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/

girl scout cookies screen actors guild royal rumble results sag awards 2012 kyra sedgwick honor killings mary tyler moore

Clear the Blur-Tips to Boost Your Eye-Q | Medindia

Eye problems may present as blurry vision or simply a minor headache, but they can affect your life in more ways than one. While most vision problems are genetic, there are some that can arise as a result of lifestyle habits, physical injury and even ageing. Read on to discover more about some common eye problems, their symptoms, diagnosis and correction.


Refractive Errors -

Hypermetropia: Also known as farsightedness, hypermetropia is a condition wherein the individual is able to clearly view objects at a distance, but is however, unable to view objects that are nearer. This is because the rays of light from the object do not fall exactly on the retina, but much behind it. Family history is of utmost importance in this condition.

Headache, blurred vision and difficulty in reading words that are near are some common symptoms of hypermetropia. Diagnosis of this condition is done by Cyclo refraction test wherein eye drops are administered to relax the ciliary muscles of the eye, so that the exact degree of hypermetropia can be found.

Treatment of this condition may be done by a LASIK eye surgery in which the cornea of the eye is re-shaped to make it steeper. One can also use contact lenses or spectacles. However, it should be noted that the contact lenses must be light weight and anti-reflective, since the eye tends to look enlarged if a heavy contact lens is worn.

Myopia: This condition is the exact opposite of hypermetropia - the individual is able to view nearby objects clearly, but the objects placed far away appear blurred. In such an individual, the eyeball is longer than in a normal individual, causing the light from a faraway object to fall in front of the retina.

Characterized by headaches and eye strain, myopia is common among school children. Contrary to popular belief, reading in dim light and watching too much TV is NOT responsible for causing myopia. Regular annual examinations should be done for school-going children to detect the presence of myopia. The child will simply be asked to read off the Snellen chart placed 20 feet away by using lenses of different strengths. Eye drops may also be administered to relax the ciliary muscles and give an accurate correction.

LASIK and Epi-LASIK are suggested for individuals over 18 years of age, having stable power for over 6 months and not suffering from any severe ophthalmic condition such as glaucoma and cataract. Contact lenses can be used to enhance cosmetic appearance; however, it is suggested that children use spectacles until they reach maturity.

Astigmatism: Often combined with near-sightedness or far-sightedness, astigmatism is a condition where the corneal shape of the eye is affected, leading to blurred vision.

Headache, accompanied by pain in the eyes and blurred vision are common symptoms of low-degree astigmatism. Corneal topography-a technique that makes three-dimensional maps of the cornea, is done to rule out the possibility of diseases like keratoconus. Toric contact lenses, spectacles with spherical and/ or cylindrical lenses are recommended. For patients who have passed the corneal topography successfully, LASIK eye surgery can be considered.

Age-related Disorders -

Presbyopia: Ageing eyes or presbyopia refers to the onset of visual impairment as a person crosses 40 years of age. This usually happens because the ciliary muscles of the eye become weak with age, and the eye loses its ability to focus at different distances.

Characterized by eye strain, blurry vision and headaches, presbyopia hampers some precision requiring day-to-day activities such as threading a needle, and so on. This ocular condition is diagnosed by a simple near vision chart and can be corrected either by LASIK surgery, or by use of multi-focal lenses.

Cataract: The human eye is made up of protein and water. As the individual ages, the proteins in the eye tend to cluster together, clouding a part of the eye, and making it look foggy in appearance. This is known as cataract.

Being painless, cataract is often characterized by simple, easy-to-note symptoms such as reduced sharpness and brightness of objects, inability to view objects clearly even after using glasses, and decreased vision in bright lights. It can be easily detected by a 5-minute test known as the slit-lamp examination. Treatment for cataract is a surgery that replaces the clouded lens with an artificial lens made up of silicone or polymer acrylate. Left untreated, cataract can lead to blindness.

Age-related macular degeneration: Age-related macular degeneration,, as the name suggests, occurs in the elderly, and affects the macula of the eye (central portion of the retina). It may present itself as either a gradual breakdown of the macula, or by formation of abnormal blood vessels in the macula.

Age-related macular degeneration is most commonly noted by 2 symptoms-blurry vision and black spots. It is diagnosed by using an ophthalmoscope and an Amsler grid. Though there is no cure at present for this condition, researchers say that including more green vegetables in your diet and improving lifestyle habits can make a huge difference in shunning away many other age-related ocular manifestations.

Other Eye Problems -

Dry eyes: A very common eye concern, especially among people living in urban areas, dry eyes may show symptoms like redness, painful itching, burning sensation and whitish discharge. Most common causes of dry eye are exposure to pollutants, heat, dust, wind etc. Sitting near an air conditioner for too long can also cause eye problems. Avoid staying in the sunlight for too long without sunglasses.

Conjunctivitis: Commonly observed during warm and humid seasons, conjunctivitis is basically an infection of the membrane lining the surface of the eyes and eyelids, leading to redness, swelling, inflammation, excessive tear production and crusting. Both viral and bacterial conjunctivitis can be treated by using eye drops and maintaining cleanliness.

Lazy eye: An early childhood condition wherein the eyesight in one eye of the child does not develop as it should, lazy eye can leave the child visually impaired in that eye for life if not treated at an early stage. This condition starts appearing in early childhood and can make the brain biased, forcing it to focus on one eye only, virtually ignoring the lazy eye. If the ?lazy? eye is not stimulated within the early stages, it can hamper the maturation of the visual brain cells, leaving the child visually impaired. The best treatment is to patch the better eye so that the child is forced to focus on the ?lazy? eye and develop his vision in the affected eye at the right time.

Stye: A stye is basically a minor inflammation of the oil gland just at the edge of the eyelid which can hurt when you blink. Styes can be easily prevented by removing make-up before going to bed and by avoiding the use of dirty hands to rub the eyes.

Diabetic retinopathy: Diabetic blindness or diabetic retinopathy is one of the severe complications of diabetes which involves swollen, leaky blood vessels rupturing in the retina and blocking the vision of the individual. Controlling blood sugar and getting regular eye check-ups done is very important for all diabetic patients.

Uveitis: This painful condition occurs as a result of inflammation of the uvea of the eye, possibly due to different underlying causes like family history, auto-immune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and infections like TB and toxoplasmosis. This condition is characterized by a severe pain and swelling in the eye, often radiating to the head. Sensitivity to sunlight and inflammation of the eye is also seen. Ophthalmologists usually prescribe steroids to tackle this condition.

Source: http://www.medindia.net/patients/patientinfo/clear-the-blur-tips-to-boost-your-eye-q.htm

Paula Broadwell Photos Veterans Day 2012 Nate Silver stock market stock market Obama Acceptance Speech 2012 dow jones

Shopping And Product Reviews - cebaln's ... - arunkumar25886

The letters and numbers you entered did not match the image. Please try again.

As a final step before posting your comment, enter the letters and numbers you see in the image below. This prevents automated programs from posting comments.

Having trouble reading this image? View an alternate.

Source: http://matkopliza9.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-category-by-elleeatist.html

the giver march 30 rimm george h w bush pauly d project adrienne rich autism

Source: http://idaopilem.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-cat

paul williams paul babeu kevin costner budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson

Source: http://fifeir.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-cat

santorum new hampshire debate rupaul meet the press steelers vs broncos chris herren jay z

Source: http://cebaln.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-cat

Eric Idle rory mcilroy Fatboy Slim Rio de Janeiro Shark Week London 2012 closing ceremony Shark Week 2012

Source: http://fseneiuni.posterous.com/shopping-and-product-reviews-cebaln39s-poster

divine mercy cabin in the woods the legend of korra three stooges the three stooges the bee gees woodward

Source: http://arunkumar25886.blogspot.com/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-cebaln.html

budweiser shootout animal house invincible jesse jackson whitney houston funeral video tyler perry whitney houston r kelly

Israel indicts former foreign minister Lieberman

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli far-right leader Avigdor Lieberman was charged on Sunday with fraud and breach of trust, allegations that prompted his resignation as foreign minister two weeks ago, justice officials said.

Lieberman, who has denied the accusations, remains head of the Yisrael Beitenu party that has formed a coalition with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party ahead of a January 22 parliamentary election.

Israeli justice officials said Lieberman was indicted on charges relating to the promotion of an Israeli diplomat who had illegally given him information about a police investigation against him.

Under Israeli law, conviction on the fraud and breach of trust charges could disqualify Lieberman from holding a cabinet post in the next government.

Lieberman, who lives in a Jewish settlement in the occupied West Bank, has stoked controversy by questioning the loyalties of Israel's 1.5 million Arab citizens.

His comments have drawn accusations of racism but have also given him a large electoral following beyond his Russian-speaking base.

Earlier this month, he angered the European Union by saying it had not sufficiently condemned calls by Hamas Islamists for Israel's destruction, likening this to Europe's failure to stop Nazi genocide against Jews during World War Two.

The European Union foreign policy chief called the comments offensive and reiterated the bloc's commitment to Israel's security.

Born in Moldova, Lieberman emigrated to Israel in 1978. He became administrative head of the Likud party in 1993 and ran the prime minister's office from 1996 to 1997 during Netanyahu's first term. He left and formed Yisrael Beitenu in 1999.

Lieberman is the latest in a string of Israeli politicians to face corruption charges in recent years. Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert resigned in 2008 after being indicted, though he has since been acquitted of most of the charges against him.

(Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israel-indicts-former-foreign-minister-lieberman-084430102.html

robbie robertson the curious case of benjamin button secret service prostitute rich ross april 20 jennifer love hewitt secret service prostitution

?Change should occur gradually but at all levels: teachers, students ...

As I look back on this year, the Partners in Learning Global Forum in Prague continues to be a highlight. I know this is also the case for many educators, including teacher Marilo Martinez from Spain. ?In Prague at the Partners in Learning Global Forum, I was able to work and reflect on different topics of innovation,? says Martinez. ?Those that I found most interesting and applicable to my school were project-based learning and game-based learning. Both attempt to motivate our students to work differently in a challenging way ? these are new models of learning.?

Martinez teaches at Colegio Marti Sorolla, a Microsoft Pathfinder School. The school strives to be continuously innovative in terms of best pedagogical and technological practices. But perhaps most important, they strive to educate students in values that represent the 21st century learner: cooperation, respect, tolerance, positive thinking, responsibility, commitment, honesty, creativity, solidarity and empathy.

Here, Martinez shares what makes Colegio Marti Sorolla unique, and why innovation is so important today.

What is your proudest professional achievement?

One of the best professional achievements for me was when Microsoft selected my school, Colegio Marti Sorolla, as an Innovative Pathfinder School. The recognition from this award was very much appreciated, and very motivational.

Can you describe the teacher who most influenced you?

One teacher who made an impression on me most was one of my elementary school teachers. In addition to teaching me, this teacher was an important counselor in my life.

Also, fortunately, when I started working at Colegio Marti Sorolla????, I had the opportunity to meet professionals who, despite all odds and daily problems, get excited about their work.

What advice would you give to anyone wanting to make a difference in education?

To lead a change in education, there must be support from the school management, as well as from most of the teachers. Change should occur gradually but at all levels: teachers, students and administration. To be truly motivational, it must take into account all the players and their new ideas. On the other hand, when performing a new activity, feedback is a critical component that guides the outcome ? it is essential to listen to students.

Obviously, each school has different resources and needs, but the important thing is to use ICT as a tool to support specific methodology.

What is your greatest hope for the future of education?

In my opinion, working with innovation topics like project-based learning, schools and teachers can find a way to encourage our students to work across different curricula and get them involved in their own learning process. Students can then develop lifelong learning skills, supported by the teachers.

?

MARTI SOROLLA School tries to be continuously innovative in terms of best pedagogical and technological practices.?Workspaces are changing from the traditional classroom to different learning areas, like music room, labs, computer labs and virtual spaces.?We have in mind the personnel?s work, innovation based improvement (pedagogical and technological).?We educate our students in values that we think the XXI century learner must represent: cooperation, respect, tolerance, positive thinking, responsibility, commitment, honesty, creativity, solidarity and empathy.
We belong to various school associations and we attend and give training courses.
Apart from teaching academic contents, we also pay attention to a full development of students as human beings in order to face real situations in their lives.?Our school vision is based on three main pillars: Innovation, Languages and Technology, without forgetting Sports and our Social Projects.

Interesting or innovative practices that take place at our school

Pedagogical innovations

• We have an I+D department that uses studies on how the brain works to find the best teaching methods.
• We use the MORE approach (Multiple Options for Results in Education). This method combines different procedures to offer multiple options to achieve success in learning.
• We use Spencer Kagan?s cooperative learning structures because we believe that working together is the best way to improve as a community as well as individually.
• We have a team of people focused on investigating new learning methods called Orion Team.
• In Preschool children are stimulated by means of Early Childhood Intervention using intelligence bits in order to wire their brains.

Technological innovations

Innovation is not based on any software or hardware but in how to use it to its maximum potential. That?s the reason we use technology not as a goal in itself but as part of the learning process (to get and produce information, assessment, communication, virtual workspaces ?).

How we are making an impact

We created a project called ?Pars Pro Toto?, it is part of a bigger one started three years ago. The main goal of this project is to link several subjects focused on the city of Valencia. Every year our students go for a walk to take pictures of the city related with a special theme. This year we connected Literacy with Valencia streets. At the end of it we display the pictures and the three best of them win a prize. Our families and the rest of the school can visit the exhibition. Last year this project won a special mention from de Spanish Culture Ministry as a Creative School.

Members of our staff are invited to share our ICT experience and participate as speakers in schools next to ours, in teacher training courses and CEFIRE;That shows that we are a reference to be taken into account.
http://www.cefe.gva.es/eva/es/c_formacion.htm ( (26/01/2012))

How our school is influencing others

We created a project called ?Pars Pro Toto?, it takes part in a bigger one started three years ago. The main goal of this project is to link several subjects focused on the city of Valencia. Every year our students go for a walk to take pictures of the city related with a special theme. This year we connected Literacy with Valencia streets. At the end of it we display the pictures and the three best of them win a prize. Our families and the rest of the school can visit the exhibition. Last year this project won a special mention from de Spanish Culture Ministry as a Creative School.
Members of our staff are invited to share our ICT experience and participate as speakers in schools next to ours (Soto Mic? Public School), in teacher training courses and CEFIRE.
That shows that we are a reference to be taken into account.
We have teachers specialized and certified in Spencer Kagan?s Cooperative Learning Structures at a national level in charge of training teachers from other schools

Our role as a leader

School cannot exist without innovation because we live in a technological society and school has to prepare for it.?If we want to move forward our students must be ready to face the challenges of a future that is becoming more and more technological.
We have learnt a lot about ourselves and the present and future of our schools.
We learned that innovation in school is a process which needs the implication of all the stakeholders in order to have a real vision where the school is and where it wants to go.
This commitment helps us to plan the actions to make these goals possible, and to assume the innovations necessary to achieve success.

Ways we involve our team

• Two teachers (Philosophy and Music) created Pars pro Toto project; they organizated an exhibition with all the photographs taken by students in a day walk around different neighborhoods in Valencia; every year (we have done three) the pictures are related to an idea: architecture,time and poetry . Last year this project won a special mention from de Spanish Culture Ministry as a Creative School.
• Second example : Arranged by the need of giving suport to the learning process it has been created a repository of materials; this platform was created by several teachers in a spontaneous way.

How we recognize and encourage student leadership

• We want to encourage our students to develop positive leadership skills, having in mind multiple intelligences, giving special importance to emotional intelligence.
• We encourage the active participation of the students in their daily school life (decision making, projects, problem solving ?.). As we said before, we use Spencer Kagan?s Cooperative learning structures so they assume different roles in the learning process and students are also encouraged to participate in external competitions and projects.

What we hope to achieve by being a Pathfinder School

We want to share:
-make worldwide connections with other institutions involved in the use of technology in schools. The next step is sharing our knowledge and best practices with other educational centers worldwide.
We want to improve:
-we are always looking for new ways of improving our teaching skills. We are sure to find many different points of view and solutions to challenge by being part of a wider international network; we believe that the self-assessment is an essential part of the process of being leader.
We want to learn:
-we think that our school can make a difference by taking part in the program with other leader schools.

Source: http://dailyedventures.com/index.php/2012/12/29/marilo/

celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates mike martz chicago bears netflix

McNeill tornado relief stops taking clothing gifts

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.hattiesburgamerican.com/article/20121229/NEWS01/121229005/1002/rss

humber raffi torres michael mcdonald jon jones vs rashad evans earth day 2012 jon jones rashad evans ufc jones vs evans

New Dealership Brings Dozens of Jobs to LC

The South Carolina unemployment rate fell to its lowest level of the year in November -- 8.3% and the good news keeps coming for those looking for work in the lowcountry.

There's a new kid on the block in the New River Auto Mall -- the brand new Lexus of Hilton Head, which plans to open its doors in a matter of days.

"Days away, maybe hours away, we have cleaning crews working tonight and have furniture being delivered Monday morning and we're excited to get open and service our customers," said owner, Jim Mollica.

But with this new six-million dollar building also comes dozens of local jobs to the lowcountry.

"We're going to create somewhere between 40 and 50 jobs here in the local area. And when we built this building about 90% of the contractors were from this area."

And it was important for owners to help strengthen other local business as well in order to grow the whole economy.

"We make a living, our employees obviously make a living by the economy here, and so we're giving it back to other companies so they can support their families."

But why here and why now? Mollica says about 20% of his business in Savannah is done by folks from the lowcountry, and he says this is the right location and the right time to open this store.

"We have a big customer base up here, we have opportunity up here, and its Lexus, there's no Lexus dealer up here, and its time for one."

Source: http://www2.wsav.com/news/2012/dec/29/new-dealership-brings-dozens-jobs-lc-ar-5261391/

oakland raiders Jessica Lange NFL scores week 3 kat dennings Steve Sabol Yom Kippur 2012 Aaron Paul

Muskegon County GOP Elects ?Tea Party, Ron Paul-Types? As Executive Officers, Goes More Conservative

By?Eric Gaertner

MUSKEGON COUNTY, MI ? The Muskegon County Republican Party is now being led by a more conservative and Libertarian-type executive committee.

Andrew Fink, a Muskegon Community College adjunct instructor of government and a former attorney, is the only holdover on the executive committee, moving up to chairman of the county Republican Party. He and the other newly elected officers apparently have more of a Ron Paul slant to their political thinking.

?Nearly all of the members elected by the precinct delegates are new to the executive committee,? Fink said. ?They are anxious to promote the principles of individual freedom and efficient government. They will give the party new life.?

The officers, who were elected during the Republican Party?s December meeting, are: Fink, of Whitehall, chairman; Amy Preston of Norton Shores, vice chairwoman; Brad Shafer of Fruitland Township, secretary; and Eric Rothoff of Twin Lake, treasurer.

Muskegon County GOP Elects ?Tea Party, Ron Paul-Types? As Executive Officers, Goes More Conservative [continued]

?

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BreakTheMatrix/~3/HHnjfMEtlDU/

London 2012 rhythmic gymnastics Meteor Shower August 2012 jessie j jessie j David Boudia David Rakoff Bourne Legacy

Charlie Sheen Parties With LA Mayor in Cabo

If you were the mayor of Los Angeles, would you want to be caught partying with Hollywood bad boy Charlie Sheen? That?s apparently what happened Friday according to a tweet by Sheen featuring a picture of him with his arm around Antonio Villaraigosa that was captioned, ?Antonio?-

Read More Post Published: 30 December 2012
Found in section: Politics

Source: http://yesbuthowever.com/charlie-sheen-parties-with-la-mayor-in-cabo/

romney etch a sketch jeb bush sherry arnold snooty fox el debarge portland weather clintonville

Bar Refaeli Bikini Photos: THG Hot Bodies Countdown #7!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/bar-refaeli-bikini-photos-thg-hot-bodies-countdown-number-7/

the last waltz earth day activities mel gibson splunk dark shadows iau msft

NBA 2K13 Tournament - TheyCallMeKuda5 vs.TwoBrosGaming Feat. IpodKingCarter

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eZ_VE0BC7E
Click here to watch How To Create NBA Players Jumpshots Instead Of Purchasing Them For My Player (NBA 2K12) Sports

NBA 2K13 Tournament - TheyCallMeKuda5 vs.TwoBrosGaming Feat. IpodKingCarter

NBA 2K13 Community Tournament:
Rules: No inbound/half-court stealing
Settings: HOF | Simulation | 7min quarters | Party Chat

East Coast:
Brooklyn Nets - @MoreSkillz - http://www.youtube.com/user/MoreSkillsTheMaker
Atlanta Hawks - @MGovier - http://www.youtube.com/mgovier6
Boston Celtics - @moralvirus - http://www.youtube.com/user/americannightmare76
New York Knicks - @TheyCallMeKuda5 - http://www.youtube.com/user/TheyCallMeKuda5

West Coast:
Los Angeles Lakers - @YMDgento - http://www.youtube.com/user/YMDtv
Los Angeles Clippers - @sma11z99 - http://www.youtube.com/user/Sma11z99
Oklahoma City Thunder - @TwoBrosGaming - http://www.youtube.com/user/xRobbyH14x
Portland Trailblazers - @SubTheGamer - http://www.youtube.com/user/SubTheGamer

Round 1 West Coast:
@TwoBrosGaming - Thunder vs @Smallz99 - Clippers
@SubTheGamer - Trailblazers vs @YMDGento - Lakers

Round 1 East Coast:
@MGovier - Hawks vs @MoreSkillz - Nets
@moralvirus - Celtics vs @TheyCallMeKuda5 - Knicks

DIRECTOR'S CHANNEL:
http://www.youtube.com/user/IpodKingCarter

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

This Sports video will show you:
How to pass in NBA 2K13
How to shoot in NBA 2K13
How to dunk in NBA 2K13
How to become better at playing NBA 2K13

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

FOR MACHINIMA'S BEST HIGH QUALITY SERIES, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimaprime

FOR MORE MACHINIMA, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinima

FOR MORE GAMEPLAY, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimarespawn

FOR MORE SPORTS GAMEPLAY, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimasports

FOR MORE MMO & RPG GAMEPLAY, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimarealm

FOR MORE COMPETITIVE GAMING, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimavs

FOR MORE ANIMATIONS & SHORTS, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=happyhour

FOR MORE TRAILERS, GO TO:
http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=machinimatrailer

WANT TO JOIN THE MACHINIMA AFFILIATE PROGRAM? FILL OUT AN APPLICATION HERE:
Link: http://bit.ly/PdBRnu

Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUVsK_Q-sqM&feature=youtube_gdata

ufc145 chimpanzee chimpanzee the lucky one pittsburgh pirates mariners mets

US ONLINE EDUCATION | Free Advertising Ideas & Sites

We are a Leading Online Education Consulting Firm based at California. We help only US Citizens or Green Card Holders to earn various Degree and Diploma through US Based Schools and Universities. You can continue your studies if you have a HS Diploma or GED and you are 18 Year old. You must be having a Computer and Internet Connection at your Home. If you are not enrolled with any Online University and you are interested for an online degree then you can following details ?

Your Name ?
Address ?
ZIP Code ?
Educational Qualification ?
Kind of Course You Want To DO ?
Call Back Time and Day ?

Please send above details at leads4callcenters@gmail.com so that one of our Education Consultants will call you and will help you to get admission to earn your Degree or Diploma of your choice. UID ? zsp649

Source: http://orientalads.com/us-online-education/

fast times at ridgemont high fast times at ridgemont high soylent green phil davis george st pierre aldon smith friday night lights

Greece uncovers tourism scam, looks for unaccounted millions

ATHENS (Reuters) - Three Greeks were arrested on suspicion of trying to defraud the national tourism board, police said on Saturday, and the finance ministry is investigating a suspected 12-million-euro hole in the state agency's books.

Tourism is one of cash-strapped Greece's few remaining money-spinners and the EOT tourism board is in charge of funding several promotion campaigns and subsidy programs for the industry.

A police statement said a former EOT adviser colluded with at least two accomplices to cash in a forged cheque of 147,000 euros ($194,400) made out to a hotel on the Aegean island of Syros. The three, arrested earlier this week, were put in pre-trial detention after appearing before a prosecutor on Friday.

"They are charged with forming and participating in a criminal organization," the statement said.

The tourism ministry said it was investigating why an EOT chequebook was handled by the 39-year old adviser, who was not a career EOT official but rather an aide to the board's outgoing secretary general, who resigned last week.

Separately, the finance ministry appointed on Thursday a team to investigate what the EOT's new secretary general has called "accounting irregularities" of 12 million euros in the EOT's books.

Cronyism, political meddling and lack of accountability are central causes for the endemic corruption that has bedeviled Greece, leading to fiscal profligacy, financial crisis and an international bailout in 2010.

Greece ranked last among the 27 European Union countries in a global corruption index compiled by anti-graft group Transparency International earlier this year.

The country's governing coalition, which took power in June, has pledged to crack down on corruption, which infuriates citizens who have seen their wages cut and taxes increased as part of its 240-billion euro bailout.

(Reporting by Harry Papachristou; Editing by Mark Heinrich)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/greece-uncovers-tourism-scam-looks-unaccounted-millions-092001270.html

Joey Kovar Expendables 2 Pussy Riot National Hurricane Center Zeek Rewards elvis presley elvis presley

UN envoy says Syrian collapse threatens region

MOSCOW (AP) ? The United Nations envoy for Syria warned Saturday that the country's civil war could plunge the entire region in chaos by sending an unbearable stream of refugees into neighboring countries, but his talks in Moscow brought no sign of progress toward settling the crisis.

Lakhdar Brahimi and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov both said after their meeting that the 21-month Syrian crisis can only be settled through talks, while admitting that the parties to the conflict have shown no desire for compromise. Neither hinted at a possible solution that would persuade the government and the opposition to agree to a ceasefire and sit down for talks on political transition.

Brahimi, who arrived in Moscow on one-day trip following his talks in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier this week, voiced concern about the escalation of the conflict, which he said is becoming "more and more sectarian."

Brahimi warned that "if you have a panic in Damascus and if you have 1 million people leaving Damascus in a panic, they can go to only two places ? Lebanon and Jordan," and that those countries could break if faced with half a million refugees.

Brahimi said that "if the only alternative is really hell or a political process, then we have got all of us to work ceaselessly for a political process."

Russia has been the main supporter of Assad's regime since the uprising began in March 2011, using its veto right at the U.N. Security Council along with China to shield its last Mideast ally from international sanctions.

Lavrov reaffirmed that Russia would continue to oppose any U.N. resolution that would call for international sanctions against Assad and open the way for a foreign intervention in Syria. And while he again emphasized that Russia "isn't holding on to Bashar Assad," he added that Moscow continues to believe that the opposition demand for his resignation as a precondition for peace talks is "counterproductive."

"The price for that precondition will be the loss of more Syrian lives," Lavrov said.

Both Brahimi and Lavrov insisted that peace efforts must be based on a peace plan approved at an international conference in Geneva in June.

The Geneva plan called for an open-ended cease-fire, a transitional government to run the country until elections, and the drafting of a new constitution, but it was a non-starter with the opposition because on Russian insistence it left the door open for Assad being part of the transition process and didn't contain any mention of possible U.N. sanctions.

Brahimi said that while some "little adjustments" could be made to the original plan, "it's a valued basis for reasonable political process."

With the opposition offensive gaining momentum, there was little hope that the initiative would have more chance for success than it had when it was approved.

Lavrov has said that Moscow is ready to talk to the main Syrian opposition group, even though it has earlier criticized the United States and other Western nations for recognizing the Syrian National Coalition for Opposition and Revolutionary Forces as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.

On Friday, coalition leader Mouaz al-Khatib rejected the Russian invitation for talks and urged Moscow to support the opposition call for Assad's ouster. Lavrov said Saturday that al-Khatib's statement was surprising after his earlier contacts with Russian diplomats in Egypt in which they tentatively agreed on a meeting in a third country.

Lavrov argued that the coalition leader should "realize it would be in his own interests to hear our analysis directly from us."

Lavrov rejected the opposition claim that Russia's continuing weapons supplies to Assad's regime made it responsible for the massacre, saying that Moscow bears no responsibility for the Soviet-era weapons in Syrian arsenals. He said that defensive weapons like anti-aircraft missiles that Russia has continued to supply to Damascus couldn't be used in the civil war.

"We aren't providing the Syrian regime with any offensive weapons or weapons that could be used in a civil war," Lavrov said. "And we have no leverage over what the regime has got since the Soviet times."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/un-envoy-says-syrian-collapse-threatens-region-104613564.html

yahoo news nbc news cnn news Connecticut shooting Nancy Lanza school shootings cbs news

Follow The Mobile Phone Trend Today | Katperu.com

Technologies used in each and every field associated with existence offers created this particular globe a worldwide town these days. Trips in between two nations that accustomed to consider times to obtain more than really are a issue associated with just a couple several hours right now due to superb transport amenities. Cell phones tend to be one among each one of these miracles associated with technology. Modern guy can?t picture existence without having cell phones. They?ve turn out to be part of each and every person?s existence. Be it the college heading kid or perhaps a simple auto-rickshaw puller, cell phones have discovered a location in most male?s wallet!

The actual price where cell phone providers possess advanced could not actually end up being considered a couple of years back again. A couple of years back again cell phone had been a tool designed to help to make or even obtain telephone calls more than an array of region. These days, this is as well as reason behind utilizing a mobile phone offers transformed hugely. It?s not nearly producing as well as getting telephone calls any longer. Cell phone businesses combined with the system businesses possess providers for example texting, MMS, e-mail, Access to the internet, short-range cellular marketing communications such as Wireless bluetooth, company programs, video gaming as well as pictures to provide. Texting that has turn out to be a fundamental element of each and every youngster?s existence these days is simply 1 support among all of the over.

Texting offers acquired enormous recognition through the years. It?s the most often utilized information software upon cell phones. The actual plan associated with free of charge texts within mass additional elevated the actual price where texts had been becoming delivered at first. Texts no more continued to be limited to trade associated with simple created communications however actually movies as well as pictures. A period arrived whenever communications delivered to a specific quantity had been proven upon tv some time later on. Using the recognition associated with texting surfaced the actual need to allow it to be much more fascinating. Ultimately, ready-made communications of kinds in most feasible ?languages? overloaded the actual marketplaces. These days, there?s a large assortment of ready-made brief communications for each event, event, occasion as well as cause. If the necessity end up being which of the birthday celebration text or even simple greatest wants to some good friend, there?s a information obtainable as pamphlets or even within the web for each feeling as well as event.

Cellular businesses possess created points actually simpler for that open public through presenting number of information providers such as Birthday celebration text, humor, diet plan text and much more that whenever triggered might provide the type of information required towards the client every single day for any 30 days. Consequently, one do not need to actually research the web or even the actual bookstore for any specific type of information! Just about all you must do is actually need and also the support is actually immediately.

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically to your feed reader.

Source: http://www.katperu.com/2012/12/follow-the-mobile-phone-trend-today/

justin bieber taylor swift taylor swift kanye west cbs Univision josh hamilton

Aluminum Patio Cover Display | Home Improvement Design Center ...

The one-of-a-kind Home Improvement Design Center inside of Buresh Home Solutions continues to expand and improve with true-to-life examples of our workmanship and the top quality products that we install.?The latest addition is a full-size, fully-functioning aluminum patio cover from American Louvered Roof Systems.

Buresh Home Solutions Design Center now features a full-size aluminum patio cover display from American Louvered Roof Systems.

Adding this unique deck cover to our existing displays of siding, windows, doors, and decking continues our?policy?of offering life-size samples of the first-rate home improvement products that we offer.

We?ve never understood how other companies can expect you to make such important choices and such sizable investments from sample boards that fit easily into the trunk of a traveling salesman?s car. So we built full-size mock ups of home exteriors and then installed the very same siding, entry doors, replacement windows, decks ? and a now a patio cover ? that we install on the homes of our clients.

As you can imagine, it?s an expensive and challenging undertaking to build and maintain a home improvement showroom of this scale and?complexity. But when we see over and over again how much it helps our customers to?visualize?the products installed on their own homes, we know it?s worth the effort. And in many cases, there are product qualities and features that are really only apparent in full scale. And there?s simply no better example of that then this aluminum patio cover.

In the comfort and controlled climate of our showroom, you can now see all of the great features and benefits of this system as if it were actually installed on your home. You can see and feel the extruded aluminum, powder coated components that make this deck roof the most attractie and durable on the market. You can use the simple remote control yourself and see how quickly and quietly the patio cover transitions from full sun, to partial shade, to full shade. You can envision how the many optional features can be configured to meet your needs. And when you?re ready, we can sit down beneath the patio cover and design a custom system for your outdoor living space.

The Buresh Home Solutions Design Center is located at 9379 Swanson Blvd. in Clive, Iowa. Hours are?8:00 to 5:00 Monday through Friday with limited appointments also available outside of regular business hours.

Call us today to schedule a tour of our design center and see for yourself just how good your home can truly look.

?

Source: http://www.bureshhomesolutions.com/blog/patio-cover-display

ben flajnik randy moss randy moss hunger games premiere the bachelor good morning america red meat

San Jose State tops Bowling Green in Military Bowl

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Among the accomplishments this season for San Jose State: It's no longer a school anyone would want to schedule for homecoming.

The No. 24 Spartans have their first 11-win season since 1940, capping a comeback year with a 29-20 win over Bowling Green in the Military Bowl. In the national rankings for the first time since 1975, San Jose State (11-2) finished with a seven-game winning streak and put aside the distractions surrounding the recent departure of coach Mike MacIntyre.

"I don't think we've ever been respected like we should have been," defensive end Travis Johnson said. "They've looked at San Jose State on the schedule and been like, 'OK, you know that's a beatable game.' And that's something we all wanted to change. No one ever wants to be looked at as someone who's easy to beat."

The Spartans were 1-12 just two years ago and were rebuilt by MacIntyre, who left this month for a better payday at Colorado. Defensive coordinator Kent Baer coached the bowl game but was passed over for the full-time job in favor of San Diego's Ron Caragher. Baer plans to follow MacIntyre to the Buffalos.

"I didn't cry, but I wanted to," said Baer, asked about his postgame speech to the team. "I stood tall, took a couple of deep breaths. It's been a little emotional the last few days."

The only quibble is whether the 2012 Spartans should have bragging rights as the best team in school history ahead of the 1938 and 1940 teams, which both went 11-1.

"A couple of them have contested it, but that's all right," Baer said with a laugh. "We'll play 'em."

Bowling Green (8-5) had a similar turnaround, improving from 2-10 in 2010 under coach Dave Clawson to get back in the postseason. The Falcons, like the Spartans, shouldn't be mistaken for a soft spot on the schedule any time soon.

"A year ago we made a nice step that we went from being awful to average," Clawson said. "I felt this was a team that could make that next step, and we won three more games. ... We found a way to get from five to eight. Now we have to find a way to get from eight to 11."

Coaching aside, the difference Thursday was that San Jose State had the better quarterback, David Fales, who led the nation in completion percentage in the regular season. The dart-throwing transfer started strong and finished stronger in the wind and cold at RFK Stadium, completing 33 of 43 passes for 395 yards and two touchdowns.

Fales led the drive that set up Austin Lopez's 27-yard field goal with 4:43 remaining, and De'Leon Eskridge's 1-yard run with 2:34 left provided the insurance. Fales was an unknown when he arrived on campus in the spring, but he quickly became the offensive leader the Spartans needed.

"He was like that puzzle piece that was able to make everything come together," Johnson said.

Fales went over the 4,000-yard passing mark for the season, hitting Kyle Nunn for a 33-yard score to give the Spartans a first-quarter lead and finding the stutter-stepping Chandler Jones for an 18-yard reception that put San Jose State back in front, 19-13, in the third quarter.

Bowling Green retook the lead in the fourth quarter with a 68-yard drive, finished off by John Pettigrew's 1-yard run with 10:26 remaining.

But Fales went 7 for 10 on a 68-yard march that got well within range for Lopez, who had a perfect season ? making all 17 of his field goal attempts. The Spartans then forced a turnover that led to Eskridge's clinching touchdown.

"We didn't generate enough yards, didn't generate enough points," Clawson said. "At some point you have to score points to win games. We struggled with that all year. When we played the better teams on our schedule, that's where we came up short."

The Military Bowl was set to pit Army against an ACC team, but Army wasn't bowl-eligible and the ACC had a short supply of bowl-eligible schools. As a result, there was little excitement for the game in the nation's capital. The upper deck of RFK was virtually empty during the second half of the MAC-WAC matchup, and the attendance was announced as 17,835.

___

Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/san-jose-state-tops-bowling-green-military-bowl-013115103--spt.html

Kmart Black Friday PlanetSide 2 Alexis DeJoria danica patrick sweet potato casserole turkey Pumpkin Pie Recipe

Here come the design patents: new law boosts rights in shapes ...

One of Apple?s key weapons in its legal battle against competitors is a special type of patent that protects the visual appearance of a product. Critics have denounced these patents as a way to own ?rounded rectangles? but we may have to get used to seeing a lot more of them.

Last week, President Obama signed a law that will increase the term and scope of so-called ?design patents.? The law could offer US designers a new way to fight knock-offs ? but some fear it will strain an already over-burdened Patent Office and make America?s troubled patent system even more dysfunctional.

The new design patent law: what it does

Design patents, which protect the ornamental features of an invention, are nothing new. To get a better idea of what they are, imagine a new type of fork that can pick up food better than ever before. The inventor could get a regular patent for the pick-up function ? but she could also get a design patent for distinct scrollwork built into the handle of the fork. A more familiar example is the design patents which cover the look and feel of Apple?s iPad.

Few people had heard of design patents until recently when shoe company Crocs used them to chase away rivals or Apple used its design patents to hammer Samsung for allegedly copying the iPhone and iPad. Design patents have also become more popular as the Supreme Court has taken an increasingly dim view of many conventional utility patents. (See the picture at right, posted by leading patent blog?Patently-O, for examples of design patents in court right now).

Now, the just-signed Patent Law Treaties?Implantation?Act of 2012 will see more design patent requests flood in from more places. The main purpose of the law is to harmonize America?s design patent laws with the rest of the world ? in particular, by letting ?inventors? use a single application filed anywhere in the world to seek design rights in many countries at once. For instance, Ikea could submit drawings of a chair in Sweden and then get a US design patent based on the same application.

The law, which is will take effect in about a year, will also increase the design patent term from 14 years to 15 years and allow applicants to seek 100 different design inventions with a single application.

More rights to rectangles?

Richard Stockton, a patent lawyer at Banner & Witcoff in Chicago, says that,?traditionally, the first people to call him about design patents are manufacturers who outsource production to China but then discover the factory owner is replicating their product.

Now, though, he expects?the new treaty rules will lead more foreign companies to apply for design patents in the US.

?Asia is very interested. A lot of people think there will be a snowball effect,? said Stockton.

He adds that recent court fights between Apple and Samsung have awakened people to the fact that design patents are easier to get than utility patents.

?I?ve obtained them in 60 days with some elbow grease,? claimed Stockton, adding that a ?good rule of thumb? price for a basic design patent application is $ 2500-$ 3000 all-in versus several times that for a regular patent. (The 60 day figure might be an outlier ? others say it usually takes more than a year).

Stockton says design patents also pack more of a damages punch than regular patents because, if they are infringed, a court must award damages based on the value of the whole invention ? not just a patented feature.

More patents, more problems?

Sarah Burstein, a design patent expert at the University of Oklahoma, is skeptical the new law is necessary and fears that lawyers will game design patents in the same way they have done with other parts of the patent system.

?The devil is in the details,? she said in a phone interview, and predicted that more applications will arrive from Japan, Asia and the rest of the world. US designers, meanwhile, can likewise seek rights in more places.

Burstein is especially concerned about how the new law, as it stands, requires the US Patent Office to reject design applications from foreign countries within a certain amount of time. If it doesn?t, under the treaty, the applicant is entitled to design rights in America.?And, if a flood of new applications arrive, will the patent office be able to handle them? The office is already struggling to clear backlog and retain qualified examiners?with starting salaries that begin around $ 42,000.

Burstein worries the law?s current structure could lead companies to first seek design rights in countries with weaker standards and then use those overseas rights as a quick way to get design patent protection in the US.

And while the new protections could help US designers in theory, Burstein believes any benefits will not be widespread.

?This won?t help poor design students,? she said.

A bigger question may be why Congress passed the law in the first place. America?s technology and retail sectors are already buckling under a wave of spurious patent lawsuits, many of which involve ?patent trolls? using old patents to extort licensing fees. The new law could provide yet more ammunition for the trolls to shake down productive companies.

And while most people would agree that inventors should have the right to stop rip-offs, America already has a robust trademark and trade dress rules that let them do just that.

Ultimately, design patents may be yet one more area where America discovers that intellectual property rules are a lot like salt ? a little bit can be great but too much ruins everything.

Images by?Nomad_Soul

GigaOM

Source: http://msoftnews.com/google/here-come-the-design-patents-new-law-boosts-rights-in-shapes-designs/

san francisco earthquake terminator salvation terminator salvation deron williams jarhead montrose marshawn lynch

5 ETFs for Countries with Highest Employment Rates - Zacks.com

Unemployment has been drifting higher for some of the major developed and emerging economies. U.S. and European nations have seen unemployment levels rise dramatically in the recent past. This has been a major cause of a slow recovery in the U.S. market and a double-dip recession in Europe. (Three Forgotten Ways to Play Europe with ETFs)

According to a recent report from the Labor Department, U.S. unemployment rate dropped to 7.7% in November from 7.9% reported in October,for the first time in four years. This indicated slight recovery in the job market.

However, it should be noted that the decline in the unemployment rate is not really attributed to the creation of new jobs but rather to a decline in the labor force. The biggest job addition was seen in the retail sector because of the extra work force during the holiday season.

Euro-zone unemployment level came in at a historical high of 11.7% with Spain and Greece reporting the highest unemployment rates in the zone. The unemployment rate in Spain came in at 26.2% while Greece recorded a rate of 25.4% (Spanish Bailout: Did It Help European ETFs?). Austria and Luxembourg reported the lowest unemployment rates in the region at 4.3% and 5.1%, respectively in November.

In this environment of rising unemployment, investors may opt to shift their asset base to countries which have a healthier labor market. The nations with a strong labor force remained largely unaffected by the turbulence in the U.S. and European markets. (Forget European Woes with These Three Country ETFs)

In this article we have highlighted five economies which have a healthy level of employment, thereby indicating the possibility of a strong economic performance in future.

Vietnam

Vietnam posted an unemployment rate of 2.29%, among the lowest in the world. However, the rate rose slightly from 2.22% as many manufacturers had to defer some manufacturing operations due to weak demand, resulting from global slowdown. However, Vietnam expects its unemployment rate to decrease in fiscal 2013. In the recently released Global Economic Outlook Report, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) projected Vietnam?s GDP growth at 5.9% 2013. By 2017, GDP growth is forecast at 7.5%. Weakening global consumption demand may however put some pressure on the economy.

Investors seeking to tap this economy in basket form may look to invest in Market Vectors Vietnam ETF (VNM) (Can the Vietnam ETF Continue Its Run?). VNM tracks the Market Vectors Vietnam Index, which provides exposure to the publicly listed companies that are domiciled and listed in Vietnam or derive at least 50% of their revenues from Vietnam.

The fund provides exposure to 33 Vietnamese securities and manages an asset base of $260.2 million. The fund charges a fee of 76 basis points. Last year, the performance of the fund suffered from a very high level of inflation in the country and waning domestic and global demand. But now with the inflation level much under control and the government implementing measures to stimulate domestic demand, the fund delivered a year-to-date return of 8.81%.

Thailand

Thailand has a rock bottom unemployment rate of 0.63%. Last year?s flood in Thailand hit manufacturing activities in the region leading to shutdown and suspension of operations by many manufacturers. However, the government efforts to fuel domestic demand resulted in a quick recovery (Can Anything Stop These Southeast Asia ETFs?).

In the third quarter of fiscal 2012, the economy beat expectations on the back of solid domestic demand and healthy investment which helped in offsetting the lower demand from global sources. The economy remains resilient to the weak U.S. economy, slow growth in China and the European crisis.

IMF expects the economy to post growth of 7.5% in 2013. Investors seeking for a pure play in the economy can look to invest in MSCI Thailand Investable Market Index Fund (THD). THD is home to 92 securities of Thailand which are mostly large caps. In this basket of securities, the fund invests an asset base of $697.9 million. The fund charges a fee of 59 basis points annually.

Switzerland

The unemployment rate in Switzerland is at 3.1%. In an environment of aggravating unemployment and deep recession in the Euro-zone, Switzerland remains an intriguing choice for investors in Europe.

The country has a budget surplus and a credit rating of ?AAA?. Though the Swiss National Bank (SNB) intervenes to maintain the currency peg at 1.20 against the euro; withrising turbulence in the European market, it has become extremely difficult for SNB to maintain the peg. If the peg is removed it may lead to the currency gaining not only against the dollar but against the euro as well and may pose a threat to the Swiss economy.

Investors who are positive on the long-term prospects of the country can invest in iShares MSCI Switzerland Index Fund (EWL). Through EWL an investor can tap the Swiss economy through 40 large cap securities of the region. In this basket, the fund invests $699.5 million while charging an expense ratio of 52 basis points from the investor (ETFs for the Most Competitive Countries on Earth).

South Korea

South Korea sees its unemployment level at 2.8%. Despite being one of the emerging markets, South Korea has been resilient to a weak U.S. economy and the European woes. The buoyancy of the economy can be attributed to the strength of three world beating Korean companies, namely, Samsung, Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp (South Korea ETF Investing 101).

According to the Korean brokerage houses, the South Korean economy is expected to grow at the rate of 3.2% in 2013. The country still has plenty of room to grow going by its gross national income per capita of $20,870 last year, compared with Japan?s $45,180 and Hong Kong?s $35,160, according to World Bank data.

As the economy is highly dependent on exports, it was somewhat hurt by the weak demand from U.S. and Europe. But strong domestic demand helped offset the weakening global demand.

For a broad exposure to the South Korean economy, investors can have their asset invested in iShares MSCI South Korea Index Fund (EWY). In a holding of 107 securities which are mostly large caps, the fund invests an asset base of $3 billion and charges a fee of 59 basis points.

Singapore

Singapore has an unemployment rate at just 1.9%. An affluent economy, Singapore offers investors an option worth the investment when growth of the world?s largest economies has taken a toll. (Singapore ETFs for the Rise of Asian Financial Centers)

Attributable to declining exports to Europe, Asia and U.S., many countries have suffered low growth with Singapore not being an exception. Also, the Singapore currency has been rising which makes its exports more expensive. IMF estimates the economy to grow at 2.1% for 2013.

Investors can tap this economy through iShares MSCI Singapore Index Fund (EWS). EWS has amassed over $1.6 billion and trades a robust 1.9 million shares a day while charging investors 52 basis points a year in fees for its services. The fund provides exposure to 32 Singapore securities.

Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days.Click to get this free report >>

Source: http://www.zacks.com/stock/news/89361/5-etfs-for-countries-with-highest-employment-rates

watergate mlb pregnant man outside lands 2012 lineup beloved ufc results water for elephants

Last Trip to Moab: Trail Backpacking Utah's National Parks Near Moab

Moab Utah backpacking places include trail backpacking of CanyonlandsNational Park, as well as, backpacking locations resulting in use of map and compass skills through other public lands surrounding Moab Utah. Lightweight shoes are preferred over the heavier hiking boot in the desert, but heavier hiking boots will provide the support for rugged alpine trails in Moab?s La Sal Mountains. All of the backpacking places require strict adherence to the Leave No Trace principles.

Canyonlands National Park?

CanyonlandsNational Park in the Needles District has a system of trail backpacking, designated campsites and permits to reserve camping sites for hikers in the backcountry. Water for hydration in the desert is an issue. Distances and duration will be limited by how much water can be carried. The Maze District of Canyonlands has limited permits. A visitor may hire an outfitter to base camp, car camp and commit to longer day trips to remote walls of rock art tucked away in the labyrinth known as the Maze. Planning is required to secure permits for these two districts out on your own. Twenty dollars reserves your backcountry park use, when you can get one. These backcountryNational park permits are popular. Utilizing an outfitter creates a guaranteed opportunity to enter these fantastic hideaways. There are limited backcountry outfitters too. Contact the National Park Service for a current list of concessionaires. In ArchesNational Park, a backpack permit is also required, but does not cost anything extra than the park entry fee.? Because the trailheads to the hidden arches are largely along the 18 mile paved access road, many visitors are content to explore with day trip hikes in ArchesNational Park. Camping must occur out of sight from park view points, trails, roads, parking lots and the public.

The National Parks do not allow pets in the back country. Backpackers and hikers with pets may cross the Bureau of Land Management grounds dappled with State Lands around Moab. Keep in mind the Bureau of Land Management still issues licenses to trap. Visitor services advise to maintain the lease law required in the city of Moab in the backcountry for the protection of your pet. Moving across the land requires strong ability to use map and compass and understanding of the complicated passages of cliffs, fins and canyons.

Be sure to create an itinerary and leave it behind with instructions of what to do should you fail to check-in on schedule from your backpacking jaunt. Dialing 911 can kick off the emergency system to include the Grand County Search and Rescue?s billable services for backcountry recovery. Please travel conscientiously and stick to the itinerary.

La Sal Mountains?

The La Sal Mountains have streams for sufficient hydration. Just as one would in the desert, a means of treating found water to rid it of micro organisms for consumption must be carried and used. An understanding of traveling in bear territory is necessary for the mountains in order to avoid wildlife mishap. There are about 18 developed trails on the La Sal Mountains. The Forest Service office in Moab has a trail guide, map of winter Nordic trails and driving routes. For backpacking, the detailed USGS quads, for Mt.Waas, Mt.Mellenthin, and Mt.Peale, will be beneficial.

Fishing

There is fishing in the mountain lakes. Fishing permits can be purchased in Moab at the City Market grocery store and Walker Drug Store. Fishing supplies are available at these stores and the ALCO store. Other backapacking/camping gear can be purchased at Walker Drug Store, ALCO store and Gearheads.

Source: http://moabroadtrip.blogspot.com/2012/12/trail-backpacking-utahs-national-parks_28.html

van der sloot heather locklear mlk memorial mlk memorial heather locklear hospitalized joplin tornado extreme makeover home edition

Injured Marine's family home vandalized - Marine Corps Times

http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/12/ap-injured-marine-chris-van-etten-home-vandalized-122712/

The Associated Press
Posted : Thursday Dec 27, 2012 8:59:03 EST

CHICAGO ? Vandals have struck the family home of an injured Marine visiting his southwestern Illinois relatives for the Christmas holidays.

The Belleville News-Democrat reports that the incident may have been a random act and not necessarily designed to target him.

Marine Lance Cpl. Chris Van Etten lost both of his legs in a June explosion in Afghanistan. He has been in rehab in California since then.

O?Fallon police Capt. Mark Berry said the vandalism included spray painted signs and raw eggs thrown at the site.

The incident was reported early Monday morning. Berry said there are no eye witnesses and no other available evidence.

Videos You May Be Interested In

Source: http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2012/12/ap-injured-marine-chris-van-etten-home-vandalized-122712/

metta world peace ron artest gladys knight private practice deion sanders creutzfeldt jakob disease the lone ranger

Former President George H. W. Bush improving, spokesman says

(Reuters) - Former President George H. W. Bush remained in the intensive care unit of a Houston hospital on Friday, but "continues to improve" and his exchanges with medical staff now include singing, according to a statement from a Bush family spokesman.

Bush, 88, was admitted to Methodist Hospital on November 23 for bronchitis. He was transferred to intensive care on Sunday after setbacks including a persistent fever.

"President Bush remains in the intensive care unit at Methodist Hospital, where he continues to improve," family spokesman Jim McGrath said in a statement on Friday. "The president is alert and, as always, in good spirits -- and his exchanges with doctors and nurses now include singing."

The statement said that the Bushes, like their doctors, are "cautiously optimistic that the current course of treatment will be effective." The Bushes thank everyone for their prayers and good wishes, McGrath said.

On Thursday evening, McGrath released a statement from Bush mourning the death of retired Army General Norman Schwarzkopf, commander of the U.S. and allied forces that routed Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein's military from Kuwait during a six-week war in 1991, while Bush was president.

Bush has lower-body parkinsonism, which causes a loss of balance, and has used a wheelchair for more than a year.

Bush was the 41st U.S. president and is the father of former President George W. Bush. In a political career spanning four decades, Bush, a Republican, also served as a congressman, ambassador to the United Nations, envoy to China, CIA director, and vice president for two terms under Ronald Reagan.

(Reporting By Mary Wisniewski; Editing by Leslie Adler)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/former-president-george-h-w-bush-remains-intensive-011223514.html

nfl schedule how to cook a turkey emma stone Frys tryptophan BestBuy.com Kohls Black Friday

Global Strategies: "Higher ed gets a place of its own at the Legislature"

The Oregonian and I are both pleased that the Oregon House will have a committee solely devoted to higher education n Oregon in its 2013 session. However, I am concerned that the Higher Ed committee will not take a look at online learning in the Oregon University System, and, as for the Oregonian, they do not even raise the issue of online ed in their editorial.

From the Oregnian?s editorial ?At long last, higher ed gets a place of its own at the Legislasture? (here):

....The new committee has a pile of homework already assigned.

This session it gets to look at university governance, at the now widely accepted bids by the University of Oregon and Portland State for institutional boards of trustees, at what the power of those boards would be and how they would fit into the overall university system. It will be part of the effort to make sense of the multiplicity of higher ed oversight structures either already existing or set up by recent legislation.

The committee will look at the pressing question of access, as state defunding of higher ed has shifted most of the burden to students and families, creating graduates -- and dropouts -- with heavy college debt burdens. State Treasurer Ted Wheeler has a proposal to use much of the state's bonding capacity, as it becomes available, to set up scholarship funds. Dembrow is also interested in a variation, developed by a Portland State class, to set up a loan fund to be paid back by a percentage of post-college income.

Dembrow, a community college professor, intends to examine other issues, such as the increasing reliance on adjunct per-course professors rather than full-time, more available faculty. "If you go to school weekends and evenings (as a number of Oregon college students do), you'll hardly ever have a full-time faculty member," he notes. "But the students who do that are more likely to fall through the cracks," not getting the guidance that would help their chances of graduating....

Note no mention of online education. Tyler Cowen in his ?Marginal Revolution? blog post ?How many bankruptcies to come in higher education? writes (here):

1. The absolute wages of college graduates have been falling for over a decade, even though the relative premium over ?no college degree? is robust.? Still, absolute wages do determine the long-term viability of any revenue model.? And note that a pretty big chunk of the relative college wage premium is captured through post-secondary education only.

2. The ?debt bubble? behind a lot of recent higher education expansion won?t be repeated anytime soon.

3. A large number of institutions in the top one hundred will move to a hybrid on-line model for a third or so of their classes and they will do so gradually, without seriously disrupting norms of conformity or eliminating campus life.? In fact this will become the new conformity and furthermore through time-shifting it may increase the quantity and joy of drunken parties and campus orgies.? Eventually these on-line classes will be sold for credit to outside students.? Some top schools will sell credits in this manner, even if the more exclusive Harvard and Princeton do not.? Many lesser schools will lose a third or so of their current tuition revenue stream.? Note that the prices for these on-line credits, even if hybrid, will likely be much lower, plus lesser schools lose revenue to the schools better at designing on-line content.

4. Some state governors will try to put out a supposedly semi-passable degree from their state schools for 10k a year, with some on-line components of course.? That will put price and revenue pressure on many other schools.

And:

Still, I think it is quite possible that one hundred or more schools in the U.S. News rankings will find their enrollments or at least their tuition revenue streams cut in half or more within twenty years.? They will be shells of their former selves, though on-line education might not even be their major economic challenge.? It will be one of three or four major whammies facing them.?

Both the House Higher Ed committee and the Oregonian editorial board need to give more attention to online education.

Source: http://daveporter.typepad.com/global_strategies/2012/12/higher-ed-gets-a-place-of-its-own-at-the-legislature.html

Frank Ocean Gay bill clinton andy roddick Costa Rica Earthquake sandra fluke kellie pickler costa rica