49ers win NFC West,?2 seed

By JANIE McCAULEY

AP Sports Writer

Associated Press Sports

updated 7:22 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2012

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Michael Crabtree's career day and dazzling catch-making display sent the San Francisco 49ers to another NFC West crown and into the playoffs with some much-needed momentum.

Crabtree caught touchdown passes of 49 and 7 yards and finished with a career-high 172 yards, leading the 49ers to a 27-13 victory against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday after a slow start. To make things even better, they also get a first-round bye.

Colin Kaepernick threw for a career-best 276 yards and two TDs as the Niners (11-4-1) did their part to control the postseason picture - then waited all of about 15 minutes to watch Minnesota beat Green Bay and give San Francisco the NFC's No. 2 seed and a week off before hosting a divisional playoff game.

Frank Gore ran for a 2-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter for his franchise-best 51st touchdown rushing, breaking a tie with mentor Roger Craig and the late Hall of Famer Joe Perry.

Brian Hoyer went 19 of 34 for 225 yards and a late TD toss in his first career NFL start as Arizona's fourth quarterback. The Cardinals (5-11) lost for the 11th time in their last 12 games in what might have been Ken Whisenhunt's final game as coach.

Crabtree's outstanding outing was the best by a 49ers receiver since Terrell Owens' 166-yard performance on Nov. 25, 2002, against Philadelphia.

Crabtree caught a 31-yard pass to set up his team-leading eighth TD reception on the next play. The sequence put him over 1,000 yards, giving San Francisco its first 1,000-yard receiver since T.O. in 2003.

The next series, Crabtree made a pretty, one-handed grab with his right hand along the left sideline on third-and-11 for a 19-yard gain and first down.

He made a 14-yard catch on fourth down late in the third, and later converted another fourth down with a reception of 7 yards.

What a boost for an injury-depleted receiving corps missing Mario Manningham for the rest of the season because of a knee injury and had tight end Vernon Davis limited a week after sustaining a concussion.

Struggling San Francisco kicker David Akers missed wide left on a 44-yard field goal attempt midway through the second quarter, then did it again with nearly the same kick - from 40 yards this time - 24 seconds before halftime. Akers put his hands on his knees and closed his eyes in frustration as boos rained down from the sellout crowd at Candlestick Park.

He missed for the fourth time in his last eight spanning three games and 13th time in 40 tries after setting an NFL single-season record with 44 in 52 attempts. He had a 21-yard try blocked in the loss at Seattle and returned by Richard Sherman for a 90-yard touchdown.

But Akers bounced back by nailing one from 43 yards early in the second half yet was later clipped in his left, kicking foot by Arizona's Justin Bethel. He stayed in the game, then booted a 26-yard field goal with just more than 9 minutes remaining.

Hoyer exhibited poise in the early moments. He completed 7 of his first 13 passes and three straight - for 7, 15 and 12 yards - during one drive as Arizona took a 3-0 lead on Jay Feely's 35-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Feely added a 31-yarder early in the second to make it 6-0.

The Cardinals outgained the 49ers 129-15 in total yards in the opening quarter and held San Francisco without a first down.

But that didn't last long.

The Cardinals ended a six-game stretch without a touchdown passing when Hoyer hit Michael Floyd on a late 37-yard touchdown pass to end a stretch of six games without a TD in the air.

The Cardinals pounded the ball toward the right side of San Francisco's defensive line where Pro Bowler Justin Smith had been stout against the run all season before getting hurt two weeks ago.

But Hoyer, who replaced the benched Ryan Lindley in last week's 28-13 home loss to the Bears, couldn't make enough plays against San Francisco's stingy defense.

Former starting quarterback Alex Smith made what could have been his final appearance in a 49ers uniform when he entered the game with 5:57 to go - playing to chants of "Let's Go, Alex!" and "Alex! Alex!"

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

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PFT: AP comes up short, but Vikes reach playoffs

PFT: Rookie Blair Walsh kicked a game-ending field goal to lift the Vikings over the Packers and clinch a playoff spot, despite Adrian Peterson coming up nine yards short of the single-season rushing record.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50326597/ns/sports-nfl/

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Six ways fleet operators save on gas (and you can, too)

While you may long for $2 gas, the truth is that higher prices ? in the $3 to $4 a gallon range ? are the new normal. And daily prices are more volatile than ever. Prior to 2004, price changes of more than 3 cents a day were rare, occurring on average only once every 17 days. Since 2004, such price swings occur virtually every other day, with changes of 5 cents or more happening 1 in every 4 days.? Businesses ? particularly fleet-based companies ? have found ways to hedge against this volatility to save money on fuel ? lessons that consumers can easily apply. Here are six money-saving tips, used by fleet operators:

- Matt Tormollen,?Contributor

Gas prices are displayed in this November 2012 file photo in Montpelier, Vt. Shop around for the best price on gas, which usually means avoiding stations in large central cities and affluent suburbs. (Toby Talbot/AP/File)

1. Comparison shop for the best price on gas

Despite the high price of gas, consumers still can find a bargain if they?re savvy shoppers. Smartphone apps and price-comparison websites, such as GasBuddy.com, can help you find which stations are selling the cheapest gas. As a general rule, avoid stations in large central cities and affluent suburbs. Stations that are very convenient, located at interstate exits, for example, may also charge more than another one just a few blocks away.

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Top 5 Rejection Reasons for Auto Insurance Claim

Auto insurance is meant to protect a person?s financial stability if they?re ever in a motor vehicle accident.? Unfortunately, just like any other type of insurance, these claims can be denied.? When this occurs, it can leave a driver on the hook for an excessive amount of money.? This makes it imperative for every driver to understand the most common reasons car insurance claims are denied.?

Lapsed Policy

Lapsed Dallas Auto Insurance?policies are one of the most common reasons that a claim will be denied.? This can be a simple mistake on the part of a driver.? Most people have trouble remembering everything in their daily lives, but failing to pay their motor vehicle insurance premium can be far more detrimental than other mistakes.? It?s often a good idea to set up an automatic payment plan to avoid this.?

Damages exceed Coverage

Everyone has seen the commercials on television that offer people the option of state minimum coverage auto insurance.? Unfortunately, this can leave drivers in hot water.? If a person only has $15,000 in property damage coverage but their accident causes $50,000, that driver must find a way to pay the other $35,000 themselves.? This can financially ruin a person.?

Driver not on Policy

Many people believe that their car insurance policy will cover anyone who drives their vehicle, but this is definitely not the case.? A driver who isn?t on a person?s car insurance policy is basically an unknown risk to the insurance company, and they aren?t in the business of providing protection for risks that they cannot foresee.? If someone who isn?t on the insurance policy is involved in a wreck, the company will likely pay nothing.?

Oversights? ? ? ? ? ? ??

Another of the most common reasons for car insurance claim denials is simple oversights.? A person who files an uninsured motorist claim, for instance, will likely be denied if the other driver did have some form of insurance.? These mistakes seem simple, but they can be incredibly time consuming and damaging.?

Inaccurate Information

A fifth common reason for car insurance claim denials is inaccurate information on the policy.? A person who is listed on their policy as living in one area who is really living in another, for instance, creates another unknown risk for an auto insurance company.? Any information that is inaccurate on a policy can cause issues for the insurance company and the policyholder, but mostly for the policyholder.? This makes it imperative to always update information on a policy as it changes.?

Any of the aforementioned reasons can cause a person?s auto insurance claim to be denied.? This is unfortunate considering the fact that all of these instances can easily be avoided.? It?s important for all drivers to understand everything about their policies and to keep them as up to date as possible.? This will ensure that there are no unexpected surprises after the filing of a claim.?

If you want to avoid these common causes of car insurance claim denials, call an All About Insurance agent today at (817) 589-0006 and we can help you out.?

Posted Saturday, December 29 2012 8:54 PM
Tags : dallas, TX, texas, auto, insurance, claim, damage, coverage, policy

Source: http://www.allaboutins.com/blog/top_5_rejection_reasons_for_auto_insurance_claim.aspx

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The Lure of extreme sports Have you ever had the sudden urge to ...

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The Lure of extreme sports Have you ever had the sudden urge to ride your bike off of a cliff and do aerial summersaults into a lake one hundred feet below? Believe it or not, this is just one of the emerging hobbies of extreme sports enthusiasts these days. But you dont need a bike in order to vault off a cliff; a parachute will do just finet least most of the timend if you have a parachute, you dont need a body of water to break your fall. What on earth motivates people to partake in such feats of madness? What about sailing around the world alone or snowboarding off the rock-cragged face of a mountain? Chances are, if youre like most people, you are perfectly content to be an armchair enthusiast when it comes to the intriguing and amazing world of extreme sports. Let the crazy, courageous souls of the world risk their lives and press the limits of human endurance; you say to yourself, while you sit in your safe, comfortable recliner and eat a bowl of ice cream. After all, you risk plenty just driving to work during rush hour traffic.The most important thing in the selection of the isabel marant shoes is to understand the importance of creating a personal image.. You may or may not be one of them, but there seems to be a certain kind of individual who is born to push the limits. They thrive on the challenge and the adrenalin rush experienced when they risk it all and come out intact. They take pride in doing something few humans have ever done before or would ever even dare to try. Its all about taking it to the next level, and then the next.This is a Nice collection of Discount Evening Gowns let?s buy now.. Competition is in their blood, and there is a growing number of ways in which these athletes can compete on both an amateur and a professional level. Although many athletes compete in extreme sports competitions, there are others who just embark on various death-defying feats for the pure thrill of it. Scuba diving, sky-diving, and bull riding, for instance, have been around for a long time, but many contemporary and dangerous activities have come along to bump these off the top of the list.When you want to buy a Moncler Jackets Sale on our website, maybe you will worry about fabric quality. So we could ship the fabric sample out to you. You could check it, and then buy the dress from us.. Storm chasing, though technically not a sport, is one of them, and its becoming more popular, especially since TV shows have brought it to the masses. Then theres bungee jumping, something even an amateur can do. Those who have tried it and lived through it can attest to the way their legs shook in the moments before they plummeted toward the ground. As fun as these activities might seem, people dont always survive. Just as with any sport, the athletes assume the risk when they make up their mind to partake.For high school girls, there is no other thing will be more important than choosing a proper wedding wraps for her prom night.. There are a growing number of videos on the Internet showcasing athletes in all manner of extreme recreation that can blow your mind. Some of these feats of athletic danger would never have even been dreamed up years ago, yet they have become a reality. Its amazing what the human body can accomplish if a person can envision it and set his or her mind to it. It leaves one to wonder what the next big craze is going to be in the world of extreme sports.Just as what has mentioned above, Louis Vuitton Women Wallet in early times are very traditional.. What seemingly impossible, death-defying activities are going to spring to life in the next fifty years? Alexandru F Bobica is an author, business owner, and social media promoter. In addition to running TheBros, an internet marketing company he also creates niche sites about diverse topics such as .

Source: http://golfequipment.jugem.jp/?eid=145

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Smart Magazine | Product review: Avene Body Oil

Photo courtesy of Birchbox.com.

Winter?s dry air has left my skin a little parched this year. The long, hot showers I take to warm up each day certainly don?t help my situation. In an effort to find an easier way to restore moisture to my skin, I decided to buy a bottle of Avene Body Oil from Birchbox.

A 200 ml bottle costs $20, but I had a discount after receiving a duplicate item in one of my monthly Birchbox samples, so making the purchase (and a few others) was easy. I?m a sucker for these kind of products.

I rubbed the oil on my damp skin after showering. The pump dispenser made it easy to apply the right amount in my hand. I?ve used other oils that just dump out the top and leave a greasy mess. The smell, while minimal, is pleasant. It?s kind of woodsy and warm.

After patting my skin dry with a clean towel, it felt soft, but clean. There was no greasy residue, as I?ve felt when using over the counter products or even baby oil to try to moisturize.

Overall, my skin has felt softer and smoother since using the oil. I use it about two to three times a week, alternating with a body lotion, such as Aveeno.

Have you ever used a body oil? What do you like or dislike about this kind of product?

Rebecca LeFever is the night crime reporter with the York Daily Record/Sunday News. Follow for breaking news on Twitter @ralefever or on Facebook at facebook.com/ralefever.

Source: http://www.yorkblog.com/smart/2012/12/28/product-review-avene-body-oil/

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NBA: Golden State 101, Boston 83

Published: Dec. 30, 2012 at 1:16 AM

OAKLAND, Calif., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- Stephen Curry and David Lee combined for 42 points Saturday and Golden State ended a successful December with a 101-83 defeat of Boston.

Curry pumped in 22 points and handed out nine assists. Lee popped in 20 points.

Harrison Barnes chipped in with 15 points and eight rebounds as the Warriors logged their third straight triumph and improved to 21-10 overall and recorded their first 12-win month since March 1976.

Courtney Lee -- subbing for injured point guard Rajon Rondo (bruised hip) -- scored 18 points for the struggling Celtics, who fell for the sixth time in eight contests.

Paul Pierce and Jason Terry contributed 13 points apiece for Boston.

Source: http://www.upi.com/Sports_News/2012/12/30/NBA-Golden-State-101-Boston-83/UPI-29691356848199/

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Florida Panthers Prospects Call Up Chances

Jameson Cooper | December 29, 2012

While some prospects like Jonathan Huberdeau will be?immediately?rushed into the Florida Panthers lineup once this current lockout is over, other young players will have to rely on good showings in the minors ? as well as some luck. Here are estimated call up chances for some of the Panthers top prospects going into the 2012-2013 season.

Drew Shore (Ross Bonander/THW)

Drew Shore: Taken 44^th overall in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft, Drew Shore is starting to show off the kind of talent that initially caught the Panthers attention. Shore is an impressive two-way forward with above average scoring ability who can also use his 6?2 frame to his advantage when fighting for pucks. While Shore may not be a flashy player, his overall game is solid and his defensive abilities could be of great help to the Panthers penalty kill. Shore is currently playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL and is second in team scoring with 20 points (6G 14A).

Shore?s Call Up Chance: 60%

Colby Robak: Taken 46^th overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Colby Robak is in the midst of possibly the most important season of his career. At 6?3?, 207 pounds, Robak has an imposing body that he uses to control the tempo of the game on both ends of the ice. He has a great feel for the game as well as a booming slap shot that he is still learning how to harness. A laundry list of Panthers? injuries led to Robak getting his first NHL call up last season. In three games with the club, Robak?didn?t?record a point, but played well when he was given opportunities. While Robak still has the potential to be a solid NHL defender, other young talented defenders like Erik Gudbranson and Dmitry Kulikov could lead to Robak possibly being traded in the future. In order for Robak to crack the Panthers lineup this season, he would most likely have to jump over both Tyson Strachan and Keaton Ellerby in order to do so. Robak is currently playing for the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL where he leads all team defenders with 14 points (3G 11A).

Robak?s Call Up Chance: 20%

Jacob Markstrom: Taken 31^st overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft, Jacob Markstrom is one of the most highly touted?goaltending?prospects in the NHL. A native of Sweden, Markstrom is a talented butterfly goaltender with an impressive glove and an even more impressive frame. Standing at 6?3?, Markstrom makes the net seem incredibly tiny to wary shooters. Markstrom was able to make his NHL debut last season and performed exceptionally well (2-4-1 / 2.66 / .923%). ?During this current NHL labor dispute, Markstrom is playing for the San Antonio Rampage and was recently named the??AHL Player of The Week?. When the puck finally drops this season in the NHL, Markstrom will be given the opportunity to shine if veteran net minders Jose Theodore and Scott Clemmensen struggle.

Markstrom?s Call Up Chance: 90%

Alex Petrovic (Courtesy of the Texas Stars)

Alex Petrovic: Taken 36^th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, defenseman Alex Petrovic is making his presence felt in the AHL. In only his first season with the San Antonio Rampage, Petrovic is impressing both fans and management. While his offensive game still needs a lot of polishing, Petrovic?s greatest skill is his physical play on defense and his eagerness to drop the gloves at any time. It is unlikely that Petrovic will play ahead of Tyson Strachan, Keaton Ellerby and Colby Robak, so fans should look for him to spend the rest of the season in the AHL working on his size and skill set. However, heading into the Panthers? 2013-2014 training camp, Petrovic will have a great chance of cracking the NHL roster if he continues to grow in the minors.

Petrovic?s Call Up Chance: 10%

Quinton Howden: Taken 25^th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Quinton Howden could possibly get his first look of NHL action this year. At left wing, Howden is gifted with exceptional speed and agility, as well as an above average scoring sense. With injury-prone wingers like Tomas Fleischmann and Tomas Kopecky, there is a great chance that Howden could finally break onto the NHL scene. Howden?s quickness and defensive prowess could be an integral part of the Panthers? penalty killing unit both this season and beyond. Currently, Quinton Howden is playing for the San Antonio Rampage, where he has 12 points (6G, 6A) including one shorthanded goal.

Howden?s Call Up Chance: 75%

Nick Bjugstad: Taken 19^th overall in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft, Nick Bjugstad is a dark horse candidate to join the Panthers if they reach the playoffs this season. While he is currently enrolled at the University of Minnesota, Bjugstad could make a jump to the NHL after the collegiate season has ended, much like Chris Kreider did for the New York Rangers this past season. Bjugstad is able to use his 6?5? frame to impose his will at both ends of the ice. Whether it?s controlling the puck in the offensive zone or throwing powerful body checks on opposing players, Bjugstad can do it all. His chances of joining the Panthers this season will be directly linked to the success the team has on the ice prior to his arrival. If the Panthers cannot make the playoffs again this season. Bjugstad will most likely have to wait until next season for his NHL debut.

Bjugstad?s Call Up Chance: 10%

More on these topics: Alex Petrovic, Colby Robak, Drew Shore, Jacob Markstrom, Jonathan Huberdeau, Nick Bjugstad, Quinton Howden, San Antonio Rampage

Posted in: Florida Panthers, Prospects

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Rob Kardashian: Botox Injected?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/rob-kardashian-botox-injected/

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Network Security Challenges for Business in 2013

One might say that network security is a living organism, constantly changing, ebbing and flowing with the ever-expanding breadth of new technology. This should be a concern for business owners using digital networks as an efficient way to conduct work and provide services. There are certainly ways for companies to secure their networks and servers, but there is always a cyber criminal waiting to find cracks in any system. Keeping this in mind, here are some major cyber problems heading into the New Year:

Passwords ? 2012 was certainly a rough time for many computer users ? at least for those who didn?t choose creative and tough-to-guess passwords. This was especially true for many celebrities who got their email accounts hacked by choosing security questions a simple Google search could crack. With the advent of brute force password attacks potentially behind us, it seems like more and more hackers are gaining legitimate access to accounts by merely guessing passwords. Make sure your company has a strict system for creating difficult passwords.

Mobile ? The ability for business owners and employees to run an entire network on a smartphone or tablet is nothing sort of awesome. However, hackers are increasingly interested in gaining access to your phone?s information as well ? whether you are playing Angry Birds or swiping a client credit card using a reader like Square. Keeping your smartphone as up-to-date with security as your office network is a major concern going into next year.

Clouds ? The cloud-based system of data management is a cost-effective and simplistic way of storing your company?s information whilst keeping it synced across many devices. As small and medium-sized businesses begin to adopt this technology, clouds will need to become more secure, providing the safety that business information needs.

To help prevent any cyber crimes like theft or data attacks from happening at your business, please contact an independent network security company.

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Source: http://www.networksecuritysource.com/network-security-challenges-business-2013/

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Man pushed to death on NYC subway tracks

By Shimon Prokupecz and Gus Rosendale, NBCNewYork.com

A man was pushed from a subway platform in Queens Thursday and killed by an oncoming train, a law enforcement official told NBC 4 New York.

Witnesses told police that a woman, described as heavyset and in her 20s, shoved the man onto the 7-train tracks at 40th Street and Queens Blvd. before fleeing, the law enforcement official said. Police are searching for the woman.

Police say they believe they have video of the suspect that they're currently retrieving from a pizzeria near the train station. The video was expected to be released overnight.

The suspect, dressed in a gray, white and blue jacket, had been mumbling to herself and pacing the platform, according to police. Witnesses said that the victim and suspect did not exchange any words and that it appeared that the man did notice the suspect at all before being pushed from behind to his death.

"I heard it. One of my customers was on train and heard it going over body," said Jiovanni Briones, who works near the scene.

It is the second time this month that a person has been shoved onto subway train tracks and killed.

Naeem Davis, a 30-year-old deli worker, was recently arrested and charged with second-degree murder for allegedly pushing a man off a Midtown subway platform to his death.

Ki-Suk Han, 58, was stuck by a southbound Q train after being pushed off the platform at the 49th Street station Dec. 3.

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Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/27/16200800-man-pushed-to-death-on-new-york-subway-tracks?lite

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Russia's President Putin signs bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children

MOSCOW - President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a law banning Americans from adopting Russian children, abruptly terminating the prospects for more than 50 youngsters preparing to join new families and sparking critics to liken him to King Herod.

The move is part of a harsh response to a U.S. law targeting Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Although some top Russian officials including the foreign minister openly opposed the bill, Putin signed it less than 24 hours after receiving it from Parliament, where it passed both houses overwhelmingly.

The law also calls for the closure of non-governmental organizations receiving American funding if their activities are classified as political ? a broad definition many fear could be used to close any NGO that offends the Kremlin.

The law takes effect Jan. 1, the Kremlin said. Children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov said 52 children who were in the pipeline for U.S. adoption would remain in Russia.

The ban is in response to a measure signed into law by President Barack Obama this month that calls for sanctions against Russians assessed to be human rights violators.

That stems from the case of Sergei Magnitsky, a Russian lawyer who was arrested after accusing officials of a $230 million tax fraud. He was repeatedly denied medical treatment and died in jail in 2009. Russian rights groups claimed he was severely beaten.

A prison doctor who was the only official charged in the case was acquitted by a Moscow court on Friday. Although there was no demonstrable connection to Putin's signing the law a few hours later, the timing underlines what critics say is Russia's refusal to responsibly pursue the case.

The adoption ban has angered both Americans and Russians who argue it victimizes children to make a political point, cutting off a route out of frequently dismal orphanages for thousands.

"The king is Herod," popular writer Oleg Shargunov said on his Twitter account, referring to the Roman-appointed king of Judea at the time of Jesus Christ's birth, who the Bible says ordered the massacre of Jewish children to avoid being supplanted by a prophesied newborn king of the Jews.

A painting depicting the massacre and captioned "an appropriate response to the Magnitsky act" spread widely on the Internet. The phrase echoed Putin's characterization of the ban while it was under consideration.

U.S. State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell expressed regret over Putin's signing the law and urged Russia to "allow those children who have already met and bonded with their future parents to finish the necessary legal procedures so that they can join their families."

Vladimir Lukin, head of the Russian Human Rights Commission and a former ambassador to Washington, said he would challenge the law in the constitutional Court.

The U.S. law galvanized Russian resentment of the United States, which Putin has claimed funded and encouraged the wave of massive anti-government protests that arose last winter.

The Parliament initially considered a relatively similar retaliatory measure, but amendments have expanded it far beyond a tit-for-tat response.

UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children not in parental custody in Russia while about 18,000 Russians are on the waiting list to adopt a child. The U.S. is the biggest destination for adopted Russian children ? more than 60,000 of them have been taken in by Americans over the past two decades.

Russians historically have been less enthusiastic about adopting children than most Western cultures. Putin, along with signing the adoption ban, on Friday issued an order for the government to develop a program to provide more support for adopted children.

Lev Ponomarev, one of Russia's most prominent human rights activists, hinted at that reluctance when he said Parliament members who voted for the bill should take custody of the children who were about to be adopted.

"The moral responsibility lies on them," he told Interfaxe. "But I don't think that even one child will be taken to be brought up by deputies of the Duma."

Many Russians have been distressed for years by reports of Russian children dying or suffering abuse at the hands of their American adoptive parents. The new Russian law was dubbed the "Dima Yakovlev Bill" after a toddler who died in 2008 when his American adoptive father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours.

In that case, the father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter and Russia has complained of acquittals or light sentences in other such cases.

The Investigative Committee, Russia's top investigative body, on Friday complained that its attempts to have the acquittals overturned or reconsidered had been ignored by the United States. Under U.S. law, acquittals are final except in rare cases.

Russians also bristled at how the widespread adoptions appeared to show them as hardhearted or too poor to take care of orphans. Astakhov, the children's ombudsman, charged that well-heeled Americans often got priority over Russians who wanted to adopt.

A few lawmakers even claimed that some Russian children were adopted by Americans only to be used for organ transplants or become sex toys or cannon fodder for the U.S. Army. A spokesman for Russia's dominant Orthodox Church said that children adopted by foreigners and raised outside the church will not enter God's kingdom.

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Mansur Mirovalev and Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this story.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russias-president-putin-signs-bill-banning-americans-adopting-174305243.html

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Hawaii lieutenant gov. picked to fill Senate seat

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz speaks the state Capitol in Honolulu on Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 after Gov. Neil Abercrombie, right, announced he was appointing Schatz to fill the seat vacated by the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz speaks the state Capitol in Honolulu on Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 after Gov. Neil Abercrombie, right, announced he was appointing Schatz to fill the seat vacated by the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)

FILE- In this Nov. 3, 2010 file photo, a supporter congratulates then-Lt. governor-elect Brian Schatz, center, as his wife Linda looks on at the Neil Abercrombie-Brian Schatz Hawaii governor's post election party in Honolulu. Schatz was appointed by Gov. Neil Abercrombie Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012 to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner, File)

Hawaii Lt. Gov. Brian Schatz, left, shakes hands with Gov. Neil Abercrombie at the state Capitol in Honolulu on Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 after the governor announced he was appointing Schatz to fill the seat vacated by the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Inouye. (AP Photo/Audrey McAvoy)

HONOLULU (AP) ? Hawaii's lieutenant governor and former head of President Obama's 2008 election effort there has been named the state's newest U.S. senator, a choice that went against the dying wish of revered longtime Sen. Daniel Inouye.

Gov. Neil Abercrombie appointed Brian Schatz to the post Wednesday, instead of Inouye choice U.S. Rep. Colleen Hanabusa.

The 40-year-old Schatz, a former state representative and onetime chairman of the state Democratic party, said his top priorities would be addressing global climate change, preserving federal funds used in Hawaii for things like defense spending and transportation, and getting federal recognition for Native Hawaiians for forming their own government, similar to many Indian tribes.

Schatz, who ran with Abercrombie for the state's top two offices in 2010, beat out Hanabusa and Esther Kiaaina, a deputy director in the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The three candidates were selected by state Democrats Wednesday morning from a field of 14. The candidates briefly made their cases before the state party's central committee.

"No one can fill Sen. Daniel K. Inouye's shoes, but what we want to do today is find the right person to walk in his footsteps," Schatz told the committee.

"I want to be your senator because I believe Hawaii needs seniority, and we need someone who can build it up over decades and decades. And I pledge to you, if I'm given this opportunity and obligation to serve, I will try to make this my life's work and rebuild the tenure that Hawaii so desperately needs," he said.

The White House said Schatz would fly to Washington Wednesday night with Obama, who was returning from his Hawaii Christmas vacation early as Congress considers what to do about the so-called fiscal cliff.

Schatz could be sworn in as early as Thursday, which would make him Hawaii's senior senator. Hawaii's other senator, Daniel Akaka, is retiring at the end of this Congress after 22 years.

Even before winning the 2010 general election, Abercrombie expressed faith in Schatz, saying he would put him in charge of attracting more private and federal investment in Hawaii. Other responsibilities included leading the state's clean energy efforts and Asia-Pacific relations.

"To the people of Hawaii, I can assure you this: I will give every fiber of my being to doing a good job for the state of Hawaii," Schatz told a news conference in Honolulu. "We have a long and perhaps difficult road ahead of us, but we can succeed if we work together. I understand the magnitude of this obligation and this honor, and I won't let you down."

Inouye, by far Hawaii's most influential politician and one of the most respected lawmakers in Washington after serving five decades in the Senate, died last week of respiratory complications at the age of 88. He sent Abercrombie a hand-signed letter dated the day he died, saying he would like Hanabusa to succeed him, calling it his "last wish."

Four days after eulogizing Inouye in the courtyard of the Hawaii Capitol, Abercrombie said he had to consider more than just Inouye's wishes in filling his seat.

"Of course Sen. Inouye's views and his wishes were taken into account fully, but the charge of the central committee, and by extension then myself as governor, was to act in the best interests of the party ... the state and the nation," Abercrombie said.

"The law makes explicitly clear, as do the rules of the Democratic Party, that while everyone's voice is heard and everyone's view is taken into account, nonetheless, no one and nothing is preordained."

Under state law, the successor had to come from the same party as the prior incumbent. An Abercrombie spokeswoman said the governor did not feel any political pressure from within his party to make the choice he made.

"While we are very disappointed that it was not honored, it was the governor's decision to make," Jennifer Sabas, Inouye's chief of staff, said in a statement. "We wish Brian Schatz the best of luck."

Selecting Hanabusa, 61, would have required a special election in Hawaii's 1st Congressional District. Last time that happened, Hanabusa lost to Republican Charles Djou because of a winner-take-all format that split votes between Democrats.

Abercrombie said the possibility of a special election was a factor, as well as Hanabusa's "key position" on the House Armed Services Committee. The governor said she was on her way toward establishing a senior position on that panel, and it's important for Hawaii ? with its four-member delegation ? to establish seniority in both chambers.

Schatz will serve until an election is held in 2014. He said he will run for re-election to try to keep the Senate seat until 2016 ? the end of Inouye's original term ? and would run again for Senate in 2016 if given the chance.

Hanabusa congratulated Schatz in a statement.

"Having served as chair of the Hawaii Senate Judiciary Committee when the succession law was passed, I fully respect the process and the governor's right to appoint a successor," she said.

Last week, when Abercrombie announced he would not seek the seat himself, his spokeswoman Louise Kim McCoy said Abercrombie intends to make his current post as Hawaii governor the last office of his political career.

Inouye would be "very happy" with the choice, Hawaii Democratic Party chairman Dante Carpenter said. Schatz has less experience than some older politicians in the Senate but he will be building seniority, which is "critical" to the state of Hawaii, he said.

"In the words of Sen. Dan Inouye ? invoked more than once ? seniority in the United States Congress is everything," Carpenter said.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid had urged Abercrombie to name Inouye's successor before the end of the year. The next Congress begins Jan. 3.

Democratic Rep. Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, was elected in November to succeed Akaka.

First in line to replace Schatz as lieutenant governor is Senate President Shan Tsutsui, who said he planned to discuss the prospect with his family before deciding.

___

Becky Bohrer can be reached on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bbohrerap.

___

Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2012-12-27-US%20Senate-Hawaii/id-888ae319a06044509b89cd1e2539916e

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Toshiba Is Working On a Miniature Lytro Sensor For Your Smartphone

Imagine for a second that your smartphone could snap in-focus images every single time. Kind of like the Lytro camera you can buy today. While it might seem like a pipe dream, we might actually see it in the next two years thanks to Toshiba. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/DURx-kur6_o/toshiba-is-working-on-a-miniature-lytro-sensor-for-your-smartphone

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Sharp criticism after New York newspaper publishes names of local gun owners

The Journal News in White Plains, N.Y., used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information on registered handgun owners in the area. Many owners and other critics are outraged that criminals now know where the guns are ??and aren't.

By Brad Knickerbocker,?Staff writer / December 26, 2012

A customer tests a Glock 20 10mm handgun at the Guns-R-Us gun shop in Phoenix, Dec. 20, 2012. With the possibility of new gun legislation on the horizon, many local gun shops have seen an increase in sales.

Ralph D. Freso/REUTERS

Enlarge

Two fundamental rights many Americans hold dear ? the right to own firearms and the right to access public information ? have collided in the decision by a New York-area newspaper to publish the names and addresses of people licensed to own handguns.

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The Gannett-owned Journal News, headquartered in White Plains, N.Y., used the Freedom of Information Act to obtain information on some 44,000 registered handgun owners in Westchester, Rockland, and Putnam Counties, just north of New York City. It then published that information online over the weekend using Google Maps to show exactly where those gun owners live.

In the wake of the Sandy Hook school shooting, gun ownership is a touchy subject ? politically and socially ? and the decision by The Journal News to obtain and publish such information has drawn sharp and critical response.

In a blog post headlined ?Intimidation,? Ben Shapiro at Breitbart.com warned that ?publishing the names and addresses of gun owners makes them more vulnerable to robbery when they aren?t at home, since criminals will know where the guns are.?

Other critics have suggested that the published information also points to the addresses that don?t have registered handguns ? perhaps making them more of a target for armed criminals. ?It reveals to criminals which homes *are not* protected by a firearm,? tweeted conservative talk-show host Tammy Bruce.

Many commenters on Facebook and other social media weighed in, some publicizing the names and home addresses of Journal News editors and reporters.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/YvKJ0WkGLZc/Sharp-criticism-after-New-York-newspaper-publishes-names-of-local-gun-owners

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Unwed mothers call for Park's attention | THEAsiaN

Kim Jung-in (an alias), a public relations officer, knew it would be difficult to raise her one-month-old daughter alone. But determined to try, she ignored family members who pressured her to opt for adoption, just as they had told her to have an abortion.

?I was confident I could get a job and take care of her on my own,? recalled Kim, 36, of the turbulent period four years ago. ?But I needed time to find work and persuade my parents I could do that.?

Time and understanding, she would find, were not on her side.

Kim met her boyfriend while working abroad for a Korean firm. They wanted to marry but her family would not give their blessing without meeting the prospective groom first. After they learned she was pregnant, the man convinced her to quit her job, saying he could support her.

But the man?s business fell through, and with scant resources, he convinced Kim to return to Korea unmarried. Despite promises to follow her, he vanished.

She ended up in Busan with her parents, who shunned her for giving birth out of wedlock ? a common response in Korean society. ?My mother cooked meals for me, but not for my baby,? she recalled. ?My father did not accept me as part of the family. I ran out of places to turn to.?

Kim may have been alone, but her story is not uncommon in a country where stigmatization and a lack of social services force many women to choose between abortion and adoption. While single mothers have raised their profile in recent years, groups supporting them say that the government must provide them with a safety net and begin to set straight a painful history.

The issue may be set to go under the spotlight as Korea prepares for its first female president, Park Geun-hye, who has promised to improve conditions for women. Support groups say whether Park pays attention to single mothers will be a bellwether of how thoroughly she plans to follow through on this pledge.

As yet, the President-elect?s team has not made specific policies for single mothers and they are not mentioned in its policy book of over 300 pages.

?Right now, they are included in the policies for single parents,? said an official from the policy committee of Park?s Saenuri Party, requesting anonymity. ?Once the transition committee is launched, it is possible that the issues of unmarried mothers can be discussed there.?

Entrenched attitudes

The path for Kim to keep her child was precarious. In need of work, she jumped when she heard of a job in Seoul. But with her family refusing to babysit, she made what she felt was a necessary gamble, leaving the child in the care of an adoption agency, with the promise that if potential adoptive parents were interested, she would be called.

She soon received a text message from a social worker informing her that an adoption had been finalized. ?I cried a lot that I wanted my baby, but I was told it was impossible. After fighting for three months I got her back.?

According to Statistics Korea, some 2.1 percent of babies were born outside of marriage last year, the lowest rate among member nations of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and well below the OECD average of 36.3 percent.

Some 90 percent of Korean babies adopted internationally are from single mothers, seen as representative of the social pressures facing unmarried, pregnant women.

Han Seo Seung-hee, who works with the Korean Unwed Mothers Support Network (KUMSN), believes the attitude stems from deeply ingrained Confucian mores. ?Society thinks they are immoral,? she said. The attitude prevails in spite of concerns over the nation?s aging population. Moreover, social stigma against mothers who have children out of wedlock is underpinned by the specific expression in the Korean language referring to them, ?Mi-hon-mo?, often used as a pejorative term.

Lee Jung-hee, a 31-year-old teacher in Gyeonggi Province, said people treated her differently when she decided to give birth to her son after breaking up with her boyfriend, the father.

?You can?t tell people at work, or you have to lie to them. It?s like you are a criminal,? she said.

Even at the hospital, where she received care under her insurance program, the doctor ?suddenly turned really cold? when Lee said the father might not be present at birth. Other hospital officials asked why she did not go to a care center for single mothers.

?That?s when I realized, if you become a single mother in this country, it doesn?t matter if you have a family, if you have a good job or education, or who you are. You just become the bottom of society. People treat you like crap,? she said.

Han said on the national census, if a woman reports being unmarried, it neglects to ask whether she has children. Others point out that existing cash support reinforces the separation of families and institutional help rather than empowering women to raise their children alone.

According to numbers compiled by Truth and Reconciliation for the Adoption Community of Korea (TRACK), the government provides around 1 million won for each child in a family group home facility or an orphanage; and 250,000 won for every child in foster care. Korean families who adopt are supported with a 100,000 stipend. But single parents, including unwed and divorced parent receive 50,000 per month.

Lee, the teacher, didn?t want to be institutionalized in a group home.

?If you stay in such a place for a year, or two, or three, how do you ever start over again? Someone like me _ a professional _ if I get a little support from the government, I can get back on my feet and I am willing to work,? she said.

The monthly support for single parents falls well short of considering unexpected circumstances, Lee learned. Soon after birth, her son was diagnosed with Hirschsprung?s disease, a disorder of the abdomen that required surgery.

Through support from KUMSN, she has been able to hire a babysitter, but her son?s frequent illness poses a problem for her work schedule.

Kim Jung-in, the public relations worker, said stigmatization does not stop with the mother. ?Most families don?t want to have get-togethers with single mothers and their children,? she said.

Reconciling the past, looking ahead

Jane Jeong Trenka, head of TRACK, said the high percentage of international adoptees that comes from unwed mothers binds the two groups together.
International adoptions from Korea picked up pace during the country?s rapid industrialization under the military dictatorship of Park Chung-hee, the late father of President-elect Park. Many such adoptees return to Korea to learn about the country or search for their birth parents.

Some scholars suggest that like other exports of human resources during that era, babies, especially those born out of wedlock, may have been seen as a tidy source of profit.

?The unwed mothers and their children are woven inextricably into the history of Korea?s development,? said Trenka, an adoptee.

She said the stories of the families of adoptees reveal a ?complete lack of a social safety net and of course patriarchal practices which include intense discrimination by the society and the government against single mothers and their children.?

In recent years, grassroots awareness campaigns have helped bring the issue to light. Last year, the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Single Parent Law that by 2015 will ban adoption agencies from owning facilities for unwed mothers, which activists say will reduce the influence of the agencies in the women?s decision-making process.

Groups such as KUMSN say now is the time for the government to devise policies to shore up services.

The advocates say efforts must go beyond Park?s promise to increase cash support from 50,000 won to 150,000 won and bolster housing for single parents.

Activist Han said the government can start by collecting accurate statistics on unwed mothers, because it is believed many women do not report their status. KUMSN urges the incoming administration to consider diversifying housing options, tightening regulations over adoption practices, and providing better education for pregnant, unwed women on their options.

The government should mobilize a public awareness campaign to educate society on unwed women, the group says.

Lee, the mother, says the reasons women like her and their children should be treated as normal members of society are simple.

?I pay taxes, first of all. And then every child has the right to be happy,? she said.

?I gave birth to a kid, and he is going to grow up and work for this country. We can raise these kids and make them happy. People need to be open minded, not just for me, but for the children.? <The Korea Times/Kim Young-jin>

Source: http://www.theasian.asia/archives/52094

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Jodie Marsh Bikini Battle: Breast in Show?

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alister scrag: needn barrister: culbertson aborigine: Speed reading ...

I installed some speed reading apps and tested them. I?ve so far notices a few ?categories? or groups of equals:

• One kind exists mostly from showing a text word by word in the middle of the screen. Showing each word a very short time and so you can read at a high wpm because you never need to move your eyes.
• Another kind is merely a speed reading article disguised as app.
• Another kind is no speed reading app but just a reading app with a fancy name.
• Yet another kind is training in the form of news/actually.
• And the last kind is a training app, not for your own stuff but purely for training.

I only tested them quickly and unions talked the non-interesting. But they aren?t quite what I?m looking for. Maybe I should write one myself for training and guided reading.

This entry was posted in Other and tagged Android, Self Improvement, Speed Reading. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.tjenwellens.eu/other/speed-reading-apps-for-android/

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Source: http://alister-scrag.blogspot.com/2012/12/needn-barrister-culbertson-aborigine.html

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The men who would save Mali's manuscripts

Islamist militants in Timbuktu destroyed graves and shrines associated with Sufism this year. Ancient manuscripts are not directly threatened, but some fear they are next.

By John Thorne,?Correspondent / December 25, 2012

In a small workshop at the edge of town, where the towers of high-voltage power lines march toward the horizon, Boubacar Sadeck sits surrounded by papers, parchments, and hides. On his business card is written in French, ?Artisanal copyist of XVI century manuscripts.?

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?In Timbuktu, I?m the only copyist of my generation still working,? he says.

But he is no longer in TImbuktu. He fled for the capital Bamako last April as violence engulfed Mali's north.?Islamist militants now control Timbuktu with a rule by gun that threatens?both the country's future and the artifacts from its rich past.?

Last summer Islamist militants in Timbuktu destroyed graves and shrines that were associated with Islam?s mystical Sufi tradition. The militants called them blasphemous. While no threat ??Islamist or otherwise ??has emerged specifically against manuscripts, the sense of lawlessness has some in Timbuktu worried.

?The Islamists have said they don?t want to harm the manuscripts,? says Abdel Kader Haidara, a specialist in manuscript cataloging and director of one of Timbuktu?s largest family libraries. ?But other people could take advantage of the situation to attack our heritage.?

'Greatly honors lettered men'

There are around 180,000 medieval manuscripts in Timbuktu, Mr. Haidara says, covering topics from Quranic exegesis to philosophy, mathematics, and law. So far some 23,000 have been cataloged ? a scavenger hunt through archives that often lays bare Timbuktu?s past as a crossroads of trade and scholarship.

Haidara descends from a line of bookish types, he says ? among them scribes, writers, and judges. In 2000 he renovated his family?s library, home to some 45,000 manuscripts, which includes rooms for manuscript restoration, digital scanning, cataloging, reading, and conferences.

?Timbuktu was among the earliest Islamized African cities,? says Haidara. ?Islam came from Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, and even Spain ? thus the relations via families that re-settled here, as well as the commercial links.?

Timbuktu grew from a caravan way-station near the Niger River to its zenith around the turn of the 16^th century as a key commercial hub of the Songhai empire, then at the height of its power.

?In the city are many judges, doctors, and clerics, all well-financed by the king, who greatly honors lettered men,? wrote the Arab traveler Hassan ibn Muhammed al Wazzan al Fasi, known as Leo Africanus, who visited Timbuktu in the early 16^th century. ?Many hand-written books are sold there that come from Barbary, and from these more is earned than from any other merchandise.?

Demand for books fed an?industry of copyists, skilled calligraphers who reproduced texts and, with their notes and marginalia, contributed to the evolution of scholarship.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/pdL_9yqx5Oc/The-men-who-would-save-Mali-s-manuscripts

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Shootings in Texas, Wisconsin kill two police officers

(Reuters) - Two on-duty police officers were shot and killed in separate incidents in Wisconsin and Texas on Monday, according to police and media reports, a deadly Christmas Eve for first responders across the United States.

The shootings in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, and in Houston came the same day that a gunman shot dead two firefighters and wounded three at a house fire in upstate Webster, New York.

Wauwatosa Police Officer Jennifer Sebena, 30, was found shot and killed early on Monday, according to police in the Milwaukee suburb.

Sebena was on patrol between 3 and 5 a.m. when she was shot several times, police said. She was found by a fellow officer after she did not respond to calls from dispatch.

An officer with the Bellaire Police Department in Houston died following a shootout at around 9 a.m. that also killed an innocent bystander, according to local media reports.

A spokesperson for the Houston Police Department was not immediately available for comment. An officer answering the phone confirmed what was in local media, but would not comment further.

The suspect is in the hospital, according to local media.

A representative for the Bellaire Police Department said only that an officer had been shot at the end of a pursuit.

Before Monday's deaths, the Washington-based National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund reported that a total of 125 federal, state and local officers had died in the line of duty this year.

Forty-seven deaths were firearms-related, 50 from traffic-related incidents and 28 from other causes, it said.

(Reporting by Mary Wisniewski and Brendan O'Brien)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/shootings-texas-wisconsin-kill-two-police-officers-192652997.html

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Christmas Beetroot Salad | Five Euro Food

Dec 24, 2012

(8 Comments - Join the discussion)

Serves: Makes ~6
Cost: ~?0.90
Preparation and cooking time: ~10 minutes
Calories: ~66 calories per serving

Well folks, Christmas is almost upon us, and on behalf of my family, I?d like to take this opportunity to wish you all a fantastic Christmas and New Year. As per tradition, we?ll be having not one, but two ?Christmas days? in our home this year. We?ll be celebrating Swedish Christmas on the 24th, and then English Christmas on the 25th, along with a rather delectable array of food and drink for each day?s main meal. We?ll be having people over to celebrate with us on both days. It?s a lot of work, cooking for seven people one day, and then eight the next but it?s Christmas after all, and for me that?s all about togetherness, friendship, and mutual celebration.

The 25th is going to be a traditional English lunch ? roast turkey, roast potatoes, roasted parsnips, carrots, and sprouts, yorkshire puddings, sausages wrapped in bacon, gravy, cranberry sauce, and all topped off with a Yule Log?and mince pies?with brandy butter. The 24th is going to be a traditional Swedish?Julbord?(Christmas table) ? gravlax, pickled herring, meatballs, sausages, boiled eggs, hard and soft bread, boiled potatoes, Jansson?s Temptation, kavring (a type of bread which I?ll post a recipe for one day soon), beetroot salad (the subject of today?s post), rice porridge, and all rounded off with gingerbread cookies and cake.

Yum? for some!

Phew ? that?s quite a list. Add to that having to get the timing right and things are looking a bit hair-raising, so thank goodness for simple things, like the beetroot salad which takes mere minutes to throw together. You can make it the night before. No, scratch that, you?should make it the night before, as the colours will infuse over night giving a much more aesthetically pleasing dish. Beetroot haters of the world ? feel free to skip this. If you?re not a fan then this dish isn?t going to change your mind but if you are then this makes a wonderfully light, colourful, healthy and fresh addition to the traditionally starchy, carb-laden meal.

I?m starting to think I?m a bit beetroot-obsessed, I post it so darn much! Anyway though, I?ll leave you for now and will be back after Christmas with the best roast beef! Seriously ? it rocks. I posted a roast beef recipe before but screw that, it?s garbage compared to this. Have a happy and a healthy one y?all!

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• ~3 large peeled and boiled Beetroot
• 1 Onion
• 1 Granny Smith Apple
• ~250g thick Yoghurt, or regular yoghurt, filtered in a coffee filter for an hour to remove excess liquid
• ~3tbsps Mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Try to make this dish 24 hours in advance. Start off by dicing the beetroot into small cubes. Peel, core, and grate the apple, and then peel and finely chop the onion. Transfer to a large bowl and add in the yoghurt and mayonnaise.
2. Mix the ingredients well and season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a suitable sized bowl or container and store in the refrigerator. The next day, mix the contents of the bowl again to ensure even sauce and colour distribution and enjoy as a Christmas table accompaniment.

2.0

http://www.fiveeurofood.com/index.php/2012/12/christmas-beetroot-salad/

Ingredients

• ~3 large peeled and boiled Beetroot
• 1 Onion
• 1 Granny Smith Apple
• ~250g thick Yoghurt, or regular yoghurt, filtered in a coffee filter for an hour to remove excess liquid
• ~3tbsps Mayonnaise
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

Source: http://www.fiveeurofood.com/index.php/2012/12/christmas-beetroot-salad/

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pathway upstroke: jessicaalva66: johir.khan: Self-Improvement ...

Self-Improvement Affirmations with Self-Hypnosis Audios Deal! | Self ...

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Source: http://johirkhan72.blogspot.com/2012/12/self-improvement-affirmations-with-self.html

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Exclusive With The Impossible Director Juan Bayona | Just Nekia ...

By Nekia Nichelle, today at 9:50 am

Having the chance to see the movie The Impossible first hand during the Chicago Film Festival, I felt honored to have the chance to speak to ?Juan Bayona, the director of the newly released film?starring Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts.

The film tells a?heartfelt?account of a family caught, with tens of thousands of strangers, in the mayhem of one of the worst natural catastrophes of our time. My enjoyment of the film stemmed from the extraordinary effects to the hidden deeper meaning the film left the audience. Juan spoke to me about??why it was important for him to tell this story, how he recreated some of the scenes, and what he wants the audience to take from the film.

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/just-nekia-nichelle/2012/12/the-impossible/

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Egypt opposition alleges vote fraud in referendum

CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's opposition said Sunday it will keep fighting the Islamist-backed constitution after the Muslim Brotherhood, the main group backing the charter, claimed it passed with a 64 percent "yes" vote in a referendum.

The opposition alleged vote fraud and demanded an investigation ? a sign that the referendum will not end the turmoil that has roiled this country for nearly two years since the uprising that ousted authoritarian leader Hosni Mubarak. Many Egyptians, especially the tens of millions who live in extreme poverty, had hoped the new constitution might usher in a period of more stability.

A heated political debate over the past month leading up to the referendum at times erupted into deadly street battles. There were no mass opposition demonstrations on Sunday after the unofficial results came out.

Renewed violence and political tensions have further imperiled Egypt's already precarious economy, reeling from dwindling resources and a cash-strapped government whose plans to borrow from the International Monetary Fund had to be pushed back because of the turmoil.

The finance ministry said Sunday the budget deficit reached $13 billion in the five months from July-November, about 4.5 percent higher compared to the same period last year.

Official results of the referendum are not expected until Monday. If the unofficial numbers are confirmed, it will be a victory Islamist President Mohammed Morsi, who is from the Brotherhood.

But the opposition allegations look likely to prolong the fight. Beyond allegations of fraud, the opposition will likely challenge new laws issued on the basis of the constitution as well as Morsi's economic policies.

"The referendum is not the end game. It is only a battle in this long struggle for the future of Egypt," said the National Salvation Front, the main opposition group. "We will not allow a change to the identity of Egypt or the return of the age of tyranny."

The opposition claims the new constitution seeks to enshrine Islamic rule in Egypt and accuses the Islamists of trying to monopolize power.

Critics say it does not sufficiently protect the rights of women and minority groups and empowers Muslim clerics by giving them a say over legislation. Some articles were also seen as tailored to get rid of Islamists' enemies and undermine the freedom of labor unions.

The latest political battle began with Morsi's Nov. 22 decrees that gave him powers to protect the Islamist-dominated panel writing the constitution and dismiss the country's top prosecutor, a holdover from the Mubarak era.

Although Morsi subsequently rescinded the powers that gave him immunity from judicial oversight, his decision to replace the prosecutor general was viewed by many in the judiciary as trampling over their powers. Hundreds of prosecutors held a rally Sunday demanding the new, Morsi-appointed prosecutor general quit, days after he retracted his resignation claiming it was rendered under pressure.

The prosecutors said in a news conference that they will be on strike until he quits.

Scores of lawyers who support Morsi's decision held an earlier rally, demanding that the top prosecutor stay, and accusing the opposition of being "thugs."

One major concern in the aftermath of the constitutional turmoil is Egypt's deteriorating economy, which has been battered by the two years of turmoil and taken an added hit from renewed violence recently.

Adding to the anxiety, state television reported on Saturday amidst voting on the referendum that the central bank governor had resigned, then retracted the report. The governor turned up at a meeting of the government's economic team Sunday in an apparent attempt to quell nervousness over the state of the economy.

The government stressed the urgency of stability.

"The financial and economic situations are dire," government spokesman Alaa el-Hadidi said, according to comments published by the state news agency MENA. With the referendum behind, el-Hadidi said economic policies must be at the center of attention, adding that the government will work to improve the investment environment to attract foreign investors.

The government had to postpone a request for $4.8 billion of IMF loans, putting off unpopular tax increases and reforms to after the referendum for fear they would only stoke political tensions.

A day before the official results of the constitution are expected, the opposition front said it filed complaints to the country's top prosecutor and the election commission asking for an investigation.

"The results of the referendum are for sure because of the rigging, violations and mismanagement that characterized it," the National Salvation Front said.

It alleged the vote was marred by lack of complete judicial supervision, which led to overcrowding that pushed down the voting rate. It also charged there was interference by those who were supposed to be supervising the vote, with some instructing people to vote "yes." Many judges who traditionally supervise elections boycotted supervising the vote.

"We don't think the results reflect the true desires of the Egyptian people," Khaled Dawoud, the front's spokesman, told The Associated Press.

However, the Brotherhood insisted violations were limited and should not affect the referendum's integrity.

The Freedom and Justice Party, the Brotherhood's political arm, said it hoped the passage of the constitution would be a "historic opportunity" to heal Egypt's divisions and launch a dialogue to restore stability and build state institutions.

If the violations are considered serious enough, there could be new votes in some areas that alter the results slightly.

The referendum was conducted in two stages with the first vote on Dec. 15 and the second on Saturday. The Muslim Brotherhood and some media outlets have accurately tallied the outcome of past elections by compiling numbers released by electoral officials at thousands of individual polling stations shortly after voting closes.

Turnout for the vote was 32 percent of Egypt's more than 51 million eligible voters, according to the Muslim Brotherhood. That was significantly lower than other elections since the uprising ended in February 2011. The opposition has pointed to the low turnout as well as allegations of violations in the voting to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the referendum.

The Brotherhood said 64 percent voted "yes" to the constitution in a tally of both stages of voting. For Saturday's second stage only, the Brotherhood said 71 percent of those who voted said "yes" with 99 percent of polling stations accounted for.

As expected, it was a jump from the first round of voting when about 56 percent said "yes." The provinces that voted in the second round were known for being a base for Brotherhood supporters.

Only about eight million of the 25 million Egyptians eligible to vote in the second stage ? a turnout of about 30 percent ? cast their ballots. Some 32 percent of eligible voters participated in the first round.

The Front said that regardless of the results, it welcomed the participation of many who rejected the constitution and refused to consider it a vote on Islamic law. The group vowed to continue to "democratically" work to change the constitution and praised the high turnout of women.

The Islamists say Islam is core to Egypt's identity and they view the constitution as a foundation to move forward, elect a parliament and build state institutions.

The new constitution will come into effect once official results are announced.

Once that happens, Morsi is expected to call for the election of parliament's lower chamber, the more powerful of the legislature's two houses, within two months.

The opposition said that even though it is challenging the results of the referendum, it will continue to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections.

Until the lower chamber is elected, the normally toothless upper house, or Shura Council, will have legislative powers.

On Sunday, Morsi appointed 90 new members to the Islamist-controlled Shura Council as part of his efforts to make the council more representative. The new appointments included at least 30 Islamists and a dozen Christians. They also include eight women, four of them Christians.

The opposition front said it did not want its members nominated to the Shura Council, now made up of 270 members.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-opposition-alleges-vote-fraud-referendum-140258777.html

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