Al Qaeda decline hard to reverse after Bin Laden killing: U.S.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's death sent al Qaeda into a decline that will be hard to reverse, the United States said on Tuesday in a report that found terrorist attacks last year fell to their lowest level since 2005.

Describing 2011 as a "landmark year," the United States said other top al Qaeda members killed last year included Atiyah Abd al-Rahman, reportedly the militant organization's No. 2 figure after bin Laden's death, and Anwar al-Awlaki, who led its lethal affiliate in Yemen.

"The loss of bin Laden and these other key operatives puts the network on a path of decline that will be difficult to reverse," the State Department said in its annual "Country Reports on Terrorism" document, which covers calendar year 2011.

The report attributed the killings, which included the May 2011 raid in which U.S. commandoes shot bin Laden in Pakistan, to improved cooperation on counterterrorism. But it also said al Qaeda is adaptable and poses "an enduring and serious threat."

While saying there were no terrorist attacks in the United States last year, the report said the U.S. government remains concerned about "threats to the homeland," citing the foiled 2009 Christmas Day attempt by the Nigerian "underwear bomber" who sought to blow up a Detroit-bound aircraft.

The report included a statistical annex prepared by the National Counterterrorism Center, part of the U.S. intelligence community, that showed that the overall number of terrorist attacks worldwide fell to 10,283 last year from 11,641 in 2010.

The number of worldwide fatalities fell to 12,533 last year from 13,193 the year before, according to the statistics, which NCTC issued in a report published on June 1.

That was the lowest level since 2005, when there were more than 11,000 attacks and more than 14,000 fatalities. The general decline in terrorism-related fatalities - which peaked at more than 22,000 in 2007 - reflects, in part, less violence in Iraq.

The State Department report said that as al Qaeda's "core has gotten weaker," affiliated groups have gained ground, citing al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula as a particular threat and voicing concern about al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

It also reported an increase in terrorist attacks in Africa, due largely to Nigeria's Boko Haram militant group, as well as in the Western Hemisphere, which it attributed chiefly to FARC insurgents in Colombia.

Daniel Benjamin, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said last year was also significant for the "Arab Spring" of popular protests and what he described as its rebuff to al Qaeda's ideology.

"We saw millions of citizens throughout the Middle East advance peaceful public demands for change without any reference to al Qaeda's incendiary world view," he said, adding upheavals also present risks.

"Revolutionary transformations have many bumps in the road," he added. "Inspiring as the moment may be, we are not blind to the attendant perils."

(Reporting by Arshad Mohammed; Editing by Cynthia Osterman and Stacey Joyce)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/al-qaeda-decline-hard-reverse-bin-laden-killing-165834777.html

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Thoughts on new relationships post D

Going Through Divorce or Separation A new addition to our forums, a place to go for sharing and support for those going through divorce and separation.

Today, 04:23 AM	? #1 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 45	OK I know that this is really premature as I am not even D yet (and hope not to be but suppose I will), and I know even the thought is not productive, but, as I have been thinking about it, I just want to get it off my chest and share and maybe hear some views. OK so firstly I am 44 and have two children (3 and 6). Now in thinking about another relationship, down the line, it seems that there would be the following options: 1) A woman who is also divorced but has kids and does not want any more 2) A woman who is single but does not want kids 3) A woman who is single and wants kids I might add that the age bracket I would look at is 30-35, maybe up to 40 (for various reasons). Now, basically, my current thinking is that I have two kids, and while I like kids, I would not like to start the cycle all again. I feel the time now is for me to be there for *myself* as well as my kids. But, that seems to exclude a lot of potential females who would be in my target age category but, if single, would probably want kids of their own. It seems irresponsible to become interested in someone of that category, and even fall in love, only to come up against this issue which is deal breaker. On the other hand, limiting one self to women who already have children, puts things in another perspective and category all together. Creating a new family with a new mate is one thing, while "inheriting/combining" a family with a new mate is another. Also by the way, having kids with another mate, effectively closes the window on R down the line, if that is what you are after.... Anyway, as I started out with, I know these are not thoughts that I should be troubling myself with at this time, but they are there anyway so I thought I would share them. I suppose in the end life will decide, i.e. if you just let life to happen. But at the same time, at least in my view, there is at least something to be said in favor of some advance consideration/thinking/planning. Your thoughts?
?

Today, 05:44 AM	? #3 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 45	Quote: So...what exactly are you asking here? Not really sure Quote: If you don't want to have anymore biological children, then don't. Be honest about that from the beginning. Yes, I suppose once a relationship gets/looks serious, that should be stated (but I suppose for many women who are without kids and who's biological clock is about to explode that would be a deal breaker. Quote: If you don't want a blended family at your age, well...maybe plan on being single for the rest of your life. No, not planning on being single for the rest of my life... But the context/construct of the next relationship does come ti mind. Quote: Blended families can work. They make take some adjustment, but don't write off someone with children. You wouldn't want a woman to write you off because of your children, would you? True
?

Today, 09:06 AM	? #8 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 45	Quote: My personal thoughts are you should focus on #1 the divorced woman who has kids but doesn't want anymore. Basically what I am thinking, but, and I am ashamed to say this, I would want someone who is young enough to support my desire and self image (I look much younger and feel younger also). Quote: #2 - there is reason she doesn't want kids. Yes, all things being equal, have considered this also. Quote: #3 - Do you really want to start a new family at age 44? Basically no, I would not. But I suppose never say never, right? What if you meet the woman of your dreams?
?

Today, 09:26 AM	? #10 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Mar 2012 Posts: 45	Firstly, sorry your second relationship didn't work out either! (if you would allow me to say as much without knowing anything). Quote: That being said, put a lot of thought into what *you*want. I suppose this is obvious but so very true. Again I would just go back to the practical aspect which is, if you find someone nice, date her, but make it clear that you don't plan on any children (or actually, don't date her if you don't want to end up with a dilemma in the first place). And second thought, if you feel she is serious and you don't feel the same way (about kids that is), I think the amicable thing to do would be to let her go and seek a proper mate who has the same wishes. Well who knows, easy to say, but who knows what life may through your way! Anyway, and I digress, it is clear to me now that I am NOT in the position to date and have to take a lot of time out to be with me, my process and my thoughts (which does not mean I should not socialize, I want to, just not give anyone an illusion that something is what it is not. And by the way, no, I don't want sec for now thank you very much... ha ha).
?

Today, 09:35 AM	? #12 (permalink)
Member ? Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: South Posts: 1,801	Quote: Basically what I am thinking, but, and I am ashamed to say this, I would want someone who is young enough to support my desire and self image (I look much younger and feel younger also). If I ever dated again I'd likely go for someone in their late 30's even though I'm 46. I look younger than I am, am in great shape and all my friends are 31-40 now. Quote: Basically no, I would not. But I suppose never say never, right? What if you meet the woman of your dreams? I'm female but still I do NOT want anymore kids. Lets assume that I were physically capable of getting pregnant would I do it for the man of my dreams? NOT no but hell no. LOL I'm not doing diapers, middle of the night feedings, potty training again. I just got all 3 of mine in school - my youngest is 6 so no way would I start over at this age.
?

Find a Therapist:

Source: http://talkaboutmarriage.com/going-through-divorce-separation/52501-thoughts-new-relationships-post-d.html

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Daytrading, Stock Trading, Investing and Forex Trading ? Stock ...

When you?re an amateur, share trading can look like a dismaying prospect. With all of the legends and misunderstandings about the exchange, many individuals are too scared to even begin. There are lots of choices to make on the way, but do not let them scare you. Even the allegedly easy step of finding a broker can frighten unpractised speculators. If you concentrate on investment as a bet, then you?re only marked to lose cash. Marion, his better half of twenty-eight years is uninterested in his tedious hours and the grouchy man who slumps in his chair in front of the TV after dark.

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Source: http://traders101.com/2012/07/28/stock-investing-key-points-you-need-to-know/

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What would happen without PSA testing?

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Contact: Amy Molnar
sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
Wiley

A new analysis has found that doing away with PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing for prostate cancer would likely cause three times as many men to develop advanced disease that has spread to other parts of the body before being diagnosed. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that PSA testing and early detection may prevent approximately 17,000 men each year from having such advanced prostate cancer at diagnosis.

PSA testing has come under fire recently as a potentially ineffective screen for prostate cancer. Last year a government panel reviewed the available evidence and concluded that PSA testing has little or no benefit and that doctors are finding and treating non-aggressive cancers that are not likely to cause symptoms or be lethal. Therefore, many men may be experiencing serious treatment side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction for no reason.

To see what might happen if PSA testing were abandoned, Edward Messing, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, and his team looked at information from the years immediately before routine PSA testing was done (1983-1985) and compared it to the current era of widespread PSA testing (2006 to 2008). The information for the analysis came from the nation's largest cancer registry, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The researchers were particularly interested in the records of patients who had advanced prostate cancer that had already spread to other parts of the body at the time of diagnosis. These cases are generally incurable and always cause significant symptoms very quickly if left untreated.

The investigators found that approximately 8,000 cases of prostate cancer had already spread to distant sites (i.e. metastases) at the time of diagnosis in the United States in 2008 (the most recent SEER year). Next, they designed a mathematical model that used pre-PSA incidence rates of metastatic disease from the mid-1980s to estimate the number of such advanced cases that would be expected to occur in 2008 if PSA screening had not been done. They predicted the number would be approximately 25,000, which is about three times greater than the number actually observed.

"Our findings are very important in light of the recent controversy over PSA testing," said Dr. Messing. "Although there are trade-offs associated with the PSA test and many factors influence the disease outcome, our data clearly indicate that not doing the PSA test will result in many more men presenting with far advanced prostate cancer. Almost all men with clinically apparent metastases at initial diagnosis will die from prostate cancer," he added.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the male population. In 2012 an estimated 241,740 new cases will be diagnosed and 28,000 deaths will occur. Prognosis depends on whether the cancer has spread, and the degree to which the cancer cells are abnormal.

###

---

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AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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2002: Can't connect to local MySQL server through socket '/tmp/mysql.sock' (2) Public release date: 30-Jul-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Amy Molnar
sciencenewsroom@wiley.com
Wiley

A new analysis has found that doing away with PSA (prostate specific antigen) testing for prostate cancer would likely cause three times as many men to develop advanced disease that has spread to other parts of the body before being diagnosed. Published early online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, the study suggests that PSA testing and early detection may prevent approximately 17,000 men each year from having such advanced prostate cancer at diagnosis.

PSA testing has come under fire recently as a potentially ineffective screen for prostate cancer. Last year a government panel reviewed the available evidence and concluded that PSA testing has little or no benefit and that doctors are finding and treating non-aggressive cancers that are not likely to cause symptoms or be lethal. Therefore, many men may be experiencing serious treatment side effects such as incontinence and erectile dysfunction for no reason.

To see what might happen if PSA testing were abandoned, Edward Messing, MD, of the University of Rochester Medical Center, and his team looked at information from the years immediately before routine PSA testing was done (1983-1985) and compared it to the current era of widespread PSA testing (2006 to 2008). The information for the analysis came from the nation's largest cancer registry, the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database. The researchers were particularly interested in the records of patients who had advanced prostate cancer that had already spread to other parts of the body at the time of diagnosis. These cases are generally incurable and always cause significant symptoms very quickly if left untreated.

The investigators found that approximately 8,000 cases of prostate cancer had already spread to distant sites (i.e. metastases) at the time of diagnosis in the United States in 2008 (the most recent SEER year). Next, they designed a mathematical model that used pre-PSA incidence rates of metastatic disease from the mid-1980s to estimate the number of such advanced cases that would be expected to occur in 2008 if PSA screening had not been done. They predicted the number would be approximately 25,000, which is about three times greater than the number actually observed.

"Our findings are very important in light of the recent controversy over PSA testing," said Dr. Messing. "Although there are trade-offs associated with the PSA test and many factors influence the disease outcome, our data clearly indicate that not doing the PSA test will result in many more men presenting with far advanced prostate cancer. Almost all men with clinically apparent metastases at initial diagnosis will die from prostate cancer," he added.

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in the male population. In 2012 an estimated 241,740 new cases will be diagnosed and 28,000 deaths will occur. Prognosis depends on whether the cancer has spread, and the degree to which the cancer cells are abnormal.

###

---

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?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2012-07/w-wwh072512.php

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EYES ON LONDON: Records, a surprise and dark skies

LONDON (AP) ? Around the 2012 Olympics and its host city with journalists from The Associated Press bringing the flavor and details of the games to you:

___

THE DAY'S ACTION

So, two more swimming world records were broken on Sunday and Spain's highly favored football team tumbled out of medal contention after losing to Honduras.

American Dana Vollmer won the 100 butterfly in a world record and was followed by Cameron van der Burgh of South Africa, who set a world mark to win the 100-meter breaststroke.

The biggest surprise of the day came from France's 4x100-meter freestyle relay team, which upset the favored United States and Australia.

? Mike Corder ? Twitter http://twitter.com/mikecorder

___

FOREBODING SKIES

It's a personal battle against the elements that evokes the drama of the high seas. But this is an Olympics K1 canoe slalom event in a man-made environment in east London.

In a single frame, AP photographer Kirsty Wigglesworth has captured a man's bid for glory under foreboding skies.

Here's a link to the picture which is also in the attached photo gallery: http://bit.ly/PdHKKl

?James Collins ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jimcollinsAP

___

TWITTER TRASH TALK

Hope Solo's angry Twitter rants are U.S. coach Pia Sundhage's latest challenge.

The U.S. women's soccer team won 3-0 Saturday against Colombia, but Solo, the U.S. goalie, took exception on Twitter to comments by her former colleague Brandi Chastain, who is now a TV commentator.

"The game has changed from a decade ago," Solo tweeted.

Sundhage says she spoke with Solo and reminded her that the most important thing now is the team's next Olympic game against North Korea on Tuesday. But the coach says she's not going to bother stopping her star goalie from tweeting.

"It's all about the next game," Sundhage said.

? Joseph White ? Twitter http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP

___

LOW EXPECTATIONS

British swimmer Rebecca Adlington was probably the most surprised by her bronze medal swim in the 400 meters final.

Her tweet from earlier Sunday: "Just sneaked into tonight's final in 8th place! Not expecting anything tonight, all I can do is my best :-) thank you for all the support."

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

__

SOLDIERS FOR FREE

AP's Cassie Vinograd says some of those empty seats that have been a feature of the games so far are being filled by uniformed British soldiers at the women's gymnastics event. They've taken up about eight rows.

Still, many seats in the lower level remain unaccounted for.

? Cassandra Vinograd ? Twitter http://twitter.com/cassvinograd

___

EYEING THE ODDS

Determined to see a British sports book, I discovered William Hill in Euston. It's nothing like Las Vegas.

Think more like an empty OTB. One television showed the Olympics. The rest were airing dog racing.

But the variety was interesting. They've got bundled bets such as Usain Bolt winning the 100 and 200 meters and the U.S.A men and women's basketball teams both winning gold at 9-to-4. A soccer bet at 8-to-1 bundles the Brazilian men and the American women to win the gold.

The overwhelming favorite is David Rudisha of Kenya in the 800 meters at 1-to-12. The next closest is the American women's basketball team at 1-to-10.

For a big payoff, go for the "Olympic Football Yes/No." Pick all six correctly, including if all six substitutes will be used in the Britain vs. Cameroon women's soccer match, and it pays 33-to-1.

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

___

BRITS AND HOOPS

Football's the undisputed king of sports in Britain. But basketball is capturing the imagination here at the Olympics.

After being disappointed in the road race on Saturday, Britons flocked to the basketball arena for their team's hoops opener against Russia.

The upper level is jammed, the Union Jack is flying proudly and the crowd is roaring at every basket by Luol Deng or Joel Freeland.

?Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

___

GATES VISIT

Organizers are readying the table tennis venue for a visit by Bill Gates where he'll watch Ariel Hsing against the No. 2 seed, Li Xiaoxia of China on Sunday night.

In the past, Gates has played a few practice shots with Hsing and she refers to him as "Uncle Bill."

? Stephen Wade ? Twitter http://twitter.com/StephenWadeAP

___

BEDS REMADE

They were at the center of the Olympics opening ceremony's tribute to Britain's cherished National Health Service.

Now the 320 beds that director Danny Boyle had in a dance sequence that showed British nurses tending to sick children will be used in real hospitals in Tunisia.

Organizers said the beds' elaborate lighting effects and wiring were being removed by volunteers before they were to be loaded into shipping containers and sent overseas.

The beds are being sent to the Hospital Habis Burguiba De Medenine and the Hospital de Taouine in Tunisia.

? David Stringer - Twitter http://twitter.com/david_stringer

___

SEA OF FANS

There was a real sea of people out at the ExCel center Sunday where table tennis, judo and boxing topped the agenda. To get a sense, here's a picture: http://bit.ly//O9mGbW

? Fergus Bell ? Twitter http://twitter.com/fergb

___

YIKES FROM YI

So far Chinese basketball star Yi Jianlian has had difficulty finding playing time in the NBA.

That may change. After scoring 30 points and grabbing 12 rebounds Sunday in a loss to a Spanish team full of NBA players, Chinese coach Bob Donewald says he has no idea why his best player can't get minutes stateside.

"I don't know why he didn't play in Dallas but I think he's one of the best players in the world," Donewald says. "And he showed that tonight."

? Jon Krawczynski ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/APKrawczynski

___

BROKEN JAW (AND DREAMS)

Ghana's flagbearer is out of the Olympics after failing to recover in time from a broken jaw sustained in a qualifying fight.

Maxwell Amponsah had surgery to reset his jaw following the fracture on May 5 but it hasn't fully healed, meaning he carried his country's flag at Friday's opening ceremony but won't get to compete.

Ghana's Olympic committee says "there are potential major complications if he re-fractures his jaw."

? Gerald Imray ? Twitter http://twitter.com/GeraldImrayAP

___

LEBRON'S LEAP

Nothing like an Olympics to boost your social media profile, it seems.

LeBron James has acquired almost 600,000 new Facebook fans in the last week, with Kobe Bryant coming in second in terms of popularity with an extra 78,000.

But Kobe's still the top Olympian on the social media site in terms of overall numbers.

Facebook has released the following overall fan figures:

Kobe - 13.57 million

LeBron - 11.93 million

Roger Federer - 11.23 million

Maria Sharapova - 7.8 million

Usain Bolt - 7.07 million

? Ian Phillips ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/phillipsian

___

LONELY SEATS

The rows of empty seats at some Olympic venues have enraged sports fans in London who tried but failed to get Olympic tickets.

And now the seats are putting their side of the story across ? through Twitter, naturally.

An account, (at)Olympic seat, emerged on Sunday evening.

"I feel so empty," read one post, accompanied by an avatar of empty seats.

"It was my lifelong ambition to be an Olympic seat," read another tweet. "To provide rest and comfort for cheering sports fans. I feel like such a failure."

? Rob Harris ? Twitter http://twitter.com/robharris

___

BELLE OF THE BAR

The Americans dominated the afternoon qualifying for women's gymnastics, but Britain's athletes got the loudest cheers.

An ovation greeted Britain's Beth Tweddle, who earned a 16.133 on the uneven bars for the top score of the session.

"I was nervous," she admitted later. "It was nerve-wracking to do the bars last."

Tweddle, at 27, is the oldest member of the team and Britain's most decorated gymnast. She's never won an Olympic medal, however.

Her performance Sunday helped Britain make the team finals, four years after they missed the last slot at the Beijing Games.

"We know we're not going to be able to touch USA, Russia, China," Tweddle said. "We are the level below them. Four years ago, we wouldn't be looking at that, so we are getting better."

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://twitter.com/jennafryer

___

IT'S OKAY, ROOMIE

Jordyn Wieber has released a statement of support for close friend Aly Raisman, who bumped her out of the all-around gymnastics finals.

Wieber, the reigning world champion, had to watch Raisman's performance knowing a strong showing would keep her out of the individual competition. She left the arena sobbing after missing the cut.

"It was hard because of course I wanted that spot. But I also wanted Aly to do her best for the team," she said.

The two are roommates here at the London Games. Wieber will be relegated to cheerleader now as Gabby Douglas and Raisman compete for the all-around title.

"It has always been a dream of mine to compete in the all-around final of the Olympics," she said. "I'm proud of Aly and Gabby and happy that they reached the all-around and I was able to help the team get to the Finals. It was always going to be close between the three of us doing all-around and in the end it is what it is."

? Jenna Fryer ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/jennafryerscore)stringer

___

EDITOR'S NOTE ? "Eyes on London" shows you the Olympics through the eyes of Associated Press journalists across the 2012 Olympic city and around the world. Follow them on Twitter where available with the handles listed after each item, and get even more AP updates from the Games here: http://twitter.com/AP_Sports

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eyes-london-records-surprise-dark-skies-220642446--oly.html

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Immediately after the Marriage ceremony ? suitedreamsbi

Report by Tonia Jordan

Following the Marriage ceremony ? Relationships ? Relationship

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So considerably preparing goes into the ceremony that following its finished, some issues can be effortlessly ignored. After you get back again to standard daily life after the wedding ceremony and honeymoon, there are several things that require to be accomplished.

Mail Announcements:

You will want to allow your buddies and household know of your recent union. In most circumstances, they will presently know, but this makes it official. Combining this with thank-you notes is a good concept, but be certain to contain absolutely everyone.

Name Adjustments:

You?ll need to have to notify banking companies, credit cards, employers, article place of work, utilities, colleges, vehicle registration, voter registration, and probably other organizations and businesses of any identify change. To change your name, you might want a replicate of your spousal relationship certificate, and you will require to request a new social security card, as effectively as new passports and driver?s licenses. You will require to check out the policies for your specific state or location. In some instances, the DMV must be contacted first, and in other folks, the Social Safety Business office will appear 1st. Make appointments and ask in advance what files are needed for the changes.

Thank You Notes:

Be sure to mail thank you notes to attendees at your wedding and anyone who sent cards and/or presents. A specific consideration can be manufactured for mothers and fathers of the bride and groom. Take into account sending bouquets or new social security card a special thank you to each set to thank them for their aid and assistance. Also contemplate specific thanks to members of the wedding social gathering, like the very best male, ushers, and bridesmaids.

Return:

Return any rented items, and be sure that all companies are paid and thanked for their services. It is also customary to mail thank you notes to caterers, musicians, and anyone else who served during the marriage ceremony and ceremony.

Wedding Gown &amp Keepsakes:

Have the wedding gown cleaned professionally and have it correctly saved. Do the very same with any souvenir products from the marriage ceremony. Be positive any wedding photographs are appropriately saved. Other objects you could want to maintain as mementos contain bouquets and favors. If you have video clip footage of the ceremony, it would be a very good concept to have copies created and held in a safe place.

There are a number of critical matters that must be taken treatment of, but the important thing to do after the wedding and honeymoon is to enjoy your new lifestyle as a married couple. Locate your way back again to your everyday routines and take pleasure in the companionship and adore that relationship delivers!

About the Creator

This post has been submitted in affiliation with http://www.Prye.Com/ which is a web site for Marriage ceremony Invitations.

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whereby the original author?s data and copyright must be incorporated.

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Sprinklr: Sprinklr Feature Update, Facebook Fixes Problem with Missing Share Button: http://t.co/VuRtLIDN

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

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Strategies to Get Low Rate Car Loans Even When You Have a Bad ...

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Facing constant rejection because of your bad credit history? Do you believe that low interest rates are just reserved for people with good credit? Do you think buying a car is just a distant dream for you?

Well, this piece of information can provide you relief and substantially increase your chances of getting an affordable auto loan. Last month Reuters ran published an article titled, "Car lenders ease credit standards and terms to spur loans". It mentions that lenders consider car loans safe in comparison to mortgage and credit card loans. Also, lenders are now offering lenient credit terms due to weak credit demand. One of the credit bureaus, Experian, mentioned that percentage of new car loans offered to sub-prime borrowers increased by 11.4% this quarter compared to last year. This means people with bad credit can even buy a new car without any trouble.

So, getting bad credit car loans has become possible today. There is no better time to buy the car of your choice. But, are you still unsure of getting an affordable car loan? If you are still in doubts, make use of these strategies and not only get instant approval on your bad credit car loan but also avail the lowest possible rates.

Preparation Is the Key

Buying a car is major decision because you spend your life-savings on it. It is a commitment of making regular payments. You just cannot go to a dealer without thorough research. So, before purchasing a car or applying for an auto loan, here are few important things that demand your attention.

Clean-Up Your Finances First

Whenever you want to buy a car, do not just rush into the decision. You must sign the dotted line only after you are sure of what you are getting into. There have been instances where lenders have duped innocuous borrowers on the pretext of bad credit score.

It is always important to study your credit report before visiting the lender's office. You can get a free annual copy of your credit report from annualcreditreport.com. Study all the entries and dispute for any unwarranted transactions and errors. It is a known fact that credit bureaus commit mistakes while calculating your credit scores. You can improve your credit by removing all the errors. Also, start making payments on your debts. Even if you can pay-off a few of your debts, it will have a positive impact on your credit score. Doing all this requires time and that's why you must comprehensively plan your car purchase and avoid a hasty decision.

Down Payment to Down Your Rates

The initial upfront amount that you pay for buying a car can be a useful way of reducing interest rates. Making a substantial down payment of ten to twenty percent can lower your loan amount and thus, the lender's risk. Also, the lender will be assured of your financial stability. This will definitely bring down your car loan cost.

Co-Signer - A Comforting Thought for the Lender

When you have someone to co-sign your car loan contract, the lender is assured of his money. This is so because he can get it from the co-signer if you miss out on payments. Finding a co-signer is a bit tough but if you can manage one, it would work wonders for your car loan.

If you just cannot find a co-signer, you can avail auto loans without co-signer which come with slightly higher interest rates. Nonetheless, it is important that you exhaust all your options before opting for no co-signer car loans.

Online Bad Credit Auto Loans - A Better Option

An online bad credit car loan offers you the option of getting an auto loan without leaving the comfort of your house. You can apply by logging in to your computer. Online car financing companies are a perfect choice because banks do not entertain people with poor credit. To avail money from a credit union, you need to be its member. When you apply for a car loan from an online auto financing company, you have the option of comparing several auto loan quotes. This is not possible when you avail dealership financing.

Also, online car financing companies work with several sub-prime lenders which make it easier for them to process your auto loan application. This drastically improves your chances of getting a low interest bad credit auto loan.

How to Choose Your Bad Credit Car Loan?

Choosing a bad credit car loan is easy if you carefully read the vehicle loan contract. It is essential that you do not just focus on low interest rates, but instead look at the bigger picture. Calculate Annual Percentage Ratio (APR) which will tell you the interest rate for a whole year instead of the usual monthly rate. It also considers fees like loan origination fees and other miscellaneous expenses which will give you a better idea of the cost of car loan.

Check for any pre-payment penalty because it can significantly increase your expenses if you decide to pay-off your loan early. Ensure that the lender is a reputed name in the auto financing industry.

A little bit of caution can take you a long way in securing the best auto loan option. Bad credit is never an issue if you know how to tackle it. These strategies and important cues will help you get easy approval on your car loan application.

Remember bad credit is just your history; it is in your hands to write your future. Go out there and turn your car dream into reality!

Rapidcarloans.net firmly believes that bad credit history should never become an obstacle in buying a car. We offer bad credit car loans at competitive rates to buy new as well as used cars. Apply for auto loans online today and forget all about your poor credit score!

Source: Strategies to Get Low Rate Car Loans Even When You Have a Bad Credit Score
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Rating: Not yet rated 1 : Strategies to Get Low Rate Car Loans Even When You Have a Bad Credit Score

A bad credit score can often cause problems in buying your perfect car. But, with the recent news of lenders becoming more flexible, there are renewed hopes for getting a bad credit auto loan. Here are few important tips to improve your chances of availing a poor credit car loan in an instant.

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Source: http://www.financebusinessarticles.com/business-financing/strategies-to-get-low-rate-car-loans-even-when-you-have-a-bad-credit-score.html

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Top Yucatan Real Estate Options | Green Real Estate

When we think of life on the Yucatan Peninsula, a variety of features come to mind ? beaches, nature, ruins, colonial cities, etc. The good news is that excellent Yucatan real estate options are available allowing you to enjoy a combination of these features as part of day to day life. Three very good options to consider are Cancun real estate, Merida real estate and Cozumel real estate.

Cancun ? Beachfront Resort Lifestyle

Cancun is probably the Yucatan?s most famous vacation and real estate location. The most popular option is the high-rise condos on the beachfront of the city?s hotel zone. These condos offer spectacular views of the famous white beaches with the turquoise water of the Caribbean beyond. They also offer a very modern lifestyle with beach clubs, gyms, roof-top patios with pools, modern shopping centers, large-screen movie theaters, golf courses and much more. Cancun is also home to the area?s best-connected airport making it easy to and from your new beachfront paradise home.

Cancun also offers some excellent options in the downtown area. These include fixer-upper homes and condos that are all within walking distance to cafes, shops, malls, restaurants and many other amenities. Downtown offers more of a small-city lifestyle. Most of the same modern services are downtown. The beaches are about a 15-20 minute drive away. Whichever part of Cancun you choose, you?ll be within close access to the Yucatan?s history and nature.

Merida ? Colonial Charm & Culture

The city of Merida is currently the largest in the Yucatan area and it has Mexico?s second largest colonial city center. The straight, narrow streets of the city center run past charming old buildings with spectacular architecture. Green parks full of flowers, walkways and benches for sitting and enjoying the views make the city refreshing and relaxing. Merida?s culture matches all expectations from its colonial visual atmosphere. The city?s culture offers everything from museums and historic churches to live Mariachi music and excellent local food. Part of the lifestyle is a walk-everywhere atmosphere with everything close by, and visually very pleasant and attractive. Local fruit markets and handicraft shops make it easy to buy well-priced local items.

At the same time as being charming and old, Merida is also a modern metropolis with services like large malls, modern American stores, sports complexes and excellent hospitals. Again, the beach is only 20 minutes away, and the ruins of Chichen Itza, one of the New Seven Wonders of the World, are about 30 minutes. Merida has a well-connected international airport.

Cozumel ? Island Paradise

About an hour away from Cancun (in Playa del Carmen) there is ferry access to the wonderful of island of Cozumel. The city of Cozumel is small and quaint with only low-rise buildings centered around a traditional Mexican town square. Many expats buy homes in the town center area enjoying a walk-everywhere lifestyle. Others buy ecological homes out in the jungle. A popular option is also the beachfront condos in the resorts out along the north shore of the island. All residents of Cozumel enjoy close access to diving in the coral reef, the jungle tours, hidden pyramids and lots of beautiful beaches and lush, green nature.

Cozumel has an international airport of its own, although not as well connected as Cancun or Merida, but very conveniently located just outside of town. All basic services are also available in Cozumel, and what?s not available there can be found with an easy ferry-ride to Playa del Carmen.

Buyers who have a general interest in the Yucatan Peninsula may do well to plan a trip to visit a variety of areas and see which is most attractive for them.

Source: http://www.sws2011.org/top-yucatan-real-estate-options.html

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Treatment Progress of Melanoma - Reversing Skin Cancer of the ...

Treatment Progress of Melanoma - Reversing Skin Cancer of the Scalp

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www.universalmedicalimaging.com?? with Ph Miracle, Shelley Young, Ben Johnson, Robert O Young and Robert Young.

Source: http://articlesofhealth.blogspot.com/2012/07/treatment-progress-of-melanoma.html

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Friend or foe, US gymnasts don't mind who watches

LONDON (AP) ? Aly Raisman can almost feel the eyes on her as she and her U.S. gymnastics teammates finish their training session. Sure enough, she'll look up and see a couple of heads in the doorway.

Russians, usually. Sometimes the Romanians.

"We always try and do a little better," Raisman said with the hint of a smirk, "maybe intimidate them a bit."

If there were any doubts the American women are the ones to beat at the London Olympics, they've been erased by the amateur espionage the last few days.

When the Americans opened Thursday's podium training session with a barrage of Amanars, the high-scoring vaults that might very well decide the gold medal, a Chinese coach made sure he had a front-row seat. Russian coach Alexander Alexandrov just happened to make his way to the bathroom when the Americans were doing vault one day, and couldn't resist stopping for a minute or two.

"They watch us, we don't watch them," U.S. coach John Geddert said.

Now, before the Americans are accused of being overconfident, they've had their London plan in mind for a while now. The gymnasts upgraded their routines months ago, and those monster vaults have been in the works for several years. If the Russians, Romanians or defending Olympic champion Chinese unveil some new tricks, there's not a whole lot the Americans can do about it now.

The women's competition begins Sunday with qualifying. The team final is Tuesday night.

And, let's be honest, the Americans have earned the right to strut a little. They are, after all, the reigning world champions, beating Russia by four points last fall in a rout.

Jordyn Wieber is the world all-around champion, and her only two losses since 2008 have been to American teammates. McKayla Maroney won the vault title at worlds, while Raisman took home a bronze on floor exercise and was fourth in the all-around. Gabby Douglas upstaged Wieber at the Olympic trials, and her uneven bars performance is a better show than anything those circus acrobats can do.

"To me, it doesn't make a difference what they're doing if we do what we do," said Geddert, also Wieber's personal coach. "We're not going to change anything because they're doing something else. We're going to do what we do."

Despite winning three of the last five team titles at the world championships, the Americans have won only one Olympic gold medal, and that was back in 1996 with The Magnificent Seven. But this is the deepest team, top to bottom, the U.S. has had since Atlanta, and those show-stopping vaults could give the Americans a decisive advantage.

The Amanar is worth 0.7 points more than most other gymnasts' vault. Execution scores still have to be factored in, of course. But assuming each American does an Amanar in team finals, where three gymnasts compete on each event and all three scores count, the U.S. could build a sizable lead over Russia, Romania and China with just one event.

"We've been working so hard on them, and it shows we really want this," Raisman said. "It's a huge advantage."

So is their attitude.

Rather than curling into a ball or hiding in a corner, the Americans have embraced the attention and the expectations. They thought it was cool to make the cover of Sports Illustrated's Olympic preview, and they've spent more time with Ryan Seacrest than those celebs angling for judging gigs on "American Idol."

They take the spying as a compliment ? those who acknowledge noticing it, that is. They even managed to steal the spotlight from that gaudy floor at the O2 Arena, showing up to podium training with leotards that were, if you can imagine, an even brighter shade of pink.

Don't let their flashy fashion fool you. The Americans' focus remains on an entirely different color: gold.

"We're like soldiers," Maroney said. "We just come to get the job done."

___

Follow Nancy Armour at www.twitter.com/nrarmour

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/friend-foe-us-gymnasts-dont-mind-watches-041338604--oly.html

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Louie, Season 3

Perhaps this was simply an arbitrary choice on C.K.?s part, but I found it fitting that the name Parker Posey?s character gives Louie, at first, is ?Tape Recorder.? When he first falls for her at the bookstore, he regards her, to a significant degree, as a device, as a vessel?one to be filled with his sexual and maternal fantasies, as in the black-and-white cutaways, and one to be filled with his own self-doubts and anxieties, as when he asks her out and does the talking for her: imagining, voicing, and countering her reasoned rejection without once letting her speak. In last night?s episode, which I agree was astonishing, the tape recorder comes to messy, unpredictable life (the way real people, and not devices, are wont to do) and morphs, over the course of 20-odd minutes, into Liz.

Source: http://feeds.slate.com/click.phdo?i=d7f1538c73ea1d7218f8aff073de36c7

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The Benefits of a Company Team Building Day | StartUp Growth ...

A company team building day is a period of time in which employees and their supervisors are taken offsite in order to learn more about working well together through fun activities. A company team building day can take many shapes and forms including a full day of outdoor adventures through a specialist provider or simply a day in a conference hall that involves team talks and games.

The objective of a company team building day is to ensure staff leave feeling more confident in their ability to work well together and with fresh ideas for making their operations run as smoothly as possible.

Now, it is possible to simply sit employees down in the office and tell them how to work together, but that is not as effective a way of encouraging team spirit as an away day. Here are some of the benefits of getting out of the workplace to build stronger employee ties:

Fun activities encourage engagement

The ability to work well as a team is important to every business, so when it comes to team building skills it is vital your employees are engaged, interested and learning everything they can. One of the most effective ways to encourage this absorption in training is by making activities fun. Instead of suggesting staff communicate better with their colleagues, why not give them a challenge that requires excellent communication? One way to do this might be to split staff into teams and give them materials to make a raft. The team that communicates best and therefore finishes first is awarded a prize.

Learning through doing

Most people understand what is needed to work well in a team, such as considering other people?s feelings, communicating your plans, thoughts and feelings effectively and having regular meetings to ensure everybody is working towards the same common aim. However, behaviour that contradicts these objectives often sneaks into offices without employees even being aware. By setting a challenge in which a team has to work together to succeed, the members of the team are confronted with unhelpful behavior they may otherwise be unconscious of and make an effort to change in order to achieve the task they have been given.

A chance to give feedback

There should always be space within a good team building day for employees to talk about what they have learned from the games they play and also give feedback on whether they think the skills they are practicing are evident in the workplace. It is important for staff to reflect on how they can practically apply the lessons they have learned back at the office.

Build rapport and morale

As well as learning important practical skills like good communication and problem solving, team building days encourage staff to build better rapport and morale among the workforce. Make sure you provide time for socializing, such as offering a buffet lunch and that there are lots of opportunities to communicate. The office can often become quite segregated if members of staff from different departments don?t often work together, so mixing up teams can be a great way to get staff members to interact with people they wouldn?t normally speak to on a daily basis. As the relationships of employees grow closer, their ability to work as a team improves.

About the Author

Francesca B is a British blogger with an interest in business and employment. This guest post was submitted by her on behalf of http://www.genuinebusiness.co.uk

// ]]>

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

No related posts.

Source: http://www.startupgrowthexpert.com/2012/07/the-benefits-of-a-company-team-building-day/

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Can't 'find your friends' on Instagram? Go cry to Twitter

2 hrs.

Rosa Golijan

Tracking down your Twitter buddies among Instagram's 80 million users is now tougher than ever?? because the photo-sharing service's "Find Your Friends" feature is kaput. And Twitter appears to be at fault.

As TechCrunch's Alexia Tsotsis reports,?the "Find Your Friends"?feature ? which is buried within your Instagram app's settings ? is now useless "due to API restrictions from Twitter's end."

In plain terms??In order to find your Twitter friends, Instagram needed to snag some data from Twitter. And for some reason, Twitter decided to change the locks.

In fact, if you stubbornly?do try to find your Twitter friends on Instagram right now, a little pop-up message will offer that very?same explanation:

Unable to Find Friends?

Twitter no longer allows its users to access this information in Instagram via the Twitter API. We apologize for any?inconvenience.

We reached out to Twitter to see if the social network had anything to say about this change?? which is pretty darn awkward if you consider that Twitter founder Jack Dorsey happens to be an Instagram investor?? but we have not heard back yet. We?will update once we do.

In the meantime, we'll just point out that this isn't the first time something like this has happened. As Tsotsis recalls, "Facebook has done similar to Twitter in past years. For example, it blocked Twitter?s access to Facebook?s in-app friend finder feature in June of 2010."?

Amusingly, Instagram was recently acquired by Facebook. Guess what goes around?comes around.

Want more tech news?or interesting?links? You'll get plenty of both if you keep up with Rosa Golijan, the writer of this post, by following her on?Twitter, subscribing to her?Facebook?posts,?or circling her?on?Google+.

Source: http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/cant-find-your-friends-instagram-go-cry-twitter-913857

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Volkswagen Q2 earns jump 18 percent

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) ? Stronger demand from North America and the world's developing markets helped German automaker Volkswagen record an 18 percent jump in second-quarter earnings.

Net profit for the April-June period increased to ?5.64 billion ($6.84 billion) from ?4.78 billion a year ago. Revenues increased 19 percent to ?48.1 billion.

The Wolfsburg-based manufacturer said that worldwide demand for cars increased in the second quarter in the US, China, Russia and India, and would rise again in the second half of the year ? but at a slower pace.

Volkswagen warned the car market would shrink in western Europe, where economies are slowing due to spending cutbacks and consumer worries due to a crisis over too much government debt.

The company also reported an earnings increase of 36 percent for the first six months, while revenues rose 23 percent to ?95.3 billion.

"We can be satisfied with our business performance in the first six months," CEO Martin Winterkorn said in a statement. "Our strong position on world markets will help us to exceed the development of the overall market despite the challenging environment."

Volkswagen has outperformed other European mass-market carmakers, who are struggling with weak pricing and markets depressed by slow growth and high unemployment in countries such as Spain and Italy. It enjoys a strong business in China and reaps higher margins from its Audi luxury brand.

The net profit figure easily beat analyst estimates compiled by FactSet of ?2.79 billion. Operating earnings, however, increased by a smaller 3.4 percent to ?3.28 billion and fell short of expectations for ?3.29. Operating earnings exclude financial items such as interest and taxes and are sometimes considered to show a clearer picture of how a company's basic business is developing.

Slower increases in operating earnings and the caution regarding Europe helped weigh on shares, which fell 3.6 percent to ?124.20 in midday trading in Europe.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/volkswagen-q2-earns-jump-18-percent-084911389--finance.html

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Tajik forces demand rebels surrender former warlord

DUSHANBE (Reuters) - Tajik government forces demanded rebel commanders lay down their arms and hand over a former warlord on Thursday, a security source said, as the two sides began a second day of talks after a battle which killed 42 people.

President Imomali Rakhmon called off a military offensive after the fierce fighting on Tuesday in a remote mountain region next to Afghanistan. Troops continued to patrol the streets on Thursday.

The ceasefire in the autonomous Gorno-Badakhshan region followed a campaign to capture former warlord Tolib Ayombekov, a show of strength by a government whose control over parts of the Central Asian state remains fragile 15 years after a civil war.

Twelve soldiers and 30 rebels were killed in the operation to apprehend Ayombekov, who fought against Rakhmon's troops in a 1992-97 civil war before receiving a government job in the peace deal that ended the conflict.

The government has offered amnesty to all rebels except the four fighters, including Ayombekov, it accuses of killing the regional head of the State Committee on National Security, whose murder on Saturday was the trigger for the military offensive.

"We are trying to persuade the fighters to lay down their arms and hand over the four suspects, including Ayombekov," a senior Tajik security source said on condition of anonymity.

"It could take a week or two. That's still better than shooting each other," he said. "Of course, they cannot continue forever. We've suffered heavy losses, but we will suffer more to end this situation if they do not agree to our conditions."

Tajikistan, with a population of 7.5 million, is the poorest of 15 former Soviet republics. Tens of thousands died in its civil war, in which Rakhmon's Moscow-backed troops fought a loosely aligned opposition that included many Islamist fighters.

Former imperial master Russia still has 6,000 troops stationed in Tajikistan, its largest military deployment abroad and a bulwark against the threat of Islamist violence spilling across the Afghan border when NATO pulls its troops out in 2014.

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), a 56-nation security body currently under Ireland's chairmanship, issued a statement late on Wednesday urging "all parties to exercise restraint".

STRAY BULLETS

Khorog, capital of the Gorno-Badakhshan region and the nearest town to the fighting deep in the Pamir mountains, was calm on Thursday, the security source and a local resident said. Most communications were cut off for a third consecutive day.

The local resident, able to communicate via satellite link, said people had returned to work and that shops were open for a second day on Thursday. "We can buy rice, pasta, flour and butter. We are not going hungry," he said.

He said he was aware of at least two civilian deaths, one elderly man and one 18-year-old man caught in crossfire. He said he had attended the funeral of the younger man and that his neighbor had informed him about the elderly man.

The security service source said: "I don't know anything about civilian casualties. I have heard there may be some, as a result of stray bullets."

Gorno-Badakhshan, separated from Afghanistan by the Pyandzh river, is an autonomous region where the authority of the central government is fragile. Most of the 250,000 population sided with the opposition during the civil war.

Ayombekov has denied involvement in the death of Maj.-Gen. Abdullo Nazarov, head of the regional branch of the GKNB, successor to the Soviet-era KGB. The GKNB has said his gang has been involved in smuggling drugs, tobacco and precious stones.

"All criminal groups active in the Pamir should give up their weapons and face justice," the presidential press service quoted Rakhmon as saying on Wednesday at a meeting with the prosecutor-general and government officials.

(Writing by Robin Paxton and Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Myra MacDonald)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/tajik-forces-demand-rebels-surrender-former-warlord-120037875.html

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