Using Twitter hurts athletes' performance, says Lord Coe as he attacks Olympic failures

• Lord Coe said he found a 'high correlation' between tweeting and underperformance
• Thinly veiled attack against Olympic diver and keen tweeter Tom Daley
  

By Hannah Roberts

PUBLISHED: 20:23 EST, 30 December 2012 | UPDATED: 20:52 EST, 30 December 2012

Lord Coe has attacked sports stars who use Twitter too much, saying it is linked to ?underperformance?.

The Olympics organiser, who has been made a Companion of Honour in the New Year honours list, said he found it ?bizarre? that athletes spent their time writing banal comments online during competitions instead of concentrating on winning medals.

Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live, the Olympic gold medallist said: ?I?ve always found quite a high correlation between people who spend their time in competition texting and tweeting and underperformance.

Correlation between tweet and fail: Lord Coe said that athletes who spent time on their phones underperformed during the games

Distracted? Divers Tom Daley and Tonia Couch enjoying a meal in the Olympic Village in one of the photos posted online during the games

?I just can?t imagine why you would want to be doing that when at the most important moment in your career you?re thinking about telling the world you?ve just had a haircut or seen a movie.?

While he did not refer to anyone, his? comments may ring in the ears of British? stars whose promise did not quite live up to? the hype.

?

Diver Tom Daley was expected to reach the gold standard. But the 18-year-old, who has more than two million followers on Twitter, took home only a bronze medal.

At the height of the Games, Daley was tweeting up to nine times a day.

As well as posting pictures of the Olympic Village, he chatted to celebrities such as Cheryl Cole and Mollie King, of pop group The Saturdays, and even attempted to drum up a TV appearance on comedy quiz show Keith Lemon?s Celebrity Juice.

Keen tweeter: Tom Daley, who posted this picture of himself to two million followers on Twitter, 'only' won a bronze despite being expected to reach a gold

Criticised: Lord Coe said Olympians should stay off their phones during competitions - Tom Daley clearly does not agree

Not deserving of time off? A picture from Tom Daley's Twitter of himself and fellow athletes relaxing in the Olympic village

On his two competition days in the individual event, August 10 and 11, Daley posted on Twitter at? least 18 times.

One message read: ?Competing in the individual prelims tonight at 7pm :) aaaaaaahhhh!!!!?

A later one read: ?Nap time before the finals! China seem unstoppable at the moment! But anything can happen! See you on the other side!? His spokesman did not return calls last night.

Before the Games, swimmer Rebecca Adlington, who won two gold medals at Beijing, swore off the internet after cruel taunts about her appearance.

But it didn?t last long and she tweeted several times during her swimming final on July 29.

Pre-contest post: Tom Daley sent this tweet on the evening before the finals

Team Twitter: Tom Daley, seen being photographed by his teammates during a training session at the Aquatics Center during the games, tweeted up to nine times a day

Miss Adlington, who has more than 300,000 Twitter followers, posted: ?Just sneaked into tonights final in 8th place!

?Not expecting anything tonight, all I can do is my best :-) thank you for all the support x?

Later she wrote: ?Ahhhhhhhh bronze medal!!! Can?t believe it! SOOO happy it?s unreal! The? crowd was incredible! THANK YOU to everyone, your support? is amazing!?

Her spokesman declined to comment last night.

Thanking supporters: Rebecca Adlington tweets after her bronze medal at the 2012 Olympics

By comparison, Jessica Ennis, who stayed off Twitter during the? fortnight of the Games because she did not want the distraction, took home gold in the heptathlon.

Lord Coe, who received a life peerage in 2000 for his services to sport, said that during his career he was so focused he did not even notice the people around him.

He added: ?I?ve walked past? my parents. I?ve walked past? close friends an hour before a? race and not even recognised them or registered.

?So I just find it bizarre that people can be sitting there, figuring out in 140 characters what they would say to the world at that moment. Just go out and win the bloody race.?

During the Games, a number of athletes were criticised for using Twitter to promote their sponsors? products. Diver Tonia Couch wrote about her new car, while synchronised swimmer Jenna Randall tweeted almost daily about her five main sponsors.

?

Source: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2255132/Using-Twitter-hurts-athletes-performance-says-Lord-Coe-attacks-Olympic-failures.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

rush limbaugh sandra fluke green book some like it hot whale shark whale shark duke university platypus

7. Booze hound actor Charlie Sheen opens bar in Mexico

LOS CABOS, Mexico: US actor Charlie Sheen, who has a long history of hard partying and scandal, has a new night spot in Mexico - his own, a local official said Saturday.

The perennially troubled Hollywood star hosted a gala opening night dinner Friday at his new bar, The Goose, in the Mexican resort area of Los Cabos, said state Tourism Secretary Ruben Reachi Lugo, who was not invited.

Many celebrities "spend their vacation, celebrate their birthdays or open a new restaurant or new development," Lugo said of the resort area at the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Sheen, born Carlos Irwin Estevez, was abruptly booted from his long-running gig starring in the television comedy series, "Two and a Half Men" in 2011, after publicly insulting the producer.

He returned to television in 2012, with a somewhat tongue-in-cheek role playing a man sentenced to anger management counseling.

Son of actor Martin Sheen and brother of another actor, Emilio Estevez, Sheen first became famous for his roles in the Vietnam War drama "Platoon," and 1980s greed parable "Wall Street."

Highlights in his career have also included comedic roles in the "Major League" movies and "Top Gun" parodies "Hot Shots" and "Hot Shots: Part Deux." - AFP

Source: http://thestar.com.my.feedsportal.com/c/33048/f/534578/s/270be922/l/0Lecentral0Bmy0Cnews0Cstory0Basp0Dfile0F0C20A120C120C30A0Cmovies0C20A121230A10A490A70Gsec0Fmovies/story01.htm

dallas clark litter marinol flight attendant pau gasol trade michael madsen spring forward

Too little, too late for defending champ Giants

Gary Hershorn / Reuters

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning (R) talks with Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Michael Vick after their game.

By TOM CANAVAN

updated 6:58 p.m. ET Dec. 30, 2012

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. - Justin Tuck called it a funny year. He and his New York Giants teammates weren't laughing.

There will be no repeat championship for the Giants, not even a playoff berth. A 9-7 season wasn't good enough this time around.

The Giants saw their playoff hopes end Sunday, minutes after a 42-7 win over the Philadelphia Eagles when Chicago beat Detroit 26-24.

"It happens that way," Tuck said after the Giants rebounded from two bad losses and routed the Eagles in what might have been Andy Reid's final game at coach. "I've been 10-6 and not made the playoffs. You've got to win the ones you're supposed to. That's why the division games mean so much. If we'd won the division games, we'd still be in the driver's seat."

Instead, they are headed home early.

"We are certainly disappointed we are not in the playoffs," coach Tom Coughlin said after New York missed the postseason for the third time in four years. "Our goal was certainly to be there. Our goal was to win the division. We didn't do that either. We won nine games and there is no way anyone can talk us out of that. We do have the nine wins, but it's not good enough."

A year ago it was. The Giants won their last two games in 2011 to get into the playoffs, and finished the season with six straight wins in earning their second NFL title in five seasons.

This marks the seventh straight season the Super Bowl champion has failed to win a playoff game the following year.

Moments after finishing his worst season with the Eagles (4-12), Reid said he would like to return for the final year of a contract that will pay him $6 million next year. Reid expects to meet with owner Jeffrey Lurie on Monday.

"I've been doing it a long time. I have respect for Jeff Lurie. I go in eyes wide open," Reid said. "Either way, I understand. Whatever he chooses will be the right thing. He always does things for the best interests of the Eagles."

Eli Manning did his part to keep the Giants in the chase with a career-best five touchdown passes. Fans who stuck around were chanting "Let's Go Lions" as the final moments ticked off in the Chicago-Detroit game.

"It hurts," said Manning, who finished 13 of 21 for 208 yards and no interceptions. "Each year you want to make the playoffs to give yourself an opportunity to win a championship; 9-7 last year was good enough. It wasn't good enough this year and we knew it wouldn't be."

After going 6-2, they lost five of eight, including two games by a combined 67-14 to playoff-bound Atlanta and Baltimore.

"The first thing is you don't ever rely on anybody else in this business," said Coughlin. "You've got to take care of your own business. We certainly had our chances. That will be the No. 1 thing I'll talk to the team about."

Manning woke up the offense with touchdown passes of 3 and 38 yards to rookie Rueben Randle, a 15-yarder to David Wilson and a 24-yarder to Victor Cruz just before halftime for a 35-7 lead. He's the first Giant to throw five TD passes in a game since Phil Simms in 1980. His fifth score was a 1-yard pass to fullback Henry Hynoski in the fourth quarter.

Ahmad Bradshaw, who rushed for 107 yards and passed the 1,000-yard mark for the second time in his career, also scored on a 1-yard run.

Starting for the first time since a concussion against Dallas in early November, Michael Vick threw a 7-yard touchdown to Jeremy Maclin. Vick finished 19 of 35 for 197 yards and one interception before being replaced by Trent Edwards.

The Eagles had hoped to send Reid out on a positive note, but they played poorly.

"We came, we stunk it up and we lost," defensive tackle Cullen Jenkins said. "It was terrible. No heart."

Vick, replacing injured rookie Nick Foles, was also reluctant to discuss his future, but he felt for Reid, who gave him a second chance after he got out of prison.

"He's a great man and I love him to death," Vick said. "I wish I could've done more. A lot of players wish they could've done more. Coaches can't play the games."

The Eagles surprised the Giants on a cold and windy day with an onside kick to open the game. However, turnovers have hurt the Eagles all season, and it happened again when Stevie Brown came up with his eighth interception.

Manning needed four plays, finding Randle over the middle for his second touchdown of his rookie season. His third came on the following series when New York went 74 yards in five plays.

The third touchdown was another pass to a rookie, with Wilson catching a 15-yarder, then doing his usual back flip to celebrate.

NOTES: About 400 residents of Newtown, Conn., attended the New York Giants-Philadelphia Eagles game Sunday. Among them were a few families who lost children in the massacre this month, the Giants said. One was the family of Jack Pinto, the 6-year-old boy buried in a No. 80 jersey of Giants receiver Victor Cruz. ... Bradshaw finished with 1,015 yards rushing. ...Manning fell 52 yards shy of his fourth straight 4,000 yard passing season. ...Brown's 48-yard return gave him 307 yards in interception returns this season, extending his Giants' single-season record. ... Eagles safety Colt Anderson led them with 10 tackles.

? 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

advertisement

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/50325372/ns/sports/

groundhogs day paula abdul cinnamon challenge lou dobbs rock salt david letterman march of dimes

No. 2 UConn women rout No. 1 Stanford 61-35

Connecticut forward Breanna Stewart (30) drives to the basket against Stanford guard Jasmine Camp (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Connecticut forward Breanna Stewart (30) drives to the basket against Stanford guard Jasmine Camp (23) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Connecticut center Stefanie Dolson, right, pulls up for a shot over Stanford forward Joslyn Tinkle (44) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Connecticut guard Bria Hartley (14) drives to the basket past Stanford forward Joslyn Tinkle (44) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Stanford forward Chiney Ogwumike (13) battles for position against Connecticut guard Kelly Faris (34) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

Connecticut guard Kelly Faris (34) drives to the basket against Stanford forward Mikaela Ruef (3) as guard Jasmine Camp (23) looks on during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Stanford, Calif., Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar)

STANFORD, Calif. (AP) ? Geno Auriemma insists long winning streaks do little to get him amped up, even after he traveled his Connecticut team across the country to face top-ranked Stanford and its daunting 82-game unbeaten run at Maples Pavilion.

The Huskies sure got a thrill from leaving with an unexpected rout and silencing a typically raucous crowd ? and likely stealing away the No. 1 spot in the polls along with it.

Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis and second-ranked UConn played spoiler and streak-buster this time, snapping Stanford's nation-leading home winning streak with a surprisingly easy 61-35 victory Saturday.

It was the Huskies who saw the end of their NCAA record 90-game winning streak at Maples Pavilion with a 71-59 loss two years ago, almost to the day on Dec. 30.

"The last time we were here it was a big event for them and they treated it like it was a big event, and God bless them," Auriemma said. "But for us to win a game here in late December, it's no more than just a big game against a really good team. The other stuff, I didn't get all that excited about us winning 90, I'm not going to get that excited about us beating somebody who's won 82 in a row at home."

Mosqueda-Lewis scored 19 points as UConn (11-0) thoroughly outplayed Stanford (11-1) on both ends of the floor in this highly touted game featuring the country's top programs and Final Four regulars from opposite coasts.

Stanford got harassed right off the home floor that it ruled with perfection and dominant play for nearly six years ? and the Huskies surely took the Cardinal's No. 1 spot along with it.

The game was the 51st meeting between the top two teams in the poll. The No. 1 seed had won the previous nine matchups and holds a 31-20 lead.

Chiney Ogwumike had 18 points and 13 rebounds but struggled in the post as Stanford lost at home for the first time since March 2007.

"It was a bad day. Whatever we were trying to do, we really struggled with it," Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer said. "Connecticut came in here on a mission. Mission accomplished."

Stefanie Dolson had 10 points and 14 rebounds and flustered Ogwumike all afternoon, and Bria Hartley and Kelly Faris also scored 10 apiece for UConn.

Breanna Stewart scored seven straight points during a decisive 17-2 run in the first half as UConn built a 22-7 lead against the cold-shooting Cardinal and kept the pressure on the rest of the way.

Stanford trailed 31-13 at halftime in one of its worst 20 minutes in recent memory ? though the school had no record of when the Cardinal were last held to that few points in a half.

They had gone five full seasons with an unbeaten record on their home floor.

Mosqueda-Lewis, last season's Big East top freshman averaging 16.4 points and 5.0 rebounds, shot 7 for 13 as Connecticut shot 37.5 percent from the floor ? and that was plenty good enough against a Stanford team that wound up at a dismal 19.3 percent (11 for 57) in its lowest single-game shooting performance and fewest field goals made.

"I love the game, I think it's a great game for both teams, but for our game two years ago it was a national event ? I don't think tonight was a national event," Auriemma said. "We beat a really good Stanford team on their home court and they happened to have won a lot of games at home."

Stanford had four early possessions over the opening 4 1/2 minutes in which it faced a dwindling shot clock.

This wasn't the Cardinal's worst home loss ever ? that was a 96-51 defeat to Long Beach State on March 10, 1983 ? though UConn sure made it feel like it for an afternoon to silence a typically animated crowd.

Auriemma was booed by the crowd during pregame introductions, then again when the coach was whistled for a technical foul with his team ahead 19 points with 13:22 remaining.

UConn, which had trailed for only 48 seconds all season coming into the game and now just 2:21 in all, won for the first time at Stanford in four tries.

Ogwumike, Stanford's leading scorer and rebounder averaging 21.8 points and 12.8 boards, was held to 6-for-22 shooting.

"I don't think I've experienced anything like this," Ogwumike said. "That Connecticut team we played for 40 minutes is the standard. And the great thing is now we've experienced the standard."

UConn's 6-foot-5 Dolson made things tough all day for Ogwumike ? who stands 6-4 ? and gave her problems with a size advantage to deny Stanford's top player and keep her away from the basket. That led to some forced shots in the first half, when Ogwumike missed 8 of her first 9 attempts. She scored at the 7:25 mark of the first half to end a nearly 6-minute scoring drought since her previous basket on a putback at 13:19.

Stanford then went 4:58 without scoring before Ogwumike's three-point play 2:27 before halftime.

"Stefanie was going to guard Chiney until she proved that she couldn't," Auriemma said.

Dolson was whistled for her third foul with 17:42 left in the game, but Mikaela Ruef missed both free throws.

Walking off the court after this one "was complete opposite," Dolson said.

"Two years ago we lost and it ended our streak. It was just a horrible loss," she recalled.

Bonnie Samuelson's back-to-back 3-pointers midway through the second half, the Cardinal's first from behind the arc, gave them some life. But it was short-lived as the Huskies pulled away.

Stanford's 82-game home winning streak dated to a 68-61 loss to Florida State in the second round of the NCAA tournament on March 19, 2007.

This season's Cardinal stunned defending NCAA champion and then-top-ranked Baylor and Brittney Griner on Nov. 16 to become the nation's No. 1 team and avenge a loss in last spring's NCAA semifinals.

The Cardinal hardly looked like the best team Saturday against the dominant Huskies. They were held below 40 points for the first time since a 72-32 loss to Missouri on Jan. 2, 1984.

Stanford missed its initial 10 3-point tries and began the game 3 for 22 to fall behind 22-7, with UConn getting three quick 3s.

Ogwumike's big sister, Nnemkadi ? the 2012 No. 1 overall WNBA draft pick of the Los Angeles Sparks ? attended the game, along with other former Stanford players Rosalyn Gold-Onwude and Lindy La Rocque.

Stanford senior Joslyn Tinkle, the team's second-leading scorer, managed only two points while playing on her 22nd birthday.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/347875155d53465d95cec892aeb06419/Article_2012-12-30-BKW-T25-Connecticut-Stanford/id-b79813260c34433cbf42c29c25d8e599

city creek center andrew luck pro day josh johnson kim kardashian flour matt forte jeremy shockey new orleans saints

Watch Make Money Online *2012* $New$ ? New Business Online ...

bit.ly ^^^Check Out The Site Above Now^^^ how to start a home business internet marketing business internet marketing company online internet marketing ideas for home business internet marketing seo start a home business free internet ma? home business ideas start home business Online (Industry)Experts at home business marketing online web marketing Local Leaders home business millionaires Photographer Marketing Opportunity Money employment Make furniture designers NewOnline Concierge Surveyors deposits progress designer shopping websites Mortgage Animator in h? 2012How instant working accents domotex germany forever Doctors search videos FREE Free office career design carpet buyers google rebate making ext? Estate Tutors money point today ideas home online daily blogs young Sales cash work news July make Work Cash Fast Easy paid help tips reps road b? rugs high fast flow from easy earn jobs Real N? ? usa how to business

Source: http://www.keysteps.com/blog/watch-make-money-online-2012-new-new-business-online/

army wives 60 minutes go daddy Tom Kenny Long Island Medium Alfonso Ribeiro cbs sports

Which was a bigger story for Facebook this year: That awful IPO or the Instagram...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151261725809079&set=a.494016809078.269726.7419689078&type=1

current tv megamillions ncaa basketball tournament 2012 megamillions winning numbers lotto winner michael oher jerry lee lewis

how to Implement a Virtual Machine (VM) of Windows on Linux platform

Here is a good step-by-step tutorial (for Windows XP, but I'm sure you can figure out how to do other versions too).

for the user it should look alike windows but actually performing his applications on linux platform

There are actually many versions of Linux that do look or can look very familiar to Windows users. And many windows applications can run in Wine. The KDE-based distributions (with Plasma desktop) can actually be customized to look almost identical to any version of Windows (from win95 to win7) or any version of Mac OSX, at least, on the surface (look and feel of the desktop). So, I think that what corresponds better to the description of "looks like Windows but is Linux" are one those Windows-looking Linux distributions, not Windows running in a VM inside Linux. The added bonus is that you don't have to pay for all the software that you would normally use in Windows (unless it is specialized software, most of which are also available for Linux nowadays).

mike_2000_17

21st Century Viking

2,776 posts since Jul 2010

Reputation Points: 1,856

Solved Threads: 581

Skill Endorsements: 31

?

Source: http://www.daniweb.com/hardware-and-software/linux-and-unix/threads/444217/how-to-implement-a-virtual-machine-vm-of-windows-on-linux-platform

terrell owens neil armstrong little league world series us open tennis us open tennis aaliyah Empire State Building shooting

Is HR (as a job category) dead? | SmartBlogs SmartBlogs

Recently, I was entering candidates into our database and came across the title ?vice president of people and culture.? Because our system has a finite number of job categories, I was forced to choose ?human resources? for this particular individual. Doing so just felt wrong because in my mind there?s clearly a difference.

This got me thinking: Is HR as a job category going away? Are we moving away from titles such as ?vice president of human resources?? More and more, I?m seeing titles reflect words like ?people? and ?culture? and ?talent? versus the traditional human resources. And while I certainly understand this trend, it?s important not to simply replace one with the other.

To me, ?human resources? still reflects the function of managing personnel, from recruitment and onboarding to performance and compensation. As industry experts might suggest, HR is more transactional than strategic.

?People? and ?culture,? on the other hand, represent the broader workforce from which a company draws its value. I?m not sure when business and HR leaders began to make this distinction, but it seems to have taken hold in many organizations ? for good reason. In today?s competitive job market, where employers are seeking the best talent to create competitive advantage, a company?s people and culture can make a big difference. In fact, at Riviera Partners, we strongly believe that cultural fit is a critical component to talent acquisition and retention ? and overall company success.

Therefore, it makes sense to have a leader (e.g., director or VP) oversee this important area if he or she truly is focused on understanding and driving culture, versus simply sporting a new title but still managing the more transactional HR.

Speaking of ? someone still needs to manage job descriptions, offer letters, regulatory and compliance issues, payroll, and other functions that typically fall under HR.

In answering my own questions, I don?t believe HR as a job category is dead. However, the evolving business environment and workplace necessitates a different way to look at human capital as a core asset of a company. This is especially true in today?s ultra-transparent society, where information about a company?s culture can spread like wildfire on social media to the benefit or detriment of the organization.

HR (or people or culture or talent) organizations must address new generations of candidates who have different views and expectations of employment, focusing on hiring those who fit the company and keeping them motivated to perform.

I suppose there?s really no right or wrong answer, in terms of titles. It?s all in how you view your organization and what you want from your HR or talent acquisition function and initiatives.

Michael A. Morell is a founding and managing partner for Riviera Partners, a leading provider for technical search and recruiting services in Silicon Valley and nationally. He has more than 15 years of experience in recruiting, technology sales and management. Morell focuses on recruiting executive-level talent in the areas of engineering and product management, and also has operational responsibility for Riviera?s contingency search practice, which focuses on individual contributor level roles within engineering organizations. Follow him on Twitter.

Source: http://smartblogs.com/leadership/2012/12/28/is-hr-as-job-category-dead/

spanx aurora borealis gcb mary j blige dionne warwick patricia heaton arsenic and old lace

South Korea Wants to Block Swearing and Porn on Teenagers' Phones

While we're over here, yammering on and on about sexting and the best ways to do it, things are moving in a bit of a different direction in South Korea. The country's government is currently rolling out a plan to block swearing and pornography on all its teenagers' phones. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/ASOuKK2sTDI/south-korea-plans-to-block-swearing-and-porn-on-teenagers-smartphones

Sam Mikulak London 2012 diving Tim Berners-Lee Olympics 2012 Schedule Kenneth Branagh Lupe Ontiveros London 2012 China

Paintings outrage Islamic hard-liners in Pakistan

In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2012, Pakistani students carve wooden statues in the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan. A series of provocative paintings of Muslim clerics in scenes suggesting homosexuality has sparked a moral and legal crisis at Pakistan?s leading arts college after extremists threatened violence, declaring that the works insult Islam.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2012, Pakistani students carve wooden statues in the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan. A series of provocative paintings of Muslim clerics in scenes suggesting homosexuality has sparked a moral and legal crisis at Pakistan?s leading arts college after extremists threatened violence, declaring that the works insult Islam.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

In this photo taken on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2012, a man walks in a corridor of the National College of Arts in Lahore, Pakistan. A series of provocative paintings of Muslim clerics in scenes suggesting homosexuality has sparked a moral and legal crisis at Pakistan?s leading arts college after extremists threatened violence, declaring that the works insult Islam.(AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

In this photo taken on Monday, Dec. 5, 2012, Yahya Mujahid, the spokesman for the Pakistani religious party Jamaat-ud-Dawa listens to a reporter in Lahore, Pakistan. A series of provocative paintings of Muslim clerics in scenes suggesting homosexuality has sparked a moral and legal crisis at Pakistan?s leading arts college after extremists threatened violence, declaring that the works insult Islam. Mujahid, who condemned the paintings, said that ?It?s part of Western and American plans to malign Islam.? (AP Photo/K.M. Chaudary)

LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) ? Pakistan's leading arts college has pushed boundaries before in this conservative nation. But when a series of paintings depicting Muslim clerics in scenes with strong homosexual overtones sparked an uproar and threats of violence by Islamic extremists, it was too much.

Officials at the National College of Arts in the eastern city of Lahore shut down its academic journal, which published the paintings, pulled all its issues out of bookstores and dissolved its editorial board. Still, a court is currently considering whether the paintings' artist, the journal's board and the school's head can be charged with blasphemy.

The college's decision to cave to Islamist pressure underscores how space for progressive thought is shrinking in Pakistan as hardline interpretations of Islam gain ground. It was also a marked change for an institution that has long been one of the leading defenders of liberal views in the country.

Pakistan is an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, and the majority of its citizens have long been fairly conservative. But what has grown more pronounced in recent years is the power of religious hardliners to enforce their views on members of the population who disagree, often with the threat of violence.

The government is caught up in a war against a domestic Taliban insurgency and often seems powerless to protect its citizens. At other times it has acquiesced to hardline demands because of fear, political gain or a convergence of beliefs.

"Now you have gun-toting people out there on the streets," said Saleema Hashmi, a former head of arts college. "You don't know who will kill you. You know no one is there to protect you."

The uproar was sparked when the college's Journal of Contemporary Art and Culture over the summer published pictures of a series of paintings by artist Muhammad Ali.

Particularly infuriating to conservatives were two works that they said insulted Islam by mixing images of Muslim clerics with suggestions of homosexuality, which is deeply taboo in Pakistan.

One titled "Call for Prayer" shows a cleric and a shirtless young boy sitting beside each other on a cot. The cleric fingers rosary beads as he gazes at the boy, who seductively stretches backward with his hands clasped behind his head.

Mumtaz Mangat, a lawyer who petitioned the courts to impose blasphemy charges, argued the image implied the cleric had "fun" with the boy before conducting the traditional Muslim call for prayer.

A second painting shows the same cleric reclining in front of a Muslim shrine, holding a book by Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho in one hand as he lights a cigarette for a young boy with the other. A second young boy, who is naked with his legs strategically crossed to cover his genitals, sits at the cleric's feet. The painting has caused particular uproar because verses from Islam's holy book, the Quran, appear on the shrine.

Aasim Akhtar, an Islamabad-based art critic who wrote an essay accompanying the paintings in the journal, wrote that Ali's mixing of images was "deliberately, violently profane," aimed at challenge "homophobic" beliefs that are widespread in Pakistani society.

"Ali redefines the divine through a critique of authority and the hypocrisy of the cleric," wrote Akhtar, an Islamabad-based art critic who is also listed as a potential defendant in the blasphemy complaint.

Jamaat-ud-Dawa, widely believed to be a front for the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, issued a statement after the paintings were published demanding the college issue a public apology and withdraw all issues of the journal.

College staff members also began receiving anonymous text messages threatening violence, said a member of the journal's editorial board. They were afraid to push back for fear of being killed, he said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted.

Extremists gunned down two prominent Pakistani politicians last year for speaking out against the country's harsh blasphemy laws, which can mean life in prison or even death. Human rights activists have criticized the laws, saying they are often used to persecute religious minorities or settle personal scores.

Yahya Mujahid, the spokesman for Jamaat-ud-Dawa, denied the group sent any threats but said the state should punish those responsible.

"It's part of Western and American plans to malign Islam," claimed Mujahid.

A court considering whether to press blasphemy charges held its latest session in mid-December, but it has not said when it will rule whether such charges apply in the case.

Shahram Sarwar, a lawyer representing the college's editorial board, said his clients did not intend to hurt anyone's feelings but he was prepared to apologize on their behalf if they did.

Besides shutting down the journal, the college also closed the department where its staff worked, said Sarwar.

The current head of the National Arts College, Shabnam Khan, denied the institution caved to pressure from hardliners, saying the editorial staff quit voluntarily. She said the department was closed because no one was left to run it.

A member of the editorial board disputed this version of events, saying the college administration asked him and his colleagues to resign. He spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of being targeted by extremists.

The school has long been a progressive voice. A research project at the college in 2008 focused on the idea that rising Islamic conservatism and violent religious fanaticism was a fundamental threat to peace and democracy in Pakistan. In the 1980s, when former dictator Gen. Zia ul-Haq, a notorious Islamist, ordered all female students and teachers to cover their hair, the college pushed back.

Individual graduates have pushed the envelope with their work. Amra Khan's latest work, which was exhibited at the college and a gallery in Karachi this year, included Muslim veils embroidered with a pink Playboy bunny and The Rolling Stones' big red lips logo.

Evidence of the growing influence of Islamic hardliners abounds in Pakistan. In September, clerics wielding sticks forced their way into a wedding reception in the southern city of Ghotki to stop the guests from singing and dancing. A different set of clerics forced a five-star hotel to cancel a planned concert in August in the northwest town of Bhurban because they argued the music was counter to Islam.

Hardliners have had success influencing Pakistani institutions as well. The Supreme Court ordered the country's media regulatory body in August to look into blocking "vulgar" and "obscene" content on TV in response to a petition filed by conservative Islamists.

In November, the government's telecommunications arm banned late-night cell phone call packages, saying they encouraged immoral behavior by young people. The government banned YouTube earlier this year because of an anti-Islam video posted on the site, and one of the country's highest courts has blocked access to Facebook twice because of material considered anathema to Islam.

Khan, the head of the college, refused to discuss the case in more detail because of the court proceedings, but said that people across the political spectrum were becoming more alarmed by the use of violence to enforce views.

"I have heard recently even from conservative people that enough is enough," said Khan. "It is wrong that people interfere in others' lives, that people interfere in others' beliefs."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-28-AS-Pakistan-Provocative-Paintings/id-d7d48ba58283436baf7fd77dbe3c70f7

mark driscoll unemployment rate unemployment rate keri russell drew barrymore jesse ventura bill o brien

Quality Health care Establishments Provide a Number of Treatment ...

Several beauty plus medical establishments offer a wide range of techniques recommended to their affected individuals. These could include health spa remedies by way of major treatments.

Consequently a customer can click on 1 hospital for a collection of techniques, turning it into their destination destination for cures including skin care, dental care as well as eyesight caution.

These private wellness establishments are generally well-liked since the affected individuals may get to learn his or her doctor as well as different staff members for time frame, while they experience various remedies. The affected person senses that they are with harmless hands and wrists for those the health-related as well as facial demands.

There are many confidential professional medical clinics all over the world which provide an outstanding various therapies in order to individuals. Throughout countries and then there is no govt health and fitness scheme, it is actually especially critical we now have quality private health-related clinics.

This allows visitors to have the vital health and fitness cures they want. A normal variety of health care on offer at personal hospitals consists of dental care, ophthalmology in addition to cardiology.

Precise therapies consist of laser surgery for the eye, a frequent cure lately, and also procedures to manage diseases of the eye.

Dental care can even be carried out in health-related treatment centers. Orthodontic and tooth remedies offered range from artistic repair, enhancements as well as therapy for gum disease.

Those with considerable heart-related health problems may turn to health practices regarding cardiology methods.

Kinds of cosmetic remedy supplied include things like all kinds of cosmetic in addition to skin care, out of laser surgical treatment to clear out skin tone skin problems and unwanted curly hair so that you can fatty tissue treatment method.

Facial skin care also may include elegance development processes including bovine collagen enhancements, botox, microdermabrasion in addition to chemical peels.

So there generally is a great deal of processes offered at medical care clinics. Also they are pleasing as well as soothing settings, allowing the particular people to chill out pre and post his or her process.

Quite a few treatment method practices have day spa treatments along with wellness methods. Some examples are all kinds of rub along with magnificence therapies. The club is actually an enjoyable natural environment in order to take some time out of life and intensely chill out.

Almost all health care practices should really make use of capable surgeons, so it?s truly worth checking out the event in addition to credentials on the doctors about the clinic?s site before determining to continue that has an unique cure.

As soon as the first step regarding searching a clinic?s site, it?s best to call to debate ones health and also plastic demands using the center. They will likely in that case set up a scheduled visit for you to be put into as well as chat through your treatment, being sure you comprehend what it will involve and are organized before you go ahead.

Ideal Treatment centers can be a facial and healthcare center headquartered in Saudi Arabian capital of scotland ? Jeddah. They?re a global facility who is going to offer you aesthetic methods so that you can clients from around the globe, together with furnishing medical to help area individuals.

There are numerous fantastic professional medical hospitals similar to Neurologija is required to offer. For some of the greatest proper care and also assist policlinics provides speediest and the majority efficient important health care bills inside kardiologija dedinje.

Filed: Health
tags: clinics, health, medical care, medicine, poliklinika

Source: http://www.mustreads.info/quality-health-care-establishments-provide-a-number-of-treatment-options/

PNC Bank Jordan Pruitt real housewives of new jersey Kanye West sex tape emmys emmys torrey smith

Tech Writer This Week for December 27, 2012 | TechWhirl

[View the story "Tech Writer This Week - December 27, 2012 - TechWhirl" on Storify]

TechWhirl?s Weekly Roundup of the best technical communication and technical writing posts on the web.

Storified by ? Wed, Dec 26 2012 14:59:12

123rf

Santa Claus arrived, did his gift-giving thing, and split back to the North Pole. Much like tidings of comfort and joy, tech comm news and commentary continue?to arrive in great abundance.?Mark?Baker (everypageispageone.com) urges us to get out ahead of our users? needs and be more proactive in tech comm. Nabarun Paul at Techritesolutions shares his tips on?how to improve sentences without being verbose. Adaptability and flexibility, to no one?s surprise,?are becoming necessary skills for technical writers to have, according to Gurpreet Singh (technicalwritingtoolbox.com). And Angel Candelario (angelcandelario1.wordpress.com)?posts his interview with Jack Hardy, the?author of ?Procedure Writing Tools and Practices.?

In Content Strategy. Erica Ayotte discusses the difference between content curation and link spraying (with an?apropos?quote by Mandy Patinkin from ?The Princess Bride?). Miriam Lottner (tech-tav.com) has begun compiling the Golden Rules of Content for 2013, and includes rules offered by tech writers from around the world including Danielle Villegas, and TechWhirlers Erika Yanovich, and ?Yehoshua Paul. And speaking of gold, Nathan Yerian (business2community.com) discusses five golden aspects of your content strategy.

No?frankincense?or myrrh anywhere in sight, but still great gifts of insight abound in User Experience. Patrick Neeman (usabilitycounts.com) suggests using your UX portfolio to tell your very own story of ?UXMas.? Hunter Whitney describes how his childhood obsession with model-building informs his work as a user experience designer, and Janet M. Six (uxmatters.com) discusses trends in user experience.

We wrap this Christmas edition in Career and Life, where Ben Waxman shares a humorous pictorial description of technical writing. Writing Assistance gives us tips on how writers can make their deadlines every time. We get exercises for desk-bound individuals (like me!) from?creativebloq.com. And NiCarla Friend (uahtechcomm.com) talks about journalism, tech comm, and the skills they share.

Technical Communications

Proactive Tech CommTraditionally tech comm ended when the product was released to manufacturing. We are slowly moving away from that outdated approach and t?

How to improve sentences without being verboseI have this from one of my subscriptions, and wanted to share the information. Every developer is a writer but one Technical Writer can h?

Adaptability and Flexibility for Technical WritersAdaptability and Flexibility skills are now becoming a necessity, and not just a desired quality, to get hired as a technical writer. Emp?

Interview with Jack Hardy; Author of Procedure Writing Tools and PracticesAngel Candelario Rodriguez, founder and manager of the LinkedIn group "Technical Writer in Action," interviewed Jack Hardy on December 3,?

Content Strategy

The Difference Between Content Curation and Link Spraying | Social Media Today"Content curation" is one of those phrases that gets repeated ad nauseam without much thought into what it actually means or what role it?

Golden rules of content for 2013! | Tech-TavLooking for the "Golden Rules" of content for 2013? Look no further! We have gathered them all for you in one convenient place. Many than?

5 Golden Aspects to Your Content Marketing Strategy | Business 2 CommunityYou are probably well aware that content marketing is a cost-effective way to reach more prospects and grow your customer base. According?

User Experience

UXMas: The UX Portfolio ? Telling Your StoryPosted by Patrick Neeman | December 18, 2012 I was happy enough to contribute my festive cheer over at UXMas. The story, The UX Portfolio?

Tinkering in the Model Shop | UX MagazineAs a child, I loved building and playing with scale models of all kinds: planes, trains, and automobiles. These replicas taught me about ?

Trends in User Experience :: UXmatters"As a UX specialty, UX strategy is now getting traction in both the UX community and the organizations for whom UX professionals work. In?

Career and Life

How Writers Can Make Deadlines ? Every Time | Writing Assistance, Inc.Writers are notorious for having troubles meeting deadlines. No matter how organized you are, and no matter how little work you have to d?

Desk exercises: 10 easy routines for designers to do today! | Design | Creative BloqAdvertisement As designers and artists, we often spend long hours sat at a desk and staring intently at a monitor screen. You know about ?

Journalism, Tech Comm, and the Skills in BetweenAs a broadcast news major in undergrad, I never thought I?d be in a technical communication program. But if there?s one thing you learn a?

Source: http://techwhirl.com/technical-communications-news/this-week-in-tech-comm/tech-writer-this-week-dec-27-2012/

john l smith apple earnings the glass castle jennifer hudson trial north korea threat brandon jacobs brandon jacobs

Movie Review: "Django Unchained" - EntertainmentTell

?Django Unchained? continues Quentin Tarantino?s usual tendency of combining two or three of his favorite genres into one movie: It?s a spaghetti Western combined with an antebellum slave drama, with a touch of blaxploitation thrown in as well.

There?s a lot of really great stuff in it, including four or five legitimately great cinematic moments, and across-the-board strong performances from a top-notch cast. But unfortunately ?Django? falls back on some of the Tarantino?s less fortunate directorial tics, namely too-slow pacing, dialogue sequences that drag on endlessly and the general sense that the movie should have been about an hour shorter.

Indeed, ?Django? has enough great material for about 90 minutes. But it?s running time is 165 minutes. It?s a lot like Tarantino?s previous film, ?Inglorious Basterds,? which had a handful of great moments interspersed with a whole lot of boredom.

Set in the years before the civil war, ?Django? tells the story of the titular slave (Jamie Foxx), who is freed in the film?s first scene by the German-Jewish dentist-turned-bounty hunter Dr. King Schultz (Christoph Waltz), who initiates Django into the bounty hunting game.

The two do battle with various slavers and other bad guys, ultimately confronting plantation owner Leonardo DiCaprio while attempting to free Django?s wife (Kerry Washington.)

The film?s look and production design, and Robert Richardson?s cinematography are outstanding, and the production made excellent use of Louisiana locations. The film also continues Tarantino?s tradition of fine musical choices, although its use of Jim Croce?s ?I Got a Name? is anachronistic by about 100 years.

The three leading actors are all outstanding, with Foxx putting on a new spin on the archetype of the Western hero, Waltz a delight from beginning to end, and DiCaprio outstanding in a rare turn as a villain. Continuing Tarantino?s career-long hobby of grabbing actors off the scrap heap, the supporting cast is filled with names like Don Johnson, James Remar, Dennis Christopher, Tom Wopat and even Bruce Dern.

There?s one more amazing supporting performance, from QT regular Samuel L. Jackson, giving a very disturbing turn as DiCapiro?s house slave.

So what?s the problem? It?s all in the pacing. The movie slows to a crawl for long stretches, and could have used a whole lot of tightening. Then there?s the third act- ?Django? has a perfectly fine ending, and then goes ahead and has four more of them.

As for the film?s ?controversial? subject matter, there?s some disturbing, historically loaded stuff here, but I didn?t find it especially offensive, since it clearly has its heart in the right place and is on the right side of everything.

If anyone complains that the story of a former slave taking up arms against those who enslaved him and his wife is ?reverse racism,? it says a whole lot more about them than about the film. As for those complaining about overuse of the n-bomb, I have no use for those who believe the biggest racial double standard in America is that black people are allowed to use the n-word and whites aren?t.

Quentin Tarantino, more than any other director, is the reason that I got into film. ?Reservoir Dogs? and ?Pulp Fiction? were among formative filmgoing experiences for myself and a whole lot of film buffs of my generation. He?s still cranking out stellar films, but I don?t think I?m alone in wishing he?d make something truly transcendent again.

Source: http://www.technologytell.com/entertainment/10180/movie-review-django-unchained/

Chavez vs Martinez Yunel Escobar Irish Daily Star seth macfarlane Black Mesa matt ryan matt ryan

Leah Messer Calvert: Pregnant With a Girl!

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/leah-messer-calvert-pregnant-with-a-girl/

patriots ny times paul mccartney Sandy Hook Victims new york times columbine breaking news

The Army's new Radio | Military Ring Info

Communications has come quite a long way since I was a troop in the US Army. Commo as we call it was often tenous at best and many times we could not even talk to our superior or subordinate units when we needed to.

Heat and bad atmospheric conditions hampered our operations and we had to use and maintain the correct authentication codes in order to communicate.

Radios were heavy and generally unreliable but when they worked well they were worth their weight in gold. We used to scramble to find them before we went to the field. If we could find extras we kept them hidden for emergencies.

The U.S. Army recently awarded General Dynamics C4 Systems and Rockwell? Collins with a $306 million contract for 3,726 Handheld, Manpack, Small Form Fit? (HMS) AN/PRC-155 Manpack radios.

?With the game-changing PRC-155 networking radio, soldiers can be confident? they will have access to lifesaving voice and data communications,? said Chris? Marzilli, president of General Dynamics C4 Systems, in a recent GD press? release.

The two-channel PRC-155 completes? the Army?s tactical network by connecting upper to lower tiers, legacy to future? waveforms and terrestrial to over-the-horizon links, said Chris Brady, vice? president of Assured Communications for General Dynamics C4 Systems.

PRC-155s weigh 14 pounds with battery and can be mounted in a vehicle or? carried in a pack. Now 1 pounds can get pretty heavy when you have to carry it around on your back for an extended amount of time but its much better than the radio that it replaces.

It has also been certified by the National Security Agency to communicate? classified voice and data at the Top Secret level and below.? The? certification makes the radio the only secure, two-channel networking radio to? communicate data across the entire force structure between battalion? headquarters and soldiers on foot and in vehicles.

This gives commanders a control and flexibility that is unprecedented before now. Commanders can issue orders directly so that their is no ambuguity and there is no more hoping that the last order was relayed correctly down to the troops who actually have to execute it on the ground.

Oue US Army Infantry Ring troops and all of those who are Spec Ops troops also will benefit greatly from this piece of equipment.

Source: http://www.militaryringinfo.com/service-ring/19548-the-armys-new-radio/

shawn johnson Tony Sly Lauren Perdue tagged Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field

Giant offseason decisions await

Getty Images

The Patriots have proven they need Stevan Ridley.

But he had to prove he could hang onto the ball first.

After coughing it up three times in his previous two games, Ridley kept a firm grip on his responsibilities last week against the Jaguars.

?That?s what we had to focus on, because of the couple turnovers we had, starting with myself,? Ridley said, via Michael Whitmer of the Boston Globe. ?We focused on that, and that?s what we have to do. When we carry the ball, we have to carry it back to our offense. We can?t turn it over, we can?t have fumbles.?

Ridley said extra attention was placed on ball security, both in practice and the film room. While they?ve pulled him from individual games (such as when Danny Woodhead replaced him during the 49ers game), they keep going back to him for a reason.

With 1,189 yards and 10 touchdowns, he?s clearly the most explosive threat they have in the backfield, and last week?s closer-than-expected win over the Jags was used to build him up. He got the ball on the first six rushing plays, proof that they believe in him, or that they want to.

?When you look at issues, whether it be ball security or pass protection or the ability to run the ball outside or whatever the issue may be, there is always a reason,? offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said. ?Our goal is to try to give the player enough resources and enough instruction that he might be able to effectively improve that situation, that issue, if it exists.?

It clearly exists, but they?re clearly choosing to work through the issue rather than just putting him in the doghouse.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/26/giants-have-some-big-decisions-this-offseason/related/

chardon high school christopher plummer viola davis school shooting in ohio shooting at chardon high school sasha baron cohen stacy keibler

White House says Obama likely to cut short holiday trip to Hawaii as 'fiscal cliff' looms (Star Tribune)

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

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/273091806?client_source=feed&format=rss

bubba watson recent earthquakes fbi most wanted list stuttering james van der beek dyngus day indonesia quake

imranijins: larajhonson: born leta: Most Popular Diets of 2012 ...

Most Popular Diets of 2012

Michael Phelps' 12,000-calorie-a-day training diet and Beyonce's maple syrup cleanse may top Google's list of the 10 most-searched diets of 2012, but the popular website Diets in Review.com found that when people want to get serious about weight loss, ?
See all stories on this topic ?

Source: http://health-fitness.holidayinndeals.net/?p=2297

Heptathlon London 2012 shot put London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky

Source: http://gfapenoce.posterous.com/most-popular-diets-of-2012-health-and-fitness

ed reed football schedule jo paterno dead south carolina tuskegee airmen mike james red tails

Source: http://donardsmart.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/most-popular-diets-of-2012-health-and-fitness-gfapenoces.html

Stacy Dash Amber Tamblyn Lilit Avagyan Nashville TV Show VP debate drew brees drew brees

Source: http://born-leta.blogspot.com/2012/12/most-popular-diets-of-2012-health-and.html

transcendentalism bells palsy channel 5 news uc berkeley harrison barnes brett ratner stevie nicks

Source: http://juliabaroso.posterous.com/born-leta-most-popular-diets-of-2012-health-a

breaking bad

Source: http://hardingwayne59.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/born-leta-most-popular-diets-of-2012-health-and-fitness.html

madonna halftime m i a mia super bowl tom coughlin wes welker eli manning eli manning

Source: http://larajhonson40.blogspot.com/2012/12/born-leta-most-popular-diets-of-2012.html

heather locklear hospitalized joplin tornado extreme makeover home edition constitution day constitution day coachella 2012 dolly parton

Source: http://imranijins.blogspot.com/2012/12/larajhonson-born-leta-most-popular.html

neil degrasse tyson davy jones death born this way foundation lytro camera lytro camera andrew brietbart branson mo

Man wins New Hampshire lottery with ticket sold in error

A New Hampshire man is the winner of a $2.1 Megabucks lottery jackpot even though the lucky ticket wasn't the one he intended to buy.

Scott Bennett, 48, of Hillsborough, went into the Circle K convenience store on Dec. 19 and asked the clerk for one Tri-State Megabucks ticket and one Lucky for Life ticket. The clerk mistakenly sold him two Megabucks tickets.

He never got the Lucky for Life ticket, but that probably doesn't matter now, because one of the Megabucks tickets was a big winner.

At a press conference on Friday, the Bennett family - minus Scott, who was at work - appeared to accept the prize.

Cathy Bennett, Scott's 47-year-old wife, said this Christmas "there might be a few extra presents under the tree."

She described the experience as "surreal."

"It's very overwhelming but I think once everything settles we'll enjoy and take the time to enjoy it and decide what the future's going to hold," she said, according to ABC News affiliate WMUR TV in Manchester, N.H.

The Bennetts have three children. It was their son, Travis, 20, who set things in motion. He left a note saying a winning ticket had been sold in their neighborhood and urging his father to check the numbers on his ticket.

"I went downstairs, and he was sitting there with the ticket in one hand and the New Hampshire Lottery website on the computer, just staring at both of them," Cathy Bennett said, recalling her husband at the computer. "We must have checked them about 15 times. We really truly didn't believe it."

When they found out they'd won, they called a family meeting and ordered in Chinese food.

The Bennetts opted to take the lump sum payment of about $1.3 million, and will use it to pay down debt, remodel the kitchen in their recently purchased Victorian home and fund their children's college education.

Scott Bennett works in property management and his wife is an elementary school paraprofessional, the Union Leader newspaper reported. They both plan to keep their jobs.

As it turns out, the Bennetts weren't the only lucky ones.

The Circle K receives $21,500 for selling the winning ticket, and the owner plans to share some of the money with his workers, including Nicki Gee, the 24-year-old clerk who sold the ticket.

"He (Bennett) came in yesterday to thank me and said I had made a very good mistake," she said.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/man-wins-hampshire-lottery-ticket-sold-error-130130299--abc-news-topstories.html

fafsa branson missouri davy jones dead monkees last train to clarksville tim tebow taylor swift post grad

Discouraged after making resolutions? Four steps to success.

After the initial enthusiasm of a new resolution fades, most people give up. Here's how to keep going.

By Trent Hamm,?Guest blogger / December 24, 2012

People walk and jog at Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego last month. There are ways to keep working toward your goals even after discouragement sets in.

Mike Blake/Reuters/File

Enlarge

Whenever someone takes on a goal, they tend to go through a few phases.

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

Recent posts

' + google_ads[0].line2 + '
' + google_ads[0].line3 + '

'; } else if (google_ads.length > 1) { ad_unit += ''; } } document.getElementById("ad_unit").innerHTML += ad_unit; google_adnum += google_ads.length; return; } var google_adnum = 0; google_ad_client = "pub-6743622525202572"; google_ad_output = 'js'; google_max_num_ads = '1'; google_feedback = "on"; google_ad_type = "text"; google_adtest = "on"; google_image_size = '230x105'; google_skip = '0'; // -->

Subscribe Today to the Monitor

Click Here for your FREE 30 DAYS of
The Christian Science Monitor
Weekly Digital Edition

At first, there?s the?honeymoon phase, where the person is enthusiastic about what they?re working on. They?ve got a clear goal, one that they?re sure is going to change their life. The steps to achieve that goal seem fresh and new, and they can often see real results from those steps. Even if those real results are small, they seem wonderful because?they?re moving in the right direction.

After the honeymoon phase comes what I call the?valley phase. The initial enthusiasm fades and the person begins to see how the small, real results are going to take a long time to add up to the big results that they want. The thrill of making good moves is gone, and the minor drawbacks of those good moves often come to the forefront.

Once you push through the valley, you often come to what I call the?ascent phase. The ascent phase comes when a person has truly incorporated most of the changes they need to make to achieve the goal into their lives and the positive progress toward that goal becomes a natural thing. Often, the goal begins to feel inevitable once you reach the ascent phase.

Home Based Business And Taxes! What You Need To Know ...

There are few people that have not dreamed of the astonishing possibilities afforded by creating a home business enterprise. The idea of setting your own work schedule and being your own supervisor is very tempting. This is a good way to find a plan that works for you.

You volume of phone calls will increase dramatically when you start your home business. You will probably want an extra phone line that is dedicated to your business. An additional phone allows you to turn off the ringer if you do not wish to be disturbed about business matters.

Go above and beyond when trying to please your customers. Include a special gift and a thank you note when you send them their order. Always remind them that you are grateful for doing business with you. Customers want to feel appreciated, and they also enjoy getting a free something. Show them that you do not take their business for granted.

TIP! Try to avoid taking out large loans when starting a home business. It is not worth the risk of ruining your relationship.

Take the time to figure out your total costs to produce your product. Not knowing the exact figure can lead to you losing money. Generally, companies charge wholesale buyers double what the item cost to make. Two times the price of the wholesale cost equals the standard retail markup. You will need to price the item accordingly, so that you can be sure that you are making a profit off of the sale of the product.

If you plan to provide any type of service, you should make it a point to use contracts. By using contracts, both parties will understand what is to be expected of them in regards to a transaction. It also serves as a legal document for resolving any disputes in case something goes wrong with the deal.

As you can see, it will require a little bit of work and dedication to make the jump. If you can manage to pull through and stick to the plan, you will be able to accurately represent your dream in the company?s image and create something that is long-lasting and profitable over the years.

TIP! People should be able to contact you by telephone, mail or email. Keep up with your contacts.

Source: http://e4trips.com/home-based-business-and-taxes-what-you-need-to-know.html

tim ferriss wmt human nature arkansas football blackhawks howard johnson levon helm

Georgia Abortion Law Blocked Temporarily By State Judge

ATLANTA -- A state judge has suspended a Georgia law banning abortions for women who are more than 20 weeks pregnant.

The law bans doctors from performing abortions five months after an egg is fertilized, except when doctors decide a fetus has a defect so severe it is unlikely to live. The law also makes an exception to protect the life or health of the mother, though that does not apply to a mother's mental health.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed a lawsuit on behalf of three obstetricians challenging the law's constitutionality. The organization says the law violates the state's privacy protections as provided for in the state constitution.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Doris Downs suspended the law Friday and it was set to take effect Jan. 1.

Also on HuffPost:

"; var coords = [-5, -72]; // display fb-bubble FloatingPrompt.embed(this, html, undefined, 'top', {fp_intersects:1, timeout_remove:2000,ignore_arrow: true, width:236, add_xy:coords, class_name: 'clear-overlay'}); });

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/24/georgia-abortion-law-blocked_n_2360850.html

Colorado shooting suspect accuweather Finding Nemo 2 Provigil denver post dez bryant Kitty Wells