New York Governor to ask federal government to cover Sandy storm costs

{ttle}

{cptn}","template_name":"ss_thmb_play_ttle","i18n":{"end_of_gallery_header":"End of Gallery","end_of_gallery_next":"View Again"},"metadata":{"pagination":"{firstVisible} - {lastVisible} of {numItems}","ult":{"spaceid":"2145868275","sec":""}}},{"id": "hcm-carousel-1294436254", "dataManager": C.dmgr, "mediator": C.mdtr, "group_name":"hcm-carousel-1294436254", "track_item_selected":1,"tracking":{ "spaceid" : "2145868275", "events" : { "click" : { "any" : { "yui-carousel-prev" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"prev","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } }, "yui-carousel-next" : { "node" : "a", "data" : {"sec":"HCMOL on article right rail","slk":"next","itc":"1" }, "bubbles" : true, "test": function(params){ var carousel = params.obj.getCarousel(); var pages = carousel._pages; // no more pages, don't beacon again // if same page, don't beacon if(("_ult_current_page" in carousel) && carousel._ult_current_page==pages.cur) return false; // keep track of current position within this closure carousel._ult_current_page = pages.cur; return true; } } } } } } })); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {(function() { try{ if (Math.floor(Math.random()*10) == 1) { var loc = window.location, decoded = decodeURI(loc.pathname), encoded = encodeURI(decoded), uri = loc.protocol + "//" + loc.host + encoded + ((loc.search.length > 0) ? loc.search + '&' : '?') + "_cacheable=1", xmlhttp; if (window.XMLHttpRequest) xmlhttp = new XMLHttpRequest(); else xmlhttp = new ActiveXObject("Microsoft.XMLHTTP"); xmlhttp.open("GET",uri,true); xmlhttp.send(); } }catch(e){} })(); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings = '"projectId": "10001256862979", "documentName": "", "documentGroup": "", "ywaColo" : "vscale3", "spaceId" : "2145868275" ,"customFields" : { "12" : "classic", "13" : "story" }'; Y.Media.YWA.init(Y.namespace("Media").ywaSettings); }); Y.later(10, this, function() {if(document.onclick===YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.newClick){document.onclick=YAHOO.Media.PreventDefaultHandler.oldClick;} }); }); });

FCC: 'The storm is not over' | The Daily Caller

The Federal Communications Commission?is reporting that Superstorm Sandy damaged major communications networks during its assault on the Eastern Seaboard Monday.

FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski told reporters Tuesday during a conference call that flooding, high winds and snow?disabled 25 percent of cell towers, cable TV, broadband Internet and landlines in affected areas

He also said that several 911 call centers were also disabled during the storm.

?The storm is not over. Our assumption is that communications outages could get worse before they get better ? particularly for mobile,? he said.

The Hill?reported?that ?[b]efore the storm hit on Monday, Genachowski spoke to the chief executives of the major communications companies, discussing preparedness efforts and offering the commission?s resources and support.?

On Monday, the agency?s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau announced the activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System.

The system, according to a public notice released by the agency, is a ?voluntary, web-based system that communications providers, including wireless, wireline, broadcast, cable and Voice over Internet Protocol providers, can use to report communications infrastructure status and situational awareness during times of crisis.?

?The FCC will coordinate with the companies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state officials to restore service,? said The Hill.

Follow Josh on Twitter

?

Source: http://dailycaller.com/2012/10/31/fcc-the-storm-is-not-over/

the secret life of bees full moon aubrey o day masters live johan santana viktor bout ncaa hockey

How I Sold 450 Copies of My First Product

Note From the Editor: The following post was contributed by one of our long-time students and top affiliate ? Joshua Zamora! If you?ve been following my blog for any amount of time you?ll know that I RARELY accept guest posts. They quite literally have to be powdered with gold dust for me to publish it here on BuzzBlogger.com.

But when Joshua sent me this exclusive case study ? I was smiling from ear to ear. If you?ve ever wanted a step-by-step guide to creating and selling your own product ? this is a post to bookmark for future reference.

Please give Joshua a warm welcome, enjoy and share!

Hey guys! Firstly, I want to say thank you for being here taking the time to read this article. My name is Joshua Zamora and I plan on sharing with you, step-by-step, how I launched my first product which sold over 450 copies in its first 2 weeks of being live?

?

For some of you, that may seem like nothing but for someone like me who had never launched a product before, having over 450 people find value in my product enough to pay me for it, was a HUGE accomplishment.

I originally got into online marketing to be an affiliate and make money selling other people?s products, which I?ve done successfully for the past 2 years, but one thing I noticed was that the biggest affiliates online were the product creators, so I decided to put my product creator hat on and give this thing a shot.

So over the next few paragraphs, I plan on sharing with you exactly what I did to pull off my first ever successful product launch.

?

Creating The Product:

The first thing I had to do was come up with a product idea that I felt would provide enough value to the marketplace that people would pay me for it. The best thing I could think of was to train about what I know a lot about which was making money online as an affiliate with video marketing.

But I wanted my training to stand out and be different, so I went out and studied all the video marketing training programs that had been released within the last 2 months, and although the training was great, it lacked some real concrete proof that their methods actually worked.

I?m not saying their methods did not work but for me personally, I learn best when I can actually see the results the trainer is teaching about. So what I decided to do was create a brand new video marketing campaign and record myself performing the exact steps I take to quickly rank videos at the top of Google. What happened over the next few days was pretty astonishing to say the least.

My new video ranked on the first page of Google in 24 hours and made $50 in the first 5 days in an extremely competitive, evergreen niche ? the best part is that I captured everything I did via screencast videos. BAM- My first product just came to life, a step-by-step Case Study!

On Top of my Case Study, I also created a few extra videos that I wanted to use as a One Time Offer (OTO) which, if you have ever bought a product online I?m sure you?ve seen an OTO before.

One time offer?s (a.k.a OTO?s a.k.a ?The backend?) is where product creators make the most of their money, so I knew I needed a backend offer to be able to make some extra cash while still being able to provide additional value.

One thing you have to keep in mind when setting up an OTO is that it must flow with the front end offer for it to convert well. In my case my OTO was 1. teaching the customers how to use video marketing in their local market and offer it to their local clients, 2. how to use video marketing to promote product launches, and 3. a crash course on using Power Point to create professional videos.

So now I have my front end product as well as my OTO complete in under a week and I have real concrete proof that I can use as my Unique Selling Proposition to convert prospects into buyers. All I had to do now was get my product online in a members area so people can access the content once they bought. Without getting too far off track, I basically used EasyVideoPlayer to host my videos, OptimizePress to build the membership site and a free membership plugin called WP Members to lock down the content.

?

The Sales and Affiliate Platform:

Ok so now I have my product complete, I have my members area complete, it?s time to find a great selling platform that not only allows easy delivery of my product but the ability to attract affiliates to promote my product to their list of prospects. I decided to go with a fairly new affiliate platform that has been gaining a lot of traction lately and getting a lot of great reviews, that platform is called JVZOO. (I?m not affiliated with JVZOO in any way, I?m just a happy customer of theirs)

JVZOO is real popular among product creators who sell their products through the Warrior Forum as a Warrior Special Offer (a.k.a WSO), which is where I decided to sell my product. The reason that I decided to sell my product on the Warrior Forum is because:

1. It was my first product and the Warrior Forum already has established traffic that I can capitalize on.

2. My product will be exposed to a ton of Warrior Forum members, a good majority who are also marketers that can promote my offer to their list.

Selling on the Warrior Forum is great way for first time product creators like me to start because I?m going where the traffic is, as well as where the affiliates are. Keep in mind as well that many people who sell WSO?s use it as lead generation to feed their higher ticket coaching, training program or membership site.

If you already have an established higher ticket product or a membership site that you really want to get off the ground or feed it more customers, you can use a WSO to build a buyers list and funnel that traffic back to your higher end
offer.

Getting back to JVZOO?

JVZOO makes it extremely easy for you to go in and setup your funnel so that your buyers flow through your front end and OTO?s seamlessly. Also, it allows your affiliates to get paid instantly through Paypal, which is another reason why so many people like selling and promoting WSO?s.

The way I set up my funnel was ? $9.95 for the Case study and $17 for the additional One Time Offer training.

At this point I have my entire product ready, I have it listed and ready to sell on JVZOO, now I just have to get my hustle on and recruit affiliates. I wanted to give myself ample time to recruit affiliates to make sure I made a good amount of sales. I scheduled my launch 2 weeks out from the moment I finished the product, to give myself time to recruit affiliates.

?

Affiliate Recruitment:

Although I did mention previously that the reason I wanted to launch on the Warrior Forum is because my product would be exposed to affiliates who can promote my product I am by no means expecting a ton of affiliates to run over to my JVZOO product listing begging to promote my product.

I understand that it?s my job to get out there and make my product known to affiliates so they can make the decision whether to promote it or not.

Before I even thought about approaching affiliates to promote, I needed to set up an Affiliates page on my site where I can direct them to get more information on my product. So I set up a simple page that had a video of me explaining what the training is about, what the funnel will be like, and how much they will make promoting my product. The page also had swipe mail, the links to request to be an affiliate and an optin form so they can stay up to date with the launch.

Now that my affiliate page was set up it was time to start hustling.

The first step I took was to list my launch on all the major launch announcement boards that are out there. A launch announcement board is a website where product creators list their upcoming launches to attract affiliates.

The launch boards that I listed my product on were:

1. WarriorJV
2. Muncheye
3. JVNotifyPro.

These are some of the most popular launch announcement sites on the internet today and the best part is, it?s FREE to get your product listed. (jvnotify pro is free to list and you will show up on the sidebar but to get listed on the front page there is a fee)

That was step one for getting my product out there to potential affiliates.

Step 2 was joining all the Facebook Groups centered around WSO?s, product launches, etc. and start networking with fellow product creators. Notice that I said network and not go in and start spamming these groups about my product.

What I did was join the group and start replying to people?s questions, interacting with other group members, sharing my experiences etc.

Then I would befriend a few who I connected with in the group and send them a private message asking them if they were working on any upcoming launches. From there, a few would ask about what I?m working on and that?s when I would bring up my launch. You do not want to be the person who just blatantly asks someone to promote your product, through a private Facebook Message, having never spoken to that person before.

Step 3 of my affiliate recruitment process, was to get in contact with other sellers on the Warrior Forum within the video marketing niche and let them know about my upcoming launch. Inside of JVZOO you can go into their marketplace and find sellers based on specific keywords you type into the search bar. So what I did was look for people that have launched products within the video niche but NOT sellers who had launched products that teach people how to rank videos in Google, because I am their direct competition. Why would they want to promote my product when they can just sell their product to their list?

So I went after those people who launched similar products like Video WordPress themes, video software creation sellers, people who sold SEO products, pre made video marketing materials etc. But to be more specific, I went after the lesser known marketers who sold between 100-500 units of their product which you can see within JVZOO.

What most people want to do is go after the biggest affiliates who get 10-20 messages per day from people wanting them to promote. I went after those who were like me, kinda brand new to product launches, who recently launched a product and have a fresh list of buyers and can send me 10-20 sales each.

What I did was simply visit their sales page and learn about what their product was about. Then I would send them a private message through the Warrior Forum and talk about their product before mentioning my launch. Again I did not want to be that person who just blatantly messaged them saying ?Hey Promote me?

By doing those 3 things to recruit affiliates, I was able to get over 100 people to sign up to promote my launch. Now of course this is a numbers game, so not all 100 affiliates mailed for my offer and the 80/20 rule applies here, where 80% of my sales were made by 20 % of the affiliates.

By putting forth the effort and getting over 100 affiliates on board, I was able to sell over 450 front end copies of my training and 151 of those people took me up on the OTO.

?

Actionable Takeaway:

For those of you reading this who have not launched a product before, I want you to know that anyone can do what I did. All you need is a great quality product and the drive to get it out there. I have no special skills or fancy training, all I did was record myself ranking a simple Youtube video following a simple system that anyone can implement and charged people $9.95 to get access to it.

If you do any kind of marketing online or offline, you can put together a short and sweet product to sell as a WSO to generate leads. You can sell a training program, WordPress theme, WordPress plugin, pre-made marketing materials, graphics pack, just about anything you can think of to help someone make money in their business.

I hope this article inspires you to get out there and launch your first product!

My name is Joshua Zamora, better known as the ?Zamurai Blogger.? I?m a pretty darn good Chess Player on a mission to build a list of 10,000 subscribers by December 31 2012.

So far I?m half way there and documenting my journey step-by-step. You can join in on my journey by following me here.

?

Source: http://www.buzzblogger.com/product-launch-case-study/

lake havasu halo 4 jewel san francisco earthquake san francisco earthquake terminator salvation terminator salvation

Genetic causes of a male infertility disorder revealed

ScienceDaily (Oct. 25, 2012) ? Severe spermatogenic failure (SSF) is a genetic condition that causes low sperm count and infertility. New insights into the genetic alterations that cause this disorder and their prevalence in populations of men around the world are provided by a study published by Cell Press in the American Journal of Human Genetics on October 25. The findings reveal which alterations are the greatest risk factors for the disease, and they could be immediately applicable in genetic counseling for assisted reproduction.

"Medically relevant population genetics studies are well established for most of the human genome, but this is the first study of this kind for the Y chromosome," says study author Steve Rozen of Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School. "This study let us determine for the first time that two types of deletions jointly account for 8% of severely low sperm count."

The most common known genetic causes of SSF are deletions in the Y chromosome's AZFc region. Six deletions in this region have been reported, but it was not known how prevalent they are in the general population or how much they increase the risk of the disorder. To answer these questions, Rozen and his collaborators screened for these six deletions in more than 20,000 men from India, Poland, Tunisia, Vietnam, and the United States.

The team detected four of the six previously described deletions, whose prevalence varied dramatically across populations, and identified one of these deletions as a strong risk factor for SSF. The most common deletion -- known as gr/gr -- was found in about 2% of men as well as 2% of cases and almost doubled the risk of SSF. More notably, the rare b2/b4 deletion, found in well under 1% of men, increased the risk of SSF by a factor of 145 and accounted for about 6% of cases.

"Our study reveals that these two deletions are largely responsible for the AZFc region's contribution to SSF," Rozen says. "The immediate clinical use of these findings would be in genetic counseling, especially when a man with one of these deletions is using assisted reproduction to have a child."

Share this story on Facebook, Twitter, and Google:

Other social bookmarking and sharing tools:

---

Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Cell Press, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.

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

---

Journal Reference:

1. Rozen et al. AZFc Deletions and Spermatogenic Failure: A Population-Based Survey of 20,000 Y Chromosomes. American Journal of Human Genetics, October 25, 2012 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2012.09.003

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/health_medicine/genes/~3/bkARqNrjKF4/121025122214.htm

ncaa brackets 2012 odd lamar d antoni fashion star andrew bird lizzie borden

Humane Society President on Nevada Wildlife Board - 8 News NOW

• Obama Arrives in Las Vegas for Campaign Stop

  Obama Lands in Las Vegas for Campaign Stop

  Updated: Thursday, October 25 2012 12:31 AM EDT2012-10-25 04:31:05 GMT

  LAS VEGAS -- President Barack Obama has landed at McCarran International Airport. He is headed to Doolittle Park for a campaign stop. Before he arrives, Rep. Shelley Berkley and state Sen. Steven HorsfordMore>>President Barack Obama has landed at McCarran International Airport.More>>

• President Obama Departs California for Vegas

  President Obama Departs California for Vegas

  Updated: Wednesday, October 24 2012 11:05 PM EDT2012-10-25 03:05:49 GMT

  LAS VEGAS (AP) -- President Barack Obama is heading to Nevada for a campaign rally featuring a free concert by pop singer Katy Perry at a park near downtown Las Vegas. Obama embarked Wednesday on aMore>>President Barack Obama is heading to Nevada for a campaign rally featuring a free concert by pop singer Katy Perry at a park near downtown Las Vegas.More>>

• RealtyTrac: Las Vegas Ranks 25th in Foreclosure Activity

  RealtyTrac: Las Vegas Ranks 25th in Foreclosure Activity

  Updated: Thursday, October 25 2012 12:01 AM EDT2012-10-25 04:01:23 GMT

  LAS VEGAS -- The Las Vegas metro area ended the third quarter of the year ranked 25th nationally in foreclosure activity, RealtyTrac reported Wednesday night. The foreclosure analytics firm from Irvine,More>>The Las Vegas metro area ended the third quarter of the year ranked 25th nationally in foreclosure activity, RealtyTrac reported Wednesday night.More>>

• International Travel in Las Vegas Nearly Twice 2003 Volume

  International Travel in Las Vegas Nearly Twice 2003 Volume

  Updated: Thursday, October 25 2012 12:01 AM EDT2012-10-25 04:01:23 GMT

  LAS VEGAS -- More than 4.55 million international travelers either flew into McCarran International Airport or departed from Las Vegas last year, nearly double the volume from 2003, according to a studyMore>>More than 4.55 million international travelers either flew into McCarran International Airport or departed from Las Vegas last year, nearly double the volume from 2003.More>>

• Job Training Program at School Targets Unemployed Parents

  Job Training Program at School Targets Unemployed Parents

  Updated: Wednesday, October 24 2012 9:08 PM EDT2012-10-25 01:08:29 GMT

  LAS VEGAS - The Caesars Foundation is pairing with a local elementary school to create a job training program that will help put unemployed parents to work.The job training program is still in the planningMore>>The Caesars Foundation is pairing with a local elementary school to create a job training program that will help put unemployed parents to work.More>>

• Sports Book Manager, 7 Others Arrested

  Sports Book Manager, 7 Others Arrested

  Updated: Wednesday, October 24 2012 8:14 PM EDT2012-10-25 00:14:47 GMT

  LAS VEGAS -- The sports book director for Cantor Gaming and the manager of the sports book at the M Resort has been arrested. Michael Colbert was taken into custody on an outstanding arrest warrant fromMore>>The sports book director for Cantor Gaming and the manager of the sports book at the M Resort has been arrested.More>>

• Two-Alarm Fire at Former Bakery Causes $500k in Damages

  Two-Alarm Fire Near Desert Inn and Valley View

  Updated: Wednesday, October 24 2012 8:05 PM EDT2012-10-25 00:05:57 GMT

  LAS VEGAS - Las Vegas firefighters are working on a large fire on Sirius Avenue near Desert Inn Road and Valley View Boulevard. 8 News NOW has a crew on the way and will have more information as it becomesMore>>Las Vegas firefighters are investigating the cause of a large fire Wednesday morning at an abandoned building on Sirius Avenue near Desert Inn Road and Valley View Boulevard.More>>

• Neighborhood: Paradise

  SLIDESHOW: Just a Drill

  SLIDESHOW: Just a Drill

  Emergency crews, airport workers and more than 100 volunteers went through the motions of an emergency, during a drill Wednesday at McCarran International Airport.More>>

• Neighborhood: Nellis

  SLIDESHOW: Inside the O'Callaghan Medical Center Operating Rooms

  SLIDESHOW: Inside the O'Callaghan Medical Center Operating Rooms

  The 99th Medical Group keeps the facilities at the O'Callaghan Medical Center running. The group provides care to more than 22,000 active-duty members and their dependents.More>>

• Jury Convicts Retired Henderson Firefighter of Tax Evasion

  Jury Convicts Retired Henderson Firefighter of Tax Evasion

  Updated: Wednesday, October 24 2012 6:26 PM EDT2012-10-24 22:26:38 GMT

  LAS VEGAS -- A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a retired Henderson fireman of multiple counts of tax evasion and filing a false claim with the Internal Revenue Service, Nevada's U.S. Attorney DanielMore>>A federal jury on Wednesday convicted a retired Henderson fireman of multiple counts of tax evasion and filing a false claim with the Internal Revenue Service, Nevada's U.S. Attorney Daniel Bogden said.More>>

CARSON CITY, Nev. (AP) -- An animal advocate has been named to the Nevada Wildlife Commission -- a board that critics say is unfairly stacked with hunters.

Karen Summers Layne is president of the Las Vegas Valley Humane Society. She was appointed to the nine-member policy board on Oct.3 by Gov. Brian Sandoval. Her appointment follows that of former Clark County Sheriff Bill Young in July.

Layne opposed establishing a black bear hunting season in Nevada two years ago and has worked on trapping regulations for the Mount Charleston region outside Las Vegas.

She holds a doctorate degree in public administration, and is retired from both UNLV and the Las Vegas Police Department, where she worked as planning director.

She becomes only the sixth woman to serve on the commission.

Source: http://www.8newsnow.com/story/19906264/humane-society-president-on-nevada-wildlife-board

Ichiro minka kelly James Holmes court Rupert Sanders bachelorette penn state Ernie Els

Microsoft Expands Subsidized Pricing to 250GB Xbox 360 Consoles ...

Microsoft will soon give gamers the option of paying just $99 for an Xbox 360 console with 250GB of storage when they agree to sign up for a 2-year Xbox Live Gold membership at $14.99 per month. It's the same deal Microsoft rolled out for its 4GB Xbox 360 console with Kinect motion camera a few months back, and is one of three subsidized pricing options gamers will have to choose from.

The third is to pay $149 for a 250GB Xbox 360 with Kinect, also contingent upon inking a 2-year service agreement. Basically, Microsoft's extending its subsidized model to the 250GB SKUs, with or without the Kinect camera bundled in. Is it a good deal? Let's run the numbers.

At today's pricing, a 4GB Xbox 360 console with Kinect runs $250, and two years of Xbox Live Gold service adds another $100. That's a grand total of $350. If going the subsidized route, you'll end up paying around $459 ($99 + $15 for 24 months). So, you're saving $150 up front, but paying $109 more in the long run. It's unclear if there are extras involved, like an extended warranty. Also bear in mind that the regular price for a 4GB Xbox 360 console is $300, but major retailers like Best Buy and Amazon are currently selling it for $250.

Jumping up to the 250GB Xbox console, Best Buy and Amazon both sell a holiday bundle for $250, so the price discrepancy is the same, minus any applicable sales tax. With a Kinect thrown into the mix, the price jumps to $350, or $450 total with two years of Xbox Live Gold service. Going the subsidized route, you'll end up paying $510 total ($150 + $15 for 24 months).

Summed up:

• Subsidized 4GB Xbox 360 w/ Kinect: Save $150 up front, pay $109 more in the long run
• Subsidized 250GB Xbox 360: Save 150 up front, pay $109 more in the long run
• Subsidized 250GB Xbox 360 w/ Kinect: Save $200 up front, pay $70 more in the long run

What do you think about Microsoft's subsidized pricing model?

Follow Paul on Google+, Twitter, and Facebook

?

Source: http://www.maximumpc.com/article/news/microsoft_expands_subsidized_pricing_250gb_xbox_360_consoles

chuck pagano arizona governor seal team 6 patrick witt leprosy tampa bay buccaneers birdman

Kiwi firms 16th most confident in world | Stuff.co.nz

Kiwi business confidence slipped in the last quarter but local firms are still more optimistic than companies across the Tasman, according to accountancy firm Grant Thornton's?international business report.?

A net 34 per cent - the proportion of businesses that are optimistic minus the proportion that are pessimistic - of New Zealand businesses had a confident outlook, down eight percentage points on last quarter and ranking the country at 16th for business confidence.?

That was still well ahead of the global average of 8 per cent and Australia and the US, which both ranked at 20th on 19 per cent.?

Confidence levels in New Zealand were bearing up but the report suggested firms were struggling in some areas, particularly in finding skilled staff, said Peter Sherwin, a partner at Grant Thornton New Zealand.

Half of New Zealand businesses surveyed indicated that was holding them back, up from 36 per cent a year ago.?

Forty-six per cent of local businesses said regulations and red tape were also obstacles, a lift from 26 per cent a year ago.?

"Also of concern was employment growth. We are almost at the bottom of the pile with a net 9 per cent of companies having increased staff numbers in the last year. This is the sixth lowest figure in the world putting us ahead of Greece, Spain, Ireland, Poland and the Netherlands and just behind Japan and Italy," Sherwin said.

"With the rebuild in Canterbury starting to accelerate, and the need for a sustained push to develop new homes in Auckland, these figures are alarming, and that is only looking at the building sector alone," he said.

More positively, 68 per cent of businesses said they intended to invest in plant and machinery and 38 per cent said they would beef up research and development, up?14 per cent and 16 per cent respectively over the year.

Peru was the most optimistic country at 91 per cent net confidence while Japan was the most pessimistic at negative 65 per cent - after the number of firms taking a dim outlook greatly outnumbered those seeing the glass half-full.

Singapore came in at 16 per cent, while mainland China scored 11 per cent and Britain negative 12 per cent.

Sherwin said the figures reflected the two major global economic concerns - the crisis in Europe and the slowing of the Chinese economy - with confidence in European and Asian countries suffering particularly.

"Even Australia, the lucky country, is not spared. Confidence levels over there have dropped 9 percentage points over the last year compared with 4 per cent in New Zealand."

The report is based on interviews with 3050 businesses around the globe over August and September.

- ? Fairfax NZ News

Source: http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/7852487/Kiwi-firms-16th-most-confident-in-world

oakland raiders Jessica Lange NFL scores week 3 kat dennings Steve Sabol Yom Kippur 2012 detroit lions

West Nile virus still popping up, 219 deaths this year

DALLAS (Reuters) - The U.S. outbreak of West Nile virus has killed 219 people this year, after another 36 deaths from the mosquito-borne disease were reported last week, government figures showed Wednesday.

In what is the second-worst year on record for the disease, the total number of cases of West Nile virus across the United States grew to 4,725, with 194 new cases reported, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Although the pace of new cases has slowed since the outbreak's peak in the late summer, new cases continue to be reported, particularly in states where warm temperatures persist. This year's outbreak has trailed only 2003 in total cases.

Just over half of the cases reported to the CDC this year have been of the severe neuroinvasive form of the disease, which can cause meningitis and encephalitis.

The death toll from West Nile is now the highest since 2003, when 264 deaths were reported. The highest number of deaths from West Nile was 284 in 2002.

CDC officials have said deaths often lag weeks to months from the time of infection because of lingering illness.

Almost 70 percent of the cases have been reported in eight states: Texas, California, Louisiana, Mississippi, Illinois, South Dakota, Michigan and Oklahoma.

More than a third of all cases have been reported in Texas, with Dallas-Fort Worth at the center of the outbreak.

The Texas Department of State Health Services has reported 1,683 cases and 77 deaths, including 915 cases and 36 deaths in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

(Editing by Paul Thomasch and Vicki Allen)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/death-toll-west-nile-virus-tops-200-government-174439723.html

ufc 145 results orrin hatch marlon byrd charles colson humber raffi torres michael mcdonald

NY philosopher, popular skeptic Kurtz dies at 86

AMHERST, N.Y. (AP) ? Paul Kurtz, who sought to debunk psychics, astrologers and anything related to the paranormal, has died. He was 86.

The secular humanist philosopher died Saturday at his home in the Buffalo suburb of Amherst. His death was announced Monday by the Center for Inquiry, which he founded. His family isn't releasing the cause.

Kurtz founded the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and The Skeptical Inquirer magazine, which advocates relying on science and reason to examine everything from alien sightings to homeopathic remedies.

He also was a well-known voice for the idea that decisions and behavior should be guided by science and reason over religion.

A World War II veteran, Kurtz earned a doctorate in philosophy at Columbia University and taught philosophy at several colleges.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/ny-philosopher-popular-skeptic-kurtz-dies-86-161132938.html

carol burnett neil degrasse tyson neil degrasse tyson davy jones death born this way foundation lytro camera lytro camera

Nelly 'Hurt,' Baffled By Tour Bus Raid In Texas

'It's really alarming when you find yourself in a situation that you didn't put yourself in,' Nelly tells MTV News of the drug arrest of his crew member.
By Rob Markman

Nelly
Photo: MTV News

Source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1696097/nelly-tour-bus-raid-response.jhtml

London 2012 Track And Field Jordyn Wieber michael phelps Kerri Strug Ledecky Nadia Comaneci Rebecca Soni

Geeyo On Line Industry Webpage | My Journal Of On Line Internet ...

?

I bought a WSO 2 days ago, which is a sales funnel for promoting affiliate programs.

I like this type of products after learning from Alex. But one affiliate program it promote has shut down doors to new comers. So I think the sales funnel has become worthless and want to request a refund.

In fact,the sales funnel includes a good squeeze page, and over ten auto responder messages, and with a free e-book as a gift to new subscribers. It should be a good thing for me, and I want to install it on my websites and auto responder account. I can find other similar affiliate programs to promote in the auto responder series. The list is the most important.

Posted in Internet Business Journal |

Leave a reply Oct 06 How To Make More Money Online (from DeanHolland.com) Posted on October 6, 2012 by dengkane According to Alexs recommendation, I visited DeanHoland.com, which is Deans blog. I found one great post, and want to share it here. The blog link is: http://deanholland.com/how-to-make-more-money-online/.

Ive had 100?s of students achieving great results for themselves following my methods, and in fact this has taught me a lot too over the last 8 12 weeks. That brings me onto the topic of todays post, Im going to share something that applies to all marketers. Whether youre just getting started trying to make your first $1 or youre making 6 figures online, this is highly relevant to all and WILL help you make money online ( or more of it!

?

Found At: (best cellulite remedies and treatments) http://www.geeyo.com/blog/view/6715/anti-cellulite-remedy-reviews-6-solutions-to-select-from

No comments yet.

Source: http://www.miguelirias.com/digital-advertising-company/geeyo-on-line-industry-webpage-my-journal-of-on-line-internet-business-journey/

the giver march 30 rimm george h w bush pauly d project faith hill autism

Castro: I don't 'remember what a headache is'

Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro published photos of himself, including several in which he's seen reading Friday's copy of a Communist Party newspaper, to dismiss reports that he was near death. TODAY's Natalie Morales reports.

By NBC News wire services

HAVANA -- Former Cuban leader Fidel Castro dismissed reports that he was dead or near death in an article published on Monday in Cuba's state-run press.

He accused news agencies and enemies of Cuba of spreading "stupidities" about him, particularly a report from a Spanish newspaper last week that said he had suffered a massive stroke and was in a vegetative state.

"Birds of bad omen! I don't even remember what a headache is," he wrote.

---

The article in Communist Party newspaper Granma was accompanied by photographs?(in Spanish) showing him walking outside on a sunny day on what appeared to be a farm.

He wore a straw hat and red plaid shirt, used a walking cane and, in one photo, held a copy of Granma from Friday.

Alex Castro / Cubadebate / AFP - Getty Images

Photos of Cuba's Fidel Castro were published Monday in the country's state-run press following rumors that the 86-year-old was in failing health.

The photos, Castro said, were "proof of what liars they are."

Intense speculation
Castro's health has been the subject of intense speculation for years, but the rumors gained force in recent days after he failed to publicly congratulate Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, a top ally, on his Oct. 7 electoral victory.

The 86-year-old former Cuban leader has not appeared since March, when he was shown greeting visiting Pope Benedict XVI, and he has also ceased writing his once-constant opinion pieces, the last of which appeared in June.?

On blogs and Twitter, he has been declared dead or near dead numerous times, spurred by a long, unexplained absence from the public eye.

Elias Jaua, a former Venezuelan vice president, said Sunday he had met with the Cuban revolutionary leader over the weekend, showing reporters pictures of the meeting and saying Castro was in good health and lucid.

Castro had not written one of his "Reflections" opinion columns for state press since June 19 or been seen publicly since March.

More coverage of Cuba on NBCNews.com

His last few Reflections were also Twitter-like in their brevity and slightly oddball in content, which left Cubans wondering about their former leader's mental state.

'I like to study and I study'
But Castro said he had decided to stop the columns for a practical reason.

Fidel Castro re-emerges, proving he's alive during trip to farm

"I stopped publishing Reflections because surely it is not my role to occupy the pages of our press, dedicated to other work the country requires," he said.

As for how he spends his time now, Castro wrote, "I like to write and I write. I like to study and I study."

A look at the life and times of the Cuban leader who has outlasted nine U.S. presidents.

Castro also used the article to defend his role in the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, which 50 years ago this month brought the world to the brink of nuclear war when the United States discovered that the Soviet Union had placed nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Complete World coverage on NBCNews.com

Castro said Cuba viewed the missiles as necessary to stopping a U.S. invasion of the island 90 miles from Florida and had no regrets about its decision.

"Our conduct was ethically irreproachable. We will never apologize to anyone for what we did," he said.

Castro stepped down in 2006 following a severe illness, handing power to his brother Raul.?

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

?

Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/22/14613547-castro-im-so-healthy-i-dont-even-remember-what-a-headache-is?lite

toby mac blue ivy carter photos purple squirrel blade runner close encounters of the third kind norovirus beyonce and jay z baby

This Is Your Brain On Obesity: Why Overweight People Have A ...

From Bliss Tree?..

OK, this is interesting. A new research study suggests that people who are obese have dramatically different functioning brains?so much so that this could account for poor eating decisions and impulse control when it comes to putting down the chips and ice cream. But can we really blame our brains for over-eating?

Presented last week at the Neuroscience 2012 conference in New Orleans, researchers discussed their findings on how the foods we eat?and how much of those foods?can alter the way our brain functions. In a study of 29 adults, they used functional magnetic resonance imaging to look at how the brain reacts when we eat.

The study participants were shown words on a screen that were written in various colors (like a red word on a blue background). They were then asked to identify the color of the word. As the screens changed where there was not a lot of contrast between the two colors, the level of difficulty also changed. This is when the researchers noticed something: Those who were obese had a harder time identifying the correct color of the word. They were labeled as less efficient at making complex or difficult decisions, and this, researchers theorized could account for why we over-eat.

But it?s a vicious cycle, really. If we over-eat or consume a lot of unhealthy foods, our brain functioning decreases, leading to decreased impulse control. Then we have even more desire to eat more of the wrong things. And so it continues.

The question then becomes, how do we break this cycle? Going cold turkey, as this research also suggests, is not the answer.

To read the full story?..Click here

Source: http://www.lensaunders.com/wp/?p=5811

heartbreak hotel don cornelius whitney houston i will always love you breaking news whitney houston carmen whitney houston last performance cpac straw poll

Kitchen Renovation Mistakes: Cabinets

We worked with an in-house American Woodmark designer to get this detailed kitchen done right.

Kitchens are too complicated even for most contractors to design and specify (select cabinet sizes and parts.) After we designed the space, picked products and finishes, and created a floorplan and elevations with detailed cabinet selections, we still worked with an in-house designer on this American Woodmark kitchen to refine our plan.

There are just too many permutations and product lines for anyone else but a dedicated cabinet design pro to really have a solid grasp of.

And there?s a lot at stake that takes a trained eye.?It only takes, for example, missing the thickness of a single door casing thickness to obstruct a drawer from opening?and you won?t know until everything is installed.

<<<Previous ? ? ?Next>>>

Source: http://myfixituplife.com/DIY/2012/10/kitchen-renovation-mistakes/

secret service scandal shea weber greystone sidney crosby at the drive in alternative minimum tax modeselektor

White House orders spy agencies to share cyberthreat intel with companies

3 hrs.

Richard Lardner , Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -?A new White House executive order would direct U.S. spy agencies to share the latest intelligence about cyberthreats with companies operating electric grids, water plants, railroads and other vital industries to help protect them from electronic attacks, according to a copy obtained by The Associated Press.?

The seven-page draft order, which is being finalized, takes shape as the Obama administration expresses growing concern that Iran could be the first country to use cyberterrorism against the United States. The military is ready to retaliate if the U.S. is hit by cyberweapons, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said. But the U.S. also is poorly prepared to prevent such an attack, which could damage or knock out critical services that are part of everyday life.?

The White House declined to say when the president will sign the order.?

The draft order would put the Department of Homeland Security in charge of organizing an information-sharing network that rapidly distributes sanitized summaries of top-secret intelligence reports about known cyberthreats that identify a specific target. With these warnings, known as tear lines, the owners and operators of essential U.S. businesses would be better able to block potential attackers from gaining access to their computer systems.?

An organized, broad-based approach for sharing cyberthreat information gathered by the government is widely viewed as essential for any plan to protect U.S. computer networks from foreign nations, terrorist groups and hackers. Existing efforts to exchange information are narrowly focused on specific industries, such as the finance sector, and have had varying degrees of success.?

Yet the order has generated stiff opposition from Republicans on Capitol Hill who view it as a unilateral move that bypasses the legislative authority held by Congress.?

Administration officials said the order became necessary after Congress failed this summer to pass cybersecurity legislation, leaving critical infrastructure companies vulnerable to a serious and growing threat. Conflicting bills passed separately by the House and Senate included information-sharing provisions. But efforts to get a final measure through both chambers collapsed over the GOP's concerns that the Senate bill would expand the federal government's regulatory power and increase costs for businesses.?

The White House has acknowledged that an order from the president, while legally binding, is not enough. Legislation is needed to make other changes to improve the country's digital defenses. An executive order, for example, cannot offer a company protection from liabilities that might result from a cyberattack on its systems.?

The addition of the information-sharing provisions is the most significant change to an earlier draft of the order completed in late August. The new draft, which is not dated, retains a section that requires Homeland Security to identify the vital systems that, if hit by cyberattack, could "reasonably result in a debilitating impact" on national and economic security. Other sections establish a program to encourage companies to adopt voluntary security standards and direct federal agencies to determine whether existing cyber security regulations are adequate.?

The draft order directs the department to work with the Pentagon, the National Security Agency, the director of national intelligence and the Justice Department to quickly establish the information-sharing mechanism. Selected employees at critical infrastructure companies would receive security clearances allowing them to receive the information, according to the document. Federal agencies would be required to assess whether the order raises any privacy or civil liberties risks.?

To foster a two-way exchange of information, the government would ask businesses to tell the government about cyberthreats or cyberattacks. There would be no requirement to do so.?

The NSA has been sharing cyberthreat information on a limited basis with companies that conduct business with the Defense Department. These companies work with sensitive data about weapon systems and technologies and are frequently the targets of cyberspying.?

But the loss of valuable information has been eclipsed by fears that an enemy with the proper know-how could cause havoc by sending the computers controlling critical infrastructure systems incorrect commands or infecting them with malicious software. Potential nightmare scenarios include high-speed trains being put on collision courses, blackouts that last days or perhaps even weeks or chemical plants that inadvertently release deadly gases.?

Panetta underscored the looming dangers during a speech last week in New York by pointing to the Shamoon virus that destroyed thousands of computer systems owned by Persian Gulf oil and gas companies. Shamoon, which spreads quickly through networked computers and ultimately wipes out files by overwriting them, hit the Saudi Arabian state oil company Aramco and Qatari natural gas producer RasGas.?

Panetta did not directly connect Iran to the Aramco and RasGas attacks. But U.S. officials believe hackers based in Iran were behind them.?

Shamoon replaced files at Aramco with the image of a burning U.S. flag and rendered more than 30,000 computers useless, Panetta said. The attack on RasGas was similar, he said.?

A spokeswoman for the National Security Council, Caitlin Hayden, said the administration is consulting with members of Congress and the private sector as the order is being drafted. But she provided no information on when an order would be signed. "Given the gravity of the threats we face in cyberspace, we want to get this right in addition to getting it done swiftly," she said.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/white-house-orders-spy-agencies-share-cyberthreat-intel-companies-1C6578275

whitney houston found dead i will always love you whitney houston 2012 grammy awards powerball results pebble beach golf beverly hilton roland martin

What food is high protein and low fat? | Health and Fitness Tips ...

With the development of society, all aspects of our lives are also changing. For example, in the diet to eat healthy, eat nutritious. So what foods are nutritious? What food is high protein and low fat?

High protein is the level of food protein content, and low-fat is the proportion of triglycerides, cholesterol less food. Usually the two are linked together. Now to tell you about the high protein and low fat food.

1, The first category: meat (including pork, poultry, beef, etc.). Meat protein content between 10-20%, commonly known as lean meat is less fat content of meat, and the fat meat is the fat content of more meat, lean meat protein content more than fat meat. The fat content of the meat, and animal species, age, body parts, fattening situation had relations. Total of 20 kinds of amino acid building blocks of proteins, including eight (essential amino acids) is the human body can not synthesis, must rely on food intake contains eight kinds of amino acids; meat protein is a complete protein, can provide all kinds of amino acids needed by the body. When the meat protein is digested in the human body, the decomposition of the amino acids can be absorbed.

Tips: such as lean beef, each containing 100 grams of protein 20.1 g; sauce beef, each containing 100 grams of protein 32 grams, braised beef contains 25 grams of protein per 100 grams.

2, The second category: eggs. Egg by egg white and yolk. Egg white in nutrients protein, containing the essential amino acids needed by the human body, the body can be completely absorbed and used almost the whole egg protein, is the best quality protein food.

Tips: such as eggs, egg is one of mankind?s best source of nutrition. The eggs contain a lot of vitamins and minerals and proteins of high biological value. Best of the people, the quality of egg protein, second only to breast milk. According to analysis, the the hectogram eggs containing protein 12.8 g, containing 11 to 15 grams of fat. Eat eggs are also some precautions, such as avoid eating immature eggs, do not eat eggs and tea immediately.

3, The third category: fish. Fish food meat tender and delicious, nutrient-rich, easy to digest, and is a favorite food. Especially suitable for the elderly, young children and patients eat. Fish is low in fat content of 1 to 10%, and the protein content in the 15 to 20%, is a high-quality protein, the shorter fish muscle fiber, protein organization structure soft, moisture content of the meat is tender, easily digested and absorbed, digestibility 87 ? 98%.

Tips: pregnant women and the baby fish to be careful.

4, The fourth category: beans. Many varieties of beans, soybean, broad beans, green beans, peas, red bean. According to the type and quantity of beans nutrients they may be divided into two categories. Soybeans represented a class of high-protein, high-fat beans. Another beans while high in complex carbohydrates characterized, such as mung bean, red bean. Very high nutritional value of the beans, eat beans every day, the human body can reduce the fat content, increase immunity and reduce the risk of illness, beans contain high protein content, good quality, its nutritional value is close to the animals protein, is the best plant protein.

Tips: fat content of soy beans in about 16% to more than 35% are proteins, can be processed into tofu, dried tofu, tofu skin, like red beans, mung soup to drink, good taste can also the disease prevention.

5, The fifth category: cereals. Cereals mainly refers to the seeds of plants of the Gramineae. It consists of rice, wheat, corn and other grains, such as millet, black rice, buckwheat, oats, barley rice, sorghum, etc..

Tips: such as wheat rich in starch, protein, fat, minerals, calcium, iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and vitamin A. Protein content of 10% to 20%.

Accounted for 80% of rice protein containing lysine high alkali insoluble glutenin, lysine content higher than the other cereals, amino acid composition ratio is reasonable, the digestibility of the protein is more than 90%, the nutritional value is very high.

Per 100 grams of corn in the corn calories 106 kcal, 2.9 g of cellulose, 4.0 g protein, 1.2 g fat, 22.8 g carbohydrates, and the other containing the mineral elements and vitamins.

Per 100 grams of millet and millet 9.7 grams of protein, 1.7 g fat, 76.1 g carbohydrates, the millet gruel healthy food. Boiled available separately, can also add jujube, red bean, sweet potato, lotus, lily, millet gruel boiled flavor nutrition sedative effect.

• The nutritional value and effectiveness of Passionfruit
  Passionfruit is rich in protein, fat, and sugar, vitamins and phosphorus, calcium, iron, potassium, super fiber, SOD enzymes. Passionfruit with 165 fruit's scent, 132 or more aromatic substances. Also...
• Skin whitening tips ? how to skin whitening
  Skin white and not white, depending on the ability of of melanin cells to synthesize melanin. In human epidermal grassroots level cells, the distribution of melanin cells, which contain the tyrosine e...
• The nutritional value and effectiveness of peanuts
  Peanuts per 100 grams, 7.3 grams of water, protein 24.6 g, fat 48.7 g, carbohydrates 15.3 g, crude fiber 2.1 grams, 2 grams of ash, calcium 36 mg, phosphorus 383 mg, 2 mg iron, and the other peanut co...
• 3 kinds of food to prevent hair loss
  (1) Nuts: Nuts are often beneficial to eat healthy hair. Nuts is the best access to the source of selenium. To maintain the health of the scalp most important minerals, it would be beneficial to the p...
• The health effects and role of caterpillar fungus (Cordyceps sinensis) (Aweto)
  1, The regulation of the immune system function Caterpillar fungus increase the immune system cells, the number of organizations, and promote antibody production, enhance its function. 2, The di...
• How to prevent dry skin in autumn and winter
  Prevent dry skin tips - In autumn and winter how to prevent dry skin?? 1, In the winter, even though people like a hot bath. However, beneficial to the skin is warm water, because hot water will be...
• Five kinds of fruit for beauty skin recommended in summer
  Foods contain a variety of the human body needs nutrition, so to maintain the skin through food is very good a way. Skin gloss, and flexibility with food on the body have a very close relationship. Ve...
• The nutritional value of lamb
  Lamb meat tender, delicious, rich in nutrition. According to analysis, hectogram lamb with 13.3 g of protein, fat 34.6 g, carbohydrates 0.7 g, calcium 11 mg, 129 mg phosphorus, iron 2.0 mg, also conta...
• Healthy diet tips for adolescents (young people)
  What a healthy diet tips for adolescents? Primary and secondary students are in rapid growth and development. Some dietary nutrients such as protein, iron, calcium, zinc, iodine insufficient intake of...
• The benefits of garlic, and should always eat
  Following are the benefits of garlic: 1, Garlic can mediate immune function. Garlic in the fat-soluble substance, can promote immune cells the vitality and increase the number of phagocytic cells in ...

Tags: high protein and low fat food, high protein food, low fat food, nutritious food

Source: http://www.hhtip.com/what-food-is-high-protein-and-low-fat/

Katie Ledecky Aaron Ross Sikh temple lollapalooza Nastia Liukin Gabby Douglas hair Kayla Harrison

Town-consuming fire shows danger of drought

Bryan Horwath / The Dickinson Press via AP

A firefighter examines the flames as a fire sweeps through Bucyrus, N.D., on Wednesday night.

By Miguel Llanos, NBC News

When a grassfire destroyed most of tiny Bucyrus, N.D., this week, the "perfect firestorm" of conditions served as a reminder that the long-term drought, combined with unpredictable winds, makes for severe fire danger across the central U.S., even in the middle of autumn.

Four homes and 20 other structures were lost after the fire broke out Wednesday afternoon. Fanned by winds up to 70 mph, it consumed at least 6,000 acres and traveled 10 miles by Thursday morning, The Dickinson Press reported.

"This is like a nightmare," Linda Wiskus told The Dickinson Press. "I wouldn?t wish this on anyone. ... We had about 15 minutes to get what we could. I grabbed a safe, a pair of jeans and some socks ? I didn?t have time to get anything else."

The cause of the fire has yet to be determined, but?Bucyrus is in a county that's been in continued drought since October 2011,?Adnan Akyuz, North Dakota's state climatologist, told NBC News. Conditions got even worse starting Oct. 2.

---

"When you combine warm, dry and windy conditions, it creates a perfect setting for elevated fire danger," Akyuz noted. Adding drought to that mix, he said, "makes it more dangerous conditions for fire."

"Red flag" fire warnings have been issued "frequently this summer and fall in the area," he added.

Located in southwest North Dakota, the county has also had the lowest amount of?precipitation?in the state over the last two months.

While about average for the last decade, the number of wildfires across the state this year is higher than the three previous years, which saw lots of rain and flooding, said Cecily Fong, a spokeswoman for the state's Department of Emergency Services.

"Typically, the southwest corner and western part of our state are more prone to wildfires, but they can really occur anywhere if we go into severe drought, which we think we may be doing now," she told NBC News.

A top meteorologist at the federal command post for fighting wildfires said the time of year, combined with the dry grass, wind and drought made for prime fire conditions in North Dakota.

PhotoBlog:?Resident returns to destroyed home

"People burning leaves" this time of year is another worry, Ed Delgado, of the National Interagency Fire Center, told NBC News. But he was also hopeful the fire season would see a "very quick decline" as it gets colder and wetter.

Akyuz said putting out North Dakota's 2012 fire season "all depends on the snow cover."

"Our winter snow cover lasts from November through March," he added. "Even though it may be a dry winter, it is unlikely that the entire winter will be snow free."

For some of the 27 residents of Bucyrus, that's little comfort.

Evelyn and Mike Krug were among those who lost their home, The Dickinson Press reported. Asked what she and neighbors might do next, Evelyn shook her head and said only, "I don't know."

More content from NBCNews.com:

Follow US news from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook

?

?

?

?

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/19/14561650-town-consumed-by-fire-shows-drought-wind-danger-persist-this-fall?lite

eagle cam us soccer trayvon martin case affordable care act the line bobby brown arrested the happening

Joe Biden unchained: GOP has ?bullets aimed at you? (Michellemalkin)

Share With Friends: | | Politics - Top Stories News, News Feeds and News via Feedzilla.

Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/256792988?client_source=feed&format=rss

day 26 gronkowski new hunger games trailer sasquatch david choe national wear red day gunner kiel

Peace envoy to visit Syria to work out Eid ceasefire

AMMAN (Reuters) - The international mediator on Syria will go to Damascus in the next few days to try to broker a brief ceasefire in the war between President Bashar al-Assad's government and rebels during the Islamic Eid al-Adha festival.

Lakhdar Brahimi, the U.N.-Arab League envoy, told reporters on Thursday after meeting Jordan's foreign minister that a respite in hostilities could build confidence and help bring about a longer truce in the 19-month-old conflict.

"Yes I am going to Syria. This appeal we made to our Syrian brothers, whether in the government or against the government, to stop fighting in the three or four days of the Eid next week," Brahimi said.

A previous ceasefire in April collapsed after just a few days, with each side blaming the other. Mediator Kofi Annan resigned his post in frustration a few months later.

Since then the war pitting Assad's troops against a loosely-organized rebel force trying to end his 12-year-old rule has intensified. The daily death toll routinely tops 100 combatants and civilians and fighting rages in cities including Aleppo, the country's commercial center, and the capital Damascus.

The truce would be self-imposed with no monitoring.

"This is an appeal to the Syrians themselves that they stop fighting and observe it themselves. This is not the political process or the solution required to the Syrian crisis," Brahimi said.

The Syrian government guardedly welcomed the proposal but said any initiative must be respected by both sides. Turkey, one of Assad's harshest critics, and Iran, one of his strongest allies, both backed the plan, in rare display of agreement.

Brahimi will meet Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem on Saturday, an official in Damascus said.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jihad Makdissi said Damascus hoped Brahimi's talks in the region, including with countries which back the rebels, could herald "something which leads to the success of a constructive initiative".

Brahimi's spokesman Ahmad Fawzi said the envoy, a veteran Algerian diplomat, was working on a new, comprehensive peace plan.

"It's difficult to put a timeline on it but it's all coming together. He has completed the circle with this tour of neighboring countries. He needs to go now to the outer circle, to Moscow and China, and look them in the eye and say this will not work unless you support it," Fawzi said.

Russia, which sold Syria arms worth $1 billion last year, and China have vetoed three resolutions favored by Western powers condemning Syrian authorities and opening the way to U.N. sanctions on Damascus.

The Kremlin denies trying to prop up Assad, who allows Russia to maintain a naval supply facility in the port of Tartus that is its only military base outside the former Soviet Union.

Moscow says Syria's crisis must be resolved without foreign interference, particularly military intervention.

The Syrian government, which portrays the war as aggression by terrorists instigated by its international enemies, said on Thursday it had written to the United Nations to protest about foreign support for the opposition.

"Evidence on involvement of foreign countries, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey, in supporting and arming the terrorist groups in Syria has recently increased," the foreign ministry said in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council.

GUNS IN DAMASCUS

Violence wracked the country on Thursday, from the eastern desert city of Hassake, where five soldiers were killed when rebels ambushed a military truck, to Damascus, where government forces were bombarding outlying suburbs.

The pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said dozens of people were wounded when warplanes bombed the northern town of Maarat al-Numan, which straddles the main north-south highway connecting Damascus with Aleppo and was captured by rebels last week.

The official SANA news agency said troops were "cleaning villages" in the countryside around Maarat, killing and wounding many rebels. Government forces have been making a strong push to retake Maarat, including using air strikes.

In an extensive report on fighting across Syria, SANA said a large number of insurgents had been killed in attacks in several districts of Aleppo and elsewhere. The Observatory also reported clashes in Aleppo.

Insurgents had blown up a gas pipeline from Deir Ezzor to Palmyra in the central Syrian desert and an oil pipeline from al-Omar field to Atteim field in north of Deir Ezzor on Thursday, SANA said.

More than 140 Syrians were killed on Wednesday, including 62 unarmed civilians, 12 of them children, the Observatory said.

Syrian officials have questioned whether the rebels, who agreed on a joint leadership on Tuesday to encourage supporters to provide them with more powerful weapons, could commit to or honor any ceasefire deal.

But Brahimi said on Wednesday opposition figures had told him any ceasefire by Assad's forces would be reciprocated immediately.

"We heard from everyone we met in the opposition, and everyone (else) we met that, if the government stops using violence, 'We will respond to this directly'," he said.

"We hope this will be a very small step that would save the Syrian people ... because they are burying hundreds of people every day."

The total death toll now stands at more than 30,000 and international players fear that if unchecked, the war could expand into a wider regional conflict between Sunni powers sympathetic to the rebels and Shi'ites who back Assad.

(Reporting by Suleiman Al-Khalidi in Amman and Oliver Holmes in Beirut; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Andrew Heavens)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/peace-envoy-visit-syria-eid-ceasefire-043544316.html

celtics josh hamilton nba playoffs rosario dawson young jeezy world wildlife fund gsa