Google Blocks TwitPic Over Alleged Malware

Google Blocks TwitPic Over Alleged Malware

Something is amiss with Google?s malware detector. It has suddenly identified TwitPic.com as a possible malware threat and is blocking the site by way of Google search engine and also through Google Chrome. TwitPic is contacting Google to rectify the problem.

As such, we?re guessing this is a false positive, and a particularly nasty one at that.

Comments

Posted by Al 4:05 PM (CST)??

Source: http://www.hardocp.com/news/2012/12/30/google_blocks_twitpic_over_alleged_malware/

casey anthony video diary lamarcus aldridge justin timberlake engaged bluefin tuna jonestown carlos zambrano john dillinger

Ag secretary sees common ground on gun control

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack says the Newtown school shootings have changed the gun control debate and that rural America is ready to be part of a national conversation that he believes could bring people together.

Vilsack says the debate has to start with respect for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and a recognition that hunting is a way of life for millions of Americans.

But Vilsack said that the nation has reached "a different circumstance" in the gun control debate. It will take time, but it's now "potentially a unifying conversation," he said. President Barack Obama recognizes that changes to gun laws can't just be decreed from Washington but must come from the "grassroots up."

Vilsack was interviewed Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ag-secretary-sees-common-ground-gun-control-144532480--finance.html

martin luther king jr mlk mlk school closures being human being human chicago news

French panel overturns 75 percent tax on ultrarich

PARIS (AP) ? Embattled French President Francois Hollande suffered a fresh setback Saturday when France's highest court threw out a plan to tax the ultrawealthy at a 75 percent rate, saying it was unfair.

In a stinging rebuke to one of Socialist Hollande's flagship campaign promises, the constitutional council ruled Saturday that the way the highly contentious tax was designed was unconstitutional. It was intended to hit incomes over ?1 million ($1.32 million).

The largely symbolic measure would have only hit a tiny number of taxpayers and brought in an estimated ?100 million to ?300 million - an insignificant amount in the context of France's roughtly ?85 billion deficit.

Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault was quick to respond, saying in a statement following the decision the government would resubmit the measure to take the court's concerns into account. The court's ruling took issue not with the size of the tax, but with the way it discriminated between households depending on how incomes were distributed among its members. A household with two earners each making under ?1 million would be exempt from the tax, while one with one earner making ?1.2 million would have to pay.

The French government approved the tax in its most recent budget, amid criticism by some that it would do little to stem the country's mounting fiscal problems and would drive away the wealthiest citizens. Hollande's popularity, meanwhile, has been tanking as the country's unemployment continued its rise for the 19th straight month.

In recent weeks, Gerard Depardieu ? France's most famous actor ? announced his intention to turn in his French passport and move to a village in a tax-friendly Belgium.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-29-France-Taxing%20the%20Rich/id-d468b6e529bc4b9b864961ecc16f6f3a

Spain Vs Italy Euro 2012 tiger woods erin andrews erin andrews Pepco tour de france Magic Mike

Dry Out Wet Shoes with Pocket Hand Warmers

David Galloway

• View Profile
• Email
• Twitter
• Google Plus
• RSS

If you arrive at work or home with wet shoes thanks to Winter weather you can wait for them to dry naturally or you can insert a pocket hand warmer which will dry out your shoes and leave them toasty warm for hours.

YouTube userIntenseAngler shares nine other alternate uses for chemical hand warmers in the video above. Keep in mind that we've already shown how you can make your own instant hand warmers in 5 minutes and also keep in mind that chemical hand warmers and foot warmers are the same thing except for the size. It might be worth buying a big box of them and keeping some in your go bag, car emergency kit, camping gear, and first aid kits.

Unique Uses for Hand Warmers - "Tip of the Week" E31 | YouTube

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/C3j5p5wb1n4/dry-out-wet-shoes-with-pocket-hand-warmers

greg smith catamount mike dantoni bulls heat goldman sachs brandon carr knicks coach

So You Just Got a Wii U. Now What?

Chelsea Stark 2012-12-26 18:25:02 UTC

Since the holiday gift-giving period is over, many of you might be fortunate enough to have received a brand new Wii U.

Nintendo's latest console is quite different from other gaming consoles, and there are lots of great ways for you to take advantage of it. There are already a wide variety of games coming out for the Wii U, so you have a plethora of entertainment options as soon as you take it out of the box.

We've compiled a list of tips for first-time Wii U owners that should make your setup and first few days much easier. We've included a few games to try, as well.

Are you setting up a Wii U for the first time? Share any of your thoughts and tips in the comments.

Thumbnail image courtesy nubobo, Flickr.

Topics: Entertainment, Gadgets, gallery, Gaming, holidays 2012, Nintendo, Wii U

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/12/26/wii-u-setup-tips/

new jersey nets nba playoff schedule rondo morris claiborne mothers day gifts clippers lisa lampanelli

Randy Travis pleads not guilty to assault

Reuters file

By Peter Gicas, E!Online

"Look Heart, No Hands" singer Randy Travis is claiming he didn't use his, well, hands.?The country superstar pleaded not guilty on Friday in connection with a citation he was issued for simple assault outside a church in Plano, Texas, back in August.?

Travis himself appeared in court and a trial date was set for March 11, the Dallas Morning News reports.?

In defense of Randy Travis

On Aug. 23, Travis waded into the middle of an argument between an estranged husband and wife that turned physical, according to the Plano Police Department. When authorities arrived and questioned witnesses, they indicated they had seen a husband and wife involved in a verbal argument. Travis allegedly intervened, which is when he allegedly physically assaulted the husband, whose wife is a female friend of the Grammy winner.

In contrast to his previous run-ins with the law--like his arrest for driving while intoxicated on Aug. 7 -- there are no allegations that Travis was anything but clean and sober at the time.

Check out the top 10 mug shots of 2012?

In fact, the singer's lawyer, Larry Friedman, recently told E! News: "Randy is doing great. Life is good. He's given up drinking alcohol. He's drinking eight glasses of water a day or more. He's on a strict exercise regimen...He's in the best shape he's ever been in his life."

Related content:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/23/16097760-randy-travis-pleads-not-guilty-to-assault-charge?lite

Google Ryder Cup Standings Dexter Season 7 Ryder Cup 2012 Johnny Lewis Honey Boo Boo yom kippur

Netanyahu lauds Kerry nomination for U.S. secretary of state job

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday welcomed the appointment of his personal friend John Kerry as U.S. secretary of state and described him as "a known supporter of Israel's security".

President Barack Obama nominated Kerry on Friday, calling the veteran U.S. senator the "perfect choice" as America's top diplomat.

Netanyahu said in a statement: "I congratulate John Kerry on being chosen for the position of U.S. Secretary of State. Kerry is very experienced and is a known supporter of Israel's security."

But Netanyahu may find Kerry no less critical than his predecessor of Israel's policy of settlement building in the occupied West Bank, an area Palestinians want as part of a future state.

"When new settlements go up ... it undermines the viability of a two-state solution," Kerry told a Senate hearing.

Kerry will be the leading Cabinet member charged with tackling pressing global challenges, including trying to restart the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks and Iran's nuclear standoff with the West.

Netanyahu, who has had frosty ties with Obama, also mentioned his good personal relations with Kerry in his statement.

"John Kerry and I are friends for many years and I greatly appreciated the fact that half a year ago, after the death of my father, he came to visit me during my mourning. I look forward to cooperating with him," he added.

While Obama put one important piece of his revamped cabinet in place, he held off on naming a new defense secretary.

The delay came in the face of a growing backlash from critics of former Republican Senator Chuck Hagel, who is considered a leading candidate to replace Leon Panetta at the Pentagon.

Officials in Netanyahu's office have privately voiced concern over the possibility that Hagel might take over at the Pentagon.

Some American Jewish leaders contend that Hagel, who left the Senate in 2008, at times opposed Israel's interests, voting several times against U.S. sanctions on Iran, and made disparaging remarks about the influence of what he called a "Jewish lobby" in Washington.

Asked last week about a statement by Hagel in 2006 that the "Jewish lobby intimidates a lot of people here," Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said he would "have to answer for that comment" if he is nominated.

"And he'll have to answer about why he thought it was a good idea to directly negotiate with Hamas and why he objected to the European Union declaring Hezbollah a terrorist organization," said Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. (Additional writing by Matt Spetalnick in Washington; Editing by Stephen Powell)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/netanyahu-lauds-kerry-nomination-u-secretary-state-job-191806222.html

Cricinfo Geno Smith ny giants brandon marshall ryder cup Kate Middleton Bottomless the Pirate Bay

2012 Extreme Weather Sets Records, Fits Climate Change Forecasts

WASHINGTON -- As 2012 began, winter in the U.S. went AWOL. Spring and summer arrived early with wildfires, blistering heat and drought. And fall hit the eastern third of the country with the ferocity of Superstorm Sandy.

This past year's weather was deadly, costly and record-breaking everywhere ? but especially in the United States.

If that sounds familiar, it should. The previous year also was one for the record books.

"We've had two years now of some angry events," said Deke Arndt, U.S. National Climatic Data Center monitoring chief. "I'm hoping that 2013 is really boring."

In 2012 many of the warnings scientists have made about global warming went from dry studies in scientific journals to real-life video played before our eyes: Record melting of the ice in the Arctic Ocean. U.S. cities baking at 95 degrees or hotter. Widespread drought. Flooding. Storm surge inundating swaths of New York City.

All of that was predicted years ago by climate scientists and all of that happened in 2012.

"What was predicted was there would be more of these things," said Michel Jarraud, secretary general for the World Meteorological Organization.

Globally, five countries this year set heat records, but none set cold records. 2012 is on track to be the warmest year on record in the United States. Worldwide, the average through November suggests it will be the eighth warmest since global record-keeping began in 1880.

July was the hottest month in record-keeping U.S. history, averaging 77.6 degrees. Over the year, more than 69,000 local heat records were set ? including 356 locations in 34 states that hit their highest-ever temperature mark.

America's heartland lurched from one extreme to the other without stopping at "normal." Historic flooding in 2011 gave way to devastating drought in 2012.

"The normal has changed, I guess," said U.S. National Weather Service acting director Laura Furgione. "The normal is extreme."

While much of the U.S. struggled with drought that conjured memories of the Dust Bowl, parts of Africa, Russia, Pakistan, Colombia, Australia and China dealt with the other extreme: deadly and expensive flooding.

But the most troubling climate development this year was the melting at the top of the world, Jarraud said. Summer sea ice in the Arctic shrank to 18 percent below the previous record low. The normally ice-packed Arctic passages were open to shipping much of the summer, more than ever before, and a giant Russian tanker carrying liquefied natural gas made a delivery that way to prove how valuable this route has become, said Mark Serreze, director of the National Snow and Ice Data Center.

Also in Greenland, 97 percent of the surface ice sheet had some melting. Changes in the Arctic alter the rest of the world's weather and "melting of the ice means an amplifying of the warming," Jarraud said.

There were other weather extremes no one predicted: A European winter cold snap that killed more than 800 people. A bizarre summer windstorm called a derecho in the U.S. mid-Atlantic that left millions without power. Antarctic sea ice that inched to a record high. More than a foot of post-Thanksgiving rain in the western U.S. Super Typhoon Bopha, which killed hundreds of people in the Philippines and was the southernmost storm of its kind.

The United States has had "some quiet years while the rest of the world was quite wild," but that's not the case this year, Arndt said. Insurance giant Munich Re in a report this fall concluded: "Nowhere in the world is the rising number of annual natural catastrophes more evident than in North America."

In 2011, the United States set a record with 14 billion-dollar weather disasters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has a preliminary count of 11 such disasters this year. And NOAA's official climate extreme index, which tallies disasters and rare events like super-hot days, is on pace to set its own record.

Arndt points to the geographic heart of America, the Mississippi River, as emblematic.

On May 6, 2011, the Mississippi River at New Madrid, Mo., crested at its highest point on record. Less than 16 months later on Aug. 30, 2012, the same spot on the river was more than 53 feet lower, hitting an all-time low water mark.

The U.S. went through the same lurching extremes on tornadoes. Those storms killed 553 people last year, Furgione said. This year began with many tornadoes, then in April they just stopped. April to November, normal tornado season, saw the fewest F1 or stronger tornadoes in the U.S. ever.

"Every year is bringing different types of extreme weather and climate events," NOAA chief Jane Lubchenco said. "All storms today are happening in a climate-altered world."

Not everything is connected to man-made global warming, climate scientists say. Some, like tornadoes, have no scientifically discernible connection. Others, like the East Coast superstorm, will be studied to see if climate change is a cause, although scientists say rising sea levels clearly worsened flooding. They are more convinced that the heat waves of last summer are connected to global warming.

These are "clearly not freak events," but "systemic changes," said climate scientist Stefan Rahmstorf of the Potsdam Institute in Germany. "With all the extremes that, really, every year in the last 10 years have struck different parts of the globe, more and more people absolutely realize that climate change is here and already hitting us."

In 1988, NASA scientist James Hansen, sometimes called the godfather of global warming science, ran computer models that predicted the decade of the 2010s would see many more 95-degree or hotter days and much fewer subfreezing days. This year made Hansen's predictions seemed like underestimates. For example, he predicted that in the 2010s Memphis would have on average 26 days of more than 95 degrees. This year there were 47.

Scientists ? both those studying global warming and those studying hurricanes ? have warned for more than a decade about a hurricane with big storm surge hitting New York City and flooding the subways. That happened with Sandy. Though it was never a major hurricane, it stretched across nearly 1,000 miles in the U.S., bringing storm surges, power outages to millions and even snow. Sandy killed more than 125 people in the United States and at least 70 in the Caribbean.

For decades, scientists have predicted extensive droughts from global warming. This year, the drought of 2012 was so extensive that nearly 2,300 counties ? in almost every state ? were declared agriculture disasters. At one point this summer more than 65 percent of the Lower 48 was suffering from drought.

And with lack of water, came fire, something also mentioned as more likely in scientific reports about global warming. Fire season in the United States came earlier than normal and lasted longer, officials said. Nearly 9.2 million acres ? an area bigger than the state of Maryland ? have been burned by wildfire, the third most since accurate recordkeeping began in 1960.

"Take any one of these events in isolation, it might be possible to yell `fluke!' Take them collectively, it provides confirmation of precisely what climate scientists predicted would happen decades ago if we proceeded with business-as-usual fossil fuel burning, as we have," Pennsylvania State University climate scientist Michael Mann said in an email. "And this year especially is a cautionary tale. What we view today as unprecedented extreme weather will become the new normal in a matter of decades if we proceed with business-as-usual."

___

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/21/2012-extreme-weather-climate-change_n_2348079.html

twisted metal sea lion si swimsuit 2012 westminster dog show abe lincoln vampire hunter xi jinping matt bomer

Best of Life Inc.: Trump, Twinkies, taxes and more

?

Getty Images

The end of Twinkies? Not so fast: Bankrupt Hostess Brands has received a number of bids interested buyers.

This year in Life Inc., we covered serious topics like tax fraud and sillier ones like workplace hugging. We watched Donald Trump get riled up and teared up when we read about?one?boy's?love for LEGO.

Here?s a roundup, in no particular order, of?10 of the most popular stories of 2012.

Twinkie?s last stand: It?s up to a mediator
Life Inc. readers love their junk food ? or their?memories of junk food, anyway. The news that Hostess, maker of the iconic yellow Twinkie, was shutting down after a major labor dispute led to some of our most popular stories of the year. Some readers reminisced about their fond memories of the sweet treats, while others argued ferociously about the value of unions in America today.

Getty Images stock

Yes, this hug is a bit awkward.

Awkward! How a workplace hug can go awry
A story about the often awkward workplace hug prompted many of you to share your hilarious, embarrassing and heart-warming stories of hugging your current, or potential, colleagues.

While the office hug can be exceedingly awkward, only about one-fourth of you said you?d never get that close to a co-worker. Sometimes, even at work, you just need a hug.

Role reversal: Employers say it?s hard to find good workers
Most people who have looked for a job in the past five years will tell you it?s tough to get an interview, let alone a job offer. Employers, on the other hand, have been saying for a long time that they?re having trouble finding workers with the skills and experience they need to do the job.

One of our most popular posts of the year looked at whether the problem lies with unqualified job candidates or employers who just aren?t realistic in their expectations.

?Firms continue to create positions out of touch with reality, say, an accountant who can juggle and has hair-styling experience,? one reader lamented.

He ?quit money? and is still living a happy life
An interview with Mark Sundeen, the author of a book about a man who lives in a cave in Utah without using any money, hit a definite nerve with readers. But they were divided on whether the man, Daniel Suelo, was an inspiration or a freeloader.

Paul Zimmerman / Getty Images for TechCrunch / AO

Marissa Mayer speaks in New York in May.

New Yahoo CEO says she?ll work through maternity leave
Marissa Mayer?s announcement that she would spend just a few weeks on maternity leave after the birth of her first child sparked a fierce debate about whether women can really ?have it all.? Some readers felt like it was a big step backwards for women who fought hard for maternity leaves, while others say that CEOs have different expectations than the working stiffs.

Loving the job, but hating the student loan debt
Vanessa and Chris Christman?s story is all-too-familiar. The couple love their jobs as librarians but are hobbled by the onerous debt they took on for the work they do. The Christmans' story, one of many we wrote about student loan debt, got the attention of readers who are struggling with balancing the risk of taking on debt with the reward of a college education.

Generation X may have taken biggest hit in economic downturn
Gen X is all grown up, and they?re worried about their retirement plans, their mortgages and their student loan debt. A story on new data showing that Gen X may have been hit hardest by the economic downturn touched a nerve with readers of all ages.

It?s not just Gen X that?s feeling the hit, apparently: About half of the readers who took our poll said they were worse off financially today than they were 2005.

Macy?s urged to dump Trump from ads or else
Macy?s decision to feature Donald Trump in a holiday ad riled hundreds of thousands of people, who signed a petition calling on the retailer to dump the controversial critic of President Barack Obama.

The celebrity seemed undaunted by his critics. When an outside firm blamed him for a drop in Macy?s popularity with women. His response: ?It?s total bull@!$%#."

IRS faces surge in identity theft tax fraud
A story on a new kind of identity thief ? who fakes your tax return then steals your fake refund ? prompted a huge outrage from our readers. For some of them, it was because they?d experienced the frustrating form of theft firsthand.

Jay Groccia

James Groccia, 11, with his LEGO train.

LEGO love story: How one little boy got the toy of his dreams
The story of a little boy who saved for two years to buy a coveted LEGO set only to find that LEGO no longer made it? would have been heart-breaking if it didn?t have a happy ending. LEGO?s response to the boy?s letter touched our readers and gave us a much-needed piece of good news to celebrate.

?

Source: http://lifeinc.today.com/_news/2012/12/21/16025735-best-of-life-inc-trump-twinkies-taxes-and-more?lite

rock and roll hall of fame 2012 brandon rios oklahoma news nascar news doppler radar colorado rockies moonshine

Doomsday goals: love, peace and jeans that fit

For many of us, the specter of doomsday?a.k.a., the end of times, the end of days, the apocalypse, or, simply, tomorrow, Dec. 21, 2012?elicits a certain seriousness or a particular amusement, depending on whom you ask. Put the date aside for a minute and consider these end-of-world thoughts that Yahoo! News collected this week. They are serious, heartfelt, creative or funny, and they attempt to tackle the metaphysical:

What do we want to address personally in our lives? What would we like humanity to accomplish? What advice do we have for our fellow survivors, should the world meet a near-total demise tomorrow or any other day?

Some excerpted responses are below.

What would you do before The End? Tell us in the comments.

***

Keep it simple: Let us resolve to pick up some trash. Brew hot coffee and serve it to someone shivering in the December cold. Read a poem out loud to friends, family, loved ones. Fill your home with music and fling open the windows to share it with the neighborhood. Leave the car in the driveway. Walk to a nearby woods, creek, field, pond, beach, hilltop. Pick up some more trash. Find that shoebox of old family photos and sort through them. Say the names of those you have lost. And don't forget to turn out the lights on the way out.

? Thomas Boyd, New York

***

It's the little things: I'd like to have lunch with the inventor of the chip clip.

This small clasp may be one of the greatest fabrications in the last century, but is often overlooked. Countless bags of Doritos, Funyons and Pringles that would've previously been eaten stale enjoy extended life with this great device.

"Thank you," I'd say to him or her. "Order whatever you'd like."

Also, earthly destruction may not be pleasant, so I'd like to buy pants that fit comfortably. My entire life has been spent in size 33W x 30L (too short) or 32W x 32L (too tight, too long). I need to buy 33W x 31L. I know they're out there.

? Gary Georgevich, Detroit

***

Only one thing matters: Caring for the dying taught me that the only thing that does matter when our days are limited is who loved you and who you loved. I have never heard the dying talk about their job, finances, homes or worldly accomplishments. Rather, they talk about those who touched their lives.

So, my last few days would be spent hanging out with my partner and my daughter. They live in my heart, and there's no better way to spend the last beats of my heart than having them near and being grateful for all they gave me.

? P. Query, Vero Beach, Fla.

***

Lose 20 pounds before the end: There's a reason doctors pooh-pooh fad diets. The weight you lose always comes back?and then some. But if the world comes to an end on Dec. 21, who cares?

My doomsday resolution is to find a fad diet that allows me to lose 20 pounds in three days by feasting on forbidden foods like buttery lobster, cheesy pizza and fudge brownies?all while shedding pesky pounds. The secret to the diet will be something silly, like squeezing drops of a tasteless potion on my food prior to eating that will make my fat burning metabolism rev up like a new furnace.

With my suddenly svelte body, I'll spend my last day on the planet shopping, natch, trying on clingy dresses and even bathing suits (if I can find them in December). Daring to look in the three-way mirror, I'll marvel at how well everything fits without having to tighten my ab muscles.

? Nancy Tracy, Sacramento, Calif.

***

Thinking of others: If the world will end soon, each of us need to start now to spread kindness, in our neighborhoods, in our countries and finally in our world. Let's commit to being compassionate, generous and loving every day.

Some ideas we can start with:

1. Give someone a genuine compliment.

2. Go out of your way for someone: open the door, help carry groceries, or give up your seat on the bus or subway.

3. Donate new or used clothes, toys and household items to the poor.

Could we possibly end the aggression, the hate, the negativity that is prevalent in today's world? I believe so, one kindness at a time.

? Anne-Marie Ngo, Singapore

***

Survival of the buggiest: Do you want to survive the Dec. 21, 2012 apocalypse? Eat live bugs.

Note: Post-apocalyptic Earth will have an extremely limited carrying capacity. Be sure to share this information only with those who can further your chance of survival.

Eating live bugs will:

? provide the instant adrenaline rush you'll need to outrun zombies.

? give you the courage you need for hand-to-hand combat with zombies.

? keep you from falling asleep and dying at the hand of zombies.

? provide a food source not likely to be exploited by zombies.

You can also use bugs for emergency medicine.

- Maggots can be used to clean wounds.

- Leaches can be used to restore blood flow.

- The mandibles of soldier ants can be used to suture wounds.

- Insect venom can be used to alleviate pain.

Many species of bugs will also eat the rotting flesh of fallen comrades, limiting the amount of air and water borne pathogens in the environment.

Warning: Consuming raw or undercooked meat may increase your risk of food borne illness.

? Cherri Megasko, Maricopa, Ariz.

***

Stop the spam emails, at least: I'd barely gotten over the hype surrounding the date 12/12/12, when a blogger friend reminded me that, according to a Mayan calendar, the apocalypse, or end of time, is on 12/21/12. What is it with the month of December, anyway?

There are a few things I think we here in the United States ought to do before the lights go out:

1. Do something, something really meaningful, about gun control; we've lost enough children to gun violence.

2. Require all politicians to be subjected to their stupid legislative ideas for at least six months before the rest of us have to suffer.

3. Implement certification and qualification tests for people running for public office.

4. Get the spammers to stop sending me Viagra emails.

? Charles Ray, North Potomac, Md.

***

Brilliant red lipstick: Again, there's chatter about doomsday. I've barely crossed anything off my to-do-bucket-just-in-case-doomsday-comes list from last year. Great! I've dillydallied as usual, now I have to contrive one doomsday resolution. OK. I resolve to wear red lipstick brazenly ? in public.

My lipstick won't be boring red or "nearly" red. No, I'll throw caution to the wind and recklessly toss what smattering of beauty sense I have out the window and wear flaming red. My stunning red lips will trigger whispers of, "She's daring, spirited, a dynamo ? or she believes the world is ending."

? Cathy A. Montville, Worcester County, Mass.

***

Time to dive into must-read bucket list: The world is ending (cough), so what's a bookworm to do? She's going to try to cram every single selection on her "must read" bucket list into an enormous marathon reading session. I'm a fast reader, but even I can see that it's time to take some serious action.

As a nod to tradition, I'd do it old-school, too: hardcover only, no ebooks or even paperbacks allowed. I'll finally get through my "Complete Works of Shakespeare," take a run at finishing up Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, and I'll have to take the plunge and see if the "Twilight" books are really as horrible as half the people I know say they are. (If the answer to this is in the affirmative, I've just started the zombie apocalypse a day or two early, so no real harm done.) I never did finishing Asimov's countless titles, so I'll have to squeeze those in somehow, too. Just in case eye strain becomes an issue, I'll spring for the audiobooks.

? Kimberly Morgan, Tampa, Fla.

***

Get Christmas decor perfect: Naturally, before doomsday, I'm going to make sure my Christmas decorating is worth unearthing later.

"Now THIS was a good Christmas decorating job!" a future archaeologist will exclaim, happily taking pictures. "The angles between the tree and the coffee table and the lounge chairs are exquisite!"

Even if the archaeologists are extraterrestrial, arriving on our planet thousands of years post-apocalypse, they will be suitably impressed. "This room is mathematically perfect in regard to a day of celebration event!" they will say in their alien language. Somewhere, my spirit will be happy.

? Calvin Wolf, Midland, Texas

***

A positive spin on doomsday: I wish everybody was really worried about it, since this could have served as a powerful motivator to get things done. Israelis and Palestinians would have made peace; since we are all going to die, why fight anymore? The rich would empty their bank accounts and give away their wealth to the poor; if we do not exist, who cares about money? Democrats and Republicans would make up and solve all their issues: no taxes, no spending, no fiscal cliff; after all, we are dying right?

Personally, I would try to mend a few fences. For example, I would text my ex-girlfriend from college to ask her why she really dumped me: Was I a bad boyfriend or was she lured by the other guy with a better job and more money? I am not sure which answer I would like, but maybe I can have some closure and finally say "good riddance" to her face.

? Anindya Chakraborty, Hartford, Conn.

***

Winter solstice party is iffy this year: My friends and I are thinking that the Mayans were brilliant, picking the winter solstice as the date for the end of the world because we already have our annual party planned. We live on the northern edge of Montana in the Glacier Park area. The long nights of winter darkness can be dreary. Our winter solstice party is a great diversion.

My annual job for this party is to make a giant cake representing the sun. (Here's the recipe.)

Shortly after noon on Friday, I plan to make the 20-mile drive to the party. Presumably, the festivities will happen; but since there is no scheduled hour for the end of the world, we cannot be certain.

Goodbye. Maybe.

? R.B. McNeil, northern Montana

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/doomsday-goals-love-peace-jeans-fit-191600417.html

weather new orleans orcl the hartford illinois primary 2012 michael bay zsa zsa gabor illinois primary

PM Note: Too Fat, Too Old, Too Bald? Nah!, Jerry Brown Treated for Prostate Cancer, Still 'Far Apart' on 'Cliff'

Chris Christie to Barbara Walters - "I didn't help (Obama) win. I was Doing my job." http://abcn.ws/QVEdHi

Watch Hillary Clinton and Chris Christie on "Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2012? tonight at 9:30 P.M. ET on the ABC Television Network.

Would Hillary Clinton Be Too Old? - "I am, thankfully, knock on wood, not only healthy, but have incredible stamina and energy," she told Walters. "I just want to see what else is out there. I've been doing, you know, this, this incredibly important and, and satisfying work here in Washington, as I say, for twenty years, I want to get out and spend some time looking at what else I can do to contribute." http://abcn.ws/W6vilt

Would Chris Christie Be Too Heavy? - "That's ridiculous," Christie told Walters. "I don't know what the basis for that is? I've done this job pretty well, and I think people watched me for the last number of weeks and Hurricane Sandy doing 18-hour days and getting right back up the next day and still being just as effective in the job. So I don't really think that would be a problem." http://abcn.ws/QVEdHi

Would Marco Rubio Be Too Bald? - " #Esquire report on having less hair than I once did is sadly true. But good news is I am still in upper 2% in Senate. http://soc.li/8aubTIS " he tweetedto his followers.

Since We're Talking About Rubio's Hair, What About Clinton's? From Dana Hughes report - "It's longer than it has been previously, and that, Clinton told Walters, is by design. "I do not travel with any hairdresser, or anybody, to help me do that, and I'm not very competent myself. I've been admitting that for years, which should be obvious to everyone," Clinton joked. "And so it became simpler to just grow it so that I can pull it back, and I can stick rollers in," said Clinton calling the conversation "girl talk" between her and Walters.

Rather than being annoyed by all the talk about her hair and appearance Clinton said she finds it amusing. "It's fascinating to me how people are so curious about it. Because after a while, it just got to be really burdensome to try to find a hairdresser in some city, somewhere, oftentimes not being able to speak English, that at least I could communicate with," she told Walters. "So, I said enough, we're just going to try to go with as simple as possible." http://abcn.ws/W6vilt

Roundup -

California Gov. Jerry Brown Undergoing Treatment for Prostate Cancer - KGO report - http://bit.ly/XUmvXS

No Interest Rate Hike 'Til Unemployment Reaches 6.5 Percent - http://abcn.ws/SVIhqS

Penn. Gov Latest to Reject Obamacare Health Exchange - http://abcn.ws/SVsDvE

Intern to Sen. Bob Menendez was undocumented immigrant, sex offender - http://abcn.ws/SS635L

'Far Apart' on 'Fiscal Cliff' - Boehner held a press Conference, Obama didn't, the two sides have been trading proposals, but they seem remarkably like the proposals each side has already rejected. Boehner said they're "far apart." John Parkinson's full report - http://abcn.ws/U7WpLs

Tapper Seeks Fact from Carney, Gets Magic Beans - Again -

TAPPER: "A White House official told me that in his counteroffer yesterday, Speaker Boehner asked for - one of - part of his proposal was a permanent extension of the Bush tax cuts for the top-two brackets - for all the Bush tax cuts, but including the top-two brackets. The House speaker's office disputes that; I was hoping that you could shed some light on the - on what exactly John Boehner in his counterproposal suggested should happen?"

CARNEY: "I'm not going to get into the details of the proposals that have gone back and forth. But I can say that - because it has been public in the positions that the speaker has put forward, that, you know, we do not accept the position that was outlined in the letter that the speaker sent previously that Bush tax cuts for the top earners can be extended.

The president has made clear: He will not support legislation that hands another tax cut to the wealthiest 2 percent of American earners. We can't afford it. It is bad economic policy. And the result of pursuing that policy would mean added burdens to the middle class, added burdens to seniors, added burdens to families with children who have disabilities. That's unacceptable to the president ? To say that we can somehow magically achieve significant revenue on the order that we need for that balanced deficit reduction package simply by closing loopholes that they will not name or capping deductions what they - that they will not specify sometime in the future. That is - you know, those magic beans are just beans, and that fairy dust is just dust. It is not serious. And the president will not sign an extension of the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest."

At a briefing on Tuesday, Dec. 4, Carney called the GOP's plans for the fiscal cliff "magic beans and fairy dust." http://abcn.ws/128TNTp

Kristof Welfare Column Turns Heads, Sparks Debate - From Sarah Parnass - New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof, the journalist who champions human rights around the world, wants the government to stop giving welfare checks to poverty-stricken children with disabilities. It's a stance that inspired solidarity with conservatives and fiery criticism from liberals, not Kristof's usual reception. http://abcn.ws/U8MLbl

AG Holder was also asked what steps the Justice Department was taking in response to the recent state laws in Washington and Colorado to legalize marijuana.

"We are looking at those two initiatives those two statutes and trying to determine exactly how we will respond and expect we will be doing so relatively quickly. There are a number of issues that have to be considered among them the impact that drug usage has on young people, we have treaty obligations with nations outside the United States, there are a whole variety of things that have to go into the determination that we are in the process of making." Holder said.

In reference to the treaty obligations the Mexican government has been upset over the two state laws in light of the massive drug wars that have killed about 60,000 people in Mexico.

Sandy Relief Bill Released - "The Disaster Assistance Supplemental provides $60.4 billion in discretionary funding. The emergency spending contained in this bill is equal to the President's request, and contains no earmarks. A summary of the legislation is provided below. The complete text of the Supplemental can be found here."

GOP pollsters - "The Republican 'Brand Needs Substantial Resuscitation ' Among Latino Voters" - From Univision's Emily DeRuy - http://abcn.ws/TVd4ov

Syria Launches Scuds at Rebels - http://abcn.ws/UUrTHP (Martinez)

U.S. Recognized Syrian Opposition, But Declares Some Rebels Terrorists - Alex Marquart and Dana Hughes report - The designation of the Syrian rebel group al-Nusrah Front as a terrorist organization at the same time the United States is formally recognizing Syria's Opposition Coalition is not a coincidence. The Obama administration wants to send a clear a message that while it supports Syria's Opposition Coalition to lead Syria's democratic transition if or when the Assad regime falls, there is no place for extremism in the country's future? In practical terms the designation means that Syrian opposition leaders will not be able to work with al-Nusrah and still receive U.S. support. The administration's announcement also served to "out" the group to Syrians who may be sympathetic, said the officials. "It means that as al-Nusrah Front tries to wrap itself in the legitimacy of the opposition that does reflect the Syrian's people desires, we have called them out, and for those who are seeking to support the legitimate opposition of the Syrian people, we have drawn a bright line," said an official. http://abcn.ws/SRlSJX

Is American Detained in North Korea? - State Department Vague - http://abcn.ws/Sdvulm (Hughes and Parnass)

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pm-note-too-fat-too-old-too-bald-232918762--abc-news-politics.html

country music awards autism awareness angelman syndrome total recall troy tulowitzki katie couric good morning america the rock vs john cena

Companies with $227M in aid employ fewer than 500

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- Mississippi has disbursed nearly $227 million in aid to six alternative-energy companies since 2010, but so far has fewer than 500 jobs to show for it.

Research by The Associated Press finds the state has put in most of its total commitment, mainly in loans, to help some companies get off the ground. But the companies in most cases don't have to meet job targets until five years or more after they begin production.

The three companies that Mississippi has given the most money to, KiOR, Stion and View, have pledged to create a total of 2,330 jobs. So far, after receiving $195 million in aid, almost all in loans, the three companies have about 300 employees combined.

Officials with the Mississippi Development Authority said it's unfair to judge the companies before they reach the dates specified for job creation.

"Most of these projects are still in the startup phase," said Kathy Gelston, chief financial officer for the Mississippi Development Authority. "Some of them are still in the construction phase. That's like saying, 'How is your house that you're halfway through building, how is it performing?' Well rain's falling in it because the roof's not on yet."

Gelston said that under deals with KiOR, Stion and View, the state agreed to finance the first phase of those projects, in part because private investment and loans were hard to obtain.

"We do believe we will eventually see good returns on these investments, but you're not going to see them in midstream," Gelston said.

The AP review of state records comes after the failure of the Twin Creeks solar plant in Senatobia. The company received $27.7 million in state aid and is now trying to recover that money as the company liquidates. The city of Senatobia was a pass-through for the aid and owns the building and most equipment. But it's unclear how much money the city will be able to get for those items and repay to the state.

MDA Director Brent Christensen cautioned against assuming KiOR, Stion and View will be just like Twin Creeks.

"You don't want to judge all the projects by the one that failed," he said.

An opponent of state investment in startup companies doesn't hesitate to draw conclusions, though.

"I think it is an extremely poor return on investment," said investment adviser Ashby Foote. He's the volunteer president of Bigger Pie Forum, a group that promotes free-market policies for economic growth.

Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves say they oppose some aspects of deals signed under the administration of former Gov. Haley Barbour, but add that Mississippi must live up to contractual commitments it made with companies.

Bryant said he's "very concerned" about job creation, but said he didn't think the state could renegotiate with companies that it has already signed contracts with.

"I don't think we could start doing that because one of the things you have to have in economic development is the ability to keep your word," he told the AP.

However, state officials haven't signed contracts yet with some other firms, including Silicor, which wants to build a silicon plant in Columbus; and Virdia, which wants to build biofuels plants.

The state had a deal to put in as much as $54 million, including a $50 million loan, to the Twin Creeks project but only would make half the loan to the San Jose, Calif., company until Twin Creeks itself invested $27 million. It's unclear how much Twin Creeks put in. Bryant told the AP earlier that he stopped further aid to the company. Bryant has said he opposes state investments in startups and would prefer to deal with established industries.

Reeves noted he pushed a bill in last year's Legislature that would have limited MDA's ability to make loans without legislative approval. He also said he voted "no" on at least some loan requests MDA made while he was treasurer. However, other members of the state Bond Commission voted 'yes," allowing the loans to go ahead.

____

Follow Jeff Amy at: http://twitter.com/jeffamy

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/companies-227m-aid-employ-fewer-153614722.html

national wear red day gunner kiel gunner kiel groundhog soulja boy did the groundhog see his shadow punxsutawney phil

Hawking, CERN scientists win huge physics prize

GENEVA (AP) ? A Russian billionaire's foundation is awarding two special prizes of $3 million each to British cosmologist Stephen Hawking for his work on black holes and to seven scientists at the world's biggest atom-smasher for their roles in the discovery of a new subatomic particle believed to be the long-sought Higgs boson.

Yuri Milner's Fundamental Physics Prize Foundation announced the awards in a statement Tuesday.

Hawking is honored for his discovery of Hawking radiation from black holes "and his deep contributions to quantum gravity and quantum aspects of the early universe."

The prize money for the European Organization for Nuclear Research, or CERN, is being split among a scientist who oversaw the building of the $10 billion atom smasher and six physicists who oversaw two teams of 3,000 scientists each.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/b2f0ca3a594644ee9e50a8ec4ce2d6de/Article_2012-12-11-EU-Switzerland-Physics-Prizes/id-5b40279d553e40ec9e8b079747c44e52

spacex tupac hologram tupac back tax deadline death race buffet rule carlos santana

Tadiran Telecom and SURF Make Video Conferencing Available for ...

PETACH TIKVA, Israel, December 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ --

Tadiran Telecom, a leader in communications solutions, announces an OEM partnership with Surf Communications (SURF), a global leader in multimedia processing and applications.

The partnership will allow Tadiran Telecom to integrate SURF's video conferencing technology into its recently launched Aeonix, Unified Communications and Collaboration Solution. ?

Tadiran Telecom's Aeonix UC&C solution consolidates disparate business applications into a single communications platform. The Aeonix UC&C solution delivers unmatched versatility, simplicity, and adaptability to customers ranging from very few users and up to 25K users.

The adoption of Surf's technology enhances the scope of Tadiran's Aeonix UC&C platform with Advanced Video conferencing capabilities including multi video conferencing of up to 30 users each, as well as managed audio conferencing of up to 500 users. The integration of Surf's product provides enterprises and their employees with a new HD technology for video conferencing. A video phone that will be registered into the Aeonix platform will provide each individual user with all the benefits of video conferencing directly from their desk. This solution saves the user time, money and increases efficiency through a significant decrease in travel cost and unnecessary overhead.

"SURF's conferencing solution seamlessly integrates into the Aeonix UC&C platform, providing customers with proven high-definition video conferencing abilities along with audio communications, unified messaging and a variety of business applications managed centrally. We are pleased with our choice and we are highly impressed with the reliability and quality of SURF's technology", said Eldad Barak, President and CEO of Tadiran Telecom.

Mr. Udi Shani, SURF's President and CEO explained: "We are very pleased with Tadiran's selection of SURF's video conferencing technology. We see a vast potential for video conferencing services in all kinds of enterprises, and this project is a great opportunity to demonstrate SURF's video conferencing ability and to expose it to large organizations.

About Tadiran Telecom

Tadiran Telecom (TTL) L.P. is a privately held partnership, recently acquired by Afcon Holdings Ltd., which is part of the Shlomo Group - a conglomerate engaged in a wide variety of industrial and service businesses. Tadiran Telecom is an established global leader, innovator and supplier of IP business telephony, telecommunications solutions and unified communications and collaboration solutions, which has served businesses of all sizes, including tier-1 organizations in various market segments in 41 countries worldwide. Tadiran Telecom's solutions feature a comprehensive family of products including Unified Communication platforms, IP PBXs, soft switches, contact centers, IP phones, as well as mobility and desktop solutions. http://www.tadirantele.com

About SURF Communication Solutions

SURF Communication Solutions (SURF) is an industry leader in high-capacity processing solutions for real-time multimedia communication systems and applications. ?Since 1996, SURF's products have delivered the integral technology behind many leading vendors' multimedia servers and gateways and have been deployed with operators and service providers worldwide. SURF-powered multimedia applications deliver next-gen services to millions of end-users every day. ?SURF offers a fully converged multimedia processing subsystem available in various form factors, DSP chips or end-to-end solutions, affording unmatched density and optimal performance. ?

Company Contact:?
Tadiran Telecom?
Eran Sagi,?VP Marketing?
Eran.Sagi@tadirantele.com

Media Contact:
Buzzi PR
Liora Nisevich
liora@buzzi.co.il

Surf Communications Solutions
Niv Kagan, VP of Product Management and Marketing
pr@surfsolutions.com/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>/>

Buzzi Ltd, P.O.B. 1406 Hod HaSharon 45114, Israel

Source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2012/12/12/tadiran-telecom-and-surf-make-video-conferencing-available-businesses-all-sizes

ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis howard hughes nationwide race

Foreign multidrug resistant bacteria contained in Toronto hospital

Dec. 11, 2012 ? As the prevalence of antibiotic-resistant infections continue to rise around the world, a hospital in Canada detected the presence of New Delhi Metallo-?-lactamase-1-Producing Klebsiella pneumoniae (NDM1-Kp), a multidrug resistant bacteria that is resistant to carbapenems, one of the last lines of antibiotics. The retrospective report, featured in the January issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, analyzes risk factors and infection control strategies taken to prevent the spread of NDM1-Kp.

NDM1-Kp is common in other parts of the world such as the Indian subcontinent, but rare in North America except for imported cases from patients previously hospitalized in endemic regions.

Between January 2011 and March 2012, seven patients at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Toronto acquired NDM1-Kp from two index patients. Risk factors for acquisition were a history of prior use of certain antibiotics, and transmission likely occurred through direct contact. Four of the seven were roommates with an affected patient, two were on the same ward, and one was admitted to a room immediately following the discharge of an infected patient. The environmental sources of transmission highlight the importance of maintaining meticulous cleaning, hand hygiene, and disinfection standards in prevention and containment.

"The spread of the NDM1-Kp is an emerging public health threat, as increased globalization may result in a higher burden of these bacteria in Canada and other countries than previously recognized," said lead researcher Christopher F. Lowe, MD. "Preventing the spread of this organism in hospitals is critical given the lack of effective antibiotics against NDM1-Kp."

When a patient was identified with NDM1-Kp at the hospital, they were placed on contact precautions for the duration of their admission, as recommended by the CDC and Public Health Agency of Canada. At the Toronto hospital, contacts such as roommates or ward mates were screened 3 times over a 2 week period to see if transmission had occurred. During the screening period, the patients were also placed into contact precautions and private rooms until all three screenings were negative. Unfortunately, staff discovered that several contacts with negative screens subsequently became positive for NDM1-Kp weeks later.

Challenges in fighting the spread of NDM1-Kp include contacts who acquire the bacteria, but may initially have a low concentration of organisms and avoid detection, as well as the lack of an established gold standard to detect carbapenem-resistant organisms, which may have contributed to the negative screens. Although the isolation of NDM1-producing bacteria is currently a rare occurrence in healthcare settings, this cluster indicates the prevalence of these organisms is increasing in nonendemic regions, and prompt initiation of infection prevention and control practices is essential to prevent transmission.

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

---

Journal Reference:

1. Christopher F. Lowe, Julianne V. Kus, Natasha Salt, Sandra Callery, Lisa Louie, Mohammed A. Khan, Mary Vearncombe, Andrew E. Simor. Nosocomial Transmission of New Delhi Metallo-?-Lactamase-1-ProducingKlebsiella pneumoniaein Toronto, Canada. Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, 2013; 34 (1): 49 DOI: 10.1086/668778

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/~3/R60NZlLxEW8/121211113008.htm

Honey Boo Boo Child marilyn monroe Nathan Adrian London 2012 Synchronized Swimming London 2012 hurdles Taylor Kinney Beach Volleyball Olympics 2012

Soundfreaq announces its range of Lightning-compatible docks for early 2013

When Phil Schiller whipped out Lightning, audio dock makers collapsed in unbridled agony as they realized their holiday lineup was incompatible with the new iPhone. A few months later, and Bose, Philips and JBL have all scrambled to get products out, and now Soundfreaq is leaping toward the bandwagon. It's announcing revamped versions of its Sound Rise, Sound Step, Sound Step Recharge, which'll play nicely with the new connection, and the Bluetooth-only Sound Platform 2.The new range will get a first airing at CES before hitting stores next year, the $150 Sound Platform 2 arriving exclusively at Target on February 17th, with the others expected to arrive by Spring.

Continue reading Soundfreaq announces its range of Lightning-compatible docks for early 2013

Filed under: Home Entertainment, Apple

Comments

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/11/soundfreaq-lightning-docks/

the watchmen whitney houston dies dolly parton i will always love you beverly hilton hotel whitney houston found dead i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards