Sunday, November 25, 2012

Next pope an American? US cardinals a factor

Gregorio Borgia / AP

Pope Benedict XVI is flanked by Archbishop James Harvey, during the weekly general audience at the Vatican on Wednesday. Harvey will become the 11th cardinal from the U.S. to be on the panel that would elect any new pope.

By Claudio Lavanga, NBC News

ROME ? The red, or rather scarlet, carpet will be rolled in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday for the elevation of six cardinals. The new so-called "princes of the church" will receive their ring, scarlet skullcap and the traditional biretta, a four-cornered hat, in a solemn ceremony presided by Pope Benedict XVI.

The ceremony won't only be a rare insight into one of the oldest and most colorful traditions in the Catholic Church, which with 1.1 billion adherents worldwide, represents more than half of the world's Christian population. It will also redefine the balance of power in the Catholic Church, and further increase the United States' influence in the election of the next pope.


Among the six cardinal-elects is James Harvey, an archbishop from Milwaukee who will become the 11th cardinal elector from the U.S., strengthening the country's position as the Vatican's second-largest voting bloc after Italy. ?Cardinal electors are the members?of the College of Cardinals who have not reached their 80th birthdays on the day the pope dies and are thus able to vote for the new prelate.

But as American author and John Paul II biographer George Weigel explains, the fact that American cardinals will represent almost 10 percent of worldwide electors in the next Conclave (the election of the pope), does not necessarily mean one of them will become the next Holy Father.?

"The prominence of American cardinals in the current college reflects the vitality of the Catholic Church in the United States," Weigel told NBC News. ?But I don't think it likely that any American will be elected pope for as long as the United States remains the world's pre-eminent power."?

What the selection of an American to be one of the new cardinal electors might show however, is that Pope Benedict XVI is acutely aware that the Catholic Church is swiftly ceasing to be?predominately?European religion.?After all, with 134 million followers, Brazil alone has more Catholics than Italy, France and Spain combined,?according to a major study released in 2011. Even the United States, with 75 million or ?24 percent of the world's Catholics, is far ahead of any European country.

Harvey, 63, is a well-known and respected figure in the Vatican. He was named prefect of the papal household in 1998, and has since arranged daily meetings and engagements for Pope John Paul II first, and Benedict XVI later. Having lived for the past 30 years in the Vatican, he may be more familiar with the dome of St. Peter?s Basilica than the "Domes" at the Mitchell Park Conservatory, but he never severed his ties with his native city.

Once he receives his ring, skullcap and hat on Saturday, Harvey will become the third American to be elevated to cardinal this year, after Edwin Frederick O?Brien and Timothy Michael Dolan received the honor back in February.

External link: Cardinals by country

While chances of an American to be elected Pope are still slim, American cardinals are undeniably a force in the Vatican.?

Timothy Dolan, the Archbishop of New York, has quickly become the superstar among American cardinals.?His charismatic personality and quick wit??made him an instant hit with the media, who have been waiting for a camera-friendly cleric since the death of Pope John II, arguably the greatest Catholic communicator in the age of mass media.

Spencer Platt / Getty Images

Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York, speaks with people waiting for free Thanksgiving groceries at the Lt. Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Memorial Community Center in Harlem on Tuesday.

"Cardinal Dolan is definitely a candidate and enjoys a lot of name recognition ? which helps in a global church," Alessandro Speciale, Vatican correspondent at the Religious News Service, told NBC News.

"But two factors might weaken his chances: coming from the world's only superpower could still be seen as a negative factor in a global church, and he has never held a leadership position in the Roman Curia," he said,?referring?to the Holy See's?administrative?body. ?

New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who is being touted as having a chance to become the first American pope, talks with MSNBC's Chris Jansing about the controversial immigration laws in Arizona and Alabama that allow law enforcement to check on the status of suspected illegal immigrants.

In any case, the choice of non-Europeans to high office in the Vatican is?a way for the Holy See to shift the balance of power towards other continents and prove the ?universality of the church.??

"There was considerable criticism of the last group of cardinals being too European, too Italianate, and too Curial. I think it's fair to read this group as a response to that criticism," Weigel said.

Speciale agrees: "The previous Consistory in February had been criticized for being overly skewed towards Italy (and more in general Europe) and, again, the Curia. With this quite unusual second batch of red hats in a year, Benedict wanted to show his attention to the rest of the world."

Joseph Ratzinger became Pope Benedict XVI in 2005. Look back at his life from childhood through his papacy.

Whatever the reason for the choice of non-European Cardinals, the selection plays in favor of the American grouping, which will have one more elector in their ranks.

"The power of Americans in the Vatican has grown significantly in the last few years: not just because of the star power of Cardinal Dolan but also thanks to the organization, economic resources and boldness in the defense of Catholic values in front of a perceived hostile society is admired by many in the Vatican," Speciale said.

"But it remains to be seen whether this numerical weight will actually translate into influence at the Conclave: though national links are powerful, many other factors ? the strongest being whether one is part on not of the Roman Curia ? play into the secret voting in the Sistine Chapel."

When the time comes, all Cardinals-electors from all over the world will "lock" themselves in the Sistine Chapel in order to vote for a new Pope. While it is unclear who will emerge from it as the new leader of the world's Catholics, one thing is certain: that American influence in that choice went up a notch.

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/23/15361087-the-path-to-an-american-pope-cardinals-elevation-gives-us-clout-at-vatican?lite

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General Motors hybrid/electric vehicles (EV) plan

Mexico ManufacturingBy Adina Moloman

Sources: Reliable Plant, Automotive Business Review

General Motors (GM) is planning to manufacture about 500,000 hybrid or electric vehicles (EV) per year by 2017 as part of the company?s aggressive electric vehicle plan.

The GM electric brand for excellence is the Chevrolet Volt, but GM will launch soon the Spark EV model at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Spark EV is GM?s direct competition to the Nissan?s Leaf and Ford?s Focus electric. The distribution markets are considering for start in the U.S. and South Korea markets.

The carmaker is about to release into the market a new Spark Battery Electric Vehicle next year and has plans to build a new plug-in Cadillac ELR coupe with the same technology that powers the Volt in order to reach its ambitious investments in alternative fuel and advanced propulsion technologies.

Various technologies are involved including plug-in electrics, pure electrics and hybrids that use the e-Assist technology[1].

So far GM has sold 50,000 alternative energy cars with some form of electrification technologies that include the Volt and eAssist light electrification technology on vehicles including the Buick LaCrosse, Regal and Chevrolet Malibu.

In addition to building the next-generation hybrid and plug-in hybrid, GM is bringing battery system design and development in-house but the transmission assembly and the hybrid engines are manufactured outside US, for instance at their GM Mexico Manufacturing Company.

GM also is one of the leading users of renewable energy in the manufacturing sector.?For instance, the San Luis Potosi, Mexico vehicle assembly plant was designed to reduce water consumption by 30 million gallons per year. The wastewater is pumped into an on-site treatment facility for re-use at their same Mexico Maquiladora plant.


[1] EAssist technology is the GM?s global fuel system efficiency and alternative energy vehicle system designed to boost fuel efficiency by as much as 25% in some of its gasoline -powered vehicles.

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About Adina Moloman

Adina Moloman, known to her friends as "Adina" is Made in Mexico Inc's principal blog writer. She is Romanian by birth and has travelled the world over holding various positions in Marketing, Public Relations and International Management transactions. She is multi-lingual, fluent in her native Romanian, French, English and Spanish.She has conducted a number of cross-border research projects between San Diego and Tijuana and has a strong knowledge of European business development patterns; she also has a Masters Degree in Regional Development with emphasis on regional investments. Her keen understanding of cross-border business activity makes her an ideal communicator of key business and cultural transformations and we?re naturally pleased to have her join our team of our company?s business professionals.

Source: http://www.madeinmexicoinc.com/general-motors-hybridelectric-vehicles-ev-plan/

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Saturday, November 24, 2012

Good Icon Use in Web Design ? 10 Examples

The use of icons has a special place in web design. Icons improve the usability of your website by offering a neat way to present content. It is far more effective than lengthy text. Icons help to break up the text on a web page and makes the content easier to read. It is a great way to present information on a website. Good icons are an essential characteristic of good web design.

Web designers have been using icons since the early days of web design. In recent years, the use of icons has become even more prevalent. In this article we take a look at ten examples of web design that make good use of icons. You can use it for inspiration when designing your own website or blog.

1. Mixpanel.com

Mixpanel is a real-time analytics service that helps companies understand how users interact with web applications. Today Mixpanel has more than 580 mobile and web companies analyzing 6.2 billion actions every month. Icons are used on the homepage effectively to display the main features of the service.

2. Bislr.com

Bislr is a revolutionary way for business owners to create a professional business website and market their business online. The site uses icons effectively to showcase the main features.

3. Smallbusinessecommerce.co.uk

Small Business E-Commerce offers fully functional websites to businesses at the cost of a template. You can choose from a range of up-market designs, free logo, free web hosting and professionally prepared content for your site. Icons are used throughout the site to highlight the main features of the service.

4. Theprayerengine.com

The Prayer Engine is a customizable, web-based Prayer Wall and moderation system. It?s the cheapest, most effective way to share prayer requests online. Now for WordPress! Icons are used on the header graphic to show the main steps.

5. Icons.robinclediere.com

Free social icons by Robin Clediere is actually a site that provides icon sets for use on websites. The site provides a good collection of icons that you can download for free. The website is a great source for web design inspiration. Icons are also used effectively in the site?s design.

6. Clasesinglesmadrid.com

They provides a service of finding all sites belonging to the owner of any site you specify. Icons are used effectively as navigation elements on the homepage of the website.

7. Messagesforjapan.com

View messages of hope for Japan, write your own, and have it automatically translated into Japanese. Bold icons are used on the homepage to guide users towards the three main tasks that can be performed on the site.

8. Tumblr.com

Tumblr, is a popular blogging platform and social networking website. The service allows users to post multimedia and other content to a short-form blog. Icons displayed on the dashboard allow users to choose the type of content they wish to post to their blog.

9. Aviary.com

Aviary.com are focusing on truly helping everyone in the world be more creative with simple photo editor, which can be embedded in any web or mobile app for a beautiful, seamless editing experience wherever you are. Icons are used on the site to highlight the main advantages of using the service.

10. Pixel2html.net

Pixe2HTML offers PSD to HTML / CSS conversion services for websites. They can convert any Photoshop design into HTML and CSS based website that is coded with the highest quality markup, pixel perfection and cross browser compatibility. Icons are used on the website to highlight the core selling points of the service.

What About You?

Above are only a few examples of great icon use in web design. There are many more. Do you use icons on your website? If you do and would like to showcase your site on this list, please add your entry by leaving a comment below. Alternatively, please feel free to suggest another website.

If you like this article, please share it!

Source: http://www.kronikmedia.co.uk/blog/web-design-icons-examples/6024/

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Pakistan cuts phones in hope of stopping attacks on Shi'ites

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan is suspending phone coverage in many cities this weekend, an important one in the Shi'ite Muslim calendar, after a series of bomb attacks on Shi'ites triggered by mobile phones.

Hardline Sunnis have threatened more attacks as the Shi'ite mourning month of Muharram comes to a climax. More than a dozen people have already been killed this week attending Muharram processions.

"All the blasts that occurred in the last 15 days were mobile phone-based," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters on Friday.

A suicide bomber killed himself and wounded two police officers near a Shi'ite procession in the northwestern city of Lakki Marwat on Friday.

Intelligence information indicates more attacks have been planned for the coming days in the capital city of Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta. Mobile phone service will be suspended for hours in the three cities and dozens of others over the weekend.

In Karachi, more than 5,000 police are expected to patrol the streets during Muharram events over the next two days, with hundreds more on alert.

"The army is on standby. If any untoward incident occurs, we will call them, if need be," Malik said.

Muharram marks the anniversary of the Battle of Karbala, where the grandson of the Prophet Mohammad and his family members were killed.

Pakistani intelligence officials say extremist groups led by Lashkar-e-Jhangvi have intensified their bombings and shootings of Shi'ites in the hope of triggering conflict that would pave the way for a Sunni theocracy in U.S.-allied Pakistan.

(Reporting by Aisha Chowdhry and Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Writing by Randy Fabi; Editing by Andrew Roche)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/pakistan-cuts-phones-hope-stopping-attacks-shiites-143513031.html

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Leading Chicago Home Improvement Firm Assures High Quality ...

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Glencoe, IL (freepressreleases ) November 22, 2012 ? The Chicago residents in need of quality home improvement need not look further- Chicago Renovation Development, the leading Chicago based remodeling company has assured to provide top notch home improvement services. The company is providing extensive range of home remodeling works across Chicago suburbs & neighborhood areas.

Chicago Renovation Development is founded in the year 1999 by Brad Ashman who comes with a profound experience in the construction industry. The firm specializes in Chicago bathroom remodeling, kitchen remodeling & home remodeling works. ?We are your one-stop home remodeling solution in Chicago with our ethical, client-oriented and high quality services. We assure you of a trusted and seasoned service always. It?s our trustworthiness that has earned us a very loyal client base over the years?, stated the spokesperson, adding that they have been engaged in the home improvement works for more than 25 years.

The seasoned Chicago remodeling company is ready to work on any kind of home remodeling works including a makeover or additions in every sphere of home such as kitchen, bathroom, basements, decks, windows, flooring and roofing in addition to the Chicago kitchen remodeling and bath improvement services. Commenting about their workforce, Ashman?s manager said that the company is backed by a fantastic pool of highly seasoned & talented craftsmen who are really passionate and have been involved in remodeling services for a prolonged span.

?We always allow the clients in stating their specifications freely to attain a perfect understanding of the client?s typical considerations regarding the home improvement work he is planning for- we make sure to understand your concerns so that we can come up with your desired services on our part?, the manager added. He further assured that they are always upbeat in their approach and in case of any unforeseen and unexpected remodeling surprises the clients would be asked for the most reasonable rates only.

The leading Chicago home remodeling agency is also engaged in commercial remodeling works and they have been called for historical renovations a number of times as well.

To know further about Chicago Renovation Development, log on to http://www.chicagorenovation.com/.

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Source: http://www.freepressreleases.com/leading-chicago-home-improvement-firm-assures-high-quality-remodeling-extensively/299810

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Friday, November 23, 2012

Chicago Gives Thanks: Local Politicians, Activists, Artists & More Share What They're Grateful For

  • Toni Preckwinkle, Cook County Board President

    Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It?s one that everyone in our country celebrates. It?s a time to reflect on all of the things we have to be grateful for. When I was the 4th Ward alderman, we held a Thanksgiving dinner. It?s a tradition I still hold dear and I will attend this year.

  • Barbara Byrd-Bennett, Chicago Public Schools CEO

    This Thanksgiving, I am thankful of every mother and father and every grandparent and family member who do the tireless work of caring for our children every day. From Clay Elementary on the South Side to Ebinger Elementary on the North side and all the hundreds of schools in between, I am incredibly grateful to every single teacher and staff member who help to create small miracles in our classrooms. I give thanks for my family - for their health, support and love. And, to Chicago - from its iconic stature to its die-hard sports fans and unpredictable weather - I am truly thankful for being welcomed as one of your own.

  • Tammy Duckworth, Congresswoman-elect

    At this time of year it is especially important to be grateful for the the members of our Armed Services who are overseas or recovering in our Veterans and military hospitals. This year the men and women of my former BlackHawk helicopter company are deployed and will not be able to spend this time with their families. I am so thankful to be serving my neighbors in Illinois' 8th Congressional District and to spend Thanksgiving with my friends and family.

  • Jake Nickell, Threadless founder and chief community officer

    Coffee and pastries. I like to grab one every morning from Brothers K in Evanston before I hop on the train to work. I usually go for the chocolate croissant made be Bennison's Bakery. Soooo good. Of course there's my amazing wife and kids and dogs too... and all the amazing people and artists I get to work with through Threadless... but MAN, that croissant!

  • Miss Alex White & Francis Scott Key White, White Mystery

    White Mystery is thankful for freedom, hotdogs, pizza, vinyl records, tape cassettes, 5am karaoke bars, friends, family, and the generosity of people around the world who support rock'n'roll. <em><a href="http://www.hideoutchicago.com/event/170903/">White Mystery plays the Hideout</a> on Nov. 24.</em>

  • Karen Lewis, Chicago Teachers Union president

    I give thanks that the ugly truth about school reform is being spoken. I give thanks that Chicago is starting to have honest conversations about race, class and clout. I give thanks that the poorest, most vulnerable children have the voice of the adults who work with and love them every day speaking loudly and clearly on their behalf. I give thanks that people are horrified that 160 of our schools have no library and that 92 elementary schools are without playgrounds. I give thanks that people in Chicago know that there are only 432 social workers and 250 nurses for 400,000 students. I also give thanks that people across the country recognize that Chicago's so-called reform miracle is an illusion and that the architects of this dismal experiment are now exposed for the snake oil salesmen they really are. I am grateful for the hard-working, committed public school educators who do this job because they believe that education, rather than training, is the key to our students going on to live productive and creative lives. I am honored by the parents of our students who hold their heads high, raise their children with dignity and hope and work with their teachers to ensure their children get everything they deserve.

  • Ameena Matthews, "The Interrupters" star and violence interrupter

    I'm thankful that the creator has given me the voice to make peace and not war. I'm so thankful for family as we grow through ups and downs, we still have the gift of life.

  • Jerome McDonnell, WBEZ "Worldview" host

    I am thankful for Chicago-area kids like 12-year-old Jonah Reardon, who for an <a href="http://www.troop14.info/">Eagle Scout project</a>, is raising awareness about PTSD in returning veterans such as Jason Moon, a musician and veteran who, in turn, travels across the country playing concerts and donating the proceeds to help other trauma-affected veterans. I am thankful that people are coming together, inspiring each other, and helping others heal.

  • Sheila Quirke, Mary Tyler Mom and HuffPost blogger

    I am thankful for this man that I wish I never had the need for, but, alas, did. This is Dr. Stew Goldman, neuro-oncologist at Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. My daughter was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor known as papillary meningioma at just 20 months old in March 2007. She did not survive, but she did live until three months after her fourth birthday. Under the care of Dr. Stew, Donna got the chance to grow up just a bit. That looked fairly unlikely soon after diagnosis. We are grateful to Stew and his team at Lurie's for giving us the time we did have with Donna, and ensuring that our wish for quality over quantity was respected. There are many jobs associated with life and death, but perhaps none fit that more completely than a pediatric neuro-oncologist. 50% of children diagnosed with a brain tumor will die. Yep, life and death. Stew handles his responsibility with grace, humor, and compassion. He speaks with his patients, the little ones from infants to teens, in language they understand and that doesn't scare them. He has the kindest eyes you could ever imagine. When he tells you that the treatment is working, you see his joy and it is real; when he tells you your child will die, you see his pain and that is real, too. Donna thought he was better than Santa Claus. I tend to agree. This year, as in every year since 2007, I am grateful for Dr. Stew Goldman and for everything he does for children and families living with childhood cancer. As my Dad would say, he is a prince among men, a gentleman and a scholar, a real gem. Chicago is lucky to have him.

  • Ashley C. Wheater, Joffrey Ballet artistic director

    I am grateful to Chicago for many things. As artistic director of the Joffrey Ballet, I am especially pleased that the city has embraced our company. Though the Joffrey had its beginnings in New York City, Chicago provided us with a permanent home. We are honored to be a part of this robust cultural community. Chicago is a big city with a heart. I love to explore the neighborhoods and have a total stranger say ?hello.? In just five years, I have made rich and lasting friendships. I have lived in many cities, and find Midwestern hospitality to be refreshing. People ask me if I mind the winters. I <em>love</em> coats, scarves, hats and gloves?winter doesn?t phase me. <em><a href="http://www.joffrey.org">The Joffrey's "The Nutcracker"</a> runs Dec. 7-27 at the Auditorium Theatre. </em>

  • Mark Messing, Mucca Pazza band leader

    I?m thankful that all my band mates promised to wash their uniforms before New Year?s Eve. And for the school bands at Monroe Elementary, Hibbard Elementary, Drummond Elementary and Wells, just to name a few recently resurrected music programs. Very thankful for a recently discovered winter escape in the Fern Room at the Garfield Park Conservatory where you can hang with ferns that were around when the dinosaurs were here. Super, duper thankful that the Bloomingdale Trail is ACTUALLY GOING TO HAPPEN. Extremely super, duper, ridiculously thankful that the Turkey is soon to become our National Bird, just as Ben Franklin had wanted. Over-the-top thankful for uniquely Chicago phenomena like Alderman Joe Moore?s participatory budget program, West Town Bikes, Inspiration Kitchens, The Rebuilding Exchange, Rumble Arts Center, The Hideout, DrumFace, Asrai Garden, Friends of Kimball Park, Mark Nagy Instrument Repair, Co-op Image, Occupied Chicago Tribune, all the people growing onions, beets and lettuce (but not Brussels sprouts.) <em><a href="http://www.emptybottle.com/show/3191054/">Mucca Pazza plays Logan Square Auditorium</a> on Dec. 31, New Years' Eve.</em>

  • Richard Cotovsky, Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. artistic director; Preston Birch, actor

    <strong>Richard Cotovsky</strong> is of course thankful for being able to still share time with his 85 year old mother and 2 sisters and 2 neices. Beyond that he has eternal thanks to his partners at Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co. who keep the ship afloat in a city that has a plethera of dynamic theaters and a great community to support that. Living in the City of Chicago that has such a colorful history and such a diverse selection of restaurants and bars in order to search for the perfect burger, burrito and dive atmosphere to wollow in. He is thankful to live in a city with such a variety of weather that he can look forward to 2 weeks of mild weather in January followed by a temperature drop to 80 below with the windchill and 24 inches of snow. He is thankful that he has found a way to balance his career as a pharmacist with his career as an actor. I could name specifics but I'd leave some out and others would sound cliche but to thank The City of Chicago that allows so much to thrive covers it all like a blanket. <strong>Preston Birch:</strong> "I'm thankful for Chicago?s TV, film and theater community, it?s filled with a diverse and interesting group of people who are very talented, hardworking, which makes this business fun. I am also thankful for the many cool relaxing hang out spots after a long day like the Black Duck Tavern and Grill in Lincoln Park. The biggest thanks of all goes to being able to enjoy Chicago?s beautiful skyline that can be seen from miles away on a clear day." <em><a href="http://theroyalgeorgetheatre.com/shows.php?s=55">"Superior Donuts"</a> continues through Dec. 9 at Royal George Theatre.</em>

  • Chet Haze, singer

    This Thanksgiving, I'd have to say that I'm thankful for a number of things. I am thankful for my family, friends and fans. I'm thankful for Niketown on Michigan Avenue, Wrigleyville, lobster spring rolls at Japonais while eating on the river walk, and the giant steaks served by the one and only Mo at Gibsons! I'm very thankful for good health and my education at Northwestern. God Bless America!

  • Margaret Hicks, Chicago Elevated owner, tour guide extraordinaire and HuffPost blogger

    The Chicago thing I'm most thankful for? The Pedway! It might seem a little sad to you, but the Pedway is my very best friend. When we hang out in the summer, the Pedway keeps me nice and cool. When we hang out in the winter, the Pedway keeps me so warm and cozy. Sometimes I'll just hang out with the Pedway when I want a little peace and quiet, we'll just hang together, we don't even need to say anything to each other. Sure, the Pedway has it's darker moments, when it's filled with half-eaten cheeseburgers and strange odors, but sometimes I'm filled with half-eaten cheeseburgers and strange odors and the Pedway still loves me, no matter what. Me and my Pedway, best friends forever.

  • Dave Jennings, Music Box Theatre general manager

    I am thankful for my friends. I am thankful for the health of those in my life who are healthy and the resolve and power for those who are not. I am thankful for the wonderful energy of Chicago. This Midwestern city is more forgiving and supportive than our coastal counterparts and will allow anyone the creative space to carve out their own niche?whether they are studio artists, filmmakers, actors, or musicians. The energy in this city is palpable in every neighborhood and on every street. I am thankful my fourth great year in Chicago. I am thankful for my good luck, for Lake Michigan, for bike lanes and lakefront running paths, completing the 2012 Chicago Marathon, improv shows at CIC Comedy Theatre and The Annoyance (please see ?Messing With a Friend? on Thursday nights at 10:31pm), offbeat storytelling nights like ?Here?s The Story? at Stage 773, Chicago?s film community, Lady Gregory?s whiskey book, Au Cheval?s menu, the Bad Apple?s burgers and tap selection, and a neverending list of places to go and things to do.

  • Summer Girlfriends

    Summer Girlfriends are thankful for all the venues that have given us a home to play our music at loud volumes, Superior Street Studios, for housing all our stuff, Busy Beaver Buttons, for always making our buttons at the very last minute before a show...without complaint, Stella Blu Clothing and Ethan D'Ercole for making all our merch look cool, Tom of Shake Shop for always keeping our instruments in working order, Boiler Room, for giving us our weekly PB&J fix, rope lights & glitter, for bonding on tour because we survived the drive through the Holland Tunnel, for laughter, for Chicago Summers, for friendship, and most of all, we are ultimately thankful for the two years we have had together and the many more adventures to come. <em><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/555926467758017/">Summer Girlfriends play a benefit for CHIRP Radio</a> at Lincoln Hall on Nov. 29.</em>

  • Joe Erbentraut, Huffington Post Chicago editor

    The more time I spend in "faraway" lands such as New York and Los Angeles, the deeper my gratitude grows for the city I call home: Chicago. Ours is a city where hype doesn't matter. It's a city full of nose-to-the-grindstoners who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and chase their dreams. And I'm endlessly inspired by the many, many people working every day to make our city, flaws and all, a better place. I'm thankful for Woolly Mammoth's ever-changing inventory of incredible taxidermy, Cafe Mustache's goat cheese-and-basil croissants and Big Chicks' distracting art collection. I'm thankful for people who care enough about our city's mental health clinics to sleep on the streets. I'm thankful for teachers. I'm thankful that "Showgirls the Musical" happened here. Finally, I'm thankful for all of the city's animal shelters for working so hard to rescue homeless pets.

  • Justin Barbin, Chicago Hooked photographer and HuffPost blogger

    I'm thankful for the photogenic landscape of Chicago. My job is a lot easier thanks to how gorgeous and active our city is through each passing season. We have the lakeshore and beaches to the east, the eclectic collection of architecture in each neighborhood, the never-ending series of festivals and concerts, the unbridled creative spirit of the artistic community, and most of all the warm-hearted people that inhabit our one-of-a-kind city. Thank you Chicago for being so beautiful inside and out!

  • Jeffrey Mauro, host of Food Network?s "Sandwich King" and "$24 in 24"

    First and foremost I?m highly thankful for my wife Sarah and son Lorenzo who support and tolerate my new career and all the odd c-list flotsam that comes with it. I?m thankful for the amount of accessible and amazing food available within walking and/or very lazy driving distance to my home in Elmwood Park (Johnnies, Alpine, Burger Boss, Massa). I?m thankful to Chicago, which I was born and raised in and extraordinarily proud to call home. I?ve lived in LA, spend a boatload of time in NYC and hands down, Chicago is the most authentic, heartiest and most importantly, funniest city in the country. I?m totally thankful that I am able to still be able to play in a rock and roll band with my friends, and have the balls to actually call ourselves? ?Tony Fantasia? (we play the Elbo Room 11/30). Oh, I am thankful for Stella Fontanella cheese, just like Chicago, it?s strong, funky & complex and best of all, you can?t even begin to find in NYC.

  • Elysabeth Alfano, Fear No Art/The Dinner Party creator and HuffPost blogger

    I am thankful that I live in a city where people get stuff done, artists create with few barriers and entrepreneurs flourish with relative support. Chicago is a city of people who make things happen with the general community enthusiasm of, ?You got this. Full steam ahead! Don?t look back.? I am grateful for this genuine energy and I am certain that I could never have started either of my TV-Web Series Fear No ART or The Dinner Party in any other city. As a small example of how Chicagoans see the world and champion the underdog, when the skies dump several feet of snow on us each Winter, I pull out my cross country skies to go where I need to go and do what I need to do. No one ever watches me glide by and says, ?What the...?!?? Everyone always says, ?Yep, there she goes!?

  • Ameya Pawar, 47th Ward Chicago alderman

    I am thankful for the men and women of the 47th ward Streets and Sanitation team. They worked so hard with our ward superintendent Erick Norton to ensure a successful transition to grid garbage pickup. Whether it's twenty below or 100 degrees, they are out in the ward serving our community.

  • Scott Bradley, About Face Theatre artistic associate

    Ah Chicago, you brutish beast with the tender heart! I thank you for nurturing such a fierce and diverse litter of queer voices who are blazing new roads in art, film, music and performance. I'm thankful for Joe Shanahan and Metro and About Face Theatre, who champion and support the city's new daring performing artists. As a denizen of Andersonville, I'm thankful for the apple pie with caramel sauce at Taste of Heaven, for Taste of Lebanon's lentil soup, for the always affordable freshness at Edgewater Produce, and for giving my husband and I a safe street to walk down hand in hand. <em><a href="http://www.steppenwolf.org/Plays-Events/productions/index.aspx?id=578">"We Three Lizas" runs Nov. 30-Dec. 23</a> at the Steppenwolf Garage.</em>

  • Bilal Dardai & Megan Mercier, Neo-Futurists co-artistic directors

    <em>Megan Mercier:</em> I am thankful for Chicago's unrivaled architecture, museums and cultural events that make the getting out of a warm bed and braving the fierce winter winds worth my while. <em>Bilal Dardai:</em> I'm thankful for the stories you find in every inch of this city. And if you haven't yet found the story of one particular inch, somebody else will, or has, and they'll spend years spelunking the caves of that story. And when they finally emerge they want to share that story with you, as if Chicago is engaged in a noble attempt to achieve collective consciousness. Also, I'm thankful for the pizza. <em><a href="http://www.neofuturists.org/">The Neo-Futurists</a> begin their "Best of 2012" series of their acclaimed "Too Much Light Makes The Baby Go Blind" Nov. 30.</em>

  • DiDa Ritz, RuPaul's Drag Race contestant

    I'm thankful for all my success and more to come! Happy Thanksgiving to my DiDDles!

  • Dave Stieber, CPS teacher and HuffPost blogger

    I am thankful that I teach students who inspire me to do what is right, which as this school year has and is showing means standing up to people who are trying to privatize, close, and dismantle public schools in the interest of making profit for themselves. I am thankful that the students I teach in Englewood understand the concept of privatization and they know privatization does not help them or their community.

  • Lauren Widor, Cramer PR

    Coordinating unique events year round in Chicago is what I?m grateful for. Having an event to look forward to and watch unfold every season is quite exciting! Although the winter months can prove to be harsh at times, it?s Chicago?s eccentric events that help defrost my colleague Scott Cramer and I. <em>Berlin Nightclub plays host to the 6th annual Vogue for Tots, a vogue off competition hosted by celebrities like the contestants of RuPaul?s Drag Race, Ab Soto and more, on Thursday, Dec. 13. </em>

  • Kim Bellware, Huffington Post Chicago Associate Editor

    This year, I'm really thankful the city has been boosting the bike infrastructure: new parking spots, dedicated lanes, buffered bike paths and now on Dearborn, traffic signals for bikes! Each year businesses like Rainbow Cone, Myopic Books or Out of the Past Records remain open and thriving, I'm extra-grateful. Not just to keep the chain stores at bay, but to to help give a neighborhood character and a sense of place. I'm thankful for my editors--literally New York to L.A.--who are whip-smart, excited about their work and most importantly: kind. I'm especially thankful for my my HuffPost Chicago partner-in-crime, Joe; his laugh makes it impossible to have a bad day. I'm thankful for my mail carrier who always tells me to "Have a blessed day," for my neighbors who share food, entertainment and workloads, and I'm really thankful that this one police officer on my block--so far--hasn't busted me whenever I scale the rooftop of my building to get a good look at the beautiful city we share.

  • Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/22/chicago-gives-thanks-loca_n_2175331.html

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    Amid Gaza diplomacy, bus bomb hits Tel Aviv

    TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) ? A bomb struck an Israeli bus near the nation's military headquarters in Tel Aviv on Wednesday, wounding 10 people and complicating major diplomatic efforts to forge a truce between Israel and Gaza's militant Hamas rulers.

    The attack came as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton shuttled between Jerusalem and the West Bank to help piece together a deal to end Israel's weeklong offensive against Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip that has killed more than 130 Palestinians. Militant rocket fire into Israel has killed five Israelis. Clinton was due to travel later to Egypt, which is mediating in the crisis.

    "What does it say about the future of the (truce) talks? I leave it to (the senior officials), but this doesn't add anything," Yitzhak Aharonovich, Israel's minister of internal security, told Army Radio.

    The bus exploded around noon on one of the coastal city's busiest arteries, near the Tel Aviv museum, the district courthouse and across from an entrance to Israel's national defense headquarters.

    The bus was completely charred, its side windows blown out and glass scattered on the asphalt. The wounded were evacuated and blood was splattered on the sidewalk.

    "We suddenly heard a huge explosion and immediately knew it was a terror attack," said Nir Zano, 35. "I saw someone running in to carry out a woman who was injured."

    Aharonovitch said the device was placed inside the bus by a man who then disembarked. The explosion took place while the bus was in movement, he said.

    Police set up roadblocks across the city trying to apprehend the attacker.

    "We strongly believe that this was a terror attack," said police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld. He said three of the 10 wounded were moderately to seriously hurt.

    In Gaza, the Tel Aviv bombing was praised from mosque loudspeakers, while Hamas' television interviewed people praising the attack as a return of militants' trademark tactics.

    No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Hamas spokesman Fawzi Barhoum welcomed it.

    "We consider it a natural response to the occupation crimes and the ongoing massacres against civilians in the Gaza Strip," he told The Associated Press.

    Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Silvan Shalom, who heard the explosion from his Tel Aviv office, called it "an escalation."

    The cease-fire efforts come with thousands of Israeli ground troops massed on the Gaza border, awaiting a possible order to invade.

    After meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem Tuesday night, Clinton conferred with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Wednesday morning and was due to travel later to Cairo, which is mediating in the crisis.

    The two sides had seemed on the brink of a deal Tuesday following a swirl of diplomatic activity also involving U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon and Egypt's President Mohammed Morsi. But sticking points could not be resolved as talks ? and violence ? stretched into the night.

    Israeli aircraft pounded Gaza with at least 30 strikes overnight, hitting government ministries, smuggling tunnels, a banker's empty villa and a Hamas-linked media office.

    Dozens of civilians are among the more than 130 Palestinians killed in a week of fighting. Four Israeli civilians and a soldier have been killed by rocket fire ? a toll possibly kept down by a U.S.-funded rocket defense system that has shot down hundreds of Gaza projectiles.

    The Tel Aviv bus bombed Wednesday was relatively empty during the explosion, which explains the relatively low number of casualties. The bombing was the first in the coastal city since April 2006, when a Palestinian suicide bomber killed 11 people at a sandwich stand near the city's old central bus station. A bomb left at a bus stand in Jerusalem last year killed one person.

    More than 1,000 Israelis were killed during the violent Palestinian uprising in the last decade in bombings and shooting attacks. More than 5,000 Palestinians were killed as well.

    ___

    Associated Press writer Ibrahim Barzak contributed to this report from Gaza City.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/amid-gaza-diplomacy-bus-bomb-hits-tel-aviv-115729349.html

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    Thursday, November 22, 2012

    Helpful Advice For Those Facing Personal Bankruptcy | Siben ...

    TIP! If you have to file for bankruptcy, ensure that you supply all your financial information. If you forget to add these, your petition could be delayed or dismissed.

    The economy is bad looking these days. People carry more debt and find it harder to stay fully employed when the economy is this bad. Because more people are falling into debt, more people are filing for bankruptcy. If you or a loved one is considering bankruptcy, find out what to do about this situation by reading this article.

    TIP! To repair your credit worthiness after bankruptcy, opening a new line of credit may be a good idea. If you can not get a regular credit card get a secured one instead to build your credit.

    No matter how messed up things are as you file for bankruptcy, it is important that you stay honest. The worst thing that you could do is to lie about your assets and debts. This is not legal. Lying about your debts or assets can land you in prison.

    TIP! Make sure you keep reminding your attorney about any important details in your case. Don?t assume that they?ll remember something important later without having a reminder.

    Make sure that you are aware of what debts will be able to be eliminated with the bankruptcy. There are a few debts that may remain depending on what they are. You can address these kinds of debt by working with credit repair agencies or taking out debt consolidation loans.

    TIP! You need to tell your bankruptcy attorney about all of your financial obligations, even small ones. Although this would mean that you would be telling him information regarding credit card companies, lenders and hospitals, it also means that you would tell him any information about you owing money to friends and families.

    Do not hesitate or stall when determining if filing for bankruptcy is the correct choice for your life and situation. It can be difficult to admit you?re in need of help, but your debt will only grow larger if you put off your decision. If you talk to a financial professional, they can assess your situation and give you suggestions on what could solve the problem.

    TIP! When you have made the decision that you are left with no options other than to file for bankruptcy, study the bankruptcy laws specific to your state the best you can. Your future finances are in jeopardy, so you must be prepared and stay proactive by being involved with your attorney and your case.

    Don?t file for personal bankruptcy until you?ve looked into your other options. Consider credit counseling. This does not necessarily have to cost you, as there are some organizations that will assist you for free. They can help you to lower both your debts and interest owed to creditors. You pay the organization, and they pay creditors for you.

    TIP! You do not have to lose everything you own when filing for bankruptcy. You may be able to keep certain property.

    Make sure that the lawyer you hire is has many years of experience dealing with bankruptcy. There are so many bankruptcy attorneys to choose from. The attorney you choose should have experience with bankruptcy cases. Don?t settle for the least expensive lawyer available.

    TIP! Before you decide to file a bankruptcy claim, you need to first come to realization that it?s time to start living a more financially responsible life. You must not doing anything that will raise your current level of indebtedness for several months before filing a bankruptcy petition.

    Check over everything for accuracy. Your attorney may be filling and filing all paperwork; however, you should verify all the information is correct. Remember that every attorney has multiple files to handle at once, and therefore he or she may well make an error every now and then. Always verify that information is correct on all paperwork.

    TIP! Don?t try to hide anything if you are filing for bankruptcy, as this will hurt you in the long run. Whomever you use to file with must know everything there is to know about your finances, both good and bad.

    It is essential that you are honest and forthright in the documentation you provide for your bankruptcy filings. You can lose the right to file bankruptcy now or in the future if you try to withhold information about your assets and income. So it is critical that you disclose everything honestly to to avoid that and any other penalties the trustee might impose if he discovered your attempt to hide information from the court.

    TIP! Since the majority of attorneys are willing to provide no-cost initial consultations, it is smart to meet with more than one before you make a selection. Talk to the lawyer and not his assistant, who may not be legally able to help you.

    It is important that you do not transfer assets of any kind to another individual within one year of filing for bankruptcy. This is an obvious ploy to hide your assets. As a result, your file could be dismissed. Some assets are not counted by creditors, so they may be safe. It doesn?t matter how things play out in the grand scheme, though. If you hide your assets, you will face serious consequences.

    TIP! List each of your debts clearly and efficiently. This is what you will use when you file for bankruptcy, so make sure every debt you owe is on the list.

    Although the economy appears to be improving, there are many, like you, who are still struggling financially. There are some things that can be done to prevent filing for personal bankruptcy even for those who have no steady income. This article should have given you some solid advice for staying afloat in tough times. May good fortune be with you.

    Source: http://www.sibensiben.com/long-island-injury-lawyer-blog/long-island-bankruptcy-lawyer/helpful-advice-for-those-facing-personal-bankruptcy-3

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    Wednesday, November 21, 2012

    Egypt: Israel's Gaza offensive to end

    JERUSALEM (AP) ? Egypt's president predicted Tuesday that Israel's nearly weeklong offensive in the Gaza Strip would end within hours, as diplomats from across the world raced across the region to negotiate a cease-fire to end relentless Israeli airstrikes and Palestinian rocket attacks.

    Mohammed Morsi, perhaps the most important interlocutor between the militant Hamas group that rules the Palestinian territory and the Israelis, gave no explanation for his statement, saying only that the negotiations between the two sides will yield "positive results" during the coming hours.

    President Barack Obama also dispatched Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton to the Mideast from Cambodia, where she had accompanied Obama on a visit.

    Hours before Morsi spoke, a man identified as Hamas' militant commander urged his fighters to keep up attacks on Israel, and Palestinian militants fired a rocket toward Jerusalem, just minutes before U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon arrived in the holy city. Israeli airstrikes killed a senior militant and five others in a separate attack on a car, according to Gaza health officials.

    "This must stop, immediate steps are needed to avoid further escalation, including a ground operation," Ban said from Egypt. "Both sides must hold fire immediately ... Further escalation of the situation could put the entire region at risk."

    Clinton is scheduled to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank and Egyptian leaders in Cairo. Turkey's foreign minister and a delegation of Arab League foreign ministers traveled to Gaza on a separate truce mission. Airstrikes continued to hit Gaza even as they entered the territory.

    It was unclear how diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire and stave off a threatened Israeli ground invasion into Gaza were hampered by the hard-to-bridge positions staked out by both sides ? and by the persistent attacks. Tens of thousands of Israeli soldiers have been dispatched to the Gaza border in case of a decision to invade.

    Residents of Jerusalem ran for cover Tuesday when Palestinians fired a rocket toward the holy city for the second time since the fighting started last Wednesday. The rocket, which set off sirens in the city, landed harmlessly in an open area on the outskirts in one of the longest rocket strikes fired from the Gaza.

    Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said the rocket landed in Gush Etzion, a collection of Jewish West Bank settlements southeast of the city. Last Friday's attempt to hit Jerusalem, nearly 80 kilometers (50 miles) from Gaza, landed in the same area. No one was wounded in either attack.

    Jerusalem had previously been considered beyond the range of Gaza rockets ? and an unlikely target because it is home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, Islam's third-holiest shrine. Israeli officials feared Gaza's Hamas rulers will try to stage similar attacks deep into Israel's heartland ahead of any possible truce.

    Shortly afterward, an Israeli airstrike destroyed a car in Gaza City killing five people and seriously wounding four others. Their identities were not immediately known.

    In a sign of the difficulty diplomats will have in forging such a cease-fire, a man identified as Mohammed Deif, Hamas' elusive military commander, urged his fighters to keep up attacks on Israel.

    Speaking from hiding on Hamas-run TV and radio, Deif said Hamas "must invest all resources to uproot this aggressor from our land," a reference to Israel.

    Deif is one of the founders of Hamas' military wing and was its top commander until he was seriously wounded in an Israeli airstrike in 2003. He was replaced as the de facto leader by Ahmed Jabari, who was assassinated by Israel last week in the opening salvo of its latest Gaza offensive.

    The U.S. considers Hamas, which has killed hundreds of Israelis in suicide and other attacks, to be a terror group and does not meet with its officials. The Obama administration blames Hamas for the latest eruption of violence and says Israel has the right to defend itself. At the same time, it has warned against a ground invasion, saying it could send casualties spiraling.

    An airstrike Tuesday killed a senior Hamas militant identified as Amin Al Dada and wounded two others, Gaza heath official Ashraf al-Kidra said.

    By Tuesday, 115 Palestinians, including 54 civilians, were killed since Israel began an air onslaught that has so far included nearly 1,500 strikes. Some 840 people have been wounded, including 225 children, Gaza health officials said.

    Three Israeli civilians have also been killed and dozens wounded since the fighting began last week, the numbers possibly kept down by a rocket-defense system that Israel developed with U.S. funding. More than 1,000 rockets have been fired at Israel this week, the military said.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel was exploring a diplomatic solution, but wouldn't balk at a broader military operation.

    "I prefer a diplomatic solution," Netanyahu said in a statement after meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, who is also in the region trying to advance peace efforts. "But if the fire continues, we will be forced to take broader measures and will not hesitate to do so."

    Westerwelle said a truce must be urgently pursued, "but of course, there is one precondition for everything else, and this is a stop of the missile attacks against Israel."

    The conflict erupted last week, when a resurgence in rocket fire from Gaza set off the Israeli offensive, which included hundreds of airstrikes on militants' underground rocket launchers and weapons' stores.

    The onslaught turned deadlier over the weekend, as airstrikes began targeting the homes of suspected Hamas activists, leading to a spike in civilian casualties. Israel sent warnings in some cases, witnesses said, but in other instances missiles hit suddenly, burying residents under the rubble of their homes.

    Hamas is deeply rooted in densely populated Gaza, and the movement's activists live in the midst of ordinary Gazans. Israel says militants are using civilians as human shields, both for their own safety and to launch rocket strikes from residential neighborhoods.

    Early Tuesday, Israeli aircraft targeted another Hamas symbol of power, battering the headquarters of the bank senior Hamas officials set up to sidestep international sanctions on the militant group's rule. After Hamas violently overran Gaza in June 2007, foreign lenders stopped doing business with the militant-led Gaza government, afraid of running afoul of international terror financing laws.

    The inside of the bank, which was set up by leading Hamas members and describes itself as a private enterprise, was destroyed. A building supply business in the basement was damaged.

    Owner Suleiman Tawil, 31, grimly surveyed the damage to his store and six company cars. "I'm not involved in politics," he said. "I'm a businessman. But the more the Israelis pressure us, the more we will support Hamas."

    Fuad Hijazi and two of his toddler sons were killed Monday evening when missiles struck their one-story shack in northern Gaza, leaving a crater about two to three meters (seven to 10 feet) deep in the densely populated neighborhood. Residents said the father was not a militant.

    The conflict showed signs of spilling into the West Bank, as hundreds of Palestinian protesters in the town of Jenin clashed with Israeli forces during a demonstration against Israel's Gaza offensive.

    Two Palestinian protesters were killed in anti-Israel demonstrations in the West Bank on Monday, according to Palestinian officials. Separate clashes occurred Tuesday in Ramallah, the seat of the Palestinian government, during the funeral for one of the dead.

    Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, who lost control of Gaza to Hamas in 2007, now governs from the West Bank. Abbas claims to represent both areas, and there is widespread sympathy among West Bank Palestinians for their brethren in Gaza.

    As part of truce efforts, Ban was to meet with Israeli President Shimon Peres in Jerusalem on Tuesday. In Cairo, Ban said he would also travel to the West Bank to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

    Egypt, the traditional mediator between Israel and the Arab world, has been at the center of recent diplomatic efforts involving the U.S., Turkey, Qatar and other nations.

    Israel demands an end to rocket fire from Gaza and a halt to weapons smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the border with Egypt. It also wants international guarantees that Hamas will not rearm or use Egypt's Sinai region, which abuts both Gaza and southern Israel, to attack Israelis.

    Hamas wants Israel to halt all attacks on Gaza and lift tight restrictions on trade and movement in and out of the territory that have been in place since Hamas seized Gaza by force in 2007. Israel has rejected such demands in the past.

    Hamas leader Khaled Mashaal told reporters in Cairo on Monday that Hamas would only agree to a cease-fire if its demands are met. "We don't accept Israeli conditions because it is the aggressor," he said. "We want a cease-fire along with meeting our demands."

    ___

    Associated Press writers Hamza Hendawi in Cairo, and Karin Laub and Ibrahim Barzak in Gaza City, Gaza Strip, contributed to this report.

    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/egypt-israels-gaza-offensive-end-tuesday-134420414.html

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    Who am I? Dozens of people live as 'John Doe'

    For the John Does walking among us, their lives are mysteries to society and to themselves. These seemingly invisible citizens can't answer the simple questions, "What's your name?" or "Where are you from?" They are blank slates.

    They aren't eligible for health insurance, can't pay rent or get a driver's license. They can't get a job or apply for unemployment benefits.

    Many of them suffer from mental illnesses that render them unable to remember who they are. Scans of their fingerprints lead to no matches, indicating that they do not have criminal records. Their faces do not appear in databases for missing people.

    In February, a man was brought to a Fort Worth, Texas, hospital with a cranial bleed. He did not know his name or remember any details from his life. He was admitted under the name "Bobby Jones," but only answered to "Smiley." They have guesstimated his age to be about 76. He can speak, but rarely answers questions. He is paranoid and no longer able to walk.

    "I just keep thinking he was somebody's little baby once and you think about how much you love your children and what happened to his parents? Where have they gone?" wondered Kathleen Evans, the inpatient case manager for Fort Worth's JPS Health Network where Smiley was a patient.

    The caretakers know that Smiley has been on the streets and in shelters in the Fort Worth area for about 20 years. He has no police record, proven by the lack of a fingerprint match. The hospital has been paying $24,000 every three months for his care, but Evans sees no other choice.

    "We couldn't put him out on the streets," she said firmly. "I can't lay him out on the sidewalk. He's a human being and you have to send him to a safe place and the street would not be safe for him."

    Smiley is now in a nursing home. Evans and the hospital tried every known avenue to search for his identity.

    The National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (NamUs), working under the U.S. Department of Justice, has several databases, but does not currently have one that includes the living unidentified. But after being presented with a number of cases of living unidentified, they are developing a new database that they hope to launch by the end of this year.

    "The traditional system is in dealing with unidentified deceased, but we know there are unidentified living," NamUs spokesman Todd Matthews told ABCNews.com. "We have to include the missing. They're missing from somewhere."

    Matthews does not have an exact count on the number of cases, but NamUs is aware of "dozens" of men and women living without identities. He believes there are many more cases out there that have not been reported because hospitals and authorities don't know what to do with them.

    "I think people have seen this as a homeless person and they've just fallen ill, but that's not always the case," Matthews said. "I think we're really going to have people to focus on this and see how many are out there."

    "It's a real problem," he said.

    Benjaman Kyle can tell you how big and bewildering the problem is. Kyle is a working, productive member of society, whose lack of identity is a daily struggle. He made up the name Benjamin Kyle just so he would have a name.

    In August 2004, he was found naked, unresponsive and covered with fire ant bites behind a Burger King Dumpster in Richmond Hill, Ga. When he awoke in a hospital, he was confused.

    "I had no idea who I was. I couldn't remember," Kyle told ABCNews.com. "I had no idea how I got there."

    Dozens of People Live as John Doe, Not Knowing Who They Are

    The hospital called him "BK unknown" since he was found behind a Burger King. He felt strongly that his first name was Benjaman, but could not remember his last name. When pressed by the hospital for a last name, he picked Kyle?the first name he could think of that started with a "k."

    Fingerprints and searches in both national and international databases turned up no matches for Kyle. He has been fingerprinted more than five times by the FBI with no luck.

    "A police officer in Georgia told me once that it means one of two things?either I've never committed a crime or I'm so good at it that I never got caught," he said with a laugh.

    Despite maintaining a sense of humor, there is sadness and frustrations beneath the surface.

    "I'm not in any of the databases that they can search," he said. "Basically, I don't exist. I'm a walking, talking person who is invisible to all the bureaucracy."

    There are a few bits and pieces of his life that Kyle remembers.

    He believes his birthday is Aug. 29, 1948, making him 64 years old. He remembers that date because it is exactly 10 years before Michael Jackson's birth date. He also thinks he was born in Indianapolis and recalls sitting in the library at the University of Colorado at some point.

    Kyle has two scars on his elbow and no tattoos or piercings. He has been diagnosed with amnesia and does not know if whatever unknown events that led up to him ending up behind the Dumpster caused him to lose his memory.

    John Wikstrom, 21, made a documentary about Kyle and found himself personally frustrated with how few resources there are for the living unidentified.

    "People who are unidentified, there's nothing they can do. There's absolutely nothing," Wikstrom told ABCNews.com. "It's incredibly frustrating. It makes you want to appeal to the highest possible authority and figure out if someone can get him out of this mess. Someone has to be able to do something."

    When making his film, Wikstrom was struck by how normal Kyle is, a typical functioning and productive member of society.

    "He's witty and articulate. Talking to him, it's shocking and I think one of the more sobering facts when relating to him is because he's so relatable," he said. "He has a family somewhere, even if it's not an immediate family. This isn't just some strange, distant icicle of a man. This guy is fun, which is again, a very strange concept."

    Wikstrom has posted the documentary, "Finding Benjaman," online and recently launched a website dedicated to discovering Kyle's true identity.

    Following the documentary's release, Kyle was able to get a special Florida state identification card, but still doesn't have a birth certificate or Social Security number. He has been told that due to the presumption that he was given a Social Security number at some point, he cannot get another one.

    After hearing his story, a Florida restaurant gave him a job in the kitchen and a landowner is allowing him to live in a shed on his property. The restaurant owner is paying Kyle out-of-pocket because without any information, he can't be on the official payroll.

    Kyle believes he may have worked in a restaurant in the past because once he was in the kitchen, he discovered that he knew how to work the machines and fix a broken stove.

    Kyle acknowledges the naysayers who may accuse him of faking his condition, but insists there would be no reason to do so.

    "You'll find a lot of people who say it's all bogus, that I'm faking it for whatever reason, but one thing's for sure?I'm not getting rich out of it," Kyle said. "I'm 64. I'm trying to get on with my life as best as I can. I figure I've got 10 more years to live considering my social and economic bracket. I can't make any long terms plans other than try to get along mostly day to day."

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    Source: http://news.yahoo.com/dozens-people-live-john-doe-193319683--abc-news-topstories.html

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    Tight lending?reins in housing recovery

    15 hrs.

    The housing recovery has achieved lift-off, but it won't reach escape velocity until tight-fisted banks loosen tough lending?standards put in place after the worst housing crisis since the Great Depression.

    The latest signs of strength came from Tuesday?s numbers on housing starts for October, which hit the highest rate in more than four years. Construction began at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 894,000 units ? at 3.6 percent gain ? to hit the highest level since July 2008 when the housing bust was in full swing.

    ?It?s clear that the home?building recovery is gathering a real head of steam,? said Paul Diggle, a housing economist at Capital Economics.

    Superstorm Sandy, which slammed the East Coast in late October, had little impact on the numbers; the Northeast accounted for about 8 percent of overall housing starts.

    The homebuilding data followed a report Monday showing that sales of existing homes also perked up in October, by 2.1 percent to a seasonally?adjusted annual rate of 4.8 million units. Though some of the hardest-hit markets haven?t yet joined the recovery, prices are also rising again in most regions. ?

    The long-overdue turnaround in the housing market follows the historic collapse that dragged the U.S. economy into the worst recession since the 1930s.

    Rising prices are helping to spur demand among buyers who had been waiting for signs that the worst of the price collapse had run its course.

    The supply of unsold homes, once glutted by a huge inventory of properties seized in foreclosure, has fallen along with the pace of new foreclosures. The inventory of existing homes has fallen by more than 20 percent in the past year to about 5.3 months? supply, at the current sales pace. That?s the lowest level since the market was booming in late 2005.

    The housing recovery is also being spurred by an improved job market, which has helped halt the erosion of home?ownership, as younger buyers feel more secure about forming new households. The latest Census data show that some 1.2 million new households were formed in the 12 months ending in September, the highest rate in six years.

    The revival of the housing market also comes as the Federal Reserve's four-year effort to push money back into the busted real estate bubble finally seems to be paying off.

    The Fed recently renewed its strategy to target housing as part of its plan to boost overall growth. In September, the central bank said it will buy $40 billion in mortgage-backed securities per month until the job market shows more convincing signs of recovery.

    That flood of cash has further depressed returns for investors, prompting more of them to move cash into real estate. Strong demand from renters has brought healthy increases in monthly rents and sparked a boom in rental housing. In October, starts for multifamily homes surged 11.9 percent to a 300,000-unit rate.

    As investors have returned to the market, all-cash buyers now make up nearly 30 percent of all home purchases, roughly double the levels seen in a?healthy housing market, according to the National Association of Realtors.

    But millions of home buyers who rely on credit to buy a home are shut out. According to Ronald Peltier, CEO of HomeServices of America, a real estate brokerage firm.

    "(Tight credit) is eliminating a lot of buyers from the marketplace who are creditworthy people -- sincere,?earnest Americans wanting to buy a home,? he told CNBC. ?"They're just kept out of the market.?

    For borrowers, the first hurdle is coming up with a down payment; many lenders insist on 20 percent of the home?s purchase price. Though the median down payment fell in 2012, it remains far above the housing boom, when nearly half of first-time buyers made no down payment at all.

    About three out of four first-time buyers tapped into savings to come up with that down payment; one in four relied on a gift from a friend or relative, typically their parents, according to?the NAR.

    But scraping together a down payment won?t get your loan approved. Most lenders insist on a FICO credit score of 720 or higher. During the housing boom, a ?prime? borrower needed a 680 score or better. Many subprime lenders all but ignored credit scores. ?

    The housing bust demonstrated how much financial damage was caused by widespread lending abuses.

    So it made sense for lenders to raise credit standards after the bubble burst, Bernanke told a housing advocacy group last week.

    "However, it seems likely at this point that the pendulum has swung too far the other way, and that overly tight lending standards may now be preventing creditworthy borrowers from buying homes, thereby slowing the revival in housing and impeding the economic recovery," Bernanke said.

    Home?building is expected to add to the growth of gross domestic product growth this year for the first time since 2005.

    By itself, the housing industry makes up a relatively small portion of GDP. But the housing industry is an important component of the overall recovery from recession because home sales drive purchases of other goods, like furnishings and appliances.

    That spillover effect from the bottoming in housing has helped boost growth, but not nearly to levels seen in past recoveries. Some four years after the recession ended, the growth in gross domestic product, at about 2 percent, is far weaker than in past recoveries.

    Despite recent gains, the housing market remains deeply depressed from the boom years of the mid-2000s. Housing starts in October were about 40 percent of their 2.27 million-unit peak in January 2006.

    The housing industry?s revival has also failed to spur job growth.?Despite the recent pick-up in new home building, for example, residential construction jobs fell in October to less than 560,000, close to record lows in 1992, according to Michael Dolega, an economist at TD Economics.

    Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/housing-recovery-gains-traction-needs-looser-standards-accelerate-1C7172742

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    Would you Switch to a VoIP Hosted PBX Business Phone Service ...

    VoIP phone systems are rising in popularity as they enable organizations to reduce their total communications line item expense. Two primary VoIP business options currently exist; hosted and in-house. In house platforms involve the installation of VoIP equipment that will be managed by the organization?s internal personnel. A hosted PBX system is a VoIP platform that can be rented or leased, monthly or annually, eliminating the up-front cost associated with purchasing required equipment. The VoIP provider will manage the platform?s ongoing operation remotely. Why should you consider a hosted option over an in-house option?

    Benefits of a VoIP Hosted PBX Business Phone System

    Some of the primary benefits of a VoIP hosted PBX business phone system include:

    • Reduced Initial Costs- Since installation of equipment on-site isn?t required, there is less initial investment required on behalf of the business in terms of raw cost, labor and infrastructure.
    • Enhanced Flexibility- Additional line extensions can be easily added and subtracted through simple requests rather than equipment alteration.
    • Reduction in In-House Maintenance Requirements- Since the VoIP platform provider will provide maintenance remotely, these tasks and their associated costs will not fall on the shoulders of the current in-house IT team.
    • Built In Scalability- As an organization continues to grow, so will their VoIP platform. Hosted PBX systems can easily accommodate new usage levels where in-house systems often require installation upgrades to larger systems.
    • Seamless Upgrades- Hosted PBX vendors will manage all system upgrades, eliminating the need for your IT team of professionals to schedule and tend to the tasks.

    While each VoIP platform option carries their own advantages and disadvantages, many organizations are choosing hosted options over in-house management to reduce costs and to improve the overall efficiency of their business?s operations.

    ?

    Source: http://insideup.com/blogs/voipsourcing/2012/11/20/would-you-switch-to-a-voip-hosted-pbx-business-phone-service/

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    Tuesday, November 20, 2012

    Mandarin Oriental&#39;s sommelier claims top sake spot

    19th November, 2012 by Euan McKirdy

    Kaoru Izuha, Assistant Manager of Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo?s sushi restaurant Sushi SORA

    Now in its third year, the Kikisake-shi World Championship is sponsored by the Sake Service Institute and has the aim of selecting the world?s best sake sommeliers. The competition is a rigourous series of tests, assessing the competitors? comprehensive knowledge and skills of Japan?s national drink.

    It naturally requires a detailed knowledge of the fermented rice wine whilst also testing the competitors? tasting skills, and their sensitivity to customer needs and how best to pair sake with a variety of dishes.

    ?Many customers choose sake by brand,? she says. ?But in the same way as people select wine to go with different dishes, I recommend that they select sake according to the sushi items they order. That way you can fully enjoy the finest features of both the sake and the sushi. At Sushi SORA, we make recommendations for delightful encounters that will perfectly match customers? tastes.?

    Izuha, who first gained sake sommelier qualifications at the beginning of her hospitality career and has also trained as a wine sommelier, to better hone her understanding of pairing drinks with food, says that ?every sip is a unique union between sake, cuisine and environment which creates a culinary experience.?

    This article was published on Monday, November 19th, 2012 at 3:10 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response.

    Source: http://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2012/11/mandarin-orientals-sommelier-claims-top-sake-spot/

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    Video Gaming Geeks Save Israel - Ricochet.com

    Play video games, defend your country.

    At least, that's the way it works in Israel. The "Iron Dome" of anti-missile defense that protects the country is operated by experts. In video games. From Wired:

    While many of the boys in Idan Yahya?s high school class were buffing up and preparing themselves for selection into elite combat units, this gawky teenager was spending ?a lot of time? playing?Warcraft?? the real-time strategy computer game where opposing players command virtual armies in a battle to dominate the fictional world of Azeroth.

    Four years later, the high school jocks who sweated it out in pre-military academies so they could make the cut into the Israel Defense Force?s Special Operations units are now crawling through the sand dunes on the outskirts of the Gaza Strip and watching while Idan knocks rockets out of the sky hundreds of meters above their heads. Idan Yahya, 22, an Iron Dome ?gunner? in the Active Air Defense Wing 167, currently holds the record for the number of rockets intercepted: eight.

    Missile defense in Israel, drones in the US: it seems like all of that time spent playing video games might actually pay off in a real way. ?If warfare becomes more and more technology-based, maybe what we're looking at is an Army of Geeks.

    Source: http://ricochet.com/main-feed/Video-Gaming-Geeks-Save-Israel

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    Monday, November 19, 2012

    Payroll Outsourcing Services Resorts on Industry Reports | Nov 19 ...

    Mayfair, London -- (SBWIRE) -- 11/19/2012 -- Payroll Outsourcing from Payroll Report have been aware on the need to focus on industry reports and expert guides that payroll management calls. With this in core, the company made a move on industry focused reports.

    Payroll Report website, www.payrollreport.co.uk, stated:

    ?Most business leaders prefer to concentrate on their area of expertise ? whether it is producing luxury cars, new fashions or designing websites ? than spend time on internal business processes such as invoicing or payroll. This is where payroll outsourcing services or outsourced payroll providers comes in.?

    A testimony from Mike Kerrigan, a Payroll Outsourcing customer states:

    ?Outsourcing payroll has given me extra time to focus on selling. That's been great for our business. I've also managed to attend a few of my daughter's soccer games, now that I don't have to spend the time preparing payroll.?

    ?Navigate the world of payroll management with our expert guides, industry focused reports and expert editorial backed by the UK?s leading publisher of payroll information for businesses. Payroll Report is your professional insight in to the world of payroll management, payroll outsourcing and sector specific payroll advice.?, quotes the spokesperson of Payroll Report.

    The officer-in-charge added:

    ?The Payroll Report website is supported by the experts and industry specialists at Athene Publishing and is designed to engage and inform on the payroll questions and challenges of big to small business payroll. In addition to publishing a monthly magazine and regular e-bulletins, Payroll Report is part of a payroll and credit publishing stable from a specialist publisher that provides payroll legislation updates and support to companies such as Capita Business Services.?

    About Payroll Report
    Payroll Report is designed to engage and inform on the payroll questions and challenges faced by small to medium sized enterprises to achieve payroll management throughout the United Kingdom as well as offering sector specific payroll information.

    Source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/payroll-outsourcing-services-resorts-on-industry-reports-180763.htm

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