Syrian troops advance on rebel-held area of Homs

Residents stand by their house destroyed in clashes between the Free Syrian Army and President Assad's forces in Sarmin, north of Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. According to residents of the city at least fourteen people were killed yesterday during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the government forces. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Residents stand by their house destroyed in clashes between the Free Syrian Army and President Assad's forces in Sarmin, north of Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. According to residents of the city at least fourteen people were killed yesterday during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the government forces. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

Free Syrian Army soldiers gather outside a house destroyed in fighting against President Assad's forces in Sarmin, north of Syria, Tuesday, Feb. 28, 2012. According to the residents of the city at least fourteen people were killed yesterday during clashes between the Free Syrian Army and the government forces. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syrian troops advanced Wednesday on a key rebel-held area in the central city of Homs, where three Western journalists are trapped by a government assault that has raged for weeks. The forces appeared to be starting a ground operation to retake the area that has become a symbol of the uprising to oust President Bashar Assad.

Government forces have been heavily shelling Homs, and particularly the rebel-controlled Baba Amr neighborhood, for more than three weeks with tanks, artillery and rockets. The announcement by a Syrian official of the new troop advance indicated a ground assault was beginning to recapture Baba Amr.

A Syrian official vowed Baba Amr would be "cleaned" within hours. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.

Four Western journalists ? two of them wounded ? had been trapped in Baba Amr since last week, when two other foreign reporters were killed there by a government attack. On Tuesday, Syrian rebels smuggled out Paul Conroy, one of the four journalists, and whisked him safely across the border into Lebanon. Activists said 13 Syrians involved in the rescue operation were killed during it.

The French government confirmed Wednesday that two French reporters remained trapped in Baba Amr, Edith Bouvier of Le Figaro and William Daniels. Bouvier and Conroy were wounded last week in the same attack that killed American journalist Marie Colvin and French photographer Remi Ochlik.

The French Foreign Ministry demanded that the Syrian regime ensure conditions that allow for the "sure and rapid evacuation" of the two French journalists, "notably through an immediate cease-fire in Baba Amr."

"France is mobilized to accomplish the priority evacuation of its two citizens blocked in Homs, in liaison with Syrian authorities," as well as the Red Cross and Red Crescent, ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said.

He said the government will not comment further for security reasons.

Spanish reporter Javier Espinosa, who works for the major Spanish daily El Mundo, also remained trapped in Baba Amr, El Mundo said on Wednesday. The paper said it had spoken briefly to him on Tuesday evening and he said he was "ok." The paper said it did not think Espinosa is injured and did not know where he is staying.

Troops also entered the central town of Halfaya in the province of Hama, near Homs, after five days of intense shelling, activists said. They said the rebel-held town of Rastan, just north of Homs, was subjected to shelling and casualties were reported.

On Tuesday, the U.N. raised its death toll for the almost year-long uprising to 7,500, an increase of 2,000 from just two months earlier. Syrian activists say the toll has surpassed 8,000, nearly 6,000 of them civilians and the rest military forces or army defectors fighting the regime.

The U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay on Tuesday cited a U.N. expert panel's report that concluded Syrian government officials were responsible for "crimes against humanity" committed by security forces against opposition members. The alleged crimes included shelling civilians, executing deserters and torturing detainees. Some opposition groups, too, had committed gross abuses, the report alleged.

Activists say hundreds of people have been killed in Baba Amr since Feb. 4, when the assault on Homs began. Activists and residents inside Baba Amr could not be reached early Wednesday.

Syria's state-run news agency said three gunmen were killed and others were wounded as they tried to cross from Lebanon into Homs province. The agency said a Syrian soldiers was wounded in the clash.

Also Wednesday, China urged world powers to provide humanitarian assistance to Syria, as Beijing tries to bolster diplomacy while continuing to oppose any armed outside intervention in the conflict.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said that Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi broached the idea of assistance in telephone conversations this week with the head of the Arab League and the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia and Algeria.

China defied Western powers and the Arab League by joining Russia to veto a U.N. resolution that outlined plans to end the conflict and condemned Assad's crackdown on anti-government forces. China was concerned the resolution would pave the way for the West to intervene and unseat an authoritarian government as it had in Libya.

___

Bassem Mroue can be reached on twitter at http://twitter.com/bmroue

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-02-29-ML-Syria/id-3bf1ec6daba94435a4967dc21f729c38

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Tips for Writing a Screenplay for a Low or No Budget Digital Video ...

http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1280072

Before you ever begin producing your narrative digital video film you have to put together a quality screenplay to use. This constructs characters, plots, and an over all story arc for your project. If you are producing this guerilla style, with an ultra-low-budget, then there are certain things you have to remember while you are actually writing the script.

Limit The Characters

Since you will have to be dealing with actors, and will most likely either need to compensate them or give them some type of post-distribution deal, you are going to need to cut down the number of characters as much as possible. This usually isn?t hard because most films, stories in general for that matter; focus on only three or four characters. Try and narrow down the speaking roles as much as possible, but keep at least three characters because that is the number that is usually needed for a really climactic situation to occur. This will also cut down your shooting time, and since only a few people will be working the whole time their immersion in their characters will reduce the number of takes you have to do for each scene.

Limit The Locations

The next most important thing to consider is lowering the number of locations it occurs at. For every new location you have to move the equipment, arrange it perfectly, and get clearance to film there. If you keep it down to just a few central locations this is going to shorten the schedule and keep the cost down. This does not mean there has to be only a couple locations in the story space, but make sure that all locations you are describing in your script can be replicated in just a couple locations.

Do What You Know and Have

Make sure that the stories you are writing, and the characters you are creating, are based on things you have and experiences you know. This is good for creating a really in depth story that is personal, but also because you will most likely own everything you need. Any time you have to go purchase a prop you are cutting into your already thin budget. Try writing characters that would wear clothes that you already have, and that would drive the kind of car that is already parked in your garage. Also, remember that anytime you have to build something you are cutting into your schedule and that costs money.

Light

Artificial lighting is one of the most expensive parts of any clandestine production. Shooting at night, or in dark or dim areas, requires you to use complicated and often expensive lighting set-ups. Use natural sunlight whenever possible, and so think about having as many scenes occur in the daytime as possible.? At the same time, this is going to have to be considered in the location choices more than you may think at first.? The locations that you use will limit, or enhance, your lighting choices.? If you want to lower the overall coast you should find locations that have access to natural light that can easily be restricted, lots of available outlets, and multiple circuits that can handle a large workload.

An Interesting Screenplay

The most important thing that you have to remember when you are writing a screenplay like this is to make the story, the people, and the dialogue as intriguing as possible. You do not have big stars, special effects, and other elements of a large studio production to draw an audience so you better make the material as quality as you can. This is true of any production, but especially for this kind of independent film.? You may also want to consider revising the screenplay in response to what you are able to get for a low cost.? This includes altering the script to accommodate certain sets and props as well as to accommodate the actors that you have available to you at your cost.? It is great to have fully realized characters that exist on the page, but it is also wonderful to create characters that can be easily inhabited by those available to you.? Your budget is going to limit your acting pool, both because of the limited resources you have to pay them and the inability to provide travel and housing stipends or per diem.? Instead, you need to apply the limits of performers to your screenplay and try to adapt the themes that made it great to this situation.

Source: http://ismashphone.com/2012/02/scripting-for-no-budget-films.html

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Pets: Tips on how to Choose Treatment of your Pet dog | US Demand

Pets: The best way to Choose Treatment within your Pet dog

The Bond that may come in between a person plus a pet dog is usually really robust, especially if that bond were strengthened living with each other for many years, I?ve personally cried just after loosing our relatives canine that had been like a most effective friend to me from my birth until I as fifteen many years previous, when he was hit by a car one early morning.

Pet dogs serve quite a few unique requires for persons. A lot of people have a pet dog simply because they are lonely and need a loyal companion or simply because they want a pet to safeguard the house. A pet that is definitely taken good care of and granted notice to routinely will give his living that can help guard his house and his operator. To the blind a pet might be a pair of eyes to help you them get all around and to the police a pet dog could be a crucial instrument and a faithful companion, by using a nose that nothing can defeat. dog snuggie

The first matter you have to know about taking care of a pet is the fact canines need a lot of physical exercise. This can be the exact same for substantial canines and modest pet dogs. All dogs must be permit out not less than once just about every 8 hrs and should granted at the very least a twenty moment stroll to offer the puppy some new air, training and also a opportunity to relieve themselves.

It?s also important to play while using canine regularly. This could necessarily mean going for the park on a saturday and sunday or day off and having a excellent match of fetch, tossing the ball all-around with your again lawn or simply wrestling within the ground together with the dog, just make sure when you are ruff housing by using a very little dog which you never accidentally harm the dog. Enjoying along with the canine for the 50 percent hour per day, is not only superior for that puppies physical health but a dig which is performed with consistently is mentally much healthier and much less probably to become a frustrated puppy, additionally, it lowers your blood pressure level too and it will form an unbreakable bond involving both you and your pooch, that can extend to your relatives for those who really should start off possessing one just after acquiring the canine. dog snuggie

Everything you feed your canine is quite crucial that you the puppies ongoing excellent wellness. The greater pet dog food items might be marked for what are groups the foodstuff is acceptable for. More youthful dogs need to have specific vitamins and minerals in larger quantities then an adult pet, along with the identical goes for an elderly puppy they need much more calcium in their meals to help you safeguard their bones and joints. Feeding your dog the incorrect foodstuff can stunt the dog?s expansion and opens the canine to some more substantial risk of surgery once they are older. dog snuggie

Just like somebody a pet should be taken for the veterinarian?s business office every 6 months, and must receive their shots each and every year. Typical checkups and vaccinations will also support guarantee that your canine grows to be an outdated delighted dog.

Source: http://www.usngondemand.net/pets-tips-on-how-to-choose-treatment-of-your-pet-dog/

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Researchers get first full look at prehistoric New Zealand penguin

Monday, February 27, 2012

After 35 years, a giant fossil penguin has finally been completely reconstructed, giving researchers new insights into prehistoric penguin diversity.

The bones were collected in 1977 by Dr. Ewan Fordyce, a paleontologist from the University of Otago, New Zealand. In 2009 and 2011, Dr. Dan Ksepka, North Carolina State University research assistant professor of marine, earth and atmospheric sciences and North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences colleague Dr. Paul Brinkman traveled to New Zealand to aid in the reconstruction of the giant penguin fossil.

Researchers dubbed the penguin Kairuku, a Maori word that loosely translates to "diver who returns with food." Ksepka was interested in the fossil because its body shape is different from any previously known penguin, living or extinct. He was also interested in the diversity of penguin species that lived in what is now New Zealand during the Oligocene period, approximately 25 million years ago.

According to Ksepka, "The location was great for penguins in terms of both food and safety. Most of New Zealand was underwater at that time, leaving isolated, rocky land masses that kept the penguins safe from potential predators and provided them with a plentiful food supply."

Kairuku was one of at least five different species of penguin that lived in New Zealand during the same period. The diversity of species is part of what made the reconstruction difficult, and the penguin's unique physique added to the difficulty.

"Kairuku was an elegant bird by penguin standards, with a slender body and long flippers, but short, thick legs and feet," says Ksepka. "If we had done a reconstruction by extrapolating from the length of its flippers, it would have stood over 6 feet tall. In reality, Kairuku was around 4-feet-2 inches tall or so."

The researchers reconstructed Kairuku from two separate fossils, using the skeleton of an existing king penguin as a model. The result is a tall bird with an elongated beak and long flippers ? easily the largest of the five species that were common to the area in that time period.

Their results appear in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology.

New Zealand has a history of producing exceptional fossils that give important insights into the history of penguins and other marine creatures. Ksepka hopes that the reconstruction of Kairuku will give other paleontologists more information about some the other fossils found in that area as well as add to the knowledge about giant penguin species. "This species gives us a more complete picture of these giant penguins generally, and may help us to determine how great their range was during the Oligocene period."

###

North Carolina State University: http://www.ncsu.edu

Thanks to North Carolina State University for this article.

This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/117926/Researchers_get_first_full_look_at_prehistoric_New_Zealand_penguin

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My Daughter?s Teacher Is Unwed and Knocked Up

Q. Bridezilla Behavior Equals Broken Engagement: Since we began planning our wedding three months ago, my fiancee has turned into another woman: selfish, temperamental, materialistic. She expects her parents, who are approaching retirement, to bankroll most of the wedding, and she continually demands items that are beyond their means. She becomes very angry with me when we disagree on major decisions (like location, menu, the band) because this is her special day and she has been planning her dream wedding since childhood. She never behaved like this before our engagement, and a number of people have assured me it's the pressure of planning the wedding that's making her act this way. I don't think there's any excuse for her behavior and have decided to break our engagement. We have been together for three years. What's the kindest way I can end our engagement, and what should I tell others?

A: Every time I think I'm going to have a moratorium on impossible bride letters, some new twist comes along. I appreciate this one because we so rarely hear what the groom ends up thinking when he watches his betrothed turn into a termagant. I love the excuses that get offered for this behavior. If the pressure of planning a party destroys one's equanimity and perspective, real life is going to be completely disabling. There is also something creepy about explaining to the man you are about to marry that he's destroying the fantasy you've harbored for decades about your perfect wedding day, which was a lot more pleasant without an actual bridegroom to mess things up. Still, I don't think you necessarily have to throw away three years of presumed happiness because of three months of hell. But you do have to shift the conversation. Instead of squabbling about lobster ravioli as an appetizer, you need to sit your fiancee down and tell her you need to put aside the wedding planning because you're feeling the need to put aside the wedding. Explain you understand both her dreams and her stress, but neither is justification for bankrupting her parents and treating you like dirt. Say that you want back the person you've loved for the past three years and suggest you two see a counselor to help get back to normal. If she simply freaks out, then the kindest thing to say is the simplest: "Courtney, I love you, but I don't love what's happening between us. We need to stop wedding planning, because the wedding is off. "

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=baf625be0a82f905083b42a01b1ba6c6

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European Neanderthals were on the verge of extinction even before the arrival of modern humans

ScienceDaily (Feb. 25, 2012) ? New findings from an international team of researchers show that most Neanderthals in Europe died off around 50,000 years ago. The previously held view of a Europe populated by a stable Neanderthal population for hundreds of thousands of years up until modern humans arrived must therefore be revised.

This new perspective on the Neanderthals comes from a study of ancient DNA published February 25 in Molecular Biology and Evolution.

The results indicate that most Neanderthals in Europe died off as early as 50,000 years ago. After that, a small group of Neanderthals recolonised central and western Europe, where they survived for another 10,000 years before modern humans entered the picture.

The study is the result of an international project led by Swedish and Spanish researchers in Uppsala, Stockholm and Madrid.

?The fact that Neanderthals in Europe were nearly extinct, but then recovered, and that all this took place long before they came into contact with modern humans came as a complete surprise to us. This indicates that the Neanderthals may have been more sensitive to the dramatic climate changes that took place in the last Ice Age than was previously thought?, says Love Dal?n, associate professor at the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm.

In connection with work on DNA from Neanderthal fossils in Northern Spain, the researchers noted that the genetic variation among European Neanderthals was extremely limited during the last ten thousand years before the Neanderthals disappeared.

Older European Neanderthal fossils, as well as fossils from Asia, had much greater genetic variation, on par with the amount of variation that might be expected from a species that had been abundant in an area for a long period of time. ?The amount of genetic variation in geologically older Neanderthals as well as in Asian Neanderthals was just as great as in modern humans as a species, whereas the variation among later European Neanderthals was not even as high as that of modern humans in Iceland?, says Anders G?therstr?m, associate professor at Uppsala University.

The results presented in the study are based entirely on severely degraded DNA, and the analyses have therefore required both advanced laboratory and computational methods. The research team has involved experts from a number of countries, including statisticians, experts on modern DNA sequencing and paleoanthropologists from Denmark, Spain and the US.

Only when all members of the international research team had reviewed the findings could they feel certain that the available genetic data actually reveals an important and previously unknown part of Neanderthal history. ?This type of interdisciplinary study is extremely valuable in advancing research about our evolutionary history. DNA from prehistoric people has led to a number of unexpected findings in recent years, and it will be really exciting to see what further discoveries are made in the coming years?, says Juan Luis Arsuaga, professor of human paleontology at the Universidad Complutense of Madrid.

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Uppsala Universitet, via AlphaGalileo. The original article was written by Anneli Waara.

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. L. Dalen, L. Orlando, B. Shapiro, M. B. Durling, R. Quam, M. T. P. Gilbert, J. C. Diez Fernandez-Lomana, E. Willerslev, J. L. Arsuaga, A. Gotherstrom. Partial genetic turnover in neandertals: continuity in the east and population replacement in the west. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 2012; DOI: 10.1093/molbev/mss074

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120225110942.htm

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Scientists score new victory over quantum uncertainty

ScienceDaily (Feb. 26, 2012) ? Most people attempt to reduce the little uncertainties of life by carrying umbrellas on cloudy days, purchasing automobile insurance or hiring inspectors to evaluate homes they might consider purchasing. For scientists, reducing uncertainty is a no less important goal, though in the weird realm of quantum physics, the term has a more specific meaning.

For scientists working in quantum physics, the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle says that measurements of properties such as the momentum of an object and its exact position cannot be simultaneously specified with arbitrary accuracy. As a result, there must be some uncertainty in either the exact position of the object, or its exact momentum. The amount of uncertainty can be determined, and is often represented graphically by a circle showing the area within which the measurement actually lies.

Over the past few decades, scientists have learned to cheat a bit on the Uncertainty Principle through a process called "squeezing," which has the effect of changing how the uncertainty is shown graphically. Changing the circle to an ellipse and ultimately to almost a line allows one component of the complementary measurements -- the momentum or the position, in the case of an object -- to be specified more precisely than would otherwise be possible. The actual area of uncertainty remains unchanged, but is represented by a different shape that serves to improve accuracy in measuring one property.

This squeezing has been done in measuring properties of photons and atoms, and can be important to certain high-precision measurements needed by atomic clocks and the magnetometers used to create magnetic resonance imaging views of structures deep inside the body. For the military, squeezing more accuracy could improve the detection of enemy submarines attempting to hide underwater or improve the accuracy of atom-based inertial guidance instruments.

Now physicists at the Georgia Institute of Technology have added another measurement to the list of those that can be squeezed. In a paper appearing online February 26 in the journal Nature Physics, they report squeezing a property called the nematic tensor, which is used to describe the rubidium atoms in Bose-Einstein condensates, a unique form of matter in which all atoms have the same quantum state. The research was sponsored by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

"What is new about our work is that we have probably achieved the highest level of atom squeezing reported so far, and the more squeezing you get, the better," said Michael Chapman, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Physics. "We are also squeezing something other than what people have squeezed before."

Scientists have been squeezing the spin states of atoms for 15 years, but only for atoms that have just two relevant quantum states -- known as spin ? systems. In collections of those atoms, the spin states of the individual atoms can be added together to get a collective angular momentum that describes the entire system of atoms.

In the Bose-Einstein condensate atoms being studied by Chapman's group, the atoms have three quantum states, and their collective spin totals zero -- not very helpful for describing systems. So Chapman and graduate students Chris Hamley, Corey Gerving, Thai Hoang and Eva Bookjans learned to squeeze a more complex measure that describes their system of spin 1 atoms: nematic tensor, also known as quadrupole.

Nematicity is a measure of alignment that is important in describing liquid crystals, exotic magnetic materials and some high temperature superconductors.

"We don't have a spin vector pointing in a particular direction, but there is still some residual information in where this collection of atoms is pointing," Chapman explained. "That next higher-order description is the quadrupole, or nematic tensor. Squeezing this actually works quite well, and we get a large degree of improvement, so we think it is relatively promising."

Experimentally, the squeezing is created by entangling some of the atoms, which takes away their independence. Chapman's group accomplishes this by colliding atoms in their ensemble of some 40,000 rubidium atoms.

"After they collide, the state of one atom is connected to that of the other atom, so they have been entangled in that way," he said. "This entanglement creates the squeezing."

Reducing uncertainty in measuring atoms could have important implications for precise magnetic measurements. The next step will be to determine experimentally if the technique can improve the measurement of magnetic field, which could have important applications.

"In principle, this should be a straightforward experiment, but it turns out that the biggest challenge is that magnetic fields in the laboratory fluctuate due to environmental factors such as the effects of devices such as computer monitors," Chapman said. "If we had a noiseless laboratory, we could measure the magnetic field both with and without squeezed states to demonstrate the enhanced precision. But in our current lab environment, our measurements would be affected by outside noise, not the limitations of the atomic sensors we are using."

The new squeezed property could also have application to quantum information systems, which can store information in the spin of atoms and their nematic tensor.

"There are a lot of things you can do with quantum entanglement, and improving the accuracy of measurements is one of them," Chapman added. "We still have to obey Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle, but we do have the ability to manipulate it."

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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Georgia Institute of Technology, Research Communications, via Newswise. The original article was written by John Toon.

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. C. D. Hamley, C. S. Gerving, T. M. Hoang, E. M. Bookjans, M. S. Chapman. Spin-nematic squeezed vacuum in a quantum gas. Nature Physics, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nphys2245

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

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120226153510.htm

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Speak something about English Writing

Learning English can be hard to the foreigners and writing English seems even harder, not only to foreigners, but also even to native English speakers. That?s why not all the people can become Shakespeare or Hemingway. Common people can speak daily, but they have difficulties to put their speaking into words on the paper.

I am a English writing lover, I think people need to read lots of books before they take down their pen to write. First, when you read books, you can get so much information. For instant, when you read history books, you will learn so many places which were quite famous in the world long before and so many people who had done a great many things for our human beings. Certainly you can get more than these things. Then if you read novels, you will know how people think and how they could deal with the things big or small in their life.

It is another way of learning to be smart. in fact, if you are careful enough, you may try to detect the writing skills of the novel that you are reading. There are no absolutely good ways in writing skills. But the writing skills in books are generally better than your own. In this sense you need to remember them.

Then you need to observe your surroundings. Actually we all know that nealy all the great writers are those who can sharply observe things about them. When you meet a beautiful scenery, you need to think how to put it down into words in English. And additionally you even need to feel the situation you are involved in. When you begin feeling, you will have gentle or nice emotions out.

The third point is thinking. You need to think everyday in English. How could you manage it? It cannot be learned in just one day or two, It needs time to practise.

Don?t take everything for granted anymore! You need to think differently. Then when you put down your pen, you will feel you have strong passion to write.

And learning English can be through software as well. It can provide you with important ideas you may think helpful. That is OK! Many others may think Rosetta Stone Spanish is but a software to learn English basic things, but you need to try if it can give you some ideas on English writing.

If for more languages learing, you can also find Rosetta useful, like Chinese and Spanish. If you have passion, try to use Rosetta Stone Chinese and Rosetta Stone English to help you.

I like learning, about lots of things. Language learning is part of it. Apart from it, I learn to know science, nature,computer and so on.I hope to post all the things I have learned into this place,sharing my happiness.

Source: http://www.a1article.net/writing-speaking/speak-something-about-english-writing-5080.html

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Chris Brown Now An iPhone Snatcher?

Chris Brown Now An iPhone Snatcher?

Chris Brown is facing new legal troubles over snatching a woman’s cell phone! Brown allegedly took the fan’s iPhone as she tried to snap his [...]

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/stupidcelebrities/~3/b63B2H5XQNs/

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Beatles ringtones now available in iTunes

Beatles fans can now enjoy their favorite Beatles songs in ringtone and alert form on their iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. iTunes now has an exclusive selection of Beatles ringtones from the Beatles "1" album - a collection of their greatest hits. All 27 songs are available as ringtones.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/bJ40uIIcdXg/story01.htm

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SBA PROGRAM HELPS TO BRIDGE THE SMALL BUSINESS GAP ...

SBA PROGRAM HELPS TO BRIDGE THE SMALL BUSINESS GAP

WASHINGTON ??The U.S. Small Business Administration?s national?network of Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) plays an essential role in the economic development of their states and local communities through their direct, face-to-face counseling for small businesses, according to a report?released today by the SBA.??The report, produced?by the?National Small Business Development Center Advisory Board, focuses on?SBDCs??impact?on small business access to?SBA?s programs and services, including access to SBA capital, procurement, disaster and international trade programs.

?SBA?s Small Business Development Centers give new and growing small businesses the resources they need throughout the year to grow and create jobs,? said SBA Administrator Karen Mills.? ?The soundness of our economy depends on stable small businesses across the country and SBDCs are front and center helping entrepreneurs start, grow and expand their companies. These institutions reflect?the diversity and individuality of their nearly 900 home towns and play an active and vital role in those.?

The report confirms that SBA?s SBDC program remains an essential part of the agency?s mission to help small businesses.? The report,?The SBDC Program: An Indispensable Partner in America?s Economic Development, demonstrates statistically the prolonged impact that SBA-funded SBDCs have on the formation and growth of small businesses.? The report can be viewed online at here.

A key finding of the report is that SBDCs help local economies by improving the odds for startup small businesses. ?SBDCs,? the report says, ?are solely focused on creating and supporting small businesses which in turn pay taxes, provide employment and diversify the economic base for their states. . . The businesses that work with the SBDCs are the job creators and enterprises that have the potential for survival and growth.?

The report also highlights the effectiveness of SBDC counseling in improving the chances of small businesses that are seeking credit. ?SBDCs have intimate knowledge of what lenders really want and need from borrowers to increase the likelihood of them being able to make a loan. The SBDC Business Advisors provide solid technical expertise to coach borrowers through the lending process.?

The report found that the 900 SBDC service locations provide a necessary local footprint in the communities they serve, delivering unique offerings tailored to the needs of its small business community.

The report also found that the SBDC program, for which the federal government covers half the cost, remains one of the government?s best investments because of its close associations with other SBA resource partners, federal, state and local government small business assistance programs and service providers; universities and community colleges; and private enterprise and local nonprofit economic development organizations.

The nine-member independent advisory board provides advice and counsel to the SBA Administrator and associate administrator for the Office of Small Business Development Centers on the SBDC program.

Last year, more than 557,000 entrepreneurs received business advice and technical assistance through the SBDC program.? In its more than 30-year history,?SBDCs have assisted millions of small business owners and entrepreneurs to successfully start and grow small firms by?fostering entrepreneurship and growth through innovation and efficiency.

Tags: Inland Empire Small Business Development Center

Small BusinessU.S. Small Business Administration

Source: http://www.inlandempire.us/economic-development/sba-program-helps-to-bridge-the-small-business-gap/

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UFC 144 promo: The Japanese love their animation

It's goofy, but this has to be one of most unique promos we've ever seen for a UFC event. Between the South Park singers and the bulging eyeballs, it's pure dynamite.

[ Watch UFC 144 right here on Yahoo! Sports ]

UFC 144 card:
Frankie Edgar vs. Ben Henderson
Quinton Jackson vs. Ryan Bader
Yoshihiro Akiyama vs. Jake Shields
Mark Hunt vs. Cheick Kongo
Tim Boetsch vs. Yushin Okami
Hatsu Hioki vs. Bart Palaszewski
Joe Lauzon vs. Anthony Pettis

Preliminary card:
Takanori Gomi vs. Eiji Mitsuoka
Norifumi Yamamoto vs. Vaughan Lee
Riki Fukuda vs. Steve Cantwell
Takeya Mizugaki vs. Chris Cariaso
Zhang Tiequan vs. Issei Tamura

More from Yahoo! Sports: Frankie Edgar fooled by fellow UFC fighter

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-144-promo-japanese-love-animation-150927845.html

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Removing A Double DIN | Mobile Audio, Video, Navigation

You are looking for simple tips on how to remove your car radio? Look no further! Whether it?s a double DIN or a single DIN, you can do in just 5 easy steps. If you want to know more, so you should read this article.

For car owners who need your factory stereo removed for replacement or repair, a number of steps to take. The standard DIN size is 2 inches 7 inches and is often found in cars, SUVs and light trucks. Larger cars and luxury cars are twice as large as the standard car ? this is called double-DIN. If you do not know how to double-DIN to remove, you can rent a car audio technician working for you.

Before you begin, here are the things you need:

1). Screwdriver

2). Trim Tool

3). Pliers or wrench

Here are the instructions:

1). To gain access to the terminals on the battery, lift the hood of your car. Simply by means of a spanner, remove the screw that allows the cable to the negative pole. Remove the cable from the battery and put it in a safe place. Go to your car.

2). Remove from your dashboard. This can be found by making the instructions in the manual for your car.

3). Remove the screws and bolts in the corners of the double-DIN head unit with Phillips or bus driver. There are some cars that some special extraction tools you need. For car makes Mazda, Audi, Ford and want to use the tools in the holes in front of the unit. Take the dock good enough for the antenna wire and cable in order to reach the back side of the stereo.

4). Remove wires connected to the outputs on the back of the unit. The wires can lead to mechanisms that must be taken before using the adapter. See repair manual for specific instructions before using the wires from the terminals on the back.

5). Disconnect the antenna cable from the power cord on the bottom left corner of the back of the stereo. Floor panel in a safe place.

These are the 5 easy steps how to make a double-DIN radio or delete them. If you are not sure how you?re doing, you can hire someone or ask for help from her friend.

This entry was posted in Audio Video. Bookmark the permalink.

Source: http://www.betonted.com/735/removing-a-double-din

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Sales Pro: Business Development Manager

Job ID: 65017

Job Views: 27

Location: Not Specified,

Job Category: Engineering

Employment Type: Full time

Salary:

Posted: Tue Feb 14

Keywords (tags):

Job Description

The Company
Our client is a recycler of precious metals with global operations. They have experienced substantial growth over the
last ten years. They are market leaders in their field and pride themselves on their high level of integrity and
excellent customer service. Their client base spans across the UK, USA, Europe as well as the Asian market and with their
ambitious growth plans they are always striving for first class people to add value to their business. They are looking
to add a UK based Business Development Manager to their team.

The Role
The remit for the Business Development Manager - Industrial Division role:-
* Research new potential businesses and customers, although there will be an element of inherited clients which are UK
based
* Communicate with potential clients and set up meetings
* Present to potential clients
* Experience of liaising with Buyers and Plant Managers

The Candidate
Skills and experience required for the Business Development Manager - Industrial Division role:-
* Extensive experience within a technical or engineering environment
* Previous involvement in the precious metal industry would be advantageous
* Experience of interfacing with one or more business sectors such as, chemical, pharmaceutical, electronics,
electroplating, aerospace or developing markets i.e. fuel cells, solar cells or medical
* First class inter-personal and presentation skills
* Proven influencing skills
* Hard working and down to earth

The Reward
In return, the Business Development Manager will receive an excellent remuneration package including a basic salary and
uncapped OTE circa ?75k with a realistic opportunity to earn in excess of 6 figures and additionally our client offers
genuine career progression opportunities.
If you are interested in this position please email your CV.
Visit our website now at to view similar positions.

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Contact Details

Source: http://www.salesprorecruitment.co.uk/display-job/65017/Business-Development-Manager.html

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Budget friendly family trip & To do list in Hawaii | PHPFoz

It?s not hard to understand why a reasonable family trip within The islands appears from achieve to many. Actually the actual The islands Travel and leisure Expert reviews complete customer costs within The islands from $171 for each individual daily. This particular provides the entire price of the 8-day a vacation in $1368, not really keeping track of plane tickets. The majority of site visitors are becoming not even close to the very best plane tickets prices and therefore are most likely investing throughout reduced travel and leisure period close to $500 as well as 100s much more all of those other 12 months or even in the event that soaring in the Eastern Coastline. It?s not hard to understand why most of the journey specialists estimation the typical The islands holiday expenses close to $2, 000. Nevertheless, with regards to The islands ecotourism, the actual amounts alter. You are able to holiday within The islands for under 1 / 2 of this particular quantity. Think about? Buying is usually a large the main cost. Site visitors invest in typical $210 last year for each 8-day holiday, for each individual, based on the The islands Travel and leisure Expert. Sightseeing, sea perform along with other The islands environmentally journey actions have a back again chair for this preferred travel and leisure exercise, based on a study delivered to me personally through Hawaii Airline?s Hana Hou journal. It doesn?t truly equal to an inexpensive The islands spending budget holiday. Not the case with regard to environmentally vacationers that save money period taking pleasure in Hawaii?s stunning outside and frequently free/low price social actions, whilst buying mainly from festivals, growers? marketplaces, exchange fulfills as well as in your area possessed low cost shops. The actual eating part of a holiday may take a large chew from the family trip spending budget as well. Environmentally vacationers spend less in this region through planning a number of their very own foods along with meals purchased at nearby grocery stores as well as farmers marketplaces. There?s also excellent dining places along with excellent meals as well as environment however spending budget costs. 100s may also be preserved within lodging as well as plane tickets whenever you look for these types of sensibly from low cost websites as well as guide your own bookings on the internet. Additionally bearing in mind, not every low cost websites tend to be equivalent. In order to save much more, think about a loved ones hiking holiday within The islands. Whenever environmentally vacationers perform save money, it is upon nearby company as well as eco, animals pleasant actions (just like a sea biologist brought crazy dolphin visit or perhaps a Na Pali setting sun catamaran luxury cruise). However general within The islands the majority of the environmentally friendly as well as social actions tend to be extremely inexpensive or even free of charge; for instance:
Social celebrations
Scuba diving
Setting sun seaside strolls as well as sails
Backyard walks
Waterfall outdoor hikes
Scuba diving
Browsing (just about all age range, a myriad of browsing, rental fees, training)
Whale as well as dolphin excursions brought through environment mindful sea biologists
Water-skiing
Historic as well as social points of interest
Sea existence aquariums
Volcano (lava watching backpack, Volcano Nationwide Recreation area, technology museums)
Seaside actions (as well as relaxing: ?)
A lot more.
Many of these The islands ecotourism kind actions tend to be loved ones pleasant, attractive to young kids in addition to teenagers, mother and father as well as grandma and grandpa. Basically the actual energetic volcano are simply upon all the primary island destinations: Oahu, Boasts, Kauai as well as The islands (Large Isle). This is why, enjoyable as well as inexpensive Hawaii vacation packages within The islands actually are feasible.

If you?re traveling to The islands, probably the most amazing island destinations on the planet, you need to find out about the actual wonderful points of interest and also the methods to achieve these types of locations. In the fantastic look at from the seashores as well as animals towards the sufficient buying choices, The islands offers some thing for everybody. The islands is definitely probably the most wonderful island destinations on the planet. Using its the majority of amazing seashores as well as a good exemplary way of life, you?ll be a lot more than thrilled to become presently there. Aside from discovering the actual wonderful seashores as well as drinking water sports activities, you are able to take part in several actions, which range from Hula dancing in order to going to their state recreational areas. The islands provides the organic miracles such as seashores, mountain tops, lagoons and much more. Actions within The islands consist of through view viewing in order to hiking, diving, walking, water-skiing and many more. Before you decide to vacation in order to The islands, find out about the very best locations as well as simple methods for getting presently there. Waikiki The actual lengthy extend through Kahanamoku Seaside in order to Kuhio Seaside within Waikiki provides an sufficient associated with drinking water actions. Floating around, scuba diving, browsing, using kayak as well as sunbathing are just some of the greatest escapades, seashores associated with Waikiki provide. Besides the actual seashores, you can travel to the actual Full Kapiolani Recreation area watching the actual large quantity associated with creatures through Burmese pythons in order to giraffes in the well-known Honolulu Zoo. Along with a lot of points of interest to go to, you will likely go out of your time although not those activities to complete within Waikiki.

Gem Have Having to pay Homage towards the Perished Through Waikiki, you are able to endeavor forward towards the the majority of frequented Gem Have as well as vacation lower the actual storage street. Within the memories of these that dropped their own life throughout the battle, Az Funeral had been created and provide the shifting really feel whenever you go to this. This particular funeral displays the actual collectibles from the battleship USS Az. Presently there additionally, you will reach view a brief film providing you with good quality experience on which experienced occurred which day time along with a number of actual video footage from the battle. Just a couple back yards from the actual funeral, USS Missouri battleship is actually displayed in most it?s beauty. Magnificent Look at Gemstone Mind Probably the most wonderful volcanic craters on the planet, Gemstone Mind is situated in the southeast coastline associated with associated with Oahu. You will find 2 models associated with steps in order to ascend towards the the surface of the crater. The actual steps guide via a canal that is 225 foot lengthy as well as at the conclusion from it, you receive an amazing look at from the western aspect from the isle. The actual look at is actually much more magnificent from dawn, which means you much better awaken earlier in order to opportunity on probably the most stunning places on the planet. Should you go to throughout the winters, you?re going to get to identify the actual humpback whales smooth sailing round the sea.

Shopper?s Heaven A good journey is actually in no way total if you don?t restore the actual mementos out of your locations. Within The islands, Oahu is the greatest spot to look for something. Through main departmental stores in order to trendy impartial marketplaces, you will discover every thing right here. If you?re with limited funds, you are able to navigate to the nearby marketplaces that provide numerous products upon great deals. Be sure to restore the actual a lot admired niche associated with The islands, dark chocolate covered macadamia nut products. Ala Moana Middle, Pearlridge Middle, Regal Hawaii Shopping mall tend to be probably the most well-known buying locations within The islands. Handy Excursions To go to these types of spectacular places associated with The islands within the easiest method, you need to consider assist from the expert visit providers. Being that they are specialists in the region and also have the best suggestions associated with exactly what locations to go to, employing one particular organization would have been a sensible option. Not really the perfect assistance, these types of providers offer along with completely equipped automobiles as well as individual chauffeurs for the isle broad trip. Regardless of whether you need to discover all of the points of interest or even would like to consider the actual Gem Have Visit, you?ll be easily come to as well as out of your resort for your preferred locations. This short article may be compiled by a specialist related to, Regal Hawaii Visit, the leading visit owner within The islands providing you with a multitude of excursions such as Oahu Visit, Gem have Visit, Honolulu Town Visit and many more.

Source: http://phpfoz.org/travel/budget-friendly-family-trip-to-do-list-in-hawaii/

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Snyder Says... (TIME)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/199313136?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Finance for Writers: Taming the Beast ? Get Paid to Write Online

Most freelancers began their career working for someone else. You had (fairly) regular hours, and a dependable paycheck. Wouldn?t you have noticed if your paycheck was wrong, late or missing? Wouldn?t you have raised a ruckus, demanding your pay? You had earned it after all.

Why don?t you give yourself the same respect now that you work for yourself?

• Are you sure you?re getting paid what you?re worth (and I mean money into your personal bank account)?
• Are you following up with clients who are slow to pay, or just don?t pay at all?
• Are you getting all your expenses reimbursed?

No you?re not. Don?t believe me? Read on and then tell me I?m wrong.

Expense Tracking Solutions for Freelancers

When you worked for a corporation did you ever fail to submit an expense reimbursement request? In other words, did you ever pay for something with your own money and never ask your company to pay you back? I?m guessing the answer is no.

Then why aren?t you doing the same for your own business? Are you tracking every dollar of expense in your business? Even the five dollars here or seven dollars there? Do you think that it?s so small it doesn?t matter? WRONG!

What if you didn?t record five dollars of expense every week for a year? At the end of the year you would have missed $260 of expenses (52 weeks * $5)! Not so insignificant anymore is it?

I know time is at a premium, so here are a few easy, fast and budget conscious solutions to your expense tracking conundrum:

• Shoeboxed.com (US based) ? My personal favorite, you can submit expenses in almost any method (except carrier pigeon, don?t ask me why)
• Keebo.com (UK based) ? basically the UK version of Shoeboxed.com
• Concur.com
• Expensify.com

Accounting Solutions for Freelancers

When you worked for a corporation someone else got to worry about the financial health of the business. However now that you are your the boss that responsibility falls on you.

My clients often say, ?Sure I check my books. Every year at tax time.? Hmm?

Ever been to a sporting event? Or played on a team? Did you ignore the score until the game was over? Of course not! If you were losing you needed to consider what to change to try and win. If you were winning you wanted to keep doing the things that were working.

Why is your business any different?

It?s not. You need to know the score so you can know if you are on track to make your profit goals for the year. I realize you didn?t go into business to fuss with numbers. Here are a couple easy solutions for you to create that scoreboard and leave time and energy to run your business.

Invoicing Solutions for Freelancers

Have you been paid for all the work you?ve done? Do you even know if you have?

If you?re not invoicing and ensuring those invoices are paid then you are working for free. If I?m going to work for free I?d rather it be for the charity of my choice!

Get set up now on a system that makes invoicing and tracking payments easy. Just like that missed paycheck when you worked for a corporation, you need to know when to raise a ruckus.

• Freshbooks ? Very popular with freelancers
• FreeAgent.com ? Yes this is both an accounting solution and an invoicing solution. If you?re looking for a simple, streamlined application, be sure to check this out.
• Curdbee.com

Final Thoughts

What solutions do you use? Why do you like or dislike them? What other issues do you face in taming the finance beast while working as a freelancer?

?

Nicole Fende is The Num?bers Whis?perer? and Pres?i?dent of Small Busi?ness Finance Forum. As a cre?den?tialed actu?ary with expe?ri?ence as a for?mer Chief Finan?cial Offi?cer, Invest?ment Banker, and suc?cess?ful entre?pre?neur, Fende helps her clients reach their profit goals and learn how to effec?tively and enjoy?ably run the finan?cial side of their busi?ness. In her book, How to be a Finance Rock Star, Nicole shares the same strate?gies she uses for her profit coach?ing clients to help them reach multi-platinum prof?its. You can pre-order it now on Amazon.com.

Image: mharrsch

Tagged as: finance for writers, invoicing, managing expenses, writing business

Source: http://www.getpaidtowriteonline.com/finance-for-writers-taming-the-beast/

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Obama honors achievements in arts, humanities

Country music singer Mel Tillis holds up his 2011 National Medal of the Arts after it was presented to him by President Barack Obama, Monday, Feb., 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

Country music singer Mel Tillis holds up his 2011 National Medal of the Arts after it was presented to him by President Barack Obama, Monday, Feb., 13, 2012, in the East Room of the White House in Washington. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama is honoring several artists, writers and organizations for their contribution to the arts and humanities.

Obama bestowed eight National Medal of Arts and nine National Humanities Medals during a ceremony at the White House East Room. Among this year's recipients are actor Al Pacino, poet Rita Dove and the United Service Organization, which holds performances for American service members stationed around the world.

Before awarding the medals, Obama said the arts have a power to bring people of different backgrounds and beliefs together. He also pledged to make the arts a priority throughout his time in office.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-02-13-Obama-Arts-Humanities/id-77e779d6cd2a42f0a8f27a2f95327f41

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SPIN METER: Romney backed earmarks as governor (AP)

WASHINGTON ? Mitt Romney takes a hard line against congressional earmarks, but the GOP presidential front-runner had a more favorable view of federal pork-barrel spending when he was governor of Massachusetts.

Under his leadership, Massachusetts sought tens of millions of dollars in earmarks for transportation projects through the state's congressional delegation.

A prime example was the $30 million that the Romney administration requested to renovate the historic Longfellow Bridge that spans the Charles River between Cambridge and Boston. The landmark is seen in many movies and television shows.

Romney's transportation secretary, Daniel A. Grabauskas, asked the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to include the money in a transportation spending bill. That bill was full of thousands of earmarks that sparked public furor and became a symbol for Washington's out-of-control spending when Congress passed it in 2005.

In a letter June 17, 2004, to the transportation panel's chief of staff that was obtained by The Associated Press, Grabauskas said federal money for the Longfellow Bridge could be provided as part of the "bridge program, a new mega-project or an outside earmark, or a combination of the three." Grabauskas did not immediately respond to phone messages from AP seeking comment.

A Romney campaign spokeswoman would not respond to questions about how many earmarks the Romney administration asked for, the amount of money involved and the particular projects.

"Every state budget in the country is dependent on federal funding, and every governor in the country makes requests for funding, but governors do not get to decide how Congress appropriates money," said Andrea Saul, a Romney spokeswoman. "Gov. Romney supports a permanent ban on earmarks, which are symbols of what's wrong with Washington."

When Romney was governor and his state was desperately seeking federal dollars to repair crumbling roads and bridges, his administration suggested earmarks for projects to lawmakers on Capitol Hill who were in a position to request the money.

Romney officials specified projects they wanted included as earmarks in the transportation bill to members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation as the measure moved through Congress, said Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass.

"The Romney administration was crystal clear on earmarks and what they wanted," McGovern said. "They sent us a letter specifically asking for money to be earmarked for projects."

McGovern cited a Feb. 7, 2005, email from Tom Lawler, Romney's deputy director of state-federal relations in Washington, to a senior McGovern aide seeking $50 million for the Charles M. Braga Bridge between Somerset and Fall River, and $25 million for a highway interchange on Interstate 495 in the Worcester Democrat's district.

The Romney aide wrote in the email that the projects were "the state's suggested high priority projects" for McGovern's district.

The term "high priority project" is congressional jargon for an earmarked project, said McGovern, who did not pursue earmarks for Romney's suggested projects.

Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass., a committee member who is the delegation's leader on securing money for bridges and roads, said he was also approached by Romney officials asking for earmarks.

"It was a routine thing," Capuano said. "They went to different members in the delegation. They came to me and said, `Here's what we need.' They didn't do a ton of (asking for earmarks), but they did enough of it."

Capuano said he supported the Longfellow Bridge project and secured a $3 million earmark for it after sending a request letter and form to the House committee.

Massachusetts sorely needed money for long-neglected major road and bridge repairs during Romney's governorship because for years federal transportation dollars were sucked up by the massive Big Dig project that buried Interstate 93 in tunnels underneath downtown Boston.

Massachusetts, which had its own office of state-federal relations in Washington under Romney, also relied on lobbyists O'Neill and Associates, headed by the son of legendary former House Speaker Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, to help steer federal dollars to the state.

Romney joined the state's big construction companies and contractors at a big Boston fundraising event in 2003 honoring Rep. Don Young, the Alaska Republican who at the time was chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and who held powerful sway on spending matters as the big transportation bill moved through Congress. Young netted more than $50,000, according to a Boston Globe story at the time.

During his campaign, Romney plays up his anti-earmark views to try to convince GOP voters of his conservative values and to try to undermine his rivals' claims of fiscal conservatism. Earmarks are a hot issue in the GOP race, particularly among conservatives angry about runaway spending and the big federal budget deficits.

Romney's campaign and his allies have hammered rivals Newt Gingrich, a former House speaker, and Rick Santorum, a former representative and senator from Pennsylvania, as "prolific earmarkers" winning federal money, and he has called for a permanent ban on earmarks.

Romney stepped up his attacks after losses to Santorum in in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri, branding Santorum as a big-spending Washington insider.

"A lot of us feel that the Republican Party lost its way in the past," Romney said Wednesday. "Republicans spent too much money, borrowed too much money, earmarked too much, and Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich have to be held accountable."

"Obviously, some of the things of his record are troubling ... The fact that while he was in Washington, government spending grew by 80 percent. And the fact that he is a defender of earmarks. Look, I'm in favor of a ban on earmarks," Romney said of Santorum in a Fox News Channel interview on Thursday.

The Santorum campaign, jabbing at Romney's past support for federal spending, has highlighted a 2006 radio interview with Romney about the Big Dig where he said: "I'd be embarrassed if I didn't always ask for federal money whenever I get the chance."

Earmarking is the longtime Washington practice in which lawmakers, often at the request of governors and state legislators, insert money for home-state projects such as road and bridge work into spending bills. After the 2010 elections, Congress placed a moratorium on earmarking, following public outrage over a 2005 transportation bill stuffed with money for thousands of pet projects, including the infamous "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska.

Romney now has joined the chorus of tea party backers and fiscal conservatives who say lawmakers treat taxpayer money like a slush fund.

A pro-Romney group targeted Santorum with ads in recent primary contests assailing his support for pork-barrel spending in Congress. The Romney campaign has used a small group of House Republicans considered fiscal conservatives to attack Gingrich's earmarking.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120213/ap_on_el_pr/us_romney_earmark_past

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Speed Reading In A Nutshell | self improvement directory

Getting able to speed read comes with a range of positive aspects. In our existing age of technologies, a lot of folks have difficulty handling information and facts overload and becoming in a position to look at all this information and facts. Speed reading may possibly not be the full cure for this, but it can help decrease it by teaching you how to take in additional information in less time. Let?s discover some of the techniques that speed reading can transform your life.

Men and women from all areas of life can expertise gains from mastering to read a lot quicker. If you happen to be a student, you can certainly get through your course material and textbooks much more rapidly. In case you are in any sort of technical field, you have to absorb new data frequently. As a business enterprise owner, there?s constantly one thing new to master to keep your enterprise operating at peak efficiency. A lot more than likely, you will uncover that you have a lot additional absolutely free time to read the books you appreciate.

Men and women who like reading normally occasions have trouble reading every little thing that interests them as, aside from their classical favorites, new books are coming out constantly. Speed reading will give you a indicates to make time for all the reading you will need to do.

Some men and women express concern that they?re going to keep in mind much less of what they read if they use speed reading strategies. In reality, this is merely not accurate. If you study to be a speed reader, your comprehension will boost also. Therefore, along with mastering much more, you will also recall significantly additional of what you?ve learned. This can present you a significant benefit for any kind of reading. Do you read one thing and then understand that you have forgotten it by the time you are finished? While this dilemma is very normal, you will note a decrease in its occurrence as you understand how to be a speed reading professional. In addition to becoming a extra outstanding reader, you can anticipate to read faster too.

Speed reading is not only a useful skill for adults to know, but it can also be helpful for kids.

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Source: http://www.selfimprovementdirectory.info/self-improvement/speed-reading-in-a-nutshell/

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Romney wins big in Florida, routing Gingrich (AP)

TAMPA, Fla. ? Mitt Romney routed Newt Gingrich in the Florida primary Tuesday night, rebounding smartly from an earlier defeat and taking a major step toward the Republican presidential nomination. Gingrich vowed to press on despite the one-sided setback

Romney, talking unity like a nominee, said he was ready to take the Republican helm and "lead this party and our nation." In remarks to cheering supporters, the former Massachusetts governor unleashed a strong attack on Democratic President Barack Obama and said the competitive fight for the GOP nomination "does not divide us, it prepares us" for the fall campaign.

"Mr. President, you were elected to lead, you chose to follow, and now it's time to get out of the way," he declared.

Returns from 98 percent of Florida's precincts showed Romney with 46 percent of the vote to 32 percent for Gingrich, the former House speaker.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum had 13 percent, and Texas Rep. Ron Paul 7 percent. Neither mounted a substantial effort in the state.

For the first time in the campaign, exit polls showed a gender gap, and it worked to Romney's advantage.

He was leading Gingrich 52-28 among women voters and was winning men by a far smaller margin of 41-36.

Ominously for the thrice-married Gingrich, only about half of women voters said they had a favorable view of him as a person, compared to about eight in 10 for Romney.

Nor was Romney's victory a narrow one. His winning percentage approached 50 percent and a majority that would demolish Gingrich's oft-stated contention that the voters who oppose Romney outnumber those who favor him.

Still, the former speaker said, "We're going to contest everyplace and we are going to win."

As in Iowa, New Hampshire and South Carolina, about half of Florida primary voters said the most important factor for them was backing a candidate who could defeat Obama in November, according to exit poll results conducted for The Associated Press and the television networks.

Not surprisingly, in a state with an unemployment rate hovering around 10 percent, about two-thirds of voters said the economy was their top issue. Nearly nine in 10 said they were falling behind or just keeping up. And half said that home foreclosures have been a major problem in their communities.

The winner-take-all primary was worth 50 Republican National Convention delegates, by far the most of any primary state so far. That gave Romney a total of 87, to 26 for Gingrich, 14 for Santorum and four for Paul, with 1,144 required to clinch the nomination.

But the bigger prize was precious political momentum in the race to pick an opponent for Obama in a nation struggling to recover from the deepest recession in decades.

That belonged to Romney when he captured the New Hampshire primary three weeks ago, then swung stunningly to Gingrich when he countered with a South Carolina upset 11 days later.

Now it was back with the former Massachusetts governor, after a 10-day comeback marked by a change to more aggressive tactics, coupled with an efficient use of an overwhelming financial advantage to batter Gingrich in television commercials.

Gingrich brushed aside any talk of quitting the race.

"We are going to contest everyplace," he said, standing in front of a sign that read "46 states to go."

"It is now clear that this will be a two-person race between the conservative leader, Newt Gingrich, and the Massachusetts moderate," he said.

Santorum disagreed, and said so. In Nevada, where he was campaigning for the state's caucuses on Saturday, he said, "Newt Gingrich had his chance, had his shot, had a big boost and win out in South Carolina and couldn't hold it." He said the voters are "looking for a different conservative and alternative to Mitt Romney now."

Already, Romney and restore Our Future, an organization that supports him, were outadvertising the field in Nevada. Figures provided to the AP showed the two combined had spent $370,000 so far. Paul has spent $209,000, but neither Gingrich nor Santorum had aired any commercials.

Romney won the Nevada caucuses four years ago and is favored to repeat his triumph this Saturday. Caucuses in Colorado, Minnesota and Maine follow, with primaries in Wisconsin on Feb. 21 and in Michigan and Arizona at the end of the month.

Gingrich, from neighboring Georgia, swept into Florida from South Carolina, only to run headlong into a different Romney from the one he had left in his wake in South Carolina.

Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, shed his reluctance to attack Gingrich, the former House speaker, unleashing hard-hitting ads on television, sharpening his performance in a pair of debates and deploying surrogates to the edges of Gingrich's own campaign appearances, all in hopes of unnerving him.

Restore our Future, an outside group supporting Romney, accounted for about $8.8 million in the ad wars, and the candidate and the "super PAC" combined outspent Gingrich and Winning The Future, the organization backing him, by about $15.5 million to $3.3 million, an advantage of nearly 5-1.

Gingrich responded by assailing Romney as a man incapable of telling the truth and vowed to remain in the race until the Republican National Convention next summer. He won the endorsement of campaign dropout Herman Cain and increasingly sought the support of evangelicals and tea party advocates, a former House speaker running as the anti-establishment insurgent of the party he once helped lead.

Bombarded by harsh television advertising, some Floridians said they had soured on both candidates.

"The dirty ads really turned me off on Mitt Romney," said Dorothy Anderson, of Pinellas Park, adding she was voting for Gingrich. She said of Romney, "In fact if he gets the nomination, I probably won't vote for him."

At the same polling place, Romney supporter Curtis Dempsey expressed similar feelings but about Gingrich. "The only thing Newt Gingrich has to offer is a big mouth," he said.

Voters frequently say they are offended or appalled by negative ads. But polls show consistently that the commercials are able to sway the opinions of large numbers of voters, and they are a staple of nearly all campaigns.

Santorum had no money for television ads to back up his strong debate performances. He left the state at one point, saying he was going home to Pennsylvania to prepare his income tax returns. But he stayed longer than anticipated, because of the hospitalization of his 3-year-old daughter with pneumonia. The girl has a rare genetic disorder, Trisomy 18.

Santorum and Paul both also campaigned in Colorado on Tuesday as Florida Republicans were voting. The state has caucuses on Feb 7, the same day as Minnesota.

Even before that come caucuses in Nevada, a state that Romney won when he sought the nomination in 2008 and is favored to capture again.

By contrast, both Romney and Gingrich campaigned across Florida on primary day as the polls opened.

Exuding confidence, the former Massachusetts governor said ? even though the figures said otherwise ? that he had been outspent in South Carolina.

"I needed to make sure that instead of being outgunned in terms of attacks, that I responded aggressively, and hopefully that will have served me well here," he told reporters.

Gingrich, combative as usual, said the race for the nomination won't be decided until summer, "unless Romney drops out."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/gop/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20120201/ap_on_el_pr/us_gop_campaign

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