Around the Web?

Take time out on your Tuesday afternoon for these quick clicks: Sesame Street tackles the challenge of discussing death with children — Jezebel Fulfilling one little girl’s Christmas wish, Hasbro makes plans for gender-neutral oven — Huff Post Parents How to teach kids to express gratitude when opening their gifts — BreezyMama.com 20 children’s books [...]

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Morgan Freeman denies making statement about school shooting

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Actor Morgan Freeman said on Sunday that he did not issue a statement blaming the media for sensationalizing the Newtown School shootings that left 20 children and several adults dead.

The award-winning actor added that he never made or posted the statement that became a Facebook and Internet sensation, saying it was a hoax.

His publicist Stan Rosenfield told TheWrap that the actor's camp was trying to determine the origin of the hoax statement.

"It's because of the way the media reports it," the phony statement read in part. "Turn on the news and see how we treat the Batman theater shooter and the Oregon mall shooter like celebrities. Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris are household names, but do you know the name of a single 'victim' of Columbine?

"Disturbed people who would otherwise just off themselves in their basement see the news and want to top it by doing something worse and going out in a memorable way. Why a grade school? Why children? Because he'll be remembered as a horrible monster instead of a sad nobody."

The hoax statement also takes CNN to task over its use of the phrase "body count" in relation to the Newtown shootings and said the news coverage would incite more killings.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/morgan-freeman-denies-making-statement-school-shooting-013627371.html

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lilliput start: Heavy Equipment & Tools, Home Improvement: The ...

The Lawn Bible: How to Keep It Green, Groomed, and Growing Every Season of the Year (Paperback)
By David R. Mellor

Buy new: $11.55
54 used and new from $1.61
Customer Rating:

First tagged by Atomicfiber Books
Customer tags: lawn care(3), growing, atomicfiber, grass, nature, green, david r mellorlawn bible, green grass, lawn care 101, outdoors, landscape

Review & Description

Now you can have green grass right in your own backyard, thanks to David Mellor, master groundskeeper of Boston's Fenway Park.

Everyone wants a green lawn, but how do you actually get one Bags of fertilizer Weed killer Sod? What about mowing? Everyone knows how to, but do you really know when to? Fenway Park's master groundskeeper David Mellor does. He's been caring for some of the nicest lawns around for years. In The Lawn Bible, Mellor offers you everything you need to know about lawn care for your part of the country, including planting, mowing, feeding, and troubleshooting, as well as tips, illustrations, and anecdotes.

Whether your yard is full shade, full sun, or something in between, David Mellor will help you transform it into the greenest grass of your dreams.

The Gospel of Grass, according to David:
--How to think like a lawn?
--How to make a lawn child-friendly and a child lawn-friendly?
--What combination of good soil, good seed, and good sun adds up to a great lawn?
--The mechanics and artistry of mowing
--How to win the war on weeds, pests, and disease?

Read more

Find out More for the best price at Amazon

Source: http://heavy-equipment-tools-home.blogspot.com/2012/12/the-lawn-bible-how-to-keep-it-green.html

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Source: http://lilliput-start.blogspot.com/2012/12/heavy-equipment-tools-home-improvement.html

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Source: http://granvillebowman.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/lilliput-start-heavy-equipment-tools-home-improvement-the.html

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Daniel Sibirsky - Florida International University College of Law

The Best Lawyers has selected FIU Law alumnus Daniel Sibirsky ?06 for inclusion in the nineteenth edition of The Best Lawyers in America (2013), the oldest and most respected peer-review publication in the legal profession.

Best Lawyers compiles its lists of outstanding attorneys by conducting exhaustive peer-review surveys in which thousands of lawyers confidentially evaluate the legal abilities of other lawyers in their practice areas. To be listed in this publication is widely regarded as a significant honor.

Sibirsky, who was born in Ecuador, and immigrated to the United States as a child, accredits his experience as a key motivator to study law.

He attributes much of his success to FIU Law, which he says gave him an excellent introduction to the practice of immigration & nationality law. ?While I was at FIU Law, I was fortunate enough to participate in the Carlos A. Costa Immigration and Human Rights Clinic, and had the Honorable Judge Stephen E. Mander as my professor for a course in Immigration Law. The course included a visit to the Immigration Court to observe hearings conducted by Judge Mander, which I found to be very instructive.?

Sibirsky practices immigration law at Brauwerman, Sibirsky & Miranda, P.A., where he was recently named partner. An attorney practicing exclusively Immigration and Nationality Law, he excels in practicing before the U.S. Immigration Court and the Board of Immigration Appeals.

He adds, ?To be listed in this publication is a great honor. I hope to continue to grow as a lawyer and a person to provide the best possible services to my clients.?

Source: http://law.fiu.edu/daniel-sibirsky-06-listed-in-the-best-lawyers-in-america/

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MediaPortal 1.3 hits beta, scores new Titan UI, preliminary Windows 8 support

After simmering in its second alpha stage for roughly two weeks, MediaPortal 1.3 has hit the beta phase with a trio of newly-minted looks. The Titan skin spruces up the open source media player's interface with fresh visuals designed for folks with 1080p 16:9 displays. If you're worried about the new look harshing your plugin mellow, the Titan Extended option already plays nice with a handful of add-ons: OnlineVideos, MovingPictures, MP-TvSeries, My Films, Fanart Handler, Latest Media Handler, Trakt, InfoService and the Extensions plugin. Those who'd rather not make the leap to the brand-spanking-new skin can take advantage of refreshed Default and DefaultWide themes instead. In addition to the new coat of paint, the Beta adds preliminary support for Windows 8, which is scheduled to mature in the final version. Thanks to Last.fm's about face on free API access, the music service's plugin has been nixed, but it might return for Last.fm subscribers. For the full changelog and instructions on migrating to the latest test release, hit the bordering source link.

Filed under: Home Entertainment, HD

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Source: MediaPortal

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Wine pairing tips for holidays from Jordan Wine Spirits Parker CO ...

We have enjoyed the wine and beer pairing suggestions and tips from the Twitter team at Jordan Wine and Spirits on Lincoln and Jordan Road in Parker. We asked if they would share some more of those along with some great wines to serve in the under $20 a bottle category.

Over the years, certain wine varietals such as Chardonnay, Riesling and Pinot Noir have been the staple for what consumers drank during their holiday feasts.? As trends evolve and more varietals make their way into the U.S., customers have begun to reach out to alternative varietals and pair them with traditional holiday meals.?

Without being a ?Top Chef? or having ?Emeril Lagasse? as a neighbor to tell us all the nuances of what we should taste in our wine or turkey? it?s easy to narrow down and follow these three rules:

1. Pair with Opposites???Dry white wines have great acid structure to cut through fatty foods!? Cheeses, cream sauces, salami and other fatty meats, etc? This adds to texture and unlocks the complexity of what you?re eating.? The dryness you taste in white wine is perceived in the acidity.

1. Like with Like???We generally apply this rule to sweet foods.? If you?re having a rich cheesecake topped with blackberries, pair with dark fruited Black Moscat.? Apple pie ala mode with the peachy, apricot flavor of Moscato D?Asti, or even Port Wines with chocolate covered nuts or berries.? An example of this is sugar with sugar.? Sugar will coat your palate and restrict your ability to taste.? Sweet sugary wines during tastings should be consumed last.

1. Avoid High Alcohol with Spices-?High alcohol enhances spice, especially peppers (Think vodka and spicy Bloody Mary?s).? A high alc wine following a spicy food will mask not only the flavors of the wine, but also the characteristics of the dish and may alter your taste for the remainder of the meal.? In general, there are certain ?Old World? wine styles that are low alcohol appropriate for food pairing.

Based on the fact that most foreign countries drink more wine per capita than we do in the United States and with Rule #3 in mind from above, pairing their wines with food comes natural.

Christmas Wine?Suggestions for under $20 a bottle

Below is a list of wines we recommend at the shop for those who want to venture out and enhance their dinner.? These wine varietals are foreign origin and structure driven, suitable for your Christmas turkey or ham.

Wente Riverbank Riesling 2011 (Monterey, CA)?-10.99

This wine is fantastic!? One of my personal favorites!? Wente is California?s oldest family owned winery.? Their wines are spot on price to value wise and all favorable with food.? Having slightly less sugar and slightly higher acidity makes this great with either turkey or ham.? The aromas are light and a little floral in the sense of white blossoms.? Its light to medium mouthfeel has flavors of red apples on the mid palate with finishing notes of peaches.

Erste + Neue Pinot Grigio 2011 (Italy) -16.99

Seriously good, full bodied and full flavored Pinot Grigio from Northern Italy.? It has a fresh and fine bouquet of pears and apples. Full bodied and well structured on the palate, it achieves perfect harmony between tartness and body.? It will grip the side of your tongue and fall into a slight melon sweet finish.? Swiss cheese, green apples while you?re prepping in the kitchen!

Victor Hugo Estate Voignier 2011 (Paso Robles, CA) ? 19.99

Victor Hugo Roberts (Owner/Winemaker) came into our shop and I was immediately blown away by his attention to detail with each specific wine he made.? Only producing about 250 barrels for all his labels, Victor Hugo wines stay true to the varietal while balancing flavor and elegance.? It has aromas of honeysuckle and ripe apricot with hints of almond blossom. ? Viognier has a great tropical characteristic; that acidity and supplely sweet finish make it a great pairing with honey glazed ham.

J Lohr ?Wildflower? Valdiguie 2010 (Monterey, CA) ? 9.99

Valdiguie is the grape varietal and a cousin to the Gamay grape most commonly known in French Beaujolais.? This is probably one of the coolest, most underrated, versatile wines in our store.? It is suggested that this wine be served slightly chilled, which is great for the summer? but also at room temp which leaves its soft and approachable character to win over the hearts of everyone at dinner.? It?s aromas are boysenberry, cherry, and cranberry with a plump, supple and low tannin mouthfeel.? You?ll taste raspberries and tart cherries on the palate.? This wine is a crowd pleaser!

Cline Ancient Vines Carignane 2010 (Sonoma, CA) ? 14.99

I first tasted this wine in 2006 on my way out of wine country.? I loved it so much; I took a bottle down for my Thanksgiving turkey that year.? Revisiting this bottle year after year, it is very consistent and I?ve tasted little change from year to year.? This bottle, along with the all the Cline family wines, are a safe choice for any meal.? Carignane is a prolific grape variety and is usually blended into other wines for its color and structure.? Cline was nice enough to present a very authentic style.? Rich Aromas of plum, chocolate and spice in the way of clove, dark berry fruits make up the flavor and another one of my choices for ham!

Bastide de Beauvert, Cote du Rhone Red 2009 (Rhone, France) ? 9.99

This is another versatile wine favored by all of our culinary folks that pass through the store.? It?s 70% Grenache and 30% Syrah.? This wine is smooth and medium bodied, with loads of blackberry and black cherry flavors finishing with subtle undertones of black table pepper.? This has enough fruit to drink on its own, but it?s quality makes it food savvy.

These are just a few alternatives to the typical Pinot Noir, Chardonnay or Rieslings you?ll find at the family table this Christmas.? We always try our best to connect our guests with the ideal bottle they?re looking for.? Ray and I can help you with any wine questions you might have.? Drop in or call us.

Enjoy,

Justin Gilman -?Store Manager/Buyer

Jordan Wine & Spirits
17021 Lincoln Ave, Parker, CO? 80134
720-851-2951

www.JWSparker.com

Jordan Wine & Spirits has a few ways to help you save a bit of money on wine

Case Discounts ? wine?discount of 10% off mixed cases of wine (Buy at least 12/750ml bottles).?

Wine Club at Jordan Wine & Spirits

Our wine club is a great gift idea, way to experience great wines, or just get a great combination of 2 bottles at a great price every month.? From Washington to Chile, South Africa to France, we?ll get you two eye opening bottles that you?ll enjoy per month along with a write up of each bottles history.

s Library Cellar ? Napa, CA

Essential Wine Club

• 3 months ? $75
• 6 months ? $150
• 1 year ? $300?

Premium Wine Club (for discerning palates)?

• 3 months ? $120
• 6 months ? $240
• 1 year ? $480

Source: http://www.ourparkercolorado.com/wine-pairing-tips-for-the-holidays-from-jordan-wine-and-spirits/

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Source: http://icpeiga.posterous.com/wine-pairing-tips-for-holidays-from-jordan-wi

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Conditioning Research: Gnosticism in Health and Fitness

I want that blogger's secret knowledge

Increasingly I am finding that so much of the fitness & fitness blogosphere is a strange place which I am seeing more as a form of gnosticism. ?Let me explain:

Gnosticism I suppose is something of a theological term. ?From Wikipedia

Gnosticism comes from the Greek: gnosis which means knowledge.?Some religions and sects mostly in the few hundred years before and after Christ are said to be gnostic or practice gnosticism.
This is because these religions believe that there is a special, hidden knowledge that only a few people may have.

Not to get into the theological aspects of all this, look at that last sentence:

these religions believe that there is a special, hidden knowledge that only a few people may have.
?

Gurus & Salesmen

So often we treat our interest in Health and Fitness this way. ?We are on a constant search for the ?"special, hidden knowledge". ?The are looking for the secrets: the special diet, the new routine, the amazing new supplement or exercise. ?And on this search we become vulnerable to the gurus and to the marketing people.

The gurus are the purveyors of this special knowledge. ?They have their own unique approach to diet or exercise which so often is put forward as the One True Way. ?We gather around them in tribes or sects: RenEx, Crossfit, RKC or whatever. ?Paleo, WAPF, Primal.

As in cults and sects behind it all often there are those who see the congregation as a source of income. We buy the ebooks, the newsletters, the DVDs because we want the secret knowledges.....

We have gurus pedalling their secrets....which you can buy in a ?29.95 ebook. ?(Now I feel guilty as I am hawking my ebook in the top right!)

The mainstream

All this goes along with a mistrust of "the mainstream". ?There is a scepticism about the conventional wisdom. ?We see ourselves as brave reformers, asserting our truth, nailing our theses to?the?doors of the church of the medical and fitness professions. ?We know better....

The thing is that the mainstream is often right! ?I know lots of research scientists and while they are not perfect, they are on a professional scrutinised search for truth. ?Journalists simplify and sensationalise, but the scientists are generally on an honest journey to find what works and how to get better.

It is difficult!

Reviewing the scientific literature some things are decided....lots are held provisionally.? ?But the obvious thing is that a lot of it is hard to understand! ?It is rarely as simple as we like to make out. ?The processes and systems of the body are very complicated. ?The scientists that study them work hard for years to develop the knowledge necessary to look into these things. ?? Yet somehow we run to the bloggers. ?Why do we think that we should be getting our health and fitness knowledge, even our health advice from a blogger not a medical professional?

The Gnostic approach makes us feel special

Rejecting the mainstream also makes us feel special, better than the others. ?We know a better way and are not so simple and deceived as to believe the conventional. ?PRIDE is at the root of this of course. ?We want to think of ourselves as so much better than the others, elevated above the drones.

Simplicity, Persistence, Habit

What if it is all actually a lot simpler. ?I think it is time to reject the search for the special knowledge and embrace the basics. ?A sensible diet. ?Exercise. ?Sleep. ?Social interaction. ?Stress management. ?Time outdoors.

Most of all though the need is for persistence. ?Just keep going.

I have been guilty

I have been guilty of all of this and still am....but I am trying to moderate it. ?I have jumped at paleo, kettlebells, HIIT, low carb, whatever the current trend is. ?Some - like interval training - has science behind it, but it is rarely as sensationalist as we make it out to me.

Is there still interest in the simple path? ?Walk lots, do resistance training, eat well and sleep? ?Where is the cash in that?

Source: http://conditioningresearch.blogspot.com/2012/12/gnosticism-in-health-and-fitness.html

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Marketing Jobs of the Future | Business 2 Community

Business 2 Community is an independent online community focused on sharing the latest news surrounding Social Media, Marketing, Branding, Public Relations & much more. Every day we feature the thought leadership of our open community of bloggers and aim to provide a balanced view of the business landscape based on industry news, trends and real-life experiences.

Source: http://www.business2community.com/marketing/marketing-jobs-of-the-future-0352073

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Increasing Traffic On a Budget | Simplicity Marketing, Inc.

The volume of traffic an online business receives directly influences it?s success or failure. The more traffic a site gets, the higher percentage of potential sales there are. In days past, it was fairly easy to gain traffic through forced link building methods and buying cheap links. Today, most of those methods don?t work and can actually have a negative effect on your business. Instead, you will want to focus your attention on natural link building and the great thing about this method is you can do it with little to no budget. Here are a few cost effective ways to increase your website traffic.

Social Networking ? It?s free and takes very little time once you have everything set up. The key to using social networking to build traffic is the way you interact with your followers. It isn?t enough to just set up a profile with your business information. Nor can you post updates but never respond to comments. In order for social networking to work for your business, you need to have a compelling profile, interesting posts and you must interact with your followers.

Blog Commenting ? Again, think natural traffic. Blog commenting doesn?t mean spamming blogs with irrelevant comments with links to your site. Nor does it mean commenting on blogs that have nothing to do with your industry. To get the most traffic from blog commenting, you should first locate active blogs within your industry. Look for ones that have similar beliefs as you. Then follow that blog, get to know the content and post appropriate, relevant comments when you have something note worthy to say. "Great post! I agree with what you said" is not an appropriate comment. Remember, your comments are a reflection of you and your business. If your comments are junk, people will naturally assume your business is junk too.

Guest Blogging ? Providing well written content on someone else?s site is one of the best ways to quickly grow your traffic. Guest blogging not only helps you build traffic, it also helps to establish you as an expert and it allows you to build relationships not only with website owners where you guest blog but with their audience as well. Before you start writing your guest blog posts, consider how your posts will benefit the other person?s business and how they will best benefit yours. Sometimes your posts may be more beneficial to the host blog offering great information with only a reference to your business. Other times they might talk more about your specific thoughts, services or findings and include links to resources and such on your site. If you plan to write a series of blog posts for someone, consider mixing your posts so both you and your host will have equal benefits.

Affiliates ? Having an affiliate program means letting other people do the hard work for you and you only pay for results. For a percentage of sales they send your way, affiliates will drive traffic to your business. Starting an affiliate program isn?t hard and it doesn?t cost much. You can start out small and build your affiliate program up as you go along.

These are just four ways you can increase traffic with little or no budget. By creating goals and planning ahead, you can quickly see great results from the above methods.

Source: http://www.simplicitymktg.com/blog/increasing-traffic-on-a-budget/

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Re-thinking the way colleges teach critical thinking

For the past couple years, I've been working as a science communicator on two fronts, as a freelance science writer and a community college Earth science instructor. I've seen, from many angles, the difficulty people have understanding and assessing scientific issues. With topics that are publicly contentious, those difficulties rarely arise from a simple lack of understanding. Other things get in the way. A student once said to me, "Well, I'm a conservative, so I don't believe in climate change." The frankness of that statement opens up a window into the obstacles science faces in the public sphere. (If only those who post internet comments were as honest with themselves...) The combination of science writing and education has influenced my approach to both, which share a common, overarching goal: to reach out to people and present them with the power, wonder, and relevance of science. Like most educators, one of my central aims is to impart critical thinking skills-- to help students make sound decisions in a confusing world of conflicting information, sales pitches, and smooth-talking politicians. Though critical thinking is universally regarded as a pillar of higher education (including by employers seeking college graduates), results show that students are not developing their critical thinking skills to the extent we expect. For their 2009 book, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses, Richard Arum and Josipsa Rocksa followed a little over 2,300 college students through their first two years of school. They found "a barely noticeable impact on students' skills in critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing" and "no statistically significant gains [in these skills] for at least 45 percent of the students." These students may be learning things, but they're not becoming better thinkers or writers. That's a remarkable failure to realize the promise of a college education--and that disappointing reality actually appears to have gotten considerably worse over the last few decades. It's irrelevant how much blame should be placed on the school and how much on the students. We must get better results. As an educator, I've constantly struggled with how to stimulate growth in these skills. In an introductory Earth science course, my first job is to teach my students about plate tectonics, soil formation, oceanic and atmospheric processes, the climate system--all the things that comprise a firm foundation to build on in further classes. But the vast majority of my students will never take another Earth science course, and while this information is still useful in their lives (a point on which they may not particularly agree in the moment), there are more important things to be teaching them. There are larger points, like the nature of science and scientific thinking, and the perspective brought on by an appreciation of the complexity of Earth systems and the mind-numbing scale of the universe. In the face of this balancing act, the traditional approach is often to simply focus on the details of a particular science (to build that foundation for prospective majors) and assume that all the students will absorb the other stuff in the process. Scientific literacy and critical thinking skills are seen as natural side-effects of studying a science. Critical thinking by osmosis. I don't think it reliably works that way, especially for students who expect to struggle with and be bored by science classes from the outset. It's easy to sit through a class, memorizing some facts and working through assignments with minimal effort, without ever actually engaging with the scientific process that created this knowledge. I fear that too many of my students have done exactly that. Increasingly, I've found myself addressing these big-picture, take-home points explicitly. For example, before the first box of minerals and rocks comes out of the closet, I now dedicate a couple weeks to critical thinking and the scientific method. This progression of teaching style reached its (perhaps) natural conclusion when I realized that what I really want to do is give these students an entire semester on critical thinking and the nature of science. And why not? Why continue to pound the square peg through a round hole, herding disinterested students through "Physics for Poets" or "Rocks for Jocks" (their calculated paths of least resistance through science requirements), hoping that they'll pick up these key skills along the way? There are many great reasons for students to experience various fields of science, but why not address critical thinking directly, as well? This is hardly a radical thought, and I'm far from the first to think it. For decades, there have been pushes to teach these skills formally, which have ebbed and flowed with the educational tides. The Association for Informal Logic & Critical Thinking and the Foundation for Critical Thinking, for example, have long been advocating for better critical thinking instruction. Where standalone critical thinking courses exist, however, they are mostly found within the humanities and social sciences. Those courses often center on argumentation and literary criticism, or instead on the philosophy of logic, but there are opportunities to expand this-- particularly by giving science a larger presence. I think there is an enormous amount of untapped value in a broader model. I envision a course that incorporates many facets of critical thinking. Students should get an introduction to logic. They should learn a bit about cognitive science to understand some of the biases and mental shortcuts we all subconsciously employ. (How can you think at a high level without the awareness that there are wayward tendencies in your thinking machine that sometimes require troubleshooting and maintenance?) They should study some of the tools of rhetoric so they can identify the art of persuasion at work, particularly when they're being targeted by it. And they should study the scientific method in this context, as a reliable guide through a treacherous terrain full of pitfalls and mirages. These topics have one big thing going for them--they lend themselves very easily to an active and engaging classroom that fosters the ideal conditions for genuine learning and development. That's a struggle in many subjects, but here it just comes naturally. Most of these concepts are best taught through application to familiar, real-world case studies. Fortunately, American culture is absolutely saturated with object lessons (Jersey Shore, anyone?) and sandboxes in which to hone skills. Student discussions absolutely beg to be facilitated--another fantastic learning environment. All students have opinions and perspectives that they bring to these issues, and the sharing and sifting of ideas among classmates should elicit the very critical thinking skills that we're after. Few things encourage intellectual maturation like recognizing and examining the assumptions behind one's opinions, and the course would be flush with opportunities to do so. Take the public conflict over vaccinations, for example. Combing through the arguments of "anti-vaccine" advocates would reveal ways in which complicated information is misinterpreted and would illustrate the persuasive power of anecdotes. Digging deeper into the science strips the issue down to what we do and do not know, and how new knowledge would be acquired. Turning to the arena of public opinion, you can evaluate how others arrive at their opinions through a range of rational and emotional avenues. From there, you're ready to put the spotlight on your own mind. How did you really form your initial opinion? Does it need to change? If you can genuinely lead students to ponder their way through those thorny thickets, how can they not come out the other side with new eyes? Like children who don't notice the vegetables hidden in their favorite cheesy casserole, I think students would actually really enjoy a class like that, challenging and cognitively nutritious though it would be. It's not hard to make this a fun and enlightening experience that sticks with students. Contrary to the criticism that classes like this would merely be weekly exercises in debunking, critical thinking is as much about problem solving and extracting meaning from complexity as it is about not falling for hokum. (Of course, conspiracy theories and sasquatches would certainly make an appearance.) And this is where science fits in so naturally. Practice with a scientific way of thinking--developing conclusions that flow from the data, rather than cherry-picking data to support your pre-existing conclusion--adds such an important tool to the kit. There is a need for a more inter-disciplinary alliance to bring many elements of critical thinking into one coherent experience for students. While each element is worthy of a semester-long deep-dive of its own, it's not easy to get even a single semester with students, and I'd argue that a broad survey is the most efficient use of that time. There are many, many factors contributing to disappointing outcomes in higher education--from changing student attitudes toward academics, to the rising tuition costs that drive students to work more while they're in school, to problems in the K-12 education system-- and there is no silver bullet that can take us were we need to go. But, as Albert Einstein recognized, "The value of an education in a liberal arts college is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks." Colleges are not like the Field of Dreams (if we build it, they will think?), and it's high time we rolled up our sleeves and got serious about making that training happen. Related: Making implicit knowledge and skills more explicit in science education Follow Scientific American on Twitter @SciAm and @SciamBlogs. Visit ScientificAmerican.com for the latest in science, health and technology news.
? 2012 ScientificAmerican.com. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thinking-way-colleges-teach-critical-thinking-172900752.html

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PPC Advertising Secrets: HOW TO MAKE YOUR BUSINESS ?CLICK ...

PPC stands for Pay Per Click?

? a popular advertising technique on the Internet. PPC campaigns can be found on websites, advertising networks, and especially on search engines, PPC advertising involves sponsored links that are typically in the form of text ads. Pay Per Click campaigns are usually placed close to search results, where an advertiser pays a particular amount to visitors who click on these pay per click links or banners and land on the advertiser?s web page.

In essence, PPC advertising is all about bidding for the top or leading position on search engine results and listings. Advertisers do this by buying or bidding on keyword phrases that are relevant to their products or services ? the higher the bid, the higher the spot on the search results, the more the people will find the ad (and click on it) to go to their websites (this is why some people call it ?keyword auctioning?). Advertisers would then pay the bidding price every time a visitor clicks through the website.

?

PPC Pay Per Click advertising is also known under the following names/variations:

??? ?Pay per placement
??? ?Pay per performance
??? ?Pay per ranking
??? ?Pay per position
??? ?Cost per click (CPC)

PPC aka Pay Per Click advertising is usually done with the following standard procedures:

1. Setting up an account and/or deposit funds.

2. Creating a keyword list.

3. Choosing (and setting up) an account with a PPC search engine.

4. Bidding on the ad placement, including the search result words or phrases.

5. Writing out an ad copy.

6. Setting up the ?landing pages? for your ads.

7. Placing the advertisement in the search engine.

There are several key benefits to Pay Per Click advertising, making it an effective way of promoting your business ?online?. Some of them are listed below:

Get launched immediately. PPC advertisements are implemented very rapidly ? they can go ?online? within an hour after winning the bid and paying for it.

Obtain specific, pre-qualified, and quality traffic. PPC Pay Per Click provides you with a quality or a well-targeted traffic. Visitors are narrowed down into ?qualified? people who are actually looking for specific products and/or services that you offer ? those who are more likely to become a ?lead? (a convert) and complete a transaction; either by buying your product or subscribing to the service that you are offering thru your opt in lists.

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Widen your reach. PPC advertising provides additional traffic to your site, aside from the natural or ?organic? search engines.

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Track your investment. PPC advertising makes use of a tracking system that will determine exactly who comes to the website and what they do once they arrive ? the length of their stay on the site and the number of pages (including the actual pages) that they view. These are valuable tools in determining statistics such as return on investment (ROI), acquisition cost-per-visitor, and conversion rates (the percentage of visitors who are converted into customers or leads).

Below are some important things to consider when planning on a Pay Per Click campaign:

1. Know your product. Take an inventory of the product and/or services that you have to offer (before anything else).

2. Stay within the budget. Determine your daily or monthly budget; and stay with it. This means keeping your budget in mind, avoiding bidding wars if possible.

3. Bid just right. Know how to bid right ? a bid that is too high can exhaust all of your money, while a bid that is too low can make you lose that spot.

4. Watch the bottom line. Measure your profit margin against your spending or expenses. Know when to stop and terminate your PPC program ? if you spend more on advertising but have little or no sales at all.

5. Find the right keywords. Decide which keyword phrases to opt and bid for. Do some keyword research, either by actually looking at existing search terms or with the use of online keyword suggestion tools, to know which terms are mostly used when searching for items that are related to your business. Focus on specific keywords, not on general ones.

6. Write effective ads. A good PPC ad is that which can persuade and move a searcher. There are several approaches to this:

??? ?Discount offers
??? ?Testimonials
??? ?Celebrity/famous endorsers
??? ?Money-back guarantees
??? ?Free trials or sample offers
??? ?Freebies
??? ?Reverse psychology
??? ?Major benefits (?Lose weight?)
??? ?Direct instructions (?Click here?)

7. Maintain a professional-looking site. Your web content should be regularly updated and checked for spelling and grammatical errors. There should be no broken links or images. The website should be simple ? designed in such a way that it will be easy for visitors to navigate and load. Include contact details to create a good impression among potential customers.

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Done properly, PPC advertising can be an effective marketing tool that will maximize the return on your investment.? To take a look at top rankings for Best Pay Per Click Companies check out topseos.com

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If you are exploring ways to promote your business online and if you are brand new to marketing online get access to a online educational system to fully optimize your business thru online marketing methods.? Pay Per Click methods are only one source of marketing.? You will discover educational sources from some of the top marketers in the industry to help not only educate but to yield you results immediately with whatever you are marketing & at the same time making 100% commissions.

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Your Partner in Success,

Source: http://www.empowernetwork.com/millionairescorner/blog/ppc-advertising-secrets-how-to-make-your-business-click/

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Japan seeks a real leader after 7 PMs in 6 years

Shizuo Kambayashi / AP, file

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda, fifth from right, of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, poses with nine other leaders of political parties after a debate last month.

By Arata Yamamoto, NBC News

TOKYO - Kazuyoshi Enokido has lost faith in traditional Japanese politics.

"I'm placing my bet on something new because there's no hope with existing parties," the salesman told NBC News as he finished submitting an early ballot ahead of Japan's election, which is scheduled for Sunday.

"Even if it means being a bit more aggressive, I would like to see someone who can pull everyone up and exert his leadership skills," said Enokido, as he stood with his wife and one-year-old child in Tokyo's Ginza District.

Voters in Japan are witnessing one of the most complex and confusing general elections in the country's history. A total of 11 political parties, most of them formed within the past year or two, are vying for parliamentary seats.

Yoshihiko Noda, 55, is Japan's seventh prime minister since 2006. And if polls are accurate, another leadership change looms. Not everyone is happy about that prospect.

"In my honest opinion, I don't know why we have to keep changing our leaders," Hiroma Shindo, 22, told NBC News. "There's no way anyone can produce any results in just two or three years."

Most of the groups vying for power are splinters from the two main parties ? the ruling Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) and the?Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has held power in Japan for most of the post-war period. Their familiar faces make it that much more difficult for voters to distinguish each individual party's position on key issues.

Citing surveys, Reuters reported Friday that?between 30 percent and nearly 50 percent of voters were undecided with just days to go.

Franck Robichon / EPA

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda waves to voters after an election campaign speech in Tokyo on Thursday.

"I can't decide. It's hard to know exactly what we're voting for," said Hiroko Takahashi, a 51-year-old part-time worker from Machida, a city west of Tokyo, told The Associated Press.

The challenges faced by the country ? the world's third-largest economy and one of the United States' most important allies ? are formidable.

"This time around the voters are concerned about one single simple issue, which can be called 'security'," said Tomohiko Taniguchi, former spokesman for the foreign affairs ministry who now teaches at Tokyo's Keio University.

More Japan coverage from NBC News

Security covers a lot of ground.

"Job and economic security," he said. "Secondly, nuclear security. And thirdly national security. And what is complex is, these three 'securities' are not necessarily compartmentalized. They are mutually interrelated."

More than 20 years after its "miracle economy" bubble burst, Japan seems trapped in a vicious circle of sinking prices and weak demand as sluggish growth forces businesses to slash prices and frugal-minded consumers put off spending.

There does seem to be some agreement among the parties when it comes to the economy, Taniguchi said.

"Economic security is the one that overlaps party boundaries," he added. "There is little difference if you look at the platforms of LDP and DPJ. There is little difference between them and other parties are pushing similar agendas."

None of the parties would disagree that Japan needs to wean itself from its dependence on nuclear power after last year's Fukushima disaster, while at the same time, securing a stable source of power.

"Unlike the past two (lower house) elections, the main points of contention are not so clear and in that sense, it is hard for voters to understand," said Yukio Maeda, a political science professor at the University of Tokyo.

With the exception of the Communist Party and the Social Democratic Party, the majority of the political factions also acknowledge Japan's need to rebuild its diplomatic strength by restoring its alliance with the United States.

Relations deteriorated over the handling of a bilateral agreement to relocate a controversial key U.S. airbase on Okinawa Island, a situation made even more acute because of the contentious territorial dispute with China over a group of islands in the East China Sea.

Much at stake for US as tensions rise in troubled China Seas

Opinion polls by the Asahi, Yomiuri and Nikkei newspapers on Thursday predicted that the LDP was?on track for a stunning victory in the election, with hawkish former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returning to power. They?forecast that the LDP was headed for a hefty majority in the powerful?lower house of parliament.

Abe abruptly resigned in 2007 for health reasons after leading the country for just a year.

Buddhika Weerasinghe / Getty Images

Shinzo Abe, a former prime minister who is currently leader of Japan's main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, waves to supporters from his car on Thursday.

Reuters reported that the polls suggested the LDP and its smaller ally, the New Komeito party, could even gain the two-thirds majority needed to break through a policy deadlock that has plagued the country since 2007.

If no single party wins the majority in the 480-seat lower house, a coalition government would be formed. With so many fledgling parties, a few, no matter how tiny, may end up wielding considerable clout, getting wooed to join a coalition government.

The new party with the most momentum -- and one that could be part of the coalition government -- is the Japan Restoration Party, led by Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara and Osaka Mayor Toru Hashimoto, who have been pushing for a more assertive Japan capable of flexing its military muscle in territorial disputes with China.

Taniguchi said one thing appears certain: Japanese voters desire "a government that could stay long in power."

At Tokyo's Shimbashi Station on Friday, one retiree agreed with that assessment -- warning that political instability was damaging Japan's international reputation.

"The way our leaders come and go, it's too frequent," said the 66-year-old woman, who only gave her name as Ms. Itoh. "The world will stop paying attention to us."

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/14/15902212-voters-weary-confused-as-japan-looks-set-for-7th-leadership-change-since-2006?lite

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Credit Damage Expert: Georg Finder brings his craft to the Chicago ...

Did you know that your credit score and reputation is an asset? When another person, entity, or occurrence causes damage to your credit reputation, you can receive monetary compensation for your loss. Divorce, personal injury, foreclosure, and several other legal practice areas involve parties who lose the value of their credit reputation.

Our credit scores are assets and we use those assets to make purchases, refinance homes, borrow money for business ventures, and pay for our family expenses. How dare another wrongfully damage our credit reputation and diminish its value as an asset!

Georg Finder is well known in California and nationwide. He is ABA published and is widely recognized. The Chicago area better get ready to evaluate credit scores and damage claims!

Georg Finder[i] is one of a handful of experts who can help injured parties who lost their freedom to borrow and leverage their credit reputation due to the wrongs of others. Make them pay.

I first met Georg Finder[ii] in 2006 when I considered suing a private student loan provider for wrongful conduct. I had no idea that the damage to my credit score due to the student loan company?s malfeasance was actionable and compensable! Six years later, I am more interested in helping attorneys and their clients fight back against the nameless and faceless companies who prey on consumers and threaten damage to our credit reputation and scores.

What should floor you: no overseeing state or federal body (to the best of my knowledge and research) governs Trans Union, Experian, and Equifax!

Here is a Hypo: Husband and Wife divorce. Husband is ordered by the court to pay the credit card (the one with the large balance) in both husband and wife?s names. Husband elects not to pay the credit card balance to spite wife because both of their credit scores are tied to the account. Wife then suffers damage to her credit score because (ex) husband wants to punish her.

Do you think the credit agencies care about the court order that husband was ordered to pay? No.

Georg Finder can help.[iii] He is one of the few experts in the U.S. who has the knowledge, skills, and abilities to prepare a report that a court can use to attribute a value to the damage to your credit reputation. If I were an attorney, I would not want to be on the other side of the table from the lawyer whose client hired credit damage expert, Georg Finder, to help compensate them for the damage to their credit reputation.

Georg Finder is a credit damage expert with a broad range of credit related expertise that include analyzing, measuring, and identifying compensable credit damage for individuals, attorneys, and in the courtroom for the last 15 years. For more information, visit: CreditDamageExpert.com.

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[i] Press releases regarding Georg Finder and credit damage

[ii] Article regarding Georg Finder?s track record in helping attorneys and their clients win in court

[iii] Qualify for assistance by taking the Credit Damage Score Test

Source: http://www.chicagonow.com/family-law/2012/12/credit-damage-expert-georg-finder-brings-his-craft-to-the-chicago-area/

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Reminder: Countdown to Christmas sale ends tonight. Save 15% on ALL iOS accessories!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/2iAfdMKY_58/story01.htm

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PFT: Williams testified he wanted to stop bounties

AP

Even before his suspension for not showing up for last week?s game, Steelers running back Rashard Mendenhall knew he was playing out the string in Pittsburgh.

After he lost his starting job, was a healthy scratch against the Ravens, his decision to bail on the Chargers game, the suspension and his pending free agency created a pretty clear path to the door.

?I would have to weigh everything, but ultimately I?ve never been a person to do things out of comfort,? Mendenhall told Ralph Paulk of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review prior to his suspension. ?I?m going to do whatever is right regardless. I?m not going to hang around for a reason like that just because I?ve been here.?

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said not showing up last week was inexcusable.

?I deem those actions a detriment to our efforts,? Tomlin said. ?I stated as such when I met with him, and there would be repercussions of it. We had a good visit. He accepted it.?

Mendenhall had a pair of 1,000-yard rushing seasons, thinks Steelers fans will only remember his fumbles, getting demoted or his Osama bin Laden tweets.

?Anything that happens, which is usually negative, that?s the only picture people have of me,? Mendenhall said. ?When you think of Hines Ward, you think of his smile. You can forget if he drops a pass. There?s something to balance it out.?

Mostly, he seems to feel constricted there.

?By the nature of being in the NFL and being in the locker room, representing the Steelers, you have to be a certain way and things have to be a certain way,? he said. ?Yes, if I want to stay here, I have to be in a certain box. . . .

?When I first got here, I thought that I wanted play with one team. With a lot of how I?ve been represented football-wise, I?m closed off and to myself. I don?t say a lot or do a lot, and because of that, people really don?t know who I am. They really can?t read me. So it?s up to others to interpret who I am.

?People want me to act a certain way when I move around Pittsburgh. That?s when it gets frustrating. Sometimes when people try to project the football player image on me, that?s when it doesn?t fit.?

Based on those comments, you wonder if Mendenhall will feel valued in his next stop, which is clearly coming soon.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/12/gregg-williams-testified-he-wanted-to-stop-bounty-program-but-that-vitt-said-no/related/

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?In the Studio,? Tintri?s Kieran Harty Brings Virtualized Storage To The Enterprise

"In the Studio" approaches the end of 2012 by welcoming the type of entrepreneur that doesn't end up in the tech blogs very often, if ever, as they're generally working on technologies that most of us would never fully understand and, given the stakes, spend the first few years of initial development in stealth mode for fear of being scooped by the competition. Kieran Harty, CEO and co-founder of Tintri, is one of the most quiet, unassuming folks I've met in my short time in the Valley. Someone reached out to me about Harty's background, and while I'm usually uninterested in getting pitched to be on this show, I found his story, his company, and his technology to be fascinating. Harty left Ireland for Stanford, studied under legendary professor and Google angel investor David Cheriton, earned a PhD in distributed systems, started out at TIBCO, then took a job as VP of Engineering at an early-stage company that happened to be VMware, helped build the team from 25 people, and left after many years, finally ready to embark on his own and participate in the culture of the Valley he had sought after many years ago.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/cOmt5r9B4GA/

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johir.khan: An Education in Classlessness | Economics reference ...

Economics : Of all the people in the city of New York who should be reluctant to charge someone else with elitism, the city's richest man has to be on the top of the list. But irony has never been one of the mayor's strong suits, so there he was?the other day?with a verbal assault on Bill Perkins for, of all things, having the temerity of being a vocal critic of charters, despite having gone to the "tony" Collegiate School for his own high school education.

Here's the NY Post's (natch) account: "The Post's Dave Seifman forward some pretty choice quotes from Mayor Bloomberg going off on state Sen. Bill Perkins, a major opponent of charter schools, on his weekly WOR radio show this morning. Bloomberg jabs at the pol for attending "elite private schools" and says he's been "violently" against choice for parents."

Now's not the right time to interject a tired pot and kettle analogy, but it does take a certain amount of chutzpah to attack Perkins when the mayor probably hadn't set foot inside a public school-his kids went elsewhere obviously-until he was elected mayor. And the same goes for Chancellor Klein who, along with Bloomberg, brought absolutely zero knowledge of public education to the job?when he was elevated to his supreme commander post. And this from a man who spends all of his weekends in Bermuda!

But what's even more egregious in our view is the mayor's failure to see with any clarity what?the charter phenomenon says about his own educational effort-a point that we have already made before. Here's the Post again: "Bill Perkins is a guy who went to elite private schools, and he represents a district where most people can?t afford elite private schools, and charter schools are their opportunity to get their kids a great education," said Bloomberg. "I think the numbers are something - there?s 10,000 places this year - more places for charter schools, and there?s something like 50 or 60,000 applicants for the 10,000 places."

Now, after eight years of so-called reform-along with reams of flack touting miraculous advance-we have stampedes in poor neighborhoods to flee the public school system as fast as possible. The Post's Seifman continues to spotlight the mayor's views in a follow up story: "Bloomberg argued that charter schools promote competition, which is one reason public schools in the city are improving. "Competition is great for everybody, and it's one of those things we want to encourage, and Perkins has been violently against it, while the educators and the public and the parents want more of [it]," the mayor said."

If the Harlem clamor for choice is any indication, this kind of a competition can best be described in sports language as a blowout-and as an indictment of the failure of the overall?Bloomberg effort. Diane Ravitch's hearing testimony sheds light on the true nature of this far from healthy competition: "Some charters are as idealistic as the original vision, but many others now see themselves as competition for public schools. They want to take over public school space and replace public schools. They revel in stories about beating public schools, not helping them."

But as far as Bloomberg's observation that the charter competition is in some way aiding public school improvement, where's the evidence of that? Which brings us back to the point that we made last week: "So there is obviously a perception of failure at the grass roots level. Whether this is a reality or not-and studies indicate that the charter exploits are exaggerated in the aggregate-doesn't matter. And the clamoring for, "choice," is an indictment of the current system that the media did so much to tout when it was all about mayoral control."

So what's missing from all of this trumped up outrage, is a concomitant genuine outrage at the three card monte game that the Bloombergistas have played-with Rupert and Morticia acting as the audience shills-with a gullible public. It is time to bring in the forensic accountants, and Perkins and his state senate crew should hold follow up hearings on testing fraud, unmerited teacher and administrator bonuses, and a profligate expansion of an educational bureaucracy that has failed to deliver real success even with an 80% increase in its allocation.

But that might not even be necessary if what they think is going to happen next spring actually does-new school tests that expose the naked emperor's false positives. As the NY Post reports: "Criticized for having steadily dumbed down standardized tests -- and trumpeted phantom gains -- the state Education Department says students in grades 3 to 8 taking required math and English exams starting tomorrow won't pass as easily this year. "Students are going to have to know more and do more to demonstrate proficiency on the exams," said John King, senior deputy state education commissioner."

And it will be more difficult to teach to the test: "A rising number of pupils have passed in recent years as cut scores dipped so low that some kids could randomly guess enough right answers to squeak by, experts found. State Board of Regents Chancellor Merryl Tisch and Education Commissioner David Steiner "are committed to ending the annual debate about whether our state tests have become harder or easier," King told The Post. "Doing that will require us to ensure that our tests become both less predictable and more comprehensive in terms of the number of items they test."

But, once the test fraud is exposed will it finally become clear that, as far as NYC's master of the house is concerned, "there's not much there?" Here's the Post's observation: "The sliding standards weren't revealed when Mayor Bloomberg touted dramatic spikes in state scores as a triumph of his stewardship. But the lid was blown off when federal officials found reading and math scores for New York students had remained flat on a national benchmark exam since 2007, while their scores on the state tests skyrocketed over the same period."

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, cited in Sol Stern's upcoming City Journal article, makes this telling point: ?We have to stop lying to children,? education secretary Arne Duncan said recently at a meeting of the National Governors Association (NGA).?We have to look them in the eye and tell them the truth at every stage of their educational trajectory.?

If Mike Bloomberg really wants to advance the interests of NYC school kids, he can begin by laying off the glass house?ad hominen attacks on Bill Perkins; and he can follow Duncan's advice by starting to?tell the truth-to those with an actual stake in public education-about how all of his extra funding and top down control of the educational bureaucracy has yielded a truly lackluster result. Don't expect this anytime soon, because mea culpas are conspicuously absent in the Bloomberg personality profile.

Source: http://economics-reference-cell.blogspot.com/2012/11/an-education-in-classlessness.html

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Source: http://farmer2615.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/an-education-in-classlessness-economics-reference-cell-davis.html

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Source: http://johirkhan72.blogspot.com/2012/12/an-education-in-classlessness-economics.html

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Source: http://camachoterry.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/johirkhan-an-education-in-classlessness-economics-reference.html

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Europe's highest suspension bridge opens in Swiss Alps

14 hrs.

A. Pawlowski , NBC News contributor

Caution: Switzerland?s newest tourist attraction may make your knees go weak and your heart beat a little faster, but, oh, what a view.?

Behold the Titlis Cliff Walk, Europe?s highest suspension bridge swaying at 10,000 feet above sea level in the Swiss Alps. On a clear day, visitors can gaze at the south face wall of Mount Titlis in central Switzerland, experience a beautiful panorama of the surrounding mountains, glimpse parts of Italy and peek down more than 1,600 feet into the abyss.

It was anything but a clear day when dignitaries from 15 countries attended the grand opening of the bridge on Friday, braving a snow storm and whiteout conditions, said Peter Reinle, a spokesman for the Titlis Engelberg ski resort.

?The weather was terrible, but it was a big adventure,? Reinle told NBC News.

The attraction opens to the public on Saturday, although officials envision that it will be?most popular during warmer months.

?It?s going to be really big next summer as a high-adrenaline kind of new adventure in Switzerland,? said Ursula Beamish, a spokeswoman for Switzerland Tourism. The agency hopes the bridge will attract more tourists to the country, she added. Reinle said visitor interest has already been ?tremendous.?

So how exactly do you build a suspension bridge in an environment where the winds can gust more than 120 miles per hour and snow can fall in the summer?

?It was challenging,? Reinle admitted. A company that specializes in mountain construction began the work in July, with cable cars transporting 90 percent of the materials needed for the $1.6 million project. Some of the bigger pieces were brought in by helicopter. Because of its unique location, the attraction had to withstand not only strong winds, but also heavy snow accumulations.

?The bridge is built for the next 1,000 years. It has to carry all the snow and the ice -- this was the biggest challenge. So you can put around 500 tons of snow on the bridge,? Reinle said.

?It is 100 percent safe? it?s really impossible to fall from the bridge.?

There hasn?t been a problem with snow accumulating on the Titlis Cliff Walk so far, but the resort monitors the attraction carefully and will ?groom? the bridge whenever needed, Reinle said. The bridge will be open whenever the Mount Titlis cable car is operational and the cost of walking across it is included in the roundtrip ticket up to the mountain ? about $90.

The opening of the 3-foot wide, 320-foot long bridge -- which sways when visitors walk on it -- marks the 100th anniversary of the Engelberg-Gerschnialp cableway.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/travel/itineraries/europes-highest-suspension-bridge-opens-swiss-alps-1C7529223

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Mexico: Rivera's plane hit with 'terrible' impact

Photos and flowers honoring late singer Jenni Rivera, placed by fans next to religious images, are seen at the cemetery where her mother is buried in Hermosillo, northern Mexico, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. U.S. authorities confirmed Monday that Rivera, a U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash early Sunday in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Baldemar De Los Llanos)

Photos and flowers honoring late singer Jenni Rivera, placed by fans next to religious images, are seen at the cemetery where her mother is buried in Hermosillo, northern Mexico, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. U.S. authorities confirmed Monday that Rivera, a U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash early Sunday in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Baldemar De Los Llanos)

A rescue helicopter with members of the Mexican General Civil Aeronautic Directorate (DGAC) stand on top of the hill right next to the canyon where U.S.-born singer Jenni Rivera's jet crashed near the town of Iturbude, Mexico, Dec. 10, 2012. Rivera's life was cut short at its peak on Sunday by an airplane crash in northern Mexico that also killed six friends and co-workers. (AP Photo/Hans Maximo Musielik)

Photos and flowers honoring late singer Jenni Rivera, placed by fans next to religious images, are seen at the cemetery where her mother is buried in Hermosillo, northern Mexico, Monday, Dec. 10, 2012. U.S. authorities confirmed Monday that Rivera, a U.S.-born singer whose soulful voice and openness about her personal troubles made her a Mexican-American superstar, was killed in a plane crash early Sunday in northern Mexico. (AP Photo/Baldemar De Los Llanos)

In this photo released Monday, Dec. 10, 2012, by Indomina Media, shows singer and actress Jenni Rivera during the filming of her upcoming movie "Filly Brown." The film "Filly Brown" is expected to be released on the Spring of 2013. Rivera's life was cut short at its peak on Sunday by an airplane crash in northern Mexico that also killed six friends and co-workers. (AP Photo/Indomina Media)

Video cameras and flags used by the forensic experts are unloaded from a helicopter on top of the hill next to the canyon where an airplane crash occurred a day earlier claiming the life of U.S.-born singer Jenni Rivera near the town of Iturbude, Mexico, Monday Dec. 10, 2012. Rivera's life was cut short at its peak on Sunday by an airplane crash in northern Mexico that also killed six friends and co-workers. (AP Photo/Hans Maximo Musielik)

MEXICO CITY (AP) ? The plane carrying Mexican-American music superstar Jenni Rivera plunged almost vertically from more than 28,000 feet and hit the ground in a nose-dive at a speed that may have exceeded 600 miles per hour, Mexico's top transportation official said Tuesday.

In the first detailed account of the moments leading up to the crash that killed Rivera and six other people, Secretary of Communications and Transportation Gerardo Ruiz Esparza told Radio Formula that the twin-engine turbojet hit the ground 1.2 miles from where it began falling.

"The plane practically nose-dived," he said. "The impact must have been terrible."

Ruiz did not offer any explanation of what may have caused the plane to plummet, saying only that "The plane fell from an altitude of 28,000 feet ... It may have hit a speed higher than 1,000 kph (621 mph)."

Ruiz said the pilot of the plane, Miguel Perez Soto, had a valid Mexican pilot's license that would have expired in January. Photos of a temporary pilot's certificate issued by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and found amid the wreckage said that Perez was 78.

Ruiz said there is no age limit for flying a civil aviation aircraft, though for commercial flights it's 65. In the United States it's unusual for a pilot to be 78.

The extremely high speeds at which Learjets can fly ? close to the speed of sound ? make them especially challenging to fly, pilots and safety experts said.

"These aircraft require an awful lot of skill to fly and don't leave a lot of margin for error," said Lee Collins, a cargo airline pilot and executive vice president of the Coalition of Airline Pilot Associations in Washington.

He said that in situations in which a pilot loses control of an aircraft, the plane could "get into a high-speed dive and inadvertently go through the speed of sound." Collins said.

One possible cause for a nose dive like the one described by Mexican officials would be a drastic failure of the flight controls ? the ailerons, elevators and stabilizers, said former NTSB board member John Goglia, an aviation safety expert.

"High performance airplanes by their nature have issues," Goglia said. "The airplane flies faster than the human mind (can keep up) sometimes. ... It takes a lot of skill to stay in front of that airplane."

Mexican authorities were performing DNA tests Tuesday on remains believed to belong to Rivera and the others killed when her plane went down in northern Mexico early Sunday morning.

Investigators said it would take days to piece together the wreckage of the plane carrying Rivera and find out why it went down.

The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said it was sending a team to help investigate the crash of the Learjet 25, which disintegrated on impact in the rugged terrain in Nuevo Leon state in northern Mexico.

Human remains found in the wreckage were moved to a hospital in Monterrey, the closest major city to the crash, and Rivera's brother Lupillo was driven past a crowd of reporters to the area where the remains were being kept. He did not speak to the press.

A state official, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said investigators were testing DNA from the remains in order to provide families with definitive confirmation of the deaths of their loved ones.

"We're in the process of picking up the fragments and we have to find all the parts," Argudin told reporters on Monday. "Depending on weather conditions it would take us at least 10 days to have a first report and many more days to have a report by experts."

In an interview on Radio Formula, Alejandro Argudin, head of Mexico's civil aviation agency, said Mexican investigators weren't sure yet if the Learjet had been equipped with flight data recorders. He also said there had been no emergency call from the plane before the crash. In the U.S., the plane would not have been required to have a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder.

Fans of Rivera, who sold 15 million records and was loved on both sides of the border for her down-to-earth style and songs about heartbreak and overcoming pain, put up shrines to her with burning candles, flowers and photographs in cities from Hermosillo, Mexico to Los Angeles.

Some Spanish-language radio stations played her songs nonstop.

A brother, Juan Rivera, as well as mother Rosa Saavedra, still held on to hope that she would be found alive.

"I still trust God that perhaps the body isn't hers," Saavedra said in a press conference Tuesday, adding that she could have been kidnapped and another woman was at the crash site. "We're hoping it's not true, that perhaps someone took her and left another woman there."

The 43-year-old California-born Rivera known as the "Diva de la Banda" died as her career peaked. She was perhaps the most successful female singer in grupero, a male-dominated Mexico regional style, and had branched out into acting and reality television.

Besides being a singer, she appeared in the indie film Filly Brown, which was shown at the Sundance Film Festival, and was filming the third season of "I love Jenni," which followed her as she shared special moments with her children and as she toured through Mexico and the United States.

The Learjet 25, number N345MC, with Rivera aboard was en route from Monterrey to Toluca, outside Mexico City, when it was reported missing about 10 minutes after takeoff.

Aviation website FlightAware.com shows that the plane flew from Houston to Toluca on August 31 and had not returned to the U.S. since then. Ruiz said Mexican officials are investigating why the U.S. plane was carrying passengers between two Mexican destinations, something that's against regulation. U.S- registered planes can only fly paying passengers internationally into Mexico. He said the plane's owner, Starwood Management of Las Vegas, said Rivera was not renting the jet, but was receiving a free flight because Starwood thought it would promote the aircraft, which was for sale.

That would be allowed under Mexican law, Ruiz said.

"The Civil Aviation Department has instructions to investigate this point specifically," he said, adding that he's also asking other authorities to verify the company's story about why one of its planes was flying between Mexican destinations.

According to the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, the same plane was substantially damaged in a 2005 landing mishap at Amarillo International Airport in Texas. It hit a runway distance marker after losing directional control. There were four aboard but no injuries. It was registered to a company in Houston, Texas, as the time.

Starwood has been the subject of a lawsuit and investigations, though none so far have centered on the plane that carried Rivera.

Another of its planes was seized in September by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration in McAllen, Texas.

A federal lawsuit in Nevada filed by QBE Insurance Corp. alleges that a Starwood aircraft was ordered seized by the DEA when it landed in McAllen, Texas, from Mexico on Sept. 12. The New York-based insurer sued in October to rescind coverage for the Hawker 700 jet.

Starwood, in a court filing, acknowledged that the DEA was involved in the seizure of the aircraft.

QBE, based in New York, said the DEA also seized a Starwood-owned Gulfstream G-1159A ? insured by another company ? when it landed in Tucson from Mexico in February. Starwood said in its court filing that it didn't have enough information to address the allegation.

Nevada secretary of state records list only one Starwood officer ? Norma Gonzalez ? but QBE alleges that the company is owned and managed by Ed Nunez, who, according to the lawsuit, is also known as Christian Esquino and had a long criminal history.

Starwood rejected the insurer's description of Nunez's role at the company.

According to QBE's lawsuit, Esquino pleaded guilty in federal court in Orlando, Florida, in 1993 to conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine.

QBE said Esquino also served two years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud involving an aircraft in Southern California in 2004. QBE said Esquino's attorney stated in court back then that his client had been under investigation by the DEA for more than a year.

Starwood said in its court filing that it didn't have enough information to address either the Florida or Southern California case against Esquino.

George Crow, an attorney for Starwood, did not immediately respond to phone and email messages left after business hours Monday.

___

Ibarra reported from Monterrey, Mexico. Joan Lowy in Washington, Raquel Dillon in Los Angeles and Elliot Spagat in San Diego contributed to this report. Adriana Gomez Licon contributed to this report from Mexico City.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-12-11-Mexico-Jenni%20Rivera/id-9ff28192e2274ab3b9349d0465199968

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