Sunday, December 30, 2012

Deep emotions run beneath Russia's adoption ban

The Duma's bill to ban US adoptions of Russian children, which passed another legislative hurdle today, appeals to Russian pride and concerns about the US.

By Mike Eckel,?Correspondent / December 22, 2012

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a news conference in Moscow, Russia, Thursday. Putin says a draft bill banning US adoptions of Russian children is a legitimate response to a new US law that calls for sanctions on Russians deemed to be human rights violators.

Misha Japaridze/AP

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You usually can judge Vladimir Putin?s dislike of a reporter's question by the intensity of his expression. Such was the case this week at his annual news conference, when he greeted with a hard scowl the subject of pending Russian legislation that would ban Americans from adopting orphaned children. Mr. Putin unleashed invective on the fact that consular representatives aren?t allowed to visit adopted Russian children in the United States.

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?I believe that is unacceptable. Do you think this is normal? How can it be normal when you are humiliated? Do you like it? Are you a sadomasochist or something? They shouldn?t humiliate our country,? he told reporters in Moscow.

As is often the case in Russia, there is the issue of what is going on versus what is really going on. And as is often the case in Russia, it?s complicated.

There is very little doubt as to the goal of the legislation, which passed its third and final reading in the lower house of parliament Friday and must still be signed by Putin. The bill is named after Dima Yakovlev, the toddler who died of heat stroke in 2007 after his adopted father forgot him in a locked car in Virginia for nine hours. The father, Miles Harrison, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Dima, whose adopted name was Chase. His acquittal in 2008 sparked banner newspaper headlines, incendiary TV news reports, and howls of outrage in Russia.

Lawmakers in the State Duma made it clear that today's legislation is a direct response to the US ?Magnitsky Act,? a law designed to sanction a particular group of Russian officials connected to the death of a whistle-blowing lawyer in a Moscow prison.

In other words, a law designed to punish people tied to a lawyer?s prison death has been answered with a law to prevent people from adopting orphaned children, many of whom have have developmental or other disabilities and will otherwise end up living much of their lives in orphanages that often resemble state mental hospitals of a bygone era.

Adoption is a searingly emotional issue for Russians, and one easily manipulated by the Kremlin. The institution of adoption is relatively uncommon in Russia, for cultural and other reasons. And judging by headlines in the Moscow tabloids, and the rhetoric of some state lawmakers, you?d think that Americans adopt Russian children to eat them.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/V_elSV87HO8/Deep-emotions-run-beneath-Russia-s-adoption-ban

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Nobel scientist Rita Levi-Montalcini dies in Rome

ROME (AP) ? Rita Levi-Montalcini, a biologist who conducted underground research in defiance of Fascist persecution and went on to win a Nobel Prize for helping unlock the mysteries of the cell, died at her home in Rome on Sunday. She was 103 and had worked well into her final years.

Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno, announcing her death in a statement, called it a great loss "for all of humanity." He praised her as someone who represented "civic conscience, culture and the spirit of research of our time."

Italy's so-called "Lady of the Cells," a Jew who lived through anti-Semitic discrimination and the Nazi invasion, became one of her country's leading scientists and shared the Nobel medicine prize in 1986 with American biochemist Stanley Cohen for their groundbreaking research carried out in the United States. Her research increased the understanding of many conditions, including tumors, developmental malformations, and senile dementia.

Italy honored Levi-Montalcini in 2001 by making her a senator-for-life.

A petite woman with upswept white hair, she kept an intensive work schedule well into old age. "At 100, I have a mind that is superior ? thanks to experience ? than when I was 20," she said in 2009.

"A beacon of life is extinguished" with her death, said a niece, Piera Levi-Montalcini, who is a city councilwoman in Turin. She told the Turin daily newspaper La Stampa that her aunt passed away peacefully "as if sleeping" after lunch and that the scientist had kept up her research studies several hours a day "right up until the end."

Levi-Montalcini was born April 22, 1909, to a Jewish family in the northern city of Turin. At age 20 she overcame her father's objections that women should not study and obtained a degree in medicine and surgery from Turin University in 1936.

She studied under top anatomist Giuseppe Levi, whom she often credited for her own success and for that of two fellow students and close friends, Salvador Luria and Renato Dulbecco, who also became separate Nobel Prize winners. Levi and Levi-Montalcini were not related.

After graduating, Levi-Montalcini began working as a research assistant in neurobiology but lost her job in 1938 when Italy's Fascist regime passed laws barring Jews from universities and major professions.

Her family decided to stay in Italy and, as World War II neared, Levi-Montalcini created a makeshift lab in her bedroom where she began studying the development of chicken embryos, which would later lead to her major discovery of mechanisms that regulate growth of cells and organs.

With eggs becoming a rarity due to the war, the young scientist biked around the countryside to buy them from farmers. She was soon joined in her secret research by Levi, her university mentor, who was also Jewish and who became her assistant.

"She worked in primitive conditions," Italian astrophysicist Margherita Hack told Sky TG24 TV in a tribute to her fellow scientist. "She is really someone to be admired."

Italy's premier, Mario Monti, paid tribute to Levi-Montalcini's "charismatic and tenacious" character and for her lifelong battle to "defend the battles in which she believed."

Only a few months ago, she helped sponsor an appeal to the government for more attention of fund-strapped young scientists in Italy.

Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi praised Levi-Montalcini's civil and moral efforts, saying she was an "inspiring" example for Italy and the world, the ANSA news agency said.

An Italian scientist, who worked for some 40 years with Levi-Montalcini, including in the United States, said the work the Nobel laureate did on nerve growth factor was continuing. The protein assists portions of the central nervous system that have been damaged by disease or injury.

"Over the years, this field of investigation has become ever more important in the world of neuroscience," Pietro Calissano was quoted by ANSA as saying. Calissano began studying under Levi-Montalcini in 1965 and recalled her ability to relate to students on a very human level, with none of the elite airs that often characterize Italian professors.

"I remember we were in a closet with cell cultures when she offered me a fellowship," Calissano said. He added that research building on Levi-Montalcini's pioneering achievements continues. "We are working on a possible application in the treatment of Alzheimer's," he added.

The 1943 German invasion of Italy forced the Levi-Montalcini family to flee to Florence and live underground. After the Allies liberated the city, she worked as a doctor at a center for refugees.

In 1947 Levi-Montalcini was invited to the United States, where she remained for more than 20 years, which she called "the happiest and most productive" of her life. She held dual Italian-U.S. citizenship.

During her research at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, she discovered nerve growth factor, the first substance known to regulate the growth of cells. She showed that when tumors from mice were transplanted to chicken embryos they induced rapid growth of the embryonic nervous system. She concluded that the tumor released a nerve growth-promoting factor that affected certain types of cells.

The research increased the understanding of many conditions, including tumors, developmental malformations, and senile dementia. It also led to the discovery by Stanley Cohen of another substance, epidermal growth factor, which stimulates the proliferation of epithelial cells. The two shared the Nobel Prize for medicine in 1986.

Levi-Montalcini returned to Italy to become the director of the laboratory of cell biology of the National Council of Scientific Research in Rome in 1969.

After retiring in the late 1970s, she continued to work as a guest professor and wrote several books to popularize science. She created the Levi-Montalcini Foundation to grant scholarships and promote educational programs worldwide, particularly for women in Africa.

In 2001 Levi-Montalcini was made a senator for life, one of the country's highest honors.

She then became active in Parliament, especially between 2006 and 2008, when she and other life senators would cast their votes to back the thin majority of center-left Premier Romano Prodi.

Levi-Montalcini had no children and never married, fearing such ties would undercut her independence.

"I never had any hesitation or regrets in this sense," she said in a 2006 interview. "My life has been enriched by excellent human relations, work and interests. I have never felt lonely."

Italian mathematician Piergiorgio Odifreddi said he was always struck by the contrast of this "petite, frail woman and the power of her mind." He recalled comments that Levi-Montalcini made when she turned 100. She mentioned that she would sleep no more than two or three hours a night because "I have no time to lose," Odifreddi told Sky TG24.

There was no immediate announcement of funeral or memorial services.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/nobel-scientist-rita-levi-montalcini-dies-rome-154440935.html

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Track poor behavior even after improvement ? Business ...

Some employees will permanently per??form and behave better if they believe their jobs are at stake. But for others, the improvement is only temporary.

That?s why it is important to track performance and behavior over time. You can still use the earlier problems as partial justification for termination.

Recent case: Carol had a propen??sity to inappropriate outbursts. She was placed on a performance im??provement plan and did improve?temporarily. Then she backslid, asking her supervisor whether she had ?stopped taking? her medication.

She was fired and sued, alleging age discrimination. Carol?s employer said she was fired for years of poor behavior, including insubordination be??fore and after being warned to improve.

The court dismissed the case, con??cluding the employer was free to use old and new incidents to support the decision. (Rubinow v. BIP, No. 11-2879, 2nd Cir., 2012)

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State Dept. warns Americans about Haiti travel

WASHINGTON (AP) ? The State Department has issued a revised Haiti travel advisory, warning Americans planning to travel to the Caribbean island nation about robbery, lawlessness, infectious disease and poor medical facilities.

"U.S. citizens have been victims of violent crime, including murder and kidnapping, predominantly in the Port-au-Prince area. No one is safe from kidnapping, regardless of occupation, nationality, race, gender or age," the department said.

The new travel warning was released Friday to replace a less strongly worded advisory issued in June.

In recent months, travelers arriving in Port-au-Prince, the capital and largest city, on flights from the United States have been attacked and robbed after leaving the airport. This year, at least two U.S. citizens were shot and killed in robbery and kidnapping incidents, the State Department said.

"Haitian authorities have limited capacity to deter or investigate such violent acts or prosecute perpetrators," the department said.

The State Department also noted that while the incidents of cholera have declined, the disease persists in many areas of Haiti. Medical facilities, including ambulance services, are particularly weak.

"Thousands of U.S. citizens safely visit Haiti each year, but the poor state of Haiti's emergency response network should be carefully considered when planning travel. Travelers to Haiti are encouraged to use organizations that have solid infrastructure, evacuation and medical support options in place," the department said.

___

Online:

Haiti Travel Warning: http://tinyurl.com/bnrfqtx

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/state-dept-warns-americans-haiti-travel-060552347.html

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MTA app for iPhone offers New Yorkers real-time subway arrivals, a small dose of relief

MTA app for iPhone offers New Yorkers realtime subway arrivals, a small dose of relief

Despite New York City virtually revolving around its mass transit system, local subway riders haven't had a way to check the next arrival in real-time, even though some smaller cities already take live transit details for granted. At least some harried commuters can assuage their minds now that the MTA has posted its Subway Time app for iOS users. The title does exactly what it says on the tin, taking advantage of MTA's signalling installations on the 1 through 6 lines (and the 42nd Street Shuttle) to determine train arrival times down to the minute. Subway Time won't satisfy certain travelers as-is: it doesn't provide directions, and the earliest expansion to additional routes won't happen until the L line's information is linked up in six to 12 months. Passengers running Android and Windows Phone will likewise have to wait for outside developers to finish their own projects. For those of us living in the right areas, however, Subway Time might take away some uncertainty -- even if it's just to confirm that we'll be late.

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Via: Wall Street Journal

Source: App Store

Source: http://www.engadget.com/2012/12/28/mta-app-for-iphone-offers-new-yorkers-real-time-subway-arrivals/

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Saturday, December 29, 2012

FCC streamlines rules for aircraft broadband, promotes widespread in-flight WiFi

Image

The Federal Communications Commission adopted a Report and Order today that updated regulatory requirements needed to provide broadband services on aircraft. In short, the commission has designated Earth Stations Aboard Aircraft -- the broadband modules placed on the exterior of aircraft -- as a licensed application and established a set regulatory process for future providers. What this means is that airlines will be able to select FCC-approved systems, verify that systems don't interfere with aircraft instruments, and obtain FAA approval in about half the time it takes now. The new FCC guidelines should make it easier for smaller airlines to install WiFi on their jets, allowing them to catch up to legacy carriers with nearly fleetwide internet access. This news might also be a mixed blessing for frequent flyers, some of whom see flying as the last bastion of peace in an otherwise connected world.

Continue reading FCC streamlines rules for aircraft broadband, promotes widespread in-flight WiFi

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Source: Federal Communications Commission

Source: http://feeds.engadget.com/~r/weblogsinc/engadget/~3/AVpmgODbabU/

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Bethenny Frankel Divorce to be Quick and Easy?

Source: http://www.thehollywoodgossip.com/2012/12/bethenny-frankel-divorce-to-be-quick-and-easy/

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Toshiba ??????? ?????? ??????????? BSI ? ??????????? 20 ?? ...

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Source: http://forums.ferra.ru/index.php?showtopic=53744

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Possible legal troubles for makers of "Blue Brees" - WAFB 9 News ...

BATON ROUGE, LA (WAFB) -

A spokesman for Drew Brees says the Saints quarterback had no idea his photo is being used to market a possible synthetic drug sold in Baton Rouge. While he would not elaborate, he says Brees will take "appropriate action".

Mary Hughes says her 16-year-old son had a bad reaction from after he smoked something called "Blue Brees". She says he could barely stand up and his speech was slurred.

The Baton Rouge store that sells it, called Zombieland, has signs posted saying products like this are not for human consumption. But Assistant District Attorney John Russell says the signs are almost pointless when packaging implies something else.

"It's kind of tongue-in-cheek little humor involved to let them know, 'Hey this is not really aromatherapy, it's not incense, it's not bath salts....it's exactly what you're looking for,'" said Russell.

The tongue-in-cheek image on the product Hughes's son smoked is of a zombie-like picture of Saints quarterback Drew Brees. That in itself could land the maker in legal trouble.

"The key is that they used the name in association with the number 9 jersey. Normally, leaving NFL or any other reference off is enough. But they didn't do that here," said John Church, LSU law professor. "They added the name 'Brees', so it seems as if that's what creates the connection in the minds of the consuming public. And I think it probably is a violation."

Prosecutors say says distributors of "Blue Brees" might be violating drug laws too. While the store owner insists they sell this product to use in oil burners and not for smoking, Russell says the way Louisiana's synthetic drug laws is written could be the difference.

"They've identified large groups of the organic molecules involved. So that by outlawing one group of organic molecules, you can effectively outlaw every substance that would fall within that group which could literally be hundreds of different variations," said Russell.

One of Zombieland's owners called 9News after Wednesday's and Thursday's stories aired. He tells us:

"We would like to apologize. There was no disrespect intended by using Drew Brees. We?re fans. It wasn't meant to be a representation of him or the Saints. It was a play on words. As soon as we saw the negative feedback on the WAFB website, we took it off the shelf and will not replace it. Zombieland is an aromatherapy store. We do not condone the consumption of any kind of synthetic drugs (ex. bath salts or cannabinoids)."

Copyright 2012 WAFB. All rights reserved.

Source: http://www.wafb.com/story/20436631/possible-legal-troubles-for-makers-of-blue-brees

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Bootleggers and baptists in the drug industry

Peter Whoriskey reports in the Washington Post that the pharmaceutical industry has influenced the decision to classify grief due to the loss of a loved one as a form of depression. In the primitive past, grief was thought to build character. Now it?s a disease. That in turn, of course, allows anti-depressants to be prescribed and covered by health insurance.

It was a simple experiment in healing the bereaved: Twenty-two patients who had recently lost a spouse were given a widely used antidepressant.

The drug, marketed as Wellbutrin, improved ?major depressive symptoms occurring shortly after the loss of a loved one,? the report in the Journal of Clinical Psychiatry concluded.

When, though, should the bereaved be medicated? For years, the official handbook of psychiatry, issued by the American Psychiatric Association, advised against diagnosing major depression when the distress is ?better accounted for by bereavement.? Such grief, experts said, was better left to nature.

But that may be changing.

In what some prominent critics have called a bonanza for the drug companies, the American Psychiatric Association this month voted to drop the old warning against diagnosing depression in the bereaved, opening the way for more of them to be diagnosed with major depression ? and thus, treated with antidepressants.

The change in the handbook, which could have significant financial implications for the $10 billion U.S. antidepressant market, was developed in large part by people affiliated with the pharmaceutical industry, an examination of financial disclosures shows.

It?s worth reading the whole article. Of course, the bereaved have to want to take the drug. So in many ways this is a classic bootlegger and baptist coalition?a mix of pure self-interest (sell lots of high-margin drugs!) and high-minded motivation (help the depressed!).

Some commenters at the Post have noted that this is the problem of having a for-profit pharmaceutical sector. Perhaps. But the real root of the problem is the ability to get other people to pay for your drugs. If pharmaceuticals weren?t covered by government subsidy, the problem might not go away but it would be a lot smaller. I don?t care if depressed people want to assuage their grief with chemicals. That should be their choice. Just not on my nickel. So all of these fights and all of the influence of the drug companies come from the immense profits available from selling something that the consumers can have without paying the full price.

For related conversations on these issues, see this podcast with Marcia Angell or this one with Gary Greenberg.

Source: http://cafehayek.com/2012/12/bootleggers-and-baptists-in-the-drug-industry.html

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Saints say NFL bounty probe took a toll on season

METAIRIE, La. (AP) ? Blame the bounty scandal.

That's what many in New Orleans are doing, including some Saints.

They blame it for overshadowing their entire season, for unfairly portraying the team as the NFL's No. 1 sinners.

And they blame it, in part, for a mistake-prone 0-4 start that led to New Orleans not making the playoffs for the first time in four years.

Players and coaches had said they would not allow the NFL's disruptive probe of the Saints' cash-for-hits program and resulting suspensions ? including head coach Sean Payton's full-season ban ? to become an excuse for failure. At the same time, few at club headquarters say it had no bearing on the club's performance.

"Forever you can equate the two and I think it's fair to equate the two," said linebacker Scott Shanle, now finishing his seventh season in New Orleans. "Never has a coach been suspended for an entire year and it's a pretty big deal when you look at the grand scheme of what a head coach does, especially a coach like coach Payton, who's had the success he's had."

In addition to Payton's suspension, general manager Mickey Loomis got eight games and assistant head coach Joe Vitt six games before returning to serve in the interim head coaching role he assumed when Payton's suspension began in the offseason. While Vitt was away, offensive line coach Aaron Kromer stepped in as interim to the interim head coach.

Two defensive captains also were punished initially. But linebacker Jonathan Vilma and end Will Smith undertook a lengthy legal battle that overturned their suspensions, which otherwise would have sideline Vilma for a year and Smith for four games.

Publicly, Vitt preached that the Saints must avoid the temptation to point to the bounty probe when things went wrong. Yet Vitt had a different take when he appeared earlier this month as a witness at a closed hearing for the players' appeals of their punishment.

Speaking before former Commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who was appointed to oversee the hearings, Vitt made it clear he felt the NFL had undermined the competitive integrity of the league with harsh punishments based primarily on the testimony of two fired assistant coaches: former defensive coordinator Gregg Williams and former defensive assistant Mike Cerullo.

"How are we going to sell this to our public? How are we going to sell this to the season ticket holders, that this has all taken place? We're 5-7, we've disappointed a community, we've disappointed a region because of Mike Cerullo and Gregg Williams? How do we do this? How do we sell this?" Vitt said on Dec. 3, according to transcripts obtained by The Associated Press. "Sean is suspended for a year, Mickey Loomis for eight weeks? ... Who got hurt? Who was maimed? Look at the film. Who are we going to sell this to?"

Less than a week after Vitt's testimony, the Saints visited the New York Giants and lost 52-27, falling to 5-8.

New Orleans has since rallied for two straight wins, and can finish the season 8-8 with a victory at home on Sunday over Carolina. But that is far short of expectations for a team that won more regular-season and playoff games combined than any other during the previous three seasons.

"We can reflect much more at the end of the season. I'd rather not even try to go too deep right now," quarterback Drew Brees said this week when asked about the bounty probe's toll. "Were there distractions? Yeah. Was there circumstances swirling around us that were just crazy and we had no idea what to expect, challenges? Yes, most definitely. But I will not allow myself, we will not allow our team, to use that as a crutch or an excuse. Others might say ... 'It affected you guys.' That's fine, but we're not going to go there."

The Saints have long since acknowledged they had a performance pool that offered nominal cash rewards for big plays, including big hits, similar to what numerous other teams have run for generations. However, players and coaches have been adamant that they never ran a bounty program of the nefarious and intentionally injurious nature described by the league, and that they were unjustly singled out and punished.

Saints right tackle Zach Strief said he and teammates were angry about the way the club was treated by the league, but added that players generally have tunnel vision during the season.

"There's a period in the offseason when you can feel that way, and then once the season starts there's no time to worry about it," Strief said.

Strief said the experienced assistant coaches who ran the team in Payton's absence did a good job keeping the routine largely the same and delivering messages in meetings similar to the way Payton had in the past.

"I don't ever remember going on the field and saying, 'That meeting on Wednesday really has me shaken up.' So I don't think there's necessarily an effect like that," Strief said. "But obviously there's a reason (Payton is) a head football coach in the NFL, because he's a talented coach, and so it's not just players that lose something from him not being here. He's also an integral part of our coaching staff and they didn't have him. So you're putting those coaches in situations they've never been in.

"It's more work and more pressure and stress on everybody. Coach Payton carries this big weight, and when he leaves it has to get picked up by a lot of people. You can't deny there's not an effect, but to sit there and say, 'How many wins does that get you?' is impossible."

New Orleans has won seven of 11 games since the 0-4 start, leaving Shanle to wonder whether the impact of Payton's absence did not manifest itself most early in the regular season. The Saints lost all four games by single digits, including an overtime loss at home to a Kansas City team that is now 2-13.

"I think the start of our season would have been different. We would have won one or two games here or there that would have changed everything to where we are now," Shanle said. "We all said it wouldn't affect us, but it was much harder when that reality came. But after we got used to, 'This is how the flow is going to be now,' we played better. We just never played consistently. Our play reflected the roller coaster that was our offseason and our summer."

___

Online: http://pro32.ap.org/poll and http://twitter.com/AP_NFL

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/saints-nfl-bounty-probe-took-toll-season-233404302--nfl.html

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Friday, December 28, 2012

Why are (Smart) Investors Buying 50 Times More Physical Silver ...

Eric Sprott of Sprott Asset Management writes: ?

As long-time students of precious metals investing, there are certain things we understand. One is that, historically, the availability ratio of silver to gold has had a direct influence on the price of the metals. The current availability ratio of physical silver to gold for investment purposes is approximately 3:1. So, why is it that investors are allocating their dollars to silver at a much higher ratio? What is it that these ?smart? investors understand? Let?s have a look at the numbers and see if it?s time for investors to do as a wise man once said and ?follow the money.?

Average annual gold mine production is approximately 80 million ounces, which together with an estimated average 50?million ounces of annual recycled gold, totals around 130 million ounces available per year. In comparison, annual mined silver production has averaged around 750 million ounces, while recycled silver is estimated at 250?million ounces per year, which adds up to approximately 1 billion ounces. Using this data, there is roughly 8?times more silver available to buy than there is gold. However, not all gold and silver is available for investment purposes, due to their use in industrial applications. It is estimated that for investment purposes (jewelry, bars and coins), the annual availability of gold is roughly 120 million ounces, and of silver it is 350 million ounces. Therefore, the ratio of physical silver availability to gold availability is 350/120, or ~3:1.1

Now, let?s examine how investors are allocating their investments between gold and silver. The data below is from the US Mint showing gold and silver sales in ounces:

Table1.gif
Source: US Mint (www.usmint.gov)

As you can see, investors are choosing to buy silver at a ratio to gold that is well above what is available. This uptrend doesn?t show any signs of slowing either. The ratio of the physical silver to gold is both rising and extraordinarily above the availability ratio of 3:1.

We can also use other data such as the most recent issues of the Sprott Physical Gold and Silver Trusts. The last Gold Trust issue in September 2012 raised US$393 million and the last Silver Trust issue raised US$310 million. On the basis of prices for each metal at the time of issue, we could purchase ~213 thousand ounces of gold and ~9.1 million ounces of silver. This represents a purchase ratio of 43:1.

If we examine ETF holdings in both gold and silver, we note that in the period from 2007 to 2012, the increase in silver holdings amounted to 12,000 tonnes, compared to 1,200 tonnes of gold ? meaning, investors purchased ten times more silver than gold.

These are only three factual data points to consider, but there are other indications that silver investment demand is way out of line with availability. Our favourite question to the bullion dealers we meet, is to ask the ratio of their dollar sales in gold versus silver. The answer is that dollar sales are equal, which means that physical silver sales relative to gold are greater than 50:1.

A recent news headline on Mineweb read, ?Silver Sales to Outshine Gold in India.2? It went on to quote a bullion dealer that ?investors and jewelry lovers?prefer?silver jewelry these days.? As the largest importer of gold in the world, it would be impossible for India to purchase an equivalent amount of silver, as it would require more than one billion ounces, essentially more than the current annual mine production.

While these last two confirmations of silver demand are anecdotal, the statistics from the US Mint, the ETFs, and our Physical Trust issues, are factual.

For the time being, the silver price is essentially set in the paper market where the daily average trade on the Comex is approximately 300 million ounces. An outrageous number when you compare it to the daily mine production of about 2 million ounces. As Bart Chilton, Commissioner of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission stated on October 26, 2010, ?I believe there have been repeated attempts to influence prices in silver markets. There have been fraudulent efforts to persuade and deviously control that price. Based on what I have been told and reviewed in publicly available documents, I believe violations to the Commodity Exchange Act have taken place in the silver market and any such violation of the law in this regard should be prosecuted.?3

Which brings us back to the phrase ?Follow the money.? In our view, it is almost inconceivable that investors would allocate as many dollars to silver as they would to gold, but that is what the data shows.

The silver investment market is very small. While the dollar value of gold in the world approaches $9 trillion, the value of silver in the forms of jewelry, coins, bars and silverware is estimated at around $150 billion (5 billion ounces at $30 per ounce). This is a ratio of 60:1 in dollar terms.4

How long can investors continue to buy silver at the current ratios when the availability for investment is only 3:1? We are surprised that the price of silver has remained at such a depressed level compared to gold. Historically, the price ratio between gold and silver has been 16:1, when both were currencies. Today the ratio is 55:1, so what are the numbers telling us? We believe this is one of those times when smart investors will be well rewarded to ?Follow the money.?

On behalf of all of us at Sprott, I wish you safe and happy Holidays and a prosperous New Year.

P.S. ? US Mint Sold Out of Silver Eagle Bullion Coins Until January 7, 2013?
The Mint recently informed authorized purchasers that all remaining inventories of 2012-dated Silver Eagle bullion coins had sold out and no additional coins would be struck. Since the 2013-dated coins will not be available to order until January 7, 2013, this leaves a three week void for the Mint?s most popular bullion offering.

1 Sources: Gold data is from World Gold Council www.gold.org, and silver data is from Silver Institute, http://www.silverinstitute.org/site/supply-demand/
2 Source: Mineweb.com
3 Source: Bloomberg: http://mobile.bloomberg.com/news/2010-10-26/silver-market-faced-fraudulent-efforts-to-control-price-chilton-says.html
4

Sources: Gold data is from World Gold Council, silver data is from United States Geological Survey (USGS) and Silver Institute.

December 26, 2012 (Source: Sprott Assest Management LP)

http://sprottasset.com/markets-at-a-glance/why-are-%28smart%29-investors-buying-50-times-more-physical-silver-than-gold/

Source: http://www.gotgoldreport.com/2012/12/why-are-smart-investors-buying-50-times-more-physical-silver-than-gold.html

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ELF5: Transcription factor that could determine future breast cancer ...

Australian scientists have shown how a 'transcription factor' causes breast cancer to develop an aggressive subtype that lacks sensitivity to oestrogen and does not respond to anti-oestrogen therapies such as Tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors.

Transcription factors are molecules that switch genes on or off. In this case, the transcription factor known as 'ELF5' inhibits sensitivity to oestrogen very early in the life of a breast cancer cell.

In 2008, Associate Professor Chris Ormandy from Sydney's Garvan Institute of Medical Research showed that ELF5 was responsible for the development of the oestrogen-receptor-negative cells in the breast during pregnancy that produce milk.

In the current study Ormandy, in collaboration with Drs Maria Kalyga and David Gallego-Ortega, has shown that the same molecular decision occurs in breast cancer and that ELF5 has the ability to change an existing tumour to an oestrogen-insensitive type.

The team has also described the genetic mechanisms by which ELF5 opposes the action of oestrogen, and has shown that it is possible to alter the subtype of breast cancer by manipulating ELF5 levels. The findings are published in the highly prestigious journal PLoS Biology, now online.

"This work tells us that cancers which become refractory to anti-oestrogen treatment often do so by elevating their levels of ELF5 and becoming functionally oestrogen receptor negative," said Ormandy.

"This raises the therapeutic option of manipulating ELF5 levels to treat breast cancer."

"As ELF5 is intracellular, this could possibly be done with small molecule therapies that target protein-to-protein interactions, or with small inhibitory RNAs."

"There is also the possibility of testing ELF5 levels in tumours to predict response to treatment and therefore guide treatment decisions."

"Our key discovery here is that by simply manipulating one transcription factor we can change the subtype of breast cancer."

Source: http://www.sciencecodex.com/the_factor_that_could_determine_future_breast_cancer_treatment-104457

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203K Loans For Buying Property Or Home Improvement: Knowing ...

George Sterling | Friday, December 28th, 2012

203K loans are popular as they allow individuals to borrow financial funds for improvement as well as ownership of a house by only taking one loan. 203K loans are issued by the Federal Housing Administration. 203K Loans typically come with a lower interest rate. Moreover, the terms of paying back the loan varies from 15-30 years.

Basics To Know About 203K Loans

203K loans are best suitable for individuals in the United States who are seeking to buy a house or remodel their existing house but need finance to do so. 203K Loans are also referred to as ?fixer? or ?rehab loans?. Through these types of loans, one cannot only fund finance new homes but also acquire them for home improvement projects. The most important thing to know about the 203K Loan is that it is issued in the form of one loan and not separate loans.

With two different loans, there is a lot of hassle involved such as hassle of paper work, cost, payment of interest and more. Two loans come with a greater price as compared to single loans. With single loans, the interest payments that will have to be made back by the loan taker will typically be low as a result of which, the act of paying back the loan and maintaining your credit history will become a relatively easier task.

203K Loans are offered at competitive rates as a result of which, they make a reasonable choice of selection as loans for home improvement or buying homes altogether. The Federal Housing Administration issues the 203K Loans for single to four unit properties but condo owners as well as townhome owners can also use them to enhance the looks of their properties. The 203K Loans offer nearly 110percent in loans of the speculated value of the property in question, after improvement. The minimum value of finance that is offered is $5,000 but the FHA permits users to take up smaller projects that permit facilitation of easy payment processes.

Another thing to note about 203K loans is that it is mandatory to complete the work in 6 months of closing and if the project reaches more than its expected amount, more amounts will be inserted in the total. Experts advise against padding up the total cost of loan, which occurs in the case when total amount of loan exceeds the cost of improvement or the new property itself and therefore, it is always recommended to hire a reputable contractor who can provide you with accurate estimates.

Source: http://www.moneymanager.com/articles/203k-loans-for-buying-property-or-home-improvement-knowing-the-basics/

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Kim Dotcom To Host Mega?s Launch Event At His New Mega Zealand Mansion Next Month

ff_kimdotcom3_largeKim Dotcom doesn't do things small. The man behind the Megaupload empire is about to launch his next service dubbed simply Mega. But don't expect a simple press event in a hotel conference room. Nope, on January 20, 2013, exactly one year after his over-the-top takedown, Dotcom is hosting the Mega launch event at his sprawling New Zealand estate -- effectively giving the finger to the RIAA, MPAA, and the shady US Justice Department.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/Rmsy5c3L98U/

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alaskasmith: victorrusso23: Shopping And Product Reviews: Toys ...

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Source: http://matkopliza9.typepad.com/blog/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys-article-category-by-elleeatist.html

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Source: http://victorrusso23.blogspot.com/2012/12/shopping-and-product-reviews-toys.html

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Source: http://thermophile-kenny.blogspot.com/2012/12/victorrusso23-shopping-and-product.html

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Thursday, December 27, 2012

0.67 Carat 18kt Two-Tone Gold Diamond Ring - Health and fitness

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Source: http://www.womenfavor.com/amoro-fine-jewelry/0-67-carat-18kt-two-tone-gold-diamond-ring.html

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Four FREE Health and Fitness Kindle Books!!

Check out these four FREE health and fitness Kindle books! Download them to your Kindle, PC or smartphone!

4-Week Body Weight Home Workout?by Arnel Ricafrance

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Thanks, Red Carpet Mamas!

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Source: http://mycouponlady.com/four-free-health-and-fitness-kindle-books/

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Christine Benvenuto's Husband Became A Woman After 20 Years Of Marriage (EXCERPT)

The following is an excerpt from the new book "Sex Changes: A Memoir of Marriage, Gender, and Moving On" by Christine Benvenuto. Benvenuto's husband decided to live as a woman after 20 years of marriage.

Many people suffer midlife crises. Men in particular seem to be known for them, known for having them out loud and in color, for making decisions that entail the ending of marriages, career metamorphoses, large expenditures of cash, the acquisition of new toys. Women, according to my entirely informal survey, seem to expect themselves to grapple with midlife turmoil by planting a garden, taking up a textile art, or otherwise finding a corner in which to quietly implode. By any measure, Tracey?s crisis was impressive. (I am going to refer to my former husband as Tracey, not because it is his name -- it isn?t --but because it is a gender-neutral name that works before and after and either way.) Tracey never called his midlife crisis a midlife crisis. He represented it as a kind of gender sneeze, an involuntary explosion in reaction to the mounting irritation of inhabiting an identity that didn?t feel like his. In other words, a midlife crisis. It erupted in the middle of our lives. It was a crisis. And like some midlife crises and unlike others, Tracey?s changed everything.

On one level, there really isn?t anything quite like having your husband of twenty-odd years decide to live as a woman, and relatively few people find themselves in that precise situation. But many of us have our lives upended. Illness, death, divorce, other family upheavals. Job loss, geographic dislocation. Life happens. Sooner or later, most of us experience change that is not of our choosing. We fear that we will never regain our equilibrium. We soldier on, racked inside by doubts about whether we are up to the challenges thrown our way. Often, we have no idea how strong we really are. We can?t begin to imagine how happy we may become.

?

It began with a pair of purple cotton underpants. A woman?s underpants. I pulled them out of the dryer amid the rest of the usual laundry produced by a man, a woman, two children, and one baby. I had never seen these purple underpants before. Tracey came upon me in the basement, standing before the dryer with them in my hand, staring at them. Trying to figure out and at the same time understanding what they were. We stood there, both of us staring at them, in silence.

?Oh, sorry,? he said finally. ?Did I put those in the laundry? I?ve been trying to keep them out of your sight.?

?That?s okay,? I whispered.

This was the first time I had ever seen an item of female clothing that belonged to my husband. It was also the end of Tracey trying to keep women?s clothes out of my sight.

I didn?t want to see. I didn?t want to know. Then again, I was terrified of what I didn?t know. I was afraid of what might be happening behind my back. Of what others might see. Each time he did something new, something further, took another step, made another change, each time I discovered that yet another person had been brought into his confidence, I had to suffer all over again. As if it were possible to stop or even to contain this thing once it had begun. I wanted to understand and yet I didn?t. Understanding meant believing it was happening. A kind of acceptance. I couldn?t accept. I couldn?t. This is one of the hardest things to remember now and to convey: the difficulty I had bending my mind around this thing.

?

When Tracey announced to the world that he liked to wear women?s clothes and would now do so all the time, he was aggressive, to. He didn?t ask. He told. He did. He assumed a treasure trove, a trousseau, of feminine things, and he eloped with himself.

The unfolding, the ripening, that is female adolescence can be a beautiful thing when it happens to a twelve-or fourteen-year-old girl. When it is embarked upon by a 40-something-year-old man, it is something else again. Female adolescence was Tracey?s way of explaining the process he had entered into, an umbrella term to cover the series of things he was doing to himself. Many young girls experience this period in their lives as hellish; Tracey was gleeful.

?

Outwardly [our] family continued. We handled together what we had to: home repairs, the scheduling complications entailed by three children. From paying bills to baking birthday cakes, I had always managed much of our domestic lives on my own. Now ?much? gradually became all.

We had dinners together as a family when Tracey was at home, but the noisy conversation that once bubbled over at our table dwindled to a strained trickle. The children witness Tracey?s undisguised misery, felt the tension they couldn?t name. In Tracey?s presence I found there was very little I needed to say. Once I would have chatted about work, the events of my day, the endless pleasures and concerns occasioned by the children. Now the stuff of my life, of the children?s lives, never seemed to grab Tracey?s attention. A single subject absorbed him. When we weren?t talking about that -- and we weren?t, in front of the children -- it was as if Tracey and I had nothing in common.

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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/26/christine-benvenuto-sex-changes_n_2330988.html

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Blandinsville family loses home to fire on Christmas Day : News ...

Read?more: Local, News, Christmas Day Fire, Colchester Fire, Blandinsville Fire, Family Loses Home to Fire, Family Escapes Fire, Christmas Day Fire Destroys Home, Father and Kids Escape House Fire, Family Unharmed after House Fire, Mike Powell, Powell Family

MCDONOUGH COUNTY, ILL. -- A Blandinsville?family is counting their blessings Wednesday after losing their home to a fire Christmas night.

Mike Powell and his two girls, ages 5 and 7,?escaped the home unharmed, but lost everything inside the home.

The Blandinsville-Hire Fire Protection District responded to the fire northeast of Blandinsville just before 7:30 p.m. Upon arrival, firefighters put in a call to Good Hope-Sciota?and the La Harpe Fire Protection District for mutual aid. In all, 30 firefighters helped contain the fire.

The house is considered a total loss and the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.

The American Red Cross also responded to the scene to assist the Powell Family.?A family friends told KHQA the Powells are?in need of clothes at this time.

Mike wears 2XL shirts, 36x30 jeans, and 9 1/2 shoes. His 2 daughters wear sizes 6 and 7 in?clothes and 12 and 3 in shoes. Anything you can donate can be dropped off at the Scrapbook nook in Colchester. If you'd rather donate?money or gift cards, you can mail them?to Mike Powell c/o Connie Powell 501 E. Roberts Colchester, IL 62326 or?contact the Red Cross office in Macomb at (309) 837-1594.

Source: http://www.connecttristates.com/news/story.aspx?id=841052

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95% Argo

All Critics (244) | Top Critics (43) | Fresh (232) | Rotten (11)

'Argo' is one of the best movies of the year.

Argo has that solid, kick-the-tires feel of those studio films from the 70s that were about something but also entertained. Only it's as laugh outright amusing as it is sobering.

The movieland satire is laid on thick, but it's also deadly accurate. Schlock has never seemed so patriotic, and Arkin and Goodman have rarely been so good.

Argo is a rollicking yarn, easily the most cohesive and technically accomplished of Affleck's three films so far, but a part of me wishes the director hadn't cast himself in the lead role.

If nothing else, it proves that every so often, the CIA can pull something off - and that yes, Canadians are just about the nicest people on the planet.

The film is a whopper of a tale, one designed for Oscar nominations, Best Picture and Best Director among them.

This may be the most geek-friendly movie that never did the rounds at Comic-Con.

When Tony (Ben Affleck) lands in Tehran and trains the frightened Americans to play their parts as a Canadian film crew, Argo compares the ruses run by governments and movie studios.

The whole thing is paced like a whip, and the third act may literally be the most suspenseful piece of film I've ever seen - and yes, I have seen Rear Window. Recommended without any reservation for every and any cinemagoer.

A terrific supporting cast, especially the non A-list actors, make the dramatic license taken justified and redeem Affleck for miscasting himself in the hero's role.

A brilliant thriller that's based on a historical incident, 'Argo' is one of the best films of 2012.

A wonderfully lively and engrossing movie ...

An enthralling and deliciously entertaining movie -- and a deserved triumph for its star and director.

The details make for a rip-roaring story, which Affleck invests with old-school directorial ?lan.

Ben Affleck leaps on to the A-list of directors with this relentlessly entertaining thriller, combining comedy and nerve-jangling suspense to maximum effect.

If you're a nailbiter, bring gloves, because the suspense will see you reach your knuckles.

Surprisingly enjoyable, given that you may have little prior commitment to this story and only mildly fancy Affleck.

Affleck skilfully turns the screw of suspense, gaining added traction from an extremely convincing recreation of the setting and period.

Ben Affleck's movie tells an amazing but true story set against the context of the Iranian hostage crisis.

Talent borrows and genius steals, but Affleck does something in between: he mimics.

It's impossible to be bored by a story this good, especially with that cast.

Part of what makes this headspinning story believable is the fact that it pans out in an oddly uncomplicated way.

The shaggy and bearded Ben Affleck, barely recognisable from his former self, gives a great lead performance. Understated, intense and steely-eyed, Affleck has the screen presence of legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood.

Affleck the director is utterly sure-footed with an instinctive feel for characterization, tension and pacing as he builds the action towards a nail-biting climax.

A dum-tight thriller demonstrating that Affleck is one of the most accomplished directors working in Hollywood today.

Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/argo_2012/

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Inside the Astragal Condominiums | All Phoenix Real Estate.Com

Inside the Astragal Condominiums | All Phoenix Real Estate.Com The ARMLS logo indicates a property listed by a real estate brokerage other than Realty ONE Group.
All information should be verified by the recipient and none is guaranteed as accurate by ARMLS.

Copyright 2012 Arizona Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. All rights reserved.

Data last updated 12/26/12 1:14 PM PST.

This IDX solution is (c) Diverse Solutions 2012.

Source: http://allphoenixrealestate.com/inside-astragal-condominiums/

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Hundreds flee Nicaragua volcano

Nicaraguan authorities have ordered the evacuation of several hundred people living near San Cristobal volcano.

Officials also declared an amber alert for five sq km ( two sq miles) around the volcano, which began spewing ash and gas on Tuesday.

However, some 1,500 farmers are refusing to leave the area, the French news agency AFP reports.

First Lady and government spokeswoman Rosario Murillo said 15 eruptions had been recorded since Tuesday night.

The eruptions were small, but Ms Murillo said it was impossible to know for certain whether there would be larger ones that could put the population at risk.

She urged families living in the area to follow evacuation routes as a precaution.

The Nicaraguan army has sent rescue teams to the area.

Some communities are resisting efforts to persuade them to leave.

"People have not evacuated because we do not want to go and leav ethe area abandoned," local farmer Maria Pereira told AFP.

San Cristobal, Nicaragua's highest volcano, is located about 135 km north-west of Managua.

It is considered the country's most active. It last erupted in September, killing some farm animals.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-20848465#sa-ns_mchannel=rss&ns_source=PublicRSS20-sa

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Police union seeks more help for Newtown officers

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) ? Some of the police officers who responded to the elementary school shooting in Newtown are so traumatized they haven't been working, but they have to use sick time and could soon be at risk of going without a paycheck, a union official said Wednesday.

The union, Council 15 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, is seeking more generous assistance in talks with the town's insurer. It is also reaching out to lawmakers and the governor's office with proposals to modify state law and expand workers' compensation benefits for officers who witness horrific crime scenes.

"The insurer for the town has taken a position that these officers are entitled to only what the statute allows. Unfortunately for these officers, the statute doesn't allow any benefits," said Eric Brown, an attorney for the union, which represents nearly 4,000 officers around Connecticut.

A gunman shot his way into Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14 and slaughtered 20 first-graders and six educators. The gunman, who had also killed his mother that morning, committed suicide as police arrived.

Brown said that the number of officers "critically affected" by the tragedy is below 15 and that a small number of them are not currently working.

A spokesman for Newtown police, Lt. George Sinko, said the officers are generally holding up well.

"A couple of them are taking it harder than some of the other ones," he said. "The things that the officers had to experience underscores the need to support them in every way possible."

Authorities say the victims were shot with a high-powered, military-style rifle loaded with ammunition designed to inflict maximum damage. All the victims had been shot at least twice, the medical examiner said, and as many as 11 times. Two victims were pronounced dead at a hospital, while all others died in the school.

In the past, advocates have pushed to change the statutes on workers' compensation, which currently include provisions for officers who suffer mental impairment as the result of using or being subjected to deadly force ? but not for those who witness crime scenes with mass casualties.

Concerns about the potential cost to cities and towns have been an obstacle, but the issue is likely to resurface in the next legislation session, said state Rep. Stephen Dargan, a West Haven Democrat who is co-chairman of the legislature's public safety committee.

"We don't want it to be used in an abusive way, but the circumstances are so horrific in Newtown. We need to protect those first responders and give them all the help we can give them," he said.

Officials with the town's insurer, the Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Firefighters who responded to the scene at Sandy Hook also have described struggling with feelings of frustration and anguish, but said they were grateful they were spared from witnessing the scene that greeted police inside the school.

Brown said outside agencies have been meeting demands for counseling services, but it will be important to ensure support is in place over the long term. The officers who are not working also could use up available sick time by early January, he said.

"The emotional loads they're carrying far exceed anything they could imagine," Brown said.

Police have yet to offer a possible motive for gunman Adam Lanza's rampage.

Expansive memorials throughout the small New England town have become gathering points for residents and visitors alike. A steady stream of well-wishers have taken pictures, dropped off toys and fought back tears at a huge sidewalk memorial in the center of Newtown's Sandy Hook section that is filled with stuffed animals, poems, flowers, posters and cards.

Newtown officials plan to convert into a memorial the countless mementos paying tribute to the schoolhouse victims. Thousands of flowers, letters, signs, photos, candles, teddy bears and other items at sites around town will be turned into soil and blocks to be used in a memorial, The News Times in nearby Danbury reported.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/police-union-seeks-more-help-newtown-officers-184614407.html

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Articles on Ecommerce Website Development Company Puts Your ...

Website owners and developers should have an ecommerce website development company develop an ecommerce strategy to boost sales. Ecommerce sites with intuitive shopping carts and flexible payment gateways support brick and mortar company sales.

Many brick and mortar businesses can use online sales of product and services to boost their bottom line. An ecommerce website development company can help these businesses develop an online sales presence that ranks with search engines and provides an optimal buying experience for consumers. By developing proper content and sales pages supported by an underlying inventory management, shopping cart and payment gateway, an ecommerce website development company can propel a business to the forefront of its target market.

A web development professionalcan develop a standalone ecommerce website or integrate ecommerce into an existing website for the customer. A standalone ecommerce website would have a related uniform resource locator (URL) or web address to the main content website. The ecommerce site is developed from the bottom up with an inventory management system or product catalog to automate display of products and services as the base element in the website design. An ecommerce website development company can help the business develop good descriptions and illustrations of items for sale. These descriptions inform the buyer clearly about the item and encourage a purchase.

The next layer an ecommerce website development company will develop is a suitable and intuitive shopping cart system for the ecommerce website. The shopping cart system is the interface between the consumer, the website inventory and the payment processor. The ecommerce website development company will ensure the right shopping cart system is installed and working properly for sales to take place. The best shopping cart systems allow multiple purchases, calculate postal costs, calculate taxes and maintain persistence during the online shopping session with the customer. The shopping cart can be tailored to the ecommerce website's look and feel so it appears seamless in design.

The third component of an ecommerce website that the ecommerce website development company will consider is the payment gateway. The payment gateway is normally provided by a third party which handles the actual charges to credit and debit cards, electronic checking and other customer payment accounts and methods. This payment gateway interface is secured with top of the line encryption to protect the consumer's personal and financial information during the process. Usually a fee is associated with the business' use of the payment gateway. The ecommerce website development company evaluates the scale, costs and projected sales volume to recommend an appropriate payment gateway to utilise.

Source: http://www.articlesolve.com/articledetail.php?artid=401188&catid=48

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