DEAR PUNK AFICIONADOS:The New Mexico makes their anticipated return with Mote, Blood Planet, & White Reaper @ Rudyard Kipling. Show is on Wednesday, December 19th. It's 21+, 5$ and starts at 8:00pm sharp. EAT DRINK AND BE MERRY!!!
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WASHINGTON (AP) ? Signaling new movement in "fiscal cliff" talks, House Speaker John Boehner has proposed raising the top rate for earners making more than $1 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said. President Barack Obama, who wants higher top rates for households earning more than $250,000, has not accepted the offer, this person said.
The proposal, however, indicated progress in talks that had appeared stalled. The person would only discuss the plan on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the negotiations.
As part of a broader budget deal, Boehner is still seeking more spending cuts than Obama has proposed, particularly in mandatory health care spending. Boehner has asked for a long-term increase in eligibility age for Medicare and for lower costs-of-living adjustments for Social Security.
Boehner's tax proposal was first reported by Politico.
A Boehner aide would not comment on the report.
At issue are expiring tax rates that would automatically increase on Jan. 1 for virtually every income tax payer if Congress and the president don't act. Steep budget cuts are also scheduled to kick in, unless Congress and Obama agree to forestall them with other deficit reduction measures.
Obama has insisted on extending current rates for the 98 percent of taxpayers in household that earn less than $250,000. He would let the top two marginal rates increase from 33 percent to 35 percent and from 36 percent to 39.6 percent for those taxpayers making over that threshold.
Until now, Boehner had maintained his opposition to raising any rates. Instead, he had proposed to raise up to $800 billion in tax revenue over 10 years by limiting tax loopholes and deductions as part of a broad tax overhaul.
But the speaker and House Republicans have come under increasing pressure form a number of Senate Republicans who say they should yield to Obama's demand on tax rates and then press him for additional cuts early next year in exchange for an increase in the nation's borrowing limit.
Obama has proposed about $600 billion in spending reductions over 10 years, including about $350 billion in Medicare and other health care savings. But he has also proposed about $200 billion in additional spending, including aid to the unemployed and to struggling homeowners and for public works projects.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ap-source-boehner-offers-millionaire-tax-hike-013718750--politics.html
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Posted on: 8:32 am, December 14, 2012, by Will C. Holden, updated on: 09:03am, December 14, 2012
Obama says that going after recreation marijuana users in Colorado won?t be a ?top priority? for his administration.
DENVER ? ?We?ve got bigger fish to fry.?
That?s what President Barack Obama said Thursday when asked for the first time if his administration will go after recreational marijuana users in Colorado or push to have Amendment 64 overturned.
With the looming fiscal cliff just one of the far-reaching issues fresh at hand, Obama told Barbara Walters that the legalization of marijuana in two states ? Washington being the other ? is simply ?not a top priority? for his administration.
?It would not make sense for us to see a top priority as going after recreational users in states that have determined that (marijuana) is legal,? Obama told Walters.
Obama?s comments come in spite of the fact that marijuana is currently illegal at the federal level.
Given that fact, many have speculated that the federal government will step in to squash Amendment 64, which will allows adults over the age of 21 to possess and smoke small amounts of marijuana. Comments from the Department of Justice hours after voters passed the measure did nothing to allay that speculation.
?The Department of Justice?s enforcement of the Controlled Substances Act remains unchanged,? wrote Jeff Dorschner, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney?s Office. ?In enacting the Controlled Substances Act, Congress determined that marijuana is a Schedule I controlled substance. We are reviewing the ballot initiative and have no additional comment at this time.?
Though his comments are the first positive sign on the federal level for marijuana activists since Amendment 64 was passed, the President was far from absolute. He went on to acknowledge the fact that his say is hardly the final word on the issue, and that fully preventing federal interference with any marijuana legalization statue will be a challenging.
?This is a tough problem, because Congress has not yet changed the (federal) law,? Obama said. ?I head up the executive branch; we?re supposed to be carrying out laws. And so what we?re going to need to have is a conversation about, How do you reconcile a federal law that still says marijuana is a federal offense and state laws that say that it?s legal??
Source: http://kdvr.com/2012/12/14/obama-hassling-colorado-marijuana-users-not-a-top-priority/
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INCIRLIK AIR BASE, Turkey (Reuters) - U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta signed an order on Friday to send two Patriot missile batteries to Turkey with 400 American personnel to operate them, in a move by NATO members to bolster Turkey's defenses against the threat of Syrian missiles.
The order was signed shortly before Panetta arrived on an unannounced visit to Turkey to meet American troops stationed at the Incirlik Air Base, the last stop on a week-long trip that took him to Afghanistan and Kuwait.
"The purpose of this deployment is to signal very strongly that the United States, working closely with our NATO allies, is going to support the defense of Turkey, especially with potential threats emanating from Syria," spokesman George Little said.
NATO-member Turkey has repeatedly scrambled jets along the countries' joint frontier and responded in kind when shells from the Syrian conflict came down inside its borders, fanning fears that the civil war could spread to destabilize the region.
The widely expected U.S. move follows similar steps by Germany and the Netherlands, which also said they will send two Patriot batteries. The three countries are the only NATO nations with the most modern type of Patriots.
Little declined to say where the U.S. batteries would be located and said the systems would be deployed to Turkey for an unspecified amount of time.
"We expect them to be deployed in the coming weeks," Little said.
NATO approved Turkey's request for air defense batteries on December 4, in a move meant to calm its fears of coming under missile attack, possibly with chemical weapons, from Syria.
The Patriot system is designed to intercept aircraft or missiles. NATO says the measure is purely defensive, but Russia, Syria and Iran have criticized the decision, saying it increases regional instability.
(Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Nick Tattersall; Editing by Janet Lawrence)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/panetta-signs-order-send-patriot-missiles-turkey-reports-062001951.html
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Ebb and Flow, two spacecraft that have been investigating the moon's gravitational field, will end their existence by smashing into the moon's north pole next week. The event is not likely to be visible from Earth, but the?Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter?may catch a glimpse. ? ?
This artist rendering released by NASA shows the twin spacecraft Ebb and Flow orbiting the moon. The duo is preparing for a crash landing on the moon next week.
AP Photo/NASA
EnlargeAfter nearly a year circling the moon,?NASA's?Ebb and Flow will meet their demise when they crash ? on purpose ? into the lunar surface.
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Just don't expect to see celestial fireworks. Next week's impact near the moon's north pole by the washing machine-sized spacecraft won't carve a gaping crater or kick up a lot of debris. And it'll be dark when it happens.
"We are not expecting a big flash or a big explosion" that will be visible from Earth, said mission chief scientist Maria Zuber of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Still, it'll mark a violent end to a successful mission that has produced the most high-resolution gravity maps of Earth's closest neighbor. On Friday, engineers will turn off the science instruments in preparation for Monday's finale.
Previous unmanned trips to the moon have studied its lumpy gravitational field, but Ebb and Flow are the first ones dedicated to this goal. Since entering orbit over New Year's weekend, the formation-flying spacecraft have peered past the craggy surface into the interior.
Initially, the spacecraft flew about 35 miles (56 kilometers) above the surface and later dropped down to 14 miles (22 kilometers). About an hour before Monday's impact, they will fire their engines until they run out of fuel and slam at 3,800 mph (6,115 kph) into a predetermined target ? a mountain near the north pole that's far away from the Apollo landing sites.
Ebb will hit first followed by Flow 20 seconds later. Though the drama won't be visible from Earth, the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter will fly over the crash site afterward and attempt to spot them.
The last time?NASA?aimed at the moon was in 2009. The world watched through telescopes and over the Internet as a spacecraft and its booster rocket smashed into a permanently shadowed crater ? a one-two punch that fizzled when spectators saw little more than a fuzzy white flash.
The mission's end will also mark the close of a student campaign that used cameras aboard the spacecraft to image lunar targets including on the moon's far side. The MoonKAM project was spearheaded by a science education company founded by Sally Ride, the first American woman in space. Ride died of pancreatic cancer in July at age 61.
Even after Ebb and Flow complete their mission, scientists will continue to pore over the bounty of data they collected.
Among their findings so far: The moon is more beat up than previously imagined. The crust is much thinner than thought. And there's no evidence that Earth once had two moons that collided to form the one we see in the night sky.
Follow Alicia Chang at http://twitter.com/SciWriAlicia
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2 hrs.
Timing is everything, goes the old adage, and General Motors is betting that proves true as it gives the world a first look at its new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra full-size pickups.
The Detroit Bureau:?Jurors Name North American Car, Truck of the Year Finalists?
Time has been working against the industry giant in recent months, sales sliding precipitously for the outgoing models ? the oldest of the domestic full-size trucks.? But with signs of an improving economy further buoyed by the latest housing data, GM officials are confident the new Chevy Silverado and GMC Sierra models will hit the street at a perfect time to ride that rebound.?
?There is nothing more core to our business than trucks,? noted Mark Reuss, president of GM?s U.S. operations, during a preview of the two trucks at a movie soundstage in the Detroit suburbs. ?And we think we?re timing this very well.?
Gone are the days when urban cowboys routinely parked full-size pickups in driveways of Greenwich, Connecticut or Newport Beach, California. Add in the recent recession and sales of vehicles like the Silverado and Sierra saw a huge slump in sales over the past half decade.?
Few expect to see much revival in the so-called ?personal use? truck segment, stressed analyst Joe Phillippi, of AutoTrends Consulting, but he and other observers believe there?s a significant amount of pent-up demand among traditional contractors, fleets and other work truck customers ? and that could boost sales sharply in the near-future. Market share that peaked at almost 17% of total U.S. new vehicle volume, plunging to less than 12% during the depths of the recession could again bounce back by a percentage point or two, forecast Phillippi.?
The Detroit Bureau:?Romney?s Jeep Claim called the Political ?Lie of the Year?
Of course, GM has some tough competition from the likes of the Ford F-Series, long America?s best-selling truck ? and best-selling vehicle overall ? as well as a newly-updated 2013 Ram 1500 from Chrysler. So, GM designers and engineers had to react with more than just a modest ?refresh.?
A first look reveals that the Detroit maker has made a significant evolutionary update in the look of the two trucks.? If anything, the most significant revision has been the decision to further differentiate the Chevrolet and Silverado models which have long been faulted for being largely badge-engineered products.
The Chevrolet Silverado is clearly aimed at a more rough-and-tumble buyer and while the 2014 truck is more refined and well-finished, it is clearly the more mainstream offering.
The GMC Sierra intends to reflect the brand?s ?professional grade? theme and targets a more refined buyer ? likely the owner of a successful contracting firm rather than someone pulling a pickup out of the company fleet.?
The Detroit Bureau:?BMW Teases New M6 Gran Coupe
Both models get some distinctive and competitive new features, such as steps built into the rear bumpers that will make it easier to reach into the cargo bed. There are new cargo tie-downs and, taking a cue from the luxury segment, the cargo bed tailgates are now damped, so they?re easier to close and don?t slam down when opened.
The GMC adds a few refinements, such as projector headlamps ? a segment first ? and protective caps on the cargo bed.
Both models recognize an ongoing trend in the truck market. No longer are buyers of even the most basic models willing to settle for bare-bones interiors.? The 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra deliver cabins that are easily on a par with passenger cars of similar pricing, with plush finishes and well-padded seats. There?s even a segment-first heated cloth seat.
?From a styling standpoint, the exteriors are evolutionary, but the interiors are a huge uptick,? said Phillippi, who attended the Thursday morning preview.
No matter what segment of the automotive market you look at, digital technology has become a strong selling point and the two trucks both feature the latest infotainment systems, ChevyMyLink and GMC?s IntelliLink.? They get new natural voice programming, 8-inch touchscreens and even add optional WiFi capability.
Safety is also a more compelling issue in the truck segment and along with the expected array of airbags and now-mandated electronic stability control, the two brands are offering such advanced features as optional Lane Departure Warning and Forward Collision Alert. They even pick up a new feature just introduced on Cadillac?s two latest models, ?safety seats? that signal a potential problem, such as an obstacle in the road ahead, by shaking the seat in the appropriate direction.
GM officials revealed three new engines that will be available for the new 2014 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra, including a 4.3-liter V-6, a 5.3-liter V-8 and a 6.2-liter V-8. All will feature such mileage-enhancing technologies as Direct Injection, Variable Displacement ? which allows four of a V-8?s cylinders to shut down when power demands are low ? and continuously variable valve timing.
Notably, GM plans to hold back specifics, such as horsepower, torque, towing capacity and fuel economy, until closer to the official on-sale date of the new trucks during the second quarter of 2013.
Jeff Luke, the executive chief engineer on the program, hinted that the maker is aiming to match or exceed the numbers of its two key competitors, Ford and Ram.
Reuss all but confirmed that there will be ?more to come? on the powertrain front, and that appears to mean, at the least, a new diesel for the light-duty versions of the new trucks.? (The maker has been offering diesel options for the Silverado and Sierra HD, or Heavy-Duty offerings.) Reuss notably sidestepped questions, meanwhile, about the possibility of offering hybrid versions, as well, something it made available in the past.
In all, there will be six distinct versions of the two nameplates by the time they?re fully rolled out. Whether they can catch up to long-time leader Ford?s F-Series is anything but certain, but GM is clearly in the hunt.
For the moment, however, it has to focus on emptying out excess inventories of the old Sierra and Silverado models which has forced it to amp up incentives significantly this month. Buyers appear to be responding ? in part to the added cash but also as the overall pickup market starts to pick up.?
If things work right, the new Chevrolet and GMC models could roll into the market just as buyers return after a long lull.
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/gm-bets-economic-growth-unveils-new-trucks-1C7592291
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The curtain has fallen on the Qatar climate talks, including on REDD+ discussions (the scheme to reward developing countries for reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation). The REDD+ fraternity was disappointed not to achieve breakthroughs in the negotiations both on finance (should it be market and / or fund based?) and on monitoring, reporting and verification systems (what guidance should be developed?).
But even if another year elapses before clear decisions on these issues, both developed and developing countries should continue with their voluntary commitments to financing, developing and implementing actions that make it worthwhile to keep carbon locked up in forests and soils.?
The COP meetings and negotiations provide unequalled opportunities for local and global actors to come together to push for the decisions REDD+ needs. And they are also a crucial opportunity for sharing local experiences and ?good practice? lessons. At this year?s meeting I was a panellist for a side event run by IIED, the Tanzania Natural Resources Forum (TNRF) and the Green Belt Movement on ?pro-poor REDD+: local and global perspectives?. The discussion was on models governments and other practitioners are already experimenting with, as they get ?REDD+ ready?.
Our event heard about various approaches including: paying 80% of the REDD+ ?carbon sale value? to local communities; ?community forest stewardship certification that generates a premium for sustainable timber; and paying communities for committing to avoid deforestation, either through conservation projects, increased productivity of agriculture or by developing sustainable resource management.
The levels of payments, and their basis, were diverse. Some were based on tonnes of carbon dioxide?not emitted, others on area protected, and still others were per capita payments to communities. This diversity means we?re enriching our knowledge on different approaches that might be useful in different circumstances, but it also illustrates the lack of common guidance. As REDD+ progresses, it?s critically important that we seek clarity and uniformity for the units used as a basis for compensation.?
Another key challenge is defining who should benefit from REDD+. At a separate IIED event, ?What does it take to have a pro-poor REDD+??, the international development organisation SNV shared a report on their work in Vietnam [PDF] that highlights land rights tenure regimes as a key to understanding who might bear the costs of changing practices and reap the benefits from REDD+ activities. Their report also stresses understanding what types of benefits people prefer, and how these should be timed. Maryanne Grieg-Gran, who was involved in both meetings, also reported SNV?s work in her recent blog on making REDD+ work for the poor.
Our workshop discussed different approaches to deciding beneficiaries, including surveys, registration systems, and contracts requiring reduced pressure on forests. Some projects were making payments to households, some to individuals (men, women and children) and some to communities. Panellist Geofrey Mwanjela, of TNRF, presented work from Tanzania on equitable benefit sharing [pdf] in REDD+. Clearly, the key issues are being tackled and tested as people try out compensation mechanisms for REDD+. Benefits are getting to the local people who can actually deliver the desired emission reductions.?
But there are two big caveats ? all the initiatives are both experimental and short term.?
My role was to talk about ways to involve the private sector in REDD+ activities. After our panellist?s presentations, questions and comments from attendees started a discussion on tackling the ?short term? problem by investing REDD+ funds in sustainable community based enterprises that make agriculture more productive, or that improve efficiency in harvesting and processing timber and non-timber forest products. I was hearing comments that echoed all my own concerns about what happens after REDD+ payments end. ?
I feel strongly that REDD+ should do more with private enterprise. Other funds and organisations are successfully taking this approach to protecting natural resources, as attendees pointed out in their comments. For example, the UNDP-GEF Small Grants programme invests in and supports sustainable community-based enterprises in developing countries. And in the Amazonas state of Brazil, the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation has a programme called Bolsa Floresta that invests in sustainable enterprises as well as paying individual women within each household, investing in social infrastructure for education and health, and supporting community institutions.
If REDD+ down-played its emphasis on carbon payments, and instead looked to include ways to stimulate investment in sustainable land use practices, it would boost direct financial benefits. That way, long term sustainability could be assured, with payment for carbon services as an important, but additional, premium.
Source: http://www.iied.org/investing-sustainable-productivity-could-secure-redd-schemes-long-term
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16 hrs.
The Christmas holiday is nearly upon us?and the gift of gaming is high on many a wish?list.?But when it comes to buying home?gaming hardware for that special someone, making the right choice is more difficult than ever.
Not only are there a variety of home?consoles???some older, some newer???to choose from. But ?right?now is a particularly unusual time to be in the?market for a game machine.
That is, while Nintendo has launched a brand new machine???The Wii U???some pretty solid?rumors suggest that Microsoft and Sony are going to launch their own brand new (and perhaps?far more powerful) game?machines a mere year from now.
Meanwhile,?Sony has just begun?selling a smaller, lighter PlayStation 3,?Microsoft has cut the price of its current-model Xbox 360 for the holidays and Nintendo has cut the price of its older-model Wii as well, making these aging?consoles?a still-tempting option.?
So how do you select the right game hardware?for the right player? Here is a look at the pros and cons of the game?machines that are available and?some tips on making the right choice.
Wii U
Price:?Wii U?Basic Set with 8 GB of storage???$300; Deluxe Set with 32 GB of storage???$350 (more on that here)
Pros:?This is the very newest home?game machine on the market,?and it's the only one to come with a tablet-style controller.?And that controller adds some fun and interesting twists to your gaming experience.
Not only does the touch?screen on the controller give players a second???sometimes different???view of the game action, it also means one person can watch television on the big screen?while you're playing your?game right there on the controller's small?screen.?And an added bonus: The controller can be configured to act like your TV remote as well.
(For a look at how the Wii U's GamePad?controller changes the?gameplay, check out InGame editor Todd Kenreck's reviews of "Nintendo Land" and "New Super Mario Bros. Wii U.")
Meanwhile, aside from the unique?controller,?Nintendo's Wii U is a big step up from its predecessor???the Wii???in terms of power and graphics. In fact,?it is the first Nintendo console to support high-def graphics. That said...
Cons:?Yes, the Wii U is the newest game machine and yes, it is a big step forward in terms of graphics and power from the Wii, but in many ways it feels like the Wii U is playing catch-up to the older-model?Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. For example, the Wii U's launch marks the first time big?games like "Mass Effect 3" and "Batman: Arkham City" can be played on a Nintendo machine. ?Meanwhile,?it is widely expected that Microsoft and Sony will offer their own new game machines this time?next year???and widely expected that they will be significantly more?powerful than the Wii U.
This?machine is best?for ... the avid?Nintendo fans, the gamer who wants the very newest game machine?this holiday?and for families who want a little bit of something for everyone in the household.?(Be sure to check out InGame editor?Todd Kenreck's video review above for an in-depth look at the Wii U.)
Wii
Price:?$130 (packaged with "Wii Sports" and "Wii Sports Resort" on a single disc, Wii Remote Plus and a Nunchuk controller)
Pros:?Nintendo may have a new game machine on the market, but its older Wii machine???which introduced the world to motion-controlled gaming???is still available and for a very reasonable price.?
Nintendo recently cut the price of this six-year-old machine from $150 to $130. That makes the Wii the cheapest home?game console?you can buy this holiday (and even cheaper if you buy a refurbished machine). And since it's been around for so long, that also means there is an enormous catalog of games to choose from???most importantly, a large catalog of Nintendo's own top-notch?games (i.e. "New Super Mario Bros. Wii,"?"Super Mario Galaxy 2," "Kirby's Epic Yarn").
Cons:?While there is an enormous catalog of games to choose from, many would (rightly) argue that outside of Nintendo's own titles?many of the games offered by third-party publishers?are not-so-great. And there seems to be an acute lack of really great?games for seasoned, adult players?looking for more mature fare. And certainly, the Wii is the least powerful and least-graphically-advanced of all the consoles.
This?machine is?best?for...?the youngest, new or casual?gamer who doesn't need or care about having?the latest technology and simply?wants some easy-to-jump-into gaming fun.
Xbox 360
Price: $200???$400 (price?varies based on storage size and bundle components, see option details?here)
Pros: Sure, the Xbox 360 has been around for seven?years but this game machine is still going very?strong. For starters,?its advanced age means there is a very large library of excellent games to choose from. Additionally,?the excellent online Xbox Live service gives owners access not only to some robust online gaming but to an enormous range of movie, TV and music programming?via an?ever-growing?library of entertainment apps?such as Netflix, Hulu,?ESPN, PBS and MTV among them.
Meanwhile, Microsoft has been offering $50 off?on some Xbox 360 consoles and bundles, and?it's also offering?some special holiday bundles (which include?Xbox 360 hardware, games as well as one free month of Xbox LIVE Gold, Hulu Plus and EPIX). The bundles and pricing options?are outlined here.
Cons: Microsoft has not said a single word about the successor to the Xbox 360, but thanks to the onslaught of leaked information?and rumors?it seems almost certain that we'll be seeing a brand?new version of the Xbox for the 2013 holiday season. So the question is, do you buy an Xbox 360?now when you might want to buy an Xbox 720 (as it's jokingly referred to)?a year from now??
This machine is best?for ... the pre-teen to adult gamer, and?especially those interested in online multiplayer?gaming. But it also makes a great gift for someone looking for?all-in-one home entertainment center (it plays DVDs too).
PlayStation 3
Price: $249 to $349 (price?varies based on storage size and bundle components, see option details?here.)
Pros:?The PlayStation 3 has been around for six?years. And as is the case with the Xbox 360, this machine's advancing age means it offers owners access to a wide variety of really great games.?Meanwhile,?Sony recently introduced?a new smaller, lighter?model of the machine?specially?packaged with games for the holiday.
Additionally,?Sony has done a great job bringing some really artful and?ground-breaking independent?games to the PlayStation 3 via its online PlayStation Network. From "Papo & Yo" to "Journey" to "The?Unfinished Swan"???there's much for the adventurous gamer to find and love here. And as an added bonus, the PlayStation 3 comes with a built-in Blu-ray player, which is very nice indeed for watching those super-high-def movies.
Cons:?As with Microsoft,?rumor has it that Sony has been working on a new game machine for next year (though the PlayStation 4?rumors seem to be?fewer and farther between). But one thing to remember???the PlayStation 2 remained a very viable game machine for many years???and remained a popular choice even after the PlayStation 3 launched.?
This machine is best?for ...?the pre-teen to adult gamer?and fans of artful and?independent?games. This machine is also a great buy if your giftee is a movie fan and would appreciate having a Blu-ray player as well. That's two gifts in one.
Are you buying a game machine this holiday? Which one and why? Click?the?Discussion?button below?to tell us?how you decided which gadget was worth your money ...?and worth putting under the tree.
Winda Benedetti?writes about video?games for NBC?News. You can follow her tweets about games and other things?on Twitter?here?@WindaBenedetti?and you can?follow her?on?Google+.?Meanwhile, be sure to check?out the?IN-GAME?FACEBOOK PAGE?to discuss the day's?gaming news and reviews.
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What is spiritual practice? Furthermore, do you have one?
Simply put, I define spiritual practice as something you do every single day that draws you deeper into who you really are, by connecting you with your divine self.
Please don't be put off by the word "spiritual" here! "Spiritual" doesn't have to entail -- though it often does -- meditation cushions, prayer beads, chant books, yoga mats, or any other such paraphernalia. A spiritual practice might be baking, gardening, running, knitting, playing piano, painting, hiking, meditating, golfing, doing yoga, tai chi, or calligraphy. It is not so much about the form but about the profound and connective quality of the time spent within it.
The practice part means just that: You do it daily, over and over, not in a gross way, but rather in a this-is-what-makes-me-who-I-am way. Without the aim of ever stopping with it, you practice as contribution to your ever-unfolding life on this earth. It can feel beautiful and compelling, harrowing and agonizing, annoying, vexing, boring as hell, or as ordinary and routine as brushing your teeth. Above all it is your rock, the ultimate placating pillar, steady and reliable as they come.
There have been times when, driven by such desperation, my yoga, pranayama, meditation, and journaling practices served as literal life preservers, day by grueling day. In these pockets, practice translates directly as necessity. In the coasting phases of our lives, however, or during the highly celebratory ones, spiritual practice feels as joyous as the spread of a bright authentic smile, or as easy to fall into as a hammock under the stars, in the perfect climate and between the two most exquisite trees.
This is all great, you say, but how do I actually do it? First you have to admit that practice is essential, and something you must do. Next, you must designate, carve out, and stick to the time for it, often letting go of something else in order to keep it alive. Many people find it easiest to maintain practice first thing in the morning. But what does that mean you give up? Sleep? Or is it the extra hour on the computer before bed the night before so that you don't lose the time in bed? There are choices here. It is up to you.
In short, and for you to take as inspiration or affirmation, here are my top 10 benefits of spiritual practice:
Ultimately, we must summon the courage to make room for spiritual practice, and the experiment that it is, as instigator at any given time of peace, elation, chill out, "aha," tears, or evocative reflection. We must be willing to face whatever arises within this uncanny vehicle and to touch the sacred in ourselves every precious day.
How do you feel about that?
In sweet practice,
ML
For more by Maggie Lyon, click here.
For more on the spirit, click here.
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Follow Maggie Lyon on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@MaggieLyon
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maggie-lyon/spiritual-practice_b_2279062.html
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BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) ? A familiar lineup of Hollywood awards contenders are expected among Golden Globe nominations, whose prospects include past Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis, Helen Mirren, Robert De Niro and Sally Field.
Nominations come out Thursday morning for the 70th Globes ceremony, Hollywood's second-biggest film honors after the Academy Awards.
Among potential contenders are two-time Oscar winners Day-Lewis and Field for Steven Spielberg's Civil War saga "Lincoln," whose Globe possibilities also include past Oscar recipient Tommy Lee Jones.
Two-time Oscar winner De Niro is in the running for the lost-soul romance "Silver Linings Playbook," along with the film's lead performers, Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence.
The field of contenders is loaded with other Oscar recipients such as Mirren and Anthony Hopkins for "Hitchcock," Philip Seymour Hoffman for "The Master," Helen Hunt for "The Sessions," Marion Cotillard for "Rust and Bone," Russell Crowe for "Les Miserables" and Alan Arkin for "Argo."
One of the year's big action hits, the James Bond adventure "Skyfall," could bring the latest Globe nomination for past Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who elevates his super-villain role into one of the year's most entertaining performances.
Presented by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association, a relatively small group of about 90 reporters covering Hollywood for overseas outlets, the Globes sometimes single out newcomers to Hollywood's awards scene. Hilary Swank's Globe win for 1999's "Boys Don't Cry" helped put her on the map on the way to winning her first Oscar.
The possibilities this time include veteran French performers Emmanuelle Riva and Jean-Louis Trintignant, who star as an elderly couple in "Amour," and first-time actors Quvenzhane Wallis and Dwight Henry for the low-budget critical darling "Beasts of the Southern Wild."
Globe acting winners often go on to receive the same prizes at the Oscars. All four Oscar winners last season ? lead performers Meryl Streep of "The Iron Lady" and Jean Dujardin of "The Artist" and supporting players Octavia Spencer of "The Help" and Christopher Plummer of "Beginners" ? won Globes first.
The Globes have a spotty record predicting which films might go on to earn the best-picture prize at the Academy Awards, however.
The Globes feature two best-film categories, one for drama and one for musical or comedy. Last year's Oscar best-picture winner, "The Artist," preceded that honor with a Globe win for best musical or comedy.
But in the seven years before that, only one winner in the Globe best-picture categories ? 2008's "Slumdog Millionaire" ? followed up with an Oscar best-picture win.
Along with 14 film prizes, the Globes hand out awards in 11 television categories.
Jodie Foster, a two-time Oscar and Globe winner for "The Accused" and "The Silence of the Lambs," will receive the group's Cecil B. DeMille Award for lifetime achievement at the Jan. 13 ceremony.
Tina Fey, a two-time Globe TV winner for "30 Rock," and Amy Poehler, a past nominee for "Parks and Recreation," will host the show, which airs live on NBC.
Fey and Poehler follow Ricky Gervais, who was host the last three years and rubbed some Hollywood egos the wrong way with sharp wisecracks about A-list stars and the foreign press association itself.
With stars sharing drinks and dinner, the Globes have a reputation as one of Hollywood's loose and unpredictable awards gatherings. Winners occasionally have been off in the restroom when their names were announced, and there have been moments of onstage spontaneity such as Jack Nicholson mooning the crowd or Ving Rhames handing over his trophy to fellow nominee Jack Lemmon.
___
Online:
http://www.goldenglobes.org
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/familiar-names-line-golden-globe-noms-051207923.html
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Jean Todt thinks Michael Schumacher might return to racing ? Formula 1 news
Jean Todt, who is the FIA president, has stated that he thinks Michael Schumacher, who recently retired from Formula 1, might make a return to non-F1 racing competitions.
?Who knows,? Todt said. ?Maybe he will decide to come back to race in a couple of years. His decision (to retire) relates only to Formula one. He could decide to race in other categories.?
Just recently, the German driver enjoyed a day biking with famous bike racers John McGuinness, Randy Mamola and runner-up of 2012 Moto2, Pol Espargaro. Schumacher had stated that it was a proud moment for him to have a drive on two wheels and actually riding the bikes with racers that he admired. He added that he has had a fun day and it was exciting to watch the talent shown by Espargaro.
McGuinness stated that it was amazing to see a legend like Schumacher driving a bike. He told that he had not expected Schumacher to be anything but great on the two wheels; he was really fast and has immense enthusiasm for motorcycles.
Schumacher announced his second and final retirement after Lewis Hamilton decided to move to Mercedes AMG from McLaren. However, the driver?s retirement has nothing to do with any unsettlement with Mercedes. He had announced his first retirement at the end of the 2006 F1 season when he was part of the Ferrari team and Todt was the team boss at that time so that Schumacher has a close relationship with him.
Schumacher had been fighting for his eighth title in 2006 against Fernando Alonso but could not succeed in achieving that goal. During his absence from F1 racing, he remained as an advisor at Ferrari; helping them select new drivers and also took part in motorcycle competitions. He returned to F1 in 2010 with a three year deal with Mercedes in hopes of his eighth title. Mercedes failed to provide a good car so that the return was not a good one.
He has ended his F1 career with seven titles; various note worthy records and has already signed a contract to become a test driver for Kart racing.
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Source: http://browi.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/groupware-corina-home-family-gardening-pets-bus-stop.html
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AUSTIN, Texas (AP) ? The executive director of a troubled $3 billion cancer-fighting effort in Texas has submitted his resignation letter amid escalating scrutiny over the management of the nation's second-biggest pot of cancer research dollars, the agency announced Tuesday.
The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas has not been able to focus on fighting the disease due to "wasted efforts expended in low value activities" during the past tumultuous eight months, Executive Director Bill Gimson wrote in a resignation letter dated Monday. Gimson offered to stay on until January, and the agency's board must still approve his request to step down.
Gimson has led the state agency since it launched in 2009. But he fell under mounting criticism over the recent disclosure that an $11 million award to a private company was never reviewed. It was the second time this year that a lucrative taxpayer-funded grant instigated backlash and raised questions about oversight.
"Unfortunately, I have also been placed in a situation where I feel I can no longer be effective," Gimson wrote.
Gimson submitted his resignation letter on the same day the Texas attorney general's office said it would investigate the $11 million grant to Dallas-based Peloton Therapeutics in 2010. An internal audit performed by the agency revealed that Peloton's proposal was approved for funding without being reviewed by an outside panel.
Gimson said last week that Peloton's funding was the result of an honest mistake that happened when the agency was still young and in the process of installing checks and balances. Agency emails surrounding the Peloton grant are no longer available, Gimson said, and state investigators said they will work to find them.
Only the National Institutes of Health doles out more cancer research dollars than CPRIT, which has awarded more than $700 million so far. The agency's former chief science officer, Nobel laureate Alfred Gilman, resigned earlier this year over a separate $20 million award that Gilman claimed received a thin review. That led some of the nation's top scientists to accuse the agency of charting a politically-driven path.
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Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber
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LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Fandango is elbowing into the Oscar horse race.
The movie-ticket seller launched its first original digital video series Wednesday, "The Frontrunners," which will cover the major contenders for the top awards. The show will feature conversations with a star-studded group of Oscar hunters that includes Richard Gere ("Arbitrage"), Amy Adams ("The Master"), Hugh Jackman ("Les Miserables") and Ben Affleck ("Argo").
During the broadcasts, actors and directors will deconstruct key scenes from their movies, explaining how they crafted a moment of domestic conflict, in the case of Gere, or decided to intercut between a Hollywood script reading and the Iranian Hostage Crisis, as with Affleck.
However, commerce will be mixed in along with the art. Fandango will offer ticketing information along with the digital videos, with the hopes that the clips will inspire users to check out the movie being discussed.
The show, shot at Soho House in Los Angeles, will be hosted by Fandango's Chief Correspondent Dave Karger, the movie guru the company lured over from Entertainment Weekly in September. It's part of a bold bet that Fandango is making on original content.
To that in end, the company tapped former Disney digital executive Paul Yanover to serve in the newly created role of president and tasked him with creating a suite of programming for Fandango and its 41 million unique visitors.
"Our goal with Fandango is to make it the definitive movie-going brand across all platforms," Nick Lehman, the president of digital for NBC Universal Entertainment Networks & Interactive Media, told TheWrap in October. "We want to continue expanding in ways that entertain and inform and video is key to that strategy. Advertisers are clamoring for it because there is a dearth of high quality original video content on the web."
As TheWrap reported exclusively in October, Karger is also planning programs that will center on box office contenders and one program that will boast both A-List actors and below-the-line talent.
New episodes of "The Frontrunners" will air weekly through the Academy Awards on February 24, 2013. The first three installments will be available Wednesday
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fandango-launches-oscar-themed-series-dave-karger-202328931.html
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In an e-mail last night to her group?s membership, Vikki Spruill, the new leader of the Council on Foundations, announced a campaign to convey the value of philanthropy to lawmakers.
She painted a picture of philanthropy under threat from politicians who are looking for new ways to increase revenue.
?Both President Obama and Governor Romney have put forth plans that will affect giving, and Congress is eyeing all tax deductions as potential revenue raisers,? she wrote. ?This would be a grave mistake and would negatively affect significant numbers of Americans.?
Since joining the Council in July, Ms. Spruill said, she has assembled a team of ?seasoned political strategists, communications tacticians, and tax-policy experts with deep ties to federal policy makers.? The campaign will focus on educating lawmakers at the local, state, and federal levels, she said, showing them how philanthropy has changed lives, created jobs, and transformed communities.
Other nonprofit leaders have been sharpening their sabers in anticipation of renewed efforts by governments to limit the charitable deduction and introduce other changes they say would harm giving. President Obama has proposed capping all deductions for wealthy people at 28 percent, while Mitt Romney has said he would limit total deductions to $17,000 for middle-class families.
Last month, Independent Sector, an association of charities and grant makers, released a report calling for the creation of a single organization to lead such advocacy efforts.
Special coverage: Learn more about the charitable deduction and the effects that changing it could have on giving.
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MIAMI (AP) ? A Florida man was charged Wednesday with smuggling dinosaur fossils into the United States, including a nearly complete Tyrannosaurus Bataar skeleton from Mongolia, federal prosecutors said.
Eric Prokopi, a self-described "commercial paleontologist" who buys and sells whole and partial dinosaur skeletons, was arrested at his home in Gainesville, according to a complaint unsealed by prosecutors. He was charged with smuggling goods into the U.S. and interstate sale and receipt of stolen goods.
He also faces one count of conspiracy to smuggle illegal goods, possess stolen property and make false statements. If convicted on all of the charges, he could face up to 35 years in prison.
Prokopi made an appearance Wednesday in federal court in Gainesville, where U.S. District Judge Gary R. Jones ordered him to be held on $100,000 bond. Prokopi must also surrender his passport and be kept under home detention. He did not enter a plea.
The arrest was handled by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said the investigation "uncovered a one-man black market in prehistoric fossils." The U.S. government seized the Tyrannosaurus skeleton earlier this year after it was sold by an auction house for $1.05 million.
Prokopi did not immediately respond to a phone call, but his attorney has said he did nothing wrong.
Prokopi has been involved in a lawsuit in New York over the auction because the Mongolian government has said it may belong to that country. Prokopi's attorney in the lawsuit, Michael McCullough, has said his client is entitled to keep the creature he spent a year putting together at great expense.
McCullough has said the U.S. government was incorrect when it alleged that the skeleton pieces were brought into the country in one $15,000 shipment. He said there were three other shipments and only 37 percent of the completed skeleton came from one specimen.
Federal prosecutors said Prokopi misrepresented the identity, origin and value of the skeleton of the Tyrannosaurus bataar, a dinosaur that lived approximately 70 million years ago.
Prokopi also is accused of illegally importing from Mongolia the skeleton of a Saurolophus, another dinosaur from the late Cretaceous period that he sold to a gallery in California along with fossils of two other dinosaurs native to Mongolia, Gallimimus and Oviraptor mongoliensis. He also imported the fossilized remains of a Microraptor, a small, flying dinosaur from China, the complaint said.
Prokopi brought the fossils into the country between 2010 and 2012, prosecutors said.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fla-man-charged-ny-dinosaur-fossils-case-183421980--finance.html
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KHYBER AGENCY?-?At least eight militants were killed when fighter jets pounded their suspected hideouts in parts of Khyber Agency on Thursday morning.
According to the media reports, security forced backed by fighter planes bombed suspected militant positions in different parts of Bara sub-tehsil.
As a result of the bombing, eight militants were killed and seven others were reportedly wounded.
Four militant hideouts were also destroyed in the attack.
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Perhaps some of you just rolled your eyes, but I?m guessing not many.? After all, according to theAmerican Pet Products Association?s?National Pet Owner?s Survey in 2011, 62% of all American households include at least one pet. There are over 78 million owned dogs and 86 million owned cats (?owned?, meaning not a stray, currently for sale, or awaiting adoption in an?animal shelter?or rescue organization).? In 2011, Americans spent $51 BILLION on our companion animals, the highest expenditure ever, even in the face of global recession.? In short, we Americans love our pets.? And many of us spoil them rotten.
But just like with the ubiquitous ?99%?, inside the pet population, there are clearly the ?haves? and ?have-nots.? The ASPCA estimates that 5 to 7 million companion animals enter animal shelters each year. 3 to 4 million of those, the majority of whom are healthy and adoptable, are killed for lack of space, or because they slowly became unadoptable after living in the high-stress environment of a shelter for a period of time.? This is unacceptable to anyone who cares, who acknowledges the positive effects of sharing our homes and our hearts with those who have paws (or wings).? If you?ve ever cried into the fur of your beloved dog or cat, you know that this method of dealing with homeless animals must stop.? As Mahatma Gandhi famously said, ?The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way in which its animals are treated.?? What does it say about our national morality that we find it acceptable, if sad, to take the lives of innocent creatures, creatures full of potential to love and be loved, to be a best friend and family member, but who instead leave the shelter in a trash can?
And then there are the tangible fiscal issues. ?The?candidates?are debating cutting miniscule funding for Big Bird while governments in every city and county in the nation pour taxpayer dollars into the rounding up, housing, and killing of innocent animals. ?That money could be used to help underserved kids, Mr. Obama, or refunded to taxpayers, Mr. Romney.? Furthermore, when nearly every state in the union is operating at a deficit, it creates a drain on the federal government. It?s in our national interest to stop this wasteful, irresponsible spending at the state level.
Before I cast my vote next month, I?d like to know where the candidates stand on this issue.? Currently, of course, all companion-animal laws are enacted at the state or local level.? There is nothing, however, that precludes our national politicians from having an opinion on states issues, and from putting forth ideas on how to solve them (and, if you need examples of that, see same-sex marriage, Roe v Wade, and other issues that are active at both a national and state level).? Both candidates own, or have owned, companion animals (I can hear all those Seamus-on-the-roof or Obama dog-eating comments now), and I assume they both love their dogs.? Disclosing their stances on the companion animal crisis will tell us a lot about these two men: their capacity for compassion, their problem-solving abilities, their willingness to acknowledge a problem that affects millions who don?t have a voice of their own, but are every bit as much a part of the American fabric as you or I.
On behalf of the millions of Americans who care about this issue, and on behalf of the millions of companion animals who will not survive their time in a shelter this year, I ask that this subject be broached at the next Presidential debate on Tuesday, October 16th.
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Source: http://blog.adoptapet.com/presidential-debat/
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Kaspersky Labs' namesake Eugene Kaspersky is worried that widely distributed and potentially state-sponsored malware like Flame and Stuxnet pose dire threats to often lightly protected infrastructure like communication and power plants -- whatever your nationality, it's clearly bad for the civilian population of a given country to suffer even collateral damage from cyberattacks. To minimize future chaos and literally keep the trains running, Kaspersky and his company are expanding their ambitions beyond mere antivirus software to build their own, extra-secure operating system just for large-scale industry. The platform depends on a custom, minimalist core that refuses to run any software that isn't baked in and has no code outside of its main purposes: there'll be no water supply shutdowns after the night watch plays Solitaire from an infected drive. Any information shared from one of these systems should be completely trustworthy, Kaspersky says. He doesn't have details as to when the OS will reach behind-the-scenes hardware, but he stresses that this is definitely not an open-source project: some parts of the OS will always remain confidential to keep ne'er-do-well terrorists (and governments) from undermining the technology we often take for granted.
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Kaspersky Labs preps its own OS to guard vital industry against cyberwarfare originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 16 Oct 2012 13:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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