curacao home run derby kourtney kardashian kourtney kardashian DNS Changer ernest borgnine adrian peterson
Thursday, November 29, 2012
This Onion TED Parody Has a Dog Eating Apple Pie, and That's All That Matters
FBI probes possible links among rash of U.S. bomb threats
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (Reuters) - The FBI said it was trying to determine if there is a connection among telephone bomb threats to facilities in 30 counties of Tennessee on Tuesday and similar recent incidents in other U.S. states.
Courthouses and public facilities in 30 Tennessee counties were temporarily evacuated on Tuesday following a rash of such calls.
Similar threats closed more than a dozen courthouses in Oregon last week and bomb threats were also made in Washington state and Nebraska. All affected facilities in Tennessee had been searched by late on Tuesday.
"There were no devices found," said Dayla Qualls, spokeswoman for the state Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
The threats were phoned to both urban and rural offices. In Memphis, police spokeswoman Karen Rudolph said communications personnel received a call early on Tuesday from an unknown woman who said someone was going to blow up the Criminal Justice Center, the Federal Building and the main Post Office. All were evacuated.
"We are working with the other divisions of the FBI in the other affected states to make a determination if there is a connection," and if that is found the FBI will investigate any violations of federal law, said Joel Siskovic, spokesman for the FBI in Memphis.
(Editing by Greg McCune and Vicki Allen)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fbi-probes-possible-links-among-rash-bomb-threats-001409610.html
anna paquin warren buffett 2012 nfl schedule dishonored april 18 delonte west vanessa williams
Palestinians predict historic UN vote on statehood
UNITED NATIONS (AP) ? The Palestinians predicted a historic U.N. vote recognizing their statehood this week, praising important new support from France on Tuesday and likely backing from other European nations seen as critical to enhancing their international standing.
The United States and Israel strongly oppose the resolution, and there are fears it could torpedo Palestinian hopes of quickly resuming negotiations with Israel to end their decades-old conflict. Israeli officials have already said they will not return to negotiations after the vote and believe it instead undermines hopes for a peace deal.
The General Assembly vote to raise the Palestinians' status from a U.N. observer to a nonmember observer state is scheduled for Thursday ? the "International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People" ? just a week after a cease-fire ended eight days of punishing Israeli airstrikes on the Gaza Strip and intense rocketing of the Jewish state by Gaza's Hamas rulers that reached Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Unlike the Security Council, there are no vetoes in the General Assembly and the resolution is virtually certain of approval. The 193-member world body is dominated by countries sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and the resolution only requires a majority vote for approval.
The U.N. recognition of their statehood would elevate the Palestinians to the same status as the Vatican, another nonmember observer state. However, a country's vote to raise the Palestinian status at the U.N. does not imply its individual recognition of a Palestinian state, something that must be done bilaterally. To date, 132 countries ? over two-thirds of the U.N. member states ? have recognized the state of Palestine.
The U.N. recognition, however, would add weight Palestinian claims for a state in the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war. Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.
The vote is taking place while the Palestinians themselves remain bitterly divided: Hamas, which does not recognize Israel's right to exist, claimed victory in the recent conflict and raised its standing in the Arab world, while the rival Fatah movement of President Mahmoud Abbas, which controls the West Bank, remained sidelined.
Abbas needs a solid vote in the General Assembly to strengthen his domestic position and he is flying to New York to present the case for U.N. recognition of the state of Palestine.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. observer, said the final draft resolution, which was only circulated to U.N. members late Monday, has close to 60 cosponsors and he expects more by the time of the vote.
"I think that the great majority of nations will vote with us because there is a global consensus on the two-state solution" that envisions Palestine and Israel living side-by-side in peace, Mansour said at a news conference. "So we expect a large number of countries to vote in favor."
The Palestinians have focused much attention on getting support from European nations because of the clout that their backing would give to Palestinian statehood dream. France came through Tuesday when Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told Parliament in Paris that the country will vote "yes" on the resolution.
"We tried very hard to win the largest number of European countries to vote in favor," Mansour said. "We are delighted that a certain number have declared their support to our draft resolution including France and other key European countries, and I don't want to name them."
Portugal will also vote yes and Switzerland will likely back the resolution, but Germany is expected to vote no or abstain. Britain's position remains unclear.
Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced in a statement Tuesday that her country will abstain.
Mansour said approval of the resolution will be "a historic moment" for the Palestinian people and for the United Nations.
The Palestinians are seeking to enhance their status because their application in September 2011 to become a full U.N. member state has been blocked. To become a member state, an applicant must be approved by the U.N. Security Council and the United States has made clear it would veto the bid until there is a final settlement with Israel.
Abbas' spokesman Nabil Abu Redeineh told AP on Tuesday that there was pressure "around the clock from all sides in order to prevent us going to the General Assembly."
But he said the move toward statehood would not be reversed and adoption of the resolution would be "a major turning point in the Palestinian-Israeli track and ... a Palestinian and Arab achievement."
The Palestinians hope to use their upgraded status to join additional U.N. bodies, such as the International Criminal Court, where they could attempt to prosecute Israel for war crimes or crimes against humanity.
The draft resolution makes no mention of the ICC. U.N. diplomats said the issue was raised during discussions with the Palestinians by some governments. Israel reportedly wanted to include assurances that the Palestinians won't go to the ICC, and that the resolution does not infringe on sovereignty, but these amendments were rejected.
Mansour told reporters the Palestinians' top priority is resuming negotiations and not going to the ICC.
"I believe that the day after we adopt the resolution, if the other side is ready and willing to negotiate in good faith with us, I believe that the Palestinian leadership would reciprocate in a positive way," he said.
"I don't believe that we are going to be rushing the second day to join everything related to the United Nations, including to the ICC," Mansour said.
He said if Israel acts in good faith, according to international law, "I don't think that anybody will be going after them for anything."
But if Israel continues to violate the law, refuses to comply with U.N. resolutions and keeps building settlements, he said, the Palestinians will look at other options to bring them into compliance.
Following last year's move by the Palestinians to join the U.N. cultural agency UNESCO, the United States withheld funds from the organization, which amount to 22 percent of its budget. The U.S. also withheld money to the Palestinians, and the U.S. Congress has threatened similar sanctions if the Palestinians improve their status at the U.N. again.
Israel also retaliated by accelerating settlement construction and withholding funds from the Palestinian government.
Mansour said he is sure Abbas will try everything possible to avoid any punishment after the vote, but if "some negative things are going to be imposed on us we will deal with them in the best way that we know how."
He also expressed hope that the resolution will improve prospects for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah.
Asked whether Hamas supports a two-state solution, which would imply recognition of Israel, Mansour said "I think they would ? yes ? because it is in the interest of the Palestinian people."
___
Associated Press Writers Josef Federman in Jerusalem, Karin Laub in Ramallah, Jamey Keaten in Paris and Bradley Klapper in Washington contributed to this report
Associated Presswarren sapp the masters i robot the big c the visitor king of kings ostara
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Chegg represents a bold new philosophy that's changing commerce ...
Chegg
Healthcare and public education are the least functional parts of our economy for one reason. In neither is the person receiving the treatment the one actually paying the bill.
?
?
First off ? calm down, crazy Libertarians ? I?m not suggesting we abolish either. But it?s certainly a problem that in both healthcare and public education there?s inherent confusion over who the customer actually is.
Think about how much the battle over public education?doesn?t?revolve around the students. The fact that teachers aren?t able to be fired for poor performance, for instance. That has to do with political officials allocating money and making rules, and basing those rules on what messages well to parents and the unions that support their campaigns. The kids themselves literally and figuratively don?t get a vote.
Healthcare is even more convoluted. We have a system where the doctors sell treatments to patients who don?t pay for them. For people with generous insurance, doctors are economically incentivized to order excess tests and treatments a patient doesn?t need, and the patients have no economic incentive to push back. For those with lousy insurance, they frequently can?t get the care they need, because the system is priced for a deep pocketing third party to pay steep medical fees that few individuals can absorb and avoid bankruptcy.
This even affects drug discovery. Only things that insurance will pay for ? and pay for en masse ? get green lit on the long, expensive track of human trials and FDA testing.
These may be two of the most egregious cases of a weird triangle of people who provide a product or service, those who pay for it, and those who should be the customer being somewhere weirdly in the middle. And in both health and education there are convoluted social safety-net reasons why things can?t be simplified.
But many other industries display a similarly weird disconnect between provider and customer, with far less justification beyond a vestige of a pre-Web era when sales channels were rooted in a brick-and-mortar, physical distribution system. Media is a big one: The end customer ? the reader ? doesn?t pay the bills in most media. Think about music: The transaction is really between the label and the artist, which is why many individuals felt fine about piracy.
Slowly but surely the Internet is smashing down a lot of these bizarre triangle-economies into flat, straight lines between the company providing a good or service and the person consuming it. Or at least straighter lines. There will still be ad-supported media businesses, but other methods of ?tip jars? and Kickstarters are springing up alongside them.
We saw this flattening of the supplier-customer early on with some things like travel agents, but mobile is pushing it aggressively in many industries because now the Internet goes with us everywhere.
I got into a fascinating conversation about this last week with Dan Rosensweig, and I haven?t quite been able to look at the world the same way since. Rosensweig ? once a senior executive at Yahoo, private equity partner, and head of Activision?s ?Guitar Hero? franchise ? has been quietly building text book rental company?Chegg?into a juggernaut that aims to solve every pain point college students have.
Think of it like AngelList. The way AngelList?seeks to help entrepreneurs?solve the hassles of funding, electronic term sheets, and hiring, Chegg wants to help students pick their schools, rent students textbooks cheaper and easier, and help get them homework help.?Rosensweig has been aggressively acquiring companies and building a professional management team as it builds this big vision out.
But at the core of every reason that Chegg works is one thing, says Rosensweig: It?s totally reinvented who the customer actually is in this transaction. ?Textbooks used to be for professors, not students,? he says. Books were bought and sold a certain way, because it was convenient for the book stores and teachers and publishers, but never the students. Chegg has changed all of that in both small and dramatically large ways.
Chegg?s textbooks are not only cheaper, but more convenient. They will send students a new textbook if they complain for any reason about the one they?ve received. They?ll take any textbook back within 21 days for any reason. If a students waits until the last minute to order one, they?ll make the material available online until the book arrives. If you just need the?damn first chapter?for that week?s class,?they make it possible to just get the damn first chapter. It?s all about need it now, not buy it forever.
I remember in college cramming for an exam and looking furiously for one sheet of paper with one day?s lecture notes on it. It was the only sheet of paper that mattered to me in the world at that moment, and I couldn?t find it. As a turned over my dorm room, it occurred to me that at that time I would have paid any amount of money for that sheet of paper ? the same one I would happily throw away the day after the exam.
This insight is why Chegg?s business is up, and Barnes & Noble?s college publishing division is down 7 percent this year, Rosensweig says.
Beyond textbooks, schools recruit students over Chegg, and it connects them with other people taking their course for free and paid homework help and note-sourcing. It helps them plan their course schedule, telling them what their school requires and who else is taking each class. Rosensweig wants Chegg to be a third ?graph? of the Web ? similar to LinkedIn?s professional graph and Facebook?s social graph. It?s the education graph.
I should note a lot of people want their company to be the third graph of the Web. MyHeritage and other genealogy sites want to be your family graph; many companies want to be a ?taste graph.? The utilities of all of these are still up for debate.
Clearly everyone doesn?t need an education graph. But every year there is a huge number of incoming freshman who do. And it just so happens, they?re people a lot of businesses want to market to. ?You?ve found the perpetual fountain of youth,? a marketing executive looking to sell stuff through Chegg recently said to Rosensweig.
In that sense, Chegg will start to become less about the classroom as it dominates everything connected with the classroom. Earlier this year, it did?a promotion?with Taylor Swift?s new album to pick a college for her to do a televised concert. Students voted ? and rallied votes for their schools ? on Chegg. Swift?s people knew Rosensweig from his ?Guitar Hero? days, but they came to him for the promotion, because they wanted to reach exactly that college demographic. Few places have it. Facebook gave up that concentration long ago.
Rosensweig sees this trend not just at Chegg but everywhere. He sees three big trends playing out in the digital world right now. One is about the end of ownership. The second has to do with location. But this third trend ? a radical reshaping of the relationship between companies and their real customers ? is the biggest he sees and the biggest he has ever seen. ?I am 51 years old and have been in the industry since 1983, and this is the biggest change I?ve seen yet,? he says. ?We are selling to a whole generation that has never gone a day without the Internet. They want to pay what they expect to pay, and they don?t understand why they can?t.?
You may call it millennial entitlement ? the very same that wonders why HBO can?t just put ?Game of Thrones? episodes online and ignore the realities of what that may do to their legacy business. This is the generation who stole music rampantly. This is the generation that will likely never buy a newspaper. But love them or hate them, this is the growing consuming class in this country. And as my kids? generation grows up with the Internet in their pockets, the trend will become more extreme. The good news is this: In many cases they are happy to pay ? and even pay more on a per transaction basis ? to get what they want in a more convenient and per-slice way.
Done right, this is an entirely new way to make money online. A lot of money, in many cases.
It?s not simply about taking a middleman out of the equation; sometimes it?s about inserting a new middleman. Spotify, Apple, and Pandora inserted themselves as additional middlemen when it came to music. Similarly, Uber connected drivers directly with passengers, whereas in the past town cars used to deal with corporate accounts. But it made itself the conduit in every transaction at the same time.
Cloud computing has allowed individuals to pick the software they want to use, making the worker bee the customer, not the IT manager. But they stay in the transaction, they don?t ship the software and let consultants worry about the rest. Consumer software has had a similar revolution with less and less of it appearing shrink wrapped on a shelf at BestBuy. The focus is 100 percent on whether someone wants to play your game, not on the shelf space it may get.
This one in particular has not been lost on Rosensweig. The reason he left Activision was that he wanted to expand ?Guitar Hero? into online versions, and the company was resistant to it. They knew how to sell through retail channels; that?s what they were optimized for, and that?s what they were good at. But Rosensweig wanted to design products for all those would-be thrashers out there, not constantly worry about what BestBuy and Wal-Mart wanted. He wanted to price the software at what he wanted people to pay, not leave it up to the retailer to discount it heavily to get people in the store. He wanted to put out a new version with explicit lyrics if that?s what users wanted, without Christian groups boycotting Wal-Mart, and Wal-Mart telling him what his customers want.
There?s danger of this trend making a generation of spoiled brats even more spoiled by giving them exactly what they want at that moment in the way they want it. But there?s also a beauty to using the Web and mobile devices to make our daily lives so much better.
Imagine if Starbucks knew my order as I was pulling into the parking lot, and it was ready the second I walked in. Or better yet, if a barista could automatically run it out to my car the exact second I pulled up. I may not pay more for that everyday, but I sure as hell would if I were late to a meeting with a screaming baby in the car. A lot more. Imagine if my neighborhood restaurants knew my local, big-tipping self was the one who wanted a reservation at 8 pm, not just an anonymous user on OpenTable. They might find some room. And odds are, I?d tip much bigger to make sure I got the preferential treatment the next time. This is why Uber?s surge pricing is genius when it?s not?gouging victims of a natural disaster. There are select times when I?ll pay double for a cab. Simply allowing me to do so makes everyone happy.
In a world where the computer knows where we are and who we are and can seamlessly charge us, the world might get more expensive. But it could also get a whole lot less annoying.??This is what big data means to me,? Rosensweig says.
Photo credit: Visions
Via Pando Daily
Source: http://www.impactlab.net/2012/11/27/chegg-represents-a-bold-new-philosophy-thats-changing-commerce/
independence day BET Awards 2012 declaration of independence 4th Of July 2012 Zach Parise Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Canada's Carney named as Bank of England chief
LONDON/OTTAWA (Reuters) - Britain named Canadian central bank chief Mark Carney on Monday to head the Bank of England, springing the surprise choice of a foreigner to push reform of its troubled financial system.
A former Goldman Sachs investment banker who at the Bank of Canada guided the Canadian economy through the global economic crisis, Carney will succeed Mervyn King who retires in July.
Carney, who already plays a leading role in setting global banking rules, defended his departure from Canada and signalled that bigger problems awaited him in London.
"I'm going to where the challenges are greatest," he told an Ottawa news conference, stressing the need to "rebalance" the economy which has relied heavily on a financial services sector hit by huge losses and scandals.
"It's very important for the global economy that the UK does well, that it succeeds in this rebalancing of their economy, that the reform of the British financial system is completed," he said.
Carney will become the first non-British head of the central bank in its 300-year history, beating hot favourite BoE deputy governor Paul Tucker to the post, which will pay a salary of 624,000 pounds. The Bank of Canada does not disclose Carney's exact salary but says he is paid in a range equivalent to US $436,200 (272,030 pounds) - $513,000.
During the crisis, Carney helped to make Canada's recession one of the shallowest of the world's richest nations. No Canadian bank needed government help, and the country recovered all the jobs it lost in the downturn relatively rapidly.
By contrast, Britain had to bail out Royal Bank of Scotland and Lloyds Banking Group, and the world's sixth-largest economy is still struggling to achieve growth four years after the crisis broke.
Carney, 47, will remain as head of the Financial Stability Board (FSB), a Basel-based body that sets global banking rules, when he moves to London next year, although the Bank of Canada itself does not regulate the country's banks.
"I believe he will bring the strong leadership and external experience that the Bank (of England) itself needs as it takes on its heavy new responsibilities for regulating our banking system," Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told parliament in announcing the appointment.
Carney will stay at the Bank of Canada through May, and starts at the Bank in July. He will serve a five-year term, rather than the eight years that had been expected for the next BoE governor.
From next year the Bank will take charge of British financial regulation, almost doubling its size. This boosted the case for a governor with strong management skills and financial market experience, rather than someone in King's academic mould.
Carney's past as a Goldman Sachs investment banker has been a double-edged sword, as he fought to prove his loyalties lie with ordinary citizens, not his high-flying banker ex-colleagues. He clashed memorably last year with JPMorgan Chase & Co Chief Executive Jamie Dimon in Washington, when the U.S. banker argued against new regulations for the financial sector.
DEAD MONEY
Carney also courted controversy in August when he accused Canadian firms of sitting on piles of "dead money", rather than investing it. Large British companies also have money to invest, but little appetite to do so at a time of strong economic risks.
How Carney's monetary policy experience will translate to Britain is less clear. Although the Bank of Canada has raised interest rates, unlike the Bank, economists said this reflected Canada's strong economy rather than a bias on Carney's part.
"Pragmatic is how I'd describe him," said Derek Burleton, an economist at Toronto-Dominion Bank. "He doesn't come across as an ideologue one way or the other."
Under King, the Bank has poured 375 billion pounds into the economy by buying government bonds. The Bank of Canada has not used this policy of "quantitative easing" largely because its economy never weakened enough to warrant it.
Until now, Carney had strongly played down the possibility of heading the British central bank. "(It's a) surprise, huge surprise," said Peter Dixon, an economist with Commerzbank. "That was the one guy I didn't have in the running.
Carney said he did not apply for his new job as part of the formal process, and discussions intensified only in the last two weeks.
He has already spent a decade in Britain as a postgraduate student at Oxford and at Goldman Sachs - where European Central Bank President Marin Draghi also once worked. Carney, whose wife is British, will apply for citizenship, Osborne said.
Carney pointed to the steady state of Canadian banks, which also contrasts to some of those in Britain that have been sucked into scandals over rigging the Libor interest rate and mis-selling financial products to people who didn't need them.
"We have a system that works very well. It's been tested under the biggest economic shock and financial shock that any of us will ever see in our lifetime, and it has passed that test," he said.
His job has been helped in recent years by booming prices for Canada's commodities exports from oil to gold and grain.
The still-athletic Carney - a sub-four-hour marathon runner - was once described as "un-Canadian" by one Ottawa official because of his sometimes confrontational style.
Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty expressed the mixed feelings in Ottawa about Carney's departure. "It's bitter-sweet. It's our loss. His loss will be felt," he said.
The foreign exchange market passed a similar judgment with sterling rising against both the U.S. and Canadian dollars. The pound hit to a 2-1/2 week high against the Canadian dollar to C$1.5950 from C$1.5898 beforehand.
(Additional reporting by Matt Falloon and Kate Holton in London, and David Ljunggren and Louise Egan in Ottawa; Writing by Maria Golovnina; Editing by David Stamp and Alastair Macdonald)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/uk-announce-boe-governor-around-1530-gmt-133443129--business.html
pro bowl pro bowl 2012 rick santorum daughter gainesville 2012 royal rumble the grey machine gun kelly
Supreme Court orders up another health care challenge
The United States Supreme Court has ordered a federal appeals court to hear a challenge to the Affordable Care Act on religious and equal protection grounds, setting the stage for a new health care law debate.
350px-Supreme_Court_US_2010The administration of President Barack Obama said it didn?t object to the appeals court hearing the case of Liberty University v. Geithner.
Liberty University filed with the high court this summer, saying its previous claims should be looked at in a new light after the Supreme Court?s June 2012 decision. The evangelical school was founded by the late Reverend Jerry Falwell.
Liberty University is objecting to a mandate that most people buy health insurance or pay a tax penalty, and a requirement for most employers to offer health insurance to their workers, or pay a fine for each uninsured employee.
Liberty University claimed that the appeals court shouldn?t have used the Federal Anti-Injunction Act as a reason to deny hearing its original lawsuit.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals will likely hear the case in the spring. Attorneys from Liberty University told Politico that they hope to bring their suit before the Supreme Court at some point.
On October 31, the Justice Department said it wouldn?t object if Liberty?s case were to be heard in the appeals court.
The court could also ask the Justice Department and the university to file new legal briefs.
The historic June 2012 Supreme Court decision on the Affordable Care Act ended three years of drama, for now, about President Obama?s wide-ranging overhaul of the health? care system.
Important parts of the reform effort, called Obamacare by its opponents, are already in place. But many parts of the law go into effect in 2014.
The court is under no obligation to hear the Liberty University case once the appeals court issues a decision.
Recent Constitution Daily Stories
Peyton Randolph: The forgotten revolutionary president
Why a national online sales tax may not pass
Obama?s social media machine focused on fiscal cliff
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/supreme-court-orders-another-health-care-challenge-162615462--politics.html
Aurora Colorado Rajesh Khanna friday the 13th paulina gretzky paulina gretzky toy story 4 toy story 4
Cuomo: Sandy cost NY, NYC $32B in damage and loss
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) ? Top political leaders in New York put their heads together Monday on big requests for federal disaster aid as Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that Superstorm Sandy ran up a bill of $32 billion in the state and the nation's largest city.
The cost is for repairs and restoration and does not include an additional accounting of over $9 billion to head off damage in the next disastrous storm, including steps to protect the power grid and cellphone network.
"It's common sense; it's intelligent," Cuomo said. "Why don't you spend some money now to save money in the future? And that's what prevention and mitigation is."
New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg had announced earlier in the day that Sandy caused $19 billion in losses in New York City ? part of the $32 billion estimate Cuomo used.
New York taxpayers, Cuomo said, can't foot the bill.
"It would incapacitate the state. ... Tax increases are always a last, last, last resort."
Cuomo met with New York's congressional delegation to discuss the new figures and present "less than a wish list." The delegation, Cuomo and Bloomberg will now draw up a request for federal disaster aid.
States typically get 75 percent reimbursement for the cost of governments to restore mass transit and other services after a disaster.
The most basic recovery costs for roads, water systems, schools, parks, individual assistance and more total $15 billion in New York City; $7 billion for state agencies; $6.6 billion in Nassau County and $1.7 billion in Suffolk County, both on suburban Long Island; and $527 million in Westchester County and $143 million in Rockland County, both north of New York City, according to a state document used in the private briefing of the delegation and obtained by The Associated Press.
Hard times were already facing the state and city governments that were staring at deficits of more than $1 billion before Sandy hit in late October. State tax receipts have also missed projections, showing a continued slow recovery from a recession that could hit taxpayers in the governments' budgets this spring. And there's the looming fiscal cliff, the combination of expiring federal tax cuts and major spending cuts that could rattle the economy.
"Make no mistake, this will not be an easy task, particularly given the impending fiscal cliff, and a Congress that has been much less friendly to disaster relief than in the past," Schumer said. "We will work with the (Obama) administration on supplemental legislation, to be introduced in the upcoming December session of Congress, that will set us on the road to meeting New York's needs. This will be an effort that lasts not weeks, but many months, and we will not rest until the federal response meets New York's deep and extensive needs."
Rep. Peter King, a Long Island Republican who, like Schumer, is a powerful member of his chamber, said he is seeking cooperation from House leaders to find enough disaster aid.
"It really is survival," King said. "This is an emergency. This should be separate of all the debate about the fiscal cliff and everything else."
The Cuomo administration has gained the public support of President Barack Obama and FEMA in New York's proposal for full reimbursement for storm damage, but state officials have privately worried about how much the state can get now.
In the city, Bloomberg is asking federal lawmakers to put up nearly $10 billion to reimburse government agencies and private businesses. That would be additional funding on an expedited basis over the $5.4 billion in standard disaster aid that the city projects it will receive from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
That FEMA money and private insurance won't cover all the public and private expenses from the storm, which included damaged streets and restaurants closed because of flooding, Bloomberg said.
"While the impact of the storm will be felt for some time and the challenges are great, I am confident that the city will rebound and emerge stronger than ever," Bloomberg wrote to the congressional delegation.
Reinsurance company Swiss Re showed the extent of private sector pain. It estimates that claims stemming from Sandy will cost the company about $900 million and that total losses from insured damage will be between $20 billion and $25 billion.
Reinsurance firms provide coverage to insurance companies for great losses stemming from events like natural disasters.
Other states are seeking federal assistance, too. FEMA has already paid out nearly $250 million in New Jersey, where Gov. Chris Christie says the preliminary damage estimate is $29.4 billion and could rise.
___
Associated Press writers Jennifer Peltz and Meghan Barr in New York City contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cuomo-sandy-cost-ny-nyc-32b-damage-loss-000331009.html
Ed Hochuli Opie modern family george strait how i met your mother sons of anarchy PNC Bank
Churchill's Cigar: Food Adventures #17: Vintage Wine and Port ...
Father Cigar has recently gotten into the wine auctions over at K&L Wine Merchants- so he put in a bid on a trio of consecutive vintages, won and you know what that meant...
The Cigar Parentals had run across this particular vintage on an early 1990s visit to the UK where they had stayed in a super-swank hotel near Gatwick. (The Cigar Parentals tend to have more expensive tastes than I do- so when they say it was super-swank, it was undoubtedly SUPER-swank) and they loved the Cos D'Estournel Saint Est?phe so much they kept hunting for it. When it come up on K and L, Father Cigar just couldn't pass it up so he snagged a 1998, 1999 and 2000 for everyone to compare and sample... extensively.
Vintage Port... oh yum. I seem to be inheriting Father Cigar's genetic predisposition to scotch and Mother Cigar's love of port. What's port you ask?
VINTAGE WINE NIGHT!
The Cigar Parentals had run across this particular vintage on an early 1990s visit to the UK where they had stayed in a super-swank hotel near Gatwick. (The Cigar Parentals tend to have more expensive tastes than I do- so when they say it was super-swank, it was undoubtedly SUPER-swank) and they loved the Cos D'Estournel Saint Est?phe so much they kept hunting for it. When it come up on K and L, Father Cigar just couldn't pass it up so he snagged a 1998, 1999 and 2000 for everyone to compare and sample... extensively.
Mother Cigar did her usual thing of producing fantastic food to accompany all this wine- fillet mignon with red white reduction and pomegranate seeds, bread, multi-colored potatoes- but not the veg! The Missus and I snagged fresh produce from the New Bo City Market in Cedar Rapids and Mom roasted them up. They were delicious- in fact all the food was delicious.
While most everyone around the table liked the 1998, the Missus and I didn't. I thought the 1998 tasted a little weird. I'm used the red wines having that earthy, almost metallic bite but the 1998 tasted like- well, put it this way, people described it as 'kerosene' or 'wet wood.' And if you want wines that taste like that, then by all means, go for the 1998. The 1999 didn't have that weird flavor but it felt thinner than the 1998- a little watery, if that's the right word. The 2000 had the best of both, I thought- the body of the 1998 and the lack of weird flavor of the 1999. It was my favorite for the night.
I'm not a super wine snob by any stretch of the imagination but this was a fun night. It was very relaxing to sit around a table, eat some good food and drink some truly excellent wine- my ability to swish a glass around and inhale deeply and detect notes of wet wood or grass clippings might not be up there with this best of them but I do know what I like and I know good wine when I drink it.
There was a post-script to this deliciousness:
Vintage Port... oh yum. I seem to be inheriting Father Cigar's genetic predisposition to scotch and Mother Cigar's love of port. What's port you ask?
Port wine is typically richer, sweeter, heavier, and possesses a higher alcohol content than unfortified wines. This is caused by the addition of distilled grape spirits (aguardente similar to brandy) to fortify the wine and halt fermentation before all the sugar is converted to alcohol and results in a wine that is usually 18 to 20% alcohol.Leaving aside the Wikipedia definition- it's delicious is what it is. And the older you get the more delicious it becomes... perfect way to end the night.
Source: http://churchillscigar.blogspot.com/2012/11/food-adventures-17-vintage-wine-and.html
elizabeth warren puerto rico diane sawyer Cnn.com Colorado Marijuana Washington Election Results foxnews
Can I Afford a Personal Trainer - Philly Personal Training
Most people think a personal trainer is a luxury only for the rich and famous. ?You see celebrities on TV talking about their personal trainers, personal chefs, and nutritionists and think, ?Well, it?s easy to be in fantastic shape when you have all that!? ?The truth is, you can have all of that if you look carefully at your priorities and your budget. ?But how much is the right amount to spend for you personally? ?Just because you have $500 set aside, does that mean you have to spend all $500? ?In this article, I?m going to discuss how you can afford a personal trainer, and what kinds of packages might be right for your budget and your fitness routine.
Most people laugh when someone suggests they get a personal trainer. ?How could they possibly afford it? ?I?m willing to bet you have more money to put towards your own health than you think, but it has to become a priority for you.
Going Out for Dinner and Drinks
If going out to dinner 2-3 times per week is more important to you, then there?s not much I can do to change your mind. ?But the fact is, if you cut back on going out to dinner or getting drinks, the money you?d save could easily pay for 1-2 sessions per week with a trainer. ?Look at your budget and see exactly how much you spend on going out for food and drinks each month. ?Not only will this save your wallet, but it will also help you with your weight loss goals by cutting out excess calories.
Vacations
I?m certainly not telling you to never go on a vacation ever again. ?We all need to get away for a little while. ?However, could your weekend trips be adding up? ?Take a look at how many mini-vacations and getaways you?ve had in the past year and add up how much money it cost you. ?Again, you don?t have to cut all of them out, but if you cut down on them a bit, there?s money left over to put towards something you may want to prioritize, like your health.
Morning Rituals
Most Americans grab a cup of coffee from the local Starbucks on their way to work. ?Sure, it?s only a few bucks, 
but it?s money that could be easily saved by making your own coffee at home. ?If Starbucks is your favorite coffee, you can even buy the blend of the exact coffee you buy for your coffee maker at home. ?By switching, you could easily save yourself over $800 per year ($3.50 per cup x 250 work days per year)!
These are all small changes that almost everyone can make to save a little money on something they prioritize. The main point I?m trying to make is before you claim you can?t afford to make a change, look at your budget and see what you?re really spending your money on. ?Do you value these things more than you value your health?
Price Ranges For Personal Training
Now, let?s look at the varying prices you can expect to pay for different types of training. ?Depending on your exercise needs and your budget, one of these types of training might appeal to you more than others. ?Let?s take a look at each one and examine the pros and cons.
1 on 1 Personal Training
1 on 1 training is always going to be the most beneficial way to get in shape. ?The trainer is 100% dedicated to you and only you and they can adjust your workout for your specific needs. ?Do you have a back problem? ?Do you have high blood pressure? ?These are all things that a trainer who?s training you 1 on 1 will be able to look out for by adjusting your workout routine. ?Because this is the most personalized and thorough approach, it?s of course going to be the most expensive option. ?Most personal trainers in Philadelphia can range from $60-$85 per hour long session, depending on their education, experience, and success rates with past clients. ?While many people looking for personal trainers might try to look for the cheapest option, I?d like to give a warning: just like anything else, you get what you pay for. ?Would you hire a lawyer who charged $20 per hour? ?Would you hire a mechanic who charges $30 to fix your car that doesn?t run? ?Probably not. ?With a $20 lawyer and a $30 mechanic, you?d probably end up in jail with a car that starts fires (ok, maybe I?m exaggerating a tad, but you get the picture).
Small Group Training
Small group training can be an excellent option for those who still want some close attention during their workouts but they don?t have any serious issues that need to be addressed. ?This is more of an option for fairly healthy individuals looking to lose a few pounds. ?The group dynamic can make the workout fun and it can help motivate you to show up. ?If having a personal trainer who expects you to come isn?t motivation enough, how would you feel if 3 of your friends called you every time you failed to show up for a session? ?The accountability factor is what keeps you coming back consistently. ?These small group sessions are significantly less than 1 on 1 training because you?re not getting that ultra personalized workout. ?These can range from $25-$50 per hour long session depending on the exact size of the group.
30 Minute Sessions
If the idea of not having a personalized approach scares you but you can?t afford 60 minute sessions with a trainer, 30 minute sessions might be just for you. ?By doing your warm-up before your trainer shows up, you cut out some of the time the two of you need to spend together. ?I should warn you, if you?re expecting to chit chat during this 30 minute session, you?ll be in for a rude awakening. ?30 minute sessions are usually more fast-paced due to the time constraints. ?These can be a great way to make sure you get in some sort of effective workout more often. ?Expect the cost of these sessions to be a little more than half the cost of that trainer?s 60 minute sessions. ?So if the trainer charges $70 per hour, expect to pay around $45-$50 or so.
Boot Camps/Large Group Sessions
The last option I?m going to give you today is the least expensive option. ?Boot camps or large group sessions
(typically 5-15 people) can give you an effective workout in a fun and dynamic group setting. ?The workouts are usually designed so you?re working out side by side with your fellow participants and this really gives you a chance to feel more like a bonded group. ?This group dynamic can also create more of a feeling of accountability. ?However, the problem with these large groups is that you will not receive the same personalized attention you would with 1 on 1 training. ?If you?re healthy with no health issues, that might be fine for you. ?However, the client with high blood pressure, back problems, and a bad knee might not benefit from large group instruction. ?This type of training is the least expensive and can range from $10-$30 per class.
I hope I?ve given you some insight on what types of training you can afford so you can get professional help as you work towards your fitness goals. ?Remember, not all options are for everyone. ?Whether you need to be more budget conscious or you need more personalized attention, there is an option made for you. ?So sit down and take a careful look at your budget and a careful look at what type of instruction you need and then decide if you can afford a personal trainer.
If you have more questions on these types of training packages, please feel free to contact me using my contact page or by calling 267-838-2301.
Source: http://www.phillypersonaltraining.com/blog/motivation/can-i-afford-a-personal-trainer/
nick carter sister recruiting rankings san onofre paula deen birth control recall nick carter leslie carter
Monday, November 26, 2012
5 Tips for Getting Workers' Comp | Injury Law News
Hurt on the job? You may be in luck. Most employers are required by law to carry workers? compensation insurance. This protects both the employee in the event of a work-related injury and the employer from a lawsuit. More times than not, workers? compensation will provide employees with the opportunity to collect work-injury compensation. However, just because you are injured on the job does not mean that your guaranteed workers? comp benefits. This is actually a common misconception.
Therefore, if you?re denied workers? compensation benefits, you may have to appeal to the state?s administration agency that is responsible for overseeing workers? comp benefits. And the last thing you want to do while recovering from a work-related injury is jump through hoops in order to collect workers? compensation.
Below are five tips for getting workers? comp:
File claim promptly
Each state has a different window of time to file a claim. Once this window closes, the employee may no longer be able to file for workers? compensation. Therefore, it is extremely important that you get medical help and inform you employer about your injury immediately. Then, fill out a worker?s compensation claim form and give it to your employer. Submit this request in formal writing and keep a copy for yourself. If you do not hear from the insurer within two weeks, contact them directly?do not wait.
Seek legal assistance
The next step is crucial?seek out legal counsel to review and fully understand your rights. A lawyer can help you file your workers? compensation claim and secure your benefits. When possible, speak with a workers? compensation attorney who has experience with work-related injuries. This will be particularly beneficial if either your employer or your employer?s insurance company deny you of worker?s compensation.
Keep thorough medical records
Be sure that your doctor accurately fills out your medical records in order to avoid any unnecessary hearing delays. Your medical records should include a full diagnosis, course of treatment and any pertinent disability information. Also, make sure your medical records include evidence of how your injury is directly related to your job. You should also document any mental disability that is a direct result of your work-related injury, such as depression. And make duplicate copies of your medical records too.
Contact State Administrative Agency
This is next step is important. If you are denied workers? compensation benefits from your employer, you must immediately contact your state?s workers? compensation board. Generally speaking, you have a window of one to three years to file an application with your state agency. Any application filed thereafter will most likely be denied. Your lawyer can help you review your workers? compensation file and speak on your behalf at your administrative hearing.
File for an appeal
If your claim is denied after your administrative hearing, the court will inform you of how many days you have to appeal your case. Appealing a judicial decision from a workers? compensation hearing can be very tricky. You must meet formal requirements regarding judicial mistakes made by the previous judge in order to convince the court of reasons to overturn the previous decision. That being said, it is extremely important that you choose an attorney that understands both workers? compensation and the appeals process.
Attached Images:
Sarah Barnes is a freelance writer who specializes in workers compensation claims process. As a paralegal, Sarah spends most of her time researching and defending work-related injuries.
Source: http://www.injurylawnews.us/2012/11/26/5-tips-for-getting-workers-comp/
san francisco chronicle kourtney kardashian pregnant kourtney kardashian pregnant chip kelly billy cundiff super bowl tickets superbowl
Vivian Norris: A Buddhist Perspective on Nuclear Energy, Weapons and Taking Responsibility
While attending a weekend of meditation, prayer and the dedication of 108 statues of Amitabha, also known as the "Buddha of Buddhas," I had the chance to interview Sungjang Rinpoche. He is both a laughing spirit, yet beautifully focused young man who is recognized as the reincarnation, by the Dalai Lama, of the fourth Ngawang Drakpa, the disciple of Je Tsong Khapa, who founded the school of Dala?-lamas in the 15th century. Sungjang Rinpoche is living in exile at the Tatsang Ling monastery in France, and as more and more Tibetans flee the hardship and suffering in their native land, we are horrified to learn that the number of Tibetan Buddhist monks self-immolating has now reached at least 76 in the past few years. Petitions are circulating to help bring awareness to the horrific destruction of the environment, people and traditions of Tibet.
When I knew I would be interviewing Sungjang Rinpoche, I thought we would focus on Tibet, or Buddhism, but what we ended up talking about surprised me. When I asked him what he felt was the most important thing he could speak about to a wide audience, he replied, "We live in a dangerous time, of nuclear threats." He spoke of how these man-made threats, precisely because they were made by man, could also be stopped by man. And that we each had an important responsibility, not politicians, not governments, but each one of us, to take responsibility for our world. He spoke about Fukushima and how we do not really know how much radiation has already or will in the future rain down on us. Fukushima is still unstable yet we hear very little about it anymore. Sungjand Rinpoche said, "Fukushima releases a lot of radioactivity in the sky and it can fall on America, Alaska, China, Russia and Europe. We should end all nuclear energy because even that can be like a nuclear bomb. It will kill everybody. The main point is in society we have to change the dissatisfaction and selfishness to Love."
He spoke of the Cold War and how even though it is over, unstable nations with nuclear weapons threaten us. I was happily amazed at how he was completely focused on this issue of a nuclear threat which could destroy the planet and cause illnesses. I told him I had written a great deal about Fukushima and that I thought it was being forgotten. He repeated that we were destroying the future for our children, destroying the planet, and bringing about destruction which in Buddhist teachings is usually left to unkind, technologically advanced aliens travelling to Earth to bring about the Shambalic ending of this world.
This plain-speaking young man in his deep red and gold robes, praying with such intent for all of us, a living Buddha in his own right, expressed a deep compassion for the suffering of the entire planet and all of the living beings on it as he spoke of the nuclear threat. Interspersed with his usual child-like laughter, he would sway between a serious frowned brow and an open face smiling and sharing.
I asked him about the series of prayers we had dedicated to those who harm us, the humans who treat us cruelly and whose negative energy attempts to hurt us. We were taught that these people could be our greatest spiritual teachers and that we should in fact thank them. I asked him if the destruction and pollution of this planet could also have a lesson in it. He agreed and once again brought up the nuclear threats all around us. He spoke of the threat to all sentient beings, not just human beings. He spoke of how we need to no longer speak as countries as each country's interests destroys the others. He added, "Think globally. Act globally. We need to be careful not to hurt people. The Lord Buddha said do not destroy others' happiness for your own happiness."
"We are interdependent economically, environmentally, everything is connected. We are all human. We are all the same. We are all world citizens."
I wish to thank Celine Menguy for inviting myself and my daughter to participate during these amazing two days of dedication, initiation and prayer and Sofia Stril-Rever for all of her hard work and devoltion to Buddhism and hosting us at the monastery. My daughter and myself were extremely moved by the two days in the presence of someone who truly is focused on bringing more compassion to this world.
?
Follow Vivian Norris on Twitter: www.twitter.com/vivigive
"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/vivian-norris-de-montaigu/a-buddhist-perspective_b_2189010.html
shipwreck jose aldo vs chad mendes lana del rey john 3 16 alex smith 49ers miss america 2012 hgtv dream home
Sunday, November 25, 2012
A.I. Advances Through Deep Learning
An anonymous reader sends this excerpt from the NY Times:
"Advances in an artificial intelligence technology that can recognize patterns offer the possibility of machines that perform human activities like seeing, listening and thinking. ... But what is new in recent months is the growing speed and accuracy of deep-learning programs, often called artificial neural networks or just 'neural nets' for their resemblance to the neural connections in the brain. 'There has been a number of stunning new results with deep-learning methods,' said Yann LeCun, a computer scientist at New York University who did pioneering research in handwriting recognition at Bell Laboratories. 'The kind of jump we are seeing in the accuracy of these systems is very rare indeed.' Artificial intelligence researchers are acutely aware of the dangers of being overly optimistic. ... But recent achievements have impressed a wide spectrum of computer experts. In October, for example, a team of graduate students studying with the University of Toronto computer scientist Geoffrey E. Hinton won the top prize in a contest sponsored by Merck to design software to help find molecules that might lead to new drugs. From a data set describing the chemical structure of 15 different molecules, they used deep-learning software to determine which molecule was most likely to be an effective drug agent."
"Advances in an artificial intelligence technology that can recognize patterns offer the possibility of machines that perform human activities like seeing, listening and thinking. ... But what is new in recent months is the growing speed and accuracy of deep-learning programs, often called artificial neural networks or just 'neural nets' for their resemblance to the neural connections in the brain. 'There has been a number of stunning new results with deep-learning methods,' said Yann LeCun, a computer scientist at New York University who did pioneering research in handwriting recognition at Bell Laboratories. 'The kind of jump we are seeing in the accuracy of these systems is very rare indeed.' Artificial intelligence researchers are acutely aware of the dangers of being overly optimistic. ... But recent achievements have impressed a wide spectrum of computer experts. In October, for example, a team of graduate students studying with the University of Toronto computer scientist Geoffrey E. Hinton won the top prize in a contest sponsored by Merck to design software to help find molecules that might lead to new drugs. From a data set describing the chemical structure of 15 different molecules, they used deep-learning software to determine which molecule was most likely to be an effective drug agent."
Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/4F-srHjSa0I/story01.htm
i want to know what love is courtney mercury retrograde bath salts heart shaped box lucid 2012 ncaa tournament bracket
NYT > Science
Source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/nyt/rss/Science
polar bear plunge lovelace antioch the grey review demi moore 911 call ipo jim rome
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)