Dancing troupe of middle-class taxpayers: Obama's 'fiscal cliff' trump card?

President Obama took to the stage Monday to press Congress not to allow taxes to go up on middle-class taxpayers ? and he had a rambunctious group of them on hand to support him.

By Linda Feldmann,?Staff writer / December 31, 2012

President Obama smiles and gestures as he speaks about the 'fiscal cliff' Monday in the South Court Auditorium at the White House in Washington.

Carolyn Kaster/AP

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The campaign is over, but when President Obama stepped on stage Monday to make a statement on fiscal cliff negotiations, it felt more like a pep rally than a sober policy update on an issue of global import.

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The White House had packed the room, the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, with some 200 ?middle-class taxpayers? ? and rather rambunctious ones, at that. A handful stood behind Mr. Obama, the rest filled the auditorium?s seats.

It was a veritable security blanket of middle-class taxpayers, there as a visual show of force for the president as he seeks to reach a deal with the Republicans to avert the tax hikes and deep spending cuts that automatically go into effect at midnight Monday. One said she was invited after she had ?answered some questions? on the White House?s My2K web page ? named for the $2,000 that each middle-class household would save by not having its taxes go up.

Clearly, this event had been days in the making, and it was reminiscent of other middle-class focused events and travels Obama has had since he won reelection Nov. 6. ?

?Thank you for having us!? one attendee shouted after Obama welcomed the group.

The middle-class taxpayers cheered and stood when the president took the stage, called out to him as he spoke, and gave him another standing ovation when he finished. The event was mildly newsworthy: The president announced that a deal was ?within sight, but it?s not done.?

?So as of this point, it looks like I'm going to be spending New Year's here in DC,? he said. ?You all are going to be hanging out in DC, too.?

At that point, someone in the crowd invited the president over for New Year?s Eve.
?
?I can come to your house? Is that what you said?? Obama said. ?I don't want to spoil the party.?

?You are the party!? the attendee shouted back, to laughter from the crowd.

Obama then sought to turn the event back to its central purpose: to focus on the middle class and how a return to Clinton-era tax rates for all but the wealthiest 2 percent would be painful.
?
?The people who are with me here today, the people who are watching at home, they need our leaders in Congress to succeed,? Obama said.

Later in the afternoon, Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell took to the Senate floor and echoed Obama?s statement: ?We are very, very close,? he said. But soon after, the news broke that the House would not vote on New Year?s Eve, meaning the United States will go over the edge of the cliff, at least temporarily. The hope, as of this writing, was that House and Senate leaders could gather enough votes to pass a deal early in 2013, and have it go into effect retroactively to Jan. 1.

And what about those middle-class taxpayers? Perhaps Obama is keeping them near at hand, just in case.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/isGyFEzKLNo/Dancing-troupe-of-middle-class-taxpayers-Obama-s-fiscal-cliff-trump-card

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Business Development Manager | Advertising | Internet Marketing ...

Project Description:
Greeting from Lucent Innovation,

We need Business Development Manager on board in our team,

Following is the few responsibility
1. He should bring good web app project for us
2. He should bring HTML5/CSS3 PHP web app project

I will explain him more opportunity with our company in discussion, he will be having great long term opportunity with us.

Thanks
Ashish
Director - Technology
Lucent Innovation
*contact details deleted by admin*

Additional Project Description:
12/30/2012 at 5:42 EST
We require Business Development Manager for the generation and development of both inbound and outbound new business opportunities for the promotion of our company

Typical Work Activities

As a business development manager, you will be required to identify potential clients for company and establish a Business relationship, manage account/customer relationships.

Understanding the requirements of the clients & positioning an appropriate solution from the gamut of services that the company offers.

Participate in ongoing prospecting, seminar, conference, and professional business meetings whenever required.

As a BDM you would have to:

? Understand the skills and expertise of the company
? Understand the services that the company provides in design and development of software
? Understand the requirements of the customer and map it to the available products of the organization or to the expertise and skills within the organization
? Build company profile and brand image in the market through sustained campaigns
? Set evaluation parameters to gauge the customer satisfaction about the products and services
? Continuously monitor customer satisfaction
? Strategize effectively to create new customers on a continuous basis
? Provide strategic inputs through proposals based on what the market demands

Skills, Knowledge and Experience required:
? Proven success in your sales ability and demonstrable full knowledge of the sales process
? Confident negotiator and ability to ?close the deal?
? Good client management skills
? Capable of hands on problem-solving, with ability to generate ideas and solutions
? A positive and determined approach to researching and analyzing new business opportunities
? Strong communication skills in all forms including written, oral, email, telephone, and presentation
? Excellent organizational and time management skills
? A positive attitude to dealing with people
? Capable of working independently, and having responsibility as an individual

12/30/2012 at 5:45 EST
We require Business Development Manager for the generation and development of both inbound and outbound new business opportunities for the promotion of our company

Typical Work Activities

As a business development manager, you will be required to identify potential clients for company and establish a Business relationship, manage account/customer relationships.

Understanding the requirements of the clients & positioning an appropriate solution from the gamut of services that the company offers.

Participate in ongoing prospecting, seminar, conference, and professional business meetings whenever required.

As a BDM you would have to:

? Understand the skills and expertise of the company
? Understand the services that the company provides in design and development of software
? Understand the requirements of the customer and map it to the available products of the organization or to the expertise and skills within the organization
? Build company profile and brand image in the market through sustained campaigns
? Set evaluation parameters to gauge the customer satisfaction about the products and services
? Continuously monitor customer satisfaction
? Strategize effectively to create new customers on a continuous basis
? Provide strategic inputs through proposals based on what the market demands

Skills, Knowledge and Experience required:
? Proven success in your sales ability and demonstrable full knowledge of the sales process
? Confident negotiator and ability to ?close the deal?
? Good client management skills
? Capable of hands on problem-solving, with ability to generate ideas and solutions
? A positive and determined approach to researching and analyzing new business opportunities
? Strong communication skills in all forms including written, oral, email, telephone, and presentation
? Excellent organizational and time management skills
? A positive attitude to dealing with people
? Capable of working independently, and having responsibility as an individual

Hours of work: 10 hours / week Project Duration: 1 - 4 weeks Skills required:
Advertising, Internet Marketing, Leads, Marketing, Sales

Source: http://www.freelancer.com/projects/Internet-Marketing-Sales/Business-Development-Manager.4080515.html

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Myanmar fetes 2013 with first public countdown

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) ? Myanmar is ringing in 2013 with its first public New Year's Eve countdown and a grand fireworks display, a celebration unprecedented in the former military-ruled country.

The party is the latest, and perhaps most exuberant, example of the country's emergence from decades of isolation.

Thousands were expected to attend the celebration at a large field in Yangon, where the Myanmar public will get a chance to do what much of the world does every Dec. 31.

Against a backdrop of the city's famed Shwedagon Pagoda, a large screen will show live New Year's Eve countdowns in Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand leading up to a 60-second countdown to 2013 in Myanmar.

Singers, celebrities, light shows and other festivities were planned for the public party, which would have been unthinkable under the former military regime, which banned public gatherings.

Until this year, New Year's Eve was celebrated privately or inside hotels, but there was no open celebration. Under the military regime the only grand fireworks display was traditionally in honor of Armed Forces Day, an annual celebration of military might.

The reformist government that took office last year urged the public to go out and have fun.

"This event is a very good outlet, particularly for young people," said presidential adviser Ko Ko Hlaing, adding that celebrations like this can "help build mutual understanding between the people and the government."

President Thein Sein has freed hundreds of political prisoners, abolished direct media censorship and allowed public protests as part of a democratic transition that has surprised the outside world.

Many in Myanmar, however, remain skeptical. While people in big cities say they live more freely, they also say the reforms have not improved their livelihoods. People in rural areas of grinding poverty cite continuing human rights issues, abuse of power and abysmal health care.

"People are feeling insecure psychologically, but a public celebration will make people feel light and happy and ease the tension," Ko Ko Hlaing said.

Organizers billed the event as "the first time Myanmar celebrates with the world."

The celebration was arranged by local Forever Media group and Index Creative Village, a Thai event organizer.

"We are planning this public New Year's event because we want residents of Yangon to enjoy the public countdown like in other countries," said Win Thura Hlaing, a spokesman for Forever Media group.

Ahead of the countdown, revelers said they had seen parties like this only on TV.

"I've seen the ball drop at Times Square in New York but I never expected that we would celebrate like this," said Sai Toe Makha, a 31-year-old singer who planned to attend the celebration with 10 friends.

Male model Ye Min Thu, 21, called it "an unforgettable moment, where people can feel the first experience of celebrating the new year in public."

___

Associated Press writer Yadana Htun contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/myanmar-fetes-2013-first-public-countdown-121136511.html

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Fiscal Cliff Fiasco Part CCXXVIII (talking-points-memo)

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A Brief History of China's Music Industry ? Part 3: The Recorded ...

The music industry of China is an unknown continent from a Western music business research perspective. Therefore it is very meritorious that John Fangjun Li, a lecturer and PhD candidate (2008-2012) at Macquarie University, provides one of the first overviews of the history of China?s music industry for an international readership. In a series of four blog contributions he highlights the development of the recorded music industry in more than 100 years from the final period of Imperial China to the current Peoples Republic of China. He gives an overview of the impact of Western major recorded music companies in the first half of the 20th century and of the emergence of serveral state operated but also privately owned Chinese companies after the Great Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Beijing and other large cities. He also highlights the current digital music business in China that has been dominating the recorded music industry since the the mid 2000s.

This part on the Chinese music industry by John Fangjun Li covers the second half of the 20th century after the emergence of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949 over the period of the Great Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), China?s Economic Reform and Opening-up Policy until the current digital music industry in China.

Guest post by John Fangjun Li
The second period of China?s recorded music industry from the 1950s to the early 2000s can be subdivided into shorter periods due to different economy systems before and after 1978. The early years were shaped by the implementation of the planned economy system by establishing the state-owned China Record Corporation, turning a commercial music business into a not-for-profit industry sector, which shaped China?s music industry also during the Great Cultural Revolution (1966-1976) (Li, 2012).

Before China?s Economic Reform and Opening-up Policy (CEROP) in 1978, the China Record Corporation (CRC) was the only music recording industry body in China (Li, 2006). The CRC system consisted of the Beijing headquarter with branches in larger cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu (Zhang and Wang, 2009; Fang and Wei, 2008).

After 1978 the music industry in China was freed from state restrictions. This enabled the establishment of commercial record companies during the 1980s (Li and Morrow, 2012). The Central Bureau of Broadcasting as the national governmental organization to administer the audio-visual sector loosened the restrictions for operating audio visual businesses in China to develop this sector (Zhang and Wang, 2009).

In the 1980s, most of the profit oriented record companies were successively established in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing such as the ?Guangzhou Pacific Audio Visual Company? (?GPAVC?), the ?Shanghai Audio Visual Company?, the ?Guangzhou New Times Audio Visual Company?, the ?Shanghai Audio Visual Company?, the ?Shanghai Audio Visual Press? (?SAVP?), the ?Audio Visual Press of Chinese Musician Association? and so on (Wang, 2004; Li and Morrow, 2012). The ?GPAVC? was the first local commercial record company established in 1979 (Lun, 1988; Li, 2010; Wang, 1999). These companies greatly influenced China?s recorded music industry particularly during the 1990s (Li and Morrow, 2012; Zhang and Wang, 2009).

From the regional music industry perspective, the recorded music industry in China ran through two periods until the early 2000s. In the first period from the late 1980s to the early 1990s, the ?Guangzhou New Times Audio Visual Company? was one of the first record companies in China that started to sign pop singers with great commercial success (Wang, 2009; Li and Morrow, 2012). In the following, other record companies in Guangzhou such as the ?Guangzhou Pacific Audio-Visual Company?, the ?Guangzhou Company of the China Record Corporation?, the ?White Swan Audio Visual Press?, and the ?Guangdong Audio Visual Press? also signed local pop singers. Guangzhou?s recorded music industry rapidly developed due to the success of this signing policy in this period. Thus, the period from the late 1980s to the early 1990s can be called as ?the Guangzhou Period?.

In the period from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, the recorded music industry rapidly developed in Shanghai as well as in Beijing while Guangzhou?s recorded music industry started to decline (Li, 1995; Jin, 2002). Shanghai focused on music record publishing and distribution while Beijing focused on music recording (Li, 1995; Li and Morrow, 2012). They, in particular Shanghai recorded music industry, greatly promoted the recorded music industry in this period. The ?Shanghai Audio Visual Press?, ?Shanghai Company of China?s Record Corporation? and ?Shanghai Audio Visual Press? were commonly regarded as the three leading record companies in China during the second half of the 1990s (Li, 1995).

There were also a handful of smaller privately owned music record companies that influenced China?s recorded music industry in the 1990s such as the ?Taihe Rye Company?, the ?Guangdong Meika Company?, the ?Beijing Jindian Audio Visual Company? and the ?Beijing Dadi Music Production Company?. Although they played a role in linking music production/recording and distribution, they had less influence in the recorded music industry compared to those larger record companies such as the ?GPAVC? and the ?SAVP? in this period (Jin, 2002).
References:

Fang, H. and Wei, Y. (2008). China Publishing History. Beijing, China: China Ancient Publishing Press.

Jin, Z. (2002). Experiencing Chinese Popular Music. Beijing, China: People?s Music Publishing House.

Li, F. (1995). China?s Music Recorded Music Industry: Shanghai Landscape Was the Best. Wuhan Evening News.

Li, X. (2006). The History of China?s Cultural Industries. Changsha, China: Hunan Art and Literature Press.

Li, F. (2010). A Study of the Research Activity of China?s Music Industry Since the Reform and Opening-Up and Some Other Related Issues. Huangzhong: Journal of Wuhan Conservatory of Music, (3), pp.12-23.

Li, F. (2011). The Development of China?s Music Industry During the First Half of the 20th Century. NEO, (1).

Li, F. (2012). China?s Music Industry: Evolution, Development and Convergence, PhD thesis at Macquarie University.

Li, F. and Morrow, G. (2012). Strategic Leadership in China?s Music Industry: A Case ?Study of the Shanghai Audio Visual Press. In the book ?Arts Leadership: International Case Studies?. Melbourne, Australia: Tilde University Press. August 2012.

Lou, J. (2008). The study of Shanghai?s Urban Entertainment. Shanghai, China: Wenhui Publishing House.

Lun, Z. (1988). Insist on Win by Quality in the Competition ? The Operating Practice of Guangzhou Pacific Audio-Visual Company.Guangzhou Research, (7).

Wang, J. (1999). The Chinese Recorded Music Industry During 50 Years. China Electronic Information (Visual Audio Expo), (7).

Wang, J. (2006). The Analysis of the State of China?s Audio Visual Industry. ?Publishing Research, (8).

Zhang, L. and Wang J. (2009). China and Foreign Audio Visual Publishing Industry and Related Policy Research. Beijing: China Book Company.
Part 4: The Contemporary Digital Music Industry in China
John Fangjun Li is adjunct lecturer and PhD candidate (2008-2012) at Macquarie University, Sydney, Coordinator of the Australian-Chinese Music Industry Research Network, a member of IASPM (Aus-NZ). Previously he worked in Southern Cross University Australia (assistant researcher), Beijing Institute of Contemporary Music (head of the college of arts management), China Conservatory Music (associate professor), and Shanghai Synergy Cultural & Entertainment Group (music producer and marketing manager). He also obtained masters in arts management in Australia, masters in ethnomusicology, and a bachelor in music education in China. His main research interest areas are music industry, arts management, and creative industries. He published more than ten papers in international core journals and participated in some main international conferences in these areas. John Fangjun Li?s email: lifangjun17@gmail.com

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Source: http://musicbusinessresearch.wordpress.com/2012/12/29/a-brief-history-of-chinas-music-industry-part-3-the-recorded-music-industry-in-china-from-the-1950s-to-the-early-2000s/

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Report: Sony Xperia Z to launch on January 15th, beating out next Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S IV

1. rusticguy posted on 1 hour ago 7 2

Lol ... they have to write iphone in every article :)

2. lee480 posted on 1 hour ago 6 1

Look likes Apple's reign is about to end.

5. rusticguy posted on 1 hour ago 3 2

Not until media is there ... as Apple manages media pretty well. Even if Apple rfeleases a crap screen entire media goes drooling over how good it looks.

4. cGmC11 posted on 1 hour ago 1 0

Sound like that AT&T will unveil this phone in your unpacked event at CES!

11. InspectorGadget80 posted on 53 min ago 0 0

That's what I'm hoping for :) if i dont get the GS IV this will be my top pick

16. PhoneArenaUser posted on 37 min ago 0 0

Some rumors says that Sony Xperia Z (a.k.a. Yuga) will be for Asia market while other model also known as Odin will be for the rest markets.

7. techguy22 posted on 1 hour ago 2 0

beat the next iphone for sure. its not like iphone 5s gonna be any different from its predecessor. sure apple will find a new gimmick for it just like the 4S . but S4 i doubt it. 1080P on S4 is gonna be awesome. iphone will get 1080P in 2030

8. joey18 posted on 58 min ago 0 8

another android phone and poor battery

10. rickywinataa posted on 53 min ago 3 0

well, droid razr maxx HD doesn't has poor battery. what kind of smartphone today has battery life as good as 3310 anyway

19. networkdood posted on 13 min ago 0 0

another opinion that has no validity

9. InspectorGadget80 posted on 53 min ago 2 0

If the GS IV won't come out before then I'll be buying the XPERIA Z. Xperia Z or the GS IV was my top two phones for 2013

12. skymitch89 posted on 47 min ago 1 0

Just another company for Apple to sue for no reason.

14. lee480 posted on 44 min ago 4 0

Apple won't sue Sony. Steve Job built Apple based on Sony's model. Even if Apple sues Sony, Sony has million times more patents than Apple.

17. PhoneArenaUser posted on 35 min ago 0 0

"Sony has million times more patents than Apple."

Reasonable patents.

15. unzip7 posted on 39 min ago 0 0

I wonder does anyone know why SPRINT does not sell SONY phones?? There must be a conflect of intress?

18. networkdood posted on 15 min ago 1 0

2GB RAM should be standard for any phone

20. networkdood posted on 12 min ago 0 0

ok, so 'what' exactly about this phone will make me want to buy it?

21. Berzerk000 posted on 8 min ago 0 0

Mainly, the camera. Sony is known for having some of the best cameras. That and with a 1080p display with their own Bravia engine, the best processor out right now, and their amazing build quality, it seems to be a pretty great package.

22. Dacha posted on 4 min ago 0 0

Wrong translation by PhoneArena once again. The original article states a January 15th announcement not release date.

23. ryq24 posted on 3 min ago 0 0

announcing it is one thing , when it will be available in the market is another. so far, history shows sony is not very good in this department.

Report: Sony Xperia Z to launch on January 15th, beating out next Apple iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S IV

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/phonearena/ySoL/~3/BZVOZ4mooI4/Report-Sony-Xperia-Z-to-launch-on-January-15th-beating-out-next-Apple-iPhone-and-Samsung-Galaxy-S-IV_id38156

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cartier foxtrot: layanau: writ trig: Bodybuilding Basics | Sports n ...

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Prison Planet.com ? Bill: Legal Gun Owners Must Surrender To ATF

PrisonPlanet.com
December 29, 2012

Legally owned guns to handed over to criminal BATF and owners fingerprinted as criminals.

Print this page.

Source: http://www.prisonplanet.com/bill-legal-gun-owners-must-surrender-to-atf.html

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iPad dominates tablet Web traffic among tablets

1 hr.

Brian Chacos , LAPTOP

Those spunky?Android tablets may have made big gains on Apple's flagship slate in recent months in terms of sales, but competitors still have a long way to go when it comes to actual usage. So says Chitika Insights, an ad and analytics firm that claims the iPad still accounts for a full 87 percent of all tablet Web traffic.

For every 100 iPad impressions Chitika receives, it only receives 14.75 impressions from all other tablets combined, VentureBeat reports.

As you can see in the chart below, the Kindle Fire family is far and away the second most popular tablet on Chitika's ad network, and it generates more than 20 times less traffic than the iPad, accounting for just 4.88 percent of all impressions. The vaunted Google Nexus tablets? Just 1.22 percent.

Early reports peg Microsoft's Surface tablet as the most-used Windows 8/RT device, but it only accounts for 0.22 percent of all tablet traffic by Chitika's count???just 0.04 points ahead of the defunct HP TouchPad's share. No wonder Microsoft has broadened the Surface's distribution.

Android tablets, on the other hand, have been on a hot streak of late. Google-powered tablets managed to knock the iPad's market share down to "just" 50.4 percent in the third quarter, which was the Apple tablet's smallest chunk since its launch.

One strong quarter is just the start of an uphill battle for Android, however. As Chitika's numbers show, years of utter dominance by the iPad have given it a substantial lead when it comes to actual usage. It will be interesting to see if the release of the iPad mini and fourth-gen iPad chew into Android's gains when the fourth-quarter sales numbers are released.

Copyright 2012 LAPTOP, a TechMediaNetwork company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/ipad-dominates-tablet-web-traffic-kindle-fire-distant-second-1C7753000

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NBA scores: Pistons make Central Division proud with upset

While Cavalier fans haven't had much to be happy about over the past two days, the Pistons still represented the division well by knocking off the Miami Heat.

With the Cavaliers losing, the Detroit Pistons were the only Central Division team that was victorious Thursday or Friday with their 109-99 upset over the Miami Heat.

Sure, the Heat may not have been at full power with Dwyane Wade serving a one-game suspension but the victory was still impressive nonetheless. Will Bynum (25 points, 10 assists) led a bench attack for Detroit that combined to produce 64 points between just four players. That performance came just two days after the Pistons' reserves chipped in 85 points in their 126-119 overtime loss to the Atlanta Hawks.

Speaking of the Hawks, Atlanta took to Cleveland in the fourth quarter Friday night with Jeff Teague going off for a career-high 27 points. Kyrie Irving had 28 of his own, but none of those came in the final 2:53 as the Cavaliers went scoreless from that point on.

Anderson Varejao missed Friday's game with the same knee injury that has kept him out of the previous four games. The league's leading rebounder has already been ruled out for Saturday's game against the Nets, but he should be back soon with his ailment being of the non-serious variety, according to Sam Amico of Fox Spots Ohio.

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Source: http://cleveland.sbnation.com/cleveland-cavaliers/2012/12/29/3814900/nba-scores-2012-pistons-heat-cavaliers

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Pakistan Taliban chief says group will negotiate, but not disarm

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (Reuters) - The head of Pakistan's Taliban said his militia is willing to negotiate with the government but not disarm, a message delivered in a video given to Reuters on Friday.

The release of the 40-minute video follows three high-profile Taliban attacks in the northern city of Peshawar this month: an attack by multiple suicide bombers on the airport, the killing of a senior politician and eight others in a bombing and the kidnap of 22 paramilitary forces on Thursday.

The attacks underline the Taliban's ability to strike high-profile, well-protected targets even as the amount of territory it controls has shrunk and its leaders are picked off by U.S. drones.

"We believe in dialogue but it should not be frivolous," Hakimullah Mehsud said. "Asking us to lay down arms is a joke."

In the video, Mehsud sits cradling a rifle next to his deputy, Wali ur-Rehman. Military officials say there has been a split between the two men but Mehsud said that was propaganda.

"Wali ur-Rehman is sitting with me here and we will be together until death," said Mehsud, pointing at his companion.

Pakistani officials did not immediately respond to calls seeking comment.

The Taliban said in a letter released Thursday that they wanted Pakistan to rewrite its laws and constitution to conform with Islamic law, break its alliance with the United States and stop interfering in the war in Afghanistan and focus on India instead.

Mehsud referred to the killing of the senior politician in his speech and said the political party, the largely Pashtun Awami National Party, would continue to be a target along with other politicians.

"We are against the democratic system because it is un-Islamic," Mehsud said. "Our war isn't against any party. It is against the non-Islamic system and anyone who supports it."

Pakistan is due to hold elections next spring. The current government, which came to power five years ago, struck an uneasy deal with the Taliban in 2009 that allowed the militia to control Swat valley, less than 100 km (60 miles) from the capital, Islamabad.

A few months later, the military launched an operation that pushed the militants back. The U.S. military also intensified its use of drone strikes.

Now the Taliban control far less territory and the frequency and deadliness of their bombings has declined dramatically.

The Taliban's key stronghold is in North Waziristan, one of the tribal areas along the Afghan border and the site of most of the hundreds of drone strikes by the United States.

Mehsud said in his interview that although he was open to dialogue, the Pakistani government was to blame for the violence because it broke previous, unspecified deals.

"In the past, it is the Pakistani government that broke peace agreements," he said. "A slave of the U.S. can't make independent agreements; it breaks agreements according to U.S. dictat."

Mehsud said that the Pakistan Taliban would follow the lead of the Afghan Taliban when it came to forming policy after most NATO troops withdraw from Afghanistan in 2014.

"We are Afghan Taliban and Afghan Taliban are us," he said. "We are with them and al Qaida. We are even willing to get our heads cut off for al Qaida."

(Writing By Katharine Houreld; Editing by Nick Macfie)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/head-pakistan-taliban-says-group-negotiate-not-disarm-105343851.html

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Hot Dad Alert! Chris Hemsworth Strolls with His Girls

Chris Hemsworth and his wife step out with their daughter! Plus, see more photos of celebs spending time with their loved ones!

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/star-snapshots-celebrity-kids-and-family-photos-2012/1-b-462723?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Astar-snapshots-celebrity-kids-and-family-photos-2012-462723

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Search Answer: Where is this?

Quick answer: This flowery crest is in Nijmegen, Netherlands, and is taken from the Belv?d?re (a very nice restaurant where I had dinner), and is located at 51? 50' 51.97" N 5? 52' 21.95" E.

Well? you should know by now that search-by-image doesn't always work. In this case, since it was a picture I'd taken (and NOT posted anywhere), it was pretty unlikely to match in a search-by-image attempt. Still, since that's such a quick thing to do, it's a worthwhile first attempt.

Since SBI didn't work out, the next thing you might try could be

["coat of arms" garden flowers]

and then filter by the color orange. However, that doesn't work well because there's too little orange in this images. There's also no guarantee that they plant the same color flowers from year-to-year.

There IS LOTS of green, though, and that's going to be constant from year-to-year. So let's filter by that color. If you do an Image search with

["coat of arms" garden flowers]

and then filter by the color green to find a nice image (Flickr image) in the 8th row of images. Note that the Flickr photo gives the location as Nijmegen. (This picture also shows the Latin name of the city: "Noviomagus," which if searched-for leads you back to Nijmegen.)

It's pretty simple to use Maps.Google.com to jump to Nijmegen, Netherlands, then search in there for Belvedere (with or without the accents) and find the location:

And when you switch to satellite view, it's pretty obvious that this is the place:

Other approaches: If you just search for

[ coat of arms flowers ]

without any color filtering, there's a decent picture of the floral display around row 20. You just have to be persistent to find this image without filtering.

Another thing you can do is to use the Photos layer in Google Maps to get higher quality photos that show you this really is the correct place.

You can click on the Maps icon (upper right) and then select "Photos" to see images that are geo-located here from Panoramio.

Search lessons: Several people reported finding this one quite difficult. Almost everyone who put in the term "coat of arms" was able to find it without much trouble. But what if you don't know that's what it's called? Then you have to learn as you go? and pick up likely looking search terms as you work through similar images.

Have a great end-of-year celebration! See you in 2013.

Searching onward!

Answer (Dec 26, 2012): Where is this? | SearchReSearch

---

Daniel M. Russell studies the way people search and research?an anthropologist of search, if you will. You can read more from Russell on his SearchReSearch blog, and stay tuned for his weekly challenges (and answers) here on Lifehacker.

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/LQn41SkVB9o/search-answer-where-is-this

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Best social media companies in Mexico

The importance of the internet for businesses is unquestionable. Nine out of ten people look for information on the Internet every single day and 90% of these decide what they?ll buy from what they?ll see on the internet. More than 85% of Mexican internet users use social media so this is clearly something that companies there mustn?t ignore. In fact it?s very importamnt for companies to use social media correctly nowadays. Here are some of the top social media companies in Mexico:

Altaan

This company which is headquartered in Mexico DF, has been boosting brands for seven years now, offering all sorts of services such as email marketing, internet advertising campaigns, bluetooth advertising, commerce and communication strategies and website development as well as social media.

GreenDreamSocial

This company, which is based both in Mexico and the United States, specializes in digital branding optimization, social media strategic management and social presence monetization.

Spiga

This company specializes in social media, web design and development as well as SEO. It helps with social network production and atrategy, as well as constructing and mantaining skins and profiles on social networks. It also helps creating widgets, gadgets and facebook apps by monitoring, administering and upkeep.

Atomo interactive

This company is an interactive agency which specializes in the development of integral communication strategies that will combine the user?s experience with the interactivity, social media and SEO.

Gamol

This social media marketing company combines Facebook, Twitter, Google + and LinkedIn to effectively boost your brand. Although practically anybone can use social media, in order to make the most of these great tools having an expert is much more convenient.

Source: http://www.onbile.com/info/best-social-media-companies-in-mexico/

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Free calls in Gmail extended for another year

3 hrs.

Devin Coldewey , NBC News

In what is becoming a holiday tradition, Google has announced that Gmail users in the United States and Canada will be able to make domestic calls using the service until the end of next year. This follows similar announcements in 2011 and 2010.

Google's voice-over-IP tool is useful for someone who needs to call a Gmail contact quickly. When it was introduced in August 2010, Google said it would be available for free until the end of that year. But in late December, Google extended the free calls through 2011 ? and at the end of that year, extended it again through?2012.

Now Google says on its Gmail blog?that free calling within the U.S. and Canada will continue through 2013. Not an entirely unexpected announcement, but welcome to the many users of the service.

Chances are Google will never charge for domestic calls, something most people get gratis or at negligible cost anyway. The more people use the service for everyday phone?calls, the more likely they are to use it eventually for long-distance calls, which Google charges for.

Using the function is a simple as pressing the "phone" icon near your contacts in Gmail (you may need to download a plugin). Alternatively, follow the simple instructions in this link.

Devin Coldewey is a contributing writer for NBCNews Digital. His personal website is?coldewey.cc.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/free-calls-gmail-extended-another-year-1C7753187

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Shakira Gives Birth to a Baby Boy!

Source:

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Russian parliament endorses anti-US adoption bill

A protester argues with police officers outside the Federation Council on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Several protesters were detained Wednesday morning outside the upper chamber of Russia's parliament as it prepared to vote on a controversial measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. The poster held by the protester reads: ?Children get frozen in the Cold War.? (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A protester argues with police officers outside the Federation Council on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Several protesters were detained Wednesday morning outside the upper chamber of Russia's parliament as it prepared to vote on a controversial measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. The poster held by the protester reads: ?Children get frozen in the Cold War.? (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian police officers detain a protester outside the Federation Council Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Several protesters were detained Wednesday morning outside the upper chamber of Russia?s parliament which is set to vote on a measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

A demonstrator holds a poster reading "We are for Dima Yakovlev Bill" outside the Federation Council on Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. Several protesters were detained Wednesday morning outside the upper chamber of Russia's parliament as it prepared to vote on a controversial measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. The bill is named in honor of Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler who was adopted by Americans and then died in 2008 after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko)

Russian President Vladimir Putin, left, presents a state award to famous Russian actor Konstantin Khabensky wearing a badge that reads "Children are outisde politics!" during an award ceremony in the Kremlin in Moscow, Wednesday, Dec. 26, 2012. The upper chamber of Russia's parliament on Wednesday unanimously voted in favor of a measure banning Americans from adopting Russian children. It now goes to President Vladimir Putin to sign or turn down. (AP Photo/RIA-Novosti, Alexei Nikolsky, Presidential Press Service)

MOSCOW (AP) ? Defying a storm of domestic and international criticism, Russia moved toward finalizing a ban on Americans adopting Russian children, as Parliament's upper house voted unanimously Wednesday in favor of a measure that President Vladimir Putin has indicated he will sign into law.

The bill is widely seen as the Kremlin's retaliation against an American law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. It comes as Putin takes an increasingly confrontational attitude toward the West, brushing aside concerns about a crackdown on dissent and democratic freedoms.

Dozens of Russian children close to being adopted by American families now will almost certainly be blocked from leaving the country. The law also cuts off the main international adoption route for Russian children stuck in often dismal orphanages: More than 60,000 Russian youngsters have been adopted in the United States in the past 20 years. There are about 740,000 children without parental care in Russia, according to UNICEF.

All 143 members of the Federation Council present voted to support the bill, which has sparked criticism from both the United States and Russian officials, activists and artists, who say it victimizes children by depriving them of the chance to escape the squalor of orphanage life. The vote comes days after Parliament's lower house overwhelmingly approved the ban.

Seven people with posters protesting the bill were detained outside the Council before Wednesday's vote. "Children get frozen in the Cold War," one poster read. Some 60 people rallied in St. Petersburg, Russia's second largest city.

The bill is part of larger legislation by Putin-allied lawmakers retaliating against a recently signed U.S. law that calls for sanctions against Russians deemed to be human rights violators. Although Putin has not explicitly committed to signing the bill, he strongly defended it in a press conference last week as "a sufficient response" to the new U.S. law.

Originally Russia's lawmakers cobbled together a more or less a tit-for-tat response to the U.S. law, providing for travel sanctions and the seizure of financial assets in Russia of Americans determined to have violated the rights of Russians.

But it was expanded to include the adoption measure and call for a ban on any organizations that are engaged in political activities if they receive funding from U.S. citizens or are determined to be a threat to Russia's interests.

Russian children's rights ombudsman Pavel Astakhov told the Interfax news agency that 46 children who were on the verge of being adopted by Americans would stay in Russia if the bill is approved ? despite court rulings in some of these cases authorizing the adoptions.

The ombudsman supported the bill, saying that foreign adoptions discourage Russians from adopting children. "A foreigner who has paid for an adoption always gets a priority compared to potential Russian adoptive parents," Astakhov was quoted as saying. "A great country like Russia cannot sell its children."

Russian law allows foreigners to adopt only if a Russian family has not expressed interest in a child being considered for adoption.

Some top government officials, including the foreign minister, have spoken flatly against the adoption law, arguing that the measure would be in violation of Russia's constitution and international obligations.

But Senator Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the Council's foreign affairs committee, referred to the bill as "a natural and a long overdue response" to the U.S. legislation. "Children must be placed in Russian families, and this is a cornerstone issue for us," he said.

Margelov said that a bilateral Russian-U.S. agreement binds Russia to give notice of a halt to adoptions 12 months in advance. Putin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Russian news agencies that the president would consider the bill within the next two weeks.

The measure has become one of the most debated topics in Russia.

By Tuesday, more than 100,000 Russians had signed an online petition urging the Kremlin to scrap the bill.

Over the weekend, dozens of Muscovites placed toys and lit candles in front of the Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament after it approved the bill on Friday, but security guards promptly removed them. Opposition groups said they will rally against the bill on Jan. 13, and several popular artists publicly voiced their concern about the legislation.

While receiving a state award from Putin on Wednesday, film actor Konstantin Khabensky wore a badge saying "Children Are Beyond Politics." Veteran rock musician Andrey Makarevich called on Putin Monday to stop "killing children."

During a marathon Putin press conference Thursday, eight of the 60 questions the president answered focused on the bill. Responding angrily, Putin claimed that Americans routinely mistreat children from Russia.

The bill is named in honor of Dima Yakovlev, a Russian toddler who was adopted by Americans and then died in 2008 after his father left him in a car in broiling heat for hours. The father was found not guilty of involuntary manslaughter.

Russian lawmakers argue that by banning adoptions to the U.S. they would be protecting children and encouraging adoptions inside Russia.

In a measure of the virulent anti-U.S. sentiment that has gripped parts of Russian society, a few lawmakers went even further, claiming that some Russian children were adopted by Americans only to be used for organ transplants and become sex toys or cannon fodder for the U.S. Army.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-26-Russia-US-Adoptions/id-20fa1ca0b93342de921e047f91b5d650

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sexy calendar to raise awareness of anal cancer | The Sun |Woman ...

THESE 12 sexy ladies have all stripped off for a rear-ly good cause ? to raise awareness of bottom cancer.

Ellie De Nardo, 22, put together the charity calendar after seeing her mum Jill battle the disease. Health worker Jill, 53, was diagnosed with anal cancer two years ago and received treatment at The Christie Hospital in Manchester.

Support ... Ellie De Nardo watched her mum Jill battle the disease

Ellie, from Buxton, Derbyshire, persuaded her pals to get naked while her old schoolmate Rosie Hardy, 22, took the pictures. Ellie, a business studies graduate, said: ?If we make just a few people aware of this rare cancer, it will have all been worthwhile.?

Proceeds from the calendar ? available from behindcancercampaign.org.uk ? go to the Christie charity and the Human Papillomavirus and Anal Cancer Foundation in the UK.

Meet the calendar girls below...

January

SARAH JONES, 24, is Ellie?s sister-in-law from Derbyshire.

?Unfortunately many members of my family have been affected by cancer and not all have survived. I jumped at the chance to raise money for The Christie, a vital hospital where they treat those suffering from cancer and support them and their families.

?Making the calendar was fun and a way 12 normal girls could raise awareness.?

February

PHOTOGRAPHER Rosie Hardy, 22, created the calendar and is a friend of Ellie?s from school.

She said: ?For most people the thought of taking your clothes off and posing naked is a daunting experience.

?But when you compare that to what cancer sufferers go through day to day, you realise it is nothing. So I just wanted to play my small part to raise awareness for this cause.?

March

KATE BESWICK, 20, is a student and a good friend of Ellie?s from Buxton, Derbyshire.

She said: ?When Ellie asked me to take part in the calendar, I automatically agreed because I knew it was for such a good and important cause.

?It is so important that people raise awareness of rare cancers and hopefully this great calendar has been a very positive way of achieving that aim.?

April

TORIE CHAPMAN, 21, a school friend of Ellie?s, is a wedding and events planner in Derbyshire.

She said: ?My best mate?s mum got cancer and I wanted to do anything that I could to help out with Ellie?s project.

?The Christie hospital has done some truly amazing work for cancer sufferers and their families.

?The more we know about this disease and how to cure it, the better.?

May

LAURA MORRIS, 20, a pal of Ellie?s from Buxton, is studying PE at Leeds Metropolitan University.

She said: ?My cousin was diagnosed with cancer when she was only 18 months old so I know how this impacts on a family. She is 53 now and fit and well, but without the research into all the types of cancer, she may not have survived.

?Doing the calendar was a little bit scary, but well worth it.?

June

NATASHA McGAREY has been Ellie?s best friend since she was four years old. She is currently studying business at The University of West England.

Natasha, 22, said: ?I wanted to help my friend and her family any way I could and the calendar is a great way to get the message across.

?After visiting the Christie with Ellie I saw how many different ages are affected by cancer, and the Christie really deserves recognition.?

July

AMY SELBY, 20, is Ellie?s friend and is studying at the University of Derby.

She said: ?Having family members who have been affected by cancer, I chose to take part to take an active part in raising money for the cause.

?I have to admit that posing naked in front of a camera was a little bit nerve-wracking for me, but doing it all with 11 friends made the whole experience a very fun one for everyone.?

August

GABY TYLER, 20, another Buxton-based pal of Ellie?s, is studying English literature at the University of Sheffield.

She said: ?My dad was treated for a malignant melanoma at the Christie and they were great with him throughout his treatment, so I really wanted to help.

Behind Cancer ... pals on charity calendar

?The calendar was a very fun and different way of raising money and getting people talking.

?I hope it did its job of raising awareness of this rare cancer.?

September

ELLIE said: ?My mum is the strongest and bravest person I know ? but even she has had her weak moments throughout all of this, which is why I did this special project for her.

?With the help of some local businesses, we managed to raise enough money to fund the production of the calendars to ensure that every single penny goes straight to the Christie hospital, which is an amazing place.?

October

AMY SMITH, 34, from Derby, is Ellie?s cousin and works as a sales manager.

She said: ?It?s not every day you get asked to get your clothes off for charity but when Ellie told me about her idea I didn?t hesitate to say yes.

?In the past few years both my mum and aunty have been diagnosed.

?Doing this calendar made me feel like I can help. If one more person is checked out because of us then we?ve done something very positive.?

November

LAURA SAVILE, 21, is another pal of Ellie?s from her home town. She is studying sports business management at Leeds Metropolitan University.

She said: ?In 2001, my mum was diagnosed with malignant melanoma and was treated at the Christie, where the cancer was successfully removed.

?Luckily skin cancers are easily detected. This is why raising awareness for lesser known ones, like anal cancer, is vital.?

December

ABI HUTTON, 22, a school mate of Ellie?s, is studying Textile Design at Manchester Metropolitan University.

She said: ?When I was about eight years old my grandma lost her battle with cancer, so I was determined to help Ellie with this campaign.

?On a happier note, I really enjoyed taking part. On the day of the shoot there was a few nervous faces but it was nothing a cheeky glass of champagne couldn?t fix.?

Source: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/woman/health/health/4714154/sexy-calendar-to-raise-awareness-of-anal-cancer.html

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