Rebecca

Rebecca

* Sometimes, a graph is easier than reading. My Sun-Times column today is based on a graph I made yesterday afternoon to help myself understand Tuesday?s election. I was so blown away by the chart that I had to write about it. Using exit polling data, here is the partisan makeup of self-identified election day voters since 1992. Click for a better view?

For the first time in at least 20 years, more independents voted in Illinois last Tuesday than Republicans.

I spent part of Thursday afternoon going through some exit polling data to see if I could find anything to cheer up my Republican friends. I really couldn?t.

Way back in 1992, when Republican Jim Edgar was governor and George H.W. Bush was running for re-election against Bill Clinton, 39 percent of Illinois voters told the exit pollsters they were Democrats; 34 percent said they were Republicans, and 27 percent said they were independents.

Two years later, when the country turned against Clinton and the Republicans swept just about everything here and nationally, the two parties were tied at 36 percent each in Illinois, with 28 percent saying they were independents.

The Republicans dropped down to 32 percent two years later, while the Democrats surged to 42 percent. Things stayed more or less the same until 2006, George W. Bush?s second midterm election, when Democrats vaulted to 46 percent, Republicans dropped to 31 percent and independents plummeted to a 20-year low of 23 percent.

Obviously, the Democrats won over independents, and the Republicans lost them. Republicans continued losing more independent-minded folks in 2008, when Barack Obama was elected president. Democrats made up 47 percent of the Illinois electoral pool, but Republicans dropped to 28 percent and independents moved up to 28 percent.

And despite a national Republican landslide in 2010, people who said they were Democrats dropped just 3 percentage points, to 44 percent. Republicans moved up only three points to 31 percent, and independents dropped a couple of points to 24 percent.

Believe it or not, the percentage of voters who said they were Democrats was the same in this year?s election as it was in 2008: 44 percent. But Republicans tumbled to 27 percent and independents rose to 28 percent.

The number of people who say they?re independent really hasn?t moved a whole lot over the past two decades. It has been within a five-point range for more than 20 years.

The Republican Party?s problem is that it has been on the decline overall since its 1994 high. Part of the reason is that a triple whammy hit the GOP: George Ryan, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Ryan?s corruption turned voters away from their favored state governing party; Bush turned Illinoisans off altogether, and Obama is the home-state guy.

So, it?s possible that with both Georges long gone and Obama having won his final election, Republicans might start returning to a more reasonable level of support. But they probably can?t turn around numbers like this on a dime.

For starters, women have left the party in droves. In 1994, 61 percent of Illinois women voted for the pro-choice Edgar?s re-election bid. By 2010, just 44 percent of women voted for the pro-life Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Brady. And this year, a mere 35 percent of women here voted for Mitt Romney, according to the exit polls.

If the Republicans don?t do something differently, and soon, they?ll hurt their brand so much that most women will eventually refuse to vote for any GOP candidate.

Latinos, the fastest-growing ethnic group in Illinois, also have trended more Democratic. In 2004, 53 percent of Latinos voted for John Kerry. Two years ago, 63 percent of Latinos voted for Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn. This year, 81 percent went with Obama.

The bottom line here is that the GOP has to stop alienating women and Latinos. Now. Today. There is simply no other path back to relevance in Illinois.

When Republicans do well with women, they win. End of story.

Discuss.

Source: http://capitolfax.com/2012/11/09/a-long-steady-gop-decline/

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Rebecca

Slate is reporting that Paula Broadwell, the author of David Petraeus' biography, had an affair with the former CIA director that led to his resignation earlier today.

This interview of her on The Daily Show, in hindsight, is cringeworthy.?

About three and a half minutes into the clip, Jon Stewart and Broadwell discuss Petraeus' habit of running with her to get to know her while she was embedded with him in Afghanistan.

"That was the foundation of our relationship," she says.

Stewart then asks if other people in his embed "resent [Petraeus'] success" and reputation.

"He realizes he's seen as an extremely ambitious individual. You want somebody who's ambitious and driven, and who has a will to win. ... He goes all-in to what he does."?

At six minutes, she brings up her husband when discussing Petraeus' lack of long-term planning.

"My husband wants me to say he is, because it'll sell more books," she says. "I'm sorry, honey! I couldn't do it!"

"That was the most awesome sellout I've ever seen in my life," Stewart says. "...So integrity's running in the whole family, I guess."

Here's the full clip:

Source: http://www.businessinsider.com/paula-broadwell-david-petraeus-biographer-daily-show-interview-2012-11

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Rebecca

By Ryan Vlastelica, Reuters

NEW YORK ? Earnings season may be only half over, but the focus on profits should subside next week as investors turn their attention to the coming election and Friday's jobs report, the last major data release before the Nov. 6 contest.

More bellwether companies are scheduled to report results in what will be another "peak week" of the earnings season. Such a flurry of numbers normally holds Wall Street's attention and can lead to market swings. But volume and volatility may be slight next week, with market participants opting to remain on the sidelines ahead of the jobs data and the election.

The U.S. government's October jobs report will give a snapshot of the current labor market. It could also give a bit of a lift to President Barack Obama, should it come out better than anticipated, or help Republican candidate Mitt Romney ? if it is worse than forecast.

Polls currently indicate that President Obama is a slight favorite to win on Nov. 6, but the race will be tight. The most recent Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters shows the president ahead ? 47 percent to 46 percent.

The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 1.5 percent this week, largely because of a spate of earnings disappointments. The Dow Jones industrial average slid 1.8 percent this week, and the Nasdaq composite index dropped 0.6 percent.

What's notable, however, is that rebounds have been brief and quick to attract sellers.

Eyes on the election
Some investors cited the approaching election as a barrier to committing new capital to the market.

"Not many people have the stomach to plop down their bets when polling is so close," said Hayes Miller, the Boston-based head of asset allocation in North America at Baring Asset Management. "For the most part, investors will wait and see what happens."

Miller, who helps oversee more than $50 billion in assets, said the trend of caution would be especially pronounced in the health care, financial and energy sectors ??three areas that may face different regulatory outlooks, depending on the election's outcome.

"These are the ones really in play," he said.

Expectations for the next nonfarm payrolls report, set for release on Friday, are by no means certain, either. Analysts expect 124,000 jobs were added in October ? up 10,000 from September. However, the unemployment rate is also seen ticking higher ? to 7.9 percent from 7.8 percent.

A payroll surprise in either direction could further cloud expectations for the election's outcome.

"A big change in payrolls could cause some uncertainty over the winner," said Jerry Harris, president of asset management at Sterne Agee, in Birmingham, Ala. "I don't expect a big surprise, but while the S&P doesn't seem especially vulnerable at these levels, I don't think it is in a hurry to go up, either."

The market will also have to contend with the weather. Hurricane Sandy is expected to hit the U.S. East Coast early in the week. New York City officials were considering closing down bus and subway lines next week.

At the New York Stock Exchange, the plans call for business as usual. The exchange issued a statement on Friday saying it has contingency plans to have the market running, adding that it has back-up power generation facilities. The Big Board will make accommodations for critical staff and traders.

Rival marketplace NASDAQ OMX said in a statement that it has plans to make sure its systems are ready. It will communicate with its members before, up to and after the storm.

Goldman Sachs & Co. told employees in an internal memo Sunday that the firm will be open for business on Monday, though only employees "critical" to operations will be asked to get to downtown Manhattan, and then only if they can do so safely.

Goldman will have other employees working from Greenwich, Connecticut, and Princeton, New Jersey, and many employees will work from home as well, the memo said.?

Disappointing earnings
While the market at large may be waiting on news events, individual stocks could still be volatile as earnings season grinds along. More than half of the S&P 500 components have reported results so far. Next week, though, will bring reports from some marquee names such as Dow components Chevron and Pfizer, as well as S&P 500 stalwarts Visa, Ford Motor and Starbucks.

This earnings season, a number of high-profile companies have missed estimates, including this week's sour notes from Apple, United Technologies and DuPont.

With 54 percent of the S&P 500 companies having reported results so far, 62.5 percent have topped earnings expectations, under the 67 percent average over the past four quarters. Just 37 percent have topped revenue forecasts, well under the 55 percent over the past four quarters.

The earnings disappointments led to some intensive selling, driving the Dow industrials down 243.36 points on Tuesday alone.

The S&P 500 has ended down in five of the past seven trading sessions. Those declines have pushed the benchmark S&P under its 50-day moving average of around 1,434, leading some analysts to believe it may be ready for a bounce.

"We'll use any pullback as an opportunity to buy," said Chip Cobb, senior vice president at Bryn Mawr Trust Asset Management in Bryn Mawr, Pa. "Even though we've seen a number of companies miss expectations and be overly cautious, we're focusing on how a majority have beaten."

Cobb said next week he was especially looking to results from U.S. Steel. Its stock is down almost 20 percent so far this year.

"Steel companies have been participating really poorly, and I'm anxious to see if that will continue," he said.

More business news:

Follow NBCNews.com business on Twitter and Facebook

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Source: http://economywatch.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/10/28/14758574-jobs-data-election-may-overshadow-earnings?lite

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Rebecca

On Monday the Duke Libraries celebrated Open Access week with a talk by Jason Priem that was ostensibly about alternative metrics for measuring scholarly impact ? so-called AltMetrics.? Jason is a Ph.D. student at the University of North Carolina School of Library and Information Science, a co-author of the well-regarded AltMetrics Manifesto, and one of the founders of the Web tool called ImpactStory.? In addition to his public talk, Jason gave a workshop for a small group of people interested in how ImpactStory works; you can read about the launch of that tool in this article.

So Jason is as qualified as anyone to talk about AltMetrics, and he did so very well.? But his talk was much broader than that subject implies; he really gave a superb summary of the current state of scholarly communications and a compelling vision of where we could go.? For me the most memorable quote was when he said, toward the end of his talk, that the Web had been created to be a tool for scholarly communications, yet while it had dramatically changed many industries, from bookselling to pornography, it had not yet revolutionized scholarly publishing as it should.? The problem is that publishers, and, to some extent, authors, are treating the Web as simply ?a faster horse? and not truly exploiting the possibilities it offers to change the way scholarship is done.

Jason began with some history, pointing out the the earliest forms of scholarly communications were simply direct conversations, carried out through letters. ?The first scholarly journals, in fact, were simply compilations of these sorts of letters, and you can still see that venerable tradition reflected in some modern journal titles, like ?Physical Review Letters.? ?But the modern journal, with its submission process, peer review, and extremely delayed publication schedules, was a revolution and a dramatic re-visioning of how scholars communicated with one another. ?Certainly there were significant gains in that new technology for communication, but things were lost as well. ?The sense of conversation was lost, as was immediacy. ?Now, according to Jason, we have the ability to recapture some of those values from the older model.

Another dramatic change in scholarly communications was the movement called ?bibliometrics,? which led to the creation, in the early 1960s, of the citation index and the journal impact factor. ?Like the journal itself, the impact factor is so ingrained in our current thinking that it is hard to remember that it too was once a new technology. ?And it is a system with significant problems. ?As Jason said, the impact factor can track only one kind of person, doing one kind of research by making one kind of use. ?The impact factor cannot track non-scholarly uses of scholarly works, or even scholarly uses that are not reflected in another journal article. ?Also, true social impact , the kind of policy-changing impact that many scholars would see as an important goal, is seldom reflected in an impact factor. ?The problem we face, Jason argued, is that we have confused the kind of use we can track with use itself. ?In the process we often miss the real heart of scholarship, the conversation.

In the digital age, however, we can begin to track that conversation, because much of it is taking place online. AltMetrics, by which we teach computers how to look for a variety of article-level citations and discussions, offers the chance to analyze the scholarly environment much more thoroughly, and give individual scholars a much clearer and more comprehensive story of their real impact.

One connection that was hard for me in Jason?s talk, but ultimately persuasive, was his discussion of why Twitter is important. ?I admit to being a reluctant and unenthusiastic Twitter user. ?This blog post will be distributed via Twitter, and most of my readers seem to find what I write that way. ?But still I was startled when Jason compared Twitter to that earliest form of scholarly communications, the conversation. ?What was new to me was to think of Twitter as an opportunity to have a preselected jury suggest what is important to read. ?If I follow people whose work is interesting and important to me, and they are all reading a particular article, isn?t it extremely likely that that article will be interesting and important to me as well? ?And isn?t that peer review? ?We sometimes hear that peer review is professional evaluation while Twitter is merely a popularity contest. ?But Jason challenged that distinction, pointing out that if we follow the right users, the people whose work we know and respect, Twitter is a scholarly tool in which popularity becomes indistinguishable from professional evaluation. ?Since many scholars already use Twitter, as well as blogs an e-mail lists, in this way, it is fair to say that new forms of peer-review have already arrived. ?The AltMetrics movement aims to track those other forms of scholarly impact.

Jason ended his talk with a proposal to ?decouple? the scholarly journal, to recognize that journals have traditionally performed several different functions ? often identified as registration, certification, dissemination and archiving. ?Some of those functions are now trivial; why pay anyone for dissemination in an age when an article can be distributed to millions with the click of a mouse? ?Other functions, especially certification (peer-review) are changing dramatically. ?Jason suggested that peer-review should be a service which could be offered independently of how an article was to be disseminated. ?Scholarly societies especially are in a good possession to provide peer-review as a service for which scholars and their institutions could pay when it was felt to be necessary. ?but in an age when so much peer-review is already happening outside the structure of journal publication, it is clear that not all scholarship will require that formal service. ?So in place of the rigid structure that we have now, Jason suggests, illustrates, and enables a more flexible, layered system of scholarly networks and services.

As should be obvious by now, I found Jason?s talk for Open Access Week provocative and thought -provoking. ?I hope I have represented what he said fairly. I have tried to indicate where I am paraphrasing Jason directly, and he should not be blamed for the conclusions I draw from his comments. ?But for those who would like to hear from Jason directly, and I highly recommend it, he and several other leaders in the area of AltMetrics will take part in a webinar sponsored by NISO on November 14, which you can read about and register for here.? You can also finds slides and a video from a presentation similar to the one he gave at Duke here.

Source: http://blogs.library.duke.edu/scholcomm/2012/10/26/is-the-web-just-a-faster-horse/

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Rebecca

Online betting for sports and horses together with casino gamings are really popular in several areas around the world, and also the same for mobile gaming isn?t any different. Smartphone software program developers are providing free casino & betting applications that provide gamers with free mobile gamble.

The science that goes into smartphones lets people to stay connected with friends, loved ones and the internet no matter where they are. Having access to e-mail, social networking sites and more has become more of a necessity than a luxury, with all that mobile phones are capable of, it is no wonder that video gaming is a big click in several markets. BlackBerries, iPhones, and also Android phones have their very own particular application markets where individuals will find any number of resources and also video games. Mobile gambling software program is the same; many people enjoy downloading their most favorite internet casino games directly to their mobile devices in order to play on the go, or have the newest betting chances and also results from downloadable betting applications.

Free Casino Games

Free casino games are available in each industry, and these do not require players to pay for per bet in order to play. Probably the most frequently provided as well as downloaded video game in any market is slots, and there are dozens of varieties for gamers to choose from. Blackjack is another extremely frequently downloaded casino game; gamers enjoy finding blackjack video games offering them free mobile bets. Various other video games just like baccarat, craps, roulette, plus Keno aren?t as well-liked, however there are many cell phone apps for these if players know where to look. Sometimes, casino software developers enable gamers to download free mobile games in complete suites. In this manner, players get a little of everything.
The reason why Everyone Loves Free Bets

There are a few reasons why individuals might want to redeem free bets or even play free casino games instead of those that are generally played the real deal cash. Real cash online gambling-mobile or even otherwise-is illegal in the United States, however this does not stop players from actively playing for entertainment. Several mobile casinos enable gamers to play for site-specific credits rather than money; this gives gamers with a sense of competition without involving their real wallets. One more reason that players may pick free casino games is for exercise. Individuals who are a new comer to particular games frequently value the ability to learn how to play as well as understand fundamental methods without throwing their hard earned money to waste in the process. Free bets for sports betting offer a good chance to kick start your betting bankroll, and also to check out the bookmaker with a minimal stake involved.

Where to Locate & Claim Free Bets for Mobile Betting

Free bets for cellphones can be found by going to the websites of only bookmakers like Bet365 or BetVictor immediately that offer mobile betting play, or even by going to the countless good online wagering websites which exist today. Sometimes it?s better to sign up using a reputable betting listing simply because they will offer you a higher sign-up bonus or even free bet. It is often asserted free mobile downloadable apps don?t offer all of the same benefits as the paid types, which is usually true. Occasionally players are given the option to put paid bets in order to have access to the full software versions, or maybe they can simply put free bets in a single game of a company?s suite. Big online sportsbooks will occasionally provide a limited number of free bets for brand new players also, but when this expires gamers must make a deposit directly into an account to continue.

The recognition of mobile betting is actually unwavering, plus although there are numerous individuals who choose to play for money, there are simply as many who merely do not have the option. Phone software program that offers free mobile bets gives these players a terrific way to have some fun.

Mobile betting ? try out to view this website link or visit the homepage: Great Post To Read. You?ll certainly find some great surprises.

Source: http://www.e220v.biz/free-mobile-bets-for-everyone-to-pick-up.html

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Rebecca

Claire discusses why no one will be getting a tattoo of a dog and a record player.?

The other day I read something that truly brought my piss to a boil, so much so that I?ve found myself having to write a piece about it. This story comes after a lovely television show last week titled My Tattoo Addiction, which essentially made out those with extensive body art to be either lunatics obsessed with Miley Cyrus or drunken holiday makers. Now it has been announced that our lovely friends at HMV are now implementing a new ?appearance policy,? banning extensive body art and piercings from being on show, as well as putting a stop to staff members having long haircuts.

I might just be biased because I?m tattooed, but how the hell does being tattooed, pierced or having long hair affect the way that someone does their job? The music industry and record shops have long been a place where alternative-looking folk have chosen to work, and now it seems we?re even being ostracised from them, too. Clearly we are all just thuggish hooligans who don?t deserve jobs, eh?

Shouldn?t HMV be spending their time on more important things? Like finding effective ways of earning back the massive amount of money they?ve lost over the last couple of years? Of course, they?re saying that they are doing this because of the customers, and yet they clearly haven?t realised that majority of people who spend money in there are actually long-haired, pierced and tattooed, considering that Britain is possibly the most tattooed country in the world.

Given that people with tattoos are obviously no longer welcome in HMV stores, I give them a year before they?ve closed down. Way to go HMV! Fuckwads.

About the Author ?Baking extraordinaire and music junkie. Read more from this author

Source: http://www.squabblebox.co.uk/2012/10/hmvillains/

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Rebecca

Shine Security has raised $3.3 million for its next-generation anti-virus technology. The round was led by?Horizon Ventures with further participation from Initial Capital. Shine addresses advanced persistent threats ?that we increasingly see. ?In broad strokes, Shine detects when your mobile device or PC shows just the slightest abnormality.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/fKO5Ndr9bpY/

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Rebecca

Media Release ? Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents Who ?Can?t Be Bought?

October 25, 2012

Palmerston North, NZ ? The Home Education Foundation (HEF) of New Zealand is calling on politicians to reject the onerous ?social obligations? contained in the new Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill. The Bill, which is currently being considered by a select committee, threatens to slash benefits by 50% and instigate CYFS involvement and fraud investigation for parents who fail to comply with the obligations.

?The social obligations will force beneficiary parents to send their children to an approved Early Childhood Education (ECE) provider from the age of three, prohibit home education unless it?s ?unreasonable? for the child to attend school, and compel registration of children with a GP and attendance at all the core Well Child checks,? says HEF National Director Barbara Smith.

?Even worse, the sanctions for parents who refuse to comply will involve a 50% benefit sanction followed by ?intensified case management support? which according to the Ministry of Social Development means CYFS involvement and fraud investigation.?

Mrs Smith believes that the new requirements will affect only those parents who are committed to making independent, responsible choices for their families.

?There is nothing more valuable on this planet than children. And most parents understand what a responsibility this is. They know their children are made in God?s image and that they have a duty to make the right decisions for them.?

This means making informed decisions, even unpopular decisions. But in forcing parents to choose between benefit money and the government?s child-rearing programme, the new bill rewards mindless conformity.

?This new bill has it totally backwards. It is the parents who value their money more than their children that everyone should be and claims to be concerned about. Because that kind of parent can be bought. They don?t really care about their children at all.

?Yet this is precisely the kind of parent that the government wants to have and reward, while claiming the opposite. They are specifically and unapologetically targeting those parents who refuse to be bought with government benefits, who are willing to take a 50% benefit cut in order to retain the right to make their own decisions.?

This will only promote irresponsible parenting, Mrs Smith argues. ?Instead of investigating parents who refuse to sell their children to the government for the sake of a little extra money, the Ministry for Social Development ought to investigate those parents who are willing to conform. Those parents who refuse to sell their children become the ?criminals?, while those who sell their children are the good guys.

?It is diabolically hypocritical.

?God gave my children to me, not to the government. I will not sell them for a bowl of soup. Let them keep their money.?

Mrs Smith encourages all concerned Kiwis to make a submission to the Select Committee by the deadline on November 1. Ms Bennett?s letter and materials for writing a submission can be found at www.hef.org.nz.

About the Home Education Foundation

The Home Education Foundation has been informing parents for 27 years about the fantastic opportunity to de-institutionalise our sons and daughters and to embrace the spiritual, intellectual and academic freedom that is ours for the taking. Through conferences, journals, newsletters and all kinds of personal communications, we explain the vision of handcrafting each child into a unique individual, complete with virtuous character, a hunger for service to others, academic acumen and a strong work ethic. For more information, please visit www.hef.org.nz or more specifically hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Barbara 1.jpeg

Already appeared:

Scoop: Social Security Bill Will Punish Responsible Parents

Voxy: Social Security Bill will ?punish responsible parents?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Related Links:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Needing help for your home schooling journey:

http://hef.org.nz/2011/needing-help-for-your-home-schooling-journey-2/

And

Here are a couple of links to get you started home schooling:

http://hef.org.nz/getting-started-2/

and

http://hef.org.nz/exemptions/

This link is motivational:
http://hef.org.nz/2012/home-schooling-what-is-it-all-about/

*******************************

Social Security (Benefit Categories and Work Focus) Amendment Bill

http://hef.org.nz/2012/make-a-submission-reject-compulsory-early-education-for-3-year-olds/

Source: http://hef.org.nz/2012/media-release-6-social-security-bill-will-punish-responsible-parents-who-cant-be-bought/

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Rebecca

Sprint Galaxy S3

Sprint has begun rolling out the Android 4.1(Jelly Bean) update to their version of the Samsung Galaxy S3 (see our review). An Android Central Forums member shared an update announcement yesterday claiming it would start today, but now we have confirmation. This makes Sprint the first US carrier to rollout Jelly Bean to the Galaxy S3 and good on them for that.

Here are the benefits of the upgrade:

Google Now
Expandable notifications
Android Beam
Smarter widgets
Camera enhancements
Blocking Mode
AllShare Cast Wireless Hub compatibility
NFC One-Touch Pairing Support

The update will come over-the-air and will be rolled out gradually, so if you don't have it yet, sit tight.

If you're a Sprint customer with a Galaxy S3, we'd love to hear from you if you've received the update and have thoughts about it. Visit our Sprint Samsung Galaxy S3 Forum to talk about it. Full press release after the break,

RELATED RESOURCES

From The Learning Network

From NYTimes.com

Around the Web

In this activity, students make a double-sided timeline of the 13 days of the initial crisis, which began on Oct. 16 and ended on Oct. 28. On one side, they should write down what a typical newspaper reader learned on each day of the crisis. On the other side, students will add details about what actually happened according to later research or revelations. (For example, on Oct. 20 they initially thought President Kennedy had a cold, and it was later revealed that he had actually rushed back to the White House in response to the unfolding crisis.)

Divide students into groups and have them scan the original coverage from The New York Times during the Cuban missile crisis, including this overview. They may also use this day-by-day chronology of events from the John F. Kennedy Library and Presidential Museum. As students find information, they should record crucial facts in their timelines.

For the next part of the activity, students should scan the following articles from The Times to find revelations ? new facts or research that add to our understanding of what happened back in 1962 ? and fill in the other side of their timelines. (Students may wish to divide responsibility, with each member of the group reading one or two articles. Please tell students it is O.K. to approximate on dates for this part of the assignment, if they have trouble attaching a revelation to a specific day during the crisis.)

1989 ? Gaps in the Missile Crisis Story
1992 ? U.S. Underestimated Soviet Force in Cuba During ?62 Missile Crisis
2002 ? At Cuba Conference, Old Foes Exchange Notes on 1962 Missile Crisis
2002 ? The Cuban Missile Crisis: When the World Stood on Edge and Nobody Died Beautifully
2008 ? What You Think You Know About the Cuban Missile Crisis is Wrong
2012 ? General?s 1962 Memo Addresses Nuclear Combat on Cuba

During the last part of the activity, move quickly through the crisis with the class, asking each group to report on central discoveries or surprises from their research. For homework or an extension activity, students could design a poster dramatizing how one discovery by historians has shed new light on our understanding of the Cuban missile crisis. Each poster should make clear what people initially believed about an aspect of the crisis; how research or subsequent revelations changed that understanding; and a lesson or moral of the story for future leaders. As a culminating activity, students could create a poster gallery displaying their ideas.

This Oct. 25, 1962, Universal Studios newsreel, with its foreboding music and dramatic voice-over, captured the tension of the times and greeted moviegoers in theaters across the country. You might choose to use this video as part of an introduction to the missile crisis. Courtesy of The Internet Archive.

Going Further: Ways to Teach About the Cuban Missile Crisis

Handbook: How to Avoid World War III. Write a manual for leaders of the modern world ? a how-to manual for avoiding unintended armed conflicts ? based on the lessons of the Cuban missile crisis. It can be addressed to all world leaders or to one leader in particular. The handbooks should tell leaders what they can do to lessen the chances of armed conflict, referring to incidents or research from the 1962 crisis to explain what sorts of conditions or actions make conflict more likely.

Students should be encouraged to include their own ideas and conclusions based upon their reflections about the Cuban missile crisis; write their handbooks with originality and flair; and give the handbook a unique title and chapter headings. They may consult the following coverage from The Times and Web sites devoted to studying the crisis and its lessons, citing sources when necessary. (Note: teachers may also wish to let students draw from the poster gallery assignment above for inspiration, with students crediting classmates for their ideas.)

2008 ? Why We Should Still Study the Cuban Missile Crisis (PDF), from the United States Institute of Peace
2012 ? At 50, the Cuban Missile Crisis as Guide, an Op-Ed article from The New York Times
2012 ? Learning from History?s Most Dangerous Crisis, from the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard University?s Kennedy School of Government
2012 ? Cuban Missile Crisis Beliefs Endure After 50 Years, an analysis of conventional wisdom about the crisis by the current Associated Press correspondent in Havana

Flash Points: The Next Crisis? Use your handbooks on the lessons of the Cuban missile crisis to make the case for which current global flash points present the greatest risk of stumbling into a nuclear conflict. Students should be sure to consider both the conditions that make conflict more likely (such as the lack of good communications between the two sides, proximity of military forces, or other factors that make an incident or misunderstanding more likely, etc?) and actions taken by one or both sides that increase tensions. Students may explore recent coverage from The Times?s recent coverage on places such as the Middle East, Iran, East Asia and the India-Pakistan border, as well as stories and web resources on nuclear weapons. (Note: students should bear in mind that regional conflicts sometimes start with nations that do not possess nuclear weapons but hold alliances with nuclear-armed nations.)

Did Hollywood Get It Right? View the Hollywood film ?13 Days,? about the Cuban missile crisis, and then write a review in which you rate the film from one to four stars, based upon its adherence to historical evidence and research. Students should cite specific facts and sources to support their conclusions. They may also wish to read the film?s original review
in The Times or this article by a scholar of the Cuban missile crisis and make the case for whether those interpretations of the film are justified or unwarranted.

Creating New Versions of the Story. Visit The Armageddon Letters, a Web site created at Canada?s Balsillie School of International Affairs, to reconsider the meaning of the Cuban missile crisis. Students should explore the site ? which includes video, graphic novels, blogs and other innovative ways of exploring this history. Ask them to write a review of the site or one of its elements, explaining whether it aids our understanding of the Cuban missile crisis and makes it relevant for future generations. Alternatively, invite students to emulate the Armageddon Letters project by creating something of their own, such as a blog or graphic retelling of an incident from the crisis.

Time Change? Read this overview of the Doomsday Clock, which The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has used since 1947 to dramatize global security threats and the likelihood of nuclear war. Use your research on global flash points to decide whether the clock, currently set to five minutes before midnight, should be reset in light of recent events.

Make Oral History. Read ?In a Time of Hidden Crisis, President Visits Main Street,? one man?s childhood remembrance of President Kennedy?s visit to his hometown during the Cuban missile crisis. Or, read ?Leaving Guant?namo With the World on the Nuclear Brink,? a family oral history of the evacuation of the Guant?namo Bay Naval Base.

Then ask students to interview someone in their own family that might remember the crisis. Alternatively, find teachers, grandparents, school staff members or other volunteers, and invite them to class to talk about their memories. Students might interview the guests on a panel, or the visitors could rotate among groups. Students can take notes during the interviews and write an article about how one or more of these stories reveal a different side of the crisis.

Document Study: Submariners Under Pressure. Read the following declassified primary source, ?Recollections of Vadim Orlov (USSR Submarine B-59): We will Sink Them All, But We will Not Disgrace Our Navy? (PDF), from the National Security Archive at George Washington University. It describes life aboard Soviet submarines during the Cuban missile crisis.

As part of of its ?Secrets of the Dead? series, PBS produced an episode ?The Man Who Saved the World? about the same Soviet submarine off the Florida coast, and the commanders? debate whether to fire a nuclear missile at the United States at the height of the crisis. Ask students to use the sources as a starting point to compose a fictional letter from a member of a submarine?s crew to a family member back in the Soviet Union. Their letter should provide colorful descriptions on life aboard the submarine; detailed recollections and beliefs about the crisis; and the submariner?s personal reflections on the experience.

Document Study: Nuclear Orders. Read the following orders sent by the Soviet leadership in Moscow to Cuba in 1962, which are part of the primary source collection at the National Security Archive at George Washington University. Divide students into teams to assess the importance of these two documents, based on their understanding of the Cuban missile crisis. They can make detailed class presentations on how the crisis might have turned out differently if the Central Intelligence Agency had intercepted the orders ? and sent them to the White House ? on the day they were transmitted.

USSR, draft directive, Directive to the Commander of Soviet Forces in Cuba on transfer of Il-28s and Luna Missiles, and Authority on Use of Tactical Nuclear Weapons, September 8, 1962 (PDF)
USSR, Directive, TOP SECRET, Prohibition on Use of Nuclear Weapons without Orders from Moscow, October 27, 1962, 16:30 (PDF)

Common Core ELA Anchor Standards, 6-12:

Reading
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
3. Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9. Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.

Writing
1. Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

Speaking and Listening
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others? ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker?s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

McREL Standards

World History
44. Understands the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent world.
46. Understands long-term changes and recurring patterns in world history.

Source: http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/23/flash-points-searching-for-modern-lessons-in-the-cuban-missile-crisis/

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Rebecca

Feng shui can be used to give your rooms a positive energy. This can make your home feel fresh and keep the air circulating in your home. This article provides information about improving your home with feng shui.

Don?t ever hire an unlicensed contractor. No matter where it is that you currently reside, all contractors are required to have some sort of certification from your state. While these requirements do not guarantee contractor competence, they are legally required. More than likely, if a contractor doesn?t have the right license, they also do not have the right insurance, meaning it?s risky to hire them.

Look for ?how-to? videos to get a preview of the project you want to undertake, and search based on specific model numbers. It may be surprising how many people had similar problems to yours and then recorded their solutions to help others. Once you take the time to watch their video, you can learn from their experiences.

It is crucial that you always change your air filters when needed. It makes it easier to breathe in your home and also helps with the air conditioning and heating. Most service calls that get repairmen out to homes are thanks to dirty filters building up crud in the machines.

It is not necessary to change your kitchen cabinets, nor is it necessary to spend a fortune to help freshen up the look of your kitchen. You would be amazed at how much of a difference a simple coat of paint can make. You can apply a number of nice finishes to cabinets. With a little online research, you can pick out a suitable, attractive finish option that you can apply on your own stylishly and affordably.

If you do not have a signed contract, your contractor should not begin work. You should consider having a friend or a lawyer look over your contract if possible. Your contract should contain specifics that pertain to all work being performed, costs, warranties and beginning and ending dates.

If you are thinking of replacing your cabinets, consider using wood cabinets. They are very strong and durable; usually able to withstand any use and abuse you can throw at them. Wood that is often used in cabinetry is maple, oak, or cherry. All such wood types are suitable for staining, so in the future if you decide to change up the color, this is easily accomplished.

Crown molding makes a huge difference to the appearance of your walls. The molding spices up plain walls to add interest so they are not so bland. Crown molding is an inexpensive but effective room project, and you can attend to the installation yourself.

When hiring contractors to perform any work in your home, always keep accurate and detailed records. You can?t assume your contractor will do this. Hang onto all of your project?s paperwork, from the initial contract to the final invoices. This will help both you and your contractor remain focused on the task at hand.

When you imagine your completed outdoor home improvement project, ask yourself if the changes you?re making will look out of place in the neighborhood. If your style won?t mesh well with nearby homes, do you really want your house to stand out in a way that may not be very appealing as a result? You need to consider if the changes you envision will stand out in a good way or just look strange in the surroundings.

Now you are much more prepared when it comes to home improvement. You may have thought yourself to be ready, look at yourself now! These tips should help you get motivated to make changes to your home.

Source: http://cannabismrsacure.letstalkaboutpot.com/safety-tips-for-making-home-improvements-on-your-ownwith-me/

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Rebecca

Lindsay, Canadian, hunkered down just west of the 100th meridian. College drop-out. Spinster. I like old things and television, animals and pretty things, food and Friday Night Lights, history and politics. I care about stuff, which means I get angry and wordy sometimes. I like to tell pointless stories which highlight my social incompetence and flaws in a way I pray is charming but is more likely obnoxious. This is an "everything but the kitchen sink" blog. Sometimes there is a kitchen sink, too.

Intro post.

My photos.

I once wrote this post about fashion and body image.

I blog about music at chainlinklots.

Source: http://inkdot.tumblr.com/post/34200950609

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Rebecca

We live in the area famous for soil movements. We had our house checked 4 or 5 years ago and there was no foundation problem found. We are considering selling the house in the near future, should we

1. Have the house checked again for foundation problems? There are some cracks on the wall which were there since we bought the house.
2. If foundation repair is recommended by the foundation company and we have the repair work done by a reputable company, will this impact my resell value?

3. If two foundation companies come in and give me different opinions, do I need to disclose both in the seller disclosure?

Thanks.

Source: http://www.zillow.com/advice-thread/Foundation-Check-before-Selling-the-House/465216/

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Rebecca

AP

Few have worked as closely with Cam Newton as Warren Moon, and the Hall of Fame quarterback is still defending last year?s pupil, even while acknowledging his need to improve.

Moon thinks placing too much of the blame for the Panthers? 1-5 start (and the firing of general manager Marty Hurney) at the second-year quarterback?s feet is wrong, and any suggestion he?s a bust is ridiculous.

?I think a lot of this is because so many people want to say ?I told you so? about him, but couldn?t because he was so good last year,? Moon told Yahoo?s Mike Silver in a wide-ranging interview. ?I think people are overreacting. How can he be a bust? He just had one of the great years a rookie has ever had, and now he can?t play? Come on.?

Moon acknowledged he?d like to see Newton adopt a more even-keeled approach, something he?s done more of in recent weeks. But as he did prior to the draft?last year, Moon thinks there?s an undertone of racism to some of the criticism.

?I don?t understand it,? Moon said. ?I heard somebody compare him to Vince Young. It?s the same old crap ? it?s always a comparison of one black to another black. I get tired of it. I get tired of defending it.

?If you want to compare him to someone because of his demeanor, compare him to Jay Cutler. There are a lot of guys who whine and moan. Cam?s not biting anybody?s head off or pushing his linemen. He?s just disgruntled, and not handling losing well, because, think about it, he basically didn?t lose in college.

?I don?t think Cam?s as bad as Cutler, because Cutler looks like he doesn?t give a damn sometimes, or he?s yelling and cussing at someone. Cam, he just looks down when they?re losing.?

Moon also doesn?t think the Panthers coaches are putting Newton in good positions to succeed by ignoring the run game with the talent they have, and leaning too heavily on the read-option principles he ran in college.

?I don?t know why they got away from what they were doing last year,? Moon said. ?They were running more of a pro-style offense, and now they?re going more to the read-option, the stuff he did in college. I think some of it is coaching. I think some of it is they don?t have enough good players yet. And there?s no question he?s not playing as well as last year.

?That offense doesn?t allow you to be an NFL-type quarterback. It?s a lot of tricks, sticking the ball into a running back?s stomach, trying to freeze the defense. Even though he can do that and had success with it in college, I don?t think it serves him well in the long run. You can?t keep going back and forth. I think he?s a little bit confused with the footwork, and I think that?s one of the problems with his accuracy ? his feet are crossed up. Why this change? I think it?s backfiring. I think they?re out-thinking themselves.?

Sounds familiar.

Source: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/10/23/jay-cutler-thinks-suh-hit-was-clean-as-well/related/

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Rebecca

JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel's vice prime minister said on Sunday he would welcome direct talks between the United States and Iran if they were aimed at halting what Israel sees as plans by the Islamic Republic to build a nuclear weapon.

But Moshe Yaalon also said that he believed a denial by the White House of a New York Times report that Washington and Tehran had agreed in principle to hold bilateral negotiations.

Israel has said it could use military force to prevent Iran from becoming a nuclear power, and it has had differences with Washington over when Tehran would actually cross the "red line" to atomic weapons capability.

"(Israel) doesn't oppose this," Yaalon said of the prospect of talks. "If Iran stops its military nuclear project as a result of direct contacts with the United States, we will be the first to welcome this."

But he said that as far as Israel was aware, Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, opposed direct talks with Washington. "I believe the White House denial," Yaalon said.

A spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declined to comment on Saturday's report, published two days before President Barack Obama is due to hold a debate with Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney focused on foreign policy.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, speaking on Army Radio, said he hoped the newspaper report was wrong.

"The Iranians have lied time after time, to the Security Council, the P5+1 and to international negotiators," Lieberman added, referring to the United States and the four other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Britain, China, France and Russia - and Germany.

Lieberman heads an ultranationalist party in the governing coalition and often takes a more hawkish line than Netanyahu. Yaalon is a member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party.

The United States and other Western powers have said that Iran's nuclear program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons. Tehran says it is enriching uranium only for peaceful purposes.

Netanyahu told the U.N. last month that Tehran would arrive at that point only next spring or summer, in what appeared to be an Israeli signal that any military action could wait.

Last week, Netanyahu praised the European Union for ramping up sanctions against Iran, saying such measures were having a strong impact on the Iranian economy.

Lieberman said Iran's only aim in pursuing any direct talks would be to roll back sanctions. "But if we see that (sanctions) are working, why reduce them?," he asked.

The New York Times said Iran had insisted that talks with Washington not begin until after the November 6 election determines if Obama will serve a second term or if Romney will succeed him.

(Writing by Ori Lewis, editing by Diana Abdallah and Jeffrey Heller)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/israeli-vice-pm-welcomes-prospect-u-iran-talks-095454718.html

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Rebecca

Dish Network?s 14 million TV subscribers, who were no longer receiving AMC shows because of a legal battle, can stop groaning as loudly as zombies now. AMC Networks and Cablevision settled their dispute with Dish on Sunday, just in time for a new episode of AMC?s zombie drama The Walking Dead.

Dish had stopped broadcasting AMC programming on July 1 after public and heated carriage negotiations.

Sunday?s settlement reveals Dish will pay $700 million in cash for the distribution deal.

?We are glad to have settled the case and re-established our long-term relationships with AMC Networks and Cablevision,? Dave Shull, Dish?s senior vice president of programming, said in a statement. ?This multi-year deal delivers a fair value for both parties and includes digital expansion opportunities for AMC Networks? programming.?

An accompanying agreement had the AMC channel return Sunday, while other programming ? Sundance Channel, WE, IFC and Fuse ? will resume Nov. 1.

Meanwhile, AMC?s CEO and president Josh Sapan said, ?We are glad to partner again with Dish Network, and are delighted to bring back our popular channels and programming to their customers.?

Last week, AMC let Dish subscribers watch the season 3 premiere of The Walking Dead on the web.

The settlement ends the years-long litigation between Cablevision/AMC and Dish/Voom HD Holdings.

People immediately reacted to the settlement announcement on Twitter, with some spouting humor:

View As Slideshow ?

1. Lady Gaga

You can't read my Zombie Face.