Using Banks To Finance Your Michigan Auto Loan

To live the kind of lifestyles most Americans want, you need a car. Without a car, finding a job or being able to do much of anything is impossible. Many of us travel not because of pleasure, but merely because of a business or a job. Public transportation is not always feasible, and so, whether ornot you have the money, you need a car.

In this regard, most people end up looking for an auto loan company, that help people make their dreams to drive their own cars come true. Most companies offer rates that are reasonable and affordable.

Why do people often end up having car loan instead of buying it with actual cash? There are various reasons, and possibly including convenience, lower rates, and that we can more easily manage our finances if we finance a car instead of paying directly out of our pocket. Most people don't have that kind of large cash deposit sitting around, honestly.

One might ask how we can finance an auto loan through our bank. Actually, this is quite simple! Everything goes through a certain process that the banks regulate. Securing a car loan in a bank requires income details, employment, insurance, and most important, your credit history. The initial step of the process is the application phase. Under this step, the person who applies should fill out a loan application form. It is in this part where the applicant mentions how much they are borrowing to finance the auto loan.

The next step to financing a car on the traditional bank auto loan process involves your credit score. A credit check is a must, if you apply for a car loan in bank. The bank always performs credit checks to their clients, most especially if it's an auto loan. The bank formulates their decision according to the results of your credit score. Most of the time, if a client has perfect credit standing, He will be given a lower interest rate, as opposed to those clients who have bad credit standing.

Once the credit check is done, then it is time for the client to submit some identification, proof of residence, proof of employment, proof of income, proof of insurance, and finally the requirement of your down payment. Not all transactions or banks ask for a down payment. Again, it all matters on your credit history. The better your credit score is, the better plan you get from the bank. Some loans have no money down. Some have up to 10% down, depending on your credit and other factors. But a non-traditional lender can get you driving.

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Source: http://www.workoninternet.com/business/home-business-small-business/miscellaneous/222110-article.html

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Apple Training Series - iWork 09

Apple Training Series - iWork 09
Pea--pit Press; 1 Pap/Cdr edition | ISBN: 0321618513 | PDF | 480 pages | 24.6 MB

Book Description
In the only Apple-certified guide to iWork ?09, you?ll learn to create everything from first-rate business presentations and newsletters to effective budgets and event planners. Focused lessons take you step by step through all aspects of Keynote, Pages, and Numbers. The self-paced book/DVD combo uses real-life material and practical lessons that you can apply immediately to your own projects. You?ll learn to:
? Master the iWork suite of tools quickly through fun, real-world projects
? Design a Keynote presentation from storyboard to Web export
? Add animated charts and custom backgrounds to a presentation with ease
? Publish great-looking newsletters and brochures in print and on the Web
? Build a professional marketing package from scratch
? Create expense reports, track budgets, and plan special events
? Sort, organize, and chart data using sophisticated spreadsheet calculations
The Apple Training Series is both a self-paced learning tool and the official curriculum of the Apple Training and Certification Program. To find out more about Apple Training, or to find an Authorized Training Center near you, go to www.apple.com/training.
About the Author
Richard Harrington is an author, Apple Certified trainer, and owner of RHED Pixel, a visual communications company in Washington, D. C., that produces everything from national television commercials to entertainment podcasts. Rich?s other books include Apple Training Series: iLife ?09.

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Source: http://cazanet.com/books/livres/53673-apple-training-series-iwork-09.html

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Worker's Compensation: What Are The Legal Rights?

As a business owner it is important to understand the legal rights of employees when it pertains to workers compensation rights. Although workers compensation laws may vary from state to state, it is essential that any business that has employees carry workers compensation insurance. The basic tenets of workers compensation laws state that if an employee is injured during the course of performing his/her duties on the job they are entitled to medical care and financial compensation without having to prove that the employer was at fault. Under many workers compensation laws this is the only remedy available to workers in the event of injury. Workers compensation insurance will protect a business owner from having to pay out of pocket expensive medical costs and other financial considerations for an injured worker.

Can a Worker Sue?

In most cases an injured worker cannot file a lawsuit against the employer. However, there are two exceptions to that regulation: 1) when an employer intentionally causes injury to the worker and 2) when an employer is required to have workers compensation insurance but fails to do so. ?In the case of intentionally acts the view of the courts is generally narrow; it is not enough to prove an unsafe working environment, but a worker has to prove that an employer specifically acted with the intention to cause harm. For instance, an environment that may result in a falling object is not enough to prove intention but an employer that deliberately pushes an object onto an employee resulting in an injury does prove intent.

Appeals

Most worker injuries are quickly recovered from. There are occasions though in the case of severe and long term injuries where workers compensation is denied. Worker may then seek the assistance of a workers comp attorney who will appeal the decision. An appeal will take place in more of an administrative setting than in a court room where strict guidelines dictate the limitations of attorneys on both sides. Relaxed evidentiary rules are often involved along with a cap on the fees that attorneys may charge.

Misconduct

In the case of a worker participating in will misconduct or working under the influence of an intoxicant there is recompense. Most states restrict injured workers of these conditions from collecting workers compensation.

Exceptions

The rights of workers in case of injury are finite. There are few exceptions to those rights issues by federal statutes: The Jones Act, The Federal Employment Liability Act (FELA), The Longshore and Harbor Worker?s Compensation Act, and the Black Lung Benefits Act. ?Each of these has specific rules for implementation.

For more questions about Maryland Business Insurance, contact an agent at McFarlin Insurance Agency today!

Posted Saturday, December 29 2012 7:54 PM
Tags : maryland, MD, business, commercial, workers comp, injury, employee, employer

Source: http://www.mcfarlininsurance.com/blog/workers_compensation_what_are_the_legal_rights.aspx

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Ready to be dazzled? These homes had Houzzers clicking all year ...

This was the year of color on Houzz. While we all still love our grays and browns, Houzz saw an explosion of homes with brilliant colors on the site in 2012, and readers embraced the welcome departure from all neutrals. Here we present the most bookmarked colorful homes on Houzz from the past year. From a weekend home in S?o Paulo, Brazil, to a budget remodel in Ireland and an unfolding apartment in Manhattan, these homes have bold, beautiful color.

Source: http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/5981028/list/25-Most-Bookmarked-Colorful-Homes-of-2012/

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Thatcher papers show fascination with Reagan visit

LONDON (AP) ? Few people keep Queen Elizabeth II waiting, especially when she has issued a personal invitation, but President Ronald Reagan managed to do so in 1982 without causing any lasting damage.

It happened in 1982, when the Reagan White House failed to reply in a timely way to a personal invitation from the queen for the president and his wife Nancy to stay with her at Windsor Castle during a planned visit to England.

Formerly Confidential papers made public Friday reveal there were raised eyebrows, and bruised feelings, when Reagan did not answer the sort of invite that usually commands a prompt reply the world over. The queen's invitation was left to languish for weeks ? something the British believe is simply Not Done.

"It is really for the president to respond to her invitation, which he has not done personally, something that I have pointed out several times here," writes Nicholas Henderson, Britain's ambassador to Washington, in a memo to the British Foreign Office. "As you know those surrounding the president are not deliberately rude: It is simply that they are not well-organized and do not have experience of this sort of thing."

The misunderstanding was eventually cleared up ? and Reagan even found the time to go horseback riding with the queen.

A former Reagan official today offers one possible explanation for the delay replying: Nancy Reagan's need to consult an astrologer.

"You have to remember that Mrs. Reagan was very strict about his schedule, and she would consult her astrologer to see if this was the right time to travel," William F. Sittman, a special assistant to Reagan who was involved in planning the trip, told The Associated Press. "Sometimes she would back up departures."

The tiff over the tardy reply is but one revelation contained in nearly 500 pages of newly released documents relating to the Reagan visit being made public Friday by Britain's National Archives. The dossier shows the British government ? led by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher ? to be extraordinarily interested in pleasing the relatively new president on his two-day visit.

British leaders also fretted that perennial cross-Channel rivals might triumph in the tug-of-war for presidential face time in a visit that had to be sandwiched between two summits on the European mainland. They feared the president might cancel, either because of time pressure or a reluctance to offend other European leaders who wanted meetings with Reagan.

The dossier is filled with serious political concerns ? how to maximize Britain's influence on U.S. policy? ? and lighter matters, including what gift to give the Reagans (they decided on a carriage clock), and what type of horse and saddle Reagan would most enjoy for his ride with the queen.

At one point, the president's men pose a fashion question on his behalf: Just what should the president wear to go riding with the queen?

The answer: Something smart, but casual, of course. Riding boots, breeches and a turtleneck sweater would do fine ? no need for formal riding attire.

The papers show that top Reagan adviser Michael Deaver had a way of annoying his British counterparts with last-minute changes and requests, and also surprised them with some of his objectives. Deaver, remembered as a shrewd image-builder, said he wanted Reagan to be photographed outside of formal venues, so he wouldn't be seen "exclusively in white tie" at palace functions, even suggesting that Reagan go to a village pub to soak up the atmosphere

The documents make clear that Europe's leaders were desperate for Reagan's attention at a time of high Cold War tensions. A memo from U.K. Cabinet Secretary Robert Armstrong on Feb. 5 expresses concern that a gala, summit-closing dinner at the palace of Versailles outside Paris could delay Reagan's arrival in London. But he warns against pressuring the Reagan entourage to skip the meal at Versailles' Hall of Mirrors because "that would not please the President of the French Republic."

Reagan's aides also worried the British by suggesting the president might have to skip the stop in London because accepting it might anger the Germans, who had offered a similar invitation. The Americans express concern about "the German problem" ? the prospect that if the president visited London he might also have to add a stop in Germany, as well.

But feelings are smoothed when the Americans assure the British contingent that the Germans are not America's top priority.

"Eagleburger emphasized how much the president himself wanted to go to London," stresses one confidential memo from the British ambassador, referring to senior U.S. diplomat Lawrence Eagleburger. "There should be no doubt about that. Eagleburger also said that at the moment the Germans were not America's favorite allies."

There are confidential memos back and forth about whether the London stopover should be officially called a "state visit" ? the White House is reluctant to use that phrase for fear of offending the Italians, since a visit to Rome was not designated a state visit.

The prospect of a chance to relax from international summitry with a bit of horseback riding with the queen seems to have helped carry the day for the Brits. Asked for the president's favorite type of horse, British planners are told simply that he wants a thoroughbred. He ended up riding Centennial, one of the queen's favorites, and wearing a perfectly fitted sports jacket above his sweater, going for an old-time Hollywood look he carried off with ease.

Much of the actual visit was devoted to pomp and pageantry, or to relaxation, but Reagan did make one speech of consequence. He became the first American president to address a meeting of both houses of Parliament and used the occasion to trumpet his distaste for the Soviet Union, calling it an economic catastrophe.

He said Marxism-Leninism would be left on the ash heap of history ? a prediction that would come to pass in the following decade.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/thatcher-papers-show-fascination-reagan-visit-012217318.html

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Housing and jobs key to lifting S&P toward record

NEW YORK (AP) ? It may be a big if, but assuming Washington lawmakers can get past the "fiscal cliff," many analysts say that the outlook for stocks next year is good, as a recovering housing market and an improving jobs outlook helps the economy maintain a slow, but steady recovery.

Reasonable returns in 2013 would send the S&P 500 toward, and possibly past, its record close of 1,565 reached in October 2007.

A mid-year rally in 2012 pushed stocks to their highest in more than four years. Both the Standard & Poor's 500 and the Dow Jones industrial average are on track for strong gains in 2012. Those advances came despite uncertainty about the outcome of the presidential election and bouts of turmoil from Europe, where policy makers finally appear to be getting a grip on the region's debt crisis.

"As you remove little bits of uncertainty, investors can then once again return to focusing on the fundamentals," says Joseph Tanious, a global market strategist at J.P. Morgan Funds. "Corporate America is actually doing quite well."

Although earnings growth of S&P 500 listed companies dipped as low as 0.8 percent in the summer, analysts are predicting that it will rebound to average 9.5 percent for 2013, according to data from S&P Capital IQ. Companies have also been hoarding cash. The amount of cash and cash-equivalents being held by companies listed in the S&P 500 climbed to an all-time high $1 trillion at the end of September, 65 percent more than five years ago, according to S&P Dow Jones Indices.

Assuming a budget deal is reached in a reasonable amount of time, investors will be more comfortable owning stocks in 2013, allowing valuations to rise, says Tanious.

Stocks in the S&P 500 index are currently trading on a price-to-earnings multiple of about 13.5, compared with the average of 17.9 since 1988, according to S&P Capital IQ data. The ratio rises when investors are willing to pay more for a stock's future earnings potential.

The stock market will also likely face less drag from the European debt crisis this year, said Steven Bulko, the chief investment officer at Lombard Odier Investment Managers. While policy makers in Europe have yet to come up with a comprehensive solution to the region's woes, they appear to have a better handle on the region's problems than they have for quite some time.

Stocks fell in the second quarter of 2012 as investors fretted that the euro region's government debt crisis was about to engulf Spain and possibly Italy, increasing the chances of a dramatic slowdown in global economic growth.

"There is still some heavy lifting that needs to be done in Europe," said Bulko. Now, though, "we are dealing with much more manageable risk than we have had in the past few years."

Next year may also see an increase in mergers and acquisitions as companies seeks to make use of the cash on their balance sheets, says Jarred Kessler, global head of equities at broker Cantor Fitzgerald.

While the number of M&A deals has gradually crept higher in the past four years, the dollar value of the deals remains remains well short of the total reached five years ago. U.S. targeted acquisitions totaled $964 billion through Dec. 27, according to data tracking firm Dealogic. That's slightly down from last year's total of $1 trillion and about 40 percent lower than in 2007, when deals worth $1.6 trillion were struck.

M&A deals are good for stock prices because the acquiring company typically pays a premium for the one it's buying.

Falling interest rates also set off a rally in the bond market. Concerns about swings in stock prices prompted investors to switch money out of stocks and into bond funds. If investors decide that the bond rally may be nearing an end, that flow of funds may be reversed, providing a support for stocks.

"Equities are the best house in a bad neighborhood," says Cantor's Kessler. "Bonds are, not priced to euphoria, but they are definitely rich compared to equities right now."

Not all investors are as sanguine about the prospects for 2013.

The rally in stocks in 2012 had less to do with company earnings and the economy and more to do with monetary stimulus from the Federal Reserve and other central banks around the world, says David Wright, a managing director and co-founder at Sierra Investment Management in Santa Monica, Calif.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced Sept. 13 that the central bank would add another round to its bond-purchase program, known as "quantitative easing" on Wall Street, which is intended to lower borrowing costs and boost growth. Speculation that more stimulus was coming had pushed the S&P 500 index to 1,466, its highest close of the year, a day earlier. The Dow peaked for the year at 13,610, Oct. 5.

"The Fed has done everything it can do and is probably pretty close to having used its last bullet," said Wright. "It's been a good year for stocks, but we think that's an artifact of monetary stimulus."

This year's peaks in the Dow and the S&P 500 won't be surpassed in 2013 and stocks may even slump in the first quarter, as investors lower their earnings expectations, Wright says. The money manager also says that any budget plan, regardless of the details, will be negative for stocks as it will involve higher taxes and lower government spending.

Wells Fargo Securities market analyst Gina Martin Adams also says companies will struggle in the first half of the year as the economy flirts with recession. Export growth is slowing and policymakers are struggling to come up with a plan to reduce the budget deficit.

The bank recommends that investors add to their holdings of financial and utilities stocks because low rates should help support steady earnings growth in the early part of the 2013. Financial stocks advanced 25 percent in 2012, making them the best performing industry group in the S&P 500. Utility stocks fell 3.4 percent, the worst performing of 10 industry groups in the index. The bank says investors should reduce their exposure to so-called consumer discretionary stocks, such as hotels and restaurant companies, because consumer spending will likely take a hit next year as taxes rise.

With a backdrop of historically low interest rates and an economy that still needs to address its fiscal imbalances, investors should remain realistic about the returns they are going to get from the stock market, says Darell Krassnoff, managing director at Bel Air Investment Advisors.

"Things are getting better, not worse, but you have to have reasonable expectations," Krassnoff says.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/housing-jobs-key-lifting-p-toward-record-203223550--finance.html

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UFC 155?s Derek Brunson was a cheerleader before he started fighting

Long before he put together a 9-2 record and earned a spot against Chris Leben at UFC 155, Derek Brunson was a cheerleader. As he shows in his audition video for "The Ultimate Fighter," Brunson was an accomplished tumbler and stunter. Skip to the 2:10 mark to see him toss his partner up into one-handed stunts and throw a double-twisting flip.

He talked about his cheerleading past with MMA Fighting, and pointed out how difficult cheerleading can be.

"I can do flips, and I was like tossing girls in the air. That's where I got my strength from, just controlling girls in the air. You get core strength, your chest gets all big. It makes you really strong, like you look on steroids, but you don't have to take steroids because of cheerleading."

Though Brunson wrestled in college, he said he did have scholarship offers for cheerleading. Wrestling and eventually MMA won out. Brunson admitted that MMA is more dangerous than cheerleading, but it's still tough.

"Cheerleading is definitely hard on your body. That's why I decided to wrestle in college, not cheerlead."

Source: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mma-cagewriter/ufc-155-derek-brunson-cheerleader-started-fighting-145151565--mma.html

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Ex-President George H.W. Bush in intensive care

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 12, 2012 file photo, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, arrive for the premiere of HBO's new documentary on his life near the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 that doctors at the Houston hospital where Bush has been treated for a month remain ?cautiously optimistic? that he will recover. Still, no discharge date has been set, and McGrath says that doctors are being cautious because at Bush?s age ?sometimes issues crop up that are beyond anybody?s ability to discern or foretell.?(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

FILE - In a Tuesday, June 12, 2012 file photo, former President George H.W. Bush, and his wife, former first lady Barbara Bush, arrive for the premiere of HBO's new documentary on his life near the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine. Bush spokesman Jim McGrath said Wednesday, Dec. 26. 2012 that doctors at the Houston hospital where Bush has been treated for a month remain ?cautiously optimistic? that he will recover. Still, no discharge date has been set, and McGrath says that doctors are being cautious because at Bush?s age ?sometimes issues crop up that are beyond anybody?s ability to discern or foretell.?(AP Photo/Charles Krupa, File)

HOUSTON (AP) ? Former President George H.W. Bush remained in guarded condition overnight in the intensive care unit at a Houston hospital after a day marked by "a series of setbacks including persistent fever," according to his spokesman.

In a brief email Wednesday, Jim McGrath, Bush's spokesman in Houston, said the 88-year-old former leader had been admitted Sunday to the ICU at Methodist Hospital. McGrath said Bush, the oldest living former U.S. president, was alert and talking to medical staff, adding that doctors are cautiously optimistic about his treatment.

No other details were released about his medical condition, but McGrath said Bush is surrounded by family.

Bush has been hospitalized since Nov. 23, when he was admitted for a lingering cough related to bronchitis after having been in and out of the hospital for complications related to the illness.

Earlier Wednesday, McGrath said, a fever that kept Bush in the hospital over Christmas had gotten worse and that doctors had put him on a liquids-only diet.

"It's an elevated fever, so it's actually gone up in the last day or two," McGrath told The Associated Press. "It's a stubborn fever that won't go away."

But he said the cough that initially brought Bush to the hospital has improved.

Bush was visited on Christmas by his wife, Barbara, his son, Neil, and Neil's wife, Maria, and a grandson, McGrath said. Bush's daughter, Dorothy, was expected to arrive Wednesday in Houston from Bethesda, Md. The 41st president has also been visited twice by his sons, George W. Bush, the 43rd president, and Jeb Bush, the former governor of Florida.

Bush and his wife live in Houston during the winter and spend their summers at a home in Kennebunkport, Maine.

The former president was a naval aviator in World War II ? at one point the youngest in the Navy ? and was shot down over the Pacific. He achieved notoriety in retirement for skydiving on at least three of his birthdays since leaving the White House in 1992.

___

Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RamitMastiAP

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-12-27-Bush%20Hospitalized/id-aff3ed8e2be6483eb8e37df27f913e93

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Kids: Afghan policewoman who killed was mentally ill

Mohammad Ismail / Reuters

Fatima, 13, holds a picture of her mother, Narges Rezaeimomenabad, at her home in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday. Her mother is suspected of killing a U.S. contractor at a police headquarters in Kabul.

By Michael Georgy and Mirwais Harooni, Reuters

KABUL ? The Afghan policewoman suspected of killing a U.S. contractor at police headquarters in Kabul suffered from mental illness and was driven to suicidal despair by poverty, her children told Reuters on Wednesday.

The woman was identified by authorities as Narges Rezaeimomenabad, a 40-year-old grandmother and mother of three who moved here from Iran 10 years ago and married an Afghan man.

On Monday morning, she loaded a pistol in a bathroom at the police compound, hid it in her long scarf and shot an American police trainer, apparently becoming the first Afghan woman to carry out such an attack.

---

?Narges also tried to shoot police officials after killing the American. Luckily for them, her pistol jammed. Her husband is also under investigation.

Her son Sayed, 16, and daughter Fatima, 13, described how they tried to call their parents after news broke of the shooting, then waited in vain for them to come home.

They recalled Narges's severe mood swings, and how at times she beat them and even pulled out a knife. But the children said she was consistent in bemoaning poverty.

"She was usually complaining about poverty. She was complaining to my father about our conditions. She was saying that my father was poor," Sayid said in an interview in their damp, cold two-room cement house.

On the floor beside him were his mother's prescriptions and a thick plastic bag filled with pills she tried to swallow to end the misery about a month ago. On another occasion, she cut her wrist with a razor, Sayed said.

US civilian killed by Afghan policewoman in Kabul

"My father was usually calm and sometimes would say that she was guilty too because it wasn't a forced marriage. They fell in love and got married."

There was no sign in their neighbourhood of the billions of dollars of Western aid that have poured into Afghanistan since the ouster of the Taliban in 2001, or of government investment.

Raw sewage, dirt roads
The lane outside their home stank of raw sewage.

Dirty, stagnant water filled holes in dirt roads nearby, where children in tattered clothes played and butchers stood by cow's hooves in shops choked by dust.

Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest nations, with a third of its 30 million residents living under the poverty line.

The sole distractions from the daily grind appeared to be a deck of playing cards and a compact disc with songs from Iranian pop singers, scattered on the floor of a room where Narges would lock herself in and weep, or sit in silence.

At times, Narges would try to focus on building her children's confidence, telling them to be guided by the Muslim holy book, the Koran, to tackle life's problems.

Taliban says US base targeted in Afghan blast

Sayed and Fatima said she never spoke badly of the U.S. presence in Afghanistan or of President Hamid Karzai's government.

Neighbour Mohammad Ismail Kohistani was dumbfounded to hear on the radio that Afghan officials were combing Narges' phone records to try to determine whether al Qaeda or the Taliban could have brainwashed her into carrying out a mission.

But he was acutely aware of her mental problems and often heard her scream at her husband, whose low-level job in the crime investigation unit of the police brought home little cash.

Kohistani, who operates a small sewing shop with battered machines, never imagined his neighbour could be accused of a high-profile attack that raised new questions about the direction of an unpopular war.

"I became very depressed and sad," said Kohistani, sitting on the floor few feet from a tiny wood-burning stove in Narges'shome, alongside family photographs and a police training manual.

Fatima would often seek refuge in Kohistani's house when her mother's behaviour became unbearable. "She did not hate us, but usually she was angry and would not talk to us," said Fatima, her eyes moist with tears.

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Nevertheless, she missed her mother. The children were staying with a cousin.

"I ask the government to free my mother, otherwise our future will be destroyed," said Fatima.

Officials described it as another "insider shooting", in which Afghan forces turn on Westerners they are meant to be working with to stabilize the country. There have been over 52 such attacks so far this year.

The shooting at the police headquarters may have alarmed Afghanistan's Western allies. But some Afghans have grown numb to the violence.

Kohistani's 70-year-old father, Omara Khan, who sports a white beard, sat twirling prayer beads beneath a photograph of Narges in a black veil beside one of her husband.

Asked what he thought of the attack, he laughed.

"This is common in Afghanistan," said Khan, who lived through decades of upheaval, including the 10-year Soviet occupation and a civil war that destroyed half of Kabul and killed some 50,000 civilians.

"People are killed every day."?

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/12/26/16173931-mental-illness-poverty-drove-afghan-policewoman-to-kill-us-contractor-her-children-say?lite

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jamiemalone98: Important Home Improvement Information | Pest ...

Improving your home can be a great way to enjoy your pest control charlotte living environment. Do your best to learn as much as possible before you begin. This will help make sure you do it right the first time. With the help of this article, you can be sure you get your money?s worth and be satisfied.

Before beginning any home improvement project, take the time to de-clutter and get rid of anything you do not need. You?ll then have all the space you need for moving your furniture around, and your home will be less cluttered in general. Less trash around the home will help you become more organized.

Put up some new trim and art to update your bathroom. Wallpaper trim is a very affordable choice and there are so many options that any home decor design can easily be complemented. Wallpaper trim is very easy to use. With a little artwork that is simple, yet affordable and elegant, you can turn the look of your bathroom upside down.

Give your bathroom a new glaze. This will make your bathroom look new again. A glaze treatment can be done at a much cheaper price than bathroom floor replacement. This is a good way to increase your home?s value without spending very much money.

Before renovating an entire floor of your home to raise its value, be sure go!! that the math actually makes sense. In order for the work to be worthwhile, it must pay for itself within two years. Be sure to stay within that budget, and you?ll be fine.

You can provide better security and improve your home?s exterior by having motion detecting lights installed. These lights consume less energy by switching on only in the presence of movement. Intruders will be mindful of this when coming to your house, because they know that you?ll be aware of them if the lights turn on.

You can have a lot of fun improving your home with projects that include the entire family. The addition of a garden can increase a home?s value while making it beautiful.

Make a note to check your roof; look for damage and decay every spring. Besides obviously-damaged shingles, remove and replace any shingles that have blistered or begun to curl at the edges. Resolving minor issues as they occur will prevent your from having any major issues later.

Adding bold prints to your room can make it appear more personable. You could add animal printed rugs, pillows or paintings.

If you feel you are outgrowing your home, whether because of family size or just overall boredom with the property, consider renovating it instead of moving completely. When you renovate your home, you can customize it to be exactly what you want rather than adapting to the designs of another person. All the tasks that come with new home purchase are often more costly and time consuming than simple home improvement projects that pack a big punch.

Planning your project properly can mean the difference between a headache and vastly increasing the value of your home. Use the ideas from this article as you plan to make your next move; you will be thankful you did!

Source: http://pestcontrolexperts.edublogs.org/2012/12/26/important-home-improvement-information/

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Source: http://jamiemalone98.blogspot.com/2012/12/important-home-improvement-information.html

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Home prices rose in October, survey shows

10 hrs.

Reuters

Single-family home prices rose in October for nine months in a row, reinforcing the view the domestic real estate market is improving and should bolster the economy in 2013, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday.?

The S&P/Case Shiller composite index of 20 metropolitan areas gained 0.7 percent in October on a seasonally adjusted basis, stronger than the 0.5 percent rise forecast by economists polled by Reuters.?

"Looking over this report, and considering other data on housing starts and sales, it is clear that the housing recovery is gathering strength," David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at Standard & Poor's, said in a statement.?

While record low mortgage rates and modest job growth should keep the housing recovery on track, analysts cautioned home prices face downward pressure from a likely pickup in the sales of foreclosed and distressed properties and reduced buying investors and speculators.?

Prices in the 20 cities rose 4.3 percent year over year, beating expectations for a rise of 4.0 percent.?

Las Vegas posted the biggest monthly rise on a seasonally adjusted basis at 2.4 percent, followed by a 1.7 percent increase in San Diego, the latest Case-Shiller data showed.?

"Higher year-over-year price gains plus strong performances in the Southwest and California, regions that suffered during the housing bust, confirm that housing is now contributing to the economy," Blitzer said.?

Housing contributed 10 percent to the overall U.S. economic growth in the third quarter, while the sector represented less than 3 percent of gross domestic product, he said.?

Last week, the government said U.S. GDP expanded at a stronger-than-expected 3.1 percent annualized pace in the third quarter.?

Excluding seasonal factors, however, home prices in 12 of the 20 cities fell in October from September as home values tend to decline in fall and winter, Blitzer said.?

Chicago experienced the largest non-seasonally adjusted decline at 1.5 percent, followed by a 1.4 percent fall in Boston.?

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/economywatch/home-prices-rose-october-survey-shows-1C7659315

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Meaning on the Brain: How Your Mind Organizes Reality

They called him "Diogenes the Cynic," because "cynic" meant "dog-like," and he had a habit of basking naked on the lawn while his fellow philosophers talked on the porch. While they debated the mysteries of the cosmos, Diogenes preferred to soak up some rays - some have called him the Jimmy Buffett of ancient Greece.

Anyway, one morning, the great philosopher Plato had a stroke of insight. He caught everyone's attention, gathered a crowd around him, and announced his deduction: "Man is defined as a hairless, featherless, two-legged animal!" Whereupon Diogenes abruptly leaped up from the lawn, dashed off to the marketplace, and burst back onto the porch carrying a plucked chicken - which he held aloft and shouted, "Behold: I give you... Man!" I'm sure Plato was less than thrilled at this stunt, but the story reminds us that these early philosophers were still hammering out the most basic tenets of the science we now know as taxonomy: The grouping of objects from the world into abstract categories. This technique of chopping up reality wasn't invented in ancient Greece, though. In fact, as a recent study shows, it's fundamental to the way our brains work. Chunks of reality At the most basic level, we don't really perceive separate objects at all - we perceive our nervous systems' responses to a boundless flow of electromagnetic waves and biochemical reactions. Our brains slot certain neural response patterns into sensory pathways we call "sight," "smell" and so on - but abilities like synesthesia and echolocation show that even the boundaries between our senses can be blurry. Still, our brains are talented at picking out certain chunks of sensory experience and associating those chunks with other stimuli. For instance, if you hear purring and feel fur rubbing against your leg, your brain knows to associate that sound and feeling with the fluffy four-legged object you see at your feet - and to group that whole multisensory chunk under the heading of "cat." What's more, years of cat experience have taught you that it makes no sense to think of a cat as if it were a piece of furniture, or a truck, or a weather balloon. In other words, an encounter with a cat carries a particular set of meanings for you - and those meanings determine which areas of your brain will perk up in the presence of a feline. But where's the category "cat" in the brain? And where's it situated in relation to, say, "dog" or "giraffe" ...or just "mammal?" A team of neuroscientists led by Alexander Huth at UC Berkeley's Gallant lab decided they'd answer these questions in the most thorough way possible: By capturing brain responses to every kind of object they could dig up. Chunks in the brain Those Gallant lab folks are no slouches - you might remember them as the lab that constructed "mind videos" of entire scenes from neural activity in the visual cortex. This time, though, the lab's ambitions were even broader. A research team led by Alex Huth showed volunteers hours of video footage of thousands of everyday objects and scenes - from cats and birds to cars and thunderstorms - as the subjects sat in an fMRI scanner. Then the researchers matched up the volunteers' brain activity not only to each object they saw, but also to a whole tree of nested object categories: A taxonomy of the brain's taxonomy. A vision of a "continuous semantic space," where thousands of objects and actions are represented in terms of others. Huth's team collected volunteers' reactions to more than 1,300 objects and categories, and arranged these brain responses not only into a tree of object and action categories, but into a map of response gradients across the whole surface of the brain. And as you can see from the color gradients in that tree diagram to the right (which is also available as an interactive online app), the relationships among our brains' categories are multidimensional. Objects may be more or less "animal-like," more or less "man-made," and so on - and in fact, the researchers say they expect to find more subtle response dimensions that gauge an object's size and speed. Association and meaning All this talk of "dimensions of association" points back to a far more profound idea about how our brains work: We understand the meaning of an object in terms of the meanings of other objects - other chunks of reality to which our brains have assigned certain characteristics. In the brain's taxonomy, there are no discrete entries or "files" - just associations that are more strongly or more weakly correlated with other associations. And that idea itself raises deeper quandaries: If associations define what an object or action "is," as some neuroscientists have argued, then why does the concept of meaning - semantic representation - need to enter the picture at all? Instead of being a special type of mental function, might "meaning" itself simply be another word for "association?" The answer to that question won't be a simple one to find, at least for the foreseeable future. "I don't think it's possible to make a conclusive claim about that from fMRI data," says Jack Gallant, the lab's director; "and anyone who tells you otherwise is mistaken." A single three-dimensional pixel - an fMRI voxel - represents the activity of around one million neurons, Gallant explains; and at that resolution, it's impossible to say what exactly the neural activity is encoding. Meaning could depend on association, association might depend on semantic coding, or the relationship between the two might be more nuanced than we can conceive right now. Whatever that relationship turns out to be, the implication remains: In our brains, meaning and association go hand-in-hand. In the brain, even our most abstract concepts depend on our own real-world experiences. That's an idea that's infuriated Plato and his followers far more than Diogenes' plucked chicken - but as Diogenes demonstrated on that long-ago morning, real-world evidence trumps speculation in the end. ? 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/meaning-brain-mind-organizes-reality-123700369.html

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Video: Will Clock Run Out on 'Fiscal Cliff' Deal?'

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://video.msnbc.msn.com/cnbc/50296299/

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Jessica Simpson Is Pregnant! See Her Cutest Mom Moments

Confirmed -- the new mom is expecting baby no. 2! Look back at her cutest moments with baby Maxwell

Source: http://www.ivillage.com/jessica-simpson-family-photos/1-b-487974?dst=iv%3AiVillage%3Ajessica-simpson-family-photos-487974

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A Travel Review on Doha

Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar and is rapidly becoming a popular and modern tourism destination. The best season to visit Doha is in the winter, autumn and during early spring months. It is highly recommended to avoid visiting Doha during summer season as the heat is unbearable.

One of the most popular places to visit Doha are Souks (the standard markets) where a tourist can undergo best traditional shopping experience. One of the most famous of these souks is Souk Wakif which came into origin at least a hundred years back but has been recently renovated back to its original splendor. These markets are known for selling traditional Arab spices, handicrafts, garment, wool, perfumes and souvenirs. This place has some of the amazing restaurants that serve cuisines from all over the world. Lately, the market hosted several art galleries and workshops along with local concerts during the holiday season.

Another attraction for tourists visiting Doha is Al-Corniche, a long seaside walk away that curves around Doha Bay and provides magnificent views of the Palm Tree Island and Doha's skyscrapers. It is also a good place for jogging but cycling is not allowed. It is recommended to go on Friday morning for some beautiful landscape.

Shopping can be a humble experience in Doha and you can find everything except alcohol and pork (except in major hotels or with a license). Locals and expats enjoy shopping in Doha and things are mostly available at cheaper rates than found in Dubai. Fill your pocket and be ready to bargain! A must place to visit for shopping is City Center Doha in Qatar. City Centre offers a diverse range of products including jewelry, perfumes and various means of entertainment such as cinema, children's arcade, bowling alley and indoor ice skating. Eating options are also available such as food courts and other restaurants.

If you want to explore places outside the city, then desert safari is a great choice. If you are familiar with routes or GPS, you can take your own rental car out to the sand dunes or else can even ask Qatar tour companies to arrange a tour for you. Beyond sand dune trips, you can also opt for overnight desert camping, city tours and also excursions to historical sites. When going for desert safari it is must to visit Singing Sand Dunes located 40 km southwest. When the wind blows along the sand and humidity is low a peculiar hum sound can be heard

Naqi Khan is the marketing manager of the Easy Serviced Apartments. With ESA's city breaks you can choose from Family Apartments, business apartments, Holiday Apartments and many more.

Source: http://articles.submityourarticle.com/a-travel-review-on-doha-309394

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Health & Fitness: Are You the Best Candidate for a Plastic Surgical ...

By Jean P. Avis

The concept of getting a plastic cosmetic surgery is exciting because everybody wants to enjoy a youthful appearance and slimmer physique. Nonetheless, there is no assurance that this specific surgical procedure will offer 100 percent good results. You must be evaluated if plastic surgical treatment is suitable for you. Asking your doctors some questions will also assist you understand the likelihood of getting your needed outcomes. You must know whether or not you are physically fit to have the surgical treatment.

1. You should have a healthy body

You can become a great candidate for plastic surgery if you never suffer health concerns like lung or heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, depression, rheumatoid arthritis or bleeding issues. These types of diseases will increase the chances of problems associated with infection, anesthesia, skin loss or blood loss. All surgical procedures are predicted to have natural hazards; nevertheless, if you are suffering from medical concerns you are more likely to experience issues.

2. You must be in your great health or near to it

When you undergo surgical treatment while you are obese, you may have loose skin after the process. This can cause losing all health benefits which you obtain from the procedure. If you desire to undergo a surgical procedure you must try to keep your best weight and tone up muscles by undertaking a lot of exercises. Furthermore, you will have an overstressed heart when you're overweight which implies that surgery won't be encouraged.

3. You should not be smoking

Smoking any types of tobacco will likely cause problems during a plastic surgery. If you are planning to undergo this treatment you should quit smoking at least a few weeks before your operation and stay smoke-free until at least a couple weeks following the surgery so that you could easily heal and recover. Individuals who smoke have a higher rate of skin break up, infections, anesthesia troubles and skin death. As reported by a survey, active smokers have a 100% likelihood of losing an important part of their skin due to poor supply of oxygen during a facelift. Also, smoking cigarettes reduces blood circulation that is important to fast recovery. It may also cause the lungs to be predisposed to pneumonia and limit your resistance to potential infections.

4. You have to be stable psychologically

With plastic surgical treatment, your whole body is predicted to change and this type of change will demand emotional response from you. Your energy will be exhausted during a surgery predisposing your emotional stability to depression. It is necessary that you have a sound emotional condition to manage your responses and the responses of other people. Individuals will be able to accept and adjust to your changes as time passes. However, you can expect some unpleasant responses from them in the short term. This requires you a good support system.

5. You needs to be backed by your loved ones

In the first fourteen days, you will need the assistance of the people close to you. Again, you should be reminded that you must recover without being anxious. In order for your body to recover, you need relaxation. You need to talk to your loved ones about daily activities and chores. You can ask someone to help you with cleaning or cooking if you really need to do it.

6. Your whole body must not be stocked with a huge amount of caffeinated drinks and alcohol

Alcohol and caffeine are culprits that disrupt the healing and should be avoided if you intend to have breast implants. These types of substances affect the blood flow that's needed to provide healing to cuts. Also, they have an effect on maintaining the quality of the skin; hence, you must take them moderately.

Plastic surgical treatment comes with dangers but the most vital thing is you know whether or not it is perfect for you. You could reduce the dangers by choosing the right doctor, understanding the process, talking to your physician regarding your objectives, coming up with expectations that are realistic and following the instructions of your surgeon carefully.

Source: http://health-and-fitness-way.blogspot.com/2012/12/are-you-best-candidate-for-plastic.html

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La Creme - Hr Business Partner - Jobs.ie - Jobs in Ireland. Irish Jobs.

La Creme

Contact: Liz Ryan

Address: 98 Henry Street, Co. Limerick, Ireland

Phone: 061 430939

La Creme - Hr Business Partner

Location:	Limerick
Salary:	Negotiable++
Job type:	Contract, Full-time

Job description
My client, a well renowned multinational based in Limerick have a requirement for a Senior HR Business Partner for a 9/12 contract.

Areas of Responsibility

Works with assigned client group across all areas of Human Resources including (but not limited to) employee relations, compensation, benefits, resource and succession planning and career management.

• Partners with management on multiple initiatives within Human Resources. In particular, provides coaching and support on specific functional areas to facilitate the creation of value through people.
• Supports and manages the implementation of HR plans and programs related to organizational design, development and change.
• Provides group and one-on-one coaching with managers and employees on a variety of human resource related issues.
• Identifies designs and develops programs to support cultures that drive innovation and employee engagement to achieve organizational performance/goals; enables implementation at the local level

• University degree (or equivalent) in Human Resources or a related discipline.
• 5+ years experience in a full function HR role
• Managing complexity and demonstrate innovation
• Strong Comp and benefits focus

Email this job to yourself / a friend

Source: http://www.jobs.ie/ApplyForJob.aspx?Id=1223980

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No Comments - Online Video Streaming - hauret

Millions of users have started to internet. People make use of internet for various purposes. Majority of individuals are found using internet for video streaming. Anything you wish can be watched in the form of video. There are many popular video streaming sites which contains videos of different categories. Whether you are student, or a housewife or a business man, you will find videos that suit your needs. Movie clips and music clips are watched by huge numbers of people through video streaming. Next to videos and music, funny clips are largely watched by internet users.

Nowadays people don?t bother even if they don?t have TV or satellite connection. Any missed out television programs can be watched through video streaming. So, why do people have to worry about having satellite connection? Whether it is a serial, comedy show, cookery show sport, kids? show or anything else, you can watch it through online video streaming. The only thing you have to do is to sign up with the right video streaming website.

If you think that video streaming is helpful only for recreational purposes, then you are wrong. Even for educational need, one can make use of video streaming websites. Today, several educational institutions are rendering online service. So, huge numbers of people are making use of online education. It is the video streaming websites, which helps the students to learn their online lessons without any trouble.

Each one of the popular video streaming websites has numerous numbers of videos on varied categories. You will be really amazed to find millions of interesting videos. What is more special about the video streaming website is that you can even download the videos that you like the most. Your system has to be installed with appropriate software to download the preferred video to your system. The video streaming websites does not only allow you to download the videos, it also allows you to share the videos to any of your social networking account or to your own blog or a website. Youngsters are very crazy about sharing the link of unique online video clips to their social networking sites. It makes them feel pride among their group of friends.

There is something more interesting about video streaming websites. Anyone can upload their personal video clips which is worthy and very interesting for the world to watch. Many people make money through video streaming websites by posting unique videos. If the video uploaded by you is watched by more number of visitors, then you will earn more. Today, the best way to make superfluous money is to upload exceptional videos online. But ensure that your video is really valuable. Many companies have also started utilizing this tactic to market their products or service. A video can express more than words. So entrepreneurs have found the power of video streaming websites and have started utilizing it to grab the attention of their targeted customers. Create a video which conveys your message very clearly to the public. It will be much better if it is interactive too.

Source: http://onlinevideostreaming.net/video-overview/

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Source: http://hauret92.blogspot.com/2012/12/no-comments-online-video-streaming.html

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Audits of businesses for illegal immigrants rising

SEATTLE (AP) -- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement reached its highest number yet of companies audited for illegal immigrants on their payrolls this past fiscal year.

Audits of employer I-9 forms increased from 250 in fiscal year 2007 to more than 3,000 in 2012. From fiscal years 2009 to 2012, the total amount of fines grew to nearly $13 million from $1 million. The number of company managers arrested has increased to 238, according to data provided by ICE.

The investigations of companies have been one of the pillars of President Barack Obama's immigration policy.

When Obama recently spoke about addressing immigration reform in his second term, he said any measure should contain penalties for companies that purposely hire illegal immigrants. It's not a new stand, but one he will likely highlight as his administration launches efforts to revamp the nation's immigration system.

"Our goal is compliance and deterrence," said Brad Bench, special agent in charge at ICE's Seattle office. "The majority of the companies we do audits on end up with no fines at all, but again it's part of the deterrence method. If companies know we're out there, looking across the board, they're more likely to bring themselves into compliance."

While the administration has used those numbers to bolster their record on immigration enforcement, advocates say the audits have pushed workers further underground by causing mass layoffs and disrupted business practices.

When the ICE audit letter arrived at Belco Forest Products, management wasn't entirely surprised. Two nearby businesses in Shelton, a small timber town on a bay off Washington state's Puget Sound, had already been investigated.

But the 2010 inquiry became a months-long process that cost the timber company experienced workers and money. It was fined $17,700 for technicalities on their record keeping.

"What I don't like is the roll of the dice," said Belco's chief financial officer Tom Behrens. "Why do some companies get audited and some don't? Either everyone gets audited or nobody does. Level the playing field."

Belco was one of 339 companies fined in fiscal year 2011 and one of thousands audited that year.

Employers are required to have their workers fill out an I-9 form that declares them authorized to work in the country. Currently, an employer needs only to verify that identifying documents look real.

The audits, part of a $138 million worksite enforcement effort, rely on ICE officers scouring over payroll records to find names that don't match Social Security numbers and other identification databases.

The audits "don't make any sense before a legalization program," said Daniel Costa, an immigration policy analyst at the Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C., think tank. "You're leaving the whole thing up to an employer's eyesight and subjective judgment, that's the failure of the law. There's no verification at all. Then you have is the government making a subjective judgment about subjective judgment."

An AP review of audits that resulted in fines in fiscal year 2011 shows that the federal government is fining industries across the country reliant on manual labor and that historically have hired immigrants. The data provides a glimpse into the results of a process affecting thousands of companies and thousands of workers nationwide.

Over the years, ICE has switched back-and-forth between making names of the companies fined public or not. Lately, ICE has emphasized its criminal investigations of managers, such as a Dunkin' Donuts manager in Maine sentenced to home arrest for knowingly hiring illegal immigrants or a manager of an Illinois hiring firm who got 18 months in prison.

Many employers also wonder how ICE picks the companies it probes.

"Geography is not a factor. The size of the company is not a factor. And the industry it's in is not a factor. We can audit any company anywhere of any size," Bench said. He added ICE auditors follow leads from the public, other employers, employees and do perform some random audits.

But ICE auditors hit ethnic stores, restaurants, bakeries, manufacturing companies, construction, food packaging, janitorial services, catering, dairies and farms. The aviation branch of corporate giant GE, franchises of sandwich shop Subway and a subsidiary of food product company Heinz were among some of the companies with national name recognition. GE was fined $2,000.

In fiscal year 2011, the most recent year reviewed by AP, the median fine was $11,000. The state with the most workplaces fined was Texas with 63, followed by New Jersey with 37.

The lowest fine was $90 to a Massachusetts fishing company. The highest fine was $394,944 to an employment agency in Minneapolis, according to the data released to AP through a public records request.

A Subway spokesman said the company advises franchise owners to follow the law. A Heinz spokesman declined comment.

Bench didn't have specifics on what percentage of fines come from companies having illegal immigrants on their payroll, as opposed to technical paperwork fines in recent years.

Julie Wood, a former deputy director at ICE who now runs a consulting firm, said she'd like to see the burden of proving the legality of a company's workforce go from the employer to the government. She'd like to see a type of program, such as E-Verify, be implemented with the I-9 employment form. E-Verify is a voluntary and free program for private employers that checks a workers eligibility.

"At the end of the day, the fine is the least of it," she said. "Usually the company will spend more on legal fees. But it is a huge headache for the company to lose workers."

Wood said she'd like to see the agency go after more criminal charges and focus on companies that treat worker inhumanely.

___

Manuel Valdes can be reached at http://twitter.com/ByManuelValdes

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/audits-businesses-illegal-immigrants-rising-145230587.html

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Discouraged after making resolutions? Four steps to success.

After the initial enthusiasm of a new resolution fades, most people give up. Here's how to keep going.

By Trent Hamm,?Guest blogger / December 24, 2012

People walk and jog at Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego last month. There are ways to keep working toward your goals even after discouragement sets in.

Mike Blake/Reuters/File

Enlarge

Whenever someone takes on a goal, they tend to go through a few phases.

Skip to next paragraph Trent Hamm

The Simple Dollar is a blog for those of us who need both cents and sense: people fighting debt and bad spending habits while building a financially secure future and still affording a latte or two. Our busy lives are crazy enough without having to compare five hundred mutual funds ? we just want simple ways to manage our finances and save a little money.

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At first, there?s the?honeymoon phase, where the person is enthusiastic about what they?re working on. They?ve got a clear goal, one that they?re sure is going to change their life. The steps to achieve that goal seem fresh and new, and they can often see real results from those steps. Even if those real results are small, they seem wonderful because?they?re moving in the right direction.

After the honeymoon phase comes what I call the?valley phase. The initial enthusiasm fades and the person begins to see how the small, real results are going to take a long time to add up to the big results that they want. The thrill of making good moves is gone, and the minor drawbacks of those good moves often come to the forefront.

Once you push through the valley, you often come to what I call the?ascent phase. The ascent phase comes when a person has truly incorporated most of the changes they need to make to achieve the goal into their lives and the positive progress toward that goal becomes a natural thing. Often, the goal begins to feel inevitable once you reach the ascent phase.

jeetsingh: Winter Dining Round the Family Dining Table is back ...

With the winter approaching and the BBQ covered for the season there is a growing trend to return to family dining around a large dining table. Be it a lovely large formal dining table like Downton Abbey ?upstairs? .. or more like the antique farmhouse table ?below stairs? at Downton Abbey tastes vary but the principle is the same. Collective eating around a large dining table is back! With grandparents living longer there is an even greater need for dining tables to comfortably accommodate 4 to 6 people and yet be able to extend to a larger size when the generations gather.

Elisabeth James Antiques are the UK?s largest stockiest of original dining tables from Early Period, Georgian, Regency, Victorian and Edwardian periods. Under one roof we always have at least 100 tables in oak, mahogany and walnut. The range includes formal round tables to seat 6, 8 or 10 people, formal extending tables to seat 6 to 30 people and refectory or farmhouse tables to seat up to 16 people.

All of our stock is original and we select the best quality tables from estates and clearance to ensure that the restoration process produces the most stunning example from any period. Our in house team of restorers have specialised in finishing large dining tables for a combined 160 and use traditional techniques rather than the modern spray finishes most companies adopt today. Quite simply, whether a classic French polish, traditional wax finish or a hardy heat resistant lacquer, our team produce the most perfect finish of your choice. We supply the fine antiques trade and customers around the World with the very best quality at the lowest prices possible.

Amongst our antique dining tables and antique occasional tables our stock includes :-

17th, 18th and 19th Century oak refectory tables ? from 6ft to 14ft in length

Oak farmhouse tables ? from 6ft to 14ft in length

French farmhouse tables ? up to 13ft in length

Georgian mahogany pedestal tables ? from 8ft to 24ft in length

Regency mahogany pedestal tables ? from 8ft to 24ft in length

William IV extending tables ? from 8ft to 18ft in length

Victorian extending tables in mahogany, walnut and oak ? from 7ft to 20ft in length

Edwardian extending tables in mahogany, walnut and oak ? from 7ft to 16ft in length

Nest of 4 (four) coffee tables

19th century Regency period mahogany Pembroke table

Early 19th century trestle ended occasional table

Antique Lowboy ? George II oak lowboy

Antique Georgian breakfast table

Antique Georgian console table

Georgian butlers tray

Victorian Mahogany Whatnot

Victorian 19th century bamboo occasional table

Antique Victorian oval dining table

Elisabeth James Antiques is a family run business which allows the flexibility to manage all requirements 7 days a week and we offer home viewings in London and the Home Counties without obligation. Our warehouse is based just off junction 14 of the M1 so within easy reach from London in one hour.

Source: http://articlebro.com/2012/home-family/home-improvement/winter-dining-round-the-family-dining-table-is-back/

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Source: http://jeetsingh568.blogspot.com/2012/12/winter-dining-round-family-dining-table.html

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Camera+ Improves Quality Settings, Front Flash, and Photo Importing

iOS: Camera+, our favorite camera app for iOS, just updated to improve some of its quality and sharing features. Here's what's new.
Camera+ has moved around some of its quality settings, adding a new "High" setting that not only saves your photos at full quality, but shares them at full quality... More ?

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TouchPal Keyboard Offers Predictive Swipe-Typing on Android and iOS Devices

Android/iOS: There's no shortage of draw-to-type keyboards available for Android, but TouchPal brings something new to the party: iOS support. Both versions let you swipe to type and both learn your words as you type to improve accuracy, but while the Android version replaces the default keyboard,... More ?

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Checkmark, the Best Location-Based Reminders App for iPhone, Is Free Today Only

iOS: Checkmark, our favorite app for creating location-based reminders on iOS, is available for free today only in an "end of the world sale."
Apple's built-in Reminders app can handle location-based tasks, but it's cumbersome to actually create a new one. More ?

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Dropbox for iPhone Gets a New Look and Better Photo Management

iOS: Dropbox released a new version of its iPhone app today with a brand new design, and a completely new way to browse your photos and videos.
The redesign cleans up the interface a bit and makes it a little easier to quickly browse through your Dropbox files as well as upload files. More ?

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EasilyDo for iPhone Gets You Directions to Your Next Appointment, Organizes Your Contacts, And More

iOS: EasilyDo is a new app that aims to be a central hub for all of those personal things you need to do, but would rather have technology do for you. More ?

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Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/lifehacker/full/~3/0GfE8CfvNmI/this-weeks-top-downloads

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PFT: Tebow reportedly asked out of Wildcat

Reuters

We know who all six AFC playoff teams are, and we have a pretty good idea of their playoff order. Week 17 isn?t meaningless in the AFC ? home-field advantage is still up for grabs ? but it won?t feature any dramatic changes in the way the AFC playoffs look.

The NFC is another matter. Nine teams remain alive for the six playoff spots, and although the Falcons have already clinched home-field advantage, everything else is jumbled.

Below we provide the state of the playoff race, through Week 16:

AFC

1. Texans (12-3): Houston clinches home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win over the Colts, or if both the Broncos and the Patriots lose.

2. Broncos (12-3): Denver clinches home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win over the Chiefs and a Texans loss to the Colts. The Broncos will be the No. 2 seed and have a first-round playoff bye with if they beat the Chiefs and the Texans beat the Colts.

3. Patriots (11-4): New England clinches home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs with a win over the Dolphins, plus both the Texans and the Broncos losing. New England can also earn the No. 2 seed and a first-round playoff bye with a win over the Dolphins and either the Texans or the Broncos losing.

4. Ravens (10-5): Baltimore has clinched the AFC North and cannot get a first-round playoff bye. The Ravens will be the No. 4 seed in the AFC playoffs unless they beat the Bengals and the Patriots lose to the Dolphins, in which case the Ravens would be the No. 3 and the Patriots would be the No. 4.

5. Colts (10-5): Indianapolis will definitely be the No. 5 seed in the AFC playoffs regardless of what happens next week. The Colts will most likely play at Baltimore in the wild card round.

6. Bengals (9-6): Cincinnati will definitely be the No. 6 seed in the AFC playoffs regardless of what happens next week. The Bengals will most likely play at New England in the wild card round.

NFC

1. Falcons (13-2): Atlanta has clinched home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs.

2. 49ers (10-3-1): San Francisco earns the No. 2 seed with two more wins.

3. Packers (11-4): Green Bay earns the No. 2 seed with a win over the Vikings in Week 17 and one San Francisco loss. Otherwise, Green Bay will be the No. 3 seed.

4. Redskins (9-6): The winner of the Week 17 Cowboys-Redskins game wins the NFC East and will be the No. 4 seed. If the Redskins lose to the Cowboys they can still be a wild card team if they end up in a three-way tie at 9-7 with the Seahawks and Vikings, Seahawks and Bears or Vikings and Bears.

5. Seahawks (9-5): Seattle needs one more win to clinch a playoff berth. Seattle would need to win out while San Francisco loses out to win the NFC West.

6. Vikings (9-6): Minnesota clinches a wild card with a Week 17 win over Green Bay. The Vikings also earn a wild card if the Giants, Cowboys and Bears all lose.

In the mix: The 8-7 Cowboys clinch the NFC East if they beat the Redskins in Week 17. The 9-6 Bears clinch a wild card if they beat the Lions and the Packers beat the Vikings in Week 17. The 8-7 Giants get a wild card if they beat the Eagles and the Vikings, Bears and Cowboys all lose.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/12/23/report-tebow-asked-out-of-wildcat-because-he-was-skipped/related/

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British paper to sue Armstrong

LONDON (Reuters) - The Sunday Times is suing disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong for around one million pounds over his libel action against the British newspaper in 2004.

Armstrong, who was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles from 1999-2005 in October, received 300,000 pounds from the Sunday Times as payment towards his legal fees after the paper raised questions about the American's success following his recovery from testicular cancer.

"It is clear that the proceedings were baseless and fraudulent. Your representations that you had never taken performance enhancing drugs were deliberately false," read the letter to Armstrong's lawyers in the Sunday Times.

The paper is demanding the return of the 300,000 pounds payment plus interest, as well as costs accrued in defending the case, which was settled in 2006.

A report by the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in October said the now-retired Armstrong had been involved in the "most sophisticated, professionalised and successful doping program the sport has ever seen."

Armstrong has always denied using performance-enhancing drugs but chose not to contest the USADA charges.

(Writing by Tom Pilcher, Editing by Alison Wildey)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/british-paper-sue-armstrong-175253984--spt.html

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