Posted by Ali Stevens on Sunday, December 30, 2012 ??
USA is reporting that Philadelphia Eagles coach Andy Reid will be fired tomorrow.? Hear more on WKOK today and tomorrow on Fox Sports Radio.
Source: http://wkok.info/news/news-news/reid-out-as-eagles-coach/
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WASHINGTON -- ?Democrats and Republicans on Capitol Hill moved closer to a compromise to avert part of the so-called fiscal cliff, but theyremained unable to close a deal during an unusual Sunday session of negotiations punctuated by rounds of political finger-pointing.
After talks hit a standstill early in the day, the administration answered a plea from Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky to send Vice President Joe Biden to broker the negotiations.
?I?m willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner,? McConnell said on the Senate floor.
Biden and McConnell talked by phone throughout the afternoon as the two sides appeared to close in on a potential compromise.
Republicans have said they are willing to raise taxes on wealthier households, and their latest offer pushed the threshold for tax increases to roughly $550,000 in taxable income for couples and $450,000 for single households. The most recent offer from Democrats had set the tax level slightly lower, around $450,000 for couples and $360,000 for singles.
But Republicans were also seeking to preserve inheritance taxes at current rates and keep automatic spending cuts in place, which Democrats oppose. Democrats also want to continue long-term unemployment benefits as part of the year-end package.
?We understand taxes are going up on the wealthy, baked in the cake, that's going to happen,? said Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.). But Corker said Democratic proposals to use the revenue gained as a way of delaying the looming automatic spending cuts were out of bounds. ?That?s outrageous,? he said.
Other sticking points remain over adjustments to the rates Medicare pays doctors and a fix to the tax code to protect middle-income Americans from the alternative minimum tax, which was designed to prevent tax avoidance by the wealthy. Both provisions involve laws that are not indexed for inflation and require annual adjustments by Congress.
President Obama made clear the line of attack that the White House would use against Republican leaders if Congress could find a resolution to the fiscal cliff ? the automatic spending cuts and tax hikes that are scheduled to begin rippling across the economy at the start of the new year.
?They have had trouble saying yes to a number of repeated offers,? Obama said in an interview on ?Meet the Press,? which was taped on Saturday.
?If they can't do a comprehensive package of smart deficit reductions, let's at minimum make sure that people's taxes don't go up and that 2 million people don't lose their unemployment insurance.
?The pressure's on Congress to produce.?
The president?s fallback proposal, which would allow tax hikes on those with incomes above $250,000 and include other must-pass year-end measures, remains a last-ditch option that could come to a vote Monday. Republicans would probably launch a filibuster to block that bill, which would put them in the politically difficult position of preventing a tax cut for the vast majority of Americans.
The negotiations between McConnell and Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada suffered a major setback at midday Sunday when Republicans demanded ? and Democrats rejected -- a move to trim cost-of-living increases for Social Security recipients.
?We're not going to have any Social Security cuts,? Reid said.
An aide speaking anonymously in order to discuss the talks said the Democratic leader ?was taken aback and disappointed? by the Republican proposal. ?We feel we are further apart than we were 24 hours ago.?
Adjusting the cost of living for recipients of government benefits, including Social Security, had once been offered by Obama in previous talks with House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) when the two were negotiating a broader deficit reduction deal. But Democrats have rejected inclusion of the idea in the more limited package now under discussion.
Republican senators distanced themselves from McConnell?s proposal soon after it became public.
?I'm not a fan,? said retiring Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), emerging from a closed meeting of GOP senators. ?I don't think it should be part of it, and I think there are others who shared that view.?
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) spelled out the public relations challenge the proposal posed for his party. ?What [Democrats] are saying now is, ?Republicans want to preserve tax breaks for rich people and give up seniors? Social Security,?? he said. ?It should be off the table. And I think most Republicans believe it should be off the table.?
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BELFAST (Reuters) - An attempt by militant nationalists to kill a Northern Irish policeman was foiled when a booby trap bomb was found under his car, police said on Sunday.
The attack was the latest by splinter groups of Irish republicans opposed to British rule of the province and a 1998 peace agreement that ended 30 years of sectarian conflict.
It came two months after the first murder of a prison officer in almost 20 years and followed two weeks of rioting by pro-British loyalists protesting against restrictions on the flying of Britain's union flag from Belfast City Hall.
The bomb was discovered under the policeman's car near the Northern Irish parliament in east Belfast. His home and those of his neighbors were evacuated while army bomb disposal experts defused the device.
"Obviously there are people out there who are still intent on causing murder and mayhem. Attacks on police officers are attacks on the entire community and cannot be allowed to continue," Assistant Chief Constable George Hamilton said in a statement.
"Our belief is that this attempted murder was carried out by those opposed to peace from within dissident republicanism. They don't care who they attack, they don't care who they kill."
More than 3,600 people were killed in Northern Ireland when Catholic nationalists seeking union with Ireland fought British security forces and mainly Protestant loyalists determined to remain part of the United Kingdom.
Militant nationalists have stepped up attacks in recent years. As well as last month's killing of the prison officer, two soldiers and a policeman were shot dead in March 2009 and another policeman was killed by a car bomb in April 2010.
(Reporting by Ian Graham; Editing by Padraic Halpin and Robin Pomeroy)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/car-bomb-attempt-northern-irish-policeman-foiled-194758913.html
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*To submit items for What's on tap,
e-mail sports@poconorecord.com*
ESU BASEBALL WINTER CLINIC
The ESU Baseball program would like to invite T-ball, Little League, middle school and high school players to attend a developmental clinic series with college-level instruction in hitting, defense, and pitching. Players will participate in their age group. The clinic will be held at Koehler Fieldhouse, cost is $50 per session. Attend all six sessions get one free ($250). The sessions are as follows:
Sun, Jan. 20 ? 8-10 a.m. (Hitting)
Sun, Jan. 20 ? 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Defense/Pitcher/Catcher)
Sun, Jan. 27 ? 8-10 a.m. (Hitting)
Sun, Jan. 27 ? 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Defense/Pitcher/Catcher)
Sun, Feb. 3 ? 8-10 a.m. (Hitting)
Sun, Feb. 3 ? 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. (Defense/Pitcher/Catcher)
Prepare for the upcoming season. The hitting clinic consists of swing mechanics, station work, and live hitting. Defensive clinic consists of positional group work with pitchers and catchers working on proper mechanics and techniques.
To attend, please contact ESU head coach John Kochmansky at 570-422-3263 or jkochmansky@esu.edu. A registration form is also available on the ESU baseball website via www.esuwarriors.com.
TITANS BEGIN WINTER WORKOUTS
The NorthEast Titans baseball club will soon start its annual winter workouts and conduct tryouts for its travel baseball teams (age as of April 30, 2013). The workouts will incorporate proven methods that emphasize proper mechanics and baseball fundamentals. If you are interested in travel baseball and/or you want to receive quality offseason instruction from experienced coaches, please contact Blaine Fardella at b.fardella1@gmail.com for the 10U level or Kevin Dillon (northeasttitansbaseball@gmail.com) at the 8U and 9U levels. The workouts will be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings at Summit Lanes in Pocono Summit. Please note that you do not need to be a rostered player to participate in the workouts.
PYBA
The Pocono Youth Basketball association is gearing up for the 2012-2013 season. We will begin registration in August during the open house at the various Schools on the PMSD West campus. This program is open to all boys and girls in grades 2nd-12th who live or attend school in the west part of the district. We will also have online registration. We are looking for coaches and volunteers as well. For further information please call our hotline at (570) 894-2575 or check out our website at www.PYBA1.com.
S.T.A.R INSTRUCTIONAL BASKETBALL
This program is designed for boys and girls ages 6?12. The main goals of this program are to ensure that every child has fun and has the opportunity to learn the game of basketball and rules of play. Come join Coach Victor on Tuesdays from 6-7 p.m. at the YMCA. To pre-register, visit the YMCA at 809 Main Street, Stroudsburg, PA or register online at www.poconoymca.org. For more information please contact Nicole Hill at 570-421-2525 or nhill@poconoymca.org.
POCONO MANOR DOG CARTING
Arctic Paws Dog Sled Tours is a family owned local business that has been winter dog sledding at the Inn at Pocono Manor for the past eight years. Dog carting, uses a specially designed cart to exercise and train the Huskies. The sessions will be from 12-7 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from April to November. Cost is $45 per person (must be at least five-years-old). For more information, see our website at www.arcticpawsdogsledtours.com. Or, call (570) 216-2551 or email pawscarting@yahoo.com.
TROUT UNLIMITED OFFERS
FLY-TYING CLASSES
With the recent arrival of winter, now is the perfect time to hone and refine your essential fly-tying skills. In its continuing effort to provide free fly-tying classes and workshops to the general public, as well as its own members, the Brodhead Chapter of Trout Unlimited is offering a unique Saturday morning program to kick off its winter fly-tying programs and activities. On three consecutive Saturdays, Jan. 5, 12 and 19 from 9 am until 12 p.m., members of BTU will be on-hand at the Monroe County Environmental Education Center located at 8050 Running Valley Road in Bartonsville, right off Route 611, to teach their favorite and highly effective Pocono trout-catching patterns! The chief instructor for this course is PA State Champion fly-tier Scott Cesari, and he will be joined by the Master Fly-Tiers of the Brodhead TU Chapter. Bring your vise and fly-tying tools and learn how to tie flies that really catch trout from some of the best fly-tiers in the northeast, including Eric Baird, Tom Battista, Don Baylor, Gerry Bortz, Todd Burns, Will Daskal and Bob Stevens. As always, instruction for this comprehensive course is absolutely free; however, there is a small $15 fee that simply covers the material packets required to tie several flies for each of the patterns covered in class.
For more information and to register for this ever-popular fly-tying class, contact BTU Chapter President, Tom Battista, at 570-236-1734, or send Tom an email at: mooseowl511@gmail.com. In addition, you can always get up to date information on the Chapter's website which is always just a click away at the following URL: http://www.BrodheadTU.org
BIG POCONO SKI CLUB
Come join the Big Pocono Ski Club for a more active life and a chance to meet new friends. Besides skiing, we also participate in tennis, biking, kayaking and golf. Day trips, picnics, seasonal parties and monthly dinners called "Mahogany Ridge" are also fun activities. We have monthly meetings on the second Thursday of each month. We meet at the Chateau Resort on Cameback Road. For more information about our club, call (570) 620-9272 or (570) 646-0221. Members, please check your newsletter for other private club events.
Jan. 4 ? Ski day at Elk Mountain - meet 9 Am in the lodge at Elk
Jan. 10 ? General Membership Meeting - Chateau Resort, 7:30 p.m.
Jan. 11 ? Skiing at Jack Frost - meet in lodge at Jack Frost - 9 a.m.
Jan. 23 ? Mahogany Ridge - Studebaker's in Bartonsville 7 p.m.
Feb. 4 ? Skiing at Camelback - meet in the West Cafeteria at Camelback - 8:30 AM
Feb. 8-9 ? Ski trip to Wyndham, New York - call for more information
Feb. 14 ? General Membership Meeting - Chateau Resort - 7:30 p.m. (special meeting about Snowmass trip)
Feb. 23 to March 2 ? Annual Ski trip - Snowmass, Colorado (trip is closed).
March 14 ? General Membership Meeting - Chateau Resort - 7:30 p.m.
March 16th ? Bowling at Skylanes and dinner at Peppe's - more info to follow
NEW CHALLENGER SOCCER DIVISION
Our new Challenger Soccer division will be presented through our partnerships with the Pocono Family YMCA and the Pocono Mountain School District and join the current offerings of baseball and basketball. These programs are for youth who are developmentally and/or physically challenged. Our newest offering is designed to help players to enjoy the sport of soccer in a fun, safe and non-competitive environment. Challenger sports opportunities began six years ago with the baseball team sponsored through our partnership with the Big Pocono Little League and has had terrific response. With our partnership organizations and sponsorships the Challenger crew is able to provide the opportunities for all kids to be participants, rather than spectators cheering for their siblings. In order to be able to move forward, we need the support of local companies for sponsorships of the four new soccer teams and donations from the community to help purchase equipment for the teams. Our goal is $1,500 of which $1,000 is via sponsorships. We have already received a commitment for one team sponsorship. Our season begins on Sunday, Oct. 6 and runs through Sunday, Nov. 11. If you have questions about our organization, please email bob.cooney@yahoo.com or call 973-896-4208.
SPRING INTRAMURAL SOCCER SIGN-UPS
FC Pocono offers the region's best, most cost-effective intramural soccer program. In person sign-ups for the Spring 2013 season will be held on Friday, Feb. 1 and Monday, Feb. 4 at Waterfront Park in East Stroudsburg/Marshalls Creek from 6-8 p.m. You can also sign up online starting Jan. 1. Program Benefits: Game Referees, Physical Exercise, Opportunities to Advance, Coaches Training, Intra-Club Competition, Low Stress/GREAT FUN! Sign up: www.fcpocono.org for players and coaches.
HIP HOP, BALLET AND TUMBLING
The YMCA will be offering three new classes starting running on a monthly basis. The classes will include Hip Hop, Ballet and Tumbling. All classes will be approx. 45 minutes. Please pre-register at least one week before the start of classes. Tumbling & Ballet Combo for ages 3-6 will be held on Saturdays at 10:30 a.m. Tumbling Ages 7 & up from 11:15-12 p.m. Hip Hop for ages 3-6 will be held on Mondays at 5:30 p.m. and at 6:15 p.m. for ages 7 & up. For more information contact Nicole at 570-421-2525 ext. 124 or stop by the YMCA to register in person or register online at www.poconoymca.org. Please register at least one week prior to the start of the program.
WINTER SOCCER LEAGUE
Session I Indoor Soccer Leagues: 6v6 (5 plus keeper)
8 week Season ? games played Monday, Tuesday, and Sunday evenings
Leagues begin Jan. 20
Boys and Girls Divisions ? U10, U12, U14, High School
Adult Divisions ? Men's League, Women's League
Team or individual registrations available
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Robert Sabola at Rsabola@neimansportsgroup.com
Registration Deadline: Jan. 14
LACROSSE LEAGUES
Indoor Winter Lacrosse Leagues: 7v7 (6 plus keeper)
6 week season ? games played Friday evenings
Leagues begin Friday, Jan. 25.
Grade School and High School Boys Divisions ? U9, U11, U13, U15, High School
Team or individual registrations available
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Robert Sabola at Rsabola@neimansportsgroup.com
Registration Deadline: Jan. 18
FIELD HOCKEY LEAGUES
Session I Indoor Field Hockey Leagues: 6v6 (5 plus keeper)
8 week season ? games played Tuesday evenings
Leagues begin Tuesday, Jan. 22
Grade School, High School, and Adult Divisions ? U14, U16, U19, Women's Open
Team or individual registrations available
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Robert Sabola at Rsabola@neimansportsgroup.com
Registration Deadline: January 14, 2013
BASEBALL LEAGUES
Session I Indoor Baseball Leagues: 9v9
8 Week Season ? games played Wednesday evenings
Leagues begin Wednesday, Jan. 23
Youth Divisions ? U8, U10, U12, U14
Team or individual registrations available
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Tim Bremen at Tbremen@neimansportsgroup.com
Registration Deadline: Jan. 14.
SOFTBALL LEAGUES
Session I Indoor Softball Leagues: 9v9
8 week season ? games played Thursday evenings
Leagues begin Thursday Jan. 24.
Fast-Pitch Grade School and High School Divisions: U12, U14, U16, U18
Slow-Pitch Adult League ? Open Men's Division
Team or individual registrations available
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Tim Bremen at Tbremen@neimansportsgroup.com
Registration Deadline: Jan. 14.
FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUES
Session I Indoor Flag Football Leagues
8 week season ? games played Sunday evenings
Leagues begin Sunday, Jan. 13.
Youth Divisions: U8, U10, U12
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Tim Bremen at Tbremen@neimansportsgroup.com. Registration Deadline: Jan. 7.
DODGEBALL/ULTIMATE FRISBEE LEAGUES
High School and Adult Recreation League Divisions: 10v10 Dodgeball and Kickball
8 week season ? games played on Friday night
Leagues begin, Feb. 1.
Team or individual registrations available
Ultimate Frisbee Open League: Age (16+) 8v8 Ultimate Frisbee
8 week season ? games played on Sunday night
Registration: visit www.poconodome.com for league schedule, pricing, and information
Contact: Robert Sabola at Rsabola@neimansportsgroup.com. Registration Deadline: Jan. 21.
Athletes and non-athletes in grades 6?12 who would like to reach your full potential mentally and physically by improving your speed, agility, quickness, flexibility and muscle recruitment, this is the program for you. If you are willing to work hard and bring energy to each session, you can improve your physical fitness while learning teamwork, sportsmanship and building self confidence.
WHO ? 6th to 12th graders (boys and girls)
Where ? Swiftwater Elementary Center
When ? Session 1: Jan. 8-31, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30?7:30 p.m.; Session 2: Feb. 5-28, Tuesdays & Thursdays, 6:30?7:30 p.m.
Cost ? Each session is $99. Register for both sessions for $175.
To register contact Kim Ernsberger, HJP Parks Recreation Manager at 570-629-0966 or e-mail Recmanager@hjpparks.org.
Holiday Clinic at ESU
The staff of ESU track & field will be hosting its 5th annual Holiday Field Clinic at Koehler Fieldhouse Thursday, Friday and Saturday, Dec. 27-29 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. These are for field events ? Shot, Discus, Javelin, Long Jump, Triple Jump, High Jump. Learn the techniques and drills we teach our Warrior athletes to get ready for your upcoming season. Coach Merli will be providing hurdle sessions on Thursday and Friday. Cost is $55 per session and includes lunch. Come to one, two or all three sessions. There will be an indoor shot and indoor weight competition Saturday at 1 p.m. Details on the ESU Warriors website under the Men's or Women's Track Link. Contact Coach Merli at 570-422-3249 or cmerli@esu.edu. Don't forget our 26th annual Red & Black HS/Open Indoor track meet on Friday, Jan. 11 at 5 p.m. Your school does not have to sponsor indoor track to participate. Ages- youth through post collegiate and masters welcome. Details also on the ESU Warriors website under the track links.
Source: http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121230/SPORTS/212300303/-1/rss02
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Mistakes Are Costing You! Learn To Stop?Making ALL 189 Of Them!
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Source: http://leucabiz.com/blog/read-these-tips-to-make-the-most-of-your-affiliate-campaigns-2/
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In our series of misconceptions about the copyright monopoly, some people defending the monopoly keep asserting that it carries the same legal weight as property rights. This is not so much misguided, as it is merely factually wrong from every angle.
Some defenders of the monopoly claim that it carries the same legal weight as property rights, in order to challenge the validity of the fact that the copyright monopoly limits property rights, and claim that the two ?carry equal legal weight anyway?.
When comparing the copyright monopoly to the property rights that it limits, we can go to the constitution of many countries to compare their respective weights. Starting with the US Constitution, we can readily observe that property rights are a long-running tradition of the British Common Law, and find several passages that limit Congress? ability to curtail those property rights by law.
One of the most-quoted of these passages may be in the US Bill of Rights, in the Fifth Amendment: ??nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation?.
In contrast to safeguarding property rights, the US Constitution does not require the Congress to have any copyright monopoly at all on the law books, but merely grants Congress the power to enact such a monopoly (?exclusive rights?) if it finds that doing so promotes the development of culture and knowledge.
We find this passage in Chapter 8 of the US Constitution: ?[Congress has the right] ?to promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries.?
The right to create the monopoly ? but not the obligation.
So, property rights are constitutionally safeguarded, whereas the copyright monopoly may exist as a law or it may not, as Congress desires from day to day. That is not obviously not the same legal weight. The copyright monopoly is a featherweight by comparison.
Other countries show the same pattern. Let?s look at Sweden, where property rights are similarly protected in the constitution.
In Sweden?s Regeringsformen constitution, chapter 2 para 15, we find that ??the property of everyone shall be safe against expropriation to public or private interests, except when needed to accommodate urgent public interests?, in which case full compensation blah blah. Pretty much a mirror image of the US Bill of Rights. And what do we find about the copyright monopoly? It is indeed in the constitution, in the very next paragraph:
Chapter 2, para 16: ?Authors, photographers, and artists have rights to their works that are determined by ordinary law? [as decided by Parliament].
Thus, we observe the same difference in legal weight here ? the property rights are heavily safeguarded in the constitution, with no rights for Parliament to jeopardize them, whereas the copyright monopoly can be abolished, changed radically, or turned into ice cream tomorrow if the Swedish Parliament so desires.
That is obviously not the same legal weight. The copyright monopoly is a featherweight by comparison.
You've read the whole article. Why not subscribe to the RSS flow using your favorite reader, or even have articles delivered by mail?Rick is the founder of the first Pirate Party and is a political evangelist, traveling around Europe and the world to talk and write about ideas of a sensible information policy. He has a tech entrepreneur background and loves whisky.
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NEW YORK?A new report details how, for the last ten years, Chinese officials have supported a multi-million dollar human trafficking operation that involves murdering Chinese citizens and plastinising their cadavers, a procedure that replaces body fluids with polymers for tissue preservation. Evidence further suggests that the vast majority of victims are Falun Gong practitioners.
?Bodies?The Exhibition, owned by Premier Exhibitions, is one of the biggest buyers of plastinised bodies from China and maintains this disclaimer: This exhibit displays human remains of Chinese citizens or residents which were originally received by the Chinese Bureau of Police. The Chinese Bureau of Police may receive bodies from Chinese prisons. Premier cannot independently verify that the human remains you are viewing are not those of persons who were incarcerated in Chinese prisons.?
The report (view online) comes in the wake of mounting evidence and growing attention to organ transplant abuses by Chinese military hospitals where, again, victims are mostly Falun Gong practitioners.
The World Organization to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong, WOIPFG, published the report on November 24. It states that China has become the largest exporter of human specimens, which, when fully preserved through plastination might sell for $800,000 USD.
Evidence suggests that public security provides the vast majority of cadavers. The source of cadavers is not executed criminals, however, but prisoners of conscience from labor camps and brain washing centers, the report maintains.
The report corroborates phone recordings with government officials, publications by medical universities, advertisements by Chinese plastination companies and the expansion of labor camps to accommodate detained Falun Gong practitioners.
Several pieces of evidence specifically implicate former Communist Party chief, Bo Xilai, and his wife, Gu Kailai. Bo controlled numerous labor camps that are in close proximity to the largest plastination factories in China.
To view a previous press release on organ transplant abuse, see here.
For a Falun Dafa Information Center Fact Sheet on organ harvesting, including the connection to Bo Xilai and other officials, see here.
Essential Background
In July of 1999, China's autocratic Communist Party launched an unlawful campaign of arrests, violence, and propaganda against Chinese citizens practicing Falun Gong (or "Falun Dafa") with the intent of "eradicating" the apolitical practice. Former Communist Party leader Jiang Zemin launched the persecution fearing the practice's growing popularity among the Chinese people (70 to 100 million) was overshadowing his own legacy (article). Since then, the Falun Dafa Information Center, based in New York, has reported over 3,500 deaths from abuse and over 80,000 cases of torture. The United Nations, Amnesty International, Chinese human rights lawyers, and foreign media have also documented Falun Gong torture and deaths at the hands of Chinese officials (samples). Hundreds of thousands of Chinese who practice Falun Gong remain in captivity, rendering them the single largest group of prisoners of conscience in China (article). Falun Gong is a traditional Chinese spiritual discipline that is Buddhist in nature, but not part of the religion of Buddhism. It consists of slow-moving "qigong" exercises, meditation, and teachings for daily life centered on the tenets of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance (about Falun Gong).
Source: http://www.faluninfo.net/article/1291
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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Efforts to prevent the economy from tumbling over a "fiscal cliff" stalled on Sunday as Democrats and Republicans remained at loggerheads over a deal that would prevent taxes for all Americans from rising on New Year's Day.
One hour before they had hoped to present a plan, Democratic and Republican leaders said were still unable to reach a compromise that would stop the automatic tax hikes and spending cuts that could push the economy into recession.
"There are still serious differences between the two sides," Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid said.
A sticking point appeared to be a Republican proposal floated late on Saturday, which would slow the growth of Social Security retirement benefits in an effort to narrow trillion-dollar budget deficits. Many Democrats, including Reid, have said Social Security should not be touched.
With negotiations at an apparent standstill on Capitol Hill, Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell said he would now try to hammer out an agreement with Vice President Joe Biden.
"I'm willing to get this done, but I need a dance partner," McConnell said.
Any agreement needs to be rushed through both chambers of Congress before midnight on Monday. Even if the two sides reach an agreement, procedural barriers in the Senate and the House of Representatives make quick action difficult.
If the politicians cannot agree, then tax increases and across-the-board government spending cuts will begin on January 1. That would take $600 billion out of the economy, push unemployment up and curb federal spending.
Another major disagreement was over tax hikes on the wealthy, an increase sought by President Barack Obama but opposed by Republicans, particularly fiscal conservatives in the House of Representatives.
Republicans aim to pair any tax increase with spending cuts to benefit programs that are projected to grow ever more expensive as the population ages in coming decades.
But their proposal to slow the growth of Social Security benefits by changing the way they are measured against inflation met fierce resistance from Democrats. Obama included the proposal, known as "chained CPI," in an earlier proposal, but many of his fellow Democrats remain opposed.
"POISON PILL"
"We consider it a poison pill - they know we can't accept it. It is a big step back from where we were on Friday," a Senate Democratic aide said.
Obama made a rare appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press" to pressure lawmakers into forging a deal.
Senators appearing on other Sunday morning shows expressed optimism that an agreement could be reached.
Republican Senator Lindsey Graham conceded that an agreement would end up raising income taxes on the wealthy, thus sparing the rest of the country from the looming income tax hikes.
"President Obama is going to get tax rate increases. The president won," Graham tweeted, echoing earlier comments he made on "Fox News Sunday." He told the show that the chances of a bipartisan deal before the New Year's deadline were "exceedingly good."
Obama has alternatively offered Republicans a deal to increase income taxes for households earning over $250,000 a year, and over $400,000 a year.
A White House aide said the president and his staff had been in touch with congressional leaders through the weekend.
Any deal on taxes in the Senate might meet resistance in the House from conservative Republicans.
On NBC, Obama warned of the fallout in financial markets if the two sides did not reach an agreement.
"If people start seeing that on January 1st this problem still hasn't been solved, that we haven't seen the kind of deficit reduction that we could have, had the Republicans been willing to take the deal that I gave them ... then obviously that's going to have an adverse reaction in the markets," Obama said, adding that he had offered Republicans significant compromises that had been rejected repeatedly.
He said he would avoid tax increases for most Americans, even if the talks fall apart.
"If Republicans do in fact decide to block it, so that taxes on middle class families do in fact go up on January 1st, then we'll come back with a new Congress on January 4th and the first bill that will be introduced on the floor will be to cut taxes on middle class families," Obama said.
John Boehner, the speaker of the House of Representatives, rejected Obama's accusations that Republicans were not being amenable to compromise.
"The president's comments today are ironic, as a recurring theme of our negotiations was his unwillingness to agree to anything that would require him to stand up to his own party," Boehner, who has had trouble convincing his Republican colleagues to support his own proposals, said in a statement.
(Additional reporting by Tabassum Zakaria, Rachelle Younglai, David Lawder, Fred Barbash and Richard Cowan. Writing by Andy Sullivan, Editing by Alistair Bell and Jackie Frank)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/senate-leaders-avoid-years-fiscal-cliff-002256502--business.html
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While travelling 8,512 kilometers overland from Victoria Falls, Zambia to Lamu Island, Kenya does not quite make us experts in the field of transit, we did learn some very valuable lessons on the mysterious process of African overland travel.
Regardless of the name -- matatu in Kenya, dala dala in Tanzania, chapa in Mozambique -- the main form of transportation in east African countries is an extremely over-packed, yet incredibly cheap and surprisingly fun mini-van. If you're planning a trip to Africa and have an adventurous spirit, I highly recommend using this method of travel. Not only is it 10% of a flight fare, the immersion in local culture is priceless (if you can live to tell the tale).
Top 10 Matutu-Riding Tips:
Check out this quick tips video my travel cohort and I did in Nairobi, the unofficial "Matatu Capital of the World" and for a nitty gritty example of a matatu journey, see our photo-filled post on our four-day, 14-leg journey from Mozambique to Tanzania.
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Follow Anne E. Collins on Twitter: www.twitter.com/HoneyTrek
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New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly speak to reporters after a Police Academy graduation ceremony Friday, Dec. 28, 2012, in New York.
By M. Alex Johnson, NBC News
Homicides and shootings in New York are at their lowest in a half-century, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Friday.
Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly credited stepped-up policing for the 19.6 percent drop in homicides (from 515 last year to 414 through Friday) and the 15.9 percent decline in overall shootings (from 1,608 last year to 1,353).
That's the fewest homicides since the city started keeping such statistics in 1963, and it's dramatically lower than the record high of 2,245 set in 1990.
The most recent FBI figures show that homicides have been falling in most major cities in recent years, but the drop in New York far outpaces the national average decline of 4 percent from 2010 to 2011, the last full year for which federal figures are available.
Kelly said officers had taken 8,000 weapons "out of the hands of people we stop, 800 of them illegal handguns," while Bloomberg singled out the city's participation in Operation Impact, a 2003 state initiative that pairs new police recruits with veteran officers in specific high-crime areas, as a particular success.
"The fact that the safest big city in America is safer than ever is a testament to the hard work and determination of the men and women who put their lives on the line for us every day ? and it also reflects our commitment to doing everything possible to stop gun violence," Bloomberg said in a statement.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
Neither man specifically mentioned the city's controversial stop-and-frisk policy, which allows officers to search someone as he or she leaves a private building if they have a "reasonable suspicion" that the person is likely to commit a crime.
The policy is under legal challenge from civil liberties groups, which contend that police use it as a pretext to stop and search anyone without cause and contend in court documents that three-quarters of all New Yorkers searched under it are African-American or Latino. A trial is set for March.
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3 hrs.
Scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy have created a solar cell that can convert 44 percent of sunlight hitting it into electrical energy, setting a new record for solar cell?efficiency. But it was only achieved by multiplying the power of the sun by nearly 1,000.
The ongoing research is being done at the III-V Multijunction Photovoltaics group at the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where the previous record of 43.5 percent was set. So while it's not a huge leap in efficiency, it's still a record.
The researchers achieve these high efficiencies by stacking multiple "junctions" into a single solar cell, each of which absorbs light at a slightly different wavelength. The "III-IV" in the name refers to the fact that the elements used?come from the third and fifth columns of the periodic table.
A new material with many desirable properties was?discovered by accident (gallium arsenide diluted with nitrogen), but proved extremely difficult to manufacture. Researchers needed to use a technique called molecular beam epitaxy to minimize impurities in the material ? but no one in the world could do it.
Solar Junction, a company started by researchers from Stanford University, decided to take up the challenge. With a few million dollars in funding, Solar Junction and NREL managed to make the new process work. The result was the "SJ3" cell, which has been breaking records ever since.
The catch is that it's not like a traditional solar cell, which simply receives sunlight on its surface and creates a modest charge from the photons. The SJ3 cell requires the power of the sun to be multiplied by special lenses, creating a beam of light hundreds of times brighter than ordinary sunlight.
In this kind of system, the power is measured in "suns": A beam 10?times brighter than the sun would be described simply as 10 suns. And?the previous efficiency record was set by a lens system that created 415 suns. The latest record was set using 947 suns.
Naturally, one may wonder if such a design is practical ? after all, how often does the sun shine a thousand times brighter than normal? But the lenses actually take normal sunlight that might have hit in a diffuse way on normal cells and concentrate it onto the more efficient SJ3 cell. So in the end it's just using the same area of sunlight in a different way.
The NREL emphasized in the report describing the record that the SJ3 design can easily replace solar systems used in satellites and other space-bound machines ? but it's lighter and more efficient, reducing rocket load and allowing for more onboard electronics.
What's next? Tweaking the design to include a germanium layer used previously could raise efficiency as high as 50 percent ? definitely?a major landmark in solar power, if researchers?can achieve it, although applying it to everyday power needs is another project?altogether.
Information on other research being done by the NREL, including other forms of solar cells and systems, can be found at their webpage. More technical details about the SJ3 cell are in?the NREL article describing the record.
Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.
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CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuelan inflation reached 19.9 percent in 2012, the central bank said in a preliminary estimate on Saturday, beating its official target thanks to strict price controls that business leaders say are unsustainable in the long term.
The government of President Hugo Chavez has capped prices for a wide range of consumer goods, helping contain inflation that has traditionally been the highest in Latin America. The 2012 target had been between 22 and 25 percent.
But inflation is seen accelerating in 2013 because Venezuela is expected to devalue the bolivar currency after heavy campaign spending this year that helped ensure Chavez's re-election.
Devaluing eases fiscal pressure on the government by providing more bolivars for each dollar of crude exports, but also pushes up the cost of importing basic consumer goods that are not produced in the oil-dependent country.
In late 2011, when prices rose 27.6 percent, the government began extended a system of controls that now regulate prices of products ranging from deodorant to meat while fixing profit margins.
This helped keep prices in check in an election year despite heavy government spending on welfare programs ranging from construction of homes for the poor to monthly cash stipends for single mothers.
But business leaders say the controls have kept prices artificially low, and that inflation is likely to bounce back.
Authorities on Thursday released preliminary estimates showing the country's economy grew 5.5 percent in 2012, with the construction sector among the fastest-growing thanks to a state homebuilding program.
(Reporting by Deisy Buitrago and Mario Naranjo, Writing by Brian Ellsworth; Editing by Vicki Allen)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/venezuela-sees-2012-inflation-19-9-percent-below-170710479--business.html
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Forgotten is basically a group of different creatures who band together when their species outlaw, exile or [tried to] execute them. It's a romance, with action, of course, occasional sex scene and a lot of traveling.
Owner:
Game Masters:
This topic is an Out Of Character part of the roleplay, ?The Forgotten Clan?. Anything posted here will also show up there.Topic Tags:
Forum for completely Out of Character (OOC) discussion, based around whatever is happening In Character (IC). Discuss plans, storylines, and events; Recruit for your roleplaying game, or find a GM for your playergroup.You may edit this first post as you see fit.
It has come to my attention that almost everybody is only as intelligent as the media, who are unintelligent, judgmental and only see as far as the camera or story. Only a select few are graced with intelligence, common sense, determination, creativity, originality and imagination. Most of these things are actually given to you, believe it or not, at birth. Only a few are obtained.
Are you as smart as the media, or have you the intelligence to do great things one day?
This doesn't sound too bad, I hope you don't mind if I join~
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Nissan has thrown down the warranty gauntlet to other EV makers by announcing it would be the first to "restore" battery capacity if a Leaf's full charge fell below 9 out of 12 "bars" within 5 years or 60k miles. The new clause was announced by VP Andy Palmer and will go into effect in spring of next year on all models, including those sold in 2011 and 2012. The company stressed it would only "repair or replace the battery under warranty with a new or remanufactured unit to restore capacity at or above a minimum of nine bars," and not a full charge -- saying a gradual, but not excessive loss of charge was normal. Nissan added that it'd look to improve the accuracy of the battery gauge, since the aforementioned bars on the dash were computer managed and not exactly scientific. All of this applies to US-only vehicles for now, but similar policies will soon be applied worldwide, according to the statement. So, if you've been starting to get range anxiety, check the PR below for all the details.
Filed under: Transportation
Via: Autoblog Green
Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/vZhIKlYUXlI/
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The Nintendo Wii U ushers in a new wave of ?next generation? video game console systems with expanded functions and convenient backward-compatible functions stemming from a sleek rectangular console and portable GamePad with screen.
The Hype
?For 30 years, game machines ? couldn?t take on a more important role than the TV itself.?
Make Wii U the centerpiece of your home entertainment setup with these applications, accessible the day you bring your system home. Every Wii U console comes packed with an array of applications to enjoy the day you bring your system home, after a quick system update. Interact with other Wii U players online, make video calls from your TV, download full games from the comfort of your couch, and much more.
The Reality
The Wii U had an original launch window between March 2012 and December 2012 and eventually debuted on November 18, 2012, so gamers experienced a predictable pre-order frenzy for the holiday season.
The impressive high-definition graphics make a winning combination with Nintendo?s vibrantly colorful games while the lightweight GamePad with separate screen offers great gameplay/viewing options.
The Wii U is currently available in the following two versions:
The Wii U is backward-compatible with Wii games as well as the Wii remotes, Wii MotionPlus remote, classic controller, and balance board. The Wii menu appears separately when loading Wii game discs.
The Wii U is not backward-compatible with GameCube games, which diminishes use of your existing game library, but work well on the developer side so they can develop an experience that cooperates with existing systems instead of trying to replace them.
Setup works very well with matching color cords for power (yellow), HDMI, and the sensor bar (orange) plus a separate cord for GamePad similar to the Wii U power cord. The GamePad cord is not the same as the Nintendo DS/DSi/3DS handheld console power/battery charging cord. The GamePad cord plug is just a bit bigger and wider.
Next follow the quick start guide to establish your Nintendo Network ID and internet connection settings (maximum of six). Up to 12 users are available with unique parental controls for each. Users can perform a transfer from the Nintendo Wii to the Wii U where both systems are connected to a television.
Players can transfer Miis to the Wii U from the Nintendo Wii and/or Nintendo 3DS. Like the Wii transfer the process gets fairly detailed.
The Wii U has 1080p support and wireless (IEEE 802.11b/g/n) connection.?The Wii U supports SD memory cards (port in front) and external USB storage with four ports (two in front and two in back).
Power buttons on the GamePad and console can be turned off when held for at least one second. The Wii U has activates an automatic power off feature after one hour of inactive use. The console and GamePad have impressive, reflective finishes that make cleaning relatively easily.
Wii U console weighs about 3.5 pounds and is capable of supporting two Wii U GamePad controllers, up to four Wii Remote (or Wii Remote Motion Plus) controllers or Wii U Pro Controllers plus Wii accessories such as the Nunchuk, Classic Controller and Wii Balance Board.
A separate battery hatch on the front right contains a lithium coin cell battery (CR2032) that needs replaced when the console clock stops functioning.
Users can sync up to 10 controllers ? my ?dream team? would be two GamePads, four Motion Plus remotes, and four Wii U Pro Controllers (perfect for games like Call of Duty: Black Ops II). GamePads are scheduled to be sold separately in early 2013.
The Wii U Pro Controller (sold separately from the Wii U) charges for 4.5 hours and lasts approximately 80 hours. It has a replaceable battery (similar procedure as GamePad).
The new GamePad must be synced or paired with the Wii U console ? a similar process for existing Wii controllers except the press console sync button twice then press sync on GamePad.
Pre-installed electronic manuals are also included for convenience and contain helpful web links. As with the Wii, avoid radio frequency interference so the synched remotes work properly and no issues arise for the near-field communication used in the GamePad.
The lightweight, 1.1 pound Wii U GamePad becomes the biggest game controller while offering other options similar to a computer tablet. One GamePad is included with every console.
The 10.5-inch wide GamePad includes a touchpad screen, two analog sticks, microphone, and separate speaker system and volume control with headphone jack. The sound is surprisingly strong and often has different sounds than the television and other entertaining effects.
The removable and rechargeable GamePad battery lasts about three to five hours after charging for approximately 2.5 hours. The Wii U Pro Controller offers a nice backup option for prolonged Wii U use while other third party options (e.g. Nyko?s U Boost) will release to prolong GamePad battery life.
The battery charging port on the GamePad is located at the top left while the bottom center also allows battery charging on the GamePad stand with the adapter plugging into the back.
When placed on a stand the GamePad should be in the horizontal position only, but gameplay incorporates the GamePad in several orientations include vertically and horizontally.
The touch screen on the GamePad controller measures 6.2 inches and acts as a second console when others want to use the television ? a defining feature for the Wii U. This unique two screen (a.k.a. ?asymmetric?) feature allows for individual experiences (e.g. television viewing, Wii U games, etc.) within the same shared viewing.
The GamePad screen has a 16:9 aspect ratio LCD touch screen plus motion control capabilities using an accelerometer, gyro sensor and magnetic sensor.
The Gamepad can also be used as a television remote control even while the Wii U console is turned off.
Traditional GamePad button controls include the directional pad, dual analog sticks, stick buttons, A/B/X/Y buttons, power button, home, select, start, +/ and directional pad. The design fits well and the lightweight structure fits the palms nicely. 
The ZL/ZR button and L/R button orientation will take some adjustment. Users have a nicely contoured bar behind the GamePad where they can alternate buttons using their index fingers or use their index fingers for L/R buttons and middle finger for the ZL/ZR buttons.
Players can also push down on the dual analog sticks similar to L3 and R3 buttons on PlayStation 3.
The front-facing camera offers nice capabilities for video chats and other functions. Since the camera faces forward it would be great to eventually get a facial detection options where the system would automatically pause when someone is not in view. Another helpful energy-saving feature.
A white colored indicator light displays when there is a disc still inside the Wii U.
Open source code users can try out open source software ?distributed under the terms of various open source licenses, including the GNU Library General Public License 2.0, the GNU Lesser General Public license 2.1, the Mozilla Public License Version 1.1, and the Mini-XML License (collectively, the ?OSS Licenses?).? as stated on Nintendo?s website.
Enjoy your Wii U experience as you enter the main (WaraWara) plaza. Look for an additional Wii U review here covering more applications, features, collaborations, and special functions expand in the future.
Review: Wii U
Where to Buy: Best Buy, GameStop, Kmart, Sears, Target, Toys R Us, and Wal-Mart.
Price: $299.99 for white colored basic set / $349.99 for black colored deluxe set
What I Like: unique two screen/?asymmetric? feature allows for individual experiences within the same shared viewing, genuine all ages fun, easy setup, mobile and lightweight GamePad options, large GamePad display, high promise/potential for future features, pre-installed electronic manuals, touch screen interface blends well with motion control actions, strong sound options
What Needs Improvement: no backwards capability for GameCube games, cannot play DVDs or Blu-ray video discs, a more simple system transfer process, use the same Nintendo DS battery charging cord for GamePad instead of a different one
Source: personal console
Source: http://www.geardiary.com/2012/12/28/nintendo-wii-u-game-system-review/
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