Gawkers head to NY's storm-ravaged neighborhoods

People gather on the buckled boardwalk of the Rockaway Park neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

People gather on the buckled boardwalk of the Rockaway Park neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

FILE- In this Nov. 10, 2012, file photo, John Papanier, 12, directs traffic on a street congested by vehicles during cleanup after Superstorm Sandy, in the New Dorp section of Staten Island, N.Y. Residents of New York's Staten Island borough are noticing something new as they and volunteers work to clear the remains of storm-damaged homes: gawkers. Cruising by in cars or walking through streets snapping photos, these are people drawn to the scene of a tragedy to glimpse what they've seen on television come to life.(AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 7, 2012, file photo, a woman, who did not want to give her name, returns home from work in the snow to her house in the New Dorp section of Staten Island, New York. Residents of New York's Staten Island borough are noticing something new as they and volunteers work to clear the remains of storm-damaged homes: gawkers. Cruising by in cars or walking through streets snapping photos, these are people drawn to the scene of a tragedy to glimpse what they've seen on television come to life. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Nicoll Cortez, 6, gleefully chases a soccer ball as she plays with her brother Anthony Lopez, 7, on their sand and debris covered street in the Rockaway Park neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York, Sunday, Nov.11, 2012, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

Neighbors volunteering to help another neighbor in need move deep sand from the house on Beach 121 Street in the Rockaway Park neighborhood of the borough of Queens, New York, Sunday, Nov. 11, 2012, in the wake of Superstorm Sandy. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)

(AP) ? Garbage trucks, hulking military vehicles and mud-caked cars move slowly through a Staten Island waterfront neighborhood still reeling from Superstorm Sandy's storm surge. Then comes an outlier: a spotless SUV with three passengers peering out windows at a mangled home choked with sea grass.

Residents recognize the occupants right away. They're disaster tourists, people drawn to the scene of a tragedy to glimpse the pictures they've seen on television come to life.

Two weeks after the superstorm socked the region, cleanup continues in New York and New Jersey, which bore the brunt of the destruction. At its peak, the storm knocked out power to 8.5 million in 10 states, and some during a later nor'easter. About 73,000 utility customers in New York and New Jersey remained without power late Sunday, most of them on Long Island.

But the storm didn't just bring darkness and despair; it also brought the gawkers.

"It's a little annoying," said Chris Nasella, who paused as he finished cleaning up a home reduced to a shell on the first floor. "By the same token, I would do it, too. I don't think anyone wouldn't want to look at boats that are picked up and left on the streets. As long as you don't get a kick out of it, it's an amazing thing."

There weren't many tourists in Nasella's neighborhood on Saturday. Cleanup crews had done some extensive work. The neighborhood is only accessible through streets clogged with idled cars in gas lines and traffic made deliberate by still-powerless traffic signals.

But they left an impression.

"The gawking was amazing last week," said Joanne McClenin, whose home was filled with water five feet high on the night Sandy came ashore. "It was kind of offensive as a homeowner, because I felt violated."

As the power outages on Long Island drag on, New Yorkers railed Sunday against the utility that has lagged behind others in restoring power, criticizing its slow pace as well as a dearth of information.

Separately, U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano visited with disaster-relief workers Sunday in Staten Island's Midland Beach neighborhood, which is still devastated two weeks after Sandy hit.

The lack of power restoration for a relative few in the densely populated region at the heart of the storm reinforced Sandy's fractured effect on the area: tragic and vicious to some, merely a nuisance to others.

Perhaps none of the utilities have drawn criticism as widespread, or as harsh, as the Long Island Power Authority. Nearly 67,000 of the homes and businesses it serves were still without power late Sunday. That was almost all of the remaining outages in New York state.

"We certainly understand the frustration that's out there," LIPA's chief operating officer, Michael Hervey, said in a conference call late Sunday. But, he said, the storm had been worse than expected, no utility had as many workers in place beforehand as it would have liked, and the power was coming back rapidly "compared to the damage that's been incurred."

"I was so disgusted the other night," said Carrie Baram, 56, of Baldwin Harbor, who said she calls the utility three times a day. "I was up till midnight, but nobody bothered to answer the telephone."

LIPA has said it knows that customers aren't getting the information they need, partly because of an outdated information technology system that it is updating. Sunday, executives said they were working on setting up information centers near the most heavily damaged areas. The company also said it had deployed 6,400 linemen to work on restoring power, compared to 200 on a normal day.

"'They're working on it, they're working on it' ? that would be their common response," Nassau County Executive Ed Mangano said Sunday, describing LIPA's interaction with his office.

He said LIPA had failed to answer even simple questions from its customers and that Sandy's magnitude wasn't an excuse.

On Staten Island, Napolitano said "a lot of progress" had been made since the storm hit and especially since her last visit 10 days earlier.

"It seems like a different place," she said. "You can really tell the difference."

But, she added, there was a lot more to do. "The last big chunk" to solve, she said, is the question of how quickly power can be returned to thousands of homes without it.

If homes are not inhabitable even after power returns, she said, the government is finding temporary apartments and hotels where evacuees can stay ? preferably in the same community so kids can continue going to the same schools.

On Staten Island's streets, many of the volunteers who carried garbage cans and shovels, or pushed grocery carts filled with supplied carried mobile phones with them and, like Chelsea Chan, paused to take pictures of the damage. Chan said she was taking the pictures for her father who was in another part of New York City and unable to see the damage for himself.

Seaver Avenue on Staten Island was sloppy with mud, sand and curbside mounds of couches, personal photos, mattresses and sodden sheetrock. Mickey Merrell's front porch was askew, and the storm surge nearly knocked a neighbor's house into hers. Across the street a house was washed off its foundation. It was a scene of human misery ? and one of New York City's new attractions, just like the construction crane that collapsed and dangled precariously high above mid-town Manhattan on Oct. 29.

"Sometimes it's like we're at the zoo," Merrell said. "So many people come and stop and stare at this place."

Michelle Van Tassel, a Staten Island resident who has friends who lost everything, said she tried to deliver supplies but couldn't get through because there were so many people on the street who had no business being there.

"There were a tremendous amount of people who came into the borough to take pictures, to look at the devastation themselves, and it seemed like more of a tourist attraction down there than it actually felt like people who were trying to help," she said, her voice breaking.

Peter Lisi, a renter who is fighting a landlord trying to evict him from his damaged home, said he doesn't mind the gawkers, "as long as they're not making fun." Some of them are drawn in to what's happening and help, he said.

Domenick and Kim Barone said they could tell the tourists apart from the volunteers because the gawkers' clothes and shoes are clean, and they're often snapping pictures.

"Obviously they have nothing else to do," Kim Barone said. "If this is their source of entertainment, to wallow in other people's despair, I don't have the time. I'm trying just to clean out and save what I can save. I don't really have the time to worry about them."

___

Associated Press writers Michael Hill and Deepti Hajela contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-11-12-Superstorm-Sandy/id-ed49f9a4bd99469183bf8be52b643af4

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Petraeus' biographer a military reservist, scholar

WASHINGTON (AP) ? Paula Broadwell first met fellow West Point graduate David Petraeus in the spring of 2006, when she was a graduate student at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government.

He was a lieutenant general working on a counterinsurgency manual that would be tested during his command in Iraq. The university had invited him to give a speech.

Broadwell was in the Army Reserve after being recalled three times to active duty since the Sept. 11 attacks to work on counterterrorism issues and intended to return to active duty or get into the policy world, according to the preface of the Petraeus biography she would later write with a Washington Post editor.

Petraeus, who held much-praised military commands in Iraq and Afghanistan, resigned Friday after admitting he had an extramarital affair, a disclosure that ended the retired four-star general's civilian career as director of the CIA.

He carried on the affair with Broadwell, now 40, according to several U.S. officials with knowledge of the situation who spoke anonymously because they were not authorized to discuss publicly the investigation that led to the resignation. The FBI discovered the relationship by monitoring Petraeus' emails, after investigators were alerted that Broadwell may have had access to his personal email account, two of the officials said.

Broadwell wrote in the preface to "All In: The Education of General David Petraeus," published by Penguin in January, that while at Harvard, Petraeus passed along his card and offered to help her academic work on leadership.

"I later discovered that he was famous for this type of mentoring and networking, especially with aspiring soldier-scholars," Broadwell wrote, adding that "I took full advantage of his open-door policy to seek insight and share perspectives."

Broadwell is a research associate at Harvard's Center for Public Leadership and a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of War Studies at King's College London, according to her biography on Penguin's website. According to the Charlotte (N.C.) Observer, she grew up in North Dakota and moved to Charlotte more than three years ago with her husband, a radiologist, and their two young sons.

The book began as research for her dissertation, a case study of Petraeus' leadership. It evolved into an authorized biography written with Washington Post editor Vernon Loeb after President Barack Obama put Petraeus in charge of Afghanistan in 2010.

Two years earlier, she wrote in the book's preface, while visiting Washington he had invited her to join him and his team for a run along the Potomac River.

"I'd earned varsity letters in cross-country and indoor and outdoor track and finished at the top of my class for athletics at West Point; I wanted to see if he could keep stride during an interview. Instead it became a test for me," she wrote. He eventually increased the pace "until the talk turned to heavy breathing, and we reached a 6-minute-per-mile pace. It was a signature Petraeus move. I think I passed the test, but I didn't bother to transcribe the interview."

In the Army Reserve, she specialized in military intelligence, spending time at the U.S. Special Operations Command and the FBI Counterterrorism Task Forces before pursuing an academic career, according to her Penguin bio. She "lived, worked, or traveled in more than 60 countries during more than 15 years of military service and work in geopolitical analysis and counterterrorism and counterinsurgency operations," her bio states.

Broadwell made multiple trips to Afghanistan, with unprecedented access to Petraeus, and also spent time with his commanders across the country.

When Petraeus left the military and took the job at the CIA, Broadwell kept in contact with him and sometimes was invited to his office for events such as his meeting with actress Angelina Jolie.

"History has yet to fully judge Petraeus' service in Iraq and Afghanistan, his impact on the U.S. military and his rank among America's wartime leaders," Broadwell wrote in the preface. "But there is no denying that he achieved a great deal during his 37-year Army career, not the least of which was regaining the strategic initiative in both wars" after Sept. 11, 2001.

"His critics fault him for ambition and self-promotion. I will note in the pages that follow that he is driven and goal-oriented, but his energy, optimism and will to win stand out more for me than the qualities seized on by his critics."

With the book done, Broadwell told friends she was returning to her dissertation, using part of her research on Petraeus to complete her doctorate.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/petraeus-biographer-military-reservist-scholar-180906661.html

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Movie review: 'Skyfall' proves James Bond is still relevant after 50 ...

Posted on11 November 2012.

How do you keep a film series fresh after 23 films and 50 years? Somehow, the people behind the latest Bond film, ?Skyfall,? miraculously found the answer to that question.

There are certain aspects of every James Bond film that audiences have begun to expect. He drinks martinis, makes witty remarks, sleeps with dangerous women and talks back to authority. It takes a skilled writer and director to implement these things without repeating themselves or getting cheesy. Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) does a beautiful job of including all of these things while also tweaking and playing with the Bond mythology in intriguing ways.

In 2006?s ?Casino Royale? we were briefly shown Bond?s soft side when he fell in love with the beautiful Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green. ?Skyfall? brings back Bond?s psychological side by showing how a near-death experience on a job-gone-wrong affects his psyche.

After being betrayed by his own people and presumed dead, Bond returns to MI6 after hearing about a massive terrorist attack on the agency?s office. An unknown villain has stolen a list of the secret identities of all of the British undercover operatives and is threatening to reveal five of their names every week. This has made Bond?s boss M (Judi Dench) look bad, and the government is threatening to force her into retirement.

The villain turns out to be the evil computer hacker Raoul Silva, a genius programmer who may have connections to MI6 himself. Silva is played brilliantly by Javier Bardem who steals almost every scene he is in.

In 2007 Bardem proved he could play a cold menacing villain in ?No Country For Old Men.? However, the character of Silva is unlike that character in every way. Instead of cold and calculating, Bardem plays Silva as a playful flamboyant trickster, which makes him seem all the more menacing.

Bond villains have always been borderline cartoon characters, but Silva has a humanity to him that is rarely seen in these films. Much like ?Skyfall? shows us some of what makes 007 who he is, we also get to see what could possibly transform a man into a murderous monster.

?Skyfall? pulls back the curtain on another classic Bond character, M. M has been played by Dame Judi Dench for the past six films. She was even there before Bond went blonde-haired and blue-eyed, back when he looked like Pierce Brosnan.

Not much has really been shown about M?s character; she always seemed like someone who is all business. In ?Skyfall? we get to see what kind of toll this job has taken on her and how she holds it together when everything starts to go wrong. Dench brings a human quality to the character that we haven?t really seen before, and she finally gets some screen time outside of her office.

?Skyfall? manages to teach us more about the characters we know and love while also including all of the action, car chases, sex scenes and espionage that is expected from the series. Because of this, ?Skyfall? manages to be more than just another Bond movie and may be the character?s greatest adventure yet.

Source: http://uwire.com/2012/11/11/movie-review-skyfall-proves-james-bond-is-still-relevant-after-50-years/

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Fatty Acids, Beneficial for our Pets : Family Pet Veterinary Center

As seen in?West Des Moines Living Magazine,?November 2012 issue.

Fatty acids are used to help with?arthritis, allergies, cardiovascular diseases, geriatric health, skin and coat, optimal neurological development, kidney treatment, thyroid disorders, inflammatory bowel disease, and cancer therapies in pets and people.

They are part of the barrier function of skin, essential for?neurological?and sight tissues, and maintain the normal inflammatory response.

There are two main types of fatty acids: Omega 6 and Omega 3.? Both types are used within the body, but pets and people naturally consume plenty of omega 6?s on a daily basis. Omega 3s counteract omega 6s.? Ideally we would strive for a balance of these two types, but since omega 6s are plentiful, we need to take in extra omega 3s as they reduce inflammation within the body.? The specific omega 3 fatty acid forms EPA and DHA are the beneficial types as long as they are in an absorbable form.

Where can we get these? Traditionally fatty acids were obtained from fish oil capsules.? Due to multiple reasons fish oil capsules are not the source from which to get the beneficial effects of EPA and DHA listed above.

According to Dr. Kwochka?consideration of the source of fish oil has multiple factors:

1)?? Wild salmon have historically been the primary type of fish used for fatty acids because of their high fat content. However, as they have been over fished, quantities have declined as has the fat content of the fish. Additionally, heavy metal toxicity is more of a concern with larger predator fish further up in the food chain.

2)?? Farm-raised salmon have also become popular to address the dismissing wild population. However, concerns include higher levels of PCBs, higher levels of parasites such as sea lice, chemicals to give the fish color, pellets of chicken feces, corn meal, soy, etc., antibiotics at high levels, less omega 3?s due to lack of wild diet, crowding into small areas inhibiting movement, etc.

3)?? A more satisfactory option for source of fish oil appears to be the use of wild, non-predatory smaller and more easily renewable high fat comment species such as anchovies and sardines.

4)?? To address at least some of the above concerns, fish oils should be fully tested for heavy metals (especially PCBs, mercury and dioxins) and microbial content. Some of these standards have been set by the Council for Responsible Nutrition, World Health Organization, and the FDA. Every batch of fish oil product (diet or supplement) should be tested for EPA and DHA levels. Simply reporting total amount of fish oil or total amount of omega 3?s doesn?t tell one much about the most critical components.

These are real problems for interpreting labels as there is no regulatory requirement to list individual omega 3 components and AAFCO does not recognize them as essential nutrients in their Dog Food Nutrient Profiles. The form of fish oil is also usually not specified. They are usually triglycerides that have been chemically processed for stability, but are less than 30% absorbable.? Thus a product that says it has specific amounts of fatty acids often does not have them in an absorbable form.? Other times people may find flax as a source which is not absorbed well by our pets. Fish oil is also prone to oxidation and loss of activity making testing very important to prove stability.? Another concern is dose. To get the beneficial effects, a 100 pound dog needs 2300-3400mg of JUST the EPA to be absorbed per day!? If the over the counter products are accurate on the absorbable level of EPA or have it even listed specifically, many times the volume to be administered is unrealistic.? Recently a client brought in a bottle for evaluation: the 85 lb pet would have had to have twenty extra large fish oil capsules per day to get close to the same benefits as the purified form. Talk about fish breath!

EPA is just one of the methods to help pets. Please visit us to learn how this piece can work with other therapies to reduce allergy flare ups, manage arthritis and pain, and protect organs. It is great that we have this along with other modalities for a safe alternative to therapies for painful arthritic pets. Pets with other medical problems now have safer options for treatment! For more information, contact Family Pet Veterinary Center at familypetvet@gmail.com or call us: 515-224-9750

Source: http://familypet-vet.com/?p=754

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Acura ILX Endurance Racer, 2013

  • ?Acura ILX Endurance Racer, 2013

Developed and prepared by Team Honda Research-West, a competition version of the new 2013 Acura ILX will be unveiled the 2012 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, prior to making its competition debut at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race.

A pair of E1 class Acura ILX sedans, prepared to NASA U.S. Touring Car specs, will be entered for the traditional 25-hour endurance race that annually concludes the National Auto Sport Association (NASA) season at the challenging three-mile Thunderhill road course north of Sacramento, California.

Team Honda Research-West (THR-W) is primarily made up of Torrance, California-based associates from Honda R&D Americas, Inc., who work after-hours to showcase Honda and Acura products on the track. The team received a pair of new Acura ILX "body in white" bare chassis earlier this year from Honda Manufacturing of Indiana, LLC, the exclusive global production source for the model. Additionally, a pair of "donor" cars from American Honda Motor Co., Inc. was used to provide suspension, powertrain, interior and electronic components.

Once the chassis and donor cars were delivered to the THR-W workshop, an extensive build program commenced that included the use of as many OEM components as possible, to retain serviceability and test outright durability of Acura's newest sedan. In preparing the cars for the grueling Thunderhill event, THR-W members focused their efforts less on performance modifications and more on reducing vehicle weight, to achieve the performance targets set by the team.

Safety equipment required by NASA included a full roll cage (designed by THR-W and built by Solo Motorsports); Bride Gardis III race seat; OMP competition steering wheel; Schroth safety harness; Brockway Engineering D Gauge digital OBD2 gauge; and Braille lightweight battery. Changes to the exterior included a Baja Designs LED lighting system for long winter night-running, a THR-W-designed front splitter and an APR GTC-200 rear spoiler.

Red Line oil lubricates the K24Z7 engine and 6-speed transmission. Cold air enters the engine through an AEM intake, while DEI heat rejection products help keep the heat under control from exhaust gases flowing through the custom-built AEM/120 Racing exhaust. H&R suspension and Enkei RPF1 wheels fitted with BF Goodrich R1 race tires complete the Acura ILX competition package.

Honda Performance Development (HPD), responsible for Honda racing programs ranging from entry-level categories to the IZOD IndyCar Series and World Endurance Championship, also contributed several racing-specific components to the ILX project. These included an HPD-lightened flywheel and racing clutch package, limited-slip differential, motor mounts, anti-roll bars and rear upper suspension control arms. All of these parts are available to racers through the HPD Honda Racing Line program.

The THR-W build team for the ILX includes a number of engineers and researchers from Honda R&D Americas (HRA). The team is headed by Project Leader Calvin Liu, a Design Engineer in the Surface Development Department. John Whiteman, Manager of the Advanced Product Planning Department, is responsible for race strategy and sponsorship. David Kirsch, Senior Engineer in the Information Technical Research Department, serves as Crew Chief and is responsible for the electrical system. Roy Richards, a coordinator in the Energy and Environmental Research Group, is responsible for budget and procurement of components for the team.

Once the initial build was complete, a testing program that included a pair of shakedown runs at Buttonwillow Raceway in southern California, followed by a more extensive run at Willow Springs International Raceway, was implemented to complete final preparations for Thunderhill.

The driving team for Thunderhill is headed by Matt Staal, Senior Planner, Advanced Product Planning, for HRA. Other members of the driver lineup include Project Leader Calvin Liu; Derek Ferretti, a Senior Modeler in the Styling Division at HRA; Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations at American Honda; Lee Niffenegger, a former SCCA National Champion and Senior Engineer in Business Development at HPD; Lawrence Hwang, Senior Stylist at HRA; Scott Nichol from Honda of Canada Manufacturing; Chad Gilsinger, a former SCCA National Champion and Senior Engineer at HRA in Ohio: and Brian Shanfeld, a former NASA National Champion, also from HRA in Ohio.

Source: http://automotivesreview.blogspot.com/2012/11/acura-ilx-endurance-racer-2013.html

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Republicans say deal can be done on U.S. "fiscal cliff"

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior Republican senator voiced confidence on Sunday that U.S. lawmakers would forge a deal on the year-end "fiscal cliff," while a top aide to President Barack Obama signaled a willingness to compromise over raising tax rates on the rich.

Republican Senator Bob Corker said increasing tax revenues from wealthier Americans would have to be part of the plan, but he stressed closing loopholes rather than raising top tax rates as many Democrats favor, provided spending is also tackled.

"I am optimistic," Corker told "Fox News Sunday." "I think there is the basis for the deal. ... There is a way of getting there on the revenue side. The real question is: can we come to terms on the entitlement side?"

Obama has invited congressional leaders to the White House on Friday to discuss the issue, with only 50 days left until the end of the year. Unless Congress acts first, $600 billion in tax hikes and automatic federal spending cuts would take effect at the end of December, with a potentially devastating impact on the economy.

The Obama administration and congressional leaders are attempting to negotiate a deal to avoid the fiscal cliff, and instead work toward a deficit-reduction package in the next session of Congress that begins in January.

'SKIN THIS CAT'

Top Obama aide David Axelrod, asked if it was possible to raise enough revenue to curb the deficit without increasing the top tax rate, praised the "encouraging" remarks by Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, the top Republican in Congress, on the need to tackle the problem.

"Obviously, there is money to be gained by closing some of these loopholes and applying them to deficit reduction," Axelrod told CBS's "Face the Nation." "So I think there are a lot of ways to skin this cat, so long as everybody comes with a positive, constructive attitude toward the task."

Boehner last week repeated his party's commitment to not raise anyone's tax rates, but said that he would be open to a compromise that includes changes in the tax code that bring in more revenue, something fiscal conservatives in his party have argued strongly against in the past as tantamount to a tax hike.

Tax cuts first put in place under Republican former President George W. Bush are due to expire at the end of the year for all Americans unless Congress acts. That would lift the top rate of income tax from the current 35 percent for households earning more than $250,000 a year to 39.6 percent.

Obama won re-election on Tuesday after a campaign in which he called for wealthier Americans to pay a bit more in taxes. But a range of deductions, including on mortgage interest payments and charitable giving, can significantly lower the effective tax rate that most affluent U.S. households pay.

'MATHEMATICALLY IMPOSSIBLE'

Another influential Democrat, Senator Charles Schumer, voiced skepticism that it would be possible to raise enough revenue to lower the deficit sufficiently without lifting the tax rate on the rich, but said he is open to hearing other ideas.

"The only way mathematically that I've seen to do it, is go to that 39.6 percent rate. If someone can show another plan that doesn't do that ... we could look at it. But no one has shown one because I think it is mathematically impossible," Schumer said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

Limiting some deductions while closing loopholes is the middle ground proposed in 2010 by a commission created by the president and led by Republican Alan Simpson and Democrat Erskine Bowles. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham urged Obama to sign on to its recommendations while pledging to do the same.

"Say 'yes' to Simpson-Bowles, Mr. President. I'm willing to say 'yes' to Simpson-Bowles. We need more revenue in Washington. We need more private sector jobs. We don't need to raise tax rates," he said on CBS's "Face the Nation."

Graham also warned that no Republican will vote for higher tax rates, and that reform of entitlement programs - such as the Social Security retirement program, the Medicare health insurance program for the elderly and disabled, and the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor - must also be tackled.

"We will generate revenue from eliminating deductions and loopholes. But we will insist our Democratic friends reform entitlements. ... That is where the big money is at."

Failure to convincingly tackle the fiscal cliff could unsettled financial markets and risk another downgrade of the U.S. credit rating, while imposing a heavy burden on a fragile recovery that could even tip the economy back into recession.

Democrat Kent Conrad, chairman of the Senate Budget Committee, voiced optimism that the country would avoid the fiscal cliff, and said Congress must agree on a measure that wins some time to work out a more detailed plan to overhaul the tax code and entitlement programs.

"You can't settle every detail in these next few weeks. What you can do is agree on a framework agreement that sets out for the (congressional) committees of jurisdiction how much they need to save, how much money needs to be raised," Conrad said on "Fox News Sunday."

(Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Will Dunham)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/republicans-deal-done-fiscal-cliff-175207026--business.html

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An Introduction to Hybrid Automobiles ? Bnr.Co

As much more and much more folks catch on to the wave of the automotive future ? the hybrid automobile, a lot more and a lot more concerns arise concerning these efficient, but somewhat mysterious automobiles. But just how do they perform, are they trustworthy sufficient, and are they capable of getting the automobile of the future?

So what is a Hybrid Car?

A hybrid automobile is any automobile that combines two or more sources of energy, such as gasoline and a rechargeable battery. A hybrid-electric automobile (HEV) combines the energy of a gas engine with an electric motor. These dual engine systems can be configured for different purposes such as growing the car?s energy and improving fuel economy.

Elements of a Hybrid Vehicle

Components of an Hybrid vehicle may consist of:

- Battery

- Electric motor

- Internal combustion engine (ICE)

- Generator

- Energy split device

The Technological Advances

Some of the technological advances in the hybrid automobile market include:

- Regenerative braking: This feature really recycles energy when the automobiles brakes are applied. The electric motor is created to exert resistance to the car?s drive train, which then causes its wheels to slow down. Energy from the wheels is then utilized to fuel the electric motor, which acts as a generator, converting the energy that would otherwise be wasted while braking into electricity that is stored in the battery till necessary.

- Automatic begin and shut-off: This feature automatically shuts off the engine when the automobile has come to a quit, then restarts it when the accelerator is touched. This eliminates the want to waste power by idling the engine.

- Electric motor drive: The hybrid?s electric motor provides the vehicle the added power it needs when accelerating, passing, or climbing hills. With this additional help, a smaller, much more fuel effective engine can be employed.

Rapid Details on How Hybrid Vehicle Function

An internal combustion engine is ?fueled? by a hybrid?s electric generator, which acts as the starter, and is utilized when first switching the car on. When the ICE is heated up, it automatically shuts itself off with the electric motor taking over. Some hybrids will remain in an all electric mode till the vehicle reaches a certain speed, usually about 15 mph. If there are no sudden accelerations, and the driver slowly makes a gradual improve in speed, these hybrids can nonetheless use all electrical power for its energy, saving gas, power and a decreasing harmful emissions.

A computer within the hybrid is responsible for determining how much energy is needed from the ICE and how significantly should be used from the electric engine, dependent on how quick the automobile is going. The computer continues to decide whether or not the electric motor should be used, or the internal combustion engine the entire time the automobile is operating. Signals are sent to a gearbox identified as the power split device, which makes use of a series of intricate gears that connect each the gas and electric engines/motors together.

The electric portion of the hybrid draws its energy from a set of nickel hydride batteries. The pc also continuously monitors the quantity of charge in the battery, maintaining it at no much less than 40 percent of its total capacity, and in no way a lot more than 60 percent. The objective of this is to maintain the battery lasting as extended as achievable, which is typically a couple hundred thousand miles.

Source: http://www.bnr.co/autos/an-introduction-to-hybrid-automobiles/

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Marijuana Tourism Could Arise in Colorado and Washington After ...

Travelers Today | By Katie McFadden

Updated: Nov 10, 2012 11:04 AM EST

Colorado may draw in tourists for its high altitude Rocky Mountains, but that isn't the only high tourists might be getting in the state. Marijuana tourism might be on the rise in Colorado and Washington after the states voted to legalize the drug.

According to the measure that was passed, adults, over the age of 21, can possess small amounts of marijuana. This goes for residents and visitors. Tourists won't be able to take a weed souvenir back home with them, but they can purchase and use it while in Colorado or Washington.

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Marijuana fans might not be able to celebrate just yet and tourists might want to wait before booking their next flight to Colorado or Washington, as the legalization of the drug still has more battles to face. Under federal law, marijuana is still illegal . Lawsuits may arise from the?U.S. Department of Justice, which may prevent the drug from truly being able to be used legally.

If the drug does truly become legal, some believe that Colorado could turn into the next Amsterdam, as the Aspen Times had the headline "Aspendam?" the day after the legislation passed. Tourism is the second biggest industry in the state and some believe legal weed could change the industry, but otherz say it won't affect too much.

"It won't be as big a deal as either side hopes or fears,"?Colorado's tourism director, Al White?told the Associated Press.

Ski resort owners are definitely paying close attention to which way the weed battle goes, but they aren't making any set plans just yet.

When?Jennifer Rudolph of Colorado Ski Country USA, a trade association that represents 21 Colorado resorts, was asked if the resorts would open marijuana cafe's, she said?"There's a lot that remains to be seen," Rudolph said with a chuckle. "I guess you could say we're waiting for the smoke to clear."

Those in ski resort regions showed strong support for the legalization of the drug. These busy tourist areas showed more support than less visited areas. Aspen approved the measure in a 3-to-1 vote. Vail, the home of the biggest ski resort in the state, approved of the measure by two-thirds. Those near the Telluride ski resort showed the most support with 8 in 10 people approving of the measure, according to AP.

"Some folks might come to Colorado to enjoy some marijuana as will be their right. So what?" Betty Aldworth, advocacy director for the Colorado marijuana campaign?told AP.
Aldworth admitted that people already smoke weed in smoke shacks at various ski resorts.

"Some folks come to Colorado and enjoy some marijuana while they are here today," Aldworth said.

While some don't think it will change tourism too much, other think the legalization of marijuana will keep tourists and business travelers from coming to the state.

"Colorado's brand will be damaged, and we may attract fewer conventions and see a decline in leisure travel," Visit Denver CEO Richard Scharf said in a statement.

Colorado's governor?John Hickenlooper opposed the marijuana measure. He doesn't think tourists will come to the state just for some weed.?

"I don't think that's going to happen," Gov. ?Hickenlooper said. "They're going to flock here to buy marijuana as if they're going to take it back? On an airplane? That seems unlikely to me."
While some are skeptical about marijuana tourism in Colorado, it seems more likely to occur in Washington ?as the state already draws in over 250,000 people to its "Hempfest" in Puget Sound, Seattle. During the three day festival, people are allowed to smoke at a local park.

"People travel to Seattle from other states and countries to attend Seattle Hempfest every year to experience the limited freedom that happens at the event," executive director Vivian McPeak told AP. "It's reasonable to assume that people will travel to Washington assuming that the federal government doesn't interfere."

The face of marijuana tourism may be changing?in Amsterdam. The Dutch government had plans to create a weed pass, which would only allow residents to have access to the drug at marijuana cafes, however the idea was thrown out. Certain cities can still choose to ban tourists from weed shops though.?

Source: http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/3604/20121110/marijuana-tourism-arise-colorado-washington-weed-legalization-passed-tourists-rocky-mountains-drugs-amsterdam-seattle-ski-resort.htm

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Across US, Veterans Day commemorations under way

Crowds wave to Navy Capt. Jim Minta as he participates in the 31st annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Atlanta, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Crowds wave to Navy Capt. Jim Minta as he participates in the 31st annual Veterans Day Parade in downtown Atlanta, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Chihuahas Duke, right, and Daisy, prepare to ride aboard their owner's Harley-Davidson motorcycle to start the annual Veterans Day Parade through downtown Atlanta, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Veterans and their families are silhouetted as they watch a Veterans Day program at Southwestern High School in Hazel Green, Wis., Friday Nov. 9, 2012. (AP Photo/Telegraph Herald, Jeremy Portje)

Boy Scout Michael Demanche, of Mashpee, Mass., salutes the flag during a ceremony held at the National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass., Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. Following the ceremony, Demanche joined hundreds of volunteers in placing thousands of American flags at the graves of deceased veterans in advance of Veterans Day. (AP Photo/Gretchen Ertl)

Grand Marshall, actor and U.S. Army veteran Tim Abell starts the 31st annual Veterans Day Parade aboard a Corvette on Peachtree Street in downtown Atlanta, Saturday, Nov. 10, 2012. (AP Photo/David Tulis)

Saturday marked the first of what will be three days of Veterans Day commemorations across the United States.

The holiday falls on a Sunday, and the federal observance is on Monday. It's the first such day honoring the men and women who served in uniform since the last U.S. troops left Iraq in December 2011.

It's also a chance to thank those who stormed the beaches during World War II ? a population that is rapidly shrinking with most of those former troops now in their 80s and 90s.

___

At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, a steady stream of visitors arrived Saturday morning as the names of the 58,000 people on the wall were being read over a loudspeaker.

Some visitors took pictures, others made rubbings of names, and some left mementos: a leather jacket, a flag made out of construction paper, pictures of young soldiers and even several snow globes with an American eagle inside.

Alfred A. Atwood, 65, of Chattanooga, Tenn., was visiting the wall for the first time.

"I've just never been able to do it," Atwood said of visiting the memorial, which was completed in 1982.

Atwood, who later became a police detective, said he knows a number of people on the wall, but the one name he wanted to find Saturday was his friend Ronald L. Wright. The two had grown up together, and when Atwood decided to join the Marines at 18 there was no stopping Wright, Atwood said.

Wright died in 1968 when he stepped on a land mine, Atwood said, and Wright's mother always blamed him for her son's death. He's never been able to bring himself to visit his friend's grave, he said.

On Saturday he found Wright's name on panel 44E, row 60, and he ran his fingers over it, shaking his head.

"I'm still in the blocking stage. I want to go somewhere and sit down and think a minute," he said after seeing Wright's name. "All I can see when I was touching and reading his name was his mother's face telling me I got her son killed."

___

A half-dozen women of various ages knitted intently near a pile of hand-made scarves while frail, silver-haired men sat waiting for a chance to tell their war stories Saturday as tourists and veterans filed into the National World War II Museum in New Orleans.

The museum planned a series of events to celebrate the Veterans Day weekend.

The knitters had gathered to commemorate 1940s homefront efforts to supply World War II troops with warm socks and sweaters.

Nearby, Tom Blakey, 92, of New Orleans sat behind a small table with two grainy black and white photos of his younger self, one standing at ease in uniform in 1942, the other aboard a motorcycle in 1944. Also on the table were pictures of a bridge on the Merderet River in Normandy ? a bridge that he and fellow members of the Army's 82nd Airborne fought to secure as the D-Day invasion unfolded in 1944.

Blakey pointed with gnarled fingers at a map of the landing site and said holding the bridge was key to keeping German forces away from Utah and Omaha beaches.

"If we'd a let them get to Utah and Omaha, the men on those beaches would have been in bad shape," he said.

Blakey regularly takes part in oral history programs at the museum, an opportunity he relishes.

"What the hell else would I do with my life at this time?" he said.

___

At the National Cemetery in Bourne, Mass., on Cape Cod, about 1,000 people including Cub Scouts and Gold Star Mothers gathered on a crisp fall day for a short ceremony.

They then spread out to plant 56,000 flags amid the cemetery's flat gravestones, transforming the green landscape into a sea of fluttering red, white and blue.

Until last year, the cemetery did not permit flags or flag holders on graves. That changed under pressure from Paul Monti of Raynham, Mass., whose son, Sgt. 1st Class Jared Monti, was killed by Taliban fighters while trying to save a fellow soldier in 2006 in Afghanistan. He was awarded the Medal of Honor for his valor and is buried at the Bourne cemetery.

Paul Monti led a brief ceremony Saturday where the pledge of allegiance was recited, Miss Massachusetts sang the national anthem and a dedication was read.

___

In the Mojave Desert in California, veterans plan to resurrect a war memorial cross that was part of a 13-year legal battle over the separation of church and state.

The Sunday ceremony on Sunrise Rock follows a lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union that argued the cross was unconstitutional because it was in the Mojave National Preserve.

The Supreme Court intervened in 2010 and directed a court to consider a land swap, leading to a settlement that transferred Sunrise Rock to veterans groups in exchange for five acres of privately owned land.

Henry Sandoz, who cared for the original cross as part of a promise to a dying World War I veteran, will re-dedicate a new, 7-foot steel cross on the same hilltop.

___

Thousands of spectators are expected to line Fifth Avenue for New York City's Veterans Day Parade on Sunday.

Former Mayor Ed Koch is the grand marshal for the parade, which will run for 30 blocks, starting at 26th Street.

Also marching will be the Navajo Code Talkers, who transmitted coded messages during WWII, and other veteran groups.

Some participants in the parade are collecting coat donations for Superstorm Sandy victims.

The theme is "United we Stand" and the parade marks the 200th anniversary of The War of 1812.

The parade begins at 11:15 a.m. after a wreath-laying ceremony at the Eternal Light Monument at 24th Street. Bleachers and a reviewing stand are located at Fifth Avenue and 41st Street.

___

A few hundred people attended a Veterans Day parade Saturday in downtown Atlanta.

Roger Ware, 68, walked down the sidewalk wearing his old Air Force flight suit and a patch that read, "Viet Cong Hunting Club." He was in the service nearly 24 years, including two tours in Vietnam from 1968 to 1972 as a crewman on a C-130 gunship. He said the military is more respected now than when he returned home from Vietnam. Ware said the Sept. 11 terror attacks probably changed how the country views its armed forces.

"It just wasn't a good time and right now we're kind of riding on the tails of the troops who served in the Middle East," he said.

Farther down the road, veterans Ronald McLendon, 73, of Kennesaw, and Randy Bergman, 59, of Cartersville, were working as parade marshals. Bergman said when he returned from Vietnam, he was spit on by protesters in San Francisco. He was in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and was deployed to Vietnam from 1967 to 1968.

He described the parade as a chance to receive a public thank you.

"You've got to remember that today everyone in the military is strictly volunteer," McLendon said. "So there's a lot of guys getting out there, getting shot in Iraq and Afghanistan that volunteered to be in the military."

Squads of high school ROTC students marched in uniforms, chanting as they went along the street.

Bergman said he would reluctantly support sending young soldiers to fight if it was necessary for national defense. He was unsure how and whether the U.S. should ends its military involvement in Afghanistan.

"How many lives have we already put over there? And are we going to pull out and say, 'We lost.' I look back to Vietnam and see the same thing," he said.

___

Gresko reported from Washington. McGill reported from New Orleans. Associated Press writer Ray Henry in Atlanta and freelance photojournalist Gretchen Ertl in Bourne, Mass., contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2012-11-10-Veterans%20Day/id-cac58315e3b34e919f48b39542aabf5e

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Wellness center hosts grand opening

Integrate, Chaffee County?s premier holistic wellness center and functional training gym, hosts its Grand Opening on Sat., Nov 10, 10 a.m. ? 7 p.m. Please come by and take a tour, register for free classes and giveaways! We are now booking appointments.

Our holistic practitioners and trainers share a vision to educate, inspire and support our community in optimal health and well-being. Our team offers education and empowerment to facilitate your personal growth, leading to a more active role in your health care. Our goal is to create a truly unique wellness experience that will leave you feeling healthy and renewed.

INTEGRATE mind?body?fitness

CROSSFIT Salida
305 G Street
Salida, CO 81201

(719)539-2700

Source: http://salidacitizen.com/2012/11/wellness-center-hosts-grand-opening/

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