CSR LAUNCHED KEYBOARD WITH TAG OF “WORLD’S SLIMMEST KEYBOARD”

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The slimmest keyboard launched by CSR, a leading company in wireless technology. The thickness of keyboard is only 0.5 mm and device has ability to turn any area in to touch surface.</span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>                                              <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--KbR1IQK5Dw/UibLfxIrPYI/AAAAAAAAASA/Uw4wHzuIAtI/s1600/cbb0f0f9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--KbR1IQK5Dw/UibLfxIrPYI/AAAAAAAAASA/Uw4wHzuIAtI/s1600/cbb0f0f9.jpg" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The keyboard has available the facility Bluetooth 4.0, Inkjet Technology and incorporates a printed circuitry. The keyboard is based on wireless technology and connect with your PC with using CSR 1010 chip.  The paper thin surface can also connect with your iPhone, smartphones and tablets. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTV-oKCNPYY/UibNuhGQqgI/AAAAAAAAASM/BzjOc-Lw-3k/s1600/nfmwm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eTV-oKCNPYY/UibNuhGQqgI/AAAAAAAAASM/BzjOc-Lw-3k/s1600/nfmwm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Microsoft’s lightweight touch cover is 3.55 mm which is 6.5 times thicker than CSR’s keyboard. Company said the keyboard can be used underneath a piece of paper, with a stylus-type pen to be familiar with handwriting.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Na95C_b-0cY/UibN-SB_xBI/AAAAAAAAASU/mAg-ihPTWX4/s1600/th.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Na95C_b-0cY/UibN-SB_xBI/AAAAAAAAASU/mAg-ihPTWX4/s1600/th.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">According to Paul Williamson Director CSR products “This is a working prototype and a glimpse forward rather than something people will be buying this year. We might see lots of shapes and sizes, some as small as iPad Mini or a larger, more rigid form for a desktop PC, which could be curved, in any color way, transparent or fitted with a leather folio."</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">CSR hasn't provided any information on battery life and charging mode of battery. The keyboard will take time of one year to make entry in market. </span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Image source: geek.com<br /><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/100638775997274345522" rel="author">Anil Swami</a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://plus.google.com/100638775997274345522" rel="author"><br /></a></div></div>

Bluetooth 4.0 size touch surface CSR LAUNCHED KEYBOARD WITH TAG OF “WORLD’S SLIMMEST KEYBOARD”

The slimmest keyboard launched by CSR, a leading company in wireless technology. The thickness of keyboard is only 0.5 mm and device has abi...

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Kate Upton named model of the year, covers Vanity Fair

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_ */ google_ad_slot = "6959597717"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From: <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">http://www.latimes.com</a><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vDiUArW5JnY?feature=player_profilepage" width="640"></iframe> <br /><div class="byline" style="color: #292727; float: left; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px 0px 12px; padding: 0px;"><span class="byline" itemprop="author" style="display: block;">By Nardine Saad</span><br /><div class="date" style="color: #930000; font-size: 11px; font-style: italic; margin: 3px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">September 3, 2013</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator" style="border-left-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; color: white; display: inline; font-size: 10px; letter-spacing: -1px; margin-left: 6px;">, </span><span class="timeString" style="display: inline; text-transform: lowercase;">2:09 p.m.</span></div></div><div class="clear" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div><span class="toolSet" style="background-color: white; display: inline-block; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-right: -50px; margin-top: 6px; width: 345px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"></span><br /><div id="story-body-text" style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.43; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Kate <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/us/new-york/suffolk-county-%28new-york%29/brookhaven-%28suffolk-new-york%29/upton-PLGEO100100501258891.topic" id="PLGEO100100501258891" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Upton">Upton</a> has been named model of the year and will pick up her pretty prize Wednesday at the 10th annual Style Awards that kick off New York's Mercedes-Benz Fashion week.</div><div class="p402_premium" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Reality-star-turned-fashion designer <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/human-interest/nicole-richie-PECLB001720.topic" id="PECLB001720" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Nicole Richie">Nicole Richie</a> will host the event, which also honors designer<a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/services-shopping/clothing-accessories-shoes/zac-posen-PRDCAS0000692.topic" id="PRDCAS0000692" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Zac Posen">Zac Posen</a>, celeb stylist and designer <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/rachel-zoe-PECLB0000009419.topic" id="PECLB0000009419" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Rachel Zoe">Rachel Zoe</a>, and New York Giants wide receiver (also turned designer) Victor Cruz. The awards will air on CNN on Sept. 14, <a href="http://www.glamour.com/fashion/blogs/dressed/2013/09/as-if-we-couldnt-get-enough-ka.html" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">according to</a> Glamour.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Upton, the curvaceous, self-promoting honoree, got her start in Florida at age 12, but really catalyzed her career by landing the highly coveted <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/sports/sports-illustrated-01026001767.topic" id="01026001767" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Sports Illustrated">Sports Illustrated</a> Swimsuit cover spot (twice), having her Dougie YouTube video go viral and embracing the millennial age by becoming an Internet personality.</div><div class="articlerail" style="clear: both; float: left; font-size: 12px; line-height: 15px; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 234px; z-index: 4;"><div id="story-leftrail-ad" style="clear: both; display: inline-block; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; text-align: center; width: 234px;"><a href="http://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/aclk?sa=L&ai=C7Hl-vbgmUqb_KeiekwLeooDwBbC6le8DAAAQASAAUO3tn1tgyb7shsijkBmCARdjYS1wdWItOTU0Nzg4MjA5MTI3MDY4MMgBAuACAKgDAaoE2wFP0FZLl0674ICFIdSAxfX4M0g3nieEVP0JnBXQcDWyAByMngY2ni41-WJONE4FWsRQcRQtOXyIVUKK_mm_qQYizEBukzdeKpP5GFzcAReTSVuclOq2foCqJQGae-zLnytfvS_u8E9SDjqeJVGv7Xqz8vOV9LwWqOSeMccXYY32X-ytPCOmEJkgqAsFAbJUoOMIThdY_xxtgQC8WFBQuiTc1L1wvmhRhuz7mXf3A7ZlNDgAOisum8fYt3fvD0FVEDWcMt2_u5wegZWkXlQki46GKKe_AQYNE5oK3jvgBAGgBhQ&num=0&sig=AOD64_2d5z0Gda5GjxNvvgYoE_AfsHC55A&client=ca-pub-9547882091270680&adurl=http://www.carsbranddriver.com" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><img alt="" border="0" height="60" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/simgad/7271556988434810666" style="border: 0px; display: inline; float: none; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" width="234" /></a></div><div class="articleRelates module" style="border: 1px solid rgb(231, 231, 231); margin: 0px 0px 30px; padding: 10px 10px 0px;"><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-vogue-curves-20130510,0,6324790.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Kate Upton lands Vogue cover, talks famous curves" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-518d421b/turbine/la-et-mg-kate-upton-vogue-curves-20130510/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Kate Upton lands Vogue cover, talks famous curves" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-vogue-curves-20130510,0,6324790.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Kate Upton lands Vogue cover, talks famous curves</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/sns-50-most-beautiful-celebs-pictures,0,7225497.photogallery" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="50 most beautiful female celebrities" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-513f5171/turbine/sns-50-most-beautiful-celebs-pictures/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="50 most beautiful female celebrities" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/sns-50-most-beautiful-celebs-pictures,0,7225497.photogallery" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Photos: 50 most beautiful female celebrities</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-gisele-bundchen-highest-paid-model-miranda-kerr-adriana-lima-20130821,0,39303.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Top-earning models: Gisele Bundchen, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima " height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-521554da/turbine/la-et-mg-gisele-bundchen-highest-paid-model-miranda-kerr-adriana-lima-20130821/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Top-earning models: Gisele Bundchen, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima " width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-gisele-bundchen-highest-paid-model-miranda-kerr-adriana-lima-20130821,0,39303.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Top-earning models: Gisele Bundchen, Miranda Kerr, Adriana Lima</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-elle-20130808,0,382962.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Kate Upton: I'm not a toy, not a child, not a bachelor present" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-52041878/turbine/la-et-mg-kate-upton-elle-20130808-thumbnail/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Kate Upton: I'm not a toy, not a child, not a bachelor present" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-elle-20130808,0,382962.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Kate Upton: I'm not a toy, not a child, not a bachelor present</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; list-style: none outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-furious-victorias-secret-catalog-photos-20130529,0,4954194.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target=""><img alt="Kate Upton furious Victoria's Secret used her photos for catalog" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-51a64307/turbine/la-et-mg-kate-upton-furious-victorias-secret-catalog-photos-20130529-thumbnail/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px; padding-right: 8px;" title="Kate Upton furious Victoria's Secret used her photos for catalog" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-furious-victorias-secret-catalog-photos-20130529,0,4954194.story" style="clear: both; color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; display: block; text-decoration: none; width: 212px;" target="">Kate Upton furious Victoria's Secret used her photos for catalog</a></li></ul></div></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_sidebar-right-1_AdSense1_ */ google_ad_slot = "8436330913"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><span style="color: #2262cc; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;"><span style="line-height: 1.43;"><br />"It's just me sharing my life," she </span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-vogue-curves-20130510,0,6324790.story" style="color: #2262cc; line-height: 1.43; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">explained to</a><span style="line-height: 1.43;"> Vogue about tweeting. "I like it if it's authentic and in the moment and happening.... I didn't buy the magazines [growing up] that had models on the covers, because I didn't know them. So I think this kind of gives me, as a model, a personality that people can connect with."</span><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-pictures-photos,0,1563003.photogallery" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">PHOTOS: Kate Upton: Cover girl to glamour girl</a></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">But the 21-year-old has been turning heads in the high-fashion realm too, since she's graced the cover of American Vogue and international versions of the sartorial codex, <a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/la-et-mg-kate-upton-elle-20130808,0,382962.story" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Elle</a>and now Vanity Fair's 100th anniversary issue, on which she's seen carrying the magazine's celebratory cake.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">"I'm not going to name names, but one agency told me, 'You're too American, and everybody knows American women are <em>lazy</em>,'" she said in Vanity Fair. "I was so offended! I've never been so offended! I was like, 'You know that you're in America, right?' And it wasn't 'American<em>models</em>' — it was 'American <em>women </em>are lazy,' period! I feel like a lot of women would disagree with that. A lot!"</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/gossip/sns-50-most-beautiful-celebs-pictures,0,7225497.photogallery" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="font-weight: 700;">PHOTOS: 50 most beautiful female celebrities</span></a></div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The girl with a signature mole has also become the face of jeweler David Yurman and already has her sights set on Hollywood: She'll star alongside <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/movies/cameron-diaz-PECLB001398.topic" id="PECLB001398" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Cameron Diaz">Cameron Diaz</a>, <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/leslie-mann-PECLB003110.topic" id="PECLB003110" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Leslie Mann">Leslie Mann</a>and <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/music/nicki-minaj-PECLB00000014093.topic" id="PECLB00000014093" style="color: #666666; text-decoration: none;" title="Nicki Minaj">Nicki Minaj</a> in "The Other Woman," to be released in 2014.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">In Vanity Fair, Upton is photographed by Annie Leibovitz and is styled in the epitome of old Hollywood glamor, complete with pinup-girl locks and a vintage bathing suit. She even <a href="https://si0.twimg.com/profile_images/378800000404054920/5a2c5e9cec6a9c5b2520cc161f2f1641.jpeg" style="color: #2262cc; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">made the cover her Twitter avatar</a> for her more than 1 million followers to see.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Inside the special issue, she mimics the magazine's original cover from Oct. 1, 1913, that showed an illustration of a woman lounging on the moon.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The October issue of Vanity Fair hits New York and L.A. newsstands on Sept. 5, and its e-version will be available Sept. 10.<br /><br /><br /></div></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_300x250_as */ google_ad_slot = "9913064110"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/rVvHmDjv2LA" width="640"></iframe></div>

hot Kate Upton Model Sexy Kate Upton named model of the year, covers Vanity Fair

From:  http://www.latimes.com By Nardine Saad September 3, 2013 ,  2:09 p.m. Kate  Upton  has been named model of the year and will pick up...

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Synagogue Taking Rosh Hashanah Service To Elizabeth Park

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_ */ google_ad_slot = "6959597717"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><h2 style="color: #757575; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 16px 10px; padding: 0px 0px 5px;">Outdoor Service Inspired By Annual Baltimore 'Under The Stars' Event</h2><div><div class="byline" style="color: #333333; float: left; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="byline bordered" style="display: block; font-weight: bold;">By BERNARD T. DAVIDOW,<a href="mailto:bdavidow@courant.com" style="color: #333333; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;">bdavidow@courant.com</a></span><span class="titleline" style="display: block; font-weight: bold;">The Hartford Courant</span><br /><div class="date" style="color: #757575; font-family: 'Helevetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.8em; font-style: normal !important; font-weight: normal !important; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 2px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><span class="timeString" style="display: inline;">5:01 p.m. EDT</span><span class="dateTimeSeparator" style="display: inline;">, </span><span class="dateString" style="display: inline;">September 3, 2013</span></div></div><div class="clear" style="clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div><span class="toolSet" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; display: inline-block; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-right: -50px; width: 345px;"></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px;"></span><br /><div id="story-body-text" style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.5em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Congregation Beth Israel, a reform synagogue in <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.courant.com/topic/us/connecticut/hartford-county/west-hartford-PLGEO100100202260000.topic" id="PLGEO100100202260000" style="color: #333333; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;" title="West Hartford">West Hartford</a>, is breaking with tradition this year by beginning its celebration of <a class="taxInlineTagLink" href="http://www.courant.com/topic/religion-belief/judaism/rosh-hashanah-EVFES00001574163.topic" id="EVFES00001574163" style="color: #333333; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none;" title="Rosh Hashanah">Rosh Hashanah</a> with an unusual outdoor service Wednesday at 6 p.m. by the Rose Garden in Elizabeth Park.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, begins at sundown Wednesday.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">"The goal is just to make it open to the public," said Senior Rabbi Michael Pincus. "We've reached out to individuals who live in this area who don't belong to a synagogue. … It's for anyone in our community."</div><div class="articlerail" style="clear: both; float: right; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.3; margin: 0px 0px 10px 30px; padding: 0px; position: relative; width: 200px; z-index: 4;"><div class="articleRelates module" style="margin: 0px 0px 20px; padding: 0px;"><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="relatedTitle" style="border-top-color: rgb(238, 238, 238); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 2px; clear: both; color: #757575; float: none; font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.3; list-style: none outside none; margin: 5px 0px 10px; padding: 0px; position: relative;">Related</li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; color: #757575; list-style: none outside none; margin: 5px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-high-holy-days-0901-20130829,0,3253721.story" style="clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helevetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" target=""><img alt="Rabbi, Minister Forge Unusual Accord For Jewish High Holy Days" height="105" src="http://www.trbimg.com/img-5220e500/turbine/hc-high-holy-days-0901-20130829/187/187x105" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px;" title="Rabbi, Minister Forge Unusual Accord For Jewish High Holy Days" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.courant.com/news/connecticut/hc-high-holy-days-0901-20130829,0,3253721.story" style="clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helevetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" target=""><span style="font-size: 16px !important; text-transform: uppercase;"></span>Rabbi, Minister Forge Unusual Accord For Jewish High Holy Days</a></li><li class="newRelatedItem" style="clear: both; color: #757575; list-style: none outside none; margin: 5px 0px 10px; padding: 0px;"><a href="http://www.courant.com/features/la-fo-rosh-hashanah-pictures,0,7217467.photogallery" style="clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helevetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" target=""><img alt="Rosh Hashana: Recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen" height="105" src="http://www.latimes.com/media/thumbnails/photogallery/2010-08/49174709-30201701.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: block; float: left; margin-bottom: 4px; margin-right: 5px;" title="Rosh Hashana: Recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen" width="187" /></a><a href="http://www.courant.com/features/la-fo-rosh-hashanah-pictures,0,7217467.photogallery" style="clear: both; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: 'Helevetica Neue', Arial, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; text-decoration: none; width: 200px;" target=""><span style="font-size: 16px !important; text-transform: uppercase;"></span>Rosh Hashana: Recipes from the L.A. Times Test Kitchen</a></li></ul></div></div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The congregation hung a banner in West Hartford Center to promote the service.</div><div class="left" id="article-promo" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><hr class="hr-promo" /><br /><br /><hr class="hr-promo" /></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_sidebar-right-1_AdSense1_ */ google_ad_slot = "8436330913"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">"Rosh Hashanah is about celebrating the world," said Pincus, in his third year as senior rabbi. "There's something very powerful about being able to celebrate the world outdoors, in such a beautiful place as Elizabeth Park."</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">Pincus said he was inspired by a colleague, Elissa Sachs-Kohen, who began an annual outdoor Rosh Hashanah service in Baltimore a half-dozen years ago. Sachs-Kohen used to be an assistant rabbi at Beth Israel. The Baltimore service, called "Rosh Hashanah Under the Stars," now draws thousands of people, Pincus said.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">He has more modest expectations for Elizabeth Park: "If I get 100 people, I'd be happy."</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The hour-long service will include guitars and drums. "We're tying to make it a little more modern," Pincus said. "And we'll be blowing the shofar [ram's horn] at the service, which is not customary for the eve of Rosh Hashanah." But he didn't want people who go to this Rosh Hashanah service, and no other, to miss out on this ceremonial call announcing the new year.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The service Wednesday will be casual, Pincus said, and people attending should bring their own chairs and blankets. The forecast is for ideal weather, but in the unlikely event of rain, the service would be moved to the social hall at the synagogue at 701 Farmington Ave. in West Hartford.</div><div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding: 0px;">The temple will have a second Wednesday evening service, at 7:30 p.m., at the synagogue, and additional services Thursday.</div></div>From: <a href="http://www.courant.com/">http://www.courant.com</a></div><div><br /></div></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_300x250_as */ google_ad_slot = "9913064110"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

Rosh Hashanah Synagogue Taking Rosh Hashanah Service To Elizabeth Park

Outdoor Service Inspired By Annual Baltimore 'Under The Stars' Event By BERNARD T. DAVIDOW, bdavidow@courant.com The Hartford Couran...

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Can the Nokia deal save Microsoft?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_ */ google_ad_slot = "6959597717"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">From <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/">http://www.cbsnews.com</a><br /><br /><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/YGXYJCQOGaQ?feature=player_detailpage" width="640"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_sidebar-right-1_AdSense1_ */ google_ad_slot = "8436330913"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(CBS News) LOS ANGELES -- One day after Verizon and Vodafone announced their break-up,<a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-500395_162-57601028/microsoft-buying-nokias-devices-services-unit-for-$7.2b/" style="border: 0px; color: #931f1f; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Microsoft said it's buying Nokia's line of mobile phones</a> in a deal worth more than $7 billion.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">There are now more than 1 billion smartphones in the world, but just a fraction of them are made by Microsoft and Nokia -- once the world's largest cell phone maker.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="cnet-image-div image-CBSNEWS_GRANDE float-left" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 10px 8px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 244px;"><img alt="Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer describes his hopes for his company's acquisition of Nokia's phone business at a press conference in Espoo, Finland." class="cnet-image" height="183" src="http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/03/20130903_Steve_Ballmer_Msft_CEO_244x183.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="244" /><br /><div class="image-caption" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 2px 0px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;">Outgoing Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer describes his hopes for his company's acquisition of Nokia's phone business at a press conference in Espoo, Finland.</div> <span class="greySplitter" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">/</span><span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Today's announcement is a bold step into the future," said Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-57599851/ballmer-to-retire-can-microsoft-change/" style="border: 0px; color: #931f1f; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ballmer to retire: Can Microsoft change?</a></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Microsoft is buying Nokia's <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505124_162-57601043/microsoft-rolls-big-buys-nokias-phone-biz/" style="border: 0px; color: #931f1f; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">entire line of phones and its patents</a>. The plan is to help Microsoft attempt to catch up with its smartphone rivals.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Windows phone has grown over 78 percent in the last year and is now clearly the number three offering in the marketplace," Ballmer said.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">But it is a very distant third in a market dominated by Apple and Android devices.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Android phones now make up 51 percent of U.S. smartphone sales. The iPhone makes up 43.4 percent of sales. Microsoft's Windows-based phone: just 3.5 percent, according to a July 2013 report by Kantar Worldpanel ComTech.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="cnet-image-div image-CBSNEWS_GRANDE float-left" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; float: left; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 10px 8px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 244px;"><img alt="Brian Cooley of CNET" class="cnet-image" height="183" src="http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/03/brian-cooley_244x183.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="244" /><br /><div class="image-caption" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 2px 0px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;">Brian Cooley of CNET</div> <span class="greySplitter" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">/</span> <span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">CBS News</span></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"Microsoft had to get more serious about mobiles," said Brian Cooley, editor-at-large for technology website CNET. "They can't check out and say we're just not going to compete in that business fully. That's not an option anymore."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"We are right now in a place in the mobile electronics world where we are questioning: Are there two chairs at the table, or three?" he added. "There may not be a third. Microsoft needs to make the chair, and then sit in it. It's twice the work."</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Microsoft's fortune was built on its desktop software. But desktop computer sales have dropped 16 percent since the end of last year, in large part due to the explosion of smartphones and tablet computers.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last summer, the company launched a tablet called Surface. It hasn't clicked with consumers, selling about 1.7 million units in the same time Apple sold 57 million iPads.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The deal between Microsoft and Nokia shows how far and fast Nokia has fallen. In 2007, Nokia had 48 percent of the cell phone market and was worth $10 billion more than Apple. Just five years later, Nokia's market share had dropped to about 3.5 percent.</div><div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></div><div class="cnet-image-div image-LARGE2 float-none" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px 0px 8px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 610px;"><img alt="" class="cnet-image" height="458" src="http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2013/09/03/163123084_610x458.jpg" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 3px; vertical-align: baseline;" width="610" /><br /><div class="image-caption" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; display: inline; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin-bottom: 18px; padding: 2px 0px 1px; vertical-align: baseline;">A stand host holds up a Nokia Lumia 920 Windows enabled smartphone at the Microsoft stand at the 2013 CeBIT technology trade fair on March 5, 2013 in Hanover, Germany.</div> <span class="greySplitter" style="border: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-style: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">/</span> <span class="image-credit" style="border: 0px; color: #717171; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; margin: 2px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sean Gallup/Getty Images</span></div></div></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_300x250_as */ google_ad_slot = "9913064110"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

Microsoft Nokia Can the Nokia deal save Microsoft?

From  http://www.cbsnews.com (CBS News) LOS ANGELES -- One day after Verizon and Vodafone announced their break-up, Microsoft said it's ...

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Katie Couric is engaged!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_300x250_as */ google_ad_slot = "9913064110"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><img alt="Katie Couric" src="http://www.gannett-cdn.com/-mm-/2de0b9855c2076b021368020bc48d3fe6dfd95c3/c=0-150-2671-2160&r=x404&c=534x401/local/-/media/USATODAY/test/2013/09/03/1378211386000-katiemolner.jpg" /><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">From: <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.usatoday.com</a></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Katie Couric, 56, has finally found love again.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">The talk show host and mother of two, who lost husband Jay Monahan to colon cancer in 1998, got engaged to financier John Molner, 50, over the Labor Day weekend.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">"Katie's calling it her labor of love," said <i>People</i>editor Larry Hackett on <i>Good Morning Americ</i>a announcing the news.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Molner, head of mergers and acquisitions at Brown Brothers Harriman, popped the question with a diamond ring at sunset on the beach in East Hampton, N.Y., reports<a href="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20730776,00.html" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20730776,00.html">People.com</a>.</div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_main_Blog1_ */ google_ad_slot = "6959597717"; google_ad_width = 300; google_ad_height = 250; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script><br /><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Katie told <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/05/09/katie-couric-goes-public-with-banker-boyfriend/2143675/" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2013/05/09/katie-couric-goes-public-with-banker-boyfriend/2143675/">me</a> in May she and Molnar were "having a great time. He's really funny and very successful in his own right. In a different line of work. A little more age appropriate."</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">How old is he? "He's six younger than I am," said Couric, who has dated younger men in the past including trumpeter Chris Botti (5 years younger) and entrepreneur Brooks Perlin (17 years her junior). "But hey, I've got a lot of energy, you know. I need someone who can keep up with me!"</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-left: 60px;">Maybe since daughter Ellie, 22, just graduated from college and daughter Carrie, 17, is a senior in high school, the timing seems right at home. In the February issue of<i><a href="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/katie-couric-i-thought-id-get-remarried-after-husband-jay-monahans-death-in-1998-2013221" style="color: #1990e5; text-decoration: none;" title="http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/katie-couric-i-thought-id-get-remarried-after-husband-jay-monahans-death-in-1998-2013221">More</a></i> magazine, Katie admitted, "It's actually surprising to me that it has been almost 15 years and I haven't remarried. I think life is more fun when you have someone in your life."</div></div><script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-4973891917352186"; /* hotnewsof_sidebar-right-1_AdSense1_ */ google_ad_slot = "8436330913"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; //--></script><script src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js" type="text/javascript"></script></div>

Katie Couric Katie Couric is engaged!

From:  http://www.usatoday.com Katie Couric, 56, has finally found love again. The talk show host and mother of two, who lost husband Jay Mo...

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James Turrell Inside the Guggenheim

A couple weeks ago I finally made it to the Guggenheim to see the <a href="http://www.guggenheim.org/turrell">James Turrell exhibition</a>, which runs until September 25—only three more weeks. Missing the press preview on the summer solstice turned out to be fortuitous, for I could absorb some of the reviews and tailor my experience to the exhibition. One thing I learned was that Turrell's other works on display pale in comparison to <i>Aten Reign</i>, the site-specific work that takes over Frank Lloyd Wright's rotunda. This is not to say the other installations are necessarily bad; they just can't hold up to the awesomeness of <i>Aten Reign</i>. This taught me to check out the other pieces first and end up back downstairs at the base of the rotunda—easier said than done, given that all museum-goers must walk through <i>Aten Reign</i> before venturing anywhere else in the museum.<br /><br /><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXjDfAeeHFPcPWwjBYFuOhKz0kqcwnyQXCY7upTq9TU6XwlXUcEbw9hb4wtbqEtSLC1Y8PNdXVs-T0dRgFmt4tYqcPusQHuIb1quN94lvFnOZSJbFb_25HuscJt-2li17dKVtv09kMzszK/s1600/turrell-hill-dumbphone.jpg" /><br />[James Turrell, <i>Aten Reign</i>, 2013 | Photo by John Hill: Photos are not allowed in the exhibition, but it's impossible for the Guggenheim to monitor all of the cameraphones clicking away in the rotunda, such as the one shot I took.]<br /><br />So eyes glued to floor—catching the subtle shift in colors reflected in the polished surface but not looking up—I walked toward the elevator to head up to the fifth floor, joining the line for Turrell's <i>Iltar</i> from 1976. Groups of about a dozen waited on two benches outside two black portals cut into white walls. Once inside, visitors were confronted with a rectangular surface in the distance. Those familiar with Turrell will know it is an opening to another room, though the dimensions of that room are hard to ascertain. Unfortunately the guards would not let people get very close to the opening, something that would actually be more helpful in grasping the relationship between perception and reality.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/guggenheim_museum/9089135316/" title="Installation Views: James Turrell by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, on Flickr"><img alt="Installation Views: James Turrell" height="419" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5331/9089135316_e9f323c486_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />[James Turrell, <i>Prado (White)</i>, 1967 | Photo by David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York]<br /><br />Downstairs were a couple small projections: the familiar corner piece <i><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/guggenheim_museum/9086916859/">Afrum I (White)</a> </i>and <i>Prado (White)</i>, both from the same year. In particular the latter hints at the later room-size installations like <i>Iltar</i>, in the way the sharply defined rectangle appears to be an opening to another space. <i>Prado (White)</i> is almost an invitation to crawl from one gallery to another.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anamarialeon/9640504316/" title="guggenheim with turrell in the void by Ana María León, on Flickr"><img alt="guggenheim with turrell in the void" height="800" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/9640504316_115a45c474_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />[James Turrell, <i>Aten Reign</i>, 2013 | Photo by Flickr user Ana María León]<br /><br />On descending the ramp from the fifth floor to the second-floor galleries, and <i>Ronin</i> (below) in the High Gallery below those, I passed alongside the outer layer of <i>Aten Reign</i> (above). A bowed scrim extended from atop the concrete guardrail to the underside of the slab above. This surface didn't really convey what is happening within the rotunda, since the colors of the installation and sounds of the people downstairs didn't spill out. This seemed like a missed opportunity—to either activate the otherwise empty perimeter galleries with color, or to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151753116698501.1073741891.7640348500&type=3">reveal the structure</a> supporting <i>Aten Reign</i>. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/guggenheim_museum/9086916915/" title="Installation Views: James Turrell by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, on Flickr"><img alt="Installation Views: James Turrell" height="437" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9086916915_e36268bed4_z.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />[James Turrell, <i>Ronin</i>, 1968 | Photo by David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York]<br /><br />Yet such thoughts about the perimeter scrim were forgotten when reaching the bottom to look up at the five ascending layers of <i>Aten Reign</i>. The power of the installation was undeniable—it was visceral, emotional, exhilarating, yet also calming. Reactions depended on the color cascading up the newly formed space of the rotunda—red coating every surface like the blood flowing from the elevator doors in <i>The Shining</i>, or white highlighting and saturating the outfits of the other people (see photo at bottom), for example.<br /><br />A warning: Prepare for many other people (see photo at bottom, again). There will probably be a wait to sit or lie down comfortably but, like other Turrell pieces, it's worth it. And experiencing a Turrell with a craned and uncomfortable neck is hardly ideal, since <i>Aten Reign</i> rewards time and the patience to let the colors wash over one's eyes and imagination.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/guggenheim_museum/9089135634/" title="Installation Views: James Turrell by Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, on Flickr"><img alt="Installation Views: James Turrell" height="800" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2849/9089135634_58d60bc7c6_c.jpg" width="534" /></a><br />[James Turrell, <i>Aten Reign</i>, 2013 | Photo by David Heald © Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York]<br /><br />For most people the main question regarding the shape of <i>Aten Reign</i> is probably, "why not a circle?" After all, Wright's rotunda is a series of concentric circles that grow larger as they ramp up. Turrell's piece sets itself apart from this container through its elliptical shape, thereby making a new space—a space that narrows as it ascends, another mark of difference. The ellipses also shift relative to one another with even the slightest movement of the head. It's an interesting effect that, given Turrell's level of control, is most likely intentional. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/16353290@N00/9337855873/" title="IMG_1875 by JessyeAnne, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1875" height="800" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3765/9337855873_25ef89b47f_c.jpg" width="600" /></a><br />[James Turrell, <i>Aten Reign</i>, 2013 | Photo by Flickr user Jessica Sheridan]<br /><br />Another interesting effect is how the space appears to be shallow. This happens from the gradient of light (from dark at the base to light at the top), but also the horizontal scrim(s) that reach(es) across the space (I'm not sure if there is more than one scrim). The ever-so-subtle surface texture can be distracting at times, but it must play a role in flattening the space—at no time does it feel like the apex is 85 feet overhead.<br /><br />With only three more weeks to experience this site-specific work, a visit to the Guggenheim is a must. His other installations (like <i>Rodin</i>, <i>Iltar,</i> and <i>Prado (White)</i>) can be replicated elsewhere, but there will never be another <i>Aten Reign</i>.

James Turrell Inside the Guggenheim

A couple weeks ago I finally made it to the Guggenheim to see the James Turrell exhibition , which runs until September 25—only three more w...

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Lockn' Music Festival ... Woodstock in the Blue Ridge?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqDU-RJi-ZrWNW4t1zQohxj6fJHgP3mkAGgNhB9C7ygQ1GnHm5BpKmp2lk9y-bqiIQcpwKRhzp9O0BES1csx6G1smGKHVqySqx3UM7CCtSSP745xIKSlZRHlqlZ394TpZCq2Gkbwy213v/s1600/Lockn'+Festival.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKqDU-RJi-ZrWNW4t1zQohxj6fJHgP3mkAGgNhB9C7ygQ1GnHm5BpKmp2lk9y-bqiIQcpwKRhzp9O0BES1csx6G1smGKHVqySqx3UM7CCtSSP745xIKSlZRHlqlZ394TpZCq2Gkbwy213v/s400/Lockn'+Festival.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> <i>Lockn' Festival photo</i></div><br />The hills will echo this week with music, dancing, camping, and joyous celebrations as the huge <a href="http://www.locknfestival.com/">Lockn' Music Festival</a> takes place Thursday through Sunday in Nelson County, Virginia. Last-minute preparations are underway as organizers brace for thousands who have already bought tickets for this event that could turn into a Woodstock in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a whole new generation.<br /><br />But don't take my word for it. Read what was in Ohio's <a href="http://www.toledocitypaper.com/August-Issue-2-2013/Lockn-Festival/">Toledo City Paper</a>:<br /><blockquote>The innaugural Lockn' festival is a jam-band fan's mecca—the penultimate gathering of the best improvisational bands from every corner of the country. You have <i>Furthur</i> representing the West Coast, <i> String Cheese Incident</i> bringing their Colorado style, <i>Widespread Panic</i> from south of the Mason-Dixie line, and <i>Trey Anastasio</i> traveling from the northern East Coast. <br /><br />In TCP's opinion, this 'interlocking music festival' is shaping up to be the best party of the summer—the musical highlight of an already epic year. <br />...<br />Nestled deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Lock'n is an 8 hour drive from Toledo, but it is a beautiful drive through one of the most scenic parts of the country. Festival organizers Dave Frey and Pete Shapiro shopped for locations around the U.S.—New York, California, North Carolina—before deciding on Virginia because of its 'intimate setting'. The festival's two stages stand side by side and will have interlocking performances all weekend—as soon as one band stops, the band on the opposite stage will begin. </blockquote>For those of us in the central Shenandoah Valley, this four-day event is in our back yard, and only two hours from Richmond. Taking place from September 5-8, 2013, at the 5,000-acre Oak Ridge Farm, officials are expecting 25,000-30,000 people. Oak Ridge Farm is located off Rt. 29 halfway between Charlottesville and Lynchburg and, with the number of vehicles expected, <a href="http://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/oak-ridge-being-transformed-for-this-week-s-lockn-music/article_4c40a022-1430-11e3-a11e-0019bb30f31a.html">exhaustive traffic plans</a> have been made to avoid backups on Rt. 29, along with security and safety preparations.<br /><br /><br />The <a href="http://www.locknfestival.com/schedule">full lineup of musicians</a> includes Zac Brown, the Black Crowes, and a number of other groups set to perform under the central Virginia sky.<br /><br />The Lockn' <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10153127867970012&set=a.10150248855585012.531700.316349645011&type=1&theater">Facebook page announced a pre-festival music party</a> for Wednesday night, September 4, at the Jefferson Theater in Charlottesville.<br /><br />To keep up with the latest details, follow Lockn' on <a href="https://twitter.com/locknfestival">Twitter</a>.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.locknfestival.com/attractions">Local vendors</a> including food and craft beer will be available on-site. Nelson County is, after all, home of the famous <a href="http://nelson151.com/">Rt. 151 corridor</a> featuring some of the finest and best-known vineyards, craft breweries, and food establishments in Virginia.<br /><br />It will be an experience not forgotten anytime soon, if ever. If anyone takes photos and would like to share, I would love to post them on SWAC Girl. Send to swac.girl@gmail.com. Stay legal, safe, and have fun!

Black Crowes Central Shenandoah Valley central Virginia Charlottesivlle Lockn' Festival Lynchburg music festivals Nelson County Richmond Toledo City Paper Virginia Is For Lovers Lockn' Music Festival ... Woodstock in the Blue Ridge?

  Lockn' Festival photo The hills will echo this week with music, dancing, camping, and joyous celebrations as the huge Lockn' Music...

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Great music, good times, family

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLby8OwJeQYg0rrvOCeuB562IsLT6bhZymKPAj6DfBM2-dU6QHVi57TS1pHm9MRxNLjjLM7kPXUISis2FDj74iF0NC_akhBVUjiTuw_Fd8WP_1KMHVy7yfMHZ39UCr8EnMd0-5fnr_EUxT/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLby8OwJeQYg0rrvOCeuB562IsLT6bhZymKPAj6DfBM2-dU6QHVi57TS1pHm9MRxNLjjLM7kPXUISis2FDj74iF0NC_akhBVUjiTuw_Fd8WP_1KMHVy7yfMHZ39UCr8EnMd0-5fnr_EUxT/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Listening to my brother-in-law play acoustic guitar with some good-time folk music from Houston. The feet belong to we three sisters, piled up on the sofa and listening with SWAC Niece -- she's the one with the flip flop tan. LOL. Great music, good times, and family. It doesn't get much better than that.<br /><br />Photo by Lynn R. Mitchell<br />September 3, 2013

family friends Great music, good times, family

Listening to my brother-in-law play acoustic guitar with some good-time folk music from Houston. The feet belong to we three sisters, piled ...

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The Perfect Nap: Sleeping Is a Mix of Art and Science - WSJ.com

There's an art to napping.<br /><br><br /><br>Studies have found different benefits—and detriments—to a nap's timing, duration and even effect on different people, depending on one's age and possibly genetics.<br /><br><br /><br>"Naps are actually more complicated than we realize," said David Dinges, a sleep scientist at the University of Pennsylvania's Perelman School of Medicine. "You have to be deliberative about when you're going to nap, how long you're going to nap and if you're trying to use the nap relative to work or what you have coming up."<br /><br><br /><br>A snooze on the couch on a Sunday afternoon may seem like the perfect way for a responsible adult to unplug. But at a time when roughly one-third of people report not getting enough sleep, more naps, albeit short ones, might make for a more functional workforce, researchers say.<br /><br><br /><br>Sleep experts break sleep down into several stages, which the brain cycles through roughly every 90 to 120 minutes. These stages are broadly characterized into non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. NREM is further broken down into stage one and two, which are considered light and intermediate sleep, followed by slow-wave sleep. Awakening from slow-wave sleep, the deepest kind, results in what doctors call sleep inertia or sleep drunkenness: that groggy feeling that can take awhile to shake off. Finally, there's REM sleep, often associated with dreaming.<br /><br><br /><br>Sara Mednick, an assistant psychology professor at the University of California, Riverside, said the most useful nap depends on what the napper needs.<br /><br><br /><br>For a quick boost of alertness, experts say a 10-to-20-minute power nap is adequate for getting back to work in a pinch.<br /><br><br /><br>For cognitive memory processing, however, a 60-minute nap may do more good, Dr. Mednick said. Including slow-wave sleep helps with remembering facts, places and faces. The downside: some grogginess upon waking.<br /><br><br /><br>Finally, the 90-minute nap will likely involve a full cycle of sleep, which aids creativity and emotional and procedural memory, such as learning how to ride a bike. Waking up after REM sleep usually means a minimal amount of sleep inertia, Dr. Mednick said.<br /><br><br /><br>Experts say the ideal time to nap is generally between the hours of 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Napping later in the day could interfere with nighttime sleep.<br /><br><br /><br>The body's circadian rhythms help people to expect to be awake in the morning and early in the night. "So if you take naps when your brain doesn't expect to be sleeping, you feel kind of thrown off," contributing to the sleep inertia effect, said Rafael Pelayo, a clinical professor at Stanford University School of Medicine's Sleep Medicine Center.<br /><br><br /><br>A telltale sign of being very sleep-deprived, he said, is dreaming during a short nap. "Definitely in a 20-minute nap you should not be dreaming," he said.<br /><br><br /><br>Ilene Rosen, an associate professor of clinical medicine at Penn's Perelman School of Medicine, said the ideal duration of a nap is still being debated, but generally speaking the "10-to-20-minute nap is really the optimal time in terms of bang for your buck."<br /><br><br /><br>Leon Lack, a psychology professor at Flinders University in Australia, found in a 2006 study in the journal Sleep that among shorter breaks, 10-minute naps packed the most punch.<br /><br><br /><br>The study compared naps ranging from 30 seconds to 30 minutes, testing 24 participants at each of several intervals. After each nap the individuals were tested on a variety of mental-processing tasks. The sharpness of the 10-minute nappers became apparent "right away," Dr. Lack said, and remained apparent for about two to 2 1/2 hours.<br /><br><br /><br>Those who took 20- and 30-minute naps tended to feel groggy immediately after the nap for up to about 30 minutes. From there, they showed mental sharpness similar to what researchers saw from the 10-minute nappers, with that sharpness lasting a bit longer.<br /><br><br /><br>Jonathan Brandl is a Newton, Mass.-based consultant who works from home. Up at 5 a.m. to hit the gym, he finds himself fading around 2 p.m. His solution is a fast snooze in a comfy chair in his den. His trick for waking up: He holds a pen or pencil in his hand, which usually falls about 10 to 15 minutes into his nap, waking him up.<br /><br><br /><br>"After the nap, I feel totally refreshed and then power through the rest of the day," the 56-year-old Mr. Brandl said.<br /><br><br /><br>Though napping at work often remains taboo, experts say growing scientific evidence of its benefits has led select workplaces to accept it.<br /><br><br /><br>Christopher Lindholst, chief executive and co-founder of New York-based MetroNaps, has installed specially designed sleeping pods for Google, Huffington Post, an Iowa construction company and the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball team. The chairs retail for $8,995 to $12,985.<br /><br><br /><br>The 60-minute nap may not be kosher in most workplaces, but it also has its pluses.<br /><br><br /><br>In a 2012 study in the journal Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, researchers split 36 college-aged students into three groups. Each group learned a memory task, pairing words on a screen with a sound. Afterward, one group had 60 minutes to nap, another 10 minutes. The final group didn't sleep.<br /><br><br /><br>Upon retesting, the napping groups fared better, as expected, said Sara Alger, lead author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Notre Dame.<br /><br><br /><br>More interesting, she noted, was that on further testing, including a week later, the 60-minute group performed far better than the 10-minute group, which now performed as poorly as the non-napping group. The researchers concluded that slow-wave sleep—only experienced by the 60-minute nappers—is necessary for memory consolidation.<br /><br><br /><br>Researchers continue to explore why some individuals don't seem to benefit from naps. Dr. Mednick said ongoing studies are looking at potential genetic differences between habitual and nonhabitual nappers.<br /><br><br /><br>Kimberly Cote, a professor of psychology and neuroscience at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario, said individuals who don't normally nap tend to slip into the deep stages of sleep more quickly than those who do. Studies have found through monitoring brain waves that regular nappers are good at maintaining a light sleep when they nap and show better performance improvements than their non-napping counterparts.<br /><br><br /><br>"We're not sure what those individual differences are," she said, "if that's something that they've learned to do over time or if there's something biologically different that allows them to nap like that."<br /><br><br /><br>Another trick to waking up perky after a short nap is to drink a cup of coffee before sleeping. Caffeine won't hurt such a short break and should lessen the effect of sleep inertia.<br /><br><br /><br>Dr. Dinges recommends sleeping partially upright to make it easier to wake up. Studies, he said, have found that not lying totally flat results in avoiding falling into a deeper sleep.<br /><br><br /><br>"A lot of people say, 'I only need four hours of sleep a night.' There's a few of them around but not very many," he said.<br /><br><br /><br><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323932604579050990895301888.html">http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323932604579050990895301888.html</a>

The Perfect Nap: Sleeping Is a Mix of Art and Science - WSJ.com

There's an art to napping. Studies have found different benefits—and detriments—to a nap's timing, duration and even effect on diffe...

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Harry Connick, John McCain, Syria, K-Pop and More! It's Time for Headlines!!

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal">Holaaaaaaaaaaaa y’all! I’ve got nothing which means it’s time yet again for some Headlines!! Please try to contain your excitement. Thanks. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Desperate for work of any kind washed up crooner Harry Connick Jr. agrees to be a cohost on American Idol. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Area man announces he “let loose” with his “loudest burp ever” over the weekend. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Microsoft bans “can you hear me now” jokes after making offer to buy Nokia. “That’s Verizon you stupid hacks” CEO Ballmer tweets. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Dakota Johnson and Charlie Hunnam set to play lead roles in the movie version of “Fifty Shades of Grey.”  “I can’t wait to beat the hell outta Dakota and abuse her” said Hunnam. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Diana Nyad swims from Cuba to Key West, Florida. Realizes she forgot her passport and had to swim back to get it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Texans reward defensive standout Brian Cushing with six year contract extension. “Steroids are fucking great!” proclaimed Cushing. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Keith Olbermann schedules HUGE meltdown over his ESPN 2 show being bumped by late-running sporting events for the middle of October. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- President Obama to seek okay from congress on Syria. “They’ll do the right thinAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA … Sorry, I couldn’t quite get that out with a straight face” said Obama. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- 45 year old white man living in America doesn’t understand why people think his love for K-Pop is creepy<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lifLQqv6fCt3ElcHLTfGebkfhEdAZJbSa_9GQ51gwZ2tLhNoLWhvwHWoNgpWNXPeGoR4Alg5ND9CBUXL6wtlDMdX8eqvsflhdr3Gmbmq2gOU0M00C6Mejo3Tuq8rL4wkJTCbAo3bkiZv/s1600/Yuri+Kwon+Hot+Abs+K-Pop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-lifLQqv6fCt3ElcHLTfGebkfhEdAZJbSa_9GQ51gwZ2tLhNoLWhvwHWoNgpWNXPeGoR4Alg5ND9CBUXL6wtlDMdX8eqvsflhdr3Gmbmq2gOU0M00C6Mejo3Tuq8rL4wkJTCbAo3bkiZv/s1600/Yuri+Kwon+Hot+Abs+K-Pop.jpg" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br /></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Area liberal panicking as Obamacare starts to take hold. “I figured he would lose in 2012 and it would be repealed so I would always have the fake moral high ground.” Said the distraught blue collar worker.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Pre-Microwaved fish from Japan known as FukuSushi all the rage at hipster restaurants in NYC. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Oakland Raiders struggle to find enough guys willing to play for them to fill 53 man roster. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Taylor Swift working on new song about how disappointed she is in herself for using “the F-word” at VMAs. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- LeBron James producing sitcom where an NBA star’s 45 year old mother is dating a 31 year old rapper nobody has ever heard of. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- John McCain mocked for playing poker on his iPhone during Syria hearings, drawing to an inside straight. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Area woman wants to watch popular TV and NetFlix shows but doesn’t want to give up feeling of smug superiority.  <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">- Area man arrested while riding his John Deere mower down Main Street while naked at 3 am and trying to shoot out street lights while singing “All My Rowdy Friends Have Settled Down.” Police say alcohol MIGHT have been involved. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Okay, that’s enough. I’ve got things to do. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:Jayman3768@gmail.com">Jayman3768@gmail.com</a><br /><a href="http://facebook.com/jayman68" target="_blank">Facebook</a><br /><a href="http://twitter.com/jayman_iws" target="_blank">@Jayman_IWS</a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div></div>

Harry Connick, John McCain, Syria, K-Pop and More! It's Time for Headlines!!

Holaaaaaaaaaaaa y’all! I’ve got nothing which means it’s time yet again for some Headlines!! Please try to contain your excitement. Thanks. ...

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The Age of Chaos (Musical Tribute)

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23lLgR0RuKKO0jHEasdkoBJKcRLJOiDKYR08Y0drTIcmIOBvqkHJXLBfTCz1LAlQeHI_O6MKDEcW0zOlC3cyoDETW7kh_tWSTkcmmXQgZk13aIVyuK-1d192qZhK39zYAn2zw3M75VR8/s1600/The+Age+of+Chaos.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj23lLgR0RuKKO0jHEasdkoBJKcRLJOiDKYR08Y0drTIcmIOBvqkHJXLBfTCz1LAlQeHI_O6MKDEcW0zOlC3cyoDETW7kh_tWSTkcmmXQgZk13aIVyuK-1d192qZhK39zYAn2zw3M75VR8/s320/The+Age+of+Chaos.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br />From 1993 through 1999, one could estimate with great precision how much money was being spent on office construction simply by knowing how the stock market was doing.<br /><br />From 2000 through 2007, one could still make a reasonably accurate estimate.<br /><br />From 2008 to present, <a href="http://www.iheartchaos.com/post/27049151950/daily-discussion-ask-the-ihc-magic-8-ball-anything">this device</a> could have done better.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqLjB7o9CTp4plZ1Nslfa4X_4xxSuyKeOv5CP1ypI3ujwx8tzEIOUd0v6SmIReVU0h_XHDwnmni2LKOsHYd2xYkbt2N8CQzVWsldVgHaP4PpmZXPu0DsViqgO-6SzV2_HT58YKjETOlM/s1600/Peak+Sales+&+Office+Occupations.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheqLjB7o9CTp4plZ1Nslfa4X_4xxSuyKeOv5CP1ypI3ujwx8tzEIOUd0v6SmIReVU0h_XHDwnmni2LKOsHYd2xYkbt2N8CQzVWsldVgHaP4PpmZXPu0DsViqgO-6SzV2_HT58YKjETOlM/s320/Peak+Sales+&+Office+Occupations.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br /><div style="color: red;"><b>OUTLOOK NOT SO GOOD!</b></div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="236" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/r8F9Qvror6g" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=m3e">St. Louis Fed: S&P 500 vs. Office Construction Spending</a><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=m3j">St. Louis Fed: Employment Level - Sales and Office Occupations</a>

The Age of Chaos (Musical Tribute)

Click to enlarge. From 1993 through 1999, one could estimate with great precision how much money was being spent on office construction simp...

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Female doctors make $50,000 less than male doctors, and the pay gap is growing.

<base href="data:"><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><div class="text parbase section" style="margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5em; ">While there have been some gains in closing the pay gap generally, <a href="http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1733450#ild130129t1" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">new research published</a> in the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; ">Journal of the American Medical Association</em> shows that it's actually getting worse between male and female doctors, as well as among other health care workers. In the 1980s, male doctors made about 20 percent more than their female counterparts, but now that number has ballooned to 25 percent, making the gap in real dollars more than $50,000 a year. For those eager to blame this on women's "choices" and not on discrimination, I have bad news: The study controlled for hours worked and years of experience. </p></div><div class="text parbase section" style="margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5em; "><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/09/03/female-doctors-earn-50k-less-than-male-doctors/" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">But as Sarah Kliff of the <em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; font-style: italic; ">Washington Post</em> explains</a>, the difference in what kind of medicine female and male doctors practice may play a major role. Men dominate the ranks of surgeons, radiologists, and other high-paid specialties, whereas women are more likely to become family care doctors or pediatricians. The researchers couldn't say why this is but suggested it could be a matter of preference or discrimination—or some combination of the two—and called for more research to get to the bottom of this conundrum. </p></div><div class="text parbase section" style="margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5em; ">Regardless of the cause, however, this gap should be a major concern, not just for equality but also for the quality of our health care system. Right now, <a href="http://dailynightly.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/25/18042694-it-is-getting-a-lot-harder-to-do-this-doctor-shortage-strains-practices?lite" target="_blank" style="color: rgb(0, 102, 153); text-decoration: none; ">the country is experiencing a major shortage of doctors</a>, particularly the kind of family care physicians that women are more likely to become. The primary care doctors there are, especially in rural areas, are often overworked and stressed out from handling more than their fair share of the nation's health care workload. Or, put another way: Women are taking on the necessary if unglamorous work of handling a massive number of patients who need basic doctoring, and their reward for doing what needs to be done is to get paid significantly less than their male counterparts, who are more likely to join more lucrative, specialized fields.</p></div><div class="text parbase section" style="margin: 1.5em 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><p style="margin: 0px 0px 1.25em; padding: 0px; border: 0px; font-size: 12px; font: inherit; vertical-align: baseline; line-height: 1.5em; ">Instead of looking at this as an issue of simply getting more women into higher-paid specialist jobs, we should also have a national conversation about why we don't value primary care physicians and pediatricians enough. As the new health care law rolls out and the number of people who can afford to get to a doctor for basic care increases, the demand for this necessary, female-heavy work is just going to get higher. Do we need to pay these doctors more? Create incentive structures to make doing this work more rewarding? Regardless of how we tackle this problem, the fact remains that we have an opportunity to both improve the health care system and strike a blow for more gender equality, all at once. So what are we waiting for?</p></div></div><a href="http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/09/03/female_doctors_make_50_000_less_than_male_doctors_and_the_pay_gap_is_growing.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content">http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2013/09/03/female_doctors_make_50_000_less_than_male_doctors_and_the_pay_gap_is_growing.html?wpisrc=newsletter_jcr:content</a><div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 14px; color: black; text-align: left; "><br class="webkit-block-placeholder"></div>

Female doctors make $50,000 less than male doctors, and the pay gap is growing.

While there have been some gains in closing the pay gap generally,  new research published  in the  Journal of the American Medical Associat...

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Substitute Library Clerks - East Hartford Public Library

<b>Substitute Library Clerks -</b> <b><b><span style="color: #48286d;">East Hartford Public Library</span></b></b> is looking for several people to join our staff as substitutes at both the adult and children’s circulation desks. If you are focused on providing great customer-service, have strong computer skills and previous public library experience, consider joining our team. Ability to work evenings and weekends a plus; familiarity with SIRSI system preferred. Candidates must possess the ability to perform a variety of circulation duties including answering phones, processing library membership applications, charging and discharging materials, receiving and processing fines. Compensation $11.16/hr. Please send letter of interest, resume and three references by Friday, <span style="color: red;">September 20, 2013</span> to: Susan M Hansen, Director, East Hartford Public Library, 840 Main Street, East Hartford, CT, 06108 or email documents to: <a _fcksavedurl="mailto:shansen@easthartfordct.gov" href="mailto:shansen@easthartfordct.gov">shansen@easthartfordct.gov</a>. No phone calls, please. EOE.

Substitute Library Clerks - East Hartford Public Library

Substitute Library Clerks - East Hartford Public Library is looking for several people to join our staff as substitutes at both the adult...

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Part-time Librarian - Middlebury Public Library

<b>Part-time Librarian -</b> <b><b><span style="color: #48286d;">Middlebury Public Library</span></b></b>. As librarian work under the direction of the Assistant Library Director or the Library Director to maintain the proper operation of the town library. Maintain collections of books, periodicals, audio/visual tapes, etc., maintain files and programs and assist and furnish services to patrons. Supervise library technical assistants and volunteers. Requires a knowledge of literature and library science equivalent to a B.S. degree in Library Science or a related field with advanced library experience. Salary: $12.00 per hour. Hours: Monday-Saturday, up to 19 hours per week. For consideration please submit a completed application <a _fcksavedurl="http://www.middlebury-ct.org/Pages/Employment.aspx" href="http://www.middlebury-ct.org/Pages/Employment.aspx" target="_blank">http://www.middlebury-ct.org/Pages/Employment.aspx</a>, resume and cover letter by<span style="color: red;"> September 30, 2013</span> to: Administrative Manager, Town of Middlebury, 1212 Whittemore Road, Middlebury, CT 06762.

Part-time Librarian - Middlebury Public Library

Part-time Librarian - Middlebury Public Library . As librarian work under the direction of the Assistant Library Director or the Library ...

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The Arm Twisting Is Working

After President Obama stuck his foot in his mouth and told the whole world that he doesn't need the approval of Congress to send U.S. military forces to attack Syria, someone pointed out to the man that such brash actions are an impeachable offense.<br /><br />Must have struck a nerve there because now, one by one, the Chicken Hawks are coming home to roost.<br />This can only be attributed to behind the scenes political arm twisting.<br /><br />It has already been reported that 90% of Americans do not want U.S. intervention in Syria.<br /><br />Britain backed out, the UN wants nothing to do with it.<br /><br />The President says he has absolute proof that Assad ordered the chemical weapons attacks on civilians in Syria.<br /><br />Other news reports contradict that repeatedly.<br /><br />Some suggest a low level Syrian army official ordered it, some suggest the insurgents did it and some claim it was a False Flag attack instrumented by CIA and Israeli intelligence.<br /><br />All that seems to matter to Obama is that they crossed some imaginary Red Line and now his resolve is being questioned.<br /><br />Boo Hoo.<br /><br />Running your mouth before you have all the facts has been proven millions of times throughout history to result in black eyes and bloody mouths.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-boehner-cantor-back-obama-on-syria-strike-20130903,0,6211713.story"> So now John McCain, Miss Lindsey Graham, Nancy Pelosi, Eric Cantor and even Mr. Weepy himself, John Boehner </a>have all come out in support of a military strike against a country who has has done absolutely nothing to threaten this nation.<br /><br />All because President Obama thinks we need to be the worlds police force.<br /><br /><br />This is, of course, no mere stroll in the park and go home activity.<br /><br />These people are willfully committing U.S. armed forces, our bankrupt treasury and our standing in the world all because President Obama needs to prove a point.<br /><br />I am reminded of the old saying about insanity being repetitive behavior expecting a different outcome.<br /><br />It has been said that President Obama is a twelve dimensional chess player.<br /><br />From what I see he had better get good at 52 card pick up because his house of cards is about to come flying apart.

The Arm Twisting Is Working

After President Obama stuck his foot in his mouth and told the whole world that he doesn't need the approval of Congress to send U.S. m...

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Post Labor Day Funk but no Junk...

Good Afternoon Everyone. I hope you had a fabulous Labor Day. I was busy but it was all good. I was out and about and I can truly say that I did not cheat or snack on JUNK the entire weekend. Really - zero desire to be honest. There was even cake - and if you listened to my radio interview, you will remember I LOVE sweets and I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE cake!! It looked good, but I had zero interest in it. YAY! Belivq, you are my hero! ha! Today I go pick up my September RX for Belviq. Thanks to everyone who has helped (even if it is only a dollar), I am only having to pay about $25 dollars for this month. It REALLY helps. So THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. Without the google ads, I will just take it month by month. I think October will be a better month for me as well as I have a couple things I am trying to pay off to help with the cost of the medicine. Every day it's like I get to wear something new - not because it is new, but because I have so many clothes that I couldn't fit in to just sitting in my spare closet. I can lose another 50 pounds and still be ok in terms of clothes. I can't afford to buy all new clothes right now anyway, so it's a good thing I have that closet haha!!!! My goal is that next spring I will hopefully be able to go splurge (after tax refund of course ha). EXCITED. For those of you who are taking Belviq or who are considering Belviq. You MUST remember, Diet and exercise are IMPORTANT. If you are not willing to change your eating habits, it's not going to work. I've been talking to a few that got frustrated because it wasn't working for them like it is me. I ask them to tell me about their meal plans - they are eating the same things, just in smaller portions! NO! That's not how it works!!! You MUST MUST MUST change your diet in addition to cutting portions to really make this work. You HAVE to work. Belviq won't do it all on it's own!!! Have a great day! Ellie

Post Labor Day Funk but no Junk...

Good Afternoon Everyone. I hope you had a fabulous Labor Day. I was busy but it was all good. I was out and about and I can truly say tha...

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Absolute Faith in Monetary Policy (Musical Tribute)

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z8LCNot_PQE02yp5UdCte0Fjk1OUBC9sWrPgAGdA0mueXUFF1CnxvYqtmMQYvQpWEVlB2lA5fMkntRs3dvdk8CS2aOvcyM-IcnUNkQU4t1uj9AaO1YkNcW2EleHcYVGFsVfvu4nm55k/s1600/Absolute+Faith+in+Monetary+Policy.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1Z8LCNot_PQE02yp5UdCte0Fjk1OUBC9sWrPgAGdA0mueXUFF1CnxvYqtmMQYvQpWEVlB2lA5fMkntRs3dvdk8CS2aOvcyM-IcnUNkQU4t1uj9AaO1YkNcW2EleHcYVGFsVfvu4nm55k/s320/Absolute+Faith+in+Monetary+Policy.jpg" /></a><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click to enlarge.</span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/fwPyNOhXFd0" width="420"></iframe><br /><br /><b>Source Data:</b><br /><a href="http://research.stlouisfed.org/fred2/graph/?g=m2E">St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart</a>

Absolute Faith in Monetary Policy (Musical Tribute)

Click to enlarge. Source Data: St. Louis Fed: Custom Chart

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US AND CHINA BATTLE IT OUT FOR LATIN AMERICA

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font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-lyoq68Och_pFUP7VZ0s8vvQ8MqiHFN2FtdUjJmkcOTPbatUyjh6NxwxmKOHIAm928xvHvbvZsObmUPZ_iBBUbSS047HySgV_Wjks6_-qQSobYCxWQH3dY2WBtGK_Vxi3_fv1hjENphM/s1600/latin-american-countries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO-lyoq68Och_pFUP7VZ0s8vvQ8MqiHFN2FtdUjJmkcOTPbatUyjh6NxwxmKOHIAm928xvHvbvZsObmUPZ_iBBUbSS047HySgV_Wjks6_-qQSobYCxWQH3dY2WBtGK_Vxi3_fv1hjENphM/s400/latin-american-countries.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><br /></span></b></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #134f5c;">LATIN AMERICA AND ITS ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES</span></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">By Robert Valencia via ISN Security Watch </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Apparently CHINA is vying for greater economic influence in LATIN AMERICA, which includes the possibly constructing and operating an alternative ‘PANAMA Canal’ through NICARAGUA. One unanticipated consequence of this burgeoning US-CHINA rivalry is that it might push LATIN AMERICAN countries closer together.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/06/china-and-nicaragua.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/06/china-and-nicaragua.html</a></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">U.S. President Barack Obama and CHINESE President Xi Jinping met in California to discuss <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/10/world/asia/obama-and-xi-try-to-avoid-a-cold-war-mentality.html?hp&_r=0">cyber espionage</a> and territorial claims in the Pacific Rim. While tension on these topics has hogged the headlines, the fight for influence in another area could be even more important—LATIN AMERICA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other emerging markets in AFRICA, where CHINA has an overwhelming influence due to foreign direct investment in mining and oil, also offer economic opportunities, but LATIN AMERICA has an abundance of natural resources, greater purchasing power, and geographic proximity to the UNITED STATES, which has long considered LATIN AMERICA as its “backyard.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">: </span></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/12/usa-china-and-africa.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2012/12/usa-china-and-africa.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The key question now is will LATIN AMERICAN countries lean more toward CHINA or the UNITED STATES, or will it find a way to balance the two against each other? Right now, LATIN AMERICAN countries are increasingly confident thanks to burgeoning economic and political integration by way of trading blocs, and they're demanding to be treated as an equal player.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHINA’S ACTIVE INVOLVEMENT IN LATIN AMERICAN GEOPOLITICS</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As a sign of its growing importance, CHINA and the UNITED STATES have courted LATIN AMERICA more than usual. In May, the US President visited MEXICO and COSTA RICA while the US Vice President visited COLOMBIA, BRAZIL, and TRINIDAD and TOBAGO. Shortly after these trips, President Xi went to MEXICO and COSTA RICA to foster economic cooperation.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;">:</span> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/03/latin-america-and-europe.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/03/latin-america-and-europe.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHINA’S active involvement in LATIN AMERICAN geopolitics can be traced back to 2009. Chinalco, CHINA’S largest mining company signed a $2.2 billion deal with PERU to build the Toromocho mine and a $70 million wharf in the Callao port. Since then, PERU has sent 18.3 percent of its exports to CHINA, making CHINA PERU’S largest trading partner. CHINA’S imports to PERU, however, rank second with 13.7 percent of the market while the UNITED STATES holds first place with 24.5 percent.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">China has the upper hand with the LATIN AMERICAN leftist countries in terms of infrastructure and technology. In 2009, CHINESE telephone manufacturer ZTE played an instrumental role in assembling the first mobile phone in VENEZUELA known as “El Vergatario” (VENEZUELA slang for optimal). VENEZUELA introduced this new phone to low-income families making it the world’s cheapest phone ($6.99 for a handset). Additionally, CHINA landed rail construction projects in ARGENTINA and VENEZUELA and has become a major buyer of farm products and metal in SOUTH AMERICA. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">ARGENTINA’S SOARING SOY EXPORT TO CHINA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcBH2AshsAOul-ZJzCm4uNQ6IW2mvey7Ac6A_cL3ma73Gzj17w0OQPsYizfXjq7hGVdojYHvrpdu2qAKSwAahbLVzitVLYZ1ye_JgVhGSUjc_Y57BfMnR4pubp41NFl3V4TOxDTA5U7ZG/s1600/soybean_graph.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOcBH2AshsAOul-ZJzCm4uNQ6IW2mvey7Ac6A_cL3ma73Gzj17w0OQPsYizfXjq7hGVdojYHvrpdu2qAKSwAahbLVzitVLYZ1ye_JgVhGSUjc_Y57BfMnR4pubp41NFl3V4TOxDTA5U7ZG/s200/soybean_graph.jpg" width="200" /></a></b></div><br /> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Between 2011 and 2012, CHINA purchased nearly 58.02 million tons of soy from ARGENTINA, up from 52 million in 2011 and 2010.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHINA has also maintained an active market with BRAZIL. CHINESE Oil Company Sinopec and CHINA Development Bank offered BRAZILIAN oil company Petrobras a $10 billion loan in 2009 in return for hundreds of thousands of barrels per day. In 2011, three CHINESE metal companies purchased BRAZILIAN mining company Companhia Brasileira de Metalurgia e Mineracao.</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> 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mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> </div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/03/latin-american-economics.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/03/latin-american-economics.html</a></span></div></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHINA’S boldest move in the region is the possible construction of a massive <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/06/13/nicaragua-approving-handing-massive-canal-project-to-little-known-chinese/">CANAL IN NICARAGUA</a>. NICARAGUAN President Daniel Ortega pushed the National Assembly to approve the multi-billion dollar plan in June. The NICARAGUAN canal would have a larger draft, length, and depth than the PANAMA and SUEZ canals, and the enactment granted a HONG KONG-based company permission to build and control the canal for nearly 100 years. The approval of this plan, however, raised the ire of environmentalists and neighboring COLOMBIA, which recently lost 70,000 square kilometers of its CARIBBEAN maritime territory to NICARAGUA before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last May, COLOMBIAN diplomat Noemi Sanin claimed that CHINA had influenced ICJ’s decision. According to Sanin, CHINESE justice Xue Hanqin knew beforehand about NICARAGUA’S intention to grant the canal construction to CHINA since Xue was a colleague of Carlos Arguello, a role-player in the maritime case. There is no evidence for this, but it shows COLOMBIA’S anxiety of CHINA’S growing clout in the region and how it can upset balances of power.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">USA STILL TOP TRADE PARTNER OF LATIN AMERICA</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The UNITED STATES hasn’t lost LATIN AMERICA, and is unlikely to lose it completely. It is still the region’s top trade partner. The UNITED STATES has recently signed free-trade agreements with COLOMBIA and PANAMA, and maintains other trade agreements with PERU, CHILE, and MEXICO. CENTRAL AMERICAN and several CARIBBEAN countries rely upon U.S. military cooperation in an attempt to curtail drug trade. Nevertheless, the post 9/11 years severely eroded U.S.-LATIN AMERICAN relations as the Bush administration focused heavily on the war on terror, often ignoring issues in LATIN AMERICA.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CHINA AND THE UNITED STATES ARE ALSO ENCOUNTERING A MORE CONFIDENT AND MORE UNIFIED LATIN AMERICA</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6215JFUvB2PMlDWl3U8_mmhtL8RW-cymwRxG_hbkRqra5-wPIdVrm3PHPfduxXkqrN5JDeeg88VCXpSg4KkTLlKd3p2t5B0SbeNWXT5qdJzMIBBK6nuGhqrUDBOJnrRPX5wQSCUP-175k/s1600/china-brazil-flag1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6215JFUvB2PMlDWl3U8_mmhtL8RW-cymwRxG_hbkRqra5-wPIdVrm3PHPfduxXkqrN5JDeeg88VCXpSg4KkTLlKd3p2t5B0SbeNWXT5qdJzMIBBK6nuGhqrUDBOJnrRPX5wQSCUP-175k/s200/china-brazil-flag1.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">It is a region that has sought autonomy in its own affairs by way of rising blocs such as the Community of LATIN AMERICAN and CARIBBEAN STATES, MERCOSUR, and the BOLIVARIAN Alliance for the AMERICAS (ALBA), among others. BRAZIL, LATIN AMERICA’S largest economy, also seeks a prominent role the region with large investments in research and development and the introduction of social programs to revamp the middle class. BRAZIL has jumped into the global economic debates, calling out CHINA, the UNITED STATES, and other industrialized countries over the so-called “currency wars." In 2010, BRAZILIAN Finance Minister Guido Mantega criticized these nations for policies that weakened exchange rates that in turn affected the real currency value and BRAZILIAN exports. Since then, BRAZIL has pursued a more significant role among the world’s 20 most advanced countries known as the G-20.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true" DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99" LatentStyleCount="267"> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/> <w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 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5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style><![endif]--> </div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="color: #134f5c;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">POLITICAL IGNORANCE REGARDING LATAM</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/07/global-financial-monopoly-game-part-2.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2011/07/global-financial-monopoly-game-part-2.html</a></span></div></div><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">LATIN AMERICAS EMERGING PACIFIC ALLIANCE</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b>Both the UNITED STATES and China use infrastructure investment, diplomacy, and trade as leverage, but LATIN AMERICA wants to be seen as a socioeconomic partner, not a subordinate. The PACIFIC Alliance, for example, hopes to become a powerful bloc that can stand up to the world’s two super powers. Comprised of COLOMBIA, PERU, CHILE, COSTA RICA, MEXICO, and possibly soon PANAMA, the PACIFIC ALLIANCE is a new economic bloc that seeks economic integration oriented toward ASIA-PACIFIC markets. </div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Background Information:</span></b></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/south-america.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/05/south-america.html</a></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Additionally, the PACIFIC ALLIANCE can become a springboard for other LATIN AMERICAN nations with a Pacific shore to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), a proposed free-trade agreement among ASIA-PACIFIC, MEXICO, PERU, CHILE, CANADA, and the UNITED STATES. Being part of the PACIFIC ALLIANCE is significant, because for countries like COSTA RICA, it would otherwise be an unlikely candidate for the TPP. Taken together, the PACIFIC ALLIANCE’S GDP totals $3 trillion, making it easier to integrate itself to the TPP and for it to fight for better terms. The UNITED STATES will still hold the lion’s share of the TPP with an economy that hovers around $13 trillion—but an alliance worth $3 trillion will give it more leverage than it would otherwise have. The battle for influence in LATIN AMERICA may have the effect of pushing the countries closer together, allowing them to stand up to both the UNITED STATES and CHINA.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br /></div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; line-height: normal; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">More articles on CHINA'S foreign policies:</span></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/07/china-and-its-relation-with-africa-and.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/07/china-and-its-relation-with-africa-and.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/07/mali-and-chinas-western-foreign-policy.html">http://geopoliticsrst.blogspot.co.at/2013/07/mali-and-chinas-western-foreign-policy.html</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in;"><a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/chinas-winning-strategy-in-africa.html">http://news-these-days.blogspot.com.ar/2012/09/chinas-winning-strategy-in-africa.html</a></div></div>

US AND CHINA BATTLE IT OUT FOR LATIN AMERICA

LATIN AMERICA AND ITS ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL RESOURCES By Robert Valencia via ISN Security Watch  Apparently CHINA is vying for greater econ...

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