Sony Bravia KDL-42EX440

Buying a budget HDTV no longer means having to settle for skewed colors and subpar image quality, but you will still have to make some sacrifices. With the Sony Bravia KDL-42EX440 ($549.99 direct) you get solid color quality and a sharp 1080p picture that looks good from all angles, but that?s about it. This no-frills HDTV doesn't offer Internet connectivity or any Web apps, nor does it have 3D capabilities.? Its contrast ratio is less than optimal as well. That said, its very reasonable price tag will appeal to budget-conscious shoppers.

Design
There's nothing notable about the look of the 42EX440; it uses a matte black cabinet with a glossy black bezel and a rigid glossy black rectangular base. The base does a good job of supporting the 29-pound cabinet but doesn't allow for swivel adjustments. A silver Sony logo sits on the lower bezel along with seven touch-sensitive buttons, including Power, Channel, Volume, Source, and Home (menu) buttons. The controls are erratic; sometimes they respond with one touch and other times they need to be pressed several times. You're better off using the included remote.

I/O ports are limited. The 42EX440 only has two HDMI inputs (most HDTVs come with four). One is mounted on the left side of the cabinet above a USB port and the other is on the back of the cabinet along with digital and analog audio outputs, a VGA (PC) video input, a TV Coaxial jack, and component A/V inputs. If you have more than two devices (three if you're fine with using component video), you'll need to find other ways to connect them. And there's no Ethernet or Wi-Fi, so you can't connect this set to the Web.

The two 8-watt speakers are actually quite loud considering they are rear-facing. They don?t put out a lot of bass, but you can coax a bit of low end by enabling the bass boost option.

The remote is a little over 8 inches long and contains 36 buttons plus a four-way directional navigation button. None of the buttons are illuminated. It has a dedicated Scene button that lets you select one of seven picture presets (Auto, General, Photo, Music, Cinema, Game, Graphics, and Sports), along with the typical player controls (Play, Forward, Rewind, Pause, Stop), a Source button, a number pad, and a Home button that takes you into the settings screens.

You get the usual selection of picture, audio, and channel settings.? Picture settings include Backlight, Picture (contrast), Brightness, Color, Hue, Sharpness, and Color Temperature. There's also a CineMotion setting that helps reduce blurring when watching film-based content, and five noise reduction settings. Advanced settings include a black corrector and a contrast enhance—both of which can help strengthen contrast, but introduce artifacts when enabled—as well as a gamma adjustment and white balance controls. Additionally, there's a menu selection for Sony?s Photo Frame application that will play USB-stored photos and music in a slideshow while displaying a calendar.

Performance
Picture performance was a mixed bag. Using images from the DisplayMate HDTV diagnostic tests and a Konica Minolta CS-200 Chroma Meter, the 42EX440 turned in a relatively low peak brightness of 159.79 cd/m² (candelas per square meter) and a black level reading of 0.06 cd/m². That works out to a contrast ratio of 2,663:1, which is considerably better than the LG 42CS560's 987:1 contrast ratio, but just shy of the Editors' Choice Samsung PN51E490B4F, a 720p plasma HDTV that doesn't have quite as high a black level (0.08 cd/m²) but gets much brighter at 225.08 cd/m² for a contrast ratio of 2,814:1. It's well short of what you?ll get from a more expensive set like the Sharp Aquos LC-60LE640U? (12,221:1).

Red and green color measurements matched up nicely with the CIE 1976 chromaticity specs. Blue was a bit cool, but fortunately there were no tinting errors as a result. The mediocre black levels came into play while watching Tree of Life on Blu-ray; shadow detail was somewhat muddy, particularly in darker scenes, and the picture could have been brighter. Otherwise, colors were well-saturated and the high-definition image looked sharp. Off-angle viewing looked great, with the picture not fading and colors not distorting at all when watched from the sides.?

The set averaged 68 watts of power during my testing with power saving disabled, which is in line with similar-size LED-based models. Switching to the low setting cut usage down to 57 watts without making the picture too dim, while the high setting cut it down to 28 watts (but made it much too dark). By way of comparison, Sony's 46-inch KDL-46EX750 used 67 watts with power saving disabled and 48 watts with power saving enabled.

Conclusion
You won't get a lot of extras with the Sony Bravia KDL-42EX440, but you won't pay a premium price for it either. What you do get is good color performance, relatively wide viewing angles, and a sharp HD picture for around $550. Black levels and peak brightness could certainly be better, but if you're short on cash and want a basic 42-inch HDTV, the 42EX440 will fill the bill nicely. If you want a larger, still-affordable HDTV with a more robust feature set, including out-of-the-box active 3D with glasses, the $690 51-inch Samsung PN51E490B4F is our Editors' Choice for budget HDTVs. It's a plasma set, however, and it maxes out at 720p resolution.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/p5GXnCJJrRA/0,2817,2412391,00.asp

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Man with Romney face tattoo prepares for laser removal

DEAR ABBY: My wife and I have been married for five years. I recently discovered that she made between 10 and 20 porn videos when she was 19. We got married when she was 27. We have four kids from two previous marriages.I am devastated. When I confronted her about it, she cried harder than I had ever seen. She said she was lost, and it's the biggest regret of her entire life.I understand how hard it can be to tell someone you have done something like this. I haven't led a perfect life either, and I have my own skeletons and things that I would never mention. But still, I can't get over this. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/man-romney-face-tattoo-prepares-laser-removal-165623174--election.html

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PST: Beckham's press conference quite the scene

CARSON, Calif. ? When it comes to meaningful media endeavor, Major League Soccer exists in two separate universes. There?s ?MLS Adorned with David Beckham? and then there?s otherwise.

Which is, by the way, why questioning the success of the Beckham experiment, the man?s ability to attract a larger audience and amplify interest beyond the niche soccer crowd, is just plain silly. Just look at the number of cameras at the man?s Thursday afternoon press conference at the Home Depot Center (pictured).

By comparison, there may be four or five cameras tonight when the Dynamo arrive at their nearby hotel later tonight.

So the scene was distinctly ?MLS Adorned with Beckham? on Thursday. That is, jam packed and fueled by a certain feeling of importance ? a feeling that does not always accompany Major League Soccer events, even on its pinnacle MLS Cup week.

Beckham didn?t reveal much new, but there were moments of insight and of quintessential Beckham-ness. Let?s review some of the ?highlights? of his press event:

On whether he is feeling any pangs of emotion ahead of his final Galaxy match:

It?s been an enjoyable week?. I am quite an emotional person. I know I will feel more emotion probably the day of the game. Maybe the night before the game. But I am really excited about the game itself. To be in third MLS Cup final, especially one being played in our own stadium, I am excited. And it?s going to be special.?

Some of the questions were quite thought-provoking. And some were more bubble gum variety. Like about whether, over six years, he was gotten used to saying ?soccer.?

Even after six years, I?m still personally getting used to saying ?soccer.? ? To me it will always be football.?

On a question about his impact with MLS, one reporter asked Beckham for an honest self-assessment, even encouraging the Galaxy star of stars not to be shy about it. Said Beckham as he prepared to respond: ?I can?t help my shyness.?

Yes, the man who has appeared in photos, on high def TV and on ginormous billboards across the globe wearing everything from a skirt to pretty much nothing at all just said that.

(MORE: Beckham also has a sense of humor)

What about growth as a player? Could Major League Soccer really have taught this well-traveled sort, after all those high-level matches at Manchester United and Real Madrid, anything about the game?

I do believe I have matured even more so as a player. As you get older, the mind gets a bit quicker, to be honest. ?The legs may be a little slower than you were when you were 21. But as I?ve said before, I?ve never been a quick player.?

About the Cosmos and his possible involvement in the ongoing resurrection of that once-mighty brand:

I?ve been hearing the Cosmos thing for the last two or three years. That?s not true. My manager definitively has not had conversations on that side.?

He also pooh-poohed reports out just today that he would soon join AS Monaco. He said he heard that one from a friend on the car ride over to the Home Depot Center:

I?m very flattered by some of the interest I?ve had, some of the serious interest I?ve had. It?s always nice to be recognized by managers, and good managers. ?. It means a lot to me. I?ve tried to base my whole career over being professional and working hard. It?s nice to be recognized like this.?

Beckham?s once-turbulent relationship with Landon Donovan has been well chronicled. But the two long ago reached amicable accord by all appearances. Now Beckham says he hopes Donovan doesn?t close off a brilliant career too soon. Beckham says Donovan still has plenty to offer in terms of ability and otherwise.

About Donovan?s repeated warnings that he may soon turn the professional page:

Let?s hope that was just a moment that he had. From what I see on the training field and when he?s on the field, the hunger is still there.?

By the way, Beckham talked about his teammate as being a ?young man.? Only an athlete in winter, 37 years old, calls a 30-year-old athlete a ?young man.?

Finally, Beckham initially said he wanted to accept one more challenge as a player. That was two weeks ago. Now, with a little more time for things to settle, he said his feelings on keeping that right foot swinging have not changed.

I still feel like a good player, and I?m still not considering retiring.?

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2012/11/29/david-beckham-press-conference-uneventful-and-yet-eventful/related

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Palestinians win de facto U.N. recognition of sovereign state

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The 193-nation U.N. General Assembly on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas called on the world body to issue its long overdue "birth certificate."

The U.N. victory for the Palestinians was a diplomatic setback for the United States and Israel, which were joined by only a handful of countries in voting against the move to upgrade the Palestinian Authority's observer status at the United Nations to "non-member state" from "entity," like the Vatican.

Britain called on the United States to use its influence to help break the long impasse in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Washington also called for a revival of direct negotiations.

There were 138 votes in favor, nine against and 41 abstentions. Three countries did not take part in the vote, held on the 65th anniversary of the adoption of U.N. resolution 181 that partitioned Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states.

Thousands of flag-waving Palestinians in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip set off fireworks and danced in the streets to celebrate the vote.

The assembly approved the upgrade despite threats by the United States and Israel to punish the Palestinians by withholding funds for the West Bank government. U.N. envoys said Israel might not retaliate harshly against the Palestinians over the vote as long as they do not seek to join the International Criminal Court.

If the Palestinians were to join the ICC, they could file complaints with the court accusing Israel of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other serious crimes.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called the vote "unfortunate and counterproductive," while the Vatican praised the move and called for an internationally guaranteed special status for Jerusalem, something bound to irritate Israel.

The much-anticipated vote came after Abbas denounced Israel from the U.N. podium for its "aggressive policies and the perpetration of war crimes," remarks that elicited a furious response from the Jewish state.

"Sixty-five years ago on this day, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 181, which partitioned the land of historic Palestine into two states and became the birth certificate for Israel," Abbas told the assembly after receiving a standing ovation.

"The General Assembly is called upon today to issue a birth certificate of the reality of the State of Palestine," he said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded quickly, condemning Abbas' critique of Israel as "hostile and poisonous," and full of "false propaganda.

"These are not the words of a man who wants peace," Netanyahu said in a statement released by his office. He reiterated Israeli calls for direct talks with the Palestinians, dismissing Thursday's resolution as "meaningless."

ICC THREAT

A number of Western delegations noted that Thursday's vote should not be interpreted as formal legal recognition of a Palestinian state. Formal recognition of statehood is something that is done bilaterally, not by the United Nations.

Granting Palestinians the title of "non-member observer state" falls short of full U.N. membership - something the Palestinians failed to achieve last year. But it does have important legal implications - it would allow them access to the ICC and other international bodies, should they choose to join.

Abbas did not mention the ICC in his speech. But Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told reporters after the vote that if Israel continued to build illegal settlements, the Palestinians might pursue the ICC route.

"As long as the Israelis are not committing atrocities, are not building settlements, are not violating international law, then we don't see any reason to go anywhere," he said.

"If the Israelis continue with such policy - aggression, settlements, assassinations, attacks, confiscations, building walls - violating international law, then we have no other remedy but really to knock those to other places," Maliki said.

In Washington, a group of four Republican and Democratic senators announced legislation that would close the Palestinian office in Washington unless the Palestinians enter "meaningful negotiations" with Israel, and eliminate all U.S. assistance to the Palestinian Authority if it turns to the ICC.

"I fear the Palestinian Authority will now be able to use the United Nations as a political club against Israel," said Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, one of the sponsors.

Abbas led the campaign to win support for the resolution, which followed an eight-day conflict this month between Israel and Islamists in the Gaza Strip, who are pledged to Israel's destruction and oppose a negotiated peace.

The vote highlighted how deeply divided Europe is on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

At least 17 European nations voted in favor of the Palestinian resolution, including Austria, France, Italy, Norway and Spain. Abbas had focused his lobbying efforts on Europe, which supplies much of the aid the Palestinian Authority relies on. Britain, Germany and many others chose to abstain.

The traditionally pro-Israel Czech Republic was unique in Europe, joining the United States, Israel, Canada, Panama and the tiny Pacific Island states Nauru, Palau, Marshall Islands and Micronesia in voting against the move.

'HOPE SOME REASON WILL PREVAIL'

Peace talks have been stalled for two years, mainly over Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which have expanded despite being deemed illegal by most of the world. There are 4.3 million Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.

After the vote, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice called for the immediate resumption of peace talks.

"The Palestinian people will wake up tomorrow and find that little about their lives has changed save that the prospects of a durable peace have only receded," she said.

She added that both parties should "avoid any further provocative actions in the region, in New York or elsewhere."

Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad said he hoped all sides would use the vote to push for new breakthroughs in the peace process.

"I hope there will be no punitive measures," Fayyad told Reuters in Washington, where he was attending a conference.

"I hope that some reason will prevail and the opportunity will be taken to take advantage of what happened today in favor of getting a political process moving," he said.

Britain's U.N. ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant, told reporters it was time for recently re-elected U.S. President Barack Obama to make a new push for peace.

"We believe the window for the two-state solution is closing," he said. "That is why we are encouraging the United States and other key international actors to grasp this opportunity and use the next 12 months as a way to really break through this impasse."

(Additional reporting by Andrew Quinn in Washington, Noah Browning in Ramallah, Jeffrey Heller in Jerusalem, Robert Mueller in Prague, Gabriela Baczynska and Reuters bureaux in Europe and elsewhere; Editing by Eric Beech and Peter Cooney)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/palestinians-win-implicit-u-n-recognition-sovereign-state-002420090.html

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5 tricks for improving your business communications with VoIP ...

?There are plenty of ways in which VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) communication systems can benefit your business. VoIP works by routing calls via an internet connection, making it a very flexible and cost effective solution whether it?s being used in a large or small business.

In the article below you?ll find five tricks for improving your business communications with VoIP, including internal communications, international calling and staying in touch while on the move.

Use VoIP for internal calls

VoIP is a good system to use when you need to call office to office. If you set up multiple lines for your business you will save money on calls to colleagues in different offices. This would be the case whether you were calling someone in the same city or making a call to another international office.

Make international calls

You can use VoIP for business calls at home, and it?s a great option for when you need to make international calls. VoIP offers cost effective communication for international calls, partly due to plans which allow you to focus on certain areas and pay up front.

Call whilst you?re away

One of the biggest benefits of VoIP is that you only need an internet connection and touch tone phone to make it work. This means you can keep on top of all your business calls when you?re out of the office. It?s the ideal solution if you need to set up a mobile office in your hotel room, and it means you won?t be spending excessive amounts of money on hotel or mobile phone bills

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Be easily contactable

We?ve covered outgoing calls when you?re away, but what about being contacted? Well, this is easy with VoIP. Just set up your systems and any incoming calls will be directed over your internet connection. This makes it easy for colleagues and clients to be able to get hold of you, which is something they?ll really appreciate. In addition, you won?t have to spend time chasing emails or voice messages left on your mobile. This can only be good for the running of your business.

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Pick a suitable VoIP system

It sounds obvious but you need to check what?s on offer and whether it suits your business needs. Look for things like excellent customer support, low set-up costs and good value call rates. When you pick the right VoIP services for your business you?ll improve your communication by having more flexibility, and it?ll save money off the bottom line.

Related posts:

Source: http://family-budgeting.co.uk/2012/11/28/5-tricks-for-improving-your-business-communications-with-voip/

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Court Demands Samsung Pay Apple $120,000 per Day

Must be an uncomfortable moment over at Samsung headquarters right now. Just weeks after mobile division head J.K. Shin talked some seriously big game, a court in the Netherlands granted one more point to Apple in the companies' ongoing patent lawsuits. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/i6UNDq5mmK0/court-demands-samsung-pay-apple-120000-per-day

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More Than Half Of Offices Aren't Planning Holiday Parties This Year: Survey

Ready to deck the halls of your office and hang mistletoe in the break room? You may want to hold off.

A new survey by staffing firm OfficeTeam found that more than half of senior managers aren't planning to have an office holiday party this year. (Hat Tip: FOX Business)

Of over 1,000 senior managers surveyed, only 44 percent said that their company was planning an office holiday party. A similar survey from 2005 found that 73 percent of managers at Fortune 1000 companies said their company hosts an office party.

The economy may be one reason your company isn't hosting a holiday party. "We imagine many companies are still keeping an eye on the bottom line as a result of the economy," Cynthia Kong, public relations manager for Office Team, stated in an email.

Other bosses may fear potential legal repercussions and otherwise unpleasant surprises.

A recent survey from the Creative Group asked advertising and marketing executives to recall the most unbelievable things they have heard of an employee doing at a company event. Responses ranged from: "A person rode naked on a Ferris wheel" to "We caught an employee going through everyone's desk while we were partying."

At a holiday party in Rochester, N.Y., someone dressed as Santa stripped down to a jock strap.

Research by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found that 10 percent of workers know of a colleague who has either been disciplined or dismissed for their behavior at a holiday office party.

That said, office holiday parties provide an opportunity for co-workers to bond in a relaxed setting

The National Federation of Independent Business offers some tips for ensuring safety and sanity at your office holiday party. Tips include hiring professional bartenders, reminding employees about harassment policies and making sure employees have safe transport home. Others say it's as simple as establishing a two drink limit for yourself.

• Read The Invitation For Clues

  A lot of the times, the easiest way to know what type of party you want to throw or attend should be written on the invitation, Blais Comeau says. "Besides the basics, including date, location and time, an invitation should also note if you can bring a guest."

• Dress To Impress

  The location and time of the party should indicate the dress code, Blais Comeau says. "You don't want to show too much skin or be blinged like a Christmas tree -- find some[thing] in between." If you want to get in the holiday mode, she suggests red suspenders or ties for men and sparkly red belts or pumps for women.

• Prepare Ahead Of Time

  Think of conversation topics before the party starts. Blais Comeau suggests taking note of your colleagues' loved ones or congratulating employees who won awards that year. "The safest question to ask is about their holiday plans," she says.

• Respect The Privacy Of Your Colleagues

  In our tech-savvy world, almost every phone is equipped with at least a camera, if not a video camera. Blais Comeau says in her experience, some companies have banned employees from bringing their phones to the holiday party. She says you should always respect the privacy of your fellow employees and ask before you even take pictures of them.

• Do "The Two Fridge" Test

  We all remember our parents putting up our report cards and pictures on the fridge when we were kids. The "two fridge test" should be done any time you take a picture at your office party. "Before you put photos on Facebook, consider this: Whatever you want to post, imagine putting it on your fridge at home and see if the pictures are appropriate if your kids walk by. The second fridge is at work. If your co-workers or boss walks by, is it still okay?" She says.

• Drink, Dance And Sing In Moderation

  We still need to remember we are at an office party. Blais Comeau says, and everything should be done in moderation, especially if you are a manager or a new employee. "Keep it PG-13," she says.

• Remember Your "Thank-You's"

  The holidays are all about being thankful. "Take the time to write a thank you note, not only to employers but whoever organized the celebration," she says

• Don't Contemplate Attending

  Attendance should be mandatory, says Blais Comeau. "Your employer is putting together a celebration for recognizing employees," she says. If you are a new employee, talk to other colleagues or your HR department to see what you can expect from holiday office parties.

• No Whispering Allowed

  Blais Comeau only has only one rule for gossip: "Don't partake in gossip, it will come back and haunt you."

• Be Safe

  When it comes to alcohol, all employers and employees should be aware of their safety. Blais Comeau says setting up taxi services with HR or the venue are good ways to ensure everyone gets home safely.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/27/office-holiday-parties_n_2198243.html

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Visions of the cosmos honour Carl Sagan

Jacob Aron, reporter

(Image: James Ewing)

Cosmologist Carl Sagan is fondly remembered for his awe-inspiring descriptions of the vastness of space. Now artist Leo Villareal has created an installation that honours Sagan's memory with a dazzling light show reminiscent of his visions of the universe.

Cosmos, installed above the Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, is powered by nearly 12,000 LEDs hooked up to a computer. Villareal's software generates random patterns that mimic stars, galaxies and other thought-provoking objects, making the work different every time you look at it. "It's almost like a musical instrument that you have to tune and get just right," said Villareal. "It's a process of discovery, because I don't know in advance what it's going to be."

Source: http://feeds.newscientist.com/c/749/f/10897/s/26040bc3/l/0L0Snewscientist0N0Cblogs0Cshortsharpscience0C20A120C110Cvisions0Eof0Ethe0Ecosmos0Ecarl0Esagan0Bhtml0Dcmpid0FRSS0QNSNS0Q20A120EGLOBAL0Qonline0Enews/story01.htm

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President signs whistle-blower bill for US workers

WASHINGTON (AP) ? President Barack Obama signed legislation Tuesday that affords greater protection to federal employees who expose fraud, waste and abuse in government operations.

Capping a 13-year effort by supporters of whistle-blower rights, the new law closes loopholes created by court rulings, which removed protections for federal whistle-blowers. One loophole specified that whistle-blowers were only protected when they were the first to report misconduct.

Obama also signed legislation that protects U.S. airlines from having to pay into a European Union program to cut down on pollutants. Earlier this month, the EU postponed its enforcement of the payment for non-EU airlines amid protests from numerous countries and threats of a possible trade war.

The whistle-blower law makes it easier to punish supervisors who try to retaliate against the government workers.

The federal official who investigates retaliation, Special Counsel Carolyn Lerner, said her office "stands ready to implement these important reforms, which will better ensure that no employee suffers retaliation for speaking out against government waste or misconduct."

The new legislation, however, would go beyond restoring protections, to expand whistle-blower rights and clarify certain protections. For example, whistle-blowers could challenge the consequences of government policy decisions.

Specific protections would be given to certain employees, including government scientists who challenge censorship. Workers at the Transportation Security Administration, who provide airport security, would be covered under the law for the first time.

The law also would clarify that whistleblowers have the right to communicate with Congress.

To stop illegal retaliation, the law would make it easier to discipline those responsible, by modifying the burden of proof required when taking action against those trying to punish whistle-blowers. Also, the Office of Special Counsel, which was established to protect federal employees, would no longer be liable for attorney fees of government managers if the office does not prevail in a disciplinary action.

The new law would suspend the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals' sole jurisdiction to review decisions in whistle-blower cases.

The law's supporters said the court consistently narrowed protections and ruled for whistle-blowers only three times in 229 cases between October 1994 and May 2012. A review by all federal circuit courts was added as a two-year experiment.

Tom Devine, legal director of the Government Accountability Project, said, "This reform took 13 years to pass because it can make so much difference against fraud, waste and abuse. Government managers at all levels made pleas and repeatedly blocked the bill through procedural sabotage."

Devine, whose organization represents whistle-blowers, said the bill sailed through Congress once some senators who previously worked in secret to block a vote dropped their opposition.

The new airlines law was a response to an EU program that places a cap on carbon dioxide emissions from industrial polluters. Early this year, the law was expanded to include all airlines flying into and out of Europe.

U.S. airlines complained that they would be charged even for the emissions discharged over the United States or the Atlantic on their way to European destinations. The U.S. industry says it would cost it some $3.1 billion between 2012 and 2020. Those payments were to start in April, but the EU postponed that earlier this month.

"Although European leaders have temporarily pulled back their tax proposal, the law signed by the president today will help ensure the EU scheme will not resurface next year like a phoenix rising from the ashes," said Rep. John Mica of Florida, the Republican chairman of the House Transportation Committee,

The airlines emissions legislation requires the transportation secretary to prohibit U.S. airlines from paying into the EU emissions program if that prohibition is deemed in the public interest. It also urges the administration to engage in international talks to seek a global approach to aircraft emissions.

"The Obama administration should seek binding regulations and limits on such pollution when it meets with international partners to establish these rules at the International Civil Aviation Organization," said Sarah Saylor of the environmental group Earthjustice.

Obama also signed legislation that permits construction of a natural gas pipeline within certain areas of the Gateway National Recreation Area in New York City.

He also signed into law legislation that sets a cost-of-living adjustment for veterans who receive disability compensation. The increase is estimated to amount to about 1.9 percent.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Kuhnhenn contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/president-signs-whistle-blower-bill-us-workers-192511402.html

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Big Data Can Mean Big Returns in Retail - Business Insider

Big data for retail means a chance to see why a sale didn?t occur. Is it product selection? Pricing? Store display? Ineffective promotional material?

Before, this information was hard to track, but with the advent of big data and in-memory computing, two products ideally suited to collecting and analyzing unstructured data types like that of retail, are poised to play a significant role in sales.

For example, web logs are not the typical financial data people relate with the term ?big data?. This web information shows how consumers navigate through an internet storefront. The data can be combined with previous BI (Business Intelligence) apps and sales data, generating clear insight.

Retailers now have the opportunity to see website traffic for a particular product and compare it to the sales. Before, if a product wasn?t selling it would be removed from the line. Now, managers can readjust pricing; ensure there are enough colors and sizes, and any other aspects that take a look to a sale.

This analytical approach to customer decisions is not limited to the web; some retailers are now using technologies to analyze foot traffic throughout their physical stores. These maps, combined with sales data, make way for new applications focused on optimizing store layout and product placement.

Retail relies heavily on in-store and online purchases, but they are not successful without making sure their product is delivered on time. Predictive analysis applications using the first day?s delivery, past delivery data, and real-time traffic data, provide revised delivery schedules, allowing retail managers to take immediate corrective action.

This is incredibly advantageous for retail managers, preparing them to better meet customer expectations and maintain high operational efficiency.

This operational efficiency is essential when retailers always want to know what their customers need before they even know they need it.

For example, using big data retailers now can see, through data from store cards, cashed-in coupons, and purchase history, when a customer may need a refill on a product. This data gives retail marketers the upper hand, sending the low stocked customers promotional material ? urging them to buy the refill.

As Mark Ledbetter put it in his recent article, ?Go Big or Go Home: How Big Data Can Bring Big Sales?, ?How retailers use it to change their business, how they take advantage of it to grow sales?is only limited by their imagination.?

Find out more about Sponsor Posts.

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/big-data-can-mean-big-returns-in-retail-2012-11

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British man killed in S. Africa farm robbery

Country music titan Dolly Parton is anything but shy.In an exclusive interview with "Nightline," Parton dished about her love life (including those rumors that she is secretly gay), losing a drag queen lookalike contest and building a multimillion-dollar entertainment empire.Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ETIn her long reign as a country music legend, Parton, now 66, has done it all. In her new motivational memoir, "Dream More," which will be released on Nov. 27, Parton talks about growing up dirt poor in Sevierville, Tenn., in a cabin with 11 siblings. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/british-man-killed-africa-farm-robbery-081650625.html

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The Elusive First Time Buyer | New Jersey Real Estate Report

From CNBC:

Housing Recovery Is Leaving Behind First-Time Buyers

Current homeowners are finally moving up, and distressed sales are making up less of the overall market?all signs of much-needed improvement in housing.

Current homeowners accounted for 54 percent of October?s non-distressed market, up from 50 percent in June, according to a new survey by Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance.

This as the share of non-distressed sales surged to 64.7 percent, up from 55.7 percent as recently as February.

Unfortunately, first-time home buyers are seeing just the opposite, largely left out of this surge in sales and prices. Their share of the market, usually up in the 40 percent range historically, fell to 34.7 percent in October, the lowest in the Campbell/IMF survey?s three-year history.

The National Association of Realtors put their share even lower, at 31 percent.

Either way, they are the only group of buyers that have not seen their share of non-distressed home purchases rise over the past five months. The mortgage of choice for these buyers, FHA-insured loans, are increasingly tough to obtain.

From HousingWire:

The vanishing first-time homebuyer

It was only a matter of time before the market learned the true fate of the young, first-time homebuyer who may have a solid credit history and a good job, but lacks a 20% downpayment.

The reality is they are disappearing before our very eyes.

And the type of middle-class borrower that used to help drive new home sales is lost in translation as regulators continue to create a housing market that, while more careful in its future construction, may be more disruptive to the American dream.

If you read reports from Real Estate Economy Watch and Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance, it seems first-time homebuyers make up less of the market today. In fact, Campbell/Inside Mortgage Finance said its HousingPulse Tracking Survey shows the share of first-time homebuyer purchases now at 34.7%, down from 37.1% in June and the lowest percentage in the survey?s history.

Real Estate Economy Watch notes the number of singles buying homes is declining, and the median credit scores for adults in the 25-34 and 35-44 ranges remain below the median scores required by the Federal Housing Administration and the mainstream providers of conventional mortgages.

While married buyers are still able to obtain the credit to access loans in the first-time homebuyer segment, the question is whether other borrowers are stumbling on tighter lending standards and an overregulated mortgage space.

Both sources reporting on this issue this week suggest lending standards are too tight. And at a time when rents are going up, a substantial portion of the first-time homebuyer market is not being served.

Source: http://njrereport.com/index.php/2012/11/27/the-elusive-first-time-buyer/

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Congo says no talks with rebels unless they quit Goma

GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters) - Congo said on Sunday it would not negotiate with M23 rebels in the east until they pulled out of the city of Goma, but a rebel spokesman said Kinshasa was in no position to set conditions on peace talks.

Congolese President Joseph Kabila met with M23 for the first time on Saturday after an urgent summit in Uganda where regional leaders gave M23 two days to leave Goma, which the rebels seized six days ago after U.N.-backed government troops melted away.

Eight months into a rebellion that U.N. experts say is backed by neighboring Rwanda, the rebels have so far shown no sign of quitting the lakeside city of one million people.

The rebels say they plan to march on other cities in the east, and then strike out across the country to the capital Kinshasa, across 1,000 miles of dense jungle with few roads, a daunting feat achieved 15 years ago by Kabila's father.

Amani Kabasha, a spokesman for M23's political arm, welcomed the meeting with Kabila but questioned the government's resolve to end a crisis that risks engulfing the region.

"Why put conditions on talks? You pose conditions when you are in a position of strength. Is the government really in such a position?" Kabasha told Reuters in Goma, which sits on the north shore of Lake Kivu at Congo's eastern border with Rwanda.

Vianney Kazarama, the rebels' military spokesman, said government forces that had been reinforcing along the shores of the lake were now deploying in hills around the rebel held town of Sake and government-held Minova, both Goma's west.

A U.N. source in Minova said government soldiers had gone on a looting spree for a second straight night there. The town was calm on Sunday but gunshots rang out overnight, the source said.

"What is real is that the morale of the troops is very low. They've lost hope in the commanders," the U.N. source said.

The Congolese army has vowed to launch counter-offensives and win back lost territory. The rebels have warned the government against embarking on a "new military adventure".

So far, the unruly and poorly-led army has been little match for the rebels, despite assistance from a U.N. peacekeeping mission that deployed attack helicopters to support the government before Goma fell.

Rebel leaders share ethnic ties with the Tutsi leadership of Rwanda, a small but militarily capable neighbor that intervened often in eastern Congo in the 18 years since Hutu perpetrators of Rwanda's genocide took shelter there. Rwanda has repeatedly denied Congolese and U.N. accusations it is behind M23.

Saturday's Kampala summit called on the rebels to abandon their aim of toppling the government and proposed that government troops be redeployed inside Goma.

The rebels have not explicitly rejected or accepted the proposals. They are, however, unlikely to cede control of the city or accept government soldiers inside it.

WITHDRAW

Regional and international leaders are trying to halt the latest bout of violence in eastern Congo, where millions have died of hunger and disease in nearly two decades of fighting fuelled by local and regional politics, ethnic rifts and competition for reserves of gold, tin and coltan.

"Negotiations will start after the (M23) withdrawal from Goma," Congolese government spokesman Lambert Mende said.

Kabila was still in the Ugandan capital on Sunday morning but was expected to return to Kinshasa later in the day or on Monday, two Congo government sources said. Kabila's communications chief Andre Ngwej said he did not believe official talks would start in the next few days.

While Kabila's army is on the back foot, analysts are skeptical the rebels can make good on their threat to march on Kinshasa without major support from foreign backers.

The regional leaders' plan proposed deploying a joint force at Goma airport comprising of a company of neutral African troops, a company of the Congolese army (FARDC) and a company of the M23.

In a statement, the Kinshasa government said Tanzania would take command of the neutral force and that South Africa had offered "substantial" logistical and financial contributions towards it. The Kampala plan did not say what the consequences would be if the rebels did not comply.

(Writing by Richard Lough; Editing by James Macharia and Peter Graff)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/congo-government-says-no-talks-m23-rebels-goma-093113230.html

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'Walking Dead' Governor Will Make Rick 'Suffer'

Actor David Morrissey tells MTV News that his 'Walking Dead' villain will deal with his new 'noisy neighbors.'
By Josh Wigler, with reporting by Kara Warner

Andrew Lincoln in "The Walking Dead"
Photo: AMC

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1697848/walking-dead-governor-will-make-rick-suffer.jhtml

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Republicans oppose Senate vote on UN disability treaty during lame-duck session (Star Tribune)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/266484455?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Most people just barely care about politics (Unqualified Offerings)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, RSS Feeds and Widgets via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/266064013?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Gaza cease-fire raises hopes for reconstruction

A Palestinian boy looks from the rooftop of a destroyed house in Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. A leading Islamic cleric in the Gaza Strip has ruled it a sin to violate the recent cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Palestinian territory according a religious legitimacy to the truce and giving the Gaza government strong backing to enforce it. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Palestinian boy looks from the rooftop of a destroyed house in Gaza City, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. A leading Islamic cleric in the Gaza Strip has ruled it a sin to violate the recent cease-fire between Israel and the Hamas militant group that governs the Palestinian territory according a religious legitimacy to the truce and giving the Gaza government strong backing to enforce it. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) ? Mohammed Falah Azzam has been through this before.

His mother's home was bombed in the 2008-09 Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip, which left hundreds dead and thousands of homes destroyed. In renewed fighting last week, an entire block of buildings housing his extended family was badly damaged in an airstrike that Israel said was aimed at a militant.

While none of his relatives was hurt, the 61-year-old retired schoolteacher once again has to worry about providing shelter for his family. Some relatives are sleeping in an empty shop, squeezed in with other family members. Others are spending their nights in rooms covered in plastic wrap to shield them from the winter rain because all the windows were blown out.

"This is going to cost thousands," Azzam said. "The longer I wait, the more damage will happen," he added, pointing to a heavily damaged building sitting atop tilting concrete columns.

Azzam finds himself caught again in a pile of paperwork to seek assistance, trying to secure hard-to-get construction materials. This time, he hopes the process will be smoother, thanks to both Israel's pledges to ease its longstanding border blockade and the newfound political clout of Gaza's Hamas rulers in the region.

Israel promised to ease the blockade as part of a cease-fire last week that ended eight days of intense fighting. But difficult negotiations lie ahead, and there is no firm timeline for lifting the restrictions.

Israel launched its offensive Nov. 14 in response to months of rocket fire out of Gaza. It carried out some 1,500 airstrikes during the fighting, while Palestinian militants lobbed a similar number of rockets into Israel.

The damage to buildings in Gaza appears less extensive than it was four years ago. The United Nations estimates 10,000 homes were destroyed or damaged, while Hamas has put the number at about 8,000, including 500 that were destroyed or heavily damaged. In comparison, U.N. relief agencies said as many as 40,000 homes were affected in the earlier round of fighting.

Israel says its airstrikes are aimed at militants, and it blames Hamas for the damage, accusing the group of using residential areas for cover.

Reconstruction since the 2008-9 fighting has been slow, in large part because of Israel's blockade. Israel imposed the restrictions in 2007, after Hamas, a militant group sworn to its destruction, wrested power over the coastal strip from the government of Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Under international pressure, Israel loosened the blockade in 2010 but maintained tight restrictions on imports of glass, cement, metal and other construction materials, saying they could be diverted for military use. Only U.N agencies and international organizations in the Palestinian territory are allowed to import such material from Israel for their own projects.

To make up the shortage, a bustling smuggling industry through underground tunnels along the Egyptian border has sprung up. While prices for key construction goods have come down, they still remain expensive for the majority of the population in Gaza, where the unemployment rate is over 30 percent and 80 percent of the people rely on U.N. handouts.

"The blockade in terms of housing impacts us primarily ? the U.N. ?and the people who are most vulnerable who don't have access to jobs or economic opportunity," said Scott Anderson, deputy director of the U.N. Relief and Works Agency. "People who have money, it is easily available."

In the short term, there is no relief in sight. During the recent offensive, Israel heavily targeted the tunnels, which are also used to bring weapons into Gaza. Residents along the border say that smugglers and tunnel owners are still inspecting the damage but that many of the tunnels still operate, though at reduced capacity.

An Egyptian security official, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media, estimated that half the tunnels are not functioning.

With a sullied face and wearing only his undergarments, Azzam gave up his search for valuables in the rubble of his destroyed home on a recent day. He sat down to take a break and do some math.

His mother's house was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike in 2009. Since then, he has barely managed to rebuild one of its two floors. A $25,000 grant he received from an Arab fund did not cover the costs, and materials for the project have been hard to come by.

The Hamas government has given him $1,000 to find a place to live for now, and each member of the extended family received a similar amount. With housing in tight supply and rents skyrocketing, Azzam said the money will not last long.

"As we look there are no places to begin with," he said. "If we find a place, rent will be around $300 or $400. Before it was $200."

Yasser al-Shanti, deputy of the ministry of public works and housing in the Hamas government, said construction materials will start flowing into Gaza again once the tunnels are up and running again.

But Hamas' real hope is that Israel and Egypt will lift border restrictions to allow large quantities of goods into the territory through proper border crossings. Hamas has high hopes for Egypt's new Islamist government, which is far more sympathetic to the Islamic group than the ousted regime of Hosni Mubarak.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt is currently limited to foot traffic. Hamas, an offshoot of Egypt's ruling Muslim Brotherhood, wants Egypt to turn the crossing into a bustling cargo terminal.

"We expect that international and Arab institutions are ready to help. We don't expect to have a problem," al-Shanti said.

Hamas has put the damage to Gaza's civilian infrastructure at roughly $750 million, a sum that will probably have to be raised through special U.N. emergency appeals and donations from wealthy Arab countries.

The future of the crossing will be a central issue in indirect, Egyptian-brokered negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Under the cease-fire, Israel made a vague commitment to ease its closing of Gaza. But the details must be negotiated.

With Hamas rejecting Israel's key demand ? that arms smuggling into Gaza be halted ? it remains far from certain whether Hamas will get what it wants. Egypt also has not been clear how far it is willing to open its border, fearing that this will allow Israel to "dump" Gaza on Egypt and undermine hopes for reconciliation between Hamas and Abbas' rival government in the West Bank.

Ayman el-Kholi, whose two-story home was destroyed in an Israeli airstrike aimed at militants, said Hamas government representatives and fighters, including Hamas strongman Mahmoud Zahar, visited him and promised compensation.

"They promised that after things calm down, they will begin to reconstruct all homes destroyed and not just ours," he said.

In the meantime, the 41-year-old banker has sent his six children to sleep at various relatives' homes, and he is staying with a friend. The rubble from the destroyed building was still in a heap on Sunday as he waited for the only government tractor to come remove it.

The entire block was damaged by airstrike. Shops were buried and a nearby workshop for electrical appliances was severely damaged.

"We don't save in banks. All my money was in the house. All of it is now under the rubble, around $10,000 plus my wife's gold," el-Kholi said. "We are waiting for an opening of the crossing. We are waiting for donor countries, from Arab countries, to help us rebuild the house again."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-25-Palestinians-Rebuilding%20Gaza/id-92022b1aea614820bb0dd91caeb64a42

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Cloud driving security imperative shift from device to online - AME Info

Historically, antivirus software has been the go-to security measure for CIOs, but many are now overlooking the potential threats that emerge during unprotected internet usage.

"These days, as companies and consumers increasingly conduct their business in the cloud, securing virtual identities, browsing activity, and personal data arguably has become more important than securing physical devices," said David Gorodyansky, CEO, AnchorFree. "Now that we've added mobile to the mix - especially in the case of Apple's iPhone, a device that's fairly secure by default - the need to protect the device has been overshadowed by the increasing need to secure our online interactions."

Gorodyansky believes that the days of device infection through floppy disk and thumb drives are long gone, with web and email exchanges providing the most potent routes for attack.
Furthermore, Gorodyansky argues that if both the Web and email are protected by cloud security, the devices in question are likely to be safer than ever.

"As more and more businesses and consumers entrust reams of precious, and highly confidential, data to the cloud, direct threats to devices become less relevant than the threat of compromising our identities or personal data - via Google docs, Dropbox files, passwords, search activities, or sites visited - online," he explained.

With cybercrime spreadingacross the world, the UAE, with its large youthful and tech-savvy population, is becoming increasingly prone.

This year's Norton Cybercrime Report found that more than 1.5 million people in the UAE were affected by cybercrime in the past 12 months, resulting in Dhs1.039bn in direct financial losses. The report also found that 31% adults in the UAE were victims of social or mobile cybercrime in the past twelve months compared to 21% globally.

The UAE's cyber vulnerability is fuelled in part by a high smartphone penetration rate - 62% of mobile phone users in the country according to Google's annual Mobile Planet smartphone study-and a growing affinity for workplace BYOD (Networking vendor Aruba Networks notes that 80% of companies in the region allowed some form of access to personal devices - the highest in the world).

As a consequence, AnchorFree, which has ambitious expansion plans in the MENA, is enjoying a surge in UAE downloads for its Hotspot Shield VPN (virtual private network), which encrypts every accessed web page and provides a secure, private tunnel, preventing hackers from preying on users of public WiFi connections.

The software also provides protection from 3.5 million malware, phishing and SPAM sites.Hotspot Shield comes in two versions: a free service which is supported through advertising and a subscription service without ads. The software has been downloaded by more than 120 million people from 190 countries worldwide.

Available on Apple iOS, and Android devices, in addition to desktop PCs and Macs, Hotspot Shield also compresses data during mobile phone use to speed up the browsing experience and more than double the amount of Web content users can access under their mobile data plans.

"I'm certainly not encouraging businesses to scrap their antivirus protection, but it's essential that companies pay more attention to securing their online activities. By doing so, you'll eliminate many of the threats that antivirus companies try to solve, before these threats ever make it near your devices," Gorodyansky added.

Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/cloud-driving-security-imperative-shift-device-320136

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McIlroy, Donald, Warren tied for lead in Dubai

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a ball on the 2nd hole during the round one of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a ball on the 2nd hole during the round one of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Luke Donald of England eyes his tee shot on the 2nd hole during the round one of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili)

Padraig Harrington of Ireland plays a ball on the 2nd hole during round one of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Francois Steenkamp)

Germany's Martin Kaymer plays a bunker shot on the 8th hole during round one of DP World Golf Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Thursday Nov. 22, 2012. (AP Photo/Francois Steenkamp)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) ? Rory McIlroy shot a 5-under 67 Friday and was tied for the lead with Luke Donald and Marc Warren after two rounds of the season-ending Dubai World Championship.

McIlroy, the top-ranked golfer, has already won the money titles on the European and PGA tours. He was one stroke in front at 11-under 133 with Donald (68) and 189th-ranked Warren (67).

Sergio Garcia, playing for the first time since laser eye surgery, matched the course record with a 64 to leave him four shots behind.

McIlroy's round could have been even better, but he missed several makeable putts on the front nine and an eagle putt roll past the hole at No. 14.

"I continued driving the ball well today and gave myself plenty of opportunities," McIlroy said. "Missed a couple of short ones on the front nine for birdies. But apart from that, it was a very solid round of golf."

Garcia started with four birdies on his first five holes and then had a string of birdies at the turn before holing a long putt for eagle on No. 14. But he shot into the water on No. 16 for a triple-bogey before recovering to finish with a birdie and eagle.

"Coming back from a long break, so trying to get some good vibrations going and I managed to finish better than that," Garcia said.

Donald joined McIlroy and Warren at 11 under with a short birdie putt on the 18th. Warren had a chance take the outright lead, but was short on his 12-foot putt on the 18th.

"Obviously, haven't dropped a shot in 36 holes, so feel good about that," said Donald, who finished with four birdies in a bogey-free round. "I had some opportunities, 10-foot, 15-footers on a few holes that I just misread. But that was a solid round of golf."

Donald said he wasn't getting his approach shots as close to the pin as the first day, but made up for it with the putter, including a difficult birdie on No. 9 and nice par save on No. 12.

"When I have myself a little bit of trouble out on the course, I was able to recover with the putter," Donald said.

Warren, who has not won a tournament since 2007, matched the second-ranked Donald's opening birdie and had five more, including a 12-footer on the 16th to move him into a tie with McIlroy.

"It was nice to be the Scot in the pack with the Englishman and the Northern Irishman," Warren said. "It's great to be in contention with guys like that. Looking down the leaderboard, it's a high-quality leaderboard and doesn't get any better anywhere in the world really."

Two South Africans were a stroke behind at 134 ? Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, shot a 67 and four-time tour winner Branden Grace had a 65.

Charl Schwartzel (67) and Richie Ramsay (68) were two shots off the pace, followed by another 10 players three strokes behind.

Several big names faltered, including fourth-ranked Lee Westwood (74). Two shots off the lead after the first round, Westwood bogeyed the 12th and 16th and then double-bogeyed the par-3 17th to fall eight shots off the lead.

Padraig Harrington, also two shots back after the first round, was five behind after a 71.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-11-23-GLF-Dubai-World-Championship/id-20b104c9797e4b6383613596694aa271

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3 Steps to Holiday Health, Joy & Meaning (1 of 3) | Neuroscience ...

The holidays are officially here with the celebration of Thanksgiving, the official kick-off for the holiday season. Like many, you may have mixed feelings of joyous expectation on the one hand, and dread on the other wishing you could ?enjoy? the holidays this year without stalling your healthy-eating and exercise goals ??or feeling emotionally drained by the demands and expectations of family and the season.

Perhaps you?ve worked hard to build your esteem and confidence, and now the thought of meeting one or more of your relatives at gatherings fills you with self-doubt. Or maybe you set health and fitness goals at the start of the year, mustered up the energy by Spring, and finally got into a comfortable rhythm in the last few months. (If so, you likely feel the difference, limber and love it ??the energy, vitality and sense of wellbeing, not to mention a clean bill of health, perhaps the first time in years!)

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In any case, starting with Thanksgiving Day, you find yourself wanting to get off of the yearly ?here we go again? roller coaster ride.

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There?s good reason to believe you can get off this roller coaster, knowing what we do about our amazing brains! The realization of any goal, however, necessitates that we are fully?present?in mind and body, and one life-harming thing that holiday gatherings have in common is a plethora of food and drink doused with sugar ?? a seemingly harmless substance, now proven a toxic mind-altering drug, as addictive as cocaine and heroine.

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How serious is the problem?

• Like it or not, ?humans are genetically programmed to like sugar,? states Dr. Hyman. The availability of processed sugar makes it possible to eat sugar in quantities unimaginable in any previous period in history.
• ?If you eat sugar, there?s a good chance you?re addicted to it,? notes Dr. Joseph Mercola, M.D. Quite literally, your brain on sugar is your brain in its ?most unhappy of pleasures?! Now that?s a problem.
• Persons under the influence of sugar are predisposed to poor decision-making, and arguably, more vulnerable to other addictions as well. Findings show, a link between sugar cravings and alcoholism, for example.
• Professor and director of pediatrics at the University of California Dr. Robert Lustig writes in?The Atlantic:??? the war on drugs has taken a back seat ? because a different war has cluttered the headlines ? the war on obesity. And a substance even more insidious, I would argue, has supplanted cocaine and heroin. The object of our current affliction is sugar.?

Is it fair to expect you can make choices in the highest interest of your emotional and physical health, or relationships, if you are ingesting regular doses of a substance that alters your physio-emotional state of consciousness??Likely not. Would you expect yourself to drive safely under the influence of alcohol?

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The solution? ?Take steps as soon as possible to kick the addiction or, at minimum, put together a conscious plan to only take sugar in quantities and conditions that ensure minimal negative impact.

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In this post, we?ll look at 3 steps to take in advance of upcoming events to protect your health, and have the energy to bring your own joy and meaning to holiday gatherings; and in the next two posts, more tips on what to do the same day, the following day and between gatherings.

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Here are the three steps:

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1. Get to?know?your brain and the neuroscience of sugar addiction.

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In his work, Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. notes that sugar addiction is best understood as a biological condition. The ?just say no? approach has been proven not to work. A sugar or food addiction must be treated like an addiction because the behaviors arise specifically out of neurochemical reward centers in the brain that easily overwhelm willpower and choice. In other words, it?s unreasonable (and unfair) to expect to be charge of your choices under conditions when addictive substances are physiologically in control of brain and body processes.

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Dr. Lustig also writes:

?The brain?s pleasure center, called the nucleus accumbens, is essential for our survival as a species? Turn off pleasure, and you turn off the will to live? But long-term stimulation of the pleasure center drives the process of addiction? When you consume any substance of abuse, including sugar, the nucleus accumbens receives a dopamine signal, from which you experience pleasure. And so you consume more. The problem is that with prolonged exposure, the signal attenuates, gets weaker. So you have to consume more to get the same effect ? tolerance.?And if you pull back on the substance, you go into withdrawal. Tolerance and withdrawal constitute addiction.?

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Understanding how sugar destroys health by turning into a toxic fat?and that it is an addictive substance helps you get a better grip of the problem.?It will motivate you and make it easier to say no and envision your life a whole lot better without it.

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2. Understand that sugar escalates anxiety and depression, thus, stress.

Emotional problems of anxiety disorders, depression seem to increase around the holidays. , physical problems obesity, weight loss, sluggishness, fatigue , and diseases of the body such as cancer, heart and diabetes, among others are more common than ever, and so is food and sugar addiction (though rarely diagnosed).

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3. Take steps to stabilize the level of sugar in your blood.

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There are several excellent books and programs available. In a groundbreaking and timely book,?The Blood Sugar Solution: The UltraHealthy Program for Losing Weight, Preventing Disease and Feeling Great, Dr. Mark Hyman, M.D. has developed a six-week healthy living program and reveals that the secret to getting fit and trim as well as healing and prevention of diseases such as diabetes, hear, and cancer, among others, is balancing your insulin levels. He describes the seven keys to wellness-nutrition: hormones, inflammation, digestion, detoxification, energy metabolism.

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In sum, you stand a good chance of removing a lot of stress from your holiday schedule, and infusing your days with more joy and meaning instead, if you take steps in advance to:

• Get to know your brain and the neuroscience of addiction.
• Understand how sugar harms physical, emotional and mental health and wellbeing.
• Get seriously engaged in a program that helps you stabilize your blood sugar (this will stop the cravings and make your job manageable).

Wouldn?t it be wonderful if your focus at holiday gathering were more on creating ?food for the soul,? such as heart-warming moments of sharing gratitude, being present, meaningfully connecting, and less on the food and drinks, thereby, kicking off a holiday season replete with more conscious moments of creating joy and empathic relationships with those who?really mean the world?to you (but perhaps like you, don?t ?know? it inside!)?

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Underline the italicized words?present?and?conscious?in the previous sentence. More on this in the next post.

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Relationship consultant, author, licensed marriage and family therapist, Dr. Athena Staik shows clients how to break free of anxiety, addictions, and other emotional blocks, to awaken radiantly healthy lives and relationships. Dr. Staik is currently in private practice in Northern VA, and writing her book, Safe Enough to Love?: Breaking Free of Addictive Love in Couple Relationships. To contact Dr. Staik for information, an appointment or workshop, visit www.drstaik.com, or visit on her Facebook fan page DrAthenaStaik

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????Last reviewed: 24 Nov 2012

APA Reference
Staik, A. (2012). 3 Steps to Holiday Health, Joy & Meaning (1 of 3). Psych Central. Retrieved on November 24, 2012, from http://blogs.psychcentral.com/relationships/2012/11/key-to-more-holiday-joy-meaning-kick-sugar-addiction-avoid-sugar-blues-1-of-3/

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Source: http://blogs.psychcentral.com/relationships/2012/11/key-to-more-holiday-joy-meaning-kick-sugar-addiction-avoid-sugar-blues-1-of-3/

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