Source: http://www.smallstepsonline.co.uk/news/4560/weekend-family-baby-toddler-and-pre-schooler-events-local-to-you

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Source: http://ralphsaparker.blogspot.com/2012/12/weekend-family-baby-toddler-and-pre.html

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ATB: New Mexico Opens Eyes, UCLA Arrives and Diamond Head Classic Produces Dramatic Finish?

* Editor?s Note: Due to a light schedule over the past week, this edition of the ATB covers all games played from Monday through Friday.

Chris Johnson is an RTC Columnist. He can be reached @ChrisDJohnsonn.?

The Week?s Lede. Wrapping Up Holiday Week.? When college basketball thins out over the Christmas Holiday, so too does the ATB. This version will cover an entire week of games, meager and diffuse though they were. If you took a break from the sport this week, there?s not a whole lot you missed out on, outside a few appealing contests towards the end of the week, and a sneaky good tournament in Hawaii which featured one of the best game-saving plays all season and which, in essence, amounted to a total scheduling coup. (note to Feast Week event organizers: push your tournaments into December, if only to make this dry lull a little more palatable). That doesn?t sum up everything that went down. Just last night, we saw an undefeated top 10 team lose in its own building, and there?s plenty on tap for the weekend ahead. Consider this a refresher to prep you for the last weekend of significant non-conference action. Which reminds me: conference play is finally upon us! That means really, really good things. Now, let?s have our look back at this here week of Holiday Hoops.

Your Watercooler Moment. Diamond Head Classic Produces A Gem Of Non-Conference Action.

When 2012-13 is all said and done, the Diamond Head Classic will be mostly remembered for one thing: Arizona guard Nick Johnson?s acrobatic swat to deny San Diego State?s Chase Tapley in the final seconds and clinch the championship trophy. It was arguably the best individual defensive play we?ve seen all season, and if it wasn?t the best, then certainly the most important. In beating San Diego State, Arizona not only solidified its status as the best team on the West Coast, but it beat a deep, athletic, well-coached, disciplined SDSU team on a neutral floor, which is a notable feat on its own, but even more impressive when you stack it on top of the 19-point bludgeoning the Wildcats put on Miami in the semifinals. That was a humbling blow for the Hurricanes, a team that many were touting as the second best in the ACC after that nice 22-point road win at UCF. Worse was the two-point loss to Indiana State that followed; not to take anything away from Jake Odum and the Sycamores, but if you?re the second best team in the ACC, you don?t lose that game. And it should be noted: ISU had a very nice time out on the islands. Scraping out overtime wins against Ole Miss and Miami is the type of thing that spawns serious reevaluation of an already top-heavy MVC. All in all, the field didn?t disappoint, churned out a few surprising results and staged maybe the most thrilling, high-stakes, down-to-the-wire fixture of the season outside of Butler-Indiana and UCLA-Missouri.

Also Worth Chatting About. Lobos Bounce Back.

New Mexico?s Win at Cincy, Led by Alex Kirk, Was an Important One

Beyond the outward toughness and hard-nosed defense and equalized intensity across its roster, it was hard to draw too much from New Mexico?s early-season track record. Home wins over Dayton, USC and Valparaiso; neutral court wins over George Mason and UConn; the timeless strain of a road trip to rival New Mexico State ? that is a nice selection of good but not great teams. It is not the work of a top-10-caliber club. The Lobos traveled to No. 8 Cincinnati Thursday night with perception-altering intentions on their minds. And boy, did they alter some perceptions. New Mexico took the physical brand of basketball Cincinnati hangs its hat on and threw it right back at Mick Cronin?s team. Kendall Williams and Tony Snell went right at Jaquon Parker, Cashmere Wright and Sean Kilpatrick in the backcourt (while providing stingy defense for much of the night), and Lobos seven-footer Alex Kirk played his best game of the season, to the extreme chagrin of Cincinnati?s undercooked frontcourt. In the end, this game ? like so many others ? came down to shot-making: The Bearcats converted just 31.3 percent from the field, and didn?t really make up for it at the free throw line (3-of-4). It was a wakeup call for the Bearcats in that their patented formula ? crash the glass, grind opponents with physical defense and an intimidating backcourt ? is not totally unassailable. In fact, no game plan functions quite right when you shoot as poorly as Cincinnati did Thursday night.

Your Quick Hits?

• UCLA Comes Together.?In the preseason when UCLA was being thrown around as a legitimate national championship contender, beating Missouri would not have seemed nearly as important as it does now. But because the Bruins have had so much trouble living up to those massive expectations, and because Ben Howland?s No. 1 recruiting class is still sorting things out on both ends of the floor, and because this team has overcome the lowest of lows ? losing to Cal Poly, along with the departures of two players ? there is no understating what a win like this can do for UCLA?s on and off-court chemistry and confidence as it turns to the Pac-12 portion of its schedule. Depending on your source, the Bruins were a 3.5-point favorite against Missouri. That is not an accurate snapshot of the overall perceptions of these teams. UCLA had taken its lumps in every non-conference game of note, weathered internal and external obstacles (fan apathy, for one), embarrassed itself against San Diego State at a John Wooden-themed event in Anaheim in a putative battle for the state of California, all the while shoving off rumors of Ben Howland?s endangered job status. Missouri, meanwhile, has looked like the best team in the SEC. Don?t let Vegas fool you; this was an upset ? an important one.
• Gonzaga Is Good. Now We Have Proof. It would be easy for me to ramble on about how Gonzaga needed a big win over an upper-level high-major opponent to anchor its non-conference docket, or how the Zags triggered all kinds of uncertainty and doubts after losing at home to Illinois. I?m not going to do either of those things, because Gonzaga is posting top 25 figures in both offensive and defensive efficiency and has backed up its gaudy statistical profile on the court all season long. This is a very good basketball team. All Friday night?s 94-87 win over Baylor did was cement that self-evident truth in everyone?s mind. It also showed that when Kevin Pangos goes 7-of-10 from downtown, and Kelly Olynyk and Elias Harris get in on the act with a combined 38 points and 11 rebounds, you?re going to have a tough time keeping up with Mark Few?s team. Up next for Gonzaga: a trip to Oklahoma State for an excellent New Year?s Eve treat.
• Mitchell Returns For St. Louis. Any early-season assessment of St. Louis? place among a pack of quality outfits in the A-10 almost always ended the same way: let?s reserve judgment until Kwamain Mitchell returns from injury. The senior guard made his 2012-13 debut Friday night, and not a moment too soon. The Billikens didn?t need Mitchell to take care of SIU-Edwardsville at home. What they will need him for is an upcoming visit from road-tough New Mexico, who will travel to Chaifetz Arena on New Year?s Eve hoping to pick up another road win in a foreign environment against a hard-nosed defensive team. Mitchell will help the Billikens try to avoid Cincinnati?s unfortunate Thursday night fate.
• Indiana Sharp Before Big Ten Play. You can?t fault Indiana fans for having nerves about a New Year?s date at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Iowa is playing some really efficient per-possession defense, gobbles up its own misses at a top 25 rate, boasts enough interior length to harass Cody Zeller and Christian Watford, and can be a massive challenge in its home gym. The good news is that the Hoosiers looks as locked-in as they have all season. In thrashing Jacksonville at home Friday night, Indiana pushed its baseline margin of victory over the last three games to 34 points. The counterpoint to that string of dominance is that Big Ten competition inevitably will force the Hoosiers to play close games, the likes of which Iowa is capable of forcing as early as Monday night. The counter to the counter is that Indiana has already played (and lost) a close game, and thus should be ready for the demands of pressure situations. And now we?re just running into all sorts of rhetorical pretzels and logical conundrums. Indiana is ready for conference play; let?s leave it there.

And Miss?

• New Additions Not Jelling In Providence. The mid-December entry of Kris Dunn and Sidiki Johnson into the Friars? rotation was supposed to give Ed Cooley a closer version of his team at full strength. Ricky Ledo?s partial qualifier status meant Providence wouldn?t unleash the full depths of its newfound talent this season, but Dunn and Johnson, playing alongside junior forward Kadeem Batts, sophomore swingman LaDontae Henton and a now-healthy Vincent Council (junior guard Bryce Cotton was unavailable due to a knee injury), made for an offensively potent dynamic. The Friars have now dropped consecutive games against Boston College and Brown. The first loss isn?t all that bad ? the Eagles, even in their current morass, have a solid low-post presence in 6?8?? forward Ryan Anderson. Getting tripped up at Brown, with a match-up against No. 4 Louisville looming after the New Year? Now that?s going to raise some eyebrows.

Homecourt Clinic Of The Week. Most kids welcome Christmas break as a time to go home, enjoy the comfort of their own beds, spend quality time with family members, and eat unseen amounts of sugary holiday delicacies. Michigan freshman Nik Stauskas is not most kids. The sharp-shooting guard took it upon himself to show everyone just how lethal his 55.7 percent long-range stroke can be in a 50-shot sample, with no defenders in sight, and in what looks like an awesome home court setup (with a special nod to whatever landscaper was put to the task of bordering the area). Shame on him for missing one-tenth of his shots.

The Week?s All-Americans.? ? ? ??

• Kevin Pangos, Gonzaga (NPOY) ? For Baylor to realistically have designs on knocking off Gonzaga at the Kennel, Pierre Jackson needed to outduel Pangos in a crucial point guard match-up. Seven three-pointers and 31 points later, and I think we know who came out on top here (to his credit, Jackson did play a very nice game, highlighted by 26 points).
• Shabazz Muhammad, UCLA?? Finally, he has arrived: the Shabazz Muhammad we?ve all been waiting for, the surefire lottery pick with the power to lead UCLA back to familiar Final Four territory on sheer talent alone, the one player who could end the Bruins? early-season rut. Muhammad had 27 points in a huge win over Missouri Friday night.
• Brandon Davies, BYU ? The Cougars are not challenging Gonzaga (or Saint Mary?s, for that matter) in the WCC. Don?t let that shroud the tremendous low post work of Davies, who finished with 27 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Northern Arizona.
• Phil Pressey, Missouri?? So. So. Close. Pressey needed just one more point and one more assist to lock up an almost unheard-of 20/20 point-assist stat line. Even in a losing effort, Pressey deserves a mention here.
• Jordan Hulls, Indiana ? Shoot 6-for-9 from behind the three-point line (and finish with 20 points in the process), and I don?t care if you?re name is Jordan Hulls and your long-range marksmanship is a basic tenet of college hoops life in 2012-13. This week?s All-American you are.

Tweet Of The Week. The final result wasn?t ideal, but San Diego State left the Diamond Head Classic with new levels of national respect ? that?s what tends to happen when most of the college hoops viewing public is focused on one game and one game only. The Aztecs are longer and deeper than ever before, and with Chase Tapley and Jamaal Franklin anchoring the offense, they have more than enough star power to win the MW and roll deep into March.

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This entry was posted on Friday, December 28th, 2012 at 11:32 pm by CJohnson and is filed under after the buzzer, Regular Features. Tagged: arizona, cincinnati, diamond head classic, feature, miami, missouri, new mexico, san diego state, ucla. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://rushthecourt.net/2012/12/28/atb-new-mexico-opens-eyes-ucla-arrives-and-diamond-head-classic-produces-dramatic-finish/

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New Toshiba camera sensor lets you refocus after the shot, plans 2013 launch in smartphones and tablets

Hoping for some after-the-fact focusing in your next smartphone camera? Well, you'll have to wait around a year, but Toshiba's planning exactly that with a new module that houses an array of 500,000 tiny lenses. These are layered in front of the camera sensor, which can then capture slightly different images from compound lens arrangements.These can then be combined in a "complete" picture using Toshiba's own software. The camera will also be able to measure the distance between objects in the shot -- similar to how 3D images are captured -- with the user then able to focus on both close and distant detail, or even create images that are in-focus throughout. Toshiba says the module will also be able to capture video with a similar degree of focus management -- something that Lytro hasn't got around to just yet. The sensor is still a work in progress, but the manufacturer plans to commercialize the module before the end of 2013. Toshiba is looking to ally itself with multiple smartphone (and tablet) makers -- and here's hoping that it finds its way into a device outside of Japan.

[Thanks Franck]

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile

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Source: Asahi Shinbun (Japanese)

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/TeS58SHAm68/

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Lawmakers, Obama in last chance talks on "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama and lawmakers are launching a last-chance round of budget talks days before a New Year's deadline to reach a deal or watch the economy go off a "fiscal cliff."

Obama and Vice President Joe Biden will meet congressional leaders from both parties at the White House on Friday at 3 p.m. EST (2000 GMT) to try to revive negotiations to avoid tax hikes and spending cuts - together worth $600 billion - that will begin to take effect on January 1.

Members were divided on the odds of success, with a few expressing hope, some talking as if they had abandoned it and a small but growing number suggesting Congress might try to stretch the deadline into the first two days of January.

In order to be ready to legislate if an agreement takes shape, the Republican-dominated House of Representatives convened a session for Sunday.

And House Majority Leader Eric Cantor advised members to be prepared to meet through January 2, the final day before the swearing-in of the new Congress elected on November 6.

It "doesn't feel like anything that's very constructive is going to happen" as a result of the meeting with Obama, said Tennessee Republican Sen. Bob Corker. "It feels more like optics than anything that's real.

The two political parties remained far apart, particularly over plans to increase taxes on the wealthiest Americans to help close the U.S. budget deficit. But one veteran Republican, Rep. Jeff Flake of Arizona, held out the prospect that if Obama came through with significant spending cuts, Republicans in the House might compromise on taxes.

The coming days are likely to see either intense bargaining over numbers, or political theater as each side attempts to avoid blame if a deal looks unlikely.

"Hopefully, there is still time for an agreement of some kind that saves the taxpayers from a wholly, wholly preventable economic crisis," Mitch McConnell, the top Republican in the Democratic-controlled Senate, said on the Senate floor.

But the rhetoric was still harsh on Thursday after months of wrangling - much of it along ideological lines - over whether to raise taxes and by how much, as well as how to cut back on government spending.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, the top Democrat in Congress, accused Republican House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by refusing to allow bills he did not like onto the floor of the chamber.

Reid urged Republicans in the House to prevent the worst of the fiscal shock by getting behind a Senate bill to extend existing tax cuts for all except those households earning more than $250,000 a year.

Both Reid and Boehner, as well as McConnell and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, are to meet Obama on Friday.

MARKETS EASE

U.S. stocks sharply cut losses after news of the House reconvening as investors clung to hopes of an 11th-hour deal. Even a partial agreement on taxes that would leave tougher issues like entitlement reform and the debt ceiling until later could be enough to keep markets calm.

"I'm not convinced it will result in a deal, but you could get enough concessions by both parties to at least avoid the immediacy of going over the cliff," said Randy Bateman, chief investment officer of Huntington Asset Management, in Columbus, Ohio.

Obama arrived back at the White House on Thursday from a brief vacation in Hawaii that he cut short to restart stalled negotiations with Congress.

He is likely to meet the toughest resistance from Republicans in the House, where a group of several dozen fiscal conservatives have opposed any tax hikes at all.

But Flake of Arizona said his fellow Republicans in the House and Senate are resigned to seeing some sort of increase in top income tax rates. But they will push back if Obama does not offer spending cuts.

"There will be resistance from a lot of House conservatives to a deal that does that," Flake said.

Strictly speaking, the fiscal cliff measures begin on January 1 when tax rates go up but the House might stay in session until the following day if an agreement is being worked out.

"This January 1 deadline is a little artificial. We can do everything retroactively. We have to get it right, not get it quickly," said Republican Representative Andy Harris.

Another component of the "fiscal cliff" - $109 billion in automatic spending cuts to military and domestic programs - is set to kick in on January 2.

The House and Senate passed bills months ago reflecting their own sharply divergent positions on the expiring low tax rates, which went into effect during the administration of former Republican President George W. Bush.

Democrats want to allow the tax cuts to expire on the wealthiest Americans and leave them in place for everyone else. Republicans want to extend the tax cuts for everyone.

In another sign that Americans are increasingly worrying about their finances as Washington fails to address the budget crisis, consumer confidence fell to a four-month low in December.

Americans blame Republicans in Congress more than congressional Democrats or Obama for the fiscal crisis, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed.

When asked who they held more responsible for the "fiscal cliff" situation, 27 percent blamed Republicans in Congress, 16 percent blamed Obama and 6 percent pointed to Democrats in Congress. The largest percentage - 31 percent - blamed "all of the above."

(Additional reporting by David Lawder, Fred Barbash and Mark Felsenthal in Washington and David Gaffen in New York; writing by Alistair Bell; editing by Todd Eastham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lawmakers-obama-last-chance-talks-fiscal-cliff-013608295--business.html

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New Years Eve at JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort - R ...

Whew! Did you survive the Christmas Holiday? ?Was it filled with hustle & bustle and now you're ready for a real break?

We actually had a nice and quiet Christmas break and are looking forward to planning the New Years Festivities. ?There are a few things to do around here (Austin) as a family, but I discovered another fun place to go for the holiday that I wanted to share as well.

The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is offering fun events for New Years that has something for every age. ?Take a look:

• Crooked Branch Bar ? Live music will be playing from Ben McPeak and his 5-piece band; dance floor open; champagne tasting bar and menu
• Family Gamecation ? Families who play together will stay together: ?in the resort's ballrooms with games galore and Games2U experiences for all ages
• Teen Scene Glow and Toast party ? Glow sticks will light up the teen party with an 11 p.m. New York countdown and New Year's cider toast. ?Movie and music will be playing!
• Children's Pajama Party ? Activities galore for ages 4 to 12 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. that includes dinner, games, arts and crafts, movie with popcorn, New Year cider toasts at 9 pm and 11 pm
• New Year's specialty dinners at three of our restaurants
• Lantana Spa specials for a soothing celebration or post holiday rejuvenation
• Golf to relax or challenge your game on one of the two TPC San Antonio PGA TOUR golf courses?

"Named a Travel + Leisure?s 2011 top 50 Family Hotels, one of the 2011 Top 10 Family Resorts in Celebrated Living, a Travel + Leisure?s 2012 T+L 500 World?s Best Hotel and 2012 Top 10 Hotel for Value Overall and recently named to Fodor's Top 100 Hotels in the Fun for All Ages category, this sophisticated but relaxed destination offers the ultimate hillside retreat with world-class service and amenities that families, singles and all age groups can enjoy. ?The resort brings a new level of luxury to the legendary Texas Hill Country."

Sounds pretty fun, doesn't it? ?Resort rooms begin at just $199 a night - I imagine those will go fast! ?So jump on it and have a spectacular New Years!?

Source: http://www.rwethereyetmom.com/2012/12/new-years-eve-at-jw-marriott-san.html

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McElroy has concussion, Sanchez to start for Jets

New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, right, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, right, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

New York Jets quarterback Greg McElroy, bottom, is sacked by San Diego Chargers defensive end Corey Liuget, front left, during the second half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Dec. 23, 2012, in East Rutherford, N.J. The Chargers won 27-17. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. (AP) ? The New York Jets' wacky quarterback situation took yet another twist.

Greg McElroy has a concussion ? which he didn't reveal until Thursday ? and will be replaced by Mark Sanchez as the New York Jets' starting quarterback in the season finale at Buffalo on Sunday.

Coach Rex Ryan walked into his news conference before practice, took the podium and opened with: "You're not going to believe this."

McElroy, preparing to make his second NFL start in place of the benched Sanchez, was lifting weights Thursday morning and started experiencing headaches, Ryan said. McElroy went to the team's training staff and then revealed he was suffering concussion-like symptoms after being sacked 11 times in the Jets' 27-17 loss to San Diego last Sunday.

McElroy and head trainer John Mellody then went to Ryan to tell the coach the news. Ryan was not certain exactly when McElroy suffered the concussion.

"We come to find out that Greg wasn't exactly truthful with our training staff after the game," said Ryan, who acknowledged he was "stunned" to hear it. "He never disclosed that he had symptoms after the game to our trainers. Right now, he's being evaluated for a concussion."

Ryan said there was no way he would play McElroy against the Bills and the third-stringer will "definitely be out." McElroy had been listed on the injury report Wednesday with a mild abdominal strain, but was a full participant in practice and was expected to play without any issues.

"I admire his courage and everything else, but you have to be truthful and I think that's the lesson learned here with the medical staff," said Ryan, who added he would speak to the entire team about concussions after practice. "The fact he really wanted to play, I understand the competitive side of Greg and all that, but the most important thing is the health of the players.

"Obviously, I feel fortunate that something like this showed up without him going out there and putting himself in harm's way."

Ryan chose to start Sanchez over Tim Tebow because the team has just two practices and a walkthrough to prepare before the game.

"Mark has had success earlier in the season against Buffalo and he's very familiar with them," Ryan said. "That's the reason I'm going with Mark."

Sanchez appeared to be on his way to a solid season when he threw three touchdown passes in the Jets' season-opening 48-28 win over the Bills. It ended up being his best game of a lousy season. Sanchez was benched for the first time in his four-year career after turning the ball over five times at Tennessee on Dec. 17. McElroy leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart to start against the Chargers.

"I know he believes in himself," Ryan said of Sanchez, "and any competitor would want this opportunity."

After finding out about McElroy's condition, Ryan spoke with both Sanchez and Tebow to tell them of his decision.

"Obviously, Tim's not happy with that, as you'd expect," Ryan said.

The news comes on the heels of some tension between Ryan and Tebow last week, when the popular backup quarterback told the coach he was "disappointed" at not getting the start and wanted to play "regular quarterback." ESPN New York first reported Sunday that Tebow asked out of the wildcat, and a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed that to The Associated Press. The two met again last Friday to clear the air, and Tebow reiterated that he was willing to do anything the team asked him to do.

Tebow insisted Wednesday that he did not refuse to do anything and acknowledged that Ryan might have misinterpreted what he said.

"It was just me asking to get an opportunity to play the position I love, which is quarterback," Tebow said. "It wasn't me asking out of anything."

Ryan said he understands that Tebow is frustrated at the situation and by not starting, but again would not disclose anything that was said between the two in their conversations last week.

Tebow will be the No. 2 quarterback on Sunday at Buffalo, and could play ? but it won't be as the starter.

"Obviously, he'd like a shot at it," Ryan said, "but with the situation the way it is, it's a short window, really, to get the preparation time in and I just think it's best for our football team."

With the way the season has played out, from the quarterback controversies to the injuries suffered by key players, Ryan was asked if this is the strangest year he has ever experienced in the NFL.

"Yeah, I would say that's pretty accurate," Ryan said, laughing. "And, we've had some strange ones."

___

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

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-27-FBN-Jets-McElroy-Concussion/id-f6d36d8a79144f86a15fd4ce153935cd

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High court declines to stop provision covering contraceptives in health care law

By Pete Williams, NBC News justice correspondent

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Supreme Court declined Wednesday to put a temporary hold on a controversial provision in the new health care law requiring employers to provide health insurance coverage for contraceptives.

Two businesses challenging the act -- the nationwide chain of 500 Hobby Lobby Stores and Mardel, a chain of Christian bookstores -- contended that the law violates their religious freedom. Their legal battle is continuing over the merits of their claim. In the meantime, they asked the US Supreme Court to put a temporary hold on the law, which takes effect January 1, 2013.

On Wednesday, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who handles emergency appeals from the courts where the companies are based, declined to grant an injunction.

In a brief written opinion, she said the Supreme Court has never addressed similar freedom-of-religion claims brought by for-profit corporations objecting to mandatory provisions of employment benefit laws.

"Lower courts have diverged on whether to grant temporary injunctive relief to similarly situated plaintiffs," she said, "and no court has issued a final decision granting permanent relief with respect to such claims."

If the two companies ultimately lose in the lower courts, the justice said, they can still appeal to the Supreme Court.

Lawyers for members of the family that owns the two businesses, based in Oklahoma, told the court that the law will expose them to "draconian fines unless they abandon their religious convictions."?

While they do not object to the provision of insurance coverage for all contraceptives, they do object to coverage for "certain drugs and devices that they believe can cause abortions," their lawyers said.

Dozens of similar lawsuits over the contraceptive provision are working their way through the federal courts.? The Obama administration has delayed enforcement of the requirement until August for qualified religious institutions, and some will be eligible for a permanent exemption.

But no such delays have been granted to businesses that object to the law's requirements on religious grounds.

Source: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16171443-scotus-declines-to-stop-provision-covering-contraceptives-in-health-care-law?lite

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A burden that children should never have to bear - World Vision Blog

An eight year old Syrian refugee child named Layla[1] shares, ?I saw my cousin dying in front of me, so I always see this scene in front of my eyes.?

As children all over North America happily rummage through the cheerful remains of Christmas Day?s joys?festive gift wrap strewn about, the latest version of Halo blaring from 40 inch television screens?the existence of Syrian children presently seeking refuge in Lebanon is one far less carefree.? In this season of joy, it?s difficult to fathom that at least 66,000 children like Layla are coping with the loss of home and childhood as their families struggle to survive the displacement of war and onset of a cold, snowy winter in Lebanon?s Bekaa Valley.

*????? *?????? *

Over the past three months, Syrian refugees have poured across Lebanon?s borders at an exponentially increasing rate.? UNHCR reports that 154,387[2] Syrian refugees are currently residing in Lebanon.? Nearly 75 percent of these refugees are women and children; children who should be focused on homework and playing are instead grappling with educational upheaval, a lack of stability and anxiety and exposure as they face uncertain futures and adapt to life in a foreign country whose host communities do not fully accept them.[3]

In short, Syrian refugee children are bearing burdens no child anywhere should ever have to carry.

Unfortunately, experiences like Layla?s are not uncommon. ?In Robbed of Childhood, Running from War, a newly released World Vision report, World Vision found many children willing to share openly and ?at length about violence, death and the politics of war.?

In the report, which surveys 100 Syrian children aged 7-13 in the Central and Western Bekaa region of Lebanon, children spoke with World Vision staff ?about images of their homes and schools burning, people getting shot and tanks roving their neighborhoods. Even indirect exposure to violence such as images of dead bodies on the news, continues to haunt them.?

Wael, showing a book he brought with him from Syria. It is his most precious procession away from his real home. It is his geography book. He flips through its pages every now and then and dreams that one day he will return with it to his home to finish his education.

One child told World Vision:

?My three brothers died in Syria.? They were younger than me. They shot my brothers when they were playing with their friends on the street.?

The experiences of these children make one?s heart heavy?even as someone who has worked with survivors of humanitarian crises around the world, I cannot imagine a world in which my very young son, who should freely enjoy an existence crashing dump trucks around our living room, bearing the devastation and politics of war.? But children who have fled Syria are doing just that.?

?My brother is 13 and used to go to school in Syria. Here he works with steel.?

?My sister, 15, used to go to school but here she works at a laundry shop.?

Like many displaced children in humanitarian crises throughout the world, Syrian refugee children in Lebanon are sometimes forced to choose work over school. ?The reasons for this are many, including challenges with enrollment, language barriers (while Syrian children are taught in Arabic, the Lebanese system includes English and French) and the economic pressures facing refugee families. ?I cannot imagine a world in which my son has to opt of middle school to support our family?s financial needs.? But this is the reality facing Syrian refugee children every day.

In the midst of holiday festivities, after Christmas sales and time with dear family and friends, consider coming alongside Syrian refugee children in Lebanon to help them shoulder burdens children should never bear.? Now that?s a world worth imagining.

---

Elizabeth Ranade-Janis is the Program Management Officer for the World Vision Humanitarian & Emergency Affairs Team

Make a donation to the Syrian refugee crisis. The number of refugees fleeing conflict-ridden Syria has tripled in the last three months, according to UNHCR, the United Nations refugee agency. More than 100,000 registered Syrian refugees are in Lebanon, where World Vision has been providing basic hygiene kits and food vouchers to help them survive. Your gift will help continue this urgent response.

[1] At the request of parents, the names of all children have been changed to protect identities.

[2] Note that this number represents only the Syrian refugees who feel it is safe to official register with UNHCR; there are many others believed to be living in Lebanon.

[3] From Robbed of Childhood, Running from War, World Vision, December 2012.

?

Source: http://blog.worldvision.org/disaster-relief/a-burden-that-children-should-never-have-to-bear/

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Strategies For Reasonably priced Home Remodeling Tasks powah ...

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Home improvement can be as simple as painting an area or higher complicated like remodeling the home. No matter, these are generally some tips you might find important to avoid unneeded disappointment and/or migraines.

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Source: http://kity.org/strategies-for-reasonably-priced-home-remodeling-tasks-2/

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Netflix suffers Christmas Eve outage, points to Amazon

NEW YORK (Reuters) - An outage at one of Amazon's web service centers hit users of Netflix Inc.'s streaming video service on Christmas Eve and was not fully resolved until Christmas day, a spokesman for the movie rental company said on Tuesday.

The outage impacted Netflix subscribers across Canada, Latin America and the United States, and affected various devices that enable users to stream movies and television shows from home, Netflix spokesman Joris Evers said. Such devices range from gaming consoles such as Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 to Blu-ray players.

Evers said that the issue was the result of an outage at an Amazon Web Services' cloud computing center in Virginia, and started at about 12:30 p.m. PST (2030 GMT) on Monday and was fully restored Tuesday morning, although streaming was available for most users late on Monday.

"We are investigating exactly what happened and how it could have been prevented," Evers said.

"We are happy that people opening gifts of Netflix or Netflix capable devices can watch TV shows and movies and apologize for any inconvenience caused last night," he added.

An outage at Amazon Web Services, or AWS, knocked out such sites as Reddit and Foursquare in April of last year.

Amazon Web Services was not immediately available for comment. Evers, the Netflix spokesman, declined to comment on the company's contracts with Amazon.

(Reporting by Sam Forgione; Editing by Leslie Gevirtz)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/netflix-suffers-christmas-eve-outage-points-amazon-191205963--finance.html

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Yemen: 2 militants killed in US airstrike

SANAA, Yemen (AP) ? Yemeni security officials say a U.S. drone airstrike has killed two al-Qaida militants in a southern town.

They said one was a midlevel al-Qaida Yemeni operative who escaped a U.S. drone attack 10 years ago. The other was said to be a Jordanian.

The officials said Monday's airstrike on Radda in Bayda province also critically injured three militants.

The Yemeni militant, Abdel-Raouf Naseeb, escaped death in the first recorded drone attack in Yemen, on Nov. 3, 2002. That strike killed Abu Ali al-Harithi, suspected of masterminding the October 2000 attack against the USS Cole warship in a Yemen port.

A member of the Naseeb family confirmed his death to The Associated Press, speaking on condition of anonymity fearing government reprisal.

The security officials also requested anonymity according to regulations.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-24-Yemen/id-7696e232d11540faae93d50015065279

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