Friday, 30 November 2012

Egypt draft constitution sparks mass protest

Egyptian protesters chant anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans as they attend a rally in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Egypt's opposition has called for a major rally Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where some demonstrators have camped out in tents since last week to protest decrees that President Mohammed Morsi issued to grant himself sweeping powers. Hundreds gathered in the plaza for traditional Friday prayers, then broke into chants of "The people want to bring down the regime!" ? echoing the refrain of the Arab Spring revolts, but this time against a democratically elected leader. Other cities around Egypt braced for similar protests.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Egyptian protesters chant anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans as they attend a rally in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Egypt's opposition has called for a major rally Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where some demonstrators have camped out in tents since last week to protest decrees that President Mohammed Morsi issued to grant himself sweeping powers. Hundreds gathered in the plaza for traditional Friday prayers, then broke into chants of "The people want to bring down the regime!" ? echoing the refrain of the Arab Spring revolts, but this time against a democratically elected leader. Other cities around Egypt braced for similar protests.(AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

An Egyptian protesters holds a cross and a Quran as he chants anti-Muslim Brotherhood slogans at an opposition rally in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Egypt's opposition has called for a major rally Friday in Cairo's Tahrir Square, where some demonstrators have camped out in tents since last week to protest decrees that President Mohammed Morsi issued to grant himself sweeping powers. Hundreds gathered in the plaza for traditional Friday prayers, then broke into chants of "The people want to bring down the regime!" ? echoing the refrain of the Arab Spring revolts, but this time against a democratically elected leader. Other cities around Egypt braced for similar protests. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Members of the constitutional assembly attend a session to vote on a final draft of a new Egyptian constitution in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. An Islamist-dominated panel began a fast-track vote on a final draft of a new Egyptian constitution Thursday, pushing through the document despite liberals' boycott in a move likely to stoke a deepening political crisis between the Islamist president and the opposition.(AP Photo/Mohammed Abu Zaid)

The Islamist-dominated panel vote on a final draft of a new Egyptian constitution in Cairo, Egypt, Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012. The assembly, overwhelmingly made up of allies of President Mohammed Morsi, abruptly moved up the vote which hadn't been expected to take place for another two months in order to pass the draft before Egypt's Supreme Constitution Court rules on Sunday on whether to dissolve the panel. (AP Photo/Mohammed Asad)

A man sleeps on a bench among others, some who have camped out in tents since last week, as opposition groups plan to gather for a major rally in Tahrir Square, Cairo, Egypt, Friday, Nov. 30, 2012. Islamists approved a draft constitution for Egypt early Friday without the participation of liberal and Christian members, seeking to pre-empt a court ruling that could dissolve their panel with a rushed, marathon vote that further inflames the conflict between the opposition and President Mohammed Morsi. (AP Photo/Thomas Hartwell)

(AP) ? Giant crowds of protesters packed Cairo's Tahrir Square and marched in other cities Friday vowing to stop a draft constitution that Islamist allies of President Mohammed Morsi approved hours earlier in a rushed, all-night session without the participation of liberals and Christians.

Anger at Morsi even spilled over into a mosque where the Islamist president joined weekly Friday prayers. In his sermon, the mosque's preacher compared Morsi to Islam's Prophet Muhammad, saying the prophet had enjoyed vast powers as leader, giving a precedent for the same to happen now.

"No to tyranny!" congregants chanted, interrupting the cleric. Morsi took to the podium and told the worshippers that he too objected to the language of the sheik and that one-man rule contradicts Islam.

Crowds of protesters marched from several locations in Cairo, converging in central Tahrir Square for the opposition's second mass rally in a week against Morsi. They chanted, "Constitution: Void!" and "The people want to bring down the regime" as fireworks went off.

The crowd appeared comparable in size to the more than 200,000 anti-Morsi protesters who thronged Tahrir on Tuesday. Tens of thousands more marched Friday in Alexandria and other cities.

In contrast to the largely leaderless uprising by youth activists against autocrat Hosni Mubarak last year, a more energized, cohesive leadership has started to emerge in the new campaign against Morsi, Egypt's first freely elected president. It is made up of a number of prominent liberal, secular and moderate Islamist politicians, notably reform advocate Mohamed ElBaradei.

"We are determined to continue with all peaceful means, whatever it takes to defend our legitimate rights," ElBaradei told the Tahrir crowd, saying the draft constitution must be voided.

His ally, senior opposition leader Hamdeen Sabbahi, vowed protests would go on until "we topple the constitution."

"The revolution is back ... We shall be victorious," said Sabbahi, a liberal politician who came in a surprisingly close third in last summer's presidential election. "We are united against the oppressive regime."

The protests were sparked by the president's decrees a week ago granting himself sweeping powers and neutralizing the judiciary, the last check on his authority. The edicts tapped into a feeling among many Egyptians that Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood, from which he hails, are using their election victories to monopolize power and set up a new one-party state, nearly two years after the fall of autocrat Hosni Mubarak.

But the sudden adoption of a draft constitution by the Islamist-dominated assembly tasked with producing the document throws the confrontation into a new phase.

The draft must now be put to a nationwide referendum for public approval, likely to be held in mid-December. Morsi is expected on Saturday to announce the date. He says his new powers are in effect until the referendum passes.

The opposition appeared determined to launch a street campaign aimed at blocking the document from coming to a referendum.

They are also counting on a revolt by the judiciary, where opposition to Morsi's edicts runs strong. The Supreme Constitutional Court is to rule on Sunday whether to dissolve the constitutional assembly. If it does so, the effect on the draft already adopted by the assembly is unclear. In part it may be a question of whose legitimacy is stronger and whose public support is larger.

If the charter does come to a referendum, the opposition is faced with the choice of boycotting in protest or trying to rally the public to vote to reject the draft.

In every scenario, Egypt's most polarizing and volatile crisis since Mubarak's ouster is likely to deepen. The past week, clashes between Morsi's supporters and opponents left two dead and hundreds wounded and raised fears of further chaos.

The Brotherhood and other Islamists plan their own massive rally backing Morsi on Saturday. Already on Friday, Brotherhood activists were passing out fliers calling for the public to come out and "support Islamic law." A number of Muslim clerics in Friday sermons in the southern city of Assiut called the president's opponents "thugs" and "enemies of God and Islam."

The draft constitution has an Islamist bent. It strengthens provisions that set Islamic law as the basis of legislation, gives clerics a still undefined role in ensuring laws meet Shariah and commits the state to enforce morals and "the traditional family" in broad language that rights activists fear could be used to severely limit many civil liberties.

At the same time, it installs new protections for Egyptians against some abuses of the Mubarak era, such as stronger bans on torture and arbitrary arrest. It weakens somewhat what had been the near total powers of the presidency, giving parliament greater authorities.

Almost all liberal and secular members of the assembly had quit in the past weeks to protest what they called Islamists' hijacking of the drafting process.

As a result, 85 members ? almost all Islamists, with no Christians ? participated in the session that began Thursday. The voting, which had not been expected for another two months, was hastily moved up to approve the draft before the Constitutional Court rules Sunday.

Racing against the clock, the members voted article by article for 16 hours on the draft's more than 230 articles, passing them all by large margins.

The rush resulted in a process that at times appeared slap-dash. Assembly head Hossam al-Ghiryani doggedly pushed the members to finish.

When one article received 16 objections, he pointed out that would require postponing the vote 48 hours under the body's rules. "Now I'm taking the vote again," he said, and all but four members dropped their objections.

In the session's final hours, several new articles were hastily written up and swiftly voted on to resolve lingering issues. One significant change would reduce the size of the Supreme Constitutional Court by nearly a third to 11 judges, removing several younger, sharply anti-Brotherhood judges.

The voting ended just after sunrise Friday, to a round of applause from the members.

"This constitution represents the diversity of the Egyptian people. All Egyptians, male and female, will find themselves in this constitution," declared Essam el-Erian, a representative of the Muslim Brotherhood.

But the opposition denounced the vote as a farce.

Among the protesters in Tahrir on Friday, Salwa Mustafa said the constitution was "cooked up."

Her daughter, Basma Mohieddin, who was marching with her, added, "We must not let this charter reach the referendum because you know that people are easily fooled. We have to stop it right now and cancel it."

Speaking in an interview on state TV aired late Thursday, Morsi said the constitution's swift passage was necessary to get Egypt through a transitional period in which there has been no elected lower house of parliament. The courts dissolved the Brotherhood-led lower house elected last winter.

"The most important thing of this period is that we finish the constitution, so that we have a parliament under the constitution, elected properly, an independent judiciary, and a president who executes the law," Morsi said.

Rights group Amnesty International said Friday that the adopted text of the constitution has provisions that purport to protect rights but instead "mask new restrictions."

As in past constitutions, the new draft said the "principles of Islamic law" will be the basis of law.

Previously, the term "principles" allowed wide leeway in interpreting Shariah. But in the draft, a separate new article is added that seeks to define "principles" by pointing to particular theological doctrines and their rules. That could give Islamists the tool for insisting on stricter implementation of rulings of Shariah.

Another new article states that Egypt's most respected Islamic institution, Al-Azhar, must be consulted on any matters related to Shariah, a measure critics fear will lead to oversight of legislation by clerics.

The draft also includes bans on "insulting or defaming all prophets and messengers" or even "insulting humans" ? broad language that analysts warned could be used to crack down on many forms of speech.

The draft says citizens are equal under the law but an article specifically establishing women's equality was dropped because of disputes over the phrasing.

One article underlines that the state will protect "the true nature of the Egyptian family ... and promote its morals and values." The phrasing suggests the state could prevent anything deemed to undermine the family.

Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, Amnesty's deputy director for the region, said the document "blocks the path to equality between men and women. It is appalling that virtually the only references to women relate to the home and family."

___

Associated Press writers Sarah El Deeb and Lee Keath contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-11-30-Egypt/id-14f134a065bd4c43a5d9f58d0acac615

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Article Marketing will Get the Best Link Popularity for an Online ...

As an online business owner your success depends on the amount of targeted traffic that you manage to generate to your website. Link popularity is a term used to measure the number and quality of links to your website that happens when other websites link to yours. Focusing on building links to your website is where you need to concentrate your efforts.

There are a number of different methods that you can use to begin building back links to your website, but the majority of them take time and a certain amount of effort, and some of them can also be a pretty tedious and boring task to undertake. As long as search engines continue to rank your website by measuring the link popularity you will have to keep working on link building practices. Unfortunately it is not the kind of thing that you can do once and forget about it.

The good thing about building link popularity to your online business website is that it need not be difficult, as you can vary the tasks involved to make it more interesting to do. Here are some of the ways that you can get links to your site, keeping in mind that one way back links are superior to any other kind.

Commenting on other peoples? blogs or in forums is a good way to build links as you can usually add a link to your website within your signature. You can submit your website to the various search engines or you can do article marketing, which is in my opinion is one of the best and least boring ways of building link popularity to a website.

Admittedly it does take more time to write and submit articles to article directories than it takes to submit your website or comment in forums but the rewards can be so much greater when it is done correctly.

The secret to writing and submitting articles to get the links to your online business website is to do the job consistently. This can often be difficult for many internet marketers, but there is a solution and that is to outsource the writing of your articles to someone else. There are thousands of freelance article writers online and many of them can be found on websites such as Elance.com, but if you know your subject and your audience well then it is usually quicker and better to write your own articles.

If you decide that you would rather have someone else ghost write your articles then make sure that you supply them with the keywords you want them to focus on. In the beginning it is best to use keyword phrases which are less competitive as this will give you the opportunity of getting your website ranked more quickly. You can find good keywords to use by researching them using a tool like Google Adwords which is free to use. The more focused and relevant your keywords are the better the one way back links to your website will be.

You can develop your own article marketing strategy, but one way to do it is to write say five articles in one day, in other words make a day that you do nothing but write articles, and then trickle the submission to the various directories. If you are short of time there are some excellent article submission sites that will submit your articles for you and they will submit to hundreds of article directories. Some of them even have a service where they will trickle you articles so that they are spread out over a period of time to the different directories, and they also have the software for you to basically spin the article so that the same article appears differently in the various directories.

It is well worth investing in an article submitting service as they can do the job much more efficiently than you can yourself and it will save you many hours of boring labor. Another way to build link popularity to your online business website is by bookmarking your articles which will increase traffic to your site and improve the number of sales that you make.

Source: http://americanews.hooobo.com/2012/11/28/article-marketing-will-get-the-best-link-popularity-for-an-online-home-business-website/

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Source: http://fussily-designational.blogspot.com/2012/11/article-marketing-will-get-best-link.html

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Source: http://ruthzigler.typepad.com/blog/2012/11/article-marketing-will-get-the-best-link-popularity-for-an-online.html

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Thursday, 29 November 2012

Debt Crisis Solutions are Leaving Investors Behind

Bullion Vault Article of the Week

by Ben Traynor, Bullion Vault

How the losses are being paid for...

It used to be taken for granted that you could put aside some money and earn enough interest to be better off than when you started.

As the world continues to struggle with the aftermath of an enormous credit boom and its subsequent bust, though, this kind of objective seems hopelessly na?ve. Events in Europe and the US this week are the latest reminder of this. To see why, let's start with a riddle:

If I owe you ?10,000, and the amount of money I have is zero, is it possible to let me off the hook without you taking a loss?

Follow up:

The question is rather silly, yet it is analogous to the one facing policymakers in Europe right now as they decide what to do about Greece.

Here's the problem in a nutshell: Greece was tasked with reducing its debt-to-GDP ratio to a 'sustainable' 120% by 2020 (by complete coincidence the ratio for the Eurozone's biggest debtor Italy at the time the target was set last year). That wasn't not enough time, Euro politicians decided last week, so they extended the deadline to 2022.

Christine Lagarde, managing director at the International Monetary Fund, was not happy about this. She would rather see the deadline stay as 2020, with the debt being reduced directly by further write downs. Germany and other Euro members are averse to this since it would impose further losses on creditors. Private sector Greek bondholders were burned back in February, compelled to take losses as part of a restructuring deal.

A further write down might also hit the European Central Bank, which has already agreed to forego profits on its Greek bonds. If the ECB takes actual losses, would this not amount to central bank financing of government debt - something prohibited by European treaty? According to Germany, it would.

So we have a problem where a debtor cannot pay and creditors don't want to take a hit (and in the case of the ECB may not legally do so, many argue). Naturally the first maneuver is to give the debtor a bit more time, which is exactly what Eurozone politicians did last week.

This will only achieve so much though. The latest figures show the Greek economy is still contracting; policymakers will have to buy an awful lot of time if Greece is to pay down the debt through economic growth alone.

So what else can be done? This is where the people at the top are yet to reach agreement. One of the suggestions doing the rounds is to lower the interest rate Greece pays on its bailout loans, a classic move to lower the real, inflation-adjusted value of debt.

Just ask Ben Bernanke. In a speech given this week the Federal Reserve chairman reiterated the need to maintain loose monetary policy for the foreseeable future.? He said:

"A highly accommodative stance of monetary policy will remain appropriate for a considerable time after the economic recovery strengthens."

Bernanke also repeated his call for US lawmakers to sort out the deficit, arguing that monetary policy can only provide a supportive environment; it cannot solve fiscal problems. Note that Bernanke is a deficit hawk:

"Even as fiscal policymakers address the urgent issue of longer-run fiscal sustainability, they should not ignore a second key objective: to avoid unnecessarily adding to the headwinds that are already holding back the economic recovery."

In other words, the US government should maintain borrowing near record levels, while also trying to get borrowing onto that sustainable path.

It's a tricky balance, but Bernanke seems confident America's politicians can pull it off:

"Fortunately, the two objectives are fully compatible and mutually reinforcing. Preventing a sudden and severe contraction in fiscal policy early next year will support the transition of the economy back to full employment; a stronger economy will in turn reduce the deficit and contribute to achieving long-term fiscal sustainability. At the same time, a credible plan to put the federal budget on a path that will be sustainable in the long run could help keep longer-term interest rates low and boost household and business confidence, thereby supporting economic growth today."

He may be proven right. But whether he is or not, that "accommodative" policy of below-inflation interest rates is here to stay.

That should give continued support to the gold price. The chart below is from a presentation by Charlie Morris, head of global asset management at HSBC, given at last week's London Bullion Market Association annual conference:


traynor-2012-nov-28-Fig-1

Morris points out that when the annual real rate of interest (i.e. how much you make adjusted for inflation) has been below 2%, gold has tended to do well:

traynor-2012-nov-28-Fig-2

Many investors today would be happy with a real return of flat zero - at least they wouldn't be losing ground.

As the world grapples with the plight of sovereign debtors, though, the idea of getting a reliable real return from an investment is sadly starting to seem rather out-of-date. Moody's downgraded France this week; here's one of the reasons it gave in its ratings rationale:

"...unlike other non-euro area sovereigns that carry similarly high ratings, France does not have access to a national central bank for the financing of its debt in the event of a market disruption."

In other words, if France could just print what it owes, it could probably still be rated triple-A. Creditors would get back the money they lent out, and there would only be the small matter of it being worth a lot less than when they lent it.

That is today's reality. It may be unavoidable given the sheer size of the debt problems affecting much of the globe; but it's a pretty raw deal for those trying to grow or even hang onto the value of their savings.

Please Note: This article is to inform your thinking, not lead it. Only you can decide the best place for your money, and any decision you make will put your money at risk. Information or data included here may have already been overtaken by events - and must be verified elsewhere - should you choose to act on it.


About the Author

 Editor of Gold News, the analysis and investment research site from world-leading gold ownership service BullionVault, Ben Traynor was formerly editor of the Fleet Street Letter, the UK's longest-running investment letter. A Cambridge economics graduate, he is a professional writer and editor with a specialist interest in monetary economics. Ben writes and presents BullionVault's weekly gold market summary on YouTube and can be found on Google+


Source: http://econintersect.com/b2evolution/blog4.php/2012/11/28/debt-crisis-solutions-are-leaving-investors-behind-1

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Disability Information and Insight: New Online B.A. in Disability ...

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Source: http://cnoeblog.blogspot.com/2012/11/new-online-ba-in-disability-studies.html

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Great Expectations: Television's Effect on Your Relationship ...

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Source: http://kelleyerobinson.com/2012/11/28/great-expectations-televisions-effect-on-your-relationship-2/

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Romney adviser brags about losing poor, minority voters?

Mitt Romney can take some solace in his devastating loss on Nov. 6: at least he won the voters who really count.

That's the thesis anyway of top adviser Stuart Stevens, who penned an op-ed in the Washington Post on Wednesday arguing that by winning wealthier and whiter voters, Romney secured the moral victory over Obama.

"On Nov. 6, Mitt Romney carried the majority of every economic group except those with less than $50,000 a year in household income," Stevens wrote. "That means he carried the majority of middle-class voters. While John McCain lost white voters under 30 by 10 points, Romney won those voters by seven points, a 17-point shift."

According to Stevens, "The Republican Party has problems, but as we go forward, let's remember that any party that captures the majority of the middle class must be doing something right." As a result, "Republican ideals -- Mitt Romney -- carried the day."

The argument that poorer voters are inherently inferior seems to undercut the campaign's central message over the last two years: that Romney's top concern was providing jobs for the jobless. The unemployed Americans Romney highlighted in ads, speeches and photo-ops make under $50,000 a year almost by definition and campaign videos like the one below are jarring next to Stevens' latest piece.

Stevens notably never mentioned jobs and unemployment in his op-ed, instead focusing on how Romney championed "the moral case for free enterprise and conservative economics."

Unfortunately for Romney, poor and minority votes counted just the same as the allegedly superior votes Stevens favored. The result was an electoral college blowout for the president powered by strong turnout and margins among young voters, Latinos, African Americans, and women.

But Stevens had an explanation for that, too. Obama was "a charismatic African American president with a billion dollars, no primary and a media that often felt morally conflicted about being critical. How easy is that to replicate?"

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/top-romney-adviser-brags-losing-poor-minority-voters-180955828--politics.html

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Kerry stays quiet as Cabinet speculation swirls (The Arizona Republic)

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Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/267019093?client_source=feed&format=rss

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Wednesday, 28 November 2012

For PayPal, Mobile is a Booming Business

It?s already been a good holiday season for PayPal.

Speaking to a small group of reporters Monday afternoon, PayPal President David Marcus talked about Black Friday weekend, the company as a whole, and also shed light on what we can expect from PayPal in the future.

?It?s been an amazing shopping weekend for us, especially on mobile,? Marcus said. Mobile payments were up a whopping 196% on Cyber Monday. He said that PayPal is seeing an increasing number of consumers buying items with mobile, as well as pre-shopping for major purchases on their mobile devices.

Not just limited to online anymore, PayPal is now available as an in-store payment option at over 17,000 locations worldwide, including Home Depot, Jamba Juice and Abercrombie and Fitch.

That number is only going to get higher, thanks to PayPal?s recent deal with Discover which will reportedly bring the company to 7 million merchants next year.

In a crowded payment space, Marcus said he thinks PayPal will succeed precisely due to its combined in-store and online presence.

?Companies that are solely trying to solve payments offline are going to fail,? Marcus said. ?A lot of companies are obsessed with payments at a point of sale. With payments offline there?s no real problem to fix.?

SEE ALSO: Why PayPal Is a Wildly Successful ?Dinosaur?

At a store, customers have many payment of options ?- cash, credit cards, rewards cards ? so in order to convince someone to use a mobile payment option, businesses must offer their clients a little more than a method to pay, he added.

For example, McDonald?s customers in France can order and pay for food on their phones, as well as bypass long lines to pick up their meal, Marcus said

?If you don?t have to wait in line, we?re solving a problem for you,? he said. ?People will adopt PayPal because it solves a real fundamental problem.?

PayPal wants to let customers pay however they want ? for instance, using an airline-rewards card to buy a plane ticket -? but also using PayPal in the same transaction to enhance their rewards.

Rewards when you shop with PayPal will get even better early next year, Marcus said, citing Shopkick, an app that lets you earn rewards for visiting retailers, as an example. There are ?better? and ?cooler? ways of implementing this technology, he added.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Steve Ganz

Source: http://mashable.com/2012/11/27/for-paypal-mobile-is-a-booming-business/

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Source: http://maysv-www2.maysville-online.com/mobile-classified/ads/29415219/?market=admarket

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The Ultimate Holiday Fitness Gift Guide | Day 16 | On Running ...

By Traci D Mitchell, Tuesday at 9:21 am

Need help finding a healthy gift for the holidays? From November 12th through December 12th, I will be featuring great fitness-related gift ideas- stocking stuffers and beyond! I've searched long and hard for gifts that fit the bill for people who like to exercise and appreciate fitness!

Running shoes can make or break a run...and if you don't get the right shoe, watch out! Lately, more and more companies are copping onto shoes that offer greater responsiveness and less support, letting feet and legs get strong - preventing injuries down the road.

Day 16 | On Running Shoes

Ideal Gift Candidate?

  • Runners of all levels who are graduating to a more sophisticated shoe that will help them perform better...and launch off the ground faster!

What is it?
On Running Shoes are a Swiss-designed shoe that incorporate innovative sole-cushioning that absorb vertical and horizontal forces. The shoe is very responsive, meaning you can really feel the ground under your feet despite the bubble-like sole.

Why it made the list?

  • The shoes are designed by the speed and/or weight of the runner, and not based on gate - or how the runner's foot hits the ground. I love this approach! There are four different "levels" of shoes, from easy-going recreational runners up to fast racers.
  • As mentioned above, the shoes is responsive and doesn't come stuffed with all sorts of rollbar support that for decades has been touted to help?pronators or suppinators. (Personally, I don't buy into this anymore) The Ons let the runner feel the ground beneath them much more, while still providing a reasonable about of cushioning.
  • I've raced in the Cloudsurfer model - and really enjoyed running in them! This is coming from someone who is NOT a natural-born runner.

How much is it?
About $119 - $139
Nope, their not?the cheapest shoes, but if there is one thing you should?pay a little more for, it's shoes! Unhealthy feet = unhealthy body.

Where can I get it?
Online or locally:

Element MultiSport
2754 N. Clybourn
Chicago, IL

Recap of previous days
Day 1 | KLUTCHclub
Day 2 | Affirmats Yoga Mats
Day 3 | Vibram FiveFingers Footwear
Day 4 | Fit Plan Journal by Gaiam
Day 5 | Utopia Thermal Hoodie by Brooks
Day 6 | The Laundress
Day 7 | Shhh. Three-Way Personal Care Bar
Day 8 | POLAR FT7 Heart Rate Monitor
Day 9 | VIEWSport Apparel
Day 10 | Spooner Board & Pop Squeak Pogo Jumper
Day 11 | NUX Activewear
Day 12 | Champion Running Tights
Day 13 | Rodney Yee Core Centered Yoga
Day 14 | The Water Bottle Edition
Day 15 | GetFit Body Fat Scale

?

Traci D Mitchell is a Chicago-based health and fitness writer and spokesperson. She's on-the-go everywhere trying out new and healthy things with a Chicago appeal. You can reach Traci through ChicagoNow, on Twitter @tracidmitchell or at www.tracidmitchell.com

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/get-fit-chicago/2012/11/xmas-gift-guide-running-shoes-holiday-shopping-ideas-fitness/

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Tuesday, 27 November 2012

The changing dynamics of consumer internet investing ? The Equity ...

Fred Wilson wrote yesterday about changes in the consumer web and their implications for startups. Frist he observed that the large platforms (Google, Facebook, Amazon, MSFT, Twitter, etc) are ?starting to suck up a lot of the oxygen? making it ?harder than ever to build a large audience from a standing start?. Secondly, he notes that the move from ?desktop/web to mobile/app? makes it more expensive to build a large user base, principally because of the need to develop for multiple platforms.

These changes are altering the dynamics of investing in consumer web companies. Historically the best of these businesses have been highly capital efficient and able to grow very fast on the back of the strength of their product and without dependence on a third party. This made consumer internet a very exciting investment category ? this Pinterest case study shows why. Going forward the risk reward profile will be different. Higher development costs and dependence on the large platforms push the risk up and at the same time the chances of hitting a Facebook size winner have fallen (it is hard to see any of the large platforms allowing that to happen).

This doesn?t mean that the opportunities in consumer web are over. It does mean that going all out to build a huge audience without building in a solid business model from day one has become a riskier bet where success is largely predicated on one of the platform players acquiring the company. For me the sweet spot has now shifted to businesses that are able to able to extract a high ARPU from a focused community. Often times that will mean the companies are ?close to the transaction? or ecommerce related. These businesses can be capital efficient in spite of mobile development costs because they are able to generate meaningful revenues fairly early on and they can have great operational leverage which combined with high ARPUs allows them to generate significant profits from audiences in the tens of millions.

Lyst and MoviePilot are good examples of businesses from our portfolio that fit into this category.

Source: http://www.theequitykicker.com/2012/11/26/the-changing-dynamics-of-consumer-internet-investing/

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24th January 2008 Four Corners is a simple game that students of all elementary school ages love to play, This is fun to play with the lights out if there is a window letting a little light into the room! Give each corner a number one to four. One person is it! They go t, Read

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20th September 2007 Some people think that Red Ribbon Week is no longer important. but I disagree. I believe that the earlier we reach children the better, One of the best ways to reach school aged children with a message about saying no to drugs is through the use of plays ! Read

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24th August 2007 Patriotism is a growing concern in our nation today. One of the ways to teach children patriotism is to have them be in an informative play or program! Many schools and teachers are looking for programs to fit this description that are easy to put on and . Read It is composed by lzhwsteeler 2012-11-22 steeler ct.

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Colorado Independent Contractor, Subcontractor, Lessee ...

?

by Greenpoint Insurance Advisors, LLC
? 2012 Copyright Greenpoint Insurance Advisors, LLC

Understanding the difference and classifying an employee or independent contractor correctly is important for Colorado companies to avoid potential liability claims for workers compensation insurance, negligence or other statutory violations.? Determining who is an independent contractor versus an employee can be tricky and should be scrutinized carefully.? Willful misclassification of employees as independent contractors will make your problems even worse.

There are many situations when companies hire independent contractors.? It might be for a construction project, or the need to develop a company website, or even consulting project.? Most of the time these relationships have met the expectations of both parties without legal remedy. ? However, there are times when the relationship is tested and those companies who failed to do the obvious realize a problem has arisen.?

Roofing Company? Sued For The Injury of Subcontractor?s Employee

A roofing company hires a subcontractor to install a roof for a homeowner.? The subcontractor hired an employee and failed to secure workers compensation insurance as required by law.? His first day on the job, the employee falls off the roof and the roofing company was liable for bodily injury damages.? The liability flowed upstream in this case which meant the roofing company had to hire an attorney, prepare for trial, and settle out of court.? A real example meant to illustrate the severity, consequences and necessity by business owners to think carefully through their independent contractor relationships before any work is commenced.

This means having a valid, legal and authentic contract with the independent contractor your planning to hire.? A clear outline of the relationship between both parties to include financial, relationship, and behavioral factors. ? The significance of investing the time and money up front should not be understated.? The goal is to clearly minimize your liability.? Otherwise, the liability of the independent contractor and their employees could become the liability of the company that hired them.???

The Colorado Workers Compensation Act (?Act?)? and Internal Revenue Service? (IRS) provides guidance for Colorado companies who hire independent contractor

The Act is meant to inform Colorado businesses this is how the Centennial State views the components of an independent contractor under a microscope.? In other words, if your going to hire independent contractors your best chance of getting it right is to adopt these statutory provisions.? Your relationship with an independent contractor should look, feel, and smell like this.? If a company decides otherwise and adopts their own contractual framework, it could lead to penalties, litigation and unnecessary business expenses should it become tested. ? ? ?

What are key components of the contract according to the Act? ??

  1. The company must not require the independent contractor to work with them exclusively.? The independent contractor must Employer Liability of Hiring Independent Contractorshave the opportunity to retain and service other customer besides your business.? If you?ve implied or expressed to the independent contractor, they?re exclusive to your company, it might not pass the test.
  2. The company must not mandate or establish certain quality standards for the work.? This means your company should not be telling the independent contractor how something should be done or how it should be performed.?? Your hiring an independent contractor for their expertise.? If you need to direct, mandate or require how something is to be performed?hire an employee.
  3. There should not be a set salary or hourly rate for the independent contractor.? The contract should focus on a contract rate.? For example, paying a website developer upon completion of your company website $X amount.?
  4. A termination clause should specify the contract will terminate when there? s a breach of contract or the work is not meeting certain specifications.??
  5. Any training to the independent contractor should be minimal.? If your company training is extensive, it could cross over to becoming an employer/employee relationship.
  6. Benefits or tools should be supplied by the independent contractor and not the company.? This doesn?t mean equipment or materials can?t be used by the independent contractor.
  7. What time or hours the independent contractor works should not be dictated by the company hiring them.? You may have a time-frame for completing the work by a certain deadline.?
  8. All checks or payment should be paid to the company of the independent contractor and not individually.?
  9. The two entities?company who hires the independent contractor?both should have separate and distinct operations.? Don?t commingle the operations in any way.
The Act specifies a contract should be written, signed and notarized between both parties.? In addition, the contract should state in bold face, underlined and type which is larger defining the independent contractor? is not entitled to workers compensation insurance.? ? Source:? Worker Compensation Act 8-40-202 Employee

Contract example and for illustrative purposes :??

Please Read Carefully:? ContractorXYZ is an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORThe relationship between Company ABC and Independent ContractorXYZ is of an INDEPENDENT CONTRACTOR relationship.? This means Independent Contractor XYZ is not an employee of Company ABC.? Independent Contractor XYZ is required to provide their own benefits including health, business, and workers compensation insurance.? In addition, Independent Contractor XYZ is obligated to pay their own federal and, state income taxes, social security, payroll, and unemployment insurance.

Under no uncertain terms express or implied is Independent ContractorXYZ an employee of Company ABC.?

?

x______________________________??????????????????????????????????????????? x____________________________

Notarized? Company ABC????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Notarized Independent Contractor XYZ

?

Internal Revenue Service Guidelines For Defining Independent Contractors:

The Internal Revenue Service has identified three categories to help define the relationship between a company and independent contractor.? They are behavioral, financial, and type of relationship between the two parties.? Accordingly, there is no magic formula or ?weighting? used amongst the categories to provide a definitive answer, but is meant to provide guidance for those seeking the best way to structure the relationship to their satisfaction.

Behavioral Factors:

The influence over the independent contractor by the payer is an important factor.? Think of it as control and direction by the company who has engaged the independent contractor and providing a certain amount of direction.? Here are important considerations:

  • Where to do the work or when is the work performed.

  • Who provides the tools and equipment?

  • Are workers hired by the independent contractor?

  • Where to purchase supplies and services.

  • What work must be performed by a specified individual.

  • What order or sequence to follow when performing the work.

Financial Factors:

This includes how the payer as negotiated with the independent contractor to pay them.? Hourly or salary insinuates they?re an employee.? A fixed payment pursuant to the contract is indicative of an independent contractor.

Typically,? financial control factors fall into the categories of:

  • Significant investment by the independent contractor versus the payer

  • Unreimbursed expenses absorbed by the independent contractor

  • Opportunity for profit or loss indicative of a self employed company

  • Services available to the market.? The independent contractor is free to market their services to other companies.

  • Method of payment?salary and hourly is not the preferred method of payment.? A fixed price with a specific outcome if favorable.

Type of Relationship Factors:?

Consider this category based on contractual obligations or benefits offered under a course of employment such as retirement, insurance, and vacation or sick pay.? The type of relationship between two?parties can generally fall into the categories of:

  • Written contracts?documents between both parties clearly stating the obligations, promises, and conditions

  • Employee benefits?does independent contractor pay for the benefits of their employees

  • Permanency of the relationship

  • Services provided as key activity of the business

According to the internal revenue service,? the wording of the contract is not the primary basis for classifying a payee as employee or independent contractor.? This category evaluates the relationship along with how the parties worked together.? This could mean everything outside of the written agreement could be subject to interpretation.? Company emails, verbal promises, or implied actions become relevant.

source:? IRS.gov Independent Contractor (Self-Employed) or Employee?

What?s Important To Know About Workers Compensation Insurance?

Colorado companies must remember independent contractors who fail to provide workers compensation insurance for their employees, it becomes the liability of the company who hired them.? The liability ?flows up? the ladder of hiring organizations.? Part 4, Contractors and Lesses of the Workers Compensation Act specifies a company that leases or contracts out any part of the work to a lessee, sublessee, contractor, or subcontractor?.shall be construed to be an employer and liable to pay compensation for injury or death.? In other words, your company became the employer regardless of the number of employees and subsequently liable.?

What would happen if the company at the top of the ladder doesn?t have their own workers compensation insurance policy?? The situation becomes even more precarious.? The roofing company discussed previously failed to have workers compensation insurance, which would have covered the injured employee.? The outcome of the lawsuit resulted in significant legal expense, loss of income, damage to the company reputation and settlement of over $25,000.

This means companies should consider clause in your contract stating workers compensation insurance is the responsibility of the independent contractor as required by law.? In addition, the company should obtain proof of coverage through a valid certificate of insurance and verify with the insurance carrier the policy is active.? This must be enforced before any work is commenced. ??

What Are The Penalties For Not Purchasing Workers Compensation Insurance?

Colorado will enforce the Workers Compensation Act vigorously and every Colorado company operating without workers compensation should take this warning seriously.?

The discovery for not having a workers compensation insurance policy is a $250/day initial fine for each day you don?t have an active insurance policy.? If you?ve been operating for 365 days without workers compensation the fine could be significant.? The Director may issue a cease and desist order to discontinue operating your business as an additional penalty, until the policy has been purchased.?

The second, third or more offense means the fine goes up to $500/day.?? In addition, in cases where workers compensation has been awarded to an injured worker, benefits will be increased by 50% when the employer failed to obtain workers compensation insurance.

There may be additional penalties for those who willfully classify employees as independent contractors.? Under House Bill 09-1310, the Colorado Department of Labor may impose fines up to $5,000 for the first offense and $25,o00 per employee for subsequent violations.

If your business needs workers compensation insurance immediately, please click here to complete our online application.

Additional Resources:

Informational Purposes Only.? Not meant as legal or professional insurance advice.

? 2012 Copyright? All Rights Reserved? Copyright Protected

Source: http://www.gpbusinessinsurance.com/colorado-independent-contractor-subcontractor-lessee-sublessee-or-employee/

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Monday, 26 November 2012

Egypt's Mursi to meet judicial council on decree

While authorities have pegged thick Texas fog as the main culprit in the 140-car Thanksgiving pileup on I-10 just southwest of Beaumont, big rig truckers posting on Internet message boards suggest that civilian and professional drivers maintaining potentially reckless speeds, despite the conditions, may have been another major contributing factor.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-mursi-meet-judicial-council-decree-180449179.html

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Is the floor of your house broken? Are you looking for carpet, tile or wood to replace the beauty of your home improvement? Changing the flooring is one of the smart ways to improve your home. Take for example the living room. If you are currently have concrete floor and the demand of nicer one.

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Sunday, 25 November 2012

Scientists rush to save iconic manta rays

By Rebecca Pilkington-Vincett

A feeding station popular with manta rays is not far from the Misool Eco Resort and Conservation Center in Raja Ampat, eastern Indonesia.

By Adrienne Mong, NBC News

RAJA AMPAT, Indonesia ?They?ve been described by one scientist as ?pandas of the ocean.?

?They?re such an iconic species, beloved by divers,? said Andrea Marshall, director of the?Marine Megafauna Foundation, who came up with the description during an interview with NBC News. ?They?re just amazing.??

Unlikely as it might seem, the panda and the manta ray have a lot in common.

Just as scientists still haven?t been able to confirm the number of pandas in the wild, they also have no idea how many manta rays exist.

?Globally we don?t know how many manta rays there are,? said Guy Stevens, director of the U.K.-based?Manta Trust,?whose research is largely based around manta populations in the Maldives.

But -- again, like the panda -- scientists think it?s a small population.

?If they?re lucky, (manta rays) have two pups (over several years).?That?s a very low reproductive rate, especially compared to your average fish,? said Dr. Heidi Dewar, a biologist at the?Southwest Fisheries Science Center, part of NOAA.

Anecdotal evidence suggests mantas are under threat, and China may be a major reason for it.

Manta rays are vulnerable on two fronts: as bycatch ? getting caught in industrial fishing nets targeting different types of tuna ? and, increasingly, because of traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM.?

Manta rays are abundant in the waters around Raja Ampat, eastern Indonesia.

Manta rays are harvested for their gill rakers, which allow the fish to filter food from water.? Some Chinese believe they have healing properties or are good at cleaning out toxins. One Chinese-language?website claims gill rakers enhance the immune system, promote blood circulation and aid in the treatment of cancer, skin disease and infertility.

?It?s just cartilage,? said Dewar, echoing skepticism expressed by many scientists.

Medicinal fad?
Conservationists say manta rays aren?t even considered ?traditional? medicine and argue no reference to the animal can be found in TCM books dating back a century. But with rising incomes that enable Chinese consumers to readily adopt medicinal fads, the impact on manta rays has accelerated over the past 10 to 15 years.?

?A lot of it is completely unrecorded,? said Stevens, who worked on a project founded by Shark Savers and WildAid to document the scope of gill-raker harvesting.?

Understanding the beauty and diversity of Raja Ampat, aka 'Underwater Eden'

Researchers looked at the location, value and species involved. ?It does seem the majority of all of those gills that are being traded are ending up in China,? Stevens said.

The conclusion, published in a report called?Manta Ray of Hope, found that roughly 3,400 manta rays and 94,000 mobulas?(related to the manta ray family) are caught each year, but the numbers reflect only reported catches. ?Unreported and subsistence fisheries will mean true landings are much higher,? the report said.?

On patrol with a shark ranger in Indonesia's marine treasure trove

Visits to random TCM shops in Beijing and Shanghai turned up no gill rakers. In fact, a veteran pharmacist at Tongrentang, a long-established purveyor of traditional Chinese and herbal medicines, said she had never heard of manta rays being used this way.

But the Manta Ray of Hope report estimates a mature ocean manta could yield up to 15 pounds of dried gills that can bring in as much as $230 a pound in a market in China.?

Australia moves to ban fishing trawler with 900-foot-long net

Marshall said she has noticed an uptick in manta fishing. ?I?ve been (in Mozambique) in the last decade ? and we?ve seen an 87 percent decline in the population because of the fishing.??

Unlike many shippers, Chinese merchants who transport cheap products from the mainland for export to Africa ?want to fill [their unloaded cargo vessels] with resources wherever they go.? In Africa, they fill it up with wood, fish or shark?s fin,? she said.??They?ll go out to the local fisheries along the coastline and scout for these products.??

The scientist has spoken to members of local communities, who say the Chinese offer ?new nets, new lines, new hooks.?(The Chinese traders) say to them, ?If you get the sharks or the mantas or the turtles, you get all the meat. You can keep all the meat. You just sell us the things you don?t normally eat.'??

Protecting a ?threatened? species
Mantas were listed last year as ?threatened? under the international Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species.

The?International Union for the Conservation of Nature?has classified the manta ray as ?vulnerable? to extinction.?

Chinese scientists have also weighed in.?

?In the last two years, we have conducted evaluations of the manta ray and submitted a recommendation to the government to list it as a protected species,? said Professor Wang Yanmin from Shandong University?s Marine College.

?There is no regulation for protecting the manta ray so sales of mantas are not illegal,? said Feng Yongfeng, founder of Green Beagle, a group that promotes environmental protection.

Groups like Manta Trust are focusing on getting manta rays listed by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). But scientists have their work cut out for them.?

?It?s very difficult to get listed on CITES.? They ask for a lot of detail that is difficult to pin down,? said Marshall. ??Maybe in the terrestrial world, biologists can provide those kinds of details. ?When you?re talking about the megafauna [or large marine species] world, it?s very difficult.??

Marshall ? who discovered a second type of manta ray in 2008 and is in the process of identifying a third -- acknowledges little is known about them.

AFP - Getty Images file

A huge manta ray weighing more than 2,200 pounds and measuring nearly 9 yards in length was caught off the eastern coast of China this past September.

Manta births a mystery?
Vexing questions include the manta?s life span, details of their reproductive ecology and migratory patterns.?

?I could wrap my life up in 20 minutes if I could talk to them,? she joked. ??It has been driving me insane for the last ten years because I haven?t been able to figure out where they give birth.? It?s 2012 and nobody has ever seen a manta give birth in the wild.??

And research is painstaking. For one, concentrations of the animal tend to be around far-flung islands.?Stevens of Manta Trust cited the costs of tracking mantas and the difficulty in locating and knowing how to study them.?

With technological improvements, however, scientists are gaining some ground. Satellite tags are one way to help the research.??What do they do when we can?t observe them? I?d love to follow an animal to find out how they spend their time,? said Stevens. ?The tagging gives you small glimpses of them.??

Two dive instructors at the Misool Eco Resort and Conservation Center in Raja Ampat have uncovered a revenue stream to offset research costs: tourism.

?One manta ray can raise $1 million (U.S. dollars) in tourism income over its lifetime,? said Rebecca Pilkington-Vincett, citing a figure contained in the Manta Ray of Hope?report.

PhotoBlog: Raja Ampat archipelago: The world's last paradise

With the blessing of the resort, Pilkington-Vincett and Calvin Beale launched a research project off the surrounding reefs. ?

Last season, the duo raised $32,000 from donations by recreational divers who accompanied them on dives to gather DNA samples and tag the mantas.?

With the money, they have bought three satellite tags and collected numerous DNA samples.? They are sending off the data to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography for analysis by a graduate student.?

With online databases such as the?Manta Research Project, where some of Pilkington-Vincett and Beale?s data are logged, or the?Manta Matcher, developed by Marshall and operating much ?like the FBI fingerprint online database,? research on the manta ray has become rooted in a global exchange among scientists and amateurs alike.?

Until its secrets are fully revealed, the manta?s mystique seems guaranteed.?

?I think it?s fascinating,? said Dewar of the Southwest Fisheries Science Center, ?that there is such a large and amazing creature that has so many mysteries attached to it.??

Additional research by Le Li, Johanna Armstrong and Yanzhou Liu.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://behindthewall.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/24/15054305-scientists-rush-to-save-manta-rays-the-pandas-of-the-ocean?lite

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Kids taken from UK couple over independence support

By Ian Johnston, NBC News

LONDON -- Three children were removed from the care of an English couple because their support for the U.K. Independence Party meant they were unsuitable to provide foster care, an official said Saturday.

Local government body Rotherham Council said that the three children were not ?indigenous white British? and that social workers had raised concerns about the UKIP political party?s stance on immigration, ITV News reported.

Joyce Thacker, the director for children and young people's services at Rotherham Council, told BBC News that the children were placed with the couple on an emergency basis and were not due to remain with them permanently. She confirmed they had been removed from the couple's care.

?If the party [UKIP] mantra ? is ending the active promotion of multiculturalism, I have to think about that,? she added. ?I think they [UKIP] have very clear views on immigration.?

She told the BBC that the decision had not been ?easy? and she did not think UKIP was a ?racist party.?

'Ruled by this regime'
UKIP campaigns for Britain to withdraw from the European Union, saying "we do not have to be ruled by this regime" in order to trade with European countries.

On immigration, it says "the tide of mass EU immigration has pushed down wages and restricted job opportunities. Only by leaving the EU can we regain control of our borders." The party is calling for a permanent immigration freeze for 5 years and says immigrants "must be fluent in English, have minimum education levels and show they can financially support themselves."

Read more UK and world stories from ITV News

UKIP party leader Nigel Farage said in messages on Twitter that the authorities ?clearly have no understanding of UKIP and by their actions, clearly no desire to know.?

He said the council was ?partially backtracking? by saying the couple would still be allowed ?to adopt. But by the sounds of it, only white children. New Apardheid? [sic]??

Read more World stories from NBC News

The British Education Secretary Michael Gove, a member of the center-right Conservative Party, also attacked the decision, ITV News reported.

?Rotherham's reasons for denying this family the chance to foster are indefensible. The ideology behind their decision is actively harmful to children,? he said.

?We should not allow considerations of ethnic or cultural background to prevent children being placed with loving and stable families. We need more parents to foster, and many more to adopt,? he added.

The center-left Labour Party said in a message on Twitter that ?Membership of UKIP shouldn't block parents from adopting children. There needs to be an urgent investigation by Rotherham Council into this.?

ITV News is an NBC News partner.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/24/15407064-kids-removed-from-uk-couple-over-support-for-independence-from-europe?lite

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Ohio State, Michigan Rivalry: Urban Meyer, Brady Hoke Give New Feel To Old Grudge Match

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) ? Once upon a time, "The Game" was just another game.

When Michigan and Ohio State played, sure, it was important. After all, the schools put it at the end of their schedules in 1935 in recognition of that fact.

But it never really was an epic battle until two longtime friends ended up on opposite sides and transformed it into an over-the-top grudge match.

"The Bo Schembechler/Woody Hayes era, when college football began to explode on a national level ? that's what made this such a visual rivalry for the country to see," said Ohio State coach Urban Meyer.

Now, more than 40 years later, two coaches steeped in the rivalry ? each more than willing to toss a little disrespect toward the other side ? will be prowling the sidelines in the 109th meeting on Saturday.

Is this the second coming of the "Ten Year War"?

"It's a new face for the rivalry, of course, but the rivalry is bigger than any one individual," said Michigan offensive lineman Patrick Omahmeh.

Just like Schembechler and Hayes, Meyer and Michigan's Brady Hoke are ultra-competitive Ohio natives who don't hide the fact that they can barely abide their chief rival.

Hoke refers to Ohio State as just "Ohio," which makes Buckeyes fans' blood boil. Meyer has taken a page from Hayes and refuses to utter the "M-word," instead calling it "That Team Up North."

A chippiness has returned to this staid old annual showdown. It was already evident a year ago when the sides traded shoves, obscenities and taunts in Hoke's first game (a 40-34 victory) as a head coach in the series.

It's even more palpable this year with Meyer joining the fray, 25 years after he was a graduate assistant on Earle Bruce's staff and learned firsthand from Hayes, Bruce and the others to despise the Wolverines.

Hoke is not sold on the theory that the head coaches, at least since the last of the 10 Schembechler-Hayes battles in 1978, have much influence on the rivalry. But he does agree that it doesn't hurt when both "get" what the game means to so many.

"There's a lot of passion on both sides," he said. "When you've kind of grown up in the rivalry ? either in the state of Ohio or in the state of Michigan ? you understand it's the most important game of the year."

Adding to the enmity this year ? so often the case ? is both sides having a lot riding on the outcome.

The fourth-ranked Buckeyes (11-0, 7-0 Big Ten) want to complete a perfect season ? if perfection is even possible without going to a bowl. NCAA sanctions have sidelined Ohio State from the national championship conversation.

The Buckeyes have already won the Big Ten's Leaders Division, but cannot play in the title game next week. They will get a trophy and each of the players will be fitted for championship rings.

The No. 20 Wolverines (8-3, 6-1) are shooting to upgrade to an even better bowl. No one in maize and blue is saying it, but upsetting the Buckeyes' dreams of an unbeaten, untied season wouldn't be so bad, either.

The Wolverines were hoping to grab a spot in the Big Ten championship game, but No. 17 Nebraska ? which owned the tie-breaker by virtue of its win over Michigan ? beat Iowa 13-7 on Friday to represent the Legends Division. The Wolverines, who had playing in the title game as one of their major goals, can still grab a share of the division crown with a win over the Buckeyes.

Michigan's hopes rise and fall on a defense that leads the nation against the pass but is considerably less stout against the run ? which happens to be Ohio State's strength.

The Buckeyes depend on quarterback Braxton Miller's legs, whether on set plays or when a pass play breaks down and he sprints past lunging linemen through the heart of the field for big yardage.

The Wolverines also rely on their quarterback. Now they just have to figure out who their quarterback is.

Devin Gardner has started the last three games, accounting for at least three TDs in each, since four-year star Denard Robinson hurt a nerve in his throwing elbow. Now Robinson may see time at tailback, in the slot, out wide or even under center. It's the biggest mystery in a game where there are few unknowns.

"I'm here and I'm ready for Ohio," Robinson said.

Hayes once co-wrote a book titled, "You Win With People." He believed that it was the coach's domain to stockpile talent and then put players in the best position to win, but that the athletes did the rest.

Meyer believes coaches handle the preparation and set the tone.

"Getting your guys prepared up to the kickoff, getting the team mentally and physically ready to go," he said of his role. "Ultimately it is the players who win or lose games."

Spoken just like his iconic predecessors.

___

Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/24/ohio-state-michigan-rivalry-meyer-hoke_n_2177385.html

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