BOJ holds policy meet amid calls for more easing

TOKYO (AP) ? Japan's central bank convened a two-day policy meeting Monday that is widely expected to end with fresh measures to stimulate the economy.

The government, meanwhile, lobbied for more action by the Bank of Japan to ease monetary policy to help the recession-struck economy escape from years of falling prices known as deflation.

Trade minister Toshimitsu Motegi told reporters the government is determined that the central bank set a 2 percent target for inflation.

"We want a clear inflation target to aim for," Motegi said. "Other countries have inflation targets, and it's not just 1 percent. They are all at least 2 percent," he said.

Motegi said the monetary easing so far has been "inadequate."

Since taking office in December, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has pushed ahead with campaign promises to seek a more aggressive approach to ending a deflationary slump that has persisted for two decades.

Apart from trillions of yen (hundreds of billions of dollars) in stimulus spending, the government has insisted the central bank also expand its monetary easing. Since interest rates have been near zero for years, the most likely option is increased asset purchases to help encourage bank lending.

The Abe government is likely to nominate as Bank of Japan governor an expert known to favor its policies when the term of the current governor, Masaaki Shirakawa, ends this spring.

However, Motegi rejected accusations that the government's demands are meant to erode the central bank's independent status.

"We are not doing this to gang up and pick on Mr. Shirakawa," he said. But he added that "the policy of aiming to escape deflation will not change, not today, not tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."

He said the government would leave it up to the central bank to decide what measures to adopt, while insisting something more be done.

Critics of the government's strategy of pushing for more inflation argue that it will do little to stimulate real demand in the economy if it pushes up prices without accompanying gains in purchasing power.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/boj-holds-policy-meet-amid-calls-more-easing-083014290--finance.html

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Good Reads: Boomtown slum, democracy in progress, and 'rewilding' in the Netherlands

This week's good reads include a day in Kenya's bustling Kibera slum, the struggle to promote democracy in the Arab world, and a radical conservation theory in the Netherlands.

By Allison Terry,?Correspondent / January 7, 2013

A hairdresser braids a woman?s hair in her salon in Kenya?s Kibera slum.

Noor Khamis/Reuters

Enlarge

The image of an African shantytown does not usually conjure up hope for economic prosperity. But Kibera, one of Nairobi?s slums and arguably Africa?s largest slum, is exactly that for the Kenyans who call it home. In The Economist, a writer chronicled a day in Kibera, describing the slum?s ebbs and flows, capturing its entrepreneurial spirit. People from all over Kenya leave their towns and villages for a chance to find work in Kibera?s ?thriving economic machine.?

Skip to next paragraph Allison Terry

Allison Terry is national news intern for the Christian Science Monitor. She previously worked on the cover page desk and contributed to the culture section of the Monitor.

Recent posts

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The half-mile-by-two-mile area accommodates roughly 1 million people, wedged together in repurposed wood-and-corrugated-tin-roof structures. The alleys that wind through the slum vary in size, but there is no room for cars. Many of the residents work in nearby factories or offices. Others find economic opportunity in providing goods and services for Kibera?s residents.

When Cecilia Achieng moved to the slum, she started a school, at first renting space from an empty church. She eventually saved enough money to build six makeshift classrooms. After school, Ms. Achieng starts her second job: catering. She caters church events, funerals, and is even trying to get into weddings. In the evening, Achieng goes door to door offering her services as a hairdresser.

?To equate slums with idleness and misery is to misunderstand them,? the correspondent writes. ?Slums are far from hopeless places; many are not where economic losers end up, but rather reservoirs of tomorrow?s winners.?

The promise of the Arab Spring

As post-Arab Spring countries struggle to establish democratic institutions, pessimism about their ultimate success misses a broader lesson: Stable democracies have historically evolved from violent uprisings, initial failures, and stumbling blocks.

?These troubles ... are not a bug but a feature ? not signs of problems with democracy but evidence of the difficult, messy process of political development through which societies purge themselves of the vestiges of dictatorship and construct new and better democratic orders,? writes Sheri Berman in Foreign Affairs.

Critics who see Egypt, Libya, and other transitioning countries as democratic failures ignore the inherited social, cultural, and political dynamics in these countries, and a broader historical perspective. New democracies are not blank slates, writes Ms. Berman. In the aftermath of overthrowing dictators, countries must overcome the baggage that comes with authoritarian regimes ? distrust, animosity, and lack of civil organizations to deal with people?s demands. Islamism is filling that void in Egypt after Hosni Mubarak?s fall as religious organizations were the only places where people could participate and express themselves.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/LGGtcHWW-GE/Good-Reads-Boomtown-slum-democracy-in-progress-and-rewilding-in-the-Netherlands

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WebMeUp Review: An All-in-one Online SEO App

First thing that you may be asking is what, another SEO Tool? I hear you, but just like anything else, new stuff are developed regularly, and the whole idea is to make things better, more user friendly, and preferably all in one place.

While WebMeUp.com is fairly new, development of this app has been ongoing for over a year, and only now that it is gaining a lot of traction. Why? Read on.

Why Do We Need An SEO Tool Anyway?

Well, I can give you a whole lot of reasons, but essentially, the most important aspect in my view, is that, online tools serve to improve the execution of daunting tasks and help our ?digital? lives run a tad easier. As a matter of fact, there are some required tasks that are virtually impossible to perform, without the assistance of an SEO Tool. Just think for a moment what the best SEO practices require you to do, among other things. How would you analyze your competitions backlinks? Where will you get them? How will you track and monitor your search engine rankings? How will you ensure that your site is structured properly? Etc.. And that?s nowhere close to what you need to do when it comes to doing SEO of your own or even for a client.

Now that we got that out of the way, let?s delve a bit on some of the main features this all-in-one online SEO tool offers:

• discover keywords and check rankings
• check ranking factors (e.g. Google PR, Alexa rank, number of pages indexed in different search engines, social media mentions, etc.)
• optimize site structure and encoding, do on page optimization for the content of landing pages, etc.
• find backlinks, rankings, ranking factors and other info about your competitors
• find and manage your backlinks
• run an audit of your website and your clients
• community forum
• WebPoints (wPs) that you apply towards your subscriptions ? more on that later
• and, lots more?

Here?s an introduction of WebMeUp

How To Use The App?

Not complicated at all, I must admit. In a few simple step-by-step actions, you are up and running.

At a glance, this is what your dashboard will look like.

Onto the steps ? Start by creating a project?

Step 1 ? Here?s where you enter the URL of the website

Step 2 ? Insert keywords

Step 3 ? Choose search engines (localized or not)

Step 4 ? Click Finish and wait for it to gather data ? Things can slow up a bit while on this phase, because what the app is doing is gathering all data at once, meaning, it is checking for your stats, looking at keywords, backlinks, PR, Alexa, and among other things actually running simultaneously an audit of your site. Can?t bet that!

Advantages of WebMeUP

Tools like WebMeUp has plenty of advantages, and one that I really think is a big plus is the fact that it is web based, meaning you don?t have to install anything on your computer and you can access it from anywhere for information on the fly. Do your work, track your stuff, etc., from anywhere, for as long as you have an internet access. Cool!

In addition, another advantage I see with this tool is that the data are updated daily, as suppose to its peers that take longer than that. This is good because at least you are analyzing up to date information and not outdated ones. Obviously, ?old info? is also good to view historical data, but that one, is nearly a given.

Finally, I really like the idea of having a community forum. This is very useful as all community members can discuss and exchange their experience with the app, in addition to sharing and learning SEO related topics from like minded people. Also you can get more visibility for you and your site ? by showing up in the ratings, you can get featured and a link to your profile and another link to your website will show up.

Disadvantages of WebMeUP

Well, nothing is perfect is WebMeUp is no exception. While the app is web based and easy and a project is easy to setup, slow internet connection may hamper the ability to take the fun away of analyzing things. The first time you fire up the app, the analysis could take a while, I mean quite a while and this can be an issue with people who has slow connections. Nonetheless, once all the information is successfully gathered, things start to speed up. Keep in mind that while it takes a bit of time to complete, WebMeUp is actually running the whole lot of analysis. It is not just checking for stats, and all that, it is also simultaneously ?auditing? your web site.

Another thing that may steer you away is the investment required to use the app. An app like this requires an awful lot of resources, a great and readily available support team, constant maintenance, never ending improvements (you do know that search engines algo change, right), and more. Due to this, it is but understandable that to use it, you will need to eventually upgrade your account to anyone of their available features and plans.

Fear not however, because there is one thing that WebMeUp is quite unique about. You may say, yeah sure, what?s new about having a forum. Well here?s the deal. Your participation in the forum earns you wPs (WebPoints). WebPoints (wP) are the internal currency for all WebMeUp users and community members. You can use wPs to pay for a WebMeUp subscription, or to buy some other occasional perks they will be adding in your personal account. Also, you can earn points by doing some simple stuff, like adding a picture to your profile, tweeting stuff, liking their page, etc..

Lastly and for now, reporting and white labeling is still not available at the time of this writing. They do mention that it is in the works and should be available soon. I?m waiting for this one?

Convinced?

If you are skeptical about things, and sometimes you should, the best way to overcome this is by simply going for it. WebMeUp offers a free 15 day trial of their standard plan (more than enough for the average user), and it?s got everything you need to make a well informed decision. Like it, continue on, don?t like it, no worries and no money spent.

Here?s a hint. Why not at the very least look at how your site is structured. Think all is good? Look at the audit results and you may be surprised. I looked at one of my sites, and it seems I have some fixing to take care of myself.

15 Day Trial Still Not Good Enough for you?

OK then. How does a full 2 months, and 1 month of a standard plan subscription, respectively, sound to you? Like the idea? Well, the WebMeUp team is offering these two prizes for two lucky winners. Just follow the simple rules set out below and you are good to go. Good luck!

That?s it! When you get the chance to take this all-in-one SEO tool, for a test drive, which I hope you do, please come back here and let me know what you think about it. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions, please do let us know. I?m sure the WebMeUp team will be more than happy to answer your questions and consider any contribution from your part.

Source: http://www.iblogzone.com/2013/01/webmeup-all-in-one-online-seo-app.html

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Speed Reed Academy, Upland map

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15

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Jennifer Ho Photography

Flickr name: Jennifer Ho Photography and Jen Likes Pictures

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HUERTA SMOG TEST ONLY

HUERTA SMOG TEST ONLY is a smog Test Only center and can certify ALL vehicles smog check: Smog Test Only, Smog Test, smog check, Star smog test, Regular & Diesel ...

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Upland, California

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Upland, California

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RCC Solar

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#95

Upland Campus #95

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#29

Upland #29

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14

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Penny Plumbing

We are plumbers in Ontario, CA serving the Inland Empire and surrounding cities (Upland, Rancho Cucamonga, Chino, Norco, Corona, Riverside, San Bernardino, etc). Our plumbing services are emergency plumbing, drain ...

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Source: http://www.tagzania.com/pt/speed-reed-academy/

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Annual Small Business Summit Tuesday - The Sampson Independent

by Lauren Williams
Staff Writer The Sampson Independent

For those who own their own small business or are thinking of starting one, the third annual Sampson County Small Business Summit will be the place to be Tuesday, Jan. 22 from 4 p.m. until 7 p.m. at the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center.

?It?s a free event and we encourage everyone to come out to ensure that they know about all the local, state, and federal resources available,? says Janna Bass, executive director of the Chamber of Commerce.

Numerous agencies and organizations will have booths set up at the event.

?The vendors provide various services to small businesses. They?re wide-ranging and there?s little overlap,? says John Swope, executive director of the Sampson County Economic Development Commission. ?We?ve got a good group of vendors, and we?ve added to it this year. We?ve been able to attract the NC Institute for Minority Economic Development and the Center for Empowerment and Economic Development.?

Other vendors set to be at the event are the city of Clinton, the NC Rural Center, the town of Roseboro Revolving Loan Program, and the NC Military Business Center, to name a few.

Swope adds that eight of the vendors offer financial assistance to small businesses. ?They provide loans, some for a few hundred dollars and others for up to millions of dollars.?

In addition to the vendors, there will also be a business financing forum from 5 p.m. - 6 p.m. ?Eight of the organizations will give brief descriptions of their programs and then people will be able to ask questions,? explains Swope. ?It?ll be sort of like a roundtable discussion.?

There are also two break-out sessions on the agenda. One will focus on the ?Most Common Mistakes that Undermine Small Business? and the other will be a presentation about the ?NC Live Business Database Website.?

Based on past success, Swope assures citizens that attending the summit will be worth it. ?We had the first small business summit back in January of 2011, and we took a survey after it to get a feel for what people thought. We were pleased that 96 percent of those surveyed would recommend others going to future summits. They obviously thought there was value in the event.?

?We?ve also had people go to the summit and then contact us later for additional assistance so there?s been follow up,? Swope adds. ?It?s proven to be really helpful in the past.?

?We?re very excited about this year?s summit and want people to come out because it?s a great event full of good information, especially for businesses that are having difficulties or are looking for opportunities to grow,? shares Swope.

Organizing partners for the summit are Clinton-Sampson Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Center at Sampson Community College, Sampson County Economic Development Commission, and NC Lawyers for Entrepreneurs Assistance Program (NC LEAP).

Lauren Williams can be reached at 910-592-8137, ext. 123 or via email at lwilliams@civitasmedia.com.

Source: http://clintonnc.com/bookmark/21454604

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Scientist at Work Blog: In Land of Lithium, Batteries Not Included

Jim Thomson is principal oceanographer at the Applied Physics Lab at the University of Washington. He studies ocean surface waves and coastal processes and wrote about his expedition to the North Pacific in the fall.

Monday, Jan. 14

One of the many quirks in renewable energy research is the amount of energy it takes to conduct the research. A senior colleague of mine likes to joke that marine renewable energy, in particular, is very likely to run at a deficit of watts for some years to come.

He is mostly thinking of the jet fuel used by people flying around in airplanes to meetings and such, but he would do well to consider the batteries in all of my instruments. The instruments we will deploy to measure turbulence in Chacao Channel, Chile, and assess the prospects for wind turbines to generate electricity from currents, are all autonomous; they are powered internally by batteries and record data to flash memory. The obvious choice for battery type is lithium, because of higher energy density and steady voltage during discharge.

The lithium battery is not without problems, however. Lithium is a hazardous material, both by regulation and by reality. Early in graduate school I had a near miss with a lithium battery inside an instrument case that leaked and filled with seawater. Lithium + water = explosion.

Now, lithium is causing problems again (and not just for Boeing). The last report on our shipment of equipment to Chile was ?arriving in port, all well.? The update now, 24 hours before we were to board a plane, was not well at all.

Apparently the port is not licensed to store hazardous material, like lithium batteries, while waiting for the shipment to clear customs. Despite having arranged our shipping details months in advance, including completing reams of ?hazmat? paperwork, the port was unprepared for our shipment?s arrival and so they simply did not unload it.

That?s right: all of our equipment, including said batteries (which constitute a tiny part of what we shipped), is still on the cargo ship. And that cargo ship set a course for Peru. As an old captain I used to sail with would say, ?well, now, that?s a pickle.?

The ultimate irony in this story pertains to the lithium itself: much of it comes from Chile to begin with. Some estimates put Chilean production at 40 percent of the global total.

The shipping company has assured us that the cargo ship will be back in Chilean waters soon, and they will try again to deliver it. I was hoping for a more definitive word than ?try,? but perhaps that?s just a problem in translation.

For now, we have postponed our flights and begun shuffling calendars to make room for the same trip ? just a week or two later.

We have a contingency plan, of sorts. We have a few spare instruments still in the lab in Seattle, complete with standard alkaline batteries (which are not designated as hazardous material). We can hand-carry these instruments on the plane with us.

When we get to Puerto Montt, we can build a mooring from scratch with whatever we can source locally. It?s a sizable fishing community, so we should be able to find plenty of shackles, line, chain and anchors. It might not be pretty, but if that cargo ship never makes it back to Chile, it should work.

In the meantime, I am left to contemplate those lithium batteries. We could have gone with alkaline batteries instead to begin with and just planned to collect less data. I could have been less greedy, using less energy for less time. Perhaps that?s an obvious choice for a renewable energy project.

Power density is the Achilles? heel of all renewable energy generation. The power available from the sun, wind, and ocean is diffuse. The standard metric is watts per square meter. There are plenty of watts to be had, certainly, but it will take a lot of square meters to get those watts.

Fossil fuels, by contrast, are highly concentrated (a result of cooking underground for millions of years). Batteries are concentrated, too. Neither lasts forever. A pickle, indeed.

Source: http://scientistatwork.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/21/in-land-of-lithium-batteries-not-included/?partner=rss&emc=rss

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DEA Agents Could Be Allowed To Visit Venezuela

Fox News Latino:

Relations between the United States and Venezuela have been strained ever since President Hugo Ch?vez took office in 1999.

However, in what could be seen as a thaw in the icy relations between the two countries, Venezuela is weighing a U.S. government request to let a high-level DEA official visit the South American country.

Venezuelan Ambassador to the Organization of American States Roy Chaderton told The Associated Press on Friday that his country's main consideration is ensuring mutual respect between the countries.

Read the whole story at Fox News Latino

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/20/dea-agents-could-be-allowed-in-venezuela_n_2515731.html

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French troops on ground in Mali may top 2,500 : minister

PARIS (Reuters) - France's total troop count on the ground in Mali could top the 2,500 initially announced, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Saturday.

Le Drian, speaking on France 3 television about the military intervention Paris launched last week to repel Islamist rebels, said that the French troop count on the ground in the African former colony had now reached 2,000.

Asked about the total expected deployment on the ground in Mali, Le Drian replied: "2,500 is what was initially announced, maybe that will be exceeded."

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-troops-ground-mali-may-top-2-500-125933082.html

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Chefs hail first foodies with inauguration salute - KWQC-TV6 News ...

By BRETT ZONGKER
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) - Some of Washington's top chefs came together to salute the president ahead of the inauguration, in part because of the first family's influence on the culture around food.

Chicago-based Chef Art Smith opened his Capitol Hill restaurant Art and Soul for a late-night Chefs Ball expected to attract food fans of all stripes Saturday night with its relatively low ticket price of $75. Seven celebrity chefs teamed up for the charity event to prepare delicious bites for a sold-out crowd of more than 500.

From the White House garden to Michelle Obama's focus on healthy eating, Smith said the Obamas, more than any other first family, have embraced fresh American food and care about where food comes from.

"Can that little garden at the White House feed America? No. But you know what it can do? It can inspire America," Smith said. "Most importantly, it's that we as Americans all deserve good food, regardless of economic, social differences."

Smith was Oprah Winfrey's personal chef for years and competed on TV's "Top Chef Masters."

For his first inaugural ball, Smith cooked his trademark fried chicken. There would probably be a riot if he didn't, he said.

Guests included "Modern Family" actor Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Gayle King, co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn. The wait staff wore white bow ties from Ferguson's organization TieTheKnot.org to promote gay marriage rights in Illinois and across the country.

Chefs served up tiny lamb gyros, crab salad on a cornbread cracker and fried chicken and waffles on a stick, among other bites. The bar offered cocktails called "Stayin Put" and "Stickin Around."

Smith was joined by Washington restaurateurs Erik Bruner-Yang of Toki Underground, Scott Drewno of The Source, Todd Gray of Equinox Restaurant, Rock Harper of TV's "Hell's Kitchen" who helps lead the charity D.C. Central Kitchen and Mike Isabella, a "Top Chef All-Stars" finalist whose restaurants include Graffiato and Bandolero.

Isabella said he was new to Washington four years ago and that the city's food scene has come of age in the Obama era. He plans to open another restaurant later this year.

"I think D.C. is probably one of the biggest and fastest-growing culinary scenes in America," Isabella said. "It was a steakhouse town 10 years ago. Nowadays it's all about living in the city and being a part of the growth."

In the 1980s, Smith said he visited the Reagan White House when it was party central. The Reagans loved entertaining, he said, but all the cooking was French.

"America had not really discovered or embraced its food to say 'We are America. We are about our food. We are about this wonderful melting pot of people who have all come together and created this amazing culture,'" Smith said.

In the past 20 years, tastes have changed. As first lady, Hillary Rodham Clinton embraced American cooking, and Laura Bush brought Tex-Mex to the White House, Smith said. The Obamas have gone a step further to foster more conversation about fresh ingredients.

Isabella, who joined Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's inaugural American Chefs Corps last year to use food as a tool for diplomacy, credits the Obama administration with changing attitudes around food.

"I think they're the first to really indulge into the whole culinary scene, putting chef programs together for schools and kids, dining in restaurants around the city and really believing in food and farm-to-table," he said. "It's been a huge, huge help for us."

___

Follow Brett Zongker on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DCArtBeat

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.kwqc.com/story/20632007/chefs-hail-1st-foodies-with-inauguration-salute

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GOP plan would pay some bills if debt deal isn't reached

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -

With the way forward on the debt ceiling still murky, a Republican proposal to be unveiled next week seeks to protect payments of three groups over everyone else: bond investors, seniors and military troops.

Sen. Pat Toomey and more than 30 Senate colleagues will introduce the "Ensuring the Full Faith and Credit of the United States and Protecting America's Soldiers and Seniors Act."

The bill is meant to offer a stop-gap if Congress refuses to raise the debt ceiling and the Treasury Department thus falls short of having enough cash to pay all the government's bills in full and on time.

Toomey's proposal would require that revenue going to Treasury first be used to pay interest on U.S. debt, Social Security benefits and active-duty military pay.

If there's not enough revenue available to cover those payments when they're due, the bill would also give limited authority to Treasury to raise the debt ceiling just enough to borrow the difference between revenue on hand and what's owed on the priority payments.

The bill would actually be a 2.0 version of legislation the same group introduced in July 2011 during the country's last debt ceiling imbroglio. The only major difference is that this year's bill would let Treasury raise the debt ceiling to make prioritized payments.

Chances are good, however, that the White House and Treasury will not be any more receptive to the new version than they were to the original.

"Choosing whether you pay Social Security beneficiaries, or combat troops in Afghanistan, or veterans who depend on the VA for benefits, or bond holders -- these are choices about default," White House press secretary Jay Carney said on Thursday.

Treasury didn't offer a response, but referred CNNMoney to comments Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner made in 2011 in response to a proposal to prioritize interest payments on U.S. debt.

"This 'prioritization' proposal advocates a radical and deeply irresponsible departure from the commitment of Presidents of both parties throughout American history, to honor all commitments our nation has made," Geithner wrote in a letter to a senator.

Practically speaking, Treasury collects enough revenue in a month to pay interest, Social Security and active military, which combined represent about a quarter of what's owed.

But bills come due every day and the revenue available to Treasury differs, sometimes radically, from day to day.

For instance, the Bipartisan Policy Center estimates that $30 billion of interest will be due on Feb. 15, but only $9 billion in revenue would be available to pay the $52 billion in legal obligations due that day.

What's more, Treasury's systems -- which process more than 80 million payments a month -- are set up to pay bills as they come due without regard to the type of payment. Interest payments, however, are processed separately.

By most accounts the payment system is a complicated one. So it's not clear how long it would take to make changes to allow Treasury to prioritize.

And there's concern that any temporary band-aid to a debt ceiling impasse would not do much to protect the U.S. economy let alone its reputation with creditors.

The Center estimates that, absent an increase in the debt ceiling, Treasury would only be able to pay about 60% of what's owed, meaning reams of delayed payments. That could take a big bite out of economic growth. And being late on so many payments would likely "prompt a downgrade even as debt obligations continued to be met," credit rating agency Fitch said this week.

- CNNMoney's Mark Thompson contributed to this report.

Source: http://www.ktvz.com/news/money/GOP-plan-would-pay-some-bills-if-debt-deal-isn-t-reached/-/4894452/18182278/-/nev46xz/-/index.html

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Panda boot camp gives cubs survival skills

Panda cubs have the cuteness thing down pat, but rough-and-tumble? Not so much. Now scientists are hoping to teach the roly-poly bears survival skills they'll need for living in the wild.

The new mission is partly the result of a panda cub being released into the wild without the proper training. Xiang Xiang, a male cub, was released into Wolong Nature Reserve, located high in the mountains of western China's Sichuan Province, in April 2006.

Unfortunately, Xiang Xiang wasn't prepared for the harsh reality of the wild. After less than a year of wandering the mountains, the cub was killed by neighboring males during turf wars.

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Enter Tao Tao, a 2-year-old male panda currently roaming in Lipingzi Nature Reserve in southwestern China. The cub went through a boot camp of sorts, and now scientists are monitoring the furball with GPS.

Hemin Zhang, director of the China Conservation and Research Center for the Giant Panda in Wolong, and his colleagues realized after Xiang Xiang's death that panda upbringing is critical.

And the best time to teach a panda new tricks seems to be during the cub years, so Zhang's team, including Jianguo "Jack" Liu of Michigan State University, taught momma pandas how to relay crucial survival skills ? foraging and avoiding predators ? to their cubs. [ Baby Panda Pics: See a Cub Growing Up ]

"Our people cannot teach a panda to live in the wild," Zhang said in a statement. "Now we leave the teaching to the momma."

The momma panda and the humans who monitor the animals are the only individuals with access to the cubs. Even the human keepers must go undercover, wearing panda suits when interacting with the cubs.

The scarcity of human exposure keeps the pandas fearful of humans, a caution that will help the cubs survive in the wild, Zhang said.

In addition, cubs are kept on their tiptoes by reminders of predators, which come in the form of recordings of vocalizations and scat spread around the enclosure from clouded leopards and other hungry threats. The reserve is also home to some non-threatening species, such as pheasants, sheep and pigs.

So far, the scientists say, Tao Tao is doing fine, though they warn that the real test will come in the spring, or mating season. During this season of love, Zhang said, competition between males can turn lethal.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google+.

? 2012 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/50512358/ns/technology_and_science-science/

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Expert: Armstrong Body Language 'unsettling'

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/video/expert-armstrong-body-language-unsettling-212029796.html

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New robotic fish glides indefinitely

Thursday, January 17, 2013

A high-tech robotic fish hatched at Michigan State University has a new look. A new skill. And a new name.

MSU scientists have made a number of improvements on the fish, including the ability to glide long distances, which is the most important change to date. The fish now has the ability to glide through the water practically indefinitely, using little to no energy, while gathering valuable data that can aid in the cleaning of our lakes and rivers.

Designed and built by Xiaobo Tan, MSU associate professor of electrical and computer engineering, and his team, the fish is equipped with an array of sensors that not only allow it to travel autonomously, but also measure water temperature, quality and other pertinent facts.

"Swimming requires constant flapping of the tail," Tan said, "which means the battery is constantly being discharged and typically wouldn't last more than a few hours."

The disadvantage to gliding, he said, is that it is slower and less maneuverable.

"This is why we integrated both locomotion modes ? gliding and swimming ? in our robot," Tan said. "Such integration also allows the robot to adapt to different environments, from shallow streams to deep lakes, from calm ponds to rivers, with rapid currents."

The robot's ability to glide is achieved through a newly installed pump that pushes water in and out of the fish, depending on if the scientists want the robot to ascend or descend. Also, the robot's battery pack sits on a kind of rail that moves backward and forward, in sync with the pumping action, to allow the robot to glide through water on a desired path.

The robotic fish now has a name: Grace, which stands for "Gliding Robot ACE."

Late last year Tan and his team took Grace for a test drive on the Kalamazoo River, where it exceeded all expectations.

"She swam at three sites along the river and wirelessly sent back sensor readings," Tan said. "I'm not sure, but we may have set a world record ? demonstrating robotic fish-based sampling with commercial water-quality sensors in a real-world environment."

The Kalamazoo River is, of course, the site of a 2010 oil spill. Interestingly, the robot's crude oil sensor had some readings upriver from where the spill occurred, although the readings downstream from the spill site were higher.

Underwater gliders, or seagliders, are becoming more common in oceanography. In fact, one traveled all the way across the Atlantic Ocean in late 2009.

One major difference in Grace is that, aside from its swimming capability, it is about 10 times smaller and lighter than a commercial underwater glider.

###

Michigan State University: http://www.newsroom.msu.edu

Thanks to Michigan State University for this article.

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

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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/126326/New_robotic_fish_glides_indefinitely

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Good Citizenry 101 | Hawk Hopes Blog

Heather G. Wolf I?m a second year doctoral student ?at the University of Kansas. ?I am studying?technology interventions?in the special education department in addition to my part-time job as a special educator and my full-time job as a mother.? ?

My son was diagnosed with Asperger?s Syndrome? (AS) when he was five and a half.? Typically, children that young are not diagnosed with? AS. AS is said to be a high-functioning form of autism where the keys to diagnosis are: (a) short self-stimulatory behaviors rapidly repeated, like flapping, spinning, and rocking; (b) social awkwardness that includes difficulty reading social cues, understanding voice tone, and interpreting facial expressions; and (c) late development of speech. ?The symptoms of AS were pretty obvious to the team that worked with him, as it was to us, his parents.

We wanted to get some sort of diagnosis so we could explain to teachers and family.? We also wanted to be able to share with them researched strategies proven to be effective for young children.? When a diagnosis of AS was given we made a decision to never use the ?A? word at our house when discussing him. Our 14-year-old daughter has an idea of what labeling might do since she has read some research material I used while getting my master?s degree in special education.

Most of our friends and family are on board and ?get? my son. They have read books and articles to be supportive.? Additionally, we see these same supportive friends and family implementing techniques my husband and I use daily.? However, not everyone in our life has come to terms with the AS diagnosis. One family member thinks that we should not let him bounce around the house stimming, although it helps him calm down and helps him organize his thoughts and feelings.? Another family member suggests he is only acting that way around me.

Since receiving the AS diagnosis seven years ago things have settled down. Tantrums are rare and he has made a couple of very good friends. They are not his age, but he is happy.

I teach special education. ?I live special education at home with every statement I make to my children. Everything is designed to teach empathy and encourage good citizenship. My husband Jeff and I work together and would not change a thing about either of our children. Both of our children are seen as kind-hearted, thoughtful, and helpful. Since my son does seem to be so ?normal? on the surface, people are shocked when something happens.

Such a surprise occurred two years ago at our citywide BBQ contest, where thousands of people come. My kids go every year and hang out in a tent with us.? My daughter will walk around with her cousins.? However, my son is stuck either to my husband and me like glue, or plays his DS in the corner of the tent.? After five and a half hours of being in the tent on this BBQ day, I knew it was time to take him home. I?d like to say it was my stellar mommy skills kicking in, trying to avert a tantrum.? However, ?I suspect I decided to take him home due to the huge tears he was able to produce (he is able to spew tears if he thinks of something sad- real or imagined) proving he was ready to go home. All was well, the backpack was loaded with his electronic devices and games, the kisses and hugs were given good bye, and we were on our way.

The exit with a bit of a drop-off was about twenty yards past our tent.? You would think that tragedy struck from the blood-curdling scream my son made when he fell down at this drop-off. We attracted about a hundred people from the scream. The police walked over to check on us. One man was certain my son needed an ambulance. A nurse stopped by to check on us. She asked if he was ok, I started to tell her, ?He?s ok, he just has A?..? She stopped me and said she understood.? Immediately the nurse started getting people to go away asking them not to hover and stare.? I will forever remember her not allowing me to say that to her.? She did not need an explanation and my son did not need an excuse for his behavior.

I am holding my son in my lap in such a way to administer pressure to his torso, a technique that helps him feel more comfortable when he is upset, sad, or scared.? Meanwhile, I am insisting to everyone that he is fine.? I asked the man, who suggested my son needed an ambulance, to go away since he was just staring at us with his group of friends.? Similarly, to the people passing by I replied, ?his knee is only scraped?.? To the police, ?there is no need for police intervention?. ?At this point I had tears running down my face. ?How do you explain any of ?this? to a group of strangers? ?How do you say ?this? is part of his thing? ??This? is part of his hyper-sensitivity to pain (along with light and sound). ??This? is part of who he is but most of the time he is smiling and happy. How do you explain those things to a bunch of people who are whispering and pointing?

Several minutes have gone by, my daughter has run back to our tent to retrieve a cousin, band aids, Neosporin, wipes, and a tissue (for me). ?My niece is wiping off his knee and he is still screaming. ?People are still staring.? The nurse had tried to get on her bus to go back to her car, but came back when another round of people came to gawk.

My constant coos of ?you?re fine? did not help.? There is no getting a child with perseveration issues like this to just stop of his own accord. ?I calmly suggested to him that he needed to stop screaming because the police thought I was hurting him or his leg had fallen off. ?Since neither had happened, he needed to not scream quite so loudly. Surprisingly, that angle worked.

Once he was bandaged (three small band aids). We gathered our things and hobbled home. We only live a couple of blocks away. He was even able to run across the bigger street (he gets nervous in the road and needs to get across quickly).

On the way home, after my children and I had settled down, I thought it might be a good time to discuss with my son how the screaming led all the strangers to believe that his leg had fallen off. ?He said he would try not to freak out like that again. ?I thought it important to address the incident again in the morning.

?I know you were tired. I know you wanted to come home. Can we think of some things that we could do to not freak out when you get hurt??

He replied, ?I am not good at not freaking out when it hurts super bad and it is bleeding. You know if that does happen again I will start crying again.?

I answered, ?But, can you try not to scream??

Nodding his head yes, ?I will try not to scream.?

This was not a tragedy, but I laid awake that night for hours trying to think of ways I could have avoided that huge melt-down and crowd-gathering event. ?One, I could have stayed with him at home. ?Two, I could have hired a sitter (though the whole town was at the BBQ). Three, I could have taken him home earlier. ?Four, I could have not cried in public. ?I realized the tears were an outward demonstration of several feelings.? First, I was embarrassed that I, all knowing self-proclaimed wonder-mom, had lost control. ?Second, in the 5 minutes my son and I were crying (his a bit louder than mine) I mourned the inability to get strangers to accept my child was different (to their standards).? Finally, there was some anger or frustration that people pointed, whispered, and stared.? I did not understand this as I had taught my own children it was inappropriate to point, whisper, and stare in ?Good Citizenry 101?, apparently the nurse took the class too!

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Source: http://hawkhopesblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/17/good-citizenry-101/

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Cameras Capture Falling Snowflakes in 3D

A gadget that can snap photos of individual snowflakes in freefall could lead to more accurate weather predictions.

Researchers at the University of Utah have developed the Multi Angle Snowflake Camera (MASC), which uses three high-speed cameras triggered by infrared sensors to shoot flakes as they float to the ground, with exposures as quick as 1/25000 of a second. The device also measures the flakes' fall speed, all without touching them, which would disturb the measurements.

"You've probably seen gorgeous pictures of snowflakes that have been collected on glass slides and put under a microscope. These pictures, while beautiful, are pictures of snowflakes that are exceedingly rare,? said University of Utah atmospheric scientist Tim Garrett. Most snowflakes in nature are complex clumps of many flakes stuck to each other; putting one of those on a slide to photograph would destroy it.

The images could be used to better understand snowfall and create a more accurate model of winter storms. One of the things weather simulations are not currently good at is predicting snowfall accurately. "The reason they do so badly is because they don't represent snowflakes very well, because they are based on measurements of snowflakes that were done, painstakingly, by hand in the 1970s,? Garrett explained. ?They were able to collect maybe a few thousand snowflakes. I knew the guy who did it and he felt he needed to get glasses because of this project."

In contrast, MASC can photograph and measure tens of thousands of snowflakes in a single night, Garrett said. Already, two MASC cameras in use at the Alta Ski Area are generating results that suggests wind and snow interact differently than weather models predict.

Garrett and Cale Fallgatter have formed a spin-off company to sell MASCs to interested parties. Fallgatter Technologies, officially spun-off six months ago, has already sold a camera to the U.S. Army, which is using it to improve avalanche prediction.

Besides being useful, the camera is also just plain fun to use. "It's very exciting to be able to look at the snowflakes every day as they're falling. I saw some fog up in the mountains, and wondered what kind of snowflakes this fog would produce," Garrett said.

Then he logged on to Alta's live feed and found out. While that day the snow was producing very regular, six-sided snowflakes, "the range is tremendous," he said. "When people say no two snowflakes are alike, that is very true. They are dissimilar in ways that I did not imagine prior to starting this project. The range of possibilities is immense."

This story was provided by TechNewsDaily, sister site to LiveScience.

Copyright 2013 LiveScience, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/cameras-capture-falling-snowflakes-3d-210657746.html

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'American Idol' Premiere: Nicki And Mariah's Claws Are Already Out!

Minaj and Carey fight about everything from 'Mean Girls' to Christmas songs — oh, and there were some contestants there too.
By Adam Graham

The judges on "American Idol"
Photo: Fox

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1700337/american-idol-premiere-mariah-carey-nicki-minaj.jhtml

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nealganjua: Canada Dismisses Controversial Multiple Sclerosis ...

14 Jan, 2013

A study published in August of 2012 provided further proof that the controversial theory that claimed multiple sclerosis is caused by abnormalities in the veins of the neck is not credible. The findings have stirred up some criticism for the Canadian federal government, which had put both money and support into the neck vein theory, despite little evidence to link the veins with the debilitating autoimmune disease.

?The debate in the scientific community was brief, swift, and is over,? said David Hafler, chairman of the neurology department at the Yale School of Medicine. ?The government has squandered precious resources not using peer-review, but instead using emotion and theologic belief and, I think, shame on the Canadian government for bowing into those pressures.?

The Canadian government had earmarked some $5.5 million for the study.

Originally, the idea that multiple sclerosis could be caused by abnormally narrow neck veins?called chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI)? came about after Italian vascular surgeon Paolo Zamboni published findings showing that a group of MS patients all had the neck-vein problem, versus a healthy control group, which did not. He suggested that MS could be treated, and possibly cured, with a fairly simple vein-widening procedure.

The popularity of Dr. Zamboni?s theory gained international attention, thanks to a strong social media campaign led by MS patients and supporters. Protests in Canada were organized to allow MS patients access to the endovascular procedure, and thousands of patients traveled overseas and paid out of pocket for the procedure, as well. Just last year, the Canadian government agreed to fund trials to determine the safety and effectiveness of the procedure.

The latest study was published in the journal Radiology and was based on research conducted in Italy. The researchers used MRI scans to investigate the neck veins of MS patients and healthy volunteers. They found 25 out of 39 MS patients and 14 out of 26 healthy volunteers had abnormal neck veins, meaning that the vein abnormalities had no impact on neurological function or disease progression.

Researchers in Newfoundland reported in June that patients who had received the vein widening procedure showed no improvement that was measurable. These findings came after the province spent roughly half a million dollars conducting research and trials.

Sadly, at least two Canadian patients have died after receiving the vein widening treatment at private clinics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warnings about the procedure after reports of several other deaths and injuries related to the procedure.

Source:
theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/new-study-challenges-controversial-multiple-sclerosis-treatment/article4490423/
theglobeandmail.com/news/national/tory-senators-quash-ms-treatment-bill/article5583317/

Image sources:
theglobeandmail.com
thestar.com
ccsvi.no

Jill

AMS Vans provides news about issues that are important to people with disabilities, their loved ones, disability advocates and their friends.

Source: http://blog.amsvans.com/canada-dismisses-controversial-multiple-sclerosis-treatment/

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Source: http://nealganjua.blogspot.com/2013/01/canada-dismisses-controversial-multiple.html

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Earth Science Week 2013 theme announced: "Mapping Our World"

Public release date: 15-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Geoff Camphire
gac@agiweb.org
American Geological Institute

Alexandria, VA -- The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that the theme of Earth Science Week 2013 will be "Mapping Our World." This year's event will promote awareness of the many exciting uses of maps and mapping technologies in the geosciences.

Earth Science Week 2013 materials and activities will engage young people and others in learning how geoscientists, geographers, and other mapping professionals use maps to represent land formations, natural resource deposits, bodies of water, fault lines, volcanic activity, weather patterns, travel routes, parks, businesses, population distribution, our shared geologic heritage, and more. Maps help show how the Earth systems -- geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere -- interact.

"With this theme, Earth Science Week highlights the ways that Earth scientists use maps to understand our planet and how humans use the land," says Geoff Camphire, AGI's Manager of Outreach. "For centuries, people have relied on maps to represent their knowledge of Earth and its systems. From old-world celestial maps and nautical charts to the satellite imaging and digital GIS technology of the 21st century, map-making provides an interactive way of knowing our world."

###

Reaching over 50 million people annually, AGI leads Earth Science Week in cooperation with its sponsors and the geoscience community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, the National Park Service, NASA, Esri, and the American Geophysical Union.

Earth Science Week 2013 will be celebrated October 13-19. For more about this week and ways to get involved -- including newsletters, local events, and classroom activities -- please see the Earth Science Week web site at http://www.earthsciweek.org/.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Public release date: 15-Jan-2013
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Geoff Camphire
gac@agiweb.org
American Geological Institute

Alexandria, VA -- The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that the theme of Earth Science Week 2013 will be "Mapping Our World." This year's event will promote awareness of the many exciting uses of maps and mapping technologies in the geosciences.

Earth Science Week 2013 materials and activities will engage young people and others in learning how geoscientists, geographers, and other mapping professionals use maps to represent land formations, natural resource deposits, bodies of water, fault lines, volcanic activity, weather patterns, travel routes, parks, businesses, population distribution, our shared geologic heritage, and more. Maps help show how the Earth systems -- geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere -- interact.

"With this theme, Earth Science Week highlights the ways that Earth scientists use maps to understand our planet and how humans use the land," says Geoff Camphire, AGI's Manager of Outreach. "For centuries, people have relied on maps to represent their knowledge of Earth and its systems. From old-world celestial maps and nautical charts to the satellite imaging and digital GIS technology of the 21st century, map-making provides an interactive way of knowing our world."

###

Reaching over 50 million people annually, AGI leads Earth Science Week in cooperation with its sponsors and the geoscience community as a service to the public. Each year, community groups, educators, and interested citizens organize celebratory events. Earth Science Week offers the public opportunities to discover the Earth sciences and engage in responsible stewardship of the Earth. Earth Science Week is supported by the U.S. Geological Survey, the AAPG Foundation, the National Park Service, NASA, Esri, and the American Geophysical Union.

Earth Science Week 2013 will be celebrated October 13-19. For more about this week and ways to get involved -- including newsletters, local events, and classroom activities -- please see the Earth Science Week web site at http://www.earthsciweek.org/.

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-01/agi-esw011513.php

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Hello, howdy, hola.

Introductions are hard. I have learned from experience that I am no good at them. But I am getting better, little by little. Still, I found the best way is to simply jump in and do it. I also like to think of this as the literary equivalent of driving one's car through someone else's living room. Hopefully, as a metaphor, this ends in less bloodshed than actually driving a car into your living room. Or, who knows, maybe it won't. It's a learning experience.

Anyways, where was I? Oh, yes, Introductions. Here goes nothing.

Hello all! My username is SpenserRex. Back when I was in Elementary school (first grade to be exact), I had a lot of trouble opening up so my teacher suggested I write a short poem about myself. What comes next is the result of her advice:

"SpenserRex was Harmless,

Spenser Rex was King.

Spenser Rex was Super,

Spenser Rex could Sing!".

Fast forward nearly 16 years later, I had all but forgotten about that poem, until one day, upon helping my grandmother clean her guest room, I found a copy of my late Grandfathers book that he wrote while sick with cancer. In it he had a introduction page, in which he talked about himself, as well as mentioning many of the people who were important in his life, thanking them and saying how much he appreciated them in this dark time. He also had a page dedicated to me, in which he wrote the SpenserRex poem down word for word, and sited it as inspiration for his book. He also had the original poem printed out and tucked neatly behind the back cover.

Since then, when it comes to usernames, I think of "SpenserRex". For some reason, nothing else seems fitting; plus, Grandpa would probably like to see me role-playing. He was like that.

...

Ok! now that I have bared my soul to the world wide web, it's time to get down to the "minor" details.

I am 22, and am currently a college student, pursuing a degree in Teaching. I have been in college for nearly 4 years now, an I probably have that much more to go. Not because I chose a hard major, but because I bounced around a lot. (note to those looking at furthering their education: Don't worry about graduating in four years, it never really happens.)

I live in a house I rent with my Girlfriend, our two dogs (Maggie and Ruby) an our x-box, all who I love very much. When not gaming, I write, draw, attempt to grow plants, and generally just exist. I am extremely happy with my life.

When it comes to role-play, I started back in 2009 in World of Warcraft, and quickly learned that I liked it. It added a level of immersion to the came that wasn't there, and for a while it was my whole world. I rp'd day and night, to the point where it began to affect my performance in school. So after a long time of contemplating, I quite WoW, and focused back on my life. Now it is a new year, and I have been wanting to get back into Role Playing for quite some time. After finding this site through Google, I decided to give it a shot and see what there is to see. I enjoy writing, and found that I have a knack for it, both fictional and technical. (Dear jeebus that amount of technical writing one does in college.) I look forward to making new friends, and sharing my ideas with others, as well as experiencing all this site has to offer. I hope to meet as many of you all as I can very soon.

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Veteran coach opening new gymnastics club

Petra Ballantyne is banking on years of coaching experience and a predominantly adult staff to make her new Georgian Bay Phoenix Gymnastics & Acro Club a success.
?For the staff to be mainly adults is unique for most clubs,? the head coach said on Tuesday.
The Georgian Bay club held its first open house and registration night Tuesday at its location in Springmount across from Grey Motors.
?We?ve been doing a lot of work for the last six weeks at the site,? said Ballantyne. ?It all came together really quickly. It?s a bright building with good ceiling height and air conditioning, which is huge for the summer. And it?s a modern building.?
More registration nights are set for Thursday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Jan. 26 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Ballantyne was a provincial-level competitor at the Owen Sound Satellites Gymnastics Club as a youth. She went on to coach with the Satellites, the K-W Gymnastics Club and most recently at Dancemakers in Owen Sound before parting ways in the fall and beginning the process of opening her own club with her father Bill Bayley, who helped found the Satellites.
?He was one of the builders with the Satellites so he?s spent 35 years building the sport in the area,? said Ballantyne.
She?s convinced that the Owen Sound area has enough kids for three clubs to be viable. And the Georgian Bay club is also offering trampoline training which locally can only be found in Collingwood, Orangeville and Saugeen Shores. Only Dancemakers and Georgian Bay offer acro, which combines tumbling, partner stunts and dancing.
?I think situating out in Georgian Bluffs gives us another target market and lets us maybe draw in different kids,? said Ballantyne, who hopes to expand from pre-competitive athletes into the provincial level in the next couple of years.
?It?s definitely where our sights are set right now. It?s a lot of hard work so they have to want it too.?
The Georgian Bay club is offering classes for children as young as 18 months in such programs as kindergym and tumbletots to senior gym dance and senior tumbling, trampoline and acro.
Fees range from $130 to $290. There is also a $35 yearly membership fee. Family discounts are available.
For more information call 519-377-1189, visit the Georgian Bay Phoenix Facebook page or e-mail GBPGA@hotmail.com.
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Source: http://www.owensoundsuntimes.com/2013/01/15/veteran-coach-opening-new-gymnastics-club

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