sales teleselling: Cold Calling - Cold Calling Techniques That ...

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Call it cold-calling; call it telemarketing; call it sales; telesales; call it lead nurturing. At the end of the day one thing remains common: you want to connect with the person at the other end of the line and sell them something.

Now I'm in a unique position as a marketing professional. Not only do I have the pleasure of working with "inside sales" and developing programs, scripts, etc., I also have the pleasure of receiving many of these "cold calls". As such, I feel a kinship, heck even empathy, for those folks who are on the other end of the line/email when it seemingly appears out of the blue.

I have made it a personal rule over the years that if I don't recognize the incoming phone number, it goes to voice mail. If I do happen to pick up the phone, in a momentary lapse of judgement, you'd better be on the ball. I can promise you, no matter what time it is, I DON'T have a few minutes to spare right now. Offer to book a time and send me some information in advance.

If you REALLY want to talk to me then I need to see the value in it. How will you make my job easier, my day better or my campaigns more successful? Know who you're talking to, both from a business perspective and a persona perspective. Understand my challenges and offer a differentiating alternative.

On the other hand, I do tend to sympathize more than others, since I too am measured on the success of outbound marketing and lead conversion. This means that yes, I may fill out your survey, I might listen to your pitch, I will review (skim) the material you send me and I will probably visit your website.

So if you want to elicit a response from me, here are my top tips:

Do speak slowly and clearly. Spell your name and/or company name if you have to. And for goodness sakes don't whiz through your phone number!Do tell me why you're calling.Do send me a proper calendar invite when I agree to a call. Make sure your contact details are included should I need to reschedule.Do spell-check your email and any attachments you send me.Do have a compelling subject line for your email and make sure the 1st paragraph supports it.Do make sure you know my name and the name of my company.Don't leave a voice mail that says you want to discuss an "opportunity" without giving me some clue as to what it's about.Don't leave your whole pitch in a voice mail. If 10 seconds has passed and you're still droning on, I will hang up.Don't tell me you have done work with IBM, Microsoft, Cisco, etc. Apparently everyone has. It doesn't differentiate you.

Finally, if it sounds like you're reading from a script, if there are lots us "umms" and "errs" then, you guessed it....CLICK.

But here's the good news. If you impress me with your approach and if I see a fit for your product/solution, chances are very high that I will give you an opportunity to quote for my business. And once you win me as a customer, and deliver on your promises, then not only will you have a repeat customer, but you will also have a loyal recommender to a vast network of colleagues and friends.

About Joanne Gore

Joanne Gore has nearly twenty years of enterprise marketing and communications experience, including corporate and small office environments. She is a talented and creative marketing professional, always positive and able to see the big picture. She possesses the organization/prioritization skills which allow her to manage multiple projects from inception to implementation, meeting deadline demands and budgetary constraints.

A true mentor, Joanne marries her passion for marketing with clear, creative feedback and inspiration. Joanne develops lead generation and conversion programs, re-brands product lines, implements social media strategies, manages PR and media relations campaigns, overhauls websites, develops highly targeted marketing campaigns, and delivers results.

Joanne is a marketing geekette by day, a fitness instructor by night, and a mom 24-7.

Email: joannegore@rogers.com
Blog: http://joannegore.wordpress.com/

Source: http://bestsalesteleselling.blogspot.com/2012/11/cold-calling-cold-calling-techniques.html

huntsman w.e. episodes idris elba kelsey grammer martin henderson mlk day

Even with legalization vote, marijuana still not allowed at colleges in Washington, Colorado

SPOKANE, Wash. - Young voters helped pass laws legalizing marijuana in Washington and Colorado, but many still won't be able to light up.

Most universities have codes of conduct banning marijuana use, and they get millions of dollars in funding from the federal government, which still considers pot illegal.

With the money comes a requirement for a drug-free campus, and the threat of expulsion for students using pot in the dorms.

"Everything we've seen is that nothing changes for us," said Darin Watkins, a spokesman for Washington State University in Pullman.

So despite college cultures that include pot-smoking demonstrations each year on April 20, students who want to use marijuana will have to do so off campus.

"The first thing you think of when you think of legalized marijuana is college students smoking it," said Anna Marum, a Washington State senior from Kelso, Wash. "It's ironic that all 21-year-olds in Washington can smoke marijuana except for college students."

Voters in November made Washington and Colorado the first states to allow adults over 21 to possess up to an ounce of marijuana, and exit polling showed both measures had significant support from younger people. Taxes could bring the states, which can set up licensing schemes for pot growers, processors and retail stores, tens or hundreds of millions of dollars a year, financial analysts say.

But the laws are fraught with complications, especially at places like college campuses. At Washington State, students who violate the code face a variety of punishments, up to expulsion, Watkins said. The same is true at the University of Colorado Boulder, where the student code of conduct prohibits possessing, cultivating or consuming illegal drugs.

"If you possess marijuana and are over 21, you still may face discipline under the student code of conduct," University of Colorado police spokesman Ryan Huff said.

Gary Gasseling, deputy chief of the Eastern Washington University police department, said that while they await guidance from the state Liquor Control Board, which is creating rules to govern pot, one thing is clear.

"The drug-free environment is going to remain in place," he said.

Even if conduct codes did not exist, marijuana remains illegal under federal law, another key reason that campuses will remain cannabis-free.

The Drug Free Schools and Communities Act requires that any university receiving federal funds adopt a program to prevent use of illicit drugs by students and employees, much in the same way other federal funding for law enforcement and transportation comes with clauses stipulating that recipients maintain drug-free workplaces.

Washington State, for instance, receives millions in federal research funds each year, which prohibits them from allowing substances illegal under federal law on campus.

College dormitory contracts also tend to prohibit possession of drugs, officials said. Dorms and other campus buildings also tend to be smoke-free zones, which would block the smoking of marijuana, officials said.

At Eastern Washington, there is a student-led movement to ban smoking even outside across the entire campus, Gasseling said.

In addition, NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from consuming marijuana or other illegal drugs.

With all these complications, it is reasonable to expect that some students will be confused by the new laws.

"Some type of communication is going to come out from the university to clarify this," said Angie Weiss, student lobbyist for the Associated Students of the University of Washington.

Derrick Skaug, student body vice-president at Washington State, said he believes most students will understand they cannot consume marijuana on campus.

"I don't see it likely that people will be smoking marijuana while walking around campus," Skaug said. "Most people do understand that just because it is no longer banned by state law, it doesn't amount to a get-out-of-jail-free pass."

Skaug acknowledged that some students might feel they should be allowed to consume marijuana on campus if it is legal everywhere else.

"It may be something worth starting a discussion on," Skaug said. "But there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed."

Colleges in Washington already dealt with this issue in 1998 when the state approved the use of medical marijuana, which was also banned on campus, Watkins said.

Students who wanted to use marijuana for medical reasons had to live off-campus, and Washington State waived its requirement that all freshmen had to live in dorms to accommodate them, Watkins said.

Of course, pot has been illegally used on college campuses for decades, and students for decades have been getting busted for possession.

Marum said that many Washington State students who have medical marijuana cards are allowed by their residence hall advisers to consume marijuana brownies, even though the drug is banned on campus.

"People in dorms now who want to smoke, they do it," Marum said. "I do think more people will be smoking in the dorms when marijuana is legal for use."

One thing that will change: Some off-campus police departments have said they will no longer arrest or ticket students who are 21 and older and using marijuana.

In Boulder and Seattle, prosecutors have said they will not prosecute criminal marijuana cases for less than an ounce for people age 21 and over.

Huff said University of Colorado police will no longer ticket people who are legal under state law to possess marijuana.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/even-legalization-vote-marijuana-still-not-allowed-colleges-005016330.html

aladdin black forest ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012 giada de laurentiis

The Alexandrian ? Thought of the Day ? Why Do We Buy Consoles?

Why do we buy gaming consoles? PCs have better specs, broader utility, more versatile controllers, and a larger selection of games.

Lemme take a second to consider the consoles I?ve personally purchased.

I bought a PS3 because because it was the cheapest and best Blu-Ray player on the market. The ease with which the PS3 has been upgraded through firmware to stay current with the latest improvements in the Blu-Ray standard (including 3D) have repeatedly confirmed that this was a smart decision.

I bought an X-Box 360 after the last set of price cuts for the exclusives: Halo, Mass Effect, Gears of War, etc. No regrets. (I only regret the Kinect a little bit, because my wife absolutely adores the voice commands.)

I bought a Wii because the unique controller made possible gaming experiences that were otherwise unavailable. (And it was cheap enough that the novelty had sufficient novelty.)

In the previous generation, a PS2 was a no-brainer for me because of (a) the exclusives and (b) at the time, it was the only way you could sit on your couch and play on your TV. (These days, I?ve got a second PC hooked up to the TV for gaming.)

The other advantage of the current console generation is that it allows me to buy DRM-free copies of games that have DRM-crippled PC releases. I refuse to spend more than $5 on any title that has DRM (since I?m effectively renting the game, I?ll only pay rental prices for it), so there have been a lot of games that I would actually prefer to own for the PC that I?ve purchased for the console instead.

Looking ahead to the next console generation: It looks like DRM may actually end up being more prevalent on the consoles or possibly even mandatory (in which case, I definitely won?t be buying). The advantage of playing-on-the-couch has also vanished (because, as I mentioned, I?ve already got a PC hooked up to my TV). I also suspect the only exclusives we?ll be seeing are from Nintendo and Microsoft because nobody else will be able to justify losing 2/3rds of their potential sales.

I?ve seen people make fun of the Wii-U?s ?gimmicky? controller, but ultimately I suspect Nintendo has the right idea: The most effective way to justify a console?s existence is for that console to offer a unique experience. A box and a set of controllers that plugs into your TV no longer qualifies as that.

The other alternative, at least from my perspective, would be for a console to actually offer a comprehensive media center, much like the PS3 justified its purchase cost for me by also serving as my Blu-Ray player. The current generation of consoles kinda pretends that they?re going to do that, but the little walled gardens of limited, hard-to-access content that they currently feature make them look like pale jokes compared to the WD TV Live Hub that I currently have hooked into my TV (which allows me to both trivially stream online video and load any video file from a USB drive).

With that being said, it?s certainly plausible I could end up owning an X-Box 720. I really like Halo.

Source: http://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/22520/video-games/thought-of-the-day-why-do-we-buy-consoles

trump debate presidential debate lance armstrong Iron Man 3 marco scutaro Kendrick Lamar

More omnivore dilemmas: Seasonal diet changes can cause reproductive stress in primates

ScienceDaily (Nov. 28, 2012) ? When seasonal changes affect food availability, omnivores like blue monkeys adapt by changing their diets, but such nutritional changes may impact female reproduction, according to research published November 28 in the open access journal PLOS ONE by Steffen Foerster from Barnard College, and colleagues from Columbia University and the Smithsonian Institution.

The authors found that levels of fecal glucocorticoids (fGC), a stress marker, increased when female monkeys shifted their diet towards lower quality fallback foods, whereas the levels decreased when the monkeys had access to preferred foods like insects, fruits and young leaves.

They also found that lactating females and those in the later stages of pregnancy showed greater increases in the stress marker than females who were not in these stages of reproduction. According to the authors, their results suggest that these seasonal changes in food availability may affect inter-birth intervals in these primates, and also affect the timing of infant independence from mothers.

Foerster adds, ""While it was interesting to find that even subtle changes in dietary composition may have strong effects on female reproductive decisions, it is equally noteworthy that social stress was almost entirely absent from blue monkey societies. Our study makes the point that integrating behavioral, ecological, and hormonal measures can reveal adaptive behavioral and reproductive strategies that would otherwise be difficult to discern."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Public Library of Science.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Steffen Foerster, Marina Cords, Steven L. Monfort. Seasonal Energetic Stress in a Tropical Forest Primate: Proximate Causes and Evolutionary Implications. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (11): e50108 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0050108

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://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/NFsqAA79Ps4/121128182947.htm

andy murray Samsung Galaxy S3 linkedin linkedin usps bachelor pad bachelor pad

Sundance books record slate of female filmmakers

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The Sundance Film Festival has an apparent record lineup of female directors competing for its top honor this January.

Half the entries ? eight of the 16 films ? announced Wednesday in the festival's U.S. dramatic competition were directed by women for the next installment of Robert Redford's independent-cinema showcase, which runs Jan. 17-27 in Park City, Utah.

Going back to 1992, the best showing previously for female filmmakers was in 2000, when six of the 16 U.S. dramatic contenders were directed by women.

Sundance organizers were still trolling back to the early years of the festival's 33-year history, but this January's eight competition films appears to be most ever from women and the first time the entries have been evenly split between female and male directors.

Among the competition films from female filmmakers are Francesca Gregorini's "Emanuel and the Truth About Fishes," whose cast includes Jessica Biel and Frances O'Connor in the story of a troubled girl fixated on a mysterious neighbor; Lynn Shelton's "Touchy Feely," featuring Rosemarie DeWitt, Allison Janney and Ellen Page in a tale of a massage therapist who develops a distaste for bodily contact; and Liz W. Garcia's "The Lifeguard," with Kristen Bell as a reporter who moves home to Connecticut and takes a job as a lifeguard.

The festival's U.S. dramatic lineup also features the first Sundance entry for "Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe, who stars as Allen Ginsberg in director John Krokidas' "Kill Your Darlings."

Male directors still dominate the big-screen, but the low-budget indie world has been narrowing the gender gap. Sundance director John Cooper said some Sundance film categories have had a nearly even split between male and female directors in the past, a sign that more and more women are breaking into filmmaking.

"I think that's absolutely it," Cooper said. "Also, what we've found is that through our short-film programs, they've been coming close to 50-50 in certain years or at least a high level of women directors. So it's more of a coming-up-through-the-ranks situation" as female directors graduate from short films to feature-length stories.

Sundance has scheduled 113 feature-length films, chosen out of 4,044 titles submitted.

The festival will feature four opening-night films, one each from its U.S. drama and documentary and world-cinema drama and documentary categories. Among the opening films is director Cherien Dabis' U.S. drama contender "May in the Summer," in which she stars as a woman in conflict with her family after returns home to Jordan as her wedding nears.

Other films in the U.S. dramatic lineup include "Napoleon Dynamite" co-writer Jerusha Hess' directing debut, "Austenland," starring Keri Russell and Jennifer Coolidge in a romance about a "Pride and Prejudice"-obsessed woman searching for love at a Jane Austen theme resort; "In a World ...", the directing debut of actress Lake Bell, who stars in the story of a woman trying to follow her father's footsteps to become a voice-over star; Jill Soloway's "Afternoon Delight," with Kathryn Hahn and Juno Temple in the tale of a Los Angeles housewife who takes in a stripper as a live-in nanny; and David Lowery's "Ain't Them Bodies Saints," featuring Rooney Mara and Casey Affleck in a drama about an escaped prisoner crossing the Texas hills to reunite with his family.

The U.S. documentary competition also has an even gender split, with eight of the 16 films directed or co-directed by women. That's not a record, though, as women have made stronger in-roads into documentary filmmaking and have accounted for more than half of the entries in Sundance's non-fiction lineup in the past.

Among films in the U.S. documentary program are Audrey Ewell, Aaron Aites, Lucian Read and Nina Kristic's "99%: The Occupy Wall Street Collaborative Film," which examines the 2011 protests over economic inequality; Martha Shane and Lana Wilson's "After Tiller," profiling doctors providing late-term abortions after the murder of a colleague by an abortion opponent; and Gabriela Cowperthwaite's "Blackfish," which explores the consequences of captivity for killer whales, one of which was involved in the deaths of three people.

The opening-night film for the U.S. documentary lineup is Morgan Neville's "Twenty Feet From Stardom," a portrait of pop music's generally anonymous backup singers. On the world-cinema front, the opening-night dramatic entry is Chilean director Sebastian Silva's "Crystal Fairy," with Michael Cera and Gabby Hoffmann in a South American road trip adventure, while the opening documentary is British filmmaker Marc Silver's "Who Is Dayani Cristal?," chronicling the search for the identity of an anonymous body found in the Arizona desert.

Sundance announces its lineup of premieres featuring bigger-name stars and filmmakers on Monday.

___

Online:

http://www.sundance.org/festival

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sundance-books-record-slate-female-filmmakers-210155829.html

2012 holidays prosperity japan earthquake bosom buddies diplo rodney atkins fergie

Promising drug slows down advance of Parkinson's disease and improves symptoms

ScienceDaily (Nov. 29, 2012) ? Treating Parkinson's disease patients with the experimental drug GM1 ganglioside improved symptoms and slowed their progression during a two and a half-year trial, Thomas Jefferson University researchers report in a new study published online November 28 in the Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

Although the precise mechanisms of action of this drug are still unclear, the drug may protect patients' dopamine-producing neurons from dying and at least partially restore their function, thereby increasing levels of dopamine, the key neurochemical missing in the brain of Parkinson's patients.

The research team, led by senior author Jay S. Schneider, Ph.D., Director of the Parkinson's Disease Research Unit and Professor in the Department of Pathology, Anatomy and Cell Biology and the Department of Neurology at Jefferson, found that administration of GM1 ganglioside, a substance naturally enriched in the brain that may be diminished in Parkinson's disease brains, acted as a "neuroprotective" and a "neurorestorative" agent to improve symptoms and over an extended period of time slow the progression of symptoms.

What's more, once the study participants went off the drug, their disease worsened. The study enrolled 77 subjects and followed them over a 120-week period and also followed 17 subjects who received current standard of care treatment for comparison.

"The drugs currently available for Parkinson's disease are designed to treat symptoms and to improve function, but at this time there is no drug that has been shown unequivocally to slow disease progression," said Dr. Schneider. "Our data suggest that GM1 ganglioside has the potential to have symptomatic and disease-modifying effects on Parkinson's disease. If this is substantiated in a larger clinical study, GM1 could provide significant benefit for Parkinson's disease patients."

Symptoms of the Parkinson's disease, which affects over 1 million people in the United States today and is diagnosed in 60,000 adults every year, include tremors, slowness in movement, difficulty initiating movements, difficulty walking, balance problems and decrease in speech volume and facial expression. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-producing neurons in the substantia nigra, the brain region that dies in Parkinson's disease; the cause of this cell death is unknown.

GM1 ganglioside is a chemical that is normally found in the brain and part of the outer covering of nerve cells. It plays important roles in neuron development and survival and modulates a wide variety of cell activities. GM1 has been found to rescue damaged neurons and increase dopamine levels in pre-clinical studies, and has been suggested to have beneficial effects in other neurodegenerative conditions.

Dr. Schneider and his team made a case for the use of GMI for Parkinson's disease beginning in the 1980s. The pathological processes contributing to the development and progression of Parkinson's disease are still unclear, but they appear to be multifactorial. Because GM1 has effects on many different cellular functions, it seemed a logical approach to try using a drug like GM1 ganglioside to modify the pathological processes occurring in Parkinson's disease, rather than focusing on a specific potential disease mechanism, said Dr. Schneider.

"Instead of a magic bullet, we think of it like a magic shotgun," he said. "This study was truly a success of translational research."

The GM1 research started in mice, where Dr. Schneider and his team found that animals with an experimentally induced form of Parkinson's disease and administered GM1 had significantly higher levels of dopamine in their brains and less loss of dopamine neurons than animals that did not receive GM1.

A follow-up study in a non-human primate Parkinson model found similar results: animals that received GM1 had higher levels of dopamine than animals that did not and had a significant improvement in Parkinson symptoms.

In the late 1990s, Dr. Schneider conducted a short-term study (16 weeks) using GM1 in a small number of patients. Improvement in symptoms was observed in patients who received GM1 compared to patients who received a non-active placebo. However, in order to determine if there was potential for GM1 to slow the progression of the disease, they would have to study patients over a longer period of time -- which led them to this current study.

There were three main groups of subjects in this controlled, randomized, delayed start trial funded by the National Institutes of Health. Patients were given a placebo for the first six months and then GM1 for 2 years (known as the delayed start group); patients were given GM1 from the beginning and continued on GM1 for the duration of the study (early-start group); and a comparison group, where patients agreed to be observed over the same time period, but did not take the drug or a placebo -- they only took the drugs prescribed by their doctor.

The delayed start study design has been suggested to be useful for studying a drug that may have effects both on symptoms and disease progression in Parkinson's disease.

The change over time in the Unified Parkinson's Diseasing Rating Scale (UPDRS) motor score was the primary measure used to assess symptoms and disease progression in patients.

At the end of the first six months of the study, the early-start group had significant improvement in UPDRS motor scores versus a significant worsening of scores in the delayed-start group. Over the next two years, early start subjects maintained much of the initial benefit of GM1 treatment, showed relatively minor symptom progression compared to patients using standard anti-Parkinson medications, and at the end of the study, their symptoms were still less severe than at the start of the study over two years earlier.

Delayed start subjects also showed improvement of symptoms after switching to GM1 use and also showed less symptom progression over the next two years compared to the standard-of-care patients. Both groups had significant symptom worsening over the next one to two years after stopping use of GM1.

In short, GM1 appeared to improve symptoms and with extended use, slow symptom progression.

"The data from this small proof-of-concept study suggest that GM1 has the potential to have a very positive effect on the lives of Parkinson's disease patients," said Dr. Schneider. "We've been working on this for a long time and have some good ideas on how to move this forward. I think it's important to continue to develop this therapy."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Thomas Jefferson University, via Newswise.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Jay S. Schneider, Stephen M. Gollomp, Stephanie Sendek, Amy Colcher, Franca Cambi, Wei Du. A randomized, controlled, delayed start trial of GM1 ganglioside in treated Parkinson's disease patients. Journal of the Neurological Sciences, 2012; DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2012.10.024

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/most_popular/~3/OYYMyQRGMS8/121129173852.htm

andrew bailey the village dallas fort worth tornado dallas tornadoes dallas weather nike nfl uniforms ben and jerrys free cone day

Palm Springs Fest gives Robert Zemeckis' awards campaign a boost

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Robert Zemeckis has been named Director of the Year by the Palm Springs International Film Festival, making the "Flight" director the latest awards hopeful to be honored by one of the two big January film festivals that double as campaign stops on the awards circuit.

The announcement by Palm Springs organizers came one day after the Santa Barbara Film Festival declared "Silver Linings Playbook" star Jennifer Lawrence the Outstanding Performer of the Year.

Palm Springs holds its awards gala on the first Saturday of the new year, which this year falls on January 5, two days after Oscar polls close. Santa Barbara spreads out its awards over a two-week period in late January, after Oscar nominations are announced but before final voting begins.

Both festivals jockey to assemble lineups of probable Oscar nominees, and both are lobbied by Oscar campaigners as they make their selections. The two festivals try to stagger their announcements so as not to compete with each other.

Besides Zemeckis' award, Palm Springs has announced that it will honor Naomi Watts with the Desert Palm Achievement Award for Acting and Helen Hunt with the Spotlight Award.

In addition to Lawrence, Santa Barbara will give its Modern Master Award to Ben Affleck. Robert De Niro will receive the festival's Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film, an honor that is presented at a separate black-tie event in December rather than during the festival.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palm-springs-fest-gives-robert-zemeckis-awards-campaign-233259922.html

neil diamond orange crush harden nor easter nor easter ted nugent veep

Colbert: Only Words As Terrifying To GOP As Grover Norquist Are 'Buenos D?as'

David Taintor November 28, 2012, 8:46 AM

Stephen Colbert on Tuesday took at a look at the so-called fiscal cliff, the end-of-the-year combination of automatic spending cuts and tax increases that will occur if Congress doesn?t strike a deal.

?Obama?s answer to this budget crisis is to raise taxes on the wealthy just because he ran on the ?promise? and ?won the election.? It?s like he?s totally disregarding my ?dismissive finger finger quotes,?? Colbert said.

What?s really scary, Colbert added, is that Republicans might let the President do just that, even though most congressional Republicans have signed Grover Norquist?s anti-tax pledge.

That name is the ?two most terrifying words a Republican can hear other than ?buenos d?as,?? Colbert said.

Watch the video:

Fiscal cliff, Grover Norquist, Stephen Colbert, The Colbert Report

David Taintor

David Taintor is the Front Page Editor at TPM, where he contributes to TPM's Livewire coverage, among other areas. David is from Chanhassen, Minnesota, where, yes, it gets very cold. Reach him at taintor [at] talkingpointsmemo.com

Editor & Publisher

Josh Marshall

Managing Editor

David Kurtz

Acting Associate Editor

Nick Martin

Assistant Editor

Igor Bobic

Reporters

Brian Beutler

Carl Franzen

Sahil Kapur

Eric Lach

Evan McMorris-Santoro

Ryan J. Reilly

Benjy Sarlin

Front Page Editor

David Taintor

Polling Editor

Kyle Leighton

Assistant Polling Editor

Tom Kludt

News Writer

Pema Levy

Video Editor

Michael Lester

Publishing Fellow

Christopher O?Driscoll

Polling Fellow

Casey Michel

General Manager & General Counsel

Millet Israeli

VP, Ad Sales

Bob Edmunds

Bruce Ellerstein

Manager, Ad Operations and Sales Support

Kelly Williams

Assistant To The Publisher

Megan Reback

Director of Technology

Eric Buth

Designer/Developer

Ni Mu

Matthew Wozniak

? 2011 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/tpm-news/~3/0snlkuB6MIs/colbert-fiscal-cliff-grover-norquist.php

saturday night live julio cesar chavez jr Topless Kate university of texas UT Austin Lizzie Velasquez NFL Network

A-Frame for iPad and other tablets

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

Source: http://store.griffintechnology.com/a-frame

orioles venezuela Sarah Jones chicago marathon barcelona vs real madrid Johnny Depp Dead college football rankings

Costco to spend $3 billion on special dividend

9 hrs.

The Associated Press , Staff

Costco will spend $3 billion to pay a special dividend of $7 per share next month ahead of higher tax rates that may kick in come January.?

Many companies are making special end-of-year dividend payments or moving up their quarterly payouts because investors will have to pay higher taxes on dividend income starting in 2013, unless Congress and President Barack Obama reach a compromise on taxes and government spending.?

The Issaquah, Wash., company said Wednesday that the special dividend will be payable Dec. 18 to shareholders of record Dec. 10. In addition, Costco Wholesale Corp. will pay its regular quarterly dividend of 27.5 cents per share on Nov. 30 to shareholders of record as of Nov. 16.?

Costco also said Wednesday that its November revenue climbed nearly 9 percent to $8.15 billion. Revenue from stores open at least a year rose 6 percent. That increase would have totaled 5 percent excluding gains from gasoline price inflation and stronger foreign currencies. Sales were strongest in Texas, the Midwest and the southeastern U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico, the company said on a conference call. Customers snapped up candy, cooler and deli items and Costco said hardware, health and beauty and women's apparel categories also performed well.?

The company is selling $3.5 billion in debt to cover the cost of the special dividend. Costco will sell $1.2 billion in senior notes due in December 2015, $1.1 billion in notes due in December 2017, and $1.2 billion due in December 2019.?

Several Costco warehouses were closed during part of the month due to power outages following Superstorm Sandy. The company estimated that the storm trimmed 0.5 percent from sales of stores open at least a year. That is a key gauge of a retailer's health because it excludes results from stores recently opened or closed.?

Costco's shares rose $6.07, or 6.3 percent, to close at $102.58 on Wednesday. The stock has climbed from a low of $78.81 in early January to a 52-week peak of $104.43 last month.?

Investors have paid a maximum 15 percent tax rate on dividends since 2003. But that historically low rate is set to expire in January. Dividends will be taxed as ordinary income in 2013, the same as wages, so rates will go up depending on which income bracket a taxpayer is in. For the highest earners, the dividend rate could jump to 43.4 percent. Even if a political compromise is reached, there's no guarantee that the tax rate for dividends will remain at its current level.?

Fitch Ratings said Wednesday that it lowered Costco's issuer default rating one notch to "A+" from "AA-" because of the debt the company is taking on. Analyst Philip M. Zahn said "A+" is still considered an above-average, investment-grade rating.?

Costco runs 618 warehouses in several countries, including 447 in the U.S. and Puerto Rico.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/costco-spend-3-billion-special-dividend-1C7316258

eva longoria Rihanna wiz khalifa Michael Clarke Duncan Nazanin Boniadi Deval Patrick Dedication 4

Obama says hopes for deficit deal by Christmas

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Wednesday he hopes he can reach agreement with the U.S. Congress before Christmas to avoid the looming "fiscal cliff" and shrink the budget deficit, and urged supporters to pressure lawmakers via Twitter and other social media.

"Our ultimate goal is an agreement that gets our long-term deficit under control in a way that is fair and balanced," he said at the White House.

"I believe that both parties can agree on a framework that does that in the coming weeks. In fact, my hope is to get this done before Christmas," Obama said.

The president has launched an aggressive public relations campaign to support his goal of extending Bush-era tax cuts for all but the wealthiest Americans. On Wednesday, he called on his backers to pressure Congress both by traditional means and through social media.

"Tweet using the hashtag #My2K, or email, you know, post it on a member of Congress's Facebook wall," he said. "Do what it takes to communicate a sense of urgency. We don't have a lot of time here."

The president said followers could send a Tweet with the hashtag #My2K detailing how a $2,000 tax increase would limit their spending.

The White House has used Twitter campaigns in the past to get the public to pressure Congress to lower student loan interest rates (#dontdoublemyrate) and on extending the payroll tax cut (#40dollars).

Obama pledged to do his part to lobby for his tax proposal.

"I'll go anywhere and I'll do whatever it takes to get this done," he said. "It's too important for Washington to screw this up."

The United States faces a combination of government spending cuts and tax rises due to be implemented under existing law in early 2013 that may cut the federal budget deficit but also tip the economy back into recession.

(Reporting By Mark Felsenthal; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/obama-says-hopes-deficit-reduction-framework-christmas-172709122--business.html

humber raffi torres michael mcdonald jon jones vs rashad evans earth day 2012 jon jones rashad evans ufc jones vs evans

Discovr Music (for iPad)

By Jeffrey L. Wilson

Is your iPad??music playlist in need of an overhaul? Discovr Music?a $1.99 iOS app that serves up music recommendations based on artists and bands that you like?may be what's needed to freshen your collection. Discovr Music gives you a central location to watch artist videos, read album reviews, and sample tunes, but its core functionality?music discovery?is one already available in various iPad streaming music apps, such as Slacker Radio. If you aren't into streaming music, however, you may find it a solid tool to help you try before you make your next music buy.

Booting up Discovr Music brings you to a minimalist gray screen that has a search engine near its center and "Favorites," "Recommended," and "Trending" tabs at the bottom. It's a very simple design that serves two purposes: Easy navigation and keeping the focus on the music recommendations.

Turn the Radio On
There are two ways to begin your musical journey. You key in a band or artist name into the search engine, or tap the "Trending" tab where you'll find popular artists like Adele, Justin Bieber, and Nicki Minaj. I keyed in "The Dirtbombs"?one of my favorite independent acts?into the search box and Discovr Music opened an interactive map with recommendations. The very solid recommendations included The Gories (The Dirtbombs founder Mick Collins' old band) and other Detroit rock indies like The Detroit Cobras. Bringing a finger to any of the recommendations opens up even more recommendations. Tapping and holding an icon opens a menu that lets you play an artist's top songs, queue them up, add the artists to Favorites, and more. Music diehards would appreciate that extra layer of detail that comes with finding specific albums and songs that have similar structures as ones they like.

You cannot, unfortunately, search by album or song title. That's a huge drawback for a music discovery app.

Double-tapping an artist icon gives users related info such as a biography, selected song samples, blog posts, album reviews, tweets, videos, and links to places where you can view or purchase music (Amazon, iTunes). You can save an artist entry to "Favorites" by tapping the heart icon. Note: Favoriting only saves the artists' recommendation list?not the actual the biography and other details?to the "Favorites" tab.

Turn the Radio Up
Discovr Music is a simple method to discover new music?perhaps too much so. Some will decry spending $1.99 on an app whose entire shtick, music recommendation, is a feature found in several other iPad music apps. That's a fair criticism. Discovr desperately needs to provide users with more functionality?song and album search are the obvious needed additions. Still, if you want an interesting way to discover new music?and digest relevant information?Discovr's not a bad choice.

More iPad Apps Reviews:
??? Discovr Music (for iPad)
??? Discovr Movies (for iPad)
??? Science360 (for iPad)
??? Elgato EyeTV Mobile
??? Flipboard (for iPad)
?? more

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/WUfMDXZtbCs/0,2817,2412612,00.asp

jay z and beyonce baby cpac powell the last lecture kim jong un josh powell madonna halftime show

Brad Pitt reveals "the time is nigh" for wedding to Angelina Jolie

Investigators also say they found written material in which Bieler?describes his physical attraction to particular boys he has had access to through his positions with the Boy Scouts.?

More >>

Authorities say?he admitted to having?a sexual interest in young?children. Investigators also say they found written material in which Bieler?describes his physical attraction to particular boys he has had access to through his positions with the Boy Scouts.?

More >>

Source: http://www.14news.com/story/20197288/brad-pitt-reveals-the-time-is-nigh-for-wedding-to-angelina-jolie

dakota fanning leann rimes casey anthony video diary lamarcus aldridge justin timberlake engaged bluefin tuna jonestown

Department and Communications Coordinator - HigherEdJobs

Job Category:	Administrative Support
Department:	Social Sciences
Location:	IIT-Main Campus (MC), 3300 S. Federal, Chicago
Requisition Number:	0601293

GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Manages daily administrative and operations activities involving faculty, students, and staff. Manages the operating budget, department purchases, payroll and reimbursement processes, and Banner updates. Develops reports and communication materials for the department to raise its visibility, assist in the transition into the new college and help with new admissions processes and targets. Manages events including development functions, guest lectures, seminars, workshops, and research competitions.

Key Responsibility 1
Daily operations: Manages operating budget and purchasing. Assists chair and faculty with forms and processes related to personnel and budget activities, including academic searches, hiring and payroll documents, various activities in the Banner Finance system (i.e. purchase requisitions, budget queries), travel reimbursements, ITVs and CDVs. Performs office operations, including reception and hospitality, photocopying, filing, course schedules and maintaining spreadsheets. Oversees office technology and equipment. Initiates, carefully tracks, and brings job tasks, queries and processes to closure, keeping Chair apprised daily of current status of all requests with impeccable follow-through. Oversees two department interns and their activities. Responds promptly and courteously to electronic and face-to-face and other communications from faculty, students, and other internal and external correspondents. Assists departmental administrators in responding to inquiries about department programs. Serves as liaison to university administrative offices. Keeps the department informed of and in compliance with university policies and procedures.

Key Responsibility 2
Marketing and Communications: manages and regularly updates the department website, facebook page, and video collection. Develops department electronic newsletter, print materials in support of department programs, and publicity for departmental events. Writes articles and develops content for all of these, including interviewing, photographing and videotaping subjects toward that end. Works with CSL and IIT Marketing and Communications as needed, especially for posters, brochures, flyers and programs and on all outside publicity contacts and opportunities.

Key Responsibility 3
Event management: Manages department events, including commencement, Benjamin Franklin Project lectures and panels, guest speakers, annual retreat, job recruitment and student events and, potentially, conferences and external workshops.

Communications:
Responds promptly to e-mails, voice mails and personal communication from faculty, students and other internal and external correspondents. Responses will be verbal, written and electronic. Develop content for and manage department website, facebook page and newsletter as well as recruiting and event materials.

Customer Service:
Provides customer service to both internal and external customers.

Education & Experience:
B.S. or B.A. in relevant field; Master's Degree preferred.

Minimum of 2 years experience working in or for an academic milieu.

Preferred Skills:
Proficient in Microsoft Office, social media and web-based communication technologies; able to quickly learn and master information systems; able to communicate with numerous audiences through various media including excellent verbal skills and writing and editing capabilities. Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to work positively and independently in a small office setting. Excellent organizational, multi-tasking and project management skills with exceptional follow-through and attention to detail are absolutely necessary.

Special Instructions to Applicants:
Must be available for immediate interview and able to start within two weeks of hiring date.

Source: http://www.higheredjobs.com/details.cfm?JobCode=175696222

toy story 4 toy story 4 steam kristin chenoweth Robert Blake BLK Water ESPYs

Growing animal rescue group is work of teen actor

In this Nov. 16, 2012, photo, Lou Wegner, the founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty, poses for a photo with his rescued his dogs, from left, Kippy, Pearl, Draco and Henry in Burbank, Calif. Lou, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Nov. 16, 2012, photo, Lou Wegner, the founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty, poses for a photo with his rescued his dogs, from left, Kippy, Pearl, Draco and Henry in Burbank, Calif. Lou, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Nov. 16, 2012, Lou Wegner, the founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty, poses for a photo in Burbank, Calif., with his dog Pearl, who was rescued from a shelter. Lou, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Nov. 16, 2012, photo, Lou Wegner, the founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty, poses for a photo in Burbank, Calif., with his dog Pearl, who was rescued from a shelter. Lou, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

In this Nov. 16, 2012, photo, Lou Wegner, the founder of Kids Against Animal Cruelty, poses for a photo with his rescued his dogs, from left, Kippy, Draco, Pearl and Henry in Burbank, Calif. Lou, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? The person behind one of the country's fastest-growing animal rescues can't even vote yet. And neither can most of the people leading its 10 chapters across the nation.

Lou Wegner, a 16-year-old actor and singer from Columbus, Ohio, started Kids Against Animal Cruelty when he was 14. The organization, which uses social networking to encourage adoptions at high-kill animal shelters, has helped 20,000 pets escape euthanasia in two years.

Lou said he became aware of euthanasia at shelters when he went to Los Angeles to make the short film "Be Good to Eddie Lee." The director suggested that he volunteer at an animal shelter.

Until then, Lou thought shelters were safe havens for strays and lost pets. "It was heartbreaking. All these dogs crying in their cages. Knowing they would be put down broke my heart," he said.

The group started with Lou and his friends, carrying signs on street corners, and a Facebook page with 47 friends. Now it has more than 12,000 U.S. members and 50,000 members, supporters and partner coalitions across the globe, he said.

The group gets a boost whenever Lou hits the red carpet or the airwaves. He had a small role in Clint Eastwood's "Trouble With the Curve," just finished a pilot called "The Thundermans" for Nickelodeon, and co-hosts a weekly Global Voice Broadcasting radio show called "Love That Dog Hollywood! Kids & Animals."

Brenda Barnette, the general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Animal Services who has been on the show, said Lou is "a well-spoken advocate for animals and for peer involvement." At events where he'll be photographed or when the paparazzi are lurking, he's seldom without a T-shirt with a Kids Against Animal Cruelty logo, she said.

With that kind of exposure, the group's goal has become global ? getting people to adopt from shelters, to spay and neuter pets, and educating them about pet responsibility, Lou said. He advocates a no-kill policy, and hopes adults will join in because "they know so much more than we do."

The growing popularity of the teen, who is also a member of the pop band Blonde, helped save a shelter dog that might have otherwise been euthanized. Tommy Joe, an 11-month-old black Lab in South Carolina, wasn't too popular when his photo was posted on the group's Facebook page. Lou said the post garnered no likes or comments.

He recalled that the dog "was skinny and he looked sad. I thought he was doomed." So he posted online messages to the dog, drawing attention to its case and leading a group called For the Love of Dogs in Chester, S.C., to save Tommy Joe.

KAAC chapters around the country are run by teens, including a pair of sisters in New York City who worked with several groups to find lost animals and get food to people whose pets were starving in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. An Arizona chapter is run by one of Lou's nephews, and a cousin heads the Minnesota chapter.

Lou hopes to have a chapter in every state eventually, "because the bigger the group you work with, the bigger difference you can make."

"They euthanize just as many animals every day as we have saved. It's like throwing a Band-Aid in a river," he said.

He said there's also the need to educate children who commit cruelty to animals, as in the recent cases of a 12-year-old California boy arrested after police said he got mad at his family's dog and hung it on a door handle. In Las Vegas, police say two 11-year-olds threw rocks at a cat giving birth, killing her six kittens. Lou said he would make those children witness what happens in the euthanasia room at a shelter.

Robin Harmon, who runs a small dog transport program for Best Friends Animal Society Los Angeles and met Lou at a shelter, said she "was especially impressed that at a young age, he could control his feelings and the sadness that we all feel when we are helping at high-kill shelters."

"I have barely been able to do this and I am old enough to be Lou's grandmother," she said.

The sadness is hard to deal with, Lou agreed.

"Saving one keeps you going," he said.

___

Online:

http://www.kidsagainstanimalcruelty.org

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2012-11-27-Pets-Kids%20Against%20Animal%20Cruelty/id-b40d6fa3040b4498bcb8c94ee73610fb

obama birth certificate nick cannon lindsay lohan saturday night live snl lindsay lohan valley fever project x the lorax

Birdman Wants To Drop 100 Cash Money Albums A Year

'The goal is to keep developing and keep putting out,' Birdman tells MTV News of his ambitious goal to drop 100 albums in one year.
By Rob Markman

Birdman
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1698024/birdman-cash-money-100-records.jhtml

nick diaz sheryl sandberg superbowl recipes super bowl kick off chili recipes carlos condit diaz vs condit

Kitchen Remodeling ? Your Kitchen Lighting | Voooz.com

Kitchen remodeling each and every year millions of home owners do it. Are you hunting to turn out to be a single of those homeowners? Whether you are searching to remodel each square inch of your kitchen or just element of it, there is a decent chance that you may be in the marketplace for new kitchen lights. The lighting located in a kitchen has a considerable impact on the rooms general environment. That is why many property owners, when remodeling their kitchens, make the choice to change their kitchen light fixtures.

If you are interested in replacing your kitchen lights, you will uncover that you, actually, have an unlimited quantity of diverse options. Kitchen lights, as effectively as their fixtures, come in a quantity of distinct sizes, shapes, and styles. Honestly, there are some several distinct kitchen light fixtures to decide on from, you may possibly have a hard time producing up your mind. Regardless of getting a difficult time producing a selection, it is essential that you do. As previously pointed out, the lighting in a space has a significant influence on the all round quality of that space, as effectively as how you may feel whilst inside of it. That is why it is critical that you take time to analysis all of your alternatives, so that you can make the best choice.

1 of the most common varieties of lights for the kitchen are ceiling lights. Ceiling lights are light fixtures that are attached appropriate to the ceiling. Although they are often recognized as the most traditional kind of lighting for the kitchen, they can be anything but conventional. Whether or not you are purchasing online or at a single of your nearby retail shops, you really should have access to hundreds of diverse light fixtures, numerous of which are ceiling lights. The price of a ceiling light will all depend on which style you select, but, in most circumstances, you will locate that ceiling lights are the most inexpensive of all kitchen lights. If you are remodeling your kitchen on a budget, these kinds of lights might be very best.

In addition to ceiling fans, hanging kitchen lights are fairly common. Hanging kitchen lights comes in two major styles, chandeliers or pendants. Pendant lighting fixtures are lights that hang down from the ceiling, typically about a foot or far more. Chandelier lights are a normally a collection of hanging lights that are all grouped together. When it comes to chandelier lights and pendant lights for the kitchen, you will frequently discover that they are referred to as mini lights. This is because the greater size light fixtures are usually also big to use in most standard kitchens.

In addition to the above mentioned kitchen light fixtures, you could also want to purchase lights that are known as below cabinet lights. Below cabinet lights are ideal for those who are hunting for a speedy snack in the middle of the night. If you are acquiring new kitchen cabinets, as element of your kitchen remodeling project, an under the cabinet light could be the ideal addition to your new cupboards.

Regardless of whether you have decided that you would like to purchase a mini pendant light, a ceiling light, or a mini chandelier kitchen light, you will nonetheless need to select the light that looks best in your kitchen. As previously talked about, it may be an excellent concept to commence buying at a single of your regional home improvement shops, but if you are seeking for a light fixture with a certain style, it may be best to shop on the internet.

To check out more, please go to: cosplay wigs

Source: http://voooz.com/2012/11/27/kitchen-remodeling-your-kitchen-lighting/

drew barrymore bill o brien portland trailblazers will kopelman dakota fanning leann rimes casey anthony video diary

Iris Home Energy and Security Monitor Review: Your House, Safer and Smarter

Manual locks and dumb thermostats are old technology in our internet-connected world. With a Wi-Fi connection and an hour of free time, you can put home security and climate controls online—and give your home a brain. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ibDX42FMAac/iris-home-energy-and-security-monitor-review-your-house-safer-and-smarter

2012 masters the borgias shroud of turin warren sapp the masters i robot the big c

Oil prices fall as Israel-Hamas truce holds

BANGKOK (AP) ? The price of oil fell Monday as a truce between Israel and the militant group Hamas that stopped fighting in the Gaza Strip appeared to hold despite a confrontation late last week.

Benchmark oil for January delivery was down 33 cents to $87.95 per barrel at midday Bangkok time in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. On Friday, the contract rose 90 cents to close at $88.28 a barrel on the Nymex after Israeli troops fired on crowds in Gaza surging toward a border fence, killing one Palestinian.

Prior to the shooting, oil prices had been falling, thanks mostly to optimism that the cease-fire agreement between the two sides would prevent a broader conflict in the region that could disrupt crude supplies. The truce was struck last Wednesday to end to an eight-day Israeli offensive against Gaza militants who had fired rockets into Israel, but remains fragile.

Traders were also keeping a close eye on developments in Egypt, said independent oil analyst Stephen Schork. Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi on Sunday moved to grant himself near-absolute power, sparking street clashes between his supporters and opponents.

Brent, which is used to set prices for many international varieties of oil, fell 33 cents to $111.05 a barrel.

Other futures on the New York Mercantile Exchange:

? Wholesale gasoline lost 0.2 cent to $2.719 a gallon.

? Natural gas lost 5 cents to $3.851 per 1,000 cubic feet.

? Heating oil was unchanged at $3.086 a gallon.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/oil-prices-fall-israel-hamas-truce-holds-053430466--finance.html

joan crawford john goodman kendall marshall whitney houston news sylvia plath whitney houston whitney houston autopsy results

Bloomberg to ask Congress for $9.8 billion for Sandy costs

(Reuters) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said on Monday he will ask Congress for $9.8 billion to pay for superstorm Sandy costs not covered by insurance or other federal funds.

In a letter to New York's congressional delegation, Bloomberg said public, private and indirect losses to the city from the devastating late-October storm totaled an estimated $19 billion.

Of that, private insurance is expected to cover $3.8 billion, with Federal Emergency Management Agency reimbursements to cover at least an additional $5.4 billion, Bloomberg said in a statement.

The city still will need the additional $9.8 billion to help pay for costs that FEMA does not cover, like hazard mitigation, long-term housing, shoreline restoration and protection efforts, he said.

Bloomberg is scheduled to speak with congressional leaders in Washington on Wednesday.

Sandy made landfall in New Jersey on October 29. It blasted through the Northeastern U.S., killing dozens of people, devastating homes, forcing evacuations, crippling power systems and shutting down New York City's subway system for days.

The total cost in the region still is not clear as estimates of the damage, as well as future repair and prevention costs, continue coming in from states, cities and counties.

Private insurance is expected to cover a large chunk of the costs, while FEMA is expected to cover at least 75 percent of eligible costs, but city and state officials can ask for more.

On November 12, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he planned to ask the federal government for $30 billion in disaster aid for the state.

Cuomo's initial estimates pegged the total amount of damages for the region at $50 billion, with about $33 billion of that incurred in New York state.

Cuomo's office did not immediately reply to a request for information about how New York City's damages fit into the overall estimated damages for the state.

The city had about $4.8 billion of uninsured private losses, $3.8 billion of insured private losses, and $4.5 billion in losses to city agencies.

Reconstructing the city's damaged roads alone could cost nearly $800 million, Bloomberg said. New York City, a financial and tourism center, also lost about $5.7 billion in gross city product, he said.

Neighboring New Jersey, which saw massive damage to its transit system and coastline, said it suffered at least $29.4 billion in overall losses, according to preliminary estimates released by Governor Chris Christie on Friday.

(Reporting By Hilary Russ; Editing by Maureen Bavdek and Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/york-city-mayor-ask-congress-9-8-billion-170800247--sector.html

matthew broderick tax refund calculator huntington disease west memphis three taxes game of thrones season 2 trailer sag award winners

NextGen Auto International Summit China: Meet the innovators from ...

NextGen Auto International Summit China is designed to bring together automotive industry executives from China and overseas to interact, exchange ideas, promote new strategies, as well as explore the industry?s best practices, new technologies, services and applications.

Delegates, whether from OEMs, suppliers or service providers, will take away new insights on how to achieve a more sustainable and profitable future.

Global experiences: Hear from smart connected and energy-efficient vehicle
adopters, service aggregators and infrastructure providers

Countries, crucial topics to be explored and recently confirmed high-profile speakers include:

• Germany: Establishing electric mobility and supporting infrastructure

Federal Association for eMobility (BEM)? Christian Heep, Director

• Sweden: Engaging the whole community for fossil-fuel free transportation by 2020

ElBil2020 ? Allan Larsson, Vice Chairman and Project Manager (former Swedish Minister of Finance)

• USA: The wireless operator as a systems developer - how the relationship between operator and auto manufacturer is being transformed

Sprint ? Yijing Brentano, Vice President of International Wholesale

• Malaysia: Innovating electrification of the automotive industry

PROTON? Md Ridzuan Bin Md Yusof, Head of Advanced Research and Collaboration

• USA: Developing a new, low-cost PHEV system for light and heavy commercial vehicles with zero emission capabilities

Efficient Drivetrains & University of California Davis? Dr. Andy Frank, CTO (recognised as the father of modern plug-in hybrid vehicles)

• Germany: Role of electric vehicles in the future power grid and testing/development environment for interoperable e-mobility

TU Dormund?Dr. Jan Fritz Rettberg, Executive, Competence Centre, E-Mobility, Infrastructure and Grids

• USA: How telematics is revolutionising fleet operations and management through carbon footprint reduction, cost efficiencies and increased productivity

City of Santa Ana?Rick Longobart , Fleet Manager (recognised as ?Fleet Manager of Year? and one of the US Top 100 Fleets

Explore and evaluate innovative business models and technologies for success in today?s rapidly evolving global automotive eco-system

All conference keynote and special focus track sessions are bookable separately or together as a package. These include:

• Strategies for realising China?s smarter, greener and energy efficient industry future
• New business models and technology innovations
• Personal mobility and intelligent transportation
• Powertrains and electronic control systems
• Connected vehicle technologies and telematics
• Commercial vehicles and fleets
• Green fuels and natural gas engines
• Advanced batteries, energy storage and management
• Charging and infrastructure
• Advanced materials and manufacturing for the next generation

For a detailed programme agenda and further speaker information, visit: www.nextgenautosummit-china.com
?

Source: http://www.energytrend.com/node/4708

Pretty Little Liars Ben Wilson Latest Presidential Polls trump debate presidential debate lance armstrong

Pakistani TV anchor survives attempted bombing

Pakistanis gather at the site of a bomb blast, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. A bomb hidden in a cement construction block exploded in the southern city of Karachi killing at least one person and injuring several others, a police official said. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

Pakistanis gather at the site of a bomb blast, in Karachi, Pakistan, Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. A bomb hidden in a cement construction block exploded in the southern city of Karachi killing at least one person and injuring several others, a police official said. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

An unidentified man comforts Ali Mohammad, mourning the death of his father killed in a bomb blast, outside his residence in Karachi, Pakistan on Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. A bomb hidden in a cement construction block exploded in the southern city of Karachi killing at least one person and injuring several others, a police official said. (AP Photo/Shakil Adil)

ISLAMABAD (AP) ? Police on Monday found and defused a bomb planted under the car of a prominent Pakistani TV anchor threatened by the Taliban for his coverage of a schoolgirl shot by the militants, police said.

The bomb was made up of half a kilogram (one pound) of explosives stuffed in a tin can, said Bani Amin, the police chief in Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, where the incident occurred. It was placed in a bag and attached to the bottom of Mir's car, said Amin.

One of Mir's neighbors noticed the bomb under the car after the TV anchor returned from a local market, and the police were notified, said Rana Jawad, a senior official at Geo TV.

No group has claimed responsibility.

The Pakistani Taliban threatened Mir and other journalists last month over their coverage of an assassination attempt against Malala Yousufzai, a 15-year-old schoolgirl activist who was shot in the head by the militants in the northwest Swat Valley.

The Taliban targeted Malala for criticizing the militant group and promoting secular girls' education, which is opposed by the Islamist extremists. She is recovering in Britain.

Pakistani Interior Minister Rehman Malik offered 50 million rupees ($500,000) for information about those responsible for the attempted attack against Mir.

The anchor said on TV after the incident that it would not deter him from speaking the truth.

"It was proven today that the Protector is more powerful than the attacker," said Mir.

He said he wasn't prepared to blame the Taliban for the attempted bombing, claiming he had received threats from others as well.

Elsewhere in Pakistan, a bomb hidden in a cement construction block exploded in the southern city of Karachi, killing one person, said senior police officer Farooq Awan. Four other people were wounded, he said.

The bomb contained about one kilogram (two pounds) of explosives and was detonated by a mobile phone, Awan said.

Pakistan suspended mobile phone service throughout most of the country on Saturday and Sunday to prevent attacks against Shiite Muslims during a major religious commemoration.

Despite the ban, a pair of bombings over the weekend killed at least 13 people.

Awan said he suspected the bomb in Karachi was meant to target Shiites over the weekend, but militants were not able to detonate it at the time because of the mobile phone cutoff.

Shiites are observing the holy month of Muharram. Pakistani Shiites on Sunday marked Ashoura, the most important day of the month.

Pakistan has a long history of Sunni Muslim extremists targeting Shiites, whom they consider heretics.

Also Monday, police said 16 addicts have died in the eastern city of Lahore after drinking cough syrup suspected of being toxic, said police officer Multan Khan.

Khan said they died at various hospitals in Lahore over the past three days. Two people were still being treated at the city's main hospital.

Police arrested the owners of three drug stores where the cough syrup was sold and sent a sample for analysis to determine whether it was toxic, Khan said.

____

Associated Press writers Adil Jawad in Karachi, Pakistan, and Zaheer Babar in Lahore, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-26-Pakistan/id-ce13324d350a4fcda21ef9bda86397c6

yankees Tagg Romney Bosses Day Cabin Fever 2 nhl Alexis Wright Zumba binder full of women

[??????][??????] ?????????? ??? ?????????. 950?. - ????????? ...

?????????? ??? ???????? Acer??????????????

Acer Aspire One D250, ZG5, A110, A150 Black
Acer Aspire Timeline 5810T 5410T 5820TG 5536
Aspire 1800 9500
Aspire 4220 4900 5300 5910 ?????
Aspire 4710 4720
Aspire One??White
Timeline 3810 3810T 3410T 4810T 4410T
TravelMate 6490 6492
Acer Aspire 5516 5517 5532

?????????? ??? ???????? Asus ??

Asus??A8,F8,N80,X80,X83W3,W3000,Z99
Asus A3H A3A, A3E, A3G, A7000V, A7G, A7D, A7V
Asus Eee PC 1005HA 1008HA 1001HA Black
Asus Eee PC 1201K, 1201T, 1201N, 1201HA.
Asus Eee PC 700, 701, 900, 901 Black
Asus EeePC 1000 Series Black
Asus EeePC 1000 Series White
Asus EeePC 1004DN Black
Asus F2 Series.
Asus F3 Series
Asus F5 Series
ASUS F7, M51
ASUS F80, X80
Asus K40 K40E K40IN K40IJ K40AB K40AN Series.
ASUS K50, K70, K61,N50, F90
Asus K53 K52 N50 UL50 G60 K54 K72 X52 X61
Asus M70 M50 X71 Series
Asus N10 N10A N10C N10E N10J N10JC White
Asus UL30, K42, N82, U31, U35, U41 BLACK
Asus X53U,K53U,A53U,K53T, A53T, X53T, K53TA,K73T
ASUS Z62, Z84, Z84FM, Z84JP, Z96, Z96F, Z96J

?????????? ??? ???????? Dell ??

Dell 1420, 1520 Silver
Dell 6420 Black ??? ?????
Dell D500
Dell E6520 Black c ??????
Dell E6520 Black ??? ????? ??
Dell Inspiron 6000 6000D 9200 9300 9300S
Dell Inspiron 6400 9400 630M 640M E1405 E1505
Dell Inspiron N5110
Dell Latitude E6400
Dell Latitude XT Series
Dell Mini 12
Dell Mini 9
Dell Studio 14, 14Z, 1440, 1457
Dell Studio 1535 1536
Dell Studio 1555, 1557, 1558
Dell Studio 1749
Dell Vostro 1200 Black
Dell Vostro 1200 White
Dell Vostro 1310 1320 1510 1520 2510
Dell Vostro 1310, 1510

?????????? ??? ???????? HP

HP 500, 520
HP 6510b 6515b 6710b 6715b
HP 6530s 6531s 6535s 6730s 6735s
HP Compaq 620 621 625
HP Compaq Presario CQ30 CQ35.
HP Compaq Presario CQ40 CQ45.
HP Compaq Presario CQ50.
HP Compaq Presario CQ60.
HP CQ70
HP CQ71 G71 ??
HP CQ72, G72
HP DV2-1000 Glossy.
HP DV2000 V3000 Silver.
HP DV3500 Cofee.
HP DV3500 Silver.
HP DV4-1000??Silver ??
HP DV4000, 4100 Series, 4200 Series??Black
HP DV5-1000, 1100 Series, 1200 Series??Silver
HP DV5000
HP DV6000
HP DV6000-6000 Black
HP DV8000
HP DV9000
HP HDX16-1000, X16-1000, X16-1200
HP Mini 110 Series Black
HP Mini 110-1000 Series Pink
HP Mini 210-1000 Black
HP Mini 700, Mini 1000
HP NC6110 NC6120
HP Omnibook 500, 510
HP Pavilion??DV7-2000 DV7-3000 WHITE
HP Pavilion DV6-1000 Series Black
HP Pavilion DV7 DV7-1000 DV7-1270 DV7 Silver
HP Pavilion DV7-4000 Series.
HP ProBook 4310s 4311s
HP ProBook G7 Black
HP ZV5000 ZX5000 ZV5200 Series

?????????? ??? ???????? IBM/Lenovo

Lenovo G550, G555,?550,?560,V560
Lenovo G560, G565 Black
Lenovo IdeaPad Y450 Y450AW Y450G Y550 White
Lenovo S10-2 Black.
Lenovo S10-3c Black
Lenovo S12 Black.
Lenovo S12 White.
Lenovo S9 S10 White.
Lenovo U460 Black

?????????? ??? ???????? LG ??

LG LE50 Black.
LG LS40, LS50, LS45, LM40, LM50

?????????? ??? ???????? MSI ??

MSI Wind U90, U100, RoverBook Neo U100 White.
?????????? ??? ???????? Samsung ??
Samsung M50.
Samsung N120
Samsung N130 NC10, ND10, N110 Series
Samsung N210 N220 Series ??
Samsung Q430, X330, P430, QX410, SF410
Samsung R520,R522 ??????
Samsung RC710 RC711 Series
Samsung RF710
Samsung X1 with point stick.

?????????? ??? ???????? Sony ??

Sony EA ?????, ????? ?????
Sony EA ??????, ????? ??????
Sony EB ??????
Sony Vaio VPC-Y Series Black FRAME Black
Sony Vaio VPC-Y Series Black FRAME SILVER
Sony VGN-CW Black.
Sony VGN-FW Black. ??? ?????
Sony VGN-NR21Z White.
Sony VGN-NW Black.
Sony VGN-SR Black.
Sony VPC-EB WHITE
Sony VPC-S Black
Sony VPC-S White

?????????? ??? ???????? Toshiba

Toshiba??A500,QosmioG500,Satellite L500 ???????
Toshiba A200 A300 M300 L300 Black.
Toshiba A200 A300 M300 L300 Silver
Toshiba L10.
Toshiba L100.
Toshiba M60 P100.
Toshiba P300 L350 L355 L500 BLACK
Toshiba Satellite A200,A205,A210,M200,M205 white
Toshiba Satellite C650 L650 L670??L750 BLACK
Toshiba Satellite M20.
Toshiba Satellite NB305 Series Silver
Toshiba ?650 L650 L670 L750 White

?????????? ?????? ??

Emachines 725
Emachines D520 D970

????????????? ?????

Source: http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?showtopic=53151

daylight savings time 2012 Where To Vote james harden breeders cup Mitch Lucker Red Cross CMA Awards 2012