Syria says rebels attack gas pipeline

In this Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 photo, Free Syrian Army fighters fire at enemy positions during heavy clashes with government forces, in the Salaheddine district in Aleppo, Syria. Activists say Syrian rebels have captured an oil pumping station in the north central province of Raqqa about 160 km east of Aleppo after days of fighting. (AP Photo/Abdullah Al-Yasin)

In this Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012 photo, Free Syrian Army fighters fire at enemy positions during heavy clashes with government forces, in the Salaheddine district in Aleppo, Syria. Activists say Syrian rebels have captured an oil pumping station in the north central province of Raqqa about 160 km east of Aleppo after days of fighting. (AP Photo/Abdullah Al-Yasin)

BEIRUT (AP) ? Syria has blamed rebels for blowing up a natural gas pipeline Monday in the country's oil-rich east, disrupting distribution.

A statement carried by Syria's state news agency blamed a "terrorist group," the regime's description of rebels seeking to topple President Bashar Assad.

The news agency said the blast Monday some 30 kilometers (18 miles) north of Deir el-Zour caused the loss of around 1.5 million cubic meters of gas. It quoted an Oil Ministry official as saying the station fed electricity plants and a fertilizer factory and that engineers were repairing the leak.

Rebels have repeatedly targeted Syria's oil infrastructure in an effort to sap government finances. Last week, they reported seizing the al-Tanak oil field, also in eastern Syria.

In Damascus, Syrian Prime Minister Wael al-Halqi acknowledged the difficulties to the Cabinet on Monday, blaming them on "unfair" international sanctions on Syria and rebel attacks on infrastructure.

"The armed terrorist groups targeted the productive and service institutions and caused huge damage to the national economy and the daily life of the citizens," he said.

Al-Halqi said the government was trying to reopen oil facilities to provide for Syrian's needs.

Anti-regime activists say more than 45,000 people have been killed since the uprising against Assad began in March 2011. Since then, it has evolved into a full-scale civil war with scores of armed groups across the country fighting regime forces.

The war has badly damaged Syria's economy, weakened its currency and led to shortages and price spikes for many basic goods.

Although Russia and China have vetoed efforts to sanction Syria in the U.N. Security Council, the U.S. and European Union have imposed multiple rounds of sanctions on Syria.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an anti-regime activist group, said rebels were clashing with government forces near a number of military bases in the country's north as well as in the central city of Homs and in suburbs southeast of the capital, Damascus.

The group also said 11 rebel fighters were killed in the Damascus suburb of Moadamiyeh, and eight people, including four children and one woman, were killed in government shelling on the al-Marjah area of Aleppo.

Rebels have made gains in recent months, though few expect the war to end soon.

An international plan to end the civil war with a cease-fire and the formation of a transitional government has gone nowhere, mostly because both sides still seek a military victory.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-31-Syria/id-22fc573900354c73a3763ab682629c80

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Long-serving Waitakere mayor now a knight

Former Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey says his knighthood is a reflection of a political career as an "action man".

Sir Bob, 70, was given a knighthood on Monday for his services to local body affairs and the community after serving 18 years as mayor of the west Auckland council of Waitakere from 1992 to 2010.

Sir Bob, who has also been involved with Surf Life Saving New Zealand for 58 years, said he was deeply moved by the knighthood, which he said reflected the work of many other people but also his attitude that things can be changed.

"Whether it be lifesaving or the work I've done in the community, I've said `hey this is a big issue, and we can actually do something about it'," he said.

"So I'm a bit of an action man. I don't go and talk about it, I actually go and do things."

He said he got into politics after a successful career in advertising to improve the "wild west" image of west Auckland, where he grew up.

During his time as Mayor Sir Bob focused strongly on environmental issues, and said the greatest environmental achievement while he was Mayor was successfully promoting a Parliamentary law protecting the Waitakere Ranges and its foothills from development.

"But I'm really conscious that so many other people help you with these achievements. That bill was 40 years in the making - I just got it over the line."

Sir Bob was also president of the Labour Party from 1999 to 2000 and has been deputy chairman of the New Zealand Film Commission and a board member of Te Papa.

He is now chairman of Waterfront Auckland, a council-controlled organisation responsible for revitalising the central city waterfront.

"I feel that the creation of a headland park in our lifetime is something that all Aucklanders want, where the Tank Farm is now, so I'm going to give that a bit of a nudge next year."

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Obama presses Congress to resolve fiscal cliff (Reuters)

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China Wary as Japan's New PM Hails Security Alliance With U.S.

Japan?s new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives as his official residence in Tokyo on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. (AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi)

(CNSNews.com) ? Closely watched by a wary China, Shinzo Abe?s return to the Japanese premiership gives him a second chance to pursue changes to Japan?s defense policies aimed at making it a more effective ally of the United States in a crucial region.

During Abe?s truncated earlier term as prime minister, his key security policy initiatives included making constitutional revisions to enable Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense, and establishing a national security council.

Neither survived his September 2007 resignation, but Abe told his first press conference after taking the helm this week they were both back on the agenda.

He also described Japan?s alliance with the U.S. as ?the cornerstone of Japanese diplomacy,? saying that strengthening bilateral ties was ?the first step in turning Japan?s foreign and security policy around.?

Abe, who claims the alliance suffered during three years under the center-left Democratic Party of Japan, says he hopes to visit Washington as early as next month.

?More than anything else, it is imperative that we rebuild the relationship of trust we enjoy under the Japan-U.S. alliance.?

Abe also announced the creation of a new cabinet portfolio ? a minister in charge of reinforcing national security ? while an envisaged national security council would serve as a ?control tower.?

Under current interpretations of the war-renouncing constitution, drafted by U.S. military lawyers after Imperial Japan?s defeat in 1945, Japan cannot exercise its right to come to the defense of an ally under attack.

Although the two countries signed a Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security in 1960, Japan?s ability to respond to an armed attack against the U.S. in the region is constrained by its constitution.

(Article five of the treaty states: ?Each Party recognizes that an armed attack against either Party in the territories under the administration of Japan would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and declares that it would act to meet the common danger in accordance with its constitutional provisions and processes.?)

The U.S. deploys some 50,000 troops in Japan.

In a neighborhood where crises could potentially erupt on the Korean peninsula or in the Taiwan Strait, or be sparked by various territorial disputes between an increasingly-assertive China and other countries in the region including their own, many Japanese conservatives have wanted to remove the constitutional restrictions, regarding them as a curb on the ability of the world?s third-largest economy to play a bigger role on the regional and international stage.

During his earlier term Abe set up an expert panel to investigate collective self-defense options. Now the prime minister ? only the second Japanese politician to make such a comeback since World War II ? has a rare opportunity to pick up on the issue.

?Aggravating tensions?

The return of a conservative government in Japan comes at a time when the Obama administration has been pursuing a ?pivot? to Asia. Outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has said the region will be the ?the world?s strategic and economic center of gravity? this century and has worked to strengthen relationships across the region.

Beijing regards the ?pivot? as an attempt by the U.S. to counterbalance its rise, and Abe?s declared emphasis on the alliance with Washington will fuel that view.

?China hopes Japan takes a peaceful development path and plays a constructive role in regional peace,? Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying told a press briefing Wednesday.

Less diplomatic was an editorial Thursday in the Communist Party-affiliated Global Times, which said it was unrealistic to expect relations with Japan to improve.

?Tension has existed in the Sino-Japanese relationship for more than a decade,? it said. ?Given that the situation in the Asia-Pacific hasn?t improved, the relationship of the two countries cannot really become warmer.?

The paper said there was a possibility that Japan could ?become an anti-China country even more radical than the U.S.,? but said ultimately the main concern for China was the U.S., rather than Japan.

In its editorial take on the new Japanese government, the state-run China Daily said that if Abe follows the policies he outlined while campaigning he will ?only aggravate the tension? already existing over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

It noted that Abe had told President Obama shortly before the election that the security environment in East Asia was ?severe? because of China?s growing ?assertiveness,? but said he had failed to mention that Japan?s actions were responsible for the bilateral tensions.

?Japan must be reminded that its intention to use its alliance with the US as pressure to deter China or stabilize the bilateral relations will not work,? China Daily said.

Meanwhile there is no sign that the simmering dispute over the islands, known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China, will be resolved soon.

A spokesman for China?s State Oceanic Administration on Thursday accused Japan of escalating the dispute by deploying military aircraft to ?disturb? a Chinese marine surveillance plane patrolling airspace near the islands.

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun told a press briefing the military was being ?highly vigilant? about the Japanese activity and would ?safeguard China?s maritime law enforcement activities and protect the country?s territorial integrity and maritime rights.?

At his press conference Wednesday Abe said he was resolved to ?defend fully people?s lives, our territory and our beautiful ocean.?

Citing the Senkaku islands, he said ?the security of Japan is not someone else?s problem; it is a crisis that exists right there and now.?

Situated about halfway between the Chinese mainland and Japan?s southernmost island of Okinawa, the islands have been under disputed Japanese control since the late 19th century. The latest tensions erupted after the Japanese government earlier this year signed an agreement to buy three of the uninhabited islands from their owner, a businessman.

China declared the move illegal, complained to the United Nations and surveillance ships to waters around the islands, where Japanese coastguard vessels are also deployed.

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta warned last September that a ?misjudgment? by either side could trigger a clash that could escalate into war.

Any such conflict would directly impact the United States: While saying it does not back either country?s claim to the islands, the U.S. has since 2004 made clear that it regards the islands as falling within the scope of article five of the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

Source: http://patriotpost.us/headlines/15712

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2012 Year in tech: A timeline

By Billy Steele, Sarah Silbert and Christopher Trout
Illustration By ILoveDust

While planet Earth has yet to meet its demise, the end of 2012 is nigh. It was a year of lengthy legal battles and shifting power dynamics in the tech industry. It brought with it great advancements and great failures -- and, for some, the promise of the end of days. We've combed our archives to bring you just a few of the stories that made the biggest impact on our reporting this year. Herewith, an abridged look back at the year that was.

Continue reading 2012 Year in tech: A timeline

Filed under: Cellphones, Desktops, Cameras, Displays, Misc, Gaming, Home Entertainment, Household, Laptops, Tablets, Transportation, Wearables, Wireless, Networking, Science, Internet, Software, HD, Mobile, Alt

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/28/2012-year-in-tech-a-timeline/

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Blended Family Birthdays - Her View From Home

28 Dec, 2012

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This time of year is tough for many families, but can be especially tough for blended families. My youngest daughter turned ten on December 18th. Her birthday is always a challenge, because most of her friends are busy with family/Christmas preparations. We have had family parties for her, since the divorce, with extended family from both sides. Jeff and Molly (my ex-husband and his wife) each have divorced parents, and step-parents. My parents are divorced, but neither are remarried. My husband, Bob also has divorced parents who have significant others. This year, Cami wanted a family party, but we have all had a tough few months, and just did not feel up to the drama this year.

The four of us get along, and try not to?cause unnecessary drama. This is not always the case with all four sides of extended family. We have a diverse set of personalities in each family. Some are religious, some are not. Some work weekends, and some are unable to eat in the evening. Some are very uncomfortable having a group party, some are not. Some would prefer we were the traditional divorced family, who does everything separately, not happy about sharing Cami?with everyone. Cami decided on a family dinner, with Bob, myself, her father, her step-mother, and all of her siblings together. She will have a slumber party in January. On the evening of her birthday we all went out to dinner at Texas Roadhouse (her favorite) to celebrate.

Yes, the four of us took all four children out for Cami?s?birthday, and yes, we all sat at the same table together. I think Jeff and Bob were probably a little nervous anticipating awkward feelings, but it went very well! Bob, Cami, Ayden, and I sat on one side, while Ali, Molly Jeff, and Peyton sat on the other side. Ayden had us all entertained for most of the night. He danced and clapped in his high chair while the wait-staff danced, laughed when Bob picked up a slobber-covered cup, and pulled his sister?s hair. I noticed while we had dinner that caring for two babies at once is like juggling, with several balls constantly in the air. It made me appreciate Molly, the girl?s step-mom all the more. She takes care of two babies, AND puts up with my teenager!

I brought a homemade birthday cake, and we left the restaurant full and happy. The girls both enjoyed the night very much, and commented after we left that we are the best parents EVER. There were a couple of memories brought up from when Jeff and I were married, which I always worry will make Bob or Molly uncomfortable. Other than that, it went very smooth. I think we have put our children, all of them first, in every way. We all sat at the same table celebrating our daughter turning ten, and we made her feel special and cherished, which is the best gift we could have given her. How do you celebrate birthdays? with your children and extended family? Would you be comfortable having dinner with your ex for your child?s birthday?

I know our situation is not for everyone. We have had practice in getting along with one another, and work very hard to co-parent our children. I truly believe if more families would try this approach, our situation could be considered normal one day.

The information below is from Help Guide

What makes a successful blended family?

Trying to make a blended family a replica of your first family, or the ideal nuclear family, can often set family members up for confusion, frustration, and disappointment. Instead, embrace the differences and consider the basic elements that make a successful blended family:

• Solid marriage. Without the marriage, there is no family. It?s harder to take care of the marriage in a blended family because you don?t have couple time like most first marriages do. You?ll have to grow and mature into the marriage while parenting.
• Being civil. If family members can be civil with one another on a regular basis rather than ignoring, purposely trying to hurt, or completely withdrawing from each other, you?re on track.
• All relationships are respectful. This is not just referring to the kids? behavior toward the adults. Respect should be given not just based on age, but based on the fact that you are all family members now.
• Compassion for everyone?s development. Members of your blended family may be at various life stages and have different needs (teens versus toddlers, for example). They may also be at different stages in accepting this new family. Family members need to understand and honor those differences.
• Room for growth. After a few years of being blended, hopefully the family will grow and members will choose to spend more time together and feel closer to one another.

Adapted from: RemarriageSuccess.com

Create clear, safe boundaries in blended families

An important part of building trust in a family has to do with discipline. Couples should discuss the role each step-parent will play in raising their respective children, as well as changes in household rules.

The following tips can help make this difficult transition a bit smoother:

• Establish the step-parent as more of a friend or counselor rather than a disciplinarian.
• Let the biological parent remain primarily responsible for discipline until the step-parent has developed solid bonds with the kids.
• Create a list of family rules. Discuss the rules with the children and post them in a prominent place. Try to understand what the rules and boundaries are for the kids in their other residence, and, if possible, be consistent.

Keep ALL parents involved

Children will adjust better to the blended family if they have access to both biological parents. It is important if all parents are involved and work toward a parenting partnership.

• Let the kids know that you and your ex-spouse will continue to love them and be there for them throughout their lives.
• Tell the kids that your new spouse will not be a ?replacement? mom or dad, but another person to love and support them.

The way a blended family communicates says a lot about the level of trust between family members. When communication is clear, open, and frequent, there are fewer opportunities for misunderstanding and more possibilities for connection, whether it is between parent and child, step-parent and stepchild, or between stepsiblings.

Uncertainty and worry about family issues often comes from poor communication. It might be helpful to set up some ?house rules? for communication within a blended family, such as:

• Listen respectfully to one another.
• Address conflict positively.
• Establish an open and nonjudgmental atmosphere.
• Do things together ? games, sports, activities.
• Show affection to one another comfortably.

Tips for a healthy blended family

• All brothers and sisters ?fall out?,so don?t assume all family arguments are the result of living in a blended family.
• Beware of favoritism.Be fair. Don?t overcompensate by favoring your stepchildren. This is a common mistake, made with best intentions, in an attempt to avoid indulging your biological children.
• Communicate, communicate, communicate.Be sure to discuss everything. Never keep emotions bottled up or hold grudges.
• Make special arrangements.If some of the kids ?just visit,? make sure they have a locked cupboard for their personal things. Bringing toothbrushes and other ?standard fare? each time they come to your home makes them feel like a visitor, not a member of the blended family.
• Find support.Locate a step-parenting support organization in your community. You can learn how other blended families address some of the challenges of blended families.
• Spend time every day with your child. Try to spend at least one ?quiet time? period with your child (or children) daily. Even in the best of blended families, children still need to enjoy some ?alone time? with each parent.

More on our Blended Family.

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Trish Eklund

Author's Website: Link

Trish Eklund was born in Texas, lived in New Mexico and has been a Nebraska transplant for the last 15 years. She gives insight to raising a blended family and talks about her divorce.
Taking a nontraditional approach to raising children after divorce and remarriage, all four adults co-parent their daughters. Trish has been writing since the third grade, and is presently revising her fourth young adult novel. Her other interests include: astrology, reading, the paranormal, helping others, and animals. Learn more about Trish at: www.trishwriter11.blogspot.com

Source: http://herviewfromhome.com/blended-family-birthdays/

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All eyes on them, Senate leaders seek fiscal deal

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Senate leaders rushed to assemble a last-ditch agreement to avoid middle-class tax increases and possibly delay steep spending cuts in an urgent attempt to find common ground after weeks of postelection gridlock.

An impatient President Barack Obama pressed top lawmakers to cut a deal, even one that falls short of the ambitions he and congressional leaders may once have harbored for a bigger deficit reduction package. Without a resolution, he warned, "every American's paycheck will get a lot smaller."

"Congress can prevent it from happening, if they act now," he said in his weekly Saturday radio and internet address.

Following a White House meeting Friday among Obama and congressional leaders, aides to Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., began racing against the clock for a bipartisan bargain. The leaders could present legislation to senators as early as Sunday, with a vote possible on Sunday or Monday.

The guest list for the White House meeting included Reid, McConnell, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. But the key players were clearly Reid and McConnell, both of whom stayed behind briefly at the White House and huddled with their staffs and Obama's top legislative aide, Rob Nabors, in the West Wing Cabinet Room just outside the Oval Office.

Neither side expected compromise to be easy. However, McConnell and Reid voiced unexpected optimism that they could work toward a deal that could win support in both their camps.

Warned Reid: "Whatever we come up with is going to be imperfect."

Looking to add pressure on negotiators, Obama said that absent a compromise he expects Reid to put legislation on the floor to prevent tax increases on the middle class and extend unemployment benefits ? an implicit challenge to Republicans to dare to vote against what polls show is popular.

Speaking for Republicans in a Saturday radio address, Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri sought to put the burden of a deal on Obama and Reid.

"We still can avoid going over the fiscal cliff if the president and the Democrat-controlled Senate step forward this week and work with Republicans to solve this problem and solve it now," he said.

Whatever manages to pass in the Senate, with its Democratic majority, would then face a second test in the Republican-controlled House.

Boehner, a Republican speaker who has struggled recently with anti-tax rebels inside his own party, said through an aide that he would await the results of the talks between the Senate and White House. A House vote could come as late as Wednesday, the final full day before a new Congress takes office.

Officials said there was a general understanding that any agreement would block scheduled income tax increases for middle-class earners while letting rates rise at upper-income levels.

Obama was sticking to his campaign call for increases above $250,000 in annual income, even though in recent negotiations he said he could accept $400,000.

The two sides also confronted a divide over estate taxes. Obama favors a higher tax than is currently in effect, but one senior Republican, Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, said he's "totally dead set" against it. Speaking of fellow GOP lawmakers, he said they harbor more opposition to an increase in the estate tax than to letting taxes on income and investments rise at upper levels.

But the estate tax was more likely to be used as a possible bargaining chip that Democrats could give away in exchange for higher rates for top earners and other Obama priorities.

Obama and Democrats want to prevent the expiration of unemployment benefits for about 2 million long-term jobless men and women, and there is widespread sentiment in both parties to shelter doctors from a 27 percent cut in Medicare fees.

Also likely to be included in the negotiations are taxes on dividends and capital gains, both of which are scheduled to rise with the new year. Also the alternative minimum tax, which, if left unchanged, could hit an estimated 28 million households for the first time and mean an average increase of more than $3,000.

The White House has shown increased concern about a possible doubling of milk prices if a farm bill is not passed in the next few days, although it is not clear whether that issue too might be included in the talks.

One Republican who was briefed on the White House meeting said Boehner made it clear he would leave in place spending cuts scheduled to take effect unless alternative savings were included in any compromise to offset them. In previous White House proposals, Obama has suggested finding enough cuts in government spending to put off the steeper cuts for up to six months.

Obama, speaking to reporters following his meeting with the congressional leaders, faulted a system that left crucial decisions to the last minute, a way of governing that he said the public finds "mindboggling."

"Outside of Washington nobody understands how it is that this seems to be a repeat pattern, over and over again," he said.

Still, Obama himself is part of the negotiating process, and his meeting with all four top leaders Friday was the first since Nov. 16. A phone call he placed Wednesday night to McConnell was the first the Republican leader had received from a Democrat on the fiscal talks since Thanksgiving.

Looking to add pressure on negotiators, Obama said he expects Reid to put legislation on the floor to prevent tax increases on the middle class and extend unemployment benefits ? an implicit challenge to Republicans to dare to vote against what polls show is popular.

The start of negotiations in the Senate marked a new endgame for discussions that have moved in fits and starts since the November election.

Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.

Last week, the Ohio Republican presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners, well above Obama's latest offer for a $400,000 threshold.

Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid.

___

Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eyes-them-senate-leaders-seek-fiscal-deal-082435547--politics.html

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Diana Scholl: Sharing the Stories of LGBT Youth: Alex, 19, From Minneapolis, Minn.

We Are the Youth is a photographic journalism project chronicling the individual stories of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth in the United States. Through photographic portraits and "as told to" interviews in the participants' own voices, We Are the Youth captures the incredible diversity and uniqueness among the LGBT youth population. We Are the Youth addresses the lack of visibility of LGBT young people by providing a space to share stories in an honest and respectful way. Below is the story of Alex.

* * * * *

By Alex, as told to Diana Scholl

What's the hardest thing I've ever been through? I know the answer to this. I was actually diagnosed with anorexia in 2007, a while ago. It was kind of like OCD. It started out as a diet, and I just couldn't stop, because I kind of go all-out on things. It goes along with how I get fixations with cartoons, how I used to obsessively redraw Bart Simpson. It was something where I set up a meal plan for myself that was really low on any intake, and I couldn't break from it. I'm at a healthy weight now and have a meal plan set up by a dietician, but it's something I still deal with every single day. I think very obsessively about what I eat. I think it's that I don't trust myself.

The anorexia initiated me going to therapy every month, and I think the therapy grounded me to be a successful person. I really like the way I developed, and I feel like I maybe wouldn't have gotten here if I didn't try to solve my problems in therapy. It helped me with my problems of religion and cynicism about the world.

I kind of consider myself a born-again atheist. I'm kind of a fake pseudo-Buddhist despite my materialistic tendencies. I was raised Lutheran but, through my own thought, found my way out of it. It was a difficult time to feel like I was losing a part of myself. I couldn't believe in God if I even tried anymore. It disturbed me, because something that made me feel like everything was going to be OK was gone. When I was more religious, I used to feel more connected to things. I feel disconnected from it now. But that gives me comfort that I can live independently as an individual.

As a middle child I've always had a little bit of an identity problem. Being gay or bi or whatever makes it even more confusing. Something I've observed of a lot of people, and definitely myself, is right when you come out, there's a little insecurity, and you maybe want to assert your identity a little bit. Usually I just say I'm gay, but I'm probably more bi, leaning towards gay. I keep it loose. I've found it's a gray area, but I never had any success dating girls. I dated one girl, and it was the most awkward damn thing ever. I had no passion and didn't put any effort into it. I never had any opportunities at dating a guy back home, in Eveleth, Minn., but I do know the pursuit of it came much more naturally.

I had this weird date back at home about a year ago, and he was just way too immature, so it just ended awkwardly. I was kind of lonely and desperate, because I didn't have much opportunity for dating. I haven't dated anyone at Minneapolis College of Art and Design yet. Hopefully I'm more successful.

It's basically a dream come true being here. I'm thinking of going into animation or comic arts. I've spent my whole life loving cartoons like The Simpsons and The Powerpuff Girls. I love basically anything that's animated. That's what drove me to be here in the first place, to draw. In 10 years I'd like to see myself in New York or L.A., with a secure job doodling for a living.

Photo by Laurel Golio, taken in Minneapolis, Minn., 2012

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Illinois could be next state to legalize gay marriage (reuters)

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World's Oldest Man Ever: Jiroemon Kimura Sets New Milestone

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Meningitis, West Nile occupy U.S. health officials in 2012

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The year started in the United States with a mild flu season but ended up being marked by deadly outbreaks of fungal meningitis, West Nile virus and Hantavirus.

Tainted steroid medication has been cited as the cause of the meningitis outbreak that killed 39 people.

Weather contributed to the worst outbreak of West Nile virus since 2003 and an unusual outbreak of Hantavirus in California's Yosemite National Park.

Transmitted by infected mice, Hantavirus is a severe, sometimes fatal syndrome that affects the lungs. West Nile can cause encephalitis or meningitis, infection of the brain and spinal cord or their protective covering.

As of December 11, 5,387 cases of West Nile virus had been reported in 48 states, resulting in 243 deaths, the CDC said in its final 2012 update on the outbreak. The 2003 outbreak left 264 dead from among nearly 10,000 reported cases.

A large number of cases this year occurred in Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi where there are large mosquito populations.

CDC and state officials have said that rainfall in the spring and record high summer temperatures contributed to the severity of the outbreak by affecting mosquito populations, which transmit the disease by biting humans and animals.

Health officials said that only a small percentage of cases of West Nile virus are reported because most people have no symptoms and about 20 percent have mild symptoms such as aches and fever. One in 150 people with West Nile virus develop other illnesses such as meningitis and encephalitis.

The biggest outbreak in nearly two decades of Hantavirus, which emerges in dry and dusty environments, cropped up during the summer in 1,200-square-mile (3,100-square-km) Yosemite National Park, killing three of 10 infected visitors.

The National Park issued warnings to 22,000 people who may have been exposed to the rare disease, and 91 Curry Village cabins in the park were closed in late August.

In early September, a 78-year-old judge named Eddie Lovelace was rushed to a hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Thought to have had a stroke, he died a few days later.

After a large outbreak of fungal meningitis was linked to tainted steroid injections, Lovelace's cause of death was revised. He became the first documented death in a meningitis outbreak that has infected 620 people and killed 39 in 19 states.

The New England Compounding Center in Framingham, Massachusetts, was closed after investigators found that it had shipped thousands of fungus-tainted vials of methylprednisolone acetate to medical facilities around the United States. The steroid was typically used to ease back pain.

More than 14,000 people were warned that they may have had an injection of the tainted steroid. Doctors continue to see new cases of spinal infections related to the steroid, and cases of achnoiditis, an inflammation of nerve roots in the spine.

The outbreak led two Democratic lawmakers in the U.S. House of representatives to introduce legislation to increase government oversight of compounded drugs.

And what lies ahead in 2013?

"While there are some trends we can predict, the most reliable trend is that the next threat will be unpredictable," said Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Director Thomas Frieden.

(This refile corrects paragraph two to 39 instead of 243)

(Reporting by Adam Kerlin; Editing by Paul Thomasch)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/meningitis-west-nile-occupy-u-health-officials-2012-222710779.html

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HP Spectre One 23-e010se

If there was any doubt about the importance of design in the PC world, the recent spate of beautifully made all-in-one desktops, like the Apple iMac 21.5-Inch (Late 2012), and the Asus ET2300INTI-B022K should make it clear that the look and feel of a PC is often the difference between a failed clunker and a successful new form-factor. The HP Spectre One 23-e010se epitomizes the power of an aesthetically pleasing PC, with a gorgeous design marred only by a rather large power brick. It has a solid feature set that includes a quad-core CPU and discrete Nvidia graphics, but it's midrange performance doesn't fully justify its premium price.

Design and Features
The Spectre One 23-e010se makes a strong case for elegant PC design. While there are certainly elements of the design that echo the best points of the Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Late 2012), like an ultra-slim monitor and sleek arcing stand done up in silver-toned metal and plastic, the Spectre One 23-e010se puts a different?but no less stunning?spin on the slim and sleek all-in-one concept. The monitor is a trim 0.45 inch thick, with no bulging or added thickness from the PC components. Instead of building the components into the monitor chassis, HP has built them into the arcing stand, along with integrated Beats Audio speakers. The audio is nearly as impressive as the 1080p display, with crisp, clear sound, though you'll need to add an external subwoofer for any substantial bass. Really, the only thing marring the design is the big black power brick that you'll be plugging into it?an unsightly element that will irritate some.

The 23-inch monitor offers sharp 1920-by-1080 resolution?high enough to enjoy 1080p video. It looks extra slick thanks to a seamless sheet of edge-to-edge glass but it may be a bit too reflective. Just above the display is an integrated HP TrueVision HD Webcam, which lets you enjoy video chat or simple recording in 720p. The high-definition panel may make Windows 8 look imminently touchable, but the Spectre One 23-e010se does not have a touch screen, and tapping or swiping will only give you a lot of smudges and smears. You won't be completely without the intuitive touch controls of Windows 8, however, because the included wireless touchpad supports numerous gesture controls. A slim wireless keyboard and mouse are also included.

That's also where all of the Spectre's ports are located. On the back of the arcing stand you'll find a case lock slot, two USB 2.0 ports, and Gigabit Ethernet. There's no integrated TV tuner?the Toshiba LX835-D3230 offers one if you must have it?but it is equipped with HDMI in for connecting a cable box or gaming console to the system. Along the sides of the base you'll find two USB 3.0 ports, a a 3-in-1 card reader (SD, MMC, MS/Pro), and a headset jack.

Wireless connections are also available, with 802.11n WLAN, Bluetooth 4.0, and near-field communication (NFC) for dead-simple pairing with NFC-enabled devices, like smartphones or the HP Touch-to-Pair Bluetooth Mouse. NFC has also begun to appear in other systems from HP and Sony, and will likely work its way through the industry to become a much more common feature. To add NFC capability to other objects, HP also includes a few NFC stickers letting you then use simple objects, like a keychain or paperweight for secure login via NFC.

Despite the numerous ports and features, you won't find an optical drive anywhere on the Spectre One 23-e010se, likely dropping the fading technology to further slim down the design. A 1TB 5,400rpm hard drive offers plenty of storage space, though you'll have to pay extra if you want to add a flash cache for faster performance ($50 extra for a 16GB SSD cache). HP includes a generous selection of software on the Spectre, including a 24-month trial of Norton Internet Security, full versions of both Adobe Photoshop Elements and Adobe Premiere Elements 10, and Microsoft Office Starter 2010. The Spectre is covered by a two-year warranty on parts and labor, plus HP provides free tech support via phone and web for the first 90-days after purchase.

Performance
Within the Spectre One 23-e010se's stylish exterior is a quad-core Intel Core i7-3770T (2.5GHz) and 10GB of RAM. In terms of processor speed, the Spectre is faster than most competitors, scoring 6.18 points in CineBench R11.5, ahead of the Core i5-equipped Apple iMac (4.46 points) and HP Envy 23-1050t (5.15 points), but falling just behind the Toshiba LX835-D3230 (6.27 points) due to its own quad-core Core i7 CPU. Despite this, the Spectre lagged in overall performance, as measured by PCMark 7, where it scored 2,731 points, slightly behind the HP Envy 23-1050t (2,943) and well behind the Toshiba LX835-D3230 (4,249 points).

The Spectre One 23-e010se did, however, provide excellent multimedia performance, completing our Handbrake video encoding test in 36 seconds and our Photoshop CS6 image manipulation test in 3 minutes 33 seconds. This actually puts it slightly ahead of both the Apple iMac (Handbrake 0:43, Photoshop 3:52) and the Asus ET2300INTI-B022K (Handbrake 0:42, Photoshop 3:58).

With an Nvidia GeForce GT 610M graphics processor and 1GB of dedicated memory, the Spectre One 23-e010se has passable graphics performance, as evidenced by its 3DMark 11 benchmark test results, scoring 1,155 points at Entry settings and 216 at Extreme settings. By comparison, the Asus ET2300INTI-B022K scored 2,244 points (Entry) and 393 points (Extreme). Gaming tests rule out high-end titles, but for less demanding titles like Team Fortress 2 and Portal, the Spectre One 23-e010se should do just fine.

The HP Spectre One 23-e010se is a svelte all-in-one desktop in the same stylish vein as the Editors' Choice Apple iMac 21.5-inch (Late 2012). While the performance is decent and the design striking, the Spectre One 23-e010se isn't quite impressive enough to overcome the difference in price and features?we'd like to see hybrid storage made standard, and the sleek look is weighed down with a big ugly power brick. That said, if you want a Windows-based alternative to the iMac, this could be it.

BENCHMARK TEST RESULTS:

COMPARISON TABLE
Compare the HP Spectre One 23-e010se with several other desktops side by side.

More desktop reviews:
??? Acer Aspire AME600-UR378
??? HP Spectre One 23-e010se
??? HP Envy 23-d060qd TouchSmart
??? Apple iMac 21.5-Inch (Late 2012)
??? Apple iMac 27-Inch (Late 2012)
?? more

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'Downton Abbey's' Matthew exiting series

Nick Briggs / Masterpeice Theater

Dan Stevens (as Matthew Crawley) and Michelle Dockery (as Lady Mary Crawley) in "Downton Abbey."

By Randee Dawn, TODAY contributor

Looks like "Downton Abbey" may have to hunt down a new heir: A?spokesperson for the hugely popular PBS series has confirmed to Deadline that star Dan Stevens (who plays Matthew Crawley) has not re-signed for the series' fourth season.

Note: Potential spoilers ahead.

Season three of the series ended its run in the UK with a Christmas special that aired there Tuesday and, according to Deadline, "explains Matthew's exit." Season three of the series begins airing in the U.S. on Jan. 6, which means that American fans will have to wait some months before learning how he'll depart.

The exit isn't entirely unexpected; back in October Stevens hedged about whether he'd re-up: "I think we'll have to wait and see really," he told the Wall Street Journal about that fourth season. "You do feel a certain obligation to shows that raise your profile like 'Downton' has. But there are definitely other exciting opportunities out there."

"Downton's" fourth season is set to begin shooting in winter 2013. Meanwhile, Stevens has already been expanding his resume, appearing on Broadway with Jessica Chastain in "The Heiress," and starring in and executive producing the upcoming independent film "Summer in February."

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How to Get Rid of Acne through Natural Ways | 100 Fitness

What other alternatives are out there to answer the question, how to get rid of acne? I asked myself that when I got tired of trying products that promise relief from my acne problems but never deliver. I have already been suffering from severe acne problems for a few years, and it has already left its imprint on my face. Truth to tell, the scars it left were not only the visible ones you can see on my face, but also the invisible ones on my emotional well-being. I became a person afraid to socialize for fear of people staring at my acne-ridden face.

Funny enough, the only thing I didn?t try was changing my diet and my lifestyle. I thought that since numerous products are out there, it?s just a matter of chancing upon that product which will work for me. After wasting a lot of money trying various products, I decided that healthy may be the way out. I started avoiding fatty and junk foods, and chose instead to eat vegetables and fruits especially those that are good for the skin. I also started brisk walking as exercise. The changes I could see in my body were encouraging, but the changes I see on my face were just phenomenal.

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Retailers face ho-hum holiday sales

(Reuters) - The 2012 holiday season may have been the worst for retailers since the financial crisis, with sales growth far below expectations, forcing many to offer massive post-Christmas discounts in hopes of shedding excess inventory.

While chains like Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Gap Inc are thought to have done well, analysts expect much less from the likes of Barnes & Noble Inc and J. C. Penney Co.

The latest sign of trouble came from MasterCard Advisors Spending Pulse, which reported holiday-related sales rose 0.7 percent from October 28 through December 24, compared with a 2 percent increase last year.

The preliminary estimate from SpendingPulse was in line with other estimates showing weak growth during the holiday season, when retailers can book about 30 percent of annual sales -- and in many cases, half of their profits.

On Tuesday, the International Council of Shopping Centers and Goldman Sachs Weekly Chain Store Sales Index showed sales rose only 0.7 percent in the week ended Saturday.

The estimates are still preliminary and focus on sales, not profits. A handful of retailers will post sales data next week, but most, including heavyweights like Wal-Mart, will not report results at the register until they release financial results in mid-February.

Analysts have also said many retailers entered the season with inventories under control, which could help protect margins.

Still, the latest holiday season sales could end up the weakest since 2008, during the last recession, when sales dropped 4.4 percent in November and December.

"The broad brush was Christmas wasn't all that merry for retailers, and you have to ask what those margins look like if the top line didn't meet their expectations," said Kim Forrest, senior equity research analyst at Fort Pitt Capital Group in Pittsburgh.

Analysts and industry groups already expected sales to grow at a slower pace than in 2011 and 2010. The National Retail Federation predicted 4.l percent sales growth, versus a 5.6 percent increase a year earlier.

But growth of less than 1 percent is weaker than even some of the most pessimistic forecasts, and markets reacted accordingly.

The S&P retail index fell 1.8 percent in midday trading Wednesday. The 13 weakest stocks in the broader S&P 500 were all retailers or consumer brands.

INVENTORY CRUSH

One concern for retailers is that weak sales will mean an excess of inventory that will force some to slash prices.

Among other brands, Barnes & Noble offered 50 percent discounts in stores via email promotions on Wednesday, while Ann Inc had half-off at its Loft stores, and Bloomingdale's promoted discounts of up to 75 percent in some cases.

"Retailers are no longer chasing sales, they are chasing inventory management. That means the discounts that they would have liked to be at 50-60 (percent) off have climbed to 75 to even 80 (percent) off," said Marshall Cohen, chief industry analyst at The NPD Group.

Erica Ayala, 31, a mother of four who lives in New York's Harlem neighborhood, waited until the day after Christmas to shop for that very reason, saving more than $150 on kids' clothes alone at Gap's Old Navy chain.

"You can't go wrong with that," she said.

A variety of factors were thought to be at fault, starting with Superstorm Sandy, which depressed sales in the Northeast in late October and early November.

Sales recovered in the second part of November, with early hours and promotions helping drive traffic during the "Black Friday" weekend after Thanksgiving, analysts said.

But there was a deep lull in early December as a winter storm in parts of the United States may have limited sales, said Michael McNamara, vice president of research and analysis at MasterCard SpendingPulse.

The SpendingPulse data estimates sales of apparel, electronics, luxury goods, online and furnishings across all payment types, including credit cards, cash and checks, and not just the MasterCard payment network.

On top of that, there were fears that taxes will rise in the new year if Washington cannot negotiate a solution to the end-of-year "fiscal cliff" dilemma.

A recent Ipsos poll for Reuters found that only 17 percent of shoppers were spending less due to cliff fears, though analysts said the damage was still done.

"The government usually does not have a role in holidays but this year they did. They got right in the midst of it, the timing couldn't have been any worse," NPD's Cohen said.

BRIGHT SPOTS

One bright spot has been online sales, which continue to grow at a faster pace.

On Christmas Day, online sales jumped 22.4 percent, outpacing the 16.4 percent increase in 2011, according to IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark, which tracks more than 1 million e-commerce transactions a day from 500 U.S. retailers.

Whether online or off, some of the winning retailers were expected to be Wal-Mart, which attracted shoppers with early deals on the night of Thanksgiving and kept its focus on value, and apparel chains like Gap Inc, whose bright sweaters were successful, according to analysts.

Toys sold well, and hot items that were harder to find later in the season included certain Mattel Inc Barbie dolls and LeapFrog Enterprises Inc's LeapPad2 tablet computer, according to B. Riley Caris analyst Linda Bolton Weiser.

For retailers who have struggled, analysts said all hope was not lost. Many have fiscal quarters that end in January, so they still have time to benefit from a post-Christmas rebound.

(Reporting by Brad Dorfman, Nivedita Bhattacharjee and Jessica Wohl in Chicago, Additional reporting by Chuck Mikolajczak in New York; Writing by Ben Berkowitz; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/retail-sales-creep-higher-weak-holiday-season-early-143749277--finance.html

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Iraq: New protests break out in Sunni stronghold

RAMADI, Iraq (AP) ? Large, noisy demonstrations against Iraq's government flared for the third time in less than a week Wednesday in Iraq's western Anbar province, raising the prospect of a fresh bout of unrest in a onetime al-Qaida stronghold on Syria's doorstep.

The rallies find echoes in the Arab Spring. Protesters chanted "the people want the downfall of the regime," a slogan that has rippled across the region and was fulfilled in Tunisia and Egypt. Other rallying cries blasted Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's government as illegitimate and warned that protesters "will cut off any hand that touches us."

While the demonstrators' tenacious show of force could signal the start of a more populist Sunni opposition movement, it risks widening the deep and increasingly bitter rifts with the Shiite-led government in Baghdad. If left unresolved, those disputes could lead to a new eruption of sectarian violence.

The car bombings and other indiscriminate attacks that still plague Iraq are primarily the work of Sunni extremists. Vast Anbar province was once the heart of the deadly Sunni insurgency that emerged after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion, and later the birthplace of a Sunni militia that helped American and Iraqi forces fight al-Qaida.

Today, al-Qaida is believed to be rebuilding in pockets of Anbar, and militants linked to it are thought to be helping Sunni rebels try to overthrow Syrian President Bashar Assad.

The demonstrations follow the arrest last week of 10 bodyguards assigned to Finance Minister Rafia al-Issawi, who comes from Anbar and is one of the central government's most senior Sunni officials. He appeared before Wednesday's rally and was held aloft by the crowds.

Al-Issawi's case is exacerbating tensions between the Shiite-dominated government that rose to power following the 2003 U.S.-led invasion and Iraq's Sunnis, who see the detentions as politically motivated.

"The danger is that the revolution in Syria is perpetuating Sunni opportunism and overconfidence in Iraq," said Ramzy Mardini, an analyst at the Beirut-based Iraq Institute for Strategic Studies. "Al-Maliki may have sparked a Sunni tribal movement that will attempt to harness and capitalize on the revolutionary spirit," he said.

Protesters turned out Wednesday near the provincial capital Ramadi, 115 kilometers (70 miles) west of Baghdad. The city and nearby Fallujah were the scenes of some of the deadliest fighting between U.S. troops and Iraqi insurgents.

Demonstrators blocked the main highway linking Baghdad with neighboring Jordan and Syria, just as they did at another protest Sunday.

Wednesday's protesters held banners demanding that Sunni rights be respected and calling for the release of Sunni prisoners in Iraqi jails. "We warn the government not to draw the country into sectarian conflict," read one. Another declared: "We are not a minority."

Al-Issawi, the finance minister, addressed the rally after arriving in a long convoy of black SUVs protected by heavily armed bodyguards. He condemned last week's raid on his office and rattled off a list of grievances aimed at al-Maliki's government.

"Injustice, marginalization, discrimination and double standards, as well as the politicization of the judiciary system and a lack of respect for partnership, the law and the constitution ... have all turned our neighborhoods in Baghdad into huge prisons surrounded by concrete blocks," he declared.

Large numbers of protesters also took to the streets in Samarra, a Sunni-dominated town 60 miles (95 kilometers) north of Baghdad, according to Salahuddin provincial spokesman Mohammed al-Asi.

Many Sunnis see the arrest of the finance minister's guards as the latest in a series of moves by the Shiite prime minister against their sect and other perceived political opponents.

Vice President Tariq al-Hashemi, another top-ranking Sunni politician, is now living in exile in Turkey after being handed multiple death sentences for allegedly running death squads ? a charge he dismisses as politically motivated.

Al-Maliki has defended the arrests of the finance minister's guards as legal and based on warrants issued by judicial authorities. He also recently warned against a return to sectarian strife in criticizing the responses of prominent Sunni officials to the detentions.

In a recent statement, the prime minister dismissed the rhetoric as political posturing ahead of provincial elections scheduled for April and warned his opponents not to forget the dark days of sectarian fighting "when we used to collect bodies and chopped heads from the streets."

Al-Maliki's spokesman, Ali al-Moussawi, criticized al-Issawi's participation in the protest Wednesday.

"He can't be in the government and use the street against it at the same time. If he can't shoulder his responsibilities then he has to step down so that another person can take over," he said.

The political tensions are rising at a sensitive time. Iraq's ailing President Jalal Talabani is incapacitated following a serious stroke last week and is being treated in a German hospital. The 79-year-old president, an ethnic Kurd, is widely seen as a unifying figure with the clout to mediate among the country's ethnic and sectarian groups.

Also Wednesday, the United Nations mission to Iraq said its monitors have determined that a hospital that treated a member of an Iranian exile group who died this week at a refugee camp near Baghdad did not consider his health condition serious enough to warrant hospitalization when he arrived for treatment in November.

An organization representing the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq exile group on Monday accused Iraqi authorities of preventing 56-year-old Behrooz Rahimian from being hospitalized, and alleged that the U.N. failed to take sufficient steps to intervene. Iraq considers the MEK a terrorist group and wants its members out of the country.

The U.N. mission in Baghdad said in a statement Wednesday that it "does not have any indication so far that treatment was obstructed by the Iraqi authorities." It noted that representatives for the refugee residents told U.N. monitors that Rahimian "appeared to be in good condition until the time of his death."

___

Schreck reported from Baghdad. Associated Press writer Sinan Salaheddin contributed.

___

Follow Adam Schreck on Twitter at http://twitter.com/adamschreck

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/iraq-protests-break-sunni-stronghold-184403534.html

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Better For Companies: Slow And Steady Or Fast And Furious?

This year was a pretty amazing one in technology: Many startups were funded and acquired, and there were some real advancements made in the way that we communicate on a a daily basis. I'd definitely call 2012 a major win, but it's been interesting to watch how companies operate to reach their goals and hit moving targets. Sure, it's not new that companies have to completely shift directions when something they're doing is flat out not working or the space that they're in is oversaturated.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/_lzbKpnF8w8/

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Needs players for pure love story.

Hearts a Couple

I know~ It's a terrible title. But if you ever want to RP in a love story, the link is the place.

But If you have any great ideas for a romantic character but don't have a world to play, click the link and play them there. Trish Julietson will be with you, forever and ever~

The world is a fantasy world with magic and advance technology. It only needs 1 person to join then it can start. If there are more, we shall create a roll for them. Love triangle? Love square? Gay? It will be possible. Come and join.

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Finance:Credit-Counseling Articles from EzineArticles.com ...

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Home Remodeling Before & After Gallery Photos, Bee Window

December 24, 2012

They say that ?a picture?s worth a thousand words? and we certainly agree with that old adage, especially when it comes to home remodeling products by Bee and all they can do for a home. From home siding to Andersen replacement windows and storm doors, Bee carries the products that can transform your residence almost miraculously.

Are you looking to sell your home and upsize or downsize? Hoping to modernize its appearance for another ten years of improved appearance? Just desiring to make your property better looking so you can enjoy it more? All these goals are good ones when it comes to home remodeling, and products such as home siding, replacement patio and storm doors, and Andersen replacement windows and vinyl windows can all make a huge difference in the appearance and value of your home ? not to mention increase its energy conservation capacity, security and re-sale value.

Please take a few moments and check-out our selection of Before & After Home Remodeling Photographs in order to see the remarkable transformation that can happen when Bee?s products and professional installation services combine with houses-in-need. The change is almost amazing in several cases, and helps to illustrate the power of well-executed home remodeling along with excellent products for home improvement ? both provided by Bee Window of Indiana, of course.

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Video: Richard Feynman - Ode to a Flower (Little green footballs)

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