Thursday, January 24, 2013

Celebrity tips for a family holiday in the Mudgee Region

It?s time to turn the television off and enliven your?children?s?senses. Beyond food and wine, the Mudgee Region offers a surprising variety of experiences for a family getaway. See the bees at work in their hive at Mudgee Honey Haven, learn what ?free range? means on a Farm Walk, board a mini-train at the Miniature Railway Museum and join a National Parks discovery tour. Older kids will love putt-putt golf, cooking and art classes, or collecting dust on the network of dirt bike trails. As the sun-sets, hear the stillness of country life, kangaroos grazing and a sky filled with stars never seen from the city.

For these reasons, the Mudgee Region is a favourite family escape for several Australian celebrities including Natarsha Belling, Scott Cam and Ken Sutcliffe. Mudgee Region Tourism Inc shares their local tips, plus we reveal the best family-friendly activities and accommodation.

Natarsha Belling, news presenter at Channel 10, spent her childhood in Mudgee and loves to return to her old stomping ground with the family to appreciate the beautiful landscape and country hospitality. ?There is a great bike track along the Cudgegong River and through Lawson Park, which you can follow up with a picnic in the park with its excellent playground for the kids. The Gulgong Museum is also a great step back in time for children to embrace some Australian rural history.?

For family friendly dining, Natarsha recommends the alfresco experience at Di Lusso Estate. ?It has the most amazing risottos and pizzas, and lots of space so the children can run around and explore. For a fantastic coffee, we can?t go past Alley Cats Coffee House with its lovely outdoor area that the children love,? said Natarsha.

Scott Cam, Australia?s favourite builder and host of ?The Block? on the Nine Network, regularly slips back to his Mudgee property. Scott loves nothing more than hosting family and friends at his country retreat, introducing them to the peace and quiet of the region. ?I love the general pace and smell of Mudgee ? it is a pure Australian country life existence.?

?Our family enjoys going bush at Dunns Swamp in the Wollemi National Park. Each November, we also like being in town for the annual Field Days to experience the demonstrations and characters that represent rural life,? said Scott.

Scott?s recommendations for eating out include The Butcher Shop Caf?, and can?t go past the delicious home made custard tarts of McDonalds Bakery in town.

Ken Sutcliffe, sporting personality and commentator with the Nine Network, fondly remembers his formative years growing up in Mudgee, and recalls days spent swimming with mates at Rocky Waterhole at the foot of Mount Frome as a favourite memory. Ken regularly returns to Mudgee, which he describes as a ?classy, good looking, bustling, friendly country town with plenty of history and a go-ahead future?.

?Mudgee is a terrific place for family. My family has always loved cycling between the region?s small villages and vineyards, stopping off to picnic at Robertson Park or The Henry Lawson Memorial Park,? said Ken. ?If sport is your go,?Mudgee boasts some of the finest facilities in the state including the new $14million Glen Willow Stadium which is an outstanding venue for international and local events. The local Mudgee race meetings are priceless, in a beautiful location along the river on the edge of town.

Ken also notes favourite country drives to the local villages of Cooyal, Lue, Gulgong and Rylstone, and highlights Capertee Valley as the world?s second largest canyon and wider than the Grand Canyon in the USA.

Mudgee Activities for the Family:

*?Kids Cooking Classes? held on the third Saturday of each month at the local Farmer?s Market, kids choose their seasonal and local produce, learn basic cooking skills, and enjoy eating and sharing food together.

* Art Classes at The Mud Factory ?- offering kids the opportunity to develop their creative side using a variety of mediums, including paint, ceramics, photography, lego animation, candle making, mosaics and more.

*?Star Gaze at Mudgee Observatory ? witness the stars and distant galaxies away from city lights using the powerful telescopes. Nothing beats introducing a child to the wonders of a country sky illuminated by stars.

*?Cycle through Putta Bucca Wetlands ? only a short cycle from the centre of town and a bird watcher?s paradise, home to over XX species of bird life with a dedicated twitching platform.

* ?All Aboard? for a Miniature Steam Train Ride ? on the second Sunday of each month, enjoy a ride with friends and family around the track. Picnic grounds with barbeques available (to confirm). Cnr Ulan Road and Buckeroo Lane, Mudgee. ?Ph: 02 6373 3626.

* Mudgee Honey Haven and Putt Putt Golf ? a full day out for the family, the kids will see bees hard at work and discover how honey is made. Taste the wide variety of flavours available including their delicious honeycomb. Follow up the sticky experience with a round of Putt Putt on the 18-hole course.

* Exploring Nature?s Backyard ? the Mudgee Region is home to several National Parks and Reserves, including Wollemi, Goulburn River, Munghorn Gap, Dunns Swamp and Coolah Tops. Pack a picnic and enjoy a day in the bush, exploring the trails by bike, foot or 4WD. Make sure to pack the cossies for a dip in the swimming holes. Or for an organised tour, join the NSW National Parks Discovery Program.

Family-Friendly Accommodation:

*?Ba Mack Homestead ? the kids will love this farmstay experience where they can enjoy a pony ride, pat and hand feed the animals, help collect eggs and milk the goats, and pick fruit straight from the orchard.

*?Odd Frog Lodges ? for larger families and groups of friends, choose from the bunkhouse, former sheep quarters, or on-site cottages.

*?Elephant Mountain House ? a five-bedroom self-contained cottage set on a working farm and vineyard.?

* Parkland Resort ? a range of newly refurbished hotel rooms and suites, with the Vine Bar & Restaurant on-site.

For more information or accommodation options, contact the Mudgee Visitor Information Centre on 02 6372 1020 or go to www.visitmudgeeregion.com.au

Mudgee Region Tourism is a member of the Tourism?Industry?Council NSW.?

mudgee region

Source: http://www.ticnsw.com.au/celebrity-tips-for-a-family-holiday-in-the-mudgee-region/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=celebrity-tips-for-a-family-holiday-in-the-mudgee-region

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Tips For Running A Home-Based Business | Kenny's MLM Success ...

TIP! Are you selling secondhand books out of your home? Many sites allow you to sell used books. You may wish to use a couple of different websites, however.

Many say that starting any work from home business is rough. They think that it is impossible to make it a full-time job, and are worried that the income is very hit and miss. In this article, you will learn helpful tips on achieving success with a online business.

TIP! While you want to avoid distractions during your work day, you can schedule in appointments for yourself, your family, and your friends at any point during your day. Working from home means your schedule is very flexible, but plan on making up later for the time you spent with your family.

Make sure you can sum up your business with a few choice words. If you can succinctly explain what you business does in a few words, you will likely impress clients in a meeting and attract customers. A brief statement of your business function may be the basis of a catchy slogan too.

TIP! It is a good idea to think about signing up with affiliate programs. This will expose your business to greater number of people.

A great thing for your business is to obtain a post office box for business correspondence. Do not give out your family?s home address online, even for your business. This can help you to be sure that your identity is safe, and it can keep your family safe too.

TIP! Get a DBA (Doing Business As) license when you register your company with the state. To find out how to do this, check with your local chamber of commerce or the bank.

Having a website is crucial if you own your home business enterprise. You must have a presence on the web to be successful with a home business. It?s important to have a website that is organized and relevant to your business.

Liability Insurance

TIP! Keep your business phone line separate from your personal line. Using the same phone line for both is unprofessional.

Make sure you have adequate liability insurance if you have a work from home business. You must be sure to have this if you plan to have clients coming by. Should there be any kind of accident, liability insurance will protect you and your property.

TIP! You need to speak to a finance person at your bank when planning a home business start up. He or she can guide you in what you need to know, from what receipts to keep for tax purposes to how to start your own business credit accounts.

When creating a design for your work from home business website, gather ideas from competitors? sites but DON?T plagiarize their content. For example, it?s a great idea to take note of the types of keywords they are using, but they should not be copied verbatim. Don?t ever use your competition?s name as a keyword!

TIP! Find ways to involve your entire family in your business. This will help them understand your goals and respect all of your needs.

When your business requires clients to come to your location, you will have to secure business insurance. A typical homeowner?s policy will not extend to your business operations and you may be left vulnerable. Look for a reliable business policy that will protect you in the event of accident or injury involving your company.

TIP! Try using affiliates to promote your product or service. Swap affiliate links with like-minded business owners.

It can be easier than you think to start your own online business. There are many businesses you can start without a lot of cost involved. Think of what products and services you would like to see in your area, then think of what would be required to start offering that.

TIP! Take a class or view a tutorial. Most home business owners do not have a bunch of cash to spend up front, but it is important to invest in local classes that will point you toward your goals.

When working at home, office space is essential. You don?t need a big one, but it does have to be comfortable. It should be somewhere you will be productive and efficient. If the office is small, make that an inspiration to grow your business: so you can afford a bigger office.

TIP! Pick out a business name in which you find some personal meaning. Buy a domain name for your business, even if you haven?t planned the site out.

There isn?t a single product that all individuals will want. Do not try to morph your business to make everyone in the area happy. Focus on customers who are the most likely to be interested in what your business offers.

Office Space

TIP! The Internet provides access to tons of updated information on business niches. Use the Internet to discover trends, new news and keep an eye on your competitor.

Remember to account for your office space on your taxes. Many online business owners often don?t realize that your office space can be written off. Any expenses for your business, like the mortgage, rent or utilities, can be write-offs.

TIP! If it is required that you use your vehicle to perform work-related responsibilities, track the amount of miles you travel and save your receipts from the gas. While you may only be going to the store to buy supplies, you can write off your mileage and gas 100%.

You?ll be better at connecting with your audience if you get to know them well first. That is crucial for any online business, because you are unlikely to have the money to experiment that huge corporations do. Thinking smarter in marketing will keep spending down. When you know your audience, you can be smarter about where to spend.

Achieve Success

TIP! Set up your website so that you can accept sales on it. This is significant because many like to shop on the Internet; if you cannot accommodate this, you will lose many sales.

It is not impossible to achieve success when you have good advice on hand. Just like in any many other areas, adequate knowledge, combined with drive, makes it possible to achieve success in your home based business. Follow the advice listed in this article, and you will be well on your way to achieving your goals.

Share and Enjoy

Source: http://www.wahonline.com/tips-for-running-a-home-based-business/

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Wednesday, January 16, 2013

The Lenovo Chromebook: Another Nail in Microsoft's Coffin

The Street: Why do I believe that Lenovo will now generate this crack in Microsoft's enterprise Hoover Dam? Because I hear enterprises asking for this product, that's why. What I hear from enterprises sounds something like this: "We are ready to try Chromebooks on 10% or 20% of our employees, in lieu of Windows laptops. However, we are used to Lenovo's reputation and quality as a laptop brand, and we wish Lenovo would offer us Chromebooks." (Chromebook, Lenovo, PC hardware)

Source: http://techspy.com/news/1156122/the-lenovo-chromebook-another-nail-in-microsofts-coffin

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Moviehole.Net :: Movie, TV & Entertainment News | Film, DVD & Blu ...

While we?re not sure whether this is happening OUTSIDE of the U.S yet, Fox has confirmed a five-film ?Die Hard? marathon for February 13 across America.

Attendees can catch ?Die Hard,? ?Die Hard 2,? ?Die Hard with a Vengeance? and ?Live Free or Die Hard? before a 10PM screening of the latest installment in the franchise, ?A Good Day to Die Hard?.

Nearly as cool as the news that ?A Good Day to Die Hard? will ? unlike the last film in the series ? be rated-R for mucho violence! (No word yet on the rating for Australia)

Source: http://moviehole.net/201361188five-film-die-hard-marathon-in-u-s-cinemas-on-feb-13

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Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Turtle Beach highlights latest Ear Force gaming headsets for 2013, prices tournament flagship Seven Series

Turtle Beach highlights latest Ear Force gaming headsets for 2013, prices tournament flagship Seven Series

While Astro Gaming and Mad Catz like to announce stuff in a controlled drip-drip, Turtle Beach -- as usual -- is going ahead with a tactical blitz of new gaming headsets at CES. Just as we've come to expect from the company, CES 2013 looks no different and no less exciting for audio-concerned gamers. While the headset veteran isn't showing anything with a major wow factor (think back to the PX5 from CES 2011), it's made some welcome updates to its Ear Force lineup, and finally announced concrete pricing info for its soon-to-be flagship Seven Series tournament models. We'll likely see some some major announcements come E3, but for now, join us past the break -- especially if you're hoping to replace the likes that old PX21 (and its not so sturdy earcups) of yours.

Continue reading Turtle Beach highlights latest Ear Force gaming headsets for 2013, prices tournament flagship Seven Series

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Source: Turtle Beach

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/_R92PsCYjQc/

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Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Panasonic's Big Beautiful New Plasma and LED TVs Are Here

Panasonic's latest Viera televisions. 16 Plasmas and 16 LEDs all up to 65-inches. They include new models of some of Panasonic's best models. More »


Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/8blvyzE2YEk/panasonics-big-beautiful-new-plasma-and-led-tvs-are-here

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PFT: ESPN pundit tries to explain RG3 race remarks

Austin Rivers - First Take - September 19, 2012

Rob Parker, the ESPN commentator who was suspended for 30 says after questioning whether Redskins quarterback Robert Griffin III is authentically black because he has a white fiancee, says he was surprised by the backlash.

Parker said on Flashpoint on Channel 4 in Detroit that he didn?t expect the reaction he got.

?I can?t believe it, Parker said. I mean, looking back at some of the comments, I can see how some people can take it out of context and run with it, but the response, and what happened over the past 30 days and everything was just shocking,? Parker said.

For Parker to now suggest he was taken out of context is surprising, considering that Parker issued an apology three weeks ago. If Parker were simply taken out of context, he would have nothing to apologize for.

But Parker did apologize, and ESPN has also acknowledged that it was wrong not only to air Parker?s comments but to re-air them on Best of First Take later on the same day that Parker made the comments. The decision to re-air the comments and give them the ?best of? seal of approval was not Parker?s, and Parker indicated that ESPN knew even before the program what he planned to say about Griffin.

Asked if ESPN producers knew what Parker would say about Griffin, Parker answered, ?Yeah, for the most part.?

?I mean, we had a discussion ? a pre-production meeting. Not every single word, but they knew which way we were going and it?s just not off the cuff, obviously,? Parker said.

And it?s the ?embrace debate? format of ESPN First Take that Parker said is the reason the show succeeds. Parker said that such comments on a less popular show wouldn?t have yielded such a big controversy.

?It also shows how big and popular a show First Take is,? Parker said.

So while Parker may not be happy about his suspension, his comments show why ESPN likes the attention.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/01/07/rob-parker-says-people-took-his-rg3-comments-out-of-context/related/

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Mission Admission: When to Schedule Interviews - mbaMission

Mission Admission is a series of MBA admission tips; a new one is posted each Tuesday.

With MBA admissions offices releasing second-round interview invitations in a few weeks, we thought we should explore an issue that brings endless paranoia to MBA candidates: scheduling interviews. Many schools will give applicants a significant window in which to schedule their interview. So, does scheduling an interview early convey that you are being too aggressive and do not have any other irons in the fire, or instead that you are eager to act and impress the admissions committee? Does scheduling an interview later give the impression that you are less interested in the program, or instead that you are highly sought after and are interviewing at multiple schools?

The reality is that there is really no difference between scheduling your interview early on during the time window offered and scheduling it near the end of this time frame. The MBA admissions committees recognize that you, like all candidates, are busy and that your schedule is in flux as a result of work, community and personal commitments. The committees focus on the interviews themselves, not on when they are scheduled. So pick a date that works for you?a day and/or time when you know you can be comfortable and relaxed, not distracted?and start preparing!

Source: http://www.mbamission.com/blog/2013/01/08/mission-admission-when-to-schedule-interviews-2/

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Monday, January 7, 2013

Find Another Pair of Your Favorite Pants Years After They've Worn Out

Find Another Pair of Your Favorite Pants Years After They've Worn OutWe all have that one pair of pants that fits perfectly, feels comfortable, and we never want to let go?often times after they've started to tear and look more like shredded cloth than a garment. Years later it can be hard to find another pair, but redditor drleephd has a solution:

Usually there is text embroidered or printed on a small tag on the inside of most mens pants. It will have either a UPC or a style number on it. Google this number and often you can find someone who is still selling your favorite pair of jeans. Stock up on them.

Drleephd only mentions this works for men's pants, so I thought I'd check a few pairs of my own and of my (female) roommate's to see if this tip worked for everyone. I was able to find numbers on several pairs of male- and female-intended pants and locate them online. In some cases the pants were on eBay because they were old, but nonetheless available and in good condition. If your favorite pants are worn out, this tip is no guarantee but certainly a way to help you locate another pair.

Wore out your favorite pair of jeans? how to find the same pair again | Reddit

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/NCWu2HoyXnE/find-another-pair-of-your-favorite-pants-years-after-theyve-worn-out

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Ovuline Raises $1.4M From Lightbank, David Cohen And Others To Help Women Track Fertility And Pregnancy

ovulineOvuline, a company that helps women track their fertility and pregnancy online, has raised $1.4 million in seed financing led by Lightbank with participation from Launch Capital, LionBird and Techstars founder and CEO David Cohen.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/yaTgLnOqikE/

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From the Amazon rainforest to human body cells: Quantifying stability

Jan. 6, 2013 ? As they typically result from severe external perturbations, it is of vital interest how stable the most desirable state is. Surprisingly, this basic question has so far received little attention. Now scientists of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), in a paper published in Nature Physics, propose a new concept for quantifying stability.

"Up to now, science was able to say if a complex system is stable or not, but it wasn't able to properly say how stable it is," says Peter J. Menck, lead author of the paper. The proposed concept is the first to fill this gap. "We conceive a system's alternative states as points in a mountainous landscape with steep rocks and deep valleys," explains Menck. "In the sinks between the peaks, a system comes to rest like a rolling ball would. Now the likelihood that the system returns to a specific sink after suffering a severe blow strongly depends on how big the surrounding valley is." In the high-dimensional systems Menck and his colleagues study, the equivalent of the valley is called the basin of attraction. The basin's volume is the measure the authors suggest to use for the quantification of stability.

Getting the actual data still is a challenge

The authors envision the new concept to become a powerful tool for complex systems studies, including the assessment of climatic tipping elements like the Amazon rainforest. Under unabated global warming, this ecosystem might change from its present fertile forest state to a much drier savanna state. Such a transition would destroy one of the planet's most important CO2 sinks, thus contributing to further climate change. "Amazonian bistability arises from a positive feedback: Deep-rooting trees take up water and transpire it to the atmosphere" Menck says. Forest cover in the region increases overall rainfall and thereby improves its own growing conditions. If the forest cover gets pushed below a certain threshold, this mechanism doesn't work any more -- the rainforest would die.

The "basin stability concept" is apt for quantifying this risk. However, it is critical to actually do this from measured data. "Other researchers recently have collected the characteristics in terms of precipitation, temperature, soil of rainforests and savannas under defined climatological conditions," Menck says. Still, the assessment is extremely challenging as the tipping of a forest is a rare event, so observation data is scarce. In contrast, observation data of human cells changing from a healthy state to cancer can be abundant. "So medical researchers told us that our concept could be quite helpful in better assessing the risk of sane cells to turning sick when disturbed by specific exogenous factors."

"Simple yet compelling -- that's the way fundamental physics looks like"

Power grids have to function in good synchronization to assure that lights can be switched on everywhere anytime. Previous theory suggested that this should most easily be achieved if power grids had what researchers call a random structure, which in fact would yield many short-cuts between distant nodes. Yet in reality, grids look far more regular. Applying the basin stability concept shows why that is: In more regular grids, the desired synchronous state possesses a far bigger 'basin', hence is much more stable against perturbations.

"The basin stability's applicability to high-dimensional systems allowed us to solve a puzzle that has long haunted complex network science," says J?rgen Kurths, a co-author of the paper and co-chair of PIK's research domain 'Transdisciplinary concepts and methods'. "Our new nonlinear approach jumps from a local to a whole system analysis, thus complementing previous research mostly based on linearization. This new concept is simple, yet compelling -- that's the way fundamental physics looks like."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Peter J. Menck, Jobst Heitzig, Norbert Marwan, J?rgen Kurths. How basin stability complements the linear-stability paradigm. Nature Physics, 2013; DOI: 10.1038/NPHYS2516

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ItxWuJXKM_w/130106145745.htm

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Sunday, January 6, 2013

Infantry now shut to women; do they want it open?

WASHINGTON (AP) ? If or when the Pentagon lets women become infantry troops ? the country's front-line warfighters ? how many women will want to?

The answer is probably not many.

Interviews with a dozen female soldiers and Marines showed little interest in the toughest fighting jobs. They believe they'd be unable to do them, even as the Defense Department inches toward changing its rules to allow women in direct ground combat jobs.

In fact, the Marines asked women last year to go through its tough infantry officer training to see how they would fare. Only two volunteered and both failed to complete the fall course. None has volunteered for the next course this month. The failure rate for men is roughly 25 percent.

For the record, plenty of men don't want to be in the infantry either, though technically could be assigned there involuntarily, if needed. That's rarely known to happen.

"The job I want to do in the military does not include combat arms," Army Sgt. Cherry Sweat said of infantry, armor and artillery occupations. She installed communications equipment in 2008 in Iraq but doesn't feel mentally or physically prepared for fighting missions.

"I enjoy supporting the soldiers," said Sweat, stationed in South Carolina. "The choice to join combat arms should be a personal decision, not a required one."

Added Marine Gunnery Sgt. Shanese L. Campbell, who had administrative duties during her service in Iraq: "I actually love my job. ... I've been doing it for 15 years, so I don't plan on changing my job skills."

She's an administrative officer at Twentynine Palms in California, serving in a once all-male tank battalion as part of a Marine Corps experiment to study how opening more jobs to women might work.

A West Point graduate working in the Pentagon estimates she's known thousands of women over her 20-year army career and said there's no groundswell of interest in combat jobs among female colleagues she knows.

She asked to remain anonymous because in the military's warrior culture, it's a sensitive issue to be seen as not wanting to fight, she said. But her observations echoed research of the 1990s, another time of big change in the military, when interviews with more than 900 Army women found that most didn't want fighting jobs and many felt the issue was being pushed by "feminists" not representing the majority, said RAND Corporation sociologist Laura Miller.

Much has happened for women since then in American society and the military. Foremost in the military is perhaps that the Iraq and Afghanistan wars changed the face of combat and highlighted the need for women to play new roles.

Women already can be assigned to some combat arms jobs such as operating the Patriot missile system or field artillery radar, but offensive front-line fighting jobs will be the hardest nut to crack. Many believe women eventually could be in the infantry, but the Pentagon for years has been moving slowly on that front.

In April 1993, the Pentagon directed the opening of combat aviation occupations and warship assignments to females; the Navy and Air Force responded by opening thousands of jobs. Neither of those steps put women in the most lethal occupations such as infantry or tank units. Policy barred them not only from specific jobs but also from doing traditional jobs in smaller units closest to the front.

That arrangement came apart in Iraq and Afghanistan, where battle lines were jagged and insurgents could be anywhere. Some women in support jobs, including logistics officers bringing supply convoys to troops, found themselves in firefights or targeted by roadside bombs. Women were sent on patrol with men to search and get information from local women whose culture didn't allow male soldiers to do so.

Developments over the past decade have been a main argument from those wanting more openings for women. So has the issue of equal opportunity and the fact that combat service gives troops an advantage for promotions, the lack of it leaving women disadvantaged in trying to move to the higher ranks.

"If there are women able to meet the required standard, then why not let them fight if they so desire?" said Maj. Elizabeth L. Alexander. Since 2002, she's served in Pakistan once and Iraq three times in supply and maintenance jobs and is now with the 3rd Army in South Carolina.

More than 200,000 U.S. women have served in the wars, 12 percent of the Americans sent. Of some 6,600 Americans killed, 152 were women; 84 of them were killed by enemy action and 68 in nonhostile circumstances such as accidents, illness and suicide.

In February, the department altered rules to reflect realities of the decade, opening some new jobs and officially allowing women into many jobs they were already doing, but in units closer to the fighting. The new policy still bans women from being infantry soldiers, Special Operations commandos, and others in direct combat, but opened some 14,000 previously male-only positions, mostly in the Army, such as artillery mechanic and rocket launcher crew member. More than 230,000 positions remain closed to women, who are 15 percent of the 1.4 million in all branches.

Hundreds of female soldiers began moving into once all-male battalions, taking jobs they already had trained for, such as in personnel, intelligence, signal corps, medicine and chaplaincy. Forty-five women Marines similarly went to battalions as part of a large research effort to gauge how women might do.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has been studying reports from the services to update him on progress with the newly opened positions, what's being done to pursue gender-neutral physical standards and what barriers remain and whether more positions can be opened.

Panetta could announce the next step in the coming weeks, which might mean anything from further openings to simply further study.

"Yes, there may be a small number of women who are interested," said Katy Otto, spokeswoman for the Service Women's Action Network, an equal opportunity advocacy group. "But does that mean they should be barred from entry?"

Lory Manning of Women's Research and Education Institute said female interest could be greater than expected.

"I think they'll be surprised by the number that will come forward," said the 25-year Navy veteran who retired in the 1990s. She said the Navy faced a similar question then: Did women want to go to sea?

"If you asked someone in 1985 about going to sea, she would have been thinking: 'Girls don't do that and so I don't want to do that,'" Manning said. "But when push came to shove, they did it, they loved it."

Changing the rules for a potential future draft would be a difficult proposition.

The Supreme Court has ruled that because the Selective Service Act is aimed at creating a list of men who could be drafted for combat ? and women are not in combat jobs ? American women aren't required to register upon turning 18 as all males are. If combat jobs open to women, Congress would have to decide what to do about that law.

___

Associated Press writers Julie Watson in San Diego, Susanne M. Schafer in Columbia, S.C., Rob Gillies in Toronto and Ian Deitch in Jerusalem contributed to this report.

___

Online:

Marine jobs: http://tinyurl.com/6q8ewac

Army combat jobs: http://tinyurl.com/ah98yjj

Service Women's Action Network: http://servicewomen.org

Women's Research and Education Institute: http://www.wrei.org/MilitaryWomen.htm

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/infantry-now-shut-women-want-open-145121095.html

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10 Vintage Photographs of Snowflakes

Photo courtesy of Flickr, Smithsonian Institution.

Click here to view this gallery.

[More from Mashable: 5 YouTube Videos to Help Winterize Your Home]

If for some reason you didn't believe no two snowflakes were alike, here's your proof.

In 1885, Wilson A. Bentley successfully photographed over 5,000 snowflakes by attaching a camera to a microscope (and in turn honing the field of Photomicrography). His photographs supported his and others' beliefs that all snowflakes were unique.

[More from Mashable: 20+ Online Resources for Planning a Winter Getaway]

Bentley become fascinated with snow as a child on a Vermont farm. He later spent time experimenting with ways to view individual snowflakes and their crystalline structure, which eventually came in handy when he had to be quick enough to capture a flake in a picture before it melted.

These photographs quickly became popular with dozens of scientists who studied Bentley's work and published the images in several scientific magazines. In 1903, Bentley sent about 500 of his photographs to the Smithsonian, hoping they would be of interest to Secretary Samuel P. Langley.

The Smithsonian now has his vintage pics on display, undeniably proveing that snow is just so, so pretty.

Gallery photos courtesy of Flickr, Smithsonian Institution. Thumbnail photo courtesy of Flickr, AMagill.

This story originally published on Mashable here.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/10-vintage-photographs-snowflakes-175958332.html

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The University of Montana Western ? Early Childhood and Clinical ...

Department: Education
Position: Permanent nine-month position (eight hours per day)
Salary and Benefits: $29,639 annually plus full Montana University System benefits package.
Posting Date: January 2013

Description
Curious Minds: Early Care and Education Center is a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited lab school annually serving approximately 25 children ages three to eight and their families. The program also serves over 100 students each year who participate in field experiences, observation and research in the Curious Minds facility.

The ECSS and Co-Director of Outreach will develop and implement all aspects of an innovative, exemplary, model preschool program that uses a Reggio Emilia-inspired approach. They will share teaching and administrative responsibilities with the ECSS and Co-Director of Operations. This position is highly autonomous and requires daily independent decision-making and judgment.

Requirements
Minimum qualifications include a bachelor?s degree in early childhood education, three years experience working with groups of children ages three through six, experience working with college students in a lab setting and knowledge of developmentally appropriate practices, rich environments, Reggio Emilia and the Project Approach and authentic assessment.?

At a minimum, qualified candidates must demonstrate an ability to:

  • Work as a co-lead teacher to deliver exemplary, innovative education and family support services for Dillon-area children and their families at Curious Minds: Early Care and Education Center by:
    • Ensuring state licensing and NAEYC accreditation standards are met;
    • Developing a ?rich? indoor and outdoor environment;
    • Coordinating and implementing child assessments;
    • Developing and implementing a project-based curriculum at Curious Minds that assists children in meeting state and national learning outcomes;
    • Implementing effective routines and schedules;
    • Providing and modeling positive guidance;
    • Hiring, supervising and training work study students and other classroom assistants to follow Curious Minds? protocols;
    • Developing and implementing a family involvement program, including family teacher conferences, newsletters and family events.
  • Provide an academic site and supervision for pre-service clinical experiences;
  • Work collaboratively with a diverse group of people by using effective interpersonal and written and oral communication skills;
  • Facilitate research at Curious Minds;
  • Organize activities, including tours, a website and presentations to engage early childhood students and professionals throughout Montana in ongoing learning opportunities;
  • Take a lead in the outreach for Curious Minds: Early Care and Education, including recruiting and retaining students in early childhood studies, communicating with other campus departments to support cross departmental involvement, seeking resources to support the mission of the program, collaborating with off-campus partners, including Head Start and the STARs program and coordinating NAEYC accreditation;
  • Engage in ongoing professional development;
  • Lift 50 pounds.

Application
Send a letter of application addressing each of the requirements listed above, a resume and the names, telephone numbers and addresses of three employment-related references to:

Julie Bullard
The University of Montana Western
710 S Atlantic St
Dillon, MT 59725

Direct questions to Julie Bullard at (406) 683-7176. Screening of applications will begin Jan. 17, 2013 and the position will remain open until filled.

The University & Dillon Area
The University of Montana Western, located in Dillon, Mont., is an innovative institution nestled in a scenic valley in the Rocky Mountains of southwestern Montana. The campus Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) for student enrollment is approximately 1,289. Montana Western has over 60 FTE faculty members, features small classes for all students and has been recognized for excellence by U.S. News and World Report. Montana Western?s small size and focus on education innovation have earned it the reputation of being a place where faculty and staff choose to collegially and creatively make a difference in the education of students. Montana Western is the first and only public four-year college in the nation to use block scheduling in which students take a single class at a time. This immersion learning program facilitates increased opportunities for experiential types of learning.

The mission of the University of Montana Western is to provide innovative interdisciplinary education through experiential learning that combines theory and practice. Montana Western services citizens of all ages with its academic, community-service, and lifelong-learning programs. As part of the global community, Montana Western encourages diversity, international awareness, environmental responsibility, and mastery of technology as a gateway to the world.

Dillon, a community of 5,000 people, is known for outstanding public schools, safe environments, recreational opportunities and an excellent quality of life.

The University of Montana Western is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and encourages applications from qualified women, minorities, Vietnam era veterans and people with disabilities. Position eligible for veteran?s preference in accordance with State law. Finalists for this position may be subject to a criminal background investigation.

Click here for a printable version of the job description

Source: http://www.umwestern.edu/jobs/early-childhood-and-clinical-specialist-ecss-and-co-director-of-outreach-2

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A Disney game console? Patent application hints at yes | VentureBeat

The House of Mouse?s next big splash into video games could be in producing its own home console, according to a patent application filed by Disney.

The patent application, which was filed over a year ago but only recently flagged by the USPTO, describes a device that would allow people to presumably play augmented reality games while wearing a set of 3D glasses. Theoretically, the device could finally transform inanimate objects lying around your house into animated characters with facial features and such. Or in other words, you could create your own Beauty and the Beast, complete with talking clocks, candle holders, and tea pots.

Here?s the official summary of what the device will do from the application itself:

?Techniques for displaying content using an augmented reality device are described. Embodiments provide a visual scene for display, the visual scene captured using one or more camera devices of the augmented reality device. Embodiments adjust physical display geometry characteristics of the visual scene to correct for optimal projection. Additionally, illumination characteristics of the visual scene are modified based on environmental illumination data to improve realism of the visual scene when it is displayed. Embodiments further adjust display characteristics of the visual scene to improve tone mapping output. The adjusted visual scene is then output for display on the augmented reality device.?

disney-patentFrom the images included in the application (shown to the right), the device would have to main components: a handheld console that looks quite similar to Nintendo?s DS or 3DS and a set of 3D glasses that would communicate with the device.

But before you start saving money for a mouse ear-shaped next-generation gaming console, it?s worth noting?that the device may never actually get made. Back in October, Disney said it planned to focus on mobile and social games?rather than high-end consoles and PC releases. Also, Disney filed this patent application in June 2011. At that time Disney may have had a stronger interest in console gaming.

Still, Disney is obviously up to something interesting.

Via Cnet

Source: http://venturebeat.com/2013/01/04/disney-game-console/

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Saturday, January 5, 2013

History attaches to commercial real estate as much as residential ...

There is something about real estate that elevates it above the status of being just an asset. This is as true with commercial real estate as it is for residential plots of land, especially in regions of the country with as much history as North Carolina.

With every section of land there are stories that involve people. The stories may be hidden or lost. More often, there is a history that is clear and traceable. These all tend to come to the fore when the time comes to sell a given property. If it's a residence, there are myriad memories of life's important moments. That can be true, too, for commercial property.

All this musing is prompted by news that the retail giant, Macy's, has announced its plans to sell a major site in the city of St. Paul, Minnesota. For the company, this is likely nothing more than a business proposition. The five-story building covering a single square block in the city's downtown just doesn't generate the revenue it used to, so it's closing.

City officials are already starting to look at what options may exist for what to do next with the land. The speculation ranges from getting some smaller boutique retailers into the expansive space, to perhaps getting in a midsized business like a Kohl's. There's even discussion that it could become a Target store.

That last idea might go some way to assuaging residents of the city who may remember having shopped at the place for necessities and holiday presents over some 50 years. You see, it was built by the Dayton-Hudson Corp. to house a Dayton's store. Dayton-Hudson eventually became Target and over time, the Dayton's brand changed and was taken over through mergers and acquisitions to become Macy's. So, if Target were to move into the site, some might call it a good reflection of the circle of life.

Any time a commercial real estate sale and project is undertaken it involves many players, all of whom have legal interests that need to be assessed and met with the help of experienced legal help. But this post is offered by way of acknowledging, too, that while remembering the legal necessities, it can be helpful to remember that there is a deep human element behind many of these transactions.

Source: Star Tribune, "St. Paul optimistic about filling the Macy's space," Kevin Duchschere, Jan. 3, 2012

Source: http://www.charlotterealestatelawblog.com/2013/01/history-attaches-to-commercial-real-estate-as-much-as-residential.shtml

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Choosing a Health Insurance Provider | Spacecoast Business ...


by Lisa Slattery

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In today?s economy, it?s natural for employers to compare health insurance options based on premiums alone.? Unfortunately, if benefits, network, customer service and quality ratings are not considered, the result can be poor overall value, frustrated employees, increased future medical costs and increased absenteeism.

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Oftentimes, large insurance companies work on a cyclical pricing trend, offering very low premiums the first year that are typically unsustainable over the following 2-3 years.? Employers are best served by seeking overall consistency in value, which for most customers means high quality and accessible healthcare for a reasonable price over time.? They should expect their insurance company to not only pay claims accurately and quickly, but also support them in keeping their employees in the best health possible in order to reduce lost work days and increase productivity.

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Some of the challenges we hear from employers that return to us after trying a different company include trouble accessing ?a live person to answer my questions or resolve any issues,? lack of access to desired providers, lack of support for members going through difficult health challenges, and quality and customer service issues that lead to increased frustration, poorer outcomes, and less healthy employees.

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Defining Quality

1. For Employers: Business owners hold themselves to the highest standards, and should expect no less from their health insurance partner.? A high quality health insurance company holds itself up to National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) standards, which are the most stringent in the industry.? The reason for doing so is that NCQA measures the health outcomes of the members enrolled in health plans, and regularly evaluates network access, availability of preventive care and wellness, customer satisfaction with providers as well as with the insurance company, and consistency in managing chronic illness.? Look for a plan that has an NCQA accreditation rating of ?Excellent,? the highest possible rating.

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2. For Employees: The average employee sees health insurance as a necessity, albeit one they hope not to have to use very often.? Quality for most employees involves easy and affordable access to good doctors who help them stay well and treat minor illnesses.? Gym memberships, for example, help improve the overall health and well-being of an individual.

?

For employees who experience an unexpected illness or injury, or those living with a chronic disease, the last thing they want to do is hassle with issues surrounding their health coverage.? So from this perspective, high quality means quick and accurate payment of covered services, clear communication concerning what isn?t covered, and the ability to talk with a friendly, knowledgeable person when questions arise.? Access to a certified Nurse Case Manager is a huge employee satisfier when they are trying to navigate the complex world of health care.

?

Choosing an Insurance Provider

For the last several years, Health First Health Plans (HFHP) has been rated the second highest health plan in the State of Florida by the National Committee for Quality Assurance ? Health Insurance Plan Rankings.

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) utilizes a STAR rating program to allow consumers to compare plans based on quality and customer service.? There are currently no 5 STAR plans in the State of Florida, however HFHP is one of only five Medicare Advantage plans ? and the only option in Brevard and Indian River counties ? rated 4.5 STARS.? In addition, HFHP is in the top 10 percent of Medicare Advantage plans in the country, as ranked by NCQA, and our commercial plans are in the top quartile in the nation.

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For the majority of employers, the key to understanding the STARS and other national ratings is this ? from the inception of Health First Health Plans, there has been a firm commitment to create a health plan that was different, with a strong commitment to our members, and close partnership with our providers.? By placing the member at the heart of all of our business decisions, we are able to rank as a top national plan in both Medicare and commercial lines of business.? We measure the same health outcomes and customer satisfaction for all of our members, so we are able to consistently rate highly when new measures of quality and service are released.

?

Quality Healthcare = Happy Employees

A recent study conducted by UNUM Group Corporation found that 82 percent of employees surveyed who rated their health benefits highly, also rated their employer an excellent or good place to work.? We all know that when employees are satisfied at work they are more productive, so consider all your options and choose carefully when evaluating health insurance coverage for your valued staff.

_________________________________

Lisa Slattery is Senior Vice President of Quality Management/Chief Quality Officer for Health First Health Plans.

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Related Articles:

Source: http://www.spacecoastbusiness.com/choosing-a-health-insurance-provider/

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Friday, January 4, 2013

AZ Bill Makes Online Impersonation A Felony - Business Insider

Jeff Daniels The NewsroomAcross the country, states are cracking down on online impersonators in an attempt to combat fraud, libel, and cyber bullying.

In Arizona, the legislature is considering a bill that would make maliciously impersonating somebody over Facebook or Twitter a felony, Alia Beard Rau of The Arizona Republic reports.

Rep. Michelle Ugenti, who pre-filed this bill in December, says it is based on a similar law passed in Texas. ?

The law distinguishes between creating a fake account, which would be a felony, and merely posing as someone else on a message board, which would be a misdemeanor. ?

Ironically, this came to my attention via a tweet from the parody Twitter account pretending to be Will McAvoy, anchorman of News Night on HBO?s hit show The Newsroom:

McAvoy's character would be just as enthusiastic about this law as this tweet would suggest. On the show, he required that commenters on his blog use their real names as part of his ?mission to civilize.?

But First Amendment advocates fear the Arizona law may implicate the very people who create parody accounts like this one.

"The problem with this, and other online impersonation bills, is the potential that they could be used to go after parody or social commentary activities," Kurt Opsah, a lawyer with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, told the Arizona Republic.

In regards to the Texas law on which the Arizona law has been modeled, criminal defense lawyer Stephanie Stradley has written that "Following the letter of this law, there may be a lot of criminals. 'Harm' can be very broadly construed?one person's joke is another person's harm."

You can find the full text of this bill, which is very short, here.

New York led the charge against online impersonation with a 2008 law that made Internet impersonation a Class A misdemeanor.

Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, California, Washington are also among the list of states that have passed laws against online impersonation.

SEE ALSO: Teen Brags About Drunk Driving On Facebook >

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/az-bill-makes-online-impersonation-a-felony-2013-1

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Review: Brian Rooney's The Online Ad Network (Part 1: The Product ...

The TOAN Man Asks: "Is Network Marketing Right For You?"

The TOAN Man: ?Is The Online Ad Network Right For You??

I have a lot of respect for Brian Rooney, the founder of the Trafficwave autoresponder and a big hitter in the Organo Gold business, but I admit I was sceptical about the quality of the product behind The Online Ad Network (TOAN).

Why?

Because I have seen so many ?ad networks? that just don?t work and no matter how good the network marketing programme may be, if the product is a dud I am NOT going to recommend it to my readers.

However, you can try out TOAN for $1 for the first 15 days if you set up a subscription via Paypal, or completely free via Alertpay. If you don?t cancel your subscription, on day 16 your subscription of $19.95 per month begins.

So I decided to check it out? :)

At first I was not overly impressed with the site as the design is pretty basic, but it gets the job done.

The first step is to set up your ad panel, which is easy enough to do. Once that is done you can move on to Step 2 start uploading your ads. Helpful instructional videos are provided. Here?s a screenshot of the site after logging in:

After logging into TOAN you come to this page. Pretty basic, but it gets the job done.

How To Upload Ads

setting up your toan ads

Don?t panic! No need to pay again for your ads!

To upload a new ad, go to the Control Panel by clicking the ?Access Ad Control Panel? button in the yellow ?STEP 2? box. Then, hover your cursor over the ?Other Features / Settings? option and click ?Buy More Advertising?.

DON?T WORRY! As a subscriber, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO PAY for the ads you are uploading. The link simply takes you to the ad creation page.

Setting up your ad on the ad creation page is pretty straightforward. If you want to upload a banner, scroll down to the bottom of the ad category list and choose either the 125 x 125 option or the 468 x 60 option.

toanbannerads

There are two banner ad options. The $0.00 refers to the ?price? of ?buying? these ads.

If you want to create a text ad, find the appropriate category (if it exists) and click the ?Continue? button. After clicking through the next page (to accept the terms and conditions) you will come to the text ad page for your category. Like everything else on the site, it is pretty straightforward and does its job:

toantextad

The text ad set page. Nice and basic.

And that is all there is to uploading ads.

Use TOAN To Leverage Your Advertising

I uploaded a couple of banners to TOAN and at first the results did not seem particularly impressive and, to be honest, I neglected TOAN for a couple of weeks until the first subscription payment kicked in. I thought I had better make a bit more of an effort with it to see if it was any good before the second payment was due, so I uploaded another nineteen banner ads.

The result was that my total impression account for one day jumped from a ?high? of just 22 on December 22nd, to 365 on December 27th, and the click count jumped from a measly ?2? to ?13?.

Okay, so the figures are not great, but a lightbulb went off in my noddle? Wait a minute! The deal at TOAN is that you can upload UNLIMITED numbers of ads, and it seems that the more ads you upload, the more impressions you get ? and the more clicks? What if I uploaded 100 ads, or 1000 ads?? It would not cost me a cent extra to do so, and once they are up, I don?t have to do anything with them, but they will bring impressions and clicks to my offers every day.

The graph shows what has been happening as I upload more ads to TOAN. The sudden spikes occured immediately after I uploaded an extra batch of ads. The Click Through Rate for December was 3% and so far this month it is around 2.5%. On January 2nd the result was 556 impressions and 14 clicks, for a CTR of 2.51%:

toan ad stats

The more ads you upload, the more impressions ? and clicks ? you get?

Conclusion

I am now much more positive about TOAN as an ad service than I was back in mid December. I will keep adding ads to the site to see if the increase in impressions and clicks can be sustained. If so, this will be a very good resource for Internet marketers to use to promote multiple sites without having to spend much time doing so.

Brian Rooney has created a service that follows the principles of his outstandingly successful Trafficwave autoresponder model: You pay a fixed price but there are no limits on how much you can use the service. That is the key to TOAN ? although the CTR may be low (but better than most traffic exchanges and safelists), because the number of ads you can post is unlimited, you can leverage your efforts over time by repeatedly increasing your ad output on the site.

The watchword for online marketing success is ?focus? and The Online Ad Network looks set to enable you to maintain your focus on your primary business, while giving you an opportunity to promote a wide range of attractive secondary offers too. In other words, you can spread your net without losing your primary focus ? and that will be a great benefit to many online marketers.

David Hurley

P. S. In my next TOAN review I will look at the business opportunity behind the product. In the mean time, if you would like to test drive TOAN yourself, free for 15 days, click the banner to open your account:



By the way, if you?re new here then I?d like to invite you to join my friend list by putting your name and primary e-mail address in the little boxes below. Thank you! DH.

Source: http://www.grasp-the-nettle.com/reviews/review-brian-rooneys-the-online-ad-network-part-1-the-product/

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The Culture Gabfest: Plodding Recitative Edition

Listen to Culture Gabfest No. 224 with Aisha Harris, Stephen Metcalf, Dana Stevens, and Julia Turner by clicking the arrow on the audio player below:

The sponsors of today?s show are Stamps.com?and Audible.com. Go to Stamps.com?and use the promo code ?CULTUREFEST? for your no-risk free trial and bonus offer. Get a free audiobook from Audible?s collection of more than 100,000 titles and a subscription to a daily audio digest when you sign up for a 30-day free trial at www.audiblepodcast.com/culturefest.

Culturefest is on the radio! ?Gabfest Radio? combines Slate?s Culture and Political Gabfests in one show?listen on Saturdays at 7 a.m. and Sundays at 6 p.m. on WNYC?s AM820.

On this week?s Culturefest, our critics are joined by Slate Brow Beat assistant Aisha Harris to discuss Quentin Tarantino?s new blaxploitation western Django Unchained, whether the director successfully takes on the slavery revenge fantasy, and all the ways the movie both dazzles and disgusts. The Gabfesters then dive into Les Mis?rables, discussing the show?s timeless appeal and whether Tom Hooper?s new movie version, with its emotionally soaring show stoppers and uneven performances, adds up to a movie worth seeing. Finally, they discuss the website Quora, its unique contribution of voice to the online Q-and-A format and its experientially rich but informationally questionable content.

Here are some links to the things we discussed this week:

Dana?s pick: The ballet-in-outer-space dancing of Lil Buck, who jooked live to Yo-Yo Ma?s rendition of ?The Swan.?

Julia?s pick: The strangely mesmerizing novel Billy Lynn?s Long Halftime Walk, the story of an Iraq war veteran with the structure of a ?one-crazy-night? movie.

Outro: ?Unchained (The Payback/ Untouchable)? by James Brown and 2Pac

This podcast was produced by Dan Pashman. Our intern is Sally Tamarkin.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=5a3b1789d1544d61be7c5e734b38757d

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Theater shooting relatives turn down 'disgusting offer'

The families said they were invited to an 'evening of remembrance' at the Aurora, Colorado theater, followed by a movie.

By Dan Elliott,?Associated Press / January 2, 2013

People gather outside the Century 16 movie theatre in Aurora, Colo., at the scene of a mass shooting early July 20, 2012.

Karl Gehring/The Denver Post/AP

Enlarge

Relatives of the majority of people killed in a?Colorado?movie theater are rejecting an invitation to attend its reopening, calling it a "disgusting offer."

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The parents, grandparents, cousins and widow of nine of the 12 people killed released a letter Wednesday sent to the theater's owner, Cinemark. The Plano, Texas-based company has been renovating the Aurora theater and plans to re-open it Jan. 17.

The company had no immediate comment.

The families said they were invited to an "evening of remembrance" followed by a movie. They said the company also had "awful timing" in sending the invitations two days after Christmas.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/-Q3yLuarfC8/Theater-shooting-relatives-turn-down-disgusting-offer

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Myanmar military admits airstrikes against Kachin

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar's military acknowledged launching airstrikes against ethnic Kachin rebels in the north and said it captured a hilltop post from where the insurgents had attacked government supply convoys.

The statement broadcast on state television Wednesday contradicted government claims two days earlier that the military was not carrying out offensive air attacks on the Kachin, raising questions about how much control the elected government of reformist President Thein Sein has over the army.

The United States said Wednesday the use of air power in Kachin state was "extremely troubling." In Washington, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland urged the government and the Kachin rebel group to cease their conflict and begin a real dialogue for peace.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on Myanmar's authorities "to desist from any action that could endanger the lives of civilians living in the area or further intensify the conflict in the region," U.N. spokesman Martin Nesirky said. Ban called on the government and rebels to work toward political reconciliation.

Myanmar state television, quoting the Defense Ministry, said the military on Sunday occupied a Kachin Independence Army hilltop post during a mopping-up operation of the area where attacks had been launched against supply convoys.

The government has been seeking to supply a base at Lajayang very close to KIA headquarters at Laiza, the rebel group's last major outpost.

The government delivered an ultimatum to the Kachin to clear a road by Christmas Day so it could supply its base. The Kachin rejected the ultimatum for fear of a government attack on their own outpost.

KIA spokesman La Nan charged Monday that the supplies being sent to government troops included ammunition as well as rice.

"We will obstruct any army convoy that carries arms and ammunition that will be used against us," he said. "This is the nature of war."

Each side blames the other for intensified fighting that began a little over a week ago.

The Kachin said Monday they were being attacked by helicopter gunships and fighter jets, but President's Office director Maj. Zaw Htay said the aircraft were being used mainly to supply government units whose access to supplies by road had been cut off by the Kachin guerrillas.

"During the attack, the army used air support," Wednesday's report said. It added that the military did not want to launch an offensive but attacked the outpost to maintain security and stability.

The report said government troops seized weapons including mortars, hand grenades, mines and 4,000 rounds of ammunition.

The military announcement highlights a seeming disconnect between the government and the military, which retains much power behind the scenes. An order late last year by Thein Sein to halt offensive operations against the Kachin was not honored in practice.

The Kachin, like Myanmar's other ethnic minorities, have long sought greater autonomy from the central government. They are the only major ethnic rebel group that has not reached a cease-fire agreement with Thein Sein's government, which came to power in 2011 after almost five decades of military rule.

His government has been hailed for instituting democratic reforms.

But tension with ethnic minorities, evidenced by the fighting with the Kachin, is considered a major long-term problem for the government and a threat to the nascent democracy.

Fighting erupted in Kachin state in June 2011 after the KIA refused to abandon a strategic base near a hydropower plant that is a joint venture with a Chinese company. There have been off-and-on skirmishes between the KIA and government troops, often escalating into serious bombardment by government troops.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-military-admits-airstrikes-against-kachin-010214182.html

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Catalyst Announces P25 Console Subsystem Interface | Public ...

Catalyst IP|ConsoleTM

December 12, 2012?IWCE Virtual Expo

Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of Radio Control over IP solutions to the Push-to-Talk (PTT) marketplace, today announced a new Console Subsystem Interface (CSSI) for its IP|ConsoleTM solution.? CSSI is one of the eight primary Project 25 (P25) interfaces specified in the TIA-102 suite of standards and supports trunking.? The Catalyst CSSI Gateway may be added to both new and existing IP|Console systems for voice dispatch to public safety and other critical communications agencies.? With its flexible, graphical user interface, Catalyst can provide Police, Fire, EMS, utilities and others custom dispatch screens and capabilities to better meet the unique needs and budgets of each agency.

Catalyst has continued to enhance its P25 dispatch and interoperability solutions over the years and the expansion to include CSSI in its suite of products is the next logical step in this progression.? Catalyst pioneered the P25 Fixed Station Interface, providing support for conventional channels, and offers a control station interface for P25 conventional and trunked systems using radios from a variety of manufacturers.? ?CSSI has come of age,? comments Catalyst president Robin Grier.? ?A critical mass of radio system manufacturers now provides a CSSI interface into their Radio Frequency Subsystems, allowing customers to choose the console that best meets their needs.? By connecting via hardwire to trunked radio systems additional advanced features are now possible.? Catalyst is pleased to meet the evolving requirements for innovative solutions.?

With ever tightening budgets, critical communications agencies are saving money by choosing Catalyst.? Customers can add a CSSI Gateway to their existing IP|Console solution, enhancing their current capabilities by building on their initial investment.? Using its field-proven Radio over IP (RoIP) technology, agencies can connect via a shared Internet Protocol network to link consoles to radio systems and other devices over a large geographic region.? Using a shared network saves significant cost and simplifies maintenance.

IP|Console supports primary dispatch, backup dispatch, and mobile dispatch for Project 25, Broadband Push-To-Talk, and legacy radio systems.? This flagship console provides a rich user interface that supports Unit ID, Emergency signaling, custom graphics for each talk group, a centralized alias database, roaming for dispatchers, instant playback, and control of remote devices.? The first company to provide dispatch support for Broadband PTT, Catalyst has refined its solutions in preparation for emerging LTE capabilities.?? IP|Console also supports SMARTNET?, EDACSTM, MDC-1200, the Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) standard, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) compatible solutions, and other systems.

Catalyst Communications Technologies, Inc. markets Radio Control over IP technology for the Critical Communications Industry and is a force for change in the effort to bring Internet-derived technologies into mobile radio applications.?? Catalyst focuses on products that leverage standard Windows?-based computers to reduce cost and increase the efficiency of network operators and end users.? Catalyst?s extensive product line significantly enhances legacy dispatch communications systems by seamlessly bridging wireless and wireline communications networks for network-based interoperability.

CSSI_Dec_2012

Source: http://psc.apcointl.org/2013/01/02/catalyst-announces-p25-console-subsystem-interface/

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