Monday, December 31, 2012

Lawfare ? Kevin Jon Heller on Accidental and Intentional Killing

Over at Opinio Juris, Kevin Jon Heller has a piece commenting on Glenn Greenwald?s and my recent discussion of the difference between the accidental killing of children with drones and the intentional killing of children at Newtown. It opens:

There?s been an interesting debate in the blogosphere recently about why people find the murder of 20 young children at Newtown so much more horrible than the routine killing of children in Yemen and Pakistan by U.S. drones. ?Glenn Greenwald?and?Falguni Sheth, a philosophy professor at Hampshire College, find the selective outrage indefensible. ?Ben Wittes?and the?Telegraph?s?Brendan O?Neill, by contrast, insist that the two situations are not comparable, because Lanza intended to kill the children at Newtown while?? as Wittes puts it??[c]ivilian deaths in drone strikes are not intentional.?

Wittes and O?Neill obviously have a point. ?No one can seriously believe that the U.S.?wants?to kill children with drones; the most that can be said is that the U.S. is willing to accept the possibility, if not inevitability, of such collateral damage, because it believes drones strikes are militarily necessary in the conflict with al-Qaeda. ?That is a distinction with a difference: it is indeed morally worse to kill someone because you want them to die than to kill someone without desiring their death but knowing it will result from your (ostensibly well-intentioned) actions.

That said, I think Wittes and O?Neill?s ?intentional?/?unintentional? distinction misleads more than it explains. ?To see why, it is useful to turn to comparative criminal law. ?Although neither Wittes nor O?Neill focus on the legal aspects of Newtown and the drone program, both implicitly adopt a definition of ?intent? that parallels American criminal law ? as the subjective desire to bring about a particular consequence. ?That definition is what justifies their insistence that Newtown involves intentional killing while the drone program involves unintentional killing.

But the American understanding of intent is not the only one. ?Many civil-law systems have a much broader understanding of ?intent,? one that considers even non-volitional action to be intentional. ?German criminal law, for example, considers acting in the knowledge that a consequence is virtually certain to occur to be intentional, even if the actor does not subjectively desire to bring about that consequence.

Kevin make a very interesting point about the way very different legal systems view intent?a point which was news to a comparative law neophyte like me. But I am tempted to say that it?s all a roundabout way of saying that he actually agrees with me?at least in broad strokes. Kevin and I agree, after all, that there is no question that the United States is not attempting to kill children (or other bystanders) with its drone strikes. We agree as well that, at least to some degree, this distinction matters from a moral point of view. And we agree as well that I was not using the intentional/unintentional distinction in a legal sense?or, indeed, as Kevin rightly puts it ?focus[ing] on the legal aspects of Newtown and the drone program? at all. In other words, to the extent we disagree at all, we disagree only over the magnitude of the moral difference between drone killing of children and Newtown-type massacres; I think it?s almost completely different and Kevin thinks it?s something less less than that. As my initial post was intended to supplement, not really take issue with, Greenwald?s explanations for the different degrees of moral horror displayed over two types of violent action that have killed children, I am not sure the agreement here is surprising. But, in any event, the points of common ground strike me as far more significant here than the points of difference.

Where the agreement collapses is, I suspect, not with respect to the moral distinction between intentional and accidental killing but with respect to what Greenwald calls ?perceived justification.? I raise this issue not to trigger a debate about the legality of drone strikes in counterterrorism. All of our views on that subject are well known. I mean merely to highlight here how one?s views of this subject will inflect one?s views of the moral dimensions of the accidental killing of children.?If, like me, one is inclined to see drone strikes as an instrument of legitimate warfare?warfare authorized domestically by Congress and lawful under international law?one will tend to see the deaths of children they sometimes cause as accidental deaths in the course of legal and appropriate military action. Such deaths are tragic always. But we have centuries of moral vocabulary for such things. War is a terrible business, and one of the reasons for that it is that civilians who have done nothing wrong get killed; indeed, warfare by its nature turns what would otherwise be murder into a legal and protected act. And while the modern laws of war do require all sorts of efforts to protect civilians from harm, they also accept that these efforts will not always succeed. That rather moots all of Kevin?s fine-grained gradations of intentionality. The relevant question becomes whether one took adequate steps to distinguish civilians and to minimize civilian casualties?not ultimately whether those steps worked.

By contrast, if?with Greenwald and, in a more complicated way, Kevin?one is inclined to reject the legal paradigm of warfare for some or all overseas counterterrorism operations, the entire moral (and legal) calculus shifts dramatically. Then the deaths of children in drone strikes become the collateral consequences of?illegal and immoral acts?that are themselves extrajudicial killings. In such a framework, the underlying act, a strike on a presumably-terrorist target, is no longer exempt from the normal legal or moral strictures against killing; it is a murder of its own. And it?s hardly a defense (legally or morally) to the accusation of killing a child that his death was an accident in the course of murdering the adult next door.

Source: http://www.lawfareblog.com/2012/12/kevin-jon-heller-on-accidental-and-intentional-killing/

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Sunday, December 30, 2012

Why Starting a Home-Based Business is a Good Idea ? Articlearn

Owning and operating a home-based business requires a lot of work to make it a successful endeavor.? These are the benefits of owning these types of businesses.

Home business

At some point in time, many individuals have aspired to own and operate their own home-based business because it will provide them with the freedom to gain financial independence and be their own boss.? There are numerous legitimate income opportunities to be had if a person is willing to do a little research and perform some due diligence in the process.

When aspiring entrepreneurs contemplate the viability of a profitable home based business, the first question that arises is: ?What makes a home-based business such a good idea??

The acronym ?JOB? stands for ?Just Over Broke.? Interestingly enough, this has never been closer to the truth before.? At some point in time, probably everybody has had the desire to be their own boss and operate a home based business.

The problem has always been that finding a viable business opportunity is not always that easy.? But when a person does and they get that first taste of success, there is no turning back.? The following content will present the major reasons why starting a home-based business is a good idea.

There is no one to answer to ? there is no boss threatening a person?s livelihood and their job security.? It is the greatest form of freedom and independence that anyone can experience when it comes to earning a living and loving their job.

Home-based businesses are not a 9 to 5 routine ? there is no weekly work schedule that has to be followed, no time clock to punch in and out on every day, without asking someone for a day off when it is needed.

There is no limit to the amount of money a person can earn ? having a regular job does not provide a person the opportunity to realize any type of substantial income.

The worst part of working for somebody else is that unless the person is a commissioned salesperson, their earnings will always be limited to the company pay scale.? There are two truisms about owning and operating a home-based business that always exists about earnings, when a person works for someone else:

o?? ?there will always be limits on a person?s earning potential

o?? ?the person will never get paid what they are worth

Keep the pajamas on all day if desired ? one of the things that a lot of people despise about their job, is the fact that they are oftentimes forced to wear clothing that they cannot stand.? This is especially true when they work for an employer that demands wearing a company uniform.? It?s even more aggravating, when the person has to take care of those uniforms themselves.? When a person has their own home-based business, they can wear what they want ? no shirt and tie is ever required.

The greatest investment a person can ever make is in themselves ? when a person invests in their own business, they are investing in themselves, and that is the best investment they can ever make in their lives.

Published in Business

Source: http://www.articlearn.com/why-starting-a-home-based-business-is-a-good-idea/

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NewsDaily: Pending home sales hit two-and-half year high in ...

Housing, factory data point to momentum in economy


By Lucia MutikaniPosted 2012/12/28 at 1:34 pm EST

WASHINGTON, Dec. 28, 2012 (Reuters) ? Contracts for U.S. home resales hit a 2-1/2-year high in November and factory activity in the Midwest expanded this month, suggesting some strength in the economy despite the threat of tighter fiscal policy.

A U.S. flag decorates a for-sale sign at a home in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, August 21, 2012. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst


The National Association of Realtors said on Friday its Pending Home Sales Index, based on contracts signed last month, increased 1.7 percent to 106.4 - the highest level since April 2010 when the home-buyer tax credit expired.

November marked the third straight month of gains for signed contracts, which become sales after a month or two, and followed a 5 percent increase in October.

A separate report showed the Institute for Supply Management-Chicago business barometer rose to 51.6 in December from 50.4 in November. A reading above 50 indicates expansion in the regional economy. It was the second straight month of growth and was driven by a rebound in new orders.

The data suggested some of the growth momentum from the third quarter carried into the final three months of 2012, even as businesses and households braced for sharp cuts in government spending and higher taxes in the new year.

Data so far in the fourth quarter ranging from consumer spending, housing, employment and the various manufacturing indicators have been fairly upbeat.

"We don't see much evidence that the economy was slowing as we headed into the end of the year, but everything could change on January 1," said John Ryding, chief economist at RDQ Economics in New York.

There are fears that currently stalled budget talks in Washington will fail to steer clear of a $600 billion "fiscal cliff" of less government spending and higher taxes, which could tip the economy back into recession.

"There is nothing here to suggest that the economy has enough momentum to withstand the shock if we go over the fiscal-cliff with no quick return," said Ryding. "The good news right now is it looks like we could have the mid-twos kind of GDP (growth) for the fourth quarter."

STRENGTHENING HOUSING RECOVERY

The economy grew at a 3.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter. The latest Reuters survey of economists put fourth-quarter gross domestic product growth at a 1.2 percent rate, mostly because of superstorm Sandy, which struck the East Coast in late October and fiscal cliff-related cutbacks in business spending.

U.S. financial markets ignored the data as attention remained focused on the developments in Washington surrounding the fiscal cliff.

Stocks on Wall Street fell, putting the Standard & Poor's 500 index on track for a fifth straight day of declines. U.S. Treasury debt prices rose, while the dollar was little changed against a basket of currencies.

Though the employment gauge in the Chicago ISM survey fell to a three-year low in December, economists expected a rebound given the strength in new orders.

"The drop in employment reflects the weakness in new orders in November and to a lesser degree the fiscal cliff. With the bounce back in new orders, employment will also bounce back," said Eric Green, chief economist at TD Securities in New York.

The pending home sales report pointed to a strengthening in the housing market recovery. Contracts were up 9.8 percent in the 12 months through November.

The housing market has turned the corner after a dramatic collapse, which dragged the economy through its worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s.

Home sales and prices are rising, encouraging builders to undertake new construction projects. Home resale contracts were up in three of the country's four regions. They were unchanged in the South.

"The housing revival seems to be happening in a way that puts some positive feedback loop, a virtuous cycle into the economy," said Jerry Webman, chief economist at OppenheimerFunds in New York.

(Reporting By Lucia Mutikani; Editing by Neil Stempleman)

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Source: http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre8br0be-us-usa-economy-homes/

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

Five questions that will be answered by UFC 155

The UFC's end-of-the-year cards are usually stacked. Despite injuries, UFC 155 is no different. It features intriguing bouts that will answer some burning questions.

Did a knee injury hold back Cain Velasquez the first time he fought Junior dos Santos? When the two first met up last November, Velasquez reportedly had a badly injured knee. He was knocked out in 64 seconds. This time a (seemingly) healthy Velasquez will get to show if he deserves the heavyweight belt.

Has Chris Leben returned to form, for really real this time? Since Leben was on the original "Ultimate Fighter," he has been a man who wrestled with his demons. Most recently, those demons took the form of a banned pain killer which resulted in a one-year suspension from the UFC. Against Derek Brunson, Leben can show he's again the man who knocked out Wanderlei Silva.

Can Tim Boetsch be the next guy to challenge Anderson Silva? Though his original bout with Chris Weidman was called off because of an injury to Weidman, Boetsch still has another opportunity to show he can beat up opponents. He wants a chance to beat up Silva,* and this bout with Costa Phillippou is an opportunity for Boetsch's fighting to shine.

Or should Alan Belcher be the man to take on Silva? It's been more than three years since Belcher lost a fight. His last four fights have been stoppage wins. An impressive win over Yushin Okami could put him in line to fight for the middleweight belt.*

Is Todd Duffee still the knockout artist who once graced the octagon? Back in 2009, Duffee knocked out Tim Hague in a mere seven seconds. After that, the hype train was running behind him full steam. It was derailed when Mike Russow came back to knock Duffee out in the third round of their bout. Duffee was cut from the UFC, and is getting another shot at the octagon on Saturday. He'll fight Philip De Fries on the Facebook preliminaries, and get a chance to show if he can still knock people out very quickly.

*Assuming the next middleweight belt is based on competitiveness and earning a title shot by fighting, not by calling opponents out. Considering what has happened recently in the UFC welterweight and light heavyweight divisions, there are no guarantees.
Related MMA video from Yahoo! Sports

Other popular content on the Yahoo! network:
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? Avery Johnson got fired, but Deron Williams is sinking the Nets
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Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/five-questions-answered-ufc-155-221719074--mma.html

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Dragonfly Shows Human-Like Power of Concentration

Dragonflies lack humans' big brains, but they still get the job done, according to new research that suggests that these insects have brain cells capable of feats previously seen only in primates.

Specifically, the dragonflies can screen out useless visual information to focus on a target, a process called selective attention. The new study, published Dec. 20 in the journal Current Biology, is the first to find brain cells devoted to selective attention in an invertebrate animal.

Selective attention is crucial for responding to one stimulus among the dozens of distractions that clamor for notice at any given time, said Steven Wiederman of the University of Adelaide in Australia.

"Imagine a tennis player having to pick out a small ball from the crowd when it's traveling at almost 200 kilometers an hour," Wiederman said in a statement. "You need selective attention in order to hit that ball back into play."

But little is known about how the brain locks onto its targets and ignores all else. To find out, Wiederman, who is from the university's Center for Neuroscience Research, and his colleague David O'Carroll turned to an unlikely animal. The researchers have long studied insect vision, and the dragonfly turns out to be quite adept in that arena. [Photos: Dew-Covered Dragonflies & Other Sparkling Insects]

?

"The dragonfly hunts for other insects, and these might be part of a swarm ? they're all tiny moving objects," Wiederman said. "Once the dragonfly has selected a target, its neuron activity filters out all other potential prey. The dragonfly then swoops in on its prey ? they get it right 97 percent of the time."

Using a glass probe with a tip 1,500 times smaller than a human hair, the researchers measured the neuronal activity that enables such amazing aerial hunting. A similar process is at work in the primate brain, O'Carroll said in a statement, but researchers weren't expecting to see the same thing in an insect that evolved 325 million years ago.

"We believe our work will appeal to neuroscientists and engineers alike," O'Carroll said. "For example, it could be used as a model system for robotic vision. Because the insect brain is simple and accessible, future work may allow us to fully understand the underlying network of neurons and copy it into intelligent robots."

Plenty of other insects have inspired robot designs. Swiss scientists, for example, have built a hovering drone that mimics insects in its ability to survive collisions with hard objects. Sometimes insects are recruited directly. North Carolina State University researchers reported in September that they'd managed to create cyborg Madagascar hissing cockroaches. The scientists wired a microcontroller to the insects' sensory organs, enabling them to steer the cockroaches' movements.

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

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

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dragonfly-shows-human-power-concentration-000311471.html

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ECB's Nowotny cautiously optimistic about 2013

VIENNA (Reuters) - Measures taken this year by policymakers to address the economic crisis in the euro zone allow for cautious optimism regarding 2013, European Central Bank ratesetter Ewald Nowotny said on Friday.

Nowotny welcomed the launch of a permanent rescue fund for struggling euro zone countries, a framework for common bank supervision by the ECB, and a deal to continue supplying aid to Greece.

"Altogether these are important measures that allow for cautious optimism for a way out of the crisis in 2013," Nowotny said in a statement.

His stance chimed with comments on Thursday by German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble, who said in a newspaper interview the worst of the debt crisis appeared to be over.

Both men also stressed the need for euro zone states to stick with tight fiscal policies.

Schaeuble said he was optimistic France would press on with its efforts to stop its debt burden expanding.

Nowotny, who also heads Austria's central bank, said the government in Vienna needed to bring down its public debt level, which he expected to rise to 75 percent of gross domestic product next year.

"In the eyes of the central bank this level is clearly too high. It is therefore crucial to continue pushing for consolidation," he said. "We hope that this path will not be abandoned in 2013, an election year."

Nowotny also said he expected Austrian inflation to fall below 2 percent in the next two years amid signs of an economic upturn.

Schaeuble said he expected Germany's economy to expand at a decent rate next year, underpinned by exports to countries outside the euro zone.

(Reporting by Georgina Prodhan; Editing by John Stonestreet)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ecbs-nowotny-cautiously-optimistic-2013-102625526--finance.html

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Gun group offers training for Utah teachers

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) ? Classroom teachers could stop school shootings by carrying concealed weapons, say gun-rights advocates who plan to offer the required training Thursday for 200 Utah teachers.

The Utah Shooting Sports Council said it would waive its $50 fee for concealed-weapons training for the teachers. Instruction featuring plastic guns is set to begin at noon Thursday inside a conference room at Maverick Center, a hockey arena in the Salt Lake City suburb of West Valley.

It's an idea gaining traction in the aftermath of the Connecticut school shooting. In Ohio, the Buckeye Firearms Association said it was launching a test program in tactical firearms training for 24 teachers initially.

"Schools are some of the safest places in the world, but I think teachers understand that something has changed ? the sanctity of schools has changed," said Clark Aposhian, one of Utah's leading gun instructors. "Mass shootings may still be rare, but that doesn't help you when the monster comes in."

Gun-rights advocates say teachers can act more quickly than law enforcement in the critical first few minutes to protect children from the kind of shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead Dec. 14 at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. In Arizona, Attorney General Tom Horne has proposed amending state law to allow one educator in each school to carry a gun.

Educators say Utah legislators left them with no choice but to accept some guns in schools. State law forbids schools, districts or college campuses from trying to impose their own gun restrictions.

"We're not suggesting that teachers roam the halls" for an armed intruder, said Aposhian, chairman of the Utah Shooting Sports Council, the state's leading gun lobby. "They should lock down the classroom. But a gun is one more option if the shooter" breaks into a classroom.

A major emphasis of the safety training is that people facing deadly threats should announce they have a gun and retreat or take cover before trying to shoot, he said.

Utah is among few states that let people carry licensed concealed weapons into public schools without exception, the National Conference of State Legislatures says in a 2012 compendium of state gun laws.

Utah educators say they would ban guns if they could and have no way of knowing how many teachers are armed. Gun-rights advocates estimate that 1 percent of Utah teachers or 240 are licensed to carry concealed weapons. It's not known how many pack guns at school.

"It's a terrible idea," said Carol Lear, a chief lawyer for the Utah Office of Education, who argues teachers could be overpowered for their guns or misfire or cause an accidental shooting. "It's a horrible, terrible, no-good, rotten idea."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gun-group-offers-training-utah-teachers-083531633.html

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PST: GK Friedel signs extension with Tottenham

Despite having lost his starting position, Brad Friedel is ready to push on at Spurs. The 41-year-old has signed a new deal with the North London club, one which will carry him through the 2013-14 season.

On one level, the deal is a surprise. After all, it?s not difficult imagining another club giving the veteran goalkeeper a chance to start next season. With the recently acquired Hugo Lloris likely to cement his hold on on first choice at White Hart Lane, Friedel?s likely to see very few Premier League starts going forward.

But for a player well into the twilight of his career, the chance to stay at a big club, not have to relocate his family, and still provide guidance on a team he?s come to know makes for an easy acquiesce. Given the grace with which Friedel?s handled Lloris?s acquisition, the former U.S. international appears to be under no illusions as to the state of his career. His new contract is a sign of that acceptance, with the former Liverpool, Blackburn, and Aston Villa keeper moving into a role he could sustain into his mid-40s.

There had been some small rumblings of Friedel moving back to the U.S., but as long as there was interest from England, the former Crew player was likely to stay abroad. The Friedels are well established in England, with Brad having played in the Premier League since 1997.

During that time, Friedel has made 471 Premier League appearances, a record 310 of which were made consecutively. He is the oldest player to appear in a competitive match in for both Aston Villa and Tottenham.

And while his new deal likely precludes him from adding huge numbers to his appearance total, it does mean he could be making appearances in the Premier League at 43. And realistically, as long as there?s not an appreciable drop off next season, there?s no reason Friedel won?t be asked to continue.

If he?s willing to accept a backup?s role and can maintain his same level of performance, Andr? Villas-Boas and Daniel Levy seem happy to have him at the club.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/brad-friedel-signs-one-year-extension-with-tottenham/related

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Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Wii U Gamepad Is Region Locked | Video Game Blog, Video Games ...

Published: 26 December 2012 2:58 AM UTC

Posted in: Nintendo News

Tags: francesco de meo, gamepad, News, nintendo, region lock, Wii U

Among the supporters of region locking for consoles, Nintendo has always been first: while Microsoft has left the choice to region lock games to publishers and Sony pushing a region-free policy on all their recent consoles, Nintendo has actually gone further in their region locking, making the Nintendo 3DS locked, a first among handhelds.

The new Wii U has been recently released worlwide but it was no mystery that the console was going to be locked, given Nintendo?s recent efforts to region lock all its latest products. What was unexepcted is that peripheliars are locked as well: some news floating on Japanese blogs state that the Gamepad is region specific as well!

A simple fact probably confirms these news: there?s a region code on the Gamepad itself and there wouldn?t be any reason to do so if the Gamepad was region free. It?s a real bummer for players who wanted to buy a spare Gamepad in the future and save some money by buying it from other regions: this holds especially true for Japanese players who could save quite a bit by buying the Gamepad from the States, thanks to the current Yen-Dollar exchange rates.

If you?re uncertain if a Gamepad works on your console be sure to check the region code, hoping that the Gamepad will be the only thing that?s region locked alongside the console.


Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

  1. StarCraft II Region Lock Woes
  2. Wii U Release Date And Price
  3. See the Original Wii U GamePad Design Here
  4. Shigeru Miyamoto Speaks About His Future And Wii U
  5. SocioTown ? River Creek Region

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2012/news/nintendo-news/wii-u-gamepad-region-locked/

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Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Want To Work On Your Self Improvement But Don't Know Where To ...

Challenge yourself to become a better person by looking for personal development opportunities. There are plenty of tips that you can use to help you towards your own self improvement, so take some time to read this article and apply the knowledge accordingly.

Many people starting on a personal development journey struggle because their goal is too vague and unspecific. Set a clear, well-defined goal for yourself. Specific goals will get specific results.

TIP! Be ready to take down any ideas you may have, no matter what the setting is. Paper is an old fashioned way to record notes, but it never runs out of battery power.

A decision avoided is an opportunity missed when it comes to personal development. You shouldn?t fear making a decision, even if you don?t have all the facts ahead of time. Good instincts are the result of successful decisions. Even if a mistake is realized after a choice is made, it can still be viewed as valuable because it could be treated as a learning experience. Making an incorrect decision will help increase the chances that you will choose correctly the next time you are faced with a similar choice.

Avoid going shopping as a form of entertainment or comfort. If you focus your time on something productive rather than shopping, you?ll save money, and your house won?t look like a big mess.

TIP! One key to improving your lifestyle through personal development is to set goals that are reasonable. Identify your weaknesses and strive to overcome them so you can become a stronger, better person.

Don?t worry so much. Worrying is really imagining things that are not there, and why worry about something that hasn?t happened? Confront your fears and take action that will prevent them from occurring in the first place. Instead, you might feel prepared and more at ease in your mind and day-to-day life.

Staying positive takes a lot of willpower and it might mean that if you are positive towards others, then good things will come to you. The idea here is that you should act toward others with a positive attitude. If you endeavor to be positive about all things, then that positivity will come back to you.

TIP! When you are working toward personal development, an important thing to keep in mind is that you are entitled to the best. You must realize that doing your best is what you deserve.

An excellent method of helping you with your anxiety is going to the movies with a friend. This helps put you into a social situation, but it doesn?t involve socializing until you are uncomfortable. It will help you get used to the social scene.

Specific Goals

TIP! You should be humble in your everyday interactions. Learn from your daily experiences, and recognize what you are not able to change about the circumstances that are present in your life.

Establish a very detailed plan to improve your life. If you have a list of specific goals you want to accomplish, you will have an easier time traveling along the path to success. Specific goals give you a way to measure your progress.

Take the time to change the focus of your conversation from your own accomplishments and awards to the achievements of those around you. This allows you to discover some of the great things that people around you are capable of accomplishing, which helps you to respect others by giving you insight into their character.

TIP! Accomplish the things in life you want to accomplish. You will never create the life you desire by simply fantasizing about it.

As mentioned in the beginning, self improvement includes broadening your world of knowledge. However, learning new knowledge is pointless if you never apply it to any real life situations. The avenues open to you for self-improvement are many. These tips should allow you to feel more confident.

The Internet has a wealth of information concerning personal development. Luckily you have found some of the most relevant information here in this article. You may have a lot to learn regarding personal development, but you should have the basics down now.

Want To Work On Your Self Improvement But Don't Know Where To Start? Get Help Here!

Categories: Personal Development | Tags: Personal Development, specific goals | Permalink

Author: manpro

European Marketing Professional Online- and Networkmarketer Online Afiliate Marketer

Source: http://www.mindandbodymagic.com/want-to-work-on-your-self-improvement-but-dont-know-where-to-start-get-help-here/

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Monday, December 24, 2012

Obama Christmas 2012: President & Family Head To Hawaii For The Holidays (PHOTOS)

Alright, America, you can officially get in holiday mode: President Obama and his family jetted off to Hawaii last night, thus ringing in the national Christmas vacation season.

After saying goodbye to reporters on Friday with a "see you next week," the president joined Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia to embark on their annual trip to Hawaii. Each year, the family heads to Honolulu, Obama's hometown, to celebrate the Christmas holiday -- not a bad way to spend the usually-wintry season, if you ask us.

Members of the Air Force were there to see the Obamas off and salute the family as they boarded their flight. The first couple looked pretty dapper as they waved goodbye and entered Air Force One, Michelle going simple in a purple scarf and the president whipping out his brown leather jacket (not his trusty bomber jacket, unfortunately).

After a long flight, the Obamas arrived at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Honolulu early this morning, mostly sporting a change of clothes. FLOTUS looked unfairly put-together after a redeye, opting for her signature look of a printed, sleeveless dress with an eye-catching print. Sasha and Malia wore a floral top and a striped button-down, respectively, while Obama stuck to his simple slacks and button-down.

According to White House officials, the Obamas won't be making any public appearances during their stay in Hawaii, so their pre and post-plane stints may be our only glimpse at the first family's holiday gear. But that's OK -- like we said, their trip is our unofficial signal that it's time to sit back, relax and enjoy the holidays. Hey, if Michelle can forget about "Let's Move" for a few days and serve mac and cheese, we can lay off the fashion-watching.

Check out pictures of the Obamas jetting off on Air Force One and arriving in Hawaii the next morning below.

PHOTOS:

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barack obama christmas

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See some more sweet Obama moments!

  • November 2012

    (AFP/Getty photo)

  • November 2012

    (Getty photo)

  • November 2012

    (AFP/Getty photo)

  • November 2012

    (Getty photo)

  • October 2012 after the final presidential debate

    (Getty photo)

  • October 2012 after the second presidential debate

    (Getty photo)

  • October 2012 after the first presidential debate

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2012

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2012

    (AFP/Getty photo)

  • September 2012

    (Getty photo)

  • August 2012 on the campaign trail in Iowa

    (Getty photo)

  • July 2012 at the USA vs Brazil basketball game

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2011 at the Phoenix Awards

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2011 heading to the UN General Assembly

    (AP photo)

  • September 2011 at the World Trade Center site

    (Getty photo)

  • May 2011 boarding Air Force One in London

    (Getty photo)

  • May 2011 at Westminster Abbey

    (Getty photo)

  • May 2011 at a Cinco de Mayo celebration

    (Getty photo)

  • May 2011 landing in England

    (Getty photo)

  • April 2011 heading to Chicago

    (Getty photo)

  • June 2011 on the South Lawn

    (Getty photo)

  • April 2011 during an event for the US military

    (Getty photo)

  • February 2011 at the National Prayer Breakfast

    (Getty photo)

  • January 2011 honoring the Tucson shooting victims

    (Getty photo)

  • January 2011 honoring the Tucson shooting victims

    (Getty photo)

  • December 2010 at the signing of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

    (Getty photo)

  • October 2010 at a DNC rally

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2010 arriving home to the White House

    (Getty photo)

  • September 2010 at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Gala

    (Getty photo)

  • August 2010 playing mini golf on vacation

    (Getty photo)

  • May 2010 on state visit to Mexico

    (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)

  • Presidential Smooch on Team USA

    After a false start, President Obama and the First Lady puckered up for the "Kiss Cam" at an Olympic exhibition game.

Want more? Be sure to check out HuffPost Style on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest and Instagram at @HuffPostStyle.
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Do you have a style story idea or tip? Email us at stylesubmissions@huffingtonpost.com. (PR pitches sent to this address will be ignored.)

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/22/barack-obama-christmas-2012-photos-pictures_n_2351614.html

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Sunday, December 23, 2012

Will travel health insurance cover what you need overseas? : Trip ...

healthiswealthIt?s a gamble any time you leave home ? going across town or the planet. If you have only a couple of weeks a year of vacation one of the worst things that can happen is getting sick and missing the trip. That?s a great argument for travel insurance, where your travel costs are covered in the event that you can?t go.

If you are overseas and go to great lengths, and cost, to have travel health insurance ? is it worth it?

You know your health condition better than anyone, so start there with a few questions (and this is by no means exhaustive):

  • Do I have health conditions that may be compromised during travel to other countries?
  • Will the places I visit have medical professionals available if I need them?
  • What would I do to replace or refill prescriptions when out of the country?
  • What can I carry with me to make sure I stay healthy?

For example, if you need oxygen on a daily basis, make sure your airline is aware and make sure there are tanks on board for your use. It takes a bit of doing but is more common than you may realize. Also, make sure that where you are going has oxygen available and you can refill tanks easily. Advanced planning is key for most health conditions.
I just finished reading the Paris travel memoir, Meet Me Under The Eiffel Tower
and after venturing through the author?s, Natasha Donohue, romantic adventures, read of the issues that came up with her epileptic, adult son. There were some problems with having one airline respond or even let him travel (American Airlines) but the eventual flight on a different carrier went smoothly. In Paris, there were a few minor seizures but both Natasha and her son were prepared for signals and were careful with medication.

The worst episode ended up with them being driven by very expensive ambulance to a woefully understaffed hospital when all that was really necessary was to get back to her apartment, to medication waiting there and to rest. The rest of their trip went relatively well and memories were created that they?ll happily share forever.

Say you are in good health and traveling to Europe. Do you really need to get extended health insurance coverage? What I?ve heard from the many travel experts and expert travelers that I?ve met is probably not. Why? Because socialized medicine, local clinics and hospitals offer services below the costs you would incur and are, in most industrial countries, much less expensive than having insurance.

No one wants to forfeit their health and a dream vacation due to sickness or injury, so search your heart, study about the places you are visiting, see what the Center for Disease Control recommends and then choose the coverage you might need ? based on knowledge instead of fear, such as is ramped up in a recent article by Fox news. Make sure that you?ll get what you need when purchasing travel health insurance.

?

?

Elaine J. Masters

Travel writer, Meetup host with Travel Well, Meet-Plan-Go-San-Diego and Travel Massive.

Top Ten Podcast, the Gathering Road, on The Women?s Radio Network.

Travel ease books and audio for flyers and drivers at: www.DrivetimeYoga.com

?

Source: http://www.tripwellness.com/will-travel-health-insurance-cover-what-you-need-overseas/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=will-travel-health-insurance-cover-what-you-need-overseas

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Saturday, December 22, 2012

7 Best CSS/HTML Online Web Form Builders and Generators | Ginva

Web Forms is an important element for those who have a website for?business?where communication with clients is a main priority. However, to make a good online web form that is suited for your business purpose, You should know about programming languages and techniques. Alternatively, you can use an online form generator service that is widely available on the internet, and here are 7 the best CSS/HTML online web form builders and generators.

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JotForm is great online web form builder and generator. Its intuitive drag and drop user interface makes form building a breeze. Using JotForm, you can create forms, integrate them to your site and receive responses by email.

?online web form builder and generator 2

Online form builder can be used to build a wide range of free online forms for data collection, analysis and reporting. Zoho Creator is the easiest online form builder. For all your free online forms, web forms and templates, you can use this online form builder service. Build unlimited free online forms.

?online web form builder and generator 3

Reformed is a free online form builder, powered by HTML5, that lets you quickly and easily generate robust, great-looking forms, with validation, that are themeable using jQuery UI?s Themeroller tool.

?online web form builder and generator 4

Wufoo is a web application that helps anybody build amazing online forms. When you design a form with Wufoo, it automatically builds the database, backend and scripts needed to make collecting and understanding your data easy, fast and fun.

?online web form builder and generator 5

FormSite?allow you to create professional online forms and web surveys.With 100 pre-built forms, you can customize your web form for registrations, reservations, secure orders, customer surveys and payment collection.

online web form builder and generator 6

With HTMLForm.com you will be able to easily design any HTML form you may need. The most popular components are available to you including: text and numerical fields, check boxes, date selectors and much more.

online web form builder and generator 7

EmailMeForm is a free and easy to use HTML online form generator and builder that helps you create beautiful web forms.

Source: http://ginva.com/2012/12/7-best-css-html-online-web-form-builders-and-generators/

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Friday, December 21, 2012

An artificial-turf soccer/football field for Saint-Laurent and Vanier ...

An artificial-turf soccer/football field for Saint-Laurent and Vanier College

?At a news conference held today, Sylvain Pag?, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Education, Recreation and Sports, Marie Malavoy, Alan DeSousa, mayor of Saint-Laurent, and Gilbert H?roux, Director General of Vanier College, were pleased to announce their financial participation in the construction of a new soccer/football field with artificial turf at Vanier College. The project, developed under phase II of the support program for sports and recreational facilities of the Ministry of Education, Recreation and Sports, will obtain $800,889.80 in funding from the Government of Quebec, $400,000 from the borough, and $400,889.80 from Vanier College.

The lighted field will be shared by local Saint-Laurent soccer and football clubs and by men?s and women?s sports teams atVanierCollege.

From construction to use, the soccer/football field will adhere to principles of sustainable development, a value shared by the borough, the college and the Gouvernement du Qu?bec. The artificial field will be built and managed with a view to reducing its environmental footprint. Made entirely of recycled materials, the field will be located on a site that includes trees and features a low-energy-consumption lighting system. Owing to the fact it will consist of synthetic material, the soccer/football field won?t require watering or chemical fertilizing, meaning it will be managed in a sustainable manner for years to come.

?Our administration is proud to be associated in this project withVanierCollege, a partner that contributes greatly to the quality of life in Saint-Laurent,? said a delighted mayor of Saint-Laurent, Alan DeSousa. ?The new field will benefit the entire community. Over the last few years, soccer and football programs have grown significantly in Saint-Laurent. Today?s announcement means we?ll be able to offer residents a place where they can practice their favourite sports and sports clubs a place where they can continue to grow.?

?Through our efforts to improve the state of our facilities for the benefit of our athletes and our students, we are also extremely happy to have been able to develop this cooperation with the borough of Saint-Laurent and make available an additional community facility,? concluded Gilbert H?roux, Director General ofVanierCollege.

Playing Field news release ENG 121220_TerrainVanier_ANG

Playing Field Press release FR 121220_TerrainVanier

Source: http://www.vaniercollege.qc.ca/newsroom/2012/12/an-artificial-turf-soccerfootball-field-for-saint-laurent-and-vanier-college/

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Thursday, December 20, 2012

A home fit for a 'Cowardly' King of Beasts

13 hrs.

9555 Heather Rd, Beverly Hills, Calif.
For sale: $25.58 million

The home is at the end of a long drive, and it's paved with stone, rather than yellow brick.

Private and luxurious, the Beverly Hills estate was first built for actor Bert Lahr, best known for his role as the Cowardly Lion in "The Wizard of Oz." Lahr had just finished playing the lion when he hired architect Paul Williams to build a colonial-revival-style home.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times in the 1970s, Williams explained that Lahr wanted a cozy stone fireplace, wood paneling and "graceful entryway" that inspired a feeling of home.

"It turns out that the lion from the 'Wizard of Oz' was a wizard of design," said listing agent Joyce Rey of Coldwell Banker Previews International. "He brought in one of the most celebrated architects of the day, Paul Williams, and then added his own original touches to create a countryside home in the heart of the city. The traditional architecture brings that wonderful Hamptons, East Coast feel to Los Angeles."

Lahr wasn't the only one who was attracted the lot. After Lahr, the home passed on to a number of celebrities, including Betty Grable and husband Harry James, Paul McCartney, the Osbourne family and Melanie Griffith and ex-husband Don Johnson.

Quite a bit of star power for one home. It's the location, as well as the privacy, that attracted each of the celebrities to the property, Rey says.

And each owner put their own touch on the country estate. Originally built as a 6,000-square-foot home with 4 bedrooms for Lahr, the home now spans 12,000 square feet with 8 bedrooms and 10 baths.The wallpaper and paneling are no longer present in the home, but many of the original details Lahr envisioned are there.

Sitting on 1.3 acres behind tall gates, the Lahr estate has abundant outdoor terraces, an outdoor kitchen and dining area as well as a pool, spa, tennis court, koi pond, sports court and putting green. Inside, a vintage-style two-lane bowling alley,?game room and wet bar have been added. The living spaces are generous, with high ceilings.

The listing is shared between Rey and Marie-France Salaun.

According to current mortgage rates, a monthly payment on the home would be $88,690, assuming a 20 percent down payment on a 30-year mortgage.

More from Zillow:

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/home-originally-built-bert-lahr-cowardly-lion-wizard-oz-put-1C7661415

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One year later.... Your State of the Galaxy Nexus

View Postnybadboy11, on 19 December 2012 - 11:16 AM, said:

Why do you think the N4 is way better can I ask?

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using RootzWiki


Battery life is way better. Screen is leaps & bounds better. Everything is much faster & smoother.

Edit: The speaker is also much improved.

Edited by brkshr, Today, 12:18 PM.

Source: http://rootzwiki.com/topic/37682-one-year-later-your-state-of-the-galaxy-nexus/

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Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Classes resuming in Newtown, minus Sandy Hook

NEWTOWN, Conn. (AP) ? With security stepped up and families still on edge in Newtown, students began returning to school Tuesday for the first time since last week's massacre, bringing a return of familiar routines ? at least, for some ? to a grief-stricken town as it buries 20 of its children.

A 6-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl were laid to rest Tuesday, the latest in a long, almost unbearable procession of funerals. A total of 26 people were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary in one of the worst mass shootings in U.S history.

Buses ferrying students to schools were festooned with large green-and-white ribbons on the front grills, the colors of Sandy Hook, as classes resumed for all Newtown schools except the stricken elementary school.

At Newtown High School, students in sweat shirts and jackets, many wearing headphones, betrayed mixed emotions. Some waved at or snapped photos of the assembled media horde, and others appeared visibly shaken.

"There's going to be no joy in school," said 17-year-old senior P.J. Hickey. "It really doesn't feel like Christmas anymore."

At St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Newtown, back-to-back funerals were held for first-graders James Mattioli and Jessica Rekos, the first of eight to be held in the coming days at the church.

As mourners gathered outside, a motorcade led by police motorcycles arrived for the funeral of little James, who especially loved recess and math, and whose family described as a "numbers guy" who couldn't wait until he was old enough to order a foot-long Subway sandwich.

The service had not yet concluded when mourners began arriving for the funeral of Jessica, who loved horses and was counting the years until she turned 10, when her family had promised her a horse of her own. For Christmas, she had asked Santa for new cowgirl boots and hat.

"We are devastated, and our hearts are with the other families who are grieving as we are," her parents, Rich and Krista Rekos, said in a statement.

Traffic in front of the church slowed to a crawl as police directed vehicles into the church parking lot. At one point a school bus carrying elementary school students became stuck in the traffic. The children pressed their faces into the windows, sadly watching as mourners assembled at the church

At the high school, students didn't expect to get much work done Tuesday and spent much of the day talking about the terrible events of last week carried out by 20-year-old Adam Lanza.

"We're going to be able to comfort each other and try and help each other get through this because that's the only way we're going to do it. Nobody can do this alone," Hickey said.

Sophomore Tate Schwab agreed."It's definitely better than just sitting at home watching the news," he said. "It really hasn't sunk in yet. It feels to me like it hasn't happened. It's really weird."

As for concerns about safety, the students were defiant.

"This is where I feel the most at home," Hickey said. "I feel safer here than anywhere else in the world."

Some parents kept their children at home anyway Tuesday, as local police and school officials planned how and where to increase security. State police said they were on alert for threats and hoaxes.

One Newtown school, Head O'Meadow Elementary, was reportedly locked down Tuesday due to an unspecified threat. The principal told parents to keep their children home, according to a letter from the principal published by WFSB-TV.

Authorities say the horrible events of Friday began when Lanza shot his mother, Nancy, at their home, then took her car and some of her guns to nearby Sandy Hook Elementary, where he broke in and opened fire.

A Connecticut official said the mother, a gun enthusiast who practiced at shooting ranges, was found dead in her pajamas in bed, shot four times in the head with a .22-caliber rifle.

Lanza was wearing all black, with an olive-drab utility vest with lots of pockets, during the attack.

As investigators worked to figure out what drove him to lash out with such fury ? and why he singled out the school ? federal agents said that he had fired guns at shooting ranges over the past several years, though there was no evidence he had done so recently to practice for the rampage.

Debora Seifert, a spokeswoman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, said both Lanza and his mother fired at shooting ranges, sometimes visiting ranges together.

"We do not have any indication at this time that the shooter engaged in shooting activities in the past six months," Seifert said.

Investigators have found no letters or diaries that could explain the attack.

Whatever his motives, normalcy will be slow in revisiting Newtown. Classes were canceled districtwide Monday.

Dan Capodicci, whose 10-year-old daughter attends the school at St. Rose of Lima church, said it was time for her to get back to classes.

"It's the right thing to do. You have to send your kids back. But at the same time I'm worried," he said. "We need to get back to normal."

The district has made plans to send surviving Sandy Hook students to Chalk Hill, a former middle school in the neighboring town of Monroe. Sandy Hook desks that will fit the small students were being taken there, and tradesmen were donating their services to get the school ready within a matter of days.

With Sandy Hook Elementary still designated a crime scene, state police Lt. Paul Vance said it could be months before police turn the school back over to the district.

Lanza is believed to have used a Bushmaster AR-15-style rifle, a civilian version of the military's M-16. It is similar to the weapon used in a recent shopping mall shooting in Oregon and other deadly attacks around the U.S. Versions of the AR-15 were outlawed in this country under the 1994 assault weapons ban, but the law expired in 2004.

Private equity firm Cerberus Capital Management announced Tuesday it plans to sell its stake in Freedom Group, maker of the Bushmaster rifle, following the school shootings.

Cerberus said in a statement that it was deeply saddened by Friday's events, and that it will hire a financial adviser to help with the process of selling its Freedom Group interests.

The outlines of a national debate on gun control have begun to take shape. At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney said curbing gun violence is a complex problem that will require a "comprehensive solution."

Carney did not offer specific proposals or a timeline. He said President Barack Obama will meet with law enforcement officials and mental health professionals in coming weeks.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, flanked by shooting survivors and relatives of victims of gunfire around the country, pressed Obama and Congress to toughen gun laws and tighten enforcement after the Newtown massacre.

"If this doesn't do it," he asked, "what is going to?"

At least one senator, Virginia Democrat Mark Warner, said Monday that the attack in Newtown has led him to rethink his opposition to the ban on assault weapons.

West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a Democrat who is an avid hunter and lifelong member of the National Rifle Association, said it's time to move beyond the political rhetoric and begin an honest discussion about reasonable restrictions on guns.

"This is bigger than just about guns," he added. "It's about how we treat people with mental illness, how we intervene, how we get them the care they need, how we protect our schools. It's just so sad."

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Allen G. Breed, Helen O'Neill, John Christoffersen, Pat Eaton-Robb and Katie Zezima in Newtown; and Christine Armario in Miami.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/classes-resuming-newtown-minus-sandy-hook-074730537.html

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Tuesday, December 18, 2012

The person inside the present: Narcissists buy to big themselves up

Dec. 17, 2012 ? Christmas is around the corner and many of us will be thinking of what to buy our loved ones (or ourselves) this festive holiday

But what is the psychology behind gift-giving?

Early results from research led by Dr Aiden Gregg from the University of Southampton, have shown that people with narcissistic tendencies want to purchase products, both for others and for themselves, that positively distinguish them -- that is, that make them stand out from the crowd.

The study -- conducted in collaboration with McGill University's Desautels Faculty of Management and Hanyang University in South Korea -- investigated why narcissistic consumers chose certain products and how those products made them feel. Volunteers from both the universities in South Korea or Canada took part in one of four studies.

The first study, using online questionnaires, asked participants about their consumer buying behaviour -- for example, why they bought certain products and how doing so made them feel. Narcissism, rather than simple self-esteem, predicted dispositions to purchase products for the purpose of promoting personal uniqueness.

In the second study, participants were asked to imagine they had to replace their old MP3 player with an Apple iPod Touch. They had to choose one of the two free bonus options that came with it: either a special, limited edition, leather case, which could be personally engraved, or a generic iTunes gift card.

The third study had three parts. In part one, participants were asked questions about a shirt that could be customized; in part two, they had to think of and describe three personal items they owned; and in part three, they were asked questions about a watch that was described either as exclusive or as run-of-the-mill.

Both the second and third studies found that narcissism predicted greater interest in exclusive, customizable, and personalizable products. The third study also found participants who were higher in narcissism regarded their prized possessions as less likely to be owned by others -- that is, as more distinctive.

The final study focused on gifts being bought for another person. Participants were shown the same watch as in the previous study. Narcissists again tended to show more interest in the product when it was portrayed as exclusive. So it looks like narcissists want people around them to be as special as they are. Further analysis also suggested that a motive to manipulate others partly lay behind narcissists' gift-giving preferences.

Dr Aiden Gregg comments: "Narcissists seek to self-enhance. One way to do so is by buying products for symbolic as well as material reasons -- for what they mean as well as what they do.

"Our early results show that narcissists' interest in consumer products, whether bought for themselves or for others, is strongly driven by the power of those products to positively distinguish them. Narcissists feel better about themselves because they think they have succeeded in individualising or elevating themselves."

Russell Seidle, of Desautels Faculty of Management, McGill University, adds: "As expected, narcissistic consumers demonstrate a preference for scarce products that correspond with their views of themselves as unique individuals. Interestingly, these same consumers show a lower tendency to critically evaluate the actual characteristics of these goods. That is, scarcity in and of itself seems to be the main driver of their purchasing behaviour. These findings help to shed light on the importance of the symbolic value of purchasing decisions, which for these consumers seems to outweigh even the practical usefulness of the product being bought."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Southampton, via AlphaGalileo.

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Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/mind_brain/consumer_behavior/~3/6XvAW74UJW4/121217091201.htm

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Monday, December 17, 2012

How much should I be putting in my 401K? ? Roth IRA News

I?m 26 years old and work a pretty low-paying job. I put 6% of my salary in my 401K to take advantage of the 50% match up to 6%. But in terms of real money, this amounts to a contribution of about $65 every two weeks, plus a $32ish match by my employer. I don?t know much about money and investing, and don?t know if I?m doing the right thing. My family is fairly wealthy, and I recently received a $5000 gift, which I have barely touched. My question is, should I try to increase my 401K contribution now that I can afford to? Or should I try to maintain the $5000 in my bank account as an emergency fund (I have no credit card debt). Should I leave my 6% contribution as is? Also, I?m hoping to buy my first house fairly soon (maybe within the next year). Would it even make sense for me to putting money away for when I turn 60, if I may need the money now? I watch a little of Suze Orman, and she recommends Roth IRAs over the 401K. Again, I?m no expert, and have very little advise to go on. I?m just wondering what I should be putting away? My current 401K balance is around $2300, so I obviously have ways to go.
Why is a Roth preferable to a 401K? (I?ve heard that before, but I don?t understand why.)
likepeps, I don?t think I?ll stop saving for retirement if I buy a house. My best friend is a realtor, and he?s been assuring me that he?ll be able to find me one where I won?t pay much more than I already pay in rent. Plus, again, I?m from a fairly well-off family, so the money I make from work isn?t my only income, anyway.
I am in a low tax bracket now, but when I retire, why would I be in a higher tax bracket? My income will (likely) be nothing by then, other than the money I withdrawl. So I would think I?d be in a lower or the same tax bracket. (Of course, tax laws could obviously change ? I get that.)

Source: http://rothira.solve-up.com/roth-ira/how-much-should-i-be-putting-in-my-401k/

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Sunday, December 16, 2012

Gigabit Squared heading high-speed fiber and wireless internet initiative in Seattle

Gigabit Squared heading high-speed fiber and wireless internet initiative in Seattle

Seattle may have lost its high-velocity hoops team, but that doesn't mean it's satisfied with anything but speedy internet. The city has come to an agreement with Gigabit Squared (GB2) to build an unnecessarily wordy "fiber-to-the-home/fiber-to-the-business broadband network." With the University of Washington taking care of "community leadership" (as part of the Gig. U initiative), GB2 plans to utilize Seattle's excess fiber infrastructure, and create more, to deliver new internet options in three ways. In addition to the wired fiber network, the Gigabit Seattle project sees the development of a "dedicated gigabit broadband wireless umbrella" for beaming up to 1 Gbps from radio transmitters to others in direct view, as well as municipal WiFi-like services.

At this stage, only 12 "demonstration" areas are earmarked in the proposal, although the radio-based wireless "umbrella" has the potential to extend that coverage. Gigabit Squared now needs to find the cash to get going if it wants to meet the distant operational target of "year-end 2014." It's worth remembering that plenty of city-wide internet initiatives have failed before this one, and only a Memorandum of Understanding and a Letter of Intent have been signed by all the involved parties -- agreements which aren't necessarily binding. Full details of the plan are available in PR form and at the source link below, or if you're done with prose, a map of the 12 demo neighborhoods hopefully getting hooked up can be found after the break.

[Thanks, Gavin]

Continue reading Gigabit Squared heading high-speed fiber and wireless internet initiative in Seattle

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Comments

Source: Gigabit Seattle

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/14/gigabit-seattle/

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Saturday, December 15, 2012

Era ends at Guantanamo as last 2 Cubans retire

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba (AP) ? One of the world's most unusual commutes is coming to an end.

For more than a half century, Luis La Rosa and Harry Henry have left their homes before dawn each workday in the communist-run city of Guantanamo, where old American cars rumble past posters of the Castro brothers in a Cold War time warp, climbed into taxis and traveled to the U.S. military base at Guantanamo Bay, where troops shop at a Wal-Mart-like store and eat at McDonald's and Subway.

The commute takes less than an hour but spans two worlds and a heavily guarded border fence.

Now it is coming to an end. La Rosa, a 79-year-old welder who works at the base's motor pool, and Henry, an 82-year-old office worker, are retiring at the end of the month and will be honored Friday at a retirement ceremony that will celebrate the uniqueness of their situation.

The close friends, who have a kind of celebrity status on the base, are the last of what were once hundreds of Cubans commuting daily to work at this isolated U.S. military installation.

For them, it is a bittersweet moment ? a severing one of the last real links between Cuba and the U.S. Navy base that has been an unwelcome presence on the island for generations.

"I feel a bit sad because I'm leaving, but I'm going to my country," La Rosa said Thursday after passing through the coils of razor wire and a checkpoint guarded by U.S. Marines that separates the base from the rest of Cuba.

Though this spot is best known for the base's prison for terrorism suspects, there is a substantial Cuban city of Guantanamo, which has a colonial downtown and a population of about 250,000. It lies to the northwest of the base, separated by mountains and marshland. A smaller city called Caimanera along the bay is the closest town to the U.S. installation.

There are about 30 other Cubans who live on the post, and the base commander has a monthly meeting with his Cuban counterpart to discuss logistics and administrative issues. But the base and Cuba have almost nothing to do with each other, and that fact is more pronounced with the two men's retirement.

"It is a real symbolic link that is disappearing," said Jonathan M. Hansen, author of the book "Guantanamo: An American History."

The U.S. seized Guantanamo Bay, which is considered an ideal natural harbor, from Spain in the Spanish-American War in 1898, retained it during the occupation of Cuba and then forced the Cuban government to sign a lease for the 45-square-mile base. Relations deteriorated after Fidel Castro took power in 1959 and then turned into outright hostility as the young rebel embraced Soviet-style communism.

Castro, who has called the base "a dagger plunged into the heart of Cuban soil," famously refused to cash the checks for the lease payment of about $4,000 a year.

Cuban anger deepened in January 2002, when the U.S. began using the base to hold suspected al-Qaida and Taliban prisoners. There are now 166 prisoners, down from a peak of about 680 in June 2003. President Barack Obama had pledged to close the prison soon after taking office but Congress blocked him from transferring prisoners to U.S. soil and the men still there largely remain in limbo.

Obama may have pledged to close the prison but the U.S. has not announced any plans to give up the base, which is still considered a strategic asset by the U.S. government.

Most Cubans want the base closed, though it also serves a as "a nice piece of anti-U.S. propaganda that's handy" for Castro, said Hansen, a lecturer at Harvard University who is working on a biography of the Cuban leader.

The two soon-to-be-retirees seem uninterested in political questions. "We don't get involved in any kind of politics," Henry said. "We follow the laws here and the laws there."

They say neither was asked to spy for either side, though the men have been an important conduit for a community of families of exiles who fled Cuba and were allowed to settle on the base.

La Rosa, whose head comes up to Henry's shoulders and has an easy laugh, said people on both sides of the fence have treated them well. "They make fun of us and say we are communists over here," he said. "And when we get back over there, they say we're imperialists."

Over the years, there has been a steady decline in the number of Cubans working at the base.

As workers aged and retired, the number of commuters dwindled from the hundreds to about 50 people by 1985, according to a base newsletter, the Guantanamo Bay Gazette. By June 2005, it was down to Henry, La Rosa and two others, all earning about $12 an hour, an eye-popping salary by Cuban standards, according to another base newsletter, The Wire.

Today, most of the work once done by Cubans is performed by workers from Jamaica and the Philippines.

Leaving their homes wearing baseball caps and jackets against the cool Caribbean morning, La Rosa and Henry typically cross the fence-line as the sun rises. They eat breakfast at a house near the perimeter each morning as the military blasts "The Star-Spangled Banner" through loudspeakers.

Then, La Rosa and Henry climb into a blue pickup truck and drive to work through wide streets in a military installation that resembles a suburban anytown USA, with playing fields, a school for the dependents of service members, a supermarket-department store that resembles a Wal-Mart, an outdoor movie theater and American fast food restaurants. The base is home to about 6,000 military personnel, civilians and contractors.

It is a tranquil place, maybe even dull, where residents while away their time learning to scuba dive.

"Sometimes you feel like you are living in two worlds," Henry, a tall, slender man whose ancestors came to Cuba from Jamaica, said at the start of a recent commute. He has worked at the base 62 years. "They are two systems any way you look at it. But we're used to it."

Both Henry and La Rosa say they are looking forward to some rest after decades of what turned out to be an arduous commute.

La Rosa, who has worked on the base for nearly 54 years, said he is grateful for the work, to be able to support his family and also for the recognition from the military for his years of service.

"My co-worker and I, we never expected this," La Rosa said, his voice breaking. "It won't be easy for me to say goodbye to all these people."

___

Suzette Laboy reported this story in Guantanamo Bay; Ben Fox reported from San Juan, Puerto Rico.

___

Online:

Guantanamo Public Memory Project: http://blog.gitmomemory.org

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/era-ends-guantanamo-last-2-cubans-retire-083202743.html

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Friday, December 14, 2012

Mick Jagger love letters fetch $300,000 at auction

LONDON (Reuters) - A collection of love letters written by Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger to American singer Marsha Hunt, believed to be the inspiration for the band's hit single "Brown Sugar", sold at Sotheby's on Wednesday for 187,250 pounds ($301,000).

The 10 letters, dating from the summer of 1969, had been expected to fetch 70-100,000 pounds, according to the auctioneer.

"The passage of time has given these letters a place in our cultural history," Hunt said after the London sale.

"1969 saw the ebbing of a crucial, revolutionary era, highly influenced by such artists as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, James Brown and Bob Dylan.

"Their inner thoughts should not be the property of only their families, but the public at large, to reveal who these influential artists were - not as commercial images, but their private selves."

Hunt, with whom Jagger had his first child, Karis, told Britain's Guardian newspaper last month that she was selling the letters, written in July and August 1969, because she had been unable to pay her bills.

"I'm broke," Hunt, who lives in France, told the newspaper.

Jagger wrote them to Hunt while filming the Tony Richardson movie "Ned Kelly" in Australia.

They showed a sensitive side of the then-young singer, who wrote about the poetry of Emily Dickinson, meeting author Christopher Isherwood and an unrealized multimedia project.

Jagger's relationship with Hunt, who is African-American, was kept under wraps until 1972.

Hunt has said she was the inspiration for Brown Sugar, which Jagger wrote while in Australia.

The rock star also cites in the letters the disintegration of his relationship with singer Marianne Faithfull, whom he was also dating at the time, and the death of Rolling Stones' guitarist Brian Jones.

There has been a surge in interest in the rock band this year, as Jagger and his three surviving bandmates celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Stones with a series of concerts, a photo book and a greatest hits album.

(Reporting by Mike Collett-White)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mick-jagger-love-letters-fetch-300-000-auction-164814708--finance.html

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