China tensions with Japan sell fireworks?

Some manufacturers of New Year fireworks are profiting from strong anti-Japanese sentiment related to territorial disputes. Just check out the names of certain pyrotechnics for sale on Beijing streets.

By Peter Ford,?Staff Writer / February 6, 2013

A vendor walks out from a room where boxes of firecrackers with the words 'Tokyo Big Explosion' are stored in Beijing, Wednesday. The vendor said Chinese authorities have asked that the fireworks not be sold due to its name on the package. China and Japan are in a tense dispute over East China Sea islands that have inflamed anti-Japanese sentiment among Chinese.

Andy Wong/AP

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Nothing defines Chinese New Year like fireworks. On the stroke of midnight, Beijing erupts in a riotous, deafening barrage of explosions that out-bangs any war zone.

Skip to next paragraph Peter Ford

Beijing Bureau Chief

Peter Ford is The Christian Science Monitor?s Beijing Bureau Chief. He covers news and features throughout China and also makes reporting trips to Japan and the Korean peninsula.

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This year?s celebration, though, will carry ugly undertones of real war in the midst of rising tensions with neighboring Japan. On sale on the city?s streets in advance of Saturday night?s festivities is a box of pyrotechnics called ?Tokyo Explosion.??

Most fireworks here bear more benign names. ?Golden Snakes Dancing Crazily? is expected to be popular, as Chinese welcome in the Year of the Snake. ?Wish You Get Rich? and ?Billionaire? play to traditional desires.

But some manufacturers are seeking to profit from a seething undercurrent of anti-Japanese sentiment that has bubbled to the surface as a dispute with Japan over ownership of a group of uninhabited islands in the East China Sea grows increasingly bitter.

?I Love the Diaoyu Islands? is one such product, referring to the Chinese name for the islands. In Japan they are known as the Senkakus.

?Aircraft Carrier Shows China?s Might? is another, celebrating the October 2012 launch of the Liaoning, China?s first carrier, which has become a symbol of Beijing?s growing military strength.

Tensions around the islands edged up another notch this week, when the Japanese government revealed that a Chinese naval frigate had ?locked on? to a Japanese vessel with its missile-guidance radar system.

On Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called the incident a ?dangerous? and ?provocative? act ?that could have led to an unpredictable situation.?

On the Chinese Internet, however, angry micro-bloggers hailed the Chinese action.

?We should shoot at Japanese vessels before we warn them,? advocated Li Xu on Sina.com?s popular Twitter-like Weibo platform. ?The only way to punish Japan is to annihilate all Japanese,? added another commentator calling himself Truelove Leo.

The aggressively named fireworks reflect an anti-Japanese mood that the Chinese authorities sometimes seem eager to feed. Government and ruling Communist Party officials orchestrated anti-Japanese demonstrations last year when the island dispute broke out, and Chinese TV is flooded with drama series ? one much like another ? set during the Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945), featuring inhuman ?Japanese devils? as the popular Chinese phrase has it.

There is even a theme park in Shanxi Province where tourists can dress up as soldiers in the Eighth Route Army, the Communist Party?s main military force during the war, sing anti-Japanese war songs, and join in mock guerrilla battles against the Japanese invaders.

A public opinion poll released at the end of last year found that 87 percent of Chinese had a negative opinion of Japan, up from 66 percent a year earlier. And the feeling is mutual. A Japanese government survey in December found sympathy for China at a record low, with less than 20 percent of respondents reporting an affinity for their giant neighbor.

Not everybody buys into the prevailing atmosphere, however. When one Chinese blogger posted a screenshot from a recent TV drama capturing a particularly gory and ludicrous scene of a Chinese man tearing a ?Japanese devil? in half with his bare hands, most of the comments were scathing.

?Another brainwashing drama,? scoffed one. ?The Communist Party is unparalleled in this field.?

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/wcyelXd30ig/China-tensions-with-Japan-sell-fireworks

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Baby boomers not settling for mediocre marriage | Pasadena Family ...

People choose to divorce for many different reasons. Whether it is infidelity, opposing views or simply that they've grown apart, most couples choose to divorce because something isn't working. And while we often think that once you've been married for a long time divorce is out of the question, recent reports show that isn't true.

In fact, the National Center for Family and Marriage Research at Bowling Green State University found that the number of people over the age of 50 getting divorced has doubled in the last two decades to 25 percent. The reasons why aren't entirely surprising.

After being married for decades, some couples find that they have grown apart. They may have raised children together, sent them to college and are now living alone again for the first time in 20 or 30 years. Different from 20 years ago, however, many are deciding that it isn't the life they want and are getting out of it through divorce. Divorce during retirement, however, is different from divorce at 20 or 30.

Mostly, finances are different - more complicated - at an older age. In some cases, one spouse may not have worked in a many years, meaning alimony may come into play. However, members of the older generation don't always have a lot of money on hand. Many people have most of their estate invested in their home, which they may have a hard time selling. And even if it does sell, it probably isn't worth as much as it once was.

Ultimately, divorce is a decision that is personal to each couple who chooses it. Couples shouldn't have to live in a bad marriage. However, if you're divorcing later in life, it's important to seek experienced legal advice to make sure you have your bases covered. Dividing assets from decades of married life can be complicated and complex, so it's best to have someone knowledgeable on your side to protect your interests.

Source: Chicago Tribune, "Post-50 divorce rate doubled in 20 years," Leslie Mann, Feb. 27, 2013

Source: http://www.familyattorneyslosangeles.com/2013/02/baby-boomers-not-settling-for-mediocre-marriage.shtml

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Long-term use of medication does not improve symptoms for heart failure patients

Feb. 26, 2013 ? Among patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, long-term treatment with the medication spironolactone improved left ventricular diastolic function but did not affect maximal exercise capacity, patient symptoms, or quality of life, according to a study appearing in the February 27 issue of JAMA.

"Heart failure (HF) with preserved ejection fraction [EF; the percentage of blood that is pumped out of a filled ventricle as a result of a heartbeat is 50 percent or greater] accounts for more than 50 percent of the total HF population," according to background information in the article. There is not an established therapy for this condition, and aldosterone (a hormone) stimulation may contribute to its progression.

Frank Edelmann, M.D., of the University of Gottingen, Germany, and colleagues conducted a study to examine the long-term effects of spironolactone, an aldosterone receptor blocker, on diastolic function and exercise capacity in patients with HF with preserved EF. The Aldo-DHF trial, a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, was conducted between March 2007 and April 2012 at 10 sites in Germany and Austria. The study included 422 patients (average age, 67 years) with chronic New York Heart Association class II or III heart failure, preserved left ventricular ejection fraction of 50 percent or greater, and evidence of diastolic dysfunction. Patients were randomly assigned to receive 25 mg of spironolactone once daily (n = 213) or matching placebo (n = 209) with 12 months of follow-up. The primary outcomes measured were changes in diastolic function (E/e') on echocardiography and maximal exercise capacity (peak VO2) on cardiopulmonary exercise testing.

The researchers found that spironolactone improved some measures (left ventricular end-diastolic filling, left ventricular remodeling, and neurohumoral activation). Maximal exercise capacity did not significantly change with spironolactone vs. placebo, and spironolactone did not improve heart failure symptoms or quality of life and slightly reduced 6-minute walking distance. "Spironolactone also modestly increased serum potassium levels and decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate without affecting hospitalizations."

The authors conclude that the "lack of accepted minimal clinically important differences in E/e' or peak VO2 in HF with preserved EF warrants additional prospective, randomized, adequately powered studies to further evaluate the effect of improving diastolic function on symptomatic, functional, and clinical end points."

Editorial: Defining Diastolic Heart Failure and Identifying Effective Therapies

"Ultimately, Aldo-DHF trial provides valuable new information but is not particularly reassuring in terms of either the efficacy or safety of mineralocorticoid antagonists (MRAs) for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF),"writes John G. F. Cleland, M.D., Ph.D., F.R.C.P., and Pierpaolo Pellicori, M.D., of the University of Hull, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, in an accompanying editorial.

"In the meantime, MRAs appear useful for managing congestion and preventing diuretic-induced hypokalemia [abnormally low level of potassium in the circulating blood] with the attendant risk of sudden arrhythmic death. It is likely that these benefits are independent of cardiac phenotype but might be more prominent in those with impaired aldosterone degradation due to hepatic congestion. Whether MRAs exert important benefits for patients with HFpEF through other mechanisms such as reducing fibrosis, inflammation, and adrenergic activity may take longer to unravel."

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by American Medical Association (AMA).

Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Frank Edelmann et al. Effect of Spironolactone on Diastolic Function and Exercise Capacity in Patients With Heart Failure With Preserved Ejection FractionThe Aldo-DHF Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA, 2013 DOI: 10.1001/jama.2013.905

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_health/~3/CPq_J5Fjdoo/130226162725.htm

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sales teleselling: What's the Difference Between Inbound and ...

AppId is over the quota
AppId is over the quota

Despite all the advancements in technology nowadays, telemarketing still remains to be one of the most dependable measures to publicize your business. With Business Process Outsourcing business establishments becoming a trend lately, they give a reasonably priced service to areas where labor is deemed expensive.

A telemarketing firm can branch out into several categories but can be viewed into two basic categories--they are the inbound and the outbound telemarketing. The application of these services is dependent on which one will be the most ideal to utilize for your organization.

Most people think of Inbound Telemarketing as comparable to customer support. This kind of service is slightly dissimilar to that of the latter because it will take into account some sales transactions in the process. This is because of the fact that when we mention customer service, it exclusively represents an agent answering the calls of customers just to reply to questions and aid them with their troubles and problems.

For instance, a travel agency for an airline firm would attempt and generate leads and also collect data regarding the people who they know would buy tickets for airline travel sometime in the future. Once these leads have already settled in purchasing the ticket, the contact center agent from this firm can now tend to the call of the lead into flight reservation for the person. This is referred as order processing and it's a part of inbound telemarketing.

In outbound telemarketing kind of service, call center agents usually perform a procedure also known as cold calling in which they will call prospects and attempt to engage them into buying a particular solution which is being offered to their leads. These prospects don't know that they will be called by the phone representatives so there will be some times that they'll be disrupted in what they're trying to do before the agent called.

Aside from sales, phone representatives can also perform lead generation campaigns. This is where call center agents will call prospective clients and attempt to collect as much data as they can from the people they've called.

The major distinction between inbound and outbound services from these firms is that in inbound services, the phone agents receive calls from clients while outbound services will contact people and try to convert them into customers.

With inbound call center services, sales training in the organization is less stressful than that of outbound services. This is for the reason that inbound call center representatives cater to individuals which are already customers even prior to the call was made. Outbound call center agents call for more training in sales than that of the inbound since it's part of their job to meet a definite quota to satisfy the standards granted upon them by their clients.

Though these two kinds of services may be unlike, they can always work hand in hand to complete processes within a company. When these two services work together, a company can serve the clients and prospects with ease.

Belinda Summers works as a professional consultant. She helps businesses increase their revenue by lead generation and appointment setting services through Telemarketing. To know more about this visit: http://www.callboxinc.com/

Source: http://bestsalesteleselling.blogspot.com/2013/02/what-difference-between-inbound-and.html

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Stocks up on Wall Street; led by retailers

NEW YORK (AP) ? U.S. stocks are rising in midday trading because of strong earnings from discount retailers and more evidence that housing is recovering.

Dollar Tree earnings rose 22 percent as shoppers spent more. The number of Americans who signed contracts to buy homes rose in January to the highest level in almost three years.

At midday Wednesday the Dow Jones industrial average rose 97 points to 13,997. The Dow jumped 116 points Tuesday after strong U.S. home sales and earnings from Home Depot.

The Standard & Poor's 500 rose 13 points at 1,509. The Nasdaq rose 31 points to 3,161.

Home builders rose for a second straight day. PulteGroup rose 2 percent, a day after climbing 5.7 percent after new home sales jumped to the highest level since July 2008.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/stocks-wall-street-led-retailers-145456493--finance.html

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Guest Blogger: 5 Benefits of Adding a Gazebo to Your Backyard

Guest Blogger #876, Entry #2143, February 26, 2013

One of the latest trends in home upgrades revolves around creating outdoor rooms that extend your square footage and thus, your livable space. This often includes planning and building an outdoor retreat complete with dedicated seating areas (a patio or deck festooned with comfortable furnishings), a cooking center (whether it?s just a grill or an entire island), ample lighting, water features, and flora and fauna that provide a screen from the neighbors and a treat for the senses. It may sound like a pretty tall order, but when you?re lounging in your chic backyard sipping Mai Tais with the ladies or beers with the bros, you?re going to appreciate the extra ?room? a lot more. And there are several elements you can include to make the space functional and unique. So if you?re waffling on whether or not to add a?gazebo, here are a few benefits you may not have considered.

gazebos backyard

Image via: Myriam Payne Interior Designers & Decorators

1. Shelter from the storm.

The first and best reason to install a gazebo in the backyard is to provide protection from the elements. No matter what type of climate you live in, there are bound to be times when you?d like to enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about an assault by the sun or rain. A gazebo won?t stop strong winds or snow flurries from getting in, but if you want a shady vantage from which you enjoy the beauty of your yard during the summer, or if you enjoy drinking your coffee and reading the paper outdoors, even when it?s sprinkling, a gazebo can offer you the shelter you need to make the most of your outdoor space.

2. Kiddie play room.

There are times when every parent has to shove the kids out the door in order to get some stuff done in the house. Having a gazebo in the backyard can give your kids a suitable place to play that protects them from the elements. And you can fix it up in a number of appealing ways. You might train vines up the lattice sides of the structure to create a hidden fort in which kids can have their imaginary adventures. Or you could furnish the space with a table, chairs, and storage for supplies so that kids can get crafty without making a huge mess where you just cleaned indoors.

3. Set dressing.

If you entertain family, friends, and colleagues frequently or you?re planning to host some fancy events in the future (weddings, birthday parties, and the like) you?ll certainly get plenty of use out of your gazebo. It not only provides shelter and utility, but it?s also a beautiful set dressing that can act as a focal point and make any celebration more glamorous.

How will you use your gazebo?

Image via: Landmark Photography

4. Privacy.

Some gazebos are open on all sides, with only pillars holding up the roof. But you can also opt to cover the sides with lattice to create a privacy screen for those inside. If your current backyard offers limited solitude, adding a gazebo could be a way to get it without shelling out huge amounts of money for all-around fencing and foliage. Whether you put a café set with table and chairs or a hot tub inside, you?ll get the privacy you seek with a screened gazebo.

5. Property value.

Any permanent structure you add to your property has the potential to raise the value, especially if it is utilitarian. And while you might not see a huge return on investment by adding a gazebo to your backyard, it could definitely act as a selling point for interested buyers down the road.

For more outdoor home ideas on Stagetecture, click here.

Source: http://stagetecture.com/2013/02/guest-blogger-5-benefits-of-adding-a-gazebo-to-your-backyard/

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Salazar: Thousands of Interior workers imperiled (The Arizona Republic)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories Stories, RSS and RSS Feed via Feedzilla.

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Imperial County betting its future on renewable energy

Situated in the southeastern corner of California, bordering Arizona and Mexico, Imperial County has long depended on agriculture and cash crops that grew from the good earth.

But lately the region ? which carries the dubious distinction of having the state's highest unemployment rate at 25.5% ? is betting its future on a different kind of farm: green energy.

Spurred by a state mandate that requires utilities to get a third of their electricity from green sources by 2020, renewable energy companies are leasing or buying thousands of acres in Imperial County to convert to energy farms providing power for coastal cities ? bringing an estimated 6,000 building jobs and billions in construction activity to the county.

Although renewable energy projects are sprouting up across the Golden State, no county needs them as much as Imperial, which has consistently ranked as the worst-performing region of California even in boom times.

The prospect of a construction boom has excited residents hungry for work. But some farmers and Native American tribes are crying foul, angry that the new projects are encroaching on land that they claim has cultural value or should be devoted to crops.

Solar, wind and geothermal projects are popping up on farms that once grew wheat, alfalfa and sugar beets. County officials say the normally hardscrabble region is benefiting from vast tracts of affordable land and lots of sunshine, the one resource the region can almost always count on.

"It's sunny 365 days of the year, damn near," boasted Mike Kelley, chairman of the county's Board of Supervisors. "Renewable energy is going to give Imperial County a shot in the arm."

Local advocates are betting that a "green rush" will lift a county that has struggled with economic upheaval. The Bureau of Labor Statistics just ranked El Centro as the second-worst metro area for job hunters, after Yuma, Ariz. Its unemployment rate fluctuated between 25% and 33% from 2010 and 2012.

Two of the county's top five employers are the Calipatria and Centinela state prisons. The agriculture sector shed jobs as farmers moved to automation and switched to less labor-intensive crops. Construction work vanished when El Centro, the county's biggest city, was hit hard by the housing crisis. Long-standing businesses such as a food processing plant moved elsewhere, taking away hundreds of jobs.

But with green energy companies scrambling to build solar installations and wind farms throughout the county, some residents are convinced that Imperial's fortunes will soon be looking up.

Tenaska Solar Ventures plans to break ground this year on its second project in the county after nearing completion on its first site, known as the Imperial Solar Energy Center South, on nearly 1,000 acres near El Centro.

The company came to the region both for its "abundant sunshine" and also proximity to the Sunrise Powerlink, a power transmission line completed last year that connects Imperial and San Diego counties, said Bob Ramaekers, Tenaska's vice president of development.

More than 500 construction workers have been hired to work on Tenaska Imperial South, with 70% coming from the local community, he said. A job fair held last year drew about 1,200 applicants. The second project will generate as many as 300 construction jobs, with priority given to local hires.

"One of the advantages of solar projects is they are not really high-tech. Anyone who has worked at all in the construction business can work in a solar facility," said Andy Horne, deputy executive officer of the county's natural resources department. "It's like a big erector set ? you bolt these things together and ba-da-bing, you have a solar project."

The lure of a steady, well-paid job is what persuaded Victor Santana, 27, to start training as a journeyman electrician two years ago. He had studied film in college and hoped to make movies, but ended up working a series of odd jobs after the economic downturn ? driving tractors, operating hay presses, selling vacuum cleaners. Even a video-editing gig he eventually found paid minimum wage,

"Things had dried up. There was only field work, or fast food, or working at the local mall," the El Centro resident said.

Santana finally decided to switch careers after hearing the pitch from green energy companies trickling into town. Now he earns about $21 an hour with regular raises every six months, and the prospect of steady work for another seven to 10 years just from the stream of solar and wind projects. "I feel a lot more secure than I did," he said.

Green energy may help Imperial hold onto its young people, who often try to land a government job or leave the county altogether in search of better-paying jobs elsewhere. Calipatria Unified School District is launching a vocational program this fall to prepare high school graduates for jobs in renewable energy. San Diego State is building a power plant simulator at its Brawley campus.

"With the advent of renewable energy, we are seeing a different kind of industrial base," said Mike Sabath, associate dean of academic affairs at San Diego State's Imperial Valley campus. "Hopefully that will provide opportunities to develop more job stability in the region than what we have enjoyed."

But construction has raised the hackles of some locals. There are farmers wringing their hands over fertile land snapped up by energy companies; they worry that a way of life is being edged out by corporations eager to cash in on the modern gold rush.

Source: http://feeds.latimes.com/~r/latimes/news/science/~3/_yPeH4Dv-2I/la-fi-imperial-energy-20130227,0,7905808.story

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OPTiM's Optia Android screensharing and remote control app hands-on

For anybody who has had to support a friend or loved one through an emotional cellphone crisis, rejoice: your savior in the form of OPTiM's Optia smartphone-to-smartphone remote control has arrived. The premise here is that using a friend based system with invites users can add contacts to the app -- think parents, grandparents -- on their Android handset then simply ask for help or offer to help that friend. The recipient clicks yes, and the remote control session begins.

OPTiM's man at the booth, Taiga, took us through the entire process from adding somebody to your set then connecting and finally controlling the phone. The entire ordeal was fairly quick and smooth considering the congestion of the halls here at Mobile World Congress. We'd bet over WiFi or even LTE the experience would be nothing but smoother. Control of the session gives the helper completes access including home button, back, settings and so forth. Scrolling across screens and apps works exactly as it would on your own device, albeit slower -- but even on a poor cellular connection performance is very good. This is a must have app for anybody that regularly helps others or needs help themselves. The best bit? It is currently completely $free on the Play store. Video tour of it all in action is just below the break.

Filed under: Cellphones, Wireless

Comments

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/aqGxnEY69io/

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Guinea president picks ally to replace army chief

Feb 25 (Reuters) - Leading money winners on the 2013 PGATour on Monday (U.S. unless stated): 1. Brandt Snedeker $2,859,920 2. Matt Kuchar $1,987,000 3. Hunter Mahan $1,412,965 4. John Merrick $1,296,014 5. Phil Mickelson $1,232,760 6. Dustin Johnson $1,200,125 7. Tiger Woods $1,144,000 8. Russell Henley $1,129,080 9. Brian Gay $1,089,181 10. Charles Howell III $1,087,944 11. Jason Day $1,009,164 12. Chris Kirk $990,013 13. Steve Stricker $940,000 14. Josh Teater $870,934 15. Bill Haas $816,300 16. Jimmy Walker $812,620 17. Scott Piercy $789,592 18. Charlie Beljan $785,800 19. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/guinea-president-picks-ally-replace-army-chief-132548206--sector.html

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Budget Hotels Near Victoria Station

There are many budget hotels in London that provide bed and breakfast accommodation to the travellers. They have courteous and friendly staff that is dedicated to make your stay comfortable. These are located close to Victoria station, making it convenient for the travellers to visit different places easily.

If you are visiting London, it is a good idea to look for a hotel near Victoria station London. It is the capital of the country part of England and the United Kingdom. The city lies on the River Thames in south-east England on the island of Great Britain. London is one of the most important cultural, financial and commercial centres of the world and thus has the status of a world city. It is visited by numerous people daily for several purposes, ranging from tourism to education. Thus, there is always an extreme demand for accommodation options. The Victoria Station is a prominent area in London and has a lot of excellent hotels which can be perfect for you.

The best thing about the hotels in the Victoria Station area is the location. The station is a landmark and is connected to all parts of London. Also, you can travel to other parts of UK and other countries too by taking trains from the station. If you travel to London by a flight, you can reach the station very easily too. You can take a express train from the airport to reach the station directly. Another important reason which makes the hotels in this area so popular is the rents. The hotels in this area are rather cheap and travellers can choose from a lot of highly affordable options.

If you are a tourist, then there can be no better location of accommodation for you than the Victoria Station region. This is because some of the most interesting and popular tourist attractions of London are near the station. If you stay at a hotel near Victoria station London, you can reach the Big Ben very easily. The Big Ben is a bell situated in the tower of the Houses of Parliament. You can walk to the Big Ben easily from the Victoria Station. It would be a folly to visit London and miss this spectacular attraction. With a diameter of 25 feet, the Big Ben has been running accurately since its establishment in 1923 and alerts entire London of the time through its chimes.

Another excellent tourist attraction near the Victoria station is the Buckingham palace. On certain days, the tourists are allowed to see the beautiful Queen Elizabeth's state rooms. You can simply walk from your hotel to the Victoria Memorial and check out the Queen Victoria Memorial Gardens. Apart from these, there are a lot of other major tourist attractions in London which can be reached very easily from hotels near the Victoria Station. These include the National Gallery, the Tower of London, the British Museum and the London Eye. Thus, by staying at a hotel in this region, you can access all parts of the city and can cover all the important tourist attractions within a very short span of time. So, if you want to make the most of your London trip, plan the details in advance and book a hotel near the Victoria station London.

About the Author:
The author of this article is associated with The Tudor Inn Hotel Victoria, a well-known budget hotel providing bed and breakfast accommodation to London visitors.

Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/Budget-Hotels-Near-Victoria-Station/4454428

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You Can Make Gummy Bear Versions of Yourself

Somewhere in between the honor of getting a bronze statue of yourself and the shame of re-creating your sexual organs in plastic is this awesome gummy bear yourself service. You can basically create a gummy replica of yourself to eat. It looks absolutely delicious. More »

Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/FHNdy25pc5g/you-can-make-gummy-bear-versions-of-yourself

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494 McKay Road, Amsterdam, NY : Vassi Real Estate

Single Family
Price: $88,500
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Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
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One Family
Price: 109,900.00
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Bedrooms: 4
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Price: 84,900
Bedrooms: 3
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720

summer rentals
Price: $650/week
cabins and 2 family home
Bedrooms: 2 per unit

4 FAMILY FOR SALE
Price: $77,000
4 FAMILY
Bedrooms: 2 per unit
Bathrooms: 2
3208

Price: 68,900
2 Family
Bedrooms: 5
Bathrooms: 2
Waterfront: Amsterdam
3,200

Single Family
Price: $105,000
Cape
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 2
1632

SINGLE FAMILY
Price: $190,000
RANCH
Bedrooms: 3
Bathrooms: 1
Waterfront: YES
1650

Next Page ?

Source: http://www.vassirealestate.com/494-mckay-road-amsterdam-ny-2/

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Romney to give first postelection interview to Fox

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, file photo, Republican presidential hopeful former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks with Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday in Manchester, N.H. Wallace said on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, that he has landed the first post-election interview with Romney and his wife, Ann. The interview will air on his show next week (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, Jan. 6, 2008, file photo, Republican presidential hopeful former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney speaks with Chris Wallace on FOX News Sunday in Manchester, N.H. Wallace said on Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, that he has landed the first post-election interview with Romney and his wife, Ann. The interview will air on his show next week (AP Photo/LM Otero, File)

NEW YORK (AP) ? Fox's Chris Wallace has landed the first postelection interview with defeated Republican nominee Mitt Romney and his wife, Ann.

Wallace said on "Fox News Sunday" that the interview will air on his show next week. Additional portions will be on Fox News Channel the next day. Wallace says he'll ask Romney how he has dealt with the defeat, what he plans to do and his thoughts about President Barack Obama's second-term agenda.

Fox News spokeswoman Ashley Nerz says the interview will be taped this week in southern California, where Romney has spent much of his time since the election.

Romney has also said he will speak March 15 to the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, an annual event that draws leading Republican voices.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2013-02-24-US-TV-Fox-Romney/id-dea3b6d29b25449ea06ede58537c8993

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Ink Attracts Thousands To Detroit For Tattoo Expo ? CBS Detroit

Mike DeBoer drove in from Chicago to get tattooed Sunday. (WWJ/Terri Lee)

DETROIT (WWJ) - Skin should be heeling for the approximately 5,000 people from all over the world who visited Detroit for the Motor City Tattoo Expo.

Mike DeBoer drove in from Chicago to get tattooed. WWJ caught him walking around the convention with his shirt off? but from a distance, you?d have had no idea he wasn?t wearing one.

DeBoer has tattoos all over his body.

Mike DeBoer shows off a fully inked leg.

?I started getting tattoos pretty much as soon as I turned 18,? said DeBoer. ?If I had to put an hourly guess into it I?d probably say I?ve got at least 300-400 hours into me.?

DeBoer was nominated at the expo for best chest and best leg sleeve. He says the body art is worth every penny.

Downriver Tattoo Artist C.J Jones was one of those featured at this weekend?s event.

?A lot of long hours, a lot of drawing, drawing until your fingers get numb,? said Jones.

Marshall Bennet is an artist at Eternal Tattoo in Eastpoint, and told WWJ that tattoos are becoming more and more popular.

?With the reality shows ? it?s getting very mainstream ? it?s also changed a lot in the industry,? Jones said. ?It?s very popular, right now I?m very busy.?

Coordinator Terry Welker said the convention has lasted so long because the tattoo industry is thriving.

Welker says the Motor City Convention is one of the best in the country because tattoo artists have to be invited, and he and his team search the nation to find the best of the best.

Source: http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/02/24/thousands-visit-for-tattoo-expo-in-detroit/

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BlackBerry launches the Z10 in India for $800

The BB10-toting BlackBerry Z10 has just been unveiled in India, priced at Rs 43,490 ($800) for an unlocked unit. Coinciding with the announcement, the BlackBerry Music Store has also gone live in the country starting today, offering a mix of local and international music. Support for local languages aside, the app offerings have also been given an Indian flavor with the inclusion of country-specific goodies spanning various genres including news, banking, travel, entertainment and lifestyle. The subcontinent is quite important for the company formerly known as RIM, and its devices are still popular in the region, despite taking a beating in market share recently (see coverage), courtesy the BBM service that makes them the go-to smartphones for those hooked on to the instant messaging platform. However, the Z10's sticker price puts it in the same league as the 16GB iPhone 5 and HTC's full-HD Butterfly (both costing roughly $50 more), and it remains to be seen how the price-sensitive Indian market will react to the new entrant.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Blackberry

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Source: http://www.engadget.com/2013/02/25/blackberry-z10-india/

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Raul Castro to step down: Who will run Cuba next?

Raul Castro, president of Cuba, says he'll step down in five years. Who will replace Castro? Miguel Diaz-Canel has been tapped to be first in the line of succession.

By Peter Orsi,?Associated Press / February 24, 2013

Cuba's President Raul Castro, waves after voting during a session of the National Assembly in Havana, Cuba, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2012. Cuba?s President Raul Castro accepted a new five-year term that will be, he said, his last as Cuba's president.

(AP Photo/Ismael Francisco, Cubadebate)

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Raul Castro announced Sunday that he will step down as Cuba's president in 2018 following a final five-year term, for the first time putting a date on the end of the Castro era. He tapped rising star Miguel Diaz-Canel as his top lieutenant and first in the line of succession.

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The 81-year-old Castro also said he hopes to establish two-term limits and age caps for political offices including the presidency ? an astonishing prospect for a nation led by Castro or his older brother Fidel since their 1959 revolution.

The 52-year-old Diaz-Canel is now a heartbeat from the presidency and has risen higher than any other Cuban official who didn't directly participate in the heady days of the revolution.

"This will be my last term," Castro said, his voice firm.

In his 35-minute speech, Castro hinted at other changes to the constitution, some so dramatic that they will have to be ratified by the Cuban people in a referendum. Still, he scotched any idea that the country would soon abandon socialism, saying he had not assumed the presidency in order to destroy Cuba's system.

"I was not chosen to be president to restore capitalism to Cuba," he said. "I was elected to defend, maintain and continue to perfect socialism, not destroy it."

Castro fueled interest in Sunday's legislative gathering after mentioning on Friday his possible retirement and suggesting lightheartedly that he had plans to resign at some point.

It's now clear that he was serious when he promised that Sunday's speech would have fireworks, and would touch on his future in leadership.

Cuba is at a moment of "historic transcendence," Castro told lawmakers in speaking of his decision to name Diaz-Canel to the No. 2 job, replacing the 81-year-old Jose Ramon Machado Ventura, who fought with the Castros in the Sierra Maestra.

Castro praised Machado Ventura and another aging revolutionary for offering to leave their positions so that younger leaders could move up.

Their selflessness is "a concrete demonstration of their genuine revolutionary fiber ... That is the essence of the founding generation of this revolution."

Castro said that Diaz-Canel's promotion "represents a definitive step in the configuration of the future leadership of the nation through the gradual and orderly transfer of key roles to new generations."

"Our greatest satisfaction is the tranquility and serene confidence we feel as we deliver to the new generations the responsibility to continue building socialism," he added.

On the streets of Havana, where people often express a jaded skepticism of all things political, there was genuine excitement.

"This is the start of a new era," said Roberto Delgado, a 68-year-old retiree walking down a street in the leafy Miramar neighborhood. "It will undoubtedly be a complicated and difficult process, but something important happened today."

"I'm mesmerized," added Regla Blanco, 48. "You thought that with all these old men, it would never end. I am very satisfied with what Raul said. He is keeping his promise."

Since taking over from Fidel in 2006, Castro has instituted a slate of important economic and social changes, expanding private enterprise, legalizing a real estate market and relaxing hated travel restrictions.

Still, the country remains ruled by the Communist Party and any opposition to it lacks legal recognition.

Castro has mentioned term limits before, but he has never said specifically when he would step down, and the concept has yet to be codified into Cuban law.

If he keeps his word, Castro will leave office no later than 2018. Cuban-American exiles in the United States have waited decades for the end of the Castro era, although they will likely be dismayed if it ends on the brothers' terms.

Nevertheless, the promise of a change at the top could have deep significance for U.S.-Cuba ties. The wording of Washington's 51-year economic embargo on the island specifies that it cannot be lifted while a Castro is in charge.

When Raul Castro hinted at his retirement plans on Friday, it earned a sharp response from Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a Cuban-American Republican from Florida, who called it a ploy.

"If dictator Raul Castro states that he will retire in five years, there will still be no real change for the Cuban people so long as the Castro brothers remain in any form of leadership position, even behind the scenes," she said. "The U.S. should not change its policy of isolation of the Cuban regime."

Fidel Castro is 86 and retired, and has appeared increasingly frail in recent months. He made a surprise appearance at Sunday's gathering, receiving a thunderous ovation from lawmakers.

Some analysts have speculated that the Castros would push a younger member of their family into a top job, but there was no hint of that Sunday.

While few things are ever clear in Cuba's hermetically sealed news environment, rumblings that Diaz-Canel, an electrical engineer by training and ex-minister of higher education, might be in line for a senior post have grown.

In recent weeks, he has frequently been featured on state television news broadcasts in an apparent attempt to raise his profile.

He also traveled to Venezuela in January for the symbolic inauguration of Hugo Chavez, a key Cuban ally who had been re-elected president but was too ill to be sworn in.

The 612 lawmakers sworn in Sunday also named Esteban Lazo as the National Assembly's first new chief in 20 years, replacing Ricardo Alarcon.

Lazo, who turns 69 on Tuesday, is a vice president and member of the Communist Party's ruling political bureau. Parliament meets only twice a year and generally passes legislation unanimously without visible debate.

The legislature also named as vice presidents of the ruling Council Machado Ventura; comptroller general Gladys Bejerano; second Vice President Ramiro Valdes; Havana Communist Party secretary Lazara Mercedes Lopez Acea; and Salvador Valdes Mesa, head of Cuba's labor union.

___

Anne Marie-Garcia and Paul Haven contributed to this report.

___

Peter Orsi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Peter_Orsi

Copyright 2013 The Associated Press.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/kGjZGVkqvsw/Raul-Castro-to-step-down-Who-will-run-Cuba-next

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Thriving in a Long Distance Relationship | Catholic Match Blog

When I joined CatholicMatch I was so against long distance relationships (LDR), that I wrote in my profile that I wasn?t willing to travel far to meet anyone, but they were welcome to travel to meet me. That didn?t deter Alex?my future husband?from contacting me. While we were both happy with initiating friendship online, we knew it was important to move offline as soon as possible.

Because we lived two states away, we had to wait a whole month to see each other in person. After our first real date, another month passed before it was possible for us to see one another again ? then another month passed.

If you are in a long distance relationship, or considering one, here are some basic tips to help manage the difficulties of a long distance courtship:

1. Plan ahead. Meet in person as SOON and as OFTEN as possible. The sooner you can determine if there is chemistry, the sooner you can invest in the relationship. Plan ahead to avoid settling into a routine when you to get together. Do acts of charity together: volunteer at a Catholic school, church, soup kitchen, retirement home, Homefront, etc. Or plan to go to a museum, concert, hear a talk, hike, play sports, visit a farm or zoo, ice skate (rinks are open year round), dance or kayak.

Find other friends and relatives who want to travel with you to split gas or share hotel rooms. Or skip the hotel altogether and ask to stay with your significant other?s friend, sister, or cousin to cut expenses.

2. Date even when you?re not in the same room. If you can perfect this skill, you will make a fantastic spouse. Play Mad Libs or Loaded Questions over the phone. Take turns reading a book to one another (check out your library). Start writing a story together (make it as silly as you want) or draw comic strips. Play charades, hangman, or Sudoku together. Audit a foreign language class, and practice the new language together.

Swap new recipes, and then you?ll have a great meal to make next time you?re together. Create your own wine-tasting/beer-tasting/cheese-tasting/chocolate-tasting/Jelly Belly-tasting date via Skype or phone. Try carving a pumpkin or watermelon, and wear a costume to show your goofy side while on Skype. Create playlists for one another. Borrow your parents? photo albums, and share those childhood memories. Make different origami animals, and then mail your creations to one another.

3. Make regular connections throughout the day. Don?t hesitate to send texts or emails! I work from home with my husband, but I still love his texts, emails, and Facebook posts for me. You can email and text each other lyrics, jokes, Bible quotes, prayers, or poems (or leave them in voicemails). Create your own fun poem through this site: Festisite.com/love/poems. Send each other funny or sweet photos of your day.

It?s that type of connectivity that helps you stay close while you?re dating and keeps you closer when you?re married!

4. Pray together. Praying is one of the most intimate things you can do together. Praise and glorify God regardless of the outcome of your relationship. Our favorite form of prayer is song! You may feel intimidated to pray with your date, but I can attest that awkward prayer doesn?t ruin good relationships.

Early in our relationship, Alex sent a novena prayer for us to pray together (he didn?t read through the prayer before sending it to me). Although some of the language is very direct, we prayed it together anyway.

5. Savor the time apart. The hardest time to get through with LDR is when you are on your way home after seeing one another. Surround yourself with people who are supportive of your LDR, who will listen to your heartaches, but who will also help you focus on the good or virtue in every situation.

Remember that our purpose is to praise and glorify God through every joy and sorrow in this life. Use this time to lighten the burden of those around you, and cultivate those local friendships. This time apart also gives you something to talk about with your significant other.

Because we attended weddings separately, Alex and I talked comfortably about engagements, marriage, family life, and goals for the future.

6. Relocate. How open are you to relocating? Would that involve career changes? What are you willing to sacrifice for the other? Be honest with one another.

By moving to Connecticut Alex sacrificed and risked everything for love. We were engaged about one month later! I?m still open to living anywhere, but his gesture meant more than words.

7. Trust in God. When in doubt read Saint Faustina?s diary and always pray to know God?s will.

God willing, these practices will help to develop your relationship into a very satisfying marriage.

Source: http://www.catholicmatch.com/blog/2013/02/thriving-in-a-long-distance-relationship/

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Former NBA Stars Give Back to City Youth

High school basketball players from East, Central Tech, and Strong
Vincent had the once in a lifetime chance to be coached and mentored by former
Knicks stars Allan Houston and Larry Johnson. The special mentoring event took
place at the Erie Insurance Arena early Saturday afternoon.

Houston is the BayHawks general manager and used to play with Johnson. Johnson is in town for Affiliate Night at the arena. The BayHawks are an affiliate of the New York Knicks. Johnson was the first overall pick in the NBA draft back in 1991.

Both Houston and Johnson say it was great to come mentor these young athletes. In their mentoring session, the former NBA stars stressed how important it is for the young athletes to stay focused, and to work their hardest in all that they do, both on and off the court.

Source: http://yourerie.com/fulltext?nxd_id=287062

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How dinosaurs grew the world's longest necks

rancisco Gasc? under the direction of Mike Taylor and Matt Wedel

Plant-eating dinosaurs called sauropods had the longest necks in the animal kingdom. Here an adult Brontomerus mother.

By Charles Choi, LiveScience

How did the largest of all dinosaurs evolve necks longer than any other creature that has ever lived? One secret: mostly hollow neck bones, researchers say.

The largest creatures to ever walk the Earth were the long-necked, long-tailed dinosaurs known as the sauropods. These vegetarians had by far the longest necks of any known animal. The dinosaurs' necks reached up to 50 feet (15 meters) in length, six times longer than that of the current world-record holder, the giraffe, and at least five times longer than those of any other animal that has lived on land.

"They were really stupidly, absurdly oversized," said researcher Michael Taylor, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of Bristol in England. "In our feeble, modern world, we're used to thinking of elephants as big, but sauropods reached 10 times the size elephants do. They were the size of walking whales."

Amazing necks

To find out how sauropod necks could get so long, scientists analyzed other long-necked creatures and compared sauropod anatomy with that of the dinosaurs' nearest living relatives, the birds and crocodilians.

"Extinct animals ? and living animals, too, for that matter ? are much more amazing than we realize," Taylor told LiveScience. "Time and again, people have proposed limits to possible animal sizes, like the five-meter (16-foot) wingspan that was supposed to be the limit for flying animals. And time and again, they've been blown away. We now know of flying pterosaurs with 10-meter (33-foot) wingspans. And these extremes are achieved by a startling array of anatomical innovations." [ Image Gallery: 25 Amazing Ancient Beasts ]

Among living animals, adult bull giraffes have the longest necks, capable of reaching about 8 feet (2.4 m) long. No other living creature exceeds half this length. For instance, ostriches typically have necks only about 3 feet (1 m) long.

When it comes to extinct animals, the largest land-living mammal of all time was the rhino-like creature Paraceratherium, which had a neck maybe 8.2 feet (2.5 m) long. The flying reptiles known as pterosaurs could also have surprisingly long necks, such as Arambourgiania, whose neck may have exceeded 10 feet (3 m).

The necks of the Loch Ness Monster-like marine reptiles known as plesiosaurs could reach an impressive 23 feet (7 m), probably because the water they lived in could support their weight. But these necks were still less than half the lengths of the longest-necked sauropods.

Sauropod secrets

In their study, Taylor and his colleagues found that the neck bones of sauropods possessed a number of traits that supported such long necks. For instance, air often made up 60 percent of these animals' necks, with some as light as birds' bones, making it easier to support long chains of the bones. The muscles, tendons and ligaments were also positioned around these vertebrae in a way that helped maximize leverage, making neck movements more efficient.

In addition, the dinosaurs' giant torsos and four-legged stances helped provide a stable platform for their necks. In contrast, giraffes have relatively small torsos, while ostriches have two-legged stances. [ Image Gallery: Animals' Amazing Headgear ]

Sauropods also had plenty of neck vertebrae, up to 19. In contrast, nearly all mammals have no more than seven, from mice to whales to giraffes, limiting how long their necks can get. (The only exceptions among mammals are sloths and aquatic mammals known as sirenians, such as manatees.)

Moreover, while pterosaur Arambourgiania had a relatively giant head with long, spear-like jaws that it likely used to help capture prey, sauropods had small, light heads that were easy to support. These dinosaurs did not chew their meals, lacking even cheeks to store food in their mouths; they merely swallowed it, letting their guts break it down.

"Sauropod heads are essentially all mouth. The jaw joint is at the very back of the skull, and they didn't have cheeks, so they came pretty close to having Pac Man-Cookie Monster flip-top heads," researcher Mathew Wedel at the Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., told LiveScience.

"It's natural to wonder if the lack of chewing didn't, well, come back to bite them, in terms of digestive efficiency. But some recent work on digestion in large animals has shown that after about 3 days, animals have gotten all the nutrition they can from their food, regardless of particle size.

"And sauropods were so big that the food would have spent that long going through them anyway," Wedel said. "They could stop chewing entirely, with no loss of digestive efficiency."

What's a long neck good for?

Furthermore, sauropods and other dinosaurs probably could breathe like birds, drawing fresh air through their lungs continuously, instead of having to breathe out before breathing in to fill their lungs with fresh air like mammals do. This may have helped sauropods get vital oxygen down their long necks to their lungs.

"The problem of breathing through a long tube is something that's very hard for mammals to do. Just try it with a length of garden hose," Taylor said.

As to why sauropods evolved such long necks, there are currently three theories. Some of the dinosaurs may have used their long necks to feed on high leaves, like giraffes do. Others may have used their necks to graze on large swaths of vegetation by sweeping the ground side to side like geese do. This helped them make the most out of every step, which would be a big deal for such heavy creatures.

Scientists have also suggested that long necks may have been sexually attractive, therefore driving the evolution of ever-longer necks; however, Taylor and his colleagues have found no evidence this was the case.

In the future, the researchers plan to delve even deeper into the mysteries of sauropod necks. For instance, Apatosaurus , formerly known as Brontosaurus, had "really sensationally strange neck vertebrae," Taylor said. The scientists suspect the necks of Apatosaurus were used for "combat between males ? fighting over women, of course."

Taylor and Wedel detailed their findings online Feb. 12 in the journal PeerJ.

Follow LiveScience on Twitter @livescience. We're also on Facebook ?& Google+.?

Source: http://science.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/24/17076293-how-dinosaurs-grew-the-worlds-longest-necks?lite

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Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest''s customer support firm Zendesk hacked

Twitter, Tumblr and Pinterest have been caught up in a hacking attack on a firm, which technology companies use to outsource their customer services.

Customer support tool Zendesk noted that a hacker downloaded email addresses of users who contacted those three customers for support, along with the email subject lines.

The company warned customers of the security breach in an email entitled: ?We?ve been hacked.?

According to the website Wired.com, some customers also may have had their phone numbers revealed, but no passwords were revealed.

Zendesk, which has over 25,000 clients, uses software tools to allow companies to outsource a number of their customer service functions.

In an email to affected users, Twitter wrote: ?Zendesk?s breach did not result in the exposure of information such as Twitter account passwords. It may, however, have included contact information you provided when submitting a support request such as an email, phone number, or Twitter username.?

According to the paper, Pinterest and Tumblr sent similar emails warning their potentially affected users.

Source: http://financialexpress.com/news/twitter-tumblr-pinterests-customer-support-firm-zendesk-hacked/1078638/

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Italians vote in polls seen key to finance crisis

A man casts his vote for the Italian Senate, in Piacenza, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Marco Vasini)

A man casts his vote for the Italian Senate, in Piacenza, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Marco Vasini)

Pier Luigi Bersani, right, leader of the Democratic Party, casts his ballot with his wife Daniela, in Piacenza, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Marco Vasini)

Outgoing Premier Mario Monti prepares to vote, in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

A woman casts her ballot for the Italian Lower Chamber, in Piacenza, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Marco Vasini)

Italian President Giorgio Napolitano casts his ballot, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013. Italy votes in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies. (AP Photo/Antonio Di Gennario, Italian Presidential press service, ho)

ROME (AP) ? Will Italy stay the course with painful economic reform? Or fall back into the old habit of profligacy and inertia? These are the stakes as Italians vote in a watershed parliamentary election Sunday and Monday that could shape the future of one of Europe's biggest economies.

Fellow European Union countries and investors are watching closely, as the decisions that Italy makes over the next several months promise to have a profound impact on whether Europe can decisively put out the flames of its financial crisis. Greece's troubles in recent years were enough to spark a series of market panics. With an economy almost 10 times the size of Greece's, Italy is simply too big a country for Europe, and the world, to see fail.

Leading the electoral pack is Pier Luigi Bersani, a former communist who has shown a pragmatic streak in supporting tough economic reforms spearheaded by incumbent Mario Monti. On Bersani's heels is Silvio Berlusconi, the billionaire media mogul seeking an unlikely political comeback after being forced from the premiership by Italy's debt crisis. Monti, while widely credited with saving Italy from financial ruin, is trailing badly as he pays the price for the suffering caused by austerity measures.

Then there's the wild card: comic-turned-politician Beppe Grillo, whose protest movement against the entrenched political class has been drawing tens of thousands to rallies in piazzas across Italy. If his self-styled political "tsunami" sweeps into Parliament with a big chunk of seats, Italy could be in store for a prolonged period of political confusion that would spook the markets.

Voting was generally calm. But when Berlusconi showed up at a Milan polling place to cast his ballot, three women, shouting "Enough of Berlusconi," pulled off their sweaters to bare their chests, and display the slogan "Basta Silvio!" (Enough of Silvio) scrawled on their flesh. A cordon of police, already in place for security before the former premier's arrival, blocked Berlusconi's direct view of the topless women.

Police detained the women for questioning. Italian news reports said the three were members of the Femen protest group.

After voting, Berlusconi described the topless protesters as "an exaggeration. There are situations that are outside the bounds of reason, and we can't do anything about them," he said.

While a man of the left, Bersani has shown himself to have a surprising amount in common with the center-right Monti ? and the two have hinted at the possibility of teaming up in a coalition. Bersani was Monti's most loyal backer in Parliament during the respected economist's tenure at the head of a technocratic government. And in ministerial posts in previous center-left governments, Bersani fought hard to free up such areas of the economy as energy, insurance and banking services.

But it's uncertain that Monti will be able muster the votes needed to give Bersani's Democratic Party a stable majority in both houses of Parliament.

"Forming a government with a stable parliamentary alliance may prove tricky after elections," said Eoin Ryan, an analyst with IHS Global Insight. "A surge in support for anti-austerity parties is raising chances of an indecisive election result and post-vote political instability."

Another factor is turnout. Usually some 80 percent of the 50 million eligible voters go to the polls but experts are predicting many will stay away in anger, hurting mainstream parties.

Interior Ministry figures put the turnout when polls closed Sunday at 55 percent, more than 7 percentage points less than in the last national elections in 2008.

Italian elections are usually held in spring, and this balloting came amid bad weather in much of the country, including snow in the north. Rain was forecast for much of the country Monday.

Sunday's vote also coincided with balloting for governor and regional assemblies in three regions, including Italy's two most important areas ? the Lazio region including Rome, and Lombardy, whose capital is Milan, Italy's financial center.

Lombardy's results in the national vote are considered crucial in helping determine Parliament's makeup. Turnout was running higher than during the last regional vote in those two regions, officials said.

When Berlusconi stepped down in November 2011, newspapers were writing his political obituary. At 76, blamed for mismanaging the economy and disgraced by criminal allegations of sex with an underage prostitute, the billionaire media baron appeared finished as a political force.

But Berlusconi has proven time and again ? over 20 years at the center of Italian politics ? that he should never be counted out.

The campaign strategy that has allowed him to become a contender in these elections is a simple one: please the masses by throwing around cash.

Berlusconi has promised to give back an unpopular property tax imposed by Monti as part of austerity measures. Even his purchase of star striker Mario Balotelli for his AC Milan soccer team was widely seen as a ploy to buy votes. Berlusconi has also appealed to Italy's right-wing by praising Italy's former fascist dictator Benito Mussolini during a ceremony commemorating Holocaust victims.

The most recent polls show Bersani in the lead with 33 percent of the vote, against 28 percent for Berlusconi's coalition with the populist Northern League. Grillo's 5 Star movement was in a surprise third place, with 17 percent support, while Monti's centrist coalition was notching 13 percent. The COESIS poll of 6,212 respondents had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.2 percent.

Pollster Renato Mannheimer said among his biggest clients heading into the elections were foreign banks seeking to gauge whether to hold or sell Italian bonds.

"They are worried mostly about the return of Berlusconi," Mannheimer said.

Uncertainty over the outcome of the vote has pushed the Milan stock exchange down in the days running up to the vote and bumped up borrowing costs, as investors express concern that Italy may back down from a reform course to pull the country out of recession.

Mannheimer said many undecided voters ? who comprise around one-third of the total electorate ? identify with the center-right, and that may help Berlusconi. He said that the undecided vote may also tilt heavily toward Grillo's protest movement.

The professorial Monti looked uncomfortable at first as a candidate but has recently warmed to the role. Like the others, he has not shied away from name calling, warning that Berlusconi is a "charlatan" and saying his return would be "horrific."

Bond analyst Nicholas Spiro said the election "will deliver the most important verdict on the eurozone's three-year-old austerity focused policies."

But he is betting on a period of political instability after the vote.

"An upset victory by Mr. Berlusconi may be markets' nightmare scenario," he said, "but the prospects for a stable and harmonious Bersani-Monti coalition government ? still the mostly likely outcome in our view ? are bleak."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-02-24-Italy-Elections/id-3c6da33890ba4def968f1d1d9f9c7098

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