Thursday, November 22, 2012

Got Home Improvement Plans? - How to remove oil from concrete

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The difficulty of home projects can be heightened if you are uneducated about the process. If you are unclear about how to get started planning your project, take a look at these ideas for getting things off the ground properly.

One easy way to add a fresh touch to your living environment is to replace your old outlet covers with new outlet covers. As time goes on, your outlet covers will grow old and begin to look discolored. By replacing those old ones with new ones, your interiors are brightened up a bit, which can result in an overall fresher look.

There are few home renovations that can take you as far as a finished basement. You gain extra space for your family when adding in a finished basement. The essential materials can be bought from discount stores. Some say that a finished basement can boost a home?s resale value by a third.

Home improvement could mean many things, and could be done despite any type of budget. You may not have the money to give the home a complete overhaul, but you can give it a face lift by undertaking one smaller project at a time.

Lots of home builders use only wood in their cabinets to save on costs and neglect to include hardware. Thankfully, you can easily purchase cabinet handles, knobs and drawer pulls online or at a local hardware store. You may want to get older looking pulls, modern ones or designer ones and these are able to be installed in a few minutes.

If you have a squeaky floor, try using some construction glue. Go underneath your floor to apply the adhesive. Secure each subfloor plank to joists with a thin line of glue; use a caulking gun for added precision.

Prior to beginning the new improvement project, make time to analyze the potential return on the money used for the project. Look for projects that will add more value to your home so you eventually get a return on the time and money you invested. In this way, not every home improvement project is created equal. Do some research and find out which projects are the best for your money.

Give your home some major curb appeal. A fresh-cut and well-manicured lawn is a great first step. Fill in dull, open areas with inexpensive bushes and flowers. Keep your walkway clean. You can also hire someone to power wash your home to give it a fresh clean look. Get your windows sparkling clean. This creates a clean look, which can leave a lasting impression on your visitors.

Set up a payment schedule with your home improvement contractor based on the amount of total work completed, NOT a time line. This will give you the ability to fire the contractor if the work isn?t at the quality you expected without leaving incomplete projects or the contractor requesting more money.

A smart homeowner focuses on adding new fixtures to a home before obtaining new furniture. The reason is because homeowners take their furnishings with them. Upgrading the fixtures and finishes in your home will increase the final selling price.

Making use of tips like the ones you?ve just read can help you to tackle any home improvement project with a greater sense of confidence. This advice can also help you make a better decision on whether or not you will need a professional to help with something you can?t handle yourself.

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Source: http://oilstainremoval.howtoremoveoilfromconcrete.com/got-home-improvement-plans-read-this-advice/

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5 Types of Content You Probably Aren't Creating But Should

Content marketing can be a very successful marketing tactic when done correctly, and more and more companies are employing it every day. There are many different types of content that can be used in content marketing campaigns, but sometimes, businesses struggle to create content that sticks with customers and search engines.

When creating content pieces for content marketing use, it is important to consider both the topic of the content and also the type or format of the content you are producing. Be sure both align with your customers? needs. For example, a short video may work great for one target audience, but a comprehensive whitepaper may speak to another audience better.

When brainstorming content marketing ideas, ask yourself the following questions:

  • What questions do customers frequently have about our products or services?
  • What information can I give to my customers that positions my business as a leader in the industry?
  • What content does my audience want or need to make a decision?

By answering these questions, you will start to uncover what content is useful to your customers. Now, it is your job to provide that content to your customers, keeping keyword research in mind, in a format that is engaging and easily digestible.

However, there are several types of content many organizations seem to avoid. Consider the following types of content that you probably aren?t creating currently, but you should:

1. Pricing/Cost

5-content-types-pricing-costIf you?ve done keyword research about your products or services, chances are you have come across data that shows people are searching for cost and pricing information.

People are always going to search for pricing and won?t make a decision until they find out. However, many businesses are afraid of creating content disclosing price and cost, assuming consumers expect exact pricing. Conversely, that isn?t the case most of the time.

You don?t have to specify the exact cost of a product or service in your blog post or on your landing page that discusses pricing. Instead, just address it by including a range or indicating an estimate. The truth is, you need to provide your customers this information. You will gain a huge competitive advantage if you are the only one in your industry creating content around pricing.

2. Comparisons

5-content-types-comparisonsOther types of content that consumers use to make purchasing decisions are comparisons and reviews. Again, some companies are concerned about creating content that compares their products to a competitor. However, if you can position your product or service to come out on top, does it matter that you mention your competitor?s name? Not really.

Think about the last time you shopped for a TV, car, phone, etc. You probably looked for reviews or comparisons. Maybe even searching for product 1 vs. product 2.

People want comparison and review content, so it is your job to create content featuring your product or service?that will be found by potential customers. Otherwise, you risk your competitors creating content in which their product or service outperforms yours.

3. Free Guides

5-content-types-free-guidesFree guides and whitepapers may require more of an investment than other content types, but are worth the venture in many industries. Free guides and whitepapers work well in marketing situations where one of your key focuses is to drive leads to your website, or build your email list.

Create free guides or whitepapers that can aid customers without giving away your business? proprietary processes, and give it away for free. Just require a name and email address in exchange for downloading the document. Don?t ask for too much information, as that may deter people from downloading the document.

Then, use collected email addresses to grow your marketing list and nurture those leads. Be sure your free guide or whitepaper offers great worth, as a low-value piece can discourage downloads, as well. The best part about this type of content (almost any type, really) is that once it?s produced and put online, it just keeps working for you for years to come.

4. Interviews

5-content-types-interviewsInterviews are a very simple way to provide great content to your audience while simultaneously positioning yourself as an expert in your industry. Interviews can be video or text-based ? both are easily consumed by consumers.

Start by reaching out to experts in your field and discuss moving forward with either a video or text-based interview format. For video interviews, schedule a time that works for both parties and record via Google+ Hangout or even Skype.

For text-based interviews, consider sending the interviewee 10-12 questions and ask him/her to answer as many as they are comfortable with. When finished, you have a blog post. By interviewing experts in your field, you become an expert as well, as your website provides expert information.

5. Video

5-content-types-videoBelieve it or not, creating video content is not as hard as you think, and it?s always getting easier. Between Google+ Hangouts, the ability to record Skype and webinar sessions, and almost everyone having access to some sort of video recording device, creating video content can?t get much simpler.

As previously mentioned, video interviews make great content pieces. Be sure to record webinars to repurpose them into video content. Also, don?t be afraid to shoot your own video. Use a smart phone camera or invest in a more serious camera and create video content about your products, services, team members and anything else that would be beneficial and interesting to your audience.

The key with video is to just jump in and start filming. You might leave a lot on the cutting room floor, but it will never happen if you don?t start filming.

In summary, there are many different types of content you can generate for your content marketing campaigns. However, it is crucial to consider the above types of content that can truly set you apart from your competition. These types of content are often overlooked by businesses but can provide customers with the information they need and are searching for. If you provide it ? you win!

Opinions expressed in the article are those of the guest author and not necessarily Marketing Land.

Related Topics: Content Marketing

Source: http://marketingland.com/5-types-of-content-you-probably-arent-creating-but-should-26190

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Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Confused With Robert Griffin III Jersey Online Marketing? Get started ...

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Build a media or ?PR? website on your web site that features newsworthy info about your company. Correspondents will almost always be seeking tale aspects plus your work is making it simpler for your personal company to get the story. By providing the mass media a boost using a press web page, you do have a higher probability of the storyline being regarding your company. Make sure you have got an obtain section that features your company?s brand name and essential organization images.

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One method to use website marketing for your business is to setup your blog about your product or service. Make repeated article about topics useful to your market niche market. Then use social media web sites to send out simple information concerning your content with back links attached. You will build a hype and increase web traffic in your blog.

When producing your web marketing plan, involve a few long-term objectives. Your day-to-day to do collection was created to generate revenue nevertheless the long-term good results of your web based business is dependent upon building a long list of tasks to be effective on, which will promote this revenue for years to come. Established a timeline for Robert Griffin III Jersey achieving certain activities.

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Source: http://mysixstringsblog.com/confused-with-robert-griffin-iii-jersey-online-marketing-get-started-here-using-this-type-of-sound-advice/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=confused-with-robert-griffin-iii-jersey-online-marketing-get-started-here-using-this-type-of-sound-advice

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New electrically conductive polymer nanoparticles can generate heat to kill colorectal cancer cells

ScienceDaily (Nov. 20, 2012) ? Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have modified electrically conductive polymers, commonly used in solar energy applications, to develop revolutionary polymer nanoparticles (PNs) for a medical application. When the nanoparticles are exposed to infrared light, they generate heat that can be used to kill colorectal cancer cells.

The study was directed by Assistant Professor of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Nicole H. Levi-Polyachenko, Ph.D., and done in collaboration with colleagues at the Center for Nanotechnology and Molecular Materials at Wake Forest University. This study was recently published online, ahead of print, in the journal, Macromolecular Bioscience.

Levi-Polyachenko and her team discovered a novel formulation that gives the polymers two important capabilities for medical applications: the polymers can be made into nanoparticles that are easily dispersed in water and generate a lot of heat when exposed to infrared light.

Results of this study showed that when colorectal cancer cells incubated with the PNs were exposed to five minutes of infrared light, the treatment killed up to 95 percent of cells. "The results of this study demonstrate how new medical advancements are being developed from materials science research," said Levi-Polyachenko.

The team made polymer nanoparticles and showed that they could undergo repeated cycles of heating and cooling without affecting their heating ability. This offers advantages over metal nanoparticles, which can melt during photothermal treatments, leading to a loss of heating efficiency. This also allows for subsequent treatments to target cells that are resistant to heat-induced killing.

A challenge with other electrically-conductive polymers that have recently been explored for photothermal therapy is that these other polymers absorb across a wide range of infrared light. Christopher M. MacNeill, Ph.D., post-doctoral researcher at Wake Forest and first author on the paper, noted that, "we have specifically used electrically-conductive polymers designed to absorb a very narrow region of infrared light, and have also developed small, 50-65nm, polymer nanoparticles in order to optimize both biological transport as well as heat transfer." For example, 50nm is about 2000 times smaller than a human hair.

In addition, the new PNs are organic and did not show any evidence of toxicity, alleviating concerns about the effect of nanoparticles that may potentially linger in the body.

"There is a lot more research that needs to be done so that these new nanoparticles can be used safely in patients," Levi-Polyachenko cautioned, "but the field of electrically-conductive polymers is broad and offers many opportunities to develop safe, organic nanoparticles for generating heat locally in a tissue. We are very enthusiastic about future medical applications using these new nanoparticles, including an alternative approach for treating colorectal cancer."

The study was funded by the Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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Story Source:

The above story is reprinted from materials provided by Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.

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


Journal Reference:

  1. Christopher M. MacNeill, Robert C. Coffin, David L. Carroll, Nicole H. Levi-Polyachenko. Low Band Gap Donor-Acceptor Conjugated Polymer Nanoparticles and their NIR-mediated Thermal Ablation of Cancer Cells. Macromolecular Bioscience, 2012; DOI: 10.1002/mabi.201200241

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

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

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/~3/ibhR_TYHM8Q/121120152413.htm

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Mike Beebe Relying on Lawmakers for Health Insurance Exchange ...

by Andrew DeMillo, The Associated Press
2 hours ago

LITTLE ROCK - Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe says he's relying on next year's legislative leaders to tell him whether there's support in the House and Senate for the state running its own insurance exchange under the federal health care law.

Beebe told reporters Monday that he hoped to meet after Thanksgiving with incoming Senate President Michael Lamoureux and House Speaker Davy Carter on the possibility of Arkansas having a state-run exchange. Beebe said last week he was considering a state-run exchange after the federal government extended the deadline to make a decision.

The state had initially been planning for a partnership with the federal government on an exchange.

Beebe said he wants Carter and Lamoureux to measure how much support there is among next year's legislators for a state-run exchange.

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

Source: http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/89080/mike-beebe-relying-on-lawmakers-for-health-insurance-exchange-decision

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PTPTN subsidises inferior education institutions - Malaysians Must ...


YOURSAY?'How many universities and colleges do we have for a population of 28 million? Around 70 and more?'

Dirty data behind PTPTN's mountain of debt

your saySwipenter:?The National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN) is one big scam for cronies to make money and to give a feel-good factor to unqualified people the illusion of being a college/university graduate.

How many universities and colleges do we have for a population of 28 million? Around 70 and more? It must be one of the highest ratios in the world.

Many of them are set up by Umno cronies. Besides building universities and colleges that offer sub-standard education, they also build hostels for students to stay, eat and play.

It is a numbers game. Get as many under-qualified high school students to be college or university students and get PTPTN to finance these students to sustain their operations.

Later, the unemployable graduates will have to go for further training. Another round of money-making for these cronies.

Now we, the taxpayers, have a RM50 billion potential write-off. No half-decent organisation can run debts that high and survive and still be so blurred as to who their current debtors are.

ML Ho:?PTPTN is not to help needy students but to fill the pockets of those fly-by-night university operators.

Students are just tools to transfer money from the left hand (the rakyat's money) to the right hand (university operators a.k.a cronies).

Those private college university operators are laughing all the way to the bank while the rakyat carry the RM50 billion baby and the cost to retrain a bunch of worthless graduates.

Anonymous #21828131: I knew all along that this disaster would happen. Try going to their office to make enquiries. Nothing seems to be in order. What has been repaid appears as unpaid and vice versa. Such is the incompetence of our PTPTN administrators.

It clearly shows a lack of supervision, accountability and responsibility by the people concerned. If only PTPTN officers had shown the competency of a bank, then things would have been much better. It is most unfair to those who diligently paid their loans.

These delinquent loans would be written off, I suppose. My fear is that with such dubious records and documentation, anywhere along the entire process, money could have been siphoned off as well.

Hero325:?No need to recover the debt; after all if Pakatan Rakyat takes over, it is free education all the way.

T:?So we have a government agency giving out loans with no idea how to recover them. How is this different from Pakatan's idea of abolishing PTPTN loans?

Oh yes, no opportunity for BN to give out dubious contracts worth millions and including miscellaneous administration costs.

All the BN economic geniuses who argued that the government will go bankrupt if PTPTN was abolished, better get out their calculators again.

Meranti Kepong:?This is the poor taxpayers' hard-earned cash. And it should not be abused by the students and the loan agency.

Every attempt must be made to collect back the money. The loan agency must give the public a complete breakdown of the loan to students.

Something must be done and this is a very serious financial oversight due to the Umno government closing both eyes.

Anonymous #19098644:?How incompetent can the BN administration be? Definitely they must have the identity card numbers of the borrowers.

All they need to do is run the IC number against the database of the National Registration Department (NRD) and the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

The EPF database will be the most updated and current. For those without an EPF account, they can cross reference with the social security and passport database.

People don't just disappear from the databases unless they are dead, have renounced their citizenship, or decided to disappear and become hermits in the jungle.

Blind Freddo:?Do you think the minister directed the PTPTN staff to be incompetent. Of course, he didn't - they did it all by themselves.

And that's a widespread fact that Malaysians refuse to acknowledge in their drive to blame everything on BN.

For over 20 years, the Australian system has been automatically deducting loan repayments once a student begins to earn above a threshold income.

All that is done without IC cards. But as usual, Malaysians know everything so are incapable of learning from either their own or other's experiences.

Bootsie:?This is a shocking revelation of utter abuse of the worst kind. Billions, not millions, of ringgit unaccounted for. It is too hard for the taxpayers to swallow.

Timothy:?PTPTN should use the small little Buku 555 for 'Pinjam, Hutang dan Bayaran' for each student. No need for web pages or servers. - Malaysiakini

Source: http://malaysiansmustknowthetruth.blogspot.com/2012/11/ptptn-subsidises-inferior-education.html

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Monday, November 19, 2012

Intel CEO Paul Otellini to retire in surprise move

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) ? Intel CEO Paul Otellini is retiring in May, giving the world's largest maker of microprocessors six months to find a new leader as it tries to navigate a shaky economy and adapt to a shift toward mobile devices that has reduced demand for its computer chips.

Although Otellini's impending departure was announced Monday, he notified Intel Corp.'s board of his retirement plan last Wednesday. The decision caught the board by surprise because Intel's protocol typically calls for its CEOs to step down when they turn 65. Otellini is 62.

"The decision was entirely Paul's," said Intel spokesman Paul Bergevin. "The board accepted his decision with regret."

Otellini will be ending a nearly 40-year career with Intel, including an eight-year stint as CEO. He joined the Santa Clara, Calif. company after graduating from the nearby University of California at Berkeley and worked his way up the ranks before succeeding Craig Barrett as CEO in 2005.

Intel's board plans to consider candidates inside and outside the company as it searches for Otellini's successor. Otellini will be involved in the search.

Otellini and the four other men who have been Intel's CEO have all been promoted from within. The company's board is believed to be leaning in that direction again.

Intel identified the leading internal candidates Monday by anointing three of Otellini's current lieutenants as executive vice presidents. They are: Renee James, head of Intel's software business; Brian Krzanich, chief operating officer and head of worldwide manufacturing; and Stacy Smith, chief financial officer and director of corporate strategy.

If recent history is any indication, Krzanich has the inside track to become Intel's CEO. Both Barrett and Otellini served as chief operating officer before becoming CEO.

Intel's chips have become even more dominant in the personal computer market during Otellini's reign, helping to boost the company's annual revenue from $39 billion in 2005 to $54 billion last year.

But Intel's future growth has become muddled as the computing market tilts toward smartphones and tablet computers, undercutting the demand for the desktop and laptop machines that have been the foundation of Intel's success for the past 30 years.

Many smartphones and tablets rely on a technology licensed from British chip designer ARM. Other chip makers such as Qualcomm Corp. have developed less expensive microprocessors that have eclipsed Intel in the smartphone market.

As a result, Intel is scrambling to catch up in the increasingly important mobile computing market, raising doubts among investors about the company's future prospects. Intel's stock has fallen about 15 percent so far this year. The stock gained a penny, hitting $20.20 in Monday's afternoon trading.

Like many other large technology companies that do a lot of business outside the U.S., Intel has been recently hurt by the weakening economy in Europe and China. The company blamed the poor economy for a 14 percent drop in its earnings during its most recent quarter.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/intel-ceo-paul-otellini-retire-surprise-move-171724641--finance.html

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Is PR right for your home business? - how to work from home

by Kerry Law

Work from Home Wisdom - Is PR right for your home business?If you?re a home business owner there will come a time when you feel you should be ?doing some PR?. But how do you know if PR will benefit your home business? Whether you go down the DIY route or hire a professional to do it for you, you?d better be sure any time and money spent will be worth it.

I?ve devised a mini test of essential questions to ask yourself before you make your decision:

Are you looking for a cost-efficient and effective way of promoting your home business?
Microsoft magnate Bill Gates once said, ?If I was down to the last dollar of my marketing budget, I?d spent it on PR?. But what?s so great about PR?
Landing editorial in a magazine or newspaper is the Holy Grail of third-party endorsement: a validation of your ?greatness? that an advert (clearly created by yourself) can never achieve.
This isn?t to say advertising or other marketing tactics aren?t worth doing, but if you want to avoid the hefty costs of advertising, PR gives you ?more bang for your buck?.

Do you have a clear idea of ?who? you want to promote your home business to?
In my career I?ve read so many briefs that carry the rather woolly objective to ?secure media coverage? as if ?the media? is one homogenous entity. Securing media coverage is about reaching out to your potential customers ? so what media do they consume? Do they listen to your local radio breakfast show and read the local newspaper? Do they prefer the Guardian over The Sun? Do they read lifestyle magazines or particular trade publications? Thinking about specific opportunities will help you create your media target list.

Do you have a clear idea of what you want to say? Does it pass the ?So what?? test?
As in, ?You?re selling a new product? So what?? It may sound a little harsh but journalists need stories and they use this litmus test to find the news. You may think that your first year in business is a great piece of news, but why does it matter to anyone else? If you can craft the story into something compelling, topical and (above all) relevant to readers/listeners, you?re passing the ?so what?? test.

Are you a control freak?
Yes? Then you?d better get ready to relinquish some control over how your story is told. Journalists don?t take kindly to being told exactly what to write (you?re not buying an advert) ? they?re here to report the facts that are of interest to their readers. What you tell them ? through your press release or interview ? highlights your key messages but the end result is out of your hands.

Are you in it for the long haul?
There are no quick fixes with PR. Sometimes a story will take off and generate acres of column inches; sometimes weeks of hard work will come to nothing if a bigger story bumps you off the pages. Whatever the outcome you need to sustain your PR activity to help maintain the media relationships you?ve started to build. It?s always hardest at the beginning but as momentum takes hold, PR could end up being the best investment you ever made?

Kerry Law runs KL PR + Communications offering PR and communications support and advice to organisations big and small. Follow her on Twitter @Amberlaw.

Source: http://www.workfromhomewisdom.com/2012/11/19/is-pr-right-for-your-home-business/

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Rockets fly over Israel and Gaza amid talk of truce - World News

A three-story building in Gaza was flattened by an overnight Israeli airstrike that was targeted at a Hamas militant. NBC's Richard Engel reports.

By NBC News staff and wire reports

Updated at 8:43 p.m. ET: As Israel entered its fifth day of airstrikes on Gaza, a missile targeted at a top militant flattened a three-story building, killing 10 members of a family.

The attack, which came as Middle East leaders attempted to negotiate a ceasefire, triggered fear that Israel could launch a ground offensive and lead to war.

Twelve people died in the overnight attack, including four children and four women. At least 75 Palestinians have died so far in this nearly week-long conflict. More than 600 have been injured.


In Israel, where half the country is now within reach of rockets, three people have been killed. Dozens have been injured.

More than a hundred rocket attacks were launched from Gaza, triggering more panic and fear in Israel's commercial capital where sirens were last heard during the Gulf War. NBC's Martin Fletcher reports.

In Tel-Aviv, the country?s commercial capital, sirens sounded for the first time since the Gulf War. Targeted attacks Sunday on the trendy city were shot down, the Christian Science Monitor reported.

Meanwhile, President Barack Obama said?he fully supported Israel's right to defend itself and called for an end to the firing of missiles into Israel by militants inside Gaza in order for a peace process to go ahead.

"If this can be accomplished without?a ramping up of military activity in Gaza, that is preferable," Obama said during a visit to Myanmar. "That's not just preferable for the people of Gaza, it's also preferable for Israelis because if Israeli troops are in Gaza they're much more at risk of incurring fatalities or being wounded."

The conflict between the two sides ratcheted up after Israel launched an air strike Wednesday that killed Ahmed al-Jabari, Hamas?s top military leader. Hamas, deemed a terrorist organization by the U.S. and Israel, won parliament seats in Gaza in 2006 and took control of the area in 2007.

Israel's declared goal is to deplete Gaza arsenals and press Hamas into stopping cross-border rocket fire that has plagued Israeli border towns for years.

After Jabari was killed, the Israel Defense Forces posted a video of the airstrike on YouTube. Then they tweeted: ?We recommend that no Hamas operatives, whether low level or senior leaders, show their faces above ground in the days ahead.?

In Cairo, Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi worked behind the scenes to broker a truce. He said "there are some indications that there is a possibility of a ceasefire soon, but we do not yet have firm guarantees.''

Egypt has mediated previous ceasefire deals between Israel and Hamas, the latest of which?unraveled?with recent violence.

In Jerusalem, an Israeli official declined to comment on the negotiations. Military commanders said Israel was prepared to fight on to achieve a goal of halting rocket fire from Gaza, which has plagued Israeli towns since late 2000, when failed peace talks led to the outbreak of a Palestinian uprising.

Diplomats at the United Nations said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is expected to visit Israel and Egypt in the coming week to push for an end to the fighting.

The conflict speaks to a much broader question of whether Israel should cede land so that Palestine may become a state. The U.N., European Union and Russia agree there should be separate states, with Gaza being included in the Palestinian state.

In May 2011, President Barack Obama also agreed: ?We believe the borders of Israel and Palestine should be based on the 1967 lines with mutually agreed swaps so that secure and recognized borders are established for both states.?

That would leave Israel with just nine miles at its narrowest, however, which its leaders say would be difficult to protect.

Related:

'Some indications' Hamas-Israeli truce is possible, Egypt says

Key players in the Israel-Gaza cross-border conflict

How Israel's 'Iron Dome' intercepts incoming rockets in Gaza conflict

Rockets from Gaza fired on Tel Aviv and Jerusalem

Ground offensive
Israel was prepared to substantially broaden its operation in the Gaza strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday as military planes continued to bomb targets in Gaza City.

"The Israel Defense Forces have attacked more than 1,000 terror targets in the Gaza Strip," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting. "We are exacting a heavy price from Hamas and the terrorist organizations and the Israel Defense Forces are prepared for a significant expansion of the operation."?

He gave no specifics and made no mention of the possibility of a ground offensive.?

But Israeli cabinet ministers decided on Friday to more than double the current reserve troop quota set for the Gaza offensive to 75,000 and around 16,000 reservists have already been called up.

Asked by reporters whether a ground operation was possible, Maj.-Gen. Tal Russo, commander of the Israeli forces on the Gaza frontier, said: "Definitely.''

?We have a plan. ... It will take time. We need to have patience. It won't be a day or two,'' he added.

A possible move into the densely populated Gaza Strip and the risk of major casualties it brings would be a significant gamble for Netanyahu, favored to win a January election.

The last Gaza war, a three-week Israeli blitz and invasion over the New Year of 2008-09, killed 1,400 Palestinians, mostly civilians. Thirteen Israelis died in the conflict.

'Huge bang'
At least two rockets fired from Gaza toward Tel Aviv, Israel's?commercial?capital, were shot down Sunday by Israel's Iron Dome air shield, witnesses and officials said.

NBC's Paul Goldman saw at least one missile being intercepted by Israel's anti-rocket defense system over the center of the city.

"I was taking cover and heard a huge bang," Goldman said. "(I) looked up and saw the explosion in the air above me. I could smell the fire."

Israel's strikes were causing widespread damage, Mohyeldin reported from Gaza.?"These strikes are portrayed as precision strikes, but they are anything but that given how densely populated the area is," he said.?

Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/18/15252420-rockets-fly-over-israel-and-gaza-amid-talk-of-truce

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Latin America looks to Europe for drug fighting models

CADIZ, Spain (Reuters) - Latin American countries are turning to Europe for lessons on fighting narcotics abuse after souring on the prohibition-style approach of the violent and costly U.S.-led war on drugs.

Until recently, most Latin American countries had zero-tolerance rules on drugs inspired by the United States.

But now countries from Brazil to Guatemala are exploring relaxing penalties for personal use of narcotics, following examples such as Spain and Portugal that have channeled resources to prevention rather than clogging jails.

Latin America is the top world producer of cocaine and marijuana, feeding the huge demand in the United States and Europe. Domestic drug use has risen and drug gang violence has caused carnage for decades from the Mexican-U.S. border to the slums of Brazil.

On Thursday, Uruguay's Congress moved a step closer to putting the state in charge of distributing legal marijuana. On the same day a leftist lawmaker in Mexico presented a bill to legalize production, sale and use of marijuana.

While the Mexican bill is unlikely to pass, it reflects growing debate over how to fight drug use in a country where 60,000 people have died since 2006 in turf battles between drug traffickers and clashes between cartels and security forces.

Even top world cocaine producer Colombia, a stalwart U.S. partner in drug crop eradication campaigns and with one of the toughest anti-drug laws in Latin America, is hinting at change.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos said on Thursday it was worth exploring the Portuguese model, one of the most liberal drug policies in the world.

"The experience that you have had with drug consumption policies is very interesting to us. The entire world is looking for new ways to deal with the problem. I hope to learn more and more about the experience you have had," he said on a visit to Lisbon.

Santos stopped in Portugal on his way to the Ibero-American summit in the Spanish city of Cadiz. Leaders there on Saturday called for analyzing a shift toward regulating drug use rather than criminalizing it.

Portugal decriminalized all drug use in 2001 to combat a serious heroin problem that had caused an outbreak of HIV/Aids among drug users. The shift has been hailed as a success story as consumption levels dropped below the European average.

"The positive evaluation of Portugal's model has taken away the fear in Latin America over reforms," said Martin Jelsma of the Transnational Institute, which advocates the liberalization of drug laws in Latin America.

Spain - where drug consumption soared in the 1980s after the end of the Franco dictatorship - has tried to fight high cocaine use by emphasizing treatment programs for addicts and declining to prosecute possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use.

Jelsma said cannabis initiatives such as Uruguay's have built on the experience in Catalonia and the Basque Country, in northern Spain, where the courts tolerate marijuana cultivation for personal use by members of social clubs.

FRUSTRATION OVER FOUR COSTLY DECADES

U.S. elections on November 6, when Colorado and the state of Washington legalized cannabis in defiance of federal laws, sharpened frustration among Latin American leaders.

"While in our countries a peasant is persecuted and jailed for growing half a hectare...in those two U.S. states now you can simply grow industrial amounts of marijuana and sell them with complete liberty. We cannot turn a blind eye to this huge imbalance," Mexican President Felipe Calderon told the Ibero-American summit on Saturday.

Calderon, whose military crackdown on drug cartels set off an orgy of violence in Mexico, expressed fatigue with calling on the United States and Europe to curtail drug use, saying U.S. drug consumers alone fuelled Mexico's drug war to the tune of $20 billion a year.

He said the legalization of pot in Colorado and Washington marked a paradigm shift.

"We have to ask what alternatives there are. Perhaps less money and less appetite would be generated if there was another way to regulate drugs," he said.

Ibero-American Secretary-General Enrique Iglesias said there was consensus in Latin America that the so-called war on drugs was not working, and called for new approaches to the problem.

Colombia, Peru and Bolivia produce the bulk of the world's cocaine. Mexico and Paraguay are the two biggest marijuana producers in the world, with the latter largely supplying its neighbors Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay.

The shift in Latin America thinking on drugs dates to a 2009 report by the former presidents of Brazil, Colombia and Mexico who said that billions of dollars poured into four decades of U.S.-led crop eradication efforts had merely pushed drug growing from one region to another.

Calderon's speech in Cadiz was just the latest in a growing chorus of challenges to U.S. drug policies.

At a summit of American leaders in April, U.S. President Barack Obama faced vocal doubts from his southern counterparts over anti-drug policies.

Guatemalan President Otto Perez has openly proposed decriminalizing certain drugs. Guatemala, Mexico's neighbor to the south, has been torn apart by drug violence and corruption by narcos has deeply penetrated government institutions.

Ten years ago the United States might have reacted with alarm to the shift in Latin America. But Obama's administration has refrained from openly criticizing changes in drug laws, partly because U.S. attitudes are also in flux.

NEW ROADS TO EUROPE

Spain was long a gateway for South American cocaine into Europe, although experts suggest cocaine trafficking is now moving through southeastern and eastern Europe, along Balkan routes and into harbors in Latvia and Lithuania.

The European drug monitoring agency EMCDDA said in its annual report cocaine seizures in Europe peaked at 120 metric tons in 2006 and had declined since to 61 metric tons in 2010.

Spain remains the country that reports the highest number of cocaine seizures but they have also fallen there as authorities stepped up policing of the southern coast.

Still, Spain is concerned over the potential for Latin American traffickers to set up European operations on its territory.

In August, Spanish police arrested four members of Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, one of world's biggest criminal organizations. One of them is a cousin of Joaquin "Shorty" Guzman, the head of the cartel and Mexico's most wanted man.

(Additional reporting by Daniel Avarenga and Axel Bugge in Lisbon; Editing by Angus MacSwan)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/latin-america-looks-europe-drug-fighting-models-135915268.html

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China's Indigenous Innovation Policy and the Semiconductor Industry

Thursday, December 13, 2012 - 9:00am - 10:30am

The Information Technology and Innovation Foundation

China?s semiconductor industry poses an interesting advanced manufacturing puzzle: Why is it that, despite massive government efforts to build indigenous innovation and production capabilities, Chinese firms still play a very limited role in semiconductor production, integrated circuit design, and innovation?

Dieter Ernst will discuss how China?s indigenous innovation semiconductor policy fails to take into account the importance of industry structure for firm-level innovation capacity. Due to its deep integration into the global semiconductor value chain, China?s semiconductor industry (or at least a part of it) follows a trajectory that seems to be quite different from the government-sponsored strategy of ?indigenous innovation? and its focus on the development of ?Strategic Emerging Industries?. These two faces of ?innovative China? coexist, but so far with little interaction. This raises an important question for China?s innovation strategy: Is China adequately accounting for the unintended costs of ?indigenous innovation?, and how can China combine the benefits of both innovation strategies?

Source: http://www.itif.org/events/chinas-indigenous-innovation-policy-and-semiconductor-industry

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Read tutorial here, then play in a one-day NFL or NBA fantasy contest with @FanD...

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Saturday, November 17, 2012

Airtel, UNESCO to introduce community radio in Ngorongoro

Airtel Tanzania in collaboration with UNESCO is expected to launch a formal community radio tomorrow in the Ololosokwami village in Ngorongoro, Arusha.

Airtel Director for Communications, Beatrice Singano said that the celebration of the launch of the community radio will be attended and officiated by Minister for Communications, Science and Technology Professor Makame Mbarawa.

She explained that, ?Airtel and UNESCO has fulfilled its commitment to reach more people especial in rural areas through communication as well as helping women in communities particularly marginalized mothers who have been left behind without having their roles and contribution to the community recognized.

?This project will help eliminate the current challenges and wrong practices including outdated traditions, poor education, superstitious beliefs, poverty, sexual abuse and rapid growth of HIV and AIDS and so many other problems,? said Singano.

She added that, ?preparations for the opening ceremony have been completed, radio broadcasting is expected to cover Ololosokwani and 14 neighboring villages; also through various Airtel products and services including Airtel money service resident of Ololosokwani and neighboring villages will conveniently and easily get access to financial services she added Singano.

Commenting on the installation of radio equipments, the UNESCO Project Officer for information and communication Yusuph Al Amin said, ?Our social project has been completed; we thank Airtel and all stakeholders for their cooperation and support in completing this goal.

He added that, ?this plant will provide communication to all residents in Ololosokwani and neighboring villages; we have also developed a multimedia center for residents to visit and integrate with a sophisticated network of Airtel internet.?
Other beneficiaries of Community Radio projects includes; Sengerema Mwanza, Karagwe Kagera, Chake Chake Pemba, Makunduchi Unguja, Pangani Tanga, Kyela Mbeya and Kalama Shinyanga.

Source: http://www.ibn-tv.com/2012/11/airtel-unesco-to-introduce-community-radio-in-ngorongoro/

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Slow loris: Endangered for being cute

The slow loris, a tiny creature from the jungle with oh-so-probing eyes, looks like a furry cartoon character. Few had ever heard of this animal until it became a Youtube sensation, attracting millions of views, but that is what's threatening the animal's existence.

Watch the full story on "Nightline" tonight at 11:35 p.m. ET

Dr. Anna Nekaris, a primatologist at Oxford Brookes University and one of the world's only slow loris experts, met "Nightline" at one of the few zoos that keeps lorises, the Paignton Zoo in Southwest England. She said this nocturnal primate, found in indo-China, Vietnam and Cambodia, is endangered - up to 90 percent have been wiped out.

For all 10 species of lorises, illegal trade "is their number one threat," she said.

The BBC and Animal Planet followed the elusive and obscure slow loris into the jungle with Nekaris as she studied them on the Indonesian island of Java. She is hoping to find out what can be done to save the slow loris from extinction, and why the loris is the only mammal with a venomous bite - something she found out the hard way six years ago.

"It's not a pleasant experience because, like a snake bite, it can decay and fester and the wound takes quite a long time to heal," she said. "It can throb for days and days. They can bite straight through your fingernail and into the bone."

In Southeast Asia, villagers say a loris bite can be lethal. Nekaris explained that when the animal goes into a "defensive posture," it will raise its arms above its head and squeeze them tightly. This pulls oil from its armpits into its mouth, she said, mixing it with saliva, to deliver its venomous bite. Its growl even mimics a cobra.

But while she was studying its venom, Nekaris also discovered the loris is rapidly disappearing from the jungle, and those heart-melting Youtube videos are part of the problem.

The adorable lorises have become coveted pets, especially in Japan, Russia and the Persian Gulf. On the illegal animal market in Asia, Nekaris said their venomous teeth are removed with nail clippers and are sold for $25. When smuggled out of the country, they can be worth thousands.

"People don't understand that these are illegal pets," she said. "They think they can have one. They see it as being cute."

Animal Planet's world premiere of "Frontier Earth" airs on Tuesday, Nov. 20 at 8 p.m. ET.

Also Read

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/slow-loris-endangered-being-cute-170101877--abc-news-tech.html

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IRS Sued for Lax Response to Church Politicking

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a federal lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over its lax response to church politicking.

The group argues that the tax agency is violating the Constitution by allowing tax-exempt churches and religious organizations to get involved in political campaigns.

The suit points to several examples, including a full page newspaper ad by the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

The ad, which showed a photo of Rev. Billy Graham, urged Americans to vote along biblical principles.

The 94-year-old evangelist also met with Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney in October and promised to do all he could to help him win the election.

The lawsuit argues that the IRS is giving preferential treatment to religious groups over other tax- exempt organizations.

Source: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/November/IRS-Sued-for-Lax-Response-to-Church-Politicking/

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Confused About Commercial Real Estate? Follow These Tips And ...

People are attracted to commercial real estate investing for a number of reasons. The best rationale is built on your own fundamental knowledge of the market. The more knowledgeable you are, the more profitable you can become. Hopefully these pointers will help guide you in the right direction to expand your knowledge base of commercial real estate while maximizing your profits.

It is important to understand that each property has a valuable life. It?s important to factor maintenance costs into your projections of what you?ll need to spend on the property over the long term. It may need something like a brand new roof, or an updated electrical system. All buildings go through these kinds of phases; some more than others. Plan for these repairs as they will happen in the future.

If you?d like to rent out the properties you purchase, it?s best to buy a simple building with solid construction. Tenants are more likely to move in when they know the property is well taken care of. Because these properties are in great condition, the property owners and the occupants will have a simpler time with basic maintenance service.

How does the firm you?re considering measure their results? Find out what they mean when they say a property has enough space, that a negotiation went well or other critical factors used in assessing and acquiring commercial property. It is important to know these answers before you engage them to work for you.

Make sure that you invest some time researching local income levels and other factors, such as unemployment rates or local employers plans for expanding or contracting their businesses before you invest a large amount of funds into real estate. Think about what locations are near where you are thinking of buying. Hot spots are usually around places like hospitals or universities because the surrounding neighborhood is going to be more lively and open with jobs available.

Take a tour of any property that you are interested in. It?s a good idea to hire a building contractor to come with you and do on-the-spot inspections of properties you are considering. Submit a first offer and solicit counteroffers. Before making any commitment, you should carefully evaluate each offer and counteroffer.

When you are buying or selling commercial real estate, always negotiate. Make sure that you are heard and that you fight for a fair price for the property.

Ensure your legal and financial safety by thoroughly examining the disclosures of a potential real estate agent. Dual agency is a possibility that you need to be aware of. Dual agency in real estate is when the agency works for both parties. This means the agency works for the tenant and the landlord at the same time. If this is the case, and the agent is a dual agent, this should be known to both parties and agreed to by both parties.

Try to consider feng shui when you are looking to buy commercial properties and for your office at home. Two fundamentals of feng shui are the removal of clutter and having a lot of open space. Both of these will also be attractive to prospective buyers.

There are a ton of good reasons to use commercial real estate as an investment, but you need to know a bit about it before you begin. The tactics presented here provide a groundwork of information that you can use to break into the commercial real estate investing scene.

When financing for commercial real estate investments, you need to make sure that you have your financial statements on hand. If you don?t have these, banks won?t know how you manage your money, which might cause them not to lend the amount of money that you need.

You have to keep learning until the end of your days. This advice will get you started, but there is always more to learn. Do your research and use new information today.

Source: http://www.davidstanleyredfern.com/general-news/confused-about-commercial-real-estate-follow-these-tips-and-suggestions

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Friday, November 9, 2012

Changing times: Politicians' tears more common now

In this still image from a BarackObama.com campaign video, President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he thanks members of his campaign staff and volunteers in Chicago, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012. The short speech came a day after he won re-election. The president talks about his work as a community organizer in Chicago and tells staffers and volunteers that they will do "amazing things" in their lives. Obama becomes emotional when he says that even before the election results, he felt the work he had done "had come full circle." He tells staff members that he is proud of the work they did, then pauses to wipe away tears. (AP PhotoBarackObama.com)

In this still image from a BarackObama.com campaign video, President Barack Obama wipes away tears as he thanks members of his campaign staff and volunteers in Chicago, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2012. The short speech came a day after he won re-election. The president talks about his work as a community organizer in Chicago and tells staffers and volunteers that they will do "amazing things" in their lives. Obama becomes emotional when he says that even before the election results, he felt the work he had done "had come full circle." He tells staff members that he is proud of the work they did, then pauses to wipe away tears. (AP PhotoBarackObama.com)

FILE This Sunday, March 4, 2012 file photo shows Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, who claimed victory in Russia's presidential election, with tears running down his face up as he reacts at a massive rally of his supporters at Manezh square outside Kremlin, in Moscow. It seems a strange sight: The president of the United States, sometimes called the most powerful person in the world, breaking down in tears thanking campaign workers for their tireless _ and ultimately successful _ work on his behalf. But Barack Obama isn't the only world leader unashamed or unable to avoid being seen crying in public. Putin is a judo fan and hunting aficionado known in part for his physical fitness. But that didn't stop him from welling up with tears in March after he was returned to power in a difficult election battle marred by public protests.(AP Photo/Ivan Sekretarev)

FILE This Feb. 26, 1972 file photo shows Sen. Edmund Muskie, D-Maine, denounces conservative Manchester Union Leader publisher William Loeb in front of the newspaper's Manchester, N.H., building. Muskie's emotional speech came as he campaigned for the New Hampshire primary and the Democratic presidential nomination, which slid off the tracks after it was reported that he had cried in response to the newspaper's attack on his wife. Muskie sustained until his death that it had been melted snowflakes, not a tear, in his eye. It seems a strange sight: The president of the United States, sometimes called the most powerful person in the world, breaking down in tears thanking campaign workers for their tireless _ and ultimately successful _ work on his behalf. But Barack Obama isn't the only world leader unashamed or unable to avoid being seen crying in public. (AP Photo, File)

FILE This Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1990 file photo shows Margaret Thatcher making a statement to reporters as she leaves No. 10 Downing Street, Westminster on for Buckingham Palace where she will resign as Prime Minister to Queen Elizabeth II. It seems a strange sight: The president of the United States, sometimes called the most powerful person in the world, breaking down in tears thanking campaign workers for their tireless _ and ultimately successful _ work on his behalf. But Barack Obama isn't the only world leader unashamed or unable to avoid being seen crying in public. The enduring image of Margaret Thatcher's departure from office is the tearful face captured by photographers in 1990 as she left the prime minister's official residence at 10 Downing Street for the last time after 11 years as prime minister.(AP Photo/Martin Cleaver)

FILE This Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 file photo shows House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio with tears in his eyes as he celebrates the GOP's victory that changes the balance of power in Congress and will likely elevate him to speaker of the House, during an election night gathering hosted by the National Republican Congressional Committee at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington. It seems a strange sight: The president of the United States, sometimes called the most powerful person in the world, breaking down in tears thanking campaign workers for their tireless _ and ultimately successful _ work on his behalf. But Barack Obama isn't the only world leader unashamed or unable to avoid being seen crying in public. As Speaker of the House, Republican John Boehner holds one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government _ and he cries so frequently that Twitter jokesters have taken to calling him the weeper of the house. He tears up easily, particularly when talking about the American dream. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen)

It seems out of place: The president of the United States breaking down in tears as he thanked campaign workers for their tireless work for his re-election.

But Barack Obama isn't the only world leader unashamed to be seen crying in public ? or simply unable to avoid it. Attitudes seem to have changed since the early 1970s, when an alleged crying incident during the presidential primary season went a long way toward derailing the candidacy of a Maine senator.

The teary trend has picked up speed in recent years, or perhaps it has just been noticed more often because of ubiquitous TV, still and cellphone cameras. Here are some recent examples:

THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU

Victorious in his re-election campaign, Obama cried while giving a speech to his campaign staff and volunteers. He told the gathered young people there was no limit to what they could accomplish. The speech touched on his start as a community organizer in Chicago and reflected his faith that his young volunteers and staff would accomplish great things in the decades to come.

It was an emotional side of Obama that had rarely been visible during the long, often negative, campaign.

EVEN STRONG MEN CRY

Russian President Vladimir Putin is a judo fan and hunting aficionado known in part for his physical fitness. But that didn't stop him from welling up in March after he was returned to power in a difficult election battle marred by public protests. It was a break with Kremlin tradition in a country where leaders are rarely seen to show emotions.

A defiant Putin proclaimed that he and his followers had beaten back opponents determined to destroy Russia's statehood and usurp power.

The tears were ridiculed by his political opponents and drew some sarcastic comments from political foes in the United States, but did not seem to harm his standing.

NOT READY TO LEAVE

She was known as a strong, even imperious leader who thrived on power politics and led Britain in the war to recover the Falklands Islands. But the enduring image of Margaret Thatcher's departure from office is the tearful face captured by photographers in 1990 as she left 10 Downing Street for the last time.

The "iron lady" was removed as party leader and prime minister after 11 years in power and replaced by John Major. The crying incident is remembered as offering a rare glimpse into her personal feelings, which were typically kept far from public view.

GOODBYE, MAN FROM MAINE

Maine Sen. Edmund Muskie was a front-runner in the race for the 1972 Democratic presidential nomination until he appeared to break down while defending his wife from an attack by an influential New Hampshire newspaper.

Muskie always claimed it was snowflakes, not tears, but the damage had been done. His supposed crying was perceived as a show of weakness and instability, and his campaign never recovered. His rival, Sen. George McGovern, won the nomination, but was later trounced by President Richard Nixon. Although Muskie's presidential hopes were dashed, he later became Secretary of State under President Jimmy Carter.

THE WEEPER OF THE HOUSE

As Speaker of the House, Republican John Boehner holds one of the most powerful positions in the U.S. government ? and he cries so frequently that Twitter jokesters have taken to calling him the weeper of the house. He tears up easily, particularly when talking about the American dream.

He's been known to cry at school events or when fielding questions from constituents or when talking about his family. A well-watched YouTube clip captures him choking up with tears when talking about the need to combat terrorism and provide safety and security for Americans.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-09-Politicians'%20Tears/id-9ca7c186289247199fefccd46bf875b8

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