Source: http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/2012/12/27/top-10-hemmings-classic-car-stories-of-2012/
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Saturday 29 December 2012
Top 10 Hemmings Classic Car stories of 2012 | Hemmings Blog ...
Thursday 27 December 2012
WASHINGTON: Shoppers disappoint retailers this holiday season ...
WASHINGTON ? U.S. holiday sales so far this year have been the weakest since 2008, when the nation was in a deep recession. That puts pressure on stores that now hope for a post-Christmas burst of spending.
This year's holiday season was marred by bad weather and uncertainty about the economy in the face of possible tax hikes and spending cuts early next year. Some analysts say the massacre of schoolchildren in Newtown, Conn., earlier this month may also have chipped away at shoppers' enthusiasm.
Sales for the two months before Christmas increased 0.7 percent compared with last year, according to a MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse report. That's below the healthy 3 to 4 percent growth that analysts had expected - and the worst year-over-year performance since 2008, when spending shrank sharply during the Great Recession.
But stores still have some time to make up lost ground. The final week of December accounts for about 15 percent of the month's sales, said Michael McNamara, vice president for research and analysis at MasterCard Advisors SpendingPulse. And the day after Christmas typically is among the biggest shopping days of the year.
Indeed, there was a crowd equivalent to a busy weekend day at Lenox Square Mall in Atlanta by midday on Wednesday. Laschonda Pitluck, 18, a student in Atlanta, had held off earlier because she's a student and saving all her money for college. Last year she spent over $100 on gifts but this year she's keeping it under $50.
She found 50 percent off things she bought, including a hoodie and jeans for herself at American Eagle and a shirt at Urban Outfitters. She said she would have bought the clothes if they hadn't been 50 percent off.
"I wasn't looking for deals before Christmas, I waited until after," she said. She bought boxers for her boyfriend, and was looking for a hat but couldn't find one.
In New York, the Macy's location at Herald Square also was buzzing with shoppers. Ulises Guzman, 30, a social worker, said he held off buying until the final days before Christmas, knowing the deals would get better as stores got desperate. He said he was expecting discounts of at least 50 percent.
He saw a coat he wanted at Banana Republic for $200 in the days before Christmas but decided to hold off on making a purchase; on Wednesday, he got it for $80.
"I'm not looking at anything that's original price," he said.
Holiday sales are a crucial indicator of the economy's strength. November and December account for up to 40 percent of annual revenue for many retailers. If those sales don't materialize, stores are forced to offer steeper discounts. That's a boon for shoppers, but it cuts into stores' profits.
Spending by consumers accounts for 70 percent of overall economic activity, so the eight-week period encompassed by the SpendingPulse data is seen as a critical time not just for retailers but for manufacturers, wholesalers and companies at every other point along the supply chain.
The SpendingPulse data released Tuesday, which captures sales from Oct. 28 through Dec. 24 across all payment methods, is the first major snapshot of holiday retail sales. A clearer picture will emerge next week as retailers like Macy's and Target report revenue from stores open for at least a year. That sales measure is widely watched in the retail industry because it excludes revenue from stores that recently opened or closed, which can be volatile.
In the run-up to Christmas, analysts blamed bad weather for putting a damper on shopping. In late October, Superstorm Sandy battered the Northeast and mid-Atlantic states, which account for 24 percent of U.S. retail sales.
Shopping picked up in the second half of November, but then the threat of the country falling off a "fiscal cliff" gained strength, throwing consumers off track once again.
Lawmakers have yet to reach a deal that would prevent tax increases and government spending cuts set to take effect at the beginning of 2013. If the cuts and tax hikes kick in and stay in place for months, the Congressional Budget Office says the nation could fall back into recession.
Shopping over the past two months was weakest in areas affected by Sandy and a more recent winter storm in the Midwest. Sales declined by 3.9 percent in the mid-Atlantic and 1.4 percent in the Northeast compared with last year. They rose 0.9 percent in the north central part of the country.
The West and South posted gains of between 2 percent and 3 percent, still weaker than the 3 percent to 4 percent increases expected by many retail analysts.
Online sales, typically a bright spot, grew only 8.4 percent from Oct. 28 through Saturday, according to SpendingPulse. That's a dramatic slowdown from the online sales growth of 15 to 17 percent seen in the prior 18-month period, according to the data service.
Online sales did enjoy a modest boost after the recent snowstorm that hit the Midwest, McNamara said. Online sales make up about 10 percent of total holiday business.
---
Mae Anderson in Atlanta and Candice Choi in New York contributed to this report.
Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.
Daniel Wagner can be reached at http://www.twitter.com/wagnerreports.
Source: http://www.sunherald.com/2012/12/25/4375716/us-holiday-retail-sales-growth.html
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Wednesday 26 December 2012
Underlight: Shades of Truth!
Underlight: Shades of Truth! - http://www.shadesoftruth.net/
Brief Summary:
Underlight is an online roleplaying game that originated as one of the first of its kind just before the turn of the century. Unlike many other RPGs to follow, Underlight would focus on traditional roleplay, promoting creative interactions and complex political structures that, for the most part, evolved at the hands of the players themselves. Mindless power gaming was discouraged to promote the realistic nature of the roleplay environment.
Non-Player Characters would be limited completely to dark creatures that provided an outlet for combat and experience. All other player interactions were represented by the actual controllers of players or gamemasters that worked to guide and support the storylines as they developed.
The environment would unfold, quite literally, in a dream. The premise being that certain individuals, otherwise separated physically on their home world of Cloudsbreak, would advance not technologically but mentally, learning to control their conscious in order to enter a shared dreamstate and interact with others that did the same. Their collective thoughts would create the city of Underlight.
Underlight was created and ran by Lyra Studios for over a decade until they announced in 2007 that the dream had ended. Later that year, Ixios Development and many of the players, unwilling to let the dream die, would pick up the project, and operate it free of charge. Thus, Shades of Truth was born with the same desire to promote true roleplay in a creative graphic environment. The premise of the dream city remains, but the story takes place many thousands of years later as the newly awakened find themselves in a city long ago abandoned, facing new terrors and challenges.
The City of Dreams awaits you?
Instructions:
Firstly I would like to introduce all of you Role Players to a true role playing game! Here we have the creativity to do anything we desire with the help of the GameMasters and other players! Anything is possible even the creation of a new technique you came up with on your own or even forming your own group and owning your own giant stronghold with a strong team of your own! The choice is yours!
To get started, Create an account and download the client.. Depending on your internet speed this could take up to at least... 2-5 mins and for slower connections.. Up to possibly 5-10 mins. It is a very big game on the inside but does not take up to much computer space at all!
Creating a new character is the best part to me personally! Before you name your very first character think about what you wish to be... Think about.. What variant am I from? What do I represent? Am I evil? Am I good? Do I want many followers? Do I want to follow? The choice is yours! Be as creative as possible.. Please no REAL LIFE references when creating your new character.. This is a completely different realm than what we known in the real world so the dreamers would have no idea what you are speaking of if you refer to some real life situations.. Not to mention it will be a quick way to get banned from the server entirely.
Here is a list of focuses, and/or classes to choose from while picking your character!
GateKeeper: Known as the warrior class. Mainly focuses his energy's on his own will power.. Able to ward portals. Able to cast sprint and run very fast. And also gains a damage bonus as you gain spheres.. A very warrior like class!
DreamSeer: Known as the.. Tactical class persay.. Able to hit your targets from long range with arts known as blast and also you are able to cast vision and even chamele/disappear from sight with your arts! This class focuses on the energys of insight. A very versatile class indeed!
SoulMaster: Known as the healers of the dream! This class is able to heal and restore, fix shields and even poison your foes! It's main focus is the Resilience energy and the class focus on one thing.. Your dreamsoul.. Either it will cause you serious pain or will heal you and help you in the long run.. A known favorite to most dreamers..
FateSender: Known as the Tricksters of the dream.. This class is able to cast scare, stagger and even paralyze you in place. A very great class to choose from if you wish to control the others dreamers movements and other capabilities.. This class focuses on the Lucidity Energy and is a very good class indeed!
Combat:
Combat is one of the best parts about the game! You have many different ways of combat. Mainly the use of CHAKRAMS(Energy Balls) which are basically weapons that shoot energy towards your foe damaging them based on the strength of your chakram. This is mainly the best weapon of choice in the game in my opinion.. Their is also your own personal energy ball which you can task from a Teacher and Strengthen it yourself and shoot your own powerful beam from your ownself!
If you are the up close and personal type of way then the sword is your best option. Sword combat can be fun. It is mainly used for duels and fighting off weaker mares within the dream.
Arts are your best bet if you wish to succeed. Depending on your class arts will be your best friend as you gain more spheres and levels!
In closing.. Please help our community grow as role players as we are in need of a bigger and larger community like we once use to be. This game will never end because it is completely based on the players and the players creativity to make it last!
I would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to read this and please even if you just would like to check it out and not plan on staying.. Come check it out and enjoy yourself to a brand new experience in ROLE PLAY!! THANK YOU!
Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RolePlayGateway/~3/J4lYA2ssjdQ/viewtopic.php
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AP: Veteran character actor Charles Durning dies
Mark J. Terrill / AP
By Bob Thomas, The Associated Press
Charles Durning grew up in poverty, lost five of his nine siblings to disease, barely lived through D-Day and was taken prisoner at the Battle of the Bulge.
His hard life and wartime trauma provided the basis for a prolific 50-year career as a consummate Oscar-nominated character actor, playing everyone from a Nazi colonel to the pope to Dustin Hoffman's would-be suitor in "Tootsie."
Durning, who died Monday at age 89 in New York, got his start as an usher at a burlesque theater in Buffalo, N.Y. When one of the comedians showed up too drunk to go on, Durning took his place. He would recall years later that he was hooked as soon as heard the audience laughing.?
He told The Associated Press in 2008 that he had no plans to stop working. "They're going to carry me out, if I go," he said.
Durning's longtime agent and friend, Judith Moss, told The Associated Press that he died of natural causes in his home in the borough of Manhattan.
Although he portrayed everyone from blustery public officials to comic foils to put-upon everymen, Durning may be best remembered by movie audiences for his Oscar-nominated, over-the-top role as a comically corrupt governor in 1982's "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas."?
Many critics marveled that such a heavyset man could be so nimble in the film's show-stopping song-and-dance number, not realizing Durning had been a dance instructor early in his career. Indeed, he had met his first wife, Carol, when both worked at a dance studio.?
The year after "Best Little Whorehouse," Durning received another Oscar nomination, for his portrayal of a bumbling Nazi officer in Mel Brooks' "To Be or Not to Be." He was also nominated for a Golden Globe as the harried police lieutenant in 1975's "Dog Day Afternoon."?
He won a Golden Globe as best supporting TV actor in 1991 for his portrayal of John "Honey Fitz" Fitzgerald in the TV film "The Kennedys of Massachusetts" and a Tony in 1990 as Big Daddy in the Broadway revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof."
Durning had begun his career on stage, getting his first big break when theatrical producer Joseph Papp hired him for the New York Shakespeare Festival.?
He went on to work regularly, if fairly anonymously, through the 1960s until his breakout role as a small town mayor in the Pulitzer- and Tony Award-winning play "That Championship Season" in 1972.?
He quickly made an impression on movie audiences the following year as the crooked cop stalking con men Paul Newman and Robert Redford in the Oscar-winning comedy "The Sting."?
Dozens of notable portrayals followed. He was the would-be suitor of Dustin Hoffman, posing as a female soap opera star in "Tootsie;" the infamous seller of frog legs in "The Muppet Movie;" and Chief Brandon in Warren Beatty's "Dick Tracy." He played Santa Claus in four different movies made for television and was the pope in the TV film "I Would be Called John: Pope John XXIII."
"I never turned down anything and never argued with any producer or director," Durning told The Associated Press in 2008, when he was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.?
Other films included "The Front Page," "The Hindenburg," "Breakheart Pass," "North Dallas Forty," "Starting Over," "Tough Guys," "Home for the Holidays," "Spy Hard" and 'O Brother Where Art Thou?"?
Durning also did well in television as a featured performer as well as a guest star. He appeared in the short-lived series "The Cop and the Kid" (1975), "Eye to Eye" (1985) and "First Monday" (2002) as well as the four-season "Evening Shade" in the 1990s.
Getty, Reuters, Getty
"If I'm not in a part, I drive my wife crazy," he acknowledged during a 1997 interview. "I'll go downstairs to get the mail, and when I come back I'll say, 'Any calls for me?'"
Durning's rugged early life provided ample material on which to base his later portrayals. He was born into an Irish family of 10 children in 1923, in Highland Falls, N.Y., a town near West Point. His father was unable to work, having lost a leg and been gassed during World War I, so his mother supported the family by washing the uniforms of West Point cadets.?
The younger Durning himself would barely survive World War II.?
He was among the first wave of U.S. soldiers to land at Normandy during the D-Day invasion and the only member of his Army unit to survive. He killed several Germans and was wounded in the leg. Later he was bayoneted by a young German soldier whom he killed with a rock. He was captured in the Battle of the Bulge and survived a massacre of prisoners.?
In later years, he refused to discuss the military service for which he was awarded the Silver Star and three Purple Hearts.
"Too many bad memories," he told an interviewer in 1997. "I don't want you to see me crying."
Tragedy also stalked other members of his family. Durning was 12 when his father died, and five of his sisters lost their lives to smallpox and scarlet fever.?
A high school counselor told him he had no talent for art, languages or math and should learn office skills. But after seeing "King Kong" and some of James Cagney's films, Durning knew what he wanted to do.
Leaving home at 16, he worked in a munitions factory, on a slag heap and in a barbed-wire factory.
Durning and his first wife had three children before divorcing in 1972. In 1974, he married his high school sweetheart, Mary Ann Amelio.
He is survived by his children, Michele, Douglas and Jeannine. The family planned to have a private family service and burial at Arlington National Cemetery.
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Friday 21 December 2012
New Jersey Online Gaming Bill Awaiting Governor's Approval ...
The New Jersey State Senate passed online gambling legislation on Thursday.
Bill A2578, which passed the State Assembly earlier in the week, would authorize casinos in Atlantic City to offer a full slate of internet gambling to state residents.
It was merged with Senate bill 1565 and passed by a margin of 33-3.
During the brief debate on the bill, opponents argued that the tax rate contained in the legislation was too low. Senator Jim Whelan defended the 10% rate as being necessary for New Jersey to compete globally and become the hub for internet gambling.
The bill now moves to Governor Chris Christie for his signature that would pass the bill into law.
Christie vetoed similar legislation in 2011. However, that was before the US Department of Justice revised its opinion that it no longer considers online gaming to be in violation of the Wire Act. Supporters of the bill hope this go around will be different.
Earlier this year, in reference to online gaming, Christie remarked, ?I think New Jersey should be in that business. I think we should be an epicenter for that business.?
Online gaming legislation was then promptly reintroduced, but even though the Governor?s staff worked closely with Senator Lesniak to craft a bill to the Governor liking, efforts to pass online gaming legislation earlier this year stalled.
Since then Delaware has legalized online gaming, federal efforts to pass online gaming legislation have failed and Nevada continues to move closer to launching its online poker program?now expected in early 2013.
Two weeks ago, a New Jersey Assembly Committee revised and reintroduced A2578. One change was the removal of language that sought to ban companies and their assets from entering the market if those companies offered online wagers to US residents after December 31, 2006.
Last week, it was learned that PokerStars is in ?advanced talks? to purchase an Atlantic City casino which would presumably allow them to enter the online poker market upon the passage of legislation.
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Wednesday 19 December 2012
Aerobic exercise trumps resistance training for weight and fat loss
Monday, December 17, 2012
Aerobic training is the best mode of exercise for burning fat, according to Duke researchers who compared aerobic training, resistance training, and a combination of the two.
The study, which appears Dec. 15, 2012, in the Journal of Applied Physiology, is the largest randomized trial to analyze changes in body composition from the three modes of exercise in overweight or obese adults without diabetes.
Aerobic exercise ? including walking, running, and swimming ? has been proven to be an effective way to lose weight. However, recent guidelines have suggested that resistance training, which includes weight lifting to build and maintain muscle mass, may also help with weight loss by increasing a person's resting metabolic rate. Research has demonstrated health benefits for resistance training, such as improving glucose control, but studies on the effects of resistance training on fat mass have been inconclusive.
"Given that approximately two-thirds of adults in the United States are overweight due to excess body fat, we want to offer clear, evidence-based exercise recommendations that will truly help people lose weight and body fat," said Leslie H. Willis, MS, an exercise physiologist at Duke Medicine and the study's lead author.
Researchers enrolled 234 overweight or obese adults in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three exercise training groups: resistance training (three days per week of weight lifting, three sets per day, 8-12 repetitions per set), aerobic training (approximately 12 miles per week), or aerobic plus resistance training (three days a week, three set per day, 8-12 repetitions per set for resistance training, plus approximately 12 miles per week of aerobic exercise).
The exercise sessions were supervised in order to accurately measure adherence among participants. Data from 119 people who completed the study and had complete body composition data were analyzed to determine the effectiveness of each exercise regimen.
The groups assigned to aerobic training and aerobic plus resistance training lost more weight than those who did just resistance training. The resistance training group actually gained weight due to an increase in lean body mass.
Aerobic exercise was also a more efficient method of exercise for losing body fat. The aerobic exercise group spent an average of 133 minutes a week training and lost weight, while the resistance training group spent approximately 180 minutes exercising a week without shedding pounds.
The combination exercise group, while requiring double the time commitment, provided a mixed result. The regimen helped participants lose weight and fat mass, but did not significantly reduce body mass nor fat mass over aerobic training alone. This group did notice the largest decrease in waist circumference, which may be attributed to the amount of time participants spent exercising.
Resting metabolic rate, which determines how many calories are burned while at rest, was not directly measured in this study. While theories suggest that resistance training can improve resting metabolic rates and therefore aid in weight loss, in this study, resistance training did not significantly decrease fat mass nor body weight irrespective of any change in resting metabolic rate that might have occurred.
"No one type of exercise will be best for every health benefit," Willis added. "However, it might be time to reconsider the conventional wisdom that resistance training alone can induce changes in body mass or fat mass due to an increase in metabolism, as our study found no change."
Duke researchers added that exercise recommendations are age-specific. For older adults experiencing muscle atrophy, studies have found resistance training to be beneficial. However, younger, healthy adults or those looking to lose weight would see better results doing aerobic training.
"Balancing time commitments against health benefits, our study suggests that aerobic exercise is the best option for reducing fat mass and body mass," said Cris A. Slentz, PhD, a Duke exercise physiologist and study co-author. "It's not that resistance training isn't good for you; it's just not very good at burning fat."
###
Duke University Medical Center: http://www.dukemednews.org
Thanks to Duke University Medical Center for this article.
This press release was posted to serve as a topic for discussion. Please comment below. We try our best to only post press releases that are associated with peer reviewed scientific literature. Critical discussions of the research are appreciated. If you need help finding a link to the original article, please contact us on twitter or via e-mail.
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Source: http://www.labspaces.net/125958/Aerobic_exercise_trumps_resistance_training_for_weight_and_fat_loss
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Tuesday 18 December 2012
CHERNOBYL DIARIES (2012) ? HORROR MOVIE REVIEW
By Chris Summerfield
While on my recent shopping trip to Nottingham, l popped in to the, ?Save and Trade,? better known as, ?CEX? and while hunting through the many titles they have in there I came across this movie, and what persuaded me to purchase it was the fact the creator of the very popular Paranormal Activity had created this movie. And still slightly undecided whilst holding the movie in my hand, I overheard somebody stating, ?Why on earth did anybody hand that movie in, it?s awesome.? That persuaded me to buy.
The movie begins with three American tourist, Chris (Jesse McCartney) and Natalie (Olivia Taylor Dudley) with Amanda (Devin Kelley) having travelled around Europe, and head out to Ukraine, to meet up with Chris? brother, Paul (Jonathan Sadowski) who lives in Kiev. Paul wanting them to undertake an extreme tourist trip, out towards the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, though the others having other plans, however change them and go through with the extreme tourist trip, being joined by another couple, Michael (Nathan Philips) and Zoe (Ingrid Bolso Berdal). Their tour guide being an ex Elite soldier, Uri (Dimitri Diatchenko) their destination being, Pripyat, the former home of the workers of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, a now deserted and daunting town that had remained empty for over 25years.
At first I was thinking along the lines of something between ?Hostel? and ?The Hills have eyes,? expecting mutants attacking them straight away, being caged up and tortured, but no that was not the case.
Uri, their tour guide promising them an interesting trip and on route they are stopped at a check point, daunting soldiers turning them away. Then of course as expected they take a less travelled route in to the city. The city, daunting and eerie. You just cannot help but feel the tension, and as they explore the buildings taking pictures, Uri, discovers a camp fire that had been burning though now out and he begins to believe they are not alone, in which he was so sure they were, as he was no stranger to the area and had never seen anyone around. And after a scare with a huge bear they head back to the van, Uri wanting to be out of there before night fall. That is when the first disaster strikes; someone had stole wires belonging to the ignition. They are stranded and alone. Though most of this is predictable as you can imagine, but there is a threat about the movie, one that keeps you tensed.
Uri, after desperately trying to call for help leaves the van, armed with a gun, though again as predictable is murdered, but by who? And where had they taken his body? Chris also having left the van is injured. The movie then begins to heat up as they desperately try to find a way out of where they are; discovering other abandoned vehicles nearby, possible other trapped people that had failed to escape? Time is ticking and one by one they are being taken, but by whom?
The movie as everything I like in a Thriller/Horror, keeps you at the edge of your seat, can be gory and frightening and more than anything can imagine it actually happening.
I will not give anymore away about this movie, but my advice is? If you want a cracker of a thriller to watch over the coming Holiday season, then grab this one, you will not be disappointed.
Rating: 8/10
Source: http://www.scaredstiffreviews.com/?p=3817
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Hans-Joachim Stuck blames Ross Brawn for Mercedes ... - Bettor
Hans-Joachim Stuck blames Ross Brawn for Mercedes? uncompetitive performance ? Formula 1 news
Former Formula 1 driver and the president of the German Motorsport Federation, Hans-Joachim Stuck has blamed Mercedes team principal, Ross Brawn for their uncompetitive performance in the last three seasons and has defended Norbert Haug.
Haug has recently stepped down as the head of Mercedes motorsport because the Silver Arrows failed to attain desired results in the last three seasons.
However, Stuck believes that the failure of the Brackley based team can only be attributed to Brawn, who being the team boss, is responsible for the development of the car.
Furthermore, he said that Mercedes struggled a lot in this season because they could not develop a competitive car as compared to their rivals and were even challenged by the midfielders towards the end of the season.
?The failures in F1 are only attributable to Brawn,? said the 61-year-old. ?The car was just not fast enough.?
?McLaren has demonstrated it isn't the Mercedes engine. Even a small team like Force India has enjoyed success with the Mercedes-Benz engines,? he said.
In addition, he said that the departure of the German, who has played a great role in the success of Mercedes-Benz over the last 22 years, is surely a big loss for F1.
Besides, he completely dismissed all the rumours that Haug was responsible for Mercedes? lack of pace and asserted that it was Brawn?s responsibility to come up with a better car.
?The departure of Haug is a huge loss for the sport,? he added. ?He was not ultimately the one who designed the car.?
?The car is [the responsibility] of team boss Ross Brawn, he should have made it better,? he said.
Even though, Mercedes could not achieve their goal in this season despite having a successful pre-season testing programme. Nevertheless, they are not feeling upset and are positively looking forward to come up stronger in the next season so as to attain good results.
Furthermore, it will be important to mention that their driver, Michael Schumacher has taken retirement from the sport and will be replaced by Lewis Hamilton in the next season. Let?s see how they show up with their changed driver line-up in the coming year.
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Federal Employee In Australia Compensated For Injury Suffered During Sex
smh.com.au:
A PUBLIC servant who was injured while having sex during a work trip has won compensation after a five-year legal battle.
Read the whole story: smh.com.au
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Monday 17 December 2012
The Most Important Events of 2012 in 14 GIFs
Source: http://feeds.gawker.com/~r/gizmodo/full/~3/7uIlPqtbb1c/
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Ghana considers court order to release ship
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) ? Ghana's government said Sunday it was "carefully considering" a U.N. tribunal's order for the immediate release of an Argentine navy training ship seized two months ago at the request of an American hedge fund.
In a statement signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Chris Kpodo, the government said I remained "firmly committed to our international obligations."
"The Government of Ghana will carefully consider the Tribunal's Order with a view to ensuring that it is given effect, having regard to the requirements of the Constitution and the country's international obligations," the statement said.
The ARA Libertad training ship was impounded Oct. 2 in the port of Tema at the behest of private creditors as collateral for unpaid bonds dating from Argentina's economic crisis a decade ago.
Argentina appealed to the U.N. International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for the ship's release, arguing that as a warship the Libertad is immune from being seized.
In an expedited ruling by a U.N. court in Germany, the court ordered that Ghana "forthwith and unconditionally release the frigate ARA Libertad" and ensure the ship and its crew can leave Ghanaian waters. It also ordered that the vessel be resupplied as needed.
Ghana's government said it has taken "careful note of the Tribunal's order." In the statement published Sunday, it said the arrest of the Argentine vessel arises from a dispute between Argentina and a private foreign company, adding that the government of Ghana was not a party to that dispute.
Ghana courts ordered the ship held on a claim by Cayman Islands-based NML Capital Ltd. Its owner, American billionaire Paul Singer, leads a group demanding payment in full, plus interest ? about $350 million ? for dollar-based Argentine bonds bought at fire sale prices after Argentina's 2001-2002 economic collapse forced a sharp devaluation of its currency.
The vast majority of bondholders accepted about 30 cents on the dollar years ago, and that is roughly what the holdouts led by Singer initially paid for the bonds.
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Can a Mind Body Spirit Detox Help Psychological Health and fitness ...
The Person?s Spirit could be the Important to Mental Psychological and Physical Well-Being
The key to understanding the connection involving all these elements of our self is the power system, the subtle vitality program, the lacking hyperlink to wellbeing, happiness and independence, on all amounts, an actual present a part of us that?s fully ignored and unaccepted as actuality in typical approaches to mental well-being, and nevertheless, the energy body, the spirit particular person, the individual?s spirit could be the crucial to well being on all ranges.
The Psychological Health and fitness Basis has defined a mentally wholesome person as 1 who can:
?Cultivate emotionally, creatively, intellectually and spiritually
?Initiate cultivate and sustain satisfying particular associations
?Encounter problems, resolve and learn from them
?Be assured and assertive
?Be aware of other individuals and empathize with them
?Use and take pleasure in solitude
?Engage in and have entertaining
?Laugh at on their own and the planet
So how did we create mental health and fitness troubles and difficulties?
Allow?s discover this through the position of view in the human being vitality method, the human being spirit.
We now have an electricity human body. We can?t see it, however some technologies do enable us to determine strength fields of residing issues. Some discuss about the aura, chakras, and meridians for energy to flow from the energy system. Many productive healing therapies are based mostly within the existence in the energy system and restoring flow when it truly is blocked. And this may be the important, finding blockage and restoring flow within the vitality system.
So how does it get blocked within the first area? Ah well, that is existence. Our electricity system is processing daily life occasions, people today, dynamics, items in via and out from the energy technique, within the very same way because the actual physical system processes food stuff in as a result of and out. We consume, digest, circulate, metabolize, get vitality from, and are regenerated by, then do away with the meals that we consume. Which is in as a result of and out, modifying us from the course of action. When all the things is flowing very well, we human body processes are healthy and balanced. If we get blockage in any are problems and signs and symptoms start to produce e.g. indigestion, colon troubles, liver difficulties, arteries, lymph. It?s all about circulation and getting the nutrients to the proper parts. Soon after which the system understands how to get healthy and balanced.
So how does flow and diet relate to psychological health?
We method the energies of everyday life from the very same way, in through and out. We assess this to acceptance, knowledge, compassion, mastering, releasing, forgiving, transformation and evolution, and delight and enjoyment inside the procedure. All our good psychological encounters we are able to now see because the flow of the strength of existence by means of our electricity technique. It feels very good. Good feelings arise from flow of those energies of lifestyle by way of our electricity program and vitality nutrition will be the learning, the feel beneficial component, the progress, the transformation we get from that facet of lifestyle. This can be healthful flow. This really is in fact how we?re made, just as the system is made to become healthy and balanced. This is our all-natural beginning point out, until finally existence happened!
What are blockages from the Vitality Physique?
So, as we are able to get blockage inside the actual physical entire body, we get blockage inside strength entire body. As an example, we steer clear of since we will?t deal with one thing, we are unable to accept, we resist, or we damage if we do accept, we maintain on, we really don?t comprehend nicely, we don?t see obviously, we are able to?t forgive and we think unhealthy. They are our agonizing emotions and we sense this from the body much too.
In reality, where we experience it within the system is the place the electricity is stuck.
Events of Existence Stuck in Processing
So once we will not be in that point out of psychological well being that we defined above, it is because something transpired to us, an affair that we processed through our electricity technique, but it surely acquired stuck along the way in which. Possibly it had been as well massive to cope with for any youthful vitality program. So there it stayed, that power forever connected to the thought or storage of that affair, held inside the electricity entire body, in the physical area that we can think, once we recall it. And everyday life continues to occur, occasions upon gatherings, saved leading to additional blockage and behaviors that arise from these blockages since somewhere along the way in which, the support wasn?t there that can help that man or woman method and release those activities in living. So advancement and understanding failed to come about. Nourishment of the spirit to convey self confidence and power did not happen.
Furthermore a blocked electricity system, has lowered ability to process foreseeable future activities, coping capacity is impaired. We emotionally react. Eventually the discomfort of handling existence might be so wonderful that disconnection is required, numbing out the emotions and ongoing stress results in melancholy.
It?s all Electricity and Only Energy
It really is all a form of vitality indigestion, electricity constipation, and energetic personal injury of some sort.
Understanding this can be truly excellent information.
Now that we have power launch tactics from the rising subject of vitality psychology, including EFT, EmoTrance, TAT and much more, we are able to locate and generate the blockage, restore the flow, and heal the energy system. After much more in flow, the think of health and fitness returns. We feel relaxed and free of charge, we see obviously from a brand new perspective, we have now new solutions we failed to have ahead of for this circumstance. We?ve realized and grown. We have been spine to mental psychological and spiritual wellbeing. We are able to do this for all existence gatherings that acquired stuck in processing as a result of the strength technique and these methods make it possible for us to release the power without the need of possessing to talk about these events above and in excess of all over again.
So, strength healing, also named healing the spirit, can be a crucial to facilitating psychological healing.
Why Occur using a Retreat for Psychological Healing?
By the time somebody is depressed, suffering chronic anxiety, has minimal self-assurance and self esteem, is numb or disconnected, there is a good deal of existence gatherings stored inside the vitality process that have to have releasing.
A variety of remedy classes are recommend, making use of EFT or EmoTrance or TAT and there exists unequivocal evidence gathered more than many decades from hundreds of people today of your effectiveness of these methods to make mental healing and modify. This can be a problem to those that comply with additional typical talk therapies and medication approaches, and so we come across resistance from that sector, but thankfully, not from everybody.
A healing retreat will be the ideal chance to expend time in a very supportive surroundings and collect a number of healing sessions, tuning in to essential occasions and releasing them, producing growing flow inside of, escalating relaxation, lightness and clarity. It really is a likelihood to produce some legitimate development in making change and forward motion, improvements in psychological health.
Other scientific tests exhibit diet also has an impact on our mental wellbeing. Just how much sugar and refined meals we eat participate in havoc with our blood sugar amounts and moods. The lack of certain nutrients within our diet has been proven to lead to vital processes not doing work very well. The human brain is an organ that requirements food stuff just as significantly as the rest of our human body. When we have been within a low mental state, we generally never carry treatment about our diet plan.
It?s uncomplicated to understand the advantages of combining power healing with optimum nutritional support for mental healing. A Mind Body Spirit Detox, cleansing out the old, restoring flow and placing back again in optimum fuel in terms of foods and with regards to what our spirit feeds on: nature, lifestyle, people today, associations, adore.
So in reality, by a total?Mind Body Spirit Detox healing retreat may very well be a great way to help you psychological healing or form a brand new type of psychological well-being retreat.
Source: http://biovich.com/can-a-mind-body-spirit-detox-help-psychological-health-and-fitness-and-healing.html
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Sunday 9 December 2012
GM Launches Chevy Sail In India
GM India launched the Chevrolet Sail U-Va (hatchback) in November, replacing the outdated Aveo range in the process. The subcompact hatch is built on GM?s new global small passenger car platform designed specifically for fast-growing emerging markets, and has a starting price of 444,000 Indian Ruppes (roughly $8,100 using current conversion rates).
Engine Choices
The car is offered in India with a choice of two engines ? a 1.3 liter diesel and a 1.2 liter petrol unit.
The 1.3 liter Smartech common rail diesel engine was developed by the GM Diesel Engine Tech Center in Turin, Italy with support from engineers in Pune and Bangalore. The diesel-burning four-banger makes 78 PS (76 horsepower) @ 4,000 RPM and 205 Nm (151 lb.-ft.) of torque, while achieving 22.1 km/l (50 MPG) @ 1,750 RPM.
Meanwhile, the 1.2 liter Smartech gasoline burner was developed entirely in India and makes 86 PS (84 horsepower) @ 6,000 RPM and 113 Nm (83 lb.-ft.) of torque @ 5,000 RPM.
Both engines are built at GM?s flexible engine plant in Pune, India. Interestingly, the car?s fuel tank is placed in the middle of the car to maximize interior space and provide ample legroom (we wonder why GM didn?t think to do the same in the 2013 Malbu).
Centrally-placed gas tank
Exterior Colors
The Sail is offered in seven colors, including:
- Super Red
- Switchblade Silver
- Summit White
- Caviar Black
- Linen Beige
- Sandrift Grey
- Misty Lake
Sometimes we wonder why GM doesn?t rename its Silver Ice Metallic color (available in North America) to Switchblade Silver? because that just sounds so cool.
Infotainment
The Sail offers the ?Fun-Wide? audio system that features Bluetooth functionality and supports up to five phone pairings. Audio streaming is part of the package, as are 4 speakers (2 in the front and 2 in the rear).
Testing & Validation
GM says that its engineers at the Technical Center in Bangalore, India ?spent nearly two years adapting the platform for India to ensure that it would meet the requirements of the Indian market and Indian car buyers.? We can?t imagine it took that long to tweak an already-existing vehicle (the Sail has been sold in China for the last few years); as such, we have a hunch that the time was spent testing and sourcing local parts, as Indian law requires a high percentage of local content to meet local requirements.
To that end, The General says that 1,567 parts and components were subjected to the same stringent global testing procedures that apply to GM?s other offerings.
The Sail hatch is expected to be joined by its sedan counterpart as well as the Sail MPV ? which is really a rebadged GM-Wuling Hong Guang microvan. We?ll be here to report on when that takes place.
Google+Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gmauthority/~3/pBTYBfisMIM/
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Friday 7 December 2012
How to use iTunes in the Cloud under iTunes 11
If you buy your music, TV shows, and music from iTunes, iTunes 11 makes it easier than ever to download, and re-download all that content thanks to iTunes in the Cloud. With iTunes in the Cloud, even if you no longer have a song, film, or episode you previously bought on your Mac or Windows PC, you're only ever a click away from getting it back. iTunes in the Cloud can be a great space-saver for small hard drives, and is definitely a great backup for everyone.
- How to enable iTunes in the Cloud in iTunes 11
- How to stream iTunes in the Cloud content in iTunes 11
- How to download iTunes in the Cloud content in iTunes 11
- How to move items back to iTunes in the Cloud in iTunes 11
- How to delete iTunes in the Cloud items in iTunes 11
How to enable iTunes in the Cloud in iTunes 11
- Launch iTunes 11 on your Mac or PC.
- Open Preferences.
- Click on the Store tab.
- In the bottom portion of the Store tab make sure the option is checked for Show iTunes in the Cloud purchases.
- That's it. iTunes in the Cloud is now enabled.
How to stream iTunes in the Cloud content in iTunes 11
Streaming media is a great way to save space on your hard drive. If there are shows, movies, and music that you don't access very frequently, it's probably better just to stream them than actually download them. iTunes in the Cloud supports streaming in iTunes for anything that you've purchased directly from iTunes.
- Launch iTunes 11 on your Mac or PC.
- Find the song, album, movie, or tv show that you've purchased from iTunes that you would like to stream. You'll know it isn't downloaded to your computer if you see the small cloud icon next to it.
- Double click on the media item in order to start streaming it.
How to download iTunes in the Cloud content in iTunes 11
If you have certain songs, albums, or movies that you watch frequently or would like to be able to access on your computer even if you don't have an internet connection, it's a better idea to physically download them than to stream them. If you've previously purchased them from iTunes, you can easily re-download them at any time.
- Launch iTunes 11 on your Mac or PC.
- Find the song, album, movie, or tv show that you'd like to download from iTunes in the cloud. You'll know that it isn't currently in your library if it has a little cloud icon next to it.
- Instead of double-clicking on the item to play it, instead click on the small cloud icon in order to download it.
- You'll now see a download icon in the upper right hand corner of iTunes 11.
- Click on it to see the download window. You should now see your item downloading from iTunes in the cloud to your computer.
How to move items back to iTunes in the Cloud in iTunes 11
If you're computer's hard drive is starting to get full and you need to save some space, iTunes in the Cloud is the perfect option. Just like you can download items to your computer, you can also delete them so they go back to a streaming state. You aren't technically "moving" the items to the Cloud since they're already there, but you're removing the physical copy off of your hard drive.
Don't worry, you can always down them again later if you'd like.
- Launch iTunes 11 on your Mac or PC.
- Find the music, movie, or tv show you'd like to remove from your actual computer.
- Right click on it and choose the Delete option.
- iTunes will prompt you to confirm that you'd like to delete the file from your computer. Click on Delete Item but make sure the option for Delete from iCloud is NOT checked.
- Now iTunes will ask you what you'd like to do with the file itself. Choose Move to Trash.
- You'll still see the title in your library but you'll now notice it is back in the Cloud which is symbolized by the small cloud icon in the upper right hand corner of the media item.
- That's it. If you ever need to download it again, you can easily do so in one click. But in the mean time, you've got some extra space freed up on your computer.
How to delete iTunes in the Cloud in iTunes 11
This isn't an option many users will want to use but if you ever decide you'd like to delete an item from iCloud completely, you can do so. Perhaps it's a title you don't want the kids to be able to see in the Cloud on their devices. This is a reason you would not want it available to download across all devices.
- Launch iTunes 11 on your Mac or PC.
- Find the music, movie, or tv show you'd like to remove from iCloud completely.
- Right click on it and choose the Delete option.
- iTunes will prompt you to confirm that you'd like to delete the file from your computer. Click on Delete Item but make sure the option for Delete from iCloud is checked.
- Now iTunes will ask you what you'd like to do with the file itself. Choose Move to Trash.
- The item will no longer be available.
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/PKHxDV5V4eQ/story01.htm
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Tuesday 20 November 2012
The Do's And Dont's With Regards To Commencing A Home Based ...
Posted on November 19th, 2012
Using an internet business generally is one of the most fulfilling components in your life if you know what you?re performing. It could be challenging to find out the best ways to go about running your business, especially when you?re working hard at the company itself. Here are several issues to keep in mind as you work towards success.Here is the latest Target coupons
If you have not currently recognized a solid system of specialist connections than now could be not time to start out your own personal business. It is essential to have several associates in many various areas as one never knows which kind of support or enterprise bargain you may need to make.
When generating an online business, make sure you execute a competitive value verify before starting. When you haven?t done this, you may be costs your self out from company just before your organization has truly even started out! And you could learn that the things you believed was really a winning business structure may not function in case the price ranges being offered by the competitors are way too lower. Make sure you do your research!
If you are frustrated from commencing a business online due to the fact there is no need money, you need to know that you could qualify for a financial loan. Many people are unaware of this and turn out giving up on his or her aspiration to have a home based business. Make sure you verify rates of interest prior to getting financing.
Operating in your own home makes it effortless to be a hermit. At times it may be empowering, but it is also unhappy simply being all by yourself more often than not. Take some time in your schedule to get in touch with other individuals, and merely get out of the house. Do whatever you like to do that reminds you you are section of the world.
So many people are thinking about commencing their own home business and turning into their very own employer. Even so they are not very positive, how or exactly where they need to start off. After reading this article, you ought to have a greater idea of the way to get started off with your personal home based business and getting your own personal employer.
Source: http://grooven.org/the-dos-and-donts-with-regards-to-commencing-a-home-based-business
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What's The Beef With College Football Rankings
College football bowl season is just around the corner, and with it comes the seemingly perennial controversy around the bowl game selection process. Rachel Martin and NPR's Mike Pesca discuss the vagaries of the Bowl Championship Series ranking system, and why you can't just blame it on computers.
Source: http://www.npr.org/2012/11/18/165399636/whats-the-beef-with-college-football-rankings?ft=1&f=1055
Friday 16 November 2012
Gambling on a game: FIFA 13 and Virgin Gaming | Game On
Every so often an advert pops up in the upper left corner of FIFA 13.
?Win money playing in the EA Sports Arena Online Game Mode,? it reads.
The EA Sports Arena is a few menus deep within FIFA 13, but it?s visible enough. Through it, players can connect with a service called Virgin Gaming, which is aligned with Richard Branson?s Virgin mega-brand. Virgin Gaming enables you to bet real money on multiplayer games of FIFA 13, Madden 13 and a number of others. Thus, it allows you to win real money. It also allows you to lose real money.
Virgin Gaming is a service that exists within a strange middle ground of gambling and classification regulation in Australia. Few can or will take responsibility for how it interfaces with games like FIFA 13.
EA Sports argues that such gambling is purely a third party service. The Classification Board has concluded, after being approached by Crikey, that it has ?a very mild viewing impact and can be accommodated within the G (General) classification.? Further, videogames are themselves outside the boundaries of federal gambling law, and thus Virgin Gaming does not fall within the jurisdiction of a regulatory body like ACMA.
And so, every so often, an advert pops up in FIFA 13 that calls on players to gamble. And gambling is what players all over the world have been doing.
*
?This is the most tense I?ve felt playing this game in five years.?
Jeremy is a dedicated FIFA player (he is also my girlfriend?s brother, and we are good friends). I first heard about Virgin Gaming at lunch with him a few weeks ago, where he mentioned a few of the changes made to his beloved soccer game this year. I had not heard of players being able to bet on console games before. I was surprised.
Curious, I went to his house to watch him play a game. It took less time than I thought to organise?with a computer on his lap and a controller in his hand, Jeremy quickly signed up through the Virgin Gaming website (as directed by his copy of FIFA 13) and linked his Xbox 360 gamertag with the service. He added twenty dollars through a PayPal account, ticked a button to agree that yes, he was over eighteen years old, and was in an open skill level lobby in minutes.
?No more friendlies,? read the tag line. The lobby was disorganised and a little anarchic, with players hustling for games in text chat.
?Any low skill player invite me for 3.00 game now!!!? posted one user.
?Anyone wanna play for 20?? wrote another.
Jeremy settled on a player from the Netherlands, a player whose Virgin Gaming profile showed a win-loss history of 25-12. The bet was four dollars. The match would be the regulation six-minute FIFA halves. The winner?s jackpot, minus Virgin Gaming?s twelve per cent fee, was to be seven dollars and four cents.
Blip?the Xbox notified Jeremy that he had a EA Sports Arena match scheduled. The Dutch player picked Brazil. Jeremy picked Chelsea.
The game was electric. Both players were cautious, happy to defend rather than push for opportunity, but the atmosphere was tense. At half-time, the score was nil all, with few chances made by either player. There was more than pride on the line.
In the forty-eighth minute the Dutch player scored, but Jeremy won a penalty shortly after, leveling the match. It was now that Jeremy noted that he?d never felt so tense in a game of FIFA in years. If it was a tie the whole thing would have to be replayed. Perhaps he would not be so lucky again with a penalty, and real money would have been lost.
Suddenly, Jeremy had the ball with his striker sprinting towards the Dutch player?s keeper. The last line of defense. ?Only the keeper to beat!? screamed the commentary in a rare moment of clarity. The ball entered the back of the net from well outside the box. The game was over. Jeremy had won.
?Aww, you took his money!? said Jeremy?s girlfriend, watching distractedly. Seven dollars and four cents was automatically credited to the Virgin Gaming account, bringing his total to twenty three dollars and four cents. Due to Virgin Gaming?s three dollar fee for withdrawing funds, Jeremy noted dryly, if he cashed out now the whole exercise would have been worth four cents of profit.
There was a momentary high from the win, but we quickly moved on to the next match, which had a higher bet and less tension. The opposite player, this time from Italy, played an arrogant game, and Jeremy lost his connection halfway through. Virgin Gaming automatically ruled that a rematch was required, which the Italian won three nil in uninspiring style. The loss was not so much crushing as mundane. The edge of gambling quickly worn thin.
A few days later I received a text message from Jeremy. He?d played some more FIFA games through Virgin Gaming, betting once again.
?I lost and got really angry and hated myself and the game. It?s fucking toxic.?
*
How this functions comes down to responsibility. Gambling is a classifiable element of videogames, yet FIFA 13?s Australian classification is ?G?, the lowest possible classification, with the advice that the experience ?may change online?. There is no mention of potential gambling in the Classification Board?s advice.
When I first approached the Classification Board about FIFA 13, the response from Director Donald McDonald was perplexing:
?The Board has contacted the assessors of these games who confirmed that the information provided is accurate. The Board has been advised that the Australian versions of these games do not have the capability to connect online to the Virgin Gaming service.?
Was this miscommunication? Were there different versions of FIFA 13 on Australian shelves? To satisfy myself, I bought my own copy of the game after speaking to some more local FIFA 13 online players. Again, the Virgin Gaming advert appeared. Again, I was able to sign up and schedule wagered matches. Again, I lost some money. This time, I sent photos of this system to the Classification Board for further clarity. The response would take time, I was told.
In the meantime, I contacted EA Sports Australia, hoping they could lend some clarity to the situation. Their full statement follows below:
?Virgin Gaming/EA SPORTS Arena is not a feature within our FIFA 12 / FIFA 13 Packaged Goods Games, which are the products submitted for classification with the OFLC.
The EA SPORTS Arena feature is an optional, age gated online service provided by a third party (Virgin Gaming) on a separate wholly owned website and technology.?The use of this service does not add any extra functionality or features in actual game-play in the game; it simply enables users to compete with each other (subject to the terms and conditions of the third party running the website).
The architecture within FIFA 13 does not permit players to connect to external third party websites?including the Virgin Gaming website?through the game.?
This is a fine distinction. Through FIFA 13, Virgin Gaming is able to schedule matches, track results, and link with and track user data such as gamercards. FIFA 13 itself features adverts for Virgin Gaming, has a menu option for the EA Sports Arena, and displays instructions for signing up for Virgin Gaming, including the function for FIFA 13 to automatically send an Virgin Gaming invite email to the player?s associated address.
But no, FIFA 13 does not connect players directly to Virgin Gaming?s website. And yes, Virgin Gaming is a separate company and runs on separate technology. Thus, EA argues that it is ?not a feature? within FIFA 13. Could a reasonable person understand that the EA Sports Arena is in fact, a ?service provided by a third party?? Does this distinction warrant the Classification Board?s assessors telling them that ?the Australian versions of these games do not have the capability to connect online to the Virgin Gaming service??
At how much distance can you hold a service that advertises gambling using your videogame, in your videogame?
After two weeks, the Classification Board again responded to my enquiries, this time with more depth. The Board acknowledged the banner advertisement for the EA Sports Arena and Virgin Gaming, though noted that it was not a clickable hyperlink. They also acknowledged the EA Sports Arena menu option and the procedure that follows. The Board even connected to Virgin Gaming and ?played several matches.?
Their conclusion was as follows:
?The Board?s view is that the content of the game, including the banner advertisement has a very mild viewing impact and can be accommodated within the G (General) classification. The online component of the gameplay is appropriately represented by the consumer advice ?Caution: Gaming experience may change online?.
The Board does not propose to take any further action in relation to the classification of Fifa 13.?
*
Australia?s federal legislation that regulates online gambling specifically excludes videogames from its ambit.
?Computer games [are] regarded as games of predominantly skill. They therefore do not fall within the definition of ?gambling service? in the [Interactive Gambling Act], even where there is consideration to play and prizes,? is the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy?s explanation.
It is clear that there is very little in terms of regulation or responsibility for what Virgin Gaming offers FIFA 13 players outside of Virgin Gaming?s own ethical choices and systems.
It is true that Virgin Gaming has checks in place to ensure all players are aged eighteen or above. It is also true that Virgin Gaming?s website has a section on responsible gaming. ?Sometimes we all need to put down the controller,? it reads. There is also a dedicated email address for reporting underaged players.
But beyond what Virgin Gaming feels it has to do, there is little it must do.
I contacted Virgin Gaming and asked for comment on the issues raised by this story, and received only the following in response: ?Virgin Gaming operates is service under skilled gaming laws. Please feel free to contact your local counsel or state government bodies to get further information of skilled gaming laws in your area.?
It?s worth noting that almost nowhere on Virgin Gaming?s website is the word ?gambling? used. ?Gaming? is used almost exclusively, as though to draw distinction between gambling on games of skill and games of chance.
While we?re on responsibility, it?s also worth noting that Virgin Gaming?s Terms & Conditions state they are governed by the laws of the Province of Ontario and the federal laws of Canada, and that: ?We make no representation that this Site is operated in accordance with the laws or regulations of, or governed by, other nations.?
And so Australian players can now gamble on FIFA 13 matches, on Madden 13 matches, and on others without much fear of regulation or interference. According to Virgin Gaming, twenty-three million dollars has been won by players through the service. That also means twenty-three million dollars has been lost by players.
In 2010, Australia?s Federal Productivity Commission into problem gambling estimated that there were ?between 80,000 and 160,000 Australian adults suffering severe problem gambling. In addition there are between 230,000 and 350,000 people at moderate risk.?
As a result, and on the prompting of Independent MP Andrew Wilkie, the government made its strongest statement on the impact of gambling in Australia.
?Problem gambling wrecks lives,? said Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. ?For people who are addicted, gambling is a dangerous, damaging drug that hurts, not just gamblers, but also family, friends and workplaces.?
Forget AFL or cricket or rugby: gambling is, in many respects, Australia?s national sport, and informs our culture at every conceivable level.
Last week, a horse race?and its associated betting?stopped a nation, as it supposedly does year after year. Famous Australian sportspeople across multiple codes have been accused or found guilty of being involved in betting on their own sport.
One of Australia?s most popular contemporary television soap operas, Winners & Losers, is based around the success of a lottery syndicate. A significant subplot in the critically acclaimed Jack Irish novels revolves around betting. The plot of what is one of Australia?s greatest films, Wake In Fright, involves a fall from grace through Two-up, Australia?s most traditional game of gambling.
Gambling on videogames is now not only possible, but easy, integrated and encouraged. The distance given to this fact is a predictable continuation of the lack of responsibility for gambling in Australia.
We need to have a conversation about videogames and gambling. There is no more room for the shrugging of shoulders.
Source: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/game-on/2012/11/15/gambling-on-a-game-fifa-13-and-virgin-gaming/
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Friday 2 November 2012
Video: Mayor becomes rescue responder in wake of hurricane
>>> last in the news for running into a house fire to rescue his neighbors. tonight, he was in the news because he invited his neighbors to stay at his house with him. he happens to be the mayor of newark , new jersey, the big city just across the way from new york. and they are having big problems. and tonight, tom brokaw reports on cory booker , a hands-on guy with his hands full.
>> this is mayor cory booker . we have a power situation, obviously.
>> reporter: even before hurricane sandy invaded his town, cory booker had one of the toughest jobs in politics.
>> you guys don't have any young babies or kids in there, do you?
>> reporter: trying to rebuild newark , constantly buffeted by the winds of poverty and crime. now, 94% of newark is without power.
>> we need some lights on in here!
>> right now, i'm sending a tweet out to the resident that was concerned about her sick child.
>> reporter: booker, once a rhodes scholar , is a high-tech mayor. and his constituents know how to catch up. here's a tweet about a power outage sent by, get this, champagne mommy at playboy bunny .
>> what kind of twitter handle do you have here? look at this cute little baby. i have cold milk. we have diapers. i hope those are going to fit.
>> reporter: i caught up with him. and he talked about this new world of governing. can you imagine your predecessors going through this without one of these?
>> look, i can't even remember three, four years ago before i had that power. just for me, the power of twitter alone, i have tens of thousands of my residents who are letting me know about what's going on, telling me about their neighbors that need somebody to get to them right away.
>> reporter: i know that just being mayor in good times is tough. does this just exhaust you? do you say at some point, i can't do this?
>> i'm running on adrenaline, caffeine and a love of the community.
>> reporter: by using twitter to connect with his community, mayor booker says he's helping to keep the faith .
>> we've had amazing zero crimes of opportunity, no looting, no problems like that. i'm going round the clock.
>> reporter: booker achieved superhero status when earlier this year he came home to find his neighbor's house on fire . he charged through the flames to rescue her. you're the hands-on mayor. you rushed into a burning building to save a woman, you're all over the city. now you're the diaper deliveryman.
>> people in crises don't realize how important the small things are. this doesn't necessarily have to be refrigerated right now.
>> reporter: was that family surprised to see --
>> surprising a lot of folks when you get a chance to show up.
>> reporter: with an armful of diapers.
>> when they tweet you and you call them and say, what's the problem? i'll handle it. people are surprised but appreciative. it ignites that spirit within others as well.
>> reporter: booker knows that technology only goes so far. to be a successful politician in any way, a tweet will never replace a hug.
>> you need a hug? thank you so much.
>> that's how it's done in newark . let's take a drive down the shore, about 65 miles south of there, ron allen is in toms river tonight. and, ron, you and i were together last night in point pleasant beach. now you're in toms river , which i would say is kind of the classic middle class , central jersey shore suburb, 80% of us have an aunt hazel. mine lived on jackson avenue in toms river . we used to visit her, go over to the beach. what have you seen in your travels and what are you learning in getting this masters degree on the jersey shore ?
>> reporter: well, first, let me say, i know this place as well, too. i've covered disasters all over the world, but jersey is my home as well. i'm from the northern part of the state, jersey city , montclair. down here, the story is really the destruction that you see that is just really mind-boggling. communities so hard hit that days later, thousands of people haven't been able to even see what happened because they can't come back. authorities are still keeping them out. there's a lot of anger, frustration, a lot of tension because people want to come back in and see what's happened to their homes. they also want to protect their homes. we've been hearing more stories about looting and people concerned about that. we've also heard stories about what people are calling pirates, trying to rob homes in the darkness. there has been progress. there's been power restored to about 1 million homes. but that still means about 40 percent of the state is in the dark. driving around at night is very hazardous. bottom line , people are taking this day by day and not being too concerned about this overwhelming disaster that's here, trying to take it day by day and slowly trying to figure out ways to recover.
>> ron, you're so right about that moving target that, line between order and chaos in a society. ron allen , great work in the field this week covering this awful story. thanks for being with us.
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