15/10? Motorite Racing?s Evan Hutchison and Danie Stassen (BAT Venom) remain on track to win the Special Vehicle category of the Absa Off Road Car Championship as they head for Thaba ?Nchu in the Free State this weekend (October 19 and 20) for the penultimate round, the Human Auto 400.
Source: http://www.motorpics.co.za?d=10&k=25080&frm=1053
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The Sony VAIO Tap 20 (SVJ20215CXW) ($999.99 list) is a full-featured touch screen all-in-one desktop PC, with a little portability mixed in. For 99 percent of its use, you will be sitting in front of the Sony VAIO Tap 20 as if it were any other midrange all-in-one desktop PC. For the other 1 percent of the time, you can unplug the system, and it will continue to stay on and connected while you walk the system over to another room and plug it back in. Think of the VAIO Tap 20 as a transportable all-in-one desktop that you don't have to power down to move. It'll give you a small reserve of power while it's unplugged, but it's really meant to be plugged in to a power cord at all times. It's not anywhere near a "must buy" item at this time, but it works well enough that early adopters might want to give the new form factor and OS a try. At the very least it will help you get used to using Windows 8's touch interface while continuing to support older programs that you bought for your Windows 7 or Windows XP PC.
Design and Features
The Sony VAIO Tap 20 is small for an all-in one desktop, if a bit thick. It measures roughly 12 by 20 by 2 inches (HWD). Its dimensions are tempered by the fact that they are taken while the kickstand is fully deployed. When the kickstand is deployed, the Tap 20 extends back about 7 inches (alternately, two inches tall when lying flat). Other desktops like the Lenovo IdeaCentre A720 ($1,449 list, 4 stars) manage to ship with a really thin (0.75 inch) touchscreen, but that's because the A720's PC components are built into the base rather than into the screen like on the Vaio Tap. Most all-in-one desktops go for the HDTV aesthetic. The VAIO Tap 20 is trying to be noticed, with its white easel-style chassis, contrasting black bezel around a large 20-inch 1,600 by 900 resolution ten-finger multitouch screen. We wonder why Sony didn't just bite the bullet and design the VAIO Tap 20 with a 1,920 by 1,080 (full 1080p HD) screen, since that's what enthusiasts expect from their HD displays.
With its built-in battery, you might be temped to carry the VAIO Tap 20 like a tablet, though that's obviously not something Sony intended. Your arm will get tired quickly if you try to cradle the VAIO Tap 20 in one arm like a football, because of the system's 11-pound weight. As we'll see below in performance, the system is really designed to be carried from room to room and re-setup easily by plugging in the power cord. You could theoretically move the VAIO Tap 20 from room to room while the system is operating, You'll either have to keep several AC adapters in the various rooms of your house, or come back for the AC adapter after you move the Tap 20. It's more transportable than other all-in-one desktops, but make no mistake the VAIO Tap 20 is not a substitute for a laptop.
The VAIO Tap 20 boots into Windows 8's User Interface (UI), which was formerly known as Metro. You'll immediately see the initial tiles like Mail, Calendar, Internet Explorer, and Microsoft's app Store on the Start screen. You can bring up the Start screen at any time by pushing the physical Windows Key right under the screen. If you scroll the Start Screen to the right, you'll see Sony's contributions, including a full copy of ArtRage Studio Pro, VAIO Care, VAIO Message Center, Kaspery Internet Security (30-day trial), VAIO Update, and a VAIO Messaging organizer. You'll also find My Daily Clip, a program that feeds your system curated movie clips and links to buy movies and play games. There is a traditional desktop mode, but the old Start Menu with its convoluted folders system is gone, replaced by Win8 UI. Swiping the screen to navigate the UI is intuitive, particularly if you already own a smartphone or other tablet. The system's 1,600-by-900 resolution shortchanges you a bit when you're viewing HD videos, but it's fine when you're in desktop mode. Desktop mode is where you'll run older legacy programs for Windows 7 and earlier. As we've seen on the stock Acer Iconia W700-6465, user interface elements like close boxes and buttons in Desktop mode may look small in 1,920-by-1,080 resolution. We had no trouble opening and manipulating elements in both the Win8 and traditional desktop UI.
The VAIO Tap 20 comes with an Intel Core i5-3317U processor, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 4GB of DDR3 system memory, a 750GB 5,400rpm hard drive, and 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi. The VAIO Tap 20 has a full-sized built-in Ethernet port in addition to a pair of USB 3.0 ports, audio ports, and an SD/Memory Stick reader. Since Sony has the size, it might as well use the space. The feature set reminds us of an ultrabook laptop like the Samsung Series 9 15-inch (NP900X4C-A02US) ($1,500 list, 3.5 stars), which also has a Core i5-3317U, integrated Intel graphics, and a 1,600-by-900 screen. The Samsung Series 9 15-inch and other ultrabooks in this price range have smaller capacity (but fast) 128GB SSDs instead of the high capacity (but slow) 750GB spinning hard drive in the VAIO Tap 20.
The aforementioned kickstand lets you prop the system up like an all-in-one desktop, or lay it flat like a tablet so you can share the touch surface. The hinge holds the system up at any angle in between, so you can find one that lets you touch the screen comfortably. For example if you lean the system back at about a 70-degree angle, so you can use the onscreen keyboard easily. Alternately, you can pull it up a little more vertical for painting in ArtRage Pro on the screen with a finger, stylus, or even a capacitive paint brush for precision work. The last all-in-one that we reviewed that did touch screen ergonomics as well was the HP TouchSmart 620-1080 3D ($1,899 direct, 4 stars). The HP 620-1080 3D used a more elaborate hinge, slider, and braking mechanism that is more sturdy, but more complex than that of the VAIO Tap 20. The Vaio Tap 20 tilts at a wider range of angles with a simple kickstand. Think of it as an all in one PC with the functionality of an artists' tablet/screen like the Wacom Cintiq.
Performance
The VAIO Tap 20 is an all-in-one desktop form factor, but it has a battery and most of its internal components are notebook-class components. We recently revamped our benchmark tests for Windows 8, and since this is one of our first Windows 8 systems, comparison numbers are understandably scarce. The VAIO Tap 20 completed CineBench R11.5 with a score of 2.40 points, well in line with other Intel Core i5-3317U-powered systems like the Toshiba Portege Z935, the Editor' Choice for mainstream ultrabook, and the Vizio 15.6-inch Thin + Light (CT15-A1) . We weren't able to run PCMark 7 on the VAIO Tap 20, but we estimate that it will be a little slower than the Toshiba Z935 and Vizio CT15-A1 due to the ultrabooks using SSDs, while the VAIO Tap 20 uses a slower spinning hard drive.
Compared to other desktops, the Vaio Tap 20 is competitive with all-in-ones that also use low power, notebook-class Ivy Bridge processors with integrated graphics, like the Core i5-3210M in the Sony VAIO L24 (SVL24114FXB) ($1,399 list, 3.5 stars) . The Vaio L24 also had a CineBench score under 3 points (2.89 points). The Vaio L24 also got similar numbers in the 3DMark11 test, due to both systems sharing a common Intel HD Graphics 4000 architecture. That said, any system with a full-blown desktop processor and discrete graphics like the Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,199 list, 4.5 stars) or Asus ET2701INKI-B046C ($1,399 list, 4 stars) will certainly be able to outclass the Vaio Tap 20 in all the benchmark tests. But then again, high-end performance isn't the Vaio Tap 20's calling.
The VAIO Tap 20's 3D prowess is understandably low. The system only managed a slideshow-like 5 fps on the Aliens Vs. Predator and Heaven benchmarks at native resolution with the quality settings maxed out. Our mid-level Heaven test was also slow: 13 fps isn't really playable. That said, simpler games like Torchlight and browser games should look fine on the Vaio Tap 20.
Since the VAIO Tap 20 has a battery in it, we decided to test it. We ran a video rundown test on the system as if you were unplugging to watch a movie on your patio. Running our standard 10-hour video file, we were able to watch for one hour, forty-eight minutes with the brightness turned up to max and the Wi-Fi radio on (but not actively streaming data). This is barely enough for a summer blockbuster (sans credits), but it should be enough battery time for your average children's movie. The battery is good for keeping the system active while you transport it 40 feet from room to room, but as we've been saying, it's not useful for an extended computing session unplugged.
So, after all that, the Sony VAIO Tap 20 is definitely an innovative design, in the realm of systems like the Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Thunderbolt), Lenovo IdeaCentre A720, and the HP TouchSmart 620-1080 3D. The comparison is apt particularly with the HP 620-1080 3D, since both that and the VAIO Tap 20 lean far back for easier touch-screen use. The VAIO Tap 20 is closer in price to the Apple iMac and more mainstream systems like the Toshiba LX835-D3230 ($999 list, 3.5 stars) and our current midrange Editor's Choice, the Asus ET2701INKI-B046C. The Asus ET2701INKI is simply a better desktop all around, including features and performance. Even the Toshiba LX835 is a better featured all-in-one desktop for the time being. The VAIO Tap 20 is an innovative all-in-one desktop with extra portability, but there are better-featured and more powerful desktops for just a little more money.
BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS
COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the Sony VAIO Tap 20 (SVJ20215CXW) with several other desktops side by side.
More desktop reviews:
??? Lenovo H520s
??? Sony VAIO Tap 20 (SVJ20215CXW)
??? Lenovo ThinkCentre M92z
??? Dell OptiPlex 9010 Small Form Factor
??? Toshiba LX835-D3230
?? more
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/HsSeUPqvHZQ/0,2817,2410866,00.asp
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Brings you one of the most powerful full body workouts you can do at home for weight loss using just a KettleBell! I used this exact same workout to lose over 100lbs in just 6 months! If you want to get ripped and lose fat fast and make you six pack abs stand out then this is the workout for you. It will help you lose fat and build muscle in 10 minutes per day! This is very affective home workout for fat loss and getting. six pack abs. Did you enjoy the Killer Weight Loss Kettlebell Home Workout!?
Lumps on back are quite rare. Most of the times there are not very serious either. Many a times you will find a lump appear and then disappear within a week?s time. These not so serious lumps can be ignored. However, those which last for more than a week and are either painful or discolored [...]
Did you know that in the view of overall revenue and profitability anti-depressant drugs are currently classified as the third leading prescription drugs? Depression ? what exactly it is? Clinically depression is defined as a psychiatric disorder that is characterized by a series of sequences like insomnia, inability to concentrate, extreme sadness feeling, anxiety, fear, [...]
Comfrey is an herb that is used as a natural fertilizer. It is a plant of the boraginacea family of plants. For many centuries, comfrey has been regarded for its medicinal properties. One of the most common uses of comfrey is its use as a first aid solution. In times before the invention of drugs [...]
Azoospermia is a medical condition and state wherein the male does not have any measurable amount of sperm present in his semen. Azoospermia is also directly related to very low levels of fertility in men. It is basically a condition wherein there is absolutely no sperm in the semen of the man. Semen is basically [...]
It?s no surprise that having a killer bod is a requirement for being featured in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue. But, we chose our 10 favorite girls from this year?s edition who have that AND bring a little something extra to the table. The coveted cover for 2011 went to Russian beauty, Irina Shayk. With [...]
Source: http://stek.org/videos/kettlebell-home-workout-for-killer-weight-loss/
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FRANKFURT ?- Oscar-nominated director Stephen Daldry, most of whose films have been based on well-known books, believes novelists now more readily embrace the adaptation of their works onto the big screen.
?
Daldry was among the movers and shakers from international film, publishing and multimedia industries to share their insight into storytelling at the Frankfurt Book Fair, which runs until Sunday.
?
The British director and producer, whose films "The Hours", "The Reader" and "Extremely Loud And Incredibly Close" were based on novels, said authors in the past had often been "dismissive" of movie adaptations of their work.
?
"Things have changed in the last 10 or 20 years. There used to be a point where novelists who had written a book would be quite dismissive about cinema, wouldn't care, you know, sold the rights, get as much as you can, you know, basically considered it an inferior art form," Daldry said here.
?
"That certainly is not my experience. All the writers, the novelists I've worked with have been involved from the very beginning, right the way through to the final edit or final preview with audiences," he said at a forum.
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"The screen writers and original authors tend to work together and the original authors have been, and are, incredibly respectful about it being a totally different art form," he added.
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"None of the authors I've worked with have ever said to me 'well, in the book...,'" he said, mentioning German writer Bernhard Schlink who had been especially open to the reworking of his novel, "The Reader".
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Daldry, who also made "Billy Elliot", said he had to approach each adaptation differently.
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"The story will dictate the form, the story will dictate everything," he said.
?
Multiple Oscar winner Richard Taylor, creative director of Weta Workshop, the New Zealand-based animation and special effects studio famous for productions such as "The Lord of the Rings", "Avatar" and soon-to-be released "The Hobbit", talked about the challenges of adapting works by J.R.R. Tolkien.
?
"No decision is taken lightly. It's unbelievably painful at times trying to find the core essence of Tolkien...," he said.
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"It's all hidden, all through the back material, between the lines, in the life of the author. That's how you get to the heart of the images on screen."
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He said it was impossible for filmmakers to ignore today's multimedia world.
?
Filmmaking is "immensely risky" and so it makes sense to create a "flotilla" around the "mothership" by developing offshoot products such as a graphic novel, an iPad app or publication.
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"Modern marketing of intellectual property development is using every platform possible to try to create a swell of interest," Taylor said.
?
Daldry, asked about the crossover between different forms of media to create new platforms for storytelling, said he was "excited by the idea that you can do different things".
?
"But within certain films or within certain plays, it's a singular point of view, you don't want people to have their own interactive relationship with that story, it's your story...
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"It's not pick and choose," he quipped. ? Agence France Presse
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As anyone who has a modicum of scientific kn0wledge understands, homoeopathy is complete bunkum. There is simply no possible way that diluting substances beyond the limits of detectability could have any effect whatsoever unless we re-write the laws of chemistry, biology, and physics. Not gonna happen. ?Nuff said.
Some Australian Homoeopaths are taking the foolishness to a dangerous level by claiming their treatments are useful for the prevention and treatment (of both attackers and victims) of domestic violence.
The article starts reasonably enough by talking about the psychology of abusive relationships as cribbed from a basic Psych textbook.
The seeds of violence and abuse arise from insecurities faced in day-to-day lives, in love, relationships and work , and from feelings of neglect and isolation. The current rise in living expenses, where the cost of living exceeds one?s total income, can make it increasingly difficult to handle emotional, physical and psychological demands. This can lead to feelings of grief, displeasure, guilt, inferiority, jealousy and anger, resulting in physical aggression. Common modes of survival in people in such situations are self-abuse, where the person harms him/herself intentionally or unintentionally (e.g. ? eating disorders, substance abuse), and abuse of others (verbal/physical) whom he considers weaker or over whom he can maintain power and control.
Abuse and violence is a widespread problem which lies hidden within communities irrespective of class and race. It occurs behind closed doors and the most common victims are women, often because standards set by society restrict them from speaking out or seeking help. Women may fear the stigma to their families or humiliation and loss of reputation in society.
It can be difficult to know how to help people in abusive relationships, as most victims are convinced they deserve the punishment and isolate themselves from society. It is important to help them understand that they are not responsible in any way for the treatment they are receiving, and lead them to the conclusion that the path to safety lies in leaving. This is not the advice of the Homoeopaths. They do recommend the victim reach out for help, but then they suggest a daily routine and a healthy diet. Of course, you should also take some dehydrated water.
- Ignatia- This is the first remedy a homeopath thinks of when someone has suffered the ?loss of a loved one?. This remedy often applies when there are symptoms of a lump in the throat, spasms in the body, feelings of disappointment in one?s life dreams.
- Natrum Muriaticum- This remedy is often indicated in a ?romantic loss? in very introverted people. They feel the loss as a breaking in half of their own identity. They will cry horribly while alone looking at pictures and listening to music, yet dread to show their feeling in public. This homeopathic remedy is especially indicated in cases where long term illness progressed from the loss.
- Arnica- is a remedy indicated where the loss was perceived as a blow. Often this is a financial trauma from loss of a job or investment crash. In this case one would feel hurt, bruised, and tender and not want to engage the hard world. The opposite could be the case when you toughen up and engage life in a blunt forceful manner in order to regain what you lost.
- Magnesium Muriaticum- This remedy can be indicated after the loss of a care giver where one feels abandoned and forsaken, left on her own, not able to fend for herself. This may be accompanied by digestive ailments.
- Aconite Napellus- This is one of the common medicines that are used for the treatment of fear. This medicine is basically for people who are always anxious, fearful, and in a state of anguish.
- Nuv Vomica- suited to individuals who are fault finding, irritable, quarrelsome. Oversensitive to noise, odors, light, touch.
- Lycopodium- is indicated when issues like- self-esteem and self-confidence are affected. A person may be bossy, dominating to those who know him best, like family, yet act meek and fearful in public. Has fear of public speaking and even the inability to stand up for oneself in a conflict. Aversion to undertake anything new, aversion to company yet dreads solitude.
- Staphysagria- Sensitive to scolding, insults. Suppression of anger, emotions; become speechless in arguments; sympathetic. Suited to individuals who do not allow themselves to express their emotions. His body may tremble in anger. Especially indicated when physical complaints appear after suppression of emotions and suppressed anger.
- Lachesis- indicated for individuals who areloquacious- constantly changing from one subject to another, tendency to jealousy, suspicious. Religious mania, fear of being poisoned. Great weakness mentally and physically yet no relief from lying down. Suited when causative factors for complaints are- disappointed love, egotism, anger, ailments from discord with parents, suppressed discharges, bad effects of tobacco.
- Anacardium- suited to individuals who are irritable, irresolute, easily angered, lack confidence. Suspicious, irresistible desire to swear and curse; malicious, destructive, offended easily. Laughs at serious matters and become serious about laughable matters. Aversion to work. Forgetful- forgets names of near ones. The characteristics seen in this remedy are- shrieking and cursing when in rage, violent anger, abusive behavior towards partner and children, revengeful.
This list comes with the caveat that any of these should only be taken under the care of a homoeopath, but again, these are treatments for? both victims and perpetrators. How many abusers are going to take sugar pills to curb their violence. This whole idea of improving your diet and lifestyle and selling pills to improve mood is just another idea of victim shaming. Worse yet, they are making a profit, and deepening the victimization. It is absolutely unethical for anyone to suggest such useless treatments for domestic abuse.
While there may be a limited number of people who are listed as homoeopaths in any region, it is important to note that nearly all Naturopaths also use homoeopathic treatments.
If you are being abused, please, please, stay away from either of these professions and call? a crisis centre.
For those in need, a list of numbers on PEI is here. Numbers for all of Canada and other parts of the world are here.
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Sonoma County vineyards produce some of the finest California wines and provide some of the most beautiful scenery in Northern California.
Here are listings of Sonoma County agricultural land and vineyards for sale as of October 12, 2012.? Drop me a line for more information and to schedule a site visit. (john@jsrealproperty.com )? You can view the MLS listing for these properties, click on Wine Country MLS Search and enter the address and property type.? There are also properties not for sale in the MLS, drop me a line for additional properties in your area of interest.
?
| City | Price | Location | AcresTop of Form |
| Bodega Bay | $2,400,000 | 4800 Hyw 1 Hwy | 223.4 |
| Bodega Bay | $4,450,000 | 20019-20501 Coleman Valley Rd | 754.8 |
| Calistoga | $1,495,000 | 4214 Sylvester Ln | 20.98 |
| Cloverdale | $1,900,000 | 28919 River Rd | 33.64 |
| Cloverdale | $3,500,000 | 2 Karen Marie Dr | 1126 |
| Geyserville | $119,000 | 20200 Redwood Hwy | 2.57 |
| Geyserville | $995,000 | 6520 Red Winery Rd | 10.03 |
| Geyserville | $1,050,000 | 2224 Geysers Rd | 11.6 |
| Geyserville | $1,750,000 | 2246 Geysers Rd | 20.3 |
| Glen Ellen | $7,500,000 | 2449 Nelligan Rd | 134.23 |
| Healdsburg | $165,000 | 11997 Windy Hollow Rd | 1.09 |
| Healdsburg | $1,495,000 | 26400 Wickersham Road Rd | 160 |
| Healdsburg | $1,950,000 | 1650 Geysers Rd #Lot 1 | 24.4 |
| Healdsburg | $1,950,000 | 1430 Geysers Rd #Lot 2 | 26.03 |
| Healdsburg | $2,175,000 | 2836 Dry Creek Rd | 19.65 |
| Healdsburg | $3,695,000 | 7000 W Dry Creek Rd | 14 |
| Healdsburg | $4,595,000 | 11450 Los Amigos Rd | 201.1 |
| Monte Rio | $1,290,000 | 22098 Highway 116 Hwy | 26.01 |
| Penngrove | $2,595,000 | 3400 Lichau Rd | 90 |
| Petaluma | $1,700,000 | 1002 Chileno Valley Rd | 240 |
| Santa Rosa | $250,000 | 3627 Fulton Rd | 5.93 |
| Santa Rosa | $1,275,000 | 3848 Coffey Ln | 17.23 |
| Santa Rosa | $1,900,000 | E Los Alamos Road Rd | 293 |
| Sebastopol | $795,000 | 5601 Gravenstein Hwy S | 10.59 |
| Sonoma | $495,000 | Turkey Rd | 3.04 |
| Sonoma | $675,000 | 24175 Turkey Rd | 7.86 |
| Sonoma | $2,250,000 | Stage Gulch Rd | 110.28 |
| Windsor | $789,000 | 6403 Windsor Rd | 14.08Bottom of Form |
?
Check back next week for updates or subscribe to this ePublication.
Contact Us for help buying and selling Wine Country real estate.
Please note:? Purchase or lease of land for agricultural use requires exhaustive testing and evaluation that should be conducted by qualified professionals prior to completion of the sale or entering into a lease.? Past production of agricultural products produced by the land, improvements upon the land, and appurtenant equipment that may or may not convey with the land, is not a guarantee of future production.? The business potential of any enterprise utilizing the products produced by the land should be fully investigated along with the land itself.
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John A. Souerbry & Associates (DRE 01370983)??? john@jsrealproperty.com
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John is a real estate broker in the San Francisco Bay Area. He writes about regional real estate markets and the finer side of Northern California living - wine, restaurants, the outdoors, and more. He resides in Silicon Valley and in Wine Country.Chi Magazine Kate Middleton Nude Photos glee glee wii u wii u boxing news
Boats from China and Japan chased each other around a set of disputed islets, setting off a diplomatic crisis. But when Taiwan entered the fray, neither side seemed to care.
An aerial view shows a Japan Coast Guard patrol ship, fishing boats from Taiwan and Taiwan's Coast Guard vessel sailing side by side near Uotsuri island (top), a part of the disputed islands in the East China Sea, known as Senkaku in Japan, Diaoyu in China, and Tiaoyutai in Taiwan, in this September 25 photo.
Kyodo/Reuters
EnlargeIf it were another country, Taiwan would be in hot diplomatic water.
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The government in Taipei said last week it wanted to be a peacemaker in a sovereignty dispute involving a set of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea. Boats from China and Japan had chased each other around the islets they both claim, setting off mass protests in China that sent Sino-Japanese relations to a new low.
Then this week, Taiwan stopped talking about peace as 12 of its coast guard vessels escorted some 50 Taiwanese fishing boats to the islets, a sort passive-aggressive reminder of its own claim to islets that are 137 miles from Taiwan. Japan controls the islands, which it calls the Senkakus, and sprayed water cannons at Taiwan?s boats to keep them away.
But instead of setting off a diplomatic crisis, no one appears to be taking Taiwan too seriously ? at least not yet.
As far as China is concerned Taiwan is still part of China even though a Nationalist Party set up a rival government in Taipei after losing the Chinese civil war to the Communists in the 1940s. Beijing believes it will capture Taiwan someday even though the two sides are now self-ruled. By that logic any new territory Taiwan locks in would eventually go to China anyway.
At the same time, Japan and Taiwan can hardly live without each other. The former World War II colonizer is today one of Taiwan?s top five sources of tourism. Common Taiwanese take fashion, food, and shopping cues from peers in Tokyo while a strong contingent of conservative Japanese lawmakers who dislike communist China embraces Taiwan as a friendly fellow democracy.
?Japan is probably the only country in the world that attaches strategic importance to Taiwan,? says Bonnie Glaser, a senior fellow with the CSIS Freeman Chair in China Studies.
But Taiwan?s leadership neither expects to conquer the tiny islets nor broker a peace deal. President Ma Ying-jeou?s government is, instead, intent on using the issue to fulfill an often failed, 4-year-old domestic pledge: expand clout among major world nations through informal ties usually described as soft power.?
China forbids its 170-plus diplomatic allies from engaging Taiwan directly. But Taiwan may hope its idea to be a regional peacemaker?will stimulate scholarly debate in the United States, putting Taipei on the map of high-level academic conferences, says Alexander Huang, strategic studies professor with Tamkang University in Taiwan. ?Ma has taken at least an initiative and a moral high ground,? Mr. Huang says.
Taiwan has also avoided bashing China with heated language (letting Japan handle that) over the disputed islets, though they make separate claims. That puts the two sides in the same boat as seen from Beijing. ?It embraces the one-China concept in Beijing?s eyes,? Mr. Huang adds.
That edge will make China happier, and Taiwan wealthier, when the two sides bargain over trade tariffs or investment rules.?
Making good on that pledge to expand clout matters now as President Ma Ying-jeou sees approval ratings of just 15 to 25 percent this year so far because of domestic issues such as rising prices and stubborn wages. Term limits would stop Mr. Ma from seeking a new term in 2016, but his Nationalist Party could inherit any approval problems he leaves behind.
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TORONTO (AP) ? Soccer's governing body says the three Cuban soccer players who disappeared before a World Cup qualifier against Canada have defected.
FIFA said in an email the players defected Thursday, one day before the game. U.S. Customs and Border Protection would not confirm reports the men tried to cross into the United States at the Niagara Falls border point.
Tom Rusert, a spokesman for the customs and border protection agency, said no arrests were made in relation to this case. He cited privacy concerns for not providing further information.
The defecting players left Cuban coach Alexander Gonzalez with only 11 players on his team. He said another player was ill and didn't make it to the game, which Canada won 3-0.
On Friday, Gonzalez lamented the departures of the missing players.
"As with any Cuban sport team that travels around the world, they're all chasing the American dream," he said. "And it's difficult to try to keep the team together. ... Obviously it's a difficult situation for the team and it's tough for me to talk about it."
Last January, two players with the Cuban women's team defected following a match against Canada in Vancouver.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fifa-3-cuban-soccer-players-defected-toronto-180027816--sow.html
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?Aw, So here we go.
I have been dragging my feet on these last books.
Why?
Because education decisions, parenting philosophies, and faith talk...tend to make people a little fussy.
?As you all already know.
But, I'll say it again.
These are our opinions alone.
How you feel about each of these subjects has only to do with you and yours.
Sound good?
Let's start with education.
As most, if not all of you know.
We have chosen to educate our children at home.
This is a growing trend for sure.
But, still? relatively small in the big picture of education.
I could tell you a hundred reasons for why I am not qualified to do this.
But a million more, on why it's the right and best path for us...
So this first set of books are all ones that encourage me and my husband to carry on in this endeavor.
I love this book!
As a homeschooling mama.
Sally is so good at feeding that part of me that wonders if I am really making a difference in the lives of these children?
Will they be better for it?
Will I be enough...
Do I have what it takes?
And so on.
And just in case you are NOT a homeschool mother.
I know ladies who have read this.
Who still appreciated the message and did NOT homeschool.
Although, I must admit.
Sally is very clear about your role...your Mission as a mother.
And it can be very hard to hear for some.
I love this book!
While not specifically about education.
It does provide that backdrop for educating your children through the seasons with a sense of peaceful well being, enjoying the abundance of nature. Slowing your schedule way down.
Crafting, creating, family time.
And overall just finding your own family rhythm.
It has a chapter on each month.
And I must confess...
I have to make myself not read ahead.
I wait and savor the beautiful writing by Amanda and her husband each month.
The photos are gorgeous.
And the "things to do" each month are so up my alley!
Such a simple pleasure and treasure.
Since we are raising some boys out here in the country.
My job, as I see it...
Is not just about reading, writing and arithmetic.
It's about preparing these boys to be Godly men.
Which is scary, no?
This book does not mince words on our responsibilities as the parents of boys.
And, I need all of the help I can get on what they must be.
This is a tough book.
Really.
But if you have a goal, a Godly inspired goal for your boys.
I would get this and read it.
Another book by Voddie.
And...
All I can say here is this.
That the daddy and I are in the process of equipping ourselves to be better leaders of our children and growing their faith.
We need all of the help we can get.
And just like home education.
Discipleship starts at home.
This is a great book!
Truly.
If you want to grow in your family driven faith this is a must read.
And, I put it into the education category for a couple of reasons.
My personal growth and learning.
And because of the nuggets that I glean form books like this to use in my teachable moments with my children.
Because...Let's face it.
Being together 24/7 provides a million and one reasons and times for me to have teachable moments!
I had heard about this book a lot.
And recently checked it out from the library.
And while the author was basically preaching to the choir...
At least in my case.
I look around me and see so many families that could benefit from this book.
Our busy lifestyle and go, go, go.
Not to mention the competitiveness and too much stuff...
Are all "waging an undeclared war on childhood."
So...
If you need help recognizing the signs of strain on you AND your children.
If you need help, a reason, and a really good excuse to quiet things down.
Or, if you just want a little affirmation in the fact that you already are a slow and steady parent.
This is a great and fast read.
Full of wisdom.
And ideas for simplifying your life.
Spot on in my humble opinion...
And another book not based on education as much as lifestyle.
And for those of you who home educate or plan to in the future...
You all already know, or will soon find out.
Home education and lifestyle are one in the same.
OK, Back to education.
More specifically.
This was hard for me to see as a new home teaching mama.
But, eventually. You will find that certain methods fit you better than others.
You will start to see that you gravitate towards a certain kind of books, curricula, style, method...
And for me, it's a mostly Charlotte Mason approach.
"The Gentle Art of Learning"
This book has been so good for many reasons.
But, what I love most is how it ties the atmosphere of home, in with nature studies, strong literature based learning, art, history, poetry, and so on with the discipline of habits. All together!
And let me just say this.
I need good discipline of habits!
And so do my children.
Beautifully written and a great reference to use again and again.
I just recently started reading this book.
But, oh so good!
This is another great reference book with the Charlotte Mason philosophy woven through out.
Sally and Clay do an excellent job of guiding you in these areas:
* Make your home and family the heart of your children's education
* Train your children to become creative, self-directed learners
* Enrich your family's life and education with living books
* Identify and work with each child's learning style
* Help your children love to learn as naturally as they love to play
* Gain confidence to teach using practical, common-sense methods?
All with God at the center.
Love this.
And find it to be very encouraging and inspiring!
This is not, of course, all of my favorite books on parenting and education...
And, sweet living in general.
But, these are my favorites right now.
And... are definitely what are shaping our days, our choices, and our time and teaching the most.
Please feel free to leave any books that you like, in the comments, so that other readers may glean a few titles from you.? Or, even if you didn't like one of these books. feel free to say why...
I'll finish up this book series in my next post.
It will be about faith and what is moving us on our current path.
Then, as you know.
I have already announced that I will be closing up the Sweet Country Life, soon.
And if you missed it, here is the post regarding that.I posted these books after a request from a reader, so if there is anything else you are wondering about...now is the time to ask.
And, if any of you have a desire or a need to contact me.
Now is the time to do so.
As always.
These are my humble opinions.
And I take what I love from the books, let go of what I don't.
And move on.
Which you should do, too.
Praying you have found some help, inspiration or encouragement here.
And also that you would have a beautiful weekend.
XO
Source: http://thissweetcountrylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/education-family-faith.html
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Source: http://www.articlespy.com/article/3156/same-day-payday-loans-procure-extra-funds-in-a-day/
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(This film image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Ben Affleck as Tony Mendez, center, in "Argo," a rescue thriller about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. "Argo" opens this weekend. The Salt Lake Tribune) 's Sean Means calls the movie "an exciting thriller that melds spy intrigue with human-scaled drama and Hollywood-industry comedy." (AP Photo/Warner Bros., Claire Folger)
Review ? Thriller recounts daring CIA rescue mission.
"Argo" is a marvelously exciting movie, a riveting thriller pulled from a real-life incident in which two of the most distrusted entities in American life ? the Central Intelligence Agency and Hollywood ? were the unmistakable good guys.
Director Ben Affleck ? and who could have guessed that name and job title would fit so well together? ? and screenwriter Chris Terrio weave together spy intrigue, political double talk, an international crisis and movie-industry self-deprecation into a story that?s so fantastic that it had to be true.
?
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?Argo?
A CIA agent forms an outlandish plan to save six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis in this tension-filled true-life drama.
Where ? Theaters everywhere.
When ? Opens Friday, Oct. 12.
Rating ? R for language and some violent images.
Running time ? 120 minutes.
It?s 1979, after the revolution that deposed the Shah of Iran and put the Ayatollah Khomeini in power. When the Shah is allowed medical exile in the United States, Iranian rebels retaliate by overrunning the U.S. Embassy, taking 52 Americans hostage for 444 days ? a crisis whose resolution came in the final minutes of Jimmy Carter?s presidency. When the rebels invaded, though, six U.S. Embassy workers sneaked out a back way and were given refuge by the Canadian ambassador, Ken Taylor (Victor Garber).
In early 1980, after a couple of months of the embassy "houseguests" hiding out, and with U.S. officials believing the Ayatollah?s regime will figure out there are Americans unaccounted for, the State Department tries to devise an escape plan. To CIA agent Tony Mendez (played by Affleck), an expert at such missions, the State Department?s solutions are unworkable and will likely get six Americans killed. Mendez hits upon an audacious idea: He will go undercover as a Hollywood producer making a movie in Iran and claim that the six embassy workers are his film crew.
It?s a long shot, but "this is the best bad idea we?ve got, by far," Mendez?s boss (Bryan Cranston) tells the State Department honchos.
Mendez enlists John Chambers (John Goodman), the Hollywood makeup effects artist who worked on "Planet of the Apes," and together they recruit a producer (Alan Arkin) to find a script ? a cheesy sci-fi adventure called "Argo" ? and to set up a dummy production company to look convincing. Mendez then flies into Tehran to give the embassy workers their cover stories, which they must memorize and recite well enough to convince Iran?s Revolutionary Guard.
Terrio?s script and Affleck?s direction combine these disparate settings ? the glamour of a phony Hollywood party and the chaos of battle-torn Tehran ? with an attention for detail that makes both worlds authentic and alive. This is especially evident in a powerful moment where a script reading of the sci-fi film is intercut with propaganda speechmaking by the Iranian hostage-takers.
Affleck?s previous movies as director, the Boston-based crime dramas "Gone Baby Gone" and "The Town," drew favorable comparisons to Sidney Lumet?s best work ? and "Argo" also shows that Lumet touch for combining political importance and white-knuckle tension. Affleck also shows a sure hand with complex storytelling, neatly weaving the CIA office dynamics with the emotional stresses of the embassy "houseguests." And, just to show how good a director he is, he gets a soulful, stirring performance from none other than Ben Affleck.
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Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment2/55052494-223/argo-affleck-embassy-iframe.html.csp
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A teenager posted a heartbreaking video on YouTube chronicling years of bullying in school and online, cutting and humiliation up until she died this week.
Amanda Todd, 15, posted the video called "My story: Struggling, bullying, suicide, self harm" on Sept. 7 and was found dead in her home town of Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, just over a month later.
"Hello, I've decided to tell you about my never ending story," the black and white video begins. Todd can only be seen from her nose down for most of the video, occasionally moving around so that her face is visible. She silently tells her story through a series of white cards with black marker writing on them.
She describes using webcam chats to meet and talk to new people online as a seventh grade student. She said that people told her she was "stunning, beautiful, perfect" and a man pressured her to flash her chest. One year later, she did.
Todd received a Facebook message from a man she did not know saying that if she did not "put on a show" for him, he would send the photo of her chest to everyone. Over Christmas break, Todd said police came to her house at 4 a.m. to tell her that the photo had been sent to everyone.
"I then got really sick and got anxiety, major depression and panic disorders," she wrote. "I then moved and got into drugs and alcohol."
A year after moving, Todd said things were going better until the man on Facebook came back and used the photo of her chest as his profile picture. Todd said she "cried every night, lost all my friends and respect people had for me again."
"I can never get that photo back," she wrote. "It's out there forever."
She described being called names, eating lunch alone and resorting to cutting herself. She also told the story of an incident where she made a "huge mistake" and "hooked up" with a boy at her school who had a girlfriend, but who she believed really liked her.
A week later, she said she received a text message telling her to get out of school and then a group of students, led by the boy's girlfriend, surrounded her at school and said, "Look around, nobody likes you."
"A guy then yelled, 'Just punch her already,' so [the girlfriend] did," Todd wrote. "She threw me to the ground and punched me several times. Kids filmed it. I was all alone and left on the ground."
Todd said she "wanted to die so bad" when her dad found her in a ditch. She drank bleach when she went home and had to be rushed to the hospital to have her stomach pumped, she said.
"After I got home, all I saw was on Facebook--'She deserved it. Did you wash the mud out of your hair? I hope she's dead,'" she wrote.
Todd moved to another school in another city, but said the torture followed her through Facebook. Students posted photos of ditches and suggested she try another bleach.
"Every day, I think, why am I still here?" she asked towards the end of the video. "I'm stuck. What's left of me now? Nothing stops. I have nobody. I need someone. My name is Amanda Todd."
Authorities were called to a residence in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia, just before 6 p.m. on Oct. 10 to investigate the sudden death of the tormented teenager.
While authorities have not officially called the death a suicide, Cpl. Jamie Chung of the Coquitlam Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement, "At this time it has been determined that the teen's death was not suspicious in nature and that foul play was not a factor."
The coroner is investigating the death, police said.
Todd said in her video that she did not want to press charges against the girl who beat her up because she ?wanted to move on? when she moved to another city and school.
Police did not immediately respond to ABCNews.com's question whether there was a probe into the man who used Todd's Facebook photo in an effort to exploit her and then made it public.
Todd's family has declined to speak, but Cheryl Quinton, spokeswoman for the Coquitlam School District, told ABCNews.com, "The family was wanting to pass along that several supports were in place for their daughter on the school, home and community levels. There was a lot of intervention and a lot of support. I know that is the message that they want to convey."
Todd was in the tenth grade at the Coquitlam Alternate Basic Education School when she died. School officials would not release the name of her previous school.
Quinton said the death has been "very devastating" to the small school where resources are being provided to students in regards to suicide prevention and bullying.
"We typically, as a school district, don't talk about such deaths but with the family's endorsement we did choose to do so because it is important to point out the dangers associated with social media and cyber-bullying," Quinton said.
Also ReadSource: http://news.yahoo.com/bullied-teen-leaves-behind-chilling-video-143636599--abc-news-topstories.html
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Hands down, Help A Reporter Out, better known as HARO and owned by Vocus, is the best free way I know to have a chance at being included in a major media story. As a small-business owner, you can?t beat this simple e-mail service that arrives in your inbox one or more times a day.
HARO is a free service that sends you queries from journalists and professional bloggers about stories or posts in progress. You then have the option to submit a response to the query and, if the reporter chooses, to have your company included in the article. As a small-business owner, I receive three summaries each day of all the queries in categories that interest me.
Here is what it looks like:
********* INDEX ***********
Business and Finance
1)?Living at college for less (Pittsburgh Parent Magazine)?
2)?Need Expert on Economics of Open Access (EContent - Online)?
3)?Casting U.S. companies who could benefit from an Executive Coach (Major cable TV network)?
4)?Unusual bank fees (Bankrate)?
5)?Small Business Stupid Mistakes (WSJ Column)?
6)?Social media, recruiting, and referrals (Workforce Management - Online)?
Usually it goes for 19 or 20 queries. Let?s look at just a bit of #6. It will tell you the reporter, the publication name, the deadline, then details of the query:?
?I'm doing a piece for Workforce Management on the growing reliance on referrals as part of the recruiting strategy, and how companies and employees are using social media sites, including facebook and Linked In to share job opportunities and requests with their networks.?
I'm looking for a couple of HR/recruiting leaders or their employees to talk about how employees spread the word about jobs via social media, how that is helping them meet recruiting goals, as well as the pitfalls or risks involved with such recruiting strategies.?
To make the most of HARO, here are my three tips on how to use the service to get media coverage.
1. Keep your pitch brief and on-target.?As a journalist, when I use HARO for my work, I receive between 20 and 150 e-mails, usually within an hour. So that might seem as if I?m not going to get through them all, but I read or scan all of them. I have a pretty strong filter for jargon and an itchy ?delete? finger. Most queries are detailed enough, as above, that you know if you fit and if you can add value. Stay focused in your e-mail. Within that, know the rules. HARO will boot you off the service if you break them.
2. Read every HARO e-mail. They are organized, as above, and take only moments to scan. Even if you click on one and go a little deeper, you?ve spent less than two minutes reading a query. It's time well spent.
3. The queries may not match your expertise, but you may have someone in your network who can benefit. Pay it forward. You can?t post HARO queries in public forums, on the Web, or you?ll get banned. But you can send it via e-mail to a friend or colleague who can answer it. I sometimes receive e-mails that make an introduction to the right person.
By making contact with the reporter and showing you know how to be a resource; you begin a new relationship with a journalist or blogger who may call you back when the story is centered on your expertise. So, don?t miss the opportunity to network. I haven?t found a more valuable free service in all my years as a small-business owner and as a journalist. HARO is worth its weight in gold.
Hubspot has a terrific document you can download, for free, called How to Leverage Social Media for Public Relations Success that was published in 2010. A few of the links go to now-defunct sites, but most of it is still relevant and useful. It includes a brief description about HARO.
Epic Launch's?21 Ways to get Featured in the Media?is a fast read and loaded with ideas to get the creative juices flowing.
?Find more advice on marketing strategies.?
Source: http://www.openforum.com/articles/3-tips-to-get-your-small-business-in-the-media
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When Olivia Spadavecchia, the lovely editor of Gourmet contacted us in August about featuring us for an Entertaining at Home feature in the magazine, we thought to tie in the celebration with October. ? Three years ago on Oct 14, we bravely promised to be there for each other- for better, for worse. Truthfully, we give thanks daily for each other.
Though we have been friends since teenage years, it was ultimately our shared passion for food that moved us beyond the tipping point from the platonic to the romantic. Food has fuelled our passion and cooking together has actually brought some great times in our relationship. There have been lots of earth-shattering and tantalizing epiphanies on our palates, loads and loads of pots and pans to wash, a few girlie tears when the chef?s critique ?was a bit harsh but way more big belly laughter and good times. ?A couple that cooks together connects emotionally and spiritually. A couple that cooks together stays together. Here?s to a lifetime in the kitchen together! ?Will you ?stick around for one heck of a culinary ride?
Click each page to enlarge and read?
?
Canap?s
Squid Ceviche Canap?
Smoked Salmon Canap??
Reggae Salsa
Anchovy Stuffed Olives
?
Main Dishes
Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Lamb Leg
Roasted Duck with Pomegranate Orange Sauce
Grilled Aged Angus Ribeye Steak
?
Sides
Herb Roasted Potatoes
Spiced Roasted Pumpkin
Saut?ed Vegetables
?
Condiments
Chimichurri
Desserts
Individual Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Orange Ginger Creme Br?l?e
Cocktails
Mojito
Rosemary Cocktail
Cranberry, J.Wray & His Nephews
?
Source: http://chefandsteward.com/2012/10/13/our-tips-in-gourmet-magazine-on-entertaining-at-home/
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/49379147/
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LONDON (AP) ? Financial markets steadied Thursday ahead of another round of U.S. corporate earnings and despite a downgrade of Spain's sovereign credit rating.
Standard & Poor's downgraded Spain's government debt late Wednesday from BBB+ to BBB-, the lowest investment grade level. That's important because it potentially makes it more expensive for the Spanish government to borrow money.
The agency warned of the impact of the deepening economic recession in Spain and rising levels of social discontent, adding that the government's hesitation in requesting help was "potentially raising the risks to Spain's rating."
The Spanish government has so far refused to tap a new European Central Bank bond-buying facility that has been largely designed to keep a lid on the country's borrowing rates.
Some analysts think the downgrade will help push the government to finally request the help, despite the political humiliation that would represent.
"Investors appear to be drawing the conclusion that this coupled with increasing yields in recent sessions leaves Spain no option but to formally request a bailout," said Mike McCudden, head of derivatives at Interactive Investor.
The downgrade prompted a retreat across much of Asian financial markets but the mood improved during the European trading session. Spanish shares were still underperforming their counterparts in Europe, trading 0.4 percent lower.
By contrast, Germany's DAX was up 0.6 percent at 7,246 while the CAC-40 in France rose 0.3 percent to 3,377. The FTSE 100 index of leading British shares was up 0.3 percent at 5,795.
The improvement in sentiment supported so-called 'riskier' assets, which investors buy in good times in search of higher returns. The euro was up 0.3 percent higher at $1.2883 while the price of a barrel of benchmark oil rose 56 cents to $91.81 a barrel.
Wall Street was poised for a solid opening, with both Dow futures and the broader S&P 500 futures up 0.3 percent.
Though the crisis in the eurozone remains a key focus of attention in the markets, investors are also looking for direction from the third quarter U.S. corporate earnings results season.
Earlier this week, aluminum company Alcoa Inc. kicked off the season with upbeat earnings but warned that its outlook was being hurt by waning demand, particularly in Asia.
"Third quarter earnings season continues to gather steam," said Fawad Razaqzada, market strategist at GFT Markets. Results from U.S. banking group JP Morgan on Friday may be the most closely watched this week, he said.
Earlier in Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 index fell 0.6 percent to finish at 8,546.78. South Korea's Kospi shed 0.8 percent to 1,933.09 but Hong Kong's Hang Seng, however, rose 0.4 percent to 20,999.05.
Mainland Chinese shares lost ground, with the Shanghai Composite Index shedding 0.8 percent to 2,102.87 while the Shenzhen Composite Index lost 1.5 percent to 867.21.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/markets-brush-off-spain-downgrade-bailout-hopes-102244940--finance.html
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Georgios Skiniotis developed a picture of the interaction between leptin and its receptor using electron microscopy. The two legs of the receptor become rigid by binding to leptin and signal to an enzyme called the Janus kinase.
ANN ARBOR--(ENEWSPF)--October 11, 2012. Researchers at the University of Michigan have determined how the hormone leptin, an important regulator of metabolism and body weight, interacts with a key receptor in the brain.
Leptin is a hormone secreted by fat tissue that has been of interest for researchers in obesity and Type 2 diabetes since it was discovered in 1995. Like insulin, leptin is part of a regulatory network that controls intake and expenditure of energy in the body, and a lack of leptin or resistance to it has been linked to obesity in people.
Although there can be several complex reasons behind leptin resistance, in some cases the underlying cause is malfunction of the leptin receptor in the brain. An understanding of how leptin and its receptor interact could lead to new treatments for obesity and metabolic disorders, but the structure of this signaling complex has evaded researchers for years.
Georgios Skiniotis, a faculty member at the Life Sciences Institute and assistant professor in biological chemistry at the U-M Medical School, employed electron microscopy to obtain the first picture of the interaction between leptin and its receptor.
Skiniotis also traced similarities between the leptin receptor and other receptors of the same family, which may provide insight into new targets for treatment of other hormone-related diseases.
"It is exciting not only because it might help with developing new drugs," Skiniotis said. "We now better understand the design and mechanisms of signaling through this class of receptors, which brings us to a whole new set of intriguing questions."
In the paper "Ligand-Induced Architecture of the Leptin Receptor Signaling Complex," published electronically ahead of print on Oct. 11 in Molecular Cell, Skiniotis and his co-authors explain how the receptor is formed by two hinged legs that can swivel until they encounter leptin, which binds to the legs and makes them rigid.
Once the two legs of a receptor become rigid by binding to leptin, they signal to an enzyme called the Janus kinase. A number of drugs have been studied for treatments related to the Janus kinases; inhibiting it may lead to improvement of conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis and metabolic disorders that are linked to inflammation.
Alan Saltiel, director of the Life Sciences Institute and a widely cited researcher who works on diabetes, obesity and metabolic disorders, sees a range of possibilities in the work of Skiniotis.
"This study may help solve an important issue we've been struggling with for some time," he said. "Since leptin is a master regulator of appetite, understanding why resistance to its effects develops in obesity has been a major obstacle to discovering new drugs for obesity and diabetes. Developing a clear picture of how leptin can bind to its receptor may be the first step in overcoming leptin resistance."
Other U-M authors on the paper were Liliya Mancour and Gerwin Westfield of the Life Sciences Institute and Department of Biological Chemistry and Hikmat Daghestani, Somnath Dutta, Justin Schilling, Austin Oleskie, Jeffrey Herbstman and Steven Chou of the Life Sciences Institute.
The work in Skiniotis' lab was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences Pharmacological Sciences Training Program. Skiniotis is a Pew Scholar of Biomedical Sciences.
Source: umich.edu
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We were doing some training the other night and the question of ?what do I write about? came up.? We were talking about blogging but it quickly led to article writing and to? be honest they are pretty much one and the same thing and the same rules apply in our opinion.
People want to read great content that in general solves a problem they are having ? so that?s what you write about ??
Say you were searching for say ?how do I create my brand online??? or ?how do I write a good quality article? You would expect to find good quality articles and blog content on that subject.
We researched that for this article by typing in ?how do I create my brand online? as an example and this took us to a blog post on Ezine Articles called
That is why writing great content matters.? Why?? Because if someone visits your website and reads your blog or your articles and they solved a problem for them then they will become return visitors to your website and may ultimately become customers.
When we first got online it was common practice to write short articles of about 400 words and pretty much any style was ok.? Nowadays it is not quite like that.? The premier article submission sites such as Ezine Articles will only accept good quality, unique articles that are a minimum of 500 ? 600 words long
You can get lots of ideas and tips from the Ezine Articles Blog
Just the other day they published on their blog the importance of writing great content and in particular Content Planning so we thought we would follow through on that theme.
The writing seems to be the thing that holds people back ? they don?t know what to write or how to write good content.
The fortunate thing is that today there are many ways that you can get round that ? and in particular finding tools that you can use to write that content.
One of the tools that we use is called Article Builder This is an online software that produces high quality articles in numerous niches.? There is a restriction to the number of copies they sell so there is no guarantee when you go there that you will be able to get it.
Here?s an example of one we wrote using Article Builder and posted on another website
There is another one that we have looked at and produced by the same person and like Article Builder it will also product quality articles for you but with reduced functionality (Article Builder will post automatically for you).? This version is called Article Wizzard.
For many people the thought of planning a whole series of content whether that be articles of blog posts is something that would put them off straight away.? To be honest, we also thought that to begin with but having been doing it for a while now we have found planning our content invaluable ?.. especially since we write content on a number of sites.
We set out our subjects for the week ? we may even have a theme and then we put down our headlines and get to work researching and bullet pointing what we want to cover.? Sometimes of course news will break and we have to write something unscheduled but that?s the way it is.
There is also a very inexpensive tool you can use that sits on your desktop and helps you schedule your writing ? it?s called? 3o Minute Article Writing
Here are a few tips for writing great content:
#1??? Choose an attention grabbing headline ? be clear and consise (humorous if you want)
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#3??? Find inspiration from something you see or hearon the TV, Radio, Internet or from your family even
#4??? Research your topic, outline your story and get on with it.? This is your view on the subject
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If you have any tips you would like to share with us please leave them in the comment box below and we will ?share the luv? since we have that great little plugin installed on our site here.
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Source: http://chrisandsusanbeesley.com/planning-and-writing-great-content-it-matters/
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? A daily summary of global reports on security issues.
Turkey forced a Damascus-bound passenger plane suspected of ferrying Russian weapons to Syria to land at an Ankara airport yesterday, just hours after a Turkish military commander said Turkey would respond more strongly to Syrian bombardments in its territory.
The Syrian-owned Airbus A-320 passenger plane traveling from Moscow to Damascus and carrying 30 passengers was grounded last night based on intelligence that it was shuttling ?non-civilian cargo,? reports Reuters.
Syria accused Turkey of ?air piracy? following the incident, Lebanon?s al-Manar TV quoted Syrian Transport Minister Mahoumd Said as saying, according to a separate Reuters report. The station quotes Mr. Said as saying that the landing ?contradicts civil aviation treaties."
After a five-hour inspection and confiscation of cargo, Turkey allowed the plane to continue on to Syria, reports Russian news agency RIA Novosti. There have been varying accounts of what Turkey may have found on board, but no definitive statement from Turkish officials on what, if anything, they found.
"Some Turkish media reports stated that there were parts for radio stations used for military purposes, while NTV television channel said there was an object that could be a part of a missile," RIA Novosti reports.
RELATED ? What is Russia thinking on Syria? A brief guide
The episode has escalated already heightened tensions between Turkey and Syria, which have been exchanging sporadic fire across their 566-mile shared border since last week, when a Syrian mortar killed five people in Turkey after several days of shelling. It is unclear if the original cross-border violence was intended or the result of misaimed shots.
The grounding of the aircraft also strains the relationship between Turkey and Russia. Moscow has been one of the few countries to stand by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad over the course of the 19-month conflict, and has used its veto power on the United Nations Security Council to block multiple resolutions that would have allowed stronger action against the regime, including laying the groundwork for international intervention.
The Financial Times reports that Russian President Vladimir Putin postponed a scheduled trip to Turkey next week, which could have been an opportunity for Turkey to persuade Russia to temper its support for the Assad regime.
According to the Washington Post, a Russian arms exporting agency source informed Interfax news agency that the passenger plane was not carrying Russian military equipment or weapons.
?If it had been necessary to ship any military hardware or weapons to Syria, this would have been done through the established procedure rather than in an illegal way, not to mention using a civilian aircraft,? the official told Interfax. Because Russia hasn?t suspended its military-technological cooperation with Syria, there is no reason to avoid using official channels, the source noted.
Russian authorities demanded an explanation for the grounding of the flight, which was carrying 17 Russian passengers.
?Russia insists that the Turkish authorities must explain their conduct regarding Russian citizens and prevent similar incidents in the future,? Russian consulate spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement. ?Turkish authorities denied without explanations and in violation of the bilateral consular convention a meeting of the diplomats with the Russian citizens."
Turkey had already stated it would not allow military or cargo planes carrying weapons into Syria to use its airspace, Foreign Minister Ahmet Davuto?lu said, according to Turkey?s Hurriyet Daily News. Turkey said it would continue investigating Syrian civilian planes using its airspace in the future if needed.
"We exercised our rights, and we will exercise them again tomorrow if required," Transport Minister Binali Yildirim said.
Although Turkey is taking action to prevent Russian weapons from reaching the Syrian Army, its own border with Syria has become a conduit for weapons for the Syrian rebel forces, although the Guardian reports that the weapons and supplies are starting to become scarce.
The rivalries of Arab and Gulf politics, divisions between the west and Russia, fear of Syria's bloody crisis spreading beyond the country's borders to drag in Iran or Lebanon all make supplying arms to the rebels a sensitive and murky issue.
Now, it seems, the supply is drying up. On Aleppo's frontlines, there is still no sign of the heavy weapons for which the rebels have pleaded. Ammunition is running low. "They are giving us enough to keep this fight going, but not enough to win it," complained Abu Furat, a commander. "I'm sure that's not going to change until after the American elections. I'm not sure everyone can survive until then."
There is growing concern that tensions between Syria and Turkey could explode into a war between the two countries, even if neither country wants an open conflict. The Atlantic?s Robert Wight lists four reasons why the two countries could be moving in that direction, even if they don't want to. The Guardian sums them up:
1. Turkey could decide that war is preferable to the alternatives of an influx of more refugees and Kurds using the ongoing civil war to carve out an autonomous region in Syria.
2. A Turkish-Syrian war could draw the US into the conflict making such a move more attractive to some influential backers of American intervention.
3. Syria will continue attacking the Turkish border to stop the supply of weapons to rebels. "The Syrian regime is fighting for its life, and along the Turkish-Syrian border lies the lifeline of its enemy" Wright says.
4. In a way Turkey is already at war with the Syrian regime by supplying weapons to rebels.
But opinion polls show that the majority of Turks are opposed to going to war with Syria, and Turkish opposition to war is deeply entrenched, Lehigh University's Prof. Henri Barkey told the Financial Times ? despite Ankara's recent claims that it would retaliate with greater force in the event of another deadly attack on Turkish soil.
?The image of Turks fighting in the Middle East is wholly contrary to the idea of the country as a paragon of stability,? Mr. Barkey said.
IN PICTURES: Conflict in Syria
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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-odds-moscow-grounding-russia-syria-flight-134800648.html
