Rescues continue as Isaac floods parts of La.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) ? Isaac dropped unrelenting rain Thursday, flooding areas north and south of New Orleans, and officials had to scramble to evacuate and rescue people as waters quickly rose. Inside the city, the fortified defenses held and life began to slowly get back to some sort of normalcy.

Along the shores of Lake Ponchartrain near New Orleans, officials sent scores of buses and dozens of high-water vehicles to help evacuate about 3,000 people as rising waters lapped against houses and left cars stranded. Floodwaters rose waist-high in some neighborhoods, and the Louisiana National Guard was working with sheriff's deputies to rescue people stranded in their homes.

To the east, evacuations were ordered in a sparsely-populated area as a lake dam threatened to break near the Mississippi-Louisiana border. Officials in Tangipahoa Parish, La., feared the water it would pour into the already swollen river would flood low-lying areas downstream. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said officials there would release water at the dam.

Even as Isaac weakened on its slow trek inland, it continued to spin off life-threatening weather including storm surges, inland flooding from torrential rain and potential tornadoes. Nearly half of Louisiana electrical customers lost power and another 150,000 were out in neighboring Mississippi.

A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted a couple and their dogs early Thursday from a home in LaPlace, between the Mississippi River and Lake Ponchartrain, after storm surge poured into their neighborhood and local authorities called for help. The couple was taken to New Orleans and reported in good condition.

"The husband and wife and their two dogs were in an area where a lot of houses washed away," said Lt. Cmdr. Jorge Porto. "They used a flashlight inside the house as a signaling device, which made all the difference in locating them effectively."

The floodwaters "were shockingly fast-rising, from what I understand from talking to people," Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne said. "It caught everybody by surprise."

A tow truck driver was killed Thursday morning when a tree fell on his truck in Picayune, Miss., just across the state line from Louisiana. Authorities said Isaac was causing heavy rain and strong winds at the time.

President Barack Obama declared federal emergencies in Louisiana and Mississippi late Wednesday, allowing federal aid to be freed up for affected areas.

Isaac arrived seven years after Hurricane Katrina and passed slightly to the west of New Orleans, where the city's fortified levee system easily handled the assault.

"Unfortunately, that's not been the case for low-lying areas outside the federal system, in particular lower Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes," said Louisiana Democratic U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu. "Hurricane Isaac has reinforced for us once again just how vulnerable these critical areas are. We must re-engage the Corps of Engineers on this."

Louisiana's Public Service Commission said 901,000 homes and businesses around the state ? about 47 percent of all customers ? were without power Thursday. Utility company Entergy said that included about 157,000 in New Orleans.

New Orleans' biggest problems seemed to be downed power lines, scattered tree limbs and minor flooding. One person was reported killed, compared with 1,800 deaths from Katrina in Louisiana and Mississippi. And police reported few problems with looting. New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu ordered a dusk-to-dawn curfew.

"Hopefully, as far as the city of New Orleans is concerned, the worst is behind us," Landrieu said Thursday.

But in Plaquemines Parish, a sparsely populated area south of the city that is outside the federal levee system, dozens of people were stranded in flooded coastal areas and had to be rescued. The storm pushed water over an 18-mile levee and put so much pressure on it that authorities planned to intentionally puncture the floodwall to relieve the strain.

Officials rushed to evacuate more than 100 nursing home residents from Plaquemines Parish, an area with a reputation for residents hunkering down to weather storms and perhaps the hardest hit by Isaac. In this hardscrabble, mostly rural parish, even the sick and elderly are hardened storm veterans.

"I don't think we had to evacuate to begin with," said Romaine Dahl, 59, as he sat in a wheelchair. "The weather was a hell of a lot worse last night than it is now. And I got an idea that after all this is said and done they're going to say everything is over with, go on back home."

Other residents in the Riverbend Nursing and Rehabilitation Center were loaded into ambulances and taken to a nearby naval station. Residents had their names and birth dates attached to their shirts.

Josephine King, 84, handled the move well, waiting in a wheelchair. "I'm feeling good," she said.

By midafternoon Wednesday, Isaac had been downgraded to a tropical storm. The Louisiana National Guard ceased rescue operations in Plaquemines Parish, saying it felt confident it had gotten everyone out. There were no serious injuries. National Guard spokesman Capt. Lance Cagnolatti said guardsmen would stay in the area over the coming days to help.

Isaac's maximum sustained winds had decreased to 45 mph and the National Hurricane Center said it was expected to become a tropical depression by Thursday night, meaning its top sustained winds would drop below 39 mph. The storm's center was on track to cross Arkansas on Friday and southern Missouri on Friday night, spreading rain as it goes.

Forecasters expected Isaac to move farther inland over the next several days, dumping rain on drought-stricken states across the nation's midsection before finally breaking up over the weekend.

Even at its strongest, the storm was far weaker than Hurricane Katrina, which at its peak was a Category 5 and hit New Orleans as a Category 3. Isaac came ashore late Tuesday as a Category 1 hurricane, with 80 mph winds near the mouth of the Mississippi River. It drove a wall of water nearly 11 feet high inland. Because Isaac's coiled bands of rain and wind were moving at only 5 mph ? about the pace of a brisk walk ? the threat of storm surges and flooding was expected to linger Thursday as the immense system crawled across Louisiana.

In coastal Mississippi, officials used small motorboats Wednesday to rescue at least two dozen people from a neighborhood Isaac flooded in Pearlington. In addition, the National Weather Service said there were reports of at least three possible tornadoes touching down in coastal counties. No injuries were reported.

None of the reports had been confirmed. Until the weather clears, there is no way for survey teams to assess the area to determine whether damage was done by tornadoes or straight-line winds, said NWS Meteorologist Shawn O'Neil.

Back in New Orleans, the storm canceled remembrance ceremonies for those killed by Katrina. Since that catastrophe, the city's levee system has been bolstered by $14 billion in federal repairs and improvements. The bigger, stronger levees were tested for the first time by Hurricane Gustav in 2008.

In Vermilion Parish, a 36-year-old man died after falling 18 feet from a tree while helping friends move a vehicle ahead of the storm. Deputies did not know why he climbed the tree.

The storm stalled for several hours before resuming a crawl inland, and forecasters said that was in keeping with its erratic history. The slow motion over land means Isaac could be a major soaker, dumping up to 20 inches of rain in some areas. New Orleans reported at about 10 inches in some places as rain continued to fall late Wednesday.

___

Contributing to this report were Associated Press writers Brian Schwaner and Stacy Plaisance in New Orleans; Melinda Deslatte in Baton Rouge; Kevin McGill in Houma; Holbrook Mohr in Waveland and Pass Christian, Miss.; and Jeff Amy in Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/rescues-continue-isaac-floods-parts-la-160215265.html

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The Truth About Salt, Experts Weigh In | Greatist

Pass the salt, please. We?ve all said it before ? probably more than we think. While the recommended daily consumption of sodium is 2300mg, studies have shown that Americans consume well over that, with an average of about 3600mg per day ? and especially those between the ages of 19 and 30^[][]. We?re actually consuming so much that the American Medical Association has openly suggested we reduce salt consumption all together^[]. So, we get it: Sodium can be bad for us. But it?s not all that bad ? in fact, some amount is necessary for normal body function. So why should we care? Let?s take a closer look.

It?s A Salty, Salty World ? The-Need-to-Know

Around?eighty percent of the sodium consumed by Americans comes from processed foods like cereals and baked goods (bet you didn?t know Cheerios and brownies are two salty culrpits)^[]. The other eleven percent comes from shaking salt at the table or throwing in a few pinches to the frying pan while trying to imitate the latest Top Chef stars^[][]. But it?s not just what we add ourselves that can be a problem ? processed foods are often high in salt, since it?s used as a preservative to keep food fresh longer.

So what is salt, exactly? Sodium is an element in table salt that is both necessary for certain body functions (more on that below), but that can also contribute to health issues like high blood pressure and heart disease when consumed in excess^[][][].

So why not just cut out salt completely? For one thing, some salt is essential. Important vitamins and minerals containing salt like iodine and sodium chloride can help maintain fluid balance, body temperature, and nerve and muscle function^[][][]. Salt is also necessary to maintain proper blood pH (or balance between acidity and basicity). And for the athletes among us, salt is essential in maintaining healthy blood pressure, so athletes should be wary of sodium deficiency from overhydrating before competitions^[][][]. Cutting back on salt too much may even increase cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which can contribute to heart disease^[].

We know ??it?s tricky! To break it down a bit further, here?s what three experts had to say.

Rumor Has It ? What the Experts Have To Say

The Experts:

Kent Berridge, a professor of neuroscience and psychology at University of Michigan who researches the brain bases of emotion, motivation, and reward to determine what drives pleasure, liking, wanting, addiction, and the structure of natural behavior.

Dr. Jeffrey Mechanick, an endocrinologist specializing in nutrition who practices at Mt. Sinai Hospital in NYC and is the author of ?The Complete Guide to Lifelong Nutrition.?

Jason Edmonds, a biomedical researcher who works in the pharmaceutical industry and studies bacterial resistance to antibiotics and biological mechanisms strengthening autoimmune disease pathology. Edmonds is also a competitive Olympic weightlifter and one of Greatist?s experts.

So let?s start with a basic one: What does salt really do?to the body, and why can it cause problems?

Jeffrey Mechanick: [Salt] is an essential nutrient ? it?s a chemical the body needs in order to function. So why does it cause problems? As we enter into a very recent phenomena of [consuming more and more processed foods] which contain added salt solely [for taste], we?re now overeating salt, more than our body [can handle]. As a result of all the extra salt, [fluids in the body compensate and increase]. As a result, blood pressure increases. But in general, across the board we don?t handle these high salt loads well. [In terms of causing disease] if you just associate salt consumption particularly among different ethnicities you see a higher rate of high blood pressure. As a result of [this high blood pressure], which is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, you see more cardiovascular disease and more [cardiac] mortality.

Jason Edmonds: Excessive salt intake is probably best known for [its correlation] with high blood pressure and?[its related] problems [like cardiovascular disease]. One theory for how this happens is that the kidneys sense [excessive salt in the body], signaling [our hormones to pump out more water and fill up the empty space] and this consequently increases blood volume. Some subsets of the population are at greater risk of suffering the ill effects of excessive sodium (African Americans, and those with high blood pressure,?diabetes, and kidney disease).?It?s also?worth noting that the association between salt and blood pressure in healthy adults with normal blood pressure?is a matter of some contention. Apparently some studies have failed to uncover the correlation between high dietary sodium and increased risk of hypertension, especially in normal, healthy adults that don?t fall into a high-risk category.

So is salt a necessity for our diet? And why do we like it so much?

Kent Berridge: Salt is a required part of a healthy diet. If the body loses salt, strong biological mechanisms kick in that give us an intense craving for it. Our normal liking for mild saltiness, and our [physiological need and desire for intense amounts of salt when deprived], are both products of our evolution.?In the past, salty food has represented an opportunity to stock up on salts for the body, so we like it. Sometimes our ancestors had to go for long periods without salt. That created emergency mechanisms that make finding and eating salt a higher priority in states of need. Salty pretzels are normally nice but seawater or a handful of salt is nasty.?But in a ?salt-need state,? all of them start to taste nicer (because the body needs them).

Jason Edmonds: Salt (sodium chloride) is essential for maintaining a normal
[chemical balance] in the body. This is important for maintaining proper hydration levels as well as for proper functioning of bodily systems. We tend to crave savory foods and typically enjoy the taste of salt. Like sugars, salts were probably not nearly as abundant or easy to find during much of our evolutionary history. For this reason, we probably evolved to enjoy and crave?the taste of sugar, salts, fat, etc., because when they were present we needed to ensure we got out fill. We?ve retained this craving for savory, sweet, and fatty foods, but in our modern culture ? especially within?industrialized nations ? foods rich in salt, sugars, and dietary fats are abundant and readily available. As a result, we still crave them as if we?re in a feast or famine state and so we end up consuming in excess of what we need to maintain proper physiological?balance and health.

What?s the best way to cut back intake?

Jeffrey Mechanick: The first recommendation is to [learn how to] read nutrition labels and be aware of the salt and sodium content in processed foods. Number two is [to familiarize yourself] with healthy eating [practices]. A diet that?s high in fresh fruits and vegetables would be lower in sodium. [Evidence has] demonstrated that this can help to decrease blood pressure and the risks associated with it.?

Jason Edmonds: It?s important to moderate salt intake mostly to reduce the chance of developing hypertension ? which significantly increases the chance of developing cardiovascular disease (CVD). In addition, salt has also been correlated with other problems such as stomach cancer and?exacerbating kidney disease. The best way to cut back on salt intake is to limit consumption of prepared or processed foods, which are usually very high in sodium, preservatives, and other assorted unhealthy ingredients. Also [try to] resist [reaching for] the salt shaker. Many of our?meals already contain sodium-rich sauces, gravy, and seasonings, so shaking?salt onto those mashed potatoes along with a ladle full of gravy unnecessarily increases the sodium content.?Choosing one or the other, or?eliminating both and seasoning with crushed black pepper [or other fresh or dried herbs] are healthier alternatives for those consuming high levels of sodium in their diets?(particularly for those predisposed to ? or already dealing with ? hypertension).?

With this said, the scientific literature on the benefits of reducing salt intake are mixed. There?s evidence?showing that?reducing sodium can?lead to a?modest but clinically relevant?decrease in blood pressure.

[Some research also suggests] that the risks from high salt intake are overblown and excessive reduction can also be harmful. Many of these studies conclude? that reducing salt only lowers blood pressure slightly to moderately, and the reductions aren?t [significant enough] to change the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.?Some of these studies?also say that salt reduction won?t reduce risk of hypertension or cardiovascular disease in people with normal blood pressure.?

What are your thoughts on salt consumption research?

Jason Edmonds: My opinion is that the average (even healthy) person should reduce their consumption of processed foods [regardless of their salt consumption or risk of related diseases].?These foods contribute to a large fraction of many people?s daily salt consumption, but also typically contain other unhealthy ingredients such as unhealthy saturated and trans fats, high sugar, and preservatives. By limiting these foods [such as butter and margarine], you?ll also be limiting a whole host of other ingredients that, in excess, can increase the chances of developing hypertension, [cardiovascular disease], and other health problems.

The Takeaway

To cut down on salt intake, pay attention to the brands you choose, which can vary greatly in sodium usage. Read nutrition labels and learn how to interpret sodium content (e.g. ?unsalted? foods still contain natural sodium but are made without sodium). Avoid processed foods (cut back on those french fries and even cottage cheese), cook with less salt by trying different substitutes and ditch that salt shaker from the table^[].

What are ways you cut down your salt consumption? Share in the comments below!?

Source: http://greatist.com/health/truth-about-salt-experts/

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PFT: Jets end TD drought without Sanchez, Tebow

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Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie put coach Andy Reid on the clearest possible notice on Thursday.? In a calm, matter-of-fact tone, Lurie made it clear that the 2012 season could be Reid?s final season in Philadelphia.

After Thursday night?s preseason game against the Jets, Reid took the remarks in stride.

?I?m not worried about it,? Reid said, via Geoff Mosher of CSNPhilly.com.? ?I understand the business.? I have a very good relationship with Jeffrey [Lurie], so we go play.? I?m not worried about all that stuff.?

Lurie?s comments came less than three weeks after Reid?s agent, Bob LaMonte, told reporters that Lurie has said Reid will coach the team as long as Lurie owns it.? Reid reportedly disagreed with LaMonte?s comments, but we?ve reported the the Eagles believe that LaMonte was speaking for Reid when LaMonte said what he said.

?I don?t even care about that,? Reid said Thursday night regarding his contract. ?I care about this football team and winning games now and playing well and working hard.? That stuff, that?s not on my mind.?

What is on his mind is finishing better than 8-8, something Lurie said would have to happen in 2012 for Reid to return, barring possibly an extended rash of injuries.

?We surely wouldn?t be satisfied with 8-8,? Reid said.? ?I know we?re striving for far better than that.? I think that?s the most important thing.? I?m not sitting here and telling you that?s where I want to be.?

But if that?s where he is, Philadelphia most likely isn?t where Reid will be next year.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/08/30/the-jets-score-a-touchdown/related/

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Best Video Game Based Gashapon Toys From Japan | Video Game ...

I?m often amazed at how the toy market in Japan is literally light years ahead of the north American scene, it seems the best thing we have here is the Mcfarlane or Blizzards toy line and that?s already kind of over played.? In Japan however the toy scene is not only main stream, it is flourishing with new and innovative items being released on a quarterly or even monthly basis.??? One of such toy is called the Gashapon or in japan often called a Gacha, it is similar to the crank toy vending machines you see here in north America except they generally have way better toys and a much wider selection.? Gashapons generally range from 100 yen to 200 yen ($1.25 to $2.50USD).? These toys are also available in parts of Asia such as Hong Kong but literally line the streets, malls and restaurants of Japan. ??I have outlined some of my favourites.. there are literally so many variations of Gashapon toys its hard to keep up!

If you are in North America like I am you can pick these up for a premium on sites like ebay.com or other collectors sites. (notes click on the images below to expand them)

Mario Brothers Lightup Gashapon Keychain

?These are little light up key chains or backpack danglers that light up,? Bandai and Nintendo have put out multiple series of these awesome little toys.? There where a few series of this collection put out that includes everyone from Boo to Flying Mushroom.

?

Sega History Collection Gashapon Toys?

The Sega one of the classic game consoles to come out of Japan.? This series outline the history of Sega right from Sega all the way through the Dream Cast.? Take a look at the image and parts details cables and controllers included.? The cool thing about thes Gashapon is the fine details of opening covers, game media that actually goes in the machine!? keep in mind that these toys are probably only about an inch squared!

?

Nintendo History Gashapon Toys

Remember the old Nintendo?? Well in Japan they sure do.? This gashapon outlines the history of Nintendo and Japan starting from the early days of the family computer all the way to N64 and Game cube (not shown here but is a part of another series).?? Check out the details in the consoles down to every last detail including removable game cartridges!?

?

Zelda Wind Walker Gashapon Toy

Zelda Wind Walker, probably one of the cutest most graphically pleasing Zelda games in Zelda history.? These little figures stand about an inch and a half high and have moving parts.? ANyhow we couldnt do this article without including a Zelda toy

?

Game center 80? Gashapon Game

This is one of my favourites, if you remember back in the 80?s in almost all the arcades, billiards, roller rinks etc.. there where these sit down game consoles everywhere.? This Gashapon series came in a set of 6 units and are about 2? squared with a working screen, working joystick and working buttons, this is a fully functioning unit. (image from play-asia.com)?.? In my years of collecting Gashapons I have only been able to get my hands on 2 of these units, so if you find them snatch them up.. then let me know where you got them so I can complete my collection.

?

3D Super Mario Land Maze Game Gashapon

Now this is a really cool mini game if I have ever seen one, relatively new on the market is a hand held maze game Mario style.? The game player has a joy stick and moves the game board on an X-Y axis with the goal being to move the ball to the goal location.? There are 6 of these to a set and if they are to small to be fun.. at least they are cool to look at.

?

Nintendo Kirby Mini Water Game Gashapon

This is another one of my favorites,? This Mini Water game also comes in the Mario variety but since we already have 3 Mario Gashapons in the top picks I thought we didn?t want to look biased that we are huge Mario fans.. lol.? This Mini Kirby water game comes in a set of 8 games each with a different course.? The game comes empty and to play it you fill it with water and hit the button to move rings, balls etc.. to their goal.? It reminds me of the hand held water games we had in the 80?s.

?

Bandai Nintendo SUPER MARIO 1 Stage Sound Drop Gashapon

What another Mario Gashapon??? Well this is Japan right? Nintendo here is like a staple of daily life, if you?re a kid of any age and never had a Nintendo.. there would probably be a public stoning or feathering to be had.? These cool little gashapons mimic the sound bytes out of popular Mario games such as 1-up sound, Super Mario sound, hitting a coin box etc.. there are many seris of these sound byte gashapons and they are readily available on Ebay.?

??

?Pokemon Mini Gashapon Machine set

Ok so Pokemon started as an anime then became one of the most popular video games for Nintendo.? Besides that this one is probably one of the coolest gashapon toys I have ever seen.? Its a miniature working model of a gashapon machine that has real capsules shaped as poke balls?that open and dispense when you turn the crank at the front of the machine.? These amazing little items only cost 200 yen when they first came on the market, they are however quite rare to find now.

Article from Gamersyndrome.com

Related posts:

1. Fourth Layton Game a Huge Success in Japan
2. New Mario Game in the Works?
3. Video Game Sales for May 2010
4. Japan: New Super Mario Bros. Wii Still Selling Strong
5. Gamer Syndrome Video Game Podcast Episode 2

Source: http://gamersyndrome.com/2012/video-games/best-video-game-based-gashapon-toys-from-japan/

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Astronomers spot pair of 'Tatooine' planets orbiting twin suns

In a cosmic first, astronomers have discovered two alien planets orbiting two stars, not unlike Luke Skywalker's home planet of Tatooine in the Star Wars films.

By Charles Q. Choi,?SPACE.com / August 29, 2012

An artist's illustration of the alien solar system Kepler-47, a twin star system that is home to two planets. The planets have two suns like the fictional planet Tatooine in the "Star Wars" universe.

NASA/JPL-Caltech/T. Pyle

Enlarge

Astronomers have for the first time discovered two alien planets whirling around a pair of stars: a complete solar system with twin suns just like Luke Skywalker's fictional home world Tatooine.

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Most stars like our sun are not singletons, but rather come in pairs that orbit each other. Scientists had found planets in these binary systems, so-called circumbinary?planets with two suns like Tatooine?in the "Star Wars" universe.

To find more circumbinary planets, astronomers analyzed data from NASA's prolific?Kepler space telescope, which has detected more than 2,300 potential alien worlds since its March 2009 launch. Kepler had to date detected four systems with circumbinary planets ? Kepler-16, 34, 35 and 38.

The scientists have now announced the detection of Kepler-47, the first system seen with multiple worlds encircling a pair of stars. The star and its planets, called Kepler-47b and Kepler-47c, dwell about 5,000 light-years away, in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. [Planets of the Tatooine-like Solar System (Gallery)]

"Kepler-47 shows us that binary stars can have close-in planetary systems, just like the ones we see in single stars," study lead author Jerome Orosz at San Diego State University told SPACE.com. "Most of the stars in the galaxy are in binary or higher-order multiple systems, so the fact that planetary systems can exist in these types of systems is important. If we were restricted to looking for planets around single stars, we would be missing most of the stars in the galaxy."

Spotting "Tatooine" solar system

The planets are much too far away to see with the naked eye. Rather, they were discovered by the drop in brightness they cause when they cross in front of, or transit, their host stars.

This dimming is tiny, only 0.08 percent for planet Kepler-47b and 0.2 percent for planet Kepler-47c. By comparison, Venus blocked about 0.1 percent of the sun's surface during its recent transit. Data from Kepler enabled researchers to deduce the relative sizes of the objects and orbits. They also relied on follow-up observations performed by telescopes at the McDonald Observatory in West Texas.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/science/~3/xcOOfuwUqVA/Astronomers-spot-pair-of-Tatooine-planets-orbiting-twin-suns

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After Facebook Chat, Samsung Surprises Fan With World's Only Personalized Galaxy S III

Here's the Internet version of a fairy-tale ending between consumer and brand: Loyal Customer Shane Bennett requests a free, expensive product from Giant Corporation Samsung Canada in a Facebook message, with attached doodle of a dinosaur breathing fire. Giant Corporation declines, responding with a polite rationale and a doodle of a kangaroo on a unicycle. Loyal Customer posts the exchange on reddit, praising Giant Corporation and spawning feel-good media story. As a thank you for the ensuing glut of positive exposure (and smelling opportunity for more), Giant Corporation, with help from Large Agency Cheil Canada, sends Loyal Customer the free expensive product after all (a Galaxy S3, to be exact), personalized with a drawing of the aforementioned fire-breathing dinosaur. Loyal Customer and Giant Corporation live happily ever after. Internet cynics suspect a guerrilla marketing ploy. Takeaway for businesses: If you're not an asshole in customer relations, and you go even just a little bit out of your way to show you have a soul, you will reap the benefits in spades.

Source: http://adweek.feedsportal.com/c/34792/f/641558/s/22e8df67/l/0L0Sadweek0N0Cadfreak0Cafter0Efacebook0Echat0Esamsung0Esurprises0Efan0Eworlds0Eonly0Epersonalized0Egalaxy0Es0Eiii0E143245/story01.htm

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Living Peaceful, Abundant, Healthy Lifestyles: The story of the ...

The old colonialist regime is Asia is falling apart fast and hysterical efforts to fan ?territorial disputes,? will not save it. This can be seen in a flood of new revelations coming from the new regime in North Korea as well as in signals being put out by the new government scheduled to take power in China in November.
The latest revelation from North Korea is the stuff of fairy tales. Yokota Megumi, the 13-year old girl spirited away from Japan in 1977 is a member of the Japanese imperial family, according to multiple Japanese, North Korean and Chinese sources. She was taken to be married to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in order to give the Kim dynasty imperial legitimacy. Her son, new North Korean leader Kim Jon-un, is now suggesting Yokota be given the title of ?Empress Dowager.?
The North Koreans are saying they are representatives of the old imperial Japanese regime that was pushing for a greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere during World War 2.
The Chinese for their part, are also preparing for a ?paradigm shift,? in power that will be preceded by a major purge of banks and industrial conglomerates linked to the old regime.
First, let us look at the latest North Korean revelations as revealed by multiple sources including a retired senior North Korean yakuza boss in Japan.
The story goes back, as we have previously written, to the end of World War 2 when remnants of the Japanese imperial army in China set up the nation of North Korea.
After the war, they resumed their contacts with their Nazi allies who had now set up the Odessa underground.
The Nazis, operating through the CIA, allied themselves with remnants of the former Japanese military regime in North Korea to set up a secret ?anti-communist? control grid in Japan after the war.
The Nazis, for their part, were still trying to establish their 1000 year New World Order 4th Reich while their Asian allies were still fighting to set up the Asian co-prosperity sphere: same bed, same enemies, different dreams.
During the Vietnam war the North Koreans sent special forces to Vietnam to fight against the West. When any of these troops were captured most of them committed suicide by using cyanide capsules but some survived, according to a Japanese agent who questioned them. The survivors, under questioning, said they were in Vietnam fighting on behalf of the Greater East Asian Co-prosperity sphere.
It was also during this time the North Koreans began kidnapping Japanese to recruit as agents, according to the North Korean yakuza boss and multiple other sources. Japanese author Mishima Yukio was at this time shown a video of the Ishikawa Prefecture (the closest part of Japan to North Korea) Police cooperating with the North Koreans in the kidnapping of Japanese citizens.
An enraged Mishima showed the video to then Chief Cabinet Secretary Horii Shigeru and Ishihara Shintaro (now governor of Tokyo). Horii took no action and Ishihara said ?I will pretend I did not see that video,? according to the sources. Disgust at this reaction was one of the reasons for Mishima?s public suicide by Hara Kiri at the Japan self-Defense Force headquarters.
After the cold-war ended, a US defector to North Korea by the name of Charles Jenkins contacted US authorities and said he wanted to surrender and be granted immunity in exchange for revealing the North Korean spy network in Japan.
This marked the beginning of the anti-North Korean kidnapping hysteria in Japan that culminated in a trip by then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to North Korea to repatriate some kidnapping victims. Koizumi brought with him a 1.4 trillion yen bribe as a gift to North Korea at the time to pay for the return of the kidnappees.
The head of the Aozora bank, Tadashi Honma, (here is a link to a censored version of a story I had on Forbes about some of this:
http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2000/1030/6612066a.html
was killed in a murder made to look like a suicide in order to prevent him from objecting to his bank?s funds being used for this purpose. He was forced to write a will at gun point and was then injected with sleeping drugs before being strangled to death, according to a senior member of the gang that carried out the hit.
In any case, the US Nazi authorities, terrified of losing their secret North Korean control grid in Japan, offered the North Koreans a regular supply of high quality forged ?super K? (and similar) US dollar bills as well as an Asian amphetamines monopoly in exchange for a promise they would continue acting as the ?bad guys.? They also provided them with nuclear weapons and missile technology as a part of the package, according to multiple sources.
However, the Kim Jong-un regime is tired of being the Asian boogey man for Nazis and other Western fascist groups. That is why they have begun revealing many of their secrets such as the true story of Yokota Megumi.
Yokota has been reluctant to reveal herself in the past because the fact was she preferred the life of Empress of North Korea to the dull middle class life that would have awaited her in Japan. Now, however, she has gone to meet her parents in Japan and reveal her true situation. This is being widely reported on the internet in Japan but the fascist control grid on the newspapers and TV is still keeping these new revelations under wraps. This information embargo will be broken soon.
The remnants of the Nazi puppet regime in Japan are terrified of the world at large learning about their criminal activities, including the Sarin subway gas poisoning attacks and the March 11, 2011 Nuclear and Tsunami mass murder.
For that reason two of the major North Korean agencies in Japan, the Sokka Gakkai Buddhist Sect and the North Korean Citizens Association of Japan are being actively blackmailed by Nazi puppet police agents.
In specific, they are being threatened with prosecution over a 15 billion yen slush fund of money taken from fraudulent welfare receipts and managed at 5% a year interest on their behalf by Mizuho Bank, according to the yakuza boss and other sources.
In a further sign of hysteria, the Nazis recently took a bunch of dupes and agents from Hong Kong and had them land near a secret US missile base on the disputed Senkakau (Diaoyu) islands to raise a Chinese flag. According to Chinese government sources these agents were all bribed to visit the Islands and were surprised they had been allowed to land there. It is difficult to imagine unarmed Chinese agents arriving on a fishing boat to be allowed to land near a secretive US missile base without US permission. Later of course, Japanese dupes were brought to the Islands as ?retaliation.?
This show aimed at provoking jingoist sentiment in the region is really just a sign of moral bankruptcy by the Nazi regime that seized power in the US.
Another agent, the puppet president Lee Myung-bak of South Korea also cooperated in the latest foolishness by provoking nationalist sentiment over another small batch of disputed rocks lying in between Japan and South Korea.
Of course, all of these maneuvers are being interpreted as nothing more than signs of desperation and moral bankruptcy on the part of the old regime.
The new Chinese government to be headed by Xi Jinping has already begun preparations for big changes in Asia this fall. The recent slowdown in the Chinese economy, for example, is linked to a purge against banks and industrial enterprises that ?got too independent? from the Chinese government during the last regime.
There is also a major anti-corruption campaign being prepared for the arrival of the new regime. One example is the masses of empty greenhouses set up near Beijing for the sole purpose of collecting government subsidies, the Chinese source says.
In any case, the White Dragon Society has proposed to the Asians and their BRICs and non-aligned movement allies that the time has come to make a decisive move. One recommendation has been for these nations to offer to buy up all existing US dollars (except those linked to derivatives and other fraud) and replace them with a new ?world dollar or yuan.? After a certain period, all of the members of the 150-nation anti-imperialist alliance would then refuse to accept old dollars issued by the Federal Reserve Board crime syndicate.
In Japan as well a decisive move against the old regime will be made but we cannot divulge any of the details at this time.
The regime changes due this autumn in the US, China and Japan will provide a wonderful opportunity to deal a decisive blow to the genocidal Nazi cabal.
The people of the world are tired of thugs and criminals provoking wars and mayhem and spreading lies aimed at causing trouble and discord amongst peoples. The time has come to demand that these thugs cease their anti-social behavior and rejoin civilization. We want world peace followed by a massive campaign to end poverty, stop environmental destruction and create an ideal planet. After this, the research money spent on war and mass murder will be dedicated to health, improved life, increases in bio-diversity and peaceful expansion into the universe.

http://benjaminfulford.net/

Source: http://shastaconnect.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-story-of-kidnapped-13-year-old.html

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Samsung announces ATIV S, a 4.8-inch Windows Phone 8 device

Samsung took to the stage in Berlin to showcase its new product lineup, and one of the featured devices is the first confirmed Windows Phone 8 device. Dubbed the ATIV S, the new Microsoft-sanctioned smartphone offers a 4.8-inch screen with an HD Super AMOLED display, a 1.5GHz dual-core Qualcomm CPU, 8MP rear camera and 1.9MP front-facing cam. Additionally, it's got a beefy 2,300mAh battery, 1GB RAM, Gorilla Glass 2 and will come in both 16 and 32GB flavors. At 8.7mm, it's also reasonably thin. Its body is made of brushed aluminum and comes with a WP8-friendly MicroSD slot. We've got another pic of the ATIV S below, and we'll have a hands-on to you as soon as possible.

Check out all of our IFA 2012 coverage at our event hub!

Continue reading Samsung announces ATIV S, a 4.8-inch Windows Phone 8 device

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless, Mobile

Samsung announces ATIV S, a 4.8-inch Windows Phone 8 device originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 29 Aug 2012 13:14:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/29/samsung-announces-ativ-s-a-4-8-inch-windows-phone-8-device/

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More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

As the OnLive storm continues to ride itself out, details of who the winners and losers are (mainly losers) keep washing up on the shore. Today's casualty seems to be CEO Steve Perlman himself, who -- just days after the firm reinventing itself -- is "departing to work on his myriad of other projects." In his place the former COO, Charlie Jablonski, is temporarily taking the reins, as well as continuing his role as head of operations in the new organization. Finally, completing this wave of announcements, is the news that chief investor, Gary lauder, will officially take the title of Chairman. So, as the new incarnation settles into its new structure, we'll just have to sit tight, waiting to see what the next chapter in the OnLive story is.

Continue reading More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman

Filed under: Gaming, Internet

More OnLive management moves: Perlman out, as investor Lauder settles for Chairman originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 28 Aug 2012 08:43:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/08/28/more-onlive-management-moves-perlman-out-as-investor-lauder-se/

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Many social gamers are spenders, most regret their spending

By Ken Y-N ( August 28, 2012 at 00:34) ? Filed under Business, Gaming, Internet, Polls

According to a recent survey from Just Systems and reported on by japan.internet.com into social gaming, almost half the players had spent money on it, and 60% of them regretted their purchases!

Demographics

Between the 10th and 13th of August 2012 1,000 members of the Just Systems-affiliated FastAsk monitor group who played social games completed a private internet-based questionnaire. No further demographics were given.

My wife spends what is, I suppose, technically real money on social games. She is a member of a number of online survey sites, and rather than cashing out, she transfers saved points to social games, in particular Oshare Dorobo, (perhaps ?The Elegant Thief?) a Dress-Up Barbie-type game where in order to complete some quests you need (or so she claims) to buy particular hairdos which are only available from a random vending machine that costs 300 yen per spin. It?s probably about 1,500 yen?s worth of points per month she gets through, and I wish she?d never told me about the month she won 5,000 yen?s worth of tokens?

Research results

Q1: Have you ever spent money on in-game items, etc for social games? (Sample size=1,000)

Q1SQ1: Do you regret, have you reflected on using money in social games? (Sample size=485)

Regret, reflected on	26.4%
Perhaps regret, reflected on	34.2%
Perhaps don?t regret, reflect on	20.8%
Don?t regret, reflect on	18.6%

Q1SQ2: On average, about how much money do you use per month in social games? (Sample size=485)

Up to 1,000 yen	55.3%
Up to 2,500 yen	22.1%
Up to 5,000 yen	12.4%
Up to 7,500 yen	1.9%
Up to 10,000 yen	4.1%
Up to 20,000 yen	1.2%
Up to 30,000 yen	0.8%
More than 30,000 yen	2.3%

Q1SQ3: What is the most money you?ve used in a month in social games? (Sample size=485)

Up to 1,000 yen	33.8%
Up to 2,500 yen	19.0%
Up to 5,000 yen	20.6%
Up to 7,500 yen	4.5%
Up to 10,000 yen	9.7%
Up to 20,000 yen	5.8%
Up to 30,000 yen	1.6%
More than 30,000 yen	4.9%

Q2: Do you regret, have you reflected on the time you?ve spent playing social games? (Sample size=1,000)

Regret, reflected on	12.8%
Perhaps regret, reflected on	28.4%
Perhaps don?t regret, reflect on	26.8%
Don?t regret, reflect on	32.0%

Of the 412 people who have reflected on their wasted time, 55.6% want to reduce their play time, and 16.3% want to stop completely.

Read more on: just systems,social game

Permalink

Related articles:

One in four social gamers have bought items

Partner?s stinginess that leaves you cold

Online gaming in Japan

Things to give up when married

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/WhatJapanThinks/~3/jCKp5GWqXnw/

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After Apple's $1B legal victory, Samsung's shares drop 7%

After Apple?s $1B legal victory, Samsung?s shares drop 7%

Samsung Electronics started the week by facing consequences of having definitively lost to Apple in their U.S. patent lawsuit. Its shares fell by more than 7 percent Monday morning, wiping nearly $12 billion off Samsung?s market value.

In a landmark legal decision late Friday, a federal jury in San Jose, Calif. determined [PDF]?that Samsung infringed on several patents held by Apple, and called for more than $1 billion in damages.

Samsung, which already declared its intention to appeal, said in a statement: ?Today?s verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple, but as a loss for the American consumer.?

The Aug. 24 ruling affects 21 Samsung devices, all except two of the devices Apple named in its suit. Each was evaluated individually, with the top three infringers being Samsung?s Epic 4G., the Fascinate, and the Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch (pictured).

Three patents proved to be the most crucial: Patent 381, which includes inertial scrolling and the ?rubber band? effect; Patent 163, which covers zooming in by tapping; and Patent 915, a programming interface for gestures. Several design elements were also determined to infringe.

Samsung circulated a memo to employees that it has now translated into English and made public on its blog. In it, the Korean company said this latest verdict runs contrary to previous rulings in United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Korea.

?History has shown there has yet to be a company that has won the hearts and minds of consumers and achieved continuous growth, when its primary means to competition has been the outright abuse of patent law, not the pursuit of innovation,? the memo reads. ?We trust that the consumers and the market will side with those who prioritize innovation over litigation, and we will prove this beyond doubt.?

Related links:

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California ? ruling,?Apple Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. et al. [PDF]?

Samsung ? memo to employees

All Things D ? Next Stop for Apple-Samsung: Appeals Court

All Things D ? Jury: Samsung Owes Apple More Than $1 Billion for Infringing Patents

Financial Times ? Samsung slams Apple ?patent law abuse?

CNN ? Samsung to fight court ruling in Apple patent dispute

Bloomberg ? Samsung Slumps Most in 4 Years on U.S. Sales Ban Concerns

Reuters ? Samsung shares shed $12 billion after Apple?s legal victory

Wall Street Journal ? Samsung Shares Plunge After Patents Verdict

MarketWatch ? Samsung legal defeat unlikely to hit profit much

USA Today ? Jury: Samsung violated Apple patents, owes more than $1B

Ars Technica ? Apple v. Samsung juror: we ?wanted to send a message?

New York Times ? Jury Awards $1 Billion to Apple in Samsung Patent Case

PC Magazine ? Apple Patent Breakdown: Which Samsung Tech, Gadgets Infringe?

Source: http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2012/08/27/after-apples-1b-legal-victory-samsungs-shares-drop-7

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Comparing Simple Methods For Successful Product Launches ...

New launches are introduced on the internet on a daily basis. Some of them do terribly, but others do very well. The day that the product launched is the most important day because it is the first time that you have to impress your customers. This is the day that you product can utilize the product launch to its benefit and make tons of money in internet sales. In addition, the launch day is the day that you can make tons of money, if you know how to do it. Does that make you realize how important it is to have the right launch for your product? Below are a few of the items that you should keep in mind when you prepare to launch your product.

Using the Influence of Others: Seth Godin has a special name for the popular members of a niche whose word of mouth promotion can cause anything to go viral; he calls them ?sneezers.? Make sure you are in touch with these people. Do some work to figure out who the most influential people in your niche are and then make sure that those people are interested in the product that you will soon be launching. You need to make sure that people actually hear you when you launch a product of your own. The reason why you need to do this is because nothing comes close to a personal recommendation by someone who is well known in the market. Success is going to depend upon how well you can network with the professionals in your field. Gather Feedback: Try emailing your customers a survey to find out what their needs are, if you already have a list. You will ensure that your product is actually in demand when you learn about the interests of your target audiences through your existing customers. Thank your customers for their time after you get the feedback, then tell them about the product you?re developing and how it will address their needs. In this way, your current customers are kept in the loop about the new products you want to launch. Your customers will be more likely to buy your product when you let them know about upcoming products and how they will benefit. Navigate to bit.ly/O5lxlz for quality tips.

Leverage Social Media: If you?re launching a product on the Internet and not using social media to create a stronger buzz then you?re leaving a lot of money on the table. With social sites like Facebook and Twitter it?s become much easier to reach out to your prospects/customers and provide them with regular updates. Keep everyone updated about the product you?re going to launch using social media sites. These social sites will provide a massive response when you do launch your product and it may even go viral.

In order for your product launch to be successful, it will mean hard work and a huge commitment from you. It is imperative that you do whatever it takes to make sure that your product launch is successful. Once your product has been released to the public, you should get a lot of new sales because of the preparation you did before launching the product. The tips that were made in this article will help you to have a launch day that is very successful.

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Source: http://lmaureen.com/comparing-simple-methods-for-successful-product-launches/

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Assad's forces accused of massacre near Syrian capital

AMMAN (Reuters) - Syrian opposition activists accused President Bashar al-Assad's army on Sunday of massacring scores of people in a town close to the capital that it recently recaptured from rebels.

More than 200 bodies, some of them women and children, were found in houses and basements around Daraya, according to activists who said most had been killed "execution-style" by troops during house-to-house raids.

Due to restrictions on non-state media in Syria, it was impossible to independently verify the accounts.

"Assad's army has committed a massacre in Daraya," said Abu Kinan, an activist in the town, using an alias to protect himself from reprisals.

The killings in Daraya, a working class Sunni Muslim town that sustained three days of heavy bombardment before being overrun by the army on Friday, raised the daily death toll to 440 people on Saturday, one of the highest since the uprising started in March last year, the Local Coordination Committees, an activist network, said.

Video footage from activists showed numerous bodies of young men side-by-side at the Abu Suleiman al-Darani mosque in Daraya, many with what looked like gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

"A massacre," said the voice of the man who appeared to be taking the footage. "You are seeing the revenge of Assad's forces ... more than 150 bodies on the floor of this mosque."

The official state news agency said: "Our heroic armed forces cleansed Daraya from remnants of armed terrorist groups who committed crimes against the sons of the town and scared them and sabotaged and destroyed public and private property."

U.N. investigators said in a report this month that both sides in the conflict had performed summary executions - a war crime - but that Assad's troops and militia loyal to the president had committed many more offences than the rebels.

The report said forces loyal to Assad committed a massacre of more than 100 civilians in the town of Houla in May that the government blamed on Islamist "terrorists".

The United Nations estimates that more than 18,000 people have been killed in the conflict that pits a mainly Sunni opposition against a ruling system dominated by the Assad family - members of the Alawite faith, an offshoot of Shi'ite Islam - for the last four decades.

VICE-PRESIDENT NOT DEFECTED

As well as the bloodshed in Damascus and surrounding cities, many were killed in Syria's biggest city Aleppo where rebel-held areas came under heavy bombardment.

State television reported clashes between the army and "terrorists" in a central neighborhood of Aleppo next to the historic Old City and less than 1 km (1,000 yards) away from its ancient citadel.

The Free Hauran Assembly activists' group said a brigadier named Mohammad Hassan al-Haj had defected to Jordan, the latest Sunni officer to desert.

But earlier reports that Vice-President Farouq al-Sharaa had defected were shown to be wrong when he appeared in public for the first time in weeks, meeting Iranian officials, state news agency SANA reported.

Iran, the Middle East's main Shi'ite power which is a close ally of Assad, accuses its adversaries in the West and the Arab world of fuelling the conflict by backing the opposition.

"Fortunately today important countries such as Russia, China and the Islamic Republic of Iran ... are completely opposed to imposed policies on Syria and foreign interference," said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a senior member of Iran's parliament visiting Damascus, Fars news agency reported.

Tehran, defying efforts by the West to isolate it over its nuclear activities opened a summit of developing nations on Sunday where Syria may prove a divisive topic.

The head of the Arab League said both sides of the conflict should stop fighting and start talking.

"Those who wait to achieve a victory in the ongoing conflict in Syria are putting Syria in a big war," Nabil Elaraby told a news conference in Cairo.

"We hope that the sound of reason prevails and that both sides accept mediation efforts."

With Russia leading resistance to Western and Arab pressure for action against Assad, the United Nations Security Council remains deadlocked.

A new U.N. envoy, Algerian diplomat Lakhdar Brahimi, has said he is "humbled and scared" at the task of seeking a peaceful solution to the Syrian crisis.

(Additional reporting by Oliver Holmes in Aleppo, Marwan Makdesi in Damascus, Yeganeh Torbati in Dubai and Tamim Elyan in Cairo; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/assads-forces-accused-massacre-near-syrian-capital-004732012.html

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Selecting Healthy Nutritional Supplements With Less Ingredients ...

You?ve probably observed of the saying ?less is more? a million times by now. But, it is an beneficial declaration when you?re a muscle-builder or a physical wellness and fitness strong who?s in search of healthy items.

There are thousands of nutrient-rich items out there in the market that assurance the sun and the celestial satellite. Yes, there is a lot of 50 percent facts out there that attract many people who are looking for to eat well. You need to be cautious of those things assurance a lot of benefits simply because they have plenty of substances.

In this day and age, the convenience and immediate strategy to decreasing body weight, muscular creating and strength, while improving your physical wellness and fitness can be carried out less all the needless 50 percent facts. By choosing only things that bring a fewer substances, you will be able to recognize which of them truly makes the distinction in your nimbleness and rate and physical wellness and fitness.

This very well for nutritionals that are herb-based. Although a lot of vitamins and minerals have disclaimers that ?there are no known healing claims? and such, you need to know that the consequences may differ from one individual to another. If you also do some research based on each component, you will understand why it was included based on its benefits and health-boosting qualities.

In many healthy items, you will find coffee, pure whey aminoacids protein, teas, and certain 100 % natural substances as primary elements. You should be cautious of the nutrient mineral magnesium vitamin supplement content, artificial covering, and taste that are used on the item. Too much nutrient mineral magnesium vitamin supplement ? more than the set higher bearable restrict of 350mg per day ? can cause restroom operates as high amounts of this substance aspect is usually used as a natural. Some items may use this aspect as item, as well.

As for covering and taste, there?s nothing better than all-natural. If you?re confirming a container or bundle of healthy items loaded with artificial substances, ignore about it. These won?t do your program any fantastic and you will be restricting your physical wellness and fitness in the process as frequent consumption of these healthy items is required while you will work out. Our bodies can only operate well when it is offered with fantastic healthy value from 100 % natural substances. Products for creating muscular mass, decreasing body weight, and improving physical wellness and fitness are only suggested if they contain the best elements.

Lastly, there is nothing incorrect with taking healthy items while you will work out. Those things can improve your nimbleness and rate and improve your strength as they renew what you program uses up at play. So, it is only crucial to take what?s natural less all the 50 percent facts and bogus assures.

No related posts.

Source: http://www.primages.net/selecting-healthy-nutritional-supplements-with-less-ingredients.html

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Stylish Cell Phone Covers | Big Board

Mobile phone is not only the device for communication but it is the part of your lifestyle. That is why adding some accessories there is required to do.

There are some cool?cell phone covers?you can add to your mobile phone. They are phone covers with various great designs that you can choose based on your interest. You can pick girly theme or cartoon theme for your cell phone covers.

It is not difficult to meet those cell phone covers. Both of online and offline stores provide those products for you. Those cell phone covers are going to make your mobile phone looks more stylish.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Source: http://www.access-jobs.us/stylish-cell-phone-covers.html

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Bianca Zuluaga: Chad Johnson Side Piece #2?

Chad Johnson mistresses are popping up left and right in the wake of his recent arrest for head-butting Evelyn Lozada and her subsequent divorce filing.

We're not talking Tiger Woods levels here, but it certainly does not appear the NFL star was faithful ... as if the condom receipt hadn't established this.

A Massachusetts woman, Beverly Shiner, already came forward and said she had a heated affair with the former New England Patriots player this year.

She may not have been alone in the Ochocinco side piece arena.

"Chad has been having an affair with another woman from Miami named Bianca Zuluaga for the past year," an insider revealed to Radar Online.

"Chad would mostly spend time with Bianca while Evelyn was out of town on her book tour or filming. They would even meet at David's Café in Miami."

"[David's] is one of his regular hangout joints and they didn't go to any lengths at all to hide the fact that they were there together."

The sexy brunette liked to cryptically brag about it too, allegedly.

"Whenever she refers to 'chocolate' in her Twitter, she is talking about Chad and admits she has 'Jungle Fever' and loves chocolate men," said the source.

Just two days before Chad wed Evelyn Lozada July 4, Bianca tweeted: "Some people on my Twitter need to stop hating my preference for chocolate!!!"

In earlier postings, she expressed her desire to see her tall, dark man. "I can't take this anymore I need chocolate!!! My body is going into shock!"

Hilariously, his well-documented obsession with Twitter annoyed more than just his employer (the Dolphins cut Chad Johnson right after his arrest).

On June 16, the football player tweeted from the restaurant that he was watching ESPN there, and less than an hour later his alleged lunch date wrote:

"David's Café, I'm back! And I've missed you… but the company sucks, forever tweeting."

Radar also claims Chad was dating stripper Amber Priddy from Atlanta, Ga., who he paid $2,000 each month to cover her rent in the recent past.

[Photo: WENN.com]

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/08/bianca-zuluaga-chad-johnson-side-piece-2/

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Mayor Emanuel to ?ratchet up? his role in preventing teachers strike

BY FRAN SPIELMAN City Hall Reporter fspielman@suntimes.com August 24, 2012 1:02AM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel, pictured Thursday at an unrelated event, is preparing to ?ratchet up? teacher negotiations in a bid to get schools to start on time. | Brian Jackson~Sun Times

storyidforme: 35787124
tmspicid: 13058008
fileheaderid: 6017545

Updated: August 24, 2012 2:25AM

Mayor Rahm Emanuel is preparing to ?ratchet up? negotiations with the Chicago Teachers Union to seal a deal needed to guarantee an on-time Sept. 4 opening of Chicago Public Schools and preserve his signature plan for a longer school day and year, City Hall sources said Thursday.

?He owns this anyway, and he?s gonna need to ratchet it up to close it,? said a mayoral confidant, who asked to remain anonymous.

Emanuel is already visiting several schools a day to drive home the point that 140,000 kids have already started school and cannot be left in the lurch by a teachers strike.

Early next week, sources said the mayor plans to step it up a notch by having a ?second level of negotiations with more senior people? away from the same cast of characters currently at the bargaining table.

The second tier of negotiations is likely to include Beth Swanson, Emanuel?s point person on education, and ?someone from Washington, D.C., who is a more moderate, outside senior level? expert capable of ?driving this home,? sources said.

?People who?ve been in those meetings for weeks have war wounds. It?s hard to break through that,? the Emanuel confidant said.

Community groups and Emanuel?s education ?surrogates? are also expected to turn up the heat by orchestrating a series of news conferences, protest marches and rallies warning both sides not to ?do this to our kids.?

And, if and when the talks appear to be nearing the goal line, sources said Emanuel is prepared to do what his predecessor would not: summon the two sides into the mayor?s office to personally broker the final chapter of bargaining.

Former Mayor Richard M. Daley never got personally involved in labor negotiations, unlike his father.

Instead, Daley delegated the responsibility to negotiators, remained at arm?s length and inevitably ended up agreeing to contracts taxpayers could not afford to maintain labor peace.

Daley was timid and notoriously risk-averse when it came to labor negotiations.

Emanuel has no such compunction. He brokered many a difficult deal ? including the auto industry bailout ? during his days as White House chief-of-staff under President Barack Obama.

He?s not afraid to get his hands dirty ? but that should not be confused with weakness.

?If we come to the end, and it?s a choice between a ridiculous settlement and a strike, we would take a strike,? the mayoral confidant said.

?People went into negotiations with Daley knowing he was allergic to strikes. He wound up giving a ton in the end. This mayor can?t cave. It?s what he ran on. The kids will have a longer day, and he?s not gonna bankrupt the system to get it. The only way to do that is to have a more sane contract. He sees this deal as fundamental to that.?

Asked Thursday whether he was prepared to personally intervene in the teacher talks, Emanuel kept the spotlight on his negotiating team.

?The parties [who] need to work on this are at the table. ... And I expect the parties to stay at the table and get this done on behalf of the children of Chicago and on behalf of the taxpayers. ... That?s their responsibility. That?s how we?re all held accountable. And I expect them to do it, since the parties are there,? he said.

Emanuel would probably be inclined to jump into the talks sooner if he had a rapport with CTU President Karen Lewis.

But, their relationship is non-existent. Lewis even went so far as to accuse the mayor of using the f-word during one of their earliest private meetings.

?He and Karen have not had productive meetings in his office,? a mayoral confidant said. ?You hold that as a final card.?

Last month, the two sides appeared to have taken a giant step toward averting Chicago?s first teachers strike in 25 years.

It called for hiring 477 teachers to staff the longer school day ? at a cost of up to $50 million ? so elementary school teachers don?t have to work a minute longer, and rearranging the high school day so teachers there have to work only 14 extra minutes.

Since then, progress appears to have slowed to a crawl. The union complained this week that the teacher hiring deal is not being honored and that the longer school day in schools that started earlier this month has been a flop.

On Thursday, City Hall sources identified teacher hire-backs and pay raises that reward teachers for education and seniority as the two biggest roadblocks standing in the way of an agreement.

The so-called ?step-and-lane? increases that Emanuel wants to eliminate are likely to be preserved in some form but could be offered every other year, sources said. They also might be ?different for new teachers,? the sources said.

Emanuel has cleared his calendar for Labor Day weekend to be available to broker eleventh-hour teacher talks.

He?s even prepared to cancel his trip to the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C. ? and a coveted speech to delegates ? if that?s what it takes to nail down a deal.

The mayor would also skip the convention in the event of a strike. He?s not about to leave town while working parents are scrambling to make alternative plans for their kids.

That?s even though his handpicked school board has authorized $25 million in spending to keep kids occupied, supervised and fed at libraries, Park District fieldhouses, charter schools and churches during a walkout.

Source: http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/14682523-418/mayor-emanuel-to-ratchet-up-his-role-in-preventing-teachers-strike.html

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