Thursday, January 31, 2013

Tornado watch in Triad; flash flood warning north, west

Emergency officials performed multiple water rescues in the mountains and foothills Wednesday night, and winds caused many trees to fall in the Triad.

At least 2 inches of rain fell in most of the higher elevations, and more than 4 inches of rain fell at official reporting stations in Ashe and Watauga counties.

Emergency officials performed at least four water rescues took place in Boone alone, and many streets were closed. Not long after the rain subsided, snow showers were forecast to fall in Boone.

Several mudslides were reported in Carroll County, National Weather Service officials said.

A few school districts decided to close or delay opening Thursday. | Closings - Web | Closings - mobile

In the Triad, the biggest obstacle from the storms was wind. Gusts of 45 mph or greater caused multiple trees to fall in Forsyth, Guilford, Davie and Randolph counties.

NWS received reports of a tree on a house south of Lake Townsend and an outbuilding blown down in Franklinville. However, power outages never got above 1,000 in any county.

If you're on our main website, click here for live interactive street-level radar, Super Doppler 12, county-by-county alerts and more. If you're on the mobile site, touch here, and if you're on our iPhone or Android app, touch the Weather tab on the home page.

Make sure to stay with WXII for the latest forecast.

Source: http://www.wxii12.com/news/local-news/piedmont/Tornado-watch-in-Triad-flash-flood-warning-north-west/-/10703612/18335532/-/bgj4fyz/-/index.html?absolute=true

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Facebook sales rise 40% as mobile ads expand

NEW YORK (CNNMoney)

Shares of Facebook (FB) plunged as much as 10% in after-hours trading, but recovered to a more modest 4% drop. The number of monthly active users on Facebook's mobile site and apps grew 57% over the year to 680 million. Still, that wasn't as strong as the 61% over-the-year jump Facebook had in the third quarter.

Mobile has long been a concern for Facebook. In the months right after its May IPO, the company said it wasn't making "any meaningful revenue" from mobile. That changed in August, when Facebook launched a new Apple (AAPL, Fortune 500) iOS app and began showing ads to mobile users, including Sponsored Stories and other nudges to "like" company pages.

Investors expect Facebook to continue expanding its mobile audience at a rapid clip, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg knows it. His kickoff statement on a post-earnings conference call with analysts focused on mobile.

"Today there's no argument," he said. "Facebook is a mobile company."

He later added: "A lot of what we had to do last year was simply to improve our mobile development process. Now we're there."

Related story: Facebook investors react ... on Twitter

Zuckerberg crowed about Facebook's fourth-quarter mobile ad sales: They accounted for 23% of Facebook's advertising revenue, or about $306 million. That's up from 14% last quarter.

Mobile "daily active users" -- a key metric for Facebook -- exceeded the site's desktop active users for the first time.

Overall, Facebook earned 17 cents per share (excluding some compensation and tax expenses) on sales of $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter, up 40% from Facebook's sales of $1.1 billion a year ago. Both figures beat analysts' estimates.

But on the revenue front, Zuckerberg said he wants to "temper expectations" for two new initiatives: Gifts and Graph Search. The Gifts service lets users send their virtual friends real-world items on special occasions. Graph Search is a tool that lets users search their social connections for information that their friends have shared: "music my friends like," "people who like soccer and live near me," or "photos of my friends before 2004."

COO Sheryl Sandberg talked up Facebook's Ad Exchange system (FBX), which lets advertisers bid on the social network's display ad space. It also lets them put cookies on users' computers to track people as they crawl the Web, and "retarget" those users with related ads when they log back on to Facebook. The service launched in September, and by December it was serving 1 billion ad impressions per day.

After running through the company's financials, CFO David Ebersman warned that Facebook's expenses will jump 50% in 2013. The company also expects to ramp up hiring.

During the question-and-answer session, Zuckerberg fielded a question about the long-rumored Facebook smartphone.

He shot it down quickly, in his strongest denial to date: "Everybody asks if we're going to build a phone. We're not going to build a phone." To top of page

First Published: January 30, 2013: 4:42 PM ET

Source: http://rss.cnn.com/~r/rss/money_markets/~3/OfDVQuVbDvo/index.html

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Wednesday, January 30, 2013

ABC: Barbara Walters is out of the hospital

FILE - This June 23, 2012 file photo shows Barbara Walters presenting an award onstage at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Walters has the chickenpox and remains hospitalized more than a week after going in after falling and hitting her head at a pre-inaugural party in Washington on Jan. 19. A fellow host on the ?The View,? Whoopi Goldberg, said Monday, Jan. 28, that Walters has been transferred to a New York hospital and hopes to go home soon. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - This June 23, 2012 file photo shows Barbara Walters presenting an award onstage at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Walters has the chickenpox and remains hospitalized more than a week after going in after falling and hitting her head at a pre-inaugural party in Washington on Jan. 19. A fellow host on the ?The View,? Whoopi Goldberg, said Monday, Jan. 28, that Walters has been transferred to a New York hospital and hopes to go home soon. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, file)

FILE - This June 23, 2012 file photo shows Barbara Walters presenting an award onstage at the 39th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards in Beverly Hills, Calif. Walters has the chickenpox and remains hospitalized more than a week after going in after falling and hitting her head at a pre-inaugural party in Washington on Jan. 19. A fellow host on the ?The View,? Whoopi Goldberg, said Monday, Jan. 28, that Walters has been transferred to a New York hospital and hopes to go home soon. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, file)

(AP) ? ABC says Barbara Walters is out of the hospital and recovering from chicken pox at home.

ABC said Tuesday that the 83-year-old host on "The View" is resting comfortably and "getting stronger." There was no indication of when she might return to work.

Walters was hospitalized after falling and cutting her head at a pre-inaugural party in Washington on Jan. 19. The news veteran later was diagnosed with chicken pox, which typically hits people when they are children.

The disease can be serious in older people because of the possibility of complications like pneumonia.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/4e67281c3f754d0696fbfdee0f3f1469/Article_2013-01-29-People-Barbara%20Walters/id-d5adbf51d5ea463d85b4668dc8921e46

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Source: http://www.ozbargain.com.au/node/92532

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Judge postpones Texas woman's execution

By Michael Graczyk, The Associated Press

Texas Department of Criminal Justice via Reuters

Kimberly McCarthy is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection on Tuesday for the stabbing murder of her neighbor in 1997.

HUNTSVILLE, Texas ??A Dallas judge has halted the scheduled Tuesday night?execution of a Texas woman who would have been the first woman put to death in the U.S. in three years.

The order from state District Judge Larry Mitchell moves the execution of Kimberly McCarthy, 51, to April 3.

McCarthy faced lethal injection for the 1997 beating, stabbing and robbery of a 71-year-old neighbor in Lancaster, about 15 miles south of Dallas.?

Lawyers for McCarthy, who is black, argued that the jury that convicted and sentenced her to death was selected improperly based on race. It was made up of 11 white people and one black person.

The ?Dallas County District Attorney's office said it wouldn't appeal the ruling. The DA's office had?called the effort a "mere delay" tactic, saying the record didn't support a valid legal claim for discrimination.


A Dallas County jury had already found McCarthy, a?former nursing home therapist,?guilty of the killing when evidence at the punishment phase of her trial tied her to two similar murders a decade earlier.

"Once the jury heard about those other two, we were certainly in a deep hole," recalled McCarthy's lead trial attorney, Doug Parks. Jurors decided McCarthy should die.

Her execution would have been the first since a Virginia inmate, Teresa Lewis, became the 12th woman put to death since the U.S. Supreme Court in 1976 allowed capital punishment to resume. In that same time, 1,309 men have been executed.

McCarthy also would have been the first woman executed in Texas in more than eight years and the fourth overall in the state, which executes the most people in the nation ? 492 prisoners since capital punishment resumed 30 years ago.

Federal Bureau of Justice Statistics compiled from 1980 through 2008 show women make up about 10 percent of homicide offenders nationwide. According to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, 3,146 people were on the nation's death rows as of last Oct. 1, and only 63 ? 2 percent ? were women.

Ring cut from living victim
Evidence showed McCarthy, who has exhausted her court appeals, phoned Booth to borrow a cup of sugar, then attacked Booth when she went to retrieve it. Booth was stabbed with a butcher knife, beaten with a large candle holder and robbed of a diamond wedding ring.

"(McCarthy) quite literally took the woman, put her left hand on a chopping block of the kitchen and then used a knife to sever her ring finger while she was still alive," said Greg Davis, the former Dallas County assistant district attorney who prosecuted McCarthy. "She took the ring from the finger that had been severed and continued the attack until she finally killed her."

Prosecutors showed McCarthy stole Booth's Mercedes and drove to Dallas, pawned the ring for $200 and then went to a crack house to buy some cocaine. Evidence also showed she used Booth's credit cards at a liquor store and was carrying Booth's driver's license.

Booth's DNA was found on a 10-inch butcher knife recovered from McCarthy's home. McCarthy was arrested after police found her name on a pawn shop receipt for the ring.

McCarthy was tried twice for Booth's slaying, most recently in 2002. Her first conviction in 1998 was thrown out three years later by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which ruled police violated her rights by using a statement she made to them after asking for a lawyer.

Prosecutors presented DNA and fingerprint evidence that tied McCarthy to similar slayings of two other women in Dallas in December 1988. Maggie Harding, 81, was beaten with a meat tenderizer and stabbed.

Jettie Lucas, 85, was beaten with both sides of a claw hammer and stabbed. McCarthy was indicted but not tried for those slayings. She denied any involvement.

?When the jury saw the other two were equally gruesome, I think it sealed the deal for her," Davis said.

McCarthy is a former wife of Aaron Michaels, founder of the New Black Panther Party, and he testified on her behalf. They had separated before Booth's slaying.

McCarthy declined to speak with reporters as her execution date neared. She's one of 10 women on death row in Texas but the only one with an execution date.

In 1998, Karla Faye Tucker, 38, became the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War for a robbery in Houston where two people were killed with a pickax.

At least eight male Texas prisoners have executions scheduled in the coming months.

Related:

Widow asks Pennsylvania governor not to execute husband's killer

Convicted Ohio killer: I'm too obese to be executed

? 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/01/29/16748754-judge-postpones-texas-womans-execution?lite

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

City News ? Mario Singh: Truths About Trading

Forex coach Mario Singh teaches both the amateur and corporate investor to take advantage of opportunities in the forex market with his new book, 17 Proven Currency Trading Strategies ? How To Profit In The Forex Market.

By Yong Yung Shin

Mario Singh with participants at one of his trading workshops. PHOTOS COURTESY OF MARIO SINGH.

?If your plan of wealth creation is to leave money in the bank, you will be having an annual nett return of negative 3.5 percent,? says Mario Singh of the harsh reality of saving. ?Hence, learning to trade or invest in the financial markets is of great importance.?

In his new book, 17 Proven Currency Trading Strategies ? How To Profit In The Forex Market, the founder and chief forex coach at FX1 Academy teaches readers to navigate the profitable yet volatile world of Forex trading by sharing tips on addressing real-world trading scenarios and? identifying strategies that fit their personal styles and risk tolerance, among others.

The book, which took Singh one year to write, has received the endorsements of prolific global financial experts including Mark Mobius, the executive chairman of the Templeton Emerging Markets Group which manages assets worth USD$60 billion, and Kathy Lien, the managing director of BK Asset Management.

A regular guest on CNBC, Mario Singh shares with City News both the importance of learning to trade responsibly as well as its pitfalls. Plus, the most expensive lesson he ever learned.

What inspired you to write the book and why now?

The world is roughly split into three main regions: USA, Europe and Asia. All three regions are experiencing their own growth problems. The USA has just resolved its ?fiscal cliff? issues, but unemployment and low GDP figures still persist. The Eurozone entered into a recession late last year, with large economies like Spain needing financial help. Greece might also be the first country to exit the Euro.

China and Japan are considered Asia?s largest and second largest economies respectively; China?s GDP was below eight percent for much of 2012, its lowest in almost three years. Japan is still stuck in deflation, which is the main reason why the new Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pushing for bigger government spending and monetary easing.

This is the main reason why I wrote the book now?to give both retail traders/investors and financial professionals a ?road-map? to guide them through this global economic turmoil.

In your years of trading experience, what was one of the most ?expensive? lessons you learned?

That?s got to be the first time I started trading with real money. I funded my account with S$3,000 and rubbed my hands with glee, fully focused on making a million bucks by the following week. The charts were moving upwards and I reasoned that gravity would soon pull it back down. I decided to click ?sell,? but to my horror, the prices kept moving up. I clicked ?sell? again but prices still continued climbing! In my state of panic, I clicked ?sell? a third time and even turned the laptop upside down in sheer desperation.

As it turned out, I lost the entire account in six days. That was the most expensive lesson I learned that day?never trade against the trend.

How important is personal finance management in the life of a trader, be it on a part or full-time basis?

It is of paramount importance. In fact, it is more important than the strategy itself. In trading, this is called ?money management? or ?risk management.?

Let?s say you start trading with $3,000. When you ?blow up? 50 percent of the account, the amount is down to $1,500. Now, to bring the account back up to the initial capital of $3,000, you have to make a 100 percent return. When you lose 80 percent of the account, you need to make a whopping 400 percent return just to bring it back up to the initial amount.

This is the principle in risk management?it?s very easy to lose money; but it?s very difficult to make it back.

So, rather than find yourself in that uncomfortable position, the answer is to trade with minimal risk. Specifically, I do not risk more than three percent of my capital for each trade. This means that if I started my account with $3,000 and the trade didn?t go the way I intended, I would exit the trade when my loss hits $90.

What are some of the no-no?s in forex trading?

I?ll share three.

Firstly, don?t trade with capital that you can?t afford to lose. I?ve seen people throw in their last bit of savings into a trading account in the hope of turning things around. Don?t do that. You will be so caught up in your emotions that you won?t be able to trade sensibly.

Secondly, never trade without a stop loss. A stop loss is defined as the level you would exit the trade if it doesn?t go in your intended direction. When traders don?t put a stop loss, they leave the account susceptible to a total wipeout when the markets trend in the opposite direction. Ironically, the group of traders who are adamant in not setting strict stop loss levels are the same group who walk away from the Forex market saying it?s risky.

Finally, don?t be in a hurry to trade with real money. Almost all Forex brokers worldwide provide free practice accounts for you to start your journey. Make use of them. Open a free practice account, get used to the trading platform and familiarize yourself with the charts and buttons.

Psychologically speaking, how do you manage the non-technical aspects of yourself when you trade?the gut instincts and emotions?

In world-class trading, money management is twice as important as strategy, but one?s ?state of mind? or ?emotions? is twice as important as money management. You can have the best strategy or the strictest money management rules, but if you allow greed, hope and fear to grip you when you are trading, it will derail you from your trading plan.

In the book, there is an entire chapter that helps readers discover their dominant trading profile; some traders like to trade 20 times a day, others prefer to trade once a month. Once you discover your dominant trading profile, you will then be able to choose the strategy that best complements your personality, leading to more consistently profitable trades.

A lot of people have the impression that trading, whether Forex or stocks or something else, is for those who are out to make a quick buck. Is that accurate?

Couldn?t be further from the truth. In Singapore, our inflation rate is about 4 percent while one year?s deposit in the bank earns about 0.5 percent interest. This tells us plainly that if your plan of wealth creation is to leave money in the bank, you would be having an annual nett return of negative 3.5 percent. Hence, learning to trade or invest in the financial markets is of great importance.

The reason why many people equate trading and investing to making a quick buck is because most of us have a reference to someone (or heard of someone) who has made decent money in the financial markets. If at all, such examples should serve to encourage us that we can do the same.

What kind of reader is your book most suited for?

My book is suited to three groups of people.

Firstly, it serves the working individual who?s holding down a job, but with intentions to make an additional stream of income in their spare time. You can do this in the 24-hour Forex market with only a laptop and an internet connection.

Secondly, it?s for finance professionals who deal with global assets like stocks, commodities, bonds and bullion. In the book, I talk about ?finance decoded? and ?market sentiment? and its subsequent impact on capital flows. This understanding can help you better structure your portfolio of global assets.

Finally, it?s for companies which deal with revenues and payments in different currencies worldwide. Currency fluctuations can hurt your bottom line significantly if you do not know how to hedge your exposed positions.

17 Proven Currency Trading Strategies ? How to Profit in the Forex Market is now available at 50 percent discount (u.p S$101.60 at all major bookstores) from now till Jan. 31, 2013 at http://mariosingh.com/PCT12/. It is also available at The Ink Room at S$75 from February onwards. Connect with Mario Singh at www.mariosingh.com and on Facebook at ?Mario Singh ? Asia?s Favourite Forex Coach?

Related posts:

  1. Armed For The Forex Market

Source: http://www.citynews.sg/2013/01/mario-singh-truths-about-trading/

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Chesapeake's embattled CEO McClendon to retire

Embattled Chesapeake Energy Corp. founder and CEO Aubrey McClendon will retire on April 1.

McClendon will step down even though Chesapeake says a review of his business dealings has not revealed improper conduct.

Chesapeake Chairman Archie Dunham said in a statement the company needs a new leader to help develop the oil and gas assets the company has amassed under McClendon.

McClendon, 53, founded the company 24 years ago and pushed it to acquire drilling rights to huge amounts of land. The strategy landed the company promising assets ? and enormous debt. A plan that allowed McClendon to invest personally in the company's wells came under renewed scrutiny last year, and he was forced to step aside as board chairman.

Chesapeake shares rose 9 percent in after-hours trading.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-29-US-Chesapeake-Energy-CEO/id-fb36f67f14cf4416968339f09a926241

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Acer hints at very low-cost, quad-core 8- and 10-inch tablets

Acer Iconia B1-A71

Acer pushed the boundaries of price for major brand tablets with its $150 Iconia B1. It's not about to quit with just one model under its belt, however. The company's Greater China head, Linxian Lang, explained to China Times that there should also be 8- and 10-inch tablets on the way with "aggressive" prices. Acer isn't just adding more glass, either, as it's looking at quad-core MediaTek processors for a speed jump. There's no word on just when the larger budget slates might appear, although we wouldn't count on them coming to the US when the B1 has already been ruled out.

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Monday, January 28, 2013

Luxury homes in Japan with Sotheby's International Realty ? Real ...

The name Sotheby?s is well known as an auction house that dates back 270 years, but many people may not be aware that it is also a high-end real estate brokerage company. Established in 1976, Sotheby?s International Realty began by offering its auction clientele real estate services. It currently has over 600 offices located in 45 countries and territories, giving clients unprecedented access to properties that span the globe.

In 2010, Sotheby?s International Realty opened its Tokyo office in order to make a full-scale entry into the rapidly expanding Asian market. Its 15-strong team provides a full range of real estate services in Japanese, English, and Chinese.

Japan Today meets with Chief Operating Officer Yutaka Takeda at the company?s new office in Hiroo Plaza to hear more about the business.

What is your background?

I was actually born in Hiroo, not too far from this office. I went to Seikei University?the same university as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. His elder brother was my classmate. My major was economics. After graduating, I worked for JAL for 30 years, in sales, marketing, as well as the group?s hotel and resort business. I joined Sotheby?s in June 2010.

What is Sotheby?s International Realty?s history?

Many clients of the auction house are interested in high-end real estate, so Sotheby?s International Realty was founded in New York in 1976 to look after their needs. At first, the focus was mainly in Europe and the United States. In the 2000s, the company started pushing expansion in Asia and as a result, branches opened in Hong Kong and Japan three years ago, and Taiwan opened last year.

We have a very strong alliance with the auction house and one of our strengths is our reputable brand name and access to the world?s wealthy individuals. While some clients are auction clients, we do have our own client base, as well.

How were the last two years?

2011 was a very difficult year because of the earthquake and fear of radiation. Inbound business dropped off. However, after the March 11 disaster, some Japanese felt, probably for the first time in their life, that maybe they need a place to escape to if there is another disaster. That fuelled demand for real estate overseas. As a result, we saw good growth in the latter half of 2012.

Where are your Japanese clients looking to buy?

Hawaii is definitely No. 1. Singapore is very popular, also. For high-end Japanese clients, Europe is in demand ? Monaco, Switzerland, Paris. There is also interest in the Gold Coast in Australia and New Zealand. Our sales outside of Japan are heavily connected to whether there are direct flights to those destinations from Japan. But even if there isn?t a direct flight, our strength is our international network ? 600 offices in 45 countries. So we can help you with your real estate needs very quickly.

Who are your typical Japanese clients?

All ages, really, ranging from retirees to people in their 30s. Many of our clients buy real estate overseas for investment or they might go to stay there once or twice a year. Time share is a very big market for Japan. I would say that there are nearly 40,000 Japanese owners who have purchased Hilton and Marriot time-shares in Hawaii. That gives you some idea of how important a market Hawaii is.

What about your inbound business?

Many of our clients come from Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, Singapore. There are some Americans or Europeans married to Japanese, who are interested in buying property in Tokyo. While the demand is mainly for Tokyo, we do receive some inquiries for residences in ski areas such as Hakone, Karuizawa and ski areas such as Hakuba and Niseko.

Where do you see growth potential?

We wish to boost our business of selling more to foreigners in Japan. That?s why we have recently moved to this new office in Hiroo. Many foreigners recognize the brand name and often drop in. Our office is open seven days a week and we want to be more in touch with the foreign community. We are like a concierge and our experienced staff speak Japanese, English and Chinese.

We have a close relationship with our clients. When they are in Tokyo, they often drop in and have lunch and talk about the market, real estate. I think that is one of our unique points.

How do you market the brand?

Our head office issues a publication called Reside twice a year. The auction house has a publication eight times a year and they have a real estate section. Hong Kong has a publication six times a year and does direct mail to 20,000 wealthy individuals. Japan?s properties are included in all those publications. Besides that, we have editorial tie-ups with a number of Japanese publications. We use YouTube and Facebook, as well as our website.

More proactively, we started holding Hawaiian real estate seminars in December 2011. It turned out to be a very big success and we have since held seminars in Osaka and Nagoya, usually once every six months. The last one, which was a collaboration with CNBC/Nikkei, drew 160 people. Most were serious clients.

How do you find properties?

We have a strong relationship with developers and construction companies, so we keep up to date on the market. We also have a team who specialize in looking for available properties. There is a saying in this business that many properties become available due to the 3 Ds ? death, divorce and debt.

What is a typical day for you?

I show up around 9 a.m. After tending to emails, we have meetings. I am more involved in cross-border transactions because I have good connections all over the world from my JAL days. I often have lunches and dinners with clients. That is an important part of the job. Sometimes I work on weekends, if I meet foreign visitors and show them properties.

Search Sotheby`s International Reality Japan properties here.

Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan

Source: http://www.realestate.co.jp/2013/01/28/luxury-homes-in-japan-with-sothebys-international-realty/

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SKYE Condominiums in Uptown Charlotte - Charlotte Real Estate

Uptown Charlotte Condos for Sale at SKYE

SKYE Condominiums in Uptown Charlotte?s Second Ward is the up-and-coming, hippest mixed-use development to hit the city!? Formerly The Park Condos, SKYE is located at the corner of S. Caldwell and E. 3rd Streets and features 67 luxury residential condominiums on floors 14-21with 2 penthouse suites, atop a 172-room Hyatt Place hotel and ground-floor retail space.

The cherry on top of this glass, brick, granite, stucco and metal exterior hip, new complex is going to be a fabulous rooftop restaurant and bar featuring 360? panoramic views of Charlotte?s gorgeous skyline.

Uptown Charlotte is the premier live/work (and play!) community in the area. ?Such convenience to arts, sporting events, concerts, fine dining, shopping?simply?everything Charlotte!

  • A rooftop pool
  • Sun deck
  • 7,800 square feet of green, landscaped gardens
  • Conversation areas
  • Theatre room
  • Game room
  • Party room/kitchen
  • Fitness center
  • Valet services
  • Controlled-access parking
  • 24-hour concierge services
  • 5 elevator banks
  • 24-hour security
  • 172-room limited-service hotel
  • Valet parking service
  • 5-story parking garage
  • Rooftop restaurant and bar
  • Valet laundry service
  • Bicycle storage
  • Private mail room
  • Limited number of private storage units available

?

What more could you ask for in luxury and convenience in Uptown Charlotte?!

About that fabulous first-in-Charlotte roof-top bar and restaurant.? The 20th floor will serve as home to an 8,000 square-foot open-air rooftop restaurant that will seat 260, with both indoor and outdoor seating, a private dining area and a fabulous bar with 360? view of Charlotte and beyond.

The first model 2-bedroom unit will open in March.? You may not want to wait though, pre-sales are doing quite well in the new Skye Condominiums!? Reserve yours today!

?Debe Maxwell | [email?protected] |?SKYE Condominiums in Uptown Charlotte ? Hip, New and Happening!

Debe

I am a full-time REALTOR? personally specializing in historic homes and luxury home sales in the Charlotte NC real estate market. My team specializes in a variety of areas including first time home buyers, condos and townhomes as well as single family home sales and marketing. ? Follow me on Google+

More Posts - Website - Twitter - Facebook

Source: http://www.icharlotterealestate.com/skye-condominiums-in-uptown-charlotte/

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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Feinstein encourages Hillary Clinton to run for president

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of the most prominent women in the Democratic Party on Sunday encouraged outgoing Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to mount a White House run in 2016 to try to become the first woman president.

"I am a fan," California Senator Dianne Feinstein said on CNN's "State of the Union" program. "I would love it if she would run."

Feinstein was asked whether President Barack Obama's decision to have a joint interview on the CBS show "60 Minutes" - airing on Sunday - indicated the president's preference for his successor.

"Well, I'm not as concerned with that as I am with what Secretary Clinton is thinking about 2016," Feinstein said. "I think she's accomplished an incredible record. I think she has really unbridled popularity. She has a total knowledge of all of the issues. She has served in the Senate. She has been first lady."

Obama was sworn in for a second four-year term last week but speculation already has begun on who will run in 2016, with Vice President Joe Biden's name also frequently mentioned among Democrats.

Clinton, 65, is stepping down as the top U.S. diplomat after four years as Obama's secretary of state. She ran for the 2008 Democratic presidential nomination but was edged out by Obama, who became the first black president.

Clinton has played down any chances she will run again, commenting in December: "I've said I really don't believe that that's something I will do again. I am so grateful I had the experience of doing it before."

(Reporting by Will Dunham; Editing by Bill Trott)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/feinstein-encourages-hillary-clinton-run-president-200553584.html

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French, Mali forces head toward Timbuktu

Malian soldiers man a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

Malian soldiers man a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

A Malian family's taxi is searched at a checkpoint on the Gao road outside Sevare, some 620 kilometers (385 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Sunday, Jan. 27, 2013. French and Malian troops held a strategic bridge and the airport in the northern town of Gao on Sunday as their force also pressed toward Timbuktu, another stronghold of Islamic extremists in northern Mali, officials said. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

In this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, a Malian army armored vehicle used by islamist rebels stands charred. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French air strikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

In this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako, Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, a videographer films Malian soldiers walking through the rubbles of a former army based leveled during fighting with islamist rebels. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French air strikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

in this image taken during an official visit organized by the Malian army to the town of Konna, some 680 kilometers (430 miles) north of Mali's capital Bamako Saturday , Jan. 26, 2013, an ammunition belt lays on the ground of a destroyed base used by Islamist rebels. One wing of Mali's Ansar Dine rebel group has split off to create its own movement, saying that they want to negotiate a solution to the crisis in Mali, in a declaration that indicates at least some of the members of the al-Qaida-linked group are searching for a way out of the extremist movement in the wake of French airstrikes. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

(AP) ? French and Malian forces pushed toward the fabled desert town of Timbuktu on Sunday, as the two-week-long French mission gathered momentum against the Islamist extremists who have ruled the north for more than nine months.

So far the French forces have met little resistance from the militants, though it remains unclear what battles may await them farther north. The Malian military blocked dozens of international journalists from trying to travel toward Timbuktu.

Lt. Col. Diarran Kone, a spokesman for Mali's defense minister, declined to give details Sunday about the advance on Timbuktu, citing the security of an ongoing military operation.

Timbuktu's mayor, Ousmane Halle, is in the capital, Bamako, and he told The Associated Press he had no information about the remote town, where phone lines have been cut for days.

A convoy of about 15 vehicles transporting international journalists also was blocked Sunday afternoon in Konna, some 186 miles (300 kilometers) south of Timbuktu.

The move on Timbuktu comes a day after the French announced they had seized the airport and a key bridge in Gao, one of the other northern provincial capitals under the grip of radical Islamists.

"People were coming out into the streets to greet the arrival of the troops and celebrate," said Hassane Maiga, a resident of Gao. "At night, youth from Gao went out alongside the Malian military. They scoured homes in search of the Islamists and the youth smashed the houses."

French and Malian forces were patrolling Gao Sunday afternoon searching for remnants of the Islamists and maintaining control of the bridge and airport, said Kone, the Mali military spokesman.

The French special forces, which had stormed in by land and by air, had come under fire in Gao from "several terrorist elements" that were later "destroyed," the French military said in a statement on its website Saturday.

In a later press release entitled "French and Malian troops liberate Gao," the French ministry of defense said they brought back the town's mayor, Sadou Diallo, who had fled to Bamako.

However, a Gao official interviewed by telephone by The Associated Press said late Saturday that coalition forces so far only controlled the airport, the bridge and surrounding neighborhoods. And in Paris, a defense ministry official clarified that the city had not been fully liberated, and that the process of freeing Gao was continuing.

Both officials insisted on anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

Gao, the largest city in northern Mali, was seized by a mixture of al-Qaida-linked Islamist fighters more than nine months ago along with the other northern provincial capitals of Kidal and Timbuktu.

The rebel group that turned Gao into a replica of Afghanistan under the Taliban has close ties to Moktar Belmoktar, the Algerian national who has long operated in Mali and who last week claimed responsibility for the terror attack on a BP-operated natural gas plant in Algeria.

His fighters are believed to include Algerians, Egyptians, Mauritanians, Libyans, Tunisians, Pakistanis and even Afghans.

Since France began its military operation, the Islamists have retreated from three small towns in central Mali: Diabaly, Konna and Douentza. However, the Islamists still control much of the north, including Kidal.

The Pentagon said late Saturday that Defense Secretary Leon Panetta told France the United States will aid the French military with aerial refueling missions.

U.S. aerial refueling planes would be a boost to air support for French ground forces as they enter vast areas of northern Mali, which is the size of Texas, that are controlled by al-Qaida-linked extremists.

The U.S. was already helping France by transporting French troops and equipment to the West African nation. However, the U.S. government has said it cannot provide direct aid to the Malian military because the country's democratically elected president was overthrown in a coup last March.

The Malian forces, however, are now expected to get more help than initially promised from neighboring nations.

Col. Shehu Usman Abdulkadir, a Nigerian in charge of regional forces heading to Mali, told The Associated Press that the African force will be expanded from an anticipated 3,200 troops to some 5,700 ? a figure that does not include the 2,200 soldiers promised by Chad.

Most analysts had said the earlier figure was far too small to confront the Islamists given the huge territory they hold.

The Mali conflict has been dominating the African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, which runs through Monday. On Sunday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met in the Ethiopian capital with Mali's interim president, Dioncounda Traore.

Ban "stressed the need to pursue a political process that would lead to a consensual roadmap for the transition to full constitutional order, in parallel with ongoing military operations," according to a U.N. statement.

Traore is heading a civilian transitional government that was set up following the coup last March. No date has been set yet for elections to choose a new government.

___

Associated Press writers Baba Ahmed and Rukmini Callimachi contributed to this report.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/3d281c11a96b4ad082fe88aa0db04305/Article_2013-01-27-Mali%20Fighting/id-7ee06d22c1e14b1cb42c807e1c666469

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UN group OKs new video format to save bandwidth

(AP) ? The U.N. telecommunications agency says its members have agreed upon a new compression format that could dramatically cut the amount of Internet bandwidth currently used by video files.

The International Telecommunication Union says the format, or codec, known as H.265 would require just half the amount of data needed by its predecessor, H.264.

The Geneva-based agency says videos encoded using the H.264 format ? which is favored by devices such as Apple's iPad ? currently account for two-fifths of web traffic.

ITU said in a statement late Friday the new H.265 codec could pave the way for "the next wave of innovation," such as faster movie downloads and higher-quality video streaming.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/f70471f764144b2fab526d39972d37b3/Article_2013-01-26-UN-Video%20Compression/id-92db567a12da4b0fbdf9a9ad34fecb8c

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SimpleSignal's Video Conferencing Team Receives RealPresence ...

SimpleSignal Continues Significant Commitment of Resources to Hosted Video Communication and Collaboration as a Key Initiative for 2013.

Dana Point, CA (PRWEB) January 25, 2013

SimpleSignal, Inc., the leading service provider of cloud-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) for business, today announced RealPresence Environment Certification from Polycom, Inc., the global leader in open standards-based unified communications and collaboration. SimpleSignal Channel Managers: Scott Davidson, Ira Feuerstein, Shannon Martin, Ryan McDowell, and Jeff Sexton, along with the company?s Executive Vice President, Michael Sterl, were acknowledged by Polycom as Qualified Representatives of the RealPresence video conferencing solution.

?As part of our strategic partnership with Polycom, we feel this certification allows our channel managers to provide best in class service not only to our existing customers but also to our channel partners and their customers,? said Michael Sterl. ?As we continue to improve SimpleSignal?s Video-as-a-Service (VaaS) offering, it is critical that all members of our team understand the interoperability of the Polycom RealPresence environment with our service.?

The RealPresence Environment Sales Track, presented by Polycom University, provides a comprehensive overview of the RealPresence environment including immersive telepresence, desktop and mobile applications, as well as an overview of the supported video endpoints. Additionally, the course provides detailed information regarding various financing options from Polycom.

Polycom University offers targeted training content delivered by the company?s team of highly-skilled instructors and can be deployed in a classroom setting, which is available live online as well, or as a self-paced online program. Each track for product-based courses provides a blend of both instructor lectures and presentations and hands-on exercises. This dynamic blend of educational techniques equips students with valuable product knowledge, solution-based problem resolution and a complete understanding of the video collaboration systems.

About SimpleSignal
SimpleSignal is an enterprise hosted PBX and cloud-based Unified Communications service provider, delivering voice, video, and mobile communications to thousands of satisfied business customers globally. The company provides the most innovative and advanced mobile/video PBX capabilities in the industry, and is one of the first companies ever to extend video PBX telephony over iPads, iPhones, and Android mobile devices that can connect with any brand of video conferencing equipment. For more information, visit http://www.simplesignal.com, check out the company blog at http://www.simplesignal.com/blog, or connect at facebook.com/simplesignal and twitter.com/simplesignal.

About Polycom
Polycom is the global leader in open standards-based unified communications and collaboration (UC&C) solutions for voice and video collaboration, trusted by more than 415,000 customers around the world. Polycom solutions are powered by the Polycom? RealPresence? Platform, comprehensive software infrastructure and rich APIs that interoperate with the broadest set of communication, business, mobile and cloud applications and devices to deliver secure face-to-face video collaboration in any environment. Polycom and its ecosystem of over 7,000 partners provide truly unified communications solutions that deliver the best user experience, highest multi-vendor interoperability, and lowest TCO. Visit http://www.polycom.com or connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to learn how we?re pushing the greatness of human collaboration forward.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2013/1/prweb10359470.htm

Source: http://www.virtual-strategy.com/2013/01/25/simplesignal%E2%80%99s-video-conferencing-team-receives-realpresence-environment-certification-po

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Saturday, January 26, 2013

roxy lawrence: Stress Management Tips for Relaxation - wise self ...

Stress is always going to always be in our lives, which can be both a good and bad thing. Some people say that stress is good for us because it gives is that extra push of energy to just get stuff done. For others, it can be a bit more complicated though. Many people aren't sure how to manage their stress and get it under control before it becomes a problem.

Stress can become physically or mentally anguishing when it consumes your life. This is the point where you should realize that it's time to take control over your stress instead of letting it control you.

Stress management techniques can be used to calm us down when we get stressed out. The next time you get stressed out, try to remember the following techniques and apply them to reducing your stress.

1.) Deep Breathing

When stress has you really wound up, try taking deep breaths through your diaphragm. Breathing will allow your body to calm down cause a direct stimulation of the parasympathetic nervous system, resulting in relaxation and a reversal of the changes seen with the stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system.

2.) Visualization

Instead of continuing to think about something that stresses you out, try changing your train of thought and visualize something makes you happy. Since it can usually be difficult to escape from the environmental stressors around us, trying escaping in your mind to a place that relaxes you. This doesn't mean that you're suppressing your feelings, you are calming and learning to control them.

3.) Meditation

Meditation may be one of the most calming and powerful stress management techniques there is. Meditating properly allows you to let go of your worries and go to your ultimate point of relaxation. Try meditating in a quiet area where you know there will be no distractions. Sit straight up on a flat surface and align your spine with the ground, keeping your feel flat on the floor. You want to focus strictly on your breathing from this point on, and maintain a deep breathing pattern from within your diaphragm. If done accurately, you will fully experience the power of meditation. This doesn't work for everyone on the first try, so remember to practice on a daily basis.

4.) Yoga

Yoga is a combination of physical activity and the three tips we have already discussed so far, and promotes and overall sense of well-being. Yoga strengthens body and mind health and allows you to become more in touch with yourself.

Don't give up after the first time if these techniques fail to work. Practice makes perfect, and practicing these techniques in your free time can put you one step closer to managing your stress.

Source: http://wiseselfimprovement.blogspot.com/2013/01/stress-management-tips-for-relaxation.html

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Source: http://roxy-lawrence.blogspot.com/2013/01/stress-management-tips-for-relaxation.html

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Updated Q & A: NY Real Estate Continuing Education & License ...

Long Island Education Board?: Updated Q & A: NY Real Estate Continuing Education & License Requirements

Updated Q & A: NY Real Estate Continuing Education & License Requirements


Does?Lieb School?report my completed credits to the?Department of State (DOS)? Am I responsible for sending my course certificates to the DOS???Credits?received from Lieb School count towards the 22.5 required from the?DOS?for license renewal. Certificates provided at each class serve as proof of credit hours (think of them as a receipt). After each class, Lieb School submits to the Department of State, Bureau of Educational Standards, all licensee information for successful completion of each course. ?Upon?license?renewal, the DOS will require the original signed certificates if you are selected for an audit. Make sure that you keep your certificates in a safe place.?In the event of an audit, the?DOS?will cross reference the certificates with the student completion records received by each school.? ?You are responsible for completing all 22.5 credits by your?license?renewal?deadline date.? How do I renew my New York State Real Estate License??License renewals must be completed online through the Department of State?eACCESSny?website.? ?Please note that the renewal process requires licensees to validate education completion by answering ?Yes? to the Continuing Education question that confirms all CE requirements have been satisfied. ?If you mistakenly answer ?No?, the DOS will not renew your license until they see all original course completion certificates.? You also have to hold onto the original course completion certificates in the event of a license audit by the DOS. ? If I did not complete my continuing education requirements before my license expiration date can I get an extension? ?Please refer to ?177.6 in the?Real Estate?License?Law. The Department of State will only grant extensions in bona fide hardship cases. ?Prior to your?license?expiration: you must?submit?to the Department of State, a written request for the extension, completed?renewal?form, fee, and original documentation demonstrating your hardship;?i.e., medical documentation. ?? more questions answered... Who regulates my New York State Real Estate License???Your license is regulated by the Department of State, New York?(DOS)?and NOT by any real estate school or trade organization.
What are the Continuing Education requirements for real estate agents in NY??Every 2 years, licensed real estate brokers and salespersons in the State of New York are required to take 22.5 continuing education credits. The ONLY mandatory class requirement is at least 3 hours of instruction pertaining to?fair housing?and/or?discrimination?in the sale or rental of real property or an interest of real property, within the 2 - year period immediately preceding a renewal. Are there any exemptions for Continuing Education requirements for real estate agents in New York?? Licensed real estate brokers who are engaged full time in the real estate business and who have been licensed for at least 15 consecutive years immediately preceding license renewal. This exemption must have been met prior to July 1, 2008.? An attorney admitted to the New York State bar is also exempt from the Continuing Education Requirement. Am I required to take a course in Fair Housing if my real estate license is grandfathered??A NYS real estate agent does not need to take a course in Fair Housing if they are generally exempt by way of the "grandfather" factor.? Please refer the agent to Real Property Law section 441(3)(a) where it expresses the requirement for real estate agents to take 3 hours in a fair housing and/or discrimination course within a license renewal cycle. The link for the license law where this is discussed is as follows:?http://www.dos.ny.gov/licensing/lawbooks/RE-Law.pdf.? While reviewing the license law, please refer your attention to the last sentence of this requirement wherein it states: "The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to any licensed real estate broker who is engaged full time in the real estate business and who has been licensed under this article prior to July 1, 2008 for at least 15 consecutive years immediately proceeding such renewal". This is the "grandfather" factor.? In general, the only exception to the "grandfather" factor exemption is for NAR's mandatory quadrennial ethics requirement for members of the?National Association of REALTORS?. This has nothing to do with licensing or the Department of State, New York.? If I already completed a?continuing education class, can I take the same topic again for credit with a different school in NY within the same license renewal cycle??Real estate continuing education courses are assigned independent approval codes by the Bureau of Educational Standards, Department of State, State of New York.? Licensed real estate agents may take multiple courses in the same topic within each "two year cycle of renewal" as long as each course has an independent approval code. Approval codes are assigned for each approved course,?not school and not course topic.??It is advised that you always check your records of previously completed approval codes prior to registration for new courses within your cycle of renewal.? If I already received credit for taking a?continuing education course, can I get credit for taking the same exact course in a different license renewal cycle? ?Yes. While New York State Real Estate License Law, 19 NYCRR 177.18(c), states: "No continuing education course will be considered for continuing education credit more than once within the two year cycle of renewal", there is no specific regulation precluding taking the same continuing education course anew in a subsequent and different license renewal cycle. Do I have to take an Ethics course to renew my license???Ethics training is not a required course for a Real Estate Broker or Salesperson to maintain their license in full force and effect with the Department of State, New York. Ethics courses may be required by your local Board (trade organization), but are not required to maintain your license with the Department of State of New York.

Source: http://blog.liebatlaw.com/2013/01/updated-q-ny-real-estate-continuing.html

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Friday, January 25, 2013

Jindal: GOP must stop being 'stupid party'

FILE - In this Friday, July 27, 2012 file photo, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks in Hot Springs, Ark. Jindal is calling on the Republican Party to, quote, ?recalibrate the compass of conservatism.? The Republican governor will deliver the keynote address at the Republican National Committee?s winter meeting Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

FILE - In this Friday, July 27, 2012 file photo, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal speaks in Hot Springs, Ark. Jindal is calling on the Republican Party to, quote, ?recalibrate the compass of conservatism.? The Republican governor will deliver the keynote address at the Republican National Committee?s winter meeting Thursday night in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston, File)

(AP) ? Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal called on the Republican Party to "stop being the stupid party" on Thursday as GOP leaders promised fundamental changes to help stave off future losses.

In the keynote address at the Republican National Committee's winter meeting, Jindal said the GOP doesn't need to change its values but "might need to change just about everything else we are doing."

"We've got to stop being the stupid party. It's time for a new Republican Party that talks like adults," he said. "We had a number of Republicans damage the brand this year with offensive and bizarre comments. I'm here to say we've had enough of that."

Jindal, thought to be a potential 2016 presidential contender, offered little detail in the 25-minute address. He called on conservatives to shift their focus from Capitol Hill number crunching to "the place where conservatism thrives ? in the real world beyond the Washington Beltway."

Hours before the speech, Republican leaders promised to release in March a report, dubbed the "Growth and Opportunity Project," outlining recommendations on party rules and messaging designed to appeal to a rapidly changing American electorate. President Barack Obama's November victory was fueled, in part, by overwhelming support from the nation's Hispanic, Asian and African-American communities.

"Losing is not fun. We want to win," said GOP strategist Sally Bradshaw, who is among five people appointed by RNC Chairman Reince Priebus to craft the report.

"I think you're going to see a very renewed, aggressive effort by this party to put on a different face," Bradshaw said. "We are going to go into areas that we do not go into and see folks that we do not see."

Republicans presidential nominee Mitt Romney struggled last fall to win over women and minorities, who overwhelmingly favored President Barack Obama's re-election bid. GOP officials conceded this week that they must change their tone and message, if not their policies, if they hope to expand their appeal in the coming years.

Romney alienated many Hispanic voters by highlighting his support for a fence along the Mexican border and "self-deportation" of illegal immigrants. Down-ticket Republican candidates alienated female voters by backing new abortion laws in a handful of swing states like Virginia and New Hampshire, while Senate candidate Todd Akin of Missouri hurt himself and his party by declaring that women's bodies could prevent pregnancy in cases of "legitimate rape."

GOP strategist Ari Fleischer suggested that his party could learn an important lesson from Democrats on messaging: "Republicans talk policy and Democrats talk people. Republicans can learn a little bit from Democrats on how to make those people connections with our policies."

Asked whether he was considering a presidential bid in 2016, Jindal brushed aside the question. "Any Republican that's thinking about talking about running for president in 2016 needs to get his head examined," he said. "We've got a lot of work to do."

He called on conservatives to stop fighting with Democrats on their terms about the size of government in Washington and focus instead on connecting with voters across the nation.

"Today's conservatism is completely wrapped up in solving the hideous mess that is the federal budget, the burgeoning deficits, the mammoth federal debt, the shortfall in our entitlement programs," he said. "We seem to have an obsession with government bookkeeping. This is a rigged game, and it is the wrong game for us to play."

Jindal's comments come a day after the House passed a bill to permit the government to borrow enough money to avoid a first-time default for at least four months, defusing a looming crisis setting up a springtime debate over taxes, spending and the deficit. The House passed the measure on a bipartisan basis as majority Republicans back away from their previous demand that any increase in the government's borrowing cap be paired with an equivalent level of spending cuts.

The Louisiana governor's blunt remarks follow criticism from another high-profile Republican based outside Washington who publicly blasted GOP leadership on Capitol Hill: New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.

One of the party's most popular voices, Christie earlier in the month criticized his party's "toxic internal politics" after House Republicans initially declined to approve disaster relief for victims of Superstorm Sandy. He said it was "disgusting to watch" their actions and he faulted the GOP's most powerful elected official, House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga., told reporters on the sidelines of the meeting Thursday that Republicans also need to develop a sound strategy for confronting the Obama administration, suggesting House Republicans could use hearings to expose waste and promote better ideas.

"A lot of Republicans, frankly, spent the last two years saying, 'Oh, gee, we don't have to do much because after Obama loses we'll work with the new Republican president.' Well, that world ain't there," Gingrich said. "So now they have to make adjustments. They've got to understand that this is a different game."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/89ae8247abe8493fae24405546e9a1aa/Article_2013-01-24-US-Republicans/id-cfd334430d8741adbc10cf90363d4928

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Czech election overshadowed by prisoner amnesty

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2012 file photo Czech Republic's President Vaclav Klaus speaks during a joint news conference with his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer, unseen, at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria. In 10 years as Czech president, Klaus has been no stranger to controversy, but one of his final acts in power _ a sudden prisoner amnesty _ has backfired so badly he's being accused of treason. His portrait has been torn down in anger in schools and offices across the country in a rapidly-evolving scandal that has cast a shadow over this weekend's presidential election and tainted the post which, while largely ceremonial from the grandeur of Prague Castle, is seen to carry moral weight. It could also swing the outcome of the runoff vote that began Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

FILE - In this Nov. 13, 2012 file photo Czech Republic's President Vaclav Klaus speaks during a joint news conference with his Austrian counterpart Heinz Fischer, unseen, at the Hofburg palace in Vienna, Austria. In 10 years as Czech president, Klaus has been no stranger to controversy, but one of his final acts in power _ a sudden prisoner amnesty _ has backfired so badly he's being accused of treason. His portrait has been torn down in anger in schools and offices across the country in a rapidly-evolving scandal that has cast a shadow over this weekend's presidential election and tainted the post which, while largely ceremonial from the grandeur of Prague Castle, is seen to carry moral weight. It could also swing the outcome of the runoff vote that began Friday, Jan. 25, 2013. (AP Photo/Ronald Zak, File)

(AP) ? With his rants against the EU and gay rights, Vaclav Klaus has been no stranger to controversy in his 10 years as Czech president. But one of his final acts in power ? a sudden prisoner amnesty ? has backfired so badly he's being accused of treason.

His portrait has been torn down in anger in schools and offices across the country in a rapidly evolving scandal that has cast a shadow over this weekend's presidential election and tainted the post which, while largely ceremonial from the grandeur of Prague Castle, is seen to carry moral weight. It could also swing the outcome of the runoff vote that began Friday.

To mark the country's 20th anniversary of independence on Jan. 1, Klaus used a traditional tool of Czech presidents and ordered the release of more than 6,000 inmates serving short prison terms. But what really infuriated many Czechs was that the decree also halted court proceedings in several high-profile fraud cases and financial scams on the grounds he wanted to stop "endless criminal proceedings."

The opposition suspects his main motive may be to protect people close to his inner circle, a claim he vehemently denies.

The controversy has touched a raw nerve in a nation that threw off communism in 1989 and has become increasingly angered by widespread corruption. Czechs, voting Friday and Saturday to elect a new president to replace Klaus, are waking up every day to new names of pardoned felons and shocking tales of people who ripped off thousands.

Bronislava Kupkova, now 86, took out a loan of 2 million koruna ($104,000) from a bank in 1995 to buy a house she never got. She had to work till she was 82 to pay the money back. And the culprits are among those pardoned.

"It's injustice ... it's not right. But tell me: what can an ordinary person who has never stolen anything and had to work all the time do about it?" Kupkova told the AP. The amnesty means her chance to seek any compensation is "close to zero," she said.

The frustration at Klaus, who polarized the public with his strident views on Brussels, gays and global warming, has mushroomed.

And his legacy ? as the economics professor who oversaw the transition to free markets in the 1990s ? will now most likely be rewritten.

A businessman supported by 17 non-governmental organizations called on the Senate on Wednesday to file impeachment charges against Klaus in order to "renew the confidence of citizens in the rule of law."

Almost 35,000 people backed the call online in less than two days. And a group of 30 senators has challenged Klaus' decree at the Constitutional Court.

Only the Senate has the power to file treason charges at the Constitutional Court. The senators plan to discuss next month what steps to take. Klaus' final term ends in March.

"We need to know the view of the highest legal authority in the country ? whether this amnesty, its content, is in line with the Constitution," said Alena Gajduskova, deputy speaker of the Senate who filed the challenge and called Klaus' move "unacceptable."

Both candidates in this weekend's election runoff have distanced themselves from the amnesty.

Karel Schwarzenberg, a bow tie-wearing aristocrat, is a sworn enemy of Klaus and has been at odds with the current prime minister, Petr Necas, who co-signed the decree. Schwarzenberg accused Necas of failing to warn the government about what was coming. Left-winger Milos Zeman, the other candidate, is supported by Klaus but has said the amnesty should only have applied to people for humanitarian reasons.

The prisoner release has come as a major blow for tens of thousands of fraud victims who have been seeking compensation for damages, including Kupkova.

"It's terrible," said Hana Marvanova, a lawyer who represents about a hundred people who lost their money in a bogus housing scheme. "They have a feeling of total lawlessness."

Three managers in that case have already been cleared. They promised to build homes for a thousand people but made off with the funds worth about $100 million.

"It took years to investigate what it was all about and this is the result: the perpetrators have support at the top levels in the country. It's impossible to explain that to them," said Maranova, a former anti-communist dissident.

Klaus has dismissed the criticism, calling it a "wave of hysteria" and an attack on him by his enemies.

That has not helped.

"Vaclav Klaus is leaving his office in the worst possible way," said an editorial in the Lidove Noviny daily.

The deputy leader of the opposition Social Democrats, Lubomir Zaoralek, said the amnesty is a sign that "the state stands behind organized crime." Zaoralek, who says several presidential advisers have links to some of those covered by the pardon, asked Klaus to reveal who drafted the document for him. His request was rejected.

As the Czech president occupies a largely ceremonial post, the right to grant amnesty seems inappropriate to many. But there are precedents.

During his presidency, Vaclav Havel, a much-loved dissident playwright who helped topple communism, used it three times. In 1990, he ordered the release of some 23,000 prisoners in an attempt ? criticized by the public then ? to draw a line under more than 40 years of communism that ended in the 1989 peaceful Velvet Revolution.

But to free those charged with corruption is the last straw in a country that has taken an increasingly hard line against graft.

Many Czechs have been showing their indignation with corruption in unusual ways. CorruptTour, a travel agency established last year that organizes trips to places linked to corruption, has been doing a roaring trade under its slogan: "the best of the worst."

Some 40 people joined the tour Thursday, braving piercing cold, frost and snow. They burst into laughter when Eva Cechova, a tour guide, quipped in front of the presidential office that the amnesty was "the biggest achievement of Klaus' presidency."

Vanda Koleckova, a 23-year-old student, was among them. She said she hopes the constitutional court overturns the decree.

"It's very Czech to make fun of the unbelievable scope of corruption," she said. "Humor is a way for us Czechs to deal with that."

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2013-01-25-EU-Czech-Presidential-Amnesty/id-dcdede3bbd284540be28bbc3ca4b6ea3

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