Thank you for visiting the official online home of Mark Ford, former legal adviser, disc jockey turned internet entrepreneur, marketer, mentor and an associate of The Six Figure Mentors.
I first started a home based business back in 2006, initially in property and then by developing an information and marketing business.
I have now developed my businesses into a position where I can now work full time from home and I just love the freedom that an internet business and working from home gives you. No more commutes to work through the traffic, just walk down the stairs to the ofiice!
On this site you will find information about a number of business opportunities working from home, and I also share with you various articles and blog posts about the home based industry.
I?m not in the habit of bragging about the large amounts of money you can make by working from home in property, marketing or as an information publisher and I do not profess to be a guru or a millionaire. I just enjoy what I do!
I am just someone, like you, looking to make a good income by working from home helping people make money online, sharing information about online marketing, and researching and operating various business opportunities mentoring people in my teams.
What I can do, however, is offer to share with you my experience of the property market along with my knowledge of the affiliate, internet, and network marketing industries, and provide support to anyone who joins me as a business partner or as a valued customer.
To help people who are looking for further information before they make the decision to buy a particular product or join a home based business, I also provide product reviews in various niche markets.
Thank you for visiting 'The Official Online Home of Mark Ford' and I look forward to providing you with further valuable home based business information over the coming months and years.
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JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South Africa's rand edged firmer against the dollar on Monday, cheered by receding worries about domestic economy policy and despite the looming prospect of a fiscal crunch in the United States.
The rand hit a session high of 8.4695/dollar, its strongest level since December 19, and was at 8.4650 by 0705 GMT, slightly up from Friday's 8.48 close.
"The rand continues to trade relatively firmly; we've seen a strong retracement from the sell-off around all the negative sentiment towards the end of the year," said Duncan Howes, a trader at Absa Capital.
The local unit has clawed back significant ground after breaching 9.00/dollar last month as worries that a conference of the ruling ANC would herald radical policy changes added to the negativity brought by wildcat strikes in the key mining sector.
"The ANC conference, if anything, was a little bit more positive. The market is definitely a little bit more positive on the local fundamentals of the country -- there's a lot less fear factor out there," Howes added.
It could rally towards 8.10/dollar in the early part of the new year, but a negative turn in sentiment might push it back to the 8.65/70 area.
Government bonds were flat in very thin year-end trade, with the yields on the benchmark 14-year and three-year issues each steady at Friday's closing levels of 7.27 percent and 5.325 respectively.
With no prospects of domestic news to drive the currency, market focus should mainly be on last-ditch efforts to avert a "fiscal cliff" in the United States which could push the world's largest economy into a recession.
The racy best-selling trilogy Fifty Shades of Grey is sneaking out of the bedroom and into a D.C. classroom.
Continue reading
American University will offer undergraduates a class on the books this Spring. The classes will be taught in the American Studies program of the College of Arts and Sciences and will focus on the trilogy?s popularity and influence on American society, according to The Eagle.
?The trilogy has impacted the fields of public relations, writing, social media marketing, health and sexuality,? the professor of the class, Stef Woods, told The Eagle. ?It has also opened up dialogue about previously uncomfortable topics.?
Woods also runs the D.C. blog City Girl.
Fifty Shades of Grey is a work of erotic fiction that features aspects of BD/SM.
Here's the American University course description:
The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy is a publishing phenomenon that has dramatically impacted American culture and sexual health.
Using the series as a case study, this course examines the interplay of sexuality, health, public relations and marketing. Topics covered include feminism, addiction, social media marketing, sexual expression versus sexual repression, targeting the mom demographic, domestic violence, literary criticism, and relationship and identity forming.
The course also relies on academic texts, online resources, lectures, and guest speakers.
You do not want to cause damage to your home through your home improvement projects. That?s why you must learn all you can about the projects you are taking on. The following article offers many tips and techniques associated with home improvement.
Chair cushions eventually flatten with use. However, you can breathe new life into those flattened cushions with a a little sunshine. The sun will help remove some of the moisture in the cushions and give them new bounce. Be sure that you flip the cushion over often or put it away periodically, because the colors of the fabric can fade in the sun.
Stained baseboards offer an excellent alternative to traditionally painted ones. In addition to it having a classic look, the wood?s natural and warm look will fit in any type of home. Additionally, minor damages are not so glaringly obvious on stained boards as they are on painted boards. There are many different tints available in stain form, making matching your decor easy.
Place several nail holes along the rim of the paint cans! Why? Typically, paint will spill out and run down the can when you put the lid on it. Use a nail and drive several holes around the perimeter of the can into the bottom of the channel to solve the problem.
Only consider contractors for your home improvement projects that have proper licensing from your state of residence. You can easily find out this information by looking at your state government?s website or by calling them. If a contractor is not properly licensed, it can be a wake up call that they are either scam artists or not knowledgeable enough to get licensed.
Drain Snake
If you want to save money, then consider getting a drain snake. This will help you avoid buying drain cleaners so often. Drain snakes aren?t for people who are inexperienced, so you might need a plumber to show you how it is used for the first time. Do not buy a drain snake that will not fit the pipe or you could damage it.
In home improvement, you should focus on making improvements that are highly visible. When you sell your home, buyers will be looking at it, not inspecting its guts. While there is a lot to do in terms of improvements that people cannot see, you have to work on the most obvious ones first and foremost.
Create a welcoming space in your entryway by adding some accessories to the space. Set it up as a good place to store overshoes, umbrellas, hats, scarves and coats, as well as a good place to deposit keys, outgoing mail and other items that might be needed by people coming and going. These simple additions can provide organizational advantages to your home.
Avoid the lowest priced contractors. It may seem lucky, but some people promise low prices and ramp them up once they have the job. It is also possible that some will simply fail to produce quality work. Make sure you do the right research to find out if your work is being priced well.
If you?re upgrading your electrical system, you should have a pro do it. Professionals are aware of what is best and how to do it properly. If you know nothing about electric work and try, you may do more harm than good.
Any home improvement projects outside of your home should stay in line with your neighborhood?s character. If your house is an eyesore, you?ll have a hard time selling it when the time comes.
Paint is a great way to decorate your home on a minimal budget. Even if you can afford to paint only a single room, you can still use interior paint to change the look and feel of your favorite area. You can make a room look completely remodeled by painting it. Of course, if things don?t go well, you can always paint it again!
Planning Ahead
Nothing is more important to successful home improvement than planning ahead. You can prevent poor decisions and disaster by planning ahead. If you plan out what you are going to do, you will not run into as many issues.
If you have sharp furniture, you should put down some padding, which will keep children safe and make your home look nicer. Corner protectors can be purchased from a store, or foam tape could be used to pad these sharp edges on the furniture. Something else to consider is taping down any loose wires that could potentially strangle your children.
When you put in new kitchen cabinets, be certain that each one is secured to wall studs. You should mark every stud before you begin the project. A stud finder can be an inexpensive but priceless tool,
Think about putting in matching metal fixtures if you want to change the look of your bathroom. There are lots of different finishes and styles available in drawer pulls, shower curtain rods, toilet paper holders and towel racks. In many cases, a coordinated set of hardware comes in a single, handy package. Installing one of these sets is a simple one-day (or even one-afternoon) project.
When it comes to home improvements, if you are not aware of what to do, disaster can occur. This is all the more reason why you should know the right information, like what you read here in order to come up with a solid home improvement plan to tackle any issue you have.
Rhonda Morin is the owner of MyInteriorDecorator.com and loves helping others decorate the home of their dreams through her articles, tips and tricks on her blog and through her store at http://myinteriordecorator.com/store. Rhonda wrote an ebook all about decorating your home so you can do it yourself. This knowledge comes from thousands of homes decorated and years of perfecting her skill. She gives this all to you in her book The Decorating Bible.
Washington's minimum wage increases 15 cents to $9.19 an hour beginning Jan. 1.
Washington's minimum wage applies to workers in all industries, including agriculture, although 14- and 15-year-olds may be paid 85 percent of the adult minimum wage, or $7.81 an hour.
The Department of Labor & Industries adjusts the state's minimum wage each year in September as required by Initiative 688, which Washington state voters approved in 1998. The initiative requires the state to adjust the minimum wage according to the change in the federal "CPI-W," which is a national index covering the cost of goods and services needed for day-to-day living. That index rose 1.67 percent during the 12 months ending Aug. 31, 2012.
L&I provides an announcement of the 2013 minimum wage to print out and use as needed. The announcement is not required by L&I or Washington law. It is provided as a convenience.
Employers are still required to post the "Your Rights as a Worker" poster, which provides general information about the minimum wage and other topics.
Free workplace posters are available from any L&I office or by calling 1?866-219-7321 or downloading from the L&I website at www.posters.Lni.wa.gov.
The Chinese government has asked Jaguar Land Rover's China unit to recall one hundred and ninety 2012 Evoque and Freelander vehicles produced on June 11th this year.
The General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine has said the recall was prompted by concerns about the rear brake calipers on the vehicles, which may lead to brakes failing and sudden tyre deflation.
The agency said another one hundred and forty seven 2012 Evoque and 2013 Evoque vehicles made between October 20th and September 18th would also be recalled due to problems in their steering boxes.
Jaguar Land Rover is owned by India's Tata Motors.
Vehicles such as the Land Rover and Jaguar are in high demand in China and other emerging markets.
At year?s end it is kind of skeptical tradition to go over various psychic predictions for that year. Skeptics Guide to the Universe podcast does it, and invariably these predictions are either super-wrong or the prediction was so vague to begin with that one can always count a ?hit?. Furthermore, when psychics invent a lot of predictions over multiple years, then by chance one will be correct eventually. Helped by confirmation bias?(1), this ensures their ?success? and popularity.
But psychics are not the only ones making predictions. There are tons of so-called and self-proclaimed ?trend watchers?, ?marketing experts? and other ?technical guru?s? who also do their best to ?predict? the coming year. Sometimes their predictions are based on the best of available knowledge, but in my opinion their predictions are still mostly guesses.
I don?t really know if Mark Anderson from Strategic News Service is one of them. An old school friend, now Professor at Vlerick Business School, brought him to my attention. My skeptical senses started to tingle at the description on their website of ?most accurate predictive letter in computing?, with claims of interaction with global thought leaders like Bill Gates. That smells a little fishy to me.
But at least he is honest enough to leave his past predictions online (and for free, not behind a pay wall), so let?s judge on merits. I will score his Top 10 predictions for 2012, as published in December of 2011. I will judge ?specifics? of predictions (how vague), with each time a small comment to see if it?s a hit or a miss.
Theme for the Year [2012]: ?Integrating Everything?
No problem here. Vague enough that one can claim to be correct, but also not very difficult to predict.
I. TV Becomes the New Center of Gravity in the tech universe, as all?other devices find their niches in the TV galaxy.
Specific: low. Although the accompanying text mentions Microsoft and Apple, it remains very generic. Small risk taken by mentioning TV devices, but sufficiently padded by referring to other devices who will stream TV content.
Miss. Apple didn?t bring out their Apple TV version hinted at in the biography of the late Steve Jobs. Microsoft?s Kinect is a moderate success (but not completely), but that was already the case in 2011. Not very good as a prediction then. 0 %.
II. 2012 Will See Tectonic Shifts in Phone Markets.
This one was split up in three different predictions: Nokia failing and the role of Asian manufacturers, unlicensed Android versions, domination of cellphone market by smartphones.
Specific: overall rather specific predictions, mentioning several companies by name. Furthermore, in comparison with the previous prediction, no weasel words like ?if? and ?qualified? success.
Partial hit, but not very impressive. Nokia did indeed continue to lose market share, and Android gained. But as clear from this graph?from 2011, that was already the case before, so not impressive as a prediction. The reference to unlicensed Android versions seems in my opinion a miss (although they exist), and the smartphone dominating the cellphone market is a hit, although 46% is not really ?dominating?. 50% but points lost on added value of prediction.
?III. Clouds Are for Consumers (and Startups).
Specific: rather low, as there are no specific companies mentioned. Extra points however for mentioning that (bigger) enterprises will stay away from clouds.
Although it is not really my area of expertise, I consider this a hit. After some research and anecdotical evidence, it seems indeed that smaller companies (but not only startups) are considering or actually moving into the cloud, but bigger companies not yet, for the reasons mentioned by Anderson. 100 %.
IV. Security Splits the Tech World in Two, finally getting Front of Mind?(and wallet) attention from CEOs
Specific: vague and not really understandable paragraph about companies owning intellectual property rights going after patent infringers. No actual companies or technology areas mentioned.
Somewhat a hit, as 2012 saw a continuation of various court battles between for instance the different mobile tech firms. Some concluded with some hefty verdicts (fines and interdictions), but no prediction of that, only of increasing spending on those patent defenses. 75% with points lost on failing to see the (intermediate) conclusion of several court battles.
?V. SIRI [Apple iOS virtual assistant] Stuns the World.
Specific: rather vague. Although the title suggests a success for Siri, the actual explanation shows a horde of copycats arriving, with reference to ?niches?, whatever that means.
I chalk this one up as a fail. Siri is impressive and indeed a number of copies have appeared that seem to perform ok. I do not get the impression this is a big game changer that got a lot of media attention. They are still in the phase of ?gimmick? that is nice to show off, but nothing more. 0%
?VI. We Enter the Amazing World of Dave and HAL, as Voice Recognition?comes of age.
Specific: a bit vague by referring to several companies and applications. However, rather specific on the part of technology, so overall ok.
Miss. Although more and more available, the ending statement ?By the end of this year, talking to machines in a normal voice will not seem?unusual, nor be the cause of unending frustration? is simply wrong. Anyone who disagrees may come to my house and test it on our new car. 0%.
VII. E-Readers Prosper, but Pads Continue to Dominate the CarryAlongMarket.
Specific: ok, mentioning specific technologies, products and companies.
Partial hit. E-readers have become more popular (and in my opinion rightly so), and Amazon indeed made it difficult for Apple (though not only with their Fire line). However, Apple did not make its iPads cheaper, it produced a smaller one to compete with other companies (like Samsung) on the smaller tablet market. Failing to see this specific evolution, and the rise of smaller Android tables, is responsible for only a final score of 50%. And even that is?probably too generous.
VIII. The Consumption World Explodes.
Specific: very low. A lot of potential evolution gets thrown out, ?new devices, new?content, new bundles, new connection techniques, new distribution channels,?new aggregators, new pads, new phones, ?? and on and on.
I count this as a miss. Yes, some new (and impressive) smartphones appeared, and the internet continued to evolve. But given the failure of Facebook?s IPO (in contrast to ?new consumption models riding on social networks?) we are not (yet?) in an exploding consumption world. The mentioned technologies are so vague, and really carpet bomb the entire technology spectrum, that I fail to be impressed. 0%.
IX. Governments and Corporations Focus on IP as though it were their?most prized asset. It is.
Specific: rather specific, mentioning that nations would get involved defending copyright infringement.
This is a partial hit. Although indeed governments have pushed for more strict rules, both in the US and in Europe, it is not considered ?act of military aggression?. Also, several efforts were stricken down by amazing citizen efforts (mailing parliaments and congress etc), so failing to foresee that specific evolution. 40%, as there are some correct references to being unable to track actual infringements (true but nothing new).
X. Amazon Gets It All.
Specific: very specific, mentioning Amazon and different products / content that it will deliver. ?Amazon will have a terrific year?.
I?m a bit torn to give this a full hit. Yes, Amazon did not do bad, given the correct economic situation. Especially on cloud services (not explicitly mentioned by Anderson), e-books and content did Amazon do quite well. On the other hand, Q3 sales were down, and there was less profit. Anderson references ?long-lived, profitable business lines?, but seems to be overshooting it. Nevertheless 70% for making specific predictions, which were true in several cases.
Conclusion: Overall there is a 38,5% hit rate. That is not bad, but some of these predictions were not hard to foresee. Moreover, given a lot of vague or carpet-bombing approaches (for which I subtracted points), I?m really not convinced by their motto ?most accurate predictive? newsletter. I do appreciate some very specific predictions (where it is a lot easier to be wrong), and of course keeping these predictions available for free, and not behind the very expensive pay wall.
Anderson does not seem to be in the same range as the psychics, but my first reaction seems justified nevertheless. There are some parallels with psychic predictions. On the other hand, he is considered a sort of ?technology guru?. As my friend pointed out in a discussion over Twitter, he?s more of a ?market maker?. There is a chance that certain evolutions will happen because he mentions them (assuming he really has the high-profile audience he claims). But I found him lacking on several critical points, or being too optimistic (e.g. on voice recognition). All in all, in my opinion, not worth the full subscription price of $ 200 per quarter.
Since the predictions of 2013 are still behind the pay wall, we?ll have to wait and see next year what he predicted. In any case, dear reader, my wishes are certain and not open to interpretation: I wish you all the best, and hope you have a good one.
?
Note (1): This is a reference to one of the skeptical lemma?s on Wikipedia. Are you interested in improving the content and quality of Wikipedia on skeptical and fringe topics? Then check out Susan Gerbic?s ?Guerilla Skepticism on Wikipedia?, and lend these fine volunteers a helping hand.
Texas football survived the weekend with a victory in the Alamo Bowl, but the program faces a future that includes questions about two players sent home from San Antonio.
Linebacker Jordan Hicks and quarterback Case McCoy, both juniors, were suspended Friday as police investigated a sexual assault claim.
Officially, both players were banned from the Alamo Bowl and the team for violating team rules.
Further information is expected to surface on the case this week, but for now, a lawyer representing Hicks is making a defense for his client and McCoy.
"I have spent about an hour-and-a-half speaking with Jordan Hicks, and I can say based on that discussion I am very confident that everything that happened from the first drink at the bar to the time everyone said goodnight was entirely consensual and above board," Minton told the Austin American-Stateman. "Nothing that was done by him or Mr. McCoy was against the law. Period."
In an earlier interview with Austin TV station KXAN, Minton said he doubted charges would be filed in the case.
News reports indicated there was indecision on the part of the alleged victim, a 21-year-old woman, as to whether consent was involved in the contact with the men. Police and medical officials were reviewing information and evidence from the incident, which took place early Friday.
"The unfortunate thing is if you cannot remember whether or not you gave consent the state is going to have an impossible time of putting somebody in jail for it," Minton told KXAN earlier. "If this is something that truly happened the way that she lays it out then it is very unfortunate for her."
Without the two players, Texas won its bowl game 31-27 over Oregon State.
Learn more: McCoy, Hicks focus of sexual assault allegations
Aero Rebel to continue good run in Dine In Style At The Pavilion Marathon at Romford
Aero Rebel is making up into a formidable marathon performer. After registering a couple of great long-distance wins, the black bitch is all set to strike in Dine In Style At The Pavilion Marathon, 750 metres open race, scheduled to be held at Romford on Friday, December 28th.
Aero Rebel reached here after enjoying mixed fortune at Monmore. She performed magnificently to win a similar event on December 12th. After leaving the third box, she maintained the highest standards of speed and stamina. The dashing bitch always led the proceedings, taking the top prize by four and a half lengths.
P. Young?s charge was quite impressive at Wimbledon last time. The daughter of Droopys Maldini, out of Final Rose, took the honours by two and a half lengths. She established her supremacy at the sixth bend, and stayed ahead afterwards. Consequently, she captured the first rank with ease.
Among her opponents are: Avit On Bertha, Head Iton Tom, Baliff Bob, Bridge Diva, and Confey Lemon. The 750 metres race is full of big names, thus an exciting battle is on the cards. The ultimate champion will get a handsome prize of 200 pounds. The officials are due to kick off the affair at 22:40 GMT.
Back in the groove, Head Iton Tom is expected to be prominent early on. The white and fawn dog is enjoying a favourable draw. After clinching a couple of terrific wins over 575 metres, E. Gaskin?s trainee is fully pumped.
Baliff Bob lacks a look round, and this is a big concern. The brindle dog ran well in the trials at Belle Vue last week, but being equally good against this opposition is impossible.
Avit On Bertha set a new track record, when beating a star-studded line-up on December 12th. After taking a fascinating triumph, the white and black bitch lost her rhythm, and faced a shameful loss at Hove last week.
Bridge Diva is likely to be taken off her feet in the early stages. Confey Lemon appears to be punching above her weight. We wish the best of luck to all the contestants.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the writer's own and do not reflect Bettor.com?s editorial policy.
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Facebook Inc's Instagram lost almost a quarter of its daily users a week after it rolled out and then withdrew policy changes that incensed users who feared the photo-sharing service would use their pictures without compensation.
Instagram, which Facebook bought for $715 million this year, saw the number of daily active users who accessed the service via Facebook bottom out at 12.4 million as of Friday, versus a peak of 16.4 million last week, according to data compiled by online tracker AppData.
The popular app, which allows people to add filters and effects to photos and share them over the Internet or smartphones, experienced the drop over the brief, often-volatile holiday period.
Other popular apps also saw slippage in usage, and some were more pronounced. Yelp, for instance, saw daily active users -- again via Facebook -- slide to a weekly low of half a million on Thursday, from a high of 820,000 one week ago.
Instagram disputed the AppData survey, which was compiled from users that have linked the photo service to their own Facebook accounts, historically between 20 and 30 percent of Instagram members.
"This data is inaccurate. We continue to see strong and steady growth in both registered and active users of Instagram," a spokeswoman said in an emailed statement on Friday.
Looking out over a broader timeframe, Instagram's monthly active users edged up to 43.6 million as of Friday, an increase of 1.7 million over the past seven days, according to AppData.
"We'll have to monitor the data over the coming weeks to gain perspective on trends in Instagram's performance," AppData marketing manager Ashley Taylor Anderson said in an email.
ATTENTION-SEEKING
The sharp slide in activity highlighted by AppData was bound to draw attention on the heels of the controversial revision to Instagram's terms of service that, among other things, allowed an advertiser to pay Instagram "to display your username, likeness, photos (along with any associated metadata)" without compensation.
The subsequent public outrage prompted an apology from Instagram founder Kevin Systrom. Last week, a California Instagram user sued the company for breach of contract and other claims, in what may have been the first civil lawsuit to stem from the controversial change.
Instagram subsequently reverted to some of its original language.
The move renewed debate about how much control over personal data users must give up to live and participate in a world steeped in social media.
Analysts say Facebook, the world's largest social network, was laying the groundwork to begin generating advertising revenue, by giving marketers the right to display profile pictures and other personal information, such as who users follow in advertisements.
Its shares closed down 13 cents or 0.5 percent at $25.91 on the Nasdaq, in line with the broader market.
(Reporting By Edwin Chan; Editing by Leslie Adler and Andrew Hay)
New York City police officers escort 31-year-old Erika Menendez to a waiting car as she screams in Queens, New York City, on Saturday.
By NBC News staff and wire services
NEW YORK?? A 31-year-old Bronx woman who was seen muttering to herself before shoving a man onto subway tracks in front of a speeding train said she did so because, "I hate Hindus and Muslims," prosecutors said.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown identified the woman as Erika Menendez, 31. She has been charged with second-degree murder as a hate crime, New York City authorities said. In a statement, Brown said that awaits arraignment in Queens Criminal Court.
Menendez admitted to investigators that she pushed Sunando Sen, a 46-year-old Queens resident, on Thursday because of her hatred of Hindus and Muslims, a feeling that stems from Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Sen was born in India and ran a printing shop. He died Thursday night after being knocked onto the tracks. Police released security camera video showing a woman running from the station.
Police said that Menendez was recognized on the street in Brooklyn by a passer-by who called 911. Patrol officers found and arrested her.
Brown's statement said that while in custody Menendez made incriminating statements, saying that she "pushed a Muslim" onto the tracks. Brown also said:
"The defendant is accused of committing what is every subway?commuter's worst nightmare - being suddenly and senselessly pushed into the path of an oncoming train.?The victim was allegedly shoved from behind and had no chance to defend himself. Beyond that, the?hateful remarks allegedly made by the defendant and which precipitated the defendant's actions can never?be tolerated by a civilized society."
The attack was the second time this month that someone was pushed to their death in a New York City subway station. A homeless man was arrested in early December and accused of shoving a man in front of a train in Times Square. He is awaiting trial, and claimed he acted in self-defense.
Further details on how police managed to identify the suspect in Sen's death were not immediately available.
A woman is reportedly in custody in connection with the death of a man who was struck by an oncoming NYC subway.
Investigators had been following up on tips from people who had seen the security video and were checking homeless shelters and psychiatric units in an attempt to identify the woman.
It was unclear whether Menendez had any connection to Sen. Witnesses told police the two hadn't interacted on the platform as they both waited for the train.
This article includes reporting by The Associated Press and Reuters.
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I am THRILLED to announce that Shaun Brown has asked his girlfriend, Victoria for her hand in marriage, and she has accepted!
The newly engaged couple, Shaun and Victoria!
I am THRILLED to announce that Shaun Brown has asked his girlfriend, Victoria for her hand in marriage, and she has accepted! If you?ll recall, Shaun Brown is our resident conservative. You can read more here. This is the first interracial relationship for both Shaun and Victoria, and it took a while for both of them to adjust. But their love, common values and devotion to each other overcame it all, and Shaun asked for Victoria?s hand on Christmas.
Here?s what Shaun had to say:
?
Victoria and I have been praying together and separate for about 9 months for God to move in our relationship and guide us.? We both wanted to move our relationship to the next level.? We also wanted to make sure we where ready, and really could be the best person for each other at that next level.? We have been joking about wanting to get married for about a year now.? I knew this time last year that I wanted to be with Victoria for the rest of my life.? I have never loved someone as much as i love her, and my love for her grows each day!? I saved up enough money to buy the ring in February of this year.? This ring has been sitting in my gun case for 11 months.? I had to put it out of sight because i wanted to give her the ring so bad!? We kept praying and discussing the idea of getting married and about 3 weeks ago we both got the same message from God.? Everything is going to be alright.? I had asked God for a sign of when the time would be right.? When Victoria told me the had gotten the feeling and message from God that everything was going to be alright.? I was overjoyed!? God had laid that same message on my spirit just a week or so before that.? Christmas has always been a time people propose, the lights, the smiles, the opening of presents and joy in the air.? It is just a perfect time to share the love you have for someone.? On to the fun part, how I proposed to her.
I got a red box from a close friend that was big enough to put the ring box inside.? This red box had a Santa on top of it to help hide any HINT that it was a engagement ring.? I was able to hide the box INSIDE of the Christmas tree.? It was hard to see from the outside unless you knew to look for it.? After we opened presents on Christmas morning, i told her she had 1 more gift and she had to find it.? Victoria was looking all around the house, and after about 2 minutes i told her it was in the living room.? I kept giving her hints until i said ?Look in the tree?.?? She saw the box and she had this HUGE smile on her face.? She said ?What is it?!?? I told her to let me see the box so i could take the tape off.? We opened the box and i got on one knee in her living room.? According to Victoria i said a bunch of stuff, but all she could remember was ?I love you with all of my heart and i want to spend the rest of my life with you.? Will you marry me??? She said YES!!!!!
We are going to start planning the wedding starting next month.? We are looking at the first weekend in November of 2013, but we have not set a date as of yet.? First we got to get a budget together!!
We want to thank the BB&W community and Chris for your support and encouragement with Interracial relationships.? I hope one day our story will help someone else take that leap of faith and find someone you LOVE, no matter their race, color, creed.? We both are so happy and excited!? Happy New Year!
Dec. 27, 2012 ? Researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine have figured out intimate details of how the hepatitis C virus takes over an invaded cell, a breakthrough that could point to way for new treatments for the virus.
Hep C hijacks the machinery by which a cell makes proteins and uses it instead to create proteins for the virus. Over the last two decades, researchers have figured out that Hep C uses an RNA molecule to do this. Now they're trying to fill in the details.
One key detail is reported in a paper published online Dec. 23 in Nature Structural and Molecular Biology. It's written by Jeffrey Kieft, PhD, an associate professor at the CU medical school's Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and an Early Career Scientist of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and his former graduate student, Megan Filbin, PhD, a graduate of the Program in Molecular Biology.
Working with researchers from the lab of Tamir Gonen at the Janelia Farm Research Campus of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Kieft used ultra high-power electron microscopes to take images of individual RNA molecules from Hep C as they interacted with the cell's machinery. The researchers combined those images with a variety of other experiments and these clues led them to identify a new way that the virus' RNAs takes over the cell's machinery.
Specifically, the researchers focused on how a ribosome, the cell's protein-making factory, can be manipulated by the Hep C RNA to affect a part of the protein process called translocation. And they saw something else -- that even very small changes in the interactions important for that hijacking process can be blocked.
"This points the way to developing drugs to fight hepatitis C in ways that current therapies do not," Kieft says.
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The above story is reprinted from materials provided by University of Colorado Denver, via EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS.
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Journal Reference:
Megan E Filbin, Breanna S Vollmar, Dan Shi, Tamir Gonen, Jeffrey S Kieft. HCV IRES manipulates the ribosome to promote the switch from translation initiation to elongation. Nature Structural & Molecular Biology, 2012; DOI: 10.1038/nsmb.2465
Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.
Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.
Westinghouse has yet to become the premium HDTV manufacturer it one day hopes to be, and if the past is any indication, flooding the market with low-cost sets won't drive you to the top. But the promise of high resolution might at least yield a modest bump. The company's 2013 lineup is set to be dominated by 4K models, each packing 3840 x 2160-pixel panels for an "amazing" and "affordable" experience. The company's flagship rings in at a massive 110 diagonal inches and will be available for custom order beginning sometime in Q1. 50, 55 and 65-inch versions will also ship within the same timeframe, offering the same resolution and a modest 120Hz native refresh rate. We're still waiting to hear back on pricing and a hint of where you might be able to pick one of these UHDTVs up beginning early next year, but if the press release after the break is any indication, we're about to be inundated with high-res, low-cost televisions at next month's CES.
Stocks fell near session lows Thursday, with all key S&P sectors in negative territory, pressured by a weaker-than-expected consumer confidence report and as President Barack Obama and members of Congress headed back to Washington to resume talks over the looming "fiscal cliff."
So far, all three major averages are on pace to closing lower for the month. Still, the Dow is up nearly 6 percent for the year, while the S&P and Nasdaq are both up more than 10 percent.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell near the psychologically?important level of 13,000, dragged by Bank of America and JPMorgan, after closing lower for the third-consecutive session. The last time the Dow traded below 13,000 was back in Dec. 5, when it hit a low 12,923.44.
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq also declined. The CBOE Volatility Index (VIX), widely considered the best gauge of fear in the market, jumped above 20 for the first time in nearly five months.
All key S&P sectors were in the red, dragged by financials and energy.
"Moves are always exacerbated during low-volume days and we'll continue to react to every headline from Washington," said Keith Bliss, senior vice president at Cutton & Co. "But I still think the overall market is in a bullish sentiment by the way that the technical are lining up. It might be prudent to keep some powder dry and buy on these dips."
Stocks took a sharp leg lower after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid expressed doubts that a deal can be reached to avert the "fiscal cliff."
"It looks like that's where we're headed," Reid said of the looming fiscal cliff and pointed fingers at House Speaker John Boehner of running a "dictatorship" by "not allowing the vast majority of the House of Representatives to get what they want."
Obama cut short his Christmas vacation in Hawaii to deal with the deadlocked talks between Democrats and Republicans on what to do with $600 billion in tax increases and automatic spending cuts, due to kick in on Jan. 1. With less than a week remaining this year, time is now running out and the pressure on politicians to find a solution is building, as U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner warned the U.S. will hit the debt ceiling on Monday, Dec. 31.
The two sides could work towards a "mini-deal" to postpone the effects of the fiscal cliff by extending tax cuts for taxpayers with incomes below $250,000, postponing the automatic spending cuts, and extending unemployment benefits.?
Meanwhile on the economic front, the consumer confidence index tumbled to 65.1 in December from a downwardly revised 71.5 in November, hitting a four-month low, according to the Conference Board.
Earlier, jobless claims fell 12,000 to a seasonally adjusted 350,000 last week. Meanwhile, the four-week moving average tumbled to its lowest since March 2008.?
And new home sales rose 4.4 percent in November to a seasonally adjusted 377,000-unit annual rate, the fasts pace in 2-1/2 years, according to the Commerce Department.
Marvell Technology declined after a federal grand jury ruled the chipmaker infringed two patents held by Carnegie Mellon University and ordered the company to pay $1.17 billion in damages. In addition, at least two brokerages lowered their rating on the company.
Toyota Motor said it plans to settle a U.S. class-action lawsuit for $1.1 billion.
Domino's Pizza climbed after Oppenheimer raised its price target on the pizza chain to $50 from $44.
Hartford Financial Services edged higher after Stifel added the financial services company to its "select" list and raised its target price to $28 from $25.
BCD Semiconductor skyrocketed more than 90 percent after the chipmaker agreed to be bought by Diodes in a deal worth $151 million.?
In Europe, stocks rose in cautious trading after being closed for Christmas and Boxing Day.?Meanwhile, in Asia, Japanese stocks hit a 21-month high as a weaker yen boosted export stocks. Sentiment in Asia was boosted as profits at China's factories jumped in November, helped by the recovery in the economy.
UFC 155 is only a day away. It's time for picks from Yahoo! Sports' columnist Kevin Iole, Cagewriter editor Maggie Hendricks, and Cagereaders who posted their picks on Facebook.
Kevin Iole: Junior dos Santos W5 Cain Velasquez -- I can't believe I'm picking against Velasquez. To me, he is in many ways the perfect heavyweight, with great conditioning, great wrestling and tremendous power. But how do we ignore what dos Santos has done? Much was made of Velasquez's knee injury before their first fight, but what isn't as well known is that Junior had a bad leg, too, and couldn't do much. It's going to be a dogfight, but I think Junior finds a way to pull it out.
Maggie Hendricks: Cain Velasquez W5 Junior dos Santos -- Velasquez was injured in his last bout with JDS. With a healthy knee, he'll get to use his wrestling to control and beat on JDS for five rounds.
Cagereaders: Couldn't ask for a better way to end the year than this rematch. This will last longer than the first but not by much. I'm picking Cigano by KO R1. Cain has amazing wrestling and ground and pound. However, I think Junior is the guy that has his number and things won't go as planned for Cain. Velasquez will come out more aggressive than the first fight and that will spell the end. Junior will rock him with some brutal counters causing Cain to shoot in for the take down. Junior will stuff the attempt and finish the fight with an uppercut around 3 minutes into the first. -- Jackson Torres
__
Kevin Iole: Joe Lauzon W3 Jim Miller -- Definitely will be the Fight of the Night in my opinion (is there any other kind of fight for Lauzon?) I don't think Joe will be able to submit Jim, but he is so active and works so hard I think he'll pile up the points to win.
Maggie Hendricks: Joe Lauzon Sub2 Jim Miller -- Lauzon's submission game is tough to beat. He will need to avoid Miller's well-rounded game, but can do it.
Cagereaders: My two favorite 155 pound fighters. When I saw Miller step in for Maynard, my heart sank. I'm going to see one them lose, and it looks to be J-Lau. Miller matches up really well for Lauzon's style. He has power in his punches and solid wrestling, backed up with a serious ground game and outstanding cardio. Joe has a killer instinct and a more dangerous ground game. Still, I like Miller taking this fought by a UD. -- Tom Hogan
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Kevin Iole: Tim Boetsch W3 Costas Philippou -- Boetsch will grind out a victory by controlling the distance and limiting Philippou's power
Maggie Hendricks: Tim Boetsch W3 Costa Phillippou -- Ditto on what Kevin said. Boetsch won't make it a thrilling fight, but it will be a convincing win.
Cagereaders: Boetsch over Phillipou by 3rd Round TKO -- I think this fight will be back to forth, I have counted out Tim Boetsch in many fights just to be shocked, from the poor decision in the Lombard fight, to the amazing knock out of Okami, I think Phillipou gets the better of him early in the fight, while Boetsch owns the latter part of the fight, this could easily be fight of the night and if it does go decision, it will be close, but I see Phillipou gassing late and Boetsch taking advantage. -- Daniel Ryan
--
Kevin Iole: Alan Belcher TKO2 Yushin Okami -- This outcome would have been unthinkable a year ago, but Belcher improves tremendously each time out and is now one of the world's most complete fighters.
Maggie Hendricks: Alan Belcher W3 Yushin Okami -- With title shot hopes hanging over him, Belcher has good reason to fight a smart game and come out with a win over Okami.
Cagereaders: Yushin Okami will beat Alan Belcher by decision. Okami will go back to what made him successful before his fight with Anderson Silva. He will use his jab and height, keeping Belcher back, then take him down for ground and pound. This will continue for 3 full rounds and Okami will come out with the unanimous decision. -- Marcus Min
__
Kevin Iole: Chris Leben TKO3 Derek Brunson -- This is a big fight for Leben, and I think he knows it. I expect him to eventually catch Brunson with something big that will end it.
Maggie Hendricks: Derek Brunson W3 Chris Leben -- In his first fight after a long layoff, Leben will have a hard time dealing with a wrestler with power like Brunson.
Cagereaders: Derek Brunson should be able to defeat Chris Leben by decision because he has a great wrestling background and Chris Leben may not be in the best shape coming off a 13-month layoff. -- Edgar Diaz
President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
President Barack Obama waves to reporters as he steps off the Marine One helicopter and walks on the South Lawn at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, as he returns early from his Hawaii vacation for meetings on the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)
House Minority Whip Rep. Steny Hoyer of Md., pauses during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012, where he urged House Republicans to end the pro forma session and call the House back into legislative session to negotiate a solution to the fiscal cliff. (AP Photo/ Evan Vucci)
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky. walks to the Senate floor on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, Dec. 27, 2012. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh)
WASHINGTON (AP) ? The end game at hand, President Barack Obama and congressional leaders made a final stab at compromise Friday to prevent a toxic blend of middle-class tax increases and spending cuts from taking effect at the turn of the new year.
Success was far from guaranteed in an atmosphere of political mistrust ? even on a slimmed-down deal that postponed hard decisions about spending cuts into 2013, and pessimism vied with optimism in a Capitol where lawmakers grumbled about the likelihood of spending the new year holiday in the Capitol.
"The clock is ticking," Sen. Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said in remarks on the Senate floor as Obama and congressional leaders were meeting several blocks away at the White House. "My message to them is simple. We can do this. We can get this done, and we must," added the Montana Democrat.
Congressional Democrats said Obama was ready with a revised offer to present.
But that drew a denial from a person familiar with the talks, who said the president would review his proposal from a week ago, when he urged lawmakers to preserve tax cuts for most while letting rates rise above incomes of $250,000 a year. At the same time, Obama said lawmakers should extend unemployment benefits for the long-term jobless. The person was unauthorized to discuss the private meeting publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The meeting lasted a little over an hour and neither the president nor the four lawmakers spoke with reporters before or immediately after the session.
The guest list included two Republicans, House Speaker John Boehner, and Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell; as well as Democrats Harry Reid, the Senate Majority Leader, and Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California, her party's leader in the House.
The same group last met more than a month ago and emerged expressing optimism they could strike a deal that avoided the fiscal cliff. At that point, Boehner had already said he was willing to let tax revenues rise as part of an agreement, and the president and his Democratic allies said they were ready to accept spending cuts.
Since then, though, talks between Obama and Boehner faltered, the speaker struggled to control his rebellious rank and file, and Reid and McConnell sparred almost daily in speeches on the Senate floor. Through it all, Wall Street has paid close attention, and in the moments before the meeting, stocks were trading lower for the fifth day in a row.
The core issue is the same as it has been for more than a year, Obama's demand for tax rates to rise on upper incomes while remaining at current levels for most Americans. He made the proposal central to his successful campaign for re-election, when he said incomes above $200,000 for individuals and $250,000 for couples should rise to 39.6 percent from the current 35 percent.
Boehner refused for weeks to accept any rate increases, and simultaneously accused Obama of skimping on the spending cuts he would support as part of a balanced deal to reduce deficits, remove the threat of spending cuts and prevent the across-the-board tax cuts.
Last week, the Ohio Republican pivoted and presented a Plan B measure that would have let rates rise on million-dollar earners. That was well above Obama's latest offer, which called for a $400,000 threshold, but more than the speaker's rank and file were willing to accept.
Facing defeat, Boehner scrapped plans for a vote, leaving the economy on track for the cliff that political leaders in both parties had said they could avoid. In the aftermath, Democrats said they doubted any compromise was possible until Boehner has been elected to a second term as speaker when the new Congress convenes on Jan. 3.
Apart from income tax rates, congressional officials in both parties said a handful of other issues were the subject of private talks in the Capitol. These included the Alternative Minimum Tax, which would effectively raise taxes on millions of upper-middle-class families unless Congress acts; as well as taxes on capital gains, dividends and estates.
In addition, benefits for the long-term unemployed are due to expire in the next few days, and doctors face the prospect of a deep cut in the fees they receive for treating Medicare patients unless legislation is passed to prevent it.
Further compounding the year-end maneuvering, there are warnings that the price of milk could virtually double beginning next year.
Congressional officials said that under current law, the federal government is obligated to maintain prices so that fluid milk sells for about $20 per hundredweight. If the law lapses, the Department of Agriculture would be required to maintain a price closer to $36 of $38 per hundredweight, they said. It is unclear when price increases might be felt by consumers.
______
Associated Press writers Alan Fram and Andrew Taylor contributed to this report.
Wine is the easiest thing to grab to take to a holiday party. But don't bring your bottle in the buff—dress it up with this awesome origami wine tote. More »
Parental guidance: Language, some drug use and sexual content
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David Chase has been busy for much of the past decade making TV?s The Sopranos, so it?s not surprising his newest movie feels a bit half-baked. The story of a group of rock-band wannabes in 1960s New Jersey, this is The Contraltos. There?s even a part for The Sopranos? James Gandolfini as a father who just doesn?t understand kids these days.
John Magaro plays Douglas, the central character in a story that manages to lose track of him from time to time. Entranced by the music of Bo Diddley and The Rolling Stones, he gets his mates together and starts playing covers in recreation-room parties, all the while dreaming of bigger things.
One of those things is his neighbour Grace (Bella Heathcote), who grew up alongside him and thus has an awkward time moving from friend to romance territory. This is further complicated by the attention given her by Douglas?s bandmates, played by Jack Huston and Will Brill.
If Not Fade Away (named after the oft-covered 1957 song by Buddy Holly) confined itself to the rise and/or fall of Douglas?s band and/or love life, it might gel dramatically. But Chase, who also wrote the script and based some of it on his own adolescent dreams, wants to put as much into the film?s 112 minutes as he can.
The Kennedy assassination, the war in Vietnam and the changing cultural landscape are all sign-posted. Douglas is a fan of The Twilight Zone, but when he takes Grace to see Blow Up at the cinema, he?s dumbfounded: ?What kind of film is this?? Chase also adds voice-over narration from Douglas?s little sister, but so sporadically that it seems superfluous.
The film also suffers from odd pacing. It takes place over a number of years, but the action tends to skip from one holiday gathering to another. Some scenes are cut short just as they?re getting interesting, while the movie as a whole tends to drag. Longer scenes and fewer of them might be the solution.
Despite my caveats, Not Fade Away features strong, believable performances from its young cast, and deftly recreates the look and feel of early ?60s suburbia. Another editing pass might produce a more coherent film ? or perhaps Chase, a TV veteran whose resume stretches back to The Rockford Files, needs a multi-episode format to make the story shine. He certainly has enough material.
Anyone who tells you that energy independence can be achieved based on globally traded commodities such as oil, coal and natural gas is either trying to mislead you or doesn't understand the structure of energy markets. As of 2011 fossil fuels produced 83 percent of the world's energy according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA). Because fossil fuels can be transported anywhere in the world, producers seek out the highest price unless they are constrained by law or infrastructure from doing so.
This means that energy independence for a country is something of an optical illusion when it is based merely on the domestic production of fossil fuels. Here's why:
1.??? Events far away such as wars; embargoes; strikes; and mine, oilfield and refinery disasters affect the level of domestic prices for fossil fuels in all countries where these fuels are freely exportable regardless of whether that country produces enough for its own consumption. In such countries consumers of these fuels including domestic industry and transportation, commercial establishments, households and government agencies are all subjected to fluctuating world prices that can be unrelated to anything happening in the host country even if the country extracts enough fossil fuel from its own soil to meet domestic demand.
2.??? Even fossil-fuel exporting countries that subsidize purchases of fossil fuel energy by businesses and consumers are affected by events outside those countries as prices for their exports are largely determined by external events. The revenue they forgo by keeping domestic prices low is a hidden cost to the energy sector of the economy. Those subsidies mean reduced investment both in new production and in the maintenance of the existing energy-producing infrastructure. That hidden cost grows as energy prices rise if subsidized domestic prices do not rise as well.
3.??? Unless fossil fuel companies are owned by a government, those companies focus on maximizing both returns for their shareholders and compensation for their managers. They seek out the highest prices for their products worldwide (adjusting for transportation costs) regardless of the effect on the energy security or energy independence of the country in which the oil, natural gas or coal is produced--unless, of course, those companies are prevented from doing so by law or by the infrastructure. It is disingenuous, therefore, for such producers to tell the public in any country that they are focused on energy independence. On the other hand, government-controlled fossil fuel companies such as those in China actively seek acquisitions in other countries that can serve as suppliers to the home country regardless of the needs of the country those companies operate in.
Let's see how this is playing out in the United States where the oil and gas industry and its financial backers on Wall Street have lately been touting in the media the notion that the United States will soon become energy independent. That same industry is currently seeking permission for oil exports even though U.S. crude oil production of 6.3 million barrels per day (mbpd) this year remains far below U.S. consumption of finished petroleum products including gasoline and diesel of 16.2 mbpd. (To be precise we should subtract U.S. exports of finished petroleum products of about 2.5 mbpd to come up with a net U.S. consumption figure of 13.7 mbpd which is still far above U.S. crude production). Yes, it's possible for the United States to become free of oil imports; but, the most likely course will be a drastic reduction in oil consumption made possible in part by the electrification of the nation's transportation system and by aggressive conservation measures.
Related Article: Energy Report: Keystone XL and U.S. Natural Gas Exports
As for the supposed natural gas boom in the United States, U.S. natural gas imports were 12.7 percent of U.S. consumption so far this year, according to the EIA. That's down from an average of 15.7 percent for the 20 years prior. It's progress, but it's not energy independence. Nevertheless, the natural gas industry is pushing ahead with plans for U.S.-based natural gas export terminals which must be approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). One terminal in Sabine, Louisiana has already been approved and is under construction. Many more applications are under review.
Naturally, the industry will tell you that it is seeking permits for these terminals in anticipation of the day when U.S. natural gas production exceeds U.S. needs. Does that mean they'll hold off exporting gas until that day? Not a chance. Not when liquified natural gas (LNG)--the form in which natural gas is transported by ship--is selling in Japan for $17.30 per million BTUs and $11.83 in Europe (both as of November 30). Compare that to $3.42 for spot natural gas in the United States (the Henry Hub price as of December 21). The profit potential for U.S. producers is too great to pass up.
So, what does this mean for manufacturers, especially those chemical and fertilizer companies that rely heavily on natural gas as a feedstock. They have been moving operations back to the United States because of cheap natural gas prices. If the natural gas industry gets all of its currently planned export facilities approved and built, that would mean 22 percent of current daily production of U.S. natural gas could be exported. This is certainly enough to bring U.S. prices much closer to world prices. If we include all projects identified by sponsor companies but not yet under review by the FERC, the percentage rises to 37 percent of current daily production. Of course, natural gas producers tell us that U.S. production will rise significantly from here even though production has been essentially flat for a year. That's only temporary, they will say. But should we take their word for it?
And, even if production grows significantly, can we not assume that the producers will simply ask for more export terminals to be permitted so that these producers can capture world prices for natural gas?
So, U.S. manufacturers are in for a surprise if they believe natural gas prices in the United States will stay low because America is moving toward "energy independence." It is the duty of U.S. natural gas producers to seek the highest price for their product. Only two things could stop them: If the FERC ceases issuing permits for export facilities or if the U.S. Congress passes a law preventing the export of LNG. Both seem unlikely.
On the other hand, it may be that there will simply not be enough natural gas produced to justify very many export terminals which require extremely long-term delivery contracts, on the order of 30 years. If American natural gas producers cannot guarantee adequate production to fulfill such contracts over their full period, it seems unlikely that those interested in receiving the gas will be willing to make the necessary commitment to and investment in import facilities. With all the talk about America's vast shale gas deposits, this may seem an unlikely scenario. But a growing number of skeptics have outlined plausible reasons why shale gas will turn out to be much more expensive and much more limited in its production than is currently believed. Keep in mind that it is NOT the size of the resource that matters so much to the daily functioning of society, but rather the rate at which we can extract gas on a daily basis.
Related Article: Why the US should not Invest in Exporting Natural Gas
So, is there anything that really could make a country energy independent? The answer is yes, and the method is two-fold. First, vast reductions in energy use can be had through retrofitting buildings to the so-called passive house standard. This almost eliminates the need to burn fuel to heat most buildings. Those reductions could also come from changes in the transportation system: more emphasis on public transportation including rail and on ridesharing for drivers. The electrification of most transportation would almost surely be part of any such independence plan. And, we need to reconfigure the way we live so that our cityscapes allow us to work, socialize, and shop nearer to where we live.
Second, we would need to build a distributed energy system, allowing people to gather energy at the individual household and business level. Much of this would have to be renewable energy from wind and solar. Expanding hydropower where possible is another way, particularly small hydropower utilizing the myriad smaller dams which either used to generate electricity or which have never been exploited for this purpose.
This path would require a sustained effort over decades to achieve. But once it is achieved, the country that undertakes this path would never be subject to disruptions of energy supplies in faraway places. And, that country would never have to worry about the inevitable declines in the production of fossil fuels which must come someday because they are finite.
This alternate route to energy independence is rarely discussed as the world continues to fixate on increasing production of fossil fuels as the path to energy independence. But in truth, these fuels only put us further in thrall to fickle global markets and unstable exporting nations while exposing us to the ever present threat that fossil fuel supplies will begin to decline before we've made adequate preparations for an energy transition. Already worldwide crude oil production has been on a plateau since 2005.
If any country really wants to be truly energy independent, a feasible, durable path is already available. All that country has to do is look away from the false advertising of the fossil fuel industry and look toward the future of energy that is already unfolding before us.
By. Kurt Cobb
Kurt Cobb is an author, speaker, and columnist focusing on energy and the environment. He is a regular contributor to the Energy Voices section of The Christian Science Monitor and author of the peak-oil-themed novel Prelude. In addition, he writes columns for the Paris-based science news site Scitizen, and his work has been featured on Energy Bulletin, The Oil Drum, OilPrice.com, Econ Matters, Peak Oil Review, 321energy, Common Dreams, Le Monde Diplomatique and many other sites. He maintains a blog called Resource Insights and can be contacted at kurtcobb2001@yahoo.com.
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#1 ? Daft Cunt?
Group:Normal Members
Posts:75
Joined:28-May 07
Posted Today, 11:17 AM
Any chance of seeing such a functionality implemented in the sample editor ? I tried It-alien's Morpher tool but it won't work with single-cycle waveforms for instance. Anybody else interested in this ?
0
#2 ? Gooze?
Group:Normal Members
Posts:146
Joined:21-September 09
Gender:Male
Location:Bangkok
Posted Today, 01:42 PM
I'd love to mix different samples beyond just layering two sounds. But how does the sample morphing work? Is it a spectral analysis the gives a timbral mix like vocoding, an envelope analysis that matches attack and sustain from one sample to another or a signal convolution?
UFC 155 is only a day away. It's time for picks from Yahoo! Sports' columnist Kevin Iole, Cagewriter editor Maggie Hendricks, and Cagereaders who posted their picks on 
Kevin Iole: Alan Belcher TKO2 Yushin Okami -- This outcome would have been unthinkable a year ago, but Belcher improves tremendously each time out and is now one of the world's most complete fighters.
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