Source: http://news.feedzilla.com/en_us/stories/politics/top-stories/271967083?client_source=feed&format=rss
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Friday, December 21, 2012
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE vs Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini: spec comparison
For many tech pundits, 2012 will be remembered partly for heralding the arrival of the?Samsung Galaxy S3. As such,?it's hardly surprising that all eyes are back on the Korean electronics giant and its one-time flagship handset as Christmas rolls around and consumers dig into their pockets for a final splurge. With this eventuality no doubt in mind, Samsung expanded its Galaxy arsenal ahead of the festive season, introducing the more affordable Galaxy S3 Mini back in November in a bid to encourage more frugal buyers to part with their hard-earned dosh as well. The hope was that the S3 Mini would be a scaled down version of the wildly popular S3, but how do the two closely related devices match up in reality?
Size and weight
As you would expect given its moniker, the Galaxy S3 Mini is the more diminutive of the two phones, measuring 121.55 x 63 x 9.9mm and featuring a 4in display. The Galaxy S3, on the other hand, is one of the larger smartphones on the market, sporting an expansive 4.8in screen and sizing up at 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm. It's an interesting discrepancy: despite being the smaller device, the S3 Mini actually has more girth than its larger sibling. It is the lighter device, however, weighing 120g compared to the S3's 131g. Neither is exactly chunky, though, so it's largely a matter of screen-size preference.
Display
Both devices feature Super AMOLED screens, but the cheaper S3 Mini is fairly lacklustre with regards to display quality, featuring an uninspiring resolution of 800 x 480 pixels at 233ppi. By way of contrast, the full-scale Galaxy S3 features one of the more impressive screens on the market, with an HD resolution of 1,280 x 720 pixels at 306ppi ? admittedly inferior to some of its newer rivals, but still considerably better than its pint-sized sibling.
Storage and memory
The latest UK version of the Galaxy S3 (below) packs an impressive 2GB of RAM and comes in one standard model featuring 16GB of on-board storage. For content hoarders, there's a microSD card slot on hand enabling capacity to be increased up to 64GB. The S3 Mini also features expandable storage, though its card slot can only handle up to 32GB, with the reduced form factor handset coming in 8GB and 16GB iterations, depending on region. The 8GB version dominates the British market and offers 1GB of RAM.
Processor
Performance can't be judged by specifications alone, of course, but Samsung's quad-core Exynos 4412 SoC is one of the more impressive sounding configurations out there. Clocked at 1.4GHz and featuring a Cortex A9 CPU and Mali 400-MP graphics, it's likely to be a fair bit quicker than the S3 Mini's dual-core NovaThor set-up, which is clocked at only 1GHz.
Software
There's little to distinguish the two handset?brethren?with regards to software, as both devices currently come pre-loaded with, or are immediately upgradeable to, Android 4.1 Jelly Bean. It's worth nothing, however, that the higher-end Galaxy S3 should get an incremental update to Jelly Bean 4.2 in early-2013, while owners of the mid-range S3 Mini are likely to be further down the OS update list.?
Camera
When it comes to photographic capabilities, the gap between high-end and mid-range is again pronounced. The S3 features an 8-megapixel camera, full HD (1080p) video, and a?1.9-megapixel?auxiliary front-snapper, while the Mini (below) sports a decent 5-megapixel shooter, 720p video, and a VGA front-facing lens. Truly keen photographers are no doubt pondering our "Best cameras for Christmas 2012" feature rather than debating megapixels on a smartphone, but for the intrepid on-the-go amateur, the dearer Galaxy S3 may well be worth the extra moola.?
Battery
Part of the lore surrounding Samsung's Galaxy S3 is down to the reputation of its powerhouse 2,100 mAh battery, which can keep you chatting for up to 11 hours if the manufacturer is to be believed. There's no way its reduced-specification relative is going to best it in terms of longevity, though the S3 Mini obviously demands less power consumption. Its 1,500 mAh motor should be enough for most day-to-day?usage, with Samsung proffering a best case scenario of 7 hours talk-time on 3G. ?
Connectivity and wireless
The newest iteration of the Galaxy S3 comes readied for the UK's new superfast 4G LTE spectrum, currently furnished exclusively by EE but due to be rolled out to other carriers in early-2013. The S3 Mini unfortunately looks confined to now old-gen 3G networks for its shelf-life, though it does - like its more exclusive sibling - feature NFC technology and Bluetooth v4.0. There's no room for built-in wireless charging on either device as of yet, but that's a feature that's still something of a luxury and a novelty rather than a necessity.
Price, availability, and opinion
With its quad-core processor set-up, 4G LTE compatibility, full HD display, 8-megapixel camera and expandable storage up to 64GB, the full Samsung Galaxy S3 (below) remains one of the most impressive handsets currently available and is widely available on contract, and SIM-free for ?500. While it's a considerable outlay, you'll get streamlined access to the latest Android updates as well as top-notch specifications. If you're considering a high-end smartphone, you're probably comparing the Galaxy S3 vs the iPhone 5, or even having a gander at the Windows Phone 8-running Nokia Lumia 920. The simple fact is, the full Galaxy S3 is a much better handset, and its price tag reflects its superiority.
The ?300 S3 Mini, on the other hand, comes across as a bit of a disappointment in today's smartphone landscape. That's not to say it's entirely without merit: its camera is?serviceable?if hardly spectacular, its a sturdily built device, and the microSD card slot means that on-board storage capacity can be cheaply boosted. But compared to, say, the Google Nexus 4, it comes across as fool's gold at best - the?aforementioned??239 LG-manufactured handset offers a quad-core chipset clocked at 1.5GHz, full HD display, Android 4.2, 4G in the form of HSPA+ and an 8-megapixel snapper for ?60 less, putting its mid-range Samsung rival to shame in the process.
If you're an Android fan in search of the best value handset, the Galaxy S3 Mini is not an optimal proposition. In fact, it's not even close - it's a scaled down version of its full form factor forebearer in name only. Specification compromises were always likely as Samsung attempt to breach a new price sector, but while the S3 still deserves to be classed a 'Top Five' high-end handset, its mid-range relative isn't so much a doppelg?nger?as a borderline disaster.
For more, check out our list of the best smartphones for Christmas 2012.
| ? | Samsung Galaxy S3 LTE | Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini |
| Display | ? | ? |
| Screen size | 4.8in | 4in |
| Resolution | 1,280 x 720 pixels | 800 x 480 pixels |
| Pixel density | 306ppi | 233ppi |
| Type | Super AMOLED | Super AMOLED |
| Processor and battery | ? | ? |
| Family | Samsung Exynos 4412 | NovaThor U8420 |
| CPU | Cortex A9 | Cortex A9 |
| Cores | Quad-core | Dual-core |
| Clock speed | 1.4GHz | 1GHz |
| GPU | Mali-400MP | Mali-400 |
| Battery | 2,100 mAh | 1,500 mAh |
| Claimed 3G talk time | Up to 11h | Up to 7h |
| Storage and memory | ? | ? |
| RAM | 2GB | 1GB |
| Internal storage | 16GB | 8 / 16GB (market dependant) |
| microSD | Yes (up to 64GB) | Yes (up to 32GB) |
| Camera | ? | ? |
| Megapixels | 8MP | 5MP |
| Resolution | 3,264 x 2,448 pixels | 2,592 x 1,944 pixels |
| Video | 1080p | 720p |
| Front-facing camera | 1.9MP | VGA |
| Wireless | ? | ? |
| UK Network | 4G (LTE) | 3G |
| Wi-Fi | 802.11 a / b / g / n | 802.11 a / b / g / n |
| NFC | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | v4.0 +HS (A2DP/AVRCP) | v4.0 (A2DP, LE, EDR) |
| Built-in charging | No | No |
| Dimensions | ? | ? |
| Size | 136.6 x 70.6 x 8.6mm | 121.55 x 63 x 9.9mm |
| Weight | 131g | 120g |
| Operating System | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
| Price (SIM-free) | ?499.95 RRP | ?299.95 RRP |
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Wednesday, December 19, 2012
How to Calculate Flood Risk | C&S Insurance Blog
After Hurricane Sandy struck the Northeast portion of the United States only a few weeks ago, many home and business owners have become increasingly more concerned with flooding.? With that being said, the government has created and is overseeing a website, FloodSmart, a tool that helps these owners calculate flooding costs.? The site offers information about flooding, helps determine possible costs that may mount, and has accredited flood insurance experts that can provide advice to users.
On the site, FloodTools is an interactive portion that allows users to type in their addresses in order to see what type of flooding they can potentially expect on their property.? After the demonstration is complete, an insurance quote appears on the screen that states how much you should be paying based on your location.
Why is this site so successful? Not only is it user friendly, individualized, and specified to your personal needs, it is also easy to read and identify.? For example, if an area on the map turns red, it is of a higher risk than an area that turns white or lighter colors. ??Additional features include a loss calculator where you can input your home or office?s square footage, number of stories, and the value of possessions.? Check it out today!
Source: http://www.candsinsuranceblog.com/?p=1521
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Woman loses 'ruined wedding' lawsuit against Stonepine Estate
A woman who sued a Carmel Valley ranch claiming it ruined her daughter's "dream wedding" lost her case last week.
Ladan Lynn Nazarian of Burlingame said Stonepine Estate failed to prepare for rain at the October 2010 wedding. The estate said it repeatedly tried to get her to order a tent.
Monterey County Superior Court Judge Tom Wills sided with the estate.
"It was as much of a slam dunk win for Stonepine as you can imagine," Stonepine's Monterey attorney, Michael Masuda, said.
Nazarian asked the $80,000 paid for the wedding be refunded, $100,000 in unspecified damages and $150,000 in emotional distress. She got nothing.
"I'm extremely disappointed the court could not see through the lies," Nazarian said. She declined to say what the lies were.
Nazarian had claimed in her suit that the wedding was ruined when 250 people had to be crammed into a greenhouse and guests were served cold food.
The truth, according Masuda and Stonepine owner Gordon Hentschel, was much different.
Stonepine told Nazarian a month before the wedding it thought she should order a tent, but she declined because she did not want the extra cost, Masuda said.
Then, three or four days before the wedding, weather reports started looking "sketchy" and Stonepine asked again, to no avail, he said.
Finally, on the day before the wedding, with weather reports indicating it may rain, they again asked Nazarian, but she refused.
"They can't force her to get
a tent," Masuda said.When it rained, Stonepine moved the party into a building they use for so-called country weddings.
Masuda said the estate could have just told them to have the wedding in the rain ? instead Stonepine's staff "worked really hard and was willing to put on the wedding, and dinner and reception."
Hentschel said he's probably been asked about the lawsuit more than 200 times the past two years but was unsure if it affected his business.
"That's the only negative we've ever had," he said of stories about the lawsuit. "Yes, it probably took a toll, but we'll never know how much."
Hentschel said his celebrity guests never complained about their stays.
Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields were married there in 1997 and Bill Gates, Clint Eastwood, The Rolling Stones, Jim Carey and former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have stayed at the estate.
Phillip Molnar can be reached at 646-4487 or pmolnar@montereyherald.com
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Alleged shots of Acer's first Jelly Bean smartphone pop up on Chinese site
As a brand, Acer doesn't quite yet resonate in the mobile space. After all, it took the company the better part of a year to release the CloudMobile. But from the looks of these (very clear) leaks captured on Chinese site VR-Zone, it seems Acer may be prepping a mid-range device for that market. Allegedly dubbed the V360, the handset appears to be running Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean which, if true, would be a first for the OEM. It's not clear if the UI is skinned, but if its previous work on the CloudMobile's UX is any indication, expect this one to be very lightly skinned. Apart from that, there are a handful of unverified specs floating about, like a 4.5-inch qHD display, unknown dual-core processor clocked at 1GHz, five-megapixel camera and DTS sound (as indicated by backplate branding). As for the possible release and pricing for this mystery device, well, that's very much up in the air. Acer would first have to confirm its existence before we move on to those market realities.
Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Acer
Via: PhoneArena
Source: VR-Zone.com (Translated)
Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/19/alleged-acer-first-jelly-bean-smartphone-v360/
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Tuesday, December 18, 2012
10 Afghan girls collecting firewood killed in blast - World News
A blast killed 10 Afghan girls who were collecting firewood in eastern Afghanistan, according to government officials. In a separate incident, two Afghans died in an attack in Kabul. NBCNews.com's Dara Brown reports.
By NBC News staff and wire reports
Updated at 9:50 a.m. ET: A blast killed 10 Afghan girls Monday as they were collecting firewood in eastern Afghanistan, government officials said.
It was not immediately clear what caused the explosion in volatile Nangarhar province. It could have been a bomb planted by Taliban insurgents or a landmine left over from decades of conflict.
UN calls for Afghanistan to protect women from rape, forced marriage
The girls, between nine and 11 years old, were collecting wood in remote Chaparhar district, near the porous border with Pakistan, which is infested with some of the world's most dangerous militant groups.?
PhotoBlog: Prayers for girls killed as they collected firewood
"Unfortunately, 10 little girls were killed and two others wounded but we don't know whether it was planted by the Taliban," said Ahmadzia Abdulzai, provincial government spokesman.
Women and children are often the victims of the war between the Taliban and U.S.-led NATO and Afghan forces, now in its 11th year.
Noorullah Shirzada / AFP - Getty Images
Afghan volunteers carry the body of a girl killed when in an explosion as they were collecting firewood Monday.
Two killed in Kabul bombing
Meanwhile, a truck full of explosives blew up when it hit the offices of a U.S.-based company in the capital, Kabul, killing two Afghan civilians and wounding at least 15, an Interior Ministry spokesman said.
The blast took place Monday at an office for the company Contrack, which sells and supplies generators in Afghanistan.
EXCLUSIVE: US, NATO behind 'insecurity' in Afghanistan, Karzai says
The Interior Ministry spokesman said that two foreigners were among the wounded, but no further details on their national identities were immediately available.
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing.
"A suicide car bomber attacked an important American company which is involved in security," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement obtained by Reuters.
"The company was under our surveillance for a long time and today we succeeded," the statement said.
According to its website, Contrack is headquartered in McLean, Va., and has had an office in Kabul since 2003. It was acquired by Orascom in 2005.
Afghan tycoons fear banks help kidnap gangs
More than ten years after the beginning of the war, Afghanistan faces external pressure to reform as well as ongoing internal conflicts.
After Monday's blast in Kabul, Western men clutching weapons walked outside the company compound as ambulances sped by, Reuters reported. A NATO soldier walked by parts of a building that was torn apart by the blast, which left a large crater. A brick wall collapsed.
The Taliban have expanded their reach beyond their strongholds in southern and eastern Afghanistan to some areas in the north that were relatively peaceful for years. ?
NBC News? Akbar Shinwari and Reuters contributed to this report.
More world stories from NBC News:
Follow World News from NBCNews.com on Twitter and Facebook
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This Online Shopping App Outperforms Facebook ... - Business Insider
Dec. 18 (Bloomberg) -- Even as retailers debate the efficacy of social-media marketing on Facebook and Twitter, they have no doubts about the power of a decades-old technology to drive sales. The killer app is called e-mail.
Retailers as disparate as Williams-Sonoma Inc. and Home Depot Inc. have become much better at tailoring e-mails to specific customers rather than the one-size-fits-all blasts that once dominated this type of marketing. Measured by sales per dollar spent, e-mail outperforms social-media advertising three to one, according to the Direct Marketing Association, a trade group founded to provide accurate marketing data. That explains why retailers will send 19 percent more e-mails this year.
Compared with social-media, e-mail marketing will never be sexy, said Ted Wham, a vice president at Responsys Inc., a San Bruno, California firm that helps companies build digital relationships with customers.
?But it depends on what?s sexy to you,? he said. ?In my opinion, making a high profit rate and bringing in a lot of incremental dollars is very sexy.?
Competition is fierce this holiday shopping season as the National Retail Federation predicts sales will rise 4.1 percent to about $586.1 billion in the period, compared with a 5.6 percent increase in 2011. Online sales may grow to a record $43.4 billion in the last two months of the year, a 17 percent increase from last year, according to ComScore Inc.
At the same time, the number of Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers making purchases after clicking through from social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube declined by at least 26 percent this year from 2011, even as online sales soared, IBM Digital Analytics Benchmark said last month. So-called social sales contributed less than 0.5 percent of online revenue both days.
Smartphone Boom
Major retailers are on track to send subscribers an average of 211 promotional e-mails in 2012 compared with 177 last year, according to Responsys. The boom in smartphones means consumers check e-mail more often, at a time when data and web tracking are becoming more mainstream and easier to use.
The numbers drive a compelling case for that -- e-mail provided $39.40 in sales per dollar of advertising this year, followed by $22.38 through Web search, $19.71 from Internet display ads and $12.90 from social networks, according to the Direct Marketing Association.
Painting Electricians
Home Depot has been honing its targeted marketing, sending e-mails that incorporate customer preferences and previous behavior, because it?s 10 times more effective than blasts to a general audience, Chief Marketing Officer Trish Mueller said in June. For instance, if customer data shows electricians are no longer sub-contracting the painting portion of remodeling jobs and doing it themselves, an electrician that just bought copper wire may soon receive an e-mail for a discount on paint, she said. In the past, that person would just get an e-mail offer relevant to their known skills, she said.
Williams-Sonoma?s e-mail and browsing data is so expansive the company can use it to drive product recommendations by customer to specific stores, Patrick Connolly, the San Francisco-based company?s CMO said in October.
While stores still use old tricks including limited-time offers -- a Bloomingdale?s e-mail on Dec. 12 read ?FINAL HOURS! Mystery Savings? -- they?re increasingly tailoring message content and timing to demographics, previously purchased or viewed products and items left in virtual shopping carts.
Williams-Sonoma?s West Elm urban furniture chain has sent e-mails to customers who have forgotten about items in their shopping carts with subject lines asking if they are still thinking about that particular merchandise. In the body of the e-mail, customers are warned: ?Get it before it?s gone,? and ?Don?t miss out on the things you love.?
Ad Portal?
They?re also using e-mail as a ?portal? to a flurry of ads across the Web, said Chris Saridakis, president of EBay Inc.?s GSI Commerce, which provides e-commerce services to hundreds of retailers.
Once a user clicks from an e-mail to a retailer?s website to see that forgotten organic cotton duvet at West Elm, say, or to browse the 30 percent-off shoes at Asos Plc, third-party trackers called cookies recall the activity. Later, while visiting a news website or Googling ?clothes,? consumers may see banner or Google Inc. ads designed to lure them back to those retailers? sites.
Extended Life
?It extends the life of an e-mail and we see that driving an incredible amount of return behavior back to the retailer?s site with a higher conversion rate,? Saridakis said in a telephone interview.
Williams-Sonoma may use as many as 200 different Internet advertisements per brand to retarget customers after they leave the company?s websites, which, while potentially surprising, is ?very effective,? Connolly said in October.
It can take a lot of e-mails to hit the mark. A successful e-mail campaign may result in a 20 percent open rate with 5 percent of people clicking through and 1 percent making a purchase, though figures vary around targeted messages and holiday specials, Chad White, research director at Responsys, said in a telephone interview. On the other hand, about half of consumers will read postcards, the most effective form of direct mail, which is pricier, according to a report from the Direct Marketing Association.
Facebook Inc. has signed on retailers including Brookstone Inc. and Dean & DeLuca Inc. to a new gifting service this year as the company looks beyond advertising to monetize its more than 1 billion users.
Facebook Returns
Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg said in an October earnings call that a third-party analysis showed that more than 70 percent of 60-plus marketing campaigns on its website generated a return on ad spending of three times or better. Separately, data from Nielsen show that click-through rates are not correlated to returns on marketing investments, Elisabeth Diana, a spokeswoman for the Menlo Park, California- based company, said in an e-mail.
While the social network?s power as a sales driver remains unclear, letting customers use their Facebook accounts to sign onto a retailer?s website is an effective way to harvest e-mail addresses, according to Matt Kritzer, vice president of e- commerce for underwear maker Tommy John.
E-mail Glue
Facebook and Twitter ?are more awareness activities,? Kritzer, the former director of e-commerce for L?Occitane, said in a telephone interview. ?That?s why you need this glue of e- mail that ties it all together.?
That means retailers are keen to gather as many e-mail addresses as they can, a task made easier by mobile checkouts and e-mailed receipts. They?re also running sweepstakes and offering discounts to get shoppers to cough them up.
J.C. Penney Co., which generated less than 10 percent of sales in its latest fiscal year from the Web, is aggressively acquiring e-mail addresses by shifting to mobile checkout and through its holiday sweepstakes. The department-store chain is giving away more than 80 million buttons with codes on them for a holiday sweepstakes, and customers are asked to enter their e- mail address or log in with Facebook to find out if they won.
This holiday season, some retailers are also taking advantage of shipping confirmations or order receipts, with higher open rates, to offer recommended items or additional discounts, GSI?s Saridakis said.
Mobile Devices
The growth in mobile phones and tablets bodes well for e- mail. This holiday season, 45 percent of e-mails are being opened on mobile devices, according to Experian Hitwise, an Internet-tracking firm in New York. Shoppers are 29 percent more likely to open personalized promotional e-mails than untailored messages and are even more likely to click on them and go to a retailer?s website, the firm said.
E-mail has ?gotten this bad reputation in the past of being spammy and people misusing it,? Kritzer said, explaining why more companies aren?t talking about it as a marketing tactic. ?But it?s also because it?s the secret sauce that works so well. So people might not want to talk about it because it?s kind of like the golden goose. They don?t want to ruin the golden goose.?
?
--With assistance from Danielle Kucera in San Francisco. Editors: Robin Ajello, Peter Elstrom
?
To contact the reporters on this story: Sapna Maheshwari in New York at sapnam@bloomberg.net; Matt Townsend in New York at mtownsend9@bloomberg.net
?
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Robin Ajello at rajello@bloomberg.net
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The GOP's Electoral College Scheme
Republicans Prepare New Electoral College Scheme
Republicans alarmed at the apparent challenges they face in winning the White House are preparing an all-out assault on the Electoral College system in critical states, an initiative that would significantly ease the party's path to the Oval Office.Read More...More on Elections 2012
huffingtonpost.com (18 hours ago)
Electoral College casts its votes today
Kaye Moreno of Fort Worth heads to Austin today for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. She will be one of the 538 Electoral College voters nationwide to travel to their state capitols and cast the final votes - the ones that truly matter - in the 2012 presidential election.
miamiherald.com (19 hours ago)
Electoral College vote affirms Obama re-election
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Tradition trumped suspense Monday as members of the Electoral College cast the official, final votes in the 2012 presidential election, a constitutional formality on President Barack Obama's march to a second term....
ap.org (9 hours ago)
Electoral College set to affirm Obama re-election
ST. PAUL, Minn.?Tradition trumped suspense Monday as members of the Electoral College cast the official, final votes in an exhausting 2012 presidential election, a constitutional formality on President Barack Obama's march to a second term.
denverpost.com (13 hours ago)
Electoral College set to affirm Obama re-election
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Tradition trumped suspense Monday as members of the Electoral College cast the official, final votes in an exhausting 2012 presidential election, a constitutional formality on President Barack Obama's march to a second term....
ap.org (14 hours ago)
More Home news ?
Source: http://home.topnewstoday.org/home/article/4036287/
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Monday, December 17, 2012
School shooting compels entertainment changes
NEW YORK (AP) ? The Connecticut school shooting rampage compelled Hollywood to air disclaimers before violent television shows, swap some programs for others, cancel film openings and present somber specials on daytime TV shows that are usually more focused on entertainment.
The responses came in addition to news specials on Friday's killing of 27 people, most of them school children, in Newtown, Conn., by a gunman who later took his own life.
Showtime gave its viewers a special warning Sunday before the season finales of the thriller series "Homeland," and "Dexter," a series about a serial killer.
"In light of the tragedy that has occurred in Connecticut, the following program contains images that may be disturbing," said the disclaimer before both programs.
Another cable network, HBO, postponed airings of the 2012 crime thriller "Contraband" over the weekend. The film with Mark Wahlberg and Kate Beckinsale was replaced by airings of "Crazy, Stupid Love" and the remake of "Arthur," the network said.
The Film Society of Lincoln Center in New York canceled Monday's screening of Tom Cruise's violent new movie, "Jack Reacher," that was to include a conversation with the actor. A scheduled premiere of the movie in Pittsburgh had also been postponed over the weekend.
In Los Angeles, the Weinstein Co. canceled Tuesday's planned premiere of the violent movie "Django Unchained."
The TLC network postponed a Dec. 27 special, "Best Funeral Ever," about a colorful Dallas funeral home. The show, considered a pilot for a potential series, will instead air during the first week of January.
In one of the odder substitutions, NBC pulled a Blake Shelton holiday special at the last minute Friday and replaced it with one starring Michael Buble. That's because the Shelton special had an animated segment about a reindeer killing, which NBC would be removed from any future showings of the special.
It's a ritual for entertainment companies in the wake of national tragedies, noted Chris Ender, CBS entertainment spokesman: The network's series and promos are all looked at carefully with an eye toward whether any of them could be considered insensitive with the news still fresh in mind. CBS has made no changes other than doing two prime-time news specials, he said.
Fox on Sunday night replaced new episodes of its animated comedies "Family Guy" and "American Dad" with repeats amid worries they could be seen the wrong way. The "American Dad" episode featured a demon who punished naughty children at Christmas.
Several daytime talk shows, including "Katie," ''Dr. Oz," ''Dr. Phil," and "The Doctors," responded with shows Monday that were dedicated to Friday's shootings. That's unusual for these shows, which are usually taped much further in advance.
Katie Couric's show featured interviews with two families that had lost children in the shootings. In one interview, Couric asked the sobbing brother of one child killed, "Is there something you want people to know about your little brother?"
News reporters had been criticized in the immediate aftermath of the coverage for interviewing children who had been in the Newtown school during the shooting.
Both Couric and "Dr. Oz" featured interviews with spiritual leader Joel Osteen.
Talk show host Phil Graham, in addition to devoting his own program on the shooting, also appeared in Monday's episode of "The Doctors."
"Doctor's orders: Hug your family a little bit tighter today," said Travis Stork of "The Doctors."
"The View" invited ABC News' Chris Cuomo and forensic psychiatrist Michael Welner to talk about the incident. One of the show's co-hosts, Elisabeth Hasselbeck, asked Welner with tears in her eyes, "How can this happen?"
___
Associated Press writer Nicole Evatt contributed to this report.
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In the Middle: Why Elderly Couples Fight - NYTimes.com
George and Gracie (let?s call them that because using their real names would make them even unhappier than they already appear to be) are in their 80s and have been married for more than 65 years. Until recently they seemed to ride the waves that are inevitable in any marriage that spans nearly seven decades; through good and bad, they were partners and best friends.
But lately ? ever since her hospitalization and his fall ? they have been arguing more bitterly than usual (?Do you have to make such a mess in the kitchen??), criticizing each other (?Why haven?t you dealt with the insurance company yet??), withdrawing from each other, and generally making each other more miserable, more often than ever before.
This kind of degenerative relationship is not uncommon among the elderly in even the happiest marriages, marriage therapists and geriatricians said. But that is small comfort to either the couple in the middle of the maelstrom, or the children who care for them, as evidenced by a number of postings on caregiver blogs. As some of the children have wondered there: ?Why can?t we all just get along??
Therapists and others who work with the elderly said the first step to addressing the problem is understanding where it came from.
?A key question is whether the marital bickering is part of a lifelong marital style or a change,? said Dr. Linda Waite, director of the Center on Demography and Economics of Aging at NORC/University of Chicago. Is it new behavior ? or just new to the grown children who are suddenly so deeply enmeshed in their parents? lives that they are only now noticing that something is amiss?
How much of the problem is really just the marriage style? ?Some couples like to fight and argue ? it keeps their adrenaline going,? said Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg, professor emerita of counseling psychology at the University of Maryland and author of ?Overwhelmed: Coping With Life?s Ups and Downs.?
Sometimes the best judges of whether there is a problem are outsiders, said Dr. William Dale, chief of geriatrics at the University of Chicago Geriatrics Medicine. Pay attention if someone says, ??Gee, Mom seems more argumentative or withdrawn than the last time I saw her,?? Dr. Dale advised.
If the tone or severity of the marital tensions seem new, then it is important to find out why. The causes could be mental or physical, doctors say.
On the mental front, increased anger and fighting could be one of the first signs of mild cognitive impairment, a precursor of dementia or Alzheimer?s, in one or both of the spouses, said Dr. Lisa Gwyther, director of the Duke Center for Aging Family Support Program and an associate professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences.
Dr. Dale concurs: ?There is good evidence that the earliest signs of cognitive impairment are often emotional changes? ? anger, anxiety, depression ? ?rather than cognitive ones? ? memory, abstract thought.
But these early signs of cognitive decline can be so subtle that neither the spouses themselves, or their grown children, recognize them for what they are, Dr. Gwyther said. So husband and wife blame each other for the changes and allow feelings of hurt and resentment to grow.
Withdrawing from activities that used to give them pleasure can be a telltale sign of mild cognitive impairment ? and can trigger anger and arguments.
?In one couple, the husband just didn?t want to participate in the holidays ? the wife got angry and said he was being lazy and stubborn,? said Dr. Gwyther. But the truth was that his cognitive decline made all the activity overwhelming, and he didn?t want anyone to know that he was anxious about not remembering everyone?s names and embarrassing himself.
Suspicion and paranoia can also accompany mild cognitive decline and precipitate distrust and hurtful accusations. Dr. Gwyther recalled another woman who ?called her daughter frantic because she said her husband dropped her at her chemo appointment, went to park the car, and didn?t return to get her.? The woman couldn?t imagine that her husband could possibly have lost his sense of time and direction, Dr. Gwyther added. She took it personally, complaining to her daughter that ?your father doesn?t seem to care any more.?
Dr. Dale told of a spouse who accused her mate of infidelity because ?she was convinced that when he was out grocery shopping he was really having an affair.?
Hoarding, an early symptom of mild cognitive impairment, can also create tension in a marriage. (For new treatments, see this recent post by my colleague Paula Span.)
When one couple came to a counseling session with Dr. Norman Abeles, emeritus professor of psychology and former director of psychological clinic at Michigan State University, the hoarding spouse finally said she did it because she thought that they would run out of money, ?even though there was enough money to go around.? Dr. Abeles said that incident led to her diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment.
Adding to the confusion, mild cognitive impairment, or M.C.I., comes and goes. ?There are good days and bad days, good hours and bad hours,? said Dr. Gwyther. ?Alzheimer?s and dementia don?t start on Tuesday ? it?s a slow insidious onset.? But the diagnosis is becoming more common: The Institute for Dementia Research and Prevention predicts that 1 in 6 women, and 1 in 10 men, who live past the age of 55 will develop dementia in their lifetime.
?Spouses find it difficult to know when their partner with M.C.I. is acting differently, usually badly, due to the advancing illness or due to ?willful? personality issues,? said Dr. Dale, citing a 2007 study in the journal Family Relations exploring the problems this can create for couples.
Blaming is often easier than understanding. Another of Dr. Gwyther?s patients was furious at her husband for not filing their taxes. ?He?s a C.P.A.,? she said. ?How could we owe back taxes?? It did not occur to her that he might be unable to handle that task ? and was too frightened about his deteriorating mental focus to let her know.
But as harmful as mental decline can be for a marriage, it is just part of the equation. Physical ailments ? even those that seem completely unrelated to marital relations ? ?can upset the equilibrium of the marriage,? according to a study in The Canadian Medical Association Journal.
?Most men get angry at what?s happened to them when they get ill, women get angry and scared when he?s not what he used to be ? so they fight,? said Dr. Schlossberg.
Chronic illnesses, like diabetes, arthritis and heart disease, can have a strong negative effect on mood, said Dr. Waite, who will soon be publishing a study on the subject. Diabetes is so often accompanied by depression that Dr. Waite said ?one of my colleagues argues that that it is even part of the disease.?
And ailments can have an effect on a couple?s sex life ? which can compound the marital problems, doctors said.
?Diabetes brings on neuropathy,? said Dr. Waite. ?That means touching and feeling in sex is not as rewarding.? Without the pleasures of affectionate touching ? whether a passing hug at the sink or more ? tensions can build. That?s why, if a couple is having problems with sex, they are more likely to have problems in the relationship ? and vice versa, according to a 2007 New England Journal of Medicine study of sex and health among older adults.
Other changes in circumstances ? retirement, shifting roles, the loss of autonomy, disparities in health and abilities ? can wreak havoc. Losing independence can feel like losing oneself ? and if you don?t know who you are any more, how can you know how to relate to your spouse?
?Fighting may come from a misguided notion that you can regain power by asserting it over your spouse,? said Dr. Schlossberg, whose observations are echoed in a 1984 study in The Canadian Journal of Medicine. ?It doesn?t work, it?s false power ? but they?ll try anything.?
The sheer exhaustion that can come from being the caregiving spouse is also bound to ?make them stressed and angry,? said Dr. Waite. Not to mention guilty and resentful ? never a prescription for happy marital relations.
?Part of the trap for the caregiver is the idea that you have to do it all, and the guilt you feel when you cannot live up to it,? said Dr. Gordon Herz, a psychologist in private practice in Madison, Wisc. Not surprisingly, resentment can soon follow, Dr. Herz added, because it is hard to admit to anyone that, ??this is too much for me.??
What can outside caregivers ? children or other loved ones ? do about these golden marriages on the rocks? Should they intervene ? or butt out? And can marital therapy help ? or is it too late to change?
Share your thoughts and experiences ? and on Tuesday we will try to provide some advice from experts.
Source: http://newoldage.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/17/in-the-middle-why-elderly-couples-fight/
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Saturday, December 15, 2012
Obama urges solidarity as America mourns shooting victims
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama urged Americans on Saturday to join in solidarity as they mourn the victims of a shooting rampage at a Connecticut elementary school, saying the hearts of parents across the country were "heavy with hurt" for the lives lost.
In his weekly radio and Internet speech, Obama also repeated a message he put forth on Friday, just hours after one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history, on the need to set aside politics and "take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this."
But Obama went no further than that, and again stopped short of specifically calling for tighter gun-control laws.
Twenty children were killed by a heavily armed gunman who opened fire at a school in Newtown, Connecticut, on Friday. He killed at least 26 people there before turning his gun on himself.
"We grieve for the families of those we lost. And we keep in our prayers the parents of those who survived," Obama said.
The shooting spree reignited a debate over gun-control in a country with a flourishing gun culture and a strong gun lobby, which has discouraged most politicians from any major efforts to address the easy availability of firearms.
Obama mostly steered clear of the issue during his successful re-election campaign this year, and it remains unclear whether he might be willing to take a more assertive approach now that he has secured a second term.
OBAMA URGED TO ACT
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who runs a coalition of mayors on gun policy, said on Friday the Democratic president should press ahead despite likely opposition from Republicans who control the U.S. House of Representatives.
"We have heard all the rhetoric before. What we have not seen is leadership - not from the White House and not from Congress. That must end today," Bloomberg said in a statement.
Ticking off some of the recent shooting incidents, Obama said in his Saturday address: "As a nation, we have endured far too many of these tragedies in the last few years."
His response to previous high-profile shootings was to call for a national conversation on how to curb gun violence.
"This weekend, Michelle and I are doing what I know every parent is doing - holding our children as close as we can and reminding them how much we love them," he said.
"There are families in Connecticut who can't do that today. And they need all of us now," he said. "All of us can extend a hand to those in need - to remind them that we are there for them, that we are praying for them."
The 20-year-old gunman, who law enforcement sources identified as Adam Lanza, opened fire on a classroom at Sandy Hook Elementary School, which serves children from ages 5 to 10.
Authorities found 18 children and seven adults, including the gunman, dead at the school, and two children were pronounced dead later after being take to a hospital.
"Most of those who died were just young children with their whole lives ahead of them. And every parent in America has a heart heavy with hurt," Obama said.
Obama had to struggle to control his emotions during his televised statement on Friday in the White House briefing where his voice cracked and he wiped away tears.
Partisan bickering in Washington, divided by a battle over a looming "fiscal cliff" of tax hikes and spending cuts, was put on hold amid mourning for the Connecticut dead.
House Speaker John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, said he had canceled the Republican weekly address for Saturday "so that President Obama can speak for the entire nation at this time of mourning."
(Reporting By Matt Spetalnick; Editing by David Brunnstrom)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tearful-obama-calls-meaningful-action-school-shooting-020855550.html
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RolePlayGateway?
The Flats- White Group.
White Group is a secret society of assassins and thieves that operate in a region called the Flats. The Flats is a steam punk inspired post-apocalyptic world with a distinctly western feel.
In this RP you will play a member of The White Group by writing short stories based on a job my character gives you. The secret HQ of the White Group is a place called the Workshop.
That?s pretty much it. Below I?m going to lay out the particulars of The Flats, tech etc.
The Past.
At an indeterminate time in the past an apocalyptic event occurred that basically ended civilisation. Not much is known about what exactly happened but it?s clear it had a massive impact on the environment. The world became hotter while the sands claimed wide sections of the planet. The Nights are short now and the sky has taken a slightly reddish hue.
While the ?World That Was? is a mystery to most, signs of it are everywhere, from the bastardised technology that keeps the Flats alive to the ruins that act as the grave markers of a society nobody remembers.
The Flats.
The Flats is a desert region which is obviously pretty flat. Many varied groups call it home and they live in towns and cities dotted around the place.
The Badlands, The Wastes or The Wide Open.
This is the areas between towns and cities that is pretty much barren desert land with the occasional oasis. It is home to the Tribals and the Ochil. The Tribals are roving gangs of people that are little more than feral. The Ochil meanwhile are a community of Nomads that wander the wastes taking old world Technology and selling it to whoever they meet.
Farpoint.
The trading hub of the Flats thanks to it being an Airship port. This is the place to go for a good deal on pretty much anything. Its proximity to New Mesa makes it particularly popular with The Sky Jockeys. It?s a New World town and as such is built predominately out of bits of the old world. It resembles a shanty town.
It?s sometimes called ?Shade city? due to the shadow cast by the many Airships floating above.
Hope.
It?s an old world town of cobbles and grand architecture that has been reclaimed from the sands by its religious inhabitants. The town?s people are xenophobic zealots who follow the teachings of a man called Father Singh. Singh believes by keeping his flock pure from the violence of the Flats they can become more pleasing to his interpretation of God and thus leave The Flats which they believe is a form of purgatory.
For this reason the town uses a group called the Guardians as protection, they are made up almost entirely of Orphans that are mercilessly trained to be the best defenders possible. Of these only a few ever venture outside the walls of Hope. These are called the Walkers who are considered to be the most lethal people wandering the Flats, however their small numbers make their threat negligible. The Guardians are considered to be brutal to their enemies and completely loyal to Father Singh. They also carry a mark on their hand which identifies them as Guardians, it is considered to be a trophy among criminal gangs.
Few people ever go inside its walls and all matters of trade with the outside are conducted outside its walls. Intruders if caught will find their life expectancy is measured in seconds.
New Mesa
This town is a combination of the old and new which means it has cobbled streets and some beautiful architecture sitting right beside houses made out of repurposed wood.
Its run by a man called Gretch, a Tribal who took over the town in a bloody coup. Not much has changed although Gretch?s brand of justice is a bit more brutal and public than his predecessor?s. The town is popular for its large Casino Complex called Fat Nick?s after a previous owner. Gretch didn?t want to change the name and affect brand recognition. In addition it is home to many brothels, bars and nefarious characters. It?s the kind of place where you can find anything if you walk down the right street. Best not think about what happens if you go down the wrong one though.
Increasing numbers of Confederate Soldiers have been noticed in the area which is making other towns quite nervous.
Skycove.
Sometimes this town is called the ?Floating City? other times it?s called The ?Rat Cloud?. Both are accurate depending on your opinion of Sky pirates.
Skycove is city in the sky that is normally in the south east of The Flats but it can move around a little. It?s completely man made and started out as a flotilla of Pirate Ships which eventually tethered themselves to each other and became a safe haven for Pirates. Over the years the town grew as more ships docked and never left.
Without any formal government and being populated almost exclusively by drunken Pirates means it is best described as anarchy. Nobody tends to remain in power long enough to really change anything. It?s not unusual to see someone taking a ?long jump? after a drunken argument which has led to a small society developing under the city. These are called the body snatchers and they make their living by rifling through the corpses that fall to earth. It?s much wiser to settle an argument over a round of shine.
Groups.
If you can imagine it and it fits with the theme I?m willing to accept anything here?s a few though to show you what I mean.
The Sky Pirates.
Farpoint serves as a refuelling station for many Airships on their way south. Given the Flats? harsh terrain and isolated geography this makes it a perfect place for Pirate attacks to occur. Of course most trade ships now employ some form of bodyguard so pirates have to be careful. In addition the Confederates have a zero tolerance policy on Pirates and those captured can expect summary execution or enslavement.
The Guardians of Hope.
Possibly the best trained fighters on The Flats but they are rarely seen outside Hope, the town they are sworn to defend. They are trained from a very young age to be completely loyal to the town and deadly with their chosen weapons. Their greatest strength is their disregard for their own safety as they value the lives of those living in Hope over themselves.
The Tribals.
These are disparate groups of completely insane individuals who live on The Wastes and prey on unsuspecting caravans. They have been known to band together under strong leadership but since Gretch took over New Mesa and left his Tribal ways behind there is something of a power vacuum.
The Ochil.
They are the nomadic traders of The Flats who are more rational than the Tribals. They are a hard people who are second to none at surviving on the harsh wastes. Their horsemanship is highly regarded and their use of primitive weapons is the stuff of legend.
However their appearance marks them out in a crowd. Most Ochil are only slightly over five feet tall, have brown skin, blonde hair and blue eyes. This can make life difficult for them when encountering the fervent racists on The Flats. Amongst their own many dye their hair a variety of colours.
The Confederate Army.
The Confederates hail from a region called the Peaks which is very different from The Flats, its characterised by mountains and colder temperatures.
The ?Feds are a terrible group known for their brutal tactics and enslavement of conquered foes. On The Flats they are viewed with open distain. Calling them a formal army would be a stretch but the army can be divided into two groups the regulars and the specials.
The regulars tend to be drunks and conscripts while the specials are more dedicated to cause and are comparable to special forces.
They wear a grey uniform while their officers have an iconic greatcoat. This perhaps shows how Ill prepared they are for life on The Flats. For this reason they use private contractors to conduct operations. Gretch is widely thought to be one.
These are only a smattering of groups. Additional ideas are gun fighters, explorers, Traders, Archaeologists, Inventors, Thieves and like I said above anything you can think of.
In this RP though all characters will be members of the White Group however their background is up to you.
The White Group.
Little is known about the organisation even by those working inside it. It?s best described as a strictly amoral and capitalist cellular organisation. The only thing they believe in, outside of financial gain, is reputation. Therefore once a contract is accepted only the client can stop it so offers of more money from targets fall on deaf ears.
It is unknown how many operatives work for the Group and exactly what the hierarchy is. The Director of this cell is called Mr Charles and it is his job to provide contracts to the operatives.
The name of the group comes from the fact that White Light is a combination of the different spectrum of colours, just like the White Group is a collection of different individuals.
Technology.
Airships.
You know what an airship is. Most are armed with cannons and sharpshooter filled crow?s nests.
The Skyhook.
Shaped like a revolver but it actually fires a grapple that can be used to get from the ground to an airship quickly. It?s often used by pirate boarding parties.
Horses.
Not Technology but they are in limited use on the Flats, mainly by the wealthiest.
Weapons.
Revolvers, Clockwork sniper rifles, bow and arrow, Swords, Sabres and cudgels are all on The Flats just don?t expect to find a machine gun.
RP Mechanics.
Pretty pretentious to call it mechanics I know, but I figured it was better than ?engine? both are terrible but I couldn?t think of a better word. Basically this is the ?How it works section?.
Ok I view this as two RPs one side social the other side short stories. You can engage with either as much or as little as you like.
The Social side takes places in an area called the Workshop which is where the operatives will hang out and train. This is where your characters can mingle, spar etc.
The Short Story side begins when Mr Charles gives a character a job, then they head out and you write how your character completes or fails the jobs. The outcome will shape the Landscape of The Flats which is part of our over all story.
Damage carries so a break a hand in one short story and I expect to hear about it healing in the next. I?m not going to bust chops over this but it?s something I always liked.
The getting to know you phase of RP is the most dangerous for a GM as it takes up a lot of time and is not what people want to do. Therefore all the characters will know each other
and have been working with the White group for at least one week. This will allow us to jump right into the action.
Please ask more questions so I can flesh this out as much as possible.
Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/RolePlayGateway
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Friday, December 14, 2012
Emotional Story of Young Girl with Cancerous Brain Tumor [VIDEO ...
The stories of children with cancer continue to sting me whenever I hear them.
Cat Country listeners have long been supporters of the fight against childhood cancer through our fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children?s Research Hospital. (Thank You!)
This story is actually from Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children. It is certainly one of the most touching stories I have ever heard. Please feel free to share this story.
Source: http://catcountry1073.com/emotional-story-of-young-girl-with-cancerous-brain-tumor-video/
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Russia rejects blame in death of ex-spy Litvinenko
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia denied on Friday that it was involved in the death of Kremlin critic and former spy Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.
A British lawyer had told a preliminary hearing into Litvinenko's poisoning on Thursday that there was evidence the Russian government was involved in his death, which has soured relations between Moscow and London.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said: "We hope that as a result of the (legal process) ... all the baseless allegations about some kind of a Russian involvement in this affair will be dispelled once and for all."
Litvinenko, who had been granted British citizenship and become a vocal critic of the Kremlin, died in November 2006 after someone slipped polonium-210, a rare radioactive isotope, into his cup of tea at a London hotel.
Lukashevich, asked about the lawyer's statement at a weekly briefing, acknowledged that Litvinenko's death was still troubling ties between Russia and Britain. He said the inquest must be conducted "transparently and without prejudice."
British police and prosecutors say there is enough evidence to charge two former KGB agents, Andrei Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun, but Moscow has flatly rejected calls to extradite them.
Hugh Davies, an attorney acting on behalf of the British inquest, said on Thursday that an examination of government material establishes "a prima facie case in the culpability of the Russian state in the death of Alexander Litvinenko".
(Reporting by Steve Gutterman; Writing by Alissa de Carbonnel; Editing by Tom Pfeiffer)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/russia-rejects-blame-death-ex-spy-litvinenko-124714469.html
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Relationships & Family - Grandparents Tackle The Long Distance ...
Grandparents Tackle The Long Distance Christmas 0 5
Design Pics/PhotoSpin Grandparents whose children and grandchildren live far away are always envious of those grandparents with their families nearby. This is never more true than at Christmas.
It can take some time to learn the ropes of long distance Christmases.
What are the things that you can do to make everybody feel closer? How can you express your love for your grandkids in a way that they will feel it?
Fortunately there are more ways to accomplish this than ever before. Catalogue shopping will often deliver to outlets in your kids' area. Gifts bought online can be sent to their door.
You can send money without having to trust a check to the mail. Paypal, online bank transfers, or going into a bank branch and making a deposit in your child's account, will all get to their destination in much less time, some of them will even arrive the same day.
If you've waited too long to be able to send a Christmas card in regular mail, you can spend a bit more to have delivery happen faster. Or you can be high-tech and send an e-card.
Facebook can go a long way towards making it feel like the people you love are not so far away.
Posting pictures of family, Christmas meals and treats, trees and decorations can create a sense of immediacy and intimacy, as you share your traditions.
Being able to see photos of your grandkids, around the tree on Christmas morning, wearing the clothes or playing with the toys you sent, will warm your heart.
I haven't mastered Skype myself yet but I've heard it can be a great way to get together.
Of course, if all this new technology makes you nervous, there's nothing wrong with doing things old school. After all, grandparents have relied on such methods for ages.
Making a long distance phone call to family across the world has been a time-honored tradition in many households.
To send gifts in the mail you need to have yourself organized weeks ahead of time, unless you want their Christmas presents to become Valentine's Day gifts because they arrive so late.
But if you can have your letters and cards stamped and ready to mail early enough, you are golden.
We value and respect the experiences of all of our HERWriters, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.
Source: http://www.empowher.com/relationships-amp-family/content/grandparents-tackle-long-distance-christmas
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Europe nears deal to make ECB chief bank watchdog
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European governments neared a deal on Wednesday to give the European Central Bank new powers to supervise banks across the bloc after Germany signalled a readiness to compromise on the scope of the ambitious financial reform.
Last week German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble had clashed openly with his French counterpart Pierre Moscovici over key elements of the plan, but with time running out to meet a year-end deadline, they narrowed their differences, raising hopes of a breakthrough.
Agreement on a common bank supervisor is a crucial first step towards a broader "banking union", or common euro zone approach to dealing with failing banks that in recent years have dragged down countries like Ireland and Spain.
"We think that we have a good chance to reach a deal today," Schaeuble told journalists ahead of a meeting in Brussels with his European Union peers. "My intention is that we find a solution to the banking union on time before Christmas."
Moscovici told his colleagues in the meeting that "all the parameters" for an agreement were in place.
Even if the bloc is able to settle most of its differences on Wednesday, other difficult issues remain.
At a summit in June, EU leaders pledged that once a common bank supervisor was in place, the bloc's rescue mechanism would have the power to directly recapitalise struggling institutions.
Countries like France, Italy and Spain are keen for those powers to be in place as soon as possible. But Germany, worried it could be forced to foot the bill for struggling banks across the bloc, is not in a rush.
In introductory remarks at the meeting, Schaeuble tried to kill any discussion about bank recapitalisations and said it could take more than a year for the new supervisor to be fully up and running.
In the longer-term, there is disagreement over how the burden of winding down failed banks should be shared.
CYPRUS PROPOSAL
A compromise document put forward by rotating EU President Cyprus, and obtained by Reuters on Tuesday, won broad backing at the meeting from the ECB and member states.
In recent weeks, Germany had argued against giving the ECB supervisory responsibility for all 6,000 European banks, concerned the new system could become unmanageable.
The new proposal recommends that banks with assets of 30 billion euros (24.3 billion pounds), or larger than one fifth of their country's economic output, be supervised directly by the ECB rather than national supervisors.
Critically, it also gives the ECB authority to widen its remit to smaller banks if problems arise.
Berlin remains worried about a potential conflict of interest between the ECB's roles as supervisor and as guardian of monetary policy. Such a conflict could arise if, for example, the ECB were to keep interest rates low to prop up banks.
But the tone of Wednesday's gathering was a far cry from a meeting last week intended to finalise the plan when Schaeuble clashed with Moscovici. France wanted a broad ECB remit, while Germany had reservations.
Schaeuble had objected to the ECB's Governing Council having the final say over monitoring banks, but said at the meeting on Wednesday that he thought a compromise could be found.
EUROPEAN DIVISION
Reaching a deal, which EU leaders hope to sign off at a summit on Thursday and Friday, will also require the backing of others with vested interests such as Britain, Sweden, Poland, Hungary and the Netherlands.
Sweden's Finance Minister Anders Borg spelled out his objections to peers, saying there was no way for non-euro countries to participate in the ECB-led scheme on an equal footing with countries in the currency.
He said that Sweden was unlikely to join but could allow the banking union go ahead for others, although he warned it could create "substantial division" in the European union.
Britain has similar worries, although the Chancellor signalled at the meeting that a deal was possible.
George Osborne said one of his main concerns was avoiding a situation where the ECB might infringe on Britain's autonomy in monitoring the City of London, Europe's biggest financial centre.
"It would be very difficult for us to accept that the ECB could exercise certain powers for Deutsche Bank in London. That would be an unfair arrangement," Osborne said.
All 27 EU states must give approval for the project to go ahead, even if only those countries in the euro zone will fall under the banking union to begin with.
Under the Cypriot proposal, the ECB's Governing Council would keep the final say in supervision, but it also lays emphasis on the need for a clear operational separation between monetary policy and supervision. In a nod to Germany, it says the new supervisor may not be fully operational until April, 2014.
(Additional reporting by Luke Baker, Leigh Thomas and Claire Davenport. Editing by Noah Barkin)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/europe-seeks-end-discord-over-banking-union-000804514.html
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