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Monday, December 31, 2012
Here Are the 10 Most Pirated Movies of 2012
Obama wants gun violence measures passed in 2013
WASHINGTON (AP) ? Recalling the shooting rampage that killed 20 first graders as the worst day of his presidency, President Barack Obama on Sunday pledged to put his "full weight" behind legislation aimed at preventing gun violence.
Obama voiced skepticism about the National Rifle Association's proposal to put armed guards in schools following the Dec. 14 tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. The president made his comments in an interview with NBC's "Meet the Press."
Instead, the president vowed to rally the American people around an agenda to limit gun violence, adding that he still supports increased background checks and bans on assault weapons and high-capacity bullet magazines. He left no doubt it will be one of his top priorities next year.
"It is not enough for us to say, 'This is too hard so we're not going to try,'" Obama said.
"I think there are a vast majority of responsible gun owners out there who recognize that we can't have a situation in which somebody with severe psychological problems is able to get the kind of high capacity weapons that this individual in Newtown obtained and gun down our kids," he added. "And, yes, it's going to be hard."
The president added that he's ready to meet with Republicans and Democrats, anyone with a stake in the issue.
The schoolhouse shootings, coming as families prepared for the holidays, have elevated the issue of gun violence to the forefront of public attention. Six adult staff members were also killed at the elementary school. Shooter Adam Lanza committed suicide, apparently as police closed in. Earlier, he had killed his mother at the home they shared.
The tragedy immediately prompted calls for greater gun controls. But the NRA is strongly resisting those efforts, arguing instead that schools should have armed guards for protection. Some gun enthusiasts have rushed to buy semiautomatic rifles of the type used by Lanza, fearing sales may soon be restricted.
Obama seemed unimpressed by the NRA proposal. "I am skeptical that the only answer is putting more guns in schools," he said. "And I think the vast majority of the American people are skeptical that that somehow is going to solve our problem."
The president said he intends to press the issue with the public.
"The question then becomes whether we are actually shook up enough by what happened here that it does not just become another one of these routine episodes where it gets a lot of attention for a couple of weeks and then it drifts away," Obama said. "It certainly won't feel like that to me. This is something that - you know, that was the worst day of my presidency. And it's not something that I want to see repeated."
Separately, a member of the president's cabinet said Sunday that rural America may be ready to join a national conversation about gun control. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said the debate has to start with respect for the Second Amendment right to bear arms and recognition that hunting is a way of life for millions of Americans.
But Vilsack said Newtown has changed the way people see the issue. "I really believe that this is a different circumstance and a different situation," Vilsack said on CNN.
Vilsack said he thinks it's possible for Americans to come together. "It's potentially a unifying conversation," he said. "The problem is that these conversations are always couched in the terms of dividing us. This could be a unifying conversation, and Lord knows we need to be unified."
Besides passing gun violence legislation, Obama also listed deficit reduction and immigration as top priorities for 2013. A big deficit reduction deal with Republicans proved elusive this month, and Obama is now hoping Senate Democratic and Republican leaders salvage a scaled-back plan that avoids tax increases for virtually all Americans.
In addition, he issued a defense of former Republican Sen. Chuck Hagel of Nebraska, who has been mentioned as one of the leading candidates to replace Leon Panetta as defense secretary.
Hagel, who opposed President George W. Bush's decision to go to war with Iraq, has been criticized in conservative circles for not being a strong enough ally of Israel. Also, many liberals and gay activists have banded against him for comments he made in 1998 about an openly gay nominee for an ambassadorship
Obama, who briefly served with Hagel in the Senate, stressed that he had yet to make a decision but called Hagel a "patriot."
Hagel "served this country with valor in Vietnam," the president said. "And (he) is somebody who's currently serving on my intelligence advisory board and doing an outstanding job."
Obama noted that Hagel had apologized for his 14-year-old remark on gays.
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Lauren Pecorino: 'Tis the Season to Detox
Sharing feasts of food and drink with family and friends is a quintessential part of the holidays, but many of us tend to overload our bodies' natural defense systems. Try these three recommendations: limit your alcohol, eat fruits and vegetables, and dance. The fascinating science behind these suggestions is unveiled below. Understanding the 'why' of a recommendation allows for making good choices: "don't touch because it is hot and you will get burned" is more likely to have an effect than "don't touch" which may trigger rebellion and curiosity. The science focuses on enzymes. Enyzmes are proteins encoded by our genes which speed up biochemical reactions in the body.
The American Institute for Cancer Research recommends that men should limit their intake to two drinks per day and women should limit their intake to one drink per day. The reason for limiting our alcohol intake is simple -- alcohol is a listed carcinogen, an agent that causes cancer, by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The mechanism of how it causes cancer is similar to that of cigarette smoke. Alcohol is metabolized in the body to form acetaldehyde, which like many carcinogens of cigarette smoke, stick to DNA and mask the genetic code. The masking of the code causes errors because the code cannot be read properly by the cell's machinery during cell division. The errors become permanent changes to the sequence of the genetic code called mutations. Just as changes of single notes in a musical score effects the melody of a tune, the altered genes produce faulty enzymes. It is the accumulation of mutations over time which can lead to cancer. Some women may ask why there is an inequality in recommendations between women and men. The answer is because alcohol also increases the amount of circulating estrogen and increases in estrogen are a risk factor for breast cancer. So drink with your friends this holiday season but keep within the limits.
Uncle Bob may be able to drink his Asian colleague Mingyan under the table. The reason for differences in alcohol tolerance is due to variations in metabolic enzymes produced by your genes. This underlies the observation that many Asians are unable to drink alcohol without becoming ill. There is a common genetic variant among this population that produces an enzyme with a low ability to metabolize acetaldehyde, a step that helps rid the body of this carcinogen. In these people, acetaldehyde accumulates and leads to facial flushing and nausea.
Include fruit and vegetables in your feast
The antioxidants found in fruit and vegetables offer more than acting as molecular sponges to soak up dangerous free radicals in the body. One of the most startling facts we have learned about fruit and vegetables is that they contain components that can turn on genes that produce detox enzymes. Yes, food affects your genes. This is not nature versus nurture but rather nature hand-in-hand with nurture. The detox enzymes carry out important roles that help protect us from agents that cause cancer by playing a role in repairing DNA damage and modifying carcinogens so that they can be excreted quickly. Scientists have shown that people who drank fruit juices daily had less detectable DNA damage than those who did not. The protective affect disappears when the fruit juice intake was halted. Unfortunately we cannot store up the effects of fruit and vegetables and this is the reason that the recommendation states that intake must be daily.
Let's dance
Holidays are a break from the chains that bind us to a desk. So it is a time to dance, take a walk, or just move around. Exercise is a vital ingredient of good health and in many ways is medicinal. It also has several effects that help prevent cancer. Obviously it helps to maintain a healthy weight. As stated in a report by the World Cancer Research Fund and the American Institute for Cancer Research, maintaining a healthy lifestyle throughout life may be one of the most important ways to protect against cancer. Physical activity has other effects such as boosting the immune system, stimulating defense enzymes, and reducing circulating hormones such as estrogen.
As a population, we "got the message" not to smoke. The message to limit alcohol intake and increase fruits and vegetable intake should be heeded during and after the holidays.
Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year.
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Sunday, December 30, 2012
NO. 1 STORY 2012: Dexter community unites, works together after tornado rips through town
The Dexter community's strength played a key role in the immediate reaction to and recovery from the devastating F3 tornado that touched down on March 15 and damaged more than 200 homes, some of which are still in the process of being rebuilt or repaired.
View and purchase photos
The people living in the Dexter area have built a community by forging bonds to improve their overall quality of life and to make the area a great place to live - not to prepare for any major disaster.
All the same, the community's strength played a key role in the immediate reaction to and recovery from the devastating F3 tornado that touched down on March 15 and damaged more than 200 homes, some of which are still in the process of being rebuilt or repaired.
The tornado and the community's response make it Heritage Media's No. 1 story of 2012.
Virtually every organization and agency within Washtenaw County responded in some way, proving the community's strength and laying the groundwork for future emergency response not just in Dexter, but across Washtenaw County.
"You don't think about where you are going to store the 100 cases of water that Lowe's wants to give you," said Assistant Village Manager Courtney Nicholls.
Managing donated resources, directing eager volunteers (or holding them back initially when their helpfulness could put them in harm's way), reaching residents when your electronic means of communication are hamstrung by lost power - these are some of the experiences that local government officials have learned from.
The hope is that there won't be another incident of such magnitude in the county, but the Dexter area and its partners in the tornado response at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan State Police and the county government walked away wiser and more prepared.
"One example is we have our server for email off site so when the power (in the village) goes down, we can access it from anywhere and get messages out (under those circumstances," Nicholls said. "The tornado is also when we started using Facebook. Even though we had (the email server) back the next day, (it was still good to have an alternative avenue of communication)."
Just letting people know that the village government was functioning, and coordinating people and resources was important to many residents.
"You just want to let people know that services are fine for the rest of the village," she said. Continued...
The village government also knows that it can count on trash and recycling service provider Waste Management to help when Dumpsters are needed to hold debris."We had a lot of things in place that we could use. Debris removal was handled quickly and getting those Dumpsters was a big help," Nicholls said.
Dexter Township has done a lot to prepare for a similar incident in the future, not being in the same position as the village in terms of resources and manpower.
Unlike the village, the township doesn't have emergency sirens, a company like Waste Management at its disposal, or as many financial and human resources, which is why Township Supervisor Pat Kelly, the township board and the township's employees have been hard at work.
"I think we did pretty well given that we have no staff to speak of," Kelly said. "The village has staff - an assistant village manager, department of public work -we have two part-time office workers and a zoning administrator and, other than that, elected officials."
At the time, the township worked with the county and the sheriff's office, and coordinated volunteers from Dexter Township Hall, while the township's comparatively ragtag group handed out fliers to affected residents every couple of days.
Kelly said she's glad that all of her residents were alive and well enough to receive messages, due to the timing of the storm. Ensuring area residents get by similarly unscathed from future incidents is why the township approved expenses to build 16 early warning sirens in the township, in addition to bolstering fire safety.
"Obviously, the outdoor warning sirens were a project that wouldn't have been dreamed of, if it weren't for the tornado," Kelly said. "We saw firsthand that people in the village (were) prepared with the sirens, and we, on the (township) board), felt that was very helpful.
"If any severe weather or anything like that happens again, we want to be as prepared as the village is. Given the damage, we're lucky that no one was hurt or worse."
The township's sirens are still a work in progress that is expected to be completed in 2013. The 16 sirens will be controllable by township officials, as well as county emergency managers and local weather officials. Continued...
Kelly said that the sirens will be utilized in incidents large and small, including a situation of a lost child."If a child is lost at Silver Lake Beach, we could activate the siren closest to that location to alert folks to look for that missing child," Kelly said.
Township officials are also working on "continuity of government policies, procedures and protocols" that will address a number of scenarios, including what happens if the township hall is hit by a tornado or other calamity.
"We're working on policies to address those issues," Kelly said. "Our Public Safety Advisory Committee is working on that in an effort to be more prepared and have our residents be more informed and prepared, as well."
Kelly and Nicholls both agreed that one thing that isn't lacking or in need of improvement is the outpouring of support that is waiting to spring forth from the Washtenaw County community in such instances of disaster.
"The response was in the thousands," Kelly said. "It wasn't just community residents, but people from far away, from church organizations, other volunteer organizations that just help out in disasters."
Nicholls said that the village couldn't have managed and utilized all of the volunteers without the help of Dexter Community Schools or Faith in Action.
"The biggest piece was dealing with the phone calls and the people who wanted to volunteer and donate things," she said. "We were lucky that we didn't have the damage and the people in need of much. People wanted to keep donating. We couldn't have managed that without the schools and Faith in Action."
Staff Writer Sean Dalton can be reached at 734-429-7380 or sdalton@heritage.com. Follow him on Twitter @seankdalton. Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? No. 2 STORY 2012: President Obama visits Southeast Michigan twice??????????????????????????????????????????? No. 3 STORY 2012: Ypsilanti, Willow Run school districts merge?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? No. 4 STORY 2012: Sylvan Township solves debt repayment, but many issues still linger
The people living in the Dexter area have built a community by forging bonds to improve their overall quality of life and to make the area a great place to live - not to prepare for any major disaster.All the same, the community's strength played a key role in the immediate reaction to and recovery from the devastating F3 tornado that touched down on March 15 and damaged more than 200 homes, some of which are still in the process of being rebuilt or repaired.
The tornado and the community's response make it Heritage Media's No. 1 story of 2012.
Virtually every organization and agency within Washtenaw County responded in some way, proving the community's strength and laying the groundwork for future emergency response not just in Dexter, but across Washtenaw County.
"You don't think about where you are going to store the 100 cases of water that Lowe's wants to give you," said Assistant Village Manager Courtney Nicholls.
Managing donated resources, directing eager volunteers (or holding them back initially when their helpfulness could put them in harm's way), reaching residents when your electronic means of communication are hamstrung by lost power - these are some of the experiences that local government officials have learned from.
The hope is that there won't be another incident of such magnitude in the county, but the Dexter area and its partners in the tornado response at the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office, the Michigan State Police and the county government walked away wiser and more prepared.
"One example is we have our server for email off site so when the power (in the village) goes down, we can access it from anywhere and get messages out (under those circumstances," Nicholls said. "The tornado is also when we started using Facebook. Even though we had (the email server) back the next day, (it was still good to have an alternative avenue of communication)."
Just letting people know that the village government was functioning, and coordinating people and resources was important to many residents.
"You just want to let people know that services are fine for the rest of the village," she said.
The village government also knows that it can count on trash and recycling service provider Waste Management to help when Dumpsters are needed to hold debris.
"We had a lot of things in place that we could use. Debris removal was handled quickly and getting those Dumpsters was a big help," Nicholls said.
Dexter Township has done a lot to prepare for a similar incident in the future, not being in the same position as the village in terms of resources and manpower.
Unlike the village, the township doesn't have emergency sirens, a company like Waste Management at its disposal, or as many financial and human resources, which is why Township Supervisor Pat Kelly, the township board and the township's employees have been hard at work.
"I think we did pretty well given that we have no staff to speak of," Kelly said. "The village has staff - an assistant village manager, department of public work -we have two part-time office workers and a zoning administrator and, other than that, elected officials."
At the time, the township worked with the county and the sheriff's office, and coordinated volunteers from Dexter Township Hall, while the township's comparatively ragtag group handed out fliers to affected residents every couple of days.
Kelly said she's glad that all of her residents were alive and well enough to receive messages, due to the timing of the storm. Ensuring area residents get by similarly unscathed from future incidents is why the township approved expenses to build 16 early warning sirens in the township, in addition to bolstering fire safety.
"Obviously, the outdoor warning sirens were a project that wouldn't have been dreamed of, if it weren't for the tornado," Kelly said. "We saw firsthand that people in the village (were) prepared with the sirens, and we, on the (township) board), felt that was very helpful.
"If any severe weather or anything like that happens again, we want to be as prepared as the village is. Given the damage, we're lucky that no one was hurt or worse."
The township's sirens are still a work in progress that is expected to be completed in 2013. The 16 sirens will be controllable by township officials, as well as county emergency managers and local weather officials.
Kelly said that the sirens will be utilized in incidents large and small, including a situation of a lost child.
"If a child is lost at Silver Lake Beach, we could activate the siren closest to that location to alert folks to look for that missing child," Kelly said.
Township officials are also working on "continuity of government policies, procedures and protocols" that will address a number of scenarios, including what happens if the township hall is hit by a tornado or other calamity.
"We're working on policies to address those issues," Kelly said. "Our Public Safety Advisory Committee is working on that in an effort to be more prepared and have our residents be more informed and prepared, as well."
Kelly and Nicholls both agreed that one thing that isn't lacking or in need of improvement is the outpouring of support that is waiting to spring forth from the Washtenaw County community in such instances of disaster.
"The response was in the thousands," Kelly said. "It wasn't just community residents, but people from far away, from church organizations, other volunteer organizations that just help out in disasters."
Nicholls said that the village couldn't have managed and utilized all of the volunteers without the help of Dexter Community Schools or Faith in Action.
"The biggest piece was dealing with the phone calls and the people who wanted to volunteer and donate things," she said. "We were lucky that we didn't have the damage and the people in need of much. People wanted to keep donating. We couldn't have managed that without the schools and Faith in Action."
Staff Writer Sean Dalton can be reached at 734-429-7380 or sdalton@heritage.com. Follow him on Twitter @seankdalton. Text HERNews and HERWeather to 22700 to receive news and weather alerts to your cellphone. Msg and data rates may apply. Text HELP for help. Text STOP to cancel.??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? No. 2 STORY 2012: President Obama visits Southeast Michigan twice??????????????????????????????????????????? No. 3 STORY 2012: Ypsilanti, Willow Run school districts merge?????????????????????????????????????????????????????? No. 4 STORY 2012: Sylvan Township solves debt repayment, but many issues still linger
Source: http://www.heritage.com/articles/2012/12/30/dexter_leader/news/doc50df2af9ade41542469615.txt
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Video: Senate quiet as leaders work on "cliff" deal (cbsnews)
Monitoring Your Heating and Air Conditioning Systems | My ...
Choosing a skilled professional who uses the quality materials and understands heating and AC system is the most important thing if you need repairs in your home. There are many types of furnaces that all have distinct parts and functions. Depending on your home and location, your home temperature and utility bill can improve greatly if you purchase an appropriate furnace. Cooling systems are also quite different and it is essential to use one that is the most effective. When you hire a heating and cooling professional, they will analyze your situation and help pick the system that will meet your needs the best. These specialists can also handle all kinds of heating and AC repairs. Notice a large difference in your year-round comfort with experienced heating and cooling specialists working for you. Air Conditioning Repair Service Corpus Christi TX
Source: http://ercillesuniverse.com/monitoring-your-heating-and-air-conditioning-systems/
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Saturday, December 29, 2012
Video: Time to Leave My 401(k)?
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Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50314031/
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Stars to watch in 2013
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S?bastien Bourgault has been doing comedy in French for a few years, but now he?s making waves doing it in English.
Photograph by: John Kenney , THE GAZETTE
S?bastien Bourgault
A year ago, S?bastien Bourgault knew five words in English, and one of them ? poutine ? didn?t really count. But Bourgault, who has been doing stand-up in French for the last six years, wanted to crack the anglo comedy market. So he got a job at a breakfast joint in the West Island to learn English.
?Now I?ve got a repertoire of 51 English words,? cracks Bourgault, 38. In fact, his English vocabulary is far more extensive. So much so that he has been cracking up local audiences, as well as other comics, in English ? with a fetching accent ? for the last six months. He estimates that he?s done 150 sets in English over that period.
?Regardless where you put S?bastien on a show, there will be a spike,? says veteran comic/producer Peter J. Radomski. ?He just brings so much energy. I?ve never seen him do a bad set. And I?ve never seen such a work ethic, either.?
Bourgault concedes that fellow franco comics can?t comprehend why he feels the need to perform in English. ?My impossible dream is to follow in the footsteps of my comedy idol, Jim Carrey, and make movies in Hollywood.
?I still make my living doing French comedy, but my options there are limited,? Bourgault explains. ?My goal is not to be big in France. Doing English brings me on to the world stage. This is not about money for me ? it?s about passion.?
It hasn?t taken Bourgault long to capture the anglo comedy nuances. The crowd goes wild with his repartee.
S?bastien Bourgault performs Saturday, Dec. 29?at the Comedyworks and Monday, Dec.?31?in the Comedy Nest?s New Year?s Eve spectacle.
- Bill Brownstein
- - -
Catherine Lemieux
Since graduating from the Dawson College Professional Theatre Program 14 years ago, Catherine Lemieux has become a fixture of the local independent theatre scene, frequently appearing in funny, edgy shows like Joanne Sarazen?s Jesus Jell-O (as the wacko mother) at the Montreal Fringe Festival.
But this season she moved up to the next level, turning in a tough, credible and hilarious performance as the meddling Jean in David Lindsay-Abaire?s Good People at Centaur Theatre. This came after serving as a co-host at the 2012 Fringe Festival?s 13th Hour, successfully taking up puppetry in Scapegoat Carnivale?s Heretics of Bohemia and landing several weeks? work in the movie White House Down, starring Jamie Foxx, which employed many local actors while shooting in Montreal.
It was Good People that allowed Lemieux to play to sold-out houses in a large theatre for the first time in her career and qualified her for membership in Actor?s Equity. She?s grateful to director Roy Surette for casting her and "enabling my interpretation of the character." Another key mentor has been actor Chip Chuipka, who teaches at ASM performing arts studio. "Chip helped me come out of my shell," she said.
Meanwhile, White House Down led the way to Lemieux getting her ACTRA card, at last. Now, at 37, as a member of both unions, she?s a full-fledged professional with widened opportunities.
The fluently bilingual Lemieux said she found herself in demand, day after day, for White House Down, partly because of her ability to translate directorial commands. She played a mother who was taken hostage, along with her children. The children were French-speaking unilinguals, as was the former wrestler who played her husband. Her role was small, but "I did have a line-exchange with Jamie Foxx," she noted.
Although Lemieux?s nickname, "Cat," is derived from her name, it also refers to her preferred pets. At the home she shares with her mother, who has "mobility issues," in Saint-Lambert, there are several resident cats. "I?m definitely a cat person," Lemieux said.
- Pat Donnelly
- - -
Denis Villeneuve
Hollywood, meet Denis Villeneuve. After the smash success of his epic 2010 drama Incendies ? culminating in an Academy Award nomination for best foreign language film ? the Montreal director has not one, but two big-budget thrillers on the go for 2013.
The first is pet project An Enemy, based on late Portuguese author Jose Saramago?s gripping novel The Double. Shot in Toronto this past summer, the film stars Jake Gyllenhaal as the story?s confounded protagonist, who one day learns he has an exact replica. Rather than a joyous reunion, the discovery leads to a fierce showdown.
Gyllenhaal is not the only big name Villeneuve landed for the film, which also stars M?lanie Laurent (Inglourious Basterds), Isabella Rossellini and Sarah Gadon (Cosmopolis). Cinematography will be handled by Nicolas Bolduc (Rebelle). Produced by Luc D?ry and Kim McCraw of Montreal?s micro_scope, An Enemy is slated for release in the fall.
Villeneuve will hardly be cooling his heels until then. In January, he begins production on Prisoners, written by Aaron Guzikowski (Contraband) and starring Hugh Jackman (fresh off his big singing turn in Les Mis?rables) as a carpenter who kidnaps a man he believes to be responsible for the disappearance of his young daughter and his best friend.
The film has star power to spare, with Gyllenhaal again on board as the detective on Jackman?s tail, plus Paul Dano (Looper), Melissa Leo (The Fighter), Terrence Howard (Winnie, Iron Man) and Viola Davis (The Help). And it is sure to look great, with images by veteran cinematographer Roger Deakins, whose lengthy CV includes several films by Sam Mendes (Skyfall) and the Coen Brothers (True Grit, The Big Lebowski, Fargo, Barton Fink). Prisoners is also scheduled for fall release.
- T'Cha Dunlevy
- - -
Gordon Bintner
?We might be hearing him as Don Giovanni,? Canadian Opera Company general director Alexander Neef murmured last month as he handed Gordon Bintner, 24, his First Prize and People?s Choice Award in the COC Ensemble Studio Competition.
Montrealers have already heard the towering bass-baritone as Mozart?s anti-hero in an Opera McGill production. ?Warmly coloured from top to bottom, his singing boasted the twin virtues of natural phrasing and dead-centre pitch,? commented The Gazette.
Bintner was donning it again at the Op?ra de Montr?al Gala on Dec. 6. ?Splendidly bright and mobile,? said your correspondent of the Champagne Aria.
The native of Regina is available for non-Mozartian appearances. His range, linguistic and stylistic, is considerable. Bintner sounded great in Toronto singing an aria from Handel?s Rinaldo.
The OdM thinks highly enough of Bintner to cast him as Lescaut in Massenet?s Manon in May. Last year, his victory in the OSM competition led to a concert appearance with the orchestra in music by Bellini and Ibert.
German? In March he participates in a Schubertiad presented by the Aldeburgh Connection society in Toronto.
People outside of Canada have taken note. Bintner was a member last summer of the selective Merola program of the San Francisco Opera. In April, he made his European debut as Colline in Puccini?s La Boh?me with Angers Nantes Op?ra in France.
Nor has his handsome stage appearance been entirely overlooked. News of the COC double victory was duly posted by the offbeat Barihunks website, with photos.
This season, Bintner will finish his Master of Music degree under Sanford Sylvan at the Schulich School of Music. Next season, he joins the COC Ensemble as a salaried member of the youth roster, filling supporting roles. And maybe a major role or two.
- Arthur Kaptainis
- - -
Nancy Florence Savard
Few outside the local film and TV biz have likely heard of Nancy Florence Savard, but that?s going to change this year. Actually, you?ll be hearing about her very soon.
She directed and produced The Legend of Sarila, the first fully Canadian-produced 3D animation feature, which is set to open across Quebec on Feb. 22.
It is an ultra-ambitious project that took 11 years and $8.5 million to complete. And if this dynamic filmmaker has her way, that?s just the start of her plan to have her company become one of the country?s leading suppliers of top-drawer animated films.
Her company, 10th Ave. Productions, has several other animated features in development, including Le Coq de St-Victor, which is already deep into production and will hit screens around Easter 2014.
?With Sarila, we want to open the door so that the Canadian film-financing agencies can see that we can make our own animated films with our own stories,? said Savard.
Written by Pierre Tremblay and Roger Harvey, Sarila is inspired by aboriginal legends from the Far North. Three young Inuit go in search of a promised land in the hopes of saving their people from the famine that is destroying their community.
The English version features the voices of some top actors and singers, notably Christopher Plummer, Genevi?ve Bujold, Rachelle Lefevre and Elisapie Isaac.
The French version is just as star-studded, with the voices of Mario St-Amand, Mariloup Wolfe, Doroth?e Berryman, R?my Girard and Marina Orsini.
Savard, who originally hails from Quebec City, spent a few years in the ?90s working as a director in the TV scene here in Montreal, but then returned to her hometown and eventually founded 10th Ave. Productions in the small town of Saint-Augustin-de-Desmaures just west of Quebec City.
- Brendan Kelly
- - -
Saleema Nawaz
For fiction writers, the short story collection has long been the standard first-book option. Of most such books, the best you can say is that they show promise. (Nothing wrong with that. We all start somewhere.)
In another category are those that are solid across the board, with maybe two or three stories that really set you alight.
Rarest of all are the ones that not only grip you from start to finish, but give the impression of great reserves of talent at the ready, leaving you itching to see where the writer will go next.
It was obvious on first contact that Mother Superior, the 2008 debut by Ottawa-born Montreal resident Saleema Nawaz, was one of those.
One of its stories, My Three Girls, won the Journey Prize, placing Nawaz in the tradition of previous winners like Yann Martel, Alissa York and Timothy Taylor; the book as a whole was shortlisted for the QWF?s McAuslan First Book Prize.
Now, after a five-year wait, comes news of Nawaz?s imminent first novel, Bone and Bread. An updating and expansion of Bloodlines, a Montreal-set story from the first book, the novel?s plot involves two sisters, an eating disorder and a bagel shop, among other things. Duddy Kravitz may soon have company among Mile End fiction heroes.
?I tried to write the kind of book I like to read,? Nawaz said, when asked how she approached the project.
?Of course, a story always seems to take on a life of its own in spite of what you may have planned, but my favourite novels are suspenseful and still always manage to make me cry.?
Have your Kleenexes at the ready, then, folks. Bone and Bread is published by House of Anansi at the end of March.
- Ian McGillis
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Elephant Stone
With contemporary groups like Animal Collective, Tame Impala and the Olivia Tremor Control keeping psychedelic music on iPod playlists, Rishi Dhir?s band Elephant Stone is perfectly positioned to ride that wave.
The Montreal group?s second disc, which is self-titled, is due out Feb. 5. A video for the debut single, Heavy Moon, is already on YouTube, and the song is a wonderful, hypnotic cross between the Byrds and the Stone Roses.
According to Dhir, the group?s bassist and songwriter, the album was completed ?quick and tight.? After coming up with the songs, he recorded demo versions in two weeks and worked on the new compositions with the band for two more weeks.
After breaking to perform at this year?s South By Southwest festival ? where a who?s-who list of indie rockers go to hear and be heard ? Elephant Stone set up in Breakglass Studios and cut the final versions in ... you guessed it: two weeks.
?We?re not just an indie-rock band or just a pop band or just a psych band or shoegaze,? said Dhir, a former member of the High Dials.
?We?re all these influences that come together.?
Although Dhir said he wanted the new album to remove all possibility of labelling the group, he has taken the opportunity to bestow a witty pre-emptive label on the band, in which he sometimes plays sitar: Hindi rock. The need to avoid easy descriptions is why rock ?n? roll and Hindustani vocalist Pandit Vinay Bhide comfortably share space on the new album, he said.
Next year will also bring more festival gigs and touring for Dhir and the band: guitarist Gabriel Lambert, drummer Miles Dupire and keyboard player Steven ?The Venk? Venkatarangam.
Dhir said he?s optimistic that support from a new team (the label and management combo of Hidden Pony and Upper Management and the booking agent High Road Touring) could help Elephant Stone get where he sees it going.
And he?s already thinking about the third album. Would you believe a krautrock-influenced disc? ?With sitar, so that should be cool,? he said, laughing.
- Bernard Perusse
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D?cover magazine (Etienne Martin, Micah Lockhart and C?dric Taillon)
The aim of the young men behind D?cover magazine is to create an art scene that gets the attention that music and films do. And with monster launches that combine accessible figurative art with music and the spectacle of artists working from models, they are succeeding.
In three years, D?cover has produced and distributed 24 full-colour magazines without any public funding. They?ve created 19 issues in which portfolios of work by 10 artists are featured, plus five specials like the irreverent God Save the Queen issue last summer that finally got D?cover on the mainstream media map.
Etienne Martin, Micah Lockhart and C?dric Taillon raised $20,000 to put on four events during the three months they had an entire floor of the March? St. Jacques. They launched a double issue of their magazine, showcased the figurative work of 35 artists in Les refus?es and put on two events connected with the recent auction in which 65 pieces were sold.
D?cover started after Lockhart, a graphic designer, saw a piece hanging in a restaurant and heard the artist?s complaint of lack of gallery interest. He talked to Martin, an artist; they discussed starting an all-art magazine. At first they showed friends? work; soon they were choosing from submissions, 80 per cent of which featured the human figure.
Taillon, who is currently showing portraits at Galerie D (1239 Amherst St., galeriedentaire.com), joined D?cover after the sixth issue.
In 2013, the D?cover team plans to build on their success with themed exhibitions and maybe get some pay for their work. But their first priority is to revamp the website with the $4,000 they made on the auction.
In the 1970s, conceptual artists had to start their own galleries to get their work shown. Today, a new artistic rabble is looking to make its mark. Much of what D?cover discovers is raw, some of it is na?ve, and some of it is bad. But it all has life, a dynamism augmented by the upbeat attitude and showmanship of the D?cover crew.
- John Pohl
- - -
Marilou Morin
No less a dance authority than Mikhail Baryshnikov has praised the talent and skills of Broadway hoofers.
?They?re real dancers!? he declared after his 1980 Baryshnikov on Broadway television special, which ended with Baryshnikov joining the golden-suited dancers in the finale from A Chorus Line. His compliment was returned in the movie version of A Chorus Line in the scene where a dance hopeful waiting to audition asks one of the unsuccessful candidates what the director was looking for. ?Baryshnikov,? sighs the disappointed dancer.
Twenty-five-year-old Marilou Morin might not be Baryshnikov, but her breakout performance last summer in Denise Filiatrault?s ebullient stage adaptation of Hollywood?s classic Singin? in the Rain, Chantons sous la pluie, showed her to be a dancing actress/singer with the potential for a sterling career.
Chantons sous la pluie was a delight from start to finish, aided by a strong cast of principals and supporting players, a witty French translation, splendid sets that included a real rain shower and choreography by Maud St. Germain and Olivier Landry that was as charming as old MGM movie musicals.
A recent graduate of the theatre program at Montreal?s Coll?ge Lionel-Groulx, Morin was among many who auditioned for the ingenue role of Kathy Seldon, made famous by Debbie Reynolds.
Two Quebec stage veterans, Renaud Paradis and Ren? Simard, splendidly played the principal male roles memorably interpreted in the movie by Gene Kelly and Donald O?Connor. As Simard told me, it was the chemistry between Morin and Paradis during the auditions that won her the role over strong competitors.
As starry-eyed, innocent Kathy, Morin showed an easy, unaffected charm, singing sweetly and moving ably in her dances with Paradis and Simard.
Given Morin?s talents and the waywardness of the performer?s life, it?s hard to predict where her career might take her. As my Gazette colleague Pat Donnelly noted in a column last month, musical theatre in Montreal has, after a hiatus, picked up again ? perhaps just in time to allow Morin to blossom.
- Victor Swoboda
? Copyright (c) The Montreal Gazette
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Source: http://www.montrealgazette.com/entertainment/Stars+watch+2013/7753323/story.html
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Friday, December 28, 2012
95% Argo
All Critics (244) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (233) | Rotten (11)
'Argo' is one of the best movies of the year.
Argo has that solid, kick-the-tires feel of those studio films from the 70s that were about something but also entertained. Only it's as laugh outright amusing as it is sobering.
The movieland satire is laid on thick, but it's also deadly accurate. Schlock has never seemed so patriotic, and Arkin and Goodman have rarely been so good.
Argo is a rollicking yarn, easily the most cohesive and technically accomplished of Affleck's three films so far, but a part of me wishes the director hadn't cast himself in the lead role.
If nothing else, it proves that every so often, the CIA can pull something off - and that yes, Canadians are just about the nicest people on the planet.
The film is a whopper of a tale, one designed for Oscar nominations, Best Picture and Best Director among them.
Second billing to unabashed jingoism
This may be the most geek-friendly movie that never did the rounds at Comic-Con.
When Tony (Ben Affleck) lands in Tehran and trains the frightened Americans to play their parts as a Canadian film crew, Argo compares the ruses run by governments and movie studios.
The whole thing is paced like a whip, and the third act may literally be the most suspenseful piece of film I've ever seen - and yes, I have seen Rear Window. Recommended without any reservation for every and any cinemagoer.
A terrific supporting cast, especially the non A-list actors, make the dramatic license taken justified and redeem Affleck for miscasting himself in the hero's role.
A brilliant thriller that's based on a historical incident, 'Argo' is one of the best films of 2012.
A wonderfully lively and engrossing movie ...
An enthralling and deliciously entertaining movie -- and a deserved triumph for its star and director.
The details make for a rip-roaring story, which Affleck invests with old-school directorial ?lan.
Ben Affleck leaps on to the A-list of directors with this relentlessly entertaining thriller, combining comedy and nerve-jangling suspense to maximum effect.
If you're a nailbiter, bring gloves, because the suspense will see you reach your knuckles.
Surprisingly enjoyable, given that you may have little prior commitment to this story and only mildly fancy Affleck.
Affleck skilfully turns the screw of suspense, gaining added traction from an extremely convincing recreation of the setting and period.
Ben Affleck's movie tells an amazing but true story set against the context of the Iranian hostage crisis.
Talent borrows and genius steals, but Affleck does something in between: he mimics.
It's impossible to be bored by a story this good, especially with that cast.
Part of what makes this headspinning story believable is the fact that it pans out in an oddly uncomplicated way.
The shaggy and bearded Ben Affleck, barely recognisable from his former self, gives a great lead performance. Understated, intense and steely-eyed, Affleck has the screen presence of legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood.
Affleck the director is utterly sure-footed with an instinctive feel for characterization, tension and pacing as he builds the action towards a nail-biting climax.
Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/argo_2012/
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Limitations on Individual Forex Trading | Forex
While forex trading in currencies has gained popularity in part because of online access for individuals to participate in such trading, there remain many aspects of forex trading that are not available to individuals. Consider the tips below to determine what areas of forex trading typically aren?t available to individual investors.
Individual currency trading opportunities is not the primary purpose of the forex market so that currency exchanges are designed to facilitate business. It?s important to bear in mind concrete examples of why forex trading is a necessary part of our financial markets in order to maintain a realistic approach to forex.
One of the challenges for individuals getting into forex is to keep in mind that forex is about countries doing business with one another, and in order to do business with one another they have to deal in one another?s currency. Just like the cliche of comparing apples to oranges, when financial transactions occur determining the unit of measure, in this case the money required makes it necessary to be able to convert the transaction into an apples to apples equation or an oranges to oranges equation.
Currency pairs from different countries will include the features of the currency and the rules governing the currency from other countries. When you are considering investing in forex, one of the risks you must address is that the laws regarding who and how currencies can be traded vary from country to country. So while a trader from one country might be able to trade currencies using one form of trading, that form of trading may not be available to individuals in other countries.
Forex trusts that are designed to separate or segregate funds that are used for forex trading to help protect investors from a forex firm using forex funds for its own business transactions are largely unavailable in certain countries. In this instance, as you research ways to protect your forex funds from a firm going bankrupt if you are in the US, you may see advertisements for setting up off-shore trust accounts. This is typically not a legitimate business option in the forex field and often requires significant costs. Therefore, funds in your forex account will likely be non-segregated, meaning that if your forex broker or dealer goes bankrupt you will not be able to get your money back.
Forex spreads vary from currency to currency and from dealer to dealer. The spread on a currency pair will determine the cost to the investor of participating in currency trades, in particular currencies because it is the difference in the bid, the price an investor can sell his currency at and the ask price, the price an investor has to pay for the currency. The bid is lower than the ask and the difference is paid to the broker or dealer. For individual traders it is important to note that some forex brokers vary the spread offered to individuals depending on how much money they have to invest or other criteria. The tightest spreads are in these cases end up being essentially unavailable to typical individual investors.
Forex trading platforms available to individuals will frequently omit some currency pairs as well as omit more complicated transactions. Individual investors should be aware that not all currency pairs that are available in the financial world will be available to them for their individual transactions. Many forex brokers advertise increased numbers of currency pairs available on their platforms. The omission of currency pairs can present a challenge for individual investors looking to include less common currency pairs that trend the same way as their more common currency pairs for profits or to include currency pairs that trend opposite from more common currency pairs to manage losses.
Most individuals participate in forex spot trades as opposed to other kinds of trading that focus on a future date. While spot trading, using current information about currency to place current trades is often described as the simplest form of trading, it omits some of the benefits of other types of trading including trying to protect against losses from futures trading. Individual investors will use different types of order to try to protect their investments from drastic losses and to lock in gains in their forex trading.
Individuals do not have as much money to invest in forex as corporate or governmental investors. This means that profits from small moves in currency will not be as large for individuals as for companies or governments.
Forex trading is very risky but many individuals are still tempted to try to make money in the forex market. Use the tips above to consider various barriers to participation for individual investors that exist in the forex market.
Source: http://forextradingmethod.org/limitations-on-individual-forex-trading/
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How To Buy Or Sell Commercial Real Estate | Overseas Property
Although industrial and commercial properties are constantly appearing on the market, they don?t get preferential market listings the same way regular homes do. You need to know how to search to find commercial properties, and this article can provide you with the best way to do this.
To ensure that you receive quality service when searching for commercial property, find a company which cares for their customers. If you don?t, you might wind up suffering over the long haul for an otherwise preventable error.
Social media is an important tool for keeping brokers and investors appraised of your services. After completion of a transaction, you should work to cultivate an online presence.
Look for the biggest buildings within your price range when you?re considering commercial investments. Managing five units might seem far less complicated than fifty, but the work that you put into financing and setting up lease agreements will be the same no matter how many units you manage. Both require commercial financing, and a larger building will cost less to finance per unit.
Commercial loans require the borrower to order the appraisal. Banks do not allow the appraisal to be used at a later time. Therefore, to protect yourself and keep your commercial loan on track, order the appraisal yourself.
Before you purchase a property, talk to a tax advisor. Such an expert can inform you of what a building will cost you, and the tax impact of your income from a property. Utilize the advice given to you by your tax adviser in order to locate a property in an area where your investment will incur the least taxes.
Bear in mind that, with any newly written lease, rent considerations and strategies will be essential to the future of your investment. Have an exact rental amount in mind before you discuss your property with a potential tenant. This can help you keep targets and set a benchmark for your investment.
Look for the motivated sellers. Find sellers, particularly those that want to get rid of a property below the market?s value. Until you find a deal in real estate by a very motivated seller, nothing in real estate can happen.
Your new space may need improvements before you can occupy it. The changes don?t have to be extensive. You may just want to repaint or rearrange furniture. The renovation project can get larger and could consist of knocking down, moving or building walls to make the floor plan usable. Negotiate payment for these improvements ahead of time, and attempt to have the landlord pay at least part of the costs.
You should try to understand the NOI metric. To maximize your success, keep your numbers in the positive values.
Check out the state of the environment around your property. You are ultimately responsible for disposing of environmental waste from your building. Are you considering buying a property within a flood zone, which can effect your insurance, storm water drainage and possibly impede future growth potential? Think twice. Call some agencies that assess the enviornment and find out what is up with the area your property is in.
Know what your goals are when you are purchasing commercial property. One important thing to have clear up front is whether you are thinking of using it for your personal business or if you, instead, want to lease out the property. As you prepare to seek out a new commercial property, you should first set very specific goals and requirements.
When considering properties for your investment portfolio, abide by the principles of feng shui. A space that is open and not cluttered is one of the principles id feng shui that buyers like.
Before choosing a real estate broker, you need to know how they negotiate. Inquire into their specific credentials and training; do not be afraid to ask for references. You should also make sure that they use ethical methods and know how to get the best deals. It is also completely appropriate to seek examples of their past efforts to strike real estate deals for other clients.
Be sure you position yourself well when it comes to negotiating any lease for commercial real estate, you want to do things like decrease what could be considered as a default event. Decreasing these will prevent tenants from performing a default on the lease after your negotiations. A default is frustrating and costly.
Buying a larger property is great for a variety of reasons. Having more units in the same property gives you more profit potential without much more work. Properties with fewer than ten units are often harder to sell, since many investors believe that more units mean more money.
You should put an ad out for your commercial real estate when it is on sale, do it locally and out of town. Do not assume that only local investors will be interested. There are many private investors who buy property outside of their area if the price is affordable.
There are differences between brokers in the commercial real estate field. A full service broker works with both the tenants and the landlord. Some agents represent only the tenants. If you intend to rent rather than buy, retaining the services of the latter type of broker may benefit you, as tenant-only brokers know what works when representing tenants.
Visit the commercial real estate properties that you are interested in. It?s a good idea to hire a building contractor to come with you and do on-the-spot inspections of properties you are considering. Start the negotiations, and make the necessary preliminary proposals. Carefully look over any counteroffers you receive before you make your final choice, whatever that may be.
If there is more then one property you are considering, acquire the house survey checklist for each one during your site tour. Accept responses to the initial proposals, but don?t go further than that unless you inform the property owners. Don?t hesitate to let it be known that you are entertaining other options. This may ensure that you get a much more viable deal.
Know what your specific needs are prior to starting your commercial real estate hunt. You should write down the features you are looking for, such as size or settings.
Be sure to negotiate on the fact of what you are, the seller or buyer. Make it clear that you wish to be heard and refuse to accept an unfair price.
When buying rental properties, avoid the difficulties involved with smaller properties. Experienced investors advise buying complexes with over 10 units. No situation is the same as another, and proper reseal should help you reach a knowledgeable decision regarding any purchase.
When you are pursuing an investment in commercial real estate, finding the right type is only the start of the process. Dealing with commercial property takes knowledge and action; therefore, it is very important to learn all you can prior to seeking out your property.
Weigh all of the information available in regards to Property Overseas for Sale. Understand the many facets of Property Overseas for Sale by slowly building up your knowledge of the subject. After you have all the pertinent information, you will be able proceed with any plans you might have.
Source: http://www.davidstanleyredfern.com/general-news/how-to-buy-or-sell-commercial-real-estate-3
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Khloe Kardashian Hopes She's Invited Back For 'X Factor' Season Three
'To do something on this magnitude, I'm so honored and blessed,' Kardashian says about her hosting gig.
By Chris Kim
Khloe Kardashian
Photo: MTV News
Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1699419/khloe-kardashian-x-factor-host-return.jhtml
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Finless Porpoises in Peril
A survey has found that fishing, pollution and other human activities along the Yangtze River in China are driving a freshwater mammal, the Yangtze finless Porpoise, to the brink of extinction
The Yangtze finless porpoise is in decline in the wild, with the latest estimate suggesting it might be critically endangered. Image: http://www.nature.com/polopoly_fs/7.8165.1356108785!/image/web-72578595.jpg
Fishing, pollution and other human activities along the Yangtze River in China are driving yet another species of freshwater cetacean to the brink of extinction. That is the conclusion of a six-week survey of the river?s middle and lower stretches by the Chinese Academy of Sciences? Institute of Hydrobiology (IHB) in Wuhan and the conservation group WWF in China.
The final results of the survey will be announced in March. But the preliminary findings are worrying: the survey team spotted fewer than half of the Yangtze finless porpoises (Neophocaena phocaenoides asiaeorientalis) that were seen during a similar expedition in 2006, which found 1,225 living in the river.
?This is really bad news,? says Wang Ding, an ecologist at the IHB who is the survey's chief scientist. ?The finless porpoises are doing much worse than previously thought along the Yangtze mainstream.?
The Yangtze finless porpoise is one of the world?s few remaining freshwater cetaceans. It is found only in the Yangtze, as well as in two adjoining lakes, called Poyang and Dongting. Scientists hope that the porpoises can avoid the same fate as the Yangtze river dolphin, or baiji (Lipotes vexillifer), which was declared effectively extinct after the 2006 survey.
Endangered ecosystem
The latest survey also found that a population of about 450 porpoises in Poyang Lake has been stable for the past six years. But only 90 of the animals remained in Dongting Lake, a decline of 40% since 2006. This means that there is a total of only around 1,000 finless porpoises in the Yangtze River basin ? making them even rarer than giant pandas in the wild.?
?Losing these big, top carnivores in the Yangtze is a pretty good indication of the terrible state of the river ecosystem,? says David Dudgeon, an ecologist at the University of Hong Kong in China, who was not involved in the survey.
"Intense human impact is to blame," says Lei Gang, director of WWF China's freshwater program. "The conflict between conservation and economic development along the Yangtze is overwhelming."
Overfishing has caused a big decline in the porpoises? food sources, says Wang, and the animals are vulnerable to unregulated fishing methods such as electro-fishing, which involves sending electrical currents into the water to stun fish before they are caught.
Pollution problem
Pollution is another major, long-term threat, says Dudgeon. The Yangtze, regarded by Chinese people as their ?mother river?, supports 40% of the country?s human population, and its riverbanks are lined with large cities, factories and power plants. According to Dudgeon, about 20 billion tons of waste are discharged into the Yangtze every year. ?This doesn?t even include diffuse pollution from agriculture or pollution caused by ships,? he says.
Like other cetacean species, the Yangtze finless porpoise uses sonar for navigation, ranging and foraging. But the high density of shipping along the Yangtze creates high levels of acoustic pollution, which interferes with the animals? sonar. ?This affects their feeding and many are also wounded or die because of ship strikes,? says Lei.
Other human activities such as dam building, land reclamation and sand dredging have contributed to large-scale habitat loss and degradation in the Yangtze River basin in recent decades, says Lei.
The Yangtze finless porpoise is currently listed as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. ?The new estimate may qualify them as critically endangered,? says Wang. ?If the situation does not improve significantly, they may follow the fate of baiji in 15 years.?
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=7dc35bdac4e5e889cc7ab7001ee2421b
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Picture of the day: Junior dos Santos shows why holding pads for him is no fun
UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos will put his title on the line at UFC 155 this weekend. He got in some training outside his hotel on Christmas, and his partner showed why holding pads for such a hard hitter is not an easy job. He is wearing padding all over, and do you blame him?
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Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Egypt's government sets priorities after charter
CAIRO (AP) ? Egypt's government asked parliament Wednesday to prioritize legislation to organize parliamentary elections, regulate the media and fight corruption as the upper chamber held its first session with temporary new powers granted by the constitution.
The Islamist-dominated Shura Council, the traditionally toothless upper house, was granted temporary legislative powers under the new constitution and began its work a day after the official results of the referendum were released, showing the charter passed with a nearly 64 percent "yes" vote. It will legislate until elections for a new lower house are held within two months.
The disputed, Islamist-drafted constitution deeply divided the nation, though its supporters insisted it would pave the way for more stability in Egypt and the building up of state institutions.
President Mohammed Morsi has had legislative powers for months since a court dissolved the law-making lower house of parliament.
In its first act after the constitution passed, the Shura Council convened to swear in 90 new members appointed by Morsi. Two-thirds of the council's 270 members are elected, and one-third are appointed by the president.
Speaking to the council, the Cabinet minister in charge of parliamentary affairs, Mohammed Mahsoub, said the government will prepare new legislation for parliament to discuss, including a law to regulate the upcoming parliamentary elections, anti-corruption laws, and laws to organize Egypt's efforts to recover money from corrupt officials from the era of ousted President Hosni Mubarak.
Mahsoub said such bills can be ready as early as next week, when the council convenes again for its regular working session.
He said the government also wants to draft laws to revise maximum and minimum wages, expand social insurance coverage and regulate the media, as well as institute Egypt's first freedom of information act. Such bills, he said, are in line with the new constitution.
"I congratulate the Egyptian people on behalf of the government for the passing of the constitution of the second republic, which establishes a modern democratic state where the people's voices are heard and where injustice, dictatorship, repression, nepotism and corruption take a back seat," Mahsoub told the session.
"At this critical time for the nation, this respected council is required to pass a set of laws for the state to complete building its institutions," he said.
Mahsoub called on the opposition to join in national reconciliation and participate in state institutions.
The main opposition group has rejected the constitutional process and questioned the legitimacy of the charter itself, saying it was rushed through without enough national consensus.
The largely liberal and secular opposition has rejected presidential appointments to the upper house. It says it will instead contest the upcoming parliamentary elections and hopes to achieve a sizeable representation to challenge the constitution.
The opposition will be watching the Shura Council to see whether new legislation increases civil liberties and addresses poverty and social inequalities ? or increases the ability of the state to crack down on its critics and impose an Islamist rule, as many fear.
Critics say the new constitution enshrines Islamic rule in Egypt, restricts freedoms and ignores the rights of women and minorities.
Mahsoub addressed growing fears in Egypt of an impending economic crisis.
"The government reassures all about the economic situation," said Mahsoub. "We don't have an economic problem; essentially it is a political problem that is affecting the economic situation ... We call for reconciliation to impact positively on the economy."
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypts-government-sets-priorities-charter-142132944.html
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Singaporean Maritime Tech Firm Ascenz Gets $482K In Funding From Red Dot Ventures As It Sails Toward The Chinese Market
Singapore-based maritime technology company Ascenz has received $482,000 in funding from technology incubator Red Dot Ventures as it sets its compass towards China.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/kFH-7MBWNa0/
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Netflix suffers Christmas Eve outage, points to Amazon
15 hrs.
NEW YORK (Reuters) - An outage at one of Amazon's Web service centers hit users of Netflix Inc.'s streaming video service on Christmas Eve and was not fully resolved until Christmas day, a spokesman for the movie rental company said on Tuesday.?
The outage impacted Netflix subscribers across Canada, Latin America and the United States, and affected various devices that enable users to stream movies and television shows from home, Netflix spokesman Joris Evers said. Such devices range from gaming consoles such as Nintendo Wii and PlayStation 3 to Blu-ray players.?
Evers said that the issue was the result of an outage at an Amazon Web Services' cloud computing center in Virginia, and started at about 12:30 p.m. PST (2030 GMT) on Monday and was fully restored Tuesday morning, although streaming was available for most users late on Monday.?
"We are investigating exactly what happened and how it could have been prevented," Evers said.?
"We are happy that people opening gifts of Netflix or Netflix-capable devices can watch TV shows and movies and apologize for any inconvenience caused last night," he added.
An outage at Amazon Web Services, or AWS, knocked out such sites as Reddit and Foursquare in April of last year.?
Amazon Web Services was not immediately available for comment. Evers, the Netflix spokesman, declined to comment on the company's contracts with Amazon.
(c) Copyright ThomsonReuters 2012. Check for restrictions at:?http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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Tuesday, December 25, 2012
The Smartest Tips In Commercial Real Estate - Maynas Eric
Buying real estate for commercial purposes can be a very different game from buying a home. This article will provide some ideas to help you establish your bearings in the world of commercial real estate.
The first step is to find the best lender to finance the transaction. Don?t make the mistake of thinking that commercial lending is the same as residential lending. They can be better for you as a borrower. Commercial loans will require a bigger down payment, but if the deal doesn?t go as planned, you?ll be able to avoid personal liability. Also, banks are often more relaxed and will allow you to borrow the down payment from a partner or a friend.
While searching through different properties, make a checklist of each tour you went on. Accept the proposal responses from the first round, but be sure to inform the property owners directly if you decide to go further in your inquiries. Do not fear letting the owners know that you are interested in other properties. This may help you snag a better deal, ultimately.
TIP! Use a digital camera to take pictures. Each photograph should clearly depict the point of contention, whether that happens to be a stain, hole or other problem.
Location is a very important part of commercial real estate. Pay attention to the property?s surrounding area. The neighborhood?s demographics, including socioeconomic status and age of residents, influence the success of your investment. Cross-check similar areas to see how they are growing. You want to make sure that in 5 or 10 years down the road, the area is still a descent and growing area.
Larger Ones
If you are investing in real estate, consider going big. A building including five units is no more difficult to administrate than one with fifty. That many units still need commercial financing like the larger ones do, and the larger ones generally cost less for every unit.
TIP! When you are composing a letter of intent, you should emphasize simplicity by negotiating on the bigger issues first, then addressing the minor issues later in the negotiations. This will diffuse tension during negotiations and will facilitate compromise on the minor issues.
Compile a number of people to partner with financially. These can be professional lenders, friends and family. This will allow you to ascertain cash flow. Make contracts so you can pay the loans with a fixed rate, or hand them a portion of your property income.
Advertise your commercial real estate far and wide. Too many sellers assume that their property is likely to only sell to someone local. This is a way of thinking you should avoid. There are many investors who are interested in financing properties which are outside their area as long as they are a great deal.
When shopping for an honest brokerage, ask the representative how the company makes money. Their answer should be discussed openly. You need to know if their money-making priorities are going to trump your real estate needs.
TIP! The best thing to do when purchasing commercial real estate is to concentrate on only one type of investment. You will get better results if you stick to a single type of investment rather than doing land leasing, apartments, and offices all at once.
If you are considering apartment complexes as your next investment, remember that smaller complexes may be more trouble than they are worth. In fact, many experienced investors recommend only investing in properties with 10 or more units. This general advice may not always apply though. You should decide on buying a property based on your own research.
Real Estate
Make sure you know what your needs are before you start looking at commercial real estate. You should know what kind of space you will need for your business. If you see your company growing in the future, you should consider buying additional space now while the real estate market is at its lowest, this helps you to save money down the road.
TIP! When you decide to invest in commercial property, set your sights a little higher than before. Don?t let fear of managing a large building stop you from making the best investment possible.
Before offering to purchase a commercial property, secure a lender. Consult with friends and fellow investors to manifest a short list that includes the optimum lenders of your community. Do your homework, and do business with the one that serves your needs prior to starting the wheels turning on a commercial property purchase. If you take the time to be fully prepared, your loan process will be more efficient, and the odds of qualifying for the loan are higher.
If inspections are included in your real estate transaction, as they usually are, make a request to see the inspectors? credentials. This guideline is especially important when working with people who deal in pest management; these specific fields are often populated by practitioners who lack proper credentials. This helps avoid major post-sale problems.
Add a blog to your website to develop your good reputation. By doing this, you will be able to locate people who are looking to buy or lease the type of property you offer.
TIP! It?s likely that the property you buy will need some repairs and work before you move in. In some cases, all that is required are simple changes like moving the furniture around or giving the walls a new coat of paint.
When purchasing commercial real estate, you need to have a tight relationship with private lenders and investors. For example, those in your network can give you the ?inside scoop? on properties, even those that are unlisted.
If you have the intention of offering your commercial real estate for rent, look for buildings that are simple and solid in construction. These will attract potential tenants quickly because they know that these properties are well-cared for. Since these properties probably do not need many repairs, they will require less maintenance from the owner and tenants.
There is much more time and work involved in purchasing a commercial property rather than a residential property. The fact is that commercial real estate brings in a higher return, therefore the process must be more intense.
TIP! Take the time to be certain you are satisfied with a piece of real estate before you purchase it. Do not invest into anything before thinking carefully.
Real Estate
As you can see, there are a lot of things to consider when shopping for commercial real estate. Remember what you have learned in the preceding article, and you will be able to get a good deal on a piece of real estate that meets your needs.
Source: http://www.maynaseric.com/the-smartest-tips-in-commercial-real-estate-3
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