Bunnie Huang building an open, ARM-based laptop, might even sell you one if you ask nicely

How do you follow-up creating Chumby, exposing illicit microSD card production and building an open-source radiation detector? If you answered "go to Disneyland," then you aren't Andrew "Bunnie" Huang -- who is now designing and building his very own laptop. Powered by an ARM Cortex A9 and running Linux, the hardware is NDA-free and as open as he can make it, with documents already online for you to study. He's expecting to finish validation and testing in the next few months, and may even offer a few for sale on Kickstarter -- although he does warn that it won't come cheap, so if you're looking for a machine to noodle around on, just get an EeePC.

Filed under: Laptops

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/pY2sKxGTg-g/

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America's disappearing restaurant chains

6 hrs.

Alexander E.M. Hess and Michael B. Sauter, 24/7 Wall St.

In the past 10 years, some of America?s biggest food chains have lost more than 50 percent of their sales as they closed hundreds of locations nationwide.

These restaurants, which include former American staples such as Big Boy, Ponderosa and Bennigan?s have not been able to maintain a steady crowd. They have failed to update their brand or menu options. As a result, locations have been closed in favor of a new generation of eateries. Based on data provided by food industry consulting and research firm Technomic Inc., 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the large restaurant chains with the biggest decline in locations and sales between 2001 and 2011.

24/7 Wall St.: Nine Beers Americans No Longer Drink

Restaurant brands are facing new challenges, Darren Tristano, Executive Vice President of ?Technomic, told 24/7 Wall St. in an interview. ?What?s happening today is that the contemporization of restaurants is creating a new breed, a new generation of restaurant in a competitive environment.? The struggling brands, which ?tend to be older in nature," Tristano said "have not kept up with current generations, or have been dominated by new competition within the segment.?

The type of cuisine these restaurants offer has also played a major role in their decline. In the case of barbecue establishments such as Damon?s and Tony Roma?s, competition isn't the problem. Rather, the barbecue segment as a whole is performing poorly because it's a necessarily limited cuisine. Tristano explained that this is in large part due to the fact that barbecue typically tends to attract male customers more than women. It also isn?t a meal diners tend to eat every day. Tony Roma?s sales declined by more than 70 percent between 2001 and 2011, while Damon?s sales fell by more than 75 percent.

Other chains are in segments that are doing fine, but the restaurant is losing out to newer chains with exciting brands and new offerings. TCBY, the frozen yogurt chain that experienced meteoric growth starting in the 1980s, has been cooling off for years. Traditional ice cream chains such as Coldstone Creamery have eaten into its sales, as have new frozen yogurt establishments such as Pinkberry. In 2001, there were 1,777 TCBY locations across the country. By 2011, there were just 405.

Many of the restaurants with the biggest declines in sales saw their heyday come and go several decades ago. Of the 10 chains with the biggest declines, eight have filed for bankruptcy in the past decade. In some cases, hundreds of locations were closed overnight. The chains were either then purchased or resumed operations only once the company emerged from bankruptcy. The remaining franchises continued to operate. But reinvigorating these brands will be an uphill battle.

The recent economic recession has further made the recovery of these brands challenging. While it is clear that actively pressing into new markets is necessary to keep these restaurants growing, these chains have been forced to devote most of their resources just to remaining afloat. Tristano explained, ?The economy?s been a big negative for these restaurants trying to gain traction or even grow, and so in many cases they?ve actually just continued to struggle and close units that were underperforming.?

24/7 Wall St.: The Best and Worst Run States in America

Based on sales data provided by Technomic, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the restaurant chains that had 60 percent or greater declines in the number of actual store locations operating from 2001 to 2011. In order to identify the chains that were once the biggest, restaurants had to have sales of at least $225 million in 2001 and experience 50 percent or greater declines in sales over the same period.

1. Bennigan?s

????????? Percent of stores closed:?88.2 percent

????????? Total stores:?33

????????? Stores closed:?247

????????? 2011 sales:?$62 million

????????? Percent decline in sales:?-89.0 percent

In the past 10 years, no major restaurant has lost as much of its business as Bennigan's. The Irish-themed restaurant and bar?s parent company, Metromedia Restaurant Group, filed for bankruptcy in 2008. After declaring bankruptcy, Bennigan's abruptly shut almost all of its franchises. As of last year, there were just 33 Bennigan's restaurants and the chain?s sales for the year totaled just $62 million -- more than half a billion dollars less than the chain?s 2001 sales. Despite these events, there is some hope for Bennigan?s -- and perhaps some of the other chains on this list: a group of investors purchased the company and plans to open new locations. Technomic described one of the group?s new locations in Appleton, Wisc., as taking ?all the best features of the casual dining restaurant today.?

2. Ground Round Grill & Bar

????????? Percent of stores closed:?80.9 percent

????????? Total stores:?25

????????? Stores closed:?106

????????? 2011 sales:?$37.5 million

????????? Percent decline in sales:?-83.4 percent

Ground Round is a family style dining chain, founded in 1969 to provide a ??neighborhood pub? experience where everyone, including couples and families, felt comfortable.? Like a number of other chains on this list, Ground Round declared bankruptcy relatively recently. However, unlike other disappearing restaurants, after its bankruptcy in 2004, the chain was bought by its former franchisees. Despite the change in ownership, the chain has struggled to survive in recent years, maintaining just 25 restaurants in 2011.

3. Country Kitchen

????????? Percent of stores closed:?79.1 percent

????????? Total stores:?52

????????? Stores closed:?197

????????? 2011 sales:?$44 million

????????? Percent decline in sales:?-82.4 percent

Country Kitchen was started in 1939 as a hamburger stand in Cincinnati, Ohio, and has been a national chain since 1958. Currently, however, it is concentrated in the Midwest and Plains states. In recent years, the chain has struggled to continue attracting customers. According to Technomic?s Tristano, the restaurant exists in the highly competitive mid-scale family style market, which has been crowded out by fast-casual dining. Between 2001 and 2011, Country Kitchen closed almost 200 locations, with the total number of restaurants falling from 249 to 52, as sales declined by more than 80 percent during the same period.

24/7 Wall St.: The Cities Where Everyone Has a Job

4. Damon?s Grill & Sports Bar

????????? Percent of stores closed:?78.1 percent

????????? Total stores:?30

????????? Stores closed:?107

????????? 2011 sales:?$70 million

????????? Percent decline in sales:?-75.4 percent

Damon?s was founded in 1979 and is currently based in Columbus, Ohio. It ?is a leading full-service, casual dining restaurant concept? with locations in the Midwest and Southeast United States, as well as in the United Kingdom. The chain, which is part of the struggling full-service barbecue restaurant segment, filed for bankruptcy in 2009. According to Tristano, other restaurants have increasingly offered much of the food found on a Damon?s menu. As of 2011, Damon?s had just $70 million in sales, down more than 75 percent from 2001 when it had nearly $285 million in sales.

5. TCBY

????????? Percent of stores closed:?77.2 percent

????????? Total stores:?405

????????? Stores closed:?1,372

????????? 2011 sales:?$98 million

????????? Percent decline in sales:?-60.4 percent

TCBY started in 1981 in Arkansas as ?the country?s first frozen yogurt shop.? The chain was purchased by Mrs. Fields Holdings in 2000. At the time, the?Chicago Tribune?noted that ?both TCBY and Mrs. Fields have considerable [brand] equity among consumers,? and that ?in the still-escalating fast-service wars, it makes sense for operators to offer more than one product in order to create more traffic.? Despite this optimism, the combined company filed for bankruptcy protection in 2008, and again required a restructuring deal to avoid bankruptcy last year. Between 2001 to 2011, TCBY shut well over 1,300 stores, leaving just 405 locations as of 2011.

Click here to read the rest of 24/7 Wall St.'s America's Disappearing Restaurant Chains

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/americas-disappearing-restaurant-chains-1C7599075

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Investor friendly real estate agent in Michigan - Zillow Real Estate ...

Looking for investor friendly real estate agents in Michigan, kalamazoo, grand rapids, battle creek.? How can we help each other? I would love to network with some realtors to better understand their side of the business. If you or any agents/broker contacts have deals that fall through, expiring listings, loans that fall apart for buyers. Please contact me, I have tenant buyers blowing up my phone daily and will split the option 50/50 with any agent for them representing me and we can structure the contract to keep the final sale in your office so you the agent will also get paid on the back end. Please get in touch with me, have a great weekend. info@reiclub.com or call 269-350-4725 remember 269-350-4SALE. Thanks Shane & Julie

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Investor-friendly-real-estate-agent-in-Michigan/471452/

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Could shooting be a gun-control tipping point?

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The question surfaces each time a mass murder unfolds: Will this one change the political calculus in Washington against tougher gun control?

The answer, after the Virginia Tech killings, the attempted assassination of Gabby Giffords, the Colorado movie-theater attack, the Wisconsin Sikh temple shootings, and more: No.

But now?

The massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., the bloodiest attack against youngsters in the nation's history, stands as a possible tipping point after Washington's decade-long aversion even to talking about stricter gun laws.

So it seems in the stunned aftermath, judging from President Barack Obama's body language as much as his statement. "We have been through this too many times," said the famously composed president, this time moved to tears. "We're going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics."

It remains to be seen whether Sandy Hook will break the usual cycle of universal shock fading into political reality. That reality is based on a combination of powerful gun lobbying and public opinion, which has shifted against tougher gun control and stayed that way. However lawmakers react this time, it's the president's call whether the issue fades again or takes its place alongside the legacy-shaping initiatives of his time, with all the peril that could mean for his party.

With the murder rate less than half what it was two decades ago, and violent crime down even more in that time, gun control has declined as a political issue.

But New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a gun control advocate, heard the familiar in Obama's initial response, despite the striking emotion.

"Not enough," Bloomberg said of Obama's words. "We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership ? not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today."

The Newtown shooter brought three guns into the school, and the weapons were registered to his slain mother, according to a law enforcement official who was not authorized to discuss information with reporters and spoke on condition of anonymity. The official said a Glock and a Sig Sauer, both pistols, and a .223-caliber Bushmaster rifle were found in the school after the attack, and a fourth weapon was recovered outside.

One certainty in the weeks to come is that both parties in Washington will carefully watch public opinion on gun control and the Second Amendment, and whether any impact lasts. Opposition to stricter laws has proved resilient.

In July, a gunman opened fire on Aurora, Colo., theatergoers watching the Batman movie, "The Dark Knight Rises," killing 12 people. The next month, an Associated Press-National Constitution Center poll found that 49 percent of Americans felt laws limiting gun ownership infringe on the right to bear arms, while only 43 percent said such laws do not infringe on those rights.

By many measures, Americans have changed on the question since the 1990s, when people favored gun control over gun rights ? by a 2-to-1 margin in polling after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Colorado. In a Gallup poll last year, 55 percent said gun laws should stay the same or be more lenient, while 43 percent wanted them toughened.

None of this is lost on Washington, where most Democrats long ago abandoned their advocacy of gun control, convinced that it is a losing issue for them. Obama has proposed reinstituting a federal ban on military-style assault weapons that lapsed years ago, but he's put no weight behind it, while signing laws letting people carry concealed weapons in national parks and in checked bags on Amtrak trains.

After the movie-theater attack, Obama declared "we should leave no stone unturned" to keep young people safe in a speech indicating he would challenge Congress to act on gun control. That expectation lasted for one day. The White House swiftly clarified that Obama would not propose stiffer gun laws this election year and favored more effective enforcement of existing law ? a position hardly distinguishable from that of his Republican rival, Mitt Romney.

Likewise, early last year, Obama weighed in on guns after an assailant killed six people and wounded 13, shooting then-Rep. Giffords in the head outside a grocery store in Tucson, Ariz. The president called for "sound and effective steps" in gun laws as part of a "new discussion on how we can keep America safe for all our people." He soon went back to silence on the topic and gun-control advocates waited in vain for the steps.

With his last presidential campaign behind him, Obama is freer to take up contentious matters that he wouldn't touch when he was an incumbent seeking re-election. Odds are favorable that he will have at least one vacancy to fill on a Supreme Court now closely divided on gun cases.

The Aurora attack happened in the heat of the campaign, when Democrats wanted no trouble from gun owners. In its first official response to the killings, Obama's White House pledged to protect fundamental gun rights. Obama and his spokesmen never failed to couple his wish for "common-sense measures" with his devotion to the Second Amendment.

But after the massacre of children Friday, Obama spoke mainly of the anguish, and the need for action, and not at all about the right to bear arms.

By the standards of gun-control politics, that alone was a crack in the status quo.

___

Associated Press writer Matt Apuzzo in Newtown, Conn., contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/could-shooting-gun-control-tipping-point-140902422--politics.html

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Pheromone helps mice remember where to find a mate

Friday, December 14, 2012

Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that male mice produce a pheromone that provokes females and competitor males to remember a preference for the place where the pheromone was previously encountered.

Some animals, such as moths, use a sensitive tracking system to trace airborne sex pheromones to the source, while others, such as snakes, follow trails of pheromones left on the ground. A team from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology has discovered that mice use a different system to locate mates and competitors by remembering exactly where they have encountered a male sex pheromone called darcin.

Darcin is a small protein in the urine scent marks of male mice. Although not detected from a distance, females that explore scent-marked areas are instinctively attracted to spend time near this pheromone when they come into contact with it.

The research, published in the journal, Science, shows that the pheromone stimulates very rapid learning of spatial cues associated with its location, so that females remember a preference for this location when they return to the area.

Males use the same mechanism to remember the location of rival male scents, making contact with darcin when they detect a male's scent that is not their own. The ability to remember and rapidly relocate sites scent marked by other males will help them to drive off rivals and to counter-mark with their own scent.

Dr Sarah Roberts, from the University's Institute of Integrative Biology, said: "We have shown that a male sex pheromone in mice makes females and competitor males remember exactly where they encountered the pheromone and show a preference for this site for up to two weeks afterwards. Given the opportunity, they will find that same place again, even if they encountered the scent only once and the scent is no longer there."

Professor Jane Hurst, who leads the University's Mammalian Behaviour and Evolution Group, explains: "This attraction to the place they remember is just as strong as attraction to the scent itself. Darcin, therefore, induces mice to learn a spatial map of the location of attractive males and their scents, to which they can easily return. This avoids the difficulty of having to detect specific scents from a distance and trace them to their source.

"Pheromones are used for sexual attraction and for advertising an animal's location in many species, particularly among mammals. It will be interesting to discover whether such highly potent associative learning is induced by pheromones in other species and to understand the brain mechanisms involved."

###

University of Liverpool: http://www.liv.ac.uk

Thanks to University of Liverpool for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125934/Pheromone_helps_mice_remember_where_to_find_a_mate

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Kristi Neace: Where's Our Peace in Times of Tragedy?

Amid the colored, paper-chain ornaments and smiling Santa faces in the hallways; regardless of the festive decorations and? good behavior stickers on the bulletin boards; a bit of innocence was lost this morning when a gunman stormed an elementary school in Connecticut, shooting and killing 26 people, 18 of which were children.

While all that chaos was taking place, several states southward, two police officers were shot while serving a drug-related search warrant - one of the officers killed in the wake of violence.?

Immediately, my thoughts turn to the first responders who will now spend countless hours combing through the carnage.? For many of them, the sights will forever stick into their memories, taunting them the rest of their lives. Screams and crying - death and dying.? Where is their peace?

Then there are the families.? Hours ago, the biggest concern was making sure tummies were fed and teeth brushed.? Busy moms and dads hustling kids from home to school - Christmas parties and family gatherings to attend in the coming days.? Now, each left to cope with an unfathomable loss.? Presents bought for children who won't be coming home.? Lives destroyed in an instant.? Where is their peace?

Finally, we remember the children.? Those who survived the attack in the classroom, and those who've been left behind by a parent taken way before their time.? From this moment forward their little memories will be scarred with the emotional trauma they can't quite wrap their still-developing minds around.? Isn't school supposed to be a safe place?? Aren't mommies and daddies supposed to come home??

Suddenly and without warning, they are forced into an adult world, one filled with hatred and violence. Where is their peace?

Some 2,000 years ago, our peace was born in a stable.? There was no fanfare or media hype, just a rag-tag band of shepherds and a few stinky animals.?

He was given the name, Jesus, and lovingly laid in a manger.? Years later, however, He would be whipped, beaten, spit upon and nailed to a tree.? Why?? Because of His great love for a dying world.??

Those who crucified Him, did so out of hate.? Thinking they could forever silence this "King of the Jews," they mocked Him and maimed Him.? Yet, because of God's great love, Jesus shed His blood so that others could live.? He died.? Hell's demons laughed with glee, and behind the scenes all hope seemed lost.?

Yet...on the third day, He rose from the grave and defeated death!? No longer would man be in bondage to sin.? A way had been paved to eternal peace with God! ?

Today, those who believe and accept His sacrificial, life-giving gift, those blessed ones are given a promise: to know true peace even in the midst of chaos.? Jesus reminds us in John 14:27, "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives.? Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

To those who hardened their hearts to His truth, they are promised eternal separation from God.? Where God is absent, destruction, hatred, fear, and unrest is in full throttle.?

In light of today's tragic events, clearly, a few have chosen their paths and have affected many lives in the midst of their decisions.? Yet, if we will hold on to hope, God will come out victorious!?

The Bible says, "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20, and "He will be their peace." Micah 5:5

As we gather during this time of tragedy in our nation, let us embrace God and His promises, for He is here with us...and, He is our peace!

Blessings,
Kristi

****************************

Earlier in the week I ran a book give-away and mentioned that I would announce the winners today.? To the three of you who commented...each of you will get a book and cards.? Thank you for sharing Jesus to those around you.? I pray that even more so now, you will stand courageously and offer the hope to others that only He can bring.? God bless you!? (Please email me and let me know addresses or where I can meet up with you. neacekr@yahoo.com)? Thanks!! :)

Source: http://www.kristineace.com/2012/12/wheres-our-peace-in-times-of-tragedy.html

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Microsoft's Surface RT to be available at UK retailer John Lewis as early as tomorrow

After announcing it would start selling its Surface RT at third-party retailers in the US and Australia, we figured it was only a matter of time before Microsoft would extend this offer over to the UK (among other places, of course). Well, according to Pocket-lint, retailer John Lewis has confirmed to the site that it will indeed commence stocking both its virtual and physical shelves with Microsoft's 10.1-inch tablet, with the 32GB plus Black Touch Keyboard bundle set to be priced at £479, or £559 for the more spacious 64GB model. John Lewis says the Surface RT will be up for grabs tomorrow, December 14th, on its website, while brick-and-mortar stores should have them in stock starting this weekend.

Filed under: Tablets, Microsoft

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Source: John Lewis, Pocket-lint

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/13/microsoft-surface-rt-at-john-lewis-uk/

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Prosecutors seek 10-year prison term for Madoff brother

(Reuters) - Prosecutors in New York asked a federal judge to sentence Bernard Madoff's younger brother to 10 years in prison for the role he played in the multibillion-dollar Ponzi scheme, according to court papers filed Thursday.

Peter Madoff pleaded guilty in Manhattan federal court in June to criminal charges including conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making false filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

As part of Peter Madoff's June plea deal, he agreed not to seek a sentence other than 10 years, according to the filing.

Peter Madoff "committed very serious crimes that served to conceal and perpetuate a multi-billion dollar fraud scheme" and "engaged in a vast fraud scheme by which tens of millions of dollars were transferred within the Madoff family" to avoid paying taxes and enrich himself and his family, the filing said.

Peter Madoff is scheduled to be sentenced on December 20, 2012.

Bernard Madoff is serving a 150-year prison term and was ordered to forfeit $170.8 billion.

Peter Madoff served as the chief compliance officer and senior managing direct of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. At his plea hearing, he denied knowing about Bernard Madoff's decade-long fraud until his brother confessed to him in December 2008.

In October, attorneys for Madoff asked that his sentencing, which was then scheduled for November 9, be delayed to allow him time to file accurate, amended tax returns for 1998-2008. The plea agreement required that he file the amended returns.

An attorney for Peter Madoff was not immediately available for comment.

The case is U.S. v. O'Hara et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 10-cr-00228.

(Editing by Matt Driskill)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-prosecutors-seek-10-prison-term-madoff-brother-013848982--sector.html

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Taylor Swift's Celeb Friends Wish Her A Happy Birthday!

Red singer soaks up birthday wishes before premiering her 'I Knew You Were Trouble.' video Thursday on MTV at 4:40 p.m. ET.
By Emilee Lindner

Taylor Swift
Photo: Kevin Kane/Getty Images

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1698820/taylor-swift-birthday-celebrities.jhtml

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Pets, volunteers warm hearts at Providence; more help is sought ...

CHELSEA KROTZER | Staff writer ? Published December 12, 2012 Modified December 13, 2012

The cries that echoed from Room 813 in the William Jones Pediatric Unit at Providence St. Peter Hospital on Wednesday soon were subdued by a wagging tail.

PHOTO GALLERY

For more photos from pet visits at Providence St. Peter Hospital, click here.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer can contact the Providence St. Peter Foundation at 360-493-7981 or click here.

Mandy, an 8-year-old Shetland Sheepdog who has been a therapy pet volunteer at the hospital for two years, stopped by the room of Kameryn Fagerness, a 1-year-old Rainier boy suffering from pneumonia.

Kameryn was dressed in a tiger-printed hospital gown. His eyes grew wide as the dog?s handler, Sherri Cote, picked Mandy up so the boy could reach her. His tears gave way to a smile and gargled sounds of joy as he sat on his knees against the bed, petting the dog?s long fur.

?My little man loves puppies,? said Kameryn?s mother, Heather Moxley. She and Kameryn?s father, Cory Fagerness, brought their son to the hospital at 10:30 p.m. Tuesday.

It was the boy?s second visit this month. Moxley said they first came Dec. 8, the day after Kameryn?s first birthday, and he was diagnosed with bronchiolitis. He was released and seemed to be doing better until Tuesday.

The family hopes to be able to go home Thursday, provided that Kameryn?s oxygen levels stabilize, Moxley said.

The boy has a house full of his own animals to return to, including a dog and two cats. But in the meantime, Mandy provided much-needed smiles for the entire family ? the reason the therapy-animal program was created in 1989.

Volunteer Ann Howie and her dog Falstaff were the first in the nation to get involved in bringing dogs to hospital patients as a form of therapy and care, according to Animal-Assisted Activities & Therapy program coordinator Danni Sabia.

?It was so well-received and had so many benefits,? she said.

Sabia said animals help lower humans? blood pressure in stressful situations, increase self-esteem and emotional stability in children, improve seniors? quality of life and help patients work through anxiety.

The program receives financial support from donors to the Providence St. Peter Foundation. The program already has 55 human volunteers, 30 dogs and a cat; leaders are looking to expand by as many as 24 human-animal teams next year.

The hospital trains new volunteers twice yearly, a process that took Mandy and Cote 50 to 60 hours over three months to complete, Sabia said.

The next training session is scheduled for February.

?Teams have to pass evaluations before they go in to visit, and (we) make sure they have good teamwork,? Sabia said. ?We have to make sure the animal wants to do it as much as the human.?

Mandy appeared more than willing to lend a paw. Wearing a blue hospital badge with her name and a pair of red bow pins on her head, the dog was ready to meet and greet in the pediatric ward.

?Sherri with her pet partner Mandy have come for a visit,? Cote told hospital staffers, waiting for the door to the pediatric unit to unlock.

Her first patient, a 6-year-old Tumwater boy, had fallen asleep before she arrived, so they changed plans and visited Kameryn after hearing cries from his room. His parents said it was perfect timing.

?I think it?s a great idea to bring animals in,? Moxley said. ?If I were a little kid sick in the hospital, I would want to have a dog visit me.?

?You don?t even have to be a kid; it made me happy,? Fagerness added, laughing.

Volunteers are trained to find the safest and easiest ways for patients to have access to the animals, which can include putting the dog or cat on the patient?s bed, Sabia said.

The volunteers make notes of each visit, detailing what happened and how the animal was received.

?We have notes on every visit that has been made in this hospital,? she said.

Chelsea Krotzer: 360-754-5476
ckrotzer@theolympian.com
theolympian.com/thisjustin
@chelseakrotzer

Source: http://www.theolympian.com/2012/12/12/2351637/pets-volunteers-warm-hearts-at.html

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Video: Outlet Malls Rolling in Holi-Dough

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Hawking, CERN Scientists Get $3M Physics Prizes

The foundation of a Russian billionaire announced Tuesday (Dec. 11) that it would hand out two $3-million physics prizes ? one to legendary cosmologist Stephen Hawking and the other to group of CERN scientists who spearheaded this year's discovery of a Higgs-like particle at the world's largest atom smasher, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), in Geneva.

The Fundamental Physics Prize, nearly three times as lucrative as the Nobel Prize, was founded last year by physicist-turned-entrepreneur Yuri Milner and stands as world's richest science award.

Hawking is being honored for his work on black holes and his "deep contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe," according to a statement. In particular, he was cited for theorizing what is now called "Hawking radiation," a faint glimmer of radiation emanating from black holes.

The prolific physicist said he was "delighted and honoured" to receive the prize, in an email to the Guardian.

"No one undertakes research in physics with the intention of winning a prize. It is the joy of discovering something no one knew before," Hawking wrote. "Nevertheless prizes like these play an important role in giving public recognition for achievement in physics. They increase the stature of physics and interest in it." [Stephen Hawking Biography]

Hawking added that he will use the money to help his daughter with her autistic son and "maybe buy a holiday home, not that I take many holidays because I enjoy my work in theoretical physics."

The other award is set to go to LHC particle physicists, who announced they'd finally found what looks to be the Higgs boson after decades of searches have turned up nothing. Scientists first predicted the existence of the Higgs boson, nicknamed the "God particle" by some in the popular media, in the 1960s to explain why other particles have mass.

That multimillion-dollar prize will be split between seven scientists involved in the discovery, including: Peter Jenni and Fabiola Gianotti of the LHC's ATLAS particle-detection experiment; Michel Della Negra, Tejinder Singh Virdee, Guido Tonelli and Joe Incandela of the CMS experiment; and LHC project leader Lyn Evans.

"Choosing this year's recipients from such a large pool of spectacular nominations was a very difficult task," Nima Arkani-Hamed, a theoretical physicist who was on the prize's selection committee, said in a statement. "The selected physicists have done transformative work spanning a wide range of areas in fundamental physics."

The award ceremony will take place on March 20, 2013, at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which is home of the LHC.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook?& Google+.

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/hawking-cern-scientists-3m-physics-prizes-180854881.html

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Mastering the art of multilingual Twitter engagement | DreamGrow ...

Get to know the basics

If you aren?t one of the 500 million active Twitter users across the globe, it?s time to learn some Twerminology?before you proceed with your multilingual engagement tactics.

Twitter can be a valuable business tool if used correctly. Here are some basic pointers to get you started:

• Follow your clients ? an obvious but essential tactic. You need to understand what they are tweeting about to gain industry insight and ensure you are engaging their interests.
• Research your key industry sectors ? position yourself as an industry leader by engaging in conversations on latest issues with key influencers. Track industry trends and monitor feeds.
• Follow your competitors ? keep your friend?s close and your enemies closer! Monitoring what your competitors are doing means you can differentiate or duplicate to gain competitive advantage.
• Nurture your Twitter account ? provide topical content a few times a week at least or risk losing followers
• Be as objective as possible ? Twitter shouldn?t be used as a ?hard sales? tool. Share occasional corporate accomplishments but focus primarily on engaging discussion.
• Listen and engage!

Understanding online audiences

If your company is not already cultivating a strong presence on Twitter, now is the time to integrate this activity into your marketing strategy. Your competitors, prospects and customers are all part of the Twitter community ? you must get involved to remain competitive.

At present, few solutions exist for managing a global presence across social media platforms. As the bulk of social media engagement has remained English-centric (the English language accounts for 26.5% of all internet use) many business fail to see the value in pursuing a multilingual audience.

The use of foreign languages on social networking sites has significantly increased in recent years, and continues to do so. To engage effectively with multilingual communities, an international social media strategy must be developed.

Your online multilingual marketing plan

Step 1 ? will Twitter work for your market?

Profile your consumer demographics and monitor online engagement to understand which social networking sites are popular in your market/s. You will need to adapt your social strategy for each market segment and consider different online channels in keeping with market culture. The differences that exist amongst users from different countries are not only restricted to languages, but also on how they like to engage online and where they are concentrated.

A company expanding into China will use Sina Weibo instead of Twitter, because it is the most popular micro-blogging service in the country.

Step 2 ? engage at a local level

The ?needs? of online users must be satisfied by the provision of high quality content tailored to cultural norms. I would always recommend setting up social media accounts specific to each country or language you are penetrating. Coca Cola is a great example of a brand using nation-specific pages to cater to local preferences for e.g. Coca Cola Egypt.?Multilingual twitter engagement can be streamlined by the use of multi-posting platforms such as Hootsuite, and managed on an international scale through the use of tools such as Sprout Social.

In addition to the use of local language, knowledge of local trends and the use of colloquial words will positively impact your brand image in foreign markets. Content published across social networking sites will need to be transcreated, i.e. adapted from one language to another whilst maintaining intent, style, tone and context. If possible, a native language speaker should be used for local engagement to encourage a natural connection with the overseas audience.

The need for multilingual social media engagement will almost certainly grow in the coming years.

Step 3 ? get tweeting!

Set goals and assign someone at your company to ?follow?, ?tweet?, ?retweet?, insert hashtags, generate lists, and direct messages on a regular basis. Your team will be uncovering valuable data and trends and expanding your business network in real time before you know it.

?

Author Bio:

Amy Haddow:?As a Marketing Copywriter for Language Connect, a leading language service provider, I am keen to offer insight into recurring industry debate; projecting what I believe to be important and asking you for your honest feedback. Follow me on Twitter @lconnect to provide feedback and for access to my most recent articles.

I have a varied background in Marketing and Copywriting in the Magazine, Accountancy, Recruitment and Language industries. I hold a BA in English & American Literature and a Professional Diploma with the?Chartered Institute of Marketing body.

I am interested in digital progression and discussions on how businesses are expected to react to these changes. In my spare time I love to read ? everything from classic literature to travel magazines to industry whitepapers!

Image credit:?operafestchildrenchoir,?daveerawk,?joelaz

?

Posted on: December 11, 2012

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Source: http://www.dreamgrow.com/mastering-the-art-of-multilingual-twitter-engagement/

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Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, available now for $1,399 and up

We can't say we're surprised by this news, seeing as how Lenovo leaked it on its own site three weeks ago. Still, it's nice to get official confirmation, isn't it? Like we told you, Lenovo is releasing a touchscreen version of the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Ultrabook, appropriately called the X1 Carbon Touch. And, as expected, it's on sale this month. Today, actually, starting at $1,399 -- a $150 premium over the non-touch model. Like the regular X1 Carbon, it has a 14-inch, 1,600 x 900 screen, a carbon fiber chassis, an Ivy Bridge chipset, built-in 3G and a backlit ThinkPad keyboard, complete with that signature red pointing stick.

The main difference is that the touchscreen makes this a bit thicker and heavier (20.8mm and "less than" 3.5 pounds, versus three pounds and 18mm thick for the non-touch model). Even then, 3.4 pounds is still lighter than some 13-inch Ultrabooks we've seen. In fact, Lenovo is billing it as the world's lightest 14-inch Ultrabook, though we all know how short-lived such distinctions are. As for battery life, Lenovo rates this for 8.2 hours of runtime. If true, that would be very good news indeed, given that we've yet to test a touchscreen Ultrabook with decent battery life.

Continue reading Lenovo announces the ThinkPad X1 Carbon Touch, available now for $1,399 and up

Filed under: Laptops, Lenovo

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Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/5GhpVYGzaeo/

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Monti says still in charge as markets fear Italy crisis

OSLO/ROME (Reuters) - Prime Minister Mario Monti tried to reassure rattled financial markets on Monday that Italy would not be left adrift following his surprise decision to resign and Silvio Berlusconi's return to frontline politics.

Monti's weekend announcement that he would quit soon because Berlusconi's People of Freedom (PDL) party had withdrawn its support for his technocrat government pushed up Italy's borrowing costs and prompted a stock market sell-off on Monday.

"I understand market reactions. They need not be dramatized," Monti told reporters in Oslo where he attended the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to the European Union and where other EU leaders queued up to praise him.

The former European Commissioner said he was confident the elections would produce a responsible government "which should be in line with the huge efforts already pursued by Italy ... Markets should not fear a decision-making vacuum."

He added: "Let me remind markets that the current government has not left; it's fully in charge and will be so until a new government comes in after the elections."

The campaign for a vote expected in mid-February is likely to be fought over Monti's reform agenda, which Berlusconi, his predecessor as prime minister, said had condemned Italy to recession and forced him reluctantly to run for a fifth term.

European leaders were anxious to stress that any new government must stick to Monti's economic reform agenda.

"Monti was a great prime minister of Italy and I hope that the policies he put in place will continue after the elections," said European Council President Herman Van Rompuy in Oslo.

There were similar comments from policymakers ranging from French President Francois Hollande to the head of the European bailout fund Klaus Regling and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Spanish Economy Minister Luis de Guindos warned that instability in Italy could spill over and put Spain's fragile public finances at risk of further turmoil.

Attention is now focused on whether Monti will enter politics himself, either as a candidate or by endorsing one of the centrist forces that have backed his reforms and made more or less explicit pleas for him to run.

"I'm not considering this particular issue at this stage. All my efforts are being devoted to the completion of the remaining time of the current government," he said in Oslo.

Monti has repeatedly warned of the danger posed by the rise of populist, anti-European forces in the region and said he hoped such forces would not dominate the Italian election campaign.

CENTRE-LEFT LEADS

Monti's decision to resign once the 2013 budget is approved, probably before Christmas, has brought forward to February an election that had already been expected in March or by the latest April.

Opinion polls suggest Berlusconi has little chance of re-election, and he has struggled to reassert a previously undisputed domination of rival factions and courtiers in his deeply divided centre-right party.

In contrast, his enemies in the centre-left Democratic Party (PD) under Pier Luigi Bersani hold a strong lead and are likely to form the next government on a broadly pro-European platform, largely in line with Monti's agenda.

Bersani - who hopes that the former European Commissioner will stay on in some capacity, possibly as Italy's president - said on Monday that "precisely because Monti should still be able to be of service to this country, it would be better for him to stay out of the (election) contest".

Berlusconi's strategy appears designed to ensure he retains influence in the next parliament with a substantial voting bloc that, among other things, can protect his business and personal interests.

After several weeks of calm, markets bridled at the prospect of Berlusconi's return to lead the centre right, just over a year after a financial crisis drove the scandal-plagued billionaire from office to be replaced by Monti's technocrats.

The main measure of investors' confidence, the spread between Italian 10-year government bonds and their German equivalent, widened to 352 basis points on Monday from 325 late on Friday, reflecting worries over a return to the political uncertainty that dogged Italy last year.

Milan's blue-chip share index dropped over 2 percent, with sharper falls in banking stocks, which are seen as most vulnerable to a renewed debt crisis.

"IRRESPONSIBILITY"

Berlusconi's reappearance on the frontline and the prospect of a messy anti-Monti election campaign galvanized attention in Italy and abroad, reawakening memories of the financial and sexual scandals that peppered the media magnate's last government.

Not that such memories have had much chance to slumber. On Monday the prosecutor in Berlusconi's trial on charges of having sex with a juvenile prostitute accused the 76-year-old of delaying tactics after the young woman failed to appear as a witness.

The Roman Catholic Church made outspoken and thinly veiled criticism of the former premier that could influence the PDL's conservative voting base.

"What leaves one astonished is the irresponsibility of those who think of arranging things for themselves while the house is still burning," the head of the Italian bishops' conference, Angelo Bagnasco, told the Corriere della Sera.

French Finance Minister Pierre Moscovici also weighed in.

"The direction that Italy has been going in for the last year and a half is a solid direction, there is no reason to worry," he told Reuters in an interview.

"Berlusconi is returning to politics, but I'm convinced that he will not return to power," he said.

With a new government likely to be formed in a few months, Italy's European partners have now started to look more closely at Bersani, the overwhelming victory in a center-left primary election last month.

A no-frills former communist who is close to Italy's unions, Bersani has promised to stick to Monti's promises on fiscal discipline.

While Italy's election laws are likely to give Bersani a strong majority in the lower house, the complicated rules may make it more difficult for him to take control of the Senate, posing a possible risk to the formation of a stable government.

Whoever wins will have to confront a severe recession, record unemployment and a ballooning public debt expected to surpass 126 percent of gross domestic product this year.

The depth of the crisis was underlined on Monday, with data showing GDP shrinking 2.4 percent in the third quarter and industrial production dropping 1.1 percent in October.

For a factbox on Monti's record see

(Additional reporting by Luke Baker, Vegard Botterli, Lisa Jucca, Silvio Aloisi, Giancarlo Navach, Alessia Pe, Maria Pia Quaglia and Jean-Baptiste Vey; Editing by Barry Moody, David Stamp and Will Waterman)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/italian-political-crisis-drives-borrowing-costs-080332294--business.html

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Italian election means new stress for eurozone

A man checks a monitor with stock exchange data in Milan, Italy, Monday, Dec.10, 2012. Italy's stock market fell sharply and its borrowing costs jumped Monday as investors and European leaders worried over the country's political and financial future following Premier Mario Monti's surprise decision to resign. Monti said Saturday he would resign earlier than expected after Parliament passes the state 2013 budget, saying it was impossible to continue after the political party of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi withdrew its support in two crucial votes last week. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

A man checks a monitor with stock exchange data in Milan, Italy, Monday, Dec.10, 2012. Italy's stock market fell sharply and its borrowing costs jumped Monday as investors and European leaders worried over the country's political and financial future following Premier Mario Monti's surprise decision to resign. Monti said Saturday he would resign earlier than expected after Parliament passes the state 2013 budget, saying it was impossible to continue after the political party of former Premier Silvio Berlusconi withdrew its support in two crucial votes last week. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

In this photo taken at Chigi Palace government's office in Rome, on Dec. 6, 2012, Italian Premier Mario Monti ponders a question during a press conference at the end of a cabinet meeting. Premier Mario Monti told the Italian president Saturday, Dec. 8, 2012, he plans to resign following the sudden loss of support from Silvio Berlusconi's party, paving the way for early elections a year after the economist helped pull the country back from the brink of financial disaster. (AP Photo/Riccardo De Luca)

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, left, talks with Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti, right, and French President Francois Hollande during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at the City Hall in Oslo, Norway, Monday Dec. 10, 2012. The European Union has received this year?s Nobel Peace Prize in the Norwegian capital, for promoting "peace and reconciliation, democracy and human rights" in Europe for six decades following the tremendous devastation of World War II. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Until last weekend, Europe seemed headed for a quiet Christmas and New Year's. Then Italy's Prime Minister Mario Monti unexpectedly announced he was going to resign, pulling the plug on a government that had boosted confidence in the country's ability to manage its debts.

The prospect of a return to a shaky government and finances has suddenly put new strains on the leaders of the 17-strong group of European Union countries that use the euro and their efforts to bottle up the region's debt and economic crisis.

Analysts warn that after several months of calm, the eurozone could now be in for a rougher ride as 2013 begins.

The concern is that, while the European debt crisis is not as bad as it was last summer, Italy's problems will spread and further unsettle other parts of the eurozone. Greece faces skepticism that it can keep paying its debts despite ?240 billion in bailouts and Spain is still weighing whether to ask for a rescue from the eurozone's bailout fund.

Since it took office in November 2011 ? after markets lost confidence in Premier Silvio Berlusconi's half-hearted attempts at reform ? Monti's 13-month old government has managed to lower Italy's borrowing costs in the bond markets ? albeit with help from the European Central Bank and its offer to buy short-term debt. His unelected cabinet of experts had until elections scheduled for April to implement reforms. Monti resigned earlier than expected after Berlusconi's party withdrew support for his government on Thursday.

Italy's borrowing costs started to rise again Monday morning as investors worried over who would keep the country on the path to recovery. The interest rate on Italy's 10-year bonds, a key indicator of the debt crisis, jumped to 4.75 percent. Last week they yielded only 4.4 percent ? down from over 7 percent at the start of 2012. At one point during the day, Italian stocks slumped more than 3 percent.

"The uncertainty is significant, not just how the election will pan out, but how the government will turn out and what the debate is going to be like," said analyst Raoul Ruparel at the Open Europe think tank in London.

"And that's not something markets like. You add in the Greek uncertainty and Spanish uncertainty on top of that... and that's a worrying confluence of factors for a pretty fragile eurozone at the moment. "

The risk from Saturday's announcement is that heavily indebted Italy, the eurozone's third-largest economy after Germany and France, will now slow down or halt efforts to shake up its economy. The country's debt stands at 126 percent of its annual gross domestic product of ?1.6 trillion ($2.1 trillion).

After passing a 2013 budget, the Italian parliament will likely pass little in the way of new measures for several months. And Italy could come out of new elections ? expected in February ? with no party clearly in control.

Meanwhile, the election campaign could see Berlusconi shake market confidence by campaigning on an anti-cuts platform. His party lags in the polls, however, and some analysts think a new government could be led by center-left candidate Pier Luigi Bersani, who has vowed to keep Italy's commitments to its EU partners.

Europe's crisis over too much debt was calmed when European Central Bank head Mario Draghi said in July that the bank would "do what it takes" to rescue the euro. He then followed up with a plan in September to buy unlimited amounts of government bonds issued by indebted countries, if they agree to reduce their deficits. The bond purchases would have to be preceded by a formal request for financial help from the European Stability Mechanism, the eurozone's bailout fund.

The purchases could push bond prices up and interest rates down, since prices and rates move in opposite directions. Just the possibility that the ECB might intervene had already sent borrowing costs down for Spain and Italy.

Monti's resignation raises the chance, analysts say, that the ECB will have to actually deploy its bond-purchase weapon. But without a stable government that can credibly agree to the terms of a bailout, Italy can't get help from the ECB bond purchase plan.

Still, markets knew Monti would be leaving soon anyway, with elections already scheduled in April. And if debt costs continue their rise, some think that could be the spur Italian politicians to move forward with pro-growth steps such as reducing legal protections against layoff for established workers. The practice deters hiring and raises youth unemployment. Monti made some changes, but was unable to push through wholesale reform in the face of union resistance.

Raj Badiani at IHS Global Insight said high bond market interest costs could "force the Italian political classes to refocus on the actions needed to push away intensifying" government debt pressures.

That's what happened in late 2011, when rising bond yields intensified fears Italy might default. Pressure from that helped force Berlusconi to resign ? and make way for Monti.

"The slightly scary thing is, it's easy to see how it can get significantly worse and continue to do so, but it's very hard to see how things could possibly surprise on the upside," said Sony Kapoor, managing director of think tank Re-Define. "So I think the best-case scenario is that the change in the political scene will reflect badly on the economy ? but not too badly."

But, warns Kapoor, if "Berlusconi does come back and the old discredited guard of Italian politics comes back, things could get significantly worse rather quickly."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2012-12-10-Europe-Financial%20Crisis/id-dbcf789793f84fb2b99c58495ad3b45b

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Man in Afghan uniform kills 2 British troops

An Afghan girl looks over a ravine toward smoke rising from a brick factory chimney in Surkh Rod district, Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

An Afghan girl looks over a ravine toward smoke rising from a brick factory chimney in Surkh Rod district, Jalalabad east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) ? A man wearing an Afghan police uniform shot and killed two British soldiers at a checkpoint in southern Afghanistan on Tuesday, international military officials said.

The assault appeared to the be the latest in a string of insider attacks that have threatened the partnership between international troops and the Afghan forces they are trying to train to take over responsibility for the country's security.

A statement from the NATO military coalition said only that the assailant was wearing a police uniform, leaving open the possibility that the attacker was a militant posing as a policeman. The statement did not provide details on the shooting, saying it was being investigated.

The British Ministry of Defense said the attack happened at a checkpoint in Helmand Province's Nahri Sarraj district.

"The loss of these soldiers is a huge blow," Maj. Laurence Roche, a spokesman for British troops in Helmand, said in a statement.

The two killed soldiers were with the 1st Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles, he said.

At least 53 international troops have been killed in attacks by Afghan soldiers or police this year, and a number of other assaults are still under investigation, the international alliance has said.

The surge in insider attacks is throwing doubt on the capability of the Afghan security forces to take over from international troops ahead of a planned handover to the Afghans in 2014. It has further undermined public support for the 11-year war in NATO countries.

The attacks have not been limited to members of the NATO-led international coalition. More than 50 Afghan members of the government's security forces also have died this in attacks by their own colleagues.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-10-30-AS-Afghanistan/id-bc77ba6c0a9742098058409504ccf9c0

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Fitness Training & MMA Training

You have decided to start on the path of a MMA fighter. You understand that this isn't just an easy achievement but will instead require years of learning and self-sacrifice. You will need some training irrespective of whether you are a trained fighter exploring the possibility of branching out or someone who has watched a MMA event on television and found it to be entertaining

You should start of by pinpointing a particular fight style to train in. Martial arts is incredibly diverse, so if you are thinking of beginning training, there is lots for your to choose from. Are you interested in boxing, Ju Jitsu, grappling, or any other type of martial arts? It is important that you research what you want to do, and what style if suited to your abilities and future goals. What your application of the training received will be ,depends on what type and structure of MMA training you decide to enroll in. MMA combat gear is a very important piece of MMA training that can literally be a life saver

You might want to have a look at this so that your training starts of on right foot. The most important attribute to take into training from day one, is first and foremost, your physical conditioning. Understand this is a very difficult MMA training style. Your body will have to withstand some abuse as you will be subjected to stretch, kicks, punches and twisting. After that, you absolutely need to have a sense of commitment that you will bring your training to its completion. You will find your self strengthening in all areas - physically, mentally and spiritually as you progress in your training and realize that you are able to accomplish something that takes so much effort and concentration.

You also need to take care picking out the right training facility. World over, you can find gyms and training centers meant for the purpose. Choosing a school or class that does not meet their needs,is one of the biggest mistakes new fighters make. it's important for you to be evenly matched during a training session for you to get the most out of it. You are setting yourself up for failure if you surround yourself with a roomful of black belt who you can't possibly compete against if you are just a beginner yourself.

MMA offers lots of excitement along with personal and spiritual reward. With the right sort of attitude, adequate training, and a great degree of personal motivation, and instruction, you will extremely pleased with your contribution to MMA.

Source: http://www.artipot.com/articles/1403243/fitness-training-mma-training.htm

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Paid Incentives To Relocate to Chattanooga ? New Careers, Jobs ...

• October 14, 2012 ? 2:02 pm
• Posted in Blogroll, Breaking Jobs and Business News, City & State Reviews and More, Consumer Alerts, Employment Prospects, Issues Of the Day, MISC, Opinion, Technology and Hi-Tech, Travel & Vacations
• Tagged business, education, how to find a job in a recession, job search, jobs, recession, travel, vacations

Incentives to Move to Chattanooga: ?Geek Move?

The City of Chattanooga is anxious to increase its population and workforce by attracting individuals trained to work in various technologies. With the help of the Lyndhurst Foundation, Chattanooga has revitalized eight neighborhoods to accept new residents and businesses in addition to new small and large businesses that have made the city their home. For instance, Volkswagen invested $1 Billion in order to open a new plant in town to become their North American Manufacturing Headquarters. New businesses need additional technologists and technicians.

Learn more and apply for relocation packages at the link enclosed here:

via Paid Incentives To Relocate ? Attractions, Jobs, and Life In Tech Savvy Chattanooga TN.

Like this:

Be the first to like this.

Source: http://careerping.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/paid-incentives-to-relocate-to-chattanooga/

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Locksmith In Sydney ? Managing The Issue Of Security | Home ...

[unable to retrieve full-text content]As a member of the community, it goes without saying that you should know the value of good security measures in your home. In a world where criminal offenses. ... Home Improvement Information. www.niutranslations.com ...

Source: http://www.niutranslations.com/locksmith-in-sydney-managing-the-issue-of-security.html

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Home-based Business Cons ? Good Tips For Avoiding Them ...

October 14, 2012 admin Uncategorized,

You will find loads of outlawed and business from home hoaxes which have been growing to hit the web daily. It really is nearly impossible to find the ideal type of online business which fits people right now, but if you learn one that will work and is effective, expect to make a motorboat heap of cash.

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unchInch or instant richest. Any pro on the net will advise you that the simplest way to results is simply by working hard, and performing things which perform, and do a lesser amount of what can not work. Its quite an basic kind of system. Employing mafia wars, convenience works. Work from home business hoaxes are certainly not uncomplicated in any good sense.

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There isn?t any sensational technique o
f working from home. There is a system you may stick to that will constantly enable you to have good sales. However you hardly ever learn about people being a results instantaneously on the net. All it requires a little time and persistence.

To avoid Home Based Business Frauds make sure you shell out hidden a chance to look into what?s becoming offered. It will conserve much time over time. The most effective business you?ll have is simply by making a relationship with somebody that is definitely successful online and ask them to demonstrate the ropes. Like this you are going to lower the possibilities of getting scammed.

While in the new web 2. promoting natural environment it is very important obtain the confidence and networking capabilities before you?ll tackle anything. Home Based Business Frauds continues through this week, next week and for many years.

I hope the factors mentioned in the following paragraphs just might help you discove
r and get rid of a few of curry on the horizon gives which have been purely sits and do not perform.

close, hold, Home Based Business, time

Source: http://www.rentomatic.co.uk/home-based-business-cons-good-tips-for-avoiding-them/

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Beer flows as Germany kicks off Oktoberfest

AAA??Sep. 22, 2012?6:15 AM ET
Beer flows as Germany kicks off Oktoberfest
AP

Two women react, as they arrive for the opening of the famous Bavarian "Oktoberfest" beer festival as rain falls, in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The world's largest beer festival, to be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, 2012 will see some million visitors. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

Two women react, as they arrive for the opening of the famous Bavarian "Oktoberfest" beer festival as rain falls, in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The world's largest beer festival, to be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, 2012 will see some million visitors. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

A man wearing traditional Bavarian clothes wears a decorated hat with hops, prior to the opening of the famous Bavarian "Oktoberfest" beer festival in front of a beer tent during heavy rain in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The world's largest beer festival, to be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, 2012 will see some million visitors. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

People waif for the opening of the famous Bavarian "Oktoberfest" beer festival in front of a beer tent during heavy rain in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The world's largest beer festival, to be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7 will see some million visitors. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

A waitress cleans tables and benches prior to opening of the famous Bavarian "Oktoberfest" beer festival, in Munich, southern Germany, Saturday, Sept. 22, 2012. The world's largest beer festival, to be held from Sept. 22 to Oct. 7, 2012 will see some million visitors. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

BERLIN (AP) ? The mayor of Munich has tapped the first keg of beer to kick off the 179th traditional German folk festival Oktoberfest.

With only two blows of his hammer and a cry of "O'zapft is" ? "It's Tapped" ? Mayor Christian Ude inserted the first tap into the first keg as the festival opened Saturday.

More than six million guests from around the world are expected to descend on the beer tents of Munich to celebrate Oktoberfest through October 7.

Last year's visitors consumed almost 8 million 2-pint (1-liter) mugs of beer. This year a mug, called "Mass" in German, sells at up to ?9.50 ($12.30).

German authorities keep security tight around the fairgrounds which accommodate hundreds of thousands of people at a time, although, they say, no concrete threat exists.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-09-22-EU-Germany-Oktoberfest/id-fdcf928df21d49918ca6ae50104f2909

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