Turning Vacation Dreams Into Reality

Most of us have that one holiday destination that we consider a dream! It is a nice sandy area that we would love to visit every month if possible!

GREECE

Greece is one of those countries that looking at its photos makes anyone want to visit! With so many islands, there is a lot one can do while on holiday there and have a great time. In the past, it was one of those holiday dream destinations that most people could not actualize. However, visiting Greece is a real possibility today. Depending on the activity you enjoy most, there is an island in Greece to meet your need. Lefkada is one of the most popular islands of the country that most new tourists love visiting. If you are after a nice family holiday, this is the island to visit! Also known as The Island of Blue Dreams, the island offers a relatively cheaper option for a holiday. There are many resorts that you can visit while at the island. Most of these offer impressive packages that are guaranteed to be appealing to anyone who wants to have a good time on a budget. One of the best resorts in this area is the Porto Ligia Hotel. This resort is located in a fishing village that is in close proximity with the city of Nidri. The Semiramis Hotel is great if you want a hotel that is near everything. This resort is located 3 kilo meters from the island and has a great view of the landscape.

SIGHTS

There are so many sights that you can choose from if you love looking at nature. These include; the lake of Marantohori, the drop of Volti, the castle of Agia Mavra, the Monasteries of Panagia, Myrtidiotissa Thapsanon, Panagia Sta Kelia, and Agio Ioannis Kaparos. All these are great and excellent attractions that you need to add to your visit list when you take your family to Greece. The area is also vast with ancient marble quarries that are worth looking at! If you are more after intriguing landscape, be sure to check out Dimossari. However, if you are into more activity filled holidays, then you should consider the many water sports available around the island. In addition to the beautiful beaches, you can engage in activities such as jet skiing, water skiing, sailing, yachting, wind surfing, Para surfing, swimming and any other available water based fun activity. If you have no idea how these games are played, be safe by ensuring that you have a local guide who will take you through the basics.

RELAX

A good number of us take holidays to relax! If this is you, then the beaches are the best place to be! You can relax as you read your favorite book or simply enjoying the sun on your back! The island is also a perfect shopping arena from which you can get good memoirs of your holiday. Therefore, no matter the activity you want to engage in during your holiday, spare some time for a little shopping. Before you set out on your holiday however, do a research of the best island that will meet your holiday needs and give you your moneys worth!

About the Author:
The author gives a travel guide to Greece such as the to the Greek island of Lefkada.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Turning-Vacation-Dreams-Into-Reality/4186923

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How I Create: Q&A With Career Coach Michelle Ward - Psych Central

What do you want to be when you grow up? That?s the question Michelle Ward, the When I Grow Up Coach, helps her clients answer. Ward is certified by the International Coach Federation. She?s spent over 750 hours coaching hundreds of creative people to devise the career they think they can?t have ? or discover it in the first place.

She?s also a musical theater actress with her BFA from NYU/Tisch. And she?s one of the most creative and passionate people I?ve had the pleasure of meeting online. Ward infuses everything she does with creativity and her enthusiastic one-of-a-kind approach.

Below, in our monthly series, Ward shares the behind-the-scenes of her creative process, how she overcomes the comparison trap, her powerful advice for readers and much more.

Ward also has served as an expert source and contributor for publications such as?Newsweek and Forbes and websites such as Yahoo!?and?AOL Jobs. She?s spoken at?SXSW, The World Domination Summit?and?Etsy Success Symposium.

She?can be found coachin?, bloggin? & givin? away free stuff at whenigrowupcoach.com.

1. ?Do you incorporate creativity-boosting activities into your daily routine? If so, what activities do you do?

You might wanna slap me for saying this, but I feel like everything I do centers around doing it creatively. I?ve built my business on writing and making videos and speaking and playing my pink ukulele?so every time I decide to work on something, I think about what I want to express and how. I wrote/filmed/edited a music video for?my communty site.

When I put my career change exercises into?workbook?form, I decided to make the whole freakin? thing (yes, all 50+ pages) rhyme.

When I offered?An Effective Escape: Leaving Your Day Job Without Living in Your Parents? Basement?for the first time, it was as a virtual workshop. I?m usually doing something around speaking, singing, or writing? but not in a do-a-creative-exercise-every-day way.

2. ?What are your inspirations for your work?

It depends on what I?m working on, but the things that are popping into my head? Dr. Seuss,?Cee Lo Green,?Garfunkel & Oates, Cee Lo Green, stuff from my childhood (I so wanna write a Choose Your Own Adventure Book!), Jessica Swift, Color Me Katie, Danielle LaPorte, Alexandra Franzen, my clients, Broadway?.oh, I?ll stop there now.

3.?There are many culprits that can crush creativity, such as distractions, self-doubt and fear of failure. What tends to stand in the way of your creativity?

The Comparison Vampire! Oh, I call the voices we have in our heads that suck the good stuff outta us Vampires, and The Comparison Vampire tends to be the worst of all.

Look at how professional?her?videos are. Look at how perfect?his copy is. Blech. It makes you wanna just throw in the towel and never write another word or speak another sentence or pluck another tune ever again.

4.?How do you overcome these obstacles?

I think a big part of it is being confident and authentic in what you?re doing. Sure, his copy might be ?perfect? and her videos might be ?professional,? but mine are 100 percent Michelle at all times, and I?m proud of what I produce.

I?m all there, singing or speaking or writing my heart out, and I?m confident that what I put out into the world represents my uniquity, my perspective, and my knowledge. Let?s face it: They?re not better than you, They?re?different. Two separate things.

5. ?What are some of your favorite resources on creativity?

Anything that Keri Smith puts out is worth picking up and working through. It looks easy on the surface to follow her exercises (i.e. smear food on this page of the book, tie a string around the book and take it for a walk, etc.), but actually confronts our Vampires and can be a great (yet scary!) learning experience.

I also recommend the Right Brain Business Plan?to any and all creative entrepreneurs (I have one!), aspiring or otherwise. The Artist in the Office is also a must for those of us barely surviving our day jobs, and nothing beats The Artist?s Way for tapping into your inner creative.

6. ?What is your favorite way to get your creative juices flowing?

For writing, I keep tons of images with inspiring sayings on a Pinterest board, and that?ll be my first stop if I need something to write about. For my songs, I tend to have an idea as to what I wanna sing about (it?s recently been about my?boob cancer, oddly enough), and then rhymes come to me on the subway, when I?m about to fall asleep, or in the shower. I always have my iPhone handy to take notes.

7. ?What?s your advice for readers on cultivating creativity?

Don?t wait for lightening to strike or the perfect moment where inspiration knocks you over ? because it often doesn?t happen that way. Instead, show up to do the work and start wherever feels easiest.

Sometimes I start a blog post in the middle because the beginning just won?t come to me. Sometimes I write a song with the chorus leading the way because the verses are elusive. Do something every day for a small bite of time (yes, you can?get a lot accomplished in 15 minutes a day, thankyouverymuch) and you?ll be able to have a tangible product in no time.

Also, don?t be married to the format. Sometimes I know I need to write a blog post, but writing feels hard in that moment?so I make a video instead. Pay attention to what feels fun and easy at the time, and know if you move forward with that it?s not cheating.

8. ?Anything else you?d like readers to know about creativity?

Wanna know a secret? You?re creative. You might not believe me, but it?s true! We all have it in us?just start believing that I?m talking to you when I mention ?creative people,? start exploring in a fun and easy way, and you?ll be able to own that title more than you think!

Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. is an Associate Editor at Psych Central and blogs regularly about eating and self-image issues on her own blog, Weightless.

Like this author?
Catch up on other posts by Margarita Tartakovsky, M.S. (or subscribe to their feed).

????Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 29 Sep 2012
????Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.

APA Reference
Tartakovsky, M. (2012). How I Create: Q&A With Career Coach Michelle Ward. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 30, 2012, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/29/how-i-create-qa-with-career-coach-michelle-ward/

?

Source: http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2012/09/29/how-i-create-qa-with-career-coach-michelle-ward/

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Anne Hathaway?s Wedding Photos Revealed (PHOTOS)

Anne Hathaway?and her groom Adam Shulman are the portrait of happiness ? locked in a kiss ? in photos from their sunset wedding on Saturday night in scenic Big Sur, Calif.

The pair welcomed 180 guests for a two-day extravaganza of fall fun surrounding the nuptials, at a private estate with sweeping views of the coastline.

As Celebuzz first reported, the?Dark Knight?star, 29, said ?I Do? to her actor-turned-jewelry designer husband just after 5 p.m. PT on Sept. 29.

Hathaway wore a custom-made?Valentino?gown with a headpiece and veil, while the groom looked dashing in a traditional black tuxedo and bow tie.

The pair exchanged vows just after 5 p.m. PT before posing for official photographs.

As we reported exclusively, the?ceremony?was a lavish affair with a white, pink and rustic theme. The couple spent?more than $100,000 on flowers.

?The floral arrangements and?wedding d?cor?were simple and rustic,? a source told?Celebuzz.

The flowers were arranged by The Velvet Garden, a floral design studio that specialized in high-end one of a kind designs. The florists previously created arrangements for the weddings of?Drew Barrymore,?Reese Witherspoon?and?Natalie Portman.

?The flowers took over a week to create,? added the source.

The wedding was designed by the same planner who handled?Portman?s Aug. 4 nuptials?to?Benjamin Millepied,?Yifat Oren.

Source: Insight News and Features

Source: http://www.celebuzz.com/2012-09-30/anne-hathaways-wedding-photos-revealed-photos/

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Why Do Oil Companies Favor the GOP, When They Fare Better Under Dems?

The fossil-fuel industry has long given more money to Republicans than Democrats, but in this presidential campaign it has skewed far further: from 2-to-1 or 4-to-1 in the past, the ratio of campaign donations is now at 8-to-1?in the Republicans? favor (see chart above). Yet the industry has in fact fared better under recent Democratic than Republican presidents, according to a new investment bank report.

In a Sept. 27 note to clients, Oppenheimer?s Fadel Gheit writes that each party has held the White House for half of the last 24 years. Under Democrats, the exchange-traded index of leading oil and gas companies, called XOI, rose an average of 9 percent a year. Under Republicans, the XOI rose 7 percent annually.

ExxonMobil specifically (the industry?s second-largest contributor to Republican causes, with $1.8 million poured into the campaign) has had a 10 percent average annual rise in its share price under Democrats, and 7 percent under Republicans, Gheit writes. (Consumers have fared better under Democrats as well: crude oil prices rose 10 percent a year under Republicans over the last quarter century, compared with 7 percent under Democrats. Natural gas prices rose 6 percent a year under Republicans, compared with just 2 percent under Democrats.)

More From Quartz

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Yet the industry and its supporters have spent $31.6 million to support Republicans and unseat Democrats in this election cycle, or 89 percent of the $42.6 million spent on all candidates, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a Washington-based watchdog group. And that is only direct spending on candidates. In addition, the industry and its supporters have poured?$153 million into television ads defending oil, gas and coal, compared with $41 million by clean energy advocates, according a study by The New York Times.

The industry is not only picking on Obama?since 1990, oil and gas companies and their employees have focused some 78 percent of their political contributions on Republican candidates, or $239 million of the $319 million that they spent.

So what explains the industry?s election contribution decisions? In the current election cycle, Republican candidates generally support opening up closed federal land and coastal areas to wide-scale oil and gas drilling; they also by and large support coal mining. Obama and Democrats generally have been big backers of federal support for renewable fuels such as solar and wind, in order to scale back U.S. consumption of fossil fuels.

But that is not everything. There is also ?visceral disdain, beyond dislike? for Obama, John Hofmeister, the former president of Shell USA, told me. ?He?s basically viewed as a know-nothing, empty suit by the industry, using whatever language he needs to so that people think he?s engaged and doing something,? Hofmeister said in an email exchange. ?In meetings with energy executives that I have all the time, it doesn?t take much to get people to a level of angst about Obama that some spit and some just curse.?

With polls showing Obama holding a consistent and growing lead over Republican Mitt Romney, industry leaders are preparing for what comes next, which, if the president does win re-election, apparently will be continued staunch opposition to his energy policies. ?[Oil and gas industry] people will grind their teeth, curse in private and public, say to one another that they?ll have to open their wallets to work against Obama?s efforts, and basically wait him out,? Hofmeister said. ?No one expects him to reach out in victory and offer to work together on the nation?s future energy.?

The industry will take the long view. ?The industry will concentrate on what it does [best]?fight the good fight to resist Obama and his directions,? said Hofmeister, ?and come out the other end in reasonably good shape with momentum on their side because the public will be so upset at the lack of energy leadership that gets us to where we?ll be.?

Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal?s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don?t miss a thing.

Source: http://www.nationaljournal.com/energy/why-do-oil-companies-favor-the-gop-when-they-fare-better-under-dems--20120929

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Add Sriracha to Your Favorite Brining Recipe for an Instant Flavor Boost [Food Hacks]

Brining is one of the best things you can do to cook juicier, more flavorful meats. For extra punch, consider adding a spoonful of Sriracha to that salt solution.

There are several ways you can create a brine for poultry, fish, meats, and and even beans, from the simple salt-and-water solution to more advanced brine recipes. If you like your food spicy or tangy, Bon Appetit suggests mixing in a bit of Sriracha hot sauce. It shouldn't add too much of a kick but would impart some of that unmistakable Sriracha flavor to your dishes.

If you just can't get enough of this chili sauce, Bon Appetit has 24 other ways to use Sriracha as a secret ingredient in your food.

25 Ways to Use Sriracha | Bon Appetit

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/XXo13FcjXwA/add-sriracha-to-your-favorite-brining-recipe-for-an-instant-flavor-boost

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Proposition E Puts Health Care Back on Missouri Ballots ? CBS St ...

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (MDN) ? Although the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the constitutionality of the new federal health care law, Missouri voters will get to cast ballots in November on another of the law?s key components ? insurance exchanges.

Proposition E on the November ballot would prohibit Gov. Jay Nixon or any state agency from setting up a health insurance exchange without the approval of the legislature or the state?s voters.

A health insurance exchange is a Web-based marketplace for consumers to compare insurance plans. The exchanges are a central part of the federal law because they are intended to help individuals and small businesses purchase insurance at an affordable rate to comply with another part of the federal law that mandates most people own health insurance.

Nixon has said in the past that his administration would not move to set up an insurance exchange by decree. But some Republican legislators say they want to make sure the Democratic governor is barred from doing so if he wins a second term, especially after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in a 5-4 decision on June 28.

And tea party groups, which have strongly opposed the federal law, have signaled their support for Proposition E as a way to stave off its implementation.

But Ron Staggs, who heads the group ?9-12 We The People of Monroe County? with his wife, said he expects many of his members to turn out against a law they consider anathema.

?By blocking the governor and the Insurance commission without a vote from the legislature, ObamaCare can be effectively blocked in the state of Missouri,? Staggs said in a phone interview.

That block would only be temporary. The federal law requires there to be an exchange in every state by 2014?even if it means that federal authorities have to set up an exchange without a state?s permission.

That requirement is one of the reasons Proposition E has not gotten as much attention as Proposition C, a measure on the August 2010 ballot that would bar the government from mandating that people purchase insurance, another central tenet of the federal law.

Missouri voters backed Proposition C by a more than 2-to-1 margin in 2010. But at the time, the constitutionality of the federal law was still being weighed by courts around the country.

The U.S. Supreme Court?s ruling, however, makes it nearly certain that the requirement for health care exchanges will take effect unless congressional Republicans manage to repeal the law.

That has groups who supported the law, such as Missouri Health Care for All, saying that Missouri should simply prepare its own exchange.

?Prop E is really just an attempt to continue to use health care reform for political gain because there?s really going to be no practical effect because health reform, the Affordable Care Act, is the law of the land,? said MHCA President Susan Talve, a St. Louis rabbi, in a telephone interview.

This year?s ballot measure did garner attention throughout the summer as conservative politicians challenged ballot summary language crafted by outgoing Democratic Secretary of State Robin Carnahan, who is not running for re-election.

Carnahan?s original summary asked whether state law should be amended to ?deny individuals, families, and small businesses the ability to access affordable health care plans? through an insurance exchange, phrasing that Republican lawmakers and Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder immediately decried as partisan.

Late last month, a Cole County circuit court judge revised the summary language to say that the governor would be blocked from creating the exchange by executive order.

Not all Republicans are opposed to the creation of a state health insurance exchange. In 2011, state Rep. Chris Molendorp sponsored legislation to set up such a marketplace. The measure passed with no opposition in the state House, but hit a wall in the Senate.

In pushing his measure last year, Molendorp said that setting up an insurance exchange could take a year or more, so Missouri needs to start the process soon if it wants to have its own exchange in time to meet the federal deadline.

Molendorp, R-Belton, handled in the House the legislation that created Proposition E.

In an interview on the sidelines of the legislative veto session earlier this month, he said that if voters approve the measure, the legislature should craft the state?s exchange themselves rather than waiting for federal action.

He said Missouri?s insurance market has many factors that make it too unique for federal rules, including the disparities between the state?s two large metropolises and its many rural areas.

?We have, I think, a very legitimate reason to set up our own unique exchange tailored to the complexities of the Missouri health care and the Missouri insurance market,? he said.

(TM and ? Copyright 2012 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2012 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Missouri Digitial News contributed to this report.)

Source: http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/09/28/proposition-e-puts-health-care-back-on-missouri-ballots/

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A Ray of Hope

Every day until the election, Slate will offer up one reason to be optimistic for your candidate.

Today?s Good News for Obama: This week has given Obama supporters a lot of reasons to smile. On Wednesday, the Quinnipiac University/New York Times/CBS Poll showed Obama leading in Florida, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. He?s also pulled ahead in Colorado, Iowa, and Wisconsin. As a result, FiveThirtyEight now puts Obama?s chances of winning the Electoral College in November at 81.9 percent. And if the election were held now, Obama would have a 97.8 percent chance of winning. Democrats have more than a ray of hope today.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=0382e7c061a730ce592c0ab6b602e6e4

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Presidential contest shifts to money _to campaign

PHILADELPHIA (AP) ? For a day, the presidential contest was almost all about money ? money to wage the presidential contest, that is. Mitt Romney promised to help Americans earn more, but he and President Barack Obama focused mostly on private fundraisers and big checks to fuel their 40-day sprint to Election Day.

Obama courted donors in Washington on Friday, while his Republican challenger did the same in Philadelphia and Boston, both men trading swing-state rallies for fundraising in places unlikely to play a significant role in the election of the next president on Nov. 6.

Romney admitted as much during a fundraiser at Philadelphia's exclusive Union League Club. The former Massachusetts governor said it would surprise everyone if he carried Pennsylvania, a state that hasn't supported a Republican presidential candidate in nearly a quarter century.

"We really would shock people if early in the evening of Nov. 6 it looked like Pennsylvania was going to come our way and actually did come our way. That can happen," Romney told about 200 donors who paid between $2,500 and $50,000 to hear his remarks.

"My priority is job creation and growing incomes," Romney continued. "My priority is not trying to punish people who have been successful."

The former businessman's remarks came at the first of three private fundraisers sandwiched around a midday rally. Obama kept close to Washington with a schedule of three fundraisers of his own.

As the candidates asked for cash, their campaigns prepared for next week's high-stakes meeting on the debate stage ? the first of three presidential debates and perhaps Romney's best chance to reverse the recent Obama gains suggested by opinion polls.

Both men worked international affairs into their politicking Friday with separate telephone calls to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Romney criticized Obama for not meeting with Netanyahu this week during his visit to the United Nations, where the prime minister declared the world has only until next summer to stop Iran from building a nuclear bomb. Aides to both candidates did not mention that dire declaration in their reports of the calls.

But money was largely the focus of the day.

In an election where the two sides already have collected more than $1 billion, each campaign has committed millions more they haven't yet raised to help blanket key states with television ads, drive national voter turnout operations and support massive teams of paid staff and consultants. Private events at places like the Union League Club, where dress codes prohibit wrinkled clothes and huge crystal chandeliers hang from ceilings, are regular occurrences for campaigns seeking the modern-day lifeblood of presidential politics.

Romney and the Republican Party had raised about $536 million through the end of August, the most recent reporting data available. Obama and the Democratic Party had collected about $655 million through the same period.

Both camps have been spending furiously, mostly on expensive television advertising in battleground states. That doesn't count the hundreds of millions of dollars likely to be spent by "super" political committees, which can raise and spend unlimited sums. Republican-leaning super PACs and Romney's campaign have outspent efforts for Obama's re-election since mid-July, ad data show.

Fundraising can present image risks for both sides.

During the 2008 campaign, Republican John McCain's campaign aired advertising calling Obama the "biggest celebrity in the world," showing his image along with Britney Spears and Paris Hilton. Obama's brushes with fame and fortune have only grown in the years since.

The president's fundraising trips often combine big money with the mansions and chic brownstones of the nation's elite. Red-carpet stars like George Clooney, Spike Lee, Sarah Jessica Parker and Tyler Perry have all had Obama over for big-dollar dinners. At one fundraiser in Seattle's suburbs last spring, Microsoft founder Bill Gates stood beside a grand piano as Obama spoke at the home of Jeff Brotman, the co-founder of Costco.

And Obama's campaign could have easily staged its own version of the music world's Lollapalooza during his re-election bid: Fundraisers have been headlined by such acts as the Foo Fighters, Chris Cornell of Soundgarden and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam. The campaign is planning a "30 Days to Victory" concert on Oct. 7 in Los Angeles featuring Jon Bon Jovi, Earth Wind & Fire, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry and Stevie Wonder.

The event will try to eclipse a recent fundraiser with Jay-Z and Beyonce that raised about $4 million in New York.

On Friday, the president was to deliver remarks at a finance event at the Capital Hilton in Washington, with tickets starting at $250 and going as high as $10,000 per couple. He then was attending a smaller fundraiser at a private residence before returning to the hotel for a third event.

Obama also met with advisers Friday at Democratic National Committee headquarters in Washington to prepare for the debates before heading Sunday to Nevada to hold practice sessions. His campaign released a political memo on Friday saying it expects Romney "to be a prepared, disciplined and aggressive debater."

Romney, too, planned to spend much of his weekend in debate preparation, a task he began three months ago.

But he spent more time fundraising on Friday than anything else. And like Obama, Romney faces fundraising-related risks.

As polls suggest his campaign is moving in the wrong direction, Romney is facing calls from within his party to spend less time with donors and more time with voters. Less than a week ago, he promised to do just that and spent three days this week campaigning across Ohio and Virginia. But he was back to fundraising Thursday night at a single Washington event that generated $5 million.

There, Romney was introduced by Bill Marriott, the chairman of Marriott International.

"He rescued me just as he's going to rescue this great country," Marriott proclaimed after sharing a story about boating on the same New Hampshire lake where both men own vacation homes.

The campaign would not say how much Romney raised at the Philadelphia event, but he was expected to generate at least $7 million at two Boston fundraisers Friday evening. The two-day total was expected to exceed $13 million.

___

Ken Thomas reported from Washington. AP writer Jack Gillum contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/presidential-contest-shifts-money-campaign-215830619--election.html

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Microsoft details its own Windows 8 rollout, lessons learned from 'dogfooding'

If a company won't use its own products, how can it expect others to? Many customers, especially on the enterprise side of the equation, are understandably a little wary of the drastic change that awaits them when upgrading from Windows 7 to Windows 8. So, Microsoft decided to share what it has learned from its own experience dogfooding the new OS around the Redmond campus (and likely beyond). While the company is a little light on specifics of the low-volume rollout, it does highlight some of the features available to IT departments that should make transitioning easier. It even offers a few pointers along the way. Sure, there's plenty of back-patting involved, but tips like using IT Easy Installer to automate deployments and trim install times by half shouldn't be dismissed. There's also some information about its support system for early adopters which included a knowledge base called Pointers that helped highlight the most important issues needing to be addressed. For more details hit up the source link and get ready to embrace your inner IT nerd.

Filed under: Software, Microsoft

Microsoft details its own Windows 8 rollout, lessons learned from 'dogfooding' originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 28 Sep 2012 17:11:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/hdfo4JazXU0/

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Stivarga Approved for Advanced Colorectal Cancer - Drugs.com ...

THURSDAY Sept. 27, 2012 -- Stivarga (regorafenib) has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat colorectal cancer that has spread despite prior treatment.

The drug belongs to a class called multi-kinase inhibitors, which are designed to block enzymes that promote cancer growth, the FDA said in a news release.

Stivarga's safety and effectiveness were evaluated in a clinical study of 760 people who had been treated previously for advanced colon cancer. People who took Stivarga lived an average of 6.4 months, compared with people given a placebo who lived an average of five months, the FDA said.

The most common side effects of the new drug included: weakness, fatigue, loss of appetite, diarrhea, mouth sores, weight loss, infection, high blood pressure and changes to the voice.

Stivarga was approved with a boxed label warning of the possibility of severe and fatal liver problems, the FDA said.

The drug is marketed by Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals, based in Wayne, N.J.

More information

The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about colon and rectal cancer.

Posted: September 2012

Source: http://www.drugs.com/news/stivarga-approved-advanced-colorectal-cancer-40610.html

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Zidane head-butt now a statue

Associated Press Sports

updated 5:15 p.m. ET Sept. 26, 2012

PARIS (AP) -The historic head-butt that marked the end of France great Zinedine Zidane's international football career is now more than just a memory.

A 5-meter-high bronze statue portraying Zidane aiming his shaven head at Italian opponent Marco Materazzi's torso has been erected in front of Paris' Centre Pompidou modern art museum.

Zidane lit up the field playing for Real Madrid and other professional teams and helped France to victory at the 1998 World Cup. But in the 110th minute of a riveting World Cup final in 2006 against Italy, Zidane lowered his head and rammed Materazzi's chest, knocking him to the ground.

Zidane, who had been planning to retire after the World Cup, later apologized to viewers and said he was responding to repeated insults.

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

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More newsChristian Hartmann / Reuters

Zidane head-butt now a statue

??The historic head-butt that marked the end of France great Zinedine Zidane's international football career is now more than just a memory.

Rooney returns from injury as United wins in cup

LONDON (AP) - Wayne Rooney returned from a monthlong injury absence, helping Manchester United to a 2-1 victory Wednesday that eliminated Newcastle from the League Cup. Arsenal and Tottenham advanced with ease on Wednesday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/49178435/ns/sports-soccer/

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RU12? Community Center for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender ...

In honor of October LGBT History Month the RU12? Community Center will present a series of films that highlight the relationships that foster growth, compassion, understanding, and affirm individuality through community.?

Join us at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington every Sunday afternoon in October as we celebrate the history of the LGBT community.

?

We Were Here

Sunday Oct. 7^th 2:00 pm - Community Room

This honest and engaging documentary chronicles the lives of five very different people as they experience the AIDS crisis at its terrifying beginning.? Focusing not only on the way in which the gay male community was devastated by the disease, but the way in which the disease bridged the gap between lesbians as gays, as well as the larger queer community.?

?

Passionate Politics: The Life and Work of Charlotte Bunch

Sunday Oct. 14^th 2:00 pm - Community Room?

The story of how Charlotte Bunch rose through the ranks of activism for women?s rights and lesbian rights to become one of the leading figures in human rights in the world.? This intimate documentary showcases one woman?s path to community greatness.?

?

Prodigal Sons

Sunday Oct. 21st 2:00 pm - Community Room

Kimberly Reed documents her return to her hometown for a High School reunion, and to reunite with her adopted brother, Marc.? This documentary bravely charts the journey one transsexual woman undergoes in order to combine her past and present, as well as navigating family strife by reuniting it.?

?

Chris and Don: A Love Story

Sunday Oct. 28th 2:00 pm ? Pickering Room?

Their love was condemned by some, laughed at by others, embraced by still more, but it was the single greatest adventure in both of their lives.? We conclude the LGBT Film Series with this touching documentary about the romance between Christopher Isherwood and Don Bachardy, who showed the world that love is really all you need.

?

Source: http://www.ru12.org/2012/09/2nd-annual-lgbt-history-month-october-filmdiscussion-series-.html

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Virginia Medicaid rules confuse cancer patient | WTVR.com ...

by Laurie Simmons

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (WTKR) ? Imagine being told, ?We help cancer patients, but just not you.? One Virginia Beach woman came to NewsChannel 3 for help after she said she was told her cancer wasn?t good enough.

?I know if I don?t get treatment, I?m not going to live, I?m not going to have a chance,? said cancer patient Vicki Andrus.

Living through cancer once is tough enough, but after seven years in remission, Vicki Andrus found out she would have to fight lung cancer for a second time.

?Came back, there was a tumor in the exact same location as other tumor, with the exact same cancer.?

So the merry go-round started again including visits to her oncologist, her radiologist, and her surgeon ordering CAT-scans, PET-scans and lung scans. That ended in the decision by doctors to remove her entire right lung.

?I left and my head was totally spinning thinking about all the if?s and buts.?

Including how she was going to pay for it all, because in her job as a teaching assistant, Vicki doesn?t get the benefit of health insurance.

?All my time and energy is not able to be spent on what?s happening to me,? she says. Right now my energy is only spent on all these overwhelming medical bills.?

With $30,000 already racked up before a single round of chemotherapy or surgery, Vicki decided to go to the State of Virginia for help, hoping she would be eligible for Medicaid.

A family member first contacted the city of Suffolk?s social services office. In an online response, an employee said she could apply but that ?the only medical category for cancer is breast and cervical cancer.?

?Breast cancer and cervical cancer would be a qualifier for Medicaid. How dare they discriminate against all the other cancers there are.?

?Cancer is cancer. I don?t care what kind you have, I don?t care what stage it?s in, and it doesn?t matter.?

Just to make sure, Vicki called her local Medicaid office in Virginia Beach and got the same answer.

Again, they told her to apply anyway, but Vicki felt discouraged that her cancer wasn?t good enough for coverage.

?You can?t just pick and choose, this one has breast cancer, we?ll take her, this one has ovarian cancer, no, she?s not going to qualify.?

?I really want to know why, get an answer from the State of Virginia about why they can pick and choose?

So Vicki asked NewsChannel 3 to take action.

And the first place we went was the state?s department of social services, which administers Medicaid.

They do admit that ?breast cancer or cervical cancer is specifically designated as a qualifying medical condition for Medicaid under the breast and cervical cancer treatment act.?

But even in that special program, women still have to be considered low-income to get help.

According to the state, if you qualify for full Medicaid coverage, cancer treatments are always paid for, no matter what type of cancer you have.

So why wasn?t this explained to Vicki by her local office?

According to the city of Virginia Beach, ?state Medicaid policy allows local social service agencies to provide general information only.?

They showed NewsChannel 3 a directive which says local offices should ?limit verbal and written information?? because ?an attempt to be helpful could be futile or lead to incorrect advice.?

It seems the local offices went against that very rule in their conversations with Vicki, giving her more information than she needed about breast and cervical cancer, and confusing her in the process.

But the state wouldn?t say if Virginia Beach or Suffolk violated social services policy.

In the end, NewsChannel 3 found out that the state was not discriminating against Vicki?s lung cancer, but their answers haven?t helped her get any closer to possible coverage.

Vicki applied for Medicaid three weeks ago, and has yet to hear back on whether she qualifies under their disabled category.

?Whatever it takes, I will fight for whatever treatment I can have, because I?m not going to give up.?

?I plan on being around for a long time. I have a lot of grandchildren that I want to see grow up, be a part of their lives.?

Vicki just underwent that surgery to remove the remaining lobes of her right lung.

She is doing well, still recovering at Sentara Norfolk Heart Hospital.

And while she is waiting on an answer for Medicaid eligibility, Sentara has told us that Vicki will receive assistance with her medical bills through their uninsured patient discount program.

It?s available to anyone without insurance, all you need to do is ask.

Source: http://wtvr.com/2012/09/27/virginia-woman-cancer-fight/

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Irony & Karma Want To Kick Mitt's Ass (talking-points-memo)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/251307193?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Vale to prioritize Brazil iron-ore mine over Guinea project: source

RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - Vale , the world's second-largest mining company, is likely to make its $19.5 billion Serra Sul iron ore mine project in Brazil a priority over a similar development in the West African nation of Guinea, a source with knowledge of the firm's strategy said.

The emphasis on the project in the Amazon comes as Guinea, which holds rich deposits of iron ore and is the world's top supplier of the aluminum ore bauxite, struggles to maintain foreign investment amid deepening political turmoil, labor unrest and a government review of mining contracts.

The granting in June of a so-called preliminary environmental license for the Sierra Sul project, which includes railway and port investments, means the development of the Simandou site in Guinea is less urgent, the source said on Tuesday.

"All things considered, projects need to be prioritized," said the source, who asked not be named as his employer does not allow him to speak to the press. "The priority has become Serra Sul."

MAJOR HURDLES

Serra Sul is an extension of Vale's giant Carajas iron, copper and nickel mining complex in Brazil's Para state. It is expected to have a capacity of 90 million metric tons a year, about 9 percent of current world iron-ore exports, helping maintain Vale's position as the No. 1 producer.

Simandou, while holding enormous high-quality reserves, faces major political, commercial and transportation hurdles before it can be developed.

Guinea recently revised its mining code, raising the state's mandatory stake in mining projects to 35 percent from 15 percent and plans to change other clauses in the code after consultation with mining companies.

"I believe it will be difficult for Vale to invest in both projects at the same time because it would require very high capital spending for the company," said Marcelo Aguiar, metals and mining company analyst with Goldman Sachs in Sao Paulo.

"Vale investment in Simandou appears to have lost a bit of its urgency after getting the license for Serra Sul."

Vale gained the rights to develop iron ore in Simandou in 2010 when it agreed to pay $2.5 billion for a 51 percent stake in the Guinea iron-ore mining operation of BSG Resources Ltd, the London-based mining group controlled by Israeli businessman Beny Stenmetz.

A newspaper in Brazil reported on Sunday that BSG was preparing to sue investment bank BTG Pactual , which it accuses of misusing its role as an adviser to Guinea's government to win licenses for a holding company at BSG's expense.

Guinea's mines minister Mohamed Lamine Fofana called BSG Resources threat to sue BTG "insulting" in an e-mailed response to questions from Reuters.

AT THE CENTER

The Serra Sul mine is at the center of plans to boost Vale iron ore output by 40 percent to 460 million metric tons a year in 2017.

Serra Sul and Carajas are two of the largest high-grade iron ore projects under development to meet soaring demand for iron ore from China.

Vale produces more than a quarter of the world's sea borne iron ore exports of more than 1 billion metric tons a year. Work to gain the preliminary Serra Sul license took nearly a decade.

Vale, though, has been re-evaluating its investment plans in the wake of a slowdown in China and sluggish growth in the United States, Europe and Japan. In late 2011, it cut planned 2012 spending 11 percent to $21.4 billion.

As iron-ore prices <.io62-cni> fell to three year lows earlier this month, slashing billions from revenue, further cuts came under consideration.

(Additional reporting by Saliou Samb; Writing by Jeb Blount; Editing by Joseph Radford)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/vale-prioritize-brazil-iron-ore-mine-over-guinea-041354545--finance.html

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Republicans: DHS ?attempting to conceal information from the American people? about immigrant welfare policies

Four powerful Republican senators are demanding answers to questions they posited to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in early August regarding the apparent watering down of immigration regulations which prohibit those seeking residency or citizenship from being primarily reliant on welfare, or a public charge.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) missed the Aug. 20 deadline and has yet to respond. Also addressed in the initial letter was Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The State Department did respond, claiming that the majority of the inquiry fell under the purview of DHS.

In a letter?sent to Napolitano Tuesday, and obtained by The Daily Caller, the ranking members of the Senate Finance, Agriculture, Budget, and Judiciary Committees ?- Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, Kansas Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, Alabama Republican Sen. Jeff Sessions and Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley respectively ? requested answers to their initial questions, specifically pertaining to why participation in a majority of welfare programs fails to disqualify immigrants who apply for admission or status adjustments.

?Your failure to respond to our oversight request is deeply troubling, and suggests that your Department is attempting to conceal information from the American people,? the senators wrote.

The four demanded that the Department offer all the data they requested back on Aug. 6 ? an explanation about how the watered down approach fits congressional intent, the number of aliens denied admittance due to being a dependency risk, the number that became a public charge once admitted, the number admitted even though they were a dependency risk because the applicant offered an affidavit of support, and if the answers are unavailable, why the agencies do not track the data.

In their most recent letter, the senators also ask for the number of applications received each year.

A GOP senate staffer noted to TheDC that the information should be readily available and easy to provide.

?It has long been a sound principle of immigration law that those who seek citizenship in this country ought to be financially self-sufficient,? the senators wrote in their initial Aug. 6 request. ?We were thus shocked to discover that both the State Department and DHS exclude reliance on almost all governmental welfare programs when evaluating whether an alien is likely to become a public charge. Your agencies apply a cramped interpretation of the law in this regard, considering reliance on only two of nearly 80 federal welfare programs as evidence of likelihood of becoming a public charge: Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).?

They further noted that agency guidelines prohibit consideration of food stamp benefits, Medicaid, child-care benefits, energy assistance, WIC payments, educational assistance and more when analyzing applications for citizenship and status changes.

?Indeed, under your interpretation, an able-bodied immigrant of working age could receive the bulk of his or her income in the form of federal welfare and still not be deemed a ?public charge,?? they wrote on Aug. 6.

The State Department did not offer an explanation of the approach but did offer a response to two of the data requests, in a response to the senators Sept. 17.

According to the letter from the State Department ? obtained by TheDC ? from 2001 to 2011 118,004 immigrants and 11,233 nonimmigrants, or those seeking temporary admission, were denied visas based on INA 212 (a)(4), the regulation which prohibits admission of aliens likely to ?at any time become a public charge.?

Of the 118,004 immigrant visa applications denied under the regulation, 113,087 were able to overcome the ineligibility finding and obtain visas based on an affidavit of support by a sponsor. Of the 11,233 nonimmigrants denied based on the public charge risk, 1,974 were granted a visa based on an affidavit of support.

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-dhs-attempting-conceal-information-american-people-immigrant-154808329.html

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Tait Selected To Improve Coverage In Jackson County, WI | Public ...

26 September, 2012, Houston, Texas - Improving the radio coverage for first responders and law enforcement officers is a priority in the selection of a Tait radio system for Jackson County, Wisconsin.

Tait Communications, a leading provider of communications solutions, has been selected for the $1.5 million network which will be used by up to 43 public safety agencies in addition to the Highway Department.

The 10-site VHF simulcast solution provides the county with a network that will meet the 2013 narrowbanding mandates and offer a migration path to future technology.

John Ross, Jackson County Emergency Management Coordinator, says the narrowbanding deadline provides an opportunity to improve the existing network including coverage issues that can compromise the safety of responders.

?It is my thought that as long as we are going to have to upgrade we should do what we could to address these concerns and make the system more effective. At the same time, having the ability to upgrade the system to the latest standards in the future was also a part of the decision to go with this solution.?

The Tait solution chosen by Jackson County means responders can use their current dispatch equipment and radios to reduce costs.

This system will be used by Law Enforcement (6 agencies) Fire (8 departments) EMS (8 groups) as well as County Hwy Department. Also, the system will be available for use by an addition 21 mutual aid partners.

Vice President of Engineering, Scott Quintavalle, says Tait simulcast technology is a popular choice for public safety agencies as it can provide a safer working environment for users by reducing the coverage dead spots. ?Tait simulcast solutions also enable users to move seamlessly from analog to digital or expand the network as needed,? Mr. Quintavalle concludes.

About Tait Communications
Tait Communications is a global leader in designing, delivering and managing innovative communications solutions that help utilities and public safety organizations to keep the lights on and communities safe.

Radio communications is at the heart of our business. We provide world-class turnkey solutions for challenging environments from the Gobi Desert to South American jungles, from highly populated cities to vast rural communities.

Every day, in over 150 countries and supported by an extensive network of global facilities, thousands of customers benefit from the Tait way of working: commitment to listen, courage to act and integrity to deliver what?s promised.

Source: http://psc.apcointl.org/2012/09/26/tait-selected-to-improve-coverage-in-jackson-county-wi/

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More New Homes Being Built, Indicates Real Estate Market Improving

New home construction is one of the main indicators real estate experts analyze to help determine the health of the overall market. It also adds to the stability of the national economy as economists predict that each new house built adds three jobs. The St. Louis real estate market is experiencing a similar increase in new home construction as we are seeing nationally, adding validity to the theory the housing crisis is over.

2012 is the first year in over seven years that new home construction will add to the gross domestic product. August 2012 has seen a surge of 29.1% in new home starts from the same month a year ago. This is encouraging but is still just a a third of the 2.27 million high of January 2006. Experts predict the trend of increased new home construction to continue but not as rapidly as it did in the last decade.

Are you considering buying a new home or building your dream home? The real estate professionals with the Linda Frierdich Real Estate Group are encouraged by the positive market trends. Contact us today to learn how we can help you find your next home.?

Image via: Freedigitalphotos

Source: http://blog.lindacansell.com/for-buyers/more-new-homes-being-built-indicates-real-estate-market-improving/

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Alternative And Wind Power Reviews: Energy Auditor: The Best ...

Advanced technology and development of machinery supports us with improved methods to help us with our daily activities. As a consequence, the trend of energy and electricity consumption is rising, whether in industrial, office or home applications. The fact that electricity becomes one of the significant components in today's industry opens a rather new perspective. To make sure the electricity and equipment is optimally used, homes and institutions need the help from an energy audit.

Energy Auditor Job Description

An energy auditor is responsible for conducting investigation to measure the degree of cost-effective uses of energy. The auditor's job description includes among other things analyzing energy bills to collect the usage data, calculating potential for electricity saving, performing tests such as blower door tests to detect air leaks, educating and recommending to customers more energy-efficient appliances or alternatives to the currently used source of electricity, and checking the installations of pipe insulation, water heater wraps, door sweeps, low flow showerheads, and weather-stripping for enhancing energy efficiency.

Types of Energy Audits

Generally, energy audits can be divided into two groups, home and commercial energy audits. Home audits are focused on the inspection of a home's electricity efficiency by using professional equipment such as infrared cameras and blower doors. The evaluation prioritizes the improvement of energy efficiency in heating and cooling the house. This method may include the recording of certain energy transmission characteristics in a home including the walls, floors, ceilings, doors, skylights and windows. Additionally, it may also evaluate the mechanical system in the house including the ventilation, air conditioning equipment, thermostat and heater. In the United States, such service can be conducted by the US state energy office, private-independent energy auditors or companies, or public utility companies.

Although commercial energy audits more or less provide similar services to the home type, the skill set used is more advanced. While home audits are concerned more with weatherproofing and home insulation, the industrial one focuses on facilities that contribute to the largest energy consumption such as lighting, production equipment and HVAC.

Education and Skills Required

At present, there are no specific majors in colleges that provide the education required to become an energy auditor. However, one who seriously considers pursuing the job as a career choice can take energy audit training and certification programs. During the training you will be taught some skills and knowledge about science, buildings, diagnosing air leakage, building assessment skills, durable healthy homes, heating and cooling systems, building envelopes, water heating and base load, thermal imaging, and energy audit software.

To gain a good grasp on the training materials, it is better if you equip yourself with basic skills such as reading comprehension, active listening, speaking, writing, critical thinking, time management, operation analysis, service orientation, and quality control analysis. On the other hand, you will also need to master the knowledge of building construction, mathematics, mechanics, physics, engineering and technology, sales and marketing, administration and management, computers and electronics, and design.

Energy Audit Oversight

Based on data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the 2010 wage data and 2008-2018 employment projections, until currently there are about 994,000 energy auditors employed in the United States alone. The salary for the job averages $67,710 per year or about $32.55 per hour.

Energy audit is necessary for helping you save energy consumption. Learn more about this job or find energy auditors by visiting our site. Providing articles, reviews and writings on energy, alternative energy and other environmental issues online.

Source: http://windpowergen.blogspot.com/2012/09/energy-auditor-best-career-choice.html

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Mortgage Fraud Blog - SEC Shuts Down Real Estate Investment Fraud

Western Financial Planning Corporation and Louis V. Schooler, San Diego, California, have been accused of running a real estate investment fraud that raised approximately $50 million from hundreds of investors nationwide.

The SEC alleges that Western Financial Planning Corporation and Louis V. Schooler sold units in partnerships that Western had organized to buy vacant land in Nevada and hold for sale at a profit at a later date. Schooler and Western failed to tell investors that they were paying an exorbitant mark-up on the land, in some cases more than five times its fair market value. Schooler and Western also failed to tell investors that the land held by the partnerships was often encumbered by mortgages that Western used to help finance the initial purchase of the land.

The SEC?s complaint alleges that Western and Schooler misled investors since 2007 by providing them with comparative prices or ?comps? of supposedly similar plots of land that had sold for prices higher than those offered by Western. In reality, the real estate comps that Schooler and Western provided were in no way comparable to the land sold by Western. The SEC also alleges that since the spring of 2011, Schooler paid ?hush money? to silence investors who discovered they had been defrauded, allowing the scheme to continue.

?Schooler conned hundreds of people into investing with Western by leading them to believe that they were getting a good value for plots of vacant land,? said Michele Wein Layne, Director of the SEC?s Los Angeles Regional Office. ?What he didn?t tell them was that the land was worth only a small fraction of their investment and that he was profiting at their expense.?

The Honorable Larry A. Burns for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California yesterday granted the SEC?s request for a temporary restraining order and asset freeze against Schooler, Western, and all entities under Western?s control, and appointed Thomas C. Hebrank as a temporary receiver over Western and the entities. Judge Burns has scheduled a court hearing for September. 17, 2012, on the SEC?s motion for a preliminary injunction.

The SEC?s investigation was conducted by Sara Kalin and Carol Shau of the Los Angeles, California?Regional Office. Molly White will lead the SEC?s litigation. Ron Warton, Andy Ganguly, Michelle Royston, and Karol Pollack conducted the SEC examination that prompted the investigation.

Source: http://mortgagefraudblog.com/perp-walk/item/19812-sec-shuts-down-real-estate-investment-fraud

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Is Windows 8 a horror show? [Discussions Of The Day]

Great discussions are nothing new here on Lifehacker. Each day, we highlight a discussion that is particularly helpful or insightful, along with other great discussions and reader questions you may have missed. Check out these discussions and add your own thoughts to make them even more wonderful!

Discussion of the Day

Other Great Discussions

Great Discussions Any Time

To join or start great discussions on any topic, be sure to visit the Openthread forum.

And if you've got a cool project, inspiration, or just something fun to share, be sure to let us know in our Tips forum.

Happy Lifehacking, everybody!

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/bz1KA6o_ZH4/is-windows-8-a-horror-show

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Report: More fees, less choice for air travelers

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Airline passengers can expect fewer carriers to choose from, fewer flights to smaller cities and more baggage and other fees as the industry continues to grapple with high fuel prices and a weak economy, according to a government report released Tuesday.

The airline industry is still in transition after a tumultuous decade in which bankruptcies and mergers cut the number of airlines accounting for the bulk of domestic flights in half, to just five: American, Delta, Southwest, United and US Airways, the report by the Department of Transportation's inspector general said. If US Airways and American ? which are in merger discussions ? were to combine, that would drop to four.

There are dozens of other airlines in the U.S., but collectively those smaller carriers account for less than 15 percent of total passenger traffic. Twelve years ago, there were ten major U.S. airlines accounting for 90 percent of domestic flights. But high fuel prices, the 2008 recession and a slow economic recovery have taken a toll, the report said.

In 2000, fuel costs were just 10 percent of airline operating expenses. Fuel costs peaked at 40 percent of expenses in 2008, outdistancing payroll as the airlines' biggest expense. Last year, fuel accounted for 35 percent of expenses.

Less competition has enabled airlines to try to offset higher costs by eliminating less profitable flights to smaller cities, the report said. Airlines cut the number of scheduled domestic flights by 14 percent between June 2007 and June 2012, the report said. As a result, flights have fewer empty seats and airlines have been able to increase fares, especially on short-haul flights.

Last year, the industry attempted 22 fare increases, of which 11 were successful, the report said. Airfare increases are considered successful if competitors also adopt an increase. If there's not widespread matching by other airlines, the result is usually a withdrawal of the original increase. So far this year airlines have attempted eight fare increases, four of which have been successful, the report said.

Since 2008, airlines have also supplemented their fares by charging a wide range of fees for services that in most cases used to be free. Baggage fees alone contributed $2.7 billion in added revenue to airlines last year. Besides fees for checked bags, at least two airlines ? Allegiant and Spirit ? now charge passengers for carry-on bags.

As a result of these trends, the industry in general has become profitable again after years of red ink. And having fewer flights has resulted in a drop in flight delays and cancellations.

"The good news is that the (carrier) consolidation and ancillary fee revenue stream have stabilized the airline industry," said Kevin Mitchell, chairman of the Business Travel Coalition, which represents corporate travel managers. "The bad news is airlines can disregard consumers' interests much more easily when there are fewer carriers."

John Heimlich, vice president and chief economist for Airlines for America, a trade association representing major airlines, said one reason airlines have cut back on flights is that more passengers traveling less than 700 miles are choosing other forms of transportation such as cut-rate intercity buses and Amtrak's higher-speed Acela trains in the Northeast. He said some people would also rather drive than hassle with security checks in the post-9/11 world.

"Airlines have been more cautious about avoiding a glut of seats in the marketplace relative to the demand, and such caution has helped the industry get back on more solid financial footing," Heimlich said.

___

Follow Joan Lowy at http://www.twitter.com/AP_Joan_Lowy

___

Online:

Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General http://www.oig.dot.gov/node/5948

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/report-more-fees-less-choice-air-travelers-180407794.html

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