Senate nears vote on $50.5B bill for Sandy victims

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, a beach front home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy rests in the sand in Bay Head, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

FILE - In this Jan. 3, 2013 photo, a beach front home that was severely damaged by Superstorm Sandy rests in the sand in Bay Head, N.J. (AP Photo/Mel Evans)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Three months after Superstorm Sandy devastated coastal areas in much of the Northeast, the Senate moved Monday toward passing a $50.5 billion emergency package of relief and recovery aid after House Republicans stripped it of spending unrelated to disasters.

Despite opposition from conservatives concerned about adding billions of dollars more to the nation's debt, Northeast lawmakers were optimistic about having the 60 votes needed to win Senate approval and send the long-delayed package to President Barack Obama, who has said he would sign it. The House passed the bill two weeks ago.

Lawmakers say the money is urgently needed to start rebuilding homes, businesses, public transportation facilities and other infrastructure damaged by the Oct. 29 storm, one of the worst ever to strike the Northeast. Sandy is blamed for more than 130 deaths in the U.S. and tens of billions of dollars in property damages, particularly in New York and New Jersey.

"There's no excuse for delay," said Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J. "We need to get assistance to victims of Sandy as soon as possible.

The biggest chunk of money is $16 billion for Housing and Urban Development Department community development block grants. Of that, about $12 billion will be shared among Sandy victims as well as those from other federally declared disasters in 2011-2013. The remaining $3.9 billion is solely for Sandy-related projects.

More than $11 billion will go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster relief aid fund for shelter, restoring power and other storm-interrupted utility services and meeting other immediate needs arising from Sandy and other disasters. Another $10 billion is devoted to repairing New York and New Jersey transit systems and making them more resistant to future storms.

"The funding in this bill is urgently needed," said Sen. Barbara Mikulski, D-Md., as Senate debate began. "Hundreds of thousands of families have seen their lives turned upside down."

Sen. Dan Coats, R-Ind., said Republicans weren't seeking "to undermine" help for Sandy victims, but instead wre trying to make sure that the money was actually being spent on emergency needs.

"We're simply trying to say we need some standards," Coats said.

Earlier in January, Congress approved and Obama signed a $9.7 billion bill to replenish the National Flood Insurance Program, which has received well more than 100,000 flood insurance claims from businesses, homeowners and businesses related to Sandy. Added to the new, $50.5 billion package, the total is is roughly in line with the $60.4 billion that Obama requested in December.

Sandy damaged or destroyed 305,000 housing units in New York and more than 265,000 businesses were disrupted there, according to officials. In New Jersey, more than 346,000 households were destroyed or damaged.

The aid package was greased for passage before the last Congress adjourned and the new one came in on Jan. 3. But Speaker John Boehner refused to bring it to the floor after two-thirds of House Republicans voted against a "fiscal cliff" deficit reduction deal raising taxes on couples making more than $450,000 a year while deferring some $24 billion in spending cuts to have been shared between defense and domestic programs.

The ruckus after the Senate had passed an earlier $60.4 billion Sandy relief package by a nearly 2-to-1 margin on Dec. 28 exposed deep political divisions within Republican ranks. "There's only one group to blame for the continued suffering of these innocent victims, the House majority and their speaker, John Boehner," Republican New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie fumed at the time.

Top House Republicans responded by bringing new Sandy aid legislation to the floor under ground rules designed to win over as many Republicans as possible while retaining support from Democrats eager to approve as much in disaster aid as possible.

GOP leaders cut spending in the Senate bill unrelated to disasters. One was to transfer $1 billion for training Iraqi policemen to instead be used on bolstering security at U.S. diplomatic missions abroad in the wake of a Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi, Libya, where the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans were killed.

Also deleted was $188 million for an Amtrak expansion project that included new, long-planned tunnels from New Jersey to Penn Station in Manhattan, and another $150 million for fisheries disasters that states such as Alaska and Mississippi could have shared.

After all the cost-cutting, 179 House Republicans still voted against the disaster aid package with only 49 favoring it. GOP leaders had to rely on yes votes from 192 Democrats to pass it.

As with past natural disasters, the Sandy aid bill does not offset the aid with spending cuts, meaning the aid comes at the cost of higher deficits. The lone exception is an offset provision requiring that $3.4 billion for Army Corps of Engineers projects to protect against future storms be covered by unspecified spending cuts of an equal amount in other programs before next October.

Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, sought to amend the final package Monday with a provision to cut federal programs across the board by one-half of 1 percent through 2021 as a way to prevent the disaster aid from swelling the U.S. debt. Democrats were optimistic Lee would be unable to muster 60 votes needed to prevail.

As of Monday, FEMA said it spent $3.3 billion in disaster relief money for shelter, restoring power and other immediate needs arising from the storm.

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, New Hampshire, Ohio, Delaware, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts and the District of Columbia have shared that money.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-01-28-Superstorm%20Aid/id-39a9a3dcea214d1eaa7335665bc7dc99

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Home Based Business Opportunities: Online Surveys - Surveys For ...

Online Surveys - Surveys For Cash

? ??Online Paid Surveys for cash is an exciting way to make money online. But the whole procedure to start making constant income and finding paying surveys is an intriguing process filled with both disappointments and rewarding surprises. ?while the gems reward you with great payouts. You need to also need to learn how to differentiate between the two if you are going to make some serious earnings from online Paid Surveys. A market Survey Companies is the one that handles all the surveying of survey takers for their clients, the product and services companies. There are many well known big names like Global Test Market which offers internet paid surveys. Sometimes you will come across well known companies do adopt the same technique but if a survey site overdoes it, be wary. Internet paid survey companies should be concerned about building their main business which is to bring in paid surveys if they are in for the long haul. One way is to spend your time searching online, then signing up with each and trying them out. You can check at Online Income or make money forums for Work At Home people for such opportunities. Or better yet, you can get hold of a ready listing or directory of online paid surveys companies. Such listings normally contain hundreds of online survey companies that have been tested to work and pay well. Work From Home surveys are a wonderful way to supply yourself with a supplemental income without putting in so much work. Surveys can give you a flexible lifestyle and even make more than you normally would if you went to a normal job. So, start getting into surveys as soon as you can. The money you could earn can potentially be the money you need for financial freedom. Working PartTime Jobs From Home can also be the start of a new career for anyone currently unemployed. Part-time work Online Surveys online is a great way to supplement your Income, however, it is unlikely to make you a great deal of money in a short space of time. It is important therefore not to raise your expectations too high or put pressure on yourself to make a substantial amount of extra cash. To make really serious money online requires a great determination and hard work over many hours, but a Part Time Online Jobs is a great place to start. The next step would be the most important in trying to earn extra income with online ?Jobs From Home?Paid Surveys. Go out of your way and try to find out as much as you can about paid surveys, there are lots of tips on paid surveys even different methods which can be researched. Taking surveys online is a straight-forward, simple approach to earning money online. There are a lot of tempting get-rich quick methods that may sound great, but most of them are just well-formulated designed to get you to buy a product or system that simply does not perform. Here is how you can make taking paid surveys a great ?Part Online Jobs , that can get you legitimate extra cash and awesome products. Check your email and start taking surveys. If you don't see survey invitations in your email right away, you probably haven't registered for very many companies. You need to register for multiple panels to receive consistent invitations. The number of surveys available for your demographic will vary, so sometimes a particular company will have more surveys form you one month and less the next. Don't forget, you are not obligated to take a survey just because it is in your email inbox. If you don't feel the compensation is worth your time, don't take it! You will never be penalized for skipping a survey. Job Part Time A great opportunity to earn. ?Taking paid surveys is a great way to earn some extra money. This added Online Income is easy to make as surveys want your opinions. But besides the money, are there any other benefits? Of course there are! Paid surveys have many benefits. The money should be the first benefit. Who does not like to do surveys that are easy to take for a decent reward? Not many people will turn down easy money, and often times taking a survey Jobs is an easy way to make that extra dough. Visit this site to find out the top home based business. Choose from a selection of our best tried and tested home based businesses. Start Now.http://www.PartTimeWorld.com

Source: http://shivayam0.blogspot.com/2013/01/online-surveys-surveys-for-cash.html

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Feeling flirty? Wait for the sun to shine

Jan. 28, 2013 ? We all know how casual flirtation can lift one's mood, which can be important at this time of year when the winter blues are at their peak. But if you are more serious about your flirting and hope to get that all important phone number, you're better off waiting until it's sunny, according to new French research published in the journal Social Influence.

Nicolas Gu?guen of the University of South Brittany -- who has previously investigated how wearing red lipstick can increase a waitress' tips -- conducted a study in which an 'attractive' 20 year old male approached 18-25 year old women walking alone in the street and asked them for their phone numbers. The women were solicited on both sunny and cloudy (but not rainy) days, when the temperature was about the same.

In the past other environmental factors have been found to make people more likely to flirt or exchange phone numbers -- the presence of pleasant smells, romantic music or certain colours have all been found to have an effect.

Previous research has also shown how the weather can affect certain social behaviours -- sunshine makes people more likely to help strangers or answer a survey, and people tend to leave bigger tips in restaurants on sunny days. But this is the first research to explore how the weather may influence courtship or dating behaviour.

It was found that women were more receptive to being approached and flirted with -- and give out their phone numbers -- on sunny days: over a fifth -- 22.4% -- of women did so when the sun was out, as opposed to 13.9% on the cloudy days.

(The phone numbers were later used to contact the women and tell them the true nature of the study, as per the recommendation of the ethics committee of the lab which reviewed the project!)

The message seems clear: flirting is more likely to have a positive outcome on sunny days. But Professor Gu?guen was careful to include certain caveats regarding the applicability of the research to everyday situations: the sunshine (or other factors) may after all have improved the attractive 20 year old male's flirting skills on those days. Other atmospheric conditions such as windiness or humidity were not accounted for. And, perhaps most crucially, the research was conducted in France, where 'men traditionally approach women in romantic relationships'.

The journal article concludes with suggestions for further study in this area -- for instance, are men themselves more likely to initiate flirting behaviour when the sun is shining? We'll have to wait until the Spring to find out!

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Taylor & Francis, via AlphaGalileo.

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

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Journal Reference:

1. Nicolas Gu?guen. Weather and courtship behavior: A quasi-experiment with the flirty sunshine. Social Influence, 2013; : 1 DOI: 10.1080/15534510.2012.752401

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/~3/nJgVrRL2lXo/130128081950.htm

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Mass funeral held in Egypt after riots kill 37

PORT SAID, Egypt (AP) ? Tens of thousands of mourners poured into the streets of the restive Egyptian city of Port Said on Sunday for a mass funeral for most of the 37 people killed in rioting a day earlier, chanting slogans against Islamist President Mohammed Morsi.

Violence erupted briefly when some in the crowd fired guns and police responded with volleys of tear gas, witnesses said. State television reported 110 were injured.

"We are very worried about what may happen after the burial," said local youth activist Rasha Hamouda, noting the city was fraught with tension.

The violence in the city, about 140 miles northeast of Cairo, broke out on Saturday after a court on Saturday convicted and sentenced 21 defendants to death for their roles in a mass soccer riot in a Port Said stadium on Feb. 1, 2012 that left 74 people dead. Most of those sentenced to death were local soccer fans from Port Said. The 21 were convicted on murder charges and the court is to rule on the remainder of the 73 defendants in March.

The riots stemmed mostly from animosity between police and die-hard Egyptian soccer fans, known as Ultras, who have become highly politicized. The Ultras frequently confront police and were also part of the uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak's regime two years ago.

They were also at the forefront of protests against the military rulers who took over from Mubarak and are now again on the front lines of protests against the Morsi, the country's first freely elected leader.

A prominent Islamist leader delivered a thinly veiled warning that Islamist groups would set up militia-like vigilante groups to protect public and state property against attacks.

Addressing a news conference, Tareq el-Zomr of the once-jihadist Gamaa Islamiya, said:

"If Security forces don't achieve security, it will be the right of the Egyptian people and we at the forefront to set up popular committees to protect private and public property and counter the aggression on innocent citizens."

The threat by el-Zomr was accompanied by his charge that the mostly secular and liberal opposition was responsible for the deadly violence of the past few days, setting the stage for possible bloody clashes between protesters and Islamist militiamen. The opposition denies the charge.

There was also a funeral in Cairo for two policemen killed in the Port Said violence a day earlier. Several policemen grieving for their colleagues heckled Interior Minister Mohammed Ibrahim, who is in charge of the force, when he arrived for their funeral, according to witnesses. The angry officers screamed at the minister that he was only at the funeral for the TV cameras ? a highly unusual show of dissent in Egypt, where the police force maintains military-like discipline.

Ibrahim hurriedly left and the funeral proceeded without him.

In Port Said, mourners chanted "There is no God but Allah," and "Morsi is God's enemy" as the funeral procession made its way through the city after prayers for the dead at the city's Mariam Mosque. Women clad in black led the chants, which were quickly picked up by the rest of the mourners.

There were no police or army troops in sight. But the funeral procession briefly halted after gunfire rang out. Security officials said the gunfire came from several mourners who opened fire at the Police Club next to the cemetery.

A witness said the police responded to the gunfire with volleys of tear gas. The witness and the officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation in the city on the Mediterranean at the northern tip of the Suez Canal.

Survivors and witnesses of the Port Said soccer melee blame Mubarak loyalists for the violence, saying they had a hand in instigating the killings. The troubles erupted after Port Said's home team Al-Masry beat Cairo's Al-Ahly 3-1. Some witnesses said "hired thugs" wearing green T-shirts and posing as Al-Masry fans led the attacks.

Other witnesses said at the very least, police were responsible for gross negligence in the soccer violence, which killed 74 people, most of them Al-Ahly fans.

Anger at police was evident in Port Said, home to most of the 73 men accused of involvement in the bloodshed.

The trial was in Cairo and Judge Sobhi Abdel-Maguid did not give his reasoning when he handed down the guilty verdicts and sentences for 21 defendants. Executions in Egypt are usually carried out by hanging.

Verdicts for the remaining 52 defendants, including nine security officials, are to be delivered on March 9. Some have been charged with murder and others with assisting the attackers. All the defendants ? who were not present in the courtroom Saturday for security reasons ? can appeal the verdict.

In Port Said on Sunday, army troops backed by armored vehicles staked out positions at key government facilities to protect state interests and try to restore order.

The military issued a statement urging Port Said residents to exercise restraint and protect public property, but also warning that troops would deal "firmly" with anyone who "terrorizes" citizens or infringes upon the nation's security and stability.

Rioters on Saturday attacked the prison where the defendants were being held and tried to storm police stations and government offices around the city. Health officials say at least 37 people were killed, including two policemen, in rioting on Saturday.

The clashes in Port Said were the latest in a bout of unrest across the country that has left a total of 48 people dead since Friday. That death toll includes 11 people killed in clashes between police and protesters marking the second anniversary of the uprising that overthrew Mubarak after nearly 30 years of authoritarian rule.

Clashes broke out in Cairo for the fourth straight day on Sunday, with protesters and police near central Tahrir Square, birthplace of the 2011 uprising. Police fired tear gas while protesters pelted them with rocks.

The clashes show how turmoil was deepening in Egypt nearly seven months after Morsi took office. Critics say Morsi has failed to carry out promised reforms of the judiciary and police, and claim little has improved in the two years since the uprising.

At the heart of the rising opposition toward Morsi's government is a newly adopted constitution, which was ratified in a nationwide referendum.

Opponents claim the document has an Islamist slant. It was drafted hurriedly by the president's allies without the participation of representatives of liberals and minority Christians on the panel that wrote the charter.

Protesters on the streets this past week demanded the formation of a national unity government, early presidential elections and amendments to disputed clauses in the constitution.

Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group from which he hails, counter that the opposition was seeking to overturn the results of democratic and free elections. The Brotherhood, a well-organized and established political group in Egypt for decades, has emerged as by far the most powerful force in post-Mubarak Egypt.

As the situation in Port Said spiraled out of control Saturday, police disappeared from the city's streets, residents and security officials said, staying put in their camps, police stations and the city's security headquarters.

The military then dispatched troops to the city, taking up positions at vital state facilities, including the local power and water stations, the city's main courthouse, the local government building and the city prison. Navy sailors were guarding the local offices of the Suez Canal company.

Navy vessels were escorting merchant ships sailing through the international waterway, a vital income earner for Egypt's beleaguered economy. Military helicopters were flying over the canal to ensure the safety of shipping, according to Suez Canal spokesman Tareq Hassanein.

Residents said Port Said was quiet overnight except for intermittent bursts of gunfire. The city was still on edge early Sunday ? but streets were largely deserted, stores were closed for the second successive day, and some hotels asked guests to leave, fearing more violence.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/mass-funeral-held-egypt-riots-kill-37-134608043--spt.html

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West continues to drift into Democrats' column

DENVER (AP) ? A political generation ago, the West signaled the nation's rightward swing ? from the emergence of Ronald Reagan to the success of tax-limitation ballot measures in California and Colorado. But now the fabled expanse of jagged peaks, arid deserts and emerald coastlines is trending in a different direction.

From Washington state ? where voters in November legalized marijuana and upheld the legality of gay marriage ? to New Mexico, once a hotly contested swing state that Republicans ceded to Democrats in the presidential campaign, the West has become largely Democratic terrain.

There are, as always, exceptions. Lightly populated Idaho and Wyoming remain strongly Republican, as does Utah. And Democrats are struggling in Arizona, where a bruising immigration debate has given Republicans a lock on statewide offices but may provide Democrats an opening by firming up their support among the state's growing Hispanic population. Still, the overall trend is clear, according to analysts on all sides of the political spectrum.

"It's just a different world," said Bill Carrick, a veteran Democratic strategist in Los Angeles who has worked widely in the region. "Nevada became the next California and now Arizona looks like it will become the next Nevada. ... It's just pushing the West further and further from Republicans."

The shift is due to a combination of factors: the fusion of the region's libertarian spirit with both an influx of transplants from more liberal states seeking a better quality of life, and a growing immigrant population alienated by increasingly hardline Republican immigration proposals.

"Look at the migration patterns," said Sig Rogich, a Republican consultant in Las Vegas who worked on Reagan's presidential campaigns. "You're seeing the aftermath of a new generation of young men and women whose parents moved westward."

Politics is different in the region. Western states generally have weak political parties, part of the legacy of their political maturation during the progressive era at the start of the 20th century. Most local elections are nonpartisan affairs and voters often have the right to unilaterally set policy via ballot initiative. Western voters have long cherished nonpartisan independence, even when they voted a relatively straight party ticket.

"The West is the most American part of America," said Dave Kopel of the Independence Institute, a libertarian think tank in Denver. "It is a place where you have much more respect for individual choice and you have more ability to be who you want to be."

During the 1980s and 1990s, that libertarian streak fed a series of Republican victories as voters approved tax-limitation initiatives, protested federal environmental regulations and kept statehouses firmly in the GOP's hands. But nowadays it means something else, Carrick said.

"The libertarian thing is no longer about property rights or gun rights," he said. "It's now about letting people live their lives as they choose."

Ironically, Republicans' success may have contributed to that shift. The party managed to enshrine staunch anti-tax measures in several states' constitutions through ballot initiatives, making it very difficult to raise taxes in California, Colorado and Washington state. As a result, Democrats can't easily raise revenue ? but they also can't be attacked for doing so, said Ron Dotzauer, a Seattle-based Democratic strategist. "They can't be defined as the pro-tax group because they can't tax," he said.

There are prominent Republicans who demonstrate that the party can still win the region. Brian Sandoval in Nevada and Susana Martinez in New Mexico are popular Republican governors, but their relatively moderate stances often put them at odds with the national party. Both, for example, just agreed to the Medicaid expansion under President Barack Obama's health care plan, something that is anathema to many conservative Republicans.

"People appreciate a leader who takes more pragmatic approaches," said Nicole McCleskey, a New Mexico-based GOP pollster who advises Martinez. She argued that Democrats' success in the region is overstated and noted that, outside of California, Republicans in 2012 only lost one Western congressional seat. As an example of how Republicans can succeed, she cited New Mexico, where the party picked up seats in the state Legislature despite the Obama wave.

But McCleskey acknowledged that New Mexico Republicans were helped by the national GOP basically giving up on the presidential race in the state. GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney did not contest the state, minimizing the damage of a divisive presidential campaign.

"We were able to localize a lot of these races and build on the change that has taken place with a strong Republican governor," she said. "Republicans fought on state issues and the Democrats tried to fight on national issues."

Jill Hanauer is a Democratic strategist who engineered her party's takeover of the Colorado state Legislature in 2004. She agrees with McCleskey that the West cannot be considered a Democratic lock.

"The reason Democrats or progressives are winning is that Republicans got fat and happy," said Hanauer, who is now president of Project New America, a political data and strategy company in Denver. "The worst thing that can happen for Democrats is to take it for granted."

In 2002, Ruy Teixeira, a Washington, D.C.-based Democratic strategist, co-wrote "The Emerging Democratic Majority," which predicted that demographic and social trends would turn parts of the country that were deep red, like the interior Mountain West, into Democratic-leaning states. The book was published shortly after Republicans took back the U.S. Senate in the 2002 midterm elections and was received skeptically.

Last year, Teixeira and a bevy of other researchers published a new book on the Mountain West as America's new swing region. Now there was little pushback.

Teixeira said the West's shift has been dramatic because of the heavy migration to the region. Another factor is the ballot initiative process, which magnifies political trends by making it easier to enact dramatic policy changes like marijuana legalization.

But he argued in an interview that what's happened to the West is not very different from what's taking place across the country. Surveys for his book last year found it only slightly more libertarian on social issues and holding similar views toward government and taxation as other parts of the country. That, he said, is bad news for Republicans ? their problem is national, not regional.

"It's not like there's something in the water in state X that's making them harder for Republicans," Teixeira said. "It's just the same series of changes that are working themselves out in all states."

___

Follow Nicholas Riccardi on Twitter at www.twitter.com/nickriccardi

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/west-continues-drift-democrats-column-084523144--election.html

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When Sergey Brin Rides the Subway, He Does It Wearing Project Glass

Noah Zerkin spotted Sergey Brin riding New York's downtown 3 train last night—and the man from Google happened to have a pair of the company's glasses strapped to his face. Quite why he needs to wear them on public transport is unclear, but combined with his outfit they make him look like he should feature in the next Mission:Impossible movie. [Noah Zerkin via TNW] More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/zbDURMRj7_E/when-sergey-brin-rides-the-subway-he-does-it-wearing-project-glass

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Video: A series of 'firsts' from Obama's first term

PFT: Colin Kaepernick vindicates Jim Harbaugh

When 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh benched Alex Smith and elevated Colin Kaepernick to the starting job, many proclaimed that anything less than a Super Bowl berth would be evidence that Harbaugh made the wrong decision. Under that standard, Harbaugh knocked it out of the park.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/hardball/50541865/

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Documents by Readdle updated for iPad with fresh look and better interface

There's lots of document editing suites for iPad out there and Readdle is not new to the game. Documents by Readdle comes as an update to the popular ReaddleDocs app for iPhone and iPad. While Documents by Readdle is currently only for iPad, it's a huge improvement over the previous version.

Most of the updates to Documents by Readdle are interface driven. Where the old interface felt more like working in Microsoft Office on the desktop, the new version feels like it's made for the iPad. Everything from the way Documents by Readdle is laid out to how it handles the editing of documents is better. Menus no longer contain cheesy folder icons and outdated graphics. Sometimes, less is more and that certainly holds true in this case.

From what we can tell, no features have been stripped out but not a lot has been added in either. You'll still get the same syncing options you had in ReaddleDocs such as iCloud, Dropbox, Google Drive, SugarSync, and more. As far as editing documents, you can still edit text documents as well as view tons of others including Excel, eBooks, and more. When it comes to PDF's, you also have the ability to annotate them.

While Documents by Readdle is a great update to an already good app, it still doesn't provide a lot of the functionality some of its competitors do, such as editing spreadsheets and other common file types. If you have a need to do that, we recommend a more full featured editing suite such as the iWork collection, QuickOffice, or Documents To Go.

The aforementioned apps can, however, come with a pretty hefty price tag. If you're more concerned with reading and viewing documents and only need the ability to manage text documents and mark up PDF's, Documents by Readdle is a great choice that will cost you nothing.

• Free - Download Now

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/zrcWhse8sEs/story01.htm

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HELP ARTICAL: Abstract paintings of beauty

Abstraction of art began very long ago. Celebrity hundreds of years ago, work began. In fact, you can see some of the more famous abstract picture of it before. Abstract paintings made famous by Van Gogh, you can not remember. Picasso, as well as an abstract picture or two. Modigliani is known for his work of abstraction. Following singer, because a lot of people the art of abstract painting has been gaining popularity in the modern world.

What exactly is the abstraction? Abstraction is defined in several ways. First of all, the tradition of abstraction as shown in the figure does not depict reality. At first, most of the art depicting a realistic representation of something, a photo or a person or. Abstract picture does not do this. Definition of abstraction abstract painting does not depict objects of the natural world. Rather abstract picture of the non-representative and nonobjective manner using colors and shapes. This person, you can be anything, or nothing at all, just

You can easily see when you see the abstraction. Abstract figure, bold, bright, and vibrant colors. Abstraction art using bold colors that stand out that many biometric forms. Both strange and beautiful abstraction.

"Abstract expressionist" movement in the 1940s. Displays the artist's freedom of expression and movement was started by pressing the art of abstraction. It is also a school in New York was launched in the "action painting." Declared independence from the European style of work of the United States' first school was one of the school. They are mentally, I like to think of art as a form of intellectual art. This more abstract art illustration of push.

Can come to understand a little more now that you know the history of the art of abstraction. It is important to appreciate all forms of art, including a figure of odd art abstract You, you want to own a part of this work may be. It's a funny thing to see it truly.

If you enjoyed this post and wish to be informed whenever a new post is published, then make sure you subscribe to my regular Email Updates. Subscribe Now!
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Source: http://easyarticles.blogspot.com/2013/01/abstract-paintings-of-beauty.html

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DIY Flash Paper for Illusions or Just for Kicks

Flash paper is a staple for stage illusionists to create fire tricks and, as long as you follow safety protocols, can be a fun chemistry experiment.

YouTube user Nighthawkinlight demonstrates a method for making Nitrocellulose (aka flash paper) using cotton squares cut from a t-shirt, sulfuric acid (drain cleaner) from a plumbing supply shop, and potassium nitrate. You'll add the potassium nitrate to the sulfuric acid and stir to create nitric acid and pour that over your cotton strips. After letting the cotton soak for an hour you'll neutralize the acid by adding water (usually you only add acid to water but see the video for the explanation why this case is different) and a solution of sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) and water. After drying out the flash paper will briefly flare up with fire when lit by a flame. Many stage magic effects have used nitrocellulose over the years and while there are otherwise no practical applications (maybe to help start a fire in a survival situation) it is a fun chemistry experiment as long as you follow proper safety procedures.

Keep in mind that, because this project involves using acid and acid vapor, you need to make sure you're wearing safety glasses and have water and baking soda nearby in case of accidental contact. Also make sure this is done outside as you don't want the acid vapors in your home.

How to Make Flash Paper - Magic Trick Fireballs (Nitrocellulose) | YouTube

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/wXsEAtwZ_qE/diy-flash-paper-for-illusions-or-just-for-kicks

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Calendars & Planners 2014: Lingerie Wall Calendar 2013 ...

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

Source: http://mamalala618.blogspot.com/2013/01/calendars-planners-2014-lingerie-wall.html

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'HTC Sense 5' spotted on Droid DNA in China

Following the leaked images of a new version of HTC Sense running on what seems to be HTC's upcoming "M7" flagship, another photo has emerged apparently showing Sense 5 on Verizon's Droid DNA. The shot surfaced via the user "LeakROMs" on Chinese social network Weibo, and it's a dead ringer for the software pictured on the supposed M7 device just a few hours ago. In addition to the re-worked icons, we can also see the new Sense weather widget and a home screen split into dedicated sections for social networking, news and tutorials.

Now, this is far from official confirmation that Sense 5 is headed to 2012 devices line the DNA. But it seems to show someone, somewhere is experimenting with a new version of HTC's UI on existing handsets.

Who knows what form the finalized version of Sense 5 might take, but the prevalence of this design across multiple leaks suggests HTC is re-working its software from the ground up. We'll keep you apprised of any further details, and we'll be live from Mobile World Congress in Barcelona next month, where HTC is expected to publicly unveil its 2013 line-up.

Source: LeakROMS; via: HTCSource

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/Q-GN-IT0Q8c/story01.htm

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Shadow Hearts: Blood Ties

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Daniel Radcliffe Girlfriend: Erin Darke?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2013/01/daniel-radcliffe-girlfriend-erin-darke/

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Inauguration weekend kicks off with National Day of Service

Vice President Joseph Biden participates during the National Day of Service (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON -- "You guys ready to kick off this day of doing a whole bunch of good?!"

Tommy McFly, a spry Washington, D.C. radio host, is looking over a few hundred volunteers gathered beneath a massive heated tent that stretches for a block on the National Mall, the hub of the National Day of Service, the first official event for President Barack Obama's second Inauguration. The tent is filled with booths from government agencies and non-profits offering community service opportunities.

Across town, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joseph Biden are at work on their own projects.

The president and first lady visited Burrville Elementary School in northeast Washington, where they helped stain bookshelves.

"This inauguration is going to be a symbol of how our democracy works...but it should also be an affirmation that we are all in this together," Obama told a crowd at the school.

At the DC Armory, Biden and his wife Jill spent some time putting together service packages for members of the armed services abroad while Obama joined about 500 volunteers fixing up an elementary school in the city.

The festivities are only a part what will be a national day of events. Across the country, non-profit groups are organizing hundreds of service projects for Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.

Here in Washington, volunteers are gathered for an all-day marathon of community service projects--and maybe also to catch a glimpse of actress Eva Longoria and former First Daughter Chelsea Clinton, who are headlining the morning rally.

"Let's start off this new year by renewing America's promise," Longoria tells the audience to whoops and cheers. "We're going to give back to our schools and students and we're going to be serving our community. And you'll be serving your country when you serve your community."

With the stage bookended by giant Jumbo Tron screens, the event resembles a campaign rally mixed with a splash of county fair, trade show and a hands-on science museum. Display booths for government agencies and non-profit groups fill most of the tent, while employees sign up new recruits to pledge volunteer service in 2013. The booths are divided into sections beneath well-lit banners like "Economic Development," "Health," "Faith," and "Veterans & Military Families."

After Clinton, Longoria and Vice President Joe Biden's son Beau finish brief motivational speeches, the crowd disperses to the booths to pledge volunteer hours and add their names on non-profit mailing lists.

The whole tent is buzzing with activity: At Jane Goodall's Roots & Shoots booth, children make paper birds from stencils to paste on windows so real birds don't smash into them. Teenagers at the Best Buddies International section sign up to mentor children and activists join the Sierra Club's campaign against forest logging.

Across the way, The American Legion has teamed up with the Dept. of Veterans Affairs by providing cards for people to write support letters to wounded soldiers in hospitals throughout the country.

"I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate what their doing," says Susan Schesnol from Scottsdale, Arizona, who is writing several letters to soldiers she'll likely never meet.

Girls write letters to wounded veterans. (Chris Moody/Yahoo News)

Around another corner, a physicist from the Department of Energy has set up a bicycle to a row of light bulbs, and is showing out-of-shape visitors how difficult it is to peddle electricity into old fashioned light bulbs. Nearby, a line has formed for autographs from NASA astronauts Kjell Lindgren and Serena Au??n.

Every once in a while, the Clinton and Longoria entourages pass by, inspiring almost everyone in eye shot to drop what they're doing and tag along. The two women, working different sides of the tent, navigate their way from booth to booth, stringing along dozens of photographers and fans along the way.

"That's Hillary Clinton!" yells a teenager in a red beanie as Chelsea Clinton flows passed him. "I mean, it's WhatSerDaughter's name!"

On Saturday night the first and second ladies, Michele Obama and Jill Biden, will attend the Kids? Inaugural Concert at the Washington, D.C. convention center.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/national-day-181047973--politics.html

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Unknown Sandburg poem found in university archive ...

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. ?

A poem by the late writer Carl Sandburg that appears to have been previously unknown has turned up in the archives of the University of Illinois.

The university says the poem, entitled "A Revolver," was found last week by retired professor Ernie Gullerud as he helped index in Sandburg's archives in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

The poem was typed on a manual typewriter. It begins with four lines on the revolver in question. The last two are: "It delivers unmistakable ultimatums. It is the last word."

George Hendrick is an English professor emeritus at Illinois who edited several volumes of Sandburg's poems. He said the poem is authentic and might have been inspired by President Lincoln's assassination.

The poem is undated. The Illinois-born Sandburg died in 1967.

Source: http://seattletimes.com/html/entertainment/2020172814_apusuofillinoissandburgpoem.html?syndication=rss

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Fed official alleges Geithner may have alerted banks to rate cut

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In the summer of 2007, as storm clouds gathered over the world's financial system, then-New York Federal Reserve President Timothy Geithner allegedly informed the Bank of America and other banks about the possibility the U.S. central bank would lower one of its critical interest rates, according to a senior Fed official.

Jeffrey Lacker, the head of the Richmond Fed, originally raised the allegation during a Fed conference call in August 2007, and he stuck to his 5-year-old claim against the current U.S. treasury secretary in a statement provided to Reuters on Friday.

"From conversations I had prior to the video conference call on August 16, 2007, I was aware of discussions among a few large banks about borrowing from their discount windows to support the asset backed commercial paper market," Lacker said in the statement. "My understanding was that (New York Fed) President Geithner had discussed a reduction in the discount rate with these banks in connection with these initiatives."

According to transcripts of the call released by the Fed on Friday, Geithner at the time denied that banks knew the Fed was considering cutting the discount rate. The Fed regularly releases transcripts of its policy meetings with a five-year lag.

"We don't have any comment beyond the transcript," said Treasury spokesman Anthony Coley. The Treasury declined to make Geithner available to comment.

Information about any planned interest rate move by the Fed is among the most sensitive as it can have a huge impact on a range of financial markets worldwide. That was particularly the case in the summer of 2007 when there were growing concerns about financial stability as a crisis that would reach fever pitch just more than a year later began to build.

Private disclosure of confidential, market-sensitive information by the central bank would be highly unusual, but it was not immediately clear if it would be illegal. It also was not clear if strict Fed internal rules governing confidential information would have been breached, or whether any internal or external investigation was mounted. Lacker made no suggestion of wrongdoing by the banks as a result of getting hold of any information.

The central bank delivered a surprise cut in the discount rate, which governs direct loans it makes to banks, the day after the call. The action spurred a big stock market rally, with the Standard & Poor's 500 Index enjoying its best gain in 4-1/2 years.

In his statement to Reuters, Lacker did not say which banks may have been privy to the information, although in the transcript of the August 16, 2007, call he said he had discussed the matter with Bank of America's then CEO, Ken Lewis, earlier that day. The Richmond Fed supervises the Charlotte, North Carolina-based bank.

Spokesmen for the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, the New York Fed and Bank of America all declined to comment, as did Lewis.

FIRST IN SERIES OF RATE CUTS

The unusually large half-point cut in the discount rate to 5.75 percent that the Fed delivered on August 17 was the first in a long series and came just days after French bank BNP Paribas froze three investment funds that were facing heavy redemptions. A month later, the Fed would also cut the overnight federal funds rate, its primary lever to influence the economy.

During the Fed's August 16, 2007, conference call, Geithner said that banks had started to ask about borrowing from the Fed earlier in the month after the central bank had released a statement saying it stood ready to provide liquidity to credit markets.

Geithner said banks "obviously don't have any idea that we're contemplating a change in policy" - a statement that Lacker then questioned.

"Did you say that they are unaware of what we're considering or what we might be doing with the discount rate?" Lacker asked, according to the transcript.

Geithner said yes, and Lacker followed up: "I spoke with Ken Lewis, president and CEO of Bank of America, this afternoon, and he said that he appreciated what Tim Geithner was arranging by way of changes in the discount facility. So my information is different from that."

Geithner responded, "I cannot speak for Ken Lewis, but I think they have sought to see whether they could understand a little more clearly the scope of their rights and our current policy with respect to the (discount lending) window."

"The only thing I've done is to try to help them understand ... what the scope of that is," he said.

Geithner, who is stepping down from his Treasury post next Friday, was an advocate of aggressive action to stem the crisis, and the steps the central bank took are widely credited with helping to calm the financial storm. Lacker was less inclined to intervene in the markets.

(Additional reporting by Rick Rothacker in Charlotte, N.C., and Jonathan Spicer in New York; Editing by Timothy Ahmann and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/fed-official-alleges-geithner-may-alerted-banks-rate-050411052--business.html

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Don't Schedule Your Job Interview On The Same ... - Business Insider

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

Whether or not you're considered qualified for a position depends on who else is applying for the job.

This comparison only lasts for one day, which means that you are only compared to people who are interviewing on the same day as you ? not the day before or after.

"People are averse to judging too many applicants high or low on a single day, which creates a bias against people who happen to show up on days with especially strong applicants,? according to a recently published study in the??journal?Psychological Science.

This is called "narrow bracketing," which basically means that "instead of evaluating applicants in relation to all of the applicants who had been or would be interviewed, interviewers would only consider them in the frame of applicants interviewed on that day."

Researchers?Uri Simonsohn from the University of?Pennsylvania and?Francesca Gino from Harvard University concluded that these findings are also relevant for other situations, such as approving loan applications or choosing contestants for a reality show.?

The bottom line is that if you want to get the job or really need that loan, you'll have a better chance if you present your case on a different day than your strongest contenders.

The study included more than 9,000 MBA interviews between 2000 and 2009.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/dont-schedule-your-job-interview-on-the-same-day-as-your-rivals-2013-1

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HDHomeRun Prime beta update for DLNA streaming is live

Got your HDHomeRun Prime, your favorite DLNA client and an itch to watch some premium HD cable TV? Well, then it's time to head over to the beta forum, download the latest firmware then register as a tester. Those of you lucky enough to have a nice TV provider that doesn't lock everything down with Copy Once flag will be able to watch live TV on just about any DLNA playback device that supports MPEG2. Those not so lucky will need a PS3 or a 2012 Samsung HDTV, without which this little gem ain't going to do you much good. Sadly, this doesn't work on the regular HDHomeRun because of hardware limitations, but the new tuners due this spring will allow DLNA access of ATSC, QAM and DVB sources -- as well as allow playback on Media Players that only support h.264. The usefulness of this is still pretty limited while we wait for the rest of SiliconDust's Project:Connect to come together, but we don't see any reason why you wouldn't join in on the fun.

Filed under: HD

Comments

Source: Project:Connect beta forum

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/01/19/hdhomerun-prime-beta-update-for-dlna-streaming-is-live/

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Canada put "wrong" maple leaf on new Canadian dollar 20 bill: expert

OTTAWA (Reuters) - The Bank of Canada has barked up the wrong maple tree with its new plastic banknotes, using a foreign Norway maple leaf as the emblem on the notes instead of the sugar maple that the country has on its national flag, an eagle-eyed Canadian botanist says.

The untrained eye might not at first spot the difference between the maple leaf on the new $20, $50 and $100 bills and the North American sugar maple.

But it is clear to Sean Blaney, a botanist who tracks plants for the Atlantic Canada Conservation Data Center in New Brunswick, and who brought it first to the attention of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

"The maple leaf (on the currency) is the wrong species," he told Reuters on Friday.

He said the Norway maple has more lobes or sections and has a more pointed outline than the sugar maple, and the lobe that rises in the center is shorter than the sugar maple's.

The Norway maple was imported from Europe and is now also common in North America. Blaney said it was probably the most popular tree along streets in central and eastern Canada.

"It has naturalized to Canada," he said. But it's not the grand sugar maple.

The central bank said the image on the new bills was purposefully designed not to represent any specific species but rather to be a combination of various kinds.

"It is not a Norway maple leaf. It is a stylized maple leaf and it is what it ought to be," said Bank of Canada currency spokesman Julie Girard.

She said the banknote designers created the image with the help of a dendrologist, a botanist who specializes in trees and shrubs.

"On the advice of this expert, steps were taken to ensure that the design of the leaf in the secondary window is not representative of a Norway maple," she said, adding that it was less rectangular than a Norway maple.

Blaney is not buying the explanation. "I think it's just an after-the-fact excuse," he said.

"That may have been their intention, to not have it be a specific species of maple, but they should have drawn it differently if that were the case, because the maple that they've drawn is quite clearly a Norway maple."

The Bank of Canada had to apologize in August after news broke that it replaced the picture of an Asian lab assistant on its new C$100 banknote with a woman who looked more Caucasian.

Focus groups said Asians should not be the only group represented. Critics then accused the bank of racism.

(Editing by Janet Guttsman and Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/canada-put-wrong-maple-leaf-canadian-dollar-20-195337455--business.html

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