Best of Big League Stew 2012: Coming back to earth after a memorable year in baseball (Yahoo! Sports)

(Getty Images)

If Big League Stew were a baseball player, we'd be heading into our final year of arbitration.

Yup, that's right. As hard as it is to believe, we've been taking our hacks for five seasons now and we're about to close the book on a 2012 that ranks up there with all the others. From the emergence of exciting young players to a wealth of no-hitters and perfect games to playoff expansion and the emergence of the San Francisco Giants as a possible dynasty, the year gone by was an excellent time to be a baseball blogger. We can only hope 2013 is just as fun.

But before we move on, let's perform our annual custom of looking back on the year that was. We'd like to thank all of our loyal Stewies for their continued readership and would like to wish each of you a happy and healthy new year that's filled with dirt and diamonds.

Remember: Spring training camps open in just 42 more days.

Previous best of Big League Stew retrospectives: 2011,?2010,?2009,?2008

* * *

BLS story of the year: Mike Trout and Bryce Harper splash onto scene

(USA Today Sports)

It was the year of the San Francisco Giants. And the year of the perfect game/no-hitter. And the year of the first Triple Crown winner since Yaz in '67. And the year when the baseball's power base shifted from the country's northeast corridor to the west coast.

But for our money, 2012 will always be the year when Mike Trout and Bryce Harper burst onto the scene and put together historical seasons for men not yet old enough to legally buy a drink. Both were named the rookie of the year in their respective leagues and Trout was good enough to create one of the biggest AL MVP debates in the award's history. (Though Triple Crown winner Miguel Cabrera would walk away with the award, no one will soon forget the MVP impact Trout had on the Angels. Better yet, Trout could win the award in 2013 and still be the youngest winner in history.)

Chronicling the debut years of Trout and Harper always gave us the feeling that we were watching the next generation of baseball lurching into place. And with other great rookie performances including some from international players like Yu Darvish, Yoenis Cespedes and Norichika Aoki, it's impossible not to feel like baseball's future is going to be a good one.

Honourable mentions: Marlins and Blue Jays make each other over ...?Giants win second title in three years ... Pablo Sandoval makes World Series history ... Miguel Cabrera wins first Triple Crown in 45 years ... The Stephen Strasburg shutdown ... ?Josh Hamilton lands with Angels ... A-Rod's playoff playing time drama ... Infield fly rule game ... Dodgers and Red Sox pull off blockbuster trade ... ?Felix Hernandez joins Matt Cain and Philip Humber as 2012 perfect gamers ... Babe Ruth jersey sells for $4.4 million ... Kerry Wood leaves great legacy in Chicago ... Hamilton hits four homers in one game ... Wishing Fenway a happy 100th birthday ... Magic Johnson's group buys the Dodgers for $2 billion ... Ryan Braun wins appeal of 50-game suspension ... Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter dies at age 57

* * *

BLS play of the year: Mike Trout lands unbelievable catch in Baltimore

Trout made several jaw-dropping home run robberies during the year, but his theft of J.J. Hardy's home run bid in a late June game in Baltimore was the best of the bunch.

Honourable mentions: Hunter Pence's triple-double in NLCS ... Adam Greenberg strikes out in MLB return ... Travis 'Snider-Man' ... Yoenis Cespedes' mammoth homer

* * *

BLS video of the year: Little League umpire goes overboard

When I first saw the "most exaggerated strike-three call of all time" video on Deadspin, I was skeptical. After all, how could you top? the classic Naked Gun-stylings of Leslie Nielsen?

But this, dear Stewies, is the real deal. It's like Enrico Pallazzo and Kenny Powers had a baby and he eventually ended up calling Little League games in Rock Island, Ill., for nine bucks and all the Capri Sun he could drink a game

Honourable mentions: Woman misses marriage proposal at Wrigley ... Kenyan orphans score YouTube hit with '86 World Series clip ... Brett Lawrie fires helmet at ump ... Why you don't want to be standing under a Giancarlo Stanton home run ... Bryce Harper joins softball game at Washington Monument ... David Freese's interview with lovestruck reporter ... "The worst cheap shot ever" ... Bear Grylls lights first pitch on fire

* * *

(AP photos)BLS media story of the year: Ozzie Guillen talks with Time Magazine

The new mouth of the South headed down to Miami on a four-year contract, but it only took him one poor year to get fired.

A lot of that, of course, had to do with Guillen only needing one week to find the line in south Florida and cross it. In comments made to Sean Gregory of Time Magazine, Guillen expressed an admiration for Cuban leader Fidel Castro, an absolute no-no in Miami Marlins land. Though Guillen went through a long public apology and served a team-ordered suspension, the damage was done. He never won over his fan base and within six months, he was looking at his first team-less winter since the early '80s. The $7.5 million he's still owed by Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria should help cushion the blow, but Guillen's pride took an enormous hit during the year.

Honourable mentions: Tom Cheek gets Hall nod ...?Hawk Harrelson confirmed as biggest homer in baseball ... Harrelson scolded by Selig after outburst ... ?Mike Francesa falls asleep during Yankees update ... Bob Uecker statue is understated ... Jeter responds to Skip Bayless foolishness ... Joe Girardi chases heckler during press conference ... Showtime calls early end to Marlins series ... Marty Brennaman shaves head, raises $50K for charity ...

* * *

BLS fan play of the year: Young fan cries after oblivious couple keeps ball

Kids, crying and controversy form a perfect recipe for Yahoo's front-page gold and so it's no surprise this was one of our most-trafficked posts of the year. And man, was the end result really weird with Yahoo commenters choosing to vilify either the oblivious middle-aged couple who were waaay too happy to have a baseball thrown to them or the toddler who burst into tears over the disappointment of the ball not coming his way.

Honourable mentions: Brewers fan attends all 162 games ... Giant paper airplane crashes game ... Dancing friar catches Headley's grand slam ... Injured softball player catches big Chipper Jones home run ... Impostor crashes Braves alumni game ... Reds fan catches two homers in the same inning ... Royals fan jumps into fountain in pursuit of homer ... Small boy ejected from game after running on field ...

* * *

BLS doppelganger of the year: Babe Ruth, alive and well

"The Sultan of Steak" (John Cirillo photo)

The eyes. The?nose. The creases in the face. The belly. The neck and complexion. Even the piece of steak at the tip of the fork. The jersey and cap don't hurt either. Hey, this guy looks exactly like Babe Ruth eating a steak! Lucky for him, Gallagher's famous steakhouse in the heart of Manhattan happened to be hosting a Babe Ruth look-alike contest as part of its 85th birthday celebration Monday night.

OK, it's more than a coincidence. Willis "Buster" Gardner of Oberlin, Ohio, made the drive with his wife of nearly 56 years, Cecile, to New York City in order to defend his title from 2007 and the inaugural contest in 2002. And defend it he did; a panel of judges unanimously named him the winner. Well, duh.

Honourable mentions: Pedro Alvarez fan looks a lot like Pedro Alvarez ... When Tim Lincecum met his cab-driving lookalike ... Philip Humber and Eric Wedge

* * *

BLS touching story of the year: Pat Neshek returns to mound after death of son

(Getty Images)

The baseball world wept along with Oakland A's reliever Pat Neshek and his wife Stephanee after their son Gehrig died just 23 hours after being born in early October. It was one of baseball's most tragic stories in recent memory and no one would have blamed Pat if he had sat out the rest of the season to grieve. Pat and Stephanee, however, decided the best way to cope was with their Oakland A's family, who had just entered the playoffs after storming their way to the AL West title. Three days after his Gehrig's death, Neshek entered Game 1 of the ALDS against the Detroit Tigers, recording two outs in the bottom of the seventh. You can be sure there wasn't a single dry eye in Stew country when he stepped off the mound and touched the special patch the A's were wearing while looking skyward.

Honourable mentions: Detwiler ditches honeymoon to support troops ... Jimmy Rollins and the Ugandan Little League team ... Jim Joyce saves woman's life with CPR ... Rockies pay visit to Aurora movie theater survivors .... Jeff Francoeur shares special moment with autistic child ... Jim Duquette donates kidney to daughter ... Army dad's surprise homecoming at Safeco

* * *

(BLS illustration)BLS food post of the year: Jeff Francoeur sends 20 pizzas to A's fans

Francoeur, an outfielder for the Kansas City Royals, had 20 pizzas delivered Wednesday afternoon to fans sitting in the right-field grandstand at the Oakland Coliseum. He also sent along a signed bat, with a personal message inscribed. That's quite a gift package. To what did the Oakland folks owe such generosity? Why in the name of another Jeff ? Spicoli ? would he buy them pizzas?

The unorthodox acquaintance of a visiting slugger and some East Bay baseball crazies began a season ago when a group in the bleachers decided to celebrate "Bacon Tuesday" by bringing homemade bacon-flavored eats to the ballpark. With the Royals in town, fans also made Francoeur the target of good-natured heckling (being the right fielder, he was closest to them). Inevitably, the memes collided. Francoeur got along so well with the crowd ? he would wave, shout back at them, and laugh along ? that after the game he went over for a meet and greet.

Honourable mentions: Why I've saved my Ken Griffey chocolate bar for 20 years ...?Angel Pagan wins free tacos for the country ... Jayson Werth in cupcake form ... Adam Jones' bubble-blowing habit goes prime time ... Bryce Harper celebrates with apple cider ... Hamilton blames struggles on caffeine ... John Lackey's drinking habits ... Kent Hrbek digs dog treats ... Popeyes clowns the Red Sox ... Lincecum loses appetite for McDonalds

* * *

BLS dumb move of the year: Giants fan triggers burning of $1 million city bus

(Susannah Bates/Special to the San Francisco Chronicle)

San Francisco police arrested Gregory Tyler Graniss on Tuesday night and charged him with felony vandalism and a felony count of injuring or destroying a passenger transit vehicle. The 22-year-old San Francisco native is allegedly the person seen throwing a street barricade through the window of a San Francisco Muni bus after the Giants won the World Series on Sunday night. The act of vandalism triggered the burning of the $1 million bus and was captured by photographer Susana Bates before being widely circulated across the Internet,?including Yahoo!'s front page. The Big League Stew post was shared on Facebook over 4,800 times alone.

Honourable mentions: ?A-Rod asks for phone number during ALCS loss ... Nats fans get World Series ticket information after being eliminated ... Troopers ask for in-game autographs in Yankee dugout ... Derek Holland blames hacker for homophobic tweet ... Yunel Escobar's offensive eye-black ... Pirates given go-ahead to sell playoff tickets ... Cubs decal gone wrong ... Man misses son's first birthday after crashing Johan Santana's no-no ... Stephen Strasburg and 'Hot Stuff' prove bad mix ... John Lackey uses the 'r' word ...

* * *

BLS injury of the year: Brandon McCarthy's head injury

(USA Today Photos)

The BLS "injury of the year" is usually a spot to poke fun at a player who hurt himself in an unusual way ? see all the links below ? but that doesn't seem appropriate after seeing Brandon McCarthy take an Erick Aybar line drive off his head in early September. Though the A's pitcher walked off the field under his own power, he required surgery to alleviate the pressure on his brain and it made for a scary situation. McCarthy has fortunately made a full recovery and the entire incident could have a lasting sport-wide impact as Major League Baseball is investigating the ways that pitchers can better protect themselves, including the use of padded "pitching helmets".

Honourable mentions: Cashner hurts self while hunting ... Robin Yount shoots Dale Sveum ... Duda breaks wrist while moving furniture ... Bobby V crashes bike while reading text from Dustin Pedroia ... Marwin Gonzalez's spectacular fall ... Falling suitcase breaks Jonathan Lucroy's hand ...Bryce Harper hits own face with bat, get 10 stitches ... Mariano Rivera tears ACL during BP ...Joba Chamberlain's grotesque trampoline injury ...

* * *

BLS screen cap of the year: Cincinnati's sorry-looking broom

(TBS via @cjzero)

There are just some things you shouldn't do as a baseball fan. Waving around a thin-looking broom in anticipation of a sweep while your opponent looks to get up off the mat in the extra innings of a tied elimination game is one of them.

Honourable mentions:?Beautiful sunset over AT&T Park ... "Carl" Ripken Jr. ... Rays don gladiator helmets in dugout ... Robert Andino finally feels Oriole Magic ... Tim Welke and the worst call of the year ... Rogue graphics person gives Matt Kemp the 2011 MVP award

* * *

BLS photoshop of the year: Tim Lincecum meets #Linsanity

(@Fla_Dodger)

Remember those few weeks earlier in the year when everyone was trying to get involved with the Jeremy Lin-inspired mania that was taking over New York? BLS was no exception.

Honourable mention: Matt Cain photoshop contest winners ... Kevin Youkilis as Wade Boggs ... Jonathan Papelbon's bounty ... Charles Dawin Barney the Dinosaur ... James Loney's view of the future ... Papelbon in Paris

* * *

BLS Fashion Ump post of the year: Ranking the sexiest GMs 1-30

(AP)

In Big League Stew's five-season history, we can probably safely say that no post had been read in all 30 front offices. Then David Brown put his tongue in his cheek to write a Hall of Fame-level parody piece that went viral to some very unexpected places.

Honourable mentions: ?Tim Lincecum says sayonara to long hair ... Larsen's perfect game jersey sells for $756K ... Ryan Howard plays 'trash the dress' with bride ... Bryce Harper's Halloween costume ... Fake Verlander t-shirt causes Internet stir ... Max Scherzer's mismatched goggles ... Colby Rasmus' cornrows ... Dickey's friendship bracelets declared illegal ... Carne Cabeza! ... Sensing a pattern at All-Star media day ... The 10 best-selling New Era caps ... Affeldt sprains knee while hugging son ... The Colt .45s throwbacks controversy ... Cards' opening day unis get golden touch ... Two tiny teammates, one giant pair of pants ... Hulk Hogan crashes Mets camp ... Carlos Beltran buys ?Jon Niese a new nose ... Fan Cave member explains stories behind all 30 MLB tattoos

What was your favorite Big League Stew post? Tell us in the comments below!

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/sports/rss/mlb/SIG=14qplbv9i/*http%3A//sports.yahoo.com/news/2012-year-in-review--best-of-big-league-stew-2012--coming-back-to-earth-after-a-memorable-year-in-baseball-190212718.html

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Are there alternatives to noncompetes for employees who work in ...

Q. We have employees who live and work in Cali??for??nia. We get frustrated that we are not allowed to have them sign a noncompete agreement. Is there anything we can do?

A. The enforceability of most noncompetition agreements and similar restrictions on post-employment competition generally depends on the common law or statutes of the state in which an employee lives and works, or the law chosen in an employment agreement.

Unlike Minnesota, California and certain other states? common law or statutes prohibit nearly all employee noncompetition agreements. There is, however, a potential option to incentivize employees not to compete, by using certain compensation plans regulated by federal law rather than any state?s.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) is the federal law that regulates certain em??ployee benefits such as health plans and pension plans. Cer??tain deferred compensation plans regulated by ERISA and related to more highly compensated employees, may contain forfeiture-for-competition provisions. Those provisions state that employees forfeit later payments of deferred compensation if they have competed with the company after their employment ends.

One advantage to these forfeiture-for-compensation provisions is that ERISA pre-empts state laws. That means California?s and other states? laws prohibiting noncompetition agreements do not apply to their enforcement.

Of course, these plans may not be right for all employers, and they must be drafted to meet ERISA re??quire??ments. Under certain circumstances they can create a significant incentive for employees not to compete after they leave the company.

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Source: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/33857/are-there-alternatives-to-noncompetes-for-employees-who-work-in-california

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Kissing Tips: 7 Ideas For An Epic New Year's Eve Kiss

Whether you're coupled up already or looking for the perfect excuse to steal a kiss from that cute guy/girl at the party, when the clock strikes midnight on New Year's Eve, give that special someone a kiss to remember.

Click through the slideshow below for 7 ideas for the perfect NYE smooch -- and click over here to share all your dating and health resolutions for 2013!

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/29/kissing-tips-7-ideas-for-_n_2381325.html

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Din of Hammers, Oil Wells Signal Bakersfield Boom

For most of its existence, Bakersfield has inhabited that awkward in-between place. Not as sophisticated as Los Angeles, just over the Tehachapi Mountains to the south, not as wealthy as its longtime economic rival Fresno, equidistant to the north.

But as many communities continue to struggle economically, good things are happening in this place best known for endless oil fields and the "Bakersfield Sound" ? a twangy style of steel guitar music made popular by hometown country crooners Buck Owens and Merle Haggard.

Bakersfield and surrounding Kern County find themselves in lofty positions on key national lists measuring economic vitality: No. 1 metro area for long-term private sector job growth, No. 1 county for construction gains and No. 1 large metro area for annual economic growth.

Cheap land, affordable housing, proximity to Los Angeles, a location that's within a three-hour drive of 90 percent of the state's population, and a planning department that doesn't throw up roadblocks are driving the region's economic revolution, business leaders say.

Caterpillar's new parts distribution center at the confluence of Interstate 5 and Highway 99, the state's two major north-south transportation arteries, went from handshake to grand opening last August in just eight months. It joined 35 other logistics centers near there such as Ikea, Frito Lay, Dollar General, Famous Footwear and Target, drawn to the county because it is a one-day turnaround for truckers delivering from San Francisco to San Diego.

The demand for industrial and office space has left Kern County with little inventory.

"Everything is moving," said David Wagner, contractor Wallace & Smith's superintendent on a 28,000-square-foot business complex that's now a skeleton of I-beams. "The developer already has tenants for this and it won't open until April."

The contractor just finished a 160,000-square-foot cold storage facility in Delano, a NASCAR-style racetrack and a regional blood bank. It has four apartment complexes under construction and will break ground in February on a minor league baseball stadium.

Electrician Bryce McCall wondered during the downturn whether he had chosen the right profession. Not anymore.

"My wife and I would discuss whether I would be better off going to the oil fields," he said as he drilled wiring conduits in a new garage at a new development. "Now the jobs are happening and we're starting to pick up."

There's such an active business climate that this fall the Kern County Economic Development Corporation and Bakersfield Californian newspaper bucked industry trends by launching a print paper, the Kern Business Journal, now on its second edition. A new east-west freeway through the middle of town is paved and close to opening.

Long reliant on agriculture and oil, there's diversity of industries emerging, with renewable energy and aerospace gaining a foothold.

At the Mojave Air and Space Port in southeast Kern County, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo preps for the day it will carry passengers into suborbital space, and Paul Allen's Stratolaunch Systems is building the world's largest aircraft ? one that will carry rockets with commercial cargo and, eventually, passengers to the edge of space.

The wider, extended runway the company needs already was built. The space port complex has 400 acres pre-approved for construction.

Source: http://feeds.abcnews.com/click.phdo?i=e83a411e8c3f46d64b1d49a4051bde9c

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Franklin TN New Construction Home Sales for November 2012

Franklin TN New Construction Home Sales for November 2012 provided by Tammie White:

Franklin TN new construction homes are currently in a sellers' market. The sales price to list price ratio remains high and the average days on the market remains low. These are ideal conditions for sellers. The sellers, in this case, happen to be the builders. That is not good new for buyers. Franklin TN new construction homes are selling close to or above listing price.

Buyers should always remember to have the assistance of a Buyer's Agent whenever purchasing a home including new construction. Many builders are very negotiable on their sales price but unsuspecting buyers don't always know this. As a Buyer's Agent, I prepare a Competitive Market Analysis for the new construction area to verify what homes are currently selling for. This gives the buyer a better indication of what they should offer. Rather than blindly agreeing to the sellers asking price.

Remember the on-site agent works for the seller and his job is to make sure the seller/builder gets the most for their homes. A buyer's agent would work for the buyer to represent his interests and get the best price for the buyer. All at no cost to the buyer.

If you are interested in a Franklin TN home for sale or wish to sell your Franklin TN home, contact Tammie White, your Franklin TN REALTOR?, at (615) 495-0752.

NOTE: The photo featured above is of an actual Franklin TN new construction home.

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Tammie White, Realtor? in Franklin TN

Cell Phone: (615)495-0752

This posting and the contents written here are the intellectual property and opinions of Tammie White of Benchmark Realty LLC. Providing real estate services to clients in Franklin, Brentwood, Nolensville, Thompsons Station, Spring Hill, Fairview, Leipers Fork, Nashville and the whole Middle TN area.

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Source: http://activerain.com/blogsview/3565979/franklin-tn-new-construction-home-sales-for-november-2012

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'Fiscal cliff': Finger-pointing furiously, Congress slouches toward deadline

Speaker Boehner, who called the House back into session Sunday evening, said Thursday it was up to the Senate to act, while majority leader Reid spoke on the Senate floor of a 'dysfunctional' GOP caucus.

By Gail Russell Chaddock,?Staff writer / December 27, 2012

House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md. gestures during a news conference in Washington, Capitol Hill, Thursday, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff.

Evan Vucci/AP

Enlarge

In a last bid to avert the "fiscal cliff," House Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio is calling the House back into session for votes on Sunday evening, but without a sign from either side of the aisle of a new offer that might make a breakthrough possible before the Jan. 1 deadline.

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Instead, the leadership of both houses of Congress engaged in a flurry of finger-pointing Thursday, with each saying the other was to blame for the likelihood of the deadline being missed to avoid the fiscal cliff of tax hikes and spending cuts.

It's all up to the Senate, Mr. Boehner told House Republicans in a conference call in the afternoon, in a reprise of his comments after failing to get necessary party support last week for his own "Plan B" fallback maneuver while negotiating with President Obama. The House acted back in August to stop all the tax-rate increases and replace mandated spending cuts, or the sequester, with "responsible spending cuts," he reiterated. "These bills await action by the Senate."

"Once this has occurred, the House will then consider whether to accept the bills as amended, or to send them back to the Senate with additional amendments," he added. "The House will take this action on whatever the Senate can pass ? but the Senate must act."

Meanwhile, Senate majority leader Harry Reid, who had called the Senate back into session on Thursday, blasted Boehner and a "dysfunctional Republican caucus" for the deadlock.

?It?s obvious what?s going on. He?s waiting until Jan. 3 to get reelected to speaker, because he has so many people over there that won?t follow what he wants,? he said in a floor speech opening the Senate.

The way to avert the fiscal cliff is for the House to pass a bill that extends the Bush tax cuts for all but those families earning more than $250,000 in income, he added. The bill passed the Senate last July with no Republican votes.

So, with just five days to go before some $600 billion in tax hikes and spending cuts take hold, congressional leaders are hunkering down in bargaining positions back to where they were before the August break. But at the same time, leaders on both sides of the aisle say that there is flexibility in the system to come to terms even after the Jan. 1 deadline expires.

One approach is for Congress to pass a stopgap measure akin to a ?continuing resolution,? which is used to continue spending at current levels until Congress can complete work on a new spending bill, said House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D) of Maryland, after a briefing with reporters on Thursday.

If Congress was close to a deal but ran out of time to draft the legislative language needed to implement it, a 10-day extension could avert the cliff, he said. If Boehner allowed a floor vote on extending all the Bush tax cuts except for those over $250,000, ?I think it would pass,? he said.

Another might be for President Obama to direct the Treasury to delay tax hikes unilaterally, until a deal is finalized, a strategy President George H.W. Bush used for a limited period of time when a tax deal with Congress appeared imminent.

On Wednesday, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner made a similar proposal when he told Congress that the nation would run up against its debt ceiling on Dec. 31, but that he would use ?exceptional measures? to avoid the US breaching its borrowing limits for at least another month.

?The message from Geithner is that the world is not going to end on New Year?s eve, that there?s some flexibility in the system,? says Ross Baker, a congressional expert at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N. J.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/pHpHxGOwXwU/Fiscal-cliff-Finger-pointing-furiously-Congress-slouches-toward-deadline

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BMWK Travel: A Must Have Travel App For Frequent Flyers | Black ...

By now, we?ve all opened our gifts and and picked which gift card to spend first. (LOL) If you received an iTunes gift card for Christmas, don?t spend it all on music, videos and tv show downloads. Save a little because we have a fabulous, must-have travel app. ?Just Landed? is the best app for tracking flights.

Have you ever left way too early to pick someone up at the airport and had to drive in circles around an airport waiting on a flight to land? Have you even fought for a parking space at the cell phone waiting area at an airport only to get the call that the plane was delayed? Well?there?s an app for that and it?s called ?Just Landed.?

The app ?Just Landed? promises seamless airport pickup and it delivers! ?Just Landed? lets you search for the needed flight and once found, you tap on it and the app begins to track the flight (maximum 48 hours in advance). Once tracking has started, updates are sent to you via push notifications.

With the notifications you can then prepare to pickup your travelers. ?Just Landed? helps you prepare with flight information like flight arrival time, terminal, gate and even baggage claim information. My absolute favorite feature is the one that tells you when to leave for the airport. By monitoring current traffic conditions and flight status, the app gives you an accurate (but estimated) travel time. Simply Fabulous!

With ?Just Landed? you?ll never be late or too early again to pick up your favorite travelers from the airport.
Before the next holiday and before you have to pick someone up from the airport, download this smart and dependable travel app. ?Just Landed? is currently only available for iPhones. To buy/download visit the iTunes store and visit www.getjustlanded.com for more information.

By The Travelin Diva (Kirstin N. Fuller)

Follow me on twitter?@thetravelindiva and @Passenger156!

About the author

Kirstin N. Fuller aka The Travelin Diva is a DC based travel journalist bringing fellow travelers the best deals on family vacations, couples retreats, spa getaways, the best travel gadgets and more in BMWK?s exclusive Travel Tuesday & Weekend Travel Guide columns. Check out her new travel blog daily for more deals & destinations www.passenger156.com.

Source: http://blackandmarriedwithkids.com/2012/12/bmwk-travel-a-must-have-travel-app-for-frequent-flyers/

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Pony back with circus after Christmas kidnap

VIENNA (AP) ? A tiny pony is back at its Austrian circus home more than a week after apparently being kidnapped by a woman who wanted to give her sick daughter a Christmas surprise.

Fridolin the pony, who is only about 2 feet (60 centimeters) tall, went missing from the Vienna Christmas Circus early last week. He was found near a Vienna bus stop Wednesday.

Circus director Adolf Lauenburger told the Austria Press Agency Thursday that a woman called the circus and told officials where to find the pony. She said her daughter wanted a circus pony and she'd taken him to fulfill the girl's wishes for Christmas ? but decided she couldn't keep the animal.

Lauenburger wasn't able to identify the woman. Police were looking into the matter.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/aa9398e6757a46fa93ed5dea7bd3729e/Article_2012-12-27-Austria-Kidnapped%20Pony/id-90e96c8797da4e45a9009a871e7e0106

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layanau: writ trig: Bodybuilding Basics | Sports n Recreation Info ...

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LOS ANGELES ? Ryan Reynolds is the latest superhero to rule the weekend box office. Reynolds? ?Green Lantern? debuted at No. 1 with $52.7 million, a fair but unremarkable opening stacked up against other comic-book adaptations. Released by Warner Bros., ?Green Lantern? brought up the rear among superhero movies to open so far this summer, [...]

? About 3 weeks ago, a box from Sprint arrived. Inside the box was a kitten. No, sorry?actually it was this nifty 7? Android tablet from HTC, the EVO View 4G. After using it almost daily, and discussing it with everybody I could corner, I?m still somewhat conflicted about whether or not I?d buy one. [...]

Hong Kong bills itself as one of Asia?s most diverse cities and is home to a sizable population of non-ethnic Chinese minorities, but many of them educated at local public schools are unable to read and speak Chinese. In the 15 years since reverting to Chinese sovereignty, South Asian students here have been given the [...]

At first, you?ll be mystified by the 20 most-liked Facebook photos posted by advertisers during 2012. The giants of Facebook advertising ? Walmart, Amazon, Target, Samsung, etc. ? are completely absent. In their place are some tiny businesses and niche companies you?ve never heard of. Sure, a couple of major brands like Bed Bath & [...]

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MWN Shares its Success Story in Casablanca's School of Journalism

By Loubna Flah

Morocco World News

Casablanca, December 27, 2012

The Casablanca-based Ecole Superieure de Journalisme et de Communication (School of Journalism and Communication) on Wednesday invited Dr. Samir Bennis, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Morocco World News to share its experience with the young students of the school.

Samir Bennis shared with the audience the story behind the creation of Morocco World News. Being a strong advocate of Morocco?s territorial integrity, especially regarding the Sahara region, Mr. Bennis decided along with his brother, Mr. Adnane Bennis, to set up a new platform that would provide international public opinion with a more balanced and nuanced vision on the? Sahara issue. He highlighted that there is lack of awareness among the Moroccan public opinion and media professionals about the need to reach out to the international public opinion in order to provide it with a more nuanced and balanced vision about Morocco.

Dr. Samir Bennis in Casablanca's School of Journalism

He added that MWN intends to be Morocco?s window to the world, thus providing any person eager to learn about the country to have access to information covering every aspects of its culture, history, economic and political life.

He went to on to stress the pivotal role played by MWN in the media landscape both at the domestic and the international levels, especially in the United States. It has indeed lifted the veil of silence over deficiencies in defending Moroccan interests before the international community.

He also highlighted that MWN is the only Moroccan news outlet that provides news and analyses about Morocco and the rest of the world around the clock, while commending the other members of the team located in Morocco, who play an important role in providing the readers with the latest news about the event taking place in the MENA region.

Dr. Samir Bennis in Casablanca's School of Journalism, talking about the success story of www.moroccoworldnews.com

Mr. Bennis listed a number of crucial events that have traits with Morocco?s sovereignty over the Sahara region exclusively covered by the MWN team. He referred to the omission of the Sahara region from the documents submitted by the Morocco Mall architecture company. In addition, MWN was the first news outlet to address the lack of coverage by Moroccan media of the Security Council sessions in New York where the Sahara conflict is debated.

In this regard, Mr. Bennis had sent an open letter to the minister of communication Mr. Khalfi. He seized the opportunity to call for reform of the media sector in regard to national interests. The same issue was raised during an MWN interview with Mr. Choubani, minister in charge of relations with parliament and civil society.

Mr. Bennis shared with the audience the long term goals of MWN. Indeed, MWN founders envision building an influential news outlet that will rival with major international news outlets.

He highlighted that MWN emerged as a groundbreaking English speaking news outlet that provides insight to both local and international news in total alignment with Moroccan identity and supreme national interests. He added that the appeal of MWN is going crescendo, pointing out that readers from an average of 90 countries visit the website every day.

He also highlighted that, unlike other news outlets in Arabic or French whose reach is limited, MWN has further reach commensurate to the global reach of the English language.

Dr. Samir Bennis will also be a guest speaker at the University Hassan II of Casablanca on Friday 28 December where he will enlighten the audience of the university about the Spanish colonial legacy and the representation of Moroccans, as well as in Meknes? Moulay Ismail University on Friday 4 January where he will share his experience in launching MWN.

Online journalism is still at the embryonic stage. Yet, this new trend seems to be a bottomless reservoir of unexplored possibilities. MWN ambitious team is resolute to expand its outreach among Moroccan and international readership by maintaining high standards and, most importantly, by being faithful to the national identity.

Source: http://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2012/12/71815/mwn-shares-its-success-story-in-casablancas-school-of-journalism-2/

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How'd your holiday Photospheres turn out?

Google a couple weeks ago made a rather nice commercial out of the Photosphere feature, in which you make a 360-degree (more or less) panoramic photo that all gets stitched together on your phone. The holiday spot has someone taking a Photosphere in a (very) large house, with a bunch of family members in the shot.

Now, we all know Rule No. 1 of taking Photospheres is to not have anything too close to you as you take the picture. Rule No. 2 is the fewer people, the better, as people tend to move.

So I waited until things had died down a little bit. My result? Not horrible, especially since I didn't tell anyone to hold still. Check out the full Photosphere pic here. And if you took any over the holidays, be sure to tag them with #photosphere on Google+ so we can all see!

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/NvrF2t1zWlg/story01.htm

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New Research Report on Mobile Health (mHealth) - My Medical ...

Albany, NY, December 26, 2012 ?(PR.com)? Mobile Health (mHealth) Enhancing Healthcare and Improving Clinical Outcomes

Summary

GBI Research, the leading business intelligence provider, has released its latest research report: Mobile Health (mHealth) Enhancing Healthcare and Improving Clinical Outcomes. The report examines how mHealth, which is the facilitation of health-related information through mobile-enabled technologies, has been applied by the pharmaceutical industry in drug development and by healthcare providers in the developed and emerging economies to improve healthcare services and treatment outcomes.

It looks in detail at the ways in which the pharmaceutical industry has utilized mobile technologies in patient recruitment, compliance and retention of clinical trials, its role in marketing and consumer education and the important developments in drug authentication and post-market surveillance.

The report investigates how the healthcare system has migrated from a paper-based system to an electronic one and the innovative ways in which this can be used enhance the flow of medical information. It assesses the growing use of mobile health apps as reference and diagnostic tools to support decision-making and highlights how mHealth can improve communication between patients and healthcare providers; empowering patients to take a more active role in their health and improving the continuum of healthcare from the clinic to the home.

Lastly, the report examines how mHealth programs in the emerging economies and the developed world can help to bridge the gap within fragmented under-resourced healthcare systems. It highlights how technologies devised for the developed countries are not always suitable for the developing countries and the need for local communities to devise mHealth solutions to address local issues such as infectious diseases (dengue fever, AIDS/HIV and tuberculosis) and high infant and maternal mortality rates.

The report is built using information from primary and secondary research including interviews with experts in the field.

GBI Research analysis concludes that mHealth has huge potential to bridge the gap within existing healthcare systems but highlights the significant differences in the rate of adoption of mHealth in the developed world compared to the developing countries due to their existing infrastructures and differing doctor-centric and patient centric approaches to healthcare.

The mHealth alliance has identified five critical areas that need to be addressed if mHealth is to become main stream in global health: evidence building, standards and interoperability, sustainable financing, capacity building and policy. This will only be achieved if all stakeholders (patients, healthcare professionals and providers, pharmaceutical industry, mobile network operators and governments) work together to determine the ways in which mHealth can add value and provide significant advantages over traditional routes of healthcare communication.

Scope

Detailed analysis of how the pharmaceutical industry is applying mHealth in clinical trials, marketing and supply chain management
Assessment of the e-patient engagement strategies that healthcare providers (medical professional, clinicians pharmacists and health insurers) are adopting to improve communication with patients
Exploration of the role of mobile health tools in supporting physicians decision-making and prescribable apps to support patient healthcare requirements
Explorations of the key challenges facing the adoption of mHealth in the developed world and emerging economies
Case studies of mHealth programs and solutions in trial recruitment, supply chain management, decision support tools, education and awareness programs and many more

Reasons to buy

Identify key stakeholders and the role they play in the development of mHealth solutions
Understand what mHealth services are available and how and where they are being utilized
Learn the barriers to implementation and how these may be overcome
Understand current thinking on innovative areas of mHealth and its application by the pharmaceutical industry
Identify potential opportunities for mHealth solutions by healthcare providers
Explore the current mHealth programs and assess the ways these may be translated in other areas of the world

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Click here to read the full story: New Research Report on Mobile Health (mHealth) Market Analysis by MarketResearchReports

Press Release Distributed by PR.com

Source: http://health.rambergmedia.com/new-research-report-on-mobile-health-mhealth-market-analysis-by-marketresearchreports/

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PST: Injury sees Dempsey miss out again for Spurs

Last week it took us by surprised, but after getting word of his injury, concern about Clint Dempsey?s exclusion from Tottenham?s team against Stoke proved much ado about nothing. Whereas the first reaction from U.S. Men?s National Team fans was one of concern, word of ?Deuce?s? groin injury help assuage worries the USMNT linchpin was losing time with his club.

But over the Christmas holiday we heard very little about his (or anybody?s) fitness, so when the U.S. international was again excluded from Andr? Villas-Boas?s team for today?s match at Villa Park, there were renewed concerns. Only this time, the concerns were accompanied by a bit of conspiracy.

Where?s Clint Dempsey? And why don?t we know more about his status?

Today against Aston Villa, Villas-Boas has selected the same four players who started at forward and wide midfield in Spurs? 0-0 weekend draw with Stoke. Emmanuel Adebayor and Jermain Defoe were up top. Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon wide.

And just under an hour into today?s match, the results have been much the same. That Tottenham has continued to struggle without Dempsey will provide some solace for Deuce?s biggest supporters, even if Defoe?s broken through near the hour.

MORE: Wayne Rooney set to miss three weeks for Manchester United

Still, all this fretting exaggerates the influence of Dempsey?s injury. While it?s true that the former Cottager may see slightly less time in a fully healthy Spurs team, he?s not going to be forgotten. Villas-Boas clearly values Dempsey?s contributions, which is why the American was not only immediately inserted into Spurs? starting XI after his arrival but also maintained his place during his early season adaptation.

And paranoia about his injury status may also go too far. Given the nature of groin injuries, if Dempsey was hurt on Saturday, it?s not unreasonable that he?d continue to have problems today. It?s only been three days.

Until we hear more, there?s no reason to think Dempsey?s fitness is a serious concern. Nor is there reason to think he?s fallen out of favor at White Hart Lane.

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/clint-dempsey-injury-spurs/related

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Social Media As An Effective Traffic Booster For The Web Design ...

Tuesday, December 25th, 2012

Nowadays latest trend in the new media services is the uses of Social Networking Media to promote company services and expertise. Social Media Play an effective role in boosting traffic for companies dealing into services like website designing, Web Application development, SEO Services, Custom Web application development, Software Development companies. This media uses web-based technologies and platform to transform the broadcasting media monologues to social media dialogues.

It has been modernized to reach maximum number of consumers through the internet. Social media have become stewardship to big and small businesses. Big brands are utilizing this media to reach customers globally and generate good reputation among consumer. As social media continuously growing with time, the ability to target more consumers globally has also increased. Many social media like Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin is the biggest example of such

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Jessica Simpson confirms she's pregnant again

By Brandi Fowler, E! Online

Jessica Simpson has finally confirmed her baby news. After weeks of hiding her bump in baggy black clothing, the "Fashion Star" host posted a photo on Twitter?Christmas morning, showing her daughter Maxwell Drew sitting in a patch of sand with the words "Big Sis" inscribed in it.

Jason Merritt / Getty Images

Jessica Simpson Talks shedding pounds in new Weight Watchers ad

Simpson's smiling, adorable tot was dressed in super cute, candy cane striped pajamas, sporting a red bow in her hair for the pic, which was accompanied by the caption, "Merry Christmas from my family to yours!"

The singer's confirmation comes nearly a month after reports surfaced that she was expecting baby number two with hubby-to-be Eric Johnson.

Merry Christmas indeed.

Check out Jessica Simpson's pregnant fashion!

More in TODAY Entertainment:

Source: http://todayentertainment.today.com/_news/2012/12/25/16148291-jessica-simpson-finally-confirms-shes-pregnant-with-second-child?lite

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Kids Want iPads, Not Toys For Christmas - Business Insider

Toymakers are likely to see their Christmas sales squeezed this year, as children ditch traditional dolls and board games for Kindles and hand-me-down tablet computers, according to analysts.

Mattel, the world's largest toymaker by revenues, makes toys including Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars. However, a source told the Financial Times that its top selling product this Christmas was a mobile phone case.

While tablet sales continue to rise, some analysts have slashed fourth-quarter revenue forecasts for the world's largest toymakers.

"The top two guys, Mattel and Hasbro, they are terrified," Sean McGowan at investment bank Needham & Company told the paper.

Hasbro, which makes Action Man and Play-Doh, is also concerned about the rise in popularity of tablet computers among children, who are spending more and more time on electronic devices.

"Clearly, young people have an aptitude for an expectation with digital platforms that we need to recognise," said John Frascotti, Hasbro's chief marketing officer.

Mattel almost went bankrupt in 1983 when it posted a $394m loss following an ill-advised venture into video games. The company got back on track in 1987 when it decided to focus on core brands.

Apple sold 14m iPads in the three months to the end of September, while Google's Nexus 7 tablet is selling close to one million units a month.

According to retailer Toys R Us, the most popular toys this Christmas will include Lalaloopsy Silly Hair dolls, LeapPad Explorer tablets and Lego Ninjago sets.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/kids-want-ipads-not-toys-for-christmas-2012-12

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Set Up and Get to Know Your New Mac

You've taken your requisite Apple product unboxing video and boasted about your brand new Mac on Facebook, but now it's time to get down to business. Whether you're new to the Mac or not, here's how to set up and get started.

Before you dive right into your new Mac, there are a few things you ought to do first:

• Run Software Update: Chances are your new Mac isn't as new as it could be. Since OS X was probably pre-installed on it quite awhile back, you're probably due for an update. To get things started, head on over to the Apple menu and choose Software Update. This will launch?you guessed it?Software Update and it will check for new updates. When it's done, install everything available. After you restart, repeat this process again to see if there are new updates. Some updates can't install until others have already been installed, so keep checking until Software Update reports that there are no new updates available
• Get to Know System Preferences: If you're new to the Mac, you should probably take a leisurely stroll through System Preferences (which you can access through the Apple menu and likely find in your dock). Take a look at each of the preference panels so you can become acquainted with your options. You'll eventually find yourself spending a fair amount of time in here so it helps to know where things are.
• Set Up Your Sharing Preferences: In System Preferences, there's a panel called Sharing. Open that up and you'll be presented with a long list of sharing services. Many of these services are very helpful if you need to share with another computer (whether it's your own or someone else's). Take a look at them all and enable the ones you'd find useful?just make sure to only allow your user or any future users created on the machine may end up with access to the enabled services.
• Repair Disk Permissions: Once you're all done, it's always good form to repair your disk permissions so nothing gets out of whack. To do this, go into your Hard Drive ?> Applications ?> Utilities and open Disk Utility. Choose your hard drive from the list on the left, select the First Aid tab, and click the Repair Permissions button. This will take a few minutes and may not end up repairing anything at all, but it's always good to run it on a regular basis and after you've made significant changes to your machine.

Tips for First-Timers

If this is your first time with a Mac, we've got you covered with switching guides and a look at the latest version of Mac OS X Mountain Lion.

• Hack Attack: A guide for switching to a Mac:
  If you're new to the Mac platform?fresh off the Windows world?this guide to switching explains how to make sense out of all the differences between Windows and OS X, highlighting how to accomplish the same things in OS X you're already completely familiar with doing in Windows.
• Everything You Need to Know About OS X Mountain Lion: Apple managed to redefine the way we use OS X in a lot of ways, so before you start tinkering around with your new computer, here's a guide to all the new features of the new operating system.
• Top 10 Secret Features in Mountain Lion: Mountain Lion changed a lot of things around, but at its core, it's the same OS X it has always been. Once you are used to the new features, you might find these hidden tricks helpful.
• How to Use iTunes 11's Awesome New Features: With Mountain Lion also comes a brand new version of iTunes. It's a little different, but you'll find some great new features.

Install Some Killer Apps

Now that you've got a handle on your new machine, let's take a look at some great software just waiting to be downloaded.

Adjust Settings and Tweak Your System

Got a grasp on OS X? Check. Installed some great software? Check. Now all you need to do is customize your machine to your liking. Here are some resources to help you out:

• How to Get Rid of Mountain Lion's Biggest Annoyances:
  If you're not into the ways Mountain Lion works like iOS, you can get rid of most of the common annoyances, including natural scrolling, disabling autocorrect, and reenabling scroll bars.
• Automate Just About Anything on Your Mac, No Coding Required: Even if you're not a programmer, you can easily create tiny, time-saving applications that breeze through repetitive tasks-renaming large groups of files, executing terminal commands, and much more-with the simple, code-free, drag-and-drop interface of OS X's built-in tool, Automator.
• Customize Your Desktop: If you use a computer and read Lifehacker, it's probably safe to assume you've customized your desktop. But if you haven't, or you're looking for a fresh new look, here are some great options to explore this weekend.
• Simple Desktops Is a Hub for Attractive, Distraction-Free Wallpaper: There are plenty of great wallpaper resources, but it's hard to find a great image for your desktop that's both beautiful and distraction-free. Simple Desktops aims to do just that by collecting the best, simple wallpapers on the web.
• How to Resize Windows More Precisely in Mac OS X Mountain Lion: Sometimes a precise control over your windows is all it takes to make your desktop perfect, so it's a good thing there's a dead simple way to do it in Lion.
• Replace Lions Monochromatic Finder Icons with Old School Colorful Ones: Don't like the drab, monochromatic look of Lion? Don't worry, you can spice it up with single download.
• Permanently Disable the OS X Bouncing Dock Icon Effect: Have you ever been busy getting work done when a random Dock icon starts bouncing up and down, begging for your attention? The Switching To Mac blog writes up how to completely disable the often distracting effect.
• How to Clean Up Your Mac's "Open With" Contextual Menu: If you've made good use of your Mac's "Open With" contextual menu, you've probably noticed it can get a bit cluttered with duplicates. Fortunately, there's an easy trick to tidy things up.
• How do I Protect My OS X Lion Passwords From Being Easily Hacked?: There has been a bit of worrying around how Lion handles passwords, but it's not hard to lock down Lion and ensure your computer is safe.
• Do Yourself a Favor: Set Up Mountain Lion's Built-In Text Expansion with These Shortcuts: Text expansion is awesome, and Mountain Lion makes it incredibly simple to set up right out of the box.

Images by ecco (Shutterstock), kirillov alexey (Shutterstock), and Pixeden.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/GSd_ojECaWw/set-up-and-get-to-know-your-new-mac

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Memorial service for Sen. Inouye held in Hawaii

HONOLULU (AP) ? The late Sen. Daniel Inouye was remembered Sunday as an American hero whose legacy as a war veteran and longtime senator would be felt across Hawaii for years to come.

The memorial service at Honolulu's National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific was attended by about 1,000 people, including President Barack Obama, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Hawaii's congressional delegation and a number of other senators, cabinet secretaries and other dignitaries.

"Daniel was the best senator among us all," Reid told those assembled, adding later: "Whenever we needed a noble man to lean on, we turned to Sen. Dan Inouye. He was fearless."

The cemetery, a strikingly beautiful site located in an extinct volcano, is the final resting place to thousands of World War II veterans. More than 400 members of the storied Japanese-American 442nd Regimental Combat Team ? of which Inouye was a part ? are buried at the site.

Adm. Samuel Locklear, commander of the Navy's U.S. Pacific Command, said this also will be Inouye's final resting place.

"We have lost an irreplaceable American," he said.

Several 442nd veterans attended the Sunday morning service, the latest in a number of tributes and honors for Inouye following the 88-year-old's Dec. 17 death from respiratory complications.

Buses that brought people to the service flashed the words "MAHALO Senator Daniel K. Inouye" ? using the Hawaiian word for thank you.

A 19-gun cannon salute was fired as Inouye's coffin arrived at the cemetery. The service also featured a flyover by F-22 military jets and the playing of "Taps" by Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana.

Inouye's widow, Irene, who was seated with the president and first lady Michelle Obama in the front row, dabbed her eyes as a band of bagpipes and drums band played "Danny Boy."

Inouye was the first Japanese-American elected to both houses of Congress and the second-longest serving senator in U.S. history, at 50 years.

He was a high school senior in Honolulu on Dec. 7, 1941, when he watched dozens of Japanese planes fly toward Pearl Harbor and other Oahu military bases to begin a bombing that changed the course of world events.

He volunteered for a special U.S. Army unit of Japanese-Americans and lost his right arm in a battle with Germans in Italy. That scratched his dream of becoming a surgeon and he went to law school and into politics instead.

"He was a shining star of the greatest generation," fellow Hawaii Democratic Sen. Daniel Akaka said at the service.

Akaka, who served with Inouye for 36 years, also highlighted Inouye's role in steering federal money to build roads, schools, housing and other infrastructure in Hawaii over the decades, from the beginning of statehood.

"Dan Inouye is Hawaii, and Hawaii is Dan Inouye," Akaka said.

Inouye's chief of staff, Jennifer Sabas, said Inouye was calm, in control and giving out instructions until the very end. Then, "he penned 'aloha,' and went on to a better place," she said.

"Aloha, boss," she said in closing, as she stood beside his flag-draped coffin.

Several services have already been held in Washington and in Hawaii for Inouye. He lay in state at both the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on Thursday and the Hawaii state Capitol on Saturday. A public service is planned for Friday on Kauai. His burial is expected to be a private, family event.

Obama eulogized Inouye during a service at Washington's National Cathedral on Friday, saying that Inouye's presence during the Watergate hearings helped show him what could be possible in his own life.

The president arrived early Saturday in Honolulu for his annual Christmas family vacation. He made a brief visit to the grave of his grandfather, World War II veteran Stanley Dunham, after Sunday's service.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly and Anita Hofschneider contributed to this report.

Contact Becky Bohrer at https://twitter.com/beckybohrerap

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/memorial-sen-inouye-held-hawaii-210150345--politics.html

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Accredited Institutions for Online Homeschooling High School ...

Our house is our very first training ground. With that said, mother and father are the primary lecturers and instructors of their children. You may not remember, but your mother and father are those who taught you the best way to stand up, walk and even dance. You?re in a position to utter your first phrases like ma-ma and da-da because you imitated the sounds your mother and father make whenever they talk. That is why each time a child accomplishes one thing like spelling his name or learning the best way to bike, mother and father are just so proud.

Traditional College Programs Vs Christian Homeschooling Curriculum At present, teaching programs range from tradition classroom curriculum to homeschooling programs. In conventional education setting, students share the identical classroom, teacher and topic matter. Additionally there are school?s rules, the place students are subjected to follow. Homeschooling education, alternatively is extra flexible than conventional setting. It truly permits a child to study at his or her personal pace. As mentioned earlier, mother and father do have a significant role in a child?s education. Actually, since youngsters cannot nonetheless make determination for themselves, their mother and father are ones who determine what?s best for them. Selecting the best teaching programs for their youngsters is without doubt one of the high priorities of parents. Christian Homeschooling Christians imagine that homeschooling is a biblical type of education. Within the bible, God even addresses mother and father as the primary educators of their very own children. Beneath are verses that present God?s instructions to oldsters with reference to homeschooling education. Deuteronomy 6:6-7 ?And these phrases which I command you at this time shall be in your heart. You shall educate them diligently to your youngsters, and shall talk of them when you sit in your own home, when you walk by the best way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.? Proverbs 22:6 ? ?Train up a child in the best way he ought to go, and when he?s outdated he won?t depart from it.? These two verses clearly state the significance of oldsters? guidance and assist as to their youngsters?s education. Homeschooling Excessive College Youngster Below a homeschooling education system, youngsters are taught at home both by their mother and father or home instructors.These days, several institutions are providing homeschooling high school education to youngsters who want to proceed and develop their learning skills but are unable to get to common school. At present, everyone can have access to a standardized and sensible education. The Keystone Excessive College, iQ Academy, Ok 12, Calvert College are among the education institutions that supply on-line homeschooling high school education.

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Source: http://zeitwert.wordpress.com/2012/12/13/accredited-institutions-for-online-homeschooling-high-school-diploma/

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Telepresence robots let employees 'beam' into work

Bo Preising, Suitable Technologies' vice president of engineering, at left, talks with fellow engineers, Josh Faust, center on screen, and Josh Tyler, on screen at right, both using a Beam remote presence system in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Bo Preising, Suitable Technologies' vice president of engineering, at left, talks with fellow engineers, Josh Faust, center on screen, and Josh Tyler, on screen at right, both using a Beam remote presence system in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Engineer Christian Carlberg tests the Beam, a remote presence system, through an obstacle course with the help of fellow engineer Dallas Goecker, top right on screen, communicating remotely from Seymour, Ind., at Suitable Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Engineer Christian Carlberg tests the Beam, a remote presence system, through an obstacle course at Suitable Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Bo Preising, Suitable Technologies' vice president of engineering, seen on screen at center, and director of operations Milan Bhalala, far left and on screen at right, navigate their offices' recreation area using a Beam remote presence system in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Bo Preising, Suitable Technologies' vice president of engineering, seen on screen, tests the Beam remote presence system in a sound room in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday, Dec. 12, 2012. More employees are working from home, but there's still no substitute for actually being at the office. Enter the Beam. It's a roving computer screen _ with video cameras, microphones and speakers _ that stands five feet and rides on motorized wheels. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

PALO ALTO, Calif. (AP) ? Engineer Dallas Goecker attends meetings, jokes with colleagues and roams the office building just like other employees at his company in Silicon Valley.

But Goecker isn't in California. He's more than 2,300 miles away, working at home in Seymour, Indiana.

It's all made possible by the Beam ? a mobile video-conferencing machine that he can drive around the Palo Alto offices and workshops of Suitable Technologies. The 5-foot-tall device, topped with a large video screen, gives him a physical presence that makes him and his colleagues feel like he's actually there.

"This gives you that casual interaction that you're used to at work," Goecker said, speaking on a Beam. "I'm sitting in my desk area with everybody else. I'm part of their conversations and their socializing."

Suitable Technologies, which makes the Beam, is now one of more than a dozen companies that sell so-called telepresence robots. These remote-controlled machines are equipped with video cameras, speakers, microphones and wheels that allow users to see, hear, talk and "walk" in faraway locations.

More and more employees are working remotely, thanks to computers, smartphones, email, instant messaging and video-conferencing. But those technologies are no substitute for actually being in the office, where casual face-to-face conversations allow for easy collaboration and camaraderie.

Telepresence-robot makers are trying to bridge that gap with wheeled machines ? controlled over wireless Internet connections ? that give remote workers a physical presence in the workplace.

These robotic stand-ins are still a long way from going mainstream, with only a small number of organizations starting to use them. The machines can be expensive, difficult to navigate or even get stuck if they venture into areas with poor Internet connectivity. Stairs can be lethal, and non-techies might find them too strange to use regularly.

"There are still a lot of questions, but I think the potential is really great," said Pamela Hinds, co-director of Stanford University's Center on Work, Technology, & Organization. "I don't think face-to-face is going away, but the question is, how much face-to-face can be replaced by this technology?"

Technology watchers say these machines ? sometimes called remote presence devices ? could be used for many purposes. They could let managers inspect overseas factories, salespeople greet store customers, family members check on elderly relatives or art lovers tour foreign museums.

Some physicians are already seeing patients in remote hospitals with the RP-VITA robot co-developed by Santa-Barbara, Calif.,-based InTouch Health and iRobot, the Bedford, Mass.,-based maker of the Roomba vacuum.

The global market for telepresence robots is projected to reach $13 billion by 2017, said Philip Solis, research director for emerging technologies at ABI Research.

The robots have attracted the attention of Russian venture capitalist Dimitry Grishin, who runs a $25 million fund that invests in early-stage robotics companies.

"It's difficult to predict how big it will be, but I definitely see a lot of opportunity," Grishin said. "Eventually it can be in each home and each office."

His Grishin Robotics fund recently invested $250,000 in a startup called Double Robotics. The Sunnyvale, Calif.,-company started selling a Segway-like device called the Double that holds an Apple iPad, which has a built-in video-conferencing system called FaceTime. The Double can be controlled remotely from an iPad or iPhone.

So far, Double Robotics has sold more than 800 units that cost $1,999 each, said co-founder Mark DeVidts.

The Beam got its start as a side project at Willow Garage, a robotics company in Menlo Park where Goecker worked as an engineer.

A few years ago, he moved back to his native Indiana to raise his family, but he found it difficult to collaborate with engineering colleagues using existing video-conferencing systems.

"I was struggling with really being part of the team," Goecker said. "They were doing all sorts of wonderful things with robotics. It was hard for me to participate."

So Goecker and his colleagues created their own telepresence robot. The result: the Beam and a new company to develop and market it.

At $16,000 each, the Beam isn't cheap. But Suitable Technologies says it was designed with features that make "pilots" and "locals" feel the remote worker is physically in the room: powerful speakers, highly sensitive microphones and robust wireless connectivity.

The company began shipping Beams last month, mostly to tech companies with widely dispersed engineering teams, officials said.

"Being there in person is really complicated ? commuting there, flying there, all the different ways people have to get there. Beam allows you to be there without all that hassle," said CEO Scott Hassan, beaming in from his office at Willow Garage in nearby Menlo Park.

Not surprisingly, Suitable Technologies has fully embraced the Beam as a workplace tool. On any given day, up to half of its 25 employees "beam" into work, with employees on Beams sitting next to their flesh-and-blood colleagues and even joining them for lunch in the cafeteria.

Software engineer Josh Faust beams in daily from Hawaii, where he moved to surf, and plans to spend the winter hitting the slopes in Lake Tahoe. He can't play pingpong or eat the free, catered lunches in Palo Alto, but he otherwise feels like he's part of the team.

"I'm trying to figure out where exactly I want to live. This allows me to do that without any of the instability of trying to find a different job," Faust said, speaking on a Beam from Kaanapali, Hawaii. "It's pretty amazing."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-12-23-Beam%20Into%20Work/id-43784869342041e983d1e5c6cc4d7534

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