Wissahickon, union set to return to table as teachers contract looms

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LOWER GWYNEDD ? Contract negotiations between the Wissahickon School Board and the Wissahickon Education Alliance (Support) union continue this month, but a new problem may arise as the district?s contract with its teachers is set to expire this year.

While representatives of the district and the WEA (Support) union ? whose members include secretaries, classroom aides, bus drivers, custodians, maintenance personnel, lunch assistants, technical assistants, grounds personnel, security personnel and nursing assistants ? continue the ongoing contract negotiations Jan. 15, some have begun to wonder what might happen if talks continue to stall for much longer, considering the contract with the WEA (Professional) ? the union for the district?s teachers ? ends June 30 and negotiations regarding the new contract begin this month.

The WEA originally announced a strike set for Oct. 29, 2012, after the board rejected a final plea to reconsider a third-party fact-finding report regarding terms for a new contract. The two sides then agreed to come back to the table and the WEA-S canceled the strike for a 45-day ?cooling off period,? which allowed for further discussions. While talks have continued, at this point, no deal appears in sight.

WEA Co-President Ann Marie McDowell said in a formal statement she hoped the bargaining session would be productive. She said the union encourages the district to move off of its position to ?strip benefits from members? and the ?threat to subcontract? the special education department.

?It is difficult to predict the future but as I see it, if the district is unwilling to settle the support staff contract which makes up a small portion of the district?s budget with the funds already set aside, the likeliness that the teachers contract will settle prior to the expiration date ? is slim to none,? she said.

She said the WEA leadership has many options to consider, including merging the two contracts, and are weighing the pros and cons.

?As it stands, Joann and I will be bargaining both contacts simultaneously and we hope that the district is prepared for the pressure that will bring from the community,? she said. ?Again, this is an affordable contract, that will not cause a tax increase that the taxpayers have already paid for. It is time release the funds, settle and move on.?

District chief negotiator Jeffrey Sultanik said the potential situation of two simultaneous negotiations is ?not unusual.? He said the City of Philadelphia, for example, deals with ?umpteen unions at one time? so it shouldn?t pose a problem for the two unions to negotiate new contracts.

He said the only potential problem that he could foresee would be if both unions held bargaining sessions at the same time because it would be impossible for negotiators to be in two places at once.

Source: http://www.timesherald.com/article/20130112/NEWS01/130119838/wissahickon-union-set-to-return-to-table-as-teachers-contract-looms

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Is the White House blowing the debt limit fight?

Is the White House blowing the debt limit fight?

Political Wire:

Paul Krugman gets a call from the White House after they rejected the trillion dollar coin idea to stave off default on the nation?s bonds:

?The White House insists that it is absolutely, positively not going to cave or indeed even negotiate over the debt ceiling ? that it rejected the coin option as a gesture of strength, as a way to put the onus for avoiding default entirely on the GOP.?

Wall Street Journal: ?The White House also has rejected another escape clause: invoking the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution and borrowing more even if Congress hasn?t acted.

An unnamed Democratic Senate aide told Business Insider?s Joe Weisenthal, ?It?s certainly a strange negotiating strategy to go out of your way to decrease your leverage by taking options off the table.?

I?m taking ?strange? to mean ?bad,? because it sure looks stupid. The White House has released a statement that partly explains their reasoning:

?There are only two options to deal with the debt limit: Congress can pay its bills or they can fail to act and put the nation into default,? said Press Secretary Jay Carney. ?When Congressional Republicans played politics with this issue last time putting us at the edge of default, it was a blow to our economic recovery, causing our nation to be downgraded. The President and the American people won?t tolerate Congressional Republicans holding the American economy hostage again simply so they can force disastrous cuts to Medicare and other programs the middle class depend on while protecting the wealthy. Congress needs to do its job.?

Yes, the last time Republicans held the debt limit hostage it blew up in their face. Maybe they?re spooked by that ? but maybe they?re not. It?s pointless to gamble when you?ve got a sure thing. I have no idea why they?re throwing every bargaining chip they have away and depending on the Republicans to behave rationally.

It makes no damned sense at all.

Source: http://quickhits.tumblr.com/post/40429500336/is-the-white-house-blowing-the-debt-limit-fight

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Liveaboards living the South Florida dream | Photos

When visiting Harry Powell's home, where does one knock? There's no doorbell, no front door.

A visitor has to carefully climb a short wooden ladder, maneuver around ropes and hatches to finally land on his teak deck. Then just call out his name.

For Powell and his fellow seafaring South Florida neighbors, home is where they hang their life jackets.

They are liveaboards, people who live on boats, enjoying the "Jimmy Buffett lifestyle." And winter is their high season, when local marinas get a wave of aquatic transplants dropping anchor for the warmer weather. Many of them are out-of-town regulars who become members of floating neighborhoods of old salts, divorced men, couples and families. Others are locals who head to the water to save money, or live out a dream.

At Marina Bay in Fort Lauderdale, there are about 20 annual liveaboards and about 15 new ones this winter. Their vessels average 30 to 50 feet, said Jason Taplin, the marina's general manager.

It's not a lifestyle just for anyone, he said. Some cabins are big enough for a double bed. Closet space is limited, so clothes are stored in cubby holes or in parked cars at the marina. Liveaboards must squeeze into small bathrooms and showers in their vessels, or head to the marina to freshen up.

But seasoned and novice liveaboards don't sweat the small stuff.

"This is why,'' said Sande Strong, pointing across the Intracoastal Waterway, under the sun-filled sky at City Marina in Delray Beach. More than half of the slips here are occupied by liveaboards, and there's a waiting list. Slips are typically on a first-come, first-serve basis. Some marinas also have boat-size restrictions.

Strong, 69, and husband James sat in recliners on the deck of their 52-foot cruiser, "Miss Sande," on a recent morning.

"Isn't it beautiful back here?'' she said. "As we got older, we wanted to live on a boat.''

"Before we got too old,'' added James Strong, 73, a retired restaurateur whose daughter runs the family business, Sande's in Delray.

Aboard their vessel, the couple have all the amenities of city living: a washer and dryer, dish washer, fireplace and DirecTV. They pay $900 a month in rent to the marina. They park a few feet away from their slip. They do have a Shih Tzu named Emma and cat named Louie.

"You don't have a basement. You don't have an attic, but you don't take a lot of stuff with you,'' Sande Strong said.

The couple said they also save on property taxes by living on the water. "All you do is pay rent,'' said Sande Strong.

In Dania Beach, first-time liveaboards Jocelyne Chretien and Jean Denis Boucher are also enjoying their aquatic lifestyle.

"It's just a different way of living,'' said Chretien as she and her husband relaxed in the back of their 36-foot, blue-and-white sailboat, the "Bourdoux," which represents an old family name.

They docked at the Royale Palm Yacht Basin in November, after leaving Lake Champlain in September. The couple live just outside Montreal and have been traveling down the coast, making stops in Atlantic City and Norfolk before arriving in Broward County.

"The backyard is my universe,'' said Chretien, a retired notary who has been sharing the couple's adventures ? including close-ups with colossal cruise ships in Port Everglades ? with family and friends on their website, boudoux.ca.

"The view always changes. You don't have a street or a garage in front of you all the time. Today, it's this view,'' she said, pointing to the bobbing boats in the basin. "Tomorrow, it's a dolphin on the side of your boat or a sea turtle."

"You don't rely on anybody but yourself,'' added her first mate, a labor relations lawyer, propping open the berth's hidden compartments filled with bottled water, soda, chips, fruits and canned foods, coffee and fruits.

Source: http://www.sun-sentinel.com/about/tribune-search/fl-liveaboards-south-florida-20130113,0,5483198.story?track=rss

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Miss Senior California Pageant seeks contestants over 60

The Ms. Senior California Pageant is looking for contestants in the Inland Empire for a preliminary pageant that will be held in March 2013, with the top two contestants competing in a statewide pageant.

Women 60 years or older can contact the pageant's Inland Empire director, Charlene Tackaberry, at 951-687-2464 or Charlene@griffinpropertymanagement.com.

Applications must be submitted and approved by Feb. 23. The preliminary pageant will be held at 1:30 p.m. March 16 at Cambria at Riverwalk Senior Apartments, 4725 Sierra Vista Avenue in Riverside.

The pageant is based on an interview, modeling an evening gown, sharing a philosophy of life statement and talent.

The 26th annual Ms. Senior California Pageant is intended to encourage senior women to "stay vital and connected with life" and be role models for younger generations. It is scheduled for August.

Source: http://www.sbsun.com/ci_22341365/miss-senior-california-pageant-seeks-contestants-over-60?source=rss_emailed

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Roadside bomb kills 14 Pakistani soldiers

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) ? A roadside bomb hit a Pakistani army convoy Sunday in a mountainous militant stronghold in the northwest, killing 14 soldiers, one of the deadliest attacks against the army in that sector, intelligence officials said.

The North Waziristan tribal area is a major trouble spot that the military has been reluctant to tackle. The remote region is home to Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaida militants at war with the government. It is also used as a sanctuary by other militants who have focused their attacks in neighboring Afghanistan.

The attack Sunday occurred near Dosalli village in North Waziristan, said Pakistani intelligence officials. The blast destroyed two vehicles and damaged a third, they said.

The 14 dead and 20 wounded were brought to a military hospital in the nearby town of Miran Shah, the officials said.

Pakistani military officials confirmed the bombing but said four soldiers were killed and 11 others wounded. The discrepancy could not immediately be reconciled.

Then officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to reporters.

The Pakistani military is worried that if it targets its enemies in North Waziristan, that could trigger a backlash whereby other militants in the area turn against Pakistan. The most powerful group in the area, the Afghan Haqqani network, is also believed to be seen by the army as a potential ally in Afghanistan after foreign forces withdraw, making a military offensive even more complicated.

North Waziristan has been a sore point in relations between Pakistan and the United States. Washington has repeatedly pushed Islamabad to launch an operation in the area, especially against the Haqqani network, considered one of the most dangerous groups fighting in Afghanistan. But Pakistan has refused.

North Waziristan has also become an increasing problem for Pakistan. It is the only part of the tribal region where the army has not conducted an offensive, and many Pakistani Taliban militants have fled there to escape army operations. The Taliban and their allies have staged hundreds of attacks across Pakistan that have killed thousands of people.

One of those allies, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, carried out a twin bombing at a billiards hall in the southwest city of Quetta on Thursday that killed 86 people. The attack targeted minority Shiite Muslims, whom many radical Sunnis consider heretics.

Thousands of Shiites protested in Quetta for a third day Sunday, pressing their demands for greater security by blocking a main road with dozens of coffins of relatives killed in the attack on the billiards hall.

Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf traveled to Quetta on Sunday and met with representatives from the Shiite community in an attempt to pacify the protesters, said Dawood Agha, who attended the meeting.

The country's religious affairs minister failed the day before to persuade them to bury those killed in attack.

The group is demanding that the provincial government be dismissed and the army take over responsibility for the city, Shiite leader Ibrahim Hazara said.

On Saturday the prime minister ordered authorities to give policing powers to paramilitary forces in Quetta to improve law and order, but the move did not appear to satisfy the protesters.

More than 400 Shiites died in attacks in Pakistan in 2012, the deadliest year in history for the minority sect, according to Human Rights Watch. The rights group has accused the government of not doing enough to protect Shiites.

Also Sunday, a Pakistani cleric and thousands of his supporters left the eastern city of Lahore on a "long march" to demand sweeping election reforms before national elections expected this spring.

Police officer Suhail Sukhera estimated the crowd to be at least 15,000. They left for Islamabad in hundreds of buses, cars and trucks. Some waved flags and pictures of the 61-year-old Sunni Muslim cleric, while others shouted, "Revolution is our goal, brave and religious leader Qadri."

Critics of Qadri, who returned last month after years in Canada, are worried he is bent on derailing elections, possibly at the behest of the country's powerful military ? allegations the cleric has denied.

Qadri has a large following that extends outside Pakistan and has a reputation for speaking out against terrorism and promoting his message through hundreds of books, an online television channel and videos.

Now, Qadri's focus is on Pakistan's election laws. He is suggesting vaguely worded changes, such as making sure candidates are honest as well as ending exploitation and income disparities so that poor people are free to vote for whomever they want.

His plan to hold a massive rally in Islamabad on Monday has alarmed many members of Pakistan's political system. The government has deployed a large number of police throughout the capital and set up shipping containers to block protesters from reaching sensitive areas.

Qadri accused the provincial government of Punjab, where Lahore is the capital, of harassing his supporters Sunday to make it difficult for them to participate in the march.

"These negative tactics will not work, and God willing the march will reach Islamabad with a sea of people," Qadri told reporters.

___

Associated Press writers Rasool Dawar in Peshawar, Pakistan, and Zaheer Babar in Lahore, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/roadside-bomb-kills-14-pakistani-soldiers-120150910.html

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Women's college basketball: Stephen F. Austin at ORU

5 p.m. Saturday

Mabee Center

Radio: KYAL am1550

SFA (6-9, 1-3 Southland)

		Ht.	Pt.	Rb.
F	Carter	6-0	8.9	5.9
F	Harris	5-10	7.2	3.7
F	Henderson	5-11	7.5	4.9
C	Roberts	6-2	12.4	7.5
G	Jerrell	5-5	7.9	2.3*

ORU (5-8, 2-1 Southland)

		Ht.	Pt.	Rb.
F	Cooper	6-0	9.5	4.5
C	Shelton	6-3	8.6	3.4
G	Buck	6-0	3.4	5.7
G	Luper	5-10	20.1	3.5
G	Bigham	5-6	9.2	7.3*

*assists per game

Oral Roberts is introducing itself to potential new rivals as a first-year member of the Southland Conference.

The get-to-know-you process continues at 5 p.m. Saturday, when the Golden Eagles face Stephen F. Austin for the first time since the 1985-86 season (ORU coach Misti Cussen was a ninth-grader then).

The Golden Eagles are 3-1 against Southland competition, losing only a three-point game at Nicholls State one week ago.

Kevi Luper and Jaci Bigham have been program cornerstones since their freshman seasons. The start of Southland Conference play seems to have brought out the best in their supporting cast.

Junior center and SMU transfer Sarah Shelton is averaging a team-best 16.7 points in league games. She has scored 103 points this season and 50 came in ORU's three conference games.

Freshman Taylor Cooper is averaging 13.0 points and is shooting 44.4 percent from 3-point range in conference games.

Junior Christian Key is shooting 55.6 percent from the field in league games and is averaging 9.7 points against Southland opponents. She entered this season with a career scoring average of 4.1 points.

Source: http://www.tulsaworld.com/site/articlepath.aspx?articleid=20130112_95_B3_hWOMEN315741&rss_lnk=95

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6 arrested in new rape of a bus passenger in India

NEW DELHI (AP) ? Police said they arrested six men on Saturday in another gang rape of a bus passenger in India, four weeks after a deadly attack on a student on a moving bus in the capital outraged Indians and led to calls for tougher rape laws.

Police officer Raj Jeet Singh said a 29-year-old woman was the only passenger on a bus as she was traveling to her village in northern Punjab state on Friday night. He said the driver did not stop at her village despite her repeated pleas and drove her to a desolate location, where he and the conductor took her to a nearby building. He said they were joined by five friends, and they took turns raping her throughout the night.

The driver dropped the woman off at her village early Saturday, he said.

Singh said police arrested six suspects on Saturday and were searching for another.

The brutal rape of a 23-year-old student on a New Delhi bus in December set off an impassioned debate about what India needs to do to prevent such tragedies. Protesters and politicians have called for tougher rape laws, police reforms and a transformation in the way the country treats women.

In her first published comments Sunday, the mother of the deceased student said all six suspects in that case, including one believed to be a juvenile, deserve to die.

She was quoted by The Times of India newspaper as saying that her daughter told her that the youngest suspect had participated in the most brutal aspects of the rape.

Five men have been charged with the student's rape and murder and face a possible death penalty if convicted. The sixth suspect, who says he is 17 years old, is likely to be tried in a juvenile court if medical tests confirm he is a minor. His maximum sentence would be three years in a reform facility.

"Now the only thing that will satisfy us is to see them punished. For what they did to her, they deserve to die," the newspaper quoted the mother as saying.

Some activists have demanded a change in Indian laws so that juveniles committing heinous crimes can face the death penalty.

The names of the victim of the Dec. 16 attack and her family have not been released.

The physiotherapy student died from massive internal injuries in a Singapore hospital where she was sent for emergency treatment.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/6-arrested-rape-bus-passenger-india-093824392.html

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Identity Evolution | Scottish Rural College

In the world of branding, the fastest and easiest route to changing a look is through a Logo & Corporate Identity Makeover. It?s the expedited method of projecting a new image, and an ongoing journey of constant changes, regardless how subtle.

Here?s a look at Scottish Rural College, UK.

A Logo & Corporate Identity Makeover is, however, by no means what branding is all about, and the potential it can deliver. Customers are already experiencing your company?s products & services in their very own distinctive way. The MEANING of a product & service in any customer?s mind is what SHOULD matter to any organization. It is this?MEANING that needs to be thoroughly analyzed, managed, and optimized in the company?s best interest. This the foundation of strong branding and brand positioning strategy.

An Identity Makeover is not without risk.?The key is in the hands of Customers, who decide ?WHAT?S HOT??and ?WHAT?S NOT!??Therefore, if a company changes its logo WITHOUT changing the meaning ? ie. properly align and match their brand message with the positive brand experience the company WISHES customers to have ? the often sizeable investment in aesthetic touch up is reduced to a futile and expensive exercise. An utter waste!

Companies MUST ensure that the brand experiences they provide remains positive, therefore if your products and/or services still show weaknesses; customer satisfaction is dismal, market share is lagging, your customer service department is drowning in complaint calls, stakeholders are edgy due to weak stock performance, staff morale is in the abyss while staff turnover is high? ?a logo makeover WILL NOT bring about improvements like a magic wand!

Inspiration: Cidades dos Logos

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Brand Storyteller, Travel Writer, Speaker, Creative Writer & Thinker - avid observer of randomness in everyday life - Sustainable Business, Eco Matters, Sustainable Urban Issues, Architecture, Heritage Conservation, Innovation & Brand-Strategy, Cross-Cultural Communications, Travel, Tourism & Lifestyle.

Source: http://ideasinspiringinnovation.wordpress.com/2013/01/11/identity-evolution-scottish-rural-college/

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Sprint confirms it will launch BlackBerry 10 later this year

MADRID, Jan 11 (Reuters) - Forward Teerasil Dangda trained with Atletico Madrid for the first time on Friday as part of a two-week trial programme involving the Spanish club and Thai side Muangthong United. The 24-year-old, who has scored 28 goals in 54 appearances for Thailand, worked with La Liga's second-placed team at their training ground just outside the Spanish capital. "I am very proud and very happy," Teerasil told the Atletico website. "It is a great opportunity to be alongside players and stars that you watch every week on television in my country. ...

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/sprint-confirms-launch-blackberry-10-later-170020064.html

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Top Story: LONDON - Many people are already struggling to keep their new year?s...

Sorry, Readability was unable to parse this page for content.

Source: http://www.facebook.com/abscbnNEWS/posts/10151179611595168

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TX Petroleum Investment. Co, Breton Sound, LA Gulf of Mexico

NOAA?s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) provides science-based solutions to protect and restore the nation?s natural resources from coastal environmental hazards. OR&R serves the nation by providing expertise and a suite of products and services critical for making science-based response decisions that prevent further harm, restore natural resources, and promote effective planning for future incidents.

Source: http://incidentnews.gov/incident/8548?f=137026471

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Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners. |

As much as I would like to write about last week?s win?We don?t have time for that. The Steelers beat the Ravens because they played together and never wavered in the belief in the man lined up beside them.

Chargers Run Game

Keisel and Haslam- Keisel has really come on the past two months for the Steelers. The Chargers offensive line is a mess?Haslam will not be able to blow Keisel off the line of scrimmage?I will not be surprised if he has some success against Keisel in the run game. Haslam is an undersized tackle with very good movement skills?He should be able to at least get in the way of Keisel in the run game. Keisel cannot allow Haslam to hook him at the line of scrimmage?The Chargers running backs look to bounce everything to the edge in the run game.

Hampton Timmons and Foote Vs Hadnot Hardwick and Vazquez- Hardwick has no chance of blocking Hampton at the point of attack?Hampton will destroy the undersized Hardwick the same way he destroyed Matt Birk in the run game. Hadnot and Vazquez try hard; both are very ineffective at the point of attack in the run game. Hampton will force play side double teams in the run game?That?s just a fact. ?Foote and Timmons must clean up the mess. Hadnot is short and slow?He struggles to make blocks at the second level in the run game. ?Vazquez is more stout at the point of attack; he may be slower than Hadnot at the second level. I have one concern in the run game and that is fullback Le?Ron McClain with Iso blocks on Timmons and Foote at the point of attack?McClain is a devastating lead blocker.

Hood and Wells- Reggie Wells a street free agent last week is expected to start at right tackle this week. Wells was a sloppy slow offensive guard for the Cardinals?I expect he is a sloppy slow right tackle for the Chargers. Hood will never be great against the run?He does just enough to keep his starting job to be honest. Hood struggles to beat blocks?It?s not a matter of hustle or toughness?Hood battles he just fails to make plays. Hood should have success against Wells this week based on athleticism. The Steelers need to dominate this matchup.

The Chargers have four tight ends on their roster and none of them can block their way out of a wet paper bag. James Harrison will destroy McMichael and Gates in the run game?.Jason Worilds did a fine job in the run game last week?If he brings a similar effort the Chargers tight ends have no chance of blocking him in the run game.

The Steelers front seven must wreck the Chargers run game. The Chargers will be running out their 3^rd left tackle, 3^rd left guard, and a street free agent at right tackle?No excuses.

The Chargers receivers will run block?Cortez Allen and K Lewis better be prepared to go to war. I expect Ryan Clark and TP are active in this game?Both players just finish from the back end.

The Chargers have a fantastic fullback in Le?Ron McClain?He is the player I fear the most in the Chargers run game. Ryan Mathews looks to bounce everything to the edge?He has no desire to run between the tackles?Mathews is fragile handle with care?He doesn?t like to get hit. Ronnie Brown is not the back he once was?Multiple knee surgeries have robbed him of his explosive playmaking ability. Jackie Battle is a big back with under rated ability?I believe Battle should be the starter for the Chargers?He runs hard.

Rivers is retarded ?

Harrison and Haslam- Haslam is also playing injured; I give him credit for having toughness and a will to compete. I would not be surprised if Deebo has a multiple sack game. Deebo is showing signs of life as the season goes on?He is still purely a power rusher?I would love to see him try to run the arc?Force the tackle to move his feet and block in space?Give the tackle something to think about.

Keisel and Hadnot- These two have matched up before and Keisel took Hadnot to the woodshed. Keisel is just too damn long and athletic for Hadnot. Hadnot is a short guard with very short arms?His body build is similar to Bronco?s?Keisel is his worst nightmare with his quick first step and very long arms. On paper this is another very favorable matchup for the Steelers.

Hood and Vazquez- This is the only matchup in the front seven that I could see the Chargers controlling. For all the talk of the explosive training Hood did in the off season it has failed to translate to the football field. Hood continues to disappoint rushing the passer. I understand Marshall Yanda is a quality guard?Hood was stoned more often than FC at a Dead show last week against the Ravens.

Worilds and Wells- Jason Worilds should be salivating like the butchers dog on scrap cutting day. I have no idea what to expect from Wells at right tackle?Since I am asked to take a guess I will. I think Wells is going to get Rivers killed. Worilds is a slippery rusher?He is not real fast or strong?He is more sly than skilled. I have a feeling Worilds gives Wells fits on the edge.

The Chargers are going to be forced to help both tackles in pass protection. I have a feeling Keisel is going to whip Hadnot up and down the field?I expect 3 man routes from the Chargers?When the Steelers bring six it better get there.

Lawrence Timmons will draw Antonio Gates who is still a stud?I would not be surprised if Timmons shuts down Gates?Timmons is not great against the run?He has developed into an elite cover linebacker. Randy McMichael is another viable target for the Chargers in the passing game?The Steelers linebackers and safeties have done a fine job covering secondary targets other than fullbacks in the passing game. The Chargers running backs are legitimate threats in the passing game. The Chargers run a ton of screens?.The Steelers have to run to the ball and make hustle plays against the screen game. The Chargers running backs will also run routes?I have some concerns about smaller players in space against bigger players. The Steelers must account for Le?Ron McClain in the passing game.

The Chargers have three quality wide receivers?I do not expect the Steelers to match up a corner on a particular receiver. Malcolm Floyd is a massive target in the Plaxico Burress mold. Floyd is wirier and less stout fighting for the ball in the air than Plax. Denario Alexander is not very fast he is a big body who runs quality routes and displays soft hands to pluck the ball. Robert Meacham is a speed target in the Mike Wallace mold?Both players have lapses of concentration which lead to dropped balls. I believe Allen or Lewis can shut down Alexander or Floyd?The Steelers corners will have no fear of being beat over the top in coverage?Meacham, if healthy, is a very dangerous receiver who could give the Steelers problems in the vertical passing game. Curtis Brown was solid against the Ravens?He needs to prove he can cover NFL receivers week in week out. Ryan Clark and TP are both ball hawks who will level receivers anywhere and everywhere on the field?Rivers throws some dying duck passes?Don?t be surprised if the Steelers make some plays on the ball this week.

Phillip Rivers I have no clue what happened to your NFL career. Rivers was a money player in college. Played in 4 Bowl games won 4 MVPS?He just makes poor decisions with the ball. Rivers can make throws if he has time in the pocket?I expect the Steelers are all over Rivers like stink on shit. I expect the Steelers rattle Rivers early and often.

Steelers Run Game

Starks and Liguet- This should be a tough matchup in the run game. Liguet is very athletic and quick at the point of attack. Liguet plays the game low which allows him to anchor and make plays against the run?This is the toughest matchup Starks has faced in the run game in a long time. I don?t expect Starks to have much success this week in the run game?Starks has the ability to blow Liguet off the ball?He just doesn?t play with that fire in his belly in the run game.

Colon Pouncey Foster Vs Franklin Spikes and Butler- Pouncey like Starks will be tested this week. Aubrayo Franklin is a massive mobile nosetackle?The type of player who gives Pouncey fits at the point of attack. I expect Pouncey will need help with Franklin on most interior runs. Donald Butler is a similar player to Lawrence Timmons against the run?Butler can run and strike?He struggles to read plays and beat blocks at the point of attack. Takeo Spikes from Augusta Georgia has seen it all in his NFL career. Spikes lost a step or two to father time over the years?He is still a very effective player. The Steelers guards will also be tested this week?It takes perfect timing come off the double team block to have a successful interior run?The Steelers guards have to walk the fine line of leaving the double team too early allowing Franklin to make a play or staying on the double team block too long allowing Butler or Spikes a free run at the running back. The Steelers interior offensive line has to work like a machine to be successful all the parts have to be moving at once and in unison.

Beachum and Vaughn Martin- One week doesn?t make a career?Beachum was very solid last week. I was very impressed with Beachum in the run game against the Ravens. Beachum will face a tough test this week with Vaughn Martin a massive Canadian with rare speed and power at the point of attack. Beachum must keep his hands inside and feet moving if he expects to get movement at the point of attack. This is a bad matchup for the Steelers on paper?Martin is a powerhouse and Beachum is a undersized tackle.

The Chargers have skill size and talent in the front seven.

Heath Miller, David Paulson and Leonard Pope will be asked to block Shaun Phillips, Jarrett Johnson and Melvin Ingram in the run game?I see the Steelers having very little success doing so. Johnson is a beast in the run game?He destroys tight ends in the run game?Miller and Johnson have battled before so they know what to expect. Shaun Phillips is very average against the run?I believe the Steelers may be able to run at him. Rookie Melvin Ingram is slowly growing into a quality NFL starter. If the Steelers tight ends can block the Chargers outside linebackers some yards could be had in the run game to the edge ?Don?t get your hopes up?The Chargers linebackers are excellent against the run.

Jonathan Dwyer and Isaac Redman must attack the hole and finish every run. Ball Security is the most critical element of every run. I don?t expect the Steelers backs to have many holes to attack. Chris Rainey?s speed could be a factor in this game?The Chargers defense lacks speed?They have size and play smart football for the most part?They struggle with fast players in space.

The Steelers receivers must block their balls off...The Steelers must win matchups if they expect success in the run game?This is a hidden matchup that could be the difference.

Papa Ben

Starks and Phillips- I am very close to believing in Max Starks as a shutdown left tackle in pass pro. Phillips is not real fast or strong?He understands how to set up a tackle rushing the passer. If Starks is fundamentally sound he should have no issues with Phillips rushing the passer. I also expect Starks faces rookie Melvin Ingram rushing the passer?Ingram is a short explosive player?He has struggled in his transition to the NFL rushing the passer?He has ability. If Starks avoids being fat and lazy he should have no issues in pass pro.

Colon and Liguet- I have some concerns with this matchup. Colon with a bad knee may not have the mobility to handle the Chargers line stunts. I want Colon gone. I just don?t trust him. Liguet is a good player who Colon could make look great?Colon better be ready to battle and move his feet?Liguet has one speed rushing the passer. I do not like this matchup for the Steelers.

Pouncey- I expect he will spend a ton of time helping Colon in pass protection. Pouncey must keep his head on a swivel for the interior blitz packages of the Chargers.

Foster and Martin- Wow this should be fun to watch. Both men try to maul you into submission. I expect this to be a battle of two big Kodiak bears. Foster is just a powerful man?What he hits just stops moving?The pass rush is over when Foster lands his punch. Martin is not pretty rushing the passer he comes with power down after down?My money is on Foster.

Beachum and Johnson- A battle of Youth and Skill against experience and treachery. Beachum has great feet and movement skills?Johnson is very strong?He rushes the passer from the edge with power and technique. The Steelers really need this matchup?I am leaning towards Beachum handling this matchup without much issue?I?m just leery to trust a late round pick making his second NFL start against a proven NFL stud. Beachum will also face Ingram and Larry English at times. Both English and Ingram want to speed rush off the edge?Something I feel Beachum will be able to handle without much issue.

The Chargers like the Ravens do not have an answer for the Steelers tight ends in the passing game unless they want to cover Miller with safety Eric Weddle. Miller understands the passing game?He understands where the windows are in coverage?He is a physical mismatch?What makes him special is his mind?He sees the holes in coverage and sits down in said holes. David Paulson is going to be a major weapon for this team this season?As teams begin respecting Miller and the run game more and more Paulson is getting clean releases from the line of scrimmage?Paulson has playmaking ability in the passing game. The Chargers will also struggle to cover the Steelers running backs in the passing game. Dwyer doesn?t look like the most natural pass catcher?He actually can make plays?Same thing with Redman and Johnson.

The Steelers best matchups in the passing game may be at tight end and running back.

Mike Wallace will draw Antoine Cason?Cason can run and he is a playmaker?He cannot run with Wallace in space. Wallace has to make a vertical play or two early in this game?The Steelers need to back off the defense more importantly they need to get Ben and Wallace in the right mind set. Nothing helps the confidence more than a big play. The Steelers must back the Chargers backers and safeties out of the gaps?The Steelers cannot and will not run successfully against 8-9 man fronts consistently. Mike Wallace is one of the keys to backing the Chargers off the line of scrimmage. Antonio Brown will draw Jammer?Jammer is a wily vet who reads routes and makes plays on the ball. AB has a special ability to adjust his route to make plays on the ball?AB is a very smart football player?He sees things average receivers don?t see. AB is not big, strong, or fast?He is cat quick and reads coverage?s on the fly. Manny Sanders is expected to play despite the shoulder injury?Can?t fumble the ball son. Sanders will draw Chris Carr in coverage?Carr is a Steelers killer. I hope the Steelers dress Plax?Carr is 5-8 with zero chance of covering Plax. Jericho Cotchery is expected back this week?.The Steelers missed his blocking on the edge the past few weeks. Chargers safeties Corey Lynch and Eric Weddle are both exceptional athletes?Weddle has a nose for the ball?He is a step below Reed and TP?He is a great player. Corey Lynch will have some mental breakdowns in coverage?He will take false steps and make bad reads.

The Steelers should be able to exploit matchups in the passing game if the offensive line can hold up

Ben?No John Wayne Bullshit. Throw the ball on time. Protect the ball?More importantly protect yourself?Go fetal if you must.

Special Teams

The Steelers suck.

Score

Steelers 17

Chargers 9

Source: http://www.steelerfury.com/content/be-not-deceived-evil-communications-corrupt-good-manners

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Mexican beauty queen killed in shootout

In this April 26, 2012 photo, Maria Susana Flores Gamez poses for a photo for a story about upcoming representation of Mexico at a beauty pageant in China, in Culiacan, Mexico. Flores, who was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in a beauty pageant in February, was killed in northern Mexico on Nov. 24, 2012 during a running gun battle between soldiers and the gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with. (AP Photo/El Debate, Gladys Serrano)

In this April 26, 2012 photo, Maria Susana Flores Gamez poses for a photo for a story about upcoming representation of Mexico at a beauty pageant in China, in Culiacan, Mexico. Flores, who was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in a beauty pageant in February, was killed in northern Mexico on Nov. 24, 2012 during a running gun battle between soldiers and the gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with. (AP Photo/El Debate, Gladys Serrano)

In this April 26, 2012 photo, Maria Susana Flores Gamez poses for a photo for a story about her upcoming participation in a beauty pageant in China, in Culiacan, Mexico. Flores, who was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in a beauty pageant in February, was killed in northern Mexico on Nov. 24, 2012 during a running gun battle between soldiers and the gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with. (AP Photo/El Debate, Gladys Serrano)

CULIACAN, Mexico (AP) ? A 20-year-old state beauty queen died in a gun battle between soldiers and the alleged gang of drug traffickers she was traveling with in a scene befitting the hit movie "Miss Bala," or "Miss Bullet," about Mexico's not uncommon ties between narcos and beautiful pageant contestants.

The body of Maria Susana Flores Gamez was found Saturday lying near an assault rifle on a rural road in a mountainous area of the drug-plagued state of Sinaloa, the chief state prosecutor said Monday. It was unclear if she had used the weapon.

"She was with the gang of criminals, but we cannot say whether she participated in the shootout," state prosecutor Marco Antonio Higuera said. "That's what we're going to have to investigate."

The slender, 5-foot-7-inch brunette was voted the 2012 Woman of Sinaloa in a beauty pageant in February. In June, the model competed with other seven contestants for the more prestigious state beauty contest, Our Beauty Sinaloa, but didn't win. The Our Beauty state winners compete for the Miss Mexico title, whose holder represents the country in the international Miss Universe.

Higuera said Flores Gamez was traveling in one of the vehicles that engaged soldiers in an hours-long chase and running gun battle on Saturday near her native city of Guamuchil in the state of Sinaloa, home to Mexico's most powerful drug cartel. Higuera said two other members of the drug gang were killed and four were detained.

The shootout began when the gunmen opened fire on a Mexican army patrol. Soldiers gave chase and cornered the gang at a safe house in the town of Mocorito. The other men escaped, and the gunbattle continued along a nearby roadway, where the gang's vehicles were eventually stopped. Six vehicles, drugs and weapons were seized following the confrontation.

It was at least the third instance in which a beauty queen or pageant contestants have been linked to Mexico's violent drug gangs, a theme so common it was the subject of a critically acclaimed 2011 movie.

In "Miss Bala," Mexico's official submission to the Best Foreign Language Film category of this year's Academy Awards, a young woman competing for Miss Baja California becomes an unwilling participant in a drug-running ring, finally getting arrested for deeds she was forced into performing.

In real life, former Miss Sinaloa Laura Zuniga was stripped of her 2008 crown in the Hispanoamerican Queen pageant after she was detained on suspicion of drug and weapons violations. She was later released without charges.

Zuniga was detained in western Mexico in late 2010 along with seven men, some of them suspected drug traffickers. Authorities found a large stash of weapons, ammunition and $53,300 with them inside a vehicle.

In 2011, a Colombian former model and pageant contestant was detained along with Jose Jorge Balderas, an accused drug trafficker and suspect in the 2010 bar shooting of Salvador Cabanas, a former star for Paraguay's national football team and Mexico's Club America. She was also later released.

Higuera said Flores Gamez's body has been turned over to relatives for burial.

"This is a sad situation," Higuera told a local radio station. She had been enrolled in media courses at a local university, and had been modeling and in pageants since at least 2009.

Javier Valdez, the author of a 2009 book about narco ties to beauty pageants entitled "Miss Narco," said "this is a recurrent story."

"There is a relationship, sometimes pleasant and sometimes tragic, between organized crime and the beauty queens, the pageants, the beauty industry itself," Valdez said.

"It is a question of privilege, power, money, but also a question of need," said Valdez. "For a lot of these young women, it is easy to get involved with organized crime, in a country that doesn't offer many opportunities for young people."

Sometimes drug traffickers seek out beauty queens, but sometimes the models themselves look for narco boyfriends, Valdez said.

"I once wrote about a girl I knew of who was desperate to get a narco boyfriend," he said. "She practically took out a classified ad saying 'Looking for a Narco'."

The stories seldom end well. In the best of cases, a beautiful woman with a tear-stained face is marched before the press in handcuffs. In the worst of cases, they simply disappear.

"They are disposable objects, the lowest link in the chain of criminal organizations, the young men recruited as gunmen and the pretty young women who are tossed away in two or three years, or are turned into police or killed," Valdez said.

___

Associated Press Writer E. Eduardo Castillo contributed to this report

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-26-Mexico-Beauty%20Queen%20Killed/id-9751cdfa392a4503b8dcbeb19570acb2

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Michael Roth: Review of Chris Anderson's Makers: The New Industrial Revolution

These days, when our slow recovery from recession seems like a full-employment program for pessimistic pundits, it's great to have a new book from Chris Anderson, an indefatigable cheerleader for the unlimited potential of the digital economy. Anderson, the departing editor in chief of Wired magazine, has already written two important books exploring the impact of the Web on commerce. In The Long Tail, he argued that companies like Amazon that faced distribution challenges arising from having large quantities of the same kind of product would thrive by "selling less of more." Corporations didn't have to chase blockbusters if they had a mass of small sales. In Free: The Future of a Radical Price, he argued that giving stuff away to attract a multitude of users might be the best way eventually to make money from loyal customers. Anderson has also helped found a Web site, Geekdad, and an aerial robotics company. From his vantage point, in the future more and more people can get involved in making things they really enjoy and can connect with others who share their passions and their products. These connections, he claims, are creating a new Industrial Revolution.

In a 2010 Wired article entitled "In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits," Anderson described how the massive changes in our relations with information have altered how we relate to things. Now that the power of information-sharing has been unleashed through technology and social networks, makers are able to collaborate on design and production in ways that facilitate the connection of producers to markets. By sharing information "bits" in a creative commons, entrepreneurs are making new things (reshaping "atoms") more cheaply and quickly. The new manufacturing is a powerful economic force not because any one business becomes gigantic, but because technology makes it possible for tens of thousands of businesses to find their customers, to form their communities.

Anderson begins his new book, Makers, with the story of his grandfather Fred Hauser, who invented a sprinkler system. He licensed his invention to a company that turned ideas into things that could be built and sold. Although Hauser loved translating ideas into things, he needed a company with resources to make enough of his sprinklers to turn a profit. Inventing and making were separate. With the advent of the personal computer and of sophisticated but user-friendly design tools, that separation has become increasingly irrelevant. As a child, Anderson loved making things with his grandfather, and he still loves creating new stuff and getting it into the marketplace. Makers describes how today technology has liberated the inventor from a dependence on the big manufacturer. "The beauty of the Web is that it democratized the tools both of invention and production," Anderson writes. "We are all designers now. It's time to get good at it."

Here's where social networks come in. By sharing design ideas, we improve performance and find efficiencies. Communities of makers -- whether they care about sprinklers, 3-D printers or flying robots -- exchange ideas, correct one another's plans, and together make something worth having (and that many are already invested in). Anderson sees a revolution in the contemporary preference for amateur content, and he approvingly cites Web entrepreneur Rufus Griscom's talk of a "Renaissance of Dilettantism." This is a "remix culture" in which everything can be customized. Web culture reveals the "long tail of talent," and with barriers to entry rapidly disappearing, Anderson sees a new, more open playing field in which inventor-entrepreneurs (makers) will fuel economic development while creating fulfilling, less hierarchical communities.

This is heady stuff, and Anderson is an excellent guide to companies that make niche products for an international market. There are, apparently, enough folks interested in products like hammocks, weapons for Lego sets, and cool flying machines to support producers whose design and manufacturing costs are kept very low. Most of Anderson's product examples are the kinds of things boys like to play with, and there is something of the "I found other kids like me" joy in his descriptions of community-building through the social networking of makers. The new industrial revolution, apparently, will have less to do with confronting poverty, disease and climate change, and more to do with inventing better, cooler toys. It will also be, like the last one, very male.

A firm believer in the wisdom of crowds, Anderson doesn't take time to explore the dangers -- or the limits -- of wired dilettantism. He counts on networks to uncover error rather than to reinforce prejudice, and he has faith that real talent will be recognized more easily by those invested in solving a problem than by those seeking somebody who is merely properly credentialed.

Anderson is a good storyteller, and these anecdotes effectively highlight changing economic dynamics. Take Jordi Munoz Bardales, who went from hacker-hobbyist to CEO just a couple of years after graduating from his Tijuana high school. Bardales's posting online of his design innovations to a toy helicopter was proof enough in Anderson's eyes that he had the right stuff to be the leader of a robotics firm. It just didn't matter where he went to school. It mattered that he had the skills and a capacity to share them.

In Anderson's view, the Web creates an arena in which inventive people can connect with one another and figure out ways to turn their designs into things that will succeed in the marketplace. This will "unlock an economic engine" as thousands of small enterprises find new ways to be sustainable. Anderson convinced me that these enterprises will indeed succeed in making cool things that are fun to play with or that offer heightened convenience.

And I even have some hope that these new powers of making might address some of the major problems that still plague us from the last Industrial Revolution. Making hope in the future may be the most important product of the dynamic Anderson describes in his inventive new book.

This post originally appeared on WashingtonPost.com

MAKERS: The New Industrial Revolution By Chris Anderson Crown Business. 257 pp. $26

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-roth/makers-book-review_b_2189314.html

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Video: Mortgage Debt Relief & the Cliff

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Asian shares edge higher on hopes for Greek deal

TOKYO (Reuters) - Asian shares rose on Monday on the hope Greece can avoid a near-term bankruptcy, with euro-zone finance ministers meeting later in the day, but a regional Spanish vote favoring separatist parties clouded Madrid's push for fiscal austerity.

Expectations that an agreement will be reached soon to disburse crucial aid for debt-stricken Greece, and Germany's Ifo business climate index rising for the first time in seven months in November, boosted the euro and riskier assets broadly and reduced appetite for the safe-haven dollar on Friday.

"If there really is an agreement on Greece today, the euro could rise above $1.3 against the dollar and 107 against the yen," Masafumi Yamamoto, chief FX strategist at Barclays in Tokyo, said in a research note.

The euro was at $1.2966, hovering near a three-week high of $1.2991 reached on Friday, and traded at a seven-month peak of 107.10 yen on Monday.

The dollar <.dxy> inched up 0.1 percent, after falling to a three-week low of 80.128 against a basket of major currencies on Friday as risk appetite gained.

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan <.miapj0000pus> was up 0.2 percent after rising to a two-week high on Friday and ending its best week in more than two months with a 2.5 percent gain.

Australian shares <.axjo> were up 0.2 percent on gains in energy and mining stocks, and South Korean shares <.ks11> opened up 0.4 percent.

Japan's Nikkei stock average <.n225> opened 1.1 percent higher at a seven-month high. Japanese financial markets were closed on Friday for a public holiday.<.t/>

"Although some investors are cautious against the fast-paced gains in the Japanese market, they will likely stay buyers on the back of the improving trading environment in the global market," said Hiroichi Nishi, general manager at SMBC Nikko Securities.

Some analysts said risk sentiment may be weighed by Spain's regional elections in Catalonia on Sunday.

Separatists in Spain's Catalonia won regional elections on Sunday but failed to get the resounding mandate they need to push convincingly for a referendum on independence.

The separatists parties win could raise concerns about the negative impact to the Spanish economy and its fiscal conditions, as Catalonia accounts for 20 percent of the economy and provides the most tax revenue to the central government.

"If the government is forced to give more autonomy to Catalonia in its fiscal policy, it risks derailing the push for fiscal austerity in other provinces, raising the possibility of shifting market focus back to Spain from Greece and undermining the euro," Yamamoto said.

European shares posted their best weekly gain so far this year after rising for a fifth day on Friday, while U.S. stocks rose for a fifth day, getting a lift from bellwether technology firms Intel and Microsoft in light volume after Thursday's U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.

Germany's Ifo index, rising on the back of exports outside the euro zone and the prospect of strong Christmas sales, offered hope Europe's growth engine can retain some momentum.

As investors warmed towards risk, the Thomson Reuters-Jefferies CRB index <.trjcrb>, a global commodities benchmark, rose to its highest close since October 23 on Friday -- its best weekly performance since mid-September with a 1.9 percent gain.

Spot gold eased 0.1 percent to $1,749.98 an ounce on Monday after rising above $1,750 for the first time in five weeks on Friday as a drop in the dollar and options-related buying triggered a technical breakout.

Analysts said Friday's gains could lead to a test above the $1,800 level which bullion has not seen since its rally to a record $1,920.30 in September 2011.

U.S. crude was down 0.2 percent to $88.07 a barrel.

(Additional reporting by Ayai Tomisawa in Tokyo; Editing by Michael Perry)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/asian-shares-edge-higher-hopes-greek-deal-004039464--finance.html

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philiptanes: seder shetland: cbc news: Eco-Innovation Observatory ...

The Eco-Innovation Observatory (EIO) would like to invite you to share your views on the role of eco-innovation in the shift towards a resource-efficient, low-carbon Europe. We would like to consult representatives from academia, business, civil society and public administration by taking part in our questionnaire. Your insights will be used in the upcoming reports of the Observatory, including our final flagship annual publication. The survey has only three questions and is entirely anonymous.

Please follow this link to the questionnaire.

For more information on the Eco-Innovation Observatory, see www.eco-innovation.eu

-->

Source: http://seri.at/resource-use/2012/11/15/eco-innovation-observatory-launches-online-questionnaire/

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Real Madrid loses 1-0 at Real Betis in Spain

By JOSEPH WILSON

Associated Press

Associated Press Sports

updated 8:18 p.m. ET Nov. 24, 2012

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) -The Spanish league is barely three months old, but Real Madrid's title defense is in serious danger after Real Betis midfielder Benat Etxebarria struck from long range to deal last season's champion a 1-0 loss on Saturday.

Madrid appeared to have put its struggles from earlier this season well behind it after stringing together five straight wins, but even with Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Kaka on the pitch, it failed to break through a Betis defense that had lost by four or more goals three times this season.

Jose Mourinho's team is in third place and can find itself an imposing 11 points behind Barcelona if the league leader wins at Levante on Sunday.

The largest deficit ever overcome by a team that went on to win La Liga was eight points by Rafa Benitez's Valencia in 2004.

A stern Mourinho acknowledged that it would be "difficult" to repeat as domestic champions.

"I understand that our fans are pessimistic. It is very possible that we will arrive to the end of December 11, 12, 13 points behind," he said. "But it is still possible. We have to try to cut and cut and cut into (Barcelona's) lead."

After being routed 5-1 by Sevilla in the Seville derby just six days before, Pepe Mel's Betis appeared to be an easy target for a Madrid that had just eliminated English champion Manchester City from the Champions League and was unbeaten in eight rounds.

But Betis emerged victorious thanks to an impressive physical display that never wavered through 90-plus minutes.

"It was a tough week for both the team and our fans. We deserved this win," a breathless Etxebarria said. "We had a good game plan and worked hard in defense. They didn't have many clear scoring chances and we had some more on the break."

It was Betis' second win in 22 games in all competitions against Madrid since 2001.

Both sides' pressing style set a fast pace from the start at Benito Villamarin Stadium, but after Madrid's Sami Khedira missed a good look on goal Etxebarria netted what proved to be the winner 17 minutes in.

The Basque player picked up Angel Di Maria's wild clearance from the flank, dribbled around Khedira and beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas with right-footed shot from about 23 yards.

"I was fortunate the ball fell to me," said Etxebarria, a Spain international. "I controlled it and shot and it went in."

Madrid bombarded Betis' area with crosses, but came no closer before halftime than Di Maria's shots into the side and the top of the netting.

Mourinho sent on playmakers Luka Modric and Kaka at the start of the second half for Mesut Oezil and fellow Germany international Khedira.

And when the leveler didn't come, the Portuguese manager soon threw forward Jose Callejon into the mix.

Yet even with all its firepower, Madrid couldn't convert its scarce opportunities while giving up chances to Betis' Salva Sevilla and Ruben Castro on counterattacks.

The nearest Madrid came was a Kaka shot that drew a diving parry from goalkeeper Adrian San Miguel, who bounced back in fine form from his woeful performance in last week's loss at Sevilla.

Madrid only dropped seven points away from Santiago Bernabeu Stadium last season en route to the title. It has already relinquished 11 points on the road through 13 rounds this campaign.

Also, Malaga outclassed a drab Valencia 4-0 thanks to a goal and assist by midfielder Francisco Portillo in Saturday's meeting of two of Spain's sides to reach the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Leonardo Carrilho's strike three minutes from time sparked Rayo Vallecano to a 2-0 home win over Mallorca, while Valladolid broke a streak of three home draws by beating Granada 1-0 thanks to Angola striker Manucho's second-half goal.

Second-place Atletico Madrid hosts Sevilla on Sunday, while Espanyol hosts Getafe and Deportivo La Coruna visits Athletic Bilbao. Real Zaragoza plays Celta Vigo on Monday.

Real Sociedad drew 0-0 with Osasuna at home on Friday.

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

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Man United back on top

Manchester United fought back to beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 on Saturday, reclaiming top spot while the bottom-placed team fell to 0-4-9.

Arsenal held to 0-0 draw at Aston Villa

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) -Arsenal endured its third 0-0 draw of the English Premier League season, allowing Aston Villa to climb out of the relegation zone on Saturday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/44298965/ns/sports-soccer/

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Seacoast real estate shows big gains in October | SeacoastOnline.com

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November 25, 2012 2:00 AM

What a difference a year makes in October total sales and average prices of residential real estate in the Seacoast.

While improvements in those categories were spotty in a comparison of October to September, the improvements are dramatic for last month versus October 2011, according to an analysis of data from the Rockingham County Registry of Deeds.

Data was gleaned for single-home and condominium sales in Brentwood, East Kingston, Epping, Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, Kensington, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, Newmarket, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Rye, Seabrook and Stratham.

The total value of sales for this region in October was $60.1 million, a 17 percent jump over September and a 51.2 percent leap over October 2011.

The number of transactions also jumped: There were 117 house sales and 64 condo sales in October; 99 house sales and 50 condo sales in September; versus 85 house sales and 25 condo sales in October 2011.

"The Seacoast Board of Realtors is encouraged by the continued market improvement, considering how far we've come," said Lauren Kane, board president.

With what she called "continued soft sales prices," she expressed concern that future deficit-cutting measures in Washington, D.C., could harm the housing market.

"We are hopeful that the president will work with Congress to support the continuation of the mortgage interest deduction and allow for loosening of credit standards, both of which will ensure continued market recovery," she said.

Communities that saw significant increases in both home and condo sales values include Exeter, Hampton and Stratham in the year-over-year numbers.

In Exeter, the total value of sales in October was $7.2 million. In October 2011 it was $4.1 million. Stratham's total was $4.4 million in October and was $1.7 million the previous year. Average prices were also on the uptick for both homes and condos in year over year comparisons.

The average price of a home that sold in the region in October was $467,034, while the average price of a condo was $262,532. That compares with $393,830 for a home in October 2011 and $213,559 for a condo.

In September, the average price of a home was $421,229 and the average price of a condo was $318,581.

There were ups and downs through specific communities. In Portsmouth, for example, average prices in October were lower than they were in September and in October 2011.

The Seacoast Board of Realtors' analysis of its 13 sample towns showed a 47.5 percent increase in single family sales over a year ago. It said October was the fourth straight month that sales exceeded 2011 levels and the eighth of 10 months that registered gains. The towns are Seabrook, Hampton Falls, Hampton, North Hampton, Rye, New Castle, Portsmouth, Newington, Greenland, Stratham, Exeter, Newfields and Newmarket.

It noted the number of active single-family listings reached the lowest total for the year, a statistic that could forecast increased prices over the winter.

On the foreclosure front, according to the N.H. Housing Finance Authority, there were 263 foreclosure deed recordings in New Hampshire in September, a decrease of 13 percent from foreclosure deeds in September 2011, and a decrease of 6.7 percent from the prior month.

The cumulative total for January through September 2012 is nearly 4 percent below the same period in 2011 and 13 percent below the same period in 2010.

"With signs of improvement in overall economic conditions, as well as some improvement in the statewide and regional housing markets, there is reason to believe the number of new foreclosures in New Hampshire will continue to decline," the authority said in a statement. "However, the likely pace of improvement in foreclosures will be slow. During that time period, the negative influence of foreclosed and distressed properties on the housing market will continue."

SALES data

For a searchable database of property transfers and real estate transactions for the Portsmouth region and southern York County, visit www.seacoastonline.com/property-transfers.

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Source: http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20121125-BIZ-211250325

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Election in Catalan region tests Spain's unity

Voters wait to cast their ballots in a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Voters wait to cast their ballots in a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

The leader of center-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), Artur Mas casts his vote during elections for the 'Generalitat de Catalunya' (Catalan Autonomous Government) in Barcelona, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

The leader of center-right Catalan Nationalist Coalition (CiU), Artur Mas casts his vote during elections for the 'Generalitat de Catalunya' (Catalan Autonomous Government) in Barcelona, Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

A woman casts her vote in a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

A voters choices his ballot paper to cast his vote in a polling station in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012. Voters in Catalonia begin casting their ballots in regional elections that could determine the future shape of Spain. If voters give the regional government strong support, its leader pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they'd prefer to split from Spain and go it alone in the 27-member EU. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) ? The economically powerful region of Catalonia was electing a new parliament Sunday, and the outcome could determine whether it holds a referendum asking Catalans if they want to remain part of Spain.

In Catalonia's view, the central government is draining its finances during the nation's economic crisis.

The regional government, led by Artur Mas, called the early election as part of a power struggle with Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy regarding the size of Catalonia's contribution to national coffers. But what began as a quarrel over money has turned into a test of Spain's territorial integrity.

If voters give Mas strong support Sunday, he has pledged to hold a referendum asking Catalans if they would prefer to split from Spain at a time of deep financial crisis.

Polls in Catalonia, one of Spain's few regions with its own language, forecast a majority for parties supporting a referendum on independence, a proposed plebiscite that Spain's central government has ridiculed and called "unconstitutional."

"These are the most decisive and transcendental elections in the history of Catalonia," Mas said after voting in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia in northeast Spain. "There is much at stake for all 7 million of us Catalans."

According to Rajoy, only the central government has the constitutional right to call a referendum of any kind, and then it would almost certainly have to be held nationwide.

Mas has rebutted Madrid by saying that if pro-independence lawmakers are given an absolute majority in the next four-year regional legislature, this would lend legitimacy to his call for a referendum and a need to alter the constitution to accommodate the will of the Catalan electorate.

Good weather on Sunday meant voter turnout was higher than in the previous seven elections dating back to 1988, Catalonia's government said.

Rajoy has said that talk of independence is a side issue to the country's real problem, which is to find a way to create employment and address its deficit.

While Rajoy is immersed in combating Spain's worst financial crisis in decades, Mas claims Catalonia is being asked to shoulder too much of the tax burden and that it could do better if it separated and tried to become an independent member state of the European Union.

"Five years ago I was in favor of a federal model with Spain, but now we have seen that is not viable," Miquel Angel Aragon, a 37-year-old aid worker, said after voting in Barcelona. "I am in favor of independence."

Catalonia is responsible for around a fifth of Spain's economic output, and many residents feel the central government gives back too little in recognition of the region's contribution.

Catalans have said during growing public protests that their industrialized region is being hit harder than most by austerity measures aimed at avoiding a national bailout like those needed by Greece, Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus.

Madrid has traditionally said that simplifying the state's financial model by excluding overall costs such as defense only creates a distorted image of how taxation and spending are distributed.

A rising tide of Catalan separatist sentiment was spurred when Rajoy failed to agree to Mas' proposals to lighten Catalonia's tax load and 1.5 million people turned out in Barcelona on Sept. 11 for the largest nationalist rally in the region since the 1970s.

These growing economic concerns have combined with a longstanding nationalist streak in Catalonia, which has its own cultural traditions that were harshly repressed by the military dictatorship of Francisco Franco from the end of Spain's Civil War in 1939, to Franco's death in 1975.

One of the most potent symbols of the divisions distancing Catalonia and the country's capital city can be seen in the bitter rivalry between the Barcelona and Real Madrid soccer clubs.

In recent years, at least two grassroots groups have held unofficial referendums on independence in towns throughout the region, while some small villages have gone to the extreme of declaring themselves "free Catalan territories."

Catalans are viewed by most Spaniards as thrifty, hardworking people, and most ? not least many Catalans ? have been shocked by how their regional debt has swelled to ?42 billion ($54.4 billion) of the staggering ?140 billion debt ascribed to all of Spain's regional governments.

The economic crisis has highlighted the high cost of running Spain's 17 semi-autonomous regions alongside a central government. The Catalan government has had to ask for a ?5 billion ($6.5 million) bailout from Spain like other indebted regions.

Mas' government counters that each year it contributes ?16 billion ($21 billion) more than it gets back from Spain. It also complains that important infrastructure projects needed to revive Spain's sick economy are being left unfunded.

Even so, many people feel they are both Catalan and Spanish, and are wary of the idea of trying to divide the country.

"We are not separatists, we want to remain part of Spain," said retired industrial designer Francisco Palau, 69, who emerged from a polling station alongside his wife. "We defend current plurality," he said, adding that setting up a new state and government "would be very expensive."

About 5.2 million people were eligible to vote for candidates to fill the 135-seat Catalan parliament that sits in Barcelona.

___

Harold Heckle reported from Madrid.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-25-Spain-Regional%20Election/id-861f783adc98465bb5f108e63471e9c5

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