The Rainmaker Group, a company founded in 1998, has accepted its first investment -- $33.8 million ?from Norwest Venture Partners that the Atlanta-based company will use to extend its profit and price optimization technology to different markets.Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/FM9BqtTFMQw/
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Over the years our voice changes, matures and then ages, but if we overuse it, or mistreat the vocal chords even if unintentionally by screaming or smoking etc, it gets affected. Vocal Disorder could be a result of weak larynx muscles, or cancer, or lesions, or muscle spasms, etc. Our voice can become hoarse, or weak, or whispery, or breathy depending upon the cause. Infections, harmful growths, acid refluxes, or paralysis of muscles of the throat could lead to some vocal disorder and conditions.
Diagnosis Of The Voice Disorders:
Let us learn more about how to detect the problems with voice. Change in voice is the very first indication of any problem. Pay attention to your own voice. Is it growing hoarse, sharp, loud, breathy, or whispery etc. If yes then it is time to visit a doctor and get it tested.
Types Of Conditions That Affect Voice:
Following are some of the voice conditions that can affect the normal voice of any individual.
Acute Laryngitis
Acute laryngitis is because of viral infection and is one of the most common conditions. This situation results in swollen vocal chords. The hoarseness of the voice is due to the different vibration of the vocal cord because of the swelling.
Keep the throat hydrated and avoid over using or straining the throat. If it is accompanied by breathing difficulty then immediate medical attention is needed.
Chronic Laryngitis
Smoking, asthma, disease, inhalers, acid reflux, yeast or viral infection or exposure of the throat to any other irritating substance leads to this situation. The voice becomes hoarse in this condition.
Laryngopharyngeal Reflux Disease (LPRD)
Pain in throat, hoarse voice, irritation in the throat, difficulty in swallowing food and water, etc are some of the symptoms associated with the acid reflux. Gastro Esophageal Reflux Disease (GERD) is usually the main cause of this vocal disorder. But, at times these symptoms may not appear.
Voice Misuse And Overuse
Like any other organ of the body, voice box and all the related muscles must be used in certain ways. Talking loud, screaming, talking for longer periods of time, inappropriate breathing technique, etc can result in hoarse voice, tired vocal cords, and possible lesions. Screaming, shouting, over use of cell phones, high or low pitch, etc. are other causes for the voice disorders.
Vocal Cord Lesions
Non-cancerous, harmless lesions, on the cords are caused by inappropriate use of voice box, or by misuse of it. In some cases these growths, lesions, polyps, or cysts appear even when the vocal chords are used appropriately. This condition requires minor surgery to correct the problem.
Vocal Cord Hemorrhage
Vocal cord hemorrhage occurs when a blood vessel around the voice box ruptures suddenly after any strenuous vocal exercise or screaming etc. The chord soft tissues are then filled with the blood which results in the hemorrhage. This condition demands immediate medical assistance. Complete vocal rest is recommended in this situation.
Paresis And Paralysis Of Vocal Cord
Soft, whispery, breathy voice is the result of one of the two vocal cords going weak or becoming paralyzed. Depending upon the degree of the weakness or paralysis of the cord, treatment is decided. It can be corrected with voice therapy or through minor surgery.
Laryngeal Cancer
Hoarse voice for a longer period of time, or noticing any change in voice should be reported to the doctor immediately. This could be due to the laryngeal cancer. If diagnosed earlier it can be cured.
These are some of the vocal disorder types. Look out for symptoms, and see a doctor if any change is noticed for long. Earlier any disease or disorder is identified the better are the chances to cure it.
Source: http://speechtherapy.ygoy.com/2012/10/29/what-is-vocal-disorder-an-overview/
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Source: http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1926146/news/1926146/
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Now for the specifics. I'm thinking that this will be a one on one roleplay in which each of us plays two characters, one of each gender. It would start out with one of us playing a masculine demon in whatever form that person would like to use while the other person plays a human female that will be eventually possessed. Then after she is officially taken control of, the person originally playing the demon would take control of the female character and effectively roleplay being possessed while the person that played the female will move to roleplay a male priest that will exorcise the demon from the woman.
Now I'm not thinking some Nickelodeon demon stuff here... I'm thinking the darker, the more disturbing, the more twisted the better.
I'd prefer to play the woman pre-possession and the priest while my partner plays the demon and possessed woman. I'm also looking for more detail per post, so one-liners aren't really going to work here unless it's dialogue and extremely witty, heh. I will be able to post roughly once a day, sometimes more and sometimes less depending on what I've got going, so someone close to that would work best. I also want to do some planning OOCly first to make sure we understand what's going on in the IC and if we have anything we want to discuss about future plot points and stuff, so please be willing to talk OOC with me :)
Hmm I think that's pretty much it for right now. If you're interested please send me a PM and we'll chat! Feel free to post any questions you have here and I'll be sure to answer them as soon as I can!
Thanks so much <3
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/cbTrZIAsITk/viewtopic.php
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Attempts to reach Bauer for comment were unsuccessful.
Follow Jack Magruder on Twitter.
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Just three days into the first sell-off of any magnitude in months, the pain is getting spread across the board. Tech, financials and commodities are all in the cross hairs, particularly crude oil. As measured by the U.S. benchmark WTI crude oil has fallen over 7% in 3 trading days and nearly 15% in the last month.
Jeff Kilburg, CNBC contributor and founder of Killir Kapital Management says most of the damage has been done and it's time to start getting long oil. Suggesting the market started squeezing the life out of the bulls when the WTI broke the $88 - $93 a barrel range. With the bulls gone, Central Bank stimulus looming, and the perpetual risk of Middle East conflict, time favors the bulls.
"If you want to play this, do it via the USO," he says, referring to the United States Oil Fund LP ETF (USO). As an ETF, the USO isn't perfect but it's better than many in terms of tracking the movements of the underlying commodity.
"When people have no where else to put their money, they'll move it into commodities," Kilburg offers, echoing the belief of commodity bulls everywhere. Of course, Kilburg is talking his own book, not to spark a rally but because he believes in it. "I'm long crude oil currently, I want to get in some more here, and I think the USO is giving me some opportunity."
His entry point is just under $32, where the USO is trading today, with a stop at $29. Right, wrong or somewhere in the middle, you know exactly where Kilburg stands.
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SACRAMENTO, CA - A Sacramento jury convicted a former NFL player of 19 sexual assault, armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and false imprisonment charges Monday for three Natomas home invasion crimes committed during the summer of 2011.
DNA evidence collected from one crime, the kidnapping and sexual assault of one victim, linked Keith Wright to one of the crimes, said Sacramento County District Attorney's Office spokeswoman Shelly Orio. A rare coin reported stolen that Wright tried to exchange linked him to another of the robberies.
The information led Sacramento robbery detectives to obtain a search warrant for Wright's residence where they found items taken from each of the victims, according to Orio.
Wright, originally from Santa Clara, was previously a defensive lineman for the Detroit Lions. He played college ball for Sacramento City College and the University of Missouri, Colombia.
Sentencing was set for Nov. 26 ion Sacramento Superior Court.
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A roundup of corruption-related news from Dow Jones and other sources. You can also receive a weekly newsletter version of Corruption Currents?here.
Bribery:
Neither political party in the U.S. has clean hands on politics and bribery, Alexandra Wrage wrote in a column. (Corporate Counsel)
The Los Angeles County assessor who was detained on bribery charges had his bail slightly reduced. (KABC)
An energy consultant wrote a column saying the cost of doing business shouldn?t be paid with bribes. (The National)
The U.K. Justice Ministry released the results of a consultation paper on deferred-prosecution agreements for bribery offenses.
Should Ireland also use deferred-prosecution agreements to get better at anti-corruption enforcement? (Irish Times)
The FCPA Blog notes a U.K. call for transparency in visa bans imposed on human rights abusers and continues its series on Confucius? influence. The FCPAProfessor asks if FCPA trials are unique. Tom Fox discusses the use of big data in a compliance program. Thebriberyact.com has an instant analysis of the deferred-prosecution agreement announcement out of the U.K.
Is naming pieces of public property after political officials also a form of corruption? (Express Tribune)
An Australian lawyer working in Mongolia was questioned over any knowledge she may have about bribery by Rio Tinto. Company officials said she might be being harassed over allegations she made earlier about Mongolian officials. (ABC News Australia)
Ghanaian election officials were arrested on bribery allegations. They didn?t appear to be contacted for comment. More here. (Daily Guide Ghana, My Joy)
The U.K. oil and gas sector sees the most corruption prosecutions, according to an Ernst & Young report. (HazardEx)
Money Laundering:
A Philippine senator said three or four lawmakers are blocking a key money-laundering bill. (Philippine Daily Inquirer)
China ordered the art dealer accused of money laundering to remain behind bars. (AFP)
The European Union may toughen controls against money laundering through online betting sites. (Bloomberg)
Nigeria?s anti-corruption agency arrested five people for allegedly failing to comply with money-laundering laws. They don?t appear to have been contacted for comment. More here. (Nigerian Tribune)
Latvia sees positives and negatives for being a banking haven for Russia and ex-Soviet countries. (Reuters)
A former union minister in India was accused of forgery and money laundering by the opposition party. He fired back, saying they ?seem to know more than me? about my own tax returns. (IANS)
Is another case in India the ?tip of the iceberg? of money laundering? (Moneylife)
Sanctions:
Tehran said it might stop oil exports altogether if sanctions get any tighter, saying it had contingency plans for its economy should it happen. (Reuters)
The head of Iran?s state shipping line said sanctions are hurting the country?s shipping industry. (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Iran is prepared to continue talks with global powers, an official said. The former chief of Mossad, Israel?s spy service, said it?s imperative for talks to continue. But no direct bilateral talks with Washington are on the table yet, and a U.S. Republican lawmaker opposed them altogether. There was confusion about the initial bombshell reporting on direct talks, which President Barack Obama denied Monday night during the presidential debate. A transcript is here. He faces a tough call on what to do about the sanctions. An Iranian Nobel Peace Prize winner predicted a Persian Spring. More coverage of the Iran discussion at the debate is here and here. (PressTV. Al Monitor, Haaretz, The Hill, Bloomberg, NY Times Public Editor, The Nation, Reuters, Al Monitor, Wall Street Journal, Reuters)
Syria hailed a visit by the United Nations-Arab League envoy. (AFP)
General Anti-Corruption:
Japan?s justice minister resigned citing ill health amid a scandal over links he allegedly had to the Yakuza. (BBC)
Nigerian schools are teaching an anti-corruption curriculum. (Nigeria Guardian)
Federal corruption cases are increasing in the Atlanta area. More here. (Atlanta Journal- Constitution, Transnational Criminal Defense Lawyers)
Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert ? who was convicted of corruption ? kept mum on a possible political comeback. (Haaretz)
Local chapters of Transparency International held a hackathon to create apps that fight corruption.
Washington, D.C. business owners say corruption matters. (Washington Examiner)
Russia condemned the U.S. for its human rights record as it slammed proposed legislation imposing visa bans on human rights abusers. (Reuters)
Vietnam strengthened its resolve against corruption. (Trace International)
More coverage of the petition to spare Bo Xilai from expulsion is here. (AFP)
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CISPA would rob Americans of constitutional rights... ?
UNTIL the late 1990s, those who were interested in Austrian economics, US constitutional history, and libertarian philosophy had few sources of information, writes Congressman Ron Paul.
They had to spend hours scouring used book stores or the back pages of obscure libertarian periodicals to find the great works of Mises, Rothbard, Hayek, and other giants of liberty. ?
Local library and university collections ignored libertarian politics and economics.?
Today, however, the greatest classics of libertarian thought, libertarian philosophy, and libertarian economics are available instantly to anyone with internet access. ?Thanks to the internet, it is easier than ever before for liberty activists to spread news and other information regarding the evils of government power and the benefits of freedom. ?
For the first time in human history, supporters of liberty around the world can share information across borders quickly and cheaply. ?Without the filter of government censors, this information emboldens millions to question governments and promote liberty.?
This is why liberty-minded Americans must do everything possible to oppose ? and stop ? government attempts to censor or limit the free flow of information online.
One such attempt is known as "CISPA", or the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act. ? This bill will create a monstrous coalition of big business and big government to rob Americans of their protections under the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.
CISPA permits both the federal government and private companies to view your private online communications with no judicial oversight, provided they merely do so in the name of "cybersecurity." ?But America is a constitutional republic, not a surveillance state ? and the wildly overhyped need for security does not trump the Constitution.
"Cybersecurity" is the responsibility of companies that operate and make money in cyberspace, not taxpayers. ?Those companies should develop market-based private solutions to secure their networks, servers, cloud data centers, and user/customer information. ?The role of the US intelligence community is to protect the United States from military threats, not to provide corporate welfare to the private sector. ?Much like the TSA at the airport, CISPA would socialize security costs and remove market incentives for private firms to protect their own investments.
Imagine security-cleared agents embedded at private companies to serve as conduits for intelligence information about their customers back to the US intelligence community - while enjoying immunity from any existing civil or criminal laws. Imagine Google or Facebook reporting directly to the National Security Agency about the online activity of US citizens. ?Imagine US government resources being wasted on a grand scale to "assist" private companies in the global market. ?All of this would become reality under CISPA.
As of this writing, it appears that the House and Senate will not agree on a final version of CISPA this year. However, the Obama administration seems ready to impose provisions of this bill by executive order if Congress does not act soon.?
The past five years have seen an explosion in the liberty movement, fueled in large part by the internet. Preserving that freedom is crucial if the liberty movement is to continue its progress. Therefore, all activists in the liberty movement have a stake in the battle for internet freedom. We must be ready to come together to fight any attempt to increase government's power over the internet, regardless of the supposed justifications. We must resist voices from both the political right and left which alternatively seek to legislate morality or enforce political correctness with force. ? Copyright protection, pornography, cyberterrorism, gambling, and "hate speech" are merely excuses for doing what all governments have done throughout human history: increase their size, scope, and power.?
Once we understand this, we understand the critical link between internet freedom and human freedom.?
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While college alumni love their school?s game day Facebook photos and posts about events and traditions, prospective enrollees want more informative social media content that will help them to decide which higher ed institution is right for them, how to enroll, and how to excel while completing their degree.
According to the 2012 Social Admissions Report, approximately two-thirds of high school students now use social media to research colleges and enrollment. The report, which polled 7,000 students in August 2012, was conducted by Zinch, an online scholarship and school-matching service run by Chegg, and Inigral, a tech company that focuses on student engagement online.
The poll revealed that 72% of rising high school seniors have already researched prospective colleges on a social media site, and that 71% have done that research using their mobile device. Facebook remains the top way to reach potential students with 88% using Facebook and 53% accessing the social media site multiple times a day. YouTube and Twitter follow second and third with other popular social media venues trailing distantly.
Discontent with Prospective Student Content
While the percentage of prospective students using social media to make college comparisons is growing, only 40% of those who visited a college or university?s social media presence found the information useful or relevant. Said students polled in the survey:
?I would like to see an advice column or an FAQ section where common ?worry? questions can be answered to help ease the tension upon arriving to college or while attending college.?
?I really like when I came across tips about enrollment and what not to do.?
?I would like to be able to ask a question and really have a response to it, and not just an administrator telling me to look at the blah blah tab on their website.?
Gil Rogers, director of College Outreach for Zinch, told Inside Higher Ed that universities should look at the results from the student survey and perhaps reconsider their social media strategy to focus more on information and engagement for prospective students. In a Noel-Levitz 2012 E-Expectations Report, students researching higher ed institutions ranked the content they valued most in the following order:
1. Academics
2. Cost/Financial Aid
3. Admissions Process
4. Campus Visit
5. Campus Life
6. Athletics
In addition, respondents noted that the following content was what they expected to find after liking a college?s Facebook page:
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A few months back, my husband and I decided to host a baby shower for some good friends of ours that were pregnant with their second baby. It?s not a shower where you measure the mom?s belly, eat cucumber sandwiches, and look at diapers with melted chocolate bars in them. Nothing against those showers, but I could never throw one, and that isn?t what our friends would enjoy either. Our showers are more like parties. The one we threw this weekend was for everyone in the family, and was complete with a combo of catered food (plus burgers and hot dogs on the grill), two ponies in the backyard for the kids (this is East Texas after all), a pumpkin patch, and an assortment of seasonal beers and Coca Cola bottles from Mexico (cause that Coke is WAY better).
And since this was a Saturday afternoon in the fall, football most definitely was on the TV. Of course there were also presents for the new baby who ended up being born a bit early, two days before the shower. The parents decided to continue on with the shower, and so our unconventional shower got even a bit more unconventional!
We volunteered to host the shower because we care about our friends and wanted the new little girl to have her own celebration so that she wasn?t stuck with having to use all of her older brother?s hand-me-downs 
. However, I would be a liar if I didn?t say that visions of points danced in my head as we started to plan the event. We hosted this shower ourselves, but most showers I have been involved with are hosted by a team of ladies who ultimately divide up the costs at the end. If that is how the shower you host works out, then make sure you are the one putting as many of the expenses on your card as you can ? you keep the points and get reimbursed most of the cash!
I know all showers are a bit different, but here is how we maximized earning points for this one (many of the same principles could be applied to hosting any party:
Invitations:
I know that e-invitations are easier and free, but for things like showers and kid?s birthday parties I still like to send out actual invitations. In the past I have used Vistaprint, which is almost always available via a shopping portal like Ultimate Rewards (currently 6x at Ultimate Rewards and 5x via AAdvantage Shopping). There are almost always tons of coupon codes available for Vistaprint as well. However, this time I ended up getting the invitations from a seller on etsy.com and I paid using a gift card that I had obtained at an office supply store using my Ink Bold Charge Card for 5x Ultimate Reward points.
Stamps can be purchased almost anywhere, so maximize that purchase with bonus points as well. For example, earn 2x on ?shipping? using the The Business Gold Rewards Amex if you purchase at the Post Office, 5x with the one of the Ink cards if you purchase at an office supply store, 6% back if you purchase at a grocery store using the Blue Cash Preferred Amex, etc. You get the point.
Food and Drinks:
The real heart of any party are the things you eat and drink. I just don?t have time right now to mess with making everything from scratch, so we outsourced some of the sides to a local restaurant that we love. What makes that even more spectacular is that they participate in the Dining Rewards Network. That means that I earn 5x United miles for every dollar we spend there. On top of that, I used my US Airways MasterCard that was currently offering a targeted 5x bonus at restaurants. That meant I earned 10x for the salad, cake balls, potato salad, etc. that we needed for the party (and Lord knows it tasted better than if I made it!)
We made the hot dogs and hamburgers ourselves, so obviously use any card that earns a bonus at a grocery store to maximize that purchase. We chose to use a 5x gift card for the meat, buns, beer, etc., but do whatever works with your current credit card system.
Ponies:
The ponies are tough negotiators and they want cold. hard. cash. They also love eating our yummy green grass, but that is a whole other story. Due to my shaky start in the world of reloadable prepaid cards, I didn?t pull money out of the ATM using that card, but if I would have it?d be like earning 5x on cash for the ponies. However, we just forked over the cash obtained the old fashioned way and missed out on pony points this time. Once I get a longer track record with my Amex prepaid (or future Blue Bird prepaid card) then I will pull out some 5x $20?s for my pony friends.
The Present:
I ordered part of their present off of Amazon.com using gift cards purchased at a grocery store earlier this year when grocery stores were a Chase Freedom 5x bonus category.? However, you could do the same now with Amazon Kindle gift cards that are sold at Best Buy (a current Freedom card 5x bonus category).? You can also go through the Hawaiian Airlines shopping portal to earn an extra mile per dollar for your Amazon purchases.
I don?t want to add up exactly how many points we earned hosting the shower (as that would mean I am adding up expenses, and that doesn?t sound very fun!), but I can tell you the number of points we earned were into the quadruple digits.? That means it was a win-win situation.? We had a great time, the family we hosted for had a great time, the new baby got lots of diapers, outfits, and other basics, and we earned a bunch of miles and points in the process.? Our strategy isn?t fancy, but maximizing miles and points for the everyday things that our family does has worked for us so far, and it is a plan we are going to continue with into the future.
?
Disclosure: I do receive a commission if you are approved for a credit card using one of my affiliate links.? As always, thanks for your support.?
Source: http://boardingarea.com/blogs/mommypoints/2012/10/22/hosting-a-baby-shower-mega-points/
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Job Responsibilities:
Develop, manage and implement Human Resources policies, practices and procedures align with the Corporation?s business strategy
Lead human resources teams to deliver human resources services in a professional manner
Oversee and monitor full spectrum of human resources functions including recruitment, OD, C&B, HRIS, compliance, performance management, training and development, and employee relations etc?
Act as an advisor and provide pragmatic and value added solutions to business leaders on people management initiatives
Facilitate vertical and horizontal communication and foster teamwork within the organization. Maintain open and trustworthy work environment
Develop and maintain a work place with positive employee relations?
Job Requirements:
Degree Holder in Human Resources Management or a related discipline
At least 10 years all round HR experience of which 6 years in managerial role , preferably in PRC manufacturing environment
Well versed with PRC HR & Administrative practices and regulations
Critical eye for details and processes and leadership skills
Excellent interpersonal skills, people-oriented management style and a pro-active and determined attitude
Excellent command of both spoken and written in English and Chinese including Putonghua
Familiar with MS office applications including excel, word, PowerPoint, etc...
Stationed in PRC
We offer 5-day week, 13th month salary, performance bonus, medical insurance scheme, hypothetical home country tax and long-term career prospect to the right candidate. For interested parties, please send your detailed resume with current and expected salary to jobs@beltontechnology.com.
For more information about us, please visit our website at: http://www.beltontechnology.com.
Candidates not invited for interview within 8 weeks may consider their applications unsuccessful. Applications will be treated in strict confidence. Personal data collected will be used for recruitment purpose only.
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LONDON (AP) ? The board of U.K. energy company BP PLC has struck a deal to swap its troublesome Russian oil venture TNK-BP for a big stake in Rosneft, the Kremlin-controlled energy company, a person familiar with the matter said Sunday.
The person said that the sale of BP's half of TNK-BP was expected to net the company between $10 to $15 billion in cash as well as a 15 to 20 percent stake in Rosneft, Russia's largest producer of oil. The person said that the ranges were approximate because the parameters of the deal were still being worked out. He spoke on condition of anonymity before an official announcement which he said the companies hoped to make "soon."
Such a deal would allow BP to exit its contentious partnership with the consortium of billionaires which controls the other half of TNK-BP while keeping a presence in Russia, a country responsible for producing nearly 10 million barrels of crude every day. BP sees the Russian market ? in particular the vast reserves of oil thought to lie beneath the Arctic Ocean ? as key to its recovery from the Gulf of Mexico oil rig explosion, a deadly disaster which led to the United States' worst-ever offshore spill.
The TNK-BP venture has been lucrative, paying out around $19 billion in dividends since it was set up in 2003, but the company has periodically been shaken by outbursts of open hostility between the London-based BP and its Russian shareholders. In 2008, relations deteriorated to such a point that Bob Dudley ? then-chief executive of TNK-BP, now chief executive of BP itself ? had to flee Moscow after what his company described as a campaign of harassment.
Jettisoning the consortium might bring a measure of stability to BP's operations in Russia, but the deal would also draw the British company much closer to the Kremlin; Rosneft is run by former deputy prime minister Igor Sechin, a longtime aide to Russian President Vladimir Putin, and BP's shareholders may worry about the political dimensions of the deal.
Britain's The Sunday Telegraph said that five of BP's leading investors, which it didn't identify by name, had qualms about the move.
It's not clear what, if any, action the consortium, known as Alfa-Access-Renova or AAR, plans to take in response to the move. An email listed on the group's website was invalid, and other contact details couldn't immediately be located. A previous deal involving Rosneft and BP ? announced last year to massive fanfare ? had to be shelved after AAR sued to stop it.
Rosneft declined to comment when reached by phone late Sunday. BP said it would not be making an official statement.
___
Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow contributed to this report.
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By Bob Sullivan
The economy is so bad in Argentina that the government recently said it would start taxing overseas credit card purchases. It also demanded that banks report all credit card transactions -- foreign or domestic -- saying the data would be used to find tax cheats.
Even George Orwell couldn't have imagined this meeting of Big Brother and Big Data: a handy database of every single purchase made by citizens, ready to be categorized and analyzed by the government.? Let your mind wander for a moment and you can imagine the disturbing possibilities of a government so invasive that it knows when and where you buy milk and bread.?
The obvious question: Could it happen here?? There are grand cultural and economic differences between Argentina and the United States, but if the history of privacy tells us anything, it is this: Governments and corporations can rarely resist the temptation of using technology to gain the upper hand.
"This gives me chills," said Gartner banking consultant Avivah Litan, who was in Argentina recently consulting with that nation's government banking officials. "I think it is a reminder that our data can be looked at by anyone and probably is being looked at."
Argentina is not the first government to examine credit card receipts. In 2011, Brazil began taxing overseas credit card transactions. And?Spain recently outlawed cash transactions over $2,500, a tactic that forces consumers to use traceable, electronic purchasing tools for big-ticket items.?
Big Brother is not behind these drastic measures. In Argentina, where only about 50 percent of the population buys with plastic, a currency crisis and high inflation have led to a dramatic rise in overseas purchasing. Taxing foreign purchases is an attempt to stem this tide, and encourage domestic spending. Brazil's motivation is similar.?
But once the pipeline for data is established and the database is built, what's to stop mission creep? Argentina has said it will examine domestic transactions for evidence of undeclared purchases or other signs of tax evasion. What else could a government find in a database of transactions?
"When I first saw the story it kind of took my breath away," said Bill Hardekopf, who operates the credit card information website LowCards.com "I thought, 'Oh my, a government can track the purchases of every one of their citizens?' "?
There is a way to avoid becoming a line item in a government credit card transaction spreadsheet: pay with cash, something one in two Argentinians still does. But in the U.S., cash has become pass?. Last year, only 27 percent of point-of-sale purchases were made with cash, compared to 66 percent for credit and debit cards, according to Javelin Strategy and Research, which expects that number to dip to 23 percent by 2017.??
Meanwhile, a host of new payment tools -- still rough around the edges -- are about to find their way into consumers' pockets and purses. Mobile cellphone payments are coming of age, with a quarter-trillion in annual transactions expected by 2016, according to IE Market Research.? And even the simplest of cash transactions -- "Buddy, can I borrow $5?? -- might not be long for this world.? Starbucks recently partnered with Square, a simple tool that allows cellphone users to accept casual payments from friends or small business clients. The convenience of such tools is undeniable; so is their traceability.??
"As we become more and more of a cashless society, the likelihood of purchases being tracked increases. Whether that is used for negative purposes, or will cause personal privacy issues, I don't know, but I can see the possibilities," Hardekopf said.?
But could it happen in the U.S.? Hardekopf said he had trouble imagining Washington could get away with the Argentinian tactic. He believes privacy interest groups would scream, other safeguards would kick in and the U.S. population just wouldn't swallow it.
But there are no laws preventing this kind of information sharing between banks and government agencies, Litan points out. Law enforcement officials routinely obtain personal information, such as cellphone locations and credit card receipts, during the course of criminal investigations.
"The (U.S.) government does have access to this information now because it regulates the banks," she said. "There's no secrecy laws like there are in Switzerland. There's no privacy laws that would prevent this."
Dan Mitchell, an economist at the libertarian Cato Institute, said there have already been attempts by both state and local governments to more broadly obtain detailed consumer financial data. The health care reform bill included a provision that required merchants to report credit card processing volume data to the IRS, for example. ?And recent efforts by states to enforce sales tax on online purchases will necessitate detailed reporting on credit card transactions by merchants, he warned.
?So it's just a question of expanding the existing set of Orwellian laws,? Mitchell said.
Probably the strongest firewall against such an intrusion would be banks themselves, which would no doubt fight massive data requests.? But transaction data sharing from banks to government officials has risen sharply since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The number of Suspicious Activity Reports filed by banks with their federal regulators has soared from 281,000 in 2002 to 1.5 million in 2011 (.pdf), according to the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. Much of that increase can be attributed to a rise in mortgage fraud, but it demonstrates a dramatic increase in cooperation between banks and government officials. There also is a long history of federal authorities buying access to large troves of consumer data ? such as the one once operated by commercial data broker ChoicePoint, now owned by the same firm which operates Lexis-Nexis.
That's why privacy expert Rob Douglas says that Argentina's data sharing is not an isolated incident.
"Given the explosion in the collection and retention of personal data by governments around the world under the guise of national and economic security, I fear the Argentine model is where all countries - including the U.S. - will end up under one scenario or another," he said. "After all, government by its very nature constantly seeks to know more about the governed. With the ever-expanding ability to store and sift vast amounts of personal data, it's inevitable that governments will do so unless reined in by the governed."
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Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
Country singer Jason Aldean speaks during a news conference at Wrigley Field to announce his 2013 Night Train Tour on Thursday, Oct. 18, 2012, in Chicago. (Photo by Barry Brecheisen/Invision/AP)
ATHENS, Ga. (AP) ? Jason Aldean admits it was really hard to keep his big announcement a secret. It was a doozy, after all.
The hard-rocking country music star made a whirlwind run around the eastern U.S. on Thursday, announcing shows at Boston's Fenway Park, Chicago's Wrigley Field and on the University of Georgia campus in the space of 12 hours.
"I've known about these shows for a while so it's been hard for me keep quiet, you know?" Aldean said. "I found myself every now and then telling a friend, 'You can't tell nobody, but, uh, guess what?'"
Aldean will make the first appearance by a country music performer at Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. And the show at Georgia's Sanford Stadium next spring will be the first ? and mostly likely the last ? between the hedges.
"This was No.1 on my list and to say I'm excited about this show, this is probably the most excited I've ever been about any of my shows," the Macon, Ga., and lifelong Bulldogs fan said.
Aldean managed to keep secret the announcement in Boston, where Red Sox players David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia helped announce the show as part of a clip played on the video board. But by the time he took to the air for Chicago, fans were on to him. One tracked his private plane and gave updates along the way. And as sundown came, students and even university officials were tweeting about the impending announcement, made by coach Mark Richt, and a surprise performance.
He played a handful of hits for more than 1,000 enthusiastic fans who turned out to Legion Field before getting aboard his bus to head to out on a short vacation with his family.
It's a well-deserved break. The singer released his fifth album, "Night Train," this week. That title is an apt metaphor for his career, which has been steaming along on a steep trajectory. About the only thing he hadn't attained yet was a series of stadium shows, and he's crossing that goal off the list on the "Night Train" tour in 2013.
Aldean is one of country's top draws, but the stadium appearances will move him into rare company. Currently, only Taylor Swift and Kenny Chesney regularly have that kind of drawing power. But Aldean has earned the status, selling more than 1.9 million tickets on his yearlong "My Kinda Party" tour that wraps up in Dallas on Oct. 27.
"You think about how long ago he started, you know, playing the small gigs, holes in the wall and honky-tonks. I mean that's what he did. How do you get here? There's no logical path. It has to consume you," said Chris Parr, one of his managers.
The stadium tour isn't the only sign Aldean's career continues to pick up speed. Billboard predicts "Night Train" will sell more than 400,000 in its first week, which would make it the year's No. 2 debut behind Mumford & Sons' "Babel." That's roughly two times what his multi-platinum fourth album "My Kinda Party" sold in Week 1.
And the 35-year-old singer is up for three awards, including top honor entertainer of the year, at the Country Music Association Awards on Nov. 1. The first single from "Night Train," ''Take a Little Ride," had the highest-selling digital debut for a solo male country artist and was the fastest rising No. 1 on the country song charts this year.
"I think the reason is it's been two years since we released an album," he said. "Obviously, the 'My Kinda Party" record was a big album, a career-changing album for me. I think it was just that wait, people anticipating the next album. And we put the album up on iTunes so people had a chance to go stream the album live, so I hope that's part of it ? they actually like what they're hearing. That'd be nice."
Stardom hasn't been an endless highlight reel, though. He recently endured his first tabloid moment when photos emerged of an apparent kiss with former "American Idol" contestant Brittany Kerr at a trendy Los Angeles bar.
Interviews about his recent successes have been leavened with questions about that encounter. The married father of two apologized to fans in a tweet and asked for privacy for his family. He acknowledged Thursday that fame comes with some drawbacks.
"For me, I think the main thing was it was kind of a learning experience for me and made me realize, I don't know, that maybe I was under the microscope a little more than I thought I was," Aldean said. "But you live and learn, man."
The encounter hasn't dimmed his popularity, however, as his trip and its attendant buzz showed. He's been selling out concerts in minutes, setting sales records at more than 40 venues on his current tour. And that trend is likely to continue as he aims for 2 million in ticket sales and beyond. But it's no longer about the raw numbers.
Brian O'Connell, Live Nation's president of country music touring, said the goal wasn't to fill venues during the 2013 tour, but to make sure Aldean can share special moments with his fans.
"We're trying to find something unique instead of just laying out dates like everybody else," said O'Connell, who said the UGA concert was made possible by "divine intervention." ''We really want to think it through, make the right decisions and check some stuff off bucket lists and make some history. That's what we owe him right now."
___
Online:
http://jasonaldean.com
___
For the latest country music news from the Associated Press: http://twitter.com/AP_Country. Follow AP Music Writer Chris Talbott: http://twitter.com/Chris_Talbott .
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The three of us had a fantastic holiday made easier by the fact that Barcelona is a great place to take a toddler, and his naturally flirty personality was very welcome! We enjoyed our last week away as a family of 3 and are already pining for the sun!
Source: http://www.themummyadventure.com/2012/10/barcelona-with-toddler.html
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Trails of acrid grey mist hang in the air. I use the front of my shirt as an impromptu gas mask as I cough out my drink order to the bartender. Passing through one of these repulsive clouds is an irritating game of ?try not to breathe.? The saturated air inside has made it almost impossible for me to develop any knowledge of my city?s lively hole-in-the-wall bar scene, still skirting statewide smoking bans.
For decades Surgeon General reports have communicated the health risks of smoking, and more recently the risks of second-hand smoke. Given the hazard, ?why would smokers confine themselves in a space that amplifies their exposure?? I say to myself while heading back to the table and dodging the lowly held embers. Beyond the fleeting buzz, smokers perceive themselves to be at a much lower risk of adverse health effects from lighting up than you or I would. Optimism springs eternal.
Near the end of September Gallup released a poll showing that fewer than 30% of US smokers believe that second-hand smoke is ?very harmful? as compared with 63% of nonsmokers. The finding is in line with what Gallup has found for the past 11 years, with the percentage of smokers who believe in the ?very harmful? nature of second-hand smoke never eclipsing 36%.
The Gallup poll highlights a risky disconnect. Smokers significantly downplay the dangers of second-hand smoke in comparison to nonsmokers (74% and 91% think second-hand smoke is at least ?somewhat harmful,? respectively). But most Americans agree that smoking itself is harmful (91% of smokers and 97% of nonsmokers). A growing number of studies illuminate the dangers of second-hand smoke, yet this disconnect has remained steady over the past decade.
Results like these raise an alarm. The prevalence of US smokers is at an all-time low, but efforts to realize the dangers of smoking (and second-hand smoke) have been ineffective. Even a disturbingly blunt ad campaign launched by the CDC this past March failed to impact attitudes.
The divide between how smokers and nonsmokers recognize risk results from more than just impotent communication strategies. For all risky behavior, crystallizing the inherent danger means smashing up against a wall of cognitive bias.
Optimism Springs Eternal
The optimism bias is a tendency for people to believe that they are less likely to experience a negative event compared to others. For example, we acknowledge the danger of driving a car but believe that others are more likely to get in accidents (?people who get in car accidents are bad drivers, I?m a good driver!?). Similarly, studies consistently find that smokers believe the health risks of smoking are lower for themselves than for other smokers. Compared with nonsmokers, both adolescent and adult smokers significantly demote health risks [1].
Risk Matrix
Simply put, risk is measured by two factors: severity of risk and likelihood of risk. If you work on an oilrig, for example, the risk would be high: accidents and health effects are severe and likely to happen. Conversely, being a telemarketer poses a low risk: accidents are rare and minor.
Psychologists and social scientists discovered the optimism bias by measuring how people compare personal risk to the risk others face [2]. This undue optimism is a concatenation of many other biases and cognitive quirks. We want to believe positive events will happen to us and we want to seem more ?well off? than others. The more in-control we feel, the less risk we perceive (e.g., we consider it less risky to drive a car than to ride in one [3]). A ?representative heuristic? often prevents us from making accurate comparisons between others and ourselves (e.g., when thinking of a person who is at risk for a car accident we tend to stereotype them as a bad driver, rather than as an average driver).
The optimism bias is quite the obstacle for public health officials. Believing that you are always the lucky statistic removes some of the fear inherent to risky behaviors like smoking and makes preventative measures seem unnecessary. The hope in studying the optimism bias is that if information campaigns on the large scale and public health officials on the small scale can reduce bias in the public, it will encourage the adoption of healthy/preventative behaviors. To date, these efforts have been unsuccessful; in some cases even increasing bias [4].
?I can quit whenever I want to?I just don?t want to?
A more disturbing finding in the optimism bias research, compounding what Gallup has found, is that adolescents have even more optimism than adults do about the risks of smoking. In one study in the journal Addictive Behaviors [5] adolescent smokers (aged 12-17) displayed some particularly disturbing optimism regarding addiction. The percentage of adolescents who agreed with the statement ?I could smoke for a few years and then quit if I wanted to? was 60%, compared to 26% of adolescent nonsmokers?a whole 12% higher than adult smokers agreeing to the same statement. And in nearly every case, adolescent smokers downplayed the risks more than adult smokers (and both downplayed health risks compared to nonsmokers across the board).
While still displaying undue optimism, adult smokers acknowledge the risk of addiction and the difficulty of quitting more than adolescent smokers. Perhaps the increased risk perception in adults comes with the personal experience of the addictive and health effects associated with smoking, something that adolescents lack.
Undue optimism is coupled to control. Using car accidents again, people are more likely to think they will not be harmed in a car accident if they are driving the car [3]. (The feeling of control surely plays into the misperception that it is more dangerous to fly than drive.) Being able to willfully put down a cigarette may be the feeling of control that generates dangerous adolescent optimism. The adults who have realized how little control they actually have over nicotine addiction are accordingly less optimistic about addiction. Personal experience may trump personal control.
But personal experience with smoking is a double-edged sword (aren?t most swords?). In the Addicting Behaviors study, adult smokers were 11% less likely than adolescent smokers to think that most people who smoke all their lives will eventually succumb to a smoking-related illness. I would wager that many smokers know other life-long smokers who haven?t died from smoking. Combine this personal experience with the optimism that they personally are less likely to die from smoking, and a confirmation bias rules the day. When optimistic about the health hazards of smoking, negative outcomes are ignored or discounted and positive outcomes (i.e., not dying) are emphasized. Adolescent smokers have yet to experience this harmful cognitive combination, hence the difference.
The danger to this lack of pubescent pessimism is that it can influence the decision to smoke in the first place. The misperception of addiction risk could overpower the consideration of possible health effects 30 or 40 years down the road. If adolescents believe that they can smoke for a few years and quit ?if they wanted to,? the decision to start smoking entails less risk. Combine this with optimism that downplays smoking-related health risks more that adult smokers and all nonsmokers, and you have a real public health problem.
Back to Reality
Unfortunately, most attempts to make people aware of the optimism bias have failed. Researchers have suggested trying to make risks seem ?closer? by showing study participants lists of risk factors, encouraging participants to perceive themselves as inferior to others, asking participants to think of high-risk individuals, and giving participants attributes of why they specifically are at risk. All these techniques were crafted to counter some of the biases and cognitive quirks mentioned above. All increased the optimism bias rather than decreased it [4].
But the optimism bias isn?t all bad. While it does create real problems for the perception of negative events (hampering preventative efforts and encouraging risky behaviors), it increases the perceived likelihood that positive events will happen to us. The boost in well-being and self-esteem is real, even though your calculation that you are more likely to get the promotion than Johnson down the hall is flawed. Says Tali Sharot, author of The Optimism Bias:
Even if that better future is often an illusion, optimism has clear benefits in the present. Hope keeps our minds at ease, lowers stress and improves physical health. Researchers studying heart-disease patients found that optimists were more likely than nonoptimistic patients to take vitamins, eat low-fat diets and exercise, thereby reducing their overall coronary risk. A study of cancer patients revealed that pessimistic patients under the age of 60 were more likely to die within eight months than nonpessimistic patients of the same initial health, status and age.
An unwavering optimism may be simply human nature, hardwired by evolution either adaptively or as some curious by-product. Efforts to mitigate the optimism bias have been met with a resilience that certainly suggests as much. Though we haven?t quite figured out how to get smokers on the same page as nonsmokers, realizing bias is the first step towards correcting it.
Removing my improvised gas mask, and with drinks in hand, I return to my table of friends. One notices as I struggle to clear my throat of the caustic vapor and asks ?Don?t they know how bad that is for them??
?Yes and no,? I answer.
References:
[1] Weinstein, N.D. (1998). ?Accuracy of smokers? risk perceptions?. Annals of Behavioral Medicine 20: 135-140.
[2] Klein, Cynthia T. F.; Marie Helweg-Larsen (2002). ?Perceived Control and the Optimistic Bias: A Meta-analytic Review?. Psychology and Health 17 (4): 437?446
[3] Harris, Peter (1996). ?Sufficient grounds for optimism?: The relationship between perceived controllability and optimistic bias?. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology 15 (1): 9?52.
[4] Weinstein, Neil D.; William M. Klein (1995). ?Resistance of Personal Risk Perceptions to Debiasing Interventions?. Health Psychology 14 (2): 132?140.
[5] Arnett, Jeffery J. (2000) ?Optimistic bias in adolescent and adult smokers and nonsmokers?. Addictive Behaviors 25 (4): 625-632.
Further Reading:
The Optimism Bias, by Tali Sharot
Images: ?Lighting each others cigarettes, 1932? by Nationaal Archief/Willem van de Poll; Table by author
Source: http://rss.sciam.com/click.phdo?i=17b09237a42d25048e97c75907a73afc
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