Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273849527?client_source=feed&format=rss
the raven the raven zerg rush david wilson playstation all stars battle royale kim zolciak kim zolciak
Monday, December 31, 2012
Flowers for the holidays - Sharon Santoni - My French Country Home
Back again after a week of rest and family time for Christmas. ? A huge thank you to everyone who has been by here while I was away, and thank you especially for your kind Christmas wishes.
Don't you love this week between Christmas and New Year.? A sort of hiatus, where the daily routine is put on hold, and it feels like we've stopped in time.
For us, this weekend marks a pause between guests and entertaining, and it's always a moment when I like to freshen up the Christmas decor and start to prepare for New Year's Eve.
I found these stunning double Amaryllis, totally dreamy and soft coloured.? They started as a large bouquet in a giant vase but with the warmth of the house several of the stems snapped, so I changed them to individual jars and scattered Christmas baubles around them.
?I hope that your holidays are peaceful and enjoyable,
?no matter how many mouths there may be to feed.
Source: http://myfrenchcountryhome.blogspot.com/2012/12/flowers-for-holidays.html
alicia sacramone Don Grady ann curry euro 2012 Colorado Springs pga tour Nora Ephron
Sunday, December 30, 2012
Fiscal Cliff: Republicans' Moment Of Truth Explained
The Daily Beast:
Barack Obama sounded reasonably confident Friday evening that a deal can still be reached. But it?s his job to sound optimistic, and not to anger Mitch McConnell and John Boehner.
Read the whole story at The Daily Beast
"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/29/fiscal-cliff-republicans_n_2380922.html
lovelace antioch the grey review demi moore 911 call ipo jim rome ufc on fox 2 weigh ins
Texas Tech rallies to beat Minnesota 34-31
HOUSTON (AP) ? Texas Tech has had a difficult month since coach Tommy Tuberville left abruptly for the job at Cincinnati.
The struggles continued on Friday night, and the Red Raiders trailed Minnesota by a touchdown with just more than a minute left in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.
That was when seniors D.J. Johnson and Seth Doege came through with big plays to help Texas Tech to a 34-31 win.
After Doege connected with Eric Ward on a 35-yard scoring play to pull the Red Raiders even at 31 with just more than a minute remaining, Johnson returned an interception 39 yards and Ryan Bustin made a 28-yard field goal as time expired to give the Red Raiders the win.
"We've overcome a lot of adversity," Johnson said. "To end my last play like that is a blessing."
Michael Carter intercepted two of Doege's passes in the fourth quarter before the tying score, but Minnesota couldn't convert either of the turnovers into points.
"Things weren't always going our way ... but we kept fighting and put ourselves in a position to win the game," Doege said.
The Red Raiders (8-5) got their third straight bowl victory to end their trying season on a high note.
Texas Tech has hired Kliff Kingsbury to replace Tuberville, but interim coach Chris Thomsen led the team against Minnesota (6-7). Kingsbury was at the game, watching from a suite.
Doege threw for 271 yards and a touchdown and ran for another score in front of a crowd that included 1977 Heisman Trophy winner Earl Campbell and former Tech coach Spike Dykes.
"More than anything I credit those players," Thomsen said of Johnson and Doege. "They really held it together ... to get to make those plays after they struggled. They kept their poise and confidence and continued to stay in there and battle."
Philip Nelson threw for 138 yards and two scores for the Gophers, who were in a bowl game for the first time since 2009.
"I think our kids played hard tonight; they played their guts out, and I appreciate that," Minnesota coach Jerry Kill said. "We just couldn't make a play at a critical time."
The Red Raiders returned to a bowl after having their 18-season bowl streak snapped last year.
A 1-yard touchdown pass from Nelson to Drew Goodger gave Minnesota a 31-24 lead early in the fourth quarter.
Texas Tech led 24-17 at halftime, but couldn't do anything offensively in the second half until the last couple of minutes. It was an ugly game for the Red Raiders, who had 13 penalties for 135 yards and lost the tight end Jace Amaro when he was ejected for throwing a punch.
Jakeem Grant ran for what was initially ruled a touchdown for Tech late in the third quarter. Amaro threw a punch at Derrick Wells in the end zone on the play and was ejected.
After the penalty, the play was reviewed and overturned. Doege threw an incomplete pass before Tech made a 32-yard field goal. But the Red Raiders had a false start penalty on the play and had to kick again and this time the Gophers blocked it.
Nelson threw a 17-yard touchdown pass to Devin Crawford-Tufts, who was left uncovered in the end zone, to tie it 24-all early in the third quarter.
Donnell Kirkwood scored on a 3-yard run to leave Minnesota up 17-14 early in the second quarter.
Texas Tech had a first-and-goal at the Minnesota 2 after a pass-interference call on the Gophers. But Texas Tech had to settle for a field goal after a rush for a 3-yard loss and two penalties.
Minnesota's next drive started out well before turning ugly. The Gophers had made two first downs before MarQueis Gray was sacked for a loss of 7 yards. Kirkwood ran for 17 yards on the next play, but Minnesota received two 15-yard penalties on the play, one for a personal foul on lineman Zac Epping, to make it second-and-42. Epping received a second personal foul penalty on the next play to bring up third-and-49.
"We just made some errors that I wish we hadn't made," Kill said.
Christian Eldred shanked the punt, giving Texas Tech the ball at the Minnesota 42.
The Red Raiders capitalized on their great field position when Doege spun away from a defender in the backfield and leaped over another Gopher near the goal line on a 4-yard touchdown run. Tech converted a fourth-and-6 play on that drive, and led 24-17 at halftime.
Minnesota's Rodrick Williams Jr. scored on a 2-yard run to give the Gophers a 10-7 lead in the first quarter.
Doege lost his helmet on a 5-yard scramble on Tech's next drive and had to go out for one play. He was replaced by Michael Brewer, who found Derreck Edwards for a 13-yard touchdown pass to give the Red Raiders a 14-10 lead.
Minnesota's Troy Stoudermire returned the opening kickoff 26 yards to break the NCAA record for career kickoff return yards. He finished the game with 111 yards to push his total to 3,615.
The Gophers ended that drive with a 41-yard field goal to make it 3-0.
Texas Tech's Grant returned the ensuing kickoff 99 yards for a touchdown to put Texas Tech up 7-3.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/texas-tech-rallies-beat-minnesota-34-31-060522585--spt.html
ja rule amityville horror acm passover recipes 2012 kids choice awards kansas ohio state wrestlemania results
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Make Your Business More Popular with Yahoo Store Development ...
We all know that Internet is a one-stop destination, where we can find a range of products and services which we are looking for. With increasing demand for Internet, the popularity of online shopping is increasing rapidly as lots of people prefer to purchase products and services online from the comfort of their home. So, if you are looking to make your online business successful, Yahoo store is one of the best options as it is the most popular store among online shoppers.
By using Yahoo store, you can easily promote your products and services on the web and enhance the popularity of your online business. For small and medium-sized businesses, Yahoo Store is one of the finest options because it is an affordable e-commerce solution. There are many businesses looking for a reasonable as well as reliable e-commerce platform, so Yahoo store is the only solution that works speculate.
Currently in the market, all the businessmen want to start an online business, so opting for Yahoo store is an excellent option that allows them to gain huge profit. There are many e-commerce platforms obtainable, but selecting a Yahoo Store is beneficial for all the entrepreneurs. Yahoo Store carries a set of features such as menu, customization, layout, add-ons, RTML programming, graphics, and many more to make your online business popular.
Now, it becomes easily probable to build a profit generating store as Yahoo store integrates with lots of activities like improvement, store design, promotion, and customization. The development of Yahoo store is quite difficult, so every businessman needs to hire a professional designer and developer?s team, who can carry out this task very easily. The team of designers and developers can easily turn your simple online store into a popular and successful store. The team also assures you to provide a user-friendly and reliable online store with easy navigations and layout features.
Around the world, many designers and developers are obtainable, who claim to provide high-quality Yahoo store development at competitive rates, but you need to be careful while hiring them as there are some developers and designers, who are only claiming to be good. It is great for you to hire an offshore Development company from India as India has well-experienced and professional developers, who work hard to offer your desired services. Perception System is one of the well-known offshore Development Company based in India. The company offers complete online store solutions to its valuable customers, so you can Yahoo Store Development India at competitive rates.?
Source: http://blogs.perceptionsystem.com/make-your-business-more-popular-with-yahoo-store-development/
Jerry Nelson Foo Canoodle Isaac path Tropical Storm Isaac path Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Isaac Path
Burned bear cub recovering, may be released
HAMILTON, Mont. (AP) ? An orphaned black bear cub burned in a wildfire last summer is recovering and may be released in June, an Idaho wildlife sanctuary official said.
The 4-month-old bear nicknamed "Boo Boo" was discovered by a fisherman in a tree along the Salmon River in August days after the 312-square-mile Mustang wildfire complex passed through the area.
The cub had second-degree burns on all four paws and was malnourished when U.S. Forest Service and Idaho Fish and Game workers rescued him.
After spending a few weeks at the Idaho Humane Society, the cub has been rehabilitating since September in the Snowdon Wildlife Sanctuary near McCall. He lives in a 2-acre forested enclosure with five other orphaned cubs.
Snowdon board member Diane Evans-Mack said Boo Boo is on the road to a full recovery, according to the Ravalli Republic (http://bit.ly/Tn8OO3).
"You wouldn't even be able to notice that his paws were ever burnt now," she said. "We don't see him every day, but even when we saw him in September, two weeks after the fire, we noticed just looking at the paws that they were much better. They were still a little bit sensitive, but he was climbing trees and running around."
The sanctuary tracks the bears' activity with cameras. Some of the pictures on the sanctuary's website show Boo Boo and another of the bears playfully wrestling with each other at night.
Evans-Mack said the plan is to release Boo Boo into the wild in June, and he may be collared so the sanctuary can keep track of him.
"We are going to end up holding Boo Boo through the winter, and we'll wait until the spring bear hunting season is over because he would be a little too naive to be out there," she said.
The cub's diet consists of fruit, greens and dry dog food.
"Dog food is actually something that helps him put on a lot of weight," Evans-Mack explained. "We have interns that go in and use dry dog food, and that puts a lot of fat on the bears. We get donations from local markets of fruits and some greenery that they would discard anyway. We give them salmon sometimes. We could use donations of dry dog food though."
___
Information from: Ravalli Republic, http://www.ravallirepublic.com
Survivor Philippines westboro baptist church Fashion Island shooting Victor Cruz nfl standings Vicki Soto Adam Lanza
Forget fiscal cliff: Debt ceiling is much scarier
3 hrs.
Investors fearing a stock market plunge if the U.S. tumbles off the "fiscal cliff" next week may want to relax.
But they should be scared if a few weeks later Washington fails to reach a deal to raise the nation's debt ceiling as that threatens a default, another credit downgrade and a financial markets panic.
Market strategists say that falling off the cliff for any lengthy period -- which would lead to automatic tax hikes and stiff cuts in government spending?--?would badly dent both consumer and business confidence, but?it would take some time for the U.S. economy to slide into recession. In the meantime, there would be plenty of chances for lawmakers to make amends by reversing some of the effects.
That has been reflected in a U.S. stock market that has still not shown signs of melting down. Instead, it has drifted lower and gotten more volatile.
In some ways, that has let Washington off the hook. In the past, a plunge in stock prices forced the hand of Congress, such as in the middle of the financial crisis in 2008.
"If this thing continues for a bit longer and the result is you get a U.S. debt downgrade ... the risk is not that you lose two and half percent, the risk is that you lose ten and a half," said Jonathan Golub, chief U.S. equity strategist at UBS Equity Research in New York.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner said earlier?this??week that the United States will technically reach its debt limit at the end of the year.
'Tremendous fight'
The White House has said it will not negotiate the debt ceiling as in 2011, when the fight over what was once a procedural matter preceded the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, but it may be forced into such a battle again. A repeat of that war is most worrisome for markets.
Markets posted several days of sharp losses in the period surrounding the debt ceiling fight in 2011. Even after a bill to increase the ceiling passed, stocks plunged in what was seen as a vote of no confidence in Washington's ability to function, given how close lawmakers came to a default.
Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's lowered the U.S. sovereign rating to double-A-plus, citing Washington's legislative problems as one reason for the downgrade. The benchmark S&P 500 dropped 16 percent in a four-week period ending Aug. 21, 2011.
"I think there will be a tremendous fight between Democrats and Republicans about the debt ceiling," said Jon Najarian, a co-founder of online brokerage TradeMonster.com in Chicago.
"I think that is the biggest risk to the downside in January for the market and the U.S. economy."
There are some signs in the options market that investors are starting to eye the January period with more wariness. The CBOE Volatility Index, or the VIX, the market's favored anxiety indicator, has remained at relatively low levels throughout this process, though on Thursday it edged above 20 for the first time since July.
More notable is the action in VIX futures markets, which shows a sharper increase in expected volatility in January than in later-dated contracts. January VIX futures are up nearly 23 percent in the last seven trading days, compared with a 13 percent increase in March futures and an 8 percent increase in May futures. That's a sign of increasing near-term worry among market participants.
Consumers don't appear at all traumatized by the fiscal cliff talks, as yet. Helping to bolster consumer confidence has been a continued recovery in the housing market and growth in the labor market, albeit slow.
The latest employment take will be out Friday, and the Labor Department is expected to show jobs growth of 145,000 for December, in line with recent growth.
Consumers will see their paychecks affected if lawmakers cannot broker a deal and tax rates rise, but the effect on spending is likely to be gradual.
Negotiations ongoing
President Barack Obama met with?congressional leaders from both parties Friday?for discussions about the fiscal cliff, and the House of Representatives is set to convene Sunday and continue working through the New Year. Obama has proposed maintaining current tax rates for all but the highest earners.
Options strategists have noted an increase in positions to guard against weakness in defense stocks such as General Dynamics, as those stocks would be affected by spending cuts set for that sector. Notably, though, the PHLX Defense Index is less than 1 percent away from an all-time high reached Dec. 20.
This underscores the view taken by most investors and strategists: One way or another, Washington will come to an agreement to offset some effects of the cliff. The result will not be entirely satisfying, but it will be enough to satisfy investors.
"Expectations are pretty low at this point and yet the equity market hasn't reacted," said Carmine Grigoli, chief U.S. investment strategist at Mizuho Securities USA. "You're not going to see the markets react to anything with more than a 5 to 7 percent correction."
Markets, for the most part, have not shown the same kind of volatility as in 2008 or 2011.
A gradual decline remains possible, Golub said, if business and consumer confidence continues to take a hit on the back of fiscal cliff worries. The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell sharply in December, a drop blamed in part on the fiscal issues.
"If Congress came out and said that everything is off the table, yeah, that would be a short-term shock to the market, but that's not likely," said Richard Weiss, a Mountain View, Calif.-based senior money manager at American Century Investments.
"Things will be resolved, just maybe not on a good time table. All else being equal, we see any further decline as a buying opportunity."?
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/forget-fiscal-cliff-debt-ceiling-much-scarier-1C7753061
Electoral Map concede Obama Acceptance Speech Prop 30 Election 2012 Michigan Election Results Missouri Election Results
Friday, December 28, 2012
Putin signs anti-U.S. adoptions bill
MOSCOW (AP) ? President Vladimir Putin on Friday signed a bill banning Americans from adopting Russian children, making the legislation official less than 24 hours after his office received it from Parliament.
The bill has angered Americans and Russians who argue it victimizes children to make a political point, cutting off a route out of frequently dismal orphanages for thousands of children. The Russian-language hashtag "PutinEatsKids" was trending on Twitter just minutes after Putin signed it.
UNICEF estimates that there are about 740,000 children not in parental custody in Russia while about 18,000 Russians are on the waiting list to adopt a child.
The law also blocks dozens of Russian children now in the process of being adopted by American families from leaving the country. The U.S. is the biggest destination for adopted Russian children ? more than 60,000 of them have been taken in by Americans over the past two decades.
The measure is retaliation for an American law that calls for sanctions against Russian officials deemed human rights violators. The U.S. State Department has said it regrets Parliament's decision to pass the bill, arguing it would prevent many children from growing up in families.
Children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov says that 46 children who were about to be adopted in the U.S. would remain in Russia if the bill comes into effect.
Putin has said that U.S. authorities routinely let Americans suspected of violence toward Russian adoptees go unpunished.
The passage of the bill followed weeks of a hysterical media campaign on Kremlin-controlled television that lambasts American adoptive parents and adoption agencies that allegedly bribe their way into getting Russian children.
A few lawmakers claimed that some Russian children were adopted by Americans only to be used for organ transplants and become sex toys or cannon fodder for the U.S. Army. A spokesman with Russia's dominant Orthodox Church said that the children adopted by foreigners and raised outside the church will not "enter God's kingdom."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/putin-signs-anti-us-adoptions-bill-100228125.html
mirror mirror robyn texas relays meniscus the colony kids choice awards ncaa final four 2012
layanau: writ trig: Bodybuilding Basics | Sports n Recreation Info
Share With Friends: | | Politics ? Top Stories Stories, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla. Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/189067401?client_source=feed&format=rss sugar bowl presidential candidates mild kidney failure celebrity wife swap gla republican candidates virginia tech
LOS ANGELES ? Ryan Reynolds is the latest superhero to rule the weekend box office. Reynolds? ?Green Lantern? debuted at No. 1 with $52.7 million, a fair but unremarkable opening stacked up against other comic-book adaptations. Released by Warner Bros., ?Green Lantern? brought up the rear among superhero movies to open so far this summer, [...]
? About 3 weeks ago, a box from Sprint arrived. Inside the box was a kitten. No, sorry?actually it was this nifty 7? Android tablet from HTC, the EVO View 4G. After using it almost daily, and discussing it with everybody I could corner, I?m still somewhat conflicted about whether or not I?d buy one. [...]
Hong Kong bills itself as one of Asia?s most diverse cities and is home to a sizable population of non-ethnic Chinese minorities, but many of them educated at local public schools are unable to read and speak Chinese. In the 15 years since reverting to Chinese sovereignty, South Asian students here have been given the [...]
At first, you?ll be mystified by the 20 most-liked Facebook photos posted by advertisers during 2012. The giants of Facebook advertising ? Walmart, Amazon, Target, Samsung, etc. ? are completely absent. In their place are some tiny businesses and niche companies you?ve never heard of. Sure, a couple of major brands like Bed Bath & [...]
Source: http://beachromanticvacations.falyorumlari.com/1153/layanau-writ-trig-bodybuilding-basics-sports-n-recreation-info/
Missouri Election Results Amendment 64 marijuana huffington post elizabeth warren puerto rico diane sawyer
Source: http://ykeloucyi.posterous.com/layanau-writ-trig-bodybuilding-basics-sports
John Orozco Garrett Reid shawn johnson Tony Sly Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon
Source: http://subsistence-upchuck.blogspot.com/2012/12/layanau-writ-trig-bodybuilding-basics.html
paul ryan michele bachmann donald trump Election 2012 map Election Results Map Early voting results BBC
khukonho: defy puny: Running 1.0 | Ridgewood Sports & Recreation ...
Ridgewood Running Company, 258 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ | Get?Directions??
FREE
Experiencing information-overload when learning how to run? Check out tonight's presentation that Dr. Jonathan Hartman is giving on running and injury prevention.
Bonus Material**?
The Newton Running Representative will also be there for a Q&A session!
?
- What to look for when purchasing running shoes
- Improve Technique Efficiency
- Supplemental Training
- Common Injuries with Running
- Injury Prevention and Treatment with Chiropractic & ART?
- Hype with Barefoot Running
- Importance of Rest Days
- Stretching/Foam Roller Exercises
- Sports Specific Nutrition
- Treadmill Running
?
40.978763
-74.113968
primary
Running 1.0
December 20, 2012, 8:00 pm?10:00 pm
Ridgewood Running Company
258 E Ridgewood Ave, Ridgewood, NJ
/listings/ridgewood-running-company
11664
/locations/8428259
Source: http://ridgewood.patch.com/events/running-10
daytona bike week mary kay ash tiny houses maya angelou joan of arc tony robbins bon iver
Source: http://ykefapudoryc.posterous.com/running-10-ridgewood-sports-recreation-classe
mike wallace mike wallace chicago cubs split pea soup recipe the client list yahoo.com/mail baylor
Source: http://defy-puny.blogspot.com/2012/12/running-10-ridgewood-sports-recreation.html
London 2012 Slalom Canoe Alex Morgan Misty May Treanor Lolo Jones Aly Raisman Marvin Hamlisch Megan Rossee
Source: http://vuoree.posterous.com/defy-puny-running-10-ridgewood-sports-recreat
three stooges the three stooges the bee gees woodward keratosis pilaris rock and roll hall of fame 2012 brandon rios
Source: http://exploitative-releasable.blogspot.com/2012/12/defy-puny-running-10-ridgewood-sports.html
san diego weather north korea frances bean cobain north korea missile launch modesto st louis weather guinea bissau
Source: http://khukonho.blogspot.com/2012/12/defy-puny-running-10-ridgewood-sports.html
nfl draft grades devils dodgers rachel maddow gia la riots new jersey devils
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Why are US firms going 'green': CEOs or customers?
The number of large US corporations with a climate, energy strategy has soared in the past five years, a new survey says. Customers, employees are the two major forces pushing change.
L'Oreal Professionnel lead stylist Joseph DiMaggio preps hair backstage at the Spring 2013 Timo Weiland runway show at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in September in New York. L'Oreal scored in the top five in Climate Counts's scorecard of major corporations because of its efforts to save energy and reduce its impact on the planet.
Charles Sykes/Invision for L'Oreal Professionnel/AP Images/File
EnlargeMinimizing waste. Reducing emissions. Conserving water. Increasingly, these are part of corporate culture as companies move to adopt sustainable business practices.
Skip to next paragraphRecent posts
' +
google_ads[0].line2 + '
' +
google_ads[0].line3 + '
Subscribe Today to the Monitor
Five years ago, a quarter of corporations surveyed by Climate Counts had a publicly available climate and energy strategy. Now, two-thirds do, says the nonprofit, which ranks major companies. And in that time, their average score has improved from 30.6 to 52.1 out of 100.
"It's really become a science, almost," says Mike Bellamente, director of Climate Counts. "As recently as 10 years ago it was more compliance-based and philanthropic, and now it's, 'How do we develop our products and services in a way that aligns with sustainability?' "
The findings reflect the emergence of the "triple bottom line" ? an expanded interpretation of business success that adds environmental and social factors to what is traditionally measured only in dollars and cents.
Customers are the top group driving corporate sustainability, according to 37 percent of sustainability executives who responded to a 2011 Ernst & Young survey. Employees were second (22 percent), followed by shareholders (15 percent), and policymakers and nongovernmental organizations (7 percent apiece).
"In a lot of ways the market said, 'The heck with Washington; we're going to move ourselves,' " says Kevin Wilhelm, chief executive officer of Sustainable Business Consulting, a Seattle-based consulting firm.
The shift is also qualitative, experts say, as discussions of environmental responsibility move from the compliance office to the boardroom.
"Before, you had your business and then you had a bolt-on environmental project on the side. Triple bottom line is about incorporating it into how you do business," Mr. Wilhelm says.
Take L'Or?al's biomethanation plant in Libramont, Belgium. It uses local agricultural waste to power the factory as well as an additional 4,000 households in the area, says the cosmetics giant, which ranked in the top five on Climate Counts's scorecard.
A new line of jeans from Levi Strauss & Co., Waste<Less, will incorporate an average of eight 12- to 20-ounce recycled plastic bottles per pair of jeans, according to the apparel company, which also ranked highly on the scorecard.
Still, there is always room for improvement.
"There's evidence that firms are taking this seriously, but at the same time, does that go far enough to ameliorate our environmental problems?" asks Mike Lenox, president of the Alliance for Research on Corporate Sustainability, a consortium of academic institutions.
As consumers vote with their dollars, investments, and workplace decisions, corporations seem to be listening.
Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/B-e8tbNtOwY/Why-are-US-firms-going-green-CEOs-or-customers
mila kunis stacey dash christopher columbus columbus day columbus day Stacy Dash Amber Tamblyn
agakhan: Be followed as piercing make specific security policies ...
It seems we can?t find what you?re looking for. Perhaps searching, or one of the links below, can help.
- Life As a Puzzle and the Greatest Puzzler
- Performing arts ? a good process to raise funds for social
- Painting ? canvassing art form
- Body Piercing ? A Crazy form of Art
- Arts and Entertainment ? am enjoyment for life
Source: http://perfectglobalarts.com/be-followed-as-piercing-make-specific-security-policies
andy cohen mozambique oosthuizen great expectations jake owen oosthuizen louis double eagle
Source: http://agakhan47.blogspot.com/2012/12/be-followed-as-piercing-make-specific.html
Colorado shooting suspect accuweather Finding Nemo 2 Provigil denver post dez bryant Kitty Wells
Source: http://miuseform.posterous.com/agakhan-be-followed-as-piercing-make-specific
sopa pipa wikipedia blackout kyla pratt justified season 3 custer scott walker restaurant week
Source: http://imudoa.posterous.com/agakhan-be-followed-as-piercing-make-specific
april 4 santa monica college wisconsin primary dallas fort worth airport texas tornados seattle seahawks new uniforms wisconsin recall
Source: http://kkoreivl.posterous.com/agakhan-be-followed-as-piercing-make-specific
aaliyah Empire State Building shooting Republican National Convention Karlie Redd guild wars 2 adrian gonzalez Jerry Nelson
If US falls off 'fiscal cliff,' economy could get soft landing ? or dizzy dive onto the rocks (Star Tribune)
How much should I have in personal savings before I start investing ...
I am 24 years old and make $35,000 per year and I currently have $4,000 in personal savings. My company only matches contributions after a year of employment but I was thinking of starting my retirement fund before then. Is $4,000 enough of a cushion to start putting money towards my retirment fund?
84th annual academy awards beginners 2012 oscars the shore meryl streep oscar wins sasha baron cohen oscars oscar winners
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Obama to fly to home early as 'fiscal cliff' looms - News9.com ...
By MATTHEW DALY
Associated Press
Associated Press
HONOLULU (AP) - President Barack Obama will cut short his traditional Christmas holiday in Hawaii, planning to leave for Washington on Wednesday evening as he and lawmakers consider how to prevent the economy from going over the so-called fiscal cliff.
Obama was expected to arrive in Washington early Thursday, the White House said Tuesday night. First lady Michelle Obama and the couple's two daughters will remain in Hawaii.
In the past, the president's end-of-the-year holiday in his native state had stretched into the new year. The first family had left Washington last Friday night.
Congress was expected to return to Washington on Thursday. Before he departed for Hawaii, Obama told reporters he expected to be back in the capital the following week.
Automatic budget cuts and tax increases are set to begin in January, which many economists say could send the country back into recession. So far, the president and congressional Republicans have been unable to reach agreement on any alternatives.
Lawmakers have expressed little but pessimism for the prospect of an agreement coming before Jan. 1. On Sunday, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas, said she expects any action in the waning days of the year to be "a patch because in four days we can't solve everything."
The Obamas were spending the holiday at a rented home near Honolulu. On Christmas Day, the president and first lady visited with members of the military to express thanks for their service.
"One of my favorite things is always coming to base on Christmas Day just to meet you and say thank you," the president said at Marine Corps Base Hawaii's Anderson Hall. He said that being commander in chief was his greatest honor as president.
Obama took photos with individual service members and their families.
On Christmas Eve, Obama called members of the military to thank them for serving the nation, then joined his family for dinner, the White House said. The Obamas opened gifts Christmas morning, ate breakfast and sang carols.
Friends were joining the Obamas for Christmas dinner Tuesday night, the White House said.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: http://www.news9.com/story/20423356/obama-spending-christmas-day-with-family-in-hawaii
halo 4 jewel san francisco earthquake san francisco earthquake terminator salvation terminator salvation deron williams
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Tobacco companies, 17 states settle over payments
(Reuters) - U.S. cigarette makers including Philip Morris USA and R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co said on Tuesday they reached a settlement with 17 states in a long-running dispute over the amount of payments they are required to make under the 1998 landmark anti-smoking agreement.
Under the settlement, the states will receive their share of $4 billion in disputed payments and the manufacturers will receive credits against future payments.
The payments resulted from the 1998 national accord that obliges companies to help cover the health bills of ailing smokers.
States, counties and cities have sold nearly $40 billion of bonds backed by the more than $200 billion in payments that U.S. cigarette makers agreed to make to them over time.
So far in 2013, returns on tobacco bonds have largely outperformed the rest of the $3.7 trillion municipal bond market despite concerns expressed by credit rating agencies about the decline in tobacco consumption.
In July Moody's investors service warned that the majority of tobacco bonds sold by U.S. states, counties and cities will default if cigarette consumption keeps falling at a 3 percent to 4 percent annual pace.
In December, California and New York's Nassau County tapped reserve for payments on three different series of state tobacco bonds due to insufficient tobacco settlement revenue.
The 46 states that participated in the 1998 agreement shared $6.15 billion in payments in April, up from $6.03 billion in April 2011, according to the National Association of Attorneys General.
Tobacco companies, including Marlboro cigarette maker Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc, and Camel cigarette maker R.J. Reynolds, a unit of Reynolds American Inc, have for years disputed the amount of payments they owe after losing market share to companies that did not agree to the 1998 settlement.
"This agreement resolves disputes with a large group of states on financial terms that are fair to the parties and in a way that we believe will lead to a better method for resolving these issues in the future," Denise Keane, Altria Group's executive vice president and general counsel, said in a statement.
The states in the settlement are Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming. Also settling are Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia, the tobacco companies said.
Philip Morris said it will receive a total of about $450 million in credits toward payments over the next five years. Reynolds said its credits will total more than $1 billion while Newport cigarette maker Lorillard Inc said its credits will be at least $198 million.
The agreement also allows other states to enter the settlement and is subject to approval by a panel that has been arbitrating the dispute over the payments. If they do not join the settlement, the arbitration will continue.
Altria shares closed at $32.59 on Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange, while Reynolds closed at $41.94 and Lorillard ended at $116.09.
(Reporting by Brad Dorfman; editing by Andrew Hay and Phil Berlowitz)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tobacco-companies-17-states-settle-over-payments-003822808--sector.html
michael brockers lisa marie presley florida panthers tannehill joel ward mock draft washington redskins
Facebook Pulls Plug on Planned Ad Network
by Todd Haselton | December 19, 2012
?We are pausing our mobile ads test off of Facebook,? a spokesperson told?AllThingsD. ?While the results we have seen and the feedback from partners has been positive, our focus is on scaling ads in mobile news feed before ads off of Facebook. We have learned a lot from this test that will be useful in the future.? Facebook?s discussions to place ads on websites of its partners have also been frozen, and?AllThingsD said the decision was made because neither Facebook nor its partners see the ads producing ?significant revenue? and because Facebook, unlike Google, can?t provide guaranteed income.
It?s unclear when the talks will resume, or when Facebook?s own mobile ad network will see the light of day.
Join the discussion
Source: http://www.technobuffalo.com/2012/12/19/facebook-pulls-plug-on-planned-ad-network/
sc primary bill moyers heidi klum and seal divorce craigslist killer extremely loud and incredibly close south carolina primary squirrel appreciation day
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Behold! The First Fancily-Printed Panoramic Photo From The iPhone 5
If you've wondered what you can do with your iPhone 5 panoramic photos, wonder no more. The folks at CanvasPop have proven that you can print your big honking photos onto big honking paper so you can have a hugenormously long photo on your wall. The guys at CanvasPop told me to go take a panoramic picture and they set it to print at 10"x50" (the max is 15"x75"). The photo, arguably, is pretty terrible, but to prove it could be done, they slathered it down onto the material and now there exists an under-lit, vaguely menacing photograph of Sunset Park in Brooklyn.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/5vSSTiYPt4g/
boston marathon tu pac hologram shuttle pippa middleton space shuttle discovery spacex tupac hologram
Rdio to pay artists $10 per new subscriber
LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Music subscription service Rdio is looking to dispel the notion that streaming services underpay artists for their work. Starting Tuesday, it will start paying musicians $10 for every person they convince through social media to sign up for an Rdio plan.
The move is an attempt to attract users in a field that has seen tough competition from the likes of Sweden's Spotify and Rhapsody in the U.S.
Subscription music services are gaining in popularity. For $10 a month, they allow users to stream an unlimited number of songs on mobile devices. Users can select from millions of tracks, including those off the latest albums.
But some prominent artists like Adele and Coldplay have kept their newest work off the services for months because of fears that easy access will hurt album sales. Some artists have complained that the royalties per stream amount to just fractions of a penny per play.
Rdio CEO Drew Larner said the new bounty is a "win-win" for artists, fans, and the company itself.
"This hits the compensation issue, but also fan engagement as well," he said.
A few artists have signed up for the plan already, including Snoop Lion, the rapper-cum-Rastafarian formerly known as Snoop Dogg. Other artists getting involved from the get-go include Scissor Sisters, A-Trak, Chromeo and Brendan Benson.
Rdio is offering the deal to any artist who already has created an artist page on Rdio in any of the 14 countries where it is available, including the U.S., Canada, Brazil, Germany and Australia.
San Francisco-based Rdio was founded in 2010 by Janus Friis, one of the creators of Internet-based phone service Skype.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rdio-pay-artists-10-per-subscriber-040429165--finance.html
iraq war iraq war san diego chargers san diego chargers j.r. martinez lance ball lance ball
Ube Aims To Make Home Automation Cheaper With IP-Enabled Smart Devices, Mobile App
Home automation in its current state can be costly and, more importantly, unintuitive. But platforms like iOS and Android have made the idea of automating one's home easier, more accessible and significantly cheaper. Today at DEMO, Austin-based Ube ("yoo-bee") is showing off its "Internet of things" wares, including an app that can virtually control any IP-based smart device in your home. So far, the company has raised a $300,000 seed round to complete its first round of prototype hardware and first rev of the aforementioned mobile app (iOS, Android).Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/h5KKoL-cUWc/
rush limbaugh rush limbaugh dionne warwick patricia heaton arsenic and old lace leslie varez ward
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Barrera International Fashion Show
Photo by Kenneth Hamblin III
An evening of sequins, sky high heels, and signature pink cocktails; Barrera International?s showcase event was undoubtedly a night to remember. Denver?s historic Grant-Humphrey?s Mansion housed the lavish event where the grand staircase provided the backdrop for models in elegant attire. Each of the mansion?s rooms was arranged with runway seating and enlivened by models gliding from room to room. Photographers, designers, writers, and lovers of fashion and design were among the many on the guest list.
Founder of Barrera International and recent graduate of Johnson and Wales University, Juan Jimenez celebrated the label?s one year mark with a collection of 40 beautifully crafted looks for Spring/Summer 2013. The collection encompassed all the glamorous aspects of a woman?s wardrobe, from cocktail attire and evening gowns to versatile staple tops and skirts. Several expertly tailored men?s wear pieces were spread throughout the show as well.
Drawing inspiration while traveling from Montreal to London, Jimenez describes the collection as ?very soft and light, loosely-fitting and free spirited, yet closely fitting and accentuating the female body.? Gorgeous French and Italian fabrics including turquoise and black metallic silk jersey and floral embroidered lace in black and gold were perfectly allocated among the pieces. Scalloped hems, draped necklines, and tailored waists all delivered a very lady-like signature appearance. ?Black, ivory, forest green, turquoise and the signature cobalt-blue ?represented the forefront and meaning of the collection,? states Jimenez.
Image by Kenneth Hamblin III
Of the most memorable pieces, a high collar silver sequin evening gown stood beyond the rest, Multi-dimensional large silver sequins gave the dress movement in an eye-catching and dramatic way. A high slicked back bun and oversized art deco earrings polished out the look. Though this was one of the most show-stopping gowns of the evening, Jimenez?s penchant for elegance was expressed throughout the collection.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F9cJqWmWfhk#!
Source: http://fashiondenver.com/2012/10/02/barrera-international-fashion-show/
texas tornados seattle seahawks new uniforms wisconsin recall wisconsin recall doris day buffalo sabres texas news
Treatments For Hemorrhoids ? Health & Fitness - atysutunib's ...
Thomas asks?What are treatments for hemorrhoids? answers:Relife from constipation can control haemorrhoidal problem. It may be ayurvedic, homoeopathy, allopathy. Even after operation , haemorrhoid return due to futher attack of constipation.
Have you tried Preparation H? I keep it in the frig. It is also good for minor scraps, cuts and rashes. That is a tip from a friend who is a nurse.Ruth asks?What are the treatments for feline hemorrhoids?About three days ago, I noticed what I think is
Click here for best cure for hemorrhoids
Like this:
Be the first to like this.
Source: http://healthfitnessbloginfo.wordpress.com/2012/09/30/treatments-for-hemorrhoids-2/
stanford stanford oklahoma state university badgers badgers nbc sports network mendenhall
Source: http://atysutunib.posterous.com/treatments-for-hemorrhoids-health-fitness
college basketball oakland pinnacle airlines kansas vs kentucky joe posnanski michael kidd gilchrist national championship
Monday, October 1, 2012
South Africa starts investigating mine violence
MARIKANA, South Africa (AP) ? A judicial panel on Monday investigated the rocky site where South African police killed 34 striking miners in August.
Crime experts showed the commission of inquiry the scene of the police shootings that were South Africa's worst state violence since apartheid ended in 1994. President Jacob Zuma ordered the judicial investigation to determine the causes of the police killings which shook the nation.
One of the experts first pointed out where police laid barbed wire fencing that blocked thousands of people gathered on large brown boulders from running back to their informal settlement on Aug. 16. Sixteen people died near the site. Another 18 were killed across the field and on the other side of the large group of boulders. The second expert pointed to bullet marks, where shotgun casings were found, bodies laid and an emergency medical care area was set up.
The judicial panel and a large crowd of representatives for those involved in the inquiry followed the experts, after a group of protesters with the Marikana support campaign greeted them with songs and signs that read: "Don't let the police get away with murder."
Among those participating in inquiry is George Bizos, former lawyer for Nelson Mandela and who now represents the Legal Resources Center and the Bench Marks Foundation in the inquiry.
In addition to those killed, some 78 were injured and more than 250 arrested in the incident.
During the tour, a crime expert pointed out where bodies and shotgun cartridges were found.
Monday was the first day of the 4-month-long investigation into the killings at the Marikana mines. At least 10 more people were killed in other violence, including two policemen. The commission puts the death toll in Marikana at 44, and an Associated Press count puts it at 46.
"This is very important to us," said a Marikana miner watching the group navigating the scene of the police shootings. "I hope those involved are found out and they must be brought to jail."
"We are still afraid," he said of the police. He spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue.
The inquiry launched Monday focuses on violence from Aug. 10-16 at a Lonmin PLC platinum mine 94 kilometers (58 miles) northwest of Johannesburg.
The Marikana commission of inquiry, chaired by retired Judge Ian Farlam, will determine the roles played by the police, Lonmin, the National Union of Mineworkers and the Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union. It will also determine whether any of those investigated could have put measures into place to prevent the violence.
"It is very important the truth of what happened should become clear as soon as possible," Farlam said Monday morning at the Civic Center in Rustenburg, where hearings began before the visit to the Marikana site. "Our country weeps for this unnecessary and tragic loss of life."
The police shootings of the striking miners were "a turning point which reveals the state is willing to break the working class organizations, and it's of particular concern that the major trade unions didn't take full action in getting permission for the gatherings," said Peter Alexander, the South African research chair on social change at University of Johannesburg.
Alexander said he can't recall so many people being killed for a strike since 1922, when he said mostly white miners went on strike and were killed. He noted the importance of the events before the Aug. 16 shootings, saying that the earlier killings and who was responsible for them may give more insight as to why the shot dead so many strikers that day.
"It's important that the investigation reveals the truth about the killings," said Alexander. "I'm very concerned that ordinary people could have the opportunity to collect information about the inquiry. And I'm very concerned that there is no relationship of trust between the people of the inquiry and the people of Marikana."
He said: "I hope that it will be established that police engaged in unlawful killings, and hopefully if we can establish what happened so that a massacre like this won't happen again."
No family members of those killed participated in the commission's visit to the site of the police shootings. Judge Farlam said that the tour would be recorded for them. At the meeting before the tour, the commission read the names of the dead and asked that any family stand, but none were present.
Families of many of the miners live far away, in the Eastern Cape, Swaziland and Lesotho. Dumisa Ntsebeza, an advocate for the families of those who died, said some didn't know an official inquiry was happening.
He asked that financial support be given to the families to enable them to attend the inquiry and that the process be postponed by 14 days. Farlam said the government would be helping the families travel to the inquiry, but did not grant a postponement.
The commission's tour of the informal settlements around the Lonmin mine and the shafts will continue Tuesday. Public hearings are set to begin Wednesday, with families of the dead given priority seating. The commission asked that news media, which has graphic videos and photos of the police shootings, hand over material for examination.
The first phase of the inquiry will look at the early events. The second phase will examine Lonmin's role in the violence and the company's conduct. The third stage will look at the unions and actions of non-unionized strikers, and the final phase will examine the actions and omissions of the police.
The nearly six-week strike at Marikana was resolved with a wage deal that saw miners gain a 22 percent pay rise and return to work Sept. 20. The strikes, however, have spread to other platinum and gold mines in South Africa and workers are increasingly rejecting their unions and instead choosing their own representatives to speak directly with management.
As those in Marikana tried to find answers to the shootings, labor unrest continued.
The National Union of Mineworkers, or NUM, said one of its officials was in intensive care Monday after a petrol-bomb attack on his house Friday night. The union said the victim is the union's top official at Anglo American Platinum's Khomanani branch and that the attack was carried out by people who are deliberately intimidating union members. The NUM did not elaborate, but a new union has purportedly been intimidating NUM leaders in its bid to gain more members and bargaining power. Workers have been on strike for weeks at Anglo American Platinum, the world's largest platinum producer.
Meanwhile South Africa's truck drivers, represented by the South African Transport and Allied Workers Union, or SATAWU, said it is organizing peaceful protests and meetings of its members across the country. Truck drivers have been on strike for a week for higher pay.
___
Associated Press writer Rodney Muhumuza in Johannesburg contributed to this report.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/south-africa-starts-investigating-mine-violence-120246117.html
ohare airport etta james songs east west shrine game haywire underworld awakening dog the bounty hunter tacoma narrows bridge
Anglo American to face S.Africa silicosis hearing
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Anglo American Plc's South African unit will face a hearing next year to determine if it is liable for miners who contracted the lung disease silicosis while working in its gold shafts, lawyers for the plaintiffs said on Monday.
Anglo American no longer has gold assets in South Africa, but the proceedings, initiated by 18 plaintiffs, have been launched on the grounds that miners contracted the debilitating disease when the company still ran bullion mines.
The arbitration hearing is scheduled to begin on September 2, 2013 and will be presided over by a panel including South Africa's former chief justice, Sandile Ngcobo, they said.
"The hearing will determine if Anglo American South Africa is liable to compensate the plaintiffs," said Richard Meeran, a partner at UK-based law firm Leigh Day & Co, which is representing the miners along with the Legal Resources Centre and Legal Aid South Africa.
A spokesman for Anglo American in South Africa said the group and plaintiffs had signed an arbitration agreement.
"All parties are satisfied that the arbitration agreement represents the most effective way to reach a resolution on these claims," said Pranill Ramchander.
The case is separate from a silicosis class action suit filed in August against AngloGold Ashanti, Gold Fields and Harmony on behalf of thousands of workers.
In the Anglo American case, proceedings were first issued in 2004 by 18 former gold miners who are suffering from silicosis. Three of these men have since died.
Legal and industry experts have said the different suits, if successful, could cost the industry billions of dollars.
Miners contracted silicosis, which has no known cure, by working in gold mines for many years without adequate protection. The silica dust that causes the disease is inhaled from gold-bearing rocks.
The disease causes shortness of breath, a persistent cough and chest pains. It also makes people highly susceptible to tuberculosis, which can kill.
Tens of thousands of black miners from South Africa and neighbouring countries are believed to have contracted silicosis during the decades of white apartheid rule, when their health and safety were not priorities of the country's gold barons.
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/anglo-american-face-africa-silicosis-hearing-110947493--finance.html
cleveland cavaliers cleveland cavaliers war horse k cups best buy we bought a zoo we bought a zoo
Divided town a challenge to Myanmar democracy bid
SITTWE, Myanmar (AP) ? There are no Muslim faithful in most of this crumbling town's main mosques anymore, no Muslim students at its university.
They're gone from the market, missing from the port, too terrified to walk on just about any street downtown.
Three-and-a-half months after some of the bloodiest clashes in a generation between Myanmar's ethnic Rakhine Buddhists and stateless Muslims known as Rohingya left the western town of Sittwe in flames, nobody is quite sure when ? or even if ? the Rohingya will be allowed to resume the lives they once lived here.
The conflict has fundamentally altered the demographic landscape of this coastal state capital, giving way to a disturbing policy of government-backed segregation that contrasts starkly with the democratic reforms Myanmar's leadership has promised the world since half a century of military rule ended last year.
While the Rakhine can move freely, some 75,000 Rohingya have effectively been confined to a series of rural displaced camps outside Sittwe and a single downtown district they dare not leave for fear of being attacked.
For the town's Muslim population, it's a life of exclusion that's separate, and anything but equal.
"We're living like prisoners here," said Thant Sin, a Rohingya shopkeeper who has been holed up since June in the last Rohingya-dominated quarter of central Sittwe that wasn't burned down.
Too afraid to leave, the 47-year-old cannot work anyway. The blue wooden doors of his shuttered pharmaceutical stall sit abandoned inside the city's main market ? a place only Rakhine are now allowed to enter.
The crisis in western Myanmar goes back decades and is rooted in a highly controversial dispute over where the region's Muslim inhabitants are really from. Although many Rohingya have lived in Myanmar for generations, they are widely denigrated here as foreigners ? intruders who came from neighboring Bangladesh to steal scarce land.
The U.N. estimates their number at 800,000. But the government does not count them as one of the country's 135 ethnic groups, and so ? like Bangladesh ? denies them citizenship. Human rights groups say racism also plays a role: Many Rohingya, who speak a distinct Bengali dialect and resemble Muslim Bangladeshis, have darker skin and are heavily discriminated against.
In late May, tensions boiled over after the rape and murder of a Rakhine woman, allegedly by three Rohingya, in a town south of Sittwe. By mid-June, skirmishes between rival mobs carrying swords, spears and iron rods erupted across the region. Conservative estimates put the death toll at around 100 statewide, with 5,000 homes burned along with dozens of mosques and monasteries.
Sittwe suffered more damage than most, and today blackened tracts of rubble-strewn land filled with knotted tree stumps are scattered everywhere. The largest, called Narzi, was home to 10,000 Muslims.
Human Rights Watch accused security forces of colluding with Rakhine mobs at the height of the mayhem, opening fire on Rohingya even as they struggled to douse the flames of their burning homes.
Speaking to a delegation of visiting American diplomats earlier this month, Border Affairs Minister Lt. Gen. Thein Htay described Sittwe's new status quo. Drawing his finger across a city map, he said there are now "lines that cannot be crossed" by either side, or else "there will be aggression ... there will be disputes."
"It's not what we want," he added with a polite smile. "But this is the reality we face."
While police and soldiers are protecting mosques and guarding Rohingya in camps, there is much they cannot control. One group of 300 local Buddhist leaders, for example, issued pamphlets urging the Rakhine not to do business with the Rohingya or even talk to them. It is the only way, they say, to avert violence.
Inside Sittwe's once mixed municipal hospital, a separate ward has been established to serve Muslim patients only; on a recent day, it was filled with just four patients whose families said they could only get there with police escorts.
At the town's university, only Rakhine now attend. And at the main market, plastic identity cards are needed to enter: pink for shopkeepers, yellow for customers, none for Rohingya.
The crisis has posed one of the most serious challenges yet to Thein Sein's nascent government, which declared a state of emergency and warned the unrest could threaten the country's nascent transition toward democracy if it spread.
Although the clashes have been contained and an independent commission has been appointed to study the conflict and recommend solutions, the government has shown little political will to go further.
The Rohingya are a deeply unpopular cause in Myanmar, where even opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former political prisoners imprisoned by the army have failed to speak out on their behalf. In July, Thein Sein himself suggested the Rohingya should be sent to any other country willing to take them.
"In that context, we're seeing them segregated into squalid camps, fleeing the country, and in some cases being rounded up and imprisoned," said Matthew Smith, a researcher for Human Rights Watch who authored a recent report for the New York-based group on the latest unrest.
In places like Sittwe, "there is a risk of permanent segregation," Smith said. "None of this bodes well for the prospects of a multi-ethnic democracy."
In the meantime, the government's own statistics indicate the crisis is worsening ? at least for the Rohingya.
While the total number of displaced Rakhine statewide has declined from about 24,000 at the start of the crisis to 5,600 today, the number of displaced Rohingya has risen from 52,000 to 70,000, mostly in camps just outside Sittwe.
The government has blamed the rise on Rohingya it says didn't lose homes but who are eager to gain access to aid handouts. Insecurity is also likely a factor, though. Amnesty International has accused authorities of detaining hundreds of Rohingya in a post-conflict crackdown aimed almost exclusively at Muslims. And in August, 3,500 people were displaced after new clashes saw nearly 600 homes burned in the town of Kyauktaw, according to the U.N.
Elsewhere in Rakhine state, the army has resumed forced labor against Muslims, ordering villagers to cultivate the military's paddy fields, act as porters and rebuild destroyed homes, according to a report by the Arakan Project, an activist group.
In Sittwe, mutual fear and distrust runs so high that 7,000 Rohingya crammed inside a dilapidated quarter called Aung Mingalar have not set foot outside it since June. It's the last Muslim-inhabited block downtown, a tiny place that takes about five minutes to cross by foot.
Thant Sin, the Rohingya shopkeeper who lives in Aung Mingalar, said that the government delivers supplies of rice, but that getting almost everything else requires exorbitant bribes and connections. There is just one mosque. There are no clinics, medical care or schools, and Thant Sin is worried his savings will run out in weeks.
The married father of five has been unable to open his market stall since authorities ordered it shut three months ago. One told him, "This for the Rakhine now," he recalled.
"All we want to do is go back to work," he said. "The government is doing nothing to help us get our lives back."
All four roads into Aung Mingalar are guarded by police, and outside, past the roadblocks of barbed wire and wood that divide the district from the rest of town, Rakhine walk freely ? sometimes yelling racial slurs or hurling stones from slingshots.
Across the street, a 57-year-old Rakhine, Aye Myint, leaned back in a rusted metal chair and peered at a group of bearded Muslim men in Aung Mingalar.
"I feel nothing for those people now," he said. "After what happened ... they cannot be trusted anymore. To tell the truth, we want them out of here."
Hla Thain, the attorney general of Rakhine state, denied there was any official policy of forced segregation, saying security forces are deployed to protect both sides, not keep them apart. But he acknowledged that there were not enough police or soldiers to make the two communities feel safe, and that huge obstacles to reconciliation remain.
"We want them to live together, that is our goal, but we can't force people to change," he said. "Anger is still running high. Neither side can forget that they lost family members, their homes."
For now, he said, the government is studying every possibility to make life "normal" again. For example: having Rakhine students attend university in the morning, while Rohingya go each afternoon.
Thein Htay, the border minister, was more blunt.
"We may have to build another market center, another trading center, another port" for the Rohingya, he said, because it will be "very difficult otherwise."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/divided-town-challenge-myanmar-democracy-bid-050321188.html
mythbusters cannonball uss arizona myth busters tracy mcgrady tracy mcgrady mash alec baldwin kicked off plane
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)