FAA investigating near-collision at DC airport

(AP) ? The FAA is investigating how three commuter jets narrowly avoided a midair collision near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport outside the nation's capital.

The Washington Post reports the three planes were operated by US Airways and were carrying 192 passengers and crew members. It cited federal officials with direct knowledge of the incident.

The federal agency said in an emailed statement that it will take "appropriate action to address the miscommunication" that led to the incident Tuesday afternoon around 2 p.m. It says that due to bad weather, air traffic controllers switched landing and departing operations and miscommunication "led to a loss of the required separation" between the jets.

Standard separation requirements are 1,000 vertical feet and 3.5 lateral miles.

The agency said preliminary information indicated the landing plane came within 500 vertical feet and 1.7 lateral miles of one departing plane and 600 vertical feet and 2.8 lateral miles of the second plane.

An audio recording of communications between the landing plane and the air traffic control tower at the airport shows confusion as the flight is given instructions on landing.

"We were clear at the river back there. What happened?" someone in the plane's cockpit says on the recording, obtained from LiveATC.com, a website that records air traffic communications.

The tower responds: "We're trying to figure this out, too. Stand by."

The landing flight then advises the tower that the plane doesn't have much fuel left: "We gotta get on the ground here pretty quick," a man says.

USAirways spokesman Todd Lehmacher said in an email that the airline is "currently investigating and working with the FAA to determine what occurred."

The airline has more than 230 daily departures from the airport to over 70 cities.

The airport had another high-profile safety incident in March 2011 when two airliners landed without assistance from the tower. Pilots were unable to raise the lone supervisor on duty at midnight. The supervisor later acknowledged he had fallen asleep. A second controller has since been added to the midnight shift at Reagan National.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-08-02-MidAir%20Collision%20Averted/id-a03e395354a4451e8af861eeb995e85f

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Afghan war: Who's in charge, again?

A check point delay on a reporting trip in Afghanistan raises questions for Monitor reporter Tom Peter as to whether the phrase 'Afghan-led' is more mantra than an actual practice.

By Tom A. Peter,?Correspondent / July 30, 2012

It?s almost impossible to talk to the US military in Afghanistan without someone mentioning that the effort here is increasingly Afghan led. This is, after all, their country, say US soldiers, so it only makes sense that they take the wheel and the US slides into the backseat.

Skip to next paragraph Tom A. Peter

Correspondent

Tom A. Peter is a journalist based in Kabul, Afghanistan where he covers news and features throughout the country. He has also reported for The Monitor from Iraq, Yemen, Jordan, and throughout the United States.

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As a reporter working in Afghanistan, I?ve listened to the US military say this for years now. Despite Afghans being given much more authority recently, I?ve still often wondered just how much control Afghans have over their own country. While reporting in Kandahar recently, I received a reminder that ?Afghan-led? is often more mantra than an actual practice.

For several years now, I?ve known the district governor of Kandahar?s Arghandab district. I first met him about two years ago, shortly after he took over when his predecessor was assassinated and security seemed to be at an all time low. Since then, whenever I travel to Kandahar I try to pay him a visit.

His office is situated on a compound that is divided between the Afghan district center and a US military base. To enter the district government office, you must first pass through a US checkpoint. After that, another checkpoint divides the US side from the Afghan side.

As I?ve known the district governor for some time, I called him directly to arrange the meeting. Given that he?s an independent politician who is supposed to take his directives from the Afghan government, not the Americans, I didn?t think to bother scheduling an appointment via the Americans he shares a base with. In all my visits this had never been a requirement.?

When I arrived at the main gate of the base, the American soldiers there told me that I?d need to check with their commander at the inner checkpoint before they could allow me to bring in my audio recorder. In a country where reporters often aren?t allowed to bring their own pens to press conferences, this didn?t strike me as unreasonable.

At the next checkpoint, however, I was ushered on to the US side of the base where a senior ranking sergeant asked why I needed the recorder. I explained that I was a journalist who?d come to interview the district governor in a meeting independent of anything to do with the US military. He then informed me that he?d have to verify with his unit?s top commanders before he could allow me to meet with the district governor.

Then began an almost 90 minute waiting period where I was asked to sit just inside the checkpoint.

At one point, the sergeant told me his commanders had denied me my meeting because I hadn?t arranged my meeting through them. When I asked why they were even involved with an independent meeting scheduled directly with the district governor, they told me that if I didn?t want them involved I shouldn?t have come to their side of the base. They ignored my protests when I said the guards forced me to come to their side of the base to get permission to bring my audio recorder to the district governor?s office.

At no point did anyone walk the short distance to the district governor?s office to ask if he was in fact expecting me, nor could I call him because the guards had taken my cellphone and my interpreter was already waiting in the district governor?s office.

After about 90 minutes, and without any real explanation as to the delay, I was eventually allowed to have my meeting with the governor.

Just why they held me for more than an hour and seemed to deny my meeting with the district governor remains unclear. The only reason I was offered is that I hadn?t scheduled the meeting through the US military.

While my experience was an isolated incident, with such a focus on making the NATO effort here "Afghan led," it's hard to imagine behavior from the US military that could undercut this idea more than what I experienced trying to meet with the district governor. What message are they sending to both Afghan politicians and a reporter when American soldiers control a local politician's schedule? Whatever they're trying to communicate, it certainly does not convey their confidence in an Afghan-led Afghanistan.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/csmonitor/globalnews/~3/e-pSMrZ2nJM/Afghan-war-Who-s-in-charge-again

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American Financial Solutions President Elected to Association of ...


Seattle, WA (PRWEB) July 30, 2012

American Financial Solutions is pleased to announce the election of their President, Cindy Seremek, to the Treasurer position on the Board of the Association of Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA), during the July 2012 AICCCA Conference. Ms. Seremek joined American Financial Solutions as Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer in May 2004 and was recently appointed President in July 2012. Prior to joining American Financial Solutions, she was the Vice President of Finance for a venture capital firm specializing in companies that develop Internet applications, where she oversaw the accounting functions and financial reporting for twelve companies.

Ms. Seremek is a member and Past Chairman of the Not-for-Profit Committee of the Washington Society of CPAs. She is also a member of the American Institute of CPAs and has served on several community boards including Soroptimist International and Food Lifeline. She earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Montana State University.

The AICCCA founded in 1993, is a national membership organization, established to promote quality and professional delivery of credit counseling services to debt-challenged families and individuals. Their members provide consumer credit counseling, debt management, housing counseling, bankruptcy counseling, and financial education services. All AICCCA members adhere to strict high-quality service standards which ensure that consumers with problem debt receive expert help from experienced organizations that they can trust.

American Financial Solutions (AFS) is a non-profit 501(c)3 financial education and credit counseling agency that helps people find solutions for managing their money and improving their financial lives. Since 1999, AFS has helped individuals across the United States through one-on-one counseling, classes and the use of debt management plans. AFS is a member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling (NFCC) as well as the Association for Independent Consumer Credit Counseling Agencies (AICCCA). AFS is also accredited by the Council on Accreditation (COA) and has an A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau. Find us and add us on Facebook, Twitter and Google+.

Source: http://freereleasepress.com/american-financial-solutions-president-elected-to-association-of-independent-consumer-credit-counseling-agencies-board/

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EU warns Serbia law a threat to cbank independence

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The European Union has told Serbia it risks taking a "step back" on its path to membership of the bloc if lawmakers adopt a draft law being debated on Thursday that would increase government control over the central bank.

In emailed comments to Reuters late on Wednesday, the deputy head of the EU delegation to Serbia, Adriano Martins, said the draft amendments "raise deep concerns as they are likely to jeopardize the principle of independence of the National Bank."

Serbia's opposition says the amendments are an attempt by the new Socialist-led government to secure central bank supportive for more expansive fiscal policy to halt a slide into recession and rein in unemployment of 25 percent.

If adopted, the legislation could see governor Dejan Soskic, who has stuck to a restrictive monetary policy despite an increasingly bleak economic outlook, out of a job within 90 days, having served less than half of his six-year term.

The amendments would also create a powerful, parliament-appointed supervisory body represented on the central bank's executive board.

Submitting the text on Wednesday, coalition lawmakers said the amendments were designed to "increase parliamentary supervision" of the bank but "not jeopardize" its independence. The government has accused Soskic of negligence in the collapse of a small lender late last year.

But the EU response reinforces the concern felt among Western diplomats over the direction Serbia might take under the new government, an alliance of socialists and nationalists led by Socialist Party leader Ivica Dacic, the wartime spokesman of late Serb strongman Slobodan Milosevic.

FROZEN IMF DEAL

Dacic says he wants Serbia to join the EU, but diplomats admit uncertainty over his government's commitment to the difficult political and economic reforms it will take, particularly at a time of deep economic hardship.

Martins said the European Commission, the EU's executive arm, had not been consulted on the amendments, and cautioned:

"The adoption of these amendments would be a considerable step back in the alignment of Serbia's legislation and principles with the European Union."

Serbia became an official candidate for EU membership in March, a milestone for a country mired in war and isolation under Milosevic in the 1990s.

The draft states that a new bank leadership would be appointed within 90 days of the law entering into force, making Soskic the fourth governor to be forced out before the end of his term since Milosevic's departure from power in 2000.

Soskic has kept the highest official interest rates in the region at 10.25 percent and railed against a budget deficit of over 7 percent of output as well as public debt of almost 55 percent which is far higher than levels recommended for similar emerging economies by the International Monetary Fund.

But the government says its priority is to boost growth through fiscal expansion, with gross domestic product (GDP) shrinking 0.6 percent in the second quarter of the year after a 1.3 percent contraction in the first.

Rising debt prompted the IMF to freeze a 1 billion euro ($1.23 billion) standby deal with Serbia in February. The government says it wants to renew talks, but the bank legislation is unlikely to sit well with the lender.

The absence of IMF backing, and weeks of political uncertainty after an inconclusive May election, have driven the Serbian dinar to record lows against the euro this year. ($1 = 0.8132 euros)

(Writing by Matt Robinson; editing by Patrick Graham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/eu-warns-serbia-law-threat-cbank-independence-101831836--business.html

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Organizing a virtual meeting for execs ? Business Management ...

virtual meetingExecutives spend 18 of their 55-hour workweek in meetings, according to the ?Executive Time Use Project,? by the London School of Economics and Harvard Business School.

No surprise there.

But the survey did reveal something less expected: Execs are more often meeting virtually, through instant messaging, video chat and other tools.

The format and tools used during a virtual meeting will depend on the goals of the meeting.

If, for example, your boss wants to get an accurate read on the group?s reactions to a new idea, a video call might be best, since participants cannot simply ?mute? their responses.

Organize a virtual meeting, and prepare participants to get the most out of one, using the following checklist:

???Where will you hold the meeting? Usually a conference room, outfitted with the right technology, will be best for on-site participants.

???Which meeting platform will work best? To determine the platform, consider the needs of the meeting. Will attendees need to see a live desktop, a slide deck or visual of the presenter?

Also, consider the limits of the meeting tools. For example, if 14 participants are attending virtually, you may not be able to use WebEx?s standard meeting package, which allows for only eight participants.

??What kind of access will remote attendees need? Do they simply need a phone line? If, for example, the presenter is sharing his desktop via GoToMeeting, participants will need to have access to an Internet connection at the time of the meeting.

???How will remote attendees ?dial in?? The answer will depend on what platform you?re using for the meeting.

Tip: Ask attendees to log in five minutes early, so you have time to resolve any technical issues.

??Does the virtual meeting need to be recorded for people who can?t attend? If so, consider using a platform like WebEx, which has a ?rec?ord? feature that captures conversation and any documents pre????sented.

???Do you see any potential roadblocks? If participants need to in??stall a plug-in before logging on, for example, better to solve that problem before the meeting starts.

???Are attendees clear on their roles? Make sure presenters, time-keepers and minute-takers are aware of their responsibilities.

Tip: Designate a meeting coordinator to be available during the meeting to troubleshoot any problems, such as adjusting microphones or refreshing slide screens.

???What do participants need in advance? For example, will the presenter unveil his desktop live during the meeting, or would he like to send participants a copy of the material, such as a PowerPoint presentation, ahead of time, so they can prepare?

???Was it a good experience? Follow up with remote participants to see if it was a positive experience and identify any problems that you can correct for your next virtual meeting.

? Adapted from ?How to embrace remote meetings,? Gary Swart, GigaOM.

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The Multichannel Experience: Meet the Customer Anytime ...

Customer experience has gone from going to a local store and having everyone know you by first name to a world where millions of customers come in contact with brands using several different forms of communication. In turn, businesses have had to create new customer experience (CX) strategies in order to evolve with customer communication preferences.

With that said, customers still expect a ?white glove experience,? whether it is via email, phone, online chat, social media or text. This means that no matter how a customer may contact a business, the customer still expects the company to know exactly who they are as well as their purchase history. Businesses need to realize the importance of meeting the customer halfway to provide an engaging, integrated CX across all channels of communication.

Recently, The New York Times discussed how tech companies are ?leaving phone calls behind,? although they are claiming to be ?Internet-based companies.? These online social companies shouldn?t restrict themselves to only email and online customer support options ? they need to make company representatives easily available to speak via the phone, especially if they are going to provide a company phone number to the public. Companies must provide support on all ends of the customer service line, whether it is by phone, email, chat or social media.

I think about the introduction of online banking. Financial institutions thought that it would pull traffic away from their branch locations and ATMs, but what it did was allow their customers one more way to do business with them. Financial institutions actually saw an increase in number of transactions.

With customers using all channels available to communicate with a business, companies need to step up and build a multichannel CX prepared to serve their customers where ever they decide to start the conversation. Forrester Senior Analyst, Kate Leggett, says that customers want to receive the cross-channel CX.

Recent Forrester research found some interesting data on which types of communication customers are using most frequently when in need of customer service:

  • 68% of customers use the phone
  • 60% use help or frequently asked questions (FAQs)
  • 54% use email
  • 37% use chat
  • 20% use SMS
  • 19% use Twitter

It?s important to make employees available to support all these channels of communication as well as keep the customer service experience consistent. If a business is going to offer a form of communication, they need to ensure that company support is on the other end to respond to a customer in a timely manner. With the phone being the number one customer service choice (68%), it?s crucial that companies provide full internal support for this form of communication.

The best way to ensure this support is to find out the forms of communication a business is using and evaluate the amount of support dedicated to each channel of communication. Keeping customers at arms length can be frustrating for them and could cost you not only their business, but their dissatisfaction can quickly spread through online communities and cost you future business. This is why every company needs a game plan.

Businesses need to think about their multichannel strategies and plan how they can deliver the same information to their customer service agents in order to provide the necessary support. This kind of thinking will lead to ensuring timely, consistent service to customers no matter the platform they are communicating on and end in customer satisfaction.

How important do you think it is for companies to have a consistent multichannel CX strategy in place? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Source: http://www.business2community.com/customer-experience/the-multichannel-experience-meet-the-customer-anytime-anywhere-0238779

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Light rain as weather system shifts

CHICAGO (Reuters) - The drought-hit U.S. Midwest will be left high and dry as fresh weather updates indicate a tropical weather system now at the edge of the Caribbean Sea will not bring any moisture to the area when it makes landfall in about 10 days, an agricultural meteorologist said on Thursday.

Known as tropical depression 5, the system initially was expected to reach landfall on August 11-12 near Beaumont, Texas near the Texas-Louisiana border and potentially bring rain into the drought-stricken U.S. Plains and Midwest, according to Drew Lerner, meteorologist for World Weather Inc.

It now appears the system will make land fall further south in Texas thus keeping rain from the Midwest, Lerner said.

"It won't be a tropical storm until tomorrow when it gets into the Caribbean. At 2:00 p.m. EDT it was 385 miles east of the Windward Islands," Lerner said.

Lerner and other meteorologists said little improvement in the drought-stricken U.S. Midwest is expected for the next two weeks with occasional downpours bringing relief in isolated areas. But no widespread soaking rains are expected in significant corn and soybean growing regions.

Light showers with some locally heavier amounts fell on the U.S. Midwest crop belt overnight, which will provide some relief to crops and livestock from the worst drought in a half century, Lerner and World Weather's meteorologist Andy Karst said.

"There were some one-inch rains in areas of Nebraska, Kansas and southern Minnesota, and the usual 0.10 to 0.50 inch elsewhere," Karst said.

Another buildup of heat was expected next week in the central and western Midwest, with highs in the 90s to 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which will add further stress to crops.

Weather forecasting models that meteorologists use to make their predictions were in agreement on Thursday, in contrast to some days when the European and U.S. models showed divergent patterns.

"There isn't a striking difference today. The GFS (U.S.) model has a stronger ridge of high pressure than the European model, but unlike some days they're aligned pretty well today," Karst said.

An atmospheric high pressure ridge centered over the Plains and Midwest has been blocking moisture from moving from the Gulf into the Midwest, leading to a buildup of heat and drought.

Commodity Weather Group (CWG) on Thursday said temperatures would warm into the 90s F for all but the northwestern corner of the Midwest by Friday and Saturday, with 100s F most likely in Missouri and Kansas.

The extended outlook for later next week remained near to above normal for temperatures with the severe heat retreating to mainly the Plains.

The spreading drought has been cutting into crop conditions and analysts have been slashing production prospects for corn and soybeans almost daily.

The worst U.S. drought in 56 years intensified over the past week as above-normal temperatures and scant rainfall parched corn and soybean crops across the Midwest and central Plains, a report from climate experts said on Thursday.

The drought became more severe in the southern United States as well, just a year removed from a record-breaking dry spell that ruined crops and wilted grazing pastures across Texas and Oklahoma enough to force an unprecedented northward migration of cattle.

Nearly two-thirds of the contiguous United States was under some level of drought as of July 31, more than a fifth of it classified as extreme drought or worse, according to the Drought Monitor, a weekly report compiled by U.S. climate experts.

(Additional reporting by Karl Plume in Chicago; editing by Sofina Mirza-Reid and Bob Burgdorfer)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/light-rain-u-tropical-storm-shifts-away-175459686.html

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EYES ON LONDON: Gabby's gold, Phelps claims 20th

ALTERNATE CROP OF OGYM222- U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas acknowledges the crowd after receiving her gold medal during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

ALTERNATE CROP OF OGYM222- U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas acknowledges the crowd after receiving her gold medal during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas performs on the balance beam during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Gregory Bull)

U.S. gymnast Gabrielle Douglas displays her gold medal during the artistic gymnastics women's individual all-around competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson)

United States' Michael Phelps, right, and his teammate Ryan Lochte climb out of the pool after their gold and silver medal finishes in the men's 200-meter individual medley swimming final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

United States' Michael Phelps competes in the men's 100-meter butterfly swimming semifinal at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)

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:

___

IT ALL PAID OFF

Two years after Gabby Douglas left her home and family, moving halfway across the country at 14 in search of better coaching, she's claimed the biggest prize in gymnastics.

The 16-year-old from Virginia Beach, Virginia, beat Viktoria Komova on Thursday to become the third straight American to win the Olympic all-around title, and first African-American. She took the lead after the first event and never relinquished it, locking up the gold with a floor exercise that had the O2 Arena rocking.

She flashed a bright grin when she finished, while her mother, siblings and the family that's taken her in and made her one of their own, shared joyful hugs. When she stood atop the medals podium, she wore a smile bright enough to outshine that pretty gold medal around her neck.

? Nancy Armour ? Twitter http://twitter.com/nrarmour

___

CALL ME

U.S. judo coach Jimmy Pedro brought two backup phones to the London Olympics.

And when Kayla Harrison delivered the first Olympic gold medal in USA Judo's history, all of Pedro's phones went bonkers with calls and texts from well-wishers.

Pedro was holding an iPhone ? which had a steady stream of texts rolling up the screen, so many that Pedro simply couldn't keep up reading them.

"Everybody and anybody in American judo that has ever touched my life, Kayla's life or my father's life," Pedro said, when asked who's been calling. "They've been waiting for this moment their entire lives."

? Tim Reynolds ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

___

LUCKY CHARMS

Maybe it was the socks.

U.S. judo gold medalist Kayla Harrison is superstitious, so she made sure things were exactly how she wanted them at the London Games.

"I'm big on ritual and I'm big on patterns and I get comfortable," Harrison said. "And when I get comfortable, I get confident. And when I get confident, I win."

So when coach Jimmy Pedro needed to pick a suit for Thursday's matches, he and Harrison decided that he shouldn't wear the USA Judo one that failed to deliver Olympic gold earlier in the tournament. He went instead with his opening ceremony outfit.

Harrison, meanwhile, wore the lucky socks that her grandmother gave her six years ago and played her lucky playlist.

Now she's got another lucky charm ? Olympic gold.

? Tim Reynolds ? Twitter http://www.twitter.com/ByTimReynolds

___

WATCHING TV

What do NBC researchers know about Americans? Plenty.

They have found that people who know the results of London Olympics events before they see it on a tape delay are more not less likely to watch them.

Huh?

NBC has been criticized for not televising live some marquee London events like swimming and gymnastics. Still, the U.S. broadcaster has been getting far better ratings for the London Games than it ever expected, outpacing the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

? David Bauder ? Twitter http://twitter.com/dbauder

___

BUTTON IT!

If Helen Mirren can't get Britain's notoriously rowdy cycling crowd to zip it, who can?

The woman whose icy glare in "The Queen" buckled knees in theaters all over the globe is one of several famous British faces who appears on a quick video that is played sporadically at the Velodrome to quieten the crowd before the start of a race.

Mirren, actor Simon Pegg and musician Gary Barlow are among those shown holding their finger to their lips and giving a loud "Shhhhhh!"

In one of the versions, Mirren is the last face to appear. She leans forward slightly and sternly says, "Button it."

It's worked every time.

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

___

QUIVERING LIP

Winning gold doesn't get old.

With his lip quivering slightly, Michael Phelps looked liked he was really appreciating the moment Thursday night as the U.S. anthem played to celebrate his first individual gold of the London games, in the 200-meter individual medley.

With this, Phelps becomes the first man to win the same indvidual event in three straight Olympics. That makes for 20 overall Olympic medals in his career, 16 of them gold.

?Sheila Norman-Culp ? Twitter http://twitter.com/snormanculp

___

QUICKQUOTE: RISING STAR

"I don't ever recall anybody this quickly rising from an average good gymnast to a fantastic one." ? U.S. women's national team coordinator Martha Karolyi on gold medalist Gabby Douglas' rapid ascent to the top of the sport.

Douglas won Olympic gold in the women's all-around on Thursday.

? Mark Long ? Twitter http://twitter.com/apmarklong

___

NO HAPPY FACE

Russian gymnasts Victoria Komova and Aliya Mustafina both said they were pleased with their silver and bronze medals after the women's all-around competition.

Yet their body language said the exact opposite.

Komova broke into tears when the final scores were posted and shoved her silver medal in her left pocket after the ceremony.

When asked why, she rolled her eyes, and Mustafina said something to her in Russian. Komova said something brief and a translator replied the medal was in her pocket because "it is heavy."

So why the long face?

"I'm still upset because I could have been gold and I didn't get it," Komova said through a translator.

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

___

CHINESE RESTRAINT

China has two gold medals in two days in Olympic table tennis ? and two silver medals to boot.

In other sports ? and in other nations ? that would call for chest-bumping, high-fiving and raucous celebrations. At least, a few smiles.

None of that from Zhang Jike, who defeated teammate Wang Hao in Thursday's men's singles final. Zhang's lone hint of happiness, celebrating his first Olympic gold medal, lasted about as long as a good pingpong rally.

Table tennis apparently is seen in China as the ultimate team game. Beating a friend and teammate calls for restraint and respect.

After the winning point to take the match 4-1, Zhang leaped over a barrier surrounding the playing area, raced to the medal podium and kneeled down and kissed the top platform designated for the gold medalist.

That was the beginning and the end of it.

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

___

GET YOUR OLIVES HERE!

Forget peanuts and Cracker Jack. There's an entirely different sort of treat for sale at kiosks outside the Olympic Stadium: olives.

That's right: Only steps from the arena, gourmet olives of all sorts ? large, pitted green ones stuffed with hot red peppers or black ones marinated with herbs, etc., etc. ? can be scooped out of bowls and into clear plastic containers with lids.

There are two sizes of takeaway container available, including a small one for 2.50 pounds (about $3.85).

Who says stadium chow is the pits?

See an olive stand here: http://yfrog.com/nx1lxhhj

? Howard Fendrich ? Twitter http://twitter.com/HowardFendrich

___

FIT TO TIE

Aly Raisman could have used an extra point ? or half point or even quarter point.

The American gymnast fell just short of a medal in the women's all-around competition Thursday, losing a tiebreaker to Russian Aliya Mustafina.

Both scored 59.666 after four events, and the Olympic tiebreaker rules called for the lowest score in four events to be thrown out to see who had the highest three-event total. Mustafina edged Raisman for bronze.

U.S. national team coordinator Martha Karolyi said she expects the sanctioning body to change the rules in the future.

"You should award a medal for both gymnasts," she said. "But rules are rules. I'm suspecting they will be taking away the tie-break for the next (Olympic cycle)."

How would that happen?

Karolyi said there has been talk about awarding quarter points, which would make ties less likely.

? Mark Long http://www.twitter.com/apmarklong

___

PUSH IT NOW

There was something off about Gabby Douglas when she arrived at the London Games. Her coach, Liang Chow, knew she was physically hurting. Team coordinator Martha Karolyi thought Douglas' focus was lacking. Karolyi knew something had to change.

"Chow and I had a big meeting and we had to address it," Karolyi says. "She turned it around and we worked and worked and made it better. ... There are key moments when you have to do something. That was a key moment."

What did Chow tell Douglas to turn her around? "Chow told me 'Everyone has pain so just go out there and why are you focused on that? You are at the Olympics so put that behind you and if you don't push it now then you don't have a chance."

She adds: "So we had this little bit of a talk and it definitely hyped me up."

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

___

SOCIAL MEDIA GOLD

My iPhone was vibrating nonstop. Facebook notifications poured in. My Twitter account lit up.

I, Peter Wilson, had won an Olympic gold medal.

Or, so it seemed.

It turns out that a British Olympic shooter ? also named Peter Wilson ? had won the double trap event.

Unsurprisingly, social networks exploded with posts after Peter R.R. Wilson (coincidentally my middle name also begins with an 'R') won Britain's fourth gold of the games.

Having your name as the top trend on Twitter is slightly surreal. After sarcastically tweeting that I had won a gold medal, someone asked me: "Wait? for what?"

Most people caught onto the joke ? I am actually an AP sports intern ? but I thoroughly enjoyed my 30 minutes of Twitter and Facebook fame.

?Peter Wilson, Twitter http://www.twitter.com/peterrwilson

___

ALL YOU DO IS SWIM?

Watch U.S. water polo player Tony Azevedo for two minutes. You'll see him backstroke, freestyle and breaststroke, all while trying to catch a ball with a British defender draped all over him.

Makes what Michael Phelps does in the pool seem rather ordinary.

The polo players have their own building at the London Games, right next door to their more celebrated counterparts.

The atmosphere in the arena is fantastic, with a packed house trading chants of "GB!" and "USA!" Azevedo had a hat trick before anyone else scored, but GB is making a game of it, 10-5 in the third quarter.

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

___

QUICKQUOTE: BARRIER BREAKER

"I kind of forgot about that. Man, that's awesome, that's definitely an amazing feeling. I forgot about that" ? Gabby Douglas on becoming the first black gymnast to win the gold medal in women's all-around.

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

___

RACE AND THE RACE

It was an Olympic scene like so many other celebrations by medal winners: fist-pumping, broad smiles, embraces. Except this team was from South Africa, and its members were both white and black.

The images of John Smith, a white rower, throwing his arms around black teammate Sizwe Ndlovu after their four-man crew won the gold Thursday in men's lightweight four rowing shows how far this country ? once banned from the Olympics because of its apartheid government ? has come.

After the South Africans edged a British crew by 0.25 seconds, Ndlovu leaped into the arms of each of his crew.

Back home, national pride is superseding lingering racial divisions as South Africans cheer on their Olympic athletes and their (so far) three gold medals. One black woman in Johannesburg describes watching on TV as white South African Chad le Clos challenged Michael Phelps in the 200-meter butterfly and beat the American champion by five-hundredths of a second for the gold medal.

"I stood up from my chair and I was shouting, 'Go! Go!," Mary Jane Maharana says.

Eighteen years after white rule collapsed in South Africa, racial tensions still exist. Unemployment is high and the economy is controlled mostly by whites. Nelson Mandela's efforts to unify South Africa under its Springboks rugby team during the 1995 World Cup notwithstanding, whites generally follow rugby and blacks tend to prefer soccer.

But these days, the Olympics are helping South Africans root together.

? Andrew O. Selsky in Johannesburg ? Twitter http://twitter.com/andrewselsky

___

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.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-08-02-OLY-Eyes-on-London-Package/id-1c200dac135a49e881e4200d39d5d751

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Follow These Tips To Increase Your Health and fitness | Arty Apt

Health and fitness can be a way of living that so many people are new to. Simply being in shape, eating properly, and exercising is something that lots of people ought to discover. Even with the methods for getting suit, it could be challenging to select specific strategies. Here are several successful methods for trying to keep in shape.

For those who have a muscle tissue sprain, it is actually vital that you an ice pack the area. This helps reduce redness and irritation. Also, make sure you lift the involved area to be certain blood flow still flows properly. Make sure never to placed the ice-cubes immediately on the skin? wrap it inside a towel first.

A portable mp3 music player might be a critical component of home fitness equipment. Listening to audio may help your pace when you?re exercising and prevent you from receiving bored to tears. When you struggle to find time for you to read through and workout, listen to a sound-guide as you work or walk! You may also find totally free training so you can learn an overseas words or brush high on an issue whilst you physical exercise.

Use tv to assist keep you motivated to engage in your health and fitness schedule. If you have a favorite demonstrate, only allow yourself to view it in case you are undertaking some kind of exercising while it is on. Look at sprinting in position or performing ranking lunges. You are more likely to exercise should you institution a strategy that concerns something you really take pleasure in.

Rather than undertaking as numerous stomach crunches as possible, attempt doing a bit of rest ups within your regimen. Sit down ups job your whole central and provide a greater mobility to sort out, while ab crunches along with other abdomen exercises, only objective your stomach muscles rather than your central.

To have a far better seeking back, you should focus on all of the groups of muscles. Workout routines like forwards back again bends and energy shrugs will boost the design of your upper back, whilst lower-leg raises and rear ab crunches are good for the low half. Hitting the gym all of your back again promises that you?ll have the capacity to view the outcomes of your entire work.

When beginning to raise weight loads in becoming in shape you need to be sure you start small. If you believe you?re going so that you can lift up such as a professional, which is unachievable. You must build the muscle tissue up by ripping the muscles that are already there. Whenever they grow back, they regrow and are able to hold a lot more bodyweight.

Stay away from narrow grips on nearly anything if you do not totally need to. Narrow grips are probably the major reasons behind tendinitis within a health and fitness center establishing. They could trigger wrist and joints problems, and also other main personal injuries. They could be difficult to use and trigger unpleasant troubles, so guide very clear!

Staying in shape will take a great deal of hard work and data. Begin using these ideas to assist quick start a match way of living that can result in durability, well being, and contentment. Making use of just a few of the following tips can develop main results given that there exists an experience of dedication and commitment to physical fitness.

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Source: http://artyapt.com/blog/follow-these-tips-to-increase-your-health-and-fitness/

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GOP contender Bielat mocks Kennedy III with campaign gift registry

Republican congressional candidate Sean Bielat is hoping to raise money and votes in Massachusetts? 4th Congressional District by mocking his Democratic opponent Joe Kennedy III?s public plea for office supplies with an online gift registry for Kennedy.

Kennedy has raised $2.6 million, seven times Bielat?s haul and 31 times the amount in Republican candidate Elizabeth Child?s campaign pocketbook, Blue Mass Group reports.

For only $5, you can buy a fictional sink strainer for one of Kennedy?s offices. For $10, you can buy a stapler, ?because every staffer needs a stapler,? according to the gift registry website. For $50, you can buy a set of real, not plastic, silverware, a specific request from the Kennedy campaign.

The Kennedy campaign is ?on the lookout for any and all clipboards, file folders, staples, art supplies, kitchen items, and more,? campaign operations manager Luisa Maria Badaracco said in an email obtained by the Boston Globe.

Other items on the Kennedy wish list include first aid kits, mops and buckets, non-perishable food, sink strainers, dish racks and ?silverware (real, not plastic).?

Whether Kennedy wants stainless steel or silver flatware is unclear.

?The part that gets me is they are asking for real silverware,? Bielat campaign spokeswoman Sarah Rumpf said.

According to Rumpf, the gift registry has been a success, and many locals have called Bielat?s office wanting to drop off plastic utensils for Kennedy.

Kennedy raised $1.6 million from April 1 to June 30, and is running to succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Barney Frank.

?Joe believes in spending what we must and saving what we can, which is the kind of smart budgeting he?ll bring to Congress,? Kennedy spokeswoman Emily Browne said. ?We are happy to accept the gracious donations of our supporters and volunteers.?

Bielat is contending with Childs and David Steinhof for the Republican nomination this fall.

The Bielat campaign promises a small portion of the proceeds will buy a box of (real) supplies for one of Kennedy?s regional offices.

Rumpf admits the campaign is ?poking a little fun at Joe Kennedy III?s expense ? but he can afford it, right??

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/gop-contender-bielat-mocks-kennedy-iii-campaign-gift-180205211.html

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